Four Placemat Tops Completed

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 25C (humidex 27C). This morning it is cloudy with showers and 19C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with showers. The high is supposed to get to 25C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I had to go out to pay the water bill and then went to get my prescriptions refilled. The pharmacist and I had a lovely visit. She lives across the street from me. We got caught up on all the news. Her oldest son is at air cadet camp and got to fly a plane this past week. He is going into the Air Force when he graduates in 3 years. 

Once home, I grabbed my gardening tools and was out to pull weeds from the side of the house. This was a harder job as the soil is dry by the house. I had to dig and pull hard to get them out. I slowly worked my way down the side emptying the bin once when it was over full. I kept on going and ended up doing some weeding at the end of the deck. The bin was over flowing when I quit. It was getting warm and I needed something to drink. I was pleased with what I had accomplished in just over an hour. 

Once inside, I had something to drink and sat on the heating pad. I was really sore thanks to the barometric pressuring dropping and some storms floating around. I did rest until noon which was only 30 minutes. 

I also rested later in the afternoon as I was really sore and needed more heat. I cannot figure out where the storms are coming from but they are coming in for sure. 

Sewing

I did push myself downstairs to sew. I had to make 4 flying geese so cut the fabric for them and the ones for the apron. Once I had made the geese for the last placemat, I then started working on the last placemat. I plugged away and got it done by mid afternoon. 

I will sandwich and quilt them when the apron is completed. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night. I had no energy to do much of anything. 

Thoughts

    I have pushed myself weeding and I am tired from it. But I also feel great as I have been outside in the fresh air and can see what I have accomplished. I have 2 more days for sure to get all the weeds out from the front lawn and the back deck area. When the company comes to do weed control I will have them do along the property line really well. 

    Our street has been a hub of activity with people mowing lawns and getting a bunch of yard work done while it was cooler. The people who bought our friend's house has been cleaning up the front yard. It has gone from an au natural look to a more manicured look. I am sure their compost bin is as full as mine is. The pharmacist and her husband have been doing a lot of pruning also which goes into a big pile in their back yard. It is interesting to see what people do in their yards and watch them transform over time. 

    I had to empty the dehumidifier this morning. It is still filling the tank in about 24 hours. I sort of know when it is full as the air feels moist and the house feels warmer than normal. I keep reminding myself we have had a wetter summer this year. 

    My SI joint does not like me weeding as it gets tired and a bit tight. I notice that heat and resting does help it. My muscles are rebelling also but I know they are just getting stronger and will settle down. They get a couple of days rest and then I will be back at it. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet this morning and then go get my prescriptions. I will do housework if I have time and will sew this afternoon. Tonight I need to measure the afghan and decide if I continue knitting or start the border. A quieter day for me.

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

A Very Busy Sunday

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy with the sun shining some in the morning. The high got to 22C (humidex 24C). This morning it is cloudy and 14C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with a chance of showers late this afternoon. The high is to get to 23C (humidex 27C).

Lifestyle

I had a very busy day yesterday. It started out with me cooking the chicken after I had cooked breakfast. It was cooled and put into the fridge. Then it was out the door to start working on the yard. 

I pulled weeds down one side of the driveway. I got a full tub from there and had to stop as I don't do down into the ditch. It is steep and I may not get out of it. After emptying the tub, I started to pull weeds from the lawn. I got quite a section done and filled the tub once again. At that point, I stopped for the day and took stock of what to do next. 

Once inside, I cut vegetables for dinner. They were put into the fridge. I cleaned up the kitchen and then decided I had enough time to go grocery shopping. I'm glad I did as the store was quiet and I was able to get what I needed quickly and then left for home. The groceries were put away and after lunch I folded the laundry. 

In the late afternoon, I cooked rice and made dinner. I have enough food for dinner tonight which was the plan. I also watered all the vegetables. After cleaning up the kitchen, I crashed on the couch. I was tired. 

Sewing

I worked on the placemats again. I cut back the black borders to 1/4" and then cut out the strips for the new borders. I got them sewn on and added the flying geese. By the time I was ready to leave the sewing room, I had 2 placemats sewn. 

I have to cut out 4 more flying geese for the last placemat and then I can make the last placemat. As I have more to do, it will take me most of the afternoon to make. Then it will be on to making the flying geese for the apron. 

