Aspen Alley

Crafting again

2012-02-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

I knew yesterday that I was in for a rough weekend. Woke up with one of those head colds that suggests impending misery! Today my head felt like it would explode and my sinuses are so sluggish, I find it nearly impossible to breath. Roger and I took a nap after lunch and I do feel a bit better. I really don't have the time to be sick. I missed my workout at CURVES and a UFO (unfinished object) quilt meeting today.

The tray project is finished. A great place to make notes, the blackboard pleases me.

The large tray, and you can see by the yardstick, that it is pretty big was given to me by my mother-in-law about 45 years ago and in the past, held my silver tea service. I really am not into serving on or with silver, but have kept the tray. After my earlier post about the trays I saw, I knew this would be perfect for a vacant spot on my dining room wall. Not wanting to paint on the tray, I used a piece of vinyl flooring as the surface. The backside of this flooring works as a great surface and I had taught a floor cloth class using this as a canvas. So with a coat of gesso, and you can paint anything with gesso, and a couple of coats of flat black paint sealed with an

acrylic spray, it was born. I was not wanting to buy a large can of blackboard paint, and with my past experience with the alternative method, I knew it would work fine. I used adhesive back velcro to adhere it soundly to the tray and I am loving it.

More projects

2012-02-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

OK, I have been away from this blog for a few days, but life happens! At night sometimes, my brain works so rapidly, that I know I have to prioritize my projects because my life isn't going to last long enough to finish all that I want. This piece of glass as you can see, incorporates two small plates, one just a candy dish and the other a blue depression piece. I saw a similar art piece years ago in a magazine and knew that I would do it one day. I lost the example, but luckily one of my dear friends had kept the same magazine and I found it while looking at her stash last year. These pictures show the piece in the foiling progress and although I have begun soldering, it still sits unfinished as I have other fish to fry before I die. (Honestly, I jest as I plan to live forever!)

This past week we had a snow storm that could have been a doozy, but luckily for us, most of it went south, so for us it was only a typical winter snow. The boys below, both being imports from Missouri, don't much care for the cold and snow so they stayed warm by snuggling together on the couch. That doesn't happen very often, but they have begun to bond a little more it seems.

Three of my quilting buddies decided to take a FART (fabric acquisition road trip) before the storm last week so we traveled across the border to the greenie state and they have wonderful fabric shops. We also had a great lunch and found a new vintage shop that was WONDERFUL! One of the blackboard projects on silver platters has already been given birth downstairs in my studio and I can hardly wait to share it with my friends. So the teapot glass project is still unfinished, but will hang in my kitchen soon I am sure! (along with the blackboard project of course!)

More quilting

2012-01-24T17:27:00.000-08:00

Our quilt guild has over 100 members and is a very active group. I am privileged to be a part of this guild and have made some great friends. I don't think one is ever to old to learn and I am learning new things constantly. At the 2nd meeting of the month, we have a series of "clusters" which are groups of people learning new techniques from wonderful teachers. There is no cost, unless a pattern needs to be purchased for a larger project. The ornaments in the top picture are completed "cathedral window" examples, all of which can be incorporated into a larger quilt. I have done the cathedral window quilt in the traditional fashion and it is very time consuming and uses a lot of fabric. This technique is so much faster and more economical! The second picture shows one method of turning back the "windows and the bottom picture shows all four. There are only two different patterns, but depending on how the stitching is done on top, the end result is 4. I have ordered a pattern for a large quilt and will have at least two more "cluster" sessions to complete all of the techniques.

Top and right squares are the same and left and bottom are the same. They are just tacked in different places.

On a totally different note, our daughter lives in Washington and has been without electricity for at least 5 days. Finally she and her husband got power on today. We forget what we have until we lose it. But she got her fridge cleaned out at least. Gotta find at least one good thing. They did have a wood burning stove, so were not without heat, but really....it would be tough to be without for that long.

Craft and crab

2012-01-17T17:22:00.000-08:00

So when we went to Wash state for Christmas and went to Boston Harbor, we met this family with a small boy who was out for the day. As we had informed them that we were from Wyoming earlier, we heard the mother say "Show it to those people from Wisconsin." I turned and said that we were from one of those "W" states, but not Wisconsin. Anyway, they had spotted a couple of crabs clinging below the pier and after a little prying, the boy's father pulled this one up for us to see. We got a lesson on "sexing" them which I can't remember. It was something about the number of stripes on the belly. But it really was the first crab I had seen. Actually our daughter had just picked up a 3 lb crab for our dinner, but unfortunately, he was wrapped in paper and I didn't see it again until he/she was ceremoniously dropped into the pot of water, screaming and kicking that night. YUM!

I am embarking on another of many projects which I have wanted to do for a very long time. This is going to be a penny rug. However, as with most projects, I tend to jump in without a lot of research 'cause I am so anxious to try a new craft. After carefully stitching these black wool "pennies" onto the wool background, I realized that I need to complete the pennies first. DUH! Did you know that since these are so large, they are derived from early American coins. Their pennies were much larger than modern pennies. Women used these large pennies as a template to draw around the wool scraps. Fortunately, my quilt guild has an opportunity table and someone left a box of wool squares in beautiful colors. Yeah!

New year resolutions

2012-01-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

With the onset of the new year, gardening is tugging at my soul. These wonderful clay or stoneware plant markers were a gift from my daughter. Note the detail on both the front and back of the 12 plus inch babies! They are almost too pretty to poke into the soil, but alas, in they will go. Won't my herb garden look spiffy? In fact, I have a couple of buckets of clay and still have not decided to put my kiln up for sale, so I may have to put my own spin on this idea. I have a stained glass project waiting in the basement to be foiled and some quilt projects needing attention also. Gotta get in gear!

And speaking of quilt projects, this is another table topper which I made for another friend for Christmas. It was like a puzzle getting it put together, but apparently I did get everything cut properly and stitched correctly as it all went together just fine.

As for the new year and the resolutions. When you get to be 65, as a lot of baby boomers know, you need to change a lot of things; one being the way you choose your insurance. One big thing we have discovered is that some plans offer some advantages over others. The plan we choose this year allows me to go to a fitness center for no charge. The other thing that happens after 65, is that some of us discover rolls of excess fat that just magically appear. How did that happen? So, I am hoping with my resolution (get better FIT) that my rolls will shrink. Today was my orientation on the many machines that will offer enough resistance to strengthen my flabby muscles. Indeed, I have gotten lazy. If I can remember how each machine works, and I am finding that the memory also gets flabby, I hope to keep this only resolution this year. Wish me luck!

The next day after the next day of Christmas

2011-12-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

Whaaat? Actually we were gone for those "next days". We trekked with the two little furkids to Washington state to have Christmas with our daughter and her husband. It was wonderful and although our son and family couldn't make it, they had their holiday with family also. I got an Ipod which my son-in-law and daughter helped me to understand. (difficult for ol' dogs to learn new tricks) and some really wonderful clay-fired plant markers. We also saw some sights there and the weather cooperated.

So speaking of the furkids, Hildy had to stay in the kennel here, but she does really well and we feel that we have her in a caring and safe environment. Notice that she has decided to sit in little Spencer's bed to view the world outside and this morning she climbed up into his bed! I barely could believe my eyes when she hopped up, turned around a time or two and plopped her 50 plus pounds in his 15 pound bed! Needless to say, he was a little confused and kept looking at me for some explanation. They are so funny!

On one of our trips out while we were in Washington, we went to Boston Harbor. Yes, there is a Boston Harbor there. We had picked up some shrimp and crab for our Christmas eve seafood boil and walked out to view the sights. We encountered a family there and after prying this fellow from his grip just under the surface, we were given a lesson on how to tell a male crab from a female and quite frankly, I don't remember which is which. The one we ate was much larger and wonderful!

On the next day of Christmas?

2011-12-19T12:25:00.000-08:00

This is Hildy watching a neighbor's cat watching a squirrel watching a flock of birds at a bird feeder across the street. Notice that she is sitting in Spencer's bed! The squirrel escaped the cat, but managed to get a full tummy of birdseed before he left. This is only the 2nd squirrel I have seen in this neighborhood since we have been here, but I bet he will be back now that Christmas breakfast is being served daily.

This is a table topper that I made and quilted for a friend for Christmas. It actually turned out pretty well. Last night we did the Christmas light tour. I had taken a trolley tour a couple of nights earlier so knew where the BEST tacky light displays were. One place here had 80,000 lights with a Dec. electric bill of about $600.00.
So much for conserving electricity, but I love, love, these displays. It so reminds me of my childhood. We had a very sparse tree with only a few lights, but we did drive around and look at other displays and it was always a thrill for a small child. The children on the tour I took were so in awe at some of the lights.

On the 7th day of Christmas

2011-12-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

On the 7th day of Christmas...this is the tree that sits near the dog's dish. The dogs' tree! The ornaments on it are for the most part animal in nature and not breakable. Some are very old and dear to my heart. I always put a spire ornament on my tree tops..not an angel or a star. It is what always graced the top of our tree at home and I have collected several over the years. This topper was given to me for Christmas last year by a young man we have known since he was a wee one. It is plastic and I am pretty sure it came from a shopping trip at a flea market. I love those. It shows some wear where it was perched atop a tree in years past and was perfect for this tree.

We took our dear neighbor for lunch this week..our Christmas to her and she wanted to bring presents to our furkids afterwards. Spencer, who really doesn't know how to play with toys did take this terry cloth bone and spent some time licking it. (He has always licked Hildy's face..he cleans her ears, her eyes, her mouth and her teeth.) ? For whatever reason he gets great pleasure and Hildy tolerates it for the most part. So when he decided it was OK to lick the bone, it must have been a sign of approval.
He will take the bone and put it on his footstool and lay on it, but even though the other two dogs got their presents too, Hildy would probably destroy Spencer's bone, so we make sure he is the only one to play (lick) it. Funny critters, those furkids!

On the 6th day of Christmas

2011-12-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

This little rustic wreath is one of only a few surviving decorations left from the Christmas gifts when I worked with school staff. Every year, I received handmade gifts from children and friends as well as the plates of goodies and other tokens of the season. This particular wreath is small, only about 6 inches, but it has survived the test of time and moves from one home to another. Given to me by a staff member, I cherish the memories of those Christmases at school and am thankful that after all of these years I am able to stay in touch with most of them.

Little Spencer isn't feeling too perky tonight as he was due for a Rabies and other vaccinations and although our vet, paraded him around to all of the staff with his Christmas "gear" as she called his kerchief, he was none to happy with the experience. He is wanting some attention and since we have spoiled him mightily, I am off to accommodate him.

On the 5th day of Christmas

2011-12-13T19:04:00.000-08:00

On the 5th day of Christmas we are scrambling to get things done! I still need to make some peanut brittle and maybe some more spritz. As we age and are the only ones gobbling down the goodies, it has occurred to us (as we struggle to button up the pants) that maybe we should NOT make so many goodies. But it wouldn't be Christmas for me without sugar cookies and fudge and...well...
When we were kids we always had fudge and with a cow we had eggnog. We had the real stuff. It was rich with fresh eggs and lots of thick cream. I remember my dad making it for us. I bought some eggnog, the light kind? Haven't tried it yet so the verdict is still out. I miss the real stuff, but the pants again won't button as it is. (sigh)

A few weeks ago I wrote about my purchase of an old Singer cabinet for $15.00 at one of my favorite shops here. Teacups and Twigs is a shabby chic kind of shop way out of town and she only opens for a few weeks in the winter. I had previously gotten a Singer featherweight, 1958 I believe and doesn't she look wonderful on this cabinet. It is stripped of it's treadle and it's drawers, but is perfect for a perch for the featherweight, which still sews like a dream!

Spencer seems none too happy with his new kerchief of Christmas prints and wasn't cooperating for a snapshot. However, this picture is so deceptive of this little guy's personality. He is a clown and a communicator and a spoiled little boy. He has grown by leaps and bounds as he has evolved from a shy unsocialized furkid to our very big dog in a tiny body with a heart to match. He thinks he can lick a boxer or the great Dane who lives behind our back fence! He has become a terrific watch dog and is in love with our border collie mix, Hildy. Any animal that comes to live with us in the future will no doubt be a shelter critter or rescue furkid. They give you unconditional love!

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

On the 4th day of Christmas

2011-12-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

On the 4th day of Christmas...well Roger sleeps no matter where or when, on his Christmas pillow, from the 1st day of Christmas way into next year. Of this I am sure. He doesn't miss any meals or any chance to snooze. I've been very busy quilting away on some gifts for some friends. I even considered quilting some coats for my two little furkids, but as furry as they both are, I don't think they need them. They don't much like the cold. Both are rescue dogs from Missouri and after even a couple of years here, they prefer warm weather but will play in the snow some. Can't say I blame them, but really--Christmas without snow? Having grown up on the edge of the front range of the Rockies in northern Colorado, we always had snow at Christmas that I can remember. So our Christmas here in Wyoming have that western influence, especially in Cheyenne, and we have snow on the ground today although it has been here for at least a week. In the shops here you will see a definite "cowboy influence" in the decor, the gifts and the spirit of the residents. If you have ever read a bit of history, old letters perhaps written in journal form by some of the pioneers who influenced this part of the country, you may understand. These old cowboys and cowgirls were strong people who weathered the long winters, often isolated for months miles from their neighbors. With only a team of horses and a wagon or buggy, they ventured to town for supplies only when necessary, through bitter wind and snow. But usually a tree was cut down on the ranch and brought in to be decorated with hand-made ornaments, popcorn strings and bits of whatever could be salvaged from years before. The Mr. and I are both descendants of this strong pioneer stock and I cannot imagine the hardships that I know were endured in order to survive. At this time of the year, one needs to take stock of what is important and we are thankful to be living where we can celebrate this Holiday..Christmas because of our tough western pioneer descendants. The rope basket would probably not be a very practical use of a good lariat back then, but it makes a wonderful receptacle for ornaments!

On the 3rd day of Christmas

2011-12-10T08:55:00.001-08:00

On the third day of Christmas? This is an old sled that I picked up in Morrison CO years ago when I was slumming with my friends. (Again, most of my wonderful slumming times have been spent with these buddies from way back.) I remember that we had such good time that day. I still hope to have a kitchen garden out back with all of the old kitchen flea market pieces I have gathered. I just need more! This antique shop there had a kitchen garden out back that was marvelous and on the way back through the shop, I picked up this sleigh. When not used this way, I stand it up and put shelved across the leg braces.

So---on the third day of Christmas, as you can see, it is like any other morning as far as the furkids are concerned! For me...well, the Mr. has gone out of town for a pool tournament and I have a special "friend", one of those slum buddies coming for a day to search for more stuff. The sun is shining and the temperature is brisk, but it will be a perfect way to spend a winter day!

On the 2nd day of Christmas

2011-12-09T19:27:00.001-08:00

This is my lovely 10 year old border collie, Hildy and every morning she gets my paper as she carefully peruses the yard for rabbits. She hates rabbits. At her age though, she is beginning to feel the aches and pains of old age and old injuries, so the rabbits don't really need to worry much.

Red sky in the morning, sailors warning! I love these beautiful Wyoming winter sunrises and this sky proceeded the snow storm we had last week. So I doubt that any of you Wyoming sailors were intending to do much sailing, unless it would have been snow board sailing.

And lastly, my quilted apples! The original pattern was not to my liking at all so I improvised and after a little tweaking, I found that this suited my vision of what a quilted apple would appear to be.

