A Busy Day Outside the Sewing Room

Yesterday was grey and wet with a high of 7C. This morning it is cloudy, windy, and 4C. Today is suppose to be cloudy with showers and a high of 5C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday morning began with me folding laundry while the first load of blankets from the living room were in the washer. Once done, I started cleaning the living room. It was a deep clean where I used a tool to take off more cat hair from the couches, removed the cushions, and cleaned underneath them. It was past due. Then I moved all the furniture, swept the floors, scrubbed the floors, and put all the furniture back. I ended up getting the blankets done and put back on the furniture. I was tired but happy with how clean it looks. 

I did two little things in the living room. One was to put out new battery operated candles in the window for Christmas. They will be on every evening starting Dec. 1. The other was to put my Scandinavian Winter quilt on the couch to admire. 

I can look at the other half when sitting at the dining room table. 

Once done, I rested as I was a bit sore and knew I would be on my feet for 3-4 hours helping at the community hall. It was nice to sit in a clean area. 

I spent 4 hours at the hall helping. I am glad I went early as they were short of volunteers. I ran the bar alone, helped put food on plates (running to the bar to serve when necessary), and wanted to help with cleaning up but the bar kept me busier than anticipated. Daughter-in-law was suppose to help me (it was me helping her) in the bar but she was so busy in the kitchen that I didn't see much of her until 7 pm. Unfortunately it was not one of the best organized dinners but with a few doing the majority of the work, the jobs got done. In reality, daughter-in-law would have a great catering business if she chose to do that. She is a super cook, a great organizer, and knows her stuff. 

Once home, I sat and relaxed until bed time. I did no sewing or knitting yesterday. 

Thoughts

    Our weather has been crazy. It poured rain most of yesterday. The wind has been from the north and it has been warm. The wind has shifted to the west and it is going to be cooler. No idea where the storm we had came from. There is more rain in the forecast and they say the wind will be from the north once again. 

    I did not have to do any decluttering in the living room. I have kept it pretty well decluttered over time. I have been trying to keep my knitting organized. I will need to take yarn and needles back to the sewing room where I store them. It is an easy space to clean up which I really like. 

    My next step in cleaning is the dining room. I need to spend a day wrapping presents to send to daughter. I have a lot of it in the dining room and some in the family room. Once that is dealt with, cleaning the dining room will be easy. I did declutter it earlier this fall. 

Today

I am going to do some resting but will start wrapping presents to send to daughter. I need to get the box gone this week as it will go by truck across Canada. If I have time, I want to do some tidying up in the family room so I can start working on some Christmas items. I hope to knit tonight. I could finish a sock. 

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

A Doll's Skirt Sewn

 Yesterday was a dull, dark and wet day. The high got to 8C. This morning it is windy, wet, and 7C. Today is suppose to be wet and windy with a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

My first job of the day was to do the balance sheet. A few stupid (on my part) issues which took time to sort out. Bills were paid and I was done at 11 am. 

I got out the generator to play with it and to drain the charged down. I tried the kettle but it overloaded the machine. I need to buy a travel kettle which takes less power. I can look for one next month. 

I finished cleaning the bedroom yesterday. I moved furniture, vacuumed and gave the floor a deep cleaning. Everything is in its place. 

As I put the furniture back, I thought about colours once again. It was a surprise when Marianne suggested coral, burgundy, and forest green. I had thought about these colours for this room with the green being more of a sage green. 

It looks pretty bland in there at the moment but I certainly was happy to sleep in there last night. 

Sewing

I did some sewing yesterday. I made a skirt to go with the sweater I knit. It was an easy sewing project and I really enjoyed it. 

I still need to put the snaps on the back but I had run out of time. I got a picture of Lea with Nellie who is wearing the short sleeved version of the sweater. 

I still have the matching top to make for the skirt but I am not sure when I will make it. I need to make a couple of items for Christmas before any doll sewing should happen. 

Knitting

I worked on the socks last night and am ready to knit the foot. It has been a fairly easy knit as I am using larger needles. I also have another pair of socks to measure them against while figuring out how many rows I need to knit each part of the sock. 

These socks will be done well before Christmas and I am going to knit myself a vest using the yarn I got for Christmas last year. 

