You are never too old!

OH, I just realized that the title of yesterday's blog AND the first picture you see of a volcano erupting were perhaps a bit dramatic!! BUT getting that much work done in the office was dramatic! 

I listened to this audiobook MANY years ago when I started my decluttering journey. I just checked my blog and the date was March 10, 2014!!!!! Well, I listened to it somewhere, and I suspect it was before I started because the first room I tackled was the bedroom, and that's the first room mentioned in the book. For the record, and so I'll be able to find this post in the future, the title is "Throw Out Fifty Things" by Gail Blanke! 

Throw out Fifty Things! 

It's a quick listen - about 4 hours, and it's good to refresh what's in the book. Mainly, Gail discusses the emotional attachment to things that we MUST keep. And then she throws the items away. She also gives you permission to throw/donate or sell those ridiculous things we think we'll find the mate for (socks and mitts), we'll learn to relove or whatever. 

BUT she also talks about how you feel AFTER you purge. And that to me is the most important thing. It's not something you can describe, but I'll try. While our kitchen is ALWAYS pretty clean, a few things had accumulated during the day. A few dishes that needed to be handwashed (GASP), and some things that needed to be recycled, or whatever. Before I went to bed last night, I took 15 minutes (if that) and dealt with it all. 

When I got up this morning, even though I didn't turn on the lights, walking into that clean and tidy room was like getting a shot of euphoria drugs! I felt content, I felt happy, I felt like I weighed about 50 lbs. No monkey's on my back, no guilt, and it feels AMAZING to start the day like that. 

The same thing is starting to happen when I walk into the office. The mess has been here so long that even the small bit I did makes me do a double-take each time I come in here. WOW -- I feel like a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders. I feel more positive, more alive, and definitely more energetic. Watch out!

So, if you've been waiting to start tidying up, I can't help you do the physical job, but I sure encourage you to begin tackling stuff - you will NOT believe how amazing you are going to feel. I can't imagine how I'm going to feel when I am "done!" OK - let's face it - you are never done with this job! 

But if you can, have a read through that book - it has a lot of good things to say. It is not a detailed book, so don't expect to be hand-held, but it talks about the WHY, and that's all you really need. And that was how and when I started on this journey!! 

So I'm not doing so well on completing my three things each day, but I'm OK with that. At least I have a plan, and when I am working, I'm working on the three things I've prioritized!

I managed to finish another customer's quilt. 

Customer quilt - DONE

While the quilt was fine, it was my bobbins that were giving me grief. In my cleaning-up and trying-to-use-up mode, I had discovered some CLASS 15 bobbins wound with the fine thread that everyone is moving to for machine quilting on the long arm. 

The only problem is that those bobbins won't work in my long arm. OK -- they may, but I'm not about to try and mess up the tension. So I have to wind the bobbins onto the appropriate bobbin, and my bobbin winder is a speed demon, which has caused some issues. But all is good, and I think I got the hang of it now. I have enough of that color to quilt one more quilt, and by then, I hope my new bobbins in the correct size will have arrived. 

Rewinding the bobbins

And this fine thread is a godsend for quilting a quilt when the back is very dark and the front is very light. You can get away with a much closer in color match to the front, without seeing the thread in great detail on the back. I'll take some pictures so you can see what I mean. 

I made progress on my houses, which were the next item on the list, and I'll continue working on them today! And the third thing didn't get touched! But I'm OK with that. It's the plan  (including prioritizing) that counts, not actually getting it done on that day! 

Houses under construction

And on our Monday call, someone mentioned making blocks for fidget quilts from some items I had donated to her. Well, wait a minute, I remembered that I had a small tub of more similar items. Needless to say, I got that tub out yesterday and sorted and bagged like items! It's now waiting to get on the Pony Express. 

Sorting a tub of embellishments

And that reminded me of this pile of things on the floor that have been there for a while. I ran out of steam while tidying up Studio B a while back. And I need to deal with those things, so I now have a pile that needs sorting and putting away. The LAST homeless stuff in the place!! Is that exciting or what? 

