The office decluttering continues

And so the decluttering continues! I have NOT found that file folder that initiated this current cleaning frenzy, and I NEED that folder. I've promised the contents to someone. So I have a couple more spots to look - actually, at this point, just one, and if it's not there, I will have to recreate the files. I have some of it in hard copy, but it needs to be digital. Sigh...........

Well, that's OK, but the darn thing is I remember sorting and cleaning that folder. I did NOT throw it out. Where the heck is the darn thing? 

No pictures of the decluttering mess. It's ugly, and it's going to get worse! But as Murphy and I were walking yesterday, we had a chat about some of the stuff in the "maybe" pile, and she gave me good advice. If you have NOT used those sample books in a long time, then why are you keeping them? She's right! I should dig them out and ditch them! More on that tomorrow. 

I was a big believer in ripping out magazine pages to keep, though I never did anything with them. They got added to the piles! Now some of the stuff is going immediately to the recycling, while others I'm reading. I know—it would be much faster if I just tossed them, but I have to do it this way. 

I found an interesting article on a historic "village" in West Springfield, Massachusetts. It's called Storrowton Village Museum, and they moved nine historic buildings onto the site. One of them is called the Potter Mansion and has a very unique quilt feature in the house.  

It has quilt cranes on either side of the fireplace, long decorative pieces of wood that extend out. Hmm -- what's on the other side? Apparently, at bath time, a quilt was hung on each crane, which provided privacy and warmth! The family, from the father, mother, and the oldest child to the youngest, would bathe in the same water. Yep --- that was a thing! And hence the saying, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water," came about. 

The quilt cranes on either side of the fireplace in the Potter Mansion

Anyway, I think the quilt cranes are a great idea, and we could have used them in our house! But Dad went last because he was filthy from working outside! 

Check out the website; they have drone footage of the village and go into several buildings, but not the Potter Mansion. See - if I just tossed that article, we would have missed this cool quilt feature! And that article came from the March 2006 issue of The Quilter. 

I also found this sheet of paper with a book I wanted highlighted. Well, I knew that I had the book, so the paper is gone and the book is on the bookshelf. 

A paper reminding me of a book I wanted

Information about my car, which I sold over two years ago. Recycled! If I used the filing cabinet better, I would NOT have this problem. So I'm going to continue sorting the paperwork and filing it in the appropriate folders, and then I'll slowly work my way through them. But I suspect there is a lot more paper crap like I dealt with yesterday, and I need to read it. I'll get over that soon enough, but at least once I read it, it's gone! 

Brochure on  my 2019 car

As I mentioned, I'm not in a rush, and if it takes all year, it takes all year. I'm OK with that. We each have to find the method that works for us. It's enough for Marie Kondo to hold something in her hand and say "goodbye"; I need to revisit it and say goodbye in my way!

I also found patterns, which are now on the pattern shelf in the stash room. That's a job for another day! 

Patterns found in the clutter

And several books, which are now on the bookshelves in Studio B. 

Found books

It must have been pretty quiet at my "favorite" online store's warehouse. DH needed something and couldn't buy it locally. He had paid a visit to Best Buy, and they told him to check the online store. He placed the order around 8 PM on Friday night. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning to walk the dogs and found one of the packages sitting on the doorstep! That's less than a 12-hour turnaround time. Granted, we live 10 KM from a massive fulfillment center! And it's a crazy place. I want to take KU (my SIL) on a tour there. I went in 2022, and it was fascinating. 

My delivery

What was in the package? Snap bands! I can't imagine any store would stock those, and you'll see what I'll use them for another day. 

Snap bands

The second order came in the afternoon, and I had such a laugh because I had ordered a second product. Granted, I might have been able to find this in a sporting goods store. But remember, DH was giving me grief about my dirty jacket? And I've been complaining that two of my jackets have lost their water-repellent properties. I bought a wash for jackets that is supposed to restore some of that water-repellent property. I might have a go at that this afternoon. 

Wash for cleaning and restoring jackets

I had my three things listed for what I wanted to accomplish in Studio B yesterday. I got the first one done. All the borders are FINALLY on Farm Girl Vintage, and the top is done! That outer border is a farm-themed fabric and perfect for the border! 

Farm Girl Vintage - top is DONE

Then I forged ahead and got the binding and the backing complete as well. 

Farm Girl Vintage is ready to move to the "to be quilted" pile

That quilt is on my visual to-do list, but I'm not taking the picture down until it's quilted and bound! 

Then I put up these blocks from Dear Jen. I'll tell you more about this another day. 

