Flowers, Spring, Easter ......

It's fast approaching my most favourite time of year when the snow will be gone for good, the snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils and buds start to open with the onset of warmer Spring weather. Here in Nova Scotia it does seem to take a long time for Spring to arrive and I will have read numerous UK blogs in the meantime with all the lovely photos of colourful spring happenings, but that's fine. It adds to the anticipation factor and I am a pretty patient person generally speaking.
I had been messing around on my blog settings lately and had changed to the new comment options, which unfortunately opened the doors for some anonymous users, who were leaving unsavoury spam comments that I had to delete rapidly!!! Hopefully going back to the old style settings will have sorted that issue out.
I am busy studying again and have just finished the unit entitled 'decorating with furniture'. I found it very interesting and once I had armed myself with some sharp pencils, tracing paper, a scale ruler and a good eraser I was ready to start dabbling in drawing some rooms to scale. I drew and placed furniture around in different formats to create harmonious, balanced and pleasing arrangements on paper. Fun stuff!!
It's a short week this week for Craig and the girls and I am looking forward to having them all at home for a few days over Easter, especially as the sun is promising to shine and we are planning on getting the outdoor furniture from the barn where it has been in storage for a few months. It will need to be oiled again and in a few weeks the BBQ will make an appearance and Craig can take on the role of Chef occasionally, which he enjoys.
Jemma soon starts her end of year exams and will just complete them before she has to move out of her first year accommodation and then heads off to China on her month long Biology field trip. When she returns the hunt for her own apartment in the City will begin. She is very excited to move out of her tiny dorm room and won't miss the noise, filthy shared bathroom or rude fire alarm awakenings at 3am thanks to the inconsiderate party goers who find it so funny on a regular basis!!
Amber recently started her drivers education course and will be getting her learners licence soon. She has been quite busy taking photos recently, getting in touch with her creative side. Her deviant art page is getting more popular now that she has resumed it after being banned as a member a few years ago for being under the required minimum age. She was only 12 when her love of photography began. Her current goal is to save up for a fancy DSLR camera either Nikon or Canon.
With plans to list our home this Spring there will be quite a lot of activity going on, making sure the maintenance is all up to date ready for any showings we may have. It's early days but we are planning well in advance, as properties can take forever to sell in the valley and in a couple of years Amber will be off to University somewhere and the two of us will be rattling around in far too many rooms.
It hardly seems possible that it was just 5 years ago when we first arrived and were blown away by the breathtaking beauty of the valley. The girls were only 11 and 14 during our first summer here.

Things have changed and we now feel the need to move a little closer to the City and Craig's office.
Well until Easter time, bye for now
H xx

Home Sweet Home

Back home again after my two weeks holiday in South Africa and it feels like the sun has followed me. I probably shouldn't feel too smug though as I'm sure we still have another snowfall due before winter bids us a final farewell.
It's was so exciting to see Craig and Amber again and even Jemma was able to escape working in the City to spend the weekend with us. Feeling just a little jet lagged, I slipped back into my role of Mother hen :) I feel relaxed, regenerated and happy that I was able to spend so much time with my mum, dad, sister, brother and auntie, as well as meeting quite a few extended members of my family for the first time too.
It was my birthday just a few days after I arrived and my sister Heidi was very sweet and organised a little get together at her beautiful home to celebrate.

The two weeks flew by so fast and were filled with fun times, delicous lunches, and interesting African sights. Johannesburg is booming with many new businesses, buildings, roadworks, traffic and people! Quite different to where I live now in Nova Scotia.

My little sister Heidi, spoiling me on my birthday

The day and night at Sun City can only be described as pure luxury, in our own suite at The Palace!! (very swanky) My mum, sister and I had some precious girly time together followed by several pampering treatments at the Gary Player Spa.
Below is the spectacular view from our balcony!

Another lovely place we visited a couple of times was a restaurant called Bellini and alongside is an old style home that has been converted into several little shops. It was all so beautiful I just had to get my camera out to try to capture it.

Lunch at Bellini with mum and auntie Joy

A week into my stay my auntie Joy came over from England to stay with Mum for a month and I was able to spend plenty of time with her too, it must be about 15 years since we have seen each other!

