Read ALL the instructions

I need to spend a bit of time this morning answering the comments. So many good comments!! Thanks so much - I appreciate them all! And I especially appreciate you following me along with my craziness! I don't write for you - I mostly write for myself. That sounds somewhat unusual, especially when it's published for everyone to see. 

But I write because it helps to clear my brain, which would explode if I didn't get some of this silliness, creativity, and knowledge out of my brain! I've also used it to follow up on things because, let's face it, with so much stuff going on, it's easy to forget. 

It's an easy activity to keep my brain stimulated, even if AI is helping me with the editing. Don't worry - I will NEVER let AI write the blog. I use it for editing, so you won't have to suffer through bad grammar and spelling mistakes. There are days when I love AI and days when I hate it because it tries to turn my sentences around and say something that is NOT what I am trying to say! 

I wonder if AI is reading my sentiments about it and forming opinions about me? Of course it is!!

Speaking of writing, I am finally back to my writing assignments and have made good progress yesterday and so far today. I have to get back in picture-taking mode, and sometimes that is the most challenging job of all. I take what I think is a good picture, but when I review it, it's not what I want or I have forgotten some element, or even worse, there is something in the background that I don't want there. So lots to keep me busy. 

I have a goal in mind, and I'll accomplish as much as I can today. I would LOVE to be done by Thursday afternoon, which is doable! Just FOCUS!

Did I get any more tidying up done? Absolutely NOT! I wanted to finish the last seam ripping task, and I focused on it for Monday's sewing. Then, I had to work on my writing assignment. 

I have known for a long time that sewing on a Zoom call doesn't work for me. I end up chatting and not getting much done. I have a stack of cutting, pressing, ripping, or other small hand projects that I can work on, which allows me to get work done while chatting with the groups. 

What am I ripping? Well, it's this. This is my Cherrywood Challenge for the Prince theme, which was several years ago, in 2019. I never finished it, and it sat there unquilted. I decided to add it o my UFO list and my goal a couple of months ago was to quilt it. I did it with a swirly pattern, but there wasn't really enough room between the raindrops to get a good flow, and I hated it. 

My Prince-themed Cherrywood Challenge

So I ripped it out. Now I need to find a design so I can quilt it again. I was contemplating hand quilting it in straight vertical lines. WAIT - I first contemplated quilting it in straight vertical lines by machine. But imagine all the stops and starts that would be! Then I thought of hand quilting, and that would still take some time, but at least it would be easier to travel from one raindrop to another or behind the raindrops. 

I managed to finish ripping out all the quilting yesterday. Now I have the absolutely delirious, crazy idea of removing all the raindrops and aligning them in vertical straight lines in some form of a pattern. Then I could quilt a straight line between the columns of raindrops, and I could stitch a line connecting the columns of raindrops. Those raindrops are fused down with a satin stitch. I was thinking of a triple stitch on the sewing machine and adding some sequins to give it sparkle. 

I know it sounds ridiculous to do that, but that is how my brain works. I really want that look now, and I'm not a fan of what I did. Can I live with it? I suppose I could, but I think it could be better. I'm going to try to lift one of those raindrops off and see what happens. How much adhesive will mark/stain the background, and can I even get the raindrops off? 

Call me crazy -- but I'm good with that. This is an excellent example of why one needs to think about quilting before actually finishing the assembly. If I had considered the logistics of quilting the piece, I might have come up with a different arrangement for the raindrops. Is it essential to change it? It's important enough for me to attempt it. 

I am loving the Yogi teas, and whenever I have the "harsh" tea from Tim's, I find it bitter, even though it's just water on a tea bag. What I get from Tim's is black tea (Orange Pekoe), which isn't so bad; I can't even imagine drinking the steeped tea. I find that very bitter. The Yogi teas are not flowery and fruity, but have a pleasant taste and are not bitter. Additionally, each sachet includes a daily quote. I'm now using each tea bag twice, and it works for me. Such a waste to make one cup of tea and throw the tea bag away. There is still a lot of flavour in there! 

Yogi tea this week

Oh my --- I decided it was time to crack open another EXIT Game. My friend picked up the Advent Calendar a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't picked it up from her yet. We'd better get ourselves back into the swing of things, or we're going to be in trouble. 

