I spent Friday and Saturday getting the place ready for a stitching afternoon on Sunday and birthday celebration for Jeanette's '7-oh'. I'm not one to spend 3 hours straight doing housework. Rather, I do a bit, then sit a bit, do a bit, then run an errand, then do a bit, etc. etc.
Saturday night I got everything ready and decorations up.
I already had the 'Happy Birthday' confetti that I just keep recycling after various celebrations.
I had been to the party store on Saturday to buy the dangly decorations.
Sunday morning I had two errands to run. When I finished the first errand I had a total brain cramp about what the second one was supposed to be. I had driven halfway home when I remembered what it was so I got it done, too. Sheesh!
Jennifer and Poppy had other commitments and sadly could not celebrate with us. Jeanette, Marilyn, and Barb were scheduled to arrive at about 12:30. Unbeknownst to them, I had also invited a surprise guest - Jeanette's high school friend, Patty. She arrived shortly after noon. We first met Patty when we connected with her at Quilt Canada. Then again, she was one of the 3 quilters that joined us at our fall Elim retreat at the end of September. I was so excited that she could join us as I knew it would really be a surprise for Jeanette.
Jeanette arrived, not recognizing the blue car in the driveway. She was so surprised to see Patty - as were Barb and Marilyn when they arrived. It's possible I enjoyed setting up the surprise as much as it was a surprise for all of them.
Here, Jeanette is showing them something on her phone from the recent England trip.
We had a fun afternoon stitching, gabbing, and celebrating. After they left and I got stuff put away, I enjoyed the tidy house - a rarity unless I have company coming.
It was so fun planning and executing the get-together. We have deemed Patty 'one of us' and the 'crossover friend' from their other friend group from high school.
This morning, Barb hosted stitching. Jeanette was feted yet again with yummy carrot cake.
I also brought 'the guys' with me to show the others what I worked on last week before the Persian Tiles kit arrived.
Leaving Barb's I marveled at the beauty of her street - resplendent with red maples - stunning this time of year.
On the way home I stopped into Dollarama to see if they had any fake snow for my
Jingle Ball snow globe project. I wasn't that impressed with their fake snow. It just looked like chunky, shredded plastic bags. Will keep trying. What I did see, though, were candidates for the actual 'globes'.
The round one on the left is actually designed to contain water, if desired. I bought two of each and now have to decide which ones I'll use.
I have completed the medium-sized house (top) and got quite a bit done on the small house (bottom) at stitching today.
They're not very big but there is a LOT of stitching to each one as well as backstitching. I need to get more of the yellow floss - DMC 728 to complete the small house.
Yesterday, while the gang was here, I did a bit more work on 'Smitten'.
It's slow going but I persevere.
Between fits and spurts of activity, I've cranked out some octagons and granny squares for my second Persian Tiles blanket.
I plan to make it 5 x 6 again - using up the maximum amount of the yarn from the kit as I did last time. This time, I ordered extra so I could also do the border with the Stylecraft Special DK yarn.
Barb and I are now getting excited for the upcoming Pastime Pieces Simply Stitching Retreat. I've decided to head to SW Ontario on the preceding Wednesday, do some shopping en route, and visit and have dinner with a former student who is undergoing cancer treatment in London and who stays in London Monday - Friday these weeks. It will be so nice to see her. I've booked a hotel in London for that night and will do more shopping the next day (Thursday) before heading to Lambton County to my niece's for the night in Oil Springs - south of Petrolia.
The next morning I'll head to Sarnia to have breakfast with 'the Breakfast Club' (retired ladies with whom I taught from 1978 - 1989) that meets the first Friday of every month. For once, the first Saturday is a week earlier so I don't have to hightail it back to Whitby for the guild stitch day. After breakfast in Sarnia, I'll head to London, stake out a table at the retreat and pick up Barb at the VIA station when she arrives by train at 13:38 (or so).
This Wednesday some of us were invited to the Northumberland guild's stitch day at Elm Hirst Resort on the north shore of Rice Lake. We're meeting at MaryK's and 5 of us will carpool there. It will be nice to be chauffeured.
Then this Saturday is our monthly, first-Saturday-of-the-month Stitch Day. Some of us will be doing a workshop on an embroidered, illuminated letter.
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