Bumblebees

One of these just bounced repeatedly against my office window. Not big in the smarts department. A marvel of aerodynamics to be sure. I was watching one hover outside the bedroom window yesterday. They have a penchant for nesting in our chimney.
Oh joy of bliss.... a sure sign of warmer days!

Thomas Pump Organ

My brother bought this pump organ in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. It was manufactured in Woodstock Ontario.

I bought it from him in about 1994. There is some minor damage to one foot and the pedal on the right needs to be attached to the webbing. All the ivories and the stops are intact and the wood is in very good condition. At present it is sitting in my garage and I would dearly like to find it a good home.

This organ has a "Once upon a time" feel to it. I can sit in front of it and stroke the keys, with my eyes tightly closed, and envision the original owner playing a piece of music. Her corset does not allow her to sit anyway other than erect at the key board. Lifting her skirts free of her shoes she pedals quickley to fill the bellows. Her hands, fingers curled, hover over the keyboard. She gently carresses the keys and the sweet sound fills the room.

This organ has a sweet tremulous sound that deserves to be heard again.

Who will want to own this beautiful piece of Canadian history? Talk to me.

Right foot
Pedals
Side view
Carved Panel
Carving
Keyboard
Keyboard closed
Music rest

Pet Peeves

Ok people I can not stand it any longer.

1. Left turning lane. When the light turns green get into the intersection for the love of god!. We all know you want to turn left because you are sitting in the left turning lane, your signal may or may not signify that. Move forward so the back wheels are over the white line...This is enough to drive me to road rage!. If you are into the middle of the intersection you may make a proper turn into the LEFT lane. This diagonal dash, when the light has turned red, into the right lane going west makes me wild. Take a driving course pleeze!....OK I feel marginally better.

Next and this one really pisses me off:

The countries are "i-taly", "i-ran" and "i-raq" . You know "i" like "it."

Not for the sweet love of god, eye-ran and eyerac !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you don't say eye-taly do you?..hmm maybe you do, I even hear some of you uneducated peons say eye -talians. I almost chocked on my coffee the other night when I heard a news presenter make this gaff.

I accede to the wisdom of Christiane Amanpour who tried vainly, I might add, to educate a news commentator on one of the major US stations. Lets face it if anyone knows how to properly pronounce a country it would be this intelligent woman who has spent the majority of her career covering the news in the middle east.

Our names are our identity and I personally feel that if you can not take the time to properly pronouce a persons name or country it is just another indication of how little chance we have of ever opening the doors to real communication, in this case, with the east. It is called respect now smarten up!

There..... nothing like a little vent to clear the mind!

Mother's Day 2008

This was the best Mother's day ever! Michael and Arlene came for the afternoon and cooked a meal. Michael had been out hunting and half this "terki" breast fed the four of us. Talk about free range..........

Turkeys are really modern Velociraptors, so sayeth my son.....soooo... He had removed the "spurs" when the bird was cleaned and polished them. So after lunch I made my Grandaughters each a necklace. I used some of my favourite carved Jade beads.

Then we had yummy ice cream cake. I even shared!

I talked to both of my daughters...3 out of 4 children ..not bad....and I talked with my Mother...

As I said I really wonderful day..sigh

Reflextions on Mother's Day....

Darling Daughter Corinne.......1971




Where did the time go??????

What a wonderful mother!!....


then there was......




Wonderful Son #1.......1972





My blue eyed baby boy!












My Darling Daughter Julia........1976



The sweetest woman I know!














Wonderful Son #2 .........1979
From the moment I held him to my heart he was My Son!







Just look at that beautiful smile!







I am so blessed!

I have a weakness.......................

Firstly, I have a weakness for lace weight wool. Droll over this mes amis. This is what I treated my stash to when I went to the Creative Show. I have no idea what I am going to knit out of it. But I have lots of yardage....
I had this on order from MLYS before the show. Yup lace weight...again I know what I am knitting out of this one. (at least that is an improvement)

O.K. O.K. I know I blew the budget on this sock yarn BUT at least I know what I am going to make out of it..have already knit one Henley out of sock yarn and I really like it. It was a free pattern that came out in 2003-4 for "Mexiko." I think that is what it was called, it was the first sock yarn that had a stripe/fair isle pattern embedded in the yarn. I knit the first one out of Regia. I knit my mother a pair of socks out of this yarn and it had a .really nice "hand" to it when finished

I can't resist something new. This is the new sock yarn. Bamboo WOW. My mother has very narrow feet and most socks are too loose for her feet. So I am knitting her more "custom "socks.
Carl says these look like "clown" socks. I thought the yarn looked "springy."

Mom can wear them to bed....lolol

Progress on Mom's Birthday gift. The cotton and acrylic yarn I bought at Creative was knitting up far to heavy for this project.....(all will be revealed...when completed.) The colour was perfect but I forgot just how heavy cotton yarn can be. Of to MLYS where I found this..... Cascade Yarns, Peruvian Highland Wool, The Heathers. Beautiful to knit with and far more suitable for this project. She will be thrilled. I got one sleeve out of one hank. This weekend I have to get the other sleeve finished!!!!!!

~MuM

The bed has arrived!

OK it is a little high, not that I am admitting anything. I wasn't kidding when I said "Princess and the Pea." (more like Dowager Empress)We measured it. It is 30" off the floor! Carl says we are in the nosebleed section. Sometimes there is no romance in his soul....sigh. He thinks it is too high.

"Tell me one reason why you like that bed ?" he asked.

"It is pretty."I said.

He sighed.

"The night tables are too low you won't be able to reach your coffee." he said.

"No, they're not," I replied, "If you think they are too low, Put soup cans under the legs of yours." ( I am so witty)

He sighed ....again.....

..I will concede one thing.....

The pillow top ( wool, silk and memory foam) is so deep we sink into it

Oh Joy Oh Bliss

BUT

It is a little warm...shsh don't tell him I said so. He says it is too hot......damn

We have a couple of months to try it out. I am hoping we get used to it.