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.

Cactus Basket

Cactus Basket - Cesta de Cactus

Our "Big Snow" is melting fast. Ever since it snowed our temps have been above freezing. The worst part of all the snow was that it was terrible for cross country skiing because of the warm temps and rain. We do still have a bunch of stuff on the ground but dirty snow isn't nearly as nice as when it is fresh and new.

It has given me the opportunity to spend more time in my studio. Seems like since Christmas my active projects have been centered on things for my home. Right now I am pushing to complete my Mexican bathroom. It is all painted a bright gold and so far I have one Mexican rug in there. The cactus basket is for a large wall quilt. It will be 4 of these blocks. As you can see from the basting it is still a work in progress. Because the diamonds are all different sizes and the striped fabric is heavy (They are cut from Mexican napkins) paper piecing seemed the most accurate way for me to go.

 I still have to finish the wall quilt I started last January (see blog Jan. 13, 2011) and I have started a half square triangle quilt in blue and white for a shower curtain to look like Mexican white/blue tiles that are so prevalent everywhere. My 4th bathroom project is a wool proddy rug. Now to just get them all done!

I'm finding there is a satisfaction to making things for the home. Perhaps we are nesting since returning from Mexico and getting reacquainted with our house. Perhaps it is Toralf's retirement. Who knows but I am having a lot of fun with these "little" projects.

-o0o-

Nuestro "Nïeve Grande" derrete rapido. Desde nevó nuestras temperaturas han levado más arriba de 0C. El peor parte es no podemos esquiar. Está demasiado caliente. Todavía tenemos alguna nieve pero es sucio. No está tan bonita como nieve nueva.

Ni modo. Con éste situación tengo más tiempo en mi estudio. Parece desde la Navidad todo mi proyectos activos centran en mi hogar. Ahora trato de completar mi baño Méxicano. Lo pintaba color de oro brillante. Ahora solamente tengo un tepete Méxicano. La cesta de cactus es para un colchita para la pared. Habrá 4 cuadros en el fin. Ahorita tengo 2 terminados. Porque todos los diamantes son de temañõs diferentes y porque la tela de rayos es más pesado (telas es de servilletas de México) estoy cosiendo éstos con paper (paper-piecing).

Todavía tengo la colchita empece en enero de 2011 (mira blog de enero 13, 2011) y he empezado una colcha de triangulos de blanco y azul. La quiero estar como azulejos de México. Proyecto 4 es una tepete de lana.

Hay una satisfacción hacer cosas para el hogar. Quizas estamos conociendonos con nuestra casa otra vez despues de tiempo en México. Quizas es la jubilación de Toralf. Quien sabe pero se me disfruto mucho estos proyectos chiquitos.

We Got Snow! Tenemos Nieve

 

 

                                                                                                      LOST?

I was afraid yesterday that we weren't going to get very snow. Forecast was for 4 to 8 or 10 inches. Toralf and I shoveled 4 times yesterday and 3 today. I haven't seen the final amount of accululation. It is still snowing.  I'm sure it was in the 12-15" range at the very least! It is reaching the point where banks are too high for me to toss it over. I have kind of enjoyed it but I think Toralf is less than thrilled. He keeps saying it is my fault --"Be careful what I wish for."

I did get out this afternoon to go rug hooking at a friend's but schools have been closed all day and there sure wasn't much traffic. Quilt shop closed at 1:00. School has already been cancelled for tomorrow and classes at the gym too, so no yoga.

It has been a nice opportunity to get caught up on some projects or at least spend more time with them. I did finish the potholders to give a friend who is dying a chunk of wool for me.

Yo tenía miedo ayer que no recibiéramos mucho nieve. Pronosticaba 4-8 o 10 pulgadas. Toralf y yo paleamos 4 veces ayer y 3 hoy. No se la cantidad total de nieve. Todavia nieva pero estoy seguro que hay 12-15" por lo menos. Yo la disfruita pero creyo que Toralf no. El dice que la culpa es miyo -- "Ten cuidado lo que espere."

