Laundry is Complete

I finally finished the 9 zillion loads of laundry that I tackled this last week. Its a good thing because I am back to work on Monday. (moment of silence please) I am trying not to get myself into a knot about it all. It is what it is. Enough about that

I have been quilting, watching British crime dramas on Netflix and that is my happy place. My idea of fun fun fun. I do the odd household chore when I need a break and the rest of the time I am needle pulling thread. I should have this one done shortly. I have four more quilt tops waiting to be quilted and I have two others planned up in my head. Guess what I am gong to be doing the first while I am retired|??

I am dong the next facebook quilt project, Its row by row quilt as you go and each row comes out once a month. The first one is out and I had such a hard time to figure out the material. I thought about buying lovely co-ordinated material but I dismissed that rather sharply. Honestly my first impulse it to always BUY SOMETHING. I have loads of material in this house I do not need to buy more. So then do I do totally scrappy or do I pick a colour and use scraps from that? After much back and forth, I decided on blue with a touch of pale yellow.

Out came the totes and this is what I rooted out. I think it will make a decent quilt in the end. I sat down today and got the first row sewn up. Not sure yet how the quilt as you go thing works but I will figure it out or I will just make the top and quilt it at the end.

Only a portion of the row, and the usual bad lighting but you get the idea. I will find a way to take a picture of the whole thing and with better lighting and I will post that another time.

I have not got the textile recycling taken to the bins yet but it is all bagged up and ready to go. I have all the ;laundry folded and am transporting it upstairs as I can. Once it is up there I am actually putting it away. This is a big deal in this house. I have some issues with follow through and completion. I could use another week off. (Soon this will not be a problem). I will have to find other things to complain about.

I never went out this morning like I usually do on a Saturday. I stayed home because I had nothing that I really HAD to get. Breakfast is much better at home and cheaper too. So I did that. I made the coffee, cooked the food and stayed in my house. I plan to repeat this performance tomorrow as well.

Really I have not been out and about very much this entire last week. I have hunkered down, strapped myself to the washing machine and quilted to my hearts content. Its been wonderful. I never even went to the secondhand stores. Nothing I desperately need and I am getting better at not just buying everything that I think I want.  I have been making plans for being retired. I know I need to get on a schedule. It will not be good if I don't. I also need to be a little tighter with the funds. BUDGET!! its a word I need to embrace.

Not much else going on as usual. Its quiet and that's not a bad thing. I like it.

Toodles
Linda

Rockin' the Staycation

Last week went by in an exhausted blur. Last week before a week off, super busy at work, I was too pooped to pop by the time I got home.  Blogging was not high on the list. This week is much better. I am using up some of my last vacation days and am having a staycation. I would love to go somewhere but money is an object.  PLEASE do not get me wrong, staying home is one of my most favourite things to do. So I am not having a pity party, I am a happy bunny. I like being at home and I like being on my own schedule. I think I have mentioned that several thousand times.

Honestly its lovely to get up, do the things you choose to do. When the wind chill is -41 you can stay onside. Its fabulous. If you want to go out you can, during the day and not after work when everything is so busy.

Believe me I have been rockin' the staycation. It seems that I have done nothing but laundry. I started it on Monday and I am still working on it today. I am washing all the bedding on two beds from mattress covers to bed spreads, I am doing towels, cleaning rags and every item of clothing I think I own. I am sorting clothes to go to recycle and being the daughter of my dear Mom, I am washing it all first. My little dryer takes forever to dry big things so that is slowing down the process but its getting done and that is the best thing.

I made a list of things to do while I was off this week but I seriously over estimated my energy level so needless to say I have not even accomplished half of it. Some has been done, some will be done and some will keep til a later date.

On this last weekend I was so stiff and sore. I felt like someone had been using my legs and back for batting practice. I did not do a lot of moving around but I did knit I worked on my donation project.

I now have five hats and five scarves knit up. I have not even dented my yarn stash but its fun to do and keeps me busy. The Safe and Warm shelter will  be glad of them as well.

I managed to get to Fabric land and got the material for the back of my quilt. I got that washed and yesterday I settled in to  begin to quilt it.

The next Facebook quilt project came out on Tuesday and since I think I will do it as well, I need to get this one finished. Quilting is a most beloved pass time. Find a Netflix series to binge watch and I am as content as can be.

Other than this not much is happening around here. Crafty things, lots of laundry and the odd bit of housework. Same old same old.

Toodles,
Linda

Scraptastic Weekend

I was getting my scrap on this Saturday with KitKat and The Sailor. The Banker was to be with us but sadly her father-in law passed away and she had to go with her Sweet Baboo to tend to family things. Its what you do for the ones you love. We missed her. We had a fun weekend.

