What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

It's time for a reality check! I did say that there was NOTHING in July; however, that is false. I have a LOT of writing to do in July. I love writing, and I can do it on my time—even in the middle of the night if I want. So yes, I will be busy in July; there just won't be classes. That's why we have editors—they remind us of our commitments and keep us on track! 

Today is going to be a traumatic day for our house. Miss Lexi has to get some dental ...

Thanks for the tip on eliminating SO from my vocabulary. That's all good advice. I used those techniques to switch "hit" with touch or select. This, too, will happen, but until you are aware, you can't change a thing! It's like the quote from the other day. 

Quote of the day

Self-awareness is crucial to self-improvement, but most of us are unaware of the little annoying things we do. Getting constructive criticism or someone to film you is key to fixing that. I understand that no one wants to watch themselves on video, but ignore how you ...

Someone has misinterpreted my view on packing and planning for a vacation. Even though I am a Virgo, I am not a fan of planned vacations. Why? I have no idea, but I suspect two things contribute significantly to that fact: 

1. I spend almost every day planning classes and Zoom calls, and my life revolves around teaching scheduled classes or deadlines, so when I go on vacation, I don't want any structure. 

2. My first "real" vacation was not structured, and I had a blast! 

I took that first "real" vacation with my then-husband. He was a hot ...

People always say they can't wait to go on vacation. Do you know that prepping for vacation or even a couple of days away is one of my most stressful things? There is so much stuff to prepare, so much planning. It's one of the reasons my life at home is so routine—same breakfast, same lunch. There's zero mental ability expended on those tasks!

I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with planning for this upcoming vacation. I've left it to DH, which I know I shouldn't do! After Quilt Canada ...

WOW --- I hear you loud and clear. We do not like scents. So if we don't, who are those products marketed to? Maybe younger people. Anyway -- they won't be coming into my house! Thanks for all the comments and suggestions! 

I'm happy to report that the articles are finished for now. Well, that's not true. I have one more that I need to write, but it's not super urgent, so I can stall on it a bit. That gives me some flexibility in getting back to the paperwork and the emails, and there are many ...

 Oh --- another bonus about the TruEarth laundry strips—they are Canadian (Port Moody, BC). I remember seeing that on a website, but I forgot. Thanks for the reminder! I'm excited to give them a try!

I'm almost embarrassed to show you what I did for my 60-minute-or-less challenge, but as I said, it doesn't matter what you do, and if it takes only 60 seconds but gets done, that's perfectly OK. This item had been sitting near my computer in Studio B for months—probably close to a year. I finally tackled it yesterday. 

I have ...

I'm glad to know I wasn't the only slug! Sometimes, that's the kind of day we get, and we just make the best of it and move on! Tomorrow is a brand new day! And for me, it was. I got lots done, and all was good!

My girls are over 10 years old, and I'm in denial about that. They are still puppies! They are so different; after all those years, I still can't wrap my head around it. Murphy is filled with enthusiasm, while Lexi is still enthusiastic, but she's a princess ...

YES—absolutely YES—you can break down a longer task into 60-minute or less segments. I'm going to do that once I finish the smaller tasks. It's just all about getting something done that has been sitting around for a long time. 

And on that note, this happened yesterday. 

I will be honest about it. All day yesterday, I knew I had a small project to do for my 60-minute or less challenge. Hmm - let's call that a goal, not a challenge. Anyway, it was only when I woke up this morning that I realized that I ...

If this week is indicative of the pace of retirement, I say bring it on! Having only two classes this coming weekend is the only urgent thing I'm dealing with. That's not true since I'm also writing, but the pace is manageable, and I have time to goof off if I want. I can deal with that. 

Well, this weather is helping, as I have no desire to stay outside and lounge in the gazebo. I could freeze to death if I did that! And it's not really going to warm up for weeks. That's ...

Yesterday was supposed to be a "lost" day, but it turned out completely different from what I had planned. I had to get the car serviced and the tires changed. Yes, it's a bit late in the season for the tires, but with the weather, it wasn't a big deal. 

