No Pain Means Lots Got Done

Yesterday started out sunny and then became a mix of sun and clouds. The high got to 17C. This morning it is cloudy and 7C. Today is supposed to have showers with a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to get groceries. I was going to go to New Minas and then decided to shop locally. I was glad I did as the local grocery store wasn't busy and I was able to shop without crowds. Once home, I got the groceries put away. 

My next job was to sit and work on my knee. I did about 10 minutes and it is really helping. The outside part of my knee cap hurts which I will enquire about at physio. I had very little pain in my hip, back and knees all day. I think I had inflammation which caused everything to be so sore. I have a bit of pain this morning due to the rain coming but it is not affecting my walking, etc. 

Once the knee was dealt with, I was downstairs to do more cleaning in the family room. I worked on the area where I sit and do hand sewing. I moved furniture, cleaned, wiped, dusted, vacuumed and mopped everything in that area. I took out the recycling and have more to go out today. I am pleased with how it looks. 

While cleaning the coffee table I found a lot of Command picture hangers in one of the drawers. I had forgot I had bought them a couple of years ago. They will come in handy when I hang more pictures. 

The box on one chair has to be mailed to daughter. I am done putting items into it and just need to add a layer of batting to the top. 

I have one more part to do in this room. I did do a tiny bit on it. I now need to pull it apart and do the deep cleaning. It will be nice to have this area cleaned up. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon finishing up the cape for the rabbit. After giving it a good press, I hand sewed the turning hole closed and then did the arm and ear openings. I added a hook and eye at the neck. 

I did clean up after myself as I am working on good habits to keep the family room clean. 

I have the fabric out on the table to start making placemats using up the left over fabric from the quilt. I will probably have to buy fabric for it as I think I am short of the darker blue. I am looking forward to making them. 

Knitting

I knit on the socks last night and got the gusset stitches picked up on both socks. Sock #1 has 15 rounds done on the gusset. I am about half done the gusset. 

Thoughts

    I am certain my shoes are not the main problem for my soreness. I wear expensive running shoes and alternate between 2 pairs. I will be buying new shoes in the fall as I only wear them for a year and then replace them. For the pain to disappear overnight means I had inflammation due to stress and weather. What was surprising was how long it lasted. I've never had this happen for so long.

    I was thrilled at how much I did in the family room yesterday. With little to no pain, I was able to do things quicker and easier. The space left will take me less than an hour to do. Once done, I will move on to cleaning the rest of the basement. I do want it clean and tidy. 

    I think the robins are back. I am sure I saw one on a neighbour's lawn.  

Today

I have to do my stretching exercises and work on my knee. Once that is done, I will be downstairs to finish cleaning the family room. This afternoon I want to start cutting out the placemats and see if I need to go and buy more of the dark blue fabric. I do have to make dinner tonight so I have a couple of meals in the fridge. I will knit on the socks tonight. 

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

A Busy Day Volunteering

Yesterday was sunny and 11C. This morning it is clear and 2C. Today is supposed to be sunny and 16C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door before 8 am to the community hall to make sandwiches. Daughter-in-law finished mixing the fillings while I made the cucumber sandwiches. I got them made, cut, and on the tray before anyone else arrived. Once they arrived, we made 17 more trays of sandwiches. We cleaned up and headed home.

At home, I sat on heat as my hip and knees were sore. I am not sure why they were aching but they ached. I keep thinking they are worn out but other times I wonder if my muscles are acting up. I did do the rubbing around and behind my right knee. It seems to be helping it bend much better. 

I was back at the hall at 1 pm to help serve at the celebration of life. Daughter-in-law and I served coffee and then did the clean up. The people were wonderful bringing most of the dirty dishes to the kitchen. We were done by 4:15 pm and I was home by 4:30 pm. I did another session on my knee and ate dinner. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. 

Thoughts

    It seems like spring has arrived. Though the temperature did not drop below 0C last night, there is frost on the roofs and cars. We will have frost for a while but it disappears quickly. Frosts can occur until mid to late May. 

    I have had a bad spell with my knees and hips. I am sure that part is stress and part is the weather. I also wonder if my muscles are acting up though most of the pain is in the joints. I had thought maybe the pain was from sleeping poorly but it isn't that. I am getting enough restorative sleep. I am puzzled as to why this has gone on for so long. This morning I do feel less pain but who knows if it will get sorer as the day goes on. 

Today

I need to grocery shop and once home I want to do a few things in the basement. I also want to sew and knit today. I also need to make sure I do the massage on my knee twice so it does not stiffen up. 

