Hello. Remember me???

I can't believe that it's the end of May already. One more
week and we'll be into June. The weeks have just flown
by and I'm terribly behind in my blog posting and my
commenting. I've been visiting everyone as usual, but
that's all. I've been spending these past few weeks
adapting to the lifestyle changes that I started making
at the end of March and getting use to the shift in my
priorities and the loss of a good deal of my leisure time. I
want to get back into participation as well as observation
when it comes to blogging and that will be my next goal
in this journey. Please be patient with me.


My progress on Prairie Schooler's Prairie Birds. Strictly my
at work project so progress is slow considering the relative
simplicity of these designs. I have finished the Blue Birds
and am now making a start on the Robins. Here's a close
up first of the latest part finished and the start of the next
square.


And this is the whole project. I took these pictures outside today
but it was cloudy when I did it so these are a wee bit darker then
they are in real life. I do love this grouping and I suspect that I'm
going to find it hard to let it go when I'm done. When it comes to
this particular design grouping choosing which of the birds to
stitch is the really hard part. They are all so wonderful.


If I have the time to do so I stitch on my butterflies at night
and on weekends. The challenge of this design is of course
that first you stitch the butterfly upside down, then sideways
and then right side up, and then sideways again. Love the
Threadworx thread that I'm using for the first time on this
project. Gorgeous stuff.


Last week I was on vacation. And when you are on
vacation it's tempting to start something new and
to focus on stitching that piece during your time off.
Well, if you're me that's what you do anyways. So
here we have a little freebie that I am stitching on
a cut of Bittersweet evenweave, using Crescent
Colours Ladybug. Since taking this picture this
morning I've added another layer of branches and
have one more layer to add after that and then it
will be done. It was a lovely day to sit under a tree
in the backyard and stitch, and so that's what I
did. Hopefully I'll get this one finished this week
and can enjoy a little happy dance.


My friend Amy across the street has five kids that she
home schools. The house is full of kids and pets and
it's always fun when I go over there for tea and a visit.
There's always something going on and everyone's
going a mile a minute and doing a dozen different
activities and Amy is in the middle of it, laughing
and guiding and teaching, loving and patient.
Such a different lifestyle from ours.

Two weeks ago Amy and her family adopted a pair
of puppies and we've all fallen in love with them.
Any excuse I can find to go over there and snuggle
a puppy for a few minutes I use. So here is Biscuit,
the biggest of the two puppy brothers, and I getting
to know one another. Hmmm.... Do you think Phoebe
would let me get a puppy????

No, me neither.


A week ago the cherry trees lining our driveway were
at their peak for blossoming and all three trees were
loaded with flowers. These were planted about 11
years ago and each Spring they give us this wonderful
display. In the winter time the cherries (which are
not suitable for humans to eat) are feasted on by
various birds including Ceder Waxwings, Pine
Grosbeaks and Robins. I think these are the only
things available to the Robins to eat when they first
return here from their Winter migration.



I discovered the video making feature on my
camera last week....

I've had the durn thing for a couple of years
now and have just discovered this feature now.
A techie wiz I am not!! But I digress....

I was sitting here stitching and Rupert and
Phoebe were laying together on the pillow
next to me. Rupert's tail is always twitching
and Phoebe can't resist it. As you'll see if
I manage to get this video loaded here
correctly.

Did I mention that I'm not a techie wiz???

******************************************

During my vacation I started taking longer
walks and am now walking 50 minutes a
day. I don't know how that'll work when I
go back to work tomorrow but somehow
I want to keep doing that routine if possible.
I have been going in the morning when I
first get up, around 7:30 or 8:00, during my
vacation but will be going in the evenings on
work days.

Weight Watcher's program has been good
for me and as of last Tuesday I've gotten
rid of 14 and a half pounds!!! Considering
the food that I'm eating this amazes me.
But I've gone from a completely sedentary
lifestyle and unrestricted eating of foods
of the less then healthy variety to exercise
and healthier eating so I think that my body
is responding to those changes quicker then
it probably will as time goes further along.

Well, it's almost time for bed so I'll close
by saying thanks for dropping by and
reading my blog. I appreciate the visits
and most especially the comments.

Happy stitching! Cheers!

Hello. It's Sunday morning here and the skies are heavy
with grey clouds, and the neighborhood is sodden and
misty with rain. The proverbial April showers are making
the most of the final days of that month here, but hey, at
least it's not snow!!

The weather started out beautiful here yesterday morning,
although strong winds made my plans to have an afternoon
spent sitting in the sun cross stitching a bit of wishful thinking.
Just holding a book to read became a struggle as the wind
snatched at the pages and tried to lift the entire book out
of my hands. So I ended up taking refuge in the house,
sitting in my comfy chair, with my magnifier and Ott Light
for company. And Phoebe of course.

By late afternoon severe weather warnings were being posted
and DH, who'd been sitting in the relative shelter of the back
yard reading a book, came in to start battening down the hatches
(windows) as the dark and threatening edge of a storm approached
from the north. Once the house was secure DH and I sat out
in front of the house and watched that first storm as it swept
north of us without so much as a drop of rain to spare for us.

But not fifteen minutes later another menacing storm front
appeared, and this one headed right for us. We got lots of
heavy rain, which lashed against the house in waves, driven
by strong gusts of wind and there was thunder rumbling and
grumbling over our heads to add to the drama. We'd been
warned that we might get hail but thankfully (here at least)
we didn't see any of that. It rained off and on for the rest of
the day, and during the night as well, though the wind has
finally died down.


Moving on to stitching updates....

Here is my progress on my butterfly project from My Aunt's
Attic. The first of four butterflies is done, and isn't she
lovely?? Stitching time continues to be minimal here, so
I have only been able to work on this piece during the week
end. I have also started my next square on the Prairie Birds
project, but there's not a whole lot to show there yet so I'll
wait until next time to post a picture.



Yesterday there was a book sale held at the local high
school and of course I just had to be there. DH, long
suffering but patient and understanding, drove me
there and chose to remain and help to carry any
treasures that I might find during the course of the
hunt. We got there at 8:30, half an hour before the
doors opened, and I spent the time waiting chatting
with a lovely older gentleman who was there to look
for books both for himself and for his Autistic grand-
daughter. He was from England originally and so
of course we talked about England, as well as about
books. It made the time pass quickly and pleasantly.

