FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY....LITTLE HINTS.

I love to organize things.  Especially in the kitchen.  I do it because I hate to move around too much looking for things when creative juices flow (sic).


Anyway, I've collected over the years, lazy susans that I've picked up at good will or sally anne stores. 

I put one in the fridge on the top shelf for keeping mustards, relishes, jams and jars or some such that I can reach with just the touch of a spin.

On another shelf I have this place which stores, salt and pepper shakers, along with the sugar and butter which is just above the coffee

pot for ease of use in the mornings.

Now, the spice one is double as it can hold so much of the spices that we all use in our daily lives.  This is probably one that everyone has.  I also, if you note have a little jar on the top shelf which I saved from a jam jar.  This one has the spice cans in alphabetical order, again for ease

of use.

Just above the spice rack is this one which has the too tall things.  Again, self explanatory.

I do try to keep all baking items together as most of us do.

Finally, the sugar storage is a used

coffee can.  When anyone needs the

sugar they can see it plainly.  Need I mention who would not know where the sugar is after all these years?

Anyway, I love reorganizing the shelves.  I always have done this and at the cottage where I have much smaller space to work with I have a large lazy susan under the counter

which, as you can imagine has small

susans on that one too!

After watching me play with the camera in the kitchen, and not getting a treat...the dog Quincey collapsed!

Me?  I'm late again for posting on Fridays as I don't know where the time goes when I'm basically doing

nothing, except knitting socks although I did go look at my sewing today....yep, it's all still there!

FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY....ON SATURDAY.

 It's been a long winter, I wish it was warm, I wish I was in the Caribbean!

This winter, what with the knees and hips being in repair it was not to be.

So I gaze at photos taken by  people who are there.  Many of them are on the British Virgin Island sites which is where I'd prefer to have gone.

The turtles are protected in the BVI,
so one sees large ones during day
sails.  Not unusual to see dolphins

either during this time of year.

Then of course the surfing at Cane Garden Bay can be pretty hairy what    with the pelicans vying for the fish in the surge that rushes to the beach....or what is left of it after rough seas out of the north.

But if one wants peaceful, then  go to Smuggler's cove for the day to snorkle, and just sit sipping rum punches or pina coladas.  This beach is secluded, no one lives there so it's quiet most of the time.  Except of course when the cruise ships come into Roadtown, then three thousand people a day could descend on this once tranquil little island. 

But mostly, I'd sit on the beach, read, sip this and that and watch the world go by.  What's a person to do in paradise anyway?

At day's end,  I'd get ready to have dinner at a beach restaurant, watch the sunset, revel in the beauty of our earth as night falls on our beautiful tropics.

I was lazy yesterday, wanted to post, but I'm still in the winter funk.  I'm not sewing but knitting as I try to find my creative juices....and sunshine to make me feel warm and fuzzy.

FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY!--LAUGHTER

 As you all know by now, FTF is about just that.  What's your favourite thing.

I love to laugh.  God, I am one of those that just bends over and gets it out from the toes to the top of my head.  My  eyes run, so does my nose and sometimes, I must stop because I may get one of those headaches that can come from laughing so hard.

This week, The Money Pit movie was on with Tom Hanks and Shelly Long.  My sweetie said he laughed at me for laughing so hard at the antics of their buying the house that was falling apart.

We bought an old house years ago.  It had a light

that never turned off!  We couldn't find the switch and my

sweetie was an electrician!  Well one night  about

a month after we had moved in, the light went out.

We looked everywhere for the switch one more time.

I was home early one day, decided to wash the exterior

windows, had a ladder and unscrewed the light, put in

a new one and when Jerry drove up in the late autumn

night, he saw the light on....he ran in and asked...Where

is the light?...I told him that the light bulb had been

exchanged and I still didn't know where to turn it off.

We had our money pit of a house too!

I love a good joke.  I particular love

a play on words type of joke and my

sweetie tells me those whenever he

hears them.

