A new retreat house!!!!!

I love how we are all so supportive of each other!! And how we are all the same. We lose things, we go through recoveries, we screw up! It's so comforting to know that I'm not alone!!! 

I'm at a new retreat house this morning, getting myself organized in a new space. I realized, as I was setting up my computer, that I had NOT brought the mouse or the mouse pad. Sigh......  As I was packing up, I thought to myself to throw that in, but I did not. It sits under a shelf upon which my computer sits, so it's not super visible. Oh well, I have the built-in touchpad on the computer, which I'm not a fan of, but for a few days, I can make it work. 

I had packed some of my stuff over the weekend, and DH asked whether I was taking my entire sewing room. NOPE -- just stuff that needed to be cut. Well, have a look. 

The car is packed for the retreat.

OK -- perhaps that was a bit too ambitious for a four-day retreat. Oh well!!!! Better to have variety than not. And I left most of it in the car! 

I had some extra time to kill before arriving at the house, so I decided to stop at the thrift store in the town closest to my destination. Oh my—I found some interesting things—yes, a couple of puzzles came home with me. Don't say a word!! I am working on them, and then they are being donated, so they are not staying. 

I forgot to load the pictures and am too lazy to resend them to myself, but I got the next one all laid out and the border done, so when I get home, I can tackle it. 

Anyway, I love how the thrift stores are making the end caps look pretty neat. They created several displays, and it was very striking. 

Colorful displays at the thrift store

They even had an orange one, but I wasn't looking for this kind of stuff, so I skipped it. 

The orange display

I quickly checked the book section and found this book. Hmmm --- the answer to every problem? It sounds too good to be true!! I didn't even glance at it and certainly didn't buy it. I just make stuff up if I need help!!! 

The only book you need? 

But a few things did come home with me - well, they are sitting in the car. A couple of textile things that will be awesome for machine embroidery. I know -- how much machine embroidery does one need? LOTS!!!!

I had a ton of mini-quilts that I had made or won over the years, and when I heard that Kim was starting My Quilt Retreat (I hope I got that name correct), I asked if she wanted any mini quilts for the house. She went through the quilts and picked the ones she liked. The two on the right came from that stash. Oh shoot -- I need to take a closer picture of the one on the top --- it's a scrap quilt!!! The leftovers from a Thimbleberries quilt, I think. And the one below I won at a guild show - maybe someone will recognize it as their own. 

Mini-quilts on display

And this small one, which is very artsy. I guess I could have hung these around my house as Kim did, but I didn't. I'm OK with that. 

Another donation

And here's one more. I don't think I made this one - I made one that says "I Like to Teach". There are two more on the wall behind me, so I need to get a picture of those today when it's a bit brighter in the house. 

Another donation quilt

I did not bring a sewing machine with me - only some handwork and some cutting. So I got some table risers (I borrowed them from the house, but I have mine in the car) and started cutting. 

My workstation

WAIT A MINUTE -- let me tell you what happened on the way. While I packed somewhat carefully and didn't want to stack things, one bag sort of got tossed on top of the rest. At one point, a police car with flashing lights was coming towards us. The car in front of me pulled to the right and stopped in front of me. I had to put the brakes on a bit. I heard something fall with a thunk, but I didn't have the time to check what happened. Everything breakable or that could leak was safely stowed, so I didn't worry. 

When I stopped at the thrift store, I realized the bag with the box of white scraps had toppled over, and white scraps were all over the back. Yikes!!!! What a mess. 

Some of the mess with the white scraps

Now I will admit that this box was chock-a-block full, and the contents were "mildly" exploding out of it. But after this incident, the contents seemed to grow two sizes bigger than they were in the box. How did that happen? 

Good grief --- there were white sdraps everywhere, and I tried to keep them contained in the box, but they wouldn't fit. I worked on this yesterday and a bit this morning, and it barely looks like I've made a dent in the box. This box of white is long overdue for a trim. 

The white scraps

How long is it overdue? I don't remember ever using the white scraps for anything, except for the occasional piece for applique. Well, what do they say in the barber world? This box is getting a Number 2, or more likely a Number One, which means that everything, or most things, are being dealt with. 

But look at what I found. This fabric was for a project that I made in 1999. And the scraps are still in the box. 

OK—this scrap was generated in 1999!!!

