A LUCKY travel day!!!

 And just like that, I'm home, and soon I'll be off on another grand adventure (just for the day), and it involves packing! No decluttering, but loads of packing. 

I got up early and moved all the glassware to the garage! It wasn't as cool in the morning as it is here, and you could see the stars, so I snapped this with my cell phone. Not bad for a cell phone. But that's why cell phones are so expensive today: it's the camera, not the phone part. That probably costs a few dollars! 

The early morning sky over Salt Spring Island

When I left, the house was neat and tidy, ready for my aunt to sort through more when she had a chance. 

I was sad to leave, as it would be the last time I visited the house, but we managed to get one picture of me on the front steps. DARN --- I completely forgot to get a picture of both of us when someone else was around. We took many pictures on those front steps. 

Last photo of me on the steps

When I took the picture of the sky, I didn't even register that it was clear. No fog!! Apparently, the day before, they had to cancel floatplanes because of the fog. I got lucky!

My aunt dropped me off at the floatplane dock and headed back to the house because Lucie was coming. OK, if all the youth in our world were like Lucie, the world would be a better place. I'm not sure how old Lucie is, but I'm guessing in her twenties. She's a young single mom who is working hard to make a living. She has chosen to help others - I think I mentioned her mom was a hoarder. 

I liked her so much (we all fell in love with her) that I hired her to move all the crap out of the garage, and she did just that. Then she removed more stuff from the house. I'm not even sure what all went, but she took a load of old lawnmowers and filing cabinets to the metal recycling, and then a good part of the stuff went to a giant flea market sale which is happening today. That is why she was so anxious to get the stuff out of the house. 

She didn't want stuff going into the landfill unless absolutely necessary. YES -- I know that not everything will go at the flea market, but at least an effort was made to rescue some things. 

But if the world were filled by people like Lucie, we would be in a much better place. 

As I got down to the seaplane dock, the sun was just coming up. It was a glorious morning! 

Sunrise over Ganges Harbor on Salt Spring Island

Things went smoothly for a travel day, and it was a lucky day for me. Although I have flown over this body of water many times, I never tire of watching the ships and other small sailing craft. No whales, although the pilot mentioned they had spotted whales earlier in the week or sometime just recently. 

A ship between Salt Spring and Vancouver

When we arrived at the floatplane dock in Vancouver, we waited about five minutes for the shuttle to the main terminal, so I arrived at the terminal around 9:30. My original flight was 1 PM, but I had forgotten the seaplane flight was early in the morning when I booked it. 

While we waited for the shuttle bus, several ladies chatted about how much they'd have to pay for their luggage and whether it was overweight, etc. Both ladies were flying to the US. I said that I could carry 3 suitcases at 70 lbs each. One of them immediately asked me, "What credit card do you have?" I am NOT a fan of this business of everyone offering a credit card to get special privileges. I know many people pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees for a credit card that gives them access to the lounge or other privileges. I refuse. I only need ONE card, and it's working well for me. 

Enticing people to get another credit card in return for privileges just increases the risk of getting into trouble with credit if they're not careful. We have a small limit on one shared card, and it works! 

I checked online and saw a 10:10 flight, one at 11 that was pushed back to 11:30, one at 12, and then my 1 PM flight. I wanted to switch to an earlier flight, but I didn't want to pay the fare difference, so could I fly standby? I went to an agent immediately upon arriving at the airport, explained my situation, and before I knew it, I was confirmed on the 11:30 flight at no charge. Yeah!!!!

So I went to find something to eat and a place to sit while I waited. Since I have new airline status, I now have access to the lounge, but the lounge was under renovation! Of course it was, but I knew that because a friend of mine had been there recently and told me. 

The lounge is closed.

There is a private cafe for the airline which was near the gate, so I went there. Imagine my surprise when, while looking for a seat, I ran into a friend from back home!!! This is someone both DH and I have known for eons -- we were colleagues, and at one time, we all lived together in a big house. He and his wife came to M's wedding. We chatted, but he had work to do, so I sat and waited. 

Actually, I was watching the upgrade list. This was indeed my lucky day. There were 40 business-class seats (the lie-flat beds), and only 20 people bought those tickets. A huge list of people were waiting for an upgrade, and I happened to be number 18!!! Yep, I got one of the last seats, so I had the pleasure of a nice, comfy seat for the flight home. 

My seat on the way home

I managed to watch the final Harry Potter movie. Can you believe that in all the years since those books and movies came out, not a single person told me outright what the ending was? I kind of knew, but I was never certain. It was a great movie, and it was fun to see the whole cast back for the finale. WAIT, I had read the books, so I knew what was going to happen, but even though I read them way after they were released, no one told me the ending. 

Then I watched a couple of episodes of Modern Family. I loved that show when it was on years ago - a true comedy, and it really was a modern family!! 

DH agreed to pick me up, but my phone was dying, so I told him the scoop. He was stuck in traffic (Friday night rush hour), so when I got off the plane, I found an electrical outlet and charged my phone a bit. 

Then we went to the restaurant for a late dinner. Yep, I talked his ear off; I bet he missed me and my chatter all week. 

The girls, of course, were excited to see me, and we did NOT go for a walk because it was late by then, but I was still on Vancouver time, so I decided to do a wee bit of unpacking and then work on my jigsaw puzzle. I have seven nights to finish that. 