Dear Jen blocks

At one point, DH was busy cleaning up his office. Hmmm --- we are both on a tear to clean up our messes! And he dropped a screw behind a very heavy desk that is possible to reach behind to get the screw. He asked if I had skinny arms, and I said I had something even better! A magnet on a stick!!! And I knew exactly where it was! It worked! 

My magnet on a stick

Then he asked why I had such a tool. Well, someone had suggested it was good to pick up pins when they drop on the floor. I think this was the second or third time I used it! But I remembered I had it and I knew where it was!!!

I wasn't able to finish the second task on my list, though I got the fabric cut and did a bit of sewing on it this morning. That's OK. If you don't meet the goal, then just roll it over for the next day. I only have three things on the list each day because that's usually all I can manage! Of course, it depends on how involved the tasks are!

OH MY!!! I thought I had classes this Saturday, but they are the following Saturday! I still had loads of time and the entire week devoted to the homework. I might have to rethink my schedule a wee bit. I'll be scheduling my time for the week later today. 

The third task was to quilt a quilt. And it's done! But not before there was a tiny issue with the machine, which I caught early, and it didn't take too long to fix the error and get back on track. I love how it turned out. The next one is loaded and ready to go later today! 

Customer quilt - DONE

But at one point, I lost my tape marker. And sure enough, it was stuck to my sleeve! This is just a temporary marker to help me move the quilt forward. I now use thread as the "permanent"  marker, and those threads will get removed when I trim the quilt. 

My "lost" tape marker

I managed to get more half-square triangles done. I told you - I'm on a roll and I'm taking full advantage of my motivation. At some point, I'll slow down and won't be so excited, but it doesn't matter. The amount of stuff I'm getting done and clearing up - it all counts! And means less for the next bout of decluttering enthusiasm. For now -- we keep forging ahead at full steam!

More half-square triangles

I struggled to fall asleep last night. What to do, what to do? I read for a bit, then got up and worked on the current jigsaw puzzle, which I had been ignoring. I like that it's tucked away upstairs, so it doesn't distract me. I don't need more distractions these days! This one is tough! Almost more challenging than the Santa puzzle! Every piece I had pulled to work on a section didn't work, and I had to find new areas to work on! But I think I'm on a roll now. 

Progress on the jigsaw puzzle

We all know that fabric is subject to the world of shrinkanomics, and quilt backings seem to be taking a bigger hit than regular cotton. Look at that! I can see right through the fabric! 

A quilt backing

As I continue the decluttering journey and find interesting things to share with you, I will. I'm going to try to quickly sort the piles of stuff on the kitchen island into categories, so I can deal with each category separately. Actually, DH is away for a couple of days, and I like to spread my sorting piles out across the entire kitchen. Afterall, all the countertops are clean, but KU is returning tomorrow. So that's probably not a good idea. But I could take it up to Studio U and spread it out there, but I would have to put all the quilts away before. I meant to do that over the holidays, but I got waylaid! 

And of course, there is some paperwork that I have to follow up on this morning. And as luck would have it, I still haven't been able to sign up for my Conqueror Challenge for 2026. Yep -- the code they gave me won't work. So I wait for an answer! I knew it wouldn't be smooth! SIgh.......

Oh -- no one guessed the place that was on the puzzle I shared at Christmas. 

One of this year's adventures

Here's a clue. That's an active volcano, and it erupted on December 27th! I don't think we will be summitting this mountain! But lots of good hiking trails in the area. 

We never seem to be thankful for the little things in life. But as I walked with the girls yesterday, I was very grateful for the weather! Our route takes us up a multi-purpose path on a busy street, which I don't mind. But that is usually the way the wind blows, so as we walk up that path, the wind is fierce, and my eyes water and my sinuses go mad! Yesterday, it was cool, but the wind was less, and I was very comfortable. I am grateful for the fantastic weather! And it's going to be relatively mild this coming week - according to the app this morning! Let's take it one day at a time! 

I heard of someone who writes a note about something good that happened during the previous week. Then the notes are set aside, and on New Year's Day, they are read as a reflection on the past year. How cool is that? And what a good way to be grateful for all the wonderful things that happened. Sometimes, we only remember the traumatic things! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! 

Have a wonderful day!!!

Ciao!!

The power of positive thinking!

OH OH OH !!!!! I had to laugh when I read Elle's comment this morning! YES --- tidying up a drawer or anything is a snap once the JUNK is gone. I'm shocked at how easy everything is to maintain in the areas where we have eliminated all the junk. By junk, that may be literally garbage that should be thrown away, or it may mean those things you no longer need or want. GET RID OF IT!!! 

