Sylvia's Simple Shots

I have had a small rug under my living room since the vinyl floor was installed last year.

I decided a bigger one would be better so I bought this rug from JYSK.

I fold it so the red stripes are not showing.

Working really well.

The Blue Bird or The Invention of Happiness by Sheila Kohler.

This radiant historical novel is based on the true life of Lucy Dillon, an 18th-century French aristocrat and former lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette. After narrowly escaping the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, Lucy and her family flee to America. They settle on a dairy farm in New York's Hudson Valley, where she trades her life of noble privilege for hard physical labor, discovering personal freedom and her true self along the way.

The memorial service took place this week for a dear friend and financial advisor.  He passed away in October but the service was delayed.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

A night shot of lights on a very cold night.

The streets are icy and traffic is sparse.

There is nice moonlight.

I had problems with the toilet at my temporary accommodation.

The arm on the float broke so the tank was not filling up.  I had to fill the tank by hand.

A quick call and a plumber arrived to fix it.  Great service.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is the book I finished this week.

Iris James is the postmistress in coastal Franklin, Massachusetts. She know more about the local than anyone.

She holds many secrets as part of her job. One day she does the unthinkable: she slips a letter into her pocket, reads it and does not deliver it.

Frankie Bard broadcasts from overseas with Edward R. Morrow.  Her broadcasts begs listeners to pay heed to the Nazi bombings of London. 

Each woman delivers news in their corners of the world, at one point, yet find themselves unable to do so. 

Another great WWII story with strong women doing their part. Great read.

It turns out based on decisions made that can not be reversed that I have to paint the bathroom because it is not within the scope of work.

It was great to have the adjuster reach out and explain the situation.

It is very cold and I head over to get it done.

The vanityhad already been put into the space so I had to work around that.

I remember painting that room before I move in all those years ago.

It took about 4 hours.

Fortunately, I had the tools and the paint to get it done.

I had Reilly the electrician in on an emergency basis because turns out the switch in the front hall failed.  A single floor lamp was not going to cut it.

With the floor guys coming in tomorrow it needed to be done right away.

Reilly came in after his regular work day and I appreciated it so much.

The preparation for the install of the vinyl floor took place this week.

That will cover the kitchen, the hallway, the laundry room and the storage room.

I chose not to put vinyl plank back in because it got wet and had to be pulled out so I went for the less expensive option.

The installer was very good.

Slow Stitching 2025 - Week 3

This is week 3 of the Comfort Coverlet Slow Stitching 2025 project hosted by K3N Cloth Tales. 

I continued to work on this January piece by adding the frame.  I used 2 strands of green embroidery floss with a running stitch.

I stayed 1 inch away from the outside edge to allow for assembly later on.

I added the seed stitching in the four corners with ecru pearl cotton. 

Slow Stitching 2025 - Week 2

I have added symbols on my loose family tree circles.

Dad is the closest circle in blue with a green dot.

Mom is the next circle with the blue dot then I added a heart between them.

I have several aunts on Mom's side that I am close to.

Next are my siblings and I am close to all my sisters.

Next are the grandkids of which I am close to a couple of the girls.

Next is the great grandkids of which I am close to one of them.

So nice to have strong women in my family circle. 

Slow Stitching 2025 - Week 1

Here's my first piece for the Comfort Coverlet.

I made the fabric 12x12 inches and tea dyed it.

I have made several circles on it and stitched them with the stem stitch in several colors.

I am planning on adding elements on the circles to loosely represent women in my family that are important to me.

Not sure what to use for the elements.  If it turns out to be a comfort cloth they should be soft.

Options:

Buttons, beads, sequins, felt shapes, and probably many more.

See what this week brings.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I finished this book this week.  It was a quick read and I could not put it down.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods.  

There are 2 story lines. The first is Opaline Carlisle/Grey who runs away to Ireland to avoid an arranged marriage in the 1920's and becomes a book seller in Dublin. It was very interesting to have Sylvia Beach who owned Shakespeare and Company in Paris in that time period appear in this story.  I read a book about her in this post.

The other is Martha and Henry in modern times with cell phones.  Martha is also running away from an abusive husband.  Henry is doing research for his thesis. Some of the abuse Martha suffered was quite uncomfortable to read about.

Henry starts in one direction but changes the focus of his thesis by the end of the book.

There is a fantastical aspect to the story where the premise is that books find the people who need to read them in the 1920 story.  In the house in Dublin, things are not all as they appear. 

Great read

A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead.

I started this book a couple of times but could not finish it.  I generally love World War II stories but this book had too much historical information in it.

A lot of detail about the players in WWII in France and the resistance movement.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

 
I was treated to seeing the kitchen cupboards painted on Dec 31st!   I am very happy with the color.

I picked up the 30 hinges I needed to replace the bronze ones that were on the brown cupboards.

These are chrome and will go much better with the grey color of the cabinets.

I managed to get a better price of $2.00 each at another supplier than the big box store.

