The view never gets old!

 Oh, Elle — yes — a 24-hour backup would be pretty nice about now. However, I am still able to access the data on the FATAL error hard drive, but it's sometimes slow going. I'm not sure, but it appears there are some corrupt cells on the hard disk, and if a file happens to be in one of those cells, it's not available. Other times, it just takes a long time to open. Well, I have time, but more importantly, I have patience. I will not be a victim of this again. Twice is enough!!

So yes --- if your external hard drives have been around for a while, it's not a bad idea to back them up or migrate the data to a new one before they fail. 

I finished reading The Brain at Rest today, and I want to highlight a couple of things the author (Dr. Joseph Jebelli) mentions that are good for your brain. These things help grow your brain, so if you have injuries, you still have lots of brain cells left. It also helps your brain process information faster, reduces the risk of dementia, helps you live longer, and makes you more creative. That is a very quick nutshell, but here are the things he suggests: 

1. Don't Work Too Hard
2. Let Your Mind WANDER
3. Forest Bathing
4. Embrace Solitude
5. Sleep More
6. Play
7. Stay Active
8. Niks (doing absolutely nothing at all!)
9. Just Say NO!!!!!!!

It really is a wonderful list of things to do, and thankfully, I already do most of them. I'm learning to say NO, and I try not to work too hard (now). The rest of the things—I do regularly. I'm not a super social person - wait, I can be a social person when the time calls, but I much prefer to hang out with the girls and DH at home. Yep!!! I love solitude - no music, no audiobook, nothing, but my brain to entertain me. Trust me, when I let it wander, there is no telling where I will end up!

Forest bathing? Oh yes—Murphy and I did that today. She had to go to the vet for her appointment, and she was so excited to go for a walk in the afternoon that we left the house early. We had a few minutes to sit in the forest and contemplate life. It was glorious. It also helped that it was 21°C today. I was only wearing a sweatshirt, and I was sweating! Well, I had pants on, of course! 

MOM -- why aren't we going anywhere?

I don't think Murphy got the concept of STOPPING for a bit. I was sitting on a log, and she was wrapped around a tree, trying to figure out why she couldn't go anywhere, even though she was facing the correct direction to get out of her dilemma. 

Then she figured it was time for a rest. 

MOM -- I'm forest bathing, just like you!

That dog just doesn't get the concept of a leisurely stroll. It's FAST or STOP. Notice how my hand is outstretched! I swear that leash is about 12 inches longer than it was when I started using it a couple of years ago!

MOM -- you are too slow!!!!!

Then it was hard to resist! This view never gets old. I have the musical windchime in front of me, the bamboo one back near the greenhouse, so they don't always ring at the same time, and if a big gust comes by, it rings the cowbell behind my head! The pond isn't open yet, but when it does -- well, I see some big naps coming on. 

The view never gets old.

As a matter of fact, that gazebo is a great place to do almost everything on that list that keeps your brain healthy!!! Solitude, napping, letting your mind wander, etc. 

However, Miss Murphy just can't leave that pond alone. Earlier in the day, when I was sitting out there, she found a ball and stood for the longest time looking at the water and looking at me. I told her numerous times to not drop the ball in the water. 

MOM -- the ball -- it jumped in the water! I swear! 

Then, after we came back from the vet, I was sitting in the gazebo and noticed her hanging on the edge of the pond. WHAT????? 

MOM -- I'm so hot!!!!!

Oh yes --- she was so hot from the walk and the temperature that she was slowly easing herself into the water - right in front of my eyes. Of course, I grabbed the camera to get a picture before I grabbed her!!! There is a ledge in the pond that she is resting her front paws on. 

MOM -- the water is cold!!!!!

I love how she just slides right in. What a nut case!!!! After I got her out, she lay on the side of the pond while she dried off. Sigh...............  It's not even summer hot -- I'm going to have to get her swimming pool ready for her! She just runs HOT!!!! 

