The great paper caper - also called decluttering!

OH!!!! I'm an idiot! OK -- maybe not an idiot, but I completely forgot there's a Virtual Retreat TODAY!!! I usually post about it and post the links several days in advance, and it slipped my mind. I didn't put it in the calendar, and I say I'm on top of things!!! Watch for the links at the end.

 And I'm behind this morning—it was a weird night. I woke up in the middle of the night - completely wide awake. I lay there for a while thinking perhaps I'm not really ready to get up. Then I got up and did some work, and then had to go back to bed! Sigh.............

As for the 150 Canadian Women pattern, several people are in the queue. I'll check with the first person on the list and see how quickly they want it, and then decide who gets it first. It really is a stunning quilt, and now that I read those stories, it's even more symbolic! I must get it quilted one of these days!

I accomplished a lot yesterday, but of course, I can't share everything with you. But I can tell you how important it is to go with your gut instinct, one of the best learning tools around, especially when picking fabrics. I made something yesterday, and it didn't quite seem finished —then POOF, I figured it out. Wait until you see it!! You are going to get a "kick" out of it!

I feel cheated! The temperatures were supposed to drop drastically last night, and when I woke up, I saw that friends not that far from me were posting temperatures like minus 27 and minus 29, while we were at minus 18. How can that be? We are not hundreds of KMs apart, but merely about 40? Oh well, it's a good day to stay inside, though the temperature is rising to minus 13 this afternoon, which is very doable. WAIT -- I just saw someone several hours north of me posted a minus-35 temperature! 

OK -- I do NOT feel cheated. I'm good with the current minus 20. I'm still walking, and the only part of me that gets cold is my face. The rest of me is toasty warm - wool socks in my running shoes, T-shirt tucked into pants (that's a very important one), warm felted mitts, my down sweater with my rain jacket on top, a scarf, and my toque. All that is missing is a balaclava for the face! 

The temperature at 3 AM

This morning I see we are at minus 20, with a windchill of minus 20. No wind. The girls are going to love it!

And this is why my Australian friends were amazed that I didn't really feel the cold while climbing Kilimanjaro. These temperatures are doable when you are appropriately dressed. Remember - it's all about attitude!!!

Speaking of attitude - Look at Miss Lexi. Someone must have opened that freezer compartment with something yummy on their hands!

MOM - No need to clean the fridge - I've got it! 

So while I got a lot of writing and editing done, I also took some time to clean up more paper in the office. Yep -- it's almost becoming a daily thing now. I'm going for it when the feeling hits. There's no need to wait until the right day because any day is the right day! Remember the second box I found under the computer desk (which is a disaster - I haven't gotten in that good habit yet). Well, I emptied the box onto the floor and then filled it with an open box of paper on the desk. Don't ask -- that's how I roll. 

Oh my - I found newsletters from The Quilt Patch. Remember that quilt store in Moose Jaw? I loved that store and was sad when they closed. 

A newsletter from The Quilt Patch

Good grief -- this one was dated Fall 2011. I quickly glanced through them, and they are now in my overflowing recycling box. 

Newsletter from Fall 2011

I still have two piles on the floor beside me that I hope to finish off today. Then I can tackle the open boxes of crap on the table, and I'll just keep going as long as my enthusiasm continues. 

But that wasn't all. I decided to also tackle the filing cabinet. Enough is enough, and now that the paper is more or less sorted in the cabinet, it's pretty easy to grab a folder and sort through it. I started at the back of the top drawer. Oh my—documents from all the previous houses I've owned. I know I don't need to keep them, but for the moment, I am. They are neat and tidy and in labeled folders. 

I then went through the drawer, removing all the empty folders and hanging sleeves. I have pulled about 8 folders to look at today. Please tell me I do not need a letter from 1998 stating that my doctor was moving to the US. I think I have every dental bill from the last twenty years - I don't need those. And so I'm going to have a pitch party later this morning. 

Cleaning out the filing cabinet

The funny thing is that I have many labeled folders in that cabinet. all the loyalty cards I had, the associations I belonged to, and a whole lot more. But I didn't maintain the system, so obviously I wasn't in the mood to make it work! 

The other thing I'm going to do is make sure that, as the folder is sorted and cleaned of anything it doesn't need, it gets a label slapped on, so that when I go to file something, the folder is easy to find. I can't wait until DH asks me for something and I can produce it immediately instead of taking days! 