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

Tidying Up The Thread Before Sewing

 Yesterday was sunny with a north wind. The high got to 5C. This morning it is clear and -4C (windchill -7C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 11C. 

Lifestyle

I got the sheets into the washer and did a bit of tidying up. I then did my exercises. I can feel the difference when doing them even if I missed 2 days. When done, I sat on the couch and massaged my knee. I used my knuckles to rub outwards from the knee cap and went around it several times. I also rubbed behind my knee at the joint. I was trying to break up scar tissue. I sat with heat on my knee afterwards as it was a bit sore. 

I got the sheets into the dryer and while they dried, I did a bit of research on my family tree. I am doing a bit on my mother's maternal line. I do know some about them but when I went back a bit further than before I found out they lived in Switzerland before moving to France. 

After I put out the bag of garbage for pick up late in the afternoon, I sat and did my knee again. I am going to have to do it once or twice a day for several months if I want to get the scar tissue broke up and my knee bending like normal. 

Sewing

My first job when I went into the sewing room was to sort through the threads in the tall set of drawers. I did the Glide thread first and made sure all the loose ends were caught in the base. I have thread that still has the plastic wrap on it. I am buying no more of it for a while as I have a good variety of colours. 

The next drawer was the thread I use more often for sewing. It was a bigger mess so I made sure all the ends were secure. I have a small tub that has the silk and cotton threads in it. The rest are rolling around in the drawer. I need a few tubs to contain them. I have lots of black, white, navy, grey, and cream thread in big spools. They are my go to when I sew. I have enough spools of coloured thread that I can match to fabric in the stash. I will buy the small ones when I need to match thread. 

I worked on the cape and got the seams on the plaid part ripped apart and sewn with the right seam width. I struggled with the hood but got it on. I then put the plaid and the lining pieces together and sewed them shut leaving a turning hole at the center back. Once I turned it, I rolled the edges and pinned them in place. It is ready for me to hand baste and then press. 

It will be reversible which is nice. 

I have to hand sew the opening at the back along with the arm and ear openings. A hook and eye needs to be added to the front. 

Knitting

I knit last night and got the heel flap done and the heel turned on sock #1. I then worked on heel flap #2 and got a lot done on it. 

I haven't knit socks in this manner for a long time and am enjoying watching the pair grow at the same time. 

Thoughts

    I was surprised at how cool it was outside yesterday. The wind was from the north and went through you. Hopefully it will be nicer as they are forecasting warmer temperatures. I need to plant grass seed where the vegetable boxes were. 

    I am thinking about what I will plant in tubs on the deck this summer. I have a pot I could plant a bit of lettuce in for salads. I would like to do tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers again. I do enjoy having the fresh vegetables during the summer. I will do some flowers at the shed but probably none on the deck. I will decide when the time comes. 

    I looked up to find out when the town's garage sale is going to be. Nothing yet so I will have to keep looking. I will be spending a morning in the garage cleaning it up before the sale. I know I will have a lot of work to do in there after ignoring it all winter. I also have items to bring down from the shed for the sale. Family has their items to bring. 

Today

I am out shortly to make a double batch of sandwiches at the community hall. We also have to set up the hall for a celebration of life. I will have a bit of time at home before I go to help serve tea and coffee. I don't think I will have time to sew this afternoon but will knit tonight. 

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

A Day of Being Busy

 Yesterday's weather was a mix of sun and clouds with a bit of snow blown in for good measure. The high got to 6C. This morning it is clear and -1C (windchill -3C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 5C. 

Lifestyle

I had to make a double batch of cookies yesterday. I started out early so I could get them done in good time. The first batch went into the compost bin. I forgot to put the leavening agents into it. The second batch was made and done by 11 am. I was out the door to get flour and margarine so I could make the last batch of cookies. I had them done by 1:30 pm. I made about 6.5 dozen cookies. 

Daughter-in-law called shortly after I had cleaned up and asked if I would like to go to the city. I said sure and off we went. We went to Bayer's Lake which is just outside Halifax. Our first stop was the Asian store to find bone broth for son. I do like looking at all the different Asian foods in that store. Once done, we headed to Costco. 

At Costco we got all the items to make sandwiches tomorrow. We have to make them for 2 funerals. Costco was busy as usual. I buy a few items there but not a lot Most is too much for one person. I did get myself stuffed peppers for dinner and ground pepper as I was almost out of it. We got into the line up and was out of there in fairly good time. 

We got home about 5 pm and I was tired. I cooked the peppers and had a late dinner. 

Sewing

None again yesterday. I didn't even look in the sewing room. 

Knitting

I did knit last night. I finished the leg on sock #2. I started the heel flap on sock #1 and as I was finishing row 12 I saw I had a dropped stitch in the heel flap. I unknit to the dropped stitch row, picked it up and knit until I had 20 rows done. 