Road trips with friends mostly always a good time. When you are spending the day doing something you all enjoy its a win win situation. Thankfully I have friends that will help me haul my stuff. Scrapbbooking is not a very easily transported hobby. I got my stuff pared down as much as I possibly could and it was still a ton of stuff. Last weekend I picked out all my paper, tried to take a little as possible but it was still two Ikea bags, and three other smaller containers. Its just so much fun though. We went from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm. Its $35.00 for the day and you get snacks and lunch with coffee provided.We buy are own supper but really is a pretty reasonable price for an entire day of entertainment.

But as I said I am blessed and the other two helped haul my stuff and I could be part of the fun. I would not trade this circle for anything. In no time at all they had us all in and we were set up and ready to scrap. I usually bring some snacks of my own and I was very proud on myself that I finally got smart and went the healthy route. Grape tomatoes, baby carrots, and cheese. I usually ingest far too much sugar at these events. I have decided to knock that off. I feel so much better today for not having eaten my body weight in sweet things.

I almost got my 2019 album finished. I have to print out a few pictures and get some embellishments and I will be done. I have already started to gather stuff for my 2020 album. I will get it the last of 2019 all done when I am off on vacation this month. I have a number of crafty projects to tend to on the week away from work.

BIG BIG NEWS for me!!! I gave my official retirement date this last week. Its terrifying and exciting all at the same time. I cannot wrap my head around not having to go to work each day. I have worked steady since I was 18 and I am so looking forward to being in charge of my own time. I just hope I can afford to continue to stay at home. Time will tell.

So I have a countdown app activated on my phone and I take great joy in checking it out everyday. So many things I think "oh I have to book that day off work" or I have to figure out when I want vacation and I don't have to do that anymore. I can go to visit my family in the middle of the week if I wish. Its all a learning curve. The habits of a lifetime are being changed.

Not much else is happening around here. The usual, work, out for suppers twice a week, once with KitKat and once with the No Cooks. Errands, housework, crafty stuff, you know the usual. One thing that is a positive, I am at long last purging the closet and bagging up the clothes that are no longer fit for public usage to be sent to the textile recycling program. I have two bags so far and more to come. Its long past being needed to be done and it feels good to be getting this stuff out of the house.

I have five quilt tops that need to be turned into quilts. I thought it was only three but there are more. I have lots of yarn that needs to be turned into warm things for donation to the safe and warm program. I have an entire house that needs a serious cleaning so I expect I will manage to keep myself busy.

I am looking forward to my upcoming week of staycation but then when am I not looking foreward to not be working? Soon soon soon that is all gonna change. Squeee

Well I hear the couch calling my name for my regular Sunday afternoon nap. Oh I love a good nap.

Toodles
Linda

Anybody Out There??

Feels like I have not posted in ages!! Time has gotten away from me but what else is new. I have the best of intentions and all I am doing is paving hell's highway. So now that I have decided to post I have to make myself remember what the heck has happened around here since I was last in contact.

This may be very random because that's how my mind works these days. First of all I got the top of my 52blocks52weeks quilt. I am not sure when its gonna get quilted but I have it done. Its bigger than I thought it was going to be but I am very pleased with the results.

Its not the best picture and I will get a better one at some point. When I took it I realized there are two blocks in the middle that are lacking some black in them. Well that sort of thing bothers me so I had to correct it. I am much happier with this now

I have so enjoyed this project. The next one is a quilt as you go row by row and I think I am going to take part in that one too.

What else? I spent some time on a Saturday purging out the pantry. I had things in there that were so old they had turned solid so out it went. It also went if I could not identify it, I was not gonna eat it if I had no idea what it was. Its a good rule I think.

. 

Here we go with the before:

and the lovely after

Much better and I have a lot of empty container that I can use for food stuff that I may actually make use of. I am not going to be buying things that I think I will use but actually don't. Reduce, reuse, recycle is becoming more and more important in this house.  I have learned how to use my own grocery bags when I use PC Express. I am getting better at using my own bags when I do other shopping. I am breaking my habit of using plastic bags for lots of things and if I do, I will use them for more than just one job.

Best Friend came for a visit this last weekend. It was a super short visit but we packed a lot into the brief time she was here. Good woman that she is she shoveled my sidewalk for me and hauled a ton of recycling out to the bin. 

I have mentioned it many times but I have very good friends who are super kind to me. The weekend was spent talking, laughing, talking, giggling and then she had to go home. I am hoping that the next time she comes to visit she can stay a little longer. 

The No Cook group had a games night at the Sailor's house. It was such fun. We ordered in pizza and played board games until it was very late. We are more like 12 year olds that grown women. Its the best thing in the world, to still be able to be silly. Life goes better with a sense of humor.