Today, I hosted some of my old school co-workers for an afternoon of goodies, drinks and girl talk. I truly cherish the friendships that have weathered so much...Moves, divorces, illnesses etc.

"True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable. " ~ Dave Tyson Gentry

On the 1st day of Christmas

2011-12-07T20:27:00.001-08:00

It's not really the first day of Christmas, but with lots to do, I will try to get all 12 days in here. I love Christmas, mostly because I get to display all of my trees and my many old ornaments. This little guy sits in a crock amongst my many rolling pins in my kitchen so all of the ornaments are miniature pots, teacups, sifters, etc...stuff related to the kitchen. Finally today, I did get some baking in. Cookies, cookies and more cookies and even a cheesecake.

This week has been a sad one for relatives and friends..
My husband lost an aunt, my sister lost a mother-in-law and my friend lost her mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

A few years ago, a friend gave me a "goldfish"
plant. I am sure it has another name. When I left Saratoga 3 years ago, I was not in a position to bring every single plant so I gave my sister-in-law my plant. After we were settled, I got a start from her and I now have a "goldfish bloom" on mine. Friends come and go, but I get to see this friend about once a year briefly and this plant will always be a special one...

Almost every morning I get up before the sun does in the winter. That comes I believe, from all of those early mornings as a child when there were chores to do before we got ready to catch the school bus in the wee hours of the morning. I find mornings a peaceful quiet time and as you can see here, so do the furkids! Lazy canines! This is where they land as they follow me from the bedroom EVERY morning and they stay here until I fix their breakfast. Hildy does have one chore though. She does venture out to the front porch to retrieve my paper. Picture to follow!

Busy hands and feet.

2011-11-29T17:35:00.001-08:00

Another project completed. I told the Mr. that when this was finished, he could move on to something he wanted to do. It seems like I have had so many projects that I needed help with! He is much more the perfectionist and when he starts a project, it will be done right. (I am the one who colors outside the lines and perfect? no not necessarily a priority.) I have so many things to do before I leave this earth I have busy hands and feet. I had a collection of mostly orange handled rolling pins. Since I am no longer stuck with orange decor, I decided to sacrifice a few rolling pins for this project. He sawed them at a 45 degree angle and didn't use the entire length of the pins. Because there is a metal rod between the handles, that has to be removed first. He drilled holes and inserted dowels and glued them in which later he cut off flush with the angled pin.
This allowed him to secure with a screw to the back. Glue reinforced this also. The rods were cut off and handles inserted and glued back . A framed reinforced bead board about 8" X 20" now hangs in the kitchen. Love it!

We are expecting another cold spell with possible snow this week. I am working diligently on some quilting projects and will be posting some examples soon.

Call me crazy, but I am thinking about getting another cat. We lost our 13 year old last year to a melanoma and with three dogs, thought that was enough. Having grown up with the influence of a father who loved animals, we were always surrounded by critters as was the Mr.
Our animal shelter had a Black Friday cat special which I seriously thought about. Any cat with black on it was available for adoption at a reduced price. Instead, we took advantage of cyber Monday and bought another flat screen TV. Yes we have too many of those too!

"Happiness walks on busy feet." ~ Kittie Turmell

This 'n that

2011-11-25T20:25:00.001-08:00

Gotta have a smoke after Turkey Dinner? The furkids were given some rather large rawhide chew bones Thanksgiving afternoon to calm them down. Hildy especially wanted to play with this very noisy new toy and it was becoming difficult to converse with the continual squeaking. This morning, little Spencer, sporting a new haircut by the way, jumped up on the bed with the center of one of these bones in his mouth looking much like a cigar.

Now to the craft projects. A good quilting buddy needed a coat rack built. She wanted a board with 3 glass doorknobs on it. She told me she would give me 5 knobs if the Mr. would build hers..and he did! She also took us to lunch for payment. They came from a home she lived in years ago and the old doors had been taken down, but she rescued the knobs. I had a gun rack which was left in the house here, took it apart and used this maple board to put my five on...just for accent on the wall. I scored this glass light globe for $5.00 last week, hung ribbon through the holes and filled it with glass globs and a silk plant.

Below, a rolling pin from my collection hangs on the wall beside my fridge. The Mr. cut a slice from the rolling pin to make it flat, put these knobs on and it will have perhaps an apron hung on one or more of the knobs. Love it!

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for! Thanksgiving at home was always a happy one and we were surrounded with cousins and aunts and uncles. Mom always had the Thanksgiving meal with everyone else bringing side dishes. With everyone there, we would draw names for the Christmas celebration which was held at my Aunt Dora's. I am thankful for all of the fond memories and although our holiday was a quiet one this year with our neighbor to share our feast, it will be one to add to the reservoir of memories in my head and heart to cherish!

Happy Birthday Joan!

"To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition." ~ Samuel Johnson

Friendship

2011-11-22T17:00:00.001-08:00

I have been chastised for not posting lately. Life has been so very good that I rarely even get to the computer. By nature I am not a tech person...I am a people person. My dad never knew a stranger and no matter where he was, he made conversation with the people he met. Guilty!!! Since moving here has been a matter of leaving old friends miles and miles away, I had to make an effort to make new friends here, not that I have deserted or forgotten my old buddies. They are just miles away. Anyway, it seems that every day has found me involved in a new project with someone. I spent one day learning to make a "Hot Dog Pillowcase", which I need to post I guess and this past weekend I went to Windsor and to the "Ranch" on I-25 with gals here to some Holiday craft fairs. Great fun and great food! Last week I did a pottery piece with a friend and we checked out another shop. I scored a wonderful old Singer sewing cabinet for $15.00 and a light fixture to fill with goodies. (Guess I need to find time for pictures and posts of them don't I?) The Mr. put together a project for me with 5 old glass door knobs and hung it today in my dining room and is working on a rolling pin rack for me. I am working on some quilt projects and have met with about 6 friends for all day projects..new quilt patterns etc. and we take turns doing lunch..soups and deserts and breads. The Mr. and I got the basement bedroom finished. It needed a new floor, paint in the closet and new baseboards. On Sunday, I spent the day with yet another friend and we made five batches of biscotti..all turned out so yummy. So I will get some pictures and do some posting and some catch-up I promise. Can one have too many friends? NEVER!

More quilting

2011-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

This is my completed version of Sylvia's sampler...120 squares, quilted, and bound and washed. Whew! Don't know what I will do with the other 20 squares, but something for sure. And below that, the finished purse with the great fabrics I acquired at the spring quilt shop hop. Granted, the fabrics are a little wild for me, but a gal can't have too many purses, and it WAS quilted!

Today I got my new copy of "Mary Jane's Farm", which is a bi-monthly magazine geared to all of the farm gals, real and wanna be. The articles and pictures and ads all remind me of my roots. Great recipes and home remedies and organic gardening tips abound as well as inspiration for living in a manner that is kind to our earth. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!" I have learned that what you need, and what you think you need are two very different things! In looking back at my childhood and the way we were raised to do just that, I thought we were poor. I realize we were in fact, being kind to mother earth.

Potholders and potlickers

2011-10-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

How about a hot pad? I made a table runner and wasn't crazy with the final colors on that particular chenille project, so I cut it up and made 3 hot pads in the blue above. Below are the finished projects. First on the left, red and green printed flannels and on the right, the one I previously posted. The lower example shows the back when you use a matching thread.

From last post, the next step is to turn the edges of the larger back piece to the front and stitch down. The edges need not be turned under, but if you trim and sew about 1/2 inch to the front(or you could use a commercial binding), take one row of stitching near the chenille and a second row of stitches about 1/16"(in the binding) from the first to make sure it is secure. The idea is for it to ravel. Throw the potholder in the wash and dryer and this will chenille like magic!

With the onset of winter, the Mr. has begun to feed his chickens,( banded doves). They roost in the tree next door and wait for him to fill the feeder with chicken scratch. He also keeps a heated water source for them all winter. At this feeder there were all these doves, 2 red winged blackbirds and two blue jays, all scrambling for dinner.

Crafting a potholder

2011-10-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

This looks weird at this point. This will be the the last step above for today. But when I post the finished project, you will see why I am hooked on these for myself or for gifts. Start with one 10" piece of flannel (green here), one 8 1/2" piece of batting and five 8 1/2" pieces of flannel of various colors. Stack the large square, the batting and one piece of 8 1/2" piece(right side up on this piece) together and set aside. Take the other 4 pieces, any pattern and stack right side up. Cut diagonally in one direction and without moving the flannel, cut diagonally the other way,corner to corner cutting through all 4 pieces. Then rotate the triangles so that a different pattern is in each set of triangles. Placing one set of triangles on top of the first piece, start the first line of stitching 1/4" from the edge and sew from center, back stitching at the beginning to lock stitches) and stop about 1/2" from the bottom edge. Click on the picture to see more easily. The remaining rows are 1/2" apart. The picture below is the first step.

You will do all four sets of triangles. Do in a matching thread, but I did this to let you see what the lines of stitching look like. After the stitching is done, clip between the lines of stitching through only the top 4 layers, leaving the layer next to the batting uncut. See the top picture. Get to this point and

I will post the finishing and how neat the "chenille" process is. I saw a demo of a neck scarf made in a similar manner and it was beautiful. More about that later.

Kitchen reno and Murphy's Law

2011-10-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

Although I am very pleased with the end result, it has not been without a few disasters. The ceilings had never been painted and in the dining room area the ceiling is that popcorn finish. Now having lived in a few places, I have dealt with popcorn ceilings. In fact the last place had GLITTER in the ceilings. We did successfully paint it out, but always with the same color. Because it usually has never been painted people remove this with a spray of water and some scraping. It gets dirty after a few years folks!!! I decided to paint it with the same color as the walls...a little more beige than before. YUK! Even with a sponge roller designed for this project, it has been a disaster. But let me regress. Thursday, we opted to go for coffee with a friend. We were gone for perhaps an hour and 45 minutes. When we arrived home this kitchen floor was a flood of water. The dishwasher? The sink?...The Mr. went downstairs and the furnace room was flooded, it had run all over the basement. He lost some of his leather patterns...a mess. The culprit? The connection on the fridge for the water supply for the ice maker had blown out! We spent 2 hrs with 2 vacuums upstairs and down and pulled up flooring in the kitchen...at least a third of this will need to be replaced. (We were lucky enough to find 2 boxes at the big box store today but were told it has been discontinued) Will do that when we get time. Meanwhile, had to buy another gallon of paint for the ceiling and still haven't got it all covered. More work for this week. My 5 shades that I scored for the chandelier look great here but as we were painting today one of them got pushed against a bulb and suddenly we had smoke rising up and now one of those shades has a large hole in it. If it can go wrong, it will! We will take tomorrow off and go for a drive.

Orange

2011-10-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

I have been away from this blog for several weeks. The quilt show in Jackson and the trip was really a blast...too much to tell here, but the day I came home I became really sick. I don't know if I got a bug (no one else got sick) or if I ate something nasty but it laid me out for days!!! I have a cast iron gut normally, but this was no fun. Then it took me days to catch up on things and friends and the furkids and the garden. Today, I dug the last of the carrots below and still have one batch to put in the freezer. The cantaloupe above was a volunteer in my garden and had lots of small melons growing. However, this one was the only one that was mature enough to harvest before the frost hit and it was absolutely delicious!

Last weekend we had our first snow...7 inches in fact. It was extremely wet and with the wind, broke lots of trees and branches, but the California poppies below, as well as one delphinium and some cosmos are still blooming.

I have been meeting with my fellow quilters and have learned some new techniques, one of which I will share for those of you who want a neat craft project in the near future. I also finished my Sylvia's Bridal sampler and will get a picture of that. Glad to be back and hope to stay healthy for a while.
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." ~ E.E. Cummings

Kitchen progress and friendship

2011-09-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

I have been vacant from this blog...mostly because I have been playing. Let no one tell you that retirement isn't great! At least I am finding it wonderful! All of those things I dreamed about doing, not big things like taking a cruise or traveling abroad, but the little things I never had time or money for when we were trying to scrape a decent life for ourselves and our kids, I am doing! My dreams have never been huge. Having been raised by parents who went without so many things in order to give us the necessities in life, I began to realize at an early age what the important things were. Money doesn't buy happiness, but you can have a few laughs with the benefit of money I guess. I am rich because I am loved, have a warm, though modest shelter, my health and my friends and family. My friends---I have been playing with my friends. I have tried to keep a journal without much success and I try to make it known otherwise how much I value the people who let me share their lives. I spent a few days the week of the 20th with my dear friend of over 40 years and we had a great time just being "us". Before that I went to a quilt show with 3 other friends from here and then to Ft. Collins to a fresh market and antique show. Then we had other friends stay a couple of weekends with us and we always hit the flea markets and antique shops and last night took another friend out for dinner for her birthday and next week I will be going to Jackson Hole for a quilt show with my friend again from Rawlins. In between those great times, the kitchen project is still getting nearly finished! The garden is about in and I understand that snow could be on the way in a week or so.
The job is not complete, but the progress is evident in these two pictures. Trim work, ceiling paint and that will just about do it! The Mr. has been working so hard on this project and I am sure he is anxious to be done. Hard to believe that the fridge used to be where this new counter space is.

Mother Nature's wonder

2011-09-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

We took a drive this week to get away once more at least before the weather gets really bad. We have had snow in the high country already! This is between Cheyenne and Laramie in the Curt Gowdy area. One wonders what keeps this stone of several tons balanced here as it has for many years without tumbling. Although the past couple of days have been a little chilly, the trees here had not yet begun to show the fall colors, but I imagine that soon Mother Nature will paint beautiful fall colors everywhere.

We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on the kitchen remodel. I haven't posted pictures as things are going at a snail's pace..but we take time to play. The new sink is here and the laminate for the counter tops came in and all of the painting is done. Have a light fixture to get shades for and install. I rewired and combined two pieces to make a chandelier to hang above the table so if I wired it properly, it will be forthcoming. Several years ago I was given a partial set of silver. I had contemplated making wind chimes or something with these pieces until I searched for the pattern and discovered that the 7 place settings, plus sugar spoon and butter knife were pretty pricey. (Prices to replace these individual pieces which are still available caused me to re-think that idea.) At an antique shop recently, I spoke to the owner and she explained what she had done with similar pieces.
Since I already have silverware of my own, I decided that I would like to display this pattern. A garage sale frame for $1.00, a piece of fabric left from the newly upholstered bar chairs, and some silk ribbon and- Voila!
We have been very busy...the garden is mostly harvested and in the freezer...I have some cantaloupe which are volunteer from the compost are ripening - a gift from Mother Nature I guess-(hope they aren't listeria infected) and the tomatoes are still on the vines.

"Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." ~ Albert Einstein

Fall?

2011-09-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

These glorious sunflowers line the southeast side of the vegetable garden and will be fodder for the birds soon. I love the colors! There were so many seedlings this year that I planted some on the south side of my home and they nearly reached the top of the garage. But in spite of the temperatures in the high 80's and low 90's, my weather predictor tells me that fall is just around the corner and then snow. Living in Wyoming, it is just a given. We would like to go camping just one more time, but since we are still on the kitchen project (we sprayed texture this week and what a mess that is), who knows?

