Book recommendations

Thanks for all the comments. YES --- most of those exercises can be done while waiting for oatmeal to cook! I just need to remember to do them. The alternative will not be pretty, so it is a priority. I did some at the dinner table to demonstrate to DH how easy they are. I even told him that he should be doing them as well. He's in much worse shape than I, and it's simply because he does nothing. 

Brooke will definitely be part of this "recovery" mission, and I'll share with her next week. 

As for dentists, optometrists, and everyone else selling their practices, I don't know how we can fight back, but we need to speak out. Or probably insurance has made it next to impossible for a single practitioner to practice and still make money. I LOVE our dentist, and I sure hope he never retires. But since he's about the same age as myself, that is not going to be a reality. 

On the reading front, I get recommendations from everywhere - it might be one of you, it might be an in-person meeting, review online or in a newspaper, but they come in from everywhere. And I typically go to Libby and request a copy of the book - either audio or ebook. I just finished reading Game of Crowns, which was quite an interesting read, and it is so hard to tell what is true or not in the world of the Royals, but OH MY GOODNESS -- none of the Royal women was put in a super positive light. There is a lot of posturing, and they are ruthless! 

However, when that was done, I needed to move to the next book. I think there were three audiobooks in my inbasket for me to choose from. A bit too many for my liking, but I'm good with three. So I picked one because it was a novel and I needed a break from non-fiction. 

I know someone recommended this book to me, but I don't remember whom, but OH MY --- what a hoot. It's called Grounds for Murder by Betty Ternier Daniels. The book is based in the North Battleford area (where I grew up), and it's hilarious. What they say, what they do, how they act -- it's all so familiar! I'm guessing the main character is about my age or a little older, and lives on a farm, so it's very familiar. And they visit North Battleford, and yep - I know all those places! I LOVE the book!!!

A huge thank you to whoever you are for the recommendation. It's a fun read, and who is the murderer? 

AHA—here are our NEW fire hydrants. As we had discussed a week or so ago, they are repainting them, and the base coat was grey. I guess they tidied them up, slapped on the base coat, and came back to paint them red. Notice the top and the caps are grey. So bright and shiny! I think our entire city (or at least my neighborhood) is getting a minor facelift. Fire hydrant, new road lines, etc. 

Spiffed up fire hydrant

I had a book to pick up at the library. OK -- so I have a thing with books and puzzles. OK -- and quilt fabric. I'm obsessive about all those things! I cannot just go to the library to get one book. Instead, I found another one and also brought that home. It's not that bad of a walk to the temporary location - about 30 minutes there and 25 back. It all depends on whether I have to wait for lights. I'm glad my regular branch is not that far away -we are very lucky to have 18 branches in this city!

I stopped to look at the puzzle, and it's the same one as last time, but nothing is together. I'm not sure whether it was ever completed and then they tore it apart, or it never got completed. But as mentioned before, I am NOT a fan of the green felt. If I bought one of those boards, I'd be ripping that felt off. Plus I think I like my design boards as I can easily move them around and get a good look. The drawers are handy, but not easy to look into. I know you can also purchase the boards without the felt. 

Not a fan of the felt backing

I made progress on my puzzle last night. I think all the "easy" stuff is done, and now the rest will be a test of patience, size, and very slight color changes. After this one, it'll be time to do the monthly themed puzzle, which is wild animals! Yep -- I found one at the thrift store, so I can't wait to work on it. 

Status of the current puzzle

I got one more block done for Down on the Farm. OK - that block humbled me. I was working away, everything was fine, and then I went to sew the bigger sections together — and BAM—we have a major problem. I double-checked my fabric pieces, and everything seemed OK, but it still wasn't working. 

Then I took part of one section apart and OH MY -- I did miscut one of the pieces. And it's funny because as I was sewing that piece onto the others, I thought to myself, "This piece is too big." It was the diagonal strip of green on the turtle shell. My brain knew it was wrong, but did I investigate it? I did NOT. Which goes to show that you need to trust your gut!!! And then listen and act upon those instincts. 

