A Busy But Fun Day

Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of -1C which occurred in the evening. This morning it is snowing and -2C. Today is suppose to be snowy (snow at times heavy and blowing snow) and 0C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door in good time for a hair cut and then was off to New Minas. I did not think I would be going to New Minas but I had to pick up a gift from daughter at the quilt shop. 

My first stop was at the craft store to get more paper for making snowflake shaped chocolate holders. I also picked up a new blade for the Cricut so I can cut heavier materials. I found what I needed and took a peek around at the Christmas items. It is well picked over with very little left. I bought the paper and left. 

I got to the quilt shop and picked up the present. I had a great visit with the owner. She had a heart attack 6 weeks ago and is back in the shop in the mornings now. She has 6 weeks left before she can come back full time. I also took a peek around but bought nothing. New fabrics had come in but they were not out. 

Once home, I finished wrapping the Christmas presents. I have the quilt to bind and I will be done. I know I will be hand sewing up until Christmas Day. 

The afternoon was spent with daughter-in-law. I installed the new blade and we started to cut out the glitter paper. It takes 2 passes to cut the snowflakes. While we waited for them to cut out, daughter-in-law got the new vacuum cleaner out. She vacuumed the family room floor while I emptied half of the garbage containers and put away items that will go to the thrift store. She was amazed with how it works. She vacuumed until the battery was dead.

With enough pieces cut out, we started to glue the holders together. Sparkle paper on top of blue. They are gorgeous. We left them flat so she could take them home. She will finish them up there and have them out on Dec. 23 when they host a dinner party for soccer friends. 

I did not knit last night. I was tired from being on the go and a bit sore. I did stretch in bed but no popping or cracking. This morning there was one sore spot and I stretched it good. It helped. My gait is good but I think there is one muscle having a bit of a rebellion on me. I need to work on that. 

The snow came in very quietly last night. There was wind as half of my driveway is bare but I didn't hear it. I woke to the plow truck clearing the roads at 4 am. We are suppose to have up to 10" of snow fall with it ending tonight. The wind is from the northwest which means my driveway will stay fairly clean. It seems as if we will have a white Christmas, the first since moving here in 2017. 

Today

I have a busy day planned. I need to do laundry, take out more garbage, make snowflake chocolate holders for Christmas dinner, and try to get the binding sewn together for the quilt. My outdoor job is to do the front porch and sidewalk. Grandson will do the driveway for me unless the boys across the street get sent over to do it. Daughter-in-law will probably vacuum upstairs for me. 

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

Working At A Slower Pace

 Yesterday was wet in the morning and then it cleared off in the afternoon. The high got to 4C. This morning it is cloudy and -5C. Today is suppose to be cloudy with snow starting to fall tonight. The high is to get to 0C. We are under a snow warning at this time. 

Lifestyle

I did yoga yesterday morning and will be happy when I can start doing them on the floor. I find I can do each move easier on the floor. But the bed works until I can get up and down off the floor. 

Most of the presents were wrapped yesterday. All are bought and only 4 are left to wrap. I stopped when I my back started to hurt and applied heat to it. I also did some stretching to relieve the pain. 

When I went downstairs to get the gift bags, I stopped to look at the memory book. The page I was thinking about came to me and I did it. Took about 15-20 minutes as I cut, coloured, glued, and designed. 

My problem was overthinking the page. I was trying to incorporate a 4 part comic strip when I only needed one part. 

After lunch, I went back to making the chocolate holders. I finished them and now need to put them into a box. 

My next project was on the tv. I needed to get out the supplies and start working on it. It was quick and easy to make. Stopping the video to get the measurements took the longest. 

I actually enjoyed making this gift card holder. I could spend hours doing them. 

The gift card goes in the pocket in the back. You can actually put a hole in it, add ribbon and hang them on the tree. 

I didn't knit last night as I kept falling asleep on the couch. I went to bed in good time. I did my big contorted stretch and actually felt the SI joint seat itself. There was a crack to go with it. I slept all night and woke with a bit of pain in the SI joint. On the whole, I am pretty much back to normal. 

Thoughts

    I was sore yesterday but much improved from the day before. Most of the soreness was from the muscles having to do the SI joint's job. Some of the soreness was the SI joint not being in place. The cracking brought relief. The heat helped and I probably should have done some ice. The ice helps numb the pain but I always feel so cold when I apply it. 

    I cooked a BBQ pork bowl last night. It was okay but lacked something. I think it needed a bit more spice in it. The beef bowl the night before was delicious. Tonight is hamburgers with onion jam and fries. Then it is a two week break. I need to eat the meals I have in the freezer and remake a couple of the meals I really enjoyed. 

    The list of things I needed to do is almost done. I am working through it slowly but surely. The upstairs is tidy and I can keep up on it if I don't rush around. I am living with the mess downstairs at the moment but will get back to it after Christmas. I am trying to put away things when I am finished so the mess doesn't get any bigger. 

Today

I have to do a load of laundry, wrap gifts, and get my hair cut this morning. This afternoon daughter-in-law and I are going to make more chocolate holders. Snowflake ones this time. If I am not exhausted, I would like to knit tonight. 

