Afternoon Tea

I'm Just Sayin

2012-02-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

I was talking on the phone last night to Marion, trying to explain to her what our new vehicle looked like. I couldn't explain it well enough so I got up, walked outside and took a picture, then came back in and uploaded it to my computer and forwarded the picture to her email. I did all this while I was still talking to her on the phone. I told her I had sent the picture and she looked at her email and said, "Oh yeah, I've seen them before."

I have a reason for telling this story.

After I got through talking to Marion I was thinking about how I had sent her the picture and she didn't have to wait at all. Then I was thinking about how 20 - 25 years ago it would have been such a different story. In fact, 20 years ago, I don't think I would have been able to even imagine how this transfer could have happened.

I remember as a child going to Disneyland and seeing all the futuristic information in Tomorrowland. I remember the phones where we could call friends and it was on a speakerphone so everyone could talk and hear. I also remember the posters informing us that someday people would be able to call and see who they were talking to. It just didn't seem possible at the time!

Now that future is here and I gotta say, there are too many people spending all their time in front of a screen of some sort. They are either texting, (and driving) playing video games, watching a movie on their phone or ipad, or working at any number of other electronic activities that I don't even know about yet. So many people don't spend enough time with other people because of all these gadgets. I do think this is sad, and I do hope that people learn how to balance their lives and their technology.

On the other hand.

I also think that the internet, computers, digital cameras, cell phones, Skype, twitter, and others I don't even know about; these are some of the greatest things out there! I love that I can send messages whenever I need to, to anyplace, and get an immediate response. I love that I can take pictures and see the results immediately, and that I can either delete them or "fix" them on my computer if I don't like what I see. I love that I can watch a season of "Frasier" on my phone while waiting for hours in the doctors office. I love that I can call my grandkids in another state and get to see them while I'm talking to them.

I wouldn't want to change any of it. I can't imagine not having it. I wouldn't want to be without it.

Remember the "Jetsons?" I think we're just about there aren't we? In fact, today I think the "Jetsons" would be outdated! Well, we still don't fly around in our vehicles. Yet!

Random Quilting Information

2012-02-10T01:07:00.000-08:00

I just discovered a quilting blog that is really full of quilting ideas.... and is written by a man who loves to quilt. He is a young working dad with 3 young kids. Both him and his wife, who is a full time student, like to quilt. I know that there are some men who like to quilt so that isn't too unusual, but I still haven't figured out how such busy parents find so much time to quilt when I sure don't get that much done! And I have lots of time.... which I must be using wrong!

At any rate, I'm going to start working on a few more projects, including a throw for myself for in the evenings when I sit and read and want to stay cozy. In all the quilts that I've made, I realized that I've never made one for myself! I also have a couple of ideas for birthday gifts for granddaughters. One idea came from granddaughter Kayla when she was telling me what she wanted for her birthday, when it comes around. I just have to look for a pattern that will work, which I haven't found yet.

I was planning on looking yesterday, and I had gone into Joanne's to look at their quilt books because there was a special 20% discount for the day, and I thought I might find something. Unfortunately there wasn't much of anything left on their shelves. Our local Joanne's is building a new store which is almost finished, and I'm not sure why, but they are liquidating their old store instead of moving the stock, and it has cleared out quickly. I couldn't believe that there was nothing in the quilting section. They just began advertising and I thought it wouldn't clear out so fast. There is only one store up here and I didn't want to drive 50 miles yesterday to go to another Joanne's so I will have to find more discounts later when the new store opens. That won't be until the beginning of March. I guess that isn't too far away. Besides, I'm sure they will have lots of sales for the grand opening - and all that brand new merchandise! It will be fun!

Meantime I'm going to make some of the "wonky" squares for my throw. I have plenty of scrap strips for that.

A Colorful Sunset

2012-02-08T00:53:00.000-08:00

Some pictures of this evening's sunset after the cloudy skies and rain cleared some.

Then, much later in the evening, the clouds returned and we had more sprinkles. It wasn't very cold, though. Still not really winter weather. I guess winter is passing us by this year.

Wonder what tomorrow's weather will be?

Wonky Log Cabin

2012-01-30T01:40:00.000-08:00

I had mentioned that I wanted to find another sewing project - well I did find one. I was looking on a blog that is written by a former fellow classmate that I "met" while working on my degree. She is a young stay-at-home mom who home schools her 3 young children, was taking classes until recently, and somehow still finds time to sew all her kids, and herself, clothes, and she spends time quilting! Her husband is in the military and is gone a lot so she spends a bit of time parenting on her own. Not to mention the blog she also keeps up with. I don't know how she does all of this! Her blog is on blogger, the same as me. It's called "fancy that." Here is a link to her blog. http://nikki-fancythat.blogspot.com/ If you get a chance stop by and look at some of her posts. She's very creative.

At any rate, she, (Nikki) had posted some pictures of the quilt blocks she has been working on. They are called Wonky Log Cabin blocks. I have never heard of them before but the pictures she posted of them were so cute and colorful that I knew I had to try them!

The blocks are made from all of your scrap strips of material, and it doesn't matter what size the scraps are. Color doesn't matter either. In fact, the more of a variety of color you use, the better the blocks look.

So today I pulled out my boxes of scrap materials and began to search for the strips that I needed. I knew I was saving those strips for some reason! I was originally thinking that I wanted to make myself a throw quilt for keeping cozy in the evenings while sitting and reading.

Lots of colors to choose from. I didn't even make a dent in them!

I realized, though, that a birthday is coming up for one of my daughters-in-law, so I decided to work in that direction. I decided to make a set of Wonky placemats. Log Cabin blocks are really easy to put together, and these blocks were even easier because I didn't have to worry about cutting to a certain size, or even keeping a perfect 1/4" seam going! I had eight blocks sewn together in about an hour.

Using two blocks for each placemat, I bordered them with bright yellow and they were then ready to be put together with the backing, and quilted. Here is how the finished blocks turned out once the borders were sewn on.

Here's the placemat, all quilted. All it needs now is the binding.

Here's a picture of the back. It's kinda hard to see the quilting. I just used unbleached muslin for the back, and quilted enough to keep everything together. I just stitched in the ditch, but didn't spend the time quilting every seam.

This is the point where I stopped working on all but one of the placemats. It was getting late and I was ready to quit but I wanted to see a finished product. So I sewed the binding on one of the placemats, and even finished hand sewing the binding to the back.

So here is the picture of the one I have finished.

Isn't it really cute, and colorful? You can see the Wonky in the way the strips in the blocks are all different sizes and shapes. I think this is gonna be one of my all-time favorite blocks to make!

I'll finish up the three other placemats tomorrow and have one birthday present ready to go!

Then I'll get busy and make that cozy throw for me!

Chicken Broth - Or Is It Stock?

2012-01-29T00:40:00.000-08:00

I've heard that Costco rotisserie chickens were great for making chicken broth but didn't really know what the process involved. I just happened to have finished the last bit of a Costco chicken, so thought I would try my hand at making some of that homemade broth.

I got out a large pot and put all of the chicken carcass in, including all the skin that was left. I threw in a couple of, past their prime, carrots and celery, a leek and a half of an onion. Then I added some peppercorns, salt, dried parsley and thyme...I think that was about it. I filled the pot up to about 3/4 of the way with water and put it on a low fire. After just a short time it began to smell really good - even if it didn't look all that great.

