You CAN DO IT!!

 

So -- If I set my mind to do something - it usually gets done. There are times when that is all talk, and I procrastinate, but yesterday - I was DETERMINED. 

It started small and built up to this!!!!  Wait -- you have to wait just a wee minute. 

While I have quilting stuff that will soon have a looming deadline, I figured I could take a few minutes and grab some stuff in one of the boxes on the table. 

I started with a small pile. 

A small stack of papers to sort through

Oh boy-- another clipboard. I wonder how many clipboards I will find by the end? It would be great to use them as organizers and hang them on the wall, but I don't have the wall space. No worry - if I don't end up using them, I'll donate them. In the meantime, they are handy to categorize stuff as I deal with it. 

Another clipboard

Good grief -- I found a stack of these giant papers for a paper pieced class YEARS ago. I've no idea why I photocopied the cutting templates for the class. No worry -- I removed the staples, cut the papers in two, and put them in the scrap paper that we use in the printer. 

Paper pieced templates

I found a couple of pages from magazines with a book that I wanted. I'll check to see if I have the book or still want the book, and then those will be tossed. I found a couple of articles on the history of quilting in various areas. I like that kind of thing, and I might just put those into a binder - I'm sure I have a binder with this kind of information in it. And there is that plastic bag - it's material from a class, I didn't get a chance to go through it. 

More paper sorted

Wait -- I should say that I started with that small pile, then I grabbed the next one and then another one, and soon the box was EMPTY!!

It's already been repurposed in this cabinet. There's not too much paper left in this cupboard, and I suspect that some are financially related, which means - it should go in the shredder. I'm OK  to reorganize this hidden space - I'll get to it eventually. I'm going for the visual clutter in the room at the moment, and there's no lack of that! However, I could take everything out and really pack stuff in, which would get rid of a lot of clutter in the space. Then I'll slowly remove one box at a time. I might just do that -- it makes me feel more productive!

Stuff is hidden in the cupboard

I have a clipboard of "action" things. It's mostly stuff that will make entertaining blog material, so you can enjoy that pile as well. 

Interesting stuff to share on the blog

And when I was finished, this is what I had. There was a recycling pile, a pile for the printer, a pile to share with you, a filing pile, one for the shredder, and then there were two other piles. One was pictures of quilts or quilting that I find inspiring. There was even a big sketchbook in the box, and the intention is to cut the pictures up and glue them in the book. I've wanted to do that for a long time. I might just do that later today during the virtual retreat. Then there is a pile of patterns that were photocopied or ripped from magazines. I know I should just dump that entire pile in the recycling, but I CANNOT do it....... yet.

The fruits of my labor

I think I need to let those patterns percolate for a day or two, and then I'll go through them again and decide if the picture alone should go in the inspiration folder or do I or will I really want to make the quilt. Some of them are super fun and exciting. BUT -- I emptied a box off the table. That leaves TWO more boxes, a tray, and a small basket. I'm a master at shuffling, so it's even a bit more compact now than it appears in this picture. 

Look at how much table space there is!!!!

Yeah me!!!!!! OK -- so when I now walk into the room, it feels EMPTY! What will it feel like when everything is gone? I'll be lost! No - I will ENJOY the neatness and the space. And my brain will be clearer to not have that clutter! Oh yes --- now I'm fired up, but I won't have time today as it's Virtual retreat day!!!!

Then as a reward, I decided to go to the mall and YES - I got a new phone!!!  DH wanted a new phone as well, so we drove to the mall. OK -- that took a lot of coaxing. Driving to the mall? That's ridiculous - we can walk. His response? "It's too hot." This is from someone born in Africa and has no issue walking an 18-hold golf course, but a 10-minute walk to the mall? EEK!!!

We have different service providers, so I went to mine, and he went to his. I was able to get what I wanted, and I was out of there pretty fast. He had to go to another location. I took a LONG way home to get my walk in, and I still beat him home. Thank you, Bell, for your good service. 

We both ended up getting the same phone - the Galaxy S21+.  I did NOT go for the Ultra, which has the fourth camera. I did have a wee bit of buyer's remorse on the way home that I didn't get the other model. And then when we had the Virtual Retreat and talked to Carol, she also got a new phone and got the one with the fourth camera. I now have fourth camera envy!!!!

I can live without it -- it's "just" a 100X zoom lens, and it's not often I would need that. I have 30X zoom on this phone, and I'll use Photoshop to zoom in if I need. Professional photographers do NOT like digital zoom anyway - I think that is right. Well, that's my justification for not having one! 

