Thoughts and Things

A UFO checked off the list

2011-01-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Finally, after 4, 5, I don' know how many years I have finished one of my most favorite quilts. I started it with no particular recipient in mind. It was my vacation project at my friend Mary's house. She has a machine that I could do the embroidery on. I got all the blocks done there and maybe even the top done. I don't remember that long ago. My #3 (in age) niece was visiting and asked what my latest project was. I showed it to her. She immediately fell in love with it and asked who it was for. I just said for a special baby. She assumed it was intended for someone already. I decided right then and there it would be for her baby whenever that time would come. Her dad told me that last summer she commented to him about the quilt and wondered if I would make another one like it. I won't have to. I have decided to give it to her when she graduates from her Master's program in May. She can put it in her hope chest. Or who knows, maybe she will want it hanging in her home. One of my prayers for her is that one of these days she will meet her Prince Charming, they will marry and have one or more babies who will enjoy the quilt. Now I worry that I might have to make something similar for her brothers when they begin having kids. Maybe I should start real soon.

Shutterfly and me

2011-01-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

I love using Shutterfly. I've used it for calendars and gifts using my photos. Tonight I made a card to use to encourage (I hope) friends of mine who are going through tough times. Check out the above card link. Try one for yourself some time.

Time for more pictures

2010-05-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Just a few I like. I need to get out more though.

The butterflies are blooming

2010-03-13T11:39:00.001-08:00

Every year at Meijer Gardens in March and April, the butterflies bloom. I love that time of the year. I head out there several times even if it is only for an hour or so (memberships are great). These didn't pop in exactly in the order I wanted but it really makes no difference.

This little guy seemed really intent on letting me take his picture. I think I took about a dozen.

I've only had one person be able to tell me what this is. I know. Do you?

Pretty cool flower. I think it is something new out there.

I tried a new "filter" on this one. It is called Posterization. Sure changed the original photo.

This one is probably my favorite one. It has gotten the most comments for the folks at work.

I have all these photos cycling through on my screens. It is so much fun to share my photos with others.

Where is the year going?

2010-03-12T18:21:00.001-08:00

Can you believe that it is almost the middle of March already? We've had an easy winter -- so far. Only 70" of snow. And this last week we've had temps in the mid to high 50's. Not bad. Course they are saying more snow the last part of the month.

I made a quilt in the last week. It is for the baby of the son of a friend of mine. They are having their first... a little boy. This is the first quilt I've made in over a year. It may be the last. Oh boy!!! What could go wrong did. Well, a couple things went right. I had all the fabric in my stash. I didn't slash the fabric when I was ripping out quilting. I do like the way it turned out. I think the little guy will like it. The baby shower is tomorrow afternoon. I was sweating the finishing of it. But I have time to spare.

I've been doing some photography and was going to upload some tonight but the pictures I wanted to upload are in the bedroom and I am too lazy to get up and get them. So I'll save them for another post, which hopefully won't take as long to do.

The Halls Are Decked

2009-12-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

This is the first year in ages that I've really decorated my livingroom. I've put up maybe a few but no tree for over 15 years. I have to thank some friends for some of my decorations. They have spent hours making them and I truely love them.

The above tree wallhanging and potholders were made by my friend Mary out in MA. The barn wallhanging that is on the right is also a gift from her. Mary has made me so many things over the years we've been friends. What a blessing she is to me.

Here's my tree. I splurged last year on New Year's Eve and bought this pre-lit tree. Three of the decorations on it are shown below. They were cross-stitched by my friend Karen in NJ. She's given me one each year since we've become friends. They are a treasure as is she.

I have this thing about snowmen and Santas. And bears too. The hanging Wedgewood is new this year. It's from my friend Mike. No, he didn't make it, but I love it anyway. He has really good taste.

