Summer Garden

Hubby and I got the garden planted this evening. We've had most of the plants for a few weeks, but did not plant them directly into the ground because of our Utah Spring....warm one day and snowing the next. I'm glad the garden is planted though....I'm ready for some yummy tasting produce. We planted our strawberry patch a few years ago, so it is doing great. Not alot of plants, but enough to keep we three in fresh berries on our oatmeal for a few weeks. Our strawberries are only June baring type. We planted them in the front flowerbed by the front door.

We planted the usual in the summer garden:a few varieties of tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, green peppers, pumpkins, green beans, onions and various hot peppers (for my hubby)

This year, we are also trying watermelon, cantaloupe and lemon cucumbers.

Daughter V graduated from High School last night...hopefully, I'll have photos to share soon!

In closing: My favorite quilt stores:

Locally-Threads of Time in Centerville (Utah). The store is on it's third owner and keeps getting better. Whenever I need a quick boost, I take a mystery class there to keep me on my toes.

I also like Quilt, Quilt, Quilt, Etc. in Sandy (Utah). I only go there when I am in that area of the state, but they always have things to tempt me....about 14,000 bolts of fabric, too many patterns to finish in a lifetime, plus....across the street are two connected shops....one is their quilting services with discounted fabric/kits and the other is embellishments and needlework related kits.

For all the good shops in Utah, go to www.utahshophop.com for a list of stores participating in the June 25-28 shop hop.

Not local-The little quilt shop in Nyssa, Oregon. I don't know the name of it, but Nyssa is a very small town, so it is probably the only one. I found it on the way to the Sisters, Oregon show last year. They did not have a huge inventory, but the staff made up for it in friendliness and helpfulness. If I ever go back to Sisters, I will definitely stop by Nyssa again.

How about you....your favorite locally and not locally? Share, please!

I'm having trouble posting

Ever since I installed Windows Vista, all my posts are messed up...I need my daughter V's computer smart boyfriend to figure out this problem pronto.

I didn't get any sewing and/or quilting done today. I did repair a some PJ bottoms for my SIL...new elastic. I did get my monthly free needles at the sewing machine dealer I purchased my machine from in December. Only two more months of freebies. I picked up some patterns and material over the Memorial Holiday for some Summer outfits for the granddaughters. Hopefully, I'll get the clothes sewn and see the girls before the Fall! I did start to take the inventory on my sewing/quilting items. I started with a three-ring binder with photo's of the room-each wall. I have also began to organize the photo's of the quilts I have made....though I have many quilts out there I never got photos of at the time.

In closing:(I remembered for this post).....favorite place to visit every so often...Antelope Island, here in Utah. I live about 10 miles from it. The island sits in the Great Salt Lake. It is connected to the shore by a nine mile causeway. The lake water has such a high salt content (higher than most oceans) that anyone can float. Just don't open your eyes underwater.....painful! The photo below, by Phil Douglis, is the view I have from shore when the weather is clear.

The island is home to a huge herd of Buffalo. Each Spring, our neighbors go over onto the Island on horseback or on ATV's and help with the Buffalo Roundup. The local vets check the animals for disease or injuries and make sure the herd is healthy. One year, a mommie buffalo died in childbirth, so a baby was left to die. A local man "adopted" it and raised it with his horses and cattle. He taught the buffalo to walk on a lease....they were stars of our city parade every summer for years. After a few years, the buffalo got too large (when was he ever small?) to walk among humans, so he "retired" to a cattle herd. Buffalo can live for a very long time...lots longer than cattle.

I like to go to the the island, because it makes me feel like I am at the ocean, and I REALLY miss living by/visiting the ocean. I grew up until 18 years old never living more than a mile or two away from the pacific ocean. It's hard to get sea water out of your veins!!!!!!

Do you have a favorite place? Why and where? Share on your blog.....

In closing

I forgot to add my closing thoughts for Monday, May 26th post...Bed and Breakfast...I love to stay at them. Years ago I did alot of sewing for one....quilts, pillow, curtains.

My favorite room:Pioneer Room (top photo) at the Providence Inn in Providence, Utah. The room is in the top of a building that has been a church, a home and a community center over the last 130 years. I like the exposed wooden beams and the fireplace. The bathroom was great with a huge soaker tub and dual sprayer shower. The potty room had framed pictures of quilts! The staff was very friendly too.

