Good Bye 2010, Hello 2011

As the new year blossoms, may the journey of your life be fragrant with new opportunities, your days be bright with new hopes and your heart be happy with love! Happy New Year! - Anonymous

That'll Do !

Look at the gorgeous skeins of alpaca wool that I won from Andrea in Ohio of That'll Do Farm. I don't remember how I found Andrea's blog site, but I did take serious note of her name of her farm.

A friend of ours from Nova Scotia had a grandmother who used to use the phrase.."that'll do" all the time and we now have made it part of our vocabulary from time to time.

Thanks Andrea, your wool will find a nice home here in Newfoundland!

The Day Before

How fast time goes and now, it is the day before returning to the Day Job. Where did the week go? Oh yes, shopping, cleaning, visiting, eating, eating some more and of course, hooking!

Right now, we are getting some snow from the Nor'Easter that hit NY city and points south, but it was truly a green Christmas which doesn't happen very often. And today's snow, will be followed by rain. It could be a mess for the drive into work tomorrow. Oh well, thank goodness it is a short week and I am off again on Friday!

Merry Christmas to All!

The good thing about living in Newfoundland is that we don't have to be politically correct and wish each other generic, non-sectarian greetings like Happy Holidays. Nor do we have to call a Christmas tree, a holiday tree.

I am enjoying the time off work and out of the stores. I also received a nice little gift of three books; two hooking books and one, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Thanks to Deanne's new book, I have learned that even the most challenged artist, can be taught to draw. Well, at least, that's the plan.

Merry Christmas to all!

So this is Christmas?

Right now, it is blowing hard and my little house on the side of a mountain overlooking the Bay of Islands is holding tight. I am off the rest of the week, having to use up the last of my outstanding vacation days. The old use it or lose it corporate mandate; so I am using it!

I didn't take these pictures but borrowed them from other people in the Corner Brook area. But as they say, a picture says a thousand words and these speak volumes on our weather. It is a bit frightening to say the least. We are either going to have another great (snowless) winter or we are in for a big dump in February.

Christmas in the Harbour

This is certainly not Christmas 2010 as it is green in Newfoundland. The warmer than usual waters of the North Atlantic are keeping this province warm, windy and snow free.

While all around us, people are suffering one of the worst starts to winter 2010. My dear Mom has used her snowblower more this year than all of last year.

I have been hooking and today is the final meeting of our little hooking group until the new year! I hope to have some pictures soon to show you how well they have done.

Climate Change!

We must be experiencing the dawn of climate change. It has been mild and not one snowflake in sight. Not only has it been mild enough to wear spring coats, my garden feels like it is going to spring to life once again.

No wonder I love pansies! One hearty little pansy soul has come to life, transplanted by the wind along the borden of the garden. We all have our fingers crossed that the mild weather will continue!

Where in the World ...

..........is Gail? She has immigrated to the Bay of Islands and here she is protecting our harbour.

On my trip to the Mainland in November, I was able to spend some Christmas time with my dear mother. As we were packing, she kept saying, don't forget Gail? I thought she had lost it but soon enough the mystery was revealed.

Gail is one of her Christmas nutcrackers that she wanted me to take along to the island. And her name is Gail for a reason known to all Coronation Street fans.

Don't you think she looks like Gail Platt?

Come Dine With Me Canada

I started watching Come Dine With Me (UK) and loved it. It was with anticipation that I waited to see Come Dine With Me (Canada) only to be sorely disappointed. It is horrible and I am not sure why?

No accents? Could be that the Toronto twang is affecting my enjoyment after spending some years in Ontario?

Not too boozy? Could be I have grown used to the UKs snockered dinner parties and miss the fun of drunken guests?

Terms of Endearment? Could be as I have now grown used to such terms as starter, main and pudding etc?

Recipes? The Canadian menus have been boring and one served a gazpacho as the main last night?

Whatever it is, I hope W channel puts back on the Come Dine With Me (UK).

Magical

Last night, just before leaving the office, I had a strange occurrence. I don't know if you want to call it an out of body experience but it was indeed, magical. In a blink of an eye, I was whisked to dinner as if a spell was cast. No preparation, no dishes, and exactly, as I wanted.

Then, it happened again, I was instantly transported to a warm, dark place with nice smells of popcorn and snacks. Already satiated by dinner, I declined but was happy in my decision. Before long, it became even darker and in front of me, appeared......



