The RETREAT

As I said yesterday - retreats are FUN!   Getting ready for them is NOT!

We heard of this new retreat house that opened up in Orillia and so we had to check it out. The retreat house is called Fireside Retreat. Check out the website - the pictures are gorgeous.

Mary and I shoved all our stuff into the car, I loaded my bike on the rack and we were off.


Oh my GOD - we arrived and were blown away.  The house is stunning.  A beautiful old house circa 1830, but has been modernized.  We fell in love immediately.

Anyway - have a look at out retreat - it was loads of fun (and there is NO QUESTION) - we will be back!!!!!!!!!!!

All my stuff to load in the back of the car

The back (or is that the front?) of the house

Which overlooks a fabulous pond.  We were serenaded every evening by a chorus of frogs.  Their voices were mighty!!!!   (I have a recording which I will try to download tomorrow)

Mary quickly got to work and started to lay out her quilt

Linda soon joined us and took over another design wall

This railing to the basement soon became a handy spot for Paula to put her work

Lynn hard at work in the corner

Paula did a LOT of cutting

Mary and Linda (slacking off) - oh just consulting!!!!!

Ronda checking in at home!

My new retreat baby!!!!!    Well - this was still the loaner, but the smaller machine was very handy. I sewed for five days on that machine - did NOT miss having an extension table and never once regretted taking it. 

Linda with HALF of her quilt done. We loved the stairs that led down to the sewing room - it was a great place to display the quilts. 

Mary had all her projects spread out on the fireplace hearth!

Dinner - day one. Let's just say that we ate like queens every day.  A wonderful assortment of cooks (OK - so I didn't do much!!!! - That is just a given and I would never DARE upset my reputation by actually cooking something!!!!)

Time to relax

Fabulous salad for lunch on Day two

And Mary made fresh bread

Katheleen and Ronda - working on a bag.  I just loved listening to the two of them.  The bag did not have the best of instructions and Katheleen was always just a step or two behind Ronda!!!!    Hmmmmm - good planning Katheleen.  

Time for a hair cut on the back deck!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Thanks Paula!!!!!

Lynn getting a trim

Linda made these cute little pouches.  The front of them is vinyl so you can see through them

And there is Ronda's bag!!!!!   It is a nice bag, but boy - it was a pain to sew together (or so it seemed)

Bubbles - I know - I was regressing. But we saw these big bubble makers on one of our NUMEROUS trips to Orillia and well I just had to use mine. But I had to do the bubbles and then take my own picture so I only got one bubble.  

Yes - the house is mere minutes from town, yet it is situated in the country.  And worst of all - the house is mere minutes (10 minutes by bike) from the quilt shop.  Thimbles and Things    I have no idea how many times we were there, but I would say at least ONCE a day.   I know!!!!!   I thought Sue was going to ask us to work in the store we were there so often.   But it is certainly one of my favourite stores and I could have spent a LOT of money in that store.

Little bags that Paula finished

Ronda - napping. She said she was just resting her eyes but I know better!!!!

A little nest outside one of the bedroom windows

And here is the first group of retreaters!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A squirrel checking out the deck

Mary making bread

Oh yes - we can spread out like the best of them

Pat D who used to live near Toronto has moved to Orillia. And she was such a sweety that she brought over this YUMMY cake for us.  (My contribution to Thursday dinner)  Pat you saved my butt!!!!!   I should have got a picture of Pat because she wore her bicycle T-shirt in my honour.   Thanks Pat - it was so good to see you. Pat loves living there and yep -  - I could do that too!!!!!   

Normally we ate in the living room, but we decided to eat in the dining room a couple of times

Diane with her pinwheel quilt. That is going to be stunning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK - the girls became OBSESSED with an app called RADAR.   and yes - there was a huge storm while we were there.  The RADAR tells you what the weather is like outside at that moment.  Hmmmm - I just looked out the window and I could have walked out the door and got the temperature!!!!!!   Just sayin!!!!!!

Hard to tell in this picture, but it POURED

 I was only able to get out on my bike ONCE!!!!!!    I loved cycling up there.   I was riding along (not 100% sure where I was going). Thought it was about time to turn around, so I turned left and there was a HUGE hill right in front of me. Well no place to go but UP!!!!!   The pitch on that thing was 16% which is STEEP.  Several years ago, I would not have been able to make that hill - but this time - no problem!!!!!    Thanks legs!!!!!   Anyway - you can check out the details if you want and check out the graphs for the hills. You will see the big hill.   And I ended up riding on the TransCanada for a ways but the shoulders were very bike friendly.   Then it rained the rest of the week and I could not get out.  DRAT!!!!!


Bike Ride

My water jugs - one with lemons and one with cucumbers!   Found these jugs at Canadian Tire.  Nice jugs to keep water in the fridge.  I have to do something as I do NOT drink enough water. 

Then we started to get silly. OK - so we were silly right from the start. But we found part of this WORD a DAY calendar in a drawer. It was for scrap paper, but we wanted to learn some new words.  Our favourite word was this one...............

I do not think I shall ever forget this word as we practiced using it in sentences.   And I even got to use the word in the dinner conversation last night.  It was hilarious because DH had no clue what I was talking about. 

I have one of those calendars so we are going to learn one word a WEEK.  Too  much to learn in one day.  But using it in sentences make you really learn the word!!!!!   Notice the gender of the person they used in the sentence.  Yep - so did we!!!!!

Everyone busy working away

And by day

The living area - yep - I moved my little sewing machine to a table in the middle at the back.  I was all set up and sewed bags. 

Looking down into the sewing room

Donna working on her whirl a gig blocks. 

The dining room

Our bedroom - so huge and quaint!!!!!!

The last three sewists. 

Not everyone stayed for the entire week, so Wednesday was a switch day. Some people left and new ones came.  


All I can say is that we had a BLAST.   So much fun and so nice to get away from daily life.


Thanks to everyone for the FABULOUS meals.     Thank goodness we were only there for one week, but I must say that it was pretty healthy eating. OK - so we had a few goodies - but overall everyone brought very healthy food.

Thanks also to everyone for your wonderful company, laughs and I  know I will keep the memories of this retreat tucked away in my brain for a long time. Thanks to Emma for setting up the house and making it all possible for us. We love it and will be back!!!!!!



On that note - I have a ton of things to do today, BUT the good news is - I do NOT have a class today.  Yep - so I get a free day. As if!!!!!!!!!   It just means I won't be running around like an idiot trying to get everything done.   Yes - I as given a gift today - a FIVE HOUR gift. Must not squander that.



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



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