Additional labels for the label maker

Yes - I could handwrite labels, but I choose not to! My labels, my money, my choice!

Wait - I also had a bunch of errands to do. I boxed up two boxes from the office that were dropped off at the thrift store. DH had purchased a couple of items for his office, but they didn't work out, so he had to return them. He's pretty busy with a new role these days, so I offered to do that for him. I chose to drop the first one off at the local post office, but the second one would only let me drop it off at Staples. So on my car errand route, I stopped at Staples to drop off his return and our shredding, and picked up a couple of cartridges for my labeler! 

I'm trying to be much more efficient with my time. I also stopped at the lingerie store - I know - I needed new unmentionables, and I'll tell you that story another day! It's pretty funny!

Speaking of being efficient, we have driven less than 400 KM this month between the two of us. Of course, we both need the car on Tuesday, so he goes on a big rant about buying a new car. Yep -- you just go ahead and do that! I guess he thinks he's being funny! No matter. We are good with one car. 

It was amazing as I walked home from the grocery store, where I went to buy DH something, despite asking him almost every day this week if he needed anything. Nope! And then poof - the milk container for his tea is empty! Sigh....... that quote from yesterday is so accurate! 

I love this quote from Charlotte Elizabeth Hazeltyne Whitton, "Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, it's not difficult!"

Anyway, it was a weird day weatherwise - one minute sunny, then the next minute it was snowing. But the wind was blowing strongly, and as I walked through the forest, I could hear the trees moving against each other. You can see the culprit in the photo - the one that is leaning against another tree. It's eerie, and you wouldn't hear it if you weren't out walking! 

The leaning tree was making a lot of noise in the wind

But here is our Murphy last night. Just had to be outside to lie in the snow! I'm wondering if she isn't feeling a bit under the weather. She is so hot, yet happy to come in and sit in front of the fireplace. Poor thing! She's just a needy girl!

MOM - I'm OK

And on that note, I see I need to dig out a new donation box, already! There are eleven pages to edit and one more writing assignment to be done, and two piles of paper on the floor, and let's not forget all the projects in Studio B calling my name! I got this!!!

And here is the link for the Virtual Retreat --- Saturday, January 24, starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89610782501?pwd=7dCrhiL5t8Xa4TVwZPvhL6cOymbcjK.1

Meeting ID: 896 1078 2501
Passcode: 148311

And here is the link for the Virtual Retreat - Sunday, January 25, starts at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89869001291?pwd=h57kT9axwTnd2xtJvuO0z2UOmUo45w.1

Meeting ID: 898 6900 1291
Passcode: 136711

And on that note, I need to get dressed and get outside. The girls are circling!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

Travel day to Saskatchewan

 The blog is late this morning, and that's OK. Why? Well, I had borrowed a book from the library (an ebook on Libby) a month or more ago. It's by Riley Sager - Final Girls. His books are creepy — when you look up 'psychological thriller' in the dictionary, his books should be listed. Anyway - it got a bit too weird for me, so I let the book lapse. 

Then I decided to retrieve it and continue. Well, after having a nap on the plane because I had been up so early. I started reading on the plane. Oh my, I wish the flight had been a whole lot longer than it was. Then I had things to do, and it wasn't until I arrived at the hotel last night that I could read some more. But after driving for part of the day and the very early morning, I didn't read much. But I've been up reading. I don't have time to finish the book this morning, but it definitely fits into the psychological thriller genre. I didn't see this twist - many twists coming. And how many more can happen in 135 pages? 

As for travel, everything went smoothly. Although I struggled a wee bit with my suitcases. Well, after I got out of the Uber (had a great chat with a fellow from Sudan who has lived in Canada for six years), there were no luggage carts to be had. Hmm --- it's a bit hard to move three suitcases when you only have two hands. 

That was easy - I put the two big suitcases together, and piled the small third one on top, and I was good to go. Who needs a luggage cart?

The new (well, not new anymore) check-in terminals at the airport work just fine, and I noticed that the labels for the suitcases are specific - there is one for your checked (carry-on) luggage, while the other two are for large cases. No problem. I put them on the appropriate bags and all was good. 

However, the automatic drop-off didn't like the size of my carry-on, so I assumed I had made a mistake despite my taking notice this time. That didn't work, so I had to get an agent to help me. But after that, all was good. Getting through security with the priority card is a breeze. Dump everything into the bucket, walk through, and on the way to the gate. 