In the picture above you can see some of the books
that I came home with. When the doors to the school
auditorium opened the patiently waiting line up of
people filed through the doors like an orderly tidal
wave of humanity, and once in the room we dispersed
down the various aisles of books and began our quest.

I hit the craft section first, looking for books on cross stitching.
The five books pictured above were the result. For $2.00
each I was quite pleased with this haul let me tell you. A
nice, diverse selection of styles and patterns and the one,
Sampler and Antique Needlework, is especially wonderful
as it's full of historical information as well as patterns, and
it was put out by the publishers of Just Cross Stitch magazine.


I picked up a wonderful book on the history of the Royal
Alexandra theatre in Toronto as well and that book is a
real treasure indeed. A beautifully illustrated history of
that magnificent, venerable old building, where I've seen
many a great live show over the years. Les Miz, Mamma
Mia, and Crazy for You, just to name a few. Over a hundred
years of theatrical history. I'm going to enjoy reading this
one.

It was great fun browsing the tables full of books, and the
boxes of books on the floor under the tables as well. You
never know what you'll find, and over the years of going
to this sale I've found some great stuff and since the
money goes to charity it's all good and relatively guilt
free.


I read two books this week during my commute home
from work. The first book was a romance/fantasy by
first time author Lesley Livingston who turned out to
be from Toronto. I didn't realize that until I'd finished
reading the book and was checking out the author's
info on the back cover.

Kelley Winslow is a 17 year old girl who has moved to
New York City to pursue her dream of an acting career..
She is understudying the role of Titania in a production
of A Midsummer Night's Dream when the lead actress
breaks her ankle and Kelley finds herself taking on the
role.

Kelley soon discovers that the magic and wonder of the
play that she has become a part of is by no means a
fantasy. While practicing her lines in Central Park she
meets Sonny Flannery, a handsome young man who is
charmed by her spirit and her beauty, and Kelley soon
discovers through him that the veil between the mortal
and the Fae worlds is a thin one indeed.

Sonny is a Janus, guardian of the Gate between this
world and the world of Oberon and Mahb and Titania
and all the sprites and spirits that are portrayed so
colorfully and brilliantly in Shakespeare's play.
It is his job to keep the often not so pleasant denizens
of the other realm from cross through the gate into the
mortal world during a crucial nine day period at the
end of October.

As is so often the case in Shakespeare's plays, all is not
often what it seems in this story, and that certainly
pertains to both Kelley and to Sonny, as well as to those
they work with or serve. They find themselves drawn
to each other other, while dangerously powerful elements
manipulate and deceive to achieve their own ends.

This was another light, cute read. Easily picked up and
read, fairly enjoyable but not outstanding, and then put
away and forgotten. I imagine that there will be sequels,
if good sales of this first book warrant them, and I may or
may not pick them up.

The next book that I read this week was one that I'd
seen mentioned in various blogs and was curious to
check it out for myself.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society turned
out to be a wonderful, charming and totaling absorbing
read, start to finish. I loved this book!!! It is a story
told through the letters written between the residents
of the Channel Island of Guernsey to a young woman
living in London who is herself an author.

The letters in this book begin in 1946 as a correspond-
ence between Juliet Ashton, writer and author living in
post WWII London, and Dawsey Adams, pig farmer
and founding member of the Guernsey Literary and
Potato Peel Pie Society. Adams finds Juliet's name on
the inside of a book by Charles Lamb that was once
owned by her and writes to her in hopes of gaining her
assistance in finding more books by that author.

Intrigued by the letter, and delighted to connect with
another lover of books Juliet writes back, and so begins
a correspondence that soon expands to include other
residents of the island (members of the Society and
others) as well as friends of Juliet's. When she learns
the story behind the forming of the Literary Society
during the years that the island was occupied by the
Germans Juliet is fascinated and curious to find out
more about that time and the experiences of the people
who lived through it.

I was enthralled by this book after just a few pages,
and couldn't put it down until it was done. Full of
dry wit and charm, it is also a poignant telling of a
terrible time during the war and how the Islanders
lived through it and endured the privations, and the
despair.

Juliet herself is a firecracker. Bored and drained by
post war life in London and from traveling through
the country promoting her first book Juliet does
not suffer fools (and irritating newspaper reporters)
gladly. She is not adverse to the occasional throwing
of a tea pot when provoked enough, and she is
passionate about books, loving and loyal to her
friends and she finds herself falling in love with the
people and the lives that she reads about through
the letters from Guernsey. So much so that she
eventually packs her bags and travels there to
meet her new friends and to take a break from her
life and from a persistent suitor determined to wed
her.

This is a story that will have you laughing out loud
often, but will cause you to shed a tear to two as
well. It is a short read and you'll wish it were twice
as long by the time it's done, if not longer. I count
this as a book that I'll read again and again, and it'll
be one of my "treasured books" that I cherish always.

Do read this one!!


The next bunch of daffodils to open in the front garden
were these sweet little beauties with their bright orange
egg yolk centers. I've heard several people in the neighbor-
hood say that this has been an exceptionally good year for
daffodils, with lots of blooms. Don't know why this should
be so, but it is. The grass is almost totally green and
buds are appearing on bushes and trees. Spring is most
definitely on a roll now.


I'm keeping up with my walking faithfully, and adding
a little bit to the route each week to make it last longer.
I still hate exercise and would far rather plant my ample
butt in a comfy chair then take it for a brisk march through
suburbia, but sacrifices must be made I suppose. It's all
toward the greater good. Monday night it was raining
steadily when I headed out and since I can't walk without
swinging my arms, and carrying umbrellas impedes that
motion, I went without. I was pretty much drenched when
I got home but felt pretty proud of myself for having the
fortitude to get out there and make the effort in such
inhospitable conditions. I suspect that walking in heat
and humidity during the coming months will be more of
a challenge for me then soggy feet and dripping noses.

Congratulations to Lynn at Kearnals Corner who had a
fantastic, gorgeous finish this week of Cirque de Cercles.
Go see it as soon as you can because it looks amazing!!

Time to finish this off and get on with the days chores.
Hope you have a wonderful week everyone and thanks
for stopping by!

Cheers!

