Reboot:day 3

Another good day, although I ate a little more desert/carbs than I should have.... I did exercise in the morning and that felt really good.  

I worked on the screen and then had to put it aside because I needed to pick up supplies to finish it.  I went out shopping with my friend and picked up the first of my Christmas items.  It was fun and nice to get out.  We went to Starbucks and sat and chatted and enjoyed a coffee.  Well, I had a latte and she had tea. 

Today I ate

Eggs and chicken sausage, sourdough toast with blueberry sauce

1/2 mini bagel with butter
Avocado toast
Handful of nuts

Nonfat grande latte with whipped cream, mini vanilla bean scone
Spaghetti squash 

Exercise

7 min rebounder
2 min health rider
19min yoga

This is pretty basic, not to strenuous or hardcore....  my husband calls this technique winning by under-achieving.  Often we give up or give in because it's too hard or we don't have the time for a workout... so his philosophy is go for 5 min on the treadmill or elliptical, or just walk around the block.  But usually once you've get going you'll do a little more.... and so you are winning.  And don't beat yourself up because you are doing a little that probably more than most people!  Have a wonderful day!
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Yesterday eating was good, 
Sour dough toast,  oatmeal with pecans, blackberries, cinnamon and blueberry sauce 

chickenvegetable soup, potato chips

Mushroom, spinache and cheddar omelette

Vino
Black cherry yogurt

I snacked on a couple cookies, a couple mini cinnamon apple muffins, and  a handful of Cashews

17 min yoga
5 min hoolahoop
Rebounder

Busy as a bee 🐝

Another trip.  This time I'm back in California.  My nephew and I flew out last night as he needed to get home and my lovely daughter is having a bridal shower this weekend.  I'm happy and excited to attend.  Her BFF has planned and delegated and I'm certain it will be a wonderful day.  My sisters and nieces and BFF will be there.  But I am very tired from all this traveling.  Still have two more trips a wedding and a reception.... then calm.... hopefully not before the storm.

I finished the wedding quilt.  I sure hope they like it.  It was a lot of work.  The most challenging one I have done.  Curved piecing, on point and mitered borders. Plus the size- a large quilt gets cumbersome to work on as it goes together.  I like the way it turned out.... but.... it never looks like much until it is quilted!  That's when the magic happens!

Right now only half a dozen have seen it... I don't want anyone to slip and show my girl.  Or her to somehow see a picture of it.  It goes to the quilter this weekend.

So I actually put the quilt in my checked luggage on a direct flight.  Last time I came into LAX there were so many delays. Oh boy, I felt so bad for my future SIL because he was there to get me but the flight sat on the tarmac for 40 min then my bag was forever getting off the baggage claim and I was meeting him for the first time. I felt so bad that he had to wait and wait -  So yesterday, we came right into the gate, the last gate right by the stairs to go to the carousel at baggage claim.  My daughter said, "Call me when you get your bag...." well, she called to see how things were going. I told her, "We just got to baggage claim and the bells are going off that it is starting to drop bags.... I'm confident (hopeful) that my bag won't be one of the last off."  BA-BAM!  Who's bag was the first off the carousel! Yes, it was mine.  And we walked outside and got in the car.  That was crazy.  I guess the little things get me jazzed.

So I guess that's about all that's happening.  I think when I get home I'm going to get together with my other BFF and we are going to teach ourselves silk ribbon embroidery.  So I can have some handwork to do on vacations, on a flight, at night or whenever it's not convenient to use a machine.
I may help my daughter do some  mending and alterations.... her fiancé has a pair of Levi's that look as if he somehow managed to evade Wolverine just by the seat of his pants.

Have a lovely day, and a wonderful weekend.  Whatever you do, and wherever you go, share a smile and a kind word or deed.  God bless you!

New Normal

Things have settled into normalcy around here.  I still think about something, experience something or remember something and want to call my mom and tell her about it.... but it's not several times a day everyday.  Moms husband has moved on, he's dating.  No comment.  I want to keep things positive here.  I knew he would find someone else to share his life with and I want him to be happy but this is pretty quick....

I've been working on a wedding gift for my daughter and her fiancé.  It is coming along.  So far I've got about 150 hours into this quilt. Cutting and piecing the blocks and I have started sewing the rows together.  I probably have another 10 -12 hours to finish up the rows and cutting and sewing the borders and binding.   Then it will go to Lorna, my best friend and quilting superstar.  She will quilt it and probably sew the binding on.  Big project- definitely a labor of love.