I let it simmer on the stove for an hour then took a taste. It was good and tasted like chicken broth, but I thought it could stand some more flavor so I let it continue to simmer. In the meantime I was busy reading a good mystery... didn't have to spend time in the kitchen standing over the process. That's always good.

I let the broth simmer for another 45 minutes then tasted it again. It was really good and I couldn't see that anymore cooking time would improve on it, so I took it off of the stove.

After letting the broth cool for a little bit I scooped out as much of the carcass and vegetables as I could with a slotted spoon, then poured the broth into a bowl using a mesh strainer to catch all the rest of the pieces.

I let the broth sit in the bowl to cool down.

Once the broth had cooled down enough I poured it into two ziploc bags. Each bag held about 3 cups of broth. Then I labeled the bags and put them into the freezer.

The finished product

I wouldn't usually consider making my own broth however, as far as I'm concerned, the Costco chicken makes a really great broth. It has a lot more flavor than some of the canned broths I have used, and I am sure it probably has much less sodium. I don't have to spend hours making it either, as it pretty much makes itself.

Since I buy Costco's rotisserie chickens fairly regularly I am sure I will be making more of this broth.

Good Good!

The Fish Quilt

2012-01-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

I finished the quilt and, as promised, I have pictures to post.

I have made several of these quilts and I always forget that they are more time consuming than others. The main reason is that there are many small pieces that have to be cut individually, and then sewn in an unusual way. I can't really explain how they are sewn but will just say that lots of pinning is involved because the material doesn't like to cooperate and become the shape it has to end up. Does that make sense?

Anyway, I really love this quilt. It always turns out so cute! I got the pattern about 15 years ago while taking a quilting class at the community college. It came from a lady whose name I don't even remember, so I can't even give her credit.

I chose lots of bright colors for this one and it really came out nice. Here is the finished product.

The picture above isn't as closeup as the first one, but it shows how bright the colors are. Below is a closeup of the fish.

I also decided to make the quilt backing by piecing some panels together. I thought it turned out okay but decided I will change the design a little bit for next time. I don't really like the big wide stripe down the middle.

And a picture showing the brighter backing colors.

Even though this quilt takes lots of time to put together I really have fun making it and watching it come together. It makes a really nice throw to sit under to stay cozy and warm on a cold rainy day.

You'd think I would be tired of sewing for awhile, however, I am in the sewing mode and looking for another project to start on.

Time to search through my patterns!

A Cat Story

2012-01-22T23:19:00.000-08:00

No, I haven't abandoned my posting again. I have been busy working on a quilting project and it has taken longer to finish than I expected.

The good news is that I am almost finished with it, just some hand sewing to finish up the binding. I should be working on that right now, but I am ready to take a break from sewing since I've been sitting at my machine since I got home from church today. So I've decided I'm done for the evening. I'll have some pictures of the quilt to post as soon as it's finished.

Meantime, I thought I would share a little bit of everyday insanity with you.

Earlier, while I was busy working on the quilt, Mr. Nubbs the cat decided to start hollering for me to let him in the back door. We have a cat door, so I just ignored him. I guess he didn't want to come in through the cat door though, because he just kept hollering at me.

I finally got tired of listening to him, got up, opened the door, and let him in. Of course I reminded him that he could come in anytime he wanted without my help!

As soon as Mr. Nubbs walked in the door I could see that he had been outside pursuing his favorite activity - rolling in the dirt! He walked into the kitchen, plopped down on the floor, and began cleaning himself, flipping dirt in every direction as he worked! I hollered at him and told him he was making a mess everywhere, to which he just gave me a dirty look. I kept hollering so he finally got up, gave me another dirty look and an indignant meow, then went through the cat door (the one he couldn't figure out earlier) back into the yard and began to roll in the dirt again!

Shortly thereafter he was back at the door hollering for me to let him in again!

The Hazards Of Crock Pot Dinners

2012-01-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

We had a quiet Sunday planned for today. After going to church I stopped in at the store for a few groceries then headed home to put some dinner in the crock pot. Marion just bought her own crock pot and had been asking me about some recipes to use, and somehow this got me busy thinking about a crock pot meal of my own!

So today after church Marion, Derek, and Lester were coming over to spend some time visiting, and I was going to make some beef stew because it was cold and windy outside, and this sounded like just the right meal for my crock pot dinner.

I got everything together and started the crock pot about the same time Marion and family showed up.

Since I guess today was some sort of special football day, we had the television on watching the game - games? Well, some were watching it! Anyway, as the crock pot continued to work towards simmering the meal, we decided to play some card games.

We played a couple of different games and when 4:00 rolled around I realized that the meal in the crock pot still hadn't even begun to simmer. It was close, but just kept taking its time! At about 4:15 it still wasn't simmering and I decided I'd better take some action if we wanted to eat sometime before midnight!

Soooo, I took all of the stew out of the crock pot and put it into a large pot and began cooking it on the stove, where it almost immediately began to simmer and smell delicious.

We eventually had dinner at about 6:00. We had the beef stew and some french bread, and it was really good. It just wasn't the crock pot meal that I had planned it to be!

So I guess the moral to this story is; if you're going to plan a crock pot dinner it's best if you put it on to cook early (like before church) rather than waiting till later in the day. After all these years you'd think I would have known that!

Tomorrow night we're having crock pot chili!

Finally A Post!

2012-01-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

It has been too long since I have updated so I'll write a little tonight.

Christmas has come and gone - I can't believe it! But that's what I say every year. I do have some pictures of the season as proof, though.

Kayla & Marissa decorating our tree

Katie had a birthday three days before Christmas and we gave her a small party. I don't know where Tara was during picture taking!

Christmas day we had a small Christmas gathering and dinner. It was fun, though.

Opening the presents!

Then people just got goofy! Well some people!

Yes that's a blue Christmas tree we're all wearing on our heads!

I'm too tired for anything more tonight (as you can plainly see from my choice of pictures!) I'll try to get back before the end of this day and post a bit more.

Meantime Schultz and I are going to bed!

A Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

We are back from our trip to Utah where we enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving with all of our children and grandchildren. It's been several years since we've been able to do this, so it was a great visit. Tiring, but fun! Seven grandchildren all at one time can be spirited, and noisy! A lot of fun, though.

Since there isn't enough room, or beds, for everyone to stay with family, a few of us stayed at a motel in Provo. It was very nice, with a cozy sitting area in the lobby. It was priced well, pet friendly, and even provided a full breakfast every morning. Tara and Katie thought it was great fun meeting us in the breakfast dining room at the motel every morning. The only down side was that we had to drive back and forth each day, about 25 miles.

The motel lobby. A great place to sit and enjoy the warm fire.

Kevin and Jesi cooked the full Thanksgiving meal and I didn't have to cook anything! That was really nice. I didn't know what to do with myself so I just spent time taking pictures. I managed to get all of the grandkids together for a picture - not easy to do!

They are all getting too big!

They were having fun playing some kind of game!

Silly Odin & serious Levi

Five silly girls

After dinner the kids had a fun ride as they all piled in the chair while Kevin spun them around till they were dizzy!

Some after dinner conversation. Looks like it's serious!

By the end of the day everyone was tired. Since Kevin did most of the work, he was especially tired!

We let him sleep!

A Fun Project

2011-11-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

Kayla and Marissa came over for a visit a few nights ago. I wanted to provide them an activity to have some fun with, so I decided to help them make some Christmas cards to give out.

I had some supplies for the project but not everything the girls needed, so we headed out to a few craft stores. First we went to Joann's to pick up some Christmas themed paper that was on sale. When we finished there we headed over to Michaels to pick up a few more supplies. While shopping at Michaels we found some packages of stickers to use, and some Christmas themed rubber stamps.

