Finding lost things!

Your comments make me chuckle. I'm not the only one who wakes up angry from a dream! Although lately, no dreams. I'm not sure what those couple of nights were all about! 

And YES -- I'm up for that hike! I'll get in touch! WOW --- just looked it up - sounds like a load of fun!

And I need to get back to responding individually to the comments!

The writing is done. OK - that's a lie. I'm in the process of sending the last set of videos, and then I have one small document to write this morning. I love writing, but sometimes, it just bogs me down. This was one of those times. I'm not sure why! Probably there was so much going on (previously) and such a big mess downstairs that I just wanted to dive in and clean it up! 

I caved - no, I didn't subscribe to ChatGPT, but you can create a few pictures each day for free, and since I'm no artist, I figured, what the heck, let's have fun with it. Here are our dogs cheering on the Blue Jays, who had a wee hiccup last night. No worries. 

The Monday Sewing dogs are cheering on the Blue Jays

This time, they are smiling - I had to request that, and the chocolate lab in the front middle is much lighter than it was the other day! We have a wee issue with two paws on the left, but what a hoot! 

You remember my orange cake from the other day. 

My original cake

This time I asked for an elegant cake in orange. I suppose CHATGPT knows I'm not the kind of person who likes frills, so this is what I got! I think it's hilarious!!!!

My elegant cake

Then I've always had visions of taking some quilts into the forest and getting a picture of myself riding my bike. After how many years, and that has never happened? So I asked ChatGPT to create something for me. 

A crazy quilter on a bike with her trusty companions

What do you think? Pretty neat, and look at that orange hairband, which I did NOT request. Is it starting to know me? I'm not sure why it defaulted to the cartoon version, but I decided to ask it for a realistic picture, and this is what I got! Look at those happy girls running beside me. 

A realistic version of the same photo

As M says, it's kind of creepy, but then she's the one who generated a picture of her current self hugging a much younger version of herself. Now that's creepy!!

However, it's a fun tool to experiment with. Will I do anything with the pictures? Likely not. 

WAIT -- Did you notice the quilted jacket? For those in the Jacket Class (Zoom) that starts this month, hosted by Thimbles and Things, I have downloaded the list of participants and will be assembling the distribution list later today. There is no prep for the first class, so no need to panic!

On Monday, we discussed the sidewalks and how some of the slabs have settled, and several of us had noticed the marks on them where they needed repair. 

This is how some of them had been repaired in the past - they would lay a bunch of asphalt next to the uneven slabs and hope for the best. 

Old repair

I had remarked on Monday that while the first set of marks (yellow) had been completed quite a while ago, and a second set of marks (white) had been completed this past summer, nothing had been done since then. 

Imagine my surprise that afternoon when I went for my walk and the sidewalk on my street had been done, but nothing else in the neighborhood had. OK - now that is very freaky! Perhaps the city was listening and decided to make a fool of me! That was very bizarre! 

The new repairs

And this root - well, I'm not sure what they are going to do with the root. And a few other streets may have been done that same day, but I haven't noticed any. I'm sure they didn't do this just for me, although I've never had an issue with tripping on the sidewalk. 

A root under the slab

I swear, when people see me walking, they must think I work for the city because who else takes pictures of the sidewalks or other oddities of the city? 

The nice thing about tidying up is that I'm actually finding things that I needed to find. A friend of mine and I were working on a machine embroidery house for Halloween. That was in March of 2024. We did an experiment and never went past that. Well, it's time to get cracking as Halloween is coming. I couldn't find what we had worked on, and I had no idea when or what I had done. So, back to the blog, where I was able to find the post. I LOVE going back to read the older blog posts! 

It appears that I only cut one piece of foam for her, and she did one stitch out, which you can see in the blog. I found my papers, but what did we learn from that experiment? I'm waiting for her to find the piece so we can reevaluate the situation and move forward. 

The lost pattern pieces for the Halloween house

I also found the base for my mini iron. It had gone missing for several months, and no clue. I found it when I put the tubs of stabilizers away! Good grief! 

The base for my mini iron is now found! 

I also found a binding for a quilt. What's hilarious is that it's the quilt I mentioned at the beginning of that blog post about the Halloween house! Not a big deal, except that the quilt is now bound! It was one of the ones I quilted in July, and I didn't remember that I had made the binding - it got separated from the quilt. So I made a new one. Now I have a brown binding, but I have nothing to put it on! I'm sure I'll find something where it can be used. WAIT --- I know just the quilt - it's a new one I have to make, and this will be perfect for it! 