Thoughts

    We were supposed to get up to 2" of snow last night and we got a skiff. Not enough to make anything white. It was nice the storm missed us. Hopefully this was the last snow for us this spring. 

    I walked a bit of my property yesterday and picked up a downspout that had blown off. I am hoping I can get out and pick up stuff off the lawn. I want to see if I have to reseed my lawn this spring. It isn't look very good at the moment. Did last summer's drought do more damage than I had thought. 

    I looked across at the house that has a lot of daffodils planted in the front. The leaves are up so we can expect to see blooms in the next few weeks. I will have to check the plants at family's and see if they are coming up and will be blooming soon. 

Today

I am planning on being at home all day today. I have to do some laundry, some house work, and my exercises. I want to sew this afternoon, take a small walk in the yard, and knit tonight. 

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

More Done On The Socks

 Yesterday was cool, windy, and cloudy with a high of 7C. This morning it is cloudy and 0C (windchill -3C). Today is supposed to be mainly sunny and windy with a high of 5C. We could have showers. 

Lifestyle

I spent part of the morning using a fluffy pad and dry mopping the floors. I did my bedroom, the living room and down the stairs to the basement. There was a few small bits of dirt and a small amount of fluff. I was pleased with that. 

I did a bit of genealogy on one family member. I was able to find a bit of information on her and have since started researching another person. It is interesting what you find out when you read the information on wedding and death certificates. 

I was out to get my Covid vaccine and the line up was about 8 people. I was early and patiently waited for my turn. This round of vaccine is for a specific group of people and isn't as busy as the fall session when it is open to everyone. 

Once home, I had lunch and then promptly fell asleep for almost 2 hours. When I woke up, I wondered why I do this after I get needles. My arm wasn't sore and I felt fine. I know I have anxiety about needles and am tense. Once it is over, I relax and am exhausted from the anxiety and tension. I allowed myself the grace of doing nothing all afternoon but rest. I am fine this morning. 

Sewing

I did look in the sewing room but didn't sew. I am okay with that. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got a lot done. I am now 20 rounds from finishing the leg on sock #2. 

Though you can't see the pattern, they do have a textured look to them. 

Thoughts

    We have snow in the forecast for tonight. They say 2" and I am hoping it will be less. We are to get warmer days after that which will be nice. I am looking forward to having the heat turned off for the afternoon and the windows open to air the house out. 

    The snaps I ordered a long time ago are once again delayed. I will wait for them as they are the brand I like the best and I can't buy them here. 

Today

I have to make a double batch of cookies today. If I don't get them done today, I will finish them tomorrow. If time, I would like to sew and get the cape done for the rabbit. Tonight I will knit on the socks. It is a stay at home day for me. 

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

Making A Cape For A Rabbit

 Yesterday was wet, windy, and cloudy. The temperature rose all day until it was 11C at 9 pm. This morning it is cloudy, calm and 5C. Today is supposed otherwise be a mix of showers and clouds with a high of 8C. 

Lifestyle

I spent quite a bit of time trying to get my Fitbit to sync with my phone. I restarted my phone and to no avail. I put the phone on the charger and did a reset that way. Did not work. I finally had to swipe the clock down and do a reset. It worked. Saturday and Sunday's sleep graphs are either non existent or a graph I have never seen. It is back to normal today. I charged the Fitbit and moved on with my day. 

Next up I did the balance sheet and had no issues with it. Only 3 entries. I then paid my bills and put it all away. Job done in record time. 

I added pictures to my To Do tab which was a bit behind. With computer work done, I did my exercises. I had a couple of cracks while doing them. I was stiff but knew that was due to the weather system coming in. I got it done making sure I did each exercise carefully so my muscles were fully stretched. 

The last job of the morning was to fold laundry and put it away. I was caught up on all the jobs I had wanted to do. 

I made myself a simple meal for Easter dinner. I had fish and potato wedges cooked in the oven and steamed vegetables. I really enjoyed it. 

Sewing

I sewed on the Winter Cape for Anika the rabbit. I did find a video to help me as some parts were confusing. I was irritated watching her sew as she did not press one seam. I got the lining for the cape done with only one mistake on my part. I thought one seam was 1/2" where it was 3/8". Thank goodness it was a seam that wasn't curved and clipped. 

The plaid is done to me fixing the two seams that I sewed to 1/2" I can then attach the hood and clip the neckline seam on both parts. 

The pattern is cute. I love how there are openings in the hood for her ears. The same for the opening in the sides for her arms. I am hoping to take care when finishing it so it can be reversible. 