My favorite breakfast:It was the huge buffet (bottom photo) at the Armstrong Manor located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The food was all homemade and yummy...quiche with different salsas, fruit, homemade breads and jams, numerous drinks (juices, teas, water, milk), yogurt, and many other yummy foods. It was too bad my hubby had to be to a conference very early in the morning!

So, do you do B n' B's.....where (and why) is your favorite?

Time to post!

I installed Windows Vista along with a new printer for my camera. I had planned all these great posts with fabulous photos, but something is not working.....so, I stole these three photos from my daughter's V blog and I am going to blog about her!

I love her. She is an amazing kid...okay, almost adult women! She graduates this week from High School. She's crazy, but it is the good kind of crazy only a parent could love. She's incredibly creative in many parts of her life. She is strongly loyal to her family and friends. She has faced some scary obstacles in the last two years in her education and health and overcame them all like a winner. She loves completely. I am so proud to be her mom.

Top photo: The graduate

Middle photo: V with best friend, Chelsie

Bottom photo: V with boyfriend N

Never get too comfortable!

For when you get too comfortable....something usually happens to shake things up....and it did!

I've been having some health problems for a few months...okay, more like over a year. I would just get frustrated and think I would go to the Doctor, then the symptom would go away or not be so bothersome. I finally went to the Doctor this last week. After 9 vials of blood and various other tests....my thyroid has stopped functioning almost completely, which then also messed up my cholesterol, and in the middle of all this, I had a infection through out my whole body. I now have 4 pills a day to take....thyroid in the morning, antibiotics twice a day, and a baby aspirin with a pill for cholesterol at bedtime. YUCK!

I am frustrated, to say the least!

Changes in diet and exercise are going on, even as I type. I know I can do this, because I have to, but my brain is still not with the program, yet.

On to better stuff.....quilting. I haven't got anything done! I was going to participate in Judy's weekend quiltathon at patchwork times, but I didn't do much. I am currently quilting E's black and white 9-patch queen quilt. She sewed together the 9-patch's about 3 (or 4) years ago, and somewhere along the way I added borders. She and B are hoping to be in their home by the end of the year, so I better get her 3 quilts done (and out of my sewing studio)

In closing:I thought I would add a new feature to my post....a little something about me, which you could post about you on your blog. This first one: A favorite cookie recipe from my great great grandmother Emeline Amelia Miles Hatch-Sugar cookies

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda (dissolve in buttermilk)
1 tsp vanilla (or lemon flavoring)
3-3.5 cups sifted flour

Mix all ingredients. Refrigerate until chilled. Roll dough out thick. Cut into cookie shape of your choice. Sprinkle top of each cookie with granulated sugar. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until done to your liking.

What's your favorite cookie recipe?

I learned ALOT at quilt meeting yesterday....mainly, that I have not insured my quilting items well enough in case of a disaster. Our speaker, Linda, is a quilt appraiser, but she also organizes quilting/sewing rooms for insurance needs. Here are some of her ideas/suggestions:

1.Organize first to see what you have-take an inventory-write it all down

2.Take photo's of your room/shelves/closet/drawers/furniture-keep photo's & inventory list somewhere safe outside your home. What should you list:
Machines and furniture/tables/lamps.....how much do you have invested in your Machine(s)
Fabric-by the yard, fat quarters, jelly rolls....do not list it by the price you got it on sale, but the full current price you would pay to replace it
Equipment:Rotary cutter(s), Scissors, rulers, pins, seam rippers, etc.
Thread: How many spools do you have....I have 107 (I counted last night)

Patterns/Books:Again, the replacement price, not the sale price.

Quilt appraisals:The price to put on it is not the material and thread you have in it, but what would it cost you to PAY someone to reproduce it, including the cost of materials.

One thing she shared for bloggers....you can save your blog to a memory stick concerning your quilt post that show a completed quilt (size and description in post) and take it to your insurance man as proof of lost items.

I am giving myself a challenge....to inventory my sewing room over the next 30 days, including:

Sewing machines: 4
Equipments:rulers, rotary cutters, scissors, etc.
Thread:already done-107
Fabric:this is going to take time!
Patterns/Books: Oh my!

