An Evil lurks within all of us....

Well the devil made me do this. OMG!! The guilt I felt, NOT!! It was so yummy, after the first mouthful it really didn't matter how many calories there were; each one, was absolutely delectable.  The way I see it every now and again, we have to pamper our taste buds.  That should do me for another several months. 

Gosh, I don't know where to begin. (This is pretty much said in every post, for the most part it is the absolute truth.) It has been such a long time since last posting.  Did think about posting many times but it seemed as though I just never got around to it, obviously, so it was decided today will be the day of reckoning and get my rear in gear.  Being creative can be a lot of work!!

It has been a busy Spring and summer. It seems as though every time we get back from Yuma we are just busy until we leave again the following October. Which by the way is just around the corner. Where does the time go!!  All in all it was a beautiful summer this year, it has been a long time over due. The mosquitoes were for the most part non-existent which was fantastic. 

Dakota & Paka

Paul's oldest granddaughter, Dakota graduated from high school this year.  He is so proud of her. Of course he see her as a little girl with pigtails.  Not so much anymore.  All of Paul's grandchildren call him Paka, which is ,I think, grandfather in Indonesian.   Not too sure about the translation.  

Earlier this spring/summer, I did something that I thought I would never do. I sold my wonderful,  Nikon D700 camera and all the lenses.  It had served me extremely well over the past four years, unfortunately as time marches on so has time taken it's toll on my hands. I found that it with the weight of the camera, along with the lenses was just getting too much.  Fortunately, I have many beautiful pictures in our home that I have taken over the years with this camera.  Am I done taking pictures? Certainly not! I just switched to a smaller camera (mirrorless) which is much lighter in weight, and the lenses are smaller and lighter.  It takes great pictures - is there a noticeable difference? I don't think so, the only person that might notice difference of quality if there were any all could be a professional photographer but maybe not.   


My granddaughter came for her 
annual visit in late July.  She has grown into such a lovely young lady.  Over the past years, we have tried to get in a picture taking session. She loves it and it gives me practice. So I have pictures of her for about the past 6 years - my goodness how much she has changed.   There is one frame that I use and update it with the most recent picture and the older pictures are at the back.  So one gets to see first hand how much she has changed over the years.  As always there is one that speaks out to me and I do a portrait painting in photoshop, the technique is called smudging.  It always takes me a week or so to do.  I work on it for an hour or so and then go back a day or so later and do some more.  

Little wildlife adds to ambience...

The first part of August we went to Sundre and spent a couple of days at Coyote Creek RV & Golf course.  It is a beautiful spot and very nice 18 hole course.  We met Paul's brother and wife there and had a couple days of golf.  The weather was really nice the second day.  On the second day in the evening, there was a huge anvil shaped thunderhead that was just north of us, it was amazing.  Before noticing the nasty looking cloud, Paul and I were just chatting, enjoying a glass of wine and in the distance I thought I heard a rumbling of train, one could actually feel a vibration coming from the ground, this continued on, then finally we turn and looked to north east and this is what we saw. It looked like a lightening bowl and just a little bit on the scary side, what a relief to see that it was heading away rather than coming towards us.  

The video is only intended to show what was going on, my editing skills, well I have none.  It has been trimmed down considerably. Sort of beefed up the thunder too!! It prevents a severe case of bordom!!

Chateaux de BeaumontPaint Crew

Paul is very busy with the building maintenance committee that is in our condo association.  The condo association has been doing changes to the fence, painting, and any other projects that need to be attended to. A week or so ago there was a painting marathon and quite a few turned out.  I have been involved being the secretary for three years and treasurer got included over this past year. Definitely more than I wanted to take on, unfortunately it is difficult getting people to serve on the board.  

Computer Guided Design

Grinchmas now quilted

Since getting back in the Spring I have dedicated all a lot of my free time to my long arm quilter for this the only time that I can quilt, it is way too big to be hauled back and forth and we don't have a space big enough to set it up. so the winter months I try to get at least two if not three quilt tops made.  Don't ask me what I'm going to do with all the quilts, I've already given several away for gifts etc.  I guess I may have to start all over again.  I'm starting on Paul's grandchildren, that should keep me busy for a day or two. 

Win House (front)

the back is like another quilt

The Grinchmas quilt top was in an earlier blog, but now it is quilted. It's been in Central Sewing for the past month, they has some Christmas type projects that will be up coming in the store and thought that the quilt would be a nice addition to the display. 

Got myself a Prostitcher program for the longarm quilter needless to say has presented a pretty steep learning curve.  The Prostitcher is a computerized program that run the longarm quilt which in turn stitches out beautiful quilt  design patterns.  It has been challenging yet fun to learn how the program works, selecting different designs and putting them to cloth.  It has opened the door to endless possibilities, with hand-guided combined with computer guided quilting.   I am even considering the possibility of quilting for others.  So to get more practice I have been doing a few quilts for Win House which is a support group for women in distress.  There is a group of volunteers through Central Sewing Machines in Edmonton, who sew all types of clothing for women and children, household dec stuff and quilts etc which is donated to Win House.  It is a tremendous amount of work that these people do for a very good cause.  I believe all the fabrics and materials are donated.  

Win House Quilt

 A lot of people have huge fabric stashes and as with most these stashes over the years need to be trimmed down so there is reason to purchase new fabric. Its pretty much a standing joke amongst quilters and seamstresses, to buy notions, any gadget or nifty tool related to sewing sometimes not, but it looks so cool.  The probability of ever using it is slight.  But you just got to have it for you never know when your going to need that nifty gadget.  Well, fabric is simply another story.  It is like an addiction, honestly.  I have some beautiful wool pieces in my collection.  That I look at maybe once or twice a year and sort of pet it, but it has such a beautiful touch or as seamstresses say "hand".  I got it a few years ago, thinking that these pieces would become suits.  Well guess who never wears suits anymore. It could make beautiful riding suits, but now a days the girls want two pairs of riding pants (jods) and there is only enough for one pair. It should be sold.  It is a 120 Superfine Australian wool that you would never find in a normal shop especially not places like Fabricland.  Finding fabric stores that carry quality suiting are very sparse.  Particularly when most people, me included, shop at Costco.   Whew that was a significant rambling.  

Board meeting will be starting in another hour, so guess it time to end the post, so until another time...