Hot Popcorn!

Well apparently Earl decided to spare us :o) We got lots of wind and that was about it! It seems that Halifax and the Dartmouth area got the brunt of it with a lot of wind damage. They put so much hype on these things. I'm just glad it wasn't as bad as they made it out to be.

The one 'good' thing about Earl is that he swept away the heat and humidity :o) I wasn't the only one that thought it was too hot -

Poor Popcorn. She's got such a heavy coat.

Now that she's in my stitching room though, it's much cooler than upstairs so she's much happier :o)

Isn't that the most innocent looking bunny you've ever seen? LOL! At least she's not the raving maniacal female that she was. Gee, I wish they would give me a hysterectomy. That would surely fix a lot of my problems and I'm sure DH would agree ;o)

A Thursday Thought

For Pete's Sake, WHEN is this awful weather going to go away???? Yesterday we got up to 40 C (104 F) and was THE most unbearable day I have ever struggled through. Thankfully I went to the 'little city' and browsed through the air conditioned stores, stretching it as long as I could. Today was supposed to be just as bad but I think it 'only' hit 37 C (98.6 F). Hey Denise, I used our temperature conversion site ;o) LOL!

As some of you already know, we have Hurricane Earl coming up the Atlantic coast and coming our way :o(

Our area is now under a Hurricane Watch and we're waiting to see what happens. They are predicting that Earl will be down to a Category 1 when it reaches The Maritimes but we'll still be in for high winds and lots of rain. There is a possibility of power outages and flooding. Apparently the warmer weather we are having now has pushed warmer water up our way and this makes perfect conditions for Earl. Luckily there is a cold front coming from Ontario and that is supposed to help shove Earl over and hopefully out to sea.

So my thought for today is the safety of those along the east coast of the US and Canada. It seems like each day the television is on; we witness disasters from around the world. I just hope that this won't be another for the records. If you're told to evacuate, please listen. I know people worry about their homes but what's a home without the people inside it? YOU and YOUR FAMILY are more important than materialistic things. Those 'things' can be replaced...YOU can't.

Because there may be power outages, there may be periods of time that people will be out of touch with each other. Don't panic! Don't assume the worst. Being the Bloggers that we are, I'm sure people will post updates as soon as they can; even if in a roundabout way ;o)

To all my Blogging Buddies that will be affected by Hurricane Earl, hunker down and stay safe! I will be thinking of you all. As this heat and humidity continues, I'll be melting away on the couch ;o)

Sixteenth & Seventeenth Finish For 2010

Yes, you are going to see double ;o)

Here is C Is For Cure by Lizzie Kate -

The reason I stitched this one twice was because I wanted one for myself and the other is going on a trip to the US :o)

I made a few changes. I used 28 count Angel Blush Lugana instead of the 28 count Baby Lotion Lugana that was suggested. I figured they must be quite close in colour even though you can't really tell in the pictures that the fabric is a light pink. I also used Crescent Colours Baby Chick for the dots in the flower. It originally called for CC Carrie Berry but it was so close to the CC Ripe Melon of the flower that it just wouldn't have showed up. One disadvantage from having to shop online; you can't hand pick your skeins :o(

Even though it was 39 C today, I managed to finish one of these into this -

What do you think? I was able to get the same fabric that was used for the tuck but I had this pictured in my mind :o) I LOVE the ribbon that I found but like last time, it took me about 20 minutes to get a really good bow. The ribbon doesn't go all the way around the pillow though. I sewed it into the sides. I like that look a lot better.

So where is this one going? I will be shipping this, along with my felted snowman, to the Attic Needlework for their breast cancer fundraiser that will be held in November :o) I hope it's acceptable. I'm always nervous when others look at my work.

I 'had' planned on digging out Sabrina but they are calling for 40 C tomorrow. UGH! I could literally melt a pile of snow if I jumped in it right now. LOL! And then we have the threat of Hurricane Earl heading our way. Maybe he'll blow off. It doesn't make one feel too reassured when they see their neighbour put up plywood on the windows of his garage though :oS

Monday's Photographic Memories

I was hoping that I would have some great pictures for you today but the last few times I've been out, the camera has been home. Yup! It just didn't feel like going for a drive I guess...

It also doesn't help that it's SO HOT and HUMID here this week :o( WHY? Yes I know, summer is not over yet but WHY?

So in order to get through today and the rest of the week, I'm going to share the most wonderful picture I could find in my files. What I wouldn't give for this right now -

GOTCHA! ;o)

Stephen King Fans

Hey you guuuuuuys! Are you out there? Come on, who's a Stephen King fan?

