Remember Me???

This has been a lovely week in someways and a craptastic mess in others. Lets concentrate on the good things shall we?? Craptastic is a given and is what it is. Ok on with the lovely. I have had a week where people have been checking in, not just the regular ones but old school friends, old co-workers and people I don't hear from regularly have been contacting me to see how things are going. Its so touching.

I am the sort of person that has the best of intentions but somehow never seems to actually do what I intend to do. So when people contact and say " I was thinking of you" and they actually make contact I am blown away. It is very very very appreciated. I am amazed that I cross people's minds. Not to mention thrilled that I have left a pleasant memory for some.

I got my Christmas shopping done and most of it has been delivered to whom it belongs. Not that I have lots to do now but it is a  rush to have it done  Once we decided that the family Christmas get together may not happen this year, I changed my mind and I decided that I wanted the littles to have a present under the tree from me. So I plopped myself down in front of the computer and in 20 minutes had my shopping done and dusted. I would have bought local, I honestly would have, but I could not find the stuff I wanted and the free shipping and the "let us mail it for you" option local, so I went with what worked best for me. Little old lady on a pension has to mind her pennies. I will be locally supportive in other ways. So its done and mostly delivered. I could not be happier. I will still get myself a present. I do that every year but for now the others are taken care of.

Yesterday I could not decide what I wanted to do with my self so I started to sew together some squares I had crocheted from my scrap yarn. It will eventually make an afghan that will be donated or given away. Waste not want not!! I cannot seem to find a pattern for the Christmas fat quarters I recently bought. I want to use them on something I really love. I'll find it, its just gonna take time. 

Today I will  probably keep working on the afghan. I don't feel like doing much of anything else. Covid Lockdown is still in effect and will be for sometime I think. I am missing the warmer weather where I could have company come and visit on the veranda. Can't do that now so this round is a little moire solitary than the last one. This too shall pass.

So I have nothing more to say for myself. Well I could complain for a couple of hours but no one wants to listen to that, including me. Next week I think I will start to drag out the Christmas stuff and get some sparkle and shine going on around here. If I'm going to be home for Christmas, I want as much Christmas as I can get and I can get a lot of Christmas packed into this little house!! Stay tuned.

Toodles

Linda

 

Lock Down 2.0

Well we are right back to where we were before. No going out except for essentials, no gatherings with more people than live in your home ( yahoo party for one!!), businesses are closed, its so disheartening. To be fair, those of us that live alone can pick a person that is allowed in your house but it has to be the same person each time. I cannot choose so I have avoided that for the moment. I'll decide when I have to. There is text, the phone and zoom so I do not feel I am isolated or completely on my own. My friends keep track of me very nicely plus I reach out to them when I feel I need human contact. Its working well so far. More businesses are offering curbside pick up so I have to get someone to get things for me, I can do it myself. Go me!!

Busy and the Carpenter called last week. We had a chat about Christmas.  Originally the event was going to happen at their house, well times have changed. While we have not cancelled the family thing for definite but,so far it looks like its a no go. Very sensible I think. Most likely we will have Christmas in our own homes and be safe. Thank goodness we got to get together at Thanksgiving, that was such fun and so special. 

I have been reliving the memory as I have been scrapbooking the pictures from that weekend. I spent most of the weekend scrapbooking. I have to say its not nearly as much fun doing it solo as it is in a room full of my friends but it was not a bad way to spend my time.

I also have to say I miss the eight foot long table I am used to working on at scrapbooking weekend. My little sewing table is a bit cramped but I made it work. Where there is a will there is a way.

I cooked again this weekend. I really love this smoked sausage jambalaya recipe. Its so quick, so yummy and its not beige!! I dined the whole weekend on this pot of yumminess.

I also spent some time knitting sweaters for wine bottles this week/weekend. No the lock down has not finally made me snap, I am making them for a former co-worker. They are a cute gift to give with a bottle of wine over the winter season.

So all in all it was a very crafty weekend at this house. Shocking I know!! But it keeps me busy and I so enjoy it. I am almost finished a little pair of elf slippers that are so stinking cute I cannot wait to show you once they are complete. 

Today is laundry and a bit of housework. Nothing too exciting. I may start a new quilt today or I may do some more scrapbooking this afternoon. Oh the options!!

