A Confluence of Thoughts

Starting up again

2011-03-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

To say it's been a long time since I posted anything is probably a bit of an understatement. However, I've been busy. Really. Really busy. And when you're a contractor, being busy is a good thing. I did get a free day this last weekend to do some sewing...just for fun. It's been a while since I've had time to do fun sewing. I've looked at the Carpenter's Star pattern on the http://blog.MaryQuilts.com site and I wanted to make it...really wanted to make it. But there was that time issue. Randy was back in ND visiting his folks. Which meant I was the full-time entertainment for Charli. But she finally laid down on Saturday late afternoon, and I was able to get the squares and half-square triangles cut, then sewed together on Sunday. (By the way, the lightest color in this photo is white. Actually it's white-on-white - I was shooting without the flash so it looks not-white...oops! It's better if you squint your eyes when you look at it. Really.) Now I just have to decide on borders. I've gotten input from my sister. Now I just need to find time to get that part done!

College Quilts

2010-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

I sewed college quilts as high school graduation presents for the twins in our family. I waited until they had selected their colleges before picking up the fabric because I wanted to make the quilts in the college colors. Needless-to-say, that put me behind a bit! I did finish the quilts before graduation in June, then sent them off to be quilted. The specific quilter I used did an absolutely amazing job. Our niece is planning a career in medicine and is at UCLA, so the colors are blue and gold. The quilting - this just blows me away - is the hippocratic oath. You know it - it's the "do no harm" speech that you hear on every medical TV show. It's tough to see on these photos, but it's there...trust me! Our nephew is planning a film career. He's been into movie making projects since he was very young, and he's very talented. He's at Chapman University in CA...hence the red and white for that university.His quilt is quilted with the names of actors, movies, directors and producers - very fun and very unique! I got them back a couple of weeks ago, added binding and labels, then sent them to the twins. I hope the quilts keep them wrapped in hugs whenever they're feeling a little homesick. The patterns are from a favorite blogger of mine - http://blog.maryquilts.com/. Check it out - you'll love her work!

Happy Birthday, Dennis

2010-10-17T17:44:00.001-07:00

I miss you everyday.

For my MIL..bird pictures

2010-08-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law is a great photographer and she loves taking pictures of birds. She'll wait for an hour just to get that perfect bird shot.

And I like to think I'm a good photographer but I just don't have her patience. If I can't get the shot in 10 minutes (or 15 shots in 10 minutes), well, it's time to move on. Plus, my photography interest really isn't with birds.

My interest is with flowers...

or sunsets...

or Charli.Every time we go to the San Juans, my MIL asks if we're taking bird pictures for her to see. This time I made the effort. These certainly aren't wonderful...blue heron tend to be pretty skittish as you near them. So these were shot from a distance; then cropped. Don't be looking for digital perfection here. But they're okay shots.

Then there's this picture of my favorite subjects.

And I know she'll like it because they're also two of her favorite subjects!

Tidepooling

2010-08-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

The tides were very low in the mornings when we were in the San Juans and that made for great tidepooling. I took a lot of pictures - naturally - but haven't had a chance to go through them all so this post is limited to starfish.

I just love the bright purple color against the greens and browns of the shoreline.

The starfish just seems to hang onto to whatever is close...even if it's another starfish.

And I love being able to see how they're clinging to the rocks; they're strong little buggers!

And there were some orange ones, too. Not many, mind you, but a few mingling in with the purples.

But while I love tidepooling and finding all the hidden starfish, I also know that starfish LOVE eating crab. Oh, and by the way ... so do I. And that means finding a lot of starfish near our crabbing grounds isn't exactly a wonderful thing because that means competition...and starfish don't have to follow Washington State crabbing season guidelines!

San Juan Sunsets

2010-07-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

We were up in the San Juan Islands recently and were lucky enough to be there during a particularly hot spell in Vancouver. It was in the high 90s in Vancouver; it was 80 in the San Juan's...and absolutely beautiful. Again. Still. As always. And no, I am not a bit biased.I mean, come on...look at that sunset and tell me that is not beautiful.Or that one. It was just like living in pictures from a travel magazine. And of course, part of the charm is the sailboats reflecting in the water.This was the view from our bed the first night. It's difficult to close your eyes when this is the view outside your window.

Even Charli was spellbound.

On the Design Wall...

2010-07-26T14:28:00.001-07:00

I've been doing more applique this summer so the projects that take shape on the design wall have been few and far between. I do have some finished appliqued wallhangings on there but they'll stay there until I decide how I want to finish them. And, knowing me, they could be there a long time. I read a few blogs everyday. One is called Mary Quilts (http://blog.maryquilts.com/). I like her style of writing (very casual) and I like the scrappy quilts she designs, makes and gives away. And she always gives step-by-step instructions so that if you like the quilt, you can make one for yourself. I really like that. When I saw the lattice quilt design, I knew I needed to make one. Earlier this spring, Randy's cousin gave me some yardage that she'd picked up at a garage sale. There are quite a few yards and it's a pattern I've always liked. In fact, I had the same fabric in 2 other colorways...and still have a bit of each! Since I'd gotten a lot of the blue colorway, I decided to use it, along with a navy-on-navy floral and a rose-on-pink fabric ...to make my own lattice quilt. I cut and pieced enough for a few blocks on Friday just to see if I liked it. Then, Sunday, I cut and pieced a few more. One thing I really like is that you oversize the blocks when cutting; then square them up after piecing.It makes for a bit of waste...but more importantly, it makes for very square blocks!

Now that I've got a few blocks done, I'm thinking I may need to applique something in the middle where the four blocks come together. To me, it looks a bit blah:Since the 4 blocks together make a 12" finished block, I could applique something, but what?

And that's why it takes so long to finish quilting projects!

Young Sailors...and Great Parents

2010-07-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

The local sailing club to which we belong is the site of an annual Youth Regatta that includes youth sailing clubs from all over the Pacific Northwest. The regatta is hosted by a Portland club but held at our club because...well, because it's a nice club with a nice lake and good camping facilities.

These kids are fun to watch.They have such enthusiasm and are so good.They aren't afraid to jump on a boat they've never sailed before and that has unfamiliar rigging.After a few instructions from the boat owners and within a few minutes of leaving the dock, they're heeled over and flying across the water; laughing and grinning from ear-to-ear.It's pretty fun to watch.

There were over 70 boats that participated in the regatta this year; everything from very small, single-handed boats to 3-person crews on Lightnings. We watched this pair of Lightnings approach the finish line from our house deck before driving down to the club...that was fun! This picture was also taken from our deck.

I admire these kids. They are polite, they are attentive and they are having fun.

I also admire their parents. They encourage their kids to participate in an activity they love.

And they're sitting right there ... all day ... cheering on their kids, taking pictures, and waiting to congratulate them on a fine race. No matter where in the pack they finished.

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

2010-07-19T16:02:00.001-07:00

I do love flowers. And it seems my favorite flower changes each time a new blossom appears. I absolutely love peonies. No doubt about it. However, they're pretty short-lived here in the PNW. The rain turns my beautiful light pink peony rusty before the powdery mildew sets in. But for the first few days...man, I love that flower. When we go perennial shopping in the early spring, we always pick up some African Daisies. The colors are so wonderful and as long as I remember to deadhead regularly, their little bright faces bloom up at me throughout the summer. This purple variety is one we pick up each year. But we also saw the yellow ones with the purple centers this year...and they were just too lovely to pass up. And of course, when the clematis is blooming, well, there's nothing quite like it. The shower of flowers that cover the vine are spectacular. Most of our clematis blooms in the April-May timeframe because it gets the early spring sun. However, we have two vines that are pretty shaded until June when they start growing. As luck would have it, one of them is also blooming now: Anyone who grows clematis knows that it likes its feet in the cool shadows but its head in the sun.We've struggled with that over the years but really did get it right with this particular plant. It's beautiful...and, of course, one of my favorite flowers! I was in flower heaven! Then, our daylilies started blooming. And while some daylilies are okay, we have one variety that is simply stunning. Well, it's stunning to me. The colors remind me of a tropical sunset. And since I LOVE the tropics, this becomes my favorite flower. I marvel at how frilly the petals are - as if the dramatic color wasn't enough, it has to have frilly petals, too! And the Asiatic lilies are blooming now.The coloring certainly isn't as dramatic as the daylilies but the smell...oh mama, the smell! One blossom is fragrant enough to fill a room.I know because I cut one blossom and put it on our dining room table. And I can smell that one bloom in the kitchen. It's amazing. Another plant I get every year is an Angel's Trumpet. The first time I saw this plant was in Costa Rica many years ago. There, it grows to a tree size. All I could do was stare at it. The blossoms were out-of-this-world incredible to me. And I swore I would have one if I could find them here. Well, I've had several since then but have never managed to over-winter one successfully. It may because I keep it in a pot. I suspect it would do better planted in the ground near the house. But I need to have it close to me so I can stare at the blossoms. That picture isn't the best...the sun was on the wrong side. This picture is better. Is that not gorgeous? It is my favorite flower today...and probably tomorrow and the next day, too. I love the name, I love the shape, I love the color, I love that it reminds me of a wonderful vacation with Randy and some great friends. And I love that it makes me think of my parents and brother every time I look at those blossoms. Because for me, Dennis, Mom and Dad are my angels and I like to think that these are what their heavenly trumpets look like. Gotta run...I think I hear a trumpet!

Wildflowers

2010-06-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

First, let me say that I am not a fan of dandylions. I consider them weeds in the flower garden of my life. Okay, I admit it, I'm not poetically inclined.

I don't like wild blackberries either. I hate being pricked by those thorns!

When I see either of these plants growing in the yard, I yank them out by their nasty little roots.

That said, I decided to shoot some close-up pictures of them while we were down at the river last week.

And I must admit that when I looked at them close-up and personal, I was pretty impressed.

They were actually pretty and I loved the bright yellow color on that dismal, gray day. I did mention that it's still raining here in the Pacific Northwest, didn't I?

But I digress...

Even the blackberry vine blooms are pretty if you ignore the fact that the vine itself is very invasive and has long, nasty, prickly thorns that grab onto your clothes and hold you in their tight little grasp. They're just nasty, I tell you. But the blooms on the blackberry vines? Well, they kinda make you forget about the thorns.

Finished...well, almost

2010-06-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

I made college quilts for our niece and nephew who graduated from high school this spring. They're both off to Los Angeles this fall to attend college and while they might not need quilts in California, I thought it would be a nice idea for them to be able to wrap themselves in a warm hug if they start feeling a bit homesick. Sappy of me, I know, but it's who I am. Here's Emily's finished quilt top:

And here's Jack's quilt:Right now, the tops are waiting for their turn to be quilted by a local machine quilter who does exceptional work. In fact, I'm probably more anxious to see the final quilts because I know the quality of work this quilter does.

If you're interested in either of these patterns, you can download the instructions for free at http://www.maryquilts.com/. She's written easy-to-follow instructions for many patterns. Just scroll down and check out the left column under Instruction Sheets!

I never thought I'd ask but...where's the wind?

2010-06-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

The local sailing club that we belong to had its annual regatta on the 5th and 6th of June. With all the rain we've had, the lake was very full and all of the sailors were ready for a great weekend of racing. Unfortunately, Saturday was a beautiful day - the kind you wish for with sunshine streaming down, temperatures in the low 70s, and a very slight breeze. Perfect! Except if you want to sail. There were over 70 boats registered to participate, with a couple of sailors flying in from East Coast and midwestern states. At one point, the breeze seemed to pick up. The race committee spotted it from the docks.You could see the wind filling in on the far side of the lake. Everyone dashed to docks, untied their boats and hoisted the sails...it was time to sail!

Well, maybe not.

