Happy New Year!!!!

Gosh -- it's hard to believe that 24 years ago, we were all watching the New Year ring in in Sydney, Australia. Everyone was expecting the world to start ending as the computers couldn't handle the switch from 1999 to 2000. Now, here we are 24 years later, and all is well. But if the "experts" were that shortsighted for "small" detail, imagine how many more things are being ignored - like the disposal of batteries for electric cars! But I won't go there!

I want to apologize to those who came to the Zoom call yesterday, and I didn't get a chance to chat! We'll have to reign some of those others in so everyone gets a chance to participate! And it's sometimes hard when you pop in in the middle of a conversation - I feel rude to just stop and say hi. I try to wave to acknowledge you are there. 

I wasn't the best host yesterday!!! But hopefully, you enjoyed the afternoon chit chat -- I love how the conversations hop from topic to topic! I think we ended the call at 9:30 last night. I don't remember when I last stayed awake to ring in the New Year. I'm of the age, that I don't want to disrupt my sleep! I'm OK with that!

Did I accomplish everything I wanted to get done? Nope -- but I'm OK with that. If I look back on what happened during the year and how much further ahead I am in the decluttering process, I'm a shining star! Not done - let's face it -- this is not a job that you ever finish. It's a lifestyle, and you'll always be decluttering as you downsize, change habits or hobbies, or just live with the daily onslaught of stuff in your life! Embrace it and take a few minutes of every day to deal with it. 

Just like house cleaning, as if I have the right to even talk about that!. I cannot see myself spending days cleaning and dusting and doing the house from top to bottom. I seriously doubt that will ever happen, but taking a few minutes to dust a certain item or get rid of the dog hair? I might be tempted to do that from time to time. 

Having a clear mind and a less cluttered house is making me do things I never wanted to do before. And the more I do, the more I want it to be just that much neater! I feel better; the house looks better. I don't think DH has noticed that the dust bunnies have stopped roaming the house, but then he's a guy! The dogs were NOT happy as I threw ALL their blankets into the washer! 

OH -- someone mentioned that they were afraid to send me an e-mail because of my situation. It's NOT the number of emails that clogged the system; it's the HUGE attachments that are sitting in some of the emails. Those are the class emails that I sent to people. So those need to be deleted. I have 17 GB of free storage, and one more email will not cause things to crash. I'm good and learning a little bit about Outlook every day to make it better and easier to use!

So did my handwork basket work during the Zoom call? Yes -- I got some handwork stuff done. Not as much as I would have liked, but who cares! I got stuff done, and that's all that counts. 

I got the sleeve sewn on this quilt. That wall hanging has been sitting on a table in Studio B for YEARS, waiting for the sleeve to be made and stitched on. Now it's done and ready to find a new home. 

Wall hanging complete with a hanging sleeve

I also stitched the sleeve on this quilt. This quilt was from a class about panels MANY years ago. It now has the sleeve on. No label, but at least a sleeve. I guess I should be putting labels on some of these. Sigh    - another job! 

Another sleeve on a quilt

And I got a few more small things done - ripping out some stitches on some quilting. So, all in all, it was a productive time on Zoom. There are still things to be done in the handwork basket - nothing is a rush, so it can easily wait for the next Virtual Retreat. The next one is on January 27 and 28, so you can mark those dates in your calendar. 

I got another customer quilt done as well. It's trimmed and is ready for pickup! Yep -- I'm trying to keep ahead of the game and deal with all the bits as I go. I used a different part of the software program for the long arm. Oh -- that took me back some years, but I remembered how everything worked and MUCH easier than when I used it before. There is hope for me and technology!

Customer quilt - DONE

Speaking of technology, I managed to get another distribution list created, and I figured out a FAST way to do so. Yep -- even though I have a love/hate relationship with technology, I can make it sing when things go my way. So, I have a few more lists to recreate today, so watch for some emails. I'll let you know which ones tomorrow, just in case I forget someone. 

While the cutting table is NOT clear, it's close. I'll be puttering away at those things this week as they need to be done - not urgent deadlines, but they need to be done. And I have TWO classes to prep for this weekend. Those distribution lists are a priority! The trick is going to be not putting anything else on there unless I am prepared to work on that project. It's going to be hard, but I MUST be diligent. 

The state of the cutting table

I cannot emphasize the beauty of having things work well. My computer is working beautifully because there is some free disk space. The files are sent faster. Zero issues with saving - it's like I got a brand-new computer. So that was a hard lesson learned, but keep that darn hard drive open! Or at least some space on it. 

Now here's a disturbing thought. I was just saving some pictures and spotted this message. 

OK -- so Microsoft is messing with our minds. We USED to have autosave on our computer. So, if you were working on a Word document, the file would automatically save. This was a godsend in the event that your computer crashed. Now -- that feature has been disabled. WHAT?????  Oh, it works, but only if the file is on OneDrive. I know -- it seems absolutely stupid. 

