2016 Canada... Tuesday

I spent Tuesday sewing while they fished.  With windows open, ceiling fans running... it got up to 78 during the day, but the moving air helped and it wasn't too dreadful.  I think the heat made me sluggish and sleepy as I didnt get much done during the day... only the first row... six blocks for a quilt I'm hoping to get it done and gift to a special friend this Christmas...this year.

They came back empty handed late in the afternoon, but happy. They actually they caught lots of bass, which are not in season and had to be released. Pike are in season, and they haven't gotten any. I think Stan said the pike are in deeper water... out farther than the little boat they are renting can go.  

We were invited by neighboring campers to join in for a fish fry.  Stan and Kelly opted to eat the ribs I had cooking in the crockpot.  But  Matthew and I are the big fish eaters and we opted to bring some ribs and join in.  The fish was delicious... as was the golumbki (polish stuffed cabbage) pierogi, keilbassa, meatballs, lasagna and tenderloin. Attendees contributed a variety of dishes and it was a lot of fun.

After dinner it cooled down a bit and I sewed into the night and pieced the next six blocks.... two rows done... five to go!

2016 Canada... Monday

Monday morning and it is 71deg and a beautiful sunny day. 
I know I sounded bitchy last post.  I'm sorry,  but I wasn't expecting totally rustic living for the week.  I'm doing better this morning...except for the cracked glass coffee pot....we'll get another from James later.  Meanwhile I can boil water in a pot for instant coffee and cook eggs and toast for breakfast.

After breakfast, Stan goes down to talk with James when he arrives about the water situation and wi-fi.  It turns out that we are the first to stay here this season and all the circuit breakers were not turned on. Got that fixed and everything works.  YAY!

With the wi-fi now working Kelly does some research and finds a salvage yard for a used rim and a repair shop in Kingston (40min drive)  Also.. I didnt tell stan... and he didnt notice until the border... that the check engine light came on when the car hesitated and started roughly for me Sunday morning.  There was nothing we could do about it anyway, so I kept quiet.   It's happened to me before and it had something to do with the computer and pollution control sensors.  So, hopefully, it will be nothing again.

Stan and matthew will stay and get the boat and fishing gear ready and start fishing while we are gone.  Kelly and I head to Kingston for car repairs and groceries for the week.  The auto salvage yard had a rim for $35can. Then in town, we found a Firestone and bought a new tire to put on the good used rim, added air to the broken rim tire and bagged it to keep for spare. Checked, pumped and mounted the donut spare back under the van. They said the check engine light indicated a misfire and trouble in the fuel line. They think that was because the van was lopsided for the flat and a bit of air may have gotten in and messed things up. 4hrs $225can

While waiting for the van to be repaired, we got lunch next door at Harvey's. Tried poutine...meh.

I love french fries *drizzled* with brown gravy... this was drowned.. and I didnt think those curds did anything for taste. After eating, we walked up then down the road for an hour to kill time and got some steps in, it was nice just spending time and chatting with Kelly... I miss that.

The van is "fixed" and its now 430 and we head to Walmart for groceries. Didn't get even one block and the check engine light goes back on. GGRRRRRR! Around the block and back in. Now the computer says the AFR.. air-fuel ratio is running lean. He says.. its not a problem I can make it home and it wont cause any damage. No need to mess with it. Huh??? OK.. I guess HE doesn't want to mess with it at the end of the day.

We bought groceries for the week and get back to the lodge with no problems. I Googled AFR and it said that the carbeurator needed tweeking to enrich the ratio. low AFR might cause the engine to run hotter.

I talked with Stan about it and he said it would be good to give the van a test run and go visit my online quilting friend in Ottowa, Quebec.  I first met her in person at a retreat in Virginia Beach last year and really enjoyed her company.   Hopefully there will be no problems driving. I will have the the GPS which worked yesterday when it was sunny... but if its overcast it doesn't work... so we'll see what the skies look like in the morning. Iv'e got the written directions so i should be ok. l'll take Stan's iphone ... which does work in Canada... I don't know why... in case I have a problem.  Not sure who I will call, but I'll figure that out if I need to.

The guys had a great day of fishing while we were gone and matthew caught two 17in+ bass and they both caught several other smaller fish. kelly went out with them for an hour or so until it got dark and caught 1 small something...so they are all happy.

