Doll's Outfit Finished

 Yesterday was sunny, cloudy, snowy, and windy. The high got to 1C at 6 am with the temperature dropping all day. At 4 pm it was -3C with a wind chill of -10C. This morning it is cloudy, -7C with a wind chill of -12C. Today we are suppose to have flurries and wind with a high of -5C (wind chill -16C). 

Lifestyle

I was sore yesterday as the barometric pressure was below 1000 kPa and stayed there most of the day. I pushed through the pain as I needed to get things done. 

I finished cleaning the living room. It was the dust, vacuum, mop series in my life. I decorated a bit which was fun. I put out all the quilted runners, moved the small quilt to the couch I sit on and put the bigger one on that couch. I found the cushion cover and put it on a form. Elliott decided to model once again for me. 

I set up the metal tree and put 3 ornaments from friends on it. They are either Dutch or Scandinavian and we loved them for the 40 years. I also put out 4 of the Spousal Unit's ornaments. I know there is at least one or two more in the tub. 

The house is starting to feel cheerful with the red Christmas items. I will do more pictures (hopefully better ones) as I continue to decorate. 

I stuck with my eating plan for the day and lost 1.1 lbs. I had a saucy ginger pork on rice last night for dinner. It was delicious and I will make it again. I don't have to cook for 2 nights as I have a chicken and another ginger pork dinner in the fridge. My next meals arrive on Monday and I will be looking at how I can make them to fit my eating regime. I did it with the pork dinner. 

Sewing

I sewed the snaps on the doll's top and skirt. I put the top on backwards and I like it much better. 

I also put the sweater on and it fits over the top. 

Knitting

I knit a lot last night getting 16 rows done. It was fun to start on the cables. There is a lot of knitting to be done but I have the time to do it. 

Thoughts

    The bright red I put out for Christmas is cheering me up. I need to work on getting some items made for the house that will be cheerful. I know I want blue but I need to add another colour. Yellow keeps popping into my head. I am thinking hard on it. 

    Our weather is going to be crazy. We go from flurries and -12C tonight to 13C on Wednesday. I know I will be pushing through the pain with this huge change in temperature. I will survive it but won't be happy about it. 

    I looked at the mess in the family and sewing rooms and need to get back on track to cleaning up those spaces. I will get at it once I get upstairs done. Having a break from it gave me some time to think and see what I need to do down there. It is still annoying me but I know I will get it done. 

Today

I will be cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, and decorating upstairs. I am not sure what else I will get done. If time, I may work on the memory book. I want to knit tonight. I will be staying home today as it will be cold outside with the wind chill. 

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

A Great Doctor's Visit

 Yesterday started with snow, became rain, and was wet most the day. The high got to 7C. This morning it is snowing and 1C. Today is suppose to be cloudy with flurries with the temperature dropping to -1C.

Lifestyle

I was busy before leaving for the doctor's office. I decided to clean one area of the living room which meant moving a couch, vacuuming, and mopping that area. While the floor dried, I got out a red blanket and one cardinal quilt. Elliott decided to steal the show. 

I still have a cardinal pillow to put on the couch and that area will be done. 

My visit to the doctor's was a good one. I am in good shape though I need to loose some weight I gained. His comment was to stay active. I go back on Monday to get the pneumonia vaccine. Though I have a strong immune system, he wants to protect me from it especially during the damp winter months. 

Once home, I shovelled the slush from the top of the driveway. I didn't want it to freeze and be slippery. It was a quick job and I enjoyed being outside for 10 minutes. 

Inside, I continued to clean the living room. I have one area left to do though I spent some time cleaning up my knitting stuff. It was a mess. I was sore and when I looked at the barometric pressure it was below 1000 kpa. I had to stop and stretch muscles that didn't want to stretch out. My knees were sore. 

I did alternate stretching/heat with looking for the cushion. It was frustrating not to find a 20" cushion but realized this morning that I packed the cushion cover into the Christmas tub. I used the form to make a cushion for the sewing room. In my hunt to find the cushion, I did find some decorations to put out on the kitchen window. 

For dinner, I made chicken tenders in a shallot gravy with mashed potatoes, peas, and carrots. I will do this dish again but I will make some changes. I will not roast the carrots but will steam them and the peas for less calories (oil and butter). The mashed potatoes were good as was the chicken and gravy. A few minor changes and all will good. 

