Nearing the Finishing Line

 Yesterday was sunny and 16C. This morning it is clear and 3C. We had a touch of frost also. Today is supposed to be sunny and 16C. Perfect fall weather. 

Lifestyle

I made cookies yesterday morning. I did enjoy the process as I prepped all the ingredients first and then mixed them up. I got 36 cookies from a half batch. I was done by 10:30 am. I am semi prepped for another batch this morning. 

I got notice that we have to make sandwiches on Thursday. That will be 3 times this week and it will be the same people making them. A bit much for volunteers to do. Hopefully the next couple of weeks will be quiet so we can rest up. 

I was sore off and on yesterday. I did my exercises and they helped some though my SI joint was really tight and sore. I stretched in bed and got 1 crack which seems to have helped ease the SI joint. Less pain this morning. 

Sewing

I spent a lot of time working on the table runner. I ran out of cream thread and had to go get more. I bought the thread for the placemat at the same time. 

The table runner is coming along nicely. I am down to the last rows which requires a lot of thread changes. 

I will keep plugging away at it changing the thread as I go. I keep reminding myself it will be done before I know it. And when it is done, I am cleaning the sewing room as it is quite messy from my creative endeavours. 

Knitting

I knit 5 rows last night. When I stopped and thought about it, that was 1500 stitches knit. I didn't take a picture as I didn't think about it. I will take one tonight if I knit. 

Thoughts

    I struggled with the pain in my SI joint yesterday. A couple of muscles were sore but not painful. Just the SI joint. I thought doing the exercises would help but they didn't. The crack last night helped. I think it is trying to release but is very tight and can't get itself back into place. I will keep doing the exercises and stretches hoping it will move back into place. Everything else is not really hurting. Muscles are tired from having to adjust to what they need to do which is normal. 

    I am looking forward to having the table runner done so I can get back to my normal routine. It was a lot more work than I had thought but I am pleased with it. My next job is to repair a light blanket for a horse and then I will work on some easier projects in the afternoon. Mornings will be upstairs doing housework and cooking. I am looking forward to getting my old routine back again. 

Today

I have to make cookies this morning and then spend as much time on the table runner as I can. I may have to go out to the hall tonight which means I may not get much knitting done. 

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

More Done On The Table Runner

 Yesterday started out with rain, then showers, then rain and finally it cleared off and was nice. The high got to 17C. This morning it is cloudy and 7C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

I did my balance sheet first thing and then emptied the dishwasher and folded laundry and put it away. When that was done, I laid on the bed and did some of my exercises. I noticed that I could do two of them easier and better. I did the stretch for the SI joint and then the one for the piriformis which also stretched the sore SI joint. When I sat up, I realized I didn't have one of my sore spots. I looked at my legs and they were straight out with very little soreness. Usually the right one is turned outwards. I got up and walked. Only my SI joint was sore. I started to think.

As I was thinking, I went grocery shopping. I noticed that I could walk better but didn't focus on it a lot. I got the groceries I needed and left as the store was busy. Once home, I put away the groceries and made lunch. My muscles were tired but not painfully sore. I sat on heat to make sure they were okay. The only soreness was my SI joint. 

I was out last night for the community hall's meeting. I helped put cookies into their containers for the freezer. The meeting was 30 minutes long and I was home by 7:15 pm. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon quilting the table runner. I made a lot of progress on it. I got the rows done that I had hoped to and drew 6 mores lines to quilt. I got the off white border quilted on the bottom of the table runner. 

You can see the lines where I have to quilt today. I don't have a lot left to do. There will be a lot of thread changes in the last part. 

I am happy to see the end of this quilt coming. My goal is to deliver it on Friday or Saturday. 

Knitting

I did knit last night. I got a few rows knit. It is now 8.25" long and I have started a new ball of yarn. 

I am looking forward to it being longer so it will cover my legs and keep them warm while I knit. 

Thoughts

    I did a lot of thinking about why I have no pain in my hip area. The physiotherapist had said a long time ago my hip ball may not be seated properly in the socket. She thought it was permanent and I would walk with a funny gait. I totally agreed with her about that. I think that over the past two weeks, the ball has slowly moved back into its proper position in the socket. The muscle pain I have had lately has been my body adjusting to it moving back into place. Sunday was a flare up and yesterday it was properly seated. The only pain I have is the SI joint. I am hoping that it will stop tightening up after physio in 2 weeks. I am now going to have to work on strengthening the muscles as some haven't done any work for a long time and others need to adapt to the new way I move. 

    We get 3 sunny days and then the weekend could be damp or very wet from a storm developing off the southeastern coast of the US. It could hit us or it could just move on by without bothering us too much. It is the season for these types (and worse) storms. 

