Not very arty but GORGEOUS, nonetheless!

It is almost Happy New Year. I hope, and trust that you are all well and surviving the ccolddd! Look who came to visit us this morning and DEVOURED the leaves on the lower branches of a big euonymus in the garden!!!! How could you be cross at a face like THIS ???

Small and young and , apparently- HUNGRY!!

Ever watchful, he/she spied the bird feeder!

Took a minute for him to investigate more closely...

...but there WERE a few seeds on the ground under it!

And then, he tackled the remaining , wizened leaves on the Sedums.

We have a huge Euonymus growing up a trellis at the front edge of the deck to protect us and the sitting room from the summer sun and heat. Apparently, euonymus is a deer delicacy! Hosta in the summer. Euonymus in winter! You can't really be upset! They are soo lovely and, all God's creatures.

It is bitter cold here today. I've been trying to photograph frozen soap bubbles- unsuccessfully to date. Can't QUITE get a plan of attack. I think I'd need a well trained crew! They are STUNNING if you can catch one (the  bubbles, that is). If you doubt me, google "Photos of frozen soap bubbles " and prepare to be amazed!!!

As soon as New Years is over, I am going to clean up Christmas, buy myself some daffodils or tulips- AND THEN START A SMALL NEW QUILT!! You heard it first HERE!! Happy New Year, one and all!

By special request

For those of you kind folks who asked to see Marty's stocking, here it is. If it feels like déja vue, it is because Oliver's is the same but says Oliver at the top and it faces the other way. FORTUNATELY, I had saved my little soldier from when I made Oliver's. That was great in light of the past few weeks. I had had GREAT plans of designing another little figure but this was a lifesaver in the end!! It is an AWFUL photo but the best I could catch under the circumstances. If you check in the "labels" section, you'll find O's! Happy Christmas everyone!

On a sad note

In a very silly mood!!

Once again, I am very slack about posting news to my blog. I have a sad note to share this time. On 16 November, 2017, Our Darling Mother, Beatrice Ruth Morris, née Robertson, passed away peacefully at Willow Grove Nursing Home in Ancaster, ON. Mum had been there since March this year. In the end, it was a great blessing for Mum. She was having little strokes and was NOT enjoying any quality of life. Even photos I shared of our two beautiful Grandboys did not light a spark. I am very happy for Mum but VERY sad for us!

Mum was an incredible woman. In the little speech I made at her memorial service, I said that Mum was a magnet for superlative adjectives! She was beautiful, strong, kind, honest, hard working LOVING, demanding, energetic, loyal, FUNNY..... I could go on and on and ON! We miss Mum terribly !

My "baby sister", Kim, told a lovely little story which I shall relate to you. Mum rarely let us stay and visit her for very long. She was ALWAYS concerned that we be home seeing to the needs of our families. She'd decide when our time was up and she'd say, "We can talk later, Dear! Go home to your husband!" So we did as we were told. On the day of her memorial service, which just happened to be our Dad's birthday ( he died at age 45 and Mum never remarried.) Kim closed her little bit by saying , "We can talk later, Mum. You go home to your husband! "It was perfect! Our Mum was perfect too. She was 97!!

Instead of rambling on, I'll just share a few images of Mum.

A birthday photo- about 80 years old

My other sister, Shelley said Mum could REALLY rock her BLING!! She definitely could. She wore sparkly bracelets a LOT so her three girls are now wearing some of Mum's "Bling" to remind ourselves that Mum expected us to sparkle always, just as she did!

The far right end of this row of lovelies is our YOUNG Mum, the Coty Rep at Eatons in Hamilton, ON. What a smile!!

Two wedding rings- she wore both out with hard work even though Mum and Dad were only married for 24 years when Dad died. My brother, David gave Mum a little gold ring which she wore on her wedding finger. She wore the rings out but never went ringless. Mum was fiercely loyal to Daddy all that time!

My beautiful Mum at our house for Sunday supper a few years ago. I used to call her Mme Defarge as she knit a LOT!!

Mum and me a few Christmasses ago at our Aunty's.

Beautiful Mum in her early 60's with her first three Grandbabes. Our daughter, Dr Katherine, is the eldest on the far left. This is what Mum LIVED for- Her FAMILY!! I know her arms were aching to grab those babies and hug them all  as these photos were shot.

DH and I HOPE to drive down to see our Grandbabes and K and her husband shortly. I am not sure I'll have time to post again before Christmas so let me take this opportunity to wish you all the blessings of the Season and thank you all for your kindness and support at this rough time. God Bless.