So I now write my documents on OneDrive to use the Autosave feature. But in addition to them sitting on OneDrive, they backed up to my C drive and gobbled up the space. I also put my presentations on OneDrive, so regardless of what device or where I am, I can access them. Yesterday, when I tried to grab a presentation, it wasn't available to me on my laptop, yet the file is sitting on OneDrive. Perhaps that was a glitch!!! 

But can they not make this stuff flexible, so we can work how we want? Not how Microsoft wants us to work? Do they not talk to their users? Or at least offer some assistance in setting up these complex things? I'll try it again, as we have Monday sewing today, and we always have show and tell. I may have no choice but to log into that drive. I wanted to be logged into the drive, but I don't want it to back up to my own drive. Anyway, it's too complex to get into this morning. 

I foresee another session or some major research into this issue. But most of the support documents are crap when it comes to answering questions. They are usually step-by-step instructions, NOT the logic or the why something works. Sigh.................

Here are TWO major things I managed to accomplish in 2023, and neither of them has to do with quilting. I managed to write in my Happiness Journal almost every day! OK -- I still need to put those sentences in from when I walked in Spain. 

My Happiness Journal

I started on January 4 last year. What's so fun is that each page covers 5 years, and some of those entries date back to 2013 or something like that. And, of course, the beginning of the journal is much more populated than the back half! So it's fun to see what I was doing on a specific date years ago. Guess what? I was decluttering back then! I did say this was a LIFESTYLE, not a task. You will always be decluttering, and the more you start now, the easier it becomes. 

I also got my Conqueror Challenge medal. 

Conqueror 2023 medal

My goal was to WALK 4,400 KM in one year. I finished a couple of weeks ago! I know --- how crazy is that. That's the equivalent of walking 12 KM every day, and in November/December, there were some days when I didn't walk much. I probably could have completed it by November 30 if I had done my usual thing. No worries! Walking to Winnipeg and back is about 4,000 KM!!!! 

So today starts a NEW challenge. Now, here's the thing: I know some of you have also signed up for this challenge. You CANNOT do what I do as I'm a totally crazy person. I like walking -- if you set a goal of walking ONE KM a day, that is HUGE!!! You are way ahead of the person who doesn't get off the couch. And if walking isn't your thing, then p[pick something that you can challenge yourself. Five minutes of stretching every day can be your goal. Physical activity is so important, especially as we get older, but I'm not talking about running marathons - I'm talking about keeping active so you don't lose muscle mass, which is deadly as we age!

And I firmly believe that walking in the rain (each of the days this past week), or the snow, or the cold, or the heat, makes us a MUCH STRONGER person physically, but also mentally!! It makes days when you lose your contact lists much easier to handle! 

Remember -- you have to do what is right for you -- NOT copy someone else or feel bad because you're only doing a small daily goal. That's not the point -- the point is what can YOU do. And ZERO comparisons are allowed. 

Here's my new goal for 2024. 

So, it's New Year's Day, and I'm giving you a break. But I have homework for you today! 

If you are so inclined to do a Conqueror Challenge, let me know, I can give you some tips, and I'll get a recommendation. Or you can just sign up on your own. But think about how you could add some physical activity to your day. It's easy - my fitness tracker does all the work. A one KM walk once a day can clear your mind, add strength to your body, and you get to snoop on the neighborhood! 

Plus - having that goal with the deadline FORCED my butt out the door on many occasions and I felt so much better when I returned! 

If you're not inclined to do a physical challenge, then you have to think about something to declutter in your house. Have you picked a spot to start? A kitchen drawer that is driving you crazy? Too many cups? The cutlery is untidy? A closet? The shoe rack? Pick one thing today, and if you're so inclined - you can start to declutter. Otherwise, wait until tomorrow, when we're going to start in earnest. 

It's going to be tough. It's going to hurt to give away or throw away things that you "think" you treasure. But your kids will thank you, your significant other will thank you, but MOST IMPORTANT of all, once you get over the shock -- YOU WILL THANK YOURSELF. And let's face it -- the most important person in any of our lives is OURSELF. Not our kids, not our partners, not our pets -- BUT OURSELF. 

Do I make resolutions? Nope --- I'm aiming for lifestyle changes that will happen over the long term. I've come a long way since I took on this task of making myself a happier person. I've still got a long way to go, but every day is much easier than the previous day. And that's all I care about! 

OH -- I promised some of the participants in the Zoom call yesterday some eye candy today. Check out this quilt artist. His work is outstanding and can you tell me what kind of material he uses in his quilts? 

On that note, I'm out of here!!! Now go do that homework!!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

Setting good habits and goals

I need to catch up in answering the comments, and there are some exciting ones! And yes, Elle, I know what you mean about keeping the place clean. I was doing a great job until I went away last week and came home with new stuff to deal with. It doesn't help that I have a few extra sergers at the moment that don't belong to me, and they take up space. 

I puttered a bit yesterday and got more stuff put away, so I'm in good shape. Having a home for everything is exciting and makes for more relaxed sewing. I'm a convert -- I'm not just quite finished yet! 