Our quilt guild held a show this past weekend and with over 100 quilts, both old and new, it was a large undertaking. Having never participated in this sort of event, I volunteered to work and it was enjoyable, although it was work. Hanging the quilts on wooden structures, some as tall as ten feet for the larger quilts was a bit frightening. Had one gone down, it would have been a domino effect. It was a great success. We are busy with the harvest, beets, turnips, cabbage, zucchini and the rest and I will be happy when the garden is empty, but that will surely mean fall has arrived.

"Gardens are a collaboration between art an nature." ~ Penelope Hobhouse

A walk through the woods

2011-08-23T20:31:00.001-07:00

Because the temperatures predicted for today were in the 90's and because we can, we decided to take another day to play in the high country. Still wanting to explore more of uncharted territory for us, we loaded the crew up and packed a lunch for a day trip. Near Rob Roy Reservoir, we drove up a dirt road and noted several really good camping spots. As we rounded a curve we encountered these two bull Moose leisurely having their breakfast or brunch...maybe their coffee break. I threw a picnic lunch together and water for the dogs in the truck this morning along with the camera, but forgot exactly where the camera was at first. By the time I remembered where it was, these two were starting to move. We did get some great shots as they lumbered across the road in front of us..totally ignoring us and in no hurry to get away! This alone made the trip worthwhile.
We stopped to let the dogs play and had our lunch in the shade of the trees and continued our adventure. It was uneventful after that, but I marvel at the beauty of the mountain countryside and always find it relaxing and peaceful...the calm before the storm. With a little nip in the air in the early morn and with the children all going back to school, it reminds me that the snow storms will be here before we know and I will be longing for another walk in the woods.

More summer fun stuff

2011-08-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the teapot birdhouses we made...each of us was able to have at least two and some three. Click on the photo for an enlargement.

Sunflowers this year are so pretty! My garden has produced pretty well this year, considering that I wasn't sure what I would plant and since it was my first year, I have learned a lot. Next year I will dress the cabbages in panty hose to keep the white fluttery creatures from using them as foliage for reproducing. My daughter warned me and I kept putting off the task, however I was able to harvest my first head yesterday along with the multitude of zucchini and broccoli.
The Mr and I and dogs spent this past week camping. Weather was great, scenery beautiful, bugs were plentiful and in spite of a flat tire and cured plant seeds sticking to the dogs, it was a nice few days away from the rat race. We have a big quilt show here this next week and I suppose I will do more garden gathering and freezing for winter, but we may take a day to play again before it gets too cold to do so. Kitchen remodel on hold 'til bad weather or time permits.

More fun!

2011-08-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

This is my teapot birdhouse and I will post more later! We had fun trying to determine just how much "junk" we need on them.House for rent? All five below. Click on the image for a closer view.
And in the cabin above the laundry this was the replacement for the old wicker shade from the 70's probably. The bulb could be replaced with something more decorative, but it sure did illuminate the area and I neglected to get a picture of the others. Figuring out how the wiring would take place with the different thicknesses of china and pottery was a little bit of a challenge, but our hostess outdid all when she shimmied up the ladder to place her birdhouse on an old aspen top. We have gotten a lot braver with our endeavors and discovered that we can find a solution to pretty much anything!

We spent the weekend with friends in the Platte Valley and helped with a community garage sale. What fun! Now we hope to get out of town for a camping trip sometime before the snow starts to fall. My garden is producing lots of goodies and I will need to take time to harvest and preserve soon. Fall is in the air.

Retreat project

2011-08-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is the work table filled with teapots and do dads of all sorts in bins and boxes. I cut the pickets from cedar fence boards in various shapes and we painted or stained them to our liking. After positioning them on the pickets, holes were drilled for wire which was threaded through from back to front and twisted around the spouts and handles. I was lucky enough to have a lid with a hole in it and embellished the picket with a flower shaped piece from a lamp I took apart. A chandelier crystal hangs from the spout and I am hoping that a robin will find it a fit home for feeding her babies crumpets and tea. At any rate we had a ball picking out "stuff" and again--recycle, re purpose, reuse!
Speaking of crumpets and tea..We picked our first raspberry crop tonight. After the weigh-in, we only had half pound but they were yummy over vanilla ice cream!

The kitchen remodel is on hold while we have some "us time", but we are nearly ready to spray texture and then pick out counter top and sink and paint. When you do these things yourself you must have patience!

"A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains." ~ Dutch Proverb

Retreat fun!

2011-08-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

OK, here is the gnome house which I finished at our wonderful Elk Mtn cabin with my dear friends. There were several hollowed logs last year which we decided would make great projects for this year. I took saws, drills, construction materials and a bucket of odds and ends I had collected for embellishments for birdhouses. The "roof" I used was a piece of kitchenware found at the Goodwill with a hole in the center. We decided we could put a plant in the center. I put this in my shade garden and had been given a fern start which I decided had not lived. To my surprise, when I got home, I found that the fern had indeed lived and put up one small frond. This will be perfect for my gnome village and this is the first of many more homes to come. I will post pictures of the others my friends made later. We had so many laughs. The logs were of various thicknesses and it was a trick to use the hole saws, but with a little patience and some ingenuity we succeeded! Just to give you an idea of our workspace, this photo shows our plywood tables perched on very old saw horses. We were shaded and protected and this is next to a stream. We discovered that we had neighbors in the form of a pair of robins with 4 little babies just outside the covered area. As we laughed and sawed and drilled and made all kinds of noise, they continued to feed the babies until one fell out of the nest. The resident boxer discovered the baby and with a ladder and gloves, our hostess carefully put the baby back and we were pleased to see that it was fine and continued to be fed.

Summer retreat

2011-07-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

I may have posted this already... I am getting old and forgetful, but it is one of the projects in store for us at our Elk Mtn retreat next week! Many versions of this can be found on the Internet, but this is my own take of the teapot bird nesting box. I cut many pickets and gathered lots of teapots for this project. The pickets can then be attached to a post with a couple of screws. There is a big box of plates, saucers, and such with holes drilled (the Mr. did that for us) for the swag lamp we intend to make along with all of the electric components and I made 7 wooden birdhouses to paint and decorate. We have scrounged lids, and skillets etc. for the gnome homes which will be designed from large hollow log segments and those have been provided by our host and hostess.

This week was Frontier Days and for Cheyenne, the biggest week of the year. Our daughter was here to visit and although we were sad to see her leave, we sure enjoyed having her here. We did the antique shops and flea markets, saw a parade, the Indian dancers, the midway, had martini's and sushi tacos at Suite 1901, saw the Thunderbirds as they fly over our home when they perform. There was cheesecake with our neighbors and lots more. That is the main reason I have been away from my post.

Anyway I will post more after my "Sabbatical at Church Camp"... that's what the Mr. called it last week when it came to mind. It truly is a sabbatical though. 3 days and nights with "the girls" at the most scenic cabin (3 stories plus a smaller cabin) which has all the comforts of home, nestled beside a creek can hardly be called roughing it. In addition, our hostess cooks for us. We truly are blessed!

Kitchen reno

2011-07-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is where the fridge used to reside. Remember? The base cabinets are now permanently attached to the top, but this was not without a lot of fitting and trimming and cussing and leveling and shimming and cutting and gluing and screwing. Did I mention tattooing? And cussing? It now accommodate our 2 bar stools and I have things back in the drawers and shelves. The kitchen is a lot brighter as more light is allowed in. We still have much to do. Laminate tops to be installed and we haven't even decided the color for them yet and the area above all of this still needs to have drywall installed and texture and paint of course.
The view from the dining area.

This next week, beginning tomorrow, is the "daddy of 'em all" ~ Frontier Days! Cheyenne is one hoppin' town this next week and there is so very much to see and do. We have a very special guest for the week and are looking forward to the next few days. Have a good one!

Art of mother nature

2011-07-18T10:08:00.001-07:00

A couple of nights ago when we were experiencing some of the thunder storms, ma nature decided to spare us with her teardrops and instead paint a picture in the east at sunset. I am always in awe at our Wyoming colors. Dad always called this "skyblue pink". It was his reply whenever as children, we asked what HIS favorite color was.
Lookie, lookie at my baby carrots aside some small turnips I harvested this morning. Actually I realized that I needed to thin the carrots again and these will be great in our salad for dinner. The turnips I scalded, blanched and froze in small pieces for that "bite" in a winter soup or stew.
Spencer is inspecting my paint color on this vintage set of metal lawn chairs. A few years ago I traded this set for a small chest of drawers. The swing was broken and it had many coats of paint on it. After stripping to the best of my ability and a repair job by the Mr. on the swing, they have followed me to each new location... 4 at this count for these pieces. I first painted them yellow, then they were blue and now.... well, apple green. That would make a total of about 10 coats in their lifetime. Reproductions are being made, but they are not as sturdy as these old babies and if they could talk! At any rate they look great on my back patio where I watch those great painted skies. I was raised with recycle, reuse, re purpose in mind, not because it was the right thing to do, but it was the only thing to do. Cloth hankies, napkins, towels, etc. So lawn furniture...you get another life.

Rhubarb art

2011-07-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Having my mother's rhubarb plant, which I have moved from place to place, reminds me of her pies. I love, love, love rhubarb in cobblers, crisps and pies. Whether it stands alone, or shares space with strawberries or pineapple or something else in these yummy dishes, I always think of her. So when I had to harvest another batch..(it produces multiple crops all summer) and couldn't convince a friend that she needed some, I washed it and put it in the fridge to cut and freeze the next day. Imagine my surprise when this artistic piece fell out of the bag. It was among several others that, like celery, prefer to be curly after chilled and cut! So perhaps my mom is working her artful spirits into the rhubarb which I still call hers.A view from the dining room into the kitchen gives a better idea of what the finished renovation will behold. Drywall will be installed and then the counter top will be cut for this area. Our home is not in a high-end area, although all of the homes here were custom built, so due to the resale aspect and budget constraints, we will be installing laminate. I also will have a new sink.
The past couple of weeks have been typical of early summer with rain in the late afternoon and evening, however, we have not ever had this much rain and hail that I can remember. Fortunately, we sit up on high ground and have just been on the edge of the hail so we personally have not experienced the damage or flooding that areas blocks just north of us have, or the Colorado residents whose damage has been extensive. We also have had moderate temperatures compared to the rest of the nation.

Garden and Renovation

2011-07-09T06:03:00.001-07:00

Views of the garden out back from the north and the south. Squash are blooming and the radishes are going to seed already. I always plant too many radishes and they all seem to sprout. The peas? Not so good, but everything else is doing great!
Little Roger is surveying the yard, looking out for rabbits of course!
Quick update on the kitchen.. This is where the refrigeration previously sat and the wall is now open to the dining area. Lots of work to do here though. A header at the top, new wall behind the cupboard on the dining side, removal of the current studs and new box built for support and electrical. Then there will be a new peninsula of sorts to the right of the cupboard for 2 bar stools and of course new counter tops and new partial wall above all. And so on, and so on, and so on.

More kitchen renovation

2011-07-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Mr. is beginning to cut away the drywall here where the wall will be removed! Pardon the spots, as this was a messy joy with particles flying everywhere.Drywall removed as well as the wall behind which the refrigerator sat.
More pictures to follow! But I am also getting prepared for my retreat at Elk Mountain next month. One of four projects planned is the one-room schoolhouse birdhouses which I began today. I have five partially assembled and yes...I am doing the sawing and glue and brads myself, except for having a board ripped by the Mr. I have 3 more to get to this point and then the roofs and bird holes, etc. Pictures next post. The second project is a teapot birdhouse and the next picture shows the pickets which will support the teapots.
We have large hollow logs which will become gnome homes after we make doors, windows and decorate. We also have been gathering materials for the roofs and I have the choice of using a copper bottom skillet or another combination of kitchen what-not with a smaller lid. The thrift shops were great places to search for these. Finally, we will be making lamps of sorts, one of which I posted earlier. Plates, saucers, cups and other electrical do dads will be assembled together, but I do need to have the Mr. help drill holes in the china pieces yet as this really is a two person job. We have had so much fun the past two summers staying at a beautiful cabin site and our host and hostess, especially the hostess, has made us feel so welcome.

Summer?

2011-07-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of quick photos today as we spent most of it again working on or rather destroying the kitchen as it has been and working outside. These two photos were taken on Saturday and today respectively. In the area of Lake Marie in the Snowy Range, we captured these ice climbers.And this evening, my front garden. The delphiniums in the background are nearly seven feet tall and I have had to tie them up, but things are really very lovely! I trimmed roses and put down mulch as well as worked on a walkway in the back today so as the sweat drips from my nose--
"Deep in their roots, all flower keep the light." ~ Bishop Coxe

Fourth of July

2011-07-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

Over the river and through the snow to Independence celebrations and Turner's house we go!
This year the snowfall was 200% of normal in many places. The road over the Snowy Range is always open by Memorial day. You can see by the drift we parked beside why it was such a difficult task getting it opened and why flooding was such a threat and reality when snowmelt began. This was Saturday morning and by Tuesday (today) when we came home the melting was pretty obvious. We had a wonderfully relaxing 4th weekend with friends at their new home.
Back to the kitchen remodel. The fridge now sits in it's new home with the doors switched. Not an especially difficult task, but time consuming, it took us a while as some of the screws in the door were stripped. Tomorrow, it will be back to the grindstone.
On Sunday we all trekked up toward Jack Creek and our old campsite. We are hoping to get there with the camper this year, but there is still some snow and muddy areas. A picnic lunch and beautiful weather made the day really nice. This moisture makes everything so green and the wildflowers love it. The Mr. snapped this Indian Paintbrush in her Sunday best.

Back at the house as I walked the dogs out yesterday morning toward the south edge of their property, I spotted a pair of badgers digging at a prairie dog hole. The prairie dogs and ground squirrels are quite prevalent and dig holes everywhere! I have seen badgers crossing a road, but these two just stared at me and I was frantically trying to get my dogs back to the house. Badgers are vicious creatures and I was fearful that the dogs would get curious and check them out. Luckily they didn't spot them. The osprey nest there and we spotted a female sitting on a pole with a fish she had captured for supper and then flew with the remains to her nest to feed the little ones. The hummers are there and put on quite a show at the feeder. One little male in particular declared it his territory and dive bombed the intruders. Swallows were nesting in a bluebird box with 3 eggs. Our hostess who is my gardening Guru, sent me home with several plantings for my garden. I plan to get them in tomorrow and I am so happy to have them. All in all the weekend was wonderful!

"To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch their renewal of life-This is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do." ~
Charles Dudley Warner

Another renovation

2011-06-30T07:29:00.001-07:00

Three pictures of our continuous upgrade. The Mr. removed the large cabinet from this area and replaced it with a smaller, shorter cabinet which was previously at home above the fridge across the room. Then he removed the base cabinet. "Oh sure, I can do that." The Mr. can do anything. However, none of our easy projects are in fact, easy. When he removed the cabinet, it was apparent by the 1/2 inch gap in the wall between the cabinet to the right and its back which was securely screwed to the wall, that the cabinets had actually fallen away from the wall. The base cabinet which was removed, also revealed the same problem. So with clamps, screws, shims and much labor, this part of the reno is done. The fridge now sits in its new home under this smaller wall cabinet. More pictures to follow. The purpose for this renovation is to open up the kitchen to the dining area and to add a small breakfast bar. Although I love, love, my kitchen in general, I cannot see or talk (and that talking is important to our family) to anyone sitting at the table while I am in the kitchen. Call us crazy for embarking on yet another project, but my counter tops are in bad shape and the sink needs to be replaced so as we pride ourselves on what we can do and the money we can save, we are realizing that the old bodies cannot take too much more of this! (Especially the joints and muscles). The brains say yes and the body says NO! I know that the end product will be beautiful as the Mr. is a perfectionist in his endeavors.

