Happy Birthday Chris!

It's official, I have finally survived the teenage years! As of today my youngest son Chris turns 20, putting an end to those fun-filled? years. All three of my boys are now in their twenties.

Happy birthday honey!

Chris is my love bug and is never afraid to hug me in front of his friends. No matter where he is or who he is with, the last thing he says to me when we're talking is, "Love you Mom". Chris loves to experiment with his hair style and colour and I figure that I'd rather have him experiment with that than with other things! Recently we found a few pictures of him with his change in hair style over the years. I've posted a few. I think his natural colour is now a light brown... I've kind of forgotten what it looks like normally. Actually right now he has grown out the last colour and cut his hair short (I'm a supervisor now Mom, I've got to look the part) but I don't have any recent pictures of him. Since he is now living and working in Ottawa I see very little of him. We'd hoped to get together this weekend to celebrate but we're both working. So we've set a date for next week.

As you can see from the pictures he started out blonde. Then came the red in Grade 8. The Mohawk followed in early high school. The colour varied from red to yellow to black. When he was too lazy to put up the Mohawk with hairspray it fell in his forehead in a mass of waves. Next came the Blue phase although thankfully his mood was never blue! Finally we have what I refer to as the Skunk!

I have a cupboard full of hair colour and none of it is mine! BTW I was wrong. His hair is no longer its natural colour. He informed me tonight that it's black and looks very cool. I'll judge for myself at our dinner next week. Chris we love you no matter the colour!! Enjoy your day!

It's been a pretty stressful week at work and it's not over yet since I work this weekend. However I did manage to get some stitches in on Weather Wise.

My floss arrived this week for All Things and now it's kitted up and ready to go. I'm also in the process of doing a floss toss with various fabrics for another Helga Mandl tree. This one will be a Christmas gift for my youngest sister. Creative Poppy has 2 sets of her ornamental tree patterns. Each set contains 5 different patterns. I'm trying to decide beween either the Snow tree or the Merry tree.

That's about it for now. It's supposed to be a rainy weekend here . Perfect if you're working.

Great for stitching too. Enjoy!

CdC revisited

Finally, after a long absence, I was able to spend some quality stitching time with CdC. I've really missed working on this one! When we headed off to our family wedding last weekend I made sure that it was the only piece of stitching I took with me. That way I wouldn't be tempted to work on anything else. We were headed for the town of Fergus, ON where the wedding was to take place. However we made a little detour on the way and first visited the city of Waterloo where my DH wanted to purchase some music. I knew that he would be spending a fair amount of time browsing the selection so I took my stitching in with me. They have a lovely bench just inside the door by a window and that is where I spent my time waiting and stitching. Over the course of the weekend I managed to put in about 8-10 hrs of time on Cirque in between travelling and the wedding. I'm pleased with the progress I've made and now I'm giving it a rest in order to pick up Weather Wise once more. The picture isn't the greatest but I took it at night and I find it doesn't show the true colours all that well.

We had such a fun time at the wedding, reconnecting with all my cousins and their families as well as my one and only Aunt and Uncle. It was my first visit to Fergus and it's a lovely town with lots of beautiful old homes and quaint shops. On the Sunday following the wedding we paid a visit to the neighbouring town of Elora to attend a church service and found that it was equally quaint. We definitely hope to pay a return visit to the area and spend more time checking things out. Following a family brunch on Sunday we said our goodbyes and headed off to Toronto where we paid a visit to some of Bob's cousins. Then it was off to Cobourg for an overnight visit with a friend. The Victoria Day holiday on Monday we returned home. I would have loved to get started preparing some of my gardens but the weather did not cooperate. This weekend promises to be much better with lots of sunshine and the temperatures climbing.

During my absence my lilacs opened and it seems I have a lot more blooms than last year. I've been trying to find a white lilac bush at the local nurseries to add to my garden but haven't had any luck. I love the white ones as much as the others and find that they are more fragrant. I spotted some at an abandoned farmhouse on my way home from work yesterday so I made sure I had some shears with me today so that I could cut some and bring home.

