The Countdown..

Well, it was a long day, and not without a few glitches, which HAD to be solved. But the good news is that everything got done! I even used up all the extra samples I had made the day before. I wasn't sure I would use them, but I did! 

Everything for Project Two is tagged, bagged, and labeled. It's all packed and ready to go to the airport early in the morning. 

So, my original plan to take a carry-on didn't happen. As I set aside stuff to take, I wondered how many pairs of scissors and other potential "lethal weapons" one could get away with in security. I decided not to risk it and checked my luggage. Well, imagine my surprise when I needed a larger suitcase than a carry-on to put everything in! Over thirty pounds of stuff for two projects! 

But we must remember that there are MANY iterations of those projects, and there are a few outfits for them to choose from. Yes, I don't get to decide what to wear. I take several options and the producer picks! 

I sent a few emails tonight, and I'll have some time tomorrow afternoon to send more. However, I have a side trip planned for tomorrow, which is why I'm leaving at the crack of dawn (OK—before the crack of dawn). 

But it feels good to have all that done—I knew it would happen, but even my last minuteness scares me sometimes. The little hiccups? Well, I found a workaround, but now I need to investigate more, and I will confess at one point. I thought I had killed one of my embroidery machines. Thankfully, it's OK. 

There's nothing like pushing these machines to their limits, and I found that limit today. Now, I want to know more about how the machine knew it had reached its limit. Can we do anything to help it conquer those limits? 

So those girls were beyond themselves this morning. When I returned from the gym, the two were outside rabbit hunting. There was at least one under the deck, and the girls were NOT giving up. The way they ran around, you would think there was a herd of rabbits.

MOM -- there's a rabbit!!!!

They ran to all corners of the deck, and I swear they sniffed the length of every crack. They were both panting from running around like two idiots. I could barely convince them to go for a walk, which means something BIG is up. 

When I got back, Murphy wasn't even interested in her food, which sat there for at least a half hour before she finally came in and ate. 

Murphy's abandoned FULL dish of food

Eventually, they gave up, but that rabbit entertained them for hours! I hope the rabbit disappears quickly or finds a new place to stay. But I doubt it—our neighborhood is swarming with the darn things—where the heck are those coyotes? Or the fox? Or the hawks? 

This morning, I spotted two rabbits on the neighbor's lawn. Cute? Maybe, but they are a significant pest. They need to be culled. Don't get squeamish—it's the circle of life!

Lexi is doing her part to give them something to line their winter nests. This is the pile of fur in the forest at our grooming spot. The pile is now almost as big as she is!!!!

Lexi's grooming spot in the forest

Oh boy -- this was the quote in my teabag this morning. How true is this! It happens in all walks of life!

Excellent quote

I have another quote downstairs (sorry - no time to run and take a picture), but it says:

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"

I don't think this mentality exists at our house—at least not in my mind. And I certainly get it from my Dad. He's 91 and still works! OK, so technically, it's volunteering at the local museum, where they mess around with engines and plasma cutters and make parts if they can't buy them. He's an inventor, a tinkerer, and a jack of all trades. 

So, about two weeks ago, he had a slight incident and ended up cutting the skin on the back of his hand, which required approximately 12 stitches. He took two or maybe three days off work, and then he was back. He needed to get the bandage changed every two or three days and had to go to the hospital for that. 

The nurses told him that they couldn't believe him and his attitude. Here is this old dude—at 91—who never complains. He is always happy and needs to return to work, whereas people many years younger than him complain about their aches and pains and how much time they can get off work. 

It's a crazy world, but that "work" keeps him alive! His brain never shuts down. Way to go, Dad!!!

Well, my brain still hasn't found that bag with the sequins, and I didn't have time to deal with it today, anyway. However, I scored on two other things. I needed to find the adapter for the EPIC 3 for some embroidery. 

The embroidery hoop adaptor

Guess what? I found it exactly where I thought it should be! YEAH!!!!!

The accessories for the Designer Epic 3

Then I needed a thread net. Where could I have put those? 

There's the thread net

AHA - in the drawer where a few excess thread supplies are located. 

The drawer for thread accessories

That's the first time I've had to locate those two items since they got new homes, so that's very positive! My reorganization is working. Now, if I could just find that darn bag of sequins. It's not the end of the world since I have others, but what did I do with that container? 

Maybe I'll have thought of the spot by the time I return. 

