How's Your Ticker?

With Valentines Day rapidly bearing down upon us, this entry about heart health - (mine in particular) - seems rather appropriate.

For the past 6-8 months, I have been experiencing extremely annoying bouts of palpitations, flutters, racing heart, etc....

I have had bouts of minor palpitations since entering menopause approximately 10 years ago but always attributed it to fluctuating hormone levels. But when they increased to a point that left me breathless as well as increasing the feeling of pressure on my chest, I thought I should mention it to my doctor.

He immediately sent me for an EKG and then for a test called "Holter Halter". The Holter Halter is simply a portable EKG which you wear for a day. It constantly monitors heart activity while you are wearing it.

After that test, I went to see him for a follow up. Apparently, I do not have a racing heart but extra beats coming from my ventricle. He felt it would be best if I saw a cardiologist.

I'm a pretty down-to-earth natural supplements kind of girl, but when this problem arose with my heart, I didn't want to try supplements or homeopathy to help this. My feeling ... since my heart is pretty much my life support system, I should investigate this through regular medical channels first.

When he told me he wanted me to see a cardiologist, I felt a little concerned. Of course the fact that my heart was acting up every hour or so didn't help matters.

Well, I saw the cardiologist yesterday and here's his report.

He does not know why I am getting extra beats. My sinus rhythm is perfect so he does not feel there is any cause for further investigation or concern on his or my part with regard to the extra beats.

Here's a little heart education for you ... The sinus rhythm is what a normal EKG shows. EKG paper is graph paper and when the peaks of rate and rhythm are regular then you have regular Sinus Rhythm. Sinus refers to the sinoatrial or S-A node ... the origin of the electrical impulse that starts each beat.

As well, he said that some people who are highly sensitive to outside stimuli are also very sensitive to heart movement and he would classify me as someone who falls into that category.

As a side note ... Sebrina has told me for many years that she thinks I suffer from Sensory Integration Dysfunction.

Sensory Integration Disorders vary between individuals in their characteristics and intensity. Some people are so mildly afflicted, the disorder is barely noticeable, while others are so impaired they have trouble with daily functioning.

In this disorder children can be born hypersensitive or hyposensitive to varying degrees and may have trouble in one sensory modality, a few, or all of them. Hypersensitivity is also known as sensory defensiveness. Examples of hypersensitivity include feeling pain from clothing rubbing against skin, an inability to tolerate normal lighting in a room, a dislike of being touched (especially light touch) and discomfort when one looks directly into the eyes of another person.

I definately struggle with clothing issues - tags on sweaters, certain types of fabrics, problems with bright light and extreme discomfort with direct eye contact. If the seam on my sock gets under my foot, it can drive me to distraction. So maybe this heart issue is just another symptom of SID.

So back to my heart issues.....

There are medications the doctor could prescribe for this, but because the side effects are many and severe, he would rather if I could learn to live with it.

The one caveat to this is if I should start to experience light headedness or fainting, that would require medication or possibly a pacemaker.

So hopefully as time goes by I will become more accustomed to this hard beating heart of mine and like a mildly annoying pain I will start to not notice it any more.

I am very thankful it turned out to be not a large concern since I certainly have felt concern about a heart attack with the wild beating I have been experiencing.

So it is great to have my fears eased and concentrate on other much more important things .........

Like my knitting and quilting (LOL)!

Watercolour Quilting

When I first decided to make a quilt, I had in mind a quilt with undulating waves of graduated colours.

I have since found out that this is called Watercolour quilting. When I finish my quilt, this style will be my next quilting attempt. I imagine this will take a lot of fabric patterns, so may look to buy coordinated jelly rolls (this is rolls of pre-cut strips of fabrics). It is a good thing that I started on the pattern I am working on now, there are not too many pieces (315 in total) so I can get some practic on piecing. I believe a watercolour quilt may have many hundreds of pieces depending upon the size of piece I choose.

From the research I have done, I can see that the more & smaller the pieces are, the better the shading will appear.

The quilt in the picture demonstrates the beautiful way watercolour quilting blends colours one into the other.

This picture was borrowed to illustrate watercolour quilting from a quilter displaying her beautiful quilts on Flickr.

Now that I've discovered this style, I'm excited to get my first quilt done and get started on this one.

Maybe I'll just start choosing, purchasing and saving fabrics for this next quilt.

Oh no, I think I have caught the quilting bug ... is there any cure???

Tag - I'm It

I've been tagged by my daughter Sebrina.

I have to list 6 random things about myself.