I got some samples made for my upcoming Facebook Live on the Husqvarna Viking Large Magnetic Hoop. That was great. I don't think I have any other samples to make, but I have an entire week to consider whether I need anything more. You can see all the details at this link. There are already quite a few people expressing interest in joining the presentation. It just got posted today at lunchtime! 

I'll be discussing the difference between metal and magnetic hoops, so it's going to have some great information. And some cool samples! 

So that was good to get the samples out of the way. I need to find one more sample that is upstairs, and I need to get that done tonight. I'm going to be away for a few days and won't have much time to get set up and make samples when I return. Plus, I have that guild presentation as well. I need to pull the quilts for that show. 

I'm not in a panic, and I have loads of time. All is good. 

I had to make this thing to take with me. It's an absorbent pad to place on a pillow to keep it dry. I bought a towel and some ZORB fabric. I created a backing from flannel. So it's like a quilt with the flannel as the backing, the ZORB as the batting, and the towel on top. The towel has extra length on the two sides to wrap around the pillow. I don't know if it will work, but I'm going to give it a whirl. 

My super absorbent pillow pad

That item has been sitting here for quite a while, and YES - it was on the visual To-Do list. One more thing gone!!! Someone asked me if I ever add things to the list, and the answer is NO. However, I am going to make one exception. 

Every week at Monday sewing, I prepare a presentation for the group. It could be our show-and-tell or other things I've seen out and about. Today was all about postcards, and I was reminded that I still owe someone a postcard. It's only been 22 years since the postcard was promised. I think I should add the postcard to the Visual To-Do list. I remember exactly what I was going to put on it, but where is the project? 

But I might just figure out how to do the concept a different way, and I could make it, pop it in the mail, and see what happens!!!! Yes --- I might just do that!!! She doesn't read my blog, so no danger of her seeing my intentions here. 

Well, I had an amazing sleep last night—just over 8 hours, with almost 2 hours of deep sleep. DH is ready to throw my phone away because he doesn't get much deep sleep, and is tired of me always having more than he does. I typically get more than 1 hour each night. He is the one who started checking the sleep patterns, and I found them on my phone. It was never something I followed. One day, he will face the fact that my health is better than his. That doesn't say I will live longer, but I take better care of myself than he does. 

Anyway, speaking of that, I just heard the beep letting me know my laundry is done, and I need to toss a few clothes into a suitcase! Then I'm ready for my early morning flight. Yes -- the mouse, mouse pad, and the Fitbit charger are already packed. I'm sure I'll have forgotten something else, but all is good!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Dear Jen and letting go!

Setting the mood for the day! Yesterday didn't start out well as several irritating or unexpected issues arose, and that was before 9 AM! However, I discussed my frustration with one of the groups, and all was OK. I have a Plan B, and that's all that counts! 

Thanks to everyone on that call for listening to me! Sometimes, all you need is someone to listen. I didn't need them to solve the problem; I just needed to vent. 

Good grief—I've been meaning to talk about Dear Jen, but I keep getting caught up with other things. 

Dear Jen was the fifth Jen Kingwell quilt I taught. The others being Long Time Gone, Wanderer's Wife (previously Gypsy Wife), Boho Heart, and Green Tea and Sweet Beans. I think this fifth one was a killer. It was the worst of the lot for the blocks; however, the setting is the easiest!

Dear Jen

Some of the 72 blocks in this quilt border on ridiculous! And of course, it was designed for hand piecing, where you can get away with much more! I haven't had a chance to return to work on my quilt, but I've made a huge start. I believe I shared it a couple of weeks ago, but in case you forgot, here's what mine looks like. 

My version of Dear Jen

I will get it done! 

Here is what happened for the others in the Dear Jen class. Something about this pattern made you either love it or hate it—or come to hate it! Two other people called it a day early on and made smaller projects. 

Cheryl

Gail

I applaud Cheryl and Gail wholeheartedly. They made a decision, substituted blocks or used orphan blocks, but did NOT let the project become a UFO. Kudos to both of them. 

Then several people loved the blocks, and while the tops aren't finished yet, they are well on their way to completing them. 