An extra binding

As usual, I found more tools - another seam ripper. How many more will I find? I also found a couple of hairbands, which I had intended to embellish, and my bracelet. 

Lost things that are now found! 

This isn't just any bracelet; this is my bracelet from the Camino! Oh my goodness—the fastener came undone, and I need to figure out how to reassemble it. It was then put into a tub, and now I need to Google how to fix it! If only I would fix or do all these things when the moment arises. Sigh........

My long-lost Camino bracelet! 

As I was tidying and sorting in the middle of the night, I pulled out items for the upcoming jacket class. I have this massive pile to go through to take photos and find interesting things to discuss. I have no want for reference material!

Jacket class research materials! 

Only the far set of lights is one, but look at that floor! It doesn't look like the same place at all! Now that I have a little bit of extra time today, I have a lot of sewing I want to do, but I also need to address the tables. I literally moved everything I could off the floors and onto three tables and the cutting table. You'll see more on that, hopefully tomorrow. I have a few machines to pack up today, so that's my priority. Some of this stuff had been sitting under the tables in the far back for years. It's now been moved out of the homeless stage and will find a home this week. 

Look at the floor!!!!

I've found two things that I no longer want; if anyone is interested, please let me know. This is a project/tool bag with a pocket (velcro) on the front. The central part is made of mesh and features a zipper. I'm not using it, and if anyone can use it, it's yours. It's approximately 12" by 8".

Mesh project/tool pouch up for grabs 

And I have some watch bands for the Fitbit Versa 4 watch. I no longer use the watch, and I have all these extra bands. Can anyone use them? They are yours! 

Watchbands up for grabs

And in all the craziness that was yesterday, I actually got a binding stitched onto a quilt. Yeah!!! The first of at least a dozen that need to be done. I want the tub they are in, so that's an incentive to get to work!!!

A binding on a quilt

And that's it for today! Oh my -- so much going on. Well, that's a total lie! My days are lazy and long. Well, that's a lie as well. The days are long, but not lazy. But no rushing around with massive deadlines - I'm positively lost! I don't know how to work under these conditions! 

Once I get to sewing downstairs and tidying, I'm sure my day will be filled with loads of excitement! I still have one set of templates that I'm trying to locate. I've been through a lot of stuff over the last couple of months, but they are there - just where is the question!

And on that note - I'm out of here. No spin class this morning as DH needed the car, so I'd better get some stretching done on my own! It's a challenge to book an early morning appointment with a personal trainer. What's that all about? Can it be that other silly people like myself like to work out early in the morning? It's crazy!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Christmas is coming!

The days just seem to be blurring into each other. Where is the time going? I guess as long as you're having fun, that's all that counts!

I had to zip out to check on something at Fabricland and ended up hitting Micheal's to buy some yarn and bought a few things on sale at Fabricland! Of course, I did!! I hardly buy anything anymore, so I was OK with my few purchases. 

But look what I spotted at Micheal's. 

The Wine Tasting and Chocolate shop!

So, while it was sweltering outside and has been for 2 days, and we have one more day, the Christmas stuff is out in full force! While I love these Christmas villages, some of these ones were pretty annoying as they not only moved but played music as well. OK -- that's cute, but after the second time, I'd be shutting that thing off! 

One of the things I've learned from my life is that I CANNOT stand even the slightest little background hum. If I want silence, I want complete silence -- no white noise for me - that would drive me mad. 

I had to laugh as I was on my way to the cash at Micheal's and had to wait for the lady in front of me. I spotted some blank tote bags that one could use for decorating - like using your embroidery machine to dress it up. I spotted three colors in front of me - No orange, so I picked red from whatever the three colors were - I wasn't paying attention, so I have NO idea what they were. 

Then, as I continued to wait, I glanced at the next till, and there were three different colors - one of them being black. AHA - I prefer black to red, so I put the red one back and grabbed the black one. Why black? You can use any color with it, and it looks great. Since I LOVE black and bright, this color works better. 

Tote bag blanks to decorate

WAIT a minute. There's something different about this one! 

Yep --- the black one was polyester, and the others were cotton. I didn't need to look at the label to know the difference. I felt the difference immediately. 

That goes for cotton and polyester quilting fabric. I guess if you've felt different fabrics enough, you can feel the difference. I was tempted to switch back to the red, but I kept the black! I also bought some yarn to experiment with - it's still in the bag, but I hope to play a bit tomorrow. 

I made significant progress on my writing; three of five articles are gone! The project is done, the pictures are taken, and all I have to do is write two more articles. That puts me in good shape, and I hope to complete them today so I can move on to some other things. 