On that note, I'm packed, and the paperwork is done as much as possible and as much as there is time. It's time to go to bed because I'll be on a plane by the time the blog actually gets published. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!!

The mystery is partially solved

 OK --- so we may have solved the handle mystery. Remember what it looked like? 

The mystery handle

Karen sent me this picture, and the handle of that tool looks suspiciously like the handle above. The one pictured below is a tuner mallet. 

Tuner mallet

I think we all agree that it's some kind of handle that screws into something. Why it screws into something else is part of the mystery. Would you need different ones, and if so, why not just have a separate tool? Or was it to make it lighter to carry, and you had a different head for different ranges of notes? Or did it screw into something that would wear out relatively quickly and, therefore, no need to waste the handle? Although, that would have to be an OLDER tool -- no one would think of that efficiency today. 

We discussed the mystery at Monday Sewing, and then I got this from Mary. Her husband suspects it is this. 

Blade scraper

I think this is his version of it! 

Well, I might just put this handle with my paint supplies, and when I sort that stuff out, I can determine if I have a tool for the end of it!! I've asked Mary for more details!

So, none of my investigations has figured out why I have this handle, but at least I have a better idea of what the darn thing is! 

I didn't get to do much in the way of decluttering or sorting as we had Monday sewing, and then I needed to get some work done on my projects, but I hope to take a break today and perhaps get more done. Those inventory lists are calling my name! That's another reason for clutter - if you don't know what you have, you buy more - hence THREE bags of stuffing. So, with one bag spoken for and one potentially going in the garbage, I'll only have one. 

With the inventory list, I could immediately check if I needed to purchase a supply.  

I'm unsure if I shared my front patio space with you, but it looks like this! It's wide open and inviting, with room for two. It's attached to my front step and about two feet above ground level. You would think it's very open to the street, but there is a Japanese maple tree right in front, and that is enough to give it a wee bit of privacy but still keep it open. I get lots of hellos from the neighbors as they walk past, and that was my intention! 

My front patio

I wonder if the neighbors will think I'm strange if I'm out there wrapped in a quilt. The weather is much cooler these days. I could sit in the backyard, but then I would have to contend with Murphy. 

I love her to bits, but she is such an attention seeker. Look how sweet she is. 

Mom -- I'm a lady!! A quiet one! 

And then, seconds later, she dropped her ball in the pond. Sigh..............

MOM -- I NEED help. The ball is in the pond - it was an accident!

Yep -- wrapped up in a quilt on the front step is my "time out" spot, and Murphy can't get into trouble! If I allow her out in front, she is on her leash, but I think she's better off looking at me out the window!

Now that it was cooler, and I was bored going for a walk with no errand in mind, I grabbed Murphy, and she came for the walk with me. That girl walked about 6 km yesterday! There were times when she looked back at me as if to say, " You are NOT walking fast enough!" but we managed. 

Of course, when we cut through the park, she had to jump on the bench—she loved that. 

MOM -- look at ME!!!!!

We solved one more puzzle in the EXIT game. I love how they tease you when you pick the easy route. You think you have solved the puzzle, but you really haven't, and they tease you, leading you on until it counts, and then you realize they were messing with your mind. That's hard to explain, but the games are well thought out. They are so much worth the price!!!! 

OH -- remember that clock kit I shared with you a while back. 

Clock kit in an older magazine

When we had our last Virtual Retreat, one of the ladies showed us her version of a quilted clock. 

This is what Cathy created. 

Cathy's clock

Seriously??? How fun is that? The block patterns came from Carl Hentsch's book - New York Beauties and Flying Geese. 

And look at the AMAZING quilting.

The quilting on Cathy's clock

She mounted the whole thing on a board, and now she has a beautiful clock in her sewing space. Way to go, Cathy!!!! It's absolutely stunning (as usual!!!)

Well, I have computer work to do before I return to the sewing machine. I'm making great progress, but there is still lots to be done!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

When things go bang!

Thanks for the comments—there are always so many good ones! I laughed when I read the comment about decluttering and how so many people start—let's say on September 1st, which happens to be today—or they begin on New Year's Day, but they lose interest after a week or so. 

That happens!!! And it has happened to me in the past. I'd get excited and say, "I will get this place neat and tidy." And then, I didn't. However, every time you decide to tidy up, it is the start of making this a new habit. You may "fail" the first couple of times, and there are many good reasons for that: 

• lack of time,
• lack of motivation,
• lack of space (I know -- you need space to tidy up!),
• lack of support from your household members,
• overwhelmed,
• health,
• or you simply forget.

