Two Zippered Bags Started

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 2C. This morning it is cloudy and -9C (windchill -16C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with some flurries thrown in for good measure. The high is to get to -2C (windchill -8C). 

Lifestyle

The barometric pressure bounced some yesterday before it decided to drop. I was and am sore from that. My knees aren't as sore this morning but the area around my SI joint is tender. 

I opened the first closet in my bedroom and much to my surprise, it was clean and tidy. When I purged it last fall, I did an extra good job. I did look at the Christmas wrapping paper and I am happy I did not buy any more. I will use it up before I buy more. 

I then opened the closet where I keep my clothes. The same thing. I purged it well last fall and everything is in its place. The only thing I have that is extra is the duvets that were given to me as gifts. My job for the day was over before it started. 

I did some more research on the Acadian people and found they were excellent farmers. They were not poor. They were hard working people. A lot the extras they needed was imported from France or the Caribbean. I am certain the people had nice clothes that they wore when going out. I think that the rural women adapted the styles to suit their needs. 

I was out to the community hall to help daughter-in-law. We set up the bar, got cardboard ready to recycle, set up some tables for the people, and did a few other small jobs that needed to be done. I left at 8:30 pm and the event hadn't started. A few people had arrived but we hadn't sold anything from the bar. 

Sewing

I sewed yesterday afternoon. I decided to make both the bags at once as they were being made the same fabrics. I had to look at the video on how to do make them and I got to the point where I now need to look at another video to finish them.

I am pleased with how the zipper tabs turned out. Now to figure out the side seams. I am not sure of how wide they are as it seems to be a mystery in the last video. I will watch that part again to make sure I didn't miss it while watching and sewing at the same time. 

I am still thinking about the stomacher for the doll's dress. I may make 2 of them as they are simple to sew. One will be of the print fabric with the tab. The other will be of linen which I will embroider. 

Knitting

I did not knit last night as I was out until almost 9 pm. 

Thoughts

    I have decided to make a batch of cookies to go with the sandwiches we make at the community hall. I can freeze the extras so they can be used at another time. My plan is to start with a half batch and then do a full batch as this recipe makes a lot of cookies. 

    Winter is not over yet. It has been a long one as it started a month earlier than normal. We have a good amount of snow on the ground but the roads are in good shape. My driveway is clean and ice free. I am happy about that. The storm coming in Monday is going to be another big one with 6-12" of snow falling. I will do some shovelling and then get the rest of the driveway done by the person I hired.

    I am almost finished cleaning the upstairs. I have a few little things to tidy up around the house and finish cleaning my bedroom. Then it will be maintenance cleaning. I do have to do the basement again. I am puttering at that a bit here and there and it will become a focus when upstairs is done. 

Today

I am going to grocery shop this morning. Once that is done, I will get the items I need for cookies arranged so I can make them tomorrow. I would like to do a bit of cleaning in my bedroom. I hope to finish the zippered bags this afternoon and knit tonight. 

A Relaxing Day With Lots Accomplished

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with more sun in the afternoon. The high got to 1C. This morning it is clear and -10C (windchill -14C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 1C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning I was out for a hair cut. Once home, it was time to get a few things done. I mopped the dining and living room floors, the small hall way, and down the stairs to the front landing and the landing. The front landing was the dirtiest as it is the area where we all come into the house. I also did some spot cleaning and tidying up. 

I also prepped and made dinner last night. It was a simple stir fry but I did do a few extra things I learned from watching Aron and Claire. It was very delicious and I have extra for dinner tonight. 

I did go down and looked at the Halloween items sitting on a chair. One item had come apart so I glued it back together. It is back under the stairs until a decision is made about the Halloween decorations. 

Sewing

I spent quite a bit of time looking for fabric for an 1700's outfit. I found 3 pieces and decided on this piece. 

We are to make a stomacher using this pattern. 

Higher status Acadian women in Nova Scotia probably did wear sacque back dresses with decorated stomachers. The rural women could have worn the jacket length version and I would guess that they had the tab for the scarf. I am going to upgrade my version using either an appliqué or sew small beads to the center of the flowers. My story will be that this lady sewed the longer, more decorative version and used the left over beads on her stomacher. 

Satisfied with my research, I set about making 4.5 meters of piping. I really needed something easy to make and this fit the bill. I used a left over piece of fabric I have had for probably 5 years. 

I also cut out all the pieces for 2 zippered bags. All the pieces are interfaced and I can start sewing them. 

The paisley fabric is the outer fabric and the pale one is the lining. 

Knitting

I finished the 2nd sleeve. When I laid it beside the first one I had one good laugh. Sleeve #1 is short 10 rows on the cuff. 

