The Winter Scene above

The wintery picture above is from quite a few years past. The tree is gone - it just gave up the ghost, and I felt sad, because it had the prettiest red and orange leaves in the fall. We have had an unusual year. Lots of snow before Thanksgiving, and not much since. There are patches on the ground, but very warm weather today is eroding that quite fast. The wind blows. That wintry wind that melted the snow so fast is the one that Dad called a chinook wind (or was it?) There will be snow sometime this winter, but at least we're having a reprieve from the thermometer dance around zero that went on for a couple of weeks.

Grnadmother's Garden - More Blocks

I've been slowly working on this quilt project. The blocks are not perfectly pressed or cut to size, but I finished the work on the 18th block this morning. This is the second zinnia - I like it much better than the first one, but both will go on the top. Again, this is the second rose - I also like this one better than the first one. Guess a little experience makes a difference. This is a pink trillium. I loved the trillium in Washington, especially in the woods around Mother and Daddy's home on 93rd. And these are shooting stars.

Four more to post tomorrow. I need to cut these blocks down to size - a real challenge, because almost every flower is done in a dimensional way. I'm working on that one, as well as how to quilt. Some can be done on the machine, but some will have to be done by hand, so that I won't mess up the dimensional part of the quilt. This was so much fun to do - no deadlines, just pleasing myself. I'm glad that Eleanor Burns resurrected this '20's flower quilt pattern(s).

Remembrances of Christmas

Steve designed this cocky fellow - Dad cut them out, and I painted them, and we sold quite a few in Tumwater at our Christmas boutique in the early '90s. There were a few other designs, but this is the only finished one I have left. Thank you, Steve, for your creative mind. This Christmas piece was done by Steve and Mary Lynn some years ago - he cut out the little copper (?) bear at the top, Mary Lynn made the stars and stuffed them with something very aromatic. After all these years, a squeeze on a star will give forth a pleasing smell. Dad made lots of this manger piece and other similar silhouettes pertaining to Christmas - I have strings of them that I hang every Christmas on the side lights of the front door. However, this little metal one is on the wall all the time. Another Steve creation. As you can see, I made this small counted cross stitch Scandinavian bell pull in '83. It is always magic to create something and see it take place before your eyes.

It's about time to begin storing away the Christmas memories until next year; each one is special and brings back memories of another time and place.

Christmas Flowers

This was another Christmas surprise. Our local florist delivered it, covered carefully against the sub-freezing temperatures that we have been experiencing. Family members surprise us with these lovely things, and we always have a twinge (You know - the old "you shouldn't have"), but this one is lovely, and we think lovingly of the givers. This arrangement contains the only real greens in our house, and they do smell wonderful. Joyous Christmas Eve and Day to all!

Ron Turns a New Bowl

Ron was given a board made of bamboo that had been laminated, and he began to think about what kind of a bowl he could make. A bowl in a woodturning book was the inspiration for this creation. The result is quite stunning, and includes some dye and gold leaf. Bronchitis made the finishing a little tough, but he did it! I think that it's gorgeous!

Christmas Flowers

Often, for Christmas, one or another of our children gift us with flowers to brighten up the cold, frosty days. Four years ago, when Christmas became secondary with Ron's serious illnesses, periodic pots of bulbs to be coaxed into plants that flowered cheered us up for the months of his struggles. One year, a beautiful little spruce tree in a container, decorated with ornaments brightened our winter. (I tried to keep that one alive, but failed.) Other bouquets through the years have lent color to drab days. Even though Christmas comes in the dead of winter, it always heralds spring, as days begin to grow longer. More importantly, these bouquets are beautiful reminders of the birth of our Savior and the joy and hope he brings to all of us.

