The Quilt Is Done

 Yesterday was sunny and quite warm. The high got to 25C (humidex 29). This morning it is cloudy and 13C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with showers. The high is to get to 24C.

Lifestyle

I started the morning folding laundry. I don't like folding laundry so I am trying to do it earlier rather than later. It was all put away which was another miracle. 

I gathered my cleaners, vacuum cleaner, swiffer, and 3 cleaning rags. I was tackling another part of the family room. I chose to clean the windows, ledge and walls. I was up and down the ladder, up and down the stairs, in and out of the house cleaning the windows. What a job that was. There was dry lichen stuck in grooves in 2 windows which I had to dig out with a tiny screwdriver. The outsides were coated with dust due to our hot dry weather. Inside, I scrubbed all the parts I could get at. I even scrubbed the screens. Almost 2 hours later and one rest for a sore back, I was ready to clean the ledge and walls. That was easy to do. I also used the dry swiffer on the floor. When I headed upstairs with the three filthy dirty rags I was tired and sore. I took no pictures as the area looked the same dirty as clean. I will call it hidden dirt as basically it was not noticeable until you look for it. 

I don't have a lot left to clean in the family room. There is some sorting and purging to do in the next part. Once it done, the family room is clean. 

The Canada geese are back once again. I can hear them honking as they fly over in the mornings. Soon I will hear them when they fly to their night spots. They will be here for quite a while. 

Sewing

I allowed myself to sew in the afternoon. I sat and finished hand stitching the binding down on the quilt. I put it on my bed and I am so happy I made it. 

I wanted to snuggle down under it but I refrained until I went to bed. 

I also pinned the pattern pieces onto the diagonal stripe fabric. It is a new outfit for the rabbit. 

I ran out of pins so will be opening a new package of pins when I need them. The pins I am using are over 8 years old. 

Next up, I pressed the backing fabric for the runners and sandwiched the longest of the three. It has been marked so I am now ready to quilt it. 

Knitting

I got the gusset done on the sock and 11 rows done on the foot. 

Hopefully they will be done by Monday as I need a break from knitting black yarn. Counting rows is very hard when I need to do a check. The yarn I used on the leg is used up which is nice. 

Thoughts

    I am struggling with keeping hydrated. I know that I need to drink more fluids every day and have been packing a litre bottle of water with me. I really honed in yesterday when my glucose reading was in the high 5's in the morning and at noon. With more water in me, it was 4.4 at dinner time. I have been eating much better so knew it wasn't the food I had been eating. 

    I let out a big cheer (in the basement) when all the bags of recycling were thrown into the truck. It was so good to have them gone. I now can keep up on shredding documents which is a relief for me. I will have to spend a bit of time one day shredding documents which is normal for everyone who files their taxes. 

    I have added cleaning the deck to my to-do list. It needs to be prepped for winter and I can do it slowly once I have the planters cleaned out. It will get done this weekend. I will put the planters away knowing that I will not be planting as much next year. I am not sure how many peppers are on the 4 plants but know there are too many. 

Today

I am going into the city to buy a new fridge. I am sure we will do a bit of shopping before we come home. I don't know if I will sew or not but do know I will knit on the socks. 

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

Planning Many Things and Accomplishing Some

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 25C (humidex 28C). This morning it is clear and 10C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 27C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle 

I was fiddling around getting my thoughts for the next 10 weeks organized in Word. I was doing great and had almost finished September ideas. My focus this September is     

    cleaning/decluttering/purging the family room and under the stairs

    finish the quilt and table runners

    clean the deck ready for winter

    knit socks

I was doing great when family called and needed me to come over. They were in the in-law suite while their heat pumps were being installed. I went over as quick as I could. 

When I walked in son was muttering about "not Mexico" so I knew we were going to be talking about our trip to Montevideo. We started off talking general dates, airlines, and hotels. It was a great general discussion which had some great laughs. We stopped at noon for lunch (Subway) and started up again. We were getting serious. When son started to get us flights he did something and had to wait 30 minutes before he could start again. He started again and when it came time to put names in he said something about him being person one. I said of course as you are paying for the trip. Daughter-in-law laughed and gave me a high five. By 3 pm we had our tickets, I had paid for mine, and I had a list I am working on between now and Nov. 1.