Harry Potter!

Here we were among others in the same age bracket watching the second to last episode of Harry Potter and not one child present. What truly amazes me about this story is how well crafted the entire books have been. If only I had thought of it first!

Facebook!

*¨*•.¸¸♥.•*¨*•☆☆•*¨*☆•*¨*•.¸¸♥¸.•*¨*•☆☆•* Put this as your status if you have the most BEAUTIFUL ?????? ♥ in the world!! xxx oooo •*¨*•.¸¸♥¸.•*¨*•☆☆•*¨*☆•*¨*•.¸¸♥¸.•*¨☆•*¨*•.¸¸♥.•..*¨*•☆☆•*¨

I do have a Facebook account; however, it is mostly for playing an addictive game called Bejeweled. I only have a handful of facebook friends but I marvel at some of the posts on the "wall". Private information, rants, slams and cute ones, like the one above.

HELLO?? If you don't want your identity or house robbed, be careful what you put there. Our little lunch group met yesterday and I didn't think to bring my camera to post pictures of the progress. One of the group has already finished the first project and is onto the next. I gave a lesson in finishing and binding and it ended all too soon.

I didn't take yesterday's pictures but borrowed them from a local person. Happily, the snow is gone and it is quite mild.

Wordless Wednesday

Time and Tide

Well, this is a picture looking out at the barrens in Port aux Basques Thursday morning when we just got off the ferry. I see a rug in this picture. It was 12 degrees and a warm wind greeted us back to the island after being away for three weeks.

I had to take my outstanding vacation before the end of the year, so this called for a trip to Montreal and Toronto to see family. A very pleasant visit with my mother which of course, always ends much too soon!

I didn't take along any rug hooking and I missed it very much. But, I did make a stop in Amherst to spend abit of time choosing wool for future projects at Deanne's studio.




This is a picture taken this morning with snow under Maddy's feet as she looks out from the deck. Yes, there is a skiff of snow this morning and it is chilly at minus 2. Time and tide waits for no one and this is especially true in this part of the world.

Thnigs I have Learned So Far!

I have learned a lot since this Grade Two picture was taken around 1960. Some of those lessons I have to take several times and some only once.

Here are some of those lessons;

-No one is an expert on you, except YOU!
-Angels inhabit human form.
-Never let a machine know you are in a hurry.
-Dogs understand love better than some people.
-Keep your brain young by learning something new.
-Never, ever tempt fate.
-Happiness is all around you, be open to it.
-Goodnight kisses are very important.
-Truth is simple and peace is a choice.
-Life goes on with or without us.
-Never confuse your career with your life.
-Stuff becomes a burden over the years.
-Life is precious and fragile, it should be cherished.

These are just a few things coming to mind right now. What have you learned?

Remembering!

I have a great love of birds and came across this picture of hummingbirds which I think was taken in Florida. We don't have hummingbirds in NL, nor do we have cardinals, another of my favourite aviators. Of course, on the other side, we do have puffins, gannets, grosbeaks and many others.

What makes this picture special is that it is an actual picture taken by P's daughter on her vacation. Aren't they sweet?

Today, is Remembrance Day and as my father was a WWII veteran, I always think that if he didn't make it back from Europe, his children wouldn't have had our lives to be grateful for. Remember all veterans today.

In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below


We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Sense of Humour.

I am always receiving these funny emails from friends and coworkers. Most, I must be truthful, I don't even read especially, the chain emails or anything with a religious overtone. But this is one I kept as it made me laugh.

Sometimes, I don't think I have a sense of humour at all. Someone tells a funny story or a joke, and I just stand with a blank look on my face. It's not that "I don't get it"; I just don't find it funny.

I think that I have a sense of humour somewhere, but where is it?

Somewhere Else!

I am currently reading Deanne's new book, Inspired! Sometimes, I can actually hear Deanne speaking the words on the pages. I thought I was the only person who found beauty in the Tantramar Marsh.

The Tantramar Marshes is a National Wildlife Area on the southern part of the Isthmus of Chignecto, which joins Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and the Canadian mainland. It is the site of the historic Battle of Beausejour, the final chapter in the long battle for Acadia by the British and French. Immediately after the battle, Beaubassin was the site where the British chose to begin the Expulsion of the Acadians from the Maritimes in 1755.