It takes a long time to get there, but once you do, the amount of FREE time you'll have will shock you! Daily cleaning and tidying up is a breeze! 

But the reason I laughed at Elle's comment was this! The other day, someone on a Zoom call mentioned a small item, and I HAD to have that item. I put it in the cart of my "favorite" online store. 

That was in the last couple of days of 2025. Imagine my surprise when I opened the cart in 2026 and found the price of the item had gone up by $3.32. And the cost of the other two items in my cart has also gone up, but only a few cents. It's to be expected -- a new year! 

Alert of a price increase!

What is the item? Well, I had an epiphany and thought, "I bet I already have that item." And sure enough, when I looked in the bag of knitting tools, there it was!!!! It's called a Soft Touch Thread Pick by Clover. It probably shouldn't be in with the knitting tools, but it's better off at the long arm, where you get a small errant stitch from time to time. 

Soft Touch Thread Pick

I even have this one, which is much larger, and should be in with the knitting tools. Good grief—thank goodness I caught that!!! I deleted this item from the cart and saved myself from a duplicate tool! 

A Fix-An-Knit tool

When I look at the clutter in this office, I must remind myself of how easy it is to find any utensil in our kitchen because I eliminated what we didn't use and tidied up what we do use! Wouldn't it be amazing to walk in here and immediately put my hands on anything I want? That's my goal! Continue dealing with the junk, even if it means putting some things aside for later. The next time will be that much easier! 

I've got a few piles on the kitchen island and will work my way through some each time I pass. I WILL NOT let this mess get the better of me! And when it's time to downsize? Well, it's going to be a piece of cake! 

I think one of the big things about downsizing or decluttering is the ability to finally LET GO of things we deemed necessary because of sentimentality, guilt, or whatever other reason we thought we needed to keep them. It's such a freeing feeling knowing that you do NOT have to be the gatekeeper of items. Let them go - find a new home, recycle, reuse, or whatever, but GET RID OF THAT JUNK!!!

If you want a quick peek at my kitchen drawers and some stuff behind the doors, check this out. I redid the drawers in 2024, and they are in the same condition today. When I want a big spoon, I know exactly where to find it and exactly where to put it away when emptying the dishwasher. That is HUGE!!! The only thing I have to do is remove everything, give it a quick wipe, and put it all back. 

And in case you are interested, here is the status of the Pony Express staging area at the house. Only a few things on it, and I will continue to use this to pass along things. It's worked great in the past, and well, I hope it gets used frequently in 2026! 

The Pony Express staging area

And now let's take a look at Studio B. I know that Studio B is overflowing with stuff. But I have a plan, and with the new arrangement, I think I'll see improvement this year! I can feel it!!! I've specifically targeted projects in my current project as goals for 2026, so anything I get done will be a step in the right direction! 

Here's a tip to start the year. I was sewing the extra blocks for Farm Girl Vintage, and the sewing machine was struggling to start a new seam. It's a top-of-the-line sewing machine, so I can't blame the quality. OH CRAP -- look, I still have the decorative stitch plate on the machine. GET THAT THING OFF!!! Use your single-stitch throat plate for piecing—you will be a much happier camper!!! The minute I switched the stitch plates, there was no issue with the fabric getting sucked into the bobbin case. If you don't have one, check with your local dealer and buy one! It's not a luxury - it's a NECESSITY!!! And if you have to move your needle to find your 1/4" seam allowance, get a 1/4" foot that allows you to stitch with your needle in the center! You shouldn't have to struggle! 

This is NOT the stitch plate to use for picing! 

And then the nine-patch got sewn. 

The nine-patch for Farm Girl Vintage

Oh, wait -- I threw the die to see what I should be working on. Good answer!!!

The task of the day!

Farm Girl Vintage is a UFO. I taught it as a class in 2016 and 2018. I think it's time to bring this one home! 

I didn't take a picture of the other block with the half-square triangles, but it's done, too. Then it was time to rejig the borders, and those got done as well. The quilt is NOW the size in the book, with NO extra blocks, and I used up a bunch of small scraps. You can't even tell that I added an additional row. Was that at the top or the bottom? 

I had hoped to get the flying geese border stitched on this morning, and I'm very close. Here's the status of the quilt. Hmmm -- that bottom looks a bit wavy, but I'm sure it'll be fine when I sew the border on. The last flying geese border is made and just needs to be stitched on. I had to fudge many seams when sewing the flying geese units together. I have no idea what happened, but no one will know! 

Farm Girl Vintage quilt top - almost done!

However, I had a wee dilemma: I was missing ONE flying geese unit. I was just about to make a new one when I spotted this. 

