All Is Good Here

Though it is still sunny, it has been cooler and less humid. Yesterday the high was 23.4C with a humidex of 25C. Yesterday morning it was 7C and this morning it is 10C. Today is suppose to be sunny and 24C (humidex of 27C).

Lifestyle

Life has been busy. I get a list of things completed and another list pops up to be done. It has been exhausting to say the least. On the go every day doing something. 

The Spousal Unit has stabilized on the dosage changes of his medications. He was eating his breakfast himself yesterday I was told. He is weak and not walking which has to be addressed. He is in his own world though he asked if daughter-in-law and grandson when visiting by their names and told grandson he needed someone with a strong back and a weak mind to do a job for him. One of his sayings.

On the up side, I got 2 months of expenses into the spreadsheet and have 4 more months to go. Starting this month, family and I will be building a new budget for me. I'm going to have to think before I buy anything but I'm not going to deprive myself. I need to figure out what I need. I deprived myself for so long but I can't go overboard on spending.

Elliott is settling down and is doing much better. I am keeping his litter box super clean which helps him stay less stressed. He sleeps with me all night and likes to be near me during the day when I am home. He has gone back to sleeping under his blanket on the bed during the day. 

I have started to think about meal planning. I made 8 mini meat loaves yesterday and they are wrapped individually and in the freezer. Next up will be 2 lasagnas for the freezer. I need to find some chicken meals. I need quick and easy meals to heat up as I hope to be able to go in and feed the Spousal Unit once a day. I'm back to thinking about an Instant Pot.

Sewing

I spent one afternoon in the sewing room and got the bodice done to having one sleeve inserted.

The sleeve band needs to be about 1/4" wider so I can fold it under nicely to hand stitch down. The sleeve goes in nicely and looks great. I am happy with the results. I'm learning as I go and sewing a muslin as been worth it. 

I did clean off a bit of the cutting table the other day and need to do more. It took me 10 minutes to do it and it made me feel better not having so much clutter on the table. 

I have been looking at the family room and will be using it to watch TV this winter. I am going to put away all the puzzles and use that table to photograph dolls on. I'm not sure what else I will use it for but I will figure it out.

I need to go to the quilt store and buy the backing, batting, and binding for daughter's quilt. That will be my big purchase for this month. I also need to buy a half meter of lilac cotton for Lily's dress. 

I found this free pattern for a quilt that uses 10 fat quarters of which I will have to buy 10 half meters for the Spousal Unit's quilt. The printable pattern is here. I will add borders to this quilt to make it bigger.

Today

I'm off to the city with daughter-in-law and our neighbor to shop. We are doing the Costco run and I hope Walmart. It will be my first trip to Costco since May. I'm expecting it to be a long day. 

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

Another Good Day

 Yesterday was another warm day with a high of 25.6C. The humidity made it feel more like 32C. There was a rain storm come in just before 5 pm and we had close to 1" of rain. It was quite windy. This morning it is 17C and calm. The high is to get to 26C with a humidex of 29C.

Lifestyle

Son visited with the Spousal Unit yesterday. He was awake and alert but knows no one. He did talk to our son but mainly things from his world. He had slept most of the morning. It seems as if he is stabilizing which is good. The adjustments to the dosage of his medication is working. 

I was tired yesterday as I slept poorly. The house is too warm with no breeze at night. I did go out and scrubbed the beets ready to give away. 

They are the worst crop of beets we've grown in many, many years. I had thinned them but it just wasn't the year for beets. I did take them over to our neighbors to have for a meal. No beets next year. 

I rested the rest of the morning as the heat got to me while outside. In the afternoon I was out for an appointment and that was 90 minutes long and I have follow up to do. 

Later in the afternoon I visited with our neighbor. We talked about quilting, my sewing machine, and many other things. While visiting it started to rain and the power went off. It was off almost 2 hours. I ate dinner in the dusk and watched the rain fall. 

Sewing 

I didn't have time to sew yesterday. Too tired and too busy. My neighbor gave me more beads which I will keep some and give some to the little girl I sew for. She does crafts and will love the bigger beads. 

I have decided, only this morning, that September will be recoup month for me. The to-do list is small but I can add to it. I also want to clean the room one afternoon a week. It really needs doing. I'm thinking deep cleaning and maybe a bit of reorganizing. 