After we finished our shopping and ate some dinner, the girls got busy working on their cards.

The girls really enjoy working on crafts. They especially liked the cute Christmas stamps we bought. The stamps came in a package which included several different types of santa's, christmas trees, ribbon-wrapped packages, snowmen, holly, and even a cute reindeer - we all thought it was the cutest!

Looks like lots of hard work went into these cards!

And some fun too!

When the girls were all finished each had made three cards to give out. They all turned out really cute and the girls had a lot of fun working on their projects.

The finished cards, all ready to give out.

Thirty Years

2011-11-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

I don't believe my "baby" turned 30 on Tuesday! In honor of the event we had a small birthday dinner / get together for him on Monday since that's his day off.

The "birthday boy" came over in the early afternoon and helped to cook his own dinner! He peeled and sliced apples for his birthday pie and helped make the pie crust. He also peeled potatoes and mashed them when they were ready, then sliced the roast when it was done. After all that work, he even loaded the dishwasher! We had an enjoyable time working together though, and I don't think he minded, as he enjoys cooking and baking - and giving his mom a hard time while at it!

In between all of the work, everyone spent time visiting. The girls of course, were busy playing inside and out. It wasn't too cold outside so they could go out and play on the patio. When they are all four together they always keep themselves entertained - and without much conflict, mostly!

We ate dinner fairly early, and everyone was too stuffed to have the birthday pie and ice cream right away. The girls wanted to give presents, so Jason opened his gifts.

We got the girls to sit with Jason and took some pictures. I love my iphone, except for the camera! It's picture taking ability leaves much to be desired. I have been in the habit of using the iphone camera because it's so easy to send pictures from. From now on I am gonna pull out my "real"camera. Jennifer took some pictures also and I wanted her to send me some, however, she used her iphone also and they weren't much better. So these posted pictures leave much to be desired.

Blurry, blurry! Does anyone else have this problem or is it just me and Jennifer?

Jason finally got to have a few quiet minutes to drink a hot cup of coffee and relax.

It was getting late by the time everyone left. The girls had school the next day and it probably wasn't very easy to get them up in the morning!

Good thing they all live close by and no one had a long drive home.

P S Here is a picture from the party that Jennifer just sent me. It turned out pretty good so wanted to add it to the post.

And More Halloween Fun

2011-11-06T00:16:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I do have other grandchildren besides "the girls." When I checked my email today I found a message from a daughter-in-law. She had included some Halloween pictures of the grandkids in Utah. So I wanted to post their Halloween fun. Of course, looking at their costumes, it isn't easy to tell who is who, except for princess Ashley.

Odin & Ashley

There are a couple of extra friends in this picture, including the one in back holding the red sword, or is that a light saber? Sorry Darth Vader! Standing up front though, are Ashley the princess, Levi (not sure what he is, skeleton?), the boy in blue is a friend, and Odin, on the end, is a ninja. The cute decorated front porch is daughter-in-law, Jesi's project. She loves to decorate for every holiday.

I thought they all looked well dressed for the occasion. It was a cold night for them and they all were wearing thermals under their costumes. At least it didn't snow on them!

I don't get to visit with these three grandkids very much so I'm glad that we will be heading to Utah for Thanksgiving.

Can you believe it, November is already here!

Trick Or Treat

2011-10-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

We had a fun, unusually light, Halloween. The "trick or treaters" usually begin when it is not quite dark. This year they didn't start until total darkness,.. and then some. Even the dogs were beginning to wonder when we would have someone show up.

Do you think they'll ever get here?

Yes, they like wearing their Halloween costumes!

When the "trick or treaters" finally did begin to show up they were very scattered and we had long minutes in between each group.

Then the girls came over with their parents just a little after dark and they were all ready to head out and get their treats. Of course first I had to take the annual Halloween pictures.

All ready to head out "trick or treating."

Normally I have to stay home and pass out the candy but this time I got to go with the girls. We just walked around our neighborhood. There were lots of houses that didn't have anything, however, there were enough stops for the girls to enjoy the fun of it. They had also been to the church "trunk or treat" the night before, so they had plenty of treats between the two nights!

They really liked this decorated house

Don't know why there were so few "trick or treaters" this year however, as you see, we all had a fun night.

Halloween Bags

2011-10-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

After spending Wednesday morning at my volunteer receptionist job at the church, I came home and got busy working on some projects to send to grandkids in Utah. I wanted to make some "trick or treat" bags that the kids could use every year. I had an idea of what, and how, I wanted to make them. I wasn't sure about what sizes to cut the material pieces though, as I didn't want the bags to be too big. They don't need that much candy!

Anyway, I got out my material and sewing equipment and just made an educated guess on size. I got busy working, and I had the first bag put together within a couple of hours.

I thought it turned out pretty well. I hope it looks fairly Halloween-e. When I went into JoAnns to pick out material they didn't have much left in Halloween patterns. That's what I get for procrastinating! I have had this idea in mind since the beginning of October!

After finishing the first bag I recalculated some of the material sizes that I thought needed to change, and began to work on the second bag.

After cutting the material pieces I thought it would have too much orange but when It was finished I decided I liked the colors.

By the time I was ready to make the third, and final, bag I had the cutting and sewing down to a science. I don't think it took me much more than an hour and I was finished with the last one.

Here is a picture of what the inside of the bags look like. They have plenty of room for lots of candy!

So this morning I put a starter bag of candies in each one and sent them off to the grandkids. Here is a picture of the three of them waiting to be packed up and sent.

As I was packing them up to send I did notice that I had made a mistake when putting one of the bags together. So I have a puzzle question for today. After looking at the above picture of all three bags together can you pick out the mistake?

Should I make it a contest and the winner gets one of my homemade bags?

Marion's Birthday

2011-10-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we had a birthday get together for Marion. It was a nice day so we decided to barbeque. Jason and his girls came over, along with Jennifer and her girls.

Marion and family got here at about 3 O'clock. While finishing up dinner preparations, everyone spent time visiting. Of course the girls were busy visiting and playing, inside and outside. Finally, it was time to sit down and eat.

After our dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and baked beans, the girls kept wanting the most important part of the meal. So we brought out the cake and ice cream!

They were all waiting for a chance at that yummy cake, so I left to go get the candles.

I should never have left all those girls alone with Marion! Such silly faces!

Hmm, I wonder whose idea this was??

I finally got the candles on the cake and lit them. First though, we had to get all those faces and fingers cleaned up! After we sang "happy birthday" Marion was all ready to blow the candles out. I didn't want her to have to work very hard, so I only put two of them on the cake.

Marion tried hard, however she was too exhausted from all that silliness with the girls. Her "real son" sitting on her lap didn't help any either!

So Derek had to help blow them out, which didn't make her very happy!

She wanted to blow them out herself!! Doesn't look like Derek minded helping out, though!
He tried to console her with a kiss, however that just grossed out the girls who all hollered EEEEWWWW!

Finally, Lester had to come in and console Marion. That seemed to help.

Such a silly, fun day.

How Laundry Can Turn Out To Be Fun

2011-10-16T01:56:00.000-07:00

It was a busy day today. Jason, Tara, and Katie came over to visit in the early afternoon (also to do laundry!). The girls went outside to play for awhile and that was the quiet time.

After about an hour, Jennifer brought over Kayla and Marissa so they could visit - and spend the night. When all four of the girls get together, it isn't quiet anymore! So while the girls were busy trying to decide what, and how, they were going to play, Jason and I decided to start getting dinner going.