Only one race got run on Saturday and from what I heard, it was a pretty slow race. When I got to the club around 3pm, the sailors were sitting around the club grounds visiting and anxiously watching the water. Watching for wind...that never came. This is Team Frenzy...being hopeful that the wind is filling in!Oh well, there was still Sunday. And if conditions were right, it would be possible to get enough races in for the regatta to still count. Randy and I had volunteered to prepare the Sunday morning breakfast. When we woke at 6:30am, we could hearing the rain beating down on the roof. It wasn't a good sound. We hurried to the club to get coffee started and pancakes mixed for those sailors who were camping. Let me be very clear, this wasn't just rain. This was like monsoon-type rain. It was rain like we get in January. The amount of rain forecasters warn could trigger flash floods. And there just didn't seem to be an end to it. It finally let up - just a bit - about 11:30. With rain gear donned, the sailors headed out once again. Only to have what little wind there was, die completely just as the race committee was preparing to start the first fleet race. The sailors floated around on the lake for well over an hour before cancelling the races. Let me just make this point...Sailors aren't very happy people when they don't get to sail.

Rain, Rain and More Rain

2010-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

I've been very bad about posting. Or rather about NOT posting.

It's not that I haven't thought about posting lately. It's just that the rain has me down. I keep thinking that as soon as the sun comes out, my mood will lift and good thoughts will come pouring out.

I've been waiting now for over three weeks. The sun was out Saturday but I wasn't home (a different post still to be written) so couldn't blog then.

And while there are thoughts pouring out of my head today as I watch the rain pelting the ground yet again, I don't think I'm quite ready to share most of those thoughts; they come from a dark, dank place deep inside. Plus, I'm not sure that kind of language is proper for blogs!

Suffice it to say, we've had a LOT of rain in the past two months - like record-setting amounts of rain. This is Rose Festival week in Portland so it's natural that it should be raining. It pretty much always rains during Rose Festival.

Despite the rain, we do still get Charli down to the river for her daily swim. We discovered on Thursday of last week, however, that our beautiful sandy beach has been consumed by water.

See that red line?

Yeah, that one. That's normally where we walk on a nice sandy beach; it's now under several feet of water. So we can't walk. We just walk to the bottom of the path and stop.

And Randy throws the bumper for Charli.

And she swims out to retrieve it because...well, because she loves to swim and she's a labrador retriever...it's what she does. And while Charli loves to run on the beach and roll in the sand, she really loves to swim. So, even though there's no beach for us to walk, we continue our daily trips to the river.Because Charli doesn't care if there's a beach; she just wants to swim.

Flowers from the garden

2010-05-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where the last two weeks have gone. It certainly doesn't seem like I've accomplished much during that time. I did finish a quilt top and have another cut out and partially sewed, and I've taken some Red Cross classes online and at the Southwest Washington offices, and I've done some housework (not enough!), and then there's the gardening. Okay, so I guess I know where all the time has gone. But the results sure are pretty.

Costco had flats of 6, 1 gallon pots of Gerbera daisies. Man, I love Gerbera daisies. I tried, without success, to grow them at the other house. They died.Pretty much as soon as they went into the ground. I think I babied them too much.But they love it here at this house. It's hot. Really hot in the backyard. They get full sun from 10am until 5pm. Hot sun. These started with 3 blooms each when I put them in the beds two weeks ago. They now have 6-7 blooms each. And man, are they beautiful. It's like having a bit of the tropics in my backyard. I posted pictures of the yellow iris a while back. Now that the yellow iris are about done blooming, the purple iris have kicked in. Finally. Randy was getting tired of all the yellow iris. And I have to show you the pot of tulips my in-laws brought me from the Woodburn Tulip fields. Wow, are they gorgeous!I had the pot sitting on the patio table for over three weeks and the blooms were beautiful that whole time.This picture was taken toward the end of that three weeks. Most are still in great shape - which is amazing for a tulip that was sitting in the rain.

The yard - well, the backyard anyway - is looking good. With all the April rain and now the May sunshine and warmth, things are kicking into high growing gear. Even the fish are hungry - do you suppose those bubbles are his way of saying "Get me some food!"?

A goldfish with a mouth this big is a scary thing.

Margaritaville, Las Vegas

2010-05-04T14:01:00.001-07:00

We're Jimmy Buffett fans. Everyone who knows us, knows that. Everyone who's been around when we put CDs on, knows that. We have about every JB CD and record that exists. We've been to many JB concerts and yes, Randy has a shark costume that he wears on Halloween. So, it simply made sense that when we got to Vegas, we'd have dinner at Margaritaville.Well, it made sense when every other restaurant we stopped at had at least an hour wait to get in. That's when we saw the Margaritaville sign.

The only problem was that the wait there was over an hour. Except if we ate in the bar. It was getting late and we were getting hungry. The bar sounded fine to us.If you're a JB fan, you know he sings about boats, planes, drinks, sharks, friends...and well, more drinks. Here's Booze in the Blender...that's one BIG drink!On one floor, the tables are made to look like boat hulls...complete with the Garmin on top! These guys are sitting on the rim of the volcano that blows every hour. Oh yeah, he's into volcanoes, too. Our bartender volunteered to take a picture of us. Looking at the way we're dressed, you'd think it was summer. It wasn't. It was about 40-degrees and the wind was howling. It wasn't a Jimmy Buffett kind of day. Even the bill is served up in a landshark glass!

The masthead on this ship was neat although a bit risque. Still, I'd love to have something like this on the big floor-to-ceiling fireplace at our house. It would be a great conversation piece. And the fin color is perfect for that room. And this is a replica of JB's plane. He loves to fly. It's just one of the regular themes in his songs.

Our bartender came back with a couple bottles of Margaritaville tequilla and had us pose for another picture.

But first he made us promise that we'd give the bottles back...unopened.

The Venetian

2010-05-04T13:36:00.001-07:00

My other favorite casino to stroll through in Vegas is the Venetian. We didn't see the casino part; I just like walking through the shops and seeing the canals. It's a fun place although Randy and I usually get turned around and have a difficult time finding our way out of the casino. Of course, it is Vegas and they don't want you leaving. They don't make any money that way. It's better to be inside playing craps or slots or something.The Venetian is designed after Venice and its canals. It comes complete with gondolas and gondoliers.They're beautiful, aren't they?There are also wonderful murals on the walls.The ceilings are painted to look like daylight skies. And they really do; in fact, the ceilings are so life-like that the clouds appear to be moving. I don't understand it. And no, I hadn't been drinking when we were there. Well, not much anyway; certainly not enough to cause the ceiling to spin. Throughout this level of the Venetian were shops of all kinds...from designer clothing stores to jewelry stores to small cafes to bakeries... ...to an oxygen bar? Really? There were only four seats but they were all occupied. I don't get the whole concept but then, I've never tried it either. Still, paying to breathe seems a bit over the top to me.

Now, if I could only figure out where in our house to put this guy. What a great conversation piece! Of course, I'd have to add an eye patch.

The Bellagio

2010-05-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind week; a part of it which I'm trying to forget. Blogging about Vegas and the Bellagio, I'm hoping, will help.

I wanted to go to the Bellagio to shoot some pictures of the ceiling. If you've been there, you know what I'm talking about. Dale Chihuly did the glasswork and it's spectacular. Really.

I mean, look at this.

Individual flowers made of glass. And not just a few flowers; they cover the lobby.

The flowers range in size from dinner-plate to just...well, just massive. The colors are everything in the rainbow. And then some. Even when it's dark outside, this ceiling is magnificent. The pictures don't do it justice.There was also a separate ceiling exhibit of flower umbrellas. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as the Chihuly glasswork but I could do something like this in my house. Well, except that I don't have a room as large as this lobby so I might have to resize the exhibit down to fit. I'm just not sure only having three umbrellas would have the same effect. Plus, it really wouldn't go with my current decor. Whatever that is. Still, it was nice.

Then, there was the Spring exhibit - Wow. Everything in Vegas is over the top. And this exhibit was no exception.

These mushrooms are life-sized. And I mean life-sized like in the size of a giant human. The frog was about the same size as Charli. I don't think she'd like to meet this guy in the backyard when it's dark. This fountain was wonderful. It stood tall...maybe 15 feet high and water cascaded down from leaf to leaf and finally into a rock pond at the bottom.

This pot of flowers was life-sized, too. If you happen to be a giant, that is. And that dainty pink butterfly in the back? It was big enough to carry off an eagle. I won't even talk about the size of that ant in the lower left corner. Massive, I tell you. The snails were pretty neat, too. The shell is made out of rounds and rounds of roses. I wouldn't mind having some snails in my garden if they looked like this.These fighting ants were life-sized, too. Makes me wonder if there are some science fiction lovers designing the floral displays. Hmmm. This poppy was regular sized; I just shot it as a close up because I thought it was pretty. And the petals actually looked like wrinkled paper.But that Chihuly exhibit...that was amazing. If you ever get to Vegas, it's worth the stop.

Vegas, Baby!

2010-04-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

Time to finish up on the trip back from Arizona. After leaving the Hoover Dam congestion, we were on to Las Vegas. We were barely across the Nevada border when we came to the first casino:After checking into our hotel, mixing drinks and playing a rousing game of tug with Molly, we headed down to the strip.

I'll say it upfront...I love Las Vegas. I think everyone should go there at least once in their lives for a couple of nights. The lights, the sounds, the action, the people.

Every building is bigger than life and each has a specific theme. You don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy Vegas. And you don't need to gamble. You do, however, need to have comfortable walking shoes! These places are huge. We spent four hours on the strip and made it through 5 casinos. Other than stopping for dinner, we were walking the whole time. Good walking shoes are a must. First stop, Ceasar's Palace. It's massive. Bette Midler played here for 2 years. We didn't get down to Vegas during that time, though I hear she was tremendous. Vegas is all about the eye candy. It's the flashing lights and the noise of the slots.

It's the massive palm trees and multi-block-sized casinos...

It's the overabundance of activity. I don't think I stopped smiling all night.

I love The Mirage...

It's one of my favorite casinos. We stayed there the last time we were in Vegas. It's decorated in a tropical theme. The plant life is tremendous, tropical and colorful...and that's on the inside of the casino.

Of course, what would the tropics (or a Vegas casino) be without a waterfall?

And then there are the slots. I love the slots. Of course, I only play the penny slots so it takes me a while to lose $5. I don't like to lose money; I just like to play.

These dolphins greet you at the entrance/exit of The Mirage.

We stayed at Treasure Island on our very first trip to Vegas. It's a pirate-themed hotel/casino.

We didn't do any gambling at TI this trip but there were some interesting exhibits, like this one:

The sign accompanying the exhibit read: "The Wooly Mammoth inhabited the Northern Siberian Slopes of the former Soviet Union. They roamed the earth during the Pliocen epoch which ended 45,000 years ago.

"This is only the tip of a tusk of an animal that likely weighed between eight and 12 tons. The carving on the tusk is presumed to have taken many generations to complete.

"As you view the tusk note the transition of military garb and weaponry which change with the generations."

I didn't get a picture of the full tusk which is a shame because it was huge. This metal sculpture of a woman on a motorcycle was...well...it was interesting. The detail was extraordinary.And this painted relief was pretty interesting, too. Odd, but interesting. And you can't walk past TI without seeing the pirate ships. We didn't stay for the show; we've seen it before.

Next, we crossed over the main strip and headed for the Venetian. There'll be separate posts for the Venetian and the Bellagio. They really are tremendously fun.

I love this town!

Woodburn Tulip Festival

2010-04-20T10:20:00.001-07:00

There are several large bulb farms here in the PNW and this is the perfect time of year to dig out the camera and visit them.

The tulips are in bloom and the colors are spectacular!

Randy took his folks, sister and niece to the Woodburn Tulip Festival last Friday and shot these photos. He's a great photographer with a wonderful eye for composition and style.

Even though sometimes his "subjects" might not be really happy about posing:

But you have to agree that this is the perfect Christmas card shot.

Clematis

2010-04-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

No words are even necessary!

I love spring in the PNW!

Bluebells...or something like that

2010-04-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

These little dainty bluebells (?) look so cute that I had to share them.

We didn't plant these so I'm not sure if they really are bluebells or not but that's what I'm calling them!I love macro photography and flowers make such wonderful macro subjects.Spring is great time to get the camera out and start practicing up for summer outings.

Enjoy!

A fern is born

2010-04-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

When I shot these photos this weekend, I had no idea how great the detail would show. I was really blown away when viewing these on-screen.

This one just blows me away:

Iris

2010-04-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

The yellow iris popped this weekend and they are beautiful so I'm sharing them.

