Forever in Blue Jeans

I am back, back from 5 days with Best Friend, back from the Neil Diamond concert and trying to convince myself its back to the normal routine again. I am not easily convinced, I want more days off. I always have such a good time with her but we never have enough time to do all that we want. Oh well, I will just have to go back there soon.

First things first, the Neil Diamond concert. Well to quote my face book status "I have sung as much at other concerts but I have never danced so much with my arms over my head SOBER in my entire life!! At age 71 Mr Diamond ROCKED IT OUT!!. No back up band, no intermission just two hours of a solid powerhouse performance." The man still has his pipes although at the end of the show you could hear a little rasp in his voice. So much energy, so much mutual appreciation between the man and his fans. We found out right away that he likes his audience to stand and sing with him. This is rewarded with an enthusiastic "one more time" from the man himself and we were treated to another round of  Forever in Blue Jeans from the second bridge to the end. We got FOUR repeats of the last chorus and verse of Sweet Caroline. One of the Sweet Caroline repeats he asked us to sing to him and he took a break. 13000 people obliged him and sang it back to him while he smiled at us, hand over his heart. His back up band is incredible. He has the obligatory trio of sparkly girl singers who belt it out with the best of them. Its such fun to go to a concert where the performer appreciates the audience and the audience appreciates the performer. I was so glad when he treated us to the rock and roll version of "When I Saw Her Face". I do not like it as a ballad, not even a little bit.  He still can give a great performance, still gives me the tingles when he sings the line "play me". It was well worth the trip.

Best Friend and I had a lovely time doing stuff besides swooning over Neil. I arrived on Wednesday in the mid afternoon. Before I got to her house I did manage a visit with my eldest brother, the Historian and his Mrs. which was an unexpected treat. They did not think they would be home when I was zipping through as they had a prior engagement but I arrived before they left so we had some time to catch up. Thursday Best Friend and I took a load of stuff out to the family camp that she attends each year with her girls. We hauled, food, sleeping bags, dishes and all the sorts of things on needs for a week in a cabin that has nothing. Her youngest daughter came with us and we left her out there. Driving to the lake took the entire day. Its a nice place to be, I am a little jealous that she has a week at the lake and I am back to work.

Friday we took to the City, had our tarot cards read, did a tiny bit of shopping, went for supper then hit the concert. Saturday was a lazy day, sleeping in, lunch at a tea room in a neighbouring village which is also an art gallery and play house. After that, it was back to her house for a lazy afternoon, pizza supper and watching Calamity Jane on TMC. All too soon it was Sunday, a flurry of loading cars, off to the city for breakfast at Grainfield's then I for home and she for the weeks camping with her girls. Now I am here.

It is good to be home again but I could have used some more days away. Minou is pleased to see me. Well as pleased as she allows herself to be. I have been granted the rare thrill of providing three belly rubs to Madam since I came home. A sure sign she missed me. Teddy Bear took great care of her while I was away. My flowers are looking lovely, the day lilies in the back have bloomed for the first time ever since I moved to this house. Just when I had thought I would dig them out and replace them with something else they go all bloomy and pretty on me. Hmmph!!

All in all, it was a lovey 5 days.

Toodles,

Linda

Next Project Please

Two quilts made, four more waiting in the wings to be made but now I am taking a break and doing a little knitting. I am headed off to spend a few days with Best Friend so I need a carry along project. Thankfully there a lots of babies happening in and around my work family so I am currently making baby blankets.

This is the one I started on the weekend. This wave pattern is so fun and so easy to do. I love that, it looks like it may be complicated but really it is super easy.

This is one I finished last week but forgot to show off. Its crocheted and worked up lots faster than its knitted cousin above but I think its perfect, bright and cheery, just right  for a new bundle of joy to snuggle up in.

Then when I was taking pictures of these ones I realized I missed showing off this pretty little crocheted shell number in a delicate peach colour. The pattern is from one of my Grandmother's books. The yarn is lovely and soft, it has linen in it and it feels fabulous. Someone gave it to me and I have two balls left so I have to find something to make with them. 

I have also been continuously knitting dish cloths. I give away a lot of them as gifts and I sell a lot of them every year. Last year I think I knit about a hundred and after Christmas I had none left. So I am back at them as well. I didn't take a picture of them but you know I will one of these days.

So I have one last day of work tomorrow and then I am off for some quality time with Best Friend. I will not have computer access as I do not own a lap top yet, so I will not be blogging for a few days. I will be back soon and I will tell you all about the Neil Diamond concert and my time off.

Toodles
Linda

Sunday Stuff

I had occurred to me that I did not share a picture of the Square Dance king sized quilt that I finished. So I hauled it outside an hung it on the clothes line to take a picture. I don't have the room to get a good picture on a bed, not to mention I do not have a king sized anything in this house.

Its a proper scrap quilt this. I made it is sections because I did not have the room to do it all at once. I just need to get it delivered now. 

So its another hot day today. The sun is out in full force and I am thinking that a day inside is called for. I was going to go out and hit a garage sale but I have talked myself out of that.The Lottery gods did not smile on me this weekend so work is on the table for Monday. Honestly those lottery gods have a lot to answer for. Laundry and knitting will fill in the day unless something more interesting shows up. 

So I need to go start the laundry, do the dishes and then maybe I will settle down to an afternoon with the needles. 

