wishing you ....

 Wishing you

a season of gladness,

a season of cheer,

and to top it all off  -

a wonderful year!

what if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store;

what if,  perhaps,  it means a little bit more

merry solstice ...

 

Design by the Primitive Hare

from out of darkness and cold,

the light and hope return

tree farm ....

Looks like I've got a wee tree farm - pattern from Annemarie's Haakblog - I used a 3.5 mm hook with #3 yarn - the pattern is easy....

Made these package tie-ons from the same pattern - used #4 yarn and made them one layer with no stuffing - sounds a bit like a recipe, lol.  

This is Kola - she belongs to our 93 yo neighbour, J.  J brings Kola to visit us regularly - Kola knows where we keep the doggie treats and isn't shy about asking for one or two or .....  J is as sharp as a tack, totally independent - does her own shopping, cleaning, cooking, gardening, still drives, etc.  We consider ourselves blessed to have her for a friend - she tells the most interesting and entertaining stories - recently she told us about Christmas when she was a kid.  One of her stories was about how she sang loudly and knew all the words for the songs for the Christmas concert but couldn't hold a tune to save her life - how we three laughed - she went on to tell us that the teacher invited her to stand at the front and lead the choir but to mouth the words only.  

if a family has an old person in it, it possesses a jewel

Christmas is out ...

 I put Christmas out on the weekend - I know, I know, it's early but this is a crazy year!  The décor, the lights, etc. brightened up our home and lifted our spirits.  Our only outings since we closed the cabin are for groceries so it's been rather dull around here. 

These are a few of the ornaments on the tree - the birds are designed by Downeast Thunder Farm and the stockings are by Michelle Palmer...

always remember that your present situation

is not your final destination -  the best is yet to come

still here ...

 I've been doing more of what makes me happy which is why I've been absent -  I've been enjoying it - here's a sample of what I've been up to.    I turned a couple of favourite quilt blocks into cushion covers ...

Another one into a table mat ...

I finished some cross stitch into tags - this is one of them ...

I love these robins  - I think this is a Lesley Teare design.  

This one is a Lesley Teare design ....

There is a bit of a Christmas theme here - I love everything about Christmas - it brings me pleasure and tranquility.  

happiness is not the absence of problems -

it's the ability to deal with them

keeping busy ...

 Life is rather quiet for us just now.  We mask up to go for groceries and that's it for  excitement now that we've closed the cabin for the season.  I'm enjoying being at home and 'doing more of what makes me happy'.  ^^  Here is some show and tell:

This card is a design by Rhona Norrie - I love her mice

and especially these two. 

A design by  Lizzie Kate - finished with a frame of twigs.

This is also a card - design is from a kit that I purchased

 a very long time ago but is timeless.

Bowl of  pumpkins  and apples.

The cosmos are still happily blooming - no killing frost at

our place just yet.

Whatever comes, let it come,

whatever stays, let it stay,

whatever goes, let it go.

what is that ...

 We closed the cabin on the weekend and I am content to be at home.  The first couple of days at home I was getting a whiff of something that I couldn't put my finger on.  At one point I asked my fella what is that smell - he couldn't smell it.  ^^  I checked everything I could think of even going outside to see if the smell was coming from there - all to no avail.  Then one evening the light bulb went on - could it be the apple cider vinegar I was using to trap the fruit flies - yes sirree, that's exactly what it was - and I must say it was doing an excellent job! 

August 1st I decided to start 'under doing it' - we so often 'over do' things.  It's a lot of 'doing' to go back and forth to the cabin and keep things taken care of at home -  there is never any enough time to do the things I want - always it's about doing what needs to be done.  This Lizzie Kate design seemed appropriate to stitch - I left out the flowers...

sometimes happiness is a feeling -

sometimes it's a decision

this and that ...

 

These bookmarks were stitched with variegated thread.  It's an old pattern from my files without the designer's name; however, I think it was a Christmas design for a band for a candle or candy/cookie jar.  And 'believe' whatever you want - that the chaos of 2020 will end, there is a Santa, etc.  These are gifts stitched in colours appropriate for the recipients. The red one is for a friend who is now in long term care - she always lamented that her bookmarks were not long enough - she liked them to stick out both ends of her books and she read hardback books - I used to tease her that she needed to read smaller books. ^^  She has limited use of her hands and that was the reason she liked longer bookmarks.

