Santas, Books and Organization..In That Order

I forgot to show you the Santa's my youngest brother carved for me to paint with my grandkids.....aren't they amazing??  I have a vision of what I want them to look like but I'm not sure it involves my almost 3 year old grand babies!  LOLOL  😂 He carved shoe horns with long handles for my Dad and other brother...they were amazing too!  Might have to put in an order for one!

A stop at the mail yesterday brought two parcels....both from Amazon.  One parcel had this book:  The Gentle Art of Domesticity.  A blog I follow, Jenny of Elephanz (the link is on the side) is doing a book study of this book as it is also her business name.  I think it will be kinda fun.👌 I read the introduction which is the requirement before next week.  It's not an easy book to find....this one was a used one but is in really good condition.  I'm happy with it.

In the other package were several books....a Weight Watchers cookbook, which I mistakenly ordered 2, are being returned.  What a cheap publication, few pictures and the ones they did have were black and white and no point values on the food.  It was tiny and I paid over $10 for each which was way too much!  I've never returned anything to Amazon before but it was easy peasy!  Now I will have to wait to see how quick they refund my money but so far I am pleased with how smoothly it went.

The other book in the package was this one:

Written by a woman from High River and it recounts peoples experiences with the flood.  My friend Shannon is featured as well as a couple of other people I have met.  I can't quite bring myself to read it.  I thought I would be excited to receive it and then dive right in but looking at it makes me tear up......I was a ROCK when we were going through it all.  I was matter of fact and moved forward every day.  When I would realize another "thing" I had lost I convinced myself it was only "stuff" and put on a brave front and continued to move on because there was nothing I could do about it so I wasn't going to dwell on something I had no control over.  I do remember the first year anniversary of that day hit me a little hard.  I remember having a little bit of a release of emotions I didn't know were bottled up.  But it is in the past.....5+ years ago to be exact and here I am, staring at this book with a bit of a lump in my throat not quite ready to crack it open and start reading it.  I will.....one day.

Now this picture I borrowed from my friend Kim.  I have these pages printed off and will be doing what she is doing......getting organized in the sewing room! 

Here's my start this morning!  Doesn't look a lick like organization to me!  I have filed some books and magazines and those patterns in the basket have been sorted so I can file those too.  I ran out of page protectors 😮 but when I purge my patterns I will end up with a bunch.  It will be a huge job that won't be done in a day or two.  I took a break to eat (and because I'm not feeling very well) and am looking around my house in the daylight realizing I really should be cleaning up here!!!!!  Maybe today...it doesn't take me long.....or maybe tomorrow.........

Might be tea time..........do you have any organization plans for the new year?

Comments and My Happy Jar

Hi All.....I have changed some settings for comments on these posts......they will be approved by me after I receive an email saying to do so.  I remember changing the settings after getting some strange comments from people I didn't know!  So please feel free to post a comment.....I will approve it when I can!

Back to the grind has been going okay.  One more day this week......I have been POOPED 😫 after work so have done nothing in the evenings!  My one foot has been killing me (on the bottom...weird) and my knees.  What's up with that?  No change in footwear or floor.  Tomorrow I will be wearing my Sketchers!  LOL  😀👟


This is my "Happy Jar".  Every night I write something that made me happy that day.  I date the slip of paper so that at the end of the year I can read them and reminisce.....and smile.  It's only been eight days but on one or two days it's been hard to think of one "happy" but on others I may have narrowed it down and written two.  😉

Everyone should try this....even if it's in a journal.....one sentence.  Think of a "happy" that happened to you today or made you smile.  It's especially rewarding at the end of a bad, sad or mad day!!!!  

Comment and let me know if you are going to try it!

Relax

I think that will be my word of the year.  Not relax as in don't get anything done but: 

-relax as in you have time. (I am feeling anxious that my winter break is almost over and Monday is back to work) and writing that makes me a bit sad.  It's the last thing my friend Erica text me....I was deciding on getting a bed back that I gave her to use in her store...I had to decide if I wanted it and how I was going to get it if I did.....she told me I had time (meaning to decide) but little did I know she didn't have much time left.  😢

- relax as in you can't do everything (I feel overwhelmed at work....I have a very physically challenging student but I also feel as though I have to do a bunch of classroom clean up/set up because no one else really does....and I can't work in a mess or chaos!  So I get more exhausted and tired and stressed!)

- relax as in yes, you have a million things you'd like to accomplish at home but there is only so much time in the day....pick and choose, then do.↓

- relax as in quit constantly feeling tense!!!!!  That feeling is beginning to get exhausting and OLD!

- relax as in purge.....get rid of the excess because I think that is stressing me out too.

So I will try and remain:

I read a quote the other day and I wish I had of kept it.......it was something like this:

So that will be for work.  If I don't want to be run ragged and no one else cares about the mess then I will have to change my attitude about the mess and organization or lack thereof.  'nough said!  😄 Relax my attitude!

↑That will be for tasks at home.  Make a list and do what you can when you can. Relax my expectations!

Two great "quotes" below........should print them off.

