Take in ironing?

This is a much better use for an ironing board don't you think? This is for someone else and she intends to use a much longer hat.  This will be another addition to her Santa Collection.  It was somewhat warmer today, but still feels like winter.  The calving season is upon us and Debby has her first calf.  It was born yesterday a.m. in about 4 inches of snow and she sent a picture of it in the cab of her truck.  They are so beautiful...eyes and eyelashes to die for.  She did receive an injury to her shoulder I am told when she was kicked and we hope she is doing OK.  Calving time is not fun and not for the weak.  We will hope we don't have too much in the way of severe weather until all of the babies are here.

Winter wonderland

The gentleman who is building these birdhouses, is using scrap wood and they are built so well.  They are screwed, glued and tattooed. (See the outhouse).  We asked him not to tattoo them as we would make our own designs on them.  Below is the outhouse.  It is not quite finished, but you can see what we are striving for.  The tall 3 story is going to be a project for all of us. (He is only charging $10.00 each and the outhouse is about a foot high, so you can imagine the scale of these. )  Yes!!

Look at my birdhouses! In my mind..it should be spring! However, as the girls and I painted last night and planned for spring projects, stepping stones and such, Mother nature pulled another fast one.  We have had to cancel 3 or 4 classes because of weather.  One gal drives 20 miles and another lives not far, but out on a county road which just yesterday had the road plowed.  We were so excited to get started again.  So at about 9:00, the Mr. called and seemed surprised that we were still painting.  He asked if I had looked outside and when I opened the door, imagine my surprise to see my car under about 5 inches of snow! We all panicked, threw things in bags and hurried to get out while we could.  (Roads are not plowed at night).  The poor gal from Encampment had left her husband recovering from heart surgery for the first time and when I finally reached her at home by phone, she said no one had been on the road before her except tracks that turned off at one point.  She said she could see the side posts at times, but the road just disappeared most of the way.  We gave her phone numbers and tried to get her to stay, but she did make it home safely.  Some might call this a winter wonder land, it is beautiful, but for me it has become a curse.  I have had enough!! I do understand why snowbirds leave this country in the winter and I am slowly thinking I may have to join their ranks. 

Erica posted pictures of the Home and Garden show they attended in Seattle this weekend.  Check out the cool stuff on her site.   

Long Winter

You can tell it has been a long, long, winter and I am ready for spring.  These two photos show the next painting project for my buddies.  Looks like spring!!!!  I picked up this old bug sprayer last fall at a flea market for 6 bucks and it is the largest one I have seen.   Didn't know what I would do with it, but when we decided to learn to paint the bee, it seemed perfect and what would a bee do without flowers?

I spent a couple of days the past two week with a friend painting a Santa Claus on an old ironing board. He turned out so cute and I don't know why I didn't think to take my camera, but will get a photo to post.

I am doing everything I can to stay busy until I can plant something and decided to embark upon another quilt top.  It was supposed to be 3 by 4- twelve inch blocks with lattice, but it didn't seem large enough, so I added another row, making it 3x5 blocks.  That didn't seem large enough, so I am making it 4x5.  This is an Eleanor Burns pattern technique from the Quilt in a Day series.  I love her process for shortcuts which really give you precise patterns. As you can see, our fur ball cat "Hojo" loves it too!! This is the Rosebud pattern from her book, Egg Money Quilts. 

I have another blog for you all to check out.  Erica and Jeffery are planning a wedding in 2009 and she has started a site to get input and post information and ideas. You can check her out here. We are so excited and she has asked me, her mother, to make her cake!  

"Of course I can do anything. I'm a mother."-author unknown

Best in Show!!

Beagles!!! If you happened to see the Westminster dog show this year or listened to any newscast last week, you know that the beloved beagle won.  Now everyone wants one!!  I can list 83 reasons why you don't!  But even with all of her downfalls, I love my beagle! She will turn 10 this summer and like every pooch that owns a human, she has a distinct personality.  We became her people when she was almost 4 and her previous people had to move out of town to an apartment not allowing pets.  I thought she was a bit overweight then and the vet assured us that he could feel her ribs so she was just stocky.  She is really "stocky" now.  We have a couple of names for her like beagle butt or beaglet like "piglet", but from her glares at times she probably has a few for us too.  Unlike some beagles, she doesn't dig and is much too weighty to jump over a fence, not to mention her lack of motivation.  She has never been typical in the energy level that other beagles display.  She spends every day laying in the sunbeams that pour through the southerly windows in the winter and in the summer, she lies in the sundrenched backyard.  However, very much a beagle in the "nose" department, we have spent a good deal of time searching for her in the forest as we camp out.  She didn't hesitate to investigate a skunk, we lost her in the water when she disappeared into a hole beneath a tree and eventually swam out several feet downstream, she discovered "wonderful animal entrails" left by more persnickety critters and the adventures go on and on.  Then there is the unmistakable bark.  She will occasionally "bay" if she encounters a particularly interesting scent, but mostly she just barks and it can be irritating.  She loves the water and the cat's litter box.

Just a few reasons that you don't want a beagle...but they do love their humans with unconditional love and I shall miss her when I have to say "goodbye."

Dry spell

This long time without internet and without good weather has me confined and I was forced to finish this Cathedral Window quilt.  This is a fairly well-known pattern, however, it was my Aunt Irene (rest her soul) who introduced me to this pattern via snail mail and a small example sent to me .  Thank you Auntie if you are watching from above.

It has been a really dry spell for me as we have not had internet for 3 weeks.  We have been  blessed with sooo much snow!!! Three weeks ago, the "city" (can you call a bedroom community of 2000 a city?) plowed an alley a block away and cut the cable.  After 3 calls to the provider, and who knows what country they are in, and no response, we were able to get word to a local tech, who hadn't gotten a work order.  He came a few days later and said parts would be ordered and should be fixed the following Monday.  We haven't seen hair nor hide of anyone.  Finally got satellite today, but had to wait for that too!!  Two sessions of painting with the "gals" had to be cancelled because of the weather and like other bergs in this region, we have run out of places to put all of this snow. Will spring ever come and can we attribute all of this cold and snow to "global warming".  'Splain that one to me Ricky.   Today I got a new Painting magazine. What a breath of fresh air!  They have such great ideas and you can check out some of the projects by clicking on the link.  However, the three projects that I want to do are not pictured in the link.  Cement stepping stones with large flowers painted on them are so pretty and croquet garden hose guides are absolutely the greatest.  The actual mallet part is painted to resemble a catterpiller..I am going to set forth on a quest for these at flea markets and such.  The third project shows flower pots elevated on stakes and they are painted in such bright, sunny colors.   I am ready for spring thaw and gardening.  Does anyone who counts hear me??  This is a frustrated gardener who wants to trade her snow shovel for a spade, insulated gloves for gardening gloves and sorrel boots for rubber clogs.  Meanwhile, I will get the seed catalogs and garden catalogs and curl up in my quilt.