Welcome back Els

I should go out an take pictures of my spring flowers! I am sure Els has them too - the weather is iffy here but the flowers are really blooming. (Els lives north of me but also in an area that gets a looong spring.

Els, welcome back, neighbor!

Welcome back from me, too. I hope all went well with getting your friend moved.

In article , "norabalcer" wrote:

thank you guys, it is good to be home again, even though it is raining today. The weather in Toronto was good the last three weeks, as Darleen can tell you. Lots of sunshine, and also lots of wind at times. Here and there there are snow drops flowering. I think we were lucky with the weather.

Yes we are home again, after 3 very busy weeks. We got Margaret settled in larger room in the retirement home where she wasin assisted care. Settled with all the ups and downs of an eighty nine year old lady with a mind of her own. We unpacked all the boxes we packed last summer, we would lug these over to her room sort through them again, and get rid of what Margaret did not want. At times she would change her mind either way and we would change it all around the next day. It is all done and we think that she is relatively happy with it all. There are still a couple of loose ends to be woven in, but all in all we did it. Margaret had told us about her funural arraignments (she talks about this a lot, when she gets depressed, understandably so). When we checked her papers we found that there was nothing in place at all. Otto followed through, by visiting the crimatorium as well as the funeral parlor she had mentioned. We found that there was a small shared plot, where her husband is resting, but with no other arrangements made at all. We looked after that, and learned a lot. Otto will make a nice handmade wooden urn for her. (I have ordered one for myself as well....(big smile)). The way things stand now Margaret will out live both of us. She is very feisty, will argue each and every point. She also has organized a carpet bowling club. (she complained to us, that there is one lady in a wheel chair, whom she has to waken each time to take her turn....(big smile again). She will grumble when she is in the elevator and does not get the right of way (there may be three other old ladies, all with walkers, vying to get off the elevator first. They ended up getting off all at the same time, with the interesting comments and dirty looks to go with it. (there is a TV show in there some where)

Toronto is great but I also found it very dirty. Each and every night I ended up with sinus problems. Antihistamine and nosedrops took care of it in a whiffy though. The last week I went to the Textile museum and feasted my eyes. The "A Terrible Beauty" insect show was just amazing as well as a bit sad. I think when you go to their website they may have some pictures of this show. I love going to this great museum. Most of the time you have the exhibits all to your self, very peaceful and quiet. The museum store is full with temptations, great books and lovely textiles from all over the world. This is where I find most of the storiesand books about textiles for childeren. I have a great collection of these from all over the world. I also buy a lot of great postcards, the old fashioned kind, without an envelope. They are still very cheap, and there are many great ones to pick from. My weaving friend Mieke was with me that day and we also made it to Sureway trading enterprices, (a wholesaler of silk materials.) They even had some silk spun hanks. We walked from Richmond street to Queenstreet, into Romni Wools, and wandered around in Marilyn's bargain basement. I am sure that there must be times that they loose textile happy bargain hunters in that rabbit warren. I came out with a drop spindle from Africa and a bag of recycled Indian saris threads. This time it was not in a skein form but all loose little bits of colourful threads. I will spin these in when I am spinning yarns, as a special effect. I also thought of weaving them in a warp of fine silk (plain weave) here and there. Mieke and I had dinner together and we ended the day with a Tafelmusic concert: Mozart's Coronation mass. Lots of great voices and choir singing. Bruno Weil was the guest conductor and Karina Gauvin, Kirsten Sollek, Alan Bennett, and Nathaniel Watson the soloists with Tafelmusik's choir as back up. Great evening.

Now we are going to look at the garden and get back into the swing of things again and yes everying is flowering at the moment. Fruit trees, and bulbs and my Forsythia is in full bloom. I have not been in the garden as yet, that has to wait for tomorrow.

Good to be back. I was able to read the postings, but not able to post, so I am more or less up to date

Have a great weekend everyone

Els

Els the creative speller

Els van Dam wrote: \

Els, It sounds as though you were really busy in Toronto. It is great to have you back "home".

Higs, Katherine