Christmas and the Tree

The tree is up! This one is artificial, and is supposed to be self-lit. However, the attrition in the lights began a few years ago, and each year, less lights would come on, necessitating the stringing of more lights, making the lights already on the tree look a little ridiculous and unlit, but who cares? The tree is alight and semi-decorated. Sometimes it seems silly to have such a big tree when there is only Ron and myself to enjoy it, but the house would look empty without it at this time of year. I cannot recall a time when there wasn't a tree of some sort to celebrate Christmas. The year that Dwight got married, and Mother and I went to Salt Lake, we went on to Provo to pick up Louise, then turned around and drove all the way home across South Pass. We had to stop in Basin for gas, and there was a tiny tree sales place, where Mother purchased a tree for $1.00. When I was back in Laramie, going to school, the children and I made ornaments out of salt dough. I still have a couple of those in the box. The little acorn birdhouses are Ron's wood-turned contribution to the tree. Santa came from Rothenburg a.t., purchased in 1996, when we went to stay with Dorothy and Ken, and traveled all over. This little angel, singing "Silent Night", and sitting on a star is part of a collection I acquired in 1976-78 at the Christmas ornament factory and sales on the Army post in Bamberg. The apple candle holders with bows are also dating back to 1976 The gold ornaments were part of a collection that we acquired in the 1980's, and the wooden silhouette of the nativity came from Israel in 1993. One of my teacher friends said that Christmas trees should be full of surprises. When I open the stored ornaments each year, I am reminded of the many Christmas times past, both poignant and happy.

Thanksgiving Cactus

When I purchased this plant a long time ago, it was blooming at Thanksgiving and that seems to be it's cycle. That's fine - leads into the bright colors of Christmas. Cheery day and time.

Snow is on the ground, and here is a jonquil.

I only have three blocks to go! Now the background looks yellow. It really is white! Oh, well. We're doing last minute things for Thanksgiving Day, cranberries, pumpkin pie in the oven, and what all. Tony will be here - for which we're glad - but three people can only eat so much food. We'll still enjoy our weekend. Happy Thanksgiving Day to all who gather near and wide.

Let it Snow!

We had quite a snow storm yesterday. The feathery white flakes came down steadily most of the day until it changed to a fine powdery snow last night. The snow plows came out, as did everyone with their snow blowers and shovels. The neighbor kids were delighted - they loved to knock the snow off of our sundial - it had reached over a foot. Today, the sun is shining, although the temperature only got up to 33 for a few brief hours. We are shivering, remembering the beautiful, warm fall we enjoyed. There are still some carrots and beets resting under the cover of snow in the garden. I didn't get the roses mulched enough, but they are covered in snow, and, if past years are any portend, they will remain so for quite some time. Thank heaven for a warm house, food to eat, and clothes to keep us warm. We are mindful at this Thanksgiving season of the year that there are many in this world who, through circumstances not of their doing, do not have those blessings.

Zinnia Applique Block - for Grandmother's Garden Quilt

I am nearing the end - this quilt requires 18 flower blocks. I wasn't quite content with this zinnia block, so am making one in a different color. At last I've conquered ruching - not so evident in this block. I had quite a struggle with this one. I've decided that one must try something new several times before the "Aha" moment comes and it becomes easier to do. It has been most relaxing to make these blocks. The applique and embellishments are fun to do. I usually do handwork in the evening while we have the TV on. (After all, TV today doesn't have a whole lot to offer in all the hundreds of channels that we receive.)

Another Applique Block for my Quilt - Tulips

The background is really white - I took these this gray afternoon with the light from the room. I've only got a few blocks to go before I am finished! Hooray. It was nice to think about a quilt for a change. We decided to gift each other for Christmas by purchasing a Nook reader each. Now, I'm trying to figure out how to set up the blasted things. Frustration reigns supreme at this moment. I got a message from Barnes & Noble to shut the thing off for 30 minutes and try again. We'll see. All of this came from sitting by someone at Church who had a reader, and looking at the apparent ease of moving around in it, and the difference between carrying bunches of heavy books to Church and one small tablet. Now, I've just got to get the whole things figured out. Laura? We may be calling you again. (This is an addendum - now you can see how lazy I am. I didn't like the color in the first photo I pasted into the blog, so I adjusted it in the top picture. Now, you can see the contrast between the picture more like the original block, and the one with the darker color created by poor lighting.)

