SUNNY SUNDAY SENTIMENTS!

I always just love to post one of my dear friend Helen's quilts.  This is for a young guy in Newfoundland where Helen and family are going to visit.  A lucky little fellow with his name labeled on the back.

Helen loves little fiddly works; so she copied a label to paper then copied that by fine pen onto cloth.
I couldn't post the photo, but needless
to say it's perfect.

It;s  a sign, strawberry season is almost over here in Ontario.  OMG...we are half way into July already.  Where does time go?

This year we didn't have much rain so the berries weren't very big, however these babies came from a Menonite farm that sells produce from other local farms.  No pesticides here as all their produce is done organically.  We noted that they do buy from wholesalers at times and the woman at the counter said that yes they did, but, when their products are available they use local farmers.

My little brave puppy is doing well.  His eye is black but there doesn't appear to be any discomfort anymore.  He still bumps into everything being a conehead till next Saturday, but he's doing well.

I'm making slip covers for the great room.  I will post the event when done as I worked for about two hours on the first cover yesterday trying to figure out how to make a square corner.  The first was easy, it was the second one that was a dewsy.  Helen arrived in the afternoon to guide me through my problem....Oh now I know how to do it!  Honestly, I do have to be shown visually so many things.

Cottage weather is fabulous, although we could use some rain I think as everything around us is quite dry.  Yesterday, the traffic on the lake was like Grand Central Station!  The first two weeks of July, and the first two of August are the busiest on the lake.  After those two weekends, people from far away, close their cottages and put the boats away.  A shame as many cottages are only used for a couple of weeks.

Our (formerly new) neighbours are enjoying the season immensely, and one knows that there are young children around, when around 9 am the boat starts up and off they go tubbing  which brings peels of cheers.

I'm off to sew..wish me luck.
ps. does anyone use google reader, and if so let me know about it.  I need to send instructions to a friend.
thanks in advnce.

BRAVE LITTLE GUY!

 Nothing like having a house closing that goes simply is there?

The sale of our house finalized today.  It's goodbye to six years of much happiness because of our neighbours that we were lucky enough to have across the street from us.

Bob and Mary have become family.
It's that simple.  People come into our lives for a reason.  This couple came to us so that we could have fun at the cottage and extend our family as well as theirs.  So the move is sad on that level, but on the other, we are at the cottage and a new adventure begins.

We were going along so well and boom, things happen.  My sweetie
fell about a foot off a ladder, broke
a bone in his foot, sprained an ankle
and that was all with about 15 minutes
left of us leaving the house after the
movers.

He has an air cast on so at least he has been able to move around.  And thanks to Bob and Mary, we have
lived with them for almost a week
while we settle our affairs.

The top photo of our brave little guy with the awful eye is the result of a cyst on his eye lid, which grew quite quickly and so, Wednesday he was operated on.  He also had his teeth cleaned....don't ask how he is feeling, suffice to say he is a brave little guy and only has groaned a few times...not like us who are moaning just looking at him.  He has a stitch on the lid which has to be removed.  We were so worried about him, till we docked the boat and off he went chasing squirrels...he will survive.

Mac, the beautiful retriever who lives with the flower guy (and girl who buys the flowers for him to give me) came over to visit and noticed my sweetie's broken foot and licked the foot, then lay down to protect .  Isn't that sweet?

Mac also gave Wilson's eye a lick when he saw him today.  Awww!  Yes, I know.

The last photo is our house that was a home.  The cottage is our place now, our new home with new adventures to come.

I have so much sewing to do that I hope the season stays lovely and I can sit by my window and quilt the tops that I made over the winter.

Also, I bought foam to make seats for the sun room.  I'm not great at doing stuff like this, but I will give you before and after photos for sure.  Just wish me luck.

This is a long post as I didn't take my computer with me, so have been catching up.  I've missed you all.

WEEK END WONDERS! GREAT WEATHER.

We had fabulous weather this passed weekend.  You know that usually weather is so fleeting that long week ends end up with rain....didn't happen so we taught this young man who is one of our granddaughter's best friend and originally from the Ukraine how to water ski.  He got up on the first try!

He had amazing fun and actually
skied around the island and the lake
was rough too.  He is also a kayaker
and used to taking instructions from
his coaches, so this was easy peasy
for him.
Our cottage was a behive of activity for three whole days.  Last night after all visitors had left and all cottage visitors on the lake had also left, it was very very quiet.