1. I LOVE my family ... so much sometimes that I experience real physical heart pain.
2. When I have a drink it MUST contain 4 ice cubes.
3. Sebrina said she was a little bit afraid of the dark ... guess she got that from me ... I am very afraid of the dark. Don flew to Montreal last night for a family funeral and I was alone. I left many lights on in the house so I felt safer.
4. I LOVE breakfast for dinner.
5. I am very SCARED of water.
6. I LOVE reading ... my day is incomplete without reading at least 1-2 hours in morning.

My chiropracter follows Sebrina and my blog faithfullly and always says how much Sebrina is like me. Interesting most of her random thoughts about herself are very similar to me.

I can't really tag anyone because I only follow a very few blogs, my daughers blog being one of them, and the other two blogs I would have tagged have been already.

New Toy for My Boy

We finally cracked and bought a snow blower this winter.

Since moving to this house we both found the driveway was just too much. It is a double and can hold nearly six cars, not to mention how much snow the city ploughs dump in the bottom of the driveway when they go by not once, not twice, not three times, but so far today four times. As well we park in the garage, unlike most of our neighbours so we have an entire driveway to clean not just around the vehicles.

We bought a snow blower on Boxing Day - an 8.5HP / 24" cut, however we had trouble getting a vehicle to pick it up (comes in a really large wooden crate), so what did Sears do - they sold it to another customer on us. And to top it off they took our money on December 26th, so we were out the $600.00 and they were fresh out of snowblowers. Don now refers to Sears as "The Store with No Name".

After 2 1/2 weeks of very frustrating phone calls with sales clerks and customer service, I finally called the manager of the store and within three days and for the same price he substituted an 11.5HP / 27" cut and had it delivered free of charge. Guess that shows you've got to talk to the right people!

As of posting, Don is out there cleaning our driveway and the neighbours and having I think a lot of fun. Doesn't look like he'll be in for quite a while.

Hey Don, did you forget we've got a snow blower - what are you doing with that shovel?

Guess old habits die hard .......

It's a Good Day to Stay In & Quilt

What a great day to stay inside!
Here's a couple of shots outside our home. We are in the middle of a rather nasty snowstorm in Toronto. There is about 10 cm fallen so far and we are in for another 15 cm.

Since Don decided to work from home today, I decided to cancel my therapy and errands to stay inside and work on my quilt.

I've completed three rows now. As Sebrina told me it is really hard to line up the squares.

This third row was really out of alignment, so I put an extra row of my feature fabric between the two white borders.

I quite like it and find that it draws the eye away from the fact that the squares are not perfectly aligned.

I also had my very first bath since having my knee replaced. It was simply delicious!!!

Lavender essential oils and dead sea salts. I made a cup of tea, lit some candles and brought in my book to read.

What a heavenly way to spend an hour on a blustery winter afternoon........... Ahhhhhhhhhh

Two Hundred & Twenty Five to Go

As promised here is an update of my quilt. I have cut, matched and sewn two rows together.

Here at left is my quilt so far.

Sebrina called me this morning and told me how she was struggling with this same template to get the squares lined up in a perfect grid pattern. Wow, was she ever right ... this took me four tries to get the squares lined up and if you look really, really closely they are off by a few millimetres.

I'm sure there is a trick to getting squares and corners to line up perfectly.

I look at quilts by Kaffe Fasset (see the cover of his book left) and the squares and corners are perfect. Sebrina (lucky girl) got this book last week and I had a chance to peruse it ... it is stunning. If you want a visual feast, check out this book. Absolutely anything Kaffe Fassett designs and creates is simply gorgeous ... his knitting, his quilts, his fabrics .....

Exactly what is the secret to this perfection and precise matching?

Since this is my very first quilt, I am pleased so far and think it is turning out quite well. I'm trying very hard to turn off my perfectionist attitude towards everything I do and not be too anal about perfect corner matching.

After all quilting is a handmade project and the little idiosyncrasies are what give a quilt it's charm. If it was entirely perfect it might as well be mass produced.

Hope I make my quilting instructor proud!!!!

Love This Yarn

Here is what the Moda Dea Tweedle Dee is knitting up like.

This is a blowup of the left front, which has the cable running down the outside and the rest of the sweater is done in moss stitch.

I have to say I don't much like doing the moss stitch ... there is a lot of time spent taking the yarn around the needle either forward or back before you make the stitch, I find it doubles my knitting time. Oh well, the effect is worth it.

Back to knit one, purl one, CB10, CF10, etc.....

Forty Five Little Pieces

Well, as promised here is the update on the quilt I am making. There were forty-five pieces to be cut and sewn together for just this one row, so that means that there will be 315 pieces to complete the inner portion of the quilt and then the border which will go around the entire quilt. Of course then my work will only just be beginning ... for then I will start the hand quilting. I had thought I would machine quilt, but have decided (may change my mind once I start) that I will quilt this piece by hand. I just love the look of hand quilting.

