The Craft Garden

2009-11-30T19:19:00.000-05:00

An ugly phone I bought for just two dollars has had a beautiful make over. I love tissue paper and have a wonderful collection of it. I picked out a pretty rose pattern and I glued it onto the phone with Modge Podge. I left the dial plain and put a little Hello in the centre of the dial face. So here it is. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

I've also been working on a project to give as gifts. They have turned out nicely and I will share the pattern in this post. I buy a bundle of these plastic hangers very inexpensively at our local department store. Then I just use left over yarn from other projects. They are wonderful to use to hang those clothes that have that nasty habit of slipping off the hanger. The pattern looks a bit long and drawn out but it's just that way to give you an idea of the way it works up. After you have made one side of this, you will be whipping them up without even thinking about the pattern. It's that easy.

Coat Hanger Covers

Ch 4, join with slst to form ring.

Rnd 1: Chain 3, 1 dc , ch 1, 2 dc in ring, (beginning shell) ch 2, * 2dc, ch 1, 2 dc (shell), ch 2. Repeat from * twice more. Join to top of ch 3 with a slst.

Rnd 2: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. * Skip next ch 2 sp. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 2. Repeat from * twice more. Skip next ch 2 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 3: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 2 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 2 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 4: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 3 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 3. Skip next ch 3 sp. join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 5: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 3 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 3 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 6: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 4 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 4 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 7: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 5. Skip next ch 4 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 4. Skip next ch 4 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 8: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 5. Skip next ch 5 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 5. Skip next ch 5 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 9: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip next ch 5 sp, shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip next ch 5 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Rnd 10: Sl st into next dc and next ch 1 space. Beg shell in ch 1 sp, ch 2.. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip 6 ch sp , shell, ch 2 in ch1 space. Skip next ch 2. In next ch 1 space, shell, ch 6. Skip next ch 6 sp, join to top of ch 3 with slst.

Continue in this fashion until you reach 8 or 9 stitches between the two shell sets. I crochet mine with a 4.5mm hook and usually 8 stitches are enough at my personal gauge. Check your piece by sliding it onto the hanger from time to time. You may need to do more or less than I do. Remember to make these slightly small so they have to be stretched onto the hanger. That way they don’t become loose with wear and tear.

Make two of these and sew together at the ch 1 on each side. Crochet a flower or tie a ribbon at the top for decoration.

If you decide to try this pattern out, please let me know how it goes or if I need to make any changes. I'm not used to writing instructions for my work. I’d love to see how yours turn out. Happy crocheting!

Check out Yogamint

2009-11-16T18:47:00.001-05:00

Title: Yogamint

Link: http://gotaf.socialtwist.com/redirect?l=301550680945710799411

Fifty and counting

2009-01-18T16:43:00.004-05:00

Today is my 50th birthay. It doesn't feel any different than any other birthday. I'm not doing anything today because my son is throwing me a surprize party next weekend. Ha, ha. You can't trick me!!! He is inviting several new friends from town, my sister-in-law, my niece and nephew, all my cousins and one of my two remaining aunts.

I miss my mother really badly today. She never got to see either of her children turn 50. I am willing to celebrate because I know she would want me to. I haven't really celebrated a birthday since my brother died in 1985. I guess it's time.

Fifty is worth celebrating!!! Tonight Paul is making pizza and we are renting a movie. Alex gave me season three of Boston Legal. I guess that means that Paul will get season two next week.

my two new degus

2008-10-24T10:17:00.001-04:00

My vet played on my sorrow. She called me to tell me she knew how much I was missing all my little pets. She also mentioned that someone had dropped of a pair of degus at the front door of her office. She knew I loved pocket pets and wanted to give me first dibs on them. I didn't really want them but I went and had a look . . . and fell in love.

They are to male degus and I named them Rosencratz and Gildenstern or Rosie and Gildie for short. I've had to do a lot of research because I knew nothing about degus. What I did find out that is very important is that they should be kept in pairs or better. Lone degus develop behavioural issues. They can become less tame and even vicious without a companion. Keep two male or two females to keep from having unwanted pets.

I put two wheels in their home because they didn't want to share it. Two degus going in two different directions in one wheel makes for a lot of squeeking! Once in a while one will be on the outside of the wheel and the other inside and that works out fairly well. But the second wheel has solved all our problems.

Notice how I attach the wheel to the top of the cage. This allows for more room on the floor and keeps the wheel very stable while they run.

We are also in the process of getting another dog. A friend is bording dogs for her friend whose marriage ended. She cannot keep her dogs so they are splitting them up. We have decided on getting the pittieX. I will have her next week.

"You become responsible forever for what you have tamed."

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Good-bye Q-Tip

2008-10-11T09:45:00.002-04:00

Q-Tip died in my arms last night at 4:00 am. He was not quite four years old and I was told he was a year when I got him. Of all my pocket pets, I loved him the most. He used to sit on the desk with me while I typed. Good-bye little piggy. Thanks for being a part of my life.

Goodbye Dr. Livingstone

2008-09-22T23:01:00.004-04:00

Last night when we went to feed him is supper, Paul and I found our little gerbil Dr. Livingstone has passed away. I am heartbroken yet again for another loss. Tiny as he was, he provided great entertainment for me as he was housed in a 20 gallon low boy aquarium on my computer desk.

Paul and Alex found him outside one evening three years ago, walking down the edge of someone's driveway. The caught him and brought him home to me, knowing I would love him and also that he wouldn't have survived a cold Canadian winter. Or worse, ended up some cat's dinner.

Gerbils are amazing pets. We bought play sand for him and gave him shredded paper. He made the rest of his bedding himself with toilet paper rolls, paper cup holders and whatever else we tossed in his home.

He is already sadly missed.

Thank you Dr. Livingstone, my little explorer, for the three years of companionship you gave to me.

4 Here or 2 Go Cafe

2008-09-15T22:55:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted on my blog. Paul, Alex and I have been very busy getting his cafe up and running. It's called Alex's 4 Here or 2 Go Cafe. I am pleased to say that the town of Colborne has been very supportive for him.

In time, Paul is going to work for Alex and give up his job at Home Depot. He has a terrible shift and doesn't like the commute. The cafe is within walking distance. It will be nice in winter knowing that both my guys aren't having to travel the highway in bad weather.

The Cafe serves soups, salads and sandwiches as well as baked goods, ice cream and other sweets. I am so very proud of Alex and the job he's doing!

Goodbye Sweet Dexter

2008-07-31T19:03:00.002-04:00

Today I am sad. Q-Tip is being treated for an absess in his foot. I thought it wasn't healing and the vet suggested perhaps it was a mass and surgery would be the best option. She also told me the guinea pigs don't do well coming out of surgery and we might lose him while he was under. Feeling like I was trapped between a rock and a hard place, I opted for the surgery. I cuddled Q-Tip last night and gave him some extra love.

I took Q-Tip to the vet and went home to await a call which I believed would be bad news. When I got home, I noticed Dexter's breathing was very laboured. I called the vet and the reciptionist said to bring him in when I came to get Q-Tip as the vet saw noticed improvement in his foot and decided not to operate.

Michelle checked Dex over and told me he had pneumonia. She gave him a shot to try and releave his congestion and put him on meds. She also told me the GP's get this virus and usually pass within the next couple of months never really coming off the meds totally. I was happy to try anything but was sent him with my sickly Dexter knowing the next twenty-four hours were going to tell if he survived. He didn't. He passed about an hour after seeing the vet.

It always seems to work this way for me. When I'm so busy watching out of one thing, something else quietly slips out the back door. Dexter would have been lost without Q-Tip because he cried everytime I took Q out of the cage. Q-Tip doesn't seem to be grieving too much because Dex used to pick on him a bit. I on the other hand, am grieving deeply.

