Did I miss the memo???

I must have missed the memo announcing that we were going back to July!  Here it is the very end of August and we are in an old-fashioned July heat wave!

This is supposed to the beginning of the nice coolish temperatures.   What happened???  The digital temperature display on my car read 30 degrees celcius and the weather girl on the news report claims that with the humidex it feels like almost 40 degrees. (103 degrees farenheit).   And it is supposed to stay this way until Friday when we start to feel the effects of Hurricane Earl.

This is going to be a B.M.W.  week!   No, I am not talking about the fancy car. 
Bitching - Moaning - Whining !!   Mom and Auntie really mind the heat and we do not have air conditioning, so this is gonna be a FUN week.........LOL 

I just came back from the grocery store where I stocked up on ice cream for them.

Wish me luck......I think I'm gonna need it! 

Diving In

OK, I get the message. Stop thinking and start hooking.

Your comments from my last post.....too funny.  But, in between giggling I did get moving on starting the pillow.

Last night after supper I grabbed the bag of wool.  I must admit that I did struggle for a few minutes with funky thoughts, but I feared that these squiggles might end of looking like flames.  I did not want that.  Makes me think of those guys who wear those shirts with the flames up and down them (trying to look cool)  Yuck!

I have a bit more done today, but I took this photo last night.   The hot humid weather has moved back in again.  So much for the cooler nights!  I guess its still too soon to put the fans away.  I shouldn't complain because I will be whining in January!   But it was too warm to stay inside and hook today.  But I do need to get some more wool cut up.

Again, thanks to the commentors who gave me a nudge!

Stuck

I always seem to get stuck when I am ready to start a new hooking project.  I'm generally OK once I get going, but getting started is often a long and  painful process.

I'm an over-thinker!  Its been over a week (maybe even closer to 2 weeks) since I finished the first long pillow.  And as soon as I finished it I found a complimentary pattern, so I would have a pair. 

The second I saw this pattern I knew they would work together and I would use the same wools/colors for both pillows.    Easy right??  A perfect well planned approach right??

So what happened??  Well, I started thinking!  I should have known better.  LOL

Should I use just the same colors?

Should I add some complimentary shades for variety?

Will I mix the colors and shades to make a more abstract image?

Or do I stay within my comfort area and hook it with the original colors and no attempts at funky-ness?

But if I always shy away from trying to hook more abstract, how will I ever learn?

SEE, this is how my mind works!!!  Around and around and around......no wonder I'm tired all the time ---- I wear myself out with all this foolishness.

So I end up getting stuck and not starting.  The pattern and the bag of wool is next to me - mocking me.   Sooooooo, I thought if I posted this it might shame me into getting my a$$ in gear and starting.

Just Do It

Another visit from the "Skunk Fairy"

Yes, its happened again.  The dreaded "Skunk Fairy" has once again visited me. 

You see, in my mind (twisted, warped imagination)  there exists a Skunk Fairy who visits sleeping women (of a certain age) and swipes his white striped tail across the top of their head.  He (naturally it is a man), operates somewhat like the Tooth Fairy except instead of taking your teeth, this cruel fairy steals the color from the roots of your hair!! 

This insensitive beast leaves his mark on you when you least expect it and usually just before an important event.   You wake up, look in the mirror........and there it is........the white stripe!

What is even worse is this animal seems to be a terrible chauvanist.  Women appear to be the main target.  Men (aka Silver Foxes) tend to benefit physically from this phenomenon.

Case in point.........

Tell me Clooney is not "rockin" the salt and pepper??  Hot.............

Its just not fair!

Good Morning Sunshine!

A beautiful Sunday morning.  On the weekends its my job to get Mom up and going.  She is not a morning person, so I always try and make an extra fuss.

I bring her down to breakfast with a big "Good Morning Sunshine" and a little silly banter to try and coax a smile out of her. 

What I get is a scrunched up ugly face, a dirty look, and I'm sure she is thinking I am nuts!  LOL   Flashback to 40 years ago when my Grandmother went to ridiculous lengths to get me to smile in the morning. (I was NOT a morning person either)  She even found a sign that she hung in the kitchen across from my chair at the table about smiling.  This even made me more determined not to smile! 

Now I can't help but smile in the morning when I am replaying this little routine with Mom --- I am Grandma and Mom is me!