We are heading home for a few days to finish up the house closing then we return to our now permanent home!  New adventures begin.

I am going to cover a piece of foam four inches thick.  Of course I shall get ideas from Helen regarding instructions, but anyone with an idea as to an easy way to make this 45"X20X4 would be great.  I did buy a piece of poly to cover the foam, but that's as far as I got.   I'm also not good at the zipper thing, but will do my best.

See you in a few days.  Isn't summer weather great?  And the Aussies are in their winter...

HAPPY DAYS....HAPPY CANADA DAY TOO!

 Our life is ever changing these days.  We have moved from our house to the cottage as our permanent home till October at least.

So, of course Bob and Mary have given us a suite in their lovely home for us to feel less stressed.  I tell you it's a spa.  The feeling of total comfort, privacy and peace was with
us the first night we slept in this
awesome space!

In the morning after, we had coffee with the fish!  Bob has an amazing pond with koi fish, and  gold fish of some kind that I managed to take photos one morning.  They are so beautiful, with the waterfall and the lilies, I tell you we were so happy to have them as friends.

On a side note, this turtle was leaning against the back tire of our truck when we last headed back to the city to pack up.  The reason I show this is the blogger (#%^%$^) you know how I feel about blogger sometime.  Well blogger put this one ahead of the next photo.  Any way, this sucker was trying to lay eggs at the marina as we were trying to leave.  We got a paddle out of the boat
to move her along.  This is the time of
year for turtles in Ontario to lay eggs and
many roads have signs "turtle crossing"
which we are supposed to stop and assist
if in fact we see a turtle crossing.  It really
happens a lot that people help the turtles
cross the country roads.

This last photo is of the dogs awaiting the activities in the backyard at our friends.  There is so much activity there what with the birds, the chipmunks, the odd mouse, rabbit and groundhog that keeping vigil is their favourite passtime. 

Mine is to laugh.  I never will have high blood pressure and watching the antics of these two dogs is enough to keep me normal.

So, we were 15 minutes from exiting our former home when my sweetie thought he saw a spot on the ceiling.  He used a two step ladder to check, lost his balance, started falling and thought that with a new knee, a hip replacement, and didn't want to break his arm falling that he forgot the feet.  He now has a broken foot, is in an air cast and is out of commission for the next six weeks.  I, am in charge!

All our friends are howling when I tell them that I am now in charge of us.  I actually drove the big truck to the cottage without the sweetie white knuckling the dash.  He couldn't reach it he said after I drove out of the driveway, over the grass and the driveway of the neighbour next door.  I had two hours to practice keeping it on the road! 

So, we are here for the long weekend.  There is family here, we are eating and awaiting the International Space Station to pass over the cottage at 9:53pm tonight for four minutes.  So, I'm signing off.

By the way, I haven't been able to blog since cancelling our former internet provider and only today after ten days have I been able to bore you with my life. 

Strawberries are in season, flowers too and the flower guy from the cottage next door let the lady of the cottage deliver the flowers this week.  We are in a happy place.  Bob and Mary are here, the gang from next door is also having fun and life is good isn't it?

ELEANOR BURNS QUILT FINALLY FINISHED!

Do you remember the April 2010 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting which featured this quilt?

As I worked on it, it became the bloody quilt because of my frustrations with following directions!  Well, it is on a bed at our little cottage, in a little room, (9'X9') .   It looks fabulous!

I actually learned a new way of making geese and do have another geese thing going now, but somehow, of course it's me you know, the geese aren't quite in formation.  They are probably Canada Geese!

We are here at the cottage, making it home because in two weeks we are out of our city home.  I have all my quilting stuff here, the fabric in a cedar chest, the rest in bins which will be marked when I'm more settled.

The weather has been perfect.  In the mid 70s all week, sunshine, no humidity and a perfect breeze.  Absolute bliss for us and our dear friends who have been helping us get settled.

We head home for our final week of packing up. 
Just a note, the blogger doesn't let me comment on some blogs.  What's with that?  Fortunately, I can send notes to my favourite quilting buddies. 
Cheers from a little piece of heaven on earth!

COTTAGE LIVING

 What time of year is it?  It's time for flowers from my sweet neighbours.  Each year Kent has brought me bouquets of fabulous flowers that he picks from his neighbour's garden.  Isn't that special?  I'm always taking photos of the bouquets because they are truly spectacular.

