How'd I do on the Want to do?

 In a word-DISMALLY!

This is the current state of Trail Mix.

I had hoped to have the top together this month.

To be honest this is REALLY frustrating me!

So many pieces to cut, 

and

now I need more fabric-which I've ordered.

I did get the last big block on row three of the Civil War UFO and it's final sashing added, 

Then during the Australia Day Zoom at the Chookshed I did the bottom row.

Guess this is MY Zoom project!

I seem to only work on it when we're Zooming.

I have put some time into this little piece,

It's coming along.

I finished #2020 this month.

That's it for stitching.

What didn't happen?

I didn't begin a Temperature quilt, in fact I took it off of the 2021 list.

I am not especially happy with the fabric I choose AND (it's a big and) there is a glitch in obtaining the high and low temperature.

Recon I need to acquire a thermometer?

I didn't begin the Paper Dolls and I won't until Trail Mix is finished.

I did make a couple of hexie flowers.

I didn't make a Christmas item-that one I'll catch up on.  I did attempt something but it just didn't work!

I took Belle the Bernina into the shop for servicing.  She won't be home for another week or so.

While I read a lot, I didn't finish my Non-fiction book.  I'm taking a win here as I have perhaps two chapters left!

Outside of stitching I ordered:

A new remote for the garage door.  Still can't use it as I need to do something on the big unit.

To do that I'll need to rent a ladder!

AND

Seed catalogs!  Three of them, only two have arrived.  I have to be careful not to over order, it's all so tempting.

As if I don't have enough to do I bought this pattern:

Usually I say that I enjoy January and February as a time to rest and recover.  I'm usually pretty productive.  This year I guess I've had enough rest through isolation and I don't want to do much of anything.  Also, I'm heading into surgery tomorrow (don't panic it's just my gallbladder, a short and simple deal.  I  should be home the same day or Tuesday, latest.)  I haven't felt bad, just off.  I'm hoping things get better after this.

I'm not going to beat myself up about this, stuff will get done.  

Eventually.

Changes

 As the pandemic continues-some people are saying 6-9 more months!  I find it necessary to make some (more) changes in how I deal with things.

1.  I have to put on REAL clothes and not just hang out in PJ pants and a shirt!  So the jeans came out and socks with real shoes not just crocs!  I really want to go for a walk outside (well THE VIRUS makes mall walking dangerous) and I find that I won't change clothes to make that happen.  It's only taken 4 months to figure that out (October to now as I wore shorts before that) sometimes I'm dense.

2.  I'm not eating right.  I buy food and then I don't want to cook so I don't eat it.  I have been looking for a freezer for about 6 months but they are limited in stock (due to THE VIRUS) and the one I think I'd like won't be available until the end of March.  The frig freezer is full.  I have decided to just cook stuff, divide it into one or two servings and then freeze them.  That way I only have to take it out, let it thaw and sometimes finish it off.  Oh, and decide what I'm going to eat along with.  So, yesterday I cooked 3 chickens for 3 different recipes; Chicken and Strip dumplings-which I shared with the Eimans as it doesn't do well left over or frozen-that we ate yesterday.  Today, I made the fillings for both chicken enchiladas and chicken pot pie.

Each jar holds enough for my 8 inch pie plate.  That is two servings, maybe three each, so at least 18 meals.  I already have chili and sweet beans in single serving jars in the freezer.

While I was doing that I oven cooked this

Five pounds of bacon!  It will get frozen as well so that I can just pull out what I need and chop it up or warm it, Quinn might get a bite now and then as well!  She does love bacon.

There are several other dishes to be made this week and added to the mix, the jars or dishes take up much less space.  In the future I will buy only what I need and then cook it up before freezing.  I hope this works.  

