New Year, New Perspective

So, I've got a new perspective moving forward. Less is more, simpler is better. We'll see how it goes. Christmas is taken down and stowed away for another eleven months. It took me two full days this year, one for take down and the second for cleaning and organizing what's being put away. I suppose that's a direct reflection of getting older. That second part (cleaning and organizing) triggered additional trips to Goodwill, the Shepherd's Center and our local Recycling post. I now have a pristine closet solely devoted to Christmas items that is show-worthy! During all this cleaning, organizing and shuffling I decided that I needed a much more efficient and effective kitchen towel drawer. I love the beautiful and decorative kitchen towels that I own but I rarely use them as workhorses at clean-up time. I decided to ditch any kitchen towels that can't be washed in hot-hot water, with bleach, and pressed back into service. This is the result. I now am using only white kitchen towels for clean up with linen towels in reserve for drying wine glasses and crystal. Everything's been streamlined and simplified. My decorative towels are now delegated for show and hand drying. It's all good.

Santa's gone back  to the North Pole and Mr. Snowman is, once again, guarding the door.

One item on my Christmas list this year was Sew Kind of Wonderful's Wonder Curve Ruler. I had seen some of the patterns and their Sampler Quilt Block Book advertised and was eager to give it a try. I'm not a stranger to this basic technique, I've been using their Quick Curve and Mini Quick Curve rulers for a while now; but, I'm here to tell you, that this new Wonder Curve tool is all that! There are more registration lines on the tool itself, as well as colored indicators that make lining up, and using this ruler, a pure joy. Simpler is better! I recall cutting small pieces of masking tape and marking intersecting points and lines on my rulers in conjunction with those older generation Quick Curves to keep myself on track. This new tool takes all that work out,  the needed markings are already there and waiting. As a way of familiarizing myself with the new tool I chose to try out the pattern that came packed with the ruler: "Wonder Flutters". You can see my progress above.

With the basic exercises behind me, can any of these ↑ be too far away? I think not!

With respect to time and the learning curve (sorry, too easy!), this tool is a winner, hands down!

So, what's new for you in '22?

Life is Good!

Cleaning Up, Clearing Out...

Since I've begun cross stitching again, it became vitally apparent that I needed a better system of organization for the needed supplies. The way it stood, as of a few days ago, is that the needed items were lurking in various and assorted zip-loc bags and storage bins, stashed here, there and everywhere. My project bags were hanging on the back of a doorknob filled to the gills with dissimilar things. I needed to get with it and straighten out my mess! How could I ever be efficient working within such chaos? I couldn't! This cabinet in the sewing room revealed more clutter. Clearly, the upper shelves serve as a repository for batting scraps, but the lower shelf, which is 24" deep, had become a pit for discarded, misplaced and abandoned oddments! Getting things in order required a deep breath and coming to grips with reality. I was motivated! It took a few hours and some firm resolve, but I was able to get the designated "needle work" space organized for its new purpose. I disposed of a LOT, re-homed a few things, and FOUND more than a few treasures that I'd thought were lost forever! It was time well spent.

However, in true If You Give A Mouse A Cookie fashion, one thing such as this leads to another...

... and so it goes. I found a few things that needed filing from out of that cabinet; which led to another, even larger, clean out! Still riding the high from the first successful purge, it was time to bring in the shredder and a large, industrial strength trash bag to tackle the stuffed-to-overflowing file drawer. You wouldn't believe the amount of useless, outdated and extraneous paperwork that was lurking in there. I could BARELY (no exaggeration) lift this bag off the floor when I was done.  

The results speak for themselves, whew! Now I know what I have, where it is, and can put my finger on whatever I'm looking for in a nanosecond. Did all of this take up a huge amount of valuable time? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Now, to tackle those batting scraps and pieces; I've had, in the back of my mind for some time, the idea to stitch them up into usable quilt sizes so that they're ready to go. There's no time like the present; but, I'm going to allow myself a breather first, it's on next week's "to do" list!  One step at a time. What's weighing you down? A simple reorganization might be just the thing. 