We are dog lovers, so they make us laugh a lot.  The new neighbours have a two year old retriever who makes us laugh all the time at his antics.

Then there is our grandkids, particularly this photo of our girl winning a race that was close and the relief of the win made her laugh as well as cry from the sheer joy of it.

Don't we all just love a funny story, a great story told by someone animated with the telling.  

 Laughter in addicting, pass it on.

WONKY STAR QUILT

 Here is the wonky star in full mode from Helen who raised over $100.00 for the auction in Kearny last weekend.  A surprise for her that so much was bid, then finding out that a friend had bought it too!  She is very very happy to know it went to a good home.

Also posted from Helen is a throw she made for her mom who is now in a retirement home after 93 years of living independently.  Helen added the buttons for little details of a simple throw. 

Now you know why I keep her busy with

questions about quilting and needle work.

Note the antique sideboard behine the chair.  It's just one example of the Canadian and American antiques she has throughout her lovely home. 

Funny that we are such good friends, as I am totally modern in my decor and her love is older the better...

I've not posted as Shay noted, for a while.  I do think the grey days, the long winter days which are almost over have affected me.  I just don't feel like sewing much.  I've been a knitting fool, making more socks, and the fingerless gloves which now have thumbs, be it not fancy but cute!

The knee guy is doing his work of therapy very well, getting thoroughly bored with reading and tv, but  is happy to have progressed to the cane at least half the walking times.  Good after four weeks since replacement.

Please send sunshine to us here in Whitby...we need it! 

WONKY STARS AND WHITE QUILT

My friend Helen (private teacher at the cottage) loves the Ohio Star quilt block as one of her favourites.  She has made a few different quilts using this block. 

So, it's not surprising that she made this one making it a wonky star.  I only managed to get this photo from her, but her free motion work is so lovely.  She loves to outline the stars, feeling that it makes them stand out.  I think she is correct in this.  This quilt was made for a charity auction last weekend to promote dog sled racing in Ontario.

 I like nine patch.  I've made three

variations of this quilt. My sweetie uses this one for his lap quilt, I have one with pink border, and also a smaller one with another blue border.

I love the white in these quilts.  I saw a white quilt at crazy mom's blog this past week which reminded me of how white truly pops colours when used.   Don't you agree?

We are awaiting warm weather this coming Thursday.  In Canada we count the days till it arrives as it truly is a sign that spring is not too far away.  In Arkansas, where |Karen Quilts lives, she is almost rid of all her bits of snow.  I'm hoping for the warmth of the sun to rid us of a good deal of it over the next few days.  We are all feeling the cold I think, none more so than Barb as she moved from Samoa to the Eastern seaboard.  This winter has been a shock to her system.  Spring is coming, spring is coming, I keep saying that to myself all the time.....

SOCKS, AND MORE SOCKS

It's been cold, too cold for me to go to the basement to sew, maybe it's just me, but I just didn't want to go down there last week.

So I knit...I knit socks, one pair went to my sweetie to keep his tootsies warm while doing his exercises and moaning a lot, but still going through the discomfort of knee

therapy. 

The colours don't show as well in the

photos here, but there is a yellow pair

then a white pair which would fit me, but which will probably go to one of

the girls.

And another yellow pair.

I had also bought some bright coloured wool when I was out to Fabricland last week and decided that I would make what is called in our family, Happy Feet....The sizes are the same but the colours are just for fun and a lot more fun to knit as well. The girls love these and their 

friends are always asking where they 

got them.

The pattern is very easy, from 

Canadian Living Magazine that I was

given.  So this green pair will be going to a good home as soon as one of the girls claims them.

Not being a Super Bowl fan, we relaxed at the table with a delicious ribs dinner and my sweetie has retired early so I'm blogging and visiting everyone tonight.  You are probably all watching the Green Bay Packers hopefully win....