Sleeve 1 did not want to be knit as it gave me a lot of problems. I will cast on another sleeve and knit it properly. Sleeve #1 will be trashed. 

I also finished knitting the scarf. I need to review how to sew the cast on edge to the live stitches to it forms a tube. Once I have looked at it, I will spend an afternoon doing that job. I will need good lighting for the job. 

Thoughts

    We are under another weather watch. We are to have 15-25 cm of snow plus NE winds starting Monday afternoon and ending Tuesday morning. We really don't need more snow as we have enough on the ground already. I will be calling my friendly snow plower to come with his truck to clean my driveway. 

    I had a very successful day in the sewing room. No stressful projects to complete so I could relax and do something relaxing. Even the research into Acadian women's clothing was interesting and I enjoyed it immensely. It is unfortunate that there isn't many examples of clothing from the mid 1600's but there are some written accounts that have given researchers some insight into what they could have worn. 

Today

I am going work in my bedroom this morning cleaning the closets. This afternoon I will start sewing the zippered bags. I have to work the bar at the community hall tonight so probably won't do much knitting. If I do, I will cast on the sleeve and do some knitting on it. 

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

Doll's Shirt Completed

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 3C. This morning it is cloudy and -2C (windchill -7C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 2C. The windchill could be -10C. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning out writing the minutes for the community hall's AGM. I had to leave it several times and come back to it to make sure I was happy with the wording. It is done except for a short read before emailing it to daughter-in-law. 

I finished cleaning the closet in the spare bedroom. It has my grandmother's kitchen clock and a spare lamp shade on the shelf. I swept the floor and there was minimal fluff under the bed (thank you Rosie) and I mopped the room. The amount of dirt was from normal walking in that room. I also mopped the bathroom and kitchen floors. 

After lunch I went out and shovelled the driveway. We had just over an inch of wet snow and I got it cleaned off in about 15-20 minutes. The driveway dried off and it was perfect to walk down to take recycling to the curb. We did have a skiff of snow last night but nothing to worry about. 

Sewing

The doll's shirt is finished. I only had to pick out 2 buttonholes yesterday. I sewed on the buttons and called it done. 

The pattern has been put away with the other Edwardian patterns I have made for this wardrobe. 

I ordered snaps for the doll clothes and they are coming from England. They should be here by mid March. That is okay as I am not starting another doll's shirt until March. 

When looking at what I have left to sew this month, I seem to be ahead of the game. I have two zip bags to make plus a small item for Sewing With Cinnamon. I have put another piece of piping into the mix as I need a small relaxing project to work on next. 

Knitting

I went to get the last ball of yarn for the scarf and I couldn't find it in the bin. I had to stop and think and remembered I had put it into my knitting bag in the closet (too organized for my own good). I will get the scarf done this week. 

I cast on the 2nd sleeve for the doll's sweater and knit on it last night. I am ready to start the first cast off for under the arm. 

I am hoping to have it done today. Then on to the body of the sweater. 

I have to wind the yarn for the socks I hope to start this month. I have to finish the scarf first. 

Thoughts

    I really enjoyed shovelling snow yesterday after lunch. The sun was warm and I loved that. I shovelled and when I took short breaks, I stood outside enjoying the weather. I was the only person out shovelling which is normal when it snows this amount. But I don't care as I need the exercise. 

    I slept well last night. I was in bed early and I didn't wake up until 5 am. A first for me in a long time. I am hoping that I will have more of those good sleeps. 

Today

I have a hair cut this morning and once home, I want to vacuum and mop the dining/living area of the upstairs. I may start cleaning out one closet in my bedroom. This afternoon I will sew piping and get the bags ready to sew next. I may have to go get interfacing and thread. I will be knitting on the doll's sweater and the scarf. 

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

Learning To Do Eyelets

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 0C. This morning it is snowing lightly and -3C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with a high of 3C. 

Lifestyle

I was out to help make sandwiches at the hall. My job is to cut the sandwiches into 4 and put them on trays. It is a job I really enjoy. I love to make them look really nice and even. I don't hate making sandwiches as I enjoy the challenge of having them look tidy when they go to be cut. 

When I got home, I had a coffee and then headed out to grocery shop. I got what was on my list and 3 items I had forgot about. The store was busy and I was happy to get everything and get out. 

I decided to empty a tub of crafts and put it into another partly filled tub. The empty tub has the Christmas quilts and pillow in it and that job is now done. I have 2 old throws to deal with once I decide if I will buy a new throw or make a quilt in winter colours. If I make a quilt, I will have to buy all the fabrics for it. I am leaning towards navy blue, light blue, grey, white and maybe sage green. 

