Saturday, February 14, 2015

Please take some pictures of the African quilts to share with us.   I purchased some African fabric long ago but never made it as it was so stiff.  Processing must be much different.  Should have just washed it several times to see if it softened...
We are having almost 60 degree weather and sunshine.  It is an early spring with warning of no snow buildup for water reserves.  Lots of freezing fog this winter with  only 3 snowstorms.  I'm so thankful to see the tulips and daffodils poking their heads up through the soil.  And, thankful to get the debris out of the bed so I can see what is happening there.  Now to plant some summer bulbs.  Have a pink Asian lily, lily of the valley and two different kinds of 'rare' summer blooming daffodils.  They are doubles and ruffled.  Also have some dahlias to put in later.  We are still having heavy frosts.
 
The Tuscany quilt is finished.  It is a view from a window.  Have never been there so it is all from my imagination.  Learned a big lesson on this one:  I need a pattern, sketch or picture to work from.  This started with a beautiful sunset over the purple mountains in Tucson and grew into Tuscany.  It and the Montana quilt took years to finish because I didn't know where they were going.  My grandson, Austin, helped with the car.  It is a 1932 Chevy.  Am going to back it with canvas as there are many different layers and no batt.  Am thinking it may not hang well as the weight is uneven.  Will let you know how that goes.
 
MaryJo

Friday, February 13, 2015

The Colour of Snow

My friend and former Ontario Rep for Aussie Rescue, Jane, stayed here again overnight (she was here Sun/Mon nights) as her husband has had a triple by-pass last Monday and she picked him up today, very nervous, wishing the doctors had sent him by ambulance to the hospital not far from where they live further north for a few days.  It seems awfully soon to be let out of hospital after having your sternum broken open.  But Jane kindly took more pictures this morning  of Annie (black tri Aussie) and Megs (red tri Aussie).  Annie is four now, Meg will be three in May.  I can see Annie has a more mature look to her in a photograph that I don't notice first hand.  Jane was busy as well taking pictures of the snow and evergreen trees around the house.  She is a fibre artist, a weaver and spinner, and for Christmas her husband gave her an oil painting workshop, held this past Tuesday which she attended.  She said that she is going to learn how to paint snow.  She said that there are so many colours in snow...yellow, pink, blue, dirt...well, that was my word for brown which is what our snow ends up looking like at the end of the season.  Yellow, well yes, I see yellow when the girls go out into the snow to go potty; pink...maybe when the sun shines on it, blue I often see, it's the colour of snow in the shadows.  As you can see from the pictures below taken last Tuesday morning after the snow fell overnight, dressing the branches in white and frost, without the sun, grey was a very pervasive colour like a misty veil laid over the atmosphere.  I must confess everyone feels more cheerful around here when the sun comes out, though.  And tomorrow I will go to see an exhibit of African Grandmother's quilts.
Rosey

Monday, February 9, 2015

Same setting, summertime


The third picture down below is the same as this picture on the bottom.  The snowbank is four feet tall, same view, looking past the corner of the garage.  Same trees, dressed in green instead of white.
I enjoy both.
Rosey

After the snowstorm




February usually sees more sunny days that overcast days like this but getting up this morning and looking outside, everything looked like a blanket of white lace.  Each little branch was etched in white.  The picnic table is laden with snow, the cherry tree, filigreed in white.  It was magical.  The lack of sun typical after a snowfall overnight.  In the next post, I'll find a picture of the cherry tree in full bloom.  At this time of year, many people find winter difficult, I find it beautiful.  But, I don't have to commute to a job with road conditions in winter, I have a choice to stay home in the midst of a winter's storm.  Retirement allows for choice.
Rosey

On the Move

We are living in limbo here at the moment.  I moved up to Whyalla exactly 40 years ago to take a teaching position, met DH a few months later and was married the next year. We raised 3 sons in a great environment, had a (mostly) satisfying work life and happy social life especially after retiring. The capital, Adelaide, is 4-5 hours' drive away and that is where I was born, where my siblings and several long-life friends plus one son and his family live. When grandchild #2 was born last year (and when things started to need repairing/replacing in this 80 y.o. house) I woke up one morning and  asked DH "What are we doing here?" Our other sons live in another state, which makes it hard to visit either way - moving closer to the capital city was a no-brainer; ideally we could find a place in a semi-rural area just to the north.   We announced to all and sundry our intentions, including the builder who was replacing the roof on our outbuilding. A week later he returned with a proposition: He had a rental house in the town we preferred and had fallen in love with ours (especially the large cellar - a very rare commodity over here - it is now his "Man Cave" LOL) - would we like to do a swap?? It took us another week to think about it - what an opportunity! No waiting for our house to sell - no trips down to search for one to buy. No paying for ads and all the other costs. A ten year old house on a block only half the size of this one, but with 3 br and an ensuite. 11 km away from son and his family. That was six months ago - we agreed to wait until after Christmas before the tenant was informed. That has just happened, and the bank is now drawing up the forms for the changeover. All we have to do now is wait for the tenant to move out, and it will be 'all go'. In the meantime we have emptied our storerooms, taken lots to Vinnies and the dump, and the rest down to a storage facility near to the house.  The new owner has started filling the storerooms with his belongings, and has even slept over one night! There are still the house contents to go through, but we are at last looking at April at the latest for the settling in to be all done. Only then will we hand over the last key to each other.  Wish us luck!