Binding The Quilt

 Yesterday the sun shone and it was lovely. The high got to 21C. This morning it is 11C and it is to be sunny with a high of 18C. 

Lifestyle

I did the balance sheet (aka budget). As of yesterday I had saved more than I had expected towards the Spousal Unit's care if he had gone into long term care. With funeral costs, I will be dipping into what we had saved prior to this which was tagged for something unexpected. 

I called the lawyer and talked to her briefly. I need to take in a proof of death so they can do the land title/deed change. The list is slowly getting done one item at a time. 

I got the garbage out and briefly looked at the garage. There is so much to do that I walked into the house. I need to deal with the smoker and pucks this weekend and leave the rest for a bit. One step at a time. 

I did do my exercises once yesterday and kept stretching during the day. There is an improvement in the past week but I need to keep working on it until it is much better.

Sewing

I spent several hours in the sewing room yesterday. One thing I did miss was the Spousal Unit sitting in the chair and us talking about anything and everything. He has done that since 2010 and it was near and dear to my heart. 

I worked on the Regency doll shoes and got the beads on the second shoe. 

You can see that one shoe has a wide upper than the other but under the dress it isn't noticeable.

I did learn a lot more about shoe making and am looking forward to making more pairs of shoes. 

I also cut out and made the binding for daughter's quilt. I even got it sewn on. Though the binding is a slightly different shade of grey, only a small amount will show on the right side. I know I was short at least one length of binding and maybe two in the acorn fabric. The plain grey matched perfectly but quilting it in pink thread gave the acorn fabric a more warmer tone.

My neighbor did an exceptional job of quilting it for me. Feathers, hearts, and butterflies. I can't wait to send it to daughter for her to snuggle under this winter. 

While on Instagram, I found this darling outfit. It sung to me and I had to save the picture. It is done by Eighteen Cotton Lane (Instagram and Etsy).

The coat is Keepers Dolly Dud's 1927 coat and tam. The dress is the Little Flapper dress by Bonjour Teaspoon. Both patterns are for sale at Pixie Faire. 

Knitting

The shawl is too small to go around to the back of the doll. It will work as a small shawl with a pin to keep it closed. I will have to make another one the right size. I didn't look in my yarn stash as I forgot to. I'll try to do that today.

I did not knit last night. I wasn't in the mood to deal with anything so just watched shows in the iPad. I was in a brain dead mood.

Today

I get my hair cut today and then I will stop at the lawyers on my way home. I need to trim the excess backing and backing off the quilt and start to hand stitch the binding down. I will probably do it while watching shows on the iPad. I need to start knitting tonight. It will be sweater vs shawl.

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

A Worrying Sort Of Day

 Though we are having some good showers, the temperature has been warm post Hurricane Fiona. Yesterday the high got to 21C. Today we could have a few showers and a high of 21C. I need to get ready for frost on Sunday night.

Lifestyle

I have been both busy and tired. Yesterday I woke up tired and stressed out. I was worrying about the necklace not showing up and bringing the Spousal Unit home from the funeral home. I was worrying about the life insurance policies which I did send in the information required. It was a worrying sort of day. 

I did go grocery shopping early in the morning and enjoyed the store being quiet. I am starting to think more about food and what I want to eat. I'm still waffling over the Instant Pot but may get over it and just use my slow cooker. I am thinking of what I want to eat which is hard after cooking for the Spousal Unit for so long. I did my version of a stir fry last night and have enough to make another one tonight. I do need to make a few frozen meals for days I'm home late.

The cleaners came for the last time yesterday and the house is clean. I'm ready to take over. I have one cupboard left to scrub in the kitchen, a bit of reorganization to do and I can move on to another room. I am trying to figure out a schedule which shouldn't be hard as I have all the time in the world to do things. I am getting the long list of what needs to done done. 

The necklace arrived and daughter-in-law and I went to the funeral home to do the last of the paper work. They put some ashes in the pendent and we brought Dave's ashes home. He got to ride in daughter-in-law's blue electric car that he loved so much and was so excited to see before she did. The next step is bury him and my mom. A family discussion as I want them to be a part of when we do it. 

I did knit last night and cast off the shawl. I don't think it is going to be big enough for the doll as I ran out of yarn. I will rethink that today as I want to make it to complete the Isla Girl outfit. 

Today

I am going to start the balance sheet for September and pay bills. I want to see where I am with my spending. I am also going to work on binding daughter's quilt. I want it gone after Oct. 4. I am also going to start knitting either the shawl  or a doll's sweater if I have the yarn.

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

Some More Things Completed

Yesterday was a sunny warm day with a high of 20.5C. It has been raining off and on after midnight and the temperature this morning is 16C. It is suppose to get to 20C with a humidex of 25C.

Lifestyle

Though I slept 10 hours on Saturday night, I felt like I was hit by a train. I was exhausted all day long. Typical post adrenaline surge. 

