Keeping in touch.

Afternoon , Just taking a break from working on the long arm. Trying to challenge myself and expand my skills but it all takes time and practice. Doing laundry , listening to the television and enjoying a simple Sunday. Later will be burning burgers on the BBQ. Okay will not burn them but that's the plans for the day.
So yesterday we hosted a dinner for friends that are moving from Calgary to Saskatoon. We had a great time lots of people, great food good company. Our friends where saying we would have to come visit them. Which got me to thinking. Bad thing I know. Anyways they are moving about six hours away. Guess that's not far but would I make the trip? Sorry to say don't think it will happen. My in laws live only four hours away and I can count how many times we have visited in the last five years on one hand. Not that we don't love them it's just life. It seems between kids sports, work , chores and just running the house and gardens time just flies by. Just seems  you almost have to plan for a drive . Rod wants to do more car trips but I hate being in the car for more than an hour . We have friends in Kelowna and still have not made it to their home , would like to but scheduling seems to be an issue. We have other friends that just hop in their car and go leave Saturday come home Sunday and just  go with the flow. Mind you I look at our life and understand why it's hard getting away. In the next month all our weekends are filled with one thing or another that we can't change . Thank goodness for our back yard. For those that have never been to our little slice of heaven come all are welcome. Well guess that was all that was on my mind. Just wondering if other people have that problem when friends move. Do we keep in contact or do we lose it. Face book has made it so that I am now in contact with people I have not seen in years or that matter decades. Just something to get you to thinking.

Organizing

Morning,
Well back from vacation had a great time in New York. What a great city and we will go back in the future My husband said we would be making another trip just the two of us in the next couple of years.
 So today I hired an organizer. I have a friend that runs a company that specializes in organizing ones home, office and what ever you need. This is something one would not picture me needing but my studio gets clean then before one knows it well it looks like a boom went off in it. Plus I am a visual person so if I can't see it well out of site out of mind. Thinking it's time to get professionals in so that my studio is always clean and workable. Can't seem to work in it if it's a mess so some days will spend an hour cleaning so can play for two hours to have the mess all over again.. Evil laugh just how I work. So hoping this helps. We are trading services instead of handing over cash. This is how we have been saving money and still getting what we need done .  Got the fence done, gave our friend Denise's name to a few friends and he got so much work he did our fence for free. Works for us that's for sure. With the purse strings being so tight these days for a lot of us it's nice to be able to exchange services instead of cash. How are you saving money would love to hear idea's on ways to save. Plus anyways to keep my studio clean would be helpfull. Now guess one should see what needs to get done go wake up the kid then deal with my day. Chat later.

How does are Brains work?

Morning, so just wondering how the brain works. For example I never forget things I read, watch or learn but things like a persons name another story. In my world if I call you sweetie or honey  my family and friends know I can't recall your name. This has plagued me my whole life. If you are not someone that I know will be in my life for a while I just don't register your name. Don't do this on purpose just happens. Now faces never forget, so if I have met you well you will get one killer smile from me but chances are you will be sweety. My brain just does not waste space holding names. Silly just wondering if anyone else has this problem? I also do this regarding my Anniversary. I swear that date eludes my memory. Been married now for 26 yrs. Husband came home from business and kisses me and says Happy Anniversary. Ah should put date on calendar but to be honest still would forget about it. So what is my mind doing? Just a thought nothing more but what do you think and how does your mind work.

We all tick a little different which is a good thing. I am looking after a 10 month old child and let me tell you , you can see exactly what he is thinking. Its amazing watching him discover the world and how it works. The older kids you know what they are thinking cause they have not mastered the cover up .

So I consider myself a creative soul and my mind is always spinning and seeing the world in a much different way than say my son or husband. My husband sees everything in black and white, where I think our son sees the world through sound. Guess that's what makes each person special we see things differently.

