Two steps forward and five steps back!

If you're expecting to see a lot of finished work today, you won't! I spent the morning on the computer, catching up on some paperwork I needed to stay on top of, and guess what? I made a good start on the presentation for the jacket class. When is that? Next weekend. Can I actually be working ahead? 

So, can you tell me why I had a dream last night that DH and I were heading off somewhere, and it was a nightmare? I couldn't find my paperwork or my passport. We were still trying to work things out as the plane was getting ready to board. Now, where the heck did that come from? 

OK - I booked two flights (my last two personal trips of the year) yesterday, but it was a pretty smooth process. They are weeks away, and there shouldn't be any issue about passports or other paperwork! The brain works in mysterious ways!

I accomplished some things in Studio B, but it was painful! The last two blocks for this quilt I'm working on are complete! Well, that's not entirely true. One of them requires a bit of hand embroidery, and the other a bit of machine appliqué. 

I will attempt to get them completed today. I had to laugh because I remember my reluctance to pull something else out. Well, that's a good thing, because it would still be sitting there today. At this rate, it's going to take me years to clear those tables. Tomorrow will be a better day!

I managed to serge the three pet mats that were sitting on the serger table. So that is something at least. 

Three pet mats are complete

Then I attempted to quilt a quilt. Well, that was a disaster. It's not a very big quilt, so it should have been super easy. The quilt was beautifully pieced, and the backing was generously sized. What happened? At one point, when advancing, the operator (ME) touched the wrong button, causing the machine to move at the wrong time. Because I had removed the marker, I had to fiddle with getting the design back in the correct place. No problem - I'm getting good at that. 

Then the bobbin ran out, and I wasn't there at the moment, which isn't a big deal. However, the thread went into the machine and wound around the mechanism that runs the takeup lever, so I had to take some time to dig it all out. I need to find a quick way to access that area so I can clean it out quickly. It's fixed, but what a hassle. 

And as if that wasn't enough, I got a RUN TIME error, which is a dreaded thing to get because I know it's going to shut the program down the second I touch it. And it did. At least I was at the end of the row, but still. I have the pattern for that quilt saved, and it should have been a pretty painless thing to get it back up. I had also removed the marker, so some guesswork was required. But it was about 7 PM when this happened, and my brain was tired by then. I left it and will tackle it this morning with fresh eyes. But seriously? Three major issues? 

I also did some more organizing, so was it a productive sewing day? Not at all. But it was productive in other ways! 

Perhaps today will be better. If I could complete the three small sewing tasks I have planned, I would be grateful. I must remember that everything will take longer than I plan, so I should stop planning. Nothing is urgent at the moment, but I must keep working on the upcoming two classes, so they don't become a rush job! 

Here is one of the small jobs I'd like to tackle today. Once it's done, the items that came in the three boxes the other day will have a whole new meaning. Perhaps today is the day to make that happen! 

A small job ready to sew

Today, I have a side job to do, and I'm not sure how many hours it will take. But this one is measured in hours, not days. If it takes too long, then I'm super slow! I might do one part today, and the second part the next day. 

I'm now in hyper clean mode, and when I went to use the vacuum this morning to tidy up some bits that don't get picked up by the Swifter, I decided to clear the hair and other gunk from the bottom. 

Cleaning the vacuum

I LOVE that cordless Rowenta vacuum. Actually, I guess I love any cordless vacuum, but it helps to clean the wheels and that brush. Darn dog and human hair! 

I took a picture of some of the things I do with half-square triangles. Here's a pencil case I made years ago. I still use it, and I love the cute design. 

My pencil case 

And I've sewn and trimmed more half-square triangles. 

Trimmed half-square triangles

The red and white ones were ones that I sewed while working on those quilt blocks. The other ones came from the container on the ironing board. 

Now that I was done with the red and white triangles, I grabbed some different colors from the tray and worked on browns. I chose two colors with a lot of contrast and went with that. I don't care about the color combination. 