Knitting

I couldn't knit due to the power outage and then I was too tired. Hopefully it will happen again soon. 

Today

My little to-do list will take most of the morning and then I hope to sew this afternoon. I need to plan dinner and write up a shopping list for tomorrow. A really simple day for me. 

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

Time In The Sewing Room

 Yesterday was hot with lots of sunshine and a high of 28.C (humidex 37). We didn't break any records. This morning it is 21C (humidex 28C) and we are to have a high of 25C (humidex 30C) and showers. 

Lifestyle

The Spousal Unit is showing signs of stabilizing. He ate an apple fritter that son and grandson brought in for him. He was awake, talked to them in his little world, tried to talk to people walking in the hall, and read the nurse's name on the board. He wasn't sedated which was good. He mentioned a name which son and I could talk about at home. A kid that the Spousal Unit helped when he was in school and having a hard time. 

I did some grocery shopping in the morning and had lunch with family while the cleaners were here. I have decided to keep the cleaners until the end of October so I can do the heavy cleaning and get prepared for winter. Once I get a system going, I can do it myself. 

With the house clean I decided it was my day off from doing housework. 

Sewing

I decided to spend some time in the sewing room. I set up the embroidery for the skirt. There were two issues, I ran out of bobbin thread and the needle decided to shred the thread. Once those were fixed all went well. 

I pinned in the pleats but they won't be pressed. I still need to do a pleat on each side of the outer piece of embroidery. The skirt will be gathered to the bodice with minimal gathering over the pleats. 

I tried the single spool thread director yesterday once again on the Juki. No success. It hates the thread coming off in the position you have to place it. Next step was to figure out where I was going wrong in threading the machine. 

I have been watching a lot of Juki Junkies videos. They have only 2 on the Juki NX7 so I watched them both. I picked up that I haven't been threading the machine properly at the beginning. I haven't been holding the thread taut when taking it into the tension disk at step 2. I did that step using glide thread (which they recommend for all sewing and embroidery) and it stitched perfectly with the factory settings. Huzzah!!!

When the embroidery was completed, I set the thread director onto the Diamond. 

With some fiddling of the disk at the end of the spool, I got the machine to stitch out some of the decorative stitches using both metallic and regular embroidery thread. I didn't even use tear away stabilizer like recommended. The only thing I have to do is pull some thread off the spool when I need to cut the thread. This sample was done using metallic thread. Ignore the blue as that is from the Juki

I was totally impressed with these designs and the fanciest one reminds me that I need to add this to a doll's outfit.

These were done using regular embroidery thread. 

I am totally impressed and happy to play on the Diamond once again. Next up is trying the Thread Director 2 (2 spools of thread) on the Diamond.

I stopped as my brain was getting tired from doing so much thinking. I'm not use to doing so much thinking in the sewing room. I was also feeling a bit guilty as I did feel like I should be looking after the Spousal Unit rather than enjoying myself.

Today

I have to wash the beets and get them ready to deliver to households. I would like to get the mattress pad back onto the guest bed, clean the litter box and look in the closet and make a plan. I have an appointment at the bank at 1:30 p.m. and I may do a bit of sewing after I get home. I need to embroider the 2nd skirt and put the extra pleats in the skirt. I am tired as I didn't sleep well due to the house being hot. We had a humidex of 28-29C all night. 

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

Update From the Geriatric Specialist

 Yesterday was another nice sunny day with a high of 26.4C (humidex 32C). There was a bit of wind yesterday but not a lot. This morning it was 21C (humidex of 28C) and cloudy. We are to have a high of 29C (humidex of 35C) and sunshine. 

Lifestyle

The geriatric specialist called yesterday to give me an update on the Spousal Unit. He is stabilizing to the new doses of medication levels. The last couple of days have been good which was nice to hear. He will have episodes of aggression. She said he has declined rapidly with the episode he had last Monday but he also has been a more alert when he's awake. Daughter-in-law was called in early last evening as he was crying (depressed) about his usual concerns. She got him settled in 30 minutes which is normal. Though he asked for her, he didn't know who she was. Once settled he was back to talking about trains and wanted cigarettes which he hasn't smoked for over 50 years. We don't know what the obsession about trains is about as he was never interested in them. 

