First Summer BBQ

Feels like it really is Summertime this weekend! Saturday morning I took the girls for a little shopping and in the afternoon after washing all the bedding, storing the electric blankets in the attic (yay!) I did some ironing outside looking at this view, while sipping a mug of Tazo wild sweet orange tea with a lemon slice - bliss!

Craig busied himself in the garden planting more veggies and mowing with a contraption called an aerator attached to the tractor. I know that secretly he loves doing this ! This morning Craig and I were awake early enough to catch a few local yard sales and I spied another little wooden shelf unit for five dollars. A fun project to work on later in the week :) It most definitely needs a coat of paint and then the question is what shall I store in it? A BBQ of our own is something we haven't enjoyed for a long time, in fact not since leaving New Zealand in 2004, when we left behind a flashy red gas one. This weekend we unpacked a small, humble charcoal Weber BBQ! It worked a treat and after rustling up a quick salad and fresh bread to go with meat, it was a fun and memorable 'first' family BBQ of summer 2008.

Earlier in the day we assembled the gazebo, which has been stored in the barn during the winter. So nice to finally have a little haven outdoors where we will be protected from the black fly and mossies! Now I did promise myself that my hummingbird posts were finished, but after capturing a couple of feisty males today fighting over a drink! I thought I would share them with you....

They remind me of tiny fairies from a childhood storybook.

Hazel xx

Song: Balloons and Champagne by Ephemera

Blog Anniversary

Tomorrow, May 19th it will be exactly one year since I began writing my posts on blogspot. The topic of my first post was, wait for it......
HUMMINGBIRDS! Now there's a surprise :D

One of the precious birdies, feeding in our garden this morning

Couldn't resist snapping a quick photo of Archie this morning, the sun was streaming through the window, and of course being a cat he plonked himself in this warm spot.

"Does my bum look big on this?"

The morning was crisp and fresh after a few days of rain and my early morning walk (pre-blackfly waking up) was fun, especially stepping in time to my favourite Ipod songs. Gabriella C., Duffy, Leona, Madonna, Britney and Justin T. I returned a little muddy to a very quiet house. Craig was only slightly later waking up and spent an hour chopping wood with a couple of neighbours.

My special girls surprised me over coffee with cards and gifts for my postponed, but official 'Mummy's day'. Jemma amazed me with a very useful and pretty home made present. It's a special filing system designed for my tiny animal patterns! I am forever misplacing a guinea pig's ear or a squirrel's tail, as the pieces are so small and fiddly. They had been all bundled into a box in plastic envelopes, in no particular order. Normally I am really organized, but for some strange reason this particular element of my business had been overlooked. My daughter is obviously pretty observant.

My new super cute and oh so useful filing system!

Both Amber and Jemma made beautiful cards with very sweet words and I love them both so much.

As if I haven't shed enough 'happy' tears today, we are watching 'PS I love you' this evening, I have read the book so will have a box of kleenex at the ready.

Can't sign off without mentioning that I lugged this cabinet down the stairs from the landing to the kitchen this afternoon. I emptied out my patchwork quilts and linens to make way for some crockery instead. I think it gives the kitchen a more farmhouse country lived in feel.

Hazel xx

Our little birdie friends have arrived!

Just as predicted our very first tiny hummingbird arrived on schedule this week. Mother's day to be precise and in an incredibly strong wind too! Although both hanging baskets and the strawberry feeder were up, the poor little mite found it an impossible task to land, so her visit was brief. Luckily we all saw her whilst we were having our lunch in the kitchen. I will try to capture her on camera soon.
Yesterday my books arrived from Amazon and I love them!

I have only allowed myself the luxury of a quick flick through them so far, taking a couple of photos . I'm not sure when I will actually get to have a go at some of the many lovely projects in the two sewing books, but I will most certainly some time in the future. So much eye candy, here is a page inside 'sew pretty homestyle'

I usually read novels and only just before bed, my latest from the library is called 'My sister's keeper' which I am enjoying, but seem to be taking forever to finish it!

As I didn't write a post on Mother's day here is a vintage ad from a magazine, framed and hanging in the laundry. It reminds me of my Mum and I back in the 70's. Funny thing is I still love to iron :)

This year for the first time ever on Mother's day both my daughters' were snowed under with school work and sporting activities. So it was decided (my suggestion I admit) to postpone any fun stuff til next Sunday. I have really enjoyed reading about other blogger's fun days with their children.

As I wasn't blogging this time last year, or at least not on blogspot, I want to show you my home made gifts from last Mothers day (little proud moment). I use them both on a regular basis in my sewing room.

A cute business card holder made by Amber at school

Some covered wooden pegs in a decorated tin from Jemma, these I use to hold my embroidery thread, receipts, squares of tissue etc.

