The Countdown Continues

Christmas is approaching quickly....how the time flies from
one year to another!
I guess it has something to do with aging.....who would know???

I'm still knitting constantly finishing up projects that started
early with all good intentions of being completed long before
Christmas....only to have the wool back ordered and it finally arrived on Friday.
I decided this year to knit the little gals sweaters and leg warmers to match.
Then I saw some fiesta skirts for sale on the internet and thought they'd
be cute with the sweaters, so I made them each one.l....very quickly done.
Now all I have left to do is buy a couple of cute T-shirts to match. I can't wait to see them dressed in these.






















I've been knitting tiny toques for the Christmas tree this year while watching tv! I like them and they'll make cute tag toppers on gifts.






I spent the last couple of hours wrapping gifts with the carols blaring and it really was fun!
I hope all who read this have a happy healthy new year and a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

Merry Christmas!

Countdown to Christmas

The socks have been finished.....they'll keep B's toes toasty!









I've done most of the baking I plan to do....the kids don't like a lot of cookies/squares. I make their favourite ones.
Of course, there are a couple of squares I make on Christmas Eve, so they're really fresh and tasty.
This year our son and his family will spend Christmas dinner with us....they opted for prime rib/Yorkies/veggies/dessert. I usually make trifle, they all love it. This year I'm making roasted asparagus and I'm looking for a tasty carrot dish....little ones love them. I'm not sure what special vegetarian dish I'll make myself!!

I had our grandson Ryder for an overnight last week. It was his first in a long time. We finally have a bed for him to sleep in. The main purpose was to decorate a gingerbread house....a tradition I hope to keep going in the coming years. Of course the girls will join in next year. I think it'll be fun to have all three here for the night! Am I crazy or what?????
He had such a good time and was so careful working on it. I figured he'd eat a lot, but really didn't have very many at all. He liked the icing I dabbed on his finger a lot better than the candy.














I've always made my gingerbread houses from scratch. I didn't know they sell kits all ready to go until this year when I started looking around......no work at all. I hope we'll make our own gingerbread when the kids get older and buy our own candies.....they'll be a lot yummier!!!!!
Doesn't he look proud?

We took him home and returned to make lunch.....surprise.....our girls dropped by on their way to a family Christmas in Cobourg. Kenzie was dressed like a little princess. You can't really see the leggings...all gathered up the side in black velvet with bows at the ankle....really cute.





We're really looking forward to having the kids around this year. They're all big enough to rip into the gifts and have fun.....making precious memories.
I hope all of you have a happy, memorable Christmas with your family and friends and a wonderful, healthy 2011!!!

Christmas Is Coming

We kept the kids overnight while Mommy &
Daddy went out celebrating a birthday. They enjoyed a pasta dinner and a few "treats"!! They kept Bill and I busy and happy.















Yesterday the Sully family celebrated their Christmas together in Oshawa. Ryder and Finn got all dolled up for the occasion. Finn was very happy when she found a dolly to play with and Ryder threaded beads for quite a while. I've been busy knitting and spinning for Christmas.... new socks for Bill.......

......and a pretty new scarf for someone special. I love the pattern on this scarf. It has a picot edging that's really made by casting off in a different way.

This evening our UCW group is having their annual Christmas dinner at the church. It's always nice to be waited on.....(usually I'm the server at our dinners).

I hope your preparations are going well.....still have 18 more days to work on it!!!!

Keeping Busy

On the weekend, Liza and I went shopping....I needed goodies for the advent calendars I planned to make for two of my grandkids and I also needed some wool. I managed to get both!!!
The green yarn is softly spun wool from Wisdom Yarns....going to make a multidirectional scarf out of it....pattern is on ravelry.....free.







I spent yesterday and this morning constructing the advent calendars. I'm pretty pleased with them. I put decorations in the bags...one for each day; they hang them on the tree as they take them out of the bag. I put velcro on the tree/ornament, so they can use them again next year.
The picture on the left shows the tree decorated on
Christmas Eve....the one on the right shows the velcro and bags full of ornaments. Let the count down begin!

A trip to Indiana

Last week I accompanied my sister to Indiana for a visit with her daughter and her family. A new baby girl arrived a couple of weeks before this and so we were pretty excited to meet her and play with her brother.
We had great driving weather and Indiana seemed fairly warm to us. We had lots of visits and we celebrated a couple of birthdays while we were there.



Arya is the beautiful new baby! Fishing was a fun game with Grammy!



Since arriving home, we've entertained our family! Kenzie & Liza came on Saturday and stayed overnight. Our little 2 year old is delightful with the twinkle in her eye and the dimples in her cheeks. How hard it is to refuse her anything!


