Wednesday Whatnots

I sort of forgot I had not done my weekly post. Sometimes I wish I could post more but I really do not have enough fodder for a day by day post. I can hardly manage a weekly one and even then I repeat myself more than I can to admit to.

So on with the repetition, I have continued to clean and purge. There is a lot of stuff in this house and rather a lot of it needs to go on to other places. It needs to be recycled, trashed and donated, This is what I have been working on since I retired. As a result this happened in my dining room

I went to move the bookcases that make up my sewing table to get the junk out from under them. It turned into a major cleaning episode. Not that that  wasn't a good thing in the end. I never found what I started out to find but the junk got thrown out and the floor got swept for the first time in ages.

The next new project is that I have found a new use for all the plastic grocery bags I have accumulated lately. Pick up grocery shopping does not let you use your own bags. I have rather a lot of plastic bags piling up at home and I do not want to throw them out. So I tried making a bag out of the bags. Basically you cut them into strips and crochet them into a reusable bag.

This takes some time and its a bit of work but I found it fun.

I have made one and am now working on a second bag. They are strong and softer than you would expect. I am very pleased with the outcome. I also love that I have found a use for all those bags that were headed for the landfill. I have donated and given away all that I can, this was a relief..

I finished my wall hanging, I just have to get it hung up. I have the spot picked out, I just have to move furniture to hang it and that takes some working up to

It one of my favourite bible verses. I found the picture on Pinterest and did my best. 

I had a relapse the other day. I sent an order to Michaels for a metal crochet hook to make my bag of bags and I bought a punch

Just when I thought I got over my addiction to purchasing punches I fall off the wagon. Sigh. I am already plotting scrapbooking pages with this pretty little flower punch.

I started to quilt this years Safe and Warm Raffle quilt. I am not sure how we are going to do the fund raising this year. Covid is going to make ticket sales problematic but I have faith we can do it. So putting all my faith in the fact that things will work out I got on with the quilting

I also got my hair cut for the first time since pandemic lock down. I had just had a cut at the last minute before everything shut down. For that I am grateful. It needed cutting for sure. I have to say it was weird getting a cut done while wearing a mask.

Happy result.

No Cook has suspended our regular Friday get togethers for the future. Teddy Bear and I still have supper together but its not the same as with the whole gang of us. A resent Covid flare  up in town set us all back in the fight against the virus.

Today I woke up cranky and could not settle to doing anything. Probably because I had not made a list. I function better with a list. I made another mask to day. It was a very simple pattern but it gave me grief to the point of wanting to pitch the machine across the room. Finally got it sewn up and then I did this to my mask elastic.

Its bad enough when this happens to yarn but elastic is a nightmare. So me and my cranky mood forced myself to do battle with the rats nest and I won at last.

Now I really should get the last of the laundry finished, I need to move the compost dumpster, take the textiles to the recycle depot and get back at quilting the raffle quilt. So that's it for now.

Toodles

Linda

Scratching at the Surface

 In the last couple of days I have been spending a lot of my time just simply putting things away. Its a never ending job in this house. Honestly the woman that lives here is splendid at getting things out but piss poor at putting anything away!! ask her Mother she will confirm it. Woman really needs to smarten up. So for the last while that has been the order of the day. Put things away, throw out the junk, recycle what can be recycled and get it to where it should be. Make the place look like someone cares.

I was going to sew masks this afternoon but I wandered into the sewing room and was suddenly fed up with the bags of papers on the floor. So I got to shredding. One garbage bag later and I was done.  I even gave the floor a good sweeping. First time is a rather long time.

I think, at long last, I have the old documents taken care of and I am up to date. Just need to stay on top of it all now. I also filled a laundry basket with recyclable stuff. I will spare you a picture of that but trust me its full. Paper, cardboard, plastic, it all seems to pile up. 

I got those two tote boxes under the table in the craft room. I am seriously doing the drunken monkey dance of joy over this one.

Now you see them:

Now you don't:

That's because they have moved to a new home. A quiet secluded little spot where no one will kick them EVERY SINGLE TIME when they head to the computer. My toes are happy happy happy.

Its nothing short of a miracle to find actual storage space in this house. 

Storage space is not the only thing I have found in this house, I found a spot for the printer. Yes I really did, honestly

Just the right place to put it. Its such a little thing but I really need to have one. See how cute. Now I just have to get it plugged in and working. One thing at a time.

Making this space meant I had to deal with finding new homes for all of this:

Like a bloody game of dominoes this house. I was tempted to just leave it all where it was sitting but that would turn me into beginner hoarder and that is not happening.  I got to work and found spots for it all. Today(at least), my counters in the craft room look like this.

