Three birds with one stone!

We all have those days - you get "lots" done but have nothing to show for it! 

Yesterday was the day to get the car's tires switched. In the morning, I worked on the project for this morning's applique class, which I am able to double-dip for tomorrow's digital cutter class. 

All I can say about that, for the moment, is that cutting fabric with my Brother Scan and Cut is child's play. Why was I "afraid" of using it before? Oh -- I know -- because I had no idea how to make it work and had never used it. But the more I use it, the easier it becomes. Now I have other things to learn, like cutting different materials, using different mats, etc. But when it comes to scanning and cutting fabric? I'm good! I've experimented, sometimes with success and sometimes not, so more learning is required. 

OK, so then I went to the dealer to get the tires changed. I had a whole list of things that I needed help with on the car, and I had sent the list to them when I made the appointment online. Yep, no one calls for appointments anymore. You book them online. 

Question one was whether I could change when the FUEL light comes on. It comes on at 35 KM left, and I don't like that. My other car was 100 km, and the warning was larger on the dashboard. I know this car is different, but I find the fuel warning light is small, and the gas gauge is not super accurate. The answer is NO, but there are reserves, and I forgot to ask what the reserve amount is. Many of you would never let the car get past half, but the half indicator is NOT half! We'll learn to live with it! 

Question number two was, can we permanently shut off the device that stops the car engine when you're at a stop light? The answer is NO. Apparently, since 2015, all automatic transmissions have had this "fuel-saving, emission-reducing" feature. You can temporarily shut it off in the car or not apply the brakes all the way. 

Hmm—so far, I'm not getting the answers I want! But it's things I can live with. The third question really needed to be addressed: how to dim the navigation screen at night. I had checked and found the settings, and it was set to automatic, so it should have dimmed at night. But it did not. 

Turns out there is a MANUAL setting on the left-hand side (practically hidden) on the underside of the dash that needs to be set BEFORE the automatic setting will work. That was NOT intuitive to ensure that it was in the right spot. But the problem is solved. 

The dash lights dial

This is good; this screen can be pretty bright and distracting in the morning on the way to the gym. 

This screen is bright at NIGHT

Of course, I had to report all to DH last night at dinner and he said -- if he had read the manual, he would have figured it out. Seriously? I just checked the manual, and although that dial is indicated in TWO spots (which both say the same thing - why?), NOWHERE does it say that it has to be in a certain spot in order for the automatic feature in the navigation screen to work. Car manuals are useless as far as I'm concerned - GASP -- another oxymoron from me! They are WAY longer than needed -- so repetitive in information and extremely hard to find anything. The first part is so ridiculous, but it is necessary as they explain the safety required to drive a car. 

I got my tires changed, and for the first time, we got to drive the car with the fancy rims. I wasn't happy when they installed the winter tires, as I purchased sensors (tire pressure) on those rims, and they did not install them correctly, so the sensor light was on all winter. YES—I checked the tire pressure to ensure all was OK. And I couldn't be bothered to go back, so I reminded the young gentleman who served me about that. I can see the tire pressure lights from the app on my phone, so next winter, I can check that before I leave the dealer. 

The car with its fancy rims

It will cost $500 to fix the tail light that DH broke the first time he parked in the garage. Don't even ask -- but men are so rigid. Did he think to get out and see what his surroundings were before he backed into the garage? Nope- he relied 100% on the camera (low) and didn't notice the shelf (tail light height) where he put his empty beer cans! Sigh... So that will have to be fixed later on. I didn't have time before to deal with it. 

And the last issue is the wind whistling on the passenger side. So, this was an eye-opener. It appears our car was made in New Zealand. Seriously? And of course, we know that some of the workmanship in building the vehicle may not be the best. The young gentleman told me that the best builds are those from Japan. It appears this wind issue is a known thing. And yes -- we could have them look at it, but it'll take several days, so I will hold out on that for a bit. 

It'll be fixed under warranty, so I'm going to hold out on that for a bit. They will need the car for about a week as they pull it apart to try and fix it. I'm not sure I want them to do it or wait until it becomes a company-wide fix. So, if you have a Toyota Corolla Cross and have wind whistling issues, complain! 

Lastly, I bought a touch-up pen to fix the door ding that someone put on the driver's side passenger door. But we're all good for the next 6 months unless I deal with those two issues before then, which I think I will. 

However, the appointment was LONG—it was going to be four hours. I appreciated David's response when I asked the time frame because he was honest and said—four hours. OK—if it's going to take long, be upfront. Don't say two hours when you know that's not going to happen. The attitude of the guest (me) is much better! 