I can hardly wait for the purple ones. It'll be a couple of weeks yet; they're a bit slower to emerge in the Spring...but well worth it!

Hoover Dam...the road trip continues

2010-04-15T10:43:00.001-07:00

We made good time out of Sedona but hit a hard stop as we neared Hoover Dam. Traffic, when it was moving, was at a snail's pace. Looking out my window, I saw a sign to be on the lookout for mountain sheep. The suddenly, there was one staring at me. (I apologize for the focus on this picture. I wasn't ready and had to shoot quickly.)

Here was the first sign that we were getting closer.

And there it was. Do you see all the cars snaking their way through the maize of Hoover Dam? It was a slow process since everyone was taking pictures and looking for a place to pull over.

The high-water line for the reservior is hard to miss.

Ever so slowly we crept toward the main dam.

We're getting closer.

Almost there.

The clock showing the current time in Arizona. And the counterpart for Nevada.Here's the new bridge that's under construction. It's massive and I can't comprehend how in the world they are able to lift the pieces into place. When it's finished, you'll no longer be able to drive over the Hoover Dam.

Here's the main visitor's lodge. We didn't stop. We had a puppy with us... and we had reservations in Vegas, baby! I really wish I'd been looking out my window when we drove past the front of this sculpture. You'll just have to imagine how great the front was. Here's the new bridge again. From this angle, it's easier to see just how large it is. That's one mighty big bridge. And I still don't understand how they lifted the pieces in place. It's impressive. Molly, however, wasn't impressed.

Chapel of the Holy Cross - Sedona

2010-04-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Randy's Cousin Ann told us about the Chapel of the Holy Cross when we were visiting with her in Mesa. She remarked how beautiful it is and said that since it was just outside of Sedona, we should stop if we had time. This is the view as you drive toward the chapel.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Of course, the landscape surrounding the chapel isn't bad either. Here's the walkway leading to the chapel. I do love that it blends in with the surrounding country.

Along the walkway, there were small statues placed among the planting. Here's the view from the chapel entrance. Wow.

And the plaque just outside the door naming Marguerite Brunswig Staude as the donor.

On the other side was a two-page explanation of how the Chapel Came into Being. I've included pictures of those pages but I'll summarize it, too. If you want to read the pages, just click on each of the pictures to open them to a larger view.

The conception of the church came to the donor in 1932. When the original sketch was seen by Lloyd Wright and in 1937, plans were in place to build the chapel in the Budapest hills overlooking the Danube River. However, WWII put a stop to that dream.

The sketches lay dormant until the early 1950s when the donor and architects Anshen & Allen selected the present site which happened to be government-owned property. Sen. Barry Goldwater intervened with the government to allow the chapel to be built.

Ground was broken in 1955 and the structure was completed one year later in April 1956, and was dedicated as a memorial to the donor's mother and father, Lucien and Marguerite Brunswig.

The explanation concludes with the following message:

"Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art the chapel has a universal appeal. Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed. That the church may come to life in the souls of men and be a living reality...herein lies the whole message of this chapel." Marguerite Brunswig Staude

I loved that this small cactus found a place to grow among the red rock.

Everywhere we looked, there were massive cliffs of red rock.

The landscape around Sedona and the chapel is amazing.

A beautiful setting; a beautiful chapel. I'm very glad we took the time to visit.

Sedona

2010-04-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

When planning our trip home from Mesa, we decided to stay the first night in Sedona, AZ. We'd never been there but had heard how pretty it was. The route we chose took us through through Prescott and the surrounding territory. The scenery there wasn't bad either!

It's a pretty dramatic landscape, that's for sure.

And periodically, the scenic stops coincided with getting Molly out for a potty break... and a picture, of course! She really was a very good little traveler.

It was about this time when the landscape starting taking on a more reddish hue. As you can see, cactus thrive here.

Wow. And as we got closer to Sedona, it just got more and more breaktaking.

To say the Sedona area is pretty, is pretty much an understatement. The red clay is amazing and the striations of color in the buttes were absolutely beautiful.

We took a short detour on our way into town to see some of the sites along a marked scenic route.

I love how the houses blend in with the landscape colors.

Here's the view from our hotel room. Pretty nice, eh? (Sorry, that "eh" must be a leftover from being in Canada for the Olympics!)

Next up: The Holy Cross Chapel just outside of Sedona. It's a beautiful chapel in a beautiful setting.

A fast trip

2010-04-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

A week ago last Sunday, Randy and I flew down to Phoenix on a quick trip to drive an SUV back to the Pacific Northwest for a cousin. They were "wintering" (is that a word?) in Mesa and needed to get home quickly. We volunteered to fly down and drive their car - and new puppy - back for them. Here's the puppy:Her name is Molly. She's a good girl and a great traveler. You'll be hearing more about her later.

While at their home in Mesa, I had Randy picking oranges.

His cousin told us that some neighborhood volunteers would be pick the remaining fruit off the trees the next morning so if I wanted some to bring home, we'd need to pick before they got there. I promptly found Randy a step stool and pointed up. He's such a good guy! The oranges and grapefruit picked throughout the neighborhood were being donated to a local food bank.

Certainly a nice thing to do but I really wanted some of those oranges, too. They could have all the grapefruit ...But I wanted oranges!

We picked as many as we could see that night and Randy was out the next morning filling another bag for me. I can't even describe the taste...so sweet and so juicy. We just don't get oranges that taste like that here. And these were just hanging there, waiting for me!

After I reluctantly said I guessed we had enough, I started shooting some pictures of the yard. While the cactus haven't started blooming yet - that'll happen later this month - it was fun to see all the different types growing in the yard.

This is the kind that grows "arms" but the main cactus needs to be something like 70 years old before the first arm forms. This one, according to Randy's cousin, won't have arms for another 40 years or so. It's just a baby itself. Even though it stands over 5ft high!

And of course, I shot some macros.

Because I love macros.

Hi Guys! Are you enjoying the morning sun with your coffee?There weren't many flowers blooming but I did love these:

The color is so beautiful and warm and tropical. And the flowers are so dainty.

So, of the pictures from Mesa, this is my second favorite shot.

My favorite? I'm surprised you even had to ask!

How could you not love a man who would climb up in a tree in the dark to pick his wife oranges?

On my design wall

2010-03-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed piecing the blue paisley Double Four Patch so much... ...that I decided to make another using some larger pieces of fabric from my stash. Here are the strips that I've already sewn together and cut apart again. They're ready to go into the four-patch blocks.

As I finish sewing the individual blocks together, I put them up on my design wall so I can watch the quilt pattern forming. Have I mentioned lately how much I love this design wall?

Finally, all the blocks are sewn. This quilt pattern is so nice for me because I don't need to have a huge chunk of time available to work on it. I can use any free 10 or 15 minutes to get a bit more done. And that makes it go really fast!

This morning, I got four rows sewn together in about 20 minutes.

So, five rows to go, then it'll be time to add borders.

Sad to say, but I've already thought of another group of fabrics I have that I'd love to sew into this quilt - using all primary (bright) colors for the 16-patch block and brights on black (it's a great floral) for the 4-patch units.

Quick Note: I have been working a bit on the Midnight in the Tropics applique blocks but only at my small quilt group meetings once a week. I need to get it laid out in the family room so it's handy. Unlike the Double Four Patch, I always feel like I need an hour chunk of time when I want to work on applique.

One Sad Dog

2010-03-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

First let me say that Charli gets out for a swim pretty much every day. Even if it's raining (not pouring, just raining and yes, there is a difference; I live in the Pacific NW, trust me, there is a difference), she still gets out for a swim.

And this is how she gets us to take her.

She just stares out the window. Even her reflection looks sad.

Then she does this:

Is your heart breaking yet? If she doesn't get a response, she goes back to the window and breathes out a big, noisy sigh. It's pitiful. Really.

I swear if you could look into her brain at what her favorite scene is, this is what you'd see:

Poor little yellow dog.

Celebrating Peggy's Life

2010-03-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

The weatherman says this Saturday is going to be a beautiful day. The temperature will be near 70. The sun will be shining and those Spring flowers that haven’t already popped, most certainly will. These first days of Spring mean new growth, new hope, new life. However, this Saturday, the women of my small quilt group will cry.

Tangled Threads enjoying a weekend at the beach

Outside, we’ll still rejoice in the beauty of the day and we’ll greet each other with warm hugs and smiles. But inside, we’ll all be remembering someone whose absence we feel to the core of our souls. For we’ve lost one of us. Saturday is Peggy’s Memorial Service. Peggy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer almost 7 years ago. For 6.5 of those years, she fought it with everything she had. She endured surgery, radiation and countless varieties of chemo, and she struggled against the ravaging side effects each new treatment threw at her.

The Chemo Quilt we made for Peggy.

Each of us "dressed" our doll in the style that best suited our personality.

Still, she always had a smile on her face and a warm hug when she greeted us. Her first words when we got together were always to ask about our lives. Her parting words at the end of the night were always an “I love you all so much” and a kiss on the check for each of us.

About 6 weeks ago, we learned the cancer had advanced beyond all hope. Peggy made the decision to go on hospice. I think we all struggled with that decision, knowing that we were losing a dear, dear friend. And yet, we also knew how tired she was. She wanted her final days to be days spent simply loving her family and friends, free of pain and free of chemo.

She died March 1 at 4:15 in the afternoon, surrounded by her family.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Christmas 2008

It’s hard to describe the closeness I feel toward the women of my quilt group. A few years back, I wrote an article about Tangled Threads for the HP quilting website. The following paragraphs were how I described our group then. Some 6 years later, it’s still spot on: When the women of Tangled Threads Quilt Group met for the first time back in the late 1980s, they were anxious and excited to meet others like them. Most were working mothers who had only a few hours each week to share their passion for quilting. Some 15 years later, the kids are grown, some members have retired, new members have joined, and other members have moved or just moved on. But a core group still meets every Tuesday night. Their conversations are richer now, and while quilting provides a reason for the meetings, more and more those two precious hours are consumed with laughter, tears, and tales of family, home and self. These women have seen each other through weddings and births, illnesses and deaths. They’ve vacationed together, celebrated individual achievements, and gently wrapped loving arms around each other during times of stress and difficulty. They know they can count on each other for support – no matter the day, no matter the hour. They are much more than friends and closer than many sisters.

Christmas 2009

So this Saturday, we’ll gather with Peggy’s family to remember her and to celebrate her life. The quilts she stitched with so much love will be on display throughout the church.

Together, we’ll share Peggy stories and we’ll laugh because it wouldn’t be right to remember Peggy without laughter. But rest assured, this memorial service will be hard on us and there will also be tears.

Because this time...this time, we’ve lost one of us.

Godspeed, my friend – ‘til we meet again at that big Quilt Show in Heaven.

One last thing...

2010-03-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, just one more thing and then I'll stop with the Olympics pictures.

Promise. The thing is, I'm not that into architecture but, man, Vancouver, BC has some wonderful buildings. I found myself snapping lots of pictures.

Okay, I'm done. I hope you enjoyed my Olympic experience. I certainly did!

Granville Island

2010-03-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

On our second day at the Olympics, we made a quick trip to Granville Island for breakfast. Granville is in the heart of Vancouver and while we knew we didn't want to be there as traffic increased, we decided to brave it early in the morning. Granville Island is an arts and crafts community. That's evident everywhere. I loved this guy who has a duck for a spirit animal. His tag says "John had hoped his spirit animal might have been more impressive."Our view as we ate was the Vancouver skyline - beautiful! Granville is home to a large indoor public market that includes produce, desserts, flowers, hardware, and just about everything else. There is a wide variety of restaurants which offer foods from every region in the world.

Hockey. It's Canada. Even at 10 in the morning the Canadians are all about hockey.

There's a wide variety of things to do on Granville Island. Unfortunately, we had only a limited amount of time to spend there.

Dan and Randy would like to have sampled some of the Granville Island Brewery's finest but it was early and the Sampling Room wasn't open.

The Swiss Pavillion was located on Granville Island and we wanted to see what was there. Unfortunately, it was simply a high-priced restaurant. But his chocolate Lindt truffle replica just outside the front door was cute.

There were also cutouts of obviously Swiss athletes surrounding the building.

