My New Red Corvette

We got a good deal on this 1989 red Corvette. We were told it doesn't run, but Jeff put the key in the ignition and it turned over. So tomorrow he is going to see what's running and not.

We actually bought it for the front and rear ends to put into his 1948 Chevy truck.

It still feels good haveing your dream car sitting outside, even if I know I'll never drive it.

Halloween

We had a quiet Halloween. That's what happens when you live in the country, 100 ft off the main road. Delaney and I decorated Halloween cookies. And then made Grandpa eat them.

Daphne was a Leopard. She isn't walking yet, but she can crawl faster than any baby we have had yet. She is like a flash, especially when she sees you coming after her.

And Delaney was the perfect Tinker Bell.

The girls

Natalie has always been a natural to any sport she tries and in a few days has mastered the Rip Stick that she won in a school contest. The band teacher at Summerville High in Tuolomne City was impressed that she knew what she was doing.

The other thing that Natalie is good at is patience and being able to teach someone else learn a new skill and make them think they did it all by their self.

And in a few short minutes, Allison had mastered the Rip Stick

U.S. Marine Corps Quilt

Dianah made a quilt for a friend of Scott's that is/was a Marine. She did a beautiful job and machine quilted it herself.
She let me quilt the Marine seal. There are four of them in the center with the stars.
I think it all came together rather well.

Good News/Bad News

Isn't that the way it seems to go, good news is always followed by bad news.
Our son-in-law Scott recieved a promotion today, as a construction foreman. It means he will now be paid what we know he is worth. Yay! more income. But.... good jobs are hard to walk away from, even when the job is in Badgad, Iraq. More good news, at least it isn't Afghanistan.

Kokanee Salmon Festival

Even in bad weather the Kokanee Salmon Festival is great. Grandpa Jeff and I took 4 of our 5 little lovelies to Taylor Creek at the South end of Lake Tahoe for a day trip. In the rain. And we still had a great time. But no pictures. To wet to take a really good camera outside. We had a great salmon BBQ lunch. And Allison and Delaney made short work of big hamburgers. Then Nikole, Allison, Delaney and I bundled up in coats and unbrella's and headed out on the trail to find fish. We found thousands and thousands of bright red Kokanee salmon doing their thing, while the ducks tried to find all the newly laid eggs and eat them. But the best part of the day was see two bears. We saw a black bear up a tree, to scared of all the people below to even think about coming down. Then up at the bridge we saw a big brown bear fishing for his dinner. All the girls were very good at traveling for 2 1/2 hours each way. Even 1 yr old Daphne and Grandpa who waited for us in the truck. He's a good guy. Can't wait to do it again next year, even in the rain.

Sonora Quilt Show

And finally, who ever thought about using beautiful red roses in a fall bouquet. This was outstanding. Plus is was perfect weather in the foothills. Allie and I took a picnic lunch and found a great spot to eat outside. Allie said the best part of her day was going up and over the hills (on Hwy 4) really fast and the 2nd part was riding the golf carts between buildings at the fairgrounds.

This is a vintage yo-yo quilt. They had about 4 on display. This was twice as tall as this picture. Everything was displayed nice and it was easy to get down rows and take pics. The ladies and their husbands were all nice and helpful.

This is the result of let the 6 yr old have the camera. This was a group effort with houses and barns with mini quilt blocks.

This one is for Lisa because she loves dolls and doll clothes. Some of these dresses were actually smocked.

Allison loved every quilt we looked at.

This is another beautiful quilt. The quilter did lots of machine embroidery and embellishment before putting each block together.

I went to the Sonora Quilt show today and saw all the lovely quilts. This was one of 3 of my real favorites. Allison the 6 yr old granddaughter went with me. Look at the ribbon and bows in the border.

Finished Project

This is the project I finished while on vacation. I call it Leaves in the Gutter. Just because it didn't come out the way I wanted it to. If you look close the pattern is Ricky Tims' Convergence. The class was quite some time ago because I know our friend Liz Faria taught it at Manteca Quilters. I didnt' use enough contrast in my fabrics and it seems like it all runs together. That's why I named it Leaves in the Gutter. To give it some detail I used raw edge applique with dupioni silk with large embroidery running stitches. It's not my favorite wallhanging, but now it's my most favorite finished project. I'm hoping to get one more finished before I go back to work. Next week I get to machine quilt on Dianah's "Always a Marine Quilt"

And finally watching the perfect end of our day.

Marcela found a fairy garden. Just her size.

I keep thinking it doesn't get better than this and then it does.

The cousins in the Dahlia garden at Menodcino Botanical Gardens. Steph, Marcela and Liz. 1st one missing is Grandma and next is Katherine. Wish you had been with us girl. there is always next time.

