A Doll's Shift Is Completed

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26C (humidex 30C). This morning it is mainly clear and 12C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 26C (humidex 29C). 

Lifestyle

The morning started out with a text from daughter-in-law. Son had gone for blood works and told her that the emergency was empty. She promptly spilled boiling hot tea on her hand and ended up in emergency to have it treated. 

I was out in good time to water all the plants. I checked on the Spousal Unit's rose bush and it has 2 buds on it. 

All the plants are doing well. They are enjoying the cool mornings and the warm days. The tomatoes have buds on them also and are getting greener and stronger. 

Next I cleaned the living room. I dusted and did some tidying up which is easy. That room does not have a lot of stuff in it. I dusted the furniture and mopped the floor. The floor was grimy and had quite a bit of pollen on it. It is now clean. 

I had to run downstairs and empty the dehumidifier when I realized it wasn't running. It was full due to the high humidity we are having. When I have to replace it, I will get one that will drain into the floor drain so I won't have to worry about it. That may or may not happen as this one is working like a charm. 

I went to the superstore garden center and returned some empty plant pots. They give you points for doing that. They ship them to their supplier who recycles them and makes them into new pots. I have 5 more to take when I go grocery shopping. From there I went to Dollarama and snoop shopped for 30 minutes. I got a few items for daughter. 

I still need to buy her a couple of more things and then I will do my magic and ship them to her. It is fun to do something like this. 

Sewing

I had a blast yesterday sewing a jar topper. I followed this video for size and idea. I did not cut an opening for the elastic but left turning hole and the first row of stitching open to insert the elastic. It worked perfectly. 

After inserting the elastic, I closed the row of stitching and topped stitched around the outer edge. I am now ready to buy a bit of fabric and make the ones for daughter. 

I spent a lot of time working on the doll's shift/chemise. I had a few struggles but nothing I couldn't work through. Most were my issues. I got it finished and on the doll. 

I really love this pattern. I put on the "jump" (stay without boning) and put the lacing in the front. I read that working women wore it this way so they could loosen them when necessary. 

I have two more items to sew from the linen and then I can cut out and sew the skirt. 

Knitting

I knit last night and when I went to fix my little ball of yarn I had 5 stitches slip off the needles. I spent the next while unknitting and picking up stitches. I was not a happy camper. In the end, I did get 4 rows knit on the afghan. 

Tonight I will be adding on a new ball of yarn. So far I have knit 214 grams of yarn. 

Thoughts

    I had a fair night's sleep. The emergency alert went off at 3:45 am waking me from a sound sleep. A 79 year old woman was missing. It went off again just over an hour later stating she was found. I did not sleep well after that so am feeling tired. I know I will loose energy sometime this afternoon. 

    I had no issues with my heart rate yesterday. It was back in its normal range all day. I am pushing myself to be more active during the day which does help keep it at a normal level for me. I am still monitoring it carefully especially first thing in the morning. 

Today

I am going to clean the bathroom and then head out to get a piece of fabric and thread for the jar toppers. I want to sew more on the Acadian outfit this afternoon. I know it will be slow sewing as I will run out of energy. I hope to knit tonight. I also have to make myself something for dinner for tonight and tomorrow night. 

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

Sewing Linen Doll Cloths

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 27C. This morning it is clear and 12C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 29C.

Lifestyle

I spent the day being very busy. It was to see if my heart rate would be in the normal level or if it was going to be slow. It was normal all day. 

My first job was to launder the sheets. I got them done and the bed made later in the afternoon. While they were on, I was out the door to plant the flowers. I did 3 tubs of them at the shed. 

The third tub was done and I put in a solar light that daughter had given me Christmas 2024 and I forgot to put it out last year. 

I turned the tub around so the solar panel was in the full sun and it was really nice to look at last night. Some of the little lights twinkle on and off. 

Once the outside chores were done, I decided to clean the front entry way. It was the floor at the top of the stairs, the stairs, entry floor, and the stairs down to the basement. I will have to say they were dirty. It was nice to have that job done. 

While prepping for dinner, I got a text and had to go over and pick up liquids from my friend's place. They are all stored in the garage along with 2 plants. Daughter-in-law and I will sort through them when she has time. 

I checked my cucumber pots and I now have 4 plants. They will be going out next week. They need to have some growth on them before I transplant them. Once they are planted, I am done for this year. 

Sewing

I had a good afternoon sewing. I made a very simple half apron for the Acadian outfit. Though simple, it had us make mitred corners like I did when I made a bunch of napkins. Love that method. 

I started sewing the chemise and I almost didn't work on it. I had to make a button hole and then cut out the neck facing. It took me 3 tries to get the right size buttonhole. When done, I cut out the facing and carefully sewed it onto the chemise neck. I clipped and turned it, pressed it well and top stitched it in place. Done. 