The Christmas things are put away, the trees are into the basement once again, thanks to the Banker. I am impressed with myself. Putting away is not my strong suit.

 I have three quilt tops that I need to get quilted. One of them is a remake for The Nurse. Her aunty made the quilt for her and the back wore out so I am going to redo it for her. It means a lot to her so I am more than happy to make it up for her. 

I have continued to work on scarves for donation and I am going to start to add toques to the donation mix as well. I have a fair amount of yarn that needs to be used up and this is a good way to do it. I am also making some baby blankets to be given as gifts. I have one done and another started. I will post pictures when they are finished. I doubt the recipients read this.

I want to start my applique quilt and there is a list a mile long of all the want to do's.

That is all I can think of for now. Hopefully its not so long before I post again 

Toodles

Linda

2020 Has Begun

Sp we are into the roaring 20's again. My new year started out with a case of the flu that knocked me off my feet for three days but it passed. I didn't even go for Chinese food on the Friday night with the no cook group. That ticked me off to no end but I just was not up to it. I spent most of my days sleeping and feeling like an over cooked noodle. Thankfully its passed

I have almost all of the Christmas dodads taken down and put away. Its no where near as much fun to take it down as it is to put up. Mostly what is left is the stuff that has to go into the basement. The trees and the outdoor lights and Frosty. The house looks colder once this stuff is put away. I miss the cosyness of the lights and the tree and the decor. Oh well I can get it all out again next year

The 52blocks52weeks project is almost at an end. I have enjoyed doing it. Its been interesting to see the other quilts and everyone's interpretation of the quilt. There are two more blocks coming out, extras if you want to use them and I, of course, cannot not use them. I like complete sets.

I have had an unusual weekend for me. I usually get up and run errands on Saturday morning, get breakfast and then come home to house work and projects. I have not gone anywhere, all weekend. It  has been bitter cold and I just was not in the mood to venture out. I made my own breakfast and brewed my own coffee. I really should have gone to Michael's for yarn. I have a couple of baby blankets to make and I should be getting at them. I did my usual thing of telling myself that I would go today. Well that is a little fib I seem to like to tell myself since I know in my heart that I rarely go anywhere on Sunday

So I will have to find something else to do, craft wise, this day while I finish the laundry and watch the last few episodes of  season 6 of the Blacklist. At some point I should make some soup for lunches next week. I have lots of yarn that is sitting and doing nothing, not the right stuff for baby blankets but it can be used for something else. I may knit some scarves for donation. Teddy Bear got me to knit scarves for her grandchildren this year and I used stuff from my stash to do them. Inspired me to keep going. I can make afghans too, for the women's shelter. Its win win all around. I get something to do, someone will be warmed by my efforts and nothing gets wasted. Its all good.

So I am going to go and root through a basket or two and find something to knit up, Make myself a coffee and then dig into Blacklist.

Toodles
Linda

A Perfect Christmas Except

Perfect except I was not with my family. Being with them would have made it perfect but it came in at a close second. Thanks to the magic that is a cell phone I got to see them. Those gadgets are wonderful for a lot of things.

Christmas eve started with getting out of work at 1:00 pm, having lunch out with Teddy Bear. Then a quick dash to the store to get appetizers for supper. I got home and have stayed put ever since. Appetizers are traditional supper for Christmas eve in my family and has been for some years. I like tradition so appies it is!!

I did have a bit of a crisis as my phone had run out of power, happened this morning in fact. Busy had sent a text with some pictures to let me know the mayhem had begun and it died in my hands. The crisis was that I have no idea where my phone cord is. Its has gone walk about and I do not know where it is. Panic, panic, panic but Teddy Bear came to the rescue. She arrived armed with coffee and a spare cord. IOn no time at all I am fueled up, charged up and connected to the world once more/

I found the fireplace video on YouTube and so it was a cozy morning. I had presents to open and be spoiled by. I had coffee and a chat with a dear friend, many texts from family and friends and then a reasonably good breakfast. I slightly over cooked the bacon and hash browns, and I slightly under cooked the eggs but it was tasty none the less. I managed to snarf it down no problem.

I have watched all my favourite old movies over the last week. Last night was A Holiday Affair and Scrooge. All watched by the light of the just the Christmas tree. I watched the older version of Little Women today, the one with Katherine Hepburn. I watched the Queen's speech and have been YouTubing things today. I took a nap and had tea and dainties for lunch mid afternoon. I did not eat the whole box but I put a dent in it for sure.

I am alone today by choice, not because no one loves me. I have had lots of invites and I have a standing invitation to join Teddy Bear any time I want. I am ok with being on my own. I would most like to be with my family but it just did not work out this year. Next year they will have to put up with me. I could not get time off to travel and I had a rather hefty car repair bill just last week. All takes a bite out of ones plans.

