Happiness in the Sewing Room

Yesterday was somewhat cooler with the high getting to -4C or 20F. The wind was quite cold and we were put under a snowfall warning for during the night. And it snowed last night and I think I have 3" to shovel off the driveway first thing this morning. 

Lifestyle

With not a lot to do, the Spousal Unit and I spent most of the day in the basement only to surface to have our meals or to do laundry. 
The Spousal Unit worked on a puzzle and though discouraged with his progress in the morning, he was happy with it in late afternoon. 

Sewing

I worked on the knitting bag for Daughter-in-law yesterday and got the outer part completed. 

There is a pocket on each end of the bag with it divided down the middle. 

The front has two pockets; one taller than the other. It is divided into thirds. 

The back has a lot of narrow pockets on it for needles or what ever you wish to put in them. I gave it a good pressing to make sure all the seam allowances are nice and flat. 
I followed the instructions carefully and measured each pocket, marked the stitch line and sewed it down with back stitching and a fix stitch at the top of each pocket. 
The lining and the pockets for the lining are cut out. All that is left to cut out is the top trim and the handles. To date, the bag has used:

• 1.3 meters of balls of yarn fabric for the main part and lining of the bag.
• .8 meter of lambs knitting for the pockets for main part and lining of the bag.
• .6 meter of Armo fleece to stiffen the main part of the bag.

There are very few scraps left and I doubt if they will be kept for long. 

Knitting

The 10 rows left to knit on the first sock turned out to be 20 rows to get 8" for leg length. 

Here it is with 50 rows knit on Sunday night when I quit for the night. The second sock is set up and 11 rows knit on it. I am pleased with how fast these socks are being knit. I try to knit some at noon and then in the evening. Goal is to be done by mid February. 

Today

I have to go to the doctors this morning and I am hoping to sew the pockets on to the lining this afternoon. I will have to shovel snow as we are to have snow all day today. I get my exercise in today. 
Until the next time...................

Kwik Sew 182 Knitting Bag Started

After a lovely warm day yesterday, this morning the temperature is 0C with a heavy snow warning starting tonight. We enjoyed the warm weather yesterday by zipping outside several times. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning we spent time putting away tools and getting items off the ledge and into their correct spots. It is nice to see the items going into their correct places and the clutter becoming less. 
I set up the printer and wanted to get it hooked up to the internet. I followed the instructions and every time I put in the password, I would get a message saying it was incorrect. After an hour of trying many things, I typed a very detailed search into Google and it showed me what to do. 5 minutes later and we were good to go. It was totally not what I had had to do at our previous homes. 

Sewing

Thanks to our fabulous Daughter-in-law, the sewing room is set up. 

Looking in the door, you can see where I sew. I turned the table 90 degrees from the wall so I am not sewing into my shadow. Works very well. 

Looking from my sewing machine, you can see that everything is set up so I am not working in shadows. It all fits in perfectly. There is a place for my jewelry making by the stash. I do need a light for that area. The tubs need to go to the shed and it may happen today. 

I have a chair in the sewing room so the Spousal Unit can sit and read or nap. I can also use it when I am reading patterns or looking at books. 
In all I am pleased with how the sewing room looks. 
I started sewing yesterday afternoon. 

The fabric is balls of yarn for the main part and sheep for the pockets.

I made sure that the knitting needles are going up as it surprised me to see the fabric was directional.
I have the bag body and lining cut out and the Armo fleece attached to the body pieces. I got way too much Armo fleece so the next reusable grocery bags will be lined with it. 

Next up is to cut out the pocket pieces and put interfacing on them and the bag lining pieces. After that comes some intense sewing and cutting out the handles and top trim. Some fussy cutting is going to happen on those pieces. 

Knitting

I knit on Grandson's socks and have 6" (30 rows) knit on the first leg. Ten more rows and the leg will be done. Then I start the second sock. I like to knit each part of the sock on both socks prior to starting the next step. Works best for me. 

Today

We are home today so I plan on doing some housework, some sewing and some knitting. If it starts to snow, I will be out shoveling the driveway. 
Until the next time.....................

Hello Oscar Dress Completed

It is cool this morning at -15C at 6 a.m. It is suppose to warm up and be a fairly nice day. 

Lifestyle

The morning was spent cleaning the house and doing laundry. It was great to get all the cat hair contained and the place looking neater. 
In the afternoon Elliott went to the vet for weigh in and nail clipping. He weighs 16.75 pounds which means .75 lb. left before he gets his diet changed. He was very curious in the room and explored quite a bit. When his nails were done, he laid on the table and looked smug while the vet did them. 