And then I spent the entire evening watching another episode of Race Across the World and some work-related stuff. Watching this travel series just emphasizes how vast our country is and how different it is. Canada is about 8,000 KM coast to coast, while Spain is 800 KM from the French border to the ocean! And while Spain does have different areas - flattish farmland and mountains -- Canada has it all!

Speaking of Spain, so many people develop blisters on their feet. The biggest culprit is usually shoes that are too small. So, it is too small in length and too small in width. Here's what one person did to give themselves a wider toe box!!! I guess it works! 

A wide toebox!

I'm still wearing my larger shoes and not finding them too big. Yes -- they are a wee bit large, but they are not slopping around on my feet. They have a few more KMs on them before they need to be retired, but I have to say that I'm happy with my HOKAs. It's a relatively new brand (at least new to me), and I'd buy them again in a heartbeat! 

The other day, I also fixed my hiking shorts. OK -- so ONLY I would call them hiking shorts, as they are a very loose and short pair of shorts. I cannot imagine hiking (especially in the heat) in knee-length or tight shorts made from Spandex. I would die from the heat. 

The waistband is very wide on them with a wide elastic, and you know what that means. If that elastic is not anchored, it's going to twist. This elastic is anchored at the top in a way I've never seen before, but it still has to be adjusted when I put them on. So I added another row of stitching (zigzag) through the middle of the waistband, so that should make them easier to get on and not have to fuss with the waistband! If I were smart, I'd find or make another pair. They are SUPER comfortable and have two pockets, which my phone (at least my old one) fits in perfectly. ACK --- I bet my new phone won't fit in that pocket. I must test that because it was the best. 

Stitched the waistband of my hiking shorts

I'm also not sure I like this new phone. It's ONLY slightly larger than the other one, but I find it awkward in my hand because of the increased size. And the case I bought is rather slippery - it was in a plastic bag, so I  couldn't feel it. I may buy a new case, as I never thought of testing it for the feel. The old one is also smooth but is made from a different material (OK -- so both are plastic), but it has a different feel and doesn't feel like it's slipping out of my hands when I hold it. Hmm -- next time, it would make sense to test the CASE before the phone because the phone itself feels OK -- but add the case, and those extra millimeters make a difference!!!

Yep --- I HATE change most of the time. I can only say thank goodness I didn't go for the even larger phone because I would have been very unhappy. So this is a good lesson -- keep the phone profile the smallest it can be because you'll love it more! It fits better in a pocket or a pouch, and that's very important to me!

So I'm off to spin class this morning, and I better finish up here. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

When a tree falls in the forest.................

OK --- I feel like I'm somewhat back in business. I slept a LOT yesterday, with my leg propped up on the back of the sofa -- well, both legs on the back of the sofa (well-supported, mind you), and my knee is feeling better. I'm not going to lie -- I won't be running any marathons any time soon, but the physio suggested that I do exercises where I don't have to put weight on my knee -- like spin class, so I'll be back to spin class on Monday.

I walked both girls yesterday, but shorter than usual, and I walked to the grocery store, so I got my 10,000 steps in. I could feel that extra weight of the things I carried home, which is a bit of an eye-opener as to how much weight one carries regularly on the body. I bet losing 10 lbs would do me a world of good, so I'm not making that a firm goal, but I will see what I can do. Because of my knees, I know that keeping my weight down will be super important, or I will be in a world of hurt as I get older. And we can't have that, and if keeping the weight off means delaying a knee replacement, so be it!!! Wait -- no one told me I need a knee replacement; I think it'll likely be on the agenda at some point. 

AND I got a new keyboard with a mouse. Well, they are two separate devices, but in the past, I had to have a dongle for both the keyboard AND the mouse, and now I have one for both. I didn't take a picture, but it's fancy with all these buttons. I just need the keys. It's a bit noisier than I thought, but that's life!! Yeah -- I can type again!

Boy - this unsubscribing business is a slow process. I've been sorting e-mails and unsubscribing. I'm still at over 19,000 e-mails, so there are one or two categories where I have saved tons of e-mails, or there is just a LOT to unsubscribe. As I mentioned yesterday, which ones to unsubscribe and which ones to keep is a big deal. Some are easy to unsubscribe, and some are not. 

Here's the thing -- let's say that you get e-mails from a thread company. It's mostly to say -- hey -- this thread is on sale, but you must buy from them. Let's face it: When we buy directly from a company, we support that company, not the local quilt shop. OK -- so it happens, and we can all live with that. But the shipping cost doesn't make it worthwhile for those of us in Canada, so why am I getting those e-mails? And I know there is a ton of thread information on their website, so if I need information, I know where to go. So UNSUBSCRIBE!!!!  

