Goodbye 2018

It's been over a month since I have made a post (thanks for the reminder Pam) and once again I vow to post more regularly......not necessarily only for the few readers I have but I do love going back and reading things about my not-very-exciting life.  I do not post a lot on Facebook....I don't think that many people would want to read about these mundane things often (hahaha) but this is my "journal" of sorts.

Anyway, where do I start!!  Of course when I wait so long, the pictures are plentiful!!

The weekend before Christmas both grandkids were here with their mothers....we decorated gingerbread cookies on Saturday and Jude did a house on Sunday.....Lyla was at emergency with huge tonsils!  (strep throat)

The next week was CRAZY at work with excited kindergarten kids and the Christmas concert but I was all done Wednesday night and did some last minute stuff Thursday and relaxed Friday.  Hubby was home Friday night and Son2 arrived Saturday morning.  The girls (Daughters 1&2 and Lyla) arrived Monday.  Son1, Jenna and Jude weren't able to come for Christmas this year.....Son1 was oncall.  😞

So here I am with my feet up enjoying the quiet on Friday....calm before the storm...with Christmas music playing on tv!  We had a real tree this year from our back woods......it was nice...not full like an artificial tree but nice for a change.

Here's the gang Christmas 2018:

Hubby got a "playoff beard" in his stocking although I think I will be wearing it when my Calgary Flames play (as opposed to his Montreal Canadians!  LOLOLOL😂)

After Christmas Daughter1, Lyla and I headed off to the great white north for a few days!  Oh did we surprise my Dad!!!!!!!  He kind of knew I might come but never thought in a million years I would bring those other two!!!!  (tears were shed)

On Friday we went out to a new winery.  It was amazing and we had Dad be DD and brought home some wine.....I'm not a big fan of most wine but I do love theirs!

Saturday we went to visit Pam and her granddaughter and then to see Aunt Katy who is in the nursing home:

Lyla kept everyone entertained!

Friday night my brothers and their families came out to my Dads for supper.  It was great to get together!!!!  My brother Craig was great at entertaining the little ones!

Before Christmas I had asked my very talented father if he could make me two new bird feeders, if/when he had time.  The ones we had here were falling apart and the seeds would get stuck....more ended up on the ground through the cracks.....anyway, he gifted me these two.  They are amazing and also very special....they will not stay here if we ever move!  The cans used are old honey cans which belonged to my grandfather!!  I absolutely LOVE them and will cherish them for a long long time!

While I was there I asked Dad if I could look for a recipe my Mom used for pickles....well, I came home with several cookbooks.  These ones replaced some I had lost in the flood (that Yummies to Warm the Heart is one I had my dear friend Erica copy a couple of recipes out of for me that I had used all the time and really missed after losing the book in the flood....so I think of her when I see this one)

But then there was this ratty old binder...falling apart but FULL of recipes in my Mom's handwriting...........I will preserve these and my friend Pam gave me the idea of making a book/binder for the kids with my handwritten recipes....I think I will include some of these from my mom.  I wish I had some from my grandmother, even just copies.....my cousin has them and I've asked a few times but haven't received any.  😩  

Before Christmas Hubby and I went to High River to pick this up from my friend Sue.  It had been gifted to her but her Mother had bought her a much fancier system with machine so she gave this old one to me.  I had it set up to only 5 feet long but found I wasn't able to use it.....I do smaller projects just on my regular sewing machine.....I made a lap quilt and it wouldn't fit on the smaller frame so Hubby and I made it 10 feet long....haven't used it yet but plan to in the new year.  It takes up a ton of room so IF I find I don't use it at all, I will forward this gift on to someone else.

Work has been going okay.  My wrist is starting to bother me so I will have to make an appointment with a Dr then get a requisition to have another shot.  It worked well for 6 months.  I need my wrist when working with the student I work with so I need to get that taken care of soon.  All of the EAs loved the mug mats I gifted them for Christmas.  😁  We all received some wonderful things from each other and the kids as well.

But Christmas is over and the new year will be rung in tomorrow (or tonight at midnight...but who stays up for that??  LOL!!) and here's hoping for an amazing 2019....for all!

A Cat, Kids and Quilting!