A bit more progress on the jigsaw puzzle

I scour the boards for more pieces and am starting to become familiar with what goes where. Then I attempt to locate a spot for them, then find more pieces. It's coming together, but it's slow. That's OK -- I'm good with slow. Remember my motto that I picked up in Africa, "Pole Pole", slow!!! I still wear that bracelet. 

I also got my jigsaw puzzle advent calendar in the mail. This thing went like hotcakes, but I scoured the internet until I found a copy in Alberta. And now, starting December first, I get to take part in it. 

My advent jigsaw puzzle

And that's a wrap for today. It's going to be a very busy weekend, but that's OK. A few busy weekends and days remain this year, but things are starting to wind down. Says me!!!!

Anyway, if you ever get the chance (who am I kidding, we are all going to have to move one day), I really enjoyed this last week. It was a ton of hard work, but it was so satisfying. I really enjoyed spending time with my aunt. Would I do it again? You bet I would. I would have loved to do that with my parents, especially my mom. The memories we could talk about, the things we looked at. All of that would have been fun with Mom, but she doesn't want it, and we would never have thrown anything away. 

That's the sad truth. And while the timing was a bit wonky for me, it didn't matter. I will still get my work done on time, and I had a wee enjoyable mini-vacation! 

I must run; I need to take the girls for a short walk before I have to leave. 

Notice there is no list today, BUT I have one final thought about decluttering. If you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to help a friend or a family relative, TAKE IT!!! Our time on this planet is limited, and if you don't reach out, help, and enjoy relationships, what is the point? 

It is going to be a GLORIOUS day!!!!

Ciao!!!

A flexible travel day!

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. The page I read them on doesn't let me reply, and I never seem to get to the page where I can. They should change that!!!! It would be so much easier. 

As for the mini-iron -- all is forgiven. My boss talked to the big boss, and she said I did a great job! So it wasn't an issue, it wasn't like she was chastising me, she just made mention of it. And I'm glad, because it makes me even more aware. I am 1000% aware when I do the other two brands (Husqvarna Viking and PFAFF), but this was the first time doing a Singer event, and that branded iron just wasn't on my radar!!! All is good!

As for the three-tiered tray—I somewhat agree with Tammy. The trays are too small to be useful for ME, since the project boxes will not fit on them, so everything has to come out. That would drive me mad, so Tammy, we are on the lookout for something else!!!

But as I was going through security at the Toronto airport yesterday, I spotted one of those carts inside security with swabs and whatever the security team needs. I was so TEMPTED to touch it to see how stable it was. However, I thought it was best not to. But I was tempted!!!!

The one thing I did purchase a while back was a rolling wire cart, but an industrial one that was used in a warehouse. I bought it when I bought some heavy-duty used wire shelving. That cart was supposed to be the spot for ongoing projects, but sadly it got filled with supplies. So do I buy another one? I think so, and I'm going to keep looking for one. 

I'm thinking something like this would be better. I would LOVE to have more shelves, but if the MOST CURRENT projects are in boxes or bins, this would be perfect and would eliminate one table, which would be great. If I need to move things around, then I could quickly and easily move the cart. I'm sure I can buy this kind of cart elsewhere, but I often buy stuff at ULine. This is quite expensive. We can probably find it elsewhere. Thoughts???? 

Well, I have arrived in Saskatchewan, and while the travel day itself wasn't bad, there were some moments! Because I bought the ticket at the last minute, I didn't have much choice of seats and got stuck in the middle. Thankfully, I'm a relatively small person, because the man (window) beside me was rather large, and, well, there was no question of sharing the seat rest. He took over that and at least 4-6 inches of my seat. I was fine, but you can tell what size of people the airlines make their seats for! 

WAIT --- let me back up to the Uber driver. It was dark when he picked me up, and we live on a circle court with a VERY LARGE circle. So when you arrive at our house, you don't need to follow the curb to get to the driveway. This guy was driving along the curb and ran over the neighbors' garbage (compost bags and some sticks) that were by the curb. 

Why he was way over there is a mystery to me. And he had a spiffy new car. Not my problem, but it was the weirdest thing. I was standing out at the end of my driveway; there was no need for him to be close to the houses looking for numbers. Maybe he didn't see me? 

I got through security with no problem, although I noticed there were a lot of people in the NEXUS line; it moved quickly. I got some food since I hadn't had breakfast. Of course, we all know that Tim's Pumpkin Spice muffins are out, and that's all I had for breakfast. No time to get in the LONG, LONG line for something more substantial. 

I did have a sandwich with me, but there really wasn't much room to dig through my backpack to get it. I was fine! 

While waiting for the remainder of the passengers to get on the plane, I was on my phone, madly trying to find a rental car. NOTHING  - I mean, nothing at the airport. I tried all the companies; I tried a general car rental booking agency - NOTHING. But wait -- there are other cars and other locations. So I did find a car with Enterprise, and it was a short taxi ride from the airport. 

I asked what was going on, and the guy said it was just busy. They had already processed 27 rentals that day (10:30 AM), and they had another 30 to go. 

I also booked my hotel while waiting on the tarmac. I know—you would never do that, but it works for me. I'm 1000% flexible, and I'll take what I can get. I was just too frazzled the day before to book the car and hotel too, but I doubt I would have gotten a car at the airport. And I was also trying to find that darn car, and the Air Canada app on my phone wasn't working when I tried to upgrade, which I didn't get! 

