Sylvia's Simple Shots

We had regimental funerals for 2 police officers killed in the line of duty recently.  It was held at the arena where thousands of officers attended from all over North America.

One was going to be a Dad this summer and both were married.  A very sad day for our city.

The young man who killed them also shot his mother and killed himself so a tragedy all the way around.

Mental health is so important and it's hard to measure when one has slipped over the edge.  Help is sometimes hard to access on an emergency basis and comes too late for some.

It is important to take care of ourselves everyday.

With my sewing machine in a desk I take cutting work to quilting on the Mondays that we get together.

It's a great time to connect with like minded souls and see the projects are working on.  I had a good visit with a former work colleague who is looking forward to more time to sew later this year as retirement becomes a reality.

I cut about 20 unPaperTowels which remain unserged as I write this.  It will happen in due course.

This green polka dot flannel is gorgeous feeling.

The left overs will go to the make up remover pad project.

This is reflected sunshine that I see from my chair just about supper time these days.

It reflects off the windows of the huge apartment building which was put up a few blocks away in the last couple of years.  Construction did not slow down during the pandemic here.

I loved how it created stars through the trees.

Warmed my heart since it still cold outside with snow on the ground.

Everyone is asking when will spring arrive. I have say I am envious as I watch a couple of my regular Youtubers planting veggies and flowers.

Last week when I visited my sister she helped with the Reusable Make Up Remover Pad project by cutting circles for the ties on the laundry bags.

I can now go ahead and make the bags and get a step closer to the end.

I should test the bags out to see how permeable they are in the washing process before I get carried away.

I will work on that next week.

We cut the circles with the Sizzix red original 4 circle die.  The second smallest make the circles about 1.5 inches in diameter then I used a circle punch for the smaller holes for the thinner cord and the larger punch on the Crop-a-Dile for the larger cord.  Love the color.

These are a couple of books that I started in the last couple of weeks but just did not finish.  I debated whether to document them but it is good know that I touched these books and made an effort to read them.

This one was great!  The Aphothecary's Garden by Jeanette Lynes presents the life of  Lavendar Fitch who lives in Belleville Ontario in Victorian times.  She lives in her childhood home with a young man which she considers as a brother as he was brought into the home when he was a baby. Her mother and father have both passed away.  Her mother was a harpist and supported her husband in his Apothecary business. 

Lavendar loves her garden which she inherited from her mother.  She learned many things about herbs and remedies at her mother's knee.  She earns a bit of living by selling her wares at the train station - the garden flowers in the summer and evergreen wreaths harvested from the woods nearby at Christmas.  

A famous medium Allegra Trout comes to Belleville accompanied by Robert Trout who is quite disfigured. She conducts tea leaf readings,  tarot card readings all the while preparing for the major event of a Mystical Extravaganza to be held all hallow's eve - October 31st.

The town is a buzz. She influences the dress of the day when the ladies want the type of dress she wears, the shoes and hats she wears.

Robert buys all of Lavendar's flowers the day they arrive at the train station. Lavendar is grateful and is intrigued by this mysterious man. 

The story has some interesting developments and has a wonderful ending.  I really enjoyed this book. 

I have not looked up the streets mentioned the book but having spent some time in Belleville I am tempted.

This is a small piece of a wool painting I saw a the Art Gallery of Albert which I visited with aunt on Friday.  The gift shop had some pieces for sale but I am not sure they were by the same artist.

We went to see the Canadian Art collected by the Sobey family.  Many old pieces in the traditional styles. 

Three of the galleries were under installation so the amount of art was limited.  

We had lunch at a restaurant nearby L'Espresso Organic Cafe - soup and panni was very good.