Exhausted

 Yesterday was a mix of sun, clouds, rain, and wind. The high got to 15C and then it dropped all day. By 5 pm it was 9C. This morning it is cloudy and 6C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with drizzle and a high of 10C. 

Lifestyle

I was exhausted yesterday but I had to push through. I was out to get groceries at 9 am and the store was quiet. I got everything I needed and left. Once home, I put away the groceries and laid down on the bed to rest. I did not sleep as text messages came in. 

I was to the hall just before 12:30 to help decorate for Christmas. I didn't want to do it but I did it. The plan was -- if 2 of us, just the tree and a couple of items, if 3 or more the time limit was 90 minutes. Four of us decorated the hall simply in 90 minutes. Not decorations hanging from the ceiling. When the time was up, we cleaned up and the other two ladies headed home.

Daughter-in-law and I had to change the message on the announcement board so down we went. It was cool and windy. She hands me the letters she doesn't need and keeps those she needs. Between us, we get the new announcement up. As we were doing the last of it, the skies opened up and we were caught in a heavy shower. We laughed about it and then headed back to the hall, cleaned up the remaining letters and went home. 

Once home I sat on the couch and with in a short period of time, I fell asleep and slept for 20 minutes. I was still tired when I woke up and after an early dinner I was in bed early and slept well. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. That was asking for a disaster. 

Thoughts

    I am doing the household inventory for daughter via photos as the mediator asked her to do it. She is in the house and her ex cannot help due to a protection order. While she is chasing paper work, I can do the inventory. At the moment, I am done as the areas left are full of stuff that will take too long to photograph. She now needs to have someone help do it but I say he needs to pay for that as most of it is his stuff he has stored downstairs over the years.

    Marianne, I am glad you like the red ribbon on the stocking over the other one. I do to. The more I look at it, the more I like it. I am glad you love the mug rug. It really finishes the placemat. I will be excited to use it this year. I can have it out until sometime in January as it is more winter themed. 

    The first part of this week is busy with appointments and meetings and then it will be quiet after that. I need to remember to pace myself so I don't get exhausted. I know Wednesday will be the hardest as I have to help make sandwiches and then have an evening meeting which I will be late getting home. That could leave me tired on Thursday.  

Today

I am out to physio this morning and then will be home to do some house work until I go to the doctor's at 11 am. Once home, I hope to sew on the doll's jeans this afternoon. Tonight I want to knit on the afghan and socks. 

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

A Crazy Day

 Yesterday was dull, dark, grey and wet. The high got to 11C during the day. This morning the sun is trying to shine and it is 14C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with the temperature dropping to 9C this afternoon.

Lifestyle

I spent the morning at the community hall where we had a food drive for the local food bank. For our first one, I think we did well. Three of us looked after it though daughter-in-law did the set up herself. I got home at 1 pm. 

I had little energy due to the darkness all day. It was hard to do things when all your body wanted to do was hibernate. I did decide to do a bit of research and what I found out made me furious. So furious that I had a hard time sleeping. Nothing to do with me but what happened to daughter. Mother Bear was in protection mode. She is safe but it was paper work that got me thinking. It is time for rebuttal. 

Sewing

I did sew some yesterday. I got the two pieces of the fly onto the doll's jeans. I used some velcro for the closure. When done, I left the sewing room as it was too dark to do finicky fine work. No pictures. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night. I wasn't in the mood to knit.

Thoughts

    We got a lot of rain from the last storm. In the afternoon and evening it rained hard. It seems to have rained during the night also as the deck was very wet this morning. 

     I am tired today as I only got 4.5 hours of sleep. I will have a nap this afternoon unless I need to go out to help at the hall. I do feel better as I spent quite a bit of time writing my feelings down. Something I learned many years ago. I have a slow fuse and writing it helps me think and calm down without letting my temper get the best of me. 

Today

I am going to go shopping for groceries this morning and then will find out what I need to do and in what order for the rest of the day. It is a wait and see day for me.

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

Mug Rug Made

 Yesterday was wet, warm, and muggy. The high got to 19C. This morning it is cloudy and 13C. Today is supposed to be very wet with a high of 14C. 

Lifestyle

I sat yesterday and enjoyed my 2nd cup of coffee and did some inventory for daughter. It was nice not to have to get up and rush out of the house. 

Once I had done everything I could do on the inventory, I took the vacuum cleaner and headed down to the sewing room. It was time to clean up. It was vacuum some, clean up some, vacuum some more, and clean up some more. Around and around I went until I got it done. Once more, I can work in there and feel creative. And the job didn't take nearly as long as I had expected it to. 

