An Adventure Sewing A Rabbit's Dress

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26C (humidex 30C). It rained during the night and it is cloudy and 17C this morning. Today is going to be cloudy with a risk of showers. The high is supposed to get to 19C. 

Lifestyle

I started off the morning doing the balance sheet. It balanced and I was quite happy with the expenses considering I went on a trip last week. I put everything away and headed out to get groceries. 

The grocery store was not busy so I enjoyed myself shopping. The produce section had huge empty spaces and they were filling them up as fast as they could. I got what I wanted even if I had to go back at the end of my shopping and pick it up. When I got home, I got everything put away and sat to have something to drink. 

Later in the afternoon, my friend came over to tell me that she is not going to New Brunswick but will be renting an apartment not too far from where we live. She has a one year lease and next summer she will decide if she wants to go to New Brunswick or stay here. If she goes to New Brunswick she will either rent an apartment or buy a condo. If she stays she will look at either staying in that apartment or finding another place to rent. This is her year to think and decide. 

Sewing

I spent time in the sewing room yesterday. I got the quilt half done and I am pleased with it. Wrangling 80 x 40" was quite the feat but I succeeded. 

Once it was done, I decided to work on the dress for the rabbit. I watched the video and did the steps for one side of the dress and then the other. I had to watch one step twice as I missed what she did. I pinned one side piece onto the front piece to see what it will look like. Putting the rabbit into the doll stand was a disaster. The doll stand malfunctioned and I had to find the other stand I have. 

I have no idea what is going on so I will be watching the video once again to see what I am to do next. I know I have to gather the back section of the skirt next. Where I attach it to the bodice is unknown at this moment. An adventure for this afternoon. 

Knitting

I got the gusset on sock #2 knit last night and am now ready to knit the foot on both socks. 

I am going to dig in the yarn bin and pull out the oldest yarn and knit grandson a pair of socks next. 

Thoughts

    My IBS symptoms flared up again after a period of calmness. I am sure it was the rich food we ate on our trip (which I would do again in a heartbeat). I am going back to some basic eating habits for the next while in hopes it will calm down the symptoms. 

    I was up after midnight last night and when I opened the back door to look out, it was raining. Not a heavy rain but a nice one that you could hear falling on the deck. Hopefully it will rain again this afternoon as we do need it. We will be having another hot spell later this week. 

    I feel another funk coming on. It will the Spousal Unit's birthday on Thursday and I know it could be a rough day for me. I need to put one foot in front of the other and do things with hopes that it won't too bad. Sitting around, like my body wants to do, makes me feel worse mentally. 

    I am planning on working in the front entry this week. I want to clean it, paint one wall that I did patchwork on, and put the baseboards back on. I am hoping it will keep me busy for a few days with a trip to a hardware store for supplies. 

Today

My plan is to clean the front entry this morning. This afternoon I want to do some sewing and cooking. Tonight I will knit on the socks. I want to keep busy all day. 

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

Nearly Half Done The Quilt

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 27C (humidex 29C). This morning it is partly cloudy and 14C. Today is supposed to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26C (humidex 29C). We are supposed to have showers tonight. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I cleaned the fridge. I found two puddles of water; one in the fridge from the ice maker defrosting and the other in the freezer. At 11 am, I turned it on wondering if I would have a fridge that works or a fridge that needed to be replaced. By dinner time, the fridge was cold and the freezer was almost there. I panicked once as I could not hear a noise from it. 

I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the living room. What started out as mop the floors ended up being deep cleaned. Windows were washed and the tracks cleaned. They were dirty with dust and pollen. I wiped baseboards, dusted furniture and mopped all the floor either on my hands and knees or with the mop. All I have left to do is wipe the walls and it will be ready to paint. 

I was in and out of the garage yesterday as the neighbours brought over the last of their items they needed to store while their house is on the market. They will help me put the soil in the boxes up for free and will take the vegetable boxes with them. 

I had to water the cucumber plant as it was drooping in the afternoon. While I was watering it, I noticed I have 2 cucumbers about 3" long. 

There are a lot of tiny cucumbers on the two plants. 

Sewing

I spent part of the afternoon in the sewing room. I sewed rows 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 together. I fussed a lot making sure that the corners of the blocks matched as close as possible. 

When this section is sewn together the quilt top will be half done. 

Knitting

I knit last evening and got the gusset done on sock #1. 

