Christmas

is over and we had a lovely, quiet time. The weather has been cold and that has given me an opportunity to get some work done. I finished a beginner class on quilting that I will be teaching on Shirley's Learning FA group. This class will take place in February and it is free. I also pieced and quilted a commission quilt for the daughter of a friend who has graduated college, as well as finished up a few of my swap blocks. So, I am all up todate with most projects.

The last two days, when the weather warmed up, I went walking on the lake. Once in a while you can hear "drumming", which is the water moving under the lake, but the lake is frozen so there is no danger... lots of ski-doos and ice fishers around. This picture on the right is looking towards where I live - I live around the bend to the right.

The picture below is looking out towards the lake, the widest part.

The final picture is looking towards my house as I am coming back from my walk. It feels funny to be taking a picture of my home from about 20 feet out on the lake.....

Thought for the Day

Stand here by my side and turn, I pray,

On the lake below thy gentle eyes;

The clouds hang over it, heavy and gray,

And dark and silent the water lies;

And out of that frozen mist the snow

In wavering flakes begins to flow;

Flake after flake,

They sink in the dark and silent lake.

William Cullan Bryant

Happy....

Christmas Eve... and a Merry Christmas to everyone! The cold has finally let up a bit so we should have a chance to go for a bit of a walk today. I am finishing quilting my Ornament Block quilt and just "putzing" around the house today. I wish everyone a blessed, joyous Christmas.....

Head on over to my friend Shirley's Blog, she has a post about Christmas Eve memories... and a beautiful photo of one of her quilts.

One of my fondest Christmas Eve memories is when I was a young child. My sister is 6 years younger than me, and she "believed" in Santa longer than I did (well, I actually still believe in Santa!). One year after we came home from Midnight Mass, I got to put out her Santa gifts, after she went to bed. She was receiving handmade Barbie doll furniture, made from redwood. It was the cutest little set - handmade blankets with the bunk beds, and little hangers in the wardrobe. She was so excited Christmas morning... I could hardly sleep waiting for her to get up!! When we had our family dinner last week, I brought up that Christmas and she said it was one of her best Christmas memories. Her adult daughter still has the doll furniture.

My favorite memories of Christmas with my children are filling Christmas stockings. My kids think that is the best part of Christmas and still can't wait to open their stockings. About a month ago, my son called and in the course of our conversation blurted out, "We still get our Christmas stockings, right"???

Last Christmas Eve day we had a traumatic event in our household. Our little Boston Terrier, Tooie woke up and couldn't breathe. At four o'clock in the morning on Christmas Eve day we were rushing to the vet. Tooie stopped breathing before we left and I performed CPR (DO NOT ask me how I did this, as I believe Angels guided me through the whole thing!). We got to the vet and found out he had a collapsed trachea caused by an elongated soft palette. He spent the day in the doggie ER and came home that evening. He did have to have surgery earlier in the year and seems to be doing better..... We are blessed and thankful to have our little Tooie still in our lives.

Merry Christmas

Thought for the Day

In the end, only kindness matters.

Jewel

This morning......

was absolutely beautiful... although very cold! As I drove to work the temperature was -39 degrees celsuis (which is -38.2 F) and my tires were like big stones - felt like I was driving a Flinstones car!!! As I came over the crest of a small hill, the sun was beginning to rise in the East and there was a blanket of cloud settled in a farmer's field over the snow...... just so incredibly beautiful. I wish I had a picture to show you.... I thanked God for such a spectacular day....

Thought for the Day
"The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of midday to objects below"
Clement Moore

I'm so thankful......

I received the most wonderful present from my dear "mom" Shirley - it is absolutely spectacular and I am so grateful for her kindness. Shirley does wonderful landscapes, as well as having a Yahoo group that gives free classes in quilting...... Along with this landscape, there was a handmade quilt holder... very innovative and great for storage. I also received some wonderful thread.... and other Christmas goodies..... I am blessed indeed to have Shirley as my second "mom".

While I was in Calgary, I went to shop at my favorite quilt store, Traditional Pastimes.... AND they had a sale on Christmas fabrics.... well, what's a quilter to do.... I bought myself a new Christmas pattern for next year plus some great new fabrics... This will be my 2009 Christmas quilt...... I will have to update my UFO list for 2009 pretty soon.... I have lots of things I haven't put on there.

My new friend, Jennifer, from Bronze Wombat, has a great tutorial on how to make the folded star patchwork trivet....I have always wanted to make one of these and now I can.... it would be great for Valentine's day or even Easter...Great Job, Jennifer.

Thought for the Day

"It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death".

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Be Careful....

what you wish for - LOL.... Well, after being stranded for 3 days in Calgary - I am home.... but oh boy, is it ever cold. It was -35 celsius when I woke up this morning... and so much for moaning about not having snow awhile back. This is the view from my sewing room this morning...

There had been a terrible snow storm in Calgary over the past few days... and while I had a great visit with family and friends.... we couldn't do too much because of the weather. Magpie and Tooie loved gramma's fireplace tho.... and didn't stray far from that!