2016 Canada... the drive continues

we get up at 7am and have a quick hotel lobby breakfast.  We go out to the car to discover that the tire has a slow leak and is low. Now this is Sunday of the holiday weekend... there is no help!! and we need to be at the Syracuse airport by 1:30 to pick up Kelly.

The desk clerk gives us directions to the nearest WalMart (30 miles away) where we were able to purchase several cans of  fix-a-flat and a tire pump.  We're on the road again and driving under the speed limit instead of flying down the road praying it doesn't blow again.  We know we are late but still trying to make it to Syracuse airport. Kelly calls when she lands and is just gonna hang out until we get there... (about 1.5hours)   Just as we enter Syracuse we hit HAIL!!! and blinding MONSOON rains! couldn't see a thing in front of me!....everyone put flashers on and just followed the barely visible lights in front...praying! We find Kelly and load her in.  Luckily the rain subsided and we are on the way again. We stop at a grocery store in Watertown to p/u supplies for dinner and breakfast. 

This is my first time driving into Canada and Kelly and Stan are warning me about all the questions we are going to be asked, and what we have to declare.  We are about fifth in line and they are making me a bit nervous.  I pull up, hand over our passports, the guard asks me where we were going and how long we were staying and we are through!  They are amazed!  When they went through last year they grilled and the guard was astonished that they were from Tennesse and had no firearms!.... like it was totally unheard of!  LOL

We made it across with only 5 min to spare at the money exchange but too late to get fishing licenses. 

We have to drive across this small draw-bridge to get to the lodge.

We were "lucky" on the way out to get stopped and have to wait for the bridge to open and let a boat to go through.

We finally arrive at the lodge around 8pm, exhausted and hungry.

This is not the cabin i was expecting.  I was led to believe it was like the cabin we stay at in KY....NOT.  I am freaking out "inside"... they are thrilled to be here. This is a big old house split into 3 "apartments"... ours was upstairs on the right. **15** creeky and worn wooden porch-type steps up... there is a landing half way up...but oh my knees! nothing was locked.... ok locks are important to me...I'm from NYC.. Iv'e been robbed.. locks are important to at least "feel" safe... but they assure me all will be well... O..kay.
Only two windows are open and the place was hotter 'n hades. NO AC.... this was not going to be my comfortably sewing away while they fish!  I'm freaking out even more...but i was good.  I kept my cool and kept my mouth shut.

  

 

l opened the rest of the windows. They carried everything up the stairs while I sorted belongings between the 3 BR and put sheets on the beds.  We sat out on the steps and landing until 10pm while the place cooled down to a balmy 78deg... i am now REALLY sorry that we forgot the wine.... kelly and matthew cooked the spaghetti and sauce and we ate. stan did dishes.

I head for a hot relaxing shower... NOT.... NO HOT WATER....its barely not cold.   Kelly says it will warm up if I let it run a bit.... it didn't. Sigh...I took a cold shower.  I am the queen of long hot showers... this was not going to be good. 

The wi-fi wasn't working and my Verizon phone doesn't work in Canada either. Kelly and Stan played games on their tablets... they had service.  

We played a couple games of gin rummy before I head for bed listening to the loons on the lake. 

Kelly goes for her hot shower and said i was right.. no hot water.. it should be warmer... we'll talk to management (i.e. james) in the morning. 

Welcome to Canada.

2016-06 Canada... the drive... day 1

We have had an exciting 2-day drive to Canada...NOT!... complete with a totally blown-to-pieces tire, flat spare... even tho i asked the guy at home to check it when i had the oil changed... and no Fix-a-flat ... I gave my can to Stan when he needed it and forgot to replace (it is now 3pm on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and we are stuck between exits on I81) 

Removing the tire only to discover that the spare was flat too!

The tire blew so hard it ripped the bumper/side panel off the screw that holds it together.  Luckily we had some duct tape in the car!

This is the biggest piece of the hubcap remaining after the blow out!

This is what the tire looked like.  It totally split apart!  We left a scattered trail of pieces of the tread along the highway behind us.

