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...

Just when you thought I was gone forever; here I am

Back from Mom's. It was to be a quick trip this time. Arriving on the 10th and coming back home on the 19th.
As some of you know my departure FOR Mom's was delayed because my Mother-in law was very ill and hospitalized. Well my departure FROM Mom's was very nearly delayed as well. Poor Mom. The afternoon before I was to leave, hurt herself quite badly. She was carrying a cup of hot soup and fell, scalding her left hand and arm, bruising and cutting her chin, and breaking her right hand; yes the hand that was so badly injured in the accident last July. She was so discouraged and hurting that I very nearly cancelled my flight home. If it was not that I had appointments here at home I may have stayed longer. Dear sweet Mr. O said to me on the phone that morning, "Well if you have to cancel and stay longer, go ahead..." I know that was not an easy thing to say considering I have been away so much in the last year.

I did arrive home close to midnight Wednesday, absolutely exhausted. It was a very full 9 days to say the least. Doctors appointments, Lawyers appointments, Social Services, Nuring Home appointments, getting my brother settled in his new accomodations, chores for Mom which included painting, sewing, shopping, etc.
I am tired.
 I am home for 6 days and then gone again. Remember the Ottawa Marathon? Well it is coming up the last weekend of May. I have not had any time to walk lately, but hope to try to get back in the swing of things today.
Sewing and quilting will just have to wait...again! I missed our Spring Camp Retreat this year...very disappointing, but It Is What It Is. I was needed elsewhere.
However, on a very happy note, I did take Mom across the border to do a bit of shopping as well as take her out to AppleBee's for supper. It was a good day. When asked by the border crossing guard why I was entering their fine country ; I said I was taking Mom to supper and hoping to find a fabric shop because I am a quilter. The lady just happened to know of a shop that was owned by her sister in law. It is called the Quilted Moose. She even drew me a map to get there. A very enjoyable hour or so was spent there, and I highly recommend this shop to anyone who is the Soo Michigan area. I even found two patterns I was looking for, as well as little quilting notions I was wanting. All in all a good day. One pattern is for this wool wall hanging.

There are some lovely  patterns at her site http://www.cottagecreekquilts.com/

The other pattern is for a "Crafter's Tool Caddy" which I hope to make in the very near future. I have seen this type of pattern on line many times in the last 2 years or so and have thought I might draft a pattern for one, but when I happened upon it last week I decided to simplify my life and just buy the pattern. You can check out  the rest of her patterns here.  http://www.byannie.com/

Well enough of this sitting around wasting time, I am off for my walk.

Oh by the way have you noticed anything about my blog in the last 8 or 10 posts? 

Some kind of a theme maybe?

 More to follow...

I am trying...

to be content. With the dismal weather; with all the unsettlement in my life right now; with things I can't change; with me. Not so content mind you that I quit striving to better myself, but content enough to know life is a journey and somethings just take time, and sometimes plans have to change; and that I really have a lot to be thankful for.
Here are a few pics to go with my last entry.

R.I.P.   Mia

Madison just 30 minutes after birth.

Hello Madison, I am your Nanny!

Inspecting the "New Toy"

Mike and his Biker Chic

 Madison Kimberly..just 2 weeks old. She looks so much older but weighing at in at 9lbs gave her a headstart.

Great Gramma and Great great Auntie sporting our new tattoos. Michelle said, "Don't smile; look tough!"

They say "Born to Quilt" and yes they washed off!

a sleeping angel in her great grandpa's arms.

Home Alone

Here I sit, home alone ...thought I would post a picture of March and the better part of April as I caught it whizzing by. Wow!
Snow storms
Delayed flights
Travelling

Baby's being born
Cuddling a beautiful grandbaby
Family pets dieing...long story
New Harley Davidsons and Tattoos
New jobs
Baby showers
Travelling
Time spent with family
Quilting and Fabric buying
Packing, unpacking, packing...
Tearful goodbyes
did I mention travelling ?
Just one day home ...and then days and nights at the hospital
Code blues,blood transfusions,catheters and i.v's, short restless nights
Cancelled marathon runs...
Company. Husband away on business trips
Nursing home business
Tickets purchased and tickets cancelled for trips to Ontario
Hospital visits
Relief at the improvement of a loved one
Another business trip for hubby in a couple days, allowing me to hold down the fort for another week...
Just ask me if I am looking forward to a trip in September...go ahead ask me!

Just 130 more sleeps!

God must have other plans for me...

My plan was to leave on the 6 a.m. flight out of Bathurst this morning. However if you could see what kind of weather we are having you would understand why Air Canada is having nothing to do with that idea.

This is quite a mild example compared to what the weather has deteriorated to in just the last hour. It is a horizontal snowstorm indeed!

The flight from Montreal did not even arrive last night and because of the backlog of passengers now I will not be able to leave until Friday morning. Funny thing though, when we originally booked these tickets Mr. O. and I had wanted to leave on Friday. We were booking using our air miles and only so many seats are available. We found 2 seats for Thursday and agreed to that.

Mr. O. booked his for Thursday, and when he went back in to book mine there were no places left, so I had to travel on Wednesday. Not what we wanted, but it would get us there so we went for it. When asked when we were leaving we joking said we were taking separate vacations together...OK back to the storm and re-booking.

Long story short, we are both leaving Friday morning and travelling together with no penalty to be paid.

Got to love Air Canada!

Now the way I look at it; I have 2 days to do what I want...I mean I am not even supposed to be here, so these are bonus days to spend exactly how I choose. I think I will go make myself a new bag to travel with.

Speaking of bags...I finished the diaper bag with the scraps from the baby quilt. I even used the charm squares pieced together to make the straps. It took a little more time because I had a lot of piecing to do but I feel great knowing I used it all up and can now go on to another project. It is a pattern for a purse that several of us Tuesday girls have made. The Bow Tucks bag. One of the girls changed the measurements and turned it into a diaper bag and I loved it, so I did the same. What do you think?

It has loads of pockets inside so it is a real organizer bag. I will put a few things(baby wipes, cream, thermometer etc.) in the pockets before delivering it to "mother and child".

No baby yet, but the pains have started again...I'll keep you posted.

I went for a weigh in last night and am now showing 2.8 pounds less. Whoo Hoo!!!

I am off to enjoy my 2 bonus days.