Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas yesterday.  We did.

Last Saturday (Dec 18th) DD and I (with Molly the golden retriever) drove from Wisconsin to FL to see my parents (divorced and in two different towns 2 hours apart) for the holidays.  We've been at my dad's since our arrival Sunday evening and are having a great time.

On Wedsnesday we drove down to Sanibel Island.  We went to the Ding Animal Life Refuge and mostly bird watched.  Afterwards we went and had a lovely Mexican lunch, then found a beach to spend the rest of the afternoon.  Sanibel does have lovely beaches, but Dad and I agreed that we really prefer our normal beach on Manasota Key.

Christmas was yesterday and it was a big success.  DD was totally blown away with her presents (a cell phone and a DSi were the big hitters).  I got a new camera (yes, I picked it out, but didn't have to pay for it, nor even wrap it!).  The pictures above from Sanibel were taken by my old Olympus point and shoot.  Its been a great camera for me for the past 4 years -- easy to stick in my pocket or purse.  But I'd been thinking about getting a new "big" camera for a couple of years.  I ended up picking a Canon Powershot SX 30i.  Here's some pictures I took yesterday walking around my dad's place.

Taken from the street, about 40 feet away

Taken from the street, about 50 feet away

Hope you got everything you desired for Christmas, whether it was gift wrapped or the love and warmth of family and friends.

Snow Snow Snow

Here's a few pictures that I took after snow blowing this afternoon.  Hope you are all staying warm!

Our Lilac Tree Weighted Down with Snow



Snow Covered Cran-apples



Jared Done!

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I got the call that Jared was done at my long armer.  I immediately made plans to pick it up.  Last week I added the binding and then on Saturday, I was able to find someone to hold it up for a picture.  So here it is:

Jared is based on a Bonnie Hunter design.  I don't know if I'll keep the name Jared or not.  Right now its on my bed (total of 3 quilts and a comforter).  I do love the more traditional designs.

Special Music at Church

Last Sunday, DD (in the middle), one of her friends, and her band director were the special music at church.  Both girls are in 6th grade and have been playing for about a year and a half.  The director is a very special guy, directs all of the bands at the middle school, and can pick up and play about anything.  He even gave the girls extra credit for their extra practicing and playing.  Here's the video clip.  Enjoy!

Another Month and Another Post

Ok, just who exactly stole October?  It was right here, just a few seconds ago.  You know, October in all its colorful glory with the leaves lightly falling and sun spakled sidewalks.  You remember, being able to go out for a walk without 3 layers of clothes.  Well, goodbye, October.  Goodbye.  November is here and boy, is it cold.

And of course, the leaves are all still here.  They're just all on the ground now.  Yes, I will be spending my Sunday afternoon raking and blowing leaves.  And probably one last round of mowing the grass.  Then the mower will be moved to the back of the garage and the snowblower pulled to the front.  Not much of an even exchange, if you ask me.

October was a very full month.

One of the best things that happened in October was that I joined a women's volleyball league.  Now you may remember that I had double knee replacement surgery in April.  It was very successful and I've been strengthening my knees/legs by walking (until it got so f.... cold that I couldn't do it without looking like the Micheline man).  So I started in late August looking into playing volleyball.  Well, I found a couple of leagues at a few bars, but most of them were wrapping things up 'cause they play outside in a sand court.  I finally found an inside league, but they were full up.  They took my name as a substitute, but I've never heard from anyone.  Then I saw an ad in the weekly paper looking for women to play volleyball.  I called right away and gave the guy my contact information.  He told me a coach would be calling me to give me more information.  I waited for 4 weeks, but finally someone called.  So, we've now played 4 matches:  won 2, lost 2.  I have done okay considering I'm 50 years old and haven't played since high school.  I've made some good plays and some bad plays.  But no more than the average 20 year old on the team (who also played on a high school team).  None of us old farts dive after the ball, so I'm not expected to do that, either.  The league runs through March, so I'm looking forward to alot of good games and fun.

I've been quilting like crazy, but don't have any pictures right now to show for it.  I've done two Christmas Irish Chain tops, one a throw for a present, and one a bed sized for me.  I'll try to have pictures up soon.

Halloween was in October at some point and DD went trick or treating as an Amish girl.  I grew up right in the middle of an Amish community (although not part of it), so I'm pretty familiar with Amish life and customs.  So when DD and I went back last summer to Indiana where I grew up, I took her around to Amish country and she loved the whole back to nature idea.  We happened across an Amish girls black hat at a craft fair and the idea took off from there.  I bought her a pair of heavy black knee socks, an inexpensive pair of boys dress shoes from WalMart, and made her a dress and apron.  Here she is.

Also in October, DD had a few days off from school, so I played hookey too (alright, I took vacation days).  On Friday we went to downtown Milwaukee and went to the Discovery World museum.  Its an interactive science museum right on Lake Michigan.  Very cool (and I'm not much for museums).




DD lying on a bed of nails




DD in front of jellyfish tank




Petting Sting Rays (you can't see the rays)



 

DD has also been participating in gymnastics for the past 2 months.  Its put on by the Parks and Rec program and she finished the last practice last week.  She's better than the little kids, so they put her in with the other middle school and high school girls.  It has made it very challenging for her.



 This last picture is a video, so you should be able to click on it and see her on the uneven bars.  No routine, just playing around.

So that was October.  I'll try to get the pictures of my new quilts up before Christmas, but I can't promise!



Yes, I'm Still Alive!!!