I did not fall asleep yesterday afternoon. I actually forced myself to stay awake. I know that part of the problem is the heat on my hip (necessary) and part is not being active in the afternoons. 

Sewing

No sewing yesterday though I did have a small urge to sew or do more clean up. 

Knitting

I did knit last night. I did 17 rows and finished the ribbing on the vest back. 

I get to start knitting cables now. 

Thoughts

    I was kind yesterday at the doctor's office. I let a person go in ahead of me. He had been sitting there for a long time and didn't understand how the appointment system worked. The receptionist was grateful that I let him go ahead of me. Not an issue as I wasn't rushed or needed to be off to another appointment. 

    The upstairs of the house is getting clean. I still have to vacuum almost daily as Elliott sheds a lot of hair. At the rate I am moving, I may start decorating this afternoon. 

    I bought Elliott a new brand of everyday treats. He has been sick twice eating them. They will be tossed as I don't want a sick cat. He is back to only having his regular food and one type of treats. He is fine this morning and was begging for food. 

    I start back to eating carefully so I can loose the weight I gained. I know the extra weight is hard on my joints and the items I was eating is hard on my IBS. I cleaned out the fridge, figured out how to make the meals I order less rich and am going to try and have a good weight loss before I see the doctor at the end of February. 

    The parcel daughter sent me is in Kentville and could be delivered today. The parcels I sent her have not been scanned at a depot yet so I am wondering if they will stop in Ontario or further west. 

Today

I am going to finish cleaning the living room, vacuum floors and mop them. I have blankets to launder and I would like to get a few decorations out. I won't be sewing today but will knit tonight. 

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

Starting To Knit A Vest

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of -2C. The coldest it got was -7.6C at 10 pm and it warmed up to -2C this morning. Today is suppose to be snow this morning with rain later on. The high is to get to 8C. 

Lifestyle

I finished packing the boxes to be shipped to daughter in BC. I got them loaded into the car just as the municipality salted our roads. It left shortly after that. 

The drive to Kentville was good. The roads were bare and wet. You could see it had snowed during the night until I got to Hantsport (11 km away) and I noticed it hadn't snowed during the night until I got to New Minas. They had about the same amount of snow we did in New Minas and Kentville. Seemed like the snow came in bands over this area. 

When I got to the Purolator depot, there was one person there. I brought my boxes in and while they did the paper work on them, there were 6 more people arrive. One lady had to go to Home Depot to get a small packing box. Purolator is having problems getting boxes from their supplier due to the high demand across Canada. The postal strike has people scrambling to ship via private couriers. With my boxes labeled and my bill paid, I headed into New Minas. 

First stop was at the vet to get Elliott food. I got him some special treats for Christmas -- canned food which he loves. 

The next stop was at the quilt shop. I had taken the quilt top up and was I happy I did. It could be done by the end of next week. People cancelled and the lady who does the quilting was getting ready to call me. I picked the backing and the quilting design. 

My last stop was Walmart to return an item and to get a few groceries. I found a few last minute items for Christmas. I headed home after that. It was nearly noon. 

Once home I got the groceries put away and sat down. I put the heat on my hip and fell asleep. I think it is the warmth of the heating pad making me nap. I was tired but not that tired. 

Later in the afternoon, I put the LED projector together and set it up on the lawn. I have it projected on to the garage door. 

These are so easy to set up and I am happy I chose them over putting up lights. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday afternoon as I fell asleep. Last night daughter sent me this link for large hot pads. You have to sign up to get it so I did and can unsubscribe later. 

I did a search on Pinterest and there are a ton of free patterns to make this using scraps. I am looking at them but not making at the moment. I had to use my left over batting in boxes that were shipped to daughter. I will have left over batting from the quilt I just took in.

While at the quilt shop, one of the ladies and I talked about Christmas. She told me that the traditional colours (red/green/white) has been very popular this year. Blue and silver has been second and the other colours combinations have been slow to sell. I also looked at the fat quarters to see if there were any I could buy for the large hot pads but I bought nothing but the backing for the quilt. 

Knitting

I got out the yarn and needles for the vest. I cast on the 122 stitches and got 5 rows of ribbing knit. 

Having knit socks and doll clothes only in the past year, I forgot how long it takes to knit 122 stitches. I have lots of time to work on this now that it is set up. 