As each piece went on, I got more excited. The white border, really makes the colours in these fabrics pop - don't you think?

I will require six to seven more rows like this before I can start the actual quilting.

As I have said in earlier entries, this isn't exactly what I had planned in my mind, but I am thrilled with the results. The combination of fabrics are beautiful (thanks to my daughter Sebrina for her donation of 3 gorgeous fabrics).

This quilt will be entirely 100% cotton, including the quilt batting. I purchased a 100% cotton batting which is needle punched with hundreds of needles into a strong, thin base material to prevent tearing, shifting or migration. The needling process holds the fibers together without glue or resins.

I wanted to use all cotton and once the quilt is completed will wash it to achieve an approximately 3% shrinkage which will cause puckering and give my quilt an older look.

Well, off to piecing ...............

Just One Earth Hour

I'm in - are you?

On March 29th, 2008, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in an effort to raise awareness about the devastating effects of global warming is asking cities ... both residential and commercial around the world to turn off their lights starting at 8:00pm for one hour

On March 31, 2007 in Sydney, Australia, this entire city came together and turned off their lights for one hour.

Now WWF wants cities worldwide to unite in turning off their lights for one hour.

Go to their website www.wwf.ca/earthhour to see a video, read about the difference you can make and to sign up for this one earth hour.

We get so much from Mother Earth, let's give something back to her!!!

Let The Fun Begin

This morning I went to Sebrina's for coffee, homemade blueberry muffins and a lesson in quilting.

What fun we had, first the exciting greetings at the door from Ryan & Gabriella - hugs and kisses which hopefully will last me a few days until my next visit.

Then fresh brewed coffee and a muffin ... well actually two muffins, one for each hip!

Then Sebrina and I got down to business and she showed me how to use the rotary cutter, cutting ruler & cutting matt, what size to make the pieces for the template I chose, how to stitch the pieces together, which way to press the seams, how to stitch corners nice & neat, etc...

As Robert Burns once said - "the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry".

Well as you can see from my picture, I didn't quite follow the idea I had in mind for the undulating waves of graduated blues, but I am very pleased with the way this looks so far. The white border down the centre will surround each square and look (I hope) like a matt around a picture.

Sebrina was a great teacher - patient, explained everything well and was very pleased with my work. After examing my work, she pronounced my grade to be an "A".

Well, as my quilt grows I'll post pictures.

Having never done a pieced quilt, I must say this was quite exciting as each piece was attached and the picture grew. I can see why Sebrina is hooked - this was fun!

Stay tuned ...........

The Miniature Earth

"If the World Were a Village" by David Smith is what this video is based upon. A very powerful video indeed.

Pennies for Orphans

This is a story about a young lady named Leah who at just 13 years old has decided to reach out to help orphans in Ethiopia. She undertook this project for her bat mitzvah.

This idea occurred to her as her family was in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia. When they went to Ethiopia to bring home their new daughter, Leah brought her money over and donated $2,084.00 to an orphanage. Here is Leah giving the cheque to Ms Geday, who is the orphanage director.

Imagine my surprise as I continued reading down through her story and discovered that the orphanage she donated her money to was "The Hope For The Abandoned Children and Orphan Care Association (HFTA)". This is the orphanage where Sebrina and I picked up our very special Gabriella.

Here are the pictures of Sebrina and me with Ms Geday and Gabriella.

We spent many enjoyable hours with this lady over the two days we spent at the orphanage.

I just love Leah's idea with pennies and think I may start the same thing. It will be interesting how many pennies I will accumulate in say ... one year.

How often do we see a penny on the ground and walk away from it?
How often do we just throw a penny in a drawer or the bottom of our purse and just forget about it?

If we all started saving our pennies - just how much could we accumulate for charity? The one great thing about pennies ... a penny is always worth a penny whether it is in Canadian or US dollars, so this is a win / win savings plan.

Leah's website addres is http://www.change4orphans.com/. She has quite a lot of interesting information and will continue to post what her pennies are buying in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Feeling Rather Bloggy Today

I love "Winnie The Pooh" and my husband bought this Swarovski Pooh for me for Christmas to add to my Swarovski collection.

It doesn't seem to matter what mood you are in ... there is always an appropriate Pooh quote. He can lift you up, level you out or just make you stop and think.

If you regularly follow my blog you will see that the quotes change frequently and if you are a "Winnie The Pooh" lover like me you'll recognize the quotes.

