Fair Days

Taking care of e-mails can be a TIME CONSUMING task. I get lots everyday - some I just delete, others I just ignore (and then delete later) and others I have to deal with. But this morning, I had gotten a couple about new books - OK - so that meant going to the library data base and putting them ON HOLD and suddenly I have a LOT of books waiting on hold and TWO that are ready for pick-up. I am still trying to finish that Reginald Hill book which is EXCITING, but I was too tired last night to finish.

Then print out contact info, pictures and recipes that people sent me that are neat and stuff that I asked for.

Print out the application for the cycling advisory committee. Yup - you can't just get on without them knowing a bit about you.

And and and - well - if you were to go through EACH e-mail, you would get NOTHING else done in a day!!!!!  

Back to the book thing - Linda W got me started on keeping a list of books that I read. Gosh - that was about 6 years ago. Linda - can you believe it has been that long????   and I know she keeps a list and has been for MANY years before she convinced me. Well - I have silently thanked her MANY TIMES over for suggesting I keep that list. You start following so many authors and read so many books - I can't remember what I have read and going back to the list has been a godsend. I have moved part of my list to Collectorz - a database on the computer. I LOVE it because you can see BY AUTHOR (or other categories) which books you have read. This has helped me a lot as I search for new books.

BUT what I would like to know is how can I set up something that will notify me when one of MY AUTHORS publishes a new book?????  That would be an awesome tool. I know some publishers do that - but I want a monthly e-mail to tell me that Author X has a new book.


Anyway - Mary VD and I spent a good part of the day at the Acton Fair. It was education day and we were there to demonstrate the quilting thing. I was sewing on a binding and Mary was hand quilting. There were loads of kids that came through and while most were NOT all that excited about us (I think the rope makers won the EXCITING stop - hands down), it was still great to see how excited the kids were. Of course - they weren't in school - so maybe that was why they were excited????

I got a LOT of binding done and had a chance to browse the exhibits in the Homecrafts building.

They did not get a lot of quilts (but were competing with several other fairs on the same weekend). My favourite was the one on the right above. From a distance (and close up -  it is visually stunning. Then I realized that it was one that I quilted before I left for vacation. See I was in such a hurry that my brain did NOT register what it looked like. Also when you are close up - you don't see things the same way. Anyway - I think the fabric choices were brilliant and really make the quilt. My quilting was NOT a prominent part of the quilt - which is what both I and the customer thought were best for this quilt).

This LITTLE quilt was spectacular and hand quilted to death. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Some of the kids art work

More kids work

The veggies

More veggies

The preserves

BUT my favourite were the PHOTOS. There were many categories and all of the pictures were AMAZING. BUT it was interesting to see how people interpreted the same topic. Abandoned buildings - the way that people portrayed abandoned buildings - how to frame it - what light - well - it was very very interesting to have a peek. 

Mary brought in her prize winning scones (and I now have the recipe) and her prize winning peach jam. Those scones were to die for. Light and fluffy. Thank you MARY!!!!!!

I often hear stories of people who go to guild meetings and do not feel comfortable because they don't know anyone. WELL -- they just have to spend some ONE on ONE time with some of the members and they would feel right at home. Meetings or even some of the events with LOTS of people - you just don't get a chance to get to know people, but one on one - well - I really enjoyed myself and got to know Mary better!!!!    So if you are going to a guild meeting for the first time - remember - it is very HARD in any group to feel comfortable if you are new - but I highly recommend that you persevere and if you come to one of the guild meetings that I belong to - STICK WITH ME. Not that I am that entertaining, but you'll have fun!!!  (I hope!)

Speaking of food - once I got home, after making TWO stops to pick up stuff. I must take a picture of my car - it is FULL of stuff. Stuff that has been donated to our guild as people are downsizing their sewing rooms. You see - that is WHY I must take care of it while I can because NO ONE would be able to stop by my house with ONE car and pick up my stuff.   I'm thinking a forty foot sea container would be more like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!    SO - it is my job to get it under control.

Anyway - as you know M has gone from eating junk to being Miss Health Food eater of the year. She wanted a juicer and we bought her one, but after the first try  - well I don't think she was impressed. However she persevered and now she makes juice. We buy kale, spinach and I have NO IDEA what else and this is what she makes with the juicer.

I have NO IDEA why it separates like that and some goes up and some goes down???????

It did smell very vegetabley in the house!!!!!   I'm not sure that I am ready to drink that stuff - it doesn't look that appealing?????


And YES - even though DH and I went out for dinner, I did manage to get the Christmas wall hanging done.

Christmas wall hanging - DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Binding, borders and backing - DONE!!!!!!

Later today, I will put away all that extra fabric and that project went in the TO BE QUILTED pile. The cutting table has the next 5 projects lined up and waiting - I did snag a few off the 2013 shelf. It looked like it was going to explode!


On that note - I am off to the gym. My friend Joseph is leading not one, but TWO spin classes this morning. Not sure I will stay for both, but I'll see how I feel after the first one. My legs are a bit tired from Liz's class yesterday so nothing better than to hop back on the bike.


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



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