Today I declare that the surface has been scratched and I hope that I can keep the momentum going. I feel like I could work for years and never see the end of it all. I just hope I can finally learn to put things away instead of leaving them out and that I can keep plugging away at the current state of the place. My dining room will look much happier once the dumpsters get emptied this week and I can haul the new stuff out to them. Tomorrow I shall get at the sewing of the masks. A never ending string of things to do. Sigh.

Another miracle happened this week I actually cooked!! I made a chicken dish and it was rather tasty.

Found the recipe on Facebook and gave it a whirl. Super quick and easy, I will make it again. Baked some potatoes with it and felt very accomplished for once. I really need to do this more often. I have such a hard time trying to figure out supper. It keeps me stumped more than I care to admit.

I finished my wall hanging. I will get it up and in its place and then I will share a picture of it. I really am pleased with it

Well I should get back to doing something, not sure what but something.

Toodles,

Linda

And We are Off Once Again

 So we have had another outbreak of this awful virus. 64 new cases in the city in the last couple of days. Sigh. We got complacent, people got lax on what they were supposed to be doing and now we pay the price. I had planned to go to Regina to visit my sister-in-law and great niece this week but those plans have been put on hold. While I don't think I have gone anywhere to be exposed I have done No Cook with people who are out amongst the real world everyday.  I decided to err on the side of caution. I will stay the blazes home until it feels safe again. We have cancelled No Cook for the foreseeable as well. 

Yesterday I woke up in a bit of a funk. I had to drag my butt out of bed with my head already frantically building mountains out of the things I needed to do that day. I really am my own worst enemy. So I mooched around for the best part of the morning and all I managed was to get the laundry down to the main floor, the compost bin to the front yard and breakfast made. Not accomplishing a lot, but at least up and out of bed. Not laying down with the covers over my head willing the day to go by.

Then The Hostess breezed onto my veranda, bringing coffee, blueberry muffins and a happy positive attitude. She was a true breath of fresh air. My funk took flight and was replaced with a good positive mood. We had a lovely "veranda visit". Catching up on all the news that is the news and then she took a stab at my weeds. She totally ignored my protests of "no no I can do it myself" and got about half of what was left to do, out of the ground and into the compost bin. I cannot tell you how happy this made me.

I truly have the bestest friends ever. So once she breezed off again to attend to the rest of her day, I got my self up and without too much thought, I finished it!!

This makes me happier than I can possibly express. I thought this job  would take me a week and now its done. The lilacs are slowly growing back and now the snow-on-the-mountain can work its way into the patch. There is still much to do but thank goodness much has been done My lesson to be learned lately is less thinking, more doing. The thinking always gets me into trouble.

I then I finished my wall hanging. I found a picture on Pinterest that I fell in love with. I drew out a pattern and set to work. Its one of the bible verses I feel is personal, it was part of my Mom's funeral service and I think its linked to a lot of the women in my family. I have been at it for about a week or more now.

Its now ready to quilt and then bind and then hang it up. I am seriously pleased with the results. Nothing was purchased to make it, just some black embroidery thread. Its been made from scraps left over from other projects. I just love those fat little folk art sheep. 

Today I have managed to get a grocery order. I plan to make this last for some time as I think I am going for groceries far too much.  I need to start using some of the stuff I have on hand. Thankfully I have a reasonably supply of non grocery items so I should be good to go for a bit. I even have a chicken recipe I am going to cool up tonight!! Go Me.

So today is laundry, a trip to the basement because I thought I had turned on the water to the tap outside but I didn't, dealing with the dishwasher (empty and start to refill) and then some sewing. The Hostess picked up her Maple Leaf Runner yesterday so that is off my list. I am going to make another because Agnes and I are doing a Canada Day themed basket for scrapbooking weekend.

I have changed the veranda decor to a more late summer theme. I am big on seasonal decor and veranda is a good place to do this.

I have decided I need to spray paint those tins that hold the flowers in the window box. I was not going to originally but the more I look at it the more I think they need to be an off white. Its too busy this way.

I have also been once again sorting and organizing material. I had two smallish tote boxes and a basket full of scraps that I dragged out when I started the wall hanging. I am happy to say they all have been sorted, some colour sorted and now the fabric is in better spots. 

 

The top picture is some material waiting for the sort and  purge, the bottom picture is the empty totes with a bit of fabric that is going to recycle. All of my really good 100% cotton fat quarters are in one tote now. The rest of the fabric is now bagged up in colours. Something I have wanted to have done for a very long time.

My next project is to get these totes hidden under the tables in the craft room. I have high hopes I can do it. Wish me luck.