The only lineup was at Tim's, where I got a tea. I arrived at the gate just as the boarding process for Zone 2 was starting, so I literally walked right onto the plane. Don't worry -- I was there before all the required check-in times! But no need to be there hours before! And I don't know why DH covets the lounge so highly. Even if I had free access, I never have time, although he travels more and his flights get delayed, so it works for him. 

I received the notification that my bags were loaded onto the plane, and everything was in order. The plane was full. Actually, it was oversold by 4 seats, but I missed all that drama as I was in the Tim's line. I wasn't giving up my seat, so I didn't really care. However, we were told numerous times, as the plane was boarding, to put your wheeled bag in the overhead bin and to put the rest under the seat. It's incredible how many people ignore that. 

They even pulled one backpack from the overhead bins and asked whose it was, and no one claimed it. So, they were going to offload it. I assume the person spoke up when they threatened that! 

The airport in Saskatoon was busy. There's a huge event happening at the same time I am here - Ag in Motion, and it's massive. Getting a hotel room was a bit tricky, but even after waiting until later to book it, I still managed to find something decent. I had to wait for a car at the airport, as I had reserved one - see, I have reservations and everything! However, I had ordered a car because it was cheaper than an SUV, but I ended up with an SUV because everything else was sold out. I don't mind. And it was the same price. 

However, I got into the vehicle, and Hmmm — how the heck do I change gears? AH -- I found this paddle thing on the steering wheel. I'm not a fan, but I'm getting used to it. 

The gear shift

Then I was off to Robinson McNally. You just can't pass up a visit to a great bookstore! 

Oh my goodness — I didn't know this was such a big deal. Actually, there is a huge games section, as well as a large selection of EXIT Games, which we haven't explored in a long time. Our schedules have been too topsy-turvy. We used to play crokinole as kids. 

Crokinole anyone?

I browsed the magazine section, which is still pretty healthy compared to others I've seen. And there are still decent quilt magazines out there. Just not as many. 

Then I went to the quilting book section. This one seems to have a decent selection of books, but nowhere near what it used to be. There used to be a wide range of scrapbooking and multimedia options, but all that is now gone. It's likely being replaced by social media accounts, which is OK. 

I found two quilt books of the type I would select for one of my ongoing classes. However, I had a quick peek at them and put them back on the shelf. I don't need any more ideas. I don't know why it was called Alice in Wonderland unless it was made with an Alice fabric collection. But seriously? It's just a group of 6-inch blocks!!! I'm so over these small sampler quilts! 

A sampler quilt, anyone?

This book provided a new block for every week of the year, which is much better than one for every day. But the blocks are such a hodge podge, and again, you can pick your favorite blocks, or add in some orphan blocks, and you have created your own quilt! 

A block a week quilt

And then what's with this? I totally understand that some books will come with a plastic wrap on them, but who would buy a book like this? It's a hard cover and wrapped in plastic. Nope -- I'm not spending money on a book that I can't preview. I guess it's not worse than buying online, but still. 

Hardcover wrapped in plastic

Then, in the car, off to North Battleford. I passed the location of the Ag in Motion show on my way. Yep -- it's enormous, and because of the twin (two-lane) highway and the need to turn left off the highway to this location, the speed limit is reduced from 110 to 80 for miles to prepare people for that turn. 

I stopped at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford because that's where Dad works! Yep - he works, there's no two ways about it. I caught him at the welding station. I just hope he continues to be able to move around and drive for a long time! Although I can see him sitting in a wheelchair in the shop, directing the others to do the work! He's one very lucky man as he had a mini stroke a while back and that sapped some of his strength, but not his mind! 

Dad - setting up to weld something

And they have their museum days coming up - History in Motion, so they were busy getting some stationary engines running. They couldn't get the pump to pump water from the stationary engine and discovered that a leather gasket had disintegrated, so they retrieved a piece of leather to cut a new one. There is no option to buy replacement parts online from these guys, unless they can't make it.

I spent quite a while at the museum, just watching. So, if you ever wonder where I get my curiosity or energy, you need look no further than the picture above. He got it from his dad, who lived to be 100 years old. 

So what's the weather like here? Well, the high yesterday was about the same as the low back home. I think the highest it reached was 20 degrees. This is the temperature when I woke up this morning. 