I did a few things upstairs but my biggest job was late in the afternoon when I went to get the mail. I haven't been for ages and the mail box was full. I did get it all sorted and what I was expecting (oh yes, bills) is ready to be dealt with tomorrow morning. 

Sewing

With the sewing room cleaned up, I decided to make a mug rug in the afternoon. I had pulled up the instructions and was ready to stitch it on the embroidery machine. I had to take out tubs of embroidery thread to find the right shade of blue but it is all put away. 

These are easy to make as the file is beautifully digitized. The only thing I had to do was change the thread from red to blue for the cross hatching on the center fabric. It goes with the placemat I made. 

I changed the ribbon on the paw stocking to a wider red one. I am still not sure if I like it or the tiny ribbon better. I have until Tuesday to decide. 

I left the sewing room tidy as I was upset with how messy I had let it become. 

Knitting

I knit 9 rows on the socks last night and am just under half done the gusset. I have 17 stitches on each gusset and will decrease down to 9 stitches. 

I also knit 4 rows on the afghan. The ball of yarn is getting smaller. I also sweat while knitting on it as the house was warm and with it covering my body I was hot. I was glad to set it aside. 

Thoughts

    The storm showed up on our weather radar mid morning and it is going to last until tomorrow night or Monday morning. It rained yesterday but not hard and we did have periods of time when it didn't rain. Today it is supposed to rain almost all day. 

    I was surprised when I went outside at how warm and muggy it was. The temperature was 18C but it felt a lot warmer than that due the warm wet air. I was out there with no coat on. 

    The price of gas has dropped 12 cents since Thursday. I am going to fill up the tank when it isn't raining. Hopefully later today. Hopefully the price of gas will stay down and here is hoping diesel prices drop also. 

Today

I am out to the community hall until noon as we are having a food drive. Once done, I will be home for the rest of the day. I do have to make dinner as I have been eating sandwiches and need to stop that. I would like to sew on the doll's jeans this afternoon also. I will knit tonight. If there is a break in the rain, I will gas up the car. 

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

Paw Stocking Completely Completed

 Yesterday was cloudy with a high of 16C at midnight. This morning it is cloudy and 18C. Today is supposed to have showers and rain with a high of 18C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to make sandwiches yesterday. Another lady cut so I made sandwiches. I did monitor her as she has a lot of back problems. At the end of the session she and I held onto the counter and did some good stretching which had us giggling like crazy. 

Once home, I sat on heat to make sure my SI joint didn't stiffen up. It had released during the night and the pain was minimal. I was also tired from all the pain I had. I did get some things done but not a lot. 

I had a call from my friend who moved to Ottawa. We chatted for almost 2 hours. She isn't sure the move there was the right thing as she is not making friends like she thought she would. On the plus side she has family close to her and she has a doctor. I will be calling her next week as we both need to stay in touch more often they we have been. 

Sewing

I spent the afternoon finishing up the paw stocking. It is the part that drives me nuts. I strung beads after looking for what I needed. Good thing I knotted the end as the string landed on the floor a few times before I got it secured to the stocking. I then made the bones from fabric and stuffed them. They also liked the floor when I was attaching them to the stocking. When I looked at it done, I hated it which is not uncommon. I decided to add a bow and it was perfect. 

I am not sure why everything was loving the floor yesterday as the whole sewing room is a mess. Today is clean up day as it needs to be done. My creativity has left and I need to get it back. 

Knitting

I picked up the stitches for the gusset and got one row knit. I am now ready to start decreasing. 

I also knit 8 rows on the afghan last night. I found it hot while knitting not realizing the temperature warming up outside. I even turned the heat down in the house. 

The big ball of yarn is getting smaller. 

Thoughts

    We are under a weather warning as a slow storm is coming in and could give us up to 3" of rain. I have no idea where this storm is coming from but the worst of it could be tonight. We wait and see. 

    I am back to doing some household inventory for daughter. Some are from pictures, others are from my memory of conversations. What is difficult is the amount of stuff in boxes that I am certain is from his mom's house. I am trying to figure out a system to deal with it efficiently and effectively. 

Today

I have to finish laundry and fold it. I also need to make dinner for two nights. I also need to clean the sewing room as it is a mess. Tonight I will knit on the socks and afghan. It is a quiet day at home for me. 

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

Finished But Not Completely Finished

 Yesterday was dull, grey, and wet. The high got to 12C. This morning it is cloudy and 10C. Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy and 17C.