Okay, so September has come and gone and I'm finally posting.  I've got alot to share, so get a cup of coffee, sit back, and relax.

On September 1st DD started 6th grade.  She decided that she needed to dress up for the first day of school -- although I think she was the only girl wearing a dress that day.  Here's our annual picture for the first day of school.  She doesn't have her backpack because we had already gone and practiced the locker combination several times and left the backpack with the 10 tons of school supplies inside.  The little white dots on the picture are the light rain that was falling as we got ready to go.

DD and I have gone to several Milwaukee Brewer games this year, all paid for by someone else:  my company, the softball league, and a supplier.  Here we are at the Red's game in September.  They opened the roof for the game, so it got a little cool after the sun went down.  We had a great time while at this game because we were in a luxery box and could easily get up for stuff to eat, check the football game in the lounge area, or go to the bathroom. 

Earlier in September, we went to a sold out Brewers-Cubs game.  It was at that game that I had to officially change my allegience from the Cubs to the Brewers.  I've never had any Cubs clothing or other paraphanelia, but this year I bought both a Brewers shirt and a cap.  But don't be thinking I'll give up my  BEARS!  I am deffinately not ready for the Pack.

In the middle of September we drove to Ft Wayne to visit friends and experienced the Johnny Appleseed festival.  Apparently it started when I was just a girl, but I don't remember my parents ever taking us to it.  DD and I had a great time, especially eating caramel apples.  And it was great to see our friends.

Last weekend I went to my annual Quilt Camp Retreat in Green Lake, WI.  Its held at the same church camp where DD goes each summer.  The Quilt camp goes from Friday (I arrived around 11am) to Monday afternoon.  This was my 3rd year to go.  There were about 40 women there from all over Wisconsin, and one even brought a friend who flew in from Oregon!  Wow!  Most of us are veteran quilters, but we had a couple of newbies, including some who drafted her own pattern and made a complicated wall hanging for her home. 

For the first 2 days I focused on working on a quilt that I'm making for DD.  It will be a twin size to go on her bed.  Sorry, no pictures yet.  It is full of half square triangles, and by late Saturday evening, I finally ran out of the pre-finished (by me) half square triangles.  I have plenty of fabric, but after all that time, I was ready to work on another project. 

I had brought several other projects with me and pulled out my second priority, a Fall Wallhanging for my entry way.  It is based on a panel that I cut apart and added to it and sewed it back together.  I wanted something for Fall -- to last from September 1st until the Christmas stuff comes out.  I didn't want it to be for Halloween or Thanksgiving, so a Harvest theme fits perfectly.  I hung it this morning and with the pumkin and leaves I bought last year, I think the entry way table looks great!  What do you think?

While at camp, I got up early Sunday morning to get a jump start on sewing.  We sew in the camp dining hall which overlooks Green Lake.  On Sunday morning, I took this great picture of the fog coming up off the lake.  The fog wasn't there when it first became light, then came up off the water for about 45 minutes, then was gone again.  Really cool!

Last night was Homecoming in Port Washington.  We went to the Homecoming parade and the annual Chicken Roast that our church does as a fundraiser.  We were ready to go to the football game when it started to rain.  I had brought a big comforter to keep warm and had umbrellas, but since I knew the bleachers would be cool AND wet, we decided to skip the game and just came home. 

Fall is deffinatlly here now.  I went for a walk this morning and it was about 48 degrees.  I had to pul the hood up on my sweatshirt and even tie it shut to keep my ears warm!  Its not quite full color season yet, but maybe this coming weekend will be great.  There are leaves on the ground and a cool bite to the air.  We bought apple cider at the Farmer's Market this morning and I think I'll make hot apple cider with cinnomon sticks in it.  Yummm!

Hope you've enjoyed hearing what we've been up to and I hope to be writing again soon.

Been So Long

I can't believe how long its been since I last posted.  Where did August go?????  I guess we've been pretty busy, although I sure don't have much to show for it.  Jared has made it as far as one border being added.

DD went to Scout camp early in August for an entire week.  It was an unusual camping session called "All Around the World".  There were just three girls in the "unit" and three counselors -- all from foreign countries.  The theme All Around the World reflected the different cultures that the girls learned about.  The counselors were from Australia and England.  But they also shared cultures like China, New Zealand, Africa, etc.  The girl made scones and wore their jumpers (sweaters) when it got cold.  Pretty cool, huh?  DD came home speaking in an Australian accent.  Very funny.

DD (at right)  at camp with friend and counselor

After DD's week at camp, she came home for three days and then we went back up to Scout camp with her troop for 3 days.  We had 7 girls and 2 adults.  I have to admit, that my stamina wasn't good enough to keep up with the girls on the trails.  I was always lagging behind the group.  The girls had a great time cooking outside, swimming in the pool or lake, learning new camp songs, and making new friends.  But everyone was bitten by the making lanyards bug.  By the end of camp, everyone tried it and made plans to make more.

Making Lanyards

After Troop camp was over, DD and I headed to Ft Wayne, Indiana to visit my best friend for the rest of the week.  We had a great time running around and hanging out together.

Jennifer and DD

School starts in just three more days.  All the supplies have been bought, new school clothes have been bought, and we've practiced the new locker combination a couple of times.  We'll go back tomorrow to practice one last time and to drop off most of the supplies so DD doesn't have to carry them all to school in her backpack.  If your school list is like ours, it probably weighs about 20 pounds!

Hope your August was as wonderful as ours.