Hey there!! It's been two long weeks since last I posted
a blog update and as usual I'm also sorely behind in my
commenting on all my favourite blogs (which includes
yours!). Time is a valuable and rare commodity for me
these days, and it runs away from me quick as lightning.
I feel bad about that, and very frustrated too. But we
can only do what we can do, and I can only promise to
try and arrange my free time better in the future. And
hope to win a lottery soon so I can quite work and
devote more time to the important things in life...
you know....like reading, stitching and blogging and
even (eeeewww...) housework.


I did finally manage to finish the third square on my
Prairie Schooler project Prairie Birds. I love this one
best of the three even though it also gave me the most
headaches to stitch. A plague of frogs don'tcha know.
I think I've settled on the next three that I'll stitch for
the upper row, and decided what order I'll stitch them
in, so I'll be starting that project tomorrow.


Meanwhile, at home, I had a few hours yesterday
afternoon to sit down and stitch and since I am
definitely off my rocker I decided to start a new
project. Do you recognize it?? It's one of those
amazing free designs from My Aunt's Attic and
I'm stitching it with Needleworx thread, which
I have been collecting for awhile now but have
never used before. It's lovely stuff. This will be
strictly a home project because I'm stitching it
on 32 count fabric and I really need my magnifier
to see this clearly enough to do a good job.

The lovely model in the picture who is helping
to show off my little start was a gift from my
Mom and was made by one of the ladies at the
residence where she lives. Cute, isn't she??


I had a little win on Ebay a few weeks ago and it
arrived the other day. Two older charts that
caught my fancy and that I'm terribly pleased
to have. Another seasons chart for my collection
and a chart with adorable bunnies in it.


Spring has been making tentative steps forward in
the past few weeks and we've had some lovely days
(usually on a workday of course) to enjoy. The
crocuses are done and we're now in the Daffodil
phase of the season. These are growing in our
front garden, which gets the warm afternoon sun,
and I'm surprised and delighted that this year I'm
getting a whole slew of Daffodils blooming. Usually
I get four or six flowers, but this year I'm getting
twice that number. It's very exciting.

DH has been home on vacation this past week, and
is off next week too, and he's been working in the
yard and garden whenever the weather allows. He's
cleared the leaves from the back gardens and now
we can see all the new growth coming up there, and
the spring flowers are starting to bloom. It's so nice
to see green growing things again. The grass is just
starting to change from it's drab brown winter
colour and patches of green are slowly spreading
across the yard. One day we'll look out the back
door and the yard will be uniformly green and we'll
wonder ... when did that happen???


Lots of reading news to tell you about. Here we have a
wonderful historical fiction by Anne Easter Smith. It's
her second book and was every bit as enjoyable as her
first which was A Rose For The Crown. She writes
about the time before Henry VIII, when Edward IV
was king.

The first book told the story of a young woman who
fell in love with (and was loved by) young Richard,
Duke of York who would become the infamous
Richard III.

In this book the story centers on Edward's
younger sister Margaret, and tells of her life and her
eventual marriage to Charles, son of the Duke of
Burgundy. In this story the author chooses to have
Margaret fall in love with Anthony Woodville, brother
of Edward IV's queen Elizabeth Woodville. An
intelligent and devout young woman, Margaret is
devoted to her family and loyal to England but her
marriage is not a happy one, her husband being a
brutal and autocratic ruler who sees himself as a
Caesar, intent on conquering and expanding his
holdings regardless of the cost to his people and
his homelands.

Anne Easter Smith writes with care to detail and
obviously does her research well before writing
each of her books. She brings that era of history
alive and paints her characters with attention to
accuracy, and with honesty and fairness. She has
become a favourite writer of mine now and I look
forward to reading her newest book The King's
Grace.


A light read came next after the hefty (though riveting)
work of Anne Easter Smith. I picked up Debbie
Macomber's latest book which continues the stories of
the folks working and living around the shops on
Blossom street.

Anne Marie Roche is a young widow who owns a book
shop on Blossom Street. She and three other widows
get together on Valentine's Day to celebrate the day
together and during the course of the evening comes
up with the idea of each one of them making a list of
twenty wishes that they would like to have come true.

Although the other three ladies take to Anne Marie's
idea with enthusiasm Anne Marie herself is reluctant
and finds it difficult to come up with even just a few
wishes of her own. Still grieving over the death of
her husband Anne Marie's world is rocked by the
revelation that her husband may have had an affair
and a child with another woman.

But when she fulfills one of her wishes, as a volunteer
at a local public school as a lunch buddy to a young
girl named Ellen, Anne Marie slowly begins to over
come her grief and despair as she comes to care for
Ellen and opens her heart and her home to the lonely
young child.

The book also follows the stories of the other three
widows who make up their own twenty wishes, and
characters from previous Blossom Street books make
appearances along the way too.

These are pleasant, easy to read books, with somewhat
predictable stories. But they make a nice light read
and you can't help but get caught up in the lives of
each of these women as they begin to rebuild their
lives and find love again.


This is the first book that I've read by Kate Atkinson.
I'd read excellent, enthusiastic reviews of her books
in magazines and on line and was curious to find out
for myself what she was all about.

This book features a reoccurring character by the
name of Jackson Brodie who accompanies his girl-
friend Julia to the Edinburgh Festival where she is
appearing in a play. Brodie witnesses a road rage
incident that almost sees a man killed by the base-
ball bat wielding driver who rear ends him, and
from there the story evolves in a series of coincidences
and connections that weave together to bring the book to
a satisfying conclusion.

The journey to reach that conclusion however did
give me cause to consider ditching the book,
unfinished, on several occasions. I very, very
rarely leave a book unfinished once I've started it
and since I'd committed myself to the time (and
money) to get this book and start reading it I
kept on at it. And in spite of myself my curiosity
was piqued.

The story is told from the view points of a half
dozen of the characters, including Brodie's, and
what a miserable bunch they all were. Everyone
was depressed about their lives, everyone hated
their jobs or felt them to be superficial or inadequate,
their spouses or partners unloving and distant, and
so on. I found myself getting depressed just reading
about them and I found it very hard to care what
happened to them. And as the coincidences and
connections built up, and the sometimes illogical
actions of some of the characters (Brodie) came
into play I got frustrated and annoyed.

