A Cemetery Crawl

I don’t know why, but I just love wandering through cemeteries.  So much history and so many stories behind all those gravestones!  But most of the time, there’s no way to discover what those stories are.

However, at the O’Keefe Ranch a few days ago, the cemetery was mostly of the folk who had lived and died there, so a little internet research (don’t you just love the way we can find almost anything we want to know……)

Cornelius O’Keefe was born in Ontario in 1838, came to British Columbia in 1862 following the Gold Rush trail.  He didn’t make his fortune in gold, and went on to construction work, helping to build the town of 115 Mile House.  In the 1860’s he purchased cattle in Oregon and brought them back to the Okanagan in BC where he preempted land with his partners (Thomas Greenhow stayed with O’Keefe to work the land, establish a general store, post office and stage depot).

O’Keefe established a relationship with a local native woman, Rosie, with whom he had two children.  In 1877, he returned to his hometown of Fallowfield, ON and married Mary Ann McKenna, with whom he had 9 children.  In 1899 Mary Ann died, leaving 8 living children from the ages of 6 through 21.

In 1900, O’Keefe at age 62, married again in his hometown, to Elizabeth Teresa Tierney, who was but 23 years of age.

Elizabeth and Cornelius had 6 children, the youngest born when he was 76 years.  Elizabeth outlived Cornelius by only 10 years, living only to age 52.

Judging by the headstones, only Elizabeth’s children are buried in this cemetery, and I’m unable to discover much about most of them.

Interesting that ‘Mary’ is part of each of the girls names!  All of these gravestones appear to be fairly new, and I assume replaced the original, and possibly not in the original places.

John Joseph ‘Tierney’ was the youngest son, and with his wife (yet another) Mary Elizabeth ‘Betty’ he worked to ensure the preservation of the ranch, and so we can still visit it today.

Cornelius’ partner Thomas Greenhow is also buried here – but I’ve been unable to learn anything of his history or his family if he had any.

Few other graves are marked here, and include some with just a simple cross and no indication of the person buried there.

Happy crawling!    (This is just for you, sis!)                  Blessings, Peg

We’re Home

Sometimes it feels almost like we haven’t been away, as coming home, we’re plunged right back into the regular busyness of life.

But first, a couple more photos to share.

As we left Bar U Ranch a few days ago, we drove a portion of the Cowboy Trail:

Apparently named because it winds its way through much of Alberta’s ranchlands:

This isn’t the first time we’ve driven parts of this route.  And not the first time that we’ve seen this:

Either cowboys don’t wear cowboy hats anymore, or they so like their cowboy hats that other caps only get to top fence posts!

But the views of the prairies with the mountain backdrop – breathtaking:

And then a few days later, we headed west again, and once again stopped just to enjoy the mountains as they got closer:

As much as we enjoy our road trips, there’s a certain risk in heading out there and we have to stay alert for what other drivers may decide to do.  Over and over again we see drivers passing at risky times, cutting off other drivers, ignoring rules of the road – and then we saw this:

This wasn’t a ‘new’ accident, and there was no evidence of people needing help, but it’s truly a worry on these roads as you can never know what’s around the corner.  Hopefully this trucker came out of this okay!

Since we arrived home 2 1/2 days ago, we’ve hardly stopped.  First there’s the job of emptying and cleaning the trailer, opening up the house again, getting laundry done…..

Then on Saturday morning we joined our DS-K as he opened the door to his new home for the first time:

He knew what we’d find inside, at least some of it, but we didn’t.  This was a bank foreclosure, and the previous owners weren’t the cleanest.  It was a shock to pull out the fridge and stove and washer.  First task – pull out all the carpets.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for her) DDIL-M was unable to be there for this as she’s back at school in Edmonton for her last year.

Sunday we returned to help continue the job of making this house live-able.  It was determined that the stove and dishwasher were not keepers, and they were sitting in the carport when a junkman just happened to drive by.  He took the appliances and a few other small bits of metal, and will return to get the freezer (really, really not useable).  How handy was that?!

There’s a lot of work ahead, and after a morning appointment, we’ll go back again to give some more help.  There’s plumbing and electrical to address, as well as paint and then replace flooring.  First up – make the kitchen and bathrooms use-able, clean up the living room and one bedroom.  Once that’s done, K can move in and they can work on the rest of it one step at a time.  A couple of positives: the roof is good for another 20-25 years, and most of the windows are newer thermo-pane.  Actually once it’s cleaned up, mostly esthetics will make this home very desirable.

So, there’s no just sitting around for us – gotta get busy!!!!

Happy busy times!                          Blessings, Peg 

Wednesday’s Words and Hodgepodge

It’s Wednesday again – time to let you in on some more of life in our home.  Want to see what others answer to these questions, please follow the link on my side-bar.

