Vacation - Days 3-5

This is gonna be hard as I've left behind my journal at Heather and Steve's in North Shuswap Lake!!! 

I was totally fed up with trying to access WIFI at Tim's and also the Lakeview in Brooks so wasn't able to make contact with Kerry K but then maybe I had the wrong day also!!!  Anyways I proceeded for Strathmore to meet up with Carol M from High River from the CdnQuiltSwappers online group and had a lovely lunch at the Roadhouse Restaurant, then stopped into the Red Carrot Gift Shop and found some lovely wooden Christmas ornaments for myself and for gifts.  She's invited me for an overnight on the way back if it works out - will have to see.  So on the road to Canmore for that awesome quilt shop everyone raves about. 

Now it's been some dreary weather - varying from drizzle to downpours but not bad enough that the wipers did not do their job and I'd have to pull over.  Thank goodness!

So I arrive in Canmore about 4:45ish and make a mad cell phone call to the shop I thought I was to visit only to find out I had reached Camrose (wrong shop and wrong town - dang)!  Oh well guess onto Banff for the evening for a soak in the hot springs and supper!  All I can say is the mountains even in the rain are just BEAUTIFUL!!!  The hot springs were very enjoyable and helped relieve my tension and then I found a reasonable priced hotel for the night as I did not want to travel anymore.  I checked with the clerk for a supper spot and then went for a walk down Banff Ave to the downtown and around the block and back up to my restaurant.  Saltliks' gourmet burger (won 1st place in Burger Wars) was just awesome and the couple of ceasars finished off the relaxation part before heading back to my hotel.  HMMM it's not that late just after 10:00 but not a soul on the streets - weird!!! 

The next morning at breakie other guests from Lethbridge area confirmed there was a quilt shop in Canmore so I promptly checked out and backtracked the 32 km and had an AWESOME time in Sugar Pine Quilt Shop - doing a good number on my holiday account!!!  Now I've got to scale back some for the upcoming shops!  Then I got back on the hwy to Banff and picked up some lunch at Safeway AND a cinnamon brown sugar pastry at Beaver Tails (two of them here) for dessert before heading further west.

Traveled through Revelstoke no problem at all this time - hwys are a dream compared to my last trip 20 some years ago.  Now I'm not sure the sequence as I've misplaced my notes, but the scenery is just spectacular!  Kicking Horse Pass and that huge spanned bridge is just unbelievable across the gorge/valley from my vantage point at the rest stop chowing down an apple.  Then I came across a whole bunch of people at another "point of interest" so I pulled over and asked what gives - "A train is coming!"  Yeah so?  Then I saw it way down below us and heard the comments about winding around and going through tunnels etc on it's way up and through the mountains.  HUH???  Sure enough there came the engine out of the tunnel above the latter part of the train still going past us below.  Then here comes the engine on a level above the tail end of the train - that's one long one!!!  Spiral Tunnels - another wonder of the world - gotta google that when I get home for my scrapbook.  I don't remember that from my first trip west!!!

So back on the road and I pull into Salmon Arm - what a beautiful place too!  The first grocery store I stop at is the one my nephew if CEO of the chain of stores in the area (talk about flukie) but he's not there so I stopped at the Brew Pub for fish and chips before continuing to Heather & Steve's on the North Shuswap Lake.  It seemed like forever to get out there , see I had to drive to the end, around and then all the way back up just about across from where I started from, but I can tell you I understand now why they travel the 14 hours to get there from Medicine Hat!!!  It is just beautiful and so peaceful - the lake is beautiful surrounded by rolling hills - where did the mountains go to???  Heather wanted me to stay longer but I truly want to make Nanaimo so after a leisurely morning on their deck, I packed up and headed back to Salmon Arm and this time got to have lunch with Dean before continuing for Kelowna.  AND I found out why Banff streets were deserted so early - see that have been bear and cougar sitings in town lately!  Guess that was why the desk clerk said I should drive instead of walking!  Oh boy - I was OK even if stupid!!!

I stopped into a few more quilt shops enroute but it was easy to restrict myself and one store I had a hard time finding something to buy - maybe I shouldn't have but I felt guilty as they let me take a couple of pictures.  When I did get to Kelowna I tried to contact Cheryl B but she was not home - maybe on the way back.  So onto the road again and about 7:30ish arrived in Summerland for a visit with Brandy M and her family.  WOW relaxing on her deck with the lake right there is just awesome!  OH and today was shorts day with lots of sunshine!!!

OK off to bed and another day tomorrow - it's like 11:30 pm here and not the 2:00 am as my computer clock says.  Not sure if I'll head straight for Vancouver or stop in Maple Ridge first.  Will figure that out tomorrow while driving!

Vacation Pics - Days 1-3

OK here are the pictures I've taken and uploaded so far!

