Its Been A Good Week

 It has been a good week around here. Lots of visits from dear friends, one I have not seen for an age. Mama Bug arrived on Saturday for supper and a movie, a good chat with the odd giggle thrown in. It was so nice to see her, We caught up on each others lives and plans, we ordered in a delicious supper and watched some Netflix. It was a very nice way to spend an evening, especially since it has been an age since I have seen her. I had lots of company this week, The Banker was here and KitKat brought over some supper one evening. Teddy Bear and I shared our Friday night. The weather is getting better (I hope) and the time is coming when the No Cooks can share a coffee again. What a happy day that will be, I miss those evenings so much. So inspite of Covid and having to follow some basic rules, I have managed to have a busy social calendar lately, which makes me ridiculously happy.

Another wonderful thing happened this week. I solve the problem of this corner of my craft room.

This is how it looked after I took a round out of it and purged a ton of stuff. Once I did this I gave the solution some serious thought. Putting in enough thought I finally had a brain wave. The Banker and her Sweet Baboo have turned to Ikea for storage solutions for her Mom lately. Sweet Baboo is a carpenter and he says he could not make something for the price they can buy it. So I got to scrolling. I measured the spot and trolled the website until I found something that would do. I found it, the price as reasonable and the unit is made of metal. Win Win Win  Happy coincidence The Banker and Sweet Baboo were making a trip to Winnipeg and could try to get it for me. They braved the lineups and I got this:

It has a small cabinet at the bottom and takes advantage of the vertical space, makes that corner look so neat and tidy. I wish I could get two of them into that space but I can't so I will be content with what I have. I seriously thought about it but with the chimney and the register its not really the best idea. This works and give me storage space which is always in short supply. 

Even better than getting this new shelf was what I found when I moved the old unit. I literally did a little dance of joy. Lurking under the shelves was this little book.

This little book is where I keep track of my craft projects and I have not seen it since 2015. Hey I never claimed to be a great housekeeper. I had looked and looked for this silly little book. I even moved my sewing desk with no luck. How it ended up on that side of the room I will never know and that is ok. I am just overjoyed to have it in my hands once again. 

With all this work in the craft room I am now spurred on to sort and inventory all the baskets, boxes and tins on the shelving units in there, It needs to be done and since I did all the storage tubs I can certainly see the benefits to having a list of what is in what container. Not to mention getting rid of the things that I do not need to be hoarding.

Purging and sorting continues. I even vacuumed the other day. That is a job I need to do more often. I went to Michael's this morning and picked up some memory boxes to store and sort little things in the craft room. Its coming together. Currently its a total mess but it has to look worse before it looks better right??

Its supposed to rain today and maybe some snow coming our way. Sigh, March is always such a moody bitch. We are also supposed to get wicked winds today. Honestly, I am ready for some nice spring weather but it will come. It has to.

Toodles

Linda

Three Days in a ROW

 Well I was a total wild woman last week and I actually went out of the house three days in a row. Sweet!! I have not done that in such a long time. I went and got my Covid shot, (the first one) and I am so happy that I got to do that. I went and got my hair cut....

Before

after....

I felt like a brand new woman. The next day I was going to go get my pictures but the parking lot at the photographers was full so I went and got breakfast instead. When I got home I had my first coffee of 2021 on my veranda. BLISS, Chilly but bliss, I tell ya.

Having the tire fixed on the car and the weather being much nicer has done wonders for me. I actually feel like getting out of the house. Tomorrow I will actually go and get my photo's and I will do a grocery pick up as well. Compost and recycling will hit the dumpsters at the same time. Its all good.

Thanks again to The Banker and her Sweet Baboo, I have now got a set of steel rims for my car and they will be put on the car when I get the summer tires put on. Sweet Baboo found some at a wrecking yard and they were a reasonable price.  He even painted them for me. I will be so glad to have them changed,  maybe I will not have a flat tire every time I turn around. That is an event that looses its charm very quickly.

On the crafting front, I am one square away from having my tablecloth completed. I will get that done today. I still have not made The Hostess's teddy bear because the disk joints are coming from China ( I ordered them from Amazon as I could not find any locally) and I swear they are taking the slowest route possible! She is going to think I have forgotten but I have not.

My snow removal guy is going to come one day soon and give me an estimate on some yard clean up. I am hoping  my next door neighbour will still mow for me this year because he is very cheap but I will get the lawn care guy to do the clean up if the estimate is reasonable. I was dead pleased with his handling of the snow this year. Such a worry off my mind, I would have done a cartwheel if I could. I never could even when I was young but in my heart I am doing them all over the place..