Dang, again. But this is the Dahlia gardens and they were getting ready for a wedding. The alter looked out over the ocean. Not a bad spot to spend a day.

Sorry.

Senora Marcela

Steph and Jeff enjoying a personal moment in the Begonias

'[Cheers. Yes it was really this relaxing.

This is Victor in Pie Heaven

The Presbeyterian Ladies Pie Sale. There were really several hundreds of pies. We retrained ourselves to two pies and just a few pieces.

ft bragg

We camped at Harbor R.V. Park at Pomo Bluffs Parkway. This is the view from the end of the pathway next to our campsites. Just for reference, Harbor R.V. park doesn't look like much. Some people call it a field. But it's actually an R.V. park and a very old perm. mobile home park. It's on Main St, 2 short blocks from Hwy 20 at Cliff House and Noyo Bridge. Don't let the first impression fool you. For $29 this is the best R.V. bargain on the N. Coast. Full hook ups and cable t.v. We didn't use the bathrooms/Shower. There was a $10 key fee and we were later told my other campers it wasn't very modern or clean. That's why I tow my own. But where else can you camp and watch whales blow, enjoy a perfect sunset and be so close to town.

Ft. Bragg. a place to relax

Liz, Jeff, Marcela, Steph and Victor at Glass Beach, Ft. Bragg

Our vacation this year was 5 days in Ft. Bragg during Labor Day and the Paul Bunyan Days Festival. We really enjoy small town festivals. And you can't go wrong crafts, parades, fireman water fights, beer gardens, ugly dog contests, BBQ, lumber jack contests and the Presbyterian Ladies Pie Sale.

Okay so I'll try again posting a picture

Success is all relative

This week I emptied a laarge white spool of Coats and Clark thread. I felt successful that I must have accomplished lots of projects.



Then Jeff helped me pick cherries and I canned 18 quarts. I always feel so successful after I finish canning. Quite an accomplishment to store in my cupboard.



And aren't they beautiful.



What makes you feel successful?

4th Round Robin

This is the 4th Round Robin Quilt for the Quilting Spuds in Idaho. Can you find the 4 separate borders. I like this quilt top. I noticed as we get closer to being finished the bigger the quilt is and the less fabric in the box I receive. Only one more left to work on and then I get my original quilt top back. I'm very excited to see all the work the other quilters have done on it.

Ugly Scaredy Cat Quilt

This is the Round Robin quilt from Idaho. The four squares in the middle are actually cats. I know they look like M's or H's. So it was nicknamed the Ugly Cat Quilt. Well I thought I had a great idea for a wonderful border that would make it look better. My end result seems to be 366 pieces of fabric that make a very nice border, just not on this quilt. Not sure anything will be better.

This is what it looked like when I got it. 2 other quilters had already added their borders.

One Great FHE

We had one fun Family Home Evening. Linda and Dianah's families met us for pizza and a monster bus ride. For $5 each we got a crazy monster bus ride thru a parking lot and it was just plain ol' fun.

Look at the smiles on our faces and this was after the crazy ride. Thanks to Eddie from Torrance, CA. Sorry your truck got stolen in N. Stockton last night. But it goes with the territory.

You can catch Eddie and "The Cool School Bus" at the San Joaquin Co. Fair starting Wednesday thru Sunday.

Dianah's Canning Party

We all got goody bags. We all received from Ball two recyclable shopping bags, a box of pectin, 3 small cook books, coupons for canning items, and we took home the jelly and salsa we made plus Dianah made us each a salsa pot holder and gave us her homemade pickles. It was really fun canning with family and friends. It sure beats trying to do the whole thing by yourself. I didn't even mind washing dishes.

Unbelievably good salsa ready to put up in jars

Dianah obviously needs 2 more cooks to help stir the salsa. They were that taste tasters. If they didn't die of food poisoning it was okay for the rest of us to eat

Jennifer has the pepper jelly ready to go in jars

Dianah won a Ball Home Canning party on-line. Kim, Jennifer, me, Bonnie and Sandra all helped each other make salsa and pepper jelly. But I think we did more laughing than canning.

One more promotion

Allison Nash(on right) was promoted from Kindergarten to 1st grade.

Graduation

Callie received her diploma

Callie giving her Dr. Suess Valedictorian speech at Jerome High School Grad.

Yeah ! Nikole is now a high schooler.

Lisa Horn, Nikole Nash and Austin Hibbard graduate from Glenwood Elementary 8th grade. Nikole and Austin have been in class together since Kindergarten and he is my friend Carmie's grandson.

Nikole giving her class president speech. She also sang the National Anthem.