Stan put the flat tire back on and the spare in the back of the van.  I had to drive 3 miles on the side of the road at <10mph to get to rest area. There was a sign saying dial #77 for roadside assistance, so I called and explained the situation and the woman said help was on the way.   I'm thinking a tow truck.... but no... a very nice cop arrived and spent 2+hrs trying to find someone on his list of wreckers willing and able to come help. the biggest problem is a bent rim (now its after 5pm saturday-holiday weekend) 

Finally,  730pm a wrecker arrrives with his flattbed to tow us 3mi to the next exit. ... picture a guy from the movie Deliverence!!!! OMG!!!   He loads up the van and the 3 of us squeeze into the front seat w him...he's on the phone to his guy at his "shop". He drives to the next exit, turns off the main road and proceeds to take us down a series of dirt roads through fields and woods... its dark..... its late..... we have no idea where we are..... and we are in the hands of a guy straight out of Deliverence!...we're gonna die!

His shop was a huge metal building full of "junk" and equipment. His guy pulled a worn tire out of the mess .. they banged the heck out of the rim and got it straight enough to mount the tire, filled the spare...and we were back on the road at 10pm for $300. I believe we got hosed, but we really had no choice.

We drove an hour to our previously scheduled (missed) meet-up with friends for "dinner" .  Grabbed dinner at Waffle House and drove  another couple hours to our hotel in PA at 2am!..asleep by 201am :)

2016-05 some progress

I've been busy with customer quilts lately and not had a lot of time to make progress on my work.


But when I was awoken before dawn by thunder & lightning storms I made some progress cutting and piecing parts for my Mardis Gras quilt.

I have also spent some down time de-boning shirts in preparation for another Bonnie class that I will be attending in July... Bricks in the Barnyard.

I will have to continue stopping in Goodwill in search of one or two more denim shirts to complete this.   I think I also need to locate another half-yard of that gold colored fabric.

2016 may 10

May 10 called for another very special dinner and cake


grilled chicken, macaroni & cheese and home-grown green beans

   and a dinosaur cake.... do you recognize T-rex??

He was very happy blowing out the candles and opening presents... dinosaurs of course!

I had a bag of Easter eggs tucked in the corner of the dining room that I forgot to get downstairs into the closet.   They had so much fun looking for treasures.   and they weren't too disappointed that all the eggs were empty.

2016-05 Paducha classes

I signed up for three half-day classes while in Paducha...

The first class was Fire Island, by Linda Hahn.  This should have been a full day class with all that we had to do.  I did learn how to make the New York Beauty blocks and sew in those arcs and managed to complete 2 of the 40 needed for this quilt. I only trimmed one of the blocks ... I wanted to leave the second untrimmed as a guide for future blocks.  The kit included templates for the block and a dryer-sheet type fabric to trace the pattern on instead of using tear-away paper.

We had a two-minute quick lesson on making the alternate block for this pattern and class was over.   I would have preferred to have time to make samples of both blocks.... the alternate block is a HST with a flip and sew corner so I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out.

No pattern was included with the kit... you had to buy her book at an additional cost... but I'm positive I can figure out the block placement when I get that far.

The second class was Glorified 9-patch by Toby Listcho.  I really enjoyed this class.  Templates and pattern were included with the kit.  Two blocks were completed and she demo'd how to assemble the blocks on-point using her template for "bikini" shaped filler blocks.  There are also directions on how to bind the quilt matching the different color backgrounds in each block.  I look forward to completing one of these.   I can't show you what I did complete in class... and afterwards back at the cottage... because I used this opportunity to make a tablerunner for a 3-color challenge that can't be revealed until August.  I promise pictures will come later.

The third class was Mardis Gras, by Toby Listcho.    This is a Lone Star based pattern and I enjoyed learning how to make those 45deg cuts and piecing the star parts.  But again, this should have been a full-day class.  She did give a demo on how to do those pesky "Y" seams, but there wasn't time to try one.  I was a bit frazzled when  I left class and as soon as I got home I laid out all the pieces I had cut in hopes that I'll remember what to do.  I ended up changing out one of my fabrics.  I had cut my striped fabric in the wrong direction and then once laid out I didn't like the look, so I went on a shopping trip and found a replacement.

As soon as I have time, I'll attempt to remember the lesson and give those Y-seams a try.

2016-05 Paducha

I've been a bit busy the last couple weeks and forgot to post!   shocking!  I know.

  

It has now been quilted and is waiting to be bound.  I pieced the backing for the Trip Around the World wedding quilt for my husband's niece.

I took some time off and went to Paducha for several days to see the AQS Quilt show.

I arrived in Paducha Tuesday afternoon and spent several hours drooling over fabrics at Hancocks... and burning up the credit card!