Then, the rain started and it was time for us to leave. We did try to get into the Holland House Pavillion later that morning but the line was...long. So, we stopped for some lunch, then headed home to our Vancouver.

The Olympics...and tired but very happy feet!

2010-03-09T10:04:00.000-08:00

After leaving the women's bronze medal hockey game, we headed toward Robson and Granville Streets and the BC pavillion. It was where the action would be, we'd been told.

That was an understatement if ever there was one.

Everywhere, stores provided a running talley of the medal counts.

Dan and Randy decided they needed to quench their thirsts. Luckily, this pub happened along!

New Canadian friends who gladly shared both their table and celebrating as the Canadian women's hockey team won Gold over the US.

I stayed outside with the camera to drink in the Olympic experience in my own way - through pictures. Here's the BC Pavillion area:

It was pretty evident that Canada was proud of its athletes, and very happy to be hosting the Olympics.At the BC Pavillion, people were crowded into sections to watch the game on big screens. The cheers were an indication to me of who was winning.

On the right is the count-down clock. It kept track of how many days were left. And look at those blooming trees. Did I mention this was the WINTER Olympics? Man, I love the Pacific Northwest!And lots of people were taking advantage of the free skating provided at the BC Pavillion. Imagine...50 degrees and skating!

This building afforded me with a great view of the Granville and Robson street intersection.

We'd heard there was a zip line in town and when I heard the screams and looked up, there it was.

Free rides were available when your feet finally gave out.

Music was playing everywhere you walked. Every kind of music you could possibly want to hear, and then some.

And everywhere, there were street performers.

Like this Alice Cooper look-alike. And his snake. Not sure of the connection there but I guess the dude likes snakes. And Alice Cooper. Go figure.

And of course, Batman was there to watch over Gotham...er...I mean Vancouver.

Even the Travelocity Gnome was there showing off his Canadian spirit.

Elvis? I guess every Olympics needs its own Elvis. Even if he's silver.

Some artists were even showing off their artistic talents. I can't imagine working with that many people around. I'd be distracted.

Then, there was this guy. Notice the patrol officer in the foreground. Id think it would be difficult to control a crowd when there's a guy in his apple-green briefs and blue socks helping direct traffic. But that's just me. Don't ask me what this guy was doing. I don't have a clue. It was the Olympics. But no, it wasn't THAT warm. After the Gold Medal game was over, people piled out into the streets to celebrate.

As the sun set, suddenly sides of buildings lit up. Skiing and snowboarding competitions were showing on several buildings while messages of welcome were on others. How fun is that? It had been a great day and I hated to see it end. I'd gotten to be part of the Olympics; a small part, no doubt, and certainly no one else could understand my excitement at being there. But it's a day I'll always remember.

Thanks, Canada!

I think that's a statement we all can agree with!

It can't be the Olympics without Hockey

2010-03-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

Before we headed north, Randy asked if there was a specific event I would like to see.

For me, it was all about the experience of being at an Olympics. Going to an event would be fun, but I certainly wasn't going to let it dappen my enthusiam. Plus, I'd seen the prices. And ouch!

So, for the first few hours, we wandered the streets just looking.

Every store window was filled with Olympic goodies...

Or signs cheering on the athletes. Well, mostly the signs cheered on the Canadian athletes. You'll remember that Canada was going for Gold at this Olympics.

We stopped at a few but the lines of shoppers waiting. Oh my, the lines were long. The line to just look at the Olympic medals in the bank vault was a couple of blocks. At 9am. I'm not good at lines.

I was content to look. I knew I'd get something eventually.

At some point, we wandered into a pavillion with the Canada's finest - the Royal Canadian Mounties. They were posing for pictures, so, of course, I snapped one.

There was a line, of course, if you wanted to have your picture taken with the women mounties. Dan was in that line. Randy was in charge of keeping us on track. And from getting lost. The woman to his left ended up visiting with him and telling him the best spots for watching events on the big screen. She was very helpful...and Canadian, of course!

After we left the First Nations pavillion, we were approached by a scalper selling tickets to the women's bronze medal hockey game between Finland and Sweden. It had just started and the ticket prices were falling by the minute. Three scalpers later, we bought 3 tickets for $20 each! Then, we just need to find the hockey rink. Oh look, there's the sign.

After walking what seemed like miles, we finally found the entrance to the hockey arena.

Randy and Dan kept walking. I stopped for pictures.

As we walked inside, we glanced down at the tickets and noticed they were for the 500 level. Great - we had nosebleed seats! Oh well, it would still be fun. An usher glanced at the tickets and pointed toward the elevators. "Take the elevator to Level 5," was all he said.

When the door opened at Level 5, there was another usher who greeted us, glanced at our tickets and told us to proceed down the hallway to our right until we found our suite. Our what? That's right, these tickets were to a suite. SWEET!!!!

Randy and Dan made themselves right at home.

Me? Well, of course, I was busy taking pictures. That's the press box just to our left. And there's the rink and the Olympic symbol of the 2010 Canadian Games.

Every participating nation's flag was displayed.

But the real action was on the ice. Can you find the puck?

There were two Zambonis to refresh the ice between each period. And yes, they were painted with the Canadian Olympic scenics we'd seen around town.

And here we are - another picture for the scrapbook! And yes, I am still smiling.

But it's time to get back to the game.

At the end of regulation, the score was tied 2-2. So, the game went into sudden death overtime!

And Finland scores! My, those were some very happy girls.

The team skated together up and down the rink several times before stopping in front of the section where the President of Finland was seated.

Then, they posed for pictures. They were very excited and they had good reason to be. They'd just won Olympic Bronze!

Great game and a fun adventure but it was time to leave for the next Olympic experience. We needed to find a big screen because the US women's hockey team was taking on the Canadian women's hockey team for the Gold!

Olympics - Part 2

2010-03-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

We followed the sidewalk that ran along the waterfront. Man, there were a lot of people and it was still early. The women with whom we talked on the train were right - it was a good idea to go to the Cauldron first! We just followed the signs...

We knew it was on one side of Canada Place so when we saw that building, we knew it was close! Every business in Vancouver was cheering on the Canadian team and some of the signs were pretty funny...like this one. I really enjoyed looking at the buildings as we walked. Vancouver is a very pretty city with a very modern waterfront. Then suddenly, there it was... Wow. You might not be able to see it in the picture, but there is a mesh fence all around the cauldron to prevent people from getting too close. The fence is divided horizontally so there's room to get a camera in there for closer pictures. That's how I got this close-up. Off on one side, I saw people standing on a structure about a story high...yep, pictures would be killer from that vantage point! So, I went in search of a way to get up there. The woman sitting up here pointed behind her and said the line started there.

I walked behind her and saw this:

See that line of people inside the green fence? That's about half of the people who were all waiting to get to that platform and take pictures. Knowing that I only had one full day at the Olympics, I wasn't going to waste my Olympic experience in line; I could do that anytime! The pictures I got would have to do; including this one. I'm trying to look calm here when really I'm ready to bust out of my skin I'm so excited! If you watch the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, you'll no doubt recognize the next shot. Of course, at night, the Olympic circles were lit.

Media from other countries were headquartered in Canada Place during the games. But we didn't see anyone.

Well, other than Brian Williams. No, not that Brian Williams. This one; the guy on the left. He's Canada's Brian Williams. And I was glad to see this young woman was enjoying herself, too. But I didn't get what was with all the eagles. They were everywhere. All over the city. And all painted differently.

I didn't remember hearing anything about them before we left. Maybe they were sponsored by the First Nations...

or maybe it's a Vancouver thing and they're always around. Regardless, they were fun to see.

My Bucket List and the Olympics

2010-03-03T15:05:00.001-08:00

Do you have a Bucket List?

You know, those things you want to do while you still can. I've always had a list but didn't know what to call it until the movie by the same name was released.

One of the things on my list was to attend an Olympics.

I didn't really care if it was the summer or winter games, except that I don't do well in extreme heat unless I'm on a sandy beach on an island in the tropics. And since I doubt the summer Olympics will ever be held on a sunny island beach in the tropics, the winter games were my best bet.

Well, a week ago last Sunday, as I was mentioning again how much I loved the Olympics, Randy looked at me and said, "well, why don't we go?"

Sometimes, he kids around but he didn't look like it this time. And he certainly didn't need to ask twice!

We started checking hotels and venues the next morning. Wow, hotels near the downtown Vancouver area were running for $600+ a night. We did find one place pretty close in for $199/night but the reviews weren't very good...in fact, they were really, really bad. I don't even want to write about what people were finding upon check-in. Bad. Really bad.

So, we booked a room at a hotel back near the US border. It would mean a 45-minute train ride into downtown Vancouver but I was okay with that - because I was going to the Olympics!

Our friend Dan went along. He's always ready for an adventure and loves the Olympics, too. We left Wednesday at noon and overnighted in Bellingham. We were up bright and early, and through the US/Canada border crossing at Blaine by 7am.

After a stop for breakfast, we found the train station, parked the car, got on the train and headed for the Olympics. I don't think I'd stopped smiling since we pulled out of the driveway back in our Vancouver. Randy knew he was earning big brownie points this time!

As we got off the train at the Granville Street station, Dan and I went in search of the famous red mittens at The Bay Company store. And yes, of course, they were sold out; at $10 a pair, they were the cheapest souvenir available!

Randy went outside to figure out where we were.

These are some of the volunteers (note the Olympic rings on their coats) who helped tourists find their way around town. They were all over and they were very helpful for those of us who didn't know where we were going.

And then we were off!

Off to enjoy the Olympics!

Randy and Dan led the way toward our first stop - the Olympic Cauldron. Oh man!

And yes, I did make them stop for pictures about every 100 feet. They were good sports about it - they knew they'd never be able to contain my enthusiasm!

We're definitely headed in the right direction!

Easy Double Four-Patch

2010-03-02T11:18:00.001-08:00

My next pieced top is the Easy Double Four-Patch. I got the pattern from http://www.maryquilts.com/. I love that site. Mary has some great - and free! - patterns that make up quickly into really nice tops. For this quilt, I'm using a light blue paisley with a deeper-toned blue-on-blue fabric. Cutting out the strips went quickly as did sewing the long strips together. Once that was done, it was on to the sewing machine to start piecing the four-patch and 16-patch blocks together.

Here are some of the first blocks up on the design wall. I finished piecing all of the larger 4-patches first, then moved on to the 16-patch blocks.

And here are all of the finished blocks. I like it! The first two rows are pieced and the rest should go together quickly. Since I used up all the paisley fabric on the blocks, I'm not sure what I'll do for the border and binding. I may try to find a checkered fabric to use on the border.

Daffodils and Spring

2010-02-23T16:14:00.001-08:00

We never planted daffodils in the yard but they appeared a couple of years ago to welcome Spring. Now, I look for them each year - and I'm never disappointed when the blossoms open.

Daffodils are such beautifully dainty flowers with such sunny dispositions.

I didn't notice the tiny bug inside this flower until I was viewing these on the computer.

I love it when surprises like that happen!

The darkness of the surrounding foliage really makes the daffodils stand out.

I love this shot looking straight into the flower.

Union Square: Finished!

2010-02-22T11:11:00.001-08:00

I finished Union Square this weekend.

Man, five borders is a lot of borders to cut and sew! Not sure I want to do that again anytime soon.

I do like it, though, and it was pretty easy to make - always a plus in my book!

Next up: a blue and white quilt using 4-patches and 16-patches. For this one, I'm using a free pattern from Mary Quilts (http://www.maryquilts.com/easy-double-4-patch/).

A finished scarf for Amy

2010-02-22T10:39:00.001-08:00

I meant to knit a scarf for my nephew's girlfriend for Christmas but ran out of time. I did get this finished and sent back in January - a bit late but finished! The colors on this picture aren't quite right. The colors are actually a deeper teal green rather then the blue tones here. I'm not sure why the camera picked up such blue tones. I hope it's a good on Amy.

Midnight in the Tropics - Block 4

2010-02-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

Block 4 consists of Poppies. I love poppies so love this block. The most difficult part was, once again, selecting the colors for the individual blooms. I love reds, so knew one poppy was going to be red.

These are the reds I chose:

There are just so many pretty colors that selecting the "right" ones is very difficult!