I finished cleaning the bedroom yesterday morning. What a lot of work as there were dust and dust bunnies mainly behind the furniture they don't move. The main part of the room was cleaner from their regular routine. I did get the rest of my chores done in the afternoon. 

While I was cooking dinner, family showed up to pick tomatoes, peppers, and I helped them pull the beets. The pepper plants are producing and it is going to be hard to keep up with them. I am going to plant them again next year plus we are talking about planting jalapenos. No beets, less tomatoes, and the usual carrots, beans, peas, leeks, and cucumbers. 

I spent some time looking for freezer meals and will be making a lasagna (have the sauce frozen) and a pork roast. From there, I will decide what to make next. Most freezer meals are large but I can freeze the leftovers. The ones for seniors look bland and the ones for young people are spicy or use a lot of processed food. I am still thinking, once again, about an Instant Pot. I am moving out of survival mode to thinking about meals once again.

I was over to deliver fresh vegetables to the neighbor's and had a glass of wine with them in their outdoor patio. They built it last year and it wonderful. It is behind their garage and at the edge of a small green belt; very quiet and cooler than the rest of their back yard. 

The saga of the chickens continues. They are still loose and I've had to herd them out of the yard. There is a rooster who has decided to crow just after 6 a.m. No roosters permitted. This person has no regard for the by-laws nor does he care if his birds are on your property. 

I didn't sew or knit yesterday. No time at all as I'm trying to get things done in the house and yard. 

Today

I have to get ready for the cleaners, shop, and then sew. I'm taking the day off from doing much of anything except to make dinner and keep the kitchen clean. I need one as I've been doing so much lately. The only chore I may do is wash the beets and trim off the greens. That needs to be done and delivered to people. I may even knit tonight. 

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

He Cracked A Joke

 Yesterday was sunny with a high of 24.1 (humidex 27). There was very little wind all day making it feel even warmer. This morning there was fog and it was 12C. It is suppose to get to 28C (humidex 33) today. 

Lifestyle

The Spousal Unit was awake and ate breakfast and cracked a joke or two with the nurse. They bathed him and he slept most of the day. When he does that, he does not need sedatives which is good. He has declined in his mental health and will not bounce back to where he was like we first thought he would. The episode he had last Monday was him having a rapid decline.

I started cleaning our bedroom yesterday. I did both closets, wiped shelves and washed the floors. I didn't get rid of a lot of items from the closet. I also did both bedside tables where I did get rid of a lot of junk. I also got rid of the broken lamp. 

All of the bedding was laundered and the bed was made. I also did the mats beside the bed and a load of clothes. Laundry done for 4-5 days. When done, I swept most of the floor and called it a day. I was sore and tired but happy with what I got done. I was sad handling the items in his bedside table. I kept what he would have treasured the most. 

Mid afternoon I went out to fertilize the garden and weed around the shed. I found 3 cucumbers in the large pot that were ready to be picked. (This morning it looks like there are two new plants in another pot). The cucumber plants defied all odds as the Spousal Unit was hard on them this spring and early summer. 

I also thinned 2 rows of carrots and had some of them for dinner. There is another meal in the fridge plus more to be thinned. I will probably use some of them in freezer meals.

I watered the garden a lot yesterday as it is to be hot for the next 2 days and I don't want to water it tonight. 

Sewing

I didn't sew again yesterday as I was too busy with other jobs upstairs and outside. It is okay as I will get there. 

On Friday there was this pattern offered free on Pixie Faire.

It has a back seam and you pull it over the doll's head. We had a discussion on this on one of the forums I'm on and I saw this on Facebook yesterday. Very clever. 

I am going to try this and add a snap to the collar to hold it together. This way my curly haired dolls can wear it. 

I want to make a 1920's dress with a neckline adaption. I contacted the designer for the embroidery file and she can't find it. She lost a lot of files when she had some major computer problems. Maybe I can try to digitize it this winter. 

Knitting

I got out the socks and got 8 rounds knit last night while watching Murdoch. I had to stop as my hands started to ache. But, I did get it out and it was nice to have my hands busy. 

Today

The list is long. The main job is to finish our bedroom. I have to fold laundry, tidy the dining room, and prepare for the cleaners tomorrow. We will be picking tomatoes, beets, and peppers sometime today. I doubt if I will get to sew but I will knit tonight even if it is only a few rounds on the sock. 