I knew it was going to be long, so I went for a walk. I needed to get to Michael's, which was about a 20-minute walk away—easy for me. I went and picked up a couple of things, stopping at Indigo on the way. Then, I needed some more fabric at Fabricland and stopped at Value Village. Yes, this is the street on which I do the errands with the car, but since I was close, I walked the entire strip. 

I took my folding shopping bag with me, and by the time I made it back to the dealer, it was full. 

My shopping bag was filled with goodies

By then, only two hours had elapsed, so I took the opportunity to read my book. I think I nodded off at one point. 

Then I got the car, and I was on my way home. David also told me that they have an inventory of cars. Yes, I could walk onto the lot and likely buy a car and come home with it. I may not get my choice of color, but it's nice to know that things are finally getting back to normal in the car world. Not all models of cars are available, but there were plenty of RAV4s in the lot, in boring colors like white and black. 

So it truly was a three-birds-with-one-stone day—I got the car serviced, I went for a walk, and I completed my errands. 

I will say that it's a good thing this thrift store is not the one near me. They didn't have much in the way of craft books to look at, but puzzles? Oh boy, and I love the note on this one. Someone wrote, "It was fun to do even with two pieces missing!"

A door puzzle

I did not buy any puzzles. I do NOT need any puzzles. 

I worked on my project for the class this morning, and now I must finish putting the presentation together. Which I'll do as soon as I'm done walking the girls; that's a quick job. 

Remember the virtual retreat this weekend. 

It starts tonight at 6 PM. Here's the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816483795?pwd=Mjc3M3pvVmZPdjdsQzlHS3Zhck52dz09

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Here's the link for Sunday, when we start at noon. It may be a bit later since it's the digital cutter class right before; sometimes, we exceed our allotted time. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

It's going to be a fun day—there's a quilt show in Paris, Ontario, today. Remember to bring cash—I've got mine lined up at the door. Virtual Retreat tonight! 

On top of that, it's my Dad's 91st birthday today! I must get a call into him!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I'm a technology success story!!!

What a wild day!!!! The temperature had dropped, but it was totally bearable with the sun! Those who were able to come to the full-day INPERSON session for the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 3 went home with their heads spinning from the amount of information I spewed at them! The intent was to give them a broad overview of the capabilities, but we need MORE than one day!! 

I was fired up and had fun!!! Thanks to Brampton Sew n Serge for hosting the event. I wonder if there are enough people with EPIC 3 around to host a Zoom club? I do NOT want to take away from a shop hosting events. 

The girls and the boy were home alone all day, but they managed just fine. I think it is the "parents" who worry about them, and that's only because there is usually one of us in the house at all times! 

They were pretty hopeful that I would take them with me in the morning. WAIT -- they were just waiting for their treat! 

MOM --- we're waiting for our T R E A T S

But there are those best buds again. They hang out together so much. Murphy is going to miss Bear when he goes home. WAIT -- isn't this his home now? Possession is 9/10ths of the law? Sadly, he will go home, but he's stuck with us for a few more weeks. 

Murphy and Bear

Here, he is perched in one of his favorite spots when we're in the kitchen. After I put him on the sofa, he bound up there to survey his kingdom!!!

Grandma -- I'm watching you!

And Lexi --- what a girl. I think she likes sleeping under the table because she can rub her back on the edge. She needs an itching post. 

MOM -- I need a scratching post

They were in fine form last night. Murphy and Lexi were "fighting," and Bear was the referee. I finally had to stop it because I couldn't focus on reading for the noise!!!! Interesting about dogs making noise. I recently heard someone who doesn't allow their dog to bark. How does the dog tell them when they need something? Murphy got stuck under the deck a couple of years ago. The ONLY way I knew that she was stuck and exactly where she was was because she barked! They alert us to people dropping off packages who don't ring the doorbell, they let me know when they want to come in the house (one woof is all they are allowed), and so much more. That's like telling a child to be quiet; we all hated that! Nope  - sometimes my girls are a bit too noisy, but I'd rather a bit of barking than they not be allowed to talk!

I wish they could coordinate their in and out schedules, though. It's like they have a conspiracy against me. 

Lexi: Hey, Murphy. You asked to go in, and I'll ask 2 minutes later. 

Murphy: OK -- and then tomorrow, we'll switch it up

Lexi: Sounds like a plan. It drives Mom CRAZY!!!!

Someone was not happy. Actually, she's eyeing Lexi. They are like cat and mouse or that cycling pursuit sport where they watch each other to see who will make the first move! 

MOM -- don't disturb me - I'm very focused

And Mr. Snuggles finally calmed down. What a little goof. 

I'm exhausted!!!

