Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Here’s what I picked from the garden this morning, along with a few strawberries that I ate as I plucked them. My sunflower is in bloom and the bees seem to be happy with it. Pat has harvested a few peppers and we’ve picked one fig. There are at least three more figs forming right now.

I intended to go to sewing with the Guild today but by the time I finished the yard work I didn’t feel like it. I already had my project packed and my lunch waiting in the fridge but I just didn’t feel like stepping out the door. So I spent the morning working on the tasks that I would have been working on had I gone.

I am committed (or maybe I should be committed) to a new cross stitch project I’m following online. I’ve done one of their sew-alongs before and have been watching for a new one. When the first clue came out I was hesitant and unsure of whether I wanted to stitch it; there have been three releases so far and they just get cuter and cuter so I was hooked. I spent most of the afternoon yesterday stitching on the first pattern release and I love it, in spite of my indifference when it came out. I’ve had to order a few colours but they should be here by the end of the week and in the meantime I’m able to stitch around the spots that are missing.

Yesterday I also prepped the bonus block in my chicken project – I definitely feel I should be committed for doing that. If I can avoid the cross stitch I may work on the chickens this afternoon.

But right now, my lunch awaits me in the fridge.

Sunday, July 30, 2023

I’ve had a good couple of days and I’m learning to balance activities with naps. We hadn’t been for a walk for quite awhile so Friday morning after both Pat and I finished some video calls we headed out to the seawalk. The walking was so much easier than some of the walks/hikes we did on Texada. There weren’t as many water birds as we were seeing earlier in the summer but there were a couple of eagles, some herons, and some ducks and geese. As we were nearing the end of the walk we heard and saw a large humpback whale – the first time in a long time that they’ve been that close to shore. I had a nap that afternoon.

For something a bit different on Saturday I went back into the yard and pulled a few more weeds out of the trough in the driveway. The gardener is coming next weekend and this was one of the areas that I said we would look after so I’d like to have it done when she comes by. I have at least one more session, maybe two, before it is cleared. I tried for a nap in the afternoon but didn’t sleep – I did have some downtime though and a rest.

Last night I went to a show at Cranberry Hall – the first in a very long time because of Covid and then my treatments. It was a small crowd but there were lots of familiar faces. I have to admit it felt odd to be at a show and not working – or worrying about how things were being done. It will take some time to get used to that feeling but I’m up to that particular challenge.

Pat headed over to Texada this morning. Our neighbour is planning to be away this week but she wasn’t sure when she was leaving so I opted to stay home and look after the watering. All our plants are doing well and I don’t want to slack off now and lose them.

Over the last few days I’ve also manage some sewing – mostly work on my summer mystery quilt. I’ll probably go to the Guild sewing on Tuesday and I have lots of pressing and trimming to do so I won’t have to bother with my machine. I’ve cut another wool project out – a companion piece to the chicken project and I’ll be able to practice some of the fancier stitches on the small piece before attempting them on the “real” thing.

I chatted a bit with Emma this afternoon and she was suffering from a sunburn after a walk yesterday. I fully intended to go out for a walk after lunch but I’ve now decided I’ll wait until this evening when it is, hopefully, a bit cooler. I’m seldom accomplishing my daily walking goal but I’m getting a fair number of steps in every day.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

I think I have found my balance – I can do things one day but the next day I have to do very little or not do anything at all.

We went for that long hike on Texada and I was so tired the next day I was useless. I took a day to sew together a quilt top and the next day I did very little of anything, and certainly nothing strenuous.

I’ve had a busy day today and by three I was pretty much done in, although I still had one more stop to make. I cut some fabric this morning for a mystery quilt-along I’m participating in. I made lunch for Pat and I and then I was off for two medical appointments. On the way home I stopped at the grocery store to talk to the pharmacy and to pick up a few groceries.

I’ll take it easy for a bit but then we are going down to the beach to listen to some music. This group is starting off the Music in the Park series but they are the only ones we’ll be bothered to go out and hear. They put on the Christmas show that we always attend so it will be nice to hear them with some un-Christmas songs.

Don’t expect much from me tomorrow!

Monday, July 24, 2023

“Let’s do a short walk” Pat said yesterday. After two hours on one of the most challenging walks I’ve been on in ages (and I don’t mean just since my treatments) we were finally home. We had seen the trailhead for the Eagle Cove Trail many times as we made our way to and from the ferry but we’d never stopped. We knew the trail would be challenging but we only intended to do the lower half which didn’t have as much elevation as the later half.

Soon after we started out we came across a side trail leading to the gnome homes. How could we resist? It was an easy walk and all along there were these tiny little constructions. The first home was laid in March of 2020 in an effort to get the community out and about while still maintaining the social distancing required at the time. These were a couple of my favourites but they were all very unique, some in better repair than others.

I was tired when we got home but managed to finish up some set-up work on my appliqué project before I went to bed. I was up early this morning and put up a quilt on the design wall. When that was done I couldn’t settle down to anything else – I had a cross stitch I could have worked on, as well as more work on my appliqué project. By noon I had decided that I’d be having a nap after lunch and I slept for two hours.

I can’t really say I’m keen to dive into any of my projects but I finished my book, I’ve played my games (several times) so I’d better get to it.