Photos of Lucky, Interesting,Yummy, and Stitchy Things

 It has been raining all night and all day. But that's good; it will help clean up the ground. The wetland on one side of the pond is finally free of ice and I flushed a pair of ducks when taking this photo last week. The Peepers are finally making their spring calls early morning. They can sound quite raucous and I read why...the females choose their mates by the volume of their sounds. 

Yesterday I  spotted these two on the pond so took this photo from a great distance and I wonder if they are the pair that made a nest there last year. It was pouring down rain but they looked comfortable enough.

I took this photo of another movie being filmed in one of the nearby towns, Carleton Place, where we go for Tony's hearing aids. That was the second one filmed there in March. They were using the local butcher's shop in this strip mall. It's kind of fun to see all the crew and equipment it takes for just a couple minutes of film. 

 Easter this year coincided with Brad's birthday so Beth brought over two cakes for our get together. We've been enjoying cake every night for dessert since.

The birthday cake was a Carrot Cake to die for. Yes and that is its' name. TO-DIE-FOR Carrot Cake. It was huge and heavy and shifted a little during transport. The recipe is found here on Trish's Mom On Time Out site. You will not be disappointed if you give this one a try!

And the Easter Cake was a cake that featured a favourite of mine, Peeps. It is the Peeps Sunflower Cake and the recipe is found here at Taste of Home.

 Isn't it neat!

 During my last ramble through a thrift store, I came across this sweet baby quilt. The edging was a new design to me and it was so striking, I took a photo to share with you. It added so much interest to a simple quilt made with a panel. Have any of you used this method for a binding? I'm sure it must have a name.

And my own stitching...more Flicker blocks featuring a few pinks, another colour I'm short on.

I'd hung on to this scrap of fabric below with the pretty tulips, debated using it in this project, and then decided it's time had come. You have probably done that very same thing. 

I'm so happy the season is shifting even though so far it has been sunless and very wet, the latter I'm hoping will be good for the forests. LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color's prompt last week was if we like spring. That would be a resounding yes from me; spring is a very welcome season here in the Ottawa Valley. The Pussy Willows are starting to open and pretty soon I'll see green shoots underfoot. 

I'll leave you with this photo Tony took of the three of us very lucky creatures last year. 

I'm sending mental well wishes to you all wherever you are in this topsy turvey world. Try to stay calm while we stitchers ride out this storm together.  

Stitching Progress and A Spring Photo Too

It's early spring which I think in some ways is the saddest and ugliest time of the year here. There is not a single hint yet of all the glorious green to come and I've been out there looking. But more about that at the bottom of this post.

Sewing progress first... I worked on my appliqued Quarter Dresdens and finished the March reds. It will be nice to move on to pinks, the RSC April colour.

I've also spent lots of quiet time cross stitching on my current piece, What Remains is Love. An alphabet was included with the pattern so you could personlize your piece which I've begun there. The pattern has a couple of quirky things about it like that rather fanciful bird on the left. 

Tony and the dogs are keeping me very busy. The appointments and meetings continue. And there's a long list of spring chores to do too. Outside, the spring season is baby stepping in. A flock of noisy Canada Geese went overhead today and early mornings I'm hearing birds twittering. 

 I've been chipping ice off the front steps using an axe and was proud of the little path I'd maintained all winter. Other years we would climb over it.

But then one day, Tony lost his balance when almost at the veranda and fell completely sideways. It was a miracle he didn't hit his head on the boulders that stick out from under the veranda or the ice on the other side. 

His face was right next to that vee shaped rock.

He was somehow inserted lying down between the two, unhurt, except for a few scratches on his scalp...his hat and glasses flew off. It was scary but we marvelled and were thankful for the good luck too that it was only his pride that got hurt. 

Then it rained heavily for hours and hours. We got about 2 inches worth and it couldn't make up its mind about freezing or plain old rain. That was thanks to a Colorado low passing through...how in the world can such reach this far north! The ground is a mess but this too won't last. I'm wearing rain boots with cleats on them.

Above there on the pond one day with the snow just starting to soften.

And 48 hours later after those warm temperatures blew through. What a difference a couple of days make!! The dogs tested it out and could walk all around on the ice which seemed to tickle their fancy. They spent ages leaping back and forth. Labradors are truly water dogs.

It's Easter Sunday and I'm having the family here for dinner today. LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color's prompt is about dishes for the dinner. I always cook a turkey and have the usual vegetables with it. I would cook salt meat to flavour them but I can't find good salt meat here. I've done my prep for the company and have all the "good" dishes out and the table set. I did my big shop for the dinner two days ago. My turkey is thawed and stuffing made. Beth is bringing one of her cakes so it's just the turkey dinner for me to prepare. 

I have lots more to share with you including new stitching projects and a new to me face moisturizer that I'm loving. Next time then! Take Care all.

So happy as always to share this post with Kathy's Quilts and Quilting Patchwork Applique.