WAIT - the missing flying geese unit! 

It was attempting to fly away!!!! Imagine if there had been all kinds of junk on my work table. Would I have found that? I don't think so! I can't say enough about clean work surfaces to be efficient in sewing. It was not always like that at my studio, and I wish I had photos to show you how I used to work. My cutting table literally had a 12" corner free to cut stuff. That is NOT good. The sewing tables were strewn with projects I hoped to work on, and the ironing surface was barely visible. I will NEVER let that happen again. I've learned that neat, tidy, and CLEAR make for a much easier place to work. 

But that's when things did NOT have a home, and there was no place to put them. Now, I'm hypersensitive to putting things away! OCD? Perhaps, but I LOVE the change. 

And I"m making great progrss on the little triangles as enders and leaders. When those units were shoved in a drawer, I ignored them. Now they are front and center and get worked on every time I sew! They are sorted by color! 

My ender and leaders tray

This tray is the only thing sitting on my sewing table. I only need THREE tools when I'm sewing, so they are in front of the sewing machine on the table. The extra thread (black) and the extra bobbins are on the telescoping thread stand. NOTHING else is on the table. I don't need markers, rulers, and gosh knows what else messing up the sewing table. I will mainly use those at the cutting table, so that is where they reside - in a holder on the wall! If I need something, I simply get up to get it. Simple!! 

I got another chuckle when I was finishing the editing, and YES --- all that writing is done, and all the projects I worked on are COMPLETELY finished. That took a bit of time, but I persevered. Anyway, Grammarly HATES passive language, which I still struggle with. But when I managed to rewrite the sentence so it was NOT passive, I got this message. 

Yeah -- Grammarly approves my new sentence structure!

OH my!!!! I'm not practising - I just fly by the seat of my pants, and hopefully one day, I'll get the hang of writing without it being passive! I struggle with what that even means, which is why it's hard to correct. Grammar was never my strong point! 

I've been cleaning out the cupboards a little bit each day, and I knew there was muffin mix in there. So I pulled the mix and all the cupcake papers out. I think it's time to use them up! If I don't use them up, I need to get rid of them. There is NO SENSE in keeping things that we will never use. 

My cupcake papers

I have Scrabble cupcake papers, cycling, and some polka dots. And a few that are just white! Why keep them? I should enjoy them while I can. Instead of buying bran muffins for my afternoon snack, I'm going to make them. At least until the cupcake holders and the bag of muffin mix are gone! 

And when I walked to the grocery store, I thought about buying a treat for myself - chocolate milk. I am trying to cut out any extra refined sugar in my diet, and I KNOW that chocolate milk is high in sugar. But when I saw this on the packaging, that was enough for me. I left it in the store.

OH -- that's a deterrent to buying chocolate milk!

In case you can't read that, it says HIGH IN SUGARS!!! I will only indulge in chocolate milk if I'm hiking or doing a long bicycle trip. Otherwise, I'm good with water. 

I seemed to be laughing a lot yesterday. At one point in the day, this was the shelf by the front door. FOUR pairs of mittens. HEY -- if I have them, I need to use them. If it's somewhat cold out, I wear two pairs of mittens for walking the dogs. A thin dollar store pair inside my fleece mittens. That allows me to pick up after them without completely exposing my hands to the cold. Those are the two black pairs. 

Then I have the gorgeous orange felted mittens that I wear for walking, with no dog leashes to deal with. And the other pair I use if I need to drive the car or walk with my hands in my pockets. I know—that's pretty specific, but hey—I have them. I'd better wear them, or I need to give them away! Don't worry, I was letting them air out. They are back in the closet! 

My daily mitten selection

I also have numerous coats that I wear depending on the weather. And last night, DH was disgusted at the state of my down sweater. It's a bit dirty, but who cares! He called me a homeless person! I could wash it, but it doesn't come clean, and it's all because of walking the dogs and putting dirty gloves (from the leashes) in my pockets. Even though that jacket is now 13 years old, I'm not ready to retire it. 

I read quite a bit yesterday, since I have a couple of books that are close to their due dates. NO cheating on the due date with the app. At the appointed time, they disappear even if you aren't finished! And guess who came to entertain me while I sat in the living room?

MOM - we're too tired to stand up and play!

And no, Murphy is not looking adoringly at Lexi. They were in a lazy mood to play and were content to lie on the floor and natter. 

While you think they are relaxing, they are NOT. They are actively listening to each other to see who will make the first move! They are so funny to watch!! And look how close they are! 

MOM -- she's bothering me! 

I spotted this on Facebook yesterday and OH MY!!!! 

