"Chats" and "Netbooks"

Just the other day I wrote about how disappointed I was at my lack of success at the local Festival where I attempted to sell my handcrafted jewelry, etc.  Because of its size, I really thought that I was going to do wonderfully well, but, as you know, that wasn't the case.  Not the right venue, the people weren't interested in my kind of thing, more to do with cars, country music and corn on the cob.  Everyone seemed to be having a great time there, but I think next year I will give this one a miss.  I'm only mentioning this because the hats "Chats" that I had hoped to sell there and didn't, were bought and worn by some friends who went to a fishing lodge for the weekend and proudly wore them.  Here's a delightful picture of Helena and her fishy friends, LOL.................

She also sent me another one of just herself posing as a Calendar Girl.  Actually, she looks good enough to be one, of course it's the "Chats" that makes her look so wonderful, LOL...........

Isn't she adorable???

I bought myself a Netbook the other day.  It's an Acer Aspire.  It sure does take some getting used to after a regular PC.  I thought that I would just open it and everything would be there for my using, but no, I quickly found out that I needed a router, so that took two walks to the mall to get that sorted and then after using it for a day I found that I hated the mouse pad thing on the Netbook and decided to go and get a wireless mouse.  That also took two more walks to the mall, the first mouse I bought actually didn't work so I had to take the Netbook down to the store and get them to try it for me.  They replaced the mouse, no problem, and now I'm beginning to have some fun with it.  I'm using my Dell PC for this blog as I can't type very fast on the other one - hopefully I will get better with time.  This is what it looks like................

I thought it would be great to take away with me when I go to see my kids and grandson next week.  It's going to be a long Greyhound bus ride, so with my Sony Reader and this I will be just fine.  It will be great to have when I am there also so I can check my mail, etc. whenever I want to.

Nothing else to report today.  I was asked if I would like to be profiled in our community's Arts Council monthly newsletter for October (I think) and I turned them down.  I wouldn't know what to say about myself.  I would have had to have written a biography explaining my interest in jewelry making, etc. and who influenced me, etc. etc. and honestly, there really isn't anything to say, just that I do it, LOL  Maybe I should have made something up!!!!  Nighty night.  Will talk to you again soon.

Just a short one for now.

Just a short post for now.  Had a good sleep last night after being burnt to a crisp from being outside all day.  Still feel somewhat sluggish but will soon pick up my socks and get cracking to prepare for my son and his girlfriend coming for supper later.  Here are a few pics of my poor burnt face, even my lips are swollen, some people would pay big bucks for that, LOL..................

You can see on my scrawny neck the white mark where my necklace lay.  My neck was quite tanned before this, so I really did pick up a lot of sun.  It's all very sore this morning, even for drinking a cup of coffee, my lips hurt, but not as sore as last night and will be even better as the day goes.  Not being one for sitting around in the sun, I didn't even give it a thought, except for wearing a hat.  Duh, that will teach me a lesson - if I remember, getting old ya know!!!!

I think I will serve chicken breasts, new potatoes and veggies, along with a very basic salad and for dessert a walnut pie with cream.  How does that sound?  I had better get cracking then.  At least the apartment is tidy.  I spent the rest of the evening last night putting away all the things I had taken to the "unCraft Show" so I don't have to do that today, just relax mainly.  Happy Sunday to you all.

Postscript....just found out that sonny boy and young lady are not coming for supper after all, she's not feeling too well, so I said that's okay, we'll do it another time, so walnut pie went back in the freezer.  Bummer, I was so looking forward to a slice of that, it's very much like pecan pie but I think better.  So, I think I will go to the casino seeing I had so much good luck yesterday, LOL

Just as well I did go to the bad place because I came out with a little profit.  Now I'm going to find myself some supper.

Laird Cornfest with my "Chats"

Well, the Cornfest has come and gone and after looking forward for a whole week to being there and hopefully selling some of my handcrafted jewelry, scarves and now my latest "Chats", which are hats with lovely flowers adorning them, I found myself very disappointed at the outcome.  My friend Eileen, who makes fabulous receiving "Blankies" pursuaded me to go along with her to this outdoor festivity, where many local groups were entertaining the crowds and even the well-known group "Lone Star" was going to be there tomorrow and it had the promise of being a really good day for people like myself who have a variety of handcrafted items for sale......................