I've also developed two new habits, and they are both good. Now that I keep my Happiness Journal beside my bed in that cute container with a choice of colored pens. It's FUN to write a few sentences every night. But what's even more fun is when I read the previous years' entries. I started that journal in 2012, and I only wrote for part of the year, and then in 2013, I wrote a bit more, but again, I didn't keep it up. So there will come a point when I'm not going to have anything to entertain me before I write. 

So that's a good habit, and it works perfectly for me. I get to spew my heart out in the morning on the blog and a few sentences to empty my head before I go to bed. I'm good. 

The second habit concerns the kitchen. While the kitchen is tidy, and barely anything sits on our counters, it's sometimes a "chore" to keep it that way. No more! While waiting for the kettle to boil for tea, I deal with things that need to be put in the right place. Emptying the dishwasher, putting the recycling in the garage, and whatever else fell on the counter during the previous day. Yep --- the counters are clean in about the time it takes for the kettle to boil. 

That's the beauty of getting things in order -- it takes mere minutes to tidy it again. I know - the office is another story, but that's OK. I'm making huge leaps and bounds. Now if I could get DH to deal with the broken pair of glasses on the kitchen table. The next time we have dinner together (which is rare -- he's always on the phone), I need to mention it to him and make him make an appointment to repair them! 

The good news is that I'm ready for all three presentations this morning. The homework is sewn, and the pictures are taken, labeled, and in the presentations. Phew! I knew I could make it, but it's always tight. The big question remains -- will I finish the homework for tomorrow? That's UFO day. 

So Murphy is a goof. There's no other way to describe her. I wasn't looking forward to the walk knowing the sidewalk would be treacherous. Thankfully, they were pretty good, and only the occasional slippery spot. 

I spotted a long branch on the path in the forest. I tried to move it off the path, but someone decided it would be a good idea to get that branch and bring it home. 

MOM -- let me move this for you

We're not talking a short one -- the darn thing was at least 20 feet long. She tried -- oh yes, she tried, and she managed to move it down the path, and even better, it got dropped on the side, but not before I had to pry it out of her mouth. 

MOM -- I've got it! 

I finally managed to break off a small part for her, and she was just as happy. It didn't last long before she lost interest, leaving the branch behind. But definitely entertaining. 

MOM - look at me with  my branch

The trees (only on one side) were covered in ice. 

Pine trees covered in ice

There were tiny icicles everywhere. On cars, signs, and anywhere the rain could freeze. 

Icicles on the signs

It was quite pretty, and at several moments, the sun came out, and it was like walking in a world of ice, yet the sidewalks were good! It's a shame you can't really appreciate the beauty in this picture, but trust me, it was a sparkly kind of scene. 

A sparkly day

Even later in the day, when I went for my afternoon walk, the trees were still coated! 

Lexi isn't interested in sticks, but she's a swimmer! OK -- so she's not. But we had to ford this big "lake" on our walk. Over the years, people have put branches on the left that we can ford across without getting wet! This is part of a stream that is primarily dry all year, but it can be pretty wet during spring or whenever it rains. 

The BIG pond

So here's something else totally bizarre in our neighborhood. They are still trying to re-shingle the roof of this apartment building. I've shown pictures before, but I don't remember when I took those pictures. The shingles are sitting in bundles on the roof, and in that gusty wind on Wednesday, they were trying to put more shingles on. Would you want to own a place in a building where the shingles are being put on like this? I'd like to know how long it will take before they need to redo those shingles! 

A roof being re-shingled

So this is how the girls at our house roll. Lexi is a princess, and why would I want to sleep outside when I can sleep near my Dad. 

Sleeping in Dad's office

On the other hand, Murphy thinks it's her job to melt the snow in the backyard. Yep -- that's one spot where she lay in the morning. 

Where Murphy was

And then she thinks it's OK to lay on the step. She has all this flat ground or the deck, but the step is more comfortable!!!

MOM -- did you need something? I'm pretty busy! 

The weed guys were going around yesterday, probably trying to drum up new business. They came to the door and asked if we wanted their service. DH said NO -- we don't have grass. The guy was persistent - what about the backyard? Nope. Not even a little patch? Nope! And we like it that way, but I bet people have visions of a giant mud pit! We will need to get some more mulch this year. 

Another customer quilt was completed. I have a couple to trim, and I'll try to get that done today, although my UFO homework is my priority!

Customer quilt - DONE

And when I was looking for a particular color of fabric, I came across this in my stash. Hmm -- why would I have cut this shape? No idea, and it may not even be mine. But I used it in my block, and it looks just fine! 

A weird fabric scrap

I also managed to fix the ribbon on my latest Virtual Challenge medal. This was for completing my KM in 2023, and now it'll hang straight on my rack. 

My 2022 Conquer Challenge medal

Here are my medals so far. The ones on the left represent the three challenges I've completed. Route 66 - 3559.8 KM, Appalachian Trail - 3167.6, Pacific Crest Trail - 4000 KM for 10,727.4 KM that I've walked from December 30, 2019, in these challenges. 

