A Day Of Shopping

Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 10C. This morning it is cloudy and 12C. Today is suppose to be cloudy with a high of 18C. 

Lifestyle

It was off to Ikea yesterday. We arrived in good time and spent 2 hours in the store. We wandered the upstairs looking at all the displays of rooms. I do enjoy looking at them. By the time we went to the Market Mall, I was sore. We wandered through that area getting what we needed. That was another hour. I was aching by then. We had lunch at Ikea and then left. 

The next stop was a sporting good shop and I got a pair of slides to wear outside. I can take off my slippers and put them on when I need to get something. They are not for walking distance in, just around the yard and to the neighbour's. 

The last stop was Costco. Daughter-in-law had to get meat and we were in and out in good time. At that point we were done and ready to go home. 

The bright fall colours are gone. I noticed that the Eastern larch (tamarack) are turning yellow and are starting to loose their needles. We are certainly are in the middle of fall here. The Canada geese are still around and will be here for a while longer. The weather has been cool but we have a few days of warmer weather before it is cool again. We will have warm days like today into December. 

Once home, I helped a bit getting the car unloaded at our neighbour's and then walked home with my purchases. I did get a few things I wanted. I put out the recycling for pick up this morning and crashed on the couch. I did have a nap and woke up feeling better but still sore. I am a bit sore today and will rest as it is out tomorrow to the big craft bazaar. 

Sewing

None done yesterday. 

Knitting

I knit on the socks and got the leg done and the heel flap started. 

I love how these socks accidentally match. It is fun to knit them as I wonder how well the foot will match. 

Thoughts

    I did a lot of thinking both in the car and in Ikea yesterday. As I wandered around, I realized that I love how the rooms are set up. They are full as they have lots items displayed that they sell. But the lines of the furniture are clean and simple. A lot of the items in the market mall have simple clean lines which I do like. I enjoyed looking at the Christmas items and bought a string of miniature lights for inside. Most of the Christmas designs are very Scandinavian and not my style. It was fun to look at them but I have what I want for my home. I did buy new candle holders and led candles for upstairs. I have them in black with the old style candles. 

    I am still thinking about sewing and crafting. I am dealing with my fantasy self and trying to get my thoughts in order. There has been a lot of mulling over what I want to do and what I need to let go of. The process is slow going as I have to really think it through. I have thought through my knitting as I know what I need to knit in a year. Most of the supplies I have are used on a regular basis -- knitting needles do need to be gone through as I have changed brands. The old ones can be donated to the thrift store. I need my swift and winder for skeins I buy. I will look at the yarn before the garage sale and get rid of the yarn I will not knit. I know that I can get rid of 50% in some bins. 

Today

It is rest day for me. I will make a pot of spaghetti sauce for dinner and help with setting up the garage for tonight. I want to knit on the socks and maybe sew a bit. I have to be ready for tomorrow as I will be walking a lot at the craft bazaar. 

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

A Day of Cleaning and Thinking

 Yesterday was cool and sunny with a high of 7.4C. This morning it is clear and -2C. Today is suppose to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 11C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday was a day of cleaning. I started out with my bedroom which I gave a good cleaning. Then it was a light cleaning in the spare bedroom. The bathroom got a good cleaning also. Then the rest of the upstairs was tidied up and areas dusted and cleaned. I did vacuum all the floors and mopped them. Nothing was really dirty it was dusty. Even the floors weren't overly dirty. It felt good to get the house cleaned up. 

As I was cleaning, I was thinking. Thinking hard about how much more I need to do in here to make it comfortable for me to age in. I am close to having that upstairs. I need to buy a vacuum cleaner that is easy for me to use. The central vacuum cleaner is not easy to get out and put away. When I use it, I fear of stumbling on the hose and falling. I need to continue painting and cleaning the rooms so I have what I need in them. I do not need extras. I have noticed that I am, once again, stock piling canned goods. It is seems I am like a squirrel who stock piles food away for the winter. I live a 5 minute drive from the grocery store. I can have a minimal pantry. 

I let my thoughts move to the basement and I realize that a lot of what I have down there is my fantasy self. I have realized that a while ago though not in the term that Frances Jay uses - A knitter/sewer/scrapbooker/woodworker extraordinaire with enough supplies to fill a craft store when you rarely ever complete a project?" 

I do finish projects but I have enough stuff to keep me busy for a long time. I proved it this month when I bought no fabric, trims, craft supplies, etc and sewed and crafted only from the stash. But, do I want to continue to have this fantasy self? Yes and no. I want to sew but I want to be more selective in what I make. I don't want to "have" to sew up fabric in the stash so I have none of it left. For crafting, I want to limit what I make. Most of it will be gifts using the Cricut. Paper crafts will disappear from my life as I don't seem to want to make cards, tags, etc. 

As I thought through the basement, I realized that I am not what I own. I know that I have been talked into becoming something that I am not. I feel that I have to sew and quilt on a daily basis. Part of it is that I should be doing it, part is that my "stuff" owns me, and part is some people expect me to do it. Having all the stuff is stressful. I feel like I am keeping up an appearance of someone I am not. I am going to dig deeper into these thoughts this winter as I work my way through the basement. I feel a huge purge coming on as I start to think about what I want to do and what I want to let go of. I am going to be more selective so I can enjoy what I am doing. 