AND, BTW-- I begin to feel the faint stirrings again of my passion for creating. Stay tuned! I have finished Marty's Christmas stocking and we'll take it to him!

A Cautionary Tale ( Warning*** Some viewers may find these images disturbing!)

Well, we try once again! Here I am, not FOND of selfy pics but for purposes of illustration....

a sane, serious woman- generally.



I am pretty careful, walk a lot, quilt, photograph, enjoy TEA and Tim's Iced Capps- be a daughter, wife, sister, GRANNY , Mum in law and SOMETIMES, I be a silly sausage....

relaxing on the deck with my coffee

Enjoying my breakfast tea

And the odd Timmy's Iced Capp

Giddy old dame

Smiley old Chick

But... ONCE IN A WHILE, I REALLY MESS UP!!!

OOPS!!!

I was out walking on Wed. PM last week, got home about 7:30 PM and realized that I had less than 1300 steps more to get to break 10,000 for that day - soooo.... I went out again and , as I felt great and it was a LOVELY evening, I really stepped along. I was headed downhill on Unsworth Avenue and SUDDENLY... found myself face down - well, side of head down on the pavement! I can still hear and FEEL the CRACK, as my skull smacked against the road! NO idea how I got there , but there I was. My glasses were some distance from me ( and the right temple was sprottled awkwardly to one side). I realized that I was in AGONY but could not get up right away. My right elbow, knee, hip and , of course, MY HEAD! were VERY sore. I was disoriented and pretty stunned but did manage to get myself upright eventually. (Fortunately, a woman behind me DID see me go which was good as I WOULD have a witness, should I need one!) I staggered to a large limestone block , part of a retaining wall, and sat on it- gingerly!! Terrified that my brand new iPhone would be smashed, I pulled it out of my RIGHT jeans pocket and the only good thing was that the phone was totally unscathed. I called my poor DH who was really in NO condition to come for me, but come he did, God bless him! I have seen a Dr and there seems to be no major problem- eg concussion? Broken bones etc. Thank goodness, but I am one sad, sorry looking sight and VERY sore ALL over! SO, as promised, some VERY scary pics should you wish to avert your eyes!!!

The developing goose egg- more like an OSTRICH egg by the time it was finished swelling!!!

The egg as it began to bruise but also as the swelling began to respond to the administration of a bag of frozen corn!

The elbow a couple of days afterward beginning to scab. It is fluorescent green just now and the scab is pretty well gone. Knee is still very sore , scabby and green!

The morning after as the blood from the bruising began to pool below my eye

Such a smiley face and SUCH a black eye!

And the temporary solution! 

Interesting that in shops, people look at me, and then QUICKLY look away as if I was likely a battered wife! THAT is why it was great that the lady on Unsworth noticed and called to me. If I had needed a witness to defend DH, she would have been a HUGE help!

Be careful out there, Kind Friends! It is a scary world. You never know when the road will come up and bite you! 

FINISHED at LAST!!!

Would you believe?? All I have left to do it make a label and a hanging sleeve . ALL of the quilting is finished !! YAY!!! Still deciding whether I really like it, but I THINK I do.

I decided to shoot it in the garden- where it came from!! I did not shoot any details but if you look on earlier posts, you'll find some. If you have any special requests, ask! (Maybe specify the quarter of the quilt you want to see.)

I have laboured under major difficulties this past week and a half! Stay tuned for more of that at the end of this post. In the meantime, I have been working pretty hard on my photography and have a few recent shots to show you. The garden continues to be a good source of inspiration for me. Good thing as DH has NOT been too well at all and we have been marooned here for what seems like WEEKS! Grocery shopping is FUN!! It is an OUTING! Timmy's has been great once in a while too :-)

Perilla Frutescens

Phlox and Phat bee

Sunset over the Hydrangea

This same bug was in the same patch of Rudbeckia this afternoon!!!

Fuzzy centre of a small zinnia.

Same zinnia- high key shot!

I am REALLY enjoying my camera ! Thank heaven for it. Plenty of scope for creativity. I belong to a little Flickr Group called Macro Mondays. Each week, a challenge is issued and you have to submit a MACRO shot the following Monday which illustrates the challenge theme. It is great fun and keeps one thinking! Google Macro Mondays and you can also google ME on Flickr if you are so inclined.

I WAS going to add the first post at the end of this one but could not seem to get it to work. Guess I've been away from blogging too long! I'll TRY to do better. Take care everyone. Happy creating!!

Life gets in the way sometimes!

Still Kickin'!