Thoughts

    I have to remind myself that having snow come early is not the end of the world. Our roads are kept bare and I can go slow if necessary. I feel for those people in Ontario who had a lot of snow fall already. I am sure that some places on the US side of the Great Lakes are also snowed in from those storms. 

    I think I am almost done Christmas shopping. I know I have three items left to buy/make. Next up will be to make cookies for daughter-in-law and grandson. I use my mom's recipe that is at least 60 years old and maybe older. I probably won't do any other baking this year. 

    I hope to start decorating this weekend. I have the living area to clean up and then I can start. I am looking forward to getting this done. It is something I look forward to each year. 

Today

I have to see the doctor this morning and then I plan on cleaning the living room. I also will mop all the floors so they are clean. That may take me until 4 pm. I will knit tonight. It is flexible day as I may get in to see the doctor on time but most often it is always late. 

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

A Busy Day

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

Lifestyle

The weather has really called me a liar. There is enough snow on the ground to make it white and it is snowing lightly as I write. Other than rain tomorrow, we could see snow flurries for the rest of the week. 

Yesterday morning, I started cleaning the hall and dining area. It was dusting, vacuuming, cleaning, and mopping the floors. It was done by 11 am and I sat to rest before heading out to the community hall. 

I was busy at the community hall. I helped where I could as many just stand and watch leaving it to two people to do the heavy work. Once the lunch was over I stayed until the end cleaning up. Many leave once the tables are cleared. Most of the remaining people are older ladies along with daughter-in-law who is the youngest of all. 

Once home, I rested as I was tired. Happy I had done a lot to help but tired from being on the go. I had a sugar low as I ate late after working hard. I had to have a piece of pie to bring my sugar level up. It wasn't as nice as I had hoped it would be so I am getting over my sugar craving. It was a necessary eat so I could push through the rest of the day. 

When I walked into the house, I noticed how minimal the dining room and kitchen looked. It was a bit too minimal but it felt restful. These areas are ready for me to decorate for Christmas. I am slowly building new traditions for Christmas. 

    I don't have a Christmas tree. There is no space for one other than a small metal one I put in the dining area. I miss it a bit but not enough to have one. 

    Christmas decorations were decluttered and I only put out those that I love. A few are special ones that the Spousal Unit loved and the rest are what I love -- cardinals and the nativity scene. Outside is two LED projectors which I can handle. 

    I don't do Christmas bedding. I never have. I do have quilted table runners for the dining room and living room along with two new quilts I finished last year. I have two towels for the kitchen. One of my newest traditions is having battery operated candles in windows. I love them. 

    I try to buy gifts that family will enjoy or need. Some are fun gifts and others are big items. I do small gifts that are funny but still usable. This year it is t-shirts which they will get on Christmas Eve. Next year it will be something else. 

    I spend Christmas day at family's house which I enjoy. I arrive around 10 am to unwrap gifts, help with lunch, and dinner. I leave after we watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

    I use to make Wife Saver for Christmas breakfast. I use to do Advent calendars when the kids were young. I do buy Terry's chocolate ball for grandson and daughter-in-law. I use to buy the kids a Christmas tree ornament and added grandson. Now I do it for daughter only. I buy son's family them if I can find a special one but have moved to getting something a bit different for them. It varies year to year. 

I have found that being alone has me rethinking traditions. I have let go of a lot that we did and am trying find new ones I want to see if I like and add them to the old ones I have kept. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. I was too tired to even think about it. I will get back to it when the time is right. 

Today

I have to go to New Minas this morning. The roads will be fine as they are salted and bare. Once home, I will see what I need to do. I have to pick up grandson at 5 pm from school and take him home. Tonight I should knit if I am not too tired. 

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

It Snowed

 Yesterday the weather was wild. Sunshine, clouds, and snow. The high got to 2C. This morning there is about an inch of snow on the ground and it is -5C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 1C.

Lifestyle

My plans went out the window as I went to the community hall to help daughter-in-law set up for a luncheon today. She had the tables almost up so I set about getting items ready to put on the tables. We had the table clothes on and were pondering about the printed table coverings (ugly) when another person showed up. We decided to cut the printed table coverings in half and use them as table runners. 

The tables were set, the chairs put out and a few small chores done in the kitchen. We were done by 10:30 am and I was sore. I was certain it wasn't from the work we did as it started before that. I headed home to put heat on the sore spots to see if it would help. It really didn't so I knew it was weather related. 