Life is Good!

Will We?

Will we look back on these days and remember them fondly? If you follow this blog you might remember that our small mission congregation purchased a church back in March, we moved in during Holy Week and celebrated triumphantly on Easter Sunday worshipping, at long last, in our own space! With property ownership, naturally, comes new and added responsibilities. Who will maintain the space? Over the last few months teams have been established consisting of dedicated and able-bodied volunteers for building maintenance; one to clean the inside of the church and another to mow, trim, and tidy up the church yard outdoors. By the grace of God our congregation has recently received gifts of a mower, a trimmer, and even a building in which to house the lawn keeping equipment! This past week it was the Goodneedles turn to clean and mow. We drove over there together; Mr. G got to work outside while I donned my rubber gloves and started scrubbing bathrooms (I like to get that out of the way first). Floors were mopped, the kitchen was cleaned until it sparkled, tables were wiped down, the vacuuming was done, windows were washed, the downstairs hallway was swept and, before I knew it, over three hours had passed!

I walked outside to find Mr. G. finishing up the trimming; it was a beautiful day, cooler and drier than it has been. I sat there in the sunshine while he used the leaf blower to do a final clean up and I wondered, as I relaxed from my efforts, will we look back on these days and remember them fondly? Will we recall, in the years to come, how we all pitched in as a community of faith and cared, together, for this physical space? I have never before been this invested in a church building; I suppose I had always just taken for granted that the bathrooms would be cleaned, the floors swept and the carpets vacuumed before I arrived for worship. Naturally, I knew that in former congregations we had sextons whose job it was to keep those church buildings clean, and landscapers who did the mowing; and yet, I can't recall ever thanking them or fully appreciating their diligence or the scope of their tasks. Mr. G and I were both tired when we drove back home last Friday. I asked him the question as we rode together: "will we look back on these days and remember them fondly"? He smiled. "I believe that we will" he responded, "I believe that we will"! 

I believe so too!

Thanks be to God!

Life is Good! 

Visions and Dreams

Last week was A WEEK! Moving into the new church space in time for Holy Week and Easter was a blessing beyond measure. But, there was A LOT  of work to do behind the scenes, going forward, to organize and personalize the spaces within the new church to ensure functionality. I took on the task of cleaning out what had been used as a former storage closet off of the chancel and transforming it into a clean and well ordered Sacristy and Robing Room for the acolytes, crucifer and service assistants. As you can see in the before and after photos, above, the transformation has taken place. I had shared my vision for this space with Mr. Goodneedle, he fully understood what I wanted. After this 100 year old room was completely cleaned out, he insisted on completely painting the room, including the ceiling, before he was willing to put up the shelving. He took on that task as his own. In the meantime several of us occupied ourselves with cleaning out other areas and finding places that made sense for storage of everything that remained in the building. It was a long and back-breaking few days... but, it's DONE!

This room is an absolute JOY to work in now; just look at the glorious resurrection window!

This space is now neat and organized with a clear space to prepare communion and lots of room for the young people to locate their robes and get themselves ready before worship; we even installed a full length mirror (that was found in a storage area downstairs) behind the door to assist them in that effort. 

The Fellowship Hall received the full treatment last week too! Furniture was moved and repurposed; window treatments were removed, tablecloths were laundered and stored, adjacent closets were cleaned out and organized. This space was transformed into a brighter, lighter (and appearing larger!) gathering room for all to enjoy. 

In my last post I mentioned dreaming about tulips blooming everywhere outside the church. After I awakened from that dream I remembered the children's book, Miss Fannie's Hat, by Jan Karon. In my dream, tulips took the place of the roses from the story. I pulled my copy off the shelf and realized why this may have come to mind in my dream state, the illustrated church building is very similar in appearance to ours!

Yesterday these flowers arrived, brought by a member, to grace our chancel space for worship;

I told her that just seeing those tulips were, for me, quite literally, a dream come true!

