Monday, November 18, 2019

As I was driving home from the Celebration of Life yesterday I passed the first house I’ve seen with their Christmas lights on display. I think it is a bit too early don’t you? However, this morning as I was cutting the fabric for my last Christmas gifts (if you don’t count the “I might have time” ones) I listened to my Christmas music. It felt a bit weird (too early) but I ignored the feeling and enjoyed the music.

In order to do the cutting I had to clear a path to my cutting table. I put a few things away but just as many things landed on top of another surface. I am trying very hard to clear out enough space so my new glass cabinet (for fabric) can be moved from the back step into my sewing room. And I’m also trying hard to keep the bedroom across the hall cleared. So far so good but I started piles of Christmas gifts in there this morning so it probably won’t be clean for long.

I had a small package to go into the mail today and I wrestled with myself as to whether or not I would walk. “I should walk” but “I have a lot to get done this afternoon”. It wasn’t until I was actually outside that I decided I would walk. It isn’t often that I don’t have a number of errands to run and walking doesn’t work in that case. It wasn’t sunny, but it wasn’t cold or raining either.

I’ve been trying to sort through Hall paperwork this afternoon. I may never leave again. I haven’t even got to the expenses but if the deposits that were made in my absence are any indication I’m not expecting much help from the various slips of paper and envelopes I’m having to go through. It was nice to give up the work for a month but I think next time I might try to pass it to someone else and see if that works better.

I’d better get back to it.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

I’m making progress (since six this morning) but my piles don’t seem to be getting any smaller. I managed to move the bedding from upstairs to the downstairs bedroom (not yet put away in the linen closet) and I have all the boxes, bins and bags moved from downstairs up to my sewing room.

I spent all morning on the computer and it seemed for every item I crossed off my list I added three more. I still have a big job of Hall accounting ahead of me but I’ll leave that until tomorrow morning.

I’m blocking a scarf on the kitchen table but the sun I hoped would help dry it seems to have disappeared. There is another scarf that needs the ends tied in, a shawl that I need to get up on my site; I’ve started a crocheted scarf but I’m a bit concerned I’ll run out of yarn before it is finished. When I knit the first scarf with this yarn I thought the ball would never run out but it is a different matter with the pattern I’m using this time. There is one more scarf that I’d like to get done for the November sale, as well as three more cross stitch ornaments. I hope the selection of Christmas movies on Netflix this year is better than last year.

We lost one of our quilting ladies late last week. I’ll be attending her Celebration of Life this afternoon.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

It’s been so long since I did a post that I wonder if I still remember how. I’ll give it a try and see how it goes.

I had a wonderful week on Texada. The quilting retreat (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) was awesome – we always have such a good time. Our group project was an easy one – a scissor fob – so it didn’t take up too much sewing time. My fob doesn’t fit the scissors that I use for sewing but I’m sure it will fit the ones I use for cross stitching. I was the first one out on the strip poker game (meaning I lost all my loonies) but I won one of the draws and came home with a bundle of batik fabrics. The food was excellent and we all agreed that it didn’t really matter what we ate – we didn’t have to prepare it or clean up afterwards.

I spent the rest of the week (until today) working my way through to finishes on many of the things I pieced over the weekend. I can’t show you any photos as the Texada Retreat is my start for my Christmas gifts. I still have a long way to go before I’m done but I’ve made a good start. My wood stove skills continue to improve and there was only one morning when I burnt quite a patch off one of my fingers trying to adjust the wood in the stove. With the stove going all day long my space is quite toasty.

Last night was our Texada House Concert. I said to Pat that I feel quite removed from the tour as the cafe where we hold the show takes care of almost everything. The performers didn’t even stay with us last night as we assumed they needed two beds and we only have one. Apparently they slept in an RV with just a queen bed so I guess we would have been okay. The next one isn’t until February so there is a long break.