I did have a nap after lunch. I was so tired that I was almost in tears and was falling asleep on the couch. After hour's nap I felt much better and I did sleep better last night. 

I was out for dinner at family's and we had wonderful curries. I also helped daughter-in-law prepare for our local hall's AGM. We did an agenda and some financial work. We got it all done by 6:30 pm and was out to the meeting. It was an interesting meeting. Elections were held and daughter-in-law is the president and I am the secretary. 

YouTube went crazy on me last night. It kicked me off my channel and when I went to sign in on my laptop, it stated it was having issues. I left it be for a while and then it worked again. Not sure why it was acting up but looking at a TV screen saying that I needed to log in was weird. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday which was probably not the best thing to do. I played with the eyelets and put them into the stays I had made. I used my crop-o-dile to make the holes and some eyelets I wasn't sure about. The test one worked perfectly so I proceeded. They went in and are staying in even when pulling on the ribbon. They are not perfectly aligned but they aren't a big mess. It was a learning curve for me.  

I will get navy ribbon to replace the white. I didn't think it would pull as tight as it did. Hurrah for that. I need to keep practicing with the eyelets as we will be doing a project this month in historical clothing. 

Next I decided to do some buttonholes on a big scrap of fabric. I made three of the 5 button holes on the shirt and am taking out 2 of them to redo. The one I am keeping looks good.

I will be happy when this blouse is done as it has been quite the learning journey. 

Knitting

I did knit a bit last night on the scarf. Fifteen rows to be exact and I have to get the last ball of that yarn up from the basement. 

I should have it done by next week. 

Thoughts

    This morning's snow was not in the forecast. Flurries yes but it is snowing harder since I got up. The only good thing is that everything will look pristine rather than dirty. It looks like is isn't going to let up anytime soon though the weather map says it's to stop in the next hour or so. I really don't want to shovel a lot of wet snow. 

    I was lucky grocery shopping yesterday. Most everything was on sale. I am trying to use up what I bought in January and only buy what I need this month. I am also trying not to over buy as the grocery store is close to me. My hope is to grocery shop at Walmart next week which is a longer drive. I have a few things to get at other stores which are not in my community. 

Today

I am going to finish cleaning the spare bedroom and vacuum and mop that floor along with a few other floors. I will watch the snow amounts and shovel if I have to but closer to noon. This afternoon I want to finish the doll's blouse and prep to sew 2 zippered bags. I also have to make dinners this afternoon. I will knit on the doll's sweater and the scarf. It is a day at home for me. 

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

A Day Of Stress

 Yesterday was another sunny day with some clouds floating around. The high got to -1C (windchill -4C). This morning it is cloudy and -5C. Today is supposed to be another sunny day with a high of 1C. Flurries tonight. 

Lifestyle

I got the sheets into the washer and dryer yesterday and forgot about them until 5 pm when I had to rush around and make my bed. I was having a bit of a day to say the least. 

I went into the spare bedroom and looked at the Christmas items on the bed. I went back out and wrote storage tub on my shopping list. Down stairs I went and got out the Christmas tub and went through it. I put several items into the thrift store box as I really don't need them. As I handled the items, I went down memory lane which was filled with a lot of good memories. I kept a few items that I will use for winter decorations as I want to have some items out during the month of January. 

One of the items I kept was this small ceramic Christmas tree. I realized I had batteries for it so it is now ready for Christmas 2026.

I had bought 2 of them in January 2023 when they were discounted by 70%. One went to daughter and I kept one. I am thinking it will be kept out in January as it reminds me of the trees in winter. 

I took the quilts and pillow down but they didn't fit in the tub. I hauled them back up and put them back on the bed. I realized last night I can put some of the items I want to sell at a craft bazaar into a bag and use one of those tubs for the quilts. It is a job I can do today. 

I have not been sleeping well at night and having night panic/anxiety attacks. I know what is causing it and have been nervous, restless, and tense. I am hoping that daughter's situation will improve so I can relax once again. I will talk about it once things have been sorted out a bit more. 

I have been very careful with my eating habits but my weight is stalled at the moment. Part is how I am feeling emotionally. Part is my body not wanting to cooperate with the weight loss. It will come off when it is ready to. In the meantime, I will eat well and carefully. 

Sewing

 Yesterday's sewing was a lot of hand sewing. I sewed down the collar band which was the easiest part. Sewing snaps and button on the neck band was a bit stressful. The snap went on pretty good but the button wanted to move around. The next step was to hem the sleeve opening. That small space and the thickness of the fabric was hard to do. Putting on the snaps was a bear and adding buttons almost drove my patience out the door. I decided not to deal with any more snaps and hemmed the shirt by machine. 

