2 Moose a Stayin"

Spent 4 nights just outside of Yellowstone Park at Pines Edge Cabins. got in 3 days of good cross country skiing. First day out a Buffalo blocked our trail, the second day 2 moose were in the path. The third day it was a ranger on the trail but we got by him! It was a treat to see the moose so close up. They were very much aware of us and let us know they weren't happy with some deep throated noises.

 

 

Coming into the park we saw one bull elk, the only elk we saw the 5 days we were in the park. This coyote was on the road as we drove in and the Buffalo along side the road pretty close to the car. The coyote didn't want to budge from his dinner.

 

This was our little Christmas tree in our rustic cozy cabin. It was a very quiet and peaceful Christmas for us this year. Very nice.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

These little Christmas stockings were made from ties. I will fill them with a few pieces of candy for a special group of friends.

 

 

Haven't been doing a lot for Christmas this year. Since the kids came for Thanksgiving it will just be the two of us. Both of us had horrible colds after Christmas so it t has just been this week that either one of us has any energy. Toralf and I leave Saturday for Silvergate, MT which is just outside the northeast entrance to Yellowstone Park at Cook City. Seems like we have gone there almost every year since coming to Montana. We will ski, enjoy the incredible beauty of the mountains and the peaceful quiet of a small village and all the animals in the park . We enjoy attending Christmas Eve services at the little community church.

 

 

We will also be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in the park. We honeymooned at a ski resort in Michigan 40 years ago so it is fitting we spend this special day skiing as well. 

 

 

 1972 Minnesota              

 

 2012 Montana

 



Thanksgiving

So much to be thankful for.
My brother came right before Thanksgiving for my birthday. Kids were here a week over Thanksgiving and Toralf's brother and sister-in-law were also able to join us. Dad was also here part of the time.We had a houseful and a busy time enjoying each other's company and Oliver. He seems so grown up now.

Last 2 pictures are from Thanksgiving Day. Toralf, Hank, Mandy, Oliver and I did the Thanksgiving Run/Walk along the river here in Missoula. Hank and Mandy half of it and then joined the rest of us to walk.  Yes, all that white stuff is snow on the ground! Coldest day of the week.

Happy Halloween and Day of the Dead

Since we have been gone camping for several weeks (pictures to come later) I have not been home to properly prepare for Halloween or Day of the Dead. I did get out a few of our Mexican decorations.

 

 

Picture of Oliver is from Mandy's website. Last year when Mandy and I took him to the pumpkin patch he was only a month old! (See profile picture) How fast they grow.

 



Finally Something Finished!

I was at a meeting Wednesday evening with other quilters and came home feeling quite down and stressed about all my unfinished projects. In 2003 or 4 a group of us started an exchange project. One person was working on hers and it reminded me that I owe her a piece. I came home and took that out and also went looking for my own piece. My top has been done since 2005 or 6 but not quilted. I decided that what I really need right now is to finish something. I need that sense of accomplishment. The only way to finish something fast is to do it by machine so I decided to finish my fractal ( the projects I had pulled out after the meeting to look at).

My finished piece.

I was surprised at how long it took me to machine quilt it even though it is small (31.5" x 22.5"). All it lacks now is a label. I know it is based on a card but I cannot remember the artist. Can you see the 4 parts? Each of us chose a picture and divided it into 4 parts. Each person got a part to work on and give back to the owner. All of the pieces were done in wool. It is interesting to see how well the pieces blend together.

The Black Hills, SD & some New Projects

Just got back from a trip to Black Hills, SD to visit Toralf's brother and sister in law. Falls leaves were really pretty. I hadn't expected that. Third picture is from the Little Big Horn National Monument.

The trip was a good excuse to cut out a couple new paper pieced projects. I have been wanting to do this for some time. This is what I started.

 

This is the jewel shape with 1"and 2"hexagons. Jewels could also be put together with 2"diamonds. It is a different look and kind of fun. I have a jelly roll of batik for the stars. I'm using a group of tie dyes for the hexagons.

