Creative Eye!

My mother always is trying to learn new things and is independent and active as possible. My recent attendance at a creative stitchery class held by Molly was a wonderful addition to my rug hooking. This is a picture of the group all holding our projects. I am the third from the right.

I am continuing to work on the mat from the class but silly me, I have two others mats also in progress. I vowed not to do this but alas, I have to finish up all these projects and hopefully, before something else catches my creative eye!

Lovely Day!

While the rest of Canada and many parts of the US are in record high temperatures, we have only had one day of 16C so far this year.

Last year, only one day edged to the 30C mark, so we are blessed with moderate temperatures in Newfoundland. In the evening, just open the windows and doors to the cool ocean breezes; no need for air conditioning!

Here are a couple additional pictures of different views of the garden.

On another more serious side, after receiving a number of comments which were linked to commercial and/or spam sites, I have changed my comment options to allow moderator approval.

I love comments but if you too have a number of inappropriate comments or ones that are linked to a website, maybe you should consider the same option.

The Joy Of Gardening!

Neighbours always comment on our garden saying it must take hours of work. The secret is, it doesn't if you routinely weed and tidy it.

Oh sure, the infrastructure was indeed, the hardest and most physical part. Hours of rock collecting, shaping, amending the poor soil, planting etc. But what joy it gives you looking back at the fruit of your labour.

I do everything in little bites, somewhat like April's Ten Minute Hooking Challenge and before I know it, mission accomplished.

Just a word of warning, gardening is addictive!

Pansy Delight!

After a medical appointment yesterday with the weather finally warm and sunny, I made a stop at a local nursery.

In my garden, I have loads of perennials but I usually place pots of annuals for bursts of colours in between the rock garden.

I have become a real fan of the much unappreciated lowly pansy and as such, I bought a flat of a variety of colours. I potted up 9 medium size pots and planters with the bearded wonders and I am not one bit afraid of any late frost to harm them! They are a hardy plant and although, they settle down their blooms in August, I can have loads of colours until then!

Beautiful Day!

We had lunch yesterday down by the port in Corner Brook. Weather has been abit on the wet and cool side but that's life in the East.

I opened up my pond when I got home from lunch and this morning, I drank my coffee with the delicious warmth of the sun, the chirp of a thousand song birds and the soothing splash of my fountain. Does life get any better than that?

Creative Stitch Workshop

Attending my first workshop yesterday, I learned to give my rug hooking pieces more dimension by adding texture and embroidery stitches. It was a lovely day of learning, socializing and it sadly, ended all too soon.

These are a few of the pictures I took of Molly's pieces. What I learned most of all is that there is no end to where you can take your rug hooking. I used to think there was one stitch you can use. How wrong I was!

Grow where you are Planted!

I saw that little saying in one of the seed/planting catalogues I was recently browsing through. As someone who has lived in three provinces in my life time, I believe that saying is the absolute truth. I feel that I could grow and be happy no matter where I am planted.

I think that inner growth and happiness are the essentials that anyone should be packing into their lives above all else. The things that we think are essential; the big house, the flash car, the fancy clothes are not essential. But it seems it takes a lifetime to figure that out.

Tablelands!

I realized this morning that it has been a while since I thought of my blog posts. But I have an excuse as this week has been consumed with watching hockey! Of course, I am a Montreal Canadians fan and unbelievably watched the best hockey I have seen in years from them. Seventeen years to be exact!

Hockey in Montreal has been called a religion and I heard that this week in Montreal, people were going to St. Joseph's Oratory to pray for the team and go to Mass. It must have worked because the team that wasn't supposed to even make the play-offs, are in the Eastern Conference finals.

These two pictures are from a nice drive we had last weekend to Norris Point. The first one is looking towards the Tablelands and the second one is looking out from the Norris Point marina.

The weather hasn't been good and still quite cool. I putter in the garden in between rain/snow showers.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the special mothers of the world and especially, to my mother!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday and from across the miles, I wish her a wonderful day.

Learning New Stitches!

Way back, more than year ago, when I first decided to take up the art of rug hooking, I purchased my first kit from Molly Made Fibre Arts in near by Rocky Harbour.

Since that time, I have continued on learning through books and youtube, but never had an opportunity to take any classes or workshops.

I noticed the other day a new post on Molly's site and saw a one day workshop coming up and couldn't resist. It will be held in Norris Point during the Trails, Tales and Tunes festival and here is the link for the festival website.


http://www.trailstalestunes.ca

I want to learn different stitches and how to add texture to my rug hooking and also, it will be nice to socialize with other rug hookers from NL.

