Keeping Busy At Home

 Yesterday was a morning of snow and rain and the afternoon was cloudy. We had 1/4" of precipitation and a high of 2.9C. This morning it is somewhat clear (can see the moon) and -6C. We are to have snow fall this afternoon and evening with a high of -2C. 

Lifestyle

Daughter-in-law arrived for tea and I was out to help her shovel the snow off the driveway. It didn't take us long to have the snow off so the rain could soften the ice underneath. It was rapidly turning to slush while we were out there. I was out mid morning to scrape the slush off the driveway and by 4 pm my driveway was 50% dry. 

I had a good visit with daughter-in-law and she left about an hour after she arrived. I had to have breakfast as I knew my glucose levels were dropping. It was another day of fighting with it. I may need to have a snack mid afternoon. I am pondering on that one. 

I had a fierce IBS attack at dinner time. It lasted almost 2 hours and I had to eat while having it. My glucose levels were low. It did subside but left me very tired. Tired enough I slept most of the night. I am fine today. I am not sure if it is stress/worry or food related or both. 

Elliott had another morning where he didn't sleep a lot. He did sleep all afternoon. He wasn't as cranky yesterday morning but he did wander and call me a lot. 

Sewing and Crafts

I started and ended my afternoon working on the never ending book. I got pages 2 and 3 completed. 

Page 2 was pressed and put under the books so it would lie flat. Page 3 wasn't so I will be doing it today. 

I just have page 4 to glue down and it is done. I will make a tuck for it to go into which will take only a few minutes to do. 

I decided to work on the gift bag. While the design embroidered on the front, I started to interface the remaining pieces, sew the topper to the back piece and measure out and interface the lining. By 4 pm it was done ready for the ribbon (which I don't have). 

I how have 2 pieces of lining large enough for wine bottle bags. They are on the list to make in February. 

I printed out the track suit once again and it is the pattern that is the problem. At least I can start working on it on Saturday. The piece that is missing a part has the cutting measurements on it. 

I also worked on the cross stitch. I got the cat done and am ready to work on the lace part. 

The lace will be done with 1 strand of white, 1 of pale grey, and the shiny thread. 

Knitting

I worked on the hat last night. I got 3 repeats (12 rows) of the pattern done. 

It is a cheerful colour and makes me happy. I do hope that I can make a second one with the other ball of yarn. 

Today

I need to do yoga this morning and then grocery shop. I also want to fold the laundry. This afternoon I plan on making the two mug rugs and finish the never ending book. I would like to work on the cross stitch picture and knit tonight. This is all dependent on how much snow falls this afternoon. 

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

Working On Small Projects

 Yesterday was another nice day with a high of -0.7C. This morning it is 1C and snowing. We are to have snow and rain this morning and a high of 5C which will cool off to 1C this afternoon. It is going to be cloudy all day. 

Lifestyle

First thing was yoga. I found it hard to start as my knee and hip were stiff. My knee felt like it was surrounded by fluid but it didn't seem to be. Both joints were reacting to the storm that is coming in. They did loosen up as I did the moves. I am still having relaxed muscles in my thigh which is nice. 

I did some house work - laundered bedding and made up the bed. I also swept the floors and mopped the living room, dining room, and hall. I also mopped the stairs down to the front door. 

It was a struggle doing the housework I did. Elliott had his "I can't settle down" morning. He was needy and I had to sit a couple of times to try and settle him. He finally had a short nap before lunch, had his treat, and settled down for a deep sleep in the afternoon. I think I needed him to nap more than he needed to nap. 

I was out to have tea with my friend. I talked to her briefly as she was out walking to her dog. We had a good visit and she told me she has sold her two beautiful wall hangings. She put them into a local shop and her oldest son bought them online. Though she was sad to sell them, she is delighted her son will have them in his house. She is working on a new wall hanging and it is basically sold already. Her work is beautiful and extremely well curated. I am excited for her. 

Sewing and Crafting

I did work on the cross stitch. I have the front of the cat done and am working on the body. It is moving along nicely and I will have something made to give away at Christmas.  

I got page one of the never ending book completed. Once the pieces are glued down, I iron it flat and put books on top so the paper knows to stay flat. If I don't do that, they tend to curl up on me. 

I can now do page 2 doing the same process. 

I cut out the bias strips and made piping for daughter. I had no issues until I got almost done. The bobbin thread decided to be a pain and then I ran out of it. I did get it finished and do like it. 