Sewing

I got a couple of hours in the sewing room. I worked on the Hello Oscar dress from Pixie Faire. It is not my favorite dress so the pattern will go into the stash only to be brought out when requested. I did not put the lace trim on the sides as it was too big. I do like it plain. The neckline trim was changed as what I purchased (expensive) did not look right on the dress. I used another trim I found in the trim tub. 

Kate will wear the dress on March 4 while the Academy Awards are being broadcasted. I may have to knit a shawl if it is cool at that time. 
Anna got her hair released from her ponytail. I used a couple of barrettes close by to hold her hair out of her face. 

Knitting

I set up socks for Grandson last night and got 2" knit on the first sock. I plan on doing 7 to 8" on the leg as he has gotten so tall. 

Today

Daughter-in-law and Grandson are coming over to put together furniture. I will help them where I can and put together the chair for the sewing room. I hope to launder the cotton for the knitting bag so I can cut it out later today. 
Until the next time.......................

Black Turtleneck Sweater Finished

Though sunny, it was cool outside yesterday. Today is cooler and there is snow on the ground at 6 a.m. A morning of shoveling is in the books. 

Lifestyle

First thing yesterday morning, I went for blood work for my thyroid and A1C, etc. The technician was fabulous and I was home in good time. 
The TV stand we bought on Wednesday is made with a huge thank you to Daughter-in-law who arrived yesterday. She is amazing at this kind of thing. I have a book stand and 2 chairs left to put together. That could be tomorrow's job. 

Sewing

No sewing was done yesterday. We went out instead to do a few little jobs and to enjoy the sunshine. 

Knitting

I finished Anna's black turtleneck sweater. She looks nice in it and is happy with it. 

For me, the body is still a bit short but I can fix that when I knit another one. Yes, I have another one planned for later on. 

She loves the sleeve length and the turtleneck is so warm. 

She is very happy with it and wants black leggings to go with it. 

Today

Shoveling snow, some housework, and sewing is on the agenda. In the afternoon, Elliott is to go to get weighted and have his nailed clipped. 
Until the next time...........................

Coming to Accept

After a gorgeous sunny day yesterday, we are having snow this morning. The temperatures are to rise and the snow will turn to rain; lots of rain until tomorrow morning. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday was spent house cleaning in preparation for the new couch arriving this morning. In the afternoon, we went for a drive exploring a bit of the country after mailing Daughter's hat to her. It was a lot of fun.
Last night was a bad night as the Spousal Unit didn't go to sleep but fussed and fretted over a multitude of things. He slept, woke up, fretted, and then slept again. I fear, but have come to accept, he is in the very early stages of dementia. Chemo, two bouts of pneumonia, and a couple of infections has probably brought it on. Right now it is important to keep him on a schedule so he can function well both in the day and sleep at night. I am learning that I need to rest when he rests so I am not exhausted. 
Grandson is coming over this morning as there is no school due to the snow. He and I will shovel the snow off the driveway. I don't want it to turn to ice when the couch arrives. 

Sewing

I worked on the Oscar ball gown yesterday. The lining was pressed, the tulle added to the bottom and it sewn in at the neckline to the dress. It now needs to be clipped, turned, pressed and the lining sewn together at the back. 
I had misplaced the neckline trim for the dress and after looking high and low, I found it. It and some trim need to be hand sewn onto the dress to finish it off. I look forward to completing this outfit and officially say the first meter of 50 is sewn. 
Next on the agenda is a knitting bag for Daughter. It is her Christmas present. 

Knitting

I picked up the stitches and have the first sleeve almost done on the black turtleneck sweater. I need to count the number of rows I knit so both sleeves are the same length. I pretty much have the pattern figured out to knit matching sweaters for Kate. The needles need to be one size larger than what I am using for the black sweater. 
When done, it will be time to knit socks. I will get a yarn swift so I can make the skeins of yarns into balls. 

Today

What gets done depends on how much energy I have. I need to fold laundry and vacuum the bedrooms and clean the bathroom. Snow needs shoveling and the living room needs to be set up. I will pace myself according to my energy levels. Vacuuming the bedrooms and cleaning the bedrooms can be done tomorrow. 