Life is Good!

New Year, New Quilter

Gregory and his Star Wars quilt top

Our two local grandchildren have had an extra week off from school this week. Gregory (and his sister) spent the day with us yesterday and helped us to un-decorate the house. There's something about packing away the trees and all the decorations that makes everything look so bare and wide-open; it's sort of a clean sweep and re-examination of spaces that, just days before, were filled with greenery and treasured mementos. I love Christmas; but I love packing it away for next year all over again, too! 

Especially when I have such great helpers!

After lunch both of the grandchildren got to work! Gregory settled to a routine of sewing four-patches until he had completed his own 48" X 48" quilt top made up entirely of inherited Star Wars scraps. He loved moving his blocks around on the design wall and finally coming up with his final layout (above, left). He's learned a LOT during the process; he's a proficient ironer now and understands the importance of a consistent seam allowance. We'll load this top onto the longarm in the coming weeks and he'll quilt it himself, following a simple pantograph. 

While her brother was sewing Lynnleigh transformed our Christmas card fronts into gift tags for next year's Christmas presents! This is a great recycling project made even more fun by involving a young and eager crafter. The card backs and photo cards are stacked and bound together with a ring for our morning devotions. Each day a new family or individual comes to the top of the pile and they're prayed for specifically by name. This is a tradition that I've blogged about before here. The dear friend who started this tradition for us has long ago now joined the Church Triumphant but lives on through her shining example. The gift tags from the card fronts has sort of evolved over time. Lynnleigh did a great job! With this New Year firmly underway I am focusing on that chosen guiding word: "mindful". Stay tuned. In the meantime, help me to welcome another new quiltmaker into the fold. 

Way to go, Gregory!

Sometimes, when the house seems to be chaotic and full of boxes,

 and there's kids running around here and there, 

it might just be time to cuddle up, all warm and cozy-like, in front of the fire with a  good friend. 

Life is Good!

Cleaner House, Less Time

My life has changed since I discovered Norwex, my house cleaning life that is. This is not a commercial. I receive no compensation from Norwex to endorse these products but I have to tell you that I am in love with them, this information is too good not to share. Using nothing but water and their Enviro Cloth and Glass Polishing Cloth on my windows, mirrors and glass surfaces, as well as my countertops, they are clean, sanitary, sparkling and 100% streak free. Seriously. No harmful chemicals anymore, no wasteful paper towels. The Enviro Cloth is spun with silver, bacteria won't grow because of the antimicrobial properties of silver. How did I not know about these until recently? Over the last few months I have switched, too, to their additive free, natural soap-only laundry detergent (1/2 tsp. per load, y'all; that's it!) and have changed from expensive, chemical-laden dryer sheets to wool dryer balls. Using the dryer balls has easily shaved a third off of every dryer load, timewise. I did discover that my lint screen was so deeply impregnated with the residue from dryer sheets that it actually held water when I ran it under the faucet! 😲 It took me some time and elbow grease to thoroughly scrub that screen clean, no surprise though, I have used dryer sheets for decades; now it looks (and performs) like brand new, the small amount of lint that accumulates sweeps off effortlessly. Not only is our house cleaner but it requires less maintenance now to stay that way. I could go on and on but I won't. I will let you discover the merits of these products for yourself. Look at the link attached here, find a Norwex consultant in your area and ask all the questions you need to ask. If you can't find one send me an email and I could possibly help you. Yep, my life has changed, my cleaning life is free of harmful chemicals and better because I am not wasting product, time, energy and paper; it's all good. If you have no Norwex you need to know Norwex!

Life is Good!

Discovered Treasures Providing Smiles

We've been dining by candlelight the last few days, from the glow cast by candles standing in vintage silver candlesticks no less. These, and other treasures, have recently come to live here as we continue the monumental task of cleaning out my dear mother-in-law's home. These candlesticks represent the blending of two families when my husband's parents wed; these belonged, at one time, to both sets of his grandparents and were passed down decades ago. Now they reside here. Their shine and patina are thanks to a generous amount of elbow grease and silver polish. They make me smile.  

