Sunday morning . . .

 Sunday morning coming down - I like that song - it tells quite a story - I like to listen to Kris Kristofferson sing it.  It's been hot here and early this morning we were chilling on the patio . . .

The book I'm reading is 'Fatal Inheritance' by Rachel Rhys.  It takes place in 1948 on the French Riviera  - I'm really enjoying it.

Some quotes I like . . . 

blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures

those who fly solo have the strongest wings

if you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path

this is a good day to have a good day

a confession . . .

 

Last month I did not finish a book that I'd started.  It turned out to be a collection of short stories - the first was quite good but the next couple were off the wall, so to speak, and I didn't waste any more time on it.   I started this one and what a fabulous read it was!  There is a sequel to it that I'm hoping to come across.  

Once again I'm working on downsizing the pantry and freezer - I started this a year ago and then the grocery shelves emptied for several weeks because of the pandemic panic buying  -  I quit using up everything since I couldn't replace anything when needed.  It's nice to walk into the pantry now and see empty space and to have space in the freezer again.  ^^

It's bitterly COLD just now but the sun is shining for which we're grateful.   You don't want to know what the windchill value is - really, you don't - it makes us appreciate being retired and able to stay home.  Perhaps this Arctic Vortex is payback for the mild winter we've had so far.  

an idea from homeroad.net

happiness is not a destination - 

it's the journey

keep on . . .

 

Stitching is my go-to for relaxing and something I enjoy as well.

This is part of a design by Sue Hillis.

I completed my third book of 2021 - 'First Light' by Bill Rancic.  The ending was not what I was expecting - silly me.  I finished this book only because I had started it and I try to discipline myself to finish what I start.  ^^

every morning is a fresh start - 

wake up with a thankful heart

oh hoot . . .

 

These cute little owls were something I worked on over the holidays.  They are a pattern from Annemarie.  I made the beaks with 3 lazy daisy stitches,  added squiggly eyes just because I have lots, made them in different sizes and used neutral shades of yarn.  They make me smile.  

This is my second read of this year.  In 2020 I read a lot of books but didn't keep track of them.  This year looks like it could be another  reading marathon so I'm going to keep track of the books here so that I have a record to look back on.  I hadn't read this author for many years -  when I spotted it in our building library I decided to give it a whirl - I was not disappointed. 

without rain  nothing grows -

learn to embrace the storms in your life

off and running ...

 

I guess I'm off and running having started and finished my first book of 2021 - it was a good read.

look around . . .

all that clutter used to be money

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 

the weekend ...

On Saturday morning my laptop crashed - I've been expecting this  - every time Windows added another update this year it caused problems - finally it ended with a death.  Fortunately, I have a desktop PC that I can use - am undecided whether or not to replace the laptop.  Thank goodness I had done a back-up up on February 29 so I've only lost a week of files - whew.  ^^

I don't like DST - for several years we lived in an area that stayed on CST year around - that was enjoyable.

A fox paid us a visit early Saturday morning - such a treat to see him!  

We did our grocery shopping on the weekend - t. paper was on the list - it made me chuckle that we may have looked like we'd joined the t. paper mass hysteria!  ^^

I made my own hand sanitizer - you need a minimum of 60% alcohol - I added lavender and tea tree essential oils, both are anti-bacterial - along with some glycerin to prevent the alcohol from drying out our skin.

This was another good read!  It's set in Dublin with lots of interesting characters.

   

find some other way through the forest

binge reading ...

 If there is such a thing as 'binge reading', I did it with this book!  I felt like I was living right there with these colourful characters.  I kept thinking it would be such a nice place to live - then I realized I've lived in a similar place - perhaps that's why I enjoyed the story so much.  ^^  Anyway, I highly recommend this one.  

be brave enough to always do the right thing

even when others don't

one of those days ...

Carol asked me to share the table mat from my last post - it's one that I posted some years ago - what's old is new again - I cannot locate the original blog post and therefore cannot tell you whose design it is.  :{

Do you ever those days when you wonder if you're losing it - I seem to be having more of them than I used to - yesterday was one of them!!!!!  It began with looking for the above table mat so I could take a photo of it - hmm, not here, not there and doesn't seem to be under anything - ohh,  there it is under the basket of mini lights!  I remember where I put things when we moved in here but can't remember where I put them a month ago when I sorted through and combined  'bins'.  I was looking for the Christmas towels - they could only be in one of two places - nope, not in either - I knew I hadn't given them away -  eventually the light went on -  aha, we brought the blanket box home from the cabin for extra linens, etc.  - yessirree, that's where the Christmas towels were - and the blanket box is in a closet so it's not in plain view.  ^^  Last week I made some Christmas Crack - we ate some - the rest was stored away .... so, where is the Crack that I stored - I did eventually find it - told my fella to remember where it was.  lol   The day seemed to go from bad to worse - I haven't shared the half of it.  ^^ 

The other day I sorted through all the x-stitch pieces that I have and decided I should start doing a finish on them - some will be left for making cards - some left me wondering why I had stitched them.  Yesterday I was having a lazy day and did a finish on two of them - burnt (or is it burned?)  my thumb with the hot glue - the ornies are hanging on the tree now ...

 the fairy is from Lucie Heaton and
Snowflake Deer is from Daffycat

Today is starting out ok - first thing this morning I put on a pot of soup and made a batch of our favourite shorbread - here's the recipe:

(Food Processor) Shortbread

2 cups flour

1/2 cup fruit sugar*

1/2 pound cold butter, cut into 8 cubes

[* if you don't have fruit sugar, process granulated (white) sugar for a few seconds to make it finer]

- Put sugar and flour in food processor and pulse for a few seconds.

