What is going to happen ......

Whee !! the great Train Journey is almost here, next Tuesday sees us on the train to Wellington.

In the mean time I have visitors from UK over the weekend that is going to be real fun showing them all the sights of Rotorua, a hangi ( maori concert and meal)  and the surrounding area, finishing off with the Waikato Symphony Orchestra concert in the Hamilton Gardens on Sunday evening.
The forecast is for rain over the weekend so I want you all to pray hard for the weather to be good..PLEASE.
Nothing worse than a "Soggy Picnic" sitting in a lawn chair under an umbrella for a couple of hours.

Another treasure

In 2002 the art group I belonged to had an exhibition, we opened it to other groups with in the Bay of Plenty area.
It could be art of any medium, and this King size quilt was on display from  an art group in Whakatane a near by town... Now I am not one for scrap quilts and least of all stars especially if I have to make them, I stay way clear of points.
But I really liked this quilt for some reason ..It was made as a Millennium Project.... After the cost was recouped the rest of the money went to  Charity... Any art that was for sale was labeled and marked with the price.
Eric also liked this quilt so we bought it ....  I still ask myself on regular basis  Why did I BUY a quilt.?
Since that day it has lived on our bed and has become like an old friend and a treasure..

Pin cushion construction.

While I re-couped on Friday, I was looking at some Embroidery  magazines. In one was some pin cushions made out of all sorts of containers... so I had a look and found a couple of different things I could make them from and finally made this one. Or should it be constructed this one ...for it was mainly constructing it to fit the container, and some glue....but must admit it was fun to do.

The base is a Candle Holder the candle is long gone, and for some reason best known to someone else  for I have no idea why I  kept the base it is only 2 inches across.
So I had great fun making this...now what do I do with it?

A bouquet for you

Thank you every body for your get well wishes I had so many, it was lovely to think of so many people thinking of me. So this bouquet is for you all.

I am up now and feeling 100% better... I think if I had to rate this bout of what ever it was...... on a scale of 1 - 10 it would be around the 8 - 9 mark for one of the most debilitating things I have ever experienced.

I still feel whacked and tired but that's a good excuse for a "Nana nap"

One good thing is I have lost one and a half kilos in the three days, hope it stays off and I will try and lose a few more to go along with it... quite a nice boost as a starter to get me motivated.

Treasurers

I am sure your house is just like mine full of treasures.. I was talking with a friend the other day about treasurers we have in our homes, not necessarily valuable things, but things that mean a lot to us and why. So I will show you a couple of mine. One I made and one I was given.

This is a slate with a Tole painting on it.

My husband had just started working for an American Company and was in Hector, Minnesota on a "get familiar" course before we headed off to the Philippines to live 18 years ago ( I was in UK packing as normal).  The head office was away from the factory in the town centre above a drug store, he took a wander down  on his break when he was in need of air, and found this and thought of me immediately, I have hung it on our bedroom wall in which ever house we have lived in ever since, I have copied it in watercolours and also tried to copy it in stitching but not successfully on the later.

Another piece of work this time worked by myself...... when we lived in Wapakoneta Ohio USA about 25 years back, I had nothing with me in the first few weeks there,  until boxes arrived. I was bored silly we only had one car and Eric needed this for work ,

so there I was in a small rented,

1 Bedroom  furnished apartment, I could wander to the local town centre

but there was not a lot of shops.  

 There was a small general store that sold all sorts of things you name it they sold it but only a few of each type of thing, but they sold some threads and some Aida fabric but no patterns.

So with the aid of a sewing magazine, some threads and a needle, I managed to design this bell pull. The one thing that sticks in my mind is that I had no scissors

and had to walk again to the store to get some.

I always said I would frame it better but have never had the heart to change it,  it still has the same piece of curtain cord and a small doweling rod...

 so here it hangs  looking exactly the same to this day as the day it was finished.

May be another day I will post a couple more treasures.

Temporary Internet files

Temporary Internet files, after a day of surfing the net on the laptop I thought I would see if I needed a disc clean up...wow!!! did I ...

I had over 1,908,000 files and various other stuff that was not requested by me.   I had done a clean up  just on Monday last.

My spam box had 30 messages in it...it is frightening how much others can put on to your computer while you surf the net.

I now do a disc clean up on a regular basis and also clean out my cookies and history. The computer works so much faster for it.

Another tip my IT friend gave me is to clean off your desk top of short cuts you do not use as these are all searched by your virus detector each time you start up your computer making it slow to open.