On another quick note-my garden is looking great and I will eventually follow up on that. I woke up this morning to the most beautiful red sun. "Red sun in the morning, sailors warning."

Have a safe and fun Independence day!

Garden tour

2011-06-26T07:59:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I drove to meet my buddy, Pat and her friend for a garden tour... walking tour that is. However, it really wasn't possible to see all fifteen gardens in the Park Hill area of Denver on foot. The old homes, all brick were of course spectacular, but the gardens were so beautiful. Roses and ground covers, exotics and old world blooms. Shade gardens, water features and veggies planted everywhere. There were artists in several of the gardens displaying and painting flora and fauna. One gardener even had a wine tasting and we were all given a four pack of petunias at one garden. We have a hill in our back yard which is quite steep and I snapped this one picture for inspiration for that area.

We would also like to put a water feature in that area, but don't know if that will happen. We have embarked on a kitchen remodel and although it has started out as a small project, it is our experience that there always are unexpected delays.

More pictures of this project as it progresses.

"To garden is a solitary act." ~ Michelle Cliff

Catch up

2011-06-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

The "pancake" quilt is finished and is folded here on the foot of my bed so actually, it is twin size probably. When I ran out of background fabric, I declared it "done".

We have begun our kitchen remodel project. It will be slow as there are so many other things to do in the summer. There are also those unexpected delays. Our first was today when the Mr. mowed the back 40, but in the process, chopped up not only the drip line, but also severed the inter net cable. It was installed when the weather was ugly and the cable company has not come to bury it. This will be only the first of many setbacks. Then there is the necessity of taking time off for a little fun. After all, we are retired and need to play a little. I plan a garden tour for the weekend and Independence day is next weekend and the Mr. got a new snazzy pool cue which needs to be put to test, right?

I am trying to get all of my craft projects ready for my August retreat with the "gals". Today, I started on the birdhouses and yesterday I cut out pickets with the scroll saw for the teapot birdhouses. I also got paving stones and started another backyard walk and I am working on a shelf from which to hang my flannel board for quilting. The Mr. couldn't resist taking a snapshot of the furkids snoozin' on a lazy summer afternoon. The little guys don't shed, but Hildy does a couple of times a year and so we have leather furniture!

Garden update

2011-06-15T18:38:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update on my gardens.... Veggies are coming, slowly! Now that summer really seems to be here, the best thing for this stuff is the sun. So, the carrots, the lettuce, spinach, radishes, cauliflower, cabbages, broccoli, zucchini, turnips, beets, peas and cucumbers seem to be OK. However, the tomatoes, not so much! I do have more out front and they seem to be doing better. We will see! Also, I got more herbs today and some ground cover in addition to some perennial poppies - the orange ones. I am convinced that I need to put in only those plants which are pretty much native to our region. My wonderful neighbor gave me columbine, lovage, sedum, and lots of coral bells last fall in addition to some other plants. The coral bells are already blooming along with the columbine! I will have lots to share!

This and that

2011-06-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing in particular today to share ....just a few little tidbits. With the weather in the mid 80's this weekend and no rain, we were finally able to work out in the yard a little. I began dragging all of my garden junk out into the appropriate spaces. To me it is like arranging furniture. Each year things go in a different place depending on how the gardens are looking. The columbine are blooming and the purple one, which is really called a blue columbine was a gift from a dear friend several years ago. I couldn't bear to leave it behind when we moved so I dug it up. There were two originally and now I have four. With a little breeze blowing, the yellow and coral one (a little blurry) was one of two given to me by my next door neighbor last fall and both of them are blooming!

Because I have been able to get outside, my quilting is suffering and I so want to finish Sylvia's Sampler top. Oh well, a few rows at a time. My little boys need a good grooming and today I was able to get them both bathed at least. They are shaggy, but 'til next week, I hope to keep them clean and untangled. The garden? Well, the carrots are up as is everything else. It is a little early for a follow up picture since things are still so small, but soon I will post the progress. That is if I can keep the rabbits from devouring it. One night I happened to look outside and discovered a rabbit INSIDE the fenced garden! I quickly let the dogs out and the rabbit jumped through the fence. Our solution at the moment is a radio out there 24-7 and so far so good! But I am skeptical. Time will tell.

Tomorrow is the last quilt shop hop day and we plan to go to Estes Park and Lyons, again across the border to the state south of us. Yes, I will have my purse, my money, my phone and my plastic.

Shop Hopping

2011-06-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Two new terms to describe this generation ...CRS and Boomer-itis. I am finding out that we don't remember anything important and pertinent to the present, but can remember every detail of something that happened 50 years ago. Those injuries happening to the baby boomer generation as we try to stay in shape by going to the gym, running for our health, and exercising the old joints and muscles are keeping doctors and surgeons busier than ever.

CRS----yesterday, my quilting buddies trekked to Laramie and Windsor (across the border) to visit quilt shops and get our quilt shop hop passport stamped. The wind blew, but the sun was shinning and the temperature was in the 70's. I didn't drive on this trip, but half-way over the first leg of the trip, I realized that I didn't have my purse. I had water, a jacket and my bag with which to hold my treasures of new fabric and notions...but no purse, no money, no passport, no phone--no plastic! I had forgotten it!

We had a great day, visiting wonderful shops and I begged a passport from one shop and was at the mercy of my friends for lunch, and the DQ Blizzard we always treat ourselves to, but no fabric in my bag to bring home!

Our next trip is planned for next week and if I don't injure myself and get Boomer-itis, I will try to get my CRS under control and not be embarrassed.

The pictures above are blocks and construction of the quilt I referred to as the pancakes I was sewing. I am behind on this blog so will post the finished quilt and a little more about the construction next time.

"Friendship is the golden thread that ties all hearts together." ~ Anonymous
(And it is the purse that feeds the stomach that forgot hers)

Garden continued

2011-05-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

As Mother Nature tends to humble us, this is the morning after my last picture. The following day we left the winter behind and began our journey to Sunny California. Not knowing what I would return to in the garden, I left my green thumb behind.

It was wonderful to see our son and his family again and we played tourist for a few days before attending our granddaughter's high school graduation. We bid them all goodbye and arrived home here only to learn that it had rained every single day!

Not totally disappointed, I found a few brave seeds have popped through the soil, but most of the plants that I spent so much time nursing to small seedlings did not survive. Either they drowned in their own tears or the rain, or the lack of sun just depressed them to the point of giving up! Now I start over! I am not quite ready to call it quits yet!

"There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!" ~ Rose Fyleman
(I think there must be witches at the bottom of mine.)

Garden ready

2011-05-18T17:46:00.001-07:00

Because we:
Changed our internet provider,
Purchased a new laptop,
Spent lots of time importing files,
Changed the blogger E-mail, Went quilt shop hopping, Fenced and planted a garden, Spent time updating legal docs, Arranged for new dental care, And so on, and so on, and so on.....
I am finally finding an opportunity to get back at this blog!!!

I will be updating this garden as it is the first time in several years that I have been able to plant veggies and it doesn't look like much yet. This first photo is the front flower garden, and I added foxglove, columbine of a different variety, rudbeckia, and others from seed. In the veggie garden, I have radishes, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, turnips, peas and will have tomatoes later. In the herb garden, I have sage, cilantro, mints, chives and will add more later also. Now the real challenge will be the rabbits and for the next week or so the downpour of rain which is making everything a muddy mess. My plan is to post every week or so as things progress. Wish me luck!

Sixty six years ago today was born a baby girl to a young couple in San Diego--- Me! I am thankful every day that I was blessed with wonderful parents and that they instilled in their children values which make us who we are today. We were taught to respect others, to be honest, productive citizens and we were loved.

Even as my years on this earth grow shorter, I continue to learn and haven't decided what I will be when I grow up!

Happy gardening!

Unfinished business

2011-04-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Tea anyone? My daughter sent me a link to a crafty blogger and this is my version of the teapot birdhouse she sent which I totally fell in love with. Drilling the holes in the teapot was a disaster and I knew better than to try a large bit first, but I am a little impatient. First of all,when you are using a drill press, it is much easier to control the drilling process. Try drilling with a hand held drill, holding the pot with the other hand and trying to keep water on the surface to cool the entire thing. I could have asked for help, but I need to know that I can do this as it will be a project for summer and the girls expect me to know what to do. (Mom can do anything can't she?) I ended up breaking the bottom of the pot, but since I was using only a fence board and I was able to make that pretty with my scroll saw, I decided that I could drill small holes in the board and attach the pot by securing copper wire wrapped around the handle and spout through the holes in the board. This can then be screwed to a fence or post. Voila! I still intend to work at this project and tweak it a bit.

A few posts ago I promised to show the "Spinning Stars" table project, which was the result of a quilt class that I took so here it is. Such a simple project and just a version of another quilt which I finished and will post eventually also.

"Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you." ~ Aldous Huxley

Quilting

2011-04-21T19:16:00.001-07:00

If it would ever quit raining and dry out and if the wind would quit blowing, I really need to get outside and work in the yard. I have seedlings struggling to get any sun...they are getting so "leggy" I may have to knit leggings for them! So I stay in and quilt. This is the wonky log cabin I am working on now which will be a queen size quilt and as you can see, it has been a good place for me to practice my free motion stitches. Each square is quilted differently and I have discovered what stitches I won't use again and which ones I really love. The leaves are particularly easy and I like the way they are looking on this project.

I do hope to get started on the teapot and light projects this weekend. With the construction project downstairs, which will entail more painting eventually, and the fencing needed on the garden (if the weather ever permits), and the 101 other things on the list...who knows?

My little dogs keep chasing the bunnies out of the yard so I imagine that if the Easter Bunny comes near our home, he will not stay long enough to leave goodies. I really don't need any goodies, but I am reminded of the time when our son was in 2nd grade, and I eagerly volunteered to hide eggs in our large yard for his class to hide. That was so much fun watching them search in the unkempt spring weeds and grasses. With school out in summer and me working to keep the weeds from taking control of the garden and strawberry beds, I had uncovered at least half dozen of rotten hard boiled eggs that the children had missed.

Thing to come

2011-04-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today I traveled with 3 other gals across the border (the line that separates Wyoming and Colorado) to "The Ranch" where 18 different vendors displayed their wares and wonderful quilts! It was a one stop shop hop and the individual shops in this region will continue to offer discounts if you visit their shops in the next few weeks. The goal now, is to visit these shops and as I understand it from fellow quilters, it is a lot of fun! I saw some old friends and learned a great deal from both the vendors and the quilters with whom I traveled...so thanks to all!

Today was also a little sad. I am still awaiting news about a dear friend in Tuscon who fell and broke her hip and is in surgery as I write this and I also had news today that the sister of my best friend passed. Thoughts are with both families.

As we slowly continue to finish and decorate the basement I dug out these baby dresses and sweater which were mine as a wee one. In the cedar chest, these things just sit waiting for a life. I decided to hang them where I could see them on a daily basis as we have no babies to wear them.

Things to come....well a blog or two back I mentioned that my daughter gets me sidetracked at times..bless her soul. So I have been collecting and searching my stash for goods with which to start on projects for my summer retreat with my crafting gals. The teapots will be houses for birds to nest in and the plates will become antique light fixtures, lamps etc. As I complete these projects, I will post, but this is just a preview of things to come.

I have started some seedlings and have emerging from the soil, spinach, cabbage, a sunflower, cosmos and more. Now I need some sunny days and warm weather as my home doesn't have many sunny windows. I am ready to be out in the garden!

"There is no time like Spring, when life's alive in everything." ~ Christina Rosetti

Sylvia's Sampler blocks

2011-04-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Finally, all of the blocks for my sampler quilt have been completed. Deciding how to assemble them will be the next obstacle. At my quilt guild meeting this week, one of the girls who was hand quilting there, showed me a new pin she had received. Jennifer Chiaverini who is the author of the quilt series inspiring this sampler, offers pins to accompany the books which she is signing. I am still trying to navigate her blog. I want one of these pins!!!! Having read several of her books, I realized that I am way behind on this series and have to get busy.

On another note, this week has been motivational for me as I have received two project ideas for the craft retreat which takes me to the cabin at Elk Mtn during the summer. As soon as I finish the examples I will post them. One from my daughter is a bird nesting box, using a china teapot. It is really cute and the other is a reproduction antique lamp, using a china plate. This idea came from the very generous gal who is our hostess for the summer retreat. I can hardly wait to start working on these two projects!

"The mind grows by what it feeds on." ~ Josiah Gilbert Holland

Class of '63-Good times

2011-03-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

Growing up in a small rural town has it's dis- advantages, but those small towns are dis- appearing and with our ever increasing technology, so disappears the close-knit relationships that were formed in small communities. Our world has become smaller and our circle of friends becomes "larger" with the introduction of sites like "Facebook, Twitter, and even these blogs." But are these old connections really "friends"?

Two days ago, the Mr. and I had the most wonderful day reconnecting with old friends. Actually, for the most part, these were my classmates, most of whom had gone to school together for all twelve of the first years of our education. Since our town was so small, our school was small. We were also the last graduating class and of the few who actually graduated together, it has been impossible to get us all together at any one time. Going in different directions... college, the armed forces, marriages, divorces, deaths, we scattered. However, now that most of us have reached the age of retirement, it was amazing to see that except for one of us now living in the state of Alaska, we are all within an hour or so of our little town.

We grew up as family...slumber parties, birthday parties, dances, roller skating, movies--always together..usually 4 boys and 4 girls, sometimes more, sometimes less. Our Senior Sneak trip took us to Colorado Springs with our sponsor and his wife. During the night, we coasted down the hill where our motel was, with one of the cars and went for a "drive", but couldn't resist telling our sponsor the next morning. Times were different back then...perhaps not. At any rate...it is unusual for a class of our small size to be able to gather as we did, all still in pretty great shape and not to have lost anyone. One of the guys, was unable to make it as he was on a cruise, but it was relatively short notice. Most of us had not seen each other for years and some not since 1963. I normally do not post pictures, but this is a great bunch..a motley crew of sorts, but the Class of '63. I treasure these old friendships.

"A friend is a present you give yourself." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Little white dove

2011-03-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

Again, I find that as a retiree, there are not enough hours in the day and not enough days in the week and not enough weeks in the month. I do know that I am lucky to be so busy and for the life of me don't know understand those who find retirement boring. What do they do with themselves? We spent part of last weekend in Casper where the Mr. played on a team pool tournament and the weekend before we had a good friend stay with us. Because it has been a while since I posted, I have been too busy to get to the blog. Forgive me. I make no other excuses!

The Mr. has been feeding the banded doves all winter and we have gone through lots of cracked corn. As spring arrived so did "Little White Dove". The doves we feed are grey with a dark band around their neck. Exactly what they are is debatable. Different sources claim a variety of explanations as to where they originated, but most do agree that they are escapees from domestic birds. So we were surprised to see this white lady arrive and after some amorous males tried to attract and woo her, she picked a mate. They feed in our front yard away from the other flock in back and he stands guard while she feeds. Hopefully they will nest nearby and with luck, perhaps another generation of white doves will survive. "Running Bear and Little White Dove".

