The Parasol!

 Yesterday was dull, grey, and wet. The high got to 12.9C at about 1 a.m. and it cooled off all day. There was about .4" or 10mm of rain fall. During the day the wind moved from the south to the north. This morning it is 2C with a north wind. We are to have a high of 3C and a mix of rain and flurries. 

Lifestyle

I baked cookies yesterday morning and they are the best batch I've ever made. The recipe is old (my mom's) and I've had varying degrees of success or failure with them over the years. I have put 3 dozen in the freezer for daughter-in-law to take to her parents and have 5 wrapped for her to eat. I will be making another batch tomorrow for her to have. 

While the cookies baked, I cleaned the dining area. Things were organized, put away and the floors swept. They were clean enough I didn't have to wash them. 

I looked out the window and saw a rainbow. I don't see many here so this one excited me. Not bright due to the weather conditions as it started to rain shortly after I took the picture. 

I didn't have to take son to the dentist in the afternoon which led me to sitting and hibernating. I hate that feeling and I could not push myself to do anything but sit and hibernate. I need to push myself to get things done as I want to have the house clean and tidy. 

Sewing

I got the fabric for the next towel toppers laundered and on the cutting table. There is 3 meters of it and I will have to think of things to make with it. I will probably do a shirt for myself and maybe for the dolls. 

I need to sit and put the rest of the papers in the binder into page protectors as I got the package I needed. Once that is done maybe I will have the energy to clear off the table. Yesterday I looked at it and walked away. This attitude is not going to get the room cleaned up and ready for sewing next year. (Kick myself in the butt for this attitude)

Knitting

For the amount I have crocheted, ripped back to fix mistakes, and redone, I should have had this parasol done. I took back at least 3-4 rounds yesterday due to finding mistakes. I printed off the pattern so I could follow it on paper rather than the iPad. It helped. Looking at the diagram helps some but I don't like diagrams for crocheting. I read the pattern, do a bit, and check the diagram to make sure there are no mistakes. Then I crochet using the written pattern. 

I had started a round when this picture was taken and finished it before stopping for the night. I think I have 3 rounds left to do before doing the edging. 

I put it on the doll's umbrella I have. It is the wrong one as I need one with 8 ribs and this one has 6. I need to place an order for them sooner rather than later. 

Thoughts

    I am not sure if the weather is the whole reason I feel like hibernating. I think part of it is not having a purpose to do things. Helping family has been great to keep me motivated and I look forward to helping them out. But when home alone, I find I think "why". This could be part of the grieving process. It could be seasonal affective disorder hitting me. It could be winter with its short days. It could be a combination of all of them. I need to push past this and do the jobs I need to do. The doctor warned me this could happen. 

    My knee and hip are progressing but it is slow in my mind. I still find stairs and going down hills hard but I'm working on it. The weather makes both knees and hips hurt/ache. I stretch a lot to help and some days it works, other days I bear the pain. I want to start strengthening as I know I am ready to do it. 

    I want to loose weight and need to motivate myself to do it. I am close to getting on track and need a bit of a push mentally. It has to come from within and I know I can do it. Two areas I'm working on are trying are not to snack between meals and drinking more fluids. I need to buy bottled water to drink as I don't like the taste of the water -- too much chlorine in it. I am going to buy plain water rather than fizzy water or diet pop. 

    I need to start writing in my planner every day. Things I need to do, personal goals for weight loss, and what I want to focus on for the next few days. I put it away when I cleaned up the dining table and I forget to write in it. 

Today

I have physio mid morning so I am going to clean up the mess in the family room and start packing the ornaments I don't need and will donate. This afternoon I will do some work in the sewing room by putting papers into page protectors and get the next towel topper fabric pressed. If I have enough time, I will cut them out. This evening I will crochet more on the parasol. My personal goal is not to snack this afternoon. 

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