Thoughts

    With rain coming in all of yesterday, it was very dark outside. So dark that I had all the lights on in the house so I could work on projects. It will be the same today. It was very depressing having it dark and gloomy outside. We have had very little sunshine in the past while and I am craving a good dose of it for one day. 

    Now the master bedroom is done, I am really letting my thoughts go wild with ideas for the room. I have to hang to pictures first. I know I can add some artificial flowers to a vase on the dresser. I need a blanket to drape on the bed or hang over the chair. The quilt is a William Morris print and in a minimalist look it should be the only print used. The accent colours may need to be in a solid colour. I need to remember that I can't over do the bedroom due to my sleep disorder.

    I am getting ready to clean the house so I can decorate for Christmas. I will only do it in the mornings and then focus on the basement in the afternoons making what I need for Christmas. I have a plan in place that I hope will work and not let me get stressed. 

Today

I need to fold laundry and wash the blankets in the living room. I also need to start cleaning up that space so it is clean. I have neglected it for long enough. This afternoon I would like to work on the memory book for a bit. I have to leave to help at the community hall before 5 pm. I won't be home until late so no knitting tonight. 

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

Cleaning the Master Bedroom

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds though mostly cloudy. The high got to 8C. This morning it is wet and 8C. Today is suppose to be wet with a high of 8C. 

Lifestyle

I decided to tape and paint the trim around the window. This is the job I really don't like as I think I do a terrible job. I found out I was overworking the paint wanting it to be perfect. When I left it alone, it was fine. 

I left the room for two hours and rested for two hours as my hip was sore from balancing on the top rung of the ladder. I went back and stripped the tape off the walls and was pleased with the results. The paint was dry so I hung the curtains. 

I then started scrubbing the floor under the window. I scrubbed with a cleaner and then rinsed it with Bona floor cleaner. I then set up the furniture in that part of the room. 

The curtains match well and the furniture pops against the light walls. The room looks huge and bare which means I need to start thinking about decorating it after Christmas. 

I shut the curtains so the house would be dark last night. 

I think it is very monochromatic at the moment and I know that navy and white will be fine in there. The more I looked at it, the more it needs a pop of colour. 

I had to keep moving or I'd fall asleep on the couch. I spent some time cleaning the kitchen. It was nice to have a clean kitchen with no painting supplies on the counter next to the sink. 

Sewing

None done yesterday as I was too tired to make decisions on what to toss and what to keep. 

I have to buy fabric this week to make a friend a new bag for traveling. She wants the same as I made her a couple of years ago only with pockets on the inside. It will be her Christmas present this year. 

Knitting

I did a few rows on the heel flap and then stopped when I had to make dinner. I didn't pick it up in the evening as I wasn't able to focus on anything. 

Thoughts

    My exhaustion has been from not sleeping well and pushing myself to get the master bedroom painted. I was tired but not falling asleep when I went to bed. My mind was actively thinking about how to get the room done. I was also sore from osteopathy, physio, and climbing up and down the ladder. I have realized that I can paint but I need to take days off to rest my body and mind. 

    The little accent colour in my room is almost eluding me so why I will be looking at artificial flowers for inspiration. Once I decide, I will have to figure out how to add it to the room. I also have a couple of pictures to hang up which I love. One is a counted cross stitch picture I did years ago and the other is a picture I had redone many years ago. My uncle gave it to my parents as a wedding gift in 1945. I may also get a black headboard. I still need to think a lot about what else I will do in this space. It has to be minimal so I can sleep relax and fall asleep easily at night. 

    With Black Friday sales in full swing, the Dyson vacuum cleaner I want is on sale. I will probably get it this coming week when I go looking for the fabric for the bag I am going to make. 

Today

    I have to do the balance sheet today. When done, I will continue cleaning in the bedroom. I would like to sew this afternoon and tidy up the binders. Tonight I want to knit. I am trying to balance work and fun so I won't be so tired tonight that I have issues falling asleep. 

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

A Trip To The City

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy with about 15 minutes of sunshine. The high got to 8C. This morning it is cloudy and 5C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 10C. 