My little brother Kevin

Well all good things must come to an end and I have some great memories to treasure and will not be waiting so long until my next visit. It's a long way to travel, but well worth it.
It's also good to be 'home sweet home' back in the valley ready to start some serious Spring cleaning. The Canadian geese are already back and I have spotted a few squirrels and chipmunks awake from their long winter sleep looking energetic and hungry.
Hazel x

Heading for South Africa!!

I can hardly believe it myself, but it's true!
Just a few days ago Craig convinced me that it is time for a long overdue visit to see my family in South Africa!! Now that Jemma has left home. Craig and Amber are quite capable of managing a couple of weeks without me. Craig has done the same long journey to SA three times alone to see his dad, who was not very well at the time.
My mum, dad, brother and sister all live in Johannesburg having emigrating, oooh about 25 years ago and I haven't seen them all for literally years and years, it's been over 10 since I saw Heidi and Kevin and I haven't even met my little 5 year old nephew Luc. Nor have I met Kevin's wife Christine yet. Even my aunty Joy is coming over from England while I am staying, so we get to overlap our visits for a few days before I fly back. It feels like a lifetime ago that the four of us, Craig, Jem, Amber and myself left Jo-burg after living there for 18 months when the girls were only 4 and 6 years old. My mum and dad did come and visit us here in Canada in 2007, but the week they stayed with us flew by so fast and it seemed like they had only just settled in when they had to leave us again, so they didn't really get to know Jemma and Amber properly at all.
I will be travelling 'solo', something I haven't done since the days before I met Craig, so I will admit I am a bit (a lot) nervous, but excited at the same time. Not too thrilled with the prospect of waking up at around 2.30am to get to the airport at 4am on Thursday, but once my journey has begun I expect it will be fine. Plenty of water to drink, a good book and some earplugs! Just in case the compulsory in-flight baby or toddler is in the seat in front of mine. (a sleeping pill would be a great idea, but I don't have any of those)
What will I be doing in SA? Very little I imagine, I have no expectations apart from loads of nattering. Looking forward to visiting both siblings in their new homes, sitting under the shade of a tree, taking in the familiar scents of grenadines, oranges and other summery African smells, perhaps a dip in the pool when the heat is just too much for my winter white Canadian skin! I will be reminded of the many visits to my parents home back in my early 20's and again in in my 30's as a much younger mum.Taken just before we left SA in 1998!
I intend to get unit 5 done on my course before I leave so I can justify a break from studying. The freezer is jam packed with meals for my own little family of two and fingers crossed they will become closer in my absence :)
So for this week I shall sign off on a happy note with only 4 more days left of looking at the deep snow in the back garden for a while. Having said that, today was spectacular and did almost feel warmish, well at least driving around in the car. Blue sky and pristine snow everywhere - will I miss it?
Nah, mosquitoes and tall iced drinks - here I come!!!

Groundhog Folklore

On Tuesday Feb 2nd, after hearing the Folklore Groundhog prediction that there are another 6 weeks of winter left I felt a little disheartened. The thermometer in Craig's car read -22 degrees C as he left that day for his evening of darts, so I suspect Mr Groundhog is correct again as he has been for the last 11 years locally.
However, that was two days ago. Yesterday the mailbox contained the second installment of my home study course - Yay!! So, today here I sit, having a computer morning, bundled up in the study finishing lesson 3 entitled 'Meeting your Client's Needs' I am enjoying being immersed in reading material, scribbling down notes, researching and putting together a portfolio of clippings and samples as I go along.
During my waiting time between study units a copy of the latest Cath Kidston catalogue arrived in the mail from the UK. It was like an injection of Spring as I leafed through the pages of pretty kitchen ware and fabrics. Obviously Spring is a while away yet, but it will come along eventually, usually about a month behind the UK.
Despite the hibernation inducing weather we have managed to get out and have a little social fun in the evening. Friends of ours hosted their 3rd annual Cocktail competition party on Saturday. The theme Casino Royale meant we could dress up 007 style! I love parties, especially when there is an excuse to dress up too! Taking along ingredients for a cocktail of our choice for 8 people we chose the Rum Rollover and came a respectful second! It was a lovely evening and certainly a welcome break from the mid winter blues. 'Shaken, not stirred'
Hazel x

Decorating Diva

Well not quite! I just thought the title sounded rather snappy :)

I have been waiting patiently for the first study unit of my new course in Interior Decorating to arrive in the mail and I'm happy to say that this weekend it did - Yay!!