I'm not going to share all the details on how I'm dealing with the box or what I'm cutting. I'm going to save that for my scrap class in the fall. But needless to say, it's an eye-opener. I will share the pieces I'm cutting later. I honestly don't think I can finish that box today, and I don't want to spend all my time on it. So I'll work until this afternoon, and then I'll switch to something else. I need to touch everything I brought with me - just to prove a point!!!!!

I went for a walk yesterday afternoon, and it was glorious. I realized that the main road, 1 km from the house, is Highway 2. Why is that significant? That is the road we cycled on when we passed through this area in 2013. We are near Newcastle!!! Oh my --- what memories, although the entrance to this road is not memorable because of anything on it! 

On my walk, I spotted this. Seriously? How is this even possible? There is still snow on the ground—OK, not much, but still. 

A caterpillar?

And look—there's a beautiful barn quilt on the garage. I knew I had arrived at the correct place. 

A barn quilt

And last - do you remember this quilt di that ended up at my house? Look what I found here!!! And that's all I'm going to say about it! I refuse to say more to protect the innocent!!! They know who they are. 

Hmmm -- is that a quilt di? 

Well, I'm off to continue cutting scraps!!! Oh, shoot —I just realized I didn't bring the charger for my FitBit, and I'm at 45%. I should be OK because, like my phone, I turn absolutely everything off. I don't get phone messages, I don't get any kind of notification. It doesn't even show the time unless I push the button. I like my solitude without a phone or Fitbit interfering in my day! When I need something, I check. 

I see there are some geocaches within walking distance, so I may do that this morning, although it's minus 6, which is nothing! Just get out there and walk!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

I'm PUZZLED!!!!

Creative block!!! Where do I start this morning? 

Just kidding! All I need to do is write one word, and then the rest just follows. I have more to write about The Artist's Way, but I'm leaving that until tomorrow. 

Lots of things happened yesterday, and they were very exciting. Let's take a look. I recently went through my pending folder, which was exploding, and I did quite a bit of checking things off the list yesterday morning. So that was a positive way to get some paperwork done. There are a few more papers on the floor from that folder that I need to check to make sure things got done, and then I can file/toss the paperwork. It's all good. 

On my Visual To-Do list is a category called "quilts for others," which means that it's a quilt I want to make for others, or someone asked me to make them a quilt. This is the most embarrassing category on the list because I got stuck in a rut. I'll work up my courage and explain them one at a time, preferably with time in between, so I can get over my embarrassment. 

The reason I'm sharing the stories is that you likely have similar projects, and I want to share how I dealt with them. And I might need your advice on some of it, but slow and steady - let's just deal with them one at a time. 

As I mentioned, I ran into a lady in the grocery store the other day, and she was on my list of people to call because there was a box with a partially completed quilt in it for her. 

The UFO quilt I promised to make for someone else

I sent her pictures of what had been completed so far and a diagram of where we were going with it. She had already received a quilt I made for her Mom. I called her yesterday, and we discussed it. I had phototransferred 30 pictures onto fabric and fused some lettering, which was to be the top and bottom borders. Here's what I learned in that conversation. First -- she didn't even remember the project when I sent her the photos. OH!!!! To be clear, this project was started in 2002 or 2003? So it's been many years - I don't blame her for not remembering, but I remembered, and it has been a weight on my back for all those years. 

Secondly, she mentioned numerous times that the pictures were very dated. Yep—some of the people in the photos were probably no longer around, and all the children? Well, some of them have children of their own. She felt bad for all the work I had done, but then didn't want to add to my workload. 

Bottom line? We ditched the project. Guilt gone and the next time I see her around, we can just catch up - I don't need to mention the quilt every again!!!

I'm not taking that project off the list yet. I need to sort through the box first, and when it's completely dealt with, then I can take it off the list. 

There was a stack of paper - that's now in the recycling. There were a couple of patterns, which are also in their appropriate place. I found some fabrics, and those are back on the shelf. 

Sorting through the UFO

Look at this gorgeous maple leaf neutral I found!!!

Look at the gorgeous fabric.

And THREE spools of machine embroidery thread, which is now back with the rest of the orange threads. I swear, if I could find all the threads that are in the project boxes, I'd have to buy many more containers! Don't yell at me --- I'm working on this mess!!! Are you working on yours? 

Three found spools of thread.

