Fall photo explosion.

We have had a beautiful fall. Usually in Calgary we get summer and winter but every few years we actually get a few weeks of warm days, cool nights and yellow leaves on the trees for more than 3 days (really, they're all yellow, no orange, no red. Yellow). It's been fantastic.

After getting the news about our match and scheduling our Information Sharing (for October 19th - yeah yeah!) we've been balancing all the excitement and freaking out with carrying on with our everyday...or at least going through the motions but now just with all kinds of crazy thoughts running in our heads! This is what we've been up to:

 Enjoying a real fall and harvesting the last morsals of our wee garden

Enjoying no-rush weekend cooking and dressing like I'm 

going to the county fair in my new boots (from Seattle:)

 

 Enjoying being tourists in our own city during a city open house 

(yyc naked) and exploring cool old buildings and spaces.

 

Getting Anthony into the new hobby of model building. And this one I'm not enjoying, but had to post it - Yep that's a spider in my grapes. You can see where I just pulled one off and ate it before discovering this little friend. I did enjoy that he was dead. I'm now in thearpy.

Enjoying spending time with this soon not to be only child

Working on quilt top number two when number one is still in progress (hurry up Fabricland sales so I can get my batting and backing!!). AND, of course enjoying those super sweet kitties and their peeking under doors when they get left out. Seriously can't get enough of them. Best. Cats. Ever.

Up next: more quilting, more pretending to work and trying not to check out completely, more freaking out and counting down days (12) AHHHHHH!!!!

Lazy town

 It's been a quiet week. 

Back to the school routine, back to cold nights and sunny days. Back to baking....

 

Raspberry chocolate chip banana bread...sometimes fall ain't so bad after all:)

I bought a bike! We all have one now and it is our attempt at leaving the house and getting some exercise. It on my second ride yesterday it became quite apparent that I am terribly out of shape...which I knew...but I didn't know how bad it was. The only thing that save me from being completely pathetic was that I refused to ride on the lowest gear so I could save a smidge of dignity...

 Gord and I took a road trip to Bassano one evening to take some photos for his website for his book...more on that later...but I will say my love for the prairies bloomed even more AND my day was made when I ate dinner across from a REAL cowboy. Not somebody who wears a cowboy goes to Stampede and thinks they are a cowboy,  but a REAL cowboy with a leathery face and who walks bowlegged...I would have chatted with him except I think Gord was a little embarrassed.

 This happened....Grade freakin' 5

 

The great quilt progress. It's half way done and looking great.  The backing and binding hunt is on! 

 

Cat photo of the week:)

Quick photo update

There's been a wholelotta sewing happen' around here. Mostly little presents and some epic quilting preparations . I made these pocket warmers for little gifts, and for us too (ok for me; I can never been too warm in winter 'round here)

 

  

These two bunches of fabric arrived in my mail box this week. I have plans for the one on the left to do a lazy kind of quilt that I saw a tutorial for on Pinterest and the one on the left I want to try a disapperaing nine patch quilt. I think I need to grab a few more pieces to supplement the stash before I start.

 

 This quilt I started today...sort of. Really Christine and I started this 2ish (maybe 3?) years ago, sending fabric back and forth to and from Adelaide and Calgary a few squares at a time. We now have the same stack of scrap fabric cut into 4.5 inch squares. Chris did some serious research into adding linen into the mix and after much colour debate and testing, she picked this grey linen. Which also arrived in my mail on this week. This weekend I washed and cut and started to sew it all together and in the end we will have basically matching quilts but with different layouts once they are all finished!

Last weekend we went to Globalfest. Twice.
It was fantastic. I love fireworks. The shows were amazing and worth the crowds of people and $9dollar bag of mini doughnuts. Nothing more to say. Can't wait again for next year...maybe we'll go three times:)

 I made peach jam. It looks better than it is. I panicked at a crucial moment and now it's a very thick, very sweet jam. That's okay, it was my first time and many lessons learned. I don't think I can use it as presents but Gord and Anthony seem to like it...after 12 jars though....

 

 I got some more carrots from the garden! There are a few strays still lingering that might grow big enough (and some beets and radishes and lettuce) if the weather stays nice a bit longer. The plans for next years garden are already floating around in my head...

 

We kept up our campfires. And of course more smores.

 

   

What's a week without a cat picture or two?

When I was home in May I went through so many old photos from my childhood and really enjoyed the ones of my whole family together. I realized we didn't have that many so I made another new tradition that every summer we will take a family photo. This is 2012's... we may need a bigger porch for next year! (don't mind the half dead pansies, they've been there since May).

That's it that's all. Anthony goes back to school this week, we meet with our adoption worker on Friday, and I may, cough cough, need to take a sick day this week to sew rest up.

