Have you missed me?

I've been busy, it takes a good part of my day(and night) tending to a frail, vision impaired, (somewhat demanding) elderly person. I have no training or experience in the type of care I am giving and it has been a 24 hour a day job. My husband and I are the only family around so we have agreed to getting some outside help, but it was a long time in coming. (long story) I do hope that things get settled and Rose will be able to get back to the care home she was residing at previously(another very long story). In the mean time, her daughter and son in law have driven here from Ontario to visit and celebrate her 96th birthday on Friday.
Just a small family supper.

I have a workshop on Saturday I thought I was going to have to cancel out on, but my sister in law will be here to relieve me of my duties for a few hours so I will be learning to assemble a full sized quilt in a "Quilt as you go" fashion. Hopefully that will help the UFO basket to get emptied out...well a girl can always hope! We were to have several blocks made and sandwiched ready to quilt, so I chose to use a collection of blocks I won several years ago in an on-line challenge. We all had to use the same fat quarter of fabric as our inspiration. Funny how people pick up on one color over another to accent with. I am hoping that a brown sashing will help unify them. No matter; it will make an excellent car quilt. Here is pic of how I am choosing to lay out the blocks.

Can you figure out the common fabric we all received?

In the mean time I have managed to get another batch of apple butter made...yum yum!

I discovered a new recipe quite by accident... I started out to make a batch of molasses cookies from a favorite cookbook I ordered free on-line about 10 years ago. 

Half way through the assembling of ingredients I realized I was following the ingredient list of the recipe below the one I actually wanted to make and therefore ended up making a batch of molasses date bars!

I also made the cookies though so all was not lost. I am a messy cook, but I did discover a new recipe that I will definitely be making again.

I leave you with a notice of a give away from a fellow New Brunswick quilter and blogger. Drop by here to see what she is generously offering. You won't be sorry...