Someone suggested using rules to tame the e-mails, and while that is an excellent idea, and I use rules and the search functions to find e-mails that people send to me, it doesn't eliminate the quantity issue. And if I'm going to put e-mails into a folder and never look at them? That means I shouldn't be getting them in the first place. So, UNSUBSCRIBE it is. I am using 60 GB of storage for my e-mails and attachments. That is totally INSANE!!!!!

I may end up dealing with the e-mails I get each day. Hmm -- at noon, I can sort them by FROM, then start deleting and unsubscribing. At some point, it'll all go away except those I want to keep or need to answer. Once it gets down to a manageable level, I can delete more or unsubscribe or even feel I can add one or two - but I doubt that!!!

I once worked for a man whose inbox was empty at the end of every day. He was a manager, and I swear he actioned each e-mail within minutes of arriving. He was a pain, you know where, and he and I did not get along! 

So yes, the e-mail thing will take a bit of time to get under control, and I still need to continue to work through those folders -- but at least I have a good folder system and just need to delete the old stuff. That's pretty easy, and much has already been done. 

On the quilting front, I made good progress. I got one more quilt done -- one of the ones for Quilts of Valour. They are pretty scrappy; if they don't want them, they will be donated to someone else, but at least they will be done. 

Scrap quilt - DONE

Still, it's flannel front and back, so it will be super cozy. I have to make the backings for the next six, and well, I didn't get any of that done yesterday. I hoped to make the backing for the next one this morning, and my body said -- NO -- you need to sleep. So even though I woke up at ridiculous o'clock again, I dozed on and off for several hours, so let's hope my clock is back on track!!!!

I got one of the Barbie quilts completely done, and the binding (one side) is on the remaining seven, so it won't take long to finish those off. 

As for the ninth one? I'm almost done with the ripping out. Yeah -- if all goes well, I should get that done today, and I might put that on the machine and attempt to finish all the Barbie quilts tomorrow. Then I can get back to work on those seven Quilts of Valour quilts. 

I also have computer work and class preparations to do, so I must get to work on that. All in good time!!! There are no imminent deadlines yet, but I know they are fast approaching. 

So here's the thing. I took Miss Lexi for a longer walk yesterday, and we passed by that HUGE tree that has been leaning badly for over one year. It's a massive tree. I even had the city come and look at it back at the beginning of the year because if that tree fell and went over the fence into the houses, it would not be good. They did nothing. 

Well, that tree has fallen, and from the looks of the leaves, it fell a couple of weeks ago. Fortunately, it did NOT fall on the houses but into the other trees. Now, if no one heard that tree crack as it went over, well -----It's kind of sad because the tree was very healthy, but it was on a slight incline, and it was leaning to one side, and I bet the weight of it just toppled it over. Well, that will make room for the younger trees in that area to rise up!!!!

Massive tree falls

Someone posted a note on Facebook the other day about our society and how we are dumbing everything down. Here's an example that BLOWS my mind. So, the path in the forest is gravel. There are a few hills, and so when it rains, there is going to be erosion. No BIG deal. 

A bit of erosion

They have put pylons and barriers to alert people to the issue. But I saw this sign the other day. 

New caution sign in the forest

Seriously???? Our society has gone to the dogs. Can people not equate a gravel path to possible uneven surfaces? This just goes to show that people have lost their common sense, and who is to blame for this? The do-gooders who want to include everyone in every activity? The governments to protect their butts? The lawyers who can make money by suing people? WHO is responsible for this mess? 

It makes me laugh because when I think of the Camino and the type of terrain we walked on -- this granular path warning is hilarious!!!! There are parts of that trail that "those people" would cringe at, and there would be guardrails, signs, detours, and god knows what else. It's NATURE!!!!!!

This first picture is a very steep decline, and notice how it's paved to prevent erosion. 

Paves descent

This was a steep incline, and it wasn't paved, but still loads of room to walk without falling in the crevice!!!! 

Not paved

Although in some extremely remote (or so it seemed to me) areas, some of those steeper downhills subject to erosion were PAVED!!!! With cobblestones or pavers or whatever. Why doesn't the city just pave those two small hills that are causing the "erosion" problem? Just whack some pavement on the two sections, and you are done! And I was at the train station in Madrid on my way to the airport. Big wide platforms are open on both sides to allow the trains to enter the station. The Madrid train station is under massive construction, and at one point, the big wide platform is down to about 4 feet right beside the track. That would never happen here -- we'd have warning signs and tape, and god knows what else to protect the idiots who are walking and looking at their cell phones instead of where they are going. 

