Cats, A Cutie and Snow

Last month the next pattern came out for the Mystery BOM from Little Red Hen...they are all cats and so far so cute!  Here is my number 2 ready for stitching but I've been working on a gift for my friend's BIG 6-0 birthday.

Last weekend, when I was supposed to be up visiting, my Dad was at Son1 and Jenna's getting snuggles in with this cutie guy:

Jenna Facetimed me last week and I got to "talk" to him...he's saying lots of words now but he hasn't stopped moving!  LOL  Busy dude but I LOVE him!!  Here are him and his Mommy yesterday....they finally got the snow that was forecast for Friday.

We got dumped on too and it started Thursday night.  Friday I woke up not feeling great but made it in to work anyway.  The kiddo I work with wasn't there (he was home sick...hmmmm I wonder if he shared his germs with me??).  I made it through the morning....helped with all the "work" the kids had to do and after lunch my stomach was really tossing and turning so I headed for home.  The roads weren't too bad so driving wasn't awful.  Here are my buddies keeping me warm while I laid on the couch:

The next morning I didn't feel too awful, although I still didn't overdo it, so while he was out doing what he loves to do:

I made muffins and some lotion bars:

The lotion bars are still hot so haven't set yet.....lemongrass scented...mmmm.

And while he was doing this:

(notice his grip on the remote????) I continued stitching.  When he woke up we went for a bit of a drive and popped into our closest little store for a treat:

It's a beautiful sunshiny day here today and I just finished cleaning the house.  Daughter2 has a game close by this afternoon we will take in.....but I am still in my pjs so best get ready soon!

I spent last week reading my blog from day one.  Wow!  A) I used to post way more often, B) I used to do so much more cooking and sewing (but I noticed when it was when I didn't work or only worked part time and C) I miss our big High River house and neighbours (mostly the mantle to decorate and space when the family was together!) LOL  BUT having said that, it took me less than an hour to clean here this morning where it would have taken me three hours in HR!! 

I am right where I am supposed to be.  💗

Slow DOWN!!!!

This week off is going WAAAAAYYYYYY too quickly and I'm not ready for it to be over!!!!!!!! Tuesday, the first official day off in my mind, was spent cleaning, doing laundry, washing the bedding on both spare beds and washing the dogs' blankets and bed cover.  All the things on my Tuesday's to-do list done!  Yesterday I was going to pop into Olds to visit with the quilting ladies and maybe bring some hand stitching and then go and get groceries....well my new friend Diane, who is also an EA at the school, convinced me to go for one day....she was only able to go yesterday, so I packed up some projects and went in for a day of sewing.....well, more like a day of visiting, a trip to the quilt shop (where I bought NOTHING!!) and then out to pick up something for supper. 😉  

(that's Diane in the pink shirt)  I got there just after noon and left just after 9 pm.  I wonder how long a couple of the other ladies stayed?  They are there again today and tomorrow!

But I did finish this top:

Now to quilt it or have it quilted.  It will be a nice big wallhanging!!!!!!  The wool appliqué will not make it good for a lap quilt nor is it big enough really.

Today was going to be a day at home just relaxing and putzing and maybe some stitching then nail appointment tomorrow but Daughter1 called (too early this morning as I had stayed up to watch the Canada vs USA women's gold medal hockey game 😕) and needed someone to watch her sick daughter......so out came Lyla and sick she is.  She has been sleeping and whining and threw up on our couch so I gave her a bath and she fell asleep in the wet towel on the floor as I was getting her dressed!  She is napping (again) now in her bed....without the wet towel.  It's soooooooo hard for Gammy to see her like this........she is to be staying overnight but she really really needs her Mommy.

After waking up after her first nap: (don't let the smile fool you!) 

After throwing up.....look at those poor sick eyes:

Daughter2 finally sent me a picture of her table runner on her table in front of the picture I had to match.....I think it turned out well! (the yellow might be a bit bright but....)  I really liked making that simple pattern and will do it again! 

So today is Thursday and tomorrow is Friday and I feel tired and that I really haven't accomplished anything and that I need a few more days at home alone!  LOL  My best laid plans never work out.  Oh well, I should be thankful I had days off and could help my daughter and granddaughter out.  There will be more days off ahead!  

Week Off!!!!

Finally our February break!  We don't get a week off from work every month although parents likely feel as though we do!  This one couldn't come quick enough!  Not sure if it's the time of year or what but we were all counting down!  I'm sure it was because of the crazy cold weather and tons of snow!  Hubby went up north to go ski-dooing this past weekend (when my break officially started) but my dad came down to visit and Daughter2 and Lyla came out Saturday too.  Hubby came home Sunday (with a nasty cold) and had yesterday off of work because of the Family Day holiday and Dad left yesterday morning after breakfast so I feel as though my time off has only just started today!  I have a lot on the to-do list but here I sit in the sunroom writing this blog post....I should grab another coffee!

Here is the kitty block I mentioned in my last post.  Number 2 has come out and I will get that prepped and hopefully stitched this week so I can stay caught up. I love them!!!!  I think they are going to make an adorable quilt!!

