Two Projects Completed

 Yesterday was a mix of sun and clouds with a high of 19C. This morning it is a mix of sun and clouds and 9C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 23C. 

Lifestyle

It was out the door at 7:30 am with daughter-in-law. Her car needed its semi annual check up. We had breakfast across the road while the work was being done. We did some planning. 

Our next stop was at Respiratory Therapy. The receptionist started out rude but was better once she started showing me the cPap machines. I go next Tuesday to have it fitted and set up. 

Our last stop of the morning was Walmart for groceries. I had the starting of an IBS attack while there. We got what we needed and came home. I put the groceries away and sat down. I was feeling tired and really uncomfortable. I had a day of discomfort while it went through my system. I ate lunch and dinner being very careful what I ate. By bedtime I was almost over it. It will be another day before it is completely gone. I do not know what caused it as I went over my food intake carefully. It may be from the lack of sleep. I had a rough day is all I can say. 

Sewing

I spent time finishing the runner for my bedroom. I am pleased with it and have it on the treadle machine in my room. 

The middle sized runner is sandwiched ready for me to pin and draw the lines on it. 

Knitting

I finished the doll's hat after taking out several rows. It fits Kit fairly well. 

I do like it with the jacket and plan on making the spiral scarf that is included in the pattern. 

I sat for a bit last night and cleaned up my knitting. A bunch of tiny balls of yarn and labels were tossed. I also found a ball of yarn that I bought many years ago and decided to knit socks from it. It has a lot of black in it so I am prepared to struggle at times when making these socks. 

Thoughts

    The lawn has turned green but I am worried that it has had a lot of damage done to. It will be aerated and limed in the fall but I am certain it will need to be seeded also. The drought was hard on it as it was 95% grass vs lawns with a lot of weeds in them. 

    According to what I found on the weather website, we had almost 5.75" of rain fall the other night. The big fire down the valley is now being held which is great. Some of the evacuees are being allowed to go home. It is reported that 20 structures were destroyed in the fire. 

Today

I am out this morning to make sandwiches at the community hall. When I get home, I want to work on my to do list. I hope to start quilting the 2nd runner this afternoon and knit on the socks tonight.

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

It Rained

 Yesterday was hot, muggy, and wet. The high got to 22C (humidex 28C). This morning it is cloudy and 13C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with a high of 19C. 

Lifestyle

I was busy yesterday morning. While laundry was on, I did the balance sheet. I did have some issues as I was tired and not thinking straight. I finally found the issue, corrected it, and moved on. 

Laundry went into the dryer and I tidied up the kitchen. It needed it as I haven't done it for a bit. It is looking good again. Then it was downstairs to swiffer the family room floor and put the furniture back into its proper place. The room is done and I just need to mop the floor. 

After lunch I went over to family's. We were looking for places to rent while we are on holiday. Son had found one more place to look at and we started the process. We listed what was important and then rated it separately. We went over the 10 places we had chosen and narrowed it down to 5, then 4, then 2. We finally picked the place son had found that morning. We also booked our local flights. We only need to choose hotel rooms and that part of our trip will be done. We were done by 5 pm. 

The places we looked at were all quite nice. The one that was called the Granny flat was the biggest and had a lot of windows in it. It was full of things from the 60 to the 90's which included furniture, knick knacks, etc. We liked the location and the size but weren't sure about all the stuff in the place. Other places were very modern and others were more contemporary. All were extremely clean and had everything we needed. 

It rained last evening. The clouds came down to the ground when it blew in. It was so heavy you could hear it hitting the house. The roads had water running in them and it was running down my driveway. I watched it for a bit as we haven't had rain like this since early June. It was a great watching; a novelty for sure. 

Sewing

I had a bit of time before lunch to hand sew binding on the runner. I have half of one long side and a short side done. No pictures as I had to stop in a hurry for lunch and then leave. 

Knitting

I knit on the hat. It took me a while to change needles as the tips I needed don't like to go onto the cord. I am now decreasing for the top of the hat. 

I need to wind yarn for socks as I will be able to start them tonight or tomorrow night. 