I took a lot of pictures of the piping before I got one that was close to the correct colour. I find it very hard due to the lighting in the afternoon. I was able to make 2.75 meters from less a piece of fabric that was just smaller than a fat quarter. It is now in a bag ready to go when I have enough items made to fill a box. 

I bought the pattern for January's Sewing With Cinnamon. I printed it out and something went wrong with the sizing. It seems to be too big. Printing it again to see what I did wrong. I want to cut it out while embroidering the gift bag. 

Knitting

I started the hat and got the ribbing done. This yarn has wool in it so it will be warm for daughter to wear. She picked it up for $1.80 a ball in a clearance bin. 

If I don't need the second ball, I am going to knit it on a size smaller needles making it in the larger size. I am wondering if it will work out to be the same size as this one. 

Thoughts

    We are going to have some snow fall for the next couple of days. I am hoping that the roads are kept well plowed and salted as family is on the road several times a day during this storm. I do worry about that. The main road up here has been plowed and salted already this morning which is nice.

    I found a 2 hour video on how to make a book from start to finish. I am hoping to make it later on using the paper I will have left from the journal I'm working on. I know I will learn a lot from making this book and will gift it to someone. I'm thinking of making it a project for when it's hot during the summer. 

Today

I have a load of laundry on at this time. I will need to do a bit of housework before I go for a hair cut at 11 am. I want to embroider the gift bag and cut out the doll's track suit. I also want to finish page 2 of the never ending book. Tonight I will knit.  

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

Hurrah! Two Projects Finished

 Yesterday was a mix of clouds and sunshine; more sunshine than expected. It was also windy. The high got to 1.9C. This morning it is clear and -12C. We are to have sunshine and a big of -5C. It is suppose to warm up during the night and snow. 

Lifestyle

I was out the door to New Minas early. I wanted to be home by noon which I did accomplish. My first chore was to buy a pair of sweat pants and top so I could keep warm. Mission accomplished. Next up I went and got a present for family. It will be revealed on son's birthday. 

I went into Value Village as I have donated to the store but have never been inside it. Though there were a lot of clothes, a lot of the dishes were picked over. Areas were bare. I was looking for something that jumped out at me and I didn't find it. I did buy 5 children's books for under $8.00. 

My last stop was at Michaels. I was looking for a corner punch but they didn't have it. I got embroidery floss, some snowflakes/trees for the journal and other projects, and a sheet of card stock. I spent under 15.00 there. In actual fact I spent just under $21.00 total in the two stores. 

I fought low glucose readings all day. It had me feeling tired though not confused. I need to look at my diet and decide what I have to change to get normal readings. I am more active and am using up my food more efficiently now. 

Here is a picture of Elliott as he was thinking about pouncing to bite me. He did try but got disciplined for his behaviour. 

Sewing

My first job of the morning was to see how much interfacing I had. Lots more than I had thought. Enough for several more gift bags. No need to buy anymore at this time. 

I started another cross stitch picture yesterday. I said I wouldn't use shiny thread but I did. This one is nicer to use. I did about 30 minutes and am ready to start on the cat. 

I bought the darker red for the hat and I used a strand of white, pale grey, and a very fine sparkly thread for the fur. The cat is suppose to be black but I am going to do dark grey. I enjoyed what I got done and will work on it at noon until it is done. 

I finished hand sewing down the binding on the quilt. It took me quite a long time to do. I realized I had over half the binding not done. 

I am thrilled with the finished quilt and will admire it for a day or two before I put it away. 

I will be working on small projects for the next few days and then will start on my cardinal quilt. I will be ready to man handle a larger quilt by then. At the moment, my shoulders need a rest. 

Knitting

I finished the socks last night. 

I am happy with them and know they will be warm on grandson's feet. Tonight I will set up the hat to knit. 

Thoughts

    The tight muscles in my groin area have relaxed since having the needling procedure. I am having to work on my gait, once again, as I am more relaxed while walking. I get tired easily as I am constantly correcting myself. Progress is being made which is good. Now to strengthen those muscles more. 

    I am finding that I am enjoying myself at home as I have a wide variety of things to do. When I go out, I find that I am able to get only what I need and not go into stores just to snoop shop and buy what I don't need. This is part of controlling what comes into the house so I don't have a lot of extra items to look after. I think back to how I did shop and it wasn't the best for the lifestyle I want to live. I find that having projects ready to cut out helps me keep focused on using up the stash. 

    I have decided that if I meet my goal of using what I have in January I can get a few items from the scrapbooking shop. I have set a limit and it can't be paper items. It can be double sided tape and tools. I would like to have the major work on the first signature done before the end of the month. 

