Creativity

Who was your teacher, Cathy?  I have an acquaintance, Linda Glowacki, who teaches this, but I know there are others.  My wrists just won't allow me to do needle felting by hand, so I stick to my little machine.  Your report spurred my creativity and I've produced three backgrounds to do some surface work on.  I wish I could do the dimensional work.  The little animals are so cute, and such a hit as gifts. 

I have never made sausages, and never want to.  The one time I was tempted was after eating a "Mealy Jimmie" at the Scottish Pavilion at Folklorama.  It is basically our Scottish Oatmeal Dressing put into a large sausage  caseing and baked.  But I have a fantastic recipe for a caserole using sausage meat, wild and white rice and French's deep fried onions.  It has always been a family favourite, but one I haven't made in awhile.

Yesterday we went to Lee Valley to buy another package of four stacking containers for beads.  I knew that I would need a few for the beads I had in the box so ended up buying 12 of them.  Yep, you guessed it--all gone. Then late this afternoon, I discovered yet another shoe box full of beads!  I've ordered some fabric from the store in Plumas, and David didn't want to pay shipping, so we've arranged for him to go and pick it up when we come up on March 3rd.  So it looks like he'll be coming with me.that day as well as on Feb 13th.

Weekends

I had a great time with Rrain at the needle felting class. The things we made were so easy. We all made snowmen (Mine turned out way bigger than the others) and then we made anything we wanted. I made a mouse. It is hard to believe that there is not a single drop of glue or stitch in either of them. Rrain bought a big bag of wool and two needles. I didn't realize that she would have wool for sale and had no money on me. But we stuffed Rrain's bag really full, so I can make something else. Yesterday I made my turkey dinner. It turned out really well, but we will be having left overs for a while. I made turkey stock, but I had to store it outside because the fridge was so full. Unfortunately the dogs found it this morning (my bad) They got into the bones and meat, but not the stock itself. They didn't get many bones or I would be really worried.I have today and tomorrow off work and I have no plans at all. Okay, the fridge and freezer need cleaning, but that is it. I want to put all the frozen "leftovers" into the fridge freezer so that people will find them when they are looking for a quick meal. I know Rrain wanted the cabbage rolls the other day and couldn't find them. She had canned soup instead, poor thing. Both Jim and Rrain have developed a real loving of the store made sausages from Shop Easy. I will admit they are good. They were better when Kris made them, but he seems to have a knack for creating things. I am going to have to get some instruction from Kris and make some of my own, because they can really go through those things! Our Puppy is really growing now. You can see the change in her. At three months she is still a baby, though, and does baby things. We can tire her out by going for a walk around the trail.... yes, we can still get around the trail.... there is so little snow this year. She has started to try and follow the other dogs when they leave the trail but on her the snow we have seems deep and she bounds through it. By the time she reaches where the dogs were, they are long gone, so she bounds back to us. No wonder we tire her out. I am going to try to post a picture of them. (once I take one) A beginner's work, but I am very proud of them. I finally did something artistic!!

Generations

The Bill Connolly that Dad knew had a son, also named Bill.  David met him years ago through the Dept.of Highways.  I have no idea whether he, himself,  might have also had a son.  When David met him, he was still living in that part of the country.  Darren might know, but I haven't been able to touch base with them all weekend. I don't know what they might be up to.

Sausages and snowblowers

The sausages are made and in the freezer – I just couldn't bring myself to cooking some tonight – too close to the actual making of them to suit me which I could not explain to Harry. But he bought a snow blower off Kijiji today and we drove to Sturgeon Falls to pick it up and then stopped into the Reserve on the way back and bought some frozen pickerel fillets – that's what we had for supper. It has snowed all day and piling up quickly but I have to admit my previous, present and ongoing reticence to using a snow blower which apparently, must change immediately! I guess I will have to see how I shall get by with using a snow blower instead of the exercise intensive shovelling that I so loved?

I must tell you of a weird coincidence that caught me off guard on Friday – I  was listening to a CBC radio show called "Living Out Loud" and the title of this show was The Ice, Snow and Hockey Show. During the segment on The Ice and Snow they interviewed Bill Connolly of Wallace Lake who talked about trapping and the wilderness and the snow around his cabin and Lake and suddenly I stopped what I was doing and wondered how on earth did they have Bill Connolly of Wallace Lake talking to them?? Was I in another dimension or could this be THE Bill Connolly of Wallace Lake – friend to Daddy, and familiar to me as I had visited him at this very cabin????   What do you think? I know for a fact that he could not be living still and if so, still living at his cabin on Wallace Lake! I even went into CBC.ca/livingoutloud just now for Jan 27 show and relistened to the broadcast again. I am sure I am losing it! Anyway, it has been a very busy, and long weekend, and maybe I should just go to bed and sleep it off haha! Take care everyone

Turkey, too

Turkey  is a regular part of out diet.  But we are very dependant on Cathy for our lovely Hutterite turkeys. Sure don't ever want to have to get one from a grocery store again!  We usually freeze it in gravy in meal size portions, and have it it every couple of weeks or so. Tonight we had a special meal--steak, home fried potatoes and fried mushrooms.  This was a real treat.  I can't remember the last time we had it.  I've been under the weather the last couple of days and not eating, so by supper time I was really hungry.