Following the holiday I found an envelope waiting for me at the post office. Inside were some cute Barbara Ana charts. I stumbled across this designer quite by accident. I think it was when I was checking out some of the pieces submitted on the Freebie gallery. I loved her designs! They are whimsical and very bright with the use of lots of colour. The gallery led me to her site where there are quite a few freebies available for download and from there I also found which vendors were carrying her patterns. You can view them at Barbara Ana Designs.

So of course, being as obsessed as I am, I immediately ordered three!....Don't Bug Me, Hand Over the Coffee and Warm Winter Wishes. I plan on taking one of these with me to the cottage this summer for some fun stitching. There are several more I'd like to add to my collection but I can't be too greedy, at least that's what I keep telling myself!

Time for me to scoot now. I've got plenty to keep me busy in the garden today. I'm hoping to finish off most of my backyard planters as well. With any luck I won't be too tired afterwards and can spend some time this evening on Weather Wise. Have a great weekend!

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to take some time and wish all of the mothers and grandmothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day! Here's hoping you all had a most relaxing day. This year my birthday fell on Mother's Day so I had a double celebration. Unfortunately I had to work the day but as far as work goes it was a pretty quiet day and I managed to sneak in quite a bit of stitching time. When I returned from work Bob bbq'd our supper and then we shared my birthday cake with our friends who live two doors down. My sons are all busy at the moment but they checked in one by one. I will be seeing two of them later this week. I also tried out that new stitching chair of mine last night and gave it my seal of approval. That is one comfy chair!

I spent all of my time stitching on Weather Wise. It's coming along quite nicely with the exception of some frogging this evening on the lettering. It always amazes me that I still haven't learned how to count.. duh!! I had stitched Red Sky first only to discover when I started the next line of words that I was out by one row. So some minor frogging occured and then a re-stitch of those words. Here's my progress so far.

Prior to working my weekend I had my days off on Thursday and Friday. Thursday I took a trip into my LNS where I picked up the wedding piece I'd taken in for framing. They were a couple of days late in the finishing because the framer wasn't happy with the frame. They re-ordered it three times before he was satisfied with it! You know he's doing a great job when he's that particular about things. I didn't need the piece though until this week coming and it was done in plenty of time. Here's the result.

From the looks of it I didn't do such a great job of focusing on this picture. Sorry!

Time to head off to bed now. I'm back at work tomorrow and we have another busy week ahead of us. I'm only home on Monday evening and my poor CdC has yet to make it out of my stitching bag!! I'm missing it!

A new chair

Here it is!!! My new stitching chair is a birthday gift from my DH although my birthday isn't until Mother's Day. I suspect that this will be a combo gift which is just fine by me. I couldn't be happier with it, it's just sooo comfy! I've had it now for a full week and have yet to spend any time stitching in it though. Any stitching I've managed to accomplish has been done on the fly either during breaks at work or between events in Ottawa. Since last Wednesday we haven't stopped. It's been one of those weeks where everything seems to fall during the same time period and all you do is run.

Our busy time started last Tuesday with the arrival of the Jamaican National Chorale. Seventeen members of this group arrived in Ottawa to participate in a joint concert with my husband's choir The Bytown Voices. They were billeted at the homes of various choir members. We are just a little too far from town to have anyone stay with us. From the time they arrived it has been one rehearsal and party afterwards every other day until Sunday's concert! We have had a blast!! During this period we also had a friend arrive from London, Ontario to give an organ recital in Ottawa and another friend was ordained as a deacon in the Anglican church on Thursday evening. I would work each day and then travel up to Ottawa in the evening for the various events. Bob stayed in Ottawa for a good portion of the week. During rehearsals I would listen and stitch. I didn't accomplish a lot but I do have some pictures of the little bit I worked on. Secret Flower Bed is getting nearer to its finish while Weather Wise is just getting started. For the first time in a week I have no plans tomorrow evening and I'm hoping to pull out my much neglected CdC. I've really missed working on it!

