2008 is nearly over...let's laugh lots in 2009

Wishing you ALL a very very Happy New Year...thought I would end this year with a blog that will make you laugh out loud or at least smile!! Hugs, Esther.

Monday..NO SNOW

Monday morning...back to reality...going to work today and tomorrow at Safeway at Fort&FoulBay Rd..doing a store demo handing out Safeway Select Trail Mix.... come on over and say hi and 'sample' the product..it looks yummy.
Stayed home yesterday...it was a ' not going to get dressed' day for me. We all need those days every once in awhile.
Am about 1/2 way thru knitting myself a sweater...I know...you can't believe it's not a blanket I'm working on!! wonders never cease. ....but there is a blanket in the making as well but just not with the same gusto as pre Christmas.
Just looked outside...NO SNOW...YAY!! Enjoy YOUR Monday too!

Picture taken from Janis' kitchen window...and clock collage'

Not quite finished putting in the pictures that go around this clock Janis gave me for Xmas....

Xmas Morning at Janis and Colin's home....BEAUTIFUL!!

Christmas at Janis'

More pictures of Christmas at Janis' in Duncan....It was a Christmas Wonderland for sure...
Came home to hardly any snow...Happy Boxing Day everyone..

Winter Wonderland in Duncan, BC, Canada

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Janis and Colin's home in Duncan...
It was not until the last hour that we even knew we could make it up as the storm was not letting up but we finally left around 2pm...it was a very slow ...relaxing for me...drive up. Karyn did the driving for her and I...Andy & Kevin (nephews) were in Andy's car...so we had company all the way..which was comforting. Colin warned us that we would NOT believe how much snow they had...UNBELIEVABLE...and it kept coming down...when we woke up on the 25th..the electricity had been out for hours..so Colin got his generator going and soon the lights came on and the place warmed up ...we open ALOT of presents..had a great day...games, tobagganing..delicious turkey supper..(the water pumps had to be turned off while the turkey cooked...no showers etc.!!)..BUT everything worked out just fine...and we had a WONDERFUL WONDERFUL Christmas...
We are all home safe and sound in Victoria. Merry Christmas to everyone.

Victoria covered with snow

This is the view facing west (towards downtown Victoria) and the right is towards Malahat...
It's a beautiful-postcard-picture morning!

Amazing to see the branches of my red maple tree bending with snow!! Such a beautiful picture.

I guess I'm going to have to borrow a shovel...this

will be interesting!!

December 21, 2008 BLIZZARD in Victoria

Sooooo beautiful...cold...windy...I just opened my balcony door and took a quick picture...
at 1am love the smell of fresh snow


Poor little elves...



each plant holder has a high mushroom cap on it




the tip of the weather 'thing' is peeking thru the snow
at the left bottom of this last picture...see previous blog of Dec. 18..
to see how much snow fell today after supper...
Janis could NOT make it home to Duncan tonight(Sat.) after she finished work at 10:30pm...
she'll try and make it tomorrow(Sun)...the highway webcam doesn't look promising..the Malahat is covered with snow. But everyone is safe and snug up in Duncan. Now I can sleep in peace.

Frosty gets caught...

Sorry ...........just HAD to send it....
I think we should have ONE entire month of nothing but jokes....can always attach them at the bottom of your regular blogs.....

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr it's cold outside

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Baby!! it's cold outside..... back to bed for me.....snuggling in for the winter like old mama bear....wake me in the spring!!

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad Weather in Victoria

This picture was taken Tuesday on Beach Drive by the Victoria Golf Club.... I haven't left the condo since Saturday ..besides being down with a wicked cold/cough/shivers I have had to cancel alot of my demo jobs...am going to try and make it to Sears on Thursday to hand out more chocolates but the weather forecast is not very promising.
I'm so glad we got all those blankets made for those looking for shelter....
stay home and healthy................