I also found two oraganmi boats that I made with fabric. I'm not sure why they were in the box - perhaps there was a lake behind the tree, and this boat was going on it. I know I made these as samples for another quilt, where I made an origami boat. Hmmm -- I should take a picture of that quilt. It's finished and hangs over my front door. I'm not sure where to put those, but I'll find a home for them, perhaps with my fusible supplies, because I needed a fusible to attach the two pieces of fabric. This technique would work a whole lot better these days with the much thinner fusibles!!

Two origami boats made from double-sided fabric

The stitching had NOT been done on the two borders, and I decided to try to rescue the fabric and perhaps the letters. I know—it's the pioneer spirit within me, and trust me—I LOVE doing this recovery work. I almost find it more satisfying than making something from new stuff. Plus, I have two YouTube Videos (informative) that I want to finish watching, so I can pull letters off while doing that. 

Oh shoot—I didn't seem to take any pictures of that process, but it's working. Some of the fused appliqué is stuck pretty well, but I'm persistent and have been able to remove about 1/3 of one border. That's pretty good considering I wasn't home yesterday afternoon. 

The moral of this story is- if you commit to making a project for someone, do NOT abandon it. I seemed to have gone through a period when I just couldn't wrap my head around finishing things, which has left a few things sitting here. I'm all grown up now and facing those awkward situations. Get it over -- live guilt-free! 

And the bonus lesson is that if you have a UFO, you do NOT need to finish every one of them. Abandon the project, shelve the material, cross it off your list, and call it a day. DO NOT leave it sitting around. MAKE A DECISION about it. 

Then we got ourselves ready because KU and I were going on a road trip. My brain kicked in, and I realized that while we were on our mission, we could drop some things off for the Pony Express. This is what we dropped off. Two quilts and three pet mats were dropped off at the first stop, and I picked up one quilt for quilting. The second stop involved dropping off some odds and ends for someone, and I didn't pick up anything. 

Items to be delivered on the Pony Express

The second stop was to the Springhouse Retreat house, where the person was currently enjoying a retreat. So, of course, I had to snap a picture of the red lawn chairs. 

The red lawn chairs at Springhouse Retreat

They were just not as nicely arranged as when we took our "famous" picture in them. I don't know where that picture is at the moment, but I'll find it for tomorrow. 

This is what remains on the Pony Express at the moment, which is not too bad. I'll try to drop that bag off today if the weather is nice. Two of the three remaining items are for me to drop off on my travels, and the bag of cars is for someone to pick up! All is good! 

What is currently waiting to be delivered/pick-up

After we did our two drop-offs, we were on our way to the Ye Old Fabric Shoppe. We found a fabric in the theme we wanted, but it was not suitable for our needs. So we looked at other things, and we got what we needed. I even picked up a few things which I'll share tomorrow. Oh boy -- I have a lot to share tomorrow!

WAIT -- there was one thing that I spotted. I did NOT buy it, but I took a picture of it. 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

Remember my picture from yesterday? 

Ways to keep track of your pieces

And that's all I'm going to say about that. 

I had wanted to check out the dollar store to see if they had any of those felt folders or laptop cases. And oh my—there was a thrift store and a Michael's right beside it. So we parked the car and went to Michael's first. The goal was to see if they had gotten their fabric aisle yet. Nope --- just the small pieces that they've always had. I first spotted the fabric aisle in North Vancouver in the fall. Nothing here yet, but I know that feature has also been implemented in part of Atlantic Canada. I don't know about my local stores. Too bad there isn't a Michaels within walking distance! It's within cycling distance, so once the weather is nicer, I must get that bike out! 

We checked out the dollar store, and they did not have the felt cases. BUT I scored big time at the thrift shop. We went in simply to check for jigsaw puzzles. I KNOW—I don't need any more, but just to check. OK — I checked the other departments but found nothing of interest, and we had a deadline to meet. 

Look what jumped into my shopping bag. 

WAIT --- first look what I spotted on the way to the puzzle section. Who remembers these tins? I was not a smoker --- EVER, but my Dad bought tobacco in these tins. He stopped smoking years ago. 

That brings back memories.

And doesn't this look nice? As Julia would say in The Artist's Way, inspiration can come from anywhere. Look at all the different reds, and they all look amazing together!!!

A display in the thrift store

OK -- so I have a thing for Dowdle puzzles. I have no idea why, but I like them. So I scored TWO of the bigger puzzles, and KU picked up a Diane Phalen quilt puzzle. 