Grampy is a special toy! She is always up for a game and laughs so easily!



Saturday, the Santa Claus parade came to town and our kids took Ryder and Finn out to see it. They had a visit with us before they went.....couldn't resist a picture of each.
They were all dressed and ready for the hot chocolate!

Time Passes

Wow! Can't believe it's been so long between entries!

Where does the time go?

I've been doing some spindling...enjoying some of the colourful fiber I bought at the seminar.
It takes a while to get unto it, but I love the look of a full spindle and how nice the yarn is when it's finished and ready to knit........not sure what just yet.



We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family in Bancroft area....not everyone was able to be there, but a lot of us chatted, laughed and caught up on news. It's great to watch the little ones and see how they've changed since our last get-together.

Another important milestone occurred last weekend....our little granddaughter turned two!!! I am amazed how one can go from a little baby to a toddler in such a short time... .talking, running and giggling and just plain delightful. She's a beautiful little girl, much like her Mommy was not all that long ago!!!!
I've also been very busy embroidering a blanket for my in-laws for a Christmas present. It takes a long time but I love the finished product.....I chose pale green shades because it matches their living room and they like pale colours.

Auntie Norma brought Scarlett a Hallowe'en outfit....she didn't particularly like it, but she agreed to model it for us.
This weekend is our grandson's third birthday!! Once again I wonder where the time went?
He's all into Buzz Lightyear this year, so his gift was an easy one.....some Buzz light up goggles, Buzz PJ's and I made him a cape to wear with his goggles! I can't wait to see him flying around with them on! It'll be a joy. I'm sure he'll think he's Buzz!!!!!

Central Region Seminar Today

What a great day it turned out to be!
One hundred spinners and weavers gathered to learn/review/practice spinning/weaving techniques, that only we would be interested in.
Vendors from all over Ontario were there too.....selling

-books
-fiber
-dvds
-spindles
-niddy noddies
-cottons etc..........eye candy all around the room!!!!

Our guest speaker reminded us of how long spinners have been important in world events.....Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 with the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria....whose sails required over 6 000 square meters of fabric.....all spun on spindles by hand and woven......AND thousands of yards of rope....all spun on spindles!!!!!! It boggles my mind!!!!! I guess I'd have known those facts if I'd thought of them, and it certainly makes me aware of the ageless skill I've acquired as a hobby!

I treated myself to some new silk/merino fiber; a weaving book and small amounts of coloured corriedale to spin.

In the afternoon I attended a spindle workshop....the leader was a great spinner and good teacher.....I managed to spin some gray shetland on my spindle and even plied it.

I am so grateful to have all these hobbies.....even more grateful to have my health and time to enjoy them!


Hope everyone is enjoying their day!

Yesterday was a great day for making salsa! I bought 1/2 bushel of tomatoes at a local grower's and had everything ready to simmer early this morning.
I made a small batch for R...Ryder....who doesn't like the "heat", but loves the tomato flavour with tortilla chips.
This will make great hostess gifts and a good treat to open up anytime!

















I finished Seth's sweater on Wednesday also.....I think it will look pretty good on the handsome
little guy with the reddish hair! I hope Mommy likes it. He has his birthday party this coming Saturday or Sunday...finished just in time.







Bill has been asking for something baked to take to work...so yesterday I decided to make raisin oatmeal cookies. They turned out yummy. I tucked a few away into the freezer for a certain little lady in Toronto!









I hauled this blanket out this morning and actually completed the stitching on it....I only had 1/2 row to do....I learned this huck embroidery while I was in Florida last winter. I really like it, so bought the materials to make one for myself.
I'm planning on making one for my in-laws for
Christmas this year...only in shades of green.








I had a hankering for some more olive oil crackers....loaded them with chia seeds, sesame seeds, parmesan cheese, poppy seeds, sea salt etc....hmmmmm...so good with hummus and a slice of tomato for lunch!

Nova Scotia

Wow! It's been over 3 weeks since I last posted!
We had a safe and interesting trip to the east coast....literally!

This picture shows us arriving in Cole Harbour, NS....Sept. 9...Jim & Anna live in the little yellow house on the top right side of the picture....they have a beautiful view of Cole Harbour....once a bustling little village with it's own store, school and church.






Now there are only a few all year residents....the

nearest village/store is Larry's River, about a 15 minute drive.

This is a picture of their local supermarket!!!! The back end is the trailer of a truck! You'd be surprised at the merchandise he carries......he even had Buckley's mixture when I needed it.










