Balancing Life

 Yesterday was sunny and warm. The high got to 21C (7 pm). This morning it is clear and 8C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 28C. 

Lifestyle

I had a busy morning. I was out to get groceries for the dinner at the hall tonight. Then it was over to family's to take the meat out of the fridge to warm up prior to it going into the smoker. I got home and put the tomatoes out on the deck so they could enjoy the sunshine. 

I folded laundry and got it all put away and decided that I wanted to see what they had for tomato cages for pots. It was off to Dollarama as they can have some unique things there in their gardening center. 

I wandered the store a bit and found a few things I needed. A jug for flavoured water as I have a nice collection of Crystal Lite from Montevideo. I found what I wanted for the tomatoes and got daughter the mini greenhouse pots I use to start cucumbers in. I also found a lovely checkered dish towel for her. I saw a few things I am thinking about getting for the living quarters in her horse trailer. 

I stopped at family's on the way home to return something and had a late lunch. I did put together the cages for the tomatoes and got them outside. 

I draped a blanket over them to keep the sun off the tender plants. 

I know I have to buy 2 bigger pots for tomatoes next year. These ones are one size too small. 

I was out after dinner to help daughter-in-law take everything to the hall for dinner. It is easier if we both do the job as it is less trips in. 

Sewing

I hand sewed the binding down on the mug rug and am not happy with it. I have stitches showing on the front. I will take out the parts that show and restitch them. 

My idea of making items for daughter's horse trailer came from the tea towel I found. One is buy her 3 pint size jars with lids and make fabric toppers for them. I would fill the jars or include items like coffee, sugar, etc. I would buy her a basket to put them into along with the tea towel, matching mug rug, and a couple of items I still need to think and find. 

Knitting

I did get to knit last night and knit 6 rows. The blanket is growing and I am loving how the ombre looks. 

Thoughts

    I was on the verge of exhaustion yesterday and almost allowed myself to nap. I didn't and I did have a good sleep last night. I do feel better this morning and hope that I can sleep well for a couple of nights. 

    Daughter got some free advice from a retired paralegal and she has a bunch of homework to do. The advice is great and she needs to spend an hour a day working on the list. She also knows her rights and now can mediate at a more efficient level. Her situation is not uncommon and this lady has seen it all in her many years of work. 

    I got my level of protein up to 100 grams yesterday. I read labels, weighed food, and calculated everything. It has given me a baseline to work on every day. I did add some carbs and I had a snack of tomatoes in the afternoon. Today will be difficult as I eat dinner at the hall and I usually don't eat a lot. 

    Along with adding enough protein, I am back to loosing weight. Portion control, no unnecessary snacking, and tracking is helping me. I have set mini goals and hope to attain them. Keeping trigger and inflammatory foods out of the house seems to be helping my joints be less sore. Do I have food noise in my mind? Yes I do and I have to do some self talking to get past it. 

Today

I am going to do a few things this morning and afternoon but am going to make sure I don't over do it as I will be out from 3:30 to 7:30 pm working the dinner. I may do some sewing this afternoon and knit tonight. 

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

Mug Rug is Ready for Hand Sewing

 Yesterday was a mix of sun, clouds, winds, and showers. The high got to 17C. This morning it is foggy and 6C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 22C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning was very busy. I did 2 loads of laundry and cleaned my bedroom. It wasn't dusty but I wanted to do it. I dusted, swept, vacuumed, and washed the floor. I made the bed later in the afternoon and was pleased with out clean it smelled last night. 

Once that was done, I took out the recycling and put it into its proper bins. On the way back in from the garage I grabbed my gardening gloves and a trowel. I was going to transplant the tomatoes. I did the job outside in the sunshine and when they were in their big pots, I gave them a cup of sugar water to help them in case they had a bit of transplant shock. 

When the wind came up, I put them under the table. I brought them in last night as there was a risk of frost. They are sitting on a mat at the back door waiting to go out this morning. 

Sewing

I did not allow myself to sew or cut the bag yesterday. I was tired. Instead I hand sewed the heart block onto the inside of the bag. 

I see I need to be more precise with the block on the contest bag. This one isn't bad but there is room for improvement. 

I decided to fold some of the fabrics on the shelf. I used a 6.5 x 24" ruler to fold them and I do like how they look but am not sure how I would store them. The cube doesn't look like it will fit in the closet as I had hoped.

The pile on the right is all the Christmas fabric I own, the middle fabric is yardage I handled, and the left fabric is .25 meters of grey fabrics. 

