And so it begins

We spent yesterday wandering around the Moncton Home show. For two solid hours we looked at windows and doors.   As soon as I spied this beauty I knew the search was over.   It is the Craftsman by Barrington,  which comes with a choice of  three different glass deigns and a dentil shelf.    The door is fibreglass as wood would be too difficult to maintain and prevent from bowing in our cold Maritime winters.  We are considering the same design for the interior transoms over the bedroom doors.   The Arts and Craft style has always been my favourite so this door is a perfect match.

While my DH and the glass company salesman went through the house plans, I just sat and stared lovingly at the door.    We will put our present home back on the market soon and keep our fingers crossed.  Meanwhile, slowly we are organizing everything so that the building of our new home can start the moment the old home is sold.    This is the first time I have been involved in building a home.  I find it a bit overwhelming, but the home show was a good chance to see what options are available.

Mike Holmes was the star attraction for many visitors.  I was surprised to see that the women were outnumbered 4 to one by men waiting in line for Mike`s autograph.  I walked past with just a glance, after all now I have to consider counter tops and cupboards.

Big truck went boom

I have been driving an extended cab truck for the past couple of years.  I  pride myself on my ability to back it up, park it properly, my sense of space when it came to driving it.  That was until today,  I misjudged the length of the truck when leaving a parking spot and scraped the truck against the cement pole protector.  Those  concrete suckers do not have any give to them whatsoever.

I could post a picture of the damage to the truck (the concrete post survived without a scrape, other than missing the top coat of yellow paint which now adorns my truck) but my DH is away until tomorrow, so I think it would be best for him to see it in person.   You know how exaggerating a picture can seem.

Well the weather outstide is frightful

The fog rolled  in this morning, layering the trees with even more ice.   We can hear the trees crackle as the breeze hits their limbs.  Being surrounded by trees is great in the summer, but causes concern on winter days. 2600 homes in our area are without power, luckily we are not one of them.   My DH is clearing off  the deck and getting the generator ready just in case. Over the next two day the weather forecast is calling for snow, freezing rain, gusting winds, followed by more snow and high winds.  Sounds like quilting weather to me.

Yesterday I worked on a string quilt which I started a long time ago.  String quilts are a great way to use up those small bits of fabrics (strings).  This is  an excellent project for a beginner quilter, or when you want to do mindless not fussy sewing.  If you are interested in knowing more about this method check out Bonnie`s  at Quiltville  String Quilting Primer.   Check out the many different patterns and ideas for the string quilt at the end of the primer.   The only limitation on this fun to make  quilt is your fabric stash.

By mid afternoon I had most of the blocks and the borders  sewn together.   My DH is my quilt layout foreman.    I place the blocks on the bed in a pattern I think looks good.  Then he comes in and gives it the thumbs up or thumbs down.  When he makes a suggestion it oftens works better than my original idea.

The foundation of my string blocks is  9 inch squares of cotton. To match the thickness of the blocks  I decided to use denim for the borders  and crumb blocks on the corners.  This will be a  very heavy cover as the flannel back will add to the weight.  The perfect winter weather quilt.

Hunkered down

The Maritime provinces are being hit by the latest storm.    The forecast is for nasty weather from today until Tuesday.  Looks like we are making up for a mild winter.   We left work shortly after lunch day before the driving became too treacherous.

My DH, kitty and I have settled down for a weekend at home.  Luckily before the storm hit, the mail man delivered a parcel.    When my DH saw the return address was Sew Sisters Quilt Shop, he told the mail man, it must be a mistake, no one here needs fabric……………..what a comedian!

Now we are in the middle of an ice storm, but we are expected to receive 15-25 cm of snow tonight through until tomorrow night.

Luckily  I won`t run out of fabric.

The bird whisperer

Our home is protected on three sides by a maple hedge.  Besides the gray squirrels, pigeons and chickadees, the trees are now alive with blue jays.  Much to Porsche`s delight.

She sits on the bench chirping, clicking and meowing.   She is the resident bird whisperer.

This is tiring work to a kitty.   She needs to take a nap after each session.   During the morning she sleeps on her right side.  With her paws covering her eyes.  The hazards of living in a house with many windows.

Her favourite chair just happens to be the one my DH likes as well.

After lunch and another nap, this time on her left side, it is time to play `where`s Porsche?`.

She loves to hide in my DH`s tote bag.   This too is very hard work so she needs to nap half way through the game.   Once we find her, it is time to play `claw the tote bag`.

On the street where you live

After  registering at the doctor`s office last week, the receptionist asked me to take a number from a basket, which she then wrote on my file.  When I asked if this meant I had to wait in line until my number was called, she stated, `No.  We are no longer allowed to call out your name.  We can only call your number.`

Lately the local United Church ceased publishing the names of sick and shut ins, in the church bulletin.