For the first time EVER, I didn't make anything.  Oh, yes, I did make enough to cover the cost of the table but that was it.  How embarrassing!!  And to think that this past week I had rushed out and spent approximately $200 on materials to make these "Chats", which are hats, with a 'C' in front for my name.  A certain person said that by giving them a name, it would make them more desirable and everyone would want one.  Ha!! that's a laugh, we wore them to keep the sun off our heads but no-one else was interested, so I ended up bringing them all home again.......

Perhaps I will be able to sell them at the Fall craft shows.  Personally, I didn't think that this occasion really suited people who made crafts like mine - cowboy hats and anything that resembled tattoos on t-shirts seems to sell like hotcakes.  Well, you can't win them all and who knew?  Eileen didn't do too badly though.  People seem to welcome the baby blankets and she usually fares pretty well.  She does do a great job of them.  I slunk home with my proverbial tail between my legs and on top of that I burned my lips, face and neck from sitting in the sun.  I have a gorgeous outline of my fuschia pendant on my neck and my face looks like Bozo the clown with its red patches.  Poor me, I sure do feel sorry for myself, at least it does sound that way.  Here's another view of my table with me wearing one of those hats............. It looks like I'm about to teach Sunday School rather than taking part in an outdoor Fair, LOL.......... 

It's just about time for bed, and I am looking forward so much to curling up and resting these old bones.  Being in the sun for that long has caused me to feel very achey, sore and tired.  I can't seem to get rid of this headache I have but things will be better in the morning.  I've invited my son and his girlfriend over for supper tomorrow so that will be fun.  Have a wonderful day and I will catch you later.

Peddling my wares!!

Sunday started out with thunder and lightening, very, very frightening, especially when you were on your way to an outdoor craft show.  I say outdoor, even though it was under a very large tent....................

We were very fortunate to arrive just before the heavens opened and the rain pelted down.  I have to put this in here before I forget it, but after the show, when Eileen brought me and my stuff home and we were having a nice, hot cuppa, we looked out of the window and saw white stuff in the air.........yes, it was snow (in August, for goodness sake).  We couldn't believe it.  Fortunately it didn't stay and I'm sure in went unnoticed by many but the forecast for the day did actually mention rain and perhaps hail.  Anyway, back to what I should be writing about.

The day went very slowly, I thought, and the people just weren't there, perhaps the cold weather put them off, but then if it had been a hot day, where would they have been?  At the beach or their cottages, so you never know what to expect.  I guess we just have to be grateful for whatever comes our way.  I thought my prices were very, very reasonable but it still didn't draw the people to my table...............



There were some very interesting artists attending the show but I did notice that the "usual" crowd was not there.  The more well-known artists from our local area perhaps have given up on that venue.  I do remember from last year that quite a few artists had problems with the wind and their beautiful paintings were blown over many times.  It was such a shame not to see them there this year.  Anyway, they had me, so what more did they need, LOL....................

Photo thanks to Lynn.

There were some very interesting exhibits there - it seems that cupcakes are the latest form of art and chocolate truffles - different kinds of foods were presented along with the normal paintings, pottery, beautiful wooden creations, jewelry, whimsical vintage, framed photography, hand-painted Russian wooden eggs (fabulous), baby blankets, and that's only some of the vendors around my stall.  I did have a problem with a large motorhome type vehicle which was selling food - it was right next to the tent and drowned out any music or conversation with its obnoxious generator.  I hope that the "powers that be" rethink that one for next year.  I think the musicians had to move outside of the tent to the grounds because of it, so we didn't get to hear them anyway.

All in all, it was a most enjoyable day but the best part was coming home and having a nice hot cup of coffee to take the chill off these old bones.  I'm such a glutton for punishment, I just signed up for another craft show in Laird for this coming weekend.  I think this one will be a very busy one, lots of people and hopefully lots of sales, LOL  Have a great day.  Talk to you soon.

Every day is Friday

I see on Facebook so many people commenting "TGIF" and I used to feel the same way, but now every day is Friday and sometimes I have trouble just keeping track of what day it is.  Ain't life grand???

