All fixed and moving

 Joyce the Janome, only need a little fix, which did not take too long at the shop, so she is now back in the sewing room.  Sally the Singer, is all clean and ready to go when ever a sewing day for the guild is scheduled.  All of the repair work done on these two did not cost a mint either, so very happy about that and no new sewing machines needed.  

As I have mentioned previously, when I moved into this apartment I purchased a lot of new furniture.  I still needed something in the dining area, and have been having a problem finding what I wanted, and to be honest did not want to spend a mint on buying something that I would have to wait for months to receive.  Then last weekend the light bulb came on, the fabric cabinet.   This wooden cabinet was made years ago by my late husband's friend..   It is tall, 6 1/2 feet tall, and 3 feet wide, with glass doors and shelves with two small wooden doors at the bottom.   Move it?   I can do this!!!   Moving!!! yes, emptied and with a couple of pushes and pulls it was in place in the dining area, looking good.  The sewing room, however, looked as if a bomb had hit it.  Needing something now to hold the fabric, so off to the store I go and buy a shelving unit, which is made up of several cubbies/cubes.  Furniture these days does not come premade, and neither did this.  With my trusty screw driver and hammer, a couple of hours later, I have put it together.  

As of this morning, everything is now in its proper place, collectables that I treasure which have been hiding in the cupboards are now on display in the cabinet.  The fabric, all sorted by colour is in their appropriate cubby.  Job well done, with only a couple of muscles that I know did some work they usually don't do.  

For once we have a nice blue sky and frosty rooftops so it is still not too warm yet.  The early daffodils are blooming, and green buds are showing on some shrubs, everything is coming alive.  

Last night I went to a Jazz concert, at a performance hall in a library in a nearby city.   It was an all woman trio I have never heard before, and a man on the drums.  A singer performed along with the trio in the second set.  A great couple of hours listening to some lovely music.  These concerts have a different group every month throughout the year and are free.

A busy weekend coming up.  Tomorrow, Friday, is the Easter pot luck dinner in the lounge, this month I am taking a dessert.  Saturday, having dinner at DD1's I am also doing dessert for that too,  both of those will be made early tomorrow morning.  Sunday, I have tickets to go to the theatre, looking forward to that, as it is the last one my friend and I have tickets for.  

Monday, sounds as if it should be a day to just relax.

Have a great day.

Cheers.

Joyce, Sally and Confused

 The weekend again, where did those five days go!  It must be due to me being busy in the sewing room, as the weather  was not that great to be outside for any length of time. 

Old Man Winter and Mother Nature must be having a terrible argument due to their confusion as to whether it is Spring or still Winter.   Most of January and February we had temperatures warmer than the average for those months and very little snow compared to other years.  The first half of March was much the same, so only conclude, Mother Nature had the upper hand.  On the first day of Spring, March 21st. Old Man Winter must have won the argument, as we were experiencing  bitter cold temps, winds which made it feel so much colder then snow for the past couple of days.  Currently we have blue skies, but still temps below the zero C.  The forecast is for milder temps in the coming week, so maybe they have come to some agreement, as I am sure the Old Man needs to take a rest after what he has done these past few days.  Hopefully, he will fall asleep for a long time and wake up in January 2024.   The Young Mother Nature can now do her work in peace and quite.

Joyce the Janome and Sally the Singer are my sewing machines, don't laugh lots of people name their sewing machines.  Recently I have been having issues with Joyce she has been in the repair shop twice for the same problem and will be going back in again, hopefully to be fixed once and for all.  Now, Sally is old and I can expect her to be a bit slow these days, however, it appears she has a seriously problem, which I am hoping can be fixed.  Sally made clothes for my two girls, family members and myself since the mid 60's, so really doesn't owe me anything, but it is a good machine for me to carry to the sewing days the guild has, as Joyce is very heavy.  

While both of those machines are being taken care of, I will be doing a big tidy up in the sewing room, moving the furniture around as I am finding where everything is situated at the present time is not working very well.  Then I will search through my pattern books to find quilts I would like to make and then use the fabric in my stash and start cutting to make my own kits.  It all sound very ambitious but I am determined to start using fabric I currently have and only buy some neutral colour to compliment the blocks.  