The world is fast going downhill and not in a good way. I notice little patches of pavement on the sidewalks in my neighborhood if there is a slight difference in the height of the sidewalk sections. Can people not look and see where they are walking? 

Before we know it, we will have to have signs at our front doors -- you are about to exit the safety of your home. Be aware of EVERYTHING!!!! And that is if you can call your home safe!

Let people fall, scrap their knees, or whatever -- perhaps they will learn to care for themselves. Sigh.................................

The poor girls desperately needed grooming when I got back. I find the easiest way to get the hair off of Lexi is to pluck her like a chicken. I know -- poor dog!!!! And then I leave handfuls of hair in the forest. A dog massacre, to be sure!!! 

A dog massacre

When I was at Chapter's, I spotted this book. I should have looked inside, but it made me smile --- where will you go?????? 

So I've sorted through my pending folder and need to address stuff in there today, and there are a few phone calls I need to make, so I might have to leave the long arm today to catch up on that other stuff. I must say that it takes a while to switch from vacation mode to real mode; honestly, I like vacation mode! But the quiet thing has really helped -- I would NOT be making good company for anyone these days. 

I'm listening to the third Harry Potter book and over half done. I'm not fond of the narrator, but it is what it is!!! 

So, on that note, I'm out of here!!!! Remember to mark the Virtual Retreat in your calendar for Saturday and Sunday. I'll make an appearance, but I'll see how it goes. I'm still not in the mood to chat! Can you believe I said that? 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

Two degrees of separation

Thank goodness I don't live alone. I would NEVER sleep. Well, that's not true, I would go to bed early and then be up at a ridiculously early time, but I seem to function best like that. DH is away, so I got up a little earlier than usual, and I've been so productive! I tried not to send any e-mail so people wouldn't think I'm a nut! Since he's gone, I didn't need to be quiet! 

So you've all heard the premise of six degrees of separation, which implies that NO TWO people on the planet are more than five connections away from each other. Is this true? I don't know if it's true for everyone, but there are so many coincidences. 

I went to spin class yesterday and bumped into Joseph (the instructor) on the way in. This was my FIRST spin class since I returned. Before I left for Spain, I told him where I would be so he wasn't wondering why I didn't show up to class since I'm there faithfully. We briefly chatted, and he mentioned that his friend was also walking the Camino. I wasn't sure when his friend started. 

If you remember, when I stopped walking, I ran into a fellow at a cafe whom I briefly mentioned in my blog. The fellow was from Oakville, and it turns out that it was Joseph's friend! What are the chances of that? 

How did we clue in on this coincidence? Yesterday, I told Joseph about my blisters, and he said his friend also had an injury that required a helicopter, and I knew IMMEDIATELY who he was talking about. What a hoot! 

But here's the thing --- Richard is DRIVEN. Too driven to be on the Camino, which he just finished and has returned home this week. The first thing he said to his friends was I was more fit than 95% of the people he met along the way. Seriously -- this guy wore a heart rate monitor the entire time and HATES walking. So why was he on this trip? 

It's a long story, and we had two very long chats when we were in Najera. Obviously, none of it did any good since he still hates walking! I might make arrangements to meet up with him. Oh -- the helicopter story? I didn't share any rescues I heard about, but here's the helicopter story. On the second day, there's a treacherous descent through the Pyrenees. I have since learned that you can walk on the road, which is steep but not so rocky. 

Richard took a misstep and must have pulled a muscle or something -- I can't remember what he said. Anyway, he couldn't move. He asked someone to call for help -- I can't remember if he had a cell phone with him. Well, the next thing he knew, a helicopter was there to rescue him. Yep -- they rappelled out to get him and all. He refused! What an idiot! So they had to come back with an ATV to get him. And that required more people. Instead of going DOWN the hill, they went up it because it was SAFER. And to do so, they had to have a couple of people walk in front to remove some of the larger rocks so the ATV could go up. I sure hope they charged him for the TWO rescues!

Richard's thoughts on the incident? Why don't they take a bulldozer and remove the rocks? Seriously -- you are hiking through NATURE!! I must confess that I did NOT like the guy, and while Joseph used to do spin classes at Richard's club, they are definitely not best friends. You know -- we all have acquaintances! 

Whatever happened to him was temporary, so he could continue walking. Actually, I think he started before I did. He only carried a day pack as he was instructed NOT to carry his full pack after his rescue. He may have continued that throughout, and I think he was staying in private albergues. He could NOT have tolerated the dorms! 