Have you noticed the days getting longer?  We still have day light at 5:30 when the sun is shining it's a sign that we are not far from spring...can't wait for it.

FTF....SUMMER AT THE COTTAGE

I'm missing summer today...it's my favourite all time thing in January.

Those of us that go to our little piece of paradise in the summer are beginning to count the days till then.

We have had a very cold few weeks, storms everywhere around us, so cold that it's too much to make the effort to go outside to even fetch the mail.

I'm missing the lazy days of the sun beaming down on the dock in the afternoon, having a chat with Helen about quilting, checking out how the "new" old neighbours are faring, and maybe having a glass of vino to round out the day...and Mary enjoying her retirement.

It's February, only 90 days to go.

TEXAS STORM IS COMING AND I'M READY FOR IT!

We usually hear of storms coming from the north, but this one is a Texas storm so we know it's going to be big.

I'm ready for it.  I have gloves for quilting which I found for under $4.00 at Fabricland.  They are Fons and Porter, don't know how good they will be, but the others I have cost around $10.00.  I couldn't resist them, and they are yellow, so much brighter than the photo you see.

I also have these fat quarters that came in the mail last week.  One never knows how long the post will take to send our goodies so Cathy sent these out from US and they only took about 5 days to get here.


Barb sent me these fabulous prints before she left Samoa to move to the cold cold climate of North America once again. 

The shock of her poor body from one extreme to the other I am sure.  So these are ready for the storm too.

I was in Fabricland looking for accent colour to add to these beauties when a woman asked me about these fabrics, so I told her Samoa, and she actually had been there!  Small, small world.

Can't believe I actually managed to get the photos uploaded, on the blog and without the frustrations of one that doesn't know much about computers.  I'm taking the computer courses offered at the seniors centre next fall.  Never mind the quilting courses, computer education is a must!

My blog is looking different because....I can't tell you because I don't know what.  I just wanted my photos to be on the right like they used to be, so design blog wasn't helpful.

I am still //// all over the place when typing... the geeky guy better get here soon!
Batten down the hatches people...I've got the snowblower filled with gas, and the Aussies are awaiting a tropical storm...it's going to be a few busy days in blogland.

NEW COMPUTER!

I bought a new computer on the weekend.  Acer, pretty basic.  I'm like the dog and can't see how to work it for the life of me!

The keys are in different places, so I keep doing this...\\\\ because the capitalizing icon is to the left of that \\\.  I also have a caluclator on this thing, so the keyboard is over a bit from my last one.

But, let me tell you...\\\\\\\I bought it at Future Shop in Oshawa, about 15 minutes drive from my home.  Chris, the salesperson was wonderful in dealing with a woman who basically blogs, emails, and seaches for quilting stuff.

I am having fun with it till the geeky guy named Bob  comes over to put the photos in pictures, the favourites in their spot, the emails entered.  Can't wait.

So to Chris at Future Shop, thanks, and Acer for giving me a large screen, wahoo!

MY GIRL....FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY

I have one daughter.  Only one, so she has all the responsibilities that those with two or more share.  Daughters are for life.  Daughters are our memories keeper.  Daughters are so like us that it gets scary.  Daughters also are so different.   Daughters are sometimes the people we wish we were more like them.

This is mine.. Kelly is a July baby..  She is a cancer...if you look up cancer people, she is it.  She has been a great goal setter for her family.  Her life is family.  Her children know the sacrifices she has made so that they may achieve their dreams.

She is the most loving aunt, and both Tory and Alex will attest to this.  She is the best step daughter anyone could ask for, my sweetie will attest to this.  She is the best daughter, I attest to this.

Thank you for being my daughter.

SPRING FLING QUILT...ALMOST FINISHED!

I have never done a quilt that I will be so glad to have finished and put away, or give away or anything to take it out of my face....this is the one.