    February will be another month of using what I have. I will allow myself to buy something special at the end of the month if I meet this goal. It means another month of staying home most of the time but I don't mind. I have lots to do around here. 

Today

I need to do yoga first. Then it will be sweep and mop floors, take out garbage, and do some laundry. I want to do a bit of cross stitch at noon, work downstairs this afternoon, and knit tonight. 

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

Two Projects Almost Finished

 Yesterday was a lovely sunny day. The high got to 0.5C. This morning it is 2C. We are to have sun, clouds, wind, and some flurries today. The high is to get to 2C. Tonight is going to be cold. 

Lifestyle

I was out early for physio yesterday morning. I got to ride the bike and use the slider at higher resistance. Then I was introduced to a new piece of equipment that you push your legs out from bent knee to almost straight knee position. I did that one easily so will be getting weights added to it next time. Instead of working on joints, I had needling done in the muscles to send signals to the nerves to relax those muscles. It worked quite well. I had a lot less pain from tight muscles all day. I didn't do heat until evening. 

Once home, I rested a bit and then did some tidying up. The house is so clean that it is easy to keep up. I was done mid morning which was nice. I had a day to play downstairs. 

Sewing and Crafting

Before lunch, I made a plan of what I wanted to cut out to sew between quilts. I was down the stairs to get that job done before lunch. I grabbed the binding fabric and cut 4 strips for binding. I piled them up on the cutting table. 

Next I got out the fabrics for the next bag and mug rugs. I carefully cut out the main body of the bag as I had less of the lighter grey than I had thought. I then opened the print and carefully cut out the topper for the bag. I got out the lining fabric but didn't cut it. I do that after I sew the top to the main part of the bag. 

Next I used up the left over fabrics and cut out 2 mug rugs. I fussy cut the print. I have the batting left to cut out which will take a couple of minutes to do. 

The left over grey scraps are in the bin for the quilters guild and the print is back on the shelf with hopes of making another bag. We wait and see if there is enough fabric for that. 

Once the cutting out was done, I looked to see if I had a piece of stretch velour in the stash. Nothing at all. I found a pair of leggings that I will use to make a doll's track suit. I need to buy the pattern. It is part of the Sewing With Cinnamon's January project. 

Before having lunch, I made the binding for the quilt and was ready to attach it to the quilt. 

After lunch I sewed the binding on and sat down to hand sew it in place. I sat in the recliner with my legs up. That way I kept the muscles long from hip to ankle. I got almost 50% of the binding sewn down before it was time to make dinner. 

I did play around with the never-ending booklet. I am happy with what I did and am ready to glue all the pieces down. 

I went to watch my favourite video last night and it wasn't there. I then checked Facebook and the people were without power. They had a huge windstorm. They did get their power restored and we look forward to watching their video today. I did watch another video or 2 and am going to make an envelope to see if it is what I want for puzzle pieces. 

Knitting

I knit round after round last night and got the foot done. I am now ready to start on the toe. 

These should be done tonight. I am so excited that I can give them to grandson and start a hat or two before I set up the next socks on the list. 

Thoughts

    Though I hate needles, I am glad I had the procedure I had at physio yesterday. It didn't hurt at all and it has helped the nerves make my muscles relax. I will have the procedure done again so I can move forward on strengthening the muscles that are relaxed. I will continue on with massage and osteopathy as they are working well. I want to be strong to support the joints that have arthritis.

    With the house clean and tidy, I am able to spend a bit more time sewing and crafting. I am planning on making craft bazaar items two mornings a week if I keep up on the housework. 

    I am no longer monitoring for high glucose levels. I am now monitoring for low glucose levels. I have been using up all the carbs I eat and then more. Good for my A1C but it does leave me feeling off especially before meals. I am still loosing weight slowly which is fine. I want to loose a bit more before spring. 

Today

I am heading out to shop for warm clothes. I want to get a couple of things from Michaels, stop at another store and inquire about something, and head for home. I want to finish the binding on the quilt this afternoon and finish the socks tonight. 

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

Quilting Is Complete

 Yesterday the high got to -1.6C but the NW wind made it feel like it was -5C or colder. It was a cloudy day but not dull or dark. This morning it is -9C. Today we are to have sun, clouds, and flurries with a high of 0C. 

Lifestyle

I did a lot of things in the morning. The first one was the balance sheet. I had 2 entries to make and there was a mistake. I figured it out and finished up by paying one bill. 

Next up was to sweep the bedroom floors and clean the cat litter area. That included washing that floor. I also folded laundry and tidied up the living room area. Once that was done, I did yoga. 