I did get a lot of work done. I did 2 loads of laundry and made the bed. The bags of stuff I had taken over to family's was unloaded and put away. Laundry from pre-Hurricane Fiona was folded and some items of mine and the Spousal Unit's were put into the garbage. The table was cleaned and most of what needed to go to the basement was taken down. While down there, I put things away that were put on chairs and tables in case the basement flooded. I am at a point where I can do the regular tidy up in preparation for the cleaners tomorrow. 

I had a rest after lunch and dozed some. Son and grandson arrived to mow the lawn and while grandson did that job, son and I tidied up the shed and did some looking in the garage. There are a lot of things to be dealt with in both areas and it will take us most of the winter to do that. At the moment we are looking at what we can move out so I can park the car in the garage with room for me to get out of the car easily.

I did my exercises yesterday. My knee has loosened up some more but the glutes in my back/hip are still tight. I'm improving slowly. As things limber up, I need to get stronger so I can do more things for longer amounts of time. It will take time but I know I can do it if I work hard on it.

I sat and knit on the doll's shawl last night. It is growing rapidly in width and I will stop knitting when I run out of yarn. I decided to use the left over silk yarn so it would be gone from the stash.

Today

I need to finish tidying up for the cleaners, fold laundry, and cut the binding for daughter's quilt. I will knit tonight. I am prepared to go back to the funeral home for the next visit and I need to call the lawyer about getting the mortgage in my name. The list of things is growing longer and longer. One step at a time.

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

We Are Safe

 We have had quite the weather here. Hurricane Fiona and a cold trough met and gave us one heck of a storm. The winds were something to behold and we had almost 3" of rain fall. Today it is 9C, the sun is shining and we are to warm up to 21C. 

Lifestyle

The Spousal Unit went peacefully on Wednesday. I was in Tuesday to be with him. He seemed to know who I was as he let me hold his hand and then he held mine for 90 minutes. He tried to talk to me but wasn't successful. I was back in Wednesday and sat with him until he passed away. I talked to him for the entire time and for another 30-45 minutes after he was gone. The staff was excellent with him during his stay in the hospital. They loved him dearly and listened to him chatter about what he needed to do work wise. 

All I will say about the situation is know your rights as the spouse whose loved one has Alzheimer's. It was only the day before he passed that I realized exactly what mine were. Am I bitter? No. Disappointed? Yes. But, we did what we thought was right and I'm glad we did what we did. It was done because our love for the Spousal Unit.

I spent 5 days at family's. We spent time preparing for Fiona and the damage at my house was nothing. Family had a wooden screen door damaged ("its toast" as the Spousal Unit would say), and 3 panels of the pool fence toppled into the yard and not the pool. They have a fabulous view of the field now and glass panels will be perfect when they do the repairs. For now it could be orange snow fence to keep the wildlife out of the pool this winter.

The power went out at 11 pm on Friday night and we got it  back 11 hours later. We are very fortunate to be on the hospital grid. The power crews were out as soon as it was safe and got lines fixed and power back on. My heart goes out to those communities that suffered more than we did and I hope they remain strong as they pick up their lives and move forward. Hurricane Fiona was not kind to Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland. I'm not sure of the damage in New Brunswick but they had to have some.

The garden survived the storm. The peas and beans are bent over but should be okay. The peppers and leeks are okay. A bit wind whipped but nothing like I had thought when I looked out the window at family's house and watched the wind whipping the trees around. Hopefully we will have fresh peas and beans, more peppers, and wonderful leek and potato soup later this fall. 

I had physiotherapy on Friday and boy did it hurt. All was stretching the glutes and I left that place sore, tired and a bit more limber. The storm made a lot of joints hurt but his morning I am more pain free. 

Today

I have a lot of things to do in the next 48 hours. I need to put things away that I left on the floor last night, get stuff back where it belongs as my friend and I put a lot of stuff up high in case the basement flooded. I have a couple of loads of laundry to do and by the time I get that all done, I will be tired. I still need to make lists galore, not only for what I need to do legally but what I want to do for myself. I also have physio exercises to do twice today. I'm preparing things so when I grieve I can do it without worrying about what still needs to be done. 

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

The Spousal Unit

 Yesterday the Spousal Unit mounted his horse, gathered his dogs and left us to be in heaven. He was a loving husband, a wonderful father and grandfather, and my best friend for 51 years of marriage. He will be sorely missed by family and friends. 

Keep the herd settled, the hay beautiful, the Hereford cattle gaining, and the pastures green. Until we meet again. I will miss you and always love you. 

1945-2023

A Busy Day Cleaning

 Yesterday was a warm sunny day with a high of 18.2C. This morning it is 10C and raining. It is suppose to rain most of the day. There is a possibility we could have a thunderstorm. 

Lifestyle

I watched the Queen's funeral yesterday. I listened to it except when I had to rest. There was lots of interesting tidbits of information given that I enjoyed. 