But I wanted to know what would happen next.

Well written? Absolutely. Sneakily addictive?
Apparently. Satisfying conclusion? Yup!!! Dark,
dry humor as well. This is a book that would be
worth checking out and sticking with but it might
not suit everyone's taste or style. I have a second
book by this author to read, and I will read it...
someday, but right now I want to get another
Debbie Macomber, or perhaps a Nora Roberts
book to pick me up and lighten my mood.

**********************************************

Easter was spent with my Mom who arrived here
early on Sunday afternoon for lunch and then we sat
and watched Mamma Mia, which Mom thoroughly
enjoyed. My SIL joined us for a roast beef dinner
with all the trimmings later on that afternoon.

Saturday of last week we were at a birthday
party for the 8 year old son of friends and had
a great time with good people and incredible
food.

Somehow, during the entire 3 day long Easter
weekend I never had the time or opportunity
to put needle to thread. Very frustrating.


Along with a number of you folks out there I've
started to make a few lifestyle changes to try and
get my health and weight into more acceptable
lines. Inspired by Dani I joined Weight Watchers
and am making slow but steady progress, although
it's early days yet.

I have also started walking after dinner
every night and have been doing that for about a
month now. At first I was a panting, wheezing, leg
benumbed mess at the end of each walk, but after a
week or so my stamina began to improve and the
dizziness (!!) went away. Now I'm starting to add
more steps to the route I walk to make it longer and
more of a challenge.

I have a long road to follow (no pun intended)
before I reach my target weight, but I keep
reading Dani's blog for further inspiration, as
well as the blogs of others also making these
changes and goals in their own lives, and I hope
to actually see some changes in my appearance
someday soon.

To those of you who are making these changes
and following this path as well... my heartfelt
best wishes and deepest admiration go out to
you.

I guess it's time to finish off this post for another
week and get on with the day. Hope you are well
and have a great week with time to do all the
things that make you feel good and lovely Spring
weather to do them in.

Cheers!

Hello. How are you??? So nice of you to stop in and visit
for a little while. Please make yourself at home, and watch
out for crazy cats and tumbling piles of books. Can I make
you some tea???

I was dreading this post today because I didn't have all that
much to talk about. It was one of those weeks that flies by
and you don't know where it went, and what you did during
that time, but it's gone and you've nothing to show for it.
Well, except for a small bit of stitching, most of which was
done during breaks at work.

I'd say I'm at the half way point of the Cardinals square
on Prairie Schooler's Prairie Birds. The frogs have been
gleefully hopping around this one ever since I started it
and it's driving me batty!!! It's the dang branches of the
pine tree. I keep stitching blithely away on them and then
realizing after I've done a section that I've made them too
long. GRrrrrr!!

But I'm still enjoying this project, in spite of the #@%*$
frogs (and my own limited powers of observation). The
pine cones are so sweet and the whole design is quite, I
dunno, nicely laid out, and conceived. It's got a lightness
to it. Oh, you know what I mean. I will finish this square
next week and then move up to the second row and stitch
three more squares from the chart before I call this done.


Since I haven't much to write about in my life this week
I thought I'd show off some of the wonderful things that
were made for me over the years by my dear and very
awesomely talented friend Linda. Linda is the person
who introduced me to cross stitching (and should
therefore be responsible for the large stash charges on my
Visa bill.... but I digress) and who's mentored me through
the learning experience and beyond.

Linda doesn't sew as much as she use to, so I cherish
the pieces that I have all the more for that. So here are
some of the things she's made, many of which are in
the library. This is appropriate since Linda also shares
my passion for books and has been my inspiration for
pursuing my dreams for my library and collecting of books.

The blue bear is one of my most favourite things that she's
made for me. The fabric design is just lovely, and the
little touches that she's added to him are wonderful.


He's got a sweet face, with a tiny smile and a cute nose,
and the buttons for his eyes are perfect. Perfect seams,
stuffed firmly and put together to accent facial features
and the fabric's floral designs, this guy is just the best.


One Christmas Linda made me a bear pair, Mr and Mrs,
that I have displayed in my dinning room ever since.
This is Mr Bear, resplendent in his cap and vest and velvet
pants. He's very furry so you can't make out the eyes on his
face in this picture, but they are bright and cheeky.


I love the heart shaped buttons on his vest (yes, Linda
made the clothes too) and the tie around his neck.
Linda's always been about the details when she creates.
He's quite the sartorially well dressed bear. Perfect for
supervising and observing fancy meals in the dinning
room.


Mrs Bear has quite a long skirt on but I pulled it up
just a bit so you can see her feet. More gorgeous
fabric for her skirt and jacket, and a jaunty hat
perched on her head allow Mrs Bear to compliment
her debonair husband perfectly.


When I saw a rocking horse that Linda had made for
herself I loved it so much that I asked her to make me
one too. And she did. The legs are hinged so that I can
adjust them and set them to allow the horse to stand
just so. Shiny threads are woven through mane and
tail for added elegance.


Mr Humpty Dumpty is another that I fell in love
with when I saw Linda's own. I love the fabric
that she used to make his clothes and he is a bit
floppy which allows me to prop him and pose him
anywhere in the library that I want to.


I have several variations of this doll, which are patterns
designed by Alma Lynn (I think). Linda took the basic
design and went to town creating clothes and trims and
other details to give each doll her own personality and
style. Trimmed with lace around her shoulder cape, and
with a band featuring sweet bunnies around the hem of
her dress, this little lady is all ready for Easter.

There's more to show you but I think they will have to
wait for another day since this post is becoming quite
picture heavy. But I'm glad to have the opportunity
to show you my wonderful treasures that my dear friend
has made for me over the years.


Added a few more books to the library this week, including
The Lace Reader, which has been featured on many a book
blogger's site during the past several months. Quite a
popular book, generally well reviewed, which I am looking
forward to reading. In fact most of these books have been
mentioned on book blogs, or have been review on them, and
have caught my interest.

I'm reading a book by Anne Easter Smith right now, the
second book of hers that I've read. I'm about half way through.
So review will have to wait until it's done, probably next week.