I found a table runner that I quite like. I am thinking how to make it for my house. 

Knitting

I knit 9 rows last night and I am going to measure the afghan as it is getting long. It may be close to being finished. 

Thoughts

    The weeding is coming along nicely. It is desperately needed as they are taking over where the lawn has died. I have decided to weed along the side of the house next and then go back to pulling weeds out of the lawn. Once that is done, I would like to get rid of the dead grass so it is ready for seeding this fall. I saw a man using his hoe to remove the dead grass from his lawn and I know I can do that over time. I will try the regular hoe and the dutch hoe to see which one works the best. 

    I am dealing with some thoughts as it is almost 4 years ago that we admitted the Spousal Unit to the hospital. I am trying not to blame myself for what happened but it creeps into my thoughts in August and September. I am more sad more than anything as he didn't get to have a longer and healthy life. I am healing and find I only have these spells a couple of times a year. 

Today

I have to go and pay my water bill and get refills for my prescriptions. Once home I hope to do some weeding along the house. Once inside, I want to do a bit of cleaning. This afternoon I want to finish placemat #4. Tonight I will measure the afghan and make a decision on if I finish it or do more. 

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

Down Memory Lane

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 24C (humidex 26C). This morning it is mainly clear and 12C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 26C (humidex 29C).

Lifestyle

I went down memory lane yesterday. I had to fix a thumb drive on the lap top downstairs and while waiting for it, I opened up a file called "passport" and took a look. I didn't move for an hour. In it was files on 3 of my uncle's siblings which I thought I had lost on my old laptop. They were Middlemore children who were brought from England to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in 1905 and 1906. Another file I opened was pictures and I found some of my dad and his brother, my brother and I, and others. A third file showed pictures of the places we owned since 2000. 

I pulled myself from the computer to get things done. The thumb drive was still being fixed. It was upstairs to marinate chicken and clean the kitchen. I got it done. Dishes were hand washed and the dishwasher was run. 

I was out to have dinner with family last night and we did Italian. Bruschetta for appetizers, spaghetti and meat sauce for the main, and Tiramisu for dessert. It was delicious. After dinner, daughter-in-law showed me a towel she did cross stitch on. 

She had another one with sunflowers on that she couldn't find the instructions for. So it was downstairs we went. I got to see the demolition of the basement. The drop ceiling is down and son has to sort cables out. An interesting mess to say the least. He knows which ones he installed but the others ????

We then went to look for the book of instructions. It ended up being a trip down memory lane. We looked at baby clothes, a Cabbage Patch doll, stuffed animals, and other items that have been stored in tubs. We got to one that was son's stuff. In it was a stamp collection that belonged to both his grandmothers. We dug deeper and found some pictures that we got a laugh about. Son taken while in college. Then we got into something I hadn't seen for years. Sketches that my dad's oldest brother sent to us when I was a child. They were done by Stewart Cameron in 1951 about the Calgary Stampede. I found this picture of them on Ebay. 

I remember that we would look at them very carefully when growing up. My mom gave them to me when she sold the house back in the early 1990's. Two of the prints have been framed and the rest have been carefully store so they wouldn't bend. 

We also found an old VHS tape and son thinks it is of him riding bulls. I don't know if they will have it digitized and put on a thumb drive or not. In the end, we didn't find the booklet so we came upstairs and I left for home shortly after that. 

Once home, I grabbed the weeding tools and my tub and weeded the front of the house. I also pulled some large weeded from the lawn. With that job done, I was ready to come in and rest. My SI joint had been aching all day. 

Sewing

I sewed yesterday and did some adjusting on the first placemat. I cut the black border back to 1/4" and then added the navy blue border to the 4 sides. Next I added the flying geese to the 4th side. I like it a lot better and it will match the apron. It also allowed me to get them the correct size for placemats. 

I sewed 6 more geese blocks together and am ready to start on the next placemat. 

I will cut back the black on this one and then add the blue borders. Then on to the next one. 

Knitting

I knit 4 rows on the afghan last night as that was all the time I had after getting in from weeding. 

Thoughts

    We still have a lot of moisture in the air. I emptied the dehumidifier yesterday afternoon. I got 2.5 days before emptying it. The air is drier as we haven't had rain since Friday afternoon and the next rain is to come tomorrow night. 

