The parking is OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

Do you know what this is??????

An MRI machine????

If you guessed an MRI machine you are WRONG. This is a WOODPECKER on STEROIDS!!!!!!!

Holy cow - I had my MRI on my knee last night (yes - my appointment was at 10:15 PM. I almost forgot the darn thing except we were at the mall just before it closed and the mall is across the street from the hospital. Oh crap - hadn't had dinner yet, but got everything done and then off to the hospital where I decided instead of parking in the mall and walking across the street (well kitty corner) like everyone does, I would just park in the hospital lot.

Let's just say that if you ever have to have a procedure/test done - try to get it done at night. The parking lot was empty (of course with the price they charge - perhaps it is always empty!), the lobby was empty, the waiting area was empty (including the lone staff member - had to wait 5 minutes for her to come back to the desk), the behind THE door area was pretty much empty and the area where you wait for the MRI was empty. I mean I got in and out in ONE HOUR. It was pretty amazing.

However I enter the room with THE MACHINE. I am in my hospital PJs with NO metal on or in my body. I lie on the table and get to hold the panic button. Oh and I get to wear one of those lovely hats and then the technician asks what I would like to listen to - she swaps out the country on the head phones and gives me The top 40 chart. Why bother - you can't hear a DAMN thing inside that machine!!!!!  

At first I'm thinking this is not so bad - she pushes the button and the table goes part way in the machine, then she pushes again and CRAP - I am now trapped inside!!!   I can see why they ask if you are claustrophobic - holy cow - that thing is NOT VERY BIG inside. But my head is outside at least and I have my panic button.

And then the noise begins - well the entire time there is this deep thumping noise. Then the woodpeckers on steroids start, then there are all sorts of bangs and bumps and whirring and it is LOUD. You can feel this cool gentle breeze on your face - you open your eyes and see a small opening with the words Laser Aperture on it - what the heck does that mean??????   Anyway - being the calm person I am - I have a NAP!!!!!!!  Well not a deep nap, but just zoned right out - I am very good at that. I think they should hook people up to a METAL FREE blood pressure machine - would be interesting to see how people cope inside that machine.

The MRI part lasted one half hour, I got dressed and back out to the car where I paid NINE dollars for one hour of parking. She said my doctor would have results next week, but is that next week with the holidays or normal next week?????   I didn't ask, but it is not like it is urgent. I just want to know if any part of this injury can be repaired or do I just continue to suck it up and wait.

Perhaps I should have got them to scan my toes on my left foot. When I had the mini-retreat a couple of weeks ago, I was headed up the stairs on one of my MANY quests up those stairs. I missed the step and jammed my toes (I was wearing mocassions) into the tread. OUCH - that hurt. Well those two toes still hurt. I probably broke the darn things (but nothing can be done about that) or they were severely bruised. Or perhaps I am just getting old and things don't heal as quickly any more!!!!!   My bet is on the latter!!!!!


Good news - I FINISHED sewing the T-shirt quilt together. With these it is always exciting when you sew the last part together and everything fits!!!!!!  

T-shirt quilt top DONE

Got the binding and backing done as well. And as soon as I am finished here - it is going to be loaded on the machine and hopefully quilted before I go to the gym later today. Then bind this quilt, put on the label, and then those darn pillow shams and one last quilt to quilt. Yes - I should make it all before Christmas.


M and I went out Christmas shopping last night and found these most AMAZING pants.

Hot pink 

A Canada theme perhaps?????

How about dots????

Do you know where we were?????   The golf store of course!!!!!    Wow - those are LOUD pants. No danger of being accidentally hit by a golf ball with those on. My god - the rest of the foursome would need sunglasses. We were tempted to buy those for DH, but then realized that these were ladies. Come to think of it - we did not check out the wild stuff for men. DRAT - better go back today.