So putting this together took a little longer than I anticipated, but this block is done. That makes six blocks done and six more to sew. Yes - I know the contrast in the turtle's face isn't the best. Too late to change it!

Block six

I spent a good chunk of this morning cutting out the next two blocks. All the pieces are on this board, and I still have a few more pieces to cut. There are a LOT of little bitty pieces in these next two blocks. 

The pieces are cut for Blocks 7 and 8

Instead of getting out a new design board, I just overlapped the pieces! Of course I did! I don't label anything - of course I don't! I have a ruler on the front of my sewing machine, and I can pretty much tell the difference in size by eye. But to double-check, I use that ruler, and so far, so good except for that miscut shape in the turtle. 

My goal is to get those two blocks done today. I was hoping to have all the blocks done by today, but that isn't going to happen. Plus, I spent the morning doing paperwork, so I am going to skip it today. 

The mystery book was so interesting that I wanted to finish the chapter before shutting things down for the night. Since I had a few minutes to kill (pun intended), I decided to trim a few half-square triangles. As I was trimming, I noticed that the yellow on the side has a hole in it. CRUD - so that goes! 

Trimming half-square triangles

Someone asked why I don't stop making them and start making stuff with them. I have made several quilts from half-square triangles and a pencil case. I could stop, but then what do I do for enders and leaders? Nope -- I'll continue to make them, but I do need to start sewing them together. I have several plans for the ones that are trimmed. 

I'll be teaching that scrap quilt session starting in September, and trust me -- we will be exploring this kind of thing, along with many other types of scraps. The first rule is WHAT size makes you happy! Remember that I am NOT expecting anyone to make a project each month. But I will be offering suggestions as to what you can do with your scraps. It is up to you to decide what you want to make. And then we'll see how all those HSTs will come together! 

So you know Miss Murphy has been banned from going up or down the stairs. And she seems to know that she isn't able, as she doesn't even bother or whine to come down. It's a bit sad for me since I know how much she loved being downstairs. It wasn't even to be with me, but she loved the coolness of the basement. However, life changes, and so do our abilities, and thankfully she knows that. 

However, I don't trust her not to attempt to come down and run into problems, so we have the stairs barricaded. What am I using? 

Well, every bag maker should have some of these - election signs!!!! 

We had to barricade the stairs at one point years ago, and I don't remember why, but I tucked those signs behind the bookcase in my office. And so when I needed them, they were there! 

What is hilarious is that Bonnie was our mayor from 2014 to 2024. These signs were probably from her first run for mayor, so they are at least 10 years old. 

Barricade to the basement

Guess what? She is going to run for mayor again! I told DH that I could just put the sign out on the lawn and he said NO. I was just kidding. 

And this sign was for a school trustee, probably from the same era.  

Barricade to the upstairs

I just sent Betty (the author of Grounds for Murder) a note to say how much I connected with her character and surroundings. If I were an author, I would love to get feedback from my readers. Again -- thank you to whoever recommended that book, and I wonder how they found out about it? 

I see that we have a nice gentle rain this morning, but do I feel like going out with the girls? Murphy couldn't care less about the rain and is happy to go outside and lie in the rain. That must be great for the muscles! But Miss Lexi is another story. Although Murphy gets saturated, the wet just lies on top of Lexi's fur. 

I must get myself organized and decide whether we wait or I get back downstairs to find out what happens to the character in that book!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Class sign-ups begin!!!!

We all had a decent night. Murphy is content to sleep outside - I just don't get that, but if it keeps her happy, then I'm willing to do it. But should she ever bark, I'll be like the Dad in The Night Before Christmas - "I awoke with a flash and flew to the window and tore open the sash!" That will be me! But so far, so good. And when I brought her in around 5 AM (that's kind of the witching hour for raccoons), she was happy to sleep in Lexi's bed, but when she wanted some attention, there was one somewhat subdued BARK at the top of the stairs! 

So she is learning to cope - she doesn't ask or attempt to go through the barricade at the top of the stairs. OH WAIT - I need to take pictures of my barricades. I'll do that for tomorrow. So all is good. Needless to say, I was a happy camper yesterday because I had a decent sleep. I accomplished a lot, and, well, I just felt good. We don't have a perfect workaround yet, but we are getting there. 

