Frustrate me why don't ya

Well, technology has been kicking me in the butt this week.   Yesterday, in the middle of a busy schedule my keyboard crapped out.  Actually it worked intermittently but basically was on life support. Ordered a new one for next day delivery.  Good thing it came today because the keyboard was dead this morning.  

And now my favorite blog apps have upgraded to new versions and they suck.  I do 95% of my posts from my iPad.  I have been using blog press and it worked like a charm.  Easy to use and functional.  AND NOW......pain in the arse!

Re-sizing and placing photos where I want them seems impossible.  In my last post I thought I had all the photos centered but magically there are all on the left.  Grrrr.  

Does anyone else write posts with their iPad?  And do you have a preferred app to do it?

In the meantime I will flip through the Rug hooking magazine and attempt to lower my blood pressure ;)

(Really just added this pic to see where it appears.  I'm betting its not centered......) 

Market Fun

Saturday was a fun day at the market. Two markets in fact. I got up early and heading out for the 10 minute drive to Sackville for their outdoor Farmers Market.   The early spring vegetables are out and the food vendors are to-die-for. Lots of yummy ethnic foods, from Chinese, Polish, Indian and German delights.

I always stop at the German baking table ;)

And until my farm co-op program starts, here is a few veggies. And it didn't hurt that it was a gorgeous sunny day. There's not much better than strolling through a farmers market on a sunny Saturday morning.

And after I got home I headed to our Downtown to take in the first ever Amherst Artisans Market. I could hardly believe my eyes. There were people everywhere !! And that is not something you typically see in our downtown in the summer. I loved it. It looked alive and vibrant. Local artists, musicians and food vendors were all over the place. Some in the Park, some inside various stores and many more on the sidewalks.

I didn't get to see every vendor but the ones I visited had some beautiful products. The thing about a small town is you can hardly move 10 feet without seeing someone you know and stopping to chat. That's the best part of small town life. And where else can you walk into a shop and the owner says "the kettle is boiled if you want a cup of tea" and you sit and have a cup while you visit and shop?
 

Simply lovely day
 

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Songbirds and disappearing sheep

The week ended on a busy note ~ good but busy. Last night one of my friends was having her musical debut, singing at Open Mic night at the downtown Pub. She has been practicing for weeks. So I gathered together a bunch of friends and we went down to support her. She did great! There was a good crowd there and she had two tables full of friendly faces to hopefully take the edge off the nerves. But if she was as nervous as she said, she didn't show it.

Yesterday I also stopped at the rug hooking studio to look for options to solve the disappearing sheep issue. We hummed and hawed over lots of different choices and finally settled on some wool. I am loving the background pale plaid I am using.


I've decided to wait to replace the sheeps wool until the end. But as you can see, in its current state the sheep has disappeared.


I should have this done before the end of the weekend with the "new and improved" sheep. I didn't hook much today. I had the day off and poked around town running errands. And luckily on one of my jaunts I noticed the Fish Man's Truck parked. He had fresh flounder so guess what I fried up for supper........ I have enough left for lunch tomorrow. Fish tacos perhaps.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

If at first you don't succeed....

Seems like the ending to that quote ~ "...try, try again" might be the theme of this new hooked pillow. So far I've re-hooked almost as much as I've hooked. I keep forgetting that wool looks different once it is cut and hooked. Sigh....

Two different pieces of fabric look like a good contrast until they are cut and hooked and then they blend together too closely. I've hooked a little sheep which I was quite happy with and I've had the background fabric selected from the beginning. Now that I have started to outline the sheep with the background wool, I think my sheep will disappear. Arrgh. I even pulled out the top row of the sheep and added a 3rd color in the hopes of defining the sheep.


I don't think it's going to work. But I am committed to the background wool so I'm going to keep hooking and maybe I need to re-hook the sheep body later.

We are getting more rain. Days and days of it. I suspected that once I requested Friday off work, the weather forecast would change :( Yes, it's supposed to rain Friday too. But if I force myself to be delusionally optimistic I could consider a rainy day off a good excuse to hook. Lol

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Slipped from our grasp

Victory was stripped from the Vixens at today's BBQ Cook Off. These are the ribs that brought us down. But the truth is the food was amazing so we were all winners. The gourmet stuffed burgers just could not compete with these "fall off the bone" ribs. The sun broke out just before everyone arrived at lunch time so it was a perfect day despite having to concede victory. The truth is, unless we ban ribs from the menu, I doubt we will ever beat this team ;)

On some hooking news, I have planned my next project. A fresh new piece of linen and a sharpie at the kitchen table


(You didn't think I would show you the whole thing this early, did ya?). Now I'm sorting through my stash and color planning a bit. It's so much fun when you are starting a new project and exploring through piles of uncut wool :)

So far the week ahead looks fairly quiet. I do have to work one night but I'm toying with the idea of taking Fridays off as much as possible this summer. Checking the long range forecast so maybe it will be a short week.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Grudge Match

It's time once again for our annual employee BBQ. And it has turned into a bit of a competition. Well......more like a hotly contested grudge match to be exact. Last year, in an attempt to boost morale and encourage participation, 2 employees stepped forward to challenge each other to a Cook-Off.

It didn't take long for sides to be chosen and the competition to begin. One team got a little overly ambitious with menu selection and ended up not having enough time to fully cook things before the staff flooded in on their lunch break. Needless to say, it was a landslide victory for the other team.