This is a pile of scraps I handled. I still have lots to deal with and will work on it slowly. 

My question at this time is how to handle scraps. They are the hardest to keep looking neat and tidy. 

I did make a mug rug out of some the of bag scraps. It took no time at all to make. I just need to hand stitch the binding down. 

I still have scraps of this fabric to sew up and the bits will go into the trash. The group I gave my extra fabric to has disbanded. 

Knitting

I did knit 4 rows last night and spent the whole time counting so I wouldn't make a mistake. 

I am loving how it is going from dark to light. It is a loose knit but I am okay with that. It is for the couch and to throw over me when I get cold. 

Thoughts

    I was tired yesterday and I had to be careful with what I did and ate. My energy was low and I lacked in sleep due to worry. I stumbled several pieces of information stating I need about 100 grams of protein a day. I wondered if I was getting enough. I'm not. Some days I do get enough protein in one meal. I have a few things to change in my diet to up my protein. One thing that surprised me was how much protein 3 oz of chicken has. More than beef. 

    I have done 2 days of portion control and eating healthy. I have noticed some changes. Though I do crave sweets, I can avoid them. I notice that I am slowly having less joint pain. The inflammation is going down some and I can do more with less pain. I am also not fighting sugar highs and lows during the day. One may say 2 days isn't enough but I am feeling the change slowly. 

Today

I have to go shopping for the catered dinner tomorrow night and then take out the roast to warm up so it can into the smoker at noon. I need to fold laundry and try to sew this afternoon. I will knit tonight. 

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

I Didn't Sew Much

 Yesterday was mainly sunny and warm. The high got to 16C. This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds (rained not too long ago) and 7C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun, clouds, and rain with a high of 16C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to make sandwiches at the community hall yesterday morning. It was fun and we got done in good time. I came home at around 9:30 am and sat down to do the balance sheet  so I could close the month of May. I went to log into my online account and I was locked out of it. I phoned and gave them the code. I had to update my system. I did that and successfully logged in. I got the balance sheet done in record time. I had a low spend month but not as low as the previous months. 

Once the balance sheet was done, I took back the sandwich making supplies to family's and then came home to type up the minutes of the meeting last week. They are done and ready for me to read again today. Then print and send to the president. 

I visited my friend in the afternoon. I had to take over the 9 fabric bins for her cube unit. She will be using them when she moves. We had a great visit with her talking about her plans when she gets to her new condo. She is burnt out from volunteering here so will not be doing that again. She wants to enjoy her sewing, make a few quilts for the NIC unit, and sew her sister's quilt kits up. She wants to be free to do as she wants with no commitments like she had here. I don't blame her as I know it has taken a toll on her this past year. 

Sewing

I finished putting the binding onto the heart block and pinned it onto the inside of the bag. I didn't take a picture as I was rushing out the door. I will once it is hand sewn down. 

My goal with the left over fabric from the bag is to make a couple of mug rugs and maybe a small zippered bag which will let me try out a new technique. The small zippered bag will be gifted. 

Knitting

I knit on the afghan last night and completed 4 rows. No picture as it has only grown by an inch. 

I need to get up the yarn and needles for the doll's sweater I want to make. I just need to remember to bring it up when I leave the sewing room. 

Thoughts

    It was so nice to have a sunny warm day. I enjoyed it so much after so many dull, dreary, and cold days we have had. With warmer days in the forecast, I am going to plant my tomatoes outside in their pots. I can either cover them or bring them in if it looks like we could get frost. Same with the pepper plants. 

    I had a poor night's sleep last night so will have to monitor myself carefully today. I will have to make sure I am eating properly, moving about doing things and resting if I need to. My poor night's sleep was the result of talking to daughter as she was stressed over the next part of mediation. She has calmed down, responded professionally to the mediator, and will sit and wait for the next step. 

    The house across the road from me has an offer pending on it. Another house across from family's also has an offer on it. I had thought the market was flat but it isn't. These two houses have been on the market less than 45 days which is great. We will see what they get for them which will tell if the price has remained stable or dropped a bit. 

Today

I have to do laundry and clean my bedroom today. I want to plant the tomatoes this morning so they can get use to being outside on a cooler day. I want to hand sew the heart onto the tote and make some items from the scraps. I don't want to sew the tote while I am tired. I hope to knit tonight. 

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

Progress On The Bag

 Yesterday was another grey misty day with a high of 10C. This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 5C (4C at 5 am). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 15C. 

