Almost Done The Doll's Dress

 Yesterday was mainly sunny and hot. The high got to 32C (humidex 38C). This morning it is clear and 20C. Today it is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of rain this afternoon. The high is to get to 30C (humidex 36C).

Lifestyle

I had the house opened yesterday morning to air it out and enjoy the cool air. As the sun got higher, it got hot quickly. I shut the house up and closed all the blinds. You could actually feel how humid it was as it warmed up.

I decided to get groceries while it was "cool". It wasn't busy at the grocery store which was nice. I got everything I wanted and looked at a few things I didn't need. It was just snoop shopping. I did help one lady as she couldn't find what she wanted. She is on a low sodium diet like me so we chatted for a few minutes as we read labels. 

At home, I was greeted by the people who mow my lawn. The lawn was due for a mowing and weed eating. I paid them and we talked about the humidity coming in so early yesterday. 

I got all the groceries put away and sat down to have a large amount of water. I was getting dehydrated from being in the house and being outside in the heat. 

I did water the vegetables twice yesterday and the flowers once. I always water the rose bush and had to go in and get the scissors as there were some gorgeous blooms read to be picked. 

Sewing

I worked on the doll's dress yesterday. It was time to make the skirt. I read the instructions first and then proceeded to not fold the ruffle in half. Am I glad I didn't do it the way the instructions said. I did the serging, hemmed the bottom and sides and put in 3 rows of gathering thread. I'm glad I did the 3 rows of gathering thread as there was a lot of fabric to gather onto the bodice. I picked and played with the gathers and then hand basted it in place. 

Next up was the skirt. I followed the instructions and even did a double turned hemmed. I serged and then did 3 rows of gathering thread as there was more fabric to gather in the skirt. I will have to say I did a of grunting as I gathered the fabric to fit the bodice. I did it without breaking a thread. I fiddled with the gathers and then sewed it all together. I even serged the waist seam before I stopped for the day. My hands couldn't handle sewing snaps and buttons on. 

I am impressed with this pattern. It fits the doll well which is what I do want when sewing for them. The instructions are good with only one spot I got confused (operator problem) and one part where it said the "dot" was to be at the back edge of the bodice. There was no dot but a line where you folded the fabric back. 

I certainly will be buying another one of her patterns and will sew this pattern again. I want to do the top again with capris. 

Knitting

I knit 7 rows and ran out of thread while knitting the 8th row. I stopped for the night and will get a new ball out to knit again on Sunday night. 

Thoughts

    I am working through some guilt I am still dealing with since the Spousal Unit passed away. I have dealt with the guilt of him passing first and the guilt of me not being able to stop him from having Alzheimer's. The guilt I am dealing with now is from not visiting him at the hospital as we were following orders from the RCMP. I now know I should have visited him as there was no formal paperwork delivered to me or him. The hospital could do nothing about me visiting. They were struggling with this also as this was their first time dealing with this type of situation. If it happened today, I would be in to visit him and saying show me the paperwork. We learn as we go and I know I will work through this as I come to terms with it. 

    Though we have no humidex this morning, we have 100% humidity and no dew. I walked out onto the deck this morning knowing I will be outside only to water the plants. This heat is tropical air coming in from the Caribbean and could last a couple more days. 

    I found a 2nd cucumber yesterday. I am looking forward to having fresh cucumbers off the vine. The Early Girl tomatoes are starting to ripen and we will soon be eating them. The jalapeño peppers are growing but it will be a while before they will be ready. Though the plants got a slow start this year, they are doing much better than I had thought. 

Today

I have laundry to do and a bit of cleaning upstairs. I want to finish the doll's dress this afternoon. I am out to help in the bar at the community hall tonight so I won't be knitting. 

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

A Great Check Up

 Yesterday was hot and sunny with a high of 31C (humidex 35C). When it was 30C the humidex was 37C. This morning it is clear and 16C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a chance of showers this afternoon. The high is to get to 33C (humidex 38C). 

Lifestyle

I did my exercises and noticed that I am loosening up and my muscles are getting a tiny bit stronger. I didn't have any issues while doing them. 

My job of the morning was to prep the onions and peppers for dinner. I got them done, put into the fridge and the area cleaned up. 