Sewing

None done yesterday as I was cleaning and thinking. 

Knitting

I did think about knitting and I am keeping all the yarn I have. I knit a lot at night and do use up the stash over time. The only yarn I usually buy is sock yarn as I can knit up to 10 pairs in a year. Family wears the socks I make and I am starting to wear them also. I have enough sock yarn for 8 pairs of socks. 

I did knit on the Wild Socks last night. I got 20 rounds knit. What is amazing is that the two socks match. It wasn't planned, it was luck. 

I was shocked that this happened. It isn't perfect but when you have one ball of yarn, I didn't expect the matching to be so close. 

I hope to have these done in the next 10 days and will be starting to knit the yarn I bought in Denmark and Sweden. 

Today

I am out with daughter-in-law to go to Ikea and other stores. Once home, I will have to put out recycling for pick up tomorrow. I hope to knit tonight as I am looking forward to watching the Wild Socks evolve. 

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

Grinch Socks Completed

 Yesterday was cool and sunny with a high of 5C. This morning it is -0.6C. Today is suppose to be sunny and 8C. 

Lifestyle

I pushed myself to get things done in the morning. I finished scrubbing the tops of the cupboards and the fronts of the ones I hadn't done. That dirty job is done and the next step is to put wax paper on the tops to keep them clean. 

Laundry was folded and put away. It is nice to have that job done. Then it was out the door to do a chore in town and home to make a casserole for frozen dinners. I was done my list at that time. Once the casserole was out of the oven I had a 90 minute nap. 

I woke up from my nap hearing a lawn mower running in my yard. I looked out and nothing. The next door neighbour (behind me) was getting his lawn done. It hadn't been done for 2 months and the poor guys had a big job pushing a mower. 

I made one of grandson's friends a headband and took it over to the house so it can be delivered today. It was 4 pm and I was feeling tired once again. I was in bed early and slept well. I will survive from having a bad night's sleep. 

Sewing

Other than cut out two strips of fabric and sew them together, nothing was done or looked at. It was a day to stay out of the sewing room. 

Knitting

I did knit yesterday afternoon. I counted the rows a lot to make sure I had the same number of stitches on each side of the sock. Mission accomplished as the socks are done. 

The t-shirt I bought him goes perfect with the socks. 

Grandson does like Christmas and this was the best saying to suit him. 

I knit on the second purple sock (called the Wild Ones) and it is going to be as wild as the first one. 

Thoughts

    My IBS has flared up again and I have no idea what is causing it. It is annoying me. I cut out water enhancers as I thought they were the cause but it hasn't improved. I will have to think about what I have eaten that may have been the cause. 

    My hip, on the other hand, has improved. Very little pain and I am able to do more. I do stretch the hip flexor a lot especially after sitting in the car. I have found that I need to have pain to get the muscle group to relax. I also sit with my feet up on a foot stool. I think that is helping a lot as the leg is stretched out rather than bent at the knee. Anyways, I will take the improvement and keep on moving. 

    I looked at some posts from this time last year and I was really sore with my hip and knee. I read how much my SI joint was seating itself (cracking) and how sore I was after each treatment. There was so much going on that both osteopathy and physio were struggling to figure out what to do and in what order. Now we are working on soft tissue as we know what is making me sore. I am so excited at how much I have improved in the past year. 

    I put the light quilt on my bed last night and slept warm. The weather is warming up Wednesday and Thursday so I will be sleeping with the heat off and the window opened. The weather then cools off again. The weather has been similar to last year though Halloween was cold last year and it is suppose to be warm this year. 

    I put painting aside this week as I needed to do the top of the cupboards. I am also busy with a trip to Ikea tomorrow, Halloween cleaning and setting up Thursday, and to the biggest craft bazaar in Nova Scotia on Friday. 

Today

I am going to clean house this morning and do some grocery shopping this afternoon. I may sew if I have time. I will knit tonight. I am pacing myself as I need to sleep well again so I can be refreshed for the rest of the week as it is going to be busy. 

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

Yarn Bought

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 7C. This morning, it snowed at 4:30 am and is now clear and 1C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 6C.

Lifestyle

I was off to the city with daughter-in-law. We dropped grandson and his friend off at soccer training and went shopping. Our first stop was Giant Tiger. This store amazes me every time I shop in it. We wandered around in the store for an hour getting a few things we needed. I did find dog treats for daughter's dogs. On our way to pay, we saw Grinch themed t-shirts. I had to have a look. Daughter-in-law got one for son and I got one for him and one for grandson. I have to make special bags for them to go. 

Our next stop was at the craft bazaar. We didn't go inside but did go to the Rolling Yarn Shop. It did not disappoint. I love that shop. I got yarn for grandson and myself and daughter-in-law got yarn for me to knit her socks. We left to go back to get the boys as they were almost done their training. 