There has been so much loss in my life these past nine month. The size or genus of a creature has little bearing on how much I mourn. I miss my little Dex who gave me so much in the three short years I had of his four year life.

Goodbye Dexter, my sweetie boy.

Together for eternity

2008-06-23T19:50:00.004-04:00

Today I interned my mother in with my father who has been waiting for her since July 21, 1986. I waited this long because I wanted to bring them together on their anniversary. It was a quiet little service with a immediate family in attendence. David Dean, a lone piper, played Amazing Grace at the graveside as my husband Paul offered her commital. She rests with my father, Harry Adolph Lemire and across from my brother, Harvey Joseph Rene Lemire, at Thornton Road Cemetery in Oshawa ON.

Special thanks to my Aunt Sally for hosting a luncheon at her house after the service. Thank to cousins, Sherry, Valerie, Susie, Heather and Aunt Barb for their contributions to the day.

Finishing up some UFO's

2008-05-29T22:41:00.007-04:00

My mother died on January 2, 2008. In her wake she left several broken hearts and a closet full of unfinished projects. I know she had every intention of finishing them, just as I do mine. The idea of getting rid of them feels like discarding out hours of her life. I find myself clinging to what's left of her but I also know that I can't keep everything she ever started and didn't finish. So I'm going through some of the things deciding what to finish what to pack up and send out into the world and what to discard completely.

Finished is better than perfect

~Anonymous

Most of her Cross Stitch I'm going to get rid of. I've got tons of plastic canvas and plastic canvas patterns that I'm going to get rid of as well. I don't do plastic canvas myself.

One of the things I've decided to finish is an Afghan. There was just one more row to complete it. I've finished the blocks now I just have to sew them onto the afghan.

Clearing out my mother's UFOs has given me a lot to think about regarding my own. I have two sons and neither one of them are going to want to finish my projects. Most of them were lovingly started with the intention of being finished. Some of them found their way to the finish line but most are still in boxes. I read once on the Internet about a way to make yourself finish those unfinished projects. You are allowed to start a new project only if you finish and old one first and then you must also finish the new project that you're starting. Before you can start another new project again, you must finish an old one. I've been trying this and it is working fairly well.

Robins at Elena House

2008-05-29T12:34:00.005-04:00

We have a pair of robins nesting on our front porch. They are such devoted parents. They never seem to tire of their commitment and who work together

I finally got to see the babies. There are four of them. Mother and Father take turns bringing back mouths full of chewed worms, white grubs the occassional beetle. The babies pop up their fuzzy little heads and cry, "Me, me, me, me!!!! I cannot use my front door at the moment but it's worth it, having a front row seat to one of nature's vignettes.

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops — at all...

~ E. Dickinson

Apple Blossom Tyme Festival

2008-05-26T10:00:00.010-04:00

What a fun time we had this weekend here in Colborne at Apple Blossom Tyme Festival . For such a small community, the event is quite large.

There were pie eating contests, baby contests, an art and quilt show one of the churches in which I displayed nine quilts. There was an antique show at the curling centre and an antique car show downtown. Magic Doug entertained children on centre stage.

There were dog contests for the longest tail, longest ears, pet owner look alike and bobbing for wieners.

There were several performers including a Kobbler Jay, a fabulous juggler who walked around on stilts for most of the day. He was delightful and is especially wonderful with children.

I tackled one of my fears this weekend. It was the fear of the Ferris Wheel. I actually when on it which Alex. So I admit it was only a three story wheel but from the top it looked pretty high to me. I promised myself that I would tackle some of my fears for a New Years resolution and I'm proud to say that I'm still at it.

F.E.A.R.

False

Expectations

Appearing

Real

The street was filled with venders. One of which was a henna artist and Paul, Alex and I all got henna tattos. Mine is a pretty little design on my forearm, Paul's is a celtic knot on the inside of his forearm and Alex got a big spider draped across his hand. These tatoos should last for about 4 weeks if properly cared for.

Those who fear life are already three parts dead.

~Bertrand Russell

49 and loving it.

2008-05-24T16:17:00.005-04:00

I was checking through some of my favourite blogs and found this birthday giveaway at The T-Cozy. What better way to celebrate a birthday than to give rather than focusing on receiving

I love it when I read about someone embracing their age and looking forward to each new decade. I used to play my birthdays down. That was partly because I lost my brother due to illness when he was just twenty-nine. I felt guilty about getting older when he couldn’t. Now that I am in the middle of my life, I embrace my age. Canada and the United States are very concerned with body image. It is actually a sad thing that women judge their value on how they look rather than instead of what’s inside. What a great feeling to be able to leave all that feminine insecurity behind and wrap my arms around life. Let someone else worry about the size of their @ss. I’m too busy looking forward to notice what’s behind me.

This is my before picture. I'm letting my grey hair come in.

The worse that will happen is that I won't like it and I'll go back to colouring it again. If I do go back to colouring I will use Henna dye. It isn't permanent and doesn't have side effects. It coats each hair strand rather than penetrating it. If you stop using it, it will eventually wash out completely

The best thing is that I will love not having to bother with it anymore and spend more time just feeling great than wondering how to part my hair so my roots won't show. If more women would accept their going grey, the more acceptable it would become. Look at how beautiful Helen Mirren was when featured in More magazine or Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. There is beauty in every age and once we realize it, we will be able to face each day putting our best face forward.

If you decide to go grey, don't let your whole appearance follow. The absence of hair colour requires the presence of colour in other areas to keep you from looking washed out. Check out these tips for looking grey and gorgeous!

As I was going down the stair,

I met a man who wasn't there.

He wasn't there again today.

Oh how I wish he'd stay away.

guinea pigs

2008-05-20T12:18:00.001-04:00

How wonderful to finally have fair weather. The guinea pigs are really enjoying it. After being cooped up all winter eating dried hay the fresh air, sweet grass and sunshine are just the thing! I put my piggies in a tent to guard them against birds etc. It also keeps the bugs off of them.

This is Q-Tip in his spring sweater. He's a skinny pig (hairless) so he needs a sweater to keep warm. Also he has to be protected from sunburn.

Dexter is never fair from Q-Tip. Here he is chillin' out enjoying the day.

If all the beasts were gone,

men would die from a great loneliness of spirit,

for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man.

All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.

~Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe

Both my piggies are rescues. Q-Tip lived the first year of his life in a cage so small he could barely turn around. Just twice as long as he was. Dexter's cage was even smaller. Now they enjoy 6'x2' cage and are a pair of spoiled boys.

Lots of people talk to animals....

Not very many listen, though....

That's the problem.

~Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

get rid of musty basement smell

2008-05-18T12:10:00.003-04:00

Paul and I went to a century home seminar by Chris Cooper of Edifice Magazine, last fall and were taught a good trick with Borax regarding musty basement smells. First off, open your basement windows to let the air circulate. That's what the windows are for. Now take a 2 kg box of Borax and mix with 2 gallons boiling water. Put in a 2 gallon sprayer and spray the wood and masonry in the basement. Let it dry. Borax has sodium in it and mold and mildew will be killed immediately. Every time your basement gets damp, it will reactivate the borax and kill of any chances of mildew coming back.

Anyone interested in preserving their heritage home or keeping their newer home in good repair should check out one of his seminars.

at the lake

2008-05-17T16:01:00.001-04:00

We often spend time down at Lake Ontario. Many people don't realize just how big the Great Lakes are. Ontario is not the biggest but it is huge nevertheless.

I used to have trouble remembering the names of the lakes when I was a child but my kids learned a trick in school to help them remember.

Just remember HOMES. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior.

This is Paul and Alex wandering out on the boat launch. I was standing on the shore taking pictures and getting soaked as the waves broke. I love spending time at the lake. We try to go down there a couple times a week. It's just a few minutes from our house. Whenever I'm upset about something that's where Paul takes me. I can lose hours just watching the water.