Could any words be more truthful? How many times have you gone somewhere or listened to someone, and it's all negative? I get it that people need to vent and that for some, times are very tough. But there is a silver lining in everything. Not only that, but if you constantly talk in the negative, how the heck will you ever dig yourself out of that doomsday prophecy? Many doctors also believe in the power of positive thinking as a healing agent. There's a lot to be said about positivity. Like with the weather! 

Yep -- -I'm all about the power of positive thinking! Life can be bad, but it's not the end of the world. Fix the problem, find the good side of everything, and move on! That positive thinking provides energy, and energy means getting things done! Yes -- I totally get that some people have issues with depression, etc., and that the positive side of things isn't within their grasp. So do not yell at me for that. 

I've had the occasional day where I feel like the world is closing in on me, but I have the power to dig myself out of that hole. I cannot imagine someone who can't. 

And that about sums up today! The temperature is only minus 6, and the sidewalks are wet and sort of slushy, but you can walk with confidence, as there is no ice! How much better can it get in the middle of winter? 

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Ciao!!!

We've got work to do!!!!

Thanks for the wishes and the vote of confidence on my 2026 word - GOALS. Someone mentioned they had goals for 2025, and while they met some, they didn't hit the mark on all of them. And you know what they said? They FORGAVE themselves for not making the mark! That is a critical statement because if you set a goal and don't achieve it, and then you beat yourself up, what is the point of that? 

If you have to change a goal, there's likely a good reason. Was the goal too aggressive? Did family or health issues interfere? Maybe it shouldn't have been a goal at all! I think it's an invaluable lesson: set a goal and then don't make it! That's OK—let it go, as I did with my steps, and then move forward. 

But here's one thing about the goals and my visual to-do list. If you want to be serious about getting that stuff done, it must be part of your daily/weekly plan. You don't want to get to December 31st and realize- hey, there was a bunch of stuff I wanted to do, but I got sidetracked by new things. 

Take a few minutes once a week, or even each morning, evening, or at whatever time works best for you. Look at that list and determine what you can get done in the next timeframe, and keep any project deadlines in mind. I'm finishing up the writing today (two days later than I wanted, but hey—it just worked that way), and I must then take a hard look at what's on that list and see what needs to be prioritized! 

I do NOT want to get into any time crunches in the future if I can avoid them by planning! Wish me luck!

I've started to rip the office apart! OK -- not quite that dramatic, but I'm tackling the stacks of paper on that desk. It's pretty chaotic in here, and I really shouldn't be doing this when I have some sewing to finish. And it might not be as systematic as you would do it. I do not care. Any paper that gets dealt with now means less paper to deal with later. 

As I sat at the kitchen table sorting paper, DH, working on his giant crossword, kept saying, "If you have that digitally, you DO NOT need to keep the paper!" I hear you!!!! But I needed to keep a few pieces, and perhaps this time next year I'll be able to let those remaining bits go. But I did throw out quite a bit, and I've only just started. As suspected, most of it will end up in the recycling bin. 

I had two of these folders with Zoom class outlines. I kept a few tutorials to look at later, and the empty folder is in the office supply cabinet! That was easy!

Starting to tackle the paperwork

It would be great if I could allot fifteen minutes a day to this place and stick with it. Fifteen minutes is easy to find (stop wasting time scrolling on the phone), and before I know it, this place will be tidy, and I'll actually have room to work! 

Anyway, as mentioned, whatever gets done is better than not doing anything at all! 

Instead of working on my project, which is now complete, I took a wee detour into the Farm Girl Vintage quilt - the one that was missing three blocks. At first, I was going to find some cutesy fun block to add to the quilt, and then I thought- get real. Let's get this thing done! Not all the blocks are cute farm things. 

I pulled out the excess fabric from the stash room and dug out the bag of scraps. I found some larger half-square triangles, some smaller HSTs, and various other pieces. It sure pays to keep things organized - especially the scraps. 

The scraps from Farm Girl Vintage

I took the four larger half-square triangles, joined them, and added sashing. Voila - as quick as that, I used up some scraps and got one of three blocks done! 

Block one of three - DONE

Then I sewed and trimmed all the small half-square triangles from the bag. Oh my — I'm two short to make a block. That was easy, and before I knew it, I had all 36 HSTs for this block ready to sew together. It's sitting by the sewing machine to put together later today. I have rearranged the colors. 

Another block is almost ready to sew together

Hmmm—I still need one more block. What to do? What to do? I looked back into the fabric scraps and found enough 2½" pieces that I cut nine different fabrics and will make a nine-patch! And just like that, all three missing blocks are ready to sew. Then I can focus on fixing the borders and get that top off the design wall!!