And now comes the joy of getting everything connected to it and logged back in. 

I had a good laugh when I got home and went to call Ronda. I grabbed my wired earbuds. 

Wired earbuds

Wait -- there's no jack for them!!!  Yep --- it was probably after I got the Galaxy S10 that wired jacks disappeared off cell phones. OH NO!!!!  Well, I have a pair of wireless headphones and TWO sets of wireless earbuds, so I think I can get those to work. This means that I'll no longer try to rip my ears off when that cord catches on something? What is the fun of that? 

This is a good set of earbuds, and I still use them for the computer on some calls, so they won't go to waste. 

I figured out how to reconnect the Sonos speaker so I can play Spotify, so that's good, and I'm sure I'll have fun over the next couple of days as I make all that happen. My Fitbit didn't sync last night - oops - I forgot to log in. It should sync tonight. My e-mail seems to be working. And slowly, I'll be back up and running at full speed. 

And yes -- they changed the buttons around on the phone, and Carol and I had fun last night learning how to do screenshots. It's NOT nearly as convenient as it used to be!  I guess, like everything, I'll get used to it. 

A screenshot from my new phone

They kept me up late last night on the Virtual Retreat, and I slept in this morning, so no more time! 

I did get a quilt cut out last night, and I'm cleaning up some scraps. That's on the agenda for today - to finish the tidying up, and then I might actually get to sew later today. 

Before I go, I want to mention one thing about the heat. While I did find it warm yesterday on my extended walk back from the mall, it was not HOT. I've become acclimatized to the heat and humidity to a POINT! The only thing that drives me crazy is my face. I don't really perspire on my body - a bit, but not super amounts of sweat. But my face? And especially my nose? And I wear my sunglasses, so they are constantly sliding! It's nuts!!!!

Don't forget to pop over to the Virtual Retreat today. It's loads of fun and for most - it's going to be too hot to be outside!!!!

Sunday - August 22 from 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Quilt backings

OH my -- the car issue!! I saw another GREAT comment this morning, and I had an in-person chat about the car situation with someone else. While we could become a one-car family technically, I'm not sure we're quite there yet. In terms of use, YES, but in terms of "what's mine is yours" and "what's yours is mine" - we're not there yet! I'll tell him to start looking!! 

Now -- do NOT blame if you spend some money here. Over the years, I've bought yardage on sale, so I could use it for quilt backings, or it was a fabric that I could NOT live without. I know - I've learned that I can live without it as something more beautiful is around the corner. 

However, when it comes to backings for quilts, do you really want to pay $20 a meter for quilt backings? NO - neither do I. Well, I won't be buying a backing for a long, long time. However, here is some good advice, but BE CAREFUL with your credit card. I got an e-mail from a shop this morning that is having an online sale - I'm sure there are many other sales as well, as shops try to get rid of their inventory that hasn't sold in a while. The prices were in the $6 a meter range - that's perfect for backings!!!  Here's a link to that sale page in case you want to look. 

And I saw a couple of panels on sale. I spotted several with smaller blocks. If you want to try that panel technique that requires SEVEN panels, using these smaller ones might work great. No need to have a HUGE project on the go and much cheaper. Your quilt becomes a wall hanging, but that's OK. 

How do you know what to buy? Well, I bought a TON of Halloween because I want to make many Halloween quilts. LOL.  I wouldn't buy a lot of Halloween, but you might want to stock up on florals, prints, or Christmas, or whatever your heart desires. I saw some gorgeous deep reds and greens that read as solids, and they would be awesome backings. Don't buy tons! 3½ meters will get you enough backing for a generous lap quilt. 

My thoughts on wide backings? I HATE them. Why? First - people tend to get them right off the bolt and deliver them to the long arm quilter. However, was that backing cut straight? Was it twisted or badly rolled onto the bolt, so it's wrinkly like crazy? I do NOT iron that stuff out. If it's wrinkly, it goes on the long arm wrinkly. The quality of some of the wide backings is questionable. 

And the other thing, unless your quilt is HUGE, I think it is a big waste of money and fabric. Where else will you use the rest of that wide backing? Some long arm quilters might love them, and the wide backings are great, but you can't just buy them and dump them on the long arm quilter to deal with. They need to be trimmed and pressed and make sure they are square. 

