Anna's Passing

 With great sadness I  share the news of Anna's  promotion to Glory as she was taken with brain cancer on April 17/ 2025. She loved life to the fullest and is now with her Lord and Savior. Good bye to all her friends from her hubby Roger

One Month Until the Big Day

 There is something about November and December that makes the time go faster.  It is like the hole that allows the sand in the timer to move to the bottom of the hour glass has expanded to twice the size.  A lot of my time has disappeared into various medical meetings.  Both husband and I have had at least one a week and the cat got in there last week.    Hubby and I each had procedures that had to be done in the hospital and both have to be redone so we are booked into January.  Mine is for eight in the morning at a community a good hours drive away.  Anyone who knows me at all, knows, I am NOT a morning person.  We are thinking of staying overnight but then have to arrange care for our wee dog.  My test involves two steps so I have to wait 4 hours and then have the second one.  Life is fun.

Winter has settled in and everything is nice an white outside.  All outside decorating is done and I really haven't thought much about indoors yet.  I have got my Christmas cake made so that is another item to cross off the list.  The postal strike is going to make gift and card giving difficult but we will deal with it.

Blessings

Energy Returning

Halloween is over, daylight saving is over and Remembrance Day is on the horizon.  Fall is well and truly on its way out.  No snow here yet but rain has been non stop.  That will be good for the trees and other plants.  I have started the semi annual changing of the clothes.  Summer packed, winter out.  that always takes a while as the temperature changes are not immediate and I have lots of clothes.  Not going to say too many but others might.  I obviously don't think I have enough as I still keep buying.  Hubby says I am a clothes horse and he is right.

I took the children's clothing to my friend who is going to take them to the orphanage in Cambodia.  This little task went much better than I could imagine and I have been given fabric already to start another lot.  

My current task is making fleece hats which will be sent to a First Nations area in northern Ontario.  Our church does hats, mittens and scarves every year.  This is the second year for them to go north.

It is nice to be able to do small projects that have a big impact on the lives of others.  I consider myself to be so blessed both to have and to be able to pass on.

I have been feeling quite a bit better which is such  relief.  I am regaining my energy and my brain doesn't feel as befuddled.  It turns out that in addition to the esophagus problem, I also have and infection.  The latter is what has cause (or contributed to)  the fuzzy brain.

Hope all are well and looking forward to the coming season.

blessings,

Do What You Can

 It wasn't easy but I have made a bit adjustment in my life.  I have been a member of the Burk's Falls Art and Crafts Club for many years.  I served in a number of areas and did very well in selling my products.  My greatest pleasure though were the members themselves.  In addition to being the most artistically gifted people I know, they are also very caring and encouraging.

As I have been experiencing some health changes lately which has left me with reduced energy and time, I decided it was time to cut back on some of my activities.  With that in mind, I have decided not to renew my BFACC membership.  It wasn't easy but I can still pop into the Legion on Wednesday and see everyone while they work.

The last of our summer company went home the middle of last week so hubby and I have our home to ourselves and the animals.  It has ben difficult to adjust from seeing family members every day to knowing they are, once more, thousands of miles away.  We have been very fortunate to be able to spend so much time with family so I am trying not to fuss.

We are still enjoy fall weather and colours so my daily walks are extra enjoyable.

I have a new favourite quote:  Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are. T. Roosevelt

Isn't that encouraging?

Blessings

Blessing Others

Hello all.  I hope my Canadian readers all had a blessed thanksgiving.  Some of my in-laws came here for a pot luck style meal and the weather was nice enough we could eat outside.  The younger members of the family were trying out some of their motorized vehicles and, while the neighbours might not have appreciate the lack of mufflers, the kids had fun.  They were thoughtful and stopped after a couple of trips down the driveway.

The food was, of course, wonderful and little cleanup to be done afterwards.

Hubby and I are still not feeling 100% but we have to be better tomorrow as we are taking our grandson to his aunt and uncles where another family member will ferry him to the airport.  It has been wonderful having him here and he will be greatly missed.

I have mentioned that another lady and I are making clothes that will be donated to children who have been freed from the sex trade. In the photos attached, you will see a little dress.  I made it and my friend made the trouser set.  She is a very good seamstress.  Other people have donated underpants and ready made clothing.  I can only imagine the difference these items will make to these poor little ones.