1. Are you doing anything special to mark this season of Advent? If so, please share.

Advent is always special in our house.  From the first Christmas together, we’ve had an Advent wreath, with candles, lighting the successive candle each week.  When our children were young, we read a part of the Christmas story.  Now, we continue the tradition with a few moments of quiet contemplation of our Lord and His gifts to us now and in the past year.

2. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen...and of course you recall, that most famous reindeer of all...so which reindeer name best describes you this week?

Well, I’m not moving all that fast these days, so definitely not Dasher, Comet or Cupid; I don’t have the grace and agility to be Dancer or Prancer; I’m no Vixen, no matter what meaning you place on the word; and not loud or flashy like the thunder and lightning of Donner and Blitzen.  Hmmm……  I guess I’m Olive (‘Olive (all off) the other reindeer…).  Olive trees are symbols of peace and I would like to be just that in the lives of those around me, especially at this time of year when we celebrate the Peace of God.

3. What's worse-too quiet or too loud?  Which have you had more of lately?

Too loud – I find it so difficult to hear when there’s a lot of noise around, and then I get just ‘too quiet’.

4. This question comes to you from Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens-thanks Zo!
When you are administratively gifted, how often do you find yourself not trusting less gifted people to do what they've committed to do?  If you are not so gifted that way, but are reliable, how do you feel when the stronger person (in that area) goes ahead and covers it before giving you a chance to come through?

Whew, this is very introspective……I can tend to take over when I’m not sure that the other person will be able to see through their commitment, but I learned in my administrative working years, to make myself sit back and let the other person do what they need to do.  It’s better for both of us.  And I know how demeaning it is to have somebody take over when they have a greater ability and/or don’t think you can do the task (whatever that task is) – I get resentful and angry, sometimes feel like a 2-year-old and want to shout ‘I can do it myself’!

5. What is your most dreaded task relating to the holidays? Your most looked forward to holiday task?

Most dreaded….taking the decorations down and putting them all away again.

Most look forward to…….opening the door when the family and friends arrive to celebrate with us!

6. Facebook has released it's list of the 'most talked about topics' for 2013. Pope Francis took the number one spot. Does that surprise you? He was followed by election, royal baby, typhoon, and Harlem Shake. Your thoughts? What was your most talked about topic in 2013? (Facebook, around the kitchen table, or wherever it is you talk)

Not really sure – maybe babies….it’s been a year of babies in our family with a great-niece and great-nephew added to the family, some concerns with pregnancies, and now our first grand-child expected in the spring.

7. What's something you view as a necessity that others might view as a luxury?

Chocolate – what else does one need if one has chocolate?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

We have snow!  Real snow!  The ground is white, there’s a silence in the air!  I love it!  It’s just enough so we know it’s there, but not enough to bring out the plows.  Not unusual to see a light snow early in December around here, but it usually lasts all of 5 minutes and then it’s gone, not to be seen again until February.  So this snowfall, which is now more than 24 hours old, and shows no sign of leaving anytime soon is unusual.

It’s made for some interesting traffic reports, I must say.  We’re just not used to driving in a lot of snow around here:

Wish I knew where this was, I’d love to steal the signs to put around here:

Drive safely out there, wherever you are, whatever the road conditions.  There’s lots of traffic this time of year, lots of stress, lots of people in a hurry, so slow down, take your time, you’ll get there eventually and you’ll probably get there alive!

Happy winter, Happy Christmas season.          Blessings, Peg

Monday’s ‘Musement

As a quilter, I love the craft, but as much as the craft, I love to share it with others – making things that they can use, that will hopefully bring a little cheer into their lives.

I often wonder, no matter what people say, how such gifts are received.  I know my taste isn’t necessarily their taste, that the things I would treasure won’t necessarily be treasured or even used by the recipient.

But make them I must – if for no other reason than that the design or pattern just calls out to me to be made.  So my latest philosophy is – once given, I no longer have ownership.  I’ve done what I thought I should and wanted to do, made and presented a gift, it now belongs to the giftee and it’s his or hers to do with as he or she will.

I must say, though, I don’t think I’d quilt a prom dress!!!!

Happy gifting!                    Blessings, Peg

Learning a New Tradition

Traditions – we all have them.  Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, reunions, and Easter.

In North America, it’s often a tradition, especially with children in the house to color eggs, decorate the table with them, and later peel them for devilled eggs or egg salad or whatever. 

This year, for Easter Sunday dinner, we were invited to DS2’s in-laws – and learned a tradition that they’ve brought with them from Bosnia.

On the table was a bowl of dyed eggs

But not dyed with food color or the fancy little packages that can be found at Wal-Mart.  No, these eggs are dyed with onion skin and beets.

After dinner, we learned what to do with these (pardon the pictures, taken with my phone, and without glasses on):

One person cradles an egg in her hand and the other uses his egg to knock against the cradled egg, to see which egg breaks, and ultimately at the end whose egg stood up the longest.