Another great read from Patrick Taylor.  An Irish Doctor in Love and at Sea.

This was a great book.  The story alternated with Dr. Fingal O'Reilly's earlier medical career and a more modern time where new doctors are joining the practice and Dr. Barry Laverty is a partner in the practice.

We finally find out what happened to his first wife. How they met, their love affair, their married life and how he loses her.  There have been vague mentions of her in past books and here we find out a lot more about Deirdre.

Donal is up to his antics as usual.

Loved the book!

New Year's Eve was a quiet night with the TV running the fireplace video.

My last glass of egg nog.

It was an early night as things have been hectic between the renovations and family celebrations.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

Finally, the restoration of the kitchen is moving forward. 

The bottom cupboards are back in the kitchen.

They are being reinforced where damage occurred during the removal process. 

There will be plastering, sanding, painting happening here for a little a little bit.

The carpenter is very generous to spend an hour with me going over ideas about paint, finishes, and much more.  

I left feeling that we were on the same page about the renovation.

I watched this Christmas movie this week.

An angel tree topper comes to life to return a Christmas spirit to this town.

One of the residents of this small town has a very poor attitude and she brings woe to those around her.

The angel and the girls vow to bring a brighter spirit to those around them.  They bake cookies, give away gifts, paint rocks with encouraging sayings andhelp out neighbours including Mrs. Grouchy. 

Turns out she used to be Mrs. Christmas in this town till her daughter eloped against her wishes then her attitude soured.

A Christmas spirit is returned at the of the movie and Mrs. Grouchy gets to meet her grandchildren for the first time.

I spend a lot of time with my sister on Christmas day trying to decide which color scheme to paint the cupboards after they were damaged during the asbestos abatement process. 

The white is the walls, the yellows are the frame on the cupboard doors and the grey is for the face of the cabinets. The second yellow represents the butcher block counter top.

I am happy to report that painting was the solution chosen and that project is moving forward

I went to my sister's for Christmas day and we attended this church's Christmas morning service.  It was very good.  I am so grateful that roads were so good for driving.  I returned to the hotel on Boxing Day.  We were joined by their neighbors.

We attended a community turkey lunch with a few hundred people.  I understand 214 plates were served.

We sat with a gentlemen who had recently loss his wife and this was the first time he attended on his own.

The turkey with all the trimmings was excellent though it took a while to serve that many people.

Another visit with Kinsey Milhone in Sue Grafton's X book.

Kinsey helps a widow with investigating the death of her husband which was someone Kinsey worked with.

I have read this book before but I did not have it blogged so I am including it here.

Wool Felt Ornaments

I always like to make something for my brothers and sisters when we get together for Christmas.

I managed to get these wool felt ornaments cut before I had to pack the craft room one more time this year.

It was cut with the Sizzix Ornament #2 die.  It cuts the big shape and the circle to match.

I cut 10 sets of these with 2 circle fro the front and back and one ornament in the middle.

The circles were cut from craft felt.

I put some warm taupe floss and some grey floss in the bag along with these die cuts.

I did not have a specific plan.  With more craft stuff packed it became a challenge to decide how I would decorate these. I had several ideas but eventually it came together.

I knew I had small heart buttons in my stash and eventually I found them in the sewing space which was less put away.  The bling box was still available so I pulled out the metallic fabric snowflakes.  I pulled twill tape and a black marker.

These were stitched by the middle of November with RamBoard on the living room floor and the living room continuing to be filled with items from the other areas.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

Visited my aunt for our annual meat pie session.  These are a French Canadian Christmas Tradition called Tourtieres.

Omelette for lunch.

Always a great lunch with non alcoholic wine.

A mixture of beef and pork with spices.

A double recipe of pastry but more work with out her kitchen aid mixer.

We made less this year!

I brought home 3 pies and 3 servings of the filling which I will eat as a meal over the next few months.

I watched this movie while slow stitching this week. A Man Called Otto - Tom Hanks.

We all grieve differently.  We all have lost loved ones, jobs, family, countries so we can relate.

Mr. Otto lives an ordered life and follows the rules.  When a family moves in next door it brings a warmth and caring (the color) he has been missing since his wife died.

He can manage most house challenges and starts to help this family in between trying to figure out how he is going to join his wife.

The pregnant wife is very perceptive and senses something is missing.

Very touching and at times very funny.

Loved it.

My sister passed this book to me. It is a story of teenagers sorting out their place in the world.  Paper Towns by John Green.

When Margo Roth Spiegelman comes to Quentin Jacobsen's window in the middle of the night — dressed like a ninja. She has plotted an ingenious campaign of revenge and he follows her. Margo always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. 

After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q.

The adventures a long trip, investigating abandoned buildings, and finding the smallest of clues as to where Margo has gone.

It was a good read in the youth reading genre.

Slow Stitching - No. 051 - Grid Journal Slow Stitching Style

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challnege 2024

Week 51 - Grid Journaling Slow Stitch Style. 