Blessings,

Beets Galore

 As fall is settling in for its time of year, thoughts' turn to gardening and processing the fruits of our spring and summer labour.  We have a good crop of beets this year ranging in size from an teeny to 'oh my goodness'.  Most will be pickled but I discovered that hubby likes Harvard beets, so I will use some of the smallest for that.  Nice that after 30 plus years of marriage, I am still discovering new things about him.

I will cook all the beets today and then to the pickles etc. tomorrow.  I try to divide the big jobs so I don't wear myself out.

We had quite the rainfall last night but the sun is shining today.  If this weather continues, I will get at transplanting bulbs and adding more to my feature garden.  Again, I am cutting back but a little work has great results.  I am hoping that after I get the scope done, the doctor will be able to do something that will restore some of my energy and remove the symptoms of whatever I have.

Hard to believe we are in October already but we all say that every year.  I am thankful that we don't live in an area that gets hurricanes, tornadoes, floods etc.  Our main weather event is snow and, while it can create some nasty problems, it is rarely life threatening.

Hope you are all doing well.  I am getting some of my small quilt projects finished and looking forward to starting more.

Blessings,

Passing Time

 I see it has been nearly a month since I last posted.  I am still not feeling healthy and now hubby has been ill with some sort of tummy bug.  To top it all off, I had work done on my computer and I lost some of the info I need so am working to get that back

I had a wonderful time with my sister and her grandson while they were here visiting.  Of course, the time never seems long enough but we did get some things done.  A neighbour was able to do some landscaping on her property so there is a place to put the camper.  She met some of my dearest friends  and agreed with me that I was very fortunate to be able to call them friends.  She and I did a bit of shopping, some walking and a lot of talking.    It was hard to adjust to the lack of her presence but our grandson is now here so that has helped.

I can't remember if I mentioned this but we had a problem with a mama bear and her two cubs.  She wrecked the hen house trying to get at the feed and then something got the chickens.  We did manage to save 3 and they are being fostered by a neighbour.  We (as in hubby) will be installing an electric fence which, hopefully, will discourage any more bears.

I hope everyone enjoyed the summer and are easing into the fall.  We haven't been getting a lot of colour yet but perhaps it is still early.  Here is a photo from the past which I still enjoy.

                                    

                                                           An oak tree shrub in our back yard.

Blessings,

Lions Tigers and Bears. Oh, My

When you live in a rural area, you get used to sharing the land with other critters.  Through the 16 + years that we have lived here, we have dealt with a number of wild life including martins, mink, raccoon, fox and all manner of deer.  A friend was accosted by a stag recently and we know there are moose at the pond as well.  

In the past month or so, there have been lots of bear sightings in and around the village.  A momma with a couple of cubs seems to have been the  most frequent visitor.  We hadn't seen her which was good as we have a coop full of chickens that would make a tasty meal.

On Monday morning when hubby went to feed and tend the chickens, he found the coop with big holes in two places, the fencing down and a bunch of hens missing. The feed bag had been torn open and some remaining food scattered outside.  As hubby was repairing the damage, the chickens started wandering back.  Apparently and wisely, they had scattered.  Mrs. Bear was more interested in the feed than the birds.  Thank the Lord.

Yesterday evening, hubby took his small caliber rifle out to sit for a bit and see if anything turned up.  It didn't take long for some shots to ring out.  I went out to make sure he was okay and he said that he had treed the bear and cubs.  Chickies were in their house and all was safe and sound.

That was enough excitement for the week. We need to purchase some sturdier fencing and make sure the food is kept in a place away from the hens.

My sister is arriving from England in a couple of days so there will be a different and more welcome excitement

Blessings

Husband Not For Sale

 I have had a busy week culminating with the completion of a quilt top and preserving a bushel of peaches.  Some of the peaches will be made into marmalade and the rest will be for our winter desserts.  It is just over a week now before my youngest sister and her grandson arrives in Canada.  She is the one who owns the property next to us although it is not yet developed.  She recently bought a camper which is on our property and she and Michael will be able to stay in it.

It is such a joy when a family member comes for a visit even if they stay somewhere else.  The camper will give us all more room as well as a place to have down time.

This is a very simple quilt and it would be suitable for male or female of any age especially if they like dogs.  My husbands legs are not for sale.