 

This one is ties. Yes I'm finally using them! Design will be tumbling blocks. I need to rethink what I am doing a little bit. I thought I could use the lining on the ends of the ties for the solid top but I don't like the quality fabric so need to find more solid ties and or use the wider solid parts. I have been glue basting the diamonds as I cut them and this stabilizes the slippery fabric. It is working well.

 

Catchup

It has been a busy summer! The end of June I took the train from Whitefish, Montana to Lacrosse, Wisconsin. It was a grand adventure. Biggest drawback was travel time on each end to get to and from train depots, tricky with train delays. I avoided an 18 hour delay by one day.

Spent 2 weeks with good friends from way back.



 

And as always enjoyed the Mississippi.

 





 

Home just a few days and then we headed to California for Oliver's second surgery. He was a trooper and everything came out fine. The palate is now closed so that should facilitate his eating and learning to talk. If all goes well it will be the last surgery until he is 9 or 10 when they will graft a bone in the cleft.

 

 

Hard to believe our little guy turns one tomorrow! He has had quite a year. Right now he is on the verge of walking and eating independently and loves cell phones. Here he is helping Dad and Grandpa in the garage.

 

 

And I would be remiss if I didn't wish all my friends in Mexico Feliz Día de Independencia (Happy Independence Day).

 







For the Birds!

We spent the first couple weeks of July camping at Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks.This trip really was for the birds. They loved our bikes.





We were amazed by the bluebirds hovering around our campsite at Bryce. They didn't seem shy around people at all.

 These two little guys (robins) spent a day with us at Capitol Reef. The parents hovered close by and even came to the bike to feed them.

No trip to Utah would be complete without a few ravens. The sky is so hazy because there was a fire about 50 miles from here. There were fire restrictions at Bryce. No campfires this trip.

 

We did see other animals. Love this guy trotting down the path. Guess he doesn't know his signs!

Toralf and I joked about this picture taken right after a storm at Capitol Reef --

"The Money Shot"

 -oOo-

Toralf y yo acampamos en los parques nacionales de Bryce y Capitol Reef en Utah el inicio de julio. Fue un viaje de muchas pajaros. En Bryce éste "bluebird" nos visitó . El le gustaba mi bici. No parecía tímido. En Capitol Reef eran "baby robins" que nos visitaban. Los padres quedaban muy cerca y los alimitaban a los bebes a la bicicleta.

Una viaje a Utah no está completa a menos que vemos ravens. El cielo está lleno de humo porque hubiera un fuego 50 miles de allá. No podemos tener fuegos en nuestro campamiento.

Vemos otras animales tambien como éste venado. El aparentamente no puede entender la señal.

Toralf y yo bromeamos sobre éste foto -- el foto de moneda. Lo tocó despues de un tormenta y el cielo fue muy hermoso.



Los Tenagos

Los Tenagos

Missoula Quilt Show 2012 was a wonderful success. This is my ribbon winner - third place in the class/exchange division. It is based on a class I taught for the Mexico City Quilt Guild. Everyone donated their class blocks for a raffle quilt that I won. It is a remembrance of Mexico that I really treasure, for the reminder of all my friends in Mexico (even those who hate jaguars!) and a special day we spent together. This ribbon is for all of you!

-oOo-

Missoula Quilt Show 2012 fue un gran éxito. Este colcha ganó el tercer premio en la división

de clases y intercambios. Se basa una clase enseñé en México. Todas las estudiantes donaban su cuadritos de la clase para una rifa y la gané. Es un recuerdo de México que aprecio mucho, un recuerdo de amigas muy especiales incluso esas quien odia jaguares.

Ese cinta es para todas de ustedes!

Oliver

I'd be remiss in my Grandma duties if I didn't post a picture now and again. Wouldn't I? He's thinking about sleeping though the night or at least Mom and Dad are dreaming of the day. He does sleep in his big crib now and he has started solid foods. Who can account for taste -- he likes baby food peas!

Catch-up

My latest Hexagon Project

Jo and I are exchanging center flowers and then adding our own next ring. My second ring is all Moda marbles with a few shadow play when the color was right. I am using 3/4" diamonds and triangles as connecting paths. These are all tiny prints with flowers in them and I have 11 different fabrics that I am adding in sets of 3. Toralf calls this my Mitsubishi quilt!

My Mexican Bathroom

This is the catch-up part.

I finally finished the Cactus basket wall quilt for my Mexican bathroom. It is 4 - 16" blocks that I rotated. The striped fabric is cut from a set of Mexican napkins, a non-traditional heavy woven fabric. Because of that and the diamonds, I English paper pieced the whole thing. It is an optical illusion. The diamonds are 2 different sizes and of the 3 cactus flowers in each basket only one is really square. Picture below shows the paper (card stock) and more accurate colors. I printed the paper pieces on EQ which was handy. I had to trim the foundations for the striped squares to by about 1/8" to make them fit. I was pleased with the accuracy and flatness of the piece and it was a pretty cuss free project this way :)

Picture below is my shower curtain inspired by the classic blue/white Mexican Talavera tile designs that were everywhere in Mexico. Now I just have a second wall hanging and a wool proddy rug to finish and my bathroom will be complete. Shower curtain has a tiny gold flippy between the body and the center and you can see my bright gold walls peeping through in the background. The shower curtain is lined like a curtain to give it a finished look and not quilted. It hangs with a plastic liner.

Happy Mother's Day

We went for a long (2 hour) bike ride up the Rattlesnake this morning -- a gorgeous sunny day with temps in the low 70's, very comfortable for biking. I printed out the picture on a t-shirt transfer and added the bicycle. I should have added 2 bicycles, one for me and one for Toralf.  It was nice to be out and enjoy the sun. There is still quite a bit of snow on the mountain tops. I made the picture into a little mini quilt for my journal of mini quilts -- a quick fun momento.

Happy Mother's Day. Mother's Day takes on new meaning for me as I recognize and celebrate my daughter-in-law celebrating her very first Mother's Day and remember my mother who is gone.

-o0o-

Montamos en bicicletas por dos horas cerca de los montañas éste manaña -- un día espléndido con mucho sol y temperaturas cerca de 21C -- muy comodo en bicicletas. Imprimo el foto en papel especial imprimir fotos en tela y añado la bici. Debo añadir dos, uno para me y la otra para Toralf. Fue muy agradable afuera en el sol. Todavia hay mucha nieve encima de las montañas. Coso la foto en una colcha chiquitita para me diario de colchitas -- un recuerdo divertido.

Feliz Día de las Madres. Este dia tiene sentido nuevo para me. Es la primer Día de las Madres para mi nuera y tambien recuerdo mi madre.



Happy Easter!

I made this little quilt for our quilt show in June. The theme is  "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend. It was fun to play with the theme a bit.I really like humor in quilts. Then I realized it could be a cute little Easter Quilt as well.



Last Sunday Oliver got to visit the Easter Bunny. He kind of liked the way the fur felt. Saturday Toralf's nephew and his wife and toddler are going to come visit. There is a children's event in the park near here so perhaps he will see the Easter Bunny again.

 In the meantime Happy Easter from all of all to all of you!

-oOo-

He hecho éste pequeño colcha para nuestro exhibición de colchas en junio. El tema es "Diamontes son las amigas mejores de las chicas." Fue divertida jugar con el tema. Me gusta humor en colchas. Tambien parece bien para La Pascua.

El sabado pasado Oliver visitó con el Conejo de Pascua. El le gusta el toca de piel. Sábado el sobrino de Troalf y sun esposa y niño van a visitarnos. Hay un evento en el parque cerca de nosotros. Quizas los niños pueden ver el Conejo otra vez.

Entretanto ten un muy buen Santa Semana y Pascua!



News from Oliver

I wear special bands on my arms called "No Nos" so I don't put my fingers in my mouth. I don't like them very much and am learning not to touch my face all by myself. If I stay calm I don't have to wear them. I have to eat with a syringe and I don't like this either but Grandma and Grandpa help me stay calm.



This is me after they took my stitches out on my nose. Now I don't have a blue "button"."My tongue is pretty cool. I can touch my chin with it now. It is also kind of neat to lick my new lips.

-o0o-

Llevo éstas cosas en mis abrazos. Se llamen "no-nos." No me gusta éstas pero tengo que llevarlos. Me ayudan porque no puedo tocar mis labios or nariz por 3 semanas. Tengo que beber con una jeringa. Es diferente y no my gusta esto tampoco. Mi abuelo y abuelita ma ayuda quedar con calma.

Este es mí despues de quitan puntadas de mi nariz. Ahora no tengo un botón azul en mi nariz. Mi lengua is divertida. Puedo tocar mi barbilla y lamer mi labio nuevo.



Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Baby -- 6 months old today! He weighs about 17 pounds and can sit up on his own now.
He has one tooth and is working hard on another.

Surgery is still on track for March 22. As soon as that is definitely in the works we will head down to babysit. Prayers welcome.

The Boys -- growing up is hard work.

The cats-- note who got the quilt:)

Oliver tiene 6 meses hoy. Pesa 17 libras. Tiene 1 diente y otro viene. El ouede sentar solo ahora.

La cirugia todavia está planeado para 22 de marzo. Tan pronto como tiene la cirugia vamos a manejar allá otra vez para cuidar  el. Oraciónes acogida.

Death Valley -- Valle de Muertos



We left Missoula on Valentine's Day headed for Death Valley to camp for a week by way of Las Vegas and Hoover Dam. Vegas isn't my cup of tea but the damn was fascinating. 

Death Valley --  These are salt flats. To us northerners it looked like snow.

 

 Ruins of a borax mine. This was the primary mining interest in the valley though some gold was found there as well.
The wagons of borax were pulled by a team of 20 mules just like the commercial for borax says.






 
Sunrise. It surprised me how mountainous the area was. And also the snow on the mountains.

Death Valley is a land of many contrasts from some of the lowest area on earth to some of the taller mountains in the US, from extreme heat in the summer to quite cold in the winter.





Scotties Castle, built by a wealthy Chicago insurance mogul before the Depression, the fulfilment of an incredible dream, an oasis in the desert and the object of much folklore, another interesting tour.







These are charcoal kilns up in the mountains where there was forrest land to cut. They look like beehives to me.

This is definitely an area we would like to go back to and explore further.

 Manzanar National Historic Site

As we headed from Death Valley to Folsom we stopped at Manzanar. This was quite a moving visit. It is the site of one of the larger Japanese internment camps during WW2. Most of the building are now gone but the main community hall at the camp has been turned into a visitor center with many pictures and voices from the original camp.  Fort Missoula was also the site of an internment camp but a much smaller one. Somehow seeing this huge camp in the middle of high dessert country made a greater impact on me.

Foto 1: Presa de Hoover

Salimos de Missoula 14 de enera acampar en El Valle de Muertos. Manejamos  por Las Vegas (No me gusta) y Presa de Hoover (fascinante!).

Foto2: Valle de Muertos

Esto es sal por la valle. A mí parece como sal.

Foto 3: Ruinas de un lugar donde procesaban borax.

Borax era la mineral mas común en el area aunque fue algo do oro tambien. Las carros eran tirado por 20 mulas como la comercial dice.

Foto 4: La Madrugada 

Me sorprendaba todas las montañas en el area  y tambien el nieve. El Valle de Muertos es un lugar de extremos, lugares muy bajo y muy alto, muy caluroso y muy frio.

Foto 5: Castillo de Scotty

Construido por un hombre rico de Chicago antes de depresión, un oasis en el desierto -- increible!

Foto 6: Hornos de Carbón

Ubicado en los montañas cerca del bosques para encender. A mi parece como colmenas. El parque es sin duda un lugar que queremos visitar otra vez.

Foto 7: Manzanar Sitio Historico Nacional

Cuando salimos del parque manejando norte hacia Folsom paramos a Manzanar. Este es el lugar de un campo de internamiento de japonesa durante La Guerra del Mundo 2. La mayoria de los edificios son desaparecidos pero el centro de comunidad queda. Ahora es un centro para visitantes. Tenemos muchos fotos y voces del pasado. Fue una visita muy emocionante.