A PARTY, A RETURN AND PRESENTS ALL AROUND..

Yesterday was my weekly "Blanket Club" meeting with my two cousins. I enjoy this so much for a variety of reasons, the main one being the closeness I feel to them.,,not having siblings and no longer having my parents, they are such a welcome part of my life. We talk about family, what's been going on from week to week....future get togethers, our blankets..etc...it's like having sisters I never had...it's the closeness I felt towards them when I was growing up, before we all got married and had families.

Anyway, yesterday we celebrated my cousin B.A.'s Birthday....we had veggie wraps and homemade blueberry coffeecake for dessert!! Yum!!!

Last night was also the much anticipated arrival home of oldest DD. She was about an hour later arriving than origionally planned, due to delays at the border, but she had a fantastic time!

She brought back T-shirts, hats, key chains for each of us, and she bought me a gorgeous ring!! I will take a photo of it in a separate post. I have not seen her photos yet, apparently there are upwards of 600!!! She has gone off with her boyfriend today, as there is no school for any of the kids, due to an inservice in the entire province. (How lucky is that???)

Once I see her photos, I will ask to "borrow" a couple to post here.

Have a great day everyone!!

Marion

I'M STILL HERE!!

I'm here, but just trying to get alot done today....it's a gorgeous sunny day here, and not supposed to be sunny the rest of the week, so I am taking advantage of this gorgeous spring day...windows are open, laundry is hung out..more about to be hung out....just a nice day.

I'm also working in youngest DD's room. We are stripping off all the vinyl wallcovering that came with our home when we bought it years ago....it's all off...we will be eventually painting the walls and the ceiling and getting her a new bed...can't wait until it's all done...it's a long processs.

I am hoping for some time outside this afternoon....with the breeze there are no flies around (did I mention I HATE flies!!!).....and supper will be easy....a BBQ, which DH will do later when he gets home and leftover cake for dessert.

We spoke with our oldest last night...she is on the last leg of her band trip...heading to Kittery, Maine today for shopping....anyway, yesterday they went to see The Blue Man group and they picked her to go up on stage with them!! She said it was awesome and they took a polaroid photo of her before she got off the stage and gave it to her!!!! What a wonderful memory/keepsake for her! I asked her if she liked New York or Boston better...she said of all the places they went she liked Salem, Mass. the best!!! I'll have all the details when she gets home tomorrow night! Can't wait to see her!!

Have a great day everyone!!!

Marion

AND THE WINNER IS.........DRUM ROLL PLEASE

momof2princesses said...
Those bookmarks are beautiful! I love to read & I'm always misplacing bookmarks, or my 6 yr old snags them for her books, lol. I will hide these from her! I have many, many favorite authors. Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Grisham, just to name a few.Thank you for stopping by my contest! Good luck to all your entries!
April 23, 2008 5:15 AM

Congratulations!! I've left an email on your last post on your blog, so please get in touch with me at your convenience.

Thanks for entering everyone!! Can't wait for the next Blog giveaways!!

Marion

SIGNS OF SPRING????????

This was this morning at my house!! Notice youngest in the bottom photo ready for school...LOL

Hard to believe that earlier in the week I was raking my grass, weeding my small garden, sitting outside reading and we had a BBQ!!!!! Snow, snow go away, come again another year!!!

I also had a phone call from oldest DD this morning...they were getting ready to head into NYC for the day!! She is having a blast so far....and they've got alot crammed into each day, so they are pretty tired by the time they get back to the hotels....tomorrow is another travel day...or at least part of it..they head to Boston...and to a Music Festival there...she said she will try and call again tomorrow morning.

Anyway, have a great day everyone!!!

Marion

US HERE THEY COME!!!

After a few days of packing, unpacking, repacking...picking up last minute things..checking lists...meetings for parents and a WONDERFUL Band Concert last night...my oldest DD has left on her Band Trip of a lifetime! She is heading to the US with 99 other students and several chaperones. You could feel their excitment! The concert last night was mixed emotions for me...it is the last performance I will see my daughter play in...she is not taking band next year...she cannot fit it into her classes and achieve what she hopes to. However...what a way to finish up!!!

I have hopes that my youngest will enter band next year. I ask that she try it for a year (and hope she will continue!) my son took it for one year, but it really did not interest him.