Hello and Happy Thursday!  It's a beautiful sunny day and a day off for me...a non scheduled work day I should say.  Tomorrow is supposed to be one too but I have to go to a course.  I'm picking up Miss Lyla today for the night and Poppa is going to grandparent tomorrow while I'm gone and then we will take her back to Calgary since it's her Dad's weekend to keep her and Daughter1 is moving.  We also get Gordon...the dog.  hahaha

Here is Molly....all grown up but still wants to sleep on my face!  This was taken a couple/few weeks ago and thought it was kind of funny so here you go!

I've been spending quite a bit of time in my sewing room (woot woot!)  I finished this stitchery and then had to paint and antique it.  I was so scared I would ruin it but I love how it turned out.....now to frame it.  It has since been pressed and the colors are much better than in this pic:

I also made this lap quilt.  Again, the fabric is nicer than it looks....bought that fabric in Slave Lake BEFORE we moved to High River!!!!!  It's a fast and easy quilt pattern....and too big for my new frame to quilt it.  After Christmas I will extend the frame....after shuffling a few things around, because it's quite useless at 5 feet.  Small stuff I am more comfortable doing on my regular machine.

Got a bunch of mug mats done for the gals at work:

And we had a dump of snow last Friday!  It's gone now......we even had +14C weather on Monday!  It's a bit slick on the driveway but the roads are wonderful!!

Finished an advent calendar for Mr Jude (binding is now done!).....Miss Lyla's is in the mail...to me to be done!  I didn't like the other one I have.  Must get to filling them before I hand them over....by the end of next week!!!!!  😳

On Sunday we popped up to St Albert to pick my quilts up that Kim dropped off (she did such an amazing job quilting them!!!!!!!  Now for a binding marathon!!) and I got to visit this little guy and his parents!  We brought Daughter1 and Lyla with us as well. 

Love seeing this busy little boy!  This is a rare photo of him standing still!  😃  He gets excited when company comes......LOVE him with my whole heart......both of these kiddos fill my heart to the brim! Needless to say Poppa and I were tired Sunday night!!!!

Well I have Christmas tunes playing and should continue with laundry.....want to spend some time in the sewing area before I leave for Calgary!  

Enjoy your day!!

PS:  Weight loss is going GREAT!!!!!!!!  Just over 16 lbs gone!!!!

Goodbye October....Already!

The month of October has come and gone.  Thankful for some mild weather for the last couple of weeks.  Thankful for family.  Thankful for our good health.  Thankful for the beauty around us.

This picture was just taken with my cell phone so doesn't show the great colours and details or the field with mountains in the background and the chinook ridge (clouds) coming last week. 

My latest funky nails:

Last weekend a few fellow quilters and I, went to a sale at Beaver Creek Mercantile.  It was a fun trip!!

I made a mug rug and bought this mug for Diane (in the above picture holding the bag).  It's her birthday tomorrow....she's a fellow EA at the school I am working at and yes, she has chickens! It looks very wonky in the pic and kind of ripply but it's not....weird!

Soooooooo I did another rearrange in my sewing room.......to make space for......

this!  My friend Sue gave it to me because she got a long arm machine.  This set up was given to her so she passed it on to me!  How lucky eh???  We drove to High River last Sunday and came home and set it up....except I didn't have the power cord for the sewing machine!!!!  Sue has popped it in the mail so I will have to wait to play with it.  She had trouble with the tension so I will have to take a look and clean and oil it to see if I can get it working okay.  Nice to keep it at five feet instead of ten as ten would never fit.  I can't wait to quilt the pile of small projects I have waiting!

Halloween was this week.....two Halloween days at school....gotta love kindergarten!  I was happy when Wednesday was over!  Here are two adorable trick or treaters!!!!!.....

Not so adorable but the EAs all dressed up as "Things" from Dr Seuss.  Not very figure flattering but it was fun!

It tried to snow today but didn't amount to much!  I hope it doesn't either!!!  I know it's that time of year (September was way too early!) but I can't say that I am ready to drive in it, or shovel it........