Apparently both of the above changes are as a result of the Privacy Act.

So I was very surprised when I came across this site.    Type in your address at the site and enjoy a virtual tour of the street where you live.

Talk about privacy?

Oh Canada

One of the reason I love  my husband is his complete disinterest in sports.  It matches mine.  We don`t see the purpose of golf, football is completing baffling and curling leaves us cold.

This week, we have watched more moments in sports then we have during our 14 years together.  It started with  Alexandre Bilodeau.   While recuperating from my cold, laying on the chesterfield, mindlessly watching television, I was moved to tears when Alex tour down the hill and right into the everyone `s heart.   To me he is everything I love about being a Canadian.   He is the best in the world, but still he is humble, loving, kind, and has an accent second to none.   He holds family above all things.    Can`t get much better than that.

Thursday morning at the gym I was beaming when I heard Canada had won the game against Switzerland.   I did not watch the full game,  just the highlights.    But I was as happy as someone who had first row seats!

Patrick Chan, said it best “The best part was not the marks, it was just the crowd, the Canadian crowd and the passion that they show for their athletes,” Chan said. “Makes me realize how proud I am to be Canadian. Before the marks came up, I felt like I let the audience down because I didn’t give a great performance that they would have enjoyed. But in the end, they still loved me as much as they would if I had done a great program…..”

Even though I am completely gaga over Canadian athletes this week, I am still loving the sewing.   Sew Sister Quilt shop has combined my two loves into the incredible Olympic Celebration Surprise Bundle give away.   Each time a Canadian athlete wins a medal another item goes into the basket!

They are also the creator of the Canadian Flag table runner shown at the top of this post.  For the pattern, click here.   Pretty cool, eh!

Happy Ground Hog Day!

Today is my DH`s favourite holiday.   There is no religious significance, no present giving, no decorations to gather, no dumb songs playing endlessly on the radio.   It is just one wonderful day celebrating the lowly whistle pig!  The only sad part is kitty and I are celebrating on our own this year, as DH is off on a job site.    Tomorrow Win and I are going out for supper to celebrate the day.  After all,  it is only right that she spends the holiday with her family.

According to environment Canada, we are in for below normal temperatures for the months of February, March and April.   Maybe the ground hog has it right! Show your head for one day, then burrow back into your warm home for six more weeks of sleep.  Sounds like a plan to me.

To you and yours, Happy Ground Hog Day!

Quite the night

Snow, rain, freezing rain, hurricane force wind and one hell of a fire.  Last night we stayed up until 2:00 a.m. due to the storm.  At once point a large shingle flew off our roof and later we were without power for 45 minute.  Over 48,000 homes in the province lost power last night.

Luckily we have a propane fireplace which does not depend on electricity plus we have a generator.   A local landmark however was not as fortunate.   The Opera House burned to the ground last evening in the midst of the storm.

Today the forecast is for 20 to 60 cm of more snow.  I plan to spend the day cooking, baking Leftover Christmas muffins (the recipe is on our family blog Never Trust a Skinny Cook)  reading and quilting.  Ironically enough, the fabric I am sewing with is titled,  It Spring Yet?  In the middle of this two day noreaster,  spring seems a long ways away.

Twelve days of Christmas

There`s a noreaster bearing down on the Maritime provinces today and for the next two days with snow fall ranging between 30 and 50 cm.  So it is a good day to stay put and putter. I have a pot of vegetable soup simmering on the stove and plan to make at least two chicken dishes this afternoon.  In the event of a power failure we will be snug thanks to our propane fireplace and generator and our bellies will be full.  Who could ask for anything more?

We will pack up the few Christmas ornaments we set out this year, and put the Christmas china back in the tall cabinets.   And so the Christmas season will end at our home for another year.

When my siblings and I were very young we would go to bed on Christmas eve in a house completely void of Christmas decorations.  The next morning when we awoke the tree would be up, decorated, with presents beneath.   Lights would be wrapped around the windows, tinsel swags would be strung from one corner of the ceiling to the other. It was truly magical!    December 25th is the first of the twelve days of Christmas.

The trees and the decorations would often stay up until Little Christmas January 6th. I  remember helping my grandmother Daly dismantle the tree on Little Christmas.  This was a good thing, as Nanny trimmed her tree with candy canes and someone had to eat them.

This time of the year I think of my grandparents more often.  Memories of huge real Christmas trees, tinsel, angel hair, bubbling Christmas candle lights, beautiful hand painted German glass ornaments, and angels looking down from the top of the tree.  Each year the amount of Christmas decorations I put up become fewer.  But the memories of Christmases past become more.