Quilting Cats

With Emma's fifth birthday looming on the horizon, I decided to make her a quilt from some fabric I had on hand. I needed to buy some material to go on the back. While at the store, I called her mom to see what Emma liked. Kittys and dogs are her favorite. I bought bumble bees and hearts. When I got home it didn't match the original piece, even though I took it with me. What was I to do, after spending $33 on the new pieces. Every time I wanted to begin the project, I had the distinct feeling to wait until Monday. On Monday I should go to The Fabric Center, close by my house. There I would find just the piece I needed. This happened several times. Consequently, on Monday I went directly to the fabric store and did find some beautiful kitten panels. The original piece will wait for another day.

I immediately went to work cutting, piecing, zigzagging until five panels were ready to sew together. One kitten was used for a pillow. Tuesday I cut and sewed in the early morning, on my lunch hour, breaks and every spare second until the quilt top was completed. That evening I put it on a machine quilter at my sister-in-laws and stitched away for ninety minutes. I had a deadline to make of Wednesday at 3pm where the quilt had to be completed to ship by FedEx to Washington. Next up was preparing the binding. Getting up at 4am, I attached the binding. The hand stitching was done at work and quilting around the kittens. I felt divine intervention of both my grandmothers who were great quilters, helping me along the way. This piece was created in just a few days, but it was like Michelangelo said, 'It was waiting to be created. My hands were just the guide to the work.'

A Camping We Will Go!

A great way to celebrate our 41st anniversary is going camping in our new fifth wheel. I keep telling myself, this will be great fun. It should be a clear, sunny weekend, with lots of camp fires, four wheeling, mosquitos, food, fun, family and games. So lets party!!!

Forty-one years and fifth wheeling for the first time. I like how that sounds.

Setting Our Sites on Lake Blanche

A month ago Jory & Sarah invited us to hike Lake Blanche in Albion Basin, above Alta. Our 7pm start only got us as far as the trailhead before the sun set.

Labor Day was the perfect opportunity to try again. Jory, Sarah, Max, Jay, Katie, Scotty and Me arrived about 10:45. The upper parking lot was full so the ranger said we could ride the shuttle. It already had 50 plus people in line with a twenty minute wait per round trip (3 bus loads worth) or we could hike from the parking lot of Alta's ski resort. We were fresh and adventurous, thus began our hike.

The flowering ski sloped meadows gave way to the shady pines. Switch backs both shady and on the rocky ridges followed. Crowds of happy families going to and tired couples returning from were asked if they had made it to the top. Yes and no. We spotted a cow and bull moose just yards away from the trail.

What seemed like a short hike was 5 miles round trip, but well worth the effort when coming over the last rock outcropping to see the crystal, clear water and lone mountain peak reflected in it.

Sarah's Seventy-Sevin Minute Yard Sale

As a last minute decision and with the neighbor's daughter in a full blown yard sale complete with signs up to attract the crowds, I let Sarah (ten years old) have a yard sale. All month she had been scouting out my jewelry box, knick knacks, pictures, toys and the likes for one I had promised to let her hold, since it didn't happen last summer when she was visiting.

We already had boxes and bags of stuff. She had slept over, so I didn't have to wait for her mom to bring her, with the hope of nixing the idea. We tossed a few tables out on the driveway, hauled out the goods and miraculously found last years bright red posters to hang up. Exactly at 9:23 am we officially began our "Yard Sale". I let her arrange the stuff and set the prices.

If someone asked a question or wanted to negotiate, I directed them to Sarah. It was her baby. Living on a busy street brought all types of people. I told Sarah, these are 'Yard sale' junkies and this is what they do on Saturdays. We had a Mani/Pedicure at 11 am, which forced us to close up shop at 10:40 and haul the tables out of sight. Off we went for the pampering and she had partaken of a real yard sale experience. Her famous last words later that day were, "You will have to go to some yard sales to get cool stuff for ours next summer!" "Yeah, right!" I replied.

Family = Fun, Food, Photos, Four Wheeling and Fights in Fairview

They came from coast to coast for our reunion. It was like heaven to have most of our family together all in one place, at a cabin in Fairview for food, fun, four wheeling, fights and freedom from screens. The cabin of a relative was the staging place, sight unseen. Bigger and better than expected, we enjoyed a 180' view of Sanpete County, sky and valley. Giant a-frame windows, a wrap-around deck, gentle breezes, abundance of rooms, Ping pong to play and unlimited privacy was waiting for us.

Yes, fights (the marshmallow kind) with shooters and targets.

Giant, body size bubbles chased us down the lane.

Food menus varied from taco salad to corn of the cob to Mike's specialty, Eggs Benedict. Brayle tried her hand at cinnamon rolls, a recipe from school. They were delicious. Only Emma left the table hungry because she only eats chicken nuggets and chocolate milk. Daddy made a few runs to town for some of her special things.

Four wheeling around the mountain made for lots of fun. A few boys got away without an adult. They had too much fun but, with a dangerous road ledge we made them go with a grown-up. Little Sarah had big Sarah wrapped around her finger. She went on an abundance of one on one outings.

Next year our goal is Glacier. Start planning now. Good bye all.

Fortunately a Fix Was Found

Jory's computer hard drive crashed, taking all of their thousands of photos with it. Sarah had pictures from the baby and her photography business on it, not to mention everything else under the sun. Some of it was backed up, but not the pics. They were aghast, as anyone of us would be. . .

With a song and a prayer they took it to the neighborhood repairman, who said, "Sorry, we cannot get your hard drive back. The Apple and another fix-it store was recommended, but they had no luck either. What to do. Well you could try to fix it yourself. What is there to lose? Jory ordered some parts, tried a bunch of things and after many no go's. He was not giving up and worked on and on. Fortunately a fix was found and 'Innerds Restored'. They are two happy 'camp'uters, believe me!

A Midsummer's Daydream

Remembering the fun on this midsummer's day we've had together or individually with family and friends.

Water and sun spell fun, fun, fun.

Let's get busy and do it again.