Busy, Busy Week :-) With The Hookers

Thursday was spent with the Miramichi rug Hookers. Our guild was invited down to Bonar Law Common, in Rexton, NB. There was 13 of us in total, 4 cars we taken as we convoyed to Rexton. It was lunch time when we arrived so we stopped by a restaurant for lunch. It was very nice & the view was that of the harbour. Marg, the organizer to the guild, had the best looking cheeseburger deluxe that any of us had ever seen. She was speechless & if you know Marg, that speaks volumes! LOL 

 Marg with her cheeseburger, it was a two hander - she ate it top with meat patty, then bottom with meat patty! We all ate away from our diet rituals that afternoon. I had fish & chips, it too was very good. I had fish & chips the night before too as Jean & Theodore treated to supper in the Baie. I love fish & chips out east & eat them when I can.

 We filled the window wall & had a wonderful lunch.

Then it was off to Bonar Law's homestead for an afternoon of hooking in the kitchen with other hookers from the area.

 In the museum part I took these photos. This hooked rug of a ship really caught my eye.

The baby walker, which is extinct today was on display. It brought back memories of the days when my babies were placed inside the plastic ones in the 70's & would happily play as I did cooking or did the housework. Then the Jolly Jumper was the place to 'put them' as them would bounce & swing as I got things done. 

 The museum was made up of donated items

 I loved the New Brunswick plaid background for the tall ship in the case.

 Old paintings that showed ships sailing...

 And ships docked.

 Bust of Andrew Bonar Law.

 These two little beauties were our house guides & made the visit very pleasurable. You could tell they just love their summer job & taught me loads before leaving...now I'll show & tell you what  they shared.

 And a time to hook! The young ladies said that this is the most people that the kitchen has held this year.

 Donna holds for display, a rug from the floor for me to photograph, thanks Donna.

The parlour in the Law's home.

Andrew Bonar Law was the only Canadian born Prime Minister of Great Britain. I did not know that fact till that day!

This is the homestead of Bonar Law, we're in the area that has the ramp going up to it.

I did a walk about the property & took different angles of the house.

It really reminded me of the Anne of Green Gables home on PEI. That's a lilac bush in the front, it must look beautiful in the spring when it's in bloom.

The room had every chair filled!

Rug hookers from around the area came & showed what they were working on. I took my nearly completed Stoneware Horse rug. So close to completion, I really have to focus, then I'll have only the edge to whip stitch.

My neighbour Marva, smile & be a Happy Hooker. LOL

The room was just buzzing with chatter & laughter

These are pics from the summer kitchen. I just LOVE the blue/white canisters, oh I'd love to get me those for my cottage pantry!

The grey colour reminds me of the kitchen in the Eldon House in London. The era is around the the same time, 1850's - give or take a couple of years.

Oh the gadgets that were used, the hand beater looks familiar to what I used as a girl to 'whip' things up.

This is Marg's cat rug & boy is she getting it done quickly. Her husband bought it for her on their Boston trip last month.

And...there were kittens in the barn! Just like Marg's rug! Here are the three little kittens sound a sleep on top of the barrel.

This was the runt, so cute. Bill would not be happy with me if I took a pair home with me, maybe next year. There's always kittens in the barn.

The little runt was the only one awake, as the rest of the litter slept.

He entertained himself...

pouncing on things & playing. I really wanted to cuddle that one!

Back to the house tour...

In the barn outside, we were entertained with tea & strawberry scones or apple crisp...all homemade of course!

The young waiters served a happy bunch of rug hookers.

It was a wonderful afternoon, I wish we had more time there to take in more of the day, it was great!

I'm jumping because my photos are everywhere through this blog. This is the museum, our 1st stop on the grounds.

Another view of the museum, look at the boat, would it not look at home in my great room!

The afternoon was one that I hope takes place again before the summer is done.

Rev. James Law's parlour(Andres's father) see the green gathered basket under the table with the pitcher? That's were the Reverend would put his paper waste from his sermons that he would conduct on that room.

An elegant room for that era, there's few original pieces of furniture & most pieces have come from Fredericton.