A Lot of Snow to Remove

After almost 48 hours of snow, it turned cool again. At 7:30 a.m., it is -15C or 5F. It is suppose to be a bit warmer over the next week with very little snow in the forecast. 

Lifestyle

With the Spousal Unit feeling much better, he decided he should start the snowblower and clean the 6" of snow off our driveway. This was brought about by daughter-in-law saying not to shovel as it was heavy wet snow. 
Amidst the arguing and wading through a foot or more of snow, we finally got the snow blower started. The Spousal Unit blew a path from the shed to the driveway and did one pass. He was tired. I took over manhandling the beast and got the driveway cleared in 90 minutes. The Spousal Unit did a bit of shoveling and sweeping. And he was tired and upset and went into the house. 

I came in shortly after that soaking wet from sweating and quite tired. Nothing had been cleaned up or put away. Daughter-in-law came over at noon and helped me get everything put away and the buildings locked up. She left Grandson with us and went shopping and back home to work. Son was at home dealing with some work issues. Us doing our driveway was good thing. 
We are thinking of buying a new snowblower at the end of the season. We will see what the clearance prices are before we actually do it. 
Grandson played outside at our place by himself for an hour. He ran and jumped into the snow piled up in our ditch. 

He would fall into the ditch and lay in the snow. 

He had his friends come over for about 30 minutes of playtime and when I brought him in for snack, his blood sugar was low. It was dealt with and out the door he went to play again. I am sure he slept well last night. All the schools are open today. I'm sure there are mixed feelings about school work vs play in some children's minds. 

Sewing

No sewing was done yesterday as the snow had to be blown, grandson was here and the garage needed to be tidied up a bit. 
The cutting table is calling me and I will get at it today. 

Knitting

I worked on the black turtleneck sweater yesterday. The ribbing for the turtleneck is done and 13 rows of the body have been completed. I enjoy knitting it sitting beside the living room windows. Three more rows and I will see which doll it fits the best: Anna or Kate. 

Today

I need to head out and do a small grocery shopping and check on our living room furniture's delivery date. Then it is home to put the cutting table together. It is too cold for us to be outside doing anything. The Spousal Unit is feeling better but we still need to take care of his respiratory system. Sucking in cold air is not part of the plan.
Until the next time.....................

Snow Fun

The 2" of snow I reported on was actually 5" of snow. The temperature hovered near freezing all day. It cooled off a bit during the night and we are to have more snow today. 

Lifestyle

I headed outside to shovel the driveway mid morning and the two boys across the street (snow day) came over to help me. They worked well and had a great time pushing snow into the ditch and jumping in afterwards. At that point they were the only children outside playing and there was no school. 
At noon, Grandson came to stay with us while his parent were in Kentville. Son had an eye appointment as he continues to have inflammation in one eye that started before Christmas. Grandson went out to play in the snow with the two boys. 

They had a lot of fun outside and were the only ones playing until later in the afternoon when 3 more children joined them. I had several good chuckles at their antics like crazy carpeting down into the ditch. By the time Grandson had to go home, the road in front of our place was littered with snow. 

Sewing

No sewing was done yesterday due to snow shoveling and Grandson being here. But, my cutting table will be delivered today or tomorrow. It is in Dartmouth. I am excited and will be putting it together after it arrives. 

Knitting

I finished Daughter's messy bun hat and I do love the colour way. 

I may knit her a third one if I find a color I know she will like. 
I cast on the stitches to make Anna a black turtle neck sweater. I went up a needle size so it may fit Kate. I do find black hard to knit so I need to find a night time project in a lighter color. I will knit black during the day.

Today

I need to do a bit of housework, wait for the cutting table to be delivered, sew a bit, and, if time, find out if our furniture has arrived. Tonight is Weight Watchers so I hope I score a loss.
Until the next time.........................

Meeting Goals?

We had 2" or more of snow fall last night. The temperature is remaining steady at -5C or 23F. It is forecasted that 2" more snow will fall on Wednesday, then warm up to above freezing temperatures. 

Lifestyle

We are slowly getting well. I am almost back to normal though I do cough periodically. I still get tired easily but am getting stronger as time goes on. 
The Spousal Unit is farther behind me. He is coughing but it is a drier cough. He is also very tired especially if he puts in a rough night. I notice he gets agitated if he gets too tired. But he is on the road to recovery. 
Yesterday was basically an inside day. The Spousal Unit did wander outside twice and said it was cold out there. I am sure it was him as he hasn't been outside much since Dec. 27. I did go into the garage a couple of times and it was cool. I enjoyed that as I find the house too warm. 