Lunch was at the MicMac Mall (MicMac is the First Nations in Nova Scotia). It was an okay lunch. After we ate we went to Body and Bath to smell the Christmas candles. My nose stopped smelling scents after smelling most of the candles. I bought none though I did like one candle holder and the scent of one candle. I don't burn candles. 

We did Walmart where I bought a "throw" for the spare bedroom. The throw is a blanket. I will use it on my bed and continue looking for a throw for the spare bedroom. 

I slept horrible last night. I got cold (the house was 17C) and couldn't warm up. I had to get up and heat the magic bag twice to get warm. I finally fell asleep about 5 am. I need to put the quilt on my bed for the winter. It is early but I am not going to be cold again at night. 

Sewing

None done as we got home at 3 pm. I was tired as we had done a lot during the time we were out. 

Knitting

I did finish the toe on one of the Grinch socks as I was able to get a mini skein of the red yarn. I knit a lot of rows and had to unknit 10 rows as I had somehow picked up an extra stitch. 

I bought grandson the work sock yarn in sock weight. I got him the blue with white and black. I was so excited to see it. 

I got myself the Nova Scotia plaid yarn. I will enjoy wearing wool socks in the winter in my new slippers. 

Daughter-in-law bought the same kit as the Grinch socks but her colour way is called Wicked Witch. I have to have them knit by Halloween 2025. 

I am set for socks for quite a while. I may go to New Minas on Saturday to buy a bit more yarn to knit for the dolls. I also may buy bamboo yarn to knit socks. I wait and see. 

Thoughts

    Daughter-in-law and I talked about me aging at home. We discussed what I need to stay there so I am able to keep the house tidy. I plan on buying a new vacuum cleaner. The central vacuum hose is too much for me to handle on a daily basis. I am thinking of a Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner as I love them.  I will check to see what the prices are like on their upcoming Black Friday sale. 

    I am still working on how minimal I want to have the house. I know my clutter threshold but I need to see if I can live at that threshold and keep the house tidy. It is a fine line for me as I want minimal but I want cozy and comfortable. It is a learning curve for me as I navigate the road to getting the house the way I want it so I can live safely in it for quite a while. 

Today

My goal is to finish cleaning the kitchen cabinets this morning. I have to go into town when I am done that job. I will probably have a nap this afternoon as I will be tired from the lack of sleep. I hope to fold laundry. I do want to knit tonight and get the other Grinch sock completed. Looking forward to having them finished. We will call today a survival day. 

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

Mug Rugs Made

Yesterday was a mix of sunshine and clouds with a high of 14C. This morning it is 4C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 7C.

Lifestyle

My first job of the day was to do the balance sheet. I was done in no time flat and had everything cleaned up and put away. 

I decided to clean the kitchen yesterday and it turned out to be scrub the kitchen. I started out wiping cupboards, counter tops, and the sink. Then I scrubbed the sink. I wiped the side of the fridge and the Kerug and kettle. Then I got busy under the sink and scrubbed it out. That spot amazed me as I have less cleaning products under there than I have ever had. 

Once I had finished under the sink, I got really serious. I started wiping cupboard doors and then I got up on the ladder. The top of the cupboards were covered in a layer of sticky grime. I sprayed the top of the first cupboard and washed the wall while the cleaner worked. I then scrubbed the top of the cupboard. I was amazed at how much grime came off. I worked my way down the wall of cupboards wiping doors, spraying the top, washing the walls, scrubbing the top and then looking in the cupboard to see what needed doing. I finished that bank of cupboards including shining the dishwasher, microwave, and stove. I am going to say I was quite tired when done as had done much more than anticipated. I still have two cupboards left to do. The kitchen smells cleaner as I have removed dust and cooking orders. 

While I was scrubbing, I also got 2 loads of laundry done. It is sitting waiting for me to fold it. I will get it done later today or tomorrow. 

Sewing

I did make it down to the sewing room in the afternoon. I was looking for the fabrics for a doll's outfit and what I did I see? A tub with this and a piece of trim in it. 

I now have another empty tub as these items have been put into their correct tubs. 

I did find the fabric for the doll's outfit and it is sitting on the cutting table waiting for me to get out the patterns I need. I will be showing it later on.

I cut out 4 mug rugs using up most of the fabric I had left over from making a fabric box. The scraps are in the tub for the quilting group. 

I was able to embroider 2 of the mug rugs after looking for thread. 

I will have to change the colour of the thread for the other two a I don't have enough to finish the project. I am okay with that as I bag them in pairs. 

I also laundered the fabric for the table runner. I have 2.35 meters of it and I had better think of things to make using it up. Ideas for daughter's house. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night as I was very tired. 

Thoughts

    I was surprised at how clean my kitchen looked until I started scrubbing it. It was dirtier than I had thought it was. I am happy that I got most of the job completed. I did toss a few items into the trash and recycling bin. They was either empty or out of date. I need to remember that I should be deep cleaning that room more often than I have been. 

    I was also surprised at how little I hurt going up and down the ladder and standing on the third step. I did a lot of stretching while on the ladder which may have helped keep my muscles from tightening up. What is amazing is that my SI joint is barely bothering me. It will ache a bit when I get tired but it isn't aching when I do things. It is mainly the muscles that bother me. Progress is being made. 

