Saturday, September 9, 2023

Usually by the time Friday rolls around my mind convinces me it is Saturday. Today really is Saturday but my mind is certain it is Friday. All my days are pretty lazy but often they are even lazier on the weekend. I’ve had a relatively busy day today so perhaps that’s why I’m mixed up.

I started my morning back at the Hall accounting. I figured a few things out but still need more paperwork from the Board so until I get that I can’t do anything more. Jim brought around some papers but they were the wrong ones; he assures me he knows where the papers are that I need and he’ll have them for me tomorrow. The President promises to bring me some other paperwork that I need but she says she has to find it first.

I had two cards that needed to be finished for September and I was able to get one of them quilted and ready for hand stitching the binding before lunch. Although the quilting was pretty straight forward it involved several thread changes so it took me longer than I anticipated. I have the second card sandwiched and will get it quilted soon. I still have lots of time before they need to go in the mail.

I went for coffee with my sewing friend, Gail, this afternoon. We had a good chat and neither one of us had any intention of sewing. I almost took my hand stitching to do but decided that it is better for me right now if I don’t try to multi-task. Gail has quite a collection of fabric and she offers some of it for sale so I picked up some one-yard cuts for a new pattern I purchased a few weeks ago. We’ll try to get together once a week (but just to visit) because it is good for both of us.

On my way to Gail’s I stopped at one of the thrift stores. Pat wanted a small canister for Texada. I found one, plus a few other goodies. I got the second book in the Lord John series as well as an almost full box of envelopes. I use a lot of envelopes when I put together my Twelve Days packages. That project was top of mind today because I filled in the last of the blanks I had on my list.

On my way home I met a vehicle that was flashing its lights at me. I remember from the “old” days that it meant cops ahead. I expected a speed trap but when I came around the corner they had vehicles stopped in both directions. I was mentally prepared to be questioned. I knew where my registration papers were and I knew I still had a few days before my license expired. When it came to my turn I was waved through and he stopped the car on the opposite side of the road so I don’t know what they were checking for.

Friday, September 8, 2023

It’s been almost three weeks since I wrote anything. To be honest I had almost decided to abandon the blog entirely. One of the main reasons for starting my Journal was to help with my mental health. If I’m busy doing things and seeing people I don’t have time to be depressed. I’ve decided to keep going at this, although many of my posts may well be very boring. If, at any time, you want to stop receiving these messages please let me know. It won’t hurt my feelings a bit. And to be honest I really am doing it more for myself than for anyone else.

I’m back from several days on Texada and they were wonderful. Since Pat was recording I couldn’t make much noise so using my sewing machine was out of the question – it is a real clunker but there wasn’t anything that I felt I needed to get done so it didn’t bother me. I spent most of my time hand stitching – working on my first chicken block and catching up (almost) on my Pixie Lane houses. There was lots of time for reading too.

The garden beds are slowing down and not needing so much water now that cooler temperatures have arrived. I picked what I think will be my last gladiola stem this morning. The dahlias are still producing and, occasionally, I get a daisy or two flowering. The hydrangeas are still lovely, although two of the three look like they are winding down. On the deck the pots are going great guns, the strawberries are still producing although the peppers seem to be done.

After my time away I was concerned about the weeds in the driveway and on the patio, two of the spots I’m still responsible for. Although there are some weeds growing back they can be looked after in one session. I’m also responsible for the back side of the house (that no one sees); I still have two sections to work on but I was happy the part that I had already cleared hadn’t grown back. I expect the gardener will be back next week for another weeding session and she is going to spray the vinegar solution to help stop the weeds.

I went to the first Guild meeting last night. It was nice to see everyone again and I had several compliments on the yard improvements and my hair. I managed not to volunteer for anything, although I’d already committed to helping with some computer work for the Program Committee. I signed up for our Program Reveal party as well as the Hands Across the Water event that we are hosting but I have no responsibilities for either. I took pictures from the Show and Share section of the meeting so I’ll need to get those posted.

I was able to share my summer mystery quilt at the meeting, along with one other person who participated. I know there was one more woman working on it but she wasn’t at the meeting so I haven’t seen hers. I’ve decided that I will try to have something to show at each of the meetings – once a month shouldn’t be too hard to manage but if I don’t manage it I won’t stress over it.

