We had a MUCH more "CHIC" than "CHICK" EASTER VISITOR, Today...

IMAGINE OUR *SURPRISE* WHEN MADAME-Q SHOWED UP AT OUR DOOR!!

We haven't SEEN Her in AGES! -- However, She could only Stay for a Short-While... Though, Long *enough* to MAKE Our "Day"!! - Especially, seeing as IT was somewhat Overcast with a Spot of RAIN Later on...

MEANWHILE, since Nothing ELSE "EXCITING" Happened, I thought I'd POST THESE to *BRIGHTEN* THE "HOLIDAY"... SISTER has been a *BUSY*-BUNNY with Her EASTER
"TREATS"!!

THEY *almost* LOOK-*TOO*-CUTE-TO-EAT, eh?! -- And probably, would have Fitted NICELY into These EGG TINS that I got at MICHAEL'S Last Week... I *Love* COLLECTING THESE!!

**HAPPY EASTER**!!

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Oooo!! "MONEY"! ..And, a *BUNNY*..?!

**SWEET**!! -- BONUS!!


WEATHER-wise, the Day was Starting-off "o-kay"... TEMPS in the Mid-20C. A mix of SUN and CLOUD. A Touch of HUMIDITY. "CONDITIONS" were holding Steady for an Afternoon of SHOP-FARI-ing!

Ah! "Timing"! -- That-[albeit *small*]-Cheque that I was Expecting, Arrived just *BEFORE*
We Left the HOUSE. And, although I really didn't NEED to Deposit IT just yet, MOTHER wanted to go to THE BIG MALL to pick-up a particular GREETING-CARD anyway... So, as She did THAT, I took care of Monetary-Matters...

ONCE ALL of THAT was seen to, We set out on to Our PRIMARY-SHOP-MISSION --

MICHAEL'S "SENIORS' 10%-DISCOUNT" TUESDAY!

Ohh..!! - A various Bunch of the Those "SHOPPING-CART-STUFFERS-NOVELTY-ITEMS" are 30-40%-OFF...

Before "TAXES", the METAL SAILBOAT HOOKS came to 90-Cents-Each. - I only got 2. And, despite MOTHER's "objections", IF I get back There again, and *IF* THEY're still around at That-Price, I'm going to get MORE! -- I *LIKE* THEM!!

The BLUE & WHITE STRIPED CERAMIC COASTERS were down to $1.62 per PACK-of-TWO - [after Discounts] - Picked up FOUR! -- And, of course, THE "40%-OFF-COUPON" YARN!


Our NEXT "MISSION" -

VALUE-VILLAGE "SENIORS' 20%-DISCOUNT" TUESDAY!!

We headed for the "BACK-WALL", where the
"NOTIONS" are...

I Found These Little LOOP-KNITTING-NEEDLES and the Packs of DOUBLE-POINTS!

After "Discounts", the Pre-Tax Price was 79-Cents-Each!

Nearby, were These SPOOLS of PLASTIC LACE... I remember Weaving THIS STUFF when I was a KID! -- At $1.60-Per, I wasn't going to "pass" THEM up.

BTW, the "BLUE"-ONE is *actually* a Dark "PURPLE"!!

Meanwhile, MOTHER found a few Yards of some rather Lovely Striped COTTON-SATEEN Fabric!

-- IT should be great for Making some "HOLIDAY" ITEMS...

While in the
"HOUSE-WARES" Section... I came across This 10-Inch CERAMIC BOWL and, was Literally *DRAWN* to IT!

- The eventual $1.60 Price didn't *hurt*, either!

Anyway, I'm not sure "WHY"..?

IT has absolutely NO MARKINGS. However, ITS
"Simplicity" seemed to have struck an
"Aesthetic"
-Chord with Me...

Perhap, it was the Clean-Resonance of ITS "TING"..?
-- Sounds like a
"PORCELAIN"?


Then again, IT might have been the "Musical"-Version of the SUBLIMINAL-"BUY ME! BUY ME!"-CHANT...

I'm *such* a "PUSH-OVER" for POTTERY!! -- I BLAME My Paternal-DERBY-STAFFORDSHIRE-"GENES" on *That* ONE!!

ANYHOO... We ended up spending way TOO much Time Looking at Clothing that We Didn't-Need-Or-Want-To-Buy...

