Bus Riding Adventures

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 24C. This morning it is sunny and 16C. Today will be sunny until later this afternoon when we will get rain. The high is supposed to be 24C. 

Yesterday was another adventure for us. We went out in the morning on a long Uber ride to China Market. Part of the drive was along the Rambla. The Rambla is a 4 lane highway that goes along the ocean for many miles and keeps traffic flowing. We went through some lovely residential area also. 

China Market was an interesting store. Very much like dollar stores but huge in size. There was no food but a huge variety of items imported from China. We walked the whole store and got a few things we needed for the apartment. It was an experience that we enjoyed but may not go back there unless we need something and then we will do a store that is closer to us. 

Once home, we grabbed a snack and set out to catch the bus. I will have to say the odds were against us. Grandson sent us maps with what bus to catch to the shopping center. We went to the wrong bus stop and caught the wrong bus. I didn't hear to get off at one stop so we rode for quite a while. When we tried to get off the bus, the driver didn't open the door. We drove further into an area we didn't know about. We finally got off the bus and walked across the street to catch another bus. When we got on and showed our ticket we were told we had to pay again. We had paid cash for our ticket thinking we had an hour in which to transfer buses. Boy were we confused. The driver was so nice he let us ride for free. He took us to the shopping mall and explained to us that we needed to get a bus pass. 

The mall we went to is very unique. The building use to be a prison. Instead of tearing it down, it was renovated into a really shopping mall. 

We met grandson at the mall and went to eat. We found a table and grandson decided to order him and daughter-in-law lunch. I followed along behind and I missed the step down to the area where you order your food. I went down on my right knee and hand the hardest. I'm bruised. I got up and ordered my food and ate. I felt really dumb - my pride was bruised as much as my body. 

After eating lunch, we wandered the mall. We looked into a soccer jersey shop, into JYSK and bought tea towels. We sat on the beds and it brought back memories of how nice the beds were in Denmark. I would buy one in a minute. Another store we went into was Mano de Uruguay. This store sells item made by rural women of Uruguay. Their work is beautiful and their yarn is so soft. After a bit more snooping, I sat and waited for daughter-in-law and grandson go to the camping store and then they found a big grocery store. The wrong move on my part as I started to stiffen up and hurt. 

We bought and loaded our bus passes and headed home. I was sore enough that I laid on the bed and stretched my muscles. It helped even though they rebelled and wanted to cramp up on me. 

Son wanted to get out of the apartment and walk to a hamburger restaurant for dinner. He had been inside for 2 days working so off we went. We walked 5 blocks and had the best hamburgers I've ever had. We are going to learn how to make smash burgers when we get home. 

After eating, we walked another 3 blocks to Avendia Brasil which is a busy street. We then walked back towards the ocean and home. It was perfect weather for walking. At a corner we saw a flower stand and the flowers were gorgeous. 

I love Gerber daisies and these were beautiful ones. At 8 pm they were still fresh. I had seen a couple of people carrying bouquets of them and figure they were bought at this little stand. 

We also saw a McDonalds and this one had a drive thru. I had to take a picture of the sign as it isn't what I had expected. 

We ended our walk back at the apartment. It was a lovely walk and my muscles stopped hurting part way through the walk. They needed the exercise to get them back in shape. 

This morning I discovered I have a lovely bruise on my knee and I have a sore spot. It could be a muscle that is sore as my SI joint seems okay. I will be okay in a few days and will keep walking as much as I can. 

I am not sure of our plans today. We have to do our exploring this morning as this afternoon will be wet and then windy. I am sure our day won't include bus rides into unknown areas of the city or me falling down. 

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

A Day To Rest and Observe

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 24C. This morning it is sunny and 16C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 22C. 

Yesterday was a rest day so we started out by going to a cambio to get our money exchanged into pesos. We then walked to the grocery store (called Disco) to get groceries. When you walk you have shop more often. We looked around for the best deals as food is expensive here. We were looking to buy brands made in South America as imported items are very expensive. We need to find a market for fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Once home, we had lunch and then rested. Late in the afternoon daughter-in-law and I went for a walk around the block. We looked at the beach and the water was dark grey with big waves due to the wind. Not a lot of people were on the beach. 

I have done a lot of looking and observing when we are out and about. 

    Many people walk or take the bus. There are at least 5 different bus companies in Montevideo. Taxis are also popular. Having a population of 1.3 million, there are not a lot of cars on the streets compared to if you were in a large North American city. 

    There are no benches on the streets to sit on. I have had to sit on cement walls or shop benches when I have needed to rest. 

