A Block Is Made

 Yesterday started out sunny and then was cloudy with rain. The high got to 25C (humidity was 28% the lowest I've seen). This morning it is clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 22C. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning with emptying the dishwasher and tidying up the kitchen. It wasn't dirty but I was thinking about what I wanted to do in the room. 

My next job was to start cleaning the dining area. I stopped procrastinating about the minutes and typed them up. All that is put away and the table was cleaned. I also cleaned the server and another side table in the area. I then started to play with items to put on the shelves at the end of the cupboards. Round 1 of playing is done. 

I like the pieces I have up on the shelves but it needs something more. I want to buy some greenery for the pot and something else for each shelf. I may stagger the items also. I am on the look out for items when I shop. 

My tomatoes looked a bit droopy yesterday afternoon due to the wind. I gave all the vegetables a good drink of water. The wind was blowing and had dried the pots out more than I had thought. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday afternoon. It was a marathon of sewing tiny pieces. I did fix the piece that was going the wrong direction. I had to cut other pieces as I couldn't find them. I had to redo the feet but in the end I got a block. 

I spent a lot of time measuring what I needed for the sides, top, and bottom. I cut out the pocket pieces and got one bottom piece cut. I then cut out the pieces I needed for the block. It is sewn together but no picture was taken. I literally staggered out of the sewing room exhausted from all the math. 

I have to buy .5 meter of the blue fabric for another pocket piece and then I can proceed to do the pockets once I make the piping. Once that is done, the rest of the bag should go quickly. 

Knitting

None done last night. 

Thoughts

    Daughter is feeling much better with the protection order. She was tired yesterday and spent her spare time researching more about what can happen next. She needs to ask some questions which I am sure she will be doing. 

    The storm that blew in late yesterday afternoon was wonderful. The temperature dropped 8C in 2 hours. It wasn't a heavy downpour but more of a good rain. I am sure lawns will turn a bit greener with it. We have more rain coming tomorrow night and Sunday. And more showers next week. 

    It is busy on our street this morning. There are dump trucks taking away dirt. There is a road going into the property behind the houses across the road from me. We knew there would be a road there but we didn't think it would happen this soon. It is going to be noisy for an undetermined amount of time. 

    In the kitchen I am trying to add colour. It is so  plain without any colour or pictures. I am not doing artsy as I don't like "clutter". I think I am trying to soften it up a bit. I have some ideas in my head. At the moment I am focusing on the shelves. The one big thing I am trying to do is be able to be able to clean the kitchen easily. At the moment I can clean the kitchen quickly. 

Today

I am heading out the New Minas to get the fabric I need and to do some snoop shopping. I have a couple of things to look for. I want to sew on the Market Tote pockets this afternoon and I should pick up my knitting tonight. 

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

Many Tiny Pieces

 Yesterday started out cloudy, smoky, and muggy and ended up windy and sunny. The high got to 29C (humidex 31C). This morning it is sunny with a lovely breeze and 18C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of showers this morning. The high is to get to 26C (humidex 29C).

Lifestyle

I sat and looked at the smoky sky and realized that I had to go grocery shopping whether I wanted to or not. I did go and get the items I needed. I was very careful not to get trigger foods though I do know that eating healthy will have some fructose in it. I can avoid red meat for now but know I can have some later on. 

Once home, I put everything away. I portioned the chicken breasts and froze them. I found some salmon bits shopping so portioned them out and put them into the freezer also. I gave the counters a good cleaning and got all the garbage ready to go out later in the afternoon. 

As I worked in the kitchen, I thought about how to decorate it so it isn't so minimal. I sat down and did some thinking about what I want to buy for in there. I did some searching and need to take a trip to Ikea and a few other stores. I am going to make it a challenge for August. 

I noticed the wind came up and blew out most of the smoke. It was still muggy but not as bad as it had been. When I watered the plants it was quite warm but tolerable. I did read that we are creeping towards the moderate drought level. We really need rain. 