But this guy is a TYPE A and probably the worst of the lot! I told Joseph to say HI for me as I'm sure he remembers me! 

But what are the chances I would meet Joseph's friend while on the Camino? We could have been in the same town but ate at different restaurants or not ended up in the same town at all! Very weird!!!

There was another dramatic rescue, but I'll save that for another day. 

OK --- so what tour did I take the other day? A virtual tour of some of the Amazon warehouses. I know --- who knew that I could lower myself to do that? However, I am fascinated by technology, and the tour totally blew me away! 

A virtual Amazon tour

It was a live virtual tour, and I went into three fulfillment centers, but essentially there are TWO different types of fulfillment centers -- the sorting ones and the non-sorting ones. 

It was easy to sign-up, and there are in-person tours, virtual tours, and videos in case you want to visit. I just learned that the fulfillment center minutes from my house hosts IN-PERSON tours. I am going to book one! 

While we waited, there was a slide show with some Amazon factors. They have 387 fulfillment centers worldwide! 

The first one was 86,000 square feet -- less than 2 football fields. 

Today, they are around 800,000 square feet, which is almost 14 football fields. 

And they are DOG friendly, with as many as 7,000 dogs accompanying their people to the offices daily! Murphy would probably not be allowed to as she is a thief (more on that tomorrow), and she'd be chasing robots all day! 

What is amazing in particular are these moveable storage units. There is a robot beneath each storage unit, which moves the units around at lightning speed and stops on a dime! I swear, it was so fascinating to watch this, and the warehouse we saw was in Utah and has FOUR floors of these units. 

The moveable storage racks

And there are SEAS of those storage units. The tour was amazing because they showed how they received the goods, prepared the product to be placed in those storage units, and how the orders are picked and packed. The final step is putting it on the truck. 

A sea of storage units

Now I would have trouble working at Amazon as I like to put "like" things together so I can find them quickly. Not so with those storage units. Each item is randomly put on a cart. From what we saw in the video, the person putting the stuff in the storage unit had random items in his bin. The key is that everything is scanned (MANY times) as it gets moved from one place to another. 

And we would expect the picker to roam up and down rows of shelving, and NOPE -- the robots bring the appropriate storage unit TO THE PICKER. And then, a LIGHT highlights where the item is on the storage rack. Now, this is where the fulfillment centers will be going -- I think they still have some centers where the picker goes to the shelves! Book a virtual tour and watch this ten-minute video to appreciate the process. It's pretty darn slick! 

I have to say that it's amazing. Robotics and automation are second to none!! And, of course, it runs on AWS (Amazon Web Services), which accounts for a HUGE part of the Amazon empire. Online shopping is a small part of their business. AWS hosts so many companies that it's scary how much control they have over our world. 

This brings me to the part I hate about Amazon. They have control over so much. They control (or greatly influence) how people shop and much of the internet services world. And we continue to let them! I don't let them control my shopping, but I will say that sometimes I have no other place to shop but Amazon because the item in question isn't available anywhere else. It's a complicated thing that I'm not going to get into!

I can't control who hosts the internet sites I visit. They are a data collection company (which they get from YOUR shopping and visiting their websites). That data is extremely valuable to the point that if they have a third-party product doing really well, Amazon has been known to create a similar product and knock the third party out. Not always, but they have WAY more control over your life than you realize! 

Here's an example. I used to use a website for logging the books I read. It was a great site because it kept track of book series and which ones you have read. I LOVED IT. However, when Amazon started Goodreads (did you know that it is Amazon?), this site was forced to shut down because Amazon made it too challenging for them to access the data they needed. So that is one of the reasons I HATE Amazon. 

They are in it for themselves and have zero compassion for competition or the little guy. If the little guy has something good, let us (Amazon) make it bigger and better and force the little guy out. Not my style! And I am sure there are hundreds of examples if one wanted to dig. 

So while I hate their method, I love their technology!

I did have a good laugh at the end as there was a survey, and it wasn't just about the tour; it asked questions about your shopping habits (more data collection), and one of the questions was this. 

Can you read that? Please indicate how you feel about shopping on Amazon? And I gave them a 1 (BAD) rating!! I may be banned from future tours! 

A survey question

Anyway --- the virtual tour is one hour, and there are some short videos you can also watch. OH -- did you know that the fulfillment centers are named after the call letters of the nearest airport? So CHA1 is the first fulfillment center in Chatanooga, Tenessee. 

They tried at the end to make it seem like everyone was happy there -- I'm sure the tour guides were managers. But seriously - if your job was to scan and place packages every day and NOT move from your station (except for breaks), how happy would you be? I can't imagine I would last one day! Zero interaction with a single person, but some people may like that, so thankfully, there are all types of jobs out there!

