Here I Am!

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth...I opened a quilt shop in downtown Burlington, Ontario. When I found out last January that the shop where I worked would be closing, and after some long talks with DH, we began to explore owning our own quilt shop. It had been a dream of mine when I was young, but since I was already immersed in a full time career (PHD - parent home daily) with three lovely charges, it was not a dream that I could bring to fruition. But timing is everything, yes? Since all our children are scattered around the country and we have no grandparently responsibilities, save a trip to visit once in a while, and because we've been officially retired for 4 years and bored to death, we thought diving into retail would be fun! Crazy? Yes. But we have had a blast! We love getting up every morning and talking about what the day in the shop will bring. I not only love quiltmaking, but I absolutely love running a quilt shop. Every day brings something different. I am thankful that DH loves the business end of things...it is like having an accountant and business advisor on site full time! Pay us a visit online at www.villagesquarequilts.com if you live far away. I am blogging for the shop as well and you can link to that on our website as well. Hope you are thriving in this life,

What's on Lady Mary?

Good Morning Friends!

Well, I am a huge fan of Downton Abbey and I have really enjoyed curling up on the couch in my quilt of the week, every Sunday night, to watch what the beloved characters of Downton Abbey are up to.

Upstairs, downstairs, I love them all. I was so put out that Dan Stevens (Matthew) left the show that I almost quit it. However...I was soon over my snit about that and engaged in the next season.

I miss Lady Sybil. She was by far the one closest to my heart with her causes, her forward thinking-break out of the box-I have an attitude but I am soft too, character.  She was always dressed in my favourite colours. I often wonder what the show would have been like had she stayed. At the time she was, in my opinion, the only thing left on the show that was redeeming about it. oh well...

As a matter of fact I have ordered the Downton Abbey fabrics and will make up a quilt that showcases all of the ladies' fabric colours.  Then I will really be ready for season 5 when it rolls around.

So about the title. I have named my longarm Lady Mary. Why you ask? Well, since I have had this monster in the studio, I think I've learned that she has a mind of her own, and a steel will.  If I don't get things just right, she will not cooperate. Just like Lady Mary! Adjustments are always being made, by me, not her!

This quilt was made for my daughter and her husband for Christmas 2 years ago. I quilted it on my domestic machine. Things have gotten a lot easier with the longarm!

I went outside to walk the dog a while ago and I think I hear the birdsong ramping up. They must like the above freezing temperatures that we are having! Yay! Spring can't be far off!

Happy Quilting...

I needed to be reminded...

I recently read this quote of Spurgeon on the internet on a blog I follow.  I will take it for today.  I hope it blesses you too.

“To a man (or woman) who lives unto God nothing is secular, everything is sacred.

He puts on his workday garment and it is a vestment to him.

He sits down to his meal and it is a sacrament.

He goes forth to his labor, and therein exercises the office of the priesthood. His breath is incense and his life a sacrifice.

He sleeps on the bosom of God, and lives and moves in the divine presence.

To draw a hard and fast line and say, “This is sacred and this is secular,” is, to my mind, diametrically opposed to the teaching of Christ and the spirit of the gospel…

Peter saw a sheet let down from heaven in which were all manner of beasts and four-footed creatures, which he was bidden to kill and eat, and when he refused because they were unclean, he was rebuked by a voice from heaven, saying, “What God hath cleansed that call not thou common” [Acts 10:15; 11:9].

The Lord hath cleansed your houses, he has cleansed your bed chambers, your tables…  He has made the common pots and pans of your kitchens to be as the bowls before the altar –

if you know what you are and live according to your high calling.

You housemaids, you cooks, you nurses, you ploughmen, you housewives, you traders, you sailors, your labor is holy if you serve the Lord Christ in it, by living unto Him as you ought to live.

The sacred has absorbed the secular.”

~ Spurgeon

Life Stages

Good morning friends! (I wrote this post a few months back)

Do you ever stop and take a minute or two to look back on your life and look for patterns or even just wonder at the path you have walked?  And as the various experiences along the path are remembered, what does the mental journey tell you?