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

Cracking Means Relief

 Yesterday was another lovely sunny day with a high of 7C. This morning it is raining and 1C (did go to -1C). Today is suppose to be wet with a high of 6C.

Lifestyle

I decided that I needed to tidy up the clutter and got it all put away. I then did a bit of vacuuming and mopping. By a bit I mean 20 minutes total. It didn't do any more damage as I made sure I was taking short strokes. 

Once I was done the housework, I was out to return Advil I had bought. The seal was broken on the bottle. The pharmacist figured someone opened the box and bottle to see what the pills looked like. It was classified as contaminated and replaced. I also got one gift while in that area. I drove to another area and walked a bit about another gift. They sent me to another shop and I will get the gift there today. By that time I was tired due to my hips being sore.

I spent a lot of time with heat on my SI joints and inner thighs. I also got up to walk around so I wouldn't be ultra sore. I use heat as that is what both physio and osteo tell me to do. I wasn't as sore during the day but my gait was horrible. I felt like I was not striding when walking but gimping along. It was a strange walk that I didn't have even when I first started treatment. I kept wondering if my left SI joint was slightly out of place. 

While settling down and doing stretching exercises in bed, I had a loud crack in the left SI joint. It was seating itself into place. Immediate relief. The right side had a small crack and I settled down to sleep. This morning, the right side is still a bit sore but the left side is fine. I am now dealing with only the right SI joint and sore muscles which will improve over time. Yoga will become my best friend and I look forward to the day I can do it on the floor rather than on the bed. 

Crafting

I made 5 reindeer holders yesterday. I used my Cricut to cut out the heads and then glued the eyes and antlers onto the bodies. 

I have to cut out 5 more sets of antlers so I can finish them. Today's job. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night as I was tired. 

Thoughts

    I am much improved this morning though I am still sore. I think part is one SI joint needs to continue setting into place and the other is muscles that are tight from having to do extra work. I will keep working on loosening them up with yoga and stretching. 

    I am watching our weather carefully so I can get everything done by tomorrow afternoon. The snow starts tomorrow night and ends on Saturday. They are predicting it could be up to 5" which means I will be busy shovelling snow off and on until the job is done. I am hoping it will be dry snow which is easier to remove. 

    I am behind on most things at the moment but am trying to do some each day to get caught up. It has been hard with the set back but I refuse to give up. I just have to adjust how long it takes me to do things, realize that I get exhausted, and need to take breaks. 

Today

I need to fold laundry and wrap a few gifts before heading out to get the last of the gifts. This afternoon, I would like to finish the reindeer. If time, I may set up the sewing machine to start the binding on the quilt. Tonight I hope to knit if I am not too tired. 

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

A Trip With A Friend

 Yesterday was damp, windy, and warm. The high got to 11C. This morning it is partly cloudy and 3C. Today is suppose to be mainly sunny and 7C. 

Lifestyle

I had a rough day yesterday. My lower back and the muscles, etc. in both legs hurt like crazy. I was hobbling around holding onto walls, furniture, counter tops, etc. to get from point A to point B. I thought the SI joint on the left side was out as pain meds weren't working. 

I pushed myself to do yoga on the bed. I then began to wrap presents and stopped a good hour later as I needed to find boxes, etc. for gifts. I was pleased with what I had done as I went down stairs to get the fabric gift bags. It was time to rest with heat on my sore spots. 

Son and grandson arrived to pick up the parcel upon delivery. He showed me the map on his phone. Amazon had a picture of Santa's sleigh delivering the parcels. Thank you Amazon for being in the holiday spirit. They got the parcel and went home after a brief visit to make sure I was okay. 

I was over to pick up our friend who arrived early yesterday morning. She is staying with family (her husband arrives on Friday). We went to New Minas to pick up the keyboard she is renting. While in the store, I alternated between walking and sitting. While walking, I would stop at a box with a tall speaker in it and stretch. I had at least 10 cracks in my bad hip some of which everyone heard. The SI joint was seating itself into position. I had very little pain on that side. The left side was another story. 

We went to the grocery story where we both got groceries. I hobbled around the store getting what I needed. It was painful but not like it had been. I was still having problems walking but not like it had been. Pushing the cart helped. 

Once home, I got most of the groceries put away and headed back to family's to have dinner. I was sore and tired. When leaving I had 3 loud cracks in my right knee area which was good as that side is settling down to being okay. 

At home I sat with heat on my left side and in bed I stretched it out in any way I could. I had 2 cracks on that side. I slept well and I am less sore today. It is going to take a bit of time to get over this. It has set me back but I will survive it. What gets done, gets done and what doesn't, doesn't. I just want to get back to where I was before this incident. 

Thoughts

    I so appreciate all the help everyone wants to give to me. Knowing I will can help is wonderful. I need to keep moving and resting to allow this mess to heal. Sitting all day is not going to help. It actually is bad as I need to stand, walk, and do what I can do. It stretches the sore muscles which is what they need at this time. It also helps get the joint seated correctly if I stand and stretch. Family will be called to help me out when I need them. I love that they are available to help me. 