Just a fun game, a contest for the kid in all of us!

Happy traditions!                Blessings, Peg

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Are you up to the challenge?

I was challenged to post a map of Canada, to see if others around the world could fill in the names of the provinces and territories.  So here it is:

What do you think?  Are you up for it?

In a couple of days, I’ll share the answers.

Happy puzzle!              Blessings, Peg

Blogathon Started

Yesterday!

What a great way to meet other Canadian bloggers!  We got started with BC, and I’m grateful to have been included on the list of BC bloggers!

Today, we move to the Maritimes.  If you want to meet some new quilting bloggers in Canada, click on the link on my right sidebar.  Every day a different region for the week, and lots of give-aways right along with it

Have fun, make new friends!   Happy blogathon!    Blessings, Peg

Christmas Season starts

Yesterday we took in a local dance studio performance of the Nutcracker Ballet.

The young dancers did a fabulous job, so much talent. 

Little Clara’s dreams came to life!

One of the best Christmas stories ever!  And a great way to start off the Christmas season.

Happy dreams!            Blessings, Peg

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Starting up again–a tutorial

After some very lazy days, I finally sat down at my sewing machine.  First project, some bookmarks – and then on to some prep work for a kids’ quilt that I’ve wanted to do for a while.

The bookmarks – a quick and easy project/gift that I had seen at my parents’ home.  They were made for them by one of their quilting friends, and when we stopped by there before Christmas on our way to Alberta, the friend came over and gave me a quick tutorial.  Apparently she bought a special ruler to make these, but I thought I should be able to figure it out without that, and I think I have.

This is the first one that I made a few days ago, and Grizz is using it in his books right now.  I made a few mistakes, but that’s what practice is for isn’t it:

These are the four that I finished up today, after I did one, taking pictures so that I could share a tutorial with you.  These ones still need the final edge-stitching:

And here’s the one that I made for the tutorial:

Very easy, and actually very little sewing.

Start with 4 strips of fabric – for the tutorial I used red and purple, but for the others I used 4 different fabrics, and my parents’ friend also used 4 different fabrics in each of the ones that I’ve seen that she has made.

I cut fabric 2 1/2” wide by about 8-9 1/2” long, with the intent to have a finished product 7 1/2” long.  It’s actually important for the finished look to have that 1/2” measurement for the length.

Back any two of the strips with fusible web – I use Misty Fuse, but a light Steam-a-seam would work just as well'.  If you look very closely at this picture you can just see the Misty Fuse on the left-hand side.  Placing the iron on the edge of the fabric, and you can pull away the excess fusible web – and as you may be able to tell I’m using a silicon pressing board, very important if you’re not using fabric-backed fusible!

Place the fused fabric wrong sides together with the un-fused fabric:

For this purpose the red (fused) strips are shorter than the purple (unfused) strips.  Set aside one set, and fold the other set in half length-wise, and press:

Mark a line 1/2” in from the long raw edge (I call this the vertical line).  I used a Fuzion pen for marking because the marks will disappear when pressed afterward:

Mark a horizontal line 1 1/2” from one end from the fold to the vertical line:

Mark lines at 1” intervals across the width from the marked vertical line to the folded edge, for the length of the folded strip:

This creates 6 ‘boxes’ in a 7 1/2” length strip:

Then mark diagonal lines from where the folded edge and marked lines meet to the opposite corner of the ‘box’.

Be sure to make the diagonal lines run toward the 1 1/2” space at the end.  Then mark a second, shorter line from the fold to the horizontal line 1/4” above the already marked diagonal.  Do NOT mark below the last horizontal line:

Cut along all the diagonal lines.  Again be sure that you’re cutting from the fold toward the vertical line, with the ‘point’ away from the 1 1/2” space at the ‘top’ end:

Open out the folded strip, and press flat:

Fold up and finger press the V’s created, then press with your iron:

Pick up the fused strip that was set aside, and determine which fabric you want to show through the cut out spaces:

Put the strips together and secure with a dab of glue:

Now before proceeding, make sure that if there’s any selvedge on any of these strips, that they will be cut off.  I neglected to do that, and the back of this bookmark has some selvedge at one end (LOL – must laugh at myself!).

Secure the strips together with a line of stitching down the center:

Trim all sides 1/2” from the points of the diamonds:

Using any decorative stitch, sew around all four sides:

One last finishing touch – dab Fray Check on the raw edges:

And when it’s dry – tuck it into your favorite book:

And, by the way, if you haven’t read this one, it’s well worth the read.  It’s a far cry from her Harry Potter books, and I found it a little difficult to follow until I began to understand some of the British terms, but a very interesting read.

Happy reading!                      Blessings, Peg