Help from my Blogland friends.......

Please help the Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue win $10,000.00!!!. Boston Terriers are near and dear to my heart and I have been involved with Rescue for a few years. Needless to say we are always in the "red".... BUT I am not asking for money, or for you to buy anything. All I am asking my bloggy friends to do is to CLICK HERE...... and vote for Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue.....You can also use the button on the right sidebar....thank you in advance for your holiday spirit!

Thought for The Day
There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to other animals as well as humans, it is all a sham.
Anna Sewell

Swap Etiquette...

I had read the best post about swap etiquette and I searched and searched again, for it.... you know, when you find these things you just have to put a link somewhere so that you can refer to it!!! I found it again..... Calamity Kim has written a great post..... if you like to swap, please, take a moment to read it.
I have been very fortunate to be involved in some great swaps.... and I have hostessed a few in my time too. This article says everything I have ever wanted to say!!!

Thought for the Day
He knows when you are sleeping,
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So, be good for goodness sake!
Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Come on in......

I thought I would show some of my decorations and how I decorate with my Christmas quilts. I put up most of my quilts on the railing in my house... it gives a good view.

Over the years I have seem to have collected a few snowmen! - they are being watched over by two Santa's in the corner!

This is another snowman that I just love - the little quilt underneath is a cathedral windows that I did a few years ago.

This last picture shows Santa and his elves... and behind Santa is a special little Boston Terrier that spent some time with us last year. Her name was Bubbles... and she now lives in Saskatoon with her new adoptive family.

Thought for the Day
The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.
Louisa May Alcott

Some Sewing....

I did some sewing during the weekend and put together my ornament blocks from the ornament swap that was hosted by Betsy. This actually turned out a bit larger than I thought, but I did add a few of my own blocks. I found just the best border fabric at Craft Connection AND I got it about a week after I ordered it - which is really great considering the time of year. Thanks to all the ladies who participated.





I also have one more block finished in my wool applique rendition of the quilt, Chestermere. This is the third block. I find that I enjoy having a hand project to work on at guild or at night when I am watching TV, so it might not take too long to get a good sized quilt made. The background fabrics are homespun.. so this quilt will be very very prim.

LET IT SNOW....

well, this is our third day house bound... the weather is definitely wintry now!!!! I have to go to town tomorrow.. so let's hope it lets up. This first picture is of the road going to our house on Saturday....we went for a walk and it looked like we were the only ones around.



Hubby went into the woods, as we were walking along, to get me a few sticks to hang some quilts - they work out quite well, remove the bark and slip them in the quilt sleeve!!! recycling at its best.

I did some baking over the weekend and wrapped up the last of my gifts. I can spend the rest of the week just catching up on some sewing projects.



Thought for the Day
I think my favorite sport in the Olympics is the one in which you make your way through the snow, you stop, you shoot a gun, and then you continue on. In most of the world, it is known as the biathlon, except in New York City, where it is known as winter.
Michael Ventre

Some Thank you's.....

Just have to share a couple of things that I received in the mail this week. The first is a great quilted trivit - I received this (among other things - LOL) in a Christmas swap on one of the lists I belong to. It is just the greatest colors! Thanks, Evelyn.

I also received a little parcel from Jennifer in Australia!! Look at these great fabrics.... I am going to have to make something extra special just for me with these.... the chocolate stays in my sewing room... just for me !!!

Thought for the Day
"Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence. "
It's a Wonderful Life

Stash Alert......

I got these great Christmas fabrics in the mail yesterday... they look even better in person. I purchased the ornament fabric especially as a border for the blocks that I exchanged in my ornament block swap. I think they will go great with these.... and the sparkly red fabric just might be a great back for the wallhanging.

After seeing my friend, Betsy, make all those great Christmas tea towels... I had to make some too.... Monkey see, Monkey do!!!! Mine are a little more prim....

It is snowing madly today..... and I am finishing customer quilts... and some of my own stuff. I doubt if I will be venturing out much today...

It's the Most Wonderful Time.......

of the Year... Happy December to all. I received THE LAST of my civil war print 9 patches today.... ..... guess I will have to decide now what to make. I have also been receiving blocks in another swap and used the same theme - civil war prints... so I am almost at the end of that swap also. Below is my November block that I received... is it a coincidence that this coordinates so well with my nine patch?? Maybe I should combine the two sets of blocks, alternating a block and a nine patch. I will try that out and see what it looks like.






We have extremely cold weather but no snow. This weather lends itself to a interesting condition in/on the lake that people around here call "the drumming of the lake". The lake makes these incredible "noises", much like whales. Apparently it is the ice and water moving against each other underneath the water. I have never heard of this and if anyone else has heard of it please let me know. But, it is the most spectacular sound - and when it is dark and cold.... it is kind of eerie.

I spent the day quilting and sewing, and wrapping up Christmas presents. My sewing room is a mess... but that's OK - I just close the door and nobody sees it.

Thought for the Day
I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
Dr. Seuss