    I picked all the ripe tomatoes yesterday. Three of them split and were tossed into the compost bin. I did end up with 5 ripe ones. More are ripening but it will be a few days before they are ready. I also fertilized the cucumber plants they are growing rapidly now and need the extra food. The jalapeño peppers are growing but won't be ready until September. 

    I took Tylenol last night so I would sleep better. I also rolled my hip an SI joint and had several cracks as everything released. I did have a good sleep which was lovely. My SI joint is a bit sore this morning but it is manageable. 

    I wasn't going to weed yesterday but it was really nice outside last night so I did some. I have between 3 and 4 days left to weed around the house and down the driveway. I also want to dig out the big weeds in the front lawn. Though I don't need to do them it gives me something to do outside. I may even get the hedge tackled before late fall.  

Today

I need to fold the laundry, weed some more, and prep for dinner. I want to sew this afternoon and then knit tonight.

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

Twenty Flying Geese Made

 Yesterday was one of sunshine, wind, and rain. The high got to 23C (humidex 25C). This morning is clear and 14C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a chance of showers this afternoon. The high is to get to 24C (humidex 27C).

Lifestyle

I spent a good hour pruning the shrub at the front door. The deer haven't touched it since winter and it was getting wild. I took 4 Rubbermaid dishpans stuffed full of clippings off it. It is now not on the steps or hanging over onto the lawn. I also pulled the remaining weeds around the shrub and down the little sidewalk. 

Once inside, I went down and starched the fabric and panels for the placemats and apron. I pressed them and then hung them on the drying rack out on the deck. 

As I had put fabric out to finish drying, the wind had to come up and blow the smaller pieces off the rack. I did pull them inside about 45 minutes later as they were dry. 

I took out the recycling to the garage and as I was doing that my knees, SI joint, and muscles started to hurt. It was not fun doing things being so sore but I pushed forward wondering what I had one wrong. It was the air pressure dropping I discovered later when I looked out the window to see it raining hard. I sat on heat to get some relief. 

Family was over to see if I wanted to go to New Minas. I declined as I was sore and had been there the day before. I did talk to them for a few minutes. Daughter-in-law has a nasty summer cold and took the afternoon off work. I don't blame her as she needed to rest and get well. 

Sewing

I did sew even if I was sore. I actually took off the slides I was wearing and stood in my sock feet while making flying geese. I decided to do assembly line sewing. I made 5 blocks and ended up with 20 geese. 

As far as my calculations go, I need 5 per placemat with a small piece of the rust added to the top. I am still thinking of having no black strip around the picture as I am doing navy blue binding. 

I will not be adding a border to them but will just quilt the print and bind them. I am keeping them simple. The club they are going to can either auction them off as a set of 4 or with the apron. 

Knitting

I knit 8 rows on the afghan last night. The ball of yarn is getting smaller and smaller or should I say the hole in the middle is getting larger. 

There is a few more nights of knitting left in this ball and then on to the next one.

Thoughts

    I saw 3 hummingbirds at my neighbour's feeder yesterday morning. I was excited to see them there as I have only seen one or two around us. I may have to put out a feeder next year to see if we can attract more. 

    I was shocked to see it raining yesterday afternoon. It was a good down pour but it didn't last long. It also didn't get dark as there were no thunder clouds in our area. There were in other parts of the province. Everything is green and lush with all the rain we've had in the past 4 days. 

    I ate my first ripe tomato off my plants and it was sweet. I also gave one to family to enjoy. I will be picking more tomorrow to share with them. 

Today

I have to go grocery shopping and then will prep dinner when I get home. I also have to clean up the kitchen. I want to sew on the placemats this afternoon and knit tonight. A day off from weeding unless it is just to pull a few weeds if I have time. 

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

A Morning of Fabric Shopping

 Yestereday's weather included sunshine, clouds, rain, thunder, lightening, and some wind. The high got to 25C (humidex 29C). This morning it is clear and 15C. Today is supposed to be similar to yesterday; sunshine, rain, etc. The high is supposed to get to 23C (humidex 26C).

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I was downstairs early to play with the flying geese on the apron. I sent daughter these ideas to choose from. 

I was then out to buy fabric. My first stop was the quilt shop closest to me. I got the navy blue fabric I wanted for the body of the apron. I really didn't look at the fabrics as I needed to get to the other quilt shop. 