Quilt from a Jelly Roll

This is a hurry-up quilt made for a dear friend who underwent a mastectomy last Monday morning. Finding out you have cancer has to require a difficult adjustment, but the move to positive outcome is very important. I had a jelly roll (for the uninitiated, that is a roll of fabrics cut to 2-1/2" . You can make many different kids of quilts out of them, but the easiest is to miter the adjoining strips, vary them a little bit, and sew them together. I really did a hurry-up job, but hopefully, the quilt police will look at my motives and forgive me. The quilting was simple - I did curves in every other row, hoping that would hold everything together. And I free-handed feathers in the border. Some were great, some were so-so, and some very sub-par, but the important thing is, the quilt was made with love, and is backed with soft flannel so that it will be cozy for the next few months. (The binding was really slap-dash. I sewed the first seam on the back, turned it over to the front, added steam-a-seam tape underneath, fused it, and sewed it down with a decorative stitch. I finally caught on to the technique by the third side, but I'll never do it again that way.) My friend was very happy to get her quilt.

Burning Bush Time

We've had an unusually mild fall - one to make up for the late spring. Our 4-year old neighbor, Cayden, loves the red leaves of the burning bush most of all. Once in a while, he will bring a little bag with him, and ask if he can have a few because they're so pretty. The most protected bush (the top picture) turns more slowly than the other one. There is something very satisfying about fall colors, even if it means clean-up later. When we're in the middle of it, autumn is my favorite time of the year.

Fall is Really Here

There are still some apples way high up on the big apple tree at the corner of our property and the orchard next door. Ron picked a bucket full of these little apples - they are very good to eat. We figure that apples hanging over on our property are fair game - and no one ever climbs up way high to pick those up high. They will eventually fall, making food for the deer and the birds in the wintertime. We hate to see the weather change, after such a beautiful October, but in this country, it's inevitable. We've been very busy harvesting and cleaning out the gardens, and buttoning up everything that is outdoors, ready for what is inevitable - winter. In the meantime, there is still plenty of beauty around us, and we appreciate that.

Storm at Sea Quilt

This is a miniature quilt - lots of fun putting it together. It isn't perfect, but the effect is okay. Sewing a miniature is so challenging - Little mistakes get magnified. I began this quilt in November, and put it away for a while. (Actually, I cheated and got a laser-cut kit from John Flynn in Billings, Montana, so I didn't have to cut out those tiny pieces.) Nice to have a project finished. I've heard quilts before saying "Better finished than perfect".

Dorothy's September Birthday

We were in Germany for Dorothy's Sweet Sixteenth birthday. Now, many years later, she is still sweet - don't laugh, Dorothy! Soon after she turned 16, Dorothy starred as the heroine on the base theater production of "Dial M for Murder". People couldn't believe she was only 16. She did a wonderful job of make-believe.

We missed Tony's Birthday!

Laramie, 1970. The white felt cowboy hat was worn everywhere, and it was a fight to get him to leave it on the coat rack at church.

Tony, 1973, Powell. Being the youngest of 5, he was spoiled by all of us. He was a special child (aren't all of them?), and had a gift for finding good things in life. He has made the best of difficult situations, and has proven to be a very loving father. Love to you on this belated birthday greeting.

Gardens and the Katsura Tree

Twenty-seven years ago, we were looking for a small tree to plant in the mini-garden that was seen from the operatories in Ron's dental office in Tumwater. The nurseryman assured him that the ceracydum japonicum, katsura tree, would stay very small and be suited for that garden. After a couple of years, the tree began to look like more than small, so he dug it up, and we found a place for it on Tumwater hill. While we were back in Olympia-Tumwater, we drove by our former home, and there was the katsura tree in all it's glory - probably between 25 and 30 feet high. But it is a very beautiful tree! At the foot of it is one of my birthday presents, a beautiful red Japanese maple. Time does bring many changes.

Brianna, Justin, and Tony Visit us at Andrea's House

Unfortunately, Justin wasn't in a picture-taking mood, so I didn't get a picture of either him or Tony, but Brianna was happy to give me a smile. Visiting with her in Andrea's living room was fun - with Andrea there, also, recuperating from foot surgery. Andrea's painful foot wasn't a deterent from guiding us on a tour of the unusual things to be seen in her yard - wherever one looks. Just for fun!

Proprietors of the Petersen Bed and Breakfast and Environs

Don't you wonder what they were saying? Three jolly compatriots. Alstromeria, which is highly prized by florists because they last a long time in a bouquet, besides being very attractive, grows freely in Judy's flower beds. She says they are like weeds. We should all have such weeds. And, last, but not least, the bucking bronco, a reminder of Judy's roots in Wyoming.