It's Like Starting Over Again

 Yesterday was quite warm and sunny with a high of 22C (humidex 25C). This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 11C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 30C (humidex 35C). 

Lifestyle

I was busy before my friend picked me up to go into Halifax. I got the recycling out into the proper containers, a visit with daughter-in-law, and the dishwasher emptied. I also emptied the dehumidifier as it was full. I have to watch it carefully as we are moving into our hot and humid weather. 

The trip to Halifax was uneventful. We made it to Fabricville without any issues. I haven't been there for 5 years. The last time I went, they weren't open. I had thought the store had closed but it was moving from their huge store to a smaller location in the same strip mall. This store is also houses the Maritime's supervisors office. 

We explored the store and I bought buttons, a couple of closures, and a curtain. I helped my friend find some fabrics for puppets a group are making for the Christmas parade. We walked most of the store. I found standing around and waiting hard on my knees so I went to the car to wait. I was there about 15 minutes before my friend came out. She had found the bargain fabrics and bought 3 pieces of sparkly fabric from those bins. 

Leaving Halifax was easy. Two turns and we were are on the highway. We stopped at Lower Sackville to have lunch in a restaurant I like. It was my friend's first visit there. From there, we headed home on the old highway. She had never driven that route either. 

Once home, I sat down and didn't move. Depression hit me hard. My friend will be moving in a month and I will have no one to visit, bounce ideas off, and have our treats. I felt lost and had to work through this. I know that her move has been weighing on my mind for quite a while now. It is like starting over again.

As I worked through my thoughts, I tried to think about the future and what I want to do to keep busy. A few ideas are perking in my head. I still have quilts to make. I can sew for the dolls. I can knit up my yarn. All great plans to keep me busy. 

What I won't have is the mental stimulation of visiting with someone. Many of the seniors in my area are busy with activities I am not interested in. Others don't accept me as I "come from afar". I can go to one quilt shop once a month to quilt but I am not sure about that. I do not like crowds of people and I am not sure if they want me to join them making quilts for a charity. I could ask for fabrics to make the quilt tops at home and bring them in when they are completed. I could also go up on one Tuesday a month to sew in their classroom. 

I spent the rest of the day thinking and only looked out the window when I heard a noise. It had rained and a father and son were playing street hockey. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. 

Today

I am out shortly for physio and then will get some groceries. Once home, I need to do some cleaning. I have a meeting at 2:30 pm. I may get a few snaps sewn on and I hope to knit tonight. I will be turning on the a/c today as it is going to be hot and humid. 

Until the next time...............................................................

Sewing On Snaps

 Yesterday was a mix of sun, clouds, and wind with a high of 19C. This morning it is partly cloudy and it is 10C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun, clouds, and showers. The high today is supposed to get to 24C (humidex 27C).

Lifestyle

I had a busy morning. My first job was to fold and put away the laundry from the day before. I prepped chicken for dinner. Then it was a quick tidy up in the kitchen. Sugar ants are out and I am fighting with a few each day. I have to keep the kitchen spotless. They get into everyone's house and are annoying. 

I went to the grocery store to see what plants they had in their plant center. There were a lot of plants and few customers were there. I wandered around and picked up this selection of plants. 

I still need more plants but will go to Walmart for the rest. 

Once home, I put the plants in the garage to keep cool as we are going to be hot today and tomorrow. Then I went out and put up the table on the deck, got the bbq and set it up on the table. I put 2 tubs on the deck for the tomatoes and put fertilizer in them. The pots got watered and I can plant tomatoes later this week. 

I did look around the yard and will have to pull weeds later this week. There are a few around the house and quite a few in the hedge. I will get it done over time. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon sewing on snaps. I find it a tedious job that leaves me tense. I want them to look perfect but they never are. The red/white striped blouse had 6 snaps sewn on it. The tiny ones on the cuffs were not fun. I was on the floor looking for one half as it popped out of my fingers. The stomacher requires 6 tiny snaps and after I got 4 on, my hands started to cramp up from squeezing snaps in place. 

I still have to finish the stomacher and put 4 snaps on the doll's blouse I finished. Once done, I will be caught up on snap sewing. 

Knitting

I knit on the sweater and got the first front done. 

The second front is ready to join the yarn and knit. 