He has such an uncomplicated and innocent way of looking at life. These were some of my favourite books as a child and today I still love Pooh & Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Piglet & Tigger.

Well, I think even though it's nearly 4:00 o'clock ... I'm feeling a little eleven o'clockish.

"When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish."

One Step Closer To My Quilt

These are some of the fabrics I found this morning in our local fabric store. They weren't quite the idea I went out looking for, but the turquoise and brown & white together just seemed so luscious that I dove right in and grabbed one yard of each.

As well I purchased a rotary cutter. Sebrina gave me a small cutting board which I will try to use for now, since I will be cutting fairly small pieces.

I am not sure whether I will follow my original idea for a layout or choose a different template. I still would like to have a turquoise solid and maybe one or two more patterns before I start the quilt.

But I have to say, that I'm really pleased with these fabrics and hope that when they are cut and stitched together into my quilt that they look as pretty as they do just sitting piled up on my craft table.

Inspiration

My daughter who has developed an interest in quilting, has inspired me to try one myself. When my grandsons were born, I made each of them a baby quilt from a piece of pre-printed fabric and then hand quilted the entire thing. However, I have never tried my hand at piecing and quilting, so here goes nothing!

I put together this PowerPoint presentation (shown above) to develop my idea for how I want the quilt to look, the colours are not exact and I most likely will use print fabrics, but it demonstrates my idea. I would like to graduate the colours in a wave pattern starting with dark blues moving towards light blues and then into white.

I'm rather excited to get at this and think I may take a trip down to my local fabric store to get some ideas and as well to pick up a rotary cutter, cutting board and all the other bits and pieces I will need to make this quilt. I will check out their fabrics while I am there, but Sebrina has turned me on to fabulous designer fabrics she has discovered for her quilts ... but we'll see what I can discover there.

Thank goodness Sebrina has done this, so I can borrow her experience and knowledge of quilt making to ensure that my quilt turns out as beautifully as have.

Here are some pictures of her work along with my beautiful grandchildren and me cuddling under Mommy's nice warm quilts.

My Knee ....

Well I have finally achieved what the physio therapists expect from their knee replacement patients at 3 months.

0 degrees on my extension. (With my leg straight out and pushing the back of my knee down onto the table). Have to say this is still a big ouch but I can do it.

120 degrees on my bend.

I am also on good days able to climb the stairs leg over leg ... sometimes even without holding onto the railing for support.

I have put away all of my after surgery aids ... canes, walkers, raised toilet seat etc.. No more acting disabled for this girl.

Time to break out the bubbly!!!

Shall We Dance?

Don't you just love the the "talk when you walk" sound that taffeta makes when you wear it?

Taffeta reminds me of a time when glamour reined supreme and girls loved to dress up and not be afraid to be "girly girls". I still love to dress up and in fact designed the sapphire blue taffeta dress that I recently wore to my brother-in-laws wedding.

It only made sense when I redecorated my dining room that I should make taffeta draperies to get that glamous look that I love.

I have made most of the draperies in our home and taught myself how to do triple pinch pleats, but recently saw inverted box pleats in a decorating magazine and just loved them.

So using the picture as my guide I decided to take a stab at them.

To cover my window I required 3 times the width of the window so I had nearly 12 metres of fabric to work with ... wow are my shoulders and back ever sore after this project. I decided I wanted them to puddle on the floor so made them 8 inches longer than the floor to ceiling measurement. As well, I lined them, so each drape was really heavy and kept sliding off my table when I was trying to sew them. Consequently I ended up doing most of the work by hand stitching ... it was easier than fighting to keep the fabric on the table.

I am thrilled with the results. They are just what I wanted in the dining room, the milk chocolate colour blends very nicely with the Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue that I painted the dining room and the inverted box pleat really hangs beautifully.

They look like ballgowns hanging in my window.

From now on only inverted box pleats ... no more pinch pleats for this girly girl.

Want To Take a Peek

Well, here is a peek at the baby blanket which I just completed in time for the baby shower this afternoon.

I have made well over one dozen of these blankets, and know that they wash beautifully and stay lovely and soft for baby.

The cardigan which I am knitting is about halfway complete. Here is how the yarn blends together. I just the subtle variations in colour and how slowly it blends from one colour to the next one. This is a pretty simple pattern and when completed will have a ruffle crocheted around the neck, down either side of the two fronts and the bottom of the sleeves.

A friend of my daughter and I are sharing a pattern to make from a new yarn called Berroco Peruvia. It is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. A terrific South American import, "Peruvia" is truly an outstanding yarn coming in 29 heather and 3 solid colour choices.

As well when I was looking at the available yarn colours, I found this coat pattern which I also may order and take a stab at.

