Continuing My Journey

 

It has been a week of cleaning (yes Spring cleaning upstairs is done, except for the cupboards), organizing and decluttering. The more I declutter, the more I feel like I am following the right path towards a simpler life. 

I have managed to find the floor in the sewing/craft room over this past week. Pretty sure there is more I could do in there, but I am leaving it until I get some items out of the house. A few things will be going with me to the Silent Auction at the family reunion, and then hopefully Kurt will be removing the 100 pairs of mittens from the house as well. That will actually add to the floor space by some 5 or 6 square feet. 

There are also the clothing items that I plan on trying to recycle into something new or if unable to do so donate. Once that box is gone, more floor space will open up. I hope to get started on those next month and finish them up when we come back from our trip. 

Lots was donated from that room as well. Slowly, slowly I am letting go of things that no longer feel necessary or that I no longer am attached emotionally to. 

Pretty much the only reason I managed to get so much done over the last couple of weeks is because we have had lots, and lots of rain. Now we need heat and sun to get things growing rapidly as I want to get a few things dehydrated, picked, frozen and canned before we leave. 

List making continues, and that really is enabling me to sleep better at night. It shuts off my thoughts about what needs to be done and stops me from worrying that things might not get done that need to be done. Life is so much easier to live when anxiety does not rule me. It is also much easier to feel like I am getting that much closer to a simpler life.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Missing In Action

 

Sorry for not posting or visiting the last couple of days. I became very surprised that my loom was traveling as quickly as it was from British Columbia and so I decided I needed to get some extra tasks done.

I have been working on filling baskets, and pots out side, and still have more to do. I am getting there though. There was some mending that my friend asked me to do, so that was accomplished as well. 

Messages needed to be sent to both our sons about the football game Harvey wanted Kris to pick up tickets for, and then I had to let Kurt know we had both given him the wrong date for said game.

I finished one purse, cut out the second (madly sewed that today and now it just the lining sewn in), and ironed all the quilt blocks. Sewing all the quilt blocks together is my next task, which will hopefully be done by Sunday.

I have cleaned an area of the sewing/craft room and will be working on that again tomorrow. 

Still have to find a box to put the clothes in for my brother and do some cleaning out of the chest freezer. Harvey has finally realized that the beans we planted last year should have been stringed before I cut and froze them. I also need to find the brisket that is in there somewhere. Kind of like to make that one of these upcoming weekends.

Add in cooking and the regular household tasks and time just slipped away. By the time I sat down to rest it was pretty darn late in the day. 

It was a good thing I did most of those chores quickly as guess what arrived today? Actually on the day the company said it would be delivered.

It arrived at about 10:30 this morning while I was out for a bit of a walk. Harvey was home and signed for it.

Of course I had to unpack (well open it) to check that everything arrived undamaged.

It was well packaged for shipment and all looks well. In glancing at the assembly book, I realized that I was definitely going to need Harvey's help in putting this project together. 

Think we will be working on getting that done early next week.

Off to get more of my projects done before this one takes up most of my time. And of course to visit all of you.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

P.S. 

This Canadian company also sells spinning wheels.... Perhaps my next skill somewhere down the line. LOL

Spring Cleaning Brings Aches

 

As you all know I have been trying to get my spring cleaning done. Still have a few rooms to do, but if I manage one area a day I will be finished in about 4 days. That is if my back and legs do not give out. I am beginning to hate that small step ladder. 

I did the hall today. Washed walls, dusted what I could (one item will have to go out and get sprayed down) and the coat closet decluttered (over the last few days) and all I have left is the linen closet which I actually decluttered a couple of months ago. I will wipe out the shelves and tidy it up later tonight. 

Tomorrow I will work on our bedroom. That could take a bit longer as I really should go through a few places (top and floor of the closets especially). 

One great thing about all this cleaning is I fall into bed and sleep through the night. One bad thing is that my legs are sore from climbing up and down a ladder, and my arms are sore from scrubbing walls. The back, well that always bothers me. 

Between the manic episodes of cleaning, I have been working on projects. I have finished cutting my 4" squares into triangles. I think I have enough for what I have planned. Worked on the hand quilting as well. 

Picked up the pork ribs this morning from the Co-op. I got about 7 1/2 pounds for $18.00. These have now been packaged up and are completely freezing in the fridge freezer. I will take them down to the upright early tomorrow. 

Made the Broccoli Cheese soup for the freezer, and tomorrow I will use those asparagus ends to make asparagus soup. Waste not is happening around here a great deal more than usual. 

Harvey got the summer wine (Niagara Mist) racked over to the carboy from the primary today. I definitely feel like I am in a Winery right now, what with this wine and the Malbec he has going. There is still a white wine to be made as well. 

I have been asked to share my recipe for Japanese soup.... I really don't know what is in it as I purchase it ready made and frozen from an old friend. I do know she follows the recipe her family has used for years. She has done this for me for a number of years and I started purchasing it from her to help them out when her Hubby lost his job. Harvey loves it so I have continued and it gives "A" a bit of her own cash. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.                                       

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits

 

A cooler and drizzly day today. I have stuck close to home, finished spring cleaning the bathroom, decluttered and cleaned the kitchen drawers. Perhaps I am slowly gaining space and simplicity. I do have one drawer left in the kitchen and that should be cleaned, decluttered and tidy by tonight. I keep remembering what a poster on a forum said many years ago. Small bites of the elephant and things will be done in due time. 