One can only hope I can relax about things more.  Hard to change ones personality.  But I will try.....lots of deep breaths and consciously forcing my body to un-tense.  (is that a word?) 

Peace and Quiet

Good Morning!  (or whatever time of day it is that you are reading this!!)  It is my first day since December 20th that I have had the day to myself......no place I have to go, no one here to disturb me (tee hee...except the pets! Hubby has gone to work out of town) and I woke up to a phone call from Daughter1 because my granddaughter wanted to talk to me!  💓  Feeling the love!  So I have a few things planned today that I want to get done; more to organize a couple of messy areas I look at every day.....does January do that to you? Make you want to clean and organize?  These aren't big jobs by any stretch of the imagination and they won't take more than a few minutes....those BIG jobs will have to wait for another day! Today I am going to BREATHE!!!!!!!

In the meantime I am sitting in the sunroom, in the dark, except for the lights from my skinny tree.....I left it up as it's a bit "frosted" and has no decorations on it so it's more of a winter decoration....and who doesn't like the lights???  (and this sunroom has no lights yet so it helps!)

Here it looks like I have three trees!  

I'm also sitting here using a new mug that my friend Pam gave me for Christmas.  We had lost our sweet Zoey in October.  She was a dachshund.  My Mom also raised and bred dachshunds so this mug reminds me of both Zoey and my Mom.  My friend Kim gave me dachshund socks too!  💕 (they are in the laundry right now...a picture for another day!)

A great way to start my peaceful, quiet day........January 2nd.....thinking of a word for my year (I'm not sure why as I don't really do anything about it....but it's the thing to do!  😜)  So many things to "work" on and be aware of........I will contemplate that one today and get back to you.  😊

Goodbye 2018

It's been over a month since I have made a post (thanks for the reminder Pam) and once again I vow to post more regularly......not necessarily only for the few readers I have but I do love going back and reading things about my not-very-exciting life.  I do not post a lot on Facebook....I don't think that many people would want to read about these mundane things often (hahaha) but this is my "journal" of sorts.

Anyway, where do I start!!  Of course when I wait so long, the pictures are plentiful!!

The weekend before Christmas both grandkids were here with their mothers....we decorated gingerbread cookies on Saturday and Jude did a house on Sunday.....Lyla was at emergency with huge tonsils!  (strep throat)

The next week was CRAZY at work with excited kindergarten kids and the Christmas concert but I was all done Wednesday night and did some last minute stuff Thursday and relaxed Friday.  Hubby was home Friday night and Son2 arrived Saturday morning.  The girls (Daughters 1&2 and Lyla) arrived Monday.  Son1, Jenna and Jude weren't able to come for Christmas this year.....Son1 was oncall.  😞

So here I am with my feet up enjoying the quiet on Friday....calm before the storm...with Christmas music playing on tv!  We had a real tree this year from our back woods......it was nice...not full like an artificial tree but nice for a change.

Here's the gang Christmas 2018:

Hubby got a "playoff beard" in his stocking although I think I will be wearing it when my Calgary Flames play (as opposed to his Montreal Canadians!  LOLOLOL😂)

After Christmas Daughter1, Lyla and I headed off to the great white north for a few days!  Oh did we surprise my Dad!!!!!!!  He kind of knew I might come but never thought in a million years I would bring those other two!!!!  (tears were shed)

On Friday we went out to a new winery.  It was amazing and we had Dad be DD and brought home some wine.....I'm not a big fan of most wine but I do love theirs!

Saturday we went to visit Pam and her granddaughter and then to see Aunt Katy who is in the nursing home:

Lyla kept everyone entertained!

Friday night my brothers and their families came out to my Dads for supper.  It was great to get together!!!!  My brother Craig was great at entertaining the little ones!

Before Christmas I had asked my very talented father if he could make me two new bird feeders, if/when he had time.  The ones we had here were falling apart and the seeds would get stuck....more ended up on the ground through the cracks.....anyway, he gifted me these two.  They are amazing and also very special....they will not stay here if we ever move!  The cans used are old honey cans which belonged to my grandfather!!  I absolutely LOVE them and will cherish them for a long long time!

While I was there I asked Dad if I could look for a recipe my Mom used for pickles....well, I came home with several cookbooks.  These ones replaced some I had lost in the flood (that Yummies to Warm the Heart is one I had my dear friend Erica copy a couple of recipes out of for me that I had used all the time and really missed after losing the book in the flood....so I think of her when I see this one)

But then there was this ratty old binder...falling apart but FULL of recipes in my Mom's handwriting...........I will preserve these and my friend Pam gave me the idea of making a book/binder for the kids with my handwritten recipes....I think I will include some of these from my mom.  I wish I had some from my grandmother, even just copies.....my cousin has them and I've asked a few times but haven't received any.  😩  

Before Christmas Hubby and I went to High River to pick this up from my friend Sue.  It had been gifted to her but her Mother had bought her a much fancier system with machine so she gave this old one to me.  I had it set up to only 5 feet long but found I wasn't able to use it.....I do smaller projects just on my regular sewing machine.....I made a lap quilt and it wouldn't fit on the smaller frame so Hubby and I made it 10 feet long....haven't used it yet but plan to in the new year.  It takes up a ton of room so IF I find I don't use it at all, I will forward this gift on to someone else.