Here is the quilt of the day. 

Customer quilt - DONE

Detail of the quilting

Oh, that reminds me, I must tell you the raccoon story. There is NOT enough time in the blog to write all the stories! Perhaps tomorrow. 

The next customer quilt is on the long arm and ready to go. I'm doing my own version of the Amazon warehouse, packing stuff, unpacking others, and trying to make sense of what I have! I have to say it would be cool to have one of those storage units for my books -- well, I might need several, and then at the touch of a button, a light would shine on the book I need. Yep -- I could handle that!

I had a pattern to write, and I was able to send that off yesterday. Just a few small details to take care of today (like making some diagrams!), and then that is off the plate, which is good because I have more stuff that needs to be dealt with today! 

That's it for today. And if you book a tour, let me know what you think. And who wants to go on an in-person tour with me??? 

Have a super day! 

Ciao!!!!

Out of the mouths of .........

 I hate to put a word at the end of that sentence because the word is NOT a good one. 

I'm following a Facebook group for the Camino, and some of the comments would blow your socks off. The one that took the cake was a British person who commented how RUDE it was for people to smoke around other people. I think she was referring to the locals you meet in the villages. And granted, it is a shock to sit in an open-air cafe in Paris and have the people next to you smoke. Ashtrays on every table and the same in Spain. 

That is their lifestyle! It used to be our lifestyle until we decided to ban it for health reasons. Here's the thing - if you do NOT like what they do in their own countries, perhaps, you should pick a different country. I don't get why tourists feel that when they visit someplace, the locals should change their lives for the tourists? Are people that ignorant? I won't answer that question but will leave it for us to ponder. 

The other thing that drives me crazy is why we need to make everything accessible to everyone? There are many instances of this, but here's the one that is my current pet peeve. So there is the pilgrim walk to Santiago, which can be approached by numerous routes through Spain and Portugal. Some of the routes even extend from Germany and other countries. You can pick the route, and you can pick the distance, but it is supposed to be a pilgrimage -- that is what this route originally was, so the way was NOT easy, and it was LONG.  

But to make it accessible to everyone, there is a shorter route that requires one to walk the last 100 KM, and you still qualify to get the certificate. But here's what's happening. Apparently, there are "tourist" buses that permit people to walk a couple KM a day and then get bused to the next stop. OH -- I think I mentioned this already. So some (and not all) don't even walk that last 100 KM but still claim they did. Why are we so set on getting a PIECE OF PAPER at the end? They should ban the certificate thing and let people walk for the sake of walking a pilgrimage -- that would drop off many people. The certificates are different for the shorter distance, but people will still say, "I walked the Camino." The average person would not know what they actually did and probably wouldn't question it. 

Oh well, I'll get over it! But why do we feel that we must make everything accessible to everyone? If we could fly helicopters to the last 100 M of Mount Everest, would we? So people could claim they have summited? That would be silly, and I think having unattainable things for some people is good. That's how life should be. Some of us can do certain things, and some of us will never do certain things, and we need to be happy with what we can do! I think making all things attainable to everyone cheapens the original thing. That's my PERSONAL opinion, so if you don't agree, we'll just have to agree to disagree!

OK --- so I did NOT take better pictures of the Quilt Path software, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Well, at least the difference between the two pantograph options. Each has a place and highly depends on the pattern that you are using as to which one you want to use. It also has an element of personal preference and, again -- the type of pattern. Since I'm used to the one with maximum flexibility, that is the one I will most likely continue to use. I do NOT like the software taking away my control by using the Power Panto option. 

But I am having a wee bit of trouble moving from one zone to the next in some instances. There is a glitch in the software, or there's a glitch with the operator, but it went much smoother than it did the previous day, and that's all that counts. 

And the zone thing, with two rows at a time, is really for small quilts or someone with a larger workspace than my 17". Otherwise, the pantos are too small and dense for the larger quilts. I will use that a lot on these small quilts, but on a normal lap quilt? That two-row thing will be a thing of the past! 

I didn't finish until after 3 PM, but that was because I went to the Used Book Sale, and it was open this time!

Community Project quilt - DONE

Community Project quilt - DONE

I immediately went to the hobby section, and NO -- I did not need any quilt books, but I'm always on the hunt for quilt history books. I found this one and picked it up, although I was certain I already had it. Even though my mind told me I have it, I bought it and found out when I got home that YES -- I already own a copy. So if anyone wants it -- it's up for grabs. 

