Friday, May 27, 2011

Cat Purse


Heather, here's a pictures of the purses I make for our cat orphanage.
Email me & I'll send you more info.
They are cool because they take 2 fat quarters.
I have an endless supply of cat fabric of course so when I'm bored I just
make a purse.
It's just pouring here today. Doesn't look like we will have nice weather
for the weekend. But considering what others have had I just don't want to complain.
easystitches at yahoo.com

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Aha! Snuck in the back way....(smile)



Kathi is one of my computer gurus...no, don't be modest Kathi, you can figure things out better than I can of a mechanical or electronic nature. Jean, too. I have the sign-in for the Chat Board on my toolbar and Google is unable to pick up the signal and it won't come in. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I noticed a little sign at the top right of the chat page and came in that way. I'm feeling quite proud of myself for figuring that much out...lol.


I'm in the process of having my B&B website revised. The young man who is doing it has collected all the photos I've sent in over the years (not all used) because he wants them on labeled. I came across this Kanta or Kantha wallhanging. The cream background is all stipple quilted in tiny stitching. The images are from India. The outside edges are three rows of circles. This is in one of our B&B guest rooms. The bedspread on the bed is from India.......a summer quilt which is all reverse applique and which I purchased on Siesta Key many years ago. The work in it is incredible.


Fog is rolling in tonight and it calls for more rain. We have been inundated with rain here in Southern Ontario. Time to put Miss AnnieBelle out for her before bed piddle. Her 'sister' (no connection in lineage) Hope sleeps on the bed at night. Annie figured she should too, so the other night I lifted her up for a few minutes and she promptly piddled on my blanket. Thinking I'd caught it on the top blanket, I crawled into bed into the puddle that had gone right through. Everything got washed yesterday morning. Annie went quickly into her crate. She's 3 mos. old now.


I loved the pics, Sandi. That baby is growing, my goodness and the turtle. I had a hard time figuring just what it was.


Marion, you are funny. Scribe, why it's my soapbox really...


Rosey

I'll try too !

It would be a disaster for the BB if our most regular scribe is unable to post ! Keep trying Rosey ! It surely must have just been a temporary glitch in the system.

A cooler and wet morning here. Things are still growing in the garden, they will get a shock when the frosts come (so will I !) A day at home today and I plan to make some soups to put in the freezer. I seem to be out a lot these days so I like to prepare food on the days that I am home. Belonging to an active church is exactly where I want to be, but , since the earthquake, there have been many needs in the community and not so many people free and able to help out. Eight years ago we built our new church (more like a community center than a traditional church building) and it is being well used. We kept the small house that was on the section , and it has been used for various purposes over the years. This year we converted it into a cafe . We are open three days a week for four hours a day. It has become a bit of a drop in center and a place where people can access information. We prepare the simple food in the commercial kitchen at church and sell it on a "donation only " basis. In the three months that we have been open we have covered costs and made a profit of $60 ! It's a fun place to be and we get to meet some really interesting people.

Not a lot of time for quilting but I've always got one (or two) on the go ! Maybe I'll get some time later today or over the w/end.

We are off out tonight to see the local production of "Guys and Dolls" . It should be fun , they put something on every year and, with virtually no entertainment available in Christchurch these days, they will probably be performing to sell out crowds, every night !

Enjoy the w/end.
Marion.

Just checking

Rosey said she is having problems posting. I'm checking to see if I do, too. Posted to the regular BB and that worked. Now we'll try here.

Kathi

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Big brother is watching you.....

Our local internet provider just switched over to Google and GMail. I was NOT a happy camper about it, and will continue to use my Outlook Express rather than the GMail. When I complained to Customer Service at the local phone company about the apparent "harvesting" that Google does, he sent this explanation.

"Some websites you go to are sponsored by Google to create revenue, like your quilting board. If a website chooses to generate income through ads from Google...they use a simple keyword based ad system to do a search for the most popular words on the website and then pull up a list of ads relevant to the website. It seems like you're being watched, but really it is just a simple program used to pull words off the website and do a search."

Not sure that I'm sold on the explanation, but that's what they tell me.

Kathi

Also uuum

Marion, I noticed the pest ads. When I was on about the mouse the ad was from NZ . How do they? do that? it must be computer generated but how? I love the DGD's photo , she looks a real cutie and don't they row fast. Very wet here and I have my 3monthly Dr's appt. Don't think I had better cancel, just get it over. I would love to curl up and read, my idea of heaven. Take care all of you ,hugs Bee in NZ.