Today

I have to type the minutes for last night's meeting and make a batch of cookies. I am going to quilt the table runner this afternoon and knit tonight. I really do need to make myself something for dinner the next couple of night's. I really do need to make a hearty soup as it is cool enough to have the soup pot on. 

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

Almost Half Done The Quilting

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 15C. This morning it is cloudy, damp, and 12C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with possible showers. The high is to get to 17C.

Lifestyle

I was out the door to make sandwiches yesterday morning. Just as we ended my glute had a terrible cramp in it and it almost put me on the floor. It came out of nowhere. I hobbled to the car when everything was done and headed home. 

At home, my neighbour brought me her horse's fly sheet to repair. We talked for a bit. When she left I hobbled to the couch and sat with heat on my sore spots. I was not a happy lady with the pain. 

I realized at about 7:30 pm I was exhausted. My emotions were all over the board; sad, angry, frustrated to name a few. By 8 pm I was in bed and fast asleep. I woke at 1:30 and then not again until almost 6 am. I do feel better this morning though I have a bit of soreness in my SI joint. 

Sewing

I spent over an hour sewing in the morning and got quite a bit done. After lunch, I drew some more lines and continued on. By 3:30 pm I was almost half done the quilting. 

I drew 5 more lines and have the bottom off white part of the border done and am ready to start on the gold part. 

I was down on the sewing floor to find a spool of thread. While down there, I hand swept all the loose threads into a pile and put it into the trash. I also picked up all the loose pins that had fallen out of the table runner. When at the cutting table I swept the floor and put it all into the trash. The trash was all put into one bag and taken out to the trash can in the garage. I did feel better doing that job.

Knitting

I knit another 8 rows on the afghan last night. It is growing slowly and the ball is getting smaller quite quickly now. 

I am waiting to see if the ball ends up being dark or light. That will help me choose the next ball of yarn. All of the wound yarn is sitting on the couch waiting for me to choose them for the afghan. 

Thoughts

    I didn't realize how exhausted I had gotten until last night. I know that I have been stressed out with the table runner. I have been pushing hard on other things. Combined it hasn't allowed me to sleep well at night. Add in pain and I had a vicious cycle happening. I have to start thinking about how I am going to deal with everything and still stay relaxed and calm so I sleep well. I do hope the pain subsides so I can do things I need to do.

    Yesterday a basking shark was spotted in the Bedford Basin in Halifax. The videos show it to be massive and it was swimming around at the yacht club. It was also spotted in the main part of the basin. They are said to be harmless but the size of it makes it look the opposite. 

Today

I am going to spend the morning doing a few things that need to be done and get a few groceries. I will work on the table runner this afternoon. I have a meeting to attend tonight and once home, I will knit on the afghan. 

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

Quilting Has Begun

 Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 16C. This morning it is mostly cloudy and 5C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 16C. Tonight we will have rain. 

Lifestyle

It was out the door to make sandwiches. Four of us got them done in an hour. Once home I had my second cup of coffee and sat on the heating pad to help my SI joint relax. 

I was out the door around 11 am to go to the quilt shop closest to me. It was quite the drive. I went out Exit 5 onto the highway and it was busy, busy. Exit 5a ramp was full to the highway. I peeked down and saw the road Exit 5a goes into was backed up. I was happy I wasn't going down into that traffic jam. The highway was busy though as many people from the Halifax area were going to the wineries. It was a perfect day for that. 

On the way home, I noticed that Exit 5a was busy where I normally go when coming home from shopping in New Minas. I went by and the exit that was full on the way out was still full with cars backed up onto the highway. I heard it was taking people 45 to 60 minutes to get to the fair grounds. One good reason not to attend. 

I had to go out to the grocery store for daughter-in-law and I was worried about their parking lot. Usually people park in there and walk to the fair grounds. I actually was surprised that I got a parking spot close to the store. I got what I needed and headed to the hall. I visited with daughter-in-law for a few minutes and came home. She was bar tending and it was slow. I sold a water and a pop while I was there. 

Sewing

I spent a lot of time working on the table runner. Before going to the quilt shop I sewed the last border together and got it on the table runner. 

I decided that I was going to do diagonal stitching and needed thread to match the pumpkins and leaves. The reason for me going to the quilt shop was to get the thread. 

After lunch I sandwiched the table runner and got busy quilting it. What a lot of thread changes at the beginning. I got into a groove and got 9 rows done. 

The lines are hard to see and I have a few lines drawn which are the three you can see in the light blue/grey pumpkin. I have figured out I can do three rows of quilting at a time. Start at the bottom and work my way up which means less thread changes. Still a lot of work. My goal is to try and do 10 rows today. 

While at the quilt shop, I looked at the Christmas fabric. I found this fabric for the placemat challenge in December. 