Well, wish me luck.

Knit One .... Purl Two

I love crafting, especially knitting, crocheting. I love the feel of beautiful yarns ... wool, cashmere, mohair, cottons and only bamboo needles. I grew up with a mom who knit only using metal or plastic needles. There is a great deal of static with these needles, but never a problem with bamboo. Not to mention how beautiful and organic they feel in your hands as they weave the yarn into a new creation. Knitting is a way to lose myself and de-stress. Even a complicated pattern is relaxing for me. I don't mind counting stitches, rows, etc...

A skein of yarn with a pair of needles through it at the side of a chair looks beautiful and adds such a homey and lived in look to a room.

Recently I discovered a lovely yarn by Moda Dea. It is called Tweedle Dee Shaded Effect. My daughter was given a shawl made of this yarn for Christmas and I fell in love.

I have never liked variegated yarns and remember many sweaters made in this style when I was a child. Variegated yarn knits up into a rather harsh look. The colour changes are very drastic and sudden. This shaded effect yarn blends from one colour to another with no obvious change, it just quietly moves from each colour and is absolutely beautiful.

I purchased enough to made a ruffled edge cardigan. I've just completed the back, but have to work this in between a baby blanket which I started on Sunday and must finish by this coming Sunday for a baby shower.

Stay tuned, when I'm done I'll post pictures of both.

Soooooooo Cold

It is sooooo cold today ... -12 Celsius but with the wind child -24 Celsius ... a very good day to stay inside.

I filled the bird feeder a week ago, but so far no birds. Where are our feathered friends in this weather? Are they in their nests trying to stay warm?

I know the little creatures do venture out occasionally ... we had a bunny in our garden last week. She got in and then could not find her way out. I watched her for at least an hour, as she ran back and forth making small deposits every few inches, but she could not find the spot in the fence to get out. I was concerned, as she sat looking through the chain link to the ravine, that she would freeze to death if she could not get back to her nest. So finally I opened the door to try to guide her towards the spot in the fence where she could escape, but she was so frightened by my presence that she wiggled her way between our fence and the neighbours. I have thought about her since ... did she get home, did she get stuck somewhere else and freeze? I like to think that she made it back to her warm nest.

Her visit to our garden certainly made it very interesting for our dog Chelsea ever since. She goes out to do her business and then spends the next little while "bunny sniffing". We cleaned up the deposits she left, but Chelsea can still smell her along the back fence in the bushes and loves to spend time back there "bunny sniffing". It's really quite funny to see her looking for what made this delicious scent.

These are what I can see, but what about what I can't. Under the snow, under the ice ... is there living things.?

Come and take an imaginary walk through the ravine with me.

I stop by the creek and peer in ... are the fish sleeping, or are they swimming deep down where the water still flows under the ice. As I continue walking deeper into the forest, I see a break in the snow and look down. Who lives down there? Maybe a raccoon and her family, or a red fox with her family? If I stand still long enough, will you come out to visit?

Let's keep walking. The evergreen tree boughs are hanging so low & dripping with great puffs of snow ..... I hear them groaning under their burden ... how long can you hold on to this snow before you break from the strain? The small branches of the Swamp Willow have had the wintry breath of Jack Frost blow over them and are coated with a cacophony of frosty fingers all over each branch. Amidst all this frosty splendour I can see the odd bunch of red Dogwood which shimmers from within its icy prison. Such beauty takes my breath away.

Although all the plants have lost their foliage, the starkness of each twig, wild grass & tree against the purity of the white snow is breathtaking. The Queen Ann's Lace looks stately as it stands tall and shivers with the breeze, it beautiful gold colour stands out against the white snow.

A little further along, I see some disturbance in the snow .... I walk a little closer, it is deer prints and more than one deer has been here. Could they still be close .... maybe I am not the one who is visiting but am under close scrutiny by all the unseen creatures. They are ensuring I do not disturb their home. I hear a rustling above me and look up to see a red tailed hawk gracefully landing in the upper branches of a large chestnut tree.

Well, my toes and fingers are getting chilly, I think my imaginary journey this morning is over. Let's have a lovely fresh brewed cup of coffee with a dash of cream. Can you smell it brewing? I can. My taste buds are tantalized as I wait for the last drop to fall before I pour my cup.

Delicious!!!

A Christmas Tale

"So", Daniel asked his grandma as they sat in front of the fireplace. "How does Santa deliver presents to children who don't have a fireplace?"

"Well," his grandma said, "Santa isn't an ordinary person you know Daniel, he is magical. When he lands on the roof of a house where there is no chimney, a fireplace and chimney appear for him to come down, deliver the presents and stays there for him to go back up the chimney to the roof where the reindeer wait patiently for him. When he is gone, the fireplace and chimney disappear just as quickly."

