Weekend over...

Well we had a pretty relaxing weekend, but yesterday I discovered I forgot my anniversary!  No, not "OUR" (Mr. O and I ) anniversary, but my blog's 1st Anniversary. It was 3 weeks ago; June 22! I was waiting for it, and then I got so busy, it slipped right by without me even noticing. Shame  on me!

Hard to believe a year has passed since I started blogging. I mentioned  a little while ago that I was going to have a little give away. I was wondering if any one had noticed any kind of a theme going on with my blog titles. The last 23  posts or so have had a sort of theme. I also slipped up in the midst of it and missed one entry...did you notice it?
If you have any idea what I am talking about drop me a comment. I have had people say to me that they can't comment...doesn't work...but let me help. Drop down to the end of the post and where it says 0 comments click that. A new window will open with a blank comment box above which says Post a comment. Write your comment in the box...then directly under that box it has a drop dowm box with the question "Comment as"...if you have a Google account choose that option, or scroll down to where it says anonymous. Click that one. Then click the small box that says "Post Comment"
You may get a message saying it cannot be posted, but clickPost comment again. You may also have to  type in a scrambled bunch of letters as verification. Do that then post comment and it should work.
Now I realize there will be thousands ,hundreds , tens  okay maybe one or two comments to this post. For those of you who give me the right answer as to what the continuing theme has been for the last 20 or so posts, I have a little giftie. Want to see it?

It is a charm pack with 30 charms. I opened the package to show you all the yummy prints inside...

Now I know you only see 10 charms here, but there are three of each print. Guess what? I only needed 25 charms to make the "strawberry social" purse. They go a lot further than you think.

I have a little extra something to throw in with it too. It is a bone folder; well they used to be made of bone, Mr. O made this one out of wood, but let me tell you it is a handy little gadget. Looks something like this . It can press a quick seam for you, and push out corners when you need that done too. I also use it in my scrapbooking for scoring paper, and creasing cardstock.I am sure it has other uses too, but you get the idea...

So drop me a comment and I will get Mr. O to draw from the all-l-l-l the winning answers.

Let's say give me your answer by next Sunday midnight and I will post the winner Monday morning. 

Undoubtedly a few more to go...

Well I did indeed  make a start on my Winter Wonderland blocks. I finished 2 blocks and now I am excited to get to the rest.

Now I know that 2 blocks hardly makes a quilt. No matter which way I arranged them they just did not make a quilt. And one alone was too big to use as a coater...I tried....

and not quite big enough for a table topper...unless of course your table is the size of a toadstool...I know; I tried...

But you have to agree they are kind of  charming all by themselves.

I can only imagine how nice they will look assembled with all the other blocks. You may have noticed that I have a new photo in my sidebar. I took the process pledge,(hope I did it correctly) and now you get to follow along in my process of finishing this quilt...and hopefully a few more. I am hoping this will keep me motivated to move forward quickly with this project and not let it fall into the UFO basket. I may need a bit of cheering and encouragement to help me along the way... I do tend to get sidetracked easily. My goal is to have it finished and ready to use by the Christmas season...there! I've said it...now I have to do it!

Tomorrow is here!

I said I would post pics of the purse I donated "tomorrow "and tomorrow is here. I managed to get a couple of pics of the purse, before the finishing touches were added. After these shots were taken I added a vintage white button on the little flap of the front pocket. Also added a magnetic closure to the purse. I may have to make another one. I kind of liked it, and it was a quick and easy project.

Sort of looks "Strawberry Social-ish" eh.

Want to know what  making this purse did? It made me very anxious to start back to work on my Winter Wonderland quilt. I think I may just make a block or two today...

Success...sort of

A few successful projects in the last while, and a few that need a little "adjusting". My roadside numbers turned out ok. I was not able to get a stencil for the letters and numbers and I had to free hand them, which is normally not a problem, but a little trickier on a rounded surface and trying to make them all the same size was a bit of a challenge as well, but as Mr. O says,"those imperfections will never be seen from an airplane". The flowers were not exactly what I wanted either, but again, "they're ok".

The birdbaths were much easier to assemble than expected. I haven't seen any birds "bathing" yet, but they look nice, so I 'm ok with that too. And really who bathes in front of an audience? Maybe they are just a bit shy...and wait for me to leave before splashing about in their little bathtubs. I like to think so anyway.

The birdfeeders on the other hand need a little tweaking. Mr O came to the rescue and did the drilling through the glass pieces that I needed done,and he came through with some great suggestions for the actual constructing of these little gems. Truth be told he actually did as much (or more) of the assembling of this project than I did. During construction we tossed around the idea that maybe the base of the feeders needed to be a bit bigger, but we used what we had and thought we would give it a try. However I need to change the bottom of the feeders because ther is not enough of a lip on the bottom plate for the birds to perch on while eating...and it has been suggested that possibly they resemble a hive and that is why my feathered friends are staying away. They sure look nice though...don't you agree.