In the meantime Craig and had been itching to work on a couple of small rooms in our home. I know this is 'putting the cart before the horse' but when the mood is right "Get your painting shirt on!" is my motto.

Our walk in pantry was looking a wee bit 'shabby', which is in keeping with the farmhouse kitchen look we have, but a facelift was required for this little room that we hadn't painted properly during the 4 years living here. Also a great excuse to do a major sort out, chuck out and re-arranging in the process.

As the dining room table became piled high with Lock n'lock and Tupperware containers, followed by mixing bowls, baking ingredients and breakfast cereals I was beginning to wonder how it would all fit back on the shelves again. Empty plastic food containers and glass jars were sorted into recycling bins, one or two expired items hiding at the back were put into the compost bin along with an unidentified powder in a zip lock bag?? Those odd ingredients that you use for a new recipe experiment, but never seem to need again.

Craig did the filling in of nail holes and small cracks that always appear during the winter due to the stove drying out the wood. Sanding and a lick or two of paint really freshened up this little room .

Once the paint had cured I had the fun task of putting everything back a different way, this time nothing on the top shelves (so no step ladder required) I can reach everything now.

I'm happy with my new look pantry.

Here is a close up of some measuring spoons, hand painted by Jemma and given to me for Christmas. If you look closely you can see our family initials on them :)

Yesterday I began studying unit one of my distance learning course. I got so immersed in it that the time flew by and was interrupted by a phone call from my Mum in South Africa. Her timing was perfect as it was time for a tea break and chat across the miles.

Hazel x

What's in a name?

Swiftly into mid January we go......
What's in a name? Well the story behind my blog title is the confusion I encounter on a daily basis with my own second name. Obviously Hazel is easy, a nut, sludgy brown colour fairly uncommon but easy to spell. However, my family name, Rethman is not so easy. Wherever I go; in stores, on the telephone etc. no longer can I say "It's spelt the same as Rothman, but with an 'e'. The company name Rothman is not a household name it would seem (do you remember the tobacco company?) Instead it seems to create an even more puzzled reaction, hence I now automatically begin by responding in a slow steady voice; R-E-T-H-M-A-N. The many different variations of our name on the mail we receive is hilarious and actually quite creative sometimes. I am sure I'm not alone on this subject. I have a few friends who also have names with a difference. Wouldn't life be simple if we were all just Smith or Jones (lol) Jones being my family name prior to being married!
On the same topic, a few weeks ago when Jemma introduced her boyfriend to us as Brian, she went on to explain that it isn't actually his real Korean name, but the Canadian name he is known as, having lived here for over 10 years. Along with Brian aka Tae Hyung came his little dog Romeo, aka Bpapi (not even sure if that's how you spell it as it is pronounced differently) Yes it's his Korean Canine name!! No wonder our little furry friend was a tad confused during his short stay with us. Not only was he expected to answer to another name, but we couldn't speak to him in Korean, the language he is used to. Perhaps that would explain the extreme hyperactivity and little accidents. If only I could have told him "no, that's a table leg, not a tree!" Actually it wasn't all his fault, what's a dog to do when there is 3 ft of snow outside and your only a foot tall!
This week I am so excited to be starting down a new path in my life. I have signed up for an Interior Decorating course with ICS (International Career School) Canada!!! Anyone who knows me will be aware that I love decorating, painting, arranging furniture etc. I am hoping that this online correspondence course will expand my knowledge and teach me new skills while introducing me to different styles, terms etc. At the moment I'm not exactly sure how I am going to put them to use. Whether it's just for our own home or hopefully to one day have clients to work for, time will tell. I am awaiting my first package in the mail that will get me started this month. I shall be blogging here to tell you how things are going if you are interested.
Hazel x
I don't have any relevant photos this week, but will add some later if I can find a couple :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2010!