So fellow bloggers, that's why I really haven't been around much the last few days. Do you know how much a teenager needs for a few days!!!!!!??????LOL

Have a Great evening!

Marion

A GIVEAWAY...

Okay, I hope I've got this all done correctly! This is my first giveaway! You will get 10 beautiful collectible bookmarks...they are from my husband's company..and they are gorgeous! Each bookmark is laminated and has a different photo of our wonderful capital city...and on the back of each.....a description and a bit of history of the photo! All you have to do to win is enter a comment and tell me who your favourite author is and why! I will send these anywhere in Canada or US.
Thanks for entering!! I will draw a name on April 26th!!
Marion

OUR COUNTRY HOME

This is my back yard as of yesterday. I took this photo standing on our back deck (which is up high from the yard). We planted grass seed the other day...my hopes for this yard....a fire pit....a trampoline for the kids and a lawn swing for moi! We have lived here for many years and our home/yard has undergone alot of changes....last fall we had our back yard cleared and I was thrilled!! I can't wait for the grass to grow (some already has) and for us to really enjoy the yard!!

This is the front of our home....and we are not that close to the road...we actually have a big front yard...it's just the way I was standing and took the photo! We also have a basement underneath, with a walkin door in the back....I'll take a photo of the back someday soon.





This is our garage and second driveway....that round gravel circle is our pool pad. We have an intel easyset pool that goes there in the summer....it was the only place we could put it..LOL...we've had it for about 7 years now.






The above is our beachstone/brick and gravel walkway in the front..coming from the driveway.

I have solar lights that look really nice at night.




And this is our side/back deck...goes from the driveway, around to the back, overlooking the backyard in the first photo.

Have a great day everyone!

Marion

SO THE PURPLE ISN'T PURPLE....

This is youngest with what was supposed to be purple hair! Next time we will go with the black and maybe then it will be purple! I like it and I think she is liking it more today...anyway it will be gone in a few shampoos.

Have a great day everyone!

Marion

IGNORING!!??

No, I haven't really been ignoring my blog...I've just had a really busy few days. I've been trying to get my oldest DD ready for her big band trip this coming week...getting last minute things for her to take, etc. She has also been having problems with "pains" in her stomach from time to time and I am hoping it's just nerves. So, if you can say a prayer and think kind thoughts for her I'd really appreciate it!! She is going to the Doctor tomorrow to see what she says. DD is prone to things like this when she is excited, but this time she will be in another country!! So I do hope nothing goes wrong!!

Also, yesterday youngest DD and I got our hair cut...and she wanted to dye hers purple (the kind that washes out in a few shampoos) well, we did that last night, but it isn't purple...it's kind of a brownish copper colour and I think it looks really nice, but IT ISN'T PURPLE, so DD isn't too happy with it..LOL...I'll see if I can get a photo of her today...she didn't want one taken last night.

I came down with this tension head ache, which I get once in a while and it's still with me....so I'm hoping I can shake that today!!! I think it's just worrying about oldest DD and her not feeling 100 percent.

Anyway, that's about it for me...I'll be back to a regular Blog post hopefully later today or tomorrow at the latest.

Have a great Sunday everyone!!

Marion

BLANKET CLUB TOGETHER AGAIN!!

Yesterday my two cousins and I met for "Blanket Club" again and this time we got wonderful bundles of Monk Cloth that one cousin had brought back from Florida! Let me explain the history of "Blanket Club".......three years ago when my dad passed away, I was in awe of the wonderful things people did for my mom and me.....my cousins included. I renewed friendships with cousins that had been a very important part of my life growing up, but as we grew older and got our own families, the closeness was gone...anyway, I maintained these friendships and value them dearly. We had a cousin reunion last summer and are having another this summer...all the cousins bring their spouses, children, grandchildren...etc...it's lots of fun....now the history of Blanket Club started when I was getting together occasionally for lunches with two of my cousins...over lunch one day we started discussing the fact that it would be nice to have a new hobby.....one cousin mentioned the art of Swedish Weaving, which someone had showed her a few years before...she was almost done a blanket....so she invited us to her house the following Tuesday...that was almost two years ago...we meet weekly, except in the summer and work on Blankets, talk, have lunch...it's wonderful. The irony of it all is that the cousin that originated this idea has only ever made the one blanket!!! She gets a real kick out of the fact that her sister and I have made about 20 between us! These blankets are important to me...I have given some to family members, I have some in my home, but more importantly, each Blanket represents the wonderful friendships renewed over the art of Swedish Weaving and something none of us will ever forget.
I'm enclosing the photo of all the wonderful Monk's cloth...

