It Looks Like A Straight Jacket

 Yesterday was quite sunny and warm. The high got to 26C (humidex 29C). This morning it is cloudy and 17C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 27C (humidex 31C). 

Lifestyle

I was out to make sandwiches first thing. There was 4 of us doing it and we were done in good time. Once home, I sat and had a cup of coffee. 

I got busy after that and I fold the laundry and put it away. I emptied the dishwasher and watered the plants. There are two more blooms on the rose bush that are almost ready to pick. I also have one tomato. 

My big job was to work on my Fitbit. The battery had drained to almost dead (normal when it needs resetting). I played with it, left it alone, played some more, and finally got it working again. It took 3 or 4 resets to get it properly reset. The clock was out by an hour so I synched it to the phone. It reset and worked perfectly all day and still going strong today. 

After lunch I took the clean dishes used for sandwich filling back to family's house and took the grocery basket back to the hall. The ladies have to make sandwiches again today. I can't help as I have osteopathy early this morning. 

Sewing

I decided to work on the doll's jacket even though it was later in the afternoon. I looked at the video on how to do the lining. I read the instructions and got started. I worked slowly and carefully on it. I unpicked one seam I had done wrong. I started to pin the jacket to the lining and stopped. It looked funny. I looked at the video 3 times and realized I was doing it right. The lining is sewn into the jacket and it looks like a straight jacket. Yes, the sleeves are attached and you move them around to sew the lining and outer fabric together. 

Shari Fuller said it would look unconventional and it would work. I still have to sew the sleeves together at the wrist. A few minutes of sewing. 

There is an opening in the center back of the lining where you pull the jacket right side out. I will get to it when I sew the sleeves together and clip all the way around the outer edge. 

Knitting

I did 8 rows last night. l may have to put it away for the summer as it is getting heavy and I get hot knitting it. 

I will get something small to knit or crochet which will be cooler to work on. 

Thoughts

    The weather forecast has several predictions. One for hot dry weather and the other for lots of rain. The only thing they agree on is one storm in Cape Breton Island. The rest is polar opposites. We are, as usual, in a wait and see mode. Environment Canada predicts hot and dry with 60% chance of showers which I will go with for now. 

    Tomorrow is Canada Day and we will be having a family bbq. There are some activities going on but we don't go to them. There will be fireworks at night. There is a lot of preparation going on by some people and others will retreat to their summer cabins and enjoy the quietness it brings. 

Today

I am off to osteopathy this morning and then will do some shopping. I want to be home by noon or just afterwards. I would like to sew this afternoon and see how far I can get on the jacket and will knit tonight. I do have to water plants this evening. 

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

A Day Of Resting

 Yesterday was a mix of clouds and sun. The high got to 25C (humidex 27C). This morning it is cloudy and 14C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 25C (humidex 28C). 

Lifestyle

I was tired yesterday and all I can say is it was my fault. 

I did do the balance sheet and was ready to throw my hands in the air when I found I was 6 cents out when over half done. I took a deep breath and decided to go backwards carefully to make sure each entry was in correct. I got back to where I started and it was still out. Two entries down I found the mistake. I am still asking why it balanced the last time with an error in it. 

I decided that I couldn't do much more and I went back to bed after cleaning up the paperwork on the table. I slept soundly for almost an hour and when I woke up, I did feel a bit better. I did get the recycling out to the garage and all the plants watered. 

My eating has been out of control the past two days as I have been exhausted from the humidity. I was fuelling my body incorrectly and it wasn't helping me get through the humidity we were having. I caught myself late in the afternoon and decided to make a simple dinner of hamburger patties cooked on the bbq and a caesar salad. It was awesome to eat something that held me over rather than have me spike and crash. 

The egg cooker is something we really like. Rather than boil eggs (which we do), it steams them. Whether you boil or steam the eggs, putting them into ice water is the key to getting them to peel nicely. 

Sewing

I watched the video on how to sew the lining into the doll's jacket and realized it was not something I could do yesterday. I was too tired to sew so I put it aside for the day. 

I am thinking about sewing outfits that the ladies would have worn in our community which was founded in 1768 - 11 years after the Acadians were deported from the area. I will do a bit of history on it as it was a thriving community in its early days 

Knitting

I did pick up the afghan and knit 8 rows on it. 

It is growing slowly and is getting heavy. 

Thoughts

    My Fitbit decided to act up this morning. The time was over an hour out. It corrected itself and then stopped working. I will play with it later to see if I can reset it. If not, I will leave the battery to drain and try again. 

