Ollie, My Sweet Sweet Boy

It seems that life is kicking us while we're down lately. Yesterday we lost our beautiful Oliver. He has been suffering with cardiomyopathy, a common ailment of his breed as they age. Meds for his heart and blood pressure have been a daily occurrence for almost six months now, and we quickly learned that he was not fond of taking pills! The recent addition of a diuretic helped slightly with his breathing, but our prayers were not be answered. Oh what a huge void he has left in our home and our hearts.





I have had cats all my life, but never a cat like Oliver. To say he was special would be an understatement. He had such personality and very quickly had us all, both family and friends, tightly wound around his big tufted paws. Even my hubby who has always professed to hate cats was won over. Although we all loved him dearly, he was definitely my cat. He and I shared a very close bond. He was not happy when I was away,  and rarely left my side when I was home. A constant and loyal companion, he showed his unconditional love with many daily snuggles, nestling his head into my neck or under my chin with a deep resonating purr. He loved to spend time with me in the studio, his favourite spot being on the ironing board (especially if it was warm) so he could see what I was doing.
I am heartbroken to lose him, much too soon. Rest in peace, my sweet boy. I will love you always and forever, dear Ollie.





Pawprints Left by You

You no longer greet me,
As I walk through the door.
You're not there to make me smile,
To make me laugh anymore.
Life seems quiet without you,
You were far more than a pet.
You were a family member, a friend,
A loving soul I'll never forget.

It will take time to heal-
For the silence to go away.
I still listen for you
And miss you every day.
You were such a great companion,
Constant, loyal and true.
My heart will always wear
the Pawprints left by you.

Author Unknown


Peace,
Linda

"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose;
All that we love deeply, becomes a part of us."
Helen Keller

Ah, Sweet May...and a Giveaway

Ahhhh, late May. Is there any time of year sweeter than this? I think not. The tree foliage is lush, the lawn is spring's brightest green. The hostas are unfurling their stunning leaves and the bleeding hearts behind them arch their graceful branches and dangle rows of little pink hearts like charms from a bracelet.








The windows are wide open and the apple blossoms' sweet scent fills the room as I write this. Ollie is content to once again have "his" open window back; he sniffs the breeze a hundred times a day, chirps back at the goldfinches on the feeder ten feet away and curls up in the sun for his afternoon naps. And I'm sure he is dreaming of how he would catch the hummingbirds that zip by his window if he could only reach through that screen...

Our back lawn is littered with drifts of purple violets and I grieve their beheadings each time the hubby mows. (He tires of my plea  "Wait one more day.. I might want to take a few more photos...") Yes, I think late May through mid June is just about my favourite time of year...







We experienced a nasty little storm on Thursday afternoon, a severe thunderstorm with very heavy rains. It beat down plants, washed out newly seeded lawns, flooded streets, toppled trees and knocked out power. We had just planted our new maple tree on the front lawn the evening before, and hubby had spread topsoil, seeded and rolled the large area. Yep, all washed away. The tree is fine, the topsoil and grass seed, not so much. But it could have been worse. So we carry on. Other than putting in annuals, and planting my vegetable garden, I'm almost done the spring garden chores... and so I'm grabbing my camera more often these days ...and evenings...

I have to admit one of my favourite plants to photograph at this time of year is the bleeding heart. I cannot resist its charm. So I hope you'll indulge me these few more photos, it will soon be past its prime and I'll move on to the lilacs...

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, scroll down to the next post and be sure to leave a comment there for your chance to win!










Peace,
Linda

"The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May." ~ Edwin Way Teale

MIA?

Yes I'm still here.. No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Just very busy right now, (as you can see, Ollie is no help at all!) and blogging has had to take a back seat for a bit. I'm off tomorrow to a teaching gig, home Saturday night, and hopefully will have something to post on Sunday. See you then!

Peace,
Linda

Happiness is being busy doing the things you love. (For Ollie I guess that would be napping...)

First Day of Spring, eh?

How much longer before we'll see tulips?

So spring officially arrived last evening. Supposedly. But we all know there is often a fair bit of difference between the "first day of spring" and the first day of spring weather. I don't think we're going to see spring anytime soon. We still have four feet of snow on the ground....
But the days are lengthening  and the sun is strengthening, so there's hope! It will come, I know it will...   eventually.
Thank you to all who inquired about Ollie. He is much better, back to normal I'd say. We're not sure what it was, a Gastro-Intestinal bug of some sort was the Vet's best guess. Anyway he's home after a one night sleepover at the Vet's office (he was NOT impressed), fluids by injection, anti-nausea meds and bloodwork, and a whopping bill!! He's been ravenous today, making up for the four days he didn't eat, I guess..
And thank you to those who answered my Bloglovin question. Not sure what's going on, but it appears I haven't lost any Followers, so that's all that matters. Maybe the leprechauns have been messing with things...