More half-square triangles

These actually got trimmed last night as well. So other than the container on the ironing board, I'm pretty much up to date, which is exciting. I was trying to finish the chapter in my audiobook, and didn't want to start anything. So I puttered around, sorting through my buttons to find two that would work for my project, as well as presser feet and thread. I also gathered anything else I need to finish those three tasks today. 

As I was swiftering around the room this morning, and because I had moved all the tubs, I was able to retrieve the Quilt Police from under the table. She is now back in her place on the wall to survey the room, but we won't be hearing too much from her. And if she does manage to say something, I'm not listening! 

The Quilt Police

OH -- this just came to mind. Remember when I talked about the word "confluence" and how I had only ever heard it mentioned in relation to the rivers in BC. As I was finishing up "The Wager" the other day, they mentioned confluence in regards to the Strait of Magellan and the Atlantic Ocean. Now that I'm aware of the word, it comes up everywhere!!! 

This is how my world feels these days! Quiet and peaceful. This is such a happy place to walk! But sadly, the leaves are so dry that they are being crushed to bits by people walking. That's not a big deal, but some of the leaves aren't even changing color because they're just too dry. I'll enjoy the forest for as long as I can! 

My quiet place

Can you believe that it's the weekend and I have no Zoom calls? WOW!!!! 

Here are a couple of things that were recently addressed during the organizing process. These are the paper fall leaves that were on the design wall. I called up the local school and gave them the leftovers and the leaves (cardstock positive and negative). Every time I go in now, they say, "Oh, you brought in a bunch of stuff before." Yep - that would be me. Trying to find a home for things that I don't need or want and that might be useful to someone else. 

My drop-off at the local school

I found this book at the thrift store, and I have a thing for group projects revolving around quilts or picture books of historical quilts. Those will be the books I carry with me when I downsize. This one is for the quilts that were made for the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgie. Apparently, a group of quilters made two quilts per participating country. One for the flag bearer and one for the committee (I think that is right). So they made almost 400 quilts, and all of them are in the book. Some appear to have been specially designed for the Olympics, while others are more basic quilts. But it's fun to see what people did nd let's face it -- that was in 1996. I bet the quilts today would look completely different. 

A book on quilts made for the 1996 Olympic Games

I may have shown this before, but it's a magazine that I found when sorting through the office. It was on the computer table downstairs, and I hoped to use it for topics during Zoom class. Good grief - I should know better. I don't need a list - I just come up with topics in my head! So, the magazine is in the recycling bin. BUT do you see who is on the cover? Prince George - he's still and will always be famous. Taylor Swift - even more famous, and Oh dear - the New York Yankees. Sorry guys - this is not your year! 

February 2015 magazine

When I was at Indigo the other day, I spotted this game. 

A party game

Maybe I should get that for the Zoom calls. Again, I don't really need any help! One thing I've noticed is that a Zoom call only works if you keep the chatter going. OK -- that's not entirely true, but you can't go for hours without chatting. So, someone needs to keep the conversation going by suggesting new topics to discuss, without delving into the banned ones, which could easily consume hours. No, we need to keep the conversation clean! The attendees do a pretty good job when I'm not there, but on longer calls, it helps to keep people engaged if there are interesting topics. 

By the way, the next virtual retreat is October 18th and 19th. 

Speaking of Zoom - I will be hosting a one-hour Q&A session on the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 3 this coming week (Thursday, October 16th at 7 PM). I will NOT be teaching anything, but I'll be there with my machine to answer your questions. This is a one-time thing unless we need to have another later on. Let me know if you are interested, but please note it's for EPIC 3 owners only. It doesn't make sense to attend if you don't have one. elainetheriault@gmail.com

And on that happy note, I'm out of here! I've got some creative thinking to do about that long arm and getting the pattern back onto the quilt in the correct spot! And then I can tackle my little side job and hopefully finish those three sewing tasks. Wish me luck because that's a lot to accomplish in one day!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Grand Central Station

OH -- As I sit down to write, I realize there were a couple of other photos I wanted to take. I guess they just have to wait until tomorrow. 