    I have been doing some research on which robotic cleaner I want to buy. I am getting down to choosing one. What I have learned is that they don't do a perfect job so you need to look for the one that does the best job overall. You still need to vacuum and mop. Several different videos showed that the Dreame L10s Ultra does the best job overall. The one I had thought I wanted was rated lower than this one plus the same brand that was one machine lower. I will see what the price is on Boxing Day. 

    I will continue to vacuum and mop my floors but will only do one room at a time. Doing the whole house in a morning is not allowed any more. It means I could be doing floors 7 days a week. I also need to take short strokes when vacuuming and mopping as doing the long strokes causes the SI joint to pop out. This is a common problem for most people who put it down to back pain. 

Today

I am going to wrap a few more gifts this morning, head out to get the 2 gifts plus return Advil. The box and bottle were open. I would like to make the reindeer chocolate holders today and knit tonight. We see what my body says I can do. Hopefully more than yesterday. 

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

A Bag Is Finished

 Yesterday was a sunny day with a high of 4C. This morning it is 1C. Today is suppose to be wet with a high of 10C. 

Lifestyle

I had physio-torture yesterday. When assessed, I was leaning to the right and forward as my SI joint was out of place. I laid on my tummy while the therapist got up on the bed on her knees. She pushed down on the SI joint gently 3-4 times and then pushed hard. We had a good crack. She repeated the process for another good crack. It was back in place. I laid on my side for more torture and then on my back for traction pulls. A few pops were heard. I had the TENS machine and heat after that. 

When I got up, the pain was from sore muscles. I am still not standing perfectly straight due to them being so sore. But I can wiggle my back, stretch, and do things. I have to be careful not to do over do it. The cause - vacuuming and mopping floors. Advice is to get a robot vacuum cleaner. 

At home, I sat on the couch for a couple of hours with heat on my sore spots. I was exhausted from the session. The pain and exhaustion was like I had when I started this journey 18 months ago. I allowed myself to rest. I did get up to do some small chores and stretches during my rest time. 

My last box of Chef's Plate arrived before lunch and I put it away. I will not get any more until January. I am looking forward to these meals and will make a couple of the recipes again. Though a bit pricey, I do like the concept of getting everything pre measured with fresh ingredients. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday as I felt better and needed to get the bag done. It isn't perfect but I do like it. 

I forgot to cut the lining back by 3/8" so I turned it over to make a band of lining showing at the top. I stitched in the ditch to hold it in place. 

There are a lot of pockets on the inside which I am hoping she will like. 

My next project is to sew the binding strips together and put them on the quilt. I will hand sew the binding strips down over a few afternoons when I need to rest my sore muscles.

Knitting

I forced myself to knit 8 rows on the sweater. They took a bit of time as I had to figure out the decreasing situation. I am on a roll now. 

I am enjoying knitting the sweater and have about 72 rows left until I will be finished the sweater. 

Thoughts

    I am so thankful I only had to suffer for 24 hours with my SI joint out of place. I am tolerating the muscle pain as I know it will go away over time. They are probably sorer than they should  as we have another weather system coming in this morning. 

    I am behind in everything and will be hobbling around trying to get caught up. I think I can do it if I don't have to sit with heat on my sore spots for long periods of time. 

Today

I have to take a friend shopping for groceries (I will get mine also). I also have to be around for a parcel to be delivered. I want to start wrapping gifts and do a few other small things today. Tonight I want to knit on the vest. 

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

Sorer By The Minute

 Yesterday was a cool and sunny day with a high of 1C. This morning it is partly cloudy (you can see the full moon) and -6C. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of 2C. 

Lifestyle

I started the day out doing well. I got the laundry on and started to vacuum and mop all the rooms. As the morning went on, I got slower and sorer by the minute. I did finish both the floors and the laundry. 

I am not sure if I am having a flare-up but I think I am. All I know is that nothing worked; Tylenol or heat. I even ended up on the bed doing yoga. That helped a bit. I did sit with heat on my back most of the afternoon. I stretched a lot when in the kitchen as I could hold onto the counters. My back would spasm every time I got up off the couch which was annoying. 

In bed, I stretched out a lot. Nothing was working. When I turned over, I had a series of pops and got some relief. I would say that I am 50% better this morning. Hopefully I am getting over it. 

Sewing

I did sew for an hour yesterday. I interfaced the pocket, sewed it into a hot dog, pressed it well and stitched it to the lining. I also did some horizontal stitching so there were several separate pockets. I gave it a final pressing and left the room. It was all I could do with the pain I was having. 

Knitting

None done last night due to pain. 

Thoughts

    I think this flare up was caused by the storm we had on Wednesday night/Thursday morning. I was stiff for osteopathy, somewhat better Friday and Saturday and then it hit hard yesterday. It is in my mid back and both the right and left glutes are sore. 

    My weight went up yesterday due to the pain I am having. It is annoying but I know I have fluid around the sore spots and it will leave once the soreness is gone. I am drinking lots of fluids to help the retained fluid move.

    With the flare up, I am behind on what I need to do for Christmas. I will have to push myself as much as I can to get things done. I did make my list and I hope I can do it. I do need one trip to the craft store for some supplies. The rest will take one morning in our community and a couple of afternoons of sewing and crafting. 