I even managed to get Harvey to go through the hall coat closet and remove those coats he no longer wears or needs. I have quite the bag of donations ready to go. 

Now, I am enjoying mugs of tea, and if I just had a cookie or two to go along with things would be pretty much perfect. I suppose I need to do some baking this week as I have lots of tea to get through as part of my using items up from the pantry. 

The tulips are starting to burst through the soil, so nice to see some green appearing. Nothing really starting in the perennial bed as of yet but since that needs a good clean up, I am not too worried. Also bought some new perennial bulbs to plant in there as well. 

Mending, ironing and working on the hand quilting for part of the afternoon. Managed to get a couple of appointments set up as well for the end of next week. 

Plans for tomorrow are getting set in place, at least spring cleaning wise. I plan on washing the range exhaust hood and soaking the filter as well as washing the walls in the kitchen and a few other small spring cleaning tasks in that room as well. 

One great thing about rainy, cloudy days is that things get accomplished inside. 

Everybody have a wonderful day.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits

 

It has been another couple of cloudy days here in Saskatchewan. Right now though it looks like the sun is going to try and peak through.

Since it has been so cloudy, I have been on a sewing spree. I did put the dress aside to work on some other sewing projects and now that they are done, well no more excuses. I will just take it nice and slow on the next two more complicated patterns. The sewing encyclopedia will be my side while working on these. 

Also been working on getting the cupboards cleaned and organized. Slow going, but things are getting done. 

Things are also getting used up in the fridge and our various freezers. Getting everything under control and back to pre-pandemic levels of cleanliness and good stuffs.

I guess it is time to share some pictures of what I have been sewing....

 A very simple, pull over the head knee length knitted dress. 

My first knit tunic top. I love this pattern and the sweater knit fabric I used for this one is so very soft.

The sweater knit top I just finished today. It isn't really this red, more a deep rose colour. This was made with some fabric I bought at the church fabric sale. 

Once I get the two knit dresses done I will be pulling fabric to make some shorts, capris and perhaps a couple of summer tops. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

Quiet day once again here on the old homestead. It started with snow, but I took my morning walk any way. Bad thing was the snow hid ice and I did feel myself starting to slip a couple of times, caught myself though so nothing untoward happened. Since this is a weekly round-up I may as well tell all of you I managed to get out for at least two walks every day.

I also managed to get my "lady wipes" finished today. I was going to do a rolled hem, but decided that a narrow zig zag stitch all the way around would be enough. Now after washing I am beginning to wonder about my choice.

Here is the stack of leftover flannelette fabric I found to  use.

There are 36 rather large squares that I can use. I decided that they will be a last resort if I can't find any toilet  paper and am close to running out. If they are never used I will recut and use in other projects.

I have done some of my  bucket list. Made the heart for my front window.

Cleaned up the pots and pans. I think I will make some fabric inserts to put between them at some point during this period of social distancing.

I have also done a bit of baking, more to follow over the next few days.

Today was two banana nut loaves and tomorrow I plan on making 2 rhubarb loaves. Got to get the frozen rhubarb used up to make room for the fresh this spring.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Saturday Roundup

Well, this week is drawing to a close and the weather has turned cold once again. Heck one could say we are back in the Polar Vortex once again. Supposedly these temperatures will only last a few days and then perhaps a bit of a warm up is to occur. We shall see.

I have managed to notify most of the family (the ones I feel are important at any rate) that my next tests will be on the 15th of this month. I am hopeful that we will have an answer quickly on whether or not I have cervical cancer. If I do things should move along very quickly after the diagnosis.

Now on to showing you how last months challenge went. I do think I managed to make some headway on getting the fridge freezer in line and I promise myself to never let it get that unorganized again.

Top shelf before:

Top shelf after:

Bottom shelf before:

Bottom shelf after:

Really quite a difference. I can actually see what I have in both drawers as of today.

Now on to this months challenge. 

I have two freezers downstairs in the basement. The one upright that I keep meat in (which is actually pretty darn neat right now), and an old chest freezer that holds veggies from the garden, frozen fruits, baked goods and meats that don't fit in the other freezer easily.

It is very hard for me to share how messy I have allowed the chest freezer to become and so my challenge this month is to use up what I can during the month and try to get some semblance of neat going on.

Here is the before picture...

Today I pulled out some frozen onions and some apple pie filling. The pie filling was used to make a crumb topped pie and the onions put into the fridge to be used making supper on Monday. I am really going to make an effort to get this mess under control this month. It will be a challenge, but one I think I might just enjoy.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Mission Accomplished

We are really in the deep freeze here for the next couple of days and thanks to another blogger (Thanks Deb from Homespun Living for the great idea) who defrosted her freezer during a cold snap I decided to give it a try.

Boy this worked like a charm. I now have a nicely cleaned and organized freezer and Harvey thought it was the neatest way to accomplish this task.

The only thing I didn't like about it was...... I found a few items that had gotten away from me for, oh, about 3 years. How on earth did that happen!!!

I found some lovely borscht and decided that instead of the stir fry, supper tonight would be using up this frozen goodness before those containers got away on me.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.