Reindeer Galore

 Yesterday started off sunny and then light clouds covered the sun. The high got to about 7C. This morning it is blowing and raining and 12C. We are to have quite the storm today with a high of 14C. 

Lifestyle

I started the morning off with making a list of what has to be done by Sunday and will be doing only these things. Letting go of the extras helped me calm down. With the list in place, I did the balance sheet and it balanced very quickly. Bills were paid and all put away until Boxing Day. 

Laundry was put on and then I made a batch of butter tarts for friends. They are residing in the freezer for a few days. I have to make a batch of buns for them also. 

While they were baking I did yoga as I need to keep up on it. I cracked some and my joints hurt thanks to the storm coming in but I pushed on. After the tarts were done, I cleaned up the kitchen.

I was busy until noon doing little things and later in the afternoon did more chores. I was in a fairly good mood knowing that I only have to prepare what I need to do for Christmas and leave everything else until after Christmas. 

Sewing/Crafts

I did walk into the sewing room a few times and felt guilty it was a mess. But, I assured myself it was going to be cleaned starting on Boxing Day. 

I made 10 reindeer using the Cricut. The cutting out was easy; sit and watch, weed and stack. When I moved the items to the coffee table to assemble I dropped the container of eyes. I found them all but one. I had to cut another pair of eyes. 

Gluing those eyes on was quite the job. I did get it figured out. The antlers were easy. Getting them to stick together required using quilting clips. From start to finish, it took me about 2.5 hours. 

Next up are snowflakes. I have 6 of them to make using white for the background and blues for the outer layer. My paper for these 2 crafts will be gone except for the scraps. The tea light holders I had thought about making won't be happening as I am not going to be shopping for more paper before Christmas. 

Knitting

I did quite a bit of knitting yesterday afternoon and evening. The foot is done and I am ready to start on the toe. 

I could have made the leg longer as there will be some yarn left over. I will wind it into a ball and use it on another sock. I need to find nice wool in a blue to match this yarn. 

I will set up socks for grandson next. I won't be rushing through them as I have given myself a good month to work on them. 

Thoughts

    I hadn't realized how stressed I was until after I made the list of what I needed to do before Christmas. I know I wanted to make this a nice Christmas for all of us. Somehow I was trying to add things in that can be done after Christmas. Too much so that I made myself a mess. 

    While I was looking for a recipe for daughter, I realized how old my recipes are. Many are over 40 years old and very popular in their day. They continue to be family favourites that my mom made, I make, and now daughter makes. I love how recipes are passed down through generations. 

    The storm arrived early this morning and it is going to be a good one. Today will be the worst and then we will have the tail end of it tomorrow. The wind is blowing and will pick up in intensity this afternoon. 

Today

I have to go to osteopathy this morning which means driving in the rain and wind. I hope to be home before the worst of the storm hits. I want to finish wrapping presents this afternoon so I can take them over to family's when the rain has passed. I hope to finish the sock tonight. I don't have a lot planned as we could be without power today. 

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

A Dill Pickle Bag Completed

 Yesterday was another lovely sunny day with a high of 3.8C. This morning it is -7C. We are to have another sunny day with a high of 6C. Tonight the rain begins. 

Lifestyle

I did my yoga yesterday morning and worked on extending my right leg down straight to the ground. There was a lot of cracking as I slowly got it straight and touching the floor. I had some pain also but the benefits outweighed the pain. I also spent a lot of time walking with a proper gait. I am working on getting it correct through practice. I also did some side stepping which had my muscles hurt some. My goal is to walk for 6 minutes with the correct gait and without the walking poles in late February or March. 

I made a batch of cookies yesterday morning. The family favourite that seem to disappear in a hurry. 

These are in the freezer until later this week. I don't eat them but the house smelled of a combination of ginger and cinnamon most of the day. I love that smell. 

While waiting for the cookies to bake, I did housework -- sweeping floors and tidying up. I cleaned up the kitchen while the last batch baked. When done, the kitchen was left clean and tidy. 

Elliott chose to sleep under a heavy blanket yesterday. I watched him wiggle his way under it and get comfortable. He doesn't care if his paws show as long as his head and body are covered up.