Thoughts

    We are to have it warm today and hot tomorrow. Then it is supposed to cool off and be back to normal temperatures. The humidity has been low for here. I have to figure out how to cover the tomatoes for cool nights and have a shade over them on hot days. I have some ideas which I will figure out if they work. 

    I really enjoyed my visit to the garden center. It does not have a huge selection of vegetables. It has mainly herbs and flowers which is most popular here. There are other garden centres that carry more vegetables but not as many as what is sold in BC. The other garden centres also sell flowers in 6 packs where the one I was at yesterday doesn't have many of those. Mainly single pots.

    The lawn was fertilized yesterday. I am hoping that it will help the bare spots fill in. They are getting smaller. I hope that the grass seed sprouts where the garden boxes were. If not I will seed them again in the fall. 

Today

I am off to the city with my friend. We are going to fabric stores as she needs fabric for puppets. I will buy buttons and snaps. I will treat us to lunch. Once home, I would like to sew more snaps on the doll's clothes so that job is done. Tonight I will knit on the vest. 

Until the next time.................................................................  

Doll''s Blouse Completed

 Yesterday was sunny and hot with a high of 24C. This morning it is clear and 8C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 20C. 

Lifestyle

I did get a few things done yesterday morning. I put a load of laundry on and it is in the dryer waiting for me to fold it. I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen. I sat down for a break and was so tired that I didn't move until noon. 

After lunch I laid down and slept for an hour. Though I heard the machines working across the street as the people readied their driveway for paving, I did sleep lightly and felt refreshed when I got up. 

Sewing

I spent time in the sewing room after my nap. I wanted to quit on the doll's blouse but I broke it down into small steps and finished it. It wasn't hard to sew and I did end up enjoying my time working on it. 

The pattern fits well which I do like. Pattern drafting for these dolls is hard so I admire those who make patterns that are well drafted. 

There is a lot of top stitching on this blouse so I really got good at doing it. I did a lot of basting and some hand sewing. One thing I like is that every seam is finished. 

I made this blouse to go with the overalls designed by the same person. 

Knitting

I knit on the doll's vest last night. I finished up the body part and am now knitting one of the fronts. 

I have to read every row carefully as there is at least one surprise every few rows. Though I have to look up some of her knitting terms, it is a well written pattern and quite unique. 

Thoughts

    I was out in the garage to look at what is left from the yard sale. It isn't a lot compared to what we started out with and then dug out on the day of the sale. I did put away some things that needed dealing with and I will do a quick clean up once the boxes are gone. 

    I am doing some research on how much protein I need daily with my kidney function. I have decided to be more strict with what I am eating and have decided to cut back a bit on my portions. They were probably a bit on the large size. I know I have to monitor carbs as I do get low glucose readings if I don't have some at each meal. My stress levels are down so I am ready to tackle my eating habits. 

    I need to look at getting my vegetable pots onto the deck. The tomatoes need to go out soon and I know I will have to bring them in some nights as we can get frost until June 5. I want to start cucumbers and buy a few pepper plants. 

Today

I am going to set up my bbq on the deck as I want to use it this summer. I may go looking for some flowers and pepper plants this morning. This afternoon I want to sew snaps onto a few doll's clothes so they are completely done. I will knit tonight. 

Until the next time..........................................................................

Yard Sale Success

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 25C. This morning it is cloudy and trying to rain. It is 14C. Today could be a mix of everything with a high of 25C. 

Lifestyle

I did not post yesterday as my day started at 7 am. It was out before that to open the garage door and help daughter-in-law unload the last of her stuff. I ran back in and ate a quick breakfast. Then out again to finish setting up for the yard sale. We had to set up tables outside and get everything we needed to sell on them. 

We were not finished setting up when the first people arrived at about 7:10 am. We rushed around and served people and put out items at the same time. It was busy for the first 40 minutes and then we had a lull. Then came the next wave and we noticed my neighbour setting up for his yard sale. It was busy until 1:30 pm. We took a minute to look at what was left. I can tell you we sold about 75% of what we had put out. I had 6 boxes and 2 tubs that we filled with leftover items that will go to a non-profit society for their yard sale at the end of May. Daughter-in-law kept a few items as did I. We counted our money and we made over $400.00. 

Two compliments we got:

    I have the cleanest garage ever seen. Thank you to that person as I have worked hard to keep it clean.