This week I found this little silver-dollar pancake pan.

Isn't it cute??  Mom doesn't really have any appetite now, but she will eat pancakes, so this was another attempt at a smile.  The pancakes were tasty, garnished with fresh blueberries, but I think trying to get a smile before noon may be a dream!

The air has started to change a bit.  Fall is on the way.  I'm sorry to all you "summer-people" but I am thrilled.  Autumn is by far my favorite season.  This morning was bright and clear so I grabbed the camera and took a little walk through the cemetary before I woke everyone up.

It is so peaceful there.  And I stop and tidy up around the graves of loved-ones and it just seems to set the tone for the day with a little quiet reflection.

The leaves are starting to turn.  Love it!!!   Fall also seems to trigger the desire for comfort food.  So yesturday I rediscovered that room in my house with all the appliances.......oh yeah - its called a Kitchen!  I get lazy in the summer.  I have made and eaten way to many burgers and hotdogs lately.

So I made a little clam chowder.  It was tasty with a few pieces of cheese bread. 
All in all, even without a morning smile, it was a lovely weekend.

Free lunch??? Hardly...

It really is true that there is no such thing as a free meal!  Tonight this cliche rang true.   We have a family friend visiting from Ontario.  He and his sisters grew up in this neighborhood and although they left over 50 years ago, they all still visit us whenever they are in Nova Scotia. The sisters were close friends of my Mom.

Now, I need to preface this with the fact that this man is very, very kind and generous.  But (you knew there was a but...) he can be a little, well, abrasive - obnoxious - you get the idea. I would say he is an acquired taste! 

I really believe he doesn't mean to come off that way, but he just does.

He insists that on each visit he takes us out for dinner.  Tonight was the night!  The plan was to go to a little family-style restaurant in a nearby town.  We go there often but if you don't time it just right - there is a line.  And trust me, waiting in a line with Mom ---- no picnic.  So he arrived to pick us up late and sure enough - a huge honking line!

So we try 2 more places - same deal.  I'm hungry, I have a headache starting, and Mom is not on her best behaviour.  As you can imagine, the evening

is starting to circle the drain.

Oh yeah, did I mention that he is hard of hearing and Auntie is a "low-talker".... (Remember that Seinfeld episode?   hahahah).  

So there was alot of "What did she say?"   "Huh?"   "I can't hear what she is saying"   OH Mother Hubbard........where is that Advil???   At this point I made an executive decision and we found a place.  Basically a diner attached to a gas station.  LOL  I know - but I was starting to get the dark thoughts!  heheh

Naturally, he was not happy with his meal.  If you order Chicken Parmesan in a diner attached to a gas station, do ya really think its gonna be gourmet???? By the time the waitress came back to ask if we wanted dessert, I almost choked to death spitting out the words "no thanks, just the bill". 

OK, I'm home, I'm blogging, I'm gonna be hooking in about 5 minutes,  calm, relax, its over for another year.

A little pillow talk

Oh Baby..... Lay down beside me.....Ahhh, you are so soft......

Alright, before I get carried away....and all of you get the wrong idea.....

I finished hooking my long narrow pillow.  It measures 11 x 27 inches.

I picked up this little pattern at Deanne's shop.  I really like it so I'm making another.  Same dimensions, same colors but with a different motif - wavy squiggles I think.

I hope they will make a handsome couple!

What is that noise??

Last night I could not get to sleep.  Of course, while I was on vacation I slept like a log.  As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out cold.

But naturally, the night before I was to return to work, I tossed and turned like a salad in a spinner!

And then there was that noise.......

What the heck is that noise?  Like a scraping or a scratching??  Was it a tree branch blowing creepily against the side of the house??

No........... Could it be a small animal scratching at the window screen trying to chew its way in??

Nope.  That wasn't it either.  And then as I rolled over one more time......I realized............that it was my gross dry feet scraping against the bed sheets!! Ewwwwww

Yes, it was so bad it was keeping me awake.  LOL  Weeks of being either barefoot or in old flip flops have taken a toll.

I was a little worried that I might wake up with holes in the sheets! 

I might be psychic....I foresee a pedicure in my future.

Less than 10 hours

Sigh.....in less than 10 hours my vacation will be over and I will be back behind a desk.  I'm not really complaining as I know I am lucky to have a good job.

