Celebrate the small successes!!!!

THANK YOU -- I didn't get a chance to cut up those photos, but I will today! I needed that wee push — I shouldn't even have needed that, with all my newfound philosophy on decluttering and getting rid of things, but sometimes — you just need a push. 

It's Monday Sewing today, and I have a LOT of tidy-up jobs to do, which is perfect to do while chatting. I have quilts to trim and bind, photos to cut up, and I might even be able to remove several items from the Visual To Do list. 

BUT let's talk about celebrations! For those of you who are organized, this is going to seem absolutely ridiculous. Still, for me, who typically has papers scattered all over the office and nothing is filed, it was like winning an Olympic Gold yesterday. DH asked for my paperwork so he could do a preliminary on the income taxes. WAIT — they are not due until April 30, but why not get them done now? I had given him all my invoices the other day, and yes --- they were all in one spot and even totaled. Celebration number one! Or should I say Gold medal Number One!

Then yesterday, he asked for not one, but two utility bills. I would typically say, " Let me find those - it might take some time." Instead, I dropped everything and said, " Give me thirty seconds." I went to the filing cabinet and produced both documents in less than 30 seconds. OK -- that was more than a gold medal win! That was huge, and it felt so good not to put a task on the to-do list. Yeah!!!!  

I noticed all the paperwork back on my desk this morning, and it'll take just a few seconds to file it back, and trust me -- I will do that!

Slowly and surely, I'm working through the paperwork, and each day I pick something. With fewer classes, there is less paperwork, and so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. All in due time!

It was another busy day, and I started by working on the small soccer quilt. It barely took any time compared to that giant quilt I did the other day. By "busy," I don't mean the crazy busy "this has to be done" kind — I mean I just did stuff instead of eating bonbons! I will always be working - I will always be busy, but there's a difference between doing and doing because you have to. 

The small soccer quilt on the long arm

I even put a more intricate pattern on this one since it was small. It's all about soccer with soccer balls on it. 

The quilting on the soccer quilt

When that came off, I put the table runner on. 

Now it's the table runner's turn to be quilted.

And that one got done as well. I used scraps of batting for both, which helps get rid of those piles. 

The table runner is quilted!

And I almost got the backing completed for the Dear Jen quilt. 

Working on the backing for the Dear Jen quilt

It's going to be very scrappy with many different black fabrics on the back, and I'm OK with that. What else was I going to do with all those small pieces of odd-colored black? This is a perfect use for them, and I have one more row to sew together and put on the bottom. Then it's ready to be quilted. Then I want to get back to the constellation quilt, but hey—I can't do them all in a day!! I'm trying to quilt what I finish, but I'm still waiting on those darn labels. I MUST do some research to see how to contact the company. They must be lost in transit, which is a total pain. WAIT — I just found them on Facebook, so I hope to send them a message today. 

After that one gets quilted, I have to get back to a couple of customer quilts and to some community project quilts I've neglected long enough! I have to get working on those and get them out of the house. All the batting is pulled for ten of them, and it takes up a lot of visual room downstairs. 

This was Murphy and me during our morning cuddle time. She is such a goof, but loves the cuddles, so I try to spend some good quality time with her every day! Just her and me!

Cuddles with Murphy

Later in the morning, she was outside in the sun. We had a wonderfully sunny day, and all the snow from the night before is gone and more. With the forecasted very warm weather this coming week, I doubt we'll have much snow left. And NO — I have not broken down to shovel the remainder of the small path in front that leads to the backyard. I'll let the sun take care of it! 

Sunbathing

But man --- Murphy can be a pest. Last night, wouldn't settle. She wanted in, and then she wanted out. Then she wanted to play ball, and then she wanted a cuddle. And if she doesn't get what she wants, she sits there and makes these small, discrete, yet very audible noises. It's almost like a purring sound. She knows enough not to bark, but boy oh boy!!!! After one more time outside, where she was out for almost 20 minutes, she came in and finally went right to bed. Now what was that all about? 

And one more Dowdle FolkArt jigsaw puzzle bites the dust. All the pieces were there for this one. This set with the houses is part of a series -- spring, summer, winter, and fall. This is summer, and I have two more left - fall and winter. I might as well continue working on them - one a night and get them done. I'm enjoying the process and don't rush it. It takes me about 2½ hours for each one. You would think that, being so small, I could just whip them together, but there are some tricky bits. I should be faster on the next two? 

One more puzzle! 

I laugh when I'm doing those jigsaw puzzles because one of the exercises in The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is to NOT read for one week. GASP!!!! Not read—how would that work? But the premise is that if you are not reading, you are doing something else. OK -- she has a good point there, and for me, that something else is doing a jigsaw puzzle. 

And have you ever noticed how long it takes to read/listen to a nonfiction book rather than a novel? I can listen to or read a novel all day, but I can only read nonfiction in small bits. I have a wee bit of catching up to do, and I almost finished one novel yesterday. That is such a lie -- I listened to 40% of it! I believe it's another Canadian author - Kelley Armstrong. New-to-me author, and one of her books came up on The Globe and Mail list, but I had to go back to the first one. OK -- I have NO idea where this is going because the detectives are also the bad guys? I'm sure there's a reason for this. 

But here's something to contemplate about books, and it shows you where life is headed. There is an audio, nonfiction book on my list. I had to return it many months ago unfinished. I placed a hold on July 30, 2025, to get it back, and I still have over 2 months to wait. When I walked into the library yesterday, there were FIVE physical copies I could have borrowed. I did not because I already have two nonfiction ebooks to read and don't have time for this one. But once I'm done with these two, I will go back and get a copy. 

I'm off to spin class in the cold this morning. Hopefully, this is the last cold morning of this winter! I'm done with the ice and the cold. Fingers crossed --- don't forget that PLUS ONE!!! The forecasters do it so we have hope! 

Have a super day and YES -- I will cut up those photos later today! I can & I will. Watch me!!

Ciao!!!