    I have been doing a bit more reading lately. I have read two books that an internet friend has written. Though they are for younger readers they are good reads. I am thinking of borrowing a book that has been shown in Calm Nordic's videos. When I looked at those titles, I have to place a hold on them. Is there a bigger trend to living more minimally? I will need to choose a title soon and put the hold on it. I look forward to reading more about being more minimalist and to figure out what I still need to let go of. 

    I have to make a plan to clean the garage this week. Probably on Tuesday. I like to clean it up a lot before setting up for Halloween. I know what every day I choose, it will be cold in the garage. That is what happens when I do this job in the fall. 

    I have made a pretty firm decision to ask a lady not far from me if she would like the leather hides and the faux leather. She owns a shop and does sewing for it. If she wants to give me a credit to her store fine, if not I will just give the hides to her. I need to part company with them. They are holding me up to finishing purging the closet. It is time to move on in the clean up of the sewing room. 

Today

I am off this morning to the city with daughter-in-law. We are going to a craft bazaar to get yarn to finish grandson's grinch socks. I will probably buy another skein of yarn to make socks for me. Once home, I will probably knit on the grinch socks so they will be done. I hope to knit more on the wild socks also. No sewing as I am sure we won't be home early enough to do that job. 

The Spare Bedroom Reveal

 Yesterday was cool and windy with a high of 11.5C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 1C. Today is suppose to be mainly sunny and 14C. 

Lifestyle

I was back at painting the spare bedroom yesterday morning. I taped above and below the baseboards and that was quite the job as my hip flexor didn't like that. I then painted the baseboards. I was quite sore when I got finished. I cleaned up and sat down to rest for a bit. 

When I took the tape off, I had to go back and do a bit of touch up painting. I had missed a couple of spots on the top of the baseboards. I cleaned up again. Once that was done, I set up the room. I got out a feather duvet that the Hutterites gifted me when I taught school in one of the colonies (I have been gifted one from each colony I taught in). I fiddled and played and have the room almost the way I like it. 

The dresser is being used as storage. I have some items in it that I want to keep and use. I decided to use it to store placemats that I will make for the dining room. 

The table in the corner was suppose to go but I have kept it to help balance the room on that side. I have a conch on it now that belonged to my grandmother. It is extremely old and I do love it. 

The bedside table is on the side of the bed closest to the closet. That space is a bit cramped so small was good. I can open the closet doors without hitting any big furniture. 

I have decided to hang a picture above the bed. My mother's youngest sister embroidered it for me when I was born. I had found it in a trunk in mom's house many years ago and had it framed. It has always hung in a spare bedroom so I will carry on the tradition.

I don't think I will add much more to the room unless I add two big pillows to the bed that will act like a headboard. If I do, I will have to make pillow cases for them in a solid colour. I will also get the white sheets, duvet cover, and navy throw for the bed. 

Here is a short video of the room. 

During the day, I also did 3 loads of laundry (bedding) and made my bed. I folded laundry and put it away as I need to do more laundry today. I also did some quick tidying up in the kitchen as it was feeling messy. Between jobs, I sat with heat on the hip flexor and massaged it to try and get it to relax. It did help a lot. 

Sewing

None done as I was busy upstairs all day. I did think about it though as I need to get the next projects ready to cut out. 

Knitting

I cast on the second sock and knit 11 rounds on it. 

I really want to see how wild this one will look. 

Thoughts

    I watched a video that talked about a few things that interested me. One was hanging curtains. Most rods are hung about an inch above the window trim and near the sides. The rods in the bedrooms are like that. I tried to extend the rod in the spare bedroom so the curtains were out further from the window but the rod isn't long enough to do that. I also realized why I don't like the curtains in the main living areas. The rods are hung half way down the trim. They are also hung right tight against the window trim as there isn't a lot of room. Rather than curtains, these windows need blinds. 

    The second was adding items to flat surfaces. We tend to go too small. Adding one bigger item makes a difference. I see that in the spare bedroom. The dresser has small items where the table has larger ones. I will work on this now that I know what to do. I tend to choose mid sized items and need to look for some larger items to display. 

    I am starting to realize that my style is changing from the western farmhouse look to something that is more subtle. I have moved away from the woody tones in paint colours to the calming grey that I am now enjoying. I still have some of our pictures hung up but I am looking forward to hanging some that I had put away. I am moving back towards the look we had at Ashcroft Ranch where I blended western and Victorian. It was a look I loved and am trying to recreate once again. There will be a twist as I have new things to use that I didn't have back then. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet today. Then it will be cleaning up the house some and do 2 loads of laundry. I hope to cut out the next projects this afternoon and knit tonight. A quiet day for me. 

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

Projects Completed

 Yesterday was cloudy but not dreary. The high go to 18C. This morning it is cloudy, windy, and 9C. Today is suppose to be showery this morning and cloudy this afternoon. The high is suppose to get to 11C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to New Minas in the morning to get Elliott more cat food. With that job done, I decided to get a few items at Walmart and look at the Christmas items. I did buy some wrapping paper and tags. I got a few groceries and a couple of Christmas gifts. 