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Toodles,

Linda  

Happy Saturday Part 2

Currently the Jazzy Jigsaw quilt for Best Friend is drying on the clothes line sucking up all the wonderful dried outside laundry smell. Its completely quilted, bound and freshly laundered. I could not be happier, I am going to get to deliver it to her and that is awesome because I was not sure it would get done. Its for snuggling under on the couch and as such is not a huge quilt but ample to cover oneself from nose to toes while watching classic movies.

Partly made from her Dad's dress shirts and some extra material thrown in from me it is a medley of her favorite colours in the world, blue, green and yellow. She choose the pattern and so here is a peak:

I think she is gonna like it. I rather do. I now am thinking I am going to reduce the size of this pattern and make a baby quilt for my Godson's first born. I have not sent him anything yet and the baby arrived in April I believe. I can see a crib quilt in bright primary colours. I guess I will drag the scrap tubs out again and start rummaging.

So its been a grand day for me. I quilted and go this project done. I patch painted the stairs finally and I managed to make some homemade laundry stain remover. I have yet to try it so I don't know if it works. I will let you know. I hope it does because it would be a cheap alternative to buying the stuff constantly. I did the dishes and have managed to keep the kitchen table clear of crap for the entire week. Go ME!!

I have to admit I missed all the shows I had taped on the old DVR today, I did not get my Coronation Street fix whist I stitched my heart out. Oh well, I have a new DVR and its not like I have not keep up with Corrie. I am miffed I lost the Hatfield and McCoy's mini series that I planned to watch all at once but now all I can do is hope it shows up on Netflix or the history channel re-runs it. Thankfully the HGTV stuff I can watch on the computer. Sliver lining in the cloud.

This evening I am going to start knitting a baby blanket for a co-worker. I have to find the pattern I printed off first but that should not be too hard. I hope. Tomorrow I have some things I need to do, laundry, check lotto tickets, and show my self at a friend's garage sale. Right now I think I may nip out to the LYS and see what I can find.

Toodles
Linda

Happy Saturday

So far this is shaping up to be a perfect day. I had a lovely sleep, got up and went for breakfast. Back home, coffee on the veranda and now I have the entire day ahead of me and no real "has to be done" stuff. Sigh, I love it. I can spend the day puttering, quilting and tv watching. I have some yard work to do but it can wait until this evening. Today is supposed to be hot so I am staying in where it is cool.

My sewing room is a complete mess but its mostly always a mess so I am not concerned. It will get tidy one of these days. So I really have nothing to say for myself. Just I had not been on here for awhile. May be back later.

Tooles,

Linda

Long Weekend Musings

I had the best wake up this morning. I rolled over and looked at the clock, it said 6:17 am. I instantly panicked, WHY had the alarm not gone off, WHY did I not hear it? Once I calmed down my fuzzy sleep filled brain remembered that I did not have to go to work today, the alarm did not go off because I had not set it last night. With a song in my heart I flipped over and promptly slid back into the land of Nod until 10:00 am. Bliss. I  like mornings like that.

So now I am up, fed and watered, still stiff and sore but thankfully, I am armed with Ibuprofen so I will get through the day. A day which will involve a lot of quilting, hopefully. It has been a fine weekend, things have been accomplished and its been nice to have the time off. The boxes of books have gone to the Rotary Club, the towels to the Humane Society. Laundry is done and the kitchen has stayed decent for the last two days. A miracle in itself.

I will be honest though, it has been one of those weekends where I miss the fact that I have no family of my own. I am not talking brothers and cousins and the like, I have those. I mean my own. Once in a while I really regret that fact and this weekend was one of them. This feeling will pass, the world will turn and time will float by and I will get over it. Its just occasionally I indulge and have a pity party, table for one and this weekend was it. July long is for camping, beaches, barbecues, fireworks, and family. Sigh. Life is what it is, and I will pull my socks up and get on with it. 

Well I need to get the backing for the quilt sewn up and ready for quilting. I need to plant that last dogwood bush and I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. Busy, busy, busy.

Toodles,
Linda

Sunday Stuff

Not a great start to the day, woke up this morning so stiff and sore I would rather do almost anything else but move around. There is no reason for it, I really did nothing yesterday to warrant all this pain but I sure am   creaky today. Oh well, lets hope this passes as I have things I want to do today.

I finally got the kitchen cleaned yesterday. That room, honestly, it never stays tidy. I clean and clean and clean it it looks like drunken monkeys have run through it seconds later. I blame the cat!. I also did some laundry, washed the sheets on all the beds. I also almost have the quilt top sewn up. I got groceries and had coffee with Teddy Bear. All in all a good day.

Today I wanted to move the rug in the living room about a foot to the east. That means moving furniture and from how I am feeling, I think that its not gonna happen, at least not today. I have other things I can do, I have two big boxes of books to drop into the Rotary Club donation box. (if I can carry them to the car) I have some stuff to go to the Humane Society. Once that's done, I can come home, wash down the stairs and do some patch painting. I have more laundry to do and a few dishes to wash. The quilt top can get finished and I have one final dog wood bush that needs planting. That should keep me out of trouble for a bit. I really should go get cat food and litter but that is not an urgent thing, it can wait.

Well I should get off my butt and get at the things I can do. I may be back later.

Toodles

Linda