And all is calm at last. It's funny that they all get along but do NOT want to sleep next to each other. Oh no!!!

The three-dog night

In case you're wondering, the one-car thing is going very well at our house. I drive DH to the train when he needs to go downtown to work. He'll take an Uber back, which works out just fine. 

We have put on 2,600 KM (something like that ) since November 27, primarily driving errands around the neighborhood (well, he does groceries on Sundays and takes his mother shopping). And I've done a few couple-hour trips. We do NOT need two cars. No one has lost their freedom to go where they want when they want. I knew that! 

However, I've noticed something. There seems to be an issue with the gas gauge. It's NEVER close to empty when DH is in the car, but that gauge drops like a rock when I get in! Why is that?

Almost on empty!!

With my other car, the fuel light would go at 100KM. The light popped on at 38 KM. That's cutting it a bit close if you ask me. I'm sure there's a setting I can change because otherwise unless you remember to watch the gauge, you could easily run out of gas. So I must look for that setting and change it. Perhaps someone else will notice it. Maybe he thinks we bought an electric car? 

So last night, I was too tired to sew, yet too wound up to go to bed. So, I dug out my iPad. I'm always telling people how I use it to store all my manuals, and I do, but what a mess. I have a love/hate relationship with my iPad. Apple is so darn proprietary it could choke you! 

I was all excited when I started doing this years ago. I can put the PDFs into iBooks and see them on the shelf. I could sort them by topic, and that would be great!! Ah -- not so fast!! If the book is not an Apple product, you cannot sort them in iBooks. So I had amassed a HUGE pile of books, and I had to sort through them to find what I wanted. It's not an ideal situation. 

A mess of PDFs in iBooks

I had learned that I could put those PDFs into folders, but I also struggled with that. I had files all over the place that needed to be sorted, which was a mess. I had duplicates of most things, and I was tired of it. 

My NEW file system on the iPad

So, I decided to bite the bullet once and for all and would SOLVE this mess. This was AFTER 6 PM, which is not my prime learning time. 

Guess what? I figured it out!!! Yahooo!!!! It was probably the reason that I couldn't get to sleep last night. I still have about 40 documents to transfer to the filing system. Yep -- there were a lot. 

It's super easy if anyone wants to know how to do it. In iBooks (I think that is what it's called), you touch the three dots under a title, and a menu pops up. Touch "Share PDF."

Share PDF screen

That gives you choices, and you select "Save to Files." 

Save to Files

Then, it was "easy" to sort them into folders. OK -- that took me some time to figure that out. For all the talk from people about how intuitive Apple is -- it is NOT!!!! But that could be a lack of knowledge from the operator. Anyway -- all that doesn't matter because I figured it out. How? I didn't even have to Google; I PLAYED with the buttons, and I PLAYED more with the buttons, and I tried different things, and VOILA -- I figured it out. 

So now the big deal is to get ALL of my PDFs onto the iPad. Then, ALL my manuals and guides will be in one place, which would be amazing. I know some are on my computer, and probably my laptop and I might still keep some of those on those devices - just to have them handy, but I'll soon wean myself off that and use the iPad. At least I can say I'm using it then. It is probably the most underused iPad in the world. 

I also want to get my iPencil working. Yep -- I bought one of those and have rarely used it. I did search Google to find out how to charge it, and I am missing one small piece. I can charge it through the iPad, but a small connector allows me to charge it through a USB. I know I have that tiny part in the house somewhere, but where? 

My iPencil

Here's one more thing about Apple, and it involves the Apple store. I wanted to download a drawing program and play with it. And when I searched, I found one that I had to pay for -- OK -- maybe later, but right now I want a free one, and there were several. I downloaded the first one (a coloring book style), and the minute I went to open it, it asked for a subscription payment. AH --- you should have said that on the search page. I deleted it. 

This happened twice. HEY -- if you want me to pay, ask upfront; don't let me download, and then ask. I will ALWAYS delete those --- be honest!!!!!

Well, there is a success story with me and technology. OH -- I can get frustrated with technology when I can't figure it out, and that iPad was a pain! Almost to the point where I'd just go to the website to find the manual and use that through the iPad rather than store it on the iPad. Well, I no longer have to do that!!! 

And all it took was a bit of finagling and a will to learn how to make the product work as I wanted. It's not that I don't understand technology; I want it to work in a certain way. I'm not an early adopter, but I push this stuff to the limit and try to make it do things MY way, not the way the company wants. I will NEVER buy an Apple book to use and sort it in the iBooks app. NEVER. 

