Enough !

When is enough enough? Do we ever have enough? Do we have too much? Guess that depends on what we're talking about ... Last week was cold and gray and it even snowed one morning! Enough already!! As you can see from my patio shot, the snow is melting - slowly.Even worse - it's supposed to snow again next week :(.
A week ago Friday was our best day so far, sunny and bright and warmish. I  had the day off work - woohoo! So I gathered up a couple of friends and off we went for a wee road trip to Cherished Pieces. The store was having a $10/yard (hey we're in Canada eh - why sell by the yard!!) sale of Downton Abbey & Civil War fabrics, so off we go!! We started off in Ingersol at Stitch it Central a lovely little store which has lots of stitching stuff, and fabric too! Then off to Tillsonburg for some serious shopping! Here's a shot of  the fabrics for my Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses. Doesn't look like much, but at last I've started collecting fabrics for this project - I'm still cutting paper honeycombs, and yes I do know I could buy them but I have chosen to cut them up myself- woohoo!

When I got home I pulled some fat quarters from my stash. I think they'll work with the colour  scheme which seems to be emerging.
Well, those purchases just weren't enough to fill that buy fabric urge ....  right ladies? So I managed to find a few fat quarters .... I totally fell in love with the Bees and the Chicken Wire fabrics !!! Thanks ladies for another fun day :)
Wednesday last week started off  with "Why is it so cold in here ?" Oh, the programmable thermostat is one of those appliances which does not automatically spring forward ... aha! I'll just go down and reset the clock on the thermostat .... NO, its low batteries! that's the problem!!! Luckily I had some batteries in the house, the right kind ....  so problem solved. Then Wednesday evening my computer decided to stop in it's tracks. 3 hours and I finally got it booted up in safe mode. YIKES! off to the shop and many $$$ later. My budget is squeaking - first a shopping excursion then a trip to the computer repair shop! Do I have enough $ for this month?
Well, the week ended off with a gathering of our sewing group.  We had lots of laughs sharing who we like more .... Brian Baumler,  Scott McGillvary, or Mike Holmes ;) what's your vote? I then conducted a social experiment to see who would ask me the dreaded "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO RETIRE" question. To complete the "experiment" I answered all the same old boring questions. They'll never understand .... So here's the story ...

My Life is differenent than your Ivory Tower
As a single woman I won't share a 2nd income/partner's pension
My pension will only be WHAT I EARN 
I'm lucky to have a pension, many don't
But my pension will not be the golden handshake many of you Boomers got!
I have a financial plan/planner
I'm almost there, but it's a bit of a struggle.

Ok? I've had enough of this particular conversation  - now lets move on.

This weekend was the usual Saturday afternoon with Mother. It seems she is wanting to downsize - again! Not sure what is driving this, boredom? that Spring cleaning urge we all get at this time of year? something else? Anyway, what ever the motive I was the recipient of some terrific gifts.

This spoon was my Great Grandmother Boyter's (nee MacKenzie). At some point in my life I told mother I wanted it ... so now it's mine! My Great Grandmother lived until I was 16, so I definitely remember her. The milk glass plate apparently first belonged to the grandmother of my grandmother ! So its provenance is: Keziah  Norton (nee Heighes) to Elizabeth Armstrong (nee Norton), to Lilian Grace Boyter (nee Armstrong), to Betty Jean Smith (nee Boyter), and finally to me!


The cut crystal plate below is very heavy. Mother won it as a prize from the company she worked for and always valued it for that reason. Now I will value it too.

Here's hoping Spring comes soooooon. Easter is next weekend!
TTFN

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

 

Thought I would start this post with a look at last week's pic of the patio. The snow was still heavily built up.  The last 5 weeks of extreme cold weather really did me in, and of course I ended up sick :(. I know it was cold for everyone, but I'm a 90 lb weakling with a health condition which means the cold reallllly affects me. So, besides ending up @ the Doc's I started the process @ work to have accommodations in place.  Maybe next winter will be easier. I don't get much sympathy/support from family/friends - all of whom are retired and have the choice to stay home! One of these days I'll have the good fortunate to retire. As they say, it's a great life if you don't weaken. Guess I'll struggle on 'til retirement  .... soon, coming soon! the countdown is on!  It Last week's weather was nothing to complain about - it was FAB, in the + ALL WEEK long!! So the snow is finally starting to melt  - woohooooooooo!

 

After I started quilting, I found my favourite local quilt store had the perfect quilt stencil for the small project I've been - raindrops! So, I purchased 4 different marking pens, 3 were air erasable, 1 was water erasable, and did a mini experiment overnight. In the end I used the water erasable marker. I did not wash the hanging once the quilting was completed, instead I wiped the marks away with a damp cloth. Turns out I had to go over the hanging a second time - maybe next time I'll wear my glasses when I wipe off the markings, ;) hint hint.

I'm rather please with this one. I use white fabric with polka dots - thinking it could represent rain. Turns out there were polka dots in some of the umbrellas, so I used more polka dots with the red in the one umbrella and in the cornerstones, inner border and binding. The rain boot fabric also complemented my rain theme. At first I was going to call it April Showers, but now I rather like Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head so I guess that will be its name :). All done, with a hanging sleeve except the label. Will complete that tonight while watching Downton ! Should be ready for the mater's front door in time for April !
That's been my life lately - what are you working on?