Heavy winds from an earlier hurricane toppled a lot of trees
and caused a lot of erosion. The family owns land on what they call
"the headland"....right on the ocean. It's high and rugged!
We took a ride down on the 4-wheeler....they have a cabin that Jim built a few years ago....no hydro etc though. It's very rustic!! A tree came very close to knocking the roof down....many of them are dead, but there's too many to keep them all cleaned up.



The water off the "head" is known as Torr Bay....it's huge and there's a Provincial Park not far from us. The hurricane damaged the boardwalk again, but it's still beautiful......the beach has sand....not common in this area!!!!














The causeway to Cape Breton is only about an hour north of Cole Harbour....we decided to go to Cheticamp...the rug-hooking capital of the world......known for their fine yarn hooking techniques. It's a nice day trip...up the Cabot Trail on the west coast of CB.
It was a beautiful sunny day in CB and about the only one where the sun shone more than an hour or two.....found the museum/store/restaurant we were looking for. I enjoyed sharing with the local artisan who showed me the technique involved and then I did some shopping and ate lunch in the Acadian restaurant. I enjoyed a fish soup.



Another hobby.......just about finished....think I'll frame it.


We took our time going to NS, but decided to drive home in a couple of days. They have completed the new highway through NB now and it's the most boring drive you've ever seen.....double lane highway and trees!!! The main highway used to be through pretty rural countryside....not now. It poured rain on the way there and we were both rather giddy when we finally reached the NS border.

Liza and Mackenzie came to visit the day after we returned.....such a cutie and a little imp!

Known around here as the "bag" lady, she had a great time shopping in her new cowboy boots and fancy dress!



Wonder woman showed up a bit later!
















Yesterday I gathered the goods to make beet pickles.....always a big mess, but my kids love them and it's nice to have a few here to have with dinner once in a while....especially when we have company.

Beets are expensive....I thought I had lots!!!! Oh well..I'll be picky about using them. Every time I see them on the table I think about Mom & Dad.....we always had them with meals....just took them for granted! I wonder what will remind my kids of me in future years??????.....I'm sure it won't be pickles!


Thanksgiving is just around the corner....a beautiful time of the year. My horn of plenty is overflowing!

I hope everyone is healthy and enjoying the day! Salsa is bubbling away on the stove as I write....yummy and it smells soooooo good!

Another Week.....

Another week of summer has passed....August has turned into September. It won't be long before fall is here for good. Yet, we've had a week of very hot, humid weather. The fans in our home have been buzzing constantly!

No appointments this week! Love it! Just doing my "thing" and enjoying life. I got to play with Ryder and Finn on Wed. morning for a while. Brandon had a dentist appt. so they kept me company! Ryder is talking so much now and they are both so polite. It made me smile to hear Finn say "tankoo" when I gave her a cracker.....what a cutie. Ryder is looking forward to his birthday next month and Finn likes to use the pottie!!!
What fun it is to watch all three of my little ones develop!

Food blogs call to me and I enjoy trying some of their new recipes and hints. I finally finished the table runner (rag). It's pretty neat, but needs to be washed to be totally finished.




For anyone who knows our family, they'll know where this picture was taken! What a glorious view. This picture was taken about 7:45 pm and I was using the panoramic button on my camera for the first time.....it's okay but not great. Anyone needing to meditate couldn't find a better spot.

Yesterday, while reading a veggie food blog, I came across a recipe for these olive oil crackers. I couldn't wait to try them.....they look good and they taste great AND so easy. We spread a little hummus on and just enjoyed them. I made giant crackers and break them up as I use them. Some have poppy seeds, grated parm, sesame seeds, dill, thyme, etc. I just kept sprinkling!!!
I also came across another recipe for oatcakes. I had a recipe a long time ago from one of my parents (English) who sent oatcakes to school all the time with her kids. She gave me the very simple recipe, and Brandon just loved them. They became a regular in his lunchbox too. I've tried over the years to replicate them, but not with any success.....these are good, but still not right. Where on earth did I write the recipe???? It's just a simple combination of butter, a small amount of brown sugar and lots of oats!........someday.
Guess what's brewing on my shelf?????? My son gave me some vanilla beans, so I decided to "brew" them. I dumped what was left of a bottle of vodka into my pint jar and put the beans in........pretty nasty smelling at first, but it's becoming more vanilla flavoured all the time!!!! I used the first bit of it yesterday in my raisin/oatmeal cookies. The recipe called for a tsp but I only used 1/2 of a tsp.....it's so much stronger than the imitation kind.
Today I'm off to lunch with my favourite four! I think our niece is going to join us too. We're going to enjoy sushi at a local restaurant....yeah!!!
This long weekend will be a busy one.
Tomorrow I'm volunteering in our church kitchen making sandwiches for a 90th birthday party in the afternoon....I'll be serving at it as well.
Sunday I'm having my family over....get to enjoy the three grandchildren! I wanted a good visit before we take off for NS.....it's supposed to be cooler, but I'm planning on a cold ham/potato salad/coleslaw. I even bought kookaid "jammers" for the kids to drink.....I decided Grammy could give them sugar once in a while.
Monday I'm packing and getting the trailer ready for our trip and making lunch for a UCW meeting that evening.....another gal and I are responsible for the program.
Tuesday morning......we're off for two weeks of travel, visits and sight seeing!!!!!!!!!