The last of the homeless items in Studio B

Not the vacuum, nor Murphy, but the pizza boxes and the two blue tubs! Granted, there are tons of things to deal with, but these are the last homeless items. There's a huge difference. Homelessness creates clutter (OK - quantity does as well), but this is huge! And it's only taken me ten years or perhaps a bit more to get to this point! 

I'll never go back, and now I can grab a category, sort through it, and then move on to the next. Baby steps!!!!

Let's go back to the candle wax. I put it in a bag and brought it into the office, which is why this place is so messy! It has EVERYTHING in it that doesn't have a home. Hopefully, by the end of the year, this mess will be a thing of the past!

The leftover wax

I am tempted to try melting that wax and make a new candle. I know -- I don't need to, but I'd like to try - just for the fun of it, and how long can that take? I have to head out this morning to get dog food, or Murphy won't be eating tonight, and Michael's is right there. I bet they have all the supplies for making candles! Then I can try it, and if it doesn't work, guess what? I can donate the supplies and let someone else try it! 

And last night, as one of my cleaning tasks, I poured boiling water into the dish to heat the glass, then I emptied it, and wiped it down with a paper towel. Hmmm—now what do I do with it? 

The clean candle container

I could put it on my desk to put odds and ends in! WAIT --- I don't plan to have odds and ends by the computer—I plan to find a home for everything! What a FARCE!!!!!! 

But I do have another burned-out candle downstairs, with a ton of wax left, and it smells very pretty. I might melt that wax down and make a new candle in this. Then I would use it!! 

I must write the city to say how happy I am that the sidewalks are clear! It's a dream to walk the dogs without fear of falling on the ice. Although I almost took a dive yesterday. I was turning the corner on the bustling street, where many cars were stopped at the light. We had had a light snowfall, so the treads on my shoes were full, and there was a wee mound of snow right by the light post. 

I have to admit that I was probably very entertaining for all who were stopped, as my arms and legs went flying, but I remained upright! Trust me, I was ESTACTIC!!! Why? It means that my balance is so much better!!! Murphy just looked back and said, "Mom - get over it, you're slow!"

But what amazes me is how silly people are. I passed one house; they had shoveled their driveway and the boulevard part of it, but left the sidewalk. How much more effort would it have taken to shovel that little bit of snow? Or what about the person who shovels the sidewalk and then leaves a pile of snow on the sidewalk at the end of their property line? Sigh...........

Could they not have shoveled the sidewalk?

Our neighborhoods are way too car-centric and have no idea that people use the sidewalks. But with the milder temperatures (no sun though), the sidewalks are relatively dry and not slippery. Knock on wood! I even walked to the hardware store and brought home two storage tubs. I walked, of course! 

With the number of times I've cooked oatmeal in the microwave, you would think I would have perfected the technique. I'm using up a bag of oatmeal, and it takes 3 minutes, not 3½ like steel-cut oats. I had that process on the microwave keyboard down pat, but yesterday? I forgot to drop the power level. Trust me - it makes a difference!

What happens when you forget to drop the power

And I can't post without mentioning the girls, who were having a grand time in the backyard. Another silly rabbit has moved in, and they are on the hunt! They work as a team. One stands in one spot, and the other goes to where they suspect the rabbit is, in an effort to flush it out. How do dogs know how to do that? 

Rabbit hunting

So I washed my jackets in that new soap I bought. Here is the before of my orange down sweater. 

Before washing

And here is the after. The lighting is NOT the same, so it's not really a good comparison. But it is cleaner. 

After washing

However, if you have ever washed a down jacket, you will think you have ruined it! This thing goes to nothing. Just two layers of nylon with nothing between. Until the feathers dry, and then a bit of puff remains. But sadly, it is on its last legs as a winter jacket, but I'm not ready to retire it yet! The lower half of both sleeves has been replaced, as has the zipper - thanks to Patagonia, who did that for free as part of their sustainability goals. THANK YOU, Patagonia!!!! 

