It's Cold Outside

Yesterday started out with a high of 1C and the temperatures went down hill all day. The wind blew, we had snow squalls, and the sun shone a lot. It was bitter cold out there. The wind chill was at least 10C colder than the actual temperature. This morning it is -25C with a wind chill of -38C. The wind is gusting from the NWN and the high is to get to -13C. 

Lifestyle

I did a load of laundry yesterday and have half of it folded. I also cleaned the bathroom. I climbed up the little ladder and shot canned air into the fan. It is amazing how much fluff collects in there as I had done it a couple of months ago. I also purged the vanity and got rid of items I don't use, were expired, or just plain garbage. I have a list of organizers I need when I visit Ikea. I still have the linen closet to go through and will do it in the next couple of days. 

Late afternoon, I noticed the heat pumps were becoming less efficient so I turned them off and put the baseboards on at 21C. It took the house a couple of hours to cool off before the baseboards started to work. The house is warm and I am happy that we are surviving the cold weather. I was worried as this is the coldest it's been here for years. I am also grateful it will break and start to warm up today. 

Sewing

I traced the last of pieces for the horse. There were 24 of them in total. 

I rough cut them out, put them into a dish and went down to fuse them onto the fabrics before I lost any of them. They are now ready to cut out and put onto the horse. 

The next step is to cut out the backing and borders. I am a bit stressed about that but am hoping that I can get it done correctly. I'm heading down the home stretch. 

Knitting

I worked on the first sock until I had 3 patterns completed and started on the 2nd one. It now has 3 patterns completed. 

I am quite happy with the pattern and am looking forward to watching them grow. 

Thoughts

    I am slowly cleaning, decluttering, purging, and getting the house set up the way I have wanted it for a long time but didn't have the time to do it. I find the areas that are done, I strive to keep clean and tidy. I put things away and feel proud of what I have done. I found this clip by Fly Lady to be so appropriate for me. 

Though the house looked minimal and calm, what was lurking behind doors and in drawers were a lot of postponed decisions. Some were intentional and others just happened. Tackling them one by one has made me feel lighter and happier. Still a lot to go but progress is being made. 

    My knee and back ached a lot yesterday. I had to do a lot of exercises to help ease the pain. Most of it was weather related as I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I will keep doing the exercises today so I can have less pain and more flexibility. 

    My IBS has flared up again. A bit of it is stress related from preparing for and worrying about the cold weather. I think the rest of it is food. I am going to go back on a chicken and rice based diet to see if it will ease off. I think I know what foods are the culprits. 

Today

Another at home day for me. I am going to do more laundry, vacuum floors, purge a bit more in the morning. In the afternoon, I would like to get some pieces on the horse and tonight I will knit. 

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