I make most of my quilts in the 60" by 72" range.  To make the backing, I take TWO pieces of regular yardage that have been cut to 66" long. I trim off one selvage from each piece and seam it, so the seam is horizontal on the quilt. The two combined widths of fabric will be about 80" long, so plenty long enough for that 72" quilt. One seam, NO calculation, and you are good to go. It takes about 10 minutes to make a backing this way. And always easy to find yardage on sale. 

Anyway -- have fun shopping at that store and watch for others. Do NOT stockpile backings unless you have the room for them, but there is NO NEED to pay $20 a meter for backings. And if there isn't enough of one fabric, then buy smaller pieces, join them together, and then cut the 66" pieces, like I do for my lap quilts. 

This is why I won't get the table in the dining room clear by the end of the month. I seem to be able to work in other areas, but not the one I've designated!!! I don't really care - as long as I'm tidying up and getting rid of stuff. 

I have three huge tubs of Christmas stuff, plus a box of ribbons and bows, one tub of Halloween costumes, a box of ornaments, and two other boxes that got moved before this picture got taken. All that resides in a corner in the living room. Yep -- in plain sight for anyone who comes in to see. Well, I want it gone!!

More stuff to be sorted

I opened one cardboard box to find MUSIC. Oh boy!! That was a trip down memory lane. Like many of you out there, I'm sure a number of us took the Royal Conservatory of Music classes. I made it to Grade 8, and I stopped there. Let's say that I could play, but I didn't play from the heart. It's just not in me. My piano has been gone for years. 

And who remembers those Reader's Digest books of music??? And there's my "friend" John Denver. I love his music and was very sad when he was killed. The other piece of music - looks old - right?? 

Music discovered in a box

Well, it's officially an ANTIQUE.  Look at the date!!!  That piece belonged to my Grandfather and is dated 1920. I think he would have been a teenager at that time - I believe he was born in 1901. This was the oldest piece I found, but there were others dated in the 1920s!! I have two drawers partially filled with other sheet music and books. I have set aside some for my friend who does journaling, and the rest went back into those two drawers. I KNOW -- I should deal with it all now, but I don't want to. Oh, don't worry -- I have a BIG bag set aside for her! 

Sheet music dated from 1920

What I did was free up this box. This is my new donation box, and it's already got stuff in it. Plus, there are two lamps that we NEVER use, so those are going as well as the box when it's full. 

My new donation box

I also knew that I had a tub of fall decorations in that corner. I don't hang this stuff up any longer, so the decorations went in the giveaway box. That freed up this nice plastic tub, which I promptly took downstairs. 

An empty tub

I have two cardboard boxes of fabric that I brought back from my Mom's. Now one of them is in this plastic tub. This is mostly crimpoline (we called it Fortrel) that I wanted to make a quilt from in honor of my Mom, who wore this stuff all the time (and still does)! There's also a LOT of tie material in the box that I got from my Aunt Irene. 

A box of fabric

And now that tub in under the long arm with the others. Those ten tubs will be dealt with at some point. They are not technically part of my stash. So as Diane finishes up with stuff that she currently has, I'll be cracking open these tubs and giving her more stuff to sew. Don't worry, Diane -- we'll never run out!

Fabric to sew into community project quilts

In the box of fall decorations, I found this gorgeous orange bowl. I couldn't part with that - it's too beautiful. What to do with it? Hmmm -- I could put it on the kitchen island for fruit. It's a bit large, but that's OK. It was filled with plastic fall-colored leaves. I kept those as well. You never know -- I could make a quilt using those leaves!

A new bowl!

The white one that my Mom made is a bit small for the job. 

The white bowl is a bit small for fruit

Now, my goal is to deal with Halloween costumes. There is a bag, 

and a box, as well as that big orange tote. We will NEVER use this stuff again, so it's time to get rid of it. Does anyone want a fun fur bear or leopard costume??? 

A box of Halloween costumes

I have to laugh as I check my distances every morning for the virtual challenges. I'm less than 50 KM from the end of the Appalachian Trail. I'm so excited and still debating which one to do next. But here's the thing -- we are out in the middle of nowhere in northern Maine, and the GRAVEL roads are mapped with Google. 

A gravel road mapped in Google

Yet, in Northern Canada, the ONLY road that goes through Northern BC to the Yukon is NOT mapped!!!! That's hilarious!!!

I had two great classes last night and one more this morning. I feel sort of deflated - no mad panic to make the final touches on the presentation. Instead, I'm working on the notes! It's positively weird! But that's OK. I hope to get the other two sets of notes done today to cross that off the list for this month and move on!!

