Encompassing Designs
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Kits
    • Patterns >
      • Christine Little >
        • Signature Designs
        • New Designs
        • Seasonal Designs
      • Deborah Sweet
      • Susan Leslie
      • Patricia Perry
      • William Morris
    • Supplies >
      • Backings
      • Frames
      • Hooks
      • Books
      • Extra
    • Wool >
      • Abrashed
      • Antique JQ Colors
      • Custom Dyeing
      • Dyed Bundles
      • Dyed Curly Mohair
      • Dyed Spots
      • Dyed Values
      • Dyed Yarn
      • Natural & Colours
      • Plaids & Textures
      • Dye Books & Swatches
  • Ordering
  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us

Let 2014 begin!

1/4/2014

3 Comments

 
PictureCracked shells and plated. Ready to go...in our bellies!
The past few days have been a whirl wind, ending with a very long drive to the airport and an even longer drive home. Luckily hubby headed out on Thursday as Friday was not an option in the blizzard that ravaged the province.

I had a forced day of rest with fingers crossed that the power wouldn’t go out and leave us in very frigid temperatures with only the wood stove to provide warmth.  It's a great stove but in -18 temperatures it needs electric heat subsidy as the cold winds suck the heat right out of the place.

It’s been bitter, so much so the poor pups can't stand to be outside for more than 30 seconds before they lift their paws off the cold ground, sometimes they even fall over a bit, weakened by the paralyzing chill.  I have to rescue them.  They would perish quickly and my thoughts turn to the recent news about the poor creature that was left outside to freeze to death and wonder how anyone could think a dog doesn’t feel the cold…but I don’t want to get started on this as it upsets me to the point that vigilante thoughts creep in.  It might be from writing a book about a serial killer, maybe some of  the character's lack of appreciation for human life has rubbed off on me.  But really, if you can treat an animal in this manner, maybe you don't deserve to live?  I believe the breed was an American Staffordshire terrier, the poor dog didn't even have a coat of long fur to insulate him from the cold. 
If I have a cruel streak, it's triggered by child abuse and animal cruelty.....nothing provokes more emotion than hearing about helpless animals or small children suffering.  (By the way, the fact is not lost on me that we killed lobster to dine on, which some would consider an act of cruelty.  To me, there is a huge difference between creatures that we eat for food and animals that we adopt into our lives as family members.)

Anyway, I was severely storm stayed and didn’t think there would be much chance that I’d be ploughed out considering the downfall of white that needed shifting in the county, but low and behold they came early evening and scraped the driveway clean.  My vehicle was almost buried.  I could only see part of the windshield and top of the car from the house, the view was obstructed by a drift that built a four foot barrier.   If I had to dig my way to the car no one would have seen me for a month of Sundays and only if they popped in during visitors hours at emergency.  It was definitely a coronary amount of snow to remove. 

The winds coming from the north blew snow all over the right side of the house leaving the left side pretty much clear for the dogs to go out and do their business in the morning.  Then the wind shifted and blew the snow on the left side, covering the back deck in a foot of snow and surrounding drifts three feet high.  The blustering swiftly removed the piles of white fluff from the right and renegotiated its landing on the left.  So now the right side has exposed grass and partially cleared the steps to get up to where the car is parked cutting down on a couple of hours of shoveling to get to the car.  I hope to get to work today but will undoubtedly be late.  Maybe the shop will be open around noon. 

So 2014 year is upon us but with any new birth there's a lot of labour that goes with it.  There's year end responsibilities to clear the way for 2014 to take over and grow.  I'm talking inventory counting and paper work.  Although I groan getting started, I do enjoy it once the process begins. The twelve years training in accounting from a previous work life kicks in and I become very comfortable with the sea of white paper.  The entire job takes about a week of concentrated work or two weeks of distracted effort, but I really plan to knock it out of the park early with the assistance of my son’s girlfriend who took accounting at university.  She is coming to organize and enter all the expenses on spread sheets.  I let this distasteful job go until year end but I do hope to manage things a bit better in 2014 with daily entries so they don’t pile up and overflow the file box.  We were a lot busier in 2013 so there is almost double the amount of receipts for inventory purchases and office supplies that keep a business in business.  So in the coming week or so, I’ll try to keep the whining down to a dull roar but can’t promise  there won’t be some.  Year end duties is the least favourite task of retail. 

 New years eve was fun.  My aunt Audrey, Shane and his girlfriend Ashley, came for a feast of lobster.  I usually make potato salad but Shane doesn’t like that so I made homemade mac and cheese instead which is one of his favorites.  The lobsters were very tasty, some of the best we’ve had, bought from a street vendor in Bridgewater.  He liked us so much he threw in a free two pounder.  We were also buying for a friend and got about 25 pounds, practically cleaning him out so why leave one behind to be lonely. 

