This is where.....

I'm spending my time these days......doing much needed book work.  Not finding it too bad since the weather has been so irratic....actually getting alot done!  However, I do tire easily so I'm taking it slowly....

 This is where I wish I was spending my time, my little oasis....the back patio!  I'm calling it my "borrowed garden" because so far anything that has been planted has come from friends stopping by for a visit....it's wonderful since I really haven't been able to go to the nursery at all this season....This I find rather amusing since I'm literally 2 minutes from Plant World!  Jonathan is also becoming quite the "griller"......my all time favourite food is anything grilled and he's doing a fabulous job!

 Behind the Hydrangeas is the gate to the patio which we never use....there's an open area behind the house where the kids like to play ball hockey and it seems that when the ball accidentally ends up on the patio they have no problem just walking right in and leaving the gate open.  This should deter that practice somewhat!

 This is my favourite spot, in the Muskoka chair.  I take my hand quilting, binding and piecing out there when it's nice and just enjoy the day......

 It's just the right size patio, there's just enough room for a table too but the one I have has to be repaired and Rich has been really busy the past few weeks but I'm sure he'll get around to it soon......

So there you have my favourite hangouts....actually I love my little office/den.  I'm just finishing painting a whiteboard/bulletin board for the wall and looking for the bottoms for a pine shelf I want Rich to put up.  The curtains are chosen and I want him to install two stained glass shutters I have and hang the ceiling fan.....hmmm, so I guess I have to make a list.....and hope for the best!

I've even set up a TV in there and there's a great comfy chair and a Daylight light so I can do my hand quilting, bindings and piecing in there too!  I can pretty much take it anywhere in the house.  This way Jonathan and I don't fight over what to watch, he also has a habit of channel surfing which drives me crazy - it's a man thing, they are born with a "remote" finger.

So I'm all set for this long (not self inflicted) "vacation"!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

I can't believe.....

....that I can keep so busy!  I used to think that there was no time to blog because I was in between home and the store all the time.  I would also blame Jonathan because he monopolized the laptop at home but now I have internet on the home PC as well and still I seem to run out of time each day....  I've been home since the 12th of May and still I can't seem to find time to fit it in?!?!  I'm thinking that I just thrive on being busy....

The first day after Chemo was a breeze and then I hit a couple of really bad ones but since last Monday I have really just been keeping busy.  Admittedly I have been doing a bit of resting up for the next "round", but I managed to finish the Island Chain top and I've surrendered the camera to Jonathan who takes much better pics.....(not so blurry)!

 I'm very proud of this one and I am planning on quilting it myself!  I have a rule of thumb now when it comes to quilting....if, in my head I have planned out the quilting of the top before I finish piecing it then it's mine to quilt, however, if I get to the end and have the borders on without that vital inspiration, off it goes to the "longarm quilter"....this one's mine!  (Note: I still have hair - lol!!!)

What have I been up to that I am so busy!?!?  Well let's see, I brought home 3 boxes of book work that needs to be done and I already had one box at home to work on.   I unloaded my stash drawers because they were sticking and now that Rich fixed them I can put it all back - I was looking for purples and yellows for a store sample that I want to make and I was frustrated because I couldn't get complete access to my fabric.

My friend Trudy came to visit yesterday and brought me some cuttings from her garden and my friend Leigh came today and helped my plant some stuff that she brought as well as what Trudy brought yesterday.  I had planned to get my planter pots out for the garden and did that yesterday and also started doing some painting of pots which is something I love doing - took me 12 boxes of stuff to find the paints so I unpacked 3 and sent some stuff upstairs to be put away as well.  The basement is still full of boxes but we're finally down 3 more!

I sorted through some projects on the go and actually started cutting out the applique for Molly's Meadow (one of the quilts on my sidebar)!  I've got Sonia (Janome) set up and am ready to make up the back of my Island Chain and maybe continue working on Molly's Meadow.  I also need to put binding on one of my completed mystery quilts that Libby quilted for me last year so I have something to do during chemo on June 1st.   I may even start a small knitting project - just for a change of pace.....

I'm the type of person who can't sit idle, I always have to be doing something or have something to do!  Whether I'm sitting watching TV or thoroughly engrossed in my quilting projects.....now I have to prioritize again because I have opened up Pandora's "boxes".....having taken a number of projects out of their hiding places!  As Elaine always says Focus, focus, focus!  So I'm going to go back to picking one for Sonia and one for Bernie and seeing if I can't get that organized and make some progress......

I am well and have had a good week but I am getting a little tired after a busy and productive day....so I think it's time to head for bed!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Who knew......

Back in December when I started this blog that it would have been named so aptly!!!!  Owning a quilt store certainly allows me the tag of Creations, plus I do have a few of those up my sleeve!  The apt part appears to be Trials & Tribulations!

