The end of summer....

Well, perhaps not officially but traditionally Labour day does mark the end of the holiday part of summer. Another sign of summer's end here in Ontario is
that it's the final day of the Ex. The Canadian National Exhibition. The Grand Old Lady by the Lake. Midway, Food building, Horticultural building, games, stuff for sale and all that sort of thing. And during the final weekend there's the air show featuring the Snowbirds. I have to admit that it's been many years since I last made my way down to the Ex since I'm not fond of crowds, I don't do midways and it can be expensive. It's the sort of place that you go to once in a blue moon, and that is enough for a number of years until your memory fades and you're ready to go back and experience it again.

Thanks to hurricane Ernesto this has been something of a dull, grey and at times wet long weekend. Saturday was suppose to be windy with rain, heavy at times. While it did rain much of the day and it did get breezy, the heavy rain and really miserable weather that we'd been bracing for didn't really materialize. It's been in the high 60's - low 70's temperature wise, which isn't too bad.

Saturday we brought my Mom over and her brother Allen and his step-daughter Annette came from Kitchener for lunch and a visit. Allen is younger then my mom and they haven't always been close by any means, but in the last five years they have reconnected and like to try and stay in touch and visit when they can. Since my mom isn't comfortable in a car for great distances due to health issues and Allen is blind so can't drive himself and has to rely on Annette to drive him places the times that they can get together are few. They had a nice visit.

Allen brought me some more old documents pertaining to my grandfather Fogden, his and Mom's father. Allen doesn't have kids of his own, and I'm an only child and therefore the only grandchild, so Allen has been giving me a bit of stuff that he's had from Grandpa and Grandma Fogden. Birth certificates from before the turn of the previous century, marriage certificates, WW 1 documents (including a citation which may be signed by Winston Churchill himself!!), and letters of recommendation from various people. My grandfather was also an inventor and I have papers and things relating to gadgets he invented for use in early airplanes.

All this is fascinating stuff, and I have to try and ascertain whether Winston Churchill actually signed that citation or whether it's just a stamp or something. I also need to find out how to preserve and store all this paper safely and yet have it easily to hand to look at. Many of the documents have been folded multiple times which I know is not good for them but also much of this stuff is also in remarkably good condition considering it's age. It gives me a thrill to handle something that has been around for 90-100 years. I wish that I'd known Grandpa Fogden but he died when I was four and I really don't remember him at all.

I have spent the rest of this weekend cross stitching, listening to the radio, reading blogs on the computer (hello everyone) and puttering around the house. Oh, and drooling over cross stitch stuff on the computer that I want to order. Am pondering joining the FOTM club from Silkweaver since I have very little in the way of material to stitch on and we don't have much selection around here to choose from. Those hand dyed fabrics and the sparkly fabrics are so gorgeous!! I also have a long list of patterns that I want, including many from Little House Needleworks that are a delight to the eye and don't look too difficult to stitch for an amateur like me. I'm waiting on delivery of four patterns from a LNS that I ordered on line but they will take 6 weeks to get here since non were in stock.

I'm getting into the mood for Autumn. The cooler weather and the end of summer vacation has triggered it. Autumn is my most favourite time of the year and this is reflected in some of my stitching preferences because I love the Halloween and autumn pieces that are available. Autumn for me is the time to start the indoor hibernating and nesting. And I love Fall colours.

Well, tomorrow will be a long and busy day at work so I'll be back when I can. Until then....Cheers all!