OH -- I should mention that when you open the file folder system and click on a book? You can open it in iBooks to read it like a book (swiping pages). That's exactly what I wanted, but there is NOWHERE that tells you how to do that. I need to start my own YouTube channel on solving problems that NO ONE else seems to have the answer for!!!!

On that note, I'm out of here. It's minus 4 right now, but by the time I finish the walk, it's supposed to be PLUS 4. What weird weather!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Car wash blues!

I'm comforted knowing that I'm not alone in this decluttering journey! How is it possible that we've allowed ourselves to accumulate so much clutter - physical things or digital assets. Oh well --- we'll get through it!

No one will care a single thing about my computer once I'm gone. No one would dig through those photos, and no one would need or want my old email. I only do this to make room for MORE on my computer and make it easier to find what I have! Then perhaps I could actually do stuff with my photos!

I'm quite happy with the file structure document I wrote for my class! Let's see how many of them get their embroidery files organized!!

And I made a mistake! I kept saying that I was reading Book Five of the Harry Potter series - The Goblet of Fire. Ooops -- that was Book FOUR! That's how much I pay attention to this stuff! I caved and ordered the fifth audiobook, which arrived last night, as well as another audiobook, so I'll have to delay that one. 

I was quilting a quilt yesterday and I had to laugh because at one point, I was reminded of Moody's saying in The Goblet of Fire - Constant Vigilence! Yep -- that was needed because look what happened.

An open seam!

 

Yep  -- there was an open seam on a half-square triangle. I happened to be standing right there, and I saw the seam open as the hopping foot got near, but I wasn't quick enough to hit the BIG RED STOP button on the computer before it went a bit too far. Thankfully, I was standing right there, so the repair job was easy and there are no holes in the quilt. But if I had NOT been there? Well - that's a whole other story. 

The bottom line is that the quilt is done. 

Customer quilt - DONE

The next one is loaded, so I can quilt it today. 

The next quilt loaded

It was time to try to clean up the projects from the retreat. I ran out of yellow/white/black fabric for a quilt, so I had to dig through my yardage and the scrap boxes. 

Finding bits of yellow/white/black fabric

Yikes-- I do NOT have a lot of those colors (on the same print), but I managed to find enough to get what I wanted. It's all bundled back up and ready for the next retreat. 

One sewing project ready for the next retreat

Then, I managed to get those four log cabin blocks cut for Cabin in the Woods. I had cut and sewed one set while at the retreat, but realized with TWO quilts I needed 8 blocks, not 4. DUH!!!!

Cabin in the Woods is ready to sew

I found a brand-new seam ripper that will fit into my retreat toolbox. I've no idea why I put that small one in there, as I know how much I hate them. Now I'm good for any rippin' issues!

A new seam ripper for the retreat box

I got the last blocks cut for the third block of the Heartfelt sampler, so that was good. This is the current month's homework. I still need to get the next set of blocks sewn as well!

One more block set cut for the Heartfelt Sampler

I had TWO blocks that needed additional fabrics for the 365-day quilt, and some of that was done this morning. 

Cutting for the 365-day quilt

What I need now is a DAY to sew. I still have the Tequila Lime homework to process before Saturday, so I'd better focus on that later today!

After the retreat, the car was very muddy! I mean, it was MUD COVERED from top to bottom. On my way home from the gym, I happened to glance at the gas, and OH BOY -- I had 40 km left in the tank. That's one thing that I wish were different in this car. There is NO LIGHT to come on when the tank hits a certain level, or if it does, I don't see it. So you have to watch the gauge, and this was cutting it a bit close. I notice that I seem to be the one to fill the car -- it's never DH! 

While at the gas station, I decided to wash the car since it was a glorious day. Well, I was about 10th in line - I should have come back. There wasn't a single car in that line that had a speck of mud or dirt on it, so why were they in the line? I get that you want your car clean, but we have NOT had a lot of slush lately, so they were just taking up space!!!

In the line for the carwash

And then there was the idiot two cars in front of me, waiting at the entrance. Someone was honking their horn, but I couldn't see what was going on because of the angle, and it was taking FOREVER - just the entire process. This guy was at the door and had no idea what to do. The guy who was honking got out of his car to help him. DUH!!!!! 

But the car is all shiny and clean again. 

Inside the car wash

That process took over ONE HOUR, and of course, there were only a couple of cars behind me, so I hit that line at the absolute worst time. Sigh.............

I love this picture as Little Bear is eating his breakfast, Lexi is outside (can you spot her?), and Murphy is waiting for Bear to finish his breakfast so she can lick his bowl clean. She's been doing that Lexi for years and is offering the same service to Bear. But look at her --- while she's there, she's not glancing at the bowl. Oh no - that would look like she was greedy, so I'll look the other way!!! 