He slept under there for a couple of hours and was toasty warm.

Sewing

I got the dill pickle bag completed in an hour. I am happy with it. 

I am done making gift bags for this year. I have a cuff to put on a pair of jeans for a friend and then the sewing room will be closed for cleaning. 

I did not work on the counted cross stitch snowman yesterday. 

Knitting

I got the gusset done on the socks last night. I now have the foot to knit and then the toe. I want to have it completed by Thursday or Friday. 

Thoughts

    My IBS flared up again. I had to sit and think why this time. It wasn't food as I have been careful. I have come to the conclusion it is stress and anxiety as I am pushing myself very hard right now. Knitting, exercise, housework, crafts, sewing. I have set tight deadlines to get things done and it is taking its toll on my body. I have set aside the junk journal and cleaning the basement at this time so I can get my to-do list completed. 

     I have been worrying about going to my appointment tomorrow. We are to have winds up to 80 km/hr which they are forecasting for later in the afternoon. This means going to the appointment and coming right home so I am not driving in nasty conditions. I have things I can do if the power goes out. Finishing wrapping the gifts and knitting are high on the list. No need for power to do those jobs. 

Today

I have the balance sheet to do and pay bills. Yoga must be done. I want to do laundry while making butter tarts. I am going to do some things on the Cricut this afternoon. Knitting tonight. I have my list of things to do for the next week and will be ticking them off as I do them. 

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

A Wonderful Afternoon Out

 Yesterday as another sunny day with a high of 7.3C. This morning it is 3C. We are to have another sunny day with a high of 4C. We are under a weather warning for rain and high winds on Monday as a warm storm goes through.

Lifestyle

I was out the door early to get blood work done. I got to the hospital 10 minutes before my appointment time and signed in. I sat down waiting to get registered. The waiting room was quite full and I saw they had only done 2 blood work patients. I am assuming the rest were registered for day surgery or x-rays. Things were moving slowly and I sat and waited patiently. Just before my number was to be called, things stopped at 2 desks. The third desk was registering but not blood work. We all sat in the waiting area for a good 10-15 minutes while things got sorted out. I was called and was in 1 minute later. I had waited 45+ minutes. Grandson was there at noon and the wait was 30 minutes. We have a very efficient intake system and usually wait 5 minutes to register. Yesterday they were training a person and another person was newly trained and having problems. The cause of things being slow or delayed.

I got home and had coffee and breakfast. I knew my morning was done as I was tired from waiting so long with no food and the shock I had giving blood. It happens every time. I did a few things and rested a lot. 

Daughter-in-law and I went out for lunch and we had a lovely meal. I splurged and had a small hamburger and a few fries. It was delicious. We chatted and then left for Brooklyn. We got to the little shop and I bought a gift for friends and an ornament for daughter. We stopped at another shop to see what they had. It was lovely also but pricier. We headed home and I rested when we got home. I was still tired and knew it would be an early night. 

I practiced walking correctly yesterday. I can do it but I certainly walk slow. I am going to have to slow down and walk correctly rather than rush. I did practice walking sideways and that uses muscles that hurt. But I will continue practicing each day. 

I have lost another 1.3 lbs this week for a total of 58.6 lbs. I am now in the overweight BMI category. I will be talking to the doctor about what I should weigh so I am healthy and have enough resources left on me incase I need them for surgery or illness. 

Sewing

I didn't sew yesterday as I was out and about. 

I did work on the snowman and am making progress. I also am going to start making decisions on the which fabric to use on the spine of the journal. I hope I have enough black fabric. If not, red stripe. 

Knitting

I knit 10 rounds on the gusset last night. I was so tired that I kept thinking I was making mistakes when I hadn't. I had to stop after 10 rounds. 

I will continue working on them so they get under the tree for Christmas. 

Thoughts

    The storm coming in could be wicked. They are forecasting winds of up to 100 km/hr. That means we could have no power. I have to go to osteopathy that morning. I will be coming right home afterwards. I need to be ready for this storm.  I will expect the worst and hope for the best.

    I am still trying to figure out how next year will look. I want to start walking at the arena 2 to 3 times a week. With osteopathy, physio, and (possibly) massage I will be busy. I also have to do yoga 5 to 7 times a week. I certainly will be busy getting fit. 