What a cold day it was at the lake. When the water is angry, it shows as two different colours. Further out it is a deep blue or sometime grey but closer to shore where it's more shallow, it shows lighter. I guess it's because of the rocks and sand.

The gulls certainly aren't camera shy. In fact, I think they like to be the centre of attention. We didn't bring any snacks for them that day but I think they were glad to be sitting on the rocks staying warm in the sun.

We explored the forest around the shore a bit and found a piece of birch with a fabulous bit of fungus growing on the side. It looks like a little fairy perch.

During our drive home, we all marveled at how green the fields look. What a difference between the water at the lake and in this stream. I think this will be a future picnic spot.

waxwings are back

2008-05-02T20:58:00.002-04:00

The cedar waxwings are back looking for a bite to eat. I love that they show up in a gang.

We didn't have them at our other house and they are an exciting addition to my birdwatching. We also have such guests are bluejays, cardinals, juncos, rosebreasted grosbeaks, doves, chickadees, robins and more. We've had a hawk visit the garden a couple of time for dinner but that's not the kind of birdwatching I want to do. Still, hawks must eat and we supply quite a buffet.

The crocuses are done now but it was nice to see them after such a long winter. We now have tulips. They came up as the daffodils were ending. Of course the tulips are mostly yellow but there are a couple of pink ones and a few red behind the garage. The red ones were just about to put on a lovely show and a cutworm showed up and pulled the curtain on them.

There are a few orangy-red and brown ones in the garden. I've never planted tulips so I am glad they are here already to start this garden off for me. It is such a sad and underworked garden but I have great hopes for it!

My mother's birthday

2008-04-30T09:32:00.001-04:00

Today would have been my mother's seventy-seventh birthday. Needless to say I am missing her today.

I used to wonder who set up the time frame of one year's mourning? It always seemed like a stupid idea to put a time on sorrow. I still get sad thinking of my brother or dad and they've been gone now for 23 and 22 years. Who says on year is appropriate for being sad? But since my mom died in January, I have come to a better understanding of the "one year's mourning" period.

Since she died, I have had to celebrate my first birthday without her, my first trip to the Buttermilk cafe without her, my first Valentine's day, St. Patrick's day, Easter, the first day of spring, etc. And today, her first missed birthday.

Everytime I pass a florist shop or card aisle I am reminded that this will be the my first Mother's Day without her. I still have to get through my first day of summer without her, my first blooming onion without her, my first Christmas, Halloween, Labour Day, Canada Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, New Years Eve and worse yet to come, the first anniversary of her passing. She will not be here to share my excitement of my first guests at and Bed and Breakfast I have named for her. She will not see the Shasta Daisies I am planting for her. She won't see my first exhibit at the art gallery. She would have been so proud.

It is just four months since she died and I have missed sharing so much with her. I suppose one year is an appropriate time frame in which to mourn. I'm sure that even after that year there will still be many first's without my mom.

Oh how I miss for her. I miss her praise, her unconditional love, the sound of her voice, her unsolicited advice, her friendship, her encouragement and the smell of her hugs.

take care of your photos

2008-04-27T19:40:00.002-04:00

Our basement got flooded this spring. With all the snow we've had, the bad grading on the house and the old stone foundation, we ended up with a small lake in the basement. It's pretty much dried up now but for a while there was a steady stream of water. Excuse the pun.

One evening just before bed, I went back to the basement to check on something. I can't even remember what that something was because when I got to the basement, a box of photos has spilled over onto the wet floor. They must have just fallen because Paul and I were able to save about seventy percent of them. Some of the water damaged photos were beyond our skills

I know the basement is the worst place to keep the photos. I was planning on scanning them and putting them all to disc. Just one of those lessons I guess.

Pink for Spring

2008-04-17T18:55:00.000-04:00

I found this sweet little bird's nest at our local florist which is located right inside the Downey Pharmacy here in Colborne . I go in every few days to talk to Cheryl and see what new piece of greenery she has in stock. I didn't plan to buy anything ornamental but this little nest just sung to me of spring and I knew it would look charming on the sideboard along with some candies and a pair of vintage gloves.

I buy candy at the Bulk Barn and it lasts for a very long time. My favourite ones are the green mint and Paul likes the pink. I must admit the green go down faster than anything else.

I did buy a neat little succulent called String of Beans. There are also String of Pearls, Buttons and Bananas. I've always wanted the pearls ( beads) but the beans are close and they were in stock.

the last of the snow

2008-04-10T18:40:00.001-04:00

The snow seems to stay longer at the lake. Paul and I drove down to Wicklow Beach and watched ducks diving for their dinner. With ice and snow still on the shore, it's hard to imagine how these poor little creatures don't freeze their beaks! None-the-less, they seemed to be enjoying themselves and we had fun just watching them surfing the waves.

Further up the road there were two big yellow cows having their dinner. One cow was very busy with the salt lick but when I talked to her she took the time to acknowledge me.

leaf melting on ice

2008-03-29T23:13:00.001-04:00

Spring will not be denied. We never got around to raking all the leaves in the garden last fall and piles some up around the roses to protect them. Natured decided to press through anyway and force a daffodil up through the leaves that were left around the rose bushes.

On the side of the driveway, snow and ice continue to melt. A leaf was on the ice and because of it's dark colour, it melted the ice quicker.

It's amazing how nature works and how much there is to see if only we will look.

Beaded Eggs

2008-03-23T17:21:00.005-04:00

Fair thee well Winter months and welcome Spring! Easter weekend, spring and a full moon, this weekend has it all. I got my beaded eggs out for my window display.

The gold egg has a silver bead band in the middle. This egg was made back when silver was used in the making of beads which is why this egg now appears to have a blackish band around the middle. The silver has tarnished. These three eggs are resting on a bed of dried freesia from a bouquet Paul gave me. I haven't made any of these in some years but I have lots of requests for them.

They are very easy to make.

First I blow out an egg and then seal the hole with a bit of tissue and glue.

In order to start with an even line, I put an elastic band around the egg and use a pencil to draw a starting line.

After removing the elastic, I use a toothpick to apply white glue and a pin to attach the beads.

I never have a design in mind, the shape of the beads and egg help to determine that.

These are tedious to make but most of mine were done while watching television. Or rather, listening to television. The first egg I ever beaded got broken when I had one of my Irish temper tantrums and threw it at Paul. When it broke, it was like fine china hitting a cement floor. So ended my days of egg tossing. I missed him and lost one of my beautiful eggs. Perhaps it may have been more satisfying if I'd have hit my mark LOL.

Saint Patrick's Day

2008-03-16T00:22:00.013-04:00

My mother was a collector and passed that passion on to me. When she passed away this past January, I inheirited all of her collcetions as I have no living sibling. I have to decide what to keep and what to let go. I will keep her china collections of course. My dad used to buy her Belleek and she wanted me to keep that. It's the only thing she asked me not to part with.

There are several other pieces but these were her favourites. My dad bought her the harp during their first trip to Barbados about twenty-six years ago. I would love to find out more about the teacups which are Royal Albert. There is a set of six, two yellows, two pinks and two greens. If you are familiar with these, I'd love to hear from you.

May those that love us, love us.

And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May He turn their ankles

So we will know them by their limping.

~Irish Blessing

My grandmother, Eleanor, came to Canada from Monaghan County, Ireland when she was just sixteen years old. She came to live here with her two elder sisters, Sarah and Mariah. Imagine such a trip at such a tender age. She never again saw her mother but continued to send money to her right up until her mother's death. Her father came to Canada to see his daughters and one of his sons. There was always this delightful story of how my mother took a rag and cleaned his shoes and then climbed up on his knee and washed his face. His daughters, in an attempt to impress him with Canada, took him to see Niagara Falls. His comment on the Horseshoe Falls was, "Sure and it would be something it they ran the otherway."