And the best part? I may have paid about $300 (at the most) for this jacket in 2012. The cost to replace the coat is still in that price range!!!! I have sure got my money's worth from it. I won't even consider any other brand!!! What I love is that it's warm and THIN, so you have loads of mobility! I don't want to be the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man!

I had a quick chat with my personal trainer yesterday as she waited for her client to show up! And then I got an email in the afternoon, asking me what my goals for 2026 are. Hmmm --- that's a good question. So I thought about it. 

But there was one thing I observed during the day. When I went to change the bobbin on the long arm, and the machine was all the way to the back, I could easily reach under and change it. In the past, it had become a struggle, so the stretching is paying off. YES -- I could move the machine to the front, but why if I don't have to? 

I should add a bit more stretching into my day, but I'm doing great. My balance is good -- shoes and socks (even the hard-to-put-on ones) can be put on easily while standing on one foot. 

Hmm—OK—I know what I want to improve. My BMI! I need to get toned as I have a few rolls. WAIT -- before you roll your eyes -- one can be smaller, but still have excess fat! That's me - I used to be in better shape. So while I don't want a six-pack, like my SIL has, I want to be better toned, and that means cutting out all sugar and weight lifting! That doesn't have to be huge weights, but it needs to be weight lifting. That's also essential because if I fall down, can I actually lift myself up, even if I have a chair close by? 

So we'll measure that by BMI (body mass index). I did the basic calculation with height and weight, and I'm just at the top of the normal weight range. I'll use the machine at the gym to get a better measure and then see where we go from there. So lower BMI, and toning - that's my physical goal!

And that speaks right into the quote of the day!

How true!

The last thing I want to mention today is that I am grateful for the body that I have. I have taken care of it (mostly) throughout my years, and thanks to my Mom, I have worked out at a gym for almost all of my adult life. Why my Mom? She has always been overweight, and I vowed NEVER to let myself go like that. I try hard, and many people think I'm obsessed with food. Yep -- I am. Because if I weren't obsessed about what I put in my mouth, I would be just like her. I won't let that happen! 

Funny how you get influenced by others on what to do, and also on what not to do! 

And yes -- the volcano is Mount Etna in Sicily! 

The next quilt is on the long arm and ready to go—much smaller than the last two, so that is good. And I have to get some computer work done today! That's OK -- and then I'll sit down with my calendar and figure out how to utilize my time to get prepped for the Zoom sessions this weekend and, more importantly, the following weekend, which is my one big weekend per month!!! 

WAIT—this is my week to chat on QUILTsocial, and I have some fantastic things to share!!! You must check them out. 

Day One - A quick discussion on cotton versus polyester thread

Day Two -- Felting on your embroidery machine --- super cute!!!!

Have a super day!!! Be positive - there is always a silver lining!!! 

Ciao!!!

How to make a concrete driveway

Seriously? Fireworks because of a full moon? At 11 PM? I would have run to the park and yelled at them if I was decent. No one needs to have fireworks on a full moon. Although, based on history, I guess fireworks are pretty tame for a full moon evening. Actually, I think it was a super moon, so of course, that justifies the fireworks. Thankfully, it was only for a minute, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was woken up. 

WAIT -- I sleep with the windows open rather than rely on the air conditioner. Maybe I was the only one to be awoken. The air is so cool and beautiful in the morning; I sure hope you get a chance to enjoy it. 

I awoke yesterday fired up and ready to meet the day head-on. I went to spin class and pumped out my 30 KM like it was nothing. OK -- it wasn't that easy, but much better than my pitiful results on Monday. But that's OK. 

Then home to get work done, only to find THIS in my driveway. WHAT? They were NOT supposed to be here until later in the week. 

The driveway has arrived

That is a load of concrete, in case you can't see the massive truck! But better to be early than delay the process. Yikes! I was not ready for this, and neither was the landscape team. 

The driveway company is pretty darn efficient. They come with a crew, and I mean a crew. Of course, they have to as concrete - well, it tends to firm up if you're not fast. 

Smoothing the concrete in the driveway

Those guys had big rubber boots and were up to their knees in concrete. All the stonework and the sidewalk were protected by sheets of plastic. 