The appointment was scheduled in the fall when I had the last service. About a month ago, I received an email to confirm that appointment, but I happened to be away, so I ignored it. It was in the back of my mind to call them and confirm ...

A clarification about the Color My World class: Yes, that class will be on Zoom, so you can live anywhere and still participate. You can even be on vacation and still attend the class. It will be a one-hour session once a month on the weekend. The classes will be recorded and available to rewatch for 30 days after the class, and I will send my notes to everyone. We'll have a Facebook group so we can share our homework. 

You will be responsible for purchasing a pattern, and I'll provide sources. Actually, I should do that now ...

The biggest takeaway I'm getting from the comments about retiring is the ability to do what I want, when I want! YES --- that is what I want! DH sometimes travels to exotic places, and I'm not able to go because of commitments. That didn't bother me in the past, but this year - well, it did! So I'm considering that when I plan my gradual slide into complete retirement. Because of what I do, I don't have to cut everything off at once. But I must keep working on that plan!

Now, where's his next ...

Thanks for the comments about retirement and being busy. I do NOT want to pick up anything else. There will be no committees or volunteer hours; the retirement time will be for ME! To do what I want for ME! So selfish, but that's OK. I'm the only one I can count on in a crisis, so I deserve the time! 

Oh my gosh—I swear Brooke got up this morning with mean thoughts in her head. Let's see how much we can torture the clients today! She was brutal! But the good news is that I ...

I had a GREAT day. What's more important is knowing what makes me happy and what doesn't. The trick is having fewer moments that make me unhappy and more that make me happy!

What makes me happy? Well, it's finishing things and then having the time to tidy up before moving to the next project! I love tidying up! What drives me mad is when I can only complete something as much as necessary, and then I have to move on to the next without finishing the first thing. Oh my—that never bothered me, but it ...

I hope you all go back and read the comments that people leave on the blog. Some of them are hilarious! The yellow car? That's like not seeing the forest for the trees! 

And yes, high maintenance is fluffy extra stuff. I'm not a fluffy extra stuff person. I never have been, and I never will be. Some people post videos of high-maintenance routines that would blow your mind. Are they real? I hope not. I came across a woman going on a cruise, and before she did anything, she deep-cleaned the bathroom and everything else in the ...

Thanks for all the insights into retiring! I think I will be one of those who phase out of things rather than quit cold turkey. So, I will continue to look at my calendar and evaluate the deadlines, and then I'll go from there. 

What I want is more time to do my things! I have many UFOs that I want to work on. There is more decluttering, and I want to explore some creative stuff, but I don't have the time or the energy after the necessary stuff is done. That's just in case you're ...

Another day—another appointment. This time it was for the girls. Let's just say the day was traumatic for all. 

It started with them going outside to discover that a rabbit was in the backyard. However, the rabbit was quicker than they were and scooted under the fence. But then the big investigation started. Why was that rabbit in the backyard? Was it digging a nest? And so on. 

MOM -- that rabbit was here!

Oh my --- I do not want to get old. WAIT! That's not right. I guess I don't mind getting old because the alternative isn't great. But I want to get old gracefully, or as gracefully as I can manage. I want to get old by maintaining my body as best I can. And I want to get old by keeping my brain active and asking questions, being curious, and having a purpose each day when I get up! 

Can I control those things? Not 100%, but I will do my darndest to make that happen. I guess ...

I sure wish I were playing car bingo yesterday because I saw lots of stuff on my drive to and from Cannington. 

First, I want to say that this guild is small, but it's MIGHTY. The number of quilts that came in for show and tell and were then donated to their Outreach program was astounding! 

Some members were given blocks or panels and "had" to make something from them, and they were outstanding! 

And they very warmly received me, and I had oodles of great feedback. Of course, I never seem to have business cards with me. So ...

One thing about decluttering your house is what to do with all the stuff! Most of us don't want it to go to the landfill, but I can see a lot of good things going there because people don't want to take the time to find a good home for things, nor do they want to take the effort to deliver them. 

When Yagana cleaned out M's stuff upstairs, about 10 or 11 boxes were sitting in the hallway. Five boxes remain, and I'll deal with those later. I sorted half of the boxes, and now ...