We decided to make my version of chicken and rice. It has lots of vegetables in it, so I started cooking while Jason cleaned and chopped the vegetables. After we had that on the stove cooking Jason decided to use the rest of my apples from Oak Glen to make some "hand pies."

When Jason was little, he began learning how to bake. He had an ulterior motive for this. He doesn't just bake anything, he likes the sweets! So of course, he was ready to make apple pies. Though to be fair, he does like to bake bread also.

These ones are ready to go into the oven.

In between our cooking and baking, Jason was still working on his laundry and I was refereeing the girls, who sometimes act too much like sisters!

Finally dinner was ready and we sat down to eat. Last night I had baked two loaves of sourdough bread and we all had some with the meal. Everyone really enjoyed the chicken and rice, even Katie. She told me it was her favorite dinner ever! Pretty good for all the vegetables that were in it! I had also made some applesauce and we were going to have some of that, however, we decided that the pies and applesauce might be too much dessert.

Some of my homemade applesauce

After dinner, the girls decided to go into the spare bedroom and clean up all of their mess. Wow! All without being asked. I don't know what brought that on, but I didn't complain! They did a very good job too!

So as a reward for all their efforts, Jason made some hot chocolate to go with the apple pies. They were happy.

The finished pies.

I should have taken a picture of the four of them sitting at the table with their pies and hot chocolate. They looked so cute!

Apple Picking At Oak Glen

2011-10-12T01:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went apple picking. Well, sort of. It turned out that the weather had caused the apple crops to be sparse, so there weren't any apples left on the trees. We weren't very happy about that. The girls always look forward to finding the best apples to pick.

The day wasn't a loss, though. We decided to go into the shopping area of the apple farm. They have a store with lots of goodies to buy, a food court, petting zoo, picnic grounds, and of course, the live bluegrass music. I was hoping to insert an MP3 file of the music I recorded on my iphone. I am having problems with getting it to work, so will have to forego that for now. When I get it figured out, I will put the music on. They were a fairly good group, however, my iphone recording wasn't that great so maybe its just as well that I can't get it to work!

The store did have some apples to buy, so we were able to get some for pies, applesauce, and whatever else we decide to cook up.

Besides spending time in the store we found a picnic table and had a nice lunch. This wasn't an easy task, as the farm was very busy. We have gone there for many years and this was the most crowded we have ever seen it. After lunch, while enjoying the music, the girls spent time playing on the lawn. Here are a few pictures.

Silly-face Katie!

And playing among the trees. Lots of people, as you can see.

And lastly, a picture of the bluegrass group in the middle of singing a song.

We did have a fun day.

My Table Runner

2011-10-06T01:17:00.000-07:00

I went digging through my material boxes and found some fall colors that would work well for a table runner. While I was busy setting up my sewing area I left the box of material sitting open. Five minutes later when I returned to get a few more things, I found a stowaway among my material.

I don't know why he thinks that he owns everything! He wasn't interested in leaving that box either!

I finally got busy sewing. I made the leaves and the pumpkins from a pattern out of an Eleanor Burns quilt book. They were made as individual blocks. Here's a picture of the leaf block.

Next I made the pumpkin blocks. Those stems weren't easy!

Kayla and Marissa said they should be orange because pumpkins aren't red!

After I finished making all of the leaf and pumpkin blocks I had to decide how to put the runner together as I didn't have a pattern for that part.

After adding some background strips to make all of the blocks the same size, I squared them all off and sewed them together in one long strip, added a rust color border and quilted the runner. I didn't have enough of the rust color border (which was my first choice) to use as binding, so I found some green material that worked. Actually, after it was finished, I thought the green binding helped to bring out the other colors.

I thought my table runner turned out fairly well.

I brought out all the rest of my fall decorations and set them out to go with the table runner.

Today it was windy, cool and rainy so now it really does feel like fall is here!

Fall Is Here!

2011-10-02T01:37:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that it is already the beginning of October! Where does time go?
Though we are still having some warm days here, the feeling of fall is in the air. Usually it doesn't start to really cool down here until close to halloween. This year is different though, and it is already cooler than normal. I so like it!

I also noticed several days ago that there were a few leaves on our tree that were beginning to turn colors. Though we don't see much color here in the desert, we do have some, and I enjoy it. I really love the fall colors. It's time for me to bring out my fall decorations!

It's also time to go apple picking again. Every year the four girls, their parents and I, all drive out to the local (sorta) apple orchards in Oak Glen, and spend the day picking apples and wandering through the town stores. The girls really enjoy wandering through the groves and helping to find just the right apples. The orchard also has small barn animals the girls can visit, a local bluegrass group playing music, and even a place where the girls can make their own apple cider! The cider making takes a long time and they get really tired out! It's always a really fun day for all of us. We'll probably be heading there next weekend. I'll take pictures!

One fall project I have had in mind is to quilt a fall table runner. I have a pattern that I've had for awhile, so I'm going to get busy. It has maple leaves and pumpkins on it. I want to get started on it this week so I can enjoy it through the season. The pattern isn't exactly the way I want it so I am gonna have to change it around a little bit. We'll see how that goes!

I am also thinking about how quick Thanksgiving and Christmas will arrive now that fall is here. So, I am going to get busy shopping... and sewing some of those games, purses, clothes, and other projects that I have sitting waiting for me!

Wish me luck!

Pictures

2011-09-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy taking pictures. One thing that I have always been fascinated with is black and white photography. I haven't really spent time working on the computer, editing the pictures I take. I usually just import them from my camera and leave them.

I thought it might be fun to change some of my pictures over to black and white so I experimented with a couple of them just to see how they would turn out.

This is a picture taken on a stretch of beach in Oregon. I thought it turned out really well. I love the fog. It makes the picture mysterious, and the black and white only adds to that effect.

This picture is one of the photos that I took from our hotel in Laughlin. You may recognize it from my last posting. I think converting it to black and white changes it quite a bit from the original. It looks like it should be the cover on a book set in the 1950's!

I like that it is so easy with the digital cameras today that make it really easy to take interesting pictures, decide immediately if we like them and want to keep them, then put them on a computer and change them around to suit our needs, or wants.

I am thinking that I'm going to spend a little more time playing around with my pictures and enjoying the editing I can do. I don't know a lot about how it works, but I think it will be fun to learn. So much easier than during the days of 35mm!

In fact, it struck me awhile back that every time I take a picture of my grandkids they all immediately want to see the picture. It never crosses their minds that they would ever have to wait to see how it turned out. Wonderful technology!

Laughlin

2011-09-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend in Laughlin, enjoying some time away. Since it was Donna and Bruce's (sister and brother-in-law for those who don't know them) 40th wedding anniversary, and we had celebrated our 40th awhile back, we thought we would all go and kinda celebrate together.

We didn't do anything special, just a little gambling and - of course - had a few margaritas! Donna and I went to see a Chinese acrobatic show which was quite entertaining, and sometimes, kinda nerve wracking! It's amazing what those performers can do! We decided that it takes lots of physical, and mental, training for sure. I would have liked to take some pictures of them. I wouldn't want to break their concentration, though!

We spent the rest of the time just relaxing, driving to a few other casinos, and watching the boats on the river. Here are a few pictures from the balcony at our hotel.

I love looking out over the water and watching everything go by!

The view is really pretty at night also. The lights on the Arizona side show up really well.