2008

2009

2007

A new lens

2009-12-04T17:47:00.001-08:00

For a few ~~weeks~~ months I’ve been wanting to buy a new zoom lens for my camera. I finally was able to purchase one. (I sold my old d-slr.) I bought a 70-300 zoom. I think my first shoot came out pretty good with it. I had some willing subjects and some not so willing.

I found a spot overlooking Grand Rapids that is great for taking pictures. I’m sure I will return many times.

A long time coming

2009-12-04T16:24:00.001-08:00

It was brought to my attention last night that it had been 3 months since I last posted. Boy time sure flies. Much has happened since the last post: a couple of vacations, a stay in the hospital (while on vacation) from which I have completely recovered, Thanksgiving weekend with a trip to OH, a big snow storm today for our first significant snow of the season. There was anywhere from 4” to 15” in the area depending on where the measurement was taken. I got maybe 7” or 8”.

A couple weeks ago was the first night of the Christmas tree display at Meijer Gardens. One of my favorite exhibits of the year there. The other is the butterfly exhibit in March/April. It was a great night for photography and I had a great time.

The above picture was taken in the conservatory part of the gardens. That’s also where the butterflies come alive in the Spring.

This is a section of the lights in the ceiling of the restaurant. Pictures don’t do them justice at all.

One of the many trees inside the building. I think there are about 50 trees on display. Each is decorated for a country. Can’t read the sign for the country this one represents.

I had rained off and on most of the day so the walkways were wet and reflected the lights perfectly for taking pictures. The rain had stopped and the temp was not too bad.

Leonard DaVinci’s American Horse is probably my favorite sculpture in the gardens. I have no idea how many pictures I have of it taken at various times throughout the year.

Another sculpture in the gardens is this one of Fred and Lena Meijer. The gardens are named for them. They have donated a very large amount of money for the gardens and continue to do so.

My morning walk today

2009-08-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Friday evening I went for a walk on a nearby bike path and saw all these wonderful wild flowers and berries. Of course, I had not brought my camera. Silly me. So I got out this morning before the sun was very high (or hot) and took pictures. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

This one above is an experiment with zooming while taking the picture. I needed a tripod. It was in my trunk about a quarter mile away.

To see more of my pictures click Here

Photography is so much fun

2009-08-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last month a friend of mine and I went to Frankenmuth, MI which is a Bavarian city on the east side of the state. I took lots of pictures. I'll only post a few. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

If you want to see more you can check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029778&id=1024935020&l=e7a387aa5a

July 4th weekend 2009

2009-07-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

I was able to take lots of pictures this weekend. I was in my glory. Friday morning I spent some time with a friend who showed me some of the things she's been learning in her photo classes. We practiced together and then when we had to part, I headed to Meijer Gardens to practice some more. Then to downtown Grand Rapids just because. Well, I wanted to scope out locations to take some night shots of the city.

Then it was over to Holland to board my brother's sailboat and head to the other end of Lake Mac and watch the fireworks. Great show. Late home. No pictures. Hard to take night shots from a sailboat that is gently bobbing.

Saturday was a trip to my girlfriend's in Three Rivers for a day of crafting -- card making. Those cards are worth lots of money... if our time is worth anything. Then it was off to the fireworks in Grandville. Yes, I took pictures.

Here is a link that I hope will take you to my photo album.

God's surprises

2009-06-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

This morning after church I took my bike up to the White Pines Trail and rode from Belmont to Rockford and back. I had planned on stopping at Dam Dogs for a hotdog and then riding over to Rocky's for ice cream. Well, Dam Dogs is not open on Sunday and Rocky's didn't open for another hour. Look at all the money I saved. But that being the case I started back earlier than planned.

And because of that I saw a doe and her two fawns cross the trail about 30 feet ahead of me. They just sauntered across. How cool. A couple coming from the other direction, although farther away, saw them too. We all thought it was so neat. In addition to the deer there seemed to be a lot of butterflies on the way back also. All different kinds. A great ride to enjoy God's creations.