Toodles

Linda

I got NOTHIN"

 Seriously I don't know what to blog about. Lock down? Well that means not really going anywhere that is not absolutely necessary. Too cold for veranda visits so not really seeing too many friends. Teddy Bear has dropped in once or twice, only because she stores her Christmas gifts over here. Keeps the presents away from prying little eyes. I think its a great idea. I'm happy to help out. The Banker stopped in to drop off a much needed mat for the kitchen door. It was on sale at Walmart so she got me one. I'm sick of mopping up mud and water at the back. The old one got worn out from washing the cat pee out of it, no backing left on it, so now I have a nice new one there to catch a multitude of sins.

Oh what else exciting is happening around here? I got groceries, ordered them on Wednesday but could not pick them up until Sunday. A sure sign we are back in code red. I did order a few staples.

Far from a hoard but at least I have a better stocked pantry this time around than I did when this first hit us. I am  more prepared. I did not even need to buy toilet paper this time. Not that you could because once again people are panic buying. Not a package to be found at Walmart according to the Banker. Honestly. I have been keeping the pantry stocked since I got it up to a presentable level during the first wave. I intend to keep it that way.  I have bleach, disinfectant and reusable paper towels on hand as well. I think we are going to see shortages and I want to be as prepared as I can be, with things I know I will need. I do like to have bread so now I will not have to worry.

Ok so now I am cooking more. Go ME!! I need to figure out what I want to eat and I need to work on getting a bit more colour into the mix. Most things I seem to be making, like my version of Busy's Chicken Almondine, are beige. Tasty but beige. Its a work in progress. Adulting is hard at times.

Yesterday I worked on yet another Canada Day runner. It will be the third one I have created this year. Maybe this time I will get to keep one for myself.

I was having one of those days yesterday when  I could not seem to settle at anything in spite of the numerous things that need doing around here. I finally got quilting on this and watched the last of Sons of Anarchy. Today I hope to get it bound and finished.

I have gotten a lot of the stuff hauled out to the back that needed to go. There is still a lot more to be moved. This too seems to be something that I cannot get on top of. My ability to gather things to be taken to the shed and the dumpsters far outstrips my ability to get it there. Just one more thing to keep working on. I could ask someone to give me a half hour of minion time and it would all be done. Well ..... lock down.........I can and should do it for myself.......... etc, etc. Sigh. Being my own worst enemy again. I have however conquered the Kitchen Mess. I am managing to keep it far cleaner and much more tidy now that  I have more time. Retirement is awesome. 

.

I do want to get the autumn decorations taken in from the veranda. They look a little silly now that the snow has arrived and it looks like winter is here to stay. I'm not quite ready to put out the Christmas things just yet but Autumn needs to be taken in. Sort of cursing the fact that I did not bring the Lights and snowman up from the basement when I was down there. Oh crap, here we go again.

I did some scrapbooking on Saturday. Its not the same sort of fun that it is when I am with my fellow scrappers but I go 5 pages completed. There is much more to do but I was glad to get that taken care of. I am working on Thanksgiving and the family photos now. 

I am still on the lookout for projects to use my lovely new quilting material on. I want to make a Christmas wall hanging and a quilt with the fat quarters and layer cake I got on The Banker's and my last road trip. Nothing has lept out at me just yet. I will find the right project, I just need to be patient.

So I did my housework jobs this morning and now I am free to spend the afternoon crafting. I ordered some scrapbooking supplies from Michael's yesterday and its ready for pick up. I am not sure if I will go today or tomorrow to get it. That is the big decision of my day. Such first world problems!!

Toodles

Linda

One Step Foreward and Two BacK

 So we are back to the beginning again, businesses closed, restaurants reduced to take out, just like it was at the beginning. It gets me down this time round. We have been doing this for a long time now and no end is in sight. My heart tells me that this is going to stretch over Christmas and beyond if I am honest. I can't even think about that right now. I will say I am so very very grateful that I got to see my family  at Thanksgiving. I missed seeing everyone more than I realized.

I really do not have much to blog about. The Banker and I got the donation money to the Safe and Warm Shelter along with a trunk full of food for the food bank.

I am so very glad that we could do something for them this year. Its not as much as we usually do but it was something anyway. I like that we can help them out.