An Exit Game

We did not start off well. Why? We didn't read the instructions! OK -- I didn't read the instructions well. I just started by reading the storybook on the right-hand side of that picture. Ooops - I need to read the actual instructions, which are on the left side. But I thought I knew it all, so I didn't read through ALL the instructions. When we looked at the clue, something wasn't right. So I read a bit further - oh yes -- we are on the right track, but it still didn't make sense. Oh farce! When I finally read ALL the instructions, it became quite clear, and we quickly solved the puzzle. 

Just because it works one way in one game doesn't mean that the rule applies to each game. You must read the instructions to understand how the game is set up and how to use the materials provided. However, our searching revealed a couple of things that will help us later! 

Well, it didn't take Murphy long to get all the treats out of that toy! That dog is so food motivated! I wonder if she would eat herself sick if she had access to food all day? Probably! 

MOM - I need a refill of treats!

I took a few minutes in the afternoon to sit in the living room and read my book, and then have a nap! Lexi doesn't want or like to jump in Murphy's bed, but is happy to sit in front of it. That's not the best view, but she seems happy. 

MOM - I'm standing on guard! 

Then you have Murphy, who likes to prop herself against something because she is so wide that she slips on the floor. Oh Murphy! So even though she has been off this medication for a couple of weeks and she hasn't had any accidents, she still pants like mad on the walks. That's her. In the dead of winter, on a very frosty morning, she will come back panting like mad because she gets herself so worked up over walking! 

MOM - this chair leg is a perfect place to rest

And then while I sat in the chair, the two of them picked up their play fight routine! I swear, there is a smirk on Lexi's face. Does Murphy get down on the floor to make Lexi think she is winning? Lexi really is the instigator of these play fights, although you wouldn't know it to look at her demeanor! 

MOM - I got Murphy on the floor - I'm winning! 

You know - I did tidy up a little bit in Studio B, but nothing significant. Now that I have no Zoom calls today and only writing, I will take a break from writing to try to tidy up some things. I also have some sewing to do, and oh my goodness, I am loving the freezer paper method of paper piecing. What is nice is that when you are done, you simply remove the template, and there's no paper to rip off! You need to be careful, but it works! 

I have almost finished the first set of houses for Colour My World, and I'm loving the process. It hardly took any time at all, but then I had precut the fabric pieces. 

OK -- it's time to get myself organized for the day! A lot to accomplish (on my own time!). I must say that I don't mind a lot of work, but I just don't like it when it's under pressure. And the pressure often comes from my lack of time management! 

On that note, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

I will not be defeated!

I'll share the story of the long lost connection in a minute, first I have to explain what new path I've gone down. As you know, I have a love/hate relationship with technology. I have no issues with technology working or not working at the moment (knock on wood). My problem is understanding various file formats and how they work and do different things in various graphic programs. 

In one instance, a vector file is required, while a raster file is needed somewhere else. Do you understand those terms and what they are all about? And what is a vector file? What is an .svg, a pdf, a jpg, a png, etc. It's all very confusing, and I missed a critical paragraph in the Reference Guide. I skimmed over that "boring" part, but when push came to shove, I had to go back and read it much more carefully!

All of this is because I'm trying to understand the BEST way to deal with some graphic files. It's all about machine embroidery applique. Thanks to a patient software guru, I am slowly learning the concept. I had some time this morning to experiment, but I'm not quite there. However, I think I understand now. Or perhaps I know just enough to be dangerous. Which is dangerous! 

I have some free time this morning, so I will continue my education. But I love puzzles, and this one is big! But I will save so much time when I get it figured out! And it's all about marrying one technology to another, which was on my radar. 

Phew! I might need a nap after all that strenuous thinking. 

Now, let's hear the story! When I started quilting MANY years ago, there were no Facebook groups, but somehow, I connected with an online group called Canadian QuiltSwappers. It was an email-only group, and I remember very "fondly" the sound of the modem connecting to the internet so I could check for any updates in the group. 

Our fearless leader, Judith, from Winnipeg, was instrumental in running a successful group exchange. I think she has since passed. Anyway, she started a group quilt project involving ten ladies across Canada, and I signed up! I was terrified that my work wouldn't be good enough! Looking back on it now, I think I outdid myself with my blocks. 

We all started with a 12" block, and the other ladies were to each add a round. The final two people were to add top and bottom rows only so it would not become a giant square. The rounds were 4" finished. 

Oh my -- I even made a book about it! It contains details of all the blocks and all the quilts. I think I might add some more pictures of this tomorrow. 