Pretty Posey

2009-06-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

I just love Gerbera Daisies. And this one after the rain is one of my favorite flower pictures that I've taken. And what makes it even better is that it is on my back patio. I only wish flowers would last longer.

A Busy Saturday Morning

2009-06-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

My day started early. I couldn't sleep and noticed that the sky was kind of pretty.

Then I decided I should take advantage of the beautiful morning and go for a bike ride. I logged 6.5 miles in about 40 minutes. I was home by 7AM. Fixed breakfast. Got ready to go out for the day. It seemed like a good day to go to the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek.

The walkway to the tram to the African plains had all the flags of the African countries. I thought it was really cool.

It is so much fun getting so close to the giraffes. They seem so gentle. The zoo is really nice. Lots of room. BUT no lions and tigers.

Pemberton, NJ

2009-05-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Before we actually came to Pemberton, we stopped at the Friends Meeting House. It was built in 1775.

A very interesting tree on the grounds of the meeting house. I see a lion's head. You?

The cemetery on the grounds. Most of the dates on the tombstones were unreadable.

Karen turned me loose in Pemberton. She had choir practice and seeing I don't sing, I walked. This is the Pemberton Baptist Church "organised" in 1764 and erected in 1861. This is Karen's church.

Yup, it is the front door.

Grace Episcopal Church.

As I wandered around to the side of the church, I came across this statue.

No, it is not Fall. The way the sun was shining through the leaves, it really brought out the red. I think it is some kind of a Maple but not sure.

Looks like they found a new use for the fire department.

I need help on this church too. Had an interesting grave yard and a great salute to those who sacrificed.

Mt. Holly, NJ

2009-05-29T19:36:00.001-07:00

Mt. Holly is another historic city near Karen. Again, lots of cool doors and churches and other buildings too.

I love this door to a church that will show up later in this post.

Even back in the 1800's they built duplexes. Well, sort of. It's interesting that even though the houses are built right together, the bricks are different.

Another door that got my attention.

If I remember correctly this is a Presbyterian church.

A side door to the above church.

The Methodist Episcopal Church. It has one stone attached to it with a date of 1775. A stone built into it has a date of 1883 or 1863. I had a hard time figuring it out.

I love the spires on this church. I need to find out the name of the church.

Recognize the door?

This is the Burlington County Court House built in 1796. Samuel Lewis was the architect.

Moorestown, NJ

2009-05-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a day for checking out some of the towns around where Karen lives. After a second visit to the chiropractor (I wanted to bring him home with me), we headed to The Pie Lady. We had to see if she baked pies as tasty as Karen's. I can't say for sure either way because it is hard to compare a pecan pie to one I've never tasted. I'm sure though, that Karen's would be better. After that we walked around town so I could capture some of the wonderful architecture, local art and doors. This city is a paradise if you like to photograph those kinds of things.

First church is the Baptist Church. If I remember correctly, part of it was built in 1847.

The there is the Catholic Church. There is a guy working way up there on that fancy stuff before the steeple becomes pointy. Let me tell you, that was high. There is not enough money in this world to pay me to do that.

This cross was atop of the Catholic church until a couple of years ago when it was replaced by the current one. They refurbished it and made this nice little prayer garden next to the church.This is a needle work shop. Karen dragged me in there kicking and screaming (NOT) and I found a really cool pattern I could not live without. Yes, it is started but ...
Across the street was the very picturesque Trinity Episcopal Church established in 1837. It has the neatest doors and a wonderful cemetery where we wondered for a long time. Also had some really pretty flowers. I'd love to see the inside of this church.

Notice the dates. Now that I'm looking at the name, I'm wondering if this lady or her family had anything to do with the naming of Hainesport.

I had never seen foot stones for grave sites before. Those are the smaller stones and each one has the initials of the person.

Didn't I tell you it had great doors?!?!

