Weekend Wrap Up

It was a nice weekend, but as usual- not long enough!

Medical:

I started my weekend off with my yearly blood tests and as far as I can tell, I am incredibly healthy. Yay! We will see if my doctor agrees.

Exercise:

I have spent plenty of time being active this weekend. On Saturday I did my first bike ride of the season and it was awesome! It was a perfect day weather wise and the area was pretty quiet until we were leaving. I planned on just a 10km ride to start the season, but soon found myself at 17.5km.

I also did my yoga session on Fit On. I’ve been enjoying doing more yoga and am definitely better about it this year than last!

Crafting:

I met up in Brenda’s backyard with Brenda and Patti. It was lovely to spend some time with friends knitting. I started on the container that my running buddy Dennis wants. I spent most of the rest of the night working on crocheting this container.

Sunday started out with my usual 10km run. It was just Dennis and I. We seem to have lost Sarah and I just hope it wasn’t something I said or did! I tried to keep my pace to 6:30/km and it went really well!

This evening I got my FitOn workout done and it was a weights routine. I would like more of my workouts to be weights as I’d like some definition in my body!

After tea with the group, I came home and got my laundry done and my floors swept.

I then went back to crafting. I got the container done. It was super easy and used two skeins out of my stash!

I also got the buttons sewn onto my Bentley cardigan and started my second test sock. I have gotten onto the gusset of the sock, but am super close to running out of yarn. I can’t decide if I am going to unravel the first for its yarn as there is a mistake in it or if I’m going to try and find a very similar yarn in my stash????

Baking:

I baked for the first time in a long time. My friend at work had brought me rhubarb from her garden so I have made Rhubarb Dream Bars from the Noshing with the Nolands website. This treat is always a success, but it’s a really good thing I am taking all the rest to work. Two treats, (I stopped for ice cream yesterday) in two days is probably not the best idea for shrinking my hips back down!

I have ended the evening with watching an old Hallmark movie- Cooking With Love which I always enjoy:)

Have fun!

AJ

Happy Hump Day

It was just an ordinary day:)

Teaching:

Wednesday’s always seem nice as I plan less so we don’t have to rush rush rush:). We got through some reading practice this morning and it was nice to be able to let the kids work in pairs!

We did some more skipping practice. Today we introduced the long rope. I tied it to the door handle and the kids practiced jumping over it. I do wish some teacher had done these skills step by step for me when I was little! I just keep telling the kids that grade one is a good year to learn things! We did our math drill. Then in the afternoon I continued to call kids for reading assessments. I’ve only gotten five kids done in two days and these are my good readers. It’s been interesting to see that while they can all decide at above grade level, the comprehension isn’t as high as I expected. If I have the chance I will try to test them at mid grade two as well and see if the comprehension is better.

We finished our sheet in germs from last week and then I had the kids tell me what their favorite art project was this year. I was so surprised when so many of them said the cherry blossom art as my teaching buddy and I figure that’s our worst lesson of the year. We tried to do art outside and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong! We ended the day with outside playtime

Exercise:

I made myself come straight in and change as it had gotten cold today so I really didn’t feel like running? I did manage to get 3km in, stop at the grocery store for veggies and then get my FitOn workout done. I had to choose between the 6 minute Pilates abs or the 16 minute HIIT class, but I was good and did the HIIT.

Crafting:

I have spent the rest of the evening knitting. I did my two rows on my shawl which went very smoothly and then I have been working on my test socks, which I had to rip four rows out of. Thankfully I am back to knitting again. I had better get back to them as I want things done so I can knit with that Road to China yarn!

Have fun!

AJ

Long Weekend Wrap Up

It’s so lovely having that third day off, even if it is raining. I wish I had a third day every week!

Exercise:

I have done my FitOn class each day and actually threw in an extra stretching class today. I figure I need all the yoga I can get. I sat down Friday night and figured out my mileage for the month and it got me out the door for 3km on Saturday morning and another 10km on Sunday. Sarah didn’t come so it was nice to push the pace a bit and my heart rate didn’t go insane🎊🎉

Socializing:

I met up with my friend Emily on Saturday and did some shopping. It was nice to spend time with her and to pick up some items I had been wanting, but there were still too many people around the outdoor shopping centre for my liking. I am starting to wonder if I’ll ever get comfortable with crowds again?!?!