Sewing

I bought the seagull quilt block pattern and read through it carefully. A lot of tiny pieces needed to be cut. So I cut them out. All 21 pieces. I started to sew them and realized quite quickly I needed to cross reference each piece twice and have 2 small rulers out so I could measure the pieces. I started sewing and I was really careful when piecing. I actually glued the tiny pieces together at one corner so they wouldn't slip. I did step one and got a head and a beak. 

I see I have to recut one piece as the water is going the wrong way. Job #1 today. Grumble, grumble. This is what happens when you use directional fabric. 

I then worked on step 2. I got it done also. I also used glue to hold the tiny pieces in place. It is a good thing that I sewed that doll's skirt as I was in tiny pieces mode. 

At that point I stopped for the day. I had been cutting and sewing for over 3 hours. My brain was fried. I tidied up the sewing room and left. It was actually time to start cooking dinner. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night. I wasn't in the mood to handle the afghan after a muggy humid day. 

Thoughts

    I texted a lot to daughter yesterday. She had to leave work and head in to get a protection order to keep her ex off the property. It went well but she was rattled as he broke in to the garage and she had to call the police. I noticed that I relaxed a lot after she got the order. 

    I found another gout bump on my thumb. It is a bit tender so I will have to monitor it. I am going to have to get medication for this though I had hoped I wouldn't. The pain from the gout in my toe is almost gone. I didn't need this new bump. I also realize that I have had small attacks of gout for a very long time. I thought it was something else so I ignored it. 

    I am watching some little birds chase a crow. The crow is annoyed but is being persistent in remaining near the neighbour's garbage bags. As it is garbage collection day, the crows and ravens love to be on the streets finding any free pickings. 

Today

I am going to work in the dining area of my house. I need to get the clutter under control once again. I want to sew on the seagull block this afternoon and I hope to knit tonight. 

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

Two Projects Done

 Yesterday was cloudy and wet in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. The high got to 26C (humidex 33). This morning it is cloudy, muggy and 21C (humidex 28C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 27C (humidex 32C).

The sun was a red ball in the sky this morning. It read there is smoke high in the air from wildfires in Ontario.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I got the sheets from my bed in the washer. I then got my tools, WD40, and the ladder and worked on one of the closet doors where the washer and dryer is kept. It was hard to open. The closing mechanism at the top of the door was raised up so I fixed it and gave the mechanism a shot or 6 of WD40. It worked perfectly after that. I repeated the process on one of the doors to the closet in my bedroom. I still have one door left to do. 

My next job was to clean the outside of all the appliances and give the kitchen a bit of a wipe down. I then vacuumed the floor. Rosie the Robot is doing a good job of vacuuming. I then mopped the floor to remove all the grime. In actual fact Rosie is not the best mopper in the world but I am not replacing her yet. She does the job and I am not sure which one I want to buy for upstairs. Rosie would go downstairs. 

I watered the plants late in the afternoon and two of the pepper plants are in bloom. I was surprised at how fast the buds came out. The cucumbers are growing rapidly and the tomatoes have lots of fruit on them. 

Sewing

I finished the skirt yesterday and when I went to make the tie, I found a mistake. The pattern piece says to cut one on the fold where you need 2. I had to cut out the ties using the blouse pattern. I didn't have enough of the skirt fabric left. 

It is very labour intensive but the end result is really nice. I have put the pattern pieces away so I can make it again. 

I had enough time left to do a small challenge. I took the left over fabric from the purse and made 2 potholders for the kitchen. This was a lot of fun and in the end I really like them. 

I spent a lot of time cutting the fabric on the stripes so everything was even. It is printed slightly off grain. I am so glad I did this step as I like how it looks.

I don't have any more of the blue fabric so will buy some more of it or a darker shade of blue later this month. I want to make a few items for the kitchen out of this combination. I will make it into another challenge project. I have to say I enjoy these challenges a lot as it makes me think outside the box when using up the leftover fabric I have. 

Knitting

I knit 6 rows on the afghan last night. I have to take out a few stitches as I literally used up to the last 2" of the yarn. 

I measured it and it is roughly 34" long. I am ready to get out the next ball of yarn and see how long it will be when I finish it. 

