A Productive Day

 Yesterday was gloriously sunny with a high of -2C (windchill -8C). This morning it is clear and -6C (winchill -10C). Today is supposed to sunny with a high of 2C. We are to have snow flurries tonight. 

Lifestyle

I had a busy morning. First I had to clean my glasses fas wiping them clean with grimy gloves leaves them filthy. I saw my Fitbit and decided to give it another chance before tossing it into the pile of electronics to go to recycling. I put it on the charger and much to my amazement it started to charge. I kept checking it all morning and it kept charging. I put it on as soon as it was 100% charged and it is still working. Not sure why it stopped working but I am sure happy to have it working again. 

My big job of the morning was to tackle the stairs and front entry. I put away paint containers, mitts and toques that were languishing on the stairs. I scrubbed the stairs and floor on my hands and knees. Let me tell you it was dirty from us going in and out the front door. I am happy that job is done and hope to keep it cleaner in the future. 

I also spent 30 minutes in the basement as I need a box to put items in to for the thrift store. I took one box full of stuff into the family room and sorted the contents. I have half a box of stuff to go to the thrift store from that sort. What is left will be sold in the garage sale in the spring. I also found another box that I will sort through today and put all the garage sale items in it. One box gone will make me happy. 

I headed out around 2:30 pm to scrape the ice off the driveway. It was patches that were left behind. As I was scraping away, a lady stopped and introduced herself to me. She is the mother of the doctor who lives behind me. A very nice lady. She is excited as her daughter is having a baby this spring and she will be helping look after it when it's time for her daughter to go back to work. She works part time in our local hospital and has her own practice locally. 

Sewing

The Edwardian blouse was started and I spent a lot of time on it. I got the front shoulder seams gathered and sewn to the back. I also sewed on the front button bands and the 2 piece collar. It was a lot of finicky sewing. 

I had hacked the front pattern so it would be blouson. I followed the instructions using the boy's shirt pattern from Liberty Jane's button up shirt pattern. I am not sure if I like it or not but am holding back my thoughts until after I insert the sleeves. Unfortunately this blouse is never shown finished. 

Knitting

The sleeve of the doll's sweater is starting to show how big the leg of mutton sleeves will be. I am slowly knitting on it when I have a few minutes. 

I also knit on the scarf last night and was able to knit 40 rows on it. 

I have done 38 patterns and it is 36" long. I love the jean blue colour but I am not a big fan of the yarn. It isn't twisted so I have to watch and make sure I am not splitting the yarn when knitting. I still have a lot of this yarn to knit. 

Thoughts

    I am not sure what went wrong with my Fitbit. I could not get it to restart using the directions from support or what I found online. Putting it away seemed to have fixed the problem/woke it up. I did nothing to it when I put it on the charger. The only thing I did after charging it was to turn off the sleep mode. 

    Though it is still cool here, the sun has warmth to it. I was out scraping ice wearing only a fleece jacket and I was warm. I am enjoying it but do know we could have more snow between now and Easter. That is a given for Nova Scotia. 

    I went back to using the WW's app to track what I am eating. I was overeating and my weight wasn't coming off. It reminds we of what portion sizes are when I plan my meals for the day. I am back to no snacking and I am trying to do more movement each day. 

Today

I have laundry to do and will start cleaning and purging the spare bedroom. I will also spend 20 minutes dealing with a box in the basement. It is the one I will put items in to sell. This afternoon I want to sew on the doll's shirt and I will knit on the doll's sweater and the scarf. 

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

Small Jobs Big Satisfaction

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy but not gloomy. The high got to -1C (windchill -5C). This morning it is clear and -7C (windchill -12C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 0C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning it was out the door early to start shovelling snow. I shovelled a path down to the street to dig out my garbage bags and put them on a snow bank. Then it was shovel back up again so the edge of the driveway was clear. I then tackled the driveway up at the garage doors and the little sidewalk and front door landing. The snow was sopping wet but it wasn't really dry. After a short rest, I went out and cleared the snow off the back deck. I left the rest of the driveway as I had the person who mows my lawn coming to finish the job with his truck. There was over 8" of snow on the driveway and the berm was so solid that I would have spent a long time chipping it away. 