Here's the orange poppy:

And a pink poppy:

And my yellow poppy. Well, it's more of a yellow and orange poppy but that's okay with me! One of the consistencies in this block is the bud. I'm using the same batik for all of the poppy buds but decided to use different greens for the leaves. So, here's the finished block:

And here are all four blocks ... guess it's time to get appliquing!

Union Square: ready to sew together!

2010-02-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

All of the blocks are done and the side triangles cut. It's up on my wonderful design wall and ready to sew together.

It should go together fast and hopefully, that means this part of it will be done over the weekend. With luck, I might even get the borders on!

Union Square: a new quilt

2010-02-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

Like most quilters I know, I always have more than one project going at any time. So, after selecting, cutting and basting the pieces for the Midnight in the Tropics blocks, I decided I needed something to work on when I've only got a few minutes. I looked through the various kits I've bought over the years (but have yet to make) and pulled out this book and the associated fabrics: I've always wanted a red, white and blue quilt, and Union Square was exactly what I was looking for - it wasn't complicated and would go together fast! Here's what it will look like when finished, and the fabrics that came in the kit:I got all the strips cut last weekend and started sewing the uneven nine-patches right away.The background triangles that border the uneven nine-patch blocks are made from a creamy white solid. When I first saw that, I was skeptical. It seems a bit boring but that's what the picture shows so we'll see; regardless, the triangles are cut and ready. The red and white four-patches went together quickly, too.The half-square triangles are sewn on now but weren't when this picture was taken.

These are the four border fabrics. The inner border is the lightest red at the bottom of the pile, the blue star fabric is the second border, the light floral is the third border and the deep red is the outer border. It'll be bound in the blue star fabric.

So, the blocks are sewn and ready to assemble into rows. More pictures as that progresses!

Old Eagle Eye

2010-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

Randy snapped this yesterday as we were heading back from the river; it's just a great shot.

Hellebores are blooming...can Spring be far behind?

2010-02-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

Midnight in the Tropics - Block 3

2010-02-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

I really thought I'd posted last week. Really. So imagine my surprise when I pulled up the blog this morning and see I've been very negligent in getting Midnight in the Tropics - Block 3 pics loaded.This is a challenging block for me because again, I wanted to use a variety of colors. Tropical flowers are very colorful and I really want that reflected in this quilt. The flowers in this block are nasturtiums. After a lot of debate, I decided that I'd do the four flowers in four different tones - even if nasturtiums don't come in these four shades. It is my quilt, after all, so get to I make the decisions. One flower is shades of tangerine/oranges (with a touch of pinks):

One in shades of pinks (with a touch of yellows and oranges):

One in shades of red-oranges (with a touch of yellows and a bit of shiny gold):

And one in yellows (with a touch of pinks and oranges):

I made many different star centers in many different fabrics before deciding on the black batik. I love the irridescent look; like tiny spots of light might be shining through fence or hedge and onto the flower. I also settled on a blue/purple/green variegated batik for the flower buds. And yes, I went through several fabric iterations before deciding on this fabric. My first inclination was to stay in the red/orange/yellow tones. But the buds in those colors seemed to get lost, rather than stand out within the block. To me, this fabric works because the buds hold a promise of a beautiful bloom; however, I'm left to imagine what the color will be. It's like a surprise waiting for the right time to happen.

Another choice was to decide on the fabric for the radiating spokes of the leaves. This was my first choice. But I think it's too blah and a bit too gold.

This is the one I think I'm going to use. (Of course, I retain the right to select a different fabric later - that goes with being both a woman and a quilter!) I like the color tone better against the darker green, and I like the patterned fabric better; there's more life to it.

I just think it plays better with the other colors, and brings in just a touch of the blue-greens from the buds and the background fabrics.

So, block 3. I like it!

Like the other blocks, I wanted some consistency within the block itself; a place to rest your eyes, if you will. So, my constants for Block 3 are the leaves, the buds and the star centers, although I think there's enough variation in the batik bud fabric to give a sense of change there without being overpowering.

Three down, one block to go! And a note: I have finished most of the applique on block one (lower right corner). There are three small leaves at the pointed end of each stem that I still need to cut and applique but that should go quickly!

Featured Quilt Artist - Virginia O'Donnell

2010-01-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

The local quilt guild (Clark County Quilters) sponsors a special quilt show each January that features quilts that were made by a guild group or guild member. This year, Virginia O'Donnell's work was on display for the three-day show. She has a couple of quilts that I absolutely love, like this one... and many that I'd love to have! Remember the old saying a picture is worth a thousand words?

Well, today, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy!

Which was your favorite?

Playing with the new camera

2010-01-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

We've had our Olympus 5050 for over 6 years now and it's been a workhorse camera. It has taken thousands and thousands of pictures - everything from underwater photos of fish and coral in the topics...to wedding pictures for nieces...

to pictures of family gatherings. Yup, that's my family! My sister Jean loves it when we all wear matching things...in this case, hats!

to equipment and tooling shots for clients, to house and garden shots...

to all of the photos from the last few years in the San Juans.

It goes without saying that it's also taken more than a few shorts of Charli. Because she's so darn good-looking. And no, I am not biased.

I love that camera. It takes great macros...

but also takes great sunset shots...

and landscape shots.

But it was time to upgrade, according to Randy. So he did some research. He loves research. He lives for research. He thrives on research. It's getting him to pull the trigger and buy the researched item that sometimes proves difficult. But he did it. And we now have a new camera. I haven't played with it as much as he has but I have taken some shots. Like this picture of teeny-tiny shells down by the river.

And this shot of Randy...

This bud shot? I took about 10 of these.

I like this leaf.

I took lots of pictures of it, too.

I also practiced with some macro shots here at the house. This is one of the charms from my Italian charm bracelet. It's for our local sailing club. Those are earrings in the background. Randy's taken most of the shots, though. He'll get it all figured out; then show me how to work it. His shots are great. Like this shot of a rusty bolt (yes, down by the river).

And this picture of Mt. St. Helens.

And, of course, pictures of Charli. Because she's one good-looking lab.

And then there's this...it's one of my favorites with the new camera. I call it Two Blondes.

Midnight in the Tropics - Block 2

2010-01-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

So, block 2 and honeysuckle flowers. For me, selecting the fabrics to use is still the hardest part of any quilting project. I get bogged down with too yellow, too light, too much contrast, too wild, too overpowering. It's just too much too! I started by pulling out all my yellows because I decided I wanted my all four of my honeysuckle flowers to be yellow...nice, bright, bold yellows. With maybe a bit of orangey-red thrown in. Just because.

The first fabric I used is this batik. I love batiks because the fabric has so many possibilities, especially if the pattern is random like in this piece. I struggled with how to position the pattern until I decided to think of the darker stars as shadows falling across the flower; some are closer and some farther away just like they would be in any garden. Oh man, is that artistic thinking or what?

I got this great yellow and red piece of fabric at my favorite quilt shop (http://www.creekside-quilting.com/) in Des Moines, IA during a business trip. It reminds me of fireworks exploding in a summer sky.

I've had this yellow-on-yellow fabric with the tiny squares for many years. I loved it when I bought it and still do.

I went through a phase where yellow didn't fit into anything I did, so this fabric sat in my stash, patiently waiting for its time to come. In my everything-is-black-and-white-technical-writer-world, the squares needed to be cut in perfect little up and down lines. It certainly couldn't be set at an angle! Setting things at an angle was, well, it was a bit daring for me.

And maybe a bit too artistic.

And anyone who knows me, knows I'm not typically either of those things.

Realizing that there is no right or wrong for pattern placement when it comes to applique was a light-bulb moment for me. Really.

I know light-bulb moments for most poeple are life-changing; earth-shattering even. Me? Well, I take whatever light-bulb moments I can get, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to others.

The fabric in this next block is a companion fabric from a Laurel Burch collection that features a mermaid and various sea creatures -- it's a darn cute collection and someday I'm going to make a sea-life Laurel Burch wallhanging with the mermaid as the focus. It's going to be daring. And artistic. And I'll smile every time I look at it. But I digress.

So, here's the block with all the flowers on it. And while I questioned doing all the flowers in yellows, I do like the final result. I am trying to keep a bit of consistency among the individual blocks (the technical writer in me still demands a bit of standardization). For this block, it's the stamen. The fabric I chose has a lot of bright tones and a bit of gold sparkle to it.

Two down, two to go! (Did you just hear that big sigh of relief from me?)

One last note: there will be small leaves scattered on both of these blocks. Like the stems, I'm planning to go wild and use different fabrics for each leaf.

Because I'm daring.

Really.

Midnight in the Tropics

2010-01-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've started cutting out the pieces for an floral applique wallhanging. I love the pattern and saw a quilt made from it at a local quilt show last fall. It was stunning...and not just the quilt itself but also the quilting. At that point, I decided I wanted to make a similar one with just 4 blocks. The blocks are large - the pattern calls for ~21-inch backgrounds; I increased that to 24" because I wanted a bit more of the background to show along the edges. And I'm happy I did that. I do like it better than the original pattern sample. I also decided that I wanted my flowers to be bright. As in tropical bright because (in case you didn't know) I LOVE the tropics. Put me in the South Pacific and I'm in heaven. And with that in mind, I'm calling my creation "Midnight in the Tropics" because it makes me smile and recalls for me some wonderful times we've spent in the tropics. Here's the first block: I'm using a navy-blue floral for the background. If you look closely you can see the darker flowers on the background fabric - it's subtle but it's there. I've cut out all the pieces except for the small leaves that extend from the point of the flower stem. I'll do those after I finish appliquing down the flowers and stems. Selecting the fabrics really stretched me. It's not really in my nature to "boldly go where no quilter named ME has gone before" when I select fabrics. I love greens and blues for most things but this was supposed to represent the tropics, right? And other quilters use bright plaids and stripes so why couldn't I? Oh my! There are some quilters who would say it's wrong to mix batiks with their wovens and marbled cousins, but you know what? I don't care. Once I started putting the colors together, all I cared about was that I liked it. I'm the one who's going to applique it; I'm the one who has to live with it. And frankly, the fabrics remind me of the tropics where everything goes together.

Another thing I love about this pattern is that the pieces are Huge. Jumbo. Gigantic even. And for a novice appliquer like me, that's a bit deal. The pieces have soft curves and there are very few itsy, bitsy places that require the kind of teeny, tiny stitches that more experienced appliquers make.

One other thing for those who might be in shock at the size of fabric I've left outside the turning line. Yes, I will be cutting that down at bit when I do the needle-turn on it. Although, truthfully, it doesn't both me if a substantial (read: greater than a eighth-inch) amount of fabric is turned under. I'm not a perfect quilter. Or a perfect person. But I'm going to love Midnight in the Tropics in all its imperfection.

A united world steps up to help

2010-01-13T16:33:00.001-08:00

Unless you've been off the grid for the last two days, you've no doubt heard, read and watched coverage of the 7.0 earthquake that hit the tiny Caribbean island of Haiti. Having visited a few third-world countries in my life, I'm always surprised by the standard of living for many of the people in our world. Medicines that I take for granted are scarce in many countries and education is only a dream for many of the world's children. Their "home" consists of a few boards placed on-end with a piece of tin resting hap-hazardly as a roof. Many children don't have clean water to drink. A few years of education - if even that - is the norm. Always, it makes me pause and realize just what a good life I have. Then I come back to my home and I return to my small world. I never want for food. I read and write without thinking. My home keeps the rain, snow and cold away. I can be in contact with friends and family simply by pressing a few buttons on my cell phone. And my computer keeps me in touch with the world outside. But it's during times like this - when the people of Haiti are struggling to find family and friends buried underneath tons of debris; when their communication is cut off; when they must count on people around the world for food, for clothes, for life - when I really know how lucky I am. And it's at times like this when, luckily, the people of the world step up to help. We put aside bickering and name-calling. We forget past differences and focus on our similarities. It's when humanity is at its best. From MSNBC, here's a list of countries and organizations that have pledge help to Haiti. Of course, this doesn't include the help pledged by President Obama on behalf of the US. The people of the US have always been there when the peoples of another country needed help - and we'll be there again. Let's hope that by tomorrow, this list is twice or even three times this long:

The United Nations is releasing $10 million from its emergency funds.
The Irish telecommunications company Digicel said it would donate $5 million to aid agencies and help repair the damaged phone network.
The European Commission has approved $4.37 million with more funds likely.
Spain has pledged $4.37 million, and sent three planes with rescue teams and 100 tons of emergency relief equipment.
The Netherlands has donated $2.91 million and will send a 60-person search-and-rescue team.
Germany gave $2.17 million and sent an immediate response team. Another team with 20 rescue dogs is on standby.
China will donate $1 million, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Sweden has offered $850,000 along with tents, water purification equipment and medical aid.
Venezuela has sent doctors, firefighters and rescue workers.
Mexico will send doctors, search-and-rescue dogs and infrastructure damage experts.
France is sending two planes with doctors, food and medical equipment.
Britain has sent 64 firefighters with search-and-rescue dogs and 10 tons of equipment
Iceland is sending 37 search-and-rescue specialists.
Taiwan is flying in 23 rescue personnel and 2 tons of aid and equipment.
Israel is sending an elite army rescue unit including engineers, rescue workers, doctors and medics.