OH -- that's cool

Yikes -- but it's smoky here. Not too bad, but it looks pretty hazy this morning, and you can smell the smoke. 

Well, I must go. I'm going to get out for a walk and find some breakfast, and then I'm off to work today. 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Running on EMPTY!

And I'm home again! That was the shortest "retreat" I've been on for a long time. But it was also the correct length for what it was! We only went for a weekend when we started going to retreats in 2006 - almost TWENTY years ago. That was too short, so now we go for six nights. Neither the machine embroidery workshop participants nor I could handle six days of learning machine embroidery! 

We were learning design positioning, and I was hopping around the room like a crazy person. But it was all good. 

The most important thing for me was how much people learned about their embroidery machines and how confident they were when they left. They also learned a ton about tools and supplies. I will send them one last email this morning and tell them about the "homework." Why not? They must regularly do machine embroidery, or they won't retain what they learned. 

The checkout time was 3:00 PM, and these girls were so excited that they didn't want to leave! I was just locking the door and walking to my car when the owner showed up to start cleaning. Only once before did I stay right to checkout time. 

The machine embroidery workshop was a resounding success. Will there be another? Yes, one is already scheduled, and I think we are full, or perhaps there is one spot left. Ten is a nice round number of participants. I'll take a waitlist for the "intro" workshop, and this past group is already clamoring for advanced techniques! Who knew? I might schedule some dates for next year, as space availability is challenging! 

I almost had an incident on the way home. Thank goodness for warning lights on the dash. 

Low fuel warnings

I had completely forgotten that I needed to get gas at some point on the trip. So, not only did the orange fuel light come on, but I could also see the distance to empty (16 km). There was a big sign on the dash, and a pop-up message came on the entertainment scene. Oh boy - I'd better stop for gas. That picture was taken at the gas station. I was 5 KM from home. I've been told there is a reserve of about 50 km of gas, so I was good. 

I was only 5 km from home but stopped at the first gas station off the highway. Good grief—I paid 5 cents a liter more than if I had gone to the gas station near my house. What a ripoff since I had enough gas to make it to the second one. Oh well. And in some provinces, the gas price never changes and is the same everywhere!

I went for a walk in the morning before we got started. The weather has certainly warmed up compared to what it has been. And the snow is beginning to melt, and the snowbanks are compacting! The creek at Spring House Retreat is completely covered with snow drifts! I'm sure after this week, with the above-freezing temperatures, the water will be running again. 

The creek at the bridge on the farm

Here are the red chairs from another angle! Just the tips of one are showing. That's a lot of snow! 

The red chairs

The ice damns are enormous in some areas. I spotted many of them on the houses in this area and got this photo of a church. We have a huge one on the front of our house. It's how the roof is designed and, of course, the heat in the roof. Well, let's just hope there is no further damage inside. It is the design of our roof line that is the problem because almost all the houses with that design have ice damns in the same spot. 

Ice damns!

But guess who was happy to see me? DH had left shortly before I got home, and they were beside themselves. Dad left with a suitcase, and Mom was already gone. Who is going to feed us? 

MOM - I missed you!!!!!

Mom - thank goodness you are home! 

I unpacked the car and put the groceries away. How did I come home with more food than when I left? Well, not exactly, but I have enough cookies and fruit to host a tea party! 

I was going to sit and read for a bit to relax, but I needed some bananas for breakfast. I think the box had just been opened, as all the bunches were green, and there were no singles! Enough about the bananas! 

Then I walked each girl to the end of the street and back because the minute I put my jacket on to go outside, they were at the door. I swear they did not care that I came home—they just wanted to make sure they got a walk! 

Anyway, I read after dinner, and all was good. 

Today, life is back to the craziness. I'm off to spin class, and then we have Monday Sewing and two Zoom presentations. 

But all is good in the world, and that's all that counts. 

I have some follow-up homework to catch up on, and I must get that out the door today. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Dressing for the cold!

 As I prepared to take the girls for their morning walk, I contemplated how to dress. The temperature was minus 19, with a wind chill of minus 26 or something like that. I'm pretty good for my head (a Tilley hat is the best, although it should probably be replaced as the ear flaps are stretched), but the tightly wound scarf keeps that all in check; my recycled pop-bottle coat is toasty warm, but what about my legs? 

Then I remembered some wind pants in the closet and checked them out. Good grief - there were TWO pairs of pants, one brand new still with the tags on. They are called STORM pants. 