My next job was to install the new door knobs on the linen and pantry closets. That wasn't a hard job. Next up was to deal with the ball catches that go on the top of the doors with dummy door handles. I screwed down the plate on the one on the door at the washer and dryer. The previous owners just put a new one in and didn't finish the job. The next one was at the front landing closet. I had to replace the plate on the door jam as the door wouldn't shut. It is still tight but it always has been. The last one was on my bedroom closet. That one was really easy to do. All the interior doors are now done. Next up will be the exterior doors which are fine for now. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday afternoon. I got just over 4 meters of piping made for daughter. I used a piece of fairy frost fabric she had sent me several years ago. 

It has a lovely silver sparkle in it making it quite dressy. 

I am ready to start sewing an Edwardian shirt for the dolls. Having made 2 easy projects has been fun and got me ready for the next more difficult project on my list. 

Knitting

I looked at the doll's sweater and realized it was going to be too small. The yarn is a lace weight not a sock weight so I ripped it out and started again on larger needles. 

The long cuff and the increasing is done so I am ready to plain knit the upper part of the sleeve. 

I did not knit on the scarf last night as I focused on the doll's sweater. I will pick it up and knit on it tonight. 

Thoughts

    The storm we had certainly dumped a lot of snow on us. The predictions ranged from 1" to 6". We got more than that. People spent hours digging out their driveways. We were very fortunate that the power didn't go out with this storm and I really didn't hear about power outages in the province. Schools were closed in the province and our garbage pick up was cancelled. 

    I got a lot more done in the house than I had expected. I seemed to have gotten onto a roll and just kept going when doing the doors. It felt good physically and mentally to be working while snowed in. I didn't hurt too much which was good. 

Today

I am going to do a bit of tidying up and clean the stairs and front entry. I want to bring in the baseboards and clean them so I can paint them in a few days. I want to start on the doll's Edwardian shirt this afternoon and knit on both the sweater and the scarf. I don't need to go anywhere today. 

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

The Alberta Clipper Hit Us

 Yesterday was cloudy and wet with a high of 0C. This morning it is snowing and -3C (windchill -6C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with flurries and a high of -1C (windchill -9C).

Lifestyle

I put all my plans aside and headed into Dartmouth with daughter-in-law. The drive in was foggy with light snow. The snow wasn't melting on the road which was great. It was raining in Dartmouth. 

Our first stop was Home Depot. I returned the door handle I had bought as I got them cheaper on Amazon. I did buy door stops that you put on top of the doors that have dummy door handles. Two of mine are broken. 

The next stop was Costco. It was not busy in there so we got everything we needed without fighting the crowds. I bought nothing as I had shopped the day before. The last stop was Walmart and it was also quiet. We were in and out in no time flat. 

We headed back to Sackville and had lunch in one of our favourite restaurants. When done we went to our favourite dollar store and daughter-in-law got some organizers for a cupboard. 

Our last stop was at osteopathy where daughter-in-law had an appointment. We always have a great visit with the osteopathy therapist. We saw videos of her little girl who is 10 months old. 

The drive home was great. The roads were wet with puddles until we got to exit 4. Then they were wet with no puddles. When we drove up to my house, I could see the snow had really melted with the warmer temperatures and rain. The sun was even trying to shine. 

It started to snow around 7 pm last night and it is still snowing this morning. What we thought would be wet heavy snow is more light and somewhat fluffy. Shovelling will be fairly easy. The only issue will be the berm at the end of the driveway. It is huge!! I am going to shovel part of the driveway and hope that the person I hired will be around to do the berm for me. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday. We got home around 3 pm as I had finish making the chicken soup I had started first thing in the morning. 

Knitting

I knit on the doll's sweater and have 29 rows down. I am ready to increase to make the leg-o-mutton part of the sleeve. 

I also knit 24 rows on the scarf. It is now 32" long. 

It is knitting up faster than I had thought it would. I may be starting socks before the end of the month. 

Thoughts

    I was horrified to find out that there was a mass shooting at a school in northern BC. Nine or 10 people are dead and over 25 injured. My hearts go out to the community as it goes through this difficult time. I use to know some people in that community when we lived in Dawson Creek. The pain the community is feeling is unreal. It really brought back memories of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020. The trauma will go on for years. 

    I have to shovel my way down to the street and dig out my garbage bags for pick up. I want to shovel part of the driveway, the front step area, and the back deck. Who knows how much I will actually get done, it could be more, it could be less. The storm we got is what they call the Alberta Clipper. It actually moved across Canada dumping snow along the way. 

Today

Shovelling snow is my first job of the day. If I have any energy left, I will try to put on the door handles. I would like to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. All depends on how I feel after shovelling snow. 