One of the casinos we went into had a really nice conservatory just inside the entrance. It was full of trees, ponds and waterfalls. I did get one picture of a waterfall.

So we enjoyed our couple of days away, and we didn't loose too much money either! I guess that's all we can hope for.

When we got back home, I had a nice surprise waiting for me.

It finally arrived!

Some Interesting Info

2011-09-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

It's official. Unfortunately, the Thundershirt doesn't do anything for Schultz! We have had several days of thunderstorms, and I have faithfully put the shirt on Schultz. He still sits and shakes, shivers, pants heavily and drools everywhere! He must be in with the 15% of dogs who don't respond...I don't know what to do for him now. Maybe some earplugs! I'm just glad we don't have these storms too often.

In other news, granddaughter Kayla went to her first music lesson at school. She has decided that she wants to learn the violin! She just had to call me and tell me all about it. She said the instructor told them about some of the music symbols and the music scales. She told me her teacher said her violin was a really nice one and then she told him that it was the same violin that her Uncle Jason and her grandma had played. So now, of course, she wants to come over and practice with me! I better get my other violin out and get up to speed! She is really excited about starting lessons. I hope she continues to enjoy it. She is beginning to learn at about the same age as her Uncle Jason began, and on the same violin!

I have been busy doing lots of reading. Just have been in one of my moods! Mostly just the usual fiction, however, I did find an interesting book at the library on Lyme Disease. I have been busy reading it, and learning a lot. There are many different aspects of the disease and studies have shown that. Even though there are so many studies out there, the disease is very controversial. I did know that, however, reading this book & other research has shown me a lot more. This has been keeping me busy and I have been learning a lot of useful information. It helps me to know what is going on with Jennifer, so that is good. It is a really insidious disease.

So that is what has been going on recently. Since I haven't had any school deadlines looming over me it has been fun just reading for pleasure. It's about time for me to get busy on some of the other projects I've had in mind, though, so that's what direction I hope to be heading towards.

A Perfect Day

2011-09-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today was cool, breezy, and felt like fall was in the air. A really beautiful day.

This morning I took Marion in for an eye doctor appointment and afterwards we went out to a late breakfast, almost lunch.

Of course Marion couldn't see because her eyes had been dilated! We did enjoy the time, though. We spent the time talking about the day and how perfect it was.

A good day for memories.

Happy Birthday Dad!

A Finished Quilt & More Projects To Go

2011-09-01T01:15:00.000-07:00

I just happened to have the camera on my phone handy and Schultz seemed to be posing. I thought it turned out pretty well. He looks like he's waiting for the answer to a question, doesn't he? I took the picture using the closeup feature that my 9-year old granddaughter recently showed me how to use! I didn't even know it was there until I saw her using it!

I finally finished the baby quilt I was making. It turned out pretty well. I made it all from left over material that I had in my stash. I didn't realize that it would end up looking so red, white, and blue...but I do like the colors. I went with the fields and furrows design because I thought it looked more girly than the all sevens design. Here is the "finished" picture.

It's laying across the back of the couch, so it kinda looks like a seat cover. It seemed to be the best way to get the whole quilt in the picture though.

Now that I have this project done Jennifer is standing in line for a tote-bag that she wants me to make for her! I also have grandson Odin's birthday coming up and I hope I have enough time to make the checkers game for him. The pattern doesn't look like it should be too difficult though.

Well, I did say I wanted to spend some time sewing once I was finished with school!

Dance Time

2011-08-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

Granddaughter Katie wanted to try dance classes, so she went today for her first lesson. There were only three little girls in the class. Katie was the only one who hadn't taken dance classes already. They are all beginners, and watching them trying to learn the steps is really cute.

I didn't get to take such great pictures because I had to either take them through a window, or take them from the reflection on a mirror. Not to mention that iphone cameras just don't do the job well! I did get a few pictures though.

The first part of the class is ballet.

I know it's really hard to tell but Katie is the furthest one over - and the tallest.

She's trying to follow the teacher's lead!

It was hard for her to figure out how to keep her toes pointed.

After a half-hour of ballet they changed shoes and began a half-hour of tap. They really liked hearing their shoes on the floor!

This time Katie is the one closest. The third little girl was taking a break when I took this picture.

When they were all finished with their lesson they each got a sticker for their efforts.

She wanted to show me what her sticker looked like.

Yes Katie really enjoyed the lesson and wanted to know if she could come back tomorrow! It looks like a fun new adventure for her. Since she has never been to preschool we weren't sure if she would do well taking directions from a stranger...and she does have a mind of her own...so we just weren't sure.

We'll see how things go next week!

Quilting

2011-08-19T01:10:00.000-07:00

I have been busy working on the baby quilt today and have come to one of the really fun parts. In a nine -block, log cabin baby quilt, there are two different designs that can be used. The fun part is figuring out which one looks the best. Soooo, I have taken a couple of pictures to show the options.

The first design is called fields and furrows.

The second design is called all sevens.

This one gets finished with more red around all the edges and ends up framing each block.

This is going to be for a baby girl, and to me, one design just says girl more than the other.

So I think I know which one I am going to go with, however, just for fun, maybe I could get a few suggestions. Which one?

Of course now that I have this one halfway done I am thinking I should have gone with a different quilt. Since the parents-to-be are farmers, I'm thinking I should have made a Sunbonnet Sue quilt!

This And That

2011-08-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone for the well-wishes and congrats. It was a long haul, but I did enjoy it.

I have been busy reading for fun over the last week - since I don't have to read a textbook now! I went to the library and checked out six books, and have them all read except for one. I can spend hours reading for fun! Right now I am thinking about reading some of the classics; Jane Eyre, To Kill A Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath, etc. Anyway, I have been neglecting my posts because of it.

There has been a few things going on. I have had Kayla and Marissa a few times this week while their mom has doctor appointments. They keep me busy. I did get some updates from them about their new school. Kayla likes it a lot. Marissa likes the after school activities they are in, however, she isn't as happy with the rest of the day. She likes her teachers - she has two. For some reason she just doesn't like the school much. I can't get an answer why, she just says, nnyaa! Will have to work on that!

Tara really seems to like her school. She tells me that her teacher says they can do whatever they want as long as it is in their academics! I am not sure what that means but I think it means they have a curriculum for the day, or week, and as long as they complete that, it doesn't matter in what order.

At any rate, they all seem to be adjusting, and hopefully Marissa will "come around," or will tell us why not.

One project I have been working on is a baby quilt. Just nine blocks made from scrap materials. I tried to match the colors but I had to go somewhat off the track. Sometimes, though, really opposite colors turn out to be some of the best quilts. I would put up a picture but right now it wouldn't look like much. I'll be sure and post it when I am done.

Another project I am going to start on is a quilted checkers game. I got the pattern while Laura and I were on the quilt run, and it is soooo cute! Not only do you make the board but you make the checkers also. I'm going to make it for grandson Odin's birthday.

Meantime, I can't believe September is almost here! Now I have to get busy on some fall quilts. My favorite!

I did make some stuffed - sorta - bell peppers from off of the one bell pepper plant we have. This is how they looked just starting out.

I cut them into rings to stuff, then cooked them on the stovetop. It's a lot quicker and easier.

I topped them with diced tomatoes from our vines. It was really good. Kayla and Marissa were here that night and they really liked them.

I think I'll keep the recipe!

A Matter of Degree

2011-08-09T00:52:00.000-07:00

I'm finally finished! Yeahhh!