    There are few if any garbage cans on the streets. The garbage isn't too bad considering. There are two big dumpsters on the streets going down to the beach which you put your household garbage into. 

    Garbage is not sorted. You put it all out into trash unless you get specific items that are recyclable. Pop bottles need to have a green lid or marking on it to be recycled. So different than home where we sort everything including compost. 

    The people drink mate which is a tea. It is a sociable thing to do. They pack a "gourd" with a stainless steel straw(called bombilla) in it to drink the mate and pack a thermos full of hot water under their arm or the whole thing can be carried in a container. You can buy it all at the grocery store. 

    

    The people are very friendly and will tell you places to see. Some speak English and others will use their hands and speak Spanish. The doorman at our apartment is wonderful. He only speaks Spanish but will speak slowly for us so we can get some of the words. 

    You can get food, groceries, and what ever delivered right to your place. The most popular company is PedidosYa. You see their red boxes on the back of motorcycles everywhere. There are other companies who deliver and most are on motorcycles. 

    Looking at food is interesting. Foods with high salt content are marked. There are a lot of sweet foods sold. You can buy containers of cold and hot foods to take home to eat. At restaurants, you have to ask for salt as there is none on the tables. The fries we ate had no salt on them. 

Today we are going to experience the bus and go to a large store called China King to explore. We will probably have lunch out and get home in the afternoon. I am not sure what else we will do. I will try to take pictures today of what we see. 

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

In Our Apartment Near The Beach

 It was lovely and warm in Montevideo yesterday. We started our morning off with a walk to the park which was closed. We did walk around a bit taking pictures. The flowers were gorgeous. The hibiscus trees had blooms but not a lot of leaves.

There were several other bushes with flowers on them that I took pictures of. 

At noon, we moved from the hotel to the apartment we rented. It is bigger than we thought and very clean. The living space is huge but the kitchen is small compared to our standards but we are making it work. We did some rearranging of cupboards.

The view from the apartment is onto the beach. Son gets to look at this every day he works. 

Grandson joined us and we went grocery shopping. I gawked as we bought our groceries. The meat counter was impressive but mainly beef and a good selection of sandwich meat. 

After dinner, we went for another walk and bought ice cream. Some of the flavours were ones we don't see in Canada. 

I had a small cup of strawberry ice cream that tasted like fresh strawberries. Son had vanilla (best I have tasted) and strawberry and daughter-in-law had a chocolate (nice flavour) and strawberry. We sat outside the shop and ate it.

We took a longer route home and saw a lot of apartment buildings. Once home, we sat for a bit and then went to bed. I was tired as we had walked a lot all day. 

Today we are going to go to another grocery store. I am not sure what else we will do. We need to rest as we have done a lot of walking since leaving Nova Scotia. 

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

Our First Day In Montevideo

 Good Morning from Montevideo. It is sunny outside this morning.

We left Nova Scotia on Friday morning with it raining and snowing. The weather was cool. We boarded the plane and were off to Montreal. 

We landed to it snowing lightly in Montreal. After walking what seemed to be 100 miles, we finally got to the hotel. It is situated at the end of the air port. We landed nearer the other end of the airport. 

We were up at 3:30 am on Saturday morning to catch our flight to Panama City. We got through security and were heading to the lounge when I had a sugar low. I was crouched down with my head between my knees. Family looked after me getting me orange juice. At the lounge I had lots of carbs so I could last for quite a few hours. It worked. 

When we near Panama City I sat and looked out the window. I saw the Panama Canal and the big ships waiting to go through the Canal. It was exciting to have seen that. We got off the plane to be greeted to hot and humid weather. It was the same when we boarded our next plane to Montevideo. Add a big rain storm to the mix. 

We landed in Montevideo at 1 am and got a taxi to the hotel. Yesterday morning we were slow. The weather was cool and wet but we ventured out for the mall on foot. We had to walk down a side street to see a farmer's market. What an experience that was. 

The fruit and vegetables looked so fresh and good. Everything was priced so we knew what you would have to pay. 

There was a huge variety of cheeses. The only one we know about is Colonia cheese which son had bought when he was here during July/August. 

The strawberries looked so good that you could have eaten them right there. We refrained as we still had a walk to get to the mall. 

We got our eSims and data plans at the mall and roamed around. There are a lot of little houses behind glass in the mall. 

There was a house but I didn't get a picture of it as there were too many people around it. Bedrooms, kitchen, living room, etc in a log. 

I did have a nap in the afternoon as we were going to the soccer game last night. There were 3 police officers and 2 plains clothes officers stationed outside our hotel. Security because of the game. 

When we got close to the game, the visiting team's fans were mingling around. Security was high with police officers and military police on foot. There were officers on horses also. The horses had face guards on them.