There is NO time for delaying on stuff like that. 

I tried a ROOT yoga class yesterday. Hmmm - -I'm not sure I'm going to like that one. This instructor had us spend the first 15 minutes on our knees, and my knee just wasn't happy. And it's a bit too fast for my liking, and I HATE when they say, "now continue the flow on your own". I NEED guidance - I don't remember this stuff!!!

I might just stick with SURRENDER, which is much slower-paced. I'll see how it goes. My knee has been good lately. Well, for someone who walks as much as I do, my left leg is pretty messed up, and I need to keep it loose, or I'll be in big trouble. I see myself at some point having to give up walking and just ride my bike. What's wrong? I've no idea -- but it's my knee, my hip, my muscles, and my leg will just give out frequently when walking. I haven't fallen yet, but one day, it's going to happen. So I have to be careful. So if you see me with a  walker one day - you'll know it's for the support! Keeping moving helps, but I can't overdo it. We have knee/hip issues in the family, so it doesn't surprise me. 

I might get X-rays at some point, but I know they will say arthritis, so let's just walk through the discomfort. I'm good with that. I'm not stopping to do what I like for a wee bit of discomfort. 

Don't forget we have a virtual retreat tonight and tomorrow. I can hardly wait, and I think I'll spend some time this afternoon cutting up TWO projects that need to be done pretty quickly. Actually three - there is a block I need to get done as well. 

Saturday - August 21 from 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday - August 22 from 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

I've made HUGE progress on the homework quilts, and as I share the homework this week, you'll get to see that. 

Have a super day!!!!!  

Ciao!!!!

Everywhere a sign..............

 OH MY GOSH  --- I LOVE the comments from yesterday's post about how the impact of having only one car! And I'm not alone in not wanting DH to drive my standard, so that makes me feel good! I guess we'll just have to put on a "wait and see" attitude for the moment and see how long before his car completely dies. Then it'll be decision time. 

And if I were reasonable, we would attempt the trial with my car. I'm not sure how reasonable I can be. Maybe he'll learn to drive properly? 😂

I'm not known for getting things done way in advance of the deadline. Nope -- I'm usually sliding into home plate at the same time the catcher is swinging his mitt down to tag me out! He always misses - by a hair! Well, not that I'm bragging or anything, but I'm well past home plate, and the ball isn't caught yet! Now, how the heck did that happen? The bigger question is - how long will that last? 

I have three classes this weekend, and two presentations are DONE. That means all the sewing is done, and the pictures are edited and posted into the presentation. I may have to add the odd homework assignment photo in today as they arrive, but two of three are done!

I confess that it does feel a bit relaxing - too relaxing? For the third presentation, the sewing is mostly done, the pictures are taken, and they need to be edited and loaded. I might actually get all the written notes done, so they are ready to be SENT when the class is over. Oh gosh -- I've been kidnaped and replaced by someone else! 

I'm not getting to the long arm but maybe later today. But that's OK. 

As I sat and edited pictures yesterday, I thought of something. Let's say that I take a picture of something square - like 9 blocks. The ratio of my phone camera is not square, and I get a rectangular picture. So then I spend time cropping that picture to remove more of the background. It's not necessary - it just drives me crazy to see all that extra background in the picture. 

Then I remembered that we can change the RATIO of the picture in our camera settings. So I tried it -- I set the ratio to 1:1 instead of 3:4, and I got square photos! DUH!!!!!  That should save some time -- not a lot, but all the time I can save is great. Then I just change it back to 3:4, which takes a "normal" picture. 

The ratio functions for taking a picture

That little RATIO icon should be at the top of your camera screen - at least on the Galaxy S10, it is. 

Speaking of cameras -- can you believe that my phone contract is up TOMORROW. And not that I'm excited, but I might just wander over to the mall tomorrow to see what can be done! 

When I went for a walk last night, I noticed some signs around the neighborhood. I had my phone with me this time, so I could take some pictures. 

I see that another house has been sold. It only took a couple of days, but look at what the sign says! I thought it was going to say, "SOLD over asking." Nope --- I wonder what this means? Did the buyer price the house low, and that's all he got? 

Sold at a fraction of the cost

And our Federal Government has called an election for September 20. Good grief -- do we really need that at this point in time? Mere days after the election was called, the signs have started popping up on lawns and fences. 

Red signs

Blue signs

I always wonder about the signs. How many people vote and literally vote for the name they have seen the most in the area? I bet it happens and probably more often than we realize. Sigh................