The good news is that I should get 50K status with the airline this year. That will be the first time for me - it doesn't give me much more than I currently have, but I will have access to the lounge, so instead of getting in the Tim's line, I could get something to eat in the lounge. But I like my Tim's tea!! I don't really care about the 50K, but it will be a milestone. 

The Saskatoon airport is being renovated!!!! Huge sections are blocked off, and I wasn't sure where the car rental places were if I needed to pick up my car there. I'm guessing they will be living with this for months, if not years!!!!

Renovations at the Saskatoon airport

The car rental place, which is very close to the airport, was just around the corner from the jigsaw puzzle place. WOW -- I had to stop, and the staff there are very friendly. So I chatted with the owner, and he showed me their wall of puzzles. They have a lady in North Battleford who makes up these giant puzzles for them. They transport them in sections and hang them on the wall. They had another one hung up. That's a cool way to display your puzzles - put them in a long, narrow hallway!!!! 

A giant puzzle on the wall

OK - I picked up something, but I didn't get a picture - I'll try to take a picture today. This store—Puzzle Master —has all kinds of puzzles: metal puzzles, I spotted the EXIT Game Advent Calendar puzzle, wooden puzzles, 3D puzzles—it stocks a HUGE variety, so if you know a puzzler in your household, you should introduce them to this store. My grandfather would have been beside himself as he loved all kinds of wooden puzzles. Not a wooden jigsaw puzzle, but wooden puzzles where you have to unlock a secret. Check out what I mean at this link. 

Then it was on to The Sewing Machine Store to say hello to the manager and the staff, whom I know from being there multiple times. Perhaps we will have an event sometime in the future! 

I spotted this tool for storing your binding. There are so many tools for winding your binding, and here is one more. I've not heard of the Taylor Seville brand of tools. They also had a tool (same brand) for making fabric strips with batting for the jelly roll rug. 

Binding spool

While this will keep the binding nice and tidy, what the heck do you do with it when you want to sew the binding on? I think I'll stick to my figure-8 method using my hand. I realized the other day that my method is similar to winding a skein of yarn, and it works for me!!

Speaking of yarn, one of the ladies at the retreat had a beautiful yarn scarf that she made, and I thought it would be fun to make the same scarf. Thankfully, the ladies at the retreat sent me a picture of the scarf AND a picture of the yarn. They must have found that online. 

The yarn shop is right beside The Sewing Machine store. So I had to stop. This is an amazing shop, and you could go nuts in here. The shop is called Prairie Lily Knitting and Needlework, and it's high-end, but if you are into knitting, this is where you want to buy yarn! 

Inside the yarn shop

I mean -- look at this gorgeous yarn with a shimmer in it. I could see some of that coming home with me. But even though I had room, I didn't buy any. This yarn is called Firefly by King Cole. Hilarious, as it's the same brand as the thick/thin yarn I wanted, but that is long gone! 

Beautiful Firefly yarn

So I walked out with nothing, but that's OK. Then off to the final stop in Saskatoon: the bookstore. Oh yes -- the bookstore - McNally Robinson. I can say that I've been to both locations (Winnipeg and Saskatoon) this year. I spotted some quilts hanging on the railing. I love that the Saskatoon Quilters' Guild hangs the quilts; it makes the place look a bit more homey. 

I wanted to get a book for Mom, but it was sold out. You remember a while back I mentioned a book that was written by a lady who lives north of North Battleford - Grounds for Murder by Betty Ternier Daniels. Well, she will be speaking at the NB library on SATURDAY!!!! But I'll be teaching back home!!! 

I'm not sure if this quilt is called Square Dance, but that was the name on it, and it looks like a wee bit of a challenge to put together. 

Quilts in the bookstore

And a farm-themed one. One of the ladies in our embroidery group made this quilt. Not this exact quilt, but one like it. It's farm-themed. 

A machine-embroidered, farm-themed quilt

And OH MY GOSH --- this was so cute. I don't know what the pattern is, but look at the wee duck on the left. That's so adorable!!!! WAIT -- I found the pattern. It's called Duck March by Apples and Beavers, which I think is a Canadian company? 

Duck March quilt - adorable!!!! 

I picked up a couple more logic books by Dr. Garth Moore and Laura Jayne Ayres. They are easy to travel with, and I LOVE doing them, although the one puzzle I'm working on is causing me some grief. I've had to erase the grid a few times, and I probably just need to focus!!! 

Then I headed to North Battleford, where I got a bit of a shock when I arrived at the apartment building. There is ALWAYS a puzzle in progress in the common room. Look which puzzle it is!!! This is the one that I dropped off a couple of months ago. What are the chances that that puzzle would be completed when I walk in? Seriously -- that is like finding a needle in a haystack!!! The timing was uncanny!!!!

MY jigsaw puzzle is completed!

When I went down a couple of hours later, that puzzle was gone, and they were working on the next one. That's what I mean—the time frame was so short, and yet it was there!!! I have brought another puzzle with me for them. And the two men who work on the puzzles are the nicest, so we always have a chat. 

Progress on the next jigsaw puzzle in the common room

So - you want to know about Dad. Well, to look at him, you would never know that he had a stroke last week. I swear the man has nine lives, and he was in good spirits, but I bet he's exhausted because he never did make it to a hospital ward, and it is NOISY in the hallway. I'm sure he was going mad because he described the hallway noises—a noisy swooshing double door and a hump in the hallway to conceal an electrical cord. Right by his bed. Poor guy!!!