I did NOT take the girls for a walk as there wasn't really a good place to get out of the house, and I wanted to watch. HEY -- I paid a LOT of money for that driveway; I wanted to see how it was done. 

Then they started the smoothing process before the rest of the concrete was poured. I tell you -- they were very efficient. I think there were 6 or maybe 7 of them. 

Smoothing out the concrete

Yikes -- then the second truck of concrete arrived as one was not enough. No wonder it costs so much money. 

Two concrete trucks!

And then, they arrived at the corner where the shut-off valve was located. Ooops - the valve disappeared as it was too short, even though the Region apparently had run a string and a level over it to ensure it was the same height as the sidewalk. Not so. They had to pick-ax the concrete away from the area and then make it higher; at last, they could do that remaining part. 

Working around the shut-off valve

They had not placed the rebar in the lower part of the driveway, and I was thinking, "why is that?" Then when half the concrete was poured, they threw in the rebar. OH -- did I mention that the second concrete truck was driven by a woman, which makes perfect sense because it is quite the process to clean out the truck when it's empty. I always wondered how that was done, and now I know. It's a pretty slick system, and they carry their own water tank on the truck and a tank for the dirty water. 

At the height of that process, that truck was rocking and rolling in the street from the power, and well, it was nice when they were gone as it was very noisy. I'm sure the neighborhood was happy. OH -- I think the neighborhood will be glad when this is over. When I arrived and got out of my car, a couple I frequently see walking the street asked me if "this was it?" Well, almost! 

They spent an enormous time smoothing out the concrete, especially along the edges. And then, the crew split up as the first crew was off to pour another driveway likely, and three guys stayed behind to finish my job. 

Smoothing the edges of the concrete

And look at the shade of my new tree!!! I love it already, and it will shade the front of the house in the late afternoon. 

Then the driveway got sprayed with a chemical (you'll see why tomorrow), and they covered it with big sheets of plastic and left it to cure! They must have started at 7:30 or even earlier and were gone by 10:30. It's taped off so no one can walk on it. 

The driveway is under wraps to cure

 

This is what it looks like from the front. A total mess, but hopefully, by the end of today, it will look normal. We can't drive on the driveway for two weeks, so another two weeks of car shuffling, although I might now get a permit to park on the street and not worry about moving the cars since the landscape people are almost done. The parking people don't come unless someone complains, and no one has complained -- thankfully, we have intelligent neighbors. We still have the porta-potty and a Bobcat in the street, so parking is a hassle right in front of the house, but we can park in front of the driveway. 

The front of the house

And through it all, the landscapers continued to plant. All the plants got planted, and it's looking really nice, although it'll take about two years for things to take hold, and we can have some privacy on that front patio. But I don't care. 

The plantings are almost done

Then I received some excellent news! Remember my Patagonia jacket that they repaired for FREE. I thought I would have to go downtown to pick it up. They mailed it to the house, so I knew it was coming, and it arrived yesterday. 

My Patagonia jacket is back!

It now has a new zipper, and they fixed the elbows on the inside where the fabric had worn thin and added a bit more down. Yippeee!!!! I HIGHLY recommend Patagonia for ANY hiking or outdoor gear. They have this crazy guarantee and are very conscious of our carbon footprint. 

I need to buy some new stuff next month, and I'll make a trip downtown to buy from them. 

Let's just say that their clothing is worth every penny! This jacket is old -- about 10 years, but I should be able to get another five or more years from it. I love it, and well, it's my favorite winter jacket. Not only for winter, but it's excellent for camping -- lightweight, super warm, and compacts into nothing! 

The envelope it came in can also be used as a return envelope. Does anyone have a Patagonia garment that they no longer wear? If so, use my envelope to return it to them, and they will give you credit!!!

The send envelope is also a return envelope

Wouldn't it be great if all companies were this responsible? By the time that jacket is done, it will have cost me pennies a day (if that) to own it! That suits my minimalistic mindset perfectly! 

Patagonia ROCKS!!!

