Sunday, November 11, 2018

Moving of our friend Lyn......back to USA

Sept 10, 2018 reposted Nov 11 (how appropriate REMBERANCE DAY) 

Today, or I believe it to be so, my good friend Lyn and her hubby will be leaving our cozy area where we live and quilt together. Leaving town, yes, but leaving our friendship NEVER!  Lyn, you have brought into our lives every month for ((what 10 years in total)) at your home for flavoured teas, cookie and FQ exchange at Christmas, and so many other great chats that we shared.
I loved it when you would say on a bright, cold, winter’s day......bring your Jammie’s and we will have a sleep over and sewing night all together.

Through you I have met some beautiful ladies......Yvonne, Rose,  Sue and Sandra.  What a talented group you have brought together.....and so many different ways to share and care. 

You have been so easy to talk to about private things, your calm ways or explaining or sharing.  Always welcoming us at the door with a beautiful smile.  You taught us little quilting tricks and tips. You kept us all organized, and for goodness sake, showed us how to share all our older magazines and then feel good when the time came to move them forward, or let them go.  Thanks to you I have binders of quilts that are in that “Maybe On Day” binder. 

“What fun” “What about this” “Did you see this or that English Series?” “Have you ever read this or that book?”.......yes this was part of who you are.  Always sharing new and interesting things with us. A place where we could go and just be ourselves.  Every last Tues of the Month when Gal Pals gathered around your table it was always such an interesting time.


As you close this chapter and start composing the chapters of your life time back in USA with your family so close by, I know you will never forget these “Gal Pals” that you left behind.
Rose, Yvonne, Sue, Sandra, and myself, Denise.

God Bless you and Doug as you move forward into a new and different life......
A little memory that I will always treasure.

Nov 11/2018.......Yvonne and I just realized yesterday, no Christmas Party or sharing of 1FQ, a Christmas Craft you taught us, no 6 cookies for our cookie exchange......and no Almost-Christmas laughs and hopes for a winter storm so we can have a Gal Pal Sleep Over party together. As if there would be much sleeping anyway.   You are missed, but we also hope, you are going to have a wonderful Christmas this year being there with your Daughter, SIL, and Grandchildren.  Yes, we decided we would share you this year and forward with them.  


Friday, November 9, 2018

Canatara Park, A beginning of Winter Wonderland Nov 9, 2018

Canatara Park, A beginning of Winter Wonderland Nov 9, 2018
Today it starts. Join us as we step outside into our first fall of snow.  Who can’t love the snow, put aside the freezing temperatures, the angry winds that blow all around us. Just enjoy the beauty of the day.  Please.  Put aside thoughts of snow shoveling, boots filling, noses freezing, numb fingers.  Just for this “first day of snow” let’s just enjoy the trip together.
Fasten your sleigh belts, here we go.











Here I come again. Sept 24, 2018

Well, several tries to set up a new account in a new blogger account failed so I decided to return to home base from the very beginning.  Now to figure out AGAIN how to make this work.
I am going to combine everything into this blog from here forward.  I have several individual blogs and it is just too hard to keep up the challenge of updating them all.  Not on my part, but on the part of getting into them all at different times.

So wish me luck as I move forward keeping this one only up and running.

I am going to share with you different hobbies, quilts, crafts that I fill my day with. Starts, steps, finished be prepared to catch them all.  Please let me know your thoughts as we journey together through this Blogger cyberspace.

Starting today with an older project and the history.  My BFFA Sue gifted me with a Christmas Teddy Bear the year I spent my 1st week visiting her while she was living in Kitchener.  My CT was given to me with my promise to her that I would make it and keep it for myself.  I believe that was in 2013, several months after Mum’s passing in June.  I think of Sue, Mum, and that week every time I go through my UFO Bin/s and see it still waiting.
Wait no more.  This week I started cutting it out in the evenings.  I hope to have it completed by this Christmas and under our tree.  Maybe I can share a photo of Noel (I just named him) if I can get it completed in time.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

My OVATION Journey Nov 8 2018

My 2nd 6-string guitar…..An Ovation purchased 2nd hand and loved to death.  I just called her “Ms O.” because that was the best name for her I could settle on.

When Derek and Emily were small children night time would find me sitting in the hallway outside their bedrooms.  On my guitar stool and playing/singing my heart out. You know, children are amazing. They remember the singing at night, but they never said anything about my off pitch tone or sour note.  I just played for them from my heart and they took that love with them to this day.

At that time I was also dubbed with a singing name…...Denise Denver….why, because I knew or had a copy of every song John Denver sang.  I was no Denver in voice, but sure loved his Nature type songs, and I sang them lots.

She went with me to many activities in my  Guiding and Scouting years. “Campfires” at indoor Thinking Week events.  My Ovation opened the doors to so many friendships with other players….yes, I met my BFFA Sue when she spent many days and years helping me limp along learning how to play in such a way that I never forgot. She even encouraged my “special” finger picking ways,,,,,no one else can pick the way I do…..they have five fingers, (two to anchor their hands) and 3 to use when picking.  I was not quite the same in my hand structure, so I learned my own unique way.

