So, I was thinking...

some humor!

2008-11-06T11:16:00.003-07:00

Wow - didn't take long and someone sent me something funny! I hope you laugh, too.

It's a gloomy day...

2008-11-06T10:04:00.005-07:00

Main Entry:
gloomy
Pronunciation:
\ˈglü-mē\
Function:
adjective
Inflected Form(s):
gloom·i·er; gloom·i·est
Date:
1588
1 a: partially or totally dark ; especially : dismally and depressingly dark b: having a frowning or scowling appearance : forbidding c: low in spirits : melancholy2 a: causing gloom : depressing b: lacking in promise or hopefulness : pessimistic
synonyms see dismal, sullen

Well - that pretty much says it all for me today and for lately... Dismal, gloomy and feeling low. I think my moods are directly affected by the weather - so I'm hoping for a sunny day to pop in soon.

“Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come. Never take yourself too seriously.” --Og Mandino

The best cure for me when I get to feeling this way is humor and laughing. So, I'm looking for "the funny" today - any ideas where there might be some?

Peril the First - Book 3

2008-10-27T08:47:00.004-06:00

Book three for me is "The Bone Key" by Sarah Monette. This was a fun book - a collection of ten stories about creepy things that occur around or to Kyle Murchison Booth. The writing is kind of old-fashioned and British, and fits well with the setting. Kyle is a museum archivist, has prematurely white hair, is very shy and introverted and seems to always be involved in necromantic adventures. He brings the dead wife of a colleague back to life, finds a skeleton buried in the walls of the museum basement, and other strange adventures. It was a perfect book for Perilous Reading!! I recommend it to everyone who is participating in the R.I.P. Challenge!!

coming to you from ARIZONA!

2008-10-19T10:40:00.005-06:00

Hi! We are here in sunny, warm Mesa Arizona visiting my parents for a few days. It was 101 degrees yesterday and expected to be the same today - wow. Back home in Boise, it was 42 degrees when we went to the airport yesterday... my poor old body doesn't know what to think so it has decided to sneeze a lot! - LOL

We are belatedly celebrating my Dad's 72nd birthday, going shopping, eating a lot and planning a quick visit to Ak-Chin's Casino! My mom has every day planned out and even printed up an agenda for my husband so he would know what to expect - LOL

It has been so long since I have visited my folks and it is truly wonderful just being able to spend time together. So - with that in mind, it will be another few days before you hear from me again...

Happy Fall to all!

Working & busy...

2008-10-14T09:07:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! Just a quick post to let you know I'm still kickin' - just been busy doing unexciting things that really aren't blogworthy... LOL

No one wants to hear about yard work, housework, cubicle work, blah blah blah blah... right?

I'm back!! and R.I.P. Peril - Book two

2008-10-04T10:01:00.004-06:00

Book Two in the Peril-The First in the R.I.P. Challenge!! I chose "The Becoming" by Jeanne C. Stein because it is about vampires, one of my favorite creepy subjects. The main character in this book is Anna Strong, and she is very similar to Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake in that she is a tough, scrappy woman doing a job most would think was a men-only thing. Anna is a bounty hunter and is "turned" by a rogue vampire during a capture that went very wrong. The world Anna lives in is like ours in that everyone believes that vampires are not real, so it takes some adventures and more mishaps to convince her of her new nature.

All said, I enjoyed this book - very fun to read and I am sure there are more to come with Anna Strong as the protagonist. I recommend it for pre-Halloween-get-ready-for-vampires-and-things-that-go-bump-in-the-night reading! On to book three.....

Sick...

2008-10-01T13:07:00.004-06:00

Yes - I have a horrible cold. I am on cold-flu medicine - therefore any creativity, personality, humor, wise cracks, clever ideas are completely missing from my head. There is only room in there for snot!~~~

I know I'll survive.... be back later.

R.I.P. - Peril the First >Book One!

2008-09-19T09:38:00.003-06:00

I have read the first book for my Peril the First challenge: The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield.

It was a very good book!! The writer hooks you in and you are told several stories within the main plot line. It's a story about a famous author who decides to tell a biographer her life story. Vida Winter (the author) has been very cryptic about her past and tells Margaret Lea (the biographer) the tale in her own way... Lots of plot twists and mysterious confused identities, outright lies and half-truths to wade through before the end. I love it and would recommend it!!

Thinking of Uncle Tom and Dad...

2008-09-15T12:31:00.006-06:00

picture circa 1957... lh Dad, rh Uncle TomA few posts previously, I mentioned I made a quilt for my Uncle Tom who was suffering from late stage cancer. He is my father's only brother and a younger brother at that... My Dad is at his side right now along with his family and our thoughts are with them.

UPDATED: Uncle Tom passed away today, Monday 9/15/2008 at 6:00pm.

We love you and will always remember you, Uncle Tom.

Remembering...

2008-09-11T10:27:00.002-06:00

R.I.P. Peril the First!!! (UPDATED List!!)

2008-09-08T15:43:00.007-06:00

Well - I am entering a reading challenge put on by Carl V. (which I found out about from one of the many blogs I follow)!! It runs from September 1, 2008 through October 31, 2008 and sounds like fun!! (Plus, I love Halloween, so this should help build up the suspense!!)There are 3 Perils to chose from and I have selected Peril the First, which means that I must read FOUR books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stores.... bwah ha ha ha ha ah aaaaaaaaaa....
According to the rules, I need to post my "pool" of possible selections on my blog here and then post reviews as I finish reading at: Ripping Yarn's Site
So - Here is my pool of possibilities:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (which may be cheating because I just finished reading this one and LOVED it!)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Breaking Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
unknown... because I don't usually read scary books, I don't have many in my "to be read" pile, so I'll have to investigate. Gee a trip to Barnes & Noble will really break my heart - LOL
UPDATE: "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly (recommended by a friend)
UPDATE: " The Thirtheenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield
(I found out it doesn't necessarily have to be SCARY, it can also be about the supernatural, preternatural, etc... that makes it easier since I love Vampires, werewolves and stuff like that... yippee!)

So - onward and upward - woo hoo!!

Special Quilt for Uncle Tom...

2008-09-07T17:00:00.005-06:00

My Dad's brother, Uncle Tom, is not doing very well. He has Lung Cancer and it is in the very last stages. He has been enduring chemo therapy most of the summer in hopes of getting a few weeks of "good quality" time to spend with his family in Kansas City.

Since we are so far away, Tim and I thought if I made him a quilt it would be like sending a "hug" from Idaho. So, I worked pretty frantically and here is the quilt that I made. It was already sent out and received and it seems that both Aunt Joan and Uncle Tom really liked it.

We keep them always in our thoughts and send cards and letters as often as we can. So, hugs and best wishes and hopeful thoughts are being sent your way, Uncle Tom!

All the way from England!!

2008-09-07T16:43:00.005-06:00

Wow! A Package that delivered from the "ROYAL M AIL" all the way from England has arrived!!!

And inside, the handmade "Felted" teddy bear from England has arrived!!! He is darling and sweet and BLUE and his name is Grissom!

Bob T. Bear's Mum, Helena, made him herself and he is the award for winning the Synchronized Sitting Olympics!! Thank you so very much! I can't imagine how you used a needle and a pile of wool to make little Grissom, but he sure is cute. He has a seat of honor on a bookshelf with a few other blue things!

Well - I sure hope Grissom doesn't get homesick... He does fit in well with the Boise State University Football fans around here - he matches the blue turf perfectly!! He will probably become a big BSU fan - go Broncos!!

Thanks again to Bob and his Mum for sending Grissom all the way to Idaho! We love him!!

The Miniature Booty Quilt Swap...

2008-09-07T16:31:00.005-06:00

Well - I am late on getting out my booty for my swap partner, but today I have finished it up and here are a few sneak pictures!! Her color preferences were for yellow, green and purple - bright colors... so I took that pretty literally and here is what I came up with!

I have had bee's on the brain lately, too, so had to put some of those in as well. Now, I need to get some goodies together to send along and box it up!!

--------------------------

And - my partner on the bootie swap was in North Carolina and wow, did HE (yes it is a Man, Mom!!) ever do a super job! The quilt is darling and I will use it as a table runner, plus he sent a bunch of extra fat quarters of matching fabric, chocolate (the good kind, too!), a little "home sweet home" plaque and some North Carolina Tarheels stuff! I was so excited when I opened this up!! Thank you John and I couldn't be more pleased with the quilt you made for me! And I loved all the extra booty, too!

The day before the game!!!

2008-08-29T10:33:00.003-06:00

Are you ready to HUSKER UP??!!!! Maybe this will help just a little bit... for me, the goosebumps started, the pulse picked up and I am ready for some FOOTBALL!!

GO BIG RED!! GO BIG RED!! GO BIG RED!!

I've been tagged---(oh no!!)

