Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Earlier today the snow started to fall, huge big fluffy wet flakes, just like the snow is suppose to be. The best part was they would melt as soon as they hit the ground. It has become colder, the flakes have dried somewhat, and now my lawn is not green any more. Later this week we have in the forecast our first major snow storm. Here hoping they are wrong, time will tell.
Have a great day.


Patricia

Milk Bags

On Friday, Gill from That British Woman, wrote a post explaining how Ontario residents can purchase 4 litres of milk in plastic bags.
Did you know that church groups and other organizations are using the outer printed bags to make sleeping mats for people in Third World countries.
The bags are first washed and dried, then cut into strips, these strips are then tied into long lengths and crocheted into a sleeping mat.
It takes 250 bags make a mat suitable in size for a child, 300 to 500 bags for an adult mat. A local group also purchases towels from charity shops and sews them to one side making it softer to lie on. These mats keep people away from the soil born parasites that are prevalent in these countries.
The mats are used as packing material for medical supplies also bring shipped to these countries.
They improve the life and health of these people, and it also eliminates all these bags going to our landfill, BUT---------
Are we making these countries our landfill sites.
Don't get me wrong I think it is wonderful that people are spending hours and hours of their time makes these mats but when of no use anymore, what happens to these mats. these countries do not have the facilities to collect and process this plastic.
Your comments.

Christmas Puddings

Just taken my two Christmas puddings (I know they should have been made a long time ago), out of the steamer. They smell yummy.
Each year my youngest daughter and her family celebrate Christmas with her in-law-family on the 23rd, and DH and I are always invited. The dinner is not your normal Christmas fare , because each year the meal is the food from a different country. Her two daughters research the food for the dinner, (we decide if we can make it) and also the holiday customs of the country. So far, they have had French, Mexican, (making the fried ice cream was a hoot), Chinese, and Italian. This year is traditional, my contribution is one of the puddings. Going to flame them with brandy to bring to the table. At the meal we decide what country will be the featured food for next year. The second pudding is for Christmas day at my house.
My oversea parcels are in the mail, most of my shopping is completed, now going to start on my baking, tomorrow, because I don't want to be rushing around at the last minute.
Have a great weekend.
Patricia

Landscape wall hanging

We have had a beautiful November but as it draws to a close so does our double digit temperatures and beautiful blue skies. The last couple of days have been cloudy and damp, same today, but colder and I saw a few flakes of snow earlier this morning.

Last night was our guild meeting, lots of beautiful quilts for show and tell. I was able to finish my landscape wall hanging, my contribution to show and tell. I am really pleased with the way it turned out. If I did birch trees again, I would do something different with the leaves, they don't look just right to me. The workshop provided lots of different techniques and ideas for the variety of fabrics and fibers to use, which, if anyone was interested in doing landscapes, was very interesting. The information will help me when I start another wall hanging I am doing for the International Ploughing Match competition next year.

The wall hangings that I am making for my two daughters for Christmas are next on my list of "to finish". Both of the tops are completed, and quilting almost done on one, the second top is finished but have yet to sandwich the batting and backing and start the quilting.

Have a great Friday.

Patricia

Landscape Workshop

I had a great day on Saturday at the workshop. Learnt so many new things. The time went by so fast, and we were not able to complete the entire project in class, have to finish it off at home sometime this week.
The teacher does some beautiful work, using so many different types of fibers, even clothes dryer lint.
I will work on my landscape and when done promise to show a picture.
Patricia

Landscape Workshop

Tomorrow I am going to an all day Landscape Workshop, really looking forward to it. Hope some of the new techniques that I learn will be able to be applied to a wall hanging that I am designing and planning on making in the New Year.

I will show a picture of my landscape when it is completed.

Have a great day.


Patricia

Awards

I follow Reit's Photoblog, she has some beautiful pics of her homeland. Earlier this week she received two awards, and had to tell seven things that" blog land" did not know about her. I began thinking what I would say, and found that it was more difficult that one might think. I did, however, come up with the following, in the form of an antique car ad.

1. 1941 model with 68,000 original miles.
2. Exterior needs cosmetic paint job.
3. Original interior except for two parts that do not effect the warranty.
4. Engine runs good.
5. Brakes need shoes much too often.
6. Has a tendency to use fuel, needs topping up three times a day.
7. Rear end has a tendency to sag a bit.

Have a good Wednesday.


Patricia