Meeting Goals

• Loosing Weight

Having made the commitment to loose weight, I am doing well. I have gotten out the measuring utensils and am trying to follow the plan as carefully as possible. This is a lifestyle change and I need to remember that. Being sick helped me think about portions as I could not eat a lot when I started to feel better. Daughter-in-law and I are supporting each other which is helpful. 
Have not started walking but I did shovel the driveway twice and will be doing it again today. Hope that counts as activity. 

• Budgeting

As I was sick, I did not start a budget but will try to do it in the next couple of weeks. I need to get Son to help me find the program and start. We have lived well within our means here but it is nice to see it on screen. It keeps us accountable. 

• Sewing

I am foraging back into sewing and am working on a couple of UFO's before I start a new project. I had to cut out a doll's dress lining on the ironing board yesterday and realized how much I miss a cutting table. The new one will be here on Thursday or Friday.  I will be watching Craftsy courses while I am sewing craft items and I plan on taking a course on designing doll clothes. It is one of two courses I want to take. 
Garment sewing is going to be harder for me as I am moving towards denim colored items. I have lots of red, purple, black, and some grey in the stash. In the interim, the goal is to sew up these colors and let them go while I loose weight. Then I will bring in the colors I want for a new wardrobe one project at a time. I want my wardrobe to be simple; t-shirts, a few woven tops, jeans, and a few knit items. I would love to sew myself a winter coat but that remains to be seen. The look is what I call Country Casual. 

I am looking forward to starting on making slopers for Daughter-in-law and myself. As I feel better, the urge is there to do this. I need to buy some paper and do a bit of preliminary work prior to measuring us up. 
I joined a group to sew up 50 meters/yards of fabric this year. I am on the first meter which is great. I am hoping this group keeps me accountable to sew what I own and not buy more. To date, I have not bought any fabric. Three notions I needed did come home with me and I am fine with that. 

• Knitting

I am back to knitting again and will be working through the wool stash the best I can. If I have to buy yarn for a project, it must be the next item going onto my needles. Otherwise it can stay in the store. I have enough yarn for both the dolls and family. 
My big purchase for knitting will be a yarn swift. The swift holds the skein while you wind it into a ball. I can get one at a local yarn shop. I seem to buy more skeins of yarn as I am gravitating towards more expensive yarns. I will be sorting my knitting needles and writing up a list of the ones I still need for my collection. 
I am still planning my goals as I do not want them to become wishes. 

Today

I have to get outside and shovel the snow. We have grandson coming at noon for a few hours as Son and Daughter-in-law have to got for son's eye appointment. He is having issues with one eye and they want to find out why. 
Until the next time.......................

Do What You Want To Do

Yesterday we saw the trend towards cooler weather. The temperature dropped all day and this morning it was -7C or 19F. There is very little wind but what little there is, is coming from the North. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday, I cut up cardboard and bundled it for recycling pick up this week. It was great to get it off the floor and ready to be put out Wednesday night. Recycling in Nova Scotia is so different where you must put your recycling into specific clear bags and bundle cardboard. And they pick them up which is really nice. 
I have been on Weight Watchers for almost two weeks. I am enjoying the food I am making for us to eat. I do snitch a bit of treats once in a while but only one or two pieces. I have not gained back the 6.5 pounds I lost while sick and I am still loosing. Can't wait to see what the scales say on Wednesday. 
We slept well last night. The first part of the night was spent coughing but I woke up to the alarm ringing at 2 am to give the Spousal Unit his inhaler. He woke briefly to take it and we both fell asleep for another 4 hours. I am hoping this is the road to recovery. We both need to be well and enjoy ourselves once again 

Sewing

I sewed yesterday and it felt so good. I had taken out the Oscar dress to finish and I decided to put the zipper in the back. I carefully basted it in and stitched it down. It was a job well done. 

The skirt is a tulip skirt and is really cute but I do know I probably won't make this pattern again unless under duress. It is a lot of work and would be a one of a kind that would be expensive to sell. 