Today I officially finished my last class, and now have a Bachelor of Arts degree! - Well, that is, as soon as they send it to me! I have been working toward this for a long time. I can't believe I'm finally finished! I don't know what I'm going to do with all my time now! I'll think of something, though.

As my classes end, the girls classes begin. Today Kayla, Marissa, and Tara all started back to school. I know it seems early, however, the school districts here have an unusual schedule. This year the girls all got into a school with high academic standards, called a "magnet" school. Magnet schools focus within a specific area, such as science, math, arts, etc., and their standards are much higher. It is a great opportunity for all of them.

Of course it was new to them and I think they were all a little nervous. Here's a picture of Kayla and Marissa that I took while they were waiting for the day to start.

It will probably take a few days, but I think they will adjust.

I didn't get to take a picture of Tara's first day because she goes to a different school, and I couldn't be in two places at once. Their moms tried to get them all together in one school, but it didn't work. Anyway, Tara's mom told me that one of Tara's friends from her old school is at the new school, so Tara already has one friend.

So it has been a busy day today, and the next few days will probably be more of the same for the girls and their parents.

Meantime, I'm gonna take a few days and rest up from all the work I put into that final paper!

Sleepover

2011-08-01T00:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday night Katie and Tara had a sleepover with Grandna - as they sweetly call me. It's a long story! Anyway, they arrived here at about 3 o'clock Saturday and were all excited to be spending the night. I was busy getting ready to make dinner and they wanted to help out. So we went outside and they helped me bring in a few ingredients that were going to be used.

We picked fresh bell peppers and herbs.

While we were outside Katie and Tara wanted to help water some of the plants. They were so helpful and did a good job.

Katie even thought the empty barrel was a little thirsty!

After all of the garden chores were finished we went back inside to continue working on dinner. The girls wanted to watch a movie while I was busy at the stove.

I tried a new recipe for dinner rolls that looked good and it had been busy rising... Looks about ready to go into the oven.

I put the rolls in to bake and they only took about 20 minutes until they were perfectly browned. Everyone really enjoyed them and I have enough left over for the rest of the week.

After we finished up dinner Tara and I spent time reading and Katie was busy coloring. It is her favorite pastime. We were so involved that it got late and we all ended up getting to bed later than we should have.

Very early in the morning we had a terrific thunderstorm with lots of rain. It brought out the smell of sage and would have been really enjoyable except for poor Schultz who is scared to death of thunder. It wasn't even light out when he jumped in the middle of the bed shaking, tongue hanging out, and drooling everywhere! I tried my best to calm him down but he just isn't interested in anything once the noise starts.

There was no way I was gonna get back to sleep now! So I just kept telling Schultz it would be okay - for all the good that does! I'm going to invest in a thunder shirt! It is supposed to work well for dogs who are afraid of loud noises and I hope it will help. I'll let everyone know how that turns out.

So after our short night we were all a little cranky... Katie wears that title especially well sometimes!

We did get through the day fairly well intact, though, and the girls headed for home with their dad in the late afternoon.

All-in-all, it was a fun sleepover!

Tara's Birthday

2011-07-26T01:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we celebrated Tara's 8th birthday with a little family party at my house. Of course all four of the girls were there. We also had some Aunties, Uncles, and a few others. Tara requested a luau theme for her party which turned out really well. There were luau paper plates, umbrella straws, leis for all and sand pails full of goodies for the kids.

Tara's mom, Laura, made chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla cupcakes with green, pink, and blue frosting. They were really yummy! She also made some really cute cookies, which I can't describe, so here is a picture.

I told you they couldn't be described! Can you believe they are really cookies? So cute! I didn't try one of them... they were too cute to eat!

Besides all of the goodies to eat, we had chicken, potato salad, beans and hotdogs, and a variety of chips. Lots of good food!

After we ate, the kids all played outside in the sprinklers for awhile. It was a really hot day! They all were soaked by the time they were tired of the water. They had fun and also stayed cool.

Then it was time for Tara to open her presents. She really enjoyed all the books she got. Did I mention that reading is one of her favorite pastimes?

Here she is while we all sang happy birthday. She really wanted to eat that cupcake!

Everyone is waiting patiently for their cupcake and ice cream!

It was a really full day and well into the evening when the party started to break up.

And one last picture of all the kids together before everyone headed for home.

What a fun day!

Sunday

2011-07-19T02:15:00.000-07:00

What a really busy Sunday we had. In the morning I picked up Kayla and Marissa and took them to church. After we got back home and ate lunch, Jason brought over his laundry and his girls, and we enjoyed a fun, busy day.

The girls spent some time playing outside together, then they decided to come in and be creative. Katie and Kayla decided to color, and Tara and Marissa made cowboys and horses out of the legos. Here they are, hard at work. They didn't let the piles of laundry that were waiting to be washed, deter them!

They play so well together. Well, most of the time anyway!

And one of the finished lego products! They did a good job.

Meantime, Jason and I had a few projects of our own to work on. Of course there was the laundry for Jason, and I can always find schoolwork that needs to be done. Our main project though, involved tasty cinnamon raisin bread.

So while I got out the ingredients, Jason started putting them together. We soon had a bowlful of rising dough. We used half raisins and half craisins - really flavorful that way!

Later, after putting a quick dinner together, we finally pulled the fresh bread out of the oven. It was perfect for our dessert. It turned out really yummy!

After everything was done and we were all stuffed from the good food, it was time for everyone to head home. It was really late and the girls were all worn out and ready for bed - and so were the parents!

I love Sundays!

Tomorrow is another day of cooking. Marion bought ingredients for a big pot of soup and the two of us are going to make a big batch for freezing. Sounds like fun to me!

Barns And Crickets

2011-07-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

I love summers when I can leave the door open in the evening, or even sit outside. It is so nice out, and quiet. Well, that is, except for the very loud cricket that has been right outside our front door for about a week! We've been enjoying his music! He makes me feel like I'm outside in a tent, camping in the middle of nowhere.

This was a barn in Ashland Oregon that I just had to take a picture of. I don't know why I love barns, especially falling-down barns. The more of a ruin they are, the better I like them. I can't pass one up without taking a picture. We don't have any around here.. that I know about anyway. I wish we did. It looks like a perfect spot for a picnic... and for that cricket!

I'm getting a lot of tomatoes from our two plants that we have this year. They aren't very big, but still good eating. I made some salsa with them yesterday, and still I have about a dozen left in the bowl. I'm thinking a nice big salad tomorrow night for dinner!

Tiny but tasty!

I love to just eat them right off the vine! We also have some bell peppers that will soon be ready for picking. I have a really good stuffed bell pepper recipe and they'll be just right for it. Right about now I'm wishing that I had planted more of a vegetable variety!

Oh, and here is a flower that was falling over out in the garden, so I had to bring it in and display it. I love gladiolus... I looked it up, the spelling is correct!

Well the cricket seems to have stopped his music for the night. Guess I'll do the same!

Camera Shy

2011-07-15T01:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning while answering the phones at church I decided to go into the kitchen and get out the snack I had brought. In the kitchen, there is a full wall of windows and I glanced that way. On the other side of the windows I could see a whole family of squirrels sitting in the grass munching away on something tasty - I don't know what. I just had to take a picture of them. They must hear very well because they started scattering when I got close to the windows with my camera. I did manage to get a couple of pictures, though.

They are kinda hard to see, but there were quite a few there. They were scattering when I took this.

Then I noticed this little guy just kinda sitting there posing for me. Too bad he's in the shadow! Anyway, it was a very cute site.