It was clean the kitchen day yesterday. I started out cleaning the area where I keep the meds, tea, and coffee. All the meds, expired vitamins, and unused items were either tossed or set aside for disposal. The shelves were wiped down well and what was left put back. Not a lot. The counters and drawers were also cleaned well. From there, I moved around the kitchen cleaning up the dirty areas. I wiped, scrubbed, tossed, and, when done, put everything away neatly. I cleaned areas the cleaners don't touch and yuck! I pulled out the stove, cleaned that area and scrubbed the floor on my hands and knees. My knee hurt but I know that area is spotless. I finished up after I ate lunch. That included doing the garbage and recycling.

Mid afternoon, I went and got Elliott another bag of cat food and took the medications to the pharmacy to be disposed of. I then did a list of what needs to be done in the kitchen to finish up. Clean fridge and pantry, wash windows, shine stainless steel appliances and wash the floor. I will do under the sink at the very end as I have a lot of cleaners to use up while I take over cleaning once again. 

It felt good taking command of the cleaning as I was procrastinating. I need to keep moving forward on the kitchen for the next two or three days and finish up. 

Sewing

I did slip downstairs to the sewing room and sewed 3 tear drop pearls on one of the shoes. No pictures as I forgot my phone upstairs. Will take pictures when the 2nd one is done. I quickly took a picture. 

Our neighbor brought the quilt over and then took it home as she had one area to fix on the quilt. She spent about 5 hours quilting it and it looks fabulous. She did feathers, butterflies, and hearts on it. Custom for sure and she enjoyed doing it very much. 

I saw this Regency dress on Instagram and it is amazing with all the details on the dress.

What amazed me is the white dress with the dark green shoes. 

It makes one think outside the box when it comes to shoe color. 

Knitting

I knit on both socks and have the second part of the toe decrease completed. Now to watch the video again so I can finish them up tonight. I am happy to be almost done the socks as they have been on the needles a very long time. 

Today

I am leaving shortly to take grandson to school. Today's job is to clean the fridge and shine the stainless steel. I may get the windows cleaned on the inside. If all goes well, I would like to start the Soutache dress and finish up the socks. Not a lot of outside things can be done with it raining but the lawns and trees will be happy. 

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

Organizing Paper Work

Yesterday was a dreary day as we had lots of clouds and rain. An inch of rain fell and the high got to 14.1C. It did clear off in the late afternoon and it was brighter. This morning it is 8C, foggy, and the high is to get to 18C with sunshine.

Lifestyle

I did get an update on the Spousal Unit. He is not eating well nor taking his pills. He resists when people help him as he doesn't understand what they want him to do. He has advanced Alzheimer's and they are preparing him for long term care. 

Life is too chaotic not to be organized ~ Martha Stewart

I ditched all my plans and decided to do paperwork. I went through all the papers I had hid in the spare room. The legal papers were gone through also. I didn't make a mess but I do have a pile of papers to go into a box in the mechanical room. They will be shredded next year as I need to make sure that I didn't put anything in the pile I may need. It wasn't a difficult job but one of remembering the houses we owned and thinking back to our renovating days. I actually found some American money which will go towards something I want.

I did the physio exercises once yesterday though I did one of them a couple of times when in bed. There is still some burning arthritic pain in the knee but it has subsided some. The stretching exercises are helping though I still have some pain in my hip area. I will just have to keep doing them until everything is stretched out. I use the hot water bottle a lot which does help also. 

The house was so cold yesterday I had to put the heat on for 90 minutes. It is on again this morning as it is cool in here. A huge change for a week ago. 

Sewing

I put trim around the shoes yesterday and that seem to take forever. Between the fabric and the trim, a lot of glue was used and absorbed. I am now looking at putting 3 long pearls on the toe of each shoe.

There is still a huge learning curve to making shoes. This pair looks better but one of the uppers is 1/4" shorter than the other at the center front. I have to remember to measure the uppers when I put them onto the soles. I am enjoying the precision work that goes into making shoes. They certainly are not a rush project and I need to make another pair next week. I need to keep practicing. 

Knitting

I watched the video on doing the toes of the socks and got the first 9 rows done on both socks. I now need to knit about 16 more rounds and they will be ready to have the toe grafted. I am now realizing how much I need to knit in the basement watching shows on the big TV. 

Today

I am going to tackle cleaning the kitchen this morning and wash a couple of floors. I am going to focus on the kitchen for this week. I will need to work on keeping it clean and organized, especially the pantry. I am going to take a drive and see if the vet is open so I can get Elliott his food. The Soutache dress needs to be started unless I'm outside cleaning an area in the shed for the deck chairs, and I am going to knit tonight. 

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

One Very Busy Day

Yesterday was warmer with a high of 18C. The wind blew but not as hard as it had been. We had lots of sunshine which was nice. This morning it was 12C and we are suppose to have a high of 16 with showers part of today. It is cloudy and the wind is blowing in the storm. 

Lifestyle

I had a very busy day yesterday. My list was long and I slowly worked through it. My first job was to do my exercises. I am spending a lot of time working on my gait as I walk. I walk slowly which is okay as I'm paying attention to each step I take. Laundry was folded and more laundry was done as I changed the bed. 

