What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

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 ...

 And the merry-go-round continues! But there is good news! My entry for the Trendtex Challenge is complete, it's in the mail, and is scheduled to arrive before the judging cutoff date. Not that I expect to win any awards for this quilt, but I'm just happy to get it in on time. 

I had planned to finish it before noon, but that didn't happen because I had a couple of other things on my plate, and I had to deal with phone calls and some emails first. And then I was madly sewing the final part of ...

Don't ask me about the comments on the blog or how they work. Sometimes people's names appear with the comment, sometimes comments are posted anonymously, and at other times, their status changes. Others want to comment, but they cannot. I have NO idea why. I should investigate the matter. Maybe there's some help feature that I can find. 

Good grief -- I just did a Google search and came up with this. Which I think most people know. I think the main thing is that you need a Google account to reply, and you must be logged in ...

Well, I was all fired up to hit the gym this morning, but then I remembered it's Good Friday, so the hours are changed. I finally got the hours (5 AM), only to realize that my Fitbit was about to die, so I'm taking a few minutes to start the blog while it charges slightly. Good grief -- all in the name of exercise! 

But it's more than exercise. It's about discipline, about wanting to stay healthy - both physically and mentally, and it's a great way to start the day. 

As I typed the word HIT ...

AHA --- Someone mentioned that it might help if one person read the EXIT story. That's what we typically do, except this is a graphic novel, so that won't work. We'll each read and then collaborate on the puzzle solving. We didn't get a chance last night as DH was working late. 

I must remember to focus on what I did! But that's usually what I do on the blog anyway. It's kind of a recap of everything that happened the day before!

Oh, the second thing I made on my digital cutter arrived at ...

We had our Zoom session on digital cutters, and just when you think there is not much more to learn—oh, who am I kidding? I've only scratched the surface. But here is something that I made a while ago. Now that the recipient has received it and the group has seen it, I can share it with you. 

I have several digital cutters and used the Singer Momento to make this one. I found a project on the mySewnet website and modified it slightly to suit my needs. 

I hate giving a gift card. Well, it's not ...

I think we all know the answer to that question. The aging process can't be stopped, but it can be slowed. Even though I was and always have been very active, there were certain things I was NOT doing for my body, and it was starting to show—big time. This was not just because of aging but also the issue with my leg/back—whatever it is. 

So I decided to take back my life! I started stretching more—not enough, but way more than before. I started lifting weights (I'm never going to have a six-pack ...

Did you notice what I missed yesterday? As I was walking the dogs, where I get my most profound thinking done, I realized that if I don't change the pharmacy on my chart at the doctor, they will merrily send the next prescription to the old pharmacy, which hopefully won't be for a year, but I'll forget by then. So I called the doctor to make that change. Good grief - they need the fax number. FAX? I didn't have that, but when I went to pick up the prescription, I got the fax number, so that ...

I love lists! Lists make me feel in control! This little apple did not fall far from the tree. My mom keeps tons of information, but most of it is useless, like tracking the amount that the telethon (they still have those out west) raised over the last 50 years. Now, that's a list I can do without! However, I have to say that having a list like that and keeping track of it for 50 years is a feat! 

My most extensive lists are book-related! 

Back in the day, and I could not find an exact date, there ...

I love our Pony Express! We've shuffled many things around on it, and there's quite a stack at my front door. Granted, some of that is not technically for the Pony Express, but it's waiting for me to make some donation drop-offs. 

And I have to say that having friends who live in other places is a great thing! I was alerted to another amazing user bookstore in Brockville called Book Trader. They have a Facebook page, and I contacted them. Within minutes, I had a reply. I sent my list to them, and within minutes, I ...

Thanks to everyone, I have half of the books on my list. Well, I found 11 of 23 books at two used bookstores. The best part is that the two stores recommended had fantastic service. Allison the Bookman in North Bay, received my order, gave me a price, and I paid via transfer. The books are being picked up later today. Fast service. 

I had the same speedy service at Bearly Used Book Store in Parry Sound, and three more books were checked off my list. They got picked up yesterday. All of them will be on The Pony Express ...

 Oh, I see I have two leads on used bookstores. I'll check those out later today. Thanks!!! 

Although it's Wednesday, I did NOT go to spin class. I was out late last night, and even though I woke up at the same time, I decided to continue sleeping. And now I'm up—obviously! 

I spoke at the Quilting Corners Quilt Guild in Alliston last night, and the topic was scrap quilts. What a fantastic guild! They produce a lot of quilts, they have a very active community quilt program, and when some work needed to be done ...

Dare I say that I'm out of the woods? Or that I can finally see the trees in the forest? I am almost finished with this crazy workload that overtook my February and March. 

I want to acknowledge your comments about that "opinion" I mentioned yesterday. This was not the only instance. I saw a different person post something similar to someone else. The gist was, "Why are you voicing an opinion about our country?" Well, I couldn't help myself - I had to respond. But seriously? Do people not realize what is happening? Some people seem to be ...

I laugh about the subwoofer! It would be in my STASH room if it was bolted to the floor beneath the family room. It's going to stay where it is - behind the sofa. But it makes sense - it's a SUB woofer, and it's just an ugly-looking box. I've no idea why, for 20 years - it had to sit front and center in our family room. But that's a thing of the past. 

And if all goes well, the old TV and surround sound will be picked up in an hour! I have a few other ...

Oh my goodness --- what a coincidence! Someone was in Buenos Aires waiting for that plane that had the onboard death in Sao Paulo! What are the chances! It's sad as that gentleman was on his way to a cruise. I hope his body got back home without too much hassle. It does make you wonder how much hassle the family must go through and at what cost to get a person back who has died while on vacation. 

I've definitely become a slacker when it comes to taking photos. Trust me—I took lots of photos, but not ...

Oh yes - my gluts! I don't think they are strong at all. They should be, but I don't think they are. The biggest issue is the imbalance - hamstrings are too tight, glutes are not strong enough, and other fun things. You would think for all the spin classes I do, this shouldn't be a problem, but it is. The truth is in doing some exercises and seeing how much weight I can lift. Together, my legs work as a great team, but individually? They are wobbly and unsure of themselves. This just goes to show how a ...