An unventful travel day!

As I sit surrounded by junk in the office, I remind myself of the list I put together yesterday. I don't have time to deal with any of it today, but I'll keep plugging away at it. I just might have more incentive now. 

OH—there is one thing I need to add to that list, and this is NOT new. 

USE the good things NOW!!!! I don't care if this is your favorite china, crystal, or the FABRIC that is too good to cut. If you don't use it now, someone is going to take your precious china and dump it unceremoniously outside a thrift store drop box. That good fabric? It might go on the back of a community project quilt or be chopped into tiny pieces. If you don't use it now and enjoy what you bought, then someone else will do with it as they wish. 

It's like my china tea mugs. I bought them, put them in the cupboard for a special day. Then about ten years ago- no, make that eight years ago, as I bought them ten years ago- I started using them. EVERY DAY! I put them in the dishwasher even though it fades the paint. I DON'T CARE. I have two, and one day I use one and the next day it's the other. I am enjoying them - I get a wee thrill every time I pull them from the cupboard. When I'm gone - those mugs can go in the trash. I'm not kidding about the thrill - I LOVE those mugs, and using them makes me feel special - they have bicycles all over both of them, and they are fun! 

When I am gone, M might say, "I want one of those tea mugs because it was Mom's favorite." And they are my favorites because I USE them whenever I am at home. And only for tea and never in the microwave. Something doesn't become special when it's stored in a box in the back of the cupboard.  

Thankfully, I never got into the china-and-crystal thing. I have NOTHING exceptional in the dish department, EXCEPT for those two mugs. 

LOL --- I just checked my email, and I see that I've been upgraded in advance for my next flight in a couple of days, which is only an hour-long flight. It doesn't matter -- I'll take the upgrade when I can. But I never seem to get upgraded for the long flights. 

Yep—I'm back home, and I'm tired, but I'm off to work today. I'll be doing some demos of the PFAFF creative icon 3 at Sew Productive, in Acton. One session starts at 9 AM and the second one is at 2 PM. It's free, so if you are around and want to see what all the hype is about, come and check it out.

As far as travel days go, it was uneventful, which is just how I like it. I zipped over to my parents' in the morning, chatted for over an hour, and tried to tidy up some last-minute details. Only the bank is giving us grief, and I need to call them because there is one transaction we can't do online, and I'm not sure why. 

I know people drive through Saskatchewan and say it is so boring. People say the same about the Meseta part of the Camino in Spain. People ---- you get to see for miles, and the vistas do not disappoint. As many times as I have seen those wide-open spaces, I never tire of it. It's some of the most beautiful country in the world. The next time you want to drive across the country, please do NOT bypass Saskatchewan. It's beautiful in a different way than the mountains. 

Gassed up the car and dropped off the rental car. Since it was NOT at the airport location, they gave me a lift, so that was good. Then I filled up my water bottle at the refillable water station. And yes—that is my Booster Juice shake. I was running out of hands to hold everything. I didn't have to wait too long, and we were ready to board the plane. 

Refillable water station

I have no idea why I was so exhausted, but I was asleep before the plane even took off! The next thing I know, we have been in the air for almost an hour! I didn't do anything physical, but it was exhausting mentally. I went to bed early, and I could probably still be asleep if I had time. But that's OK. 

Thankfully, I had all my samples sitting on a table in Studio B, so all I needed to do was grab a small suitcase and throw them in. 

I LOVE these logic puzzle books. I'm speeding right along in this one, and I'm somewhere in the 30s. There are 50 in the book, so ONLY after I finish this one will I allow myself to start a new one. Some are quick; a couple of them have given me grief, but it all keeps the brain active. I will do whatever I can to keep my mental faculties working. Dementia seems to run in my family (sigh), so I have to try to prevent it from attacking my brain cells. At least it hits (if it's going to) in the 80s, so I still have time! 

Logic puzzles

Before bed, I tidied up a few things in Studio B. A small gift from someone at the retreat. Two crocheted dishcloths and a scrub pad. You can never have too many dishcloths.

New dishcloths and a scrubby

Those scrub pads are crocheted, and this is what they are made of. The one above isn't sparkly, but this ball that I purchased is. I had thrown it in my bag to work on at retreat. Alas, that wasn't to be this time. 