Daughter-in-law was over to pick tomatoes so out we went. She picked and we pulled the tomato plants. I also pulled the flowers in pots by the door into the shed. The bags of dirt in the shed were put into the box we grew garlic in. The tomato cages were stacked and stored neatly in the shed rather than put under the deck. We finished at noon and I was pleased with what we got done. 

After lunch, I got the bed made, did my exercises the second time, and puttered in the sewing room for a bit. 

I had dinner at family's last night and enjoyed it very much. I helped grandson get his papers organized into his binders. By the time we were finished, he had also done his journal and was happy to have everything done. I'm not the queen of organization; I have to work hard at it. It does not come naturally so I've had to figure out what is best for me to keep life organized. I have a planner that I write what I'm hoping to do each day, my to-do list for sewing and knitting are online and will be in part of the planner, and now I'm hoping to add meal planning. I relate to how grandson struggles so helping him lets me talk to him about how I'm trying to get and stay more organized in my life. 

Sewing

I got the soles on the shoes and it took a bit for the glue to stick enough so I could leave them to dry. At that point, I put the quilt, thread and pin tub into a bag and took it over to my lovely neighbor and friend to free motion quilt it for me. 

Today

Today I want to start doing some extra cleaning in the kitchen. It is time to wipe out some cupboards and drawers that have been ignored for a long time. Exercises will be done twice. My knee isn't as sore today. This afternoon I want to put away the Christmas gifts and take out a tub of ornaments to sort through. I'm decorating less this Christmas as I will be spending the day with family. I'm not sure if I will sew but I'm hoping to knit. 

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

Another Pair Of Shoes Started

Yesterday was cooler than anticipated with a high of 16C. The wind blew and the sun shine until later in the day when clouds rolled in and it looked we would have a storm. No rain though. This morning it was 9C and there is suppose to be sunshine and a high of 19C.

Lifestyle

The Spousal Unit had a quiet day. He slept but I don't know how much. He took his medications with chocolate pudding which he loved. He hasn't been reevaluated yet and will get his Covid vaccine if they have 10 people who need it. 

I did my physio exercises twice yesterday and hurt like crazy (the storm?). I hobbled around doing laundry and some housework. No matter if I sat or stood, I hurt. The hot water bottle was my best friend which I'm still putting hot water into this morning. On the up side, I am standing better. I don't have the range in right knee like the left one. But it has improved since Wednesday.

I did get the cucumber plants pulled and found 3 more cucumbers to eat. I also watered the garden which was protected from the wind. It was, once again, to windy to water the front lawns. 

Our neighbors came over last night. While visiting he changed the door handles on 13 doors. I have 6 handles left to buy plus 3 dead bolts which he will do for me. He is using all the old handles in their rental unit. Fair exchange. 

Sewing

I did get into the sewing room yesterday. I started off making daughter piping using up a piece of yellow fairy frost. 

Honestly, if there had been enough for a doll's dress she wouldn't have got piping. It looks amazing with the navy blue fabric I chose to showcase it. There was almost 4 meters.

It is very hard to photograph fabrics in the afternoon in the sewing room. 

I then cut out shoe uppers from the satin to go with the Regency dress. I had interfaced the fabric to give it more body. The interfacing wanted to absorb the glue and it took a long time to get the fabric to stick to the insoles. I am happy with the shoes so far. 

 I will need to glue on the foam soles today. I was going to sew on some pearls but I think I will leave them plain at this time.

One thing I will do when I order soles again is to get the 6mm rather than the 2mm thickness. I would like to try a thicker sole. This order was a learning curve for me. 

Today

I have to take out the recycling from the door handles, do my exercises, laundry and what ever else I can fit in before going for dinner at family's house. I feel it is going to be a busy day. I need to make sure I'm not too sore as I don't sleep well when I have a lot of pain. 

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

A Busy Day In The Basement

 Yesterday was cool with a high of 16.2C. There was lots of wind and sunshine. This morning it is 10C and the high is to get to 18C. There is to be sunshine this morning and clouds this afternoon.

Lifestyle

I didn't call for an update on the Spousal Unit yesterday but will do it today. He is basically the same every day but I do have a couple of questions to ask today.

I spent the morning in the family room taking apart the puzzle we were doing 5 months ago, counting the pieces and boxing it up. I had found one piece in the garage and was worried an edge piece was missing. I found it but still counted to make sure. The remaining puzzles and western novels are ready to go to the used book store. 

I started digging in one of the thrift shop boxes in the maintenance room. It has been gone through carefully and I will get help putting it in the vehicle next week. I will drop it, the books and other items off next week when I go for filters for the cpap machine. 

I did my exercises twice yesterday and it is helping. The knee is still hurting but I have more movement in it. I still have a sore spot in my back so that will need to be addressed if it remains. Improvement has been noticed in 2 days of doing the exercises. 

Sewing

The box in the maintenance room had fabric and patterns in it. I took all the patterns out and removed one for daughter to have. I went through the patterns I kept and added a few more. I was sad when I touched the western shirt pattern I used to make the Spousal Unit's shirts and kept it. The patterns went into a bag ready to go. I touched the fabrics and have 6 pieces set aside. The box is full and I will get help to put it in the car to go to the thrift shop. Day 2 of clean up is done.