Did you know that he was born in Maine and that the majority of his books take place in that State? Did you know that in 1999 he was struck by van while walking on the shoulder of the road? Did you know that he has a home in Bangor, Maine with a spider webbed front gate? Do you know that he wrote Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile? Not your typical Stephen King type stories ;o)

To be honest, I do like 'some' of Stephen King's stories but I cannot read his books. I just can't! I've tried numerous times but it has something to do with his writing style. I've seen several of his movies but prefer his 'softer' side :o)

So why am I bringing up the subject of Stephen King? Have you seen his new television show called Haven?

I think they're up to their sixth episode now. Turns out they shot this show in Nova Scotia! They used Halifax, Chester, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg and some other smaller towns; basically my backyard playground :o)

DH and I saw the show last weekend for the first time. Right at the beginning of the show you see some great views of the town of Lunenburg. It was so neat seeing places we knew :o) In the premier episode, they filmed a lot of the show inside one of the Lunenburg antique shops. When my parents were here last year, we were in that very store! In the second episode, there's this huge metal ball rolling down the road and it passes a bench that DH and I sat on this past spring. LOL! DH said it was a good thing we weren't sitting there at the time. Silly boy ;o)

If you do get the chance, watch an episode and catch glimpses of the kind of Haven that I live within. This truly is a gorgeous piece of Earth and I'm SO happy to be living here. Maybe next time a film crew is in the vicinity though I'll try to weasel myself onto a set and get cast as an extra ;o)

A Thursday Thought

This week I'm going to do a continuation from last week's post. If you haven't read it yet, you might want to in order to understand what I'm talking about ;o)

I want to thank everyone who left comments for me. They were truly insightful and supportive :o) There was one comment in particular that made me re-think my last post though. Terri (Dixie Samplar Designs), I can't express how thankful I am to you that you opened my mind just a wee bit more and made me realize what my 'word' should really be.

So I'm officially dumping LOST and my new word is now SEEKER :o) I don't know why I didn't think of this myself because ever since I can remember, I have been searching for things in my life; whether it be a goal, a career, a husband or a purpose. I am always looking for answers, even from the totally insane things in our world. I always want to know 'why'.

Do I want to be a SEEKER forever? In a way I do because I will always have that curiosity bug deep within me. That is part of who I am. But I still want to figure out my purpose in life. Yes, I am a friend, a daughter, a wife, etc. I know that and I embrace that but I want to know who 'I' am! What defines me? Why am I here? What am I meant to do or be? To some those might sound like very deep questions that may never be answered and I agree. That's what frightens me.

Some of you may think that I'm totally off my rocker and that's okay ;o) LOL! But there is one thing I have learned about myself and that is that I have a very complex personality. I constantly feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I worry about everything. It's no wonder that I try to avoid watching the news on television or reading it in the newspaper. That's a whole other issue though!

I guess the only thing I can do is continue to work on myself and try to yield some clues. I know the road to feeling complete is not an easy one but maybe someone should at least give out some kind of encrypted map along the way ;o)

Fifteenth Finish For 2010

UGH! This was a project I thought would never end! It's not that I don't like the piece because I really do and you'll see why in a minute but for some reason, it just took SO long to stitch. I don't know if my mojo just got kicked aside or that maybe my interest wasn't there but I'm happy to say that it's 'finally' done ;o)

Here is Esperance by Danybrod -

I stitched it on 32 count Antique White linen with the recommended threads, DMC 610 and 926.

My 'plan' is to finish this as a pinkeep and I have the perfect fabric (I think) that will do the job. I might even add a scissor pocket in the back :o)

It seems I'm going to have some extra time on my hands for the next two weeks. We'll see how focused I can get and maybe after I finish this pinkeep, I can stretch a few pieces and get them into their respected frames! I know I'd feel a lot better if I could clean up those few things and not have them staring at me every day ;o) LOL!

So this ornament sized piece completes the twelve that I had set for my goal! I've got two more little projects on the go right now but I've got to get back to Sabrina. I have no idea where this year has gone so far and if I'm to have her finished by the end of December, I had better get my bottom in gear!

I've Got Mail!

And what wonderful mail at that!

Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to see my sample floss arrive from Annie. What I didn't expect were the amazing extras that she packed in the envelope -

The flip flop case is adorable. Inside she hid some skeins of the Presencia threads. Very silky actually! And I bet you don't have to guess what I really squealed about ;o) The crocheted bunny is too cute for words and s-m-a-l-l! The pumpkin is actually a pin case! He is going to sit by my stitching spot from now on. Do you know what? The only thing she was 'supposed' to send was that bobbin of floss. LOL! Thank you Annie!!!! You definitely put a smile on my face :o)

Today I went by to pick up the mail and a parcel from Ms. Parsley was there. It was the bunny tea set that I won on her Blog -

It really is the cutest thing and the bunny has attitude ;o) Thank you so much Parsley! The set will be going into my china cabinet for safe keeping :o)

I've got LOTS more to share so stay tuned! I even have a finish that I can FINALLY show ;o)

Monday's Photographic Memories

DH and I were talking yesterday and I explained to him that August has to be one of my least favourite months of the year. Why? Well, because most flowers are disappearing and everything becomes crispy. I just don't find anything attractive about this month.

So in order to brighten things up...you guessed it...more flowers! LOL! These are some of the stragglers of a hot and humid summer, plus a little surprise. I hope you enjoy :o)

Chicory


Hedge Bindweed


Pink Fragrant Water Lily


White Fragrant Water Lilies


Lily


Stone Fairy

Regular Popcorn

It's been a week and a half since Popcorn had her full hysterectomy. DH and I have to agree that she is back to her frisky self; just the bitchy attitude is gone :o) Don't get me wrong, she can still show attitude! Rearranging items in her home is a HUGE no-no. That's when the growling and the claws come out.

I do miss the constant chatter that she had going with me. I'm not sure if it was good or bad because I've never heard a rabbit 'talk'. For those of you who are not familiar with rabbit life (Denise!), a rabbit will grunt (happy to see you or if you want a more honest answer...horny), growl (angry bunny so beware) and scream (when extremely frightened).

Yes, rabbits do scream. In all my years I've only heard a rabbit scream once and it's not something I want to hear again. It was back when I had my first bunny, Scooter. I had taken him out in the yard and he had gotten a little too far away from me. The next thing I knew, he had taken cover under the pine trees that ran along the back driveway. I spent a good 20 minutes chasing him up and down the hill. Finally I got wise, took my shoes off and snuck up on him. When I grabbed him from behind, it was like listening to a squealing pig, only a few octaves higher in pitch.

Okay, I've strayed a bit ;o) Popcorn seems to be much happier in her new spot in the house. It's much quieter, cooler and she's up off the ground so there is a better view of what's going on around her. She's still more nervous than I would like and I have no idea why she is this way :o( She is starting to learn about feeding time and will come over to greet me :o)

As you can see, her ears did not stay down. LOL! I'm not sure what happened. Now she has one up and one out to the side. Oh well, it just gives her personality ;o)

A Thursday Thought

Right now I'm reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. DH and I have yet to see the movie but we both wanted to see what the book was like first. I have to say that I am not disappointed so far.

If you're not familiar with it, the book is about Elizabeth herself. Upon leaving her husband, she decides to travel to Italy, India and Indonesia to try and find out who 'she' really is. She spends four months in each country and each country contributes to discovering a different aspect in her life.

While in Italy, she has a very interesting conversation with her friend Giulio. He explains to Elizabeth that every city in the world has a word that defines it and in turn that word identifies most of the people who live there. If you were to read the thoughts of the people in that city, you would notice that the majority of them are having the same thought. Whatever thought dominates is the word for that particular city. If your thought does not match that of the city you are in, it means that you do not belong there.

So that left me wondering...what would be MY word? After much contemplation, I think the word that would best describe me at this point in my life is - LOST. Yes, lost. Now that may sound funny or weird to some of you but let me explain :o)

A huge part of my problem is that I have no idea what my purpose is in life. We have no children, so I'm not a 'mother'. I don't work so I'm not a so-called 'professional'. I'm definitely not your typical wife so I'm not a 'homemaker'. What am I???? You got it...LOST! LOL!

Right now I have nothing that 'defines' who I am. Yes my name is Cathey, I'm married to my DH, we live in Nova Scotia, blah, blah, blah but who am 'I'???? And that is what I don't know. I've been searching for years and it feels like I'm not getting any closer to answering that question. It quite frustrating sometimes. Okay, the majority of the time. I want my word to change but I have no idea how to go about it :o(

Until that time, I will continue to search. My life will remain incomplete and I may be found wondering aimlessly...LOST. If do happen to spot me, please make sure I get back home okay? ;o)

What do you think YOUR word is?

Won't You Come In :o)

Since this is a stitching Blog and since I don't have any stitching to show, I thought I would take you for a tour around my Stitching Room! I remember last year when I took you for the tour of the new house, I left it out because I was hoping to have it a bit more finished before revealing it. Well...that never happened. It's still a WIP and will be for awhile ;o) At least you'll get an idea where I cram all my stash. LOL!