Thoughts

    I was so grateful to see the rain last night. According to the map I look at, the storm should have missed us or only given us a little bit of rain. There was enough fall in that storm to help revive the lawns and begin to put moisture into the ground. There is supposed to be more rain mid week. 

    I am slowly working on a plan for the sewing room. It is mainly what I want to focus on in the future. I have a small list of items I do want to make. One is to get fabric from the quilt shop to make quilts for their charity project. I can sew them at home if I don't want to be a part of the group. Others items are quilts for myself and family, items for the house, doll clothes and bags to put them into. Ideas are forming. Next up will be dealing with the fabric, etc and getting those ideas on paper. 

    I read that we have a cold front moving in. The lows temperatures will be near 0C in some areas. We will be wearing sweaters in the morning. I need to pick the peppers and get the deck cleaned up. 

Today

I am off shortly to New Minas with daughter-in-law. Her car needs its service and we will have breakfast while that is being done. Next is to buy a travel cPap. I know we have a piece of luggage to return and after that I am not sure. I would like to hand sew the binding on the runner this afternoon, wind yarn for socks and knit tonight. 

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

Runner #1 For My Bedroom

 Yesterday was mainly sunny with a high of 30C (humidex 34C). This morning it is cloudy and 22C (humidex 29C). Today is supposed to have showers with a high of 25C (humidex 32C). 

Lifestyle

I was out on the deck cleaning up. I put away the deck chairs and brought up the leaf bag to put plants into. The cucumbers were easy. The grape tomato plant had to be picked and then the branches cut off. It was quite the job as the plant had grown thick a thick stem and branches. 

Once that was done, I started to feel very hot and put away trellises and the bag. I staggered into the house overheated. The humidity had gone up and there was no breeze. I had to sit and drink fluids to cool off. I was quite tired. 

When I had cooled off and rested, I went downstairs and worked in the family room. I pulled out the table the Cricut is on and cleaned that area. I also took the two trolleys over to the chairs and tidied them up. A few things went but not a lot. I also tidied up a small basket of items I still need. The room is done and I now need to sweep and mop the floor. 

I did look under the stairs and removed a box. It is in the storage room as I may need it to take stuff to the thrift store. I also put the two trolleys under there for now. Everything will come out when I start to clean under the stairs. 

My glucose dropped to the hungry level for lunch and dinner. I was okay with that as it was time to eat. It also means I am using up the carbs I am eating. 

I was over to visit my friend last night. She and her dog needed company. Her dog was up in my arms giving me a lot of kisses and then snuggled with me on the couch. When she had enough she went to bed a very happy dog. My friend and I visited and talked about how we want to do more things than just sew. Just what we want to do is the big question. We are both thinking about it. 

Sewing

I got the first runner quilted and the binding sewn on. I also started to hand sew the binding down. 

I didn't get the quilting right at the sides as I wasn't sure where the binding would be. I did try to figure it out but I was off by 1/4". No one will see it on the furniture. 

Knitting

I did knit a bit last night. I cast on and knit 6 rows of seed stitch for a hat. It is to go with the coat I had made. 

I now need to bring up the next size larger needles to do the main part. 

I weighed the yarn for the blue socks and I don't have enough. I am thinking on what I will do. Buy yarn for them or make something else. 

Thoughts

    We haven't had this kind of humidity for quite a while. I had turned off the a/c and opened the windows for the night. At 1:30 am I had to get up and close the windows and turn on the a/c as the house was too warm and quite humid. The house was cool this morning. The forecast today is for a humidex reading until 11 pm tonight. 

    I did look under the stairs and made a mini plan. I have 2 paint cans to go for recycling. I put a suitcase into the storage room to sell. The other one I will keep. I looked at the Christmas and Halloween tubs and know I need to get them out and organized a bit better. There are fall decorations that I will either toss or donate. I will get on with it next week. 

    I have been thinking about the sewing room. I won't be doing a major clean in it until January. I will do a minor clean in October. I have been thinking about what I want to sew in the future. Do I want to sew every day is one thing I have asked myself. Another is what do I want to sew. What fabrics can I get rid of and what ones will I keep. I have started a brain dump on this room. It is a hard one which I knew it would be. I have started a list of what I want to sew (or what will my sewing look like). 