Quilt history book -- up for grabs

The same with this one --- my subconscious told me I already had it, but I had to buy it. So now this one is also up for grabs! 

Another book up for grabs

Both are basically books with pictures and stories of historical quilts. They are free if you want, but you have to pick them up or pay for shipping, and they are both heavy!

I may or may not have this book. I haven't found it on my shelf yet. If I do, the cover is much different than this one. I need to sort those books, so all the historical quilt books are in one spot. They used to be that way until everything needed to be packed up. It's time to make that happen again, and I need to scan them into some app so I have the list of what I own. I think Library Thing does that? I'll have to check it out. 

Quilt history book

But I do NOT have this one, and this was one of the cheaper books -- only $2. The most expensive I paid for any book was $4. So this was a treasure and made the trip worth it. 

Quilt history book

And I also found this one, which I'm certain I do NOT own. I'm saving these books for the day when I no longer want to quilt, but I can sit and read about it all day! I know --- we shouldn't wait for tomorrow, but that's OK. The section of history books is much smaller than the technique and pattern books, so when I downsize, the history ones come with me, the others do no. 

Quilt history book

I have a list of books I'm trying to find, which is sometimes like a needle in a haystack. I didn't take pictures of the boxes of books, but there are MANY boxes sorted by Fiction or Non-Fiction. The Non-Fiction is further sorted, but the fiction is just jammed into boxes or long rows of hardcovers, and you have to scan the spines to see the authors. No need to look at the titles; you search for the authors. 

I managed to find this book which has been on my list for years!!! That definitely made the trip worthwhile. Don't ask -- I sometimes got into reading an obscure author, and the library does NOT have their books. It was published in 1976, practically making it an antique in the book world! 

A book I've been searching for

Someone introduced me to M.C. Beaton and NONE of her books are in the library either, but I found FIVE of them yesterday. They are very rare to find as well. 

Books by M.C Beaton

Another book by M.C. Beaton

I spent $26 - $6, which I didn't need to spend, but that's OK. It's all for a good cause. But the number of James Patterson books and David Balducci is obscene. I do not understand why people need to read the new book, the minute it hits the shelves. You read those books in a couple of hours, and then you have to wait one year for them to write a new one. Why not wait a bit for it to come from the library and savor reading it? I am so far behind in all of my author series that when I want to read someone, there is a book waiting for me! I guess patience is my virtue!! I definitely do NOT need to be seen with the latest and greatest or be up-to-date! I don't care. 

In addition to getting those two quilts done, which are trimmed and ready for the binding, I managed to get the rest of this group of half-square triangles trimmed. 

Trimming half-square triangles

That's because I'm listening to those long chapters of that audiobook -- The Witch Elm by Tana French. God, the book is long, and I can see why some people have said it's boring. It's all mind games between the police and the main characters. It's set in Dublin, so the Irish accents add much to the story. And where the heck is this book going? I still have 7 1/2 hours to read, so the story could go any way. I listen at normal speed as I don't care if it takes me 22 hours or 22 days to read the story. It's all about entertaining me, NOT finishing the book. It's all about enjoying life, not meeting a deadline or hitting a goal, especially with my entertainment. Even then, I find my mind wandering sometimes with the story, and I have to go back to catch what I missed. 

You can tell the cooler weather is here. Look at Sweet Lexi, who curled up on that small mat. She loves the rough texture of the mat and is quite happy to lie there. 

Lexi on HER mat

Here's the update on the feet --- the blisters are healing quite nicely, and the new skin has been exposed on one foot, and soon it'll all be integrated into the old skin, and no one will know there were two massive blisters there. The old skin is hanging onto the blisters on the other foot, I've got skin coming off the calluses, but the good news is that NONE of those hurt. That is great, and the even better news is that the toenail issue is coming along nicely. It looks hideous, but it doesn't hurt, not even when touching the toenail; I can put shoes on again! 

But first I must buy new shoes. Thank goodness I don't have many shoes because I'd have to replace a whole bunch. I need to change my running shoes and hope I can muddle along with the few times I need other shoes. I may need a new pair of winter boots - but then I rarely wear them. Let's see what happens. 

I might even venture out today for the shoes as I need something better than those Teva Sandals to walk in, although they are quite comfortable now that the blisters have healed. 

And I received an "on the mend" card yesterday. Thanks so much, Mary --- I can always count on your for interesting mail to arrive at my door!

My "on the mend" card!

Well, I'm off to have a repeat of yesterday! More small quilts, another episode of the Great British Baking Show --- down to the quarter-finals now! It's a given in this series who will get to the quarter-finals and who will even win. But you never know -- there are two very strong bakers in this series. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!