I am getting ready to choose which yarn I will knit next as I will have to wind it into cakes. 

Thoughts

    I was a bit skeptical that the fridge would work properly when I turned it on. I will be monitoring it carefully over the next month. I am hoping that it will work properly now that it has defrosted for 48 hours. If not, I will be getting a new fridge. I was advised to keep this one as I had paid for the new part and, if it worked, it was the cheaper route. I do have a new fridge picked out if I need to replace this one. 

    I was very sore yesterday. It was mainly muscles that hadn't been used as I was squatting in the garage fixing up boxes. Last night I stretched in bed and I had a lot of cracking going on. I kept stretching until it stopped. I was releasing tight joints. A bit was from sitting in the car for 2 days and most was from helping get boxes and tubs into place in the garage. It felt good to have everything relax and be seated properly. 

Today

I need to do the balance sheet and go grocery shopping. I don't know how much housework I will get done this morning. My goal is to sew the two sections of the quilt together this afternoon and I will knit tonight. I do have to water all the plants today. 

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

Sock Progress

Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 26C (humidex 28C). This morning it is clear and 12C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 27C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I had more stuff to come to my garage yesterday as my neighbours continues to pack. I folded laundry and did a few things waiting for them. I also went and got the mail and ran a bunch of paper over for wrapping breakables in. 

Mid afternoon I went to Dollarama (our version of the Dollar Store) to get some short stakes and ties. I had to stake the pepper plants are they are getting so tall. If all the blooms set on those plants, they are going to be top heavy. I decided to support them now rather than later. 

I watered the plants on the deck twice yesterday. I didn't do the boxes as they were still damp. When I looked out last night at 8:30 pm, I saw 2 deer at the vegetable boxes. I was out the door, grabbing the deer deterrent and yelling at them. They moved to the next yard, stopped, and glared at me. One of the boys next door opened their back door and looked. I said I was yelling at the deer so he let their dog out into their fenced backyard. The dog was excited and barked at the deer. They took off through several yards to safety. I sprayed the tomatoes and when the boy called the dog in I thanked him for letting their dog bark like crazy at the deer. 

I was over to family's and bought dinner for daughter-in-law and I. We also had a video call with son and grandson. They showed me the apartment they are living in, talked about how damp and foggy it can be there, the places they go to, and much more. Grandson is practicing 5 days a week and is loving it. I will be asking more questions the next time I get to talk to them. 

Sewing

I picked up 2 parcels at the mail. One is the fabric for my quilt and the other is 2 panels for dog quilts. A box of more fabric for dog quilts will arrive on Monday. 

My goal yesterday was to tidy up the quilting cotton. It was getting messy. I put a piece of Snoopy fabric into my neighbour's sewing drawer which is stored in the garage. I have some fabric to donate to the quilting group, some to sell or give away, and the rest I will make items from until next spring when I will give it away. My next trip to Home Depot is to buy 2 packing boxes so I can store items in that I am decluttering from the sewing room and need to get rid of. 

I have to say that the quilting cottons have decreased in amount over the past few years. I know I have given quite a bit away but I have sewn quite a bit of it also. The idea of having a stash is not as appealing as it was 10 years ago. 

Knitting

I turned the heel on both of the socks last night. It was quick and easy to do. 

I picked up the stitches along the heel flap and am now ready to decrease for the gusset. 

I will have these socks done before the end of the month and new yarn wound ready to knit. 

Thoughts

    I am going to have to start pulling onions from the vegetable boxes as some seem to be mature. I am going to start using them for cooking and will give daughter-in-law one to cook with also. The cucumbers are growing rapidly and there are tiny peppers. The tomatoes are growing also and we should have ripe grape tomatoes in the next couple of weeks. 

    My fridge will be plugged in at noon today. I have started to clean it already this morning. I found mold on the door seal so have dealt with it. I want to clean it inside and out before I turn it on to cool. I am hoping that this is it for repairs. Using a small fridge has limited me to buying only the necessities and I am craving some fresh fruit and vegetables. 

    Though the deer were annoying, they did add a bit of excitement to the evening. I know their food supply is disappearing due to subdivision development and the hot weather we have had. They are roaming about eating what ever they can find. They are the main reason why I am getting rid of the vegetable boxes. The second reason is that I don't need or use all the vegetables I can grow in them. I will be giving away vegetables from the deck boxes. 