When I was growing up we lived on the edge of a park which was bordered by forest, so our backyard was open to the forest. I spent a lot of time walking through those woods, on those well worn paths to and from public school, then high school, and to and from my friends' homes.

Back in those days, it was safe to walk those routes, if need be, after dark and this I did many a time. I knew those paths so well and even in the dark, I was seldom afraid. The moon would shine down through the trees lighting up the path in front of me. I knew well the main path which ran east west through the woods, and the path to our back yard was well marked.



Spending so much time in those woods meant becoming particularly attentive to the changes the different seasons brought to the forest. Millions of oak and maple leaves crunching under foot in the late fall, then winter snow covering the paths becoming well worn with footsteps from kids going to and from school; spring woodland flowers appearing on schedule...trilliums, jack-in-the-pulpits, dogwoods, violets...I remember them all and I particularly enjoyed this harbinger of spring. Then the long hot days of summer when the wood was in full leaf, squirrels busy gathering, chipmunks running in and out of the woodpile that was on the edge of the yard, various birds building their nests in the trees...

The pathways became so familiar. Even though the different seasons brought changes to the wood, the pathways remained the same. The paths took me to school, to the park, to friends' homes, and to my home.




And so it was a season in my life which I remember often.

The path I seem to be on now involves a new stage in my life as once again I intersect with my mother's path. She is moving into a retirement centre and for a few of us in the family this change represents a new stage in life that brings with it many mixed emotions. Together, mom and I have been sorting through her closet, cupboards, and drawers throwing out things that need tossing, deciding what needs to be passed on or given to the Sally Ann, and what will be kept to be taken to her new room.

 As I have worked I find myself remembering the early days with my mother, when she ran a house, cared for 4 children, preserved jams and jellies, froze the produce from the garden, and kept many balls in the air. I have other memories from the stages since then that my mom has gone through. My life has always intersected with her life and now I find myself mentally addressing every stage of life she has experienced so far.  And as I do this, I marvel at the path of a woman's life. The path is continually being walked...at different speeds...and changing seasons. How we navigate those changes, whatever they may be, determines our quality of life.

I am honoured to have accompanied my mom on her path and witnessed her life to this point.  Even though there have been hard times there have been many joyous times. I am thankful she was a witness to my raising my children, and that my children knew her at different ages and interacted with her. She has been an important influence in their lives.

And now she is going to experience another season...one which I hope will bring her much joy and rest. She will meet new people, develop new routines, have new experiences, and while this is a little frightening for her, I think she will rise to the occasion and be a blessing to others in her new community.

The pathways a woman walks throughout her life take her in many different directions and through many different experiences.   Our experiences are unique and mean something. What we learn along the pathway is important and worth sharing with others. Pathways. That's another post. Be well.

Choices

Good day Friends!

I realized the other day that crickets were chirping and in my piece of this planet that means August has arrived and fall is not far away.  I love Fall! I don't love the heat and humidity of July here on the shores of Lake Ontario.  So I've been planning my projects for this coming Fall...the quilting...the decorating...the planting of the urns with mums...and I might even start knitting a new sweater for this winter.  Being a quiltmaker, I love the thought of snuggling up under a well worn quilt and that's just not something I do during the muggy summer months here. I will welcome the cooler days of Fall with exuberance!

There have been some sad stories in the news lately...stories that I just can't wrap my head around. Sometimes I think I will take a media fast for a month or so, but then I am not sure God wants his people to be unaware of the suffering going on the world, and, there is always prayer. He needs us to engage with Him in his work, in prayer. And so, for those who suffer in our world, our community, our families, we pray God's peace in troubling times.

Once again, we are experiencing life without family. We had some good visits earlier in the summer, and now they have all returned to their homes to live their lives. I must admit I am jealous of my friends whose grown children have chosen to live their lives nearby.  How pleasurable it is for grandparents to witness their children raising their families. And what a blessing it is for grandparents to be an influence in their grandchildren's lives.  Our small opportunities to do this via facetime leave us unsatisfied, to say the least.