My medal hanger

The ones on the right are the annual challenges where I've set the goal and used it to track my TOTAL annual distances. 2020 - 4,828 KM, 2021 - 4,200 KM, 2022 - 6,600 KM. For the years 2020 and 2022, I added some cycling and spin classes. So the total for the three years is 15,628 KM. My goal this year is 4,400, only walking/hiking. All are aggressive goals, but I've proven I can do it! 

It doesn't matter what your goal is. It could be one KM a day -- that's awesome. You should NEVER compare yourself to someone else. The instant you do that, you are setting yourself up for failure. Only YOU know what YOU can do. I like to push myself, and that makes me happy. If you can't push or don't want to --- then don't! And you have to be comfortable and able -- right now, I am, but I know the day will come when I can't walk the distances any longer, and I'll have to face that when it happens. For now -- I walk! 

It was easy to set up those new habits. I made them easy (a huge step), and they are simple yet very effective, and I get a reward for both. Reading the previous journal entries and seeing the clear kitchen makes me happy!

On that note, I had better get moving. It will be "cool" walking this morning, but it's OK when you're bundled up. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

 

 

 

What habits do you want to learn?

Oh --- running short on time this morning; I'll deal with the comments tomorrow. I love comments, so thanks for sending them along. 

We all know that you must be careful when searching the internet as sometimes you don't necessarily get what you want. At least my secondary search was CLEAN but unexpected. 

I was searching for the power tower, so I could figure out where to buy it. This is what I wanted. I love the bilingualism in the photo. The measurements on the left are in inches, and those on the right are in millimeters. A true Canadian measurement!

A power tower

But I also got this! I laughed about it, but they also call these power towers! 

A power tower

FINALLY, after four days of back and forth, I'm happy to report that we finally have all fifteen codes for future Virtual Challenge walks in ONE e-mail. I have no idea why that was so difficult, but they kept forgetting one or two. They wouldn't swap one, even when someone else had said YES, they would do it, but because of a price difference, I had to pay an extra $5, which I did. But at last, they are all together. Now I need to get my legs in gear and start walking! I never stopped, but now they can be used towards a challenge. I'll be signing up for a specific challenge, something I haven't been doing since July of last year! I've been doing the yearly distance, but not a specific one. 

Connection!

I found those calendar sayings when I was madly trying to find the piece of paper with some of the codes. I KNOW exactly where I kept that darn paper until the day I wanted it. In the meantime, I had to search through a mass of paper where it might have been and found those sayings. I ended up finding the e-mail on my computer, but I know I had made a note or two on the paper. 

How can I make notes on a piece of paper and keep the page electronically? Maybe I'll take the data and move it to a word document. I'll keep the original e-mail, but then I can mark the start dates on the paper. I don't know if I even need to do that. I'll think about it. The start dates will show on the computer -- probably don't need it. 

But I also did this. I'm a paid member of The Conquer group, which allows me to map my 2023 (and the previous yearly challenges) onto a map. I walked coast to coast in Canada for the first two years (2020 and 2021 - over 8,000 KM). Last year, I started in Cairo and started walking down the center of Africa. I've extended the walk for two more years and hope to make it to Cape Town by December 2024 (over 16,000 KM - but some of that was done on the bike!). What I love about this is that there are some images along the way with Google Maps, so it makes it interesting to check out the terrain or the view as you walk. 

My personal mapped route for 2023 and 2024

I got LOADS done yesterday, but I can't share yet! I made many phone calls that needed to be done. I called the city about the leaning tree, and for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the wooded area. I could remember my street, but not that forest. Thankfully, the lady helped me on the phone. Good grief -- am I starting to lose it? No, I was distracted trying to do two things at the same time, and I got caught! I took tons of pictures and wrote, but that challenge e-mail got me, and at one point, I was so frustrated I became not so productive. Hopefully, today will be an even more productive day.

I'm not a fan of most fancy teas, but when I found Davids Tea at Rexall, I decided to try it again. I got the Forever Nuts which is actually quite nice. So it's a good alternative when I want something other than black tea. 

Forever Nuts by David's Tea

It's not enough to have signs everywhere on the side of the road, but now we have TRAILERS with signs everywhere! Good grief!

A sign trailer

That sewing machine is packed up and ready to go in a couple of weeks. 

The sewing machine is ready to go!

As I madly went through that stack of paper, I found a few things that needed to go downstairs. So I put them in this large tub  - the one without the lid. I have a plan for that tub, and I'll share that tomorrow. 

The large tub is now downstairs

And I removed more of the stabilizer. I'm ALMOST done. I have about two more hours of work on it!

The stabilizer is almost completely removed!

The nice thing is that with the stabilizer removed, it's become soft like fabric again. That stabilizer can make things very stiff! 

I came across this video yesterday. The message in the video is what I KEEP telling my students. You have to PRACTISE -- you have to DO; you can't just think about it or plan it. Thanks to Sara for making the video. It's 12 minutes long but well worth watching. 