Another tip was to keep your photo's or 90% of them on discs, especially any you would hate to lose, he knows and  has heard of many people who have lost pictures when  problems have effected their computers.. so be aware.

Day 2 from my bed

well would you believe it I am still in my bed this is day 2.

I am not sure what this virus is but it is a stinker and makes you feel washed out in every way.

A lovely neighbour delivered a meal last night, but I am sorry to say I could only eat a mouth full or two, and today so far just some toast and hot lemon drinks, plus lemonade...

Yes! when we lived in the Middle East lemonade was good for all bugs in the tummy and intestines, and carrot juice, then as you calmed the insides natural yogurt..... these were the cure all even the Doctors recommended them.

I have the laptop and have had a quiet day looking up loads of quilting sites and  various sewing ones as well...my what a lot there is out there.

I googled "Pincushions and got over 10,000 ++  ...no I did not manage to look at them all

But I have found some neat blogs.

Thank you for all your good wishes, I am sorry I have not posted all the comments but do appreciate them all.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

A visit I did not expect

I am sure you are not going to believe what happened to me yesterday evening.
I went along to my Patchwork group AGM for 7pm, I felt a little queasy on the way but thought nothing of it, I had felt  all day as though I did not want to eat..
The meeting started and I had to leave for the bathroom 3 times in the first 15 minutes, I began to feel decidedly queer. So I finally excused myself and got in the car to return home. Thinking nothing much about the 14 ks drive home.
All was going well....till about 5 ks from home I knew I had to stop the car, I swung into a car park of some food outlets, I don't remember very much for quite along time, I know I felt faint. I finally found the phone in my bag and called my son and daughter in law.... I don't remember what I said to them and nothing until they arrived, I knew I just needed to get out of the car and on doing so I collapsed on to the ground out cold .... the next thing I remember is an ambulance had arrived and took me off to the local hospital. After lots of tests for hours they still have no idea what was wrong with me... they have put it down to the proverbial virus.
Today I feel as though someone has walked through  my insides with their size 10 boots on.
So no food today just fluids....
It is amazing how animals sense something is wrong for Chivers has not left my side all day he has laid on the bed beside me with out moving.
But we are on the mend.

What to do with small bits and pieces

So what do you do with those blocks that were not just right or a tester to see how it looked, or even the drawer full of small frames that will "come in useful one day"

While cleaning out a drawer in sewing room ( yes ! still at it)  I came across a couple of small 9 patch blocks. I thought there has to be some use for these and this is what has happened to them..... 

A picture frame pincushion

Of course I really should have been doing something to the various UFO's that I have,

 instead of  playing with bits and pieces.

Fabrics are ready

I am so pleased I collected all the fabric for the Applique Class from my stash, I think this is the first time ever almost that this has happened, I have not had to buy one.

Another post so soon

Looking for a really quick snack or lunch but something a little different.

I found this in the Healthy Living Magazine.

I enjoyed it.

Corn, salmon and chilli quesadilla

So very quick and easy, and you can change the filling to suit your personal tastes.
210g can pink salmon in brine
125g can corn kernels, drained (or kernels from 2 cobs fresh corn)
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
8 flour tortillas
1/3 cup reduced-fat grated cheddar cheese

cooking oil spray

Instructions

Preheat a sandwich press or flat frying pan.

Place salmon, corn, cottage cheese, onion and chilli in a bowl. Season with pepper and stir to combine. Spread some of the salmon mixture over one tortilla, leaving a 1/2cm border. Top with cheddar cheese and another tortilla. Spray lightly with oil.
Place in sandwich press and cook 4-5 minutes or until golden and hot (or in a pan, cook on one side for 2 minutes, then turn with a spatula and repeat on the other side). Transfer to a plate ....  Cut into wedges to serve.

Grandma's Aprons

'APRONS'

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for  removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the autumn, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ' old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

A must see film.. if you want a laugh.

It's Complicated
Starring: Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin

Ok.... so It's Complicated has been out for a few weeks but I eventually got to see Meryl Streep's latest offering just last night.

Jane  is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has, after a decade of divorce, an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake

But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son's college graduation, things start to take an unexpected turn. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable, an affair.

With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness, Jane is now, of all things, the other woman.

Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam ,   an architect hired to remodel Jane's kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he's become part of a love triangle.

Meryl Streep is at her comic best

It's been a while since there has been a laugh out loud romantic comedy, the cinema was shaking with laughter.

I'm happy to hold my hands up on this one, it was great.

A real must see especially if you are over 45yrs old... you will relate to so much of it....... male or female.