A brand new start to a new year. I hope that 2010 will bring all my friends and family happiness, good health, new experiences and memorable moments.

The month of December has passed by in a whirlwind since my last blog post.

Following the play, Amber finally had her 16th birthday party celebration a couple of weeks late, having a few of her girl friends over for pizza, a movie and some fun time in the snow.

Darragh, Lindsay, Emily, Serena, Amber, Tanisha, Jen, Marcy, Amy, Hannah

The Christmas decorations were up and the snow kept falling....Jemma came home for the holidays on Dec 20th and we had a few special family days together, playing board games, piecing together a puzzle, going out for coffee and a little bit of last minute Christmas shopping. These are days I savour now with Jem away mostly and Amber in her last few years of high school, I know how fast the months and years go by.
Craig and I don't get out and about very much so were excited to be invited to our friends' Terri and James for a 'bring a dish' get together just before Christmas, where we met lots of new interesting people. Their flourishing tea room business was the perfect venue for a crowd of guests, young and old, mingling and enjoying the lovely festive pre-Christmas atmosphere. They manage to make entertaining look like a doddle even though so much preparation and ongoing work goes into it, such a skilled team :)

Jemma's boyfriend drove up to see us on the 27th and the two of them headed for New York by car early morning on 28th, bundled up in preparation for an exciting 6 day trip. They are staying in the Hilton Hotel and planned to be in Times Square for the 31st. They were originally going to take Brian's little Yorkie 'Romeo' with them. We felt that dragging such a little jumpy dog all the way to the US didn't make a lot of sense, so Craig and I offered to take care of him for a few days. He has settled in nicely and enjoys plenty of running around in the snow and likes to be with one of us at all times, whimpering when we are upstairs and he hasn't mastered stair climbing on bare wooden floors :) He gets super excited when we return if one of is gone for a few hours, goodness knows how he is going to react when Brian gets back after 6 days away!!

Even though I am a cat person, this little dog is seriously cute!

Our new friends Edna and Bo invited us for a Hogmanay celebration on the 31st (two events in the same month!!), Edna is a Scottish lassie. Bo's loves to cook, his speciality is a delicious curry which he made. Joined once again by Terri and James it was a lovely cosy evening. We ended the new year laughing and reminiscing, surrounded by their 5 lovable pets!! Two huge German Shepherds and 3 Siamese kitties. All the animals were so very well behaved (can't say the same about some of the husbands!)

Little Romeo came along and stayed in his own quiet room with a heated kennel and was as happy as Larry. We stayed until the wee hours and being the designated driver I drove home, getting to bed at around 3am!! An unheard of hour in our house where we all get up so early. I did managed to lie in until 9.30 when at minus 12 degrees C, it was getting a little chilly and the wood stove needed some attention. Amber was staying with a friend so the house did seem eerily empty for the first time, a taste of empty nesting !

Well it's now well into the afternoon and Amber is safely home again and I spoke to Jem on MSN and all is well in NY. A storm is brewing again and I am a little worried about their two day return drive home, I will be happier once they are safely back in Nova Scotia again.

This morning I put up my new calendar, illustrated by a friend Judith Glover. (linked on the side of my blog too) I have been displaying her calendar's for the past 3 years in my kitchen and love them. This year it's a very pretty organiser one called ...Spice of Life...

Hazel x

Amber in Wonderland!!

What a whirlwind of a week it was for Amber!
After many hours of rehearsing and learning over 300 lines opening night was on Thursday. The West Kings High School production of Alice in Wonderland was a huge hit. With 6 performances in total. The make up and costumes were wonderful.

The children played their characters perfectly and it was a thoroughly entertaining production. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Three young stars after the final performance on Saturday
Craig, Jemma, Brian and I went along to watch the finale on Saturday and were a very proud family :)
After Alice in Wonderland we woke the next morning to find that a Winter Wonderland had descended upon us! Somewhere between 10 and 15cm's of snow had fallen during the night and covered everything in a thick layer of the white powdery stuff! Jemma and Brian left for the City later than planned as they had to wait for the roads to be ploughed first, being a Sunday nobody was in a hurry. Today and yesterday the sun has been shining making the snow glitter like millions of tiny diamonds and it looks very pretty. The fire is constantly stoked now adding to the cosy pre-Christmas atmosphere.