But he is doing fine, and they have upped his cholesterol medication to help dissolve these blockages. One was in his head, and that one was gone before he left the hospital. The second one in his neck is still there, but apparently he could feel it, and it's nowhere near as prominent as it was. So all is good, and he dodged a bullet. 

We haven't discussed when he goes for another scan - I must remember to ask today. 

Then we spent the rest of the day discussing paper! While Dad is still very cognizant, he is easily confused by paper, and when I looked at some of what was bugging him, I can see exactly why. And god forbid that he has an overdue bill - that drives him mad. So he wanted me to drive him (no driving for 30 days) to pay the bill, but that wasn't possible since they wanted cash or a certified cheque, and we can pay it online, so we are going to do that today. 

He hates AI more than I do and wants me to get rid of the AI CRAP on his computer. Good luck to me for that! 

I'm making sure everything is good with their documents, which it is, although we can't find two critical documents I know they created. They weren't where they were supposed to be, so we need to find them today. And I'm ensuring that everything they need, should something happen, is in ONE spot. I'm tempted to take pictures so I know they are there, but I'll think about that one. What I might do is make a list of what is included in that folder and attach it to the front. 

That way we know what is there at a glance. Why do I feel that we will be visiting the bank, the lawyer, and the accountant while I am here? They have things in order—don't get me wrong —but they kept old versions of everything, so I sorted through it, and all the old stuff is now gone. And Mom was encouraging me to get rid of it. WAIT? -What is happening here? 

The problem is that they are so easily confused that they need someone to keep all that stuff. My brother will be given copies of the health directives, so in the future, should he need them, he has them in HIS possession, not in a book at the house. 

Then I need to communicate to my brothers that everything is in order and they don't need to do anything to make that happen. Everything is done and in one place. 

We made good progress, but today is going to be filled with more of the same! And you know what? I'm OK with that. I'd rather do that, know what is going on, and have it all in a safe place than be in a mad scramble if something happens. That's why I'm here! It's amazing how consuming paperwork is. But I should know since I do so much of it myself. 

I wasn't sure I'd have enough to do to fill my three days. Now I could probably do with an extra day!!! But we'll get it done! 

And we have an assessment this morning. I don't think they really comprehend what it's all about—I don't think Dad does, but I explained to him that they need more help or possibly a move, and that is what this assessment is all about. I'll have to deal with the aftermath after the caseworker leaves. 

I totally appreciate that people want to stay in their homes as long as they can, but at what point do you move because you need so much extra help? That is the question. This isn't about cognitive skills; it is about physical ability and safety. It's a nasty decision to make, and hopefully after this morning's visit, we will have more knowledge in our pocket to make those decisions. 

We decided to have pizza for dinner last night, and I headed out to get it. When I arrived back at the apartment, I spotted an ambulance outside the front door. OH -- hopefully that is not for them. I was just gone 20 minutes, and they were fine. 

So when I got to their floor and spotted this outside their door, that threw me for a loop. Of course, I didn't panic—why would I? If something happened, they were in good hands. Thankfully, it was for their neighbor across the hall. 

A stretcher in the hall! Thankfully, NOT for my parents!

I spotted this on IG, and I thought it was hilarious.

LOL -- new rules!!!!

LOL --- how funny. Notice, I did NOT go to the thrift store here! I do not need another puzzle! 

Well, it is going to be an interesting and LONG day. Besides my parents, I'm dealing with a couple of other family things (nothing bad), but it just takes time. So let's get all this worked out right now, and then I can get back to my quiet life with my girls and DH. That'll be several weeks before that happens. 

I am so thankful I moved all my data onto small drives I can carry with me. My entire digital life is with me—Yep—I know that is a risk since there is no backup. But I'm OK with that. If I'm going down, then I'll go down with my digital data! 

While I miss the quilting retreat, I am so glad I decided to come. We are accomplishing lots, and they need this done. Sadly, they are at that age when they need a keeper to remind them of the important decisions they made. OK --- we've done it before, I've explained it before, but they need it done every so often to remind them. And this time, we are getting rid of all the extraneous crap. 

On that happy note, it's going to be another wonderful day!!!! Happy puzzling!!!

Ciao!!!!

 

A puzzle and a rehearsal

Today is the day!!! The big wedding, but FIRST - I have to tell you about yesterday, and then you'll hear all about the wedding tomorrow. 

I'm not sure where the others were, but I asked the previous day if anyone wanted to go for a bike ride! I had a couple of takers, but when push came to shove, they were working out in the gym! But that's OK - I thoroughly enjoyed riding the bike. And sometimes being by yourself on a bike is best! 

Off for a ride

However, I had to sign a waiver, which is normal, and wear a helmet, which is the law. I decided to ride the bike into Tofino (about 4 KMs) to see what I could see. Oh my gosh --- what fun that was. You never forget how to ride a bike, and if you maintain your balance, it's a piece of cake. The bikes are single-speed, which I am not used to. Even my townie back home has three speeds. 

That meant a wee bit more oomph to get up a couple of small hills, but really, the road is flat, and all was great. You cannot help but smile when you ride a bike, unless you have been in the pouring rain for hours and your shoes are filled with water, and you have to set up a tent, but only after you finish climbing this 5 KM hill!! 

I've had a day or two like that in the past, but seriously? It's so much fun. When I am home, I NEED to get my bikes serviced and get out there!! To heck with walking --- let's get on the bike! My knees didn't seem to mind it so much, and everything feels fine today. 