My hostage quilt book

I'll have to take a picture of the entire quilt, as I didn't have a chance yesterday. But you can see the quilt on this page above. Wait -- if you want to see the quilt on my wall and read more about it, here's a link to a story on my blog from 2012!!!

Anyway -- when I was doing a presentation the other day, I noticed the names on the Zoom call. Oh my --- I recognize that name, and when I asked, it was, in fact, one of the ladies in the group! Jean was the first person I sent my quilt to. We had a nice little reunion. And she's still quilting after all these years! As am I. 

Here are some of the pictures I snapped from my book. Here I am with my block circa 1999. God- I look like a child in that photo. What's with the haircut? 

Me and my first block

Here is Jean working on the first round of my quilt. 

The first round being added to my quilt

This is Jean's quilt and the row I added for her - the ribbon at the bottom of the photo. Since I was the last person to work on her quilt, I only had to add a border to the top and bottom. No need to work on corners! 

Jean's quilt

Gosh -- I even went so far as to make EXTRA blocks for my book to show what I made for each person! What a crazy nut I was. I also think I had much more time on my hands, even though M was about 3 then. 

The row I made for Jean's quilt

What wonderful memories that brought back. I'll post more about this project in another post. But it is fondly called the Hostage Quilt, and you have to go back and read that other blog post to find out why. It almost never came home! 

I saw that my Yogi tea was on sale at a shop near the pet food store, so I stopped in and bought some. I spotted some new flavors. I love the promise on this one. 

New (to me) flavor of Yogi tea

It helps to TEMPORARILY support mental sharpness. What does that mean? Is it laden with caffeine? I didn't read the ingredients. 

And the wise words of wisdom? I love this one. 

That is so true. I think that is why so many people struggle. If you learn to live and enjoy what you have, there's no need to want anything else! This morning, the radio hosts talked about a sports figure who could have but did not, negotiate a much higher salary. Why do they need so much money? They don't need it. Is it status? Or is it ego? "I got more money than you!" Is it validation? If people push for more money, they will get it. Why? All it does is cause ticket prices to increase - someone has to pay for those high salaries. 


I got a chuckle yesterday while I was doing my presentation. I glanced up to spot Miss Murphy sleeping on my samples! There is a perfect mat just two feet away from her, but NO, my samples were more enticing! 

MOM - these samples are much more comfy than the mat

My Dad sent a note last night telling me that my first boyfriend has passed! I thought he was the love of my life, and as much as I liked him and his family, I'm glad it didn't work out. Not because he has passed, but it wouldn't have allowed me much room to explore. I was perfectly happy to stay close to where I grew up, but when I was close to finishing high school, I suddenly needed to get away from home and start exploring. Why? I'm blaming our then Prime Minister (Pierre Elliott Trudeau). I'll call him my savior! And that's a story for another time. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Another busy day with presentations and trying to figure out those darn file extensions. All I need is a clue, and then I'm off. I've got the clue; now I need to get the knowledge to make it work. And I will! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Doing things alone is a good thing!

There are several things I have learned over the years in setting expectations for how things turn out. 

1. You can over-plan! You spend so much time planning the event that when it actually happens, it's melodramatic and a let-down. The event occurs in a flash, and there's no time to enjoy it, especially if you're constantly watching to see that everything happens as planned. I suppose part of the event is the planning, but that's not me. I like to wing things! 
2. You can do anything alone! I do not know why doing things alone has such a stigma. It used to be worse, and things like sitting in a restaurant alone were considered very uncool. You had no friends, you were a loser, or whatever. I've since learned that if I didn't bite the bullet and do some things alone, I would never experience many things. So, I have zero issues doing things alone. The first thing DH said when I told him what I was doing was - "and you're going by yourself?" YES, I AM!!!
3. I don't hold high expectations of having the best time of my life. I'm going for an experience, and if it doesn't turn out exactly how I want, I'll go with the flow. It doesn't mean I'll accept shoddy, but I'm OK if I have to be flexible. Being flexible is easier when you're alone.  

Having said that, I had no plans for my birthday until last week. Then I decided that I would go to the mall. I know—big, exciting plans! But one of my favorite "treat" restaurants is at the mall. There is this amazing creperie, and they serve sweet and savory crepes. The place is usually packed at lunchtime, so I went a bit early, and I had a sweet crepe for lunch! As well as a hot chocolate, and it was delicious. 

