Thursday, September 5, 2019

I spent most of the morning tidying up and cleaning. I managed to get a load of laundry on the line to dry, I had a brief chat with the Hall President and made a stop at the fabric shop on my way to sewing.

We have picked out a new Thursday project that we’ll do together but we aren’t ready to start just yet – I’m putting in an order for fabric for all three of us. Today I was working on blocks that are the “colour of the month” from the Guild last year. I finished two more – I think that makes five down and five to go.

Tonight is the first Guild meeting of the season. My only task this year is to write the blog and report on any e-mail we receive. I don’t even need to prepare a report for the meeting as there has been no e-mail over the summer. Because our blog site has been running short of space I’ve started archiving some of the older posts (from before I was involved). I’ll read a short excerpt from a post in 2008 when the members were coming back for the first meeting of the season.

Although it isn’t my “job”, I’ve agreed to help out with the Membership table tonight. One of the people who is doing that job may not be available as she has some serious health issues. I’m there if I’m needed.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

For about a month, every time I drive into the carport my first thought is, “I’ve got to get those blackberries out of the roses”. Well today was the day; even though I woke up with a headache I was out the door by nine.

It took me until eleven to get all the blackberries and bindweed pulled and clipped from the roses. I should have done a bit of research into pruning roses as it might have been a good time to do it. Clearing out the rose bed involves climbing the retaining walls so I don’t like to do it too often.

While I took a coffee break my mind was thinking, “I should go and get a new broom. And while I’m out I could go get a McFlurry in honour of Dad’s birthday”. The broom I currently use in the yard was left by the previous owners and I’m sure it was missed on their last trip to the dump. It works, but not well and I thought I deserved a new one. But if I went out I’d have to go in my shredded shirt (those blackberries and roses make a mess of clothing) and my less-than-great jeans and garden shoes or else get cleaned up. But if I got cleaned up I knew it would be hard to go back to work once I got home. So I decided to stay home and get the broom another day.

I took a short break for a late lunch and was back out again until 3:30. As I lay on the couch recuperating I thought, “I could go and get the McFlurry after my shower”. But if I go out I’ll have to put on some clothes and I was sort of thinking maybe I could put on my pyjamas. But there is a movie I’d like to see tonight so getting dressed and getting a McFlurry might be a good idea.

The jury is still out on that decision.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

I was ready for quilting early so I decided to do my errands before heading off to sew. First stop was the library and then I stopped at the Post Office to mail a couple of cards. I’m four books behind schedule on my Goodreads Challenge so I was glad to be done with Moby Dick.

I had a bit of work to do on my miniature quilt so that is where I started today. It didn’t take long and I moved on to my September UFO Challenge – a Christmas mystery quilt. All of the clues have been published for quite awhile so I know what the quilt will look like but I’m a long way from being ready to put even a sample block together.

Because I did my errands this morning I didn’t expect to head to the Hall after sewing. But there was some concern that our yardman said he had trimmed the hedges and no one really noticed on Friday that they had been done. I went down for a look and indeed they have been done – done so well that they don’t have that shorn look hedges sometimes get. Sanding is going well if the dust inside is anything to gauge progress on.

I spent a lot of time watching Midsomer Murders yesterday. I’ve heard they are going off Netflix at the end of the month and I have quite a few seasons to watch. I’ll get back to it again tonight – I’m knitting a hat as I watch so it doesn’t feel as much like wasted time.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

I’ve been going to the Sunshine Music Festival almost every year since we moved to Powell River. I generally go for one day, but I skip it if the weather is bad. Yesterday’s weather was perfect. It was cloudy, but there were only a few sprinkles of rain; it wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t too cool. It was perfect weather.

I enjoyed the music and I enjoyed wandering around the site and visiting a few of the vendor booths. I got a start on some Christmas gifts and visited the Natural Soap Lady for some lotion for myself. There were good food choices as well. Lunch was from the 7-Sprouts Deli, a plant-based deli who, both at the festival and in their shop, are committed to zero-waste. My salad was in a mason jar and although I used a napkin to hold my bagel it was made from recycled paper and was compostable. My mid-afternoon snack was an ice cream from Sassy Mack’s. I got a double scoop – salty chocolate caramel and 32-Lakes (coffee) chocolate chip. Both were excellent.

The entire festival tries to be zero-waste and they do a good job of it. I’m not sure if they choose their vendors for eco-friendliness but it was good to see so many of them using recycled materials in their wares. I saw instruments made from recycled propane tanks, jewellery from beach glass, and lots of items made from “up cycled” clothing.

I took my knitting with me so I had something to do while I sat and people-watched. After so many years of attending you get to “know” a few of the other regulars. The odd man who dances had a girlfriend with him this year; the boy/girl (I’m never sure of the gender) was with a different friend. The large family gathering that often sits near us were all in attendance but the kids have grown. The woman I’ve seen every year at the Texada festival was dancing up a storm. Often I would see a face and then have to try and remember where it was that I knew them from; in one case it bugged me all day until I saw him on the way out of the festival and realized it was the fellow who sold me my cell phone! I missed our previous neighbour; it was always so nice to see her, her Mum and her daughter up dancing together.

Of course there were lots of people I really did know that we were able to chat with.

I’m taking it easy today. I have a card I need to get finished so it can go in the mail on Tuesday. Today will be the first day that I’ve used my sewing machine since I rearranged my sewing room.