Lifestyle

Yesterday's physio session went well. I am aligned and have shown good progress. My area of difficulty is turning my hip outwards which was worked on. I said ouch a few times. When I did the exercise in the gym, I noticed that I am stronger and could push myself more. I ended the session with the TENS machine and heat.

Once done physio, daughter-in-law and I went to the city to shop for the dinner at the community hall this Saturday. We did 3 stores for it and then treated ourselves to lunch of hotdogs at Costco (yummy) and then over to Canadian Tire to look at the Christmas items. We were home by 1 pm and unloaded items at the hall before I came home. 

I unloaded my few items and put the garbage out before settling down with heat on my hip. I had a short nap which is not the right thing to do. I am not sleeping well at night. 

Daughter-in-law was over to help me set up an order for Chef's Plate. The meals will be delivered on Dec. 3. We are trying it out as we got a good deal on it. I may keep ordering it if I can find coupons as it will give me what I need for cooking and I can eat a variety of foods. Daughter-in-law and I will be sharing the recipes for future use. 

Sewing

None done yesterday. I did think about the binders I have and will be getting rid of most of them. I also decided that my next step will be to tidy up the area I am sorting in. It is getting too messy and it is becoming hard to keep track of what is keep, donate, and trash. 

Knitting

I did knit on the socks last night and have 3 rows done on the heel flap. 

I am using the purple socks for length in all parts of the sock. Once this one is done, I will have a pattern for future socks using the rest of the yarn I bought. 

Thoughts

    I was pleased that I can go from physio to walking 2 km on cement floors on the same day. There is improvement all around with strength being one. My gait is much better which helps and I know not to stand around a lot which compresses everything and causes discomfort. 

    The Christmas decorations at Canadian Tire were really nice. We wandered and admired the different displays. The big hype about the Grinch was disappointing as there were very few items for sale. We also looked at the artificial trees and one caught my eye. It was 7 ft tall, looked real and had 3500 lights on it. Cost was almost $600.00. There was a smaller tree I also liked but it didn't have a lot of lights on it. It was fun to look at them but I am not buying one. 

    We looked at a Dyson vacuum at Costco. I can order it online and have it delivered unless I can get to the store before the sale is over. The one we looked at is probably the one I should get as it is rated for the size of house I have. 

Today

I need to pay some bills and then paint the window in my room. I want to do some tidying up in the family room. If I have time, I need to pack a box to ship to daughter. Tonight I will knit on the socks. My goal is not to nap today. 

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

Bedroom Walls Done And I Am Tired

 Yesterday was damp and warm with a high of 9C. This morning it is cloudy and 7C. Today is suppose to be damp and cloudy with a high of 9C. 

Lifestyle

I finished painting my bedroom walls. It was a big room to do and I can say I was happy when it was done. I cleaned up and put everything away but the supplies to paint the window tomorrow. 

I had lunch and fell asleep on the couch. I woke to the phone ringing. I think I had slept for almost an hour at that point. Once I woke up, I headed to the basement. It was time to do something where I could sit and stand but not over do it. 

I decided to clean up the small table in the sewing room. I had thought I would use a table to do course work like Design or Pattern Academy. I did when I first took the courses but that area had become a dumping ground. I started off taking binders into the family room to go through. Design and Pattern Academy binders were emptied as I now refer to them on the computer. I did keep the binder on Couture sewing as I do refer to it. Other books and binders were sorted out and I have a pile to deal with. Most will go to the thrift store. They are empty. I have kept a couple of things I do use on a regular basis. 

Next up I tackled the containers on the table. I have them pared down to two. One hold pens and pads while the other holds items I use for quilting (glue and starch pen). Everything that I don't use is going to be donated. Lastly I went through everything on the peg board and got rid of things I don't use, put like items together and did a general tidy up. I wiped the table (dirty) and called it done. 

I hope to use the table some for planning projects (binder?) and I am going to work at keeping it neat and tidy. 

I was out to have dinner with family last night. I picked grandson up from school and we had a lovely chat on our way home. He is applying to universities as he graduates in June. Dinner was lovely (Mediterranean pasta) and we had some great conversations in the evening. 

Sewing

No sewing just the cleaning of the table. 

Knitting

I knit 21 rows on the socks last night. They are coming along great. Only 15 rows left and I can knit the heel flap. 