No flight for me today

Well, the best laid plans, and all that stuff.
After arriving in Sanford, Fla. -just outside of Orlando- we had a quick supper about 7:30 PM. Since I have been eating lots of salads thought I'd have the salad bar. Checked into hotel, didn't sleep well because the A/C unit kept going on, off, hi, low, and then at 3:30 AM woke up to throwing up on the bed. Yuck.
Didn't get any more sleep, so went to airport, checked in with ticket agent at about 5:30AM and told him we wouldn't be flying. I showed him the pre-printed boarding pass, and so on. He said he would make a note of it in the system. When we got back home about 9:00AM I call the airline office (which is in Las Vegas) to explain the situation. I did get the flight protection when buying the tickets. She was rude, and said since I didn't board the plane, or go to the gate, we would forfit the costs, and we were listed as "no shows". So, later on today, after another nap, will call again and hopefully plead our case to a supervisor. If that doesn't work will have to file a protest, by mail, and pray we can get a voucher for the $645.00.
So, now I have to go to post office to re-instate the mail, and call the newspaper to re-instate that also.
At least the family will be coming here on the 15th of June, so will be able to enjoy a visit with them. Sigh- there's always something.
Lesson to my self--don't eat a salad bar before flying anywhere! Maybe stay away from the salad bars altogether.
Poor DH didn't get any sleep either. He says he's going back to work tomorrow, and we'll go somewhere in the fall.
Sara in Fla.

Enjoying the pictures and posts! Thanks

Thank you, Rosey, for stirring the pot and getting people to post. :-) I think many of us coast along for awhile and just need an occasional prod. At least I know I do so assume others might as well. I loved the picture of Rosey with her new dog. And I've been enjoying all the other pictures as well whether actual or visual. Such as Bee picking up a slug. Yikes!


Aren't grandchildren wonderful? They just sort of melt one's heart don't they. Thanks, Sandi, for showing your granddaughter's cute little face. Easy to see how much she is adored.

We've had what seems to have been a damper than normal Spring. There have been pockets of sunny days so I can get out and weed but those pockets have been fewer than I'd like. At least the rain has kept the ground loose so the weeds usually pull up easily. :-)

That's my excitement - enjoying the sunny days when we get them! LOL

Hugz to all who need them,
Mary in Oregon

New pictures











HI everyone! My DGD is 4 months old and cute as a button. She rolled over yesterday and I'm sure it won't be long and she'll be sitting up by herself. She has grandpa wrapped around her little finger!

Last night my daughter found this big snapping turtle in the yard. For those that haven't been to my home, we have a pond wayyyyy down the hill below us, at least a long block away. There are trees, a few homes and the hill, she is a persistent bugger to come all this way to lay eggs. She is a bit bigger than a large dinner plate. Adam, (SIL) put her out in the garden where the kids sandbox used to be. We haven't planted anything for a few years so I think it would be a good place for her. I might check later today, it wold be fun to know where she laid her eggs and keep an eye on them, protect them form racoons, if possible.

Hugs to all that need them!
Sandi

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

uuuuuum...

We are being watched !! Yesterday the ad. along side the posts, was all about pest control, this morning it is all about gardens....

Marion.

Thanks Joleene......I did get the email and printed it out.....my irises are in bud also......the day lillies could easily be done now but will probably leave them to the fall ......and they do seem almost indestructible......these are from an original plant from almost 15years ago and I did divide and hack when we moved out of province and it was beg of summer......I don't have a green thumb per say and cannot remember names of plants or shrubs.....but manage to pull mostly weeds not flowers out....weather is cooler here and a frost warning tonite....ugggg..... we heard the weather around Minneapolis area was a bit wild and windy this past weekend.....hope no major damage as was the case in another area...Joplin Missouri ? I think......what a terrible season so far for tornadoes and flooding on both sides of the border.....let's hope summer comes and is peaceful ........