My apple pie crepe

And my hot chocolate

I sat out in the small seating area in the hallway rather than in the restaurant, and lo and behold, someone I knew stopped by, and we had a grand chat! I rarely meet someone I know at the mall, so I think that was part of the plan!!!

Wait—after I came back from walking the girls, I sat outside on the front patio and drank my tea. I drink the Yogi teas, which are nice. 

Yogi tea

Until several months ago, I did not realize they had a quote attached to each tea bag. Look at my quote from yesterday. 

The quote of the day

I thought that was pretty fitting for me at this moment. I may be one year older, but that doesn't mean I'm still not trying to improve myself. I want to be a better person, learn everything I can about what interests me, and continue my journey. 

Speaking of that, have you ever watched those decluttering shows and then wondered what it looks like a month later, a year later? Did the person learn anything to maintain the neat and tidy in their house? Or was it just a one-time thing, and they returned to their old ways? 

I know this is a very small thing, but every time I open my utensil drawer and see this, I get excited. 

My utensil drawer is still neat and tidy

It didn't take very long to organize, and it cost very little to get the three trays. It keeps the utensils that we use handy, so it's easy to put them away and even easier to find what you want. I know there are things in that drawer that we do not use (like, who needs six spatulas?), but they are neat and tidy, so they can stay. 

The utensils that went into the other drawer are never used or very rarely used, and we don't have to shuffle through a ton of stuff to find what we want. Just a simple task can make a huge difference in how you live your life!

Anyway, once I finished my brunch, I had some shopping to do. I also stopped at the optometrist to get my sunglasses adjusted. They were so stretched and bent out of shape that I'm surprised they stayed on my head. 

I even found some new shirts, and they were all on sale. One shop, so that was good. I have an upcoming filming session, and I really didn't have anything appropriate, but I found three tops, some of which can be embellished with either embroidery or stitching, so I've got to put my thinking cap on. 

And then I went to the movie theatre. Yep—all of this is in the same mall. Rather than me driving around to various places, I'm happy to change. My optometrist moved out of the mall (he was in the Lens Crafters store), but in order to go to his new location, I'd have to drive. I hadn't been with him long, so I have no qualms about switching to the new optometrist. So, I have an appointment for later this week. 

I had a gift card for the theatre, so I got popcorn and a drink and paid for the movie with the card. With enough money left for another movie!

Ready for the movie!

All the seats in this theatre are comfy reclining ones, which I think is changing in most theatres these days. Anyway, it was a great movie, and I was happy. I saw Twisters, in case you wanted to know what I saw!!!

Reclining seats are the best at the theatre!

After that, I walked to the thrift store to pick up a book I'd been eyeing—it was seniors' day, after all. At first, I thought the book was gone, but nope—it was still there. And what's the deal at the thrift store? I'm into the Dowdle brand of puzzles these days, but they charge the SAME price for the 300-piece puzzle as the 1000-piece? That's not right!! 

It was a tad HOT yesterday, but that's OK. You just walk on the shady side of the street. All my purchases fit into my little shopping bag, and I was good. 

Let's say I was NOT hungry for the rest of the day. I didn't eat much, but that bag of popcorn, which I couldn't finish, filled me up!!! 

I sat in the backyard, reading my book, and chatted with my aunt, who also shares my birthday. 

Here's a couple of animal pictures to share. This is Lexi at her grooming station in the forest. Three more brush fulls of hair, and she still looks a mess. And the pile in the forest gets bigger. Where are the squirrels and rabbits? They should be stealing this fur to make their nests, but of course, on a hot day like yesterday, they wouldn't be thinking about winter at all.  

Lexi getting her daily groom

And this picture would freak me out. My future son-in-law took this picture from a window in his house. He has company!! He lives near the Capilano Bridge in North Vancouver. But if you look at the map, there are very heavily treed areas right at the city's border, so it's not surprising. This is the second time he's shared photos of bears in the backyard. I guess when Little Bear goes to visit, he only goes in the backyard with supervision!!! 

Hello friend!

I did no other sewing or quilting, other than the little bit I accomplished in the morning. I didn't even touch the applique!! But I have a few extra days built into that schedule, so I'm not worried. It was nice to take a day off! 

Yesterday was the day I was supposed to fly home from Spain. Although I still have three weeks blocked in my calendar, I must return to serious work! I have deadlines looming for some stuff. September will be brutal regarding things that must be done and events to attend, and then the quilting classes start back up in October. But all is good!!!

