Thursday, 24 December 2020

Good Morning Square One Quilters! Your "Morning Smile" for Thursday, December 24, 2020.



 Beautiful and Artistic

Made by our own Dorris Froese. 



Thank you Louise for sharing this video













To all of you at Square One, Dorris and I wish you all the joy and happiness that this Christmas brings.

See you in the New Year.  



Wednesday, 23 December 2020

Good Morning Square One Quilter's ! Your "Morning Smile" for Wednesday December 23, 2020

 













This is something to see: an Italian Auction -- only 44 seconds! You don't have to understand Italian to follow the auctioneer. A Chinese Ming Vase is up for auction. 

The bidding opens at a half-million Euros. Bidding is brisk and each bidder is clearly identified as each raises the bid by 100,000 Euros. (The exchange rate at auction time was 1 Euro =$US 1.12 ) 

Within seconds, the bid stalls at one million Euros, and the gasp from the crowd identifies the excitement that prevails in the room. 

The successful bidder is the last one who bid  -- one million, and the auctioneer counts down the bid, "Going once, going twice, and sold to the gentleman sitting in front of me for one million Euros.” 


Now, watch the video for yourself. The pace is fast.






 

 



Remember when.....

I think this one is Rhonda's Poinsettia 




                                                                        Joanne's 



Louise's Poinsettia


 



Tuesday, 22 December 2020

Good Morning Square One Quilters. Your "Morning Smile" for Tuesday, December 22, 2020.

 





Thank you Willy for sharing

The Real Story Of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

 

A Canadian man named Robert L. May, depressed and broken hearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter, Barbara, sat on his lap quietly sobbing.

Bob’s wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.

Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home.

Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"

Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.

Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger.

It had been the story of Bob's life.

 

Life always had to be different for Bob.

When he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys.

He was too little at the time to compete in sports.

He was often called names he'd rather not remember.

From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in.

Bob, after completing college, married his loving wife, Evelyn, and was grateful to get a job as a copywriter at the Timothy Eaton Department Store in Toronto, during the Great Depression.

Then he was blessed with his little girl.

But it was all short-lived.

 

Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the poorer area of Toronto.

Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift.

But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined a make one – a storybook!

Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.

Again and again, Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.

Who was the character?

What was the story all about?

 

The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form.

The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was.

The name of the character?

A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day.

 

But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of the T. Eaton Store caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book.

They went on to print “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.

By 1946, Eaton's had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. 

That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Eaton's to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Eaton's returned all rights back to Bob May.

The book became a best seller.

 

Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried, with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.

But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph.

Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

 

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning to bless him again and again.

And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad.

In fact, being different can be a blessing.

 And that’s why I have a Rudolf. With a Red Nose at my door. 


        How Come this guy gets to go on a holiday?



 

 









Remember when...

Poinsettia's 





Monday, 21 December 2020

Good Morning Square One Quilters! Your "Morning Smile for Monday, December 21, 2020

 


The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice, which occurs on Monday, December 21, 2020, at 5:02 A.M. EST.

For the northern half of Earth (the Northern Hemisphere), the winter solstice occurs annually on December 21 or 22. (For the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on June 20 or 21.) The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the whole year, making it the “shortest day” of the year. Thankfully, after we reach the winter solstice, the days begin to once again grow longer and longer until we reach the summer solstice—the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. 




Thanks for sharing Dorris

                            This Poem says it well

The Covid is raging, my life is a mess 
 

I LIVE IN PYJAMAS       AND DON’T HAVE TO DRESS

I’M IN ISOLATION     JUST STAYING AT HOME

AND WOULD GIVE MY LAST DOLLAR   TO BE FREE TO ROAM

I’M SERIOUSLY AT RISK    (OR THAT’S WHAT THEY SAY)

TELLING ME TO STAY IN     AND NOT GO OUT EACH DAY....

 

IN MY HEAD I’M SO YOUNG    THOUGH MY LICENCE REVEALS

I’M A 70-PLUS SENIOR   (BUT THAT’S NOT HOW IT FEELS!)

WHEN I RUN OUT OF FOOD    AND DELIVERIES ARE LATE

I HAVE TO BUY GROCERIES       BETWEEN 7 AND 8

SO EARLY IN THE MORNING      I HEAD OUT TO RESTOCK

AND DISCOVER A LINE UP     THAT WINDS ‘ROUND THE BLOCK

SOCIAL DISTANCING SENIORS   ALL 6 FEET APART

MAKE ME WONDER JUST WHEN    I BECAME AN OLD FART

 

MY MEALS ARE REPETITIVE      (A LOT LIKE MY GAS!)