Of the 6 pieces of fabric, 3 went into daughter's box. One other piece is set aside as I can make daughter a bag out of it and the other 2 pieces are heavy knits I may still want. Those two I'm thinking about. Though I want to get new fabric, the stash is valuable to help stay within the budget. And there is plenty of nice fabric still to sew into gifts.

I hauled the Christmas gift tub to the family room and went through it. I did well getting done what I did. I need to make a couple of gift bags and then will focus on making a few more gifts starting next month. I am going to have to depend on gift cards this year but I'm okay with that. Next year I will sew more gifts over the course of the year. 

Lastly, I stood for 2 hours and pinned the quilt together so our neighbor can quilt it. I was exhausted when I got done and my back ached like crazy. I'm still not standing correctly but at least the table is high enough I didn't have to bend over to pin. I did snap a picture of the backing fabric. 

There will be enough fabric and batting left for some of the placemats I will make next year. 

Knitting

I got the socks set up to start the toes. I was sore last night that I didn't feel like knitting. I sat with the hot water bottle on my sore spots. 

Today

I am sore today but will continue to do my exercises. They do help. I need to pull the cucumber plants, water the garden, do a bit of housework and get and update on the Spousal Unit. I hope I can make daughter a piece of piping and start thinking about the next 2 projects -- the soutache dress and a gift bag. I do hope to knit tonight. There will be no decluttering today.

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

Cleaning The Sewing Room Has Begun

 Yesterday was warm and humid. The high got to 26.2C with a humidex of 33C. Even the wind was hot. This morning it was 14C, cloudy and a slight breeze. We are to have sunshine, wind and a high of 17C. 

Lifestyle

I got an update on the Spousal Unit yesterday afternoon. He slept during the night but hasn't eaten much. He doesn't seem to understand what people want of him so becomes agitated. He doesn't seem to know anyone. 

I was to physiotherapy yesterday and after the initial exam and some exercises, I have arthritis in my knee (hence the burning pain) and have to stretch muscles and tendons that are stiff. I have 4 exercises to do twice a day. I did go for 2 short walks also. I'm sore today but that is from exercising. It will take 4-5 weeks to get muscles back into shape and start building muscle around the knee cap. I will do those exercises as my goal is to walk most days even if it is on the indoor track at the hockey arena. 

Sewing

I was into the sewing room for a bit yesterday. I gathered up the remaining garbage and put it into the trash bin or recycling bags. Day 1 of clean up is done. 

I looked at the quilt and didn't touch it as my neighbor wasn't home to tell me how she wanted it pinned. 

I have to make a plan on clean up as I want to spend 20-30 minutes a day doing it. I know it will be both decluttering and cleaning each area as I have really neglected the sewing room since I took part in Karen Brown's Decluttering Challenge in January. 

Knitting

The second sock is ready for the toes. I looked at daughter-in-laws foot and the sock and I'm ready. I'm looking forward to getting these done so I can make a doll's sweater. 

Today

I have to do my exercises twice which is #1 on the list. I want to go through the boxes in the maintenance room and sort it all to go to the thrift shop in Bedford or New Minas (Day 2 of cleaning up the sewing room). I want it out of the house as it is mainly my stuff. The goal today is to start pin the quilt together. I will put in lots of pins as they can be taken out if there are too many. The toes on one sock will be started tonight. I need to review that lesson on YouTube. I may have to rest today. I didn't sleep all that well last night as my leg was sore from physiotherapy. It hasn't done that much exercise in a long time. 

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

Trying To Keep Busy

 Yesterday was warm, humid, and sunny. The high got to 25C with a humidex of 32C. We got no rain last night though they did down the valley. This morning it is hazy, 21C with a humidex of 28C. It is suppose to be mainly sunny all day. The high is to get to 25C with a humidex of 29C. 

Lifestyle

I did up the few chores I needed to do before the cleaners came. I am keeping them for one more time as I should be able to handle the housework on my own. I did a grocery shopping which was necessary. 

I got an update on the Spousal Unit and he is not sleeping well. He has days and nights mixed up and the nurse was trying to get him back on schedule. While this is happening, he eats very little. He strings words together that makes no sense which is sad. 

I went to watch grandson play soccer yesterday afternoon. He played in the first 30 minute match and then there were two more 30 minute matches after that. They were playing against teams from the local high school and we watched all 3 matches. These matches were the last tryout for grandson's school to see which team they will placed on. There are 42 students vying for a spot. 

Sewing

I did some clean up in the sewing room. One bag of garbage is gone and the second bag is almost ready to go. I cleared off the cutting table and put quite a bit away. Not perfect as I'm thinking on a few things and have to buy some heavy duty page protectors for doll patterns. Progress was made. 