With no quality stitching time to relieve my stress I thought I might be a basket case by the end of the visit. However there was so much fun and laughter with the Jamaicans that it more than made up for it.

On my first evening with them I learned that they were all coming out to our place for a pot luck on the Monday evening following the concert. This was news to me. 'What can we bring on Monday night?', they asked. Monday night... what's on Monday? Boy were they surprised when they found out I didn't know a thing about it! Bob swears he told me 2 or 3 wks ago but I know I would have remembered that 40-50 people were coming for dinner!!

Really though, potluck suppers are not a big deal. The only problem was that the house was a mess since we hadn't been there much and I had to work Monday before they arrived. So Bob and my son Daniel got busy and had the place looking darn good by the time I arrived home. Our guests arrived within the hour and a good time was had by all. We were 49 in total and filled the house from top to bottom! Some migrated out to the back yard but our Jamaican friends found it just a little too cool for them to spend any length of time out there. Most arrived without coats and wouldn't you know it, our temps dropped into the 50s and 60s while they were here. We had no problem with that but they were freezing! We got a collection of jackets, hats and gloves for them but I heard a lot of complaints about having to wear stockings and closed shoes. Following our meal there was a sing-along by the piano. With that many voices raised in song I know the neighbours were wondering what the heck was going on at the Jones'!

Thanks to my son we were able to get a group photo of both choirs before they left to head back to the sunny shores of Jamaica.

The best part of the whole visit was finding out that we are doing a return visit to sing with them in either January or February of next year! Can you believe that now I'm actually looking forward to winter returning?!

I also had another lovely surprise this past week. You will recall the USA tree which I stitched as a Christmas gift for my sister. Well, since I have not much experience in finishing, and definitely a lack of time, I decided to take advantage of Vonna's finishing service. I'm not sure but I think I might have been one of her first customers! Dear, sweet Vonna did a fantastic job of finishing this piece as a flatfold ! Just look at how closely the fabric matches the tree. Isn't it great? I'm so excited about it and I haven't even seen it in person yet! The photos are courtesy of Vonna. For all those of you out there who are lacking in these skills, as I am, I highly recommend giving her service a try. You won't be disappointed!!

This post seems like it's full of too many pics but I just had sooo much to show and tell! I hope you're all having a super week. I return to work tomorrow after taking a much needed day of rest today. Happy stitching everyone!

An early birthday surprise!

As promised in my last post I now have some pictures of my new stash. I just loved both these ornie patterns when I saw them. Stone & Thread's Hoppity has such a lovely spring look and being a cat lover Val's Stuff Ho Ho Ho is right up my alley! Both will make great take along projects.

In addition, I picked up LHN Peace and Blessed are the Meek. Peace is one which I've admired on other stitcher's blogs. As for the Saltbox Scripture series, I originally thought I'd stitch all 4 on one piece but have since decided to do them individually. Finally there is All Things by Abbey Lane Designs. This pattern is based on a hymn which I've sung since I was a child. It has a lovely Quaker feel to it and I can hardly wait to get started on it! The floss is on order and I've only to find fabric for it now. I love working on charts like this where there are a number of motifs or squares to work. I never feel I'm getting bored and feel a sense of accomplishment when each little motif is stitched.

My craft room is becoming more of a reality. As soon as Bob is finished with his upcoming spring concerts we'll get started on cleaning up the room and preparing it for the carpet cleaners. Currently it's being used to store everything and anything! I started out using this room for my ironing and to store some seasonal things. However it didn't take long before it became the room that you throw things into when you're cleaning up the rest of the house! So consequently we have some work cut out for us to empty it. Once we're finished, the carpet cleaners will come in and do their thing. Then we can start moving in my craft supplies and glider rocker. I don't expect to do much stitching here but rather use the room for finishing projects and to store all my supplies. I still prefer to stitch in our family room where the gas stove resides to keep it toasty warm on winter nights. When the stove is not in use the room remains cool which is perfect for those hot, humid evenings.