I have to tell you a story about the seatpost, which is why I took the picture above. It's for adjusting the seat height, and I feel dismay when I see people riding a bike with the seat in the lowest position. That is the HARDEST way to ride a bike. Your leg can't extend fully, and you have ZERO power. Your knees will not thank you later. And you struggle. At one point yesterday, the seat fell right down. I guess the latch wasn't as secure as it should have been. I put it back up, and all was good. 

I remember on one of my bike trips that, unbeknownst to me, the seat was slowly descending, and after a break, I got on my bike and couldn't figure out what I could barely pedal. Then it dawned on me that the seat had slipped lower. Once that was fixed, I was back in business. So if you have grandchildren, spouses, or anyone who rides bikes, make sure the seat is the correct height!!! It's important, and pedaling won't be as much of a struggle. 

What did I discover in Tofino? Oh my -- there was a cute little cafe called Rhino, and well, I stopped. And I had a tea and OH MY --- look at the donuts. So I had one!!

The breakfast of champions!!!

I figured I deserved it since I rode the bike there!!! 

Then it was back to the hotel and Bear, and we were exploring and decided to check out the library, which is just a big open space on the third floor. Guess what we found? By the way, we had already been out on the beach several times. 

This is a Stave puzzle. Technically, you are not supposed to look at the picture. I don't think the picture came with the puzzle, but the hotel had conveniently placed a copy on the table. I was not familiar with Stave puzzles, but each one is handcrafted and is the Cadillac of wooden puzzles. If you check out the prices on the website, you'll see what I mean! 

A jigsaw puzzle - how could I resist

Once I flipped that card over, where it said NOT to look at the picture, I turned the picture face down. I placed all the pieces face up and realized there were many with special shapes. They were insanely beautiful. The signature piece in each is a clown, which I did not get a picture of, but we spotted the clown. 

Insanely intricate pieces

And there are often puzzles within the puzzle. There is a note inside the box that tells you if you have any of those and how many there are!!

I started traditionally—digging out all the edge pieces. But wait—this is NOT working. I was struggling when M came along. So we worked on the puzzle together. Dillon spent time with his mom in the gym, while M and I worked on the puzzle. It was a beautiful memory for us. And she's good at it!!! If only she were closer - I could have a speed puzzling buddy!

A great teammate for puzzle assembly

Once we figured out how the puzzle works, it was "easier." I use that word very lightly because every single piece of this puzzle was a struggle and therefore a win when we got it in. 

Between the two of us, we worked amazingly well as a team, got the bottom (waves) part of the puzzle together. The sun was cut into the shape of a sun!! 

Progress on the puzzle

She had stuff to do, so she left. Then my aunt came up to visit while I attempted to work on the sky, but I wasn't getting anywhere. But it was at this point, when I couldn't figure out what went into that weird opening, that I realized the two puzzle pieces that spelled out an island fit in that weird space. And then I realized that the TOP of the puzzle was not a straight line. It was puffy clouds!!!! 

Very weird shapes

Then I had to run some errands, so I left the puzzle in this condition. OH NO!!!!!  

DON'T touch the puzzle.

My aunt, cousin, DH, and I went into town for a late lunch. Poor Bear - even though we ate on an outdoor patio, he wasn't allowed, so I had to put him on the outside of the little fence, and I was on the other side. It was an open fence, and with a few bits of French fries, he was just fine. I know—people food, but I had to keep him entertained. He loves being with people, and this situation was not satisfactory for him. However, he was able to watch people and dogs go by, and that did keep him busy. 

I swear that dog is a people magnet. Everyone stops to talk to him!!! And he loves it. He just saoks up all the attention. 

DH and I explored the property and found this little path through the woods. 

The entrance to the Rainforest Beach Trail

What a pretty trail, and Bear had fun walking along the wood chips. He is not a fan of walking on pebbles, but wood chips are OK. 

The path to one of the beaches

There is a beautiful spot in the forest to stop if you wish. 

A wonderful clearing in the forest for faeries! 

We didn't have any rain yesterday, so that was good, but it's not warm. Which is probably OK, but I could stand a couple more degrees of heat. Since I didn't have a jacket with me and I know that the temperature on a bike is about 5 degrees lower than if you are just standing, I put on my jean jacket and then my flannel shirt jacket. I was toasty as I could be. 

OH -- there's a picture of Bear on the beach. For some reason, it's very hard to get him to look right at the camera. 

Grandma --- NO pictures please!!!

Then we were off to the beach (Shell Beach) for the rehearsal. It took three tries for us to get serious, pay attention, and decide who was doing what and when. Actually, M had it all planned out, but we needed to get on board. So that got done, and all was good. Then we went into the dining room for the rehearsal dinner. Actually, we were in the wine cellar, where they have a long table for a more private event. 

Practicing at the rehearsal

They really are a cute couple, and I wish them so much happiness. The big bet for today is who is going to cry at the wedding!! 

Bear was not too happy to be in someone else's arms. He was pulling on the leash to get to me, but he soon settled down. 

When he hears a voice he recognizes, he freaks out! When one of M's friends walked by when we were working on the puzzle, he went wild!!

I didn't get a picture of the wine cellar, but let's just say there was a lot of wine there. And here is the dessert from last night's dinner. I mean, you can always eat dessert. 