Although the writing was completed and Studio B was mostly back to order, not much sewing was done. It was like Grand Central Station at my house for most of the day. And the phone calls - I rarely get ONE phone call in a day, I had many yesterday. But all good stuff, so I'm not complaining. 

Then things were dropped off, and other stuff picked up. Other things got dropped off, and within a couple of hours, those were picked up! But all is good, and everything that was dropped off is in its place. I have a couple of boxes to unpack later today, and I'm excited about what's inside!

But let's take a peek at what happened yesterday in the chaos I call Studio B. WAIT -- I can no longer call it chaos. I've moved all the tubs that were on the floor to either under a table or another area. Not really my favorite plan, but for now, that's the way it is. I love Jackie's comment yesterday about needing another shelf or another SELF. Yep - I could do with another self for sure. 

However, here's the thing. You saw how I put all that crap away without needing an extra shelf. It's all about giving things a home and bringing similar things together in one place. OK - there is still a lot of stuff sitting on tables down there, but it's all sorted, and that's good. 

I also rearranged the tables yesterday, so I can now easily access everything in the room, including the design wall. Since it will be months before I do the next Facebook Live or even Zooms for work, I might as well enjoy the space to my liking. Now I have wide, open paths to walk from station to station, and I love it. It brings a sense of calm to me. With a sense of calm, I am more likely to work effectively. Since I can't have another self, I can be better organized and in control, allowing me to work more efficiently. That's my plan. 

Although I'm tempted to cram a bunch of stuff onto the sewing table, I'm resisting the urge. I like to set out the things that NEED to be done that day. Well, since nothing needs to be done, why bother? Once I've finished sewing on a specific project, I can put it away and then stand in front of those tables to pick something new to work on. Let's see how this goes! It will be significantly better than the previous method, which was essentially a glorified storage area masquerading as a current project table. This time, it's for real! 

Here are the worktables. I moved the table with the serger beside the other two machine tables, and now I can do a merry-go-round to all three of them! 

The sewing tables

I'll try to keep the machines covered with some small quilts I have. NO time or need to make a fancy cover - the quilts will do, and if the machine changes, no worries - the quilt will still work. 

I don't have the mats that people have made to set up their machines and store their tools. I require THREE tools while I'm sewing, and I HATE having that pocket rub the top of my legs. I sew in shorts all summer, and it drives me mad to feel that on my skin. However, I've seen some of these rubberized mats at our local Fabricland, and I purchased one for the serger. They weren't long enough for the other machines, but I found something at the thrift store a couple of weeks ago that was just what I needed. Yep -- I saw a pink rubberized mat that was long enough to sit under the machine I sew on! 

My "new" pink rubber mat

I suppose the purpose of them is to prevent the machine from sliding or bouncing on the table. Well, that machine is so heavy it won't slide anywhere, and it's been designed with a stabilizer inside to prevent bouncing. Don't ask me the details, I don't understand the logic. So technically, I don't need that mat. BUT when I installed it yesterday, and had time to sew, I discovered one thing. My tools NO LONGER want to roll off the table. It has just a slightly grippy surface that is amazing! I love it, and it cost me $5.00!

The other thing I added to the sewing table was that tray that I'd been using everywhere. All those color groupings of the half-square triangles were strewn on one side of the machine, and if I needed to move them, it was a time-consuming job. So now that I am serious about sewing, the half-square triangles are still in their color groups, but they are on the tray. As is the pincushion that I rarely use, but I need to put it somewhere, extra spools of threads (which technically I could put in the appropriate thread container), but I like to keep a black spool handy, and that one is massive. And there's the box with all the accessories for the sewing machine. Everything is neat and tidy on one tray, which I can easily move if needed. 

