Best/Worse/What did I learn today?? Come join in (if you can find us!!)

Betty - are you up to the running around required to do dusting around your home?

Didn’t do it Susan
I watched Marie shovel her drive across the road, banks are so high she can’t lift shovel high enough to get over bank

She was out at 4:30am, 7:45am, 11:00am, i can see how she is struggling but know she would do mine but can’t so before she tried i got dressed, started snowblower, could barely use it, struggled but did it.

In last 3 hrs we’ve had a tad over 2’ snow, suppose to continue same til tomorrow

Once it stops I will hire someone with equipment to clean back of house

Pray it stops
Nap time

enjoy your nap.
Glad that you Didn't do the dusting. It sounds like an easy chore, but not when you have many rooms in a big house. I only have 1,000 sq ft and I find it a lot, especially the sewing room/den lol
Hoping the snow stops, and you get someone to clear it. Sounds like you had the snow we had. When you used your snowblower, was it your place, or were you helping Marie?
Tonight's Games Night and I've already told them that I'm not dealing cards. The small hand motion needed hurts. They said that my left thumb is swollen. I don't see it, but they do. Time to relax now.

Glad to hear you are feeling better Betty. Don't over do it, and put yourself back in bed.

This morning is clear but snow starts about 2 again

I could see that Marie was beyond exhausted doing her place and mine so out of bed, dressed warmly and did the areas I needed to do. A few hours later went out again, did about 1/4 of it and felt I was was going to pass out.turned to come in deck way when I heard “Betty can i help you?” Was young Evan who is 12 and comes to sew for the last 5 years at least, he finished with my snowblower, snow was falling so heavily he said he would be back later which he did..

Not only did he came but brought their big snowblower., did the areas and said he would be back this morning.

I’ve had some solids and although I’m not 100% I’m sure feeling stronger.

Marie dropped in for a visit, thank goodness she did, i had her birthday marked as tomorrow so was getting someone to pick up a card, a cake and Chinese food for her and Ted, here her birthday isn’t till the 20th. Sigh of relief

Going to try and use Endust at least in living room, coffee table is disgusting, so much at hair, it’s where Ziggy enjoys laying..wish me luck

So glad to hear you had help.

Betty - glad that you have help. Nice that you have some breathing space before her birthday :)
Today's a quiet day - I sure like my Saturdays.
I'll work some on my Victorian outfit. Working on the reticule (purse).

Betty, you worry me! Is there any way you could Ethan on a regular basis? You being out there with the snowblower etc is just NOT a good idea.
I have been working on the "Quilt as you go" that I started over 9 years ago. I made blocks that served as center pieces on my son Adam' & Andrea's wedding reception. I intended to make them all into a quilt for them. Andrea said not to, the dogs would just ruin it. I finally decided I was done storing them and I am turning into the quilt that I planned. What they do with it is their business. The wedding reception guests had signed the blocks so it's not like I can donate it. Their anniversary is this Friday, Valentines Day.

Afternoon, was out at 7 snow blowing, moved my car to clean that area better, had Jammies on but thought at that time of morning who would car so down to Foodland .

Oh Pat, if there is anything I can say I started then disposed of was a sew as you go quilt, certainly not my thing. Are you trying to complete by Friday?

I’m sitting quietly going through patterns, i had made 5 of those Georgian Bay sunset quilt but think all those patterns went to the dump when I had that big flood.


What changes in our grocery stores, told most have been busy organizing and labelling product made in Canada has a big red maple leaf, and most else from country of origin, went to buy a few lemons, says they come from Egypt, never thought where product is coming from, certainly didn’t think Egypt. Kind of fun looking and checking everything, almost like when you are on a diet and watching calories.

Greg dropped in this morning to check on me, was heading to a meeting, just got back from 10 days in Mexico, (Xmas gift from company) then 3 days snowmobiling with 50 guys up north, said in next few weeks he would be focusing on work, catching up because a company he works a lot with gave him a trip to Bahamas end of March..lucky kid.

I am feeling much better, so burnt in areas I shouldn’t be, finally resorted to using good old cornstarch, anybody have other suggestions? On my last 2 antioxidant pills for my kidney infection which I got in emerge, here is hoping i can reach my doctor to give me more.

Ziggy seems to prefer back bedroom, maybe it’s the view

Betty - WOW, what a LOT of snow! More than we have here. What IS that in the 2nd picture, under the snow? Looks like something with lights. A car???
Ziggy looks all cozied in. I remember when you got him - just a wee kitten. He's sure grown up.
Working on hexagon pieces to make into a 5 sided (with a hexagon center) to applique on plain blocks, to make a queen-sized quilt. It's pretty easy making the hexagons - just 9 stitches joining in the center back, and I've done enough for 26 blocks in 3 days. I'll do enough for 42 blocks which, using 12" blocks means that it's a great stash buster. I'm using many different weights for the hexagons, but will use cotton for the squares, so it's all good.