Food....never far from my thoughts!

A beautiful day....a great morning walk with my dog and coffee on the deck in the partial sunshine.....doesn't get much better than that.....until a sister showed up to share coffee with me.

I worked on my rag runner until I ran out of strips.....time to tie some more together. It's hard to believe how many strips go into it.




No appointments today.
What to do....what to do?????

I'm sick of sorting and cleaning! I've done enough of that for now.

I finally decided to make some raisin bread....Bill loves it.....and I think I might be a fan!!!!




The dough mixed together very easily and the kneading was fun. I have to get a table that's lower....my counter is too high for me to knead properly. I can't put all my weight behind it...just think how much better it might be if I could!

Waiting for the rising and baking is the hardest part.




Well, maybe not......waiting for it to cool enough to eat a big slice was even harder. And it was delicious. I'll certainly make it again.

Going to get a new passport tomorrow and do some shopping! I'm sure it'll be a great time.

Hope you have a good one too.

Weekend Away

Wow! It's been a few days since I posted.

A weekend away with friends and family...we see some of them only once a year!

A horseshoe tournament.

I play horseshoes once a year....at the tournament.

I did pretty good! Others did better!!! (Some of them at least!)

It's a chance to catch up with people we never see...it's fun watching the kids grow from year to year.


Off to my yearly physical exam....new Dr.....very nice.
I was very happy to hear that my skin "flaws" are nothing to worry about....can you imagine me with flaws?????
Now.....the round of appointments!!!!
Oh well....better safe than sorry.


I made an eye examination appointment for tomorrow .....and while I was there picked out some new frames. The gal asked,"Why do you think you'll need new glasses?" I said, "'Cause I'm watching tv through my reading glasses!"

The great-great-nephew's sweater is finished.....now for a toque to wear with it.

I'll be knotting rags this afternoon so I can finish my rag table runners. It's a perfect day for doing it.

Life is great.......enjoy yours!

You Never Know....

Up bright and early....took Scarlett for a good long walk and had lots of energy to start off the day...........SO......



I decided I'd bake some sticky cinnamon buns!!!
Here they are, all ready to bake.





Here they are....out of the oven and ready to eat.....don't they look yummy?

They are delicious and very sticky....especially in your mouth....but, Bill took six or so in his lunch and is looking forward to having them for dessert.

I'll certainly make them again...so easy and so good.





Now that we're down to one car, it seems necessary to shop whenever the car's available. Bill was out all morning, so when he returned around 10:30, it was time to hit the road.
I visited our local Mission store....it's always full of surprises....today was no different.
I purchased a really cute plastic trike type of toy for our kids to enjoy. Ryder will be able to ride it right now, the girls will be able to push it along with their feet.....and the price????? $3.00!!!!!

During my search I also discovered this:
A Punch Embroidery kit. It had never been opened and the original price was still on it....$29.95.....I got it for $3.00!!!! I have read about punch embroidery but didn't have a punch or any of the materials necessary to use it.....It's kind of fun....will take some practice before I get the "real" hang of it. It seems pretty quick...Norma, this may be IT!!!!!!!


I like to embroider and cross stitch, but this is quite different and you don't need to know any stitches....just how to use the punch.

Lord, will the crafts never end!!!



This is the underside of the work...the right side has tiny loops showing....pretty neat!

I also found an interesting book about a near-death experience....thought I'd enjoy that and a book about heart health written by Dr. Dean Ornish.....should be both informative and helpful.

By the way, I actually had a reason for shopping. When I went to have my teeth cleaned yesterday, the hygienist gave me some new type of GUM soft picks. They take the place of floss and since I hate flossing, I think they are awesome. I'm supposed to stimulate my gums a lot and I actually don't mind using these....SO...I had to go purchase some at Shoppers today. Try them, you'll like them!!!!

Life is good! Hope you're enjoying yours!