My neighbour made this sign  for my birthday.  I finally have hung it on the outside of the door to my studio.  I especially like the hedgehog as they are on our family crest and I am very fond of the little creatures.  I now have a customer baby quilt to do and would like to made a scrappy quilt with all the pieces I am cutting up.

blessings,

Recycling

 It has been an odd week.  All sorts of exciting happenings on the English side of the world offset by the death of a childhood friend.  I had known Shirley since we were in grade school and we have kept in touch throughout the years.  She had a cottage near one of my sisters which increased the contact.  Her grandmother lived next to us when we were kids and was one of the kindest women I knew.  Even as children, we appreciated her.  Shirley grew to emulate her.  She will be missed by many.

I think a person starts to value their friends more and more as they get older and, as I am now pushing 80, I REALLY value them.  The ladies in our local quilt group, the Burk's Falls Village Quilter's, accept me as the crazy, often opinionated, sometimes bossy but always loyal person that I am.  I am equally fortunate to consider both my in-law family and blood siblings to also be my friends.  I am really a very blessed woman.

Do you belong to a quilt group either on line or in person or perhaps both?  If so, you will know what I mean about friends.  You would be hard pushed to find a quilter  you didn't like.

Today is the first day I have had completely free this week

.  I am doing what all people tease quilter's about; cutting large pieces of fabric into small.  Leftovers from that go to a friend who uses them to stuff dog pillow/blankets.  Quilter's are great recyclers!

Blessings,      

Fuzzies Are Gone

 Wow, I really have got behind.  I am finally feeling almost normal.  At least the fuzzy brain and lack of energy have gone.  I went back to my doctor and was taken off the medication I had been prescribed and advised to increase the dosage of a pill (that apparently does the same thing as the new one) I have been taking for ages.  I still have to go for a scope but at least I am now able to function.

I have made four little dresses to send to the orphanage and want to bring the number to 10 as well matching shorts.  They won't be sent until November so lots of time (she said hopefully).  My dear quilting friend is making clothing for boys, bless her giving heart.

There is a store in town that is selling my little fabric bags and I have made a couple of those but need to do more.  Of course, while all this is going on, in the back of my mind is the knowledge that the local fall fair happens the end of this month.  I am going to try to be sensible and just do what I can.

The older of my two sisters that live in England is in Canada visiting her son and family so we were able to get together.  It is always difficult when she (or my other sister) returns to England but I try to remind myself with the truth that I am fortunate in being able to see them.

It has been an odd year for weather.  We have been pretty fortunate here.  Lots of rain but also lots of warmth and sunshine.  The flower and vegetable gardens are doing well.  I have even pulled a few weeks!  Something ate the leaves on the yellow beans but didn't touch the veggie.  I had already picked a lot of them.  Not enough that I can make my mustard pickles but we will have a nice addition to our meals.

I hope everyone has been safe and well and getting lots of time in the sunshine. I can't remember if I posted this photo before.  If so, I hope you don't mind seeing it again.

Blessings

Amazing Hubby

 I am starting to feel better.  I can't remember what I said in my last post and am too lazy to look it up but I have been unwell for quite a while.  Nausea, headache, dizziness and a strange fluttery feeling in my chest.  Went to the doctors, was sent for a barium test and the doctor had me come in the next day.  That was worrisome.  Turned out I have some strange, rare condition of the esophagus.  Air was getting trapped in the upper area and it was palpitating.  Was given a prescription which didn't help at all at first.  Today, it has been a week and I am finally feeling somewhat normal.  My head has been so fuzzy that I am surprised I remembered how to walk.  Still have to go for a scope but I think I am on the road to recovery.

Hubby has been amazing.  Reminds me to take the pill (half hour before eating which I have a hard time remembering) has been getting the meals, driving me where I need to go and generally making me feel loved and cherished.

I haven't got much sewing done but what I did do was for the little dresses.  I cut the material for 3 and got one almost finished.  Photo coming. It is quite warm today.  I also got some yellow beans from the garden blanched and frozen and have blueberries yet to do.  The gardens are producing well this year.

I hope everyone is doing well.  If you have a project you would like to share, I would love to see it and, with your permission, post it so it can be shared.

Blessings

Still Raining.

 It is still raining here.  I went to Huntsville yesterday for an eye test and we watched the sky progressively get darker and darker.  We did get a bit of a sprinkle but nothing much until after we got home.

Today I have to phone my internet provider as my router wasn't working properly.  It was a simple matter of doing a reset which I tried but didn't hold the button long enough.  Not that is done and all my devices are back on line, I can add the new tablet.  This one is 10 inches with a better keyboard.  It will be easier to respond to emails and read my books.