I am deciding if I will do buttonholes or snaps on this shirt. The instructions say snaps but I think I can do buttonholes. 

I also decided to mark the eyelet holes for the stays I made last month. I have enough marks to drive you crazy. 

I want to get this project done so I can work on something else for the Acadian outfit. It may be a chemise with a bit of fancy stitching on it. I will know more when I read today's post on Sewing With Cinnamon. 

Knitting

If sewing was hard, knitting was also hard. I realized that I hadn't followed the instructions and had to unknit 9 or 10 rows and redo the cap of the sleeve. I made myself finish the first sleeve following the instructions carefully. 

Once it was done, I got 16 rows knit on the scarf. It is now 42" long. I will need to get the last ball of yarn out to finish it. 

I will have part of a ball left and will try to make a toque out of it. If there isn't enough, it will got into the bag which I will sell at the garage sale this spring. I am not having part balls of yarn left in the stash. 

Thoughts

    Going through the Christmas items made me realize that I still enjoy decorating for Christmas. I have 3 boxes for daughter-in-law that are antique Christmas items. She will get them when I no longer want to decorate. The rest are items I love and couldn't part with. 

    I haven't had any issues with my IBS attacks. I know that vitamins will cause gastrointestinal issues. But the stress I am having at the moment is starting to give me a flare up. I am hoping that everything will calm down quickly as I don't want to have IBS attacks again. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches at the hall this morning and then will go grocery shopping locally. I will work on emptying a tub so I can put my Christmas quilts and pillow into it. I should finish cleaning the spare bedroom if I have time. I would like to sew if I'm not too tired and knit tonight. It is a wait and see day for some projects. 

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

Progress On The Doll's Shirt

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a bit of snow in the late afternoon. The high got to -1C (windchill -5C). This morning it is cloudy and -3C (windchill -6C). Today is supposed to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 1C.

Lifestyle

My first job of the morning was to do the balance sheet. All went well with it balancing perfectly. I was pleased with that. I did have a low no spend week as I really didn't need a lot except for groceries and a few items for the house. 

I made a pot of spicy fish soup. It has no milk in it and you can use a seafood mix or basa or other white fish. I make enough for 4 lunches. I also made two dinners later in the afternoon. 

I had a nap after lunch as I was exhausted from only 6 hours of sleep. It was great to wake up another an hour feeling better. The downside is that it did interfere with my sleep last night. I didn't get the deep sleep that I really need each night. 

Sewing

After my nap, I did go downstairs to sew. It was put those big sleeves in day. They weren't as hard as I had thought. They are really puffy. I finished the sleeve cap seams, sewed the side seams and basted the hems on the cuffs. 

It was 4 pm by the time I got that done. It took longer than expected but I am happy with the shirt so far. It looks so different with the sleeves in. 

Knitting

I did not knit at all yesterday. I was tired and not interested in knitting so I had a day off. 

Thoughts

    I looked up the assessed property value for my house yesterday. I was shocked. It has gone up by 30K in the past year meaning its for sale value is more than I had expected it to be. It has me thinking that the improvements I want to do will keep the sale value at a price I think it is now worth. 

    I knew why I was exhausted yesterday. I have been thinking about daughter who is having a rough time right now. She is now alone and she is trying to get her ducks in order. At least she knows what to do. She lets me know how things are going which is good. I have also been pushing myself mentally on this decluttering session and some of what I am dealing with has been emotionally hard to do. 

    I watched a couple of videos on how to make freezer meals that can be cooked in a crock pot. As they are meals for two, I would need to buy a small crockpot and let my big one go. I am mulling over that and will look at crockpots when I go shopping. I have looked on Amazon and have an idea of what I want. 

Today

I have to go around and do a small pick up of items that go to the donate box. I need to continue working in the spare bedroom and get the Christmas items downstairs and ready to put away. I am going to do a load of laundry also. I want to sew on the doll's blouse this morning and knit tonight. 

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

Progress On All Fronts

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 1C. This morning it is cloudy and -5C. Today is supposed to be snowy with a high of 0C (windchill -6C).

Lifestyle

I started the morning with 2 loads of laundry which are folded ready to be put away. While the first load was on, I cleaned up the files on the computer. The desk top was full of items that needed to be put into file folders and put on the tetra drive. It is done and I am happy. I did do some tidying up of the tetra drive but am saving that for another day. 

I started out giving the bathroom and kitchen a quick tidy up and then proceeded to the spare bedroom. Though not full of stuff, it was a slow process of getting things done. The dresser was dealt with and everything I need is in the top drawer. The other two are empty. I gave it and the other two pieces a good cleaning before opening the closet door. 

