When your unwanted things find a new home!

Thanks for the advice on the Christmas cactus. It did cross my mind that this may not be the best time to disturb it. I'll just keep adding water and leave it alone. What is it about neglect and this type of plant? I may just move one of those tables to the kitchen window, just a few feet from where it resides today, and put the bowl on that table to give the plant more room and support. 

And KUDOS on the experimenting with the sock knitting. If you get it right the first time, you are not learning! That is on my list one day - to knit socks, but with that automatic sock knitter! I'll get there one day!

But neither of those things are going to happen today. I need to be on a plane in a few hours, and I still have to prep for that event. Thankfully, the prep is minimal, so all should happen in time - not plenty of time, but time! Just remember to pack thread!!! And bobbin thread! And to "sneak" a pair of scissors past security! I have a very small pair that works, so all is good!

So the Facebook Live went off without a hitch yesterday. Although we were two minutes from starting and OH MY GOD -- I noticed that I had on the sweater with the small gap in the seam at the shoulder. I had to run and get another sweater because that would have bugged me to no end. And yes—I called Meredith "Judith" a couple of times. I knew I did it, and where that name came from? I have no idea. 

Here's the link. A small tutorial on using the Quilt Block Wizard in the Creativate Embroidery Software! And you have to zip to the end to see my new sample - at least one of them I made. The one about making mistakes! I forgot to take a picture, and if I remember before I leave today, I'll grab a picture for tomorrow. 

OH -- by the way, I'll be back tomorrow in case you are in one of my classes this weekend and wondering if they are still a go. YES—I'll be back tomorrow evening. 

Thankfully, the trips, bouncing around, and events are coming to a close for this year! I have a three-day quilt retreat coming up (which I can't wait for), a one-day (driving distance) event in December, and unless I decide to go to my parents, that is all I have for travel for this year. 

Actually, my schedule is looking pretty empty for the remainder of the year - it's just that so much gets thrown in the same week. Someone told me never to say that about my schedule, because then something else comes along. Thankfully, December is the month when not much happens. I have some day trips I want to take and classes to keep up with, and I'm just going to say no to other things. This trip to Montreal was unexpected, and I already said no to another event happening at the same time as the retreat. 

Someone on our street is getting some major work done. At first, I thought they were getting a pool dug, but I think they are getting the pool filled in? Anyway—this is the second time I've seen this massive mound of dirt in the street. No cones, nothing to highlight that there is a massive mound of dirt in the street and very little room to get around it. 

Very little room to get around the dirt

It's all gone now, but it didn't look very safe when I walked by, and I'm not one to complain about safety issues! 

OK—Murphy is like a leaf magnet when we go for a walk. Yes, she is in desperate need of a grooming, and I must take care of that next week. I picked all the leaves off her, thinking she was done with them. But NO - she spotted a squirrel and was insistent on trying to chase it, and then she was covered with leaves again!! And now you know why we have so many leaves in our house at this time of year. Even with grooming, that fine hair is like a magnet. Lexi? She could roll into the leaves, and NOTHING would follow her in the house. 

Murphy is a leaf magnet.

Speaking of Lexi, I spotted her out back in this little garden area that Murphy likes to sleep in. I have no idea what she was looking at, but it was pretty intense! 

An intense moment of staring in the backyard

Here's another one of our upper cabinets in the kitchen. We have a lot of upper cabinets, and this is the tea area—I know—that's how many cabinets we have! Let's see—one of those pots on the top shelf is broken—well, the lid is no longer attached —and there's a clear teapot. In fact, there are three teapots in this cupboard. I used to use them; I don't anymore. Everything on the top two shelves could go! OH MY GOSH --- when I get the chance to go through the cupboards again, there will be practically nothing left. So you can see I decluttered my kitchen ten years ago and gave away HALF of the stuff in the cupboards. And I could probably cut the contents in half AGAIN! But did you notice something else? Once I decluttered, I am perfectly happy with an EMPTY space. An empty space is NOT permission to buy something else! Leave it empty!

Another partially empty upper cabinet. 

I also need to go through the gold tin on the bottom, as I think it has tea accessories in it, but they probably aren't needed anymore. Oh my!!!!! As I mentioned, once you start giving things away, you look at the value and are happy to give. 