While cleaning out drawers in the kitchen I ran across this gem. Mom had a terrific sense of humor and this made me smile too, I can just hear her chuckling when she bought this tea towel. I had never seen it before, it was brand-new; of course it was, she was probably "saving it" as she did items "too nice" to use! 

This grand-prize of all treasures is not brand-new, but it is in brand-new condition! According to my husband's sister, Mom used to sew a good bit; that statement, and the contents of the cabinet's drawers, prove that may have been the case at one time. However, in the past 42 years that I had been her daughter-in-law, I never once saw this cabinet opened out and had absolutely no knowledge of what model machine was contained therein! I was beyond thrilled to discover a pristine Singer 301 nestled inside. The 301 has long been prized for its stitch quality and dependability. According to some tracking that I have done using the serial number, it appears that this machine was manufactured in Anderson, SC in October of 1952. It has followed me to our house, Mom can rest assured that I will give it a loving home; I do believe that fact is providing an approving smile, from her, in Heaven.💗

Life is Good! 

Cleaning Up, Cleaning Out

So, the dust has stopped flying long enough on the home front for me to actually clean and mop before round number two begins. Ceiling work in our master bedroom resumes tomorrow. This is the state of our bedroom today, it is echo-ey in there! I took this picture so that I can remember what it looks like clean. The floor refinishing will be round number three. That won't happen for awhile, the moisture level of the wood needs to be dry enough. You can see in the right foreground of this photo how the boards are lifting up where they were flooded. Until that happens, all the furniture has been relocated and, albeit temporarily, peace reigns at home-- at least for today.

Meanwhile, we are in the process of cleaning up and cleaning out my in-law's home, this is a monumental undertaking; on many levels. Their home is large, it is filled with things: personal belongings, household items and a multitude of memories. Yesterday I spent the day in their bedroom, cleaning the cherry paneling with orange oil, it shines like it did 42+ years ago when my father-in-law lovingly cut each section and placed each board. I remember working on this house alongside my brand-new husband at that time, we would go out to "the house" whenever we had free time back then and help where we could. Yesterday I cleaned baseboards and bathrooms and windowsills, all the time thinking about how this home needs another family to fill it, it needs happy voices and love and laughter to echo within these walls once again. That time will come eventually. And so, the work continues for now; my husband's siblings are arriving to help. Cleaning up, cleaning out; my current "to do" list, one room at a time, both here and at home!

Life is Good!

Let The Games Begin

Yesterday was cleaning day at Chez Goodneedle. Do you have a dedicated day for scrubbing, vacuuming and dusting? I don't remember why or when Friday ever became that self-assigned day of the week for me, but it has been for as long as I can recall. I have a method and an order, I try not to let anything interfere. I don't love to clean house, but I do enjoy living in a clean and organized home more than the alternative, that's my deep-seated incentive. I discovered this three-minute toilet cleaning video a few months ago, it has been a game changer for me. Okay, so toilet-cleaning has to be one of the most dreaded household chores, but-- if you make a game of it, as I now do, it's accomplished thoroughly and rapidly. I set the stop-watch app on my I-pad and try to beat the clock; my toilet-cleaning time to beat now is two minutes, thirty-nine seconds. I can be competitive, even with myself! For the rest of the house I use a weekly task chart and revel in checking off the chores as I go. I also turn up the music as I work and dance while I dust. Give it a try, see for yourself, make your cleaning day as enjoyable as possible; but, above all, avoid distractions. Don't defer any jobs for the next day, you want to completely confine cleaning day to a single one or it will drag on forever; remember-- the objective is to get to all those activities you actually like to do. Friday is behind me now, (hallelujah!) a clean and organized home is the Saturday pay-off. What recurring task is it that you dread? Can you devise a way to make it more enjoyable, or, at least, tolerable? Grocery shopping is mine, and all that it represents: from the menu planning to the list making, from the actual shopping to the bag schlepping, unloading and putting away. So far I haven't devised a method for dancing through all of that! Ideas?