There was a bomb squad and another selection of officers there who deal with any big issues. There presence was known all over the stadium we were at. 

We chose to sit in area where there weren't as many fans (home team). The visiting team's fans were huge. The picture is around half of the fans.

The game was very exciting and the home team got the first goal in overtime. They ended up loosing 3-1. We won't talk about the referee. 

After the game was over we had pizza at a little place near the hotel. We went in when it was quiet Within 20 minutes the place was full. The pizza was good. We walked back to the hotel and I crashed for the night. 

This morning daughter-in-law and I are going for a walk to the park near the hotel. It is full of animals so I will get pictures. We leave the hotel about noon and go to our apartment. We have to shop for food and have a quiet evening. I am hoping we can walk to the beach before dark. We might save that for tomorrow.

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

Preparing For Leaving

 Yesterday was more sunny than cloudy with a high of 5C. This morning it is raining and 3C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 6C. 

Lifestyle

I had a busy day yesterday. I started the morning off washing the bathroom and hall floors and then did a load of laundry. While it was drying, I was out the door to get a hair cut. Once home, I put the clean sheets on the bed and had lunch. 

After lunch I had a short nap and then was busy again. The person who did the hedge came over to be paid and we talked about plowing this winter. 

Next came the person who will be house sitting for me. We did a walk through and visited a bit. All is good in that department and I am feeling better about leaving the house for 6 weeks. 

Sewing

Nothing yesterday as I was too busy. 

Knitting

I decided to start another pair of socks using two small balls of yarn I bought from Denmark. I put one ball into the suitcase and the other into my project bag. I got 11 rounds knit on it last night. 

I also found a pattern for children's socks and will be knitting them using left over yarn I have (2 pairs). I will give them to the women's shelter. 

Thoughts

    My list is getting smaller as it should be. We leave in 24 hours to catch the plane. Having lists has kept me on track. Without them I would certainly miss doing something or forget something at home.

    The weather in Uruguay is late spring. The temperatures will be in the mid to high 20'sC during the day. Night temperatures will be 15-17C. I am assuming it will be similar to our early summer weather. They do have rain there also at this time. Not sure about summer (after Dec. 21 until late January). I see the temperatures are in the high 20C and the humidity is low. I am sure there will be a lot of tourists as the plane from Panama City has no seats left in business class. 

    I am looking forward to exploring Montevideo, catching up with grandson, and walking on the beach which is a block from our apartment. I am still a bit worried about food as there are still some unknowns. At the moment my hip and SI joint are fine with some muscles a bit sore. I know I can keep everything in place when necessary. It will be like being in Sweden. Sit, rest, roll the SI joint, and get up and go again. 

Today

I am at the doctor's this morning and then off to the pharmacy to get my prescription filled. Once home, I have to do laundry, make sure all the dishes are clean, unplug everything I don't need, and get my suitcase over to family's. I have to finish packing my backpack and relax tonight. I may even try to knit this evening to help me relax. 

There will be no blog post until Monday.

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

Doll's Vest Completed

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 16C at 6 am. The temperature dropped all day. This morning it is cloudy and 1C. It snowed some during the night. Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of 6C. 

Lifestyle

I was out for the morning helping daughter-in-law start decorating at the community hall. We got the decorations out and she got the snowflakes hung on the ceiling. We then got the tree set up and while I sorted decorations, she decorated the tree. Our last job was to put velcro hangers on some wall hangings. I got home about 11:30 am. 

I sat on the couch and promptly fell asleep after lunch. I am starting to think it is my thyroid but I won't know until tomorrow. Once I woke up, I had to go out for a bit. Once home, I did the recycling. It is ready to go out to the curb this afternoon. 

I did play and repack my suitcase for the umpteenth time. I just need to add a small bag of knitting stuff and a pair of needles. It is done. 

I also paid some bills that needed to be paid and don't have to worry about them while I am gone. The rest of the bills I can pay while we are in Uruguay. 

Sewing

None done not even playing with fabric ideas. 

Knitting

I finished the vest except for the buttons. 

I also set up the socks I want to knit while on the plane and finish while on vacation. 

Thoughts

    It is cold enough that the snow stuck to the deck and vehicles this morning. The roads are wet which is fine by me. There are flurries in the forecast but I don't think they will make the ground white. 

    I have to push today and get some things done. I need to make sure that I have everything on my list into the suitcase and back pack. The last two days are going to be stressful for me. I still have a couple of things left to do that I need son/daughter-in-law to help me with. 

    I will be doing a blog post tomorrow and then won't be blogging again until Monday. I will be taking pictures to post when I start up again. 