I pressed all the fabric (3 doll dresses, binding, and backing). I laid the backing fabric on the cutting table, smoothed it out and clamped it in place. I went around and made sure it was hanging evenly on one end and one side. I then laid the batting on top of the backing, smoothed it out and clamped it in place. The quilt top is now clamped on and I'm ready to pin. I need my neighbor to come over and tell me how she wants it pinned as she will be quilting it for me. I spent a lot of time doing this part as I like to have my tops on grain to the backing fabric as possible. 

There will be enough batting and backing left to use as baking for several placemats I want to make. I have to buy a bit of fabric to make them so they will go onto my 2023 to-do list. 

I did spend a time searching for knickers for the doll's bicycle outfit. I finally found one which another lady used for hers. 

The pattern is pricey for just wanting the knickers so I may have to sew the vest, shirt and hat for the little girl's boy doll and add a pair of jeans to the outfit. 

Knitting

I have 10 rounds left on the 2nd sock and then I need to measure them and see if I need to do another row or 2 before I start the toe. I am happy that I've been knitting most nights as it helps pass the evening. 

Today

I have physiotherapy this morning, will decide if I am going to buy an Instant Pot that is on sale, and rest a bit though I should sweep one part of the garage ready for a hose to be hooked up to the tap. I need to water the front lawns as they are bone dry. The garden needs watering as the peas are in full bloom. In the afternoon, I would like to ask my neighbor over to tell me how she wants the quilt pin basted as she is going to be quilting it for me. I am hoping to knit tonight and get the 2nd sock done ready for measuring. 

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

Doll Outfit Thoughts

 Yesterday was warmer than it has been with a high of 24.8C and a humidex of 32C. The sun shone though there were cloudy periods during the day. This morning it is 15C and foggy. It is suppose to be another sunny day with a high of 27C (humidex of 32C). We are suppose to have showers overnight. 

Lifestyle

I spent the morning watering most of the lawn and garden. While I was doing that I did some housecleaning that needed to be done as the cleaners come today. 

I zoomed the Alzheimer's support group and it was a good meeting. We meet again on Oct. 17. 

I was tired (or was it sadness or depression) in the afternoon and rested. It could have been the heat and humidity got to me once again as I had to run the a/c. I put dinner on to cook in the oven and returned containers to my neighbor and visited for a half hour. 

I did call for an update on the Spousal Unit. He slept most of Sunday, was awake all Sunday night and yesterday. They are doing what they can with him as they prepare him for long term care. 

Last evening our neighbor came over for a visit and her youngest came over a bit later on. We chatted about school as he is now going to the same private school our grandson is. He's having quite the learning curve -- homework, planning, and keeping his agenda sorted. It will come with some time. One thing he knows is that he loves the food and eats lots. A big chuckle over that. 

Sewing

I didn't go into the sewing room yesterday but did some research on this little outfit. 

It is Samantha's cycling outfit. I have a blouse pattern that looks like this but is plain in the front. I looked at the the video on adding the gathers to the front of the blouse on Pixie Faire's Pattern Academy course. I can use the bodice sloper, make the adjustments, add the seam allowances and then take the pattern I have and add the sleeves and neckband. I have a tan striped fabric I can use. 

There is this pattern by Kindred Spirit for boy's knickers. The pattern which is the same pattern as the one a friend used to make knickers for her doll's bicycle outfit. I may need to buy fabric for it after I look in the stash.

I have the hat and will add a new ribbon and flowers to it to complete the outfit. 

Knitting

I got a few rounds knit on the socks last night. I am almost half done the foot on the 2nd sock. Progress is being made. 

Today

I have to finish getting ready for the cleaners, grocery shop, do a bit of sewing room clean up, and go to grandson's soccer game. I am buying something easy to cook for dinner tonight as we won't be home until 5 pm or later. I do hope to knit tonight. 

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

A Busy Sunday

 Yesterday was another lovely fall day. The sun shone and it got to 25.6C with a humidex of 29C. This morning it is 14C and we are to have about the same temperature, including humidex, as yesterday.

Lifestyle

Yesterday, I went out in the cool of the morning and picked the tomatoes. 

I checked the peppers and there were 2 ready to pick; one had turned red.

I looked at the beans and they are in full bloom. We should be eating beans by the end of the month.

The peas have just started to bloom and we make get peas also. I will be watching the weather and covering plants at the first mention of frost. 

The next job was to clean and bag the garlic. I did that in the shed with the big door open. I cried some as I did it. I was doing as the Spousal Unit asked; getting them ready for our daughter-in-law. I have to say they weren't sad tears but happier ones.

The little bag has tiny garlic that grew on the stems. There were 35 bulbs of garlic in the bag. I will be planting more again this fall. I will do it right after Thanksgiving. 

Son was over after lunch for a quick visit. He had gone to see the Spousal Unit. He said he was tired and fell asleep on him. I didn't call for an update for I'm assuming he slept a lot yesterday. He seems to get days and nights mixed up. 

Daughter-in-law and grandson were over last night. Grandson hurt his ankle and he iced it. Daughter-in-law mowed the lawns. I will begin to water all the lawns as they are crispy in areas. They need a good rain which isn't in the forecast. 

