Thursday, June 27, 2013

Greetings from the beach

I am sitting on the balcony of the beach condo looking at the tide, trying to decide if it is coming in or going out.  This is the first Thursday that I have been able to attend the quilt guild meeting in several months. It starts at 6:30pm.  The last 2 meetings it was so stormy and windy that I didn't dare drive in it.  Just a bit overcast, but breezy now.
I have the T shirt quilt top, the Tree 'O Life, and the "shop hop" beach top done (wall hanging) to show for show and tell.  It has taken be about 1 year to finish the Tree "O Life one.  It was fun to do once I got the hang of the large applique pieces.  I just have to do the binding on it.
I may have to piece a 5" strip into the backing of the tee shirt quilt, as it is only 3" on the top and bottom, and the long arm quilter likes more.  Will take it over next week and ask her.
We normally have guild meeting the first Thurs. of the month, but this comming one is July 4th, Independence Day in USA.  Although I'm not really happy with our government right now.  Will hang up the bunting, flags, and clebrte anyway.  The beach city is having the public fireworks again this year, they canceled last year due to costs.
Happy quilting!
Will try to take pictures tonight to see if I can post.
Sara in Fla.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Oh ! Poor Rosey ....

Well done for sticking to YOUR plan Rosey, and not getting sucked into anything you didn't want to be involved with.  Isn't life a battle these days ?   Not many people have the time or patience to wait 45minutes for a call to be answered, and don't you just hate it when you hear how valued you are, whilst being ignored..?  

 We've been through a few frustrations of our own of late, including family decisions, workmen in the house and last week,  record rainfall topped with record snow falls at the end of the week.  We got off reasonably well, surface flooding on the drive and a few minor leaks in the house,  there were homes, roads  and businesses flooded nearby and in the High Country there are stock losses and isolated areas due to the snowfall.  The ski fields are delighted to have so  much snow at the beginning of the season, but it will take them awhile to unearth their facilities and the access roads...

We are going up to Auckland on Thursday for a few days...DSIL has taken a job, way down the south of the South Island....  A big change for them all and not done without lots of tears and strife.  Lets hope it works out (it's a bit like moving from London to northern Scotland...)  DD and the DGC will remain in Auckland for the rest of the school year (Dec)  DSIL will return every third week.  I am sorry that DH and I will be away in Europe from mid Sept till mid November, just when DD would have appreciated some support, but that's just the way it is.  She will cope, but we feel we could have made it easier for her if we had been around...

Some of you may remember that our Beagle had a Beagle friend nearby, who was run over and killed some months ago.  Our friends have now decided to revert to their first love, and get another Labrador.. They went to some kennels to look at puppies and were told that the three year old Lab was also for sale. They decided that, at their age, it made a lot of sense to miss out on the first three, frisky years, of the Labs life ! They have got it on "sale or return" for a few days... She's a very friendly dog and well trained but she had never seen any other breed of dog and was quite alarmed by Holly  !   Holly was prepared to be friends but Sally (the Lab) lunged at her with a growl and scared her near to death !  I've been going down every day (they live 10km  from here ) so that we can walk the dogs together on the airfield and let them get used to each other..  The second day they chose to ignore each other , today they got close enough to sniff each other, Holly looks very apprehensive still and Sally is just curious, but they need to get along as we each look after the other dog, if and when anybody needs to be away. Holly will go down there while we are in Auckland.  If they don't get along, Sally will go back to the kennels for a visit until we come home !

Time to light the fire.  It's been a lovely sunny day today and the house keeps warm when the sun is out. It was as cold as charity last week !

Congratulations to Heather on the arrival of the new grandson.. Wouldn't it be nice for grandmothers if they didn't all come at once ?! We had six grands in three and a half years from our two daughters, they were busy days, they are all teenagers now ...

Have a good day.
Marion .

This is me trying to cancel my Sirius XM Canada subscription

Three years ago I bought a new car.  It came with Sirius XM radio installed.  So, I tried it out.  It was free the first year.  The second year, I renewed only when they gave me a discount because I only listened to three stations, Willie's Roadhouse, among them, as Doris knows.  And so I became a devoted fan of Willie Nelson's Roadhouse station.  Now I love C & W music.  But I don't love Sirius XM Radio.  I am down to listening to one station.  $150 is not worth paying to listen to one station.  So, I sent a letter into Sirius XM Canada two weeks ago, cancelling my account.  Apparently this was no good.  Today, I received an automated call informing me that my account would be due June 29 and they would be putting the charge onto my credit card.  So I phoned Sirius XM Canada.  And I waited.  I waited for three quarters of an hour with my call in sequence.  I was informed repeatedly that my business was appreciated and that my call was important to them.  Three quarters of an hour later, Tyler picked the call up.  He pulled up my account.  I told him I wanted to cancel my account.  He said how about $100 per year, I said no.  He didn't hear me and kept on trying to tell me that I should not be cancelling my account...and oh by the way, he would wave the $40 cancellation fee for me as well...but would I.....I ended up yelling into the phone, pulling my hair out and told them I was cancelling my credit card if they didn't cancel my account.  To heck with Willie's Roadhouse.  I'll go out and buy some C&W CD's and be thankful that I'm finally out of the clutches of how Sirius XM chooses to run its business.  How did I get tangled up with them in the first place!  And I've now just had a call from John from Air Duct Cleaning Services....This must not be my lucky day,
Rosey, who is totally frustrated in Southern Ontario, Canada

Monday morning

We r in the midst of another foggy haze.....the past couple of days have been the same....no real summer weather here....feel like we r a month or so behind whatever normal weather is...gardens look like end of May growth not the end of June.....

On the family front we welcomed the newest grandson Clark on Friday June 21st weighing in at 7lbs 7oz and 19" !!  Mom n Dad are doing good as are big brothers Adason and Brody.....in just over 5 years we have gone from 0 grand kids to 5 grandsons plus two step grandchildren ..... Life is busy to say the least.   Can't seem to get a picture to load so will try another time.

We have parked our motor home this summer out at the lake property of  one of the inlaws.....good people and great location....DH is thrilled to say the least.....I go out for a day or two then retreat home from the bugs !   Hopefully the skitters and black flies subside soon !

Off to chase two other Grandsons...Preston 3 years and Oliver 10 months.....

Wishing all a great day and summer !

News and such

We had a few friends over for dinner last night.  Good times.  The one couple had moved to Marco Island (west coast of Fla.)  Way tooo many leftovers!
I'm learning to like iced coffee.  It is very humid outside.  I did get a quilt hung before the party.  Not too well, I used pins to hold the sleeve on.
So, what is everyone out there doing?  Vacations, quilting?  Hanging out by a pool somewhere?
Sara in Fla.