Someone sent me this picture yesterday, and I got a laugh from it. This is Hobo Kitty - helping his human to hand stitch binding in place. I wonder how much stitching got done? He looks pretty serious about his job of entangling the thread. 

Hobby Kitty binding a quilt

I didn't spend the entire day sewing - I was off to the spa for a facial. Oh boy --- she slathered on the oils and lotions, and my skin felt so greasy for the rest of the day. Let's not go into how much of that oil and lotion got in my hair! But it did feel nice. Then back home for a three-hour call. Then I got to sew!

I'm making great progress on those pinwheels that came from the little half-square triangles that were leftover from some project. I don't even recognize these fabrics, so they must have been given to me? No idea. 

Mini pinwheel blocks

This is what I have left to press and do the second seam. 

A bit of pressing to do

And here's my little bag of the darn things. I'm crazy -- I know, but I love working with these little things. It's just my nature!

All the pinwheels so far

Have you ever noticed how many things there are to entertain you? I subscribe to some YouTube channels, which I rarely explore. I think I need to unsubscribe from some of them, which I did this morning. Now I must check the shows to see if I really want to watch them. 

Then there are audiobooks, and regular books, the radio, Spotify, and I haven't even touched the other streaming services. Let's not forget the blogs, magazines, books, etc. How does one keep up with it all? PRIORITIZE  -- what do you really want to watch or listen to and then go for it! I'm back watching episodes of The Quilt Show with Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson. I'm only in the 700 series, so I've got LOADS to entertain me. 

So speaking of bad dogs -- Lexi is no angel. Our deck is open from under the shed and at one corner. I do believe that we have rabbits that hide under there from time to time. Well, yesterday, guess where Miss Lexi was? Yep -- UNDER the deck and very far under the deck. And she's talking  - to the rabbit? I don't know, but it's pretty funny. 

If you didn't know, you'd think she was stuck, but NO, minutes after this video was taken, she was out and happy as a clam. The best part, at least, is that she comes out clean. One bizarre thing - Lexi has no issue with the small space under the deck but hates a closed-in room? Now, what's that all about? 

And if Murphy went under the deck, which I don't think she does, she would come out filthy and covered in dirt, grass, and mud. Sigh.....................

On that note, I'm off to yoga this morning and then back home to work!!!

Don't forget the Virtual Retreat this weekend. Here are the links. 

Saturday - August 21 from 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday - August 22 from 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

Are you ready to be a single car family?

We could be facing a MAJOR decision in our household. We both have cars - mine is 2019 with only 24,500 KM on it. DH's car is much older and has many more KMs. It's on its last legs, and one day, it will die, and then it will be towed. 

Now under normal circumstances, he would buy another car, and life would go on. However, we probably don't use either car to its fullest extent, so do we need to have two? 

Let's backtrack here a second. I took my car in several months ago to have the tires changed. It was an independent garage, and they told me the brakes were badly rusted because of the low mileage on the car. Low mileage occurring because the car has sat for periods of time without being driven. Yikes! What is this?? Yep - after discussions with people and some research, it appears that car brakes get rusty all the time. 

However, when you drive the car regularly, the rust is removed. Even if you drive every couple of days, the brakes will get rusty. If you drive fairly regularly, this rust doesn't get thick and is easily removed. 

If you don't drive the car for long periods of time, the rust builds up, and then when you drive, the brake pads wear prematurely as they remove the rust from the rotors. Hmmm --- this sounds like a no-win situation. And why can't they make brakes that don't rust??? That sounds like planned maintenance. 

Normally, brakes can last anywhere from 30,000 - 60,000 KM, which is a HUGE range, and I would say the ones that last 30,000 probably belong to those that jam on their brakes all the time. That is NOT me. So my brakes should have lasted until at least 50,000 KM. Guess what? I had new brakes installed on the rear of my car at 24,500 KM. 

I was MAD!! This just sounds preposterous, but it's true. OH -- I should say that my car was at the dealer for normal maintenance, and they called to tell me about the brakes. The front ones need servicing, which I declined to do as it wasn't going to really prolong the life of the brakes, which will need to be replaced in about another 10,000. I refuse to pay $250 to service them now and not get anything from it. 

Now in a normal family, it would make sense that when one car dies and you are debating moving to ONE car, you would just experiment with the existing car. But for some reason (and I KNOW I'm unreasonable), I do NOT want DH to drive my car. 