Nope - I'm not waiting for Bear to finish at all!

It was another glorious day outside, so we got a bit of cuddle time in the gazebo! Who would have thought that we could have cuddle time outside in February!

Cuddling with Grandma!

And so much for keeping on top of the paperwork. Look at my desk this morning. Covered in crap that I need to process. I've been spending too much time cleaning up digital files, so I ignored the physical stuff. There just isn't enough time in one day to do everything!!! This is all the stuff that came in since I got home from the retreat! Or that I emptied from my office backpack after the retreat. 

My desk this morning

I have a Husqvarna Viking presentation tonight on Accessories! If you're interested, it's run through https://www.needleworkscanada.ca/classes.htm, but since it's on Zoom,  you can attend. Call them and get the link! 

I had another amazing spin class -- it's challenging but motivating! Then I went to physio to have those muscles stretched out! Ouch! OK -- so I MUST get better and do the stretches more frequently at home. Summer is coming, and I could have abs of steel! Or I guess they say - washboard abs! Hardly, but it's a goal!

But the little that I have done has made a difference. As we age and don't use our muscles as much, they either get tight or lose strength. Mine were doing BOTH, so now, I'm on the right track. Why are there so many things we're supposed to be doing but don't?

Oh well -- -time to get the day started!!!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!

Two girls and a boy

 At last -- the final two distribution lists are recreated! The more I put people into my contact list, the easier it became. The dates for the UFO Club are set, and all that remains is to send a couple of emails, which should NOT take long. I hope to get it all completed today!

Part of the homework follow-up from yesterday is done, and I should be good to get everything finished TODAY. That will be awesome. That was on my list of paperwork to finish before the end of the year, but with that little hiccup I had, it just put me off. 

I hate when that happens, but I sometimes don't deal with technology defeat well, and it slows me down. Once I'm over this block, I should be good. Thank goodness I only have a few classes to deal with this year. I like the reduced workload a LOT. 

Yep -- I have a "free" day today. Whatever shall I do with my time? Oh -- I've got lots -- it's just a question of what to choose. 

I have to say that sending and receiving emails has become a whole new experience. No waiting! Now, how exciting is that? All because there was no room on the hard disk. What's frustrating is that the Microsoft team (who THREE times) had access to my computer and, on a previous occasion, did NOT tell me that. Thank goodness, I'm curious and figured out the problem. That's why I pay myself the BIG BUCKS!!!

We had two pretty comprehensive Zoom classes in the morning. LOTS of questions, which I love. When people ask questions, that means they are thinking. But here's a thought that I put before them yesterday. I strongly encourage people to experiment (especially with a technique class). Try out different things and see what happens. I then encourage them to send me photos so we can review them in class. 

Some of them did some experimenting and then said -- it wasn't worth sending. WHAT? Why not? EVERY SAMPLE is worth discussing. Then, some of them said they didn't like their satin stitch. OK -- so why not? Maybe there was some advice I could have offered to make it better. That's WHY I encourage this!!!!! 

So that got me to thinking about a class. When I offer a multi-part class, whether on Zoom or in person, I try to give homework to the group. Then, they return to the following class, and we review/critique the samples to see what went right and what could be improved. 

If you do NOT show samples, guess what? You are missing FIFTY PERCENT of the benefit of the class. FIFTY PERCENT -- that's huge. And I don't just say as feedback -- OH -- that looks nice. I offer constructive advice on how it could be improved or ask why they did what they did. This is HOW we learn!!! 

Hopefully, we'll have a bit more homework at the next session! Not for me -- but for them!

M left early yesterday morning, however someone got left behind and that was intentional. Yep -- we're now a three-dog household for a couple of MONTHS. Yep -- the stories we can share will be exciting. 

Here are some things that happened while the girls and a boy settled into a routine. 

Lexi is a grazer when it comes to eating. She eats when she wants and sometimes only eats once a day. That's her choice -- she is NOT starving. Murphy knows better than to touch that bowl of dog food. 

However, Bear doesn't have the same respect. When he finishes his bowl of icky canned food, he immediately jumps to Lexi's bowl and starts chomping away on the kibble. Remember, he has no teeth and needs to harden those gums!

Lexi was OK the first day, but then she started to get a bit miffed, so while the others were eating, she was guarding her bowl of food. I notice that she doesn't often let it sit all day any longer. Poor Lexi, her grazing habits get her into "trouble" all the time. She can't savor a treat or a bone because Murphy will get it. And now Bear gets into her food. 

NO ONE is touching my food! 

I'm trying to put some of the kibble into Bear's bowl so he won't go to Lexi's, and we'll see how that goes today. 