This passage way from one part of the building to another creates a really neat window to the courtyard.

This is the door for an interior design shop. I love the wood work around it. They just don't build things like that any more. I was thrilled that I managed to keep myself out of the picture on this one.

They don't build buildings like this any more either. And the grounds are so pretty.

There were a couple decorated dogs around town. I think they had done a contest/exhibit a year or so back and this was one of the ones that had been purchased and adorned the corner of the yard above. It has multiple buildings from the town painted on it. I love it! So much fun. We had seen another one done with a mosaic look using colored glass.

Moorestown is a really nice town. I could roam around it again and probably take a ton more pictures of houses and who knows what.

Ephrata, PA

2009-05-22T17:16:00.001-07:00

I have a quilter friend, Howdy, who now lives in PA. We decided it would be great to get together seeing that I was so close. So my friend Karen and I headed over there Tuesday. Howdy lives in a wonderful mid-1800's stone house. I love it. Well, I must admit the steps to the 2nd and 3rd floors were tough. (I had sprained my ankle back on Friday so I was hobbling around.)

Howdy was gracious enough to take us to a wonderful quilt shop and several antique shops. Plus we ate at a couple of wonderful restaurants too.

I have this thing for covered bridges so she made a little detour so I could photograph this one.

The whole area is dotted with wonderful farms. Not the best picture here but it gives an idea of what the scenery was.

And yes, Ephrata is in Amish country. Couldn't miss taking a picture of the horse and buggy. Not bad for taking it out the front window on the move.

Thanks Howdy, for a great day. Hopefully we can do it again.

Cape May, NJ

2009-05-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

We spend the afternoon of Day 1 in Cape May which in on the southern end of NJ. Another very picturesque city. This was taken from the beach looking back to the shore.

Looking north back toward the city. Here the beach is very sandy.

This is a little further south on the tip of NJ. The beach turns stony here.

Some of the stones are called Cape May Diamonds. They look very much like a diamond when polished and cut like a diamond.

I love this picture.

This is a WWII lookout tower very near the beach at the southern tip.

One of the churches in the downtown on the main street.

I just love this house.

Sure wish I could remember what kind of church this on is but I really liked it. If you keep up with my next few posts where I post pics of my vacation, you will notice I really like to photography churches.

Wouldn't this look wonderful in my backyard? I think so.

Another couple of really neat houses we came across while meandering around the city.

Ocean City, NJ

2009-05-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

This was the first whole day of my vacation. This is a very picturesque city. On a clear day, you can see forever; on a foggy day, you can't.

When you go to the Boardwalk here, you must stop at Shriver's and watch them make salt water taffy. Buying some to eat is secondary. ha ha

Lunch was a double pork roll on a bun ( a boardwalk delight). No cheese on mine.

And for dessert, a dish of gelati -- Italian ice cream. OH YUMMMMM! If I remember correctly I had 1/2 pistachio and 1/2 banana. It was huge and I only ordered a regular size. I would have taken a picture of the dish but it needed my undivided attention immediately.

Vacation is history

2009-05-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

I'm back in GR this afternoon after a wonderful vacation in NJ/PA. I spent over a week with a really good friend in NJ. We really kept the road hot. Visited PA twice -- once to see a quilter friend, Cheryl in Amish country and once to visit Longwood Gardens. Thanks Cheryl for a wonderful day and for helping me enhance my stash (4 yards bought -- YTD negative 11.63 yds).

I also met up with Elaine, another quilter friend, for another wonderful day. Thanks Elaine for a great tour of the area and a fabulous lunch. We talked about the tearoom and lunch several times since.

It was so great to hook up with long-time quilt friends. Thanks Karen for being a wonderful hostess, cook, opponent, photographer assistant, chauffeur and tour guide. I loved every minute (even the game when you beat me to pulp) and am looking forward to another visit some day. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to your visit this way.

I took hundreds of pictures of which I'll post some in days to come.

