Walking the Trails in Moncton, NB

Rejean and I have tramped or biked pretty much every trail in the Moncton and immediate area. We always try to find something appealing or attractive about each one we go on, though to be honest, some of these trails are more utilitarian than beautiful. It really does depend on the time of year you visit them, I find. Some just don’t shine in the heat of summer and some do. Some are more attractive in fall when the leaves and grasses change color and the contrast of the blue sky enhances the golds, oranges and reds.

Such is the Humphrey Brook Trail, a 5 km walking, biking path that crosses a small section of the east end of Moncton. We have travelled it several times and yesterday, we walked to the end and back, an approximate 10 km trip. We actually didn’t see many people out on it, which surprised us since it was such a beautiful 19 degree day. The trail crosses behind several sub-divisions, and the city has added benches placed in several strategic spots as well as a much welcomed bathroom facility since we were last there. It does follow a lovely little brook and the area is in Phase Two of an environmental enhancement program as the city commits to providing green space and negotiable trails within city limits.

The wind blew just as I took this photo with my iPhone, but I like it even with the blurs

Sun, Sand, and Swimming on a Sunday in September

Here in my area Sunday was beautifully summery, reminiscent of July days. Before my head left the pillow that morning, I was cajoling my husband into a trip to the beach. An early lunch allowed us an early start and we drove to nearby Parlee Beach for some sun and fun.

We weren't surprised to see a few others with the same idea and a low tide encouraged a number of walkers. We counted a total of 7 adults and a handful of children in the water, all seemingly oblivious to the strong winds that whipped stinging sand in the more open areas.

We had barely gotten our knees damp when we struck up conversation with three very polite and chatty young gentlemen visiting the beach while filming a movie in the area. I exchanged shark snorkelling tales and had a short discussion about snakes (?) with one of the two stunt men while Rejean chatted with the other, as well as with the third fellow, an actor. Rejean took a photo for them wading in the waves and they joked about jealous wives and girlfriends back in Montreal working while they enjoyed the east coast. Then they wandered off in search of seafood while we continued along the shore. My daughter always jokes about me and my frequent conversations with young guys, and I really have no idea why this is a fairly constant thing for me, but maybe they find me, a middle aged, chubby woman non-threatening, or maybe they are missing their moms?? Anyway, they were very fun to talk with and I think they might have stayed longer had they not been hungry..lol Always delightful, these conversations!

After we walked the shore and checked out the wharf area, we came back to the beach and had a wonderfully refreshing swim in the ocean. One fall when our children were in middle school, each afternoon I picked them up after school and drove to Parlee with a van load of their friends and we swam until 8 pm every night! That lasted well into the last week of September and I haven’t seen me in the water this late in the season since then. So, this was a great treat! And to be able to lie on the sand in the hot sun (25 degrees!!) afterwards was icing on the cake! 

Last night the rain pounded down, but the temperature stayed high. This morning the sun is pushing its' way back out from behind the clouds and it is going to be hard to stay on task today..sun, sand and the possibility of an ocean swim are the sirens call for me. 

Ocean swimming on September 9th

A lot has been going these past weeks. I have neglected blogging in exchange perhaps for being more productive. Or, perhaps not. Maybe I have simply been enjoying the last fleeting days of summer....

Today I enjoyed a long leisurely swim in the ocean. Yes, on September 9th. It was wonderful and clear with gentle waves and beach solitude.

Solo synchronized swimming is the best because improvisation is encouraged..

Glimpses of a Maritime summer

Looking toward Charlottetown, PEi across the Charlottetown Harbour

A typical incredible roadside view, Cumberland, PEI

A couple of happy bikers on the south shore of PEI

Our favorite honey stand which works on the honor system for payment, a standard for road side stands in the Maritimes

The absolute best..Blueberry Honey although the Blueberry Cream is equally as delicious

The view from under my rainbow umbrella

The skies over my favorite NB beach

Throwing a few lines off a wharf in Petit Cap, NB

So many seaside treasures, this an abandoned crab shell picked clean by the gulls and washed by the ocean

Kaffe Fassett, We Meet Again!