I am now ready to sew up the side seams and cut out the lining. There is a lot of hand stitching to be done on this dress but I know I can get it done if I sew for a couple of hours each day. 
When the dress is done, I have a Halloween wall hanging to finish and then I can start on projects. But......
I keep thinking "Am I being creative enough?" "Should I do something else?" I have what it takes to teach courses but I'm not wanting to go there. Do I want to quilt like others in our new community? No. That I am adamant about. So, I turned back to my goals for sewing. I feel comfortable with them and will continue on with sewing up the stash, doing coursework to improve my sewing for adults, dolls, and crafts. 
I am going to put a tub in the sewing room and as I finish a project, I will bag it up and put it in the tub. I will keep track of the meters I sew and who I sew them for. I will not beat myself up for doing or being who am instead of being someone I am not. I am not eclectic nor am I dramatic. I am down to earth and am looking to dress that way. I like to quietly do my thing in the sewing room. So I end today's drama in my head with Do What You Want To Do. Keep with the plan you mapped out rather than follow what others think you should do.

Knitting

 I knit quite a bit yesterday while I was resting. The pattern is easy to follow and, though I did make a couple of mistakes, I got about half of the hat done by bedtime. Daughter loves the color way as she has several jackets in the grey and lilac tones. 

I may make this as a hat for myself if the colors go well with the coat I made last year. I am still thinking of making the dolls hats using this pattern. So simple but elegant. 

Today

I need to do laundry and I want to sew. I have a few days to decide if I want to take a course on designing doll clothes. With recovery comes the desire to do things once again. 
Until the next time........................

Knitting Success

Friday we had a high of 17C which is about 64F. It cooled off to 15C for Saturday which is about 59F. We were in the midst of a rain and wind warning with our temperatures cooling off to -3C overnight. Not far below freezing which is okay. We did have snow overnight but the most precipitation was 5 mm of rain yesterday. 

Lifestyle

We were to the doctor's on Friday and the Spousal Unit's lungs are in much better condition. He got his flu and pneumonia shots. He is still on the 2 inhalers for at least 2 more weeks. He is improving which is nice but he has the lovely dry cough we all had. 
I am improving though I am still coughing. I am also not sleeping as well as I would like to. Still weak when I have to go out and shop. It takes it right out of me. But, I am much better than a week ago. It will just take time to get over it. 

Sewing

I am tracking the cutting table and it should be here Jan. 19. Once it is here, I will have to assemble it. That could be fun. But, it allows me to start sewing projects. 

Knitting

Anna's short cape is done and ready to be blocked. It fits her very well but I am still a bit confused about the tension. 

Once blocked, I will put ribbon in the holes at the neck. I am hoping I have white organza ribbon for it. 
I set up another Messy Bun Hat for Daughter. This time the color is Pearly which is grays and off white. I did 2" of ribbing prior to starting the pattern. I am pleased with the results so far. 

The pattern is very easy to follow and I enjoy knitting it in the evenings or when I am tired. 
Next on the needles will be socks for Grandson. The child has one pair of hand knit socks that fit him. I will be making him one pair for sure. 

Today

I need to fold laundry, wash some fabric, and cut up cardboard to bundle. Cutting cardboard could be the most interesting project of the day as I am not good at this. But it is recycling on Thursday and the job has to be done. 
Until the next time....................

Stash On Shelves

We are in the midst of the warm spell. It got up to 11C yesterday and it is already 9C this morning. We had rain overnight but not a huge amount. 

Lifestyle

We are recovering slowly. The Spousal Unit wanted A&W yesterday and we went out after lunch to get it for his snack. I had nothing as I am watching my points. 
No napping happened during the day but the Spousal Unit was very tired last night. Tired to the point of being very cranky. It also affected his coughing and he put in a restless hour or so after we went to bed. 
The car is washed and the underside rinsed to get all the salt off it. It took me about 30 minutes to do it but I am happy to have that off the list until the next time. After that was done, we visited for a half hour with our Son. Trying to get out of the house so we don't get cabin fever too bad. 
Elliott had a rough day also. He couldn't settle for sleep and ended up being very whiny. He fell asleep on my lap last night for a good hour prior to going to bed. 

He can be such a baby when he is tired. 

Sewing

Yesterday morning, I put away all the fabrics but one tub. Said tub is full of fabric for doll clothes. It was hard work as I am weak. I sweat and had to sit down several times to get my energy back. 

It isn't perfect but I can see it all and start on projects. I have plenty to keep me busy for a while. The closet is full but mostly of batting, pillow forms, and doll's fabric. As I sew, I will keep track of how much fabric I am using up and see if I can get lots off those shelves and out of the closet. 
As a reward and that I could still think, I ordered the new cutting table. It will arrive about Jan. 23. By then I should be ready to put it together and start cutting out projects. You can see it here.