Dessert from the rehearsal dinner

The food is amazing, and earlier in the day, I had read up on the Executive Chef, who isn't that old. So they asked if he could come to our table, and he did. What a nice young man, and I had told the single girls at the table about him. I was praying that the pictures on the internet were not old. I pleaded that if he was not good-looking, the photos on the internet were airbrushed! Thankfully, he lived up to his pictures! Hmm -- I can't find that link to him at the moment. WAIT --- found it. 

OH -- if you go to this link, you can see a photo of the wine cellar -- just scroll down. 

So you want to know what happened to the puzzle? When we got back from Tofino after lunch, we had about 35 minutes before we were to be at the rehearsal location. I was going to take a nap, but the moment I lay on the bed, my mind went to the puzzle, and I'm wide awake. So off to the puzzle Bear and I went, and I was under a lot of pressure to complete it in 35 minutes. At least at this point, I had figured out how the top border would look—somewhat —and there were fewer pieces. 

The completed puzzle

But see what I mean about the top border? It was crazy, and there were small openings along the top as well. On the left, they almost look like seagulls. 

There were even cutouts in the top.

What a little treasure it was to find that puzzle and work on it with M in the morning. 

It was a great day, and as the day progressed, more and more people arrived. Not everyone is staying at this hotel, so I was on pickup duty once yesterday, and I have to pick someone up this morning for the beach yoga session. I think that is only for the young ones. But I'm OK with that -- I'd much prefer to go for a bike ride. 

I have to say that the bride is pretty chill, which is exciting. She says she spent so much time planning and has this massive spreadsheet of who needs to do what when, that it's all coming together. I just need to remember to pick someone up today and finish sewing that pillow! I completely forgot about it yesterday, and I need to get that done this morning. 

The weather today looks halfway decent - it's cool, and we hope to have some sun. WAIT -- speaking of sun, when we were on our final run of the wedding procession, and the bride started down the "aisle," a massive wave crashed on the rocks, and the sun came from behind the clouds! A sign!!!! 

It was a fabulous day, and everyone had a great time!!! A few more people are arriving this morning, and then I think we'll all be here! 

On that note, I'd better get Bear up and out for his walk, as I don't want to be late fulfilling my pickup duties! 

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Travel day and it's all about the dogs!!

Travel days are so much fun! OK -- I know I shouldn't complain, and I'm not because I'm fortunate enough to be able to travel. I would say that half of the travel I do wouldn't be necessary if my family lived close, but we are all over the country, and hence, travel is required. For those of you with family within driving distance? You are lucky! 

Anyway -- the first thing was to get the girls walked and finish tidying up stuff around the house. Can you believe I even vacuumed quickly before I left? It's all about appearances since I have two people at home taking care of the girls. They have a night nanny and a day nanny! Those girls are spoiled, but no one will be taking them for a walk. I don't require that because they are a nightmare to walk, although Murpy is getting better. 

Remember when we saw all those pictures about what people think we are going versus what we are actually doing? Here's how that applies to the girls. To save some time, I walked them together, which I don't do so often. When we got Murphy, I walked them together, and it was a nightmare, and I put up with that for over 1 year before I decided they needed to be walked alone. I bet I would have been able to curb some of Murphy's enthusiasm if I had walked them alone, where I could actually train her. Sigh.......

So, in an ideal world, this is what it would be like to walk with the two girls. Lexi on the left, and Murphy on the right. And they walk at the same distance, no sniffing, and all is good. No arm swinging allowed with a leash in each hand. 

The ideal scenario when walking the girls

And at times in the forest, they aren't too bad. Notice how Murphy wants to be in front. Her leash is a leather lead that started out at about 6 feet long. I swear that her leash is now about 7 feet long!!! When the three of us leave the house, she is beyond herself for the first block as she pulls fiercely at that leash. I have no idea why, but she must be in front at the beginning of the walk. 

MOM  Lexi is so slow - I NEED to be in front

Most of the time on the walk, they are like this. I have both leads in one hand as I took the picture, but they get wrapped around trees; one has to sniff while the other wants to walk, and vice versa. And let's not forget all the times that they would cross each other's paths, and then the leash or at least one of them would be wrapped around my legs. Thankfully, that doesn't happen very often these days. 

MOM -- I hate walking with my sister - she's too slow! 

So the ideal is to walk them separately, and I do, except on a day when I'm a wee bit strapped for time. 

MOM - I like being walked without my sister

Lexi has an extendable leash, which I'm not a fan of, but since she is a pretty good, calm dog to walk, I'm OK with it. Murphy on an extendable leash? That would be the equivalent of one of those ping pong balls on an elastic cord attached to a paddle. That is NEVER going to happen. 

MOM - I loved walking without my sister

Since most people wouldn't have the patience to walk them separately. And I give strict instructions that should they choose to walk the dogs, to NEVER walk them together - NEVER. If we need dog sitters, the girls have to go to the backyard. 

And of course, if we stop for a break (we never do - this was simply to get a picture), they NEVER look at me. There is always something more interesting off in the forest. 

MOM - we are busy and have no time to stop for pictures!

Murphy went nuts when we got home. I gave the pond filter a good cleaning, and while I was outside doing that, Murphy went mad! Like a crazed dog, she jumped into her pool to cool off. Of course, it's not big enough for her to completely lie down, but she gave it a good effort to cool off. Of course, she was wet, but who cares? We live in a house with wild dogs! 