The box from Chef's Plate was delivered at noon and I opened it. Everything was cold. Each meal was in a bag and the protein was underneath sitting on an ice pack. I got it all into the fridge very quickly. 

I spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen. It was time to do a good job washing counter tops, shining appliances, and wiping areas that were dirty. Even the stove was pulled out and that area and the sides of the stove cleaned. I vacuumed the floor using the floor tool, then did the edges using the crevice tool. I also use a tool to dust the baseboards. The last job of the day was to mop the floor. 

I made a spicy chowder last night. It took me longer than the 35 minutes it said but I enjoyed the process. It was nice to have all the ingredients at hand. The soup was delicious. 

It was well balanced and hearty. I have a bowl for dinner tonight. This is one I will make again as I can get buy ingredients easily. I can use what ever fish I want. I am thinking halibut or a seafood mix. I think I will double the recipe so I can have extra soup over a few days. It would be nice for lunch on a cold day.

As I cleaned and cooked, I watch the sky get dark and then it started to snow. The sun shone and it snowed. It was crazy outside. The snow stuck to the vegetable boxes and a few spots under the hedge but overall it didn't stay on the ground. I was proved wrong when I said we didn't get snow before Christmas. 

I did not sew or knit yesterday. I was too busy cleaning to sew and too tired to knit. 

Thoughts

    I am slowly going to get the house cleaned and decorated for Christmas. I put battery operated candles in the kitchen window yesterday. I have some Christmas towels to put out and I think that is all for the kitchen. I keep it pretty simple. The dining room and hall will be next. 

    The craving I had for chocolate was less yesterday. I still craved it but it was only when a friend brought me some for fixing the horse blanket. I put it into the bag of chocolate in the garage so it is out of sight, out of mind. It worked. The craving seems to be more for chocolate than refined sugar. It may be that I am having fruit and it is satisfying me. 

Today

I am going to start cleaning the dining room and hall. I have to be at the community hall around 11:30 am to help serve dinner and clean up. This afternoon, I will get the yarn up to knit tonight. I know I will have to put heat on my hip so I don't think I will be downstairs sewing or organizing my stuff. Tonight I hope to knit. 

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

A Doll's Top Made

 Yesterday was mainly cloudy with a high of 4C. This morning it is cloudy and -3C. Today is suppose to be mix of sun and clouds with a high of 3C. 

Lifestyle

I started out the morning laundering the sheets of my bed. While they were on, I did the balance sheet. I didn't do too bad this time as I was very careful. A couple of small mistakes that were easily fixed. I also paid the bills. 

Once done, I wrapped and boxed up two boxes to ship to daughter. Both were over weight so both had to be opened and some items removed. I have to get a smaller box to ship the rest. One item will be sent later on. I was tired when I finished that crazy job but didn't stop. Laundry was put away, sheets put into the dryer and some of the kitchen tidied up. It was time for lunch.

After lunch, I was outside putting in the markers to show where the driveway is. Then I put the snowflake LED projector out on the lawn. I will be moving it once the next one arrives. Possibly to the side of the house or onto the garage door. 

I made the bed while dinner was cooking and that was it for the day. I had done a lot more than I had thought I would get done. 

Sewing

I decided to make the Not For Knits t-shirt by Forever 18". Though not a hard pattern (front and 2 back pieces), I was not happy with it. I added bias binding to the neck, arms, and hem. I could have serged the arms openings but I was on a roll. I could not serge the side seams or the hem as they were curved. I have to say, I struggled the whole time I was sewing it. It did turn out cute but a bit tight on my chunky doll. 

It does look cute with the skirt. 

I still have the snaps to put on the top and the skirt. I will not be making the top again and put the pattern into the trash. 

Knitting

I finished the socks last night and am pleased with them. 

I am officially done socks for 2024 and will be knitting a vest for me. 

Thoughts

    I read that 20 km from us had snow and there was snow for quite a distance (past New Minas and Kentville). Hopefully the roads were salted and are now bare. We may have had a tiny skiff of snow yesterday morning but I am not certain. 

    I watched a Hallmark movie (released yesterday) and it was filmed in Lunenburg and Mahone Bay Nova Scotia. A bit was filmed in Halifax. It was fun to look at the old houses in Lunenburg when the actors walked one of the streets. Bright funky colours and the neat names on the stores. That part was filmed in the old part of the town which is one of two UNESCO World Heritage sites in North America. I am certain the Bluenose Lodge was used in the movie. A large part of the movie was shot in Mahone Bay. I recognized a few of the stores and one shot showed a sign that said "Mahone Bay Dentist". Also one of the actors said Mahone Bay rather than Christmas Town. It was fun to watch a movie shot in a region I know. 

