Olallieberry

Mystery Post

I wrote a post.

It was about how much I appreciate all of you and your kind words of support during my 'bout of the flu, which I'm absolutely certain aided in my speedy recovery. I shared about a project I've been working on--the little knitted pouches made with Noro yarn you see above, and how I've been experimenting with a felted embroidered version. I wrote about the Summer Garden Quilt and how it has been calling to me for attention.

But it's all gone now.

Upon publishing, the post was appearing oddly in my dashboard for some reason, showing up as two separate posts, exactly the same. So what did I do? Well after carefully checking the links, I deleted one of them of course, confident the other was the official published version.

I was wrong. "Poof", both versions of the entire post disappeared. And so I leave you with this.

Pathetic, isn't it?

Flu... Pie... What's the Difference?

Well, I was planning on this post being about one of my very favourite fall things--apple pie. Gala, Pink Lady, Jonagold, Macintosh; all great pie apples. Not to mention the heirloom varieties that come straight from the local farmer, to which the perfectly shaped storebought varieties simply cannot compare when it comes to flavour.

Ours is most definitely a pie-loving family. No store-bought crusts in my kitchen, unless of course I buy tons of apples with the intention of preparing many pies and blogging about it, then suddenly coming down with the flu over the weekend, leaving the family destitute and disappointed in their insatiable desire for apple pie and ice cream.

Yep, the flu.

Home from work; too lethargic even to hold up a pair of knitting needles in an effort to alleviate the excruciating boredom which has quickly set in. Quiet empty days of nothing but NeoCitran, hot and cold flashes, joint pain, and unyielding headaches to keep me occupied while everyone else is off to school/work. Mr Mylo cannot bear to degrade himself by keeping me company and offering a comfort cuddle. Only wrestling and playing for him during the day, which I am in no mood for as I must conserve every bit of energy in order to effectively wipe the unending trail of drool from my cheek. (I did mention NeoCitran, right?)

So here I lay, worried about my absence from work, knowing what will be waiting for me when I get back, desperate for something to occupy my mind, unable to raise up for more than a few meager moments before breaking into a dizzying sweat and collapsing back down wondering what on earth I was thinking by getting up in the first place. Fortunately I can manage to balance the laptop on my chest for short periods while laying flat on my back with my chin pinned to my neck. You know, it's amazing what you can actually do with PicMonkey when you have a little extra time on your hands!

So the apple pie post is now the apple/flu post. Think I'll go doze a bit.

I'm so bored.

September Busy

Gackers, back to school season is in full swing! Early mornings, lunches, homework, errands, activities, work, shopping... luckily stores like Ikea have a cafeteria to grab a bite when time is really tight, but I do try not to think too hard about those mystery meatballs...

Found a nice stash of lace weight yarn at the local thrift shop, I'm pretty sure its a silk merino blend. Four dollars for two very large wound cakes... Jackpot! Now to figure out what to use it for, I'm afraid I'm getting a bit shawled out.

Must dash, looking forward to visiting your lovely blogs very soon dear friends!

xoxoxoxox

Birds 'n Bees

What an utterly gorgeous weekend. Sunshine, cooler weather hovering in the low 20's, completed yard work, clean birdhouse, ready for next spring's inhabitants. (Thank heavens we did not find any unfortunate surprises in there as was the case last year, this year they all appear to have fledged.) Even the bees have been busy searching out those last blossoms before the sudden temperature drop which is inevitable.

Bees have always been fascinating to me. I remember when I was a little girl, maybe four or five years old, I was having a stayover at my grandfather's farm in Saskatchewan. I enjoyed spending time with him, trailing behind while he puttered around with the chores and the farm work. He always looked me in the eye when I talked to him, and he always answered me whenever I had something four-year-oldish to say no matter how menial must have sounded to him.

I remember one day we were in the garden. It must have been late summer as it was lush with vegetables, berries, blossoms, flowering shrubs, and most notably a great number of gladiolas in every conceivable colour towering high above my head. It was during a careful study of the gladiolas when I began to notice a significant number of bees buzzing everywhere around me. Naturally I panicked. Immediately attentive my grandfather took the time to calm my fears. He proceeded to explain how the bees had no interest in me whatsoever as they were far too busy collecting nectar to make honey for the winter. Moving slowly and calmly so as to avoid startling them, he began to pet some of the bees lightly on their backs to demonstrate. I watched him intently as he did this, then I did as well. Amazingly, the bees did not seem to mind in the least and continued on busily without so much as a bother. This moment was significant for me and I have never forgotten it. I have also never forgotten my grandfather's reaction when I moved to share my new found love with a nearby wasp. Clearly this friendship was not to be prescribed to the wasp population, and from a distance I was tutored on its voracious nature. 

He is gone now, my grandfather. He never knew it, but he gave me two precious gifts that day... a lifelong fondness for bees and the very special memory of a little girl, surrounded by the warm buzzing of bee-filled gladiolas, in the garden with her grandfather.

Basking

Thank you, thank you, thank you for gifting me with your visits and very kind comments recently; I'm so happy to meet many of you and discover more of your lovely blogs. AND, I'm so pleased that some of you have found success working through the soapmaking tutorial! Your own journeys down this path give me such pleasure, thank you for sharing your experiences. 

It' been a stunning September so far, warm and summery. Hard to remember Septembers of past years where the hard frost often set in early. As for right now, the light is glorious; everything basks in it. It is the guilded season; plush, gold, beckoning, fleeting. We push away thoughts of the grey we know is inevitable. How is it possible when surrounded by such splendour?

Ahhh, and I've been knitting, knitting, knitting. Promise to share soon! xoxoxoxoxox

Fall Flowers

This Fall Flower Quilt (initially referred to as Summer Daisy Quilt renamed for obvious reasons) spent many many many months lurking at the top of my closet, thrown there in frustration after my old sewing machine finally convinced me that I simply would never posses the skills required to complete such a project to a level of perfection that would be satisfactory to me. 

Now it has been taken down, carefully pressed and hung on the wall in my sewing room... flowers carefully arranged and pinned to where they will soon be permanently attached.

This is a big quilt. Made from a kit purchased at one of our local quilt shops, I intended for it to be hung prominently above the stairwell for all to see. This quilt took me from high hopes and inspiration, to frustration and despair, and back again to confident acceptance.

It is far from perfect, and that's okay.

This quilt really has been a journey, and the journey is not over yet. Finishing it will be a victory. But for now, on the wall it shall remain... a reminder that in this world there is no such thing as perfection, which is exactly what being handmade is all about.

Evening

The light fades earlier in the evenings now as we settle comfortably into our fall routine.