Lifestyle

I was texting with daughter about a funeral she has to attend when daughter-in-law texted asking if I would come and help her with the fillings for sandwiches. I was over there for the morning mixing them and learning how to do it for the next time. I cut my hand a blade but was really successful when I used the mandolin to cut the cucumbers. I got home at noon. 

I picked up my friend and we went to family's for dinner. It was a curry chicken with pasta, a bun, and salad. It was delicious. After dinner we watched two shows on Indian food cooking. We learned a few things we can use in our cooking. I got home about 8 pm after dropping my friend off. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon sewing on the bag. I sewed the handles into a tube and turned them. The webbing was inserted and top stitched. I then marked the bag where the handles were to go and sewed them down. 

I had googled how to do the X in the square and I had success in doing all 4 of them. 

I put the bag on the chair to look at it. I am pleased with it. 

Next up was to make a 6" square. I found a heart block that seemed to be simple to make.

It was a bit of a challenge as the fabric is slippery. But I got it made. The next challenge was how to attach it to the quilt. The block was too big for the front (or was it) so I decided to attach it to the lining. I took some strips of fabric that I had miss and pressed in half wrong sides together. I cut them down so the finished edge was 1/4". I sewed one to the top and pinned it on to the lining.

The binding gives the block a finished edge and it will allow me to appliqué it into place (better known as hand sewing). When the binding is all on, I will pin it onto the front of the bag and see if I like it or not. Once the heart is appliquéd on, I will then quilt the purple fabric. Straight lines which will be 1" apart.

While making this bag, I know I can do quilt as you go on the bag for the contest. I know I will make a 6" seagull block and bind it to appliqué down. I am still working on the piping and where it will go. Ideas are floating in my head. 

Knitting

I knit one row and had to unknit it. I did my own pattern as I was not paying attention to what I was doing. 

Thoughts

    I am starting again this month on what I will do and not do. It is self care for me with hopes that if I push myself I can move forward happier and calmer. I started yesterday by eating healthier. I sewed on the bag which I really am enjoying and knit on the blanket. I had less social media time which kept me from sitting on the couch and vegetating. 

    I am really paying attention to the videos I am watching on YouTube. Three in particular jumped out at me. All three repeat the same thing over and over again. They seem to annoy me with their complaining and I have limited watching them. The ones I watch regularly have more positive content and they never complain not matter how hard their lives are. One I watch that is so-so is about renovating a chateau. Another one on renovating a small chateau is humorous and leaves you wondering how much they do get done in a day. I find that I am getting more selective on what I watch. If I don't like it, I leave it. Pure and simple. 

    My friend is leaving on June 9 and I have to schedule a time to take her out for lunch or dinner. She was telling me that she will be doing less volunteering when she gets settled. She wants to do more fun sewing and take part in little contests. Right now she is spending 3 - 4 days a week at one place helping the owners set up the sewing area and training someone to take her spot. She does it all for free. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches shortly. When I get home, I want to do the balance sheet, type up the minutes and do some cleaning. I will sew the binding strips down on the heart before I go out to take some items to my friend. I have dinner ready for tonight and I will knit this evening. 

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

A Bag Is Emerging

 Yesterday was cool and cloudy with the occasional shower. The high got to 9C. This morning it is cloudy and 4C (coolest temperature was 3C at 3 am). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with some showers and a high of 11C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I heard noises in the yard and it was the people who mow my lawn. They were mowing the jungle!! They have had only 2 days to mow in the past week and were out getting as many lawns done as possible. 

I spent the morning cleaning the dining area and it was due. I moved furniture, swept floors, dusted, scrubbed, and ended by mopping the floor. Everything is neat and tidy. I am happy to have that job done. 

I did do my exercise for my SI joint as it was sore. I had a funny crack that vibrated in both the joint and my shoulder. I have a feeling my SI joint is upset due to the cold damp weather and me trying to do housework with it rebelling. Maybe by mid week it will be warmer and the joint will be happier. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon sewing on the Altoona bag. I sprayed basted the layers together learning that you spray the fabric and not the foam. I drew lines on the fabric and quilted that huge piece of fabric. I used a 90/14 top stitching needle in the machine and I am impressed at how nice the stitching turned out. 

I cut out the dark fabric for the bottom and turned under the long ends and clipped it to the bag. 

