Medical Appointments, Patterns and Parks

A tiring day today.  We went to Huntsville for my medical appointment and to shop.  I was able to buy some extra shelves for my units for a dollar each as well as a few other odds and ends for the quilt room at equally good prices.
We didn't find any floor covering at a price I was willing to pay and forgot to look for ceiling tile.  Bought a few groceries to replenish the shelves and arrived home mid afternoon.  Our little Heidi went to the neighbour's for her spa treatment and she greeted us at the door looking like a little sweetie.
I have had a pattern bouncing around in my mind for a couple of days and worked it out in EQ.  When I get caught up with everything else, I will get it on paper.  I think this will be a foundation pieced pattern-or part of it, at least.
When I finished my appointment at the hospital, I went upstairs to see a friends mother who just had a hip replacement.  I hadn't met her previously but I wanted to drop off a couple of books both for her and my friend.  I had a nice, but short, visit with this very charming and gracious lady.  Don't tell her I said this, but I can see where my friend gets her personality.
Tomorrow, hubby and I are going to a local provincial park in our area.  It is free day and is a place we have been wanting to visit.  The predicted rain is not going to deter us.
Blessings,

A Armload of Beets

I am starting to put my fabric back onto the shelves now which is giving me an opportunity to toss what I am never going to need (until it is thrown out, of course).  I am  going to note down what I do need-besides more  money for fabric. I am also devising some sort of divider for between the fabric piles to keep them neater.  I have left over corrugated plastic which I think will work.  I was going to glue in some wood  dividers but I don't want them to be permanent.

The weather has taken a 10 degree drop here so it has been wonderful for working both inside and out.  I did some pruning and weeding of the garden. I loped down a lot of the overgrown area in the rock garden so the tiger lilies can be seen more clearly and cut down a lot of raspberry canes.  They are as bad as dandelions on an urban lawn here.  They pop up everywhere and it is a constant battle trying to keep them from taking over the flower beds.

While pulling weeds from one of the small gardens, I noticed some of the beets were getting to be a good size.  I started pulling and ended up with a huge armload.  The gardens are really doing well this year.  We have good sized tomatoes on some of the bushes, some of the  broccoli is almost ready to be picked and we are gathering raspberries and blue berries. 

Blessings,

 

Reuse, Recycle, Reduce

We are gradually getting back to what passes for normal at our house.  The renovations to the sun and quilt rooms are all but finished.  We have to buy a couple of acoustic tiles to replace those that got wet during the winter leak and something to cover the floor in the sun room.  On Thursday, we will be going to Huntsville as I have to get a test on my thyroid (only got one side remaining) so will go to our favourite store while there.  We buy the majority of our building and other items at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore as the prices are good, the articles are being recycled and the money raised helps build houses for those in need.
I am, as I am sure you are as well, a firm believer in the 3R's.  We try to buy used whenever we can, donate unneeded items to the same organizations and trade rather than purchase when possible.
I have just reduced my dressmaking patterns from 9 boxes to 2.  Some of the leftovers are being donated to an organization holding a garage sale, others given to a friend and the remaining will be used to start our outdoor fireplace.  I am also getting donating a lot of dressmaking fabric.
I have decided that I am not going to be making all our clothing anymore.  We don't need a lot of wearable's and, when we do, I purchase most of it from charity shops.

The weather report predicts rain for today but so far it is just hot.  I have put off going for a walk just in case but I think I am going to hitch up the dog and go for a short one at least.

Blessings,

Owl Done

Another busy day and I woke up over an hour too early this morning.  The art centre did well for sales today and lots of people came in. We had customers from B.C., Alberta and various spots in Ontario.  Sitting there for 6 hours is not my favourite thing but we all take turns and it is only once a month.  I did get the binding finished on my commissioned quilt so just have to do the label and it is off.

Tomorrow we start on the quilt and sun room renovations!
Blessings,


Owl Done

Chicken and Fabric.

I had a great day yesterday going to some quilt stores and just relaxing.  It was a first time visit for one of the shops and, although it was hard to find and involved construction and traffic jams, it was worth it.  When I arrived, I found that they were having a half price sale because they had just got in a large shipment of new fabric. 
The second store was an old favourite and I bought a few more things there.  I had a discount coupon which saved me almost half off my bill.  My final destination was Thimbles and Things in Orillia which is a lovely store with great staff.  I didn't need anything more by that point but did get a small wall hanging kit.
The owner of this store made me feel quite the celebrity as she mentioned how much she liked the pattern I had published in Quilter's Connection.  Sue (the owner) is very good at remembering her customers by sight even though they might be someone like me who lives out of the area.
I went to bed early and had a good night sleep and then went to Huntsville to do our grocery shopping today.
Later in the afternoon, we herded (or tried ) our chickens into their new coop.  Chickens don't herd well so we had to capture the majority of them individually and carry them.  I managed to take a couple once my hubby caught them but I am not very good at that sort of thing.  I prefer making tea for my hero after he does the work.  They are all now safely moved and should be settling in.  We will probably have a reduction in egg output while they recover from the harrowing experience.
Blessings,

Unwelcome traffic

I have noticed that we are getting more traffic than usual on our road.  We are used to the weekends and summer days being busier as our seasonal residents return to their cottages but these vehicles are bigger and noisier.  There seems to be some logging happening further along to the south and the trucks with their heavy load and trailers are thundering back and forth.  Of course, it is a new sound and the dog barks every time one goes by. 
I know that commerce is necessary but when quarries, lumber operations etc. take place in a formerly quiet area, it is annoying.  I can only hope they will soon be finished.

On a more peaceful note, I went outside this morning and took some photos of the flowers.  This dew dampened rose is about to bloom.  I have more luck with roses here than I have anywhere else I've lived so am adding one each year.
Blessings,

A field of daisy's.  they are everywhere this year.

One of my miniature roses.  Love the colour on this one.

Gnomes at home.  We have the little folk all over the gardens.

Still a Week Day

I hope everyone had a nice celebration yesterday.  As I mentioned, we got together with family and watched the children swim and then ride their dirt bikes.  They have a little dog about the same size as our Heidi and the two got along very well even though they are the same gender and only 'children'.  They didn't like seeing the other dog sitting on their person's lap but didn't make a fuss about it.  They just tried to share which can get a bit heavy and crowded for the human in question.
I have my last commissioned crib quilt in the frame (other than one to be done for late August) and it is going quite well. 
Tomorrow, I need to get my cutting table cleaned up.  I have let thing accumulate while getting these last two projects done.
I almost forgot today was a weekday and thus blog post day with a mid week holiday.
We lost one of our new baby chicks yesterday.  We think that perhaps it wasn't eating.  It is hard to tell when you have 20 little ones.  Next time, if we aren't sure, we will hand feed.
Blessings,