I completely re-organized my beads. Instead of having every different bead in it'sown container, I put them into bags by colour.  I came to realize that I usually work with several different types of bead, although within one colour family.  Hopefully, this will make the whole collection easier to manage.Unfortunately, when I was about finished, I found a whole shoe box full of more beads.  Ah well, another day.  I promised myself a "fun" day, when the job was done, so I have plans for tomorrow.  I have a small pile to share with my Ravenesque group, and a couple of small bags that I plan to offer to Amber in hopes that Samantha's nursery school might be able to use them. I'm pretty sure that Amber won't want them for her children to throw all over their bedroom floors. Amber called this morning to cancel their visit tomorrow, so we haven't had a chance to talk about any plans for summer.

Thursday we were off to the library.  Puddles everywhere.  Just about the same thing yesterday when we were shopping.  I imagine it will be your way tomorrow, Beth.  Almost scarey isn't it?  While David was in the library, I stepped into Giant Tiger. There was an older, somewhat dishevelled man who was talking loudly about the prices he was finding, and comparing them to prices in other local stores.  Unfortunately, his loud talk was obscenity laden, "  Holy F-- will you look at that!  F--king 87 cents!"   He and I had quite a chat about the price of rice. But everyone was quietly giggling, as they listened to him. Then I spoke to the checker who told me that she had been forced to retire early, but that her former company was so happy to see her go they fully funded her pension, and she was dancing all the way to the bank.  Then we had a chat about how older workers are treated in the workplace.  Are your shopping trips ever like this,  or is it just me?

Turkey

Funny you mention a turkey as I have one outside on the front stairs – I use the front stairs as a freezer in the winter and this year came in really handy as I moved food from Mothers freezers to here – a lot I threw out but there was still some stuff OK like all the vegetables from the garden that I froze this summer. But we bought some turkeys on sale before Christmas and since we had no room here I put them into Mothers refrigerator freezer to store and there was one left which is now on my front stairs. But with the mild weather lately I have had my eye on it and wondering if we will have to have a turkey dinner sometime soon. So far it is solid frozen in spite of the rain last week, but I don't want to take any chances. In my cleaning up and trying to make order out of chaos ( will never happen haha) I have been bringing extra small appliances upstairs to clean and see if they work. We must have about five of everything! anyway, one real find for me was the electric meat grinder – I have had a real desire to make a real shepherds pie with ground up roast beef such as we had at home. My pies have usually been ground beef (hamburger meat) based of late. So as I cleaned it up and feeling happy to find it again Harry got interested and decided to make some sausages with it as it has that attachment. This morning we went to Sprucedale to check on the house, and then directly to North Bay to check on Mikes place and his cat. While there we went into No Frills and Harry bought ground pork and beef and then we went to a Butcher store and I bought some intestines for casing – tomorrow we make sausages!! Mike is in Gogama up North, on an outdoors Course, so we had to check on his cat. He is really loving having a little cat and it makes good company for him – that is when he is home! There was a big notice taped to his door from the Financial Institution that has taken over the mortgage from the previous owners, and it states "notice" that they are selling it under a power of sale, and Mike must comply with all requests to show the apt to prospective buyers on 24 hours notice. The other two units on the second and third floors are empty. I sure hope it goes Ok for him as he doesn't deserve all this mess due to others problems. I loved to see all your beads on the tables Patty but it took me a few hard looks to orient myself to the direction of the photo but I finally did. Hope you got the table cleared so you can get back to your wonderful work. And Cathy I was thrilled to hear of you taking a course in needle felting – good for you. Please keep us informed of your progress, and it is a good mix to have McGrath and Hughes "likes" in your life. Remember how involved I was in Theatre in my teens – much to the chagrin of Mom I think especially when I think of them driving me and picking me up so often. When we  went to Rainbow stage on my last visit, I was taken back in time and had so many good thoughts of the past. Even though I'm not doing much with my "McGrath" side lately, it's nice to know its there! Have fun.

Learning new things that everyone else knows

Today I am taking a class in needle felting. It's a beginners class for people with two left hands. They also have knitting and crocheting. Maybe it is time for me to explore the McGrath side of my heritage. (Though I still love acting !!!) Rrain is taking it too. She's the one that talked me into it. It could be a fun thing for the two of us to do together. Beats going to the Legion all the time. I have also taken a turkey out for supper tomorrow, and the next day and the next day and..........I am going to make some casseroles and pies to freeze. I have Monday and Tuesday off work I saved some holidays for snow days but it doesn't seem that I will need them anytime soon. I think they said we have had less than 1/4 of our usual snowfall and this has been the warmest January in history It kind of makes you wonder what is happening. Being a typical Manitoban I keep saying that we are going to pay for it someday. Our puppy is growing. You don't notice it when you see her everyday but when I take a good look I can tell. There is no way she would fit into the box that she came home in. I took a bunch of clothes to the Salvation Army yesterday. I still kept some things that "shrank" while hanging in my closet, but I don't think I will ever fit into them again. I have good intentions but food gets in the way. Our next cribbage game isn't until February 11. If we move on from there we go to The Pas. That will be a long drive. The only Command tournaments I have been to have been in Winnipeg and Dauphin. We'll see what happens. I am going to make my grocery list so that I will have lots of good food to go with my turkey. Have a great week