I wake up in the mornings these days choosing to be thankful, although my heart is sad. And in choosing thankfulness for what we have in this time, and in this place, some of the sadness is put into perspective. After all there is much to be thankful for...and I am. I guess you can have deep sadness, and be thankful at the same time.  I'll let you know how this works out.

Since there is little demand on our time these days, I find myself becoming more reflective during quiet moments. Lots of questions for Him. Lots of asking...lots of wondering.

Speaking of wonder, just looking at the scene in our back garden we are awed at the Creator's work. The night sky last night was a beautiful shade of midnight blue and I thought of the artistry of God. The colour of the early dawn sky and the sound of the birds waking as the sun comes up.

 Another day, another opportunity to choose to be thankful.

Update!

Good morning friends :-)

It's been a long, cold, quiet winter here in B town. I thought I'd give you a look see at what I've been up to since Christmas.  Enjoy!

 This is the spool quilt, designed by Edyta Sitar, and I finally got the applique finished along all the borders.  I think it's the most intricate applique I have ever attempted. 

I enjoyed the quilting process on this quilt.

My son and his wife have moved into a new home and this squares quilt will be for them. It is quite different from the quilts I usually make and it looks much better now that it is being quilted.

Here is an up close view of one of the blocks I fussy cut. Just to remind him of home...

My friend has decided to use her beautiful Robin Pandolph christmas fabric for a lovely dresden plate. She worked on this at our annual after Christmas retreat.

My other friend decided to complete a quilt she wasn't really fond of. But she persevered and finished it. We had a great time quilting for the weekend in a lovely setting.

 

 

 

 And I did go shopping and couldn't resist this little bundle. I am a sucker for red.

 

We are off to visit family out west while they are on their spring break.  We will have 6 adults and 6 kids, 5 of whom are under 7, in one house!  Lots of fun, I am sure!

 

Do you think spring is going to arrive anytime soon? On my walk the other day, I spotted some snowdrops blooming, as well as a clump of crocus. It was a reminder to me that despite the cold winds still present, and the frozen ground, spring is advancing and can't be stopped.

 

I love this time of year and enjoy watching my garden begin to awaken. I go out daily to see what is coming through the ground.  I am sure that once the weather starts to warm up, the daffodils and tulips will emerge quickly and be ready to bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

Merry After Christmas

Anybody out there? I've been gone so long from the blogging world. Anyhow, Christmas was mixed this year. The older I get the more I value being with family rather than the whole present/gifts thing. I guess that comes with age, I don't know. Maybe by the time you pass 50 you have everything and you are on the way to trying to purge yourself of stuff that just clutters up your house and your life...except fabric of course!

I had two lovely luncheons with two different groups of girlfriends and I thoroughly enjoyed being with them. We chose interesting, different-from-usual venues and that just added to the enjoyment.

Two of our children and their lovely families live too far away and this year we didn't spend Christmas together. We used face time to enjoy some time together and let me tell you, that just doesn't cut it. Our other daughter was home for Christmas with her family and it was nice to see them and spend some time however they were sick and couldn't enjoy Christmas the way the might have liked to. They leave soon for the south and won't be back until June. I'll sew lots :-)

So...my tree and my decorations are coming down pretty quickly this year. I'm not sorry to say goodbye to the season this year. I might totally de-clutter the house and repaint during January. I'm thinking something robin's egg blue with a touch of grey. It will give Jim something to do while he waits for the golf courses to reopen.

Here's my completed "Night Before Christmas" quilt. I enjoyed making it so much.

and this is my Whistler Quilt. I had a relaxing week in the mountains visiting my sister-in-law (who doesn't much appreciate that quilting is an art...)

And the blue star quilt, which I began 5 years ago and completed this November. I need to get a proper shot of the quilt before she leaves for the south!

I'm getting together with some special friends in a few weeks for a weekend retreat. I'm not hosting it this year and I'm so looking forward to some solid quilting and visiting. 