    I opened the windows last night to enjoy the breeze. By the time I went to bed, the wind was back to calm and the house was getting warm. This morning the cool air is coming in but there is no wind. When the wind came up, the humidity went down which was nice. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches this morning and once home, I will sew on the doll's jacket. I do have to make dinner for the next 2 nights. I hope to knit tonight. I will also be checking the plants to make sure they have enough water. 

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

The First Roses Picked

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 23C (humidex 28C). This morning it is foggy and 16C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds this morning with chances of rain in the afternoon. The high is to get to 22C (humidex 27C).

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I got a load of laundry on before heading outside while it was cool. I wanted to see how the rose bush was doing and it didn't disappoint me. I cut three roses from the bush and did a bit of clean up. 

This rose has a delicate scent to it which is nice. I also checked the tomatoes and they are doing well. 

I also spent time cleaning the table the bbq is on. I put away everything I didn't need and washed it well. It was covered in pollen and dirt. Happy that was done, I went inside as it was getting humid out there. 

Inside, I dusted the living room and did some cleaning where I sit on the couch. I also got a box up and packed everything up for daughter. I could not get it all in one box so will have to send her two boxes. I still have more dishes to add to the 2nd box. 

The humidity was bad yesterday. The house got hot and was hard to cool down. I emptied the dehumidifier this morning and it was 3/4 full. It ran all day yesterday. Having little to no breeze is not helping either. I have to say that summer is not my favourite season and hasn't been for many, many years. 

Daughter-in-law called last night to say she cooked the egg cooker. At 30+ years it met its due date and decided to die. That thing has been one useful gadget and I will have to buy a new one. Anyways, I laughed really hard when she told me as I was expecting it to happen. 

Sewing

I did sew. yesterday even though the sewing room was warm. I sewed the sleeves for the lining together and then inserted them into the lining. It was harder than I had thought. The sleeve cap was not smooth but had little bumps on it. They kept sticking out past the arm hole and bothered me. When I realized what was causing it, I understood the why and finished the job. I did sew the collar together and have it basted onto the jacket. 

I am now ready to sew the lining and the jacket together. Time to watch the video so I do it right. I did a lot of hand basting yesterday which takes extra time. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night as it was humid. 

Thoughts

    We are building up to having it warmer than normal on June 30. July 1 is to be cooler and then it will be warm again. Nights are going to be warm which makes sleeping harder unless you run the a/c. It is a season where I don't like to be outside a lot, don't enjoy cooking meals, and sleep poorly. I will get through this season like I always do. I am trying not to complain as parts of Europe are having a heat wave with temperatures about 10 to 15C hotter than we are having. 

    As I have done as much as I want to do for the Acadian outfit and have almost finished the Edwardian wardrobe, I am now thinking of what to sew next. I have no idea at the moment but need to think about it. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, the minutes from last week, and fold laundry. I hope to sew this afternoon but we wait and see as I am quite tired. Knitting will be the same wait and see. I may end up napping though I don't want to. 

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

Sleeves Inserted on Doll's Jacket

 Yesterday was cloudy with a high of 20C. This morning it has rained, was foggy, and 13C. Today is supposed to be a mix of rain, sun, clouds, and maybe a thunderstorm. The high is supposed to get to 22C (humidex 27C). 

Lifestyle

My big job of the morning was to make a batch of cookies. I have it down to a science and got them made in good time. By 10:45 am I had the kitchen cleaned up and was ready to stretch out my sore SI joint. I was told later that this was the last batch of cookies I will be making as we now have someone to bake them for us. I will ask if I can make some batches until my supplies are used up. 

I did stretch my SI joint but the weather was against me. The barometric pressure was dropping and I was hurting. I did rest after stretching hoping it would stop but it was only a temporary fix. 

I decided to spray the weeds on the west side of the house. I had everything I needed but it was a job that wasn't going to be easy. Every set of batteries I put into the spray nozzle seemed to be almost dead. I cleaned the contact points to no avail. With a lot of determination and a few swear words, I got the job done. I will buy new batteries and redo it next week to make sure. 

I cooked a nice dinner for last night and tonight. I made one of my favourite dishes using chicken, onions, and peppers on a bed of rice. I haven't had it for quite a while and it was a delicious. 

Sewing

I worked on the sleeves of the doll's jacket. The cap of the sleeve is darted to give it shape. Each one of those darts had to be topped stitched and then darted. Then the side part of the sleeve had to be added which meant stay stitching, clipping and sewing. In the end, the sleeves were beautiful and fit into the jacket perfectly. 