The only way to learn is by doing and making mistakes. The more you do, the fewer mistakes you make, and things become so easy that you do them without thinking. Yes -- you still make mistakes, and sometimes even seasoned people (like myself) make some pretty dumb and basic mistakes. But it happens. Do I care? I'm so over that!

I also found this other video made by Sara (from Sewing Mastery.com), the owner of an actual store in South Dakota. In the second video, she talks about having good habits. I couldn't agree more. Good habits are sometimes hard to make happen, but she talks about the habit of sewing. Yep --- sewing for me is a habit. I MAKE time for the things I love and want to do. Hence, I walk and sew every day because those are the things I love and want to do! I'll chat more about Sara tomorrow. 

I have that little blue book she talks about, but do you think I can find it? I started writing in it but lost track of the book. I LOVE the colored pen idea. I'll have to treat myself. But my writing could be better. I'll take a picture and show you something I found yesterday. 

Habits (good ones) are so important to keeping your studios and sewing spaces neat and tidy. If that doesn't become a habit, you are doomed. You can clean up as often as you want, but you will always have to do it again. Find homes for things and make it a habit to put them away, and you'll never have to tidy again! 

I got a before and after picture yesterday and will share that tomorrow when I have more time. I'm off to spin class this morning. So you get ONE more day of reprieve from decluttering but think about your habits. Perhaps you can list the habits you would like to have. This is NOT a resolution, and it might be easier to start with ONE habit. Now we have to figure out how to make that habit stick. Do you need to write a note to yourself and stick it on the fridge? The bathroom mirror? The computer screen? Often, we get excited about doing something, but before it becomes a habit, it gets set aside. Like writing a sentence daily in that little blue book. How are we going to make that a good habit? And that's totally different than making a resolution! 

So get those thinking caps on and PICK one new habit you'd like to form this year. I want to find my little blue book and write in it. First, I need to find it. I thought I knew where it was last night --- OH --- I think I just remembered. I know the area it is in, but not the container, but I think I just remembered. 

On that note, I'm out of here and off to see Joseph. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

The books I read

I felt like a shut-in yesterday. I didn't leave the house. No that's not true - I took the girls for a walk a couple of times. I just didn't drive the car anywhere. That happens frequently at my house these days. I do drive to the gym - it's 4 KM away. I could walk, but then I'd just turn around and walk back so what's the point?

Yes - we had snow, but nothing like was reported. I wonder - when people go to school to learn how to report the weather, are they told to make it seem really, really bad outside to warn people? to cause great fears so they'll be careful? And have you noticed that we don't get snow anymore? We get snowstorms, storm warnings, weather advisories. Good grief - we're dumbing the world down so that every normal thing becomes something huge.

Let's just say that it was a GLORIOUS day for a walk. Keep in mind - you need a hat, scarf and the right mittens, along with boots to make it a glorious day. There were far fewer kids walking to school. Now, why is that? So the parents can drive them which is way more dangerous than walking on a snowy day. Oh well - I'll just keep quiet about it. Yes - there was a bit of a wind chill in the afternoon when we walked to the library, but it wasn't bad. I do have fleece-lined jeans for those very cold days, but yesterday wasn't one of them.

So I did a bad thing yesterday. I went to the library. I had two books that needed to be picked up. One is a novel (I know - I said I wasn't going to get more) and one was a reference book for a project that I'm researching. But then I saw this and I couldn't resist.

What's the book?

February is library-month and there are all kinds of activities. They have a drop-in session scheduled for tomorrow. I bet they'll have CAKE. I saw this book covered in brown paper. There's a description of the type of book it is. How could I resist? I plunked it on the signout plate and the name of the book did come up, but do you think I'm going to remember??? We chatted about this concept at dinner last night and DH wanted to open that package, but I wouldn't let him. It'll be a surprise.

I seem to be friends with a couple of Goodread followers. I get e-mails from Goodreads with their recommendations or reviews. That's totally deadly. I have a friend who spends a LOT of time reading. He has ALS and is unable to handle a physical book, but he's got all the technology for reading e-books and communicating. We had a chat yesterday about some of the choices he's been reading lately. We were talking about reading outside your normal genre and he mentioned WWI and WWII books. Yep - not my thing, but I'm enjoying reading them. Now I have another huge list of books that he recommended. One of them had already been recommended by Rose.

I need to explore the Goodreads website a bit more to see if it can help with my book series. I'm not getting a chance to read because I'm so busy with all these other books.

Thank god, the library is free! Well - it's included in our city taxes - I call it free. Now if I could find time to read more!!!  I'm working my way through The Warehouse by Rob Hart. Holy - it's such a spoof on our society - I love it!!

You may think that I'm obsessive, but I don't think I'm compulsive and there's a difference. I loaded some cutlery into the dishwasher in the morning. When I went to put my spoon in there from lunch, I noticed that the cutlery had been changed around. Yep - we have a culprit in our house who has to have the cutlery just perfect whether in the dishwasher or the drawer.