Monday, May 23, 2011

Dividing perennials -

Heather – you asked about the best time to divide perennials – I have a great chart that was put out by the U of MN that I will email you, but to answer your specific question: The best time to divide irises or daylilies is in the late summer or early fall. Can you divide them now? Daylilies - Yes. In fact, I prefer to divide them in the spring when the clumps are more manageable. The best way would be to dig up the entire clump, divide it, and replant. Is that what I do? Not necessarily. I usually just cut a chunk off the back or the side and move it. Irises – in southern Minnesota the best time is in late August. At that time you can cut the blades down to about 3-4 inches, remove plants from the ground, divide the rhizomes and replant. Also a good time to check for iris borers which can be happy little campers inside the rhizones but nasty for the plants. Can you divide/move them now? Sure, but you might lose the bloom for the year. They are just starting to form buds here so you might be okay. One idea to ease the move in the fall is to write the color of the flower on a popsicle stick, put the stick in the ground next to plant. In the fall you will know what color each of the flowers are - great tip to use with tulips too. Joleen in MN

Yuck yuck yuck

Now I know I really really need new glasses. I just bent down to pick up a leaf I thought had blown in and it was a slug !!! yuck yuck Bee.

West Michigan Reporting

I haven't checked in here for some time and was happy to see all the
posts. Thank you Rosey for the reminder. Speaking of snakes, I
bought 3 rubber ones and laid them in my strawberry bed to
keep the birds from eating my berries when they get ripe. Sure hope it works.
Mice. We get them in the outside shed where we store bird seed. They chew holes
in the plastic totes. DH set some traps last week and we've caught 5. I think it was Mama
and her babies. Wish I had taken a picture as there were two in one trap. Must have been
trying to see who got the cheese first! We have had a very cool Spring with lots of rain.
I just went to the neighbors and picked some rhubarb to make rhubarb bars. I've been knitting dishrags. I will have enough to open a store by the time I'm done! I have gotten lots of the yarn at estate and yard sales. I have 5 small quilts that need to be quilted. My 3rd DD has started quilting and has made 3 quilts in about 6 weeks.
Hugs, Mayme

Sorry

I think I may have started the mouse theme, it wasn't meant to be so much tale/tail (sorry) as a silly son tale. This is mostly a post to ask if any of my friends are near the terrible tornado , the devastation is immense and so many deaths. The TV this morning had quite a bit of coverage. Must go to get my new glasses this morning then I can see what I am sewing. I hate getting old!!!!! Hugs to all, A very cold Bee in NZ.

For Sale Page

Can anyone post the link for the For Sale page that was once attached to this site?

eeeew...

... speaking of rats ... some twenty or more years ago a friend had a rat under their house. Darned thing chewed a hole into their dishwasher! They had to buy a new DW and the homeowners insurance would not pay --- vermin or wild animal damage was excluded. That's a plus for the steel-lined type DW if you ask me. Although I wouldn't put it past a rat to chew thru that either.

Rosey - I can just visualize Jean with that grin on her face. LOL

I worked on my HSTs (half-square triangles) this weekend. I need 288 of them. This should keep me off the streets and out of trouble. ;-)

Forgot !

to say to Rosey.....what a beautiful new fur baby she is......and thanks for nagging all of us to drop in and post .... not just sit and sigh when the board has been slow......

and to Sara.....have a good visit to ND......summer weather should be coming soon! Is this your first trip up to see them? Enjoy....

Jill....if you have the time could you post a pix of those bags you are making for the kitty rescues...or email me (heatherATschoolerDOTca).....we have a couple of rescue groups here and if they are simple enuf I wouldn't mind trying to do something like that for their often held fundraisers.......thanks.....

Monday morning

It is wonderful to pull up the chat board and see all the postings.....enjoying my morning coffee....it is a holiday "Victoria Day" in Canada and it has now rained yesterday and today....but that is okay....I am not off "camping" as much as my DH would love to be....nothing worse than packing up wet no matter if you r in a trailer or tent.....wet and messy is still wet messy in either scenario....DH being the silly guy has this notion that we will get a trailer or motorhome and do this....well with the price of gas going upwards and upwards....her in N/West Ontario our gas prices have been at $1.43 litre in most places.....pump prices have dropped somewhat in other areas it seems but not here.....last time they got this high we were driving a Yukon extended SUV ......I think $165 was the total when it was bone dry......needless to say that one is gone.....now my $80 fill up hovers around $100 but we aren't out and about so much....just for garden stuff lately or grandkids......

Finally got the backyard gardens weeded properly and more earth in them.....seems like this fall I better do some splitting up of daylillies and irises....Joleen our master gardener....when is the best time? Three years ago when we moved to this home the yard was an empty open space....now it looks like we have been here 20 years or more with fences, sheds, a greenhouse that is definetly more decorative than used.....gazebo shelter and of course numerous toys for those grandkids.....at least the toys now have a home in half the shed and what doesn't fit will hit the yardsale DH is having next weekend....I won't be here so I have to label what goes and what stays....or I will have to be shopping at yardsales myself...