Thoughts

    I am so glad that I am not babysitting a fridge this summer. The new fridge is wonderful and I expect the old one was dying long before I realized it. The only item I have to replace in the kitchen is the microwave and I am deciding if I want a hood vent over the stove and a microwave on the counter or if I will replace it with what I have. I would eliminate a microwave from the kitchen but I use it almost every day. 

    I was talking to my neighbour yesterday afternoon. They have a cat who wants to be outside all the time. They have a tracker on her so they can keep track of her. She loves the back yard and hasn't tried to escape from it yet. They have another indoor cat that has no desire to be outside. Though I miss Elliott, I am glad I didn't get another cat. 

    The dehumidifier wasn't running when I went downstairs to sew. I thought it was full but the house was at 35% humidity. I decided to empty the tank and it was almost full. I am sure it will be working overtime today as it is humid outside. 

    I woke last night to the house being hot. I had opened the windows to help cool it off during the night. I closed the windows and turned on the a/c. I had a cough and now realize it is from the smoke in the air. We need a good breeze right now to get rid of the smoke. It looks eerie out there. 

Today

I need to go grocery shopping this morning. Once home I will start cleaning the dining area. I need to water all the plants this morning. I want to start sewing the bag this afternoon. Tonight I hope to knit. It certainly is not an outside day for me.

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

The Skirt Is Almost Done

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 28C (humidex 30C). This morning it is cloudy with a bit of rain and 16C. Today could have some showers this morning, a mix of sun and clouds and a high of 28C (humidex 33C). 

Lifestyle

I started the morning off cleaning out the fridge and freezer. I got rid of a few things and sorted everything. The freezer was gone over quite hard and I got rid of a few things I won't be eating. I did keep a few things to eat once in a while. 

I prepped the chicken for dinner and got it marinating in the fridge for the day. After cleaning up that, I chopped peppers and onions and put them in the fridge. Prepping for dinner was done as all I had to make was the sauce prior to starting dinner. I cleaned the kitchen thoroughly after prepping as I am trying to keep it clean all the time now. 

The last job of the morning was to fold laundry and put it away. It took a bit of time as it was a larger load. I got it put away and was happy that job was done. 

Mid afternoon I took a break and watered all my plants. It was warm outside so I took it easy while doing the job. The plants are all doing well. The flowers have finally decided to bloom which is nice. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday and worked on the skirt. The hardest part was the belt loops. Folding 1.25" long pieces that are .25" wide down to 5/8" was a lot of work. I ended up using some glue to hold the ends in place. I have 3 of the 5 loops sewn on. The skirt is basically done except for the 2 loops in the front and the hem. 

The pockets have no decorative stitching on them. I did get the top stitching close to the edge which was a feat unto itself. 

I will make this skirt again but not right away. It has a lot of steps to it and takes a lot of time to make. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got 6 rows done. I enjoyed having my hands busy last night. 

Thoughts

    I followed the recommendations for what to eat to avoid another gout attack. I am back to eating chicken, turkey, and salmon. I had deviated to red meat as I was tired of the above. Now to find some more recipes for poultry and salmon. I looked into the fruit cups I eat on occasion and I am going to avoid them for a while. The juice can cause uric acid in the system. The other thing I did was drink more fluids to help eliminate uric acid from my system. 

    I did take Tylenol and rubbed Voltaren on my sore joint. It helped with the pain which subsided over the day. This morning most of the pain is gone and the swelling has gone down quite a bit. On the plus side, I wasn't tired yesterday. I actually had energy to do more things than I have had for about a week now. 

    I stepped out onto the patio this morning and was surprised by some big drops of rain landing on me. I took the shade off the cucumber plants as the transplanted one is doing well. I can cover it quickly if it needs to have some shade. I now need to get the plants fertilized. 

Today

I have laundry to do and will do more cleaning in the kitchen. I have to clean the outsides of the appliances and mop the floor. I also need to start tidying up and cleaning the dining area. I would love to finish the doll's skirt today and do a small project using some fabric from the scrap bin. I want to knit tonight. 