I know some people just can't entertain the thought of doing something alone, but seriously -- if you wait for someone to do the things you want, you may never get a chance to do them! I had the most fantastic day celebrating my birthday, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Doing things alone is a GOOD THING --- we need to stop the stigma that this is bad!!! Trust me -- it took a while for me to wrap my head around this one - the thought of eating alone in a restaurant terrified me because I thought it made me look like a loser. Today, I look at people eating alone and call them confident and practical!! 

Tomorrow, we're going to revisit the class situation for the fall!!!

On that note, I'm off to spin class this morning. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

 

Be prepared!!!

Oh, I did not throw that dead skunk into a neighbor's yard!!! I have a large woodlot (my forest) behind my house, and the skunk will decompose and return to the land in a safe and friendly environment! I do NOT dispose of garbage over the fence. I should have been clearer on that, but I assumed (and we all know what happens with that) that everyone who is a regular reader knows I have a natural woodlot behind me. 

Someone said it would smell. I've seen and smelted enough dead animals in that forest—we've lived here for 23 years. And yes, you will smell the decomposition for a day or perhaps two. I have to say that bugs are pretty efficient and will clean up a carcass in no time. 

It's not to be gross, but it's a fact of life. We've seen some dead animals along the path that we discovered because of the smell. So, as morbid as it sounds, I would check them out daily. Yep, the smell is gone within a day or two, and the inside of the carcass is gone (and not because of scavengers) within three days. All that remains is a flattened shell of bones and outer skin. 

So -- please do not call it disgusting to put the skunk over the fence! He went to his natural habitat and had he died on the other side of the fence, it would have equated to the same thing! I'm very opinionated but I'm not disrespectful!

Apologies for not making it clear that I put the skunk IN THE FOREST, not into a neighbor's backyard!

I actually accomplished stuff yesterday. OK, I do stuff every day, but I'm getting through the pile of bindings. Here's one more that is done. Oh, and I got the binding on another small project, which I can't share at the moment. 

Binding - DONE

And I got the binding on this one as well. 

Another binding - DONE

But not without some excitement!! Can you believe what I found on the back? 

A gold thread!!

Yep—that is one of those tiny gold threads! Who knew I would still be finding them so many years after I ripped that project apart? Those gold threads are like glitter!!!

And I got lucky with the binding. See how much I had left after I joined it? 

Just enough binding

That leaves two quilts to put the binding on. One is mine, and one is a donation quilt. I hope to work on them today. 

Two quilts left to bind

I have the next quilt loaded on the long arm, and I'll get to it this afternoon. 

I'm trying to get Studio B cleaned up. Well, it's clean, but there are a few things sitting around that I haven't quite had the time to put away. I still needed to go through the last of four boxes of novelty fabric, and last night seemed like a good time. 

Repacking the novelty print box

So all of this has to go into that box!!!! 

What needs to be packed in the box

I got a chuckle as I spotted this fabric. How appropriate!!!

Skunk fabric

Look what else I discovered! Olympic fabric. Technically, it's not Olympic fabric because it would cost too much in royalties, but it looks like Olympic fabric. That must be 20 years old!!!

"Olympic" fabric

However, I finally found the remainder of the Scrabble fabric, which is why I was searching through those boxes. There are four pieces, and now I need to determine if I want to get rid of some of them. That's a job to see later this afternoon. I love how I found one piece in the first box I chose and the other three pieces in the final box. 

Scrabble fabric

When Murphy and I returned from the morning walk, DH wanted to know why she was wet. Well, Murphy LOVES the neighbor's sprinklers and plops herself down and tries to drink from them. Yes, this is not good when she was recently sprayed by a skunk because when dry, she smells OK. But when wet, she stinks again! But we love her so much that I don't mind. I need a video of this next time, not just a picture. 

MOM -- I LOVE the sprinkler

So, while watching a video, I decided it was time to paint those little display cases for my tea sets. Coat number one is on!

Painting the displays for the tea sets

Other stuff happened, but that's enough for today. Oh, I washed those quilts that need to be mailed, and I'll pack them up and mail them tomorrow. 

This is partially why our healthcare system is broken. I went to have an ultrasound on my shoulder. I walked into the clinic and spotted a sign asking me to have the health card and requisition ready. OH, CRAP -- I forgot the requisition at home. But I knew I had another test on that requisition, which was scanned when that other appointment was done. Do you think I could remember what it was? The registration person was like a deer in headlights. She couldn't find anything. However, her colleague said it was probably for an X-ray of the shoulder. Yep -- that was it and it was found. 

