I Packed my Bag and in it I Put....

...well, after much faffing around I finally got the suitcase all packed, went to weigh it and saw about a 5 inch gash in it!!! PANIC!!! If I was travelling in a car I might chance it. On a plane? Nope. The airlines aren't careful with bags and I have four planes (two there and two back) to go on. I didn't want to chance it. The suitcase is...well, donkey years old...so I didn't feel too awful about buying another one. This was at 5 o'clock this evening. I quickly looked online, saw where a reasonable one was available and had hubby drive me there. Phew. Problem solved. 

I cooked dinner - an experiment that wasn't too successful although the guys said it tasted good (so I suppose that's all that matters in the end), did the washing up, drained the sink and it didn't. Nope, didn't drain. Sigh. I tried a bit of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and some white vinegar and managed to get the water cleared. Any other problems are officially husbands. 

Hopefully that will be it. I must admit to being a little cautious as things tend to come in threes (according to my very wise Mum). 

I have checked in online. So I'm taking a little break before toddling off to bed. Hopefully I won't be too worried and will be able to sleep. As husband tells me, I am always this way before leaving. It's not the travelling that worries me, it's the getting going. 

I'll try to post while I'm away. It probably won't be consistent (when is it ever?) I will be posting stories to my Instagram I'm looking forward to spending time with sister and just enjoying things. 

Photo for today - Asylum Lake view. I'll miss my morning walks, but I'm looking forward to doing something different for a while

*BTW - I loved the game of 'I Packed my Bag and in it I Put' when I was little. Did anyone else play it? 

Ta-Da ---- Cross Stitch

I managed to finish it and frame it!

I'm so pleased

I'm beginning to feel a little stressed, but husband reminded me that I always feel this way before I travel so I'm trying to not panic too much. 

Tomorrow will be busy, busy, busy. I have started pulling some clothes out and washed a few but I haven't started packing yet. I always worry about what to pack, but it all seems to work out ok. I'm going to start out the day with a walk and go from there. 

I Always Seem to Leave Things Until the Last Minute

The week is going too fast. I feel as though I'm running out of time. I leave for England on Friday. I'm really excited. 

I decided - last minute of course, because is there any other way - that I wanted to take something to give to my sister. She has just had one of her bedrooms - the one I stay in - decorated in cheery yellow and she calls it her bumblebee room. So what did I decide I needed to stitch? Yes, a bumblebee. Do I have any patterns in the masses I have on hand? Nope. I searched Etsy, found one I thought wouldn't be too hard and maybe - just maybe - I can get stitched and made into something before I leave early Friday morning. I quickly ordered it, downloaded it, printed it, went upstairs in the heat and found all the floss needed (thank goodness I had that organised at least lol). I also found a bit of aida. I started stitching on it, decided I didn't like the colour and just started it again on white. Will it be finished in time? I honestly don't know. The holes seem a lot smaller than they used to - though probably that's just my eyesight (joys of getting older).  

Perhaps you might see a finished item here lol. 

Weekend

It's been a pretty good weekend. Hot. Too hot for me. I did go out for a walk with husband both days. Ugh. We were both sweating even with a little exertion. We did quite the walk today. Husband chose the place to go as I was uming and ahing. I wasn't that enthused with his choice, but I went along with it. Saugatuck Dunes State Park. Husband said, we haven't been there for a while. I was thinking, yup, that's because of the hills. I don't like walking all uphill. I think he had forgotten about them, though the name should have given him a clue - dunes=hills. The hills just about did him in! It's pretty much a mile and a half to the beach through the hills, down to the beach, then you have to climb up the sand hill to walk back through the woods up some more hills. I think the sand makes it worse. Needless to say, we were both sweating when we got back to the car, but I think I fared better than him as I walk most days. I still don't like hills though. 

Before we stopped there, we stopped at a Sunflower field. It isn't completely in bloom yet, but there were quite a few sunflowers. I reckon I'll miss most of the blooms and I wanted to see at least a few. I really did enjoy that stop - much more than the hilly walk!

I think it's really generous of the owner to allow people to visit. This is one of the few fields where there isn't a cost to visit or take photos. There are even little cutouts amongst the flowers so people can take photos without trampling in the flowers. They do have a little stall with sunflowers and (today at least) some tomatoes. We bought a couple of both. I want to support the farmer and hope others who visit do the same!

Where Did the Week Go?

It's Friday again. I can't believe the week rolled around that quickly!

The rest of the week was fairly quiet. Son was glad to be home with the internet and I'm sure the cat was too! He's a sweet little cat but quite shy. He tends to hide when anyone else comes over. When my other son goes to watch him (if middle son goes away) he barely comes out from the covers on the bed or son's coat. He is really attached. 

The week has passed in sort of a blur. It's turned hot again - yuck. I wanted to start, if not sorting, at least organising the craft room so there was room to work in there. It's just been too hot. I go up there, do a little bit and then come back down again. I feel like a bit of a yo-yo! Things have got put away though and I'm almost to the point where there is a nice space on the desk so I can create things. I am hoping that, when I get back, it will be a bit cooler, and I can go upstairs and do some crafting. 

