Wednesday, December 21, 2016

It was back to work today, but I have managed to avoid cleaning for yet another day!

I did Pat’s accounting and got the files sent off to the accountant this afternoon. It takes time to go through everything but it is easier now that he isn’t working as much. There is still a bit of tidying up to do on some of his paper files; I found my new filing cabinet arrangement works well, but I kept forgetting I didn’t have to get up to go to the cabinet!

Since the basket I had planned for my office tools didn’t materialize I need to find a spot for them. I have a shelf between my sewing machine and my computer that I think will work – once I’ve cleared off some of the stuff that is sitting there right now. There’s always something!

There isn’t much afternoon left but I’ll spend the rest of it with some cross stitching – once I switch my laundry loads.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

I finished up the crochet part of my basket last night before dinner – and then decided to pitch the whole thing! I had already ripped it apart twice and the bottom wasn’t stitching together well with the sides so I decided not to waste any more time on it. The yarn was purchased at the Economy Shop because it was a rich gold-brown colour and I thought it would make a nice scarf. But when I got the bag home and opened it the yarn was more like baling twine and certainly wouldn’t be appropriate for anything that was going to go next to anyone’s skin. I made one basket from it (my own pattern) but the rest of the yarn and the remnants from this latest basket will be filler in my next dog pillow.

I wasn’t going to go to the bee today but Pat persuaded me that I should go and wish my friends a Merry Christmas. I have loaned my car to friends who have family visiting and whose vehicle wasn’t large enough to transport everyone. I took my sewing machine out of the trunk before I dropped it off for them and I didn’t feel like loading it into Pat’s truck. Besides, I really didn’t have anything I wanted to work on, although in my cleaning I’ve dug out a lot of works-in-progress that I had conveniently forgotten about. In the end I took a hand stitching project and enjoyed the day.

I’ll be back to cleaning tomorrow but for tonight I’ll get back to some knitting.

Monday, December 19, 2016

I went back out to the shed in search of my Christmas mouse but again the boxes and tools atop the chest defeated me. I’ll have to wait until summer when I can shift everything outside and try to place the second trunk of Christmas “things” in an easier-to-get-at location. But look what I did find and attach to the tree!

In one of the boxes that came in yesterday we had some star lights and some coloured outdoor lights. Pat hung the stars in the lilac tree at the back, where we already have sets of white lights. The coloured lights went up on the front deck. All the decorating looks nice but when it gets dark it really puts me in the Christmas mood.

After doing my cleaning downstairs this morning I cleared off a couple of surfaces in my sewing room. The big job is still ahead of me but I managed to combine a few bins and ended up with one that is ready to refill. I know I have projects buried on the cutting table and desktop so it won’t go empty for long.

My back is aching so I think I’ll sit and finish (maybe) a crochet basket I’ve been working on. I think I’ll use it to store some of my desk equipment in; now that I’ve switched the cabinets I don’t have a handy spot for things like my stapler, scotch tape and all the other bits and pieces I need when I do my office work.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

While Pat went on a grocery run this morning I went down to the shed to pull out our Christmas tree and decorations. I had to move some tools and boxes to get at the tree and the ornaments; the other trunk of Christmas decorations was buried too deep to access. I thought with what I found in the first trunk I had enough. I also dug out a few more of the decorations that I keep inside the house (several quilting pieces, wall hangings, and Mum’s cross stitch) and started decorating.

When Pat got home from the store we put away the groceries and he set up the tree; I’m sure I could figure it out, but he likes to contribute! Once the tree was up I started hanging ornaments. We have such a great collection that we have received over the years; some are hand-made and others are just as precious for one reason or another. The first ornaments on the tree this year were from Elizabeth and Madison; I think the mouse from Elizabeth was made when she was a Brownie, and Madison’s was probably made on her second Christmas (you know the one where she strutted into the house with her boots!).

Once the house is decorated it feels like a good cleaning is in order; I’ll do that tomorrow. For the rest of the day I’m going to work on a cross stitch project.

And I will be back to the shed tomorrow because even with all the boxes I brought up from the shed and out of the closets the Christmas mouse hasn’t appeared. I probably would have forgotten about it except when Christy called she asked if the mouse was singing. There hasn’t been any sun yet today so I think the mouse will wait another day.