Tuesday

I’m working on my hardanger lessons today – lesson two. I haven’t touched it since the last time we were over here. I thought I was ready for the difficult part but there were a few new stitches to add before the cutting began. There are so many ways these lessons could have been made easier. I had trouble with the white thread on the white background and for learning I think we should have been working on a much larger weave of fabric.

But I bought special scissors for the cutting and I gave it a shot. Two cuts in I snipped the stitching but the lesson gave me a fix for that. When the fix was done I cut in a few more spots and the decided to try the weaving stitch that was to fill in all the holes I was creating. I realized the instructions were wrong; she told me to use white threads for the weaving but the pattern picture clearly used green. So I dug out the green and moved on.

The weaving stitch was a complete disaster. I was so glad that I had stopped after only half a dozen cuts. In my mind, the instructor made a mistake so that gave me free rein to do that particular stitch in the pattern any way I wanted. My method wasn’t perfect but it was better than cutting and weaving.

Now I’m going to add a few beads – because bling always helps – and see if I can avoid any cutting in lesson three.

Monday

I seem to be having issues with the mail delivery system. Saturday’s journal didn’t post but I expected to see it this morning. Nothing came through. I haven’t found an actual glitch yet but I’m hoping a new post might restart the process. I did have one journal get through with the new system.

We caught the ferry over to Texada this morning and now, at lunch time, the dust and cobwebs have been cleared away, the vacuuming and scrubbing are done and we’ve had a chance to sit outside on the deck for awhile. It is so quiet here but there are a lot of birds around and they are happily chirping away. The hummingbird feeder is up and we’ve had a couple of visitors.

I have lots of projects to keep me busy, as well as lots of books to enjoy. First up will be trying to put some of my calendar blocks into a quilt top.

I have my fingers crossed that this will go out in the mail tonight.

Saturday

I was expecting a message in the next couple of weeks so I was surprised this morning when I was invited to book for my second Covid vaccine. The timing for the first available appointment was perfect – June 8th in the afternoon. That is the day after we plan to be back from Texada. I have nothing in my calendar for the next few days after that so if there are any side effects from the shot I can do nothing for as long as it takes to get over it.

Pat got groceries for our trip this morning and I said I’d stop at the liquor store while I was out doing some other errands. I had a prescription to pick up at the drug store and then I headed to the library and picked up three more books. I returned two books so I really only gained one book. There will be no need to take my Kindle with me this time. If the weather permits I hope to have some afternoons in the hammock. I always plan to read in the hammock but nine times out of ten I read a bit and nap a lot.

I went to the thrift shop in search of some muffin tins. A couple of weeks ago I was going to make some Carrot Pineapple Muffins but Pat did a shop the day I found the recipe and he brought home some carrot muffins. A couple of days ago I again thought I’d make the muffins but I seem to have given away (or thrown away) my muffin tins. I got two sets of six and a twelve pan so tomorrow I’ll do some baking.

I mentioned to Stacia and Deloise that I never wanted to go to the thrift shop (run by the Salvation Army) and find my donated knitting. Since the pandemic I’m not in there often but today I saw two of my shawls nicely displayed at the end of one of the racks. I’m still processing how I feel about that.

I finally got started on my May UFO Challenge. I have the first few lines quilted on Paris Through the Window. I certainly won’t finish before we go on Monday but I’ll be able to get it down fairly quickly when we get home. All of my remaining UFOs are tops that need to be quilted but I won’t know what number I’m working on until June 1.

Okay, back to it.

Friday

I was disappointed last night when I was unable to join the Zoom meeting for 100+ Women Who Care. I thought I had registered when the first e-mail came out so I ignored the three reminders. But I guess I hadn’t registered as I didn’t have a link and I wasn’t able to get a late registration in. I was particularly disappointed today when the results were in. One of the presenters was the BOND program (which I had nominated). They didn’t win the vote but I would have liked to have been able to add one more to their vote count.

I knew I had a lot of desk work to do today but I honestly didn’t think it would take all day. But it has … and I think I’m good for the next week while we’re away.

I’m not sure what the glitch in my system was a couple of days ago but it seems to have corrected itself. In the test that was sent to Pat and I we received two days of postings in one message. I’ve switched everyone over to the new delivery system. I hope you don’t get two messages from me and, at the same time, I’m hoping you get one message from the new system.

I’ve also been making notes of things to pack to take to Texada – not clothing, just projects. For the most part I work on hand stitching when I’m there and I have a lot of catching up to do on projects that I haven’t touched since the last time we were over. I’m also going to take my bin of calendar blocks; hopefully I have enough to put together one or two quilt tops.

By the time everything was done it was too late to start a major project (quilting my May UFO) so I’ve put together a few pieces of smaller things I had half-done. I’ll get back to the quilting tomorrow.