The placemat I found is not a pattern, only how to make the flying geese. I will make the flying geese with the red and light fabric (flying cardinals). The print is for the center part of the placemat. I have figured out what I need to do but it won't happen until after I get the table runner done and the sewing room cleaned up. It is a mess. 

Knitting

I did knit on the afghan last night and got 6 or 8 rows knit. It is slowly growing and showing me how it will look done. The ball of yarn is getting smaller which is exciting. 

Thoughts

    My house cleaning is on hold until after I get the table runner done. It isn't bad but it isn't how I like to keep it. Once done, I will start doing house work and fall cleaning in the mornings. Until then, I am trying to keep areas clean when I am in that room. 

    I picked the peppers yesterday afternoon and enjoyed the sunshine. I got a medium sized zip bag filled for son. We were under a frost warning. It is cool and we got our first frost. The cool nights will help the leaves turn red which will be stunning to look at when out and about. 

    I realized yesterday that I have been stressed out. The table runner has consumed my life. It was a lot of work to get the top done. l know it has affected my IBS which had been pretty good all summer. I have decided that between now and the end of the year I will not be taking part in the contests. I will do the placemat challenge and a table runner class. The rest of it will be sewing with no deadlines attached. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches this morning. Once home, I want to quilt on the table runner for most of the day so I can get it done. I have to stop early as I need to make dinner for two nights. I would love to knit tonight. 

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

Almost Done

 Yesterday was sunny and warm. The high got to 20C. This morning it is clear and 10C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 16C. There could be a risk of frost tonight. 

Lifestyle

I spent a lot of time sewing yesterday but I did go get groceries just before noon. I went my usual way and realized it was a mistake. The exhibition started yesterday and people were parking on the road and going into the grocery store parking lot to park. People were walking everywhere and it was slow going. I realized this too late as this weekend and the next on are not weekends to be shopping in town. 

The grocery store was busy but I got everything I needed and came home another way. I put it all into the fridge as most was to go to family's for sandwiches. 

And stupidly enough, I went the same route to pick up dinner. It wasn't as crazy as it would have been an hour later when people would go for the evening. The restaurant where I picked up dinner was nearly empty though it was only 4:30 pm. I am sure it would be busy with take out orders. 

Daughter-in-law and I finished making the fillings for the sandwiches and took them to the hall. We got it all put away and then we did the cookie trays. It was back to their place to watch some videos on houses in Uruguay and Argentina. These were the luxury homes where we said we might be able to afford a banana off one of the banana trees. What was surprising was how big the rooms were with some having dining room tables to seat 10 and outdoor bbq areas to seat 15 to 20 people. The kitchens were smaller in size relative to the size of the houses. It was interesting to look at the videos. 

Sewing

I worked on the table runner in the morning and afternoon. By lunch time, I had the border on the other end. I was pleased with how well it went together. 

After lunch I thought I would get two remaining yellow leaves cut out and one sewn. I was surprised that I got both the leaves sewn and attached to the table runner. 

I made great progress on it yesterday and am ready to get the thread for quilting it. This afternoon I hope to do that. 

Knitting

None done last night as I got home after 8 pm. 

Thoughts

    The exhibition held here each fall is a very long running fair. It started in 1765. It is the oldest continuously running fair in North America which goes back to 1815. I don't go now but when I did, I enjoyed watching the oxen pulls and the tractor pulls. My favourite is the oxen pulls. The owners are fabulous as they know when to stop their animals so they don't get hurt. One of the owners told us that a team can pull a specific weight one time and not the next. He said that the handler has to know when to stop the pull. 

    I am on call for the bar tonight. It is a small family reunion and daughter-in-law thinks she can do it on her own. I also put the catering for dinners into my calendar. I am not able to do one as I am out of town that day. I will help with the other 3. 

Today

I am out shortly to make sandwiches. Once home, I will finish the table runner and then head out to get the thread for it. I want to look at fabric for a class I am taking in November. This afternoon, I want to sandwich the table runner and then start quilting it. Tonight I will knit unless I need to help with the bar. 

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

A Fun Afternoon Out

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 20C. This morning it is raining and 14C. Today is supposed to be raining until noon and then cloudy with showers. The high is supposed to get to 19C. 

Lifestyle 

I spent a bit of time reading and fixing up my copy of the quilter's guild's bylaws before going out to get my hair cut. I had a nice visit with my hair dresser as we talked about gardening and decluttering. Her mom is my age or a bit older and she is decluttering her house. 

Once home, I finished looking at the bylaws and then emptied the dishwasher and folded laundry. By then I noticed my SI joint was very painful. I laid on the couch and did the 3 minute stretch for the joint and a 90 second stretch for the piriformis. Then it was on the bed to do another stretch and the two types of windshield wiper stretches. I got a good crack just as I was almost done the last windshield wiper stretch. My SI joint was really tight.  