    My IBS continues to have flare ups so I am going back to eating chicken and rice for a few days. I think some of it was the stress of having to give blood, waiting for so long, and then my body having its usual bout of shock. This too will pass. 

Today

I have to bake cookies this morning and continue to wrap presents. I want to make the dill pickle bag this afternoon and knit tonight. I will work on the cross stitch when I have a few minutes. I am staying home today as I need to get Christmas things done. 

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

Physical Fitness Improved

 The snow that fell yesterday morning stopped about 11 am and the rest of the day was sunny. The high got to -2.6C. This morning it is -3C though it was -5C at 9 pm. Today we are to have a mix of sun and cloud and a high of 5C. 

Lifestyle

I got yoga done though I was sorer in my joints thanks to the weather. I keep at it hoping that I will get/keep everything stretched and not have the joint stiffness I am experiencing. It is improving but I feel like I haven't improved with the stiffness. 

I made sure I had everything in order for going to the Wellness Center and puttered around a bit. Before leaving, I scraped the light fluffy snow off the driveway. I went up and down many times and it felt good doing an outdoor activity. 

My visit to the Wellness Center was awesome. I have improved in my physical fitness and am within my age range. I didn't do the 6 minute walk as we worked on my gait. We had a long discussion on how my improvements then talked about barriers in meeting my goals. The facilitator's worry is me shovelling the driveway this winter. I assured her I have help. I see her in 3 months. 

I took grandson to school so he could work out with a friend. When I got home, my friend stopped in to see how I was doing as I hadn't responded to her texts. I grabbed my coat and we walked the dog. Another bout of exercise. After I took grandson home from school, I walked over to my friend's house to have dinner with her. I was home by 7 pm as I had to start fasting for bloodwork. We did walk the dog before I came home. 

Sewing

I had a bit of time to sew after lunch. I cut out the lining for the bag and fused the interfacing on it. I also cut out the handles and sewed them. I brought the embroidered bag upstairs and hand washed the chalk mark out of it. It hung to dry overnight and is ready for interfacing and then I can sew the bag together. At the moment, this is the last bag to be made until after I make some items on the Cricut. I will make another bag if I have time. 

I did work on the snow man and have got some of the body done. It is coming along with hopes of having it done before Christmas. 

Knitting

I knit on the sock last night and finished the heel flap, turned the heel, and picked up the stitches for the gusset. A lot of knitting which made me happy. 

It is hard to photograph the sock at this stage. It looks like something with its mouth wide open. 

Today

I am out in less than an hour to have blood work. Home to have breakfast and do a few things. This afternoon daughter-in-law and I are out to the gift shop in Brooklyn. If time I will interface the bag and pin it ready to sew. I will knit tonight as I need to get these socks done for Christmas. 

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

Dill Pickle Embroidery

 Though it took some time, the sun did shine yesterday making it a nice day with a high of 4.7C. This morning it is -6C (wind chill -11C) and snowing lightly. We are to have sun, clouds, wind, and a high of -3C today. 

Lifestyle

I did yoga yesterday morning and it was a good session. Some pain in the joints as the weather was changing but not a lot to make it hard to do the moves. That makes me happy.

I cleaned the bathroom yesterday and was able to climb in and out of the tub with ease. It was time to wipe down the tub of dust and fluff. I was surprised at how high I could get my right leg up to swing it into the tub. I will wash the floor this morning. 

I puttered around tidying up and ended my morning folding laundry. I also spent time getting ready for today's appointment at the Wellness Center. I had to finish writing out my list of accomplishments and goals and attach them in my record book. I am very pleased with my accomplishments since the end of September. 

It was almost 5 pm when I got the recycling out and it was cold out there. I was in a hurry to get back into the warm house even though I was dressed warmly. The job got done and I didn't freeze doing it. 

Sewing

I had hoped to make a gift bag yesterday and it was quite the job. I had to buy the design and ended up getting 4 designs which I will use on next year's bags. I cut out the bag and got it ready and then set about finding the correct coloured threads. Then I decided to add to the design which took more looking and placing. Time was ticking by quickly and it was 2:30 when I started the embroidery. I was finished the embroidery after 4 pm. And I love it. 