It sounds like a lot of help but for those who have lost family, or who are still searching for loved ones amid the rubble, it means nothing. So, tonight, I ask three things:

That you say a prayer for the people of Haiti
That you give those you love a hug
And that you remember how lucky you are

Autumn Splendor is done

2010-01-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

It's finished...well, except that it needs to be quilted and the binding added but at least the top is done. Once I finished piecing the blocks, the rest of the quilt went together pretty quickly. Here, I've added the sashing and corner blocks. And finally, here it is with the two (oops, make that three!) outside borders on: It looks nice hanging on my design wall but I really think it looks nice laying across the couch in the great room... So, what shall I do next? Guess I could pull out that Tree of Life quilt kit...or maybe I'll tackle a small New York Beauty wallhanging.

A new year ... a new quilt

2010-01-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

While I was reoganizing my sewing room in December, I pulled together the quilt kits I've bought over the past several years and made a resolution to get some of them completed in 2010. With the Christmas and New Year's parties over, I looked at the kits and selected Autumn Splendor. I got it at Creekside Quilting in Des Moines, Iowa. It's a really nice shop and if you're in the area, check it out. You won't be disappointed. The people are great and the fabric and patterns that are available there are wonderful.

It's from this book:

I like a lot of the patterns in this book, so I'm happy to have it in my collection! Here's a picture of what the finished top looks like:

Here are the binding, backing, sashing and corner block fabrics included with the kit:

I love the fabrics and the colors! Here is a first attempt at the blocks:

They are a scrappy lot and it'll take some time to decide where to put the various pieces:

It's been fun to use my newly reorganized and lighted room. My bulletin board is filled with pictures and possible projects (like that picture of the floral applique quilt in the middle - it's lovely!).

I'll keep you posted!

Change up in Decorations!

2010-01-04T12:20:00.001-08:00

I spent Saturday undecorating for Christmas. The Santas are resting snug in their box beds, the reindeer are sleeping off candy-coated sugar high, and the ribbons, ornaments and stockings and Nativity are boxed and back in closet.

And I was ready for a change. So, out came the Snow Men...and the Snow Ladies!

Let me introduce you to them all. First, there's this big guy:

He's out by the front door and welcomes guests as they arrive. You can't see it on the picture but he's holding up a "thread" wire that the stars are threaded on. When I started sewing him, I thought he was going to be a bit smaller. He looks good here and I smile when I see him smiling back at me.

My sister Jan made this little pillow and cover for me. She's made several other pillow covers, too: one with a turkey on it for Thankgiving, one with leaves for fall, and another with a little tree for Christmas. They are VERY cute!

This little Ice Cube man was a gift from one of my quilty friends in Tangled Threads. He's just funny...no way around that. I made some cotton-ball snowballs to put beside him.

The Star Snowman came filled with candy. It was a hostess gift from one of Neighborhood Holiday Parties that Randy and I have hosted. I think of that couple every year when I retrieve this little guy. (And yes, that is me reflected in the bulb. I didn't realize I'd done that until I was reviewing the pictures.)

This little guy is new. I got him from my sister Jean this year. He's pretty funny and looks so cute when his little tea candle flame is burning out of the top of his hat.

I got this Snow Man from sister Jean, too. I'm not sure why, but he reminds me of my childhood.

Sister Jan made me this Snowman wallhanging. I always get lots of compliments because it's so darn cute!

After Christmas, this Snowman gets to sit in the chair I originally bought for one of the Santas. He fits perfectly and looks so happy there, doesn't he?

I bought this velvety snowbooted snow woman at a craft fair a long time ago. When I look at her, I'm reminded of my Mom because I bought one for her, too.

And, of course, no collection would be complete without a few Jim Shore Snowmen - even if Randy thinks differently! The attention to detail on his work is wonderful.

I "think" I got this snowman from one of my quilty friends, too, but I'm not betting the farm on that. And then there's this guy.

Jan made him, too. He's made from chenille and is very soft. His eyes, mouth and buttons are coffee beans. And this little fellow has built a nest in his hat:

I do need to get outside and cut him some new arms, though. His last set broke off while I was carrying him upstairs...oops!

Happy 2010! Here's to health, happiness...

and better decade than the one we just finished!

Snow Day(s)

2009-12-31T14:53:00.001-08:00

What was supposed to be a dusting of snow here in Vancouver turned out to be a dumping of snow. Well, that's what it looked like anyway. We'd taken Charli down for a run by Vancouver Lake when I first heard the dreaded snow forecast on the radio. Randy poo-poo'd it saying snow would only fall in the hills of Portland.

On the drive home, we noticed flakes on the windshield.

Then, later that afternoon, I glanced out the office window and noticed a few more.

But it was almost 5 the next time I looked out. And...holy smokes...it was really coming down out there!

Of course, I grabbed the camera and started shooting. In case you're wondering, the white dots on the pictures (some looking as big as snowballs) are actually snowflakes at various distances from the camera lens.

This was all supposed to be gone by Wednesday morning.

However, it's now Thursday - New Year's Eve - and we still have snow. I'm hoping this is all we get for the winter.

One thing is for certain. I was glad I wasn't on the highway when those big, wet, white flakes were falling!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T07:57:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Ray, Janis, Jean ... and Dennis!

Today, we are all together again...if only in spirit!

And a special Merry Christmas to the two who make my life complete.

I love you both!

The Reveal

2009-12-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

First, let me just say that I wanted Randy to be my Candice Olsen (Devine Design on HGTV) for the big Reveal - he's certainly tall enough. He was pretty enthusiastic about it until I told him he'd have to wear a blonde wig. So much for that.

Second, I need to give Randy a big hug and thank you. Without his help, this room would still be in a state of chaos. As it is, there are remnants of chaos still in the closet but the rest of the room...is perfect!

So, without further delay...The Reveal!

I always think a sewing room needs something on the door to let you know something good happens here. And I think it needs to be something happy. Of course, Charli makes me happy and these pictures of her as a puppy ... well, how could they not make you smile?

And then there's the design wall. I blogged about that before but just let me say again how much I love this wall.

I also love it when my fabric is organized by color and size...again. I do it about once a year. It only takes me 2 projects before it's all messed up again. But for right now, it's still nice.

These little fat quarters are so cute.

And as you can see, my color preferences lean toward the teals and blue.

But, like any good stash, I also have my share of the darks...and other colors!

On the top, I have my straight knitting needles and crochet hooks sorted and stored. It seems like a lot, I know, but I inherited my Mom's stuff and I'm a bit too sentimental to give them away. In time...

I made the middle container while spending time with my quilting friends up on Henry Island. And yes, I was older than 6 when I did it; I'm just not very talented when it comes to that type of art.

The bowling ball on the far left is from the bowling alley back in Tuttle, ND where I went to school. My Dad nabbed one for each of us when the alley was filled in. To get to the bowling alley, you had to go down a very narrow flight of stairs from the street. The stairway was dark, narrow and steep. I can still picture it in my mind. There were two counters in the back: one where you picked up your bowling shoes, and another near the kitchen so you could get something to eat. Like most everyone else I knew, I set pins there as a kid. But that's another story for another time!

Then, let's move to the south wall.

We hated this cabinet in the kitchen. But reborn as a cabinet over my sewing table? I love it. And I love the little puck lights that give me so much light.

And I love it that I can store my quilting books here...

My applique and cross-stitch books here...

And still have room for my Zen and a few sisterly knick-knacks...and a wonderful baby picture of Randy. And please don't tell him that picture is on here. He'll take it down and I'll never see it again.

I also think it was pretty clever to use leftover cork flooring to make this great cork board...love it, love it, love it.

Here are all my pincushions, as well as a few other things. Most of the pincushions are presents from friends and family. They make me smile. My Dad made the Independence Bell. He was a WWII vet and very patriotic; he was also a very experienced welder. The teacup and saucer in the back are from my Mom's collection. They belong to my niece Kristen now. She let me borrow this set after Mom died but it's time for her to have it back.

I also like that I can have my scissors and circular needles in a handy, yet out-of-the-way, spot.

The ironing board is now against the window - this is where Randy wanted the cutting table to go. I took out the small 4-foot table that used to be against this window and discarded a lot of the stuff (read: Junk) that was stored under it. It's made a tremendous difference in the amount of natural light in the room. But yes, you do have to make sure the blinds are closed if you're not fully dressed and you need to iron!

Having the cutting table smack-dab in the middle of the room still amazes me.

Randy attached my ruler holder to the side of the table so they are always near where I need them.

And I attached a cuphook to the other side to hold my biggest ruler.

And under here? Well, whether you think so or not, it is organized. I tossed a lot of stuff (Randy would say junk) when I organized after the remodel.

Of course, I do have a Sewing Santa who stands proudly on the cutting table...doesn't everyone?

So, I started without a plan...or much of plan. Now that it's finished, I'm so happy with how it turned out. I think I'll go give my "Candace" a hug!

Decorating for Christmas

2009-12-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

Typically I love decorating for Christmas. But this year, I just had a difficult time getting in gear. I'm not sure what the problem was...but I just wasn't in the mood.

However. (You knew that was coming, didn't you?)

However, we were hosting the Lightning Fleet party so I had no choice. I did make the decision not to unbox and build the Christmas village...this is from last year:

It's a bit of work to decide where the mountains, houses, shops, chapel, post offices and various people go. I won't even start on what's involved with threading the cords through the "snow" so everything lights up and Santa, his sleigh and the reindeer fly. But usually, I don't mind it. Usually, I really enjoy it.

So, while I didn't do my usual stellar job of decorating (Randy would call it something else!), I did get the house decorated.

And I got the nicest compliment the night of the fleet party.

One of the wives stopped me about 2 hours into the party and asked if I used a professional to decorate for Christmas.

She said she'd been looking around in the various rooms and was surprised by the touches of Christmas she found everywhere. (And yes, I suppose that does mean I have a lot of Christmas decorations but I've been collecting and making them for...well, let's just say I've been collecting them for a few years!)

I told her that I did it all myself...then, started apologizing for not putting up the Village and the Angel collection.

She held up her hand to stop me and said she thought I'd done a wonderful job. That, in fact, she used to work as a professional decorator in Portland and was responsible for decoratoring many businesses and large estates for the holidays.

She finished by telling me that my touches of Christmas here and there, as well as the various displays looked professionally done.

It made me feel good...but also a little bad that she didn't get to see the Village! It really is pretty amazing.

Well, kind of a plan...and progress!

2009-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Once the wallpaper was removed and the entire room painted (Randy even sprayed the ceiling!), it was time to decide what to change. Lights, for sure. I really needed more light. Painting the walls a lighter color certainly helped and moving the table from in front of the window allowed more light in there but still....I needed more light.

One thing that I did decide was how I wanted the room arranged...or rearranged. While Randy didn't always agree, he did help me get things moved where I wanted them; even if it meant putting the large (and really heavy) cutting table in the middle of the room (and right under the main light).

And it was about that time that he suggested adding shelving above my sewing table. While I liked the idea, I really didn't want to buy new shelving. Hmmm...there was that cabinet that used to hang above the kitchen island. We'd move it to the attic where it was now collecting dust. We brought it down, removed the back doors so it would sit flush against the wall and decided it was a keeper! It was also his idea to add puck lighting to the underside - oh man, more light!

