Another New Year

September always feels like a new year to me with school back and routines beginning. I know my kids are going to be thrilled with this...

Too cute - back to Tower Rd School 1978! Kate was going in to primary and Andrew into grade 2! We had just come back from a sabbatical year in England and they were excited to be back with their friends. We had a wonderful year in England, both kids were in a great school and we had lots of interesting adventures. Now their own kids are going back to school! We have Evan in grade 5, Ben in grade 3 and in Calgary, Molly is in grade 4 and Marcus has another year before he goes in to primary.

Back here, work is progressing well on the exterior of the house. Peter has finished the Orchard St side (and the back) and is now on the front of the house. It is very time consuming and fiddly with all the decorative trim around the windows and the door. He has a fan club who drive or walk by everyday to check on his progress and comment, all very encouraging! We are hoping the front will be finished this fall and he will wait till the spring to do the garden side.

Orchard St. side all done except for the basement window.

Orchard St. side all done except for the basement window.

Starting the front, the right hand side is all striped now , priming starts tomorrow. The weather is co-operating for a change!

Starting the front, the right hand side is all striped now , priming starts tomorrow. The weather is co-operating for a change!

I have had a busy summer in my sewing room. Two baby quilts are done and have been sent off to a new great nephew in Toronto and a new soon-to-be-born "great" in October in Calgary. I finished two Hallowe'en tops and they are ready to be quilted. And I have a Christmas quilt at Lynn's waiting to be quilted on her long arm.

This pattern is called "Pinetop", the colours are rather odd, it isn't as creamy yellow as it looks! The pattern was a real challenge, it was a first-time pattern and had not been pattern tested! I was glad I hadn't cut it all out beforehand! Hopefu…

This pattern is called "Pinetop", the colours are rather odd, it isn't as creamy yellow as it looks! The pattern was a real challenge, it was a first-time pattern and had not been pattern tested! I was glad I hadn't cut it all out beforehand! Hopefully I will have the "after" picture soon!

I am anxious to get back to some hand work now. I have two projects to finish up with the hand quilting, one hand piecing project and one hand applique project. There is always something!

Our bi-annual Quilter's Retreat at Pictou Lodge is coming up again on September 23-27th. Can't wait to be back at Pictou Lodge and gather with 64 other quilters and 3 teachers. This is our 15th Retreat, we started it after we hosted Quilt Canada in 1984. I am so pleased it is still going strong!

The Wild Garden

We had quite the winter here in Nova Scotia, I haven't seen anything like it in all my 50+ years living here. The snow storms were relentless, we didn't really have a good thaw and it just kept piling up, snow, freezing rain, snow on and on. We began to worry about our gardens. We have a lot of shrubs and small bushes that were buried and bent over with the weight of the snow. Once it had all melted we saw lots of damage with broken branches and pretty sad looking plants.

Somehow Mother Nature was watching over us and the garden is in bloom, I think even more so than last year. We are expecting rain at times heavy tonight so I got out to take a few pictures before the rain. I hope the forecast is wrong and the blooms will be around for a while.

One of many rhododendrons and "Lily" (so named by Ben, we have no idea why!). I was thrilled that we actually had tulips this year, I am sorry I didn't get a picture of them at their peak. There a a few deer that roam through town snacking on all th…

One of many rhododendrons and "Lily" (so named by Ben, we have no idea why!). I was thrilled that we actually had tulips this year, I am sorry I didn't get a picture of them at their peak. There a a few deer that roam through town snacking on all the tulips but they missed us this year.

I wish I knew all the proper names of the rhododendrons!

I wish I knew all the proper names of the rhododendrons!

Mother nature at her finest!

Mother nature at her finest!

Our secret garden room, laden with grapes and wisteria (that hasn't bloomed since we have been here) but if this year is like last we will have a great supply of grapes. There are more garden pictures on my Flickr page, link to the left in the sideb…

Our secret garden room, laden with grapes and wisteria (that hasn't bloomed since we have been here) but if this year is like last we will have a great supply of grapes. There are more garden pictures on my Flickr page, link to the left in the sidebar.

Mother Nature on the left and Liam on the right. These were named ever so joyfully by our grandson Ben, in memory of Ben's twin brother Liam who died June 15, 2007, 6 weeks old. The statues were both here when we bought the house, Ben knew right awa…

Mother Nature on the left and Liam on the right. These were named ever so joyfully by our grandson Ben, in memory of Ben's twin brother Liam who died June 15, 2007, 6 weeks old. The statues were both here when we bought the house, Ben knew right away who they were and that they belonged in the garden.