2008-08-29T09:10:00.003-06:00

Well- I've been tagged by Gina at 2SistersandMe. The rules are that you have to tell 7 things about yourself (preferably something weird) and then you have to tag 7 more people and post them and then go to their blog and let them know! So here goes:

1. I saw the movie "Star Wars" 8 times at the theatre when it first came out. (Mostly because I had a crush on Harrison Han Solo Ford)
2. In the spring, when I select flowers for the yard, I talk to them and tell them how beautiful they will look (much to my husband's chagrin since we are usually at Home Depot in a crowd).
3. Sometimes (most of the time) I like dogs better than people!
4. I learned to quilt (and thread a sewing machine) at age 42.
5. I must have coffee in the morning or It Will Be A Bad Day...
6. As a child I never played much with dolls or stuffed toys - but as an adult I LOVE teddy bears and talk to them and play with them. (I guess I do stuff backwards sometimes)
7. I am a Daddy's girl and always will be.

S0 - that's it for me. Now to select 7 lucky people to tag:
1. Bob T Bear, Esquire(A teddy bear)
2. Mary Margaret (a Yorkie)
3. Dilly (A Croco-wagon, really!!)
4. Pattie at Attitude Changes Everything
5. Janet at Idaho Quilter
6. Bumblevee at The Bearister Bookcase
7. Mrs. Nesbitt

To Theme or not to Theme...

2008-08-28T09:58:00.006-06:00

I have a long list of blogs that I like to follow. Some of them are humorous, some all about quilting and crafty stuff, and of course, some are about Nebraska Football. It seems like most of them all have a theme they stick to for all of their posts. So, I was thinking that my blog is really kind of theme-less – and wondering if I should be concerned about that.

Of course, when I start thinking (not only is there smoke involved), there are lots of “me’s” thinking at the same time in my head. A few of those thoughts:
· Who cares what other blogs do?
· This blog is mostly for friends and family to know what’s going on with us
· The Funny blogs are my favorites to read, does that make me shallow?
· I don’t post every day, does that make me a bad blogger?
· I’m not sure I could pick just one theme…
· My blog is boring
· I don’t have many readers (should that bother me?)
· I like cheese
· Some bloggers rant and use foul language, my mother reads this so I won’t
· I need to find some pictures – blog posts are dull without pictures

So – hmmmm, to theme or not to theme, that is the question?? Is it better to have themed and lost than never to have themed at all?? Somebody stop me! Help! Anyone???...Buehler?

A Major Award...

2008-08-21T12:08:00.006-06:00

It's been a great week for winning awards... first the GOLD MEDAL at the Synchronized Sitting Bear Olympics and now... from the BIG RED NETWORK (dedicated to Nebraska Football - of course), I have won a Major Award!!

It hasn't arrived yet, but any day now I should be receiving it! And what did I win, they ask?

2 things .... a Nebraska T-shirt, shown here:

And, "A Sea of Red" - which is an annual guide to Nebraska Cornhusker Football:

Here is a synopsis of what is included in this fabulous guide that every Husker Fan should have:

"A Sea of Red 2008 is the must-have preview book for any diehard Nebraska Cornhuskers fan. Most college football fans buy pre-season publications that provide a page or two on the Huskers. Why do that when you can have a 112-page annual that provides an in-depth look at your favorite team? Included inside are introductions of the new coaching staff, offensive and defensive previews for the 2008 season, and an examination of new recruits. We provide a preview of the 'Nebraska offense' and a detailed examination of Nebraska's 2008 opponents.The Cornhusker history section pays homage to offensive linemen as 'Heroes in the Trenches' including interviews with Chad Kelsay, Dick Rupert, Eric Anderson and former offensive line coach Milt Tenopir. Find out why the nickname 'Bo' provides the greatest predictor that Nebraska will win a national championship under new coach Pelini, and how the pillars of Memorial came to be. We close it up with an overview of Huskers currently in the NFL. Since the return of Tom Osborne and the hiring of new coach Pelini, Husker fans have been chomping at the bit for the return of Husker football. Analysis, roster, stats, pictures, and history, A Sea of Red is packed with information every Big Red fan will want by their side throughout the 2008 season. The wait is finally over. Nebraska football as you knew it is back. Go Big Red!!!"

I can't wait for it to arrive, I am so exciting for football season to start!! Only 9 more days until KICKOFF - woohoo!! GO BIG RED!!

Synchronized sleeping??

2008-08-19T10:05:00.002-06:00

I found this photo on loldogs and just had to share... It seems to fit the Synchronized Sitting theme (sort of!!)...

What do you think? I know one thing, that is a bunch of cuties!!

And the winners are...

2008-08-18T14:09:00.011-06:00

The competition was fierce and the judging difficult. Thanks to Mr. Grunter at Bob T. Bear's blog for doing a wonderful job.

For more detail of the event, judging and awards please go to Bob's Blog. (August 16, 17, 18 entries)

And the winners are as follows:

GOLD MEDAL goes to the HOME TEAM - Team Husker!!! Here is the winning entry with a direct quote from the judges, " for bak-to-bak synchronizayshun, a very advarnst form ov the sport."

SILVER medal goes to "TB SUPERSTAR for perfekt synchronizayshun in sittin pozishun- crosst legs, an arms all pozishund alike too. Eevn the Not-a-Bears. Grayte stuff! "

BRONZE Medal goes to "LYNDA (GRANNY K). Lots ov competishun for this therd playce, but the Synchronized Sittin on a bannister fynerly clincht it!

A quote from the winning team's coach (that would be me) left on the event blog comment list:

Becky said...
Woohoo!! Team USA has won another GOLD MEDAL!!! And we have word back that all have officially passed the drug tests - congratulations to all the winners!! Team Husker is going wild - we have bear mayhem, the flight back is out of control - the stewardess has warned us 3 times to stay in our seats!!! Being that we have won the event, I'm sure we can SIT for a little while longer!!

Another bit of excitement is the amazing offers from Wheaties, Cheerios and Captain Crunch for appearances on cereal boxes.... However, the team is holding out for an offer from Nike!!

Thank you to all of the wonderful competitors - it was terrific to see how far this sport has come. Thanks to Bob T. Bear for hosting and Mr. Grunter for judging such a difficult event.I must run and check on the party - I'm afraid that they have been at the Oreo cookies again and there will be no sleeping tonight for any of us.Thanks, Bob!!~ Becky

Bob T. Bear's Olympic Event!!!

2008-08-15T13:53:00.007-06:00

Over at Bob's blog they are having a most exciting Olympic event and we are going to participate!

Bob and his bear friends frequently participate in the sport of SYNCHRONIZED SITTING! He has decided that in honor of the Olympics, to have an event with prizes and everything for the best synchronized sitters! So, after a lot of shuffling and moving around, the bears and I have worked on preparing our entries.

We decided our first event would be SYNCHRONIZED ROCKING - since some of the gang just LOVE LOVE LOVE their rocking chairs (a lot like their mother! LOL). We did some practicing.

We had to draw straws on who would get to sit where and there were some bear-tears shed, but at last we got the groups assembled and here is our very proud entry for SYNCHRONIZED ROCKING:

You know they totally ROCK, right! Gee - aren't I just hilarious? (totally rhetorical - please don't answer)

Then -Scooter and Oscar said they thought synchronized events involved making a pretty design all together.... So, we tried a few "designs" and after practicing again

we unanimously voted on the ever-classic circle with rising bunny rabbit in the center! Yes, we know it's been done before, but it is a tribute and we feel that we totally NAILED it!

So - here is our entry for SYNCHRONIZED LAYING ABOUT!!:

And. finally, almost everyone said they wanted to participate in the SYNCHRONIZED SITTING photo. Some brave bears volunteered to remain on post where they calmly sat guarding bookshelves, sewing machines, window sills, entertainment centers and table tops. The rest of the gang pulled together and here is our masterpiece entry: (applause!!! applause!!)

We really hope that we can at least "place" and get a medal for the USA!! Thanks to Bob T. Bear for sponsoring this event!! The judging takes place Saturday... Good Luck to Team Husker!!

How little Scooter has grown...

2008-08-09T10:30:00.009-06:00

Well - Scooter is one year old and in his mind, he is a big boy and all grown up. Here are a few glimpses of how he has grown!!

Here he is with a chew bone - the actual size is about 5 inches long and as big around as a pencil. Must sharpen those baby teeth as much as possible so we can bite Daddy harder - ha!These shots are from his first 6 months. He is a tough dog here with his Biker Dad, isn't he?

And here on Christmas morning... he is a nut! He didn't want the toy I was showing him, he wanted my new yorkie slippers! His brother, Maxwell was really interested in the toy. ha!

It was a big day - he had a snooze in the new blankie.

Scooter says: Here I am with my brothers (I'm on the left, then Maxwell & Oscar). We were watching Mom planting stuff in the front yard. We are inspectors!

And here I am this morning! All grown up and serious... My mom thinks she wants another baby.... My dad told me I better start acting like a baby again or else he'd hang me up by my ears for a while! Dad says 3 kids are ENOUGH...