Next Friday I'll be off to England until September. I am so excited. It's going to be lovely to see sister again. We have lots of walks planned - if the weather cooperates - and lots of relaxing. I chatted with sister C today. She had some bad news regarding our other sister, D's husband. He had a scan, and they have found two growths (very small) on his liver, but it means more chemotherapy. Sigh. It just never seems to end for them. They did manage to have a small holiday (first in years) before they got the news. 

Photo for the day - Sunrise. 

Plans for the weekend - not sure. We're probably going to try to beat the heat and humidity and get out for a walk. Do you have plans for the weekend? 

Bumpy Start to the Week

I had plans to tackle a few things this week, but the beginning of the week has got off to a bumpy start. Yesterday, middle son (J) rang and said that his internet was out, and he needed to come over to the house to work. It was off all day, so he was at the house, and it threw me a little off schedule. I just thought I could do some of the things I'd planned today, only when I was out walking, he rang again to say that his apartment building had a gas leak and they had to evacuate! He had been sleeping. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his cat and left the building! He was at the house all day again today, only this time he had his cat. Poor cat just hid behind the curtains most of the day. Son had to miss work as he hadn't grabbed his computer. I'm behind on everything. He finally got the all-clear to go back to his apartment only to receive a text (just as he was leaving our house) to say that the internet was out again!!! I might yet see him again tomorrow. Thankfully, both days we've had enough dinner to share the meal. 

So, I haven't got as much done this week, so far, as I had hoped! 

Yesterday was my Asylum Lake meeting. It went okay. I debated whether to go or not, but I'd feel guilty (don't know why!) if I didn't go. I might not go as much in the winter (depending on the weather) so thought I'd better attend while I can. I always feel as though we have a productive meeting when I do go and I didn't feel quite as out of place as usual. I'm in charge of social media and though I'm not doing a fantastic job I am doing okay. It takes quite a bit to build up a following and I'm still finding my footing.

Spending/Budget - thank you so much for everyone who took the time to send me comments! I feel as though writing things down is the way to go. This will probably wait until after I get back from England. Husband is hoping to retire in three years, and I am really need to get the budget under control. We want to be able to still do the things we enjoy. We aren't big spenders eating out and such, but we do have a few subscriptions and buying things on a whim is something we admittedly still do.

Photo for the day

Walking the fields. The heat is beginning to build again! 

The Weekend

It's been a bit cooler here over the weekend though it's going to heat up again tomorrow and onward. Still, I have enjoyed it while I could. Saturday I was actually up in the craft room. There was a lot of moving things around from one spot to another, but I did sort out a small pile that I'm willing to get rid of. I am in the process of clearing off the desk, so I'll at least have a spot to work. I'm hoping that once I start creating, I can see what brings me enjoyment and what I can decide to get rid of. At least that's the plan! It isn't a big room but, if it wasn't for all the stuff in there, it would be enough for me. 

Today husband and I went out for the morning. We did stop by the beach. It was quite pleasant as we were there when it was fairly cool. There is still smoke in the air, so the sun wasn't really hot. There weren't a lot of people around either (which I particularly enjoyed lol). There were quite a few people fishing. After we had stopped there, we drove along the lakeshore a bit and stopped at another park. That was also quiet (at least for a while). We sat on an old bit of concrete (think it used to be part of a pier) and enjoyed looking at the lake and hearing the gentle lap of the water. I really miss the sound of waves on the beach, but there was a tiny breeze so a little bit of sound!

This afternoon I chatted with daughter and Baby A. They are all feeling so much better now. Baby A was her usual funny self. I so enjoy spending time with her. Even at her age (while it holds her attention) she's good at carrying the phone around and even propping it up so I can watch her lol. 

This week I have to really work on the budget. Last month was quite a strain on finances. This month I need to buckle back down. I am really debating whether I should start writing down everything that we spend. Do you do that? I'm sure I'd find out some things that we spend more on than we should.

Phone Photos for today - 

All-in-all it hasn't been a bad weekend. I've been pretty productive too! How was your weekend? 

August Already - July Decluttering Totals

Wow this month has just flown by! I think I've been saying that for a while, but I really don't know where time has gone. The decluttering is still plodding along. The totals aren't great this month, but there has been other stuff going on and I'm (sort of) okay with that. I think anything that leaves the house is better than nothing! Over the last couple of days, the weather has turned cooler and, although things are supposed to heat up again, tomorrow doesn't look to be a bad day and I plan on going up to the craft room for a while. It's certainly beginning to take on a hoarder vibe and I'm not okay with that. Something has to change!

Anyway, here are the totals

Craft Items - 28

Magazines - 5

Books - 41

Misc - 7

Definitely not the strongest month! 

I am pleased that last month the goal of the front porch was reached and Baby A really enjoyed it. Definitely worth the work!

Plans for August - I really am not putting any pressure on myself to get rid of things this month. I am leaving on August 15th for a three week visit to my sister in England. I'm so excited! I'm sure there will be a few things leaving the house - but no pressure :) I just want to leave the main areas of the house tidy and somewhat organised so the menfolk just have the minimum to do after work to keep things on track. 

Are you still decluttering? How is it going? Are there things you are struggling with? 

Photo today - berries collected for my friend while we were out walking. 

Have a great weekend!