The girls in the parlour, so helpful with information on the house & the Law family.

Doesn't this look great, it's a tradition design with a modern twist with the use of colour - I'm thinking about doing something similar, just love it!

The books & this cabinet are original to the house, what craftsmanship, it's a beauty!

The floors are original too, as the flooring was lifted, the floor was protected all those years of 'other tenants & families living in this house.

Love the blue bedroom, this was the parents room & the room that it is thought that Andrew Bonar was born.

A place for everything & everything in place in this room.

A dresser & bed view

The tea box in the back corner was locked as tea was expensive in the mid 1800's.

The dining room had the table set in blue/white dishes, so familiar to me. A lovely room indeed to view.

The gadget in the back was a 'napkin press', the silver is all laid out for the maid to inventory.

This was the Law's only daughter's bedroom, she had one of the warmest rooms in the house on cold days with the pipe next to her bed!

This was the four boys room, they had eachj other to keep them warm. lo

The quilts that dressed the beds caught my eye.

Spinning wheel was set up in the hall.

Sweet ladies chair, their dresses skirts could over hang the low arms.

Here's the corner that the spinning wheel at the end of the hall fills. The carding supplies on the table, I've not tried this process of wool making ...yet.

The parents room, love the triple Irish chain quilt!

Another view of the parents room.

The stove pipe had been removed, you can see the original hole under the chair.

Such beauty & craftsmanship in the wooden furniture pieces.

The sewing room, a place I would have spent my waking hours in. It was always painted white so you could see to work for the long hours.

Sweet room.

Another traditional pattern, modern coloured rug - pinwheels, my have to make me one of those too! I'm going to have to live past 100 to get everything done. lol

This was were the cooking took place. They had a maid, she lived in the attic & her staircase to her bedroom was off this room.

The large box on top of this unit was used to put the bread to allow it to rise, the cabinet was used for storage.

This was the 'bathtub' - you would sit on the rim & the soap holder is to the right. I've never seen anything like it!

This was used for buggy rides in the winter. It was filled with coals & placed under their feet to keep them warm as they traveled on cold days.

This was the yoke that was worn to carry buckets of water.

Oh yes - this lady from the area made her hat & purse by hooking in the shape of the pattern, then she had sewn it together. Clever woman, she was a delight to sit by.

The barn to the right was were I saw alpaca's for the first time in my life!

The barn to the right was where our afternoon tea took place. The doors were opened at each end & the breeze went through, very comfortable.

Alpaca lambs...strange looking & oh so thin!

Modern day 'buggy ride' lol

She was delivering the scones & strawberries to the barn from the employees kitchen, I thought she looked so out of place in her period costume & a modern golf cart! lol

More costume dressed people & the only men & might add!

Oh yes there's also an amphitheater! & many more outdoor activities to do on the ground. A trip well worth taking in. I hope to take Don & family to this area for a picnic, next month.

It was a memorable day, the atmosphere of new hooking friends & surroundings  with the people working in this place just makes me smile.
  These beautiful wild flowers graced the servers table, the people at the Bonar's Law House thought of everything to make our visit a pleasant one.

I hope you enjoyed your trip with me too!
But wait that day is not done yet.... Next blog!

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I was entering & blogging too late last night...so rather than deleting everything below, have another look if you like. It's just photos of the day & oh indeed,  what a day it was. :-)

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 Marg, the coordinator of this trip attempts to eat a wonderfully cooked & presented hamburger deluxe! We all threw the dieting out the window that day! I had haddock fish & chips, yum! I had had the same for supper the night before when Jean & Theodore took me out for supper. I love fish & chips when I'm out east, I could eat them everyday.

Here's a view of the hookers having lunch, the window over looks thew harbour. A good time had by all. Once the appetite had been satisfied it was off to our destination, the Bonar Law House.
First a look at the museum on the grounds.

 A wonderful old hooked rug caught my eye, beautiful isn't it!

  A baby walker, wow that doesn't even exist today. My older kids were in walkers & the last two in the Jolly Jumper, hung from a doorway, how fast things have changed.