I also cut out the strips to hide the side and boxed corner seams. They are in the lining fabric. I cut out the top binding strips and sewed them together and cut it to the correct length. I did the same for the handles. I am ready to sew the handles next. I made a lot of progress on the bag yesterday and am loving it. 

I have some good size scraps left over so am going to use them as much as possible. I know I can make one or two mug rugs but I can also see if I can make a 6" block for the bag. Trial run for the bag for the contest. 

Knitting

I knit on the afghan last night as I didn't get yarn out for the doll's sweater. I was too tired to deal with anything small. I had to count while I was knitting as I was afraid I would make a mistake on the blanket stitch but once I had the first row done it was easy to figure out. I now have 16 rows done. 

I realized this morning I have the wrong side of the blanket showing. I will endeavour to take a picture of the right side tonight. 

I am going to have to hunt for more yarn for this blanket as I think I have half of what I need. I plan on going to Dartmouth one day and will look for it there. 

Thoughts

    I slept much better last night. I was really tired all day and pushed myself to do things. I really just wanted to sleep but knew that was the wrong thing to do. Strangely enough I walked enough each hour to get 8 out of the 9 hourly activities. 

    I did a check and I was putting out the containers on the deck this time last year. I hope that I can get the rest of them up on the deck soon and start planting tomatoes, etc. in them. Our weather has been colder this year than last year when I checked temperatures. 

    My ideas are coming together for the contest bag. Will I use the Altoona bag pattern? I am not sure until I get this one done. Probably if I can fit the seagull block on it. I need to figure that out with the bag I am making at the moment. I will be looking for a simple 6" block pattern to use some of the scraps and see how it works. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, type the minutes from the meeting and then do a bit of housework. I want to sew this afternoon and do a bit of knitting tonight. I am out for dinner at family's so don't know how much knitting will be done. 

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

More Fabric Bought

 Yesterday was cold and grey with a few small showers thrown in for good measure. The high got to 10C. This morning it is cloudy and 6C (5C at midnight). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a north wind and 10C. 

Lifestyle

I spent the morning in the kitchen. I made a pot of cheddar broccoli soup and I cleaned the kitchen. I scrubbed every surface clean, did all the dishes, and put as much away as I could. I was really pleased with the results as the kitchen is back to looking the way I want it to. My last job of the morning was to put a Gerber daisy into the container my Mother's Day bouquet was in. I finally threw those flowers out yesterday morning. 

I will have to put the plant into a larger pot sometime in June and I will buy a fake plant for the container as I do love it. 

After lunch, I went to the quilt shop close to me. I took the old highway home and really enjoyed my drive. I noticed that a house in Falmouth is being renovated. There was a discussion on Facebook about it. It had been empty for quite a while. I think it was empty when we moved here. I noticed that the siding is being removed and I wonder if it will be vinyl clad or if they will do something else. The windows will probably be replaced with vinyl as the old ones looked in bad shape. The only thing missing from the trip was seeing the Galloway Belted cattle. They weren't in the pasture by the road. 

Sewing

I allowed myself to watch the videos on how to make the Altoona bag when I got my morning chores done. The designer does a great job on how to sew the bag from gathering the fabrics to the final finishing of the bag. 

I bought fabric at the quilt shop. I am making two medium sized Atoona bags for myself. Both will replace old grocery bags that were made in 2008-2009. 

This combination was on my radar from my last visit. I love it and know I will have to make sure no produce or meat is put into it. 

I have already cut out the main fabric (top) and the lining (bottom). I have them pinned together with soft and stable between them and started to mark lines for quilting. I will take it apart today and spray baste the pieces together. 

The second combination I bought was a bit harder for me to put together. I was stepping outside my comfort zone using a woodland print, plaid, and blue for the lining. 

I also bought a small piece of stripe to make a skirt for the 1700's doll's outfit. It really reminded me what could have been woven by an Acadian lady. 

I know I bought a lot of fabric but when I looked at my stash I saw fabrics that I am not wanting to sew at the moment. I do see sewing some of them in the fall when I have had a rest from sewing the stash. I do have projects in bins that I can work on in between these new projects.

Knitting

I sat down last night and cast on 228 stitches and started to knit on my blanket. I got 5 rows knit which is pretty good. 

This blanket is going to be a good 45" wide when done and I will stop when I have knit the 5 balls of yarn I bought. I will knit on it every other night and knit on something small on alternate nights. 