Lifestyle

I was out to New Minas yesterday. My first stop was Michaels to get a few things. I did look at their fabric but only bought interfacing that was cheaper than what I normally pay for it. 

My next stop was Walmart. It was at this point I wish I had gone to Bedford. The store was picked over and a bit of a mess. One item I had to buy I hunted through the mess and found 2 containers. It was a bit of a frustrating shopping trip. I was glad to get what was needed and left. 

I was able to get my garbage out between showers and that was a tick mark in the positive list. A few minutes later and it was raining again. 

Sewing

I did spend time in the sewing room working on the paw stocking. It went together remarkably fast. The lining was quick and even putting it into the main stocking wasn't a huge fight. 

I bought these items to add to the stocking. 

I have to work on getting them and a couple of small fabric bones made to add to the stocking. 

Knitting

I worked on the socks last night and got the heel flap knit. I then turned the heel. I am ready to pick up the gusset stitches. 

I had to watch the video on how to turn the heel as I had forgot the formula I use.

Thoughts

    I was sore yesterday. Part was the SI joint being tight and part was the low barometric pressure. I was also a bit achy from the Covid vaccine which didn't help. I did do the exercises once but it didn't really help due to the circumstances. I did have a lot of cracking in bed last night but I do think that the SI joint will tighten up again today. 

    Most of the trees are bare now. The ones that have some leaves left on them are still bright orange giving us a pop of colour here and there. With so much rain, the lawns are green adding more colour. It has been a very colourful fall for us. 

    I have had a small rash of comments that are all the same wording. All have been deleted. I call them spam comments. I know they will give up if I keep deleting them. For everyone else, I truly appreciate your comments and do save them. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches this morning. Once home, I will do laundry and prep for dinner. This afternoon I want to finish the paw stocking. My goal is to pick up the gusset stitches on the sock and knit on the afghan. 

Ready To Sew The Seams

 Yesterday was mainly a cloudy day but we had no rain. The high was 11C at 6 am and the temperature dropped all day. This morning it is raining and 6C. Today is supposed to be wet with a high of 11C.

Lifestyle

I was out to the community hall to make sandwiches at 7:15 am. It was done thanks to daughter-in-law coming in to mix the fillings and make some of the sandwiches before going to work. Another volunteer came as she was leaving which was so nice. We got things done around 8:40 am. 

I left the hall and drove to the doctor's office to get my Covid vaccine. I was in and out in around 5 minutes. This is the vaccine that can make me extremely tired and sore. It didn't disappoint. 

Once home, I had to push myself to do things on my list. I got it all done but one item (laundry). I alternated between doing things and resting. I even took items to family's house mid afternoon. I even made dinner. I didn't want to do anything but I knew I had to. By 7 pm I started to feel better. It was over with and I felt better. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday. I hand sewed the largest pad onto the stocking and stitched it down. 

I even flipped it over and marked the stitching line 1/2" in from the raw edge. Much easier to stitch the paws when they are marked. 

I do have the two pieces pinned together and ready to sew. At that point it was rest time as I was exhausted and sore. 

Knitting

I did knit yesterday in the afternoon. The leg on the sock has 80 rows knit and I have set up and knit 1 row on the heel flap. 

I also knit 6 rows on the afghan last night. It is around 41" long now.

I had it draped over my legs and it was making me overly warm. It is dense enough to keep in my body heat but loose enough to have a lovely drape. 

Thoughts

    All of my social media feeds are full of the midterm election results even though I am Canadian. I profess not to understand the American voting system, I do understand what people are thinking after an election. I know there was a lot of talk after our federal election; some good, some bad, and some neutral. 

    It is hard to believe that we went to Uruguay almost 1 year ago. We still talk about our trip and all the wonderful things we saw. I still look at it as a trip of a lifetime.

Today

I am going to New Minas this morning to shop. Once home, I do hope to sew on the paw stocking after lunch. I will knit tonight. I will probably have to do my exercises today as I will be walking on concrete floors and they do make me sore. 

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

Progress On All Projects

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 16C. This morning it is cloudy and 11C. Today is supposed to have showers this morning and some sunshine this afternoon. The high is to get to 12C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday I finished cleaning the living room. The tv stand was dusted as was the tv. The baseboards were washed. The floors were vacuumed and mopped. I was surprised that they were dirty as I had washed a lot of them the day before. They weren't filthy just dirty from me walking on them. 

I made a pot of chicken broth using up the frozen carcass I had. I got enough broth for 4 lunches. I used the new cube containers and put 3 portions into the freezer. When I looked into the freezer, I have used up most of the meat and about half of the vegetables. It is going to need to be restocked this week. 