The few necessities for sewing

Other than the current project I am sewing, there is NOTHING else on that table. You think that tray is messy? Trust me, as I sew those little triangles together, it's going to look a whole lot neater! I just need a prettier tray to put there, but this works for now! 

Now you know why I am resisting adding anything else to that table, like what I plan to sew that day. Do you know how nice it is to have only one block laid out with the pattern and nothing else? Nothing to swish on the floor as I'm sewing? No tools falling -- I am in quilting heaven right now! My goal? It stays that way. 

When I'm ready to start the next project, I will put the current one away. Perhaps it's done; maybe I need to give it a rest, but either way, it will be put away. Trust me, I'm pretty good at that once I have a system in place. I know—I've been sewing for 25 years and still don't have a system! 

Once the sewing table is clear and ready for the next project, I can move to the current projects table, which is now moved away from the design wall, along with the table with the smaller (one-hour projects). They form an island, with Murphy's mat beneath them. She is NOT going to be happy about that, but I didn't like not being able to access the bookcase or the design wall easily. And yes -- I reference books on the shelf all the time. I also piled the quilts that need binding onto that table in that empty space and emptied a tub!!! I then filled it from another tub, which I don't like - the long ones for under the bed. I hate those, so now I have an empty one to donate. 

Or maybe I'll hang onto it for the moment. I'll see how it goes. But this is great because it's now easy to see (OK - It looks like a crowded mess in the photo), but it'll get easier to see as I progress. There is zero reason to start anything new, except for the three projects that I have already agreed upon. And they have deadlines. 

The projects table - neatly organized! 

The cutting table is clear, except for those two pieces of linen that I want to make something from, but need a pattern. Perhaps I should move those to the current table and actually purchase the pattern! Yes - the goal is to keep the cutting table clear of everything, EXCEPT the project I'm working on. That was my plan several years ago, but it didn't work out because I hadn't set things up properly. This time - I think I got it!

The cutting table

I moved some of the tubs that were under the old current projects table to their appropriate spot. A few extra tubs were placed under this table since they are for cutting, which I can easily handle on a Zoom call. These tubs are Diane's stuff, which I have held onto - some projects, some scraps - which I may end up donating to someone else. I'll see how it goes. 

Leftover stuff from Diane

And this is now the pile of stuff that still needs to be dealt with. It's a bit larger than the previous day because I decided to be ruthless and deal with everything that didn't have a home. I'm going to spend the day sewing, but then I have the entire weekend with NOTHING to do, so I might grab one box or tub each day and deal with it. I still dealt with a lot of stuff yesterday before I got bored and piled it up here! 

Stuff that still needs to be dealt with

And I'll be happy to have that space visually and physically open. I swear, it makes the room feel huge, and I feel so in control. As I've mentioned several times, I have ZERO interest in starting something new. The thought of actually seeing empty spots appear on those tables is making me giddy, so I'm going to do my best to make that happen! 

This is what the cutting table looked like when I was sorting some of the stuff. I found some treasures, but not the templates I was looking for. I'm still looking! As mentioned, when I got bored, I shoved the remaining bits into a tub and will deal with it another day. But I'm working through it - you can't yell at me for not completing the task, although I should be yelled at because if I could complete tasks, I wouldn't be in such a mess! 

Sorting crap

While this doesn't give you an appreciation of the difference in that room, it's OPEN!! The best part is that it didn't take long to make happen. A couple of hours and I was good. But that's because I've spent hundreds of hours in the past finding homes for things and, for the most part, putting them away. It was only when work went nuts that I ran into trouble. 

Studio B

I'm back sewing on one of the big sewing machines, and I LOVE having the projection light to sew with. No more marking!!!

No more marking with the projection

Despite all the interruptions and the last of the tidying, I did complete some sewing. I finished two blocks for a quilt and then put all the blocks on the design wall. More about that another day. 