Thoughts

    I was hoping I could plant my tomatoes outside as they are a good 18" tall. Nope, as we could have frost on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. After that I hope to as the weather is going to warm up. It has been so cold that visitors are complaining about the "bitter cold" weather. So are we. 

    While buying the fabric for the bags, the owner asked if I was making these expensive bags for sale. It took me by surprise. I said no. I know that people do sell bags that are way more simple than this one for about $125.00 US. I know that these bags would sell in the right market but I am not interested in marketing them. I would make this bag for sale as it is quick and easy to make. They are durable as we used them in Montevideo when shopping. If you buy fabric at regular price, they are expensive but not as expensive as the bag I am going to make. 

Today

I am going to clean more of the house and do some laundry. This afternoon I want to sew on the bag and maybe one item of doll clothing. Tonight I will cast on a doll's item -- a sweater of which I have enough yarn for. 

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

Ready To Start Sewing and Knitting New Projects

Yesterday was one wet day with a high of 8C. This morning it is cloudy and 6C. Today is supposed to be a mix of everything but snow with a high of 10C. 

Lifestyle

On Wednesday I had osteopathy and it was a great session. I had one good crack about 2 minutes in and most of the work was done on my SI joint. After my session I headed into Bedford to do some shopping. 

Yesterday I didn't want to do anything due to the weather. I was also doing research as daughter is having problems with mediation. She was informed that he has stalled. She was going to counter her proposal. I said no and she finally listened to the person she hired who also said no. So it sits until he submits a counter proposal. 

I did go to New Minas to pay the bill for the car's repairs. It was pricy but the car is working well and I am having good gas mileage once again. This car will probably be my last vehicle which makes the expense more bearable. 

I sat once I got home as I had no energy thanks to the weather. It was depressing outside and I even had lights on in the house. I did reflect on the month and realized it has been a funny month weather wise. It was cool, then warm, then cool and we have had quite a bit of rain. There was frost 3 days in a row in late May. The month is ending cooler than normal temperatures. 

Sewing

I have not sewn for 2 days. I am hoping it will be bright enough to sew today. 

I did go to the quilt shop with the quilt I had made in March. I chose a navy flannel for the back and a flower design for the quilting in a lovely shade of blue. 

I picked up the teal fabrics for daughter's quilt and am getting excited to start it. 

I was asked to take part in a tote contest at the quilt shop. It is to have a Maritime theme to it. I am not an east coast girl so lighthouses, lobsters, etc. are not what I want to sew. I looked around the shop and found this fabric. 

The stripe I can see cutting apart and do a quilt as you go with it. The dark I can see as piping and trim. 

The mottled fabric I can see as lining or something interesting on the bag. The blue may or may not be used. I am now in the designing stage of making this bag. 

I have also been in love with the Peter Rabbit fabric in the store but I found rabbit fabric I love more. 

And the tossed carrots are equally as cute.

I found this pattern which I will use for my tote for the contest and for the bunny fabric. 

Here is the mini tote made up in the rabbit fabric. 

As the tote for the contest doesn't have to handed in until July 31, I will make the tote out of fabric in the stash first to get a feel for the pattern. Then I will make the tote using my ideas that I am thinking about. The bonus is -- how to make the tote is on Youtube. 

Knitting

I knit to the end of the yarn and am about 10 rows short. 

I am going to unravel it and may put all the scrap bits of yarn into a jar to display in the sewing room. If I don't do that, I will get rid of them as I will never knit them into something. 

I did buy yarn to make myself a knitted blanket. I am going to cast it on and knit on it every other night with a small project on alternate nights. I chose a denim ombre yarn that I have wanted for years. More on it when I cast on the stitches. 

Thoughts

    I did a lot more thinking about May than the weather. I realized that not having my car had affected me more than I wanted it to. It was mentally draining me not being able to get out when I wanted to. Even having the rental car was not filling that void. I let my thoughts circle around and around and finally realized that I need to get out more often and do things that make me happy. 

    I was looking at how long my lawn is due to the wet weather. I looked at the bare spots and the lawn seed has sprouted and the new grass is a good inch high. Success in that department. The lawn was sprayed on Tuesday and the dandelions are dying like crazy. I have to spray some weeds next week when we have a couple of sunny days. In the meantime I hope my lawn gets mowed soon as it is almost a jungle out there. 

Today

I am home today so will do a bunch of cleaning this morning. I am hoping to make soup also. This afternoon I want to start sewing on the linen items I have ready to cut out. Tonight I will cast on the stitches for the blanket. I am feeling ready to start new projects. 

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