*********************************************************

DH and I drove down to London again yesterday to see our
Godson Ian who was taking part in the graduating class play at
the Galleria Mall location of Fanshaw College. They did their
own version of A Three Penny Opera, which was a modern
take that they not only performed but also wrote parts for.
The main focus of the play was poverty in the London area
and the students researched various aspects of the problem
and wrote those observations into the play. This research
included visits to homeless shelters and food banks as well as
other services, and on line and in-library visits.

The performance was about two and a half hours long but
the time flew by. Some parts of the play were a bit abstract
and the set design was quite minimal but the performances
were outstanding and often very intense and powerful. I
never found my attention wandering, or the time dragging
at all during the performance. Such a wildly talented bunch
of young people. DH and I are so very proud of Ian and what
he's accomplished in his two years of study at Fanshaw, and
we know he's relished every minute of it.

*********************************************************

It's hard to believe that Easter is next weekend. I'm looking
forward to having Friday off work and hope to get some
premium stitching time in. We've already got plans for both
Saturday and Sunday so Friday is our only free day.

The crocuses are in full bloom now, and the daffodils are
probably going to be in bloom in time for Easter, which will
be nice. Tulips are just starting to make significant headway
now but are still probably several weeks away from blooming.

We had a ton of rain on Friday, which broke records and
caused some flooding in areas. The sun came out yesterday
afternoon though and it's a beautifully sunny day today,
although a bit cooler then the average temperature for this year.

So now it's time to move on to the usual Sunday chores and
stuff, so I'll wrap this up and bid you all a good day. Hope
you have a great week and get lots of time to stitch, with
minimal intervention from the frogs. Take care and thanks
for visiting.

Cheers!

I've scanned my stitching progress photo for this week
because there is no sunshine today so using the camera
would be a waste of time. I finished the Sparrows
yesterday and am quite pleased with this square. Lovely
layout, and the birdhouse is quite charming.

I made a small start on the next square which will be
Cardinals. It would have been a bigger start but an
entire flock (herd?? crowd?? pod??) of frogs descended
on me while I was innocently minding my own business
and they made me miscount in not one, not two, but in
three separate places. I'm nothing if not consistent.
Anyways, I had to rip out a section, gnashing my teeth
as I went, and so now I'm ready to proceed with more
caution.

As for the lack of sunshine today, well, it is almost
April so those infamous showers are bound to show
up sooner or later. It's bucketing down here right
now, and the grand poobahs at the weather network
were even mentioning thunderstorms yesterday,
although there are no signs of those as of yet.

Yesterday was the exact opposite of today. It was
clear skies and brilliant, wonderful, welcome
sunshine for most of the day. I went out for a
walk around 10:00 am and before I left the
house was dithering about which coat/jacket
to wear. Since it would be a brisk walk I
pulled out my spring jacket for the first time
this year and headed out. DH was already
outside raking the front yard (ground in the
backyard is still too soft to rake yet) and he
was wearing his spring jacket too. It turned
out that my jacket choice was spot on for the
day and the weather.

In the afternoon we took the old car out for a
run and were out for over an hour. It
was lovely sitting in the car with the warm
sunshine pouring in and gently toasting us.
DH was even kind enough to stop in Acton at
the Needle Gnome on our way home again
where I picked up some needles, another set
of Q-snaps and one of those small plastic project
boxes that I use to keep the threads for a single
project.

Last night DH and I observed Earth Hour by gathering
lanterns and candles in the dining room and settling
in for a game of Cribbage to wile away the time. It was
quite pleasant. Don't know what the cats thought of it
all, but they either napped (Rupert) or sat in the front
window and kept an eye on the neighbourhood (Phoebe)
until the time was up.


I have written here before about the House of Night series
by P.C. and Kristin Cast. This week I read the fifth book in
the series, Hunted, which came out this month. As with the
four previous books this one continues the story of Zoey
Redbird who continues to fight the darkness and evil which
threatens her school, friends and humanity. Specially
chosen and blessed by the goddess Nix, Zoey must use her
intuition, her goddess given gift to control the five elements,
and her sense of right and wrong to fight against the threat
of a world wide war, vampires against humans.

These Young Adult novels are compulsive reading. I am
always eager to find out what's going to happen next as
Zoey must lead her small group of fledgling Vampires
against the power and allure of a god long imprisoned
in the earth now free and seeking to subjugate the
Vampires and humans of the world. Zoey is a great
heroine because she's not perfect. She is a teenager,
unsure of herself and apt to make mistakes. But she
has a loyal heart and a strong will to do what's right.

I find Zoey to be much more multifaceted then Bella
Swan and more interesting to get to know. So, if
you've read the Twilight series and enjoyed it perhaps
you should try the House of Night series and see
what I mean.


I also read the latest (I think... it came out last year)
novel by Cathy Reichs, called Devil Bones. Again it
features Temp Brennan in her roll as Forensic anthro-
pologist for Charlotte, North Carolina. This time
Temp is called to the location of a house under
renovation in the city where a secret room has been
discovered with all the appearances of witchcraft,
or devil worship or voodoo, complete with human
remains. A day later the headless body of a teenage
boy is found by a nearby lake and a zealous preacher
turned politician begins a rabid campaign against
the perceived threats of witches, and of the liberal laws
of the country that allow the practicing of such
beliefs, as well as the laws that seem to allow violent
criminals to walk free.

The forensics is fascinating, and Reichs is good
with her explanations, the characters are rich and
vividly drawn, and the dry, often humorous obser-
vations of Temperance Brennan are a delight.
Brennan's personal life, ex-husband, self absorbed
daughter, possibly ex-lover, and a never ending
battle against her addiction to alcohol, adds to
the story and makes Temperance live on the page.
She is quite the feisty, smart, big hearted
character who doesn't suffer fools gladly and who
wants to see justice for the victims of crime but
still has compassion for those she meets during
the course of the investigations she participates in.
I love her, and admire her, flaws and all.



DH is at church, the cats are snoozing around me here
and it's almost time for lunch. The laundry is waiting
as well. Oh joy! I hope to go for another walk when
the rain lets up a bit, and perhaps putting needle
(carefully) to thread will also be an option this after-
noon. We shall see.

Thanks for visiting and hope you have a wonderful
week with lots of time to stitch and hopefully some
nice Spring weather.

Cheers!

At long last Spring!!! Spring arrived at 7:44 on Friday
morning and was greeted with joy and relief by those of
us who've had more then enough of Winter, thank you
very much.