My next stop was to a pharmacy to mail a parcel to daughter. When I walked in there was a display of cardinal items. I really had a good look at them, admired them, and bought nothing. They were beautiful but I don't need them. 

My last stop was to Home Sense which I enjoy wandering around. I was looking for bed sheets but the brand I have isn't there at this time. I looked at the Christmas items. I saw a realistic moose that I liked but don't need. I saw hot chocolate that only comes out at Christmas. I also looked at the napkins but nothing spoke to me. From what I see, the store is just gearing up for Christmas at this time. 

I headed for home after that. I was getting tired as I had a glucose low while in Walmart. I did eat something but it hit me hard leaving me weary. At home I had an orange and some applesauce which got me through the afternoon. 

Sewing

I did sew in the afternoon. The doll pyjamas are done. My plan on how to finish the top worked really well and the bottoms were a breeze to make. 

The pattern is McCalls 6005 and they do fit a bit big. That is okay as the top is pulled over the doll's head. 

I used a plastic popper at the neckline. 

Now that the list of projects is completed, I am ready to cut out the next batch. I have fabric out for mug rugs and a table runner. I need to get out the fabric and patterns for the next doll's outfit and something else. Maybe another fabric basket or bag. 

Knitting

I did a lot of knitting last night. I finished the first sock to weaving in the loose ends. 

The pattern is wilder than any I have knit. The other side of the sock looks just as interesting. 

And looking down the foot is equally interesting. 

I can't wait to see how the other sock is going to knit up. 

Thoughts

    I am starting to think some of my tiredness before lunch is not just from lack of sleep but from glucose lows near noon. I am going to have to monitor it closely as I thought I was eating enough at breakfast. It is my usual breakfast that I have eaten for years.

    I am working on having less in the house. I keep looking around to see how I can get my home easier to keep tidy and clean. I know I have a mess right now as I am painting but as I put each area back together I am deciding what I need and what I can let go of. I know that I have a lot less than I had when I started this decluttering process 14 years ago. But I still have items that I don't use. Some of the items are hard to let go of as they were gifts. I know it is an ongoing process and I need to continue working on it. 

    Our weather is going to cool off again though Halloween is suppose to be warm. It hasn't been a real cold fall for us. The trees are starting to loose their leaves. The red is less vibrant but the yellows are brilliant. I am enjoying the colour as it will soon be over. 

Today

My goal is to work in the spare bedroom and get the rest of the baseboards painted. I do have to go out right after lunch for a few minutes. I want to start prepping the next batch of items to be sewn. I want to start the second sock tonight. 

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

No Pain No Gain

 Yesterday started out cloudy and ended up sunny. The high got to 21C. This morning it is cloudy and 12C. Today is suppose to be mainly cloudy with a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to physio early yesterday. It was a good session. The SI joint was in place and both were moving together. The therapist worked on the hip flexor as it was tight. It fought her every inch of the way to "neutral". While I was having a good dose of pain, she decided to work on the adductor. I went out and worked in the gym to keep stretching those two muscles and ended the session with the TENS machine and heat. 

I was exhausted when I got home. The amount of pain was the main reason. I rested for a while with heat on the area that was worked on. I also had a cup of coffee and read while I did the heat trick. All was good about 30 minutes later. 

My first job was to replace a light bulb in the kitchen. It takes me quite a while as I have to go up and down the ladder 5 times to do the job. It is done.

The next job was to get the western mugs out of the cupboard above the fridge. I wrapped them and put them into a shoe box. The box was wrapped and put into the box to go to daughter. I wrapped the salt and pepper shakers and put them into a gift bag. I stuffed the box with paper and it is ready to ship. Hurrah!!

After lunch I rested for a bit as I was still tired. Part was from physio and the rest is from not sleeping well due to the pain. I  also did a new exercise a few times to stretch the hip flexor and adductor. I am determined to get these muscles back into shape. 

Sewing

I sewed on the pyjama top and, boy, do I need to practice the zig zag stitch. I did have issues with the bobbin and wound a new bobbin but I am not the best at doing this stitch. 

I got the upper bodice completed and am ready to work on the skirt part. I had to sit and think about it for a while as I don't like how the pattern puts it together. 

I did look at the closet and cringed with how much I still have to purge/declutter from that space. I am not looking forward to doing it but I will get at it once I deal with the leather. 

Knitting

I knit last night until I got the gusset done. 

It is amazing how the leg has one pattern and then the foot is getting a new pattern -- more stripe than blotchy. 

Thoughts

    I was surprised at how exhausted my body had gotten from the pain. It drained all of the energy I had from me. It had interrupted my sleep at night. I have been pushing through it to get things done but it did catch up with me this past week. I had a bit of a problem going to sleep last night as I had no pain. I slept well and for many hours. Hopefully it will continue so I can recover and get my energy back. 

    I am starting to get into Christmas mode. I know I had a funk this month missing the Spousal Unit but I worked through it and am ready to start buying things for Christmas. I am also ready to start sewing/crafting for Christmas. I think part of it was getting the western dishes out to give as a gift to daughter. I was and wasn't ready to part with them as the Spousal Unit had given them to me when we lived in Dawson Creek. 

