Saturday, January 13, 2018

I was so busy yesterday I didn’t get around to my usual post. I started my morning at Cranberry Hall doing the cleaning and I didn’t finish my day until almost six when the cake I made for tonight’s concession was finished.

I was up early to finish some last minute prep work for our house guests, and then I was off for a two-hour QiGong session. I’m not going to be able to make any of the eight-week sessions this semester; with the class I had today (and the accompanying booklet) I’ll be able to follow the practice at home – at least that is my plan. There was a full house at the session this morning, and I knew several of the folks.

Our guests were here by the time I got home – both seem like very nice women. I was a little blasé about running the Concession tonight; I think my thoughts were that I’d done it so often there was nothing I needed to particularly think about. Wrong! I’ve bought the cream (and put a note on my bag so I’ll remember to take it) and I bought some cookies and fruit. I’ve remembered to pack the napkin holder and I took the coffee and tea pots with me this morning. Until Pat asked about change for tickets I had completely forgotten I needed a float. I’m hoping I either have it all packed, or I’ll still have time this afternoon to remember anything else I need. I’ll head off to the Hall shortly after six so that the Concession is ready by the time the doors open.

Our guests had heard about our Townsite beer so Pat went out to the liquor store on his way to sound check this afternoon. No doubt it will be another late night.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

I don’t think I should plan my days ahead of time. I knew today I wanted to start my cleaning (for concert performers this weekend) and it was my first hand stitching session in such a long time. Although I got everything done as planned, it wasn’t exactly what I thought I’d be doing.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning with my plan for the day (and for the next few days) running through my head; I gave myself an hour to go back to sleep and then I got up. I was at my computer and had a lovely “chat” with Alex before he left for school. I managed to finish up the Guild work I didn’t get to yesterday, as well as clear out a few things from my personal in basket. I filed my project book pages and set out my hand stitching bin for the afternoon.

Once Pat was up I headed downstairs to get started cleaning. We decided to move the treadmill from the front entrance so when I use it I’ll be able to watch the TV. It hasn’t had much use since it was moved to the entrance so it was piled with a number of boxes and bins. Pat cleared out enough of them that we were able to start moving; first it had to go outside in order to be turned around enough to get it back inside. When we pulled up the rubber mat under the treadmill there were a number of stains on the concrete floor. Once we had the treadmill in place (and that wasn’t an easy task) I got out my scrubbing tools; one pass with the scrub brush to remove the dirt, a second pass with the scrub brush and some bleach, and a third pass with some Lysol wipes (for their anti-bacterial powers). The floor came out remarkably clean and I’ll finish the rest of it tomorrow.

Once that was all taken care of I did the cleaning I originally planned; made the bed, cleaned and scrubbed the bathroom and did the vacuuming. It was almost noon when I finished but I was please that I’d done all the extra work plus what I had originally planned.

I had my project ready to go for hand stitching but at the last minute I changed my mind. I was going to sew some Farmer’s Wife pieces together but decided I wanted something that would take less concentration. I have a bag of leftover yarn sitting in the middle of one of my rooms; I was going to pass it along to one of the fibre groups but decided there was enough of a few colours that I could make an afghan. I’d been looking at a crocheted Granny Strip blanket but it called for a chain that was a multiple of three plus two and I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get the numbers counted and right – especially while visiting. I found another pattern for a corner to corner granny square afghan so, with crochet hook in hand, I headed out.

It took me a few tries to get the pattern figured out but I’m almost a dozen rows into it now. It is very relaxing, I can visit while I do it, and I’m liking the combination of colours I’ve picked. It will be my Thursday project for the next while, although Gail and I are thinking about working on a quilting project that makes use of all her cutting dyes. She has several and she’s hardly used them. It is just the two of us now so plenty of room in her studio for a couple of machines.

I think I’ll head downstairs now and see how the treadmill actually works now that it is in its new spot!

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

I planned to get the Cranberry Hall minutes out this morning, do a couple of quick Guild updates and then move on to something more fun.

I was barely started on the minutes when Pat arrived home; I wasn’t expecting him until the noon ferry. I was almost done the minutes when friends dropped by so I took a break for a visit. I was done the minutes before lunch but while I was eating Pat needed some figures from our Cranberry Day celebration and it took all my afternoon time to get them together (and balanced).

I had an appointment at the medical clinic and as I headed into the pharmacy a young woman was looking for jumper cables. I know that sick feeling when your car doesn’t start and I told her I had cables but had only watched them being used once. No problem as another young woman in the pharmacy knew how to use them but didn’t have any in her car.

The two women got everything connected but when they tried to start the cars, neither one would turn over. Just then a woman came out of the pharmacy and said she would bring her car over and we could start both cars. This woman knew what she was doing and without any hesitation she had Car #2 hooked up. It started fine and then she did the same with Car #1.

My job – possibly the most difficult of all – was getting the cables back into the carrying case!

It’s nice to know that my cables are being put to good use. I really must learn how to use them.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Why is it that a miniature quilt takes so long?

I worked on this project almost all day yesterday. I had the top all ready for the final border when I realized that two of the blocks were upside down. Fortunately they were both in one row so only one row had to come out. It was almost 8:30 before I finished the blocks and the border.

My goal today was, of course, to finish the project. I told myself that if I finished the straight-line quilting before lunch I would attempt some feathers in the border. Neither the straight-line quilting nor the feathers took very long and I was finished it all before lunch. I can’t say what type of bird these feathers came from but I can assure you that the bird couldn’t have been flying very straight. It was my first attempt at feathers on a wall hanging for myself so I’m going to say it was okay.

I was just putting in the finishing stitches to attach my binding when I realized that I stitched the binding on backwards. So now I’ll reverse stitch that and start over again. Hopefully I will still have time today to do the hand stitching – and I don’t want a late night.

No wonder these small projects take so long!