I guess I kind of took the Trials & Tribulations from what I had been through in the past 2 years and thought it was appropriate, there always seems to be something going on in our lives that could constitute Trial & Tribulations.....

Having said that - I will finally update all of you on what's going on!  On Wednesday May 11th I met with my doctor (oncologist) who informed me that Terry the Tumor has a friend - we have named him Larry on the Lung (the key word here being ON!).  It seems Terry got lonely and wanted a friend to keep him company - who knew!  Well needless to say I AM NOT particularly fond of "Illegal Immigration"  and I want these "aliens" evicted!  Luckily my doctor is of the same mind so he wasted no time and I had my first Chemotherapy session Thursday May 12th! 

Libby drove in from Windsor on Wednesday night and held my hand for 9 hours while I underwent my first of three sessions!  I've been off the radar for the past few days because I've been fighting the side effects of becoming "glow in the dark", however, I AM BACK!  Well - let's just say I feel alot better than I did yesterday, the day before and definitely the day before that (DAY 1 after chemo was relatively a cake walk!).  Libby left for home this morning secure in the knowledge that I was getting "over it"!  She is my ROCK and I love her!  That having been said I have a fabulous network of friends that I can depend upon and I can only hope that I will not over tax them with all of this!

Jonathan (my son) has also been amazing and hopefully will continue to be that!  Rich of course is my other "go to guy" and I can certainly count on him for just about anything, including filling the propane tank so I could Barbeque last night - you'd think I was pregnant or something!  I had a craving and voila - it appeared!

Elaine dropped by today to drop off the fabulous quilt that the Monday girls made for me - and Jonathan couldn't resist the photo-op, besides it may be my last one with hair for awhile!

It's really a gorgeous quilt!....and I recognize so many fabrics!  FYI - it makes a fabulous signature quilt, all the girls signed it and it is from the book Scrap Basket Sensations - by Kim Brackin which should arrive in your local quilt shop (Cock A Doodle Quilts) any day now - I just ordered 12 more copies!  I'm actually going to send a copy to Kim (a copy of the photo) - I think it's so fabulous!  For some reason my feet get cold and I just cuddle up and I'm fine!  I'll be taking it with me on my next trip to the hospital too!  My security blanket for sure!

You might notice Island Chain on the side of the couch - it's finished (the top anyway)!  Yesterday I managed to change a block - not the right one, and put the borders on, thinking I had changed the right one!  I now have a little secret that goes with this quilt and you know what - I don't have to change the block anymore!!!!

Starting to tire so I will say goodnight and I promise to try to keep up with the blog as much as humanly possible!  I do plan on quilting and creating after all so you can't be expected to miss out on all that!

Thank you all for all your support and keep those cards and letters coming LOL

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

Still quilting.....

Thought I would share my latest quilt........Island Chain, although I have to make a slight change to one of the blocks......

Left side, third block down - just fades into the background so I'm going to change it then put the borders on and get it quilted.  I'm really happy with the way it turned out even though I'm not particularly a batik fan.  I sure do love working with the fabric though!  The tight weave of batik is absolutely awesome.  Also this quilt from the book - Scrap Basket Sensations - is only one of many I want to do......

I want to thank you all for your support, phone calls and well wishes!  It's absolutely uplifting to know I have so many people helping me get through this!

I've got an appointment tomorrow with the doctor and will find out what the last barrage of tests showed as well as what to expect with the "hopefully" upcoming surgery.....the cancellation yesterday really threw me for a loop but mentally I've recovered and can only hope that it won't be long before I'm sitting quietly out in the garden hand piecing my Farmer's Wife!!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann

The continuing saga.......

What can I say!  I'm still here!  I spoke to Libby last night and we had a great chat about what's happening.  She came up with a great idea - we chose a name for my "tumor" - he's (of course it's a he!) is called Terry!  Terry the Tumor!!!!  She figures that I've had him long enough we should name him - I tend to agree!

I haven't been blogging recently because I've been a bit preoccupied with the store and getting ready for surgery - you know, rushing like mad to get everything done before I go into the hospital - with some side stress to go with it all!

The surgery was originally scheduled for tomorrow - May 10th!  I was completely geared up for it but it's what they call "elective" surgery and they have elected to postpone it!  Needless to say I did not get a vote!  If it were up to me I would have been there with bells on - I just want to get "on with it"!  

I have been prodded and poked for the last two weeks with this test and that test and I'm just anxious to get in and get done.  The new date is the 24th of May so hopefully they will go ahead on that date.  So we will go back to the drawing board and re-jig the schedule and that will be that.....it will all work out in the end!

I guess I can set the Bernina up again and get some quilting done, it appears I have two more weeks so that is exactly what I am going to do, and continue marking and cutting my Farmer's Wife blocks.....there'll be more to hand piece that way!

I'll keep you all updated on my progress!

Have a great day everyone!

Jo-Ann