The closet isn't full but everything needed to be looked at. I took out the safe and went through all the paperwork. I had a bit of organizing and thinking to do in it. Then I took out the box of receipts that I keep from doing the balance sheet. I cleaned it out so I only have 2025 and this year's receipts in it. I did do the shredding of bank statements. Then I grabbed the filing tub that was a bigger job than I had expected. 

I had organized and got rid of a whole bunch of papers after the Spousal Unit passed away. It was time to do it again. I got rid of appliance manuals I no longer have. I went through every file folder in that tub. I got rid of old insurance papers, the sale of the house in Kamloops, and a bunch of other stuff that is not longer relevant. It was insane how much I got rid of and it awaits me to shred it. 

I took everything off the closet shelf and have some decisions to make. It is all Christmas items along with 2 red throws. I am thinking of putting the two throws into the thrift shop box. The Christmas items will need to go into a tub which means I may need to buy one after I look under the basement stairs. At that point, I was tired and hungry and realized it was lunch time. 

After lunch, I went down and did some more sorting in a 2nd box. What I want to sell at the garage sale was left in it and other items added. What I didn't want was put into the thrift store box. That box can go to the thrift store the next time I am in either New Minas or Bedford. 

Sewing

When I look at what I did in the sewing room, I think that wasn't a lot but it was very time consuming. I added a mitred placket to the two sleeves and what fiddly work. By the time I was done, my hands were sore and my patience was running a bit thin. They are not perfect but they aren't a big mess. 

The side seams on the sleeves and the shirt were serged and the gathering threads added to the sleeve cap. 

I sat and thought about the mitred placket and I will probably do them again. I will not do the mitred part. I use to fold that down square on the Spousal Unit's western shirts. I will try that on the next shirt. 

Knitting

I did knit on the doll's sweater yesterday. I am ready to see if it is long enough to cast off under the arms. 

I also knit on the scarf. I did 40 rows last night. It now measures about 40".

It will be done before I know it. I have to sew it into a circle as it wraps around your neck twice. 

Thoughts

    I have checked my February goals for sewing and knitting. I am almost done the projects I had set out. When I have finished February's sewing projects I have a couple of items I will add to the list. I am calling them bonus projects. I had thought the skirt and shirt pattern were more complicated than they were hence making them quicker sews. I do know I will finish the scarf in February but I won't finish the doll's sweater. I will finish it in March. 

    Yesterday's declutter was an emotional one. Going through papers was hard as it brought back memories of the things the Spousal Unit and I had done teaching. I realize that I can remember those accomplishments without the paperwork. I will say I was tired when I finished it. On the other hand, I am glad it is done. 

    Our lovely sunny weather is gone for the next 4-5 days. I so enjoyed the sunshine pouring into the house. There are no big storms coming in which is nice and I do hope that the sun will shine a bit each day. 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet first thing and then put away laundry. I have to make a pot of soup and dinner for the next several days. I hope to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. I am not decluttering anything today as it is Sunday. If we get the snow they are forecasting, I may have to go out and shovel the driveway. I can handle an inch of snow.

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

A Productive Day

 Yesterday was gloriously sunny with a high of -2C (windchill -8C). This morning it is clear and -6C (winchill -10C). Today is supposed to sunny with a high of 2C. We are to have snow flurries tonight. 

Lifestyle

I had a busy morning. First I had to clean my glasses fas wiping them clean with grimy gloves leaves them filthy. I saw my Fitbit and decided to give it another chance before tossing it into the pile of electronics to go to recycling. I put it on the charger and much to my amazement it started to charge. I kept checking it all morning and it kept charging. I put it on as soon as it was 100% charged and it is still working. Not sure why it stopped working but I am sure happy to have it working again. 

My big job of the morning was to tackle the stairs and front entry. I put away paint containers, mitts and toques that were languishing on the stairs. I scrubbed the stairs and floor on my hands and knees. Let me tell you it was dirty from us going in and out the front door. I am happy that job is done and hope to keep it cleaner in the future. 

I also spent 30 minutes in the basement as I need a box to put items in to for the thrift store. I took one box full of stuff into the family room and sorted the contents. I have half a box of stuff to go to the thrift store from that sort. What is left will be sold in the garage sale in the spring. I also found another box that I will sort through today and put all the garage sale items in it. One box gone will make me happy. 

I headed out around 2:30 pm to scrape the ice off the driveway. It was patches that were left behind. As I was scraping away, a lady stopped and introduced herself to me. She is the mother of the doctor who lives behind me. A very nice lady. She is excited as her daughter is having a baby this spring and she will be helping look after it when it's time for her daughter to go back to work. She works part time in our local hospital and has her own practice locally. 