In 1975 my sister Joanne, of Madaboutcolour fame and I boarded a plane with backpacks and dreams and found ourselves in England. Being maybe a little bit hippie and a lot dedicated to handcrafts, we focused our adventure on design, museums, live theatre, buying up wonderful items like Birkenstocks for 25.00!!(me) and corduroy jumpers and skirts at Selfridges (Jo). We spent a full week going to the Victoria and Albert Museum where time stood still for us to sketch (Jo), wander and soak it all in (me). We stayed in hostels, cheap rooming houses, B&B’s, and gathered stories as we experienced life on the road. We saw sooo many theatrical performances! Chorus Line, Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap, Swan Lake (for perhaps the 10th time....growing up on PEI with the Confederation Centre and its focus on live entertainment meant we had the opportunity to see lots of ballets), and Jesus Christ Superstar to name the most memorable.

We also visited a small shop in downtown London to see an interesting display of knitted items. I remember there weren’t an overwhelming number of pieces, but each piece there demanded your attention. Machine knitting was something I was just vaguely aware of and fashion design in these days before the immediacy of the internet, was something you saw in magazines. Joanne, being very smitten with the work we saw, bought a beautiful hand knit vest, it being the one article she convinced herself she could afford. We chatted with the proprietors/artists, no doubt gushing over the amazing designs..

I am not really sure when the pieces all began to fall into place, but on July 18th, in a little church in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Joanne stood up and showed Kaffe Fassett one of his earliest knitted vests, designed by his then partner, Bill Gibb. And the circle grew even tighter; she also presented Kaffe with a photocopy of her Scottish born husband and Bill Gibb in a class photo taken when they were both youngsters, attending the same school, sharing a desk. Kaffe very graciously accepted the photo and seemed pleased and intrigued to see a piece of his early work. He listened as Joanne explained that Bill and her husband had been close school friends and had spent hours preforming plays Bill made costumes for.

After Kaffe’s talk, he patiently chatted and signed books for attendees. He signed several books of Jo’s extensive collection of Kaffe books and again thanked her so kindly for her thoughtful gift. I remarked that he didn’t look a day older than the first time we spoke, way back in 1975 in that little showroom  on Bond Street..

Time well spent!

The south western shores of Nova Scotia are breathtakingly beautiful, especially at this time of year.

I recently had the pleasure of taking in a few sights along the shore with my daughter as I begin to learn the ways and habits of not working every day. Mind you, I did have my chores that kept me busy enough while visiting! I had a quilt to bind, and blocks to make, and some piecing to plan. And on what would have been my Mom’s 79th birthday, I tried 4 new recipes and each one was a success! 

One of my daughter’s co-workers gifted us with a huge bag full of fresh rhubarb, all in exchange for tips on picking and caring for his patch. Then came the big decision as to what to make! Rhubarb muffins, rhubarb crisp, cobbler, stewed rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb pie, oh my! A chance trip to the grocery store where ceramic loaf pans were on sale for what we felt was a dirt cheap price, made us decide loaves would be a good idea. I started flipping through recipes online and having faith in Canadian Living Magazine recipes, chose Rhubarb Loaf which conveniently makes two loaves, so one for us and one for the kind owner of the rhubarb patch. Be aware though, this recipe has soooo much sugar in it, it is not the healthiest choice, though most definitely a very tasty treat!

With still more rhubarb chopped, it was on to another Canadian Living recipe, Rhubarb Almond Crumble Squares...oh dear. If you like date squares, this is a must try! Again, lots of sugar, but all we rhubarb lovers know that is the price you pay for cooking with this fruit. This recipe is actually a bit more labour intensive than I am used to making in the past while, but again, I was trying to embrace the idea of being on my own schedule. When Simone walked in the door after work, the look on her face as she smelled the sweet aroma was well worth all my efforts. 

We also had an idea that a strawberry rhubarb combination needed to be included, so I made Rhubarb Strawberry Scones, but I used milk instead of heavy cream. Another delicious choice!

The fourth recipe tried that day was Kale and Quinoa Patties. We fell in love with these yummy burgers! So delicious and so worth making again and again! We did discover later that they are best reheated in the frying pan and not the oven, as they tend to dry out and become too crispy in the oven.

The sun was shining and though we had plans for a bike ride, the wind was just too wild for us that day. So, off we went to find a beach for a walk, with a pan of hot crumble and two forks, knowing that Mom would find this a perfectly suitable way to celebrate her birthday.

