Fond memories from the past.............

Another day - no quilting!!!   I have a good reason though and I'll show you in a minute. I did get some sewing done. I am trying to get all the guild things out of my house before the end of the year. I cannot get to the meeting this coming week, but I can drop it off with someone who will take it to the meeting. Trouble is, I am close to that person's house TODAY so unless I want to make another trip - I better get moving!!!!!!!

Got another community projects quilt trimmed and the binding made and attached. Someone else can hand stitch that down. 

Made good progress on the mini quilt. Was using this as an enders and leaders project as I sewed the next two projects.

Another senior lap quilt for the guild. Just have to stitch around the outside and do the tack stitches and it is done

This one needs to be pressed and then the tack stitches

I have several hours before I have to leave so YES - there is a good chance I will get these done and they can be crossed off the list. They will be OUT of the house and I will be HAPPIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not that I am not happy now. I am so relaxed - I might even forget that I have deadlines!!!!   Because this week coming up is a week to NOT slack off - I have deadlines and unless I want to make another trip, I better meet the deadline. OK - so just ONE deadline, but FOUR quilts to be done.


Now to the walk down memory lane. A number of years ago (OK - so it was  35) , I participated in the FIRST ever year of the program Katimavik. I ended up in the military option (don't ask me why, but I was probably told that I would have a better chance of getting in if I went in that option). Basically it meant that we ran around and pretended that we were soldiers for nine months.

Over those nine months, I met some incredible people and the experiences - well they were life changing for me - heck, I don't think there was a single person whose life wasn't enriched or changed significantly because of that program. It was the BEST thing that happened to me and definitely shaped the future of my life - well somewhat!

Anyway - the entire group was together for the first three months in Esquimalt (part of Victoria), then the group was split by trade and those in the Communications (radio) sector were sent to Borden (near Barrie, Ontario) along with a few other groups. There were TEN girls in our group and ONE guy (I think). After three months in Borden, we moved to Valcartier (near Quebec City), where we hooked up with a group of our guys who were in the infantry. Anyway - some of us are better at keeping in touch than others are and as time went on - I lost contact with most people.

I stayed in sporadic contact with Jeanette over the years (or more like - she kept in sporadic contact with me). Anyway a couple of days ago, she sent me an e-mail. She was going to be in town and could we meet. OF COURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    So I spent most of yesterday with her. It was fun and yet at the same time, it was sad. So many memories, so many dreams, a few of people we met along the way are no longer with us.

But I dug out my BIG picture album (see - I took lots of pictures even then!!!!!!)

THE Katimavik photo album (and YES - I need to get the pictures out of those stupid plastic sticky pages)

As we looked through the book (well this morning when I searched for some pictures, there were a couple pictures of my parents when I went home at Christmas. OH MY GOD - they look positively like teenagers!!!!  Of course they would have been in their early forties at that time - but I am sure I thought that there positively OLD at that point in my life).


Anyway - after reviewing the photo album, I have concluded that I am who I am from a very early age and NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING is going to change that. Have a look.................

A picture of me (look at my hair!!!!) But NO - look at my sweater. I KNIT this!!!!!  And I wore it a lot. I really really really LIKED that sweater. It had a pouch in front for your hands!!!!

And this is me knitting a pair of slippers from PHOENTEX. Do you all remember that??????   And we all had those little dogs (which I am sure I still have mine somewhere). Note - the black t-shirt and the SCARF!!!!!   OH MY GOD - I haven't changed ONE BIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And here I am knitting my bedspread (It was done in squares) . You know you knit a lot when someone takes pictures of you doing an activity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    One thing - I don't think I could sit cross legged like that - I have such a tight hip - it ain't going to happen. 

Now as Jeanette and I looked through the pictures we did notice a couple of things. Jeanette is NOT in many of my pictures. And WHY would that me????   Well we were never room mates and I seemed to take pictures of those really close by and the other thing - while my room mates were the quiet ones and stayed in our rooms and hooked up with our own guys from the program, Jeanette and Janet were OUT OUT OUT with the military reg force ALL THE TIME. Matter of fact, they both married the guys that they met in BORDEN. Janet is still married to her guy and unfortunately Jeanette's husband got ill and passed away 10 years ago.


And now for a COMPLETE opposite side of me and one that never carried forward (although the adventure side did - I just hide it for a long time) - have a look at these pictures.............

Here I am with my sub machine gun. Hey - I could strip that thing down , clean it and put it back together again in quick time. Load the bullets and even did target practice no less!!!!   I know - who knew my hidden talents!!!!

And here I am with my FN rifle. Oh yes - I could strip this one down, clean it and reassemble it no problem. I became very friendly with one as I was in the military reserves later in life and we used these rifles a LOT or so it seemed.  We had to military parade drills with these rifles!

How is that for a laugh, although in both poses - I do NOT look very tough. The rifle in particular looks like I can barely hold the thing up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


In all my pictures, I did manage to find a nice one of Jeanette. We think I took it because she wanted a nice picture to sent to her boyfriend/future husband. She certainly was NEVER in the common area with the group - nope she was out with the boys!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeanette - what a sweetie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

And so yesterday at the hotel where she was staying with her new husband, we decided to use the self timers on our cameras and take a picture of the two of us.

It was pretty funny because the cameras were not sitting side by side, so WHICH camera should we look at????   And look at this picture - there we are with our "slimming" black outfits, our scarves and our legs crossed like we are twins (we are the same age).

Elaine and Jeanette

It really was a fun day as we caught up on each others news, news of other participants from the program and then just life in general. Honestly those 35 years just melted away and we talked like we had never been apart. A sign of true friendship???   Or perhaps we are just crazy old ladies now and we would talk to anyone like we had been friends for years!!!!!!!!!!!   Yep - that must be it!!!!!!!


Wow - Jeanette - it was so AWESOME to see you yesterday. Have a great vacation and we WILL keep in touch.


Now I want to try and locate the other girls from our program. Of the 10, one has passed away, we know where four of them are - now where would those other five be?????   Jeanette also kept in touch with a few others not in our Communications program so I hope to get that info from her as well.


Yes - it was fun to take that trip down memory lane. Today reality bites me in the butt and I still have NO TIME for quilting. I have to get these small projects done, teach a short class and drop off some stuff. Just another crazy day in my life.


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



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



PS - did you know that TODAY was my 500th post??????        And that is on this blog - I have more on the old site!!!!