Sewing

I finished the muslin for the Soutache dress. I learned a lot doing a muslin which I am glad I did.

I learned so much about the pattern. The next time I will add 1/4" to the bottom of the bodice so I can lower the embroidery that much. The sleeve band needs to be 1 1/4" wide so you can hem it nicely when done. I cut 3/8" off the center back seam.

I need to measure the skirt once again so I know how long to make it. I want a 1/2" hem on this dress. I am pleased I took the time to make sure the embroidery was on top of the pleats on the front. It was worth it. The only thing I need to read up on is the center back seam of the skirt. I didn't do it correctly.

This is not a dress to be rushed. I had to really think about it as I was trying to get it to look as I had envisioned it. It paid off in the end. In all the embroidery is well digitized and the pattern only needs a few personal tweaks to be the way I want it.

The pink fabric is washed and ready to be pressed. I will be cutting out the pattern next week as the cutting table needs to be cleared off and daughter's quilt sandwiched. 

Knitting

I pulled out the sock and my book and saw I had 35 rows knit. I dug out the 2nd one and started to knit on it. I got 6 rounds done on it last night. I'm starting to knit most nights once again. I will probably start knitting in the basement this winter so I can stream shows from the iPad onto the big TV.

A pattern showed up for testing so I downloaded it and will knit when the socks are done. It is a cute cardigan which I want to knit for Kit. I have an idea for an outfit for her that will have a 1920-30's vibe. 

Today

 I have a few chores to do, a support group meeting at 10:30 a.m., and I want to start tidying up the sewing room. I have to start watering the lawn and garden this morning. 

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

Into The Sewing Room I Went

 Yesterday was a lovely fall day full of sunshine and a high of 23.1C. This morning it was 13C and sunny. It is suppose to get to 27 with a humidex of 32C. We are to have warmer temperatures for a couple of days. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I did some cleaning up and washed some floors. It was difficult as my back and knee were sore and stiff. But I persisted and was happy with what I could do. I'm looking forward to being able to do more as time goes on as I start physiotherapy on Wednesday. 

I bought myself dinner last night as part of my eating out once a month plan. I am going to aim for the middle of the month for this treat. 

I called about the Spousal Unit and the nurse and I had a great chat. She got him up into the special chair for the day. He ate more food and she talks to him a lot about gardening which he enjoys. She asked about two scars he has from surgeries he had and I explained them. I talked about his arm pain he gets due to distress and what caused it. It was great to pass information back and forth. 

Sewing

I did go down to sew but spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the top tension issue with the machine. I'm going to have to google it. In the process of trying to figure it out, I fixed the needle threader. That took a bit of time but I'm glad it is now working. I also put a new needle into the machine. I have the top tension at -5.0 for glide thread.

I did sew in the 2nd sleeve into the dress and am ready to hand sew the lining around the sleeve opening. 

I will only have to serge the sleeve and sleeve band seams when I do the dress again. Part of the learning curve. 

I did cut the sleeve band 1 1/4" wide for the 2nd sleeve and it was much easier to hand sew it into place neatly. 

Just before I left the sewing room I played a bit with the skirt. Some pressing and adjusting and I'm now ready to attach it to the bodice. 

I am happy that I took the time to have the embroidery on top of the pleats as it is so beautiful. I am looking forward to making this dress in pink with dark pink embroidery. To date it has been worth the time to do a muslin.

I spent time getting all the beads my neighbor gave into baggies and sorted out the bags I am keeping. The rest is ready to go to the little girl I sew doll clothes for as she does crafts. I did some searching for how to make necklaces for dolls and I found this on Oh Sew Kat's blog. I followed this link for a great tutorial. I have everything but the beading thread including super glue. I am putting this on my to do list for October. 

Knitting

I knit on the socks yesterday and did more rounds than I've done since picking it up. I am 5 rounds from stopping and doing the other sock. I will have to start thinking about what doll's sweater I will knit next. I am thinking of something for the Gotz dolls this time. 

Today

I slept in this morning. I have to do a load of laundry and pick tomatoes before it gets hot. I want to sew on the doll's dress during the heat of the day and may wander over to return our neighbor's containers after supper. It is going to be a slow day for me as I still get tired easily. 

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

The Week Ended Well

Yesterday was another lovely day. After the fog burnt off, it was sunny and warm. The high got to 24.2C. This morning it is 13C and we are to have sunshine and 22C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I finished up the expense sheet and it was a great feeling to know I don't have to do it again until the end of the month. I'm ready to keep this up to date as I start to build a new budget. 

I called the hospital administrator and asked to discuss why I can't get updates from the nurses on the Spousal Unit. She got the unit manager to call me and we had a good one hour talk about it. He was so kind and considerate about everything. His explanation gave me the answers I needed. He called me back just as he was leaving for the weekend and gave me the news that I can call the nurses and get detailed updates. I thanked him profusely for his kindness and calling me just as he was leaving. All my issues with the hospital are resolved. 