Next I played with the sleeves. I have the gathering stitches in and the bottom of the sleeves ready to hem. I did not put lace on them as they would not have been practical for a working person. As the raw edges of the hems are not finished, I am thinking of doing either a zig zag or a cross stitch on them so they don't fray. With all of that done, I called it a day. 

I am happy with what I got done yesterday afternoon. 

Knitting

I knit 5 rows on the afghan last night. I am not sure why I was so slow knitting. But it was progress. 

Thoughts

    My heart rate has been good this morning. I have not allowed myself to fully relax at the computer which is what I had done when it dropped below 50 beats. I am still monitoring it carefully. 

    I was on the hunt for a pattern for fabric jar covers. The one I was going to use wasn't exactly what I wanted. I did find another one and with a few small adaptions I can make one I like better. I also want to make jar cozies and found a video on how to make my own pattern. I will be doing a mock up of both from the left over Altoona bag fabric. 

Today

I am going to water the plants first and then clean the living room. If I have time, I will go out for a bit but may not if it is humid. This afternoon I will sew on the chemise. Tonight I will knit. 

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

The Afghan Is Growing

 Yesterday was mainly sunny and warm. The high got to 19C. This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 8C. Today is supposed to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 28C (humidex 30C).

Lifestyle

I did a few things to clean up and folded the laundry first thing. I also went out and looked at the plants after the heavy rain. The peppers were looking poorly so I decided to replace them. I am not sure why but they could have been touched by frost prior to me buying them. They were stunted and never grew. The rest of the plants looked great. 

I took my friend to New Minas for lunch. I noticed how gorgeous the lupins looked on the drive. We had lunch at Swiss Chalet and it was an okay experience. There was only one waitress on at noon. There were no salad greens. I had a stir fry (overload of sodium) and my friend had a chicken dinner. Both were good. 

After lunch we went to look for pepper plants. I found 4 in individual pots and they were healthy. I planted them when I got home.

My friend and I said our goodbyes but will be texting each other. She picks her sister up at the airport today and start their journey to Ontario tomorrow. I will certainly miss her but know she has made the right decision. 

Sewing

I did not sew yesterday but I did look in the sewing room. I am ready to sew the doll's apron today. 

Knitting

I knit on the afghan last night and have a little over 11" knit. 

I knit 9 rows last night which was amazing for me. 

Thoughts

    I got closer to how much protein I needed yesterday but I went over in sodium. I have a bit of fluid retention today. The stir fry used more sodium and fat that I do so I was somewhat prepared for the sodium overload. 

    I didn't do a lot after visiting with my friend. I allowed myself to have a bit of sadness but now need to pick up socks and move on. 

    My heart rate drops low some mornings and I am monitoring it carefully. It happens when I am in a deep state of relaxation which often happens when I sit drinking my coffee. If it happens during the day, I will see the doctor. 

Today

    I have to water the pots for the flowers and move all the plants on the deck into an area that gets shade early. I want to sew the doll's apron today and knit tonight. I also want to do a load of laundry today. 

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

It Rained Buckets

 Yesterday was cloudy and wet. The high got to 21C (humidex 26C). This morning it is clearing off and 7C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 18C. The wind is coming in from the north. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday's weather was something to behold. It showered in the morning and the humidity was so bad it felt oppressive. At 2 pm the temperature had dropped almost 5C and the clouds came in. Showers that were predicted for the evening came in early and it rained so hard three times you could see it coming down in sheets and you could hear it inside the house. I am certain we had well over an inch of rain fall. 

Yesterday morning I made a batch of cookies to go with the sandwiches we will be making on Saturday. They are in the freezer. I did a basic clean up and then prepped vegetables and sausage for dinner. My new favourite seasoning is Kinder's butter garlic and herbs. When that was prepped, I did a good clean up in the kitchen. And I did another clean up after making dinner. And dinner was tasty. 

I also did a load of laundry and will fold it today. I dried most of it on the drying rack with a small load in the dryer. 

I brought the flowers out onto the deck and they got a good soaking in the rain. I also pulled the flower pots out so they could get wet from the rain. It was really muggy while I was out there. 

When I went to water the cucumbers I saw one has sprouted. This morning there are two. 

I need two or three more seeds to sprout and I will have enough plants for the summer. 

I had to go to the hall as daughter-in-law needed a summer shirt. I looked after the bar while she did a few little things. It was a birthday party for a lady who was either 75 or 80 years old. Enough food to feed an army but it was somewhat disorganized. Everyone seemed to be having fun though. 