Bear looks up to Murphy and wants to play and be with her. Bear will go outside (he likes being outside) and then look back to see if Murphy is coming. Then they hang out in the backyard doing dog stuff. 

MOM -- I'm watching out for the little guy!

And where's Lexi in all this? Oh, sleeping on the couch. God forbid the Princess goes outside with the lower class! 

MOM -- Nothing to look at here!

At one point, it looked like Bear had been a bad dog, but he wasn't in trouble, just checking out the wall. Why? No idea!!!!

Bear, have you been bad? 

But there he is again -- hanging out with Murphy! His pal!

MOM -- just hanging out at the door

While you may have scatter rugs at your house -- we have scatter dogs! While they all love each other, they are not snugglers with each other. Oh no -- that would show affection, and we can't do that!!

Scatter dogs

All right -- who is the sleuth amongst you? This is what the new sign looks like at the downsized Loblaw store. Does anyone know what that is? I first thought of Mark's Workwarehouse, but that's different from what their storefront looks like. Hmm -- unless one of you knows - I might just have to wait. And that's orange, not red. Well orange-red. 

What storefront is this?

So I had an experience with the new car yesterday. Oh -- I have experiences almost every time I get in. Like, how the heck does something as simple as the radio work? Yep -- it's a challenge, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. It's not that it doesn't work -- it's just that I can't figure it out. I think I'm supposed to play it through Android Car Play, but why can't I just play the car radio? 

Anyway -- that's a mystery for another day, and I might go back to Toyota to ask. I have a few questions which I need help figuring out. Of course, if I read the manual, I might be able to do that. However, I noticed that one of the sensors on the winter tires is malfunctioning, so I need to go back to get that fixed. 

My trauma came from parking the car in the garage. I like to back into the parking space, and we have room in our garage to park one car. HEY -- we only have one car, so no problem. I heard we were having snow, which we did. We can park on either side of the garage, but it would require moving a few things from one side to the other- two bicycles and garbage carts. No big deal. 

So, as I approach the garage door, the beepers start flashing from yellow to red, and then a horn starts blaring. This car is a bit wider than my other one, so I have no idea how many times I had to go back and forth until I got it right. I overrode those beeps and horns and backed in! 

The car is clear of snow in the garage

It fits just perfectly in that spot! So, hopefully, that process gets easier the more I get back into the garage. We got snow last night, but not much, but now, not having to move cars in the driveway, it's going to be super easy to shovel! OK -- so I wanted one car as part of my decluttering process! I admit it! 

I managed to spend some time with the sewing machine. I got my audiobook going and sewed until the battery in the headphones died. I'll share what I was making later, but I think you can see that they're log cabin blocks. 

Making log cabin blocks

M and I finished the EXIT Game we started a while back. I gave DH one for his birthday - the Lord of the Rings EXIT Game. So last night, HE cracked it open. He's not very good at reading the instructions. I had to stop him from looking at stuff - he wanted to read the book and look at the map and all the other stuff. LEAVE IT until the game tells you to look at the items. SHEESH!!! 

A new EXIT Game

I showed him how the answers worked, and my job was to check his answers. A couple of wrong turns, and then he looks at me - now what? Well, since I haven't even had a chance to read anything - don't look at me. So he put it in front of me. OK -- I confess that I saw the answer pretty much right away. Oops. 

Then, we moved on to the next puzzle. Let's just say that he's NOT patient. I had to help with the fiddly stuff, and then I immediately saw the answer again but wasn't going to say anything. Let's say we got the two puzzles without looking at any clues. 

We moved on to the third puzzle, and both of us were stumped. But I tell you -- when it was after 6 PM, and I had already taxed my brains with solving two puzzles, there wasn't much left. So it's still sitting on the kitchen table, and we can mull over it today. 

Again, these games with 10 puzzles are great value for the money, especially if you look around for the best pricing. I found that to be at Puzzles Canada or on sale at Indigo. 

I seem to be fascinated (who knows why) by the concentration camps during the Second World War. I think fascination (and maybe obsession is a better word) because of what the human body can endure. Not just physically but mentally. How did they keep themselves going? How would our entitled society endure such horrors? 

I started to read a new book about the man who escaped from Auschwitz. It is heart-wrenching to see how the Jewish population slowly had their rights taken away from them. It didn't happen overnight, but bit by bit, they lost everything. It blows my mind that we can treat others this way. But that was what that war was all about.

The book is called The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland. Here's an article I found about the book. 

We CANNOT erase history, but we can learn from it. Why aren't we learning? 

Shoot -- I have another history story - about quilting history. It's disturbing, but I see I've run out of time. 