Louise Penny is my favourite author.  She is Canadian and lives in Quebec.  Her stories feature a fictitious village in rural Quebec with some eccentric characters.  Who wouldn't want to live there!  I have actually lived in a similar village with  eccentric characters in rural British Columbia and we always say it was our favourite place to live.  I can relate to her village and characters.

Look at these sunflowers!!  These are at the cabin - the ones in our town garden are even taller!  The seeds came from Veseys and I had no idea they would be this tall - they are magnificent!

don't believe everything you think

a good read ...

 This was a very good read and I highly recommend it ...

I discovered this early one morning at the cabin - it's too cute to not share.  The morning glory vine had twined up the stake and to the water - later that day it was touching the cherub's lips  ...

it's better  to leave a person wondering why

you don't speak than why you do 

mayo mystery ...

 Recently a friend on the West Coast posted a photo of a delicious looking, healthy salad on her FB page.  She shops at her local Farmers' Market and everything always looks freshly picked.  Someone asked her what dressing she used on her salad and the reply was homemade mayo that didn't thicken.  I was curious about the mayo but didn't like to ask if if was thin by choice or by accident.  I frequently make mayo at the cabin and it always thickens with no problem and that made me wonder about making it less thick.  Not long afterwards we returned to the cabin and realizing that I'd forgotten to top up the mayo jar I decided to whip up some - our favourite is garlic (aioli) and chipotle - this time I combined the two flavours and the chipotle aioli is delicious.  So I whipped up - or should I say blended - the mayo till it was thick and let it sit for a couple of  minutes while I sterilized the jar for it - went back to the aioli and poured it into the jar ..... what,   poured it?  I've always had to spoon it into the jar!  Now I know how easy it is to make thin mayo but I still don't know how I did it - perhaps it was the power of suggestion.  ^^    I like this thin mayo because it can be used as a salad dressing for greens but isn't so good for mixing a potato salad, for example.

Recently, wanting a change from a vinaigrette on a green salad I tried a homemade Catalina dressing from here - it was very good!

So you might be wondering where this photo fits into the story - it doesn't but since I don't have a photo of the chipotle aioli I thought I'd show you a birthday card that I made for a neighbour who will be 90 in September.  If you were to meet this lady you would be surprised to learn that she's coming up 90 - I thought she might be turning 80 and was shocked to learn her correct age.  She is active, still drives, does her own cooking and cleaning, takes care of her 90 y.o. husband who has some physical issues, has a sharp mind - the list goes on and on - she is certainly an inspiration to us younger folks.  She has Scottish ancestry, as do I, and we both celebrate Robbie Burns Day thus it seemed appropriate to stitch her something that was a wee bit Scottish.  I daresay this design is lavender but it looks quite similar to heather so that's what we'll call it ... a bit of artistic licence. ^^  The envelope was made from gift wrap.

life is like a mirror - 

smile at it and it smiles back at you

 

hedgehog

 

Hedgehogs are so cute and seeing these I knew I had to make one.  I really like the neutral colours that the designer used and initially thought a wee basket of these would be adorable.  Common sense prevailed and since I really don't need a basket of  hedgehogs, no matter how cute they are, I decided to make one for a friend and that's why it's in purple .... it's her favourite colour.  This friend is also a neighbour and I know she's going through some difficulties with her husband who is unwell. The pattern is quite easy and requires no stuffing!

In the past week we've received rain - there's been a shortage of it this season.  Of course, the farmers are harvesting and weren't appreciative.  In town there was 3.5"  and at the cabin there was 1".  I was shocked when I looked at the rain gauges since they usually show just a tenth of an inch.

There are more Covid cases in our province now than there's been in the last 5 months and just as school is set to restart. 

accept the situation and move on

hello

 Just popped in to say, "hello"!  

We've had a quiet summer spending most of our time at the cabin - it was our sanctuary, our escape from all the craziness of the virus.

