Convocation and June

Our youngest had a busy day on Friday.  It was her 24th birthday AND her convocation from university.  We are very proud of her and hope she has a successful future doing what she loves!!  

It was a rainy day that day but it was all inside and then off we went to Julios for her birthday supper:

Mexican restaurant in Calgary....it was yummy!!

This little girl came home with us for the weekend:

She really cracks us up!  (she put her socks on her hands) Too bad the weather remained wet and grey as playing outside would have been fun but we have fun anyway.

Twelve more days of work and it can't go fast enough!  This week is usual but next week we have field trips and end of year parties!  I have so much to do before now and then!  The last four days we, in kindergarten, don't have any students but it will be busy with cleaning the room and new parent/student orientations.  I will meet the new teacher I have been assigned to work with for next year!!  (yes, I think I will return....only 2 days/week and a Friday here and there....my fingers are crossed for Tuesday/Thursday but I'm not holding my breath!)

THEN, on the last day of school, I get to meet with Pam and pick up my cuties (the two in the middle!!!)  I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

I normally don't want to wish time to fly by but I do for the month of June!!!!!!!!  

Sweet Saturday!

I am writing this on the deck enjoying this perfect, sunny, warm day!!!  I have been doing a bit of laundry and still have to put clothes away but the dog blankets are in the dryer and that's the last load!  I had extra clothes this weekend because of Hubby being up north last week and my trip to Value Village yesterday!  😜  

Pam has been sending me pictures of my babies.  We named them last night!!!!  Introducing Heidi and Archie!

                                        

I can't wait to bring them home because it will mean the school year is over and I will have time to love them up ALL day long!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of school......Hubby and I talked the other night and I think I have decided not to return to the school next year......now MAYBE I will stay on a sub list but I don't even know about that.  It will give me the flexibility to travel with him if he has to work away and also to keep up on his book work and be less stressed!!!  I do LOVE being home but if this happens I will also have to make sure I get in some "people contact" as I can get myself into a slump if I don't.  

I love this saying....I have also seen one that said your job will be posted before your obituary or something to that effect.  

It makes me feel a bit happier and okay to finish out this year knowing that I will be free!!  Only 4 more weeks.....3 with students. I will miss (most) of the staff (LOL  You all know who I am talking about!) and I will miss the kiddos which makes me think I MIGHT sub......Anyway, I have to make a most definite decision within these next two weeks!  

The past two days have been super smoky here although I can't imagine how bad it is further north closer to the fires.  I didn't complain as I knew others had it waaaaaay worse.  Last night the wind picked up and there was some thunder and bam, the smoke cleared!  It's absolutely wonderful to see the blue skies today!  I'm thinking outside is where I am going to spend the day!  We have a tree in bloom and it smells AMAZING and my lilacs will be blooming soon.  Mosquitoes aren't too bad (more so in the evenings) so life is really good!  😊

Sewing But Not As Planned!

As I type I am sitting outside although the sun is currently hiding behind a big white fluffy cloud!  I was out a bit earlier and weeded my flowerbeds and it was beautiful!!  Hopefully I don't have to go back in for a bit!

I was busy yesterday....I went down to my sewing area and had plans of quilting the projects I showed you on yesterdays post but this pattern jumped out at me and I thought I'd give it a go!  It uses 10" squares....and I even had squares for the plain so I didn't have to cut them.  It went together quickly but I changed the pattern a bit so I could kind of do a bit of colour placement instead of making it all scrappy.  You might recognize the border fabric as the same fabric I covered my pressing mat with and made the curtains for my shelving cabinets upstairs!  I can proudly say, there isn't much left of this fabric now!!  

The layer cake was a Primitive Gatherings "Floral Gatherings" I believe, that I have had for a long, long time.  I think I bought it back when I worked at the quilt shop in High River.  I love it and because I only needed 16 squares, still have a bunch left for another project....someday.  😁

After sewing all day I had a late supper (after first watching the Blue Jays get thumped and then the exciting Raptors win to move onto the NBA finals!) and decided to get the house clean!  So, by about 10:15 pm the house was clean so off to the shower and hit the hay!  

I woke up at 6:15 am to let the dogs out and thought I should get up as the sun WAS finally shining and just laid back in bed, snuggled with the dogs for a minute.....well, next thing I know it's 8:30 and that is really sleeping in for me!!!!!!!!  I put laundry away (I didn't have the energy to do it last night!) and made my coffee.

This is one of the mugs I 'won' at an online silent auction from a rescue place in Calgary.  I love it!  The other mug says "You had me at meow".  😻  I'll take a picture when I use that one next.

Dreaming of my baby kitties!!  Seems so long away until I can bring them home but that's alright.  Will help be prepared and kitten proof the place again!  

