Almost Christmas

Isn't this a pretty sunset !! 

The pink sky was so pretty tonight that I had just to take a picture and share it with you.

 

 

I can't believe that it is almost Christmas.........and once again - I am not ready.  About September I start thinking about Christmas gifts.......and possibly making my gifts for friends and family......but.....in September it seems like I have plenty of time !  LOL.......
Well, that is my story again this year.  So........I am not going to fret about it........I am just going to spend the weekend sewing.........(yes, on Christmas gifts).....and put little  "I owe YOU notes" in the Christmas package.   My real enjoyment for Christmas is spending time with hubby and daughter and her family....... those darn grandkids have gotten too big for toys and games......so guess maybe a gas card will do.

I will share a little Christmas lights .....from our neighbors house behind us.  We didn't put up any lights this year....and I didn't do much decorating in the house, so I have to enjoy other's lights.

What are you all doing for Christmas ?........Traveling ?, Hosting ?, Baking ? Going to a party ?.........
I am hoping to watch the first 3 seasons of Downton Abbey.  I have not watched it, I feel like the only person who hasn't watched it........and besides now there is fabric lines out to go along with the show........LOL.........so I am going to have to save up for a new collection of fabric !

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!!!
Stay warm !

Happy Thanksgiving

Just want to wish everyone  Happy Thanksgiving.......I hope you are all well, safe and happy.

Getting ready to cook dinner here at our house.  Just 3 of us together this year, but I know I will still cook too much food.

We have so many things to be thankful for.........let's reflect on that today.

Up in the middle of the night.........

Well, this is no fun........up in the middle of the night with  heart-burn.  Have not had this for a long, long time.  It is very quiet at this time of morning.......3:40 am.  The dogs wanted out.....they had to check for rabbits. 

Now can someone tell me WHERE November went ?
Next week is Thanksgiving already  .......and Christmas soon after........... time is going by way too fast. 
What are your plans for Thanksgiving......?  I am going to look for a turkey breast and that will finish my shopping for dinner.  
And then there is the matter of stores opening on Thanksgiving Day ???.......that is just NUTS. 
So much for waiting for Black Friday....another day that I refuse to shop.  People are just nuts.
There is no fun anymore in shopping for Christmas.....people are rude, and there is just too much commercialism about Christmas..... It seems that we have lost the true meaning of Christmas.  So sad.

I just want to share my favorite memory of Thanksgiving from my childhood....  We always had the whole family at our house for Thanksgiving Day.....Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles......we set the dining room table and always had these little name cards with a turkey on them that my Aunt Helen had written every one's name on.  Every year we set out those little name cards by the plates.  My mom and Grandmother Engvig cooked the dinner.....the relatives arrived......and we always had pumpkin and mincemeat pie.  We  had the same menu every year.  I carried on that tradition of the same menu for many years......but lately, as the people get less and less around my table...it just isn't the same.  So.....I remember those years gone by...and how Thanksgiving used to be.

I wish each and everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving....... !!!

October

October is here.........and we have had some cool days....... I call those "Soup Days"

Last Sunday I made some veggie- beef soup.....the kind my mother used to make.  Nothing fancy....no spices......just plain old soup.

 

 

Then I make "hard" dumplings and it is complete !

 

 

 

 

The last couple weeks they have been building THIS.....right across the railroad tracks from my house... (rather ugly I think).....it is HUGE !  We have named it the "Mother Ship".  Can't see a darn thing now ! 

 

 

Fall is here...........BUT since those "soup days"........yesterday and today are just PERFECT weather !!  This is my favorite weather......open the windows......the sun is warm the air is a bit cool............I would love to have this weather for another 6 months.

 

I should take a drive to Minnesota to see the pretty leaves......not much color around here.

 

 

 

 

That is a "HAPPY" dog...... they are spending lots of time outside in this lovely weather.....

Oh I wish we could have a few more days like this.......but the weather man is talking rain.

 

 

Now you see the whole dog........not very good pictures....I was standing on the deck.