The Hostess stopped by on Wednesday and there was no putting her off. She has been trying to do some yard work for me the last few times she has stopped by. I do have lovely generous friends.  She graciously raked the leaves in my yard and cut down the dead peonies. It was really sweet of her. I was not getting it done in spite of all my good intentions.

I did bag them up the next day. I need to do more of this because it gets harder and harder to do each time I try.

Oh yes I did promise to show Best Friend's quilt once I finally got around to taking a proper full length picture of it. I managed that the other day so here it is in all its glory.

She kept all of her father's ties after he passed away and gave them to me to make a quilt with them. I rather like the way it turned out.

We had our No Cook Friday last week but decided that we would put meeting on hold for now until things settle down again. I am really not happy about it because its the highlight of my week. That being said I would rather miss a few get togethers and get things back on track again.

Thankfully we missed the big snow storms that hit the prairies yesterday. I am grateful for that but I feel for the other places that got hit hard. Winter has come with a vengeance. 

I finally got my bedroom cleaned up. I have hauled stuff out to the dumpsters, I have cleaned the kitchen and got the weekly laundry done. There is always a million things to do and I still have a big list of tasks to accomplish. Bit by bit, piece by piece, I am getting things done. It will all happen, its just gonna take some time. 

I have been working on my Christmas shopping. I nearly have it done. Stocking stuffers are hard to get this year because I have not been in stores to get things. I will figure it out. Where there is a will there is a way. Amazon has been my friend this year, like I imagine it has been for lots of people in this pandemic year. 

Toodles

Linda

Just Under the Wire

 When the pandemic shut the world down, one of the big concerns this year, for me personally, was would we get to have our scrapbooking weekend at the end of October. This is an event I look foreward to each year. Its three days of crafting with my friends, guilt free and uninterrupted. Its lots of fun, laughter and creativity with people I really like. Well, in the end. our big group had to cave in and cancel. Heartbreak ensued all around.

The Banker, the Sailor, KitKat and I decided that if we could find a place we would have an event of our own. We have a core group of eight of us that get together for this event. We found a place, we organised it and we managed to have it. Just under the wire because as of this Monday we went back into code orange, basically lock down. No groups bigger that 5, quarantining if you travel for 14 days, etc etc.

I cannot tell you how glad I was that we got this accomplished before things went south again. 

We were at a local Senior Center, we had rules to follow and they treated us like royalty. So friendly, so helpful, so accommodating. They set up the tables and chairs, provided coffee and the room had super good lighting. 

I managed to get 78 pages together, I still need to do some journalling and add embellishments here and there but I got January to September done. 

The Banker's sister makes her own embellishments. I want to give this a try. I doubt I will be able to do the incredible job she does but I want to give it a try. Embellishments are a horrible price and if I could make them it would be a benefit.

We had a "True North Strong" gift basket put together and raffled it off this year instead of doing our quilt raffle. We raised $400.00 for the local Safe and Warm Shelter. Teddy Bear was the lucky winner of this lovely gift bag.

We also put a shout out for food stuff for the local food bank and the Safe and Warm Shelter. The Banker and I will drop this stuff off when we take the raffle money down. I think we did good.

We had three days from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm and the room rental was very reasonable. We brought our own lunches and ordered in suppers. The Banker brought us cake and we brought our own snacks and drinks. All in all it was a successful weekend, everyone was pleased and we are hoping at some point, early in the next year, we can do it again. Covid co-operating with us of course.

Today I went to run some errands and I noticed the lids on my garbage and recycle dumpsters were flipped open. On closer inspection I discovered some determined person had diligently torn open all of my garbage bags, rooted through them and transferred most of it from the garbage to the recycle dumpster. 

I guess I should be grateful that they did not scatter it all on the ground. That thought did not stop me from cussing them out when I found it. Its all back in its proper spot and the dumpster is out for pick up tomorrow. It was just an annoyance. I cannot imagine rummaging about in stinky weeks old garbage. Yuck. I got enough of it having to move it all back to the right dumpster.

I was not home for Halloween, first time in years I did not hand out candy. I had already decided I would not do anything this year. I hardly get any children and most of the houses on my street don't bother. So I did not decorate, I did not put my lights on and it makes me a little sad. Numbers were down all around because of the virus but kids were out and about.

So now I need to work on putting the scrapbooking equipment back in its proper spots. Get at the next projects I have on the agenda and a million other everyday things that need to be done. 

Toodles,

Linda