Sewing

I did not sew or craft yesterday. Instead I cleaned up the family and sewing room. I put away items, picked up items and vacuumed the floors. I have two small piles of fabrics to put away and one pattern to cut out. I am so happy to have my cutting table cleaned up. 

I looked at the scraps left over from the trial Altoona bag. I have no idea what to do with them. I have set them aside until I find something I want to make and gift. 

Knitting

I knit 9 rows last night and have almost finished knitting the first ball. 

I will be knitting the 64 gram ball next as I want to have it gone. I am really enjoying making this afghan and can knit quite a bit in an evening. 

Thoughts

    My Fitbit said my readiness score was high yesterday and I crashed after cleaning the basement. I had to stop and take it easy. I had no energy left to do anything. I did bounce back later in the afternoon. Today my readiness score is high so we wait and see what happens. 

    I didn't eat enough protein yesterday. I missed it by 35 grams. One reason was I thought I could only have one Italian sausage when I could have had 2. I still would have been short. I was also short on fibre but my ratio of protein to fibre was correct for what I ate. I didn't feel hungry which was good and I just googled and found out my protein is at the bottom of the baseline. I will be trying harder today. 

    I haven't had any inflammatory foods for a week now and my joints are thanking me for that. I have some pain but nothing like I had. I am not craving any foods at this time though I do know if I eat them I will be off the wagon in a minute. I am more focused on not eating them and loosing weight so I can have less pressure on my joints. 

Today

I have to fold laundry first thing and then plant my flowers. I am picking  up my friend at 11:30 and we are going for lunch. This afternoon I may try to sew a linen apron for the dolls. It is part of my next Acadian outfit. Tonight I will knit on the afghan. My focus today is to have 75 to 80 grams of protein. 

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

Trial Bag #1 is Finished

 Yesterday was warm and sunny with a high of 20C. It rained last night. This morning it is foggy and 14C. Today is supposed to be one of showers with a high of 20C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did a bit of clean up before heading into Dartmouth with daughter-in-law. We first went to a restaurant supply store for items for the hall. I bought 2 new paring knives which I needed. Two old ones I have are rusting and needed replacing. We looked around the store at all the goods they have. I enjoy looking when we go there. I have bought 3 paring knives from them. 

Our next stop was Walmart. I did my grocery shopping plus I bought 4 more balls of yarn for the blanket, a spool of white thread, and a grape tomato plant. When we were done, it was time to start our journey home.

On the way home, we stopped at Giant Tiger in Sackville. Daughter-in-law wanted to buy a pair of pants for work. We looked and looked and found nothing. From there we went to Mucho Burrito and I had a quesadilla for lunch. We headed for home. 

Once home, I spent time watering pots and planting pepper plants. Those poor plants are wimpy looking. I put them in the pot and gave them a drink of sugar water. I also hauled up the last pot for the tomato and planted it. I did put a tent over the peppers to keep the sun and wind off them and took it off last evening before it rained. 

I had a nap in the afternoon. I was falling asleep in my chair and knew I was running on empty. The tissue around my knees were inflamed and sore. They had fluid build up thanks to the storm coming in. When I woke up I did feel better but knew it was going to affect my sleep last night. I won't be sleeping today even though I know I will want to. 

Sewing

I did hand sew the top binding down on the bag and am calling it finished. I do like it and will make another one before the end of June. I need to perfect a few things before I do the contest bag. 

I do like the heart on the inside but the block needs to be on the outside. 

I am back to the drawing board designing trial bag #2. 

Knitting

I did knit 7 rows last night and am loving how the ombre is starting to show. I have still not knit the first ball of yarn. 

Thoughts

    I am feeling better with the house being tidy the last few days. Though I didn't want to do dishes last night, I did them and immediately knew I had done the right thing. Putting all the groceries away as soon as I got home was another positive hit to my brain. It makes me want to do more cleaning which I really do need to do. 

    The lupins are coming into bloom. They are so beautiful but are also an invasive species. We see them along side the roads when travelling. The best displays are on the way to New Minas. We have a small amount in our subdivision though they are contained to one ditch. The colours are purple, blue, pink, and white. 

Today

I am going to make a batch of cookies for Friday. I want to clean up the sewing and family rooms so I can vacuum the floors. I am not sure if I will sew or do reindeer this afternoon. I want to knit tonight. I have to pace myself as I didn't sleep as well as I had wanted to last night. 

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

Finishing Up The Tote

Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 20C. This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 10C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 24C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I tried to be productive. In the morning I put away all the clutter and it helped me feel better immensely. I then headed outside and watered the tomatoes. They are doing well. I hauled three more containers up onto the deck and poured water into them to hydrate the soil. The 4th container needs dirt in it. 