Tomorrow -- back to real life.

Spring!

2009-05-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day. Still is, in fact. A friend and I went to a little city east of here, Grand Ledge, to check out a little quilt show they were having in conjunction with their Victorian Day. The quilts were quite nice but the park by the Grand River was beautiful.

We stopped at one of my favorite quilt shops on the way back. I think it is now her favorite shop. What is so cool is that during this tough economy, they are doubling the size of their shop. The owners said their business has been great. It is always good to hear some good news.

Upcoming Weekend

2009-05-01T20:34:00.001-07:00

The weekend is here. Seems like it was a long time coming. Seems like forever since last weekend when I had such a great time. This weekend is looking good though. Going to a Victorian Day Festival which is having a quilt show. I don't think they have vendors. I think quilts are just displayed in some of the stores, etc. A friend is going with me so we should have a really nice time. Sunday is church, lunch with friends and a visit with my parents. And the weather is supposed to be sunny!!! Amazing. Oh so welcome.

A fantastic day

2009-04-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Today was day one of a photography weekend put on by Rocky Mountain School of Photography. OH MAN!!! I had my choice of 9 classes over 3 sessions. I wanted to take all 9. The three I chose were so full of good stuff. I can't believe how much I learned. The trick will be remembering. The guys are such good teachers. After the class I had on Low Light and Night Photography, I was so psyched to go out and try the things he told us about. Some really easy tricks. I want to attend one of their week long workshops sometime. They have them in MT where the school is located and also several great locations throught the US and one in Victoria, BC, Canada (one of my favorite cities). I can't wait for tomorrow's classes. There are two videos I'd like to buy but I'm going to choose only 1 -- I think.

Jazz Bands Concert

2009-04-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to my 13 year-old nephew's Jazz Band Concert. Now, mind you, the kids were grades 7-12. There were 4 different bands. The first band consisted of several 7th and 8th graders. They decided they wanted to be a band. These kids were fantastic. The next band was 7th - 12th graders. Well, they blew my socks off too. The next, a combo was 6 guys grades 8-12. They not only totally amazed me, they blew everyone's socks off at a competition a couple weeks ago and it was their first time participating. They received a standing ovation from the other bands. The last band also consisted of all the grades. Those kids were fantastic too. And Saturday they go for regional competition at Michigan State University. These kids do a lot of their own arranging of the songs and for the most part, their music was memorized.

They have a new director this year and he is fantastic. He has taken the kids to new levels. Two of the bands meet during non-regular school hours. The combo comes in at 7:00AM daily and one meets during G period which I think is supposed to be kind of a free period. The kids in the 1st group even get together on Saturday mornings at one of their house's for outside practice. This school really encourages music. In most schools, kids aspire to be the top sports star. In this one, it is the top musician. I've never seen so many good musicians in one school and it is a small school -- a charter school. And I've never seen middle and high school play together. Usually there is such a difference in skill level, the high schoolers would not want the younger ones playing with them. These kids all have such a great time playing together. One of the boys who plays in the combo and the last group plays fiddle and guitar. Right after he graduates in a few weeks, he is joining the army and will become a member of the U.S. Army Band. The kid can play!

Black River, you guys rock!!!

Bike Ride

2009-04-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

I got the bicycle out today after work. I had a chiro appt which is about 3 miles from my house. Jumped on the bike and headed over to his office. It felt so good to be out there riding. Supposed to have another few nice days. Hopefully I can get a few more rides in of longer duration.

BRRRRRRR

2009-04-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Ya just gotta love MI weather. Nice for a few days in a row. Nice enough to even get a little tan on my face when at the zoo. THEN the bottom falls out. This morning it was in the 20's and got up into the mid 40s. That's not so bad. It was the wind and lack of sun that made it a very chilly day. I was hoping to get the old bike out again today and go for a little longer ride than yesterday but it was too cold. The weather report for the end of the week looks MUCH better starting on Wednesday.