I've been using my glider rocker as my stitching chair but I'm not really comfortable in it for long periods of time. Years ago I slipped on my mother's freshly waxed hardwood floor and landed on my tush, breaking my tailbone in the process. That area never completely heals and I have difficulty sitting for long periods of time without ample cushioning (besides my own, that is!). Church pews can be murder for me! Besides this, the chair sits rather low and now that I have a bum knee I'm having difficulty getting up without causing pain. I've mentioned in passing that I'd like to replace my stitching chair sometime but it was never a priority.

Last week my dear, sweet hubby announced that he'd like to get me a new chair for my upcoming birthday. He suggested I start looking around and trying some out. The chair had to be just the right height to make things easier for my knees, have lots of cushioning, and bigger arms. Sunday I found my chair! It's a lovely navy blue leather recliner by LazBoy and bonus... it was on sale 40% off!! It was a little more than the budget Bob had set but since the tax man owes me this year I'm contributing some to the purchase as well. We brought the chair home in the back of the wagon and it is installed in it's rightful place. I'd hoped to have a picture for you but Bob took off with the camera tonight so it will have to wait. Stitching updates will have to wait as well. The nice weather has been stealing some of my stitching time as I head outdoors in the evening for walks and catching up with the neighbours.

For now I'll leave you with a picture of some lovely swans I often see on my way to work. They reside on the pond of a farm I pass by and are in the process of getting their nest ready. As we approached for a picture, the male swam right towards us and fluffed up his wings, a protection measure I think.

Pitiful progress

As you can see from the picture above I've made very little progress on Secret Flower Bed. Let's face it, I started working on this on the plane on my return trip from Florida. That was almost 3 weeks ago! Plus I've put in very few stitches on Weather Wise and poor Cirque has been banished temporarily. Blame it all on the weather! Now that the weather is nice, there are just too many things that need to be done and it seems we have a lot on the go at the moment. I need to get outside today and start raking up the lawn. Now that the snow has disappeared I've found all those leaves that I didn't get to in the fall. I'm not complaining though because I sure have missed this weather. No coats, yeah!!

Yesterday Bob and I headed up to Drummondville to celebrate my granddaughter Oceanne's birthday. She turned 3 on Saturday and because I was working we had to postpone our visit until Monday.

I can't believe how fast the girls are growing! Little Summer is walking now and has already started speaking. She has a mop of curly hair which is usually quite wild since she won't still long enough for combing! Oceanne is learning more English now especially since Dad has been the primary caregiver. Both girls are very busy and the day passed by so quickly. I'd forgotten how much mess two little ones can make in such a short time! Before you knew it the time had arrived for us to head home again. I felt like I'd just got there and really wish that they lived closer to us. Here are a few pics of our fun afternoon.

This past Thursday involved a celebration of a different sort. July 2007 was the thirtieth anniversary of my employment with the hospital. Every April the hospital has an awards ceremony for all the milestones of the previous year including the retirees. In the past there was a quick ceremony in the cafeteria where the awards were handed out. Since our amalgamation however, there is now a dinner with entertainment including spouses. From the lab we had 3 of us celebrating 30 yrs, one celebrating 35 yrs and 3 others celebrating 15 and 20 yrs. Quite a lot of experience all told! For 30 years service I had the choice of a pendant or ring with the hospital logo on it. I chose the ring in sterling silver. We also received a pin initalled with our years of service that we can wear on our lab coats. It was a lovely evening and a good time was had by all.

My thoughtful MIL provided me with the lovely rose coursage!

Looks like tonight I have the evening to myself. I still have some work to do on our taxes. April 30th is the deadline for filing in Canada and I've been waiting for #3 son to provide me with some info so I can finish up his claim. Then I think we're done and can file. Not too much damage. My DH has to pay but I'm getting money back which will cover it and a little left over. The extra will cover the cost of carpet cleaning which I'm anxious to go ahead with because then I can go about setting up my craft room. Bob has told me to start looking for a stitching chair which he'd like to give me for my birthday in May. I'd hoped to head into Ottawa on Saturday to start looking but I've ended up with an overtime shift instead. That'll teach me not to answer the phone without checking the number first!