I also spend a portion of each day, or I try to, devoted to putting things back where they belong. In this house with me in charge, that it a never ending job. Its coming along but as always it is slow going. I still need to clear a spot for the new printer. Oh my that is going to be a job and a half.

Onward and upward!! Once more into the breech.

Toodles

Linda

 

 

Weekly Catchup

Right at this moment I am procrastinating, (Something I am rather good at). I should be out weeding in the front yard. I started to do it yesterday and as always my knees, hips and lower back are screaming at me this morning, Expressing their joy at having to actually do something, So I have taken my pain meds and I am waiting for them to kick in before I contemplated going out there and working those weeds once more.

Hey but at least I got started, after weeks of staring at the weeds and thinking I should take care of those one of these days. I got started. GO ME!!

It still looks like the remnants of a goat's banquet but at least now there are more flowers and shrubs than weeds. Just so you know, in the first picture on the left hand side, everything that is not attached to a yellow flower is a weed and needs to be removed. Now maybe you will understand why I am hiding in my sewing room, instead of being out there working at it. I will, later, once the pain meds have kicked in, My goal is to have the front yard done before the end of the week. Normal people could knock it out in a day by I require time.

Yes I could get someone to do it for me. Wonderful, generous people have offered and I am so very grateful for that. However I want to do it myself. I need to keep doing as much as I can for as long as I can so I don;t loose all my mobility, That is not going to happen. Not if I can help it,

Teddy Bear gave me some landscape timbers that I am going to get dung into the boarders of the flower/shrub beds. When that is done I have some mulch to add around the shrubs to keep the weeds down. I thing it will look very nice. I am toying with the idea of mulching around the peonies as well. I really just want my yard to look as nice as it can be with minimal amount of maintenance on my part. Its getting there.

I made another Maple leaf table runner for the Hostess to send to her daughter in New Zealand. I am rather thrilled with that idea, Some of my name doilies are scattered about the world. Another source of quiet pride on my part. Look at me, I'm international!!

I really like the look of these runners. I cannot wait for next July 1 so I can get it out and decorate the chest in the front entry way. Each year I get more and more interested in decorated for Canada Day. Its a great country to live in.

The other day I went looking in my kitchen for my cork screw. Could not find it. I had some really old wine that I decided to dumb instead of hanging onto it. Not too easy to do if you have no cork screw. As a result of my search I did find even further evidence of my hoarder tenancies. I hang my head in shame and disbelief'. Take note that what you are about to see were scattered over three kitchen drawers. 

Exhibit one: Bag Clips

One bag is not even opened!!! I use them, or I would but I can never find them. No wonder!!! I have them hidden about the house. The saddest thing of all was I had bag clips on a list I have for the next time I get to the dollar store. Arrgh!! Well now I have found them all, I have them corralled in one spot and out were I can find them when I need them,

 

This little jar was sitting empty so its a win win all around.

Exhibit 2: Can openers

Now in the spirit of being fair the black one in the picture came from my office. It was in my tickle trunk under my desk waiting for a can opening emergency. BUT really does one need to have three can openers??

actually I have four, I forgot I have yet another one in a different drawer. 

So you see what I am working against. I am a law unto myself. All I can say is I am getting better and I am thinning things out, I am making an effort to hunt around the house before I buy anything new because chances are I may already have it.

I never did find the cork screw so I did buy a new one of those. The wine has been dumped and the bottles are going to the shed in case any in my flower bed border need to be replace at some point. 

I have some quilts to work on and I am making a quilted wall hanging for myself that I saw on Pinterest. Not much going on around here. I had a lovely day yesterday. I had drop in company of all sorts, I love when that happens. I had phone call from a dear friend and got to catch up on her news. I got the weeding going and I think that may be all.

Today so far I went an picked up my groceries which art still sitting in the kitchen waiting to be put away. At some point this afternoon I am going to force myself outside. Then as a reward I will work on the wall hanging. Sad when you have to bribe yourself. 

Toodles

Linda

Molehills all around!!

I think I have touched on this before but its my blog so I get to talk about it again, One of my greatest talents is taking a molehill and turning it into the biggest mountain. I am working on changing that but its hard work and its just such an easy pattern to fall into. Right now its weeding. If I just went out and did a little each day it would be done but I roll it over in my mind so much, it grows out of proportion and then I do nothing. Its so useless and anti productive and I know that. Do I stop doing it??? Nope

It took me nearly a month to get my butt into the basement to open the window and start a fan running down there not to mention turning on the water to the outside tap. Now I have to work up to going back down there to shut the damn fan off. Sigh. It also took me the longest time to start on trimming the trees at the back. It had gotten so I could not properly see when I was backing the car out. Fear of a car crash got me out there.