Sewing

The Edwardian blouse was started and I spent a lot of time on it. I got the front shoulder seams gathered and sewn to the back. I also sewed on the front button bands and the 2 piece collar. It was a lot of finicky sewing. 

I had hacked the front pattern so it would be blouson. I followed the instructions using the boy's shirt pattern from Liberty Jane's button up shirt pattern. I am not sure if I like it or not but am holding back my thoughts until after I insert the sleeves. Unfortunately this blouse is never shown finished. 

Knitting

The sleeve of the doll's sweater is starting to show how big the leg of mutton sleeves will be. I am slowly knitting on it when I have a few minutes. 

I also knit on the scarf last night and was able to knit 40 rows on it. 

I have done 38 patterns and it is 36" long. I love the jean blue colour but I am not a big fan of the yarn. It isn't twisted so I have to watch and make sure I am not splitting the yarn when knitting. I still have a lot of this yarn to knit. 

Thoughts

    I am not sure what went wrong with my Fitbit. I could not get it to restart using the directions from support or what I found online. Putting it away seemed to have fixed the problem/woke it up. I did nothing to it when I put it on the charger. The only thing I did after charging it was to turn off the sleep mode. 

    Though it is still cool here, the sun has warmth to it. I was out scraping ice wearing only a fleece jacket and I was warm. I am enjoying it but do know we could have more snow between now and Easter. That is a given for Nova Scotia. 

    I went back to using the WW's app to track what I am eating. I was overeating and my weight wasn't coming off. It reminds we of what portion sizes are when I plan my meals for the day. I am back to no snacking and I am trying to do more movement each day. 

Today

I have laundry to do and will start cleaning and purging the spare bedroom. I will also spend 20 minutes dealing with a box in the basement. It is the one I will put items in to sell. This afternoon I want to sew on the doll's shirt and I will knit on the doll's sweater and the scarf. 

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

Small Jobs Big Satisfaction

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy but not gloomy. The high got to -1C (windchill -5C). This morning it is clear and -7C (windchill -12C). Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 0C.

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning it was out the door early to start shovelling snow. I shovelled a path down to the street to dig out my garbage bags and put them on a snow bank. Then it was shovel back up again so the edge of the driveway was clear. I then tackled the driveway up at the garage doors and the little sidewalk and front door landing. The snow was sopping wet but it wasn't really dry. After a short rest, I went out and cleared the snow off the back deck. I left the rest of the driveway as I had the person who mows my lawn coming to finish the job with his truck. There was over 8" of snow on the driveway and the berm was so solid that I would have spent a long time chipping it away. 

My next job was to install the new door knobs on the linen and pantry closets. That wasn't a hard job. Next up was to deal with the ball catches that go on the top of the doors with dummy door handles. I screwed down the plate on the one on the door at the washer and dryer. The previous owners just put a new one in and didn't finish the job. The next one was at the front landing closet. I had to replace the plate on the door jam as the door wouldn't shut. It is still tight but it always has been. The last one was on my bedroom closet. That one was really easy to do. All the interior doors are now done. Next up will be the exterior doors which are fine for now. 

Sewing

I did sew yesterday afternoon. I got just over 4 meters of piping made for daughter. I used a piece of fairy frost fabric she had sent me several years ago. 

It has a lovely silver sparkle in it making it quite dressy. 

I am ready to start sewing an Edwardian shirt for the dolls. Having made 2 easy projects has been fun and got me ready for the next more difficult project on my list. 

Knitting

I looked at the doll's sweater and realized it was going to be too small. The yarn is a lace weight not a sock weight so I ripped it out and started again on larger needles. 

The long cuff and the increasing is done so I am ready to plain knit the upper part of the sleeve. 

I did not knit on the scarf last night as I focused on the doll's sweater. I will pick it up and knit on it tonight. 

Thoughts

    The storm we had certainly dumped a lot of snow on us. The predictions ranged from 1" to 6". We got more than that. People spent hours digging out their driveways. We were very fortunate that the power didn't go out with this storm and I really didn't hear about power outages in the province. Schools were closed in the province and our garbage pick up was cancelled. 

    I got a lot more done in the house than I had expected. I seemed to have gotten onto a roll and just kept going when doing the doors. It felt good physically and mentally to be working while snowed in. I didn't hurt too much which was good. 

Today

I am going to do a bit of tidying up and clean the stairs and front entry. I want to bring in the baseboards and clean them so I can paint them in a few days. I want to start on the doll's Edwardian shirt this afternoon and knit on both the sweater and the scarf. I don't need to go anywhere today. 