So I for the longest  time I have been pondering the corner of my sewing room that I felt was not being used to the best advantage. It is this corner, I mentioned it in my last post.

Well I have given it a lot of thought and I have landed on the solution. I'm not sharing it just yet but I think it will be perfect. It will work around the stupid chimney which is in a stupid location and give me storage space. I will not be piling things around the chimney if this works. I am so excited to give it a try. 

This morning I actually got a pot of soup made and ready for lunches this coming week. This meal planning thing is something I really need to get a handle on.

I am watching YouTube for meal ideas and I am finding some that appeal to the lazy cook in me plus they look like they might be yummy. I am thinking I need to make the crock pot my friend. Anyone else besides me sick of listening to me talk about this meal business??

Today I will finish the table cloth, maybe start a quilting one of the quilt tops in the to do pile. I have an Easter runner and table topper to make for myself, I could get that started. I still have two chairs to be recovered and the list of quilts to make is growing. Birthday Twin sent me a box of her late husbands shirts that I told her I would turn into a quilt. 

Purging continues to need to be done and I live in the constant pursuit of being organized. That is never going to go away I fear. It gets better but I have to fight for it every step of the way. I also need to start a list of the tiny little jobs that need to be done around the house. Threshold strips to be installed, trim boards to be put back on, small pain jobs etc. There are quite a few of those about the place that I have been ignoring for some time.

The sewing room needs a tidy, it always does. I purged and organized the lower storage containers some time ago. Now I need to do the upper shelves. They have baskets and tins that hold all manner of treasures but I need to know what is where.

Nope,it never stops and I never stop going on and on about it. Eventually something gets done but its mostly a lot of talk and little action. 

Toodles,

:Linda

Ticking Along

 The weather has gotten lovelier and lovelier each day. Out snow is nearly gone and it is starting to feel a tad like spring. I finally got the tire repaired on the car. I am no longer driving around on my spare and am back to all four regular sized tires. I am so happy. It also cost less than I was braced for. Always a wonderful thing in my life.  I celebrated by going through a drive through and getting myself a late burger lunch. Something I have not done in ages. So good to feel a bit normal for a bit.

I have a can of sray starch thanks to The Banker and her persistent kindness. Blue Cross sent me the needed forms and its safe to walk outside. All the things that overwhelmed me last week are things of the past this week. Deep breath of gratitude and moving on.

I finally took a quilt picture!!

This quilt is currently living in the spare room but it really was not made for there. In fact this poor quilt was simply made so I could play with my new templates. I really have no need for it and it had no place to go so for now its on the spare bed. Its queen sized and hopefully I will find a home for it. I have another quilt top to be used on this bed but I need to get it quilted. I think its up next on the roter.

I am getting closer to getting the covid vaccine and I think the way things look I can get it at the local drug store when I am eligible. This is exactly what I wanted to have happen. The store is much easier access as opposed to the covid shot station and my Doctor's office. More wins for me.

I sorted and purged twp baskets in my sewing room yesterday. While I managed to get almost a garbage bag of things to donate, the stupid baskets still look full. How the heck does that happen?? I want to see some results for all of my efforts, dang it.

This is a problematic corner in my craft room. Problematic in the fact that I am sure its not being used to its best advantage.

It was those top two baskets I purged. See they are still showing as full!! The little bastards. Anyway... I have this small shelf and all three levels have something on them. My scrapbook paper bins sit in front of the shelf unit. There is a lot of vertical real estate that is not being used. Problem is that heating pipe that runs up the corner, not to mention the register that is in the corner as well. If those were not there I would just have a cupboard built for extra storage. I am not sure what the solution is but I sure would love to get some better use out of that space. My never ending quest for more storage continues on. No. getting rid of some stuff is not a option, Don't talk crazy talk. 

Today I am hoping to get upstairs and wash the floors up there. Maybe give the bathroom a swish round with a cleaning rag. Who know?? miracles happen every day.

Nearly Brought Me to Tears

 Ok to be fair this day has not been the worst, nor has it been the best and I think I am suffering from a bit of cabin fever. That being said just a series of little events that did not go my way and I nearly ended up in tears. Big, fat, I am feeling so sorry for myself, tears. I didn't, I knocked that on the head and got myself together.

SO what happened you are wondering? Well not much so be prepared to think WTF when I am done. Here we go...