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

Piping Made

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 0C. This morning it is cloudy and -6C. Today is supposed to be snowy with a high of 0C. We are under a snowfall warning with 10 - 20 cm of snow being estimated. 

Lifestyle

I was out to the community hall to make sandwiches first thing yesterday morning. We were completely done in just over an hour. At home, I got a few tools back out into the garage and a few things sorted before heading back out the door. 

I had a doctor's appointment and he was behind schedule which is not new. We went through my previous blood work, he added my blood pressure reading which was excellent and then we talked. He asked about my mini Cpap machine that I bought for my trip. Though it was expensive I was able to put it into my backpack vs packing another bag on my shoulder. We talked about me living in my home vs an apartment and his suggestion was to stay in my home for now. We talked a bit about hip/knee replacements and recovery time from that. A lot to think about. 

From the doctor's I went to the grocery store to have my prescriptions filled and to shop. Prescriptions were picked up at 4 pm so all is good for me during this storm. 

I was tired when I got home. Most of it was relaxing after seeing the doctor. I unknowingly stress out when I have to see him. I did hurt a lot yesterday due to the weather system coming in and my SI joint didn't release until after midnight. I am muscle sore today from all of that. 

Sewing

Though I was tired, I made myself go down to the sewing room and make piping. It was good therapy as I am up and down from the machine every few minutes which keeps me alert and allows me to push through the tiredness. 

I chose a fabric I had bought in November. It is a soft peach colour with white dots on it. 

I had bought .6 meter of it and used half of it. The other half will be used for something for the dolls. This is the first of 2 pieces of piping I want to make this month. 

Knitting

I picked up the doll's sweater and released I had knit something so different to what the pattern actually said. I know I was reading a pattern but I don't know what it was for. I wasn't very happy as I had to rip it out and start again. 

I had issues with row 2 getting the baby cables made. At one point I dropped 2 stitches and had to start the sleeve again. I finally got the first 3 rows done successfully and decided to knit 19 rows. I had a few problems but nothing unknitting a row wouldn't correct. 

I also knit 8 rows on the scarf before I called it a night. I was too tired to focus on knitting. I decided it was time to go to bed and get some much needed rest. If I had continued knitting I am sure I would have made a big mistake and I didn't want that. 

Thoughts

    I had one issues with the blinds yesterday and got it sorted out quickly. This morning I have opened 4 blinds they are working fine. I am hoping all is properly paired. It took a lot of figuring out and I am hoping I have them all paired to their correct number with no interferences. 

    I am going to do a quick tidy up and put some items away so I can run the robotic vacuum cleaner this afternoon. It is time for her to get back to cleaning the floors daily. 

    I have decided that when it is time to purge the basement, I will do it every other day until it is done. On alternate days I will clean upstairs so it remains tidy. I will be doing a lot of sorting and taking stuff to the thrift store. I will sell only what I think will sell and donate the rest. 

Today

I will be monitoring the snow fall (it's snowing at this time) so I can shovel snow before it gets too deep. I am hoping the person who is to clear my driveway comes tomorrow. I have to make chicken soup as the bones have been making broth for the past hour. I need to tidy up for the robotic vacuum cleaner and see if I have time to clean the stairs and front door area. I would like to make piping this afternoon and will be knitting tonight. 

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

A Doll's Skirt Completed

 Yesterday was fairly sunny with a high of -4C (windchill -9C). This morning it is cloudy and -8C (windchill -11C). Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of -2C (windchill -7C). We are under a weather warning for snow starting tomorrow. 

Lifestyle

I fiddled with the blinds and have them working. Up and down without any stopping part way. Only one drove me nuts while working on it. This morning it is paired with another blind when I opened them. I'm leaving them alone for a couple of days and will get back to them when I have more patience. The three in the window were hooked up to charge the motors. 

Once done the blinds, I tucked into the front closet. It was a job that needed to be done. I went through everything tossing what I didn't need into donate, trash, or recycle piles. I then cleaned the shelf and put back what I needed onto it. The coats were put back on one side along with one knitting bag. The others will be used for groceries. I mopped the floor really well and put back what I needed. The end result is much tidier and more organized. 

I need to buy Command hooks to hang the broom. I also cleaned up the floor space in front of the closet. That included clearing off the top of the little fridge (which needs to be moved). In the end, I had more stuff to put into the trash than I had to donate or recycle. 

I also laundered the sheets and made my bed. By the time I got all that done, I was ready to stop cleaning for the day. 