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

The Alberta Clipper Hit Us

 Yesterday was cloudy and wet with a high of 0C. This morning it is snowing and -3C (windchill -6C). Today is supposed to be mainly cloudy with flurries and a high of -1C (windchill -9C).

Lifestyle

I put all my plans aside and headed into Dartmouth with daughter-in-law. The drive in was foggy with light snow. The snow wasn't melting on the road which was great. It was raining in Dartmouth. 

Our first stop was Home Depot. I returned the door handle I had bought as I got them cheaper on Amazon. I did buy door stops that you put on top of the doors that have dummy door handles. Two of mine are broken. 

The next stop was Costco. It was not busy in there so we got everything we needed without fighting the crowds. I bought nothing as I had shopped the day before. The last stop was Walmart and it was also quiet. We were in and out in no time flat. 

We headed back to Sackville and had lunch in one of our favourite restaurants. When done we went to our favourite dollar store and daughter-in-law got some organizers for a cupboard. 

Our last stop was at osteopathy where daughter-in-law had an appointment. We always have a great visit with the osteopathy therapist. We saw videos of her little girl who is 10 months old. 

The drive home was great. The roads were wet with puddles until we got to exit 4. Then they were wet with no puddles. When we drove up to my house, I could see the snow had really melted with the warmer temperatures and rain. The sun was even trying to shine. 

It started to snow around 7 pm last night and it is still snowing this morning. What we thought would be wet heavy snow is more light and somewhat fluffy. Shovelling will be fairly easy. The only issue will be the berm at the end of the driveway. It is huge!! I am going to shovel part of the driveway and hope that the person I hired will be around to do the berm for me. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday. We got home around 3 pm as I had finish making the chicken soup I had started first thing in the morning. 

Knitting

I knit on the doll's sweater and have 29 rows down. I am ready to increase to make the leg-o-mutton part of the sleeve. 

I also knit 24 rows on the scarf. It is now 32" long. 

It is knitting up faster than I had thought it would. I may be starting socks before the end of the month. 

Thoughts

    I was horrified to find out that there was a mass shooting at a school in northern BC. Nine or 10 people are dead and over 25 injured. My hearts go out to the community as it goes through this difficult time. I use to know some people in that community when we lived in Dawson Creek. The pain the community is feeling is unreal. It really brought back memories of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020. The trauma will go on for years. 

    I have to shovel my way down to the street and dig out my garbage bags for pick up. I want to shovel part of the driveway, the front step area, and the back deck. Who knows how much I will actually get done, it could be more, it could be less. The storm we got is what they call the Alberta Clipper. It actually moved across Canada dumping snow along the way. 

Today

Shovelling snow is my first job of the day. If I have any energy left, I will try to put on the door handles. I would like to sew this afternoon and knit tonight. All depends on how I feel after shovelling snow. 

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

Piping Made

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 0C. This morning it is cloudy and -6C. Today is supposed to be snowy with a high of 0C. We are under a snowfall warning with 10 - 20 cm of snow being estimated. 

Lifestyle

I was out to the community hall to make sandwiches first thing yesterday morning. We were completely done in just over an hour. At home, I got a few tools back out into the garage and a few things sorted before heading back out the door. 

I had a doctor's appointment and he was behind schedule which is not new. We went through my previous blood work, he added my blood pressure reading which was excellent and then we talked. He asked about my mini Cpap machine that I bought for my trip. Though it was expensive I was able to put it into my backpack vs packing another bag on my shoulder. We talked about me living in my home vs an apartment and his suggestion was to stay in my home for now. We talked a bit about hip/knee replacements and recovery time from that. A lot to think about. 

From the doctor's I went to the grocery store to have my prescriptions filled and to shop. Prescriptions were picked up at 4 pm so all is good for me during this storm. 

I was tired when I got home. Most of it was relaxing after seeing the doctor. I unknowingly stress out when I have to see him. I did hurt a lot yesterday due to the weather system coming in and my SI joint didn't release until after midnight. I am muscle sore today from all of that. 

Sewing

Though I was tired, I made myself go down to the sewing room and make piping. It was good therapy as I am up and down from the machine every few minutes which keeps me alert and allows me to push through the tiredness. 

I chose a fabric I had bought in November. It is a soft peach colour with white dots on it. 

I had bought .6 meter of it and used half of it. The other half will be used for something for the dolls. This is the first of 2 pieces of piping I want to make this month. 

Knitting

I picked up the doll's sweater and released I had knit something so different to what the pattern actually said. I know I was reading a pattern but I don't know what it was for. I wasn't very happy as I had to rip it out and start again. 

