Its A Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

I'd like to wish all my fellow Canadians a very Happy Thanksgiving!  What a Thanksgiving weekend we're going to have here in the Ottawa Valley, the weather forecast is spectacular, sun and hot, hot, hot!  So it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving weekend at all.  Since my Mum still isn't strong enough to put on the full holiday meal I offered to put on a roast chicken dinner for my family tomorrow.  We don't do turkey or ham in this family so I'm going to cook three chickens, and to make my life easier I've cooked the first of three tonight and I'll cook the other two tomorrow.  So the house is clean and I've got as much food prepped as possible.  Tonight's roast chicken is actually my first!  That's right, and it looks so yummy!  I mean why would I cook a whole chicken for just Todd and me?

I started off the long weekend with making it an extra long weekend.  I took today off of work, and I put it to good use!  I spent hours cleaning the house and prepping food.  I've been so busy doing this and that today, that I've had a hard time settling down into my stitching.  I did stop and take a picture of my Prarie Schooler WIP before I picked it up today.  I'll show you what progress I do make this long weekend, sometime Monday night.

Check out the look on Hunter's face, he is trying to look so innocent!

I think the cats have just loved it having me home today!  Oh boy they were entertaining.  When I first brought Zeus home there was a lot of growling and spitting on Hunter's part... also the odd swat.  Hunter was not pleased.  Now that Zeus has been here for almost seven months, I see moments where they're "getting along".  Also usually the trouble maker is Zeus, but I'm seeing moments where Hunter is being the instigator.

This only lasted for about ten minutes... both of them on the back of my stitching chair.

I hope if you're Canadian you enjoy the holiday with family and friends, and if you're not I hope you enjoy it whatever your plans may be!

PhotoHunt Catch-Up

Gosh, life has been busy I've not done a PhotoHunt since late May!!!  So here's two to start getting you all caught up.

May 28th theme was "Looking Down"

This picture was taken in August of last year at the Montmorency Falls just outside of Quebec City.  There's a bridge that goes right over the falls and you can look right down and over the falls.  Bonnie and I will be heading back later this summer with our significant others for a wee summer vacation.  We're really looking forward to it!

June 4 the theme was "Dirty"

This picture was taken this past February at the Batey Vascas outside of Consuelo, Dominican Republic.  A little girl is washing the family's dirty laundry.  I'm very excited to be going back with a different group of students next February!

Things have been crazy busy for me lately, this summer at work my carpets are being replaced!  What does this mean but having to pack an ENTIRE library into boxes.  Boy, I'm getting tired of the sight of boxes!  So today I got a wee bit creative with some of the empty boxes... proof I'm going around the bend?

Zeus is still proving to be quite a handful!  Here she is CHEWING on the stem of my grapes!  Naughty girl!

Its a long weekend coming up, we'll be celebrating Canada Day on Friday!  Living in the Nation's Capitol we have the opportunity to go downtown and celebrate on Parliament Hill.  I'd be absolutely CRAZY to go downtown this year William and Kate are in town!  I just don't tolerate crowds and idiots very well anymore... nor can I tolerate the drunk on the back of the bus who throws up once its all over on the way out of the downtown core.  I am looking forward to Saturday though, I'm doing my second race, the Perth Kilt Run, an 8 km race and the kilt is MANDATORY.  I've got to figure out how I'm going to carry my camera because I've got to get pictures of this race for sure!!!  Last year's race made the Guinness World Record!

Of course I hope to be able to find some time to stitch, I've not done much since Sunday.

TUSAL & Goals

Last night I was home too late from Ultimate Frisbee (my newest activity) to get a blog entry in, but here it is today.  I took my Ort Jar out to get some fresh air this evening to be photographed.  You'll notice lots of blues/whites/greys in this layer all from Enchantment of Winter.  I have to say when you're stitching over one or backstitching you don't produce a lot of orts.

I also realized, gee this is the start of a new month so I should review my goals form May and set some for June.

May Goal Review
Work on Enchantment of Winter - Sure did
Work on The Accolade - Going pretty well actually
Stitch 1 Ornament - Yes
Work on Quilt Blocks - Barely touched it, but touched it a little

June Goals
Work on Enchantment of Winter
Work on The Accolade
Stitch 1 Ornament
Finish 1 Quilt Block

Thanks everyone for your awesome words over my 10K race last weekend!  Your comments mean a lot to me and made me feel great about my accomplishment ... though it did make me realize how slow of a runner I am, but I am a runner!