I bunked with Wanda (from Alaska) and her friend Terry.  We went to TGIFridays for dinner and a "rousing" game of trivia!  LOL!


Wednesday through Saturday I rented a cottage with Barbara, a friend from church.   It was a very relaxing place to be after a busy show and classes.


We set up tables and featherweights in the living room and enjoyed the view of the Grand River, watching tugboats go by... pushing barges of coal .

  

Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday I signed up for classes (more on that later) and spent time at the show.   But Friday we spent all day relaxing in the cottage sewing and chatting.... except for an afternoon exercise break when we walked down the hill and out to the end of that jetty and back.

There was the mandatory "Sloanie" meet-up on Thursday with Pat Sloan

Pat laid out her blocks for the Splendid Sampler... an online sew-along that she is hosting.  There will be 100 six inch blocks made when this is done!

And no trip to Paducha would be complete without a dinner at Patti's 1880 Settlement.  Great restaurant... great food... great friends... old and new.

2016-05 garden happenings

Early in April we had to cover the strawberry patch with cheese cloth to protect it from last frosts.  Now it is, hopefully, protecting the berries from birds.  We've already picked several quarts of tasty, juicey berries!   YUM

This is my garden... where the tree root used to be.  I've got 3 rose bushes and half rows of peas, kale, spinach and kohlrabi.  I've planted seeds in front of the roses for galardia and callendula.  I'm not sure what will come up there as Toby has decided that loose dirt is his playground and he has been digging in there.  If nothing comes up in the next week or two I'll have to run to the nursery and buy some plants.

Our grandson has his garden planted now too... lilliputt, medium and large zinnias, sunflowers and cosmos.  He is hoping to earn a ribbon again at the fair in August.

He has been very helpful planting and watering beans in the vegetable garden. He had wear his backpack fully loaded and armed to defend against anything that would dare hurt  his plants!

2016-05 May 1

May is a very special month...


   It calls for spaghetti and meatball dinner while watching Scooby-Doo on tv...

  and Nana stretched her artistic skills and made a Scooby-Doo birthday cake!

2016-04 part 3 wedding quilt

I've finally gotten this 100x100 Trip Around the World top pieced for my husband's niece and her fiance.

(sorry about the fuzzy picture)

I personalized it for them by embroidering their names on the center block.

Next up will be to piece the backing..  I'm going to have to add left-over strips from the front to the backing fabric to make it fit.

2016-04 part 2 class prep work and a challenge

I am working on preparations for upcoming classes.

I bought these fabrics for the Mardis Gras class.... a variation of a Lone Star pattern and there are no pre-cutting instructions given... just fabric amounts.

As you can see I chose NOT to use traditional New Orleans Mardis Gras colors of purple, green and gold.  These Christmas fabrics will fit in better with my holiday home decor.

Next I pulled these blue and gold fabrics from my stash for the Fire Island class.

I think these will make a nice focal piece in my living room.  I have the dark blue pieces cut and will spend "free time" this weekend cutting up the print and gold fabrics.  I'm a bit short of yardage for the gold and I've added this additional gold print that I think I can use in the center block and/or maybe the 4 corners too.

The third class is Glorified 9-Patch.  I need to select 2 dark/med  and 2 med/light fat quarter pairs to make some blocks in class.   I love my purples, but I definitely do not have enough in my stash for a full project.  I will need to go shopping if I want to go with those colors.   But I do have several blue and gold fat quarters that I think  will do.

After downloading this picture I've decided to change out that one light fat quarter.  I think it will stand out too much.

I am also working on pulling colors for a 3-color challenge project that I am participating in with a group of friends.  We were each assigned colors by lottery and we have until August to make something. I am struggling with finding a way to make these three colors work. I'm hoping to find some inspiration at the upcoming quilt show.  

2016-04 Farwell to another fabric store

I was saddened to hear the news that Hancock Fabrics is going out of business and has been sold to a liquidation company.  I know some of the ladies that have worked there a long time and they are very upset.

Over the next few months everything will go on sale and the discounts will get deeper as time goes by.

We all love discounts... and I did purchase some fabrics for a class that I am taking soon.

But I'd rather pay full price and still have a fabric shop here in town.  Now there will be no last minute trips to pick-up some necessity for a current project.  I will have to plan my projects and trips ahead of time.