Marathon Tales...his goal was to finish.

Well it's over; after many gruelling hours of training during which we experienced a "less than desirable summer", from a rainy June, to an extremely hot,humid August; through days on end of rain! I guess it was only fitting that this marathon be run in, shall we say "trying" weather conditions. We were up at 5 a.m. to get ready, and when Georges laced on his sneakers in the motel room, that was to be the last time they were dry for the day. What a day!



It rained, so hard Saturday and Sunday morning, we thought the organizers just might postpone things til later in the day, but no such luck, so we headed out to the University to stand about waiting for the starting gun with another approximately 1500 runners; (about 150 of them running the marathon). There was so much water; water was coming up out of the storm drains, and there were small (and large) lakes of water everywhere. ...and the wind! The weather network said 25km winds gusting to more at times. ( I had some short videos to show conditions, but seem to have trouble loading them)

This next picture was about 32 km into the race at the bottom of a long hill heading directly into the wind coming off the marsh...brutal!

This was one of the exits at Connaught(I think) heading toward the University. Closed obviously...I was looking at what I thought were rivers that turned out to be streets...very messy driving and running!

However he did it...5 hours and 2 min. A little longer than expected because of the weather, but he finished; and that was the goal. I was in tears at the finish line and one of the organizers said to me is that your husband, and when I nodded yes, she gave me his medal and said,"maybe you would like to put this on his neck". Very emotional moment...for both of us.

Then we went over to the CEPs building for a bit of nourishment, and a massage before showering and heading home.

Georges was not among the first to finish, actually closer to the last, but he did reach the goal he strived for, and to me that was worthy of recognition. I had this gift waiting for him; engraved with a few sentiments among which said, " My goal was to finish."

Inside the card: Congratulations! First you dreamed it, then believed it, then achieved it! I am so proud of you.

Phew! I am glad that is over...running marathons is hard on a person(s)

89 hours ... Sunday to Wednesday

Do you know what I did in the last 89 hours? Drove to Dundalk Ont. (1508 km) and back to Bathurst (1508 km) for a total of 3016 km. In between we also made 3 return trips to Hanover 63.7 km each way for a total of 382.2 km; ( one for the viewing/wake; one for a trip to the church to practice a song with the musicians; and one for the funeral of a very dear friend) That makes a total of 3398.2 km. In between the wake, the practicing and attending one of the most touching tributes to a dearly loved husband, father, preacher and friend, we did all the other little things you do in a day...read stories to your grandchildren, taking them to McDonalds; packing and unpacking; eating, showering etc, going for a walk, visiting with family and friends; oh yeah and grabbing a bit of shut eye. It has been a full few days. Good to be home.
Want to see what I did in the daylight hours in the car when I wasn't driving? I finished these

and I started this

Hm-mmm warm wool socks and a cozy mohair shawl...do you see a trend here...do you suppose cold weather is approaching?

What a lovely day!

Glorious sunshine, fall colors, a slight breeze. Have I mentioned how good it is to be home?


Breakfast was yummy; coffee in my favorite mug, a toasted bagel with cream cheese and a wonderful imported french marmalade from a quaint little shop I visited this summer. Not only that but it is a 6 point breakfast according to WW, so that makes it even better. Now if I can just be as diligent for the remainder of the day...

I had to smile when I read this...

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
"It's the same thing," Pooh said.

I can so relate, because I of course am a bear of very little willpower. Have a great day!

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

I love old movies...especially when they are as good as "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner". The film is wonderful because it was the last film made by one of Hollywood's greatest duos, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Having Sidney Poitier rounding out the cast didn't hurt either.

This film was made while Spencer Tracy was dying. He had to put his entire salary in escrow in order for the film company to allow him to do the film.So why did Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy agree to do this film, without immediate payment? Well, because it's a film about forbidden love, about a well-to-do young white woman falling in love with a black doctor...it's a film about loving someone no matter what society thinks, or what the rules are. (probably a little difficult for todays young people to imagine the scandal of an inter-racial marriage)

This is something Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn knew a great deal about. What makes this film outstanding is, by the end of the film you realize, Kate and Spencer are not even acting they are relaying their feelings about each other, through the film. Once you catch that, the drama of the final few scenes is just unparalleled and Spencer's final speech, about his love for Kate (Christina), can drive even the most twisted soul to tears. If you watch Kate's face when Spencer recites the line, 'screw what the rest of the world thinks about your love'...those are real tears. Watch Spencer Tracey as he paces back and forth on the terrace near the end of the film. He realizes he is about to begin one of the last scenes he will ever film.

I am not sure how many times I have seen this movie, but just thinking about it today makes me want to watch it again... I really should buy a copy, I have rented it so many times.

Now don't groan, but this is not really what I was planning on posting about when I wrote the title to this blog...I looked out today just before supper and was quite surprised to see a dinner guest. An uninvited dinner guest. A guest who had to prepare his own supper and was certainly not welcome at my table...a black and white guest (this is what started the whole old movie thing) Take a peek...and no I am not predjudiced but there are some things I just can't tolerate. I have however chosen to be quite passive with my guest and hope that if I ignore him he will leave...

4310

4310 doesn't mean much to others, but to me it spells HOME. It is good to be home! Pics are a bit blurry and I apologize for that, but somehow it is fitting, because that is what my summer has been...a bit of a blur. It seems I wait all winter for spring to come so we can move down to the cottage and yet this year I could hardly wait to move home...for one thing I spent so little time there and when I did the weather was downright nasty...so yes we are home and glad to be here. Here amongst the boxes and bags and suitcases waiting to be unloaded and put away. It is a bigger job than you might think, because even though the house has been empty for the last 5 months, the dust and cobwebs still acumulate, so I am trying to clean and wipe things down before putting things away. It is a lot of work, but you know it is very therapeutic too..getting re-acquainted with all my "stuff" again. It is a good feeling being home. Yup! ...I think I am going to like it here...think I'll stay!

