wanderingquilter

Everything turned out just fine – as usual, there was no need to panic or fret.  The lady at the Canadian bank gave me all the information I required.  I guess I hadn’t mentioned that they were changing to a new system as well – there must be something in the air.

I took my sewing machine in and received it back again the next day with no charge for fixing the bobbin winder.

And the sun is shining – here is the street by our house in its autumn finery – and those are NOT today’s clouds.

Today I feel like a grump.  It seems that everything I’ve gone to do has been a problem.  And mostly to do with the computer.

I was trying to renew my husbands magazine subscription…… just click on “Renew”, the help section said. Only there was no “Renew” on the list. an email to the company brought the directive to phone for assistance.  of course, it is 10 am in Norway, and the middle of the night in Canada…. and they open at 8 am. Put it on the list for the afternoon!

I’m doing the farm books, and need information about interest on the loan payments made – of course they never break it down on the statement. No problem – they have wonderful reports online and I can get it in a minute. Wrong again.  they have updated the system, change password requirements, and are only available Monday to Friday while the whole system is implemented. Of course, it is still the holiday weekend in Saskatchewan… and I try too many times and get my account frozen.  I need to call to get my password reset. something else on the afternoon to-do list.

Next, I need to pack up my sewing machine and take it back to the repairman.  Last week, I distinctly remember asking them to check the bobbin winder, as it makes a terrible racket and I’m afraid if I use it, the whole thing will fly apart.  It wasn’t fixed, and although it winds bobbins very neatly, it still sounds like someone’s old jalopy.  I can’t read the directions on the work order (Norwegian), so I don’t know if it was not mentioned or just missed.  pack up ALL the cords this time, and off to the shop.  The lovely young lady there said it had been mentioned, but under the throat plate, not on top of the machine (I know a lot of them wind the bobbins in place – that would be handy, but mine does not). Mystery solved, but I still need to leave it for another week and pay another service charge.

It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon – a real rarity here lately.  I head off to a large electronics shop as they have an iPod docking station on sale…. one that both the iPhone and iPad will work on.  As my stereo is not working properly, I thought that it would be a good substitute, especially with Christmas approaching and my love of listening to Christmas songs.  Out of stock, and not much choice.  I guess that’s a bit of money I won’t spend today after all…. and Christmas is still a long way off.

Back home – have a short nap, and now it should be late enough in Canada to make those phone calls.

Magazine first…….. wonder of wonders, only a 2 minute wait and I get the subscription handled in nothing flat. Things are looking up.

Loan company next….. oh-oh, a 1-800 number. Very often, they only work in North America, and this is no exception.  Plan B – fin a regular long distance for the service department.  Now, this is for their software service department, but Stephen is most helpful in finding me a number.  Within minutes, I have Alexa on the line, and she resets my password and I am away.

Online, I discover that their new password rules are pretty rigid, and they seem to have disposed of a lot of the great reports they once had.  Grumble, grumble…….. I still find the information I need, and hope that they will have it all available again when everything is set up.

It’s raining again…… but the forecast (fingers and toes crossed) is for sun for a week, beginning tomorrow afternoon.

I guess I don’t have to be a grump after all. And I should really know better, anyway.

While David has been immersed in his Statistics class this weekend, I have been sewing.

I sewed the backing for my Muscat mystery quilt that will finally see the quilting machine. It is now laying over the frame, all ready to load tomorrow morning. I can’t wait to get started….. it was only due a year ago.  But then, my frame was dismantled to move, so I guess I couldn’t have done it then.

Next, I worked on the blocks for the local quilt group Block of the Month.   First, I redid the August block, as I had realized that the inner square should not be the background colour. I like this much better with the pale blue around the centre.

There were a few unpleasant words in the air when I realized that some measurements were wrong for the September block. I had to take 1/8″ seam on some pieces to make it work.  Here it is – I don’t like it.

The block is too heavy for such dark colours. I will have to rethink this one and make another.  It will need much lighter fabrics, or maybe a little extra piecing to lighten it to match the other three. I need to use the same red in all the blocks too – I’d hoped to be able to use different ones, but this, although it looks like frost, doesn’t have the vibrancy of the striped one.

Here are the four blocks we’ve received to date – the beginning of my Norwegian quilt.

End of the day – I’m happy to have been able to spend it sewing.

Last Thursday evening when we walked in the park, we saw signs that something was going to happen……. never before have we seen fair maidens in medieval costume on the bridge, nor seen a colourful Chinese dragon cavorting on the hilly meadow.

Friday morning, the park was a hive of activity as huge white tents were being set up in the park.  Miles of extension cords ran along the paths and under bridges, their connections all carefully wrapped in tape and plastic to protect against the ever-present rain.  Candle lanterns hung from branches all along the pathways, and young people were busy marking out areas where ever there was a clear spot beside the path.

Then I found this poster:

I didn’t know until later that this is what it said:                                                                   Sandved Park will be transformed again into a magical adventure park. You will not know what’s waiting around the next corner but surely you will experience enchanting fairy tale magic … There are both creepy trolls and elves singing from hidden places. Maybe Puss in Boots will help the princess to find her dream prince? The large Chinese dragon winding along – is it dangerous?

I’d heard something about a Fairy Tale Week in Sandnes – but didn’t really know anything about it.  I’d seen this

among other book sculptures at the library.  Were they connected in some way?

Friday evening, we took Snoopy out for his evening walk – we always go down by the park.  Imagine our surprise when we rounded the corner and saw hundred of people – most with small children.  It was almost impossible to walk into the park, but we had to see what was happening. It was, unfortunately, too dark to take photos. They had fog-makers all over, giving the whole area an eerie feeling.  There were flashing green lights under bridges – and if I stood on my tippy-toes, I could just make out the three Billy Goats Gruff at the end of the bridge.

As the performance seemed to be over, a way opened for us to proceed, holding Snoopy close beside us in the crown.  we met my Norwegian friend, Hanne, and her 4-year-old twins.  We also met out neighbour Jone with Birte, who had just turned two. Jone said that she was old enough this year to be scared by the sounds and flashing lights.

We saw the dragon dancing in the distance, stands with long line-ups of people waiting to buy snacks, heard music played in the dark beside the path.  Always, a milling crowd of people.  We saw a long line-up of kids waiting to see the troll exhibition.

A lady with two young girls in tow stopped us to ask if the girls could pet the dog.  As they knelt beside Snoopy, she told us that her daughter spoke Norwegian and Arabic, and the neighbour girl (both would have been about 4-5 years old) spoke Norwegian and Spanish.  She had lived in Tunis and then Dubai, where she had met her husband.  she said he loved the summers up north when the sun never sets, but finds the dark winters very difficult, and she thinks that once their daughter can read and write, they will move back to the Middle East.  She was quite intrigued to meet people who knew a little Arabic there in the park. Sara found Snoopy’s Omani dog tag, and was quite excited to see it written in Arabic.

It was a very unusual evening walk for us – and we were so happy that it wasn’t raining – it would not have been half so much fun for the children or parents if it had been.

You just never know who you will meet, do you?