At the second quilt shop, I stopped to talk to one of the ladies who is so nice. She told me my bag has been a hit. Two ladies from Ontario voted for it. Another lady voted for it and took a picture of the sea gull block. I am flattered that people like it but still don't think it will win. 

I found the first piece of fabric I wanted. I knew it was in stock. These are for the main part of the flying geese block.

The second fabric was elusive as I think I bought the last of it a while ago. I have 2 meters in my stash for a quilt. My second choice was this one. 

Once these were cut, I looked at a couple of pieces of fabric that caught my eye. I took pictures of them with the dog print but I am thinking of them for me. This one is Cotton Tale Diamond

I also loved this print which goes with the diamonds.

The other print was this one which has a full line to it. It is called Always At My Side and the lovely shade of blue is included in this one also.

I have to say my brain was churning with ideas not only for dog items but for my house. 

After that wonderful visit, I went to Dollarama to pick up some more treats for daughter's dogs and cat. Their Christmas shopping is done. I wanted to get home before it got too warm outside. 

Once home, I put the fabric into the washer and had lunch. I was going to work on the flying geese blocks but it turned dark and thunder was rumbling. I don't sew when it is dark as my room doesn't have the best lighting. 

I got up to check to see if the street light was on as it was so dark. It wasn't. I sat and listened to the thunder rumbling and saw a few flashes of lightening. A few big fat drops of rain started to fall and suddenly the sky opened up and it poured rain for almost 2 hours and then we had rain for at least another hour after that. There was a lot of thunder and we were under a thunderstorm warning. I did read there was flooding in town which is normal with these types of storms. 

I did knit last night and got 7 rows done. 

I woke at midnight to thunder and got up to close the windows and turn on the a/c. The thunder rolled in on another storm and it rained hard for a good hour. 

Thoughts

    I am slowly pulling out weeds every time I go outside. Yesterday I finished weeding the shrub at the front door and then along the front. I still have to go back along the front to get some weeds in the lawn. I also need to prune the shrub. I am picking away at it as every weed pulled is another weed gone. I will slowly get it done. 

    I tracked the storms yesterday and they are coming from the west and are not tropical storms. The temperature dropped 7C in less than an hour. There was no humidex reading after 1 pm. We have had a lot of rain over the last 2 days and I am assuming the water table is high. Everything is lush and green.

Today

I want to trim the hedge this morning. When done, I will do some cleaning in the house. I want to start sewing flying geese blocks this afternoon. I hope to knit tonight. 

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

More Designing, More Ideas

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 25C (humidex 28C). This morning it is clear and 14C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a chance of showers late this afternoon. The high is supposed to get to 25C (humidex 30C).

Lifestyle

It was osteopathy day and I was at Sackville for a 10 am appointment. I was perfectly aligned with equal weight on both feet -- a first for me. She found some tight muscles and worked on them. There was pain as expected as they needed to relax.  I am slowly improving which is nice.

Once done, I went into shop in Sackville. My first stop was Dollarama. I walked the aisles looking for items to tuck away for Christmas. I got daughter's dogs and cats some treats and her another towel and some cloths for washing dishes. A good start on Christmas shopping. 

My next, and last, stop was at the grocery store. I got a few groceries and left. It was time to go home. I was starting to feel the effects of osteopathy. 

At home, I had some watermelon and promptly fell asleep on the couch. I wasn't surprised as these treatments can do that to me. I am also still getting over the heat wave we had. 

I did take out the garbage last night and enjoyed the lovely weather. I pulled weeds around the bush by the front door and I need to trim it back. The deer haven't touched it this summer and it has grown a lot. 

I have tomatoes that are ripening and am looking forward to eating them. 

I have more baby cucumbers and am hoping they will grow quickly. 

Sewing

I did go downstairs to work on the apron. I cut out the bottom border print. I sprayed some starch on it and gave it a good pressing. 

The top seam allowance is 1/4" and the bottom is 5/8". 

I then turned my attention to the panel I had dug out and I am going to cut them pieces apart. The 4 outer ones will become placemats and the inner one will be put away for another project. 

Carol, I love your suggestion of running the flying geese vertically. I will be playing with that before I go fabric shopping this morning. Thank you for the suggestion. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night. 