That branch hanging by the car smacked me in the face almost every time I got into the car. At long last I finally got out there with the loping shears, the clippers and a saw and took a round out of them. It took no time at all but I was sweating like a rented mule by the time I was finished,

Now at least I don't have to take my life in my hands to get into the alley. There are lots more trees to be trimmed, weeds to be pulled and just general maintenance to be done, I know I could ask someone to do it for me, pay someone even but I feel its just such a little space I should do it on my own. Round and round I go in a vicious cycle.

Its also been so hot and humid here, it just does me in . It wreaks havoc with my pain levels, I hate being hot and sweaty. My hot flashes are off the chart, I an just a hot sweaty mess. Have I whined enough? Is anyone besides me sick of listening to this?? Why can't it be as easy to go a new direction as it is to keep going down the path you are on?? Who decided this nonsense?All I can do is try to keep plugging along, ignore the fatigue, ignore the pain and keep on keeping on. 

Good news is  I got my car fixed as the alternator needed to be replaced. I need my car so its money well spent. Hmmm lets see what else can I complain about??? I may be running out of things.

Today my legs are aching like a bad toothache and that is not making me happy at all. Oh my goodness I am cranky today. So I need to stop, I need to find something to do that makes me happy, and I need to call an end to this pity party. Its gone on far to long, I think I need to put myself into a time out.

Toodles

Linda

Back on Track ..... well I'm working on it

Ok I will admit I am  struggling a little with getting back into the swing of things, Mostly I just want to stay in my bed or sit in my chair and let the world go by. This is normal for me when I have had to deal with a hurting heart. I am working through it, working against the urge to totally shut down and am making myself just keep moving. I'll get through it, I always do. Get over it and get on with it. 

So things have been going on around here. I bit the bullet and got my back sidewalk fixed. Every year in the spring it develops a nice thick sheet of ice that gives me a panic about slipping and falling. That I do not need so I decided to use some credit and get something done with it. 

Before:

The old sidewalk was so narrow at the end of it and it has sunken very badly. It is just an all around pain to get my old lady grocery cart down it. Thankfully Teddy Bear knew a good handy man who is reasonable and I got him to do this.

Its the backyard boardwalk!! I love it. Its wider, its a ramp and it makes walking out to my car so much easier. The raised walk will allow the water to drain away under it and I will not have to be walking on a sheet of ice every fall and spring.  Another plus is I will no longer have to lift my old lady grocery cart up and over the steps. Win Win Win!!

I should not have afforded it right now but I just wanted it done. I am tired of getting my cane and my  cart tangled in the plants by the fence and constantly trying to trip myself. So instead of saving up for it I will take that money and put it on the line of credit. Shingles and the sidewalk are plenty to have done on the house this year. The other disasters can wait til another year.

What else have I got done??? I made myself a Canada Day Maple Leaf table runner. I am late for getting to use it this year but I am ready for next year. I am really happy with the way it turned out

The Nurse got married this past weekend! It was a small, intimate ceremony that was truly lovely. I'm so happy for her, She deserves some good things happening in her life at the moment.

Yesterday and today I undertook getting my pictures organized for scrapbooking, I ordered up the pictures I needed to bring me up to date. I made a new month by month list since I have somehow managed to lose my scrapbooking note book. I am still hoping with all my heart that I find the fool thing. It has all sorts of important stuff in it, I am so annoyed. How I manage to do this is beyond me but I do. I actually have a list on my phone of things I have lost in this house. Its amazing

I have about three pages in last years book to finish and then get some embellishments. I really need to get myself a printer. So many things on the want list. (that!s right Mom, I never change. always wanting more)  The printer has been on the list for forever but I just have not gotten around to actually getting it. 

I am back to making puppets. Princess Diva has suggested I send some of my puppets to a craft store in Saskatchewan. She knows the people that run it and she is sending some of her beautiful mosaic stars, Her mom is sending stuff so I am going to box up the left overs from my last craft sale and give it a go. I had no turtles on hand and as they have historically proven to be an awesome seller. I am making 6 to send along. I want to make two porcupines because they too sell well. Nothing ventured nothing gained. If nothing sells, its ok and if they do its money in my pocket. Its been awhile since I made puppets and I actually had to get my pattern book out to remind myself of some of the details of what to do with them, So far I have three turtles completed.

Today I stopped at a local veg stand and got myself some new potatoes, new peas and a small basket of Saskatoon berries. I am excited for supper tonight. New potatoes are such a treat. 

That is it for now. I need to go get myself some lunch and then get working on my puppets as I need to have them all ready to leave for parts unknown in August.  I am rooting for lots of sales!!

Toodles

Linda