I got home after 3 pm and I had things to do. I started with cleaning out the freezer. I have it all done but 2 items which need to be partially defrosted. The compost bin and all the recycling is down at the curb ready for pick up this morning. My back was sore from the hour of activity I did. 

I was sore last night in the middle of my back (sacrum) and I did some stretches and got a nice crack. The soreness is basically gone and I just need to continue strengthening it through activities I am doing. 

Sewing

I did sit and sew the binding down on one more side of the quilt. I have about 60" left and it will be done. My next job is to quilt and bind the runners. 

Knitting

Son brought me 3 skeins of merino wool/silk blend yarn from Uruguay. They are all the same dye lot. 

The yarn is heavier than the sock yarn I knit so I may make a scarf from them. I can hardly wait to see how this yarn knits up. 

I also worked on sock #2. I am slowly getting the gusset done. I think I am about half way done. 

I am counting the stitches for the gussets every other row as I can hardly see the decreased stitches. I am plugging away as I know once the gusset is done, I won't have to worry about decreases or padded stitches. 

Thoughts

    We are to have a couple of humid days and nights as there seems to be showers coming tomorrow and Sunday. Then it will be back to low 20C during the day and 8-10C during the night. We are definitely seeing the start of fall but will also see some warm humid days during the month. 

    I have decided to cancel Sewing With Cinnamon as I have lost interest in her topics. Though I will continue to sew for the dolls, I want to focus on using patterns I have already vs getting more that I may or may not sew. I will say that it is a great program and I did enjoy it but my focus has changed this year. I may work on the couture sewing course I got years ago as I do love doing that type of sewing. 

    One of my goals this fall is to start (once again) doing meal planning. I have tried many ways from planning once a week to twice a month. I am going to try to plan twice a week to see if that will help. Cooking for 1 person is hard but I do find that Chef's Plate recipes do help me. Making a recipe for 2 gives me a meal to eat and one to have the next day. 

Today

I am going to complete yesterday's list and add doing more cleaning in the family room. I hope to finish sewing the binding on the quilt and knit on the socks. I have dinner planned which is a bonus. 

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

Progress Is Being Made

 Yesterday was another warm day with a high of 27C. This morning it is clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 25C.

Lifestyle

I seem to be going out the door every day right now. Yesterday's was to figure out a travel Cpap for me. I ended up having to phone the respiratory therapist about it and have all the information I need to buy one for travelling. 

Next up I decided to look for my AirMiles card. After looking in all the spots I found two cards. After trying to find the balance on one card, I ended up phoning and got a very helpful person. My one card was fixed and then it was moved to the other card. Long story short, almost 2 hours later, I have only one card and a lot of dream miles to use. 

With that all done, I decided to start cleaning the family room so I will have space to put all the items from under the stairs into. The goal was to clean the area where I watch tv. I dusted, I cleaned, I tossed, I organized and I have a calm space to do handwork and watch tv. 

The bag by the tv goes to my friend for a project a group is working on. The red box by the chair is for garbage and will go out when I finish the room. The box on the chair is to be shipped to daughter if I can figure out how to get a lamp to fit the box. The mess on the other chair is my quilt. 

I used a swiffer dry cloth on the floor and will use the wet ones when I get some after the room is cleaned up. The other part of the room isn't as bad as this part was. It needs a good wiping, the window screens put back in, and some organizing. One more day and I should be ready to mop the floor. 

Sewing

I spent quite a bit of time sewing the binding down on one more side. I am enjoying the process and not rushing it. 

I laid it out on the floor to see how the binding looks and I am pleased that I didn't put a border on this quilt. I love the simplicity of it as it is. 

I am looking forward to finishing it and then doing the runners. Soon it will all be in my bedroom. 

Knitting

I finished knitting the heel flap and turned the heel. I then decided I should pick up the gusset stitches which was the hardest part of these socks. For some unknown reason, I really struggled to see the stitches. It took two tries on each side. The job is done and I can now start working on that part of the sock. 

I will be happy to knit a lighter colour when these are done. 