I have not gone shy though. I have my house so decorated it looks like a Christmas store. I love every inch of it. The Ballerina's are spinning on the tree, the tree itself is sparkling. The Dickens village is glowing and Mom's Ceramic tree is holding court front and center.

The Piggy tree is in the dining room. The gingerbread tree is in the kitchen. The little Santa tree is on the landing upstairs.

The family tree is in the entry with two new golden stags to keep it company.

The Teacher has taken over the making of the family Christmas ornament and what a splendid job she did!! Its so cute and such delicate work. I love it!!

Buy all accounts the little ones liked their gifts. The Wee girl got Barbie furniture and clothes made by me

This sweater was knit from patterns my Mom used in 1964 to knit my first Barbie clothes. I will make her more but I ran out of time

Sweet pea got a baby doll, two outfits and three baby blankets.

Tater Tot got a Buzz Lightyear hover shot, which from the video he was very happy to receive and I was deemed very smart to know it was just what he wanted. I would make him something but little boys are harder than little girls. I had such fun making these things for the little girls.

So I have rounded off the day with a good meal. I roasted up a turkey and had a rather good meal of turkey,potatoes, peas, and apple salad. Apple salad is an old family thing. I love it. I am waiting for a bit before I finish off the meal with some ice cream.

People that love me, gifts, good food, roof over my head and lots of Christmas decorations to put me in the mood. It been a good day. I hope that whatever you are doing, whatever way you choose to celebrate or not, that you are happy and that 202o brings good things your way!!

Toodles
Linda

Three More Sleeps

Its nearly Christmas!! Things are shaping up around here, stuff is getting done. I am so excited. I was rather pleased with myself yesterday. I had a list, I had four places to go and pick up stuff. Sometimes all I can do is get groceries and then I have to head home. Yesterday was an exception. I managed to get to all the places I needed to get to, got all the things I needed to get.=, my legs were screaming when I got finished but I did it!! I have always been rather independent and its nice to know that I still can manage to get stuff done for myself. I do not want to wear out my welcome with my friends. They have to do enough for me as it is.

So once I was home and got rested up I began to get the last of the Christmas decorating done. My motto seems to be "one is good, two is better and a million is perfect" Its something I need to work on. However, the Christmas do-dads were in situ long before I started to try and change my attitude. For example:

This is my Santa figurine collection. Fills the milk glass cabinet perfectly. I have to stop buying them. I think I have enough for a lifetime.

Then the Santa parade got onto the stairs.

For the first time in a few years, I put up the big tree. I am 110% sure that it is not going back into the box it came in. Good thing getting a tree bag was on my list yesterday.

I had forgotten how many tree ornaments I had plus the tree is smaller this year than in the past. Its almost more ornaments than tree. I could just sit an look at it all day long. Its the perfect size. It fits the corner perfectly and I can decorate it with no trouble. Its lovely to see all the do-dads again, to watch the ballerinas spin and the Angel topper brings back warm memories of Christmas's past. That topper was the one my Mom and Dad bought to put on their tree when they were first married. I cannot imagine my tree without her.

I have the kitchen left to decorate and I am all ready for the big day. Granted I only got it all out in time to start putting it all away again but I do not care. It makes me happy.

I have had this Santa for so long I do not remember not having him. My oldest cousin on my Mom's side gave him to me many years ago. I love him. I replaced his body once because the material dried out and when I picked him up, my fingers went straight through him. Panic!! But he got a new body and a new lease of life

                                                     
Oh I got these when I was out yesterday, I just need to figure out where to put them. I know, I'm hopeless.

I got my Secret Santa present done and delivered. The recipient was pleased with it which is good. I made another snowman table runner. Its always fun when you get the top sewn up and you see this.

This is what it is supposed to look like:

So annoying, much cursing but that is what stitch rippers were made for. It got fixed and then it ended up looking like this

I have made a number of these over the last couple of years. I think they are rather cute.

Today I should  go pick up prescriptions, the last few groceries and I want to go to the material store and get a Christmas panel or two. I cannot seem to work up the energy to get out the door. My legs are not over our adventures yesterday and the thought of going again is not filling my heart with glee.

I have the kitchen to clean, a mountain of laundry and then decorate the kitchen for Christmas. I guess I can get groceries on Tuesday afternoon. The Christmas panels will happen when I can manage them and the prescriptions I can pick up after work tomorrow. So I have all day to get the kitchen whipped into shape and laundry finished. So I will do as I did yesterday. Do a bit, rest a bit, do a bit, lather, rinse, repeat until its done.

White Christmas is on tv this evening so I will be parked in front of the tv for that for sure. Its a long time favourite!!

Toodles,
Linda