They are outside already......I better see if I can get them in for breakfast.

Hope you all have a good day !!!

September 5th..........I hope summer is not over.

Hello ---------- I have been a bit absent, busy with life and work. 

This is my latest quilt.  The quilt is named "Tiger Lily"....and the designer made it and named it after HER cat named Tiger Lily...........so I just had to make it.  I love it !!  It was really fun to make and we have sold LOTS of patterns since we hung it up at the shop to show.  ( Now I will have to make a quilt and name it after each one of my cats...like the designer did)........Right now I am working on a Halloween quilt and a Christmas quilt.  I hope to show you those very soon.

 

August 24th - 28th I was in St. Louis, MO attending Babylock Tech.  This was the second time I have attended the training in St. Louis. 

The conference is right downtown across the street from The Arch.  What  a beautiful landmark.  Also out the hotel window we could see the baseball stadium   There were games  all 4 nights we were there.  It was fun to watch all the fans in their RED shirts heading to the stadium. We could see the stands and see NOTHING but red shirts.  It is fun to see the fans support their team.

We drove to St. Louis and of course, we could not drive all that way without stopping to "rest" at a few quilt shops along the way.  It is always fun to see other shops and their samples and see what they are doing.  And I got to stop at my favorite travel destination quilt shop......Country Threads in Garner Iowa.  I was just there in July, but it was fun to go back again.  Thanks Mary for the tour and visiting with us !!

 

Well, now I better get back to work.  Going to call the insurance company and have them come out ......our roof got some damage from the hail storm while I was gone.....also got a broken window and spots on the siding.......so.......I know it is going to be a process.....but isn't that what you have insurance for ????.......

I hope you all had a nice Labor Day weekend........hope you got to rest and relax.  We did spend a couple days at the lake.........I am hoping for nice weekends in September so I can get a few more lake days in.  Have to cut grass and do laundry this weekend. 

 

 

........end of July

Can't believe that July is just about gone......

.

Once again summer was too short. 
I hope to spend s few more days at the lake before it is time to close up again.
I hope you have had a good summer - vacation ? trips? visitors ?  I would love to hear from you and what you did this summer.
I was able to go on a little vacation....a girlfriend and I went on a little trip.....spent 2 days in Minneapolis area doing a little shopping and visited quilt shops.  Then we spent 2 days in the Clear Lake Iowa area.....attended the 30th Anniversary of Country Threads Quilt Shop in Garner, Iowa.
( I love my quilt shop, but......Country Threads is my favorite shop to visit.)  We had a great time there visiting with the owners and seeing all the animals.  And of course did a bit of shopping too !
Vacation ended too soon and now we are home and back to work.

Sent a quilt to the quilter the other day.....and I am working on a Halloween quilt and hoping to get that quilted very soon...... more pictures to come.

Hope everyone is well and happy............
I better get busy - lots on my list today.

Fourth of July weekend....

I hope everyone has had a good 4th of July weekend.. We have spent the weekend at the lake cabin...hot the last couple days and a rain shower this morning.

Now it is time to think about getting back to work and getting something accomplished the rest of the month of July.  What do you have planned?

I have a week to get some projects done and then I am going to head out for a weeks vacation.  I have a destination in mind...but may take some time to explore some new places on the way.

I need to learn how to retrieve pictures from the I Pad and get them to the blog... Always so much to learn.

Not exactly summer...........

June 3, 2013 - Not exactly summer around here........I am beginning to wonder if we will have a "summer".  There was a frost warning north of here for last night......crazy weather.

I don't have any pictures for today..... I could take a picture of the LONG grass.....with all this rain and cool weather it is growing like crazy !  I think I need to get a few sheep to keep it mowed.  

Later this week I am going on a quilting retreat.  This is the best  R&R there is for quilters.  I am packing and repacking all the projects I want to work on.  Eating and sewing and laughing with friends........just doesn't get any better than that !

I will tell you all about it and show you ALL my projects when I get back.

Happy June !