Swinging bridge - Wolesley SK

 

Dale Anne & I - Morse SK

OK and here are the foothills leading up to the mountains - and in order I think up to Banff.  Yes I'm taking pictures while driving but am being very careful!!!  And yes it was dreary, raining weather while travelling these three days.

 



So stay tuned for more updates and pics when uploaded.

Vacation - Days 1-3

OK my laptop is giving me grief on this trip trying to connect to free WIFI and even last night on the hotel guest connection - GRRRR!  So sorry I can't upload the couple of pics here of my travels so far to Brooks AB. 

I started off by taking my sister's advice and "sleeping in" on Saturday so didn't leave the city until 11:00 but I think that was very smart because even with a packed lunch for the road and two planned stops I still didn't get to Regina until 6:00ish - missing Peachtree quilt shop.  My stop in Moosomin at Shirley's was as always a pleasure and she even during a break in the class came to talk to me and ring up my purchases and gave me a coffee and cookie for the road.  Then my next stop was at Tiger Lily Quilts in Wolesley and I just love that little shop building it's beautiful outside and in and had a nice visit there too.  Then went down to their town swinging bridge but it's not like our Souris MB one before heading to Gayle's (Aurora Quilter) in Regina.

Once there I relaxed with a lovely cup of tea and chit chatted before heading to pick up part of our supper then back home to fix it.  I tried twice to call my niece's girlfriend to come and pick up my sister's china but no luck so I called Marg again and Tammy texted her friend to call me.  FINALLY we connected - I was given the wrong number - and she'll pick it up on Wednesday - I sure hope so!!!  Gayle and I watched a TV series CD then off to bed and we were going to Cora's for breakfast - no dice the line up was out the door so to Tim's we went and then I was on the road again.  I love your home Gayle and thank you for your hospitality!

Noonish I got to Dale Anne's in Morse SK and Biff made lunch for us and we chatted the afternoon away and I got more of her lovely handmade cards - thank you my friend!  Then late afternoon I headed off to Medincine Hat AB but I think I got my messages mixed up and Tim's free WIFI would not let me connect so I had to drive across the parking lot to Wendy's and finally connected.  BUT YAHOO for some reason would not call up my address book and dummy here did not write down Kerry's info so since it was still early I drove onto Brooks AB and checked into the Lakeview.  I think Kerry and Alan were maybe staying Monday near Sylvan Lake but I could not find the "saved" email to verify.  Oh well I'll stop on the way back for sure.  Sorry Kerry!

I had a lovely sleep and using the hotel PC sending this off.  Today I'll meet Carol from CdnQuiltSwappers in Strathmore and then onto Banff and Canmore for the afternoon - that is if the threatened Tstorms aren't restricting travel - two possible B&Bs for the night there!  So far I'm enjoying myself and can feel the tension easing out of my system.  Dale Anne says I have to journal more but so far I'm doing nothing but driving or stopping to visit and or eat!  LOL!

A Little Bit of Everything Here

Well first off I've been trying my hand at some hot matts and hope to have a stash made for the Christmas gift giving season coming up - yep it's around the corner!!!  I'm not happy with the final outcome but sure with practice I will get it more to my liking.

Fruit Pie Hot Matts

Then some time ago I overheard the Director and her Assistant chatting about where to put the new staff in the area I've been in for maybe 10 years now - so I asked if it would help her if I moved to Jan's desk (her Admin Officer that retired in Feb)?  She was surprised and then agreed that it would help to centralize the same group of staff so I agreed, but asked for 2-3 weeks notice to clear out my clutter (ohhh major like).  Well Monday I got like 5 days notice and let me tell you I was not as selective of what to keep and filled one full recycle bin with various items even going back to 1980s - YIKES!!!  Also took home some of my personal stuff but still had LOTS to move over, never mind the boxes in the back of the RM 809 picture that have to be listed and scheduled for Archival destruction - UGH!!!  This is the first time in my 41 years that I have seen a vacated workstation literally "wiped clean" of all - I mean all - unnecessary stuff removed!  The person moving in better not say it was not clean!!!  OR I better not hear such a comment!  I even cleaned the phone with a gentle cleaner!!!  I've left one of my quilted projects on the wall, but if that person has their own art they'd like to hang that's fine I'll just move it to another wall if my co-workers want to keep it there or I'll take it home!


RM 809 huge workstation - front

RM 809 - back

Thankfully Tuesday night was the local Goldeyes baseball game that Pat, Amanda and I went to.  It was a boring game till the later innings then Winnipeg tied the game and then it got really interesting till the last when they WON!!!  But what I found interesting was the new Human Rights Museum from this angle - now I like this look!  Don't know why but I'm not impressed with the glass structure side, maybe I'll get used to it!

 

Now by Wednesday afternoon my new workstation area was starting to look like Rose Anne's and today I can say it felt like my place even if things are on the opposite side and I've a working curve to get over!  Also today the rest of my art was hung up so will have to retake these pictures when I get back.  Good thing I'm on vacation now for two weeks and hopefully when I get back it won't feel so strange!!! 