My SI joint was sore as were the muscles. Not overly painful but quite annoying. I did do the exercises once yesterday but made sure I was moving about to stay limber. I was up and down off the floor quite a few times. I did have a crack last night so we wait and see if it has gone back into its proper place. 

Sewing

I did a lot of hand sewing yesterday. The 4 pads were hand sewn down and then stitched. I had to stop as my hands were cramping up doing the tiny hand stitches. 

It is at the stage where I am not sure if I like it or hate it. I have this stage with everything I make so I sit and stare at it and shrug my shoulders. 

Knitting

I did get 20 rows knit on the sock. 

It is certainly very green and earthy feeling. Though not exciting like other yarn I have knit, it is calming when I knit on it. 

I also knit 4 rows on the afghan last night. It is still growing and keeping me warm while I knit. 

Thoughts

    I heard noise late yesterday afternoon and it was my neighbour mowing his lawn. Another neighbour did his after that. Mine will need doing once more and hopefully it will be this week. 

    Though I had pain yesterday, I think my SI joint was not as tight as it had been the day before. I was able to do move around better and getting up off the floor wasn't as painful as I had thought. I think doing the exercises a minimum of once a day will keep it moving into place but I am going to try for twice a day until I see the physiotherapist on Monday. 

Today

I am out very soon to make sandwiches. Daughter-in-law is going to be there for a while to help and then it will be just 2 of us. I am annoyed. Once home, I will get ready to get my Covid vaccine and then I will be home for the day. I do hope to do a few things unless the vaccine knocks me flat on my back. I would like to sew and knit but all my plans depend on how my body reacts. 

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

Progress Made On The Paw Stocking

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 7C. This morning it is clear and 9C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 16C. 

Lifestyle

I started the day out by doing the balance sheet. It was a bit of fun as I made a mistake, found it, and then did another balance and when I looked, I had a huge mistake. I just undid all my entries and started again. Undoing 5 entries wasn't a huge job. I redid the entries and all was good. I put October to bed and am ready to start November's on Sunday. 

My next job was to get the sheets into the laundry. I then proceeded to do my exercises on the couch as my SI joint decided to act up something fierce. A bit of relief from that. 

I then took the couch I sit on apart and cleaned it. I tidied up my knitting stuff, vacuumed all the cushions and the couch. I then moved the couch out and vacuumed under it and mopped that part of the floor. While it was drying, I cleaned the railing spindles and the floor around them. A lot of dust from that job. Once the floor was dry, I put the couch back into its place and vacuumed and mopped the floor. One more day and I can wash the walls. 

Once done the living room area, I got the sheets into the dryer. I was really sore at this point but I couldn't stop. I put two containers of the fish chowder into the tubs and froze them. I heated the third one for lunch. After lunch, I did more exercises. This time, I had a bit more relief but it was still sore. I was able to get the muscles to stop hurting at that point which did help a lot. 

After I made the bed, I laid down on it and did a third session of exercises. At this point, it was only my SI joint hurting. It wasn't going to release so I decided I had to live with it and take Tylenol at bedtime. 

Sewing

I spent some time sewing on the paw stocking. I drew the lines on the stocking and quilted them. I then cut out the pad pieces and gathered them around cardboard templates. When it came time to pin them on, I couldn't find the stocking piece I used to place them in the correct position. I had to do a new one. I got all the pieces pinned and adjusted. I am ready to hand sew them down. 

I am going to stitch down the pads using red thread and the same stitch I used on the other stocking. Once this step is done, it won't take long to finish it. 

Knitting

I started a pair of socks on Halloween and did knit on them yesterday. I am half done the leg. 

I want to knit about 20 rows a day on it and will have to do it at noon. 

I also knit 6 rows on the afghan. It is now long enough that it will cover my legs while knitting a row. It is keeping my legs warm which is nice. No picture last night. The ball of yarn is getting smaller. I have one large ball and 1 small ball on the couch plus 3 more in the closet. I am thinking I will be using them all to get the length I need. 

Thoughts

    We are going to get temperatures into the teens this week. Even the nights are going to be warm. I am not sure what system is coming in. The wind shifted to the south last night and the temperature went up all night. It will be nice to have some warm weather for a few days even if there are showers in the forecast. 

    I found it very difficult to do housework yesterday but I pushed through the pain once again. I spent between 45-60 minutes doing exercises and they did help. I added one more to the list and that one helped relax the muscles. I massaged the SI joint last night and it was very tender. I will continue doing the exercises and I have physio in a week. 