Sewing

I did go downstairs to relax and sew. I sewed the waistband facing onto the skirt, serged the hem, and sewed up the back seam. I sat and hand sewed the waist facing and hem down and added a button to each pocket flap.

It is very nondescript as the 3 tops I am making are the focal points. 

With this project done, I will be making 2 lengths of piping next. 

Knitting

First up, when cleaning the closet, I found 5 balls of yarn in one of the knitting bags. They have been in there forgotten for at least 3 years. They have been added to the inventory and put away into their proper bins. 

I cast on the stitches for the first sleeve on the doll's sweater. I knit 18 rows and am ready to start increasing. 

When I finished those 18 rows, I knit 32 rows on the scarf. It measures just under 28" now. Just over 11" to go and it will be done. 

When it is done, I will start a pair of socks for daughter. She sent me some lovely yarn to knit her a pair. 

Thoughts

    I am working my way through the upstairs purging and decluttering each space. It is helping me think about what I do need and what I don't. I also realized that I am not ready to move yet. I am too independent to be in an apartment. I am not shelving the idea totally but will work towards it over a long period of time. Right now I need to enjoy myself in this house but get ready to move when the time is right. Preparing to move in 7-8 months is not going to happen. Thinking about it has made me feel somewhat stressed and anxious. 

    I am realizing that I am a bit of a pack rat. I don't think about going through things that I don't see. The front closet is a prime example. I ignored it for a long time and what I found in there that needed to go or be put into its right place was embarrassing. I know I will need to be on top of my game when I go downstairs. I had a pep talk about doing the next purge down there while I was hand sewing on the doll's skirt. 

    I am not thrilled about the snow storm blowing in tomorrow. I had hoped we were done with storms. Guess Mother Nature has a different idea for us. Oh well, I better be ready to shovel snow tomorrow. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches this morning and then will go from there to the doctor's office for my appointment. Once done that I will head to family's to get some broccoli casserole daughter-in-law made. I need to get a few groceries. I want to cut out and make 2 lengths of piping this afternoon and knit tonight. A busy day for me. 

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

Installing The Blinds Frustrations

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of -4C (windchill -9C). This morning it is cloudy and -8C (windchill -14C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with a high of -6C (windchill -17C).

Lifestyle

The living room is clean. I was down on my hands and knees scrubbing tiny paint splatter off the floor which wasn't a hard job. I mopped sections of the floor and put the furniture away. Items that needed to be trashed are in bags in the garage. They go out Wednesday. The room is done. 

After lunch son and daughter-in-law came over to install the blinds. Once the instructions were figured out, the first blind was installed. Son did the one over the sink which was the hardest one to install. The rest were easy to install. The most frustrating part was finding out the blinds were already synced to the remote with no information telling us that. By the time they left, we were all frustrated and on edge. Son had 3 done with one almost done. The issue was us syncing them to their own station caused issues. A blind would go down and a blind would go up. Or a blind would go down using the up button. It was enough to drive you nuts. 

Once they left, I got 3 of the blinds charging. They were working properly. I got the last blind to work properly which took me over an hour. It tested my patience as I had to google each time something went wrong. The instructions are basic with nothing to help you with issues. I just kept trying until I figured it out. 

The last two blinds are giving me issues. When I put one blind on to its number, I can make it go up with the down button. I tried everything I found on google search. I decided to try the last blind as I thought it was working. Well, it works but the previous blind is also on the same number. It is synced to both numbers which left me confused. And a bit angry. I walked away for a while thinking what I needed to do. I think I need to factory reset those two blinds first and then synced one of them with a number before I even look at the other one. 

Do I like the blinds, yes. They look great, the colour matches the paint and they only allow 3% light in. What I don't like is the instructions on installing them and the setting up of them to the remote. They also don't tell you they are ready to use and you don't need to do anything but point the remote at them and figure out which one is synced to which number. Though the price was great, if you aren't ready to do it yourself, I'd go with a company that installs them for you. 

As a thank you, I ordered dinner for the three of us and we had it at family's house. I was home early as I needed to do a few things before I could sit down and knit. 

Sewing

None done yesterday as it was spent on the blinds. 

Knitting

I did get to knit last night and got another 40 rows knit. The scarf measures 25" now. About half done. 

I will be finished it before I know it. That means I will have to add another project to my knitting list as the doll's sweater won't take long to knit once it is cast on. 

Thoughts

    I am continuing with my purging as I see that I need to do it in every room. I have let things creep in to the house and didn't get rid of some items that needed to go. How much stuff does one person need is my question of the day. Not as much as I think. 