 Hopefully this weekend I can squeeze in another post, we are hoping to be able to get outside without being blown away :)

Hazel xx

It's trailing blue lobelia time of year :)

It was such a lovely weekend that my blog post was once again put 'on hold' for a few days. Craig kindly brought home two hanging baskets with pretty blue trailing Lobelia flowers. They have become a summer tradition and are to be hung on the side veranda, along with the white pots full of purple and lilac pansies. The flowers seem to flourish all summer long and we enjoy them almost as much as the humming birds do. Incidentally, the little ruby throated hummingbirds are due to arrive next week. We are prepared and have even bought another feeder in anticipation of their hunger after such a long flight all the way from Mexico!
I diverged a little from my usual painting of furniture this week (OK I did give a small side table the robin's egg blue treatment). This time instead of painting I 'covered' a couple of old wing back chairs. They had been left behind when we bought the house. No longer wanting to look at (in my opinion) ugly blue velour fabric I had moved them into the basement (much to Craig's horror when he came home from work) a few months ago. This gave the parlour a 'spacious airy feel'. Perhaps 'sparse' was a better description? But, after finding some new cream cotton slip covers on 'e-bay' they have now had a facelift and the chairs are back where they belong. They are very comfy and make excellent reading chairs. After trying out my newly acquired 100% wool felt, by sewing a couple of animals, I found it wonderful to work with. Quite pricey compared to my wool-mix felt and not such a large selection of colours. I ordered some small squares in brown, cream and honey. I will be sewing a selection to list in my shop when the demand is higher during the Autumn months. Here is a tiny honey bear!

Amber had a tiring day last Sunday when she took part, along with a few friends, in her 'trial' Duke of Edinburgh Award - hiking trip. This was to prepare them for the real thing in June. She was loaded up with a 35lb back pack, plenty of water, medical supplies, granola bars, sleeping bag etc. The day was hot and even though they were in forest for a good part of the 5 hour walk, it was exhausting. She seemed pretty good once home and only a tiny bit cranky and tired. She was even able to take part in track and field events the next day (oh to have such stamina!)
You may remember that I received an Amazon gift certificate for my birthday back in February from my friend Sandra. I have known Sandra since I stayed in her London home as a lodger, back in 1988! Well, ever the procrastinator when it comes to buying stuff for myself I have hemmed and hawed over what to treat myself to. Not wanting to buy a novel, that I could just borrow from the library, I decided on some carefully chosen home and craft books :) I am awaiting their arrival, but here they are: I spotted a couple of them on other peoples blogs where they got good reviews.

Easy Cottage Style A nice coffee table book to browse through!

Sew Pretty Homestyle Eager to get my mitts on this one for inspiration :)

Sublime Stitching Something I haven't really tried before, but always fancied having a go at some contemporary embroidery designs. Today is cooler, after a string of warm pleasant days, there are so many things I have been able to do 'outside' my imagination has been running on overtime (no lewd comments please) Ironing, cutting out felt, recycling old tee shirts with pinking shears to make great cleaning cloths, scrubbing sneakers, washing the car inside and out, painting (of course). I could go on ....

This weekend Craig and I plan on doing a spot of yard sale hunting, always on the look out for a piece of furniture that needs some TLC.
Hazel xx

The daffodils are in bloom!!

Archie just couldn't resist investigating this morning.

This week has been one of varied activity in the Rethman household. The girls have been busy at school, Jemma is revising for her upcoming Biology exam in May and Amber with track and field practice several times a week.

The materials for our new deck arrived, so Craig spent most of Saturday rearranging the garage and sorting out junk for the annual Spring clean up collection. We are down to our last cord of wood now and rarely need to light the woodstove.

I am as happy as Larry to have a paintbrush in my hand again!

After waiting patiently through winter I finally got around to painting the chest of drawers in my sewing room, covering the ghastly orange varnish with a calming antique white, it's actually a bit darker than it looks on this photo.Following the painting, yesterday evening I set about filling the drawers. Sorting out a trunk of memorabilia I came across my old 'scraps' collection and my serviette collection too :) In the 70's I spent a year in Stavanger, Norway attending the local elementary school. Little girls were still very young at heart in those days (no computer, tv, celebrity magazines) Initially I didn't understand a word they were saying of course, we played with my Pippa dolls and loved collecting things. So, coming across the pretty collection of over 70 serviettes/napkins, from that year gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

The 'scraps' or 'glans' as we called them, were a huge a source of excitement at the age of 11. Every week I would take my Kroner, skip down to the local store and buy some carefully selected scrap sheets. Then I would meet up with my friends where we would swap some and carefully arrange them in our precious books. Even back then I had a fondness of the cute pictures of children, animals and especially the vintage ones! Oh and I do still have a few of my Pippa dolls hidden away in a box :D

I have another friend who has just started blogging. Kathy, who now lives in Sydney Australia. I met Kathy about 18 years ago, before we had our babies, but we only started corresponding on a regular basis about a year ago, through emails and facebook! We have discovered that we have so much in common it's quite uncanny. I only wish we lived a little closer. Both our families left SA for the same reason, the safety and future of our children (I lived there for 2 years when my daughters' were toddlers). Somehow Craig being held at gunpoint a couple of days after we had bought a house in a leafy suburb called Rivonia put a kind of dampener on staying! I became a little paranoid, totally over protective and felt like a prisoner in my own home. On that same note, my poor Mum and Dad had their home broken into last week, luckily they were not harmed as they didn't actually go into the room that was being ransacked and the intruders took off (with computer) after being disturbed. This followed another nasty incident a year ago when they were held at gunpoint in the city by five men, who took their wallets, bags etc. Now they are a little more 'aware' of the dangers and have upgraded their home security to include panic buttons and perimeter beams! (a way of living I couldn't handle) I may be living the 'simple life' but I do at least feel safe (except perhaps for the odd black bear in the woods this time of year)

Hazel xx

Writer's block?