Brenda made one of each block and used the same narrow sashing I chose. 

Brenda

Lucy made many blocks and added others from her orphan block stash. She found a center block/panel; all that remains is assembling it. 

Lucy

Lois made most of the blocks and will be sashing them with a gold fabric. 

Lois

Lois

Leslie made THREE of each block. Some were substitutes. 

Leslie

Linda was making three or four of every block, and until spring hit (garden time), she kept up with the monthly homework! 

Linda V

Linda V

Cathie made three of many blocks, and her top is almost together. 

Cathie

The rest of the group made significant progress on the blocks but stalled along the way. And that's OK - I got stalled. It's OK to get stalled. Now is the time to stop making more blocks for this project and make something with what you have, like Gail and Cheryl did at the beginning of this post. 

Sheila

Sheila

Sandy

Nancy

Kathi

Maryke

Margaret

Lynn

Linda W

Karen

Deb

Cathy

Cathy

This was a very challenging quilt. The colors, the blocks, the quantity—everything about it was challenging. Everyone should congratulate themselves on what they accomplished and move on! Why did I choose this quilt? Multiple people suggested it, and I said YES before looking at the pattern. Sigh....... Lesson learned: Do NOT agree to teach something not on your radar screen!!

I will say that I contemplated many times - if others can make these blocks, then why can't I? I have the skills, but something about this quilt or my mental state said - it's not going to happen. As I mentioned in my other blog post, my Dear Jen quilt will be completed and used in the studio as a reminder that I do NOT have to finish every project I start. Or I don't have to make it like the original. Making it smaller, conquering that fear of not making it like the original is a HUGE roadblock, and I can safely say that I made it over the barrier. 

Needless to say, this is the last Jen Kingwell on my to-do list! I may consider one other, Small World, but I'm done! 

Speaking of being done, I'm about done with classes. I don't want to say I'm at the breaking point, but I will be so thankful when this month ends. I never thought I would say that, but I'm so ready to throw in the towel. My brain has reached its capacity and beyond. I just need to stretch it over one more week to get through Quilt Canada, and then I'll be home free. 

People have said that you know when it's time to retire, downsize, or whatever. I've reached that point! I'm not ready to stop cold turkey, but I'm done! I need a break! I'm so glad I made the decision to cut back. It's going to be a treat to work on my projects without having to stop and take pictures or prep a presentation! I can hardly wait! 

On that note, we have the UFO club this morning, which is my favorite since it means we are getting those old projects done! Everything is ready to go!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Quilting and mental health

I think we can all agree that quilting benefits our mental well-being. For some, it provides a widespread social network through an in-person guild, classes, online, social media, etc. Many of us have met and maintained long-time friendships through quilting. 

If you moved, what would be the first thing you would do? Well, maybe not the first, but you would check out the local quilt stores, guilds, and sewing groups. 

And yes - I get that there are issues - guilds can be "unfriendly" because people have their cliches, teachers, or store owners may be less than friendly, but for the most part, we have all had relatively good experiences meeting new quilters. 

It's also therapeutic. People take handwork to pass the hours while sitting with loved ones in times of comfort. People travel with their handwork to occupy their time on a plane, at the beach, or at a cottage on a rainy day. People love to sew, and even at home, it fills many hours for retired and working people. What the heck would we do with our time otherwise? Perhaps we'd be cruising up and down Main Street and getting into trouble! 

Quilters are also very generous with their time and their quilts. Many organizations have benefited from donations of quilts or other items—Quilts of Valour, Victoria Quilts, Project Linus, Quilts for Survivors, Comfy Cases (pillowcase), and I'm sure I've missed a few. Other organizations take quilts to help people in crisis. 

How many have received a handmade quilt or quilted item? It warms the heart to know someone cared enough to spend the time to make a gift for them. However, not everyone is quilt-worthy! 

We all know how good quilting is for our mental health, but when is the line crossed when quilting becomes harmful to you? Yes, while quilting is good, it can cause you many problems. I've mentioned this in the past on the blog, but those cute little memes about how much fabric we have? Or the creative places we hide it? Those memes are giving us permission that more is better, that we're not alone, and that what we are doing is OK.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those are not cute! They are a sign of mental illness, which is called hoarding! 

