August Musings

So I’m saving my pennies and hoping for a house sale soon

to purchase the travel Bolivar cutter with a number 6 and 8 head.

I’ve done little hooking over the last few weeks

 but what I have done has been part of a group project.

Our Evening Matters rug hooking group calls this Gisele’s Rug 

after our wonderful leader who

died unexpectedly a day before her retirement.

It’s actually an RHG design called

 Chicago T33 and is approximately 26”

X 38.”

Gisele had done the colour planning and had the bulk of the wools.

We have been hooking on it in hopes of raffling it off- 

with proceeds going to the New Brunswick Registry, a project dear to Gisele.

The registry is a historic recording of rugs hooked in the province 

over the last 25 years.

Professional photos and data are taken of each rug and stored and shared

on a website. See http://www.mats-tapisnb.com/  

Obviously the 25 year window changes each year so more and more are added.

And though our home has yet to sell, we are trusting that the timing will be just right.

The morning and evening temps already feel cooler.

My hollyhocks are passing peak and echinacea and

bee balm are making their appearances.

It is the garden with its squirrels and goldfinches, it’s chickadees and pigeons,

it’s robins and juicy worms which feeds my soul and gives me relief

from the world’s troubles.

May your week be wonder-filled.

Colds and Cutters

Writing from a state of achey body lethargy.

Summer colds are worse than winter colds

cuz everyone else is outside playing!

Supposed to be at a beer fest trying 

New Brunswick ciders 

I never had a taste for beer.

Soooooo I’ve found myself in the position 

of needing a new cutter.

I’m drawn to the less expensive Bolivar

but the BeeLine/Townsend looks super too.

I’m googling from my sick bed to compare them.

What about y’all? Preferences? Other cutters?

Happy Fourth

Happy Fourth to all my American friends and family!!

Red white and blue, long may she wave

If you are looking for a quick dessert for your celebration 

consider layering the colours in a clear glass bowl:

Blue on bottom: blueberries

Then a layer of yogurt or whipped cream

White middle: pound cake or angel food cut in cubes

Another layer of yogurt or whipped cream

Top: strawberries or sweetened cherries

And a last layer of yogurt or whipped cream 

Be safe!! 

Pocologan...Betcha never heard of it

I've gotten some more done on Grandma's Rug:

I think the side flowers will have to be pale

and pastel-like.

Celebrated another end of year rug hooking club

with a potluck followed by a rousing game
of Left-Right-Centre.
Rhonda won and she always does!
Here are pics of my gardens.

 The first Brown Eyed Susan emerges

Load of Ladies' Mantle this year

 Phlox on the right and Hollyhocks coming up on left

 Not sure what the yellow is?
Some kind of primrose?

And my girlfriends and I just spent
two nights in Pocologan, New Brunswick.

We had a bonfire on the beach, waded,
walked, drank wine, whined, ate seafood
and watched
 a sweet seal frolic.

Lisa, Brenda and Sandy

Good Gals!!!!!


Happy Canada Day!!!!!

Of Moving and Moose

This prepping the house for sale fiasco is for the birds.

The current practice is to get rid of anything that

looks personal and then stage it.

Well I’m already tired of feeling like I live on a movie set - 

each thing we touch or mess up

has to be put back in place.

Have y’all seen Escape to the Country?

No staging there.

Happily, our lilacs are out, making the home extra pretty!

 Our neighbourhood excitement this morning was the rogue, 

teenage moose loose in the park beside our house. 

The forestry department is shooting it with tranquilizers for relocation. 

Poor, poor thing he must be terrified.

And a shot of Lucy who always wipes her face on 

the huge wool rug after she's had a treat.

The whiskers look too cute for a scolding.

I must get out Grandma's Rug today. 

I love that it's geometric and easy to stop and start!

I’ve been decluttering like mad to get this house market ready.

The agent suggested I use the wool room as the packing area as it

already has so many boxes 😬.

Then I thought I was nearing the end and had a

Home Stager come in and I had a brand new list of to-dos.

You can tell the dog isn’t used to my cleaning as it is making her

very nervous!

I started on “Grandma’s rug.”

This was a free pattern in the Mar/Apr/May 

1995 RHM issue.

I thought I deserved a break from the sorting and boxing

so I went with a friend to her cottage at the head pond.

The head pond refers to the body of water at the top of the dam.

O it’s wonderful!

She and her hubby are building the cottage slowly but steadily.

We sat on the upper deck with hook

 (her rug is fall leaves and my Grandma rug) 

and wine in hand as the winds rustled the birches and the sun shone down.

Ahhhhh....

When we drove home from NC, we stopped outside of Portland, Maine

at Mackworth Island State Park and did a hike around.

Jack-in-the-pulpit

 The island was quintessential Maine with its evergreens,

rocky coasts and clear, cold water.

 

One portion along the trail had a fairy house forests.

Dozens and dozens of little fairy houses dotted the

area- all made from forest floor offerings.

 

My hubby and I added to the construction of a couple.

Dog Lucy was good and just sniffed.

We highly recommend this enchanting place if you

are in the area.

Happy weekend!

Home A Jig Jig

The old nursery rhyme: "home again home again jiggedy jig"

was one we used when our kids were little

to let them know we were returning home.

But I shortened it calling it "home a jig jig."

So, yes we are home again in Canada

 after a very fun,very warm trip South.

We managed to stop at one hooking place,W. Cushing in Wells, Maine.

I also wanted to return to Camp Wool in Kennebunk.

Alas they are closed Tuesdays and that

was my only day.

But Cushing was fun and Liseanne and her

employee were welcoming and helpful

even with an informal hook-in going on.

Outside was welcoming but the cozy warren of rooms

 and loot inside was most fun.

An assortment of hook books, antiques and pottery.

Hooked models and wool remnants.

I must say these gals were very quiet. 

Our bunch would have sounded like a buzzy beehive!

Cupboards of offerings. Something to see everywhere.

Threads for the puncher and stitcher.

I was tempted by the ornaments.

My loot:

Two wools, dye, needles, a pattern, tape and a quilted bag.

Wouldn't you say I was pretty behaved?

I would recommend stopping in,

even going out of your way to pop in, 

to this well stocked store.

We were on time constraints but I

could have spent well over an hour here.

Lucky for my purse, I could not.