Friday, November 26, 2010

The Eleventh Hour–Almost

The eleventh hour is fast approaching…gulp!

We just heard from the movers to confirm that they will be here on Monday morning between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.  It’s down to crunch time now and in my opinion, the most difficult in terms of packing.  All the last minute stuff needs to be placed in boxes and it’s those last boxes that will contain odds and sods of everything that we’ve been using up until the last moment.

I’ve never NOT made my bed and for the last couple of weeks, the “WHY BOTHER” mode has kicked in.

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I promise that this will be the very LAST time that you will ever see an unmade bed in our house!  And where does the dust come from???

The living room is virtually impassable.

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Heck, you can’t even tell that it’s our living room.

Remember this?

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Well, here’s what it looks like now.

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Pretty sad, huh? 

Ever since the “SOLD” sign went up on the front lawn, we’ve both been detaching ourselves from the house.  With all the painting and unpacking we have to do in Nova Scotia once we get there, I think our Christmas will be non-existent this year in terms of decorating.  There is no way we can possibly get everything done in three weeks and that’s okay because we want to do things right the first time.

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We had to move some boxes out of the kitchen because we just couldn’t get around.  At least now we can get to the sink.

Tomorrow is the auction where we’ve placed all of the things that we haven’t either given away or sold that won’t be coming with us.  That leaves Sunday to take care of the VERY last minute stuff.  Tuesday, we’ll be on our way to our new home.

Wish us luck and please say a little prayer.

I’d rather be stitching!

Kaaren ♥ 

Sunday, November 21, 2010

We’re Back…A Day Early

We decided to leave yesterday to return to Ontario because there’s still so much that we have to do here before the movers arrive on the 29th to load.  Even though ‘most’ of the packing has been done, there’s still a lot more to do.  We are sending a lot of the things that we’ve decided not to move to auction and all that stuff will be picked up on Tuesday evening.  Once that stuff is out of here we’ll have a bit more room to manoeuvre in order to be able to get to the things that still need to be packed…things that had been inaccessible due to the walls of boxes.

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Today is going to be a catching up kind of day, along with some much needed rest. 

We left Nova Scotia yesterday morning at around 9 a.m. and arrived at our house in Ontario at 1:00 a.m. this morning. 

No sooner did we cross over from Nova Scotia into New Brunswick, the skies opened up.  Snow, snow and more snow.  At least the snow plows were out in New Brunswick but in Quebec, we saw not a single one.  There were times when we had to slow down to 20 mph because the lines weren’t visible on the roads.  Several times we were tempted to pull over and check into a motel but Mr. PQ was driving and he wanted to make it home.  We drove approximately 10 hours in a snow storm and sometimes the visibility was no more than 20 yards ahead of us.  We did manage to drive out of it once we started heading in a westerly direction, about 10 miles past Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, about 400 miles from home.  Our bed never looked so good!

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I only have a couple of photos to show you of our ‘new’ place in Nova Scotia, taken moments after signing the papers and taking possession last Monday.  The battery in my camera died and I inadvertently forgot to pack the charger.

This first one is the view of the ocean from our front yard looking in a north westerly direction.

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This next one is from the same spot looking down the road in a south westerly direction.  You can barely make out the ocean in the background through the trees.

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This last photo is taken from the same spot looking towards the back of our property and the rear side of the house.  The white outbuilding is where Mr. PQ will be spending a lot of his leisure time doing things that men love to do…playing with their ‘toys’.  The red building in the distance is a barn with stalls.  Evidently horses were kept here at some point.  You just never know what might take up residence there in the future.  *wink*

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I had hoped to take some ‘before’ interior pictures but by this time the camera died.  Hopefully I’ll have better luck when we return next week as we start to document this chapter in our lives.  It is our intention to get lots of painting done before our furniture arrives sometime during the following week.

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Please allow me to take this opportunity to thank you all for your comments and words of encouragement.  Trust me, they do mean a lot to me.  As you know I usually try to answer all of your comments but at the moment, I just haven’t had the time.  I want you all to know that you are truly helping me get through this ordeal..one box at a time.

Thanks for being there and as always…

Happy stitching! 