So today I decided I'd better work on granddaughter Ashley's birthday. I made her a quilted purse that only took about three hours to put together. I found the directions for it on a fellow student's blog. (Thank you Nikki). I am sure I'll have to make more of them as soon as the rest of the granddaughters see it!

I thought it turned out really well. Perfect for little girls. I wish it was as easy to find something to make for the grandsons! So far, I haven't been able to find a pattern for transformers or hot wheels!

Midsummer Thoughts

2011-07-12T01:32:00.000-07:00

I am home now and getting things back to normal after our trip to Oregon. We enjoyed our time there, but it was still nice to get back home. The girls really had a great time, and they wrote some cute thank you cards to send out.

4th of July fireworks

Since coming home, I've started the first week of my final class. Yeahhh. I can't wait to be finished. Of course then I will probably have to do some things that I have been putting off forever! Anyway, for the next little while, at least, I will be at home working on finishing up my schooling.

Right now though, I am working on birthday gifts for the three grandchildren who celebrate this month. I don't know why this is the "birthday" month.

Since we returned home, it has been warm and humid here. Not a usual condition for the desert. So, in the evenings when it cools down we've spent some of our time in Marion's jacuzzi. I know, a warm dip! It is during the evening cool, and it is relaxing, though.

Marissa, Derek, & Kayla

At least these three think so!

The Oregon Trail

2011-07-01T01:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long it has been since I was last here! I have been so busy that the time has just flown by.

I have been on my computer somewhat, however, not as much as usual, as right now I am on vacation! Jennifer, Kayla, Marissa and I are up in Oregon having lots of fun. We drove up on Sunday, June 26. We arrived at LuAnn's house, and have been constantly busy ever since.

LuAnn's nephew and his cousin have been visiting also and they have kept the girls busy swimming in the pool, playing ping pong, riding bikes, and playing Wii on the big screen TV. They have been having lots of fun.

All four at the river today.

So far we have been to an old, still working, mill and museum,

and wandered through Jacksonville which is an old, very quaint town.

We also went to Harry & David's which is where LuAnn and Israel work. It is a very large place and they have duck ponds, rose gardens, and a park.

Kayla & Marissa at the duck pond

Today since it finally stopped raining and we had some warm weather, we went to one of the local rivers. It took us half of the day to pack up everything. Finally we headed out for the day.

The water was cold, however, once we got there we enjoyed it.

Jennifer and Marissa headed out for a river rafting ride. I couldn't see them but I heard them hollering a little way down the river when they hit the rapids! They had a great time.

Then it was my turn. It was a lotta fun!

Kayla decided she didn't want to go. She's the cautious one!

We have done a lot and had lots of fun. Tomorrow we plan on resting for the day. We have all been running non-stop and it's time for a rest!

Some Random Music Thoughts

2011-06-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am sitting at my computer desk working on yet another final paper. Yes the time goes by quickly!

Anyway, I love sitting in here at this time of day because of my across-the-street neighbor. Every day at this time he practices his violin. I love listening to it. He doesn't play many actual songs, mostly he just has a way of playing the scales that sounds beautiful.

I love the strings instruments, violins, cellos, violas, bass, all of them. I love listening to Vivaldi.

My neighbor used to have a whole family full of children who played instruments and on quiet summer evenings when windows were open to let in a breeze, I could hear a whole orchestra practicing. I kid not - he has raised about ten children! There is only one left at home now, so no more concerts. I did love to listen to them, though.

The practice does make me feel guilty though. I have a violin sitting over in the corner which I haven't touched for many years! I am sure I am very rusty - but maybe once I am finished with school I will pull it out of its case and see what happens!

So for now, I need to get back to that final paper - and open the window wider to let in more of those scales!

Two Days Of The Quilt Run

2011-06-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

This was a hard one to choose which photos to use, so I decided to use them all.

I just finished up two days of the quilt run. This is a two weekend event covering quilt shops in the Southern California area. The idea is to travel to as many of the participating shops as you can where you will find prizes and goodies for all. The event ends with several drawings for grand prizes.

Laura and I, and the girls, have gone on the run for several years. The girls love it, as all the ladies make a big fuss over them. Laura and I love it, as we get to look at all the fun things to make!

This year we were driving the little economy car and just didn't have room for all four of the girls, so we decided to split up Kayla and Marissa. The first day Marissa went with us and the second day Kayla went.

Here is a look at the first day.

Just finished up at the first quilt store of the day, and ready to head for another one.

About the fourth store it was time to take a break! Quilt runs are hard work.

The girls thought this was a cute one!

We finally finished up for the day and stopped for some dinner well after dark. We thought the girls would fall asleep on the drive home but they were still chatting at 10:30 when we pulled into the driveway!

And the second day went something like this.

Heading into the first store, ready to go.

About five stores later, and rest time for this group!

Some interesting scenery along the way. The girls loved watching these. Katie thought the blades were scratching the sky because it was probably itchy!

Almost finished with the last quilt shop, and still smiling.

Well there you have the condensed version of our adventures. Did we get to all of the quilt stores? No. We only made it to about half of them. There were thirty some participating shops so I think we did pretty well.

Actually, Laura and Tara are going to continue the run tomorrow, but Katie will be staying home with her daddy, and I am staying home myself.

Maybe next year I'll get to all of them.

On another subject, just thought I would let everyone know that I fixed the comment settings, and leaving a comment should be easy now. Just leave it under anonymous and that should do it.

Church Picnic

2011-06-14T00:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday was our church picnic. The grandkids always enjoy going to them because there is always a huge water slide for the kids. This year we were afraid that it was going to be too cold as the weather hasn't been very warm for this time of the year.

The weather did decide to cooperate and give us warmth, and most importantly, no wind for a change! So, at practically the last minute, I picked up daughter and granddaughters and we headed to church and the picnic.

The sermon was good, the food was good, and the girls had a really fun time on the water slide. They did forget to bring their bathing suits and towels though!

As you can see their clothes got soaked!

Kayla on her way down

Marissa is next

Did I tell you it was a huge slide?

They both had a really good time, with lots of trips up to the top.

My car seats didn't fare so well on the ride home, though! Next time we'll remember to bring some towels!

Trucks And Marion, They Don't Go Well Together

2011-06-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

Decided to meet up with Marion and Derek for lunch, then send Derek on errands and take Marion back home. I forgot one little detail until Derek was gone and it was too late. I was driving the truck and Marion is way too short to climb into it without a step stool.

So what did we do? Luckily I had a couple of books in my book bag in the back seat, and a bag full of dirty towels I was bringing home to wash. We stacked them up and as she stood on them, and I shoved from behind, (sorry Marion!) she managed to climb into the truck. I won't mention how many people were laughing...er, watching.

Reenactment! The real event was much better.

In case you were wondering, no I don't normally carry dirty laundry around in my car. It happens that I had just come from my weekly volunteer receptionist job at the church, and my usual custom is to bring home towels from the church kitchen that need washing.

We couldn't have planned our entertainment for the day any more carefully!

Where Are My Posts?

2011-06-03T00:14:00.000-07:00

I have been away from the site for a few days. Sometimes things are just a little hectic around here! One major reason for my lack of posting was my impending final paper! I have been working furiously on it for days and have finally turned it in. Yeahhh! So glad to have that behind me. Now on to the next class. Only two more to go!

