Suet Balls--Yum

This weekend Bill & I tried our hand at making suet balls for the neighbourhood  feathered friends. I was purchasing them but it was becoming costly for this feathered flock & squrriels. So onto Google I went &  wrote down  the most relating recipes for suet balls,  all bacon grease was now being saved & the sunflower, cornmeal, grits, birdseed, & all vegetable shortening was added to the melted fat. I found these suet holders at the CO-OP a few summers ago in Baie-Sainte-Anne, NB. I was trying apples but that did not work, they love the suet mixture that Bill & I made up together & I was so pleased to see them all come together to feast. The photo was taken through the window so the clarity is not the best, the watching of them is though!

Bill's Cobblestone Quilt

Bill took his Cobblestone quilt home with him last week & today sent this photo of it on his bed. It took me nearly 3 years to finish. I started it in a workshop with Heather Stewart & watched many  a 'show & share' at the London Friendship Guild of the completed ones that were started that day. I used ecru flannel on the back, so hopefully it will not creep off the bed. Just peaking out you can see the other quilt I made for him, another Heather Stewart, it was called the wonky log cabin, she is such a great teacher that I take her class when I can.  Bill will be as snug as a bug in a rug ---now that's not such a great saying with all the bedbug problems...warm & toasty he'll be this winter!

Temecula Mini Quilt

Such a cute little mini quilt, it measures 18'' x 22'', I did mine in the left over's from a Underground Railroad quilt I made a few years back. This is a free download pattern found on the Temecula Quilt Blog site, it's know as the '12 Days of Christmas' quilt, the 1st block is a one piece block, the 2nd is a two piece block, the 3rd a three piece block and  so on. It could be made in any colour theme & is fun to do, each block finishes at 3" so cute! Now if I could harness the energy to start that Dear Jane Quilt with Paulette, I'm so glad we are girlfriends that will grow old together---because we're going to need the time to make that quilt. : )

 I'm going to try hand at 'hand quilting' this little beauty, then add a dark brown & black fabric for the binding.

The Curtains Are Up

Here are the curtains hung up & closed. When my husband Bill & I were in Fabricland to get the brackets, the whole rod sets were on clearance. The set contained rod, finials, rings, & brackets, for just $10 more than the brackets, so all the painting will be for another job in the future. Bill thought with the length of curtain & the pulling of them across the rod,  it would only be a matter of time before the paint wore through. So for $20 this set was installed & it moves so freely across the rod.

I think it really warms a room to have drapery & I've been sleeping in a bit more with them closed or maybe I'm doing the mammal thing & doing a bit of hibernating. Either way it's cozier in the bedroom now.

Productive Day

Today is going to be a productive day!  I made a list of 'to do' last night, just so I'm not sidetracked. Diesel thought he would lie in the middle of the kitchen floor & I saw this a photo shot as he was right in the middle of the design. Back in 1996 I had designed this floor to be installed as a mat area inside the small work area which has all my appliances & cupboards around it. It's a small but functional kitchen, having the work triangle in a equal distance from each other, the stove & double sink are both on an angle with the fridge being the top of the triangle. So today was making the chicken stock & once that was simmering for the hours needed, I would being painting the curtain rod pieces. Diesel got bored watching me paint, I did have his attention when the stock pot was being filled, then left for his crate while I painted all the wooden rings, finials, & rod.

17 rings to paint, I did a project like this last year for the parlour & dining room drapes, so the tension rod was installed to hold the rings from twist ties.

Multi-tasking with the broth on the left & rings & finials getting done now : )

1st coat of colour has been added, this afternoon or tomorrow morning, I'll do the 2nd coat. The rod was a mahogany colour, the same as the finials & the rings were 2 different wood colours--now everything coordinates in the soft Aura cloud white colour.
Last Saturday was the one day sale at Fabricland & new curtain fabric was needed as the old fabric once I washed the cream cotton, 16 year old fabric it was colour faded & sun bleached, showing its age. It will work for another project in the future, maybe being tea or coffee stained for a primitive project or cut & crotchet into a cotton rug, loads of fabric as it was originality 2 harvest table cloths, durable fabric with the length that I needed at the time. 
 The sale was great, after scanning all the decor fabric, Bill & I found a vertical stripe in a soft grey satin & plain design & was on for  only $5.44 a meter which was good as I needed 12 meters, the shirring was 1/2 price too! Yes for $86 dollars(including tax!) I have my floor to ceiling drapes with the matching drapery hardware that was painted today! Yes a productive day.
Now the measuring for the drapes......to be continued.

Last of the Warm Weather

I had the opportunity to travel with my husband Bill, to Clearwater Florida where he had elevator code meetings for the week. It's feast or famine when it comes to spending time with Bill & the last month has been a bountiful feast of time with him. Then sometimes it's months before even see him, for the moment it's been all worth it when I think of the time & memories we now have as I settle into winter, my worse season of the year.

This was the view for our Sherton Hotel at the Sand Key area, we walked the beach shoreline & began in that vast area which was all crushed shells--what a mistake going barefoot on that, wow I've got some soft feet, I did OK going to the shoreline as I wore my runners & took them off to have the waves hit my feet as we walked the shoreline...then coming back once we hit that open area as seen above, ouch. Bill kept saying it wasn't bad on his bare feet, I just kept thinking 'no sense-no feeling'but I wasn't going to put my sandy feet into my runners as those were used for walking my 1.5 miles on the treadmill. 

With this new year my goal is to shed some poundage, so exercise it is, like it or not & believe me I'm not a exerciser, more of a procrastinator! Let the game begin as the arthritis has been miserable in my lower back & hip, I know this weight gain doesn't help.

 This picture just doesn't show the beautiful colour & movement of the setting sun. I sure felt right looking at it though.

My Awe Moment

While having my coffee this morning I looked out the lounge window & had a WOW moment. The morning sky was so beautiful in it's soft shades of pink & blue. I ran for my camera & tried to capture what my eyes were seeing.

These are morning's that make it worth while getting up early, it's like a gift - seeing this present!

The large trees have no leaves left, giving way to view more of natures beauty. My awe moment. As I've uploaded these photos & wrote this...daylight is upon us & this beauty is gone, photos are all I have left.