Life is Good!

On this, the twelfth day of November, I am grateful for my home.

 

Can You Hear Me Now?

I cleaned out a couple of drawers and a cabinet today; that's not what this blog post is about, but I always feel good when I can report that I am winning waging the a war against clutter. Okay, well, indirectly the cleaning spurt leads to the subject matter of this post. These are my own earbuds, discovered amidst a tangle of cords for various electronic devices we no longer own. I am happy for the rediscovery; although, I admit, I hardly ever use these. Anyway... back to the subject. Yesterday I was running  errands in the late afternoon and had the misfortune of being behind a school bus as it stopped at each and every side street and driveway. The students disembarking appeared to be middle school age. Without exception, each student stepped off the bus loaded down with a backpack the size of a Mini Cooper, full of books I would assume, with earbuds in their ears. Not one student was in conversation with another. Some of these bus stops let off six or seven 12-14 year olds at one time, each one was in their own little world. Plugged in, music or phone, straight to individual brains. I wondered, through this observation, when interpersonal skills are learned. I can't help but think that this isn't a good thing; not for them now, not for their futures. Am I wrong? Maybe I am. Perhaps I am way off base. By virtue of the fact that I am blogging about this to readers whom I may never meet, or speak with in person, I am likely guilty of the same false reality. I can't help but think, though, that if the students whom I observed yesterday pulled out those earbuds, lifted their faces from the ground and actually SPOKE with their neighbors and fellow students (let alone listened to the birds singing and happy sounds of children running and playing around them) how much richer their daily lives would be.

Life is Good!

Cleaning Out!

TM X 2 ~ 56"X 68"

I've cleaned 323 charm squares out of the bins thanks to Bonnie Hunter and her July challenge. Working with these tumblers, leader-ender fashion, I have a completed throw-sized flimsy this morning! I have so many left over tumblers cut out and waiting that it looks like this flimsy may be one of a pair by August's end! Working leader-ender style means that all the piecing is accomplished while stitching up other projects. Each of these pairs of tumblers was joined as the lead off to a seam while piecing Bible Study blocks, Temecula Quilt Company's Summer Sampler blocks or nap blankets; another pair would be joined together as each seam ended... always sewing onto and off of a pair of tumblers. Pairs soon became quads which joined together themselves, eventually becoming rows and sew on and sew on. For more clarity check out the hows and whys of using the leaders and enders by going to Quiltville.

The book that I am is currently reading is causing a frenzied cleaning revolution in my life and sparking joy by replacing clutter with peace and calm. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo details the Japanese art of removing excess from one's life as practiced by the author. I'm all in; the KonMarie philosophy is one I can adopt, it's life changing and transformative. I've done this before, but this particular method resonates with me personally. “All hail the new decluttering queen Marie Kondo, whose mess-busting bestseller has prompted a craze for tidying in homes across the world … one proper clear out is all you need for the rest of your life.” – Good Housekeeping  Wish me luck, I've only just begun.

And, to that end, I am culling some vintage quilting books from the shelves of The Strawberry Patch. I am parting with these (there will be more to come) right now, they're free to anyone who would like them; all I am asking is that you pay the postage if shipping is required. The titles are: Quilts for Summer Days by Jan Patek, Houses, Cottages and Cabins by Nancy J. Martin, Calendar Quilts by Joan Hanson, Easy Paper Pieced Keepsake Quilts by Carol Doak, All Things Noah by Debbie Mumm, Baskets and Bumblebees by Barbara Brandenburg, More... Texture With Textiles by Linda F. McGehee, A Walk Through The Garden by Piecemakers and Winter Whimsies by Suellen Cochrane Wassem. There's also a circa 1989 Old-Fashioned Patchwork magazine that must have missed the great magazine discard day a few years ago! See one you'd like? Speak up, it's yours, but they'll be gone soon. 