    I went back onto my eating plan yesterday and I was wanting comfort food. I didn't cave in and I felt better for it. One thing I have noticed is that I am eating less at dinner time. My food is portioned out and I get full quite quickly now. 

Today

I want to do some more cleaning in the living room so I can do the walls. I need to get the mail and do some shopping. This afternoon I will hand sew the pads onto the stockings. I want to knit on the socks and the afghan today and tonight. I plan on doing my exercises at least twice and maybe 3 times today. 

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

And Halloween Is Done For Another Year

 Yesterday was damp and cloudy in the morning but sunnier in the afternoon. The high to 6C. This morning there are some clouds and it is -1C. Today is supposed to be sunny and 8C.

Lifestyle

I did my stretching before heading out to make sandwiches. It is a good thing I went as the lady who was to cut the sandwiches couldn't come. I made 1 loaf of sandwiches and then cut and arranged all of the sandwiches on the trays. Daughter-in-law was there yesterday and we had some giggles.

After the sandwiches were done, we headed into Dartmouth to shop for sandwiches and a few things she needed. I do enjoy our time together and the conversations we have. I did buy compost bags and silicone containers to freeze soups, etc into. 

I am looking forward to using these this coming week. 

Once home, I had lunch and then and went for a nap. I slept for almost 1.5 hours and woke up feeling groggy but better. Once awake, I went downstairs and wound wool to knit a pair of socks. I also drew one line not the paw stockings. 

Upstairs I had to get the sign put up, the box and tub of candy out for Halloween night. I shut the blinds and watched the people start to arrive. At 5 pm I left for family's. 

We had a great evening. I knit on the socks, we talked, and had a lovely dinner with our friends. It was delicious. We visited after dinner and I got home after 10 pm. Trick or treating was done, the tub was empty, and I put everything away. 

Thoughts

    I had mixed feeling about not being here for Halloween. I love to look at the costumes and enjoy the little ones coming for their treats. What I don't like is sitting in the garage when it is cold outside. Next year we may revamp how we hand out the treats as it seems as if it has been cold and windy the past few years. 

    Time changed for us last night. I hate time change with a passion. It leaves me tired and off schedule. The only nice thing is that the mornings are light. It gets darker earlier which is okay. I am hoping that time change will stop as many people want to be on the same time all year round. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet and then I am going to start cleaning the house. It is time to get back to that job. This afternoon I will sew on the stocking and I will knit tonight. I will be adjusting to the time change today. 

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

Great Progress On The Stocking

 Yesterday started out with clouds, then rain, and finally sunshine. The high got to 16C. This morning it is cloudy and 6C. Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 6C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday was fraught with pain. I did my exercises 3 times during the day with some relief. At midnight I rolled over and everything moved back into place. I have a little pain today which is better than what I had yesterday. 

I was out to make sandwiches and I used a small step stool to put one foot on while putting sandwiches in the trays. I stood on both feet while cutting. It did help. There were 3 of us doing it once again. Daughter-in-law had gone in early and mixed the filling so everyone could make sandwiches. 

Once home, I sat on heat for a bit and then I got up and started working. I washed a few dishes and then started to clean the living room. I moved the furniture out of the bay window area and cleaned it. It was dusty due to the construction going on near us. I vacuumed the floor and mopped it. While it was drying, I folded and put away laundry. 

Once the furniture was put back into place, I set about getting chicken and vegetables prepped for dinner. I marinate the chicken and let it sit in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours. The vegetables are chopped and put into the fridge also. When done, I did the dishes and called it a morning. I was ready to sit down and have heat on my SI joint. 

Sewing

I finished sewing the last 4 wedges onto the 2nd piece I had started the day before. I then cut out both stocking pieces from the fabric and fusible fleece. I pressed them into place and started quilting. I have the cross hatching done one way when I had to stop. 

I did the quilting in red and the black lines you see are where I stitched. They disappear when I press them. I will do it after I finished the quilting. 

I also swept the sewing room floor and picked up all the thread and bits of fabric. It still needs to be vacuumed and I will do it when I can get the vacuum cleaner down the stairs. I can't do it if my SI joint is giving me a lot of pain. 

Knitting

I knit 8 rows last night and have started a new ball of yarn. 

I have 2 balls left on the couch and then I will have to get more out when they are gone. This afghan is growing but it isn't long enough yet. 