Not much else is going on here.  I'm still cutting Trail Mix, I think I'm down to 600 2" squares and some miscellaneous replacement parts as there is one fabric I began with that I really don't like and Two sets of 4 patches that I don't like. I can only cut for about 30 minutes at a time before I lose accuracy.  I bought a couple of fat quarters at Quilters Station this week-I was afraid I wasn't going to have enough.  The fat quarters I began with are getting really small! Some really little stitches are being taken in the wee cross stitch.  Some housecleaning, regular boring stuff.

Since President Biden was sworn in I feel as if a tremendous burden has been lifted and I'm sleeping like a baby!  The last four years was an almost daily lie, near lie (The Washington Post said over 30,000), horrid behavior or insane tweets by 45 and it was exhausting.  Of course there will always be bickering between the parties (like siblings) but it's less exhausting.  

My county is still in Phase 1A for the vaccine, I have signed up and should be in Phase 1B but I think it will be March (or later) before they get around to me.  Even once I receive it there is risk and masks will be mandatory until most everyone is vaccinated.  I'm anxious to see my family in person-not only on ZOOM but I will stay the course.

Finally finished and other stuff

#2020 is finally finished and delivered to my daughter!

She calls it an accounting quilt-she's a CFO for a construction company.

I can't remember a quilt giving me as much trouble quilting as this one,

I blame the Bernina!

Speaking of the Bernina, it currently at the repair shop.

Good thing I don't need it!

In other stitching:

I began stitching this little one.

This is where I am.  

It was supposed to be stitched 1 over 1 but I couldn't see that!

I'm stitching it 2 over 2 and it's still tiny!

And slow going!

I think it will finish at 5 inches-more or less.

I thought it was going to be pin cushion sized but I think it will be a bit big for that, 

so I've no idea what I'll end up doing with it!

I'm still cutting Trail Mix,

I do have the first block set finished.

I'm really taking my time on this one making sure everything is just so.

I made a new recipe on Sunday!

Chicken Tikka Masala.

There's no Indian eatery near me so I need to learn to make some.

This one was quite good except for being too spicy.

(My Indian friends tell me that Indian food is only really spicy if the person can not cook!)

I will leave out the hot pepper and half the cayenne pepper next time I make it.

I'm not doing much of anything else.

Waiting for surgery on the first.

Mostly, waiting and wondering what will happen tomorrow.

Hope there is a peaceful swearing in above all else!

 

All about last week

 

I had a pretty bad week last week.

I woke Monday with a case of "Isolation Blues" due to not enough sleep 

and a hurting knee.

It didn't get better on Tuesday.

In fact, I spent the whole day in my nightie and robe doing almost nothing.

Then came Wednesday.

I'd managed to get dressed and was taking down the Christmas Tree.

When, I got a very strange text from my eldest-Everybody stay safe.

What?!

Then followed the texts--turn on the TV MOM!

Which I did.

I couldn't watch for long it hurt my heart so.

I wish I could say I didn't see this coming.

I still feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop 

and hoping that the 20th is free of violence.

Very few of the Mob were arrested on Wednesday but they are being identified by police, FBI and private citizens from photos and film clips of the riot.  

Many have shown up on social media and been identified,

some have been arrested,

some have lost their jobs,

some will lose standing in their communities.

There must be consequences or it will happen again and again.

Of course 45 incited them to violence and today Articles of Impeachment were drawn up against him for "inciting insurrection."

To some it seems a waste of time when there are so few days left in his term, 

but apparently if impeached he cannot run in 2024  

and he could be charged within the legal system,

so his consequences I suppose.

There's lots of talk, and lots of thinking-

I'll spare you that.

Domestic terrorism cannot be allowed.

In happier things!

The Civil War Sampler (that really old UFO) is at this point.

The last block is only pinned on and needs the last sashing piece added.

Progress.

All the squares for the first blocks of Trail Mix have been cut.

I'm sewing down the binding on #2020.

I will never like this quilt!

That said it is almost finished.

This months cookbook.

I made Corn Chowder on Saturday, 

it was pretty good but I don't know if I'll make it again.

All the other goals bit the dust.

