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

Everyday Ordinary Miracles

 Well first of all the temperatures have shifted from the -50 Celsius mark to + 3 today. That a miracle if anything is. Thwe great change has happened in the space of a week and I, for one, am glad, glad glad! So glad I actually took the garbage out this morning and brought some things in that have been rattling around in the trunk of the car for some months now. Yes I said months, shut up, I know what I'm like. I have no illusions about myself/

I actually think the biggest miracle in my life at the moment besides the trip to the car today in sleeping. I have no idea what is happening but I am eternally grateful at the direction this is going. Let me explain. 

For my entire life sleep and I have had an uneasy relationship, I always said I had to fight to get to sleep and fight to wake up. If I got to sleep an hour after I turned off the light I felt I had really done something. In my older, more mature years, having to pee made it so I could sleep for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at a stretch before I would have to get up. Thankfully I could fall back to sleep in between but never a deep restful sleep, more little naps. HOWEVER, recently I have had a miracle occur. I am managing to get 4 to 5 to sometimes even 6 hours in a stretch. Can you hear the choir of angels singing?? I actually have dreams again. I missed them so much, I have amazing Technicolor dreams that are weird and entertaining at the same time. I have no idea what is happening but I am so glad that it is. Someone said maybe I am just now getting completely relaxed from no longer having to deal with work. I do not care what it is, just keep it coming!!

I completed my puzzle. What a lovely little rabbit hole that was. I could not make myself work on anything else until it was finished. I have a couple more in the house that I acquired some time ago but never put together. I will do them but I am not going to start them for a few days. I need to get some things done around here first before I loose myself in another puzzle.

Today I need to start to deal with the flat tire on the car. Its warmed up enough that I do not feel bad calling to have the tire changed. They will also not be swamped with calls in this weather. I need to  get this fixed because I have a grocery order due on Wednesday and I need to be able to go and get it. I do not like to have my car out of commission. 

That is about it I think, not much going on. The odd visit from friends, the odd trip out to the dumpster, I have neither been or done much. I got hog tied by a puzzle so options were really limited. 25 days since I have been anywhere. This pandemic and the cold winter weather have a lot to answer for/

Toodles

Linda

Not Since January 28th

 Except for the odd trip out to the dumpsters I have not left the house since January 28th when I went for groceries. I was going to go again but my car has a flat tire, I am not a happy bunny! So its sitting in the back on its flat foot thinking about what it has done. Actually its there waiting on the weather to warm, (so CAA is not so busy) so I can get it fixed. I had to get someone else to pick up my last grocery order. Once again, thank God for my super good friends.  I have not gone anywhere because without my own wheels I am grounded. It really has not been that bad, I am getting by quite nicely. Doing all sorts of things to pass the time. All things but actual housework.

My material arrived in the mail the other day so I am back to working on the latest quilt top. I have all the blocks done now I just have to add the sashing and get the flimsy finished, 

I also got enough flannelette to back a quilt top that I sewed last year, I think I will be able to get at that at some point this week. I am going to keep it for myself, unless I find a proper home for it,

My scrapbooks are finished for 2020 and I have already started to collect pictures for the 2021 albums. I have found a couple of old albums that I started years ago that I never finished, They are now on the "to do" list. I shall get them done at long last.

I finally scrubbed the stairs!! This may not come across as a big deal to the normal individual but its been on the list for so long. As always with me, its not a hard job but man I can turn it into one,

Lets see what else have I done? I made a double batch of bread this weekend, I actually like making bread, I just needed to remind myself how much.

Homemade bread is so yummy. I now need to branch out and try some new things in the bread line, like soda bread, English Muffins, Things like that

I was placing an order for yarn and while thumbing through the catalogue I spotted this jigsaw puzzle and it reminded me so much of a beloved, very missed friend

I could not resist it and without a second thought added it to my order. I have not done a puzzle in years. I'm baking bread and doing jigsaw's. There is no end to the Covid shenanigans at this house? Next thing I'll be making TikToc videos!

Toodles

Linda

Got some things done

 Well I am happy to say that I have actually got a few things done this last week. I still have not been anywhere because Covid..... but at least I have been accomplishing some things. The "to do" list has received a few strikes this week and I am pleased

I finally baked bread!! I am late to the Covid bread baking bandwagon but I did get it done. As always I made mountains out of molehills but the bread got made.

I turned this

Into this:

And in the end got this:

They are all gone, I could not help it. I love love love homemade bread and could not help but indulge in the bread. Slice by slice until it was crumbs.  I will make more again soon, I have all the ingredients and its really not a hard thing to do. Yes Busy it was not that bad! I had forgotten.