That's a lot of snow.
Not for sure what to use for your skin. Ask your doctor when you talk to him.

Sunshine this morning then starts another 4 days of storming.
Went and had my hair cut extra short , almost feel human.

Sharon has to be in Oriilia at 1:00 and wants to leave about 11:30 and go to fabric shop but with storm moving in I am thinking perhaps I best stay home. Drats, do need pink and maroon batiks.

That picture Susan it bad bedroom deck, snow piled on metal table and just behind it my metal gazebo I got last Mother’s Day, if it hold up without roof having in i will be pleased. Not fond of hexagons Susan, bet your project will look quite dimensional

Deb,how is the weather 8n your neck of the woods..feeling better?

Think of Dianne often, hooe she and TH doing ok

Pat, will you make the deadline of Valentine's Day for your finishing the anniversary quilt?
Lindakay are the dogs all in their forever homes? What new project are you undertaking?

Good morning. Glad to hear you are feeling better.
Yes, all puppies are at new homes.
I am working on another one block wonder quilt.
I found this Mardi gra fabric at hobby lobby. I have them all cut and sewn. Now I need to get them on the design wall and sort them out.

Yes, I finished and delivered the quilt. Adam was going to be back on the road by late Tuesday and I wanted it delivered before he left town. I promised myself I would worry ONLY about the placement of the front blocks and ignore the layout of the back. LOL, you can see how THAT turned out! All the one fabric ended up in the corner, oh well. I was trying to spread the dark borders out on the front.
Linda, I really want to try the one block wonder but it's going to be a while! We are working thru the sewing room, long arm room and then will tackle the bins of backing that are on shelves in the garage. I just loaded the car with the stuff we have already sorted out.
I'll bet you miss the puppies, Linda! There were so cute. I am not a dog lover but I sure fell in love with Adam's first litter's golden lab puppy. I am grateful he was the first to go because I really was struggling.
I have the border chosen for the centers and will have to set time aside to finish them. I am considering turning mine into a throw blanket for a friend of mine who recently enlisted in the Marine's over a year ago & then married. They are expecting their first baby.
Susan, you obviously have LOTS of patience and enjoy hand work! I don't even consider a hexie!
I sure miss Sharon, is she on facebook?

You gals sure are giving me the bug to get at a project.

Pat had you said nothing I for one would have not notice the design,sure fits the bill for Valentines Day and Anniversary gift, so very pretty, did you enjoy doing that method or would rather had quilted on longarm.

Bet you are missing those puppies, no more for a bit? Love the Marci Gras fabric, will be interesting to see finished design.

Sharon is on Facebook and sends me sewing tutorials and ideas and keeps me updated on her gardens. As for Dianne I am not sure. I’ll have to ask Debbie if she hears from her, with Christmas then getting sick i haven’t kept up with Debbie either.. hoping she can come visit in the spring.

Jeff has been working on his house, he must really be bored as he bought a Lego flower kit to add colour to his decor..it’s just too funny, I cannot imagine him work8mg with 1,000 piece wildflower kit

Say a prayer, Peighton is suppose to come tonight for her class, she gets here about now, so praying she forgot

Ziffy used my arm as a climbing post to getup beside me, ouch,ouch

Forgot Jeff’s Lego kit

Betty, my oldest Dana bought a Lego flower set a couple of years ago. It's about the only flowers he has bought his wife! LOL he collects Lego's, I'll take a picture of his sets the next time I am there.
YIKES, Ziggy needs to find a new way up. that looks so painful. Stanley rarely jumps directly onto my lap. He prefers to jump onto the arm of the chair and then walk into my lap. I am so used to it I rarely notice.
I REALLY did not like process of putting the QAYG style of quilting. As I said, it will likely be the ONLY one I ever do. It was my first Paper Piecing project AND my first :quilt as you go". I did not own a long arm at the time and I had thought it would be a way to put together a quilt quickly after the wedding. I did the whole thing on the sewing machine by pinning it all in place and then top stitching, going back with a decorative serpentine stitch. I did not slip stitch the back by hand, it was all machine.

I miss the puppies, but I don't miss them. They were a handful to keep after them. We get photos from thosebthatbtooknthem home. They are settling in good at the new homes. That lego flower is beautiful.
Pat, I love that quilt.
Betty, take care of that wound.

thanks Linda. I understand "I miss them... I don't" feeling!