Yes, I'm using GREENS this time!!

If you are a quilter, you likely know that March is National Quilting Month, and Saturday March 21 is National Quilting Day! It also happens to be my birthday. So in celebration (of either, or both) I hope you will spend some time doing whatever quilty activity makes you happy! (Leave me a comment and let me know what you're sewing on today!) I'm going to a Guild workshop next Saturday so I have some prepping to do, cutting strips and making up some strata (strip sets). That and finishing up an iPad case for a reader who "ordered" one will be on my To Do list this weekend. (Yes, Nan it will soon be on its way to you. I got sidetracked with other things this week!) There are lots of deals and yummy things going on this weekend all over the web for National Quilting Day (although I'd love to think they're all actually celebrating my birthday! haha) One of the best deals is the "free weekend" at The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. All their videos are free for you to watch, all weekend long so be sure to check it out here. There are lots of prizes too, including a Bernina 550QE!! Who wouldn't love a beautiful new Bernina??
I want to end with Birthday Wishes to my friend Lucy B. and neighbour Janice O. - we all share the same birthdate.  :)


Peace,
Linda

Birthdays are good for your health. Studies show those who have more birthdays live longer.

End of the Week This and That

We've had a few days of sunshine this week, it sure feels good - to kitties and people alike! When Ollie isn't puddle-jumping around the house, trying out every little puddle of sun, he's in his favourite spot on his little windowsill bed behind the couch, soaking up the sunshiney warmth while keeping an eye on the birdfeeders just a few feet away. He chatters at the birds and squirrels, and I occasionally see him licking his lips. It's probably a good thing I can't read his mind...

We are enjoying two blooms on an amaryllis, one bud still to open. It was one that had died down and I was ready to put it away for a few months rest, when I noticed the tip of a sprout... what the heck? Could it be? I waited a few days and sure enough, it was a growing bud. They are such fun to watch, you can almost see them shooting up. This one is currently 29" from bottom of pot to top of bloom. Isn't it beautiful?

The winner of my Grow Your Blog Giveaway received her package yesterday - I was impressed - all the way to NSW, Australia in less than two weeks!! Congrats Dasha, I hope you enjoy using my photo cards! Waving Hello from snowy eastern Canada! (Big ThankYou to DD Laura for making this map for me...)

I also won a giveaway in the GYB Hop, and it arrived in my mailbox this morning! Yay! Don't you love getting mail? I mean real mail, not bills or flyers!! Thanks to Nan of Nanmade for the lovely earrings! You can see more of Nan's wonderful jewelry creations in her Etsy shop here. Waving Hi to you too Nan!

The view from my studio window last night, 6:30pm. No retouching or editing.Beautiful!

I can hardly believe this but I am approaching my thousandth blog post!! I will be having a special giveaway to celebrate, so stay tuned! Don't worry, I'll give you lots of notice!!  :)  It's just a small way for me to show my appreciation to all my faithful readers, followers and bloggy friends! I really do appreciate your visits and your interest in my crazy life, and I especially appreciate those who leave me comments. I know I have many readers who never comment... maybe it's time for you to change that? Why not let me know who you are and where you're visiting from..?

That's all for now. It's currently -7°C (19°F) but the sun is shining, so it's a good day! The days are
getting longer and with tomorrow night's time change, we'll have another hour of daylight in the evening. You can feel the sun getting stronger.. spring IS coming.... I'm sure of it.  Can you see my big happy grin?

Peace,
Linda

"In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous."  ~Aristotle

Acckkk! How can it be mid-December?

I don't know where the time goes. I have not posted anything new for a week, and several nights ago a friend accused me of being a "slacker"! (The nerve!)  I assure you, I am not slacking off! I am just busy!! And I haven't had much of anything that I can show you.. after all, Christmas is coming, ya know!! My camera has been neglected as there haven't been any idyllic wintery scenes to photograph lately- we have had days of rain and have very little snow left. What there is, is dirty and not the least bit photogenic!
I've been busy singing and "Christmas party-ing", sewing and stitching, cleaning and decorating.. (Ollie is such a  big help with the decorating. He's like a child - he gets so excited when he sees those big boxes and bags coming up from the basement - he loves jumping in and out of the boxes and especially playing with the paper. The first thing I do each Christmas is set up the nativity. The figures are wrapped in packing paper, and like a one year old, he loves playing with that paper- it's the best thing as far as he is concerned...) The baking and card/letter writing have not yet begun, and I've done very little shopping either (still waiting for divine inspiration to hit...) So you see, I haven't had time for blogging. Other things are taking priority right now, I'm sure you understand. It IS a busy time of year...