Amber had her 16th Birthday on December 1st, because it was a dress rehearsal that day, she was at school until 9.30pm. I suggested she go into school a little later in the morning so she could catch up on some much needed rest and we decorated the Christmas tree together. Sweet 16!!
This week it's preparation time for her postponed birthday party. Eleven of Amber's girl friends will be arriving on Sunday to celebrate. I'm not quite sure where Craig and I are going to hide? At 16 they won't need much supervision, just plenty of food, drinks, music and freedom to giggle for hours on end!!
Some less happy news is that my Mum and Dad had another break in at their home outside Johannesburg very recently. Luckily they were not harmed, just pretty shaken up by the whole ordeal. The thieves took off with a TV and a few other smaller items. They knocked some photos off the wall which woke my Dad, who went to see what the noise was (not a wise move). Thank goodness the baddies scarpered before he discovered the break in and sounded the alarm. Now a special metal security gate has been fitted to their bedroom door so they can lock themselves in at night. Several perimeter beams have been installed in the garden and some ugly but necessary razor wire! At least they feel much safer now and can relax in their own home.
I can clearly remember how frightened I used to feel when we lived in South Africa for a couple of years when the girls were toddlers. It has become a way of life there, panic buttons, alarms, security gates and razor wire are all deemed necessary unless you are living in a gated community where armed guards protect the residents and their properties at all times. A high price to pay for what is considered an affluent lifestyle and perfect climate. I think I'll just be content with the long winters and rely on the internet and telephone to keep in touch with my family so far away. I do miss them, especially at Christmas :(
Brrrrr, time to put another log on the fire!!
Hazel x

Advent Calendar

 The festive atmosphere has begun this week and I have been out shopping more than once to find the perfect something something. Of course I have also been busy making stuff, which I enjoy just as much.One of the projects I started making was an advent calendar. The existing hand sewn one was looking a bit worn out, I probably made it when the girls were only about 6 and 8 years old! I had seen a pretty Scandinavian looking one on a blog a couple of years ago, but never quite got round to having a go at making a similar one myself until now. I used some off white wool fabric and a bright crimson embroidery thread. First I cut out 24 envelope shapes from the wool fabric and sewed them together before attaching them to a length of red bias binding.
Just a couple of mistakes were made along the way. I 'should' have drawn the numbers on before embroidering them freehand, hence some are slightly bigger than others! The second mistake I made was sewing the buttons on 'after' I had made each little envelope! Quite a tricky bit of maneuvering was required with my needle and thread for those. I got a little impatient trying to find some red buttons, which was my first colour choice but I wanted to keep sewing in the meantime as I was keen to finish. I looked everywhere for red ones without any luck, so I ended up using these little white buttons instead, which I already had in my button stash. A length of embroidery thread wraps around the buttons to tie them securely closed once I have put some assorted wrapped chocolates inside. To finish off I tore strips of red and white polka dot fabric and tied little bows between each envelope. I have attached the finished product to the chest of drawers to see how it looks, but should probably take it down until the 1st Dec. In case it's unlucky or something??
With Christmas decorations in my mind as I was browsing in a local hardware shop (looking for the elusive tiny red buttons!) I found this lovely cotton runner that I wanted to show you. It is by Martha Stewart and is quite Scandinavian themed too. I think it will look great on the dining room table for Christmas dinner and also for Amber's birthday party.This weekend I shall be working on altering and adding to Amber's costume for the play, the dress needs to be taken in and I was so lucky to find the perfect petticoat or crinoline in my local thrift store for only $3!!

It is a full length one made to go under a wedding dress, the top is tiered cotton with netting layers underneath and it fits Amber perfectly. I still need to shorten it quite a bit so it just peeks out from under her blue dress, giving it plenty of fullness.
Tomorrow is Craig's company 'do' which should be fun. Christmas dinner and a live band with possible dancing with a bit of luck.
Amber is just a few days away from her 16th Birthday on Dec 1st. The planned party has been postponed until after the school production when she can relax and celebrate with a few friends from school and I can decorate the house for the event.