I'll leave you with that cliffhanger and tell you tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

On writing a quilt book

I don't know about you, but all this decluttering and keeping things up to date is EXHAUSTING. I literally fall into bed shortly after dinner. I'm trying not to, but I'm tired! And that's a good thing - I'd rather go to bed tired than lie there unable to sleep. 

I'm not a messy person by nature. I used to be super neat and tidy until M came along, and then my brain went to mush. This "new" philosophy of tidying and cleaning started well over ten years ago, but getting back on track is a long haul. I'm a Virgo, after all, and I can see the tidying thing becoming VERY addictive. Oh gosh -- I can't even leave a dirty dish on the kitchen counter. Not MY dirty dishes, that is. And how many times does one need to pass the Swifter on the floor? 

I thought you'd get a laugh from this. When I had my old car detailed, I had to empty EVERYTHING out of it, which makes sense. I grabbed a bag, and in about one minute, the car was empty. Everything fit in this bag. 

The entire personal contents of my old car

And that includes the extra lug nuts and the lock nut for the extra tires, the old GPS, and the few things I kept in it. I hear stories of people who "live" in their cars, and the backseat is filled with junk. Nope -- I've always kept a tidy car. When I return home, I remove everything from it - shopping, garbage, or whatever. It takes a few seconds to gather everything up, otherwise, it would be just like my office! 

Speaking of how small my car was -- here's a great picture of it sandwiched between two trucks! Yep - it almost looks like a toy car!

My old car sandwiched between two trucks

Oh -- I thought this was a picture of the new car - oh well. This is what the old one looked like, and yes -- It was a nice car! But no regrets!

The old car

So far, we're managing just fine with one car. We're pretty much the same height, so we don't have to readjust lots when switching drivers. I must see if we have two driver-seat settings, but I don't think so. We just need to get better at indicating when we want the car. I used it to do an errand yesterday to find there was 45 KM left on the approximation for gas. Hmmm --- so I had to fill it up! I hope that doesn't become a usual thing. It's like having a teenager drive the car and return it empty!

I'm not going to mention the name of the book or the author - I don't know why, but I won't. But I grabbed a modern quilt book from the library a couple of weeks ago to see if there was anything interesting. The book was published in 2021. I was reading it at lunch yesterday, and thank goodness I was home alone because the more I read, the louder and louder the groans got! 

Just because someone thinks they should write a book doesn't mean they should! It amazes me how people can assume that they are NEW to quilting and so they should document their experience because they had to learn by making it up! Good grief -- have they not done some research? Have they not talked to other quilters? There's a HUGE world on the internet, so there should be no reason to have to learn on your own! 

But this is where the situation gets weird. And it's almost like a teenager saying to their parent - "You know nothing - I know everything!" Not that any of us had to experience that from our teenagers! 

Just an example -- the rulers she recommends. 6" by 24". Seriously? Why would you want a 6" wide ruler? If you are going to cut 6½" squares (a common size), then you at least need a 6½" ruler. I'm not sure if they even make a 6" wide any longer. Oh -- I'm sure they do, but they shouldn't. Her second recommended ruler was a 6" by 12". Yes -- I love that ruler, and yes - it could be wider, but I've never used that ruler for cutting squares, so I concur with her on that one. The third ruler was a square 12½". OK - I get that the third ruler should be square, but 12½"? How are you going to square up your components? Nope -- you need a 6½". 

So, while some of the information is OK, there is a lot that just doesn't make LOGICAL sense. And I need logic. I will never tell you to buy or do something if I can't justify why you would need it. Then, people can decide to buy based on logic, not "because!" 

There were many other instances in the book (the quick version of A to Z of making a quilt), and OH MY -- if I was new, well, I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone learning to quilt. There are much better books out there. It was published by Blue Star Press, and I'm not sure if they have a quilt editor, but some of this stuff wouldn't or shouldn't get by a quilt editor! 

Oh well --- thankfully, I'm past the point of learning the basics, but it's super frustrating when I see stuff like that. Someone will buy that book and learn from it, but there are much better ways of doing things. It's the same with Pinterest and any other site on the internet. If someone can find a way to sell their gadget to encourage people to buy -- then they do so. And the only reason is monetary gain on their part. How many gadgets have come and gone? Go back to the OLD quilt books, as that is where you really learn how things were done, and they make logical sense! 

The decluttering in Studio B continues. WAIT --- there was only one area to declutter, and it got done yesterday. I didn't take a picture. I'm now saving all pictures of Studio B until New Year's Day. 

I attempted to get more of what was on the cutting table done. Why are all those jobs taking so long? They are time-consuming, and that's probably why they've been sitting there for over a year. 