I got three more quilt tops from Diane -- I've lost count, but I need to start a tally as I finish the quilts as it would be fun to know that number. I think I have given away three that she made, so I need to get my butt in gear and work on more, which I'll be doing starting next week. 

Three community project quilts from Diane

I also got another customer quilt done. I was going to do another one today, but I've decided I have too much other stuff to do, so that will have to wait until next week. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I'll give you all a heads up -- if anyone wants a quilt done for Christmas, book it NOW. I have a hectic fall, and while I'll have time to quilt, I'm not sure how many I'll be able to do, so book it now - even if the top isn't done! 

That Lexi - she loves this mat. She loves to sit on it, but she'll even lay on it, even though it's not nearly big enough! Silly girl! I wish the mat was twice the size, and she would be in doggy glory!

Lexi and her mat

Maybe she likes the texture of the mat on her body? 

And then there's Murphy. I decided to join Murphy in her dog bed in front of the window. I know -- I'm totally a big kid at heart. 

MOM -- this is MY bed - there's no room for two!

I think she was trying to tell me that I took up too much space and that looking out the window was much more fun than being scrunched beside me! Oh, Murphy! 

MOM -- look out the window with me!

I took the two of them out for a walk after dinner, and Murphy was a total lunatic, and there I was on a busy street, yelling my head off at her to get her to calm down. Nope --- it wasn't until we had seen at least three dogs that she managed to get herself under control. Sigh.........

There is one thing I learned about myself yesterday. Actually, I knew it before. I do NOT function well when a lot is going on. The driveway crew, the landscape crew, and the cleaning lady were here, and I was waiting for two people to pick stuff up. That was just too much toing and froing for me, so I did;t get much done. Although I did some tidying up in Studio U, which I did between spying on the work crews. But I didn't get much else accomplished. 

So today is the day -- there is a lot to do, and ONLY the driveway crew will be here for a bit this morning. I expect the rest of the day to be quiet, which is good because I'm now extremely tight on time to finish everything by tonight as I'm off again for the weekend. 

On that note, I'm off to get the day started. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Thank you Patagonia!

OMG --- I LOVE my blog. That's a pretty narcissistic comment, but seriously -- I just went to search for something, and well, each of the posts has something cool that I remember. OK -- that's not exactly true as some days are boring as ever, but other days - well! 

But the underlying theme remains the same! Here's the link to a post from January 7, 2012. You'll see why I'm sending you there in one second. But the title of that post is Learning Never Stops. That's hilarious! And it's nice to see that I'm true to myself, not only in the learning aspect but in my favorite color. 

That was the day I visited the Patagonia store and fell in love with my down sweater. I'm not sure when I actually found the right color and purchased it, but let's just say that the jacket is now 10 years old. 

My down sweater

There's the label! 

Patagonia products ROCK!

I've worn that jacket everywhere - I wore it in the evening or on cool days on my bike trip across Canada and other places. It's super lightweight, and it's warm! It packs up into a tiny ball, so great for all kinds of travel. I just watched the video with all the features -- oh my -- I learned a few things about the jacket! 

It's dirty, and DH would LOVE for me to replace the jacket. I've tried to wash it, but that dirt is engrained in it. I'm good with that. 

OK -- so why am I telling you all this? Because the zipper has failed! I know -- after 10 years of heavy use, the zipper has become very unreliable. I'm devastated and won't give the jacket up! 

I've looked at purchasing a new jacket -- the colors are bland. I've thought about replacing the zipper myself -- my Monday sewing friends all poopooed that idea as it's quite the job to do so. I even found a replacement zipper online! They still poopooed the idea. 

They suggested that I have someone else fix the zipper, and in the afternoon, I went to the mall to see what it would cost. $50!!!! Yikes!! That's a lot of money. 

And there's this label in the jacket that makes me NOT want to throw the jacket away. 

There used to be a store in Toronto, but I couldn't find it on the internet and only found three stores out west. So I called the one in Victoria. OH -- MY  --- GOODNESS. When I explained my problem to the guy and lamented that they didn't have any bright colors, he said PATAGONIA stands behind all their products and will fix it for FREE!!!!!  

