Sunday, March 10, 2024

We were looking forward to a week of movies at the Film Festival – our first movies in about three years. We’ve always enjoyed the Film Festival, even in the early days when we had movies in two different locations sometimes three times a day.

This year’s selection was a disappointment for us. So much so that we opted not to even go to some of them. There were a lot of documentaries shown in prime time; in the past the documentaries were usually shown at the matinees. Some of them could only be called art films where the emphasis was on either the way the film was shot or the landscape in which they were shot. Some of them were focused on specific subjects that weren’t too relevant to us – agricultural diversity and undersea mining.

One of the movies that we really wanted to see showed the afternoon of the big snowfall so, for safety reasons, we chose to stay at home. Fortunately it has been rescheduled for this week so we’ll have a chance to see it.

Pat went to one movie that I decided to skip and I went to a movie that Pat skipped. It would seem like a waste of our full pass but even if we didn’t see all the movies our payment supported the film society.

On a brighter note we had a lovely brunch at our favourite restaurant – The Forest Bistro. Today was the first day of their new feature – Sunday brunch. There was a good turnout when we were there; I hope they had enough business to keep it running.

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Plans changed for today when the snow arrived. We’ve had snow on and off for the past couple of days but it started coming down quite heavily this morning. As we watched out the window the city bus didn’t make it up the hill and had to back down, very slowly. The roads weren’t at all clear although the plows and salters/sanders had been out.

We decided that we would skip the afternoon movie today. Our roads weren’t good and there was no way of telling what the roads would be like in the townsite. Fortunately we were able to watch a good curling game from the Brier, although there was also a Jays game on that would have entertained us.

The snow has stopped now, the sun is shining and everything is dripping. I expect we’ll be able to safely head out for the evening movie.

Saturday, March 1, 2024

I spent all morning cutting out fabric for various projects I have on my list for March.

My March UFO Challenge requires, among other things, 77 half-square triangles. I managed to get enough lights and darks that I think will work. Mine will be a very scrappy version and if I don’t get good contrast with the pieces I’ve chosen I’ll have to cut more. I’ve definitely learned that contrast is important.

Yesterday I picked the fabric for my new mystery quilt. Today I got the strips cut but not all of the sub-cutting is done. I originally was going to make a baby size but changed my mind to make a lap size. When I measured my fabric this morning I didn’t have enough for a lap so I’m back to a baby quilt. I didn’t have need of either size but a smaller size might get done quicker.

My April birthday cards all came up as reminders today – there are five of them. I’m using an English paper-piecing pattern for these. They will be reversible and the directions to make them are different from what I’ve done in the past. I have one set basted and I’ll put it together first to see how it works. I have the extra templates printed and some of them are cut so if I can proceed further I’ll be ready.

I hoped to get to my fourth chicken block today but ran out of time. I printed the next ten patterns for my grad gift; it has been neglected since we came back from Texada.

The film festival starts today so I may not get back to any of these except in short bursts in the mornings.

February 29, 2024

What did you do with your extra day this year?

Here’s what I did –

Chatted online with my sisters.

Picked out fabric for a new mystery sew-along quilt.

Sewed the eyes on my latest chicken block (the one on the bottom).

Finished a postage stamp block and set out another to use as a leader and ender.

And speaking of postage, I mail a parcel to Elizabeth and dropped a book off at the library.

Had coffee with a friend.

Tonight I’ll watch the hockey game and do more crocheting.