All that evening Daniel thought about this and wondered ... is this really how it happens.

That evening which incidentally was Christmas Eve, when his Mom and Dad tucked him and his sister April into bed with instructions to quickly get to sleep so Santa could come, he tried and tried to sleep but just couldn't. He counted sheep, he closed his eyes and tried to think about nothing, but he just couldn't get to sleep.

Daniel was worried that Santa would not be able to come because they did not have a fireplace.

At this point I must say, that all good children know that they must be asleep so Santa can deliver their gifts.

Once Daniel's mom and dad were in bed asleep, he decided that he would go downstairs and hide in the living room and wait for Santa. There just had to be some explanation for how Santa got those presents under the tree without a fireplace and he wasn't so sure that one would just magically appear .... or would it?

Once or twice as he hid behind the big chair in the corner, he fell asleep.

Suddenly he heard a bang which startled him awake .... what was that he thought to himself?

As he peeked out from behind the chair, there was a bright flash and suddenly as he sat looking at where the flash was, he saw what looked like a fireplace appear. Was it really, he rubbed his eyes. "Maybe I'm dreaming", he thought to himself. But he peeked out and looked again. Yes it was a fireplace. He could hear some rustling and scraping, and as he sat and watched he saw .... could it be .... a big black boot appear in the fireplace, then another and then a red suit. Then all of a sudden there was a puff of soot as Santa plopped down onto the floor of the fireplace followed by a very large red sack.

Daniel realized he must be very quiet, because as I said before all good children know that that they must be asleep so Santa can deliver their gifts.

What should he do ... what if Santa saw him ... he might not leave that Transformer Optimus Prime that he asked for in the letter he had written Santa.

So he sat very quietly as Santa picked himself up and started to pick through the sack, pulling out one gift after another and quietly placing them under the tree.

But then, oh no, tragedy struck, Daniel had to sneeze. He could feel it coming down his nose, first the tickle, then the pressure ... he squeezed his nose and thought really hard about pushing that sneeze all the way back, but no it would not go away. Here it came, thundering down his nose like a race car. "Aaaaachooooo!"

Santa suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked right over at the big comfy chair where Daniel was hiding and quietly said, "Daniel, I know you are hiding behind that chair, so why don't you come out here and help me."

Santa wanted Daniel to help? He wasn't going to take back the presents because Daniel was awake?

Very slowly Daniel got up and came out from behind the chair, walked up to Santa and said, "I am sorry Santa, but I just had to see for myself how you would get into my house when we didn't have a real fireplace for you to come down."

"Well Daniel as you can see you do have a fireplace and I came down it just fine. In all my years of delivering presents, I have never once had to use the front door ... I always use my standard fireplace entrance."

"But," Daniel asked him, "we don't have a fireplace, so how did it get here?"

"It was here all the time Daniel, you just can't see it, it only appears when I need it. So after I leave, it will vanish once again, but keep believing Daniel and next year when I come back on Christmas Eve, it will be there again in the very same spot for me to get in."

After Santa told Daniel that, he picked up his sack and laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

Another flash and the fireplace was gone.

In the morning when Daniel's mom, dad and sister woke up, they found Daniel fast asleep behind the big comfy chair, his hand dropped open beside him and on the floor beside his hand ... what do you suppose they saw?

A little piece of burnt firewood from a fireplace.

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

Time To Be Still

Here I sit for a moment before the Christmas festivities are upon us. We had a lovely visit today with friends and are finally home. Now, after setting the dining room table for the buffet we are having tomorrow for 22 family members, I am sitting down.

The stillness and quiet of the house rest upon me like a blanket, wrapping me in its warm embrace.

I wonder - what are others doing tonight? Are they wrapped in the warm embrace of their loving families? Or are they homeless, looking for a warm place to lay their head for the night?

As I look out over the ravine towards the road and I see the headlights of automobiles coming and going.

Where are you all going? Are you out for last minute shopping? Are you maybe going to a movie? Is your trunk piled high with parcels to be delivered to friends or family? Are you going to help someone less fortunate than you? I pause for a moment as I wonder .............

The headlights are restless, twinkling, slowly moving closer and closer to their destination, never staying still, always going somewhere.

As I sit in my quiet home, I think how rich my life is with many wonderful friends and family with whom I can enjoy this beautiful season.