That was NOT smart on my part—I had forgotten about the requisition—but the day was saved. However, what if that requisition couldn't be found? Well, I arrived early, and my doctor was upstairs. I'm sure I could have scrambled and got another one. 

However, as I waited, two ladies came in. They were to have ultrasounds that required drinking lots of water. Had they drank their water? Yes, but one said she had to let some out because she couldn't hold it. Well, we'll see if they can do the test. The other one responded that she had drunk some, but not all. Seriously??? So, those slots were taken up with people who likely would NOT be able to have a successful test. Then, new ones would have to be rescheduled. 

We have all suffered through those mind-blowing moments when our bladders are so full that we think we will explode, but we don't! Perhaps they got lucky! 

It was a good lesson to all (me included) to go to the clinic PREPARED!!!!! 

Here are the links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, July 27 - Starts at 6 PM

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

Meeting ID: 898 1648 3795
Passcode: 248667

Sunday, July 28 - Starts at Noon

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

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

Virtual Retreats are always fun, and we usually get a lot done while chatting with our peers. I look forward to seeing you this weekend.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Clearing up the little jobs - one at a time

Slow and steady! Therapeutic! I hope others feel that because after the Virtual Retreat, I think a "few" people have been organizing their sewing spaces. I heard people having been refolding their fabrics so they fit nicely on the shelves, scraps have been pitched, patterns are being reevaluated, and a whole lot more. 

Doesn't it feel good? I swear, the more that I slow down and actually accomplish those niggly little tasks, the more I want to do them and actually get something done instead of shoving it to the side. 

Let's take a look at what is happening. Here's my dust cover for the Momento (my large digital cutter). 

Dust cover for my Momento

All those half-square triangles! I threw it on the long arm and quilted the ends in a diagonal plaid, and the center was a different pattern. Let's just say that I need some lessons on that, as the scale of the pattern at either end is NOT the same. OK -- let's dig out some fabric and do some experimenting. But overall, I like it, and I'm OK with the quilting not being of the same scale. If I didn't tell you, you wouldn't notice. 

The ends are also quilted. I quilted up a small piece of fabric and then cut the ends from that. The seams inside were covered with binding and hand-stitched on one side, which I hadn't done in a long time. Then I machine-stitched the binding to the bottom.  And it's DONE! 

That allowed me to move on to the next project, which is the quilt backing. I didn't do anything on it yesterday as I was chatting, and I knew I needed some concentration. Perhaps later this afternoon after Monday sewing. YES—even though it's a holiday in Canada, we always sew! 

And I was able to complete more stuff off that table. I'm almost finished, and I should be able to clear it today. Then, I can put out the puzzle as a reward. 

I won this small wall hanging at a guild show twenty years ago, and one of the yo-yos burst open. It's been like that for years. It was time to fix it. 

A yo-yo burst on my wall hanging

I had to remove the yo-yo from the piece, and the outer edges were turned in, which I guess is normal. It's been so long since I made a yo-yo that I can't remember. Anyway, the wall hanging is back to normal, and no one would know that one of them popped a seam. 

The wall hanging is complete!

I had to "fix" two other samples with the glue gun—oops, I forgot to take a picture of those. One has wristwatch faces on it, one came loose, and the other had some ribbons that needed to be put back in place. OK, I'll get pictures to share with you tomorrow. But both of those had been sitting for a long time in need of repair and now they are done. 

Then, back to pressing those scraps. A pile of blue and green still needed to be processed. 

The blue scraps are pressed

I'm happy to report that the blue is done. OH -- that red dot is my yo-yo! I had to dig out a new shoe box for the blue as my current box is full. The triangles go in another place, and the stuff on the left is polyester, which does not go in my scrap boxes. 

That leaves the pile of green and there's a story behind the green, which I'll share tomorrow. I'm going to work on the green as I really need to get it done and I will. I am NOT leaving this out to become clutter. I value my peace of mind too much to do that. 

I didn't take a picture of the cutting table or the other table, as there are a few things that need to be put away, and I was getting tired last night. That's the first thing to do this morning—and it'll only take a few minutes! 

Yesterday was our "out of the box" class and the topic was TEA, T, or TEE. This group might be small, but the creativity is HUGE! It inspired me to dig out my tea sets. This is one of them. Can you guess how big they are? 