I am guilty of hoarding craft supplies, particularly quilting supplies. It did not take me long to amass a massive stash of fabric, gadgets, rulers, patterns, etc. Why? I needed them. Thankfully, that habit was curbed about 15 years ago, but I did some serious damage before reality clicked in. 

Now, here is the thing - even if everything is super organized and my stuff is pretty organized, how much will I use in my lifetime? And who will deal with it if I don't wake up tomorrow? Family? Friends? Another quilter? I'm sure many of you have dealt with a friend's stash, and it wasn't fun. 

Would any of you want to deal with what I have? I thought so! It would take weeks of physical and mental strength to deal with it all. Even if you brought in a dumpster, it would be one of the most stressful things you've had to do! 

I've harped enough about the stash in the past, so I will leave that. Today - yes - all that above was to chat about another subject. UFOs!! Yes --- that is not an Unidentified Flying Object, that is a UNFINISHED OBJECT in your sewing room! 

You define a UFO's status for yourself, but if it's a class project, the second that class is over, it becomes a UFO. The minute it gets put back on the shelf, it's a UFO. Now, here's the story I wanted to share yesterday, but I had to wait to share it with my class first. 

We had our final class of Dear Jen (Jen Kingwell) yesterday. Of all the quilts I've taught over the years, this one almost killed me and the students. The blocks were a challenge and definitely harder than they needed to be. The coloring was a challenge, the fabrics were a challenge - everything was a challenge. We had a fantastic show and tell because I went back and pulled pictures from everyone over the past 8 months. I'll share it with you tomorrow, so this doesn't become too long today. 

Several months ago, I realized most of the class was in trouble, including me. That day, I gave all the students permission to STOP - do no more blocks, but try to figure out what you could do with what they had already made. When a project is no longer fun -- guess what? That becomes an issue for your mental health! 

Yes -- that innocent little box of blocks or half-finished project becomes a massive weight in the back of your mind. Imagine if you have a lot of UFOs --- your brain is subconsciously thinking about them, and the stress is not good! 

Have you ever noticed how euphoric it is to finish a UFO? Imagine if you had none? OK - I know some of you have no UFOs, and I congratulate you on that accomplishment and discipline. Elle, I can see you waving your hand in the back of the room! LOL - I wish I could be more like you! Most quilters fail at that, including me. But I am trying "desperately" (that phrase brings a whole other quilting story to my mind, which I'll share another day) to eliminate these UFOs. Or at the very least, to prep the top, backing, and binding. And that's a whole other story for another day! 

In preparation for this last Dear Jen quilt class and the "lecture" I would give them, I needed to up my game and do something with my blocks, or they could turn around and call me a hypocrite! I was excited about this project initially, but I faltered and just could not wrap my head around it. Was it my fabric choice (another story), time, or what? Anyway, I now have a ton of topics to pick up and chat about this coming week. I wrote them down so I won't forget!

Here's what happened with my quilt. These are the blocks I made. There are 72 blocks in this pattern, and I'm unsure how many I made, as some of these are duplicates. My initial plan was to make two of each. My background was white on black for the dark and black on white for the light. (Big story about that another day.) 

My Dear Jen blocks

While the blocks look fine, I just could not wrap my head around them. Too many colors? The background fabrics were driving me mad. Values within the blocks related to the background weren't always happening. And it looked busy, which isn't my thing. I think it's extremely important that we figure out why we don't like something, or we could repeat those mistakes. 

I decided to switch colors and use solid black for the blocks. While this was better, my brain was still very unhappy with the process. 

A new background

Knowing that the students' and my interest in the project was waning fast, it was a challenge each month to prepare and be super excited about this class. Guess what? More mental stress! 

In light of that upcoming final show and tell, I needed to pull up my bootstraps and do something with my blocks. So this is what I did. And it's funny because this setting was my original idea from the beginning. It's one that I spotted online and offered up to the group in the first class. Looking at it on the screen, I might rearrange some of the blocks before I sew them together. 