Our last night at the cottage the weather was amazing. It had been sunny for most of the day and then right after supper the wind started picking up and a squall moved through. Wild, wild winds and the water was amazingly rough, with heavy rains and even before the rain stopped completely the sun broke through...really dramatic weather and light show...it was almost like there were extremely bright spotlights shining in designated areas and then it would move to another spot. Here are a few pics. They don't really do it justice, but thought I would share. (clicking on any of the pictures will enlarge themand make for better viewing...but you probably already knew that )It was a grand send off.

Oh..and the roses? They were an anniversary gift from my dear sweet husband. Mr O really is so thoughtful...sigh

This one is really worth a closer view...

Gross!..not for the faint of heart.

We are surely headed into the "fright season". I know that because of some of the creatures that I see around home. While I was home getting a few things done this week, this is the fellow who greeted me in the carport. Guess he thought that because we hadn't been around for awhile he had squatter's rights...well think again buddy! Call the spider police if you must, but I am not about to share my abode with the likes of this fella...now if he was just passing through I may have considered wishing him God Speed and left him journey on,; but oh no this guy had moved in and had started wrapping my place in his warm "blanket"! I told you this would be gross...well let's just say he won't be spooking any of the little trick or treaters this halloween season. enough said!

Did I say I needed inspiration?

Well I found it! If you ever need to be inspired to quilt, just go to a local quilt guild meeting and hang around long enough for the show and tell part of the meeting. I have not been at a guild meeting since May '09, so being amongst a group of about 60 very prolific quilters can be more than inspiring; it can be downright intimidating. What a wonderful array of projects...from moose and fish and flower wall hangings, to embroidered duckies on baby quilts, to wonderful totes to full bed quilts and on and on. I almost hate to go to bed and waste valuable quilting time. We had a block demo, draws for prizes, a snack and even got to shop for fabric at garage sale prices! I mean what more can a girl ask for? Yup, I say support your local quilt guild.
It was so nice to see everyone after such a long time away...I missed you guys!

I did it!

I finished one item off my list. Now mind you it is just one of many, but it was so nice to be able to write DONE beside one thing listed in my sewing basket at the sidebar on this blog. ( I would love to know how to just put a check mark, but that will come in time)

Anyway I received this quilt back from Cynthia ( my long arm quilting friend) on the 16th of July. My intention was to have it bound and ready to give to Mr. O for his birthday on the 22nd of July. When I arrived home from picking up the quilt there was a message on my machine that Mom was in a car accident and so the quilt binding was put on hold...well I finished it last night! Mr. O was snoozing on the couch, and when I finished the last stitch I got up and covered him with his quilt and whispered...Happy Birthday. Talk about a belated gift!

Yay me!! I was looking for inspiration, well this would be it...finishing a project. Makes me want to get to work on finishing another, but alas not today. Busy day today...gotta make a trip into "the city" run some errands, got a mountain of laundry to tend to, and then I get to go to guild meeting tonight. Sure will be nice to see all my quilting buddies.

Want to see my finished quilt? Well here it is. I had Cynthia quilt it in an oak leaf and acorn pattern; sort of felt good with the color pallette I had used. She did a great job and I can hardly wait to pass along another to her. Well, got to run. Ta ta,





P.S. I forgot to mention my next project. See this picture below? See that hole in the quilt? See the dark brown around the edge of the hole? Sort of looks like a cigarette burn eh? Well that's because it is! Now the person who did this shall remain nameless, and I know she feels terrible about it, but probably not as bad as I do...me being a non-smoker, this is a particularily bitter pill to swallow. This is a quilt I made and gave to my brother Gary for his fiftieth birthday. He absolutely loves this quilt; he thinks it is just perfect; I know better, but I'm not gonna tell him. I'm not gonna tell him that someone burned his quilt while he was in hospital either. What I am gonna do is try to repair it...wish me luck.



This is what it looked like "pre-burn" ...sigh

It's Raining

“The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It is raining, really hard...I don't like rain. However it is a good day to stay in and finish a quilt that should have been finished long ago. Pictures to follow...

I need to be inspired...

I am back home again...tired, and ...well, just tired I guess. Mom is doing so much better, and it was a very busy 4 weeks away. There was so much to tend to. I am home for 4 weeks and then off again, but I really need to make some good use of my home time. It is going to be a busy month; Georges and I have an Anniversary coming up...our 39th! and we have to pack up the cottage and move home the weekend after Thanksgiving, and then we are off to Moncton the weekend of the 25th for the Moncton Marathon; Georges to run and me to cheer him on.


I need to feed my creative side though...whether it be knitting, sewing, writing or whatever. I just need a little inspiration. I have to say I just finished reading several posts from Holly's Blog and I felt the urge to go and "create". It is rather late and I am tired(read lazy) but hopefully the urge will still be there tomorrow. I have been wanting to make something using recycled glassware all summer and it still hasn't happened. I was introduced to Glass Garden Totems this summer while in Ohio and I have been gathering all kinds of glassware to "build" something....

Here is a sample of one that I saw while away. Wouldn't it make a lovely birdbath in a flowerbed?

Maybe I will sleep on it...............