    When I expressed my thoughts about selling the house, I got one definite statement -- will you have the room to sew in when you rent an apartment. I know that I have a lot of sewing stuff and am not sure if it will fit into the room. I will not sew in the main living space. At the moment, I am now rethinking if I will move or if I will stay here. I do love my house a lot and know I would miss it if I sell it right now. More on it as time goes on. 

Today

I have to fold laundry, do more laundry, and clean the front entry. That includes purging a closet which is another place I put things I should have gotten rid of. I have a few things to put away and I need to work on the last 2 blinds. I want to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. 

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

Letting Go of Stuff Once Again

 Yesterday was more cloudy than sunny and there were lots of snow flurries during the day. The high got to -3C (windchill -7C). This morning it is cloudy and -7C (windchill -12C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with flurries and a high of -5C (windchill -12C).

Lifestyle

I started the morning out cleaning the little hall. I then opened the doors to where the washer and dryer are kept and did a major clean in there. I did find one item that is on the couch with the idea of giving it to a friend. Once that area was cleaned, I mopped the floor and dusted a small table and started in the dining area.

I purged the little server and I got a lot of stuff out of it. Some was old, some was not needed, and some stuff is between 50 and 70 years old. Family can decide if they want those items or if I will give them away. With the server cleaned, I turned my attention to the rest of the area. I did a lot of cleaning in that area and by noon I had the floor ready to mop. I was tired but happy with what I had gotten done. I found the purging and decluttering the hardest as I want to keep things I know I won't use again. When it is done, I am pleased with the results. 

I ended the day cooking dinner for last night and for 3 more nights. I do enjoy having dinners prepped and ready to reheat. I also cleaned up the kitchen as I had made a mess while cooking. It didn't take long and everything has been put away. 

Sewing

I spent quite a bit of time sewing yesterday afternoon. I had a lot of fun making an Edwardian period skirt. What I thought would be difficult project, was easier as I spent the time measuring and hand basting. 

My first job was to cut a bias strip so I could bind the back seam of the skirt. I am so happy I have started to do this on a regular basis. 

I spent a lot of time on the front of the skirt. That is where I did most of the measuring and hand basting. I was going to do the pocket flaps correctly if it killed me. 

Once the pockets flaps were done, I read the pattern and started on the pockets. It was a bit of a puzzle but I got it done. On the pocket back pieces you had to add a piece to the top that was slightly curved. Once I had that figured out, it was smooth sailing. I am ready to attach the waist facing. 

The pins in the front are holding the pockets in place. I have the waist facing to put on, sew up the back seam, hem, and add a snap to close the skirt. At this time, I am not sure what I will do for the front. I will put buttons on the pocket flaps but am not sure if I will add a bunch of buttons down the front as the designer has done. I will see what it looks like before I make a decision. 

I have 3 blouses cut out for the Edwardian wardrobe. I also have to cut out the bicycle skirt and jacket. When those 5 pieces are sewn, the wardrobe will be done. 

This month we are studying focus (Sewing With Cinnamon). We are to sew something that uses this element. One of the blouses I have to make has gigot sleeves and I am going to make it as those sleeves are a focal point of the shirt. This shirt goes with the Edwardian wardrobe and can be worn with the skirt I am making. 

Knitting

I knit on the scarf last night and did 40 rows. The scarf now measures 19" long. I am getting there slowly but surely. 

I don't have to finish it until sometime in March which I keep reminding myself. I do need to get the yarn and needles up for the doll's sweater so I can work on it at noon. I've been so busy that I forgot. 

Thoughts

    The decluttering and purging yesterday was successful. I realized that I have been keeping things that I don't need or use. I tend to put them away and forget I have them. Making myself go through every item while I am cleaning is making me toss what I don't need. I was a bit of a pack rat last year. I am not sure why I was but I was. It wasn't big items, it was small ones that I tended to buy and forget about. 

    The barometric pressure has been bouncing up and down causing me to have a lot of joint pain. The muscles are sore also and it is causing my SI joint to be tight. I did a good stretch last night and it released. The reason we are having changes in the barometric pressure is from all the flurries every day. I should stop calling them flurries and call them mini snow storms. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet first thing and then do laundry. I am going to focus on the living room area as it is next on the list. I will be sorting and purging items in there. I may even get started in the front hall closet. Family is coming over to hang the blinds so I doubt if I will be sewing this afternoon. I will be knitting tonight. 

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