Today

My goal today is to clean the fridge so I can turn it on. I am going to spend some time cleaning up the living room. I would like to sew this afternoon on the dress for the rabbit and knit tonight. I am home all day today. 

Helping Neighbours

 Yesterday was sunny and hot with a high of 31C (humidex 39C). This morning it is cloudy and 23C (humidex 34C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 25C (humidex 34C). 

Lifestyle

I was busy yesterday morning doing some cleaning and laundry. I vacuumed and mopped the kitchen floor. I had to empty the dehumidifier as it was full. It filled up in just over 48 hours. I was out to water the plants on the deck and I am watching a cucumber grow. 

The two cucumber plants are loaded with baby cucumbers. 

The appliance technician and apprentice arrived and set about working on the fridge. It was frozen up again in the freezer. Not as bad as the last time but the sides of the back were solid ice. That is blocking cold air going into the fridge. He replaced the part and steamed ice off the back of the freezer. It is now turned off defrosting until Saturday morning to make sure the channels that delivers cold air to the fridge are free of all ice. No charge for that service. 

The roofer arrived at noon and in our confusion, we found out that the shed roof has the same shingles as our neighbour's roof and I didn't have any. A few trips to our neighbour's and the shed got fixed. When the man went up on my roof, he stopped as the pitch is too steep for him to work safely. He tidied up and left. He will try to be back on Saturday to do the job. He needs some special equipment and his nephew as a spotter. I know it will get done safely which is a priority in my life. 

My neighbour texted and asked if they could store items in my garage. The oldest boy brought over a mattress. I wandered over with him to see how things were going and left with their 2 dogs. Daughter-in-law was cleaning upstairs and the boys were helping get their rooms spotless. Once that was done, they started bringing boxes and bags over. I ended up spending the afternoon making sure that items were stacked neatly in the garage and I ended up repacking a few things so they were safe. The movers will be over to repack most of it when they go to move. At the moment it is to get it out of the house so they can stage it for pictures and for sale. 

My friend was over just before dinner for a visit. She has her small in-law suite tidied up but nothing is packed. I told her to pack boxes and have the boys bring them over. I will store them in the garage in a separate area. She isn't packing anything until the house is under offer. I am sure I will be spending time helping her pack and purge. 

I ended having dinner late and watering all the plants due to the heat and humidity. The heat warning went off early in the evening. The humidity level has dropped but it is still very warm outside. It is going to be cooler at nights which will be nice. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday as I was too busy in the garage. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got both the heel flaps done. 

Next up is to turn the heels and pick up the gusset stitches. We are at the turning point on the socks. 

Thoughts

    The heat was brutal again yesterday and working in the garage was tough. I was able to sit in the house between loads and cool off a bit. The two boys did an amazing job of hauling all the containers over and getting into the places I wanted them to go. When they left, I was able to move things around some so nothing would get damaged. I think more will come over today. 

    I had to put the robotic vacuum cleaner on hold until Saturday. The fridge is an obstacle as is the towel on the floor to catch any water that may run out of the freezer. I am trying to ignore the dirt on the floor knowing it will get done on Saturday. I also have put cleaning on hold until life gets back to normal. I will keep areas clean but am not doing the heavy duty cleaning I had planned on. 

Today

I have to fold laundry this morning and do a few things around the house that need doing. I will be available to help put items into the garage when necessary. They have helped me over the years and this is the least I can do for them. If I can sew, I will. I will knit tonight. 

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

Back To Sewing and Knitting

 Yesterday was hot and humid. The high got to 32C (humidex 40C). This morning it is humid and 20C. Today is supposed to be sunny and hot. The high is to get to 31C (humidex 40C). 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I spent time yesterday watering the plants on the deck. They are drinking up the water like crazy in this hot weather. I watered them again last night and ran the sprinkler on the vegetable boxes. The tomatoes are growing rapidly in the boxes. The plants on the deck are becoming a jungle they are so huge. 

I did do a small grocery shopping after I had watered the plants. It wasn't very busy at the grocery store so I didn't take long to get the things I needed and get home. I put away everything, had something to drink and then started cleaning up from the trip. Everything was done by noon. 

I was tired and wanted to have a nap when I realized the humid air is full of pollen and I was having a small allergy attack. I pushed on knowing it will disappear if it rains. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon in the sewing room working on the quilt. I got the border on the last 8 squares. I then sewed 4 of the squares onto the 4 large plain squares I had cut out and then put them onto 4 rows. Half of the quilt is 80" wide. 