Squares for a nine-patch

By the way, this is one of my to-do projects, so I feel good about working on it! 

In the process of making that happen, I also tackled the tray of triangles beside the sewing machine, and I did rather well at sewing and trimming those. 

Trimmed half-square triangles

And just like that, I'm learning new habits to help deal with the old. I don't care how much you dangle a new project in my face, I am going to resist! If I want something shiny? I'll look at my list and pull out one of the projects -- to me, if I haven't seen it for a while, it's shiny and new! Plus, I MUST remind myself that I am not a fan of having a huge mess around me. I want things to be streamlined and minimal. I don't need or want a lot! 

My cutting table doesn't know what hit it! 

The "new" cutting table

I think I might have this right now. The blue tub is for my monthly UFO projects. They are small, but numerous, and I want them close by. If I need all the space on the cutting table, I can easily lift that tub to the floor. The white tub is the current project I'm working on. Again, if I need the cutting space, it's easy to move to the floor. And once the items in the white tub are done, I'll review the list and add the next project. Some projects may not get completed and may end up back on the current project table, but the goal is to try to stick with one until it's done! That's hard for me, so I'll likely work on two or three at once. 

As happened yesterday, I had to let part of my "urgent" project dry, so I needed something else to work on. That's why I worked on the Farm Girl Vintage blocks. 

I think I now have a system that works for me, and if it doesn't, then it's back to the drawing board to find a better way. It's taken me years to get to this point, and I'm super excited! I set a goal of THREE things to do today, and one is already done, so I'm off to a good start. 

It's the new year, and I bet there are tons of blogs out there encouraging you to declutter - tackle a drawer or whatever. I'm not going to do that. But I suggest you set aside 15 minutes a day to get rid of the mess. Set a timer, just wing it for time, or whatever, but spend 15 minutes a day trying to rearrange your house, and maybe that is to tackle a drawer. "Sadly," I don't have any more drawers to tackle. They are neat and organized, and they have remained that way since I organized them. 

It's funny how we get a sense of the weather by looking at or using a weather app. "It's bitterly cold outside, your skin will freeze in mere seconds or whatever new thing they come up with!" I try not to focus on that because it will make you never want to go out! 

Yesterday, I needed to get out of the house, and it was minus 8 with a windchill of whatever. I didn't even pay attention. I bundled up and went out, and I was so glad I did. The weather was fantastic! And it was bizarre: one minute, the sun was out, and the next, a blinding snowstorm!!

I'm on my walk through the woods

But here's the thing --- if you DRESS WARM ENOUGH, you will be comfortable, no matter what the temperature is! While I still wear my orange Patagonia down sweater, the down has become thin, so it's not the warmest on days when the temperature is minus 15 with the windchill. I still wear it, but with a rain shell on top, and that keeps me toasty warm. Yesterday, I went out with my 10-year-old ski jacket, a souvenir from the 2014 Winter Olympics! I was warm! I did NOT attend those Olympics; this was a garment that the Bay sold as a promotional item. 

When I talk to some of my friends, they know the weather forecast for the entire week. Why? It's going to change! DO NOT let the weather dictate your day! I check the app to see how cold it is and then dress accordingly. But I don't dwell on the weather. We are not farmers who need to know what the next couple of days will bring so they can get their harvest done! 

I think I developed that attitude towards the weather from my long-distance cycling trip. You couldn't change the weather, so since we needed to move on each day, you dressed for it and just went about your day! And we had no house or car to warm up in! We were camping! 

The plowed path through the forest is lovely to walk on. I wonder if that is a new thing or a one-of? 

It was a beautiful day yesterday for walking

The girls were also happy to be outside. After playing ball in the house with Murphy, she went outside and plopped in the snow to cool off. 

MOM - I need the snow to cool off

Lexi is happy to just be out, but not for long! She's not a winter do! I wonder if she realizes she's a Husky? 

MOM - what's with all this snow?

But look at that goof, Murphy! I took the largest blanket from this bed and put it back in the living room, where it had been. It's on the floor, and Lexi loves to sleep on it! That now leaves more room for Murphy to sleep in this bed. 

MOM - At last, I can sleep in my big bed

And last night, we sat in our media chairs in the family room and watched Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. I had the theatre lighting going! That's the blue light, and I was reclining with my quilt. It was very cozy. 

MOM - Am I making enough noise? Do you know I'm here? 

Of course, Murphy had to be the pre-show and in-show entertainment. She grabbed her squeaky ball and was running around with it, but we finally persuaded her to chomp on her bone while we watched the movie!