Anyways just wondering , So today I will be working on a quilt that I promised a friend over two yrs ago. Been working on it non stop for the last week . Hoping to finish it tomorrow. Been letting the creative side of the brain work this week. Nice to be free with what I am doing. Then will spend the afternoon Baking for the weekend. Archery Camp this weekend for us which we all love. Get to see people we have not seen since last camp. And yes there will be lots of people I will call honey. giggle giggle. So Rod and I will bake up a storm. Today's the day you should come for coffee cause you would get a fresh cookie to go with it.

Well I shall close for now but let me know how your brain works .

What fills your energy tanks

Good morning, the sun is trying to sneak out from behind the clouds but don't know if it's going to win the battle but such is life. I don't know about you all but I hate the rain it makes me curl up under a quilt and read. Not saying reading is a bad thing cause we all should try and read more but it's the cocooning that I do . Lately due to the weather I have not been my happy creative little soul. It had been over two weeks since I last touched my sewing machine. And almost a month since I worked on anything special. Well this had effected my personality in ways that I did not Know. Two friends called to see if I was okay and doing well because they where worried. It was eyeopening to say the least. Well on the weekend I picked up a new book and a CD. Then on Sunday finally got into the Studio to play. Started and finished a block for my friend Sandra. Which jump started my spirits.Then thought I would start a new quilt following the pattern. Me follow a pattern with out changing it to make it my own what a thought. giggle giggle. So started making the blocks. Not sure about my color picks once I saw the completed blocks. That's okay cause I can always use it for the background of a new creation. Any ways went to my class last night took the fabric I had been using on these new blocks and used them in Class. Well guess what four different blocks later some abstract designs and now I know where this new quilt is heading. Sorry Eleanor Burns just could not stay in your box. As the creative box exploded I could feel my energy levels rising. Ah to have my energy tanks get filled up was what my spirit needed. So how do you charge your soul or spirit? That's the question of the day. I know for me it's playing in the garden, making a batch of cookies or a cake but most importantly for me is to let the creativity flow. The more one plays and lets the mind play the happier the spirit feels for me. My Grandmother painted , my mother draws, and I have always struggled because I am creative but could not say I was an artist like the women in my life. Now quilting is not consider an art form by most In my world the quilts I make are an expression of myself in some way.The ones I love the most take on a life of their own and one never knows where they will take me but I hold on a enjoy the ride. So today my Energy tanks are full , the creative juices are flowing and Deb's in happy mode. Welcome back evil giggle. Now tell me what fills your Energy tanks.
About the picture someone said I could not do a mini Bargello ha the creativity flowed the day it was made!

The Joys of Living in this Area !

Hello, what a crazy day our weather has been here in Calgary. Since Monday I spent it clean out flower beds, putting up the gazebo, putting out the day bed and lawn furniture, Setting up Hot Tub and just generally working hard so that this weekend all one has to do is bring out the coffee and morning paper and enjoy sitting out on our deck knowing the chores have been done. All the hanging baskets have been hug, flower beds are now ready to be filled but this is the fun things which we enjoy doing.On Wednsday after a couple of  hard days working  outside had a good Friend over for dinner and glass of wine plus a catch up. Then dropped her off at home. Came back changed into my swimming suite and hopped into our new hot tub which I set up on Monday. Here is a picture of Luna being the first one to use it. Could not explain to the dog it was not a water bed ! She loves the heat. Then another friend came over and we soaked in the tub while watching American Idol ( A couple of wine coolers in hand) So Monday was hot Tuesday was nice , Wednesday was wonderful taking full advantage of the spring and nice weather. Well this morning woke up to rain rain and more rain. Had only two kids today so they played while I did some paperwork. Then let me tell you this is what I looked out the window at just after lunch. Can you imagine ahhh. I now have hanging plants in the shower and under the gazebo. There are 30 tomato plants in our kitchen really glad did not get to those. So if you live in a warm area enjoy and just remember some of us deal with snow at the stupidest times.

 Just think it's Heritage Parks festival of quilts this weekend and I know if there is snow on the ground I will not be attending. Got to love Calgary. But if you do get a chance go to heritage park and take a look at the amazing quilts you might even see my newest crazy. Froggie went a courting. Snow still shaking my head.

Makes you think if it's really better?