To tell the truth, I am struggling with getting into the spirit this year. I thought our choir concert would do the trick, but this entire week of dull grey days and heavy rains has certainly not helped...  Both my parents died just before Christmas, and now my father-in-law is very low. All through the fall he's been in and out of hospital, nursing home respite bed, then back in hospital. We're not sure how much longer he will last. Laura will not be home for Christmas this year, and it's the first time in my life that someone will be absent at Christmas... So I'm finding it a little hard to feel jolly these days...
I'm also suffering from PPMD. I'm sure you've heard of ADHD, PTSD, OCPD, COPD... But you may not have heard of PPMD - but I bet many of you have experienced it. At least the quilters in my readership... PPMD stands for Post Project Mess Disorder and I have it big time! So that's what I'm dealing with today- trying to bring some order to the chaos that is my studio at present. I think I need  a file clerk- someone to fold and put away fabric, project direction sheets, notes, etc. etc. lol Yes, I think I'll post a "Help Wanted" ad in the paper... Now if I could just find someone to do my cards, letters and shopping too... Anyone interested??




Peace,
Linda

Don't get your tinsel in a tangle...

In the Doghouse...

It seems I am in the doghouse today. Ollie is not happy with me - yesterday was "National Cat Day" and I missed it. He is pouting....see his little pouty lip? Guess I'll have to bribe him with extra treats to get back in his good graces.... spoiled kitty that he is....
I had hoped to have a project to show you today, but it's not quite done so you'll have to wait till tomorrow. I have some hand stitching to do to finish up, and a bit of machine quilting. That will be done tonight before I hit the sack. Photos to follow tomorrow...

I had to leave the sewing machine this afternoon and get outside for some work in the gardens. It seems we have a forecast for some snow this weekend, so I am hurrying to get my perennial beds cut down. I now have 2.5 of 5 beds done, so I'm getting there. Tomorrow afternoon I'll finish the side bed, and hopefully get the back bed done. That will leave just one for next week; hopefully we'll have a few days yet that are somewhat "comfortable" for outdoor work...
If you are a quilter, you are no doubt familiar with Missouri Star Quilt Co. They have a very popular website and blog. Yesterday I came across this blog post that I thought I'd share with you. You've probably seen similar "quizzes" - Which Disney character are you? or Which Downton Abbey character are you? or Which  whatever are you?  Well here's a fun one for quilters - Which Quilt Block are you? Go here to take the quiz. Funny- I did it and got  my all time favourite block - Log Cabin!!

Piece,
Linda

"Being busy is better than being bored. Bored left a long time ago. Busy is always around for me."
~ Tabitha Robin

More Mystery...

There certainly are some mysteries going on around here. (I'm wondering if we have leprechauns sneaking around a little early for St. Patty's Day...?) Last week, the little TV in my studio lost it's sound. Just out of the blue. One day it worked fine. The next day there was no sound. Just like that, for no apparent reason. Dead. Hubby and son both tinkered and tried everything they could think of, to no avail. Then the very next day, my laptop crashed. It worked fine one day, the next day when I turned it on, this terrible grinding sound... and.. nothing. Seems the hard drive died a swift and painful death. Just like that. Gone.
Laura was home on the weekend, and went through all her kitchen stuff from her Halifax apartment, to organize and pack some things up. Yup, you guessed it - the leprechauns got to her stuff too- all her pots and pans are missing. Now I ask you, where do pots and pans trot off to???  Do they melt? Vaporize? Evaporate into thin air? How can they just disappear when everything else is there, in one spot? I don't get it...
Ollie isn't telling anything, if he knows. He's good at keeping secrets. He's lounging on the back of the couch, keeping a close watch on the weather... (or maybe he's on leprechaun watch?) We have a nasty storm moving in; just what we need - more snow. We're to get about a foot apparently, mixed with ice pellets at times, and high winds overnight. It started a short while ago with fine snow but it's starting to snow a little harder now. I'm going to hunker down in my studio and do some sewing, and ponder the biggest mystery of all- why won't winter just GO AWAY?!!