Yarn to make a scrubby

I also acquired a new puzzle from someone, so it is now added to the pile, and this one isn't going to be easy!!!! I won't have time for a couple of weeks to work on a puzzle, but I'll do what I can. Maybe I can get the next one sorted, and that would be great. It's a good activity for the evening when your brain is dead. 

A new jigsaw puzzle

And darn those new food labels. I wondered if anything would be classified with all three "bad" items, and yes—I spotted this on the kitchen counter this morning. DH bought half a pumpkin pie because you can't live for fall without one. 

The warning label on the pumpkin pie

The trick is to LIMIT, but not eliminate foods with those warnings! I tried—I really tried — to eat better on this past trip, but I wasn't always successful. It is what it is. 

I have to run because I need to walk the girls. They were so excited to see me last night, but I think all they wanted was a walk, and I was tired. So now I will have to walk them together this morning because of time, and they are going to be wild! Slow and steady. 

It will be a WONDERFUL day!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Dealing with elder care

I don't think I have ever talked so much in one day as I did yesterday! My brain is half-dead, but WAIT --- there is one more day to deal with, and then I can go home, where I have things on my schedule. But it's all good—we are making amazing progress, which is great. 

But here's the thing—I keep saying that every time I come out, so why is there so much more to do each time I come? It just doesn't make sense. Some of it is repetitive from before, but most of it isn't. 

Dare I say I think we got things under control this time? 

I visited one of my aunts in the morning, and I got to see the "baby." He is now 14 months and growing like a weed. They grow up so quickly, and he is going to be into everything! No - -he is into everything NOW!!! Good luck to his Mom! My aunt is his great-grandmother! 

We had the assessment in the morning, and all went as planned, so we are good. They are currently NOT on any list, but we now have identifiers in place to know when that will have to happen. Sadly, it is just a fact of life, and there is nothing we can do about it. I can only hope that they will call when those triggers happen. If not, I have a Plan B. 

All I can say about that is: do what you can to keep your strength. Do chair squats, do a step up and step down, lift cans of soup, or whatever it takes, but the day you lose your strength, you are toast! I don't want to hear of anyone who ends up in the nursing home because they lost their strength because they didn't keep it up. Please do NOT do that to yourself. It happens gradually, and you won't even realize it is happening. 

We watched it happen with my Mom, but NONE of us even realized what was happening and didn't do anything about it. First, I doubt she would have believed it, and second, she would say, "I'm fine," and now look!!!

I'm glad I was there because if I wasn't, this assessment would have gone downhill very quickly. But I was there to keep things calm and remind Mom of certain things she said were OK but, in fact, were not. She was honest, but not too honest. I kept quiet, unless I needed to add a few details. 

So now we wait. 

It is interesting to note that when I was here last time, my Dad was in quite a bit of pain from arthritis and gosh knows what other aches and pains you can have in old age on an abused body. And he was ready to throw in the towel. Thankfully, he has the pain under control and is a completely different person. So that is wonderful news. So if you are in pain, for heaven's sake, seek out someone skilled in pain management and don't try to be a hero and not take pills. They were made for a reason. 

All is good. 

Then we sat at the table and went through more papers that he had for me to scour. Then we made a list of what needed to be done, and we got to work. We visited the funeral home, the lawyer, and the insurance company, and we had a great time, but also made great progress on collecting data and getting answers to all our questions. It will make things so much easier when that day comes, and we will be completely prepared. 

I have another huge list of things to accomplish today, but none of them should take too long. I hope so!! A few phone calls. It sure makes things easy when you cut down the number of companies you deal with and all that. 

But it's interesting about people in general. Some people are super inquisitive - almost to the point that they are annoying. I have annoyed people in meetings with all my questions. Others are happy to just accept what they are told. They don't have the ability or interest to ask clarifying questions about the situation. Whenever we are in a meeting with someone, of course, they are talking to Dad, which is fine because he is their client. But then I stop the conversation and ask Dad whether he really understands, and I give it to him in a language he gets. Then I ask the questions that I know he will ask me when we are home! 