But my brain is still in random, relaxed, un-focused status.  Boy, tomorrow it had better kick into gear quickly.  LOL  But for the purpose of this post - its still in random mode!

Yesturdays gathering was wonderful.  Great friends and family and great memories of Tim.  You should have seen the food - Lobster rolls, shrimp, mini tacos, homemade clam chowder, homemade chili, angel food cake with fresh fruit compote and cream.   And of course TIm's Mom wouldn't let me leave empty handed so i arrived home with a large bag of leftovers.  So sweet!

I finished hooking my long pillow but don't want to show it until the backing is sewn on and it's stuffed.  I'm sure I have mentioned about a hundred times that I hate the finishing part, but I will try to have it done this week.

This afternoon I thought I heard a strange noise upstairs.   It sounded like a big belch.......

Yup, my closet threw up!  It was getting stuffed to the max again.  I know, I know....I have too many clothes.   So after seeing the mess it was in I went into a little purging session of my own.  So that pile on the floor has been dropped off at the Good Will Bin.  It filled a large garbage bag.  And there is another garbage bag still in the room 3/4 full that is only suitable for the landfill.  

That worked up an appetite so supper was a priority.  I went to the store and picked up 3 large tenderloin steaks.

Add some fresh string beans, fried mushrooms and new potatoes....Yummmmm.

Dessert -  Chocolate Chip cookies of course.

I think it is a good thing I cleared out some room in my closet because I am sure I gained weight this past 2 weeks.  I might have to buy some new clothes.  Hahaha

Remembering

Today is the 2year anniversary of the passing of my dear friend Tim. Another reminder that cancer SUCKS.
As we did last year, friends and family will gather at his family's home today. Tim would have enjoyed this. There will be food, drinks, stories, laughs and tears.

Running out of time

Ohhh no.....I looked at the calendar.  What the heck was I thinking????   Its the Wednesday of my 2nd week of vacation.   Ughhh, it is almost over.

How did this happen??  I'm not ready.  I need more time........  More relaxing, more pressure-free days.

Why oh why did I look at the calendar.

Now I am panicked.  See, the first few days of vacation you are still winding down.  Then you settle in to the groove and begin to enjoy.  Then some idiot brings it to your attention that its almost over.  STUPID IDIOT

Now all I can think about is the ticking clock.  Ticking down to that depressing Monday morning ritual.  I also made the stupid mistake of opening mail today.  My annual pension statement was there.  It said my retirement date on the top.

May 31, 2099

OK, its not really 2099 but it feels like thats how far away it is!!!  So, I did what alot of people do when faced with the thought of returning back to work after vacation.........
I bought a Lottery ticket!   LOL   Yeah, thats gonna work out eh!

Back to reality

I'm back from the beach.  I had a wonderful relaxing few days.  And also, unfortunately I am back to wearing regular clothes.  The ultra casual beach slob look I had cultivated is not really appropriate for public!

I also started a new project.  I really enjoyed hooking the starfish pillow, so I am working on another pillow.  No, not the sand dollar one, but I will do that one eventually.

I like this one - its long and narrow with nice warm fallish colors.

I also noticed an old ratty foot stool at the cottage that would be perfect for a re-do.  Now after I finished this pillow I will need some ideas for a design for this little foot stool. 
Any suggestions???  Four sides and the top.  What do you think??

A first

This is a first --- I am blogging from the cottage.  This is HUGE.  For most of the past 20 years (minus the last 3) I have moved to the cottage from the end of May to October.  It was my little getaway. Mom illness changed that routine, but I am spending the weekend here.  I needed a break, so I put the support system into action and I ran away. 
Now 20 years ago, if I needed to make a phone call, it was a 3 mile drive up the road to a payphone.  Then after a few years cell phones came to be but cell towers were rare in the beach area so you had to sit in one certain spot in the cottage to get reception (if the wind was blowing in the right direction).  God forbid if you sneezed or moved your head during a call - you would lose the signal.   Well, that has improved but imagine my delight when, only moments after my arrival, my neighbor knocked on the door and handed me his security code for wireless internet!!!!!!   OMG blogging and facebooking from the beach......WOW its a whole new world!  LOL
This morning I had my coffee on the deck overlooking the Tidnish River.

A little overcast but perfect otherwise.   And of course there is the perfect beach attire...........