My Dear Jen quilt

I sorted out 25 blocks that worked together, and I added black sashing to the light backgrounds and white sashing to the dark backgrounds. Some of the others in the class used smaller sashing than I did, and I'm not sure I want to do that, although that was the original design, and it looks awesome. 

Two blocks still need sashing. This project has been on the floor by the cutting table for months. Then it got moved to one of those project tables. That's what I was so happy about—I put away all the excess fabric that had been pulled for this quilt. It's back on the shelf. And there's a wee bit more room on one of the tables. More about those tomorrow. 

I wasn't sure what to do with this as it's not super large—each block with framing is 8". As I talked with everyone, I said I would make a child's quilt and give it away. Then, after glancing at my sewing machines beside me, I had a flash: I'm going to completely finish this quilt, and it will become a cover for one of my machines. It won't be shaped, just something to drape over to keep the dust off. 

YES—do you know how happy that makes me? I solved a "horrible" mental block, I'll finish this UFO (the class is now over), and I'll get a sewing machine cover in the deal. 

This is WHY quilting is bad for our mental health. As I went through all the pictures, I gave suggestions and PERMISSION to each person struggling to call it a day. DO NOT let these things become UFOs. You will regret it for the rest of your quilting life! 

Now, what will happen to my extra blocks? I had them arranged like this to go on the back of the quilt, but I think it'll be too wide. I have one more block with the black background that is almost finished, so I'm going to rearrange those, and they will go on the back! 

Extra Dear Jen blocks

I want to celebrate this quilt. Even though I did not finish the blocks in the book, I am going to finish the project. This is a huge breakthrough, and I want it to remind me each and every day that ANYTHING is possible if you let go! Do not let any quilting project get you down. Find a solution to finish it as it is, give it away, or whatever, but letting it drag you down mentally is not good! 

Neither is the clutter in the sewing room, which I've harped about enough in the past. That is why those three tables are my focus for the next month. 

I have ONE Zoom today, and the rest of the day is mine. Do you know how excited I am about that? Yes - I have lots of work to do, but I'm taking the day off. I'm going to sew! 

On that note, I want you to think long and hard about what I said above. Let things go—the world will not end, and you will be much happier. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Can you stop the ageing process?

I think we all know the answer to that question. The aging process can't be stopped, but it can be slowed. Even though I was and always have been very active, there were certain things I was NOT doing for my body, and it was starting to show—big time. This was not just because of aging but also the issue with my leg/back—whatever it is. 

So I decided to take back my life! I started stretching more—not enough, but way more than before. I started lifting weights (I'm never going to have a six-pack, and I'm OK with that). And you know what? I've never felt better, especially in the last couple of years. Things just start sliding, and we're not even aware of it, and then one day, you wake up, and you're not independent anymore. 

Everyone can stretch! You don't have to get down on the floor - you can stretch in your chair. You could stretch in bed, but you need to stretch to maintain flexibility in your body. And that flexibility will help with balance (no one wants to fall!). Find a routine that works for you! 

As for weight training, I get that not everyone can go to the gym, but you can get resistance bands and use those at home. Again, this can be done from your chair or just standing up next to a counter for support. You can do it while watching TV, so you don't even have to miss out on anything. But seriously, it can help turn the clock back! 

My legs feel stronger and definitely more reliable. There are times when the issue in my leg/back is gone, like this morning. I feel so much better after that workout yesterday. I know it won't sustain that, but it is getting better. The best news? No medication! 

Yes - it's easy to take a pill for any ailment, but at what cost? And I don't mean monetary costs! Living better means better mobility, mental health, independence, and hopefully, a longer and happier life! Trust me, I have issues -- two knees with torn meniscus or other tendon issues, a shoulder, and an elbow that are not happy. A neck tighter than a bow string on a violin, but thankfully, no headaches. And that leg/back issue. But you know what? I work around it because my independence is important to me. 