I love how the sleeve has a placket in it. I don't have tiny buttons for it so am thinking about what to do about that. 

The sleeve lining pieces are cut out and ready to be sewn together. At least they don't have darts in the sleeve cap. Once they are put it, it is the collar and sew it together and turn right side out. 

Knitting

I did knit 8 rows on the afghan last night. I am slowly getting there. 

Thoughts

    I have almost finished reading the doctoral thesis on Acadian clothing prior to their deportation. I have learned a lot. Their fashion was neither French or British and differed in each of the locations were archeological digs were done. They all had luxury domestic goods connected to textiles and clothing production. Clothing in Louisburg was very high fashion and as you moved further away to other areas, the clothing was more suited to what they were doing. Communities in the Bay of Fundy traded with Boston vs trading with Quebec or Montreal due to the time it took to get items there. All communities had access to fine fabrics and items like scissors and pins. All areas had capital wealth as can be seen in what was excavated and from registers. They had both coarse woven fabric for heavy labour and fine fabrics for leisure activities. In areas they dressed in the coarse fabrics so they wouldn't be attacked. If they looked poor they were left alone. In rural areas, the people worked together when farming, building dykes, making and weaving fabrics and sewing clothes. When weaving their cloth, they had simple looms but they took the time to make striped fabrics which had uniqueness to them. They were very ingenious people. I have to think about what I will read next. 

    I did a small dig in the one cucumber container and I have two seeds sprouted. Here is hoping they make it. Our weather has been in the normal range this summer but the cooler nights has slowed the growth on the plants. We wait and see what July brings as that is when the drought started last year. 

    I emptied the dehumidifier yesterday and after 24 hours it was half full. I will empty it again this afternoon and see what I get in the last 24 hours. 

Today

My plan for today is to clean up the living room and do a load or two of laundry. This afternoon I will sew on the doll's jacket and tonight I want to knit on the afghan. 

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

Progress On The Doll's Jacket

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 21C (humidex 26C). This morning it is slightly overcast and 13C. Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of 24C (humidex 27C). 

Lifestyle

I did a bit of work on the family tree before heading out to have my hair cut. Once home, I sat for a bit and then cleaned my bedroom. It wasn't bad; very little dust on the furniture and the floor was clean. I will do the floor the next time I do the room. 

My SI joint was sore yesterday and I laid on the couch and held it in the stretch position for 3 minutes. When done, I slowly lowered it down to being straight. I laid on the couch in a fully relaxed way for 20 minutes and when I got up, I had no more pain. There was not cracking or popping so it must have quietly released the last bit when I was stretching. 

Though I had a good night's sleep I was weary from all the pain I have had the past few days. Even physio left me feeling sore which left me tired. I am hoping that having no pain at the moment will allow me to recover. It has affected me in all ways; poor eating habits, little movement, and feeling like I can't do what I want to do. 

Sewing

I did go down and sew on the doll's jacket. I got the lining back pieces sewn together and the front center and side pieces sewn on both the outer and lining fabrics. I also sewed the shoulder seams on both. 

This jacket is quite fitted so I took the red vest off the doll. I will probably have to take the shirt off also. 

As the front of the jacket can open the center front pieces of the lining are done in the outer fabric. 

I am following both the written instructions and the videos on how to make the jacket. I am still on part 1 of the video and the next step is to do the sleeves. I will have to say that this jacket is a more advanced than I thought it was. But I am enjoying the challenge. 

Knitting

None done last night. 

Thoughts

    The first 2 cucumbers I put out died. I think it was too cold and wet for them. The other two are looking amazing so I am hoping they do well. I do have seeds in one container and hope they come up so we can have plenty of cucumbers this summer. 

    I moved the tomatoes out into a sunnier area on the deck. They are doing well. The peppers are now starting to grow new leaves. They did struggle this spring also. The first set died and the 2nd set sat doing nothing for days on end. The only thing that is doing well are the weeds. They are big, strong, and healthy. 

    I emptied the dehumidifier yesterday but it had been full for 24 hours. I couldn't do it the day before due to the pain I was having. I am thinking of emptying it every day as it is filling up very quickly. The lowest our humidity was 57% yesterday and it was 100% overnight. 

Today

I have to make cookies this morning. This afternoon I am going to sew on the jacket and try to get the sleeves sewn and maybe get them put in. I would like to knit tonight. It is going to be a fairly quiet day for me. 

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

A Day Of Pain

 Yesterday started out cloudy with some showers and cleared off in the afternoon. The high got to 21C (humidex 25C). This morning it is clear and 15C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 23C (humidex 26C).