I was to the doctor's after that and didn't have to wait long to see him. He was pleased with my blood pressure saying it was excellent. We talked about my possibility of having gout and the test was added to my blood work. He checked the toe and said it didn't look like gout. He thinks I had a flare up with my bunion. He was onto Amazon to show me what I had to buy. We talked about me having fluid retention (drink lots) and that I should loose the weight I have gained. My next visits will be for the flu shot and the Covid vaccine and after that to see him in early November. 

I got home in time to make lunch. I have to say that I am tired of chicken and turkey but I am to continue on with this for a while. I am to monitor my salt intake also. I am trying different spices and herbs and have found that I like some and not others. I can have red meat on occasion but not as often as I would like. 

There was a lot of noise outside my house at 1 pm. I looked out and the municipality had a truck and small digger on our road. They were cleaning the ditch. The digger operator was great and he did a great job at the culvert that takes all the water under the road to the stream that goes down the gully. He methodically worked down the street cleaning out all the grass, garbage, etc. that was in the ditch. 

Sewing

I started sewing the dress. I cut out the straps and pressed them and sewed them and ended up with straps just over 1/4" wide. I pinned them onto the bodice front and read the instructions on how to sew it together. I was confused. They didn't make sense at all. I started to sew how I thought it should be. Not right. Then, I realized I should have read the instructions first. I didn't understand how to put the bodice together. When I read the rest of the instructions for the bodice it made sense. I took out the I took out the stitching I had done and did it right. It is ingenious when you know what to do. 

The bodice is actually 2 pieces and you sew it shut in the front with 4 small buttons. The back will be closed with snaps. 

I am now ready to start on the ruffle and skirt. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got 8 rows done. The ball of yarn is almost finished. 

That is my book where I keep track of my knitting. The page showing is for the afghan. I actually do go back and look at projects I have done so I know what yarn and needles I used. 

Thoughts

    Thank you to the person who gave me a bit more information about the Rolling Barrage. I read a bit more on Facebook about them. Two people gave the number of riders (87 and 129) for this year. The riders had breakfast at the Legion before they set out on their journey. I do thank them for what they do for fund raising for veterans. 

    I have the house opened up and am enjoying the cool air this morning. Yesterday the humidity dropped in the late afternoon and, though hot, it wasn't unbearable when I went out to water all the plants. This spell is supposed to last for the weekend and then move on. 

    I am now watering the vegetable tubs twice a day due to the heat. They are drying out quickly especially the cucumbers. I do the flowers once a day as they get a lot more shade from the shed. The rose bush drinks a lot of water each day. It is ready to have a bunch of blooms open. 

Today

I have to do my exercises and then figure out what I need to do for cleaning. I want to work on the doll's dress this afternoon and knit tonight. It is going to be too hot to do anything outside other than water the plants. 

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

Starting A New Project

 Yesterday was the beginning of our heat warning and it was sunny and somewhat humid. The high got to 30C (humidex 36C). This morning it is clear and 17C. Today is supposed to be sunny and hot with a high of 32C (humidex 38C).

This person cracks me up with how he writes his weather reports. He is quite accurate which is amazing. Environment Canada gives us our official weather forecast.  

Lifestyle

I was out the door before 7:30 am to start making sandwiches at the community hall. I had 1 hour before I had to leave for my appointment. I got everything out for making the sandwiches, got 2 fillings ready, and made 3 loaves of sandwiches. I was hustling as I wanted to do my share and we were short a person. 

On my way to get my hair cut, I stopped at home for 2 minutes (timed). I went out through the way I go shopping as there are delays the usual way we go. When I got to the stop sign to get on to the main road, I had to sit through 2 green lights. The police were escorting about 150 bikers to the parking lot at the strip mall. They blocked side roads so they could move as a unit. It was interesting to watch them as they were very polite and courteous to everyone. Update -- I just read they are veterans travelling across Canada. 

I got to my hair appointment 2 minutes late and got my hair cut. Once home, I got my weeding tub out and I weeded around the shed. I removed all the weeds in the bed plus those growing along the edge of the lawn. I got over warm sitting in the sun doing the last bit. I did prune the rose bush and watered it and all the flower tubs. I then went in and had a break and drank a lot of water. 

The last job of the morning was to clean the downstairs bathroom. It wasn't as dirty as I had thought it would be. But, it got done and looks much better and smells like grapefruit from the cleaner. 

The only task I had to do after lunch was get the mixing bowls and left over dressing from the hall and take it to family's house. I did that and went downstairs to see how son is doing with demolition. He had the ceiling tiles down in the exercise room and was ready to start taking down the metal parts that held the tiles in place. We had a chat about what he is doing and I left for home. 