Dallas Road View

brrrrrrrrrrr.....snow snow snow and more snow...6 inches of it is on my balcony!! This picture was taken yesterday from the 10th floor of a condo complex on Dallas Rd. Victoria BC facing the breakwater....absolutely beautiful....notice that there is NO traffic.
You know I'm very involved with BlanketsForCanada....reading this mornings paper I note that the shelters were well used..that means our blankets got used!!! Would loved to have had a picture of the recipients 'under cover'!

My siblings..

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Covered in snow...

4:15am Sunday 12-14-08 rain/snow/it's beautiful and fresh outside...people out walking on the street...this makes it feel like Christmas!

EXCUSE ME..what is this white stuff on my deck??

What the heck is going on...who put this white stuff on my plants!?
Thank goodness I made it home before the snow hit...won't be
using my car until it disappears...good night!

Breakfast at Samuels

Breakfast at Samuel's...

I'll have some of this and this and this..... Charlotte & Aunty

Christopher with hoody he sewed.
OK!!! this is great...

YES!! chocolate is my favourite! Charlotte sewed her hoodie too!!

THREE days of store demos...handing out FREE Lindt chocolates...what a job!! everyone loves to see me...can't complain!! Life is good.

Angel Square For BlanketsForCanada

I knit another square with the angel design..this time is used a black metallic yarn with the red yarn when it came to the angel design..this is very effective. When I showed it to my knitting friends, they initially thought the black was done in beads!! I would like to see each blanket carry one of these squares.. we have made over 120 blankets since August lst, 2008...and the call for more 'warmth for the homeless' is never ending.

Kellogg's Straws...made from cereal

I did my store demo at WalMart in Langford yesterday AND Saturday...Kellogg's Straws...cereal formed into straws..kids drink their milk thru them..then eat the straws!! (Hot chocolate with Baileys would work for the parents!?? great stocking stuffers!!)

There were people all over the place CONSTANTLY ...add Santa being at the store to an already busy preChristmas shopping weekend...it was such fun. THEN Santa walked thru the store and gave me a high-five...WHERE WAS MY CAMERA!!!!

The expressions on the faces of the children that he 'high fived' melted my heart. They will talk about that for the rest of their lives...'guess who high fived me?".....'ooooh sure...tell me another one!"...

Christmas CrossStitch Ornament

Just about done...have to put this in it's circular casing so it can hang from the tree....'tis the Season.

angel pattern

I needed one more square to finish a BlanketForCanada...decided to do the angel pattern in red...now THAT wasn't the easiest pattern going..but here it is...squint...you can see the angel...honest!!

Engagement Picture

My engagement picture...Nov. 27, 1962

Amazing Little Girl VIDEO

Hope you enjoy this video that someone sent me...I do not know the little girl but find her delightful to watch.

Figure Skating For Charlotte...1st place ribbon

Grammer with Christopher 6 and Jackson 18 months


Janis(My youngest daughter ..Mom to my 3 grandchildren) with Charlotte 8 after skating...

Karyn (my oldest daughter) with Jackson

at the arena watching Charlotte skate.

It was a great day...

very old recipe for eggnog

Egg nog has been a Canadian tradition during the holiday season for over a hundred years. The drink was brought to North America from Europe, where it helped keep cold, dark winters at bay. Warm milk was mixed with fresh eggs, and a bit of brandy or sherry was added to provide some extra cheer. Nutmeg or cinnamon ups the flavor. The drink was served in a small, wooden cup, called a noggin, and that's where its name comes from - egg'n'noggin.This recipe goes great with desert, mistletoe, and some close friends and family.

1820's Style Egg Nog
3 eggs, separated
3 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
Brandy
Dark Rum
Hot milk
Grated nutmeg
Beat 3 egg whites to a froth. Separately beat egg yolks until light in color, gradually add 3 tsp powdered sugar and spices.
Fold yolk mixture into whites. Divide mixture between four 8 oz. mugs.
Add 1/2 shot brandy and 1 shot rum to each mug; fill with hot beverage. Stir well and top with nutmeg.