Don't quite know what I am doing today.  Have to walk down to the Medical Centre and pick up some meds.  A recent visit to the doctor's office informed me that I also have osteoporosis.  I pretty well figured that one out myself, but I am very fortunate that I haven't broken anything, except for my front teeth, when I have fallen a couple of times in recent years.  So, more meds.  I'm sure I rattle when I walk!!!  A dear friend of mine will probably add that it's not all I do when I walk, LOL  Shh, Marlene!!!

I also have lots of planning and organizing to do today for the upcoming "Art in the Park" on Sunday afternoon.  For you local folk, it's on Sunday, 21 August, from 11.00 a.m. - 5.00 a.m. at the Roberta Bondar Pavillion.  It's always worth a visit.

I made up a little sign to put on my table on Sunday..............

Hopefully it will attract some interest.  I will be selling my creations at really good prices as I have such a large inventory.  I'm hoping that will draw lots of customers also.  Well, that's about it for now.  It hasn't been a very exciting day.  I have to pop to the mall to pick up a few last minute items for the show and then I will continue getting things organized, put in bags, etc. - there really is a lot of work involved.  Talk to you later buddies.  Have a great weekend.



On the road again

I picked up my ticket to go and see my grandson and I am as "Happy as Larry".  It's amazing how these little persons can slowly creep into your life and embed themselves in your heart.  Well, he's worth getting all excited about, see for yourself..........

Can't wait to pinch those lovely chubby cheeks.  He's so full of energy, that I have to catch him first.

I'm off to the library for a few minutes to say hello to my old cronies and to pick up a DVD.  I'm sure they will love being called "old cronies" but we won't tell them will we, and I hope they won't read this, LOL

Went to the movies this evening with some library ladies, past and present.  We saw "The Help".  It was a fantastic movie.  Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, a southern society girl returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends' lives -- and a small Mississippi town -- upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families.  Aibileen, Skeeter's best friend's housekeeper, is the first to open up -- to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter's life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories -- and as it turns out, they have a lot to say.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  Thank goodness we have come a long way in 50 years, but still not enough.

Laurie from "How my time flys" http://www.howmytimeflys.blogspot.com/ is a wonderful artist and has painted me a picture for one of my bedrooms and I am proud to show it here.................

The photograph I took of it really doesn't do it justice, it's much lighter green and a richer cerise colour.  I just love her work - go check out her blog.

I thought that I just might start showing some of my jewelry here from time to time.  I will be taking part in our local "Art in the Park" this coming Sunday afternoon.  It's one of the best Craft Shows that I participate in and I look forward to it every year.  If you live locally, please remember to stop by.  Not too much to talk about today.  I keep intending to check out the blogs of other people so tomorrow I think I will do just that - that's one way to meet more interesting people from all over.

Well, sleep well, or if you are just getting up, have a wonderful day.  Talk to you again soon.

The end of the tour

I thought it was time that I finished off writing about my environment.  We are so very fortunate that we live on the river.

St. Marys River is rated one of the best trout rivers in the world. It offers wadeable river conditions that will challenge your angling creativity.  The Rapids have a resident population of rainbow trout and whitefish as well as migratory Atlantic, Chinook, pink and coho Salmon, steelhead and brown trout.  You may even catch the occasional walleye, small-mouth bass or lake trout.  Personally I don't fish, but on any given day you can find a number of people fishing from the Boardwalk or even out in their little boats.......................  As you can see, this isn't a little boat, but one of our tourist attractions, the Norgoma.

The MS Norgoma was a Canadian package freighter and passenger ferry, that could also transport automobiles on a limited basis. Originally constructed as a steam powered ship, the SS Norgoma primarily sailed the route from her home port of Owen Sound to Sault Ste. Marie,  providing a five day round trip, once a week, serving isolated communities along the north shore of Lake Huron. This route was previously served by the SS Manitoulin, retired in 1949.  After conversion to a Motor Ship, the Norgoma was transferred to the popular Manitoulan Island ferry route between Tobermory and South Baymouth along with her sister ship the SS Norisle replacing the smaller ferry, MS Normac on that route.

Along the waterfront, close to the Norgoma, is a bust of Roberta Bondar.  She is the first Canadian woman astronaut in Space, and hails from Sault Ste. Marie and we claim her as our Canadian Hero.  This pavilion was erected in her honour........