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

A Change of Plans

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

Lifestyle

I started the balance sheet and was about 2/3's of the way through when I got a call from daughter-in-law. I was to pick up son and help at the hall. All the chairs, tables, etc had to be put up on the stage and in one bathroom as the wood floors are going to be redone. We worked as a team and I even got the curtains off and put away. Daughter-in-law had done a lot of work before we arrived. We were done in good time and I headed home. 

At home, I finished the balance sheet, did my stats, and put it away. Only problem I had was not entering one number. I found it quickly and everything balanced. 

After lunch I wanted to rest but I had more things to do. I cleaned the kitchen. It was cluttered with stuff left on counters as I was away 2 days. I tackled the clutter first and then started cleaning. I did every surface and even did the dishes that I needed to do. I ended the session taking out the garbage and recycling. 

One of my big toes hurts like crazy and I figured out I probably have gout. I have to deal with it. I can't take the medications recommended as I have lower kidney function. I am going to be monitoring my diet by eliminating red meat which I have been eating way too much of since November. I am also going to eat cherries which I do love. What I thought was me bruising my toe is more than that. I will talk to the doctor when I see him in 3 weeks. Getting an appointment with him earlier will probably not happen as he is booked full months in advance. 

I looked out the window just now and saw a bit of red. It is a red winged blackbird in my neighbour's yard. There are quite a few at the pond in The Crossing. He and the starlings are feasting on grubs in the yard. The birds are very active starting around 5 am. They are chirping and flying around until it gets warm. 

I did not sew yesterday as I was tired and kept myself busy upstairs cleaning the mess I had made. I didn't knit last night as I was too tired. 

Thoughts

    On my way to pick up son, a cat sauntered across the road. I have never seen a cat with markings like it. The body was white with one small patch of black/orange hair. Its head and tail were black and orange. It seems to be a Turkish Van cat breed. 

    My Fitbit is working well and it now has all the features that my old one had. I like having it on as I use it as a watch more than anything else. I do look at my stats each morning as it helps me understand my health and what I need to do each day. 

Today

I am going to clean the fridge and freezer this morning. It is time to tackle them. I still have to fold the laundry which will be done also. And lastly, I will prep for my dinners for tonight and tomorrow night. This afternoon I want to sew on the doll's skirt and, if I am not too tired, I will try to knit tonight. My big goal of the day is to drink more fluid. I noticed I am not drinking enough. 

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

Progress On The Doll's Skirt

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 25C (humidex 27). This morning it is mainly clear and 13C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 26C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I went back to New Minas with daughter-in-law yesterday. Our first stop was Giant Tiger. I bought 2 tops and a smoked sausage. All were great deals. 

Next up we went to Home Depot to get weed killer. The store manager and another man went looking for it when we and another person could not find it. We waited quite a while before they let us know that the stock they said they had wasn't there or in the storage can. Customer service was great even though we left empty handed. 

Our last stop was grocery shopping at Walmart. I got a few more things and need to use them up before I buy anything more. Daughter-in-law did her weekly grocery shopping. 

We got home at noon and it was a wonderful time out with her. I was a bit tired but ate lunch and pushed on. 

The cucumber I transplanted is doing well. I have it under a shade so the sun won't burn it. I have one more to transplant. I did water them and the flowers yesterday. Everything is growing though all seems to be later this year due to the cold spring and the cool nights we are having. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon sewing on the doll's skirt. Each pleat is stitched twice. I stitched as close to the edge as possible. I then spent time cutting out the facings using left over fabric from the blouse I have to make. I pressed the bottom edges up and hand basted them in place. I pressed the pockets which are tiny and painful to get right. They are pinned onto the back of the skirt and the back facing is pinned on. I am ready to do some hand basting and sewing. 

I keep the pattern pieces either pinned on to the fabric or near me when sewing Doll Joy patterns. It is like a puzzle and it helps keep me organized. Each piece has numbers at the corners which tells you which pieces go together. 

I am hoping to get this skirt done in the next 2 days as I need to start the bag for the contest. I will be working slowly on it so I do a really good job. 

Knitting

None done last night though my shoulder is now pain free. 