Of course, IF We *hadn't*, then We would've *probably* MISSED-OUT on *FINDING* the SHINY-QUARTER in the EMPTY-PARKING-SPACE-NEXT-TO-OUR-CAR that THE-PARKING-LOT-*FAIRY* had obviously "LEFT" for Us!!

Again, "Timing"!


Soooo....

AS I was Approaching Our Laneway, THIS GUY "caught" My Eye!! -- IT's a "Wonder" as to HOW I managed to *SPOT* HIM in the rather HIGH SUDDEN-NEW-GROWTH-WEEDS of Our Lawn.

HE was only a Few-Feet from the *Busy* Road!














And, even at 30-Feet away, just *KNEW*
that We were
Trying to Take PICs!

































HE later
munched over to the NEIGHBOURS' Garden...

Actually, I think HE might be Living under the Bush over There.





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A New "Addition" to The **LOTTERY-LIST**!!

AS I HAD "MENTIONED", YESTERDAY... MOTHER and I were all Geared-up to *TURISTA* Ourselves DOWNTOWN to partake of the CRAFTY-CULTURE of The 26th "ORIGINALS" SPRING CRAFT SALE!! at The OTTAWA CONVENTION CENTRE.

AFTER THREE HOURS of Creative-Communing - [as in *many* LONG Conversations with several Crafty-Acquaintance-SHOW-Veterans] - I-AM-EXHAUSTED!!

-- SO MUCH **FABULOUS** STUFF!! -- My Brain is just BURSTING at the Seams with *INSPIRATION*!

Anyhoo... I picked up LOTS of "CARDS" from a Variety of *New* People - still have to SORT Them all out... I'll be Spreading out My "Observations" over the next Couple of Days or so.

HOWEVER, there IS One *NEW* ARTISAN that I *immediately* Added to My "LOTTERY-LIST" of THINGS-TO-BUY-*IF*-I-*EVER*-WON-ENOUGH-$$$...

FLORENCE CHIK-LAU - A very Sweet-Petite-LADY who is a Marvelously-Gifted SCULPTOR! And, Who has Created *several* of the COOLIST RHINO-FIGURES I've seen in Ages! -- BTW, Her OTHER Pieces were pretty Awesome, too! -- EACH ONE has a Distinct "Personality" about Them...

Meanwhile...

I Received a totally UNexpected and rather Nifty little ARTSY "Desk"-CALENDAR from BANCO SANTANDER - [I'm a "Shareholder"] - IT includes a Dozen Pics of various WORKS in the BANK's "COLLECTION".

A pleasantly Welcomed *CHANGE* from the Usual Financial-Junk-Mail!

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..wait...I Thought **YOU** Had The "COUPON"..?!!

NUTS!! -- well... So much for getting *another* BALL OF WOOL at a Discount... It's not like I have "The-ROOM" anyway...

Guess I'll *just* have to Use My
"SENIORS' DISCOUNT"
to get *more* RIBBONS and OTHER "ON SALE" STUFF instead, huh?

Besides, IT was *still* SUNNY Out. A little WARMER, with MUCH *less* WIND than Yesterday! And, We were in Need of doing the "MILK-RUN" to COSTCO.

Oooo... The "Regular" CHEERIOS are *finally* "IN STOCK"! AND, massively ON SALE!! Yay!
I *needed* Some.

We didn't Linger for long... Had to "beat" the RUSH-HOUR-TRAFFIC to get to TRAINYARDS, with a slight Detour to the MAIN POST OFFICE. -- We had a PARCEL to Ship out to The PRINCESSES...

Next, a Quickie-Looksee-Didn't-Buy-Anything at WALMART. Then, on to MICHAEL'S.

Found a Couple more of those COLOURED-CLEAR-EGG-BULBS... And, the TIN-EGGS were Half-Price -- "TINS", *another* of My LONG-Time-"COLLECTING"-Items! - Gotta STORE My *Other* "COLLECTIBLES" someWHERE...

Made it Back HOME *before* the TRAFFIC got Bothersome.

...hmm, come to think of it... I also managed to get waay more GREEN-LIGHTS than "Normal"...
I wonder What *THAT'S* about?!! -- HEY! Got *another* $7. Tonight?! - huh. Fourth Time in a Week... SCAAR-RY..!!