Four Seasons Summer Quilt Swap - Finished

2008-08-08T11:38:00.001-06:00

Four Seasons Summer
Originally uploaded by daviskidsmom

I received my quilt from Brandy in Texas and the photo is from her (because it is better than those I tried to take, and now the quilt is hanging in my cubicle). She did a great job with my color choices of purple & green!! And, she even hand-quilted it! I guess she had a really tough time and this was the 3rd quilt she made before deciding it was "the one". Thank you so much Brandy! I love it and think you did a beautiful job.

Something fun from Pattie...

2008-08-03T14:30:00.004-06:00

Here's something fun that I read about on Pattie's blog:

The rules: All you have to do is Google your first name with the word 'needs' behind it, and post the first 10 results. Here's what Google listed, although I had to use the second & third pages to come up with ten:

Wow, the very first thing that came up was kind of rude so I don't think I will count it, but if you want to know what it said, look here ( sounds hurtful to me!!)

1. Becky needs a bullet in her head. (no, I really don't think that would be helpful at all!)
2. Becky needs friends, not boyfriends! (Oh yes - I completely agree)
3. Becky needs an exorcism. (not that I'm aware of... maybe that is one of the symptoms?)
4. Becky needs a psychiatrist. (been there, done that)
5. Becky needs a home. (I have a good one, thanks very much)
6. Becky needs good/clever ideas. (Yes, I could always use some of these)
7. Becky needs a special saddle. (maybe I do if I were to go horseback riding)
8. Becky needs a secret life because her real life is often so overwhelming and frustrating. (sometimes it is, but I'm not sure I need to go to the extreme of a "secret life". LOL)
9. Becky needs needs to be disciplined. (First tell me what I did wrong!)
10. Becky needs information about this. (Yes, I need to know what "this" is...)

So, if you want to try it just for kicks, let me know how it turned out in the comments!
Have fun!
See 'ya later,
Becky

A profound moment...

2008-07-30T10:23:00.002-06:00

I read a lot of books. I read a lot. Lately, I've been reading a lot of Sci/Fi books - and the genre covers a lot of "odd" stuff. Yesterday, I finished reading "Darkness of the Light" by Peter David. This is a book I would never have purchased, but I was sent a free electronic copy of it from Tor Books, so I decided to give it a try. I have several of this author's books and he has a great way with sarcasm and wit; this book was no different in that regard. However, I came to a paragraph that just completely hit me. Here is the passage:

"That is what life is, you foolish little Markene! It is a game with players on all sides, each engaging in his own little maneuvers, and each trying to accomplish one simple goal: to be the only one left standing at the end of it, before he is himself swept off the board by the great gamesmen who look down upon us all and laugh on our foibles. If you do not start thinking... if you do not begin to play the game yourself, rather than wait for me to explain all the rules... you will be removed from play sooner that you could possibly anticipate. It will be done far more rudely and with far more finality than just being tossed in the water."

I think that as I was growing up, I was always waiting for someone to tell me the rules. I am a rule follower - and if I'm not sure what the rules are I sometimes shut down. I still wonder sometimes just what the heck the rules are and why isn't everyone following them. One of the hardest things for me to learn was and is to just jump in to the game of life and be myself. And accept that there really aren't any rules and yes, it isn't fair, but if you just wait for it all to be explained then life will pass you by. In the end, it is your own self you are stuck with - and trying to be what everyone else wants you to be will leave you empty and sad.

Sorry for the serious moment... I've just been thinking about this all night and I don't know if I explained it very well. But, it feels good to get if off my chest, so to speak.

I have adopted a dragon egg...(or two)

2008-07-25T10:30:00.004-06:00

Hmmm... a blog friend suggested that I adopt a dragon egg and try to hatch it. So, on the upper Right Hand corner of my site, there is a little red dragon egg. Please click on it and hopefully it will hatch and turn into a beautiful RED dragon! I'm not sure if it does anything or not... should be interesting and maybe fun! LOL

CHANGE: Now I have several eggs!! Tee hee

My morning has been lovely...

2008-07-23T10:06:00.001-06:00

My morning so far has been just lovely:

· Alarm went off at 4AM for husband. I doze off while he is in shower, but am awakened at 4:35am by him kissing my face repeatedly. “I was asleep?”, and he replies, “I know, but I wanted to make sure you knew I was kissing you goodbye.” I guess that was sweet, but come on, I was ASLEEP!!
· Alarm goes off for me at 6:45AM, causing me to jump, which in turn triggered a charlie horse cramp in my calf. I try to leap out of bed for relief, but am completely twisted in sheets, pillows and 3 startled Yorkshire terriers. As feet finally hit the floor, my head decides I stood up too quickly and I almost pass out, so quickly sit back down on bed, landing on Maxwell. After comforting Maxwell and reassuring the other 2 that he wasn’t injured (and therefore all is OK in their world) I continue on with the morning routine.
· Completely dressed, hair done, face “fixed”, I prepare to head out the door. Rounding into the kitchen, I see Scooter look me right in the eye, and then squat to pee on the WOOL rug beneath the dining room table. “No-No!! Scooter, No – OUTSIDE now!”. He doesn’t move, just freezes, with ears down. I scoop him up and head out to the backyard, place him on the grass and command him to go potty. I bend down to make good eye contact, and tell him again. He sniffs around and then BLAMO, the sprinklers go on and I am splatted from waist to head – totally sopped.
· Back to the bathroom to start over again.
· At work, in cubicle, with first ever-loving cup of coffee. Aah – wonderful.
· Bleep – meeting reminder, conference call in 5 minutes. No problem.
· ROWEERUSGGGGGGGGGGGG!! Uh-oh! That is the sound your lower intestine makes when you have about 3.5 seconds to get to the bathroom for something immediate to occur.
· Made it to bathroom, whew! Tick…tock…tick…tock… still in bathroom. Now worried that will be late or miss conference call entirely…. Tick…tock…tick…tock…. Pretty sure am now late… wondering what was in the $.75 tacos we had at Mulligan’s for dinner last night; where they seasoned with taco-flavored ExLax?? Perhaps shouldn’t have eaten that 5th one….(rationalization: They were really TINY tacos)
· Late to conference call, but meeting is postponed due to one person being on vacation. That worked out lucky for me. :)

Well – that brings me up to 10:06AM. How’s your morning been so far?

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

2008-07-21T10:57:00.007-06:00

Today is my Dad's birthday and he is going to be celebrating in Arizona with my Mom, my sister (Cindy) and his two grandchildren Jessica & Jennifer!!

Dad, I am thinking of you all day today and hope you guys have a great time together. I wish we could be there with you, but you'll be hearing from me, never fear (cell phones are wonderful, aren't they?).

Here's a blast from the past! I love this picture - my sister is the blonde, and that leaves me as the "other" one - LOL. Dad, we'll always be your little girls...

Happy Happy Birthday to my wonderful and sweet Father from his very "special" girl.... see, I'm wearing my helmet!!! ha

The Sisters Quilt Show (and lots of pictures)

2008-07-15T10:15:00.009-06:00

What can I say? Every single building had quilts hung up on the outside and the inside, too! The town had gorgeous flower baskets hanging everywhere, the streets were roped off to keep those of us oohing and ahing and walking with cameras from being run over (and in my case, it's a good thing! I was running around like a butterfly!)

I took pictures of these western looking quilts (and a fish one) for my Dad - not mention the fact that they were beautiful and amazing.

Too many to exclaim over, so the rest of this post will be pictures! These are my favorites:

So - what can I say to top that? Except that in during the 4 days of our trip I took about 200 pictures, so consider yourselves lucky I was able to narrow it down a little! LOL

BY THE WAY - IF YOU CLICK ON THE PICTURES, IT WILL OPEN A WINDOW AND SHOW THEM LARGER FOR MORE DETAIL! REALLY WORTH DOING ON THE QUILT SHOTS!!

Motorcycle trip!!

2008-07-15T09:57:00.004-06:00

There were 6 of us, 4 motorcycles and over 900 miles of fun, beautiful scenery and fabulous quilts all in just 4 little days. We went though Hell's Canyon, John Day Fossil Beds, town of Joseph and Lake Wallowa. We always took the scenic routes and it is amazing how you can go from deep canyons, desert, flat areas with grain fields, then mountains with trees, then mountains with snow on top - all within one day!

Below is Bonnie - she was usually the leader of the pack.
I was getting pretty good at taking pictures from the back of the motorcycle. I took about 100, but I'm pretty sure you all don't need to see each and every one, right?
When Bonnie wasn't leading, it was her husband Larry, below. Notice his bike is the one with all the gear for both of them!! (way to go, Bonnie!)

We spent the first night in Pendleton, and the following 2 nights in Prineville. Saturday, we spent the entire day in Sisters, Oregon for the Annual Outdoors Quilt show!! This is the largest outdoor quilt show in the USA and is always on the 2nd Saturday of July. It was our first time to visit and we were astounded at the number of people and quilts there. More on quilts (with pictures) to come!