Daughter-in-law is excited they are being knit as she chose the yarn when we were in Copenhagen. 

Thoughts

    I am tired from pushing myself to finish the bedroom yesterday and will be tired until it is done on Saturday. My core muscles are sore from being on the ladder but I'm not complaining about that. I need to keep getting them stronger. My hip muscles are sore from me pushing myself on the ladder and floor. I am sure that they will settle down once I have a good rest. I am stronger than I was a year ago and want to keep being strong. 

    I did think briefly about how much I want to keep in the house. I am going to focus on it but not force myself to let go of items I want to keep. I am working on a balance of having enough but not too much. At times it is hard to find that balance and to live with the mess as I sort through things and make decisions. 

    My generator arrived on Monday. On top was a parcel which was a gift from the company. It was a light weight hoodie. The size was 3XL. I took it last night for son to wear. He tried to put it on and it was too small. It was just too small for daughter-in-law and it fits me. We wonder what chart the company used to size the hoodie. It gave us a good chuckle. I will wear it in the spring and early fall when I work outside. 

    I am surprised at how warm it is outside and it will continue for the next 5-7 days. It is confusing as the wind is from the north. That usually means cold. The wind is cold but not the air. I am sure this has happened before but I hadn't paid attention to it. 

Today

I am rushing as I need to eat and get ready to go to physio at 8 am. When done, daughter-in-law and I are going to the city to get a few things for a dinner at the community hall on Saturday. Once home, I will probably rest a bit and then find something to do downstairs. I need to take out garbage today so need to get the garbage out of the basement. Tonight I will knit on the socks. 

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

A Wall Was Painted

 Yesterday was warm and windy with a high of 5.5C. This morning it is wet and 5C. Today is suppose to be damp and windy with a high of 8C.

Lifestyle

I was starting to get ready to paint when I got a phone call from the person who mows the lawns. He was wondering if my lawn had been mowed since Halloween. He was at my place waiting to know. It hadn't been so I had to wait for him to unload is equipment and start so I could pay him. I am also on his list to have him plow the driveway when I can't. 

I started painting late and was rushing. When I went to get up I slipped and landed back on the floor. I only fell about 8" but it made me stop, think, and slow down. I wasn't hurt physically. I did get the wall painted before lunch (about 2 hours). 

I was sore when I started and sore when I finished. My slip was caused by rushing when sore. It is all soft tissue soreness which means I need to get this room done and then rest. One more coat of paint on the wall and then around the windows. Once cleaned up, I will be putting the paint away until after Christmas. I think I have earned a rest. I am close to having half of the upstairs painted. 

After lunch I was out to pay my water bill and pick up some groceries. The wind was cold to the bone. When out of the wind, the temperature was fine. Once home, I put away the groceries and went out and covered the rose bush with burlap. That rose bush has new leaves growing on it due to the warm weather we have been having. I didn't trim it back and will do that in the spring. 

I rested for a good hour and then got the spare bedroom ready for me to sleep in. I had a decent sleep under a feather quilt. Haven't slept under one since 2010 and it was warm and cozy. I may put the other queen size one I have on my bed. 

Sewing

None done yesterday as I was too busy. 

Knitting

I unknit the sock I started as I wasn't happy how it looked. I decided to use smaller needles. I started over again with a different look. White cuffs, grey sock, and white toes. I got 21 rounds knit on the first sock. 

I like the tension better using smaller needles. I love the yarn as it is soft to work with. 

Thoughts

    I am ready for a rest from painting. I have pushed myself a lot lately to get my bedroom done and will push until it is completed. One of the reasons I have been pushing is how bright and light the house feels and the other reason is to get someone in to do some work in the spring. After Christmas I will start again with paint 2 days, rest a day and then paint 2 days. I really need the rest day. Right now rest days have been osteopathy and this week physio. 

    My IBS has flared up again. Part is pushing myself to get things done and, I think, part is from having too much dairy. I am going to eliminate dairy for a while and see if it is the culprit. I have upped the amount of dairy for more protein as I am rushed for time to prepare food. I need to make time to eat properly. 