I have done very little needlework but have read many books, many good books.

The gardens did okay but with very little rain and lots of heat they didn't produce as well as other years.  By the first week in August the plants were dying off and it looked more like September.

The chipmunks entertained us and kept us company - we appreciated them.  They were busy little critters all summer, busy collecting and storing good for the winter.

The Morning Glories were beautiful this year .

summer hugs ...

I left off the word 'sending' on this cutie since it's for me but wouldn't it make a lovely card 'sending hugs' to someone.  

 Sending Hugs - Rhona Norrie

Weather in May has been not so nice with a couple of record breaking overnight low temperatures - what the heck?  This coming weekend is our first long weekend of the summer season and two of the big lakes still have some ice on them.  I won't be planting the garden in town or at the cabin for sure till after the weekend - we can't even buy our tomato plants yet.  Some good news is that a tree came down over the winter and has given us a really nice supply of very dry firewood for the cool nights just now - at the cabin.  

My blogging is going to be hit and miss for awhile and I will read your blog posts whenever I can.

Take care and enjoy summer how ever you can.  

MOM - the same  frontwards and backwards

and upside down is WOW !

just in time ...

I got this one finished just in time!  

The pussy willows are from the cabin - they were 
plentiful and easy to find this year. 

Lizzie Kate

Time continues to fly by - expected it to move much slower with the lock down - spring weather isn't rushing to arrive. ^^

it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine

so ...

This one missed the previous photo shoot ...

Pond Life - Elizabeth Almond

So my bright idea of living off the pantry and freezer was misguided.  After two and a half months of it the pantry was nearly bare - not a problem when grocery stores were well stocked - a big problem when the panic buying left grocery shelves empty for a few weeks - the pantry is nicely restocked again.  ^^

The latest good news is that our province is allowing garden centres/greenhouses to open!  I'm excited that they have declared them an essential service - at this time of year and with the lockdown, gardening will be therapeutic and make us a bit more self sufficient - and perhaps keep people home. 

The not so good news is that our province just declared a lockdown until May 18 which includes the May long weekend - the first long weekend of the summer! 

Have you noticed that each day has been a National Day of something or other?  My favourite day so far was National Gorgeous Grandmothers Day!  ^^

happiness is not about getting all you want -

it is about enjoying all you have

busy work ...

I must admit that in the past six weeks there have been times when I've been a bit anxious.  To begin with it was concern for family members who are in the medical profession - a daughter-in-law who is a doctor and two granddaughters and a niece who are nurses - their well being is out of my hands so being anxious wasn't doing anyone any good.  On one occasion I was anxious about going for groceries - I armed myself with a bleach soaked rag for the grocery cart and a bottle of sanitizer for our hands - all went well.  ^^  
 Occasionally I find the news overwhelmingly dismal but can turn that off.  The one thing that occupies my mind and relaxes me is cross stitch - I have a few pieces to show you - to be quite honest I find the final finishing not nearly as relaxing as the stitching.  #bewellandstitch provided many free designs to stitch ...

 Happiness is Cross Stitching

The floral motif is for my stash and will make a nice card.  I took creative licence with the Lizzie Kate, Primitive Hare and Silver Creek Sampler designs by stitching the words and not the entire design.   All of these are freebies...

Kindness Always Matters - Silver Creek Samplers

Be Silly Be Honest Be Kind - Lizzie Kate

Flowers - Lucie Heaton

Everything will be fine - The Primitive Hare

Village Shelf -  Alex Kiss Cross Stitch

Chicken Love - the Real Housewives of Cross Stitch

the world is round

and the place that may seem like the end

may also be the beginning

a card ...

I made this card for a neighbour for Easter  - the envelope is made from gift wrap - the stitched piece was in my stash.  Her husband who turned 90 last autumn lives in long term care because of dementia.  She visits him every day.  During this pandemic she cannot visit him and she recently told me "visiting him is the highlight of my day" - she's feeling a bit lost - has no children nearby - can't visit relatives, friends, etc. because of social distancing - I daresay it's an especially lonely time for her.

sometimes all you need is a tighter hug

the cabin ...