I also got the remainder of the homework done for Colour My World. I was so excited and put the second round of houses on the wall, only to discover that one house was missing from the top section. WHAT? Did I only make seven houses? That's impossible. I had posted that picture to the group, and I'm sure someone would have told me I only had seven houses. 

Month One of Colour My World

So I checked the floor - OH - that would be easy to spot if it were on the floor. WAIT -- it fell onto one of the tables that were against the design wall, and voila -- the missing house is found! 

ALL 16 of my houses!

That is Month One of Colour My World. I have to say, when I tried the folded freezer paper method of paper piecing before, I hated it! Lots of reasons, but this time? I've achieved a 100% success rate, and I'm going to see how I can convert other patterns to this method. It's incredibly satisfying to trim a block or section, pull the paper off, and reuse it on the next one. No paper to remove!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!

So that project got put away and back on the table because I'm done with it for the moment, until the next homework is assigned. WAIT - I'm the teacher - I guess I had better prep the next class, but that's a job for later. 

I have so much more to share, but that's it for today. I need to walk the girls, proof my distribution list for the jacket class, and send out a note. Two more boxes are arriving at the house today, and nothing else. No one coming, no one going! Just me and my sewing machine, and the long arm! And I'll keep puttering at putting things away. I need to work smarter, not harder, if I want to clear some of this stuff before we decide to downsize in another 20 years! 

I'm sure there are days when DH wonders how we ended up together. Last night, he said, he had had a mentally exhausting day. Lots of issues with work to deal with -- staff, customer crisis, and gosh knows what else he deals with in a day. I stay out of it! So when I mentioned that I also had an exhausting day handling all the coming and going, I got a rather dirty look! I had to laugh! I bet he thinks I'm the silliest person around, and well, I read somewhere that couples that stay together are those with humor in their lives. There is certainly a lot of that here - at least on my side! 

And that's a wrap for today. There's so much to do and lots of time to do it in, but still not enough time!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Divide and conquer

 Before I begin blabbing this morning, I want to revisit the picture from yesterday. 

The crazy quilter on a bike with her trusty companions

Someone suggested I could download a picture of myself and use it to create the photo. I figured I could, just not there yet. 

What I wanted to say is that I didn't tell ChatGPT anything except "crazy quilter on a bike" and the two dogs, and to make the photo realistic. I did NOT tell it to make a quilted jacket, nor hair or skin color, nor gender, nor clothing. It did that on its own. Law of averages? Does it know me, and I don't know it? I'm not sure, but it's kind of creepy!

I'm reading a book at the moment - a fantasy book, which is not my norm. It's called Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. It was written in 1992. But it's kind of creepy how this author envisioned our interaction with AI and technology! A bit further along than we are now, but still very creepy. As I said, it's not my genre, but I find it a fascinating read. 

And I had another dream. Please don't yell at me if there is a slight political undertone to it. My cleaning lady was here cleaning, and she was berating my young child (not sure who that was) about wetting the bed at night. She went on and on about it. I told her to stop that, or she would be out of a job. She was furious, and the look on her face was pure hatred. Hmmm --- these hateful dreams have to stop! 

Something unbelievable happened yesterday. I'm not sure what got into me, but I was on fire. It resulted in me walking over 23,000 steps. What happened? Studio B is looking mighty smart!. I'm not sure that pictures can even describe what it looks like now, but I'll try. 

Remember that I took everything off the floor in the central part. There are still a few tubs of things, and I'll work on those over the next couple of months. There's a reason for each at the moment. 

But that resulted in three tables and the cutting table being a complete mess. 

Filming area - a total disaster

Cutting table -- no cutting happening today

The current project table

The sewing area

I will say that it was overwhelming. And NO, more lights did not go out. I was working on that in the middle of the night a couple of nights ago and didn't bother to turn on all the lights. 

The biggest dilemma was what to do with all the stuff. Remember how I said I needed to get those bindings done so I could use that tub? Well, I didn't need that tub yesterday, and NO, I did not get a dumpster, although the thought is enticing! 