Now this year - for the re-match ~ things are getting really serious. There are team uniforms, some covert spying, attempts to poach team members and last but not least - some good old fashioned Smack Talk.

It's Vinnie's Vixens vs The Twin City Roasters. This is the email that Vinnie's Vixens received on Friday from The Roasters.

Subject: Vixens you better bring your A game Monday

"Monday is Cook Off rematch. You better bring you’re A game ladies.
Cus come Monday The Twin City Roasters are turning on the Heat. And the Special of the Day is Vixen!"




What’cha going to do when we come for you!

The Response:

"Who's the goon,boyfriend. Don't worry Vixens we will have security plus I think I will offer a picture with the Vixens for every favourable comment ( translation for your vote get a picture with you favourite Vixen)"

The Vixens got together this afternoon to do some of the prep work.


Our spies tell us The Roaster's were busy all day too. Tomorrow will be quite the day! The Vixens cannot lose The Golden Spatula 2 years in a row! Can't wait for lunch time ;)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Hope

This is the sign that lit up Robb's Ball Field Complex last night at our 10th Annual Relay for Life event. Hundreds of participants gathered to celebrate and fight against cancer despite the bad weather. Even the rain from Andrea couldn't damper the spirits. Several hundred survivors proudly walked the victory lap in a sea of yellow shirts.

Our little town always turns out in full force for this event. There have been no totals announced yet but you can be sure it will be an impressive number.

But it seems that in today's society there are always some idiots who want to insert evil and cruelty into what should have been a positive, uplifting night of fundraising, fellowship and support. Another Relay event was happening last night in Halifax, just 2 hours away from here. In less than an hour after it got underway Police received a bomb threat indicating something similar to the Boston Marathon bombings would take place. They had no choice but to take this seriously and the site was immediately evacuated and the event cancelled.

I am just stunned that someone would do that. Volunteers work for months organizing these events. Teams fundraise for months. And Survivors deserve to take that victory lap. Yet, in a cruel hoax it was all taken away from those in Halifax. Hopefully the police will be able to identify the caller and I hope they receive the maximum penalty.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Separation Anxiety

It happens every time. I should expect it by now. Although I'm always (I repeat, always) ecstatic when I sell a rug, I do get a little bit of separation anxiety when I part with it.

This last rug was designed by Deanne Fitzpatrick just for me. I had a spot in my office where it was destined to hang. I intended to list it for sale but I figured it would live in my office long enough to enjoy it or get tired of it before it sold.
But alas it appears this rug was not meant for me. The large blank wall will remain empty for now.

And now I'm faced with the next inevitable dilemma ........ what next?? I can't decide what the next project will be. I'm in a hooking mood with a package of new sharpies but an empty mind. Sigh.....

However I did manage to distract myself enough tonight at a surprise 40th birthday party for a friends husband. Lots of laughs and good food. And it was Open Mike night at the Pub so we had some nice background music too.

The week is winding down but the weather is winding up. Tomorrow night is our towns Relay for Life event and it looks like a post tropical storm will be passing through. If the forecast is correct, the tents might be floating away by morning. It's such a shame because so many people put in so much effort for this. Fingers crossed that the rain holds off.

Finally, thank you all for the lovely comments on my rug. I appreciate every one of you who read and/ or comment here. You always lift my spirits :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Another one bites the dust

In yesterday's post I may have mentioned I had big, happy news. You know how sometimes you make a blog post about some big, upcoming news and the minute you hit the publish button you realize that you may have totally over sold the thing. Well, this is just like that. Lol

But here it is. I finally finished hooking "Girl in a Summer Garden".



I'm so happy to have it completed. All that is left to do is the boring binding part. BUT the very best, most exciting part is that it is..............already SOLD.

Yay!! I see big bundles of new wool in my future :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Chats on the Porch

It seems like a long while since I have joined up with the Chats on the Farmhouse Porch, hosted by the lovely Patrice.

Sometimes it seems like I either don't have time to post on Chat day or else I have some other burning issue to blab about, that in my mind just can't wait.  Haha (kidding)

But I'm here now, so lets get to this weeks questions before I get distracted again.

QUESTIONS

1. When it comes to vegetables, which do you use more often- canned frozen, or fresh?

I would have to say mostly fresh.  Sometimes I wonder if the grocery store and I share some kind of magnetic force field because I find myself there 2 or 3 times a week picking up something.

2.   Do you sew?
Hmmm, I do own a sewing machine.  And I can operate it at the "most basic level" but I would be lying if I didn't say it was a exercise in frustration and I often can be heard muttering not nice words when seated at the machine ;)

3.  Do you have a common fear, such as the fear of heights, spiders, snakes, small spaces, flying, etc?
Gee, where do I begin??  Well, spiders and snakes are a given.  But let's not forget Clowns.  I'm already dreading summer festival season when those creepy, face-painted psychos will be running around.  (Shudder)   Honestly, I think I would rather be alone with a spider than a clown!!!

4.  Is there anything you recommend for cutting the grocery bill?
No, sorry.  Wish I did have a plan for that.  See answer #1 and my unhealthy attraction to the grocery store

5.  Tell me about something that made you happy over the past week.
My first thought was those types of events have been few and far between this week.  Except for one great thing today.  BUT I'm saving that for tomorrow's post.  (So don't forget to come back)

Thanks to Patrice for hosting our Chats