Storm pants

They aren't really lined but are made of two layers of high-tech fabric. Boy, they were warm! I could have walked longer!! It turns out that we got those pants at some golf function. Either they were swag or an auction item. They are way too long for me, but they are mine now! The other pair is size large, and that just won't work! 

I'm wearing the fleece-lined mitts I made. They have two layers of fleece, and my hands are great with my dollar-store gloves inside. Why the double layering? When I need to pick up after the dogs, I still have my hand in the small glove. It helps to keep them warm!! 

And, of course, the girls thought yesterday was a fun day. They both love the cold, and there is no paw-lifting for them! After they ate, they were outside playing like two little kids. 

Well, it was one of those days. I needed to find something on one of those "current project" tables, and of course, while doing that, I made a mess on the floor. I'm so bad, as I left it like that for a while and stepped over it. It's now off the floor. 

A mess!

And then, when I was in the stash room, this happened: That bolt of fabric that created the end of the "shelf" for the yardage slipped and poof—fabric all over the floor. That got cleaned up right away. These extra yardage pieces do not have a home. Well, they do; there's just not enough room on the shelf. I need to make some backings, but I haven't finished any tops recently! 

A spill in the stash room

I am scrambling a bit these days. I have quilts to quilt, UFO projects to assemble, and classes to prepare for. Yesterday, I had a conference call, so to make good use of my time, I sewed all these little things together in the morning so I could turn them inside out during the call! You'll get to see them next week.

Working on my UFO

Later, while I was quilting, I also tried to assemble my quilt top. It's still in pieces, and I need it quilted by tomorrow morning. So, it will be interesting to see how that works out. 

So this was the view from the left of where I was sewing. My quilt is on the design wall off the edge of the photo. 

The view from the sewing machine

Then, looking in the opposite direction and off in the distance, I can see the progress on the long arm. Yes, there is loads of stuff in between. I know, and I'm not happy, but time does not allow anything to be done right now. 

Keeping an eye on the long arm while I sew

Speaking of long arms, I was browsing through an older quilt magazine from 2008. Look at the list of long-arm vendors. I think a few of them no longer exist. At least I bought a brand with longevity!! I love my APQS Millennium! 

Long arm vendors from 2008

This next quilt seemed to take forever. The customer likes a particular busy pattern, and she likes it to be dense. I may have gone a wee bit too dense, as it took a long time, but it just needs to be trimmed. 

Customer quilt - done!

I always have to give extra thought to the thread color when there are high-contrast fabrics. Black? Too stark on the prints. Beige? It's too stark on the black. So I went with a medium-dark grey, and it worked amazing. That's not a very good picture, but it shows slightly in both parts, which is what I want. When quilting with pantos, it's NEVER about the quilting—the fabric and the pattern make the quilt. 

Great thread color for high-contrast fabrics

Why does this customer like dense quilting? She loves the way it softens in the washing process. And yes - dense quilting will soften a lot once it's washed. The more you wash it, the softer it gets and the more vintage it looks, which is perfect for this fabric style! You don't get that with loose quilting! That is why I also prefer denser quilting. 

I also got some of the logs done during the ender and leader sewing as I put that quilt top together. 

Working on enders and leaders

I have some drop-offs and pick-ups to do this morning. I'm trying to empty my front hall as so much is stacked up and ready to be picked up or delivered. I don't have time, but I have to make time. I need ONE MORE DAY this week!!

And here are the girls. They LOVE to play tag. And they are noisy! You can hear them pounding on the deck. When Lexi needs a break, she runs under the shed, where she has a nice hidey hole. 

Run, run, as fast as you can!

Murphy is just a big goof! And she doesn't come down those stairs; she jumps down them. But they are having fun, and that's all that counts. 

MOM - I'm coming! 

And then, for a quieter moment, Murphy is with her ball. How she looks at it, you just wonder what is she thinking? 

I LOVE this ball! 

I put the girls out before I went to bed. Murphy did her stuff and came right back in. Not Lexi. She loves it outside and was happy to curl up on the deck. So I went upstairs. And before long, she's banging on the door to be let in! And sleeping on the floor? Not on the sofa? I guess she likes to sleep on the pile of blankets if Murphy would leave them alone! 

Mom - I'm missing my Dad!!!