You all know that when Murphy wants to go for a walk, she likes to walk very fast. The one "positive" from her slowing down is that she's not so keen on pulling on the leash. No kidding. The pressure she put on her legs to pull like she did was insane. 

And by the time we headed home, she was getting a wee bit tired, which you can see by all the slack in that leash. I swear she was walking like a properly trained dog on a loose leash! 

Mom - I'm a wee bit tired

Can you believe that it's August? Where has the year gone? Just flying past, or do we just forget that we have lived all those days! Lots has happened, the days are full, so no wonder it goes by quickly. BUT lately, when walking in the forest, I hear PLOP PLOP PLOP. Hmmm—it's not time, but yes, it is!! The squirrels are harvesting their acorns, and some of them are plopping on the ground. 

The acorns are ready for harvest.

These ones look a bit green still, but those squirrels are having a grand time! 

I did spend a bit of time (OK - all morning) dealing with paperwork and managed to clear some of the backlog, so that made me feel quite happy. I hope to put out a small stack each day and get on top of it again. Once I get to it, it's not so bad, but miss one day? Yikes!!!

When I pulled those boxes out with all my early-memory things, I noticed I had kept some of the work things I had done. I know -- why? Well, I was a newly minted MBA, and I wanted to show how useful I could be by generating reports after studying how people worked in the office. I guess, at the time, I felt it was worth keeping! 

My first report at a newly minted MBA!!!

That report was quite thick, but it was mostly the backup data that took up all the space. 

That's a thick report!

But I put these details here so my spreadsheet-loving friends know that I was once capable of generating all sorts of tables and charts and knew how to massage the data!! 

Charts and graphs in my report

Actually, this was Lotus 1-2-3, which I had used quite extensively. I used to work at a bank, and we used spreadsheets to assess traffic at specific branches to see which had the least traffic and so on. 

It's just that using a spreadsheet to track some of the stuff that people track - that's not in my vocabulary. I know you can create input forms and generate nice output, but I'm not taking the time to do that! I don't need that level of sophistication!

Anyway, the report is now in the recycling bin! Yes, when I put something like this in the recycling bin, I remove the pages that are still blank on one side for printing. I have a nice little pile beside my desk. I remove the coil binding, put it in the garbage, and put the double-printed pages in the recycling. 

Miss Murphy is quite happy to spend a good part of the day outside, and the side of the house seems to be her go-to place. But why does she lie like this? She has always slept this way, but you would think with her leg that she wouldn't be comfortable, but if she's happy, then I'm happy. 

On guard if anything should come through the gate!

So the next block of the Down on the Farm (Sew Fresh Quilts) is done! While I'm behind in the pattern testing, I think the pattern will be available for purchase in the near future. 

The dragonfly and bullrush block

So whose idea was it to use DIRECTIONAL fabric for the pond? I found this water-looking fabric and thought it would be a great idea! And it is, but it was a challenge to cut the variety of shapes needed. And when I put the dragonfly block in its place, all the water was going in the opposite direction to what it needed to be. Thankfully, that was easily fixed by rotating the block so that the dragonfly faced left rather than right. PHEW!!!!!

BUT -- I have no idea how Lorna even went about designing that dragonfly. It's an engineering feat to be sure. Sew on a square with a diagonal seam, add two more pieces, then another diagonal seam and VOILA - a dragonfly. OK -- it's a lot more complicated than that, but seriously - these blocks are creatively designed. 

And now there are my five blocks so far. I'm almost done with the 6th block, and I hope to get the entire middle row completed today. It's doable as I have NOTHING else on my agenda!!!

My five blocks so far for the farm quilt

I have sewn a LOT of enders and leaders together in making the quilt so far. And I'm using up those little triangles, and now I have a lot of things to press and trim. I'm OK to leave that because I want to focus on getting this quilt top together. 