I have been a little 'lost for words' (the written kind) this past week. Partly due to the fact that the sun came out for 3 days in a row and I wanted to be outside. At this time of year it can be highly unpredictable from one day to the next.
I attacked the veggie patch with relish, revealing some healthy looking strawberry plants that have not only survived a few feet of snow on top of them, but appear to have multiplied too! After crawling about on my hands and knees and raking out thousands of leaves, the strawberry patch now looks quite respectable. Craig came home early, which was a nice surprise and joined in. Even the girls donned bikinis and sat on the bench after school on Thursday.
Naturally along with the arrival of sunshine my windows were quite embarrassingly in need of a clean! especially on the outside. Dragging my trusty old shabby chic stool, rubber gloves and spray stuff, I methodically rubbed each and every window until my arms were practically dropping off. Not a job I enjoy, but crucial to get out of the way before the 'black fly' season hits. These tiny little blood suckers look so harmless, but give the itchiest bites that last for ages. We still have a couple of weeks before they invade us, so every minute we can get in the garden before then is precious. Today I even did all my ironing outside, while watching the little dopey bees flying around and the orchard activity in the distance (pruning I expect).
Moving on from my domestic doings. My friend Keriann and my sister Heidi have both started their own blogs, so now there is no excuse for having zero comments on my posts ladies (hint hint...) Even if just to say hi :)
One of my favourite artists is a French lady called Francine Van Hove. Craig and I bought one of her prints many years ago called 'The pink pillow'. This month I ordered another print for the lounge. Making use of a huge frame that had been lying in the basement (picked up at a yard sale last year) I hadn't got any further than giving it a quick coat of paint. This piece of art, which arrived in the mail from art.com is called 'Sphinx with dictionary'.
A close up. Amber had a new haircut this morning. It's still long, but with lots of layering going on and a side swept fringe, sorry 'bangs' as they are called here! I remembered to take along my camera and take a quick snap outside the florists across the road from the hair salon. On the subject of flowers, my dried hydrangeas have lasted remarkably well through the winter, though I am looking forward to real live ones in the garden in a few weeks. Thank you for listening again!
Hazel xx

Happy Monday :)

It's over a week since my last blog post, well I did write a quick mid-week post but somehow managed to delete it! I must have been half asleep at the keyboard or else the computer gremlins have been dabbling again! Anyway it wasn't particularly newsy, I was just happy it was finally April and wanted to get it down on paper so to speak. (don't know why this first paragraph has bigger spacing?)

This week I have spent quite a bit of time searching for and reading other peoples blogs, interspersed with bouts of sewing, photographing, listing, packaging, posting, chores, lifts etc. I have edited my list of favourite blog sites to include some lovely new ones that I hope to visit more often. There are always so many animals to sew and so little time! I have just ordered some 100% wool felt and am very excited to see what it is like to sew with. It is more expensive than my current felt which is 20% wool, so maybe I will introduce a little exclusive section.

This morning was a small domestic milestone. I actually hung my washing outside in the garden (instead of bundling it into the tumble dryer) for the first time since October last year!! I love the smell of fresh air-dried laundry. The added bonus this year is that the local pig farm is no more - yay!! happy happy, joy joy!! Every year we marvel at the buds on the trees, the flowers popping up and the birds and animals magically surfacing in the warmer weather. But... the smell of the pig farm is one delight I can do without and this year I will finally get my wish :D I feel we should have a celebratory BBQ with our neighbours in a few weeks. The farmer has closed his pig sheds and sold them to someone who will not be keeping piggies, but instead grows apples and blueberries (much nicer).

The weekend was quite special, we had a family movie evening and watched a dvd called 'The Golden Compass'. I chopped some melon, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, bananas and marshmallows. Made warm chocolate fondue and the four of us had fun dipping :) Yummy!

On Sunday Craig and I got invited out to lunch by some friends. Joinging them at our favourite restaurant The Port. It was a popular idea with lots of people enjoying our first real Spring like day.

Craig has been dabbling in the garden, fired up the tractor mower, just to check it's still alive. Aired out the barn, which will soon be emptied of cars and boats. The locals will be coming to collect them soon after storing them for the winter months.

Jemma is busy studying for her AP Biology exam coming up in May, it has been a time consuming course which has taken some serious dedication and hard work this school year.

Amber has been showing a renewed interest in photography again. I will add her deviant art site to my inspiration section on the right, as it has been dormant for a while and will possibly be awakened.