Today

I have physio this morning and then I will try to finish the bag. I will also try to make the reindeer holders if I have time. I may feel good enough to knit tonight, if not I will rest with heat on the sore spots. It is a day to do what I can and rest when I have to. 

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

A Day Shopping In The City

 Yesterday was sunny with some wind. The high got to -2C. This morning it is clear (the moon is shining) and -9C. Today is suppose to be sunny with a high of -1C. 

Lifestyle

My plans changed with a text. I got ready to go to the city with daughter-in-law. We decided to do our shopping yesterday vs Monday. 

Our first stop was Costco. We thought crazy busy but it wasn't too bad. I navigated the cart and crossed off the items on the list while daughter-in-law shopped. It goes faster that way. I didn't buy anything but did look at a lot of items. 

Next stop was the Asian food store (#1) and again I pushed the cart and looked. I look at all the different snack foods, cooking ingredients, soups, and milk teas. The food they were cooking was making me hungry as it smelled so good. 

We went to East Side Mario's for lunch and had soup, bun, and salad. We sat and talked for a good half hour while we enjoyed our meal. 

Stop #3 was Canadian Tire as I needed zip ties. We wandered through some of the Christmas decoration aisles (well picked over), got the zip ties, and then wandered through the kitchen items. I looked at Smeg toaster and kettle. Only the boxes were out and only in light blue. 

The last stop was the other Asian food store. Again I snooped around looking at everything while daughter-in-law got what she needed. 

We headed home after that as we were tired of how people were driving. Two people did U-turns on 4 lane main road. People were turning when they shouldn't have been, stopping in no park zones, and one person had the guts to pull in front of us almost hitting the car. You had to be alert when driving and it does get tiring. 

We got home just after 2 pm and I was tired. Some was from not getting enough sleep, other was from my IBS flaring up (I know the cause of it) and we walked quite a bit in the stores. Add to it the full moon which is tonight. I allowed myself to sit and rest. I stayed awake as I knew I had to or I wouldn't sleep well last night. I didn't look at sewing or knitting knowing I'd make one big mistake in both projects. 

Thoughts

    I noticed yesterday that my gait is still improving. I am walking better than I have in a couple of years. I said this a few months ago and thought I was at my best but I am still improving. Maybe there will be more improvement in my gait over the next several months. 

    I enjoyed my time in the city yesterday with daughter-in-law. I love looking in the stores as we shop. It also makes us get through the busy stores quicker if I am there. And, it gets me out of the house and into different environments.

    This week is going to be a busy one for me. I need to get my plan written, my shopping done, crafts finished and packages wrapped. I also need to clean upstairs which won't take long. 

Today

My plan is to do the balance sheet, make my plan, and vacuum and mop floors. I want to finish the bag today and will knit tonight. It is a stay at home day for me. 

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

    

Another Amazing Quilt

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of -1C. This morning it is clear and -6C. Today is suppose to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of -3C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to New Minas to pick up my quilt. It was a lovely drive both ways though there was a flurry going through when I left New Minas. I was going to go to the Dollarama but it was so busy I didn't go in. 

I got my quilt and it is gorgeous. 

I love the design I chose and the thread colour was perfect. 

As the quilt shop was empty of customers, I looked around. It was fun to look and not buy. I did find some fabric I liked and when I got home, I did a presentation for daughter for her next quilt. 

The textured fabrics on the top right and the two tone brown is called Grass Cloth. I am in love with it and want to use it in this quilt. I think I am going to be sewing 2 quilts starting in January. 

Once home, I made up the last Chef's Plate meal so I can have prepared meals for tonight and Sunday. When they were done and the kitchen cleaned up I rested. 

Resting was important as my muscles were still a bit sore. It wasn't a flare up as heat helped. I wanted them to be rested so I could work the bar at our community hall last night. It helped a lot. 

I arrived at the community hall an hour earlier than expected. I peeled 8 of the 10 lbs of potatoes, cut them up, rinsed them twice and got them into the pot. I also got the cream/milk ready for grandson to put on the tables. I also put the buns on the tables. Not bad for working the bar. Once that was done, I counted the float and set up the bar. I worked it for 2.5 hours and enjoyed myself. I got the tips last night. 

I didn't knit when I got home as it was time to unwind before heading to bed. I watched some videos and called it a day. I did sleep in this morning as I was tired. 

Thoughts

    I enjoyed working the bar last night. I get to visit with people. I talked to one young man who was wearing a kilt. I think it is the McKellar tartan. He was fully decked out as he thought he had to play the pipes last night but didn't. 

    The parcels arrived at daughter's yesterday. She had to open them as one was flagged. One of the salad plates was broken. I can replace that as soon as I hear back from the company. She said one wrapped present rattles and I have no idea what is in the box. I don't remember sending her anything that was breakable besides the dishes. We wait and see on Christmas Day and if broken I will replace it. I have a feeling it is small items moving around in the box. 

    It seems as if the postal workers will be sent back to work this coming week. I am not sure if that is good or bad. I do hope that they can get a contract that both side are happy with. I know businesses are waiting patiently for the strike to be over with and many are suffering from lack of online sales. It has been a difficult month for everyone. 