As is the norm in this area, the fog started to roll and when it rolls, it comes quickly, but we still managed a walk before we had to give in and get out of the damp wind. Besides, we did have that hot crumble in the car!

On Saturday we headed to the local Farmer’s Market where we tried even more scones - can you tell there is weakness here? And then we found me some more of this delicious coffee at the Natural Food Market.

Another great pastime is “antiquing” and I am one who loves to put all good things to use over and over! We visited four stories of antiques, 90% of which I could identify, own, or have seen in my family’s homes. Simone also tends to love the workmanship and intrigue of antiques and uses her Great Aunt’s dishes and her Grandmother’s silver daily, has her Great Grandmother’s table and chairs as her kitchen set and regularly collects new to her items for her home (Especially hats! Grandma June's granddaughter for sure!). One lovely purchase Simone made recently was with me in mind and I was the lucky one who came home with these beauties to use in my kitchen!

Colors of Cozumel

Spring is slowly making its way back into our lives, although as I drove through the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia this week, I saw evidence that New Brunswick is still slightly behind on the calendar. Even though I attended Acadia University way back when, I had never witnessed the apple blossoms in all their glory! So, I was actually momentarily puzzled when I saw the rows of trees laden with their ethereal whitish pink flowers. I remember the thought crossing my mind that it seemed like an awful lot of ornamental cherry trees off the highway with no houses in sight. Yes, I have days like that where the obvious is just not obvious...

Had I not been so focused on making my way to my destination, I might have stopped and taken a photo or two to share. But, I also remembered one night, those many years ago, when a group of fellow students and I made our way into the apple orchard, bags in hand, with plans to help ourselves to some deliciously juicy pickings. The details are now vague, but I do recall a couple of twisted ankles and scraped knees as we breathlessly raced out of the field when we were spotted and told on no uncertain terms to beat it!! Still embarrassed by this escapade all these years later and not willing to twist my aging bones and joints, I simply stayed out of the field and enjoyed the view from afar. You will have to trust me that it was a glorious sight with a very festive feel as the laden branches delicately danced in the breeze.

After that long winter we all persevered, I am visually hungry for new growth this spring and am anxiously waiting for my magnolia tree to bloom, for flowers to begin popping up, and for the greens of summer to grow strong and true. Nova Scotia is weeks ahead with magnolias beginning to drop their blossoms, ornamental cherries and dogwoods in full bloom, wild flowers and tulips in abundance and trees full and green. 

So, to appease my senses, I have been looking at some photos I took while in Cozumel. Until I get some more local color photographed, I am sharing these..

The quilt may look like spring, but that’s where it ends...

Atlantic Canada is currently being bombed by what social media has dubbed, “White Juan 2”. The winds are strong and blowing up to 100 kms/hr, the snow is falling and blowing and visibility is almost nil. Our shores are being threatened with surges and many are without power. No one feels better knowing Cape Breton and Newfoundland will be getting this intense low pressure system much worse than we have...because they always get it worse than we do.

The weather reports tell us the sun will be shining here tomorrow morning and on Saturday the temperature should reach 10 degrees. Right.

Well, meanwhile indoors, I have been working on numerous projects, many of them customer quilts. This is one I recently completed and if it doesn’t remind one of spring, I don’t know what does.

I am linking up to The Needle and Thread Network.

My piece for the SAQA Atlantic Trunk Show

The SAQA Atlantic group has a travelling trunk show and each member is invited to include a piece representative of their work for inclusion. Completing a piece has been on my to do list for far too long and last week I set out to finally get mine done! I had a little sketch from way, way back in mind to use, and to be honest, it was an absolute pleasure to finally see my idea "materialize".

I like to use fabrics I create myself in my personal pieces. Using a combination of Seta opaque and transparent paints as well as Jacquard metallics, I happily painted white cotton yardage, creating a palette of fabrics to work with. Sparkle was added to the snow, water and sky pieces with some brush strokes of glitter fabric paint.

When I build a piece like this, I use a fusible webbing ironed to the back of the fabrics. Then I cut each piece, adhere them to a base and press them with a hot iron. Straight stitching further secures the layers together. Any time I can add embellishments is a plus in my books and this piece has some beads. The edges are left unfinished because it will be mounted between two layers of mat board and slipped into a clear plastic sleeve. Finished measurements are 8 x 8 inches.