    I am ready to go back to painting the baseboards in the spare bedroom. I will do that tomorrow. On Saturday I will start prepping my bedroom to paint. I know it needs some sanding and holes filled. This room is big and it will take me more time to paint as I know my limit. But, I am looking forward to getting it done. 

Today

I am heading out to New Minas to get Elliott cat food. I also need a few other items. I want to be home by noon. This afternoon I want to sew and will knit tonight. 

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

Into The City I Went

 Yesterday was warm and sunny. The high was 16C (official) but the thermometers here all said 18C. This morning it is 10C. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 21C.

Lifestyle

I was out the door by 8:15 am to go to family's. Daughter-in-law and I were off to the city for most of the day. 

Our first stop was her osteopathy appointment which was as per usual. When done, we headed in to shop. Store #1 was to get a few grocery items for the community hall. That store is in Halifax. Then it was off to Bayer's Lake to do our shopping. 

Our first stop was Costco where we had a hotdog and pop for lunch. It was a great to have a hotdog as I had been craving one. Our next part was to pick up a few items as we headed to the Christmas section to snoop shop. That was a lot of fun. Daughter-in-law found one Christmas present for a friend. We then did the rest of the store getting what we needed. 

It was off to Walmart and the Superstore for more groceries. We were done by then and headed home. Once unloaded, I sat on the couch with heat on my sore muscles. My hip flexor decided it was going to rebel with me walking on so much cement. 

I did putter a bit in the spare bedroom. The second table is back in there and it does look more balanced. It could leave the room once I get it done. I will be putting a dark blue throw at an angle on the bed. And the curtains are staying as I have come to like them in the room. I will be taking pictures when I get the room completed. 

Sewing

I did not sew yesterday. My thoughts were about how I will sew up what I can of the stash and continue to donate what I know I won't sew. It is going to be sew what I want to make and do what I want to do in that room. 

Knitting

I did a lot of knitting on the sock last night. The heel flap was knit and I like how the yarn looks. 

The heel was turned, the gusset stitches picked up, and the first two rounds knit. 

This is the hardest part of the sock to photograph. It looks like a shark with its mouth open. It flops like crazy when you try to get it to lie flat. Hopefully by tonight it will be more cooperative when I take pictures of it. 

Thoughts

     The rain that was forecasted for the end of the week is not happening. It will be 24 hours of showers rather than a couple of days of rain. It is going to be cooler with frost starting next week. Halloween could be warmer this year which will be nice. 

    We have decided to do less decorating for Halloween. No pumpkins as we just toss them into the compost bin at the end of the night. The reusable items we have stored will be put out and I may get a few glow sticks for the driveway. It will look great without the pumpkins as we have lots of other items. 

    I am going to start making canvas bags in 2025 and they will have vinyl ironed onto them. These will be sold at a craft bazaar next year. It is a fun family project for daughter-in-law and I to do together. And a bolt of canvas will be sewn up a few bags each month into simple bags with handles. 

Today

I am out for physio in a few minutes. Once done, I am coming home to have my second cup of coffee and then will do some packing of a box to ship to daughter. This afternoon I want to sew and I will knit tonight. 

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

Piping Made For Daughter

 Yesterday was another sunny and warm day with a high of 21C. This morning it is 8C. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 19C. 

Lifestyle

My first job of the morning was to do the balance sheet. It was done and put away in less than 30 minutes. The only job I have to collect all the receipts and take them to be shredded. I have a box of that to go one day when I am in New Minas. 

I worked on the window yesterday and put on another coat of paint. It is done. I swept and mopped the floor space I could reach and moved the furniture into place. And moved it some more. I hung the curtains and am still deciding on if they stay or go. The dresser is back in the corner it use to be in when we first set up the room. 

The bed side table is on the far side of the bed and I do like it. 

The room is feeling heavy on the window side as that is where all the furniture is. I may have to use the table I was going to take out of the room to add some balance. I am thinking on it as I wander in and out of the room. 

The lawn got its late fall fertilizer yesterday morning. No more needs to be done on it until spring. It is looking healthy and will come through the winter okay. It will be green until sometime in January. 

I stood out on the deck in the late afternoon and it was warm out there. Hard to believe we had 2 frosty mornings and several cool days. The house was warm and I had the windows open. I am enjoying these days as it is going to cool off again. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday. I made 11 meters of piping. It took me about 3 hours to make it all from sewing the strips together, putting it through the piping foot with the cord, and trimming the seam back to 1/4". 

I had some negative thoughts while sewing. Part of it was from the room being cleaned. Part was me thinking about the future. 

The thoughts came out of the blue and almost made me depressed. I felt some sort of pressure that once I sew up the stash people would expect me to become just a quilter, do the long arm quilting class and quilt my own quilts, join a quilting group, and just sew doll clothes. A bit scary to be thinking that way.

By the time I finished the last roll of piping, I had shook it off. There have been some tiny things said in the past few months and I have been trying to ignore them. I will continue to work on ignoring them. What I decide to do in the sewing room is my decision. 