Archie is just sleeping in the sun and 'molting' everywhere! I struggle to keep up with the 'dust bunnies' that seem to be in abundance every day this time of year and I can't walk by one without whipping it up and disposing of it. On the subject of disposal, the valley is clamping down on our recycling habits in a big way. Already being in the habit of recycling it hasn't meant much of a change for us. When I lived in Norway in the mid to late 80's recycling was the norm, and those habits have remained with me wherever I have lived. I just had to 'remind' everyone in the house to please rinse and put in the correct bin!

This morning I have 7 parcels to post, including a collection of six that are destined for the top of a Wedding cake! Here is a new design this week, a little English black and white badger.

I hope you all have a great week :)

Hazel xx

WWF Earth Hour

An important message today ...

WWF Earth hour which is tomorrow, Saturday 29th for us here in Canada. My friend Kathy in Australia sent me a message and video on facebook earlier this week telling me about it. The concept first came about in Sydney, this time last year and was hugely successful. This year it's going Global. Although we don't live in a big city, Halifax being the closest and participating a little, I believe. We will be switching off 'our' lights for the hour 8pm until 9pm on March 29th, probably not the heaters as it will be below zero!

A parcel arrived in my mail box two days ago, another birthday present. This time from my dear friend Keriann in New Zealand. Posted a few weeks ago by airmail, I suspect it ended up travelling by sea instead. It's a beautiful hand made lavender heart sachet, the perfect colours for my bedroom and it's the 'shabby chic' print that I love. Keriann has recently opened a NZ craft webpage Sweetmary where she can sell her items. I am hoping that she will join me on Etsy soon as I am sure her little hearts will sell really well on the International market.

This week I posted another batch of felt tinies off to a Pediatric Doctor in North Carolina for her young patients. She has a heart of gold and loves animals.

My Mum surprised me a few weeks ago by starting her own blog! Living in South Africa many of her relatives are dotted around the world. We used to write long letters to each other, with the internet, skype, facebook, blogs etc. communication methods have certainly changed. Even the humble telephone seems a little old fashioned.

Today I have Amber at home with me feeling poorly. The downside to travelling on an aircraft is that a nasty little bug often gets picked up and this time it was Amber who was unlucky and has a temperature and sore throat. Hopefully by Monday she will have shaken it off (Umm, she was the only one of us to NOT take the Echinacea tablet - but maybe that's just a coincidence!)

Better go and put my nurses hat on and heat some chicken soup!!

Hazel xx

A LITTLE BIT OF EASTER SUNSHINE :)

We're back home again after a wonderful week away in Cuba. Having had just 3 hours sleep in my own bed following the return flight arriving at 3.30am in Halifax. I opened my eyes at 9am and for a split second thought it had all been a very pleasant dream :) I feel relaxed, very lucky and am already planning/dreaming/saving for a return trip next winter!

This unexpected break really was the perfect tonic, towards the end of a long cold Canadian winter. No housework or cooking for me, cold beer for Craig. Freedom to explore the resort grounds for Jemma and Amber, while being independent 'roomies' in their own space and do some sisterly bonding!

Warm air, a quiet clean white sandy beach, refreshing swimming pools, tropical flowers and plants, attentive friendly staff..... well I could go on but you might never read my blog again!!

The flights were both fine and only 4 hours long, a breeze compared to previous travels to NZ and Africa. The movies shown were Juno (brilliant, but I had already seen it) the return flight showed a film called 'August Rush' very enjoyable and sweet.
Now we are back to reality again (adjusting back to life in a fridge) Just kidding. Our little resident chipmunk 'Oscar' poked his head above ground briefly today to make sure that the grass was indeed still there. Craig found evidence in the barn that the raccoon has returned from wherever she spends the winter. The air is crisp and clear and we have the exciting anticipation that Spring is not too far away now. Archie has rubbed up against all the doorways, jumped on the beds briefly and seems satisfied that it is 'his' home again after spending a week confined to a small (but safe) room in the cattery.
I couldn't resist taking a few supplies of felt and thread along to catch up on orders whilst sitting under the shade of a tree (possibly a little sad to a non-sewing person reading this!)

My huge pile of holiday laundry is washed, dried and ironed, grocery shopping duly packed away in the pantry, so I can catch up on my computer work/play this evening without feeling too guilty.
(I think 3 photos on this post is probably sufficient, otherwise my facebook friends will accuse me of repeating myself)

Hazel xx
(a very happy bunny this Easter)

WE'RE OFF TO CUBA!!!!