    Yesterday was day 5 of no refined sugar or chocolate. It was a big craving day for me. Not sure if it was caused by getting a receipt out of the bag of chocolates. I fought it hard all day which was why I was so busy. Hopefully this will pass as I am feeling better not having it. 

    I have decided to try Chef's Plate for 3 weeks. I will get 3 meals a week for 2 people which should give me 6 meals. I decided on it as I can choose a variety of protein rather than eating chicken all the time. My first box arrives today. If I have time, I will probably make the easiest meal. 

    I have decided that I will be only sewing a bag for a friend and then stop sewing for a bit. I need to focus on finishing the memory book and cleaning up the mess I made. I will start sewing again after Christmas. 

Today

I am heading out to New Minas to get the boxes shipped via Purolator. I have to get Elliott more cat food and return a gift that wasn't the right size. Once home, I will decide if I will clean the kitchen or more of the sewing room. Tonight I will start knitting the vest. 

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

Repairing A Horse Blanket

 Yesterday started out sunny, then turned cloudy, and finally there was another burst of sunshine in the late afternoon. The high got to 5C. This morning it is partly cloudy and -3C. Today is suppose to be a mix of sunshine, clouds, showers/flurries with a high of 4C.

Lifestyle

I puttered around tidying up some stuff before going to the craft bazaar. I arrived and the parking lot was quite empty. I went inside and there were about 12 vendors and no customers. The bazaar hadn't been advertised and people were disappointed. I looked around and left. 

Once home, I tidied up the cardboard from the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed the stairs, front entrance, and some of the family room floor. I emptied the vacuum cleaner and was amazed at how much dirt I got from upstairs. I thought it was clean. Now it is much cleaner. 

Laundry got folded and is ready to put away. A few other small things were done before I decided to say I was done cleaning for the day. 

Sewing

I pressed and lightly starched the sunflower fabric and hung it to dry. I also pressed the green fabric but didn't starch it. I can sew it anytime I want to now that I have prepped it. 

I turned my focus to a fleece horse blanket that my neighbour asked if I would fix. When I laid it out on the floor I saw that the horse did a good job of ripping it. I said a few choice words and got to work. 

I used strips of interfacing (for putting batting pieces together) and worked on each ripped area. I pressed the ripped area flat, pulled the ripped edges together and applied the interfacing. Once pressed, I pinned the edges together. You can barely see the pins. 

I used a wide three step zig zag stitch on the ripped part butting the ripped edges together while I stitched. Once that part was done, I straight stitched around the edges of the interfacing strip. 

I worked my way from the smallest ripped section to the largest. If I saw holes, I repaired them. When I thought I was done, I had one more large rip to fix. It took me 2.5+ hours to fix the horse blanket but I am proud of how it turned out. 

The outer side looks great with no puckers. As I used a matching thread, you can see the stitching unless you are up close. 

I was tired when I got done as I had a lot of blanket to handle. One horse will be warm wearing his newly repaired blanket and my neighbour is grateful I could fix it. 

Knitting

I finished the foot on the sock. I knit over 30 rounds last night. I had a small amount of the grey left. I used one 50 gram ball of grey.

I will change to the white and knit the toe tonight. 

Thoughts

    After attending yesterday's craft bazaar, I don't think I will be a vendor at it. I will probably do the Crossing's bazaar at the beginning of November and then one mid November. The mid November bazaar is established and has a lot of customers. The Crossing's bazaar is new and I will give it a go. Both are at the same location which is great. I will do some of my own advertising for both of them. 

    I was a bit apprehensive about fixing the horse blanket but I am glad I did it. It was fun to plan how to get it looking neat and tidy and it certainly kept my brain active problem solving on how to do it. I am also grateful I have a sewing machine that will handle the job. 

    Now that it is December, I need to start more intense cleaning inside so I can set up for Christmas and get some outside things done ready for winter (snow shovels, salt, and driveway markers). 

Today

My goal is to do the balance sheet, pay bills, pack the 2nd box to go to daughter so I can ship it Wednesday or Thursday. I need to do laundry also. If I have time, I will may sew for an hour. I want to finish the socks tonight. It will be a busy day at my house. 

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