Years End

These are my last finished projects for 2009. I made the table runner for Joan for our Secret Santa exchange. I made a table runner for her as I noticed that she seemed to like them, and often made them for herself.

I completed the quilt top for the Schnibbles called Darcy. I love how it looks and it will be on my completion list prior to Christmas 2010.

And I put the binding on my son Neil's quilt. This an African theme quilt as Neil collects African masks, and luckily is goes really well with his living room walls in his new condo. I used a pattern from the book called New Cuts for New Quilts by Karla Alexander. It was a fun quilt to make- and I will definitely make another.

Thanks to all the Charming Girls for the laughs, and the sharing of a beloved hobby.

As I reflect on what is left of 2009 I have to believe that 2010 will be better for my family. We have had a rough go of it, but are still lucky enough to have each other and our home, and food on the table. And when I say "rough go of it", I don't necessarily mean financially- I mean with the devastation of losing/leaving a job and all that entails. I know that 2010 will be a good year, and it can only get better. In 2010 it will be our 25th wedding anniversary, my Dad's 80th birthday, and my son's graduation from University of Calgary. Many things to look forward to!!

Happy New Year to all, and Cheers to 2010!!!

Secret Santa!!

I wasn't going to blog today as I am now sick with a very bad chest cold...but the mailman (actually mail-lady) brought this to me from Peggy, my Secret Santa. Peggy lives in Ireland, so the parcel made it here in good time!


She sent me four lovely gifts- a 2010 calendar from Ireland that I will put up in my sewing room, and caramel candies from Ireland as well. I may share them....Then she sent a lovely quilted photo album that I think I may use to keep the photos of my quilts in. And last but not least, a Christmas edition of a quilting magazine from Ireland, called Irish Quilting! Wow! The photo album is made of Christmas fabric with patchwork on the front. Peggy- what lovely and thoughtful gifts! Thank you so much.

Christmas Was Boring Compared to Yesterday!

Yesterday Tony and I decided to go into Calgary to the "cheap" theaters, where we can go see a matinee for $3 each. We went to "Pirate Radio", the story of one of the ships off the coast of England in 1967 playing their illegal rock and roll. The movie wasn't that great, but I loved the sound track. Anyway Tony had been very pale in the morning but insisted that he wanted to get out and do something. During the movie he complained of the popcorn and didn't even finish his. If you know him, you will know that in itself is very unusual. When we left the theaters he said he felt sick and it wasn't because of the bad movie. Again he insisted he was fine and would drive, but wasn't well enough to get the groceries as we planned. We were about 4 houses from home when he pulled over, and went to lean on the front of the car to try to get sick. I got out and tried to get him into the passenger seat when he passed out. I was holding the front of his coat to prevent him from falling, and I was able to ease him into the snow bank. I kept talking to him to try and keep him partly alert. By then a few neighbors out for walks with their dogs, and some who were thankfully nosy came out to help. He started to come around and wanted to get back into the car. An elderly gentleman and I tried to get him into the car, but he went down again, taking the elderly gentleman with him. So I had to determine who to help first... I got Tony's glasses off, threw them into the car, put my scarf under his head, and then helped the other man up....by then we decided that the ambulance had to come not matter how hard Tony tried to insist he was fine. This between passing out. Do you see a pattern of stubbornness here? Anyway the neighbors were wonderful getting blankets and phones and the ambulance and fire trucks roared into our circle in about 5 minutes. Two firemen and 2 EMS guys put Tony on the stretcher and put him into the ambulance to check him out. All his vitals were good and they gave him the choice of going to the hospital or not. I'm sure you can guess what he chose...They believed it was the violent onset of a stomach flu. The ambulance drove him the 4 houses down to our house to help me get him inside. I got him into bed and he was shivering uncontrollably and so I ran a hot tub to put him in. He got violently sick again 3 or 4 times. After a few hours he had some tea and honey and was watching sports. Today he has slept most of the morning and is just up now moving from the bed to the couch. Poor guy! I was so worried and am so thankful he is OK!

Dana and I are going to have some Mother/Daughter time this afternoon, but will not go into Calgary. We'll find something to do here in Okotoks so we can run home if we have to. He might be ready for some soup tonight. Tomorrow we will go out and get some thank you gifts for our neighbors as their kindness was so appreciated.

Christmas Wishes and Memories

Kelly at Cotton Charm Quilts (and co-leader of our CGQC) has asked for Christmas memories for the chance to win a beautiful Stella Blue kit. She has requested a wish list as well, and I would like anything from the Martinique line. My memory is of a Christmas when Dana was 4, soon to be 5, and Neil was 6. Dana was prone to ear infections and as luck would have it she started not feeling very well on Christmas eve day. By bedtime she was in a lot of pain. These were the days before walk in clinics were not open late so we decided she would have to go to Emergency. Well she just was so upset at the thought of going to the hospital when Santa was on his way. After many tears (hers) I convinced her that Santa would not come until she was home in bed and asleep. I have an image in my head of Tony leaving with her wrapped in a blanket (this was before I was doing any quilting!), and I stayed home with Neil to get him to bed and wrap presents. They were gone several hours but arrived back home in the wee hours of Christmas morning and she went to bed without a struggle as she was so sick. I was up with her several times in the night, but by the time Christmas morning arrived she was feeling much better. When she got up she was relieved that Santa had come, and said "I prayed to Santa not to come until I was home and asleep, and it worked". Those were the days she was getting Santa and God mixed up, as any four year old would! That is also the year when we got up Christmas morning that Neil said "Oh look, Mom, Santa has the same wrapping paper as we do!" That was the last year that Santa wrapped his gifts...