My mini tea set

Here's a ruler to give you some scale. I found them on the farm and have ZERO history of them. I can't even ask because my Mom will want them. How sad is that?  But I don't think they belonged to us. 

Those are tiny tea cups

As I was sharing and chatting, I decided to display these instead of keeping them in a plastic bag. While walking, I remembered a small wood cabinet I had—I think I bought it at Michael's in the doll section. The big question was, did I still have it? There was a good chance it ended up in a giveaway box. 

Imagine my delight when I came home, went into the office, looked at the bookcase, and saw the little shelf. What's hilarious is that this cabinet has been on the shelf for years! I don't notice it daily, but subconsciously, I must have because I knew exactly where to look! 

My little cabinet is still there

The scale might be a bit off, but it's close enough. So I now need to paint that cabinet and fix up some hooks and ledges, and I'll be set to add it to my tea-themed display area. I need paint! I had donated all my paints, and I'm not sure I kept any, so I must check that out. 

Here's something I noticed when I walked Lexi past the church. All of the cars are reversed into their parking spots. Was that something they learned because it's chaos to reverse out, or were they told? I always reverse park into my driveway and have for years. It's WAY safer than driving in. 

Every car is reverse-parked

I looked at the angry skies as I walked, but there was no rain! 

Angry-looking skies but no rain

And after MANY KMs (well over 1000), meaning these are way past their due date, it's time to say goodbye to these shoes. I love them - they are a Nike Trail shoe and held up very well. Do you see the toes? No breaking at all in the front toe area. I think I might get another pair of these as they are slim but still provide great comfort and room for my wide feet. The only thing I do NOT like about them is they are slippery on ceramic when wet. They are very dangerous, but I can handle that fault since they are outdoor shoes. 

Bye-bye shoes!

Today, I get to start breaking in a new pair of shoes that will be used when I return to Spain. Yep—I'm going back, and I need shoes! I'll break those out later this morning. I'm on my way to the gym for a spin class. Yes, even with the holiday, they kept the morning classes. 

And that's a wrap for today. Just so much exciting stuff happening by finishing off those small jobs that have been there for years. I am really starting to feel on top of things, which hasn't been the case for a long time, and it feels so good. But I needed to slow down before that could happen. 

Keep plugging away at that fabric stash, those drawers, the closet, or whatever area you have picked. You will NOT regret it, and soon, you'll be moving on to the next area. It is TIME-CONSUMING, but can you NOT afford to do this? Don't just think of it as gaining more physical space or having things look neat, but the boost to my MENTAL HEALTH is stunning!! I'm so glad this has become a way of life! 

On that happy note, have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

I was SCAMMED

OK --- so I can see how people get scammed. In addition to my scratch lotto ticket, I found a Lotto Max ticket, and well -- I might as well take that with me to see if it's a winner. YES -- I know I can have the app on my phone, but I haven't reinstalled it since I got the new phone, and I rarely buy tickets. 

I get to the mall and scan the Lotto Max ticket, which is a WINNER. $10!! There were two employees at the kiosk, and one of them was busy, so this woman popped over and grabbed my ticket. Is it a winner? YES, Did I scan it? YES, and I said it was $10. She was speaking FAST, and English was not her first language. Next thing I knew -- I had a FREE PLAY in my hand. WAIT! That's not right. 

I should have made her rescan the ticket, but I didn't. Again -- she was fast and hard to hear. And she had grabbed my scratch ticket and was trying to decipher it. There is no scanning code like on the newer ones, and I will have to call to see how to claim that one. 

But the other ticket thing? That was disturbing. By giving me a free ticket, that kiosk just walked off with my $10. I'm going to ask the Lottery Corporation if that is possible. And it shows how easy it is to get scammed, and I'm pretty sensible. DRAT --- I don't mind the money -- it's the fact that they did it! Where was my OUTSIDE voice? 

So to get rid of a piece of paper (the scratch ticket), I now have to make a call to do that. That's why things take so long. It seems that most things are never easy. I'll deal with it today and get it off my plate. 

I was sitting in the office yesterday morning, playing ball with Murphy. That dog is NEEDY! I noticed something. 

The floor in the office

Under the second desk

Do you see it too? What is it? 

NOTHING!! Other than the tiny dog bed that Murphy loves to sleep in, there is NOTHING on the floor. OK -- behind the table are still a few boxes, but very few - maybe 6 at the most. This place used to be PACKED with boxes as recently as 2018. Jammed, so I think I'm doing OK. Give me another year or two; it'll be so clean you won't recognize the place! 