Betty - the hex is SO simple because I slip stitch the circle at the back and this makes it a hex. 7 hexes make one piece to applique to a quilt - one for center and 6 around the outside. You skin looks awfully thin. SUCH a bruise! You'll have to train Ziggy to do better.
Lego flower LOL Too funny on both of you, Betty & Pat!!
Linda Kay - glad all the puppies found their forever home. Must feel quiet around your place now.

I went to the Huxley Colony to pick up a roast and he threw in a package of hamburger for free! He said "no cost, you didn't ask for it, I gave it to you"!!! Long before I'd decided I'll never buy hamburger from a store because it's awful. I'm lucky to be living rurally where I can get fresh produce, eggs, and meat.
I'm going to take Homesteading 101 classes that will be given in March in one of the communities nearby. She'll teach soap, cheese, and tincture making (not interested in making THC tinctures lol). Years ago I made a Velveeta type soft cheese. It's pretty easy to do. I still have the recipe.

The home steading classes sound interesting. I took soap making a long time ago but never did make any, but it was interesting!

A friend of Melanie’s came here and taught a few classes re soap making, did enjoyed it, not sure why I didn’t continue making it. When I am at local craft shows she is usually selling, must stock up.

Was out about 3:30am this morning, Marie was out doing her drive, climbed back in bed til 7:30am, just getting ready to go and get areas done.

usually when school bus are cancelled schools are still open but not today, schools cancelled as well. Ari usually comes 4-6pm, am hoping her grandmother doesn’t bring her as I’m comfy on couch.

Took small feeding of spaghetti sauce out for supper but i don’t think my tummy wants something that heavy.

i might have knit 2” on my shrug today, at this rate maybe it will be ready for next winter.

Sure hope your days are filled with sunshine.

She says the soap is lye-based.

Happy Valentines Day everyone

Another winter wonderland ‘so they say’ except they aren’t the ones who are out every few hours shovelling and snow blowing, big sigh.

Going to make some muffins, have a coffee then see if Icant finish knitting the shrug.

I won't complain about our several inches of snow, this is the WRONG group for THAT!! LOL
Happy Valentine's day ladies!

Happy Valentine's, Happy Galentine's Day, too :)
To all my gal pals :)

Making a St. Valentine's Day dinner at Silver Willow (SW) - have the pot roasts on, and veggies peeled and in water, waiting to be turned on. Now to make buttermilk biscuits, and haul the rest of the stuff over to the hall.

Oh Susan, have a wonderful Valentines meal, sounds so yummy.

Pat, I don’t mind winter or snow just not non stop for a month. Everyone seems to have their vehicles on the road and they are doing major clean up, best they work fast because you can’t have a vehicle parked on roadside after 6p.m.

I’ve kept up with snow but haven’t taken snow off the car, tomorrows job. Had to laugh, looked at the weather station, here it said it was clear in our region, looked outside and a blizzard going on lol

I am so hoping my last clearing of snow has been done for the day but doubtful.
Finished my shrug (shawl) I’m nice and toasty wearing it. Managed to make my muffins and now my body is saying, that is it for today.

Forgot the photo

Now to start one for mom

Pretty sweater! I never got good at knitting or crochet. I have no intention of trying now! LOl

Susan, I hope you all had a wonderful dinner.
Betty, that shawl looks so comfortable.

Happy Valentines day everyone.

Betty - I was thinking that our church needs to do those shrugs, rather than the prayer shawls. They look so cozy.
The dinner was lovely. However, one lady had an argument with her sister, so She didn't come & I think a couple of others forgot. It was 6 of us, and afterwards some went home & others came to play cards at Games Night, so we ended up with 6 of us playing cards - 5 Crowns. It and Tens, are 2 games we seem to play a lot.
I brought a lot of leftovers home - a whole roast, actually, and the 6 of us had seconds lol. I'm going to have to work on perfecting the Tunnocks. It's a difficult recipe. If only I'd been able to find some Marshmallow fluff. My attempt at making homemade fluff failed. I'll have to keep trying I guess.
I now have dinner for several nights lol roast, potatoes, carrots, and dessert, dessert, dessert lol Plus buttermilk biscuits and tea biscuits lol

Here's the Tunnocks recipe
https://www.tastemade.com/recipes/tunnocks-tea-cakes-1
I could NOT get the egg whites to have stiff peaks, so it was runny. Tasted good, just very messy to eat.