    I set aside sorting through the family room for this week. I will begin sorting through my stuff next week and work on the memory book. Some of the clutter is causing me some anxiety while other clutter isn't. The clutter that isn't causing anxiety is what I have worked through and am letting go of. I need to move it into the mechanical room to get rid of a bit later on. The stuff that is causing me anxiety needs to be sorted through and purged. I have a pretty good idea of what is going, what I will stall on, and what is staying. I need to focus on doing crafts I truly love to make. 

    I stopped watching some videos on minimalism as they were starting to annoy me with their do this, do that approach. I am down to watching two only. One talks about what she does and leaves you to decide if it is right for you. The other one is more about the journey and how they are trying to find what is right for them. She also talks about books and gives her opinion on them. She will agree with some points and disagree with others. Both approach the feeling of calmness in your life but in two different ways. I do enjoy them. I am realizing that I will know when my house has just the right amount in it. The sewing room closet told me that. 

Today

I am going to paint the wall in my bedroom and clean up the painting supplies leaving only the trim paint and brush out. I hope to clean up the desk area in the sewing room this afternoon and knit on the socks tonight. It is a stay at home day as it is wet out there. 

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

Cutting Out Doll Clothes

 Yesterday was a cloudy warm day with a high of 7C. This morning it is cloudy, windy, and 6C. Today is suppose to be cloudy and damp with a high of 8C. 

Lifestyle

I had a busy morning yesterday. I washed the last wall, trim, and heater in my bedroom. I also swept some of the floor. It is ready to paint. 

Once that was done, I hauled out the central vacuum hose and started to vacuum rooms. As I finished each room, I mopped the floors. The spare bedroom, hall, bathroom and kitchen were done. I also cleaned the kitchen counters. The dining room was tidied up, table wiped clean, and the floor vacuumed. At that point, I had to stop. I was too sore to do any more. 

The bed linens were laundered and the bed remade in the late afternoon. At that point, I stood and admired all I had done upstairs in a three hours. 

I figure I was sore as I had spent two days painting. I also had osteopathy and am trying to stand evenly on both feet for longer periods of time. The combination of it all made me sore and tired. Tylenol was my best friend last night. 

Sewing

I spent time in the sewing room cutting out doll patterns. The blue outfit was cut out first and bagged. This goes with the white sweater I knit. 

Next up was to cut out the Barbie outfit. The top is a lovely cotton that will be nice to sew. 

The capris (known as pedal pushers back in the 1960's) was cut from a piece of dark chambray. I may end up having to starch the fabric lightly as I sew as it has a lot of drape to it. 

I followed through with my plan and put the left over fabrics into the bin for the quilter's group. Total cut and donated yesterday was 1.3 meters. 

The last job in the sewing room was to wash the closet floor and put the bins back in. I am pleased with the end result. Two of the tubs on the floor is fabric and the third one holds the doll quilts I made. 

I think I can handle what is in the closet if I follow the rules I have set to use it up and donate what I don't use or what is left over.  

Knitting

I dug out the buttons and sewed them onto the sweater. 

I set up the socks but am not happy with the results. I will take it apart and do them on smaller needles. 

I am figuring out how to knit socks with this brand of yarn. It is lovely to work with -- very soft on the hands. 

Thoughts

    I am happy with the sewing room closet. I feel like it is within my clutter threshold. I look in there and feel happy with what I have and the plan on how it will be used. I feel like I have found a balance of what I need to sew doll clothes in that space. 

    As I cleaned upstairs, I allowed myself to think about how much is too much. I wondered if I am letting go of too much. There is a balance and I am struggling to find mine. Getting rid of too much makes some of my spaces feel cold and sterile and some spaces feel so cluttered that I feel anxiety when I enter them. I am working on this bit by bit eliminating items that I have stored and will never use and keeping those items I love and use all the time. It will come as I work through my thoughts and this house. It does keep me busy both mentally and physically. 

    I have to start packing a box to ship to daughter. It will have to go by a private courier service as it seems as if the postal strike will be ongoing for a while. A bit of a nuisance but something everyone is having to adjust to.

Today

I hope to paint the last bedroom wall this morning. It means I will be sleeping in the spare bedroom for a few nights. This afternoon I need to be out and if I have time, I will start cleaning the desk area in the sewing room. Tonight I will knit on the socks. 

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