THE INNOCENCE OF A CHILD

Yesterday as I was dusting things around the house, I got to reminiscing about years gone by. My son, who is still only 14 is the reason for this...let me explain....when he was younger, we spent ALOT of time visiting and staying with my parents in the town I grew up in (100 miles from here)..all of my children loved these visits and their grandparents...anyway, one of the privileges of going there was the fact that there was a Dollar Store within walking/biking distance for my children....my son loved to go there.....he would sometimes bring me back goodies that he had purchased with love and the innocence of a young child.....I still have these treasures around my house....a dog ornament, a fridge magnet, a plant pot, a container to hold my coffee for my coffee maker,a lady figurine,a potpourri container that says "I LOVE YOU MOM...a candle...etc...and I realize now that these treasures have become a thing of the past...he has grown and has other interests. I will always look at these things with love...remembering how they came to be in my house. And I miss those days.

A thought to ponder.... My son.......he's growing up....

WHY IS IT SO HARD BEING A PARENT?

I feel this is a necessary post for me at this time. First of all, my kids are great....it's just so hard being the parent sometimes! Yesterday I was going to meet oldest DD when she had a break from her work teaching swimming...her break is actually 4 hours, as she teaches in the morning, and again in the evening, so I decided I would pick her up and we would go shopping. Youngest DD was to come with us...HOWEVER, the one thing I had asked her to do was practice her piano for a few minutes!! Did she do it?? NO! She stalled and stalled and then I said "Fine, you are NOT coming with me!"......She was okay with that until she realized that I was serious, then the tears started, the begging and finally the promising to practice. I stood firm...and I left without her.....I was sad as I was driving to pick up oldest, but I knew I had made the right decision...it's just so very hard sometimes, isn't it! Oldest and I had a really nice time...we browsed a second hand shop, a book store, went out to lunch and then hit Wal-mart for some travel accessories for her trip next week. My oldest is going on a big band trip...she's going to the US!! Maine, Boston, and New York!! While in New York, they are going to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway!! Can this kid get any luckier! LOL She deserves it, they are a fabulous band and we are very proud of her. She plays the flute by the way.

Anyway, I just needed to vent a little on being the "mean mom" yesterday.
Take care
Have a great day everyone!!
Marion

I FEEL HONOURED AND BLESSED...

I urge each of you who read this Blog, to check out on my side bar the Blog..."She Who Makes Waves"...(sorry, I can't do the link thingy yet)......and read the wonderful post she did explaining our friendship. I could never had done it so wonderfully as she did. If you do pop on over, maybe leave a comment?!
Thanks
Marion

TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY....

Don't worry fellow Bloggers, I will be back in full force tomorrow with a new post...I am just taking a couple of lazy days.......take care and I hope everyone has had a great weekend!!

Marion

IT'S SUNNY, but I'M NOT!!

It's a beautiful spring day, same as yesterday, however, for some odd reason, my mood is not sunny. I don't know why, there is nothing wrong, I just feel like I could either laugh or cry at any given moment. This will pass...it always does...
I'm sharing some photos of yesterday.....my tiny garden is sporting some of my summer accessories...solar lights, wind chimes and a bird bath....I got those out and set up yesterday.....while I was doing this...DS was on his dirt bike and DD was standing upside down on our swingset...(I never could do anything like that as a child, so not sure where she gets this from! LOL)
And my lillies are poking through the mulch!! Yippee!!!
Anyway, I really don't have an elaborate post today....off to drown my sorrows in some tea......take care everyone and have a great day!!!

Marion

I've been Tagged!!

Tag, I'm It!

I was tagged by Nancy at http://lifesastitch.blogspot.com/


Here's how it goes:


1. When tagged, place the name of the person and URL on your blog. Done,


2. Post the rules on your blog. Done,


3. Write 7 things about yourself. OKAY


4. Name 7 of your favorite weblogs. I can't name just 7, so I'll leave this as almost all the Blogs I've found in the past couple months.


5. Send an e-mail letting those bloggers know they have been tagged. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged. (Okay, not the rules, but I've changed them a bit.)