E. R.?

Well, the weekend was going along nicely and quietly, until Sunday morning around 2 am. Maddy started to feel sick and I thought it was just some bad bug or grass she had eaten.

Throughout the whole night, she shivered and would not settle. By 5 am, I took her out for a walk and then, put her in her crate for awhile, thinking it would pass. It didn't and by noon, a call was made to the E. R. and the vet met us at the clinic.

After x-rays and bloodwork and a through exam, Dr. O felt it was gastritis. Apparently, two days before she picked up some old silicone caulking on the ground and before you could say "Jack Rascal", she swallowed it. Thinking it would just pass through the GI tract, we didn't worry about it.

But Dr.O said it irritated her stomach and caused belly cramps and gas. You have to know Maddy as she has such a low tolerance to illness or pain. Most dogs would just be quiet, but Maddy shivers and cries like a baby.

The good news is that she is back to her old self. Yesterday, I picked up this beautiful rock and decided that as I would never have a real pitcher plant in my garden, I would paint one.

A Rose by Any Other Name!

Many of my blog friends have a variety of pets or as I like to call them, fur/feather babies. Do your fur babies have "pet names"?

Maddy has several and her formal name is Ms. Maddy Mae Petunia Brown. Often, we use the less formal "Boo" or just Maddy.

We recently had to board her at the local critter camp and her camp name was "fatty Maddy". Not nice but understandable after a long winter of too many cookies and not enough exercise. She was able to trim down and came home looking much slimmer.

Here she is after her spring bath and hair cut, looking slim and vampish! Fatty Maddy, no more!

Coming Along.

I haven't been doing alot of hooking but just taking my time with life, in general. Sometimes, you have to stop and take account of everything and see where you stand.

Weather is dull and cool but trees are starting to push out buds. This is the time of year in NL where things seem to be stuck in a time warp. With winter behind us, spring is slowly, slowly releasing her treasures!

Class of '69

I recently connected with a high school classmate who is trying to arrange a class reunion. I graduated in '69 but went back for one extra year, to get algebra, geometry and chemistry credits necessary to enter nursing school.

Most often, you lose touch with the people you went to high school with but you still remember some of their names and wonder where they are now.

A class list was sent and I took a quick look. It came as a shock to see that some of my classmates have passed away. I still see them in my mind's eye, full of life and eager to embrace the future. Somehow, I can't see them any differently and they will remain captured in time and space.

Spring Yesterday!

Winter today. My poor flowers must be shivering in their beds this morning. Here in NL, a spring storm with snow this morning which will change over to rain later today.

No playing in the garden today. All taken in stride as usual.

Same Path!

Something I have learned through blogging and being linked to other likeminded bloggers, is how similar we all really are.

We are all on the same path, not really knowing where we are going to end up in the life we are living. The twists and turns, u-turns and road blocks and all without a map!

Playing in the Garden

Today was a beautiful day and I was able to poke around the garden to look for signs of life. I found several signs including snowdrops, crocus; the tulips and daffodils are just 3-4 inches tall and no flowers yet.

I sat in the sunshine and enjoyed the birds; finches, chickadees, sparrows and of course, crows and bluejays. Inside, I watched Lily and Henry sprucing up in their birdbath. Yes, spring is here and everyone knows it!

Back on Track!

Well, some time has passed since I last posted. But, here I am again, back on track. All went well for P's surgery and now, a slow, road to recovery. I haven't had a chance to do much on either of my rug hooking projects, but here is the smaller project, the table mat.

The weather is great and I have tulips and crocus coming up out of the cold earth. Pretty soon it will be time, to take off the winter coat in the garden and put on her spring coat!

Quiet as Horses

Anyone who knows about horses, knows that is definitely not true. During the winter, our neighbour houses two horses in his barn which is really his garage. Lately, the horses when inside, have been kicking and kicking. I think they feel spring in the air and want to get out and kick up their heels.

Today is P's 59th birthday and on this auspicious day, she is in St. John's and meeting with the heart surgeon who will perform a miracle on her defective heart valve.

Do you ever wonder about the people you trust with your life. What kind of year have they had? Do they have any health issues? And the obvious, how much they drink the night before the big day?

Many times per day, we trust our lives in the hands of perfect strangers and never give them a second thought. The truck driver in front of you, the bus driver, the pilot, the mechanic, and yes, the surgeon.