Teacup

2011-03-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the little teacup pincushion now that it is finished ...just a little mushroom, home for the ladybug perched atop who must be a gardener at heart as her little flower garden is bursting in bloom. Is it spring there? Not here although we did not get the amount of snow predicted.

I was able to attend the Cheyenne Heritage Quilt guild meeting last evening and Kelly Gallagher-Abbott was the guest speaker. She and her husband are now representative of long arm quilting machines and she brought a wonderful slide show and a trunk show of quilts. She is such an accomplished quilter and so personable! The quilts were spectacular and some were funny and they ranged from traditional to modern and came in all sizes. Such a motivator and they brought some of their patterns and other quilting items in addition to providing the door prizes. I am so glad I was able to be in attendance. I also took a class on Saturday and completed a "Spinning Stars" table topper...picture to follow in a later post.

The grout job in the main bath (which we did last spring) was showing signs of crumbling. Yuck!
So I scraped and cleaned and mixed a new batch of grout for the small area affected so I have been on my knees again tonight and my poor hands are now like sandpaper. I sure hope being on my knees will do some good on this grout job..even I wasn't really praying.

"Life's trials may be hard to bear, but patience can outlive them." ~ Martin Tupper

Crafty me

2011-02-28T19:10:00.001-08:00

My daughter gets me a little side- tracked with the wonderful things she finds and links to me. Creative people who are posting their ideas and are willing to share with the rest of us are inspiration for crafters or artisans of all ages. Just when I think I have exhausted ideas for my myriad of collections, another creation has been born. I have used these teacups in chandeliers, bird feeders and garden totems to name a few. Now I have another purpose inspired by some brilliant person. (I have not given credit to the artist as I don't remember it.) Atop this teacup, is the beginning of a scene which will include a little cottage, or a forest, or perhaps some woodland scene, but certainly some mushrooms. In all practicality it is a pincushion, but it could be an ice cream sundae or a snowy ski slope. The inspiration pieces had little homes constructed of felt and walkways, etc. After I received the link, I had to quit my current projects and go hunt for the cup and saucer and search for some fabric. I have a huge stash of old chenille bed spreads and found this one with the wonderful white puffs on it. I spent Saturday afternoon at the quilt shop working on Sylvia's sampler with a group of gals. Of the 8 that were there on that afternoon, 6 of us stitched away on our little nearly antique featherweight Singers. So, with less than 20 squares left, here are a few more.
We had a snow storm this past weekend which dumped over 6 inches and with warm weather following, it is a muddy mess in my yard. We do need the moisture though and as the days are slowly getting longer, I think that spring will be here before we know it.

Grandma's soap operas

2011-02-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

I have not taken the time to get on this blog have I? Wow...I don't know where the time has gone.
My very good friend, Barb was here to spend the week with me and we had such a great time. First of all, we did some shopping in between the snowy days, ate some good food, had coffee with friends here, worked on some quilts, went south of the border to meet with our other buddy, Pat, and spent the day doing fun things. Last of all we checked out the glass show here at the Botanical Gardens before she left on Friday. It was a bittersweet visit as she received news on Thursday of the death of a family member and flew back home on Sunday early for the funeral.

This is the second square for this year's Thimbleberries quilt. Again, I made three of them and will decide which additional future patterns I will use since I will not use all 12. I have posted more of Sylvia's patterns and have made only three more squares. While Barb was here, I took her to our quilt guild meeting and we both really enjoyed the topic that was discussed. I am sorry that I don't remember the name of the guest speaker, but "Red Work" and embroidery was her specialty. What really struck a cord with me is the manner in which she approaches her work and the way that she began her journey. Examples of her work were on display in the form of quilts, dresser scarves, dish towels, many unfinished projects, but all were things of beauty. As she spoke of her introduction to the embroidery as a child, it brought back such memories and I realized how it paralleled my first attempts. She and her sister would sit together with her grandmother who gave them embroidery to master. As they stitched quietly, her grandmother could faithfully watch her soap operas. In the 50's, when television was an infant, my grandmother had a small television and she loved her soap operas which were a continuation of earlier ones on the radio. I remember a piece of plastic which had colored areas that she taped over the screen to give the illusion of "color". This was before color television...yes strictly black and white in the 50's. Anyway, she would give me floss and needles and hoops for me to carefully stitch the stamped patterns and she oversaw my work as she watched her soap operas. I rarely use a hoop and it surprised me that this expert in embroidery said that she never uses a hoop. I find that the hoop gets in the way and it tends to stretch the fabric as well as the floss.

Do little girls still sit with their granny and learn to do needle work? Not so much anymore I think. It does seem from what I observe, however, that there is a renewed interest in some young adults to preserve those skills that were lost to a generation or two. It also allows one to take time for oneself... when you sit and use a needle of one kind or another with a fiber. There is also a sense of satisfaction when a piece of needlework is finished.

"When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer." Regina Brett

Sylvia's sampler

2011-01-31T17:36:00.001-08:00

We are in the deep freeze! Didn't get much snow but at 6:40 p.m. we are minus 3 and with wind chill, predictions are at minus 34 tomorrow. Larder is stocked and I am staying in. It will no doubt be three-dog night!

I love primitive! When I spotted a pattern for this little Raggedy, I knew I had to have her. I felted wool roving onto her head and her dress, bonnet and apron are homespun fabrics. With a painted face and coffee dyed body, she is appears to be well-loved. Also in the works, more quilting.
Sylvia's sampler is coming along as the long cold winter days we are having are conducive to hours at the sewing machine and cutting table.

Before the cold front hit, we had lunch with friends on Tuesday from Rawlins, again on Friday eve, we met with more friends for burgers and suds and again on Sat morning for coffee with more friends from Rawlins. I am expecting one of my buddies to come and spend several days with me next week and more later on the weekend. We are so blessed to have so many long-time relationships with people who are kind, considerate, unselfish and who don't constantly complain. Dad always told me that you could pick your friends, but not your relatives.

So here are a few more squares from the Sampler, although I have more finished. Just need to post!

Bags

2011-01-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

Recycle, reuse, repurpose .....words to live by?
Well, when you grow up the way I did, it was a way of life. Clothes were handed down or when they became tattered or torn, they became something else. Treasured pieces of a quilt perhaps? Old tires became supports for tomatoes. Cleaning out the corrals or the chicken house insured fertilizer for the gardens and lawns. String from flour sacks was wrapped into balls to be used later for other things. Yarn in old sweaters was ripped out and reused in afghans etc. A few years ago, friends brought back from the west coast some almonds and walnuts to be shelled and they were in a canvas-type bag. I could not bring myself to throw the dirty, stained bag away. It was sturdy with no rips or tears. So I washed it, packed it away and have hauled it around with my other "valuables". I use these kinds of bags for my quilting or groceries or needlework so I decided to take the bag and re-work it. There are still a few stains here and there, but I love the graphic! On one side is a velcro closed water bottle pocket and on the front, a pocket for my cell phone or billfold when I go shopping.
The other bag is leftover crazy square pieces with various examples of "practice" needle work, and ribbon work. The handles on this piece, unlike the feed sack are stitched from one side to the other rather than both being stitched on the same side. Not as easy to access, but a little more secure perhaps. Either way, they are both large bags with flat bottoms, reinforced with a flat piece of lightweight hardboard.

"Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss." ~ Andy Rooney

Brrrr

2011-01-13T17:43:00.001-08:00

This is little Roger, taking a snooze when we were staying with friends over Christmas. You can just see Spencer's nose at the top as he also is snoozing. It was very cold there, however it has been cold here the past two weeks too. We are all envious of the little guys who can just snuggle down anywhere when the snow blows outside. One thing that happened while we were there was that Roger found a piece of cheese that he couldn't resist. Unfortunately it was attached to a mouse trap--the kind that is "sticky. He came out from under the counter in the mud room with one stuck to his face and one on his foot. (The house is new and was recently under construction so with contractors in and out constantly and doors open a couple of mice had gotten in before all was secured.) Poor guy, but he was so funny! All three of our furbabies went to the vet this week for shots and weigh-ins. Those dreaded scales at the Dr.'s office----but Hildy has lost 5 much needed pounds as she was getting chubby and the other two were just fine. As we sat waiting our turn, it was amusing to observe the animals that came into the clinic. An old man with an equally old white bulldog came in and that dog weighed 61 lbs. He was huge! A young woman came out of an examining room with a pit bull and she was struggling to hold it with a chain for a lead which was attached to a chained collar. The dog was not aggressive, but by that time a mother and son came in with 3 border collie-type dogs, and with our 3 that was 7 dogs in the small waiting area. Another man came in to inquire about his pet and another came with a small animal carrier. (Not sure what was inside.) Across from us sat a small young woman, with tattoos on her legs, but dressed nicely and it was apparent that she was concerned about an animal and was waiting to speak to her vet. After my initial inquiry about her concerns obviously for a sick pet, she told me they thought it had suffered a stroke and might have to be put down. Worrying about the possibility that she might "fall apart", she told me it was a rat. I thought she meant a rat terrier and asked how old it was. She told me it was two, and when I seemed surprised that a rat terrier had suffered a stroke at two...she told me it was a "rat" and their life expectancy was about two years. (I was so glad that I hadn't said anything about her "dog".) When we came out of our examining room there were NO animals in the waiting room. So if you are an animal person, if you have an overweight bulldog or a rat...they become members of your family and eventually you have to deal with their short life expectancy...(unless of course you have one of those parrots and in that case when they may live to be 100...someone else will have to worry!)

Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. - Regina Brett

More quilts

2011-01-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy, but I have started 3 more quilts and I have 3 older projects in the works.. I just see things I love and have to try and get so many projects going. Sylvia's sampler is coming along quite nicely. Of 140 small 6 1/2 in squares, I have completed all but about 47. Trying to decide how to set them int a quilt will be a challenge since all have different light backgrounds. This project did enable me to use lots of bits and pieces of fabric too small for much, but pieces nevertheless that I couldn't just toss, so here are the latest squares for that quilt.

I have wanted to try a "wonky" log cabin and after researching on the wonderful internet, I found a process that I liked and with the quilt shop sale last week, I was able to grab some lovely fat quarters with which to experiment. These squares are 12 1/2" and they are easy and fast!
Now that a new year is upon us, Thimble- berries has a new quilt which is a sampler. In other words each square will be a different pattern. Instead of using different fabrics for each square, I have chosen to use the same two fabrics in each of them. This first block has 77 pieces in it and each of the blocks is 14 1/2" square. The 3rd quilt that I am working on is the one I learned to make in the class I took this past fall. I will post an example when I am a little farther along.

We were able to have lunch with our group of retired school employees this week. They have been a part of my life for over 30 years and I am so glad that we are still able to meet and that we continue to share the happenings with our families as our children have grown from babies, to teens, and now to parents. They were such a support group for me and we saw each other through good times and bad.

"Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch."
~ Regina Brett

Reflection

2011-01-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

2011---who would have thought? Do you remember when you were a child, trying to imagine what the future for you could hold? From one day to the next seemed like an eternity at times.

We had a marvelous Christmas spent with friends at their new home near Saratoga. Weather being what it is at this time of the year, fully cooperated for travel and found us with pristine snow covered hills marred only with occasional tracks where deer and antelope broke through the crust.
Our hope to visit with other friends and relatives didn't materialize as time flew by much too fast. I have heard from some of those and most were very understanding of our time restraints. Our hosts were wonderful and we think of them as family. The new year came quietly here at home with blizzard conditions, but we were safe and cozy.

Watching a program this morning about eating healthy, part of what we all resolve to do, I heard the term "coconut water" referring to the liquid one drains from a fresh coconut. Wow! It reminded me of my dad. As a child, we were not exposed to many fruits that we didn't personally help can or freeze, especially in the winter. The exception was the orange in our stocking at Christmas and the coconut. My dad would quite often bring home with the monthly grocery purchase, a coconut. I am not sure if he actually loved the coconut "meat" or if he just got a kick out of the process of chipping away at it. He would drill a hole in each of the "eyes" and then carefully drain the liquid into a glass. Coconut "Milk" is what we called it. Each of us kids would get to drink a little of the milk...not especially tasty as I recall...but it was a novelty for us.
He would then hit the coconut with a hammer as we all watched it shatter into sharp hairy brown pieces with the white coconut inside. As I recall, it was a chore to chip the coconut away from the shell, but we would gather around as dad rationed out the pieces of coconut. Yummy stuff for 4 little urchins....but I expect that my dad had fun watching us clammer for the pieces and it sure made for some good memories. Looking back...I do remember trying to imagine what it would be like to be grown with children of my own...but I have to think that my dad had a lot to do with my life as it is and has been and know he would be pleased.

Starry Night

2010-12-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

OK...I have never loaded this many pictures before so lets see how this works. Starry Night was the Thimbleberries quilt for this year and I didn't actually use all of the block patterns. Some of them just didn't appeal to me so I had to adjust my quilt. Improvising with a piece of paneling to have a large enough surface was the first and it worked really well to sandwich the backing, batting and front. Then I pinned all three together and began to stipple on the machine. It took a total of 3 days, working a few hours each, to finish the quilt and as you can see, it is now on our bed! I love it!
I will now start another row of Sylvia's sampler and ready myself for another Thimbleberries quilt this next year.
So, we are now snuggling down at night under two quilts and some fluffy pillows and winter, which has arrived stays away.

"A good conscience is a good pillow." ~ Coussin

My lazy dogs

2010-12-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Just a quick picture of part of the last wall in my sewing room where this little garage sale table and chairs now sit. There are more pictures to come of this wall as the room is large enough for several activities. I love having the space to quilt, paint and perhaps just sit and have a cup of tea without having to stop and "pick up one mess to make room for another". We are continuing the wall as it extends nearly the entire length of the house downstairs, but the Mr. is now shooting fasteners into the cement and my poor dogs do NOT like the noise. Drywall is next, then mudding, priming and painting...AGAIN!
Ahhh! Another row of Sylvia's sampler quilt squares. Remembering that these squares are 6 inches finished, some of these pieces are very small! I am half finished.
And these lazy dogs!!! Both my little gray boy, Spencer and the little white boy, Roger are sporting new haircuts for the holidays. However they always choose to find the hallway the most comfortable place to nap! We have learned to step over them and they have learned to expect it!

"I have learned ...that when you are in love, it shows." ~ Andy Rooney

New Year Resolution

2010-11-18T15:23:00.000-08:00

Like so many others, with resolutions fully intending to be kept, alas, I have failed! We have been so busy that I haven't even been able to get to my blog and that makes my resolution pretty much null and void. However, this is what I have been doing. My unfinished craft room, sewing room, art studio is slowly emerging.
Although it still lacks a ceiling, the walls are nearly finished and my work tables are almost in their permanent homes and with 4 sewing machines, it looks like a sweat shop. There is one more long wall which is getting electrical outlets and mudding and paint yet. More pictures to follow when finished!
My door casings and window casings are not yet installed, but I am finally able to get some of the treasures I have kept from my childhood and family displayed. This includes some of my old toys, a Shirley Temple doll given to me from a cousin, a quilt panel from my grandmother's needlework I think, and a place to do stained glass, quilt, paint etc. as well as lots of storage for these things which are all an extension of my need to create. We have also finished an area for a utility sink next to the bathroom so that I may bathe my little dogs when needed and clean up painting messes.