I picked up a running visor which is camo, not black like I thought, but I’ll live with it. I also got some gifts, new underwear and a new straw hat. I think I’m most excited about the straw hat!

On Sunday, I went with Brenda to a local yarn shop for a private shopping appointment. I got the buttons for my Bentley cardigan which is all I need to finish that project and I got some interchangeable needle accessories. Of course I couldn’t leave without yarn, especially when I saw that Fibre Co Road to China was on sale! This yarn is alpaca, silk, camel and cashmere put together into the softest yarn you’ll ever feel! The skeins are small, but I snagged two blues that I am hoping to put together into a cowl or maybe I’ll make two cowls. I am desperate to knit with this, but won’t let myself until I get the test knit socks done. Oh and the bowl my running buddy wants to store his cleaning supplies in his trunk.

Most of my weekend was spent crafting. You may have seen my stitching yesterday which is coming along well. I have also finished a pair of socks this weekend.

This is the Raspberry Cordial socks pattern by Lisa Ross done in Knit Picks Stroll in Hollyberry. I followed the pattern, except for putting in Knitting Expat’s German Short Row Heel as I couldn’t understand the heel in the pattern. I feel like there may have been a typo. I did learn that I absolutely love the stroll yarn and wish I had it in every colour! I do wish I had knitted the leg longer to use up the skein however!

I have also been working on the shawl and am solidly in the mosaic section now. I am trying to do two rows per day, but I seriously have to concentrate and say every stitch to avoid making mistakes.

Reading:

While I have been stitching I have been listening to audiobooks from the library. I am sure that my data provider is happy about this! I have just finished listening to Persuade Me by Juliet Archer. It is a take off of Persuasion by Jane Austen which is my favorite Jane Austen book so I couldn’t resist. It was a well done version, however I think it would be better to read as then you could gloss over the parts where the book is trying too hard to be romantic.

I finished another book, but the fact I don’t remember the name doesn’t bode well for it. I am actually reading a book off of my TBR finally and can’t wait to get back to it, so hopefully I will have another recommendation for you soon.

House:

I did get a few things done around the house. I got the laundry and dishes done and I went out this morning and put air in my car tires and washed my car as I thought I’d be going car shopping today. Alas my brother said it was too mucky. I am trying to downsize my vehicle and since I would keep putting it off I have given myself a timeline of August. I saw a little Toyota Yaris and want to go sit in it to find out if that really is what I want.

Well I’m going to wrap this up and go back to my book.

Have fun!

AJ

SAL Update

When I was a teenager I loved the work of Paula Vaughn and my grandma very kindly bought me the Paula Vaughn cross stitch book “A Quilt for All Seasons”. I immediately started on the January one. I’m not sure when exactly this was, but the project then languished on a shelf in my spare room for twelve years after I moved into my condo. Last year I heard about this SAL and decided it may help me actually get this project finished.

It’s been doing a great job of this! Having to show a picture every three weeks definitely motivates me to at least get a few stitches in, and now that I’m on the second page of the design, I’m already dreaming of what my next cross stitch project will be🤣

Here is where I was three weeks ago:

And here is where I am now:

I am actually very happy as I feel like there is visible progress this time! The curtain is completely done and I will be happy if I never have to do a cream floss on an oatmeal background ever again!!

Happy stitching! Make sure you check out the stitchers linked below as there are some amazing projects being worked on! There is also a ton of variety and it is very inspiring:)

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, AJ, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Yesterday

I just had to go straight to sleep last night.

Teaching:

We spent a lot of time looking at our new butterfly larvae and talking about them. It was cool to see the kids so excited and enthralled.

Besides this we managed to get to plant a few things in our garden, do chalkboard spelling, practice our skipping, do a math drill, and learn about germs. Of course we ended the day with outside playtime.

Shopping:

I left right away and met up with my teaching buddy for some retail therapy. I think I have everything I need for summer teaching now:)

Exercise:

I did my band workout from FitOn. It was fine and over in half an hour.

Knitting:‘I worked on another dishcloth at lunch and my test shawl at night, though there just wasn’t as much time for knitting as I would like!

Well I’d better get moving!

Have fun!

AJ

A Surprise

My day was pretty normal.

Teaching:

We wrote cards for someone in the school to make their day special. We then tackled a math drill and the kids had library with the principal.

This afternoon we did a science experiment on a solid and a liquid turning into a gas. Who knew baking soda, vinegar and a balloon could be so exciting!