A huge stack of triangles to press and trim

Hmmm -- I was wondering what to do with this quilt, and I have a second cousin who just turned one. Maybe it would be good for him. I wonder if Mom would appreciate it, though. If I were going to teach this quilt, well, I could take some pictures now and use the pattern to help people through it. Hmm -- got some thinking to do about that. 

This is my setup as I sew the blocks. I printed out the cutting charts because it's much easier to check off the pieces as I cut and sew them. But the pattern is 25 pages in total, so I have downloaded it to my iPad and then follow along. It's working very well, and when I need to zoom in to see some of the very small bits, it's easy as pie!

My setup for sewing the blocks

I have to use the mini design boards sparingly, as I have three in use with my current puzzle!! I managed to get some work done on it last night, but it's a challenge. 

OK - so you are wondering what happened with my appointment at The Sports Clinic. Well, in all honesty, what my doctor told me years ago is basically the same advice I got yesterday! STRENGTHEN and STRETCH!!!!!! 

Yes, I have arthritis in my knees. Actually, I didn't ask how bad it was, but it doesn't seem to be an issue, which I knew. My joints are OK, except they get stiff if I sit for a prolonged period. But if I move them while sitting (and NEVER cross my legs), they are good when I stand up. 

After much manipulation and testing for strength in my legs, she decided that my main issue is the sciatic nerve in my left leg. That is an issue that I've had for 16 years, and of course, it has gotten worse. The first time it reared its head, and it may have actually been just a muscle cramp, was on a bicycle trip. I believe I mentioned that a couple of months ago. 

It has flared up over the years but not constantly. Now it's a constant and very annoying. Thankfully, she says it's coming from my glutes, NOT my lower back, since I don't have issues there. It can be "fixed" by doing some strength training. I have a good range of motion in my joints, although the muscles around them are tight, and she said the main issue seems to be my left hip, not my knees. The joint is fine - it's the muscles around the hip that are weak. 

I got a series of 12 exercises to do and will go over them with a physiotherapist to ensure I'm doing them OK. 

But you are going to laugh -- no, you shouldn't be laughing because I have been telling you this for months. Look at this exercise. 

Exercises for strengthening

Do you see what the second one down is? They call it Chair Squats - I call it Stand Up/Sit Down!!!!! 

Get off your chair and do 100! And try not to lean forward - try to keep your upper body posture straight! That's my downfall!

I MUST find a way to incorporate this into my daily routine, or however often the physiotherapist recommends. I MUST regain strength in my hip and quads to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve and the tendons in my knees. I know this and have known it for a while, but it's not until someone tells you that you resign yourself to making it happen. 

I do not want surgery unless absolutely necessary (that was never the goal of this quest), and I do not want to lose my independence (that was my proactive goal). I also need to strengthen my core and improve my posture. If I start now, I can keep my independence that much longer. How important is that to me? I will need to remind myself of that daily! If I wait, I'll be in trouble. 

I was at the grocery store and spotted these Lego sets. Oh my—they have Lego for everything. 

Lego set at the grocery store.

And they keep up to date with trends. See the mountain bike with the fat tires? I got a chuckle from that. 

Fat-tired mountain bike!

Well, there are phone calls to make today, and emails to send, and just the usual stuff. 

I want to remind everyone that I am now officially opening registration for the fall classes. You can find the details in this blog post. If you need the 40 Shades of Grey pattern, let me know. And YES, I confirmed with Thimbles and Things, and you will be able to sign up for the scrap class once she posts it on her website. She has NOT prepped that yet, but if you are signed up for her twice-weekly newsletter, you will receive a notification about the class and a link to sign up. That will likely happen mid-August. 

For the other classes, please send me an email (preferably one email per class so I can file them in the appropriate folder) and include the class title in the subject line. I've been filing the ones that have come in so far, and hopefully I haven't missed anyone. I'll be scouring email to ensure that I've got everything. 

Confirmations will occur around the third week of August, and at that time you'll receive a supply list and any other information you need. I want to warn you that I have to reschedule the classes scheduled for October 17 (I think that is the date), and I need to do that today. 

On that note, I'm out of here!!!

Have a wonderful day!!

Ciao!!!