Thoughts

    The sky was gorgeous yesterday. A beautiful blue with puffy white clouds floating around. There was no sign of the humidity haze which was lovely. Though it was quite warm outside, it didn't bother me at all. I enjoyed my time outside when shopping, watering the vegetables, and picking some weeds. 

    I had the windows opened all night and the house is cool and smells really nice. I opened the back door this morning so more cool air can come in. I love these kinds of mornings and have been grateful that we had quite a few of them this summer. 

    My next door neighbour has 2 bird baths in their backyard. I enjoy watching the red winged blackbirds bathing and drinking in them. She has done a lot of work in the backyard this summer as she was off work for a good 6 weeks. It is a lot of maintenance but she is keeping up with it. 

Today

I am going to get the fabrics for the apron and placemats this morning. Once home, I will launder the fabrics and cut out the placemats. If I have time, I will start making the flying geese. I hope to knit tonight. I have to water all the plants due to the heat we are supposed to have. 

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

More Design Work On The Apron

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with one heavy rainfall in the afternoon. The high got to 26C (humidex 33C). This morning it is clear and 17C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 27C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle

I started the morning out by putting the sheets into the laundry and then cut up the chicken breast for dinner. It had to marinate in a soya sauce mixture for the day. I then proceeded to clean the kitchen and do the dishes I had used. I also decided to make a bowl of jello with peaches in it. By that time, it was time to put the sheets into the dryer and finish cleaning up. The kitchen looked neat and tidy when I got done. 

My knees started to hurt shortly after lunch. I pushed through the pain but wondered why as I had done nothing out of the ordinary. Just after 4 pm, I knew. It started to rain; a light rain that turned into a down pour. You could hear it coming down inside the house. It was so heavy that water was running down the driveways onto the road and cars were going through deep channels of water. It lasted about 20 minutes and it was done. It certainly made me sore as the storm built up. I also stood in the window and watched the rain fall. 

Sewing

I did spend quite a while in the sewing room working on the apron. I made more flying geese and got them put together. I added an almost square piece to each end and pinned it in place. I kept moving it down as I felt it was too high. 

The dark pieces at each end will be the same colour as the apron body. This was done in scraps to help me figure out what I needed to do with the flying geese border. 

Daughter wanted a second border with the dogs on it. I dug out the fabric and showed her what it would look like. 

Now that we know it will go on to the apron, I will cut it out. I had used a piece of it for something last year and what is left of that piece is the perfect width for the apron. 

Next up was to figure out what fabrics to use for the apron body and the flying geese. For the flying geese, I wanted blue for the sky and threw this orange piece on for the geese. I also put on a piece of tan coloured fabric which we will not be using. We are not sure about the orange piece but it stays for now. 

Next came the body fabrics. The first choice was out the window so I put these two onto the table. 

The plaid is one choice and the print could be the geese though it is quite dull. I then put a piece of dark blue down for the apron body. It is the 2nd choice of which daughter now has to choose. 

With those choices on the table, I then thought about how to make the apron. It is unlined but I will have to line this one. I flipped ideas through my brain and finally decided on how to do it. Easy when you think about it. I will cut out and make the outer apron. The lining will be a plain apron. I will sew it together at the sides and bottom. The top can be done as per instructions and the facings will be added to the upper side sections so the tie can go through them. 

Next on the list is to get what fabric we need, wash it, spray starch it lightly, and then start cutting and sewing the apron. I am not worrying about the flying geese as I only have 10 to make. Better than the 50 to 100 I would have to make for a quilt. 

Knitting

I did knit on the afghan last night. I got 7 rows done and the colour is changing once again. 

Thoughts

    I have 4 or 5 tomatoes almost ripe and I will be picking them soon. They will be shared with family. There are a lot more tomatoes turning a pale green which means they are getting ready to turn red. If they all ripen, it will be a bumper crop for those 2 plants. 

    Our weather is going to cool off at nights which will be nice. I love having the windows open all night and not having to turn the a/c on until noon or a bit later. We can still have another round or 2 of the hot humid weather but it shouldn't last as long as this one did. 

Today

I am out for osteopathy this morning and then will decide if I will do a bit of shopping or not. It depends on how I feel after the treatment. I have to figure out what I want for dinner tonight and I would like to play with the apron some more this afternoon. I will knit tonight. 

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