While I was away I had a couple of calls about the Cranberry Hall accounting. I did some work over the phone this morning, had a visit from the fellow doing the books and I have a bit more homework to do. I am really having to hold back from saying I’ll return to the Board as Treasurer. Jim does a good job but he doesn’t fill in the details so it is hard to trace things back when there are questions from the accountants.

So after this long entry I’ll get back to my work before it’s time for Friday Night Baseball!

Sunday, August 20, 2023

I’ve been working on my Anna project for a long time. I managed to finish the centre and, although it wasn’t great, I thought it might be okay to move on to the borders. I got three of the four borders on when I realized it would be a waste of time and thread to proceed any further so I pitched the whole thing after removing the borders. That fabric will show up somewhere else down the road.

We enjoyed the Blackberry Festival street party although my overall impression was there were a lot of people, very few that we knew, and the vendors hadn’t changed or gotten much better. It was a long walk; I didn’t have my counter with me but Pat registered over 4000 steps. I barely made it back up the hill at the end of our outing but was able to stay awake for the fireworks. Our trees have grown up a lot and it is getting more and more difficult to see them from the deck.

Although yesterday’s Celebration was sad there was a good turnout of quilters. I also connected with a woman and her husband who we met when we were all staying at the Lodge in Vancouver. Turns out she (and I still don’t remember her name) is a good friend of one of my quilting friends. I gave my neighbour a ride home; we were having a good catch up and chat and I totally forgot to stop at the store. I was barely in the door before realizing I was going to have to go out again. While I was shopping I stopped and chatted with a woman who came to quite a few of our house concerts. It is nice to be out and about again!

Pat headed over to Texada on the noon ferry but I stayed home. I think our neighbour is getting tired of watering for us and I don’t blame her one bit. We should be nearing the point where we only need to water every couple of days but on the hot days you keep watering. I have my mystery quilt to try to get together, as well as a lot of September cards to get ready.

For the rest of the afternoon I’m going to work on my Pixie Lane cross stitch.

Friday, August 18, 2023

I had a good few days on Texada. I accomplished a lot; I finished a cross stitch project and the bonus chicken project as well as putting together a quilt top. Along with some reading and a few cross words it was a pretty relaxing time.

We were really looking forward to the Perseid meteor shower and had the hammocks set up in the yard as well as chairs set up on the deck. We saw lots of stars, lots of satellites and a few meteors on Sunday night and about the same results on Monday. We had a comfortable view of a wide section of sky but apparently not in the right directions or else we didn’t stay up late enough.

I spent yesterday sewing with Stacia and Deloise. I was continuing with the project I worked on the last time we sewed together. It is a difficult pattern (even Deloise says so) and although I made progress I’m still working at it. I thought it would go relatively easy today but I didn’t make much headway this morning – too much reverse stitching plus I had to cut more fabric.

I was going to go out and do some weeding this morning but it is a very cool and windy day so I decided not to. Our gardener is coming by again tomorrow. She thought once a month would be sufficient but we noticed a lot of bindweed coming up so we asked if she could come again. Sophie said she had driven by the house and had also noticed how fast the bindweed was growing so she was fine about coming tomorrow.

Tonight is the Blackberry Festival street party. They didn’t have the event during Covid of course but last year Pat was playing at the Boardwalk on Friday nights so I didn’t bother going down on my own. I’m looking forward to some blueberry shortcake provided by the Townsite Heritage Society as well as some bannock from the Tla’amin nation. There are always lots of other dessert options and a few places that have more main course options.

I have a Celebration of Life to go to tomorrow afternoon. I expect there will be a large turnout as Al was quite well known in the community. He made a couple of signs for the Hall, and he was almost an honorary Guild member. I am lucky enough to have one of his treasure chests. The thought when I got it was that I would limit my keepsakes to what would fit into it but clearly I need a much larger one or I need to do more divesting.

I haven’t decided yet whether or not I’ll head back to Texada on Sunday. The things I most want to get done are here in Powell River but it is hard to resist the thought of doing not-much-of-anything on Texada.