Later in the afternoon, I took out the recycling and the compost bin to the road for pick up this morning. It was hot and somewhat humid. Not as bad as I had thought. I also watered the vegetables and picked the first ripe tomato. It was sweet and juicy. 

Sewing

I forced myself to sew later in the afternoon. I cut out the remaining pattern pieces for a dress for the Gotz dolls. I laid it out on the fabric and got it cut out. I just have to cut out the straps from a left over piece. 

This project challenge was to use a new pattern designer and a piece of fabric I had bought 3 years ago. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night as I was too tired. 

Thoughts

    I struggled yesterday to get a normal blood pressure reading. I think the reason was having to rush around in the morning. It was close but not normal. I also worried I had a bit of retained fluid though I had drank a lot. Not to worry as I lost .5 lb yesterday. 

    I changed the filter in the fridge. If all could go wrong, it did. The holder fell off when I took the old one out. I struggled and wrestled with it to get it back on. I won. The new filter is in even if it did take me 20 minutes to do a 5 minute job. 

    The hot weather and humidity is to persist until Saturday. There is a haze, which is the blanket of humidity, over the Minas Basin. People who have lived here all their lives say this is not common though I remember this type of weather when we visited Nova Scotia in the early 1990's. We forget unless something jars our memories. 

    I have put weeding on hold until next week when it is cooler. I have the next spot picked and should be able to do it in about 20-30 minutes. I will have to go outside early to do it so I won't be sitting in the sun and overheating. 

Today

I have to do my yoga exercises today as I missed yesterday. I will try to prep the vegetables for supper this morning before I go to the doctor's. Once home, I will sew on the dress and I hope to knit tonight. 

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

A Teeny Tiny Cucumber

 Yesterday was warm and windy. The high got to 26C (humidex 29C). This morning it is clear and 19C. Today is supposed to be sunny and hot with a high of 32C (humidex 37C). 

Lifestyle

I had a busy morning. I did my yoga exercises first and I am getting more flexible. I am also having less cramps as my muscles are getting stronger. 

My next job was to get some money out of the bank so I can pay for my haircut today. The drive was uneventful. 

Once home, I worked on the chicken carcass from dinner the night before. I got 6 ounces of meat off it which I have in the fridge for lunches. I then put the bones into the Instapot and pressure cooked them for broth. I use it when cooking. 

I folded the laundry and got it put away. It didn't take me long as I pushed through focusing on it and not other things. My last job was to take out the garbage and recycling. I sprayed everything as there are fruit flies showing up. I don't like them at all so out comes the bug killer for fruit fly season.

I moved the cucumbers on the deck as they are starting to hang over and I don't want the deer to munch on them. I found one tiny cucumber. 

I also noticed that I have one larger tomato ripening. 

While out watering the vegetables, I noticed my neighbour's mom was out holding the new baby. She is 5 weeks old. I went up to see her and visited with them for a while. The baby and their other daughter are going to look alike. 

The company was out to spray for cinch bugs. The person doing the job hasn't been here for over a year. He told me that most of the damage to my lawn is cinch bugs from last year which was done twice. He said they will be doing fertilizer and weed control in the next 6 weeks. He also said my lawn needs seeding which will be done in September. 

Sewing

I cut out a top and capris for the Gotz dolls. I do not have fabric for the capris that goes with any printed fabric. I have decided to make the dress so have printed the pieces for the skirt. 

Knitting

I did knit 8 rows last night and am doing the dark colour. 

Thoughts

    We are under a heat warning until Saturday. The highs are to get up to 32C with a humidex of 37-38C. The humidity soup arrives Friday or Saturday which will be disgusting. The humidity this morning is 67% which is low for us. No dew either. 

    I had less pain in my SI joint yesterday even though I was busy. The stretching exercises are working which is great. I am hoping to get outside next week when it is cooler and do some things in the yard rather than just do housework. It is time to be outside and see how much I can get done. There are a lot of weeds to be pulled and I should do some other things. I also need to call the person to come and mow my lawn. 

Today

I am out shortly to make sandwiches as I have to leave early for a hair cut. Once home, I want to do some cleaning in the basement. I didn't get to it yesterday. I hope to cut out the doll's dress today and knit tonight. I won't be outside today except to water the plants. 