I have driven past the marshes more times than I can count, on my way to Quebec and Ontario. I often want to stop and savour the openess of the space, feel the history on the winds and see the beauty in something where others do not. To stop, and see beauty in the details and not at 100 kms an hour through the car windows, on my way to somewhere else.

Hooking Along!

As you may recall, I have started a hooking group at the Day Job. We are quite small, only four, myself included but we are having a great time.

Here are two of the rugs in progress. I am absolutely impressed with the original designs and the imagination of these two projects. The lighthouse is done all in yarns and the fishing rooms, in mixed media.



I am currently back working on the Hearts and Flowers that I started last spring. It is in the rec room on my Cheticamp frame and now, with the cool, rainy weather, I am back in the house with the woodstove to keep out the chill!

Raclette Weekend

This was another wet and windy weekend which was perfect for raclette grilling. I used our new raclette grill for the first time on the weekend and had a fun time. It is the "new" fondue technique of the 70s and 80s and if you haven't tried it, here is what it is.

Raclette is a Swiss Cheese dish that has been popular for centuries. There are different opinions about who started it. Some say shepherds in the mountains, other say it was the grape harvesters in the vineyards of the Valais region of Switzerland. No matter who, fact is that after a hard days work, they gathered around a campfire and held the cut surface of their local cheese against the glowing coals. As the cheese melted, they scraped (french: raclet) it off onto potatoes and pickles, thus coming to bear the name "raclette". Everybody agrees, that it took place in the Valais region of Switzerland and that the original cheese was made there.

Today there are countless varieties of healthy meals each person can prepare while sitting together at the dining table around an indoor grill. Sharing stories over drinks while creating personalized dishes on a racette grill or with a raclette melter is an activity everyone will love. And you’ll be cooking with your friends, not for them.

I didn't have a theme raclette but had a selection of cold cuts, cheeses, pickles, potatoes, and eggs. It was great fun!

You've Got Mail!

One of the disadvantages of living on the edge of North America, is slower mail services. And to add on top of that, we have had ferry problems, so snail mail over the past two weeks, became even slower snail mail.

But today, I got mail from my dear friend Cathy G of Orange Sink(the reason for the name was revealed today). Her lovely pattern arrived with a special handmade card and a picture of the completed Autumn Trio.

Thank you so much Cathy! It will be a privilege to complete your pattern.

Answers to Friday's Quiz

I had a great laugh as usual with the answers from Kim. But here are the real definitions to Friday's Quiz.

1) Tallywack: A rascal or a scallywag

2) Garnipper: An extremely large biting mosquitoe.

3) Whinker: A wicker or neigh from a horse.

4) Shuck: A cloth covering on a mitt or a boot.

5) Rightify: To correct, recitify or make right.

The weekend went back in a flash as usual and weather has not been good with lots of rain and very few days of sunshine. Busy getting ready for the snow to come; garden has mostly been put to bed and still a few things to do.

Time for Another NL Quiz!

One thing about living in Newfoundland is certainly getting used to not only the accent but words that I have never heard before.

Many people always comment about my "Ontario" accent which comes as a surprise as I don't think I have an accent, let alone an Ontario accent.

But here we go;

1) Tallywack

2) Garinipper

3) Whinker

4) Shuck

5) Rightify

Put on your thinking caps and by the way, have a great weekend.

Courage!

Did I hear the supper bell?



Back off, Buddy!



I just had to post these two pictures. They made me laugh outloud today in the office. With so much saddness in the world, it is sometimes hard to find something heartwarming or just plain funny.

When humans put their minds to it, we can be so inventive and courageous; like watching the Chilean miners being lifted one by one after 69 days of imprisonment in the copper mine.

Or just having fun like these little dogs, and living in the moment.

Where Have You Been?

GRRRRRRR! I changed internet providers and even gave myself a couple of days extra, just in case. So when I tried to set up the new account on Friday, I was told that my hook up to the internet would require a service call which was going to be five days away. Oh no, no internet for FIVE WHOLE DAYS!

That would mean a long weekend with no blog pals, no email to my mother, no listening to internet radio and my favourite radio program, Coast to Coast, no new recipes, no encyclopedia, no Facebook, no online banking, no online shopping,no netflix... How could I survive it?

I did survive but how dependent my life has become on something I didn't even use much a few years ago. Pretty scary!