Sun is out and I'm off to start stitching!  It's been a wonderful day!!!!  🌞🌷😊

T-Shirt, Tension and All Things Tiny

Good grey and drizzly morning! ☁ I see that it rained through the night but it's still overcast and I think it is to be this way all day. (spoke too soon....it's pouring rain now!)  A GREAT day to sew which I will do once I have my coffee and finish this post.  😉

Quite some time ago I ordered a t-shirt from Teesprings.  Boy does it take a long time to get here.....first the sales have to close, then it has to be printed and then it is shipped.  The t-shirt quality is okay but I'm not sure if I will order from there again.  Here is the front of it! 

Lyla loved it when I wore it last weekend when she came to our place! (more about that later on!!)  😁🦄  

I've been having a tough year at school.....truthfully, most of it has to do with me and my desire to be tidy and organized and share the workload (which is often mostly me doing all the work).  I don't like one of the other EAs in the classroom and let her get on my nerves daily.  Almost every day I wake up thinking I am done and will give my notice but as the school year is coming to a close I just want to finish it off and survive it.  The older I get and the longer we live with just two of us in the house, the more OCD I get.  I love things in their place.  I love being prepared.  I love having a routine.  Every morning I leave by 7:39 and arrive at school just before 8.  My usual parking space is open and I can go in and help prepare the class for the activities ahead.  Plenty of time ahead of our 8:15 start time.  The other morning I had to stop for this on my way to work:

Normally I would have been anxious and upset but watching those Momma cows and their babies follow each other across the highway to another pasture was cute and relaxing.  I was head of the line in one direction and I think it was a message to slow down.....I wasn't going to be late for work, because I leave so early, so I could just enjoy the moment.  (no my parking spot wasn't available!  hahahaha)

I need more of this or just coping skills for when I feel stressed or tensed.  My neck and shoulders are so tight they feel as though they will snap 😜 and I almost always have a nagging headache.  Those are all due to "me problems" (thanks Kim 😘).  I know I need to start walking....I know I need to start having friend time.....I know I need the school year to be over. (16 more days with kids and 20 total until I am done....but who's counting???)

Last weekend we picked up this little monkey!  (no I wasn't driving....I wonder why it always reverses the picture....look at me all wrinkle free!  HAHAHA  😂)

We went for walks and looked for ants:

We played games and went to the river and threw rocks:

We picked "flowers" and visited a few quilty friends at their sewing day:

And of course bath time!:

This little gal loves her Gammy.  From the moment she wakes up to the second she falls asleep, I am her buddy.  It reminds me of the relationship that her Mommy had with her Grandma (my Mom) and I am thankful and Blessed to have it with her.  I hope I can be half the grandmother my mom was to my kids!

My most favourite picture of all 💕

Once Lyla left on Monday I had time to clean the house and do some sewing.  I am working on stitching a project out of Gail Pans new book Changing Seasons and here is the first stitching season I have finished....well it needs quilting:

And it hooks onto a background (still needing quilting):

I hope to get at quilting these today.  👍 (as I listen to a nice rain falling. I sure hope they get this further north where there are wildfire burning)

Hubby has gone up north to wire a house and so I have the weekend to do as I feel.  Glorious!!!!!  It's been awhile since I have had the house to myself.  LOL  Self care is on the agenda....I have caught up with my PVRd shows (Call the Midwife and Greys Anatomy), would like to give myself a pedicure and maybe cheat and have a small plate of nachos for supper (that used to be a go-to meal when he worked away....before WW), and sew of course.  I think it's to be beautiful tomorrow so after I quickly clean the house I will sit outside with my next stitching (autumn) and enjoy some vitamin D then it's back to work Monday which I will try not to think about!  LOL

I do have something to look forward to:

I've chosen the middle two....my friend Pam's cat had kittens and I am going to get two!  They won't be old enough to come here until the end of June/beginning of July and Hubby will likely complain but I CAN'T WAIT!!!!  Work will be done so I will be able to devote my time to these sweethearts!  I went shopping yesterday and even popped into a pet store to price out some goodies I want to get them!!!!!!  Eeeeek!!!! 😺😺 💙💗  Can't wait to watch them grow up so I can think of names!!            (hint hint Pam!  Lots of pictures!!!!)

Off to enjoy my day and I hope whomever is reading this is or will enjoy theirs too.  😊

Snow and Sewjo!

May Flowers......well not yet!!!!!  This was a couple of weekends ago.  UGH!  