Today

I have to do the balance sheet and a load of laundry this morning. I should also tidy up the kitchen. This afternoon I will hand sew the binding on the runner. Tonight I hope to knit. A quiet day for me.

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

Socks Are Done

 Yesterday was warm and humid with a high of 26C (humidex 32C). This morning it is cloudy and 18C. Today is supposed to be sunny and hot with a high of 29C (humidex 34C).

Lifestyle

I was out with daughter-in-law yesterday to buy a new fridge. Our first stop was for her massage where I sat in the car and knit. Then it was lunch and on to buying the fridge. 

I told the sales person I was on a budget and which fridge I liked. I didn't have to haggle a lot as he started to discount it rapidly. With taxes and extended warranty I got it for less than I had expected. I am hoping it will arrive by late September. 

Our next stops were to look for luggage. We went to Marshall's first. I was shocked at how much fall/Halloween decor they had. We snooped around it a bit before heading to the luggage. We found one that I liked at a great price and I bought it. It is green. Daughter-in-law liked it also. 

Next store we found a blue glass pumpkin and 4 bags of son's favourite potato chips. Third store we found nothing. The last store we went to we headed to the luggage and while daughter-in-law was tying her shoelace, I found the luggage I had bought in black. We cheered, bought it.

Our last stop was to order daughter-in-law new glasses. I will be buying my next glasses there. What I paid for my glasses, she got 2 pairs one of which are gradient lenses for wearing outdoors. 

We got home after 3:30 pm and I was tired. Then I got hungry and knew that I had to have supper at my regular time. When I did my glucose level I was 4.8 and dropping. I did do portion control and felt great after I ate. 

Sewing

None done yesterday. 

Knitting

I finished the 2nd sock and weaved in the yarn ends on both socks last night. I am glad to have them done. 

I have these 3 balls of left over yarn on the couch and I am going to weigh them. If I have enough, I will make a pair of socks from them. 

Thoughts

    Our area didn't get any rain yesterday though the part of Halifax we were in got some lovely showers. They have had enough moisture that the leaves on the trees are starting to turn red. We are hoping we will get some rain soon. 

    I could not believe how much fall/Halloween decor was out in the stores we were in. It was overwhelming. I kept looking but I didn't buy anything. I will look for fall napkins and buy some fresh flowers for my fall decor. I have an idea for placemats which I will start buying the fabric for. I want them to be ones I can use all year. 

    I am back on track with my eating. It was hard to get going as I was having an internal fight with myself. Sometimes I wished I hadn't listened to the dietician about eating trigger foods. I knew better but thought I could control them. But I couldn't. They are now gone from the house. I am also tracking what I eat each day and doing portion control. I have lost 5 lbs since starting again. I am now focusing on the next 5 lbs. 

Today

I am going to divide my time between the deck and the family room. Both need doing and I can do the deck while it is cool and the family room while it is too warm to be outside. This afternoon I want to quilt the runner and put on the binding. If I have time, I will cut out the stripe fabric for the doll outfit. Tonight I will start knitting a hat for the doll's coat I made a while ago. 

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

The Quilt Is Done

 Yesterday was sunny and quite warm. The high got to 25C (humidex 29). This morning it is cloudy and 13C. Today is supposed to be cloudy with showers. The high is to get to 24C.

Lifestyle

I started the morning folding laundry. I don't like folding laundry so I am trying to do it earlier rather than later. It was all put away which was another miracle. 

I gathered my cleaners, vacuum cleaner, swiffer, and 3 cleaning rags. I was tackling another part of the family room. I chose to clean the windows, ledge and walls. I was up and down the ladder, up and down the stairs, in and out of the house cleaning the windows. What a job that was. There was dry lichen stuck in grooves in 2 windows which I had to dig out with a tiny screwdriver. The outsides were coated with dust due to our hot dry weather. Inside, I scrubbed all the parts I could get at. I even scrubbed the screens. Almost 2 hours later and one rest for a sore back, I was ready to clean the ledge and walls. That was easy to do. I also used the dry swiffer on the floor. When I headed upstairs with the three filthy dirty rags I was tired and sore. I took no pictures as the area looked the same dirty as clean. I will call it hidden dirt as basically it was not noticeable until you look for it. 