I started by getting my sewing station back in order. I have a couple of projects to sew, and everything is going well. I should be able to get to some sewing later today, and I'm looking forward to it. Even my blocks are precut! 

The sewing station

The serger is back in place, and I have a bit of serging to accomplish later today as well. 

The serger station

The machine embroidery station is good to go, and I've been doing some embroidery that I may have time to share with you today. If not, then tomorrow. 

Machine embroidery station

But I was still left with this mess on one table. 

Table number one

And this one. 

Table number three

The cutting table. 

The cutting table

And the current projects table.

The current projects table

Now what? If only I had an extra shelf. But NO - there is no room for that. How about tubs? No - we need to deal with this mess once and for all. 

So I did what any sane organizing guru would do, and I divided and conquered. 

I had not made any headway on that current projects table for years, so it wasn't working. I began by clearing the four work surfaces of items I wouldn't need for a while. That included some of the stuff that had been hiding in the back on the floor. 

These things will go into deep storage

I needed to find a home for it all because there was no sense in cluttering up space. The puzzles went into the puzzle closet, and if I purchase another puzzle without doing one, you can certainly yell at me! 

I have two spots where I could tuck things away and was hoping not to use them, but in this case, I had no choice. So this is one of the spaces - the tops of those shelves in the stash room that I cleared off a couple of months ago. The projects I won't be working on for a while are now on top of these two shelves. 

An empty storage space

It is nowhere near as packed as it was when I first started months ago, which makes me feel pretty good. As a reminder, the excess fabric for Vintage Farm Girl is stored in one of those baskets. I have quite a bit of yardage, which I've set aside because I'm unsure which one to use for the border of my quilt, and I'm also undecided about the backing. So, if I forget, please help me remember that it's on top! 

OK -- that got rid of a little bit of the mess, but barely touched the enormity of it all. 

Then I had a brilliant idea. Why not sort the remaining stuff into different categories? I like categories, so that's what I did. 

The current table now holds the projects I can do while on a Zoom call, including cutting scraps for a scrap quilt or two. My Mom's hexagon quilt, which I'm binding by hand, along with a few other items, is also on this table. Let's say the table is full. But now, when I have an upcoming Zoom call, I can grab something and I'm good to go! The tubs under the table are a problem, but no time to address those at this time. 

The Zoom call work table

This table became the new current projects table. It's a sad state of affairs because the items there are quilt tops that need a border, or a quilt that needs a backing. Two quilt tops require a lot of work, but I can quickly grab a project and work on it. This is making so much more sense! I allowed myself ONE small white basket where I put some supplies for new projects, including my two upcoming challenge quilts I need to make. I also included that brown binding because I can use it for the quilt I need to make. 

The new current projects table

The third table actually has a vast empty space on it. WHAT????? This one includes stuff that I want to cut on the digital cutters. There are a couple of projects to quilt on the embroidery or domestic machines. A basket of things that could probably be completed in less than one hour. A basket of stitch outs that I need to finish or find a home for. So it's a bit of a crap shoot, but I put like tasks together and all of a sudden, I had a ton of space! 

The "other" table contains an empty space!

The ironing surface is clear, except for the small basket of half-square triangles that need to be pressed and trimmed. WAIT - someone asked me what I'm going to do with them. Scraps quilts! I've made a few quilts with those little triangles, and I should dig them out to share with you. I love working with little pieces because they are fun to work with. 

The ironing surface is clear

The cutting table needed a bit of work in this photo, but if you look at it this morning, it looks pretty amazing. My goal today is to finish sorting through everything and find homes for the items. I'm sorting through crap. Odds and ends that end up in a basket, and I have no idea what to do with them. So you'll see more of that later. 

My sorting station

Currently, three pizza boxes on the floor need to be dealt with. I have shuffled them around long enough. I'm motivated, and I want the cutting table and those boxes to be dealt with by the end of today. 