I love sewing quilts.  I have been giving them away as gifts.  I've had several wedding this last year and new baby's... hahaha new baby.... that reminds me of a comedians skit about new baby cards ... as opposed to old babies.... anyway.... back on track. Quilting has been very therapeutic for me.

I'm getting ready for my nephews visit.  He is going to spend 2 weeks with us.  And we have quite a few activities planned for the time while he is here.  A baseball game, an art museum, the rock and roll hall of fame, some camping, and the Ark and Creation Museum, biking and kayaking.  So 2 weeks will go by fast!

We have been doing some house repairs and updates.  Some long overdo.  So that's going to be nice.  New cordless blinds a couple new doors and maybe new gutters.  Right now the gutters are so bad that they are ruining my flower beds when we get a good rain..... too much water too fast and hard.  So I'm excited at the prospect of that improvement. And I can do some planting afterward.  Lots of work to do all the time.  But it's all good.  We try to keep busy and when I'm busy I'm more productive and much happier.

So that's what's up.  I think it's important to focus only on the positive things in life.  If you are reading this,  my prayer is that God will bless you with peace and comfort today.

Not so blue after all!

It was a gorgeous day today in every way.

Last night I worked on a project for my moms husband.  She started it after she got sick and never finished it.  It kind of stretched me because I wasn't sure how to do it- and I only had a vague idea what he was asking me to do.   So I tackled it and figured it out. But made a mistake.  I used a package of binding that I had in my stash.  It was 24 inches too short...... yikes.

This morning my husband and I went out to pick up another package of navy binding to finish it up. Well, it seems that was a very old package.  The navy is now much bluer.  I was now blue myself. So rather than rip out the binding, I thought I would check on Social media... reach out to fellow seamstresses and crafters... I had several people find the right color in different size and types of bindings.  But one of them was right!  A shout out and thank you to Deb!

Talked to my daughter and she had a problem to take care of for work at the IRS office.  And wasn't anticipating it going well.  But it did!

It was so nice that my husband and I decided to go for a ride on the motorcycle.  We couldn't find the key to the bike.... looked and looked and looked.... got the spare and went for a ride.  It was gorgeous!

Looked for the keys again.  No luck... checked all pockets our coats and pants.  Then hmmm, what if they fell of the hook.... yep, they were on the floor behind the doggie bed.  Score!

So there were some issues but they didn't get me down and actually everything worked out great!

Today was the 1st day of cutting sugar.  Today wasn't hard.  I did aok.  No cravings.... but I did eat too many veggie straws .... I hope not to over indulge tomorrow...

Taking it one day at a time

It's so quiet.... the dogs, cat, and guys are asleep.... all is silent....  the clock just chimed but now I hear it ticking.... The bridge is being worked on so the road is closed.... no traffic noise.... a vehicle drives by the house but the main road is not being used.... no trucks, no traffic.... the dog sighs, the furnace kicks on and off.... a distant train whistle... such a quiet night.

Earlier we watched a movie that my daughter worked on called Gone Are The Days.  It was a western, set in the early 1920's.  The story was about an old outlaw and his last days.  How he made things right.... in his way.  It wasn't action packed... I had some questions about it when it was done....    It wasn't unbelievable.  It could have happened.  I liked it....

My son is working on some drywall around the house.  And when he's done I'm looking forward to watching some paint dry.  See, a couple years after my daughter's graduation from college I made her bedroom into a sewing room.  Then my husband said I needed a bigger room so we switched his home office with my "sewing room".  And now I wanted a spare bedroom again so we moved the office stuff downstairs and are remaking a bedroom.  My husband is amazing!

I have been sewing again.  I'm finding my smile again.  My arms don't feel weighted down.  I made cookies the other day.  I have some things on my to do list that I'm still struggling to get done.... maybe in the morning I can tackle some thank you notes.  Lots of folks were very supportive over the last few months.  That meant so much to me.  I miss my mom.  Talking to her.  I think of her every day and often during each day.....

I pray that tomorrow the sun will shine and that the temps will be warm and it will be a beautiful day to walk.   Yesterday, was gorgeous and the trail was packed with women pushing strollers, dog walkers, and some bicyclists.  Funny but as we walked the trail through the park I thought, I should have brought my camera in case we see a woodpecker.  And not 5 minutes later my husband says, "look a pileated woodpecker".  And we watched it pecking and hammering some downed tree branches. The camera on my phone isn't great but my husband got some video of it on his phone.... it was cool.  Hahaha....

Guess I'll just keep plugging along, one day at a time, making the best of things, and remind myself to be thankful for it all.