Of course just because there's a time and a date on the
calendar that says Spring Arrives it doesn't mean that
the weather outside suddenly shifts from Winter blahs
to Spring brilliance all at once. It's still cold out, and
it's rainy and it's grey. But the crocuses are poking their
heads out of the ground and bravely facing the elements
and the daffodils are not far behind. The Robins are
hanging around the yard and singing their hearts out,
and the day time temperatures no longer have a minus
sign in front of them.

So we're heading in the right direction, with the under
standing that there will most probably be a few days
when we'll seem to slip back into Winter's Ways, but
at least we'll have the comfort of knowing that it's a
temporary set back that will soon pass, and become
nothing more than a memory.

In other words....I'm not packing the boots, shovels
and parkas away just yet.


I have been thoroughly enjoying my latest obsession
with Prairie Schooler's Prairie Birds. I finished the
Hummingbird on Thursday and immediately started
the next design that I decided to stitch for this project
which is the Sparrow. I know, Sparrows are not the
most colourful of birds, but the overall design appeals
to me and the bird house featured in this one is my
favourite of the lot. And lets face it, Sparrows are every
where, and they're such determined little survivors
and scavengers, whether it be in the country, or in
the heart of the city. So they deserve a little respect.

I have to say a great big Thank You to everyone who
left comments over the course of the past week about
my two finishes and my framing of them. I really
appreciate the encouragement and the support.


In celebration of the arrival of Spring (yeah, sure) I went
berserk .... nuts ..... crazy ..... I ordered some new books
from Indigo/Chapters online service. All but one are by
authors that I've read before and thoroughly enjoyed.
Deanna Raybourn's is a Victorian mystery series, P.C.
and Kristen Cast's is a Young Adult Vampire series,
Marilynne Robinson is a new to me author, Jodi Picoult
writes riveting, thought provoking fiction, Michelle
Moran writes historical fiction which centers on the
lives of the Pharaoh's of Egypt, and Anne Easter Smith
writes historical fiction centering on the era of the
Plantagenet's and the Tudor's in England. Can't wait
to dive into these.


This week I read Maeve Binchy's latest novel Heart and
Soul. I love Binchy's writing and have been collecting
and devouring her books for a few years now. When I
read a Maeve Binchy book it's so easy to slip into the story
and develope a relationship with the characters in it.
She has a way of writing that convays the essential
elements of each character clearly and with compassion
and humour.

Her last five or six books have all been linked by the
characters appearing in them. The focus may change
from book to book but you'll always run into people
you met in Quentin's or Scarlet Feather or Whitethorn
Woods. So reading her books is a bit like coming home.
But you don't have to know anything about her previous
books to be able to enjoy the latest one.

This book centers around the lives of the doctors, nurses
and other staff and patients who attend a heart clinic in
Dublin. The relationships and the friendships that
develope and the joys and the sorrows and the life's
lessons learnt that result. As always, when finished
reading a Binchy book, I find it hard to put down and
walk away and leave the characters within behind.
I become so attached to them while reading and they
become so real to me. It's hard to have to wait for
the next book from Maeve Binchy because of that.

*************************************************

I'm writing this post a bit early this week (Saturday
night instead of Sunday morning) because tomorrow
I'm going over to have lunch with Mom and a visit
for the afternoon. So I'll be doing a few chores
around the house in the morning, or at least that's
the plan.

**************************************************

Weekends go by too fast!! This morning DH and
I went to a few local shops to pick up some special
things for lunch. A friend of ours who was really
good about visiting my Mom when she was in hospital
and who loaned her a television to use when she
was in the rehab center came to visit us today for
lunch and to pick up the TV that we've had here since
Mom came home. I wanted to make a really nice lunch
for Jacquie after all that she'd done for my Mom
and I think it worked out well. We had a nice
visit and then she left here and went over to see my
Mom.

I spent a couple of hours after Jacquie left
stitching and then I went across the street to my
neighbours for tea and a visit. It was nice to be
able to walk across the street without having to
pull on a pair of boots and a heavy coat first.
Not that it's warm enough to go without for any
length of time yet, but to just run across the
street was fine.

*********************************************

Was not the skiing accident and subsiquent
death of Natasha Richardson a terribly sad
thing last week?? She and Liam Neeson were
such a lovely and loving couple and he looks
so berefit and lost now. My heart aches for
him and for their two young sons.


Not an exciting post this week. But I'll end this post
with a picture of sweet Phoebe hiding under the bed
and waiting for the opportunity to nip at my toes as
I changed the sheets last Sunday. Cheeky baby.

Hope you all have a wonderful week, with lots of
quality stitching time and hopefully some nice,
welcome Spring weather. Take care.

Cheers!

You all are going to have to forgive me, 'cause today I'm going
to be insufferably proud of myself. I can't help it. I'm gonna
spend a good portion of this blog bragging. I'm just letting you
know ahead of time.

I have not one but two finishes to tell you about. My first
finishes for this year! And not only did I finish these two
projects, but I also framed them myself as well!!! Really!!
I have proof! I have pictures!!

I've never tried my hand at framing anything by myself
before. I did frame three of my stitching pieces with the
help of a friend a year ago, but she did most of the work
and it was with matting and a special cutting machine for
that, and sticky matting board (which I'll never use ever,
ever again!) and things got really complicated. The results
were fine for a first attempt, but not spectacular.

Funnily enough, it was exactly one year ago this weekend
that we had that day of framing, and here I am one year
later doing my own thing, and mighty proud of it. I think
I've warned you about that already.

So here's my first finish: My Needle's Work by Little
House Needlework stitched with Crescent Colours
threads on 28 count fabric.

And finish number two: November Window by Prairie
Schooler, stitched with DMC threads on 28 count
fabric.

DH took me to Michaels yesterday to pick up a few
things and at that time I had it in mind to pick up a
couple of frames, and some materials to try and
frame these two pieces. I picked out two frames that
struck my fancy, and a sheet of foam core and two
packages of artists canvas panels which were the
right sizes for these two finishes and the picture
frames.

Once home I set up the ironing board and gathered
my materials and set to work. Now I am not a
patient person. I can't fuss and fiddle with something
for long periods of time until it's absolutely perfect.
I want to whip the project together in no time, and
it better be perfect at once, or else! But it did take me
time to do what had to be done and in some ways I
was rather surprised at how well it went.