    I have been eating carefully and healthy for 8 days now and have lost 3.7 lbs. Last night I had turkey dinner that grandson served to me. It was good as usual. I didn't have any pie. I do notice a difference not having sugar. I came home with 2 buns that I will have with my lunch. My mini goal of loosing 5 lbs before Christmas could happen. 

    I checked the long range weather and we could have a white Christmas. They are saying 11 cm of snow on Dec. 22. I see shovelling snow on the agenda. 

Today

I have to do laundry, some housework, and take cookies over to family. I hope to sew on the bag this afternoon. Tonight I would like to knit some. 

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

A Bag Is Emerging

 Yesterday started off windy, wet, and warm. The high was 15C. It cooled off all day and the sun shone. This morning it is partly cloudy and 0C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of -1C. 

Lifestyle

I headed out to bring in the compost bin as it was, once again, blown over. When I got it upright, I noticed my bags of recycling were in the ditch. After putting the bin away, I went into the ditch and threw the bags up onto the driveway. I got in and out easy enough. I put the bags onto the edge of the road and decided to check the house. I noticed the extension to one down pipe was off and on the back lawn. I fixed and walked the rest of the yard. As I was walking, I noticed I was having a glucose low. It was time to have breakfast. 

After breakfast I watched a bag of recycle pushed up the street by the wind. It came to a stop at my bags. When I heard the garbage truck coming to pick up recycling, I noticed the bag was in the ditch. I got my boots on and out I went to get it. There were bags of recycling on the road and in the ditch down my side of the street. I got the bag out and threw it to the driver. The wind caught it and pushed it towards the front of the truck. I climbed out of the ditch and we talked about how the wind had made a mess. He was quite concerned about me but I was fine. 

The drive to osteopathy was not that bad. The wind had started to die down and the road was not too wet. The drive home was even better. The road was dry and I was only hit by one gust of wind. The sun even shone making it a nice drive. 

Osteopathy was difficult for the therapist. She worked on the piroformis and glutes to no avail. They were tight as could be. We thought it was from all the shovelling I had done and being in the ditch twice. In actual fact, it was the weather causing the issue. They are still sore this morning from the weather we've had. It isn't a flare up as I do get relief when stretching and applying heat. 

Once home, I had a nap. An hour long nap. I needed it at the time but it affected me last night. I took a while to settle down to sleep. 

Sewing

I did sew before going to osteopathy. I cut out the handles, interfaced them and got them onto the bag. 

I also cut out the lining. That piece is interfaced. The pocket piece was cut from the remaining piece and is ready for interfacing. I do like the lining fabric a lot. 

The pocket piece will be interfaced and sewn into a long tube. I will then be able to stitch it down onto the lining at the bottom and then vertically to make pockets. It is coming together and should be done in one long afternoon of sewing. 

Knitting

I knit the last 8 rows on the sweater and then put it down. It is time to start casting off to shape the arm holes. I am excited to be at this stage. No pictures as It looks the same as before. 

Thoughts

    The storm we had was short but nasty. It was great to only have to wear a hoodie outside due to how warm it was. A lot of Christmas decorations were blown over but I didn't see a lot of other damage. Power outages were minimal considering the wind gusted up to 60 km. It was also nice that the storm was over in 24 hours. I still have no idea where it came from. 

    I am improving with my hip. I am aligned with my hip in the right place. Everything is seated and the small pops I hear are good. It is better than the cracking I had. The three muscle groups are still tight and sore but I do get relief from them some days. At the moment, I am happy to be active and able to do a lot of activities I couldn't do this time last year. 

    The parcels I sent to daughter on Dec. 4 could be delivered today or tomorrow. They showed Quebec for so long I thought they stuck there. But they were moving across Canada slowly but surely. When they show delivered, I will be able to relax about them. 

Today

I am heading out to New Minas to pick up the quilt I had long armed. Once home, I need to make the last meal I have and get it into the fridge for Sat and Sun. I have to be out to the community hall by 4:30 pm as I am working the bar for tonight's dinner. I am not sure if I will knit tonight or not. 

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

Working On A Bag

 Yesterday was a cloudy day with the temperature going up all day. It was 15C at 11 pm and 16C at midnight. The wind started to blow last evening and blew hard all night. This morning it is windy, cloudy, wet, and 15C. We are under a wind warning at this time. 

Lifestyle

I did the balance sheet yesterday morning. I should say I did it many times as it would not balance. After a good hour, I took all of December's entries out and found the mistake. It was there in front of my nose from the start. I got all the entries in and everything balanced perfectly. I was still gnashing my teeth about it an hour later. 

My only other job was to take out the recycling and prep it to go to the curb last night. I did took it down in the late afternoon. This morning it is missing -- gone with the wind. The compost bin was on its side and someone stopped and stood it up for me. This is not the first time my recycling has disappeared in the wind. And, it only happens to me on this street as I am on the corner. 

I made pork spring roll bowls last night and it was delicious. I will be buying the ingredients to make it again. I may even buy everything for daughter-in-law to make for dinner one night. I am going to say it tops the like list along with the soup I made last week.

I did a big awkward stretch in bed last night and had a crack. My back pain is gone for now. Actually I feel great this morning with very little pain. I am sure the osteopathy therapist will find some sore spots to work on. 