Backlit Shastas and Hemerocallis in the front garden

I AM still alive, by the grace of God! I feel like I am constantly offering excuses for not posting more often and for that, I apologize. DH has had a MISERABLE winter which has left ME with all of the "heavy lifting". I've also been pretty busy getting used to being a bookkeeper, visitor, decision maker etc for Mum. Fortunately she is doing pretty well. I just have not had much time or energy for working on a quilt. I BELIEVE I begin to see at least the tunnel, if not the light at the end just yet. Thank heaven for my camera!!! It has been my creative salvation! I can but offer a few shots that I have taken fairly recently to show you that I DO still think creatively and DO intend to get back in the "saddle"!

We have JUST had a few days with DD and her beautiful family. Sent them home early last Monday AM :-(  As DH was still suffering rather badly, we didn't get far from home but our oldest Grandboy was fascinated with Granddad's clock collection and THIS was the highlight of his trip apparently!! I LOVE this pic- and the guys IN the pic!

Granddad and The Grandboys winding the Grandfather clock

The beach at Hutch's . Those rocks are an island now in pretty deep water but  a couple of years ago you could climb  on them on dry sand!

We went to the beach one day for Fish and Chips. The kiddos played in the water although the wee one was NOT amused by the coldness of L Ontario! A couple of years ago, the rocks you see forming a little "island" out in the water were on dry land!! That is how high the L Ontario water is this year! Quite alarming. I understand that Toronto Is is closed to all but actual residents because of the flooding!

I am having a wonderful time documenting the flowers in our garden this year! We have not ventured far from home so a LOT of my photos are from the garden.

Hemerocallis Chicago Atlas at the end of its day

Hydrangea Merritt's Supreme in the prime of its blooming

Centre of a very red little poppy- potential quilt???

A VERY red poppy!

I bought an iPhone- 6S and am LOVING the camera on it! It is pretty cool and I HAVE taken quite a few pics on my walks. I've been walking a LOT. One of us has to be in shape so we can function as normally as possible!!! I'll have to find a couple of shots from the phone! It is an impressive little tool! The beach pics are from the phone.

Peony Sarah Bernhardt on the phone

A HUGE nameless hosta leaf on the phone. check out the pollen on the surface!

I have been zentangling but am still NOT very happy with my right hand although I DID manage to get some relatively decent tangles.

A part of a finished tangle with a coloured "jewel" ( a turquoise) done in Prismacolor pencil crayon

I am ALMOST finished the quilting on Bug Lunch but need to shoot some pics for you. I have to left hand panel to finish- the BIG detail one. I am looking forward to doing that- big job but I shall revel in the many colours and patterns I can use to do it!! Stay tuned.

In closing, just a few more random shots from the garden! ENJOY! I hope you are all well and happy and enjoying Summer 2017??

A Rex Begonia called Escargot! I LOVE these leaves!!!

The Smoke Bush seems FINALLY to be old enough to smoke! We've never had so much bloom!!

and one final potential future quilt....

God bless and happy creating!

Trauma and quilting

It has been a VERY tough few weeks in our family. Our darling Mum, 97 on the 12 April, finally got a placement on a Long Term Care Home. She is really NOT amused but she's strong, stoical and sensible enough to understand the necessity for the move. It is a lovely place and she has a bright room with her bed beside the window onto the patio. Mum LOVES a "sunshine day" so she has a front row seat now. Sadly, she no sooner got ensconced than Norwalk Virus attacked so things are pretty tense. Mum seemed to be getting the bug but, thank God, now seems to be beating it! Anyway, in light of all of this, I have NOT worked on Bug Lunch for quite a while.

This is pretty much the whole piece. You can see which panel is done- as of an hour ago!!!

I am VERY pleased to announce that I have now finished quilting one of the four main panels and am fairly pleased. I know now some things I would do differently another time but there will not BE another time with this one. So here are a few detail shots for the nice "Detail People" who kindly follow my ramblings.

detail-1

detail-2

I'll start on the panel to the right of this one next and then finally, do the far right, far left and the little background triangle at the bottom left. It is fun to be quilting again but I am VERY rusty! This piece may not see the light of day!! We'll see.

My garden begins to call to me too. Our weather has picked up a bit recently. Snowdrops, crocus and Reticulata iris are all done . Daffs are following right on with a few hyacinths. I have LOTS of helleborus in full bloom. I need to remove  the old , dead leaves so we can see the flowers!

Crocus Tommasinianus- all done now but soo pretty and delicate

Helleborus Orientalis- tasty to some bug apparently

Iris Reticulata- also finished for this year

I hope YOU are all well and enjoying the onset of spring. I am starting to . I have to get a routine going- working, gardening and , of course, visiting Mum! God bless one and all. Take care!