My grandmother told us so many stories of Ireland and her family that I almost feel as though I grew up there. My grandmother never lost her Irish accent and when she talked with her sisters one of the things they used to say was 'do yah mind the time . . " or "do yah mind Mister Peeps and the time he . . ."

My grandmother used to tell us stories of Faulkland Castle where my great, great grandparents Lord and Lady Martin lived. The castle has long since left our family and fallen to ruins. These are pictures of their portraits and they don't really look the part of the Lord and Lady.

What fine memories I have of my Irish family. Below is one of the piggies from my mother's pig collection.

Baxter, my Granddog

2008-03-14T14:47:00.002-04:00

This is Baxter, my granddog. Alex got him from the Toronto Humane Society. For a Christening gift Paul and I are paying for his obedience training. His pointer tendencies lead him to believe that my rat, gerbil, chinchillas and guinea pigs should all be hunted. My dog Brady is a border collie X. He can be trusted with all the animals. All he wants to do is herd them. Not BAXTER!

Don't be fooled by this sweet little face.

This is Bax having lunch on Alex's finger

Baxter's nose.

window rabbits and a guilty cat

2008-03-11T00:01:00.006-04:00

These cute bunnies came from an antique shop in Brighton, a little town just ten minutes east of Colborne. It's an excellect shop because they mix old with new. These bunnies are sold separately but they look like such a nice pair that I bought both. They are in my Easter window display. I need to sew a lace curtain for behind the window because I'm not fond of the wall paper the previous owners had in the kitchen. It's a navy blue plaid and while it's nice enough paper, it's not kitcheny enough for me. I've got so much to do in the house and the kitchen is on the bottom of the list.

Paul's cat Jasmine decided to join us for dinner the other day. Sadly for her, I don't dine with my pets so she had to make a hasty exit from the table but not before I got a picture of her eyeing the last chick'n nugget in the pan. Both Paul and I are Flexitarians so I doubt she would have eaten it even if it were offered.

After scolding one's cat one looks into its face

and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word.

And has filed it for reference.

~Charlotte Gray

At Lotsa Stuff, Leslie the proprietess had this chicken pulling a wagon of chicks. I loved it so much and when I was tidying the other day, I found a bag on the dining table and they were in it.

I love Paul so much. He never makes a show of gift giving. Something could sit there for days and he wouldn't say a word. I on the other hand hate keeping secrets and would do something famboyant in order to get the recipient of the gift to notice it sitting there.

Nippon - Weeding out

2008-03-07T15:52:00.002-05:00

When we moved into this house last summer, my mother and I combined some of our collections. In the china cabinet, my mother's Nippon collections share space with my Sadler teapots. I'm only keeping a few choice pieces of Nippon. Some of it I plan to pass on at a yard sale this comming August.

Colborne hosts an event called Trash 'N Treasures. Because of the move we didn't participate last year but will this summer. I plan to have an old fashioned lemonade stand set up as well. Perhaps offer a few baked goods but that will depend on if my son has his bakery up and running by then. I don't want to cut into his business.

There's a certain slant of light

2008-03-03T11:18:00.003-05:00

There's a certain slant of light,

On winter afternoons,

That oppresses, like the weight

Of cathedral tunes.

Heavenly hurt it gives us;

We can find no scar,

But internal difference

Where the meanings are.

None may teach it anything,

'Tis the seal, despair,

-An imperial affliction

Sent us of the air.

When it comes, the landscape listens,

Shadows hold their breath;

When it goes, 'tis like the distance

On the look of death.

~Emily Dickinson

At first glance this seemingly depressing peom by Dickinson manages to capture that feeling in all of us that comes to the surface once in a while. Some call it cabin fever, others SAD. Paul and I were on one of our winter drives which we take often. I do get cabin fever and need a change in scenery from time to time. My cabin fever is not however restricted to winter. I believe in getting out of the house. Besides what could be better than arriving back to your beautiful home all refreshed and inspired? The sun was shining so beautifully on the snow this day creating a spectactular sight. That's one of the things I love about late winter. In early winter the sky is usually grey and the landscape shadowless and without expression. This picture is taken from a hill that looks over Lake Ontario just outside Castleton. The day started sunny but by the time we got home, the clouds had taken over the sky and the snow was again without shadows. Spring is just around the corner and Dickinson's poem reminds us of the coming death of winter through the heat of the sun shining on the snow.

Lotsa Stuff

2008-02-24T09:34:00.002-05:00

There is a sweet little shop here in Colborne ON., called Lotsastuff. I wander down every few days to see what's new. Mostly I browse but I have also bought some lovely treasures there as well. These birds just sang to me of the coming spring and as much as I dearly love winter, it has been a hard and sorrowful season this year and I need to hear my birds singing again.

I have a window in my kitchen that looks into the sunroom. There are shelves in the window and I am having a great time dressing the window for seasons and holidays. Upon entering the sunroom, it is one's first impression of the house and what can be found inside. One of my teacups suffered a tiny chip in the rim making it no longer safe to use so I put a tiny little hippopotomus figurine in it that my aunt gave me from a job lot she bought at the auction.

She bid on salt and pepper shakers and anything that didn't fit the bill, she gave to me. I also gleened this tiny kitten and it sits in what I believe is a sugar bowl. The bowl has been in my mother's cupboard since I can remember. I decided it needed to come out into the open where it can be admired. If anyone has any information about this dish, I'd love to hear from you.

I am looking for some beaded eggs I made to go into the display as well but they are lost at the moment from the move.

Winter is more than half over

2008-02-18T12:11:00.016-05:00

We're being soaked with rain at the moment but that's not going to last for long. I actually prefer snow because it's dry and cold rather than wet and cold. Here are a few pictures I took in my backyard during the last big snowfall.

The screenroom was becoming less like a screen and more like a wall.

This is a picture of one of my favourite things about winter. Nature's balancing act. This twig is about the size of a pencil lead yet it can balance a fair amount of snow even in the blowing wind.

There is a huge old pine out in the yard. It served as a sort of umbrella while I was playing fetch with Brady. This picture was taken with me leaning against the trunk and looking straight up.

Check out the grin on Brady's face. This dog is not happy unless he's herding or fetching.

Here is a picture of the yard. It's so pretty. The barn in the background is not ours but belongs to our neighbour. That twisty looking bush to the left is a very old lilac. I imagine a nice reading bench parked right under it in the spring.

recipes worth trying

2008-02-17T11:34:00.009-05:00

Some friends and I share recipes for a group cookbook. Some of us send in recipes in a "scrapbook" format. Although I can not share their recipes on my blog, I can certainly share mine. If you notice "hugs tato" on any of my posts it's because that's how I'm known to this particular group.

If you click on the image it should open large enough to read or print out if that is your pleasure. Please feel free to copy any of these pages but please don't publish them without my permission.

Let me know how you like any of the recipes you try from my blog.

My first quilt

2008-02-14T12:48:00.001-05:00

I had completely forgotten about this quilt. It was made years ago for my youngest son. He's had it stuck in a box for years. When he moved out, he emptied all his boxes and washed everything in them ( while he still had the use of my washer and dryer) Anyway this is a twin size quilt and it now has a few holes in it but the pattern is pretty and I might try it again only this time on a bigger scale. I think the pattern is called twisted ribbon but I would need to check. It was also done before I had a walking foot for my machine and the back has a few spots where the fabric bunched. Still, it's wasn't bad for my first learning quilt.

Is there an end to this sadness?

2008-02-11T12:10:00.001-05:00

This morning I was awakened to a call from my cousin. My uncle on my mother's side passed away last night at 72 years. He was my Godfather and I will miss him very much. My mother loved him dearly and although there is no way I can be happy that my mother is no longer here, I am grateful that she didn't have to deal with his death as I am sure it would have been too much for her after losing one of her sisters just three months ago.

