Posted on by agilejack

Getting Back Into Our Routine

I’m tired. Even after a weekend I’m tired. Our radio fundraising drive ended Saturday at 5:00. I worked six hours Saturday and was tired before the day even began. But it’s over now and I’m working on getting back to my regular routine.

We had visitors starting Thursday evening and ending Sunday night.

I was sad to see Ernie and Bogart go home. They made our weekend a little more interesting and they were very good boys.

And one of them is a really good snuggler!

He just dives onto me and snuggles in. I really miss having a snuggly dog in the house. Bender and Rico are great dogs, but neither of them is a snuggler.

I’ve been squeezing in pickleball when I can now that we’re seeing some rainy days. I went and played on Sunday morning and it was so foggy on my drive to the courts. It stayed foggy for the first hour of play and then the sun came out and it was pretty spectacular.

It’s funny but I have lengthy online chats with my pickleball coach several nights a week. After I played tonight I was telling him how many people are commenting on how my play has improved. One of the things we’ve been working on is paying more attention to what my opponents are doing…. what kinds of shots they are good at… what they have difficulty with… and then being able to capitalize on their weaknesses. I was telling him tonight that I’m finding myself getting so much better at that part of the game. My skill for making specific types of shots is increasing, but my smarts on the court and understanding of what’s happening is really getting better! It’s so much fun to see. Pickleball Is so much more than a physical game… people say it’s like chess. There’s so much strategy and that’s the really fun part of the game.

I played again this evening and had a blast, plus the weather was cool and perfect for pickleball. When I got home I hurried and got all my reflective gear on and got my dogs lighted collars on and we headed out for our first completely dark walk of the season. I really enjoy walking in the dark and cool evenings. It’s a good thing because we have a good number of months of just that kind of walking coming up.

When we got home I hit my sewing room for a little bit of sewing. During my lunch hour today I finished up the two Aboriginal fabric Frankenbag panels that I started the other day.

I rotated them around several different ways to decide which way was up…

and finally landed on this orientation.

So tonight I cut the backing fabric and batting and made the quilt sandwiches and then got to quilting.

These fabrics are so gorgeous under the LED lights surrounding my sewing machine.

And one more just because it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up…

I had originally thought I’d quilt these panels using black thread, but by the time I remembered I had half of one panel quilted with gray thread. Next time…

I only got one panel quilted because I got distracted and wasted some time and then was just too damned tired.

I’ll quilt the second panel tomorrow night.

I’m getting closer to being ready to finish up my Libby quilt. I keep seeing the unfinished corner triangles on my portable design wall and they are starting to speak to me. Time to wrap it up!

Some things that make me go hmmm.

These things are all over the place. Forecasters are saying it’s a big year for stink bugs.

I once ate one of these that was the bonus prize in a bag of sunflower seeds. It was not delicious.

And this… I have no idea what he thought he was doing on that chair.

Hahaha! Do you see that warning hanging on my sliding door? Occasionally, the lock slips into place when I close the door and I’ve been locked out of my house a couple times recently! Luckily, a friend of mine a block away has a spare key!

Wishing I could smooch on this little guy tonight.

26 Replies to “Getting Back Into Our Routine”

    1. My creativity is not endless, but it is expansive at times! I wish I could be more productive in those creative moments. I just an’t make everything that I have in my head!

      Anne

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  2. Isn’t it interesting and fun to find what makes us improve at our chosen sport? I have taken up kayaking in a serious way in the last couple of years. Sea kayak, not whitewater. Sunday we paddled UP stream on the Little Spokane River. At lot of it is fairly easy, but there are some faster areas-two years ago I might not have made it at all, and if I did, I would have been nervous about them. This time, it was a blast and a challenge. Oh, I couldn’t make it up that branch, the current wanted to take me into the brush…but we made it up that other side. Now I have to make sure I don’t get to smug, and realize I still have a LOT to learn. lol

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    1. you’re probably like me… I really love learning new things. I love that it’s interesting, it’s challenging. And I love seeing myself improve. My coach says I’m a fighter! I love that!!! I don’t give up easily!!!

      You must be crazy strong from all that kayaking!

      Anne

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  3. Oh, Ernie and Bogart are cutie pies 🥰. My baby is not much of a snuggler either. She used to jump up on the bed in the mornings to snuggle. She is almost 15 and too achey to jump up and down. I get on the floor to snuggle with her. Sometimes I wonder if I can get up off the floor 😆. You are becoming a pickle ball pro! I was watching a pickle ball tournament awhile back. Very competitive. I love your Franken bag 💕 it will be spectacular. Hi Rico and Bender 🥰

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    1. Bender sleeps on the bed right next to my… basically on the other pillow! Rico usually only gets on the bed early in the morning before I wake. I really do wish one of them would snuggle!

      Anne

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  4. We had stink bugs really bad starting around October 1st. I have a system for getting them out of the house without squeezing them, they really do stink. We have 4 dogs and every single one of them are cuddly. The littlest dog sits on my lap constantly and the others cuddle around both my husband and I. They are all rescued and we adore them. Your fabric is certainly beautiful, I’m looking forward to seeing the end result.

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  6. Why have a never thought of making a Frankenbag with Aboriginal fabric? I surely have a big selection already in place. My copy of the newest Kaffe book came in the mail yesterday and I leafed through it very slowly. Definitely eye candy. What are your faves in that book?

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    1. Why HAVE you never thought to that? It’s so obvious!!! Hahaha!~

      My favorites:
      the quilt on the cover
      Pastel Fiesta on page 24
      Flower boxes on page 38
      Pot Swatches on page 45

      Those are the ones I’d like to make, but there’s a ton of other inspiration in that book. Definitely the best one in a few years for me.

      Anne

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  7. i’m getting ready to start my first Frankenbag! Just have to finish up my “”Looooong little Doggie” raffle quilt for raising funds for the new building for the Morongo Basin Humane Society No-Kill Shelter.

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  9. Awwww, Ernie!
    That sign made me laugh out loud! I can’t remember my keys either. After spending (wasting) a lot of money on 2 electronic door locks in a row, I put a marine grade, mechanical lock on my side door. Problem solved.

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  10. Your choice of fabrics are as lovely as your doggie friends! BTW this is the first time I have heard of a ‘stink bug’, must be too damp and cold for them in Ireland (thank God)!

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    1. It’s pretty damp in Portland, Oregon! I usually see stink bugs every year but they’re supposed to be really bad this year. there are a LOT of them! they are basically harmless unless they give you their stink!

      Anne

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  11. Hi Agilejack (but I think you are Agile Jack’s mother),

    I just subscribed maybe a month or two ago and wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your posts–just the perfect mix of dog stories, quilting, pickleball progress and the everydayness of life. I’m not sure how I found you–possibly through a Pinterest post. Loved the cuddly dog. That picture just said “We are so lovable. I love you and you love me.” ha ha. I await your future posts which come like a gift. Thanks for your effort.

    Your friend in the ether, Pauline

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    1. Agilejack is my handle. So it’s basically me, but not my name,

      Oh yes… my blog includes a lot of that “every day-ness!”

      thanks for reading! I’m glad you found us!

      Anne

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