A beautiful day

2009-04-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today was an absolutely beautiful Spring day. So after work, I headed out to Meijer Gardens. I wanted to get more pictures of the butterflies. There were quite a few people there when I arrived but they started thinning out after about a half hour. It was getting close to closing time and dinner time. I got some pictures but not sure if they are good or not. I'll look later.

On the way home, I stopped at a camera store and bought a new tripod and head. I've been looking at this one tripod for about a year. Every time I got to a different camera store to look at them, this is the one that they recommend. I can't find a good picture of the head but it has a pistol-like grip. Hopefully I can try it out tomorrow. I also rented a macro lens that I'm going to try out tomorrow. It will be a return trip to photograph the butterflies and some of the flowers.

Meijer Gardens

2009-04-06T20:29:00.001-07:00

The butterflies are in bloom at the gardens. I've been out there once to take some pictures. Tried to go out again on Saturday but it was jam-packed. I may go again Good Friday. I have the day off.

This was my evening project tonight.

I sure wish I had thought and got an email or something for this guy. I love the picture. The little girl is holding their ticket into the gardens. I shot this through a tree from quite a distance away. Telephotos are great.

Where is March going?

2009-03-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

It seems like it was just Mar 1 and now suddenly it is the 22nd. Time sure flies when you are having fun. That is the saying so I must be having fun. Actually I am.

This month I've managed to get a day when I could go and play with Pat (my girlfriend from highschool). We spend the whole day making cards and such. We had a ball using her Cricut Expression and my Cuttlebug. I've also spent a day at Meijer Gardens taking pictures of the butterflies and some of the sculptures and the waterfalls. Yes, one of these days, I'll post a few. I also spent an afternoon/evening with my 13 year old nephew. We saw Inkheart and then went to Logans. I highly recommend the movie. And who doesn't love Logans bread. Steaks are good too.

Now March Madness is in full swing. At the end of 2 rounds, I have missed 15 but I do have 13 of the Sweet 16 teams. I hear the President has 14. There have been some great games -- really close ones.

"Night Sky"

2009-02-27T19:08:00.001-08:00

Tonight as I was coming home from dinner and a movie with "the girls", the moon and Venus really got my attention. When I got home, I got the camera out, brushed up on how to take a timed exposure and headed out to the back yard. I'm about half-way happy with the picture. Unfortunately I can't seem to make this photo enlarge when it is clicked on. Bummer. If you could enlarge it, you would see many colored lights which I think are stars that just happen to catch the reflected lights just right. But then, that is my uneducated guess.

Online Games Revisited

2009-02-27T18:58:00.001-08:00

I have a new favorite online game -- Upwords. Then look for Upwords. I have a friend in NJ that loves to play also and so we manage to get a few games in during the week. A great way to spend an evening with a friend who lives a long way away.

Online Games

2009-02-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

I love playing games, especially word games. I usually get beat but what the heck. Anyway on FaceBook there are several word games that I like to play with some of my friends. A couple of my favorites are Word Twist and Scramble. But my favorite now is Scrabble. I played four times over the last week. First time was really good. The other times were fun. One of the things I really like about the Scrabble game is that it is real-time. Now if they can just get Upwords as an online real-time game.

A Step Back In Time

2009-02-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today I went over to my folks and two of my cousins (Rose and Ivan) were there with pictures that Rose had scanned into her computer from old slides and photos. What fun it was looking at pictures of our dads when they were kids, our grandparents before they had kids, our great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents. There were also some of the farm where our dads great up. It was the farm where my grandmother was born and lived her whole life except for the last 2 or 3 years. There were pictures of my dad and mom before they were married and some after. There were even a couple of me when I was a little over a year. One was one of my favorite pictures of me -- sitting on my haunches with my dad's work cap on "helping" him do some carpentry work. He was knelt down with a saw in his hand and a piece of lumber in the other. We asked him today what project he was working on but he couldn't remember. It was a fun afternoon. Dad told us all kinds of stories, most of which I had never heard.