I am now left with just two aunts from a closely knit family that has always been such a huge part of my life. In the last three months, I have lost my dog, my aunt, my mother and now my uncle. My remaining aunts, Sally and Suzanne are crushed. Especially since one lives in Newfoundland and the rest of the family has always lived in S. Ontario.

My cousins Valerie and Sherry will miss their father so much. He leaves behind, a wife, two daughters, six grandchildren and three great grandkids.

When my aunt Vickie died in November it was just a week past my losing Beulah, my beloved dog of almost thirteen years. Valerie lost her dog of seventeen years on the day that my mother passed.

At my mom's service, I invited guests to mourn not only for my mother that day but also for the other losses both past and future of family, friends and pets. My mom requested no funeral but family and friends gathered for a wake.

vintage advertizing

2008-02-03T22:12:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple more vintage ads from those old magazines I was gifted. These particular ads come from BH&G April 1947.

Hmmm, just what every woman wants. A plastic apron! But how would you iron it? Ha, ha.

My mother used to give me Milk of Magnesia but it wasn't for a facial. For some reason the link below doesn't want to open. Only half the address comes up but if you copy and paste the link into your address bar, you should get through.
http://www.old-time.com/commercials/1930's/Phillips%20Face%20Creams.html

The end of January

2008-01-31T18:50:00.000-05:00

This month has raced by so quickly. It's hard to believe that my mother has been gone for four weeks now. But at the same time, I feel like it was forever ago since I saw her last. Between trying to get a B&B up and running so quickly and tending to my Mom's estate, my days melt into each other.

On a brighter note, my youngest son Alex just got a new, "second chance" dog from the Toronto Humane Society. His name is Baxter and I am thrilled to have a new 'granddog'. I haven't met him yet but will this Sunday when both my sons come to visit. My eldest son Jay is visiting from Victoria BC for a week.

crocheted throw

2008-01-30T17:30:00.000-05:00

When my mom died she was working on an afghan made with worsted weight cotton. She had just started her project before she got really sick so she was barely into it. So I had four large skeins of cotton and an afghan project from a pattern I'd done before. I didn't really want to do it again so I made a throw from a Leisure Arts book called Our Best Baby Afghans. The pattern is called Itsy Bitsy Spiderweb.

Sometimes we overlook great patterns because they are in baby books. It never hurts to baby yourself though. This afghan is warm and just the right size to wrap up in while sipping hot cocoa.

I changed the border a bit. I did a sc all around. Then I worked *ch3, sc in third ch from hook, skip next sc, sc in next sc.* Repeat pattern. It's nothing too fancy but just enough to make the afghan look finished.

If you dig deep enough

2008-01-29T23:16:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of a sweet little clock I picked up at the thrift shop for next to nothing. I don't know why no one else scooped it up unless it's because they couldn't figure out how to get to the clock to put in a new battery. The clock face twists off. It works fine and will soon be happily situated on one of my guest room tables.

I need to find frames for family photos. Mom and I were going to do a wall with family portraits and pictures. I still plan on doing it but it pains me that she won't see it. Here is a picture of my late brother Rene when he was a little boy around 4 years old. He died at just 29 years leaving behind a wife and two small children. He's been gone for twenty-three years this coming March but it sometimes feels like yesterday. He was a cute little guy.

slow progress

2008-01-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

I have been stripping a wallpaper border from my bathroom walls. It is a dark blue border that looks like draped fabric with gold tassles. Not exactly my idea of the perfect B&B bath setting.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I bought a chandelier at a thrift shop that I am going to make over. The sink in the room is too small so we are painting an old wreck of a double dresser (not antique) and we are going to make that into a sink.

We are not sure if we're going to put in another corner tub or not. Most of them are suited for two persons but that's too much water and I like to bathe alone anyway. We are playing with the idea of an airjet tub. I'm not sure if it would be a novelty and end up not being used. The corner tub we have now is a whirlpool tub and I very rarely use it. It did come in handy once when I wanted to wash a small rug that wast too large for my washer. I just tossed the rug in the tub with some low sudsing soap and let the whirlpool do the rest. It turned out quite well but it did take forever to drain enough to lift it from the tub.

The toilet has to be replaced. It is the most shallow toilet I have ever seen. That is not a nice option I can tell you! Because we are opening a B&B, I will need a strong flush toilet anyway.

vintage patterns

2008-01-14T15:00:00.001-05:00

Paul and I were at an auction with my Mom not too long before Christmas. We bid on a whole bunch of stuff and won most of it. One of the lots that Paul won for three dollars had a box of vintage patterns in it. At first I thought 'big deal' but as I went through them I found myself becoming very excited. They are a real treasure. I can't wait to get started on some of these. They range in size from 9 to 22+. The sizes are more realistic than today's size standards. My sister-in-law has offered to come out and give me a hand mastering my serger. I've had it for about 4 years now so it's time I made something.

The pattern above has a post mark on the envelope for 1942. The pattern beside it has an additional pattern inside that is cut from newspaper from WW2.

"What one loves in childhood

stays in the heart forever."

~Mary Jo Pulney

They date all the way up to the stylish era when Simplicity patterns exorbitently priced their patterns at a dollar. My goodness, can you imagine getting a pattern for that price now? A lot of these ones were priced at twenty-five cents. Whoooa.

"Nothing makes a woman more beautiful

than the belief that she is beautiful."

~Sofia Loren

I plan on making costumes with these patterns and perhaps a few dresses for myself. Most patterns are easy to adjust up one size or down one so the whole box of patterns offers a fit for almost anyone.

Whoever owned these patterns must have really favoured a couple of them because there are duplicates in different sizes.

"Oh, never mind the fashion.

When one has style of one's own,
it is always twenty times better."
~Margaret Oliphant

There are also a few girl's dress patterns and one Mommy and Me set.

"Fashion is general:

style is individual."
~Edna Woolman Chase

"When you are feeling low about how you look, it's important to put the magazines aside, and practice looking in the mirror and focusing on all that you have to be grateful for. Stop comparing youreself to the made-up fantasy images presented by the media; instead, be the best that you can be given the attributes that you have."

~Kristine Carlson

I love these two little gems. #9081 and 9257. There is quite a difference in the two sizes but I'm somewhere in the middle so I'm hoping to work something out.

"Fashion fades.

Only style remains."

~Coco Chanel

.
.
.

"Those whose ideals of love face the future instead of the past will find it a very tender, beautiful, and spiritual expression of the human longing for a mate who shall be also friend, companion, and inspirer."

~Richard Wightman The Things He Wrote to Her.

There are about thirty more patterns but I posted only a few of my favourites. I was hoping to have my give-away for a few of the patterns left in the box in March but as there seemed to be no interest in this post I will hold off until this blog is more established.

"Fashion mocks individuality.

Style celebrates it."

~S.B.B.

Fashion guesses,

style knows.

S.B.B.

A promise to keep

2008-01-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

I did promise my mother many times that I would always move forward and never cling to grief. That's a tough promise to keep. But I am ready to try. I know I will never get past losing her because I still mourn for my father and brother after twenty+ years. But it is a kind of loving grief that I feel for them now. I know they're gone but they are still both so much a part of who I am.
My remaining dog Brady is lost. We moved here in July and my youngest son went back to the city after two months. A couple of months later, Brady's constant companion Beulah, my dog of almost 13 years, left us. Than a couple months after that, Mom passed. I can tell you, Brady is sticking pretty close to Paul and I. That's okay though, what's life without a dog to spoil?

If I don't shake a few things up in this house I will begin to believe it's a sad house and I know that's not true. It is one of those houses that you feel at home in the moment you walk through the door. I don't want to cast a gloomy shadow on a house that radiates love. So for Beulah, my mom, the former residents of this house and for Paul and myself, I am ready to live in love with life again.