Knitting

I am almost ready to pick up the needles again. I looked at the bag but it just didn't happen yesterday. Maybe today. 

Today

The Spousal Unit has to see the doctor after lunch. Unless he needs a prescription, it will be home for a nap. If a prescription is needed, I will drop it off, take him home and go back to get it. I will buy some groceries at that time. We are expecting heavy rainfall tonight and tomorrow and it could be interesting. The ground is frozen and can't absorb all the moisture. The temperature is dropping so we can expect ice on the roads. 
Until the next time........................

Up And Almost At It

We are starting three days of warm weather. We get to see +8C/46F, +12C/54F, and +14C/57F for the end of this week. With it comes rain and the snow will disappear. They haven't said how much rain will fall on Saturday but it is suppose to rain. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday was clean upstairs day. I got the Spousal Unit out of bed so I could do our bedroom. He had a good day sitting up and napping after lunch in his recliner. 
I always think that it is quite moist here in Nova Scotia but I realized our house is quite dry. The dehumidifier hasn't run for a while and Son said theirs hasn't also. So I started up the warm air humidifier in our bedroom and I feel it helped us sleep much better. We woke up about 6 hours after we went to bed to have our first coughing spell. Then it was a good 4 hours after that. I feel we are on the mend; me faster than him. But he is improving. 
The upstairs is basically cleaned up. I vacuumed and mopped floors, dusted and wiped down a lot of surfaces. When done, I was tired but not exhausted. I rested so I wouldn't get ill again. I do not want to relapse. 
Daughter and I went to Weight Watchers. I wasn't sure if I would loose weight but the scales went down 2.3 pounds. I'll take it and run. Portion control and not wanting to cook or eat helped out this week. For the next week, it will be more portion control and moving around. 

Sewing

I spent a couple of minutes in the sewing room looking at what was in the tubs. I need to focus several hours on putting fabric away. Hopefully I can do it this morning. 
I am also in the process of ordering the cutting table so I can start sewing. I feel well enough to think about it and moving forward with my projects. 

Knitting

Though I didn't get out my knitting, I did think about it and should start knitting while I am resting. The short cape needs to be completed and another hat started for Daughter. She loves the one I made her for Christmas. 

Today

The goal is to unpack fabric and to get it organized on the shelves. I also would love to get the car washed. I need to get the salt off it. Let's hope I can get the jobs done.
Until the next time...................

Was I Smart or Was I Crazy?

The weather is warming up and is above freezing this morning. It is suppose to be cool tonight and then warming up to rain and then freezing rain this weekend. The weather has been crazy and we keep wondering what will happen next. 

Lifestyle

My goal yesterday was to clean off our driveway by hand. I spent about an hour taking off 1.5" of fluffy snow. I coughed and I hacked my way down the driveway and realized that I was the only person out shoveling. Was I smart or was I crazy? 

I know I was exhausted when I was finished and slept for a good hour. It certainly was more than I should have done. And there is more waiting for me today if I should desire to shovel more snow. 
I did get the guest room ready to vacuum. There wasn't a lot to be done in there. I did launder the sheets on our bed and by the time it was made, I was exhausted. I sat in the recliner and stayed up until 8 p.m. As long as I could last. 
The Spousal Unit was sick this morning and is resting quietly now. Part of the problem is lying too flat on his back and the fluids build up in his lungs and bronchial tubes. When he gets rid of all that fluid, he feels exhausted but better. He is dozing off and on this morning. 
My coughing is worse as I am bringing up the dregs in my bronchial tubes. I do have a bit more energy each day which is nice. I am hoping I will be over this in another week. 

Today

I have to shop and pay a couple of bills. I plan on doing some, come home, check on the Spousal Unit and then do more. If I have to half today and the rest tomorrow, that is what will happen. It all depends on my energy level.
Until the next time.....................

A Fabulous Dinner

A cheer goes up for the warmer weather which is arriving. The temperature has risen 10C since yesterday morning. With the warmer temperatures comes snow and we have about an inch on the ground. 