I put my spoon on the right and they all got moved to the left. Hmmmmm.................

Loading the dishwasher

If you're into learning how to use a serger, this is an EXCELLENT book. It's called First Time Sewing with a Serger by Becky Hanson and Beth Baumgartel. 

First time sewing with a serger

It does NOT replace your manual. You need the manual for the threading. This book goes over what a serger does and how it works. When to use it and when not to use it. The types of stitches that you can make depending on the kind of serger you have. Anyway - I did borrow it from the library and for learning the ins and outs, I've found it super. Now I feel like I can truly explain this crazy machine to someone else.

The second half of the book has some projects. Some of them I might try, just to try out a specific technique. Oh - to have the time to just sit and play with the serger. I should schedule two days and I bet I could run through everything and be done with it.

I was prepping the homework assignment for Christmas Fig and of course, I ran out of time. The walks come FIRST. The e-mail will go out later today as I have an errand to do this morning. But I did manage to get a quilt quilted.

Customer quilt - DONE

This is one of the quilts made in our North Star class last year. This particular one was done with the fabric in the kit. I get it that designers want to be creative, but a good chunk of this quilt was made using the yarn-dyed homespuns which have a very loose weave - Essex Yarn Dyed Homespun by Robert Kaufman.  Holy - it frays like crazy. The ladies that used this in their quilts were VERY BRAVE. I don't think I would touch it. For garments yes - but for a quilt with loads of seams? It just seems silly.

Loads of fraying with the linen fabric

I love this saying that I hear from my boss for my freelance job all the time - " just because you can, doesn't mean you should".  Amen!!!  Keep the linen for clothes, NOT quilts. It adds NOTHING but a headache.

I've got a couple of things to share with you today. Have you seen this??  It's priceless. I think I know several people that this relates to. And I took a one year leave of absence many, many years ago because of this very reason. I never went back. Never looked back either!!!

And I was reading Bonnie Hunter's blog the other day and I saw this quote - "there are only two options - make progress or make excuses".   Now, how true is that one? I don't care how much progress I make in a day. Some days are way better than others. The bottom line is to make progress, however small. We shouldn't be discouraged because we only made a little progress. Anything is better than nothing.

Oh yes - I promised you a link about habits. Well, forming a habit or changing an existing habit takes work. I think for a habit to actually stick, you have to be committed to yourself that this is going to work. Case in point - the damn flossing thing. It doesn't matter how tired I am, I WILL floss before I go to bed. I've flossed every day since the beginning of December. I can't let MYSELF down. Yep - you heard me - if I don't floss, the only person I'm letting down is ME.

It's the same thing with Virtual Challenges. I'm now miles ahead on both challenges. I think I'm almost 30 miles ahead of my pace in the Route 66 challenge. I don't care how busy my day is, I will NOT let MYSELF down. I made a commitment and I will HONOR that commitment. Plus I love walking.

Here's a link to some tools that might help you to stick with your new habits. 

Keep in mind that you should ONLY change one thing at a time. If you try to do too much at the same time, you'll 100 percent fail at all of them. Pick one - could be organizing your house, organizing your life, develop better eating habits, get out and walk or whatever. But pick ONE thing that you want to change.

Remember I told you about that lady at the gym that wraps herself in saran wrap and then puts on a corset - a TIGHT corset. I see her EVERY DAY. Same deal - she does some cardio and then comes to the change room to remove the saran and corset. She lets out a HUGE sigh when all that comes off, then she's back upstairs to do more workout. I'm so tempted to tell that this fad from the '70s doesn't work, but it's none of my business. It just seems like a huge waste of time for her and the environment.

On that happy note, I'm out of here to get the day started. Don't forget to find ONE habit you want to start or one you want to change. But you have to REALLY want it.

Have a super day!!!!


Ciao!!!

Changing Habits

Habits can be our friends and our worst enemies! Habits like buying a coffee every day, eating a cookie or going for a walk. Twenty years ago, I got into the bad habit of having a hot chocolate at Tim's. I was at school and everyone went to Tim's for coffee. Since I didn't drink coffee or tea at the time, I settled for hot chocolate. That was the start of my downfall! OK - so I'm exaggerating! But it wasn't a good habit to get into. Sometimes, I'd have two a day and once in a while, I'd get three and I always had a cookie to go with it. OH!!!! 

I know - the calories and sugar - oh my!! No wonder I was addicted to sugar. Then I started having breakfast at Tim's especially when I worked and often as a treat on weekends. I think of the money and the time I spent waiting in the line - well - I won't think about it.

I gradually changed my habits and switched from hot chocolate to tea. And then I cut the habit out over a year ago. I can make tea at home - saving time and the environment. When I came home from the gym at 6 AM this morning (more on that in a minute), I passed by Tim's without even the slightest thought of stopping. I'm cured!!!!