The postman arrived with some new stash this past week but I haven't got around to taking any pictures yet. Next post, I promise! In the meantime I'm heading outside to enjoy some sun and some stitching. Hope you can too!

A finish for the framer

Saturday morning I put in my last stitches on The Wedding. I'd saved the personalization until last because I wasn't quite sure whether or not I wanted the year put in on the date of marriage. The pattern doesn't call for the year. In fact it's done a little differently in that there are no capitals used on the names or month and the actual date is stitched in a larger font than the month. After talking with my DH we decided that we really wanted the date to indicate the year as well. However fitting that in was another matter! When I stitched it as May 17, 2008 it looked a little off balance since the numbers are so much larger than the month. So then I tried putting it in as 17 may 08. However when I started stitching it where the pattern called for it, I found that the 7 was running into the letter p in the bride's name. So I made a slight adjustment and started stitching a little lower than where the chart indicated. If I put in the all the numbers of the year it just didn't look right. So I decided to leave the year as you see in the picture.It just looked more symmetrical that way.

I headed off to my LNS in Ottawa to have it framed where it should be complete in about 3 weeks. I'll post a picture when I get it back.

The weather here has greatly improved since my return home. Mind you, this weekend was a little cooler and rainy but overall the temps have been increasing and the sun has been shining. Along with those warmer days comes the melt. At this point the only snow left on the front lawn is the large pile at the foot of the drive where most of the snow from the plow was thrown. It's much smaller than it was but naturally it will be the last to go. Our back yard faces north and doesn't get as much sun so things there are taking a bit longer to disappear. I can finally step out on the deck though and make my way to the clothesline again. The first BBQ of the season took place on Friday. Bob did up some burgers that just tasted great. These were the first burgers I've had since October. I'm not much for fast food joints and prefer the home cooked variety.

As soon as the snow receded I found that my tulips were up. Just the leaves of course, no buds yet, but a joyous sight nonetheless. This weekend I also spotted shoots coming up from my bleeding hearts and even from my rhubarb plant in the back. The birds have all returned and already we have a family setting up their nest in our birdhouse. The cardinals pay regular visits to our feeder but only in early morning or just before dusk and they're very quick. The other night after supper Bob hollered to me from upstairs that the male cardinal was at the feeder. I grabbed my camera and managed to grab a very quick pic through the downstairs window. Unfortunately this window is not very clean and the picture looks a bit cloudy but he did sit still long enough for me to grab a couple of shots. This one is best. It's not very clear but I was also taking the photo through the screen on the window and the light was fading.

While I was visiting my Mom in Florida I saw some birds of a different sort. First was the mockingbird who showed up each day at the pool and serenaded us. What a treat! Then all week my Mom had been talking about the sand cranes that show up in the yard looking for food. She said if I saw them not to feed them otherwise they would poke holes in the screened porch looking for more. By the end of the week when we still had not seen them, my sister and I would joke. " What cranes would those be? Are they like the gator that sunbathes on the golf course?(not!)" On my last day the cranes showed up. Laurie had already left for home and missed them but I got some pictures for her to prove they existed. There was a male and female and when the female stood up, two babes ran out from under her! The babies were so cute and the mother let me get pretty close for some good shots. As for the gator, apparently my niece got a picture of him on her visit. I'll believe it when I see it!

With spring comes the urge for fresh starts which is exactly what I've done. Now that The Wedding is finished I kitted up and got started on Prairie Schooler Weather Wise. I'm doing the sampler with the verse Red Sky at Morning. I've only just put in my first stitches so still too early for a picture. I hope to have something to show later this week on Trilogy's Secret Garden as well. And with any luck, I'll even get some time in on CdC! Too bad that work has to get in the way!!