Cooling down in the pool

And so, at around 7:30 AM, we left the house with an Uber driver. It must have been prayer time because we heard chants all the way to the airport. I really don't mind, but you would think that if you are an Uber driver, you would put on some light music or something less specific! Maybe it was for DH's benefit! I don't know. But it was HOT in the car with the sun blazing in as the driver took some back roads to avoid the chaos on the road. I could have asked for the AC to be turned on, but it was only for a few minutes. 

No big deal - at least he got out to load and unload the small bags from the car. That's all I care about. I hate the drivers who just sit in the front seat and let you do all the work. You sure aren't getting a tip from me for that! 

Since we were already checked in and had no bags to drop off, we breezed right to the security area. Oh my -- the NEXUS line was much longer than the non-NEXUS line. We knew that was going to happen one day, and we have been spoiled. I don't think it was so much the length of the line, but the speed at which the bags were being scanned. Perhaps there was a trainee on the X-ray machine. 

I spotted this shirt in the line. It looks like it was made from an old tablecloth - cross-stitch embroidery, and the trim on the bottom of the blouse was the edge of the tablecloth. I still need to make myself one of those!!! I need to make a lot of things! 

A blouse made from a tablecloth

We made it through security with no issues, although DH's bag got flagged for something. It didn't take long to resolve. OH -- might have been the CPAP machine. 

We went up to the lounge to have breakfast - OK - second breakfast for me as I had something to eat while I wrote the blog. While I appreciate the lounge, it isn't the same as getting a Tim's tea. And before we knew it, it was time to board the plane. We walked down to the gate and boarded immediately because they were already boarding Zone 2. 

And this is another area that has become a nightmare in the travel world. I know -- first-world problems. The airlines have been loading by Zones for quite some time, and the Zones are determined by your status, your ticket price, and probably some other mystery algorithm. We were loading in Zone 2, which used to be special. Not quite business class, but ahead of the other 4 zones. 

It's not really a big deal since we all have a seat, but it's all about the luggage. If you get on the plane earlier, there is no danger of finding a spot for your luggage. If you get on later, it's harder. Not impossible, but harder. 

Now that the airline is using its branded credit card to let passengers earn points, the number of people who have moved into Zone 2 is enormous. It's now the largest loading zone, and any special privileges are gone! 

But what is frustrating is that you are supposed to have two items - a small carry-on suitcase and a personal item, which for most is a backpack or briefcase. That second item is supposed to go under the seat. When I arrived yesterday at our seats near the front of the plane (NOT business class), there were already tons of bags and backpacks stowed overhead, so I had to put my suitcase in the overhead bin behind me, not over me. If that makes sense. 

DH had to do the same thing. This was because we were the last to arrive in that area, and there were many backpacks up above. So I complained out loud (to myself) as I found a home for my suitcase, while I tucked my backpack under my seat. Anyway, when the plane landed, I popped up before everyone else and kept anyone in the two rows behind from getting up while I got our suitcases out of the overhead bins. I'm fast—I wasn't obnoxious! And we were both in aisle seats. 

Call me Karen! No one was going anywhere, so it didn't really matter. 

The flight was pretty uneventful. I was exhausted, so I tried to sleep, but kept waking myself up, realizing that my mouth was hanging open. Oh god --- I hope I wasn't snoring. Then I read for a bit and then watched the fourth Harry Potter movie. Only four more to go, and I will have seen them all on a plane. I never saw any of them in person. 

And then we were in Vancouver. And yes—this tile in the washrooms makes me smile every single time. I made a quilt based on that tile, which I'm sure I've shared with you many times. I won't today.

The tile in the Vancouver airport

Once we got out of the airport, it was off to the next airport. We had discussed getting from Vancouver to Vancouver Island—renting a car in Vancouver and taking the big ferry, the passenger ferry (number one on the list, but the timing wasn't going to work), or the seaplane. So we got on the airport shuttle. 

The airport shuttle

And then arrived at the seaplane dock. We thought we might be lucky and get seats on the 1 PM flight, but it was full, so we had to wait for our original flight, which was booked for 3:15, leaving us some time to kill. We went to the nearby restaurant and had something to eat. 

I've been on the seaplanes a few times, but always in the smaller plane, which has just one pilot. The plane to Nanaimo is a little bit larger and has two pilots. And there was my pilot friend Paul! He was the copilot on this flight. He was the one who managed to fly the small plane from Salt Spring Island the last time I was out through the fog that no one else would fly through! 

The seaplane

It's always fun to take the seaplane and those things bank like mad as they turn the corner to come in for a landing. Don't be afraid of heights or don't look out the window!!! Of course, we've been monitoring the travel plans of some of the other family members, and when they took the big ferry across, they all saw Orcas!!!! I watched from the air, but we saw nothing! 

Next up was to catch a taxi from the seaplane dock to the car rental. There was some discussion with the taxi driver about where he would drop us off, but he was right. I was just checking because I didn't want to get the run around - I was getting tired. The address on the retail agreement was incorrect, and the taxi driver knew that. Anyway -- we arrived and got the car. Or should I say the full-sized SUV? More on that tomorrow. 

It had started to rain - it's cold and wet here. I was going to pack my orange jacket, and I didn't. I said I would! I said that, but I packed a jean jacket instead. Silly me!!! Anyway, we will be fine. 

Then we had to make a detour to pick up someone!!! Look who we found at doggie daycare!!!!!