Thoughts

    My Fitbit arrived and I charged it up. I am wearing it and am happy to have it on once again. This Fitbit does not show sleep or readiness scores on the watch face but it does transfer it to the app. I am okay with that as I only look at those features on the app. The ones I do check show on the Fitbit. 

    I did have a poor night's sleep. I woke up suddenly just before 11 pm thinking about something and had to get up and look for it. I took a long time to go back to sleep. I will be monitoring myself today though I do not want to have a nap. I will push through so I sleep better tonight. 

    I have been out two days in a row and I see clutter showing up in my house. I have to spend this morning getting things back in order so I can just do resets each day. I find it amazing how fast clutter shows up if I don't deal with it on a daily basis. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet and then clean the kitchen. I need to fold and put away laundry and take out some recycling. Once that is done, I want to sew this afternoon. I hope to knit tonight if my shoulder is not sore. 

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

Doll Joy Skirt Started

 Yesterday was a day of showers until late afternoon when the clouds left and the sun shone. The high got to 23C at 7 pm last night. This morning it is foggy and 15C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a small chance of showers this afternoon. The high is supposed to get to 25C (humidex 27C).

Lifestyle

I spent way too much time trying to get my Fitbit to work as it would make a charging noise and then the screen would not turn on. It was syncing with my phone. I stopped, thought, and ordered a new one with extended warranty. 

It was late when I left for New Minas but I decided I wanted to go and have some time away from the house. My first stop was the quilt shop and I got what I needed there. 

My next stop was Walmart for groceries. I got a few things and left for Canadian Tire. The traffic was getting heavy so I knew I had to leave town as it would get worse. At Canadian Tire I got a new solar light and 3 cans of spray starch. I left town and was happy to be on the road. 

I stopped at the other quilt shop on the way home. I needed interfacing and they carry the two types I like. I also got a new brand to see how it works. 

As it wasn't raining out, I put the new solar light where the nonworking one was and put the non working on into the cucumber container. Last night the non working one had a faint light so I am going to work on it again to see if I can save it. While doing that, I transplanted one cucumber plant over to the container that only one cucumber plant in it. It seems to have survived the transplanting as it has perked up this morning. Time will tell if it makes it. I would like to transplant one more into the container tonight but will have to shade it tomorrow as it is going to be hot.

I was out to dinner at family's last night. We had a chicken dish with pasta and spinach. It is delicious and I got some for dinner tonight. We watched a video on chicken farming in the Philippines and the fellow who owns the operation attended Acadia University which is close to where I live. It was an interesting video. 

Sewing

At the quilt shop in New Minas, I bought the fabrics for the bag I will make for their contest. I have one fabric and needed 3 more. 

I have the striped one and got the two that look like water and sand and the small bit you can see that is pebbles. The pebble fabric will be piping. 

It is a contrast fabric between the stripe and the blue fabric. The sand fabric will be the lining. I just have to buy the sea gull quilt block and I can begin. 

I decided to work on the Doll Joy skirt yesterday afternoon. I brought up the pattern and read the first few instructions. It was all about pressing under the back waist band, front yoke and skirt hems. I skipped the pockets and will do them today. I wanted to do the pleats on the front of the skirt as I was into that. I did get them all pressed and am ready to start the stitching of them.

I have to dig in the scrap bin to find fabric to cut out the yoke and back waistband facings. I hope I have enough of the blue or the blouse fabric for it. This is a challenge project of using up scraps. 

Knitting

None done last night.

Thoughts

    I did enjoy my trip to New Minas yesterday. I have decided I should do one trip a week somewhere so I can get out of the house. I have some areas I will explore in the fall but want to go to do some shopping this summer. I have ideas brewing in my head. It is time to start snoop shopping for Christmas. I can look, I can buy, and I can enjoy some time outside of the house. 

    My new Fitbit will be here today. The old one is still syncing with the app and tells me the battery is at 30%. I bet it will work when the new one arrives. This is how my luck runs. 

Today

I am off shortly to New Minas (again) with daughter-in-law. We are doing stores I didn't go to yesterday and having some fun time together. Once home I will sew on the doll's skirt. I have been invited to go into the city tonight to watch soccer but am undecided. I do enjoy watching this team play as it is the group grandson played with. 

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