I drive a standard - he drives an automatic. It's not that he doesn't know how to drive a standard; it's that he drives it like he's 16. In his own car, I've seen him STOMP on the gas at a stoplight, trying to beat the other driver beside him. Well, I shouldn't go on, but there is NO WAY I can let him drive my car. 

I suggested that we sell my car and buy another one that we both agree on. OH -- that's so not going to happen!!! Well, we'll just wait and see as I don't know that his car will make it to winter. 

I know it's an inanimate object -- I get that - it's just his bad habits that make me cringe. And with a standard, it's only going to make those habits worse. He had a standard when he was 16. 

But could we manage with one car? YES -- we absolutely could. Why pay for two cars when one will do and look at how much money we would save, and then for sure between the two of us, the car would get driven. Cars were made to be driven, not sit around. They will just fall apart when sitting around. Sigh...........

Anyone down to one car? And how are you coping? 

I had a super productive day yesterday! But alas, I can't share anything with you - you'll have to wait, but I'm super happy with the results. I hope to have a repeat of that today. I'm not getting much done on the long arm, but that's OK. 

I managed to get five more pinwheels sewn as enders and leaders. 

More pinwheel blocks

And even more pinwheel blocks

I still have a bunch of them to press and sew, but they are at least all in pairs! 

I had to pull the yellow scrap box off the shelf this morning. I tipped it upside down. WOW -- that stuff has been so neatly piled in there for years that it stayed in a cube shape! 

A cube of yellow scraps!

So here are our girls. This is sweet Lexi, who was always a bit skittish, and you wouldn't find her in an enclosed room. Thankfully, most of our house is open concept so she's good. But she would NEVER go into either office. I'm not sure why. She's gotten a bit braver over the years, and now she has no issue going into DH's office. 

However, it looks like she felt it was her duty to protect him at this particular moment. No one gets past me!!! What a silly girl!!!

Lexi protecting her Dad

Murphy, on the other hand, is - well, she looks like Pigpen from the Peanuts. Remember, he was always surrounded by a cloud of dirt? That's Murphy. The cleaning lady was here yesterday and had NOT even left yet, when Murphy comes bounding into the house completely covered with dirt and leaves. And was quite proud of herself to boot!!!

Pigpen Murphy!

She just isn't happy unless she's in trouble or making a mess. Yesterday her issue was with other dogs. She's so enthusiastic that she goes crazy when she sees another dog. She was quite naughty yesterday!!

Although -- Lexi is no angel! More on that tomorrow. 

I was out walking yesterday and passed the local Tim's. Hmmm - the parking lot is filled with cones - no parking. What's going on? When I went out for the evening walk, they were filming a commercial. I didn't have my phone with me, so no pictures!

We're almost two-thirds of the way through the month, and that table still has boxes of paper crap on it. I'd better get myself in gear and get to work! Perhaps later today, I'll spend an hour and go through some more. I'm sure it won't take long, once I put my mind to it!!

Oh boy -- it's hard to keep up with Facebook. I set up two groups yesterday, and well -- I needed to set some parameters as anyone can join, and the groups are supposed to be closed. I think I've got all the settings changes, but it takes a couple of days to make that happen. Sigh...................

Here are the links to the virtual retreat this weekend. 

Saturday - August 21 from 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday - August 22 from 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

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

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

How many friends do you have?

 I worked very hard and was extremely focused, and I basically have NOTHING to show for it! 

I'm teaching some classes at Thimbles and Things in the fall, and the registration is being done by e-mail. I received MANY e-mails, and it was a tad confusing to deal with it all. Especially when the e-mail said, "sign me up for all." And then people decide they didn't want all after all. People -- this is a LOT of administration!!!! 

I had to make seven distributions lists, and each list has approximately 40 people on it. If their e-mail wasn't on my contact list, I had to make that happen! 

Then I had to write a comprehensive e-mail introducing the first group to the class format, so I wouldn't get inundated with questions. I moved pictures around to help the students pick colors for their upcoming project starting in September. I made new Facebook groups, set up polls, etc. 

Let's just say that I accomplished a LOT. One e-mail introduction (of three) was sent out. The second one is almost ready to go later this morning, and the third one will hopefully go tomorrow. I still need to double-check the distribution lists associated with that one. I do not have n e-mail service, so I have to be careful how many names go in one list, or I become spam! 

So if you signed up for the Long Time Gone class and did NOT receive an e-mail from me, let me know. Everything else should be coming soon. 