Thoughts

    I am slowly working my way through cleaning the family room. I am trying to do it methodically and by sections. I find that easier to do. The part I did was the messiest part. Tossing items, put a project into a container made the space much tidier and calmer.  I need to work on having routines in place where I don't leave a mess when I am done for the day. 

    I am also working on being more calm and relaxed. I find that being calm helps me focus on many things. I also find I get a lot more done in a day and am enjoying doing the jobs I set out to do. I am still doing brain dumps with my focus on the family room and under the stairs. I keep adding to the page and then take those ideas and put them into my daily to do lists. I find this is really helpful as I am a methodical person and jumping from one thing to the next is very stressful. 

    The rain we were supposed to get has turned into some small showers. Friday is going to be hot and humid. I am enjoying the cool mornings and have the windows and doors open so the house feels and smells fresh. 

Today

I have to deal with the freezer this morning. Once done I have my list to work on; fold laundry, pick up some stuff and put it away. I am going to hand sew binding down this afternoon after I do a bit more cleaning in the family room. Tonight I will knit on the socks. 

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

Hand Sewing The Quilt Binding

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 26C. This morning it is mainly clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 25C (humidex 28C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I was busy with my list of things to do. I put on a load of laundry and started to do a few little things before I headed over to family's with some chicken for dinner last night. I did help daughter-in-law put a quilt into the duvet cover and came home. 

At home, I put the laundry into the dryer and then dealt with more on my list. The box on the chair in the family room was dealt with and the box is on the floor to hold stuff that will go out the door. The blankets that go to the trash were bagged and ready to go out the door. 

I did the balance sheet and could have shot myself in the foot. I reversed 2 numbers on the balance sheet and, until I found it, it drove me nuts. Nothing would balance. When I found it many, many minutes later, everything balanced. I put August away and paid my bills. It was a job that took way longer than necessary due to my stupidity. 

While paying bills, I decided to look at my air miles total attached to my credit card. I found out I can book my flight to and from Montreal when we go on our trip this winter. I may fly on a different plane than family but I am game for that. 

Late in the afternoon, I went over to have dinner with daughter-in-law. It was delicious. After dinner we watched several videos on Montevideo. The city is interesting and will be fun to explore. The architecture is amazing and grandson has sent me pictures of some buildings he has seen. 

Sewing

I got the binding sewn on to the quilt. It was a big struggle but I did it. I sat down and hand sewed the binding down on one side of the quilt. 

I can hardly wait for this to be done and put on my bed. I truly love it and am so glad I made it. I know it isn't done in the traditional way but doing it in reverse showcased the fabric I love.

Knitting

Though I got home late, I did knit 21 rows of the heel flap on sock #2. 

The black yarn is hard to knit and I will have enough left to make something else. I may just put it into the garage sale box. 

Thoughts

    Labour Day was quiet. It marks the end of summer as students return to school. For many years it was the start of a new year for me. Now I look at it as the start of a new season. 

    I am working my way through my lists of things I need to do this fall. One thing I want to add is some quiet time each day. I find hand sewing allows me to relax and reflect on what I have done and think about what I need to do. When knitting the easy parts of socks, I can plan on what I want to do the next day. Though I love to be busy, I try to enjoy the tasks I am doing as I know they will make my life easier and calmer. 

    Yesterday's reflection was about the stuff I took to the thrift store. I realized it was weighing me down and getting it out of the house was a blessing. I know that what I kept for the garage sale is in containers in the storage room and what doesn't sell will be taken right away to the thrift store. What I don't need will no longer be stored for future me to deal with. 

Today

I have a few small tasks to do this morning. I have table cloths that need to go into the craft bazaar bins. I have laundry to fold. I want to do some cleaning in the family room and have targeted where I sit and do handwork. I have a small basket for one project. I can do this quickly and quietly. If time I want to pick all the tomatoes. This afternoon I will spend time hand sewing the binding down and do some reflecting. Tonight I will knit on the socks. A quiet day for me. 

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

I Did More Than Expected

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 22C. This morning it is clear and 10C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 25C (humidex 29C). 

Lifestyle

I had one very busy day yesterday. I wanted to get a few things done and off my list. It turned into a marathon of cleaning areas I have been avoiding. 