Just in case the link doesn't work, here's the recipe
Tunnock's tea cakes
10 1/2 ounces 40% dark chocolate, chopped
5 1/4 ounces plain flour
1 3/4 ounces wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 ounces softened butter
1 3/4 ounces caster sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons double cream
3 free-range eggs, whites only
5 1/4 ounces caster sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons freeze dried raspberries + pink food colouring
1 teaspoon peppermint extract + green food colouring

Mix the flours, baking powder and salt together, rub in the butter then add the egg yolks and cream to bring it all together.
Roll the mixture out to 3/16 inch thick then cut out 15 rounds, the same size or slightly bigger than your chocolate moulds.
Chill for 30 minutes then bake at 340°F for 10 minutes.
Remove from the tray immediately and put on a wire rack to cool.
Melt 5 1/4 ounces of the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.
Once melted, remove from the heat and tip in the remaining 5 1/4 ounces - stir until all of the chocolate is melted through.
Wait until the chocolate has begun to thicken then spoon it into your moulds, and use the back of a spoon to spread it around.
Keep the chocolate bowl and any remaining chocolate in it.
Put all of the marshmallow filling ingredients, except the flavourings, into a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.
Heat the filling until all of the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is frothy - about 10 minutes, stirring with a whisk so the eggs don’t cook.
Remove from the heat and whisk with an electric whisk until stiff peaks are formed.
Divide into three and flavour and color each portion, then put the mix into a piping bag.
Pipe the marshmallow into the chocolate moulds and then place a biscuit round on top of the marshmallow.
Heat the chocolate bowl again over simmering water then remove from the heat and add the last 1 3/4 ounces chopped chocolate to the bowl - mix until melted.
Pour the chocolate over the biscuits and spread out with a palette knife then place in the fridge until set.
When set, release the teacakes from their moulds, and, if necessary, trim the bottoms so that you have perfects rounds.

Wow that sounds like a time consuming desert but bet beyond delicious.thanks for sharing, i copied and pasted in my cookbook notes. I can so see how you enjoy cooking.

Can barely see anything but white surrounding me. Jules just came with the backhoe and tidied up the banks, I’ll go out in the morning if not too stormy and clear off my car, move it and clear that area so I’m ready for this weeks snowfall. So far they’ve cancelled buses 16 days, don’t know how they will catch up on their studies.

If by any chance there are a few hours without snowfall tomorrow I will go into midland for groceries, maybe pick up Chinese food and a cake, know Marie’s birthday isn’t until the 20th but just in case I can’t get out then I’d feel better being early vs late.

So what are you all up to?

Two terrible things happened, a couple i know were killed in a car crash, and a friend’s house roof caved in, lost everything, Moana struggles just making it through most days, don’t know how they will make out, we are same age… guess I should count my blessings!

This message was edited Feb 15, 2025 6:33 PM

ohmygosh, Betty - how awful! I gather no one was hurt when the roof caved in? I couldn't read the small print in the article.
As for the car accident - so sorry for the loss of this couple. They were a lovely looking couple.
Yes, we should always count our blessings.

Is anyone else having problems sending a post? I'm asked to preview, then try to post but it will only go through after about 3 or 4 tries. I feel certain that I'm multiple posting, but I'm not. I know that I don't need to edit all the time, so why is it asking me if I do? annoying, to say the least.

That is tragic Betty. Winter can bring so many hazards.

I had been invited to a friend's for Saturday night & accepted. Then the weather got ugly and the roads slick. I reasoned that I was NOT that far away, and I would have felt guilty canceling. I ended up the ONLY person who showed up. I am glad I went. I felt bad for Jackie. All that food and preparation, she had even bought little heart boxes of chocolates for each person she invited.

Yesterday meant the 3rd day of working in the longarm room. It's still not finished and when Marie asked me if I wanted to bring down the bins of quilt backings to sort from the top shelves in the garage, I thought I'd scream. NO, no, no.... and did I mention NO?? I intend to help her finish the current job and then sew the borders on the centers & mail them off, THEN a whole week of sewing for pleasure before I can even consider the backings.

Pat - glad that you DID go - I'm sure Jackie really appreciated it.

Started out to go to church this morning, but the ice fog was SO bad, that I turned back halfway there. Could only see a couple of yards before & behind me. Coming out of the Park where I live, I almost got wiped out by a car coming towards me as I crossed the highway to turn left. I felt I had to go - I was the scripture reader today, but I watched the service on Zoon and someone else did the reading.

So, the rest of the day is one of relaxation, and I'm taking Family Day off tomorrow, too. Tues morning I'm getting picked up at 7am to be the "designated driver" for Bill - he's getting a cortisone shot for his hip, in Calgary. He says he'll drive, but they won't let him go home without a driver.
Thursday I go to court to be a witness for Bob's breaking 2 court orders. I hope this is the last of everything - I just want it all to be OVER.

Can someone please post the link to our Best/Worst quilt site?


N/M - I found it. It IS annoying though, trying to post something & it won't post. Anyone else having this issue?

This message was edited Feb 16, 2025 12:12 PM