I am so very grateful that I am able to enjoy these retirement years after what seemed like an eternity working everyday. Getting up before the sun, driving in the blowing snow in the dark, dealing with unhappy clients, trying to juggle family and work and home--all were a test of my ability to succeed in life. I feel as if I have passed the test!

"I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted paychecks." ~ unknown

Winter arrives

2010-11-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

I know it has been forever...where have I been? The hurrier I go the behinder I get. Wow...no pics today. Just a short note to say hang in there. We have been working on the basement...drywall, mudding, priming and painting walls and more! The Mr. had an opportunity to buy a 69 VW which will be reincarnated. An electric vehicle will be it's destiny....providing we get to that point. So many projects and not enough time. We have had good friends who have had health problems, so that is on our minds, and had an opportunity to get together with lots of old past co-workers who celebrated the closing of our old workplace, Mt. View Elementary School in Rawlins, WY. What a wonderful experience! Other good friends were here to shop for their new home and we were included in that endeavor and had lunch with 9 people today, also past co-workers. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful circle of people with which to share time. Quilt classes start tomorrow for me and the Mr. is playing pool leagues again....so hopefully the merry-go-round will slow down a little and I can get back to this blog. Sooo....hang in there!

More of Sylvia's Sampler

2010-10-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Rows 4 and 5 are complete and the challenges keep coming! I have discovered that as long as I can do a paper pieced block, I no longer worry about the 1/4" seams being exact. However, row 6 is actually completed although not photographed yet. It was all done with templates or written instructions and they were not EASY! But I persevered, even making one block 3 times before I got it finished to the exact measurements. Anyway, I nearly have half of the blocks done...140 here I come.
We had lunch this week with friends from Rawlins. They were actually teachers I worked with at Mt.View Elementary where I spent 14 years as school secretary. For us, we feel like a family of sorts. It is unusual for a group of upwards of 20 employees to continue to stay in touch after retirement, especially since we all have moved on with our lives. But the glue that held us together was our principal. Together we saw each other through joy and tragedy--marriages, divorces, births and deaths. There were good times and bad times and changes, but mostly memories and each of us with a special quality to hold our family together! Some, like us, have moved to Cheyenne as the need to be closer to Dr's and the other amenities a larger city offers, but when we have the opportunity, we still get together. This year, our dear Mt. View Elementary, along with the other old elementary schools will be closing and students will be together in a new school. Our school was built in the middle of the last century. Needless to say, it had been updated several times to accommodate the changes that come with progress but eventually there aren't enough "band aids" to hold it together. Our Mt. View "family" and friends will be gathering next month to remember the Ol' gal and the good times and to say goodbye to an old friend.

"Friends are like stars--you can't always see them, but you know they are there."

Before the migration

2010-10-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

The pictures were taken from the patio door so unless you click on them in order to enlarge them, they are a bit fuzzy. My apologies. However, there are several robins slurping and sharing with the sparrows and since I took this pic night before last, I have not seen a robin.
Fall is definitely in the air and I am sure the migration has started. There were doves, blue jays, robins, blackbirds and sparrows all fighting for territory near the water source. This is simply a cement structure, formed over a large rhubarb leaf which my daughter and I made several years ago. It has held up so well and the birds love it!!

Taking a trip today with my buddy, Sal, across the state line gave us a chance to witness the spectacular fall colors. Mother nature graced us this year with the latest Indian Summer I can remember. In the fields the cabbages were still waiting for harvest, the corn is drying yet to be cut for livestock fodder, the sugar beets are being harvested and the trees are brilliant with color!
We spent the day rummaging through antique shops and country shops and flea markets! Usually by this time we are pulling on snow boots, scarves, gloves and heavy coats, but it was a day to remember and spent with a couple of good friends, who could ask for anything more?

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." ~ Confucius

My new toy!

2010-10-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

I won the bidding on the little Singer featherweight on a Thursday eve, it was shipped on Fri and the UPS delivered it on Monday. In addition, the price was very good...I lost one at a $350.00 plus bid (and this was much less) and it was everything the seller claimed it to be! Above are all of the attachments, a ruffler, a gatherer, a zipper foot, one for lace and other things that are quite frankly a little scary in appearance. In the Green box is an old buttonhole attachment. I am not sure it is for this machine, as it is straight stitch only. The original booklet is here and it all was packed very neatly in the original carrying case. It sews like it was new and as you can see, the spool of thread makes this compact, lightweight jewel appear pretty small.
I have signed up for another class and at only 11 lbs, it will be so nice not to pack my heavier machines. Admittedly my studio, which serves as my craft room, stained glass workshop, houses our treadmill, dog beds and now with 4 sewing machines, looks like a sweat shop for underpaid seamstresses.

There is a bite in the air now which is signaling the onset of winter and the snows that will soon be falling. My garden plot is ready for next spring, and the drip system is nearly finished. I have been gathering seeds and will soon put out the bird feeders. Since providing a water source in our backyard for the birds, we have had an abundance of visitors and all are chowing down on the seeds they somehow scratch from the drying grasses and flower heads. Several pair of doves are regulars, and the robins are arriving and grouping for the flight south. This year we have had some blue jays of sorts, several as a matter of fact. When they are gone, we will have finches to entertain all winter and of course the sparrows. The Mr. calls them "flying rats". I will miss the warm days and don't look forward to donning boots, heavy coats and gloves, or fighting the bitter cold winds, but then, spring does follow winter.

Gardening

2010-10-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

470 bricks complete my "yellow" -- make that "red" brick road, Dorothy. With "Toto" in the background and my knees healing from the ordeal, we are quite pleased with the finished final walkway. Not wanting it to look "new", I was determined to lay this the way my grandmother might have done it. No digging down 6" and adding pea gravel or sand to be tamped to perfection. On the left will be a mulched area, shaded by the Aspen grove and on the right, the herb and veggie garden with ground cover between.
3 cubic yards of topsoil with 40% amendment filled the raised garden area and I still have to sift my black gold...compost for you non-gardeners, and add to the mix. In addition, there is a small area for herbs. The drip system is almost completed and hopefully this will look so different next year.
This is the front garden as of Oct. 1st. However, today there is a touch of fall in the air. Woke up to frost on things, but not enough to affect anything. I truly am blessed to have such wonderful friends and neighbors. Next door, I was gifted with a multitude of perennials...Hollyhock seeds from a giant pink plant, so many coral bells(I lost count), a butterfly plant, another hyssop which I divided, a geranium and others I don't even remember at the moment. Then last night, Sal came with what she calls "warm fuzzies". It was a 4 tiered indoor/outdoor plant stand which will be used to start my seedlings next spring. Thank you both!!

"To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch their renewal of life---
this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do.
~ Charles Dudley Warner

Birdhouse and Sylvia's Sampler

2010-09-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

As promised, this is the small birdhouse. The other gals made larger ones, two story birdhouses and we had so much fun! I fashioned my roof from metal flashing, and soldered it together with ball chain at the bottom to cover the cut edges. One gal used a copper gelatin or pudding mold for a roof and we found metal funnels at the big box home improvement store for some of the others. The base is a plumbing item glued in and it will allow air to circulate. Those stores are great resources for crafters. The rocks are affixed with liquid nails.

And the 3rd row of Sylvia's Wedding sampler is now complete. This gives one an opportunity to use all of the smaller pieces of fabric that just are too good to toss.

Yesterday the Mr. and I went for our flu and pneumonia shots and we have been paying for it since. This year anyone who has reached the age of 65 received a different vaccine than younger people. Our arms are swollen and extremely sore (never have I had such a reaction to an injection). The Mr. is convinced that this is a plot to actually get rid of this baby boomer generation. He may be right!!! More swelling today and hopefully by tomorrow we will see improvement!

We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.

Great finds and Sylvia's Sampler update

2010-09-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

See the wonderful cast iron griddle? I have a love for cast iron cookware and the Mr. and I hit a whole rural neighborhood of garage sales a couple of weeks ago. For a mere two bucks, I scored this 20" griddle in really great shape. I made pancakes and sausage all at once the next morning.
Great find!
Then the paper cutter. In our computer room, office, whatever..we constantly have a need for a paper cutter and have always wished for an old school paper cutter. At 12"X12"this one isn't too large. Another good score for $5.00.

Now to Sylvia's sampler blocks. Remember when I posted row 2, many weeks ago, I just skipped # 8 as it seemed way beyond my capabilities? I got my nose to the grindstone and decided that it was not going to intimidate me and I successfully completed it. Since these blocks unfinished are only 6 1/2 inches (if your quarter inch seams are correct), it has many small pieces. Ignore the strings and less than perfect seam allowances. In a large quilt with over 140 small squares, I don't think it will be noticed.
Pardon the absence. I have been really busy! The Mr. is installing a drip system for both front and back gardens, including all of the trees. It has been a job. I completed my brick walkway and started my herb garden border. Today I dug coral bells, yarrow and hyssop from my generous neighbor's yard and planted those. The first part of the week, my friend Barb came and spent 3 days and nights with me. We shopped and crafted on Tues when my other friend Pat came to spend the day. I am working on two quilts. Prior to that, I can't remember...but one day just runs into another at this stage of my life.

A friend sent us an E-mail...perhaps you have received this one. A new-word-for-the-day?
Paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that cause the reader or listener to re-frame or reinterpret the first part.
Example: A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Even though I have away from the blog for a couple of weeks, I leave today with a clear conscience. Think about it.

Resume of life

2010-09-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

This brick path is being constructed by me with gloved hands. I don't like to wear gloves, but the bricks and the shoveling and the sifting the rocks from the soil I remove are so hard on my bare hands. I have always thought my hands were, as hands go, a nice compliment to my otherwise plain, short and now stubby body. Not being a very vain person, I have always liked the way my hands looked. As a child these pastie white hands burned in the rays of the hot summer sun, as I did chores assigned, and played outside when the work was finished. They hoed weeds in the yard, pulled weeds in our garden, froze in the early winter morning hours as milk was fed to calves, and frozen water dishes were broken for other animals. By the age of 4, I was learning to hold a crochet hook and weave yarn carefully around my nimble fingers under the careful eyes of my maternal grandmother. My 6th grade teacher taught the class to knit on those winter days too cold to be allowed outside at recess. My mother taught me to embroider and my fingers pushed the needle up and down, fingers getting pricked in the process. Then I was taught to sew and we made most of our own clothes. These hands worked one summer in a beet field with my mother, on my hands and knees, thinning sugar beets. Later for six plus months, they supported my body on a pair of crutches as my broken leg and foot were healing. After high school I became a keypunch operator (when a computer occupied an entire room), and later a typist and then worked as a secretary...all requiring my fingers to fly across the machines as many as 8 hours a day. As a mother of two, they did all of the "motherly" things mother's hands do. I learned to decorate cakes and that is one of the most stressful actions on the wrists, hands and fingers. I am a stained glass artist and using the cutters and other related tools are brutal on hands. I tried throwing pots..never quite getting the hang of it, but I do love mosaics and grouting. I build birdhouses and have learned to use lots of tools, but again the staple guns were tough on the hands. (now there are electric ones) Now I am finally getting to do some quilting also. I have always done gardening and for the life of me cannot wear gloves!! ( gotta get them in the soil) My hands help me talk. If someone tied them behind my back I would not be able to talk. (A joke my dad always told me.) Looking at my hands now, they are so abused and weather beaten and just plain ugly. Of course they are getting older and the skin is getting thinner and the veins are getting bluer and more pronounced. Today I heard an artist discuss a water color she had done of an old woman and her weathered hands. She said something that inspired me. She said that she felt that "hands are a resume of a person's life".

I will forever remember that quote. Seeing my fingers with their tale tell signs of arthritic joints and my scarred palms and veins popping, and my aching wrists, I must have a hell of a resume of my life!

Sylvia's Sampler & Spencer

2010-08-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

We have been camping and then of course it takes time to unload, do laundry, clean up the trailer...(it rained and with 3 dogs--well, need I explain?) Above are 9 squares from the 2nd row of the sampler. #8 appeared way too complicated for me at the time, however I did finally get it done and will post with row 3. I love, love, love, these cute little squares which will eventually be a full-blown quilt. And speaking of a quilt to snuggle under, look at little Spencer. It rained, thundered and even snowed a little Sunday night and since Hildy the skinny bitch is afraid of the thunder, she jumped on our bed and shook all night long. Roger, our little white boy also spent the night on the bed with us and poor Spencer was just out of luck. He slept in his bed, but as soon as our bed was empty, see where he went to snuggle.(It definitely was a "two dog night".)
Yes we are crazy..3 dogs and camping with them, but they are our babies and are such a comfort to us.

"Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about." ~ Regina Brett

Fun in the sun (and shade)

2010-08-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was careful not to get any faces in this picture....poor photography on my part but great for this blog as I really do not like to put recognizable people here. Shaded by the new roof on this old barn, the four of us gals were able to work on a craft project quite comfortably. As the stream behind us gurgled along and the dogs played and slept, we covered PVC with rocks using regular construction adhesive. Funnels completed the projects as make-do roofs and a finished project will be posted at a later date. We spend 4 glorious days here at Elk Mtn and our hostess graciously cooked for us and for the 2nd year in a row, we all recharged our batteries. The weather was wonderful and the hummers and other critters graced us with their presence. However, a short time earlier a bear had made his appearance and with the help of 25 lbs of doughnuts each night, and over a period of a few days, was successfully trapped and relocated. We also were asked to paint the likeness of an Emu for the parents of our hostess who had raised these birds for several years. We felt that we did an OK job and we all have painted projects together so we didn't "bicker" too much!!
Oops! Girls! Got your picture here! We had such a grand time here these days and look forward to another retreat next year. We laughed, bickered, shared good times and great food, ate way too much and were a little rowdy probably. I love you all!

"Well behaved women rarely make history." ~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Summer fun!

2010-08-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

As promised...a picture of the birdbath totem, made entirely of found or free items. Total cost=$2.00. On the bottom, a yellow large plate, then a canister turned upside down minus the lid, a large candle holder purchased for $1.00, then a shade for a candle (free) and a green bowl which I shopped for in my cupboard. It stands about three ft. tall and appears dwarfed in the picture, but the aspen trunks are pretty large.

Yesterday, we took a road trip through the Fox Park, Chimney Park, Pelton Creek area and came back through Riverside and the Snowy Range. We found two geocaches, had a picnic lunch, saw some beautiful country and on the way home, spotted this moose lazily grazing on the willows.
Because we had such a late spring and there was so much snow up there, the wild flowers were still very much in bloom and were very showy for as late as it is.

We are busy still trying to get the outside work done while the weather is good and have been painting fence, planting trees, getting ready to build a brick walkway...so much to do!

Back at the keyboard

2010-08-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

As promised last post (and I have been away from the computer as we had our son here for about 10 days), see the old wooden furniture dolly? I got it for a buck at a yard sale and it just screams garden art! The Mr. repaired one of the handles as it had been "fixed" with duct tape. I plan to put the little round galvanized pail on it with flowers next spring.
This is the "privacy" fence which our son and the Mr. built for the lower patio. Yes it has a gate although as you can see, it doesn't go completely to the wall, but old people like us cannot bend over always enough to duck under the tree. DON'T FENCE ME IN! In addition to this project, I now have a solar clothes dryer, otherwise know as a clothesline, a raised garden area, and a repaired back fence. They also put insulation which was being stored in large rolls in the basement, in the garage attic area. The week was also Cheyenne Frontier Days and even though we got a lot of work done we managed to go to a parade, the PBR, a night concert and the State Museum. We had friends from Tuscon visit and all in all it was a wonderful two weeks. So, I am back at the computer!!!