Here's a great shot of Zeus I got last week as the sun was setting.

Fantastic Get Together!

Well I had this post almost done, just popping in pictures until Zeus stepped on the keyboard and bye bye post!  Argh!  So, time to start over.

This past weekend was my annual stitching weekend, its become an annual event because at this time of year Todd heads off to the cottage with the boys for his annual Mississippi Massacre (opening weekend for fishing).  So I have the girls over for some stitching, food and laughter!

The weekend started off on Friday evening with Christin, Bonnie and Rebbecca coming out to stay until Sunday afternoon.  On Saturday we were joined by Kathy, Beatrice, Lynn and Amy (no blog).  We had a wonderful day full of stitching and laughter.  Thanks for coming out girls, you made it a special day!

Lynn showing off her latest framed finish, the most perfect frame!

Beatrice - We had lost of great laughs

Christin being productive

Kathy showing the camera her thin side (Rebbecca and Bonnie having a good laugh at this)

My friend Amy, she's a casual stitcher... I'm working on trying to change that LOL.  We had a good laugh when we discovered that the piece she's working on is the one that Rebbecca JUST finished!  Its a small world!

We had an opportunity to celebrate Lynn's retirement earlier last week!  Lucky girl!

I decided that it wasn't a good idea to work on Enchantment of Winter, there was going to be 7 fantastic distractions in my living room that day!  So I decided to start my ornament for May which I finally finished up tonight.  It turned out a little bigger than I normally like for an ornament but I'm declaring it one none the less!

Nordic Mitten

c2007 JBW Designs

Stitched on 28ct Platinum Lugana

Stitched with DMC 115

 Of course Zeus was super cute all weekend long!  I think Zeus was the most photographed this past weekend!  I got a  little surprise at the vet on Thursday.  I took him into the Vet for the third time, for his 2nd vaccine this time we saw a different vet at the practice.  Upon much closer inspection she declared Zeus a GIRL!  We've decided we won't be changing names.  I couldn't do anything but laugh over this!

Stitching Progress & Photo Hunt

I had every intention to blog this weekend, but I ended up taking things easy with stitching, naps, oh and a trip to the gym with a good friend.   The weekend started off really nicely with a wonderful pizza & beer dinner out with Todd, oh my goodness it was heaven!

I do have a Happy Dance to report, but I can't share it.  I know, I know its sad.  Its the first of my two giveaway gifts!  It was fun and colourful!  Now to do finishing and a 4-Day weekend is coming up!  Yay!

I am missing Enchantment of Winter, working on my giveaway pieces!  I did start the over one and here's a closeup of it for you.

Aren't the colours just awesome in this piece?

Here's the PhotoHunt for April 16th the theme was "Road"

I picked this photo awhile ago and you know what I really can't remember why?  I just know its a gorgeous view and wouldn't it be fun to drive a sports car down that road?

Of course you want a Zeus update right?  This is my new favourite picture, of Todd and Zeus!

Finally, the Stitching Update!

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for my stitching update!  So without further ado, here it is!

This is a finish from during March Break, I just keep forgetting to share it with you.  I had barely started this piece before I lost Cuddles, and I decided it would be a perfect memorial piece for Cuddles.  I will frame it with one of his pictures.

Petit Chat

Des Filles et une Aiguille

Stitched on : 32ct Cloudy Day Grey Belfast from Silkweavers

Stitched with overdyed cotton

I have been progressing with my Quilt Squares, I've finished two more since I last showed them to you.  I've now got a total of 4 blocks done, and I've started a 5th.  This is my on the go/I'm exhausted project.

Finally, my obsession... Enchantment of Winter!

Oh and here's a little more Zeus cuteness!

TUSAL for April

Well, here's my TUSAL for April, it really is a crappy picture but I've got a lot of blogging to catch up on but I'd rather be stitching right now but I realize I'm long overdue for an update.

I realize I didn't say on my last post when I'd be picking my two draw winners.  Well I don't feel like doing that tonight so you have at least one more day to enter if you haven't done so... maybe more!

Why haven't I blogged since last weekend?  Well I had a migraine Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday...not fun.  When I wasn't suffering I was darned busy or stitching away on Art Deco Spirits.  I'll do a stitching update sometime this week (lets hope right?  I've got a poor blogging track record for March).  I suppose I also owe you my stitching goals too... hmmm another blog entry "sometime" this week I suppose.

Zeus is doing well and is nicely settled in.  Him and Hunter seem to have reached some sort of agreement.