7 things about myself:


1. I am a very private person, but what I hope is a good, kind one.

2. I am an only child.

3. I have a weak spot for Border Collies...love their "strange' personality.

4. Cross-stitching is my very favourite hobby.

5. My birthday is March 1.

6. I love Anne of Green Gables books.

7. I will be married 21 years this October.

Okay...it's YOUR turn now if you've been tagged!! Have fun!

A SMALL POST FOR MY FRIEND KATY...

You had asked me what swedish weaving is...well....I do have a post somewhere on this blog, but not sure where....anyway, I have done several of these blankets...it's made with 2 yards of Monk's cloth and some varigated Red Heart yarn...and a needle...basically, you follow a pattern and weave the yarn in and out through the holes in the fabric and voila...you have your pattern! They are very cozy and warm blankets...and lots of fun to do. My cousin taught me about 1 1/2 years ago. This photo is my very first blanket, which is now in our family room.

Good night everyone!!
Marion

CREATING A HOME SANCTUARY..

My Blogger friend Katy asked us how we create a home sanctuary......I'll do my best in this post.

I am not perfect, as much as I'd like to be more perfect than I am....I not. My house is "lived in". With three kids and a dog and DH...it's LIVED IN. I try to keep it as clutter free as I can, and no toys in the den...the downstairs family room is large, so my youngest can have some toys down there, but they must be neatly put away when not being played with.

I am a SAHM, and quite honestly, I enjoy the "me" time during the day when everyone has gone about their schedules....school and work for DH. I use this time to get as much done as possible but still try to take a bit of "Me" time to read, cross-stitch or do swedish weaving, and usually I have a candle burning during that time and in the evenings when everyone is home. My favourite candle scent that I have purchased is peach/strawberry preserve and it smells YUMMY! I also like cranberry, vanilla and lilac.

Our home is in the country, and it is decorated in country and antiques. I also love the primitive look. I am honoured to have my mom's treasures displayed in my home, and my grandparents living room set....I love displaying old and new photos...and I think we have a pretty cozy home.

I try to keep the kitchen counters clean...dishes caught up (no dishwasher here)....the bathroom counters clean....but the laundry is NEVER caught up.

My favourite time of the day is early in the morning...I get up before anyone else and put my coffee on....I love that time of day....so peaceful and quiet and everyone safely tucked in their beds..

And that's our little sanctuary......
Marion

EDITED TO ADD....EEEKK...I just noticed the dust on my candles and lamp!! I told you I wasn't perfect!!!!

WHAT IS THAT SHINY OBJECT????

in the sky!!!! Could it be the sun!!!! We are in for a glorious week of sun! Do you know how rare that has been to us this year so far???? I am thrilled!!
My goals for today:
Laundry started
Go for a Walk
Paint the bathroom door
Back to de-cluttering youngest DD's room, so that we can redo the whole room (at the rate she clutters this will NEVER get done!!)
Cook chicken for supper
Make bread in my bread machine

I'll post later as to what I ACTUALLY accomplish today! LOL

Oh and ya gotta love teenagers....oldest DD wants to drive to school today (which she did, by the way) but wanted gas money from me to do so....her reasoning....HER money is for her band trip later this month! Sadly I had to say no, I didn't have any cash on me, and I really didn't.

Have a great day everyone!

Marion

WINE AND CHEESE?

Literally. Today was gorgeous, so DH, DS and youngest DD and I headed out to visit a couple of wineries and a cheese factory.....we do this periodically, but with the rough winter we've had weatherwise, it's been a LONG time since we got some wine for our wine rack. We also visited a Bakery and got some goodies there...and ofcourse a stop for a Blizzard at Dairy Queen.
Great day.

Hope all of yours was just as nice!!
Marion

POSITIVELY AN ANN WITH AN "E" DAY!!

It is absolutely the most spring like day we have had so far this year!! (I won't mention the fact that it IS supposed to snow tonight!! SHHHH!)
The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, there is a slight breeze in the air...just my kind of day!!

This cross-stitch is a chart/kit I've been working on for almost 2 years...I work on it for a while, pack it away, take it out..do some more....I WILL finish it....I always do finish them...some just take longer than others. This will be framed eventually, not sure where I will hang it.

I went to the library this morning. I got the movie "Dreamer" for youngest and I to watch tonight...tonight is movie night for her and I...provided she is home and no friends are sleeping over! LOL Her and I both really like this movie, so I thought it would be fun to watch again.