This is a little off topic but I just can't resist. Here is a picture of Amos (A. Mouse) the rat. He is gardening in a plant arrangement I have on a side table. He just digs a hole in the center and chills out while Paul and I watch some television.

We are going to turn this big house into a B&B I think. We've got lots of work to do and I know it will be an on going hobbie. The bathroom on the second floor is completely off white. Clean and tidy enough but boring. I have picked my colour scheme for the room based on a teddy bear, cream and sugar set, from two of my collections and a button wreath I made several years ago. I just hot glued white and off-white buttons to a styrofoam wreath. Paul has to do a bit of repairs in the room but then it's mine. I am moving furniture around but I need to put my personal stamp on the bathroom quickly. I also found an old chandelier at a place called Beyond the Blue Box. You buy stuff by the pound there. I got the chandelier for a dollar and I plan to give it a facelift and put it in the bathroom. Hopefully I'll add a pic tomorrow.

Painful Goodbye

2008-01-06T09:22:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everyone. I would have posted before this but on the second day of January, my mother passed away. It really wasn't expected. She was undergoing chemo with great hope. She did get a lung infection but that was clearing up nicely. However, part the the cure for the infection caused her to go into renal failure. She died at Wednesday evening after being taken to the hospital in an ambulance. I didn't get there in time to be with her and I am crushed. As we talked many times of our parting, I know her greatest wish for me would be to let her go. I will attempt to respect that wish as I try to pick up the piece of my life which is feeling very empty without her. She joins my father and my brother. I have no other siblings so I'm feeling very lonely at the moment. My husband of course is awesome. And my youngest adult son is spending a lot of time with me. My eldest son is across the country so we have to settle for telephone hugs.

I am fortunate to have two aunts and an uncle as well as my late aunt's husband to lean on as well. They are great but I can't help wish I had another sibling to call to share this terrible grief. The above picture was taken less than two months before her passing.

So here sit in the beautiful old century home that was to be my mother and my latest scheme and project, wondering how I will ever pull this off without her.

Another December almost gone

2007-12-30T22:20:00.000-05:00

This year is certainly coming to a speedy close. We weren't planning on anything this year for New Year's Eve due to my mother's health but my son called earlier and he's coming up for three nights. His friend Shani is going to come too and she will also bring my mother-in-law. It won't be the party to end all parties but we will at least be able to sit around and play a few games while we toast in the new year.

I'm sure many of us are down to our last few dimes with the end of Christmas. I made these money socks many years ago but plan on giving out a few more so friends can start to "sock" away a bit of money for next year's shopping. These can be hung on a door or on a hanger in the closet but I perfer to put them inside my "sock" drawer. That way I'm less tempted to borrow from it and I'm remined every day to put a bit of change in it.

There's a game my family and friends all enjoy at our house parties. You need about ten bargain shop gifts and two decks of cards.

Lay all the gifts on the table in plain sight. Then deal the first deck of cards to each person until all the cards are dealt. Some people may end up with an extra card depending on the amount of players. Now the fun begins.

The host or hostess takes the second deck and places it on the table in front of themselves. Now they pick up the top card and show it to the players.

The player with the corresponding card from the other deck gets to pick a prize from the table. But he or she must hide the prize on themself so the other players can't see it. Continue in this manner until all ten prizes have been claimed and hidden.

The next card turned up will not offer a prize but the person with the corresponding card can now claim a prize of their choice from one of the other players. The trick is that they must name the player they believe is holding the specific prize they want. ei: "Joe, I'll take that scrub brush you have hiding behind your back."

If they don't get it right, they lose their turn and the next card is turned up. If they do get both the player and prize right, the said player has to relinquish the prize which will again be hidden on the person holding it.

The game continues until all the cards have been turned up. It is funny how easily we can forget who's holding what.

Play this only with people who are good sports. You don't want friends squabbling over a roll of duct tape, a box of mints or hair bands.

It was a Merry Christmas

2007-12-27T16:45:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful Christmas in spite of the lack of gifts this year. There were a few gifts but nothing like the past years. My son came home to help me with his grandmother and that was gift enough. Oh, that and his wonderful fiesta dip! He makes this every year and it is beyond good. Not exactly diet food but every once in a while it's great to have a major cheat. I have honestly never seen a dip dissappear so quickly over the years as this one. I have included his recipe below. We serve it with tortilla chips but you can use veggies or whatever your favourite dipper is. We try and tell ourselves that the vegetables on the top of the dip make it a healthy choice. Whatever works, right?

1 8oz cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonaise, not salad dressing.

mix together and spread out into a shallow dish. Chill at least four hours. Next spread a small jar of salsa over top of the first layer. Now add about 1 or 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese. Top with chopped tomatos, green peppers. Add a few hungry people and that's it.

2007-12-24T19:10:00.001-05:00

I am so thrilled that my mother came home from the hospital for Christmas. It seems that we will be spending Christmas morning with the VON. Can't complain though. As I mentioned in my previous post, this Christmas has a different flavour all together. I have been lost as to what to give my mother. What do you give someone who has incurable cancer? Warm socks, a neck roll, a new housecoat . . .? Then I found a wonderful pattern that just seemed to hit the mark. A love ball!

I cheated a bit with mine. I didn't add wings because my mother is feeling a little angel overwhelmed at the moment. Plus I just glued on felt circles for the eyes. I only finished it a few hours ago but I am glad it will be under the tree for her in the morning. I found the inspiration for this at Crochet Me . Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful pattern!!! She can hold it or just sit it on her table. No matter what she does with it, she will know it was made by me to express my deep love for her.

Here is a little craft I do with recycled Christmas cards. I use canning jar lids. Just spray paint them gold. Cut out a circle from a card to fit inside the centre of the lid and glue it in place. Next place a thin line of white glue around the edge of the card and sprinkle glitter on it. After the glue is dry, shake off the glitter and glue two lids together with a ribbon sandwiched in between the lids. Voila! These are easy and make lovely bow substitutes.

Looks like a white Christmas here in my little corner of the world. Right now it's fluffy powder but as soon as it warms up it will be snowman time. Both Paul and I love building snowmen although they are rarely men. Usually they are snowdogs. Below is a pic of my snowman pins in a shadow box. Hopefully tomorrow there will be a new pin under the tree for me :-)

Pondering Christmas

2007-12-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

I was hoping to get some more Christmas crafts posted but life has a way of getting in the way of blogging. My mother has cancer and is not doing well. Yesterday we made palliative care arrangements and it has left me crushed. The chemo is knocking the stuffing out of her. It's her fear that is the worst part of all this. She is confident in her faith but she's not ready to go. We bought this house just this past summer with wonderful plans for some great adventure. Now it seems she will not be a part of that adventure and it no longer seems that important.

Just last month, I had to say goodbye to my most beautiful dog of almost 13 years, Beulah. We were eating homemade cookies and after she scored a bite of mine she turned to my husband for a share of his. Before he was done, she was in a grand mal seizure. The doctors tried to stablize her but 34 hours later, we had to say goodbye. There was no way the doctors could bring her back to her former self. It was the right decision but I can't stop crying. Our other dog, Brady is moping and looking for his best friend. That just adds to my sadness.

Above is Beulah looking beautiful and to the right is her upside down on the couch. That was her favourite position. Below to the right is Brady waiting to fetch something, , , anything, , , please? No, he's not morphed. He really looks like that.

One thing I am finding in the midst of all this upheaval is that Christmas has very little to do with presents, glitter and feasting. Those are holiday festivities. Fun things we have created to give a festive air to a much more important message. The birth of Christ was supposed to be the birth of peace on earth and goodwill towards all men.