Hazel x

Snipping and Stitching

Before I get onto the subject of sewing, I have to admit that I was a bit of a plonker a few days ago. I'm not a particularly hairy person, but when I discovered a couple of tiny WHISKERS on my chin the other day (cute on kittens only) I had to take action! So, I decided to try a nice 'gentle' facial hair remover NOT! I won't mention the brand, but after following the instructions carefully I ended up with a nasty chemical burn about the size of a penny right in the middle of my chiny chin chin! It was so painful and resembled a bright red traffic light for a few days. Anyway, lesson learnt and I am thinking that a discrete little pull with tweezers in future will suffice.
This week I have been scratching my head thinking of ways to improve my shop and income, which is not looking too healthy right now, and at this time of year it needs to be. I received some very sweet polka dot cotton fabric in the post, ordered from another Etsy seller. I decided to try it out on a new slightly different birdie design. Inspired by the colours associated with the lovely Cath Kidston I made a set of three, this time adding little felt wings and elongating the tail on my pattern a bit.

I have put one in my shop so far and shall see if it sparks any interest. I just love polka dots, they make me smile :) Also made some more white doves from super soft fleece, which are filled with a mix of poly fill and vanilla scented aroma beads. 

It won't be long before I shall be getting out our Christmas decorations, this past time always fills me with excitement. I love to unpack them all and lay them out, remembering when and where we made the very special hand crafted ones. When Jemma and Amber were young we would try to work with a new material each year whether it be paper mache, salt dough, embroidery or felt. Those decorations are the best ever as each one is filled with love, nostalgia and wonderful memories.

The question this year is whether to have a real tree, as we did last Christmas or to use our quite realistic one stored in the attic/basement? Less mess and more environmentally friendly versus lovely fresh scent of pine and a natural element in the house. I am leaning towards the former at this point, mainly because Amber is having a birthday party and would like the decorations up by Dec 1st. I am not sure a real tree would survive for that length of time over Christmas and into the new year looking fresh and remaining intact.

Other sewing projects I have on the go are a little something for Jemma's dorm room and a couple of surprise gifts, but I can't tell you about those just yet.

What other news do I have this week, not much I'm afraid, I seem to be spending more time on the computer these days with regular conversations on MSN with Jemma, face book chats/comments and looking for inspiration in numerous craft sites and blogs.

This time last year I felt that I had no time for myself at all. I missed out on all the pre-Christmas excitement and planning, everything was a last minute rush. This year is much better and I have my daily lists that I can tick off throughout the day and have a sense of achievement. It sounds trivial but it's just the way I am.

Hazel x

Now where did I put that bit of paper........

Moving on again ....

It has taken a while for me to get back into a routine again after Archie's sudden departure from my life, but it really is time to move on. Not a day will go by that I don't think about him and all the happy times, his quirky habits and soft white tummy, that smelled so clean :) I always say a few words as I am hanging out the laundry by the special tree, where he has been laid to rest underneeth the branches. Craig planted some snowdrops there which will remind us of his frisky little spirit that was always awakened in the Springtime.
Amber has been reading her many lines (over 300!) for the school play and I feel as though I have an 'Alice' in the house. Jemma is slowly winding down after a couple of hectic weeks of exams and tests. She still has another 3 scheduled for December, with her last one on December 19th when she will come home for the holidays. We spent this last weekend in Halifax to attend the scholarship presentation after she was awarded the Coy Family award for Science. With continued good marks it will be renewable for the next few years which is wonderful and she certainly deserves it after all the years of hard work she has put in throughout her school days. My little shop is picking up slowly, but of course after a years break it will take time to establish some more fans of my tiny felt animals. It as been ages since I made a 'new' animal design, I am waiting for some inspiration or a special request to add to the designs I currently make, any suggestions?
I started sewing with cotton fabric recently, My friend Terri, who owns and runs a delightful Tea Room, kindly offered to display a few of my items alongside her pastel enamel and polka dot pottery ware.
I made some little wash bags (previously sold as doorstops), tea cosies, egg cosies and cotton birds that all blend in nicely with her pastel colour scheme.
The apples are all gone now and it is so quiet around us with no sound of machinery, moving crates or the steady thud of apples hitting the barrels.
A burst of winter brought snow falls to us last weekend 10cm's in the city, but it has warmed up again to a seasonal average this week so my jumpers have been put away again for a few days.
I really appreciate everyone who reads my ramblings and all your comments (so many for dear little Archie last post - thank you)
Hazel x

We will always love you Archie

Nothing can prepare you for the heart wrenching pain of losing a family pet.