I don't know what we will do about stuff in the apartment. I asked Mom if I could get rid of the clothes she doesn't wear. Well, she doesn't know about that. Oh, so help me God—I am trying to help the situation, and she just doesn't get it. She will never wear those clothes again. 

Anyway, I'm sure that most of you have or are dealing with parents, and you know what it's like. It's insane how they are ready to let go, and yet they are not. 

But here's the thing—how the heck can I prevent that situation from happening to me? I will become frail one day, and it's already made me consider what time frame we should consider moving to a smaller place or a place without stairs. I don't have to yet, and I still have a sharp mind (well, most days!), but when do you start making contingency plans? It depends so much on our health and who we have to help us. 

I think DH and I are going to have some serious conversations when I get home. Don't worry—I'm not moving, but I need to keep simplifying life, both physically and digitally, and cut down on paperwork clutter—well, I'm going to take a completely different view of my situation when I get home! I won't have time to tackle it immediately, but I'm going to become even more ruthless and hopefully work faster! 

And you can bet I'm going to keep up my puzzles and whatever else I can do to stop any decline in brain capacity. By the way - I managed to figure out that puzzle that was driving me mad, and I did another one as well! 

So there isn't much else to chat about. I see the ladies at the retreat are having way too much fun, and I saw a table heaped with goodies (likely from the new market we discovered) and YARN. They bought a lot of yarn. They looked like they were out of control, and I thought I saw one of them spinning a skein into a ball of yarn!! I can't remember what that gizmo is called to do that!!! The next retreat may become a knitting retreat! 

You can't really see in this picture, but there was a lot of fog yesterday. It was very sporadic; one minute there was fog, and the next there wasn't. I need visibility because I was going to visit my aunt, and while I know where she lives in the country, I rely on visuals to find the turnoff. Thankfully, all was good. 

A somewhat patchy, foggy morning

OH MY GOD - I stopped in at the grocery store with Dad to pick up a few things, and look what I spot. An entire shelf filled with puzzles. They are everywhere!! I did not stop to browse, only to take a picture. 

Jigsaw puzzles at the grocery store

Well, it's time to go, and I have a few computer things to get done. I've totally ignored email for the last couple of days, and now I have some urgent things I need to do. 

It WILL be a good 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!!!!

 

When life throws you a curve ball!

Thanks for the comments. Yes—I believe 100% that even though I am deleting, I may still need to do one more step to make Google recognize that I have deleted stuff. What is that step? I must investigate. And I have turned OFF photo backup on my phone. So that is NOT adding to the problem. 

Life sure has an interesting way of bringing you down to your knees and making you face reality! I was out walking two of the dogs yesterday when my phone rang. It was not even 8 AM, and NO ONE calls me in the morning. I hardly ever get phone calls, which I am OK with. 

I checked the caller ID, and it was my Aunt, who lives close to my parents. OH -- this is NOT going to be good news. I felt that immediately when I looked at the screen. So with great trepidation, I answered the call. 

It appears Dad had a stroke yesterday morning and couldn't get out of bed. He somehow signaled my mom to call an ambulance. His speech was garbled, so I'm not sure how that happened. She would not have been able to get to him easily since she wasn't in the room and needs a wheelchair to get around. 

He seems to be fine; his speech is back to normal, he can move his arms, etc., BUT upon examination, it turns out that he has at least partially or completely blocked arteries! That is NOT good—the man was given a second chance. So he was given five minutes to make a decision - live with the blocked arteries or go for surgery. They made a big deal about it (this is all according to my brother, who called me with details). Dad was whisked away to Saskatoon by ambulance and was supposed to have the surgery yesterday. 

I got an update later in the day, and he is still waiting for surgery - I guess there are more important cases than his blocked arteries. I get it—it's a crazy world out there. 

I had to rally my troops, make some phone calls to let other people know, and find extra care for Mom since she can't be on her own! Thankfully, Saskatchewan has an amazing Home Care operation, and we are trying to get her a respite bed. I'm waiting to see what the situation is, but in the meantime, we have extra care coming in during the day, and meals will be delivered. Mom is in a wheelchair and not super mobile. All of that happened with ONE phone call! How is that for making life easy?