Morning, just going through my emails which in it's self is funny to think about. At one time we would be going through the mail. Well if your mail is like mine all there seems to be is bills and junk mail. Mind you emails are just about the same. You weed through all the junk people send you for example all the chain style letters. Then you have all the jokes and pictures but really it seems no one really takes the time to write anymore. I use to love sending letters and getting them. They where in your hands you could feel them , see them and know that the sender was really taking time out of there day to sit and write you. I still write a few people for one reason or another. I wrote my Husbands grandmother every week for years till she passed, nothing important was said in them but what we where up to that week. And well I know she enjoyed getting those letters. At Christmas I always take the time to write and post a letter with our Christmas cards to catch everyone up. But someone told me about three years ago they hate getting letters like that cause it was look here is what we are doing and the kids are doing so well etc.( Note this person never got a letter from me) Never thought about it like that although I have never been one that brags about the Kid.  Anyways I think this is why I like to Blog and use face book. Some where out in cyberspace another person is wanting to connect with another soul. It's like having a pen pal. Chances of you meeting that person is not high but you enjoy writing them. Last month I met a person that I had made friends on face book. It was amazing to put a face to the notes on the screen. Plus I think we clicked right away and know we will be friends for a long time. So the question of the day is ... What would you rather have a letter posted through the mail or a email which is better? Anyways that's what was on my mind when I started Blogging. So Yesterday finally got into the garden. Did some clean up and wow I have more hours to go but it will happen. Then worked on finishing this wall hanging. It sure feels like spring is finally here. When my husband got home he put together our new fire place in the backyard and this weekend he will be fixing our fence. Someone decided that they should take it out. NICE. And before the leaves come out on the trees and bushes it's time to paint the fence and shed. The joys of summer , can hardly wait to be able to work and play outside. End the day with a wine cooler while visiting with friends. Big sigh. Must get the work done before one can play. Now guess one should close this and head into the day so off I go to get that coffee and see what my day will bring.

How does your Garden Grow?

It's May, which in my world means one starts thinking about the garden and what one plans to do with it. In the City of Calgary the main gardening rule is this, Do not plant until after the May long weekend. So you do the math we have a really short growing season. Things are popping up  all over my garden and I want to uncover the new growth but it will wait for another two weeks so that the greens are protected until after the last crazy snow we will get. Now if you have to start gardening here are some things you can do to save you money and meet your neighbors. Go for a walk, look at all the gardens in the area most gardeners have plants they need to split or move or for that matter just give away. I know I am always looking to share as my plants seem to start taking over the space in no time flat. So ask and you may just met your newest friend. Plus you just saved yourself at least fifty bucks at the garden centre. Also start going to yard sales, if you think outside the box you may find that one item that will go into your garden with out you spending a ton. People are always giving crazy things away that if you rework you might just have that special thing in the garden that makes people stop and look at your yard. And really who cares what the weather does to them it was cheap. I buy mirrors for my fence at yard sales and then hang them , it adds depth to my small yard  plus I can see what the kids are doing and they wonder how. Evil laugh. Old yard furniture can be painted. Last year I tried to give this old garden bistro set away for free to friends and no one would take it. Well a trip to the hardware store 4 cans of spray paint. Yellow, Blue, Red and a bright green a couple of hours of work and now the Bistro set is amazing. Plus the one friend said she would love to have them now. Hits of color in the yard also help. I plant perennials and to say the least they are not showy flowers, or they are but for a short time. But add some yard art that has color and it's interesting. No I don't do garden gnome's !!! Okay yes I have one but it gets moved around the gardens like the traveling gnome. And when you come to our house for a BBQ if you are the first to find it you get the door prize. Last summer many quilted table runners where given this way. It's a good party game and the kids love finding new places to hid it. So I hope I have given you some idea's and maybe inspired you to think outside the box when it comes time to start playing in your garden. If your around this summer you can always raid my garden or come yard sailing with us. It's time to get some fresh Air. Thinking maybe the first BBQ will have to start being planned. Well now go and enjoy your day cause I sure am.