Progress Is Being Made

Yesterday was the beginning of the cold spell. It was cloudy with a high of -0.7C. This morning it is partly cloudy and -10C. We are to have sunshine and a high of -1C today.

Lifestyle

I started the day out with yoga and did well even if Elliott tried to grab my leg in one move. I did have several good cracks as my body aligned itself. I was a bit sore and it got worse as the cold front came in. Mainly in my back and hip. 

I cleaned up the front entry and up the stairs to the coat closet. As it had been decluttered a long time ago and tidied up except for one item, it was easy to focus on the cleaning. I wiped and scrubbed until it was clean. I even cleaned the coat closet. At the end, I stood and admired it, grabbed the jeans off the railing and put them in the sewing room. 

While downstairs, I got 2 Christmas items out and put them in the top landing area. 

Once that was done, I finished cleaning off the dining room table and put some craft items away. All is ready for me do clean that area and put out some decorations. I find I can clean an area quickly if I spend some time the day before tidying it up and disposing of the clutter. I also tidied up the kitchen and did the usual daily cleaning in there. 

By noon I was tired. I had been up and down the ladder many times, on my hands and knees a lot, and was getting sorer from the weather. I had a good rest at noon to help ease the pain. 

In the afternoon, I put clean sheets on my bed and got out the duvet. I need it as I have been a bit cold during the night. I need to get a cover for it when I go shopping. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon making a cute gift bag in a larger size. It is just too small for the box I want to put in it. I will make a larger one for the box and use this one for other gifts. 

I love the fabric I chose for this bag and it has been in the stash since before 2010. I am finding that the larger the bag, the heavier the interfacing needs to be. I haven't made this size bag before so I am on a learning curve. I also need to go to the quilt shop for more interfacing and a bit of plain fabric for a couple of bags and linings. I am really using up the fabric for these bags and having a lot of fun doing it. 

I worked on the cross stitch tree a couple of time yesterday. Short spurts where I would do several rows while resting. 

Knitting

I worked on the gusset of the sock last night and got 14 rows done. 

I will be finished the gusset tonight and it will the foot, toe, and done. I love this sock and am looking forward to knitting the next one. 

Thoughts

    Having decluttered and tidied up the front entry, it was a breeze to clean it. All I had to do was focus on the cleaning without worrying about anything else. The only thing I tidied up was the cart in the closet. It took but a minute to do. I now realize that I somehow got into the habit of doing all 3 at one time which really slowed me down. It is very obvious when I do the sewing room. I get frustrated in there as I am doing all 3 at once. I get frustrated and quit. I need to make a new plan to finish that room and how to keep it tidy and decluttered so it will be easier to clean. 

    I have an appointment on Dec. 15 at the Wellness Center in the hospital. I will be giving the therapist an update on what is happening since we last talked. There is a lot of good things to report on. I am doing things I didn't think I would ever do again when I started this journey 3 months ago. 

    I am starting to think about next year and what I want to accomplish in sewing, knitting, crafting, and self care. I am adjusting to being alone though I do miss the Spousal Unit. That will continue to be something I will have to deal with. I want to do more outside this year which means I need to keep working on being mobile. I also want to get some work done inside which means getting the house ready for that. I will continue to sew and knit down the stash and have fun crafting a bit each day. I am working on my plans to try and have a balance each day. 

Today

I am heading out to shop this morning and then take stock of what I need to sew for the next week. I may cut out the bags so they are ready to embroider and sew. I want to work on the counted cross stitch and knit tonight.

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