Peace,
Linda

"Winter lies too long in country towns; hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen." ~Willa Sibert Cather

Canada takes Hockey GOLD!!!

It's a great day! The sun is shining, the temps are supposed to get up to plus 3, and Canada has won the Gold medal hockey game!! Plus we have two hours of  Downton Abbey tonight. Woohooo!!  It doesn't get any better. I was up a little earlier than normal this morning for the 8a.m. game start and when I opened my blind and saw that golden sun shining across the snow, I took it as a good sign... Way to go Canada! Once again, both our Men's and Women's teams have shown the world that HOCKEY IS OUR GAME!!!
So I've been sitting here on the couch in front of CBC television, wearing my pj's and my red Olympic mitts and cheering on "my boys". Ollie seemed confident that Canada would take the gold so he's been catching a few winks. What a puss!
I'll be back a little later with more World Quilt Show photos from South Africa... Y'all come back!

Peace,
Linda

"The key is not the will to win.  Everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important."~ Bobby Knight

"We all play for Canada!"

Boxing Day Lazy

Well, it's all over but the groaning... yep - turkey overload! lol It's been a very lazy day here, I think the most energetic thing I've done, other than make supper (leftover turkey of course) was to have a few long chats on the phone with good friends and a faraway cousin. I have my nose right into a very good book and that's where you'll find me for the next few days if I'm lucky. I'm usually pretty exhausted by the time Dec. 25th rolls around so there's not much on my agenda for the next few days, except lots of R and R (with good book in hand.) I came across a new word not long ago that pretty much sums up how I'm feeling: exhaustipated - that's  "too tired to give a sh*t".

Looking across the street this afternoon

We are still getting snow!! Can you believe it?! I think it has snowed or "precipitated" in some form every day now for well over a week. The snow is piling up like crazy- the banks where areas have been plowed are as high as they usually are by winter's end. If this is an indication of what we're in for all winter, we are in big trouble. You're all going to have to come here with big shovels in hand to dig us out!! I haven't left the house today, except to stand at the back door onto our deck to snap a few quick shots. I will get out tomorrow with camera in hand, so you can see what I mean... And we have yet another storm system moving in for the weekend..  joy oh joy. Well at least maybe I'll get this book finished! We did see some sun yesterday for awhile (see photo above), I'm wondering how long before we'll see it again...

Backyard late this afternoon

Oliver has been his usual entertaining self this Christmas- he is just like a child- he gets SO excited! He pushes the limits on being naughty too... snooping in gifts, pulling off bows and chewing on the ribbon and  the odd corner of a wrapped gift here and there... He located his hidden catnip ball with no trouble at all.. He has a VERY good "sniffer"... I tried to tell him Santa Paws would not come to kitties who snoop and find their gifts but he paid no attention... I think after all the excitement yesterday, he too has enjoyed the quiet restful day today.. he's been napping (and snoring!) most of the day. Just call us "Boxing Day Lazy".

It's been great to have the kids home - Ollie loves all the extra love and attention!! Laura has gone back today, as she returns to work tomorrow. Mark is home for a while yet. Merry Christmas from our "three" kids!

And "my" two girls..  Laura with cousin Mallory

Peace,
Linda

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." ~Agnes M. Pharo

Ollie Approved...

On Sunday afternoon, Ca-R-Ma (Cat Rescue Maritimes) held their first walk-a-thon to raise awareness and funds for the work they do in our community. Their mission is to bring feral cat populations into balance through trap-neuter-release programs. Hundreds of cat silhouettes were cut from foam-core and colored by local students, then they were mounted on stakes and displayed at Wilmot Park. I was a little late in getting down to the park but I did walk the length of the display to enjoy the artwork of our talented local youth. Of course being a cat-lover I felt this was a worthwhile project - it really drives the point home to see 450+ "cats" in one area and realize this is the number that have been neutered so far this year. Wow! You realize that it is a significant number! And of course there are many more which need to be done...
I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the artwork. (I don't know about you but looking at children's artwork always makes me smile...) Most of the cats were colored by elementary students, but some were done by art classes at one of our High Schools. Impressive!

Ca-R-Ma is doing great work in our city.. Ollie approves!

Colorful Calico Kitty...

Patchwork Kitty?

This lucky kitty had a lovely red coat

Unicorn Kitty?

Kitty with attitude!

Kitty with Big Dreams

Wanna-be Tiger Kitty

Picasso Kitty?

Sunset Kitty...

Peace,
Linda

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”  ~ Ernest Hemingway

Of Kitties and Snowstorms and Blossoms...