Sewing

I finished cross hatching the bag. A very stressful session where I changed machines. My Juki was giving me lots of issue with the bobbin. I have a feeling it was not wound properly at the beginning. It worked perfectly when I put another bobbin. Any ways, I sewed the bag on the Diamond and all went well. I will l will finish sewing the bag on that machine as I have limited thread. 

With the thread matching to perfection you can only see a purple square on the chair. I have to cut the handles next, make them and then do the lining. That will take longer as I have to do pockets. A plan is in place for them. 

I vacuumed around the sewing machines yesterday using the no tangle head. It works slick. What I wasn't expecting was the fibre lint the vacuum picked up. It was a lot in that small space. 

Knitting

I did another 16 rows last night. 

Another 8 rows and I start to decrease for the arms. It has knit up fast. At the rate I am moving, it will be done mid January. Then back to socks. 

Thoughts

    The temperature rose steadily all day and remained constant from midnight on. The wind has howled from the south east so this storm is not coming from Britain as I had thought it would be. It is going to cool off tonight and be cool for a few days. At this moment all the snow is gone but more is in the forecast for later next week. 

    I worked a bit on the memory book. It was mostly searching for something for the hardest page. I finally found it and am ready to put it together in some fun way. It has to be simple as this signature is already fat. 

    I have one more meal to make for this week's menu from Chef's Plate. It is meat balls, mash potatoes, and broccoli. Next week is 3 new meals and then I will take 2 weeks off making a few of the recipes again. I want to make the soup from week 1, the one I had yesterday and probably one from next week. I also have to look at daughter-in-law's recipes to see if I want to make any of hers. 

    I watched another movie last night. This one was called The Fabric of Christmas. I enjoyed it a lot. Some talented quilters had a great opportunity to show their work on this show. And probably helped a lot with making the two quilts that were being made. 

    I am starting day 6 of tracking my meals and am doing well. I am very careful about portion control. I am also watching that I am eating enough carbs so I don't have glucose lows. That means making sure I have fruit at lunch and dinner. 

    I have plugged in the portable generator just in case we loose power. I will be getting in the big battery operated flash light. I want to be prepared as we could loose power with the winds we are having. 

Today

I am going to make the straps for the bag this morning as I have to be out of the house about 11 am for osteopathy. I am not sure if I will do a bit of shopping afterwards. Depends on the wind. I know I will be applying heat to my body when I get home. I want to knit tonight if I am not too tired. 

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

PS - my compost bin is in the ditch so I will be hauling it out when it's light and bringing it back into the garage. My next door neighbour's recycling is moving down the road towards my place. 

A Busy Day All Around

 Yesterday was a day of snow and rain. We were even under a freezing rain warning for several hours. The high got to 0C. This morning it is cloudy and 0C. Today is suppose to be wet with a high of 10C.

Lifestyle

It was a busy day in the house. I vacuumed every floor, tidied up areas that needed tidying, and did laundry. I was done in good time and headed out to clean the snow off the driveway. I'm glad I did as it was crunchy -- almost ice. I also salted the driveway well so the ice I couldn't get off would melt. I was back out mid afternoon to finish the driveway when I saw the freezing rain warning. My driveway and small sidewalk are clean and safe for people to walk on. I was tired from all the manual labour I did. 

I made a new dinner last night. It had carrots in it that were to be roasted. I started out steaming them for a few minutes and then finished them in the oven. I do like roasted vegetables a lot so was happy I finished them in the oven. They tasted really good. The meat was chicken that had caesar salad dressing on it and the mashed potatoes had garlic in them. A good meal. 

I did spend some time in the family room. I put all the fabric for the quilter's group into a bag and did some tidying up of items and got some in the tub and some into a box. It looks a bit better down there. Not perfect but a start. 

Sewing

I sewed yesterday. The bag has been started. I cut a piece of fabric 20 x 40", add fusible fleece and started to cross hatch it.

You can hardly see the stitching as the thread is a perfect match. I did leave the sewing room early as I had to scrape ice off the driveway. But I did enjoy the time in the sewing room. 

Crafting

I also did another page in the memory book. I really like it a lot. 

My biggest mistake in making this book is trying to have the page I decorate match up to the page written. I won't be doing that again. 

I enjoy the process more when the picture is similar but not story driven. I have one page figured out and a couple that I need to find something to go with the story. One page in particular has me stumped. 

Knitting

I knit 16 more rows on the vest last night. It is really growing in length. 

Two more evenings and I will start decreasing for the arm holes. I can't believe how fast this has gone. 

Thoughts

    As far as I can see we did not get freezing rain. It might have been close but I don't think it happened. For that I am grateful. I am done with this weather for now as it has taken a lot of time and energy to keep the driveway clean of ice and snow. 

    I watched a video last night that is a side shoot from When Calls The Heart. It was about an orphanage and three of the characters were in the show. It was a good movie and I enjoyed it very much. I haven't watched When Calls The Heart for ages as I couldn't get it on TV. This was a trip down memory lane. 

    I was really sore last night from all the physical activity I did. I applied a lot of heat to those sore muscles and did some stretching to help. I am much better this morning but will not be doing as much as I did yesterday. On the up side, I enjoyed being outside in the fresh air even if it was raining lightly in the afternoon. 