Life Is Good!

* Note: Book titles that have been struck through are now spoken for. Yay!

Fighting The Funk

Along with the warmer temperatures and humidity come unpleasant, funky odors to the towels in our house. I always run towels, be they kitchen or bath, in the hottest wash water available on our machine. However, that doesn't always deodorize mine in the summer months. I long ago abandoned colored bath towels altogether, precisely so that I can bleach them as needed, that works every time! The kitchen towels are another matter altogether, I can't bleach them without ruining them. I tried this method last week and it worked like a charm: I presoaked all of my kitchen towels overnight in a white vinegar bath. The next morning I wrung them out and transferred them to the washer along with regular detergent and 1/2 C baking soda (I have a front-loader and just tossed the baking soda on top of the towels). I laundered them on the hottest water setting; et, voila-- out came the freshest towels imaginable! I am pleased. Do you have any lingering funk to fight? Take up arms; you probably already have the weapons on hand, go forth and be ruthless!

Life is Good!

Creating Order

I reorganized the pantry yesterday, creating order out of what had become a drop-off zone for almost anything even vaguely kitchen related; chaos reigned in there. The floor was stacked with odds and ends as well as small appliances and the leaf for the kitchen dining table. Mr. Goodneedle suggested adding an additional shelf, around the top, to free up the floor space. It was a brilliant idea!  He took care of his part; but I knew, all along, that my charge would be to take everything out and not only rearrange the pantry into an orderly space but to cull each unused or unwanted object and toss every outdated food item. A task that seemed monumental to me as recently as three days ago was finished before lunchtime yesterday; today I am reenergized whenever I open the door. This photo represents much more than a neat and orderly pantry though; it speaks to me about discipline. Ever since my shoulder began aching my daily life has slipped into a disorganized mess. Yes, I have been keeping up with projects and deadlines but there's been no order to any of it; it's all been hit or miss. On Fridays, my self-imposed cleaning day, I've done what I could and left the rest... the cumulative effect of that behavior has not been ideal. Our Christmas dishes remained in the cupboard because I simply didn't want to even think about lifting the stacks of plates and moving them. I didn't realize at the time that the shoulder pain was ruling me. The last straw came this week when I left the laundry basket on top of the dryer and refused to carry it back to the bedroom, I knew how much that would make my arm ache if I did. Suddenly, I looked at what had become of my otherwise orderly life and laughed. Why was I being so stubborn; where was that discipline that I so desperately needed?  After the pantry re-do, with two doctor's appointments behind me and a schedule of physical therapy stretching out in front of me I happily took back the reins to my life! I can do this. I realigned my priorities and will follow prescribed directions to the letter. Today the house is clean; dusted and vacuumed like it hasn't been for months. Oh, and the Christmas dishes are safely stowed for next Christmas in their designated cabinet. I've created order in my own little nest once again; as well as in my mind and spirit, it's all good.

Life is Good!

Coming Clean

Last year I completed this quilted table topper for our kitchen table. I had prewashed the binding fabric, as well as the backing fabric and used my favorite go-to product with that laundry, Shout Color Catcher sheets.  As far as I was concerned we were all set (pun!) in that department from here on in.  Was I ever wrong! The table quilt needed washing the other day and it emerged, after its bath and quick tumble in the dryer(!) with ugly green stains leaching into the white from the binding. I was horrified. Yesterday, having little to lose at this point, I summoned up my nerve and soaked it for a few hours in a warm water and Biz solution; then washed it, again, along with three Color Catchers this time. The quilt has been restored to its original pristine beauty. It looks like I have yet one more go-to laundry product; this one-two punch worked like a charm! Lesson learned... those Color Catchers are going in the wash with all of my quilts from now on, it doesn't matter if its their first wash or their twenty first, it's inexpensive insurance and I'm not taking any more chances.

Life is Good!