Thoughts

    I am tired this morning. I was awake a lot last night and am short on sleep. I plan on having a nap this afternoon so I can be awake for dinner tonight. One reason I was awake for so long was from the pain I had and it took a while to settle down after everything moved back into place. I don't know why I woke up early as I was virtually pain free. 

    The doctor's office called me and let me know I can get my Covid vaccine on Tuesday. Once I get it, I am done for the winter. I can't wait for that to be over with. 

    It is time change tonight and the confusion starts. Some provinces will stay on daylight savings time while other provinces will fall back to standard time. One province has one part remaining on daylight savings time while the other part goes to standard time. I personally think Canada should not change their clocks and all should be on same page and choose one or the other. I loved it when we didn't have to change our clocks. 

Today

I am out to help with sandwiches this morning. Once done I will go to the city with daughter-in-law to shop. I will have a nap this afternoon and will be out for dinner tonight. I don't think I will be sewing or knitting today. My only job is to make sure a tub of candy is out for the kids. 

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

Progress On The Next Stocking

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 18C. This morning it is cloudy and 12C. Today is supposed to be rainy with a high of 16C. 

Lifestyle

As I couldn't eat yesterday morning and I had to be out the door to the hospital for blood collection at 7:30 am, I did a couple of small chores that needed to be done. I was to the hospital, got the blood work done and was back in the car in 20 minutes. Early morning appointments are great; no waiting at all. 

Once home, I had breakfast and did some more chores. It was mainly things like empty the dishwasher and get things ready for making soup. I was out the door at just after 9 am for a hair cut. 

Back home, I spent the rest of the morning making a big pot of fish chowder. It is not a cream base soup but one made with tomatoes. I actually like it better. I got enough soup for 5 lunches which I will enjoy immensely. The house smelled so good for the rest of the day. 

My SI joint decided to give me a lot of low intensity pain yesterday. I walked a lot as it gave me relief. I did my exercises which helped some. But I knew it was there all day and again this morning. It is annoying and tiring. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday and got one piece of the paw fabric completed. 

I got the 7 pieces cut for the back of the stocking and the tan fabric attached to each wedge. I had enough time to sew 3 pieces together before I called it a day. 

I am pleased with my progress as it takes quite a lot of time to get these pieces done. 

We got an email telling us what to bring for the course next month. I will be starting to put things into a bag over the next 4 weeks. I do have a few things to buy which I can use. I will be ordering some next week and buying others over the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to the course. 

Knitting

I knit 4 rows last night and called it a night. 

The ball of yarn is getting smaller and it may be done in a couple of nights. The afghan is keeping me warm while I knit and I am enjoying that part now. 

Thoughts

    There is a "trunk and treat" at one location in town tonight. I think that is a great idea and wish we could do it here. They set the time (6 to 8 pm) and it is done and over with. Here the children start at 4:30 pm and they will still come at 9 pm if you leave your lights on. We also get children from other towns as they know there are big bags of treats given out next to our street. We are leaving a tub of candy at my house this year as we are doing dinner with friends tomorrow night. I will be home around 9 pm and will not answer the door after I get home. 

    I have been noticing how much Christmas is out already and has been for about 2 or more weeks. We do not start to decorate until after Remembrance Day though others will start on November 1. I still have lots to do before I can decorate for Christmas. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches this morning. Once home, I hope to do some cleaning and folding laundry. I want to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. I do know my schedule can change today and am prepared for that. 

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

I Figured It Out

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 8C. This morning it is mainly clear and 1C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 15C. 

Lifestyle

I headed out to the community hall to meet the company that was cleaning the heat pumps. I sat around for almost 30 minutes before texting daughter-in-law. She called and they said the service person's vehicle had a flat tire and she was going to call and let her know. It was already 30 minutes past the time to come. I went home and waited for them to call and say they were going to the hall. 

The call came in and I headed out about 10:30 am to the hall. I let in the person and then sat and waited for the job to be done. There are 4 heads that needed to be cleaned and the person was done around 1 pm. I had got cold and was feeling cranky but I kept smiling. 

Once home, I had lunch and warmed up. My SI joint was rebelling as it was cold but it did ease up once it got warmed up. 

Sewing

I sewed 2.5" strips together to make a new piece of cloth. I cut the first wedge and then the 2nd and I had the same issue. The colours matched up perfectly in a row. I was not happy. I let it sit while I was out and thought on it. When I started up again, I decided to try a tan strip on the large end of each wedge. I cut a 2.5" x 5" strip and sewed it on. I pressed everything neatly and it turned out close to what I wanted it to look like. 