The Roberta Bondar Park Tent Pavilion is an outdoor venue that can accommodate a variety of special events including concerts, festivals, fundraising activities, ceremonies and wedding receptions. This facility can be booked on a part-day or full-day basis by individuals and not-for-profit and commercial groups.  This is where I will be partaking in the yearly "Art in the Park", where I will endeavour to sell lots of my handcrafted jewelry, etc.  People come from all over, including Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan for this, which is not surprising because there will be quite a few well-known artists exhibiting their beautiful paintings, etc.......................Another nautical picture I find quite interesting, not sure what it's all about though, LOL



I should mention another local "hero" who made Sault Ste. Marie his home,  Billy Orazietti..............

Billy "O" was a well known citizen, musher and legend in this area. Over the years he entered many dog sled races, including the 1992 Alaskan Iditarod, not to win, but to compete for himself and his dogs. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, October 13, 1943, Bill met his untimely death February 19, 1994, doing what he loved best. Bill went through the ice in Little Bay De Noe in Escanaba, Michigan, attempting to save his 9 beloved dogs. He managed to save 2 before he succumbed to the icy waters of Lake Michigan.

To end my blog this evening, here are a few fun pics of the three bears fishing along the Boardwalk......................



Good night, have a wonderful week.  TTFN.

First comes Yarrow

Every where I go these days there is an abundance of yellow, in the ditches, along the sidewalks and even in the yards of neglected old homes.  It's very attractive and compelled me to take a photo of it which I posted yesterday.  Well, I went further and Googled it and found out that it is called Yarrow.  It comes in a variety of colours but I think the most brilliant and most noticeable is the yellow...........................

 

Here's some interesting information regarding Yarrow, it's not just pretty, but has many healing qualities.  It is a very valuable medicinal herb.  It is used against colds, cramps, fevers, kidney disorders, toothaches, skin irritations, and hemorrhages, and to regulate menses, stimulate the flow of bile, and purify the blood.  Yarrow  Medicinal tea is a good remedy for severe colds and flu, for stomach ulcers, amenorrhea, abdominal cramps, abscesses, trauma and bleeding, and to reduce inflammation.  It can also be used externally for treating wounds and stopping the flow of blood.  So, there's your lesson for today.

Continuing my little trek around town, I have to mention my favourite family owned store, City Meat Market...........



Local downtown Butcher John Bruni, and his family has owned and operated the City Meat Market for 5 years.  John has been a butcher for over 40 years, and with the help of his family, they have catered magnificently to the local populus.  Many of their products are home made (delicious), including pasta, sauces, sausages, bread, meat pies, lasagna, to name only a few.  Also, they offer locally grown produce along with locally made items like their St. Joseph Island coffee and Island syrup.  The City Meat Market also provides a grocery delivery service for people who are unable to shop for themselves.

Recently, the City erected a "welcome arch" which was originally designed through a contest run by the Rotary Club in 1937.  It welcomed those entering the Sault via the Ferry.  The new one is designed to incorporate a town clock, as well as the slogan “Sault Ste Marie Algoma’s Friendliest City”.................

 This arch leads to our beautiful City Hall..................

 Another beautiful building in the Sault is one of the local Catholic churches, "The Precious Blood Cathedral".

Precious Blood Cathedral is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Sault Ste. Marie.  The present Church was constructed in 1875, but a much smaller church stood on the site in 1852 and before that, a log cabin was used to hold Masses back to 1790. The first Mass in Sault Ste. Marie was celebrated by two Jesuit missionaires, Father Raybonbault and St. Isacc Joques in 1641.

A dear friend of mine, Laurie, is a wonderful artist and she has painted many of our local landmarks, including this church and I hope she won't mind me sharing this one with you...............

Well, that's all folks for today.  I still have a few more photos of the local scenery which I will keep for another day.  Have a great evening.

Continuing in the 'Hood'.

Well, I began this blog just after I retired so it seems fitting that I should post a picture of the place from whence I retired (posh, eh?)  The Sault Ste. Marie Public Libary................

And this is me working the desk just a year or so ago...........