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

2010-07-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

The next 9 of the 6" quilt squares have been completed! Number 8 had way too many pieces in it for me to tackle yet...paper piecing or foundation piecing is really testing my patience. I hit a few garage sales this weekend and scored some really good stuff. Fabric was my main purchase and I was able to get some really good pieces for little of nothing. I also got a wonderful piece for my garden which I will post later and I was inspired today to start another couple of projects that I have always planned to do. I picked up a Country Woman magazine and they show the most amazing garden totems made from tea pots, flower pots, plates, etc. as well as some miniature gardens. I have the perfect place for a miniature garden so I will have to work on getting some miniatures for it in the way of plantings and garden pieces. I did pick up some hostas for my shade garden and a couple of snowball plants at a bargain price but we are battling the rabbits! We have had to put chicken wire around everything! They aren't afraid of anything and although they are cute, right now I feel like they need to go in a stew pot. I wonder also what they might carry in the way of fleas etc. Our neighbor's cats used to keep them in check somewhat, but they have not been here since Dec.

This sky blue pink picture is a wonderful reminder of Dad. It was taken a couple of weeks ago from my front porch. As children with way too many questions, we would often ask him what his favorite color was and his answer was always the same. "Sky blue pink". So in the quiet of the peaceful evenings on my front porch I will watch the pink sky and think lovingly of Dad.

"Memory is the diary we all carry about with us." ~ Oscar Wilde

Garden totems

2010-07-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

My friend and garden Guru, Bonnie, and I embarked upon another "crafty" bit of garden art over the 4th of July weekend. First we hit a few yard sales and then a couple of flea markets to gather bits of glassware. We found vases, bowls, goblets ashtrays and globes for discarded light fixtures. This is only one of 6 that we constructed. The base is a piece of re-bar hammered into the ground 1 ft. for every 2 ft. of glassware. Then the lower most piece is a cheap or free vase of the type that a single rose might come in which will slip over the re bar. Using a caulking gun and GE Silicone II for windows and doors, which is a clear sealant and adhesive, we started by adhering two pieces at a time and letting the final structure dry overnight. It really is quite strong and drys in a few hours time. I will post a couple more later, but did E-mail these to some of my followers so sorry about the repeat.
Still working on more small quilt squares for Sylvia's Bridal quilt sampler and will post those as I progress slowly through them. We have relatives coming for a short visit and are excited to see how the little ones have grown.

"What we have to learn to do we learn by doing." ~ Aristotle

Sylvia's Bridal Sampler

2010-07-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

I have in the past, blogged about Thimbleberries, which is a quilt club with members across the country. A couple of months ago, one of our members locally embarked upon a project which has sparked a good deal of enthusiasm among our members. Every year, we have a quilt project to complete if we so desire, but this project is of our own choosing. Jennifer Chiaverini has authored a series of novels ---"The Elm Creek Quilt Novels". I began reading this series several years ago, before I began to quilt actually. The stories depict quilters from different eras in our history, one for example about a slave titled "The Runaway Quilt" and her struggle to escape slavery. But the novels all are based on the same characters and their common interest in quilting. Sylvia's Bridal Sampler was a quilt assembled with 6" squares, each from a different quilter. Sylvia was a master quilter and opened a retreat for quilters from all over the country, even other countries. When, at an advanced stage in her life, she married, the quilters whose lives she touched contributed to her wedding quilt. Now this book of quilt patterns, based on the 140 blocks from "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler" authored by Jennifer Chiaverini has been published for us!! I was so excited to begin and as I make each block, and learn it's name and struggle with each method of construction, I find that I am learning so much. What started as one quilter here choosing to start this project has become many. We compare our blocks, share tips and encourage each other. So...here are my first 10 blocks. There are 14 rows of 10 blocks each in the quilt example I chose.

We had a wonderful 4th of July with friends spending the weekend with us. My friend, Bonnie and I spent the weekend on a garden art project which exceeded our expectations and my next blog will show the fruit of our labors. I hope it will inspire some of my followers to follow our example and to let me know what you have done.

"Like a gardener, I believe that what goes down must come up." ~ Lynwood L. Giacomini

Summer windchime!

2010-06-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago, I indicated that I would be making a wind chime from pot lids and silverware. I finally got down to business and here it is. I opted not to use the large spoon, but will save it for another project. When the breezes blow, the silver pieces make a delicate little chime. Hanging outside my kitchen, it reflects my love for old things and I have re-purposed something!!! Thank you to my friend who brought hers to me to use as a model. With the dog days of summer upon us, we are taking every opportunity to work out of doors in the yard. A split-rail fence is now being constructed in the back yard and a small section, purely decorative, will find residence in the front of the house. We have planted numerous bushes and trees, mostly of the small, cheap, beg, borrow and steal type. (that's me--cheap, cheap or as I prefer, thrifty!) Usually with a lot of luck, we have success! We are looking forward to visits this summer from friends and family and perhaps a few day trips with the furkids and a picnic lunch or two. The weather has been wonderful and my flowers are in full bloom. I will be posting pics, but it is always difficult for me to get to the computer when mother nature is so kind!!!

The Amen! of nature is always a flower. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Summer

2010-06-18T15:03:00.001-07:00

Feed me! Feed me! Look at those little babies waiting for more lunch. Mom and Dad are very diligent and when our weather was so wet, Mom kept the babies warm. There are 3 little hatchlings in the nest and the way they are starting to flap their wings, I hope they don't fall out.

The Mr. and I have been very busy, finishing the den flooring, planting...we put in a silver poplar, two barberries, two yucca, a Russian sage and a sand cherry.

These are the cakes I made and we delivered to Rawlins last week in the rain. The celebration was to be held out of doors in a beautiful yard, but alas, people crowded in doors. In spite of the weather, there were so many people who came to share in the celebration of 50 years of wedded bliss by one of my BFF and her wonderful husband. It was so good to see so many of our old friends and there were about twice as many as first estimated. Nearly 150 people came.
So with summer officially arriving in a few hours, and Father's day also on the horizon, it is finally beginning to seem that winter has given up.

Mom nature

2010-06-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Good ol' mother nature never ceases to amaze me. We have had such a long winter...and snow up until 3 weeks ago. Suddenly everything is blooming as if to catch up. We literally went from freezing to 80 degrees. The rhubarb above is from my mother's plants. I have carefully moved it to a new home whenever we moved for the last 30 years. I have shared it with others and left it in gardens to be nurtured by new occupants and always kept a piece for me. It is the best deep red rhubarb!! Like all gardeners, I watch for buds and cut them off so that the energy needed to produce is not wasted on flowers which go to seed. For some reason this plant has done nothing but try to bloom despite my efforts to encourage it to do otherwise. I discovered this pretty little flower hiding deep within the center of the plant. Since my lilacs for the most part froze...I was delighted to see how pretty this flower was. (I did however pluck it from it's mother plant shortly after I took the picture.) Below, is another of mother natures wonders. I found the plans for this robin box which we mounted on a dead aspen just outside our window last spring, but alas, it was too late for nesting I guess. I dutifully watched every day this spring for signs of a robin and when I was not looking, the Mr. informed me we had a nest. She has been sitting on eggs for a couple of weeks now and the male robin has begun to take his post on a branch above the nest when she leaves to feed or take a bath in the birdbath I provided for her.
We don't want to disturb her too much, so this picture was taken through our window and screen. But you can see what a wonderful view we will have of the babies when they hatch.

"Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." ~ Albert Einstein

Before and after

2010-05-27T19:00:00.001-07:00

As you can see the first picture is the "before" and the second is the "after". We discovered broken floor tiles also, and of course couldn't match the old ones, so we decided to put a "tile rug" down. Nothing has been grouted yet, but that should be tomorrow. Since we really weren't planning this repair, we didn't tear everything out. Eventually, we will have to do that. I put in bedding plants today. My neighbor and I found some really good plants for cheap and I am known to be a cheapskate. I have also been working on a quilt repair which was not going well for me, but is now done. I did get to go to Denver with a couple of dear friends on Saturday and visited an elderly cousin. It pains me to see everyone getting so old. She has gotten frail, but still retains a good sense of humor. This is just a catch-up blog and I hope to get back to some "fun" things.

More bath blog

2010-05-14T18:21:00.001-07:00

Not to bore you all too much, but after all, this is what we do! Tile is going on after the drywall was replaced with the wonder board and the holes were filled and primed!! Yeah!
We had ten inches of snow a couple of days ago, it is raining cats and dogs as I type and tomorrow there are two big plant sales taking place down at the botanical gardens and the depot. I don't know if I am in the mood to get plants yet although by this time, I usually have some bedding plants in the soil. We have had freezing weather this week at night. Summer, summer where are you? (Still in the bathroom I bet!)

Bathroom renovation

2010-05-12T11:57:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post for my "friends" who follow our flipping processes. As you can see from the bottom picture, all that was holding the tile on the wall, was the paper from the drywall and the grout! There was NO drywall behind the area around the spout. This is our main bathroom and for those who don't know this story, one of the tiles seemed a little loose, so in exploring the reason, we found that the drywall had dissolved as a result of a prior leak. Unable to get all of the tile in that area off without breaking them has forced us to totally re-tile the area and more pictures will be posted. This is our 3rd bathroom renovation this year! The Mr. has become quite an expert!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers....even if your children have 4 legs. For some....those little fur babies are their children! My mother has passed on to another life, but I do remember that our Dad always made it a special day. Dad would take us to the drug store in the neighboring town and we could pick out a box of candy which we proudly presented to her, knowing very well that we would get the better portion of the box of chocolates. Even though life was a struggle for our parents, Dad loved our mother and us very much and we always knew that we were loved. There was never money for luxuries, only necessities and then not always. I remember Mother wearing a pair of shoes and seeing the soles "flopping" loose when she walked. She sacrificed a lot for us, but there were a lot of people then like us, struggling to make a good life. Mother had a very difficult childhood from what we know now, having a mother who had come to the states from Belgium and a father who had been murdered when she was a small child. The life Dad provided for her was so much better than what she had known growing up. She continued to struggle with some issues from her past I know...but Dad was her pillar of strength.
As her oldest and firstborn, I think my birth was the easiest for her, but my other 3 siblings were all difficult births, each having serious complications. She stayed strong (that is what mothers do) with the support of our Dad and we all survived with happy childhood memories. However he managed it, Dad would load us up on these special days and take "Mom" out to dinner which was a treat for all. I cherish the "good time" memories with Mom, and there were so many! Mom's come in all shapes and sizes but it is one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs of all!

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

May Day!

2010-05-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Does no one celebrate May Day? I had a dear friend ask me that and although I am among the young at heart, the fact that I qualify for Medicare this month and the fact that I remember celebrating May Day, made me stop and think. When I was a youngster, not even in school yet, I spent a lot of time with my paternal grandmother, Lucinda. I remember that we would spend all day, April 30th making pretty little baskets and filling them with candy and flowers. I do not remember what kind, but it was probably jelly beans or the like. Then May Day, she would watch as I ran to each of the neighbors on her street, drop a basket on the front porch, ring the bell or knock and run as fast as my little legs would travel back before they could get to the door. What fun! At our small little two story brick schoolhouse, it was tradition to make May Baskets and I really don't remember when that custom ceased to be. (There is a lot I don't remember..but May Day--yes.) Google information about May Day..International Worker's Day if you are interested in researching it. I don't think my neighbors would know what a May Basket was. Oh! For the simple life! I still haven't mastered my new cell phone, but I could whip up pretty snazzy May Basket I am sure!

2010-04-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Mr. and I and our two little furkids spent the last two weeks in Washington state with our daughter and son-in-law. The cherry trees and apple trees were in full bloom and the rhododendron and other blooming foliage were spectacular! The mossy growth above is at the base of the cherry tree in their backyard and the cherry tree is huge as you can see by the 6 foot fence in the background. The weather was very cooperative as the Mr. spent a good deal of time under the house? Why, you might ask?
He was renovating the main floor bathroom. She spent many trips shuttling him back and forth to the big hardware store for parts and he helped the Mr. with the removal of the tub and the numerous other obstacles encountered with this undertaking. That is another story for another time. Her best friend from Virginia flew out and his sister and some of their friends came to support Erica in her first screen print poster display for the Artwalk held last week in Olympia.
I got to see first hand how the process of stretching screen fabric, applying emulsion, exposing the images and printing the colors, evolved into a finished poster. There was also a Parade of the Species which is an annual event in which the local residents participate. This was no small event either. Hundreds of people of all ages dressed in costumes, mostly homemade as various species. We had to guess at some of the interpretations, but there was sea life...crabs, shells, fish, seaweed, mermaids etc. There were bugs of all kinds, lady bugs, butterflies, bees, etc. There were dogs, cats, apes, hippos....you name it. There were lots of bands, very few with traditional instruments...drums from 10 gallon paint buckets and water bottles..let your imagination go wild. Then we all went back to their home for an evening of drink and great food..all prepared by Erica and her friend and I helped a little. She and Jeffery were two busy people the entire time, but we all enjoyed the trip.

So I am back at the keyboard just in time for another snow storm!

Oooops!

2010-04-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

I blew my new year resolution to be better at posting, but gee....I find so much to do! Stay with me...I will try more! We finished the basement bathroom and here are a few pics of the finished project. Remember, there were no walls..nothing! The shower was elevated to accommodate the plumbing without having to tear up the concrete. We have done that before.

The larger tiles were installed on the shower step because they have a matte textured surface which was a safety precaution and we think they look great.
We spent the weekend in Saratoga at a pool tournament and the Mr. did quite well. The roads were closed Fri a.m., but we did make it out after they opened the interstate. It snowed on Sat and Sun and we made it home OK although the wind blew with pretty strong gusts. It is storming now as I type and this is springtime in the Rockies. I have columbine up, tulips, dianthus, alium, canterbury bells, delphinium and more. Brave little souls they are! I cannot wait to get my hands in the earth and see what survived this brutal winter!

"The trouble with gardening is that it does not remain an avocation. It becomes an obsession."
~ Phyllis McGinley

Spring? Winter? Make up your mind!

2010-03-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Spring arrived with more snow than expected. It snowed all day long today, and the wind blew and it was just downright miserable. The Mr. and I were in Casper all weekend at a pool tournament and it snowed up there. Frankly, dear, I am just sick and tired of it. The pool tournament went really well though. And as you can see from the bottom picture, we came home to strange furkids. Both of the little boys got haircuts and my goodness, Roger is a completely different looking little guy. We are still trying to guess what he is. My neighbor thinks that in addition to shih tzu he may be pug. Regardless, I never saw two happier babies. They played and romped until they dropped.

This is a new quilt that I am getting ready to quilt on the machine. The squares are actually quite small...6" finished, and I hand appliqued all of the small dresden plate pieces to the yellow background squares. I sent the baby quilt that I repaired off to Texas and they received it today so hopefully it will be handed down to another generation to treasure.

We finished the bathroom downstairs except for just a couple of things. I need to paint some and the Mr. needs to install a safety bar for the shower, but I will post some pictures when those are finished. He did such a beautiful job. It took quite a while to finish, but he had many other projects going at the same time.