I don't have a lot left to clean in the family room. There is some sorting and purging to do in the next part. Once it done, the family room is clean. 

The Canada geese are back once again. I can hear them honking as they fly over in the mornings. Soon I will hear them when they fly to their night spots. They will be here for quite a while. 

Sewing

I allowed myself to sew in the afternoon. I sat and finished hand stitching the binding down on the quilt. I put it on my bed and I am so happy I made it. 

I wanted to snuggle down under it but I refrained until I went to bed. 

I also pinned the pattern pieces onto the diagonal stripe fabric. It is a new outfit for the rabbit. 

I ran out of pins so will be opening a new package of pins when I need them. The pins I am using are over 8 years old. 

Next up, I pressed the backing fabric for the runners and sandwiched the longest of the three. It has been marked so I am now ready to quilt it. 

Knitting

I got the gusset done on the sock and 11 rows done on the foot. 

Hopefully they will be done by Monday as I need a break from knitting black yarn. Counting rows is very hard when I need to do a check. The yarn I used on the leg is used up which is nice. 

Thoughts

    I am struggling with keeping hydrated. I know that I need to drink more fluids every day and have been packing a litre bottle of water with me. I really honed in yesterday when my glucose reading was in the high 5's in the morning and at noon. With more water in me, it was 4.4 at dinner time. I have been eating much better so knew it wasn't the food I had been eating. 

    I let out a big cheer (in the basement) when all the bags of recycling were thrown into the truck. It was so good to have them gone. I now can keep up on shredding documents which is a relief for me. I will have to spend a bit of time one day shredding documents which is normal for everyone who files their taxes. 

    I have added cleaning the deck to my to-do list. It needs to be prepped for winter and I can do it slowly once I have the planters cleaned out. It will get done this weekend. I will put the planters away knowing that I will not be planting as much next year. I am not sure how many peppers are on the 4 plants but know there are too many. 

Today

I am going into the city to buy a new fridge. I am sure we will do a bit of shopping before we come home. I don't know if I will sew or not but do know I will knit on the socks. 

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

Planning Many Things and Accomplishing Some

 Yesterday was another sunny day with a high of 25C (humidex 28C). This morning it is clear and 10C. Today is supposed to be mainly sunny with a high of 27C (humidex 30C). 

Lifestyle 

I was fiddling around getting my thoughts for the next 10 weeks organized in Word. I was doing great and had almost finished September ideas. My focus this September is     

    cleaning/decluttering/purging the family room and under the stairs

    finish the quilt and table runners

    clean the deck ready for winter

    knit socks

I was doing great when family called and needed me to come over. They were in the in-law suite while their heat pumps were being installed. I went over as quick as I could. 

When I walked in son was muttering about "not Mexico" so I knew we were going to be talking about our trip to Montevideo. We started off talking general dates, airlines, and hotels. It was a great general discussion which had some great laughs. We stopped at noon for lunch (Subway) and started up again. We were getting serious. When son started to get us flights he did something and had to wait 30 minutes before he could start again. He started again and when it came time to put names in he said something about him being person one. I said of course as you are paying for the trip. Daughter-in-law laughed and gave me a high five. By 3 pm we had our tickets, I had paid for mine, and I had a list I am working on between now and Nov. 1.

I got home after 3 pm and I had things to do. I started with cleaning out the freezer. I have it all done but 2 items which need to be partially defrosted. The compost bin and all the recycling is down at the curb ready for pick up this morning. My back was sore from the hour of activity I did. 

I was sore last night in the middle of my back (sacrum) and I did some stretches and got a nice crack. The soreness is basically gone and I just need to continue strengthening it through activities I am doing. 

Sewing

I did sit and sew the binding down on one more side of the quilt. I have about 60" left and it will be done. My next job is to quilt and bind the runners. 

Knitting

Son brought me 3 skeins of merino wool/silk blend yarn from Uruguay. They are all the same dye lot. 

The yarn is heavier than the sock yarn I knit so I may make a scarf from them. I can hardly wait to see how this yarn knits up. 

I also worked on sock #2. I am slowly getting the gusset done. I think I am about half way done. 