I was absolutely 'gob-smacked' (to quote a delightful Northern expression) when Craig announced earlier this week that we were going on a trip to Cuba!
Thanks to his boss giving him a much deserved week of paid leave, Craig decided to 'really' get away from the office (and below freezing temperatures). With just a few days to get ready amidst the utter chaos of teenage excitement, the time has flown and we leave tomorrow!!!
Frantically digging out my forgotten cotton dresses and shorts from the summertime (a somewhat distant memory now) I have been carefully filling a suitcase with necessities; sunblock, insect repellent, aloe vera gel, medical supplies etc etc... I usually like to have a few weeks of planning and a few months of anticipation, but not this time :)
Of course I am soooooo excited myself, but as any busy woman will know, you can't just lock the door and head for the airport. Juggling a couple of large orders, library, dentist, grocery shopping and all the other boring housewifey stuff I have been run off my feet. Archie will be getting dropped off en-route at his friendly cat hotel and our next door neighbours will be keeping an eye on our house, particularly in the event of a storm hitting whilst we are away, don't want to come home to any flooded basement or frozen pipes!
I received a very appropriate and much appreciated birthday gift a couple of days ago. A book entitled 'The Princess Bitchface Syndrome - surviving adolescent girls' Need I say more ? Very informative and a must-read for anyone with daughters in the 13 to 17 age group. Sent to me by my friend Kathy, all the way over in Australia. It had been opened by customs (hence the delay) but was still in the birthday wrapping. The accompanying card is hysterical and bears a significant resemblance to Archie :DWell I had better keep this post short and report back to the keyboard on my return :)
Adios!!!
Hazel xx

Is Skype really for me I wonder?

With my birthday festivities over it was time to get back to business again and familiarise myself with the new computer. It even has a web-cam, a very exciting addition, enabling me to actually see my family and friends overseas live - Yay!
Having had my first attempt at using skype with my sister Heidi in South Africa it was a little disappointing because I couldn't hear her. However, I was really geared up for my first chat with my Mum on Tuesday morning this week. Having remembered all necessary steps (being a novice) Wearing a little mascara and lippy, with a pot of tea at the ready I was prepared to 'enjoy' my first conversation and see my Mum's face. Voila! up she popped, looking radiant and relaxed. She was pleased to be able to see me too and we waved at each other like a couple of kids! Then, I started to speak.... trying not to laugh too much, my Mum, looking a little puzzled informed me that I sounded like a chipmunk! Well, do you think I could work out how to change the 'special effect' settings? No. I had a 15 minute conversation sounding like I had 

inhaled a tank of helium gas!! Of course once I signed off and fiddled with a few more buttons I saw that my sweet daughter had in fact forgotten to change the voice control from 'Munchkin' This high pitched synthesised voice sounds hilarious when she is talking to her friends!! Ahh well, we won't forget our first Skype conversation in a hurry that's for sure. I suppose it can only get better - I hope ?*!
This week has been hectic with my biggest sewing order yet, a request for 30 animals from just one customer. That, along with another two smaller repeat customer orders has meant that I have been sewing like a mad woman. 


My paint projects have been put on hold for a while, in fact so has the housework for that matter, today is usually my thorough blitz of every room, but I think not today! Since moving some furniture around last week I have been looking (perhaps glaring) at a chest of drawers I want to attack with a paint brush so badly. You may be aware of my addiction to painting furniture in shades of white, cream and sometimes even robins egg blue! This particular piece is screaming for a makeover. Just as these projects were a while ago:Wardrobe before.... 

... and after! Fireplace before .......and after :)

There is so much dark panelling in our home, as well as doors, window frames and dark hardwood floors that it's nice to paint the odd piece here and there. I know that it is not every ones cup of tea, but it is the decor style I love.

I have been banned from touching the banister by my dear hubby, I feel it is a tad too 'orange' myself :D

Today is the start of the Canadian March break. Jemma and Amber will be home for a week and then Easter is just around the corner! Time sure is flying by fast.

Hope you all have a great weekend and week.

Hazel xx

I'm a Leapling!!

Birthday treats.

Pretty cards, Gypsophelia , tea light lanterns, a bracelet watch (present to myself) and an Asian pear!!

My friend Keriann in New Zealand heard the term 'Leapling' on her local radio station, referring to people born on 29th February. I had to agree with her that it does sound rather cute. I had a lovely birthday this year. A big thank you to my friends, family and fellow bloggers for the well wishes on the day. Although a mostly normal day, grocery shopping, housework etc. My hubby came home from work earlier than usual and took me out to dinner at a restaurant called Rosie's, where the food was excellent. He also knows that I love white flowers and presented me with a bunch of Gypsophelia and an Asian pear! (because they are my favourite fruit at the moment) crisp and delicious sliced in salad or for breakfast) Some pretty cards arrived by hand and in the mail along with a generous book gift voucher from Sandra my friend in England, which I will use on the Amazon on-line site, once I decide which books to buy. Think I will have to look at some recommendations on my favourite blog sites :) Rhonda my neighbour gave me some cream tea light lanterns, great to use outdoors in the summer evenings.

My Mum and Dad sent a beautiful calendar by our photographer friend Richard du Toit, who really does take the most incredible wild life photographs. Craig would like to put it up in his office I suspect. Even my latest copy of Canadian Home and Country arrived on the 29th. The April issue is always one of my favourites as it makes me really look forward to Spring. Hard to imagine right now as I look at the snowy covered landscape. The article on Daffodils made me smile and I loved the French country decor images.

Craig informed me that it is only about 10 weeks until our first hummingbird is due to arrive. Always a special day which calls for the hanging baskets filled with beautiful blue trailing Lobelia and to start planting containers with lilac coloured pansies.

