Unexplained absences

There are only a couple of reasons that prevent me from blogging........

1. No Internet access. Not the case this time. Not off on some exotic adventure and my family has had no issues with Internet access.

2. Massive deadlines. Nope, not the case this time either. Not a single deadline was on the calendar.


3. God forbid, but being SICK. Yep I seem to have gotten the flu?  Anyway a "debilitating" fever struck me and I could do nothing!  I slept, then I slept, then I slept some more.


I am somewhat recovered now, but haven't done anything exciting in three days. Oh that's not true. I did read several books. But I am getting bored and sorry to say, blogging was not on my mind.

Here's to hoping I get a decent sleep tonight so I can feel like a real human tomorrow.



Have a great day.


Ciao!!!!

Heavy construction on Easy Street!!!

I am NOT up to date, but at least I am back sewing, not quilting!!!!   And for some reason, I feel compelled to sew this project as an ender and leader rather than just sit down and sew. Why????   No idea - it seemed like a good idea when I started and my anal behaviour won't allow me to change!!!!


But progress is being made - have a look................

Step One and Two - DONE

The background pieces we cut in Step 2 - DONE

Now many of you like my chicken wire fabric as the background, but when I got to Step 3 - I was presented with a challenge. The darn thing is directional!!!!!!!!!!!!!   But not hugely!!!

See - the little curly cue is going in TWO different directions in this shot

Here they are going in the same direction

I had completed about three of the triangles when I realized that this was going to be an issue, but for the life of me, I could NOT figure out how to make them all have the same orientation. Too busy of a mind I suppose.

Well - I was almost done sewing the wings to the square when I figured it out.

If I sew on the left side of the square - the squiggly lines are vertical and if I sew on the right side of the square, the squiggly lines are horizontal.

See - once they are sewn together it doesn't matter which side the triangles were sewn on. Oh well - I am NOT changing them and I doubt anyone will notice either.  But I did keep the orientation the same in each triangle. 

Step Three - the wings are all on the squares and a couple are sewn to the green triangle

Step Four - pieces are cut and a couple of flying geese are together

Step Five - cut out and that's as far as I got.

I have this HUGE mess on the work tables and I have no idea where I am going to put it all. I thought - why not JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!    It has to be done anyway!!!!!!   I grabbed these blocks which are pretty much cut out and half of the blocks are sewn and the blocks for the border are done.

These are the completed blocks - I didn't put up the border, but it is that Ohio Star on the right

I got FOUR blocks sewn yesterday. I believe six of the remaining blocks are completely cut out and I still have to cut the red for four blocks. Hmmmmm - I can get a LOT of enders and leaders in this project. I may even catch up?????   I doubt it since there is a new clue tomorrow.

On that note - have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Christmas Lights

There is much to see and do around Christmas. Today we get to look at some lights!!!!

On Christmas Eve, we were going to look at lights, but by the time we got there - the display was closed. BUT we went out last night and oh my - were we in for a treat!!!!

Sit back, relax and enjoy!!!!!!!!  

And DO NOT tell Mark that NONE of these pictures were taken with MANUAL settings. For that - I need to go out by myself (hey - I might do that tonight) and play around with the settings. but when you have people in the car - well - best to not mess around!!!!

We were driving around on Christmas Eve and saw these lights near our house

Same house - different angle

Our first stop last night was near Campbellville.

The Stone House Christmas display

Check out the web site if you want to go - it is open for a bit yet. You can park your car in the parking lot and walk around. It is an amazing display.

Singing lawn ornaments

In addition to lights, there were some display cases - this one is dedicated to Santa's reindeer

This display was The Nutcracker (everything was beautifully labelled)

Train of lights

Santa's ferris wheel

Circus themed Christmas display

And some of the pieces have to be ANTIQUES -  I am sure of it - but all of them were stunning. 

Anyway - if you haven't been, you should go. It is a beautiful display - doesn't take too long to have a peek at everything.


And if you are looking for stained glass windows - I would go HERE first. Same place - they sell stained glass windows. Check out this web site for more info........


The Stonehouse



Then we decided to stop in Milton at a house that we had heard about. Funny how word of mouth about these places gets out.

I had heard that the house had a LOT of lights, but no idea what we were in for. We only knew the street name. Plugged that into the GPS and off we went. We turned onto the street and while we saw lights - we don't see anything that would take our breath away. Then we turn the corner - AHA - we found the house.

It was a SYNCHRONIZED Christmas Light house OMG - I've never seen one in real life before............


Tune your radio to an FM station and VOILA - there is their music and a pre-recorded message about their display. It was very cool............

Synchronized light house in Milton

It is hard to describe the entire thing -- but see the hoops - they changed colour a lot 

The poles changed colour - the lights on the house changed colour

And they had a "talking" head on the garage

Stars on the roof

If you go to this link, you will read more about the house.

Milton Christmas house lights


Note - what you see in the video is their FIRST year. This is now their third year so the display is bigger. I believe the display goes on until early January.



After listening to most of the eight songs, we decided to move on and ended up at another "light" house in Georgetown.


Again - we didn't know the exact address, so plugged the street into the GPS. We arrive at the street - hmmm - I don't seem anything spectacular and then WHAM. We were assaulted with lights - have a look..................   The Lambert's have been doing their display for SIXTEEN years. I wonder if people looking to purchase a house on this street are informed of this!!!!!!!!!!!!    It was SPECTACULAR.

Check out this link. Apparently in 2010, the Lambert's won the MOST OUTRAGEOUS HOLIDAY house in Canada. Pretty funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!   And won a full sized leg lamp that is in the front window.