I snipped all the jump threads off the front and had to leave as it was past time to do the recycling. I will do some more on it today with hopes of getting some of it sewn. 

I hunted in my knitting bag for the beads I use when knitting fancy sweaters and found the black beads. I got the eyes on the snowman. I had to take out 2 rows of the dark blue in the scarf as I had an error. I fixed it and did a few rows of the body. I love the shimmer thread I put into the floss but it is hard to work with. 

I have snowflake buttons to put on this hanging which is going to make it look neat. 

I am rewatching videos on how to do the book into a junk journal. I had thought of a 1.5" spine but someone suggested I need to make it 2". The person who made on YouTube made a 2" spine for hers. My next job is to number the pages with an artist's pencil. Then I can move forward deciding on what I want to do for the extra pages. In the meantime, I will finish the snowman and start crocheting snowflakes. I won't be doing anything physical on the book until after Christmas. 

Knitting

I finished the leg and have 32 of the 42 rows knit on the heel flap. A lot of knitting last night which I did enjoy. 

They will be done for Christmas and then I will start socks for grandson after Christmas. I am looking forward to knitting more socks this winter. 

Today

I am going to do yoga first thing this morning, wash the bathroom floor, and then off to the Wellness Center. I need to grocery shop afterwards. I take grandson to and from school this afternoon and will sew in-between. I hope to knit tonight. Counted cross stitch may not happen due to being busy with other things. 

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

Another Busy Day

 Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 3.9C. This morning it is 2C. We are to have a mix of rain and sunshine today with a high of 5C. Tonight is to be cold (-10C).

Lifestyle

I did yoga yesterday morning with quite a bit more ease and less pain. I was surprised as I had expected soreness as usual when doing some of the moves. I am hoping it stays improved as I like how great it feels; almost like normal. 

After yoga, I cleaned up the kitchen and then washed a bunch of the floors. While I was doing that, I had a load of laundry on. I kept moving and noticed that I do get tired if I don't stop at least once to rest for a few minutes. It has more to do with my hip not being strong enough to go for a couple of hours. I got the jobs done I had planned on doing. 

I went out to get the mail as my first book to junk journal was at the community box. It is worn but it is old having being out since 1965. 

When I got home from the mail, I had to go and straighten up the driveway markers. One was blown over and the other 3 were leaning. The wind did that. I have them upright again knowing I will be doing it during the winter. 

Sewing

I was down to the sewing room in good time after lunch and was delayed sewing while the laptop updated itself. I pressed the fabric and wandered around going up and down the stairs for exercise. I finally got to start sewing about 1:30 pm. I made a small bag this using a fat quarter for the outside and a piece of white snowflake fabric on the inside. Both were from the stash and both are old. Once done, I decided to add lace to the top. The next time I will hand baste the lace on before sewing it. The lace is slippery and moved about a bit. 

I still have another fat quarter of the outer fabric and will make another small bag out of it next year. I may even add some embroidery to it as it is light enough for that. 

I spent a bit of time working on the Charlie Brown book. The binding was in horrible shape making it easy to take apart. 

I now have the cover and 3 signatures ready to play with. 

But not until after Christmas when I will allow myself to play for a bit each day while I clean the sewing and family rooms. 

I did work on the counted cross stitch while dinner was cooking in the oven. I got the part of the scarf around the snowman's neck done and a bit on the body. 

The row that was started under the scarf is now done. I did look for black embroidery thread and have none. I may buy it the next time I go shopping. I will look and see if I have black beads for the eyes. That would be neat and I wouldn't have to buy black thread.  

Knitting

I knit a lot of rounds last night. I have 10 rounds left before I start on the heel flap. 

This sock has gone faster as I had a lot of time to knit on Monday when we had no power. I want it done to put the socks under the tree. I am determined to work a couple of hours each night on it. 

Thoughts

     I am thrilled that Monday's physio session was great and I have less pain than ever. That allows me to have more mobility and I can work on getting the muscles stronger in both the hip and knee. 