Yesterday we went to the cabin for the first time this year - it was a beautiful warm, sunny day with no wind - look at that blue sky!!!  On the way there and back we saw the Easter Bunny.  ^^
No, we're not out of 'quarantine/isolation/distancing' here but we can go to the cabin and back without encountering another person - we're very fortunate.  

This is the Mossey River with pelicans at the top and a pair of geese at the bottom.  All the geese were in pairs ♥ and there were huge flocks of pelicans - always so nice to hear them and watch them flying.  The pelicans in this photo were interesting since two of them looked dirty, a couple of them were brilliantly white and the others were normal white - maybe their wardrobe is limited just now.  ^^

And this awesome sunrise was taken last week from our patio in town - we are so fortunate to witness the sunrise each morning.

you can start over each morning

the hummingbird ...

This beautiful design is from 'My Fanny Design' on Facebook - it was offered as a free design as part of 

#bewellandstitch  - many beautiful designs have been offered by many designers.

Accompanying this chart was the following story:

 It is said that one day a devastating fire broke out in the forest and all the animals escaped.
Suddenly the lion, king of the forest, saw a small hummingbird flying right in the direction of the fire. So worried, he tried to stop the bird to change direction, but the hummingbird replied he was going to put out the fire.
The lion, amazed, replied that it was impossible to put out the fire with the drop of water carrying in its beak.
So the hummingbird, increasingly decisive, paraphrased to the king of the forest:
I do my part, and that makes the difference. ''...

And so we, too,  all need to do our part and make a difference.

running behind ...

Easter - it's coming so quickly.  I made a few felt bunnies - I think my favourite is the chocolate bunny.  ^^  I've got them scattered here and there.  The morning glory piece is  a new one from Alita.

 Other than essential services everything here is closed for 14 days which includes Easter weekend - whether or not other services can re-open afterwards remains to be seen.  

there is always a reason to smile ...

find it

first ...

I made my first Pesto of the season on April 1 - no fooling.   ^^  Oh my it tasted good - only made a small amount since the basil plant isn't really big.

blindingly green, lol

Here's another look at my indoor garden - I'm calling it my Victory Garden.  ^^

  Cucumber with 8 wee cukes.

 Basil before it's trim for Pesto.

Red Robin tomato with 11 tomatoes.

Oh yes, Mother Nature returned a lot of snow to us - just when it had all disappeared she stepped in and played an April Fool joke on us - not appreciated Mother Nature.

sometimes when things are falling apart

they may actually be falling into place

can't fix ...

One thing that I've learned during this virus pandemic is that you can't fix stupid!!  Doesn't matter what age group - there is a lot of stupid going around - I expected better of my age group - I'm naive ... I expected better of  most people.

FEAR has two meanings - 

forget everything and run or

face everything and rise ...

the choice is ours

masks ...

With so much talk about masks one might think we'd skipped to Halloween.   ^^ 
 I made several face masks using 3 different patterns - one had a pocket for a filter and two were similar except that one was a 5 minute mask made with a serger - sadly, my serger is at the cabin - fortunately I had enough 1/4" elastic on hand - these are reversible (to white) and washable - I sanitized them before giving them away.   Of course,  I forgot to take a photo before giving most of them away  so here's all you get to see...

And yes, I know these do not and can not replace proper face masks and the recipients know this as well - if nothing else they are a souvenir of  COVID-19! 
 I gave the blue one to my next door neighbour who is elderly - she was thrilled to have it and said she'll be wearing it with pride the next time she goes to the bank - that made my day!!! ♥

This is the link to the 5 minute serged mask.  Here is the  other link. 

be thankful for today,

because in one moment

your life could change 

green thumb ...

These are compact plants (red robin tomato) and cucumber that are meant to be grown indoors during the off season.  One of our neighbours has the greenest of green thumbs - grew several of these and shared them with whoever wanted one - isn't she a sweetie.  The tomato has lots of flowers and three tomatoes -  the cuke has that long vine with lots of flowers and two cucumbers - it's exciting just having the plants even if they don't give us fresh fruit.   ^^

to plant a seed
is to believe in tomorrow