Work has been going okay.  My wrist is starting to bother me so I will have to make an appointment with a Dr then get a requisition to have another shot.  It worked well for 6 months.  I need my wrist when working with the student I work with so I need to get that taken care of soon.  All of the EAs loved the mug mats I gifted them for Christmas.  😁  We all received some wonderful things from each other and the kids as well.

But Christmas is over and the new year will be rung in tomorrow (or tonight at midnight...but who stays up for that??  LOL!!) and here's hoping for an amazing 2019....for all!

A Cat, Kids and Quilting!

Hello and Happy Thursday!  It's a beautiful sunny day and a day off for me...a non scheduled work day I should say.  Tomorrow is supposed to be one too but I have to go to a course.  I'm picking up Miss Lyla today for the night and Poppa is going to grandparent tomorrow while I'm gone and then we will take her back to Calgary since it's her Dad's weekend to keep her and Daughter1 is moving.  We also get Gordon...the dog.  hahaha

Here is Molly....all grown up but still wants to sleep on my face!  This was taken a couple/few weeks ago and thought it was kind of funny so here you go!

I've been spending quite a bit of time in my sewing room (woot woot!)  I finished this stitchery and then had to paint and antique it.  I was so scared I would ruin it but I love how it turned out.....now to frame it.  It has since been pressed and the colors are much better than in this pic:

I also made this lap quilt.  Again, the fabric is nicer than it looks....bought that fabric in Slave Lake BEFORE we moved to High River!!!!!  It's a fast and easy quilt pattern....and too big for my new frame to quilt it.  After Christmas I will extend the frame....after shuffling a few things around, because it's quite useless at 5 feet.  Small stuff I am more comfortable doing on my regular machine.

Got a bunch of mug mats done for the gals at work:

And we had a dump of snow last Friday!  It's gone now......we even had +14C weather on Monday!  It's a bit slick on the driveway but the roads are wonderful!!

Finished an advent calendar for Mr Jude (binding is now done!).....Miss Lyla's is in the mail...to me to be done!  I didn't like the other one I have.  Must get to filling them before I hand them over....by the end of next week!!!!!  😳

On Sunday we popped up to St Albert to pick my quilts up that Kim dropped off (she did such an amazing job quilting them!!!!!!!  Now for a binding marathon!!) and I got to visit this little guy and his parents!  We brought Daughter1 and Lyla with us as well. 

Love seeing this busy little boy!  This is a rare photo of him standing still!  😃  He gets excited when company comes......LOVE him with my whole heart......both of these kiddos fill my heart to the brim! Needless to say Poppa and I were tired Sunday night!!!!

Well I have Christmas tunes playing and should continue with laundry.....want to spend some time in the sewing area before I leave for Calgary!  

Enjoy your day!!

PS:  Weight loss is going GREAT!!!!!!!!  Just over 16 lbs gone!!!!

Goodbye October....Already!

The month of October has come and gone.  Thankful for some mild weather for the last couple of weeks.  Thankful for family.  Thankful for our good health.  Thankful for the beauty around us.

This picture was just taken with my cell phone so doesn't show the great colours and details or the field with mountains in the background and the chinook ridge (clouds) coming last week. 

My latest funky nails:

Last weekend a few fellow quilters and I, went to a sale at Beaver Creek Mercantile.  It was a fun trip!!

I made a mug rug and bought this mug for Diane (in the above picture holding the bag).  It's her birthday tomorrow....she's a fellow EA at the school I am working at and yes, she has chickens! It looks very wonky in the pic and kind of ripply but it's not....weird!

Soooooooo I did another rearrange in my sewing room.......to make space for......

this!  My friend Sue gave it to me because she got a long arm machine.  This set up was given to her so she passed it on to me!  How lucky eh???  We drove to High River last Sunday and came home and set it up....except I didn't have the power cord for the sewing machine!!!!  Sue has popped it in the mail so I will have to wait to play with it.  She had trouble with the tension so I will have to take a look and clean and oil it to see if I can get it working okay.  Nice to keep it at five feet instead of ten as ten would never fit.  I can't wait to quilt the pile of small projects I have waiting!

Halloween was this week.....two Halloween days at school....gotta love kindergarten!  I was happy when Wednesday was over!  Here are two adorable trick or treaters!!!!!.....

Not so adorable but the EAs all dressed up as "Things" from Dr Seuss.  Not very figure flattering but it was fun!

It tried to snow today but didn't amount to much!  I hope it doesn't either!!!  I know it's that time of year (September was way too early!) but I can't say that I am ready to drive in it, or shovel it........

Well off to bed!  Hope I can fit in more stitching tomorrow.  Son2 is here for the weekend.  Nice Hubby will have company when he goes in the coffee in the morning!  hahaha