    We have the best stuff for a yard sale. We had people come that had been to our yard sale 2 years ago. They buy stuff for their grandchildren and spent a lot of time looking and buying.

The guy who does the lawns showed up and the lawns got mowed while we had the yard sale. We had people on our street come and buy and visit with each other. We had people saying if you don't buy that I will. And we had on lady FaceTime her husband to come and buy some items he had wanted. In all there were lots of chatter and laughs. 

I was out to family's for smash burgers. Son did all the cooking and they were delicious. There was a lot of banter going on how he slaved in the kitchen all day. I was home early as I was exhausted and sore. 

Sewing

None done due to the yard sale.

Knitting

I did knit the last two nights. What I thought was going to be painful increase was actually easy. I have done over 60 rows now. The makers are for the increase for the sleeves. 

Thoughts

    Grandson has talked to his mom (daughter-in-law) and told her a few things. He is working in a restaurant and is with his girlfriend's family. They will make sure he is safe. He is figuring out things on his own. He is in an area where more English is spoken than Spanish but he will have to become for proficient in Spanish if he wishes to go to university. I do hope he talks to his mom on a regular basis.

    I did not sleep well last night (again) as I was sore. More muscle soreness than joint soreness. I find that when the muscles around my knees get tired, I stiffen them and make them sore. I am working on walking with less stiff when they get tired. Walking on cement yesterday is hard on my joints. I did sit when I could be we kept moving around tidying up the tables so they were neat. 

    The other day we saw a yellow finch in the tree in my front yard. The first one I have ever seen in my yard. There is one in my tree again this morning. There are no bird feeders or houses across the street any more so they are looking for new places to eat and nest. My place is too open for them so I hope they nest two houses down where there are several birdhouses up high on a pole. 

Today

 I am tired today and will do what I can and I may have a nap. I would love to sew on the doll's blouse as it is so close to being done. I want to knit tonight. This is recovery day from two poor sleeps and several busy days. 

Until the next time...................................................................

Setting Up For Garage Sale

 Yesterday was sunny with a cool wind. The high got to 19C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 10C. Today is supposed to have periods of rain with a high of 10C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door for a hair cut after dealing with a ton of texts. I had my hair cut and was off to pay the water bill. Once home, I had a bit of a rest before deciding on what to do. 

Daughter-in-law was over to pick up the Dyson. I had it ready for her. She borrows it to clean the rug of cat hair. I send the charger and a few tools for her to use. 

I got the minutes for the community hall organized and into a binder. It wasn't a hard job but it needed to be done. We have to have hard copies of each meeting which I hand over to the president when I am done the job. 

Family was over in the afternoon and we put up two tables in the garage and started to put items on them. We have a lot of stuff for the yard sale tomorrow. More than I thought. It is all organized and ready for pricing. Tomorrow we will set up two more tables outside and have everything spread out for people to see. When the yard sale is done, we will pack up what is left and give it to a non profit society to sell at their annual yard sale. 

I was tired yesterday and wanted to nap but knew I couldn't. I wanted to snack and knew I couldn't. I pushed myself hard all day to stay away and on track. I did prep chicken and made myself dinner for last night and tonight. It was delicious. 

No sewing or knitting yesterday. I was in bed in good time and slept for almost 7 hours before waking up to go to the bathroom. I slept another 2 hours after that. I feel much better today.

Today

I have to go get my prescriptions filled this morning and then will spend the day pricing items. If I have time I hope to do a few little things and will knit tonight. 

Until the next time..................................................................

Almost Done The Doll's Blouse

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 14C. It did rain last night. This morning it is cloudy and 8C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun, clouds, and showers with a high of 19C. 

Lifestyle

I was at it fairly early moving boxes of items from the basement to the garage for the yard sale on Saturday. Once it was all up, I brought everything from the shed down and have it all in the garage. I remembered a TV and brought it up. I just have a step stool to bring up and I think I am done. 

Daughter-in-law brought over a car load of stuff and we put it into the garage. She has another part load to bring over and then we can start to price everything and set it up on tables. 

After a rest, I went and picked up the mail. I got my paper so I could do the census online. It was done in about 3 minutes. I was happy to have that done. 

I did some work on my family tree. My focus was on my maternal grandmother's side of the family. Her father's side was from England. It was her 2nd great grandfather who married a lady of French descent. It also where her family married people from Scotland. And she married into a Scottish family. 