I am not getting much else done although I am feeling better.  I have been trying to drink more water and that seems to help.  Of course, it also means more trips to the bathroom!

By the way, if you go on line searching for help with an internet problem, you may get a sight pop up that promises to give you the help you need it you click on a button and agree to pay $2.00  refundable.  If you click, you will be taken to your PayPal or chosen method of payment which will show you owe $68.00.  I am sure it will go up after that.  Always someone trying to scam up.

Our community had a Heritage Day Festival on Saturday and it was great.  I think this is the second year for it and by far the best event in the area-and it is free.

I hope to have some quilting progress to share soon.  Hope you are all saying well,

blessings,

Pillowcase Dresses

 Well, I have done it.  I have wanting to make some little girl dresses to be given to an orphanage in Cambodia.  They were to be adapted from the pillowcase dress pattern.  I had set aside some fabric but that is as far as I got.  I have been feeling ill for the past couple weeks and finally went to the doctor this Tuesday past.  He is scheduling a bunch of tests including blood work in hopes of find out why I am feeling ill.

I hadn't been able to stray very far from either the couch of the bed so wasn't getting much done.  Today, I decided I had enough of that and was going to ignore everything but the dizziness and get moving. I did a bit of gardening, filled the bird feeders, some housework and then started sewing.

I have the first little dress cut out.  I made a pattern for the armhole so I can reuse that.  I haven't checked to see what I have in the way of trim and bias binding yet but will do that before my eye appointment in Huntsville next week.  Walmart will have all the odds and ends I will need.

My dear hubby has been so patient and understanding with me.  He has had to drive me where ever I've needed to go and has got most of the meals.  He is very much a keeper.  My dear friends have offered any help I need so, all in all, I feel loved and looked after.  I am a fortunate woman.

I hope to have a photo of the dress soon.  If you would like to check out the pattern I am using for reference, it is: weallsew.com

Blessings,

Break Time

Time for a break.  I have been sorting fabric for nearly 2 hours and, except for a few moments when I contemplated throwing it all in a fire, I am making headway.  Fabric, as you know, once it arrives in your home, immediately molds itself into various shapes and sizes.  Combine that with theme fabrics, minky, solids, seasonal, panels, and flannel (to name just a few) and the beckoning housework becomes a siren song.  The photo shows how I have been folding the fabric ready to go on the shelves.  I will be printing these pictures for future reference. I still have a large spool of elastic from my face masking making days and I am using it to keep the bundles in place.

I have managed to get all the baby panels into one area as well as some baby themed fabric. Larger amounts of material are folded and placed on two shelves.  I am now working on all those smaller bits and pieces.  Some are set aside to cut into charms, others have been folded and packed vertically in a clear plastic bin.  The cutting table is still piled high so a fire could be a possibility yet.

My computer tells me that we will have heavy rain soon.  I am not sure how long 'soon' is but it doesn't really matter.  I didn't risk hanging the laundry out and everything else can wait.

Hope you are enjoying your day.  In the midst of all my faux grumbling, I am aware that I am very blessed,

blessings to you,

Gardening.

Today may be the only  one rain free for a few days so I got outside and did some weeding and trimming.  It isn't possible to see any improvement but I know I have done something.  We should get a good crop of veggies and wild berries this year so I will be canning, freezing and making jam come fall.  Often I get together with a couple of friends and we pool our efforts.  It is a fun way to fill the freezer and pantry shelves.

I need to move some of the spring flowers.  Does anyone know whether I can do this-carefully-before the stems die down?  If not, I will have to mark where they are so I can find them in the fall.

I wrote all this earlier and then the internet went down unexpectedly and everything disappeared.  Annoying.  It is now after lunch and I am working in the studio.  I thought everything was a real mess again but was pleased to note that previous organizing efforts have left its mark.  I am going through all my fabric and taking photos so I will remember what I have.  I am also being ruthless and getting rid of material I don't like.  I don't expect I will wake up one morning with an inspired use for fabric that feels like cardboard and is a wonderful pattern of  browny orange with pink snakes.!!

One other project I have on the back burner is to look into the particulars of ecommerce.  I need to talk to someone who is already doing this so I don't get led down a muddy slope.

Happy Independence Day to all our American friends.  We see your licence plates at the grocery store, main street and the pub.  Glad you are getting some sunshine.