My takeaway from Christmas this year is less is more. Fewer decorations, fewer outdoor decorations, not too much baking, not too much eating, and enjoy the simple things and the meaningful things, like enjoying the people you get to celebrate the season with, for whatever time is given...enjoy those you love.

My need-to-do-next-year is this. Cook less. As usual, even though there were only 4 adults and 2 children for Christmas dinner, I cooked enough to feed 5000.  When will I learn?

Talk soon,

Mountains

I'm madly cutting kits to take on vacation. Fall is not when most people take a vacation...but we being retired have that option. I love Whistler in the fall. The drive up from Vancouver is breathtaking. The snow is starting to collect on the top of the mountains. The mornings are crisp...you can see your breath. When I'm out with the dog early in the morning, I'm mindful of wandering bears. Maybe this year I'll see one. Our residence while we are there sits just outside the village and from the yard there is a view of two imposing mountains - Blackcomb and another - I don't know the name of it. When I walk down the street I get the feeling I am somewhat insignificant as I look up and see those towering gigantic masses of rock.

DH will golf and I will be quite content to pull on comfy yoga pants and a sweater and sew my days away. I'm sure there will be a few shopping trips in the village, and maybe even a few hikes, although they are highly overrated by the locals! My daughter says with disgust, the "H" word. Not a fan...

My workout for the past few months has been inside, at the gym on the treadmill and the bike. It will be a welcome change tying on the running shoes and leashing up the dogs to go on a mountain trek. No tv needed during this kind of workout! The dogs think they are "working" and trot along at a good pace. The humans will tear up the terrain while keeping a watch for bears. I remember the hike we did last visit, a few years ago. It lasted hours and we ended up on top of a mountain with beautiful views. We earned our supper that day! Many calories were burned in an enjoyable way.

When I am in Whistler, I am put in my place. The mountains do it like nothing else ever has. I look around and take in the majesty of the imposing mountains and realize how small I am. And how weak. I am reminded of the majesty of the One who created what I see, and how vast and beautiful His creation is. Not a day goes by that I am not amazed at what He's done. That's why I love being in Whistler. I'm thankful.

And those mountain hikes...there's a metaphor in there somewhere...I'll post when I find it.

Borders of one kind or another

So, today, my friend and I did a quick road trip to that great country that sits below the big red maple leaf. In order to get there, we had to wait in line to talk to the nice US border guard and tell him we two old ladies were going shopping at the quilt store. That always brings a curious response... Anyhow, we did our meager shopping (unusual, yes) and crossed the bridge to come back into Canada. As we shared with the Canadian border guard that we had only spent a few hundred dollars between us, and we had no alcohol or tobacco, he began to write on the yellow sheet. Never a good sign. So we got nabbed for the tax...me, a grand total of $16.00 and my friend even less. Honestly. You would think that the process to supply the personnel to collect our meager taxes cost a great deal more than what we paid. What a monumental waste of time and taxpayers dollars that system is. I was put out! But it is still worthwhile shopping for our fabric in the US. Canadian quilt shops charge a ridiculous amount for fabric and we just can't justify paying their inflated prices for old fabric. Nuff said on all that for now. And speaking of borders, I never know how to quilt them. I am always stumped when I come to the border. Must research that on the Internet and get some ideas. Do you ever google something about quilting and hit "images"? Try it. For instance google "snowman quilts" and you will have some eye candy that will get you in the mood for winter even though it is 90 degrees outside! Off to bed.

A Note From HRH!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee...and I sent a note to her, and I got a thank you note from Buckingham Palace complete with a beautiful picture of the Queen.  God Save the Queen!

The Queen sends her grateful thanks
for the words of support
which you have so kindly sent
on the occasion of
the Sixtieth Anniversary of
Her Majesty’s Accession to the Throne.

2012

Happy May!

This is what has been taking up my time lately...and it is nearing completion. Loved making all those pinwheels.

She is a girly girl and she will love this!