My eyes are raw from crying and my heart feels like it has been shattered into a million pieces. Our very special cat Archie was tragically hit by a car yesterday and his injuries were so bad that we had to make the hard decision to have him put to sleep. 

Archie came into our lives in 2003 when we lived in New Zealand he was just a tiny 7 week old kitten that I could hold in one hand.From day one he craved affection and gave an abundance of love in return. Crawling up on to us at any given time for a cuddle, to nestle down, purr and have nap.

There was no question that he would come with us when we decided to leave NZ and head back to England the following year. We had to leave him behind with a friend for 6 months due to the rabies requirements, having microchiped him, had all the necessary vaccinations and filled in endless forms, We chose this option as opposed to the alternative of having him put in quarantine. The 6 months seemed like forever, but when he finally joined us after the long wait and ridiculously long flight, there was no doubt at all that he was pleased to see us again. Nuzzling up to each of us in turn, it was as if we had never been apart. Anyone who says that cat's aren't loyal should have met little Archie. Due to unforeseen financial circumstances our stay in England was short and we were forced to move once again, this time to Nova Scotia, Canada. Luckily because of the paperwork and formalities already completed we were able to bring Archie over just a couple of days after. 

He arrived well in advance of our belongings, which took 4 weeks to get to us! He loved the land around our property and outdoor life we had chosen, exploring the garden, running in the orchards, climbing the trees and enjoying the fresh air and space during the day. He never objected to the routine of being brought indoors at night for his safety and happily watched the nocturnal activities from his vantage point at the window of his own little room every night. Having encountered skunks, raccoons and the feisty cat next door over the years here, with only minor injuries. I hoped he had a few more of his 9 lives left. 
Until yesterday, when my world came tumbling down as I heard him crying outside on the deck. In a state of extreme shock, dragging the crumpled lower half of his body my heart was wrenched with emotion and love for this poor helpless animal. I will never know how on earth he managed to get from the road to the house, but he came home to us for the last time. 
The vet who treated him was nice, but with internal injuries so bad and broken bones the kindest thing to do was to put him out of his pain and suffering sooner rather than later.
I can't ever imagine getting over the loss, I miss him every minute of the day. I keep expecting to see him in his bed, at his window, by my feet, watching me sew or sniffing the cat nip growing in the garden. He has been my companion in the house every single day that we have been here in Canada and part of the family for such a long time.

I hope that somewhere he is enjoying a new kind of freedom, this time with wings and that he will remember the happy life he had here on earth as part of our family.

 Sleep peacefully Archie xx

A is for Apple!!

Being that apple harvesting is well underway in our neck of the woods there has been a hive of activity all around us with plenty of pickers scattered amongst the trees, picking all the different varieties of apples. We wake up to the thudding noise as each apple hits the collecting bin before being tipped once full into a wooden crate. These will be the apples for juicing as the eating apples get collected very carefully in special picker bags worn like a baby carrying sling. There are so many varieties again this year;

Royal Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Gravenstein, McIntosh, Jonagold, Cortland, Ida Red, Cox's Orange and Amber's favourite, Honeycrisp. To give you an idea of the size of the Honeycrisp apples we pick, here is a photo of one taken beside what I would consider an average sized Golden delicious.

Crisp, juicy and very sweet. This year it has some fierce competition though in the form of a new variety from the US called SweeTango .

Because there have been so many apples available I have been baking a few batches of apple muffins, which seem to disappear almost as fast as I can bake them! On the topic of food, we went out for a family celebratory lunch last Saturday, which just happened to coincide with Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Jemma heard a couple of days previously that she had been awarded a substantial scholarship. It will help her so much in repaying the student loan she has taken out for her first year at SMU.