I also got a call from the hospital care coordinator and she is as nice as the community care coordinator I had. We talked about the process of the Spousal Unit going from one unit to another and then into long term care. She will become more involved once the Spousal Unit is stabilized. The only thing she has to do is called to get the application for subsidy expedited as he will be going from the hospital to long term care not from home. 

I called for an update and the nurse said to ask questions. I was slightly taken back. We had a good chat. The Spousal Unit is on the new medication and it's too early to know if it is working but there have been good spells with some behavior issues. He won't get out of bed; his stubborn side is showing up. He is eating some but not a lot. They can't wait for me to come in and see him. He certainly has improved some but isn't stabilized to go to the next unit.  

The chickens are gone so I don't have to worry about them. I hope the person refrains from buying more next year unless he is prepared to have them in a proper pen or me calling the county office. 

It was a busy day for me and I was exhausted and falling asleep by 7:30 p.m. I was in bed shortly after that. I really needed to sleep as I slept much better last night. 

Sewing

I spent some time starting to put beads my neighbor gave me into plastic bags. I am keeping some and giving some to the little girl I sew for. I have ideas for one batch of beads, others will be come necklaces and bracelets for the dolls. In truth I'm trying to get it cleaned up and off the couch before the cleaners come. 

I decided to have an early lunch and take off to the quilt store. I needed to get out of the house and have a change of scenery. The shop is now run by someone new with the old owner having a classroom in the back. She has a nice selection of fabrics to choose from; not huge like it was and the prices remained like they were. I got the backing, batting, and binding for daughter's quilt. The fabric I bought so much of is discontinued which is sad. It was such a popular blender in our area. 

I also got daughter a piece of fabric and one for Lily, one of my Gotz dolls. 

It is a gorgeous batik and I will be just doing a bit of top stitching on it. I want the batik to shine. I will make Lily a pearl necklace to wear with it. 

I saw this piece of fabric and will be deciding if I want to get it so I can make myself 2 placemats and a couple of potholders. I have some fabric in the stash to use with it. 

I also have to look for fabric and tea towels for daughter-in-law for her Christmas present. She wants them to match her upstairs. 

Next up I have to clean the sewing room and look at all the gifts I made up until April. Then I will begin finishing up my Christmas sewing. 

It felt good to start thinking of sewing once again as my stress level is down and I've got a lot done in the last week. 

Today

I am going to do some cleaning this morning, work more on bagging the beads, and try to sew this afternoon. I am sore but I need to push through and get things ready for the cleaners. I'm trying to get some sort of schedule that I can follow as I take over more of the house and yard work. I can't wait to be well enough to do that. 

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

The Darn Chickens Did Me In

 The weather has cooled off some with mornings being foggy and the days mainly sunny and in the mid 20C. It has been delightful. 

Lifestyle

The Spousal Unit has been put on a new medication that is helping with his behaviors. He asked son if he looked better than when he went in "there" and son said he has. He is in a good mood and is eating better. I am happy to hear about it. 

I did get the expense sheet caught up to date and will be starting a new budget for September though I do have expenses from August showing up to be paid this month. But, I can see what my own expenses will look like for the month. Now I can focus on doing more cleaning and purging in the house. 

I was to see the doctor on Tuesday and am to have physiotherapy on my back to help get rid of the sciatica pain in my back and knee. My goal is to start walking most mornings to rebuild my strength. 

Yesterday I hit the end of my tether. The neighbor has chickens and they run loose everywhere. I chased them out of the yard in the morning while talking to our neighbor. He can't put his dog out on a leash as it would kill the chickens. I called the county and reported them being on the loose. Late in the afternoon, they were in my yard again. They ate and did damage to the cherry tomatoes, were lying in the Early Girl tomato box, and did some damage to the leeks. 

I chased the out after taking the picture and called the county office. The fellow I talk to came out with another person. They saw the chickens in the neighbor's yard, the destruction in my yard and they even got to step in chicken poop. A lady walking with her dog told them her dog killed one of the chickens and explained how they got into her yard 3 houses and a playground up from my house. The owner of the chickens was finally home and the men talked to him. His chickens were locked in the chicken coop. I wait and see what happens. 

I was saddened to hear of the passing of HRM Queen Elizabeth II yesterday. She was such a gracious lady who gave her life to service. She also had a great sense of humor and it really shone when she did the video clip with Paddington Bear to open her Platinum Jubilee. I loved the sketch done by Eleanor Tomlinson and here is how it showed up yesterday on Facebook. 

And another one showed up in my Facebook feed which was touching.

Anyways, everything came to a head last night and I cried. It was all stress related. Also, I was in a lot of pain yesterday which didn't help. I am tired this morning and just sad. I will be fine as I think my emotions had, once again, built up and crying helps me pick myself up and keep moving forward.

Today

I am going up to the quilt shop to look for backing, batting and binding for daughter's quilt. She wants me to look at one piece of fabric for her. I will do some housework this morning as I need to start cleaning up for the cleaners on Tuesday. I'm slow as I have the sciatica pain to deal with while I do things. 

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