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

300 Reindeer Eyes Glued On

 Yesterday was sunny and humid with one shower in the afternoon. The high got to 28C (humidex 39C). This morning it is cloudy, damp, windy, and 21C (humidex 28C). Today is supposed to be sunny and warm with a high of 27C (humidex 30C).

As of 7 am, the temperature has dropped to 18C and there is no humidex. The wind is blowing good which means the hot weather is coming in. 

Lifestyle

I was really tired yesterday from only having 5.75 hours of sleep but I made myself do what needed to be done. My first job was to get a load of laundry on before I went grocery shopping. 

When I went grocery shopping, it was humid outside. It felt quite hot and soupy while walking into the store. The store was quiet and I did my shopping in good time. I bought what was on my list and a couple of things that I had forgotten to put on. Once home, I got everything in and put away. 

While the laundry finished washing, I paid my bills and then did a quick tidy of the kitchen. I was tired enough that I laid down to have a rest. As I was settling down, son texted me as he wanted to get the dolly to move things in their basement. He got it and I had lunch as I was up and not going to nap at that point. 

I was out to dinner last night at family's and it was delicious. We had broccoli casserole, roast chicken, stuffing, corn, and some roasted baby potatoes. After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen and talked for a bit. I grabbed my dish of broccoli casserole and the chicken carcass and came home as we were all tired. Early night for all of us. 

Sewing

I was too tired to sew, though I did buy a pattern for the Gotz dolls. It has a dress, top, shorts, and capris and I am looking forward to making it. I do have the top and carpi pattern pieces printed. 

Crafting

I decided to cut out the eyes and put them on the reindeer. All 300 eyes are on and that job is done. 

I will admit it was tedious but a brain dead job. It was all I could handle which has me laughing today. I can now put them into a bag and ship them later on. 

My next crafting job is to finish the memory book. I will putter at it over the next few weeks. I want it done and out of the house. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night as I was too tired and wanting to go to bed early. 

Thoughts

    We are in for 3 days of temperatures around 30C. The humidity will roll in and out during those days which means we will have humidex reading up to almost 40C and both cool and warm nights. It will roll out on Saturday which is fine by me. Walking outside and breathing hot humid air is not something I enjoy. I stay in and don't go far from home when the weather is like this.

    My package from Amazon did not arrive yesterday like it was supposed to. I am not sure what happened but it seems to have been delayed. It is now in Dartmouth and could arrive today or tomorrow. It is a filter for the fridge and side brushes for Rosie the Robot. No big hurry for either one. 

    I have been drinking a lot of water and I got a normal blood pressure reading on the first reading this morning. Usually it is the 2nd reading. I am still monitoring how much sodium I consume and am watching my portion control. With loosing 4 lbs in 48 hours, my weight has remained the same which is fine. The weight will come off when my body has adjusted to the loss.

Today

I have to fold laundry and go get money for my hair cut. I also have to take out garbage and recycling to the garage. I hope to tackle the downstairs bathroom as it needs a good cleaning. This afternoon I will find fabric for doll clothes and think about how I will make a bag for daughter to put into a silent auction. Tonight I hope to knit on the afghan. I do have to water the vegetables today due to the heat. 

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

Shifting Gathers

 Yesterday was sunny and humid with a high of 28C (humidex 35C). This morning it is cloudy and 20C. It did get down to 17C during the night and it rained. Today is supposed to have showers with a high of 25C (humidex 34C).

Lifestyle

I did my yoga exercises yesterday and I am starting to feel a bit more flexible. Not a lot but a bit. The next thing I did was to go out and stake up the tomatoes. You could feel it getting warm and humid. The tomato plants are staked and the stakes are tied to the deck railing. I am amazed at how heavy the tomatoes are on the two plants. That job took longer than I had thought as I had to get think a lot and be creative. 

I did launder the sheets and made the bed later in the afternoon. I also cleaned the bathroom. It was a morning of small jobs all of which needed doing. 

Sewing

I worked on the doll's top and I really struggled with the neckline. No matter what I did, the front gathering would shift on me. After several attempts I said good enough even though it isn't quite centered. I just have the snaps to sew on and it will be done. 

I put the dolls which are wearing Doll Joy clothing together. The only non Doll Joy item is the capri leggings which was designed by a friend. 

My next item to make is the Doll Joy jeans to go with the top I just made. 

