Words of Wisdom

And so begins another crazy week. Who was I kidding when I said August would be quiet! It's been the opposite of quiet, but I have had a few quiet moments in the gazebo, just hanging around doing jigsaw puzzles, etc. 

Our weather has been so gorgeous here the last couple of days - the humidity was low, the temperature was moderate, and there was a slight breeze. I mean, what more could one possibly ask for in a summer day? The windows are open, and we're enjoying the summer!

Even though I was a tad busy throwing stuff into that suitcase, I decided to take some downtime and have a wee nap in the gazebo. 

The suitcase weighs just under 50 lbs in case you are wondering, and that's just darn right heavy in my opinion. I booked it as an overweight suitcase just in case I was over. Thankfully, I can take THREE overweight suitcases with no extra charge, so all is good. I still need to pack my clothes, and I'm checking that in as well. No sense in carrying it on the plane if I don't need to. My office bag is heavy enough with all my electronics in it. 

Anyway, back to the gazebo. It was just a glorious summer afternoon, and I enjoyed watching the fish. We really got lucky because those fish I bought had babies, which I've mentioned, but they seem to be growing like weeds. The two very visible ones on the left are the adults, but just in front of the black box, you can see an orange dot - that is a fairly decent-sized baby! And there are lots more. They enjoy hanging out under the lilies, so we never get to see many at a time. They are still skittish, so they disappear quickly when they spot us. 

The fish enjoying the pond

The setup in the pond is perfect - if the fish want to sun themselves, they have space for that, and if they need shade or protection from predators, they have that as well. It took a lot of effort to remove the lilies from that one side. They grow like weeds and threatened to take over the entire space. 

And that waterfall - you just can't beat the sound of the waterfalls. We have three, and with my neighbor's loud one, it's almost like being at Niagara Falls. OK -- so that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. 

One of our waterfalls

When I'm back, I need to take some time and scrub the algae off the rocks. It's not a big deal, but I see more Rock Twister in my future!!!

Good grief -- we had a giant daddy long legs in the house this morning. I grabbed a sheet of paper and gently took him outside where he belongs! Murphy wasn't too happy, as she had to wait for the command to eat while I removed the spider! 

A giant daddy longlegs

Speaking of food, look at all the new candles at Michaels! Yep --- those are all food items, but LOOK at the candle in the back left of each photo! That's a candle in a white pie dish!!! OK -- so I already have two of them. I do NOT need another, but they are so darn cute, and, well, I need to make what I plan for the two I have before I even consider buying more. 

Candles at Michaels

Someone mentioned during sewing this morning that I need a puzzle intervention! Yep—I do, but I'm packing three of the recent ones I have assembled into my clothes suitcase, and they will be delivered to various people on my trip. I sent two or three to my SIL that I had done, and two of them went back to the thrift store. So I am making them and not keeping them. I may just not be getting rid of them as fast as I am accumulating them. 

Note to self: NO more for a while. 

But.....

NO!!!

While I didn't get done everything that I wanted to do, I got all the important stuff done. As mentioned, the rest I was planning to do was icing on the cake. I will manage just fine with my 50 lb suitcase! And all my technology. 

We had a bit of company this afternoon, so I "wasted" some time visiting. 

When I got back to work, I managed to clean (or mostly clear) the three sewing machine tables. And all the machines have been put to bed. At least this will look a bit more inviting when I return home. The tubs of stabilizers and boxes of threads are also back in their appropriate spots. 

The machines are put to bed.

My trusty companion snuck down the stairs when I wasn't looking and joined me. Poor Murphy, I suspect she is headed for canine dementia, which isn't going to be fun, but we are going to make the best of it. 

My trusty companion

She may be a bit depressed as well since she isn't able to do everything she used to. She tries, but well, she isn't going to be running laps in the backyard any time soon. She can run, but not how she used to. But then, I can't run or walk like I used to. What's weird is that all this seemed to come about because of that slip on the stairs. It has freaked her out, and she just can't get over that scare. 

I'm sad, of course; I'm sad. But I'm not going to waste time worrying about it. I'm going to enjoy each and every minute I have with her, and who knows - she may surprise us and live for a very long time. At least we are learning how to cope with her situation, and she seems to be OK to sleep upstairs at night, which is a blessing. 

OK—they have to stop posting such good words of wisdom on thought.minds on IG. I see so many that it's hard to pick, and I picked three again. I'm hoarding the darn things!

We are all hard on ourselves and give excuses when we don't have a good day. Guess what? That is NORMAL. You have a bad day; tomorrow is another day!

Here's the one that I need to be more cognizant of. I will make comments about someone and I have no clue what's going on in their life. And I need to stop that! 

And this one? This is for any of the parents who insist that their extremely hands-on child go to university instead of arts school or a trade. Imagine if you are in the wrong job - how horrible is that to go to work every day and force yourself to do something you don't care about? If you are in that situation, you need to take a leap of faith and change your situation. 

As you can tell, I love these words of wisdom. I think they are great because they confirm how we feel and work, and they also remind us of things we could change. 

I did a bit more work on the pattern testing situation. I am determined to find the error. And I did spot two anomalies. Now I need to work out the math to see which is wrong. But I'm getting there. I know—do not yell at me for taking this on and pursuing it like a dog with a bone. This is the type of thing that makes my heart sing, and I'm in my glory. I think I could easily become a "professional" pattern tester if there was any money in it! 

I have tried MULTIPLE ways to find the error, and I finally had to break down and print a couple of pages of the pattern, get a highlighter, and start taking notes. I think I'm almost there. It might become a good task for the five-hour plane ride! 

Depending on when you read this, I'll be on a plane on my way to the other side of the country. I finally got my car and hotels all booked this afternoon. I know—I shouldn't leave it until the last minute, but I do. Thankfully, there are lots of choices. I don't think I'll get an upgrade on the long flight unless someone doesn't show for the trip. There are three empty seats in business class, and I'm number four on the list. That always seems to happen! 

Well, I need to get myself organized and pack a few clothes for the trip. I NEED to remember to pack my toothbrush, which I seem to forget every single time! I do have a spare in my toiletries bag, but I like my electric brush. 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!!!

PS -- Remember if you are in the Langley, BC area - be sure to stop by Castle Sewing Center on Wednesday to see the new PFAFF creative icon 3

And if you are in Regina, Sask on Saturday, you can also sit in on the presentation at Northgate Sewing Center.  

While in Regina, on Friday, I'm doing a talk on the Creativate ecosystem and the Momento (24" digital cutter) 

Then on Monday, I'll be at Heather Bell's Studio in West Lorne, Ontario to showcase the PFAFF Creative Icon3. 

Phes - I'm exhausted, and I haven't even left the house yet. 

Even if you are NOT in the market for a sewing/embroidery machine, come check it out. It's always fun to see the new stuff and dream about what we'd do if we won the lottery. Plus, it's a good chance to meet new people! You'll also see some samples and get inspiration for things you can make! Inspiration is always a good thing. 

OMG—if I had stayed married to my first DH, I would be celebrating my 45th or 46th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Oh my --- that makes me sound very old!