If one exercise at the gym hurts, then we try another one that doesn't. It's easy! 

To change topics, here's something simple, but we don't always figure it out! It's about remembering to do things. If that thing is not in a location that works for you, you will never make it happen. A case in point is that silly bone density medication, which I am committed to taking for the next year to see what happens. My goal is to get off that medication because I don't want to take it if I don't need to. I'm hoping that with weight training, I can eliminate the problem. So, the medication is now in my vitamin tray, and when I get out of the daily vitamins, I can remember to take that pill on Sunday morning. 

The same is true for the podcast. It's in the same folder as my audiobook app, so it's easy to remember to open that up and listen to two podcasts a day. Before that, I would forget because the app wasn't in the right spot. 

If something isn't working, try a new place, routine, or whatever to make that a part of your daily life! It has made a massive difference for me. 

I am very productive in the early morning and have resented giving it up (three days a week) to go to the gym. But I'm over that; getting back in good shape is more important than sewing. GASP!!! Hey -- if I'm not mobile, I will have difficulty sewing! 

I had fun playing with my digital cutters yesterday! There are so many things I want to make and so little time! I will share what I made with you after tomorrow, as I want to share it with the digital cutter group FIRST. 

Cutting stuff on the Momento

But I learned something while doing that project. I NEED to sort through all my papers. Oh my -- I have a lot of paper, but is it organized? Nope! So, I need to spend some time sorting through it so it's easy to find when I want something. I've got colored paper, plain cardstock, and so much more! All different sizes, and it's on shelves, but not neatly. I don't think I've ever shown you that area, and I'm not sure I want to. It's a bit of a mess!

Paper to sort

As I searched, the old part of me said, "Just go to the store and get exactly what you want." The new me said, "No. You have something here that will work," and the new me was right! 

Yesterday, I had several errands to run, so that was the basis for my walk. I'm so glad I'm able to incorporate the errands into my daily walk. For almost everything, I have stores or services close to me to satisfy almost all my needs. On occasion, I need to take the car. Bookstores, doctors, hospitals, dentists, post offices, grocery stores, furniture stores, clothing stores, thrift stores, etc. are all within walking distance. 

However, I will say something about that. I think I seriously started walking in 2020 or 2019. I'm not sure, but before that, walking to Tim's (less than 1 km) away was a BIG deal. It was a special day when I walked there and back. Actually, I think it was when we got these two crazy dogs that I started to walk more seriously. That would be about 8 years ago. Walking only to Tim's now would be a piece of cake. 

It's all about baby steps. You don't just decide to run a marathon—you need to train for it. So, smaller walks to build up your stamina, both physical and mental, are so important! 

And those crazy dogs of ours are—well, they are just crazy. Murphy just loves to play with her bear, and she ALMOST got this one out of the house. As Lexi was coming in, and the door was open, she grabbed that bear and made a beeline for the door. I managed to get the door shut with the bear still inside! But once the warmer weather hits, that bear will be outside! 

MOM - my bear needs fresh air!

Lexi is learning to love her bed. She spends more and more time in it. She's just not happy with any change, and I spotted her on the floor beside DH's chair last night rather than in the bed. Gosh, she needs to be brushed! She's one big ball of fluff. I must remember to take her brush with me and brush her in the forest! 

MOM - just chilling! 

I'm looking for a small table to replace the rickety TV table in the family room, and I spied these footstools. They are made in India and cost $50. WOW --- so lovely - I wouldn't want to sit or put my feet on them! I found various tables, but I need to measure them for height, so I'll go back. If I buy one, I'll need to pick it up with the car. They are a bit heavy to carry home. I don't want a repeat of that watermelon incident! That almost killed me. 

Beautiful footstool

But it reminds me of an incident years ago in Montreal. Does anyone remember Consumer Distributors? They were a catalog store. You would look through the catalog and write the product SKUs on paper, and the staff would go into the back and pull the items. I worked in Old Montreal and took the Metro to work every day. I bought a set of dumbbells! Hand weights. I don't remember their weight, but I had to carry those silly things MANY blocks from the store to work! Then I took them home one at a time! What an idiot!!! 