I do stop at Tim's for a tea on my way to Monday sewing - that's my treat. But if there's no Monday sewing? No Tim's. I'm not really worried about the money I'm saving, but the time I've saved and the frustration of seeing other idiots do silly things in the line - well - that's priceless!!!

So why was I returning from the gym at 6 AM this morning? Because I'm traveling today, although later in the day and I won't have much time to get in 10,000 steps. I NEED to get those steps in if I want to make my Virtual Challenge goals. So that's a good habit. Let's just say that at 5 AM there is NO ONE at the gym - well a few people, but it was wide open! It usually is in the early morning when I go, but being Sunday, it was even deader than a weekday which makes sense.

And whose fault is this? That would be Ronda! She signed us up (OK - so she didn't exactly sign us up, but we all got FOMO (fear of missing out) when she signed up), so we had to sign up as well. It's been 6 days into the challenge. The numbers for yesterday haven't registered yet, but I'm ahead of the pace on both of my Virtual Challenges. I'm currently in some small town in Illinois called Romeoville. Now that's an interesting name! I love that we can see the street view on Google Maps. My second challenge which I didn't mention before is to walk across Canada. I've set two years for that goal. I'm starting in Victoria and I'm currently on the ferry heading to Vancouver.

I don't mean to bore you with this, but the blog is for me as well and I'm fascinated by this Virtual Challenge and I WANT TO WIN!!! Now here's the thing - this isn't winning per se in the fact that I finish first. NO - this is winning in the sense that I set a goal and I want to meet that goal! I WILL MEET THAT GOAL.

This first shot shows us leaving Chicago behind. The red marker is the pace I've set myself and when the numbers for tomorrow get posted, I'll be ahead of the pace marker once the numbers from yesterday get posted as I did over 12,000 steps yesterday. I even have a "yellow jersey" beside my name on the leader board of our small group. Yellow jersey referring to the Tour de France where the leader gets to wear the yellow jersey! How cool is that???

My position on Route 66 trek

And on the cross-Canada walk, I've just passed Salt Spring Island. I've been waving to my Aunt Yvonne who lives there and I'm sure I saw her wave back!!! I'm ahead of the pace on this trek and on my way to Vancouver!

My position on the cross Canada walk

This kind of thing is HIGHLY motivating to me. If only the UFO goals had some kind of thing like this. Well - we have our lists and our UFO club and support from our fellow quilters. We're going to be OK. But 2020 is going to be a MOTIVATIONAL year - I'm pumped to get things done!!!!


Speaking of getting things done, I HAD to do some admin stuff yesterday. I'm away this entire week and some stuff just couldn't be put off any longer.

I started the morning with this to face. Yep - a pile of stuff. ICK!!!  This is my nightmare.

Paperwork

And because of the desk situation here, the stuff sits on the floor. It's not that there isn't space - it's just not laid out well. I'm not sure even how to reconfigure it. I've got to put my thinking cap on.

Anyway, I was printing a few things (minimal printing), creating and updating distribution lists, created a Facebook page for one of the Sew Alongs. Answered, deleted, and filed e-mails. Verified numbers and on and on.

By lunchtime, the pile looked like this.

Making progress on the paperwork

Back at it right after a quick bite. And I filed some more e-mails, sorted more paperwork, and whatever needed to be done. There is NO PUTTING things off. Get it done NOW!!!!

By 2 PM, I was down to this. I can live with the amount that's left since none of it is super urgent. When I'm back, I think I'll have to add some more paperwork to that pile and have another marathon day!! There's no shortage of paper to add to that pile. Then I headed downstairs to work on some sewing.

The pile at 2 PM

No that's a lie - I did not go downstairs. I went for a LONG walk with the girls. That's why I got 12,000 steps in. They were having a bad day - oh well. It was an interesting walk and I'm sure that I'm now the talk of the neighborhood. A lady in a bright orange coat with two very badly behaved big dogs!

I'm good with that. I'm enjoying my neighborhood and my girls and I'm in way better shape than those that pass me in their cars!

Speaking of which, I should say that while these Virtual Challenges have changed my habits, others in our group have changed theirs as well. I won't mention names to protect the innocent, but I see that one of the others was up at 6:00 AM yesterday and on the treadmill for 45 minutes because she had something else going on later that day and wouldn't be able to walk. This is someone who normally would hit the snooze button. Oh my - the habits are changing and all because of a Virtual Challenge. It cost us $60 US to join! So far - we're definitely getting our money's worth from the $60.

I'm taking a break from novel-reading (physical book) and reading about the Thai boys that were stuck in the cave in 2018. Holy - I'm not sure that all the information is correct, but I suspect it's pretty darn close, but it's a MIRACLE that the boys were ever rescued. TONS of resources, tons of organizations wanting to help out, but NO ONE TO TAKE CHARGE. The fact that the boys were even found is a MIRACLE, let alone that they actually all got out. There's no other way to describe it. It's a fascinating read. I'm at the point where the boys have been located and now they're figuring out how to bring them out. I can't wait to read all the details. The book is called The Boys in the Cave, by Matt Gutman. 