I must have called her a dozen times yesterday to ensure everything was OK and to explain what was going on. 

BUT - I could still kill her!! I had requested that she have an assessment for permanent long-term care since Dad will NOT be able to assist her in any way when he gets home from the hospital. She agreed when I talked to her, but when the caseworker called her, she said, "I'll wait until we know what's happening with Stan." Seriously???? I could throttle her for that! 

We have discussed this topic many times, and she has agreed, but she is NOT willing to make that decision without Dad around. I plan to go there next week, and I'll drill it into her head that she can't stay in the apartment. We have no idea when Dad will be home. Will they keep him in rehab? No clue on timing, no clue on what will happen!!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRR --- but life goes on!!!

I am not panicking, I am not stressed. YES -- don't get me wrong, this is a very serious situation - the man is 93 years old and as frail as you could expect for a man who has abused his body for all of those 93 years. There's even a chance he won't survive the surgery, but we don't need to dwell on that. I CANNOT change a single thing about the situation - I can only be a help from a distance, and what is the point of getting myself all worked up? Besides, if I did, he would haunt me. Dad is a NO FUSS kind of person. He's probably in the hospital telling anyone who will listen that he is 93 and still goes to work!! 

The other thing is that I have the first scrap class presentation this morning and then Teach The World to Sew in the afternoon. I had not really prepped anything for either!! So between phone calls, lunch with M and Yagana, and a physio appointment, I managed to get everything more or less done! What a smozzle!!!

I thought this was an appropriate quote in my tea yesterday! Everything we do should be conscious!!

Quote from my tea

Instead of doing the work I was supposed to be doing, the night before, I decided to finish the jigsaw puzzle. I know --- where is my priority filter? It's gone!!! It didn't help that I wanted to listen to that audiobook, which I finished last night while working on today's prep. OMG—right to the end, there was a plot twist, and I didn't see any of it coming! 

Anyway, I got the puzzle together, and DRAT—there is a piece missing!! AGAIN? So I went on a hunt in the morning and VOILA—there was the missing piece. I am going to have to find another tray or get smaller design boards because sometimes a piece bounces off. Thankfully, I found it. 

The missing piece

And there it is—my contribution to the September theme of a Eurographics puzzle. I need to take a picture with the required label and submit it. I have until the end of the month, and, well, things will be working out slightly differently than originally planned this month. 

The completed puzzle

So last night, after we got back from dinner, I started embroidering the labels needed for my kits! Don't worry—the kits the attendees will make are already at the store. I am making labels for the step-outs for my demo! 

Making embroidered labels

I managed to get four of eight labels made, and I cut all the fabric. It didn't take long. 

Then I had four more labels to stitch this morning, so I did that while I quilted the kits (simple!). I raised the table height for the embroidery machine, and OMG—this is wonderful. No need to worry about a chair; it was the right height for standing as I buzzed around. I'm very glad I have those tables. 

Table height for stand-up embroidery

And there are the bits for my eight step-outs. I'm not quite where I want to be, but after my scrap presentation this morning (at the Michaels store), I have a couple of hours to set up the machines, and I'll have some extra time to finish the kits. It won't take long. I'll be ready! 

My kits for Teach The World to Sew Day!

And on that note, I'd better get myself organized. I have dogs to walk and feed, gas to put in the car, and then I'm off to Michaels on John Street in Downtown Toronto - a place I rarely go. I think it's going to be fun!!!

It WILL be an awesome day - no matter what life throws at you. Remember, it is how you respond that determines whether you fall apart or not! 

Ciao!!!

Interesting travel days!

I kind of goofed up on time management! Hence, there was no blog yesterday. I planned to write the blog while I was at the airport on Wednesday evening, but it wasn't until I got on the plane that my brain went BING—you forgot to write the blog. Sigh.......

For those that think travel is glamorous (I did when I was younger), it is NOT!! It's a lot of hard work. Packing and repacking and making sure you haven't forgotten anything. Trying to eat healthy is just not going to happen. 

I'm not talking about going to a hotel and spending my time by a pool - that is not the kind of travel I do; it's go somewhere,  do your thing, pack up and move on! I enjoy it, but I'm also happy when I get home. 