*****************************************************************

*Winning*, Wabbits, and Whacky-Wet-Weather...

GOT *ANOTHER* $7. TONIGHT! -- WOOHOO!!

Well... "SPRING" finally figured out *WHEN* IT's suppose to BE on The Calendar! TEMPS are back *down* to "Seasonal"... So's the Precipitation -- CLOUDINESS and the odd SPRINKLE during the Day.

We decided to try out BEACON HILL MALL Today. - Haven't been to The SALLY-ANN for a Few Weeks... THEY've Reorganized the Layout - slightly - since Last Time. Didn't get ANYthing! Of course, the Store did have this "Picked over" Ambience to IT...

Perhaps, when YARD-SALE-SEASON starts up, *Selection* will IMPROVE..?!

Meanwhile, over at the SHOPPERS-DRUGMART, LINDT Chocolate had a "Product-Display"-Table going on. -- **FREE** CHOCOLATE-BUNNY SAMPLES!! And, OTHER
"STUFF"...

"FREE" and "CHOCOLATE" - Two of My FAV WORDS!!

From B.H.Mall, We popped into the nearby Grocery Store - Briefly. - NEXT, straight to LOBLAW.

Oooo...COOL!! -- "TAX-FREE-DAY"!!

After checking out the Rest of the Store, it was Time to Purchase-Peruse the JOE FRESH Section! Found a Couple of Lovely COTTON-WOOL GREY SWEATERS - A Cardigan and Pullover.

"On SALE" *and* "TAX-FREE"!! - Two of My FAV *DOUBLE*-WORDS!! ..oh..wait! Make that *Three* - "LOTTERY-WIN"!!

**YAY!!**

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Well! I. Am. "P*SSED"!!

AARRGGHHHHH!!!! stupid *&)$=#^($%#&* LOTTERY "numbers"!!

..and, here I WAS trying to come up with a "Title" for Today's POST when, I decided to check on the Day's Lottery Numbers...

I just *knew* "Something" was SCREWY and Not-*QUITE*-Right-With-The-UNIVERSE! -- BTW, the BIG-HONKING-ROCK that NO ONE spotted UNTIL the LAST MINUTE that **MISSED** US the Other Day, was just a Decoy!

Nooo, Tonight... My "Numbers" to Win $100. *Came Out*! - HOWEVER, My "TICKET" *EXPIRED*
YESTERDAY!! -- aarrrggghhhhh!!!


ANYHOO... MOVING ON...

O-kay. Pretty-FLUFFY-FLAKES are EVIL!! ..just saying...

And, "Above"-Freezing-Temps aren't so *innocent*, either!

The Front-Step was ICED-over from the Roof-Melt. Had to walk over the Snow-covered little Patch of Garden along the House-Front. Then, a Quickie-Shovel of certain bits so MOTHER could get to The CAR without Slipping!

The SHOVELS are already "Booked" for a 3-Hour-CHOP-&-SCRAPE-&-SCOOP Session for Tomorrow!

So, First Stop - THE BIG MALL - But, *only* for a Few Moments! ...At least, THAT was "The PLAN" - which, did NOT include the OUT-OF-SERVICE Elevator in the Parking Structure, OR, the
15-Minute WAIT at The BANK!

Off to TRAINYARDS... And, the Obligatory Stop at WALMART... Then, the "Main-Event" Visit to MICHAEL'S.

THIS YARN is about the ONLY "LINE" of 100% WOOL that I could Find There! I don't have any BLACK Wool. -- SALES and COUPONS were Involved...

I thought the little METAL LANTERNS were Cute... And, could probably be Used for *SOME*
Thing ELSE..?

EASTER Stuff is OUT! -- I'm such a sucker for Ceramic Ornaments...

An Hour later, We were off to the "Old Neighbourhood" for a bit of Groceries. Nasty Parking-Lot conditions... oh! look! Evil-Fluffy-Flakes falling... Time to head to THE MALL and wrap-up this Expedition!

There was this Slight-SALE...

And, since I haven't Purchased COTTON YARN for a while.. Did I mention that I had a Redeemed-Points-$10.-Gift-Card bent on Escaping from My Pocket..?