I cut out wedges two at a time and sewed on the tan strip. I then carefully sewed the wedges together. It was a lot of work but I got several on to see how it would look. 

It is more patch work like than a diagonal design but I am happy with it. I know to get the diagonal look, I would have had to make each wedge separately and that is a lot of work. For a stocking, I don't need to put in hours of work to make something ultra custom. 

I did lay the pattern on the piece I made and I will add 2 more strips to it. 

The tan will not be seen as it will disappear into the stitching at the toes and under the cuff at the top. 

Knitting

I knit 12 rows last night. I didn't take any pictures but the ball of yarn is getting smaller. Soon it will be time to add another ball of yarn. 

Thoughts

    The temperature dropped to -2C with a windchill of -6C yesterday morning. It happened when the sun came up and is not unusual. It could drop again this morning as it is going to be sunny today. 

    As I was out with the hall I went into town and got the tire torqued on the car. One person was between jobs and grabbed the iron and went right out to do it. I was happy to have that job done and off my list. The staff at the shop is always pleasant. 

    My SI joint is flared up slightly. It did not like me getting cold inside the hall. I did try standing with my right foot on the small step stool and it should work for me when cutting sandwiches. We will see tomorrow morning if it works or not. 

Today

I am out shortly to have blood work done. Once done, I will have breakfast and then head out for a hair cut. When I get home, I will do a few things this morning and then sew this afternoon. I will knit tonight. A fairly quiet day for me.

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

I Made A Mistake

Yesterday was sunny and windy with a high of 7C. This morning it is clear and -1C (windchill -3C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to New Minas in good time. It was windy and the wind caught the back of the car once and it kind of scared me. I survived the scare as no damage was done. 

At New Minas, I went to the quilt shop looking around for a few minutes. One of the sales people had her Christmas stocking out. It is done in red and white and looks like she cut an old quilt up to make a stocking. Very well done. 

At Walmart, I had to shop for 3 orders; mine, a friends, and the hall. It took some time for me to get everything on the lists. No time to snoop shop. I was home by noon. 

Sewing

I had a long run in the sewing room yesterday. I cut the strips for the spiral table runner I am going to make in a class. I have enough for 2 table runners and possibly a third if I want to make that many. I did sew the strips for one table runner. 

I only need to get fusible fleece batting and fabric for the binding. 

I then cut out the strips for the next paw stocking. I cut 4 fabrics at 2.75" and sewed them together. 

I then cut out 3 wedges and cursed at myself. I should have used 3 colours only. I wasn't thinking and own my mistake. I staggered the wedges and got this look. 

I have it put it away for a future project. I have enough fabric to make another piece of fabric for the stocking using only 3 colours. The tan will be omitted. 

I did find 2 fabrics I liked for a tree skirt for daughter. The board fabric is from the stash and will be used for the backing. 

I am going to get 2 more fabrics that I used in the paw stocking for it. I won't use red as I want to keep it subtle. 

Knitting

I knit 8 rows last night and put the afghan on the floor to see how it looks. 

I am guessing I am just over half done. It is keeping me warm as I knit so I know I will enjoy it when it is done. 

Thoughts

    The wind blew from the north all day yesterday and shifted to the south last night. We will have a couple of days of warmer weather and then it will cool off again. 

    My SI joint was not as sore as it had been. If I stop and rest it, it settles down. If I push too hard, it hurts worse. The muscles are sore from all this but I do push them so they will get stronger. It is annoying but I am happy it isn't painful all day long. 

    While driving to New Minas, I was amazed at how much colour can still be seen. The leaves have given us a great show and are still giving it to us at the end of October. It has been wonderful to see the blaze of colours for such a long period of time. 

Today

I am out this morning to the hall as the heat pumps are to be serviced. Once home I need to do a load of laundry and vacuum the sewing room. This afternoon I will sew on the paw stocking and I hope to knit tonight. 

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

Paw Stocking Completed

 Yesterday started out sunny and then became cloudy. The high got to 18C. This morning it is clear and 5C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 9C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I was really busy. I had a list that I wanted to get through and I started early. Garbage and recycling went out into the garage. Stuff was taken off the stairs and put away. The bathroom was cleaned. And I finally was able to open the garage door and start cleaning the garage. I went through everything on the cupboards and tool chest. Some went inside to the pantry, other items went into the compost bin and either garbage or recycling. I was able to organize my stuff on the top of the tool chest and was pleased with it. I hauled my containers of tools out of the cupboards, put items away and saw the top of the cupboards look neat and tidy. I did do a bit of sweeping but that will get done Thursday. My last job of the morning was to take the bottles to the bottle depot and I got over $10.00 for them. I take them in twice a year. 