I started out with 15 minutes in the spare bedroom. I emptied the closet onto the bed and tackled the blankets. Three piles were made -- keep, toss, donate. I need a bag for the blankets I'm tossing, launder the donate, and put the keep away. After I ate breakfast, I put the blankets I am keeping away. 

Only what I use at Christmas was kept. The closet hold only my current paper work, and a couple of items I need to deal with. 

By 9 am I was down stairs to finish shredding the paper. I got it done by noon. There are 4 bags of shredded and non shredded paper to go out for Thursday pick up. I was excited to see it done.

After lunch I tackled the storage room. I went through the tubs I had random items in. I sorted, I piled, and I purged. I finally was able to sweep and vacuum one corner. It was time to tackle the boxes and bags in the family room which I wanted to store in the storage room. I opened every box and sorted through them. I put what I was going to sell in to boxes and a tub in the storage room. What was going to the thrift store was put to one side in the family room. 

I went through everything on the shelving unit and made rapid decisions on it. I kept a few crafting items (had to fit on one shelf) and the rest was put into the toss/donate/sell piles. I was pretty ruthless. The shelving unit is where I want it to be. The stuff on the top shelf will be sold at the garage sale. 

I made sure everything I have for sale in a future craft bazaar was all together and neatly stacked on one wall. 

And I put the boxes and tub into the corner leaving a couple open to add to them as I continue my decluttering. Those are items I will sell at the garage sale in May 2026.

The family room was a disaster. I had piles everywhere. I tackled the toss piles by putting them into the trash or recycle bins. It was better but I knew I needed to get the donate boxes out into the car and to the thrift store. I hauled it all up into the car. I added my old printer as it is recycled at that thrift store. 

I took it over right away so I didn't have to deal with it another day. 

The area (family room) where I had stored all the items I needed to store in the storage room or donate was vacuumed. The paper shredder is in its new home. The paper bits on the floor where I shredded paper was vacuumed. I still have a bit to deal with on a chair. I will get that done today. Other than the freezer, I accomplished more than what I had set out to do. I was tired but very happy. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday as I was too tired when I got home from the thrift store. I needed to hydrate so I sat and drank a lot of fluids. I also need to sit and think about my plan for September. 

Knitting

I finished sock #1 last night though I still have to weave the yarn ends in. 

I am ready to tackle sock #2. I will have to admit black is hard to knit as you can't always see what you are doing or have done. 

Thoughts

    Yesterday I read that Nova Scotia will loose about 90 minutes of daylight in September. That is 3 minutes a day. Mornings are dark when I get up at 6 am. The darkness will be creeping in earlier at night now. Fall is coming though we usually have fall until nearly the end of October or early November. 

    Daughter-in-law was over yesterday and we played with my fridge so I could decide which fridge I wanted. The one I really wanted sticks out too far. I have decided on two and will choose one when I phone for a better price on one. 

    I have learned a couple of things over the past few days. I need to make a list of things I need to do every day. When I stop making lists, I put off what I need to do. I ignore the signs of clutter creeping in. I keep saying "future me will do that another day". I will sit more and then depression settles in. I do know I need to get back to doing more but also need to remember I need rest days. 

    I am not sore today which is amazing. I did everything I needed to do to get the job done. My back was sore hauling boxes up the stairs and putting them into the car. But the soreness left by the time I ate dinner. I was tired but it was a good tired and I slept well last night. 

Today

I have my list made and it includes dealing with the items on a chair I missed, 15 minutes in the spare bedroom, and laundry. I have to do the balance sheet also. This afternoon I want to sew the binding on the quilt and maybe start hand sewing it down. Tonight I will knit on the 2nd sock. I am staying home as it is Labour Day and the stores are closed. 

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

Another Day of Cleaning and Purging

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with one good shower in the afternoon. The high got to 23C. This morning it is clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a late afternoon shower. The high is to get to 22C. 

Lifestyle

I did a 3 day brain dump focusing on the storage/maintenance room. I then had to go over to family's to help daughter-in-law in the in-law suite. There was stuff to pack which will be picked up later next week, food to get rid of, and the rooms cleaned and floors mopped. I stayed until almost noon and most of the suite was done. Having helped is therapy for me to calm down and relax. 