I had planned a family bar b que for Memorial Day. I didn't realize that the family let me get everything together for the day, all the while planning a celebration of my birthday. So I was surprised when cake, ice cream and birthday singing happened. It was a fun day with lots of visiting, eating, and even a card game or two. You can watch the girls sing for me here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3MPCgJZvQw0#at=12 I noticed that I had to "drag" the video back to the beginning, as for some reason, it starts in the middle of the singing.

Today was a long drive to Thousand Oaks for a doctor's appointment. We left early in the morning and returned after dark. We did make a couple of fun side visits, though, so not all was drudgery.

In other news the foxtails have struck again! This time poor Schultz has one in his ear, so off to the vets he goes tomorrow morning. No wonder Kayla and Marissa jump back every time they see one close by!

Did I mention it has been a busy few days?

What Are We Gonna Do About Remmy?

2011-05-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

Friday is the day I usually spend cleaning house. That didn't happen this time, though, as our dog Remmy changed my plans for the day. About an hour into the morning we began to notice that Remmy was making strange snorting noises, swallowing a lot, panting heavily, and eating lots of grass.

At first we thought he just wasn't feeling too well. He does have allergies, and a sensitive stomach, so we just watched him for awhile. That didn't last very long though, before I knew a trip to the veterinarian's was in order.

I called, and of course the vet had no openings. So after I explained the situation, I was told to bring him in, and they would work him in somewhere. This, they said, could take anywhere from one-to-four hours.

After we arrived at the veterinarians I discovered that not only were they packed, they also had several emergency situations that they were dealing with. Needless to say, Remmy and I were in for a long wait.

Waiting Patiently

The office staff worked as fast as they could to get Remmy in to see the doctor, but his emergency wasn't as critical as some of the other patients, so we waited some more.

Getting a little anxious now

After a three-hour wait Remmy was finally called in to see the doctor. The doctor confirmed what I suspected - Remmy had somehow gotten a foxtail in his throat. It was stuck in his tonsils and he would have to be sedated for it to be removed.

I agreed to the procedure and they took Remmy into the back, while I went to sign papers. After learning what the cost of Remmy's visit would be, I decided that I should have become a veterinarian!

Finally Remmy was ready to go home. It ended up that he had several foxtails stuck in his tonsils, and another one stuck in his ear!

We spent the rest of the day cleaning up the yard and every trace of those foxtails!

A Little Gardening

2011-05-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to buy a few herbs to plant. With the weather becoming so nice I guess I am finally beginning to have spring fever! I took the girls - Kayla & Marissa - to church on Sunday, and afterwards we stopped in at Lowes. The girls found a few flowers to plant, and I picked out some herbs. We came home and spent time planting the flowers, then I found a few pots to plant the herbs in.

The girls spent the rest of the day with me on Sunday so their mom could have a "mom day." Besides spending time planting, they stayed busy playing with the dogs, reading, drawing pictures and playing with some friends who were visiting across the street.

The herbs - basil, thyme, parsley, sage

I've already used a few of them in my cooking. I really enjoy using the fresh herbs over the dried ones. Hope I can keep these ones going - the last time I tried they didn't do very well. I'll keep trying!

Meanwhile, the tomato plants are growing and have several tomatoes on them. I am thinking about buying a few more tomato plants. Right now we only have two of them and I usually have at least four plants. One can't have enough homegrown tomatoes, right?

They do seem to be a little stunted though, don't they?

All-in-all, it was an enjoyable, productive, Sunday afternoon!

The Hot Dog Stand

2011-05-22T01:56:00.000-07:00

In my travels to L.A. the past few days, I decided to stop in at the famous Pink's hot dog stand. I was very close after all, and several family members had been telling me how great their hot dogs were. They informed me that I just had to try one. I honestly have to say here, that I had never heard of Pink's before son Jason, and a few other family members, told me about it. They have been around for 71 years, and are quite a famous landmark in L.A. Jason and family have eaten there many times. Maybe I need to get out more?

So while Tara was recovering from her surgery, a few of us headed for Pink's. It was lunchtime, but the crowds that I had heard about weren't there. We did have to wait about 15 minutes before ordering, however, that was mild according to others. I ordered my hot dog the way I usually like them, which is with mustard and relish.

Pink's is a small building with a few tables inside, and a few more tables outside. We were able to get a table inside quite easily. While we ate our hot dogs, I spent time looking at the walls filled with autographed pictures of famous people who have eaten there. There were lots of them, from Jay Leno, to Tim McGraw. (These were the only two I remembered seeing, though I know there were more!)

While I was there I decided to pick up a pink - of course, menu to keep. I didn't bother to read it, just stuck it in my purse. I am thinking of spending some time scrapbooking this summer and thought it would make a great memento.

So after everything I had heard about Pink's I have to say "it was a hot dog for lunch." Sorry, just my take on it!

Of course later, after reading the menu slogan and talking to others, I learned that Pink's is famous for their chili dogs. Maybe that's what I should have ordered!

Keeping Busy

2011-05-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been very busy. Granddaughter Tara had surgery May 19th in L.A. This was her 6th ear surgery. Each ear has been operated on several times for a complicated disease called cholesteatoma which is best described through this link. http://www.earsurgery.org/site/pages/conditions/cholesteatoma.php
Tara is the rare case, as she has the disease in both of her ears.

Since the surgery was to begin at 7 a.m. in L.A. (about 80 miles away from home) everyone had to be up and moving early. Surgery was a little over three hours long, then recovery took at least three more hours, so we didn't end up leaving the hospital until about 3 p.m. We then had a long drive home in very heavy traffic. It was a very long day.

Tara & her doll in recovery

Tara will need future surgeries, however, this surgery was good news in that there wasn't much of the cholesteatoma to remove. The doctor was also quite surprised with her hearing ability, (he tested her hearing before the surgery) as most of the bones needed for hearing are missing in both of her ears.

She is home, a little less active than usual, however, recovering quite well.

I didn't get a chance to rest today, though, as I had to drive 100 miles for a doctor appointment. By the time I returned home late afternoon, another day was fairly well gone. You would think we could find some closer doctors!

I plan on staying close to home Saturday!

Birthday Party May 15, 2011

2011-05-16T00:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday - really today, but it's after midnight so I have to say yesterday! - was my oldest granddaughter Kayla's birthday. I can't believe that she is already nine years old! She is growing way too fast.

We had a small party for her at my house, which included cousins Katie and Tara. When "the girls," as we call them, get together they always have fun.

The birthday girl and Katie

Tara and Marissa

After pizza, presents, and cake and ice cream, we were supposed to go to the fair but the weather didn't want to cooperate so that didn't happen. Kayla wasn't too disappointed though, so all is well. Her mom promised to take her to the fair in the next couple of days.

We all enjoyed the party. And Katie made sure daddy was comfy!

Spring Is Here, Time To Go Camping

2011-05-14T02:04:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the spring babies that we saw in the area where we were camping last week. They were so cute, sticking close to their moms. I couldn't get this one to come any closer! In fact it wasn't even interested in looking in my direction!

Our trip was nice. The weather was warm and no rain. We did have to come home early though, as our poor puppy dog Remmy came down with some kind of nasty virus and ended up at the vets office. Even after IV fluids it still took him several days to feel better. He is back to normal now. I am not sure whether that's a good thing or not!

Oh, and we only brought back one fish!

Getting Started

2011-05-11T02:42:00.000-07:00

I have decided I should be blogging, so here I am on the first page. Hooray! I have spent time looking at other blogs and they have convinced me that I have much to learn. The good news is, I am sure I will enjoy the journey. The bad news is, everyone has to put up with my first stumbling efforts! Nevertheless, I will press on.