Hassells in the Highlands

our home last winter Weather. I notice it.  I think about it. I comment on it. I often let my life revolve around it.  I love sunshine.  I love temperatures from 70-85 degrees. I love good, cleansing rains. I love hot days and cool nights with a little breeze at night for good sleeping. I love to leave my windows open and breathe in the fresh air.  I even love parts of winter.  I love snow. When I can look at it. And walk in it. Especially at night.  I love to curl up with a good book on a snowy day and read and read and read.  de-icing - anyone else have a problem with this idea??? BUT I really really do not like to travel in the winter.  And I usually choose not to.  de-icing the plane I do not like the idea of or the possibility of driving 25 mph on bad (snowy/icy) roads, backed-up traffic, passing cars and trucks that have slid off of the road and are now sitting in a ditch, mountain passes, de-icing wings on aircraft, or cancel

Today is Thanksgiving.  our life in black and white pictures At home, it's a national day of celebration - of food, family, traditions and a day off from work.  But here in Thurso, Scotland, it is just a Thursday in November.  Don't misunderstand - I am not sad about it. I am surprisingly fine. But it is different, knowing that I am on the other side of the world, experiencing this day differently.  When I started to write this post, it was fully dark.  The cars were going over the bridge just as they do every work day.  And because it is just a Thursday- a regular day - I went out for my walk (I normally skip holidays) in the dark and the light rain (which to me, is just a slice of heaven). Later this morning I will meet the ladies for coffee at the Pentland Hotel, sew in the afternoon, have leftover flank steak for supper and go to a yoga class with Mike.  Today - here - it's just a regular day.  I have never spent Thanksgiving as a regula

My friends are Fat Quarter Quilters. And now I am one, too. But, I would like to ask this question:  why would a group of women self-name themselves with the word 'fat' in the title??? Now, if you quilt, you understand the term "fat quarter" and you don't think twice about it. Because "fat quarter" is a quilting term. It describes a cut of fabric.  A quick lesson for you non-quilters: fabric is sold by the yard. One can buy a yard (but who are we kidding?  Who really only buys ONE yard of fabric??)  Anyway, quilting fabric is usually 45" wide and is sold by the yard. If you buy a quarter of a yard, it would be 9" by 45" (the WOF - width of fabric). But sometimes you need more width and less length, so some clever person figured out that the fabric could be cut a different way and still get a quarter of a yard. If you cut the yard in half and then open up the fabric and cut it in half again the other direction, you get a piec