When I was done sewing, I did grab some scraps from the basket to make mug rugs and the fabric for the table runner for daughter. Once the doll's pyjamas are done, I will chose 2 more outfits to sew for the dolls. I left the sewing room in a much better mood. 

Knitting

I knit 19 rounds on the sock and am ready to start the heel flap. 

I am loving the yarn and how it is knitting up. Not what I had expected but I love it. 

Thoughts

    I am so thankful for the lovely weather we are having. I am not ready for winter. I am still wanting to soak in the beautiful colours on the leaves and the warmth in the sunshine. Soon it will be dreary and cold. I am not looking forward to that. 

    I am glad that I took a break from sewing for a few days. I was happy to get back to doing it in the afternoons. My focus is still on sewing up the stash so I can sew what I want with new fabric. What is amazing me is how little I want to go into the stores to look at or buy fabric. I am really focusing on the stash and getting it sewn into projects. 

    I am struggling with the spare bedroom and how it is looking. I love the colour and how bright it looks in there. I want to change the pillows and table runner to something softer. I know it will take me a bit longer to get what I want. I do know that I will have to buy fabric for the items I want to make. Not a lot; a table runner and a cushion cover. 

    My SI joint cracked into place again. I did it in bed last night. Hopefully I will have less pain as I am tired of having it all the time. I know part of the reason the SI joint unseats is due to the arthritis in my hip. It also unseats if I do too much and I never do find the fine line between doing too much and too little.

Today

I am off to the city with daughter-in-law. When we get home, I will decide on what I will do - sew, rest, or ???. I want to knit tonight as I am excited to see what the heel flap will look like on the socks. 

Small Jobs Completed

 Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 20C. This morning it is cloudy and 12C. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 21C. 

Lifestyle

I spent the morning in the spare bedroom painting the window and its trim. I did two coats and need to do one more coat on the interior casing?? I was amazed at how sloppy the professional painters were. The top of the trim was not painted, nor was under the sill. In areas, the primer still showed where they missed putting on the paint. Once I was done that I rested as my muscles were sore from going up and down the ladder. I was on the third rung yesterday which I haven't done yet while painting. 

After lunch, I went out and enjoyed the warm sunshine. It felt wonderful to be out there while I planted garlic. Once that was done, I tidied up the two flower pots and cut back the rose bush by 1/3rd. I will do more after the next frost as I will have to cover it with burlap. 

I rested a lot in the afternoon as I was going out to help serve dinner at the community hall. I enjoy helping out but it amazes me how fast people leave and how few remain to finish up the job. I am not a regular but I did as much or more than others did. I will go back as I support daughter-in-law as she works hard at the catering part of the hall plus looks after the bookings and maintenance of the hall. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. 

Thoughts

    I am so happy that the warm sunny weather has returned and that I was able to enjoy being out in it yesterday. It starts to cool off this weekend so I may have to go out and enjoy it a bit each afternoon. 

    I spoke with a contractor last night and he will come and do some work for me when I am ready. I have to paint a bit faster so I can have him come in the spring. Once I get the trim done in the spare bedroom, I will move on to my bedroom. I can paint all the trim once the walls are painted. I will also need to buy and paint all the crown moulding. 

    I have stalled with decluttering the sewing room closet. I need to figure out what I want to do with the leather on the coffee table. I know I will keep some the scraps to use but someone needs to enjoy the leather rather than have it sit in my closet. 

     I also see that the community hall has 3 craft bazaars in November. I am going to all of them to get the information needed so I can take part in one or two next year. I also want to see what people are selling and how they set up their tables. 

Today

I am going to do the balance sheet first and then onto painting the window. I want to mop the floors and move furniture around so I can finish the baseboards on Thursday. This afternoon I am going to sew and I will knit tonight. I also want to sit on the deck steps and enjoy the sunshine this afternoon. 

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

An Afternoon of Visiting and Resting

 Yesterday was another lovely sunny day with a high of 18C. This morning it is 10C. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 20C. 

Lifestyle

I spent the morning in the spare bedroom taping the wall above and the floor below the baseboard on the long wall. It took 20 minutes to do that job as I was trying to be precise in putting the tape down. After a brief rest, I painted the baseboard. I was hoping that it would make a difference in the how it looked due to some scuffing. I was amazed as I painted it. The old paint was a greyish white and I put on ultra white. The old paint was rough and the paint I used went on smooth. I am not sure what the painters used but it certainly wasn't what I had thought it was. The tape was removed an hour later and I have one spot to fix. The floor was cleaned up. Once I give it a mopping, I can move furniture around and paint the window and a bit more baseboard. There isn't a lot to do until I start the other trim later on. 

Once the painting was done and I cleaned up, I had a short water break and then lunch. I put my head back on the couch and fell asleep. I really needed that hour of sleep as I was tired. 

I was over to visit my friend after I woke up. We had tea in her son's covered deck area. It is set up for winter with plastic on the windows and it was delightfully warm in there. Her dog and her son's older dog joined us and we sat and talked about what we have been doing since we last visited 2 weeks ago. Her youngest grandson came to get their dog and she told him she wasn't leaving. Her son came at bit later to get the dog and she wasn't leaving. We took her to the house at 4 pm. She was happy to go home when we did. 