But here's the thing -- it's OK to work at it sporadically, and hopefully, one day, you'll reach the point where you really and genuinely want to make it a priority, and you will want to tidy something up every day. Then it becomes your new habit, and if you're like me - it can become obsessive. OK -- so I'm not obsessive about it - otherwise, the office would be spotless, but I'm making it part of my daily routine, so I don't need to prepare to do the tidy up, I don't make a huge mess while doing it, and it just becomes a normal part of life. 

You need to stop buying things that you don't need! I haven't stopped buying things, but I'm only buying things that I need—OK, except for that darn puzzle. Otherwise, I only buy what I need to fix something or because I'm going to use it. 

I also consider all those "fails" successes. If you manage to clean up a small spot, it will look good, and it's one spot you won't have to do later! Everything is a win!!

So, if today is your new starting point for tidying up, why not start with a drawer? I know I've said that before, but a drawer is so easy. It's self-contained. You can take that drawer to the bed, the kitchen table, or wherever to sort and you probably have loads of choices in your house. Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, hallway, storage units --- I bet all of them have at least ONE drawer. Make that your task today, and be prepared to be overwhelmed. It should be easy to know what is garbage (hopefully) and what you want to keep, but there are going to be items that you will waffle over. 

Try to deal with everything in that one drawer -- it will be challenging, but the first one is always the most difficult, so pick an easy drawer. Sock drawer??? If it has a hole - it's gone. If it doesn't fit properly? - it's gone. That one should be easy!!

I had a relatively slack day yesterday -- I just could not motivate myself to get anything done, and the applique task almost killed me, but I got it done. I think I will have to take a break as I'm slowing down so much with it that a break of a couple of days would be good. But I must remember to get back to it. I've come so far, and it would be a shame not to finish now. So, you may not hear me talk about the applique for a while. 

The quilt of the day was done—a lovely bright flannel (front and back) quilt for Project Linus. It really "hurt" when I took all my flannel and gave it to Diane to make quilts. She didn't get a chance to use up all the flannel, but she used up a good part. I can't thank her enough for all she did for me!! I sure do miss her! It makes me happy to at least quilt and bind these quilts rather than just giving my flannel stash away and letting someone else deal with it. But then I had Diane to help me. Everyone needs a Diane! 

Community project quilt

All the quilts are trimmed, and the binding is ready to be put on this one. The next one is loaded on the long arm, but I only have three quilts on the list for this week, so I won't quilt it today. I have THREE projects that desperately need my attention, and I had better get moving FASTER on them, or I'm going to be burning the midnight oil. I've been working on them, but I need to spend more time. That's another reason to take a break from the applique.

Remember that messy shelf from the other day.

The before

So, not a whole lot changed, but I removed all the power bars and electrical cords from the shelf and tidied up the IKEA bags. I now have room for a shelf of puzzles, and if I ever buy another one before I finish some of what I have, well, I better get myself together! It looks much better, and it is much easier to access things on the shelf. 

The after

I went to Rona for a sturdy tub to put all the power bars and extension cords in. I had three choices: HUGE, medium, and small. I used my spatial prowess and bought the small one, which was easier to carry home. And it was the perfect size. It's the yellow and black one in the back. 

The power bars and extension cords are contained

A small wine fridge in this storage area must be taken to the recycling place. But it's heavy, and I'm unsure how to get it in the car from the basement. DH can't help, or should I get him to help BEFORE his surgery? 

The wine fridge needs to go

That toolbox is so full that it can't be shut anymore and desperately needs a good cleanout. And I could tuck it under the shelf where the fridge is if I could get that out of there! So, the storage room is much neater than it was, and it took only a short time to make that happen. I removed two large pieces of foam that I had purchased for some reason and never used. So those are both in the giveaway pile now. That freed up the room for the new storage tub and the puzzles to go on the shelf. 

I found this container, which I need to sort through. It contains all the hardware from the blinds that came down when the windows were installed. I suspect all that can go to the metal scrap place, but it still needs to be sorted. 

A bucket of hardware to sort

Something very peculiar happened yesterday. I was sitting at the computer when I heard a loud noise from the backyard. It sounded metallic, but what the heck could it be? Was it in our backyard? Or the neighbor's? Look what happened. 

Where's the glass top?