Yup, flannel jammies and fuzzy socks!   Hot, right?  HAHAHA  And sadly I should admit that I wore them until 2pm.  Then I changed into a sloppy tank top and cut off sweat pants.  Oh yeah --- I am a style demon!   But isn't that what the beach is all about?
Millie has settled in nicely.  She has her favorite little nest.

And then there is Sophie.  Today we are dog sitting for the neighbors.  Darling Sophie is a 13 year old black lab, sweet as can be.  Millie met her her very first night as part of my family.  Maybe that is why Sophie is the only dog that Millie will tolerate.  Even though she is out-weighed by about 70 pounds she isn't afraid of her.  Except she doesn't like sharing her treats. 

 She is mildly ticked off here, but she got over it.  After Sophie's little snack she settled on the floor at the foot of Millie's nest and all is good.

I still can't believe I am blogging from the cottage.  COOL!

Checking out

I am disappearing for a few days. A couple of days escape at the cottage. The car is packed, and Millie is excited. I will update you on my little break in a few days.
Bye

Sugar Rush

We took a little road trip this afternoon.  Probably not a wise move for the waistline.   But since calories don't count on vacation......

Auntie and I drove into New Brunswick and stopped at three different little Acadien French Bakeries!! 

Ohhhh, we could hardly contain ourselves.  Sooo many choices.

Here are a few of the delicious packages we returned home with:

Cherry Pineapple squares

 Hello Dolly......

 Blueberry Pinwheels and Honey Swirls..... I can only imagine that this is what Heaven serves for snacks!

There were also some chocolate macaroons, but sadly they did not survive the drive home.  Well......we needed to keep up our strenth!   LOL 

After all that sugar I had some extra energy and finished binding up Big Red.

I have a new pattern to start but I'm too wired to concentrate on color selection so I'm knitting a couple of dish cloths to pass the evening.   If I keep my hands busy I might stay out of the pantry!

Rainy Days

Not exactly prime vacation weather today.  But I suppose you can't expect hot and sunny everyday.  It looks like today might be a chore day with a little rug hooking thrown in. 

I want to make a special shout-out to Lauren from Rugs and Pugs and Julie from Dog Trot Farm who confirmed my suspicions by commenting on my last post.   I just KNEW that calories didn't count on vacation!!   So in honor of you gals, I had an ice cream sundae last night, with extra cherries!  Yummm.

Here is my little chicken rug I am working on.  Unless something unexpected happens today I should have it finished today.  (Oh Crap -- I hope I just didn't jinx it)  

Well, on the bright side -- I won't have to water the flowers today!  :)

This and That

So far ~ so good.  I'm on vacation.  The weather has been hot and  sunny.  The humidity has gone on vacation too.   Woo Hoo !!!!!

I even slept in this morning.....9:30am!  Can you imagine!  I don't remember the last time I did that.  I'm doing everything you are supposed to do on vacation - eating too much and lounging around.  

I  spent much of the past 2 days on the deck in the sun, then under the umbrella, then back in the sun.  Millie, my loyal companion by my side.  I also finished a good summer book.  I love to read but  haven't done that much lately, so finishing a book was a big accomplishment.

A fun summer book.  Three women, three secrets, and a cottage on Nantucket.  (OK, keep the dirty limericks to yourselves!  LOL)

I'm hooking away on my little chicken rug.  Not sure about the wing....it looks a little funky to me.  But I'm gonna wait until the rest is finished before I do something stupid - like re-hooking!  Maybe it will look OK when I see the whole mat hooked.

Thanks for all the great compliments on the starfish pillow.  I might try to hook a 2nd one after all.

Gee, its been about an hour since my last snack.  I better go grab something.  (See, I was serious about eating too much)
Later!

Starfish

This summer, it seems that starfish have become a theme.  There are more on the beach than normal.  And I have purchased a few new pieces of summer jewellery, you guessed it - Starfish.

 This post is a little late.  A few weeks ago I attended a workshop by Deanne Fitzpatrick.  It was "White on White" - a summer starfish pillow.  I always struggle with the tone on tone color graduations, so this class was alot of fun.  There are several different textures.  I used wool strips, yarn, roving, and even a little lace ribbon!  Its a cute little pillow.   I might even hook a 2nd one - maybe with a sand dollar? 

 Below are a few photos I took last month at the beach.  A little starfish inspiration.