THREE new puzzles

And then I found FIVE of the Dowdle FolkArt puzzles. 

OH -- five Dowdle FolkArt puzzles

And what the heck --- I bought them all! Eight puzzles for $40 inlcuding tax, because I had a 20% coupon with me. It's time to make another donation to get another coupon!

After we got back from dinner, I decided to tackle one of the small puzzles. It's so easy to lay out 300 pieces. Why does it seem to take forever when there are 500 or 1000 pieces? 

Laying out the pieces

Then I sorted out the border pieces. 

Sorting out the borders

I worked from the top down, and even with that, I was finished by 9:45 PM. You know what? I really enjoyed making that puzzle. It was fast, yet not super easy, and the pieces are small like a regular-sized puzzle. No missing pieces!

The puzzle is complete!

What was interesting was that the last one of the Folk Art series I did, the entire box cover was the picture, including the border on the box, and the name. I expected the same thing here, but nope—it was just the picture. Then I realized that the remaining four puzzles are the four seasons—one for spring, summer, fall, and winter. It was cheap entertainment for the evening. I might just do one a day until those are done. Then I'll let KU do them, and then they go in the donation box. I certainly do not want to keep them. 


We stopped for a snack at Tim's, and I won a coffee!!!

Winner!!!

OK --- this was Murp[hy yesterday morning -- back to lying on the pond. 

MOM --- something is here!

 I just let them out, and they were both by the pond. Murphy almost went on the pond, but the ice is almost gone. There must be something in the pond that is making them curious. Now I have to look, but I'm afraid of what I'll find. It's likely a rabbit or something. 

Look at Lexi! She is soaking up that attention like no tomorrow. 

I LOVE KU!!!!

This is why she hangs out with DH, although I don't know why, because he never gives her an ear rub like that! But KU knows where to hit all the good spots. It was hilarious. 

Today is going to be my last day —no, wait —Sunday will be my last day of goofing around with my projects, then I need to get heads down on stuff for my upcoming Facebook Live. WAIT --- they have the date as March 18!!!! 

Oh well—I'll evaluate my schedule and then move on to other projects on Monday. 

On that note, I'm out of here. So much to do! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

How well do you know your neighbors?

Wow -- it was so warm yesterday (plus 2) —it was obscene! We had a little bit of snow in the night, so I got that shoveled when I got back from walking the girls. 

So here's a question for you—how well do you know your neighbors? I'm pretty observant, and because I walk daily, I get to see things as they change. Like the neighbor who is now retired because they shovel their own snow rather than have a truck come and do it. 

However, I am not as good as I think I am!! There is one house on our street that has been vacant for several years. A shame, but that's the way it is. The owners had rented out the house, and that was a disaster; much of it had to be redone. The place was painted, and they are currently putting in new floors. I'm not sure what else was done - I never saw the inside. 

So that driveway isn't being shoveled, nor the sidewalk plowed, but with the new sidewalk plow, that's not an issue. 

However, there is another house on our street that is not very good at keeping its property tidy in the wintertime. I mentioned yesterday that there was a plow in there the other night. Was it the city or was it private? That homeowner was outside yesterday while I was shoveling, so I stopped to say hello!! I figured they were away for several months in winter, as many people do. 

OMG -- you will not believe this, but it was the city that plowed his driveway. That was NOT the shocking part of our conversation. He said, "You know, we don't live in the house." WHAT? Yep - they live in BC and come home occasionally because their three kids live in towns nearby. OH - when did you move? I asked. I almost fell over when he said 2017!!!! 

It's hilarious because we saw them frequently enough to believe they lived in the house, but they were only visiting! HOLY!!!!! The blinds are always down in the room over the garage, with several cameras installed, just as they are in our room over the garage. Because of the curve in the street and the house's design, the front door and living room window are not readily visible. 

In case you are wondering why I keep those blinds closed— it's very cold in that room, and my baffle blinds are meant to help keep the heat in, and I don't want the sun damaging the MANY quilts hanging out in that room. 

I had a good laugh. Anyway, Steve is thoroughly enjoying the beautiful weather in their "new" home, which I have visited before - the city, not their home. He fishes every day and asked if I would like some salmon. YES please. So later, he brought over some salmon, and I have a new friend who doesn't even live on our street!!!

What a hoot!!!