 It snowed last night, rain mixed with snow which has made everything slippery and had relegated me to the house once again. I had gone out two days in a row and I was looking forward to a trip to the photo place for my pictures. Being outside, even for a short time made me feel so good so havuibng tio stay in because if my fear of falling did not make me happy. 

Yesterday I started to sort old pictures and after going through three photo boxes that were crammed full, I ended up with a box and a half and a full garbage can of ones to be trashed.

While this is a great step forward, it leaves a box and a half of pictures that need to be sorted, organized and that thought just overwhelms me.

I asked my dear friend The Banker if she could get me some spray starch on her way to visit her Mom today. I thought this was an easy ask and I really do try not to over use the kindness of my friends. Well she went to three stores with no joy. I feel terrible. I hate that she went all over to get me something, I hate that I put that on her. She is so good hearted and I do not want to take advantage. I still feel guilty. I had no idea that spray starch was so hard to find. Not to mention I am sure I have some here in the house but I cannot find it. It was on my sewing table for ages but it has disappeared. This is the story of my life.

I spend so much time looking for things I know I have and yet can not find. I have spent most of my morning doing just that same thing. Forms for income tax. I was so sure I had printed out blue cross forms for income tax this year before I left work. I cannot find them, I cannot get into that account any more to get them again because I no longer have access. Instead I found a box full of papers that need to be sorted, file and destroyed. I need to learn to put things away, sooner rather than later.

I still need to get the tire fixed on my car, driving on the spare will only be good for so long. So there you go, nothing huge. I have all the paperwork in one spot to be sorted at another date. Its the same with the pictures, they can wait for another day when I am in a better mood. The snow and ice will go and I can contact Blue cross to see if they will email me the information.  One call to the garage and the tire thing will be a thing of the past. Spray starch, I will look on pinterest to see if I can make my own. Its all fixable and nothing is end of the world worthy but oh my goodness I was so close to a major meltdown. 

I still have not taken a picture of my finished quilt. I will do that soon. I am still working on the tablecloth and am getting to the finish of that.

 I made turkey stock this last week from a carcass Teddy Bear gave to me. She was going to pitch it out and I snagged onto it

A bright spot in my week is that I finally tackled the Tupperware cupboard. I have not been able to close the doors on it for much longer than I care to admit to.

I yanked all the stuff out of the cupboard and sorted through it. Out went some that is long past its usage. Tupperware gets permanently sticky when it gets old enough. Out went lids with no bottoms and bottoms with no lids. I recycled what I could but these to be trashed.

Now the cupboard in the laundry room looks like this and it makes me very happy.

So its been a few days of ups and downs. No different for me than anyone else. Thank goodness for my friends, for lovely chatty phone calls from family, I would be a lot worse off without them. 

Take Care

Toodles

Linda

What Can I Say??

 No seriously what can I say? I could keep repeating that not much happens around here but even that is stale old news. Pandemic is still happening but the restrictions are loosening just a tad. We now are allowed two people to visit if you live alone. The Banker and KitKat came for a visit this week and it was insanely exciting. I felt naughty and excited all at the same time. It was so lovely to have TWO people to visit. We has a lovely chat and they stayed longer than normal which  made me happy. Its hard to remember that we must go slow so that the numbers do not start to spike again but as we all know its hard to describe how good it feels to interact with actual people, not just a virtual presence.

I spent the weekend in my happy place. I was messing with quilts for both Saturday and Sunday. Not much makes me happier

Saturday was spent finishing the latest quilt top or flimsy as I have heard them called. I finally got the white material in the mail so Saturday I got busy and got the last of it sewn together. Its now been added to the "to be quilted pile" That makes three flimsys in the pile. Would have been four but on Sunday I plucked the Orla Kielly variation off of the pile and sandwiched it for quilting.

Its going to be an easy quilt and I think I may put it into the red bedroom. I only made the top because I wanted to play with my new templates and I had seen the Orla Kielly material which made me think it would make a cool quilt. I had no need of a quilt and have no one else asking for one so is very much a spare. I can use it in the spare room and change out the one that I actually made for my Mom that currently lives there. 

Therfore on Sunday while the watery winter sun did its best to shine outside, I was snuggled in my house, cozy, happy, binge watching tv and quilting to my hearts content. My idea of a perfect day.

Making it even better KitKat popped over to chat for a bit. She was on the last day of her vacation and was not all that excited about heading back to work today. I totally get that feeling. Blessed, blessed,blessed that I no longer have to deal with that feeling. 

Well I have nothing more to say for myself. My quilt is calling me, so I will submit myself to its siren song. 

Toodles

Linda