I helped get the butterfly larvae organized after school which probably means the matter unit is over as we move onto butterflies. I hope I don’t lose any this year!

We tried to start our report templates but our brains were mush so I left for my run.

Exercise:

I was still not feeling myself and extremely tired at the start of my run. The timing of my first kilometer shoes that as I was about a minute slower for that kilometer. I must have gotten a second wind after that as I did the rest of the 4.38km pretty quickly for me.

Thankfully my FitOn class today was a yoga flow class that was quick.

Socializing:

I had just started my class when my phone rang and I was being invited to an outdoor meetup of the trivia team at one of the lady’s deck. It was an awesome evening of fun and laughter.

Crafting:

There was not much time for crafting today, except I made a dishcloth for my friend out of the dishie I had purchased from knit picks. I really liked the yarn and will definitely buy more, but first I have to use up some skeins!!!!

Ok I need sleep! Have fun!

AJ

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend has probably had the most happenings for the past year!

Saturday I got up and started the day with a gorgeous, easy run over to the mill and back. It will add an extra 5km to the mileage for the week and hopefully calm my mileage fears. It was nice because it was the perfect temperature and there weren’t four million people out yet:)

I then spent some time knitting on the test shawl and then headed out to my friend Emily’s place for lunch. We had ordered delivery from the Morning Tide Eatery which is new and boy was it wonderful. It was actually a wonderful lunch for many reasons- the sunshine, knitting on my current vanilla sock, a quiet backyard where there was no time limit, great food and an awesome friend. When we looked up it had been three hours so I took off so Em could get some chores done.

The vegan bowl was great!

I just got home just in time for a text from my knitting friend Brenda inviting me over to knit on her backyard. The sunshine this weekend definitely improved my social life! I, of course, said yes and packed up a few projects to work on. It was a lovely few hours of shawl knitting in the sunshine.

When I got home I did my yoga routine for the day on the FitOn app. I learned my lesson last week that doing a hard workout the day before my long run wasn’t a good plan!

I also pulled out all my sweater and tee yarns and started making plans! I have to admit I finished my vanilla sock that I’ve been knitting on at work because I was just too close to resist.

This is Mina Phillip’s vanilla sock pattern with a German short row heel done in Area51 Fibres Sturdy Alien sock yarn in the colourway The Duke and I. I love this yarn!!! It was awesome to work with, soft enough and the stripes are addictive. The socks didn’t end up identical, but close enough. The next pair I want to knit toe up so I can use absolutely all of the yarn.

Sunday started with my usual run with Sarah and Dennis. We managed 9km out along the river. It was a very slow run today as Sarah hadn’t run since Tuesday and my heart rate was awesome! Maybe that problem has solved itself:)

After a coffee with the gang, I headed home. I got my Pilates workout done before my shower and then cleaned up to let my cousin into the complex to work on his truck. This was great as I also got to see my uncle whom I haven’t seen forever!

I spent much of the day knitting on my test shawl and doing laundry. I also had a lovely nap.

I’m back to knitting now as this shawl is also addictive!

Have fun!

AJ

Fell Asleep

I can’t believe I fell asleep before posting last night and it was such an exciting day!

Teaching:

We started the day with a staff meeting telling us that our principal is moving to another school as of July 1st and the acting principal we have right now will become our regular principal. Our original principal can come back before June 30th, but at least we know we won’t have to put up with her for long.

My class spent the morning doing chalkboard spelling, getting items handed out and making 105 words from the word experimentation.

At recess we had a second quick staff meeting where it was announced which staff member would be taking the surplus and thankfully it was the one I thought should!

My class did skipping in gym and we had tears. I solved two sets of tears as I worked one on one to teach them to skip, but the third set took it to the bench and kept crying🙄

In the afternoon we had a fire truck visit. The kids were super excited and had a million questions and at least as many stories. They got fire helmets at the end and I got to try out using a fire extinguisher. It was cool, but I really don’t want to do that in real life!

Knitting/Stitching:

I came home right away and did my stitching. I have been putting on a podcast and stitching for that time, but today I was down to 76 stitches so I just kept going and the curtain is done!!!!!

I spent the rest of the night working on my test knit shawl. I got confused and emailed the designer about something, but it was my misunderstanding. I thought she wanted the two colours to alternate across the row so when I had three stitches in one colour in a row, I thought I had made a mistake. Nope and now I probably look like an idiot to the designer and I was hoping to do more of her test knits. I am killing my reputation with a lot of designers lately:(

Exercise:

I ended the night with a FitOn HIIT class. It was a half hour and I was sweaty so I’ll count that as a success!