 You know the socks I've been knitting when recovering from operations this past winter?  Well my granddaughter and her sweetie are the proud recipients.  The sweetie of granddaughter has asked that the next pair not contain any pink!  But I told him that strong men wear pink!  He doesn't believe me, but will wear them because they are homemade.  I love them!

And finally, we have a new truck.  We've never had a truck before.  The dog just thought it was too big and wanted to attack the wheels...ok, he lifted his leg on the tires!  It's what dogs do isn't it?  So we were coming back to the cottage so we put so much stuff in the back and lots more in the back seat.
Lots and lots of room and comfy too.  I'm pleased!

I am counting  my blessings each day as my foot heals.  I know, I know, I do go on about the stupid foot, but I truly am thankful that I am walking without pain and each morning it looks better and better.

Life is good and Bob and Mary are here for the week to make it even better.

FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY...MATCHING SHOES!

 Ok, for the past 7 weeks, I've been wearing missmatched shoes because of the foot operation.



Well, today is my day to put my feet in matching shoes.  No more of the orthopedic sandal to keep my toes straight, no more foot so swollen that
I didn't want to go out in public (oh I
did though)  looking like a dork.

The shoes that match are geox.  I dream of wearing something as simple as those.


This beauty sandal is Italian and would be comfortable don't you think, without breaking my neck.

But, this is the one that would break my neck and is probably the reason that I endured seven weeks of discomfort, wearing an ugly toe apparatus to correct the problem that I created in my wild and crazy days when I had at least two dozen pairs of high heeled shoes!  

Only in my dreams now ladies....only in my dreams.

WISTERIA VINES...

Here in Canada there is only one of the wisteria types that grows.  It is call Lawrence.

My daughter Kel has the most amazing one that grows on her arbour.

The flowers are about 2 ft or more in places...absolutely georgous.  The flowering season is also short, about ten days.  But the splendor they afford is fabulous.

I'm sorting stuff out here at the soon to be official residence.  We have a tonne of garbage going to the dump today so that we will make room for more stuff.

I'm still not quite able to sit with the foot down for an extended period of time, but hopefully next week I can start quilting.   I have most of my quilting stash here with the final batch coming this weekend of course.

I've been so laid up that exercising just hasn't been possible.  However, in the past couple of weeks, I've cut out floured items only and this morning was able to fit into a pair of capris that I've not worn in two years.   Wahoo!  I'm so proud of myself....and they fit comfortably too!  Even better.

We have a border collie that has arrived on our doorstep about an hour ago.  A sweet dog.  It's a good thing the kids aren't here, they'd be begging to keep him.  He's well fed with a collar and someone must be working on the island so he's found us. 

We are heading into the city to finish our packing.  It's hard letting go of precious items isn't it?

FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY- SPIKE IS OUT!

 I'm writing again about Friday on Saturday.  I can't seem to find the time on Fridays, I don't know if it's just too much on my mind that day, or I procrastinate...

Yesterday though was a real reason to write today because I had an 8:30 am appointment for the removal of the 5" spike as I called it that has been there for 6 weeks.  Ewww!  Yes, imagine that.  My grandkids just said...don't talk about your foot Nana....they couldn't look at it without cringing.  Imagine me?  I cringed for six weeks too!

Anyway, it came out in seconds, now I'm left with just the discomfort of it all.  I'm moving on

from this topic right now before you all start

going ewwww too!

I have been knitting during the bunion thing recovery so here is a couple of photos of the lovely socks that I knit.  I say lovely as I just love the colours in this variagated wool.  I have many more sock knit to show later and I now knit them variagated matching.  I know, it's more boring for me to match them up, but matchy matchy is now my challenge.

The second photo is the fingerless gloves that I've knit.  I also have those in variagated left over wool from the socks.  They really are my favourite thing to knit.  I made up the pattern myself and the thumb is either a left or right to knit.  It doesn't matter.  Easy to knit and fun for anyone who loves these projects.

This past Monday, we had the honour to witness the Civic Awards in Pickering, where our daughter lives with the two hopeful Olympians.  They were honoured to receive the Amateur Athletic Award from the city.  For them it was special, but for me the pride was so visible that I had a perpetual grin all evening.  They did us proud!