DO
"The Math"!







Oh..and, so You
"know", I'm STILL
"P*SSED"!!

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Business-BUNNY Mind Tricks..

THAT ANGORA-RABBIT WHO ROAMS THE FLOOR AT KNIT-KNACKERS...
I swear IT can probably SMELL "Yarn-STASH" Pheromones from the Customers!

It was all I could do, to *avoid* TRIPPING over The Furry One as I perused the Bargain Table!
-- BTW, I "behaved"... I stuck to My "Rule" of Buying-ONLY-What-I-could-HOLD-in-My-Hands, and refused the *use* of a Shopping-Basket! - Made THAT "Budgetary Error" LAST Time!

Anyhoo... THIS is what $35. [including Taxes] *GOT* Me...

Some MERINO, ALPACA, Mixes of BAMBOO, and SILK... NO Clue as to Future "Projects" - I just LIKED the Colours and Fibers! Perfect "STASH" Candidates... Right, FAIRY-T?!

Oh! Speaking of Which... sorta... I had brought My recently Completed "SHAN-TOQUE" - [SEE 25AUG2011 POST] - to show The GIRLS at KNIT-KNACKERS. As it turns out, a smart move on My part. -- The Weather turned toward the *much* COOLER side on the Walk Home from THE MALL. I had to FIELD-TEST My Creation!

Worked GREAT!!

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"..the Pesky Whabbit, Made Me DO It..!!"

YARN "ACQUISITION" -- IT IS a DISEASE... Albeit, an Enjoyable, Comforting, and IF "Maintained" properly, perhaps a Resourceful and Profitable one..?

HOWEVER, SOME Times, IT's the RESULT of being *under* the Inescapable-MIND-CONTROL-Of-The-RESOURCEFULLY-PROFITABLE-I-Sooo-Have-The-RUN-Of-The-SHOP-Cute-Fuzzy-Watchout-You-Might-Not-Want-To-Step-On-Sorry-About-That ANGORA-RABBIT...

...Who, also, comes with BACK-UP!

"RESISTANCE" *really* IS, FUTILE!!

...There were these 2-Cubic-Feet sized BUCKET-BASKETS. On Wheels, with long Handles...

THEY made Me FILL IT!

33 SKEINS from The BARGAIN TABLE... Or, as MOTHER called IT - The SANDBOX...

Odd BALLS of SUPER SOFT MERINO kept bouncing off Me INTO The BUCKET! -- Oh! LOOK! "Wool AND Silk"! -- PLOP!

BTW, let's NOT Forget having to GET as MANY COLOURS as We CAN of that "Alpaca-Merino" GUANACO like I bought Last Week!

The COLOURS are much more Vibrant than Here. And that BLUE one is actually more of a Sage-Green.... And the ABOVE-RIGHT one, much more OLIVE.

TWO BUBBLE-GUM PINK BAGS of nearly 3-KILOS of YARN not quite covering the Ginormous HOLE in My WALLET, Later...

I'm fairly Convinced that MOTHER was ALSO under the "Influence"... How could I tell? -- Easy! She *NEVER* Blinked OR B*tched ONCE over how MUCH I bought and/or the COST!! - Whenever
I buy My COTTON YARN - [sans nearby Bunnies] - She's *usually* all OVER My Case!

It was quite *SCARY*, actually...

Eventually, We were Released from the BRAIN-BENDING-BUNNIES of KNIT-KNACKERS, and spent the Next Couple of Hours in SEARCH of Additional SIDEWALK SALE "Booty"... NO Luck... We headed Home...

So... To "REVIEW"...

• FREE BUS FARE for SENIORS on Wednesdays -- A Good Thing!
• Having to Herd MOTHER onto Two Buses -- Not so much...
• Taking The CAR to THE MALL -- Brilliant. Saved at least one Bus-Ride.
• Outdoor Downtown SIDEWALK SALES -- I think We'll SKIP Next Year!
• MOTHER got a chance to SEE "The Sights"... -- I hope THAT is out of Her System for a while!
• I Spend TOO MUCH Money on Yarn! -- But, that 20% Off SALE seriously took the Edge off...
• YARN-STORE-BUNNIES are **EVIL-ENTREPRENEURS**! -- I Need to WIN *more* LOTTERIES!

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