I should also mention there is a box of TANG (the teal box) on the left. Where did that come from? Could that be the remainder of our 60s lunch that we hosted at a retreat one year - many years ago? I must go through those few food items on the left and ask DH if he wants any of that. The Tang will have to go - it's horrible. How did we ever drink that as kids? 

The two worst upper cabinets are the ones with the day-to-day dishes and mugs and another one with just glasses. Again --- most of the stuff in both areas can go! My problem is that I want to tackle it all and I can't. I need to FOCUS -- guess what? I think I just found my word for 2027. FOCUS and FOCUS HARD!!!! 

Look at that little bud grow!!!! It's amazing how this plant is doing, and it's been so neglected. It's been sitting in water since March, after the cutting was tightly wrapped in a paper towel, then plastic wrap, and thrown in a suitcase! 

The buds are growing! 

Murphy may not be as mobile as she used to be, but boy - she is making up for that by becoming a super-intense guard dog! I don't know how many times yesterday she barked her head off. I came up, and one time I spotted a cat. OK -- she HATES cats with a vengeance. I don't know what she would do if she ever got close to one! But she can spot them at the end of the street, and that is too close for her!

Thank goodness that bicycle is in front of the window and it's doing its job. Which is to keep Murphy from jumping on the window, although I don't think she would try that now. But yes—in the past, she would jump on the window!

MOM - this bike thing is in my way!!!

But look at her. I was afraid that she would fall off the bed. 

MOM - I NEED to get that squirrel!!

You can't really see in this picture, but she was barking at a squirrel!! Let's just say I got a lot of steps, and thankfully she didn't bark during the Facebook Live. Or maybe she did, but I didn't hear her!

Yep -- there's a camouflaged squirrel out there.

And that Lexi is lazy as ever. She was lying in her bed, and I think she was guarding it from her sister, who also likes to sleep there. Look at that eye!!! Huskies tend NOT to get excited about much—well, that's not true, but they are very lazy when they want to be. So she doesn't even move her head - just her eye!

MOM - I can see you!!!

Here are all the bobbins I emptied while making my samples the other day. Granted, some of them were partial bobbins, but still. It would have been easier for me to use full bobbins, but then what do you do with the partials? So I plunked them in the embroidery machine, and away I went. It's all about keeping things neat and tidy and using up to prevent clutter. The bobbins are saved and go to a group that makes fidget quilts. The bobbins are placed on a ribbon, and the ends are secured!

I emptied NINE bobbins this week.

I have so many supplies, like prewound bobbins, and spools and spools of bobbin thread. I will never give those away because they're consumables, and I will use them. So I had better start using it up. I pulled out some older bobbin thread and threw it in the embroidery machine, and it worked like a charm. 

This was in my tea yesterday. How true is this!!! I know that some of you are probably sick of me talking about making mistakes, but seriously? If you don't make mistakes, then what are you learning? What drives me mad is that people are very sympathetic when OTHER people make mistakes, but not when they make them. They expect perfection!!! That's the most bizarre thing I ever heard of. The more mistakes you make, the more you want to make them, because everything I've learned from my mistakes would fill a book! 

Great advice for making mistakes

Do you remember I shared a picture from the magazines about the wooden quilt rack? Here's the ad once again. I mentioned I had one and gave it away. 

The ad for the wooden quilt hanger

The person who got the rack is using it!!!! She sent me a picture of it. This hangs in her cottage, and it's the perfect place for it. I love the colored lanterns on top! This is something that we all need to take into account with our stuff. If you are NOT using it, someone else can. Don't wait—find a new home for your unwanted things NOW!!!! Thanks for sharing the photo - you know who you are! 

My quilt rack looks so beautiful in someone else's cottage.

If I remember correctly, she said she is looking for a second one, so if you have one and you no longer need it, I can find a home for it!!!!

There's so much more I could chat about, but I have to get my butt to the gym. I should have canceled the appointment with Brooke, but after I get back, I will be happy I went. By the way—I did make the traffic light by 6 AM the other day!!! As you have probably guessed, small things like that matter to me, and it's the ridiculous stuff like that that keeps me going. You may think I'm weird, and I'm perfectly OK with that. 

I managed to get enough homework done last night to pull off the two classes this weekend, and if I'm smart, I'll make the presentations later this afternoon when I arrive at the hotel. Then, if I get a chance to do more sewing tomorrow evening, I'll do that. Did I say how happy I would be when this week is over? 

And on that note -- I'm off to pump iron!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!!