Lifestyle

We were out to our Son and Daughter-in-law's last night for dinner. They made Moroccan Slow Roasted Pork. It was certainly good though we all agreed that the pepper in the rub needs to be decreased as it was too much. For us, it was the first proper meal since Dec. 27. 
The meal also fit into our points for Weight Watchers. As we have eaten so little, our portions were small and I know I am under points every day since last Wednesday. Will the body show a weight loss? Or will it hold on as it feels it is in starvation mode? 
We are both on the road to recovery. The coughing is the worst and we need patience to preserver through this. The Spousal Unit will be longer in recovering as he was much sicker than me. I am thinking a good month until he is better. 
Daughter-in-law is coughing and is very tired. She was the glue that held everyone together over Christmas. She deserves to be in bed for a week but is spending time on the couch resting. Both of her parents have pneumonia and she cared for them around the clock until they went home. We tried not to disturb them and only asked for help when they were able to help us. 

Today 

The goal is to clean up the bedrooms and shovel the snow off the driveway. I will start with the driveway as I can rest when it is done. If I leave it, it won't get done as I will be too tired to do it. There is a goal and a plan and I can wish the fairies would come and do the driveway. It isn't going to happen so I had better put one foot in front of the other so the job is done. 
Until the next time......................

Slightly Improved (We Hope)

It is cold outside. The temperature is -17C or 2F with a windchill of -26C or -14F. The wind is coming in from the WSW. We are suppose to start crawling out of the polar vortex today. And with that comes snow. Better to have snow than cold weather. 

Lifestyle

I think we had the H3N2 flu in our area. It was suppose to start hitting hard at the beginning of Christmas and it did in our families. For some friends, it hit before that time line and for others just after the Christmas holidays. 
For the Spousal Unit and Daughter-in-Law's family, the flu turned into pneumonia and bronchitis. The Spousal Unit is still in bed with his though he tries to get up for half of each day. The coughing is the worst and his lungs are rattling with fluid. He is on two inhalers for it. 
I am starting to feel better. I am up, showered and dressed. The kitchen is clean and I am ready to tackle the dining area of the house. A load of laundry is on and I will be folding laundry this afternoon. It feels good to be human again even if I need to have a nap this morning. I am still coughing but it isn't as bad as it was. 
Elliott has managed well with us sick. He would remind me to get up and feed him at regular intervals and slept most of the time with us. No that I am feeling better, he has decided to be a hellion. He doesn't like his food, he goes to a spot in the house and hollers for us to come and find him and is decidedly miserable. I'm trying to spend some time with him but it doesn't seem to be satisfying him. 
With being so sick, I haven't thought about knitting or sewing. Hopefully next week will have be back doing more of that. 
Until the next time....................

Bomb Cyclone!

The East coast has being battered by a Bomb Cyclone! WOW!!! The “Weather Bomb” or Bomb Cyclone” is in motion in Atlantic Canada. Along with a messy mix of rain, ice pellets, snow, and wind gusts of up to 140 km/hr, scientists can detect seafloor quivers that these “Bombs” trigger. The whipping winds stir up opposing and towering ocean swells, sending a pressure pulse down to the ocean floor. That pulse thumps the seafloor, resulting in Earth tremors or seismic waves that penetrate deep into the planet. Mother Nature! I’ve never heard of anything like it.

Yesterday was a bizarre day. I fell asleep in the morning to wake up to it snowing hard. The wind was calm and the snow was accumulating quickly. The temperature rose from -10C to 5C and it started to rain. We watched the local plow truck push a mixture of snow and water to the edge of the road. The ditch in front of our house was filling with water. The ice on our driveway turned to slush and washed down to the road. The temperature continued to climb slowly and it rained harder. The wind was doing its full force thing. 
At midnight, the temperature was 11C, it was pouring rain, and the wind was howling. The power went off and about 3500 people in our area were of the last to loose power in Nova Scotia. I would bet that most of Nova Scotia was without power last night. 
The power was restored 3 times during the night. Each time, it would come on, heat the house some, and go off again. It came on for the last time at around 7:30 a.m. Nova Scotia Power did an amazing job of trying to get the power on during this storm. Most of the province has power though there are areas that don't. 
There were worries at the coast (Halifax) due to high tide and the storm coming in. Flooding in some areas was posted but I'm not sure how much there was. On our street, one house needs to have its roof repaired. Son had to get his garage roof repaired and is having a metal roof put on this spring. 
The temperature is dropping as a polar vortex is coming in behind the high winds. I headed out and salted the driveway to keep the ice down and there is virtually none on it. For the next 48 hours we will have to watch the temperature, snow, and ice. 
We are both hoping that we will be getting better soon. We have had this bug for long enough. 
Until the next time............................

A Goal Without A Plan..................