I can now sew those 4 rows together and have it completed. Then I have to wait for the fabric I ordered to arrive so I can complete the other half. 

Knitting

I knit on the socks last night and completed the leg on sock #2. 

I will be starting the heel flap tonight. I will have these socks done before the end of July. 

Thoughts

    An interesting fact that I found when looking at my pictures. Though PEI hosted the talks for confederation, PEI did not join Canada until 4 years later. The four provinces that joined were Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. I probably learned that in school and forgot about it. 

    Knitty Natty posted her video on their trip to PEI while we were visiting the island. She visits some great yarn shops and the business that makes equipment that is used to process the wool into yarn. They visited Anne of Green Gables. It is way more commercialize than when I was there in the early 1990's. She shows some of the great landscape in PEI.

    The humidity is already unbearable this morning. The humidex was in place at 7 am which means a nasty day. It is supposed to be the last day of this heat wave which could end in a thunderstorm. 

Today

I have the fridge repair technician and the roofer coming this morning. I want to fertilize the plants as I am sure they need it. I hope to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. 

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

Our Trip To PEI (long post)

 The weather the past two days was hot and humid. Yesterday's high got to 29C (humidex 32C). This morning it is clear and 18C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 31C (humidex 38C). 

Trip To PEI

We left Monday morning at 9:15 am and took the back road to the main highway to New Brunswick. It wasn't a rushed trip so we enjoyed looking around as we drove. Once on the highway, we drove up to Truro and then over the pass to New Brunswick. That part of the drive was a bit boring as all you could see was road and forest. Once we got closer to the border there was a huge wind farm. 

We got to the border shortly after that. 

We took the highway to Moncton as we wanted to get there to eat lunch. Our lunch stop was at Magnetic Hill where they have shops, a restaurant, activities, and picnic tables. We had a picnic lunch. 

We wandered around a bit looking at the shops and then left. I did find a variety of Covered Barn chips I have never seen before. 

We did not do Magnetic Hill as we wanted to get to the yarn shop. A twenty minute drive and we arrived there. 

We spent a bit of time looking at all the yarn as there was yarn I had heard of but never seen. I bought these two skeins by a New Brunswick artist. 

I bought a skein of yarn from Peru which is cotton and silk. Daughter-in-law bought the yarn from Peru in yak wool and silk. We left the shop two happy campers. 

We drove through Moncton and saw a very old building that is a high school. It runs the length of the block. 

Once out of Moncton, we had a bit of an argument with Google maps. We did take the main road east to Shediac. At Shediac, we saw the world's largest lobster which is a huge tourist attraction.

We also saw a neat sign on a building at the ocean's edge. 

We were close to the ocean and could smell the salt water. 

It was between Shediac and Shemogue that we saw a lot of fish processing plants. Lobster traps were plentiful. As we drove, we saw where lobster is canned. We can buy it in our grocery stores. 

Along the way, we saw a lane and went down it. It took us to the ocean and we stopped and walked the beach as it was low tide. As I took this picture, I noticed the bridge to PEI. We were close but still had to take our time exploring. 

The beach was littered with clam and mussel shells. 

It was back into the car and we kept driving and looking at the everything. We got to the intersection to go to PEI. 

We had taken the Starfish route from Moncton to Highway 16. At this intersection, we turned left to PEI, If we had gone straight ahead, we would have taken the road to where my dad was born - Cape Tormentine. 

We turned towards PEI and headed for the Confederation Bridge. This bridge is about 13 km long and you go up an incline when you first drive onto it.

You also go up an incline half way across the bridge. At the PEI end of the bridge, they were doing maintenance on the bridge. 

Once off the bridge, we stopped at the tourist information area and they had this beautiful stained glass of the bridge hanging in the building. 

It was back on the road and getting onto the roads that go along the coast of PEI to Charlottetown. The scenery changed. The soil was red as was the sand. We really enjoyed the trip down the coast and stopped at Victoria to have dinner. We went to The Lobster Barn. I had a cup of seafood chowder that was delicious.

We shared a crab dip plate which was also delicious. 

After dinner, we headed back on the road to Charlottetown. We were to turn left and we turned right because we saw a beach. We parked the car and headed down to the ocean. 

Daughter-in-law took off her shoes and socks and walked out into the ocean. 

She said the water was warm. She saw a starfish and some tiny crabs in the tidal pools. I stayed on the beach and looked at all the oysters that came in with the tide and didn't make it back out. 