Lifestyle

I was out to physio first thing. After a quick assessment, the therapist found that my SI joint was stuck and tight. She worked on me while I was on my tummy, then my side, and finally on my back. I did the gym exercises and was happy to have the TENS machine and heat for 15 minutes. 

Once home I sat and had a coffee. I realized how exhausted I was from the treatment. I hurt like crazy and put the heating pad on the sore spots. 

I did clean the bathroom which unto itself was hard. I was really sore but I pushed myself to get it done. I am happy I did that. I also pushed myself to clean up the kitchen some. 

I did some stretching in bed last night and I had a lot of cracks and movement in my SI joint. I fell asleep with a lot less pain and got a really good night's sleep. I am still sore this morning but only in one spot. 

Sewing

I did go and sew yesterday. I cut out the jacket from the outer fabric and then started cutting out the lining pieces. I decided to sew the back together. I read the pattern and watched the video on it. I got it done and am ready to add the back sides to the lining. 

I used a bag I had made back in 2019.

I have decided I will make it for the contest at the quilt shop. The pattern for it can be found here. I will be making another prototype before I do the final bag. I have to figure out the placement of the quilt block I am making on the pocket. 

Knitting

None done last night as I was too tired and sore to knit. 

Thoughts

    I sort of know what caused my SI joint to be tight and locked but am not sure. I have to do my stretching exercise daily until it is back to being normal. I hadn't done it for a long time as it wasn't bothering me. 

    The dehumidifier had to be emptied in 3 days. It is humid here even on sunny days. It hasn't been bad but you can notice it in the afternoons when it is the warmest outside. 

    I planted the last two cucumber plants and they are doing okay. The first two haven't died either which is amazing. I still have to plant a few more cucumber seeds for just in case. The Early Girl tomatoes have a lot of blooms on them. The grape tomato is growing as are the peppers. We wait and see how big a crop I get from these plants. 

Today

I am out to get my hair cut this morning. Once home I have to prep chicken for dinner and will tidy up my bedroom some. This afternoon I want to sew on the doll's jacket and I do hope to knit tonight. 

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

A Bit Of Fun Shopping

 Yesterday was cloudy, dull, and very wet. The high got to 18C at 8 pm last night. This morning it is cloudy with some fog rolling in and 16C. Today is supposed to be wet this morning and then a mix of sun and clouds in the afternoon. The high is to get to 20C (humidex 25C).

Lifestyle

I went and did my grocery shopping yesterday morning. It was busy when I went into the store but wasn't when I left. I wandered the store looking for items. One I couldn't find and have to look elsewhere for it. 

Once home, I got everything put away and sat down for a drink. It was raining harder by then and the house was gloomy even with the lights on. I kind of slumped on the couch after I put the laundry on and did very little before lunch. 

After lunch I picked up son and we were off to New Minas. The dealership gave them a car to use while theirs in for repairs. Once he had the car, I left and went to Dollarama to look around. I did the bigger store which is not my favourite. But I did score for once in that store. I was looking at the dishes to see if I could find anything for daughter's living quarters. I found these pieces. 

There were no dinner plates but I got these three pieces. I will go back and pick up 3 more of each as they are the nicest dishes I have seen. I will look in the Sackville store to see if they have the plates. 

I went to Home Sense/Winners to see what was in that store. I found these napkins for daughter. 

I did see a couple of items that I may get for myself. I am thinking about them . 

I did come home after that as it was raining pretty good. I took my time as the road was quite wet. Once home I put together everything I had found/made for daughter. It is quite the haul. 

I sat after I got home as my knee and SI joint were sore. It is weather related as the barometric pressure was dropping all day. I did get the clean sheets on my bed and made myself a healthy dinner. 

Sewing

None done yesterday as I was out. 

Knitting

I knit 8 rows on the afghan last night. I did have to attach a new ball of yarn and we are now knitting the light blue. 

Thoughts

    We had over an inch of rain fall in the past 24 hours. There were no heavy rainfalls, mainly a nice rain that did increase a bit at times. I did read yesterday that we are not likely to have drought conditions this summer. It is wetter than it was this time last year. 

    I was sore off and on yesterday. My knee hurt with the weather and that made my SI joint hurt. When I went to do my stretch, nothing hurt. My SI joint is sore this morning but I am off to physio today so we will see what is wrong. 

Today

I am off to physio in an hour and when home I will apply heat to my sore joint. I want to clean the bathroom this morning but it depends on how sore I am. This afternoon I want to cut out and start sewing the doll's jacket. I do have to make a couple of dinners tonight. I will knit this evening. 

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