Peace and Quiet...Hallelujah :)

 First, for anyone who has been a regular reader, my apologies for missing yesterday. I got into some hand-stitching while on a Zoom with friends, and just kept on after the call ended, totally forgetting that I still needed to blog. Change up the usual routine and the proverbial baby goes out with the bath water :P

So...I'll begin with yesterday...

The advent calendar offering, with a squish here and a poke there, was pretty easy to figure out. I guessed that it was likely and quilter's awl...and it was.

As I was working on the "secret project", Jade decided to keep me company by lying beside my chair. For some strange reason, she all of a sudden raised her head and began whapping her tail against the floor. I have NO idea what that was about! Maybe she just decided that it was some time I give her some loving scritches.

At 3:30....after more than 44 hours without....the power came back on and the stand-by generator kicked off. Jade and I took this opportunity to head our for our afternoon walk. It was absolutely wonderful. We'd had some snow come down throughout the day so everything was covered in winter white, and the loop was sooooo peaceful....now that all the generators had shut down. It's amazing just how much noise these things make (like very big snowblowers)...especially with so many of them in the neighbourhood. It's so easy to take the peace and quiet for granted until something like an outage happens. 

When I woke this morning, we had had a skiff more of snow through the night. It might be hard to tell from the photo, but it looked like shaved flakes of ice...and it sparkled so beautifully :)

Today's package felt rather like a pen, but turned out to be a telescoping magnetic wand...great for picking up dropped needles or pins.

I just wish someone could invent something that would pick up other things that I drop :P

I reflected on several occasions while opening these daily offerings what interesting paper they've wrapped them with. The paper is printed on BOTH sides, one side with a silver/grey background and the other side with a white background. Interesting! Two options provided in ONE roll. I've never seen that before. I wonder where you can find it?!?!

Unless I have an appointment to get to, my first cup of coffee in the morning is sacrosanct. Anyone who knows me at all knows this.

It's my time to wake up slowly, to make some notes, to prep my lists for the day, to play my WordsWithFriends2 boards with two friends, and then enjoy time reading Elaine's blog (crazyquilteronabike.blogspot.com) before walking Her Ladyship. She's generally pretty patient with this routine, thank goodness! When it is time to get walking, however, she does get quite excited. One of the tell-tale signs is that she starts prancing, but she also rubs herself up against the couch.

She has done it so much that she has discoloured the fabric with the oils from her coat :P

I feel a pinch of sadness each time I get ready to walk these days. Seven and a half years ago, I purchased a pair of "smittens" (mittens made from sweaters) on a trip to Newfoundland. I just loved the colours and design. These mittens have been so incredibly warm during winter walks....Even when the weather when down to "feels like -42C", my hands stayed warm curled inside. Over the years, my mittens have not only stretched out of shape, but have begun to unravel and develop holes.

Sap that I am, it's about more than the actual mittens. It's about the "story". These mittens will always be about the trip to Newfoundland, and the little shop where I found them. I have so many "stories" from that trip. Perhaps it's time to plan a second trip to Newfoundland. I would dearly love to go back! Maybe I'll even share some of the stories....But that'll be on another day :)

A good chunk of the afternoon was spent working on the "secret project" today, which I did while attending a Zoom Quilting Retreat that was being hosted by Elaine (whom I mentioned earlier). There were about 25 quilters "attending". Everyone was working on whatever, and enjoying conversation while working. As well as attendees from Ontario, there were people from a number of other places...British Columbia, Massachusetts, and even Frankfurt, Germany. It was really lovely! 

Supper is in the oven and is almost done....I can smell it here in the living room :P I still need to put together the salad, though.

And on that note, I wish you all a very good night!

TTFN