Saturday, March 31, 2012

Spring Break-- it looks a little like winter!

In between 2 weeks of travel, I was able to convince Big Daddy to take us over the mountains for a little break.  I wanted to go to see this quilt show.  Kristin is such an amazing quilter.  We met SO very long ago in one of Tonya's quilt alongs. (I am betting that Kristin finished her quilt and mine is still hanging out in the craft room somewhere.) Last summer all three of us were able to hang out in Sisters during the Quilter's Affair.  FUN FUN FUN to meet cool people online and then find that they are cool in person as well.--- more on this show on another post.

We were able to find a cute little house (isn't my brood cute?!) (Brownie and his rocker hair-do!) a block from the park and just a short walk downtown.  Sometimes the best trips come together at the last minute, just how I like it!

We went to the sno-play park for the first time!!!  Yes, I have lived here for over 20 years and this is my first "serious" sledding excursion.  It was GREAT!!  Everyone had a wonderful time.  Did I forget to mention earlier that another reason we went away for a few days was to mark Blondie's BIRTHDAY!  He is now 6 years old!!!  He was so at home in the snow.  Since he was in-utero I have thought that he was going to grow up to be an extreme sports enthusiast.  His antics on the sledding hill told me that we need to get that boy a HELMET!  On one trip up the hill to meet me, he "accidentally" dropped the sled and had to retrieve it 3 times... endless energy.  What a little bundle of love!
At one point I looked up the  (Big, BIG) hill and saw Big Daddy getting ready to slide Mango down the hill on her snowsuit.  Of course I gave that the big "NO" frown, only to find that it was all "little" Mango's idea.  She saw a big boy going down on his snow pants and she thought that she should too.  The only thing that I can come up with is that we get these kids A LOT of supervised snow experience while they are young so that they can be somewhat savvy when they get older and Mom is not around.  I am going to have totally white hair by 40!
No trip to the high desert would be complete without a tortoise shot?  A man brought a tortoise out for a walk to the park.  It was just really funny.  Weird, but funny.

The joke of the whole trip was my never ending knitting project.  I have finally realized that I like the knitting almost more than I like the finished project.  I also am a HORRIBLE gauge swatch knitter.  I am just always off and not too consistent.... blah blah blah.  A few birthdays ago I bought this BEAUTIFUL yarn for myself.  I finally knit is up in to a simple cowl, wore it sledding, and decided that it was too wide.  My husband was kind of shocked when, on the way back from the mountain, I unraveled the cowl and began to re-knit it in a smaller width.  I think that if I could just keep knitting that yarn for every project I would be a happy girl. (I should just buy another skein or two and be done with it!)
Brother Jon's served us some mighty fine grub and their sentiment is sweet and direct!  A new motto for me!
In the meantime I have been working on some patterns and tutorials... you know, just trying to figure out my way in the world.  March was my month in the EMQG bee so I came up with this to make an "X" block.  I always like to find a way to "liberate" another quilter!


I am a little reluctant to say it, don't want to jinx it-- but I feel like I am more accepting of this "new normal".  The normal without my mom daily in my life.  I finished the session of grief classes that I talked about a few months back.  I made myself go to the first three (it felt REALLY awful), but then I continued for the next four.  It was really nice to have a place that was really safe to express how sad I am about losing my mom.  A place where I am not worried about scaring my kids with my grief.  It was so nice to hear from other "eldest" children about how responsible they feel for all the little details of their parents affairs.  It was comforting to learn about how other people are struggling with their own "new normal" and to just not feel crazy.  My class was through hospice care at the local hospital.  I am going to continue when it starts up again in May.  I would really recommend trying it at least three times.


So many times the past few months I have thought of these lyrics by Mat Kearney-


... fear is an anchor
time is a stranger
love isn't borrowed
we aren't promised tomorrow

we'll never be ready if we keep waiting
for the perfect time to come


--JMB

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Well, this was unexpected...

It is all spring on the inside... but last night winter decided to come back for one last visit with over 6" of snow.  That is A LOT for us valley people.
We plowed.
I tried to save my plants from this wet heavy snow.
Then it was frozen fryer-pa-looza...  all three of the black ones got out this time.
Luckily, Blondie is on the case.  So much for "Spring"

-JMB

Friday, March 16, 2012

Beauty Secrets... indulging my photo mania



Mostly-- I just want to be quiet and share these beautiful quilts.  
This collection is probably the largest of this style, and is well curated by Bill Volckening.
I saw this back in September 2011-- What beauty! 
 I was awed by the craftsmanship (craftswomanship actually!)
The only thing that gave me pause was that many of these were unlabeled and so there is no way to know who the makers were.  LABEL YOUR QUILTS!!--- I will be quiet now and just let you enjoy! 
**Oops!!  I have to break in-- this one is one of my favorites-- I love the unusual setting and the colors were so breath-taking, even though it was well worn**
**me again, Look at the workmanship in this one...the blue spiky sashing, the feathered quilting---FAINT!**
**the hearts quilted into the cornerstones!!**
**This one is also ASTOUNDING...the unique lightning tulip sashing and the double scalloped quilting-- BY HAND!!**
**and all of those triangles are TEENY TINY!**
**This one looks so "modern" to me-- From the 40's**
I could go and look at these again and again.  If you every have the chance to see some of Bill's collection, you should.  He has some really unique pieces-- there is a rooster one that he brought to an EVQ meeting that is amazing, and these are SO much more vibrant and astounding in person.

--JMB