Front yard and lillies, lillies, lillies...

2008-07-07T10:34:00.005-06:00

The daisies here have just gone crazy... they seem to love the heat (I'm glad something does 'cuz I sure don't).

And the asiatic lillies are blooming now, too. I didn't realize how many varieties I had, and they smell heavenly!

We've been getting temps in the 100's now, so it will be interesting to see which plants thrive in the heat and which don't! I keep notes, so next year I get more of the heat-lovers planted! LOL

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday. We went to Meridian Speedway that evening and they put on a great fireworks show together with the City of Meridian. Lots of fun and noise and excitement... They had the 360 winged sprint cars running, and they are the fastest cars at that track - awesome to watch.

Bye until next time!!

Flowers - again!! (backyard)

2008-07-07T10:24:00.005-06:00

Here's the favorite corner of the backyard - after major tree trimming! You can just barely see that there is a water lily blooming in the pond.

The is a columbine in bloom & yellow petunias (which I'd never seen before this year!!)

Scooter - posing while guarding "the perimeter"!

Sewing update (finally)...

2008-07-07T10:16:00.004-06:00

First - I made this block for my quilt group project. I wasn't 100% sure about it as it was supposed to go with a lady's "primitive" theme, and my husband thought it was too "finished looking" and that the border square didn't blend with the other blocks that had been made so far. So, back to the drawing board.... I really liked the watering can idea, so I kept that and this is what I ended up with:
I think it turned out cute and I tried to make it have that "prim" look. I'm not good at primitive, it isn't my style at all, but I think this one blended in OK with the rest of the blocks for this project. I hope the next one I get will be easier for me... The meeting is tonight, so I'll know soon!

And - at last I finished my Four Seasons Quilt Swap Summer quilt... completely quilted, added binding and label! I am going to take it tonight for "show and tell" at our group meeting, then will mail it in the morning. Yippee! I think it turned out pretty, I hope my person likes it, too!

What is Your Indian Name?

2008-07-01T08:47:00.003-06:00

I went to the link, entered "Becky" and "Female" and this is what came out.....

Your Native American Name Is...

Meoquanee Tayanita

Your name means: Red Wearing Young Beaver

What's Your Native American Name?

Since this is a "family" blog I guess I can't make any of the comments that are screaming to be made in my head!! LOL (By the way - I am wearing RED today and it is my favorite color!!)

Greetings!

2008-06-27T09:20:00.003-06:00

Well - I see it has been long time since I've posted anything! Thanks to everyone who has stopped by and made comments. (Special thanks and nose hugs/ear hugs to Dilly & Bob T. Bear). A quick update, I did make it through my day of ditziness and got to Las Vegas last Thursday on time and ready for action! It was great to see my parents and sister, we ate too much, stayed up too late, but you can NEVER say you had TOO much FUN!!

Just in case you get the opportunity, go see the show "Jersey Boys"!! It was fantastic and the music was so fun - it took me back a long way. The show is about how Franki Valli and the Four Seasons got started - and includes almost all of their hits. Very well done show and I would see it again at the drop of a hat.

We also got to see "Mamma Mia" playing at The Palazzo. This is another great one and if you like the music of Abba, then it is a must see! Lots of fun and laughing and chair dancing- LOL. I believe the movie based on this show is coming out soon, and I think I'll have to see it, too!

Warning - if you are heading to Las Vegas anytime soon, be prepared for HEAT. I knew it would be hot, but somehow, when you are sitting by the pool and it is 114 degrees out you still don't feel quite prepared for it. I managed 2 days poolside for about 1 hour each before wilting and running back to the air conditioning.

All in all - a fabulous trip, but I have to admit that Monday evening it was great to see my husband at the airport ready to take me home. I missed him and my wee beasties a lot! There was quite a ruckus when I walked in the door...I ended up sitting on the floor while they jumped all over me (not complaining here - I loved it!).

So - now you know what I've been up to. I need to get back in my sewing room quickly as there are a bunch of things I need to get going on:

finish up my 4Seasons Quilt Swap - Summer quilt
start & finish the next part for my Quilt Group meeting on 7/7
start on the Miniature Booty Swap quilt
finish a quilt for my Uncle Tom

Yikes! And, in 2 weeks we are going on a motorcycle vacation for 4 days through Hell's Canyon and central Oregon mountains.... time's a wasting, I better go right now!!

Is it me or isn't it??

2008-06-18T15:11:00.001-06:00

Today I am either not myself, or entirely too much “myself”…. Undecided, which goes along with the entire theme of the day. So far I have had a series of just plain air-headed goof-ups. I attribute this to over-excitement for my upcoming trip to Las Vegas tomorrow, but it might just be a good excuse. (?)

· I rushed to get to work today and forgot to take my daily med’s. This might not be a big deal for most people, but there is one pill that has extreme withdrawal effects when you are late or miss a dose. Of course, I began feeling the vertigo about 10:30am, and then I realized what I had done…
· So – I rushed home at lunch time to get the med’s. Gave the dogs a treat, used the restroom facilities and headed back to work. (so far so good)
· I rushed in straight to the cafeteria, where I wandered to every station before making a ho-hum selection of egg salad sandwich. (In hindsight, it seems I was on a mission to make sure that every employee in all 8 buildings would get a good look at me – this will make sense in another sentence or so.) Then, I rushed back to my cubicle, ran into the bathroom to wash my hands and noticed that my zipper was down and my bright PINK underwear were very clearly showing. Lovely…
· While eating lunch in my cubicle, I worked on paying bills and entered a contest that required enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelope. Just as the envelopes were sliding into the drop box, I noticed that I had reversed envelopes on the contest entry, which means that I will receive the envelope at home later this week with the enclosed envelope for the contest… brilliant!
· At this point, I’m wondering if I am capable of driving myself home or if I’ll inexplicably get lost on the way there. Care to place a bet? J Plus, I still have about 3 hours of work to get through – and Lord knows what else I’ll goof up!

Wish me luck!

What's Your mood today?

2008-06-16T13:54:00.000-06:00

Your Mood is a 7

You're feeling pretty good, but not perfect. Your mood is on the high side of average.

How Does Your Mood Rate?

I took the test and for a Monday, 7 isn't too bad!

4Seasons Quilt Swap - Summer!

2008-06-10T13:22:00.003-06:00

Well - here is my quilt for the swap so far. Finished it should be 16"x16". I still have to sew around all the pieces that are fused for applique, find a cute button to be the center of the flower in the middle, then all that will be left is putting it together, quilting and binding! The hardest part (figuring out what I was going to do) is done I think. This is going to be for another person far away and I hope she will like it! The rules are to make a quilt between 16x16 and 20x20 with a summer theme... some swap partners mentioned special requests or preferences for style, color, etc. but my person didn't have any special things requested, so it was wide open. I thought this looked summery and bright - the colors aren't showing quite true in the picture, but when I finish it up hopefully I can get a more accurate photo. The green is more of an aqua green and the pink is brighter - it makes me happy to look at, so maybe I'll have to make one for myself, too - :)

Quilt Group meeting tonight!!

2008-06-09T18:42:00.005-06:00

Well, the quilt group meets tonight and I barely finished up the "row" for Mary Ellen's quilt yesterday. She is doing a winter-snowman kind of theme, so here is her row, and in the next picture is the one I made for her. It isn't my best work, but it is hard to just come up with something "out of your head" instead of from a pattern... I'm hoping it will get easier the more I have to do it. Tonight I am excited to see what everyone else has done and what was added to my quilt!! It was hard to work on snowmen and winter themes when I am wanting so desperately for summer to hurry up and get here!!

I've also started working on my Four Seasons-Summer Quarter Swap quilt. I think it is really going to be cute and I'll have something to post about it with a picture of where I'm at so far by tomorrow. It felt good to be in my sewing room, since I haven't had a chance to get in there for a few weeks! Before I knew it, it was dark out and 3 little Yorkies were looking up at me like "why aren't you in bed yet?" ha!

More flowers...

2008-06-09T18:37:00.003-06:00

Well - here we are now in the front yard. The flowers around and in the pond are doing great!! We've had 4 water lillies boom so far and the iris have come and gone. The honeysuckle haven't quite opened up, but on warm days they smell wonderful.

Of course, I couldn't leave this shot out, as while I was photographing the front yard, these little guys were glued to the front door window and barking their heads off! From the left, it is Scooter, Maxwell in the middle and Oscar at the right. My three boys - aren't they cute?

Flower update...backyard

2008-06-09T18:30:00.003-06:00

Well - can you tell I like Clematis vines? We have 4 really beautiful plants - each one is a different color and all are starting to have big blooming flowers!! The flowers in baskets & pots that were planted on Mother's Day are starting to fill in nicely and everything looks much greener and the trees much fuller than a month ago. (You can go back on look at older posts to see the differences) This shot of the lawn below shows Scooter in the foreground... you can't do much back there without his direct supervision these days - LOL

It's June already!