Yoga went well. I didn't push it hard but just to the point I could feel soreness and then held it. I knew I was stretching the muscles that had been massaged. I am trying to keep them stretched as best as I can. 

Grandson was over to shovel the driveway and when he finished it, we put salt on it. I did the upper part and he did the lower part. He then went and shovelled the deck. By mid afternoon, I had the only clean and dry driveway on the block thanks to my grandson. 

Sewing and Crafting

I was down to finish hand sewing the last seam on Elliott's quilt. I watched TV while doing that. Once done, I headed into the sewing room and quilted the one row. I emerged 2 hours and 1 stretching session later. 

Next up is to tack down the outer edge, trim it back and do the binding. The binding is the red so I need to change the thread on the machine before sewing it on. 

I did look at the journal but did not work on it. I was wanting to get the quilting done before I spend some time on it. 

Knitting

I knit about 20 rounds on the socks. I have about 20 rounds left before doing the toe. I am making great progress on it as I am enjoying knitting at night once again. 

Thoughts

    On this date in 2022, it was -22C which was a record low. The next record low was in late February of last year. I hope we don't have a real cold spell this year. 

    I did very well mentally yesterday. I did think of the Spousal Unit but the were happy memories. It is hard to believe he's been gone for 16 months. Though I miss him a lot, the pain isn't as bad as it was. I am doing well adjusting. 

    I thought, once again, what would I take with me if I have to sell and leave this house. It is amazing how little I would take. I know I would clear out the sewing room taking only enough to fill a plastic container, one sewing machine, a couple of dolls, and the Ikea furniture. I know this isn't going to happen for several years but I do think about it on occasion. 

    I am a bit bored at the moment. The house is clean, I'm caught up on all that needs to be done on my morning to-do list and I'm struggling to find jobs to do. I will keep cleaning even if it only takes me 20 minutes to do the jobs. I am doing more and doing it easily now. 

Today

I have physio early this morning and once home I will apply heat to my hip and knee for a while. I will sweep some floors so they remain clean. This afternoon I want to work on the small quilt. I may even cut out the next few items I want to make before starting on my quilt. I will knit tonight in hopes of finishing the foot on the sock. It is a day to stay inside and keep warm. 

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

We Drove In Freezing Rain

 Yesterday's weather was not the nicest. It was cloudy but not too windy. The high got to -3C. Late afternoon we had frozen rain fall and then snow fell during the night. This morning it is -3 and snowing lightly. Today we are to have flurries with a high of -1C. 

Lifestyle

My first job of the day was to do yoga. I did it slowly and just to the point of a good stretch. I am working on keeping the massaged muscles relaxed and stretched out. It is helping at lot. 

I cleaned up the living room area as I was not happy with my little mess on the couch. I have my knitting on it and it looks messy. I spent time sorting and cleaning my knitting bag and put the sock project and the yarn for the next project in it. 

It is much tidier on the couch now. I did tidy up the blankets on the furniture. Once that was done, I swept the floors and stairs. All that is left to do is the bedrooms. 

I went into the city with daughter-in-law. We were out to pick up grandson's soccer cleats he had left at practice last week. Once we did that, we went over the bridge to get some food items and tea. We headed home after that. We noticed traffic into the city was heavy and wondered if there was a hockey game. We talked about the fact we should have been driving in flurries but how it was nice not having to deal with that. About 10 - 15 miles from home, the windshield iced up and we had driven into freezing rain. Two cars were in the ditch and 2 or 3 more went in behind us. Daughter-in-law slowed down, slid a bit but kept control. We drove slowly home with hazard lights flashing like others did on the road. We did see a truck out salting which was great. 

When we drove into my place, the driveway had a coating of ice on it. We walked into the house carefully and daughter-in-law salted the front steps and small walk area. We looked at her car and it was coated with ice. I went inside and she went home. It was hunker down time. Our roads were salted in the evening. It started to snow about 9 pm and snowed lightly all night. 

Sewing/Crafting

I cut the small black squares for the never-ending book and temporarily tacked them on the first page. It looks much better and I can still fold the pages easily. 

I worked on the quilt and got row 3 sewn on, the batting trimmed and the fusible tape put on. I was hand sewing the seam down when I was asked to go into the city. I have about half of the seam done. 

Knitting

I did knit last night and got quite a few rounds one the foot of sock #2. I will keep working on it and know it will be done in a few days. 

Thoughts

    The freezing rain was not expected yesterday and the warning was put out after it started. I am grateful that daughter-in-law is a great and careful driver. I am also grateful we did not go into the ditch like others did. 