I must say that most of the time I worked here (almost 25 years) I enjoyed immensely - an interesting workplace and a wonderful bunch of co-workers and here I forged many great friendships which I hope will last for as long as I do.  Today you don't come across too many people who are really happy in their jobs and considering how much time is spent doing the same thing with the same people I consider myself to have been blessed.  Now, don't go asking those same people what their opinion is, LOL

So, back to the 'Hood.  Right next door to the Library is the Art Gallery of Algoma which exhibits the art work of many local and well-known artists, including the works of "The Group of Seven".  Check it out http://www.artgalleryofalgoma.ca/galleryshop.html  This will take you to the Gallery Shop and I am proud to be able to boast that my jewelry is sold here along with pieces by much better artisans than myself, so I am "chuffed" to see that the "crawler" across the screen shows a necklace made by moi.  Here's a picture of the Gallery - it's right on the waterfront - very pretty.

This will give you an idea of the type of merchandise which is sold in the Gift Shop, something for every taste.............

And here's a photo of the delightful Mandy (permission granted) who devotes so much of her time whilst attending University to taking care of the Gallery's customers.  Always a lovely smile awaiting you when Mandy is on duty...............

So, continuing my walk along the waterfront of the St. Mary's River is this beautiful water spout.  On a hot and humid day, just sitting close by gives you the feeling of being rejuvenated and cooled, like taking a dip in a bottle of Sprite, LOL...........

This weekend, the Sault has been hosting what is called "The Buskerfest".  Buskerfest 2011 will play host to a number of local vendors, artists and crafts people. Food and refreshments will be available on-site throughout the duration of the festival.  Buskerfest is the perfect event for the young and the young at heart and it's an event which happens every year.  Lots of fun................

The Buskerfest is winding down now, in fact I think it only went until 6.00 p.m. and it's just past that now.  I hope it was a success and raised lots of money.  From my apartment I could hear all the hilarity and cheering of the people, so I'm assuming that in spite of the hot, humid weather, there was a good turnout.  Of course it helps that there were a few good-hearted folk who kept their businesses open so that the public could get some libations, LOL  To finish off today I will post a few pics of the flowers around town.................

'Til next time, have a wonderful "rest of the day".  Hugs, Chris

Home, Sweet Home, and the 'Hood'

Today I had to stop and remind myself just how fortunate I am to live in such a picturesque community.  We all take our immediate surroundings for granted, not saying that we don't appreciate them, just that we see them so often that we kind of ignore them.  Well, I took my camera out with me and snapped a few of the local places of interest beginning with my very own home.  My apartment building is right downtown, close to everything I need and, as I am not the owner of a vehicle and have to rely on my own two very attractive gams to get me where I need to go, I consider myself blessed in that I can walk to practically any place I need to go for shopping, visiting and even just for a leisurely stroll along the Boardwalk which fronts the lovely St. Mary's River.  Here's a picture of my building.........

Just a little further down the road we have some very interesting tourist sites, the first what we call "The Old Stone House".  The Ermatinger Old Stone House, is restored to depict the domestic and professional life of Charles Oakes Ermatinger and other prominent residents and visitors of the House between 1808 and 1870 reflecting the nationally recognized historic aspects of the House.

It's open most of the year to tourists and hosts a variety of very interesting events - you can always "Google" it to find out more if you are interested.  The building next to it is the Clergue Blockhouse, which was relocated to the Site in 1996, and was the home of Francis Hector Clergue from 1894 - 1908.

 

And, right across the road from these beautiful buildings is the Bush Plane Museum.  The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre (CBHC) was formed in 1987 by a small group of volunteers wishing to preserve Ontario's rich bushplane and firefighting heritage.   At that time, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources agreed to allow the group to use a portion of the Fire and Aviation Division (formerly the Ontario Provincial Air Service) hangar at the edge of the St Mary's River in Sault Ste. Marie for displays and storage.  It is open to the public and is a very interesting place to visit.

I'll go ahead and post this but I still have quite a few photos to share from my walk yesterday and will add them later, don't want to overload (or bore) you with too many details, LOL  I'm off for another walk, as long as the rain stays away - it was "belting down" earlier this morning, so I stayed in bed for a change.  It promises to be a pleasant day, hopefully not too hot, I hate that, so I will walk and think of a couple of dear friends who are in need of prayers and who are heavy on my heart.  Talk to you again soon.  Have a wonderful day.