Today

I have to do laundry this morning before I go out for a hair cut. Once home, I will have to have my friend over as she is house sitting for me. I also need to start putting things away so surfaces are cleared and items unplugged. It is going to be a busy day for me. I do hope to knit tonight.

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

Playing With Sewing Ideas

 Yesterday was gloomy and wet with a high of 17C at 11 pm. This morning it is cloudy and 16C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with the temperature dropping to a high of 9C. We could see snow tonight. 

Lifestyle

I finished up taping the label on the parcel and headed out early to osteopathy. My plan was to mail the parcel first. I am glad I left early as it was raining hard and the roads were very wet. I did not drive that fast.

I got the parcel posted at a very convenient location (grocery store). The lady ahead of me was sending letters to Jamaica as she had not heard from people since Hurricane Melissa had hit the area hard. When it was my turn, my parcel went quickly and I talked to the lady for a few minutes. 

I headed out to osteopathy and arrived 10 minutes early. I was in early and got about 50 minutes of therapy. I was sore when I got up as the muscles had been worked on. I headed home as I needed nothing. 

The drive home was dry but windy. I went straight to the municipality office to get and pay my water bill. with that done I headed home. I sat on heat most of the afternoon to help the muscles stop hurting and it did work. 

I was out for dinner at family's and it was delicious. After dinner, we got travel insurance after looking at 4 different policies. Then we bought our uber cards online. Mine came in and I have put some on my uber app and sent the rest to family to use when we go out together. Family got theirs also. Our last job was to get my password security site fixed. That took a long time to do. I had forgot my master password and it caused some chaos getting it reset. I didn't get home until after 9 pm. 

Sewing

I played around with ideas for some home decor yesterday. It was quite a bit of fun to do. The one print I liked the most, I hate it when I put fabrics together for it. It feels quite gloomy. I do like the check print but I doubt if I will be buying the fabrics.

The second line is more cheerful and I will look at the fabric in person. I like how airy the prints are and the stripe will look great cut on the bias for binding. I will have to look at the fabric in person to see what shade of yellow it is.

I also sat and fiddled with a quilt I want to sew. I think I have it figured out and may get it cut out before we leave. I wait and see on that. 

Knitting

None done as I got home late. 

Thoughts

    The dampness was really noticeable yesterday as it was cool most of the day. When I walked outside at 9 pm, it was warm and you didn't notice the dampness. The wind had shifted to the south which is why we had it so warm overnight. 

    It is Remembrance Day and most businesses are closed today. There are a lot of military people living in Nova Scotia. There are 3 bases in the province which includes army, navy, and airforce. Some provinces have all their stores open while other provinces have limited stores open. 

Today

I have to pay bills, do some cleaning and ask my friend over so we can go over what she needs to look for while I am gone. I do want to finish the doll's vest today so I can put it away. I may have to go out to family's again tonight so we can do a few things that needs to be done. 

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

Almost Done The Doll's Vest

 Yesterday was a lovely sunny day with a high of 8C. This morning it is raining and 5C. Today is supposed to be rainy with a chance of thunderstorms. The high is to get to 15C. 

Lifestyle

I was out first thing to get groceries, gift cards, and some treats for daughter's cat and dogs. Once home, I finished packing the box I am sending them and it is now ready to mail today. 

I did the balance sheet for the week and it went well. No mistakes or stupidity was displayed while doing it. I will do it for the last time on Thursday. Then it will be monitoring while on holidays as I will have to pay bills while gone. 

Once the balance sheet was put away, I made lunch. I used the last of the chicken broth I had made for soup. It was delicious. After I ate, I cleaned the kitchen as it was due for a good cleaning. 

I was tired mid afternoon and I wondered if it is my thyroid, if I am not sleeping well or if I am bored. I have been dozing a bit most afternoons. I made myself get up and move around the house. I am hoping it isn't my thyroid but not sleeping well. I did take Tylenol last night and slept all night. 

Sewing

I continued to watch several sewing videos yesterday afternoon. I am not wanting to start a business but am looking at the fabrics people are using. Two of the people I watched were sewing with Tilda's winter collection. One of the quilt shops I go to has that collection. If it is still in the store when I get home, I will be looking at it to see if I want to do some home decor for winter. 

I have decided that I will be cleaning the sewing room in January. I will not be following Karen Brown this year as I my room does not need that kind of cleaning. It needs a deep cleaning where I move things around and was walls and floors. I will be going through things again to see what I can let go of. It is going to be a big job but I do plan on sewing some each day. My reward for cleaning the room. 

Knitting

I did quite a bit of knitting yesterday and am almost done the vest. I have the neck piece left. 

