The great paper caper - also called decluttering!

OH!!!! I'm an idiot! OK -- maybe not an idiot, but I completely forgot there's a Virtual Retreat TODAY!!! I usually post about it and post the links several days in advance, and it slipped my mind. I didn't put it in the calendar, and I say I'm on top of things!!! Watch for the links at the end.

 And I'm behind this morning—it was a weird night. I woke up in the middle of the night - completely wide awake. I lay there for a while thinking perhaps I'm not really ready to get up. Then I got up and did some work, and then had to go back to bed! Sigh.............

As for the 150 Canadian Women pattern, several people are in the queue. I'll check with the first person on the list and see how quickly they want it, and then decide who gets it first. It really is a stunning quilt, and now that I read those stories, it's even more symbolic! I must get it quilted one of these days!

I accomplished a lot yesterday, but of course, I can't share everything with you. But I can tell you how important it is to go with your gut instinct, one of the best learning tools around, especially when picking fabrics. I made something yesterday, and it didn't quite seem finished —then POOF, I figured it out. Wait until you see it!! You are going to get a "kick" out of it!

I feel cheated! The temperatures were supposed to drop drastically last night, and when I woke up, I saw that friends not that far from me were posting temperatures like minus 27 and minus 29, while we were at minus 18. How can that be? We are not hundreds of KMs apart, but merely about 40? Oh well, it's a good day to stay inside, though the temperature is rising to minus 13 this afternoon, which is very doable. WAIT -- I just saw someone several hours north of me posted a minus-35 temperature! 

OK -- I do NOT feel cheated. I'm good with the current minus 20. I'm still walking, and the only part of me that gets cold is my face. The rest of me is toasty warm - wool socks in my running shoes, T-shirt tucked into pants (that's a very important one), warm felted mitts, my down sweater with my rain jacket on top, a scarf, and my toque. All that is missing is a balaclava for the face! 

The temperature at 3 AM

This morning I see we are at minus 20, with a windchill of minus 20. No wind. The girls are going to love it!

And this is why my Australian friends were amazed that I didn't really feel the cold while climbing Kilimanjaro. These temperatures are doable when you are appropriately dressed. Remember - it's all about attitude!!!

Speaking of attitude - Look at Miss Lexi. Someone must have opened that freezer compartment with something yummy on their hands!

MOM - No need to clean the fridge - I've got it! 

So while I got a lot of writing and editing done, I also took some time to clean up more paper in the office. Yep -- it's almost becoming a daily thing now. I'm going for it when the feeling hits. There's no need to wait until the right day because any day is the right day! Remember the second box I found under the computer desk (which is a disaster - I haven't gotten in that good habit yet). Well, I emptied the box onto the floor and then filled it with an open box of paper on the desk. Don't ask -- that's how I roll. 

Oh my - I found newsletters from The Quilt Patch. Remember that quilt store in Moose Jaw? I loved that store and was sad when they closed. 

A newsletter from The Quilt Patch

Good grief -- this one was dated Fall 2011. I quickly glanced through them, and they are now in my overflowing recycling box. 

Newsletter from Fall 2011

I still have two piles on the floor beside me that I hope to finish off today. Then I can tackle the open boxes of crap on the table, and I'll just keep going as long as my enthusiasm continues. 

But that wasn't all. I decided to also tackle the filing cabinet. Enough is enough, and now that the paper is more or less sorted in the cabinet, it's pretty easy to grab a folder and sort through it. I started at the back of the top drawer. Oh my—documents from all the previous houses I've owned. I know I don't need to keep them, but for the moment, I am. They are neat and tidy and in labeled folders. 

I then went through the drawer, removing all the empty folders and hanging sleeves. I have pulled about 8 folders to look at today. Please tell me I do not need a letter from 1998 stating that my doctor was moving to the US. I think I have every dental bill from the last twenty years - I don't need those. And so I'm going to have a pitch party later this morning. 

Cleaning out the filing cabinet

The funny thing is that I have many labeled folders in that cabinet. all the loyalty cards I had, the associations I belonged to, and a whole lot more. But I didn't maintain the system, so obviously I wasn't in the mood to make it work! 

The other thing I'm going to do is make sure that, as the folder is sorted and cleaned of anything it doesn't need, it gets a label slapped on, so that when I go to file something, the folder is easy to find. I can't wait until DH asks me for something and I can produce it immediately instead of taking days! 

Additional labels for the label maker

Yes - I could handwrite labels, but I choose not to! My labels, my money, my choice!

Wait - I also had a bunch of errands to do. I boxed up two boxes from the office that were dropped off at the thrift store. DH had purchased a couple of items for his office, but they didn't work out, so he had to return them. He's pretty busy with a new role these days, so I offered to do that for him. I chose to drop the first one off at the local post office, but the second one would only let me drop it off at Staples. So on my car errand route, I stopped at Staples to drop off his return and our shredding, and picked up a couple of cartridges for my labeler! 

I'm trying to be much more efficient with my time. I also stopped at the lingerie store - I know - I needed new unmentionables, and I'll tell you that story another day! It's pretty funny!

Speaking of being efficient, we have driven less than 400 KM this month between the two of us. Of course, we both need the car on Tuesday, so he goes on a big rant about buying a new car. Yep -- you just go ahead and do that! I guess he thinks he's being funny! No matter. We are good with one car. 

It was amazing as I walked home from the grocery store, where I went to buy DH something, despite asking him almost every day this week if he needed anything. Nope! And then poof - the milk container for his tea is empty! Sigh....... that quote from yesterday is so accurate! 

I love this quote from Charlotte Elizabeth Hazeltyne Whitton, "Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, it's not difficult!"

Anyway, it was a weird day weatherwise - one minute sunny, then the next minute it was snowing. But the wind was blowing strongly, and as I walked through the forest, I could hear the trees moving against each other. You can see the culprit in the photo - the one that is leaning against another tree. It's eerie, and you wouldn't hear it if you weren't out walking! 

The leaning tree was making a lot of noise in the wind

But here is our Murphy last night. Just had to be outside to lie in the snow! I'm wondering if she isn't feeling a bit under the weather. She is so hot, yet happy to come in and sit in front of the fireplace. Poor thing! She's just a needy girl!

MOM - I'm OK

And on that note, I see I need to dig out a new donation box, already! There are eleven pages to edit and one more writing assignment to be done, and two piles of paper on the floor, and let's not forget all the projects in Studio B calling my name! I got this!!!

And here is the link for the Virtual Retreat --- Saturday, January 24, starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610782501?pwd=7dCrhiL5t8Xa4TVwZPvhL6cOymbcjK.1

Meeting ID: 896 1078 2501
Passcode: 148311

And here is the link for the Virtual Retreat - Sunday, January 25, starts at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

And on that note, I need to get dressed and get outside. The girls are circling!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!