RM 811 - much smaller workstation

RM 811 - new workstation

NOW onto the awesome good stuff!!!  Yeppers one more day of work and then I'm off and heading WEST!  My intentions are to have a quilty vacation stopping to visit fellow online quilters from my various groups along with quilt shops along the route.  I'm also hoping to stop in the Banff Hot Springs and soak my tired sore muscles from all that moving and driving before tackling the mountains into BC and eventually resting a few days in Nanaimo on the Island!  YES, I'm anxious but also looking forward to this adventure!  Hopefully all goes well and I breeze through my travels safe and sound!

Stitching Only 2013 RR Update

Well I've finally finished off my part of this CQI Yahoo Group round robin.  Besides being a slow stitcher I also hurt my left wrist which was not my stitching hand but still it was needed and naturally slowed me down even more.  As for the wrist it still hurts on certain movements like two month afterwards but at least useable.

As for the last block I finished off for Dana A here are the pics and it was mailed off last week so should be arriving either later this week or early next - hopefully safe and sound.

Dana's block after Maire, Susie, Molly and myself

Rose Anne's tatted Allison Edging

 

Rose Anne's joined tatted butterflies

 

Rose Anne's two embroidered seams - one on the green brocade
- the other a variety of flowers with beaded ants

I think I'll be taking some time off from RR stitching as I've many UFOs I'd like to start on plus it would be awesome to get this apartment unpacked and organized BEFORE my retirement next year!!!  Once that happens I'll be too busy getting ready for my gift to myself of a trip to Australia and New Zealand.  And nothing better happen to postpone this date!!!

My Birthday!!!

Well another year older - not sure if wiser - but this one was definitely much happier!!!  Especially after starting the spring off with my van door trying to close on my wrist, which I'm still at physio with trying to lessen the pain from certain movements.  My scheduled MRI has not happened yet and my physiotherapist would like to know what else is the problem.  Maybe soon!

Anyways, after having the Blahs for a few weeks in and out, off and on, I guess it's about time that I've had a wonderful weekend!!!  As I mentioned to friends, I started this birthday's celebrations earlier and will continue through next week too!  WOW!!! 

I started celebrating with a flan cake, strawberries and topping with Sylvia & Len Friday evening as I helped them pack up for their return trip home.  Then over to Pat's for more dessert with her too!  Then Saturday was breakie with Sylvia & Len before they left, then lunch with Florence who was in the city for the day - at the Olive Garden with a glass of wine.  Now both sisters were nice and treated me - lovely!

Then Sunday I slept in and what a way to start my day!  Opened my computer and this is what I was greeted with:

My day's weather forecast!

 

Googles personal BD wishes!  WOW!

Dana sent me this with her BD wishes!  CUTE and appropriate!!!

 

When I finally got out the door, I picked up some awesome dainties, candles with HAPPY BIRTHDAY on them along with some lace/rose napkins and went to my Lace meeting to have tea with the gals!  I thought quite appropriate!  They thought so too!

 

After that it was home to the phone ringing off the hook so was an hour late to walk over to Santa Lucia for my favourite pizza and ceasars (doubles on special too - YEAH!!!)  I had ordered the 13 inch Santa Lucia Special so I'd have some pieces to take home and sat back and ENJOYED my evening with my pocket book too.  AND I stayed under my supper budget so that was great too but somehow my take home pieces got dumped even though it was boxed up for me - DUH!  So I had to wait a bit and they made me a 9 inch free!  WOW!!!  So now I have two meals - not the one as planned.  Then I got home and the phone calls just continued - thankfully they stopped 10:30ish so I could go to sleep as I was wiped out with all the fresh air from walking that distance and being overstuffed too!  LOL!  This getting old is for the birds!

 

I did sleep in slightly Monday (on vacation) and then shopped for a summer pair of slip on sandals and off to pick up my "retired co-workers" for a late lunch out in Selkirk.  It turned out to be a nice leisurely lunch at Barney Gargles (awesome food and service) and a lovely drive along the river with more chatting on the way back!  AWESOME!!!  I just hate it when they can sit around and visit and I have to rush back to work!  Not today and definitely not after next summer!!! 

 

Now I mentioned that the celebrations are continuing this next week - Yeppers they sure are!  LOL!  Tuesday I'm treating myself to my very first 90 min massage I can't wait.  Then Wednesday is lunch with Barb (co-worker) again at a favourite restaurant - The Rib Room and one of these evenings I'm going out for supper with Pat - not sure where to as yet.  And my niece April emailed earlier and mentioned that she and her Mom will be in the city Thursday/Friday and wanted to meet for supper one evening - so another outing.  This better be the end and I better smarten up as my budget will be totally wiped out with this celebrating!!!  LOL!