Tuesday, May 15, 2018

I had a wonderful weekend at the studio. I skipped stitching on Thursday afternoon and headed to The Rock on the mid-morning ferry. Even though it was a bit breezy I sat outside during the ferry trip. I decided that if I was suffering from allergies the sea air would do me good; if I had something else I thought the sea air might kill me and then I’d know it wasn’t allergies! We have a lot of trees around the studio but none of them are flowering and I felt better by the first afternoon.

We did a couple of walks, I sat outside on the deck and did nothing, I read, I did a bit of cross stitching – all relaxing activities. We walked down to the lake just across from us in hopes of seeing some turtles sunning themselves but there were kids playing in the water and the best we could do was a sighting of some tadpoles and a snake. We went out for dinner one night (we usually do when I’m over there) and we went to Shelter Point for dinner on Mother’s Day; it was opening day for the concession and they had a crowd.

We both came back over on Monday because Pat had to renew the insurance on his truck but after taking care of that and a bit of shopping he was back out on the noon ferry. I spent some time upstairs and finished my chenille quilt; it needed to be squared up and have the binding attached. I sat out on the deck last evening and did the hand stitching before getting it into the washer and drier for a finish today at the bee. I’m pleased with how it turned out; I’m not sure what I’ll do with it now that it is done though.

Today I was back at the bee and working on card tops, as well as blocks from The Splendid Sampler. I have a few cards that I need for this month so as I do a top for a card I do one block for my sampler. Since I was in a hurry, and all the original blocks I have left are complicated, I’m doing these tops for the second (and third) time. I’ll continue working on them tonight.

I’m still not sure if I have allergies or an odd cold; since being home my eyes are watering and my throat is a bit sore but I don’t have that horrible cough that I had last week. No matter what it is I hope it goes away soon; Christy gave me some natural allergy relief products and I’m using (and enjoying) them. I was well taken care of in the smelly department for Mother’s Day – essential oils, lotions and bath bombs!

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

I hadn’t planned on spending the day at my desk but that seems to be how it has worked out. I came upstairs last night and sorted out a pattern for one of the Guild blocks I need to make; I wanted to be able to get right at the stitching this morning.

I didn’t have a very good night last night – cutting the grass has set me back on trying to fight these allergies. I slept later than usual and even went back to bed for a half-hour after I had my first cup of tea. With an allergy pill and two more cups of tea I’m feeling better but starting to cough again.

I’d like to avoid being outside for a day or two but that doesn’t seem to work out for me. I went out this morning to the garbage and recycle and came back in through the breeze blowing off the lilac tree – lovely in theory but my eyes started to water right away. I think I am so bad this year because of the later spring and everything is blossoming at the same time – the lilacs, the laburnum, apple and cherry trees still out, rhododendrons and pretty much anything else that blooms in the spring. Too say nothing of the dandelions. We’re told not to pull them but I pulled a bag at the Hall one day while I was waiting for someone and it wasn’t appreciated by one of the Board members who is a bee keeper. But there is a limit (not a judgement, a limit)!

I have to make a trip to the Hall in a bit to collect money from a renter – all part of my new responsibilities. I managed to get the minutes of the last meeting sent out and I’ve replied to all the rental requests we’ve had so I think I’m caught up for awhile.

I’m planning to go to Texada tomorrow. I was going to go after stitching but I think I’m going to skip stitching and go a bit earlier. I’m hopeful the air I breathe over there won’t bother me as much as it does here. If it does I may have to reconsider the allergy diagnosis.

I don’t feel a lot like sewing with what is left of the day so I’ll cross-stitch or crochet when I’m back home and packed for tomorrow’s trip.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

I finished the diagonal lines on my chenille quilt today at the bee. In fact I finished them before lunch. Many of the ladies were anxious to see what happened next but I was reluctant to do anything with a crowd watching. When they threatened getting a chant of “Cut the Cloth” going I ventured on. I have a handy tool but someone who was in the class (and finished hers years ago) said that the cutter didn’t work all that well and she used scissors. We debated whether or not I should trim the edges even before I started cutting – the opinion was pretty much even yes or no so I went with the no side. I thought I was supposed to cut every alternate row on one side and the opposite row on the other but no one thought that was how it should be done. I took their advice and made my first cut. It is scary business and after getting a second cut made I packed it in and headed home. I’ll do better without a crowd looking on.

I had a couple of errands after stitching – the Hall and a deposit at the bank. When I got home I had a few hall-related calls to make but I couldn’t put it off any longer. It started out as a beautiful sunny day but they warned that rain was on the way so I headed out to cut the grass. I didn’t do my allergies any good but the yard looks so much better with just the mowing done.

I was talking about my “judgement” call between the weeds and the flowers with a fellow board member last night. He liked that idea but he follows a different policy, “If you don’t pick a bucket of weeds every day you’re losing!” I certainly can’t argue with that and even though the grass is cut I’m losing big time!

After I finish a bit of computer work I’m going to head downstairs to watch the last few episodes of Call the Midwife before I scratch my eyes out.

And there better be rain on the ground in the morning or I’ll have to go back out and cut the boulevard.

Monday, May 7, 2018

I had a lovely time on the weekend; the back door wasn’t even unlocked on either Saturday or Sunday. I managed to get four cards done as well as two Splendid Sampler blocks. There are lots more blocks in the line-up but the ones that needed to go out in the mail are done and posted. All except one that I stuck under a bin of fabric to get the packaging a bit flatter in hopes it would go through the Post Office as a large letter – it wasn’t until I was at the Post Office that I remembered it. Oh well, a trip tomorrow morning on the way to quilting isn’t unusual for me.

I had to get my reports ready for the Cranberry Hall Board meeting and it was noon before I was done. I’m still in my position as Secretary/Treasurer but I’ve also added Rentals to my “portfolio”. Fortunately it is summer and there aren’t too many requests coming in so far. And with a change in the Board there are some things that were collected from outgoing Board members that will have to be dispersed to the new members on the Board. Two big tasks remain for me – filing our Constitution and Bylaws with BC Registry (and hoping they meet the new requirements) and getting the accounts ready for the accountant.

After my trip to the Post Office and a bit of shopping I got busy cleaning – the Board meeting is at the house tonight and the place hadn’t had a good clean since the last House Concert. I still have a pile of things to bring upstairs but I don’t need to do any tidying up here as no one sees it but me! I’ve started a new routine when I put my fabric away; larger pieces of fabric are wrapped around a long 6″ ruler and I cut some templates to wrap the smaller pieces of fabric. I’m following some suggestions on a blog although her suggestions call for ordering her special products.

For the past week I’ve either been ill or suffering from allergies – I have such a hard cough, my nose is a bit runny and my eyes water (which also makes my nose run). I don’t in any other way feel like I have a cold so that’s why I’m thinking allergies. I take an allergy pill in the morning and it lasts me through to the middle of the afternoon and then I start hacking again. I’ve been drinking tea like it’s going out of style and I ran across this quote from a teabag the other day – “The difference between a flower and a weed is a judgment”. So I’m staying out of the yard (although it is a mess) and being non-judgmental; when I open the door the smell of the grass really bothers me. But I must say the lilacs this year are gorgeous – our whole neighbourhood is purple and green and, occasionally, the aroma comes in through the open windows and doors.