After tonight, we will be quite busy for the next week.
Tomorrow Don's family as well as my Mother and Dad come for our Christmas celebration. Monday is Christmas Eve which we always spend with our daughter Sebrina and her family - new jammies for everyone and then up to the loft for our annual viewing of "Polar Express". The boys will cuddle up on the floor with their pillows and quilts ... of course Zander will want Poppa to cuddle with him, will Ryan want Mammy to cuddle up with him like last year?
Then of course Christmas Day - the morning together for just Don & me, maybe a special breakfast, then off to visit my Mom and Dad before we head off to our daughters for Christmas dinner ... I have been told that Santa is going to make a substantial drop at our home on Christmas Eve which we - his helpers will be delivering to them.
Boxing Day - more company, my very dear friend MaryAnne and her family will visit for our Christmas celebration.

Then a breather - I get to be still for a couple of days.

Sunday, another buffet for my family ... brothers and sisters, Mom & Dad.
Monday - New Years Eve, the jury is still out on that evening - no decision yet on what we're doing. Will we have some friends in and ring in the New Year with them or will we spend the evening alone and probably be in bed asleep long before midnight? Hmmm - tough decision.

New Years Day, traditional Japanese food at Don parents.

What a wonderful time of the year this is!
It feels warm & lovely - like a big fluffy housecoat .....
It feels delicious & scrumptious - like a delectable turkey dinner ....
It feels inviting & enticing - like a crackling fire .....
It smells cinnamony & spicy - like a warm mug of apple cider.

It feels heavenly & enchanting - like Josh Groban singing Ava Maria ......

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Silent Beauty

I'm sitting looking outside at the splendour that Mother Nature created for us yesterday.

Although it wasn't pleasant for those who had to be out in it, it was an amazing snowstorm, the likes of which I haven't seen for many years. I remember snow like this in my childhood, where we could play outside digging tunnels, making snow houses, snow angels and snowmen.

This morning there isn't a whisper of a breeze, the trees stand like stately sentinals keeping watch over this winter wonderland.

I look for my miniature Blue Spruce which is approximately 3 feet tall. Where has it gone ... wait I see the tip peaking through the surface.

As I look at the horizon over snow covered rooftops the sky is the most beautiful colour of lavender. The starkness of the leafless trees against this colour inspires me to pick up my paints and canvas.

There are drifts of snow across my back garden which will stay throughout the winter insulating the plants from the freezing temperatures.

As I sit here drinking my coffee, I see one of our wild neighbours fly across the creek ... a blue heron. I think she has a nest somewhere upstream but we've never found it ... we just watch her come and go once in the morning and then once in the evening.

There is such still & silent beauty in this winter scene. The trees and shrubs standing silently, their saps frozen waiting patiently for the spring when life will burst forth. Where are the little creatures ... have they made a warm winter home beneath the snow, where they will wait until the spring thaw.

There are beautiful & amazing patterns across the drifts, swirls & creases, peaks & valleys. The snow has blown up against my windows and has started to slide down looking like swags of draped silk. On some of my windows I see the evidence of Jack Frost who has meticulously drawn a multitude of feathers twisting, tumbling and kissing each other across my window.

The sun has hit the snow and it is alive with diamond like sparkling.

It is truly a spectacular feast for the eyes outside right now. Unfortunately I cannot stay inside and enjoy this, but must bundle up and get going to my physio appointments today.

I think I would much rather stay inside, sipping coffee where it is toasty warm and still beautiful. I don't imagine after going outside and driving that I will think it is as beautiful as I do now.

What a Wonderful Day!

What a great day I am having today!!!

This morning I went for my physio therapy and I have hit 120 degrees on my bend. My therapist was thrilled.

I think my little complainfest the other night was just what I needed to chase away the FM. It would seem today that it is nowhere to be found.

I have also started climbing the stairs leg over leg and this week, I put my cane away. I'm on my own now. There is still a little bit of instability but over all I feel fine walking without any external support system. I may crack on Saturday when Don & I are going downtown to see "We Will Rock You". I may feel a bit better with the stairs, possible long distance walking etc... I may have to do if I have my cane (just in case).

Over all, my therapist and I are very happy with my progress, how I wish that I could go for a nice long walk, but that will probably be possible by the springtime.

Here's to better days still to come.

Let It Snow ... Let It Snow ... Let It Snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful ...
But the fire is so delightful ...
And since we've no place to go ....
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!














Here comes the expected snow, rain, freezing rain storm.

It's very pretty outside and I'm very glad I'm inside. I just stepped out to take these pictures and is it ever slippery ... nearly slipped off my porch.














I just got a panini maker yesterday, so I'm looking forward to staying inside and trying out a panini ... hmmm think I might try Oprah's Love Sandwich.