I needed to take some photos of things with a lot of shine on them and figure out how to hold my reflector screen. I could have placed the screen on its stand, but I was lazy. So I improvised, using the tables to hold the screen and putting the items on the floor. Then, I used the voice commands for my phone to take the picture. It worked for me! 

Taking pictures

The podcast I'm listening to is so entertaining and makes me laugh so many times that I forget what I'm doing, which is quilting a small piece that has been sitting here forever. It needs to be done NOW. The quilting has taken me 1½ hours, and I probably have one more hour. Like, why didn't I do it before? 

A little bit of piecing was done before I put the quilting thread on the machine. All is good!

All is good, and there are no Zooms today, so I've got the entire day to myself, which is good because I have a lot I want to accomplish!! 

Remember, look at something in your life today that isn't working. How can you arrange things differently so that it becomes part of your life? And don't forget those stand-up/sit-down exercises. They are so important! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Observations about mental health and the weather

Here's an interesting observation. I had a busy week last week, as have been the last several weeks. It's not so much about being super busy - two 2-hour presentations per day don't fill the day, but there's prep work for each and other bits of life. Usually, one of the two events would be held in the evening. 

While I had three shorter Zooms yesterday, they were more "casual" than during the week, and after 2 PM, the rest of the day was mine. What a huge difference that made in my day! I could actually relax. I could just read, nap, or walk and not have to keep the next appointment in my head. 

Can you imagine how "stressed" parents are when shuttling their children to numerous events every day and into the evening? And then their weekends are filled with activities as well? I'd go mad! Where's the time to recharge? Where's the time to just do nothing? I couldn't cope!

I was supposed to go out for a meeting and dinner later this afternoon (after two casual Zooms this morning), and guess what? I'm bailing! I see an entire afternoon ahead of me, and I will capture it for myself, as the next three weeks are jam-packed. 

I slept well and feel well rested this morning, and that downtime is VITAL to our well-being. So, if you're a parent running around like mad - maybe you're trying to fit too much into the day. And if you feel frazzled, imagine how your kids are coping? 

I can cope with this for a month (only three more weeks, but who is counting?), but to do this daily? I'd be brain-dead within a week, knowing that there is no end to it! 

That little bit of freedom yesterday got me rejuvenated. I did some work in Studio B, which I haven't done in a while. I tidied some areas up and set aside some things to deal with later this afternoon. I have some writing to do and some follow-up emails, but with a clear head, it will be easy. Then I looked at the calendar for the coming week, and most of it is a repeat of what I did last week, so not much new stuff to prep! And the coming weekend is relatively empty. Yeah!!!!!

Another observation and it's about the weather. As people get more experienced in life, there is less and less to keep them occupied, so they watch the weather channels. I never understood the purpose of that. Especially if you're going to be staying at home. Do you care that it's going to start raining at 3:05 PM? Some people watch multiple sources of weather. Oh boy! 

I don't think I've ever watched the radar; even if I did, I doubt I could decipher it. Why? Most of the information is not essential to the average Joe. I check the temperature before I go outside to know if I need extra layers. I look outside to see if it's raining because I'll take an umbrella or a rain jacket. But otherwise? 

Wait - that's a lie - I look at the forecast for the week, which changes hourly (or so it seems), to see if we're getting warm or cold weather. It's important to me because I spend 2 to 3 and sometimes more hours outside each day. And I would like to know if we'll see the sun! 

When I listen, two weather-related things about my radio station drive me mad. First, the morning announcer always announces the WIND CHILL as the temperature. That is NOT the temperature, and for those who just leave the house and pop in their car, what do they care? Say the temperature and then say the windchill. Or are they just trying to dumb that down, as people don't understand what wind chill is? I wonder if, in the summer, they'll ignore the temperature and just mention the "feels like" with the humidity. 