2008-06-04T12:45:00.004-06:00

JUNE 1966 Calendar - Upload a doc

The new Stephanie Meyer book

2008-06-02T12:40:00.002-06:00

Friday, when I got home from work, there on the porch was a big box from Amazon.com!! Yippee!! I quickly grabbed the box, opened it up, removed the books into a tote bag, hid the box in the trashcan and smuggled the books into the house... (yes, feeling a little guilty about buying books when I told my spouse he couldn't spend money on non-essentials right now.)

So, inside and first to be read, was "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer. I immediately started reading and kept going until about 10:30pm. Saturday, got up with coffee and was reading and continued to read until 7pm when I finished the book!! Yes, I could NOT put it down. Once again, I have to admit it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I love the Twilight series books about Edward and Bella and was thinking maybe this book would involve supernatural creatures, too. Well, it does, kind of - if you can call alien "souls" supernatural.

Stephanie Meyer does a great job of grabbing your attention and not letting go!! I really liked this book and the only slight negative I have to comment on is the ending. I'm undecided on if I like it or dislike it.... It wasn't bad or weird, it just didn't quite feel right to me... But, even so, I highly recommend the book to one and all! I give it an A- grade!!

Indiana Jones--I saw it!!

2008-06-02T12:14:00.004-06:00

My husband and I had a great date day yesterday - starting with a little sandal shopping (we both found some!), then lunch at On the Border, and then to see "Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"!! The anticipation on my part was huge, of course. I have been a Harrison Ford fan since American Graffiti came out. I admit it is difficult for me to see him reaching the end of his "shelf life" as a leading man, but for a man in his 60's he is in great shape! He still makes me squeal on the inside - LOL. My sister and I were crazy about Harrison Ford - saw Star Wars 8 times and even had a life-sized standup of Indiana Jones from the first movie. I've often joked to my husband, that maybe I would go hiking in Montana, then get "lost" and hope that they send Harrison Ford in with a helicopter to rescue me - - . Something like this actually happened to a woman a few years back and I remember hearing about it and being so jealous - ha!

I can still very vividly remember the first time I saw the original Indiana Jones movie back in Omaha with my sister and a group of friends. At the time, my sister and I had never heard of this movie and weren't all that sure we wanted to see it, but peer pressure prevailed and we went. We barely made in to the theatre in time, and ended up about 3 rows from the front... We missed the previews and the movie was just beginning. If you recall that part, you see Indiana's silhouette, and then as he turned, it dawned on my sister and I at the exactly the same time... We screeched, in unison, very loudly, "Can it be???...... HARRISON FORD!!!!!!" - Need I say that certain friends never let up on teasing us about this moment of sheer girliness! LOL But, yet, one of my funnest memories with my sister.

I have to say, this movie wasn't what I expected at all. It was good, grabbed your attention and moved rapidly, but I'm not sure I liked the ending.... It left me feeling kind of hollow - maybe because I realize that this is probably the last we'll see of Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.'s adventures. Also, I had a lot of questions about exactly what it was that happened with the whole crystal skull thingy's (without giving anything away)?? I kind of don't get it...?.... something about trans-dimensional, blah blah? However, I maybe just need to see it again :) (tee hee). Favorite one liner was "don't call it a snake, tell me to grab the rope" -ha!

Can't wait to discuss the details with my sister - we will be getting together with our folks in Las Vegas on June 19th! Counting the days for sure.... tick tock tick tock....

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2008-05-28T09:43:00.001-06:00

It's raining, it has been raining, it rained over the weekend, it rained yesterday, it is raining now and it is forecasted to rain tomorrow.... (heavy sigh)....

Even with rain, we enjoyed our camping trip - spent a lot of time in the camper watching movies, but the spots of dryness in between were awesome! We went on some really beautiful ATV rides and enjoyed a few campfires, too. It was just good to get away for a bit!

The rain has been making the lawn grow way fast - and poor Tim hasn't been able to get it mowed yet! It is just about up to the ears of the Yorkies right now - ha! They don't like going out in the grass when it is wet, so there have been lots of "messes" on the patio (yuck).

And the rain seems to be planting weeds in my garden!! And they are fast fast growing weeds, too - I need to get out there and remove them if the rain ever stops. But, the good thing is I see lots of blooming things happening: 2 of my clematis vines have begun blooming (one burgundy, the other pale pink), blue iris blooming, blue & white columbine, and more. I'll get the camera going if I can find a sunny few minutes. Meanwhile, it is going to keep raining according to the weather guy.

Hope you are having sunny days!!

Planting done!

2008-05-20T09:48:00.005-06:00

The backyard flowers are all planted!! Yippee! Finished on Saturday when it was a blazing 97 degrees--hard to deal with the heat when 2 days before that we were at 65 degrees, but I survived. All the hanging baskets and flower pots are filled with happiness. I planted several more columbine plants this year as my experimental one from last year has bloomed beautifully. Perennials are great!

Of course, I planted lots of petunias like always. Love those and they are so easy to take care of. Can't wait for my clematis vines to bloom - I see lots and lots of buds, so they should be stunning... I'll take pictures when the blessed event occurs.

This area is my "shade" garden - and I was fearful that nothing would grow there. Wow, was I ever wrong! Hostas are loving it, blue vinca ground cover, primroses and ivy - all flourishing. The great thing about perennials is that the 2nd and 3rd years they really take off!

The cutie in the picture below is Oscar, he is on fence patrol, keeping us safe from intruders, dogs, birds, butterflys, and any other moving creature.

Scooter is my garden watch dog - he gets almost indignant with me when I am pulling weeds. I've tried to explain that weeds are bad, but I've told him so many times to leave all the garden plants alone that he thinks I'm being bad when I pull up weeds! LOL Do you see that look in his eye, like he's ready to leap at me? ha! That would be 4 1/2 lbs of fierce and ferocious!!

Can't wait to see how it all looks in about 2 weeks!

Complaint day...

2008-05-19T12:50:00.002-06:00

I'm grumpy, I'm irritable and I'm impossible to please today. The PAIN from the Invisalign trays has eased at long last (this is good and should make me happy). The weather has gone from 65 degrees to 97 degrees in 3 days (not so good, but shouldn't affect me here in my climate controlled cubicle). I'm not entirely sure what the problem is but I think it is going to get blamed on perimenopause....

A little background on me and perimenopause. It started for me around 40 with painful & heavy cycles, mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain... the usual. I had an endometrial ablation procedure that worked wonderfully for 5 years!! Five years without monthly "stuff" or pain. But since Christmas there have been issues and occasional spotting. Yesterday, I spent most of the afternoon and evening in the fetal position fighting off the worst cramps I can remember... Lots of ibuprofen, heating pad sessions and a sleeping pill had everything easing around 2AM last night. Unfair!! Unfair! I thought this was all taken care of with the ablation, but evidently (according to my doctor) I have sprouted a few non-cancerous polyps which are causing this. And, she says that unless there are serious problems, there is nothing we can do about it. So I'm thinking that I just have to tough this out... And, it is making me a grouch. Looking for the silver lining here - my husband gave me a fabulous foot rub last night and has promised another when I get home from work today. I've got that going for me, which is NICE.

On a happier note, I only have to work 4 days this week as we are going camping for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and leave Thursday night!! (Becky, don't start thinking of all the preparation work you still have to do to get ready to leave - or the happy note will turn sour!)

So, now that I have gotten the rant out I'm sure I'll be feeling just dandy any minute now! Sorry for all the graphic detail -- LOL

The first full day of Invisalign....

2008-05-16T13:43:00.004-06:00

What is Invisalign?? It is a way of straightening and lining up teeth that is better than braces and supposedly less painful, definitely less obvious and hopefully will work fabulously for me!! I have several problems that need correction:

open bite
over-bite
very crooked lower front teeth
mismatched molars/bite

The Invisalign solution is going to be less expensive for fixing the functional problems (rather than have traditional crowns, etc on the molars) with the added bonus of lovely straight teeth! And, I won't have to have a retainer afterwards, the dentist is going to install a permanent fixture to keep the teeth in place. My case requires 15 sets of trays, that are worn about 2 weeks each. Hopefully in less than a year, it will all be finished and my smile will be awesome.

I am attaching the little graphic that shows how my teeth will be changed. It is pretty cool!

Now that I'm done sounding like a commercial, I'll complain! My MOUTH hurts!!!! waaaaaahhhhh! I had braces on my upper teeth back in the day and evidently my threshold for pain was much high then - LOL. I keep popping Advil and I know that by tomorrow it should ease up, but wow - it's making me a major grouch. I feel a big pity party coming on with lots of whining and woe is me... good thing I can get lots of puppy love when I get home, that usually fixes me right up!!

A Sad post for birdies...

2008-05-16T10:26:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago I posted about a Robin building a nest on our patio. My husband and I have watched daily as the robin sat in the nest, protected the yard from large birds and then hatched the eggs. Last Sunday, I saw little baby bird beaks waving around up there and the mama bird flew back and forth with worms for them. We could hear little cheep, cheep sounds in the mornings and I was looking forward to seeing the little ones when they were ready to learn to fly.