I did pull a few weeds and checked on the Spousal Unit's rose. it is healthy and growing. My neighbours are looking forward to enjoying all the blooms it will have this summer. I will enjoy picking them and having them in the house. 

Once I was done with that, I gave the kitchen a good wiping down. I put away anything extra on the counters and am happy that the kitchen is now tidy. When I stopped at noon I was pleased with everything I had gotten done. 

I didn't plant the peppers as the soil was too dry in the planters and I thought it was going to be too hot. I am watching the weather and may get them planted tomorrow as it is going to be cooler. 

Sewing

I spent quite a bit of time hand sewing the bindings on the side seams down. I did add the binding to the boxed corners which I also hand sewed down. I didn't fold the ends correctly so may go back and redo them this afternoon. 

I also added the binding to the top and have half of it hand sewn down. 

I am pleased with the bag so far and am going to make one more trial before I do the bag for the contest. I have a few things to improve on.

Knitting

I knit 8 rows on the blanket last night. Bonus - no unknitting a row of mistakes. 

I have a good 4" knit at this time. 

Thoughts

    My brain was so happy when I had done all the clean up of clutter upstairs. It made me do more than I had planned on. Though I call what I did procrastination it really isn't. I needed to put my systems back in place so the house is tidied up after each project, meal, etc rather than doing it later. 

    I have my total protein set for each meal and I am feeling much better with that. My blood sugar is more stable with me not feeling tired in the afternoon. My biggest shock is how little meat gives me enough protein needed for a meal. I think my one craving will be a big portion of meat which I will allow once in a while. I do have cravings for items that cause my joints to become inflamed but I am ignoring them. So far I have been successful and those cravings will become less as time goes on. I am in withdrawal right now. 

    I have to clean up the sewing room once I finish the bag and sew up the scraps. I came upstairs covered in thread. It is on my to-do list. Once the cleaning is done, I will start a new project. 

Today

I am heading into the city with daughter-in-law. I will get a few things I need and help shop for the sandwiches we make on Saturday. Once home, I want to finish the bag and figure out what I can make with the scraps. I will knit tonight once I plant the pepper plants. 

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

Satifying My Fantasy Self

 Yesterday was hot and sunny with a high of 28C. There was not humidex as the relative humidity was at 26%. This morning it is mainly sunny and 13C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 25C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday was another busy day for me. I did some cleaning in the bathroom and out to do some running around for daughter-in-law. I forced myself to rest and do some planning of what I want to sew later on. 

Mid afternoon I was to the hall to start peeling potatoes and was on my feet a lot until 7 pm. I helped dish up the dinner and did clean up -- aka washing the pots. I also made sure the kitchen was spotless when I left. 

From the hall I went to my friends to do a delivery and we sat and talked. We had some good laughs and she has had a few problems. Nothing disastrous but enough to have her on the phone getting clarification. I got home late and was really sore. I took Tylenol, sat for a while and went to bed. I did sleep in this morning. 

Sewing

My play planning is to make daughter some items for the living quarters of her horse trailer. She desperately needs more storage which she will do over time. Things like shelves in the lower cupboards towel racks, etc. My ideas started with a hand towel and these two fat quarters. 

I am going to make her 3 jar toppers which I have a pattern and video to watch on how to make them. I will buy her 3 jars so she can put her coffee and what ever else she wants in them. I want to buy some fabric to go with these two as I only have a fat quarter of each. I also want to make her pot holders, jar sleeves, and a mug rug. I want to get another tea towel, some 3 M hooks and maybe some S hooks. I will put it all into a basket for her. I may repeat this idea with two more tea towels and 2 different fabrics for her house. 

I did work on the bag yesterday. I carefully measured the lines for the bottom of the bag (1" apart) and quilted it. I carefully folded the bag in half and cut out the squares to box the bottom. I sewed on the binding which was a success. When I turned it over to sew down, I was not happy with the results. I ripped it out and will hand sew it down today. I have to as my OCD kicked in. 

Knitting

No knitting last night. 

Thoughts

    It was nice to have warmer weather. I have been watching the tomatoes to make sure they have shade. They did well yesterday and I kept them outside overnight. They have been watered and are ready for today's lovely weather. 

    I ate well again yesterday and I think I got enough protein. I have not eaten any foods that bother my joints or are triggers to binge eat. I am loosing weight and will soon be at my first mini goal. I am trying to move more each day as I know it is good for my joints and muscles. 

    It was fun planning items to make for daughter. It satisfied my fantasy self as these are items I wanted to make for craft bazaars. Now I can make them and not have to do a craft bazaar. Win, win. 

Today

My plan is to get the planters onto the deck so I can plant peppers tonight. I am hoping to do a bit of cleaning downstairs this morning. This afternoon I will work on the bag and I hope to knit tonight. A quiet day for me.