Swing Into Spring.....but we have had only one week of Winter

Here in Canada we have a mail/on line order catalogue for a popular retail store, delivery of the catalogue is done for city residents, however, customers living in the country are provided with a card advising their copy is available at their local delivery office. This morning when I reached for my daily newspaper, the Spring and Summer 2013 edition of their catalogue "Swing into Spring" was also in my mail box.

We have just finished the first week of Winter, the snow is still falling, and I would love to swing into Spring right now, however, I know that is not going to happen any time soon.  So I will just have to take the plastic wrap off and look at the warm weather clothes and decide if any will suit me once I have completed the New Years resolution I plan on making at midnight on Dec 31st.  What resolution is that.....you ask...the one I make every year, "eat healthy and become more active during the Winter so that the pounds I usually put on for the hibernation season are not as many as last year".  This resolution usually lasts for the month of January, sometimes a bit longer, other times, well........ you know what happens.

Before Jan 1st. there are one, two, three more days to finish those meat balls, sausage rolls, home made brown beans, biscuits, veggie's and of course the shortbread cookies, Christmas cake, chocolates, chips and dip and the desserts, oh!! the desserts.   It's a good thing I have invited family members to come in tomorrrow for another Christmas celebration and help clean off all of those platters, if not, I will be operating a doggy bag service for them. 

Blue sky and sunshine and a thoughtful neighbour......

If you look up today we have beautiful blue skies and a bright sunny day, cast your gaze down to the ground and it is a different story.

At 3:00p.m. yesterday afternoon our first Winter storm started to blow into the area.  High winds and snow lasted well into the night.  How much snow did we get?  It is hard to tell as drifts are piled up in some areas and then only a few inches cover other spots in my garden. Whatever the depth is, it is way too much for me, I do not like snow.

The direction of the wind, a nor'easter dumped a lot of the snow in my driveway, and my neighbour has just finished clearing it all away with his snow blower.  I am so thankful to him, as I would not have been able to shovel it all off.  The snow is quite wet due to the sun's heat melting it somewhat, perfect snowman snow, however, the only man you will see in my garden today is the snow removal man.

The sun is pouring into my sewing room, giving me some much needed energy to get my mojo back to do some cutting and stitching.

Patricia

White Christmas???

As the song goes............"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas"........
A white Christmas in Canada is defined as having 2cm of snow on the ground on Christmas day. I don't have that much in the garden, however, if the forecast is right there is a possibility.

Blustery winds brought a light covering of fine snow last night.  Today, it is still windy with a chill factor of minus 0* C. temperatures, and cloudy with the possibility of some additional snow flakes. Will it be a white Christmas at my  house? a 50-50 chance.

The snow looks nice on the ground, and is welcomed by children who received sleighs and toboggans from Santa, and it does put a bit of colour, albeit white, into the countryside.  For me, however, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas",  would be just that, to have snow for Christmas and then it can leave, I am not a Winter person, however, having said that, I really don't mind the cold but give me the sun.  The dull grey skies and early dark evenings leave me feeling down with little ambition and OMG it's only the second full day of Winter...........

Now, where did I put that sun lamp......I've got lots to do before the 25th, family will all be home for the day and 18 will be sitting down for dinner.


Many countries define a white Christmas with different measurements of snow on the ground, where others say the snow has to fall on December 25th.  What country do you live in? will you have a white Christmas?

Mayans' prediction proved false

as we all woke up this morning on this lovely place we call Earth. 

If the prediction was right and the end of the World came, it makes one think of everything that would have been lost, if I started writing now the list would go on forever.  We are all still here so instead of looking back, it gives us a chance to look ahead, a new beginning.  A new beginning for each one of us to make one positive resolution to change something, small as it may be, to make this World an even better place.  In light of recent tragedy's, Heaven knows we need to make some changes.

What better day to start, it's December 21st, the first day of Winter, the shortest day of the year, it can only get better from here, the days will be getting longer.  Better did I say,  brrrrrr we have some snow this morning.

Everyone, including myself, is getting busy preparing for family gatherings during this festive season, so at this time I would wish everyone who reads my blog a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Patricia

Instructions must be wrong!!! It's not me, is it?

Our guild is having a dinner and secret Santa gift exchange in the New Year.  I try to give a gift that is usually handmade by me, plus a little something else.

Again this year there will be a handmade item, and that is what is causing me grief at the present time.  The pattern I am using is from a recent issue of a magazine, have you ever had problems with applique patterns in magazines?

This afternoon I did have a couple of hours in which I could sew. So I started to put this project together, everything was going well until I came to the applique pieces.  The instructions say----enlarge pattern by 200%, which I did, however, after cutting out the pieces and putting them on to the project as per the picture,  grrrrrrrrrrrr, they are not fitting.   Now, what do I do,  there are two options I guess, enlarge the back of the project so the pieces that I have cut fit, or make smaller applique pieces to fit on the current size of the project.  The second option is what I am going to do, less work in the long run.  Next time I will certainly check out the sizes etc. before cutting out all of the fabric.  Lesson learned.

Will not be able to work on this now until Saturday,  tomorrow I am taking my 95 year old Mother to her Dr. for her six month check up and to get a Rx renewal.  Then doing what I hope will be the last of my Christmas shopping.

Patricia

Sealed Pot Total

Myself along with a number of bloggers from several different countries decided last December to take part in The Sealed Pot Challange.   The rules, obtain a container that could be sealed, and throughout the year add coins to the pot.  Most of the bloggers had a reason for saving, a special night out, theatre tickets, Christmas spending money, etc. etc.

Previously, I thought mine would be spent on Christmas, however, have now put the money back into the sealed pot and will add more to it during 2013.  What I will spend it on has not been decided yet.

How much did I save in 2012, $155.35, it would have been more, BUT my pot wasn't sealed very well and I must confess my hand did dip into it several times.   Only bills and silver coins were in the pot as the pennies are deposited in a goldfish bowl, which incidently is almost full, and is eventually deposited into my three youngest grand daughter's bank accounts.  

Patricia

A finish and a beginner?

The finish------When I knew second eldest grand daughter was to be married in June 2011, on a beach in Cuba, I immediately found the pattern I had used for her sister's wedding quilt.  That was the easy part.   I wanted to use the colours of the ocean, sand and the sun in her quilt however, trying to find just  the "right" fabric took me forever. To make a long story short, the quilt is now finished and ready to give to the newly weds---- only a year and a half later.  Better late than never, so they say.  Here is a picture of the finished quilt, unfortunately it does not show the true colours due to the lighting.  The other two pictures are a close up of the blocks and in these the colours are better.  

The beginner-----My ten year old grand daughter was here with me for a a sleep over last weekend.  She has always been a girl to play with her dolls, and recently her focus has been on making clothes for them, getting patterns from the inter net and sewing them by hand. Looking in my stash she found lots of fabric for the outfits she was planning to sew . I asked her if she would like to use my sewing  machine, she was a bit reluctant at first, however,  after a few minutes of instruction she was ready to sew.  So we made doll clothes and then graduated to squares and then more squares eventually making blocks, I believe I have a sewer in the making,  now added to her Christmas list ---------------------a sewing machine.!!!!