This is little Roger sporting a new haircut just in time for 4-6" of white fluffy stuff. His rescue mother is home from the hospital after serious surgery and with her husband and furkids again. She will be spending some time now with ongoing treatment and we really wish her the best fighting this terrible illness. We are so grateful for all that she has done for four legged creatures, especially those that have been only hours from euthanasia.

I am ready to do some spring planting...I have lots of seedlings just waiting to get their toes in some warm garden soil and sunshine and fresh air. Spring--hurry up please.

"Baby, it's cold outside." ~ Frank Lesser

Important things

2010-03-09T07:10:00.001-08:00

Mother sewed most of our clothing until we were actually out of school, and although she never actually "quilted" with needle and thread, she did tie a lot of quilts. When I was pregnant with my first child, the Mr. was in the service and on tour overseas. I stayed with my parents until after our baby was born and the ship came back. I had lots of time on my hands so I made my baby his quilt. However, mom made some quilts for her grandchildren and this square above is from my nephew's quilt. My sister, the "farmer" sent it to my for repair. As you can see, much of the cross stitch embroidery is gone from years of being drug around by him and lots of washing and drying and just loving wear in general. I was originally going to cut the squares and restitch them back as so much of the white fabric is threadbare. However, I decided to take it all apart and try to just repair ripped seams and put a new backing and batting in and retie it. In one or two of the squares, the embroidery is gone completely. This was obviously made with muslin and the yellow is a polyester, popular in the 70's and it wears like iron and is in relatively good condition. It will be handed down to his daughter, so I am trying to keep as much of the top original as possible, even the embroidered squares. Will post a picture when finished. The "farmer" by the way has new baby goats, but one nanny had 3 kids, one of whom was born dead and another died shortly afterward. The remaining little boy is small, but eating she said. She also told me "death sucks". I could not deal with that which is why she is the farmer. The other two mama goats had twins each. And one of her little hens is nesting on eggs!!!
Several years ago, I was given an incomplete set of sterling silverware by a good friend. It has been in a chest ever since. I want to make a wind chime as I posted in an earlier blog and use old silverware. Being the cheapskate that I am, I would not pay $3.00 for a piece of silverware at the flea market last week and thought I might use pieces of this. I decided to see if it was of any value and had tried years ago to get information on it but couldn't. Well, on the first try this time, I found the information I needed. E-bay has a used set for 6 (4-place setting) for $750.00. Another site which sells individual pieces for replacement or completion of a set had 1 (4 piece setting) for $99.00 and another for $105.00. Some pieces aren't even available. If I were to replace just the sugar spoon and could find it, it would be about $40.00. This friend wanted me to have this service for 7 including 6 soup spoons and the butter and sugar above. This is an important thing to me and it will not be going into the making of a wind chime.

"A joy that is shared is a joy made double." ~ Anonymous

Pigs and mud

2010-03-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

The little piggies...flute playing pigs (are not wallowing in mud but) are a result of 6 1/2 hrs of flea-marketing with two of my favorite "buddies" on Saturday. We all came home with goodies!!! These guys are for my daughter who for some reason stumbled onto a few pair of these salt & peppers. There were hundreds of these kinds of collectibles at the Brass Armadillo in the Denver area along with hundreds of square feet of antiques, china etc. But flute playing pigs? The only ones I have ever seen are now in my hands and I hope that she wants these to put in her flute playing pig collection. We have to go back to that treasure chest. It was a wonderful weekend...just us girls.
Thanks Pat and Sal!!! Barb, we missed you!

My two little rescue babies are here and their rescue mom who let us adopt them is now struggling with a very serious health issue. She has done so much for so many unwanted furkids and has found homes for so many like these two. We all pray for her and wonder why someone who has done and continues to do so much good has to face such a struggle.

I took these two little boys for a walk today as the snow is melting with the temperature in the mid 40's. It is really muddy on our street (gravel) and in the gutters where all of the neat smells are, not to mention our back yard. They had a ball out in the sun and the mud and the yuk. When I got back to the house, both guys were covered in mud and Roger who is white as snow was brown all over. What a mess! Spencer is curly and had little tiny mud balls caked everywhere. I had to dip their feet in a bowl of water to get the mud off and there is no point in giving them a bath until it drys up a bit. I don't know who had more mud....the dogs or me. By the time I was finished, I was laughing too hard to be concerned about any of it. Spring must be just around the corner.

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." ~ E.E.Cummings

Quilting

2010-02-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

Every month in Thimbleberries quilt clubs, we get a bonus pattern as a challenge. Since I am not doing the club quilt exactly as I did last year, I have decided to try some of the additional projects. The heart in the center is part of the regular quilt, but I will not be including it in my quilt. The outside border of hearts was the challenge and the interior could be any sort of project, an embroidery pattern for example. I cannot tell you how many times I ripped out stitches. This should have been relatively simple. I was not happy with how the heart scallops aligned with the pattern until I decided to actually quilt the piece first and then add the scallops. Then as I quilted, the tension got all messed up and I ripped out so much before I got it right!!!

I spent today painting the basement bathroom and getting ready for new windows to be installed tomorrow, but it is supposed to storm, so don't know if that will happen. How about the Olympics? We have been watching while we work...yes every TV set is on. That is also why I haven't been here for a day or two also. In addition, the Westminster Dog show has been on. I never miss that!!! Hooray for the little Scottie!

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." ~ Anonymous

Furbaby

2010-02-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

We have had a house guest for a few days. Meet Roger. In June we adopted Spencer, a rescue dog and he needed a "buddy". When we saw this picture from the "Healing Journey Rescue", we wanted to see if he would make a companion for Spencer and see if our home would suit Roger. We all have fallen in love with him and feel that he has been very happy here so we will try to proceed with the adoption. There are so many animals needing homes now.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was more than ready to start planting. Last summer, my wonderful neighbor gave me these packets of seeds to plant. First of all the packets are beautiful. So I very carefully opened the first package which was the Columbine. I planted those seeds along with some of the other seeds I have been hoarding and gathering in small containers, hoping to successfully get them up and into the ground at the appropriate time. However, the wild flower seeds and the Wyoming Paintbrush, which is our state flower are sowed directly into the soil in the spring.
Two years ago I attended our garden club meeting at which one of the foremost wildflower experts was invited to speak. One of the things I learned about the paintbrush is that it is a sort of plant that needs a host plant in order to thrive. In other words, here in Wyoming, it needs to be growing next to a sagebrush for example or other native plant. So, that is where it will be planted and it just so happens that I have this sagebrush growing in my backyard!!!

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." ~ Confucius

Plant markers

2010-02-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

As you can see above, in various stages of completion are the old CD's. I drew lines on which to cut the edges, heated them, cut with heavy shears, painted front and back with gesso (it adheres to anything and gives "tooth" to an object which is to be painted), and proceeded with my plant markers.
This is one I did tonight and it needs to be sprayed with an acrylic. They make your garden so unique and are reminders of what one has planted. Sal and I went flea marketing Saturday and I found another larger lid and scrounged in my stash and found the large spoon which I am sure will be perfect in my wind chime. I have to find some old dinnerware now and what we found this weekend was pretty pricey. I can't wait to start on this and am sure I will get the pieces I need.
My quilt is finished! With over 350 inches of binding to sew down by hand, it took me 7 days to finish, sewing whenever I sat down. My neck was hurting when I finished, just from bending it to see to take the tiny stitches necessary to do the job correctly. It is however, very fine!!!

"It is not who is right, but what is right that is of importance." ~ Thomas Huxley

Thinking of Spring

2010-01-25T18:51:00.000-08:00

I have been gathering and cleaning thoroughly, recyclable containers for the sole purpose of planting seeds for the garden this year. The weather doesn't indicate that any time soon will be spring and neither does the calendar for that matter. However, my fingers are itching to do something along that line! Below is a wonderful wind chime made from recycled kitchen items. My friend Pat received it and brought it to me this fall so that I could use it for inspiration for my own. When she and I went to Ault last week to an antique shop, I found a wonderful green enameled lid. Now that I see this, I may need to find another smaller lid also. I am also getting anxious to paint some plant labels on all of the old CD's I have accumulated. If they are heated (I use the sun when it splays hot rays through a window) or you can use a hair drier or heat gun if you are careful, they cut easily with a large scissor into any shape you like when warm. I prefer to keep them in a shape similar to a seed packet. A hole or two can be drilled which will allow them to be fastened to a stake or hang from a metal plant marker. I may have posted this in one of my earlier posts, but will do it again when I do one.And speaking of windows!! The windows in this home have broken seals permitting moisture to accumulate between the panes. They are also 30 years old and not very energy efficient. The Mr. can do just about anything, but we have large windows, 4 of which are on the second level. After much discussion and contemplation, we have decided to bite the bullet and replace them all in addition to two patio doors. We are not doing the work ourselves so the bullet is a hard one to swallow. It will be nice however, to finally be able to actually see out and be able also to wash them. These for the most part are so cloudy, they obscure the view. It will enable me to look out my windows and see all of the new plants, started from seedlings, which will be blooming in profusion this summer. (Optimist that I am.)

"Flowers are love's truest language." ~ Park Benjamin

Biscotti

2010-01-19T17:26:00.000-08:00

I love coffee! It gets my heart pumping in the morning and if I can have a piece of biscotti ...even better! This is the finished batch and they came out perfect. I promised the recipe and this is the one I used. Guess what? It wasn't the cardomom recipe that I was using. (I thought it was). After I decided to keep the recipe and declare it a success, I discovered that I had used a Pecan Biscotti recipe and used cardomon in place of cinnamon. The recipe had been printed some time ago, was faint and had gotten water on it. (Water on printer ink tends to wash out the ink.)
Never the less, it is the best recipe ever!Pecan Cardomom Biscotti:
2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 T cardomom,. Combine these dry ingr. In bowl cream 1 cup sugar with 1/2 cup butter or (50/50 smart balance). Add 3 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. (Add 1/2 tsp almond ext. if desired also.) Stir in dry mixture.
Toast 1 cup coarsley chopped pecans and add to mixture. On floured board, roll into 2 rolls,
1 1/2" by 12" and place 1 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 30 min at 325 degrees.
Cool slightly and slice diagonally into 3/4" slices and return to oven, baking 10 min on each cut side.

We now have doors on the bathroom downstairs. Since this is bathroom #3, it isn't critical, but it is one more step to being finished!! Since nothing is plumb, level or whatever, the Mr. had a lot of trimming and shimming to do. We have tiling to do and beadboard and trim and then painting. Seems like a slow process, but it will get done. Yes!

"To live long, it is necessary to live slowly." ~ Cicero

Biscotti anyone?

2010-01-14T18:06:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, daughter,Erica sent me a recipe for Pecan Biscotti with cardamon. Cardamon? Never had occasion to use it and as it is a spice, decided to try this (new to me) flavor. However, being the very frugal gal that I am and upon discovering that it is a very pricey spice, at least out here in the wild,wild, west, I just couldn't bring myself to spend $10.00 on a little jar of something I might not like. We don't have Costco here in Wyoming, but at Christmas, we visited one with our son, Mike, and found that cardamon is priced very reasonably there and for a rather large jar too! Soooo...I tried the recipe finally today with great success! I will post the finished biscotti next time as I didn't want to wait forever to download all.
I will also post the recipe. I found that it is a very basic mixture of ingredients and after making batches with Sal before the Holidays, with so many varied recipes, some of which were crumbly, or spread too much, or just plain didn't cut very well, realize this can be adapted. Although it calls for pecans, cardamon and cinnamon, it is so basic. It cuts well, spreads on the pan nicely and didn't crumble. We made an espresso, a chocolate, and a walnut recipe and this could be used with any of those.
So much for baking. Yesterday we plunged forward with the bathroom project. With old clothes on, and the toilet and the sink and the light fixtures covered we sprayed texture on the ceiling and the walls. The Mr. brought the large air compressor from the garage into the basement and after mixing the gunk with what looks like a large version of a food emulsifier, filled the hopper and sprayed!!! I hit it with a wide flat drywall tool and wow! Does it look good. But we had that stuff everywhere. Took pictures, but until it's painted, the pictures don't look very great. Too much white I guess! This was a first for us, although we have done just about everything else in the home remodeling area....but now we know how it's done and we have the equipment and we saved a bundle by doing it ourselves.

"Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you."
~Aldous Huxley

AFTER

2010-01-07T15:13:00.001-08:00

OK...this is the after. Looks a lot different and just in time for the sub zero temperatures. He will have to start wearing a coat. I went to my quilt meeting and we all shared low temps. Ours here, much closer to the equator was 5 degrees and farther out (10 or 15 miles or so) had -15 and -13. The other "afters" will be much later. So much for the critter pictures...now not much happening here. The Mr. started a batch of elk jerky and the aroma is driving us all crazy. As the new year is beginning, I intend to blog a little more regularly and put some more projects on here.

"A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains." ~ Dutch Proverb

Before and After

2010-01-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

OK, I am up and running again after taking time to spend with family in CA and with friends back here for the New Year's arrival. Had an absolutely great time with family, but the drive back was a little stressful with snow, wind, and long hours on the roads. Good to be home, but more cold and snow with wind is predicted. The Thimbleberries quilt here is being "sandwiched" with backing, batting, and top and I will start quilting it soon. So this is the BEFORE. AFTER will follow much later. This week we will begin the quilt for 2010.

Unlike Erica, my New Year's resolutions are limited. Good grief, she has a bunch and knowing how goal orientated she is, I have no doubt that she will succeed. My one and only resolution is to lose the poundage that I put on the past two months. Really!!! I couldn't keep food from just leapin' into my mouth. I have a new pair of shoes!! Those "shape ups" by Sketcher are a bit weird looking, but I love 'em. With a fused ankle, it allows me more freedom to "rock" forward and puts less pressure on my knee. Along with that, Santa brought us a new tread mill. While at "Mike and Maggie's", I tried out theirs and decided that it was just the ticket to counter act all the food I inhaled. Erica brought goodies and Mike's neighbors and relatives brought food and he made yummy candy, Maggie made a chocolate tart which was to die for, not to mention all the other wonderful food we had. So the extra fat is my "BEFORE".

Little Spencer traveled with us and was a terrific little guy on the trip. In the car, he slept as soon as the engine started and woke up only when we stopped. He did his business on command practically and in the motels, he was a perfect gentleman. What a joy!! He is long overdue for a haircut and will be getting that tomorrow so this is the BEFORE and tomorrow I will post this AFTER...Stay tuned for the others.

"Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion." ~ Leigh Hunt

Off to see the wizard

2009-12-20T12:49:00.001-08:00

Not really off to see the wizard, but we are looking forward to spending Christmas with our family. Packing for one little 15 lb dog is like packing for a baby..really!!! First of all we have records of vaccination, we have a bed, a carrier, toys, treats, dishes, dry food, canned food, comb, brush, coat, diapers....yes, actually what is called a belly band, and tooth paste and brush (and pooper scooper. Then we had to find a pet friendly motel. Hildy is being boarded and she does really well as we have boarded her since she was a baby. Quite frankly, I think she will enjoy the vacation away from the pest. He constantly wants to play and she has no patience with him.

I finished the class project and it is now on the end of the bed as you can see. I am pleased with it although if I had it to do over I would used a different color thread for the actual quilting. As the new year is around the corner, so will a new project be forthcoming. I am anxious to embark on another project and will continue to post projects and picture of our 4 legged family members. Merry Christmas!!!