We visited a very posh restaurant at the Grand Pre Winery, the food was delicious and the girls both had fancy deserts that we just had to take photos of :)

A little after lunch look around the winery shop to view the various wines for sale, well there's no harm in looking!

Monday brought some more good news, this time for Amber. She has been chosen to play the lead part of Alice in the school production of Alice in Wonderland!

She is so excited and just a bit nervous at the prospect of learning over 300 lines off by heart over the next few weeks!! I expect that once she gets into the swing of reading the script along with her fellow drama students, she will feel more confident.

On the decorating front, after finishing the laundry room we moved into the adjoining mud room, otherwise known as Archie's room. Previously painted a moss green colour. It's the little room he sleeps in at night and watches the nocturnal goings on outside from his vantage point beside the window. No prizes for guessing my chosen colour scheme :) Craig and I worked as a team to finish off this little room last Sunday, I am still working on sewing the curtains.

Ahem! some of us take our painting quite seriously!!

Well, that's an update for this week. I can report that it is getting decidedly chilly outside though. There was even a threat of snow earlier in the week. Shock, horror and it's only mid October!! It wasn't so bad, more of a frost really, but it is coming soon I can tell.

Hazel x

The laundry gets a facelift :)

Here is the laundry after a bit of a 'lift' and change of colour.

The bench is an old one rescued from a yard sale, which got a few coats of paint a couple of years ago. During the summer it stays outside on the front veranda, but each Autumn we bring it indoors for the Winter months. A made to measure padded box cushion came from the local fabric store. Covered with 100% cotton red buffalo check fabric from Etsy seller Honeybeehumble. The red and white striped oxford style pillow is a shirting fabric, also from an Etsy seller 'Vintage Urban Girl' . I was still missing some plain co-ordinating red fabric, which I managed to find at a local thrift shop in the form of a torn red wool blazer that was hiding in a box, for just $1! Once I had used the pinking shears to cut up it up I was surprised at the amount of fabric I could use, more than enough to make the little square pillow below. The rest has gone into my fabric stash to be used at a later date. Inspiration for the hand embroidered birdie pillow came from a wonderful book called Sew Pretty Homestyle, mentioned in a previous blog post last year.
It's now a nice cosy place to sit and read with a cup of coffee or glass of wine by the fire.
Of course Archie couldn't resist jumping up and claiming a spot immediately!

Hazel x

Beautiful Autumn Colours

October is here, which signals the arrival of Autumn or Fall .
There are pumpkins everywhere, all shapes and sizes and the shops are full of Halloween costumes, face paints, wigs, nails, spider webs etc. Summer is becoming a distant memory, but who can complain when the sky is this blue?

I can never resist taking a few snaps of the trees in their rich colours, before all the leaves sail to the ground leaving the branches looking bare and a little sad, until then we can admire their beauty.

Craig and I took advantage of the warmth of the sun on Saturday morning, taking in the beautiful scenery across the Annapolis valley.

I have been warned once again by the people working on the apple farm not to walk up towards the woods at this time of year. A bit frustrating as I do like being outside in the early morning walking along with my latest i-pod tunes playing. Apparently, there are quite a few bears out and about at the moment, stocking up on food ready for hibernation and I don't want to become a 'tummy filler' thank you very much!!

We are adjusting to life without Jemma around during the week and really look forward her coming home for the weekend. This weekend she decided that it was better to stay at University. With upcoming exams already she needs to study and finds the 8 hours spent in the car to get out to us and packing etc. is quite disruptive and the last thing she wants to do when she comes home is study. So, we keep in touch through facebook, msn and skype. The wonders of technology! It will be extra special having her here for Thanksgiving weekend in a few days time.

I try not to spend too much time on the computer as the hours quickly disappear once I get immersed. I feel terribly guilty and should be concentrating on sewing orders.

Today I finished making these 8 tiny animals for a lady in California. As for my laundry, well I am still awaiting some fabric, so that will have to wait a wee while yet. I keep looking out for the raised red flag on the mailbox, but until it arrives, I shall have to busy myself with other projects.