In My World

My family discovered letterboxing quite by accident while I was searching through the world wide web for fun ideas to do with the grandsons. We found our first letterbox on July 18, 2007 and we were hooked. Have you even heard about this great creative hobby? Letterboxing combines artistic ability with "treasure-hunts" in parks, forests, and cities around the world. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by cracking codes and following clues. The prize: an image from a miniature piece of art known as a rubber stamp—usually a unique, hand-carved creation. For more information please check out http://www.atlasquest.com/ One of my favourite things about the Ontario letterboxing community is that we have a yearly event every September called Box ON! This year we will be meeting up in Stoney Creek for a day of socializing, eating and (of course) letterboxing. I just did a search to find out how many boxes are hidden within 25 km of St. Thomas and the answer is 49+. Not all...

Country Flowers 2 pieces $1.50 BUY May not be exactly as shown.  Each piecing is individually made.

Christmas Tree 3" x 4" $2.00 BUY Piecings may not be exactly as shown.  Each is individually made.

Christmas Stocking 4" x 4" $1.00 BUY Piecings may not be exactly as shown.  Each is individually made.

Christmas Ornament 4" x 4" $1.25 BUY Piecings may not be exactly as shown.  Each is individually made.

A recipe from wonderful friend Charlotte, this casserole is delicious as a side for ham or roast pork. 1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, do not drain 1 cup shredded sharp cheese 1/3 cup sugar 3 tbsp. flour 3/4 cup Ritz cracker crumbs 1/4 cup melted margarine Combine pineapple, sugar and flour.  Add cheese.  Pour in buttered 1 quart dish.  Cover with crumbs and drizzle margarine over top.  Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

Good evening dear friends. It has been a hot, busy, fun day. It started out at Holy Angels church where dear friends Debbie & John began the celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary with mass. I took photos and tried not to do anything stupid . . . which is hard since I had no idea when to stand up and when to sit down. Krista and her adorable daughter invited me out for lunch at Rail City Bistro and it was awesome as usual. We are really looking forward to tucking into some Australian grub this weekend there. I was home less than an hour, edited 80+ photos and posted them to FB . . . and it was time to head up to the Roadhouse for the reception. I took lots more photos and had a nice time visiting with everyone. Home again, into my jammies and edited 60+ more photos before loading them to FB. I am tired but very satisfied with my day. Tomorrow is going to be extremely busy since I have ignored my Dreaded To Do List for 2 days . . . and I am having lunch at Asuka . . . y...

Good evening dear friends. Today has not been my favourite day . . . mostly because I have high expectations of human behaviour and I am disappointed when those expectations are not met. It started out fun . . . going out for coffee with Nancy, Doug, Nanna and Mom. On the way home I stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things and then I went home. Nanna called and asked me to take her shopping. I called Hal (who was out for breakfast with a friend) and he agreed to take Nan na shopping but he was stopping at home first. When he pulled in the driveway he saw that my car was damaged on the passenger side . . . a lot. The air was blue with his displeasure. Hal is always offended by vehicle damage. I, on the other hand, was really upset and disappointed for a different reason. How could someone do that much damage and just drive away? I couldn't do it. I would have had to wait for the person to come out of the store or at the very least leave a note. Nothing. Who does that? ...

Good evening dear friends. I was up at the crack of 9ish this morning with a mission. To wrestle control of our apartment back from the dust elephants. I always pick a corner and work my way out when I am tackling a big job like this. I started in the bedroom and made it all the way out to the dining room. But the kitchen . . . Oh my, the kitchen . . . everything that doesn't have a home is now piled up in there because it is the furthest reach from the corner I began in . All the coolers and "stuff" from the reunion on the weekend are piled up in there. I've actually been using paper plates all day so at least I don't have a huge pile of dishes to wash. But it isn't going to happen today. So I guess the corner I start in tomorrow will be the kitchen . . . and work my way out. So all this hard work equals 2 days and 24 tasks scratched off My Dreaded To Do List . . . woo hoo!!!! Now I am tired. I am planning on calling it a night soon ...

Chili Peppers 3" x 4" $2.00 BUY May not be exactly as shown.  Each piecing is individually made.

Cherries 2.5" x 5.5" $2.00 BUY May not be exactly as shown.  Each piecing is individually made.

Camera 3" x 3" $2.00 BUY Piecings may not be exactly as shown because each is individually made.

Good evening dear family and friends. Today was the Hewson Family Reunion.  When I woke up at ugly o'clock this morning I had absolutely no idea how many people would be coming . . . well I knew, Hal & I would be there, and Tim & Krystel, and Jana . . . okay so I kinda knew it was going to be okay. The first big surprise of the morning was when Uncle Martin and Aunt Joan pulled in from Parry Sound.  That is some long drive for lunch . . . LOL.  So happy to see them.  And then more began to arrive.  It is always satisfying to see people who take the time and make the effort to reconnect each year.  All my kids and grandkids were there.  Only a few in my extended family were missing because of work or long distance.  And they were missed.  So awesome to see everyone! One of the most adorable moments of the day was when little Anna (my 2nd cousin 2x removed) was so very sad because she couldn't find her new best friend and ...