I also chatted with another neighbor about cycling - he's an avid cyclist and has offered for me to cycle with him and his group in the spring. I don't think I'm ready for that. I need to go out on my own a few times. Anyway, I asked him if any of his friends wanted an indoor trainer. I have one that I need to get rid of. Does anyone close to me know of someone who wants an indoor trainer for their bike? The person he thought of doesn't have room. 

And so I have new phone contacts with my neighbors!! That's what happens when the weather is warm!

Another silly thing that happened when I went to the bank. I had three things that needed to be done, and I was halfway there, when I realized I left my bank card at the house. DRAT!!!! They are NOT going to let me do what I needed to do without a bank card, so I had to walk back. Thank goodness it was a warm day!

I need to be on my toes for the recycling pickup. We have a new company picking it up, and WHOA!!!! They came much earlier than the previous company. Thankfully, our recycling was already out! Oh yes—remember the issue two weeks ago. They didn't pick up on the right day, and I had to run to get the cart out in time. Now they pick up earlier in the day. Hopefully, all will be worked out in the next couple of weeks. 

The new recycling company

By the way, the street looks less snowy this morning because of the warm weather, and in just ONE day!

I also stopped at the thrift store since it was Senior's Day. Oh boy -- the craft books have been relegated to the bottom shelf. And it was mostly puzzle books. Why don't they have a separate section for puzzle books and one for crafts? Anyway -- I didn't find anything exciting, but I managed to snag some yarn (I know!) and a couple of jigsaw puzzles. Sigh...................

The craft books are on the bottom shelf.

Before I had left, I had the embroidery machine all set up and ready to go. I went for my walk, came back, and pressed Start. Since I had to use a very large hoop, I ensured my chair was well out of the way. I'm happy with the results, though two things kept it from being perfect. One thing was a small error on my part, but it's a good lesson I'll share with my embroidery group. The other was a piecing error that would have been hard to fix. But if you look at it, you may or may not notice. Perhaps only the most observant would, and since that's no longer me - I'm OK with it!!! 

Lots of room for the embroidery hoop

I still have several UFOs to work on before our session this coming Sunday, so I madly pulled out some fabric and started cutting. I will have to put my scrappy half-square triangles on hold, because I now have to make a TON of them for this project. I don't think I'll get it finished for Sunday, but at least I'm making a huge effort, and that is all that counts. Let's just say that my motivation was because I put this project on the UFO list. If it were left up to me, the fabric would still be in the stash room! Making commitments and putting them on a list rule. It's how I roll. So that's how I will continue to work. 

Using the projection system on the PFAFF creative icon 2 makes sewing the half-square triangles a breeze. No marking lines!!!! 

Using the projection system to sew half-square triangles

And I have one small section done. It took me forever in EQ8 to design that block the correct way, but I needed to do that so I would know how many squares of each color to cut. The worst part is over, I think, and I can sit and sew some of those units each day. 

Making blocks from half-square triangles

Oh -- as for the progress on the Cherrywood Challenge, I finished all the machine embroidery, so that was good. Today, it's some hand stitching, and then I start the quilting. I'm on track and giving myself three days to do the quilting, since it will be a mix of hand and machine quilting. Then trim and bind and take pictures! While I'm at spin class this morning, I'll work out the logistics of the stitching. 

Last night, as I settled into my chair to read, look what happened. I was having some yogurt as a snack, and there was one yogurt container and two dogs. Do you think they are trying to tell me something? 

MOM -- Can I lick the container? It's for ME!!!!!

When they realized there was nothing for them, they decided to "fight" each other. 

MOM - SHE ruins everything!!!

And now that I've moved the large quilt back onto the living room floor, Lexi has claimed it as a sleeping place, a place she's used for years before I moved the quilt. I don't even remember why I moved it into the family room. But last night, Lexi got up for something, and guess who just plunked herself down? Lexi was beside herself, and I had to get up to shoo Murphy away. Those two are like toddlers whenever I try to get myself organized to read in the evening. It takes a long time for everyone to get settled, and then I can have some peace and quiet. 

But you can't deny that they are a hoot to watch. 

Well, I'm off to spin class today. I debated going because my knee was so sore yesterday. I think it was the worst it's ever been. Stiff and quite painful, but it seems to be OK today. Perhaps I'll take it easy! And I can't wait to get outside and see if the car's windshield needs scraping. That's a good warmup before going to the gym - it sure gets my blood going. And that is a story for another day!!!