I had issues with row 2 getting the baby cables made. At one point I dropped 2 stitches and had to start the sleeve again. I finally got the first 3 rows done successfully and decided to knit 19 rows. I had a few problems but nothing unknitting a row wouldn't correct. 

I also knit 8 rows on the scarf before I called it a night. I was too tired to focus on knitting. I decided it was time to go to bed and get some much needed rest. If I had continued knitting I am sure I would have made a big mistake and I didn't want that. 

Thoughts

    I had one issues with the blinds yesterday and got it sorted out quickly. This morning I have opened 4 blinds they are working fine. I am hoping all is properly paired. It took a lot of figuring out and I am hoping I have them all paired to their correct number with no interferences. 

    I am going to do a quick tidy up and put some items away so I can run the robotic vacuum cleaner this afternoon. It is time for her to get back to cleaning the floors daily. 

    I have decided that when it is time to purge the basement, I will do it every other day until it is done. On alternate days I will clean upstairs so it remains tidy. I will be doing a lot of sorting and taking stuff to the thrift store. I will sell only what I think will sell and donate the rest. 

Today

I will be monitoring the snow fall (it's snowing at this time) so I can shovel snow before it gets too deep. I am hoping the person who is to clear my driveway comes tomorrow. I have to make chicken soup as the bones have been making broth for the past hour. I need to tidy up for the robotic vacuum cleaner and see if I have time to clean the stairs and front door area. I would like to make piping this afternoon and will be knitting tonight. 

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

A Doll's Skirt Completed

 Yesterday was fairly sunny with a high of -4C (windchill -9C). This morning it is cloudy and -8C (windchill -11C). Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of -2C (windchill -7C). We are under a weather warning for snow starting tomorrow. 

Lifestyle

I fiddled with the blinds and have them working. Up and down without any stopping part way. Only one drove me nuts while working on it. This morning it is paired with another blind when I opened them. I'm leaving them alone for a couple of days and will get back to them when I have more patience. The three in the window were hooked up to charge the motors. 

Once done the blinds, I tucked into the front closet. It was a job that needed to be done. I went through everything tossing what I didn't need into donate, trash, or recycle piles. I then cleaned the shelf and put back what I needed onto it. The coats were put back on one side along with one knitting bag. The others will be used for groceries. I mopped the floor really well and put back what I needed. The end result is much tidier and more organized. 

I need to buy Command hooks to hang the broom. I also cleaned up the floor space in front of the closet. That included clearing off the top of the little fridge (which needs to be moved). In the end, I had more stuff to put into the trash than I had to donate or recycle. 

I also laundered the sheets and made my bed. By the time I got all that done, I was ready to stop cleaning for the day. 

Sewing

I did go downstairs to relax and sew. I sewed the waistband facing onto the skirt, serged the hem, and sewed up the back seam. I sat and hand sewed the waist facing and hem down and added a button to each pocket flap.

It is very nondescript as the 3 tops I am making are the focal points. 

With this project done, I will be making 2 lengths of piping next. 

Knitting

First up, when cleaning the closet, I found 5 balls of yarn in one of the knitting bags. They have been in there forgotten for at least 3 years. They have been added to the inventory and put away into their proper bins. 

I cast on the stitches for the first sleeve on the doll's sweater. I knit 18 rows and am ready to start increasing. 

When I finished those 18 rows, I knit 32 rows on the scarf. It measures just under 28" now. Just over 11" to go and it will be done. 

When it is done, I will start a pair of socks for daughter. She sent me some lovely yarn to knit her a pair. 

Thoughts

    I am working my way through the upstairs purging and decluttering each space. It is helping me think about what I do need and what I don't. I also realized that I am not ready to move yet. I am too independent to be in an apartment. I am not shelving the idea totally but will work towards it over a long period of time. Right now I need to enjoy myself in this house but get ready to move when the time is right. Preparing to move in 7-8 months is not going to happen. Thinking about it has made me feel somewhat stressed and anxious. 

    I am realizing that I am a bit of a pack rat. I don't think about going through things that I don't see. The front closet is a prime example. I ignored it for a long time and what I found in there that needed to go or be put into its right place was embarrassing. I know I will need to be on top of my game when I go downstairs. I had a pep talk about doing the next purge down there while I was hand sewing on the doll's skirt. 

    I am not thrilled about the snow storm blowing in tomorrow. I had hoped we were done with storms. Guess Mother Nature has a different idea for us. Oh well, I better be ready to shovel snow tomorrow. 

Today

I am out to make sandwiches this morning and then will go from there to the doctor's office for my appointment. Once done that I will head to family's to get some broccoli casserole daughter-in-law made. I need to get a few groceries. I want to cut out and make 2 lengths of piping this afternoon and knit tonight. A busy day for me. 

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