Once that is done - guess what? Studio B is back to normal, making it easy to find and work on the projects. Now that I have the time to work on things, I see no reason why I can't tackle a "new" project each day or over several days to get them done. I don't really have anything new to start with, except for the jacket class, so all is good. Once that mess is done, I can start pulling things off the shelves to work on. WAIT --- don't get ahead of myself, there is a TON of work on those tables. Let's see what progress I can make between now and the end of the year! 

With no significant commitments on my schedule, I envision being able to work on the current project table and see some progress over the next couple of weeks. I have two personal trips I want to take, and I have one lecture at a guild. I must be honest!

Am I excited? You bet! I didn't throw anything away - I just put things in their home and voila --- easy peasy! 

Oh, I've been meaning to mention that these are the light bulbs I've been using in Studio B. They're LED bulbs, which cost a fortune, but they're well worth it. As the old bulbs died, they were replaced with these. But I need to get that electrician here so he can replace those three ballasts. 

My LED light tubes

Can you believe that I walked to Indigo JUST to see the state of the jigsaw puzzle? Yep! I did. I wonder how many times I can do that before they won't let me in the store? I notice that the orientation of the puzzles was as I left it. 

The jigsaw puzzle at Indigo

BUT all the pieces that I had placed outside the frame were back in the box. Oh boy -- at this rate, it will take weeks ot get that puzzle together. I wonder if the staff did that, or if it was a customer? I can see the value in keeping the pieces in the box to prevent them from getting lost. 

The loose pieces are back in the box

However, I did root through the box, looked at the pieces inside the frame, and managed to get a piece in the puzzle. I should have put my finger on it! 

One piece in the puzzle

Well, you can't just put in one! I also found a second one. 

Puzzle piece number two

After the third piece, I thought I had better leave and continue on with my errands! 

Puzzle piece number three

My next step is to wrap up those current projects quickly, so I can set up a jigsaw puzzle in Studio B. I could do long arming and a puzzle at the same time! WAIT --- I need to get downstairs immediately! 

I just need to add some pictures to the final document, have one last review of the instructions, and then I'm done with the writing for a bit. 

I also managed to get some paperwork done, and I have cleared the floor in the office. Oh yes -- I'm back with a vengeance and my goal is to get a lot of work cleared up in the next couple of weeks. The weather has suddenly cooled, so I no longer need to be outside working or sleeping. 

Bring on the sewing! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Saying good-bye

I'm home! I can't even call it a travel day since I did a lot during the day and my flight was at 7:15 p.m. The plane arrived, and we left early. We arrived 22 minutes early last night, but with the time change, I wasn't home until 1 a.m. I think a nap will be in order today!

We arrived at the same gate we left at, and let's say the airport was deserted at that late hour. Another flight had arrived shortly before us, and our baggage was coming at the same carousel, but it was dead in that airport. 

The airport is dead at midnight

When I arrived in Saskatoon, my luggage took 20 minutes to arrive, but I had barely gotten to the carousel last night before it appeared. Yep—it was quick! Even the Uber stand was uncongested, so arriving at that hour was good, except I'm tired! 

Let's say two thrilled girls were waiting for me at the door. Even Lexi was excited, which says a lot!

I ran the self-clean on Mom's oven, so that was a nasty job done. When I returned to town, I barely had time to give it a quick wipe and be off! I spent the afternoon at the farm to get a couple of last-minute things. I feel bad (only a small teeny tiny bit) that some of the stuff Mom has asked for isn't there. We know where it is, but she doesn't need to know that! 

Then she complained that we didn't tell her anything, and I felt a slight twinge of guilt, but at the beginning, if you mentioned any item, she wanted it. So we've got into the habit of bending the truth—a lot! While she may not want the items now, we still don't bring up many things!

What amazes me is that after eight years, she can keep remembering stuff, and she knows exactly where it was—and it's still there! Sigh.