Have a great day/

Cheers 

  

Marching

 This month of March is appropriately named and it is stepping by quickly.  The days just seem to fly by,  we have reach the hump of the month and now on the down side.   As March always goes, our weather is like a roller coaster, temps up one day, down the next.  Sunshine and blue skies then clouds, rain and yes, snow.  Today is cloudy, with a few rays of sun now and then, not too warm.  Tomorrow, possible wet snow 

Tuesday and Wednesday of this past week were absolutely glorious,  Tuesday, I went for a drive to a couple of towns nearby and enjoyed the trip, and wandered around some, new to me stores.  Found a pair of dress slacks on sale which came home with me.  Wednesday, out again for a nice walk to enjoy the birds singing, the robins are back, the buds on the shrubs and trees are swelling and some even showing a little green, a sure sign of spring.  When I returned it was "happy hour",  got my chair, a gin and tonic and sat on the balcony soaking up some vitamin D.   

Friday, DD2 and I went and did our weekly grocery shop, I only needed to stock up my fridge with some fresh veg and fruit.  Also, did some sewing on our guilds charity quilt, then went to the lounge in the building for happy hour.  Just a ginger ale for me, and lots of friendly chatter with some of the folks in the building.  As the evening progressed, one of the men brought out chips, dips and chocolates, I should not have taken one chip, as it led to two or three.

That brings us to today, Saturday,  I was suppose to go to the theatre this afternoon with a girl friend, however, she was not well, so I rebooked the tickets we had for a day later this month.  That worked out well, as family was having a birthday party for GGS.  So now I can have lunch with my eldest great grandson and family, DD1 and S I L.  His 14th birthday was on Wednesday, however, with family working, a lunch was scheduled for today to celebrate.   He is such a nice young man.

Tomorrow, nothing is planned, however, with the forecast of not so nice weather, it could be a day to stay in.  

Have a great day,

Cheers.

  

It's Back

Yes, Winter showed it face again this morning with a little snow and cold temps, not really cold, but it feels that way after the balmy Spring like weather we have been having.  It will be short lived as temps start to go up again during the coming week.

 This past week has been non eventful, except for the quilting meeting on Wednesday.  I always enjoy getting together with these ladies.    I am putting together the blocks from our February meeting, as I now have collected all of them.  

On Thursday, DD2 and I went grocery shopping, trying to get the best buys we can these days, by going to a different store than we had been going to.  The specials they had were discounted more than some of the items I usually buy in the store I regularly go to.

In the coming weeks I need to buy some new dressy walking shoes, a Spring jacket and some under garments.  The shoes and jacket will be coming in handy for my up coming vacation, Oh! the underwear will too.  Ha Ha.   

Oh! the memories that come back from the use of one word.   Undergarments.   They have a number of names attached to them, don't they.  Underwear, bloomers, briefs, knickers, panties and thongs.  I remember the bloomers I wore as part of my uniform when I was in school in England.  The uniform---white blouse, grey skirt and cardigan, bottle green tie, beret, blazer and coat.  The underwear was also part of the uniform.   A baggy cotton bloomer with elastic around the waist and legs.  The colour, bottle green,  is a dark green and not very flattering for any type of underwear.  These bloomers were also used as part of the physical education uniform, along with white socks and plimsolls.   As I recall, the plimsolls were black, and would not be considered to be a gym shoe by todays standard.   Fast forward to Secondary school here in Canada, the only uniform we had to wear was the physical education gym suit.   A one piece navy blue garment, buttons down the front and, you guess it, baggy with elastic around the legs.   

The underwear I wear now,  not telling, however, it does not have any elastic around the legs.

Today and tomorrow I will be under in influence of a "time change lag", as we put our clocks ahead an hour last night.  Those 60 minutes are not that long but it sure does make a difference for a couple of days.  

So better get on with my day, it's still 24 hours isn't it.

Have a great day

Cheers.

 

Home again

On March 1st, I went to Ottawa, to visit with two of my ggd's.  One actually lives there and is studying for her Ph.D. and the other was on reading week from her college so she took the bus to Ottawa, so they could have some sister time together, before we arrived in the afternoon.   Mum and Dad  helped "K" with some groceries, student funds only just go so far.   We had had a busy day, so did not go out for dinner but had lasagna and garlic bread, which DD2 had brought with her.  

Saturday, we went to the museum of Science and Technology, which was very interesting as many different things were displayed, we then did some shopping and met "K's" boy friend.  In the evening we all walked to China Town and found a small, but lovely Japanese restaurant where we had a delicious dinner.  The first time for me eating Japanese dishes and loved it.  So much so, I later purchased ingredients to make my own.