It's all very entertaining at our house! I still haven't found that missing book, but not going to worry about it right now. However, I'm happy to say that yesterday, during our meeting, I was asked for FOUR things. I very quickly found the two documents someone was looking for. This was amazing because of all the file shifting I had done a couple of days ago. 

I needed some particular photos, and with the help of my blog (for dates), I quickly found the originals. That impressed me! I also needed to find a specific presentation. That took a minute, but I also located it—I had to locate the same one TWICE in the last couple of days, and it was easy. 

The last were samples sitting on that table, and I found them all. Everything was exactly where it was supposed to be—in labeled folders and so on or with GOOD SEARCHABLE titles. So, I must improve at this so nothing will get lost in the future. Maybe I should have put the information in that book on the computer! Hmm—that's a thought for the future! 

I am working on that list of things to do—progress is slow because there's so much more to do! But I've got it planned out, so I should be good. However, time will be incredibly tight. 

Before I go, what about your stand-up/sit-down exercises? How are they coming along? Are you doing them? If not - you had better have a very good excuse! "I forgot" is NOT an option here. This is YOUR FUTURE MOBILITY and INDEPENDENCE. None of us want to become that person who needs someone to help them get up from a chair. You strengthen your quad muscles and core by standing and sitting, which is essential for continued mobility. 

Why do I harp on that? Because my Mom lost the ability to be independent. Why? Because she lost the muscle strength in her legs and core. She can get around, but she needs a walker or a wheelchair. Could she live on her own? Absolutely NOT! 

With the added stretching that I'm doing to counter all the walking and spin classes, my legs have never felt better. I actually have a bounce in my step, especially when going up and down the stairs. NO -- I am NOT taking chances. I do NOT want to become a "little old lady." I have to stop DENYING that I'm aging and get off my butt and do something about it! I refuse to let age take away my independence!!

My massage therapist and I talked about this while she tortured me. It's easy to get older and let your body fall into disrepair, which it will happily do. Think of abandoned homes and how quickly they fall into disrepair. Then you can complain about the aches and pains. OR - you can choose to do some simple exercises to counter the effects of aging! It's NEVER too late to start. 

And now for the Zoom Links for the weekend Virtual Retreat.

Saturday, January 25 -- Starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Sunday, January 26 - Starts at NOON

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

And on that note - I'm off!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Baby - it's cold out there!

I really don't know what makes Outlook sync. I suspect it's some kind of time thing, or perhaps it's related to activity. I haven't really looked into it, but maybe I will. The more one understands something, the more opportunity you have to fix it when things go wrong! OK, I had a quick peek—I didn't understand a thing. I must go back! 

Yesterday was a brutal day physically! And it wasn't a bad day, just brutal. Surprisingly, my shoulders and arms are not sore despite all the upper body stuff we did in my personal training session. I thought I would be in a lot of agony, but no, I feel fine. Let's not forget the stretching on the legs and hips. I'm so tight; I'm like a tightly wound piano string! 

Then I saw Misty for a massage. These are not your la—la—have—a—drink massages; these are deep-tissue massages, and I thought I was going to die on the table. Because of all the stretching and how it relieves the sciatic (I'm going to call it that) issues, I believe that most of my issues are muscle-related. So, I let her work on my legs and glutes. 

I had a Zoom meeting to attend later in the day, and I just couldn't sit. I was OK for the first part, but it became very uncomfortable! I was absolutely exhausted when the meeting was over at 4:30 PM, so I went to bed and slept for two hours! I felt much better and was quite productive for a few hours. Then I went to bed and slept through until it was time to get up! 

I must get into a daily routine of stretching out those hips, hamstrings, and quads. It would be embarrassing if my issue was only related to extremely tight muscles. So, let's work on that and see what happens. And let's hope that we get it fixed before it causes any nerve damage! The tingling down my leg means there's still pressure on the nerve. 

I feel just fine this morning, so it was all worth it. And I must say that my mobility is so much better! I am not running up and down the stairs like I used to, but I can go up and down so much easier, especially first thing in the morning. My mobility does not seem joint-related—it's just stiff muscles. My ultrasound results indicate no bursitis or arthritis in the hip. Let's keep it that way!

Not much else was done besides getting to those three appointments and attending the meeting. However, I got some emails out the door last night, which was good. There's lots on the agenda again today. Will I get it all done before I'm away next week? I sure hope so. DH is now away, and I'm much more productive when he's not here! Don't ask me why, as he's pretty independent! 