I used the lacing method for framing and expected
that part of the process to be the most fiddly and
frustrating. However I was pleasantly surprised
by how relatively easy it turned out to be, even for
me with my ten huge thumbs (on each hand).
I did refer to a bit of on line instruction before
tackling this project and used tutorials supplied
by several stitchers and/or stitching sites. I need
to do more research however so that next time I can
do an even better, more perfect job.

Being the genius that I am I decided to work on the
bigger piece first, instead of the smaller, easier to
handle one. It took a couple of tries before I got the
lacing done correctly but I like this method a lot better
then using that awful tacky mounting board. Easier to
adjust your fabric when needed and it doesn't pull and
fray your threads.

Things I need to work on: I am not mathematically
inclined and picking out picture frames that would fit
my stitching didn't quite turn out as well as I would
have liked for my smaller PS piece. The bottom boarder
does not show because the frame's opening is too small.
Fortunately the boarder is not fancy, just a plain straight
line, so that's not too big of a deal.

Picture frames may not be the best choice for framing
stitching because the fabric and the board are so thick
it makes putting the back of the frame on very difficult,
if not impossible. I had to resort to the handy woman's
secret weapon...duct tape, to secure the backs of the
picture frames onto the frames. You can't see it from
the front so I'm not too concerned about that. Live and
learn.

Patience Judy, patience. Take the time to get the
piece centered properly and the border even. If you
get too frustrated go and make yourself a cup of tea
and relax. Don't plow ahead and regret it later.

I could go on and on (and often do) but basically
the point of this whole exercise is that I made the
attempt, I did pretty good for the first time, and I
learned a lot. And I'm pumped! I want to do this
again. But first I need to collect some more picture
frames. And pick up one or two more things to
make the process easier. Any comments, suggestions
or favourite sites for tutorials on this process would
be gratefully accepted.


While at Michaels I found hoops to replace my old
and fondly remembered hoop that I mentioned in
my previous post. Thank you all so much for your
offers of hoops from your own stashes, and for
information on where to find these hoops, and
offers to pick them up for me. You guys are
awesome!!! I took my old hoop to work last
Monday and used it during my breaks. But when
I picked it up to pack it in my carrying case at
days end it shattered into multiple pieces and
that was the end of that. So I'm very happy to
have these two new hoops and look forward to
many long and happy years stitching with them.


I also got a bit of stash from Stitching Bits and Bobs
last week, including the lovely Threadworx threads
that are shown in the picture with the new hoops.
The two Kit and Bixby charts were in the clearance
sale and the Lizzie Kate charts are another set of
seasonal designs that I love to collect. Please note
my wonderful assistant Rupert, the Vanna White
of catdom, who is graciously offering his services
to present these charts to you.


And I have a new start to show you. Well, of course.
I have had Prairie Schooler's chart Prairie Birds on
my mind ever since I got it, and I decided to stitch
at least four of the birds on this piece of lovely, soft
variegated 28 count Jobelan fabric.


Here's the chart. I'm starting with the Hummingbird,
and will be doing the Cardinals, and the Juncos and
then I'm not too sure. I may have to stitch a companion
to these four because I really do love all of the birds
featured in this design. Oh, don't you love a new
start??? I don't want to put this down.


My reading for this week was a new to me author.
I was drawn to Kate Morton's book when I found
it mentioned on several book blogging sites and
decided to add it to my collection. I have a friend
named Kate Morton too, so that is another reason
(albeit a kooky one) I noticed and got this book.

The story takes place during the early years of the
twentieth century and begins with the reminisces of
98 year old Grace who resides in a nursing home and
is nearing the end of her long and eventful life. She
is haunted by the years that she spent serving as a
young house maid at the manor house called Riverton.
She was fourteen years old when she was hired for the
position, working in the same place where her mother
worked before her. The Hartford family are an old,
respected family and young Grace is drawn to and
fascinated by the Hartford children, David, Hannah
and Emmeline.

But Grace's memories of Riverton and the Hartford
family are tempered with secrets and a tragedy
which tore the family apart, and her feelings of
guilt relating to her own part in those events. When
a film maker visits her, eager to interview her and
hear her reminisces about life at Riverton and the
Hartford sisters, Graces begins to face her past and
the events that led to the suicide of a famous young
poet in the presence of the two sisters, and the
consequences of that night.

This story might start out a little slowly for some,
as the author spends time introducing her
characters, their histories and detailing life at
Riverton, both upstairs and downstairs. But as
the story progresses and hints are given as to
future events and the fates of the main characters
I found myself caught up in the narrative and
eager to find out the truth of what really happened
on a summer's night in 1924 at Riverton. This is
a great read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'll be
checking out the other two books that this author
has published as well.

************************************************

The weather here has been absolutely spectacular
this weekend. Sunshine in abundance, and the
temperatures have been around 9 Celsius. Can
Spring be too far off now??? Only six days or so.
DH is planning on getting the old car out and
taking her for a little spin around the block this
afternoon, just to shake off the cobwebs of Winter
and I plan to join them. Laundry is well on it's
way to being done and we'll see if I can muster up
some enthusiasm for housework ... or not.

**********************************************

DH and I went to the pub (Copper Kettle) for
dinner and to celebrate St Patrick's Day last night.
He had a pint of Guiness and a bowl of lamb stew,
while I had liver and onions, and a lovely piece of
apple cake with hot custard for dessert. Yum!!!
There's a new second hand book store opened in
Glen Williams, across from the pub. The owner
and her husband were in the pub having dinner
when we got there and we talked books for a bit.
Guess I'll have to get over there and check the
place out soon.

And on that note I'd best be finishing this epic
(not another one!!!) post and getting on with the
rest of this day.

Hope you are all well and having wonderful
weekends of your own. Thanks so much for
dropping by and leaving comments. I enjoy
them so much and love visiting your blogs
for inspiration and for fun. Happy stitching!

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

Cheers!!

Finishes are so close you can taste 'em!! All I have left to
do on My Needle's Work is to finish the banner at the top
and she's done. But I'm only working on this as my travel
project so she'll have to take another day or two to reach
the end. I don't mind that. I've enjoyed working on her
and I'm mostly pleased with how she's turned out.