Well off to bed!  Hope I can fit in more stitching tomorrow.  Son2 is here for the weekend.  Nice Hubby will have company when he goes in the coffee in the morning!  hahaha

  

Lots to Update

Lots to update but I didn't say it was exciting!  hahahahaha

My Dad came for a visit the weekend before Thanksgiving and the girls (Daughter1, Daughter2 and granddaughter) came out for the weekend too. The weather was okay for that weekend but then turned.......

into this!!!!!!!!  ARGH!  We've had more snowfalls in September then I even want to count.  This week is making up for it though!  It was 20C yesterday!!!!!!  It's to continue for this week for sure and boy I sure appreciate the sunshine!!!!!

The whole clan was here for Thanksgiving weekend.  W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!!!  I had hinted that my dream would be to play with the grandkids while everyone else did the cooking and cleaning up.  Well, I didn't get exempt from it all but I was able to spend a ton of time with these two!  We did crafts, I had made play dough so we played with that, we went on a wagon ride (Poppa pulled us behind the quad) and it was such a great weekend.  Son1 even turned 30 that weekend.........can you believe it???????????????????  I sure can't!

Last weekend was a sad one.  We lost our Zoey to the Rainbow Bridge on the 13th.  We knew she was failing a bit but weren't really prepared.  She passed peacefully in her sleep and we laid her to rest in a nice quiet place in the woods and went to the river to get some nice rocks to place on her grave.  It really seems weird to not have her around..........😢💔

That same emotional day we drove to Okotoks to watch Daughter2 compete in her Crossfit competition.  Her and her partner kicked butt and came first!  

I have been struggling with my weight lately...well my whole adult life really but I felt it was getting out of control.  Reaching my highest weight again I knew I had to do something so I joined Weight Watchers online.  So far so good (I started Monday!!  LOL)  I need to do this........hope to keep updates on here!!!!  Wish me luck!!

Off to work! I have tomorrow off and have a hair appointment in the afternoon but really want to get something done in my sewing area.........if it's sunny and warm that might mean stitching on the deck!  Woot Woot!

Thursdays!!!

Happy Thursday!  It's happy for me because I do not work Thursdays and most Fridays including tomorrow! Today is cleaning day......I'm going to try and switch it from Sundays.....but we will see as I usually book appointments on Thursdays.  What an exciting life I lead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  😂

It is ANOTHER drab, drizzly and trying-to-snow day.  We did see sunshine on Tuesday which was LOVELY but it's too far and few between the cloudy days.  I think it's really getting to Hubby.  Me as well but I have to find motivation to spend time in my sewing area.

My dad is coming for the weekend and so are our girls: Daughters 1 & 2 and granddaughter Lyla  💗.  We also have our old neighbours from High River stopping in on Sunday on their way home from Edmonton if the weather isn't too yucky!  If it is they will stay another day up there.  Busy weekend this weekend and next!  I am thankful for these days off at the end of the week to get things accomplished.

We get to see this cutie next weekend for Thanksgiving.  Here he is modelling the apron I made him. 😃 I think he likes it!!

He was up to see his other grandparents on the weekend.  He sure is loved on both sides of the family!!!

And this may explain some feelings and emotions I have been experiencing over the past week.....the very FULL moon!  This picture doesn't really show how HUGE it was the next morning on my way to work.  I almost felt like it was close to touching the earth!  Amazing!

I have the best friends and family.  Spoiled on my birthday by my kids....I received two flavours of Davids Tea, a new mug, Purdy's caramels, and Birkenstock sandals!  A couple of days ago I received this gift from my friend Kim in the mail.  The quilting on the wallhanging is AMAZING!!!!!!!  She is a long-arm quilter and I wish she was closer so I could send my un-quilted tops to her!!!!!!  Love the sign and the dishcloth with skates on them!!!!  She always finds me the cutest skate things....I taught her daughter in figure skating.  😊

We went to watch Daughter 2 at her cross fit comp last Saturday in Calgary....whew!  We only saw two events out of four but man oh man she impresses me!  Son2 was down last weekend so it was great to have him around too.

Well best get at it!  I will feel much better when the house is in order and clean so I can enjoy the sewing room!!  