I'm sure next year I will be more into the festive side of the holidays but this year I am more focused on the deeper meaning of Christmas. After all, what gift could even begin to compare with the precious time I have left with my mother, the happiness given to me by my dog of almost thirteen years and the joy my remaining dog faithfully offers to me or seeing/hearing from my kids?

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas or joyous celebration of whatever path you follow. Remember to take a moment and look past the gifts and into the eyes of our loved ones, both two legged and four. I wish you might find the kind of love that was born to us over 2000 years ago.

collecting

2007-12-16T17:04:00.000-05:00

I wish I could get a better picture of these but the glass reflects the flash from my camera. I have been collecting Christmas Tree brooches for several years now. People always comment on how pretty they are. They just sparkle in the light and you can't miss them. I also collect snowmen brooches but the glass from that shadow box got broken in the move and I haven't had the time to repair it yet. Maybe I'll just take the glass out all together this year.

Paul and I had to walk downtown today to get some Ensure from the drugstore for my mother. Happily, we are very close by. The walk was nice going because we had the wind at our backs but coming home was a different story. There is very little traffic today. The snow has created wonderful drifts in the yard. I want to get a picture of them before Brady goes outside to fetch his ball and pee on them.

Can Christmas be so close?

2007-12-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

It's only 10 days until Christmas Eve. Where does the time go? I think this is my first year of being so completely unprepared for it. I have a few trees up, have done a little decorating and have purchased some gifts but I haven't even started my Christmas baking. Today, I promise myself.

To the left is a pretty little snow scene on top of the corner shelf. The house is cut from 2x8 inch lumber and the snowman and trees are from 1 x 6 inch lumber. The white paint splattered on the finished pieces add the excellent effect of snow. It's a simple design from a Christmas book that I no longer have. I can't even remember the name of it but I will try and find out. I made several projects from that book. Most of which one of my sons stole when he was setting up for his first Christmas in his own place. No matter. What greater compliment is there than that?

In the opposite corner to the picture above there is a small Christmas tree adorned with crocheted snowflakes. I need to make more but that will come after Christmas. In front of the tree is one of my bears in a child's rocking chair that Paul picked up at the auction a couple of weeks ago.

Here is a snowflake ornament that was a gift from my friend Jill. The ladies in this next ornament represent Lisa and I. She is another friend and though we don't get to shop together, we dream about it. I like to imagine the shapely dame in the black dress is me but I think it is more likely her.

more quilts

2007-12-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

This is a flannel rag quilt I made for my mother. It has flannel on both front and back and has quilt batting sandwiched in between the layers. I made this for her because she is always cold. Since her cancer has returned and she is undergoing chemo, she has lost a fair bit of weight and is often feeling weary. The quilt is now too heavy for her. She now wraps up in a flannel sheet by the fireplace. I suppose I should take the quilt upstairs because this old house is drafty and cold.

I love fabric yo-yo's. You can make so much from them. This is a bed topper I made several years ago. It still sit on the guest room bed. My mom has made a bag load of yo-yo's but has not put them together. I am hoping to get that done for her before Christmas but if not, then in the new year.

This is a quilt I made for my mother-in-law. It was inspired by Cynthia Walters' technique found in Snippet Sensations. I was going to make her a bed quilt to match but I don't think she was too impressed with this. Oh well, not everyone likes the same things. I know she was greatly impressed with my Mammy quilt, below. It was made as a celebration of Canada's role in the emancipation of slaves through the underground railroad. It hangs in the third floor hall and opposite and over the stairs in my tumbling block quilt. The borders are from the same fabric so even though the themes having nothing in common, they compliment each other beautifully. I hand pieced the tumbling blocks while watching a lot of old movies. The templates were made from contruction paper which made it easy to work with. I was working on a grandmother's flower garden but I was using plastic templates. I find them a little hard to work with and gave up on it. I still have all the pieces, I just need to put them onto paper. Someday . . .

Those who sleep under a quilt,

sleep under a blanket of love.

~Author Unknown

vintage ads

2007-12-08T17:05:00.001-05:00

When we moved into this house, I was generously gifted a box of magazines from the previous owners, Ken and Nancy. The magazines are mostly BH&G, a few American Homes and Chatelaine . They date back to 1934. What a treasure. I have really been enjoying these old magazines. It's like a walk down memory lane. My mother's memory lane too.

What really makes me laugh is the old ads. Many of the products are still around but most have long since disappeared. All the better for us. I can comfortably tell you that I have never done my dishes or vacuumed my floors while wearing high heels!

I plan on posting some of these ads from time to time. That is after I starch my apron, take the curlers out of my hair and make sure I have a steaming hot dinner on the table for my husband as he walks through the door. Hey, I love the idea of yesteryear as much as so many of us do but I wouldn't trade my microwave, jeans or blowdryer for all these wonderful products. As for my husband, we take turns cooking. He's a man who knows his way around a kitchen and I love him all the more for it.

recycled Christmas cards

2007-12-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

ere is a sweet little project to recycle some of those Christmas cards you received from last year. I cut out an oval shape out of clear plastic as a template. That way you can centre it over your card to get the best image. You can use two card front but I like to use one card front and the Christmas greeting from inside for the back. Place the two ovals together and punch holes around using a small punch.

To crochet:

Rnd 1: Sc into any hole, chain 4 or 5 chains depending on how far apart your holes are. Sc in next hole. Continue around. Sl st into first sc.

Rnd 2: Sl st into chain space. Ch 1, sc, hdc, 2 dc, tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc in chain space. *Sc hdc, 2 dc, tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc in next chain space.* Continue from * around, Sl st into ch 1. finish off.

Christmas decorating

2007-12-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is a sweet little set of snowmen made from gourds. My son's girlfriend and I each made a set several years ago. They are a favourite of my husbands and everyone who sees them is completely charmed. I got the pattern for these from the same book I got the pattern for my button snowman quilt. From Better Homes and Gardens All Through The House. What a wonderful book. It is filled with idea after idea.

Every year I make up little ornaments to put on Christmas gifts instead of bows. This year's ornaments are Victoria boots fashioned from felt and embellished with decorative stitching and beads. I cut out the toe and heel piece backwards which is why the pink boot is right instead of left. I have a collection of craft magazines that has constantly grown over the years. I often go back ten or twenty years to find a decoration. This pattern was from a BH&G's 1988 Christmas edition magazine.

The Santa letters were done during my folk art days. They sit on the third floor trim going up the stairs.

I don't know of any rule that says frogs can't be angels. This little gal was bought for me by Paul 6 years ago. She often stays out for the full year because she's not really dressed in Christmas garb.

So many of Christmas decorating supplies have yet to be unpacked. Hopefully next year I will have the house fully decorated. Between the move, my mother's chemo treatments and the loss of my most beloved dog Beulah, I just haven't had time. Family must come first in all things. Still, I am trying in the middle of all these trials to make Christmas as meaningful and merry as possible. There is one tradition in my house that has to be observed. It is my Cranberry Orange Coffeecake. Every year my family has a slice of it with tea or coffee while opening gifts. We skip breakfast and opt for brunch instead. I will post a picture of it later along with the recipe.

Let it snow!

2007-12-04T19:08:00.000-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

We have been visited by an ice storm. Fortunately the roads have been plowed, salted and sanded and they are now clear. What remains is ice on the branches of trees. We were driving home yesterday from my mother's chemo session and the sun was bouncing off the ice. No tree I could decorate could be as beautiful as the trees decorated by nature. Autumn is my favourite season but as it slides into winter, I begin to think that they are one and the same. I love winter. Some of my best projects have been made in the winter months. Sitting under an afghan in the summer while you are crocheting it just isn't the same. To the left is one of my snowman quilts.

My friend Jill, once asked me if I liked snow. She and I have a passion for journaling and often ask these kind of questions. Do I like snow? Ha! I love it.

I love the way it looks.

I love that it has no real scent.