Seriously???? I could have kissed him if he were in front of me. He also explained how to find the Toronto store. Apparently, the ones out west are franchises, and the Toronto store is the corporate store. I called them, and YEP, they will fix the zipper for free. All I need to do is make sure the jacket is clean and dry and then take it in. WOW!!!!! 

There are a few holes on the inside of the elbows, and some down has escaped -- I don't know if they can fix that, but I don't care. I'm going to get my jacket fixed! I will schedule a day and go downtown to visit the store. I've been thinking of purchasing some other outdoor gear, and well - I will certainly pay the price to buy from Patagonia. It would cost me $300 to replace the jacket, and I'll spend that money to buy something else. 

And is $300 expensive to pay for a jacket? Well, let's see --- I didn't pay $300 when I originally bought it. Let's say that I paid $200. $200 over 10 years?? That is $20 a year to own that jacket. And now that it needs repair and they will fix it for free?? I think I owe Patagonia some money! That was a very worthwhile investment. In a heartbeat, I WILL buy my next jacket from them.

I thought they would be encouraging me to buy a new one since the jacket is 10 years old. Nope -- For them, this is NOT an old jacket! My kind of company! And the reviews on these down jackets are fantastic. It weighs about 13.1 ounces -- something that is very important if you are backpacking, which I am not, but I love how lightweight it is! 

DH will NOT be happy that I can get the jacket fixed! He's not quite as environmentally conscious as I am! 

So if you did venture to that Jan 2012 blog post, it was all about a trip downtown that M and I made to the ROM to view a clothing exhibit and a visit to the textile district in Toronto. Fond memories!!

I don't seem to get much sewing done during Monday sewing, but I sure get a lot done early in the morning by myself. I hate diagonal seams on quilts as they seem to go on forever!!!

Sewing the LAST diagonal seam on Farmer's Wife

But LOOK -- the top, minus the borders, is done!!!

Farmer's Wife -- almost done!

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about that! 

Yep -- it's been so much excitement the last couple of days, I can barely control myself! But now reality is kicking in, and it's time to get down to some serious work. More writing, homework assignments to sew up, and well, it's going to be heads-down the entire week! 

But I'm OK with that. 

The other night I was sitting in the living room reading, and the first quilt I made when I got serious about quilting was sitting there. I had to laugh when I looked at the corners of the binding. 

The binding corners on my first serious quilts

OH MY GOSH -- some of those look like the toes on elf shoes!! Look at the hooks on them! I had NO idea what I was doing. 

And now, look at the binding on my latest quilt. 

Binding now

Yep -- quite a bit of difference, to say the least. 

We all know that the prices of EVERYTHING are going up. I came across this article about batting the other day. 

When I was at the mall yesterday looking for a couple of things and getting a quote on my zipper, I thought I'd check out the irons at Wal-Mart. Not that I need a new one, but we've had several discussions the last couple of Mondays, and I thought I'd check to see what was on the shelves. 

Good gosh --- what is going on with the irons??? The shelves were BARE, except for ONE iron. Quilters??? Sheet ironers?? Someone is hoarding irons!

Where is the supply of irons?

I also found the latest issue for QUILTCON -- that was the modern quilt show that happened in February. Since I didn't get to go -- I bought the magazine to read all about the latest trends, etc. It's published BEFORE Quiltcon happens, so it's not directly about the show, but close enough. 

Quiltcon magazine

I haven't seen any coyotes in a long time, although I have seen a fox from time to time. I actually thought the coyotes might have moved on, apparently NOT. They were howling their heads off at 3:30 this morning. And I say THEY -- there was definitely more than one -- it sounded like two or three at least. I'm not sure what they were chatting about -- it didn't last long. But something significant happened. 

Now that I think about it -- the rabbits probably think they are safer INSIDE our fence with our two goofy dogs than outside with the hungry coyotes!!

And on that note -- I'm out of here! 

Lots to sew, e-mails to answer, things to create, a presentation to do. It's going to be a busy day!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!