Weekend, and then some, Review

We had another great summer weekend, although slightly quieter. On Friday night we harvested our peas and potatoes...and one lone carrot. It was nice to convince Anthony to come outside for a while - I've been teaching him how to build fires and light matches (Cub Scout prep you know) and he's getting pretty good at it. He got bored pretty quick with helping in the garden, but did ask if he could practice chopping wood again so that was exciting. We may have have eaten more smores too...

I harvested most of the carrots and beets a few days later. Last year the pickled beets turned out great, carrots not so much. With so much (ha) vast knowledge of pickling behind me, I'm going to do the beets again. I've also got a huge bag of cherries pitted and in the freezer waiting to become jam. I think I will spend the coming weekend in the kitchen!

 

On Saturday we had some friends over for a BBQ and I saw this amazing recipe on Pinterest that I really wanted to make. But like all things Pinterest, you have a 50/50 shot of it working out. Deep fried cream cheese stuffed cherries was in the fail category. It was quiet sad.

 

But then you have cute cats who roll around on the deck and 

make you smile and you forget about failing at Pinterest.

 

I started a sewing kick. I'm so excited to start my quilt with Christine, she's sending me the rest of the fabric in the mail this week and then we can start piecing our 2(?) year in the making transcontinental masterpiece. (More on that later) but basically it inspired me to get lots of little projects out of the way so I can focus on that when the time comes. That and the awesome fabric I bought on line that should be arrivng any day...I gots some busy fall sewing days ahead! While I wait, I made some hot/cold bags for the little. I also want to make Anthony a big warm bag as he likes to cuddle up with them under a blanket with a book in the winter (sometimes I question if we aren't related, seriously).

 I also, brace yourself, made some Christmas presents. Little pocket warmers!

They also double for some bean bag action, if you're into that kind of thing.

 AND, I made another baby quilt, pretty similar to the last elephant 

one but this one involved working around a very cute and cuddly kitty.

Sunday I spent at Fabricland gathering some pieces to supplement the upcoming quilting marathon, and hung out with Anthony playing board games and bocce ball. Now, we are well into the week and I have a few more little sewing projects to catch up on before the weekend, which may or may not require a sick day at work. We are off to Globalfest on Friday and Sunday (a huge fireworks competition) and so it is sure to be another great one!  Hope you are having a fabulous week too:)

Holy Fantastic Summer Batman!

In the winter, I don't really leave the house. I'm a couch and blanket kinda gal. But in the summer - whooweee! We've been movin' and shakin' all over the city. This is all in between buying furniture and assembling it, editing our home study and freaking out about our adoption getting closer, working...sort of...and trying to garden among the hoards of wasps (see below). Here's what we've been up to in no less than 21 pictures, no particular order cause that would be too difficult for blogger...have I ever mentioned just how much I love my Android phone? And how Gord puts up with me taking pictures. All. The. Time?

Fringe Festival and Sunfest. The two go hand in hand. We didn't get to see as many plays this year as we have the previous two but we still had fun and the weather was fan-freakin'-tastic. We even

 

We bought bocce ball. We've only been out once, but it's ready and 

waiting by the front door for any impromptu game that may pop up.

 One of us went to his first sleep away camp and had blast

 (this was the before where things were a bit more unsure)

We ate at the Calgary Food Trucks one night for dinner. 

It was by the river, it was hot. I had lemon gelato. Nuff said. 

 

Went to the Chinese Festival with Anthony and his friend Max. Then took them for 

Thai food (makes sense right?) I got the sense it was Max's first time eating 

something more exotic than a pb and j....he did pretty good considering!

 I made cheese sauce from scratch, with no recipie. I think this officially means I can cook. This is big news.

  We had lumberjack training camp in the back yard. Anthony was pretty good and I was very impressed since he can barely life the ax! He was very determined and worked really hard and did better than I can!

 

 Enter the rolo smore. Say no more, except this: This coming weekend there are plans for 

some more serious smore testing and experimenting. We know how to rock a campfire.

 I made two baby quilts. The plan is to sell some and fund me getting out of the house while on parental leave. I want to learn Spanish and maybe take some kind of dance class again...anybody in the quilt market?

 We've had a couple of wicked storms the last week and this was trying to break into our

house during one of them. So loud it was unbelievable. We were luck though and had no 

major damage like some people who had their windshields smashed out of the cars!

 I got stung by a wasp for the first time ever. I had no idea is was different from a bee sting and man alive did it ruin a couple of days for me! I did not react well to the little sucker but the doc said nothing I can do. These were from 4 and 5 days after the bite. 3 weeks later I still have a small hole in the back of my leg!

 We volunteered at my works annual casino. As you can see by how they serve their tea, it's

a classy joint. I watched the food network for 8 hours in between my very infrequent duties.

Gord and I found a Peruvian restaurant. We had Inca Cola and an appetizer. Then Gord informed me I just ate beef heart. I wanted to run and hide. But I ate one more piece just to prove I could do it. I don't know if I need to prove it again. Ever.

This weekend should be a bit quieter...maybe...but we still have lots on the go and lots of fun summer plans in the works. Hope you are all well:)