I have some adjustments to make and then

I'll begin them again.

Civil Unrest

 It is a sad day to be a citizen of the United States.

I am heartbroken.

Where I wish I was

At the Dog beach in San Diego with Quinn-just because it is so much fun!

Road to Polebridge, Glacier National Park, Montana-because I miss the mountains SO much!

 

So more want to do's

 This is my office! 

A disaster area.

Work on Family Tree charts that are to be gifts for cousins in the front.

I think it will be easier for them to understand this way.

Boxes of Family Tree stuff I took to Nashville that still haven't been unpacked.

The Desk is barely visible and the side table is piled deep!

I think this will need several short cleaning events!

A long one would interfere with my other work.

This is not the only part of the house that needs work, it's just the worst.

Actually, the garage might be worse!

Continuing the Want To Do in 2021 list.

(Want to Do is so much better than goals or To Do lists for me)

There are three 15-minute projects:  Drawing, lettering and photo organizing.

It's really amazing how much you can accomplish in 15 minutes a day.

Next up on my sheets is Food:

Choose a Cookbook of the Month and try 4 new things

Lose 1 pound a week for a total of 52 pounds

Follow the Food Rules-which are

Set a pretty table for EVERY meal

Keep the table clear and clean

Balance the Diet

Eat Slowly and only until full

Make and follow menus

Don't sabotage yourself

I think that at this point I'll just list what I Want to Do in January

Quilting

Assemble all the rows of the Civil War Sampler Quilt-that very old UFO

Assemble Trail Mix

Begin Temperature quilt

Make 4 Paper Dolls

Make some Hexie flowers

Christmas

Make some Christmas cross stitch ornaments

Design a display for my North Pole Cottages

Secret Squirrel sewing

Cross-stitch

Pin Cushions

Begin a Wedding piece

Read one non-fiction book

Order seed catalogues

Order new remote for garage door

Take one sewing machine in for service-I think the Elna

Well, I think I'd best get busy!

Happy New Year!

 I hit the pillows before midnight !  I had a lovely time before that with the Chookshed Stitchers-many thanks to Chooky it's always fun! 

Here's to 2021 being better than 2020!  Good things did happen even with THE VIRUS and I try to focus on that with gratitude.  For one, no one in my family has contracted THE VIRUS, even though Beth was exposed-she tested negative.  

Winter arrived overnight!

First rain, then freezing rain and now snow.

2-5inches are expected for the Kansas City Metro!

Quinn came in covered with snow-she is not impressed.

This year's word is BREATHE.

I have a two page list of Goals for 2021.

Probably won't get them all done but looking at it gets me moving.

I tried putting the list as a page on this blog-it looked really pretty on the draft and really nasty on the blog.  I took it off.

I'll give it to you in bits and pieces!  Some things on the list have to wait for THE VIRUS to get under control or Spring, some are dependent on my staying in this house.  Still, I can't forget them when they are on the list!

First, I have some 365 Challenges.  Things I want to do every day in the hopes that good habits will evolve.

They are:

Stretch 

Walk or bike 

Drink at least 64 ounces of water

Practice the Piano 

Practice the Guitar 

Take photographs

Meditate/Journal

Blog 

Work at learning French 

I am sure that I will not do all of these every day-I mean I have to have my gall bladder out and recover (hopefully this month.)  

Quilting goals

NEW

Trail Mix quilt

ZigZag scrappy quilt using the 2 inch squares in the bin

Postage Stamp quilt using the 1 1/2" squares as leaders and enders-already in progress

Temperature Quilt

Begin a Lucy Boston

Make a Paper Doll quilt for Izzy

Begin a foundation pieced Civil War letters quilt made pot holder style

There are one or two I'm thinking about but I won't list them.

UFOS

Civil War Sampler finished

Dragons

Hexi-flowers

Strip Tumblers

Do something with the Log Cabin blocks

Do something with the Orphan blocks

Will I get all these done-who knows!

More tomorrow!