Once home, I spent the afternoon sorting and shredding paper. I now have 2.5 bags filled with shredded paper and half a bag with non shredded paper. I will fill the last part bag of shredded paper with what is left on the table. There was all the paper work from the sale of 6 pieces of land which was about 1 bag full. There were old income tax papers from as far back as 2006. I knew we had to keep some of it for quite a few years but that is now past. I am not sure why we had to keep the sale of properties past 7 years. It seemed as if we thought paper work had to be kept forever. I did find some interesting paper work -- the cost of our move to Nova Scotia and the receipt for my embroidery machine. I spent 4 hours shredding paper which is a boring job. 

I did not sew yesterday but I did knit on the socks. I am about half done the foot. 

Thoughts

    I was very surprised when I came upstairs at 5 pm and saw we had had a good shower. There were puddles which was exciting to see. These showers seem to come up from nowhere, give us a small amount of moisture and then the clouds disappear. 

    I am really focusing on the storage/maintenance room. I want it done so I can start to sort what I am going to sell at the garage sale and what I will take to the thrift store. I will take what is going to the thrift store this coming week. I would like a lot of it done by tomorrow afternoon. I am tired of moving stuff around and want to deal with it right now. 

    I am going to see how far I have gotten in the storage room at 3 pm and if all is going well I will start to sew the binding on the quilt. If not, I will push on purging and sorting. I really want to take that space back to minimal. I am getting there but there is still a lot to deal with. 

Today

My list of things to do is written out. I will be spending the day shredding paper, going through boxes and tubs so I can organize and get items put back that I will sell in the spring. I need to do a load of laundry this morning. If time, I will sew on the quilt and I will knit tonight. 

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

A Day In The City

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 23C. This morning it is cloudy (and it rained a tiny bit) and 12C. The fog is rolling in quickly.  Today we are supposed to have showers and a high of 21C. 

Lifestyle

I was exhausted yesterday as I had slept poorly on Thursday night. Part was an IBS attack from eating 1/4 cup ice cream. The other was from worrying about a lot of things that have been happening for the last 4-5 weeks. I pushed through the day which was a positive thing for me.

I was out the door by 9 am to go to the city with daughter-in-law. Our first stop was at an appliance store to look for a new fridge. I looked at every fridge there was only to find out that I have a counter depth fridge. That limited my choices. I found one I like and will be figuring out if it will fit my space nicely. A regular depth fridge will hang out into the floor space too far. The joys of fridge buying. 

Our next stop was Costco. We went for the hotdogs and bought some clothes. I got a black zip up jacket that is light weight. Daughter-in-law beat me to the blue one. I got one Christmas present. We had our lunch which was a treat. 

Our next stops were to Winners (Marshalls in the US) to look for suitcases. One carry on was bought. I need a large one. Then it was on to the mall. We looked at suitcases there and I may go back to get one I liked. Daughter-in-law got the sandals she wanted, her birthday Lindt chocolates, and a few other items. Then it was on to Walmart for groceries and then we headed home. 

Once home, I rested and tried not to fall asleep. I got up to do little things to stay awake. I put away a few things, tidied up, and made dinner. I really struggled and was in bed by 8:30 pm. I was ready for a long night's sleep. 

Sewing

None done

Knitting

None done

Thoughts

    The worrying for the past 4-5 weeks took its toll on me. I knew I would hit the wall and be exhausted. I felt it coming on slowly and surely. It is over with today and I can relax and be calm. 

    The air quality warning is over for us. Areas are still affected by the wildfire smoke. Some areas of Nova Scotia have had the ban into wooded areas lifted as they got lots of rain. We didn't as our rain fall wasn't enough and today's showers seem to be even more minimal. 

    I need to do a brain dump and figure out what I want to do for the next couple of months. I want to start walking now that it is cooler and I should do yoga. I need to get a book out and start it today. 

Today

I need to get a few groceries, do laundry, and shred paper. I want that job done. If I have time, I will start to sew the binding onto the quilt. I want to knit tonight. I will work on my brain dump today as I need to get my ideas down on paper. 

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