The oysters in the shallow tidal pools might survive the low tide. 

We left very happy and headed to Charlottetown where we found our hotel and crashed for the night. 

Yesterday we toured Charlottetown. We saw the parliament buildings. 

Then it was on to Beaconsfield House which was built in 1877 and it is huge.

Then it was on to Confederation Park. We had a great time there walking about. I didn't get a lot of pictures as my phone battery died and I had to charge it. There is a huge monument about Charlottetown and Confederation which was interesting to read. Charlottetown was the first capital of Canada (small as it was). There was a bell from a ship in the park also. 

After looking at the historical part of the park, we wandered to the tourist area. It was busy as a cruise ship was docked for the day. We looked in the shops until it was time for lunch. 

We ate at the Lobster Shack which is a lovely restaurant. I had a lobster bisque along with some Digby (Nova Scotia) scallops. Daughter-in-law had crab cakes. Another delicious meal. We wandered over to the ice cream building for dessert. It is called Cows and the ice cream is wonderful. They have a gift shop and who ever designs for them has a wild sense of humour. 

Then it was off to see some of the old churches. This is the oldest church in Charlottetown. 

It was time to head out to Wood Island to catch the ferry. We had to drive the main road which wasn't as much fun as the back roads. We saw acres and acres of corn and potatoes. We drove past the place that processes potatoes for sale. It is the Little Potato Company which specializes in baby potatoes. They also have 40 acres of tulips which they sell in grocery stores in the Maritimes. 

It was hot when we got to the ferry terminal so we headed inside to cool off while we waited. We got onto the ferry and sat looking out watching our trip. Inside was warm and outside was cool and crowded. I took no pictures but sat and looked out over the horizon. 

We got off the ferry at Pictou where we gassed up for the first time since leaving home. The cost of fuel for the trip was under $60.00. We drove down the highway until we came to our exit to head home. The sign let us know that it was the only exit to the Annapolis Valley. We got onto the highway and half way to our turn to home, we turned off and took one of the back roads home. We got home just after 7 pm. We were both tired but really happy. It was a great trip and we had so much fun. We had no timeline just the routes we wanted to take. We ate seafood not once but twice and it was delicious at both restaurants. 

Today

I have to unpack everything and water the plants. I am not going to be outside a lot due to the heat and humidity. I would like to sew and knit but I do have to grocery shop. It will be a quiet day for me. 

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

More 9 Patches Made

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 25C (humidex 30C). This morning it is a bit cloudy and 12C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 28C (humidex 32C). We are going to have another hot spell for the next couple of days. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning doing the balance sheet. I got it done with no issues. I was happy to put it away for another week. 

I folded laundry and then started to pack for our trip. I packed clothes and got everything I needed into piles ready to finish up this morning. It took me quite a while as I had a lot of items to get together for an over night trip. 

I watered the plants last night. I put the sprinkler on the vegetable boxes and let it run for 20 minutes. I poured a lot of water into the tubs on the deck. I also tied up the tomato plants as they are getting huge. Not plants anymore but more like bushes or small trees. And they are loaded with tomatoes. 

Sewing

I did do some sewing yesterday. The last 9 patches were made. I had an issue with one only to find out it was 1/16" too big. When I trimmed it back the pieces fit like a charm. I also cut out the 32 white squares for the border. 

I can work on finishing them next week. I have kept all the small scraps as I can use them in the table runners I plan on making. 

Knitting

 I did knit last night and am half done the leg on the 2nd sock. I will take pictures when I have finished knitting the leg. 

Thoughts

    I talked to grandson last night. It was Father's Day in Uruguay. They were out to a friend's house for dinner and had chivitos. It is beef (not hamburger) on a bun with ham, cheese, bacon, and a variety of toppings. There were enough deserts to "kill a diabetic or 2" according to grandson. It seems like they had a great time celebrating Father's Day. 

    It is cool here this morning. I was surprised at that. It is nice though having the house opened up and cool air coming in. Newfoundland is at 4C which is quite cool for this time of the year. Our next hot spell is going to have nights that are a bit cooler than normal. I am assuming we will have a heat warning in place as the highest temperature will be 33C with a humidex pushing towards 40C. I do know I am leaving the a/c running while I am gone. 

    I will not be doing another blog post until Wednesday morning. I will take pictures of the trip and keep track of what we have done. 