Civic awards are given to the unsung heroes of our communities.  Be it the person who gives of their time to coach children, to start a reading program, to spend endless hours preserving the heritage that is our places of residence.  To witness the awards on Monday just reminded me of how people generously give of their time.  We should look around and keep it in our hearts to say thank you to them. 

We are back at the cottage.  Of course it's raining today, dark and dreary too.  I just looked up at my hummingbird feeder and there is three, count them three females eating.  The females share the food.  The pesky males don't.  On days like this, the little birds will feed almost constantly to keep up their energy.

We bought beautiful hanging baskets yesterday on our way here.  As we put them on the dock there apppeared a hummer who couldn't wait till we hung them up.  Started on the flowers right away!  Absolute bliss for both of us to see.

I also plan to do some sewing this coming few days if my foot doesn't swell too much.  I'm moaning again I know, but  I want to!

No sign of the bear for the past week, wonderful news. 
Thanks for being here.  Sharing is everything in blogland.

9:38 pm, MONDAY NIGHT....OMG! OMG! OMG!

 I was putting the dogs out for their final outs of the night;  I was at the front deck with Mary (neighbour), the dogs started barking like crazy, then headed off to the back of the cottage!

I crossed from one door at the front to the back door, hitting the exterior back yard lights of the cottage. 

OMG! OMG! OMG!  there he was, not 20 feet fromme and the dogs who were looking at him too!

 It was all I could say because I thought that the stupid white wonder dog named Wilson would start chasing the bear!

Didn't happen thank goodness as I gave them the stearnest of the signal to get in the cottage. 

I think the bear was startled by the lights so he didn't move.  20 ft from my back door! OMG!

My sweetie who was in bed reading, ran out to see what was happening, Bob also, and Mary nearly fainted thinking that the dogs (who are pretty stupid you know) could have been attacked or chased the bear.

The bear went behind one of our cabins.  We put a very powerful light on him and he just stood there!  Mary had never been this close to a bear and decided that she didn't want to ever again.

We waited for a long time to see if it came back to the garbage bins.  (Remember the bunker from last year that he destroyed?)  My sweetie moved the bins to the workshop.  Sure he thought to say that the bear could just hit the door and there would go another project!

We went to bed leaving all the exterior lights on.  He didn't come back but the dogs sure were crazy with sniffing this morning.  OMG!

We called all our neighbours, specially Helen (my private teacher) who sleeps in a cabin separate from their cottage.  She said that she heard noises all night.  So did I! OMG!  20 ft is close enough thank you!

This morning Helen came with her

quilts that she has finished for children

who live in Newfoundland.  I hope

the photos do these cute quilts justice.  I just love the polka dots  (are you surprised?) on the back of the quilt.  $2.00 per metre on sale at Fabricland Helen said.  What a bargain.

A lucky boy is getting the very colourful beauty.

Usually when Helen says "pink" it

means that the quilt will be pale to me as Helen loves the delicate look of pinks.  Well this is a beauty!

It's medium pink, with the green squares just giving it the pizzaz it needs.  She quilted the back in the same pink variagated thread as the front.  It looks fabulous.

She also used scraps of fabrics on the back since this little girl is very girly!  Isn't it cute?

We have arrived at the cottage to spend a week with friends Bob and Mary, also had the gang of grandkids here too.  Eating is a favourite pass time when it's a rainy weekend.   Courtney's special guy actually went swimming!

OMG!  The water is freezing folks!

Rhubarb coffee cake was a huge success for Anatoly (Courtney's guy) who hadn't eaten rhubarb ever.  He is originally from the Ukraine.  He loved it.  Also had strawberry rhubarb pie one night...he loved that too!   I love people with great appetites don't you?

If you google Rhubarb coffee cake from quilting at the cottage you can get this absolutely fabulous recipe.  Don't make it if anyone is dieting...it's a killer!

I came to the cottage with tops to set up, but not pins, no glues, no scissors, nothing!  So, I am going to hunt bear! 

THE HAT!

 Ok, it had to happen!  The ugiest hat worn at the Wedding!  Anyone who watched saw this hat! 


It was only a matter of time before there were photos enhanced  and made fun of on the web.

So this morning, still rainy here in Ontario, still foggy too, I received an email

showing THE HAT!

Some were pretty bad, but for the sake of good taste....yes, I'm feeling generous this morning, I am showing only this little tidbit of what was done to THE HAT!

We have started packing.  Well my sweetie is packing, I'm in a funk at sorting out my stash etc into bins to take to the cottage tomorrow which is when we leave for the long weekend coming.