I took the ferry “home” this morning as there was a work party scheduled at the Hall. The renovations are done and we wanted to give everything a good dusting, scrub down, and put all the dishes back into our new kitchen cupboards. There were a couple of small rooms on either side of the stage that we cleared out – there were boxes for the garbage, boxes for the thrift shop, boxes for recycle, boxes everywhere. The place looks fabulous and we’ll be showing it off to the people who gave us the grant in a week or so.

On my way to the Hall I stopped at one of the big craft fairs going on this weekend. I was picking up something specific from one of the vendors but had a quick look around the rest of the booths. It was so crowded you could barely get down the aisles. I stopped at a new-to-me vendor and picked up a Christmas gift. That’s another list I should make – December is full of birthdays as well as Christmas.

And now that I’m home there is so much needing to be done. The piles that I left before I went to Deloise’s quilt show are still piled up – what happened to the cleaning fairy? I brought boxes back from the Retreat and boxes home from the Hall. I have so much computer work that needs to be done that I had to make a list so I wouldn’t forget anything. I’m not convinced that even if I got everything done on my list that I still wouldn’t have forgotten something.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

I was off the ferry for about five minutes on Monday night before heading out to the ARC Community Centre to scout out their kitchen facilities. Our Tuesday show was being held here and I had never been in the building so I wanted to see what the kitchen was like as I’d be doing concession for the show. On the way home I stopped at the grocery store for some cold drinks to serve at the show. As my gas light came on while I was driving I stopped for gas too.

Tuesday morning was a flurry of activity getting the house ready for four house guests – Connie Kaldor, her husband and their two sons. I made up the bed in the spare room upstairs before I left for Saskatoon; Pat took care of the bed downstairs. We’ve never had anyone stay upstairs on our futon (thanks Elizabeth!) and, as you know, my sewing room often spreads across the hall into the other bedroom. I shoved everything that was scattered in that room back across the hall to my sewing room and then shut the sewing room door. All was done in time for our guests arrival on the noon ferry.

They were very easy guests. They went out for lunch, had naps, went to sound check and then went out for supper. I set up the kitchen while they napped and I was back at the facility by six o’clock. The show was amazing, and I didn’t even mind that we didn’t sell a lot at the concession. Note to self: don’t try to sell cold drinks when there is a cooler of cold water sitting right beside the serving window! It was after eleven before Pat and I finished clearing the hall; we had prepared cheese and meat trays, fruit trays, crackers and dip trays, and bought wine so when we got home we joined our guests at the table and chatted until after midnight.

Wednesday morning I was up at 4:30 so I could listen to Dave’s radio show. Even though I was still operating on Saskatchewan time it was hard to get up so early. I’m glad I did though as I really enjoyed listening to the show. Dave and Will had great rapport and I even got a couple of shout-outs from Will.

Our guests left on the early ferry and I spent the rest of the day changing beds and doing laundry. I attempted to make some progress packing for the Texada Retreat but I didn’t have much success as I was too tired to think and make any decisions. I had a Hall meeting after lunch but, thankfully, I don’t have to resume my full responsibilities for another week. I was in bed by seven last night and feel much better and more “normal” today.

But it was a busy day today. I finished packing up fabric and patterns for the Texada Retreat and, while I was doing that, I put away a few things from my trip and things I had dragged across the hall to accommodate the bedroom. Most of what I put away were things that were on top of other things I needed. At one point I had a pile of things to take to Gail’s (I didn’t sew today but I stopped in to see the group), a pile of things for the Guild meeting tonight, a pile of things that are ready for our sale table later this month, and a pile of things to take to Texada.

I think my sewing stuff is all packed with the exception of my tools. Over the past year I’ve moved my tools from one bag to another but today I’ve decided they need to go back into the shoulder bag I originally purchased for tools. I’ll get them packed up before I head out to the Guild meeting tonight.

Moreen and I will be on the first ferry out tomorrow morning and I’m staying on Texada until a week Saturday. I need the quiet of the Island.