I love the month of May. It means flowers, planting, blossoms, mother's day, a daughter's birthday, moderate temperatures (here in Canada!) and beautiful smells in the air. Spring in my neck of the woods is always one of my favorite times of the year. I'm a "not too hot, not too cold" girl. So the temperatures in spring suit me just fine!


Bleeding heart from my window basket

Spring Pansy

Forget-Me-Nots

Spring, new life, new beginnings...lovely, yes?  Off on my walk. See ya!

Another week...another quilt! And a path...

Well I spent the weekend working on another quilt for one of my grandchildren. This one is very girly because the recipient is very girly!

I hope to finish it this week, ready for her when she gets here for her visit to Nanie's.

While I was cleaning up and organizing my mom's ipad, I came across some wonderful photos she had stored in her photo file. I snagged some of them...I'm always thinking about what can go up in a post on the blog...and here's one for today.

This photo says so much. I like pictures that show a path. I have photographed many pathways and there's a lot to be said for "the path".  This photo also speaks to me about not walking the path alone. And we don't, thanks be to God.

The pathway is also well worn. Many have walked this path. Penguins that is...but in life, we are not the only ones walking the path we are on. Many have done the walk, are doing the walk. We are never alone in our journey.

Whatever your path right now, may you know the presence of the One who never leaves us to walk alone. That reminds me of a book I read years ago while I was on a certain "path". Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I highly recommend this book.

I'm off for my walk. I'll take my camera with me. Never know what I'm going to see...and then I can share it with you.

Have a good day.

Where did my Boots go?!

Don't you just love this photo? It was sent to me by a dear friend, who says it reminded her of me. I love the photo, but more than that I love the fact that I have a friend who knows me well enough to say, "This reminds me of you!"  What a treasure to have such a friend. She has moved away now, but as it is with good friends, you don't need to see each other every day. Even if it's been years since you've had a chat, you can pick up just like you spent time together yesterday.
These boots remind me of my friends. Colourful, different, present, willing to add beauty to the world, and blooming where they are planted! We aren't in each others' back pockets, but we share things, as good friends do, and trust each other with our joys and sorrows. We are witnesses to each other's lives and that is a privilege I hold dear. Good friends are a blessing.

I had coffee this morning with one of my dear friends and we haven't talked in months and months. Yet we picked up where we left off, shared the happy and the sad together, and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company over coffee. She leads a very busy, sacrificial life serving others. I admire her so! How sweet is this privelege of sitting down with her for a slice of time!

This Friday I will meet up with a group of women who I've been blessed to count as friends for the past 20+ years. We will share, and laugh, and tease, and cry, and eat together. What joy! We call ourselves a book club, but actually we stopped reading books a long time ago. So we are the non-book club I guess.

And there is another group of women I treasure. We share while we are busy doing our craft. Sometimes we go on road trips, sometimes we just meet for coffee, sometimes we meet to do what we love. Hands are busy making while we share one anothers' lives.

And there are the women in my life that are part of my family. Mother, sister, daughters, grand daughters, sisters-in-law, daughter-in-law. They are special treasures. Over time as we witness each other's lives, we grow through good times and bad. Because they are family, there are different dynamics that come into play down through the years. Navigating those dynamics with each other takes patience, understanding, love, forgiveness, and determination. But it is worth it. I love and am thankful for each and every woman in my family!

Anyhow...back to the boots. Aren't they cute? I am going to go out to the dollar store and buy some little rubber rain boots, fill them with soil, plant them up and nail them to the fence. Every time I look at them, I will think of my friends and say a little prayer of thanks to God for the blessing of friendship.

How Many Trips Does it Take...

Honestly! All I need is a change in the tap handles in my laundry room. I'm not a very fussy person when it comes to my house. Some people have to have the newest, greatest, latest of everything. Not me. I love old houses and all the vintage that comes along with them. Well, at least, I have loved these old babes. I've lived in a few! But I'm finding that my frustration levels are growing as I live in our present old babe.

