You are never too old!

OH, I just realized that the title of yesterday's blog AND the first picture you see of a volcano erupting were perhaps a bit dramatic!! BUT getting that much work done in the office was dramatic! 

I listened to this audiobook MANY years ago when I started my decluttering journey. I just checked my blog and the date was March 10, 2014!!!!! Well, I listened to it somewhere, and I suspect it was before I started because the first room I tackled was the bedroom, and that's the first room mentioned in the book. For the record, and so I'll be able to find this post in the future, the title is "Throw Out Fifty Things" by Gail Blanke! 

Throw out Fifty Things! 

It's a quick listen - about 4 hours, and it's good to refresh what's in the book. Mainly, Gail discusses the emotional attachment to things that we MUST keep. And then she throws the items away. She also gives you permission to throw/donate or sell those ridiculous things we think we'll find the mate for (socks and mitts), we'll learn to relove or whatever. 

BUT she also talks about how you feel AFTER you purge. And that to me is the most important thing. It's not something you can describe, but I'll try. While our kitchen is ALWAYS pretty clean, a few things had accumulated during the day. A few dishes that needed to be handwashed (GASP), and some things that needed to be recycled, or whatever. Before I went to bed last night, I took 15 minutes (if that) and dealt with it all. 

When I got up this morning, even though I didn't turn on the lights, walking into that clean and tidy room was like getting a shot of euphoria drugs! I felt content, I felt happy, I felt like I weighed about 50 lbs. No monkey's on my back, no guilt, and it feels AMAZING to start the day like that. 

The same thing is starting to happen when I walk into the office. The mess has been here so long that even the small bit I did makes me do a double-take each time I come in here. WOW -- I feel like a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders. I feel more positive, more alive, and definitely more energetic. Watch out!

So, if you've been waiting to start tidying up, I can't help you do the physical job, but I sure encourage you to begin tackling stuff - you will NOT believe how amazing you are going to feel. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when I am "done!" OK - let's face it - you are never done with this job! 

But if you can, have a read through that book - it has a lot of good things to say. It is not a detailed book, so don't expect to be hand-held, but it talks about the WHY, and that's all you really need. And that was how and when I started on this journey!! 

So I'm not doing so well on completing my three things each day, but I'm OK with that. At least I have a plan, and when I am working, I'm working on the three things I've prioritized!

I managed to finish another customer's quilt. 

Customer quilt - DONE

While the quilt was fine, it was my bobbins that were giving me grief. In my cleaning-up and trying-to-use-up mode, I had discovered some CLASS 15 bobbins wound with the fine thread that everyone is moving to for machine quilting on the long arm. 

The only problem is that those bobbins won't work in my long arm. OK -- they may, but I'm not about to try and mess up the tension. So I have to wind the bobbins onto the appropriate bobbin, and my bobbin winder is a speed demon, which has caused some issues. But all is good, and I think I got the hang of it now. I have enough of that color to quilt one more quilt, and by then, I hope my new bobbins in the correct size will have arrived. 

Rewinding the bobbins

And this fine thread is a godsend for quilting a quilt when the back is very dark and the front is very light. You can get away with a much closer in color match to the front, without seeing the thread in great detail on the back. I'll take some pictures so you can see what I mean. 

I made progress on my houses, which were the next item on the list, and I'll continue working on them today! And the third thing didn't get touched! But I'm OK with that. It's the plan  (including prioritizing) that counts, not actually getting it done on that day! 

Houses under construction

And on our Monday call, someone mentioned making blocks for fidget quilts from some items I had donated to her. Well, wait a minute, I remembered that I had a small tub of more similar items. Needless to say, I got that tub out yesterday and sorted and bagged like items! It's now waiting to get on the Pony Express. 

Sorting a tub of embellishments

And that reminded me of this pile of things on the floor that have been there for a while. I ran out of steam while tidying up Studio B a while back. And I need to deal with those things, so I now have a pile that needs sorting and putting away. The LAST homeless stuff in the place!! Is that exciting or what? 

The last of the homeless items in Studio B

Not the vacuum, nor Murphy, but the pizza boxes and the two blue tubs! Granted, there are tons of things to deal with, but these are the last homeless items. There's a huge difference. Homelessness creates clutter (OK - quantity does as well), but this is huge! And it's only taken me ten years or perhaps a bit more to get to this point! 

I'll never go back, and now I can grab a category, sort through it, and then move on to the next. Baby steps!!!!

Let's go back to the candle wax. I put it in a bag and brought it into the office, which is why this place is so messy! It has EVERYTHING in it that doesn't have a home. Hopefully, by the end of the year, this mess will be a thing of the past!

The leftover wax

I am tempted to try melting that wax and make a new candle. I know -- I don't need to, but I'd like to try - just for the fun of it, and how long can that take? I have to head out this morning to get dog food, or Murphy won't be eating tonight, and Michael's is right there. I bet they have all the supplies for making candles! Then I can try it, and if it doesn't work, guess what? I can donate the supplies and let someone else try it! 

And last night, as one of my cleaning tasks, I poured boiling water into the dish to heat the glass, then I emptied it, and wiped it down with a paper towel. Hmmm—now what do I do with it? 

The clean candle container

I could put it on my desk to put odds and ends in! WAIT --- I don't plan to have odds and ends by the computer—I plan to find a home for everything! What a FARCE!!!!!! 