Here's what happened. I went for a walk on Wednesday morning before I had to go to work. I had stayed in that hotel before, and they don't have a breakfast place, and I remember not liking the food at the restaurant next door. So I wandered down to Tim's, where I had breakfast and took my tea with me. It was still too early to go back, and a brisk walk would be good to start the day. 

Shoot—I thought I transferred the picture of the hill. I spotted a hill down the road, and why not tackle that first thing? This hill reminded me of another hill in Langley, BC from a bike trip back in 2012 or thereabouts. We started our trip by staying in a campground in Langley, and when we got up the next morning, it seemed like we had barely left the campground, and we had this short but STEEP hill to climb. 

That hill had a 22% pitch - it was steep, but I remember this one fellow who rode up it, no problem. Then he came back down and, using his arm on his girlfriend's back, he pushed her up the hill, while he was on his bike!!!! OK -- so I walked up that hill, and that trip wasn't off to a good start. I believe that is the only hill I have ever had to walk up. Thankfully, it was short. 

On my walk, I saw the sign on the way down. It was 13%, which is a bit steep, but doable. Certainly doable when walking. My knees seem to be doing just fine on the downhill these days, and I had no issues with my sciatic nerve despite being in the car for much of the next day (that story is later on). 

13% pitch

There was a bit of a walking trail at the top of the hill, and it went from a wide paved path to this narrow walk through some bushes. 

Part of the walking trail in Langley

I spotted some wild raspberries and blackberries. 

Berry bushes along the way

I got back to the hotel, got ready for work, and headed out. I had a great day at Castle Sewing Center showcasing the new PFAFF creative icon 3. It's a beautiful sewing and embroidery machine, and there were a lot of people in the morning and afternoon sessions. 

The only thing I forgot to bring was the NEW large magnetic hoop. I considered putting it in my suitcase, but I didn't. That was a mistake, but that's OK—I have a picture now. 

Once I was finished at 4:30 PM, it was time to head to the airport to catch a flight. Remember me mentioning putting the bag tags on the luggage and loading it on the automatic bag drop? I rarely have trouble, but this machine didn't like my bags. Well, it didn't like where the bag tag was located. 

The automated bag drop

Here's the thing—your suitcase has a top handle, which is typically where the check-in agents put your tag. You also have a handle on the side, and you can put it there as well, but the check-in agents never seem to use that. Anyway, my tags were on top, and the machine wouldn't scan them. 

I tried several different ways of positioning my suitcase, and some kindly person even stopped and said, you need to put the bag in the orientation shown. Yes -- I had already tried that. 

I called over the agent, and she grabbed my suitcase and turned it completely around so the wheels were first. And of course, the darn bagtag was scanned in that orientation. So I learned something new—there are six sides to the suitcase, and forwards and back—if one orientation doesn't work, just turn it backward, and it should work. Learning that little tip should help a lot in the future. I hope to teach that little tip to people I see struggling as well. 

But in the pictures you see the green lights. When you press the assist button, those lights go yellow and orange! A call for help! 

For whatever reason, the airline bumped me into business class several days ago. I have no idea why, but I wasn't going to complain. So I got to access the lounge, and this was my view as I ate dinner. This is where I was supposed to be writing the blog! 

Viewing the Vancouver airport from the lounge

I was now on my way to Regina, Saskatchewan, and the flight didn't leave until 9:40 PM. A late flight - way past my bedtime considering the time changes. We arrived in Regina at 1 AM the next day. Thankfully, the car rental was still open (I knew that) and I hustled over to collect my keys. And then off to the hotel. It was almost 2 AM by this point - we waited a long time for the luggage to arrive. I asked the desk person if I could get a half price on the room since I was only going to use it for half the night! The answer was NO. 

Thursday was technically my travel day to get from BC to Saskatchewan, but I wanted to use the day to visit with my parents, so that's why I traveled at night. I was a little leery, as those late flights sometimes get canceled, and if I had traveled in the morning, I wouldn't have been able to visit. It also depended on when I could pick up the car, and since the rental company was open late, everything fell into place. 

I had thought of flying to Saskatoon and then visiting, then driving to Regina, but the cost of dropping the car in another city was huge, so I decided to drive there and back. 