Sewing/Crafting

I did none yesterday as I was out. I did rewatch a video on painting and decorating clear ornaments. I downloaded the font the presenter used (free) and played a bit on Cricut's Design Space. I know I can use the font that I used for daughter's ornaments. I quite like that font. 

Knitting

I did knit 10 rounds on the sock. I have 20 rounds left to go before I start the heel flap. Progress has been made and I will plug along knitting it. 

Thoughts

    I am glad I had a slow afternoon of doing nothing. I needed the down time as I was super tired. It was nice to sit in a warm outdoor space, drink tea, and visit. I really need that. 

    I booked an appointment for my Covid vaccine. I am able to get it locally which is nice though I would drive to another community to get it. There is an increase in covid numbers according to the province's chief medical officer but it is to be expected in the fall. 

    My IBS has flared up and I think part of it is stress and worrying. It could also be due to the fact I had a flare up in my hip. I am not going to worry about it as that will make it worse. I will live with it. 

Today

I am going to do a bit of painting this morning, move some of the bedroom furniture around. I want to plant the garlic after lunch. I may have to be at the community hall to help with a dinner tonight. If so I won't be doing any sewing or knitting. If not, I will be sewing and knitting tonight. 

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

More Purging From The Closet

 Yesterday was another gorgeous fall day full of sunshine and a high of 13C. This morning it is clear, frosty and 1C. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 16C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I scrubbed half of the spare bedroom floor and the baseboards. It was good to get that job done. The rest of the house was vacuumed as it was dusty. Also good to get that job done. 

I was out to pick up grandson at 5 pm and had dinner with family. Daughter-in-law, grandson, and I went to a live performance put on by the local theatre group. They did Beauty and the Beast. It was very well done. The "band" or small orchestra of 16 musicians was amazing. The actors were extremely talented; acting, singing, and dancing. All I can say is Wow!! 

The play is performed at the school grandson attends. They have a lovely theatre where the students put on their performances. In return, the theatre group helps the students with their performances. 

Crafting

No pictures but I did redo the lettering on daughter's ornament and redid son-in-laws. I am happy with how they look. I put them into a box and they are ready to ship to them. 

In my craft stash I have both clear round and the flat ornaments. I am planning on buying pour paint to colour them in white and then put words on in black. I found a few videos that explains how to do this project. I have 3 boxes left and will put 4 ornaments in each one to sell. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday but did some more sorting. I took out the tub of embroidery thread that I don't use. I went through it and put it into a bag to donate. One tub emptied. Next up, I looked the tub with ribbon in it and sorted it out and bagged the loose pieces. I do use the ribbon for doll clothes. 

Next up was the rhinestones. Most of what I have is in small amounts that I use on doll clothes. I did a bit of organization of them. 

I have several bags that have 1440 rhinestones in each one. They were used on rodeo queen outfits and the supplier sent me twice as much as I had ordered. 

I am not sure how I am going to deal with them as I will never use them. I have a supply of that type in the tub. I may have to put out feelers on how to get rid of them. 

Next up was the bag making supplies. I moved a few items to the button tub and will probably donate the rest to a person who makes bags. It is almost empty as I had purged it hard the last round. The last tub was one which I have linen fabric stored in. The red linen is in the donation pile and I kept the natural and white linen fabrics. I will use them. I have 3 tubs left on the shelf to look at. 

I did take out a box that has leather in it. I was shocked to find that I have 3.5 hides of teal leather (and scraps). I had ordered it to make a jacket when I was sewing rodeo queen clothes. That leather took a long trip to my house ending up spending a few days in a post office in norther Saskatchewan. It basically was lost. The company sent me more leather which I sewed into the jacket. The lost leather arrived and I put it away. The other pieces of leather are left over from projects I had sewn for rodeo queens. Royal blue, red, and two types of silver. 

I am thinking of how to sell the leather. It is what is called dress weight and is used to make clothes rather than bags/purses. At the moment it and a bunch of faux suede sits on the coffee table as I ponder how to dispose of it. 

Knitting

I did finish the doll's sweater in the afternoon. It wasn't a big job. After I got home from the live performance, I sewed on the buttons. 

Now I can focus on the purple socks. 

Thoughts

    Our frosty nights are done and we will be having sunny and warmer days and nights. Perfect for planting the garlic. I also need to trim back the rose bush and prep it for winter. Those are the last two jobs I have to do. The men will be around to trim the hedge in the next two weeks. The fall fertilizer will be applied on Monday and by the end of October the yard will be ready for winter. 

    I haven't sewn for a few days and will need to get back to it. I have to make piping to ship to daughter. Hopefully I can start on it today. I am stalled with decluttering/purging the closet as I need to deal with the leather. I think the leather is going to force me to sew the projects I have currently cut out. 

    My hip flexor has been sore and I am hobbling a bit more than usual. I am hoping it settles down and allows me to walk more. I have physical therapy on Wednesday so we wait and see that happens there. 

Today

I am going to paint the baseboards after I put down painter's tape. When done, I will plant garlic. I am hoping I am not too tired (lack of sleep) to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. It is going to be a quiet day at home for me. 

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