Blessings,

Canada Day Company

 I hope everyone had a great Canada Day yesterday and a good weekend prior to it.  We were fortunate to have our nephew and two of his sons come for a couple of days and try out our (my sister's actually) new camper.  The older of the two boys cleaned the chicken coop which was badly in need.  His Dad helped hubby with a couple of things that needed doing and the youngest son petted our dog. I enjoyed getting to know the boys better.  They are a wonderful, considerate family. We loved having them and look forward to another visit.

Yesterday I had 3 dear friends come for a cup of tea and dessert.  I set everything up in the camper so they had a chance to see it.  We spent a couple of hours just chatting.  I am not a great one for company but these three women accept me as I am-foibles and so I don't get all stressed when we get together.

Today, all is back to normal.  I took Heidi for a walk over to our neighbours and visited a while and now I have some quilting to do. I am still not feeling completly better although not as nauseous as I was.  The headaches have also lessened.  An odd illness or whatever it was.

Stay well.  Blessings,

Bearly Done

 I have been feeling ill for a week.  I thought at first it was connected to my Meniere's disease but as a friend in Alberta has the same symptoms, I accepted that it is a bug of some sort.  Just in case that you have also been unwell, here are the symptoms:  dizziness, nausea, headache.  I have also had a weird feeling in my upper chest that I thought was my blood pressure dropping too far.  A test showed that it was normal but it sure felt odd.

I have finished a baby quilt and am pleased with how it turned out.  I did a lot of infilling quilting as you can see in the second photo.  All those little circles take time but I like the way they look.  Now this quilt and my customer one is finished I am going to reload the one I removed so I could do the other projects.  I have never reloaded a quilt before so am going to have to take extra care that I get it straight.  

While working on that quilt, I have a rather large job I want to do.  I am going to take all my fabric from the shelves, lay them on the table (a few at a time) and take photos.  I will then be able to see what I have without rummaging though everything.  Of course, I will have to add and delete as time goes on but I think this will be a help.

Monday is Canada Day.  I am having a few quilting friends over for tea and cookies and to show off the camper we got for my sister.  She and her family will be able to use it when they visit from England and it will be available to our Canadian relatives as well.  We are really pleased with it and are having fun adding bedding etc.  Of course, I will have to leave something for my sister to do as it is her until but, in the meantime, we are playing house.

Happy July 4th on Thursday to my American readers.

Blessings,

I am Creative, not Messy.

 It is really hot here.  It would be worse if not for the 80 foot plus  trees that surround us.  Also, our home is very well insulated and we have an AC.  I try not to grumble (not always successfully) as we are much more fortunate than many.  I also have the choice of doing nothing if I choose.  As a contrast, I have friends in the western provinces that have had to worry about frost.  Canada where the weather is never boring.

I have been getting ready for the Burk's Falls Art and Crafts Centre's first sale of the year.  I have a good supply of quilts and, I discovered, some smaller items that I forgot.  I am not making anything else.  I was going to do a crib quilt and, in fact, am working on it but I decided not to push it.  There will be another sale later.

Now that everything that was pressing is done, I am back to my least favourite but necessary task.  The studio is piled high with fabric that was pulled out to model for a project.  Of course, I never put anything back until I am finished which means the pile of material gets higher and mixed in with cut fabric.  I have given up trying to clean as I go as apparently that isn't my nature.  I have a little mug mat by my computer that says I don't get messy, I get creative.

I am very creative!!!!

blessings, 

Preparing for a Sale

 The day is moving on and I want to get a bit more quilting done but, first, the latest news here in the backwoods.

  If you have been working on the scrappy pattern quilt, there is one more step.  After you have cut the corners from each block you are going to have two nice sized triangles.  Sew them together along the longest side and you will have a block that can be used as an outside border.

My customer quilt is finished and sent to its new home.  The customer was very pleased which is always gratifying.  It was a challenge to make but that kept me interested.

Later this month, the Burk's Falls Art and Crafts Club will be holding it's first sale of the year.  I have been finishing up some of my UFO's to enter.  This photo is one of them.  I finished it some time ago but always felt it needed something else.  Yesterday I added the cats and I think that makes it a lot more appealing.  I now have a crib quilt on the long arm and am working on another.

We had a tornado warning for much of Ontario yesterday.  We didn't get anything more than a few gusts of wind and a little thunder but it was enough to frighten the cat.  It must have been terrifying for her to be living outdoors for seven years without any comfort or shelter.  She is getting lots of love and care now.

Blessings.