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

Still Not Stabilized

 Yesterday was a cool 20.4C. There were a couple of times a few drops of rain fell. This morning it is very foggy and 13C. It is suppose to be sunny and 23C today. 

Lifestyle

The Spousal Unit had a rough Friday night and had to be sedated. He slept all day Saturday which is not uncommon after he has a spell. I am sure he didn't eat much either. It hurts me to know the spells haven't stopped so he can be peaceful. It also means he is still declining with the disease.

I finished cleaning the dining area yesterday. Most items are put away and I got the floor swept and washed. It was clean but I just had to do it. I'm happier now that it is done and the extra stuff is gone or going. 

I went out to watch grandson play soccer. He has shown excellent growth and development since we last saw him play in the spring. Going to soccer training has really helped him. He will continue that this winter, play on a team plus play at school. He will be one busy boy. I will watch him play at school this fall as I do enjoy it.

I slept good last night which was good. I still wake around midnight and sit up for about an hour. That is a habit I hope to break in the next couple of weeks. Up and go back to bed. Part is taking that quiet hour prior to the Spousal Unit going into Acute Care for me and part trying to adjust to a new schedule. 

Sewing

I turned on my sewing machine for 20 minutes yesterday and played with settings. My machine does not like Glide thread though it is straight stitching better than it had been. To get a good zig zag stitch, the tension has to be at -5.0 which is crazy. 

I am itching to get at the skirt of the Soutache dress. I will see what today brings but family is coming over this afternoon which is when I normally sew. 

I spent some time looking at the 1920's One Hour Dress. It was an interesting search and I'll report more on it later. I was falling asleep watching a video I was so tired.

Today

I am going to do laundry, start cleaning the bedroom closets, and help harvest the garden. I need to plan dinner for myself and relax this evening. If I am not too tired, I may knit on the socks. I need to start knitting again in the evenings to help pass the time productively. 

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

Keeping Busy

Though yesterday was cooler with a high of 24.5C, the humidex was 31C. This morning it is a warm 19C. The high is to get to 23C with a humidex of 26C. Our humid weather may be leaving us. At least I hope so.

Lifestyle

I'm plodding along. I made the Spousal Unit his favorite salad and then made him and daughter-in-law devilled eggs to eat as it was her birthday. Those 2 eat devilled eggs together on their birthdays.

I purged the server yesterday and by the time I was finished, I had filled a Rubbermaid dishpan full of recycling/garbage. I took a break at noon and finished up in the afternoon. All of the receipts are contained in bags, prescription receipts in the container for income tax, and items ready to be put away or returned to family. It was a lot of work but most of it was unemotional. It was a job that needed to be done. As of last night, I have taken out 3 Rubbermaid dishpans of recycle/garbage from the dining room. 

Son and grandson were over to pick tomatoes and there are a ton left to ripen. I have a bag for them to eat. I kept enough to make a salad if I need to. I can always go pick more. I will be pulling beets on Monday as our neighbors will take some as will our son. 

I had lunch with our neighbor and we had a great time eating at her place. It was just what I needed and gave me the energy to finish the purging of the dining area. I am thinking I may have her for dinner once a month so we can enjoy each other's company.

I phoned the hospital to find out how the Spousal Unit was going. He is still sleeping a lot. He does wake up and will eat some food. Since he started to sleep a lot, he hasn't been out of bed. I also talked to the doctor and she is amazed that I looked after him basically by myself until Monday. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help from family but she was still amazed. We do what we have to do.

I am starting to feel less tired but I have a long way to go before I'm back to feeling like my old self. I feel lost and I am doing jobs to keep busy. I was so busy taking care of the Spousal Unit that I, basically, did nothing else. I am slowly figuring out a plan and cleaning the house is one of them. I am also going to change some of my routines.

I haven't been into the sewing room yet but hope to do a bit in there this afternoon. I have been just too busy to sew but must take some time and relax in front of my machines. 

Today

I need to put away every thing that needs to be put away and return what doesn't belong here. I am going to finish cleaning the dining area today which will include washing the floor. While I am doing that, I will do laundry. I want to do some sewing this afternoon for therapy as my next area to tackle is the bedroom. That will be emotional but I want it done. 

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