How many through the 10 years I was living on my own did I go to a Christmas Carol Sing with my friends Tom and Helen? I was so thankful the year that Tom introduced me to a lady who is still a really good friend of me....long distance though it is....but always in touch. Helen. Remember Helen? We hit it off like 2 peas in a pod. Both on our own and in great need of a new friend.

Years passed, guitar players to play with came and went.

In October 1999 I met on line my soon to be husband Lou.  We only started out as friends first, and why? You may well ask, because I played the guitar, and so did he.  What a grand bond to start a life long friendship and marriage.

The last year I lived in Keswick, after marrying Lou and before moving to Wyoming, Ont I had a bbq and several of us brought our guitars.  Song words were posted on the white siding at the deck, and then away we went…...our very own backyard songfest.

Did I mention that we both played our guitars at our wedding....that was so much fun for us (not sure about our guests) that we actually played way over the time that we had rented the hall for this day.  The Embassy Suites gave us the heads up to stay playing as our guests left to go the different ways home.



Ms. Ovation stood with me at my Sister’s, Father’s funeral. My last time to sing goodbye to them both.
Later on, I purchased my 12 String Takamini Guitar. I had graduated to the big girl guitar era. I named her Esmeralda after one of my song hero’s song….John Denver “Dearest Esmeralda”.  I still have her. Last time I played Esmeralda was at my Mother’s funeral…...after that the light on my playing just seemed to fade away. Sad but true. Meanwhile….My O went on to be the chosen guitar that Lou would play all the time.  You might say, we actually wore her out with the humming and strumming.

A little history lesson about Ovations.  Little did I know when I purchased this lovely fibreglass backed instrument (yes, moulded to fit right into my body frame I swear) that the first year of production the artist decided to form the neck from aluminum.  He worked for an airplane builder and figured this would be a solid, non-warping, light-weight way to make a long lasting instrument. This was some time during the 70’s. He was right because we were still playing Ms O like nothing would ever stop us.
This aluminum neck was formed as one solid piece.  The frets (the metal bars that cross the neck and the strings rest upon to bring out the notes) was left in the original aluminum bar and then each side was whittled out, leaving the base that had little bars standing up above the neck.  Of course these were then covered with thin pieces of wood, and the strings added and away it went to be sold. These were manufactured this was in the early 70,s for one year, then stopped. So I could think I had an antique…..except……….
Our Ms O developed a really nasty twang.  The more Lou worked to fix it the worse it got. So this past spring to the Guitar Dr she went and after approx 6 months, of one excuse after the other, one reason why the guitar could not be fixed, broken tools….we finally had our answer…….THE ALUMINUM BAR could not be fixed.
The repair man felt very badly since we waited so long and the guitar would not come back the same way it went out. The repairman offered us a $ exchange on the price of a brand new Ovation,,,,with wood neck, no longer a fancy-dancy experiment.

Our new Ovation is now home with us, and I just love it to pieces.  I am even picking her up each day and playing a little bit to rebuild my callouses.  The tone is amazing (as I guess all new guitars are). Her outfit is clean, shiny and I hope to see over time the many little scratches from both of us playing her together.

Yes, I am even encouraged to tune up my Esmeralda and start playing again.
What is amazing about this story is that Ms O brough Lou and I together, we both share her now, and when I play my 12string along with him. It is like the beginning time again,,,,,two people who came together over guitars and will stay that way.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Catching up on my Handwork Nov 5 2018

Now a bit about my latest hand crafts....will try and keep them in viewing order, but really since the last time I was able to update, I have a lot to share and show.  Get comfortable.

My BFFA Sue is going to have a little 1st time Great Granddaughter born around the 1st of December, so what can I do to share her happiness with her.  Here is what I decided.



So for fun I decided a new scarf would be amazing for my new winter coat.........so this one is for me. :)

Trying again. Nov 5 2018

CHARLES ARNOLD BOYLE:  April 9, 1921 - April 25, 2002

REMBERANCE DAY:  Before I go further with sharing my photos I would like to remember my Father who was drafted to participate in WWII.  My Dad returned home to his Family safely.  How many have not been so fortunate to share with us now that their enlisted family member was so fortunate. Thank you God and Guardian Angels for giving us our Husband, Father, Grandfather and Uncle back into our lives.






Sunday, April 30, 2017

April 29 2017 Love of life

April 29 2017   Love of life

The past week and the week to come has been very emotional for me.  Lou lost his son, I lost my 2nd step child........Lou's first son through his marraige to Annette.  This time has shown me several things that I knew, but never realized before. sueWe must love life for all the warts and wrinkles.  Growth is in this little package also....

We live, we grow, we change, and when it is all over, and a new life appears on the horizon because of what we left behind.  Then the real blessing starts.....the beauty of continuing life and learning.