Then we started looking at the ceiling and talking about placement of canned lights. I really wanted 2 lights that shined down on the large spave where I wanted my design wall to be. And we needed a light near the window because while there is light coming in during the morning hours, light gets pretty dim by mid-afternoon since the window is on the east side of the house. The ironing board was going there so if you wanted to ensure all the wrinkles were out, we really needed a light there. And finally, we decided to add a 4th can to light the bookshelves where I store my fabric.

The next step was to ensure that there wasn't anything in the attic that would prevent us from placing the lights there. And luckily, there wasn't! So, it was off to Lowes to select and buy lights. Once Randy has a project, he moves ahead full throttle. My sisters are a bit jealous about that!

So, by the end of the day, I not only had the cabinet mounted above my sewing table, but there were 6 puck lights mounted under the cabinet...

...and 4 new can lights in the ceiling.

It was truly a sight to behold! Here's a little video I put together...

Up to this point, I was still thinking that I'd simply tack up my over-sized piece of batting to make a design wall. But now that the room was looking so nice, Randy offered to build me a design wall. I know, I know...how in the world did I get such a nice guy?

First, we measured the actual wall and decided on the frame size for the design wall. Then, he was off to the garage. I checked periodically...

And finally it was time to bring it into the house and staple the batting to the frame.

Then, up it went...and it is beautiful!

Next up...The Reveal!

"You need a Plan"... really?

2009-12-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

"You need a plan." That was what I heard whenever I talked with Randy about improving / re-doing / painting / reorganizing / adding light to my sewing room.

"You need a plan," he'd say. "Before we do anything, you need to pick wall colors and decide what you want to do...you need a plan."

Yeah...it sounded good but no, that just wasn't going to work. Something else always came up and quite frankly, I didn't have a plan because I didn't know what I wanted...other to get rid of the blue denim wallpaper and pink walls. That was my biggest priority. I hated both.

Then one day, it just happened. I was standing by the closet and decided to see how difficult it was going to be to remove the awful blue denim wallpaper. I just grabbed a corner and pulled. It was just that quick. And suddenly, I didn't need a plan.

I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you how well the wallpaper in this house is adhered to the walls. It was professionally done and (I swear) applied with superglue. To remove it, first you take off the top layer; then, apply more water and scrape off the paper underlayer; then, apply more water and scrape off the glue. No kidding.

I decided that I'd remove the paper in sections. Each morning, I'd rip 2 sections of denim before coming down to my computer. I thought a little demolition was a good way to start the day!

There were issues. Oh, yes, there were issues. For one, when I pulled the paper under the window, I was left with this mess.

And when I pulled the paper from the big wall, I discovered a hole. In the wall. For what reason, I have no idea.

There were small imperfections that needed sanding and patching.

Randy only goes into my sewing room when he needs to iron - I think he's afraid he'll never find his way back out. Plus, in today's wash-and-wear world, ironing isn't a daily thing. So, I was a few days into removing the wallpaper before he ... well, before he saw what I'd started ... and yes, without a plan.

By the time I'd finished removing wallpaper, things were piled in the middle of the room, things were piled in the bathroom tub, things piled on the dining room table and in the great room. And of course, the sewing room closet was... filled to the brim.

I have pictures...somewhere. In the meantime, there's this...I call it my Victory shot!

And no, I didn't pull it off like that on purpose. Really, it wasn't planned either.

Debbie Mumm's Studio (what a treat!)

2009-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Before we headed to Spokane for Thanksgiving, I sent an email to Debbie Mumm...well, to her through her website. I didn't expect Debbie Mumm would actually be answering her own email.

Debbie Mumm, in case you don't live on this planet (or just don't quilt), is pretty well known in the quilting / home dec world.

Here's a link to her web site: http://www.debbiemumm.com/

I received an email back the following day from Lori Scott. She's Debbie's Administrative Assistant. Here's a picture of Lori. She met us at the door and showed us through the entire studio.

She said I certainly could come for a tour of Debbie's studio and gave me the days and hours that the studio would be open during Thanksgiving week.

I invited Randy's Aunt Jean and his mother Jean along for the tour. For me, it was great fun. I really didn't expect that Debbie Mumm would actually be there.

I'm not sure why but I really didn't expect to meet her. But there she was...and she's as nice as can be.

Of course, I was so busy taking photos that I didn't get to talk with her other than to introduce myself and shake her hand. The Jeans talked with her.

Debbie explained the process she goes through when creating a new fabric line and how she works with the fabric manufacturer to make sure the colors and printing are correct.

Most often, she explained, it takes a few samples before it's perfect.

This artist is responsible for painting the drawings that are replicated in the fabrics. Amazing.

And, of course, there was a design area...complete with a wonderfully big design wall. I'm not including any of the pictures from there because the design team was in the midst of selecting fabrics and projects to include in 2 books that are scheduled for release next year. They'd already made samples and those samples were hanging on the design wall. Suffice it to say, they're wonderful and it'll be fun to see the books when they're published!

It goes without saying that there are quilts everywhere - even in the bathroom!

The lunch room also had touches of Debbie's handiwork everywhere.

What fun it was! If you're ever in Spokane, WA, make time and visit her studio. It's amazing that so much talent and productivity are housed in such a little studio!

Santa on a Cycle

2009-12-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

As we were heading back from Spokane after Thanksgiving, there appeared in the distance, a sight that was a little bit off, a little bit neat, a little bit just plain bizzare. Randy noticed him first.

Is that really who I think it is?

Why, yes, I do believe...

It's Santa Claus!

If that doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, I don't know what will!

The beach

2009-11-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend on the Oregon coast a couple weeks back. A couple from our sailing club built a home there a few years back. Each fall, they invite a few couples down to enjoy their house and the coast. Luckily, we're always one of the couples!

A huge storm had gone through the night before we went down so we left early on Friday in order to see the waves before sunset. The Oregon coast is a great place to be during storms because the wave action is pretty dramatic - it's hard to show that in a still picture so you'll have to take my word for it!

This year, we also saw something we hadn't seen before. And that was a lot of seafoam. It was literally in drifts on the beach. As it was blown apart and along the beach, the pieces of foam rolled into what looked like snowballs...I think Charli did think it was snow - until she dipped her nose into it!

Here are some of my favorite shots, and a video at the end - I hope you enjoy them, too. Here's the video...the wind was stong the day I shot this. You'll hear it on the video!

It was a great weekend with great friends and way too much great food and drink!

North Clark County in the Fall

2009-11-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

We went for a drive a couple of weeks back to check out the fall colors. We've had a very mild fall with little wind, so the trees hadn't shed their colorful leaves and I wanted to get some pictures.

It was a slightly overcast day with the sun trying its best to peak through the clouds...without much luck.

But it was wonderful light for shooting landscape pictures! Our journey took us along the East Fork of the Lewis River in the northern part of Clark County. We've always loved this stretch of river and used to take our black lab, Heidi, there on warm Sunday afternoons. It was Charli's first time there and she loved it!

Our first stop was at Moulton Falls for a hike.

To say it's beautiful here is an understatement.

Randy and Charli went on ahead because I was stopping every few minutes to shoot some leaves...

or some wet rocks...

or a stairway.

But once in a while, they'd actually stop long enough for me to get a quick picture of them.

More often than not, though, it was Randy posing Charli.

She's a very picturesque girl!

After our Moulton Falls trek and photostop, we continued our tour north to the Grist Mill.

We'd been here with Randy's folks last Spring but knew the fall colors would be great there now. And we were right. I love this covered bridge!

I love how the moss hangs off the trees here.

It was a beautiful day and one that I really enjoyed.

The only downside? The Dairy Queen that used to be in Woodland, and that was our last stop when we'd taken this trip in the past...we discovered that it closed. And I could taste that Peanut Buster Parfait!

A Painted House

2009-10-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, it did get painted. I've just been very slow at getting pictures: a) taken, b) resized, c) retaken, d) resized...and it goes on and on. The problem is that the weather has been very dreary and that doesn't make for very good pictures. I like shooting with overcast skies better than in bright sunlight but we've been way beyond overcast. Like I said...dreary.

You'll remember that we finally hired someone to help us pick colors - and we went with Resort Tan for the body color and Outerbanks for the trim - both Sherwin Williams colors. The difference between the two is subtle...very subtle...which is what we were told we should use. The house is large and contemporary so contrast is a no-no. Or so our designer told us. Anyway, in dreary weather, it's pretty difficult to tell the difference between Resort Tan and Outerbanks. In person, it's easier to see; not so much on a picture.

I'll start with a few pictures of the actual painting day. Fortunately, we were still having good weather. Here's the front entry. The area around the door has already been painted...but it's tough to see that.

Here's one of the painters spraying Resort Tan onto the garage. This gives you an idea of how much darker the new color is from the original color of the house.

Here's a splotch (is that a word?) of the new color on the garage door. We were a bit nervous at this point. Randy and I have never been really great at change.

Here's the garage now...it's darker, to be sure, but with everything painted that color (and the lovely subtle trim), it looks great. And we love it.

I've been trying to take pictures from the street and haven't been having much luck with those. When the sun is out, this side of the house is pretty much in a shadow...so it's dark. In the dreariness we've had for the past few weeks, we're all in a shadow...so the house is dark.

Taken even further up the street but still on a dreary day, the house looks chocolate brown. Let me assure you, it's not that dark. It just looks that way. But the trees are pretty, aren't they?

Roche Harbor

2009-09-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

While we end up in Friday Harbor pretty much every week while we're staying on Shaw, we always get in one trip to Roche Harbor. It's where the money people hang out - we just go to gawk and stare. We waited for a warm, sunny day for our annual Roche Harbor trek for lunch this year. It takes about a half-hour in the RIB so we like it to be fairly warm and it was a beauty of a day this year. Coming into the harbor there is always amazing. The new houses are huge and have a "look at me!" style of architecture that, to me, is so not-the-rest-of-the-islands. And the boats...well, let's just say there are a lot of really big boats kept there. Many of them never leave their slips, let alone leave Roche Harbor. Their owners fly in, spend the week or weekend aboard, then fly out again. The only way they see the rest of the area is by looking out the window of the plane. This year was no different. It's a busy harbor; partly because it's Roche, partly because it's also a US Customs port-of-entry from Canada. You can be sure there's always a line of boats waiting to clear customs. We managed to find a little spot to tie up. Those three larger boats are for sale. I could get the information if you're interested. Really, I could. We had lunch at the Fluffy Duck.

Also having lunch there was Paul Watson of the Animal Planet's Whale Wars television series. I didn't get a very good picture of him...I was trying to take it on the sly. I wanted Randy to start singing "The World is a Vampire" but said no.

It's where the rich and famous dine while in the Islands. Truely, these people are not going out in a boat. They had on long black dresses and pant-suits, lots of gold lame' on the women and (unfortunately,) lots of gold chains on the men. These people aren't from WA state; these people had dark tans. We don't have dark tans in WA state...we have rain with a few days of sun sprinkled in.

Roche does a great job on landscaping - it has probably the best-looking grounds in the islands. It's beautiful there...no doubt about it! I love the way this little chapel is situated overlooking the harbor. It's called the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Voyage. In fact, I bought a bookmark at the Island Artist's Studio that has a watercolor painting of the Chapel. I like it a lot. The other fun thing to do at Roche is read the names on the yachts. This year's winner was an obvious choice. We both knew it the minute we spotted it. Can't read it? Here, let me pull in a bit. Must be Seinfeld fans! Finally, here's a link to a walking tour of Roche Harbor. It's a great place to visit, even if you're not rich and famous! http://www.rocheharbor.com/walkingtour.html

Meet Patsy...she's a Party Pig

2009-09-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'd like you to meet Patsy. I got Patsy from a couple of Shaw friends who make and give felted and knitted pigs to their friends and also to people who are going through a rough stretch in their lives. The story of how the gifting began is great.

Ditti, while waiting for a plane, was reading a knitting magazine and came across an article about a woman who knit pigs. The pigs, according to the woman, made her laugh. Whenever she looked at them, she felt better - they were happy and they made her happy. So she started making them to give away...to spread the laughter.