Hello everyone -- it's me -- it's BEAR!!!!!! 

M doesn't have a dog-friendly room at the hotel in Tofino, so they brought him over and dropped him off, and we had to rescue him. Finding that doggie daycare was pretty stressful. I had called and texted so many people. Well, I already told you about it. But there he was in a house of giant dogs, and he seemed to be just fine. 

Our plan was NOT to drive to Tofino yesterday. We still have a couple of errands to run today, so we're staying at a hotel in downtown Nanaimo. A hotel with a view, I might add. 

The view from the hotel

And the room is huge, so little Bear looks much smaller than he really is. I'm guessing they have had other dogs in this room because he needed to sniff the entire space before he would settle down. 

GRANMA -- Is all this space for me? 

But what a cutie. I was exhausted when we got to the room and lay on the bed to read. But Bear needed a walk, and then he needed his dinner. But I managed to get some sleep, and yes --- it's very early in the morning here as I watch the lights out that huge window. DH and Bear are fast asleep, but I need to be up and dressed when he wakes, because he needs to do business as soon as he wakes. Yep -- we got his luggage when we picked him up, and I swear his bags (food) weigh more than my bag. 

When we finally went ot bed, he wanted to play and was trying to lick my face and paw at me. Silly little boy. And he is so cute because when he is cold, he comes to snuggle under the covers. When he is hot, he gets out and sleeps on the covers. We love you, little guy!!!!

Grandma - I'm ready to play with you!!!!

And here's one more view of the harbor. There are planes, boats, ferries, and everything coming into this space. It's a bit quiet because, as you can see, the weather isn't great, but it's all going to work out!!! 

Part of the Nanimo harbor

I started reading a book yesterday that's due in three days. I read a third of it yesterday, but I'm not so sure I can get that much reading done in the next couple of days. We'll see how it goes. 

I had to laugh when we got in the car. I let DH drive as I was tired. The FIRST thing I do when I get into a rental car is connect to the Bluetooth. I couldn't figure out what was happening when he asked me for the doggy daycare address, as he was going to put it in his phone. What? Why don't you connect to Bluetooth? It only takes a few seconds to make that happen. So his phone is connected to the car. Good grief!!! WAIT -- I know why. He doesn't rent cars often. He mostly grabs Uber or a taxi when he travels. 

WAIT -- I almost forgot that I have two pictures to share with you that I've been keeping a secret. But since the two items are now gifted, it's OK to share. 

This has been the year of weddings for us. We had been to one wedding a couple of years ago, but haven't been to many others. Then this year, we have two, and they are both destination weddings. This one is a bit closer than the one in Italy when my SIL got married. 

So the other SIL (the one living with us) wanted to make a quilt for each of them. Robin (the husband) is from England, and wouldn't it be nice to make a quilt with English symbols? Here is the finished quilt before it was spirited away to Vancouver on a plane last week. 

Robin's quilt

As you can see, there are no British symbols on that quilt. I have to tell you the story of the quilt. We started by finding a great pattern with all sorts of English symbols. After looking at it, we realized it was a lot more work than originally anticipated, so we went on the hunt for some British fabrics, since I knew they existed. We couldn't find anything. Or very little and not enough variety to make a quilt. 

Then I happened to be visiting someone who was showing me their small stash of quilt tops that needed to be quilted, and I spotted a small square of British fabric on one of them. OH—do you have more of that? Well, it turns out the entire top was made from British fabric, and she didn't want the top. So we worked out a deal, and VOILA—instant quilt made! It was a win-win for us, and I even had more of the dark blue fabric in my stash so we could make the binding. 

It's backed with Fireside fleece, so good for these damp Vancouver days! It's quilted with a teapot motif and looks amazing!!!! 

The teapot quilting motif

I only supervised the finishing of the quilt. I didn't have time, nor did I want to take that away from KU. She babysat the long arm and put the binding on! 

The other quilt, for her sister, required more work. She made a library quilt!!! This one required many new techniques, including a phototransfer of the couple from their wedding. That required me to resolve our printer issue, which is why we now have a new printer. all for one photo!!!!

The library quilt

We were just about to load the quilt when I remembered that we were supposed to embroider the names of books on the spines of some of them. It was very neat because KU decided to make a book with a specific title for each family member in the new blended family. There were eight of them, and it took some time to write out the titles and get them aligned properly. Here is one for the bride and groom. 

The wedding quilt

Here's a picture of one of the book titles. 

One of the book titles on the quilt

Then we got the quilt quilted while KU babysat that, and then put the binding on. I made her watch my binding video on YouTube because she needs to learn to do this stuff independently. This quilt also has Fireside on the back. This was the one that we were short on. How the heck we were short, I have no idea. The store made a mistake? We told them the incorrect length? I've no idea, but thankfully I had a scrap in a different color, so the quilt got done!!!

I really need to learn how to use the Eclipse tool on my long arm, so if I ever have photos to quilt through again, I can mark out a heart or another shape that won't let the quilting go through the faces. A new thing to learn this summer. 

So that is two secrets we've been working on for months, and all is revealed. The recipients loved the quilts, and they will be used frequently in their library, which they are planning to create in the house. Everyone needs a good quilt for snuggling while reading! 

Well, on that note, I'm off. I don't need to be up this early, and I might catch a few more minutes of shut-eye, but my back doesn't like extended periods of time in bed. 

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!