    Tidying up in the family room wasn't as hard as I thought. But I can see road blocks down there which will be hard to work through. A lot of them have emotions attached to them. I am working on the easiest and working towards the hardest. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet, mop a couple of floors, and then I will decide if I will go to family's and deliver cookies or if I will work in the basement doing more cleaning. I want to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. 

I Need To Sew

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of -1.5C. This morning it is snowing lightly and -4C. Today is suppose to be snow, frozen pellets, freezing rain, and rain with a high of 1C. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to the shed yesterday morning to get the salt. The snow had a good layer of ice on it. The driveway was one thick sheet of ice. I used up the bag to start the melting process. I didn't have a lot of salt but it was enough for round one. 

I got my pneumonia vaccine. The doctor's office was empty and the nurse wasn't in. The doctor gave it to me and told me to be careful when outside. He wants me to be active but not to fall. He is happy that I am being independent and doing what I can to keep my driveway safe. He knows I take breaks and carry my phone with me. 

I got groceries and a bag of salt for the driveway. Before putting the groceries away I put more salt on the driveway. With the sun shining, I was seeing results. After putting the groceries away, I scraped the driveway. What a lot of work as it had a good 1/2 - 3/4" on it. I got 85% of the ice removed and salted down the patches that were left. 

I had a short nap after lunch as I was tired from the vaccine and scraping the ice. Once done the nap, I got the Christmas tub up and finished decorating. I used all the twinkle lights I had and love how things look. I normally fight with one strand of lights but this year they cooperated. I also put less ornaments into the dish.

The other twinkle lights are nicer to work with and I put them around the cardinal decorations. 

I also did the nativity scene which I didn't take a picture of. A couple of other decorations were set out and I was done. And so was the afternoon. 

Sewing

None done as I had so much to do yesterday. Hopefully today I can start cutting out the bag. 

Knitting

I knit 16 more rows last night. I have 5 more repeats to do (40 rows) to the underarms. No picture as it looks the same as before only longer. 

Thoughts

    The ambulance went out of the area behind us with its sirens going. I am hoping that it wasn't too serious but my first thought was heart attack. Fingers crossed that the person will be home for Christmas. 

    I am on day 5 of eating healthy. I have noticed a couple of things happening. I am having less joint pain as I am not eating refined sugar or chocolate. I have eliminated all trigger foods from my diet and I think it is helping. I also notice that I have more energy even though I am eating less. With all of this happening, I have lost 2.4 lbs and am happy with that also. I will be talking to the dietician when I see her again about my trigger foods and how I am healthier and happy when I don't have them in the house. They actually make me stressed and unhappy. 

    I did yoga on the bed last night. I am noticing that when I do some of the moves I tighten muscles so am working at making them relax when I am in the position I need to be in. I did have one small cramp but worked it out quickly. I will continue doing yoga as I feel it is helping me.

    My Chef's Plate box arrived and I am excited to try the recipes this week. I have read the recipes and will be cutting back on the oil used and will steam the vegetables rather than roast them. I know I will be making the recipes again once I cancel the subscription. I will reorder later on as I do like the meals.  

Today

I will be staying home today as the weather is going to be awful. I want to do some laundry and vacuuming. I need to mop some floors. I hope to cut out the bag today and get it ready to start quilting tomorrow. I want to do a bit of work on the memory book as I haven't looked at it. Tonight I will knit. 

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

It Snowed - I Shovelled

 Yesterday was, well, snowy. The high got to 3C. This morning it is partly cloudy and -2C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and cloud with a high of -1C.

Lifestyle

With it snowing good outside, I decided to make cookies. I had more issues than not. I could not find my small packet of ginger and had to go to the grocery store for more. The cookies got made and I have another batch to make another day. 

The laundry got folded and put away but I didn't get any more laundry done. I'm not behind but I'm not ahead in that department. I fiddled around until I got the Cowboy Channel on my computer and then onto the TV. It took time but I got it done. 

My trip to the grocery store was a bit slow due to the snow. The roads up here weren't cleared. The main road was which was nice. It wasn't bad, it was just my first trip with snow stuck to the road. After lunch, I had an hour to shovel snow. I did the front step and short walkway. The snow was wet and heavy so I put my boots on and went for it. I was the only person out shovelling my driveway so knew I was on the idiot list. Oh well, it's not the first time and it won't be the last. I shovelled away making sure I was turned to the right so I wouldn't tip my hip forward. Awkward to say the least. But I persisted. 

I was almost done when the snow plow truck came down our road. He pushed snow into the entrance of the driveway. He left to do the other road up here so I tackled the roll of snow. I pushed it all out and did a piece of the road. I went back to cleaning the driveway so I could get it done. The truck returned much to my surprise. Down the road he went pushing snow into driveways as he widened the road. Up he came on my side of the road. When he got almost to my driveway, he pushed the snow into the ditch, lifted the blade, skipped my driveway, and finished up. I waved thank you, and finished up. I was done and tired 

Time to do the driveway was 45 minutes. Not too bad for the first time. I was wet from the snow/rain but happy. I had lots of fresh air and exercise. 