Is it far? It's 400 KM one way, so I made it there and back in one day - a total of 800 KM. 

Let's say that I slept through my two alarms on my phone - didn't even hear them, but I was awake after several hours of sleep, and I was on my way around 7:30. 

I do not know what happens to me, but when I get in the car, my bags seem to explode! There is stuff all over the front seat! 

The explosion in the car

I had an audiobook that I'm listening to, and it is 14 hours long, and I was a couple of hours into it. It's a John Grisham, but it's slow. Well, not necessarily slow, but there's very little action. It's an intriguing story (The Widow), and you are left wondering how the lawyer got himself into so much trouble. But then you wonder how smart the widow was before she died. Hmmmm............ And now I'm wondering how he gets himself out of trouble! 

Anyway, I listened to the book there and back, and I still have 5 hours to go!!! It gave me focus, and I didn't need to stop for a nap once, which was shocking, but I was getting antsy for the final hour on the way back to Regina. I stopped for about five minutes to walk around, and that was all I needed. 

Look at that wide open sky!!!! There was also some construction going on, and so I had to slow down for that. 

The wide open prairie sky

The car I've rented is weird. The adaptive cruise control (it's not adaptive, but another name which escapes me at the moment) took FOREVER to figure out how to make it work. And then periodically, it would shut itself off. Do you know how hard it is to maintain a constant speed with just your foot? I think there are so many dead bugs on the windshield that it knocks the cruise control off! 

And the night before, I was using the GPS to get to the hotel; I could barely see the screen. As it got later last night, the car switched from day to night modes, and the screen went so dark that I could barely see it. Then I found some knobs on the left-hand side, and that changed the brightness so I could see! I think I arrived back at the hotel at 8:30 PM. 

It was a short visit, but it was very much worth it. I'm not going into details -- too much raw emotion from that visit, and I'm not ready to talk about it. It's just the facts of life and aging parents. 

Like all of you, I love to surf the net, and I do my share of scrolling on social media, which I try to curb, but I have a few favorites. Well, it's sad to say that jigsaw puzzling comes up in my feeds way more than quilting does! It's not that I'm no longer a quilter, but I have other interests, and I like to do something other than sew all day. 

I found this place through some of those pop-up videos. 

PuzzleMaster!!!!!

OH MY GOD --- this is in Saskatoon, and it opens at 8 AM, so when I arrived at 9:45, I walked right in. This place is located about .5 KM away from the gas station that I use to fill up my rental car before returning it when I fly to Saskatoon!!! As I drove away, I forgot to ask how long they had been there. 

PuzzleMaster sells ALL Kinds of puzzles—escape room puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, 3-D puzzles—if it's a puzzle, they sell it. 

I walked in and got a quick tour - it's very much a warehouse-type of place, not nearly as large as the one near me back home, but they had different puzzles, and well, it was so tempting. 

Walls and walls of puzzles

They carry Dowdle, which started off as my favorite brand. It was crazy. I also chuckled when I saw this puzzle. 

A puzzle with doors

This is the same puzzle (same company) as the one I just finished, but it's 1500 pieces, not 1000, and there are a lot more doors. 

Hmmm—you are going to have to take my word for finishing this one—I don't seem to have a picture of it completed. I bought this at the thrift store, and one piece was missing. 

My partially completed puzzle

If you were eagle-eyed, you would have spotted this puzzle on the front seat of the car along with all the other stuff. I brought it to give to the fellow in my parents' building who is always working on a puzzle. 

Sadly (for my pocketbook), when I was at the puzzle shop, I was informed that if I bought more than $99, the order qualified for free shipping. How could I let that deal get away, and I wouldn't have to carry anything home with me!!! Do I need an intervention? I need to completely retire so I can puzzle faster!!!! I'm OK with having a puzzle stash, as I am actively working my way through those puzzles and giving them away. I am good with that! 

They also have the 40,320-piece puzzle (Ravensburger Disney), which weighs a ton and costs a lot. I'm not ready to tackle that, so it stayed in the store. 