Captain Cook's Lookout

On my journey around town this weekend, I went to the Captain Cook lookout which has an amazing view of the Bay of Islands. Captain Cook was the first to map the island of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific. It was on his third voyage that he died in the Hawaiian Islands in a fight.

Enough of the history lesson, the view is spectacular!

Marbleous Mat Makers!

What a busy weekend! I know that there is a rug hooking group in Corner Brook but because of the conflict between the Day Job and the time the group meets, I have never been able to join.

This weekend, the Marbleous Mat Makers, which must be a play on words between our gorgeous Marble Mountain and the group, had a demonstration of their mats. I was extremely impressed with the quality and artistic ability of these rug hookers.

With permission, I took some pictures of the display rugs, but these pictures pale in comparison to the actual mats.




And to top it all off, I won one of Cathy of Orange Sink's blog prizes!

The Winner of the Icons of Newfoundland!

My donation to the Bay of Islands SPCA raised over $1700.00 which will go directly to the new building fund. Pictured here are Isabel Power (shelter volunteer) with Kim Taylor of Pasadena (Rug Winner).

This rug was designed by Anne Kirby of Lord's Cove.

A Bundle of Sky

I had to order some wool so I can complete the Three Little Houses. I received my bundle of sky from Deanne and it is so cute, I don't even want to unwrap it. Deanne always adds abit of artistry to everything she does.

The Three Little Houses is my wool strip project, having only used wool strips and maybe, a bit of fleece for texture.

My Little Town!

This is an aerial view of my little Newfoundland town, Meadows. This view is approximately in the middle of Meadows and my house is at the beginning of the town and not in the picture.

Meadows is one of six communities on the North Shore of the Bay of Islands, approximately 15 kilometers from Corner Brook and has a population of 600 homes.

I thought you would like to see this picture which I borrowed from our town clerk!

OMG!

I returned to the Day Job this week on an easeback schedule. OMG! (Oh, my God), I am so busy catching up with the changes, I had to have a nap this afternoon. But, all in all, it is good to be back.

I had started a small rug hooking group before my leave of absence and if I find time, I will be restarting the group in the next few weeks at lunch hour. I hope to have some pictures to post on the hooking projects.

Sheltered from the Storm

I took this picture while in Long Point which is near Twillingate. This tiny little fir tree clenched against the cold North Atlantic winds and sheltered by five million year old rock. What an example of silent strength and the survival.

It was my first day on the Day Job after being off for six months and by the state of my office, I think I was missed.

Blue Nose Mat

I am trying to complete a number of sample hooked mats using a variety of background fabrics and wool. This simple mat of the Blue Nose is done on linen with 100% wool yarn and ribbon for the flag.

My next small sample mat is going to be on primitive burlap and using only t-shirt material. Should be interesting as I have never used this type of material.

I am in the process of obtaining some wool from Deanne for the sky on the Three Little Houses, so I will be finishing off that one, hopefully, soon.

Restful Time in Twillingate

In preparation for the impending return to the Day Job, I took several days rest in a small coastal community of Twillingate. A lovely cottage by the sea and several days of quiet and peace helped me get myself in perspective.

I didn't even work on any hooking projects but certainly saw lots of inspiration in the sea, the fishing sheds, the smells and the friendliness of the people.

People all over the world pay millions of dollars to have vistas like these which we see everyday doing our everyday things.

Deanne is right; happiness is wanting what you have!

Where did the Summer Go??

I have been away from my blog for so long, I almost forgot how to post etc. Since the last post, almost a full month has passed me by.

Due to medical problems, I had to make a trip to Toronto to get it sorted and happily, I am feeling a bit better and will be going back to the Day Job soon. Oh yes, I didn't tell you that I haven't been well enough to work since the end of March.

Thanks for the concern from my dear blogging friends! As John Lennon once said, Life happens, when you are busy doing other things.

Progress on Mat

The weather in NL has been cool and unsettled with lots of rain. This has allowed me to work on my rugs. Here is the progress on Three Little Places. I am still getting used to pulling wool strips but it is coming along.

Garden Pictures!

Sadly, the garden is starting to peak in its blooms and colours. I took these pictures this morning while everything was still damp from yesterday's rain.

I can feel the changes even though they are subtle; more dew in the mornings and cooler nights. Blue jays have returned from the back country and the robins have stopped their egg laying.