Good evening dear friends. It sure got quiet on the world wide web in Canada tonight.  I wonder why . . . LOL.   It has been a busy day mostly because we are preparing for tomorrow's Hewson Family Reunion and getting Hal packed for work since he has to leave right after lunch.   But first we went to . . . guess where? . . . you are correct . . . Rail City Bistro for lunch.  Fabulous as always.  The tomato soup is the best I have ever tasted and I have eaten some pretty great baklava in my life but the slice I had today was past amazing.  I even saw Tim's eyes roll up into the back of his head with the joy.  I can't wait to see what the special is next week. After our leisurely lunch, Hal and I headed out grocery shopping.  I should know better than to take Hal shopping, especially since his back is bothering him.  So I forgot a bunch of necessary stuff and had to go back out tonight. I've made a mac & tuna salad a...

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2-1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.  Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended.  Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into centre of the load comes out clean.  Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Good evening dear friends.  Sometimes . . . just sometimes . . . I get really confused.  Hal was home today which means it must be Saturday.  Right?  I called my son and asked him where he was.  At work, duh!  That's when I realized it was not Saturday.  I lost track of how many times I thought today was Saturday.  I blame Hal . . . LOL. Anyway, between Hal and I we took care of lots of jobs around the house.  Hal's jobs included getting prettified with a new haircut (that doesn't look like crap . . . yes, still a little bitter about my hair) and picking up a part for the van.  That part is now in the middle of my dining room with a shiny coat of Toreador Red automotive paint which is very stinky. I nearly made it through the whole day in pyjamas until we received a text from our friends, Wayne & Laura, inviting us out to dinner at Braxtons.  We do not get to see each other nearly as much as we would like to . . . s...

Today has been one of those days . . . not bad . . . just boring.  I have absolutely nothing exciting to say.  I knocked a couple of days off the dreaded to do list.  Watched some Olympics coverage.  Watched Carla & Connie.   Now I'm watching Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Apparently I'm having a drag queen sort of a day.   Tim & Krystel were in for a visit.  Krystel has figured out how to make my hair not look horrible for the family reunion on Sunday.  That is a huge relief. Lori & Jana popped in for a few minutes and to borrow a saw. These are the highlights of my day.   Well I think I shall return to the world of gaudy makeup and glittery costumes.  Good night dear friends.

Good evening dear friends.  It has been a rough day. I hate my hair.  I hate getting hair cuts.  I have very fine hair but it is really thick and unruly.  It never fails but every second or third hair cut I get is an absolute nightmare.  I'm not naming names because the doer of the deed this time is a lovely lady who did a great job the last time she got her shears out.  I don't know if we miscommunicated or if something went horribly wrong and this was the best it could be fixed . . . but my hair cut is BAD. I'm tired of short hair so I've been trying to grow my hair out from the usual short cut for quite a while.  I asked to have my hair trimmed to even it out and just above my shoulders.  The result is long bits of hair at the front and large hunks of hair hacked out of the back, shorter than the front.  And neither the front or back is anywhere near my shoulders. In my defense, I am blind as a bat without my glasses and h...

Good evening dear friends. I think the title of this post tells it all.  I spent half the day out shopping with Nanna again.  I nearly called our trip off because the northside of town was getting some pretty heavy rain and wind.  But I braved the weather and as soon as I crossed Talbot St. it was just spitting. We started out at the Salvation Army thrift store looking for a twin mattress and bedside table for my oldest grandson (Nanna's great great grandson)'s dorm room.  $299 for a new twin mattress.  They looked really nice BUT that is a little steeper than we wanted to pay.   Next stop was to TSC for udder cream.  Nanna swears by it for her legs and who am I to doubt her word? Off again to Walmart.  We picked up silverware, a couple of really nice bath sheets (black . . . because you know he isn't going to sort whites from colours . . . LOL).  And we bought a mattress.  Now this is a very exciting special mattress . ...

Good evening dear friends. So two very busy updates today . . . but now it is Monday and I've had my nose to the grindstone all day.  In My World it is now December 22 since I've managed to knock 2 days off My Dreaded To Do List.  That is the equivalent of 34 tasks completed. The biggest chore today was sending out reminders to all my Hewson cousins to remind them about the family reunion on Sunday.  I sure hope we have a good turn out.  I don't mind doing the work when it goes well. On the subject of the family reunion, in regards to the pot luck lunch . . . Nanna says she is only going to do some baking so if you want Green Glop or sandwiches you will have to make them . . . LOL. Have you seen the new challenge floating around Facebook the past couple of days?  I decided to answer the questions. Challenge accepted Tattoos - none Piercings - 2 Marriages - 2 Divorces -1 Been engaged - 2 Gotten a ticket - no but I've been pulled over a couple of t...