Well I have to get moving.

Have fun!

AJ

Is it only Tuesday?

April went so fast and yet May seems to be taking forever!

Teaching:

My six little boys definitely have Spring Fever and are driving me crazy. They don’t seem to realize that the rules apply to them!

Today we practiced for our student led conferences and that went surprisingly well. Well except for the little guy who has been off school since Spring Break and doesn’t seem to realize that he needs to do what the rest of us are doing!

We got through a math drill and the kids had library.

This afternoon we did silent reading and then we went outside for outdoor Ed. This time it was science and the kids were gluing confetti to show the molecules inside solids, liquids and gases. They had more fun pretending to be the molecules, but they seemed to get the idea.

We are still waiting on staff members to make up their minds so there is no resolution of the drama and/or uncertainty at work yet.

Exercise:

It was just Dennis and I for the run tonight. I had planned a slow, easy run but there was this woman in front of me who really didn’t look to be running fast, but I was doing a 6min kilometer and couldn’t catch her. My legs were heavy from my massage yesterday so there was no way I was picking up the pace anymore than that!

I came home and immediately did the HIIT workout on FitOn as I knew I wouldn’t otherwise.

Crafting:

My plan to use the brown alpaca for my shawl isn’t going to work as the halo obstructs the pattern. I then tried out some coal Kroy I had, but didn’t get gauge and thought- do I want a shawl out of Kroy when there are so many super soft yarns out there.

It was at this point I realized I hadn’t done my stitching for today, so I sat down to do that. I am down to just 146 stitches to do on the curtains. Let’s hope that by the end of the week they are done!

I then had to do the toe on my current lunch sock. I always knit while visiting at lunch but today I got to my toe and couldn’t visit and do that. I got this sock finished and got through the cuff on the second so that I’m ready for lunch knitting tomorrow.

I am now back to doing another swatch with stash yarn for the shawl. I really want to finish so that I’ll know if this yarn is going to work, but I also know that I need sleep!

Hmmm what to do???

Have fun!

AJ

Monday

For a Monday it was a pretty good day! I had a tough time falling asleep last night which made getting up a little tough, but after that it was good!

Teaching:

We were quite productive today. We got through a journal, music class, a new gym game outside, a math drill, silent reading, organizing our conference materials and outside playtime.

I stopped in to talk to my admin this morning about multiple kids in my class touching equipment and she looked at me like I was crazy and said it would be just like the kids that playing basketball. I had to tell her we haven’t been allowed to do that either. For gym we sanitized the cones and the kids hands before and after and had a great time! I don’t know that the game was super successful, but they ran back and forth forever, so I’m counting it in the win column. They really want to do the race again so I guess I’ll have to plan that for Wednesday.

This afternoon we tackled putting all of their work samples in the envelope they will take home to show their parents. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go, but it actually went very well. I had one boy come back after being away since Spring Break and even he got everything organized. I am so going to miss this class next year!!!

It isn’t all perfect, I had to have a conversation with one little guy about impulse control 🤣🙄

Exercise:

I raced down the hill after school for my massage so my exercise today was just two yoga classes on FitOn. While my running is lagging behind this year, I have definitely done a lot more yoga which is a good thing. I think the new shoes and the stretching have made my plantar fasciitis give up:)

Knitting/Stitching:

I have to hyphenate because I actually did an hour of stitching after school before doing any knitting. I have gone from 396 stitches needing to be done on the curtain to 236! I’m happy with that and dare I say there is an end in sight on the curtains. We won’t talk about the mistake though. I want to know how other people stitch and never seem to make a mistake and that’s all I seem to do!

In knitting, I got the Ankers sweater blocked and I worked on swatching for the test knit shawl again. I dropped from a 3.5mm to a 3.25mm, but it only gave me 1 more stitch in the 4”. I think I will stick with the 3.25 as I don’t want to go too small!

Here is the Ankers sweater for everyone who wanted to see it. I am super happy with the fit!! This morning I had to put one of my first sweaters in the donation pile and I’m so glad my sweaters turn out better now! That sweater didn’t fit well and was just acrylic, so not worth saving. I’ve learned I like my cardigans to do up!

Well that’s it for me, have fun!

AJ