Possibly the most exciting thing this week for us all was the arrival of our new computer! The current one was well travelled and has had it's fair share of viruses over the years and has been working on super slow speed for some time as well as being highly temperamental. The new Dell machine is terrific with a wide screen and a built in web cam and speakers. I love it! I had my first go at 'skyping' with my little sister Heidi earlier today. We both seemed to struggle to get our act together with regards the sound, mind you she had consumed a few glasses of wine I believe :) Lip reading is not one of my talents, so we ended up typing to each other instead! It was nice to see her face though, it is over 7 years since I have seen her in person :( and I haven't even met my nephew Luc.

The arrival of the computer meant a furniture move around was called for. This is something I strangely really enjoy doing (being a neat freak). Our study now has a spare bed in it (for watching dvd's on the screen) and we have kept the old computer as a spare for school projects and photo downloads. My sewing room had a change around too while I was re-arranging things, so I get to look at the other side of the room for a change while sewing. Here is my latest little one:

Little Frankie the Daschund :)

I hope you all have a great week!

Hazel xx

Is it nearly Spring??

One of the little shelves in my sewing room (a thrift store find), where I build up a collection of tiny animals every week along with ribbons and hand made items from Jemma and Amber.

Well it certainly feels like Spring is in the air today :)

The sun is out and although there are only a few patches of green grass showing through the snow, I am feeling happy.

Sitting here alone in the house (except for Archie) on a Monday morning with a fresh cup of coffee, actually my second cup this morning and a long 'to do list' in front of me, which I am hoping to get done today. I feel quite optimistic as February finally comes to an end this week and the mornings are not so dark.

I had a little mad moment of weakness early yesterday when I suggested a family shopping trip into Halifax. Jemma and Amber had been pestering me recently to visit the big City. All their homework was finished and they had tidied their bedrooms. After the last City trip I said 'never again' but the offer just came out of my mouth and before I knew it there were some loud squeals of delight (not a reaction I get very often these days when I make a suggestion or comment!) I drove into Halifax and Craig drove home. Tuning into the local Halifax radio station as we got closer, listening to some great songs, we were there in no time. Taking in some different scenery along the way; people fishing through holes cut in the ice on the lakes, while sitting in tents all day!

Jemma and Amber spent a long time in one of their favourite stores, Old Navy, while I popped into Michael's next door (a huge craft superstore) and found the 'perfect' colour felt for some of my animals :) Craig got lost in the 'man gadget' shop, drooling over big screen TV's!

Afterwards we met up for lunch at Manchu-Wok in the nearby shopping centre a real treat.

Back at home the girls modelled their Spring purchases, both had found cute pairs of shorts a couple of strappy tops and even flip flops! Maybe that's one of the reasons for my optimistic Spring mood today ?

Amber wearing her new stuff.

I suppose I should (reluctantly, wincing slightly) mention that it is my 'real' Birthday this week !! Seeing as it only comes around every 'four' years, I don't think I can get away with not celebrating in some way this leap year, especially as I keep being reminded by my close family!

Thank you for the lovely comments on last weeks blog post, they are very much appreciated.

Well, I had better nip downstairs to add another log to the wood stove and let Archie out for a frisky run around in melting snow! Then I will move down my 'tick list'.

Bye for now

Hazel xx

Mid February Ramblings!!

I sometimes wonder how many people actually read my ramblings at this time of year and was going to skip a week or so. Then I received a couple of lovely emails referring to my blog and I now have 3 comments on my last post, so the select few who are reading it have inspired me to write a few lines again this week. My news these days is a little sparse and not quite as upbeat as in the Summertime. I long to get outside and do some planting, mow the grass and get out my tins of paint without having to breathe in all the strong fumes indoors!
I did manage to venture out on Friday as the snow had stopped falling. I am not as bothered by the cold weather now that we are past mid February. After dropping Amber at school and getting my weekly grocery shopping, I came outside to find that another snow flurry had appeared from nowhere and it was already about 2cm's deep on top of my car. Taking the back roads home I did my first spot of 'ice dancing', in the car!! A complete pirouette in fact (fortunately I was on a quiet country road) Once I had come to a stand still and was facing in the right direction, apart from feeling pretty shaken up, both car and myself were just fine. Resisting the strong urge to brake, as my car did it's own thing, I will put down to the 'ice driving test day' many moons ago, which was part of my Norwegian driving test. Along with a night time driving test, long theory test (in Norwegian) and a mock theory and practical test, before being allowed to take the 'real test' I guess this equipped me for the Canadian roads, plus of course the 20 years driving experience since then :D
I have not been totally confined to the house this week I have to admit. Last weekend the whole family (children included!) went to visit some friends further down the valley. Craig has just started doing some consulting work for them in their Timber frame house business, and they had us over for a lovely lunch. Being Quakers, they had plenty of home made goodies to eat and drink and some funny and interesting stories to tell of their travels overseas.
I met my friend Tina for lunch and proper catch up girlie time mid week (between snow days) Then this weekend it was my friend Rhonda's birthday, she came over with her hubby and we had a lovely evening while all the children were over at their house. One of the gifts I gave Rhonda was a Holly Hobbie calendar for her kitchen, it brought back memories for both of us, both Holly Hobbie and Betsy Clarke were my favourite characters which adorned my bedroom walls in the mid 70's.
In my Etsy shop last week I introduced a couple of new designs, the first being a Westie puppy and a baby blue whale! A cat loving customer enlightened me to the fact that a Calico cat is in fact a tri-coloured cat, and I made one up for her as a special order.Bye for now, I hope you all have a lovely week.
Hazel xx

Another Wednesday post

Amber with Amber the cat!!

