Well it has been a hot and muggy weekend and Monday brings no release. They have high humidity, heat warnings and smog alerts out so that means stay inside and no excessive exertion.
While watching a football game on TV yesterday (while I was reading of course) I saw fans wearing coats and rain gear. They are getting cool temps in the prairies. This summer, Canada has seen such a diversity of weather. If one part is having a drought the other side is having rain like never before seen. They say our crops across the country are in jeopardy if the weather does not stabilize. Of course that means higher prices for all of our food!
Speaking of food – which I love- but I have to say I am not a very adventuresome eater. I am more of a traditionalist though not a big fan of meat. I love baking- especially during the holidays. On our way home yesterday from the senior citizens home, there is a market with local produce where I drop by to get my week’s supply of fruit and vegetables. It is not cheaper but it is definitely fresher and the produce seems to last longer. I focused in on the berries. The wild blueberries have made it to market and they are wonderful. I love baking with them. There were raspberries which are coming to the end of the season and the strawberries are plump, juicy and sweet. No sugar needed on these! I was steered to a site called
Joy of Baking which has all kinds of great baking recipes. Two that I especially want to make are
strawberry/banana muffins and
lemon blueberry tea bread. Mmmmmm… Now if only I can save some of the berries. I am snacking on a bowl of them while I write this.
My brother’s party was a great success – there was too much food! My sister- in-law is Greek so we had some traditional Greek dishes mixed in with our traditional dishes of pasta salads and greens. The kids had such a joie de vivre swimming and doing belly flops in the pool. It was a very relaxing and wonderful time. It’s a little something different from my usual crafty weekends.
I mentioned in a previous e-mail my love of beads and have used them in my punch needle designs. They are especially nice during the holiday season when I start doing my Christmas ornaments. This year I started making bracelets – nothing too complicated as it is not something I am going to really delve into but just a little something different than the needle work. I am learning wire work right now but in this piece no wirework was used. It was knitted – yes knitted I said. When I first read about it – I said no way but with the right tools it is a breeze and I love that it whips up quickly and that they make a wonderful gift which has a wow factor.
These are the new socks I am knitting. They will be on sale at
Wooly Footsies in September. Don’t you just love the colour combination? They are my funky socks and they are always a surprise while knitting. I am excited to see what new colour or pattern emerges. If you have not realized it yet I can get easily distracted by other projects so I need several on the go so that I can flit from what thing to another. I don’t produce a project as quickly as I could if I concentrated on one but happen to complete 3 or 4 at the same time. With socks I find it more stimulating to finish one half – go on to another style and then go back to the first one. I am like that when reading a book. I don’t read one but have usually 3 on the go.
I just finished Jodi Picoult’s
Handle with Care. I am a great fan of hers and have been following her since I picked up her first book years ago. She always writes about controversial subjects and really questions the ethics of situations. There is never a black and white but a lot of gray areas. This, her latest book was true to form and I loved it. She is the only author, whose book I will buy in hardcover as soon as it comes out. The movie “My Sister’s Keeper”, which just played in theatres was based on one of her most recent books. I have to say I was disappointed with the movie. The ending was changed and it became a Hollywood ending. The whole message that the book portrayed was lost by this change. I much preferred the book. Often I find that happens and I wonder what the author thinks who wrote the book. My rule of thumb is always to read the book first as it was intended.
So I started off with football and ended up with reading with a whole of crafting in between.
Have a great day - Joni
It is so much easier to wind hanks of yarn when you have one of these. I have been using the back of a chair or my knees and by the end of a couple of windings my arms are ready to fall off - what with detangling, dog hair and just general frustration. Tried it tonight and works like a charm. Got some Smooshy yarn wound up for a new pair of socks soon to appear in my Etsy Shop.
The second design is one that has been in my thoughts for awhile. On a trip to Ireland driving through the countryside around Dublin we came across a crossroads that was the village of Slane, Co. Meath. It had four identical Georgian houses built at each corner. They were the same grey limestone and the story told was that they were built for four spinster sisters. The houses were built in such a way so that could keep an eye on each other. Another tale is told of a brother who built the houses for his sisters because he could not stand their quarrelling – so they each got the same house – no jealousy there – and out of his house! So I designed it with this story in mind - but my houses will be pastel colours – with cascading roses in the border.
So with two projects in my lap along with many more – there is never a bored moment in my life. Just not enough time!
So I walked around and took some pics of my flowers – a good reminder that yes I can grow something. Once tried a vegetable garden and that was a terrible disaster. It probably had something to do with the black walnut tree I have growing in the yard. Learnt years later than you should not plant a veggie garden near this type of tree. Don’t know if it is true or not but hey it was a good excuse rather that say my green thumb was sadly lacking in green.