Then friends come by on New Year’s Day for an after dinner desert and Margaret brought this delightful cake with Grand Marnier whipped cream, decadent and delicious!    She also brought homemade doughnuts that were rather scrumptious.  I provided butter tarts and special coffees, so it was a sweet induction into 2014.  That signaled the end of our holidays and now I am on my best behaviour in the blood sugar department.  I have that last 20 pounds to loose to help regulate my blood sugar naturally and although I am not going to hit the pavement running, it will be a slow but steady reduction so it stays off.  Mostly just decreased meals.  If you don’t lower the intake of what is going in, there is no chance to burn the stored fat, so my meals will be smaller in the new year.  Small and more of them is what they recommend.  I'm not considering this a diet because we all know the statistics about the success of diets...for me it is a lifestyle change, one necessary to keep  off the drugs for diabetes. 


Picture
Not quite sure what these are so here's a little nervous sniff.
3 Comments
Deborah Schrang
1/4/2014 03:42:50 am

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family and everyone at the shop. My year ended with an automobile crash with a drunk driver at fault, and my new year started with a nasty case of food poisoning, but at least I'm in Florida and don't have to deal with snow! lol Things can only get better!!!

Reply
Christine
1/4/2014 12:30:46 pm

My goodness Deborah, glad you are okay! Here's hoping the rest of 2014 is filled with good things!

Reply
Charlene
4/21/2025 08:13:35 pm

EFFECTIVE LOVE SPELL TO GET EX HUSBAND/BOYFRIEND OR EX WIFE/GIRLFRIEND AND CURE HERPES AND INFERTILITY THAT WORKS WITHIN 24 HOURS.

Contact Great Odunga at [email protected] OR Whats App/CALL +2348167159012

I got my ex husband back to me and also got fertile and gave birth to twin girls after 12 years of marriage.
When I came online last year, I saw a testimony about Great Odunga and how he has been helping people with marriage issues and I decided to contact him. We spoke on email at [email protected] and later he gave me his Whats-App number which is +2348167159012. He assured me he would help me get my ex husband back after 3 years of no contact. Great Odunga is the best spell caster I must say. My husband called me after 24 hours of contact. The third day, I received natural herbs for fertility and after using it, I became fertile and conceived. My husband and I reconnected, had sex and I was pregnant. Presently I am happy to say I am the mother of twin girls and this is ALL THANKS TO GREAT ODUNGA. I came online to say this: If you need help, I believe you are saved with this man.

Contact his email at [email protected] OR [email protected]

Whats App/Call +2348167159012 and you too will give a testimony too to help others

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Christine Little has been ranked #5​ out of the 60 top rug hooking bloggers by Rug Hooking Magazine!

    Picture
    Picture
    Max Anderson, Australia, recipient of my Nova Scotia Treasures rug.  An award of excellence for promoting Canada through his writing.  
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    August 2024
    January 2024
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Picture
    Picture
    Gift Certificates are available for that special rug hooker in your life!  Any denomination, no expiry date! 

    Categories
    (Click on the categories for past blogs)

    All
    Announcements
    Beginner Class
    Christmas
    Colour Planning
    Contests
    Copyright
    Coupon
    Customer Rugs
    Cutter Servicing
    Dyeing
    Equipment
    Featured Hooker
    Giveaway Draw
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Blogger
    Health & Fitness
    Home & Heart
    Hooked Rugs
    Hooking Groups
    Hook In Talk
    Initially Yours
    Jibber Jabber
    Just A Bit Of Fun!
    Life's Experiences
    Life's Experiences
    New Design
    New Ideas
    Pattern Of The Week
    Patterns Hooked
    Pets
    Rants
    Recipes
    Rememberingfbe7326ff7
    Rug Schools
    Show & Tell
    Show-tell
    The Rant
    Tips Technique
    Tips Techniquef0cd117ab4
    Visitors
    Workshops

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture





















    Picture
    We have a pot to "Fiz" in!

Shop Hours:
Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 
Saturdays 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
We are closed during ice and snow storms
​so please call ahead.  If school is cancelled we probably are closed as well.  

Toll Free: 1-855-624-0370
Local:  902-624-0370​
[email protected]

498 Main Street
P.O. Box 437
Mahone Bay, N.S.
Canada B0J 2E0

​Follow us and keep up to date
on our specials, new products
​and events!
Picture
Picture
Picture


Home
Shop
Ordering
Blog
Our Story
Workshops

Contact Us




​​​© Copyright 2023 Encompassing Designs. Website by SKYSAIL