I am also going to have a couple quilts appraised at the Utah Guild Meeting in September (free service provided for up to 2 quilts per quilter)

Has anyone else already done this? Anyone want to take the challenge?

Busy-Busy

I have been extremely busy, which has shown in the lack of posts!

I went with Hubby and Daughter V to see "Annie get your Gun" at the Hale Theater. My family began to attend Hale shows back when the family theater was still in Southern California. Then they moved to a very small theater in-the-round in a so-so section of Salt Lake. After a few more years and building a very successful following, they built a large fancy theater in a great part of Salt Lake. My parents have always supported the theater, especially musical programs. Annie was great, especially the two leads.

I also went and worked at the QOV booth at the Home Machine Quilter Show. It's the fifth year of the show in Utah, and my first that I have attended. I loved the quilt show and there were many vendors booths I could have spent tons of money at easily. I did purchase some bonding powder for applique with a ironing cloth from a England based company.

The show had a nice display of a quilt made from the Last Supper painting of Jesus and his Disciples. The designer made enlargement copies of the painting until he had a pattern that measured 5 feet by 15 feet. He then pieced it in 1 inch squares....thousands of 1 inch squares. When you got within about 10 feet of it, you could only see the little squares, but when you stepped back to about 20-30 feet, you could see the image. The quilter took nearly a month to complete the quilting. Amazing!

Today is Mother's Day. I hate Mother's Day. Mother's Day of my past was always a day to celebrate my mom. Even after I became a mom, it was still her day. When she died a few years ago, I tried to avoid the day all together, even skipping Church so I wouldn't have to deal with the little flowering plant our Ward gave out to all the Ladies. This year, I just decided to grin and bear it the best I could. My brother M e-mail me a wonderful video he had put together of past family reunions. I am either holding one of my kids or am pregnant with someone thru every video....don't know how I managed that one! It was great to see my parents and grandparents and great aunts/uncles in live motion. My SIL got a box of tissue before we even barely started, knowing I am a big boob! For a day I hate, the video was nice(Thanks M) I got to also hold my grandson for about an hour and see my daughter E house (under construction). They gave me a nursery gift certificate plus some new raspberry plants to replace the ones the fungus got 2 years ago.

Even though I don't like it, I still wish each women "Happy Mommies Day"!!!!!!!!!

I got tagged....thanks E! Four things in each category....this may take a while!

Places I would visit over and over again:

1.Samoa, or any other warm, balmy beach

2.Disneyland-I love that place

3.Any LDS Temple

4.Paris, my favorite city in the World

Favorite foods....only four?

1.Cheesecake, which seems to a favorite among most of the girls

2.Anything chocolate, especially dark chocolate

3.Good mexican food with lots of guacamole

4.Lots of fresh fruit

Movies I would watch over and over:

1.Singing in the Rain-my favorite-I wanted Cyd Charrise legs (pictured above)

2.Any other musical

3.Steel Magnolias

4.Any Jackie Chang movie-come on, they're funny!

Places I'd rather be:

1.Sewing on my Viking Sapphire 830 (pictured above)

2.Bubble bath with a good Suduko puzzle

3.Reading a interesting book

4.Any place with my family and a camera

People I e-mail and are now tagged:

1.Daughter V

2.Tracy...longest known friend

3.Shelly-niece

4.Jaye at Just a Mom

Thanks E for the tag!

(photo above of E with granddaughter K playing the piano)

New non-quilting toy

I bought myself a bike!

The photo is not the exact model, but very close...Schwinn 26 inch women's Jaguar in blue. I've been wanting a bike for a long time now, and with the gas prices at 3.40 a gallon, I thought it was time to make the purchase. I use to ride a bike all over when I lived at the beach. I use to ride a bike all over the small town of Nephi, Utah when I was first married. I use to teach piano lessons and it was easier to ride a bike house to house then take the truck.

Then, I got hit! I was riding along a dirt road and got creamed by a truck....the bike actually faired better then me. I had an emergency room visit and a concussion and major road rash! I never really rode a bike after that......about 25 years.

Until now....I even practised in Target to make sure I could do it without falling!

Save gas, lose weight and ride your bike!