OH MY GOSH -- I just checked my messages, and I got one from M. Wait until you see what she has asked me to do for the wedding. ACK!!!!!!

And on that note, I'm out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!!

The never ending little job list

The little jobs around the house NEVER end! 

I "fixed" the bubbler for the pond. I had brought the entire thing into the house and realized that the teeny tiny hole at the end of the tube was clogged with debris. So I poked that all out, put some water in the sink, and VOILA - the bubbler is working again. Now, to put it back into the pond. 

Then I opened the door to the furnace room to get a basket and saw water on the floor. The furnace, which is only a couple of years old, has sprung a leak. Not my problem - we rent it! But I need to call them, but not before I clean the reusable filter, which I've been meaning to do for the last couple of months. 

I now have to add that service call, which actually needed to be done a month ago, to the list of things to do. I'm feeling pretty good about the paperwork - there will always be lots, but I think I have the critical stuff under control, and that's a good thing! However, it's a constant struggle to complete all the small tasks. 

However, there is even better news this morning. Look! This is dog quilt number SEVEN!!!!! 

Dog quitl - Number seven

I have loaded the final quilt in that series onto the long arm this morning, and if all goes right, it'll be done by the end of today. That will keep me on schedule to get these quilts quilted by Friday, and then it'll be a push to get the binding on, so they can leave the house sooner rather than later. I'm not doing so bad, considering I made these in September. Of course, as I watched the long arm in that tricky spot, it worked like a charm!

Taking stock of what still has to be quilted before the end of the year, I came up with this. There are eleven quilts in the "favor" pile, and 7 more of the children's flannel quilts. There are customer quilts, but I'm not counting those. They will get done, but I use new batting for them, and the backings are made. 

I still have this much batting from that closet. WAIT -- -there is still the top shelf in that closet - this is all that remains from the piles I brought down. Keep in mind that all these 18 quilts are smallish -- 50 by 60 at the largest. There is enough batting in these piles to easily make the batting for those quilts. And I'll bet there will be some left over! 

Batting bit that I want to use by the end of the year

I would love to get these quilts out of the house by the end of the year, along with whatever customer quilts I have. That's my goal, and it's a lofty one considering how much time it took to quilt those eight dog quilts. Those eighteen also need the backing made and the batting sewn together, so it won't be quick. I'll do them in groups of four and then take a day or two break, so I should be OK. 

Let's see what happens, but I have a goal! 

It would be nice to start the new year with a "clean" slate of new community projects and no more favors! 

There are times when I worry about myself! I am pretty enthusiastic, not quite as bad as Murphy, but energetic. I sometimes buy things and then forget that I bought that item. It has resulted in duplicate purchases on occasion. 

I've been chatting about prewound bobbins for the long arm for the last couple of days and how much I love them. I am fortunate that my long arm is excellent at maintaining tension. I can change thread weights and batting types, and it just loves everything I throw at it. So that's a positive. 

Anyway, I noticed two boxes sitting ON TOP of the little cabinet where I keep my long arm tools, that I use EACH time I use the long arm. OH - what's in these boxes? OH MY GOD -- they are prewound bobbins - exactly the kind I'm going to purchase. How long have they been sitting there, and where did I buy them? 

Boxes of prewound bobbins

You know what they say -- a hoarder doesn't see the junk in their house because they are so used to seeing it. Well, that was the case for these two boxes. I cannot believe I've overlooked them for how long? 

What colors are they? I bet Cathy knows just by the numbers, but I had to open them up! I'm very excited that I found these before I place my order, hopefully next week. 

Neutrals

And they allow me to function in the real world and drive a car? It was when I went to get a basket from the furnace room to store all the pounds that I spotted the water on the floor. It's not a lot - probably a hose that came loose, and it's all going in the drain, so no issues. 

The accounts will be set up, allowing me to purchase the pre-wounds and the new thread brand going forward. I understand that the price of thread is going to be affected significantly by tariffs, so having a Canadian source for the thread going forward is a good thing. 

Speaking of Canadian sources for thread, have any of you spent any time on the Wonderfil website? You should because they have a ton of information about threads. And for those VISUAL learners, guess what? It's all on YouTube! Be sure to check it out, because then you'll know just as much, or more, about thread than I do!

While the cutting table is looking a bit disheveled these days, it won't be so bad when I start binding those quilts. I have quilt number seven to trim, and I'll do that while number eight is being quilted. Then I need to dig out fabric for the bindings. 