The second thing they have started to do is say the "guaranteed" high is 5. What does that mean? And why is it important? We have no idea that it could reach 5 for 30 minutes at 2 PM or 5 PM - so why is that such a big deal? And what happens if it doesn't? Do we get a refund on the day because the temperature did not reach the guaranteed high? 

I have no idea what the world is coming to, but some of these "new" behaviors are the most bizarre and don't make sense! 

I just hope the slippery sidewalks are a thing of the past for this year. They have been decent for the last two days, so that is good as Murphy and Lexi do not really get the concept of slippery sidewalks, and therefore, we need to take a bit more caution! 

When I went for a walk in the afternoon, I felt guilty as I looked at the two of them, so they each got a walk in the afternoon. I told Lexi (in earshot of DH) that if DH came, we could all go at the same time. Alas, Lexi had to wait. 

Speaking of walks, Murphy is completely confused. She insists on going first, and if I take Lexi first, Murphy will bark her head off so that even if she's in the house, I'm sure the entire neighborhood can hear her. So she goes first, then I come back and walk Lexi. This happens when I arrive back in the house and am ready to take my jacket off. 

MOM - I haven't been for my walk yet! 

Yep - she's waiting at the door for her walk. Ah, Murphy? We've already been - have you forgotten? 

So, we've barely seen a bird in the backyard all winter. No idea why, but yesterday, with the nicer weather, Mr and Mrs Cardinal were there. 

Mrs. Cardinal

Mr. Cardinal

And a squirrel is hanging out on a limb that overhangs the backyard. The squirrels do NOT bother my suet feeder. It wasn't cheap, but it's definitely squirrel-proof. It's so sensitive that the squirrels can't get a thing from it. I hope it's not so sensitive that the birds also have trouble getting to the suet. But the Cardinals seemed to enjoy it yesterday, and I thought I saw a chickadee as well. 

Squirrel hanging out in the tree

And Miss Murphy was enjoying the sunshine on the upper deck in the backyard. You have to appreciate the power of the sun. Not only does it melt the snow and dry up the wet, but the temperature difference between the sun and the shadows is incredible! I LOVE the sun, and I think we have a reasonably sunny week ahead of it - at least, that's what it looks like this morning. 

Mom - soaking up the rays

Speaking of the power of the sun, it's going to take a LONG time for the sun to deal with this pile of snow at the restaurant. When I drove into the parking lot last night, a good portion of the parking spots are taken up with the mound. It's now ice! It's wide and high! We were chatting with the manager last night, and he had a video of someone skiing down it. Yep - some guy came with his skies when it was "snow" and skied down the slope. Hilarious!

Snow in the parking lot

Back to some quilting stuff - I have completed three blocks for my Chatsworth quilt and only nine more to finish. I have one of twelve of the flying geese blocks done. Everything is cut, so it shouldn't take too long to get that all together. I have until the first week in May to complete it. I should be able to manage that, considering there aren't many events in April. 

Chatsworth blocks

I have some personal projects to work on starting March 31 - two challenges to finish, some quilt tops to complete, some class work for classes I'm following, lots of quilts to quilt, and so much more. 

In my tidying process, I found a bunch of half-square triangles that I used as enders and leaders. They needed to be pressed, so that is done. 

Pressing the half-square triangles

Ready for trimming

And I've left them on the cutting table, so I'll tackle a few each time I pass by. Every little bit of tidying is just one step closer to tranquility. And I'll get back to what it was. The samples will be put away as I finish with each of the Quilting Topics for March. It's a challenge to sew anything when I have one of the two machines I use in the film area, although I've been known to sew there. 

Hmm -- I should get my retreat sewing machine out and then leave both machines in that area. It would make more sense. DUH!!!!!!

We are getting down to the final posts of 50 Ways to Keep a Quilter Happy While on Vacation. Here's the next installment. 14 - 13 - 12 -11   Oh my gosh -- that was such a great summer! How can I ever repeat that? 

Well, it's time to get the day started. I have two presentations this morning, and both are ready to go. I got some sewing done, which I'll share tomorrow. Do you know what? Life is good, and everything is going to be OK. 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!