Yo salgo de la casa éste tarde para ir a la casa a una amiga para enganchar tepetes con lana. Todas las excuelas eran cerrado hoy y no había mucho trafico. La tienda de tela cerró a las uno. Ya hay cancelaciónes para todas las escuelas mañana y mi clase de yoga tambien.

Ha estado una buena oportunidad para trabajar en proyectos con ocio o por lo menos pasa más tiempo con ellos. Terminó éstos para una amiga quien teñí algo lana para me.

Happy New Year

2012. First of all wrap up from Christmas -- crazy lady that I am I decided to make two quilts after returning home from California the beginning of November. Nobody in their right mind is that nuts but...the kids said they really loved the rag tree quilt I made them 2 Christmas's ago and could I make another rag quilt and I did have one started and stashed away somewhere. Then there was the matter of Toralf wanting a little lap quilt and I did have some Pokey Puppy fabric I had been saving for that. Mind you I still had little Oliver's quilt to finish at that time.

Hank and Oliver under their quilt

The Snowman Rag Quiilt

Pokey Puppy II -- Grandpa's Quilt

Everything except pupppy binding was done for Christmas! and it got done for New Year.

BLESSINGS TO ALL AS WE BEGIN THIS NEW YEAR FULL OF HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE!

-o0o-

2012. Primero noticias de Navidad -- loca que yo estoy decidia hacer 2 colchas despues de
regresar de California el inicio de noviembre. Nadie está tan loca pero los jovenes dicieron que se la encanta la colcha del arbol que los daba hace 2 Navidades y quieren otra. En realidad yo tenía una nueva en progresso. Tambien Toralf quiería una colchita y todavía yo tenía tela para esa. Recuerdas que tambien todavía tenía que terminar la colcha de Oliver!

Terminaba todo con excepción del "binding" en la colchita de Toralf. Terminaba eso para la semana pasada.

BENDICIONES A TODOS COMO EMPECEMOS ESTE AÑO NUEVO LLENO DE ESPERANZAS DE UN FUTURO MAS ALEGRE.

Oliver's Quilt

I finally finished Oliver's quilt. Technically speaking it isn't really Oliver's but it is going to be. It is actually my oldest UFO begun in 1978 for Oliver's daddy, Hank. I'm kind of glad I waited to finish it now when I know a few more things about quilting. It was also my very first quilt.
This was a really fun quilt to work on. Aren't the coloring book animals delightful? Wish I still had the coloring books. I didn't own any quilt book back then.

Just have to share a few detail pictures. The fish and the turtle required the most extra work since they were the simpliest backgrounds. The squirrel gives you and idea of the fabrics used. Remember back in 1978 there weren't any quiIt shops around. I had a fuzzy bathrobe out of the squirrel fabric. All of the fabrics come from clothes or curtains making them a bit of a challenge to use. The chicken background and the borders are the only new fabrics. 

Finalmente terminé la colcha para Oliver. En realidad no es de Oliver pero va a ser. Es mi proyecto más viejo que no fue terminada. La empece en 1978 para el padre de Oliver, Hank. Ahora estoy feliz que retrasaba. Yo se mucho más ahora de haciendo colchas. Éste también es mi primer colcha. Me disfruta haciendola mucho. Los desenos de animales desde libros para colorear éstan tan encantadores. Espero que todavía tuviera los libros. No tuve libros de colchas en aquel tiempo.

Tengo que compartir unos detalles. Las peces y tortuga requieren la más'trabajo porque tienen fondos más simples. La ardilla monstra el tipo de tela que usaba. Recuerdo en 1978 no fue tiendas de tela para colchas ni libros de colchas tampoco. Teníá una bata peludo de éste tela. Casi toda la tela en la colcha es de ropa o cortinas. Fue un poquito de una reto.