The plan is to finish it tonight. Once it is done, I will be setting up the socks so I can knit on the plane. 

Thoughts

    Though we are to get rain today, the area I have to go to this morning is under a rain warning. I am not looking forward to driving in that so will be leaving early, having osteopathy, mailing the parcel to daughter, and coming home. I am not worried about driving below the speed limit if it is raining hard. 

    My neighbour came over yesterday afternoon with 3 big bottles of gatorade for me. Payment for fixing the hoof boot. I will be putting them away as I don't need them now. I enjoy fixing things for her as she is such a nice person. 

    The sun was so warm coming into the house that I had the heat off for 6 hours. I was surprised that when I turned it back on the house was still warm. I love those kinds of days. 

Today

I am out for osteopathy and will do mail the parcel while I am in that area. Once home, I would like to do some cleaning in either the dining or living room. I am out for dinner tonight at family's so we can finish up the rest of what we need to do. I hope to knit tonight and finish the doll's vest. 

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

Another Rainy Day

 Yesterday was wet and grey with a high of 14C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 1C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 9C. Rain is supposed to fall again tonight. 

Lifestyle

Daughter-in-law and I went to Dartmouth early yesterday morning. We went to Walmart first for some groceries, then to Costco to see if we could get Uber Drive cards (none), to Party City for balloons, and finally to a bakery to pick up a birthday cake. We were home by 10:30 am. 

Once home, I folded laundry and got it put away. I got all the Christmas presents for daughter and son-in-law out and wrapped them all except for the presents that need gift cards. I have a few items for their cat and dogs to get and I hope to mail the parcel on Monday. I have to order daughter a gift from Amazon that will be delivered to her house. 

I sat and enjoyed the sunshine in the afternoon. It lasted maybe 30 minutes before it started to rain again. It was basically a wet day for us with a few periods of no rain. We did have less rain than the Halifax area. We commented that we were excellent at picking rainy days to shop. 

Sewing

I watched a couple of videos watching a person make her mini tote bags. I was impressed at how she can do assembly line sewing making 6 tote bags and 18 wristlets in two days. She did go buy fabric and batting on the first day. I am not good at assembly line sewing as my brain hates it and gets fatigued very quickly from it. I can do a couple of hours whereas this person can do many hours. 

The reason I watched her videos was to see if I would like to make bags similar to hers. The answer is no. She was calling the ones she was making limited edition, because she was using Tilda fabric and was making one of each from the 6 fabrics she had. She has sold all of them when I checked her Etsy store. I have decided to stick with my bag pattern. I like it and I am use to hacking it up to make my one of a kind bags.

One item she used was a laser for quilting her bags. I am going to get one as I will be doing a lot of quilting -- bowl cozies, bags, placemats, doll quilts. It will save me having to mark the lines on the items which takes a long time to do. 

Knitting

I did a fair amount of knitting last night. I finished the one front and then got the back done to where I have to decrease for the arm holes. I probably won't finish it today. 

My next project is to start the socks I want to knit on the plane. I doubt if I will start another project but we wait and see. 

Thoughts

    We are counting the days until we leave. I am excited but anxious. I have my moments and then I move on. I am worried about the food as it will be new for me. I know they have lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. They eat a lot of pasta and beef. Portions are big which I am not use to. 

    This week is very busy. I have two appointments plus I need to get my prescriptions filled. I have to make sure I have everything ready to go. I also need to have my friend over so we can go over what needs to be done while I am gone. I am sure I will be exhausted by Thursday night. 

Today

I have to wash some floors, go to the grocery store, make sure my lists are getting smaller, and knit on the doll's vest. I am sure I will find lots to do today. 

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

New Ideas For Sewing in 2026

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 6C. This morning it is wet and 7C. Today is suppose to be rainy with a high of 13C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to be at the hospital for 7:10 am. I sat a minute before being called to register, sat for maybe 2 minutes and I was in for blood collection. I was out of the hospital before 7:30 am. I went and got myself breakfast as my treat was a muffin. 

Once home, I ate my breakfast and then headed out to make sandwiches at the community hall. I did well until the end when shock set in and I had to leave. I was fine but tired. 

At home, I did a big load of laundry and washed the white broadcloth that seemed to have red marks on it. They came out bright white. I puttered around and did what I could and rested when I was tired. 

The dishwasher made some weird noises again last night. It made its finished sound and I had an error code. I did some googling and it said the drain was plugged and told how to fix it quickly. I did it and it wasn't quick but it did the job. The dishwasher ran perfectly after that. 