So the weekend before this past one I had company....remember Son2 was coming down to go to see a comedian with his sisters?  Well they came out Saturday and Daughter2 brought dogs.  Reggie, with the BIG stick is her bfs.  He has so much energy and destroys our dogs toys in a single chew!  When we were outside this is what he found to play with!  Not a stick..a BRANCH!!!  😃hahahaha

This is Gordon, my daughters dog.....a stick more suited to his size!   

And of course Lyla who loves it outside!! 💗

Here she is with her Uncle.....he's her "homie"!  Took all weekend to come and sit on his lap though!  It takes her a long time to get close to someone she doesn't see all the time....she never did with my dad  😞

My wonderful friend Pam sent me my Dishcloth of the Month for February.  💝Soooooooo cute!!!!  I've been using it and it's in the wash today.  I look forward to them!!!!!

Okay, enough sitting.  I must get moving and get the chores crossed off my list so I have time to "play" this week!  

Snow Day!!!!!

What a week!!!!!  Monday off for a "me day".  I did end up cleaning the house and filing some of Hubby's receipts and organized the freezer but it made me feel accomplished!  I love a clean house and with dogs, even though we aren't messy, there seems to be a lot of their hair all over the place and floors that need some paw prints wiped off. 

  

I LOVE LOVE LOVE being in our house when the sun is shining....well I love being here any time but especially when the sun is shining in.  I miss that most days when I have to be at work....I leave when the sun is just coming up and come home when it's on it's way down.  The sunny day on Monday also added to the rejuvenation I was desperately seeking.

But then came Wednesday (yesterday) and the snow!  It snowed ALL DAY LONG and continued all night long!  We have got about a foot of snow!  The school division proclaimed a "yellow day" which means the buses are not running but school is still open.  Now, anyone who knows me knows I have become a very scaredy cat when it comes to winter driving.  The young teacher I work with was leaving early and was going to let me know how the roads were......once she got to school she said they weren't too bad just visibility was awful when you met an oncoming vehicle.  I decided to put my big girl panties on and give it a try............

This was before I cleaned the snow off my vehicle....up to my running boards.  I started out and our side road was bad....snow was right up under my vehicle.  The main road was TERRIBLE!  I think the plow had been by several hours ago and there were a couple of tracks but you couldn't see the lines or even exactly where the edge was.....when I saw about six tanker trucks pulled over I knew I wasn't going to go any further...turned around and came home.  Thankfully the little guy I work with didn't make it in today either so it's a SNOW DAY!!

  

Monday taken off, work Tuesday and Wednesday, snow day Thursday and day off on Friday!  Great week!!!

Here's our Zoey......I have shovelled this path for them twice today.....I'm sure it will need to be done the next time they go out.  The snow is above her back and even though she has short stumpy legs it's pretty deep!  Pixie would be buried!  hahaha  Hubby will have fun clearing this all away.....he LOVES it!

I have finished Daughter2s table runner and have started on a cat block from The Little Red Hen's Wooly Mystery group on Facebook.  Every block in this mystery is a cat so it should be fun and I just have ears and eyes left to add and will post a picture when it's done.  The next one comes out on the 15th.

We get our granddaughter for a sleepover on Friday.  Son2 is coming down and him and his sisters are going to a comedian.  Don't ask me who it is....no clue....but they have been planning this for quite some time. I sure hope this snow stops and the roads are good for travel!!!!!

I am once again sitting in our sunroom writing this.  Even though the sun is most definitely not out it is still a very bright room.  Surrounded by windows on three sides and outside being covered in white snow really keeps it bright.....white snow, white sky.......it is very cold in here though so I have a portable heater on.  🔥  I miss our fireplaces but Hubby said it's very easy to put one in the living room so we will have to look into that this year and be ready for next winter!  😃

Off to continue with laundry and I should do some school work.....but maybe stitching or reading will overrule that!  Oh and the Olympics are on too......so many choices!

If you are reading this, I hope you are cozy, warm and safe.  #snowday

Mindfullness

I am taking a mental health day today....day off just for me.  Of course I thought about cleaning the house and organizing the freezer but have stopped myself (so far) and have listened to relaxing music, chatted with a friend and am sitting here in the sunroom enjoying the blue sky and sunshine (still in my pjs at 11 in the morning!).  In the past I have taken a day to myself because I have felt overwhelmed with all the things I haven't had time to do....book work, cleaning, etc but this one feels different.  Maybe it had to do with the PD day we went to and all the talk about anxiety and mindfulness and how we have to take care of ourselves first or we won't have anything to give to others.  I love my job.....I absolutely love the kids I work with and not just the ones I am hired for.  But lately I've felt unmotivated and not as patient.  I needed a "me" day.  I love all the staff I work with at the school but one is getting on my nerves and we seem to have the same breaks so my downtime is most often spent along with her.  She is very negative and complains a lot and I was getting tired of it.  I needed a "me" day.  I haven't been taking very good care of myself and have to work on a plan to change that.  I needed a "me" day.  So today was the day.  