One more sleeve got prepped and ready to hand stitch in place during the next Zoom call. 

One more quilt sleeve is prepped

I dug out the button jar to find two buttons and pressed the label so it could be stitched by hand to this quilt. Do you even want to know the date on the label? 2008! Sigh...................

Another project for hand stitching

Two pet mats were finished with the serger. 

Two more pet mats are complete

And you have to love those air-threading sergers. I'm using the Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S 600, and it's a dream to use. It was threaded for a 4-thread overlock in mere seconds, and the stitch was beautiful. 

Perfect four-thread overlock stitch

And one more customer quilt was done. It's trimmed and waiting for pickup. Well, I have a second one to do for this customer, and it's loaded and ready to go later today. 

Customer quilt - DONE

But not before I ran out of thread on the top - again! But again -- I had a second spool, so all was good. 

One more spool bites the dust

Oh -- I should mention that the morning was devoted to computer work. And YES -- I made a huge accomplishment. I'm behind, and I owe a lot of e-mails, but they are coming, so just hang on. Today, I have another "topic" of paperwork lined up. It's great to get some of this stuff cleaned up, but boy, oh boy -- computers can be frustrating. 

My printer recognizes my desktop computer, BUT only for scanning. It doesn't recognize it as a printer. Can you tell me why that is? So, if I want to print something, I can send the document to my phone or print it from my laptop. Yes -- it's totally ridiculous, but I know how to make it work. But since the e-mail of all three devices are linked, I have to wait for e-mail to sync and I don't know how to force that on the computer. 

The printer is in another room, so I get loads of steps running back and forth to make anything happen with that. 

I tell you, there are days when I even wonder if I should be allowed to touch a computer. And I really need to learn how to "move" versus "copy" files. Then I'm going to have a couple of days where I need to DELETE many e-mails from my computer. Now that the classes are over for 2023, I don't think I need to keep the e-mails. I have copies of everything I sent them, so there is no need to keep all that. I think some of that is clogging up the memory in the e-mail program and making it very sluggish to use!

It's all fun and games, to be sure. 

Another area that hasn't really been touched in this house is the laundry room. But then, there isn't much stuff there. But I found a portable vacuum. Hmm -- does it work? I charged it up, and YES -- it works. So maybe the cleaning lady can use that one as she doesn't even use the new Dyson I bought. She prefers to use a broom. Sigh..........................

A Swifter Vacuum

I got a chuckle at lunch as I looked over at the sofa. Wait -- what's that I see? 

MOM -- I can hear you!!!

Oh -- that would be our lazy girl Lexi! Yep -- she's made a huge mess of the couch. It's filthy. Well, that's her couch now, and I don't sit there, so she can make it as messy as she would like! 

MOM -- Just chilling! 

I have to say that I'm impressing myself with my newly acquired ability to FOCUS. I would have abandoned many of those projects on the cutting table. Hey -- I've done them many times before. But my brain isn't even allowing me to think about what's on the table with all the projects. The FOCUS is to get the stuff on the cutting table out of the way. 

I'm not sure how long that will last -- all it's going to take is an unscheduled class homework, and caution will be thrown to the wind. But, if I sit down once a week and plan the week ahead, I should be able to stay ahead of the game. Yes-- that requires some thought and a little bit of time. But I bet it's going to save me a whole lot of grief. Of course, I'll put some "fun" time in there, but I have to give the scheduling a try if I want to make headway here. 

We are still behind on the EXIT Game Advent Calendar. I confess that last night, we were stumped. Even when we finally looked at the clues -- the puzzle was a bit far-fetched. OK -- so it wasn't when you applied the logic, but it wasn't the logic that either of us identified with. Oh -- that's a bunch of crock! The logic was there, and it was logical - we just didn't figure it out! We still have five puzzles to go! I hope they are all easy ones. Up until yesterday, we've been doing pretty well - at least for the last 6 or 7 puzzles. 

I see it's going to be warm and wet AGAIN! I'm not complaining - that was an observation. I think we are getting sun next week! 

Remember, the Virtual Retreat is on Sunday! So get some handwork prepped or some sewing for those who are not a fan of handwork, and you know who you are! 

Sunday, December 31st - starts at Noon

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85786332961?pwd=QklPVDZkL3lEOGVXL3ZBQ29oU010dz09

Meeting ID: 857 8633 2961
Passcode: 084495

And have you been giving some thought to what you're going to start decluttering on January 1st? Or that first week in January? I'm going to return to the office since my plan is to have Studio B all done by then. Oh gosh -- that's only three days, and I don't know if I can do it, but it'll be close! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!