I was very sore all day. I did end up on the couch doing my exercises and then on the bed doing more. A bit of relief but still very sore. I finally did some stretches and twists in bed and got relief. It was not a fun day due to the pain but I persisted as I needed to get jobs done. 

I was out for dinner at family's last night. Our friend is there and we had a delightful visit. Lots of laughs and hugs all around. I got home late which was fine.

Sewing

I finished the paw stocking. The only issue I had was getting the lining in so it sat properly. I had to really work on that. Otherwise it went together really well. 

As a prototype I was really pleased with the results. I did learn a few things. I love the stitch I chose for appliquéing the paw pads down. I need to remember to have a full bobbin when I do it. 

It has been spoken for and will be delivered in the next couple of days. I am now ready to start the one to put into the stocking contest. 

Knitting

I didn't knit last night as I got home late. 

Thoughts

    I was surprised to see that parts of Kamloops had snow yesterday. I do know the mine where daughter works has snow and it was cold. I don't know the temperature as the weather station is at the Kamloops airport where it is warmer than higher up. 

    My lawn is officially put to bed unless it gets another mowing. The fall fertilizer was put on yesterday morning. The new seeding has done well with most bare areas filled in. It will all start again in April. 

    I am hoping that I have the pain in my SI joint under control once again. I want to do a bunch more cleaning and I can't get a lot done when I am in pain. I know I will be doing a lot more exercises when I get sore. I will try to do the fall cleaning as I want it done. 

Today

I am off to shop for sandwiches and myself. I am not sure if I am going to New Minas or Bedford. I will decide when I get in the car. Once home, I will vacuum the sewing room and start the next stocking. Tonight I will knit on the afghan. 

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

The Hardest Part Is Done

 Yesterday was sunny and warm with a high of 17C. This morning it is clear and 3C. Today is supposed to become cloudy with wind and a high of 16C.

Lifestyle

I turned off the heat while doing the balance sheet and didn't turn it on until 9 pm last night. The house was toasty warm all day.

My first job of the day was to do the balance sheet. I got it done in record time and everything put away. I then spent some time on the family tree and had a huge score. I was looking for information on a child that died and couldn't find anything. I decided to see if I could find it in Find A Grave. Nothing. I then put in my great aunt's name as I haven't been able to find out where she was buried. I found it and was over the moon with happiness. 

I spent some time emptying the dishwasher and tidying up the kitchen. I did take out the items that are to go to the thrift shop to the garage and bagged them up. I also put bags into the containers for garbage and recycling. Back inside, I tidied up the dining room table and washed it well. On a roll.

Next up I gave Rosie the robot vacuum cleaner a good cleaning. I emptied her dust bin and took it out to clean it with pressured air. I also wiped it out while outside as it was so warm out there. I stood and soaked up the sunshine for a bit.

Daughter sent me more pictures and I did inventory. It wasn't difficult to do. It was after 12:30 pm when I got my list of chores done but it felt good to be done them. 

Sewing

I spent a couple of hours in the sewing room yesterday afternoon. I hand sewed down the last small pad and then applied the big one and hand sewed it down. Once they were on, I carefully stitched around the two small and larger pads on the sewing machine. I went slowly to do a good job on them. 

The hardest part is now done and it will be easy to finish. I need to find a piece of material for the lining which will come from the stash. When this one is done, I will be ready to start the one for the contest. 

I have been watching a video on how to make a quilt as you go tree skirt. I may make it after I finish the stockings and the doll's jeans. It remains to be seen but I am interested in making it. 

Knitting

I knit 7 rows last night. The afghan is about 35" long and is starting to keep me warm. It is also getting heavy while knitting on it. 

Thoughts

    It is nice to have a few sunny and very warm days near the end of October. According to the weatherman, we will have two more sunny warm days later this week. 

    I was somewhat sore yesterday but feel better today. I was able to get the SI joint to release which helped. It still isn't in the right spot but much better. My muscles were sore but I kept moving all day. Though they were tired, they didn't cramp up like I thought they would. 

    I am getting back into fall cleaning. I will be starting on the dining area next. I really want to get it done before the end of November as I want to decorate for Christmas and winter. 

Today

I have to do a few small things inside and then will bundle up and start cleaning up the garage. I will work for an hour in there and repeat until it is done. This afternoon I would like to get as much done on the paw stocking and tonight I will knit on the afghan. Another busy day at home. 

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