There is one thing I would love to find, and I didn't have a chance before I had to leave, so I may go back (oh gosh -- did I just say that?) 

I shouted GOOD-BYE inside the house several times before I left. I thought I would be more emotional than I was—I didn't shed a tear. Oh gosh—does that mean I'll go back? I met one of the new owners of the farm, and she is MUCH YOUNGER than I had imagined. They are not in a rush to deal with the yard for this year, and who knows what next year will bring. 

My Dad and two brothers were still there but left shortly after I did. I stopped twice to take pictures. This first one was from the top of the hill, looking back to the farmyard. It's far enough away that I don't see anything! I'm OK with that. 

Looking back at the farmyard

If I go back for curiosity's sake, the next time I'm out, and I might (so help me!), the yard is going to look a whole lot different. Buildings will be gone, and that's OK. 

I stopped on top of one of the hills on my way to town for my favorite view. Cameras do not do justice to the view, which stretches on for miles. If you had binoculars, you would see the highway across the river. 

Looking across the river valley

But look at those skies! I ran into rain and hail on the drive back to town. But it wasn't that much. 

Here's another shot of the storm on the highway to the airport. 

Those wide-open skies

Thankfully, the storm had passed by the time I got to the airport, and I had timed it perfectly. I dropped off my bag; the few things I took, and my small suitcase, all fit inside the large suitcase, and all was good on the weight side. I had forgotten to bring my scale. 

I got to go through a bit more before I left the farm. I laughed when I went through some cards. This was an anniversary card from an aunt. She used the same card more than once! You wouldn't know that until you see them all in one spot! 

And how about this to save design money? It's the same card, with a different picture and a different message (both anniversary). 

Saving money on card design

And that's a wrap on another trip to visit the parents! I have to say it went better than expected from many points of view, and next time, I get to work on the apartment. I can see by discussing some stuff with Mom before I left that it's going to be baby steps. But we have a task laid out, and let's hope she doesn't change her mind when I get there. 

Remember that huge pile of cushions on the floor? My aunt came to help me, and we managed to get the pillow forms out of all of them, except for a couple of small ones, which I was OK with taking in. But we did a great job, so thank you so much for all the help—it was greatly appreciated, and we also had a good visit. 

Now, here's the thing that irks me to no end. And I know this will never change, and I guess I've come to terms with it, but it still irks me. Mom said before I left, oh -- don't worry about taking the forms out of the cushions. I can do that, and Dad can return them to the farm. We are taking FORTY pillow forms made from foam, which are hideous! 

Can you imagine the number of trips from the car to the house and back again? And where would she store such a mess while she did it? She has NO CLUE about the amount of work that would involve, and I just wonder how grateful she is for what we did. I know that sounds totally petty, but she does not comprehend the amount of time everyone has spent cleaning up her mess! NONE! 

And seriously? For Dad to take them back? She definitely doesn't appreciate him, but she should because he's her lifeline! Without him, she can't live in the apartment! 

Oh gosh—I have a doctor's appointment today. Now, why the heck did I make that? Oh yes—two things I need to pass by her. I'll be spending the remainder of the day working on my presentation for tomorrow, which is the Facebook live on decorative stitches. I might get one or two more samples done, but I'm not sure how much of a nap I'm going to need. That gazebo is looking pretty inviting at the moment!

But first, the girls need their walks! That's the only thing they missed me for!

Remember the decluttering and tidying thing. I need to try and take care of something every day. Grabbing some papers that should be thrown out or something. But I should try to address something each day because every piece of paper that is dealt with is another piece of paper gone! Those accumulated pieces of paper or other useless stuff in our houses do nothing to help us each day. The cluttered house creates a cluttered mind, which is unhealthy. So be sure to look around your house and see what you can eliminate today!

I set aside a small bundle of papers that I should be able to process today. 

While it is exhausting to travel at night - simply because of the lack of sleep, it's good to be home this morning and I can hit the day running! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!