Well, the story took a tragic turn, when yesterday evening my husband found a Robin dead in the backyard. We weren't sure if it was the mama bird, what happened to her or how long she had been there. This morning, I checked and the baby birds were weakly chirping, but no mama bird was there, so I fear that the dead bird was indeed the mama bird. So, what to do....

My husband will get home from work today before I do, and I asked him to check things out and if the inevitable had occurred, to please remove the nest and remains before I arrive. I'm secretly hoping for a miracle and another mama bird to appear, but if you don't hear any more on this subject from me, then you'll know that my secret wish wasn't granted.

Here's hoping that this is the worst news you will receive today...

Mother's Day flower planting...

2008-05-14T12:02:00.008-06:00

Time (finally) to begin planting flowers in hanging baskets and empty pots!! Yippee! I look forward to this all Spring and my husband took me shopping to get a few things "just to start" - ha Good thing he was there to limit my purchases, or I would have been planting things for 3 days.

As you can see - I had a little helper! Scooter was utterly intriged by all this stuff and had his nose literally right inthe middle of it all!!I can just about hear his thoughts, Hey! Did I authorize all this activity in MY yard? Did you ask me if you could do this? What is that, dirt? Does it taste good? Hey! Arf

By the time I had finished, I'm not sure who was more filthy, Scooter or me!! Actually, I think it was Scooter - he looked like the bad little boy that ate all the chocolate cake - ha!

All three dogs will be ready to help me plant the rest of the annuals (maybe this next weekend)! It is great to see everything turning green and soon there will be lots of color, too!

Victor's Hogs N Horns ride...

2008-05-14T11:50:00.006-06:00

It was last Saturday and it was a blast!!! Pictures tell it all LOL

This is my good friend, Bonnie! She is also a quilting pal, ATV enthusiast and camping gal.I'm guessing they had about 300 motorcycles participating and the barbecue at the end was awesome. Proceeds went to the Wounded Warrior Fund. What a fun way to spend a sunny spring day!Whatever did I do before I became a "biker chick"?? LOL

The Pick of the Litter...

2008-05-13T13:16:00.004-06:00

Saturday, May 3rd, there was a Hotrod & Motorcycle show at our local Harley Davidson Dealership in Boise. My husband decided he would take his 1941 Ford along with his 1951 Cushman Scooter (to be a "prop" for the car). The event was to raise money for the Humane Society, so dogs and dog-owners were there in great numbers... including the 3 Yorkshire terrorists that live with us!!

Tim commented to me that the Cushman Scooter seemed to be getting a lot more attention than the car, which he thought was very ODD! I laughed and said he should consider where he was - LOL. It was a pretty warm day, so I decided to take the Wee Beasties back home. Upon my return, I found a very excited husband holding a MAJOR AWARD from the show!!! As it turns out, the Cushman Scooter was voted as "The Pick of The Litter" out of the entire show - ha! He couldn't believe it (and neither could I) as there were lots of very nice high-dollar vehicles on display, but we now have this lovely dog-bone shaped plaque to prove it! ha Go figure.... Woof woof

I forgot the cord...

2008-05-12T13:07:00.002-06:00

Here I am in my cubicle at work during lunch time. I'm all set to blog like the wind because there is lots to tell. I reach into my bag of stuff and get out my camera, but Alas!! I realize with a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach that there is no CORD in the bag. Phooey!! And blogs without pictures are just no fun in my opinion.

So, I guess I'll just make a list of what is to come when I get my act together with camera, cord and computer all in one place:

the Pick of the Litter! (Hotrod/Bike show to raise funds for the Humane Society)
Before and After -
Victor's Hogs N Horns Ride
Flowers!!

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend! I sure did - the Wee Beasties (with the help of their Grandparents) gave me a gift certificate to Barnes & Nobles!! Awesome!! My husband took me to buy flowers to start filling my many pots and hanging baskets, so I spent yesterday morning up to my elbows in potting soil, flowers, empty pots and Scooter in the midst of it all. He was quite the "helper".

So - until I get that cord, that's it!!

the Five Fuzz...

2008-05-01T12:48:00.002-06:00

Well - I read Sarah's blog and decided I'd give this a try, too!

Five things found in your bag/purse:
kleenex (allergy season is here)
SweetTarts
cell phone
needles for my Byetta pen
little black book

Five favorite things in your room:
it doesn't tell which room, so since I am in my cubicle, I'll do five favorite things in my cubicle!
iPod
candy dish
teddy bears
photo calendars (specially made by my sister & my mom)
Sweet Annie rag quilt hanging on the wall

Five things you have always wanted to do:
learn to ride a motorcycle (working on it)
visit Australia
see the Rolling Stones in concert
breed Yorkshire terriers
meet Harrison Ford

Five things you are currently into:
blogging
reading
quilting
planting flowers
learning to make teddy bears

Then - you are supposed to "tag" five other people to do the same thing! But, I'm copying Sarah's idea that If you read it, You are tagged!!

Sunday afternoon ride...

2008-04-29T15:06:00.003-06:00

Wow - I just fixed my hair and look all cute... (right?) So, let's take a ride on the motorcycle and totally trash that cute look- LOL!
It was just chilly enough to need a coat and something to keep the ears warm. We were hoping for upper 70's, but had to settle for upper 60's instead...

Hey, Mom! Look we are smiling in these pictures and not trying to look tough and menacing...

The trip started out at Bonnie & Larry's house, then on to the Sunrise Cafe for breakfast. Then we made a big loop heading to Marsing and other small towns; ending back in Boise for finger steaks at Buster's in Eagle.

Side note: I seemed to see a lot of livestock on this trip. Lots of baby beasts in the fields ranging from goats, sheep, horses, cows, buffalo, llamas and alpacas. We've got it all here in Idaho :)

Quilt Shop Hop - part 3 (end)

2008-04-24T13:28:00.004-06:00

A few shots of quilts we loved! This one was at The Country Quilter in Boise and Bonnie is going to be making one from this pattern. The photo doesn't show it as well, but she plans to use all batik fabrics in muted mauve, taupe and green. It should be awesome!

These three shots are of the same quilt and were taken at Snip's N Stitches in Crouch, ID. Bonnie and I both purchased the kit and will be working on this one probably this fall. The colors are stunning - again my photography leaves a lot to be desired. The sample hanging up had such beautiful quilting, I wanted to make sure I got close enough to see how some of it was done so 6 months from now I can remember!!

So - that was our first Quilt Shop Hop and we loved it! Things we learned for next year:

Start out at The Charm Shack in Ontario, OR. [you spend more at the first few stops and all agreed this was our favorite shop on the hop]
Start saving money now for next year!! Take twice as much as you think you might spend, then add another $100.00 --LOL
Pack tote bags to put purchases in so we can keep everything organized and know what belongs to who at the end of the day.
Invite more friends to go along!

And now, Bonnie and I have to completely reorganize our "quilt studio" storage areas in order to put away our new purchases. In fact, at my house right now there are piles and heaps of "Stuff" in that room and the door is firmly closed. I will deal with that on the weekend with a "fresh" brain--and hopefully I will not be sidetracked with oohing and aahing over all the goodies. And, as an incentive to myself, I pledge to get it all put away and lovely, then I'll take photos and post them here to prove I did it! (note to self- LOL)

Pool & Checkers in PJ's...

2008-04-24T13:11:00.006-06:00

A picture is worth a thousand words.... some pictures are worth less.

We were kind of playing pool! I know we were laughing a lot and playing Cher's Greatest Hits on the CD player... Notice, I am the one in the red footy pajamas. Aren't they special? They have teddy bears on them and there is nothing sexier than a 45 year old woman in red, flannel, teddy-bear footy pajamas, right?!!
I think I was having a "Cher" moment (maybe a FEW moments)...

And here you have Bonnie looking for ... her marbles?

No - looking for checkers that seem to repel each other when you try to king them. They hid really really well and we spent a great deal of time and effort recovering them.

At which point we decided that maybe we'd had ENOUGH! There might have been a wee bit of alcohol involved in our PJ Pool Checker party, but I'll say this... we slept great that night! LOL

Quilt Shop Hop - part 2

2008-04-24T13:02:00.004-06:00

Here are shots of "the booty"! Bonnie's pile on the table below. She was very focused and didn't go crazy (as much as she could have!).

Kristie was interested in getting alot of ideas from patterns & books - and I think she did quite well! We can't wait to start working on new projects.

My pile here on the floor was insanely huge and I was afraid to go home with it! However, my husband was happy for me and even drove me over to the MIL's to show and tell!

So - after a long day of shopping and then eating, we decided to put on the PJ's and go downstairs to play pool and checkers.

How much trouble could we get into playing pool and checkers in our pajamas? ....

The Robin's Nest...