Knitting

I did a lot of knitting last night. Sock #1 is done with 2 rows done on the heel flap. Sock #2 has 24 rounds done on the leg. 

I am knitting a lot each night to keep my hands busy or I would be snacking. 

Thoughts

    I did text grandson to wish him a happy Easter but he didn't read it. It was what I expected though I am keeping the door open for him to communicate with me. He has not communicated with anyone for almost a week. It is hardest for me at night when I have time to think but I am slowly getting to the point where I am content knowing he is in a safe place. 

    I was sore yesterday thanks to our weather. The wind blew in from the south and it always jars my nerves when it hits the house in strong gusts. The wind finally calmed down around 5 pm and it was raining hard by then. The barometric pressure was bouncing making me sore but not like it had been. The exercises are helping with that. 

    By accident I found out that the Covid vaccine is available for me this spring. I booked an appointment for it this morning and then booked an appointment for blood collection later this month. Those appointments are done for 6 months. 

Today

I am going to dry mop the floors this morning and try to do some dusting. It is time to get the areas the robot vacuum cleaner can't get to. I am out to get my covid vaccine and once home I hope I can sew this afternoon and knit tonight. I know I will be tired from the vaccine so am not going to push myself. 

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

Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Yesterday was a mix of sun, clouds, wind, snow, and whatever else Mother Nature could throw at us. The temperature at 5 pm was 3C which was cooler than at 6 am. This morning it is cloudy and -1C (windchill -4C). Today is going to be a mix of freezing rain and rain with a high of 10C. 

Lifestyle

 Daughter-in-law and I left for the city at about 9:30 am. We went to Cole Harbour (home of Sidney Crosby) to drop off a bag of son's suits and dress shirts. The store is known for helping people who need to find work. From there, we went to Ikea. 

One should kick us in the butt for going to Ikea on a Saturday and kick us twice for going on a holiday weekend. The place was super busy. We did scoot around the crowds and looked at storage for family's laundry room. We also found a table that would be perfect in the in-law suite. We had lunch at Ikea which was fun. We haven't done that for about a year. 

Our next stop was at Home Depot. Daughter-in-law needed paint to finish the in-law suite. I looked at paint brushes and rollers but didn't buy anything. I need to do inventory once it is warmer. 

Our last stop of the day was Walmart. We did our grocery shopping. I got everything I needed as did daughter-in-law. Once done we were on our way home. 

Sewing

I was down to the sewing room before going to the city. I cut out the last of the snowman fabric into 2 - 10" squares and got them sandwiched and prepped to sew if I had time when I got home. 

Once home, I was able to cross hatch the squares. I cut the binding for it and got it sewn on. I sat in the family room and hand sewed it down. The project is now done. 

I am very pleased with how this set turned out. I have more winter fabric that I can make more if I want to. 

I laid out the next project on the cutting table. It is a cape for the rabbit, Anika. I am looking forward to working on it and getting it done. 

It should be a fairly easy sew. At least I hope it is. 

Knitting

Sock #1 is 10 rounds short of having the leg done. 

Once I have it done, I will knit the leg on sock #2. I am enjoying these socks but will be happy to have them done. Knitting them twice was not on the to-do list. 

A quick look at the spreadsheet, I have 9 more pairs of socks to knit this year. It seems as if I will be knitting a pair a month. 

Thoughts

    Daughter-in-law and I talked about their surprise when wanting to get their oil heat removed from the house and use their ductless heat pump along with their fireplace. A ductless heat pump is not classified as a primary source. You can't get insurance if you use it only. I am not sure why these are pushed in our province as ducted ones are available when houses are built. There are grants for both of them. I now know why I have baseboard heaters in my house. If we don't go electric, our choices are propane or oil. There are no natural gas lines in most of the province and natural gas has to be hauled in. They are now researching for a primary heating source which will use propane.

    The weather was not very nice yesterday. When walking outside it was cold and windy. We even walked in a snow squall. The wind went right through you. The sun did shine late yesterday afternoon but it was still cold outside. I was happy to have worn my extra heavy fleece pullover for outside but I was too hot wearing it in the stores. 

    I was in less pain yesterday. I am still working on my posture as it does help my back pain. My knees hurt from the weather but the muscles in my thighs were barely sore. I didn't do my exercises yesterday as it was a rest day but will be back to doing them today. 

Today

I am doing my exercises and then will take out the garbage and recycling to the garage. I have a bit of cleaning to do and then will spend quite a bit of time sewing and crafting today. Dinner will be simple - oven baked fish and potato wedges. I will also cook a vegetable. It will be a quiet day for me. 

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