- Add butter and pulse for 30 seconds or till fine crumbs form (stir through to make sure no large lumps of butter remain).

- Process till mixture clumps together into a ball.

- Put into a 9x9 pan, press out evenly over bottom, prick all over with a fork.

- Bake @ 350F till firm and lightly brown (anywhere from 35-60 mins - in a pyrex pan in my current oven 35 mins. is sufficient).

- While warm cut into squares; cool in pan; keeps well in covered tin.

DELICIOUS!

(This is an old recipe from Canadian Living Magazine)

This is the book I'm currently reading - and enjoying - every time I pick it up it's like putting on my favourite, comfy slippers - I really like the Rebus character - and he is a character ...

And last but not least 'book art' - I made a book tree - thanks to Maggie - how clever is this - there's a link to the instructions on her blog ...

i haven't forgot ...
i just can't remember!

Paris ladies .....

These ladies are a Theodora Cleave design - when you visit her be sure to check out her beautiful advent calendars.  I've stitched 6 of these ladies but temporarily misplaced the most recent two .... but they have been found! ^^  I had a neat idea for finishing them but with the move I'm having to rethink that plan.  

Where did August go ...  I have to keep reminding myself that it's September already.  ^^  Mind you, school supplies have been in the stores since mid July so I knew it was coming.  These are a couple of good books that I read in August .....

everything happens for a reason 

what to post about?

I couldn't decide what to post about - was there anything to post about?  Should I talk about the weather again - I don't think so .... I'll just babble.  ^^

I sewed myself a pair of polar fleece wrist warmers - oh my, they are dandy and I wish I'd made a pair long before this; I also crocheted a pair but they tend to slide up when I wear my jacket.  And I sewed a red plaid flannel scarf - super big - that is toasty warm and stylish ... no pix since I find it difficult to take good pix without a model.

After Christmas I was looking for an orphan quilt block and in the process discovered a couple of  other items  .....  the first was a x-stitch sampler that  was stitched in 1996 .... but when I saw it the light came on and I knew exactly what I'd do with it - it became a cushion cover.

I was surprised that I still had this wall hanging - it was nearly done but I remembered that I simply ran out of ideas for completing it and it's been sitting for more than four years.  When I looked at it I knew immediately what it needed to be finished and proceeded to do it. It's hard to see but I used 'eyelash' yarn for the tree branches.

BTW I did find the orphan blocks that I was looking for but forgot what I wanted to make - when if I remember I know exactly where they are.  ^^

I saw a sailboat quilt block and had the impulse to make one.  I think this will  become a cushion cover .....

I made this for a gift using a medallion from the vintage table cloth for the centre.  It's a pattern from here.

These are the books we're reading just now .... Gods of Guilt is a Mickey Haller character and as I read I can picture Matthew McConaghey (sp?) who starred in the Mickey Haller movie 'Lincoln Lawyer'.  ^^  My husband is reading Dead Man's Grip, which is a Detective Roy Grace novel.  Both are excellent reads.

JE SUIS CHARLIE

a mouse in the house!

There's a new mouse in the house and she's settled herself in the Spring Basket - here she is posing alone.

This book was a good an excellent read!!   I'd spent so much time in the sewing room this winter that I decided to surface to the sunshine-filled living room and read this book for a few afternoons.

And I finally have a finish to share .....  It took me awhile to come up with a finish with which I was satisfied - this poor Nigel has been 'through the mill' whilst I fiddled with ideas.  I neglected to take a photo of the backing which features a squirrel - he'll never be alone.

In our neck of the woods March is usually fickle and not to be trusted.  The month came in like a lion - according to the weather guys (does extreme cold count as lion like?)  - so we can hope it will go out like a lamb.  This week saw a warm up but with more snow ... it's encouraging.  Unfortunately, the long range forecast is for spring to show up about mid April - Mother Nature is mean this year. 

a doll of a quilt ....

Mariana  sent me her doll quilt pattern a few weeks ago and I made one just before the end of the year  -  the vintage bunny is just the cutest!!!!  I know that I'll be making more of these.

The cold weather continues and 'they' have suggested that it will be with us through to the end of January - ugh. 

 Just now I'm reading this book and it's a fabulous read.  It's described as riveting and gruesome, which it is and I will add humorous to that description.  This is the first time I've read this author and I'm captivated.  This is his first novel (at least with this character) and I cannot imagine how he could improve. 

Whilst putting away our Christmas décor I decided it was time to empty my 'orts' - I believe that's what these bits and pieces of thread are called.  This collection has been building up since October and was well packed. 

Summer reading

Here's what I've been reading this summer - I know, it's still spring by the calendar and  it actually felt like winter one day this week.

This one was action packed and a good read although a bit far fetched.

'The Lucky One' is a warm fuzzy read that is typical of Nicholas Sparks.  I'm currently reading 'The Fifth Witness' and quite enjoying it.  Michael Connelly's character, Harry Bosch, is my favourite, though!

This is my next read.  A cottage neighbour gave it to me last year.  It's the first of a trilogy .... hmm, wonder if she has the other two, lol.