Knitting

I did knit 8 rows last night on the afghan. The ball of yarn is getting smaller. I did get a good picture of the pattern last night. 

Thoughts

    I slept poorly last night. I had just settled down and someone left off fireworks (today Natal Day). I was not expecting it so I took forever to settle down. I may have to have a nap today as I do feel quite tired this morning. 

    I think I have most of the retained fluid gone as I lost no more weight. I did drink a lot again yesterday as I knew I was going to have Kolbassa sausage which has salt in it. I did have a small portion along with onions and potatoes roasted in the oven. No other salt in that meal and moderate amounts in the other meals I had. 

    Natal Day is the celebration of the founding of Halifax in 1749. There are parades, road races, activities, and fireworks to celebrate the holiday. Almost all stores are open but there are delays getting around the city due to all the activities. We don't go in as it is very busy and crowded. 

Today

I have to pay some bills, get groceries, put eyes on the reindeer and sew the snaps on the top. I am out for dinner at family's tonight. I will be pacing myself as I am tired but my goal is to drink lots of water and eat wisely. 

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

A Doll's Top Started

 Yesterday started out cloudy and wet and ended up with some sunshine. The high got to 22C (humidex 27C). This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 14C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 28C (humidex 35C). 

Lifestyle

I struggled yesterday morning with grogginess as I had slept in and woke from a deep sleep. But, I did get things done. I started out doing my yoga exercises first. I am still stiff but it will come with time. I just need to keep doing them. 

Next on the list was to do some more cleaning in the living room. That turned into cleaning the whole room but the windows. The weather made me not do them as it could have rained at any minute and it did. But, I moved furniture, vacuumed, dusted, and mopped. I also got my SI joint to tighten up. 

The last job of the morning was to do the balance sheet. I thought I had done better at spending more money but I didn't. Actually I spent less than last month. I wasn't deprived or unhappy. 

Sewing

I spent a bit of time pulling fabrics for a donation quilt but daughter has put it on hold. She doesn't know if she will be going to that field trial or not. Instead she wants me to make a reusable bag and an apron. I am now changing direction on that and will get those made for her. 

While waiting for her response, I decided to make another top for the Gotz dolls. This time, I used the Doll Joy dress pattern and left off the ruffle. 

The goal was to use a piece of fabric from the doll's fabric stash. I brought out 3 pieces. One was too small, the other wasn't what I wanted so I chose the third one. 

I cut out the pattern and sat down to sew. This top came together quickly as I was interested to see how it would look. The sleeves were exactly how I wanted them. I used some lace I had in the stash that I have no idea where it came from. I think my friend bought it at a thrift shop or garage sale. 

I inserted the elastic and then started working on the body of the blouse. I was on a roll having a lot of fun when I realized it was almost 4:30 pm. One sleeve has been inserted and the other one is ready to be done. 

I am really excited to see how it will look when done and on the doll. I have pulled some navy fabric to make jeans to go with the top. 

Knitting

I knit 8 rows on the afghan last night. I did lay it out on the floor and took a picture of it. 

Yesterday I said I had knit 200 rows whereas I had actually knit 480 rows. When I finished last night I had done 488 rows. I certainly did my math wrong. 

Thoughts

    I worked hard on my eating yesterday and got my sodium down to below the required amount. I did miss the flavour salt gives but I am on a mission to find some combinations of flavours. I had measuring spoons and cups out while I was making meals and I know it is helping me control the salt in my food. 

    I also drank a lot of water yesterday. I am sure I floated a boat but it was worth it. In 2 days I have lost 4 pounds. I think most of it was fluid. I wonder how much excess fluid I have left to get rid of. I am noticing a difference in my hands as they are not stiff like they were. 

    We are in for couple of muggy days and I am not looking forward to that. They will come and go this month. I will enjoy the nights that are cool and the windows can be opened. Soon we will be having fall and I am looking forward to that. Fall is my favourite season. 

    I have to prop the second tomato plant to day. It is heavy with tomatoes and starting to fall over. I am amazed at how many are on the two plants. I did look at the cucumber plants and they have their first blooms. We now wait and see how many cucumbers we get to eat. The jalapeño peppers are growing and there looks like there will be lots of them. 

Today

I have to pay some bills, prop up the tomato, do some laundry, and clean the bathroom. This afternoon I want to sew as it will be too humid to be outside. I hope to knit tonight. A quiet day for me. 

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