I love that it's fresh.

I love that you can build snowman.

I love that you can go tobogganing.

I love that you can go skiing or snowboarding.

I love that you can build snow angels.

I love fat fluffy snowflakes and tiny crystal snowflakes.

I love wearing a black coat and seeing a perfect snowflake on my sleeve.

I love watching my dogs play in the snow.

I love rolling a huge, mammoth snowball and just parking in front of a friend's front door.

I love that cold snow sounds squeaking under your feet.

I love hitting Paul in the back of the head with a snowball.

I love watching the snow fall in front of a street light late at night.

I love trying to identify objects buried under fresh snow.

I love watching snow drift down our street while sipping hot chocolate.

I love taking a hike and seeing tiny animal tracks in the snow

I love the way snow sits on the branches of the evergreens

I love the way snow drifts over the front of a house.

I love the way snow looks like white sand dunes in the desert.

I love that I can see my black dogs at night in the field.

I love it when snowflakes land on my eyelashes.

I love that you can build a snowman and leave it on the hood of your son's car.

I love to be all bundled up and still have cold cheeks.

I love seeing my breath.

I love it when Jack Frost visits my windows.

I love that 2" of snow can balance on something as small as a clothesline.

I love to watch the pine boughs bow their branches under the weight of snow.

I love the winter birds that visit our feeders when there is a lot of snow.

I love winter gardens.

I love the serenity of snow.

I love the shadows that go unseen except on snow.

I love to eat snow. White only!

I love that snow can stick to vertical surfaces.

I love to build snow forts.

I love to put snow in a big bowl and use it to chill wine.

And if I listen hard enough, I can imagine that I can even hear the snow fall.

I hate slush!

To the right is a snowman wall quilt I made. The pattern can be found in Better Homes and Gardens, Christmas all through the house

quilts

2007-12-03T15:58:00.000-05:00

I have enjoyed making quilts for quite a few years now. All my quilts are for use and enjoyment. I don't worry about exact corners, perfect seams, mitred bindings, etc. If I did, I would never make anything!

Finished is better than perfect.

~Anonymous

To the left is my flying geese wall quilt. I know the colours don't work with that wall paper but that was just before I redecorated the room, just before we moved. It is one of the few controlled quilts I have made. Most of them have just been scrappies.

The quilt on the right is one I made for my eldest son Jay. I called it Pennies From My Garden because even years after he grew up and became a man, I continued to find lego men, GI Joe's, and Star Wars figurines in my gardens. Every time I dug one of those up, I could almost hear the echo of his laughter from so long ago. The pattern is known by two different names. Chinese Coins and Garden Path. I borrowed from both these to name mine. Pennies represented all the priceless memories I dug up and From My Garden for the latter as this was one of my son's favourite places to play.

The blue quilt here was made after watching an episode of Simply Quilts. The guest was Bethany S. Reynolds and she was demonstrating her Stack and Whack technique. I just had to give it a try. It turned out quite well and now hangs above the bed in the master bedroom. I've received many nice compliments on this quilt.

This next quilt is one I made for my youngest son Alex. It is a log cabin quilt from the book Winter Warmers by Leisure Arts. This is one of the first quilts I made.

"All my scattering moments are taken up with my needle."

~Diary of Ellen Birdeye Wheaton

My picnic quilt is one of my personal favourites. It is made of 4" squares. There are two squares of each fabric used. In the quilting, I used small rickrack which framed each square beautifully. On the border, I made an ant stencil and using black paint and fabric medium, I stenciled ants all around the border. It is a whimsical quilt that every one loves.

collections

2007-12-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

I have always been a collector of sorts. My dad was quite a collector and when he passed, I inherited several of his collections such as his license plates. There is a plate from 1929 through to when they stopped renewing actual plates to where they only renewed stickers. My mom is also a collector. She's the one who got me going on china and linen. She also collected pigs but has most of that collection in temporary repose. My love of collecting was as natural to me as breathing. My husband Paul is now also a collector especially of walking sticks but mostly he is on the lookout for something to add to my collections. Sweet guy. I think I'll keep him.

Some of my (our) collections continue to grow and some I put a halt to. Sometimes you just reach the satisfaction (saturation) point and anything beyond can clutter your collection. One of the collections I've stopped is my teddybears. Perhaps someday I will resume the collections but not until I find a place for all of them in this new house.

My collection of gloves continues to thrive. This past Thanksgiving, everyone was assigned a vintage hat. The ladies also got to wear shawls, gloves, boas and scarves. It was a lot of fun and even the men got into the game. Paul wore a curly red wig, a black cowboy hat and green rubber boots. Gotta love that man!

2007-11-28T19:22:00.000-05:00

Here I am again. Paul and I were out sifting through boxes at an auction sale and came up with a few items to buy. Needless to say I picked better stuff than he did. Well, it will be after I'm done with it. He bought this ugly lamp for a whole dollar. This picture doesn't do it justice.

The dirt on the glass will have to be chipped off and the shade, it's plastic! Do you remember those plastic curtains you used to buy? The shade reminds me of those. I must admit, there is potential there. He wanted it for his room. I know that sounds weird. We share a bedroom but in a house this big, we each have a room designed specifically for our personal tastes. They are really guestrooms but we call them His and Hers bedrooms.

I picked up these two sweet sugar bowls, excuse the pun, in a job lot for a dollar. You can see we are big spenders LOL. I like to use sugar bowls for candy dishes. I also picked up an old Bell phone for two bucks. I know this phone is ugly but I have plans for it. Check back in a few days and it should be looking a bit better. These phones were so clear in tone and comfortable to wear snuggled against your neck and under your ear. Today's phones to me have more static and simply cannot be balanced on your shoulder as you use your hands for more important things like crochet.

Speaking of which, here is a picture of an afghan I finally finished. I have been working on this for years. It's not that it was challenging, it's just because all the little granny squares were made up of end pieces of yarn. I had to make a total of 834 of them. Then I just had to crochet them all together. It turned out very well and is a good warm afghan.

To keep rust from forming on the inside of metal salt shaker lids paint the inside with clear nail polish. When it is dry, poke through the holes with a pin from the inside out.

Keep a pair of cotton gloves in your lingerie drawer. Put them on when donning your pantyhose to keep fingernails from causing runs.

Thanks for stopping by. I am off to find something to create, fix or bake.

Home. . . where the dearest treasures of life can be gathered,
the purest pleasures enjoyed,
the richest comforts and conveniences preserved,
and where God can smile. . .

Rev James H Potts 1888

2007-11-25T23:46:00.000-05:00

I still have trouble believing that we live here. I've been clipping pictures and ideas from magazines for years. I've been putting them into a decorating scrapbook. My dream book, I guess you could call it. It's fun to dream.

My husband Paul and I were out driving on our anniversary last April when we drove past this gorgeous house in a little village about one hour from where we lived. Paul jokingly asked if I'd like to see it and I said sure. We took the number of the realtor down and started to drive away only to notice that the realtor's office was just five doors down the street. So we went into the office and asked if we might see inside the house. Diane, our agent and new friend walked us down and as I stepped onto the front porch it was as though I'd found my way home. Once we stepped inside I was sold. The house just kept getting better and better. The owners were wonderful people and I am happy to say that we now have the pleasure of calling them friends. I have been decorating this house for years in my scrapbook. We still have to put our personal stamp on the house but we're in no hurry. This is a 'feel good' house.

With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable. ~Thomas Foxwell Buxton

I hope you will join me as I set forth into making the rest of my dream come true through decorating, painting, crafting, needle arts, crochet, gardening and collecting. Stop by often to check out my latest aquisitions from antique stores and curio shops. Enjoy some of my recipes and try out a few of the patterns and instructions I will be sharing in the coming months. Please post your comments and share your thoughts with me. I look forward to hearing from you.