Yes -- it's cold here, but it's all relative. It's much colder north of here, so I'm not complaining. Dress for it and try to get outside when the sun is shining. I think people grossly underestimate the power of the sun. It can help people suffering from SAD, but if you walk when the sun is out, the heat of the rays makes an incredible difference to the temperature! It's so much warmer in the sun. 

I love this picture of our area with a temperature guide. I could NOT find the legend to this, but it's cold. That color just makes it look VERY cold. 

It's COLD!

Here's my advice - wear a hat and tightly wound scarf to keep the draft off your neck, as most of your body heat is lost through your head. Some people are not into scarves, but I would be a block of ice without one. I also breathe through the scarf, which helps. And I tuck my shirt in! I hate a draft --- if any part of my body gets a draft when it's cold, then I'm freezing! 

And my recycled pop-bottle coat is warm as anything! I LOVE it. That was a worthwhile investment, although it wasn't that expensive. It's not the best if there's a lot of wind, but it works just fine for morning walks with the dogs. And I'm back to my down sweater in the afternoon. 

I think it's a bit colder today than yesterday, and then it warms up! 

Here's someone who loves this cold weather. Murphy goes outside and immediately drops on her belly in the snow. 

MOM -- it's so HOT in the house!

Or she could be on her belly on the blanket while contemplating what is happening with that ball! 

MOM -- that ball might move! 

I have a lot of things to pick up and drop off in the next couple of days, so I've been making arrangements to make that happen as well. I'm getting through the list, but when I went to send an email last night, I realized that I was missing a book with the information in it! Of course, I am. I've used that book for a class for FIVE years, and it was always in the same spot. Now, it's not to be found when I have one last need for it! I left it out so I could write that email................   What did I do with it? I will look through the stacks of recent paperwork again, but where is that book? 

Well, that's it for me this morning. I'm off to spin class. Wait - that's the other thing that keeps you warm. Get your blood circulating! If you just sit all day, you will be cold, and that's why seniors often have the temperature cranked in their houses. They don't move, their blood doesn't circulate, and they are cold. So do some stand-up/sit-down exercises - do ten of them. Then, take a break and do ten more. Aren't you warmed up? Yep --- circulate that blood! 

Have a super day!!! No, even better than that - EMBRACE the day - do something fun. Or do something you have meant to do for a while, but EMBRACE the day!! 

Here are the links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. Oh, I'm generating new codes. So here's the one for Saturday, and I'll finish the one for Sunday tomorrow. 

Saturday - January 25 - Starts at 6 PM EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Ciao!!!

The naughty and nice list

Excellent news this morning! Yesterday was the winter solstice, meaning the sun rises a little earlier each day! I also have to be thankful that I live south of where my parents live, so the sun rises earlier than in Saskatchewan!

While I had "stuff" to do yesterday, I took the day off and sewed all day! I'm working on my UFO, which is due tomorrow, but despite having a specific goal, I'm doing something else—the same project but another part. You'll see it after I show it to the group tomorrow. All I can say is that I'm happy, and that's all that counts. 

But as I work on this project, it begs the question, "Why was it abandoned?" And why with bits half completed. There was no issue to resolve, no missing fabric. Everything was easy to pick up, but I just left it. 

The half-finished UFO

From working on other UFOs, I know this is not unique. It boggles my mind to find so many abandoned projects. Thankfully, the UFO club will continue in 2025 and probably for many years beyond that. I'll be making a new list for 2025, even though I still have loads on the lists from previous years. I'm holding myself accountable, and it's nice to see progress. 

I will show you one thing about this project: paper-pieced ornaments in the shape of mittens. And yes, they are adorable! But some pieces are very bulky, especially this one, where I had to join two sections. Bulky for sure, and hard to press? Not a chance. 

Look at how flat that seam is. 

A VERY flat seam

And here's the back so you can appreciate the bulk. 

The bulky seam

How do I achieve that? I stand up for one when I'm pressing. I can put my entire weight into the process. It sounds silly, but it's true! You just get way more leverage standing than sitting. That goes for rotary cutting, as well as pressing. Besides, it's essential to change your position from time to time. It helps to ease the aches and pains. I pressed to the side with fewer seams, which helped a lot. Once I had manipulated that seam flat with my fingers, I applied steam to it—not lots, but enough to flatten it. I did NOT use anything else—no clapper, no hand tool, nothing but my finger and iron with steam. 