All my classes are FULL, except Long Time Gone. One or two spots may be left in Boho Heart and Gypsy Wife, depending on whether someone drops out when I confirm their registration. 

I am reluctant to do this, but I must. The original pattern was called Gypsy Wife. The name has been changed to Wanderer's Wife. I was going to continue to call it Gypsy Wife; however, when I searched Pinterest, it says "no --- we don't use that kind of language on our site," or something similar to that. So Wanderer's Wife it is. 

I came across something funny when I was in and out of Facebook yesterday. I happened to notice the number of friends I have. 

The number of Facebook friends 

What's this all about? I got a chuckle from that, but I've moved on! In case you don't know, 666 is supposed to be a sign of the devil!

I did sort through a bit more paperwork. OK -- so part of me falls within the parameters of my mother. I still have SOME of M's schoolwork. I'm not sure why it didn't all get dealt with before, but it didn't. There wasn't much in this folder. And here's the sad part -- I hate to throw away this folder. However, would you want to get that folder if you were going to school? Already written on by someone else? If we lived in different times and locations, this would be valuable, but here? I put it in the recycling. 

Poetry folder

I went for a massage and am happy to report that my neck is coming along just fine, but don't touch those insect bites!! I was fine until I was in the car on the way home and they started to itch like mad! They are smaller this morning but still look pretty angry. At least the largest one. The other one is not bad. 

Here's the thing about going to the massage person - and it's not just him - it's the physiotherapist, the chiropractor, or any practitioner dealing with the body. If you could ONLY improve your posture. I know  - my posture is bad. I try to correct it - I really do, but then I forget. So I've got to remind myself to stand up straighter ALL THE TIME. Amazing how we get into some of these bad habits, and it feels better to slouch! I don't want to be that hunchbacked little old lady when I'm older. 

And I know that it'll help my neck! 

I had to fix the dishwasher again! What's with this issue coming up twice within a couple of months? I didn't find anything in the little drain gizmo, but the filter was pretty disgusting. So I cleaned it all out, and it seems to be working just fine. Make sure you clean that dishwasher filter regularly!!!

Then it was date night! Yep -- DH and I headed off to the movies. I told him I would only go on Tuesday when the prices were lower. So we were off to see Free Guy. It was pretty funny and sweet. 

And yes -- I had a medium bag of popcorn (no butter) for dinner. I was also bad and had a medium pop. That was an adventure itself. How to make the darn machine work. Oh well - I did get that figured out. 

The theatre was fairly empty, so social distancing was a breeze, and when we exited the theater at 7 PM, the lobby was the fullest I've seen in quite a while. I did go to a movie last year during a period when we were semi-open. 

As promised, here are the Zoom links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. And not to freak anyone out, but if someone clicks on those links before the date - I get an e-mail! But that's OK -- I know some people are new to Zoom and need to see how it works. 

Saturday - August 21 from 6 PM - 9 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday - August 22 from 10 AM - 8 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246635892?pwd=VGY1cUUyLzRaRi9VUVV2ZWFINXc2dz09 Meeting ID: 872 4663 5892 Passcode: 440473

Well, that's it for me this morning. I'm off to spin class! Who said going to the gym was exciting? I'm OK once I get there - I just have to build up my new routine!

I'll be back at the computer for a wee bit this morning. I need to get that second e-mail out, and then I had better hit Studio B - I don't think I even went downstairs yesterday! The last e-mail will go out tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

THE double wedding ring quilt

 Oh gosh -- while I was out walking Murphy, I remembered my other thought! When I returned from the gym, I drove past Tim's, as I always do. And I didn't give it one thought of stopping in to get breakfast like I would have in the past. I haven't been in quite a while and would certainly not classify myself as a regular any longer. Amazing how quickly I gained that habit and amazing how long it took to break it!

It's not tea weather right now anyway!!!  September is coming. 

It's amazing what you can get done when you put your mind to it. It was Monday sewing, and yes - we chatted a lot, but I was also focused on a project, and I'm happy to say that it's complete!! Well, one part of it. I wanted to add the names of all 111 blocks of the Farmer's Wife quilt to the sashing that will be sewn to each block. I used the built-in fonts on the sewing machine. 

Let's just say that it took a couple of false starts to get going. The first time, I forgot to program a STOP into the line of letters. Then I realized that the previous lettering had been done with a 7mm machine, and I was now using a 9mm machine, so I had to reduce the lettering to match the others. I also had to find out where I had stopped as I last worked on this in 2019. The blocks, however, had been made a few years before that. Ooops  -- I actually taught this class in 2012. OK -- so it's time to get working on it. Besides, it's on the UFO list for 2019, and we MUST be clearing those projects up!