But I do have another burned-out candle downstairs, with a ton of wax left, and it smells very pretty. I might melt that wax down and make a new candle in this. Then I would use it!! 

I must write the city to say how happy I am that the sidewalks are clear! It's a dream to walk the dogs without fear of falling on the ice. Although I almost took a dive yesterday. I was turning the corner on the bustling street, where many cars were stopped at the light. We had had a light snowfall, so the treads on my shoes were full, and there was a wee mound of snow right by the light post. 

I have to admit that I was probably very entertaining for all who were stopped, as my arms and legs went flying, but I remained upright! Trust me, I was ESTACTIC!!! Why? It means that my balance is so much better!!! Murphy just looked back and said, "Mom - get over it, you're slow!"

But what amazes me is how silly people are. I passed one house; they had shoveled their driveway and the boulevard part of it, but left the sidewalk. How much more effort would it have taken to shovel that little bit of snow? Or what about the person who shovels the sidewalk and then leaves a pile of snow on the sidewalk at the end of their property line? Sigh...........

Could they not have shoveled the sidewalk?

Our neighborhoods are way too car-centric and have no idea that people use the sidewalks. But with the milder temperatures (no sun though), the sidewalks are relatively dry and not slippery. Knock on wood! I even walked to the hardware store and brought home two storage tubs. I walked, of course! 

With the number of times I've cooked oatmeal in the microwave, you would think I would have perfected the technique. I'm using up a bag of oatmeal, and it takes 3 minutes, not 3½ like steel-cut oats. I had that process on the microwave keyboard down pat, but yesterday? I forgot to drop the power level. Trust me - it makes a difference!

What happens when you forget to drop the power

And I can't post without mentioning the girls, who were having a grand time in the backyard. Another silly rabbit has moved in, and they are on the hunt! They work as a team. One stands in one spot, and the other goes to where they suspect the rabbit is, in an effort to flush it out. How do dogs know how to do that? 

Rabbit hunting

So I washed my jackets in that new soap I bought. Here is the before of my orange down sweater. 

Before washing

And here is the after. The lighting is NOT the same, so it's not really a good comparison. But it is cleaner. 

After washing

However, if you have ever washed a down jacket, you will think you have ruined it! This thing goes to nothing. Just two layers of nylon with nothing between. Until the feathers dry, and then a bit of puff remains. But sadly, it is on its last legs as a winter jacket, but I'm not ready to retire it yet! The lower half of both sleeves has been replaced, as has the zipper - thanks to Patagonia, who did that for free as part of their sustainability goals. THANK YOU, Patagonia!!!! 

And the best part? I may have paid about $300 (at the most) for this jacket in 2012. The cost to replace the coat is still in that price range!!!! I have sure got my money's worth from it. I won't even consider any other brand!!! What I love is that it's warm and THIN, so you have loads of mobility! I don't want to be the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man!

I had a quick chat with my personal trainer yesterday as she waited for her client to show up! And then I got an email in the afternoon, asking me what my goals for 2026 are. Hmmm --- that's a good question. So I thought about it. 

But there was one thing I observed during the day. When I went to change the bobbin on the long arm, and the machine was all the way to the back, I could easily reach under and change it. In the past, it had become a struggle, so the stretching is paying off. YES -- I could move the machine to the front, but why if I don't have to? 

I should add a bit more stretching into my day, but I'm doing great. My balance is good -- shoes and socks (even the hard-to-put-on ones) can be put on easily while standing on one foot. 

Hmm—OK—I know what I want to improve. My BMI! I need to get toned as I have a few rolls. WAIT -- before you roll your eyes -- one can be smaller, but still have excess fat! That's me - I used to be in better shape. So while I don't want a six-pack, like my SIL has, I want to be better toned, and that means cutting out all sugar and weight lifting! That doesn't have to be huge weights, but it needs to be weight lifting. That's also essential because if I fall down, can I actually lift myself up, even if I have a chair close by? 

So we'll measure that by BMI (body mass index). I did the basic calculation with height and weight, and I'm just at the top of the normal weight range. I'll use the machine at the gym to get a better measure and then see where we go from there. So lower BMI, and toning - that's my physical goal!

And that speaks right into the quote of the day!

How true!

The last thing I want to mention today is that I am grateful for the body that I have. I have taken care of it (mostly) throughout my years, and thanks to my Mom, I have worked out at a gym for almost all of my adult life. Why my Mom? She has always been overweight, and I vowed NEVER to let myself go like that. I try hard, and many people think I'm obsessed with food. Yep -- I am. Because if I weren't obsessed about what I put in my mouth, I would be just like her. I won't let that happen! 

Funny how you get influenced by others on what to do, and also on what not to do! 

And yes -- the volcano is Mount Etna in Sicily! 

The next quilt is on the long arm and ready to go—much smaller than the last two, so that is good. And I have to get some computer work done today! That's OK -- and then I'll sit down with my calendar and figure out how to utilize my time to get prepped for the Zoom sessions this weekend and, more importantly, the following weekend, which is my one big weekend per month!!! 

WAIT—this is my week to chat on QUILTsocial, and I have some fantastic things to share!!! You must check them out. 

Day One - A quick discussion on cotton versus polyester thread

Day Two -- Felting on your embroidery machine --- super cute!!!!

Have a super day!!! Be positive - there is always a silver lining!!! 

Ciao!!!