The reason I got the Cowboy Channel up and running was to watch the Miss Rodeo America (MRA) crowning. Daughter and I usually watch it and text each other. We pick who we think will win. Usually different. Both made it to the top 10. Mine made it to the top 5. We chose again. Neither of us was right. The person who won was a surprise. She won appearance but must have scored very high in all the categories to win. I am sure she will do a good job of representing the western way of life. 

I did some yoga on the bed last night and had muscles in the back of both legs cramp. I gave them a good rub and continued on. I will be doing yoga daily as it does help a lot. I have less pain today. 

Sewing

The fabric is folded and ready for me to press. I will get at it this week. 

I got the Pelican Tote pattern, Marianna, and will be reading the instructions. I will have to buy zippers for when I make it. Thanks for tip. 

Knitting

I did 16 more rows on the vest and am half done to where I cast off for under the arms. 

It is really starting to look gorgeous in the navy. 

Thoughts

    I weighed myself this morning and didn't loose any weight. It will come off and I am ready to continue on with my healthy eating plan. I am feeling better each day by eating properly. 

    I connected with a person on Facebook yesterday. She is the youngest sister of two ladies I went to school with. One is older than me and the other was one of my bridesmaids. We are the same age and went to university together. We talked about all her siblings. I had forgot about one brother who lived close to us when we lived in Ashcroft. It was a lovely talk which I enjoyed a lot. I have reached out to the one sister whom I went to university with. 

    My driveway and sidewalk look icy so I have to buy ice salt so I can sprinkle it on them today. I have my Chef's Plate box arriving today and don't want any one slipping on the ice. According to the weather forecast, all the ice will be gone tomorrow as it is suppose to rain but I want to be super careful in the mean time. 

Today

I am out to get the pneumonia vaccine this morning. Then I will go get groceries, take care of the driveway, and hopefully decorate the upstairs. I do need to vacuum also. I don't think I will be sewing today but hopefully will knit tonight. 

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

A Day of Pain

 Yesterday was cold, windy, sunny, and we had flurries most of the day. The high got to -6C. This morning it is cloudy and -8C. The coldest it got last night was -11C. Today is suppose to be cloudy with a mix of snow and rain and a high of 3C.

Lifestyle

I had a busy morning cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming floors. While cleaning the bath tub, my back decided to really hurt. I am not sure what caused it to do that. I did finish cleaning and sat with heat on it. 

I knew I had to push on and decided to keep decorating upstairs. I had seen an idea of putting twinkle lights into the bottom of a dish and adding items to it. I did that for the spare bedroom. 

Some of the ornaments shine as they are translucent. I still have to find the blue truck ornament to put on the dresser and it will be done. 

I played with what I call my flock of cardinals. I have had these for almost 20 years and they use to go into the tree. Now I put them into a vase with flowers and picks. 

After lunch, I went to the quilt shop in Avonport. I thought I would go while the sun shone and there were no flurries. Little did I know there were flurries up there coming our way. The wind was blowing so nothing was settling on the road. I was one of three shoppers in the store and was the only one for quite a while. It was a great opportunity to wander around the store and look. 

When I got into the car to come home, my back started to spasm and it went down my bad leg to my toes. I got it worked out and wondered what caused it. Probably my periformis muscle acting up as it hasn't happened again. I did stretch all afternoon and in bed. I got a pop which may have been the SI joint seating itself. The cause was hanging over the tub to clean it. 

Sewing

I didn't sew but I got the fabric for the bag. It took a while to choose the solid purple but I knew which print I wanted when I walked into the store. 

As this bag will be used for travelling, the print will be the lining and pockets. The other will be the outer fabric. The plan for the bag is developing in mind. 

I also bought this fat quarter to make daughter piping. I fell in love with it when I saw it. 

The fabrics are all laundered which means I can sew. 

Knitting

I knit another 16 rows on the vest last night. It is slowly getting longer. 

Sixteen rows is two cable patterns which is what I would like to knit most nights. 

Thoughts

    The wind has been the worst part of this cold snap. It goes right through you when you are out in it. It has blown all the snow away which is the only good thing. It is suppose to warm up with a high of 14C on Wednesday and Thursday. 

    I have been slowly getting the Christmas decorations out. I am ready to bring the tub upstairs and finish up. I am ready to have it done is I can enjoy it for a few weeks. Next year I will add a bit of decorations to my bedroom. Probably similar to what I add to the spare bedroom but in red and white. I am going small so it will be easy to pack up and put away. 

    I ate according to plan yesterday but didn't get weighed today. That I will do tomorrow. The dietician wants me to stop weighing every day. On the up side, I had a lot more energy even if I was in pain. I wanted to keep moving and doing things. I had to make myself sit down and apply heat to my sore areas. 

    One of 5 parcels arrived at daughter's yesterday. One is on its way out of Ontario and three are in Quebec. I know that all the private companies are busy with extra parcels this year and do know that all of these will be arrive before Christmas. 

Today

My goal is to make cookies for daughter-in-law, decorate upstairs, fold laundry, and do one more load of laundry. I don't know if I will do any crafting but hope to knit tonight. My plans could change in a minute. 

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