Sewing

I fixed the opening where I turn a bag through for my knitting notions. It is full of items I need to take with me and it will go into my suitcase. It wasn't a big job but I seem to either put it off or forget about it. 

Youtube gave me a new feed to watch. It is Sew Gathered and I love her approach to sewing items for the kitchen. The video I looked was how to make bowl cozies. Very different than the ones I make. They are oval in shape. She also had a website where you can download her patterns for free.  

I am thinking about making the bowl cozies, placemats, and hot pads this winter. I want to make myself and daughter a set. I plan on starting with the bowl cozies and will spend time figuring out how much fabric and batting I need for them. 

Knitting

I did knit on the vest yesterday and am ready to knit the bit that makes goes around the neck. 

The goal is to have it done by Sunday night. 

Thoughts

    The weather this week is going to be mainly wet. There are two days of sunshine. It seems as if this is very typical weather but one forgets how damp and cold it feels after a hot dry summer. I am wearing warm clothes all the time now. 

    Blood collection went well. The lady told me to keep my arm really straight so the vein wouldn't bend. She used the largest needle on me and no bruising. The shock came later than usual which is strange for me. I think it was because I was so busy afterwards it hit when I slowed down. 

    We are on count down to leaving and I am going over my lists like crazy. I don't want to forget anything that I can't buy at our destination. 

Today

I am heading out with daughter-in-law to the city for a quick trip. Once home, I need to fold laundry, do my lists, and clean the kitchen. I will play with ideas for sewing and knit tonight. 

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

A Day Of Shopping

 Yesterday was wet, windy and miserable. The high got to The high got to 6C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 3C. Today is supposed to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 6C. 

Lifestyle

Daughter-in-law texted me and I headed in to the city with her. I had enough time to tidy up the dining room table and wash the kitchen floor. 

Our trip to Sackville turned from rain to snow. It wasn't sticking to the ground as it was 3C. After daughter-in-law's appointment we headed into the city. Snow fell all the way in. 

Our first stop was Costco. I got a price adjustment on the headphones I bought which was nice. We had lunch (Kirkland special of a hotdog and pop) and then did some shopping. I got the fleecy hoodie (on sale) to wear under my winter outer coat this winter. 

Our next stop was the Asian store. I pull the basket and look at items while daughter-in-law gets what she needs. I love that store even though I buy very little there. It is full of surprises and the area where you can buy hot food smells so delicious. 

Our last stop was at the Halifax mall. A gift card had to be bought and then it was time to go and see what new chocolates Lindt had in. I enjoyed looking around but bought nothing. 

The drive home was nicer. The snow had stopped and as we got closer to home the road became drier. The house was cold so I decided to put on the heat in the basement and turn up the heat upstairs. The temperature is going to be cooler for the next while. It was time to warm up the basement so the upstairs stays warmer. 

I was out for dinner at family's last night. It was chicken on small pitas. It was good. We had a red velvet cake for dinner and, though not overly sweet, I could taste the sweetness for several hours. 

Knitting

I did knit on the doll's vest yesterday and am ready to start the left front. 

I am liking this vest more than the last one. It is more delicate  which is more like the vests would have been in the Edwardian period. 

Thoughts

    I am down 11.7 lbs as of this morning. I have been avoiding sugar, chocolate and a lot of processed foods in the last 3 months. I am hoping I can continue loosing while on holidays as I seem to not like sweets and chocolate any more. I do know there are a lot of sweet foods in Uruguay. 

    The stitches came out of my mouth yesterday. The long suture played with my gag reflexes which was annoying. I seemed to have swallowed it (disgusting) while eating lunch. 

    It wasn't nice to see snow falling yesterday. It didn't stick. The wind was brutal and the dampness went right through you. We did survive the weather and hope it won't be that bad again before we leave. 

Today

I am out shortly for blood collection and then will get breakfast and head to the community hall to help make sandwiches. Once home I need to do housework and laundry. I need to wrap Christmas presents and will knit on the vest. 

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

Another Shirt Cut Out

Yesterday was a sunny day with some clouds. The high got to 9C. This morning it is raining and 4C. The rain is to stop around noon and then cloudy for the rest of the day. The high is to get to 9C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to physio at 8 am. After doing the gym exercises, I got my treatment. The SI joint was out a bit at the top so it was released and went back in. Then it was muscle time. The adductor was tight and it was a painful session as she stretched it out. Worth it in the end as it isn't sore anymore. 

Once done at physio, I headed to New Minas. First stop was to get the new tag for my car. I have to go back and get a new license plate which is exchanged for free. Once done, I headed out to shop at two stores. When done, I headed home. 

I realized once I got home, unloaded the car, and sat down to eat lunch that I was tired from physio. The pain from stretching the adductor was the reason. I did sit for a bit and rested. 