2008-04-22T13:24:00.008-06:00

Way up at the top of the storm gutter, back in the corner is the nest. This little guy has been really busy building away. And getting worms to take up to his mate...

I was able to get a ZOOM close up, but it came out blurry (I'm posting it anyway!)

There seems to be a lot of interest coming from the rest of the bird community in this little nest. Mr. Robin has been chasing away all kinds of nosy neighbors! I'm going to have to do some research to find out how long before we have little peepers hatching! fun!!

So - ducks in the front yard, robins in the backyard and 3 yorkshire terrorists inside the house! We have quite a menagerie going these days...

Quilt Shop Hop - part 1

2008-04-21T12:36:00.005-06:00

Well! Beautiful Bonnie & Krazy Kristie picked me up at 8:30am Saturday and we hit the road! First stop involved eating a huge breakfast at Shari's Restaurant, then we planned our route for the shops in the Boise metro area. First we went to Kuna, to Knit One, Quilt Too - cute place and the $$ spending began with a bang. We then went to A Quilter's Garden in Meridian, Idaho Sewing & Vacuum (Boise), The Country Quilter, The Quilt Crossing and Quilt Expressions (all Boise). With smoking credit cards, we hit Highway 55 on our way to Crouch/Garden Valley to stop at Snips N' Stitches; one of our favorite places.

The Red/White/Black (and ugly) quilt is the featured Shop Hop Blocks quilt - and none of us liked it... However, all of us flipped over the Vintage Valentine Quilt above. More pictures below showing the quilting up close. Bonnie & I both signed up to be included in this Block of the Month program, so will be making this one eventually!

We were here a LONG time and spent way too much! More to come later....

Ducks in our pond!!

2008-04-21T10:46:00.003-06:00

Yesterday evening, when I returned from the Quilt Shop Hop trip (much more about that to come in another posting) I saw to my surprise that we had a pair of Mallard ducks in our front yard pond! This pond is a tiny thing and these little ones were both actually swimming in it before I took the picture. I was lucky to get one shot as they quickly flew off when they saw me with the camera.

My husband told me that they were hanging around the pond all weekend - I wonder if they are nesting nearby? Wouldn't it be great to see some fuzzy ducklings soon? (I hope, I hope...)

On our backyard patio, we have a pair of Robins building a nest! However, the pictures I took turned out too blurry to post -- So I was thinking I need to read-up on using the zoom feature on the camera. I guess we are starting our own bird/fowl sanctuary here - LOL. Time to fill up the bird feeders and see what happens!

Until next time...

Treasure Valley Quilt Shop Hop - starts today!

2008-04-17T09:08:00.004-06:00

Here is the info:

Treasure Shop Hop 2008: April 17- 21
Here's early warning for the 2008 Treasure Shop Hop -- Thursday, April 17 through Monday, April 21. All stores will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.

The following eighteen stores are participating in the Hop. If you visit all of them to have your passport stamped, you'll be eligible for the Grand Prize Drawing of a $100 gift certificate to EACH store - yes, that might be as much as $1800! Visit most of the shops, and you'll be eligible for many, many more great door prizes.

A Quilter's Garden - Meridian, Idaho
Charm Shack - Fruitland, Idaho
Cindy's Quilt Shop - Caldwell, Idaho
Granny's Attic - McCall, Idaho
Huckleberry Patches - McCall, Idaho
Idaho Sew & Vac - Boise, Idaho
Knit One - Quilt Too - Kuna, Idaho
LaDonna's Fiberarts - Baker City, Oregon
Marilynn's Pickets & Patchwork - Nyssa, Oregon
Mountain Fabrics - McCall, Idaho
Pins & Needles - Council, Idaho
Quilt Corner - Ontario, Oregon
Quilt Expressions - Garden City, Idaho
Quilts Plus - Halfway, Oregon
Stitch 'n Snip - Garden Valley, Idaho
The Country Quilter - Boise, Idaho
The Quilt Crossing - Boise, Idaho
Traditions Quilt Shop - Baker City, Oregon

Passports (your key to winning the big bucks) will be available at participating stores on April 17.

I am excited about this - 2 friends and I are planning a road trip to hit all the stores except for the 3 in Baker City & Halfway, OR. We will be spending the night up in McCall, Idaho on Saturday and I'm hoping for some bargains!! I have even borrowed my MIL's mini van for this trek so we will have lots of room for purchases. Fun-fun-fun!! Hopefully I'll have lots of goodies to show you when we get back.

The Movie Quotes - answer time!

2008-04-16T10:52:00.003-06:00

Since no one is able to guess, I'll cave in and give the answers:
1. GHOSTBUSTERS "I think he can hear you, Ray" the actor that says this is Bill Murray

2. MR. MOM "Yeah. 220... 221, whatever it takes" actor Michael Keaton

3. WHAT ABOUT BOB "Dr. Marvin, I'M SAILING!" Bill Murray, again

4. CADDYSHACK "Be the Ball." said by Chevy Chase

5. FRIED GREEN TOMATOES "Face it girls -I'm older and I have more insurance." Kathy Bates

6. MEN IN BLACK "You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good." said to Tommy Lee Jones by Will Smith

7. HITCH "Like I always tell my clients - begin each day as if it were on purpose. " Will Smith

8. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." Harrison Ford

9. PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN "There'll be no living with her after this. " Johnny Depp

10. MOONSTRUCK "Chrissy, over on the wall, bring me the big knife. I want to cut my throat" Nicolas Cage

Now don't you see how easy these were? LOL

Sharing one of the funniest posts I've ever read...

2008-04-16T10:32:00.002-06:00

OK - here is where I found this priceless bit of humor: http://www.joshilynjackson.com/mt/archives/000857.html

And I will try to copy her post below:

"The Near-Tragic Tale of An A Bunnies
It seems like a weird title, but there is no singular form of the word bunnies at my house. When Sam was little, he called all rabbits, “A Bunnies.” In honor of his long gone babyhood, we still call single rabbits “A Bunnies.” Groups of rabbits are ALSO called A Bunnies, and the phrase is like FISH. It can be 1 A Bunnies or 75 A Bunnies, it is all still A Bunnies to us. A, you understand, is part of the proper name, not an article, so it is grammatically correct to say “Yesterday, we saw an A Bunnies in the yard.” Or if more than one, you say, “We saw some A Bunnies in the yard.” We would never say, “We saw a bunnies in the yard.” That would be like saying “We saw tractor in the yard.”
Last week, my dog told me a lie. This is unusual, first because his brain is made of four separate cells that sit too far apart in the darkness of his skull cavity to ever be rubbed together, and I did not know the dog had the intellectual CAPACITY to lie. It was also surprising because Bagel is SUCH a diffident animal. He doesn’t have an alpha dog bone in his body. I suspect his spine is made of taffy.
He practically genuflects when my one-eyed massive pirate cat walks by, and he is SO submissive that when we FIRST brought him home, he had a healthy “SIR, YES SIR!” style respect for a large wrought iron pig that sits on the hearth by the fireplace. He would run through the den and as he passed the pig he would go all LOW BELLY and shoot it a worried glance as he slinked and bobbed past it. He wasn’t sure if the pig was ALIVE, but just in case it decided it WAS, he wanted to make absolutely sure the pig understood its authority was not being challenged.
But the KITTEN, Boggart the Dreadful, is another matter. The wrought iron pig has seniority, clearly, but Bagel was here BEFORE the kitten. He sees the kitten as a peer and they REALLYenjoy each other’s youthful, sproingy company as they bound through the house and wear each other out playing fun games like “Let’s Ruin All the Furniture” and “Can This Be Eaten? (Yes!)”
When we first got Boggart, he was about the size of Bagel’s left ear-flop. NOW he is about the size of Bagel’s head, so he plays with Bagel as if the head were the entire dog. Sometimes he plays with Bagel as if the TAIL was the entire dog, but he doesn’t ever try to take on all 50-some pounds worth of hound. Bagel, chock full of good stupid goodness, agrees to forget the existence of whatever portion of himself the cat is not using for the sake of not accidentally killing my kitten.
THEN LAST WEEK…Bagel told me a lie. The lie was, “I RILLY NEEDTER GOTER THE BATHROOM.” Usually when Bagel needs to go to the bathroom, he creeps up to me sideways and, in a sorrowful and apologetic manner, makes the canine equivalent of a gentle throat clearing. It is a barely audible whispery “ahem” noise in the back of his throat, coupled with sad down-tilty hound eyes that telegraph how VERY sorry he is to be a bother. He repeats this endlessly until his bladder explodes and he dies, or until someone notices and takes him out to use the lawnly facilities.
Last week, he came tearing up and LIED TO MY FACE that if I did nto take him to the bathroom IMMEDIATELY, me and my carpet would suffer many vile indignities. I was in the middle of drafting a scene in the new book, but he lied with SUCH vigor, threatening all manner of indoor biohazards, that I hit save and marched him forthwith to the backdoor. The NANOSECOND I cracked the door, he EXPLODED out of it, banging me out of the way and tearing down the deck stairs.
That was when I saw an A Bunnies was in the yard. It was a small brown A Bunnies, with its slump shouldered little back firmly toward us, eating up the long grass in the center of the yard. It heard the clatter of dog nails on the wood, and it looked behind it, and it saw 50 pounds of A Bunnies Destroying Befanged Evil bearing down upon it like a slavering train. ALL A Bunnies had to do was run under the back gate, not 20 feet away, but Alas! POOR A Bunnies lost its total crap.
A Bunnies panicked. It took off in an entirely incorrect direction, trapping itself in a corner of the tall fence. I then lost my total crap, picturing my backyard as a R’abbitoir: I saw four of the world’s most luck-free paws scattered to all the main points of the compass, a detached ear flopped into the azaleas, the head mysteriously golfed away or eaten, red entrails making a gruesome Christmas in the long green unmowed grasses that had called poor A Bunnies in the first place.
I started screaming, “NO BAGEL NO BAGEL NO BAGEL NONONONONONO.”
Bagel was deaf. Bagel was blind to all but an A Bunnies trapped in the corner. Bagel did not slow nor did he veer. He charged straight up to poor, paralyzed an A Bunnies, and, gentle reader, I am sorry to report….he MOISTENED it.
See, this is the world’s most diffident dog, and he regularly plays with a kitten about the same size and shape of an A Bunnies. He basically scooped up an A Bunnies in his cavernous, maw, careful not to bite down, and joyfully SUCKED HIM LIKE A LOZENGE for a damp moment before gently rolling an A Bunnies across the lawn.
There was a brief frozen moment where an A Bunnies, ABSOLUTELY SURE that he was dead, sat in a saliva-coated, unharmed heap. And then he realized he was FINE and he went leaping away, in the correct direction this time, and goozled under the back gate and was gone.
Bagel came bounding back to me with fur breath and asked to go back inside. I said, “You are a big liar pants. You did not EVEN need to go to the bathroom.” But by then he had already forgotten the whole thing and had NO idea what I was talking about. He also had NO idea why I took him inside and gave him and ENORMOUS lick of peanut butter off a spoon, but I know why. It’s because he is awesome. Posted by joshilyn at April 16, 2008 6:37 AM