We have just finished celebrating the youngest grandson's 1st birthday.....I thot time flied by before....now with these munchkins it seems to be double fly.....at 3, 2 and 1 year they are a busy bunch.....and our two step-grandkids are 11 and 8 so the fun just never stops.....we finally got the yard sorted enuf to relocate the trampoline and that does keep them busy...but never for long enuf......

Getting some good quilting done....already ahead in the game for birthday and some Christmas gifts......get thru a pile of stash fabric and seems like my generous quilting buddy appears with another box full......I am not sure that she understands that I am trying to reduce the amount of stash and space being used here but she seems to be doing well in her home! what I don't think will be used by me gets passed on to groups who do a lot more donation quilts than I seem to have the time for right now.....

Off to the indoor cycle this morning.....if I don't do it now it won't happen.....hopefully something interesting on the tv or I get so bored......maybe I should find one of those books I have been meaning to read.....Has anyone read "Still Alice" ?

wishing everyone a good and fun day....

How did we got to talking about mice and snakes?

Ooooo, creepy. We seem to have a resident black racer--in the front ferns, not in the house!
He is black, and quite fast, and scares the pee out of me. Now and then when I walk our the front door to give the pups a walk he will dash by.
We have moles in the yard on occasion, but since we have terriers, they don't stay long. I think most have relocated to the neighbor's yard.
The dogs do a good job of keeping the vermin away.
Last years when visiting my brother and Mom in So. Fla. their cleaning lady, who only speaks Spanish, told brother that there were rat droppings in the linen closet. Seems there was a family of rats nesting under a lazy-boy chair. Ugh. It took months to get rid of all of them. When they thought they were gone, another would appear under the kitchen sink, or somewhere.
Lots of sticky traps, regular traps, etc.
Since Mom can't hear well, or see too well, she never noticed any noise coming from her chair!
It's supposed to be 96 degrees today. Will stay inside and prepare for the upcoming trip to N. D.
to see the grandkids.
Sara in Fla.

If I'd only known

How easy it was to get rid of unwanted rellies and other guests, I would have brought up the snake-bit before. But this past week-end reminded me of Jean & Rodge coming to visit some years ago. This week-end at the B&B, of choice, I was overbooked...translated that meant...I gave up our bedroom and slept downstairs on an aerobed on the floor of my studio. DH, who doesn't sleep the night through and is up from 1 to 5 a.m., slept on the family room couch, his usual perch. A B&B is allowed only three bedrooms, anything over that is considered an inn, here in Canada, or at least Ontario. During Jean's visit, I left them in DH's care one night when I went to my Tai Chi lesson. Upon returning home, I walked into the familyroom and there they all sat, looking for all the world like cats with cream all over the whiskers. Jean, had a particularly Cheshire cat smile on her face as she said: "the lambs are in the livingroom" . As I looked stunned, trying to figure out her message, because she and Rodge have sheep at home, (odd how that connection didn't connect but popped into my mind). She repeated herself: "the lambs are in the livingroom" as I proceded to see what and who the lambs were. Turns out I had not written down one booking in my B&B book and a couple whom I had never remembered booking in for the night, actually two, sat there glumly looking at me wondering if they had a place to stay. I hustled them upstairs to their room, one left open, no-one occupying it, then hastened downstairs to figure out what I was going to do with them for their second night's stay. Of course, Jean, by then had it all figured out and still sat there grinning. The next night, the Lambs slept in the master bedroom (ours) and we were down in the familyroom, perched on couches for the night. The next morning, Mr. Lamb mentioned quite casually that they had decided that they were NOT going to move out of our bedroom, that he'd had such a good night's sleep and the view was so beautiful....and of course, Jean continued to grin. So everytime I'm overbooked, this past week-end of choice to accommodate a nine night booking that is occuring between May & Sept., I think of Jean and her lovely Cheshire Cat grin. Actually, I had rather evil thoughts about it...but I think she's probably still grinning about the Lambs.

Rosey

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The "s" word....

I'm with you Jean....Rosey is off my visiting list now... The thought of a possible sighting of a sssssnake (I can barely write the word...) is just too much !

Isn't it fun to see so many people posting and so many memories being revived. The dog collar seems to be the most memorable ! That certainly caused a few laughs...

All is well here. The weather is certainly cooler but still no need for the winter woollies. Enjoyed some time in the garden over the w/end. While clearing away some of the fallen leaves it was great to see the bulbs up already. Winter not here yet but the signs of spring well evident.