I hauled out the garbage mid afternoon. A lot more than I had thought but I did empty every trash can in the house. It was heavy enough that I had to take it down to the curb in my wagon. 

Sewing

I pinned the pattern onto the shirt and cut it out. 

The collar and cuffs are in the blue and I can change them to white if I want to. I'll decide when I go to sew it. 

I am still thinking on this doll's wardrobe as I still have 2 more patterns to get. A bicycle skirt this month and another top in December. I think the next wardrobe will be a bit more modern but it could be from the 1850's. 

Knitting

I put the vest I made to one side and won't use it for the doll's wardrobe. I got out red yarn and started on a new one. 

I am liking it much better. More delicate for a girl. 

I also sewed the arm seams on the blue cardigan. I need to get buttons for it later on. 

Thoughts

    I have unplugged everything in the sewing room as I won't be sewing until after I get home. I will do the family room next. The night before we leave I will do the upstairs. I only want what is necessary plugged in while we are gone. I even do that for a short vacation. 

    They are saying we could have a bit of snow fall this morning. It is cool enough for that to happen even if we hope it won't. The rain is to stop at noon. We are now in the wet season so can expect rain or showers every few days. No one is complaining yet. 

Today

I plan on doing some more housework and laundry this morning and part of the afternoon. I will be out for dinner at family's tonight so will knit in the afternoon for a while. I also have to drink a lot of water today as I have bloodwork tomorrow morning. 

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

Decisions To Be Made

 Yesterday was wet for most of the morning and then for a while in the afternoon. The high got to 9C. This morning it is clear and 5C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

As it was raining, I decided to put the bed sheet into the washer. I started cleaning the house. I vacuumed the 2 bedrooms, the hall and the bathroom. I mopped my bedroom, the hall, and the bathroom. The floors were somewhat dusty so I decided to give Rosie a spa day. 

I changed the dust bag in Rosie even though it wasn't really full. I checked her vacuum roller and it was clean. I gave her a good wipe down, and filled her water tank. She was good to go after lunch. 

I got the bed made early in the afternoon and decided to finish the housework on Thursday. My friend came over for a visit before lunch. Her dog was excited to come and see me. We had a good chat and several good laughs. 

Sewing

I did print off the pattern and cut it out. I decided to see which fabrics looked the best with the sweater. My first choice was this tiny print. 

It was almost too busy so I dug some more and found this fabric which blends in with the colours of the vest. 

I laid the pattern pieces out on the fabric ready to pin and cut. 

Knitting

I set up a doll's sweater thinking it would take me a couple of days to knit but it was a quick knit. 

I cast on thinking I was knitting the sweater. I merrily knit away until I was almost ready to divide the body. I was knitting the dress pattern. I checked the sweater pattern. The sweater had only 2 stitches on each front, not button holes, and 1 less stitch in the back section. I continued on knitting adding button holes and making the body a few rows longer. It worked out great. It will be done tonight and then I will have to decide on what to knit next. 

Thoughts

    We had over an inch of rain fall in yesterday's storm. It was a nice rain which will help us get over the drought. We still need a lot more rain before our water tables are back to normal. The wind came up in the afternoon and blew hard at times. It is still windy this morning and will be most of the day. 

    I ate soft foods again yesterday and am ready to start eating regular foods today. My jaw is a bit sore but everything is healing well. 

    I am starting to think about the vest pattern. I am not thrilled with it so I may find some yarn and redo it. I may have to buy yarn or use some white yarn I have in the stash. I have all day to think about it. 

Today

I am out shortly for physio and then will head to New Minas to do some shopping. Once home, I would like to cut out the doll's shirt and then plan another doll's wardrobe. Tonight I will finish the sweater to the buttons and then decide if I will make the vest again in a solid colour. 

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

Doll's Vest Completed

 Yesterday was quite sunny with a high of 9C. This morning it is raining and 5C. Today is supposed to be wet this morning and showery this afternoon. This high is to get to 8C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I folded laundry and put it away. I started to pace as I was getting anxious about going to the dentist so I grabbed the hoof boot and headed to the sewing room. I knew that would help me get through the next couple of hours. 

The sewing machine could handle the stitching of velcro to soft rubber but it was making rat's nests. The rubber was too thick to form the stitches. So I carefully picked out all the stitching and thought about what I could do. 

I grabbed a heavy needle and the tool I use to make holes in fabric when adding snaps. Up the stairs I went with the hoof boot and sat on the couch to hand stitch the velcro down. It was hard work but I got it done using a heavy weight thread and back stitches. 