A day to remind myself how blessed I am.  At one of my sessions at PD day we were to think of things we were thankful for but also to write at least a couple of self affirmations.....that's a tough one when you aren't feeling 100% wonderful about yourself.  I hope to maybe try and do that today as well even if it's just in thought.  

A day to just breathe......relax......and smile.  

I had my nails done last week and they are simple but Valentine-y.  

Friday Hubby and I went to Daughter2s hockey game and she told us she had got a new table and chairs set.  I made her a table runner for it Saturday and will quilt it....maybe today.  It felt good to reacquaint myself with the sewing machine.

I did a little online shopping too and have ordered this pattern and kit:

I should bundle up and go for a walk once I get out of my pjs and think of all those blessings and talk myself up a bit even if only in my head....where it matters!  

If you are reading this, I hope you take some time to do the same.  #youmatter

Sitting and Stitching

Well, I have actually been working in some stitching time....mostly at night under poor lighting but it feels good to get some stuff done...or working towards getting them done.  Here is the Trucks All Around table mat I mentioned in my last post.  It is FAR from perfect but it's complete!!!!!

This next set of ugly blocks are part of little kits that I bought from Traditional Pastimes in Calgary (who are no longer open) when my Mom was having pinpoint radiation.....so quite awhile ago!  The shop had done them as a Block of the Month but it was already over and I was able to buy a set of them.......well, they are VERY primitive....and the stitching isn't that great but hopefully it adds to the rustic, primitive look they are supposed to be.  The last picture is what this project is to look like when it's finished.  Of course, it originated in the U-S of A so I will have to make some adjustments to the July block to make it more Canadiana.  I'll keep plugging away on these uglies while I can.....as I am waiting for the UFO Challenge FB page to post the next project number.

             

Last weekend I took down all of the winter/snowmen decor around the house.....all while the snow was falling down outside!  I'm sure someone was telling me that winter is far from over and wondering why I was acting as though it was!  LOL  Well, I was tired of looking at the stuff so away it went and now the place looks bare!  I will slowly get more stuff out to fill to holes and clutter the place up once again!

Tomorrow is a Professional Development day for us in Innisfail.  I am hoping the sessions I have signed up for will be inspirational because I could use some inspiration right now.  I am not sure if it's the time of the year or the super blue moon expected tomorrow or what exactly it is but I have been tired and lacking motivation and energy all week.  Already counting down the two and a half weeks until our one week break is not a good thing!!!  I hope the energy returns after tomorrow night!  

What a Wonderful World.....

It is a beautiful sunny, warm day here in the country.  Son2 just left for home...he was here for the weekend.  We see him often now that we are only a couple of hours away which I love.  🙂 Hubby has gone off to get a few groceries and dog food.  They went out for breakfast this morning and while they were gone I cleaned the house!  (I LOVE this tiny house!!!)  I also put laundry away that I had washed yesterday and washed towels and bedding....all done before noon!  Sunday a day of rest????  Not for me today......until now.  I am sitting in our sunroom, basking in the sun rays and feeling very content.

Tomorrow is officially our granddaughters 2nd birthday and she had her party yesterday so we drove into Calgary to partake in the festivities!  Afterwards Hubby, Son2 and I went to Red Lobster....a treat we won't do often as I spent a weeks worth of groceries for that meal but everyone enjoyed it so that's all that matters.  Definition of a TREAT:  "something very pleasant and enjoyable"!  😏

Me and my birthday girl!!

The collage Daughter2 did for her FB post tomorrow....oh they grow and change so much in only 2 years!!!!!

The apron I made her as she received a play kitchen for her birthday....and it was full of accessories by the end of the party!!  😃

Son1 took our grandson for a (pretend) skate last weekend.  He scooted him around the ice on his boots and he loved it!  I'm sure he will have him skating by next winter....he will be 2 1/2.

I miss this little man and will be heading up for a visit very soon!

I haven't been doing much sewing.....I still haven't found that mojo!  But I have been stitching a bit and made myself a new pressing mat for my big table I decided to unfold and use!  Why have it if I am not using it right?????  It's a little squishy going around each end but I know I will love the bigger space for pressing AND cutting!  

I stitched the first block in a mystery by Sew Blessed.  The Mystery BOM is called Faith, Family, Friends and I believe is available for free on the Wool Appliqué group on Facebook...in the files....until the next one comes out.  You can order kits from their website www.sewblessed.us  I did mine on a wool background and I think it should have been flannel so will do that for the next ones.

I am part of American Patchwork and Quiltings FB group and they have a UFO challenge.  The project I am supposed to complete this month is my trucks and trees wool table-mat and I have been making progress!  I would be happy to finish in the next week and a half!  👍  We were to make a list of 12 UFOs (Lord knows I have waaaaaay more than that!) which we wanted to complete this year.  Numbered 1 - 12 they chose a number at the beginning of the month and that is the project we are to complete.  We will see.......maybe I will have a great year finishing 12 projects!!  Now, as long as I don't start 12 more!  HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  😆

Off to stitch!  I hope anyone reading this is enjoying their day and here's to a great week ahead!