A wonderful woman sent 4 large green bags FULL of squares for Blankets for Canada...AND they were all edged with black yarn...what a sweetheart of a woman she is...she has sent many many bags before this shipment. Way to go, sweet lady! I sorted them all by colours then had alot of fun putting them into fun blankets...once laid out as blankets I stacked them in the order that they would be crocheted together....

Enough squares for 11 blankets...amazing!

I am working on my 5th one for this week....besides making shortbread!! Life is so good

HomeMadeEnvelopes

Great way to use the beautiful covers from magazines...use label strips for writing on the address ..tried using old Xmas cards...that worked!
Check back on my blog on how to make those Xmas bells for door wreaths...using old Xmas cards

BlanketsForCanada...we reached our 100th blanket

THIS is my living room last night...sorting out 4 green bags of squares donated from ONE lady...she even puts the black edging on the squares...I'd love to give her a hug! In the foreground of picture is where I sat until 2am putting together the brighest colours with the wildest coloured yarn to nearly match the squares...it's going to be amazing (as they all are).
IF I kept my floors covered with squares I wouldn't have to vacuum...hmmmm....

Blankets For Canada Victoria Branch

I JUST finished these two blankets for BlanketsForCanada...this must be close to 80 blankets that we have finished since August lst in JUST our Victoria BC Canada Branch. We are going to get 100 done by Xmas!!!

People from all over our province knit 8" squares using their left over yarn/or new yarn and send them into Michael's Craft Store. About 12 of us volunteers get together every Thursday afternoon and crochet these squares together...(I take home squares and usually get a blanket done during the week..this week I managed 2).

It's such a fun group of women...and for such a good cause. The blankets are given to the homeless people in our city.

What do YOU see.....

Interesting!...what do you see in this picture? a face or a word?

We remember David Braun today

Yes, we remember David Braun today...he lost his life FOR US..for our freedom...THANK YOU DAVID.

David is the son of my friend Patty Braun, from Raymore, Saskatchewan. Today my heart goes out to you, Patty and to your family.

This morning's PERFECT rainbow ..all 7 colours... wow

ALL "seven colours of the rainbow" are showing in this morning's PERFECT rainbow..picture taken from my dining room window..facing north west...it was BEAUTIFUL...

Tennis courts in Stadacona Park(across the street from me) at bottom of picture....

cable stitch pillow

I made these pillows many many years ago....and here is proof that I do know how to do cable knitting....I now remember starting this afghan pattern..and got this far and decided to it was NOT something I enjoyed!! so made it into a pillow...way to go, Esther!

USA Flag in Victoria

Driving home tonight after our knitting group...I spot this HUGE American flag hanging from someone's home on Linden /maybe Rockland... I HAD to make a U-turn and go take a picture (the spots on the picture are rain spots)..I think the American flag is BEAUTIFUL...

Finished another blanket this week to take to BlanketsForCanada today. Hopefully there were will alot of volunteers there today so we can AGAIN finish 3 or 4 blankets.. 67 DONE..we're aiming for 100 by Xmas.
Am working on a sweater for myself..unbelievable but true! BIG FAT NEEDLES and BIG FAT YARN!! so it should 'build' quickly.
Was getting alot of knitting done watching the USA Elections...now what will I watch!? I was truly delighted to have Obama win...such a cool guy..'smooth' is the word! and ever so loving to his family..the way he and his wife love each other makes my heart sing! they are truly good friends to each other. Do President's wives ever get posted to one of their husband's positions? Something tells me she is going to be a strong sounding board for him.
It will be interesting to watch their daughters 'grow up' living in the White House.... wonder what type of dog they will choose? they did mention a 'rescued dog'...doesn't that make perfect sense!!

Halloween 2008

Helen, Scott and I went to the Esquimalt Legion to their Halloween Dance...This was definitely a spur of the moment thing as I found these masks at Shopper's Drug Mart while doing my store demo there yesterday!! Isn't it great to have such good friends that will 'follow me anywhere'!!

School Pictures and Jackson 2008-2009

Charlotte Grade 3 Christopher Grade 1 and Jackson 17 months.