A Day Of Doing Lots

Yesterday was another dull grey day where it snowed in the afternoon and evening. The high got to 1.4C. This morning it is 0C. Today we are to have sunshine, clouds, and, maybe snow flurries with a high of 0C. 

Lifestyle

I had one busy day yesterday. I was out the door early to shovel the slush off the driveway. I was the only one doing it so I was either smart or stupid. I enjoyed it as I was outside in the fresh air and exercising. 

Once inside, I brought the Christmas decoration tub upstair and put all the decorations away but the 4 cowboy snowmen. They will go away when spring arrives. I lugged the tub downstairs and put it under the stairs. I put plastic bags on the two small trees and they are under the stairs also. 

I didn't stop there and moved downstairs to clean. The sewing room was completed before lunch. After lunch, I did more cleaning in the family room. All I have left to clean is the downstairs bathroom. 

My IBS is starting to settle down. I had the last flare up yesterday afternoon and it almost put me on the couch. I am hoping it is going to settle down now that I am feeling less stressed. 

Sewing/Crafts

I finished cleaning the sewing room. The area was dirty with lots of fibre lint on everything. I wiped, cleaned, scrubbed, and did a bit of cursing at myself for not doing it during the year. I was down on the floor with a swifer duster to get under the cabinet cleaned. Once done, I swept the whole room and stood back to enjoy it. This is the area I cleaned up since Christmas. It was also the dirtiest area. 

I did do a tidy up around the room before I took pictures. It took me about 5 minutes to do. 

My goal is to keep it clean and tidy. I love the way it looks and my creative juices are flowing. 

I cleaned up my craft materials so that they are now in the maintenance room. What is left out is what I am working on right now -- tea holders and the junk journal. Once that job was done, I cut the 18 x 24" sketch book pages into 9 x 24" pieces for the junk journal. I have done 2 signatures but may add more pages to them. I need to buy a cutter so I can cut the sheets down to the correct size and then start decorating. 

All the inserted pages will be white and I will add patterned paper as pockets, belly bands, etc. Where there is a lot of white, I will use stickers to help break up the white space. On this page, I plan to rip the wrapping paper I got on my gifts (snowflakes) and glue it onto the paper. I have to make an envelope to put a cartoon onto and it will go into a corner pocket. Ideas are coming strong so I will be printing, cutting, pasting and having fun. 

I took out the body stitching on the snowman and redid it. I am happier with it as it is less dense and easier to work. 

This project had turned into being a chore rather than a delight to work on. Once again it is a delight to work on. 

Knitting

I got 10 rounds knit on the socks. I am almost half done the leg part of the sock. 

I enjoyed knitting on this last night. The first night I wanted to do more than 5 rounds. I think it is because I want to make a hat for daughter using my new knitting needles. 

Thoughts for 2023

    I looked at my goals for 2023 and I met them all. Decluttering, purging, cleaning, and getting things organized all got done. I am amazed that I got it done. 

    I started off in January having a bit of a pity party and realized that I was a secret eater. I was eating and hiding the results in the trash bin. February I started on Weight Watchers and have stuck with it. I have lost a total of 58.6 lbs this year. I am amazed at what I have accomplished. I can have a day where I eat a bit more and then go back to the plan the next day. 

    Being told in March I was in the diabetic range really scared me. I became an advocate for myself and 4 months later I was able to see a dietician who then referred me to their physiotherapist. I haven't seen the dietician again but she knows how well I am doing through the physiotherapist. 

    I tried to do more exercises but it was a fail. I hurt so much that I was in tears. Walking was getting harder to do without using a cane or pushing a shopping cart. I was frustrated and on my second visit to the physiotherapist at the hospital, I did as advised; see osteopathy and begin physio again with the therapist doing another evaluation and giving me yoga exercises. The best thing I ever did. I also got X-rays done and  we know I have severe osteoarthritis. I now have a plan and am working on getting stronger and ready for surgery when it has to happen. Mobility wise, I am doing well and am stronger than I have been for years. 

    I gardened this year and had a decent garden. The weather wasn't the best for it but we had plenty of fresh vegetables to eat. It has made me confident enough to continue growing vegetables for as long as I can. 

    I have less fabric in the stash than ever. I sorted the fabric keeping what I wanted, giving some to a quilting group, other pieces went to the thrift shop and I sewed up more than I had planned. I knit less than in previous years but did do quite a bit of knitting in the cooler weather. The yarn stash has less in it but not by a lot. I hope to continue knitting it down though. 

    I have used my Cricut when I first got it and then again in December. I need to use it on a more regular basis. 

    I still miss the Spousal Unit every day. I miss the lively conversations we had, the sharing of what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. I still have spells of depression from the loss but I am learning to cope with a lot of things I didn't think I could cope with a year ago. I am no longer angry or frustrated. I realized that I did what I could to help him be safe and as happy as he could be with the way Alzheimer's affected him. 

Today

I have laundry to do, the driveway to shovel, and a few small things that I must do to keep the house neat and clean. I am going to enjoy today. I won't be going out so will knit tonight. What ever I do, I will enjoy myself doing it. 

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