    I have looked at the Charlie Brown Christmas book and have pulled some fabrics and ribbon to use in it. I have to get the paper to put into each signature sorted out so I can have fun. I am letting this evolve over the next 10 days spending a few minutes thinking and putting materials into a pile. I will go over some videos on how to make the spine bigger and nicer as it needs a lot of attention. But that is part of the fun. 

    I did up my list of improvements since seeing the physiotherapist at the Wellness Center on September 28. It really forced me to think about how I have exceeded what I thought I could accomplish. I also listed my goals for the next several months. One thing I am going to buy is an under the table cycler so I can work on strengthening the muscles around my knee. I also want to walk inside at the arena 3 times a week starting in January. The goal is to become stronger and more aligned in my hip areas. I hope we can meet those goals. 

Today

I am going to do yoga and tidy up a bit more. I would like to go to Brooklyn to get the last Christmas gift and will invite daughter-in-law to come with me. If time, I will cut out another bag ready to sew. I want to do some counted cross stitch and knit tonight. 

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

Oh What A Storm

 Yesterday was wet and windy. It poured buckets and blew hard (gusts up to 40 mph). They say we had we had 1/4" of rain but I know it was more than that here. The high got to 16.8C. This morning it is 2C. We are to have sun and a high of 3C.

Lifestyle

I had physio early yesterday morning. It was evaluation first then physio which was intense. Then came heat and the electrical current on my knee and hip joint. That was quite the session also. I was tired from it to say the least. 

Once home, I finished decorating and getting the displays the way I wanted them. The cardinals are out and I arranged them differently this year. 

The backdrop will be hung on another wall. The table that has the tree on it has the Spousal Unit's favourite ornaments on it and around it. 

I have added 3 more ornaments to the tree since then as I found them when putting out the nativity pieces. 

The new wiseman is slightly larger than the other pieces but still fits in well. 

And finally the table has its decorations which include Winnie and Eeyore. 

Other than hang up the cardinal hanging, I am done. I was tired when I finished that and rested. When I sat down, it hit me hard and I wanted to sleep. But it didn't happen. 

Just as I finished lunch, the power went out. The outage map said restore time would be 8:30 pm. I hunkered down on the couch with a blanket around my knee and hip so they wouldn't get cold. (The house stayed at 21C due to the warm weather). I listened to the wind and watched the rain come down. I got up and walked around the house and talked to Elliott who ignored me. I checked the outage map and power had been restored west of us so I knew we would have power on shortly. We had power by 3:30 pm. The crews worked hard to get the power back on and I am grateful for them going out in the storms like they do to do their work. The storm was gone by 8 pm and the quietness was welcomed. Our neighbour may have lost his Grinch he puts on the roof. I am hoping he grabbed it and put it inside. 

Sewing

No power no sewing. Simple as that. 

I did start the snowman cross stitch. I have the head done except for the eyes. I am ready to start the scarf. I need to bring up the 2 blues I am going to use. 

Knitting

I set up the second sock and knit 25 rounds. Having no power makes you productive at doing hand work. 

The second sock is always easier as I have the first one done and my book to keep me on track. 

Thoughts

    Though physio left me tired, I have less tightness in the hip/groin area. I will be seeing a massage therapist in January to help with the tightness. My next physio visit is in January and I will be starting to workout on the equipment. Strength is next on the agenda. I want to be prepared for if and when I need surgery. My next osteopathy visit is on the 18th and I am sure she will be working on the tightness and levelling up my hips. 

    I wrote down ideas in my journal for 2024. Right now it is vague as I am trying to get the ideas down. I am just doing a brain dump. One item is gift bags and I wrote to use up the fabric in the stash first. I will continue to write down my ideas so I can focus on what I want to make next year. 

    As soon as I finish making gift bags I am going to take a break from sewing and finish cleaning up the sewing room. I am not going to take part in the decluttering challenge as I have done most of it already. I am at the stage of tidy up and clean the room. I would like it done so I can start sewing again on Jan. 1. 

Today

The plan is to put away decoration box, sweep and mop floors, clean the kitchen and do laundry. I want to sew another gift bag, do cross stitching, and knit. I have to go out and get the mail as the first book for junk journaling arrived yesterday. 

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