Today

I have to finish packing and pick up daughter-in-law at 9 am. We are hoping to get to Moncton at noon and to PEI later this afternoon. I am looking forward to this trip.

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

I Ran Out of Fabric

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 26 (humidex 32C). This morning it is foggy and 16C (coolest was 15C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26C (humidex 31C).

Lifestyle

It was back to finish cleaning the bathroom yesterday morning. I scrubbed the shower and then did the floor on my hands and knees. I stood back and looked at how clean the room was. I was also glad to have it done. I have to do a bit of patching before it is painted. 

I did a couple of loads of laundry. One was the shower curtain which is getting old but still looks new. I laundered it with not water, detergent and bleach. The other load was clothes. 

I was out to water the plants last night as the tomatoes were looking a bit limp. They are looking like trees and are loaded with fruit.

I also watered the garden and the tomatoes in the boxes are doing well. The deer have trimmed them a bit but aren't touching them if I keep them sprayed with deer deterrent. They have tomatoes on them and when they start to ripen it might be battle royal with the deer. 

I have been looking at the pepper plants as they are showing the beginnings of having buds. I have 2 buds which is exciting. 

I also weeded around the shed as it needed doing. I just have the side of the house left to weed. It didn't take long to do. 

I talked to grandson via zoom last night. He had a rest day as he is practicing 5 days a week with one team and twice a week with another team. He is enjoying it very much. We talked about the food down there and he is enjoying having fresh oranges every day. He is cooking meals and last night he did pasta with a meat sauce. The pasta was fresh and stuffed with cheese. 

Sewing

I worked long and hard on the quilt yesterday. I sewed row 8 yesterday. I also have the pieces ready to make 8 more blocks so the quilt will be 8 blocks wide. I cut out the large squares but I was short fabric to finish the quilt. I needed fabric for 4 squares and 5 rows for the binding. It was up the stairs to order fabric from a quilt shop in Ontario. I forgot to take pictures. 

The lady at the quilt shop in Ontario was lovely. She checked to make sure they had the fabric with us talking all the time. I ordered 2 meters so I can have enough fabric to make the runners for the furniture also. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night. I was tired and then spent my knitting time talking to grandson. He is more important. 

Thoughts

    I decided to semi ignore the world yesterday only acknowledging the fact that tariffs were put on more countries. This is going to hurt everyone world wide. 

    I did another wander of the yard last night and I am really pleased with how it is looking. Other than a few weeds and the hedge, I am caught up. Next weekend (cooler temps), I will trim the bush at the front door. It is growing well now that the deer are not touching it. I will have to buy more deer deterrent next week. 

    My right SI joint has been stiff and a bit painful the past few days. It cracked this morning and I felt it release. Pain is almost gone at the moment. I think one of the reasons it becomes stiff is that I over reach when doing housework. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, fold laundry, gas up the car, and pack for our trip. If I have time, I will sew blocks for the quilt. I hope to knit tonight. A busy day with prepping for the trip first and sewing last. 

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

Enlarging The Quilt

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 19C. This morning it is cloudy and 17C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 25C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I had to be out the door early yesterday to be at the car dealership by 8 am. My car had its oil changed and what ever they do done. The engine filter was changed as it was plugged. They did do a check on why the check engine light was on and it seems like a hiccup in the catalytic converter which may or may not show up again. It took them an hour which was amazing as they thought 2 hours. 

I did do some shopping when done and came home. I didn't get everything and will get it on the next trip. 

I was out late in the afternoon to get the tires torqued. While there, there was a lot of police activity. Not sure what is going on or what will happen but I was told there was a lot of equipment moved in to the RCMP station during the day. It was interesting to hear and see equipment being moved into our community. 

I spent some time looking at my property yesterday evening. It is looking good except for the hedge. I may pay my friend's boys to weed it in the next week or so. They can do half each so it will be ready for the edging. I have to weed around the house and the shed which I can do on cool mornings or in the evenings when I water and spray. Won't take me long as I have been picking at them here and there. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday on the quilt yesterday. I used up all my bits and pieces and made three 9 patches. I had to cut fabric to do the border around them and then cut the large squares. All of the blocks are sewn into rows and are draped on the embroidery machine. 

I have started to work on the next batch of 9 patches. I got 8 of the 11 outer parts sewn and cut. I do have the large squares for the 8th row cut out. 

Once I get the pieces all cut out, I will decide if I need to buy more of the blue fabric. I will have to buy it from a store in Ontario. 