I stitched my 4 squares onto a piece of blue cotton with a foundation layer with stem stitch.  Four different colors.

I then cut a few snippets of fabric to stitch at random in these squares.

It turned out quite bright and I was happy with it.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

A bit of a snack with the Sewing Group. 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and chocolate with a cup of tea!

Meeting with the Reconstruction team to talk about the damage done during abatement and the way forward.

A visit to see my sister in the country.

I had a good visit and my other sister came for a couple of hours.

This is Saturday morning as we all left early.  Them to a grandson's hockey game and be back to the city.

Finished my first puzzle while staying at the hotel.

It is a metaphor for life.  

I was sure that there were some pieces missing because at time it did not make sense.

In the end after days and rearranging pieces put in one place but belonged elsewhere all the pieces fit.

Books - Catch Up

The Silk Vendetta by Victoria Holt. Another great novel from one of my favorite authors.

Lenore and her Grandmother live at Silk House owned by the Sallonger Family.  Following a scandal and the death of Lenore's mother in France the pair were transferred to England.

The Sallonger family is in the silk business and get their silk from France produced by the St. Allengeres family.

Weddings, funerals, coming of age traditions, reunions and grudges all play a part in the story. 

The divide between the upper and lower house in England is blurred with Lenore marries the son of the house and becomes the Lady. Her husband is murdered, but why?

Lenore and her grandmother start up a good business in London then expand to Paris. Silk is in good demand with a friend who becomes the business manager.

A great read!

Ines of my Soul by Isabel Allende.  Another favorite author.

This is a story of the conquest of Chile by the Spaniards.  What a brutal story. The goal was to annihilate the natives and steal their land and gold.

There are love stories with Inez Suarez having 3 husbands in the time of the story.  Great travels by sea and over land which are arduous and dangerous.

I love a strong female character and this has it in spades.

Another great story less the violence.

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. I was 

intrigued with the story of twins who switch places.

The city girl and the country girl try manage the other's life.  There are challenges when this switch was done in a couple of days. You know your sister but what is her favorite coffee shop, how does the family bakery work, how to grow sourdough starter are a few of the issues that arise.

Of course, there are love interests which come the switch and eventually the truth has to come out.

Success and growth for both girls is the result.

Christmas Ornaments - Mom's Memory

I am working on making these ornaments for mysiblings and grand kids as a memory of Mom who passed Jan 2023.

We are having a family get together on the Dec 27-28, 2024

We did a similar one for Dad 2 years ago.

Wooden spool, with navy wool felt, a piece of Mom's favorite dress and a LOVE heart held with a safety pin.

Mom sewed all her life so the spool works well. We all remember Mom's special dress which she made herself.

She loves us a lot. 

Nice slow stitch project which my sister helped with preparations since I have limited access to my tools!  

Slow Stitching - No. 050 - StitchingText

K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching Challenge 2024

Week 50 - Stitching Text.

I chose fabric with lines I could follow.

As it is snowing heavily today that is the word I chose.

I used stem stitch. Added highlight to the lines then used a white pencil to draft my letters. Then added a snowflake in the square and offset the empty corner with smaller snowflakes.

Really happy with this one.

Purple Dove Stitching

I was donated some batik fabric from one of the girls at Sewing Group a couple of weeks ago.

The pieces were large enough to create an accent panel for a bag.

I tucked the 4 triangles in each corner then couched the seams to the foundation layer.

I used a white piece of linen as the background of my focal element.  I cut the bird from a coordinating fabric from my stash. I made the wing from the same purple batik. Some heavy stitching for the eye.

Not sure when it will end up as a bag.  

Turkey Dinner

I got my one Turkey Dinner for Christmas.

This is our seniors group at church, who served a wonderful turkey dinner.

It was wonderful to visit with friends and enjoy a great meal.

I skipped the concert afterwards because of having to walk at night.

 

Caramel Popcorn

I got some Caramel Popcorn made thanks to my sister.

I spend a short visit with her on Dad's Birthday. 

We went to the grocery store and bought stuff. 

Thanks to Mom there were plastic bags to hold the goodies.

I really appreciated a day of normal away from the hotel. 

Treats for our family Christmas. 

Slow Stitching - No. 049 - Stitching by Chance

 It's week 49 of the K3N Cloth Tales Slow Stitching 2024 Challenge.

This week's prompt was Stitch by Chance.

I put 6 prompts in a box and then pull one by one by chance and executed the technique.

1. Leaf (1)

2. Seam (2)

3. Color (1)

4. Applique (1)

5. Couching (5)

6. Patch

I pull 6 prompts and was lucky to get seam so I could add a bit to my piece to make it square.

This was fun!

Christmas Movie - A Christmas Winter Song

I watched this Christmas Movie on Sunday. A Christmas Winter Song.

A new to me Christmas movie with a good story line and wonderful characters.

A story of redemption which fits in well with Christmas.