I am counting the stitches for the gussets every other row as I can hardly see the decreased stitches. I am plugging away as I know once the gusset is done, I won't have to worry about decreases or padded stitches. 

Thoughts

    We are to have a couple of humid days and nights as there seems to be showers coming tomorrow and Sunday. Then it will be back to low 20C during the day and 8-10C during the night. We are definitely seeing the start of fall but will also see some warm humid days during the month. 

    I have decided to cancel Sewing With Cinnamon as I have lost interest in her topics. Though I will continue to sew for the dolls, I want to focus on using patterns I have already vs getting more that I may or may not sew. I will say that it is a great program and I did enjoy it but my focus has changed this year. I may work on the couture sewing course I got years ago as I do love doing that type of sewing. 

    One of my goals this fall is to start (once again) doing meal planning. I have tried many ways from planning once a week to twice a month. I am going to try to plan twice a week to see if that will help. Cooking for 1 person is hard but I do find that Chef's Plate recipes do help me. Making a recipe for 2 gives me a meal to eat and one to have the next day. 

Today

I am going to complete yesterday's list and add doing more cleaning in the family room. I hope to finish sewing the binding on the quilt and knit on the socks. I have dinner planned which is a bonus. 

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

Progress Is Being Made

 Yesterday was another warm day with a high of 27C. This morning it is clear and 11C. Today is supposed to be sunny with a high of 25C.

Lifestyle

I seem to be going out the door every day right now. Yesterday's was to figure out a travel Cpap for me. I ended up having to phone the respiratory therapist about it and have all the information I need to buy one for travelling. 

Next up I decided to look for my AirMiles card. After looking in all the spots I found two cards. After trying to find the balance on one card, I ended up phoning and got a very helpful person. My one card was fixed and then it was moved to the other card. Long story short, almost 2 hours later, I have only one card and a lot of dream miles to use. 

With that all done, I decided to start cleaning the family room so I will have space to put all the items from under the stairs into. The goal was to clean the area where I watch tv. I dusted, I cleaned, I tossed, I organized and I have a calm space to do handwork and watch tv. 

The bag by the tv goes to my friend for a project a group is working on. The red box by the chair is for garbage and will go out when I finish the room. The box on the chair is to be shipped to daughter if I can figure out how to get a lamp to fit the box. The mess on the other chair is my quilt. 

I used a swiffer dry cloth on the floor and will use the wet ones when I get some after the room is cleaned up. The other part of the room isn't as bad as this part was. It needs a good wiping, the window screens put back in, and some organizing. One more day and I should be ready to mop the floor. 

Sewing

I spent quite a bit of time sewing the binding down on one more side. I am enjoying the process and not rushing it. 

I laid it out on the floor to see how the binding looks and I am pleased that I didn't put a border on this quilt. I love the simplicity of it as it is. 

I am looking forward to finishing it and then doing the runners. Soon it will all be in my bedroom. 

Knitting

I finished knitting the heel flap and turned the heel. I then decided I should pick up the gusset stitches which was the hardest part of these socks. For some unknown reason, I really struggled to see the stitches. It took two tries on each side. The job is done and I can now start working on that part of the sock. 

I will be happy to knit a lighter colour when these are done. 

Thoughts

    I am slowly working my way through cleaning the family room. I am trying to do it methodically and by sections. I find that easier to do. The part I did was the messiest part. Tossing items, put a project into a container made the space much tidier and calmer.  I need to work on having routines in place where I don't leave a mess when I am done for the day. 

    I am also working on being more calm and relaxed. I find that being calm helps me focus on many things. I also find I get a lot more done in a day and am enjoying doing the jobs I set out to do. I am still doing brain dumps with my focus on the family room and under the stairs. I keep adding to the page and then take those ideas and put them into my daily to do lists. I find this is really helpful as I am a methodical person and jumping from one thing to the next is very stressful. 

    The rain we were supposed to get has turned into some small showers. Friday is going to be hot and humid. I am enjoying the cool mornings and have the windows and doors open so the house feels and smells fresh. 

Today

I have to deal with the freezer this morning. Once done I have my list to work on; fold laundry, pick up some stuff and put it away. I am going to hand sew binding down this afternoon after I do a bit more cleaning in the family room. Tonight I will knit on the socks. 

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