Sunday, we met up with some parents in the group who adopted children the same time my DD2 and hubby did, six of the girls also joined us too.   We all had a very delicious and filling brunch, a catchup on all the news, and sadly parted again until the reunion in the Summer.   Unfortunately our visit with "K" ended  and we headed to Peterborough which was approximately a three hour drive, to take "C" back to her apartment, she also needed some groceries so Mum and Dad helped, again.   They are both very good cooks, so making their own meals is a lot more economical than having it ordered in.   DD2, hubby and I stayed in a hotel overnight as we still had three plus hours before getting home and by this time it was getting too late to start that trip.  

Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. we started for home, arriving around 2:00 p.m.  The end of a great visit and a nice weekend getaway.  

It was a cloudy day for travelling on Friday, and it was cool and damp for the weekend, however, coming home today we had temps reaching 20*C and sun.    

It is nice to go away for a few days but, also to be home again.

Have a great day

Cheers

Cold

 For several days we have had very unseasonal temperatures, yesterday morning was looking as if we would have another mild day with sunshine.  It stayed that way until noon when it changed, the wind started to blow and the temps dropped, clouded over and a light dusting of snow.   It was certainly a shock to the system having to get warm coats etc. out of the closet again.   This morning, there is a mixture of sun and cloud and it is still cold but, it will be changing again tomorrow to milder temps again.

Last night I went to a Jazz concert, every month there is a free concert, so certainly take advantage of that.  I was seated next to a woman who's husband was playing in the sextet on the stage.  During intermission our conversation turned to the music, of course, she plays the piano and her son is in university studying music, her daughter is also musically inclined.  It must be a very happy household with all the music going on when they all get together.  She also said, the sextet often practice in their basement, she is a grade three elementary school teacher, so she listens to them playing while doing work related to that job.

Tomorrow, I am going to be out of town for the weekend, going to Ottawa to visit two granddaughters.   Mum and Dad asked me if I wanted to go,  could not say no, could I.  Have not seen them since Christmas, so it will be nice to see them again.  Mum and Dad, will be making sure their fridge and  cupboards are full again, money is not too plentiful when you are in university.   I have mentioned in previous posts these two girls were adopted and other families who were in the same group, have get togethers when possible.  Most of these families live in the area of Ottawa, so a nice time to have an impromptu get together.  This one is not as organized as the big one they have in the summer, when all of the girls get together and decide where and what they want to do.  Every year for the past 26 years they have never done the same thing twice at the reunion.  When they were young mum's and dad's decided the activity which among other things included apple picking, face painting, swimming, zip lining, bowling, escape rooms and the list goes on, as they got older, shopping and some partying has taken place.  No idea what the plans would likely be this year, most of them are either working or still  taking some kind of education.  Sometimes just chilling is the best thing to do.   

It is a long drive, so will take some hand sewing with me to pass the time.  

Have a great day

Cheers  

It's time

 This morning, as I was browsing the blogs I follow, one showed a poem about snowdrops written by  Alfred, Lord Tennyson.  So, I thought it was time for my header to change from the snow photo to one I took several years ago of the snowdrops in the front garden of my house I was living in at the time.  It's a bit out of focus, but I like it just the same.  I am sure they are in bloom again now too.  The plant world is waking up.

For Christmas of 2022, I was given an amaryllis bulb.  I planted it in January last year and I had some lovely red blossoms which brightened up the dull days of winter,   When the weather was warm enough I planted it outside, and harvested it when I moved,  Just after Christmas 2023 I repotted it, as the instructions had said on the box.  I waited and waited, nothing happened.  One day last week I saw something that looked life a leaf sprouting out of the bulb.  Now, the sprout is about four inches high, however, it is not a leaf it is a flower bud.  It's about time.  Looking forward to a beautiful red flower in the days to come.

February is almost over and the hopes of weather to improve, however, we really have been fortunate this winter as it has been nothing like the winters we usually have. Hardly any snow and milder temps, mind you we have had some cold days and nights, but they didn't last.   Today, it is raining, and Oh!! my goodness thunder and lightening  right now as I am writing this.

No walk today by the looks of it.  It was lovely walking yesterday, wore a warm jacket not my winter down filled coat.  The weekend is looking sunny, happy about that as I am going to visit two granddaughters, who I have not seen since Christmas.

Best get out of here get some things done.

Have a great day

Cheers.