The current state of the cutting table

I thought I'd pop into the thrift store. It's on my way home from the dentist. I had an appointment to rebuild a tooth whose filling had broken off way back in the summer. I went to the dentist to report it, and well, it never got followed up on. I know I've mentioned this before, but as a child and young adult, I had a strong aversion to the dentist. Now - it's no big deal. Just zone out when he does the nasty part, and then just lie there and think. I probably would have had a nap because I'm so relaxed now. What happened? My dentist can never retire, but he's about my age, so I know that's inevitable! What will I do? 

I had a look at the purses. One of my students mentioned she finds purses at the thrift store and takes them apart to use the materials. I would definitely ONLY do that on a sale day because it's much cheaper to buy vinyl by the yard! And you get a lot more. Some of those purses are going for over $20!!! But if you're looking for a small amount of something unique, this could be the place to find it. Plus, you get a great zipper and lots of fancy hardware if you make bags, which I don't make a lot of. 

One-half of the purse selection at the thrift store

I spotted new packaging for the Dowdle puzzles. Is that new or a new line of puzzles? If you have a puzzle fan in your house and Christmas is approaching, the Canada series is a fun option! I see a few on the website that I've not seen before! They also have US cities and parks. I love these puzzles. The old packaging is on top and the new one is on the bottom. I couldn't find any information on the boxes on the bottom - no size, no number of pieces. Are they knockoffs? OH -- it's the FOLK ART series. 

Dowdle puzzles at the thrift store

OK -- I looked, and the website directed me to another website, which led to a rabbit hole. There are so many puzzles. I do NOT need another puzzle. I cannot buy another puzzle - I have no storage room left. I will NOT buy another puzzle! 

What do you think? Is this quote accurate? 

Is this you?

It certainly seems that way when it comes to learning. We become so settled in what we know that we forget how exciting it is to learn or explore new places by immersing ourselves in a book or any kind of learning environment. I've said so much on that, but it's true! I won't become a broken record, but don't be afraid of trying something new. If you make a mistake - guess what? You are fortunate! Because you won't do that again, and now you have learned something! 

I have to laugh because I'm probably the only one who stops and takes pictures of "nothing" when I'm out walking. I spotted the school bus for the school that M used to attend. Her friend's pictures were on the back of it for years. Now it's just the name! But I grabbed a photo and sent it ot her!

Then I spotted this on the sidewalk. By the way -- all those CUT S/W places on the sidewalk? They are all shaved flat now! 

Another sign on the sidewalk

I guess this metal plate will eventually be inserted. It's quite a big job to put those metal plates in there. What is the purpose? 

Tactile Warning Plate

Well, in fact, they are called Tactile Warning Plates and are designed to alert the visually impaired that they are approaching a corner. I walk over them a thousand times a day (OK - not that many), but I walk over them all the time. Since I don't have any visual impairment, I guess I ignore them with my feet. BUT if I were visually impaired, I'd be more aware of them! 

Now here's that little guy with attitude! He is pretty feisty and not afraid to use his outside voice in the house! 

Grandma, you are not listening to me!

DH said he spotted a lady walking by on the sidewalk. Bear was turned around and staring out the window, which is one of his favorite things to do. The lady was laughing so hard at him and took his picture! It's even funnier when Murphy is in the window too!!! You can just see his tiny head from outside! 

But this morning, he was fast asleep in his bed while I loaded the last dog quilt. Or was he sleeping? 

Grandma -- I'm watching you!

It's undoubtedly a three-ring circus with three dogs. My girls are more needy when he's here - they don't want all the attention to go to him. And between letting them in and out of the house, feeding, walking, and other tasks, it can consume a lot of time during the day. But it's all in the name of love, so I don't mind. 

I have one appointment this afternoon, and you have to wait to see what happens at this appointment! The rest of the day is mine! 

I have nine items on my paperwork list - can I complete them all in a couple of hours? None of them should take a lot of time, so I'm hopeful! And I was looking for a piece of paper in the filing cabinet yesterday and came across a whack of service records for my 2011 Toyota Matrix, which was two cars ago! Let's just say that a large stack of paper has been dealt with, and one more empty file folder now sits in the filing cabinet. That cabinet is NOT super jammed, and I really should take one folder a day and deal with it or whatever, and then I can file new stuff in it that is sitting out on the spare desk. 

It's time to get the day started!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!