OK - back to me now. Was that not laugh-out-loud hilarious? Joshilyn Jackson is an author and her blog is called Faster than Kudzu. I have it listed off to the left and it is worth checking out!

Thanks for making my day, Joshilyn and I hope some of you readers were able to laugh along, too.

Name that movie! (ADDED HINTS!)

2008-04-14T15:35:00.004-06:00

OK - I have added some hints and hopefully not totally given them all away!
Pick 10 of your favorite movies
Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie (or quote them from memory )
Post them on your blog for everyone to guess
Fill in the film title once it’s been guessedThese are your rules:
No Googling or using IMDB search functions (Don’t cheat!)
Leave your answer(s) in the comments

OK - here goes:
1. "I think he can hear you, Ray" the actor that says this is Bill Murray
2. "Yeah. 220... 221, whatever it takes" actor Michael Keaton
3. "Dr. Marvin, I'M SAILING!" Bill Murray, again
4. "Be the Ball." said by Chevy Chase
5. "Face it girls -I'm older and I have more insurance." Kathy Bates
6. "You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good." said to Tommy Lee Jones by Will Smith (I think I just gave it away!!)
7. "Like I always tell my clients - begin each day as if it were on purpose. " Will Smith
8. "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." Another give away: Harrison Ford
9. "There'll be no living with her after this. " Johnny Depp (and yes, he IS beautiful!)
10. "Chrissy, over on the wall, bring me the big knife. I want to cut my throat" Nicolas Cage

So - guess away! Most of these are pretty easy, at last if you know the kind of movies I like it isn't hard to figure out! LOL

Playing with blog settings

2008-04-11T12:17:00.002-06:00

OK! I have now completely changed the appearance of this blog (about 4 times so far) and this is what I ended up with. Those who saw the old layout, please let me know if you like this one better! The more I play with Blogger, the more I understand what I'm doing -- at least I think I do - LOL.

TGIF!!! I thought Friday would never get here this week! I have big plans to be sequestered away in the "quilting studio" and finishing up some little half done things. I will finish the May wallhanging (she says firmly to self). Then, I have some secret little projects to get started - one of which must be done before May 5th!! (I have a niece that knows what May 5th is!!) hint hint Jessica!!

Here's hoping for a fabulous weekend for everyone!

Signs of Spring

2008-04-10T18:34:00.007-06:00

When I got home from work today I decided to get the camera in hand and search out some signs of Spring in the yard. And yes, I actually found a few things!! I found some violas, a few grape hyacinths, a daffodil and some fierce Yorkies!

Up above is Oscar barking at me because I'm out taking pictures instead of feeding him. He can be very vocal when he feels dinner time is being infringed upon!

Here I tried to get a shot of Scooter, but as you can see - he just wouldn't hold still for more than a milli-second!

And of course, all three of them wouldn't dream of standing still for a posed shot! The neighbor's dog was on the opposite side of the fence, so there was no chance of me getting their attention (unless I was covered in bacon).

I think the most welcome sign of Spring would be a few days with the temperature above 50 degrees. So - weather gods, make it so!!

I joined a quilt group...

2008-04-10T13:04:00.004-06:00

I joined a Quilt group --- Monday night was our first meeting. My husband thinks this is some mysterious "women's" club where we tell secrets and plot things, but it isn't anything as exciting as that-LOL. There are 12 of us and we agreed to meet on the 2nd Monday of every month. We are going to be making row quilts with each person picking out a theme for their quilt. Next month, we are to show up with a bag that includes: the first row of our theme quilt made up, plus any notes, fabric and patterns we feel necessary to help with the theme. Then, everyone picks a bag from someone else and makes a row to go along with that particular bag's quilt theme! Sounds fun and kind of scary because at the end, we will each have a quilt made with pieces from lots of different people! There is a certain amount of trust involved here! After a lot of deliberating, I have decided on my theme. It will be a gardening quilt and can have flowers, gardening utensils, picket fences, bird houses, bees - you name it and it's OK if it can be found in a flower garden. I need to select a color scheme next - I'm thinking bright colors, but no NEON bright fabric. It should be interesting and when I get my row made up I'll be showing it here!

Finished quilt!

2008-04-06T10:56:00.005-06:00

Here is my most recent completed project [We'll talk about the UFO's a.k.a. UnFinishedObjects later]: A rag quilt with appliqued blocks. The photos don't do it justice (as usual with my photography). The soft colors combined with the wash/rag style make it look vintage and quaint. Right now it is hanging in my drab little cubicle at work and is doing an outstanding job of brightening up that space! The pattern is called "Sweet Annie" from the book "Cut, Sew, Quilt as You Go" by Sheri Bignell. Sorry the first photo is sideways - I can't for the life of me figure out how to rotate it using this Blogger software :) I have enough leftovers that I may make a little pillow to match, but if I take a pillow to work I'd be awfully tempted to use it (for a nap). Most of the fabric I used is from a line called "Serenity"and I bought it in McCall a few weeks ago.

the Haircut

2008-04-06T10:36:00.006-06:00

After a lot of fretting about it, I finally went and got the ding dang hair cut off. Yes - it was frumpy and unattractive and having my hair in a pony tail 24/7 was getting kind of old. So, ta-da!

Here are some not very good photos of the new hair cut. It doesn't show the new highlights, which are very nice in my humble opinion. However, this will give you an idea of how very MUCH was cut off! And I am learning to use a new styling utensil: the flat iron. Interesting that you can create curls with this thing provided you master the wrist flick - which I have not yet managed... (practicing every day). I do like it and it is fast and fluffy! I'm not sure if Tim likes it, but it isn't on his head, so there....

Another note on appearance, since we looking at ME today. Soon, there will be an announcement involving teeth, their placement (incorrect alignment), and rearrangement. So, I'm thinking that to build the suspense and anticipation I will start dropping hints. Consider this one dropped!

Plagiarism??

2008-04-03T14:55:00.004-06:00

I just realized why the title I chose for this blog sounded so good. I was recently with my sister and parents in Las Vegas and we went to see a comedian who's tag-line to fame is "I be thinkin'", so now I'm wondering, if subconsciously I am plagiarizing? I don't think so, but too bad for my so-called original idea.

Life in a Cubicle

2008-04-03T13:41:00.005-06:00

Well, the first post - hm..... Since I spend most of my waking hours in a cubicle it is only fitting that the very first posting comes live from cubicle central. It is a frostly 60 degrees here and my space heater is running as usual. With my candy dish full and my lunch break just started I am ready and poised for action. But, I think I have stage fright - it feels like each key I press echoes ponderously and all my words are going to be judged by harsh no-nonsense East European She-Males. With that said, I think I'll call it a day. Posting One is over, baby-steps! (I'll be braver next time)