When you walk into the room, the first thing you see is my computer desk -

There is a window on either side of it so there is plenty of light that comes into the room during the day.

If you move around to the left, you'll see my wall full of storage bins with Popcorn squashed in there somewhere -

She was living in the TV Room but we've decided that for DH's mental health she was better off downstairs ;o) I think she enjoys this location much better and she's proving to be a great companion.

Here's a close up of my stitching bins -

Just a note...you don't want to know how much is in there ;o)

Move a little more to the left and you get the back of the door that leads into the room -

There you'll see even more bins.

To the left of the door is one of my favourite spots :o) This is one of my stitching areas with my very own Ott-Lite and...recliner -

That's my Angel of Hope by L&L on the wall :o) What you don't see is that there are even MORE bins behind the chair...

I hope you have enjoyed the tour. Please exit through the door on your right ;o)

Monday's Photographic Memories

I wanted to do something a little different this week :o) I know I post a lot of pictures that I take but I thought you might like to see what I do with some of them!

DH bought me a really nice frame at Michaels months and months ago and I finally got my act together and put some pictures in it. We hung it in the upstairs bathroom -

Last year when I took you on a tour of our new home, I showed you a frame that my in-laws bought me. At the time, I used it like a window effect. I wanted to change things up so I went with something a bit different. As you might have guessed, I love textures, especially the natural ones found in nature :o) I went with a green palette and here's the result -

When DH returned from his trip to PA last month, he brought me back a shelf and a set of frames from IKEA :o) LOVE that store! I decided to do a black and white theme -

These will be changed on a regular basis. We have them hanging in between the kitchen and the dining room -

I have been (slowly) working on my Etsy Shop but I seem to be procrastinating lately :o( Hopefully I'll get my butt in gear and have a Grand Opening soon!

Just a reminder, you can view my collection but right now you will need an invitation from me. If you would like to see what I have for sale just email me and I'll be more than happy to send you the link :o)

ATTENTION - Deborah, can you please email me! You can find my email address in my profile. I did get your address but I need to speak to you before I mail out your prize :o) Thanks!

A Thursday Thought

Check out this great MSN Video: Porcupine Loves People

I have to say that he looks like a lot of fun but the thought of having a dozen or so razor sharp quills injected into me overrides the desire to have one as a pet ;o)

D Is For...

DEBORAH! Deborah, you are the winner of my giveaway! Please email me your mailing address so that I can get your package off to you :o)

P is for...Popcorn. My little monster went in on Tuesday and was spayed. It was a good thing too because she was coming into heat. No wonder I was dealing with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. She's been really good since she came home. We've been keeping her in my stitching room where it's really quiet. I hope this will be the solution to her bitchy attitude because it's no fun dealing with her angry alter-ego. LOL!

S is for...stitching. I've been working at it but not as much as I would like to. I'd say that I am about halfway done but this is crazy! It's only ornament size but it seems to be taking forever :o( My in-laws were here over the weekend and since they've left, I've been SO tired. I hope this feeling goes away soon. I miss my stitching.

M is for...movies. Tonight DH and I went to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo at our local theatre. If you're not familiar with this movie, it's a must see! Just a warning, it's a foreign movie, with sub-titles, and it's very graphic. If you're not up for the movie, I highly recommend reading the book! It's by Stieg Larsson and the first in a three part series. I'm almost done reading the second book - The Girl Who Played With Fire and I can't wait to see the movie.

Monday's Photographic Memories

This past weekend we had DH's parents here for a visit :o) Thank goodness we had lovely weather and that enabled us to get out and show them what NS has to offer. Yesterday we drove to the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct which is part of Kejimkujik National Park but located on the Atlantic Ocean. DH and I had been there before with my parents but it was during the spring and the tide was in. This time the tide was all the way out and we got some spectacular views!

Mushroom


Rocky Path


Keji Beach


Rocky Shore


Lots Of Rock


Looking Out To Sea


Seal


Seals


More Seals

Quite a few years ago, a fisherman fell asleep and ended up crashing into Little Hope Island. This is where his boat remains today -

A better picture (not by me) was taken back when there was a lighthouse on the island -

In 2003, Little Hope Lighthouse was taken down by hurricanes. This is what it looked like back in the day -

DH told me that the island was big enough that a farmer used to take his cattle over to graze in the summer. Just goes to show you how much water levels have risen and how much the island has eroded over the years :o(