Wednesday seems to be the new Sunday for me as far as writing my weekly blog is concerned. I am sure most bloggers would agree that you have to be in the right mood to write, but my weekends recently have been taken up with other stuff, generally centred around driving children to and from various places.
We are lucky to live in a beautiful house on a hill, in a tranquil country setting, which sounds idylic. However, as both my friend Tina and I have both discovered during the month of January, we tend to get forgotten up here and are referred to as 'mountain' or 'lake people'! Not an identity I ever aspired to being labelled thank you very much! Trying to remedy this rather lonely existence we are meeting for lunch next week, which should do us both some good and get us out of our hibernation mode for an hour or two. (I have to say that the internet does keep me fairly sane as I may have mentioned before, it is my main link with the outside world!)

The older I get the more I am realising the importance of special friendships. Now a regular blogger and facebook addict, I have been contacting a few friends from long ago and finding that we have far more in common than I ever realised. There are not many facebook users over the age of 35, so we are in the minority, but I really don't care to be honest. I like to keep up to date with what my children are doing on the computer these days, not that I am anywhere near as well versed in the ever changing world of technology, but I do try :) We certainly live in a different world now to the one I was part of aged 16 (I remember we had just one 'giant' computer for the whole college and we had to share it!) Word processing was the 'new thing' in some of my early secretarial jobs and it was so exciting when we got to attend courses to learn the latest programs.

Last weekend as part of her Duke of Edinburgh award scheme Amber started doing volunteer work for the local SPCA and is now officially a 'Cuddler'. Along with two of her school friends they went to care for about 60 or so cats, all staying in a special little house. All the cats seem to get on really well, amazingly enough and are super affectionate with each another and any visitors, or cuddlers as they are referred to. Apart from breathing in plenty of fine cat hair and looking quite furry herself when she came home in a dark brown hoody (this generated a huge amount of interest from Archie our little furry friend at home) she had a great time and is looking forward to her next visit.

Amber's friend Jennifer with an assortment of friendly felines to choose from!Bye for now

Hazel xx

Putting things in perspective

Yes I do believe I was feeling a little blue when writing my last blog post, now I feel guilty, as I don't have much to moan about really. An email from a friend, who I have known since the age of 18 really put things into perspective last week, she had received some very sad personal news. My thoughts are with her and I am seriously making an effort to have a more positive attitude to my life without complaining about the winter time, after all we did choose to come and live in Canada!!

Of course after also saying how quiet my shop was it did pick up and since then I have sold another 40 animals. This has meant that I have been busy snipping and stitching whilst semi-hibernating in my sewing haven with Archie and my IPod for company. My newest design is this little Australian fellow who I decided to name Oliver.

Jemma is in the midst of her exams this week and is a little tetchy. Although she does have a sparkle in her eyes due to her new Japanese friend, Tak. They are now officially 'boyfriend/girlfriend'. This means a new chapter has opened in my role as a Mum/parent and I am trying my best to be understanding and not too 'controlling' with regard to house rules during their time spent together.

Craig returned from Atlanta and has decided he most definitely does not miss the big City at all, the pollution was thick and everyone was in a rush and quite rude and unhelpful.

Having been feeling a tad nostalgic again of late I managed to get the girls together one evening and watch a 'chick flick', as Craig was away. The three of us snuggled up on the sofa with the dvd The Nanny Diaries, with Scarlett Johansson . It was funny and took me way back to the days I spent as a Nanny myself, in Norway aged just 18. The lady I worked for had me cleaning windows, cooking meals and even ironing her knickers! As well as taking care of her two 'adorable' little boys!

First day in my new job, looking a little nervous I think.

Still I was glad of the experience and opportunity to learn a language. I fell in love with the country and after finishing college was able to work in the oil industry for another 6 years. By my early 20's I was the proud owner of my first car, an old style VW Beetle, which I loved. Not too sure about the 'big' hair or those white slouch boots though!!

Oh the 80's fashion!

Hazel xx

Blue sky in the middle of January !

I have to say that January is NOT my favourite month! However, the sun did come out and shone in a brilliant blue sky, not once but 'twice' this week, so I can't really justify whinging, it was just the medicine we all needed to zap any SAD symptoms in the bud.

Trying very hard to kick myself into gear, I have been mostly locked away in my sewing room, busy cutting out endless pairs of wings, feet and other fiddly bits for my hand made animals. This will save time later on when I am too busy to do so, 'fingers crossed' (fingers which gradually go numb sending me running downstairs to put another log on the fire).

My etsy shop is the quietest it has been for a long time, but I never know when a large order may come in, so I am getting prepared :) Motivation is somewhat lacking right now strangely enough. I look forward to my computer time on facebook early in the morning and just before bed, keeping in regular contact with my friends so far away makes me feel less isolated.