Take today, for instance. Well, the last few days actually. Problem:  I've got taps in my laundry room that are hard to "handle." (Sorry about that! :-)

They are hard to turn. I asked hubs to see if he could change the tap. "Go and get whachyawant" he tells me. So first trip to the home store sees me coming back with a shiny new tap that will be easy to turn off and on and even has a built in sprayer! Wow!  Long story short...didn't fit. Back to the store for a pleasant interaction with the returns desk clerk.

As I go back into the faucet section of the store, a new idea breaks into my head! Why not just change the handles to the paddle type, like they have in hospitals, etc. I purchase the handles that are labelled "universal" and home I go. Hubs likes the idea and spends several hours trying to fit them on. Guess what. Don't fit. (Anyone who knows Hubs knows he would rather have root canal than do this kind of work.) He ended up in a mood.

Second trip back to the returns desk.Since I've exhausted this store's offerings, my next brainwave is to visit the big box store down the street from the first store. See what they have. Voila! I find another faucet like the one I already have, but instead of old style turney handles, this one has paddles for handles. The installation will require Hubs (who does not like to do this type of thing) to remove the entire tap, disconnect the water supply, squeeze into a tiny space to do all this (I can just hear the expletives now!!!) and try to use the tools he has which are not plumbers tools. Oh my.

Maybe I'll call a plumber while Hubs is on the golf course tomorrow. Think I will. Peace at any cost!

That's what has been keeping me busy. I'm thinking a brand new shiny house with everything custom designed to our tastes is in our future.

Stay tuned!

Another Finish

This morning I'm thinking about finishes. I've finished a few winter trips, finished putting away all my travel stuff, finished putting away all my "new purchases!" and I've even finished a few quilts along the way.

Here's one. It is the after Christmas-still winter quilt. Love it!

Here is what I'm working on now. I designed it while down south and I love love love the colours. I was inspired by a copy of an antique quilt I saw in a cute shop I visit once in a while. I decided to do hearts out of my 4-patches. Stay tuned!

So since it is such a beautiful day, and since I need (badly!) some exercise, I'm heading out for a walk before the sun is high in the sky.

Sand in My Shoes

On our way north on the interstate, we took a short detour and this is what we found.

 We stopped for a half hour at most...we had a long trip ahead of us. But for just a half hour, I was at the ocean. Ahhhhh.

 I stuck my feet into the surf. The flags flying by the entrance to the beach indicated "dangerous riptides and dangerous marine life."  Needless to say, I didn't need to be convinced not to dive in. So I was content to let the surf cool my feet off.

There's something overpowering when you stand on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean. The colours are spectacular...as the sun peeks in and out from behind the clouds causing the water to change in colour  from greens, to greys to beautiful blues. I could have stayed there for a week.  

We didn't know this was just off the interstate. I'm glad we decided to venture off the highway and search for the ocean. It was a wonderful little treat to experience as we said good-bye to Florida.

And now we are in civil war country as we travel north to Canada. So much history in this huge country...I hope tomorrow brings more adventures. How could it not?

Coastal stop

A Day in Savannah…

Today I toured the Wormsloe Plantation, a 1736 Colonial Estate near downtown Savannah. It was created by an early colonist, Noble Jones, a common Englishman who was a physician, carpenter, and surveyor. The estate sits on land located near a waterway. He farmed his land, growing corn, turnips, potatoes, rice, cotton, oranges, pomegranates, figs, peaches, apricots, and mulberry trees for silk. This is the front gate.   

The long drive in to the plantation is lined with old oaks that arch over the driveway. Do you recognize this from the movie Forest Gump?

Here’s another view, looking back toward the front gate.

All that remains of the original Tabby house built by Jones.

This path takes you from the ruins of the home to the gravesite of Jones, and it runs along the water’s edge.

Early colonists in Georgia didn’t keep slaves. They believed owning slaves made one lazy. Jones and other Georgians did eventually succumb to owning slaves and this is an example of what the slaves would have lived in on Wormsloe. The interior of the cottage includes a large fireplace for heating and cooking, a sleeping loft, and one room for living in.

              

Quite a day…walking by myself through the heavily forested plantation and thinking about what the lives of the people who had trod the same paths might have been like.