I got to the dentist on time and was really nervous. I filled out the paper work and waited to be called in. Dr. Vicky was wonderful. She talked to me about my previous experiences and used the new x-ray machine. She talked about my teeth and is concerned about one which isn't bothering me. Then she set about to give me the freezing.

I do not like getting freezing and was clenching my hands something fierce. Dr. Vicky talked to get me through it. She let me get really numb before starting to extract my tooth. As she did the job, she talked to me constantly letting me know what to expect. She put in 4 stitches and I was ready to go. I will have to say, she is the best dentist I have had. 

Once home, I had to sit for a half hour and then could do a few things but not a lot. I puttered a bit and rested as I was tired from the stress and anxiety. I did go out mid afternoon to take the hoof boot back to my neighbour. We talked for about 30 minutes and I came home. I had to go out to get soft food for dinner after that. My jaw was "thawed out" and sore from the extraction. I got through the evening without any incident. 

Knitting

I did knit a lot when sitting down and resting. The vest is finished including the buttons. 

It will look okay with a simple shirt and the navy skirt. The yarn is more stripy than I had wanted but it looks okay. It took just under 30 grams of yarn to make. One of the things I will do is try a different way to decrease the neckline. It is part of the design how I did it. 

Thoughts

    The weather system they forecasted is here and we did not get it as bad as anticipated. The worst of the storm is north of us and they have warnings out for heavy rain and wind. That is where the two storms collided the hardest. 

    The barometric pressure has dropped a lot and I am not sore today. I wasn't sore yesterday. Could it have been that the pressure dropped slowly over the last 24 hours vs it dropping quickly and my body was able to adjust to it. It is nice not having sore and stiff knees. 

    I have packed my suitcase once again. I looked at what I had packed and saw panic packing. What if I can't buy it in Montevideo? I calmed myself down and unpacked some of the panic packing. I now have room for my small knitting bag and some space left over. 

Today

I have some housework to do this morning. I also need to do laundry. This afternoon I would like to cut out the doll's shirt and I will start a doll's sweater tonight. A quiet day at home. 

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

A Day To Rest and Knit

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 9C. This morning it was partly cloudy and 0C. We have frost. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with rain tonight. The high is to get to 11C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to help make a double batch of sandwiches at the community hall. I stayed to help daughter-in-law get the tea and coffee pots filled. 

Once home, I got laundry on and the kitchen cleaned up. I then crashed for the rest of the day letting my muscles and joints rest. I was also tired and tried to nap to no avail. 

I did try to get my suitcase packed the way I wanted it but had not success. I came up with another idea this morning so I will try it. It may work much better than how I was doing it. 

I made myself stay up a bit later than usual. It seems as if Montevideo does not change time and will be on our daylight savings time. I am trying adjust to our time so I can stay up later while we are there. I know they eat their evening meal later than we do. 

Sewing

I didn't print the shirt pattern off but I have thought about the fabric I will use. I think it will be a tiny blue print on a cream background. 

My neighbour brought over their horse's boot for repair and I will attack it before I start on the doll's shirt. It is sewing velcro back onto a rubber hoof cover. 

Knitting

I knit a lot yesterday as I rested. The yarn I chose would have made stripy socks but it has put some dark parts in the vest. 

I have a feeling the left front will be plain like the back. I am glad I waited to decide on what the shirt fabric will be as I would have chosen the wrong fabric. I had thought tweedy when I chose the ball and when I finished the body part I wasn't so sure what to expect. 

I am going to set up a pair of socks to work on next. I will take them on the plane so I can have something to work on while we fly. 

Thoughts

    I was surprised at how tired and sore I was yesterday. I thought it was mainly muscles but my SI joint released when I stretched in bed last night. I am feeling better this morning. I had a lot of deep sleep last night which was great. 

    The storm coming in tonight is supposed to give us about 1/2" rain and a lot of wind. It is 2 storms merging over us and is what they call a meteorological bomb. The barometric pressure is going to drop rapidly as it moves northeast. The rain isn't the issue, it is the strong winds we will receive. We are not under a special weather warning but Cape Breton Island is. We wait and see what we get. 

    I just looked out the door (7 am) and two deer are eating the neighbour's grass. I went out and talked to them and they didn't move. They didn't move when I took their picture. 

I am sure they feasted on the bush at my front door before going to the neighbour's yard. 

Today

I am going to try to pack my suitcase in a different way this morning. I have to fold laundry also. I am at the dentist at 11:30 am and will be home to see what I can do as the freezing comes out of my mouth. It may be the horse's book repair so I can get it back to my neighbour. I hope to finish the vest tonight down to sewing on the buttons. 

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