For those who may not have been lucky enough to meet her yet, this is my 99&2/3-year-old grandmother, referred to by one and all as Nanna . . .   . . . and various other relatives at a recent family function . . . LOL. Nanna and I had a date to go shopping at Freshco on Sunday since our Saturday shopping trip ended early due to rain.  In Nanna's mind this actually means "let's make a few stops and one of them just might be Freshco."  So as we are pulling away from her place I mention that Hal is working over at the "kids'" house on the bathroom.  Guess where our first stop was? When we arrived at our first destination, Greg came out to help her up the front steps and into the house.  The grandsons all gave her the required amount of fuss, hugs and kisses to make her happy and we sat down for a visit.   Finally on the road again, we actually made it to Freshco . . . who did NOT have the one item she wanted to go there for.  A couple ...

By the Sea 8 pieces $5.00 BUY Piecing may not be exactly as shown as each one is individually made.

Birthday Cake #2 6" x 6" $3.00 BUY

Bible 3" x 4" $2.00 BUY May not be exactly as shown because each piecing is individually made.

Bird 2" x 3" $1.00 BUY

Bee #2 1.5" x 1.5" $1.00 BUY May not be exactly as shown.

It has become my habit over the past couple of years to post a nightly status on Facebook chronicling the highs and lows of my day.  Turns out some people seem to really like my posts.  I've even been hugged in grocery stores by people I barely know.  (See this blog post  and this one to understand why this is such a big deal to me).  My Mom called this morning to make sure I was all right as I had only posted a few words last night because I was so tired . . . LOL.  I know of a few people who wait for my nightly post before going to bed.  This both compliments and mystifies me. Anyway, many times I have wanted to add links or photos to my posts so I have decided to switch my nightly post to my blog.  So . . . some nights you will hear a lot from me and on the more routine, hum drum sort of days you may only hear a little. This past weekend requires a lot . . . Since I already shared my Saturday with all my Facebook friends, I'll just post m...

Goodfellas 1990 A while back I took a "quiz" on Facebook to determine how many of the top 250 movies of all time . I had actually seen. I scored 100 out of the 250 movies that were listed. If I was unsure about seeing a movie I didn't check it off so my score could possibly be much higher. And then I started thinking that perhaps instead of binge watching old TV series I should binge watch movies. I decided just to take on the top 100 movies for a starter. Now I'm very sure I am going to agree with quite a few of the entries on this list but I already know I'm going to argue about a few as well. So here is #18 of the top 100 Movies of all time according to IMDB: Goodfellas (1990) Apparently I love gangster movies. Of course this another one that was shot back in the day when we didn't have to see all the gory details. Most were just suggested. Ray Liotta plays Henry Hill, a quiet young boy who gets involved in the mob and works his way up through the ran...

I have reviewed this movie before because it was on another Best Of list at this link .  The only change is that then it was #21 and now it is #15!

Hal & I REALLY enjoyed this soup. It was similar to a bean and bacon soup only not nearly as heavy tasting. Lots of flavour. 1-1/3 cup chickpeas or Garbanzo beans (dried), soaked in water overnight, then drained 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped 2-1/2 slices bacon, chopped 1 potato, peeled, whole 3 cups Swiss Chard or spinach, cut into 2-3 pieces 4 tsp olive oil 2-1/2 cups water to cook chickpeas 1 cup chicken broth salt and pepper to taste 2 cups water to cook the pasta 1/2 cup mezzi tubetti (pasta for soups) 6 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated Prepare the vegetables : coarsely chop the onion; peel the potatoes, leaving them whole; cut the Swiss chard into 2 or 3 pieces (if using spinach, leave them whole). Set aside. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and bacon, then sauté 3-4 min, with occasional stirring. Add the chickpeas and potatoes, then cook 1-2 min with stirring. Pour in the water, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simme...

Anchor #2 5" x 6" $2.00 BUY I love using paper piecings on my layouts to give them more personality and fun.  Each creation is handmade using scrapbook-safe materials.  Please click on BUY in any blog post to ask a questions, make a special order of size or colours, or suggest paper piecings you would like to see.   May not be exactly as shown.

Have you noticed how much I love lists?  I really do.  And I'm very excited to see how many of the Top 250 movies I can watch in 2016. #14 Forrest Gump I have reviewed this movie before so just take a look here .  One of my favourite movies of all time.  It began my love affair with Tom Hanks.

Anchor #1 2.5" x 2.5" $1.00 BUY I love using paper piecings on my layouts to give them more personality and fun.  Each creation is handmade using scrapbook-safe materials.  Please click on BUY in any blog post to ask a questions, make a special order of size or colours, or suggest paper piecings you would like to see.   May not be exactly as shown.