Retirement

I really thought when I closed the store that we'd clean it out in a week, take some stuff home and that would take me a couple of weeks to get it sorted and stored away.  I must have been happy in that delusional little world!

Reality check - the store is cleared out, we sold a bunch, donated a good bit, threw enough old paperwork out to require a second, third, fourth and maybe a fifth recycling robocan (our township has robo trucks where an robotic arm comes out, picks up a huge robocan and dumps it in the recycling truck).  We still haven't touched the garage yet, the front living room still could star in an episode of hoarders BUT

I tackled the wool room (formerly my oldest son's bedroom where he hasn't slept for a good 15 years) and can function in there - ok, ok somewhat, still trying to get it where everything has a place and is in that place.  I need a bigger room . . .

I've cleared paths through my sewing area and had the AccuQuilt Studio churning out some kits the other morning.  We're doing two shows in Oct, one in Manahawkin with Pieceful Shores Quilt Guild, here's a link for info and the second in Medford with the Berry Basket Quilters, here is a link for info, stop by and say hello!

I've yet to turn my sewing machine on and probably won't for awhile.  Even I can't concentrate in the mess that used to be my sewing room, and that's saying something!

We went to Minnesota for 10 days to a family wedding and then up to the north shore with Jim's brother John and sister-in-law Julie.  We had a great time.  I'd never been and only seen Lake Superior in pictures.  It reminded me so much of Maine.  We hiked and ate our way through three or four state parks.

And we went to the MN State Fair!  Wow!  It was great.  I'd never been to a big state fair and saw food I'd never seen on a stick.  Everything was on a stick. Jim had deep fried olives wrapped in bacon - on a stick.  I had corn on the cob, you guessed it, on a stick.  It was fun.

I've been dyeing wool a couple times a week and that's been fun.  I finally have time to experiment with new colors (or attempt new colors!)
I'm still working on the wool Watering Can Block of the month and hope to have it ready to go in January - although it's looking like that is not going to happen until Spring, but that's ok.  I want it done right and it's going slower than I thought it would.

This is December's block I still have some stitching to do on it but it's getting there.  I thought I'd get so much stitching done on vacation - HA!  I did stitch by the lake one afternoon and that was perfect.

Tell me what you've been working on!  Miss seeing all your faces, I hope to see you at one of the October shows.

Until next time.

Still moving stuff around!

If you had asked me when the store was still open how long did I think it would take to clear what was left over, I would have guessed two weeks.  HA!  Here we are at the end of week 3 and there is still stuff in the shop.

We've made big headway and there really is not much left in there but the fact that we've been doing this for three weeks and my house is still a hoarders paradise, it's enough to make me scream.

We did get rid of, opps, donate a whole lot of stuff to a local school's fashion program.  The grandboys helped Jim and I bring it over.  I'm hoping the students in the program are thrilled with the things we brought and make all kinds of great things with it all. (And I hope they send me pictures I can share!)

Here are some pictures of the unloading:

The back of the car was full!

Colin helped load the cart while Nathan was in the car passing bags out.

There it all goes to it's new home!

Till next time.

What's Debbie Been Up To?

It's been awhile since I blogged - funny how the last blog was in 2016 and all about dyeing wool for the shop!  Here we are two years later, the shop is closed and I'm still dyeing wool.

Once the shop closed on the 29th, the hard work started - clearing out the shop and finding somewhere at home to put all this stuff.  I knew it would take a few weeks but I had absolutely, positively NO CLUE how much work this would be.  Jim and I are exhausted, bone weary and moaning every time we have to get up after sitting down for more than three minutes.  It's not just the store that has to be dealt with, first you have to find/make room in the house, garage and sewing studio!  That means cleaning out a bedroom for the new "wool room" (who would of thought all my wool supplies would not fit in a 12' x 10' bedroom????), clear out closets (where did all this stuff come from???) shift things around in the pantry (exactly how old is some of this food?), it's even gotten to the point where I had to clean out my kitchen junk drawer!  Now I'm not only dealing with stuff from the shop, but also stuff from the house.  Ugh.  And the garage . . . . let's just say the car will not be going in the garage this winter.

So Saturday I had a mini meltdown and told Jim not one more thing comes home until we get a handle on all the stuff piled everywhere here.  We could absolutely star on that Hoarders TV program.  No pictures of this mess will ever exist so you won't find one here or anywhere!  My days this week have been moving/shifting stuff into permanent homes.  Except I keep changing those permanent homes . . . .  And two of those days the dyes pots were bubbling away in the middle of all this madness.

Here is an example of what my week is like - trying to get one thing accomplished and it leads to four other things.  I looked at the living room and thought, why are the flannel quilts still out?  Then thought why do I have EIGHT flannel lap quilts?  So I decided this I can do and get done now.  (HA!)  I gathered up the quilts and started towards the linen closet, while walking down the hall, I thought, when was the last time these were washed?  Detour to the laundry room.  While the washing machine is working on the first couple, I decide to check out the linen closest.  No way they are all going to fit in there, it needs to be cleaned out.  Two black garbage bags destined for Goodwill later, the closet is practically empty and ready for the flannel quilts, although I will probably regret the extent of my downsizing.  Of course I've now added two huge garbage bags to the front living room, which is already overflowing with stuff . . . .

My two oldest came home last weekend and tore down fabric shelves, moved van loads of stuff home, mumbled under their breath about just taking stuff to the dump and did in 24 hours what would have taken us five days.  Jeremy, Halla and Selma come home tomorrow (add baby proofing and washing the kitchen floor to today's to do list!) and hopefully, fingers crossed, everything will be out of the store when they leave Sat afternoon.

And sew it goes!