A giant jigsaw puzzle

When I say I use GPS to get around, I mean Google Maps, because I connect my phone to the car using Android Auto. What I love about that is it's super fast to connect - takes mere seconds. And when you go somewhere, it remembers the places you searched in the past. Yep —when I was in Saskatoon, it asked me if I wanted to go to The Sewing Machine store. 

Previous locations on Google Maps

I usually stop to say HI, but I didn't have time. I was on a mission, so I bypassed it and continued on to Battleford. 

I stopped by the Museum to see what Dad was working on, and here he is with one of their latest engines that they got working. The thing is well over 100 years old and has a very funky radiator. That's the big metal box on the front. The stationary engine used to belong to my younger brother's father-in-law, and the radiator came from a farm near our old farm that my other brother found while helping a buddy clean up the yard that no one lives in anymore.  

Dad with a restored engine

He came back to the apartment, and the three of us had a good visit. Then it was 4 PM, and I needed to get back on the road for the 400 KM trip back to Regina. 

There is a lot of artwork and sculptures along the way, but I've driven that route multiple times and stopped to see the art, so I didn't need to stop again. There was one sculpture (Chamberlain) where I stopped for a five-minute break. I will confess that I was very worried about this long drive - I'm not good with long drives, where falling asleep is an issue, as is the sciatic nerve. I had issues with neither of those!! That made the trip so much more enjoyable! 

Metal roadside sculpture in Sask

This is the sign that accompanies the artwork. It's all done in metal! 

I was going to stop for ice cream, but they wanted cash. Although they had an ATM beside the ice cream store, I wasn't going to get cash, so I nixed the ice cream. 

Although I spotted many of the Words of Wisdom from thought.minds, I'm only posting this one. 

I've lived by this philosophy for a long time. I don't need or want to do the same thing as everyone else. And look how long that line is - there is no line on the left! It has sometimes caused me anxiety and sometimes embarrassment or failure to take the path on the left, but it's been a lot more exciting, and I have learned a lot by taking the path to the left. You never know who or what you will spot. 

I am off to work today at Northage Sewing and then one more day tomorrow before heading home on Sunday. Remember, if you are in Regina - I'm doing a session on Creativate this morning, Momento (24" digital cutter) this afternoon, and PFAFF creative icon 3 tomorrow!!!! 

And if you are in Ontario and close to West Lorne, I'll be at Heather Bell's Sewing studio for the PFAFF creative icon 3 on Monday. Then I get to unpack for a few days! 

And wouldn't you know it, my pilot nephew is in Mississauga this weekend, and I'm not there. So he better fly back another time! He's definitely getting his hours in to become a commercial pilot. And how cool to be able to fly on your own schedule!!! Just such a shame that the very weekend he decides to come, I'm not home. Although if the weather is bad in Toronto on Sunday, he will have to delay his flight until Monday. I doubt that happens - we might get clouds, but we don't get fog! 

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

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

It's tidy up time!

There was no lightning or thunder last night, but I have a Velcro dog with me this morning. And it's NOT Murphy. Miss Lexi heard me get up, and she's attached to my leg! It's only foggy outside, so I'm not sure what the problem is! 

I MUST get some of this crap off my desk today. It looks like a tornado hit, which is typical, but why can't I keep it clear? I'm working on it, and I spend time at the desk each and every day, but getting rid of this paper? It just doesn't seem to happen. 

I just had a quick peek at what's there, and OK—so it won't take that long to tidy up! 

I'm happy to report that I've completed a lot of work on the weekend presentations, which is a bonus. And most of the sewing is done as well, so I'm well on my way to completing those tasks. Now I need to get to work on that jacket. It's weighing on my mind, and I need to get to work on it, or I'll be wearing a pink T-shirt to the wedding. 

Frankly, I don't get why brides need to dictate what color the guests wear to a wedding. Seriously? I think that is why my mind is blocked about the jacket. I'm paying big bucks to attend the wedding in another country, and I have to pack clothes in specific colors as well? My brain just doesn't compute unnecessary things! Sigh................  I'll do what I can. 

Since I can't share what I'm sewing yet, I have to revert to the girls and the stuff around the neighborhood. WAIT -- I did manage to clear up the cutting table. It wasn't good - I simply shifted the stuff to another table - at least until I'm back. 