We will have the place full with friends and family having fun and hopefully good weather.  But as the saying goes, "the worst day at the cottage beats the best day in the city."

Hopefully when the bins are at the cottage I will quilt one of the four tops that are packed and ready to go.

Cheers to everyone on this spring morning.

TOTALLY AWESOME STUFF!

 Just browsing the internet one day when I saw this
photo of a robe.  It's made of wood!  Can you believe
this?


The artist makes these "quilted " items look absolutely
real!

Even up close they look real.





This jacket needs no explanation. 










Just a throw hanging on a hook!  It's all out of
wood.




Wouldn't you just love to have this as art on a wall?

And finally wouldn't you just love to wake up one morning

and look out your sea view window, or sail by these orcas, or be on a ferry crossing over to Vancouver Is

and see these magnificant creatures playing as they

move to more quiet waters?

Absolute bliss for a Friday afternoon.

So enjoy your weekend dear blogging friends, be thankful for the simple joys in life.

AT THE COTTAGE.CALM

 Who could ask for better weather to put docks in at the cottage.  The lake this Monday morning was so calm that there were about a dozen loons fishing across the way.Also, as the boat and the dock were coming around the corner of the island, it looked like a procession of loon, boat and dock heading our way, but I didn't have camera in hand, so the moment was lost.

Just to show you the calmness of the water, this is right across the lake to another large island with a small boat just heading west.  What a reflection, don't you think?

It took about 15 minutes to attached the dock to the large ramp.  The

lines that anchor the docks are so visible, so all the chains are being attached

as I'm posting this.

Needless to say, the dogs are happy and supervising the work.

I've not been sewing or posting as the foot is taking a bit more time to heal.  All the stitches are out, so only the pin is still attached to the toe.  I tell you, this has not been a happy experience, although many jokes at my expense have been told.  Friends!

We arrived here Thursday and met the neighbours (no longer new, please note) Kent and Kathleen who helped load us up, they loaded themselves in no time.  We were all excited to see each other, anticipating our arrival at the cottages.  They had boat trouble, but that was fixed quite quickly and we all had the best day to open our cottages.

Since I'm still recouping, I decided that we should have a pizza night with K & K and also Derek and Helen who had arrived the previous week.  What fun we had as we all tried to tell our winter stories at the same time!

Kent introduced a new Spanish champagne...Kava or something like that which was delicious!  I mean delicious as I'm not a big champagne drinker at all.

Mary and Bob of course were here to help us open, so, once more we are settled in for the season.  Next week, I'm bringing up the sewing machine with the bins of fabric all neatly packed and ready for the move.

My daughter had the best Mother's day, perfume from Alex, and her darling Jeremy went to the ballgame for the afternoon.  Absolute quiet for her...bliss.

I remember my son Ted making me a mother's day coffee, he put six spoons of sugar in it, it was lukewarm, as he couldn't use the stove at the age of five.  So he used tap water.  I drank it while he and the other children looked on with total love in their eyes!  My best day ever!

FTF....THE ROYAL WEDDING KISS

Ok, I got up at 5:30 am to watch the wedding.  Just one of over two billion people to see the pomp and ceremony! 

What can I say, loved the dress.  Loved the simplicity of the little bouquet.  Loved the simple veil to go with the georgous tiara.

The Brits are the only people that have all the trimmings one needs to put on a show of this kind.  They've got the uniforms, the horses trained, the carriages, and not to mention the palace to have it all.

Yep, it was history in the making.  We won't see anything like this in my lifetime. 

You know, so many brides don't even look like themselves on their wedding day and I hear that the one thing she said to everyone was " I want William to recognize me!"  He did. 

I wish  them much happiness.

HAPPY EASTER AS I RECOVER FROM SURGERY!

This is my first time up since surgery last Monday.  Happy Easter to all and thank you for the kind emails I've received.

I haven't been at the computer as this bunion surgery believe it or not was more painful than the hip replacement.  Hard to believe I know.  I am now hobbling around with a screw sticking out of my second toe, aching back because of the changes to my body structure when walking. 

Every time |I am on my feet, the stupid toes swell.  Swell!  Yeah it's an old saying for wonderful! 

So, needless to say, I'm a moaning fool, am not able to help with the Easter dinner planned at my friend's house.  I am going to repay this kindness in huge way, soon.