The Thief In The Night

I'm sitting here at 11:00 feeling very frustrated. My fibromyalgia (FM) is reaching a peak this week. It has been rearing it's ugly head since the surgery but seems this week to be particularly intrusive. Every muscle in my body is singing and it's not a song I like. My fatigue is overwhelming, but when I lie down in bed, sleep eludes me.

Good health & well being seem to be just beyond my reach.

FM is without a doubt one of the most frustrating and elusive health issues I have ever dealt with. There are times when I am in complete control and keep a tight reign on this intruder in my life. I can enjoy my life with gusto ... enjoy my grandchildren ... enjoy a great shopping expedition ... spend time with my crafting endeavours ... and then, other times like a thief in the night, it comes to me ... robbing me of my energy ... taking away my enjoyment of life .... interfering in anything I try to accomplish.

At times just the thought of getting up to make a cup of tea is overwhelming. Between my knee pain and my FM, I look up the 14 stairs which I must climb to get to my bed and they overwhelm me .... they are my Mount Everest.

Usually, I am a firm believer in "mind over matter" and having a positive mental attitude, but after weeks of fighting with this monster, I am starting to feel the need for a break ... a break in the pain ... a break in the fatigue .... a break in my lack of desire to do much of anything and a break in my lack of energy.

With all the excitement of the coming Christmas season and the enjoyment of spending time with friends and family, I am very ready for my FM to just plain go away. My mind is very excited about upcoming events, but my body just can't get with the program. Unlike a headache where an Advil will ease the pain, there is nothing ... no magic pill I can take to make this go away. FM will continue it's assault on me and will only receed into the background when it is ready ... I have no say in the matter.

This night is singularly difficult with the added bonus of chest wall pain which also brings on heart palpitations.

Last week, I restarted treatment with my chiropractor and massage therapist. I have not had an adjustment or massage therapy since my surgery 7 weeks ago. This is a great step forward to ensure that I once again take control of my FM. I am going to go twice this week as well as my three physio treatments and hope that within two to three weeks, I will start to gain control again, that is if all the running around for treatment doesn't knock the stuffing out of me (LOL).

Well, it is nearly midnight, and I'm starting to feel the twinges of tiredness, not to mention that my little "complainfest" has gone on long enough.

So I'm off to climb my Mount Everest, to lay my aching body down in my very comfy bed to sleep perchance to dream???

Deck The Halls .. Silver Bells .. White Christmas

What a delicious time of year Christmas is.

The music is more sentimental, we feel more sentimental about spending time with family, even crotchety old Scrooges crack at Christmas - remember A Christmas Carol.

We feel more drawn to spending time with friends and family. We always try to get together even if just for a coffee with all our friends during the holiday season.

The decorations in our house start coming out the last week in November and I usually have the house completely decorated by December 1st, although I was a little late this year due to my knee.

It is the season for giving and as I have gotten older, I have found how true that is. As a child, all we think about is what Santa is going to bring us.

I remember going downtown every year to see the Christmas windows at Eatons & Simpsons ... a yearly tradition. Then of course we got to look around Toyland, and visit with Santa ... what a treat for a small child.

As my children came along, grew up and then had their own children my greatest gift is to enjoy their delight on Christmas Day when they open their presents.

However, let us not forget amidst our merriment - the underprivileged. The families who cannot provide a turkey dinner or even buy one present for their children. There are numerous charities that endeavour to help all year but especially at Christmas. The local food banks, Scott Mission, The Star's Christmas Wish, Toy Mountain, just to name a few in Toronto .... surely we all can designate a small portion of our Christmas spending to give to these charities.

As we get closer to the holidays, this year in particular, I am encountering difficulties trying to ensure that Christmas is enjoyed by every member of my family. This Christmas, my daughter Sebrina has decided that she would like to cook Christmas dinner which is just fine with me ... I've done it for 30+ years.

My dilemma ..... my 84 & 88 year old parents. My father is very disabled and cannot climb the 25+ stairs to get to Sebrina's, so that means that they will not be able to have dinner with us. Of course that leaves me with a terrible case of "the guilt's" as I have always included my mom & dad at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. However, I cannot imagine not spending the day with my grandchildren but must figure out how I will include my parents in the day.

We entertained going there for lunch ... Sebrina suggested that she make up dinner plates for them and we take them over. I'm having trouble figuring out, a) what is easiest for all concerned, b) what I can do to make them feel included & c) how to get my dad his turkey dinner which he loves.

I must admit after reading for years about the "sandwich generation", I certainly understand now just what that is. I am so torn between my loyalty to my parents and my love for my children and grandchildren.

Well, I'm sure it will all work out the way it is supposed to. Think I am going to go and make myself a Rum & Eggnog ... yummm!

Cheers everyone.