Been busy with company too. Had a great time with my son and his family.  I have also volunteered at the local library/museum making curtains for the windows,and today they are having a strawberry social. I have biscuits to make and and I am also working at he door selling tickets. I decided yesterday to make a bag to donate to the cause. They always do the strawberry social as a fundraiser, and usually one of the local ladies donates a small quilted project to sell tickets on to help boost the funds. She is dealing with health issues this year and is away for treatments so I decided to step up to the plate and make something. I made a quilted tote/purse. It is in reds and whites with a bit of green. Perfect "strawberry social" colors don't you think?

It still needs a button sewn on so I won't have pictures til tomorrow, and I have to make my biscuits yet, so I really must run. Happy summer!

Riddles

Totally unrelated to quilting, but it is what it is. We had dinner at a friends home on Sunday. The children entertained us with some very cute riddles. I wrote them down because I knew I would forget them, and guess what? I can't find the paper. The only one I remember is this;

Why was piglet looking in the toilet?

'Cause he was looking for Pooh!

cute eh?

I am saving that one for my grandchildren when they arrive next week. They usually always try to have a new one for me when we get together,so this time I will surprise them with one. We like to take an hour and go play "pooh sticks" at one of the bridges on a quiet road up the river. I may save it for then.

I will leave you with one two of my favorite Pooh quotes; (who am I kidding, they are all my favorites!)

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."

...and...

Never forget me, because if I thought you would, I'd never leave.”

Quilt as you go? ...or maybe knit as you go.

A very clever quilting friend suggested that she was going to try to machine quilt her
Winter Wonderland quilt on her home machine. I wonder if I can do that... Welsh Quilter sure makes it look simple. I mean there would not be that much hand stitching, because the center stitchery part would be all one piece. I wonder...
I just may do a bit of practicing. Here is the tutorial I was reading...sure looks easy.

Just nine more posts to go and I will be doing a fabric give-away. You need to answer a question for me though. I will draw a name from all the right answers I recieve...will post a pic of the prize a little closer to the day. I can tell you though that it is a charm pack; and I may even get a notion to throw in a notion.

Well I have wasted enough time this morning; yard work is calling me.
I have a friend who was living in Peru for a while. She stayed in touch with informative e-mails and absolutely wonderful pictures.(Thanks Florence!)

 I am posting this one that she titled, "Wasting No Time". It is my most favorite.

Don't you just love the colors in the clothing...and the fact that these people are so resourceful. This woman is gathering firewood, but also knitting a sweater as she walks! Shame on me! I think knitting while watching a movie is resourceful.

OH, I almost forgot to mention. There is a very sweet give away happening over at Primitives From The Heart. Just look who might possibly come to live at your house.....

Head over and enter your name for a chance to "adopt" Annie.

Pondering Plenty of Project Patterns

Want a peek at what I have been finding on line. Free patterns! Got to love free patterns!

Check out the Happy Little Lanterns . Can't you just see colorful paper chinese lanterns dancing in the breeze outside the cottage or on your gazebo? That is what that quilt reminds me of.

The next one is not a pattern really; it is a tutorial but would make a lovely gift for a housewarming; you could frame it, but you could do something much smaller like a cushion, with a pieced border. I am sure the possibilities are endless. Check it out right here .

Canada Day is fast approaching. How about this one? It is small but the size could be changed to make placemats quite easily.

What about a tutorial for Grandmothers Flower Garden . This gal gives some mighty clever tips along the way and this gal explains it her way and gives you lots of pictures. I always said that I figured anyone making one of these babys needed therapy, but these gals make it look so easy I am going to give it a try. It is a perfectly  portable project! You know I may have had it worng all these years...you don't need therapy; doing these little gems is therapy!
While you are there slide down and check out her patterns. My goodness she leaves nothing out. I tried to pick a favorite but I love them all...the quilters world is awesome right down to the cord on her iron, and the gingerbread man one with the recipe; and the scarecrow one... womans work or comforts of home
Did I mention I can't pick a favorite?

Well that's it...your turn to find some. Don't forget to share them with me though!

Now because a post just doesn't measure up without a photo..

Know what I will be doing tomorrow?  Watching the sun set right here. See you at the beach!

Not seeing much sun...

What's up with that?  Weather man is so wishy washy these days; rain; no rain; sun; no sun. Make up your mind already, I got painting to do! One set of steps painted and one left to do before heading to paradise. I have a few little projects I would  like to try once I get there. Here is one of them. Here is another. I have been gathering up vintage glass pieces to make one of these. Have a few other projects along the same line for feeders and just totems too.

I must run...got to try to make the front entry steps  look as spiffy as these ones.

Oh by the way...Want to see what I made for dessert yesterday? Talk about an easy dessert. Tasty too! Looks like you really fussed But you didn't! My kind of dessert!

M-M-M Muffins and More

When we arrived home this week the grass was almost knee high and the rhubarb! ...well let me say we have a bumper crop of rhubarb this year, so I am trying all kinds of rhubarb recipes. Today after cleaning and chopping a VERY large basket of rhubarb;

( how large was it you say? )

Large!