After lunch I picked up the other lady who was helping with the bylaws and we were off to meet the third person. We met at a small coffee place which not only sells coffee but roasts their own blend of beans. We went through the bylaws with a fine tooth comb, read another set of bylaws to help us with our thoughts, and finally went through some notes that needed to be dealt with. It was then time to come home. I got home around 3:30 pm. I was tired as I was still dealing with the SI joint being tender from its workout. 

Sewing

I was downstairs to the sewing room and cut the top border fabrics. It is ready for me to sew. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got 6 rows knit. The afghan is growing in length. 

I am glad that I ripped it apart and started it again on smaller sized needles. 

Thoughts

    It is the start of crazy for me. We have to make sandwiches for 4 celebrations of life; 2 this weekend and 2 next weekend. We also have to man a bar this weekend and next weekend. Top it off with having to go to the city to get more supplies. I know we will be tired by next Sunday afternoon.

    Yesterday morning I saw a deer in the yard 4 houses down. It was a doe and she was grazing quietly on the grass. I am sure she went up to the next street to have a feast on some lush hostas. The deer are still around but in smaller numbers. They haven't been in my yard. I am wondering if I am exempt due to being closer to housing development. 

Today

I am going to work on the table runner this morning before I go to get groceries. I will do more on it this afternoon. I have to pick up dinner for tonight as I am at family's to help finish up prepping for sandwiches. I am sure we will be at the hall doing sweet trays as we are going to take the fillings to the hall tonight. I may or may not get to knit tonight. 

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

Progress On The Table Runner

 Yesterday was another sunny warm day with a high of 22C (humidex 24C). This morning it is partly cloudy and 13C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with showers and the high is supposed to get to 20C. 

Lifestyle

I got outside and swept the deck down. Then I washed the table and put it away on its side against the house. I also picked some of the ripened jalapeño peppers. I will pick the rest next week and put those tubs into the shed. 

I got the sheets laundered and the bed made in the afternoon. I did a few small chores and then went down a rabbit hole for a while. It was time to do some research on Canadian history. 

How Canada grew from the 4 original provinces to what it is today is interesting. Some provinces joined with defined boundaries. Two provinces were created after Canada bought the land from the Hudson Bay Company. This area became two provinces as they were heavily populated farming areas and could support themselves as provinces. Canada also bought the land which is Yukon and the North West Territories. These areas are not provinces as they cannot support themselves due to climate.  

I did learn a lot. Some of it was review as we did learn some of it in high school and university. Some of the information was new as they didn't teach it to us. Digging into our history is interesting. My last trip down a rabbit hole was when I read about the Confederation of Canada when in PEI last summer. We learned all about it in school but the tidbit that is skimmed over is that the paperwork was signed in PEI but that province did not join Canada until 6 years later. A whole other story. 

Last night I was at the hall to help out with the "Jam" session. This happens once a week where people come out to either listen or play music or sing for a few hours. They sing mainly country and western or old tunes. Two or three people volunteer to make coffee and sell some snacks to the people. They also do some work that needs to be done. Last night we put silicone covers on the feet of the chairs. I was there for 2.5 hours with daughter-in-law and another person and will go a couple of times a month. 

Sewing

I fixed the one block that was wrong in the green leaf. I then cut out the pieces for the next yellow leaf block. I cut and sewed that yellow leaf together trying to figure out which way the seams needed to be pressed. I had to walk away from it for a few minutes as I was not getting it. The break worked wonders. 

The other short side was put together. I am making sure that I have the leaves turned the proper way before I join it to the main part. 

The downside of having the leaves all attached is that I have to rip open half a seam when I attach a leaf. If I don't have them attached, I spend too much time running to the computer to look at the layout. It is a pain either way but I find having them attached is easier on my brain. 

The next step is to add the border piece to the top of the runner so it is finished. Then two yellow leaves and the border on the bottom. Then it can be sandwiched and quilted. 

I sat for a bit looking at the table runner and asked myself why I chose a pattern with so many small pieces in it. My study in using soft colours has worked. I didn't realize I had add a challenge of doing an intricate piecing project. At the moment I have 10 days to finish it in. I am hoping to have it done before that. 

Knitting

I did none last night as I got home after 8 pm and was sore. 

Thoughts

    I have not done a lot of fall cleaning in the kitchen as I have been trying to get other things done. I still have a few things to do outside and then I can focus on fall cleaning. The remainder of this month is busy with other things and I need to find a balance of home and volunteer work. 

    As I write this, the fog has rolled in fast and thick. I can just see across the road but not any further than that. If it keeps coming in, I may not be able to see much of anything. This is fall in our area. 

Today

I have a hair cut this morning. Once home, I need to fold laundry and do a bit of cleaning up. I am out for a meeting at 1 pm and I hope that I can sew the binding onto the top of the table runner. I hope to knit tonight.

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