The scene I have created is one my family and some close friends will recognize as Cook’s Cove, PEI. The land there is ever changing and I have taken some liberties in my interpretation, but to me it is a view forever on my mind..

Baby, it’s cold outside.....

Winter has arrived and has come with more weather patterns than we have experienced for many years previous to this one. Along with the snow, rain, freezing rain, sleet and bitter temperatures, we sometimes get sunshine that warms the soul. So many of our trees are covered in ice and laden down with snow; we have lost several already and I am sure more with break under the weight as the days pass. This week we have intermittent sun with very cold temperatures leading into the weekend. Not a time to forget your hat and mitts.....

Jelly roll blue wrapped in ribbons

This is a quilt I recently finished quilting for a fellow member of our local quilt guild. The top was made as a jelly roll project with extra borders added to make it larger. She asked for meandering, which I did, but I stitched a second row of meandering to echo the first and create a ribbon effect. I think that second row of stitching adds just a bit more oomph and gives her lovely quilt a more complete look.

Blues are always a favorite color choice and I feel a blue quilt has such a comforting, calming effect. It is interesting to note that in New Brunswick, more blue paint is sold than over any other color. A bit of influence from our expansive oceans and wide, open skies? I think so..

SAQA Atlantic - Weekend Retreat

This summer I found myself making a very quick decision (especially fast for me - those who know me know I can agonize over decisions..you should see me when I eat in a restaurant!). I decided - and stuck with that choice - to join SAQA one night and then head to Truro the next day to meet the new-to-me members of SAQA Atlantic. That great day eventually led to an entire weekend of even more wonderful moments and new friendships. And all around the love of fibre.

Under the incredible leadership and keen organizational skills of our Regional Rep, Chris, and the amazingly upbeat and talented, Susan, we spent from Friday to Sunday getting to know each other and SAQA Atlantic, and especially, getting to know ourselves. The goal of this retreat was to introduce ourselves and our work to each other, create personal connections and strengthen the group as a whole. Under this guise, we participated in an ice-breaker, small discussion groups, bigger discussion groups, a studio tour, a presentation. We held a business meeting, a visioning session, had wine and cheese, early morning yoga-ish exercises and an awe inspiring Show and Tell! Even with all these wonderful activities, as with many of these events, probably the best moments arose in the evenings at the Lodge once we had all settled down, kicked back, put our feet up, and started talking. Support was lent where needed, ideas were fostered, techniques were applauded! All while wine was drunk, socks were knit, stitches were taken, sketches were drawn, and friendships were fostered.

I like to get involved when I become a member of a group because I feel the more hands and heads helping out, the better the outcome for everyone, and especially for me. In this group I am one of two moderators of the SAQA Atlantic blog. Our goal for the blog is to keep everyone updated with SAQA Atlantic activities, but as well to showcase the amazing talent of our members. 

If you are interested in seeing what is going on with this amazing group of talented Atlantic Fibre Folk, please drop over and have a look. 

Sunday in November along PEI’s South Shore

This past weekend, we made a little trip to visit my Dad and family on Prince Edward Island. It was windy and cold and I am so glad I wasn’t driving when we crossed the Confederation Bridge. I am not fond of bridges and when the wind is strong, I like them even less. I counted my knitting stitches very loudly, outloud all the way across. 

We took Dad’s dog, Jake for a walk and raced at high speed in an effort to keep from freezing completely. It was so chilly, my husband wasn’t interested in jumping on the frozen furrows with me although I did convince him to stomp on some ice covered puddles along the road! So much fun!

Here are some glimpses of my island, the south shore of beautiful PEI on a crisp, sunny Sunday in November.....

Lament for Summer

It’s getting cold here in the Atlantic. Yesterday there were clumps of white flakes scattered around the ground cover of dry, wilted leaves. This can be a bitterly cold time on the east coast and these temperatures will flit in and out until the snow starts to fall steadily and accumulate. Once that happens, the temperature evens out and it becomes more comfortable. For now, winds off the water eat away at your resolve to embrace the outdoors. When you come inside again, your cheeks are red, your limbs are cold, and your body has to work hard to compensate and warm up again. If the sun is shining, it is all so much easier because a beautiful blue sky can make everything better! But, it is still cold and I for one miss beach weather.

So this is the time of year when I start cruisin’ through my collection of summer photos..and sighing wistfully...I wonder where the summer has gone..again...