I found this panel and some metallic rickrack that I purchased at Fabricland in North Battleford! It's super cute, and I only bought the rick rack after I saw another customer getting it cut so she could add to her stash. I think that color goes very nicely with the panels I bought!

Metallic rickrack and fabric panels

When I was at Quilty Pleasures earlier this week, I noticed small quilts throughout the store, some with sayings and some without. It was great to happen upon these small quilts, and I love the idea of inspirational sayings on them. So I have to get myself in gear and make some of these. They are small and only require quilting, which can easily be done using the embroidery machine, plus some rickrack and binding, and it's done!

Speaking of inspirational sayings, you just never know where you're going to find something that puts a smile on your face. I was on my way to the grocery store to get oatmeal, and I spotted this box along the side of the sidewalk. 

A quote along the sidewalk!

I'm guessing that it's from a shoebox, but who cares! I love the quote, and it's so true. The only thing that should matter to us is the things that are important to us. I think that is all about being passionate about something. Of course, there are lots of things that matter to us, but we can't affect what happens to them. I'm sure the people driving past had a chuckle as I took a picture of something on the side of the road. I think a lot of people haven't found what matters to them. 

I'm past the point of caring!! 

So Murphy can be equated to a bull in a china shop. She is happy to get into everything and has no issues with tight corners, as she likes to squeeze under a table top or a corner to get comfy. But what about the backdoor? This is NOT wide enough for her, and she stood outside for a very long time, wanting to come in, and wouldn't touch the door until I opened it further. Now, why is that? 

MOM - the door isn't wide enough!

And then last night, while I was watching a video, she wanted to get cozy, and there wasn't enough room in the chair for both of us. So we switched places, and I let her cozy up in the chair while I sat on the footstool and watched my videos! What a spoiled girl!

MOM - I can't see the video! 

And these blooms just popped out of the blue. OK -- they were probably there for a couple of days, and I only spotted them yesterday. The weather has been inclement in the morning, and I may have had my hood up or the umbrella over my head! 

Daffodils

But spring is definitely here, and that's all that counts. It's 12 degrees right now, but very foggy, and it's very early in the morning. 

Instead of focusing on the blog, I've been putting away papers that were sitting on the desk. It looks a wee bit better. At least the section where my keyboard sits is now clear. Although I need to find a new mousepad. The one I have doesn't work so well with my new mouse. 

Sigh—this is what happens when people don't communicate well. As I was clearing up the paper, I happened upon a note. What's the note? OH --- it's a note my mom wrote me, and it was attached to that jigsaw puzzle that they couldn't find. 

I had written Dad an email saying that I wanted him to pick up a jigsaw puzzle on my behalf at the Museum. That was in early February. He did so, but when he got it home, he had NO CLUE what he was to do with the puzzle. Even though I wrote in the email that he was to hang on to it for me. When I asked about the puzzle when I got there, neither of them remembered it. He remembered picking it up, but had no clue what happened to it. 

Well, the note from Mom was somewhat nasty, and she had taped it to the box and stuck it in the box at the door. She got her knickers in a knot for something that had nothing to do with her. It was MY puzzle. Sigh..................   Even writing things out doesn't help them. And why couldn't he just ask in an email what he was supposed to do with it? 

While I can handle the nasty note (it was about the picture on the front - ribbon skirts that are popular among Indigenous peoples), it's the fact that she wrote the note and taped it to the puzzle, and she didn't remember that? That is very worrisome. 

Mom has a habit of writing nasty notes to people and then wondering why they no longer write to her. Sigh..................

I reached out to Joseph, the spin instructor. I feel so bad for him, and I also have on my list to send some feedback to the gym. I am very disappointed, and I can only imagine it's some ridiculous, politically correct reason that he was let go. And that's a shame because their people are their assets, and to get rid of someone who cared so much about his class is terrible. 

Well, I'm off to see Brooke this morning, and I'd better get myself organized for that. There is a ton of stuff to do today, and I'd better get moving. I may or may not make a list of everything that needs to be done before I leave on Sunday. That might be too scary. While I like going on vacation, the prep work to get everything ready is not my favorite! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!