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day.......a time to remember those who have served our country and those who are protecting our freedom today.  My father was a WWII veteran and this day was always very special to him.  I remember going with him to several of the area cemeteries and putting the flags on the graves of the veterans. It was a special time to share with my dad.

 This is my special pink tree....it is the only tree we have in our yard.  When I was a little girl this tree was growing in my Grandmother's flower bed on the south side of the house.  It was under all the other trees so it never got very big.  When we tore down the old house I pleaded to save this little tree......and it has grown up so pretty and so pink every spring.  I am thinking this tree is at least 50 years old....but only has had a chance to grow big the last 20 years. 

This week was spent resting and trying to catch up from my trip to Portland, OR. On May 15th  I went to Spring Quilt Market.  There is nothing more fun than quilt market ~!  All the things to see, and take in.....the classes, the new books, notions, fabric.....just so much to pack into 3 days.  I am still thinking of things I saw and want to check out.  We will be getting the new "stuff" in the quilt shop in the next few weeks and new fabric coming in over the next few months.  So much to do !!
Much of my summer will be spent sewing and getting things ready for the upcoming months at the quilt shop.  I will share some pictures of "what we saw at market" in the coming weeks. 

Time to get back to my day.................... I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.
Take care......

FINALLY - some nice weather.

Dare I hope........two days in a row of nice weather !!!  Maybe we will get a little spring before  summer.  I had better hurry and do my flowerbeds.....before the mosquitoes come.

This is the quilt I just finished and is now hanging in the quilt shop.  I love the Dresden Plate quilt block and I was so excited when the shop owner asked me to make this for the shop.

I worked a long time on this quilt, but it was all worth it. I still have to make a label for it and document my time and dates.

 

There are 4 bouquets of hand embroidery on the quilt......one stitch at a time.......I am so excited to have it finished and custom quilted by a long arm professional from West Fargo.  ( I just hope it never ends up in a dog bed or wrapping furniture in the back of a pick up......ugh.....that would be my worst nightmare.)    Maybe my daughter will like some of my quilts...I hope this is one she will like and keep to remember me.

The dogs are loving this nice weather.......in and out , and in and out, that is how I spend my days at home. 
So.....time to let the dogs out again.......and then to my sewing room.  Have another quilt to finish today.
Have a good day !

April 30..........Tuesday

Finally some nice weather !   The snow is gone from our yard here at home........but a different story in lake country.
 We took a trip to the cabin last Saturday and this is what we found.

Just a little drift to walk through to get in the yard.  You can see behind him that the neighbors yard has LOTS of snow.

Looking down the shore you can see that there is NO water showing.Last year at this time we had been at the lake for a month - and had warm weather the middle of March. 

 So this year.......opening fishing is May 11 in Minnesota......I am thinking they are not going to have much open water to fish in.

So the dock and lifts will have to wait a bit........

 

Had my computer in the shop for a few days.......it is all fixed now.  BUT I went to use my IM......and they have changed stuff......ugh.........I don't like it when they mess with stuff !!!  Now I have to wait and get someone to help me find my IM friends.  Don't they know I need to have my IM to have coffee in the mornings with my friends ???? 

Guess I will get ready for work and see what the day brings.

Have a good one !

Rollie has been to the hospital

On Tuesday, April 9, Rollie went to the hospital to have that little lump removed....so we have a few days of recovery now.  He doesn't like wearing the cone - thinks he can't walk around with it on...so when you put it on him - he just lays down.  Poor guy - he can't get into his kennel with the cone on either.....so we had to let him sleep on the floor.
Not sure how this is going to work with us both going to work.......and he is left home with his cone on.  We will see how it goes.

Snow and blizzard conditions not too far south of us.......this winter is hanging on and on.  Now they are saying more snow tomorrow in Ottertail County in MN.....so that means longer till spring at the lake cabin.  I hope this doesn't mean a very short summer....if we blink it will be fall and winter again.  Something should change here soon........don't you think ?