Ditti said she laughed when she looked at the pigs, too, and decided she needed to start making pigs to give.

Before I continue, I need to back up a bit and tell you how the whole felted pig story came into my life.

Early on during our stay on Shaw this summer, Ruth and Ross invited us to join some other Shaw Island friends for dinner. The invitation was intriguing..."Jan would be bringing her pig Big Red and might also be bringing her granddaughter Shauna. Ditti was bringing her new pig who was nice but certainly not the party animal Bubbles was."

Hmmm. Randy and I went back and forth. Were these miniature pigs...pot-bellied pigs...or something else?

When we got there, we found out. There was a row of felted/knitted pigs sitting on the counter, as well as Big Red sitting on the dining room table. It was a wonderful night with great friends...and their knitted pigs!

Later in the summer, Jan invited me to join she and Ditti for dinner. At Jan's house, I got to see the range of pigs she's knitted. In case you didn't guess, that's Big Red on the left.

Wow.

And Wow again. They are just precious. I fell in love with knitted pigs. Just before Ditti left, we had she and Jan over for dinner. Imagine my pleasure when Jan pulled Patsy out of her bag and handed her to me. Her name, Jan said, was Patsy. Patsy, the Party Pig. And I love her...she makes me laugh every time I look at her, and she brings back memories of good friends who happen to live on an island I love. We also had Ruth and Ross over for dinner at the end of our Shaw summer. They are absolutely delightful people who we saw on our walks around the Ben Nevis loop. Ruth brought a beautiful bouquet of lilies from her garden...the fragrance was magnificent! If you could only smell how wonderful they were.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

A lesson in exterior paint colors

2009-09-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

We need to paint the exterior of the house. We made that decision earlier this year and contacted a number of painters for bids and settled on a father/son combo who had painted the new house next door. They did a great job and came in as the low bid. We were happy.

But then it started.

Picking the painters, it turned out, was the easy part. Now we had to pick a color; actually two colors - one for the body and one for the trim.

At first, we just said we were going to paint it the same color as it was. Then, well, then we started thinking that if we wanted to mix it up a bit, this was the time to do that. Neither of us is planning to be in this house when it needs painting the next time so this was our chance to put our mark...our design...our color choice...on the house. Sheesh.

Well, June passed and it was time to go to Shaw for two months. Randy emailed the contractor and said the paint job would have to wait until September. Whew - that was a close one. We almost had to decide on paint!

But then September came and we couldn't put it off any longer. And we still didn't have a paint color. So, we jumped in with both (well, all four) feet.

But do you know how many shades of tan there are? You might not be able to tell but there are at least 6 different paint colors on this wall.

Or how many shades of taupe? Oh, I bet I didn't mention that we have shakes on the roof and are concerned that it go with the weathered look of the shakes, did I?

Or how many shades of tan-y taupe and taupe-y-tan? There are five different colors on this wall...not counting the original house paint!

There are thousands, I tell you, thousands. And the names...who comes up with these names? Rocky Ridge...Cottage Walk...Sand Castle...Monteray Bay...Dry Creek...Ethiopia...Driftwood. I need that job.

And while most people wouldn't get bogged down between shades of tan and taupe, we can't seem to get out from under it. We worry that if we pick taupe, it'll be too gray and it's already pretty gray here in the winter so having a gray-toned house might be too much.

But if we pick a dark tan like Mocha Latte, will the house look like a giant Hershey bar? Hmmm...Ethiopia's not bad; not bad at all. Of course, next to Sand Castle, it's pretty dark...and pretty taupe.

We drove around some of the newer Felida/Lakeshore neighborhoods Sunday afternoon looking at the newest paint colors. That's also a requirement...we'd like the color to be something that's in style for a while. Everyone paints their house taupe or tan, Randy says. And we'd like something a bit bolder...well, maybe bold isn't the right word. Slightly different from everyone else would be a better way to phrase it.

The other thing is that the color on the printed paint chip isn't necessarily the color the paint turns out to be when it's brushed on the wall. And don't even get me started about the lightness and darkness issues between shaded walls and sunny walls. I could write a book!

The painters are starting a week from today. And we still don't have a paint color. So, we did what we should have done in the first place.

We hired a decorator to pick the colors for us. But we didn't hire just any decorator. Oh no, not us. We hired the daughter of the people who built and lived in this house until we bought it from them. We had issues before when we hired her to help us pick interior colors but we're putting that aside.

Since she lives close, she knows this neighborhood and we walk past her house everyday. I like her colors - Randy, not so much. He thinks it's too taupe. Hmmm. She's coming over tomorrow at 10. This should be interesting.

Baby Quilts for Parker's Mom & Grandma

2009-09-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

My great-nephew Parker was born the first part of August. He's a cutie and looks a lot like his Mama did when she was a baby. Of course, I knew I'd be making his Mom (my niece Lauren) a baby quilt for him and decided to make one for my sister Janis (the new Grandma) to use when Parker visited their house. I was a bit late getting started on the quilts...then summer came and well, I was a bit later getting them finished. But, since they have flannel backings, I figured Parker wouldn't be using them for a few months anyway. I sent both quilts off on this last Tuesday and Janis called Friday to say they'd arrived...and she loved them both. I'd left it to her to decide which one she wanted to keep and which Lauren would get.

I'd originally started out making the Sleeping Baby/Crying Baby one for her...

But once I found the seashore panel and finished the top, it became my favorite.

I still really like the bright colors of the other Crying/Sleeping Baby quilt and love the babies but there was something about the blocks on that seashore one that really did me in. And I figured since I lived on the coast (well, close to the coast), it was a perfect quilt from me. I also found a ocean-themed background that fit perfectly...unfortunately, I didn't buy quite enough fabric. I hadn't made the quilt yet when I found the backing, so I guessed at how much I would need. I was slightly off. I simply added a plaid strip in the same bright colors to each side.

I hope both quilts are loved and used for years to come.

Only this...

2009-09-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

a day late...

Of Sails, Sailors and Sunsets

2009-09-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love taking pictures. Everyone who knows me, know that. I have my preferences, of course, for what my photographic subjects will be. There's nothing that can beat a macro of a flower, or a beautiful sunset, or sailboat rigging. Unless of course, it's of people enjoying one of those three things. This post gives you all of them. It was a beautiful day when Ray pulled into the Cedar Cove with his 42" Tayana. Ann and Larry were ready for a sail and the wind was cooperating, too. What a day! And what a sunset!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Island Artists Studio

2009-09-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite spots in Friday Harbor is the Island Studio gallery (http://www.islandstudios.com/). The artwork is amazing. I could browse through the paintings, photos, jewelry, books and other art for hours. But what I really love to do is head into the garden that is accessed through the back door. What a wonderful treat for the eyes!

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

The Jones Family

2009-09-04T16:30:00.001-07:00

Back in July, some very good friends from Idaho came up to Shaw to visit. We haven't seen them in quite a few years but like all good friendships, it seemed like it had only been a few months.

One of the fun things we get to do on Shaw, is share in the sailing experience with others who haven't ever sailed before or who don't get to sail often.

Such is the case with the Jones' kids. They were born and raised inland. Their experiences on the water have been in their dad's motor boat. Granted, it's a nice boat and for young Jenna who loves speed, it's the perfect boat. But when Ed and Cheryl stopped by with their 38" Tartan, well, it was too tempting and we gladly headed out to the water with them. As you know from earlier posts, Ed is all too happy to turn over the helm once the sails are up. We had nice wind and clear skies - it was a beautiful day to be on the water. Tanner took the helm first. Between Ed, Randy and Dan, Tanner got all kinds of advice. He took it all with a grain of salt, and good kid that he is, just kept smiling. When he turned the helm over to Jenna, he moved to the side where he took over the jib.

Jenna was a bit hesitant at first but quickly got the hang of it - she simply held on to the wheel and gave orders!

And of course, the guys quickly found another sailboat to race. After all, if the sails are up, it's automatically a race...even if the other boat doesn't know it! All too soon, though, our afternoon was gone and we headed back to the Shaw and dinner. It was another great day spent with lifelong friends and followed by a spectacular sunset...again!

Happy Birthday, Jean!

2009-08-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today is a special day in my family...it's my sister Jean's birthday.

So, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos of her, like this one.

That's Jean on the far left...the one with the uncombed hair. If you knew Jean now, you'd know that just doesn't happen often. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen her when her hair wasn't perfect. The others in the picture are my brother Ray, Grandma Berg, brother Dennis and Grandpa Berg. It seems like Grandma is looking at Jean's hair, too, wondering what in the world happened.

Then there's this picture from her school days.

Another thing about Jean...she smiles a lot. And she's got a great smile. When she smiles, it makes everyone around her smile. She's just like that. Again, not sure about the hair.

This is a picture of the three of us taken about 10 year back...that's me on the left, Jean in the middle and Janis on the right. Jean had gotten us "sister" shirts to wear at the beach.

Jean's always happiest when she's surrounded by family and friends. Now, if she could get her kids to move back home, she'd be in heaven.

Happy Birthday, Jean! I hope it's a good one!

The Shaw Classic

2009-08-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Each year on the second Saturday of August, the San Juan Yacht Club hosts the much-anticipated Shaw Classic...it's a sailboat race that starts at the mouth of Friday Harbor, continues across the San Juan Channel, then around Shaw Island. Skippers have their choice of going clockwise or counter-clockwise around Shaw. Most skippers and crew, I told, begin planning their strategy days, even weeks ahead with the skippers checking the tide tables and reviewing which way the wind was blowing (if it was blowing at all!) on previous years.

Here in Cedar Cove, the bay started filling with big sailboats on Thursday. It was a beautiful site.

By Saturday morning, there were eight boats. Some were ready to participate in the Classic; others were just here for the party afterwards! Our buddy Ray was here with his 42-ft Tayana - a blue water cruiser weighing in at about 37,000 pounds. Cabiri is a big boat...and she's a beauty. Ray's crew for the race included Randy (of course), Brad, Barry, Maleah (Brad's daughter), and Linda (Ray's wife and self-named Galley Wench).

The race started at noon. Charli and I held down the fort here at the house and watched as the sailboats came through the channel from both directions.

The first boats came through about 2pm. It was pretty fun to see all the different shapes, sizes and colors.

And there were the kayakers. Oh, I bet I forgot to mention the paddle? Well, that day is also designated as the Paddle around Shaw, and it's very well known, too. Just ask anyone who tried to get on the ferry later that day or all day Sunday. It seemed like every car had a kayak or canoe loaded on top.

Some of the kayakers/canoers are just out for the fun of the paddle. They poked in and out of bays as they made their way around the island.

Others, however, were in serious race mode, like these guys.

It seems they have a similar outlook as sailors: if there's another boat in the area (and for sailboats, if the sails are up), it's a race...no matter what!

Cabiri came into view around Crane Island about 3.

I watched from the deck as she sailed past the house and out into the Strait of San Juan.

Here's a little video I made.

Because we're working remotely, I don't have a set of speakers with my computer so don't know what I said...I think I did a bit of a narrative about the crew and the race...at least that's what I hope!

Randy called about 5 and said they'd finished the race - yippee! - and were headed home. (They checked online later for the race results - Cabiri finished 9th in her class out of 14 boats. A pretty good showing considering she weighs 37,000 pounds and it was her first race.) Oh, and would I clean the 8 crab they'd left sitting in water that morning.

Barry wanted me to leave 2 alive so he could take them home with him the next day. I left him the most vicious two...mainly because I didn't want to get maimed by them. Really, they were mean! I know they don't look it here but these guys ... well, they weren't going to go easily!

Here are the other eight...cleaned and ready for cooking!

I have a picture of their shell backs and guts but I'm not going to post it...it's a bit gruesome.

For Jean

2009-08-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

My Mother-in-Law loves taking pictures of birds. She's very good and has had a number of her pictures published. Last year, she kept asking when I was going to post bird pictures on the blog. This is what I gave her:

And I have to admit that I didn't take that picture of Stanley Seagull landing in the mint; Randy did.

This year, however, I have taken a couple of pictures...they're not as good as hers are. I don't have her patience...and neither, obviously, do the birds because they flew away after I'd only gotten off a few shots!