Quilt "Harmony"

Quilt "Harmony"

Today I have signed up at Cottage Flair (LQS)

To take this class in .....Hand Applique

Many traditional hand applique techniques will be learnt while making this beautiful quilt.
Techniques include bias stems/overlay,
hand stitching, reverse applique  and folded roses, borders and embellishments.

Applique is something I have never been taught to do properly, so I stay clear of it like the plague...but hopefully after this class which takes 4 months  to complete, one lesson a month with copious amounts of homework...I am guessing.
May be then .... I will be willing to attempt some other projects which include this technique.

The Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics are in Vancouver Canada

They start in just a few days time.

 Mary sent me this link check it out

a beautiful film of the torch relay crossing Canada

I don't suppose we will get a lot of coverage here in NZ which is a shame for it is Kathryn's favorite all time viewing, I have know her get up in the middle of the night before to watch events.

Here it is ...finished

Before ...look how dull and lifeless it is

grey eggshell blue giving a dull reflection off the walls.

Now even with out doors the kitchen is brighter

These chaps cheered it up no end

The finished kitchen so bright and light

 I am over the moon with it have waited 8 yrs for this day

Everything is reflecting light

You don't have to have the light on now in the day time.

I am so so pleased with it.

I am so glad I got someone in to do it and did not attempt it myself.

Thanks Rob and Jarrad you did a fantastic job.

I have been thinking !!!

A few weeks ago I was talking to an elderly lady who had just been to have her toenails trimmed... now this may seem like a strange conversation but it was not so much that she told me where she had been as to how much she paid for this very small service... it seems it cost her $40.00 just for the trim and a little foot massage... I was flabbergasted I can tell you. I would not expect them to pay anymore than maybe $15 / $20.

It is not a manicure just a trim and maybe a little massage of the feet.

Most of the people who require this service are either elderly or disabled in some way which makes it quite a feat for them to trim their own nails... and they will be mainly on fixed incomes.... superannuation or benefits of some kind. 

This has been playing on my mind....

In a former life ( 1960's)  I was a hairdresser I did  my apprenticeship and qualified, but left the industry for a better paid job...  when I did my training we also learnt to do manicures and toenail trims.

So I have decided to start up and offer this service, here at home, or at the customers home charging a very very reasonable price, I am not looking to make a living just to offer a service where it is badly needed.
It must be something in my blood for I used to go around to the elderly house bound and do their hair, when my children were young ... may be I just like to give to people something that I have to share ....I know I would be grateful if or when I need this service in the future 
My Motto reads as follows:

'People will forget what you said,
People will forget what you did.
But people will never forget how you made them feel'

and I would like to make people feel good.... there is nothing worse than having uncomfortable feet.
So I am just getting things sorted I have printed cards and collected the required items and hope to be up and running in the next couple of weeks.

I would be very interested in what is charged in other towns or countries for this service or even if it is available.

A Busy Few Days

A few blogs past I mentioned having the colour of the kitchen cabinets changed.  I got various quotes for doing the job, then decided may be I could do it myself...but after sensible thinking and a few other reasons thrown in...decided on the professional painter. So I arranged for them to do it.......Sorry,  will be March before we can start..okay say I no problem, whats a few more weeks I have been dreaming about this day for 8 years now.
So the eggshell blue is going ... wheee!!

So there I was tucked up in bed having a lie in on Thursday 8am when a telephone call came from the painter .
 " we have a job fallen over do you want your cabinets done starting in an hour?"

So a leap and bound out of bed and a quick cuppa...there they were ready to demolish my kitchen.
I had a picture that I had torn from a magazine many years ago of this beautiful cream kitchen...talk about a dreamer...when  Rob ( the painter ) saw it he said he could make the cabinets look like that but transforming the kitchen from a 15ft kitchen to a 25ft would take more than his expertise.
Good I thought we have a gent with a sense of humour, we were going to get along well.

So all the doors were removed and whipped away to be sprayed, and before I could make them a cup of tea the sanding of the frames was done and a "hold tight stuff" was painted on so the new top coats would adhere to the frames.

I am so impressed with these chaps Rob and his son Jarrad not a drip landed on the floor or the walls, and it would have shown as they are wood. They also said there was no need to empty the cupboards ...talk about clean workers I am again ultra impressed.
So I will empty each cupboard into the dishwasher after all is finished ...  cupboard by cupboard and replace ... great no packing up and living in the mess of crockery all over the living area.

Egg shell blue to Solitaire pearl sheen cream, in other words blue to cream.

So in 2 days we have the frames with 2 coats on and needing a 3rd and the doors will be back on Monday.   So watch this space for the transformation.