I'll be rummaging through my stash today I think to pick
out my next travel project, to have it ready to go when
needed. I have no idea what it'll be, which is part of the
fun of stash diving and project preparing.


DH took me to Michael's last weekend and I picked up a new
tool/gadget to help me with my away from home stitching.
I've been getting use to working with this magnifier and
light combo this week, adjusting the hanging cord to get
the best placement to see through and have the light hit the
stitching project just right. It helps me quite a bit in seeing
what I'm stitching clearly. I don't have a problem with
seeing the holes in the fabric to put my needle in, but I do
have trouble seeing the crosses clearly as they are stitched.
The little light isn't as good as an Ott-Lite's of course and it's
a yellowish light, which isn't as good as the white light of an
Ott-Lite, but it'll do.

Getting this thing balanced on my chest in just the right spot
was fun. Once in awhile it would slip down and rest itself in
a most .... um .... inappropriate location giving me an even
more impressive "shelf" then I usually have. Not a good
thing, sitting at your desk at work fumbling to adjust your
chest placement!


Another home stretch project is November Window. I
added more verse and a few more tree limbs on Friday
night and this afternoon I plan on working on this some
more. This one may well be a finish by next weekend as
well. Two finishes in one week from me! Can you stand
it???

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS HOOP????


We all have our favourite X-stitching tools, whether it
be favourite needles, Q-snaps, or whatever. Mine is the
item pictured above. It's a hoop with a spring loaded
inner ring that slips easily in and out of any project that
I'm stitching on. Just pinch the blue handles of the
inner ring together and it allows the inner ring to slip
into the fabric and the outer ring with ease. I love this
hoop! I bought it many years ago during my first stitching
phase and I prefer it over all other types of hoops and
frames etc. At least for the smaller projects. The inner
circle of the hoop is 7" by 7", which is perfect for stitching
LHN smaller projects, such as the Cottage Garden series,
or the scripture series.

But my faithful friend is getting old and the blue plastic
frame is chipped and starting to crack. So it'll need
replacing soon. And that's a problem because I haven't
seen it or anything like it anywhere for sale since I
started stitching again five years ago. I don't know who
made it (there's no name on it anywhere) and I don't
even remember where I bought it.

So I'm posting a picture here in hopes that someone out
there might recognize it and know where I can get another.
I guess it's a long shot but I really want to try and find
another of these hoops if I can. Thanks for your help.


Just a bit of stash enhancement this week. Specifically my
monthly Cresent Colours additions from Stitching Bits and
Bobs. Gorgeous colours, even if the photo doesn't allow
them to shine as much as they do in real life.



There's been book stashing though. My wish list on
Chapters/Indigo book site has been growing by leaps
and bounds as some favourite authors have released
new books. Plus I've added books that I've seen
reviewed and recommended on other book blogger's
sites that sounded like excellent reads.

So the books by Caro Peacock and Kate Morton are
new-to-me authors that I look forward to reading
soon. Peacock's is a murder mystery and Morton's
is a mystery story as well I suppose, both of which take
place at the end of the nineteenth or beginning of
the twentieth centuries. The other four books are by
authors that I've read before. Good thing I've made
more room in the library, eh?

**************************************************

Friday was DH's birthday. Unfortunately he had to
spend it attending the funeral of a friend who'd passed
away from Cancer. They use to be in the same youth
choir (the Chancellors) during their teens/early
twenties, and that group of young people have
remained close ever since. They are now all in their
late forties or older, with families of their own around
the same ages that their parents were when traveling
and performing in the choir in churches and town halls
all over southern Ontario. They even recorded a few
records (do you all remember records??), performed
on the stage at the O'keefe centre in Toronto, and
went on an exchange trip to Holland. From the
stories that I've heard over the years they had a
wonderful time, making music and making friend-
ships that have lasted a life time. They may not see
as much of one another now as they did in the past,
but when something like this happens they are
sure to gather, to offer support and to pay tribute
and to reminisce and grieve. That's what friends
are for.

************************************************

On Saturday we celebrated DH's birthday in a
more festive manner and tried to brighten the
mood a bit for him. I made him his favourite
meal, Shake n Bake chicken, orange rice and
green beans, while his sister made a birthday
cake. He got a few gifts, books from me, gardening
tools from his sister, and some fun cards.

And for the first time since last August my Mom
was here for a visit. She was so excited!! She
loves coming here to visit the cats, see what's
been going on around the house (check out the
library Mom!!!) look at stuff on the computer
(she loves I Can Has Cheezeburger.com) and
look through my stitching stuff. Did I mention
that she loves to see the cats???


And Rupert loves to see her. He was at the door as
she came in, and spent the rest of the visit following
her wherever she went. And when she sat down he
laid down at her feet, rested his cheek on her foot
and went to sleep. Content.

Is this the face of a happy cat???

****************************************************************

Last Sunday I wasn't able to post to my blog as I normally
do because DH and I drove down to London, Ontario to
see our godson Ian perform in a play put on by his
graduation class at Fanshaw College. We'd seen him in
high school plays before that were written by the students
as well as performed by them, but this was the first time that
we'd seen him perform in a professionally written play, and
we were mezmerized.

It's so weird seeing someone you've known from babyhood
on, attended birthday parties for, made lego models with,
discussed the merits of the LOTR movies with, etc playing a
mentally unbalanced, acloholic undercover cop. And he
was so GOOD! All the kids were actually. We are so proud
of him and all the hard work he's done for the past few years
to get to this point. And he's having the time of his life,
learning and growing and getting ready to go out into the
real world and make his mark.

********************************************************

I'm planning on spending this afternoon doing laundry and
catching up on blogs and stitching. Sounds good, no??? I
owe many of you a visit and comment and hope to rectify
that soon.

We've had warmer temperatures, and lots of rain in the past
few days which we'd like to think means that Spring has
finally arrived. But the reality is that snow and cold are
still viable options weather wise until the end of April
and to get our hopes and expectations up at this point is
just going to lead to disappointment and frustration. But
we'll probably let ourselves hope and dream anyways. We
always do.

Have a great week everyone, and thanks for visiting.
Hope you get lots of time to stitch, read or enjoy all your
other favourite passtimes. Take care.

Cheers!