It's the first time my two cousins and I had ever sat down and spent an afternoon just talking and reminising. We should do it more often. Their other brother and sister and my two brothers really missed out on a fun afternoon. A memory was made today.

Winter Thaw

2009-02-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Today is the day. It is really warm out there. It's 48 degrees. That is warm compared to the temps of under 30 for highs and lows of single digits or teens for more than a month. The snow is really melting today. Probably be some flooding. The sun is shining so pretty. I think I should get out there and enjoy this beautiful day.

It's also good that we are having a nice day today because it is Christmas for our family. We are finally getting around to celebrating it. We've tried a couple other times but because of sickness and scheduling conflicts, we've had to postpone. The weather is much nicer today for it.

We are also celebrating February birthdays today. We have 3 in our family. I led off, Monday is Dad's, and the 17th is my niece's. How did any of us get to be as old as we are already. Time sure flies.

Most of my morning was spent down in my craft room making birthday cards. If my time was worth anything, those sure are expensive cards. LOL I had a great time doing them and that is what counts. I'm not 100% satisfied with them but I'm still a beginner at paper crafting. I'll get it one of these days. I think the key word is PRACTICE!

The morning is gone and I have not had breakfast. I got a little sidetracked. My tummy is letting me know.

Friends

2009-02-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

What would I do without them? I don't even want to think about it. They make life so worthwhile.

For the last 2 weeks plus I have had a very good friend from NJ staying with me. What a great time we had -- movies, games, eating good food, shopping, talking and celebrating. She absolutely spoiled me on my birthday. It was one of my 4 best birthdays in my memory.

Birthdays are made special by friends and/or families. This year, friends are the ones who made it special. They remembered me with cards, emails, online messages, a special cake, lunches, a special home cooked dinner and gifts too! Being remembered is such a special treat.

I would like to thank my friends for making me feel so special, not only on my birthday but all year long. God has truly blessed me with several really good ones. You are all very special to me.

A new toy

2009-01-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

For several months now I've been toying with the idea of getting a little point-and-shoot camera that I can keep in my pocket. There have been so many times when I've wished I had a camera with me but I didn't bring my dSLR because of the size. Well, after missing some great photo ops the last few days I stopped at the camera shop on the way home from work. I now have a Fuji J150. It was a great deal. One of those bundle deals. The battery is charging. I'll try it out tomorrow along with the dSLR. Well, if the conditions are right. Anyway, I'm a happy camper tonight.

BRRRRRRRRRR

2009-01-16T22:23:00.000-08:00

This week has been a real deep freeze in MI. Or as a quilter friend of mine would say "It is freezing hiney cold". As I type this, it is a ~~minus 4~~ minus 7 degrees F. I'd like to get up early (6ish) and go take some pictures if the light pillars are visiable again. Friday morning they were absolutely beautiful and I didn't have a camera with me.

Light pillars are a phenomena that happens when it is really cold and the humidity is just right. It makes the lights beam straight up into the air like search lights but with a really narrow beam. Really a cool sight. I don't think I've ever seen them as beautiful as they were on my way to work. I'm hoping Saturday morning will be like that. But come sunrise and it can warm up. We are due for a heat wave. The forecast is 20 degrees.

2009 Stash Report Week 2

2009-01-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I realized that it was Saturday and I had not pulled anything from my stash. So, I headed downstairs about 10:30 last night and pulled out a piece for the back of my top from last week. I'm hoping there is enough for the binding too. I pulled a piece that measured 5.625 yards. I cut it in half and sewed it together. Now the back is ready. I just need to decide if I'm going to send it out for some simple quilting or wrestle with it myself.
Fabric Added this week : 0
Fabric Added YTD: 0
Fabric Used this week: 5.625
Fabