Cooking, Sewing, Working, Traveling, Gardening and Pondering

Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.

~Winston Churchill~

Sunday, June 7, 2015

New life

It takes time to build new routines when you change your life drastically. I haven't yet figured out how to work in time for hobbies or time for myself.  I still need to feel good and take care of myself.  

I finally live somewhere where I can actually trail run yet I can't seem to figure out when to run!  

Today we stayed home which was good because I needed to catch up on chores.  It also gave me time to pull out some old projects to work on between loads of laundry.

I have missed sewing, stitching and got a quick reminder to get back to it if I want to enter anything into the tri-county fair! Entries are due August 15.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Yes or No?

I think they are just too bright.  The orange really needs a good pressing to look good.  The yellow is my favorite of the two.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Gingham style

Here is a sneak peak to my aprons.  One for me and one for a friend!

Monday, April 6, 2015

Got another great nephew on the way

So I've been playing around with quilt ideas.  This is the start of one quilt following a Moda Bake Shop pattern called Candy Circles.  

My niece is doing green and black colors and then cute turtles.

Kind of a hard combination to work out.  I have plans of an big appliqué turtle in the center. Or I may just start all over too.

Friday, April 3, 2015

I took Heidi out for a ride today



Heidi is my new Bernina Swiss Ediyion 530.

Made some table runners for the guest room.  First time doing quilt as you go and I liked it!


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Free Time!

I'm not working at the moment.  I had to come to town for a meeting and an appointment at the DMV and found some extra time between meetings to stop and get a library card.

I am checking out my two books- one is book 5 in the Outlander series "The Fiery Cross" by Diana Gabaldon and the other is "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey" by Lillian Schlissel.

So I'm spending a few minutes reading the Diaries and I see this sentence that, to me, clearly levels out what is lacking in today's young people. (Not all mind you but sadly the majority)

"They were young and consumed with boundless confidence, believing the better life tomorrow could be won by the hard work of today."


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Cookbooks

Do you ever write notes in your cook books?  I bought Hugh Acheson's book 'A New Turn in the South" while at his restaurant Empire State South last week.

Came home and made the braised short ribs with hominy stew for Sunday dinner.

As a kind of post mortem, I write my notes in the book about what I did to save time or ingredient subs, etc. in pencil of course. 

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Quick 15 minute project

I needed a door stop for the front door. Was starting to be embarrassed by the bottle of Whiskey I'd been using.  Found a picture in Pinterest that didn't link back to anywhere but looked simple enough. Luckily, I have a lifetime supply of ground walnut shells to stuff him with for weight.

Monday, February 23, 2015

So much change in a short amount of time.

We've sold our house, moved into a rental in the mountains, survived a forest fire, got our first snow, two quilt tops finished, and 5 more weeks of work left.

Here is a photo tour of the last 8 weeks.

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move in day.

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wine on the upper deck

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sunrise

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the outline of the Round Fire

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our front yard - a little too close for comfort

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my lineman and his crew were working in the neighborhood and came by for lunch


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after all the fire clean up, this was a requirement - sewing and wine

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My Irish Chain Quilt Top is done!

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if it is a bit big for the bed :(

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first snow - dogs have taken to it very well considering.

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a fun to sew and quick quilt kit.  Orange Gingham of course! it's been pressed since this photo and looks very sharp! it's almost ready to quilt.