You can do that as well! I'll give a "live" demo (on Zoom) of pressing in the new year and will let you know when it happens. 

Speaking of which, the SECOND binding class has been posted on The Hobby Horse website, so get yourself over there and sign up! 

My cutting table is in a bit of disarray at the moment, and there is barely any room to cut. But I'm trying to focus on this UFO, and once I'm over that, I'll clear the stuff on the table. I have plenty of room to work and use my small table and cutting mat beside the sewing machine. But I GET UP - I have to. I'm keeping my posture super straight, well, straighter than before, and keeping my leg loosened up! 

The disarray on the cutting table

I unpacked a little bit more of the stuff from the retreat. Oh gosh, I opened the bag with the Oh Canada fabric, and I barely remember what my plans were. So, I need to take care of that this week as well. 

But here's my crocheted dishcloth! Thanks, Diana! I love these, but I've never had a crocheted one before. 

Crocheted dishcloth

I'm still playing around with my Dear Jen blocks and tried a diagonal setting. 

The diagonal setting for Dear Jen

That will not work, as some blocks are directional, which would drive me mad. 

So, it's back to the straight set. 

Straight set for Dear Jen

I like this much better. I need to stop fussing with it and just get to work. The blocks on the right-hand side are rejects, so I'll remake them. I'm not happy with a couple of the backgrounds, so two fabrics and possibly more will be returned to the basket of black and white fabrics. I need high contrast, but some are just too muddy! 

But the overall look is OK. I will switch that setting up a bit and have two blocks of dark and then two blocks of light. I did that this morning, and it looks much better. 

Let's say the girls were in fine form yesterday. MOM, there's snow outside, and we love snow. 

Murphy just went out and plopped herself down. 

MOM - I love the snow on my bare tummy!

Lexi has this awkward pose but was happy to be out. 

MOM - I LOVE the snow - I'm a Husky!

And the two ripped around the backyard, chasing each other like puppies. 

MOM - can you see us? Can you HEAR us? 

But boy, is Murphy clingy! She NEEDS to be close, but only when I'm at the table. She doesn't bother me downstairs or when I'm in the office. But at the table? She's my best friend, not begging for food (I wasn't eating), just for attention and petting! 

MOMO - I LOVE YOU!

Lexi is happy that Murphy ripped up that dog bed. She hated it and wouldn't lie in it. I wonder if she remembered Sammy, and it made her sad. So I moved the pile of blankets from the living room to the family room, and LOOK!!!!

MOM - thank god these are back. I had no choice but to sleep on the sofa! 

I came home from my walk to find a naughty girl in our house. Of course, she had to find the mud in the backyard. I don't even know why we bother to clean! I told Murphy we would sell our house and live in a yurt, and she was thrilled! 

MOM - I was chasing rabbits! 

I was reading through a storage magazine again. I'm trying to get rid of all this stuff, and while I don't have to read the magazines or even browse them, it's fun. I bought them, so I might enjoy them if possible. 

But seriously, some of the solutions are not practical. They're all about prettiness, not usefulness. Who would have a cabinet like this with only a few towels in it? And who (OK—sorry to those OCD people) would stack them with that line lined up? Wait—who would fold them so that happened? 

A pretty but impractical way to store towels

I don't even have matching towels! Granted, these storage magazines are all about storage, but they don't mention getting rid of stuff. They just show you places to shove the clutter out of sight, which doesn't help. What's the point of storing things that you'll never use? I laugh when everyone says they need more storage. What they really need is less stuff! 

Anyway, I'm going to play hooky from the world again today, and I'm going to work on my UFO. I want that thing done, and there's no reason why I can't get close. Let's see what the day brings!

I see I brought the colder weather with me. While it's warming up in Saskatchewan, it's getting colder here. Oops! But it's only for the weekend; it'll be fine next week! 

Remember, as you are madly trying to think of a gift for someone, why not ask them what they want? Lunch with a friend (you), help in their house to declutter, maybe a tank of gas, or a bag of groceries? No one needs another candle or box of chocolates. Give a gift that is going to make a difference!!! 

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

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!


PS - in case anyone thinks I'm losing my marbles for almost missing that plane, this is NOT the first time I messed up the departure time. It happened about 10 years ago, and I got a notification that the gate had changed, and I was in the house sewing! Another time to be thankful for carry-on luggage and living close to the airport. It's not a memory thing - I just get in my head the wrong time!