We are going to have it a bit warmer today and, right now, the sun is shining. There is a winter storm moving in today that is starting around Florida. The temperature will rise and the wind will blow. Everyone will be hoping the power stays on. 

Lifestyle

Today I put away the Christmas decorations. It is the first day I felt well enough to tackle it. It felt like a huge project which, in actual fact, wasn't. The biggest job was making sure all the ornaments were well wrapped as the majority of them never came with a box. They were wrapped in the store and I toted them home in a bag. 

It got well organized and put into the tubs correctly. It now resides under the stairs until next year. 
People in Nova Scotia really decorate for Christmas inside and out. We are not use it as, in Ashcroft, you did some lights outside along with a couple of items and you were done. Kamloops had areas of extreme decorating but the street we lived on was very subdued. Here, we were amazed at the lights and ornaments, etc. outside and how much effort went to decorating the inside. Many houses had electric candles in all their windows, a very neat tradition. I'd like to do it next year. 

A goal without a plan is just a wish.
I found this on my Facebook feed Jan. 1. It has resonated with me since I read it. I truly believe in it and have found that, even if you wander while doing something, you need a plan. Otherwise your goal is just a wish and may never come to fruition. 
I plan on loosing weight this year. I will attend my first Weight Watcher's meeting this evening and it will be the beginning of my journey. 
Since being sick, I have lost 6.5 pounds. I have been very careful not to gain any back since getting out of bed and resuming life. 

• I watch what I am eating and don't snack. 
• I'm sure moving around is expending a lot of energy and I try to keep moving. One foot in front of the other. 
• I am keeping up on the fluids so I won't get dehydrated. 

If I had not put a plan into place I would have wished I had kept the weight off. With the plan, it has stayed off. 

Now to move forward with my plan so I can meet my goal of loosing weight in 2018. 

• Small goals need to be set -- weekly weight loss of 1 to 1.5 lbs is a good goal. That is 4 to 6 pounds a month. 
• Mid goal needs to be set. 10% of my body weight is a good mid goal. 
• Large goal needs to be set for the year. I am aiming for 50 pounds. 

Other plans will be set around these goals. 

• Every three months, I will have my thyroid checked to see how it is functioning. Keeping on top of it is important not only for weight loss but for overall health. 
• Have my A1C done at the beginning and probably again mid year to see if the number improves and then again at the start of year 2. 
• Meal planning will take place once we are feeling better and I can think beyond a couple of hours. Lower carb meals means weight loss and better A1C. 
• Move more. Walking daily would be a perfect goal once I am well. Walking links to better A1C and weight loss. 

We begin to see something evolve here - the goal of loosing weight will become a reality. 

It is mid afternoon here and I am working on this while a load of laundry is on. I will get the laundry done before I go out even if it kills me. When I started the laundry, I finished up the decorations and cleaned up the cathedral stairs and washed the floors. It is looking nice and neat with a bit of tinsel showing here and there. I refuse to put up tinsel next year because it has caused me nothing but grief this year. Live and learn.

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

Hello 2018

Happy New Years to all my friends far and wide. May 2018 bring you good health and happiness. 

Lifestyle

We rung in the New Year by being in bed at 8 p.m. I had been up and down all day and was exhausted. The constant coughing was wearing me down as was making sure the Spousal Unit was getting his medications on time. 
I had a rough first part of the night with the Spousal Unit wanted to talk and I wanted to cough. After I got him settled down and coughed some more, I decided to take care of myself. I took two spoonfuls of Buckley (takes horrid and it works) and several long breaths of a Vicks inhaler and headed back to bed. Coughing subsided and I slept until 5 a.m. when the Spousal Unit needed his inhaler. I did wake up a couple of times sweating but knew I was on the road to getting better. 
When I woke at 6 a.m., I was hungry for the first time in 5 days. I have lost between 6.5 and 7 pounds with this flu and I know some will return as I eat normally. 
I have thought about why I got sick and after much deliberation it was caused by stress. The stress of unpacking, decorating for Christmas, getting presents, and being on the go was too much for my system. I got run down and the flu took hold of me. I have a lesson to learn and it is one that requires I take care of myself. 
For the next couple of days, I plan on cleaning upstairs, putting away decorations, and relaxing. I am not going to push it as it will set me back. I do see the doctor tomorrow and will get a few items of food -- soup in particular. Then I will prepare for 8" of snow on Thursday as I will be doing the shoveling. I will survive this. I looked after both of us while I was sick so I can look after us as I recuperate. 
Until the next time....................