Lexi was asleep on her bed on the other side of the chairs, but every once in a while she'd stand up for a cuddle! Those girls are spoiled!!!

Did I like the movie? It was LONG, and while I get that this is Mission Impossible, some parts were very far-fetched, but I guess it made for drama in the movie! 

OH MY GOODNESS -- I can't stop niggling at the paperwork on the desk. I'm distracted by the paper and keep grabbing a couple of pieces to deal with it. What is happening to me? I really feel like I'm ready to tackle the mess once and for all. My GOAL of getting the desktop clear is becoming an obsession! I'll run with it for as long as that feeling lasts! 

Getting to this point is NOT easy, and once you do, it's easy to spot the "junk" and what you want to keep. It's the stuff in between that is hard to deal with, and I need to realize that if it's a maybe, it should be to toss! That will be hard! 

Well, on that note, I've got some goals to accomplish today, and I'm ready to get started!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!

Happy New Year!!!!

 Happy New Year!!!!!

If the year is going to be anything like my first 30 minutes of being awake this morning, it's going to be a heck of a ride!

But first - did I stay up last night? I did NOT, however, I needed to use the washroom, and I checked my watch just for curiosity, and it was 11:58. So technically, I was up! But I wasn't celebrating, and thankfully, I went right back to sleep after the clock turned over!

We had great fun at the Virtual Retreat, and well, that's where my morning issue started! 

Last night, I was working on Farm Girl Vintage. The top was together, but four borders need to be added, and I was working on the flying geese a couple of days ago. It's time to put those borders on. It was funny when I cut the side borders; they were shorter than the book mentioned. Oh well, it could have been a mistake. No worries, and I added the first border on. 

Then I went to piece the flying geese units together and held it up to the side of the quilt, and hey, it's too long, too. Of course, if the first measurement was off, it makes sense that the second one would be off as well. I was tired by then, and it was time for bed. 

As I lay awake in bed this morning, contemplating the quilt, I thought, "I must have cut the sashing to the wrong size, and that's what caused my quilt to be shorter." 

When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I went downstairs and READ the pattern, something I don't seem to do often or well! OH!!! We have a problem! 

In October, I was laying out the blocks to sew them together, and I had THREE extra blocks. No big deal. 

But when I read the pattern this morning, I was supposed to MAKE three extra blocks and add one more row. I was supposed to make three more star blocks and put them in the corners. OOOPS!!!!!

I missed this point

Hmmm --- what to do? I could save those three blocks for something else, or I could bite the bullet and make three more blocks! 

So I'm going to bite the bullet and make three more blocks. I thought I took a picture this morning, but I guess I did not. I should have clued in when I had extra sashing and cornerstones left. DUH!!!!! Well, it's easy to fix - I have to remove the bottom or top border, and make three new blocks. Then add that row and extend the two side borders. 

Then I can continue as planned! But what a way to start the new year! It's going to be a doozy for sure! Or maybe that means that things will go smoothly since I handled this little SNAFU with grace. I didn't even say a single bad word, but I got quite the chuckle! 

And the year didn't end off so well either, as I had to scramble to log all my steps into The Conqueror Challenge. I'm walking every day, but I did a fair amount of traveling, and I was totally lax on the days I was away, unlike other years, where I got my butt out and walked regardless of where I was. 

I had set an aggressive, but doable goal for myself, but I knew I wasn't going to make it. I was good until we went to Africa, and then things fell apart! I have been logging my distances manually, so I didn't even know where I was until about 7 PM last night! Yes --- no one can accuse me of being obsessive about step counting! 

I had reduced my goal a month ago, but I should have figured out what I could in December and set that goal. I did not, so to ACHIEVE my goal, I had to enter all the distances for December, see how short I was, and then reset the annual goal. How is that for "cheating!" 

I still walked 3,665 KMs, so I don't really think I cheated! My original goal was 4,400, and that would have been doable if I had kept up my daily distances, but I did not. I'm still pleased with this, and it basically works out to 10 KM a day, which is pretty good in my opinion. Do I feel guilty? Not in the least --- life is way too short to worry about stuff like that. 

My completed walking goal for 2025

I have to set a new goal for 2026, and I think I like the number 3,650 because itis exactly 10 km a day, which is very doable for me. I also want to get out on my bicycle more, and the time spent walking was preventing me from riding. I think this will work very nicely!!!

I'm also going to go back to having the distances updated automatically. It's a hassle to do it manually. 

I need to get that set up today. Yep -- a techie task on New Year's Day—wish me luck! 