Kaaren ♥ 

Friday, November 19, 2010

Raggedy & Friends–Block 5

I apologize for my blog absence but we’ve been in Nova Scotia since last Saturday for our house purchase and believe me, things have been very hectic since our arrival.  I’ll write more about our ‘trials and tribulations’ once we get back to Ontario because my computer time here has been very limited…hence the publishing of Raggedy & Friends Block 5 a tad early.  Tomorrow promises to be another busy day and I’m not sure whether I’ll even have time to look at my computer until late tomorrow evening and I don’t want to keep you all waiting.

So, here it is…Block 5 of my Raggedy & Friends BOM.

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Please click HERE to download the PDF file which includes the photo, instructions and line drawing…and remember to click on the blue download button.

We leave Nova Scotia on Sunday morning to return to Ontario to finish the packing for the B-I-G move.  It’s going to be another crazy week, trying to tie up loose ends while at the same time anxiously anticipating the 29th which is when the movers arrive.

Please tell me that things will return to normal sometime soon. 

Exhausted in Nova Scotia…

Kaaren ♥

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Is It Over Yet?

They’re packing the two vehicles now.  In the wee hours of tomorrow morning, we’re leaving for Nova Scotia.  I’ve only been there once and I kinda liked what I saw.

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There’s lots of water everywhere, which kinda concerns me.  I’m not too fond of water because I’m a terrier and not a great swimmer.

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I know something is going on because I hear lots of talk about moving.  The last time I lived like this was when we moved from Florida to Canada.  Even though I was young back then, the memories are fresh in my mind…especially when I see  all the boxes stacked everywhere.

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Here’s where I take refuge from all the chaos.  Like my new hair cut? 

I’ts kinda difficult to climb up and down the ladder but my Mom and Dad help me.

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I heard them mention that the new house closes on Monday, the 15th…whatever that means.  And it sounds like we’ll be staying down there until the end of next week and then come back here again.  Gee, they must like driving.  But I don’t mind because I love travelling in the car, especially when I’m with my Mom and Dad.  I get to leave my ‘mark’ in many different places…if you catch my drift.  *wink*

I’m soooooo bored.

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Is it over yet?

Mac

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A Wool Crazy Christmas Layout Photo

With the upcoming move, our world is a little upside down at the moment.  I don’t know how I stumbled upon this photo…heck, I don’t even remember taking it…but here’s a photo of the layout I used when making A Wool Crazy Christmas, this month’s First Friday Freebie.

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This is a suggestion only.  Of course you may use whatever  layout, wool and colors that suit your fancy.  I used scraps from my stash and if I ever decide to make another one, it would look entirely different as a result.  Because of the Christmas theme, I tried to stay within the red, green and white palette but once again, any colors would do.

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My world is in a state of chaos and it gets worse with every new box I pack.  I’m running out of room!!!  I now know the true meaning of being BOXED IN!

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We’re surrounded by a wall boxes…

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And in every room!

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And just when I think we’re making some headway, more boxes appear!

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They’re multiplying…just like rabbits!

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The above photo shows SOME of our things that will be going to auction…and this is not all of it.  I think this is the part of the move that I’m enjoying the most…the purging.  My motto for the new house will be “less is more”.

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On Friday we will be leaving for Nova Scotia to be there for the closing on Monday, the 15th.  We are planning to stay down for a couple of days while the telephone, cable and internet are installed, do some cleaning and then make our way back sometime before the weekend. 

Three weeks today we’ll be on our way back to begin a whole new chapter in our lives.

Peace Now

    

Piece’ be with you!

Kaaren ♥

Friday, November 5, 2010

First Friday Freebie #15

It’s the First Friday of the month again. Where is the time going?

I took a much needed break yesterday from the packing, purging and sorting to rest and regroup. I can’t wait until the move is over and and we’re settled in our new home.

Thank goodness I was able to remain a project ahead with my FFF’s and this month’s design was completed just after we purchased our new/old home at the end of September. I knew I just wouldn’t have the time to work on the design once the packing began.

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I designed this month’s FFF in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season. I hope you enjoy making A Wool Crazy Christmas as much as I did.

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Because I’m crazy about pincushions, I decided to try to make one for every season of the year.

Here are some close ups of the detail.

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Let your imagination run wild and…

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Embellish to your heart’s content.

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The sky is the limit!

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Please click HERE to download the PDF file.

Please accept my apologies for not posting more often or for not leaving comments on your blogs. By the time I get to sit down and relax in the evening, I am usually too tired to do anything but read a little before my eyes start to close.

24 more days until the movers arrive!

Happy stitching!

Kaaren ♥