With quite a few heavy snowfalls over the past 3 weeks or so it has not always been possible to drive anywhere until I have been 'plowed out' by the local blueberry farmer. Craig takes my Rav4 to work as it is much safer on the icy roads and the girls have been happy to have the odd surprise snow day off school.

Craig is much calmer this week following a nasty case of work politics between the company shareholders that has been brewing for a number of weeks now. He got dragged into the whole fiasco as 'piggy in the middle' being the financial advisor . It seems to have been resolved now without the costly court case that was looking likely at one point. (a very long and complicated story) Thus avoiding the worst agricultural hiccup in the valley for the past 10 years!

Jemma is on cloud nine now that she has a new male friend in her life. A Japanese exchange student called Tak (shortened from Takuto). They have been spending every lunch time together at school and he has been over to visit a few times. On Friday he brought along his guitar and sang a few songs which impressed us all, along with his good manners and stylish dress sense :) (this paragraph may well get edited out by a certain someone I suspect if she reads it!)

Jemma getting to wear shades yesterday with her new trench coat in Port Williams

Amber is smiling a lot these days too, with her new set of pearly whites and is generally enjoying school, where it is warm and she does have a great teacher this year. We are all longing for the Spring weather of course and will once again (after our 3rd winter here) appreciate it when it does arrive. Oh to wake up to it being light outside!
The laundry/mud room/woodstove room is stacked very high with logs thanks to a joint effort between Craig and I yesterday, it should keep us going for at least a week! Craig is flying off on a business trip to Atlanta next week which will make a nice change for him even if it is only to attend an agricultural expo.
Not such a newsy report this time, but perhaps February will be a little more exciting :D

Thank you for taking the time to read my 'ramblings'

Hazel xx

Our 19th Anniversary

Early mid week post.
Today is the anniversary of the day Craig and I met 19 years ago!
Unlike most couples we don't ever celebrate our wedding, which was a couple of years later sometime in June. This is because it was quite an uneventful day, tinged with sadness as it was held in a registry office in Johannesburg, SA with no guests. We were leaving a couple of weeks later to live in England and didn't want a big 'do' at the time. I have to admit that it is one of the few regrets in my life, wearing a cream suit and standing outside an ugly building does not quite compare to the memories that should have been made along with all the froth and attention a posh church wedding would have brought.
Anyway, our meeting 19 years ago was very romantic as it was on board a flight from Cape Town to London. So January 10th going into the 11th is officially 'our' anniversary.
Craig has booked a lunch at a nice new restaurant in town tomorrow where I will be meeting him after his morning at work close by.
Other news this week is that Amber has finally got her fixed braces OFF! Her orthodontic treatment began about 3 years ago with retainers, palette expander etc. I haven't managed to pin her down for a photo of the new 'smile' as yet, but now she just has a thin wire across her top teeth, which is attached to a retainer, to be worn for a couple of years.
The snow has all melted again, so the grass is quite soggy and has been hacked about a bit by the snowplow, as it is difficult for the driver to see where the driveway actually is underneath 30cm's of snow! Archie is running around like a Spring chicken and can't believe his luck after being cooped up again for a while. I can't seem to train him to wipe his feet/paws though, and have to ambush him every time he comes home from his exploring outings and plonk him on an old towel in front of his biscuits!

Hazel xx

2008 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Almost a week into the new year and things are pretty much back to normal after the holidays. Jemma and Amber went back to school on Thursday (a nice 2 day week for them), gently breaking into those cold 6am morning wake up calls.
New Years eve brought an abundance of snow in a winter storm. Sadly this meant that our number of expected visitors for the evening was on the sparse side. I had catered for about 20 or so friends plus a bit extra. The assorted cheeses, fruits and fancy prawn Melba toasts (decorated with a twist of lemon peel), sat on the plates looking pretty sad, as there were far too many of them! Our next door neighbours' bravely trudged across the meadow and orchard on both sides, dressed in heavy coats and snow boots. It was a cosy neighbourly gathering in the kitchen, where a few of bottles of good red wine were shared by candle light into the small hours. The children had fun in the lounge watching dvd's and laughing a lot. Getting into bed at just after 2am with not even a hint of a headache (something to do with being a responsible hostess?) meant for a good start to the new year.

After much pestering this week, Amber convinced me to let her try out a dark rinse on her hair. Going from a dark blond to deep brown. I have to admit that it does suit her, despite my objections (that would be the boring Mum side of me) It is supposed to wash out in about 28 shampoos, so she gets to be dark and mysterious for a few weeks :)My little etsy shop has got off to a nice start with an early January order for 12 tiny felt animals. These are being shipped off to the US to a lady who gives them to her young and very brave patients in pediatrics.
Now, as if I hadn't already received enough gorgeous and thoughtful presents from my family and friends I had one more late arrival in the post a few days ago. This delightful Cath Kidston recipe organizer is a joint gift from my girls who had both spotted the same item on the internet. I will be on the look out for some special recipes this year to start a nice organized collection. Well I just had to mention it as I had already taken a photo you see!

Hazel x