What is utterly shocking (but unfortunately deadly true) is that people (and I won't mention their nationalities wanted (NEEDED) to be first to find the boys so they could look good for their country. And they were seriously upset when divers from another country found the boys first. Seriously????  What happened to the priority of finding the boys and rescuing them?? I recently had a discussion about this very topic. Is it OK to do a good deed if your main goal is to seek attention for yourself? Turns out that's a loaded bombshell. I say do things because it comes from your heart and it needs to be done and you want to help. But NEVER do a good deed because you're going to get air time. That's the WRONG REASON to be doing good deeds.

The person I had the discussion with said "as long as some good came of it" what's the harm? BECAUSE it's for the wrong reasons and totally insincere!!! 

Anyway - nice to take a break from the novels for a while, although I see that I have several audiobooks that came in ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Why does that happen?? They were scheduled to arrive weeks apart. I don't have noise-canceling headphones so it's hard to listen on the plane. I'll aim for some time in my room tonight once I hit the hotel.

On that note, I've got SIX hours before I need to leave for the airport. I must use them wisely as I have ONE sample to finish and I have to get the homework prepped for the first sew along as the first e-mail goes out on Friday when I'm still away. Everything is cut and ready to sew. I'm in good shape!!!

Have a super day!!!!!


Ciao!!!!

Good habits

It was a long day yesterday. But just before I rolled into the driveway on the way home at 10 PM, I decided to gas up the car. On the way to my class last night, I noticed that gas prices went anywhere from 113.9 to 122.9. That was in a distance of about 30 KM. Yikes - I'm not gassing up at that higher station. Fortunately, the lower priced one was the closest to me. I wondered if the price would change from the time I left to the time I got back and NO - it was the same price. The price tends to be much higher in the morning and then it decreases as the day goes on.

So for those that are too tired to fill up the car the night before, you're going to pay for that! Now I have a full tank so when I leave for my workshop this morning I won't have to worry about the gas tank.

I also needed to put some air in my tires. I guess everyone has those sensors on their tires now. I have one leaky tire which they can never seem to fix. While at the gas station last night even though it was very late for me to be out, I figured I might as well get that taken care of.

Yep - only one tire was low. And the air pump was still working. As I drove up a man was putting air in his tires. By the time I was ready to put air in the tires (had to check the pressure on all four), he had left and the pump was still ready. So I filled up my tire and got in the car. The pump stopped running while I got in the car. I saved a whopping $1.50!!!  But even more important, I'm trying to get myself into a good habit. Fill the car up at night instead of waiting for the morning.

I know, there are people who had it drilled into their heads to fill up the tank the moment it hit 1/4 empty. Now, what's the point in that? I usually wait until the light goes on. I like to live on the edge! I've also never in my life run out of gas. Those old rules about condensation in the tank in the winter - don't believe them. I've had my car running on fumes and it starts like a charm in the cold winter mornings.

The other good habit that I'm trying to get into is making my lunch. No, let's rephrase that - making it when you're NOT in a rush. I was tired when I got home last night and I didn't make my lunch or pack my bags for the workshop today. However, the first thing I did after I took the girls and boy for their "we need to empty our bladder" walk was to pack for the workshop and then make my lunch. I know - those who have excelled at time management are shaking your heads. But the old me would have tried to cram three hours of sewing in, instead of doing these simple tasks. Which is probably why there's a pile of paperwork sitting around. I avoid things I don't like to do and then do it only when it's urgent.

I'm getting better. A long way from perfect, but better. I can almost call myself efficient in the non-quilting world. 

The meeting/training session yesterday was fun and informative. New sewing and embroidery machines and I now have one of them sitting in my front hall so I get to play with it a bit more. Heck - a LOT more. I'll be blogging on QUILTsocial about that in about a month and I'll post the links when it happens.

In the downtime, I was having a peek at the embroidery software. Oh boy - I NEED to get up to speed on this software. The cool things that one can do are AMAZING!!!!  I'm going to start scheduling one day a week in my calendar that is PLAY DAY. That's very important and NONE of us do it. So I'm going to make it a habit. I'm not sure what day I'll pick and I'm not sure I can afford the time in the next two weeks, but I'm going to plug in some dates right now. DONE - Tuesday is the new play day at my house. That just means that I'm going to have to work my schedule around that date. Won't start for a couple of weeks as I have a few things that urgently need to be done.

While I was at the meeting, I managed to get all the pieces ripped out of my blocks that needed to be changed. When I got home, I replaced most of them. Later this afternoon, I'll be able to get those blocks together and hopefully get the quilt top on the long arm. I'm debating between custom and overall. But I can do fast custom for something like this and I really think it needs two different thread colors.

Today's workshop is on improv piecing with a twist. It's going to be loads of fun and I can't wait to see the end results.

On that note, I'd better get out of here. I've got a wee bit of paperwork that I'd like to clean up before I leave this morning and let's not forget the girls need a walk. This is the sniffing and exploring the neighborhood walk.

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!