My new passport arrived this week. Nothing like that to remind you of the passage of time ! My last one had a life of ten years , this one , five years... I wonder why ? A money making scheme probably ! I'd be happy not to have one but, with family overseas, I need to be able to travel.

Three months since the Christchurch earthquake. It seems far longer than that. It's hard to remember those easy days when the city was there to enjoy and people had places to live and work. I wonder how it is for the people of Japan. They were hit far harder ofcourse and lost so many citizens...

I should have had my coffee before posting and have kept with the upbeat theme. A BB.member (who shall remain nameless...) forwarded a very amusing joke to me yesterday...it had me chuckling on and off all day..

Deep breath and face the week....
Marion.

Great stories

I think my fav story is Celia or Bertie, I can't remember which, on the way to work stopping for gas, getting out of the car, and standing in front of the pump jockey realizing she was in her slip and had forgotten to put her skirt on!

Yesterday a friend and I stopped by a vacant house that belongs to a friend, she wanted to show it to me. We went to the back yard & heard all sorts of rustling in the bushes. Then we saw two rats chasing each other around and around this bush. It looked like a playful chase and not aggressive really. I suppose it could have been a mating thing, but it sure was crazy!

One of my feral cats is very cleaver and even got a squirrel a few weeks ago (he left the tail)
even with his diet of high fat premium cat food! Guess there's nothing like the real thing.

Jean, I'm out of the adoption business for a while. Had a real heartbreaking horror story
recently. Have been making the cutest little purses for our closest kitty orphanage though, sell them at the clinic. I'll send you one and the pattern here soon.

EASY CHOICE

Better snakes than mice providing the former are non venomous. There's racist and sexist and now speciesist.

Jean, have you heard of Catman2? He lives here in Cullowhee and has spent his retirement rescuing cats. He's built a no kill shelter and keeps some old, sickly and maladjusted ones for life. Others are adopted out. I believe his operation has received some national notice. Check him out at www.catman2.org . The owner of one of the quilt shops in Franklin where I've bought far too much fabric and my wonderful Janome 6600 is a through and through cat lover. The name of her shop is Deb's Cats 'n Quilts. Every year she makes a magnificent quilt as a fund raiser for his operation. His cats are all spayed and neutered of course. The Humane Society here in this county sends a van full of critters to a clinic in Asheville once a month for very low cost spaying and neutering of family pets. Their fosters have it done locally under contract with a local vet. That's the group from which I got my Rocky who is currently pestering me along with sister puppy, Kit, to get going on this morning's hike.

Jane

No Snakes here

We don't have snakes in NZ. Aussie yes but not here. I m waiting for the next instalment of the mouse saga. I am not getting anymore cats until Christmas but have a feeling I may have a home for one already. He still has one mouse and I agree with Jane they don't come in ones. This one must be in the same family as it was way too soon for his other one to get up the stairs before him. I decided to sew again today, the family all arrived yesterday so I knew I would be on my own today. I was sewing away and the cotton kept breaking I kept breaking about 12 inches off to get rid of the bad piece , no help, changed the cotton reel , no help and for some reason tried the end which was broken and it was SOGGY. MY helper was lying behind the machine and chomping on the cotton now and then and I thought the kitts were a problem. I know I can't knit with her around but this is the first time she has helped with sewing . Hugs to all from a cool NZ. Bee.

Gosh, Jean...

There are some folks I'd say, hooray, finally got rid of 'em with the thought of snakes but sheesh, I would feel badly to think that I might have scared you off with our friendly resident snake. Guess I won't tell you that last spring when I walked down the basement steps and saw, what I thought was a coil of rope (DH collects other people's rope pieces...one of his pet fetishes) I went to pick it up....and it moved. More shrieking. If I remember correctly, I hope DH came downstairs and picked it up...but then, I can't remember....which leaves one with the obvious conclusion...where did it go...I can't remember.

Good luck with your quest, Jean, in getting the money from the Pepsi contest. I hope you get the voting up in your favour for the Cowichan Cat Rescue.

Please tell me about the Bernina Boy story. I wasn't on the board then, but I do remember Doni's husband's shock collar story. Doni's adventures kept us in stitches.

And I do miss Celia P's humour...it's the Brit in her with a dollop of mischief in all that she sees....but I know she's busy with her beautiful grandson and family nearby.

It's going to be a rainy day.

Rosey