I had made 70 of the sashings, which left 41 to finish, and I'm happy to report that ALL of them are done!!!

I'll try to get a close-up picture of that sashing so you can see what I mean. 

A sashing for the Farmer's Wife quilt

But here - they are all done!! I was going to take a break and do something else, but the ladies were chatting away on our call, and well, I said - get er done! And I did!!!!  They need to be trimmed to size and the stabilizer removed. What focus!!! And that set the pace for the remainder of the day. 

All the sashings are done

I finished before we ended our call, so I dug out the double wedding ring quilt and trimmed it. I had been putting it off - who likes to trim a quilt like this? I used my rotary cutter and scissors. It wasn't that hard after all! 

Trimming the double wedding ring quilt

Although I had made the binding before, I, for whatever reason, made REGULAR binding, when in fact, I needed BIAS binding. DUH!!!  Thankfully I had enough fabric to make more binding. So I made a giant square, sliced it, and sewed it back together again to make continuous bias binding. 

Cutting the bias binding

And before I knew it, the binding was made and pressed in half and ready to sew onto the quilt. So I did! Again -- it wasn't that bad when I sat down to do it!

Sewing the binding to the quilt

By this time, the others were gone. So I cranked up my new speaker and opened Spotify to get the playlist that Susan generously shared with me, and I was off. 

Listening to Spotify on my new speaker

A good healthy snack, and what more could one ask for? That's peaches and yogurt, in case you were wondering. My favorite yogurt? OIKOS - Greek yogurt. The vanilla flavor with 0% fat. It's relatively thick and delicious. 

A healthy snack

And there was the computer in the background in the event I needed to check anything! Hmm - it appears that everything in my space is bright. I'm OK with that. Although I noticed that several fluorescent light tubes need to be replaced!!

In my happy place

Well, it was not enough to stop there. After dinner, I got out the hand stitching supplies and started to hand stitch the binding in place. 

The binding is stitched in place by hand

I'm slow when it comes to hand stitching, but my stitches are very nicely done! It's worth the extra time to have a good finish. Normally I do bindings by machine, but I thought I'd do the curves by hand. Just for a change, and I get to listen to my audiobook while I'm doing it. I'm OK with the speed of doing a binding by machine, but NOTHING beats the look of hand stitching!

The neat hand stitches on the back of the binding

After every session, I have to spread the quilt out to see my progress. 

Good progress was made on the binding

I made good work of one corner and will keep plugging away. I wanted it to be done by September 1st when I said I would have it done. Wish me luck!!!!

Here's one of those nasty horse fly bites I got. The darn things are itchy like crazy. I haven't scratched them, but slathering on lots of  Benadryl cream to keep my hands off. 

My horse fly bite

And here we are on the home stretch of the Appalachian Trail Virtual Challenge. I have less than 100 KM to go. The trail's end (or the start) is in northern Maine, which is super remote. Good grief - the only roads in that area seem to be unpaved, but some of them are mapped by Google. 

The end of the line for the Appalachian Trail

Almost at the finish line!!!!

My distance for the challenge

My time for the challenge

I have averaged almost 11.7 KM per day! That's quite an accomplishment. That wasn't the goal I set for myself on this mission, but my cross Canada one is aggressive, and I have to keep up!! 

So I should be able to finish this off in eight days, with 30 days extra! Then what? I need to pick another Virtual Challenge. Which one will it be? A short one? or a long one? 

Oh my -- I think I mentioned this before, but putting your phone into another language? Well, e-mails from the apps or anything are in French!! I even had to reboot one of my Alexa speakers in french! 

All apps are in French!

It's time to finish off the distribution lists for my fall classes. So hopefully, I can get that done today - it's quite the mess, to be honest, but I'm done with the input - now comes the verification process. Did I get everyone in the right class? Then I can send out the first e-mail with the information they need. No rush -- the classes do NOT start for another five weeks. I just want it done!

And I have three classes this weekend, so I must get myself organized and complete that homework!

Lots to do, and I must clean up my calendar and some paperwork on the desk. All in a fun day's work!!!

Remember -- PRIORITIZE, FOCUS, WIN     It really works!!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

REMINDER - Virtual Retreat this weekend  --- I'll post the links tomorrow. 

Saturday from 6 PM - 9 PM

Sunday from 10 AM - 8 PM.