I did buy blue fabric that I used in the dog quilt. I will need it either for my next quilt or for more dog quilts I have to make in the future. I also looked at a wide with backing and took a picture of it. The print is very big on it. I think it is too light for the backing on my quilt. It is very pretty though. 

Knitting

I knit while I was waiting for my car to be serviced. I got the leg done on sock #1 and started the leg on sock #2. 

I didn't knit last night as I was tired. 

Thoughts

    My thoughts are all over the place this morning. I really don't know what to think about the escalation of the trade war. All I know is that it will impact businesses and people around the world. I worry about the wild fires in Canada. They have been horrific this year and some are from fires that hid in the ground over the winter and flared up in the hot dry weather. Most have been caused by lightening strikes. It is sad to know that people are loosing their homes to these fires. I am trying not to let all of this rule my thoughts as it isn't good for my mental health. 

    As I have a plan for the yard in place, I am working on the house. The bathroom is almost done and ready for me to decorate. I looked at towels yesterday but the selection was small in that store. I need to go to a larger store and look. I also need to look for a picture or two for the walls. Then it is on to my bedroom of which I do have a plan for it. I am trying not to fret about getting it done in a couple of days. I am doing it slowly as I want to enjoy the process. I will keep moving from room to room doing what I want to do and enjoying myself while doing it. 

    Once my fridge is fixed, I will be focusing on making proper meals for me. I am missing having fresh items as I don't have the room to store them. Next week, I will start looking at recipes and menus. 

Today

I am going to finish cleaning the bathroom this morning. I have to fertilize and water the plants. I also need to spray deer deterrent on the plants the deer love to nibble on. I want to work on quilt today and get as much done as I can. I hope to knit tonight. 

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

Progress On The Quilt

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 24C (humidex 27C). This morning it is cloudy, damp, and 16C. Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of 20C (humidex 25C). 

Lifestyle

It was back to the bathroom to continue cleaning. I got all the walls washed plus the two doors. Then it was into the linen closet to clean and purge it. Items were removed to be donated and items placed on a shelf for the SPCA. One item was put into the garage for the garage sale. The linen closet floor was scrubbed. I was done and really sore thanks to the air pressure going down. All that is left is to scrub the shower and the floor. 

I spent a lot of time trying to ease the pain I was having in my knees and hip and nothing worked. I lived with it pushing on to get things done. 

On my way out to get dinner, I noticed the weeds in the ditch were cut. I looked around and my neighbour's oldest son was weed eating it. My friend, his grandmother, had told him to get over and do it. He actually did a good job of the ditch. I paid him for the job as I had planned to. I think he enjoyed doing it as he was in a good mood. 

I helped daughter-in-law at the hall last night. The curtains were hung and then we set up for a large celebration of life after we did some mopping of the floor and vacuuming of rugs. We were both hot from getting so much done last night as we can't help with sandwiches today. 

After finishing at the hall, daughter-in-law and I planned our trip. We will be going to a yarn shop and having lunch in Moncton, New Brunswick. From there, we will be travelling around the coast to Cape Tormenting where we will cross the bridge to PEI. We will head for Charolettetown where we will do some snoop shopping and have dinner. We will also snoop shop the next morning and have a seafood lunch before heading down to Woody Point to catch the ferry back to Nova Scotia. I am looking forward to this trip. 

Sewing

I did spend the afternoon in the sewing room and finished up the squares for the quilt. I also cut the big squares and laid the quilt on the floor. 

It has turned out better than I thought it would. I have started to sew the blocks in each row together and did get two done. I will finish sewing the rows and then cut and make enough blocks to make it longer. If I still have enough fabric, I will make it wider. I am thinking 60 x 80" with the maximum size being 80 x 80".

Knitting

None done last night as I was out. 

Thoughts

    The soreness I had yesterday was an annoyance. I really wanted to sit but knew I couldn't. It did help moving but I was in a lot of pain all day. I am learning I can't just sit as it does make it somewhat worse when I get up to move. It is better this morning. 

    With the bathroom almost done (tomorrow), I am starting to make a plan for my bedroom. I will be wiping the walls and washing the floor. Once that is done, I will start to decorate it. The quilt and runners will be added once they are made. 

Today

I am out shortly to take the car in for a check up and oil change. Once done, I have some shopping to do and then home. I would like to sew rows of blocks together on the quilt. I hope to knit tonight. 

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