I also borrowed some "Decorating Your Kid's Rooms" books and will look through those on the weekend. I've got ideas for her small room...just can't wait to get started!!

Have a great afternoon everyone!

Marion

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

TGIF!!

I didn't post yesterday, not sure why.....although it was a pretty uneventful day for the most part. We had HIGH winds yesterday, but it was sunny, so I decided to venture out and hit the bakery I love, which is about 50+ miles each way! The drive was really nice despite the wind, as I took the secondary highway and that provided shelter. My reason for going there (other than to please myself and family) was to pick up some goodies for my cousin who is returning from Florida with her husband next week. We have been using her house weekly to meet for Blanket Club, so her sister and myself decided that we would provide a meal for their homecoming. I picked some of her favourite sweets and but them in a container in my freezer...cousin J is going to make a casserole and biscuits and we will freeze the entire meal for their convenience. Just a little thank you for the use of the house. :)

Anyway, I do hope for a more interesting post later today, but for now....must get DD off to school and I have an appt later this morning.....

Have a great morning everyone!!
Take care
Marion

MARY ENGELBREIT

Mary Engelbreit has always been a favourite of mine. I think I got my first "Mary" book almost 10 years ago...and over the next few years I have acquired a few of her books. I have found them in Thrift Stores, on Ebay and in a favourite Dept store of mine.

A couple of weeks ago I found these two "Mary" purses at a Thrift Store. I could NOT pass them up. I am a purse fanatic and always changing the purse I am carrying. These are small, but in "new" condition and depending on my mood and what I am wearing, will be added to the purses I use.

CROSS-STITCH 101

Here is a work in progress and a finish! I adore these two Lavender and Lace charts...the finished one is "Emma's Garden" and the work in progress is "Isabella's Garden". In the Emma's Garden project, instructions are given to actually work the lace on the project, but it is also suggested that you can add your own. I chose to add a piece of a doily that my aunt made many years ago...when it is framed I will add this on the back, telling where the lace came from. I hope that each of my daughters will someday have these pieces hanging in their home and pass to their future children. For now, when both are done, they will hang in our family room.

DAY OF RANDOM POSTS

Good morning everyone!

I am still not back to my usual self...this cold seems to have knocked the wind out of me. Anyway, today I plan on doing a few random posts about things I want to share/talk about.

The photo in this post is a cross-stitch kit I picked up last summer in PEI. It is the companion piece to the Green Gables Sampler at the bottom of this blog. This chart shows Diana and Anne in a field of flowers...the verse on the chart reads as follows
Friendship:
Life is a garden,
Good friends are the flowers,
And time spent together
Life's happiest hours.

This is on my "to-do" list for stitching....my list if very long!! LOL

Speaking of friendship, yesterday was my Blanket Club meeting. It was just my cousin J and I this week...we meet at my other cousin's (J's sister) house, even though B isn't at home. It's just a central meeting point for us and B doesn't mind...she's actually been in Florida for the winter and likes the fact that we meet there weekly. Yesterday we chatted about our Blankets, A from next door came over with a blanket she is crocheting and we had tea with her. I brought some Banana Bread and Caramel cupcakes.....J brought soup, biscuits and strawberry jam! So for 3+ hours, we worked on our Blankets and talked. I am so thankful for the friendship of my extended family.

Marion

FIVE UNUSUAL THINGS ABOUT ME...

Katy from "The Country Blossom" suggested that anyone that wanted to tag themselves and do this..should...so I did..LOL

Five Unusual Things About Me....

1. I was 28 years old before I got my drivers license. I didn't feel I needed my license before that...I lived in the city and walked to work.

2. I always thought I had blue eyes....when in fact it depends on the day...some days they look blue, some days they look green.

3. The only "long term" relationship I've ever had is with my husband. I dated several guys, but only for a month or two or three until I met him. When I met him, it was different. He's a very honest person and I knew that from the first time we met.

4. I'm a very shy person until you get to know me. I talk alot when it's "one on one".....not overly comfortable in a crowd.

5. I never get bored. Maybe because I grew up an only child...I learned to amuse myself from a young age...I read, played with my dolls...etc..and as I grew I found other things to entertain myself. I don't remember the last time I was "bored".

If YOU want to do this...feel free...and let ME know that you did so I can read it!
(Taking this way of doing it from Katy)

Have a great day everyone!
Marion