Oliver is getting tired of  "watching winter" through the window.  I'm getting tired of winter too... Ollie loves lying on the back of the couch and it is his favourite spot on a sunny winter day when he can soak up the warmth of the sun. (I snapped this pic of him a few days ago when the sun was just catching part of his face.) But he's getting pretty bored with all this white stuff. We've had snowstorms the last three weekends in a  row and we have another doozy of a storm coming tomorrow. We're to get freezing rain and then 15-25 cm. of snow. Schools were closed yesterday and I suspect they'll be closed again tomorrow... I know we're now past mid-February and spring is only a month away (hopefully!!), but could someone please shut off the snow machine soon? Ollie and I are getting really tired of white...

So , assuming perhaps you are tired of white too, here's a little colour for you. I have been enjoying the blooms on another amaryllis. This one is a coral colour - I believe it's the same bulb whose blossom is in my header photo above. I've shared many amaryllis photos with you before so I have tried to look at this bloom with fresh eyes...from a new angle...  So just forget that snow outside and enjoy this wonderful colour - painted by Mother Nature herself. She's quite an artist. But  I am ready for her to put away her white paint  and get her more colourful palette out to once again paint our landscape...

 On a final note, my red quilt is all together. You'll see it soon....

Peace,
Linda

"In all natural things, there is something of the marvelous." ~ Aristotle

It's National Cat Day!

I had another post planned for today, but when we found out that today is National Cat Day, well, you just know that Ollie kicked up a fuss. He demanded that I share some of his favourite portraits with you. So of course I gave in.. yes he has me tightly wrapped around his little finger paws. But he is such a handsome fellow, don't you think? Like most cats, he loves warmth and follows the sun around the house, stretching out in whatever sunshine "puddle" he can find... and of course you have seen pics of him soaking up any residual warmth on my ironing board when I'm sewing and pressing fabric/blocks...

When there is no direct sun, he is usually found on the back of the couch keeping an eye on what's happening in the backyard and at the feeders. This is where he's been most of today.. watching for signs of Hurricane Sandy. We have had some wind today, but I'm sure there is worse to come... However we will likely get off lucky compared to what New York and surrounding areas will be dealing with in the next few days. Please join Oliver and I in praying for the safety of all...
And, in honour of National Cat Day,  why not make a contribution to your local animal shelter? Since Ollie came to us via a shelter, he thinks that would be a purrrfect thing to do..

Peace,
Linda

“The only escape from the miseries of life are music and cats...”  ~ Albert Schweitzer

A Place in the Sun...

No, I'm not talking about the Academy Award-winning 1951 movie starring Liz Taylor and Montgomery Clift...nor am I telling you I'm heading to a sunny beach on a tropical isle.... Well, I AM heading south tomorrow, but more about that later...
No, I'm talking about Ollie's place in the sun.. he follows the sun around the house all day and luxuriates in the pool of warmth wherever he can find it. No matter that I am trying to layer and pin a quilt on the kitchen floor - if the sunshine is there, he figures the spot is his! So here he is this afternoon, sunbathing on top of the quilt that I was trying to get pin-basted. He is SUCH a helper.... not! I now have the quilt half quilted, hoping to have it all finished and bound for Guild this coming week.... SO stay tuned for a pic in a few more days.
Just wanted to give a quick update to those of you who may have been following Mark's Blog about his trip across the USA - he has not posted for over a week now. No he did not fall into the Grand Canyon, or disappear forever into the back rooms of the Vegas casinos. He has just been having too much fun to take time to blog! The tour has now ended, and he has been in LA for a few days. If all goes well, he flies home tomorrow, so I'll be off to Bangor (that IS south, isn't it?) to meet his late night flight. I plan on taking my sewing machine with me, and doing some more on this quilt at the hotel while I wait for his flight... Hopefully he will finish off journaling his trip on his blog, but that may take a few days. I expect he's going to do nothing but sleep the first few days home.

Peace,
Linda

"If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up." ~ McIntosh

Fall... a 4 letter "F" word...

Fall is upon us. Yes, that 4 letter "F" word is here. Hallowe'en is only a few days away now, and then it will be cold, windy, dull, boring, monochromatic November. (can you tell I hate don't care for November? ) Ollie is keeping a close watch out the window- he's on the lookout for ghosts and goblins.... in case they come early.
Despite the less than perfect fall weather, I have been out taking photos whenever I can. Here are a few fall shots for your enjoyment...

Peace,
Linda

"How beautifully the leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." ~ John Burroughs