Yes -- it's been a lot of hard work, and I've thrown a lot of stuff out. The biggest issue has been finding homes for things, but with so much, that's been a challenge. My goal is to clear the surfaces next, and since I did a clean sweep of the table, that leaves the other desk. But I can only start clearing a new surface once the other one is thoroughly dealt with, and here's how that is progressing. 

Good grief -- there's the old hard disk from years ago when I did an upgrade into the electronic waste basket. 

An old hard disk

When I was upstairs (yes -- I had moved a bit of the mess upstairs and then got sidetracked), guess what I found? The bag of keys!!!

The bag of keys

So the keys are all together now in this beautiful dish and on the buffet where I expect them to be! That makes me happy, and now when I need to look for a key -- I know exactly where to go. Yes --- things need homes! 

All the keys are together

This was the file of stuff on the kitchen counter that needs to be sorted. It's less this morning. By leaving it on the counter, I grab a thing or two while waiting for breakfast to cook or for the kettle to boil. It just blows my mind how many junky little things accumulate, and then what the heck do you do with them? The new rule is DO NOT ACQUIRE it and then try to deal with it immediately if something slips through my defenses. 

Stuff to deal with

That is a taxing thing for my brain, and I seem to be good at dealing with the bigger stuff, but those junky items. I know -- just throw it out! I'm getting better, so don't yell at me! As mentioned, I've made LEAPS and BOUNDS in getting rid of stuff. I may move this stuff off the kitchen counter, return to my filling a small box daily, and deal with what's in the box. The key is to try to make that a habit! Then the closed box will look pretty. DH is home tomorrow, and I need to get that moved before he comes home. 

And the more I go through, the more I realize that I don't need or want some of the things I have coveted over the years. 

I mentioned that I had found my favorite tea. I actually look forward to brewing that cup (as my reward for walking the girls), and it has beetroot in it, so it turns bright red. This is the Forever Nuts by David's Tea, and it's a herbal tea that tastes great even cold, and I've got my forever tea. 

Forever Nuts tea

And I have to contact that online store to return this power tower. I never liked it from the beginning -- it felt FLIMSY, and I don't like it. Now it doesn't work, so it needs to be returned, and there goes the paperwork time for today. 

The power tower needs to be returned.

Yep -- the more stuff you own or buy, the more administration and upkeep it requires. So going minimalist is a good thing. 

I had to stop at the library and pick up a book, so I officially met Sheila! That's so funny that we've known each other for so long and often chatted about quilting and crafts, but I never knew her name! Now I know!

Shoot -- -I took a screenshot of the "gas station" in Nigeria, but it didn't come through. The next time I see something interesting, I'll screenshot it for you. But it's wild to see huge trucks, cars, vans, motorbikes, scooters, pedestrians, and bicycles simultaneously on the same road! How many accidents do they have? 

And can you believe this? 

Where's my mom's afghan? I have no idea why these famous people think this is cool? It looks ridiculous. While I appreciate the tribute to the handcrafted world, it just looks crazy, and what's with those puffy pants? Who designs this stuff, and are the famous people (Justin Bieber, in case you were wondering) asking for this crazy stuff, or do they get duped by the designers to wear it? Like the emperor's new clothes? 

Well, I have more stuff to share, but that it's for today. I made progress on the writing and more of that today. I finished off TWO sewing items yesterday, but I can't share them with you yet. I almost have all the class paperwork together. Almost and then someone else signs up! Once that is done, that will help with time. 

Having a blast reading that habit book. It's scary, though, when you see how in 2010, the companies were mining the data to make you buy, and now 12 years later, I bet they are mining even harder to the point where the retailers are setting habits for YOU, not you developing your own habits. 

I've got sucked in before. I was a HUGE Tim's customer, and I NEEDED that hot chocolate or tea up to three times a day! EVERY DAY. And a cookie on top of that. It took a LONG time to break that habit, but I've done it! Lost weight, and I won't go back. No, that's not true -- I will go to Tim's, but it's now a TREAT, not a habit. 

I have one annoying habit, and I don't know how to get rid of it. I touch my FACE all the time. Why? I've no idea. I know my nose is often itchy due to allergies. But I've done this for years --- my hands/fingers touch my face. So now I have to start thinking of why. What is the cue - what is the reward? And then I can figure out how to stop it. 

Just being conscious of it may help. 

On that note -- I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!