Sewing

I worked on the blouse yesterday. It is ready for the front piece to be put on and then the neck band/tie. It is almost done. 

Though it has a lot of pieces and takes time to sew as they are small, it has gone together really well. 

Knitting

I knit again last night and have 49 rows knit. I am ready to start increasing for the collar and something to do with the waist. I have a bit of research to do as the purl increase is vague. 

I do know that I will have to pin the bottom of the vest down and steam it. It loves to curl up for some unknown reason. It could be not enough rows of seed stitch at the bottom to weigh it down. 

Thoughts

    I was sore yesterday and part was bringing up all the stuff upstairs for the yard sale and part was stress. I really had to work at relaxing and letting go of things that started to bother me again. I had a hard time going to sleep but finally did. I know I will be tired today from this. 

    I am going to have to transplant my tomatoes again. They are getting really big and I am thinking of putting them into the final pots. They can go outside during the day and come inside at nights. 

    I called about my car and I will be able to pick it up next Friday at the end of the day (4 pm). The new batteries won't be in until Tuesday. I am really missing my car mainly because it is higher to get in and out of than the car I am renting. 

Today

I have a hair cut this morning and will pay my water bill. I am not sure if we are setting up for the yard sale today. If not, I will do some housework and will either go out for a drive or sew this afternoon. I plan on knitting tonight. 

Until the next time.................................................

News On My Car $$

Yesterday was cloudy with rain. The high got to 9C. This morning it is sunny and 4C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 14C.

Lifestyle

I started the morning off by opening the blinds and curtains and turning on all the lights. It helped me a lot mentally. I worked on the balance sheet and got it done. Only one stupid mistake on my part but I fixed it quickly without any issues. 

I put on a load of laundry and folded the laundry from the day before and got it put away. I also got yesterday's laundry dealt with. I did a bit of tidying in the kitchen and cleaned the bathroom. I took out garbage and recycling to their bins in the garage. I even got three items up from the basement for the garage sale. By then it was lunch time. 

I got a call late in the afternoon saying that the main battery in my car needs replacing. It is expensive and I am asking questions as to why it happened. I will be asking questions about this when I call to say go ahead and fix it. 

Sewing

I puttered in the sewing room yesterday and I got the back yoke attached to the back body. I then worked on the sleeves and had many questions about them. I did as the instructions said and they are inserted and look perfect. So easy to do. 

And the back. 

I am down to gathering the neck, adding the tie and the front facings. Then it will be to hem it and add snaps. 

This pattern has been a delight to sew. 

I will get back to the bicycle skirt when I can get to the store to buy buttons for it. 

Knitting

I knit more on the vest last night and it is coming along nicely. I have figured out a way to keep track of how many rows I have knit for each repeat. I have 30 rows knit and have about 19 rows left to finish the bottom part of the vest. 

I am using Paton's sock yarn for this project and it isn't the soft yarn I am use to knitting. I am using up what I have in the stash for these projects. I have 4 balls of Patons sock yarn left in the stash. 

I watched Knitty Knatty's last video yesterday while hand sewing the bands on the sleeves of the doll's blouse. It was for noise but I did end up watching it. She was going through all her yarn and sorting it so she could have it in less bins. She did accomplish that. She is finishing up her last works in progress and then can start new projects. She has a lot of yarn to knit over the next couple of years. She has let go of some yarn. My stash looks like a drop in the bucket compared to hers. On the other hand, she knits a lot more than I do. 

I am doing well on knitting down the stash. Of the 21 balls of yarn I have removed from the stash, 8 have been put into the donate pile and 12 have been knit with the 13th being the vest I am knitting. 

Thoughts

    My stress level is going down and I am starting to sleep better. I am also wanting to do more during the day. I was surprised that I my stress level didn't go up when I got the call about the car. I had hoped for the best but expected the worst. 

    Today we start to get things into the garage for the garage/yard sale this Saturday. We are registered and on the map. I am hoping it will be a good sale as the weather is supposed to be sunny and warm. I will try to get most of my stuff into the garage by tomorrow afternoon. 

Today

I have to start putting items into the garage this morning. It is top priority. This afternoon I would like to sew if I have time and I know I will knit tonight. I am prepared to be sore by dinner time. 

Until the next time.......................................................