It's not that it wasn't fun at the beginning to make, it's not that it isn't pretty, it's not the size, which is queen, it's the time that it's taken to just do it!  It's been since last April when I got the issue of All People Quilt that I saw this and just had to do it!  Well, I've almost done it!

I'm sick and tired of looking at it.  Does that ever happen to you to a project that you've done, and felt the same way?  I start a project and finish it, then move on.  With this one, I've had to take a break, mind you I did send it out to be basted.

I also had a hip replaced, and 6 weeks of therapy.  But that's not the point.   I'm sick of doing this one, that's all.  I just can't imagine a hand quilter making a queen size quilt and not getting sick and tired  of the project.

AND....I still have the geese to outline, the binding to put on, which thank goodness it's done as Helen (my private teacher lol) made it  last summer on one of those glorious afternoons at the cottage.

So while this is a bit of a rant...I'm almost done!  I'm almost done, and if I click my slippers maybe it will finish itself.

Did I sound like the sucky puppy?

MY FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY....DOING NOTHING.

I tell you that there are days when I just don't feel like doing anything.  I wake up sometimes with lots of ambition, but once the coffee has been brewed and drunk...I'm done for the day!

Today, I just wanted to do what the leopard was doing....so I did.  Well almost because being Florence Nightingale has taken up a bit of my days, and my poor sweetie is huffing and puffing at his therapy in the hopes that he survives my care....it's ok though as Sewlmate Sister Ruth has given me the lecture of a lifetime to be NICE...I am being nice....it's hard on me but the endeavour will win me points later on.

I did work on the quilt that I started last summer, Eleanor Burns' Spring Fling or something like that. I just want to be done with it and move on.

Barb sent me a lovely jelly roll when I was on the mend and I bought some fabric, I have a top done that I had to do because the above noted quilt was driving me crazy!  Queen size quilts are hard to manoeuvre on a sewing machine, so I had to do something to not go crazy.

So that's why today, I did nothing and now I feel guilty.  Happy?

BEST KNEE REPLACEMENT EXERCISES!

THIS IS WHAT I CALL CROCHETING!

I found this photo from a bunch sent to me last week.  Now this is crocheting at its best, don't you think?

Where do people come up with this stuff?  I crochet....but would never ever go out and do a tree!

So  thought I'd give you a chuckle for the day. 

The web is an incredible source of infor-

mation and we use it for our uses and then some of the ridiculous.  This could all be photo generated, but it's still a fun shoot.

Last week there seemed to be so many postings of flowers, butterfles, and such that I think we are in the "wishing for spring" thinking...specially those of us here in the wintery climates.

I found this butterfly photo to show that this is the mother of all butterflies....maybe it's a moth too.  I really can't tell, but it's a beauty isn't it?

We are two days away from my sweetie having knee replacement, so I shan't be writing about pain and suffering.  Needless to say, he knows what's coming, I know what's coming and you that know anyone that's had knee surgery knows....I am going to really really try to be a good nurse.   It's not my forte, but the guy looked after me so well that the least I can do is ensure that he's up and about as fast as can be....after all my sweetie is the one who does the vacuuming.

Just kidding of the above.  Really, he's not looking forward to this, other than the morphine which he cannot stay on for the rest of his life!  He will recover as I have, without a hobble and feel like he can conquer the world!  I do.

For those of you having parents or grandparents still living from World War Two, I just read that Richard Winters, Easy Company, aka, Band of Brothers has passed away at the age of 92.  He was a leader that his men "would follow into hell".  And for some, they did.  It's because of men like him that we are here today.

FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY

I'm happy that we are back in the groove of the New Year.

My favourite thing for this day is just looking forward to the weekend. I'm retired so it shouldn't matter should it? But it does.

It means family and friends who aren't are available through the week have time for sharing our lives even for a couple of days.

I look forward to the surprises that happen on the weekends...friends dropping by, an impromptu meeting for brunch, simple pleasures. That's what Fridays are about.