And in the shopping last night, I found a new FAVOURITE store. When I need camping/hiking/biking stuff, I usually go to MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op). Last night we were at Sport Chek and then Atmosphere (which is attached to Sport Chek). Wow - I wish I did not have my hands full of stuff so I could look better. There is a LOT of great stuff at Atmosphere. Too bad I have already made up my Christmas list!!!!    And the best part - they are much closer than MEC so I might have to go back and have a good look around.



In the morning I went for my hike with my new hiking buddies. Well new as far as hiking goes, but with the exception of a couple of them, some of them are my quilting buddies and their husbands (one of whom is a cyclist and another who is into photography - PERFECT - I can milk them for all kinds of information while we walk). The weather was amazing!!!!!   We went for a walk in the middle of Brampton and you would never know that we were in the middle of the city. Amazing.....................

Gorgeous scenery

The sun was out

And watch out - those ducks are HUNGRY!!!!

Run for your life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did a bit of work on my This n That mystery. I got the new pieces back together. You started off by making the center - a bunch of hour glass blocks that got sewn together. I was OK with that part. Then we sewed the ends.

Didn't like the ends

Ooops - the pattern was incorrect - those units needed to be turned around. OK - so that is better

But I still didn't like it. That black was too much against the green/red of the center. 

So..............................    with the help of Ronda's charm pack, I was able to redo the end pieces and get this...........................

I continued the green/red theme into the flying geese and basically disguised those units. I also substituted all the fussy white prints for tone on tone white. Much cleaner. Now there is holly and leaves to go in the white space. I am not happy with the arranging and got to figure something out for that.

The scale of the holly seems a bit bit - could have been a printing problem that caused that

I trimmed the leaves down and will add a few holly berries per grouping. 

I might even just get this thing quilted while I am at it!!!!!


So things are coming together very nicely. Need to get the stocking stuff organized and make a list of what is missing, then shop for M (where is that darn list????) and get stuff for Christmas dinner - that would be bad to have people come and NO FOOD for them. And I just heard them talk about gravy on the radio - I DO NOT do gravy. Crap - who is going to do the gravy????????


I spend a lot of time on Mondays trimming and cutting. Since we won't be getting together for THREE weeks, I do not want to wait to get some of that stuff trimmed. And it is boring to spend a couple of hours trimming by yourself. I decided to keep the stuff that needs to be trimmed right on the cutting mat and whenever I pass by the cutting table - I can trim a couple. And soon - they will all be trimmed. SMART - Right?????

Half square triangles ready to be trimmed!!!!!

Oh I almost forgot!!!!   My friend Takako just came back from Japan. I had asked her to visit a quilt store and buy me something. Oh dear - it took her quite a trek to get to the quilt store - Tokyo is HUGE after all. But she is also a quilter, so it wasn't just for me. Do you want to see what she bought???????

A kit for a small coin purse

A kit for a small bag

A bunch of squares of Japanese fabric

Kit for a sun bonnet Sue and Sam.

SO CUTE - I can't wait to get started and make something. Yes - I added them to the 2012 pile of stuff to do. I am GOING TO GET THAT DONE if it kills me!!!!!!


I am PUMPED!!!!!    and can't wait to get this customer stuff off my plate for this year. So close - so close!!!!!!


Oh - those girls of mine are lazy...........................

Sammy who insists on sleeping in DHs office when he is home. No matter that I am the one that feeds her, walks her - NO she has to sleep on the floor. Hey - I even move dog beds from one spot to another for them. TRAITOR!!!!!!!

And this is Sparky trying to sleep huddled in this tiny dog bed. But look at those ears - is she really asleep or just waiting for the sound of some food being unwrapped??????

And this last picture today is pretty sad. Just look and you will see what I mean. We saw this (in a complete display case) at Staples last night..........................

I mean really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liz is getting the Welcome to the North Pole pictures to me today and hopefully I can post those tomorrow and no I have NOT forgot our Monday Motivator lunch. Nor the Happiness Project - just so much going on, but today will be quiet - at home quilting, except when I see Alwin this afternoon.



Have a great day!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!