    I will have to figure out how to clear off my driveway today as I have to go out for physio tomorrow. The salt on the front landing did not melt the ice which is unusual. I may have to do a heavy coating of salt on the driveway after I scrape the snow off it. A tricky job with ice underneath the snow. 

    I am noticing that I am getting more strength, endurance, and flexibility. Yesterday we shopped in a wholesale store and I packed my fair share of the groceries as we did not have a cart. It makes me happy that I can do more than I use to. 

    Elliott entertained himself this morning. He snuck an old mask off the table and carried it around in his mouth. He tried to make the elastic ear pieces stretch so it would fly in the air. He swatted it and chased it all over the dining and living room areas. I have put the mask on the couch for him to discover and play with later on. 

Today

Today I have to do the balance sheet and yoga. I need to figure out how to clean the driveway safely and get it salted. I want to finish hand sewing the quilt backing down and start quilting it if I have time. I will knit tonight. It is a stay at home kind of day. 

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

Sock #1 Finished

 The weather continues to be cold though the sun shone a lot yesterday. The high got to -4.1C. This morning it is -9C and we had a skiff of snow fall during the night. We are to have a mainly cloudy day with lots of snow flurries. The high is to get to -3C. 

Lifestyle

I didn't do yoga yesterday morning but did do some stretching exercises during the day and a bit of yoga at family's last night. I tried on of daughter-in-law's poses which I can do. She tried one of mine and found relief in her sore spot. We probably did yoga for almost 10 minutes on the floor. It was a fun session. 

I made a big pot of soup yesterday. I got 7 meals out of it. I also made 3 meals of pulled pork which included rice and vegetable. It was a lot of work but I have more meals in the freezer. I was done at noon and had the kitchen cleaned up and the dishwasher running. By 4 pm I had all the food in the freezer, dishwasher unloaded, and things ready for today. 

I was out to family's for dinner last night. I picked up grandson from school and we had a nice chat on the way to his place. We had a lovely dinner of spaghetti and meat sauce and I came home with 6 more freezer meals. I was home early as grandson had to be in the city for soccer last night. I did enjoy my time with them. 

Elliott loves to watch TV. He spent time last night watching one of the videos I was looking at. 

He tolerates me putting my knitting in his space but last night he didn't care as what ever was on TV was more interesting. 

Sewing and Crafting

I spent a long time in the sewing room yesterday afternoon. I got row 3 quilted. 

I have started to do some stretches after I sew for 45 minutes. I have 2 I can do sitting on the chair. It really helps keep the muscles from knotting up. I was about half done the quilting when I did the first set and then did the 2nd set when I was done. 

I am now ready to sew row 3 onto the main part. 

I did look at the journal yesterday and I am not sure what to do with the never ending book. It needs something behind the wrapping paper and the characters. Black stock card looks great but I keep asking if the book will be too thick. I will cut the pieces from scraps and see if it works. Thank goodness for the tape I have that allows me to move things around. 

I was in a panic as I couldn't find some pictures I had downloaded. I finally found them and put them into the proper file folder. Once I finish the never ending book, I want to start signature 2. I can go back and finish pages when I get the main parts of the other signatures done. I am focusing on getting the main pages done. The remaining pages will have some fun things done using ideas that are being done on a YouTube channel right now. 

I am also needing to buy a skein of embroidery floss so I can do another counted cross stitch picture. This one is a nativity scene which will go in signature 2. 

Knitting

I did a lot of knitting last night and the first sock is done. 

I told grandson last night about the socks and he is happy to get another pair to keep his feet warm. He loves wool socks in the winter. 

Thoughts

    I figured out why I get cold so easily. My feet sweat and then get cold. That results in me getting cold all over. I need to change my socks mid afternoon. I do need warmer clothes to wear in the winter which is on the list to buy when I go to Sackville. 

    It has been 15 days since I have bought anything other than groceries and pay bills. I am using up food in the pantry and freezer which is good. I have not missed buying fabric or craft items. I have plenty to work with in the house. I do find staying at home a bit boring some days but am out once or twice a week with physio/osteo/massage. Not the same as visiting with family and friends which I need to do at least once a week.

    I enjoyed the sunshine yesterday. I had all the curtains open so the house could be flooded with brightness. I will certainly miss it today as will Elliott. He slept in the warmth of the sun yesterday. 

Today

I need to do yoga this morning and then do some cleaning and a load of laundry. This afternoon I want to work on the quilt and figure out the never ending book. Tonight I hope to knit on sock #2. I may go out to see my friend. We haven't had a good visit for over a week.

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