This is only a portion of it, and what you are looking at is about 12 - 14 inches deep in my large stainless steel sink.

One of the recipes I tried today is from a quilt guild cookbook called Put This On Your Dresden Plate.

 Pecan Rhubarb Muffins.

Quick and Easy and best of all very yummy!

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. I put all the wet ingredients in my handy dandy Tupperware gravy shaker. Give them a good shake. Add to the dry; stir in the rhubarb, and Voila! ...you are done.

See that little vintage chopper. Well I have knives, and Kitchen Aid Food Choppers and mini choppers, and a Magic Bullet, all very good chopping tools but this is what I usually reach for when a recipe calls for a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts. By the way, just as a matter of interest. Have you ever wondered exactly what a recipe means when it asks for a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts? Do you measure the nuts first and then chop them or do you chop them and then measure them?

If the recipe says "1/2 cup of nuts; chopped" then you measure and then chop BUT if the recipe says "1/2 cup of chopped nuts" you chop them and then measure. Now I know you smart people probably already knew that, but I just thought I would through in that little tidbit of info for free.

By the way, you wanna see what they looked like fresh out of the oven?

M-M-M- muffins!

While we were away in Ontario last week Mr. O and I took a lovely drive to Markdale to go fabric shopping at one of my favorite quilt shops.  (Actually I fabric shopped and Mr. O went exploring a few country roads.) While in Markdale we stopped into a little Deli/Cafe/Tea Shoppe. The shop owner is also an accomplished rug hooker. Several of her smaller projects were on display in her shop. a very quaint little stop indeed! The food was absolutely wonderful. I had homemade Chicken Pot Pie and Butternut Squash Soup, and for dessert Fresh Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Without a doubt the best S. R. pie I have evah tasted! The pastry was wonderful and the filling was just a perfect balance of sweet and tart.

I have a habit of trying to identify the ingredients that are in a new dish. Mr. O says "just eat and enjoy" but the cook in me needs to distinguish tastes so I can replicate them when I make them at home. Well this pie had the usual strawberries and rhubarb and sugar etc. but also had just enough orange rind and juice in it to accent the other flavors beautifully. Oh my it was good. Couldn't have done better myself. Tomorrow I hope to make a couple of SR pies and I have picked out a recipe I think may be just what I want.

Orange Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

3 1/2 cups  chopped rhubarb

2 1/2 cups strawberries

1 TBS  orange rind

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup flour

2 cups sugar

pastry for a 10" pie

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a 10" pie crust. Cover with a lattice top pastry. Bake at 375 for 1 hr. and 15 min.

I also have a Rhubarb Slush recipe to try out as well as an Impossible Rhubarb Pie. Stay tuned for results.

I leave you with a few pics of some of the hooked projects. Please excuse the quality of the photos, they were taken with our phone.

On our way out of the cafe, the waitress showed me a hooked project that her boss had made that won an Ontario competion last year. It was a scene from Lunenburg. I was so intrigued with the work I forgot to take a photo of that one...oops!

Look who else was there...

Mr. O and Mr. O. (Jr.) were among the 10,000 who signed up to run the Ottawa Half Marathon! I surprised them both with new running shirts. Wha'd'ya think?

Geared up and ready to run. It was a cool morning, but perfect for running the 21K.

In the corral and waiting for the starting gun.

Fast forward "Just" 21.1 k  and 2 hours and 22 minutes later, and it was all over.

A proud moment.

Congratulations guys! You done good!

kilometer x 10

Well I did it! I started out with very sore feet , new orthotics, new shoes, and determination to finish. I won't bore you with all the details, but I will give you a few pics.

My daughter-in-law and I; just before leaving the hotel room to head to the race site. Do I look worried ?Apprehensive? Concerned ? ..well indeed I was!

After all it is 6:30 in the evening, and we have been beating around Ottawa all day...and we are heading into a 10 km. walk...and I am no spring chicken you know!

Approaching the starting line along with almost 10,000 other "athletes" as they called us. I had to grin every time I heard the announcer refer to the "athletes". You see I had no problem thinking of all of the other participants as athletes, but ..me? What an honor to be associated with this event and all these "athletes".

The people waiting and lined up behind the start line went back almost 1km. Keep in mind this was just one event. There were several thousand that had just finished the 5 k and another 10,000 - 15,000 waiting to run the 1/2 marathon and full marathon in the morning. Mind boggling!

Two of our youngest and cutest cheerleaders and fans. AKA my granddaughters Emma and Megan.

And the journey begins...

10 Km. and 1 hour and 42 minutes later we got these lovely medals. (Just like all the other athletes!)

We did not come in first, but we did finish; and that was our goal.

Was I sore? You better believe it! When my muscles starting cramping up, I could barely walk, and when I jokingly asked this guy if he was there to take us back home to our room he said, "Sure!"

And I wasn't about to argue.

Thank you Mr. O! It would have been a very long walk...