AND I’M TIRED OF DISCUSSING       WHY TRUMP IS AN ASS

MY LATEST NEW OUTFIT       IS GLOVES AND A MASK

AND I’M STARTING TO WONDER     IF I’M UP TO THIS TASK

I WASH ALL MY GROCERIES       ALL FRUIT, MEAT AND VEG.......

WILL THIS ADDITIONAL PRECAUTION       TIP ME OVER THE EDGE?


MY BEAUTIFUL BROWN HAIR       HAS WIDE ROOTS OF GREY

NO HAIRDRESSERS AROUND        TO HELP WASH THEM AWAY

I’VE BEEN TALKING TO MYSELF     NOW I’M ANSWERING BACK

IS IT MONDAY OR FRIDAY      I’VE REALLY LOST TRACK

I’VE STOPPED DOING HOUSEWORK     IT’S WEEKS SINCE I’VE DUSTED

AND I KNOW WITHOUT VISITORS     I’LL NEVER GET BUSTED


I FACETIME MY FRIENDS    OR WE GROUP CHAT ON ZOOM

AND TRY TO PRETEND       WE’RE ALL IN THE SAME ROOM

THANK GOD LIQUOR STORES   ARE CONSIDERED ‘ESSENTIAL’

WITHOUT DAILY DRINKS    THIS WOULD DRIVE US ALL MENTAL

 

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE     IT IS GOOD TO REFLECT

ON WHAT THIS ALL MEANS         AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT

IT’S A TIME TO BE GRATEFUL    FOR ALL THAT WE’VE GOT

LIKE A WARM HOUSE AND FOOD      THAT OTHERS HAVE NOT

 

THE BOTTOM LINE HERE     BY THE TIME THIS ALL ENDS

IS THAT WE’LL GET THROUGH IT     WITH OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

SO EVEN IF YOUR PARTNER IS A BIT OF A GRUMP

YOU CAN REALLY BE GRATEFUL...   

YOU’RE NOT MARRIED TO TRUMP.!








Remember when.






Friday, 18 December 2020

Good Morning Square One Quilters! Your "Morning Smiles" for Friday, December 18, 2020






Winter scene in Kenmore, Scotland.



                                                     
A note to Square One Quilters. from Nina




I received a telephone call from Nina yesterday. Nina said that she is well and her bubble is small and she is being very careful.   She called to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year for 2021.  Nina said that she enjoys seeing our work, present, past and all of our faces on the blog. Nina said that she especially enjoys the jokes, videos and photos of our work.  She said that the blog starts her day on a positive note.  


Thank you Nina, from  all of us at Square One Quilters. We wish you a very Happy and Blessed Christmas.  





I

Thank you for sharing Dorris. 



    BECOMING A SENIOR

 Susan was lying in bed one night. Ed was falling asleep but Susan was in a romantic mood and wanted to talk.

 

She said: "You used to hold my hand when we were courting."

 Wearily he reached across, held her hand for a second and tried to get back to sleep.

 A few moments later she said: "Then you used to kiss me... "

 Mildly irritated, Ed reached across, gave her a peck on the cheek

and settled down to sleep.   Thirty seconds later she said: "Then you used to bite my neck..."

 Angrily, Ed threw back the bed clothes and got out of bed.  

"Where are you going?" Susan asked.........."To get my teeth!"

______________________________ _______


                              A   little bit of English Humour




                                                       The Canadian Way








Remember when....





Lovely Christmas Placemats by Louise. 




A beautiful Christmas scene by Rhonda


Thursday, 17 December 2020

Good Morning Square One Quilters! Your " Morning Smile for Thursday, December 17th, 2020.

 



One year ago yesterday, we had our legendary "Brown Bag  Surprise Day".  Here is proof of how much we enjoy the yearly event!    Enjoy the photos! 





















Wednesday, 16 December 2020

Good Morning Square One Quilters! Your "Morning Smile" for Wednesday, December 16, 2020

 

      


                                                              

Peter Kalasz Photography 







I thought you all might  like this joke......I did!

 
>>> One sunny day in January 2021 an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench.  He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Trump." The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr Trump is no longer President and no longer resides here." The old man said, "Okay", and walked away.

  
   The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Trump." The Marine repeated, "Sir, as I told you yesterday, Mr Trump is no longer President and no longer resides here." The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.

   The third day, the old man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying again, "I would like to go in and meet with President Trump." The Marine, understandably irritated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you've been here asking to speak to Trump. I've told you each time that he's no longer the President and no longer resides here. Don't you get it?" The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."

   The Marine snapped to attention and said, "See you tomorrow, Sir."




 











                                                Remember when.....





Dorothy's visiting daughter