Saturday                           Sunday

It did melt quickly but came back, on and off, over the last couple of weeks, but thankfully not as forcefully, and hasn't stayed.  We've had all of the weather this month!  Today has been warm but the clouds have rolled in, then left, then came back......all day long!  I went to the basement sewing area so now I am FREEZING!!  (I had to avoid my husband and the news channel he had on tv.....Trudeau's voice annoys the H**L out of me!)

My perennials are peeking through.  I want to clean a bit more of the dead stuff out as I've left some for "protection"!!  Dig up the dirt a bit and maybe add some new stuff.....hopefully tomorrow as it is supposed to be a gorgeous day!

So what does one do when it snows????  SEW!!!  Found some "sewjo" (thanks for the name Pam!!) and got caught up with my Lori Holt Vintage Christmas BOM (because I knew the next ones were coming soon......they have since arrived.....two months worth= 8 blocks!)  Gosh these 6.5" blocks have a bazillion pieces!!!!!  

Here are all the blocks so far.  I have to do some embroidery on some of the blocks and add a couple of buttons to a couple (I think the doll gets eyes and there are buttons for the ivy leaves at the bottom of candles).  

And my sewjo continued!  This was a kit I bought at the Red Deer quilt show.  I love the simplicity and the feminine fabric.  Now to quilt it (it is bigger than I expected.  LOL)

My Dad came for a visit last week/weekend and so did Daughter1 and Lyla...oh and Gordon!  Here is G-pa with Gordon!  LOL

We had fun on Friday going to an antique mall in Airdrie and we also found a quilt shop I hadn't been to and I did NOT buy a thing!!!!!!!  (pat pat!)

I am really counting down until the school year is over.  I think the kids are ready to be done and I know I am!  I hate wishing for time to pass quickly but only until the end of June!  Who knows what next year holds......we don't know when we will find out as with the new provincial government comes a new budget and they haven't released one yet.  I am not worrying about it though....what will be will be.  

Space; Bindings; Easter and a Road Trip

Hello!!!!  

Well, I have been having a hard time finding my sewing mojo.  I felt a twinge after being at the quilt show but would go to my sewing "area" and not want to do anything!!!!  A couple of weekends ago I had an "ah ha" moment....I was thinking it was my squished sewing area.....squished because of the quilting frame!  I had been thinking about it a lot and I was thinking that if I didn't use it soon it was going to go.  So it went.  I posted it for free on a couple of buy and sell sites on Facebook (because it was given to me) and my computer exploded with interest!  So off it went to its new home and I rearranged....and spread things out a bit.  Ahhhhhhhhh I can BREATHE!!!!!

My first project was a bunny wallhanging from a kit I bought at the show:

Done on time for Easter!!

Then I put bindings on two of the several quilts that were quilted by my friend Kim:

This one is completely done and given to our grandson.

Hand stitching still needed on this one.

Today I threw together some old charm squares into a big table runner....it's not quilted yet:

Last weekend was Easter weekend and we had the whole crew home!!!!!  Eleven of us including the grand babies!!!!!  Oh a full and busy house but it was a GREAT weekend!

I had made some salt dough ornaments for the kids to paint.  Jude had no interest in crafts so us girls painted!  

Daughter1 brought eggs and they were painted too (I didn't get any pics of that!)

Of course Gammy read bedtime stories:

After the last crew left on Sunday I cleaned and got some laundry done.  Yesterday Hubby and I went for a drive:

I have this week off from work.....our spring break.  I have been fighting a cold (now a nasty annoying cough!) and Hubby just went to pick up Lyla, who is sick too, so she can come here to rest and Mommy doesn't have to miss another day of work.  Who knows what will get done this week.  Oh well....a rest is good.....no alarm, no lunch to make........ahhhhhhhhhh.

BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!

Do you know, when you are looking forward to something and know it will be "nice" but when it happens you realize it is FANTASTIC and just what you needed????  Well that was yesterday for me!  I was excited, most of all, to be meeting my friend Kim at the Red Deer Quilt Show.  But after spending the whole afternoon with her, shopping, looking at quilts and TALKING, I came home with a huge smile on my face and felt happy.....extremely happy! 😃 (I tried not to think of the sad....how we live too far apart now to see each other on a regular basis.😢)  A) her hugs are THE BEST!!!!  B) we can talk about anything  C) we need about a month to really catch up and D) she's a super wonderful friend.  💕

The quilt show was great.  I swear there were almost as many vendors as quilts!!!  Kim is going again today with her Mom and if we weren't getting our granddaughter today, I would go again to meet with them.  Here are a couple of pictures of my favourites:

We had to get a "selfie" outside before we headed off to have a drink at Starbucks and we were laughing so hard neither of us got a good one!  HAHAHAHA!

Oh it was a great day..........*sigh*  Now to go look at what I bought and have a fondle!  😜