April 2 - still no spring

Still no spring for us here in eastern North Dakota........they are talking floods again.  I really didn't expect that we would have water troubles this year, but the last 2 big snowfalls left us with too much snow this late in the year.  Our temps have been really cold......and that is a good thing......makes for a slower melt.....but this late in the year.....is....... once the temps warm.....it will all melt at once.
Our Harwood flood meeting is tomorrow night - so I am interested in what they have to say.

So.....I will post updates on the coming water.

This is a table topper I made for the quilt shop.  It is for our Spring Shop Hop.  Each shop is giving away patterns and this is all 5 patterns made up in a table topper.  We also have examples of the 5 blocks made in different styles of table runner.  Going to be fun to see them all hanging on the wall.  (And hear people's comments)......Quilters have definite opinions of what they like.....and what they don't like.  LOL.

 

Well, it is time to get ready and take Rollie to the vet.  He has a bump on his cheek.....and they are going to remove it next Tuesday.  Today they do the "pre-op" blood test.  For now they are calling it a tumor of some kind, we won't know what it is until the pathology report comes back.

Poor yellow dog........I hate to think of him having to go through surgery.  And he will have to wear a cone on his head.......THAT is going to be fun trying to keep that on him.

I hope you are having a good day !!!

 

Spring ??? March 19th, 2013

Doesn't look much like SPRING !  This was taken yesterday morning, March 18th.  We had a blizzard.  Nobody was going anywhere.....lots of highways closed and most everything was closed or cancelled. 
A year ago  it was record breaking high temps......people were opening up lake cabins......golf courses open all over the valley......... Quite different than this year.

So........guess we have a few more weeks of cold weather......and we will see how the melt goes.  We want spring to hurry and get here....but don't want that snow to melt all at once.

Have a great day !

After the storm......

 We got about 10 inches of snow Sunday and Monday........filled up the driveway, so the snowblower got a good workout.  I am very glad hubby was home to blow snow !  Both interstates were closed overnight and till about noon on Monday.....been a long time since we have had this much snow.

Backyard got filled up pretty good......poor dogs had to wade in the snow.  They have their paths pretty well made now.

And just heard the weatherman say we could get 4 more inches of snow today.  UGH !

Yesterday it was thawing and dripping.....and now getting cold again.  Crazy North Dakota weather.
Have a good day !

February 7 - Thursday

Just a sleepy dog day I guess......well, maybe for them, but not for me.  I have errands to run and stop by work for a bit....... just not enough days in the week to get it all done.

We have gotten some snow off and on the past few days - not alot, just enough to mess up the steps and driveway.  Ugh.  Can we just get on to Spring ?

Just wanted to touch base......not much to write about.
Heard the weatherman say we could get a storm Saturday night and Sunday.........so time to check and see if I have all the necessary supplies.  Got dog and cat food - that is the most important items.
Have a great day !!
What plans do you have for Valentine's Day ?

Having a nap.........

And here is Mr. Menace in his box.He spends a lot of time in this box.  Just his size I guess.

 

This morning I took Rollie to the vet.  He is having his great big teeth cleaned.  Hope he does OK. I will go get his this afternoon.  Wow, that vet clinic was very busy at 7:30am

 

We are headed down into the deep freeze.  They are telling us the his temp. for Monday is -18.  Not that is just too darn cold !!!

 

I better get busy.  Was going to add more pictures.....but something has changed in blogger and I can't add pictures.  ( I really don't know how I got this one on here)

Have a good day !

the calm before the storm

The sun is shining.......little breeze........warm temps......BUT this is North Dakota in January.
And the weatherman is saying.......nice today........rain this evening.......and snow tomorrow.......and then the wind.  Ugh.  January in North Dakota.

I am trying to add some pictures to this post, but so far - it isn't working.  Seems my computer is doing very strange things.  So.....we will see.

What is everyone up to in January 2013 ?  Not much going on here for me.  Sewing, sewing , sewing, and feeding dogs and cats and working.

Sorry, no pictures today.

Have a great day.......I will take some pics of the wonderful weekend weather we get.....Ugh.