It was another crazy weather day - one minute, it's snowing and the next it's not. But the sidewalks were in excellent condition, even if they were a bit wet. It's hard for them to dry out when we keep getting snow and zero sun! But no ice - thanks to all the ice-melting stuff they put on them. It's probably not good for the environment, but great for walking. 

I noticed that they even plowed a path through the forest - someone was just trying out the new sidewalk equipement I suppose. Or they needed to get to a new street and cut through the forest. The forest path isn't maintained in winter, and with all the ice buildup, it's impossible to walk there when spring comes. 

A plowed path in the forest

Yesterday, my afternoon walk took me to Homesense as I needed a new lamp. The on/off switch on the one I have broke about ten days ago, and I tried to fix it, but then it broke again the next day. So, to use it, I had to unplug and plug it back in. The weather just wasn't conducive to walking home with a lamp. Yep - I could have taken the car, but where is the fun in that? 

So despite a wee bit of snow, I went to investigate lamps. OH MY -- Christmas was gone, and all the Valentine's Day stuff was out. There were hearts in every department! 

Hearts everywhere!

I found a lamp I liked, and I also looked at the puzzles—OH MY—they are only $14.99. But then reality hit in two ways. One: I do not need to purchase another jigsaw at this time. And I didn't want to carry that home in addition to the lamp, since I didn't have a bag with me. See—common sense—I have some from time to time. 

Here's the old and the new lamp, and I love the new one! The old one is pretty, but it's little, and well, it's old. So out with the old and in with the new - literally!

The new and old lamp

I finished my project yesterday, and that was a first. I started and finished a project in 24 hours! That doesn't happen often at my house! And then I got to put all the stuff away on the cutting table, so I could work on the Farm Girl Vintage. 

Everything got put away in its home

I have another project to work on today, and I MUST get that finished today, and then I'll take until Monday to work on "fun" things before I get myself back into work routine, which is really quiet at this time of year, but there are still things that need to be done! 

A few more half-square triangles were sewn and trimmed. I'm going to try hard this year to get on top of that and perhaps even start sewing some of them together! But it's not one of my goals, so who knows how serious I am about it. 

Half-square triangles

How often do you hear people say they are burning the candle at both ends? What if the candle has three wicks? Well, I'm burning my pie candle, which is constructed quite weirdly. Anyway, the bizarre thing about candles is that they only burn near the wick - well, that part isn't odd, but you would think the sides would drip in. They do NOT, so I've been helping the pie crust crumble into the burn area. 

My pie candle

And this is what it looked like last night as I snuffed it out before going to bed. A lot of the wax has burned away when compared to the Christmas pie! I think I might get one more day out of it, and then I can empty it and use it for my machine embroidery project! Yeah!!!!!

The old pie and the new pie

I have to say that I was impressed with a SMALL company that I purchased rolls of stabilizer from. I ordered the products on December 24, and the box arrived in my mailbox on December 31. Free shipping!!! And this is why I want to promote the heck out of buying from stores OTHER than my "favorite" online store. Do we really need to make Jeff richer than he already is? We do not! So when possible, I want to order from small businesses. 

The company I ordered from is Monfil.ca, based in Granby, Quebec. The order was filled the same day I placed it, and as mentioned, arrived in one week. You cannot beat that service!!!! Even better, the price was right!!! They sell embroidery thread, stabilizers, and probably other stuff as well. 

100 yards of water-soluble stabilizer

I had a private lesson to deliver yesterday, and it went very well. The student is excited and was told that if she didn't do the homework, I wouldn't continue! Because the topic was very focused, I even gave myself homework! Which I'm pretty excited about. 

Earlier this year, I purchased a quilt pattern that I didn't share with you. As I'm cleaning up the office, it's where it got stuck, so I'm sharing it with you. Sadly, this won't be on my radar for this year, or will it? 

My new quilt pattern

Did I make resolutions for 2026? No, I did not. But I picked a word to focus on. Have you ever tried to pick one word to direct your attention for an entire year? That was a challenge, but it wasn't. My word is GOALS. As I move through the days and need to make decisions, I can simply ask myself: Am I spending time working toward my goals? I will try to avoid time-wasters like endlessly scrolling Facebook and IG, which I don't do often, but every once in a while, I catch myself getting pulled in. But if I'm doing something I don't like, I need to ask myself whether it is helping me reach my goals. It's complicated, but I think you get the picture. 

I guess that's a wrap for today. I see it's cold outside, but not windy - well, there's a wind chill. The girls will be in their glory outside! 

On that note, I'm off to brave the cold and then tackle that project! 

Have a wonderful day, and I wish everyone the very best for 2026. It's going to be a good year!!!

Ciao!!!