Fifty Five

 This is 55.  My birthday was yesterday and I NEVER post pictures of myself primarily because I am overweight and feel terrible about my looks.  With age comes wrinkly necks, chin hairs, grey hairs, saggy boobs, back fat, spare tires, declining eye sight.....the list goes on.  Why I feel the need to hide from those things?  I'm not sure as I know no one is perfect!  I do vow to do something about the weight in the near future....once again!  A rollercoaster for me and many.  We've started a walking group at school and we go right after school which is great!  That's a start!  In my 55th year I want to make some changes all related to my health and well being!  Onward and upward!  Wish me luck!!

Besides doing this all for myself I want to do it for these two.......my loves!

Man oh man they fill my heart!  I'd like to be around for them for a very long time. 💗💙

I also have to be around for another 100 years (at least) to finish all the quilt projects I have let alone all the ones I continue to buy!!!!!  ARGH  Here's a lovely fat quarter pack of Lori Holts Autumn Love fabric.  She has a free pattern out but of course I would need more fabric if I wanted to make that!  LOL  It's a disease!!!!!!

A gift I did complete for my friend Kim and her 50th birthday (which was in MARCH!!).  

Family friends of ours (great friends of my Dad's) were racing at Millarville a couple of weekends ago so we went with Daughter1 and Lyla to watch.  

She loves the horses and races!  (and I had a taste of Shady Orchards wine and it's yummmmo!  I have to remind my Dad to bring me some when he comes next weekend!!!!)

Then this came:

Then it left and then it came and then it left and now it's back.  I haven't even pulled out my fall decorations but I haven't put lawn furniture away either because I am hopeful we will still be able to enjoy it before this white crap comes to stay!  I don't know what I will do if we have another long winter....I really don't................

Work has started since I last posted and it's going "okay".  I am working with a sweet little girl but there is another EA in the same classroom I don't know I can handle being around for the whole school year.  😐  She's been there for decades and I don't know if she ever plans on retiring!!!!! 

Time will tell...............

So that is my world in a nutshell for the past almost month...........maybe I will have to post on here progress pics or results at least of my weight loss  😉  Feeling hopeful!!!!!!  

Checking Things Off the List!

Well, this is it.......the last few days of summer vacation......I go to work for a full day Wednesday and then only the morning on Thursday then get back at it after the long weekend when the students arrive Tuesday.

I had sooooo much I wanted to do this summer and seem to have got a few things done just this past week!  The stuff I didn't get done can be done anytime regardless of the weather as it's all inside....and mostly painting or purging/organizing.

One of the BIG things was to attack this:

The dumping ground for "stuff".  Stuff I haven't used for a year since we moved. I seemed to have made a bigger mess then it looks here but have most of the stuff sorted and organized...a couple more boxes to get through.   I am planning on having a garage sale this weekend........

Another item on the list was washing windows.  Here is my helper!!!!!  We got them all done though!

Hubby helped to take the garden out this weekend.....it was the most pathetic garden I have ever had! I had another little helper:

Hubby and I popped into town Saturday night and on our way home came up behind then passed this......should have hijacked it!  HAHAHA!  Mini donuts.....😋😋

Daughter1 and Lyla came for a sleepover on Friday and left Saturday afternoon.  Sunday morning I cleaned and got ready for a visit with Hubby's cousin and her daughter.......I had this little girl in my dayhome with she was 4...she is 14 now and going into grade 9!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Good Lord...where does the time go???????

And here Ms Molly is....pooped from all the work she did! I think she is up to 4 mice and 2 birds now.....thankfully she doesn't eat them but she has to bring them to the front step to play and show us!  LOL

What a character!

Another thing on my list was having an eye exam......did that Friday and yep progressives are coming!  Now, I could have opted for just readers but I am getting tired of putting on glasses, taking them off, plopping them on top of my head, them falling to the floor.  I am getting a bit of help with distance too with the progressives.  I'm worried about getting used to them but they said to give it a good two weeks at least.  I'm truly thankful both our benefits covered the cost of them!!!  I hope I like them when they arrive.......Daughter1 helped me decide too.

Guess this isn't getting anything done.....it's a drab, cold day and I really could just stay in my pjs and stitch or something but I would regret it come the weekend!  It feels good to get things accomplished!  Off to find that motivation!