Outrageous Lights

And the Lambert's have their OWN WEB page for their house. Check it out.............

Lambert Lights


OH MY GOD - if you don't feel excited and happy after watching that - well - it is just amazing. I notice there is a countdown on the last web site - number of days until the lights go off. I bet the neighbours come out that night and celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!    It is truly amazing and the video does NOTHING to describe in real life what it is like. BTW - there are even more LIGHTS than in the video!!!

If you are looking for a hobby (I wonder what Daryl does in real life???  an electrician or works for the hydro????) but this would be a good hobby for someone!!!!  

But should you want to make your own synchronized music house, I found a web site that tells you how to do it.

Make your own Synchronized Christmas light show




And here is a link to a guy who did just that - he made it his hobby, but got his neighbours involved. Yikes - imagine if Daryl in Georgetown did that?????


Pickering houses



Well - one could go on and on with this. But now I must go and get back to reality.

I have the ENTIRE afternoon ahead of me and NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING is due. Oh goody - what will I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Anyway - have a great day!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Christmas Pajamas!

Santa's elf did NOT get a lot of sleep last night and so if this blog doesn't make sense - we will blame it on lack of sleep.

It`s finally here - It`s CHRISTMAS - I saw this last night  before I went to bed. 

Is this a joke?????    A "white" Christmas - I call this a barely there - white Christmas!!!!!!!!   And I think most of it is gone now. 

After an eventful Christmas Eve, it was back home to finish wrapping presents and FINISH MAKING GIFTS. What was Santa's elf thinking of????   Who cares that Santa's elf was out having a glass of wine with Flo and Marian in the afternoon or off to candlelight service in the evening with Jim, M and Berke. NO - Santa's elf didn't care that there was still lots to do and choose to spend the moments with friends and family.

But then Santa's elf had to pay the price. Back home to make the Christmas Pajamas. Now I have NEVER made PJs for Christmas, but Mary was talking about NOT making them this year and her kids were upset because that it a tradition for them. So I bought fabric weeks ago and it was all washed and ready to go.  I cut out M's first - no problem. When I was cleaning up, I found the pattern that I had used to make PJs a  number of years ago and decided that I needed a smaller size (YEAH!!!!!!!!). I rejigged the pattern down by TWO sizes (what was I thinking when I cut the other ones so HUGE). Anyway - I ironed the fabric and then - WHOA!!!!!!!!   There is NOT enough fabric to make a pair of PJs for me.

My pretty Christmas fabric (flannel) for my Christmas PJs

Even bought a nice long sleeved T-shirt to go with it

So it is now after midnight and what am I going to do??????   Hmmmm - I do have some other flannel that is washed that was slated to make PJs a NUMBER of years ago and still sitting there. So I grabbed that and started cutting. Now my red shirt could go with the new flannel, but a bit BRIGHT if you ask me. Then I noticed a T-shirt that Flo gave me at Christmas Club a couple of weeks ago. PERFECT and now I have new PJs for Christmas. You better get your sunglasses on!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEP - orange POLKA  dots and my orange and white T-shirt. Complements M's nice subdued blue PJs just fine

Then as we opened presents - well a theme seemed to emerge - can you see.............

My NEW orange DOWN SWEATER. I just love it - it weighs NOTHING and is INSTANTLY WARM. Can't wait to go for a hike. And look what else I got - ORANGE and WHITE pillow cases - I mean - how perfect is that. The stars were lined up last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas morning is so civilized in our house. M has ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS been a disciplined kid when it comes to Christmas. I remember her much younger sitting on the sofa LOOKING at the tree with the presents and looking at her stocking. Not wanting to touch anything - letting the mystery of Christmas (the commercial one) linger a bit longer.

So she was up at 9:30 (I told her she couldn't get up any earlier), I put the elastic in her PJs and then sent her off to Tim's. I know - having a kid with a driver's license is a good thing!!!

At last - we were ready to sit down.

The ANNUAL picture of M with the dogs and the tree

M reading the letter left by Santa (another tradition at our house). Santa leaves the best letters ever!!!!

Opening the goodies in the stocking. We have to do this ONE at a time and Santa  had very busy little  elves because each thing was individually wrapped!!!!

One of the books on the wish list

Ornament to add to the "All About Me" tree

Writing everything down in the Christmas journal (M has a Christmas journal) that she has kept for YEARS. I think she goes back and reads it every year. How cool is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the last present under the tree - the present from Santa

She didn't want to open it - she loved the way it was wrapped. Brown paper crumpled up, stamped with a mannequin stamp and bound with twine. No tape. How clever is Santa. She opened up the present - then we rewrapped it!!!!!  Ah - the simple things in life delight the most!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the girls were enjoying Christmas morning every bit as much as we were.

Sammy - hanging out with Sparky waiting to open their presents

Where's my present?????

Hanging out

Enjoying a treat

Sammy right in the middle of everything

Christmas is EXHAUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need a nap and I`ll just sleep on the presents!!!!!!!!!!

Never mind that it is a hard box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had fun the other night as we went back in BLOG YEARS to find out what we had done on prior Christmas Eves and Christmas Days. How fun!!!!!!   While I write the blog for me, I know that M enjoys reading it and it is just a blast to go back and read it.


On that note - Santa`s elf DESPERATELY needs a nap even though she still has THREE things to get done today, but if I don`t nap - NOTHING will get done. Well it might, but it won`t be pretty!!!!





Have a SAFE, HAPPY and MERRY MERRY Christmas. Thanks for reading my blog - I have loved all the comments and I look forward to entertaining myself (I mean you) in the new year!!!!!!!!!!



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!