Recap of March and April Goals

Baking mini cupcakes

How is it April already? I hope no one plays an April Fool joke on you today!

A few of the thirteen

My big deal was I left home February 25 and returned March 20 from a trip to London. The highlight of the trip was spending time with my granddaughter and daughter. During my visit, my granddaughter celebrated her fourth birthday. I got to bake cupcakes for her kid party and a carrot cake for her aunt/uncle party. We visited the homes of two special couples. On the way to one couple, my granddaughter treated me to her playing "music" on an organ at the train station. 

Liberty of London visit

I made a trip to Liberty of London and was humbled by the size of the store and all the products available. I was also humbled by the amount of fabrics for sale! Watch for a post soon about the experience.

The birthday cupcake arrangement

I did sample coffee from a couple new to me shops and had a lunch at a vegetarian restaurant that I've wanted to try for years. Otherwise, I visited old favorites and enjoyed dropping off and picking up my granddaughter at her nursery school. We went swimming three times together which was fun!

For the inbound flight, I used the wheelchair assistance program. It sure helped my knee to be able to sit in the lines rather than stand. I found that getting through the TSA went fast and there was little line waiting on the departure side. The arrival side was an entire different story. First, there was no wheelchair waiting for me, even though I had confirmed it on my departure.

Second, I ended up waiting two hours before I finally made it to baggage claim. I never did receive an explanation as to the mix up. I wasn't stressed because I was at my destination and had planned to take the train to my daughter's flat. In that two hour period, I encountered five people who got me a little closer to baggage claim. With each encounter, I was asked if I could walk a little way.  When I asked how far that was. . .it turned out it was a bigger distance than I considered a little way! I also saw at least 13 people in uniform with empty wheelchairs sitting for 45 minutes. . .at first I thought it was a break or a lunch break; but, I didn't see anyone eating. They were on their forms texting and checking social media!

The reason I used the wheelchair service was to save my knee to be able to take the train and to walk the last 15 minutes to my daughter's flat. I felt victorious once I met my daughter at her door!

Tower Bridge at 8:30 one morning

Playing the organ at the London Bridge train station

After I unpacked, I used my walking sticks when I went out. The walking sticks helped reduce knee pain. I found three hour excursions and keeping the walking mileage down to four miles worked the best for me. 

I did work on a couple hand projects while I
was resting. The day I left, I was able to walk to the train station and take the train back to the airport. That was a first as I usually Uber! (It is quicker and cheaper to take the train!) For this flight, I did not use the wheelchair assistance program and made it fine on my own. I look forward to them coming to visit at the end of July and I'm planning to go for Christmas.

Fabric Accounting:

Current Month:

Fabric in: 1 3/4 yards

Fabric out: 2 1/4 yards

Net loss for the month: 1/2 yard

Year to Date:

Fabric in: 24 3/4 yards

Fabric out: 37 3/4 yards.

Nest loss: 11 3/4 yards 

Starting the scrappy string blocks in red

Best Read/Listen of the Month:

Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmer. Who knew there were so many different varieties of moss and that moss lived is such different ecosystems? 

My March goals were:

✔1. Document making a pieced back for my back that decided to be a top which I named Scrappy Kaffe.

✔2. Make progress on the sashiko project.

✔3. Post about my sourdough baking.

✔4. Post an update on my knee.

✔5. Document receiving Happy Mail.

✔6. Visit Liberty of London.

✔7. Prewash the backing fabric, iron it and get Lupine and Laughter to the longarmer.

✔8. Document making a pieced back for my Kaffe challenge quilt.

✔9. Document the Love Bug gift pillows.

It took some planning; but, I did meet all the goals on my list! Wahoo! It was Happy Dance time for me!

My April goals are:

1. Finish Lupine and Laughter.

2. Finish Scrappy Kaffe.

Make progress quilting the 2021-2022 Temperature quilt

3. Make red string blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I started them last month. I need to add the gray and black backgrounds.

4. Make pink string blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

5. Begin work on my guild challenge project.

6. Make progress quilting my 2021 through 2022 temperature quilt.

7. Document my Liberty of London visit.

8. Layer and baste my small group Kaffe challenge. 

I have so much quilting that needs to be done! I must plan to spend time machine quilting as much as possible!