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends! Wishing you all the Best of the Season, and hope there will lovely memories to cherish from this year!

Motivation

My motivation to get on the treadmill over this festive season is that I want to eat and enjoy the goodies at the parties we have been invited to, but ...I sure have to dig deep after a couple of late nights, and lots of high fat appetizers and sweets...We have a party or function of some kind every night until Christmas Eve, then of course Christmas Day. We have a traditional Open House on Boxing Day at our home that family and friends come to. Tony plays hockey with a group of guys in the morning, and by noon people start coming by the house for food and refreshments. They have been doing this for over 20 years, and it is something that I really enjoy as I get all the food prepared ahead of time so I can visit with our guests. I cook a ham, and put out buns, ribs, chicken wings, veggies, dips, sweets, etc. The usual holiday fare. Sometimes the guests are gone by 3 or 4 pm, and a couple of times it has been very late...I also like it because we see some people only on Boxing Day every year, and if it weren't for this get together, years could go by. The hockey game has also turned into a generational game, with many of Tony's friends bringing their sons or sons-in -law to play.
Then after Boxing Day this is one of the things I plan to do. I have my trashy reads ready, and can't wait! I also have my January quilting projects ready to start- I am ahead of the game for a change!

December Tag

In response to Joan's tag asking us to show our special decorated corners, I will show another picture of my Santa collection. This is special to me as I have collected these for many years and picked up some on travels, and was given some by friends and family. I also now buy myself a new addition every year.
Next is my tin collection. I don't add to this as often, but got lucky this year as I was given one by one of my bosses at work. He gave the staff some "Cookies by George" and they came in a tin. I told him I collect the tins, so he gave me the one on the far right with the cute snowmen. I have a small snowman collection that I have just started in the last couple of years in our guest bathroom (that's how small it is!), and will continue to add to it as well. My favorite Santa's, tins and snowmen are the rustic looking ones.

When we downsized and moved into our condo a few years ago we cleaned and purged, so I did get rid of some older Christmas items that didn't have any real sentimental value, and now just try to collect anything that suits my collections or is given to us by a loved one.

Sunday Musings

Got all my Christmas cards finished today, and they will go in the mail tomorrow. I had a hard time with my Christmas card mojo this year, so need to top these next year...
I bought myself a 2009 addition to the Santa collection yesterday at a store called

Finishing Touches here in Okotoks. All Santa's were 30% off, and I loved the Santa and snowman together. There were so many to chose from it was hard, but this fit my budget! Are they cute or what??

Speaking of mail- this is my parcel ready to go to my Secret Santa. Joan is my recipient, so not really a very Secret Santa...since she drew the names and all...but I do feel rather intimidated sending her a quilting gift as she is so talented. I have a picture to post which I will do after Christmas. The day today was spent moving furniture and hanging pictures and generally getting most of the house in order after painting and before Christmas. I have put a roast beef with potatoes and carrots in the crock pot, so can now go and spend some time in the studio. Eight more working days until I am off for the Christmas break!

I Won!

Happy Friday morning! I entered a draw to celebrate a 100th post at L7 Quilt Co. and won a Moda Sampler Box! This is very exciting and it just made my night last night, and I will be planning today at work (don't tell) what to do with it...I am leaving early for work this morning again as we are still dealing with poor driving conditions, and I just heard on the radio more snow is on the way! Guess we will have a white Christmas!

Snowed In

This is what you do when you are snowed in...relax on the couch in the TV room, watching golf and wishing you lived in a warmer climate...it is definitely a "dog's life"...
Darcy, the Schnibbles is put together, and just waiting for the long arm quilter. Tony has to be working first, so my goal is to have this ready for next Christmas.
And...Ta Dah! Neil's quilt has the binding sewn on and just ready and waiting for a TV night to be bound...

We got hit by a major snow storm starting Friday morning and not ending until Saturday evening. There was a lot of wind and snow, and very cold temperatures. For any American readers, -25 Celsius with the wind chill, converts to about -13 Fahrenheit. No wonder Chloe chose to sleep under a quilt on the couch!

December Projects

This quilt is a gift for my son, and believe it or not he looks at this blog once in awhile, so it will remain faceless for now. It has been quilted and just needs binding done. That is my first project to complete. After Christmas it will be unveiled....
My second project is to get the border on Darcy my little Schnibbles.

These are two modest projects, and I know for sure that I will complete the quilt for my son for sure as it is a Christmas gift.

My office closes down from December 24th until January 4th, so I know I will complete more, but with my track record, this is all I will claim for the month. I have been looking at all the wonderful finishes for November by the rest of the "girls" and everyone has outdone themselves. Good job!