So bread making got crossed off the list, next came chair upholstery. I bought a 1950's chrome kitchen set some time ago and the chair vinyl was in rough shape. I bought material shortly after I retired to recover them and just now am getting at getting it done.

Still had the original vinyl on them. That came off and on went this: 

I did not get the back as tight and as flat as I wanted but I had good luck with all the other parts. A friend suggested using a hair dryer to heat the plastic backing on the material. 

Not sad to see the last of the duct tape but I would have liked to keep the yellow on the chairs. Oh well. I did get the back better on this one, practice makes progress.

My hair dryer died!! I had almost got this one finished and the dryer stopped dead and would not turn on. THE NERVE. I mean I have had it since high school, how dare it die on me!! So the chair recovering ground to a halt,.I have ordered a new dryer and should be able to get it tomorrow. It was only after I looked at this picture that I realized I had the seat on the chair the wrong way around. It has since been turned the correct way.

So starting to recover the chairs has been ticked off the list. Go ME

I got up on Saturday morning with pretty stiff and sore hands. Its understandable as you have to really pull when you are recovering curvy things. I have been hard on my hands over my life span so I need to be mindful when they tell me they need a break.  I decided not to crochet as that can bother them as well and turned to scrapbooking to give my hands a break. 

I am happy to say that I am finished (all but 2 pages) my 2020 albums. I did 23 pages over the weekend. Its so nice to have it completed. Normally this would have been done at a weekend with The Banker, KitKat and the Sailor but again Covid. I worked alone and got the job done. Alone is not nearly as much fun.

Scrapbooks off the list as well.

It feels good to be getting things ticked off the list. In the midst of the scrapbooking I finally sorted my stamp pad collection. Miss Mouse got me this rack and ink pads from one of her friends for a steal of a deal. I would not have this many otherwise. Some of them had dried up but most are still good. I have had it for a while and when I want a certain colour I just root until I find it. Well yesterday I wanted to do some stamping in my scrapbooks so I took this down.

I got out a stamp, the cleaner, some blank paper and went to town. I checked each pad, threw out the dried up ones and kept the rest. I then put them back in the rack according to colour now all the reds are together, the greens together, etc.

That was not on the list but it did need to be done. Next I have to do a bit of rearranging in the craft room to have it more accessible. Its so nice to have it all in order. 

I may just finish the last few scrapbook pages today and then that will be done and dusted until next year. I have to go for groceries tomorrow so I need to go out and plug the car in at some point today. This means that some of the garbage bags in the kitchen will finally get out of the house. We are having that bitter cold winter weather that we have avoided so far and I don't want to go outside anymore than I absolutely have to.

After that I have no idea what I will do. I should make a big pot of soup. I'm not all that keen as the kitchen is rather frigid due to the wind and the cold temps outside. Its not the best insulated place in the house and I really need to get myself some slippers, That floor is cold on bare toes. 

While it may not be interesting to anyone but me but I did get some things accomplished this week. So proud of myself!!

Toodles

Linda

What Can I say?

Well another week is done and here we are in a new week and a new month. Where did January go? I had a list of things I was going to start working in January. Somehow the month went by and only one of the list has been started. How can a person ignore so much, do so little and still have the time fly by? Its a mystery to me.

A while ago disaster struck at this house. I ran out of coffee. This is not good, infact it was panic inducing, I did have tea in the house so I managed but tea is just not the same as coffee. As a result I took steps to insure that this would not happen again in the near future. I bought 100 pods. I was not going to buy this many again as I am not thrilled with the fact that the pods are individually wrapped in plastic but needs must. This brand is very tasty and reasonably priced with compostable pods. That balanced out the packaging  as far as I am concerned, I need a cup of coffee first thing in the morning to get me feeling even remotely normal.

I cooked again last week. A miracle of astronomical proportions!! I found this quick and simple recipe for Celebration Chicken or Chicken in a Hurry., gave it a try and found it ok. Its not fabulous but I will make it again,

I am, as always, working on this meal making business. I really really am my own worst enemy. Why I cannot make myself do certain things I will never know. Its most annoying.

Not much else happening around here. I am still waiting on mail delivery to be able to continue working on my new quilt, or quilting an old quilt. The table cloth continues to grow, I have a sewing project to get going on, and a cupcake hat to make for a friend 

Other than that not much going on. The Banker and her Sweet Baboo have gone off to deal with things as his Mother passed away just recently and I have no idea when they will get back home. I do muss her weekly visits. Covid restrictions have loosened a little but it does not make much difference in my day to day existence. Teddy Bear came for Supper on Saturday night which was so nice,. Its good to have a live person to talk to now and then,

Well I cannot thing of another thing to either excite or bore you with, so I shall say good bye for the moment,

Toodles

Linda

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