The glass from this tabletop shattered into a million pieces. What a colossal mess. This is our old table, and I've been meaning to take it to the garage for months so it could be put out in the garbage. That never happened, and so now, instead of dealing with one piece of glass, I have many pieces to deal with. 

I thought I could get my dustpan and scoop up the big pieces. Nope—that didn't work at all. Perhaps I need a new dustpan. Anyway, I got the ShopVac out and vacuumed up the pieces. I didn't quite finish, so I must continue the cleanup today. I need a new bag for the ShopVac as there is no suction. I might not use a bag and fill the container, but I didn't want the glass cutting into the filter around the motor. 

Here's a close-up of that tool. I'm sending pictures to my Dad this morning to see if he can figure it out. What is it, and why would I have it? 

OH -- During my applique journey, I have emptied many bobbins and finished a spool of thread. Let's just say there is a lot of applique and leave it at that. 

Empty spool of thread

Of course, the girls offered to help me clean up the mess—as if!!! They just ignored the whole thing. But look at this dog—it doesn't matter how much I brush her; she still looks a mess. 

MOM -- I'm cute, not a mess!

I mean - seriously? She doesn't even look like I've ever groomed her EVER!!!! 

She's just one big ball of fur

Oh well—I try, and that's all I can do. The more I brush, the more hair needs to come off. I won't brush her at our house anymore, as the hair goes everywhere, so she gets brushed in the forest, where the hair can go wherever! 

YES—I did take the pill this morning, but not because of my alarms, which didn't work. Seriously??? I set a notice for ten minutes before I wanted to take it. What happened to that? But it was so much on my mind that it was the first thing I thought of, so I got up and took it immediately. Obviously, I fail at setting alarms. I will talk to the doctor or the pharmacist and tell them I need a different solution. 

I also think I need to check out this report because I'm still in denial that I need the darn thing! Yep, I'm an old dog and not open to new tricks! Sigh. 

Well, it's time to get the day started -- remember -- pick ONE drawer today and go through it. If you've already cleaned all your drawers, then select one shelf. Our houses have many shelves, such as kitchens, closets, wardrobes, etc. Pick one and see what you can do to improve it!! Heck -- I might even do that today myself!!! I spot one shelf in the office that could use a tidy-up! OK -- there are many, but I see one in particular. 

On that note - I'm out of here!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

What I did before I left

 As I write this, I see stormy clouds outside the window. The flight is on time and expected to leave in 5½ hours. Let's pray that it stays on time. Last year, the flight was delayed and it was exhausting. But at least I'll be in the Maple Leaf lounge, which helps. 

There are pros and cons to leaving first thing in the morning or last thing in the day. On long trips like this, I'm good to leave at night and hopefully get a good sleep on the plane. So, if all went well, I should be across the ocean when this gets published. 

Just a couple of notes: The internet has always been great on the Camino, but there might be a time or two when I can't find reliable Wi-Fi. If that happens, I won't be able to blog. If there is no blog, don't panic! I have good communication (What's App) with the people I need to stay personally connected to. If I don't put anything on What's App, we all better start worrying!

My plan is to post to Facebook daily—probably in the afternoon after I've arrived at my destination for the night. You'll be able to track me and see where I am, and there will be pictures. I'm unsure how easy it'll be to post photos to the blog. I'm not going with any expectations. I know what I want to accomplish, but the first year sort of squashed those plans. I now know that you do what you can, and if you get to the end, you get to the end. If you don't, there's always another year. 

I have nothing booked except for a flight home near the end of August. Oh, and there is a 6-hour time difference. So when it's 7 AM in Canada, it's 1 PM in Spain. There will be a slight disruption in the time the posts get published, and a day or two might be missed.  

Anyway, it was a good thing I left at night because I ran around like an idiot getting everything done. The bags of mulch were "planted" in the garden in the morning before it got hot. In the afternoon, I spread them as best I could, but not before I had to do some weeding.  

The bags of mulch planted in the garden

The books have been dropped off at the book sale location. They conveniently had shopping carts to get the books from your cart to their office. 

Dropping off the donation books

The ten quilts are also dropped off for Quilts of Valour. There are only two things left in the Pony Express staging area; one will be picked up in a couple of weeks and the other in about one month. I'm impressed that I was able to clear that area. 

The Pony Express staging area

I made a quick trip to the post office to mail off one small item. That was my daily walk. It was short, but I met my walking quota for the day with everything else. 

While I was tidying up the garden, pulling out a few weeds, and placing those bags of mulch, Miss Murphy had a moment. She grabbed one of her teddy bears; he is now a flat teddy bear. 

MOM -- I'm frustrated and the bear gets it!

I stopped and got dog food for her. She goes through the bags of food twice as fast as Lexi. I also bought her a small swimming pool. The other one is in the backyard, but I think it's probably got a hole in it now. So it's now filled with water, and I think Lexi was more interested in it than Murphy. 

MOM -- we got a new pool!!!

I bought two pairs of shorts, but I'm only taking one pair with me. That's to replace the sarong I've worn in the afternoons in the past. I decided I wanted something a little more sturdy, so shorts it is. They are sports shorts and good grief, so many pairs have a liner in them. I don't want that extra layer, and I found two pairs without it. 

I think almost everything is packed in the bags. Technically, I have three - one that will get checked. I know -- the least amount of luggage, and I need to check it. That's because my walking sticks are in there and are NOT allowed in the cabin. Sigh.....  Then there's my little backpack for the plane. This will be used in the afternoon to go to the grocery store or wherever, although I also brought my lightweight folding bag. If I have to have my backpack forwarded, the folding light one doesn't work well to carry my daily supplies. So this small backpack works great to be worn as a small backpack. And it looks a little more elegant in business class than my red nylon bag! 

And then there's my flat waist belt. Together, those three things weigh 14.8 lbs. There are a lot of coins in the waist pack, which adds to the weight, so I plan to spend them first! But I'll be wearing that, so it doesn't count as weight for my back. I'm guessing the total weight in all three (I have to add my phone, glasses, and hat) will be 13.5 lbs. I'm OK with that since it will be distributed, and some will disappear quickly, like those coins. I added my sweater, and the darn three items weigh 14.8 lbs. That's still manageable, but a bit more than I wanted. However, since some weight is in the waist pack, it's not going on my back. 

Packed and ready to go

We had an interesting discussion the other day about how much we carry in a day. Do you use a purse, cross-body bag, or waist belt? I'm all about carrying the LEAST amount of stuff that I can. I used to take a huge bag of crap to work every day in the event I needed something. I never needed it, and all I got was a bum shoulder! The good news is that my rotator cuff is not torn, but it hurts like mad, especially after all the lifting and carrying I did. Pills! I need pills! I didn't get the details from the doctor, only that there is no tear. So there must be a sprain - a strain or tendon issues? 

I'll get the rest of the information when I'm back. 

As I was working in the office, I looked out the window and spotted this squirrel. 

A squirrel aiming for as much breeze as possible

Seriously?? He was flat on his tummy - the same way Murphy lies. I guess he was hot and trying to stay cool. I'm going to miss those two fur babies!! Murphy is just a big goof, and yes -- she was perched on the rocks, and as soon as she let the ball go, it rolled into the pond. Now, how did we know that was going to happen? 

Mom - I'm going to need help!

Well, there you have it --- hopefully, all is well and I'll be sleeping in an albergue. Yeah - bunkbeds!!!!

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The gamble paid off!

I received a very exciting text and email early this morning. I only saw them while making my breakfast, and I rarely looked at my phone until 9 a.m. However, I'm UPGRADED to business class for my trip! At least the way there—I still don't have a ticket home yet. Yeah, the flight is late at night, and I get a flatbed. Life is good! Now, what will I do with the $1,200 I saved? 

I finished the binding on the 10th donation quilt. Yeah! That goal is done. 

The last binding is on!!!

All ten quilts are now in the Pony Express staging area, and arrangements for a drop-off have been made. There is one last item that I need to get ready: the books for donating to the book sale. The drop-off is on Tuesday, so I still have a day or two. 

The Pony Express staging area

Yeah -- this is a great system, and we've done very well as we learn to make it work! There's so much coming and going at my house that I needed an area, and this works like a charm. Lexi is happy to donate the top of her kennel to the cause. And she gets a few treats because she's such a good girl!

I was sorting a bucket of paper yesterday and came across this book. Oh yes -- this is one of the BEST half-square triangle books around. It's OLD - published in 1995 or something like that. I'm putting it with my buckets of trimmed HSTs so when I want some ideas for patterns, I won't have to look far! I swear that the older books are the best! 

A book on half-square triangles

I have figured out why I've been tired lately. I'm pushing the envelope as to when I go to bed. I need eight hours of sleep, and I haven't been getting that much, so of course, I'm tired! I had a nice nap in the gazebo yesterday, and it was glorious! The surroundings, the waterfall, the gentle breeze—you can't beat that! And for being in the city, it's pretty darn quiet! 

The view from the gazebo

Then, it was time for another task. I finally brought all the components for this shelf upstairs from the garage, where it's been sitting in pieces for a couple of months. Well, maybe not quite that long, but it's been a while. The shelf is 48" wide by 18" deep and if you have ever put one of these together, it's a two-person job. However, I did it myself. 

My unassembled shelf

Let's say there were a few "moments," like when half of one clip flew off the shelf and over the railing or the shelf got askew and was now jammed in place. The lower shelves are the hardest, and it gets easier as you get closer to the top. 

The bottom shelf in place

But soon enough, the shelf unit was assembled. And the BEST news? It fits through the doorway. I didn't think it would, but that was a super bonus. It's on wheels, so I can move it wherever needed!

The shelf fits through the doorway

Now, what's going on the shelf? You have to wait and see. I started, but I didn't finish yesterday. 

I got a lot of paperwork done in the morning, so that was good. There are still a few emails to write, and I should have just enough time to do that. Can you believe that I'm actually excited about doing paperwork now? Exciting might be too strong, but I don't resent it like I used to. 

We had a Virtual Retreat last night. What the heck was I going to work on? I decided I better get to work on my UFO. It's not due until September, but we all know that time flies!!!

I managed to finish the stitching around the bear. There are a lot of bumps on its perimeter! 

The applique bear

Here's a close-up of the stitching. I used my double blanket stitch, which I love, but it takes a bit more thought to avoid messing up the stitching. It wasn't a good thing to do while talking, but it looks just fine. 

Detail of the stitching

Then the question was - do I keep working on the one wall hanging, or go to the other one and do the same thing on it. Since my thread was chosen, I decided to go for the second bear. So it's also done. If you don't believe me, look at the purple paw prints - they are different!!!! 

The second bear applique

Of course, I had a helper. I discovered a huge hunk of Murphy's hair by my foot pedal. I probably dislodged it as I tried to sew, and she was trying to lick my feet. That dog has a thing for feet. 

A clump of Murphy's hair

Without having a quilt to load or prep for the long arm, I need something to do! So I have a project for the digital cutter and I  managed to cut out two blocks this morning. 

Cutting applique shapes with the digital cutter

Cutting out the shapes is as easy as pie if the SVG files already exist. I could do it blindfolded - well, maybe not, since having the fabric in the correct position is essential. You have to love the scanner to make that happen. I would like to get the remaining nine blocks cut, so let's see what happens. I also have a LOT of applique on those two quilt tops, and I said I would have them both done for the next UFO session. Hmm - I might have to rethink that! 

Let's hope that today will be as good a day as yesterday. Well, technically, the upgrade news came today. 

Someone asked where I'm starting this year. For the past two years, I've flown to Paris and taken the train to Saint Jean Pied de Porte, near the French/Spanish border. Let's just say that this year, that is not happening. I cannot imagine flying into Paris at this time. The security and whatnot would be insane. So I'm not flying to Paris! Hence, I'm starting somewhere else; you'll just have to wait to see where! It won't be long now! 

On that note, I should make a list of everything that needs to be done so I don't forget anything. I sort of have a list, but I might be missing a couple of things. I just remembered two things that need to be added. 

I've been walking up a storm, and my new daily required average is 12.5 km, down from 12.7 on July 17. That is great news. Yep, I continue to walk in the afternoon even if it's hot. Did you know that a wide-brimmed hat can make you feel cooler? Yes, it keeps the sun off your face and neck, so you can actually see instead of squinting. I used to think hats were overrated, but now I wish I had started wearing one sooner! 

If you didn't spot it yesterday, I put out the list of what I'm teaching in the fall. You must wait for the stores to put out their lists, and that's OK. You at least know of one project. My little experiment worked, but I had to open Outlook to trigger the rule that sends the acknowledgment. I hope that opening Outlook on my phone will trigger the rule. Oh - you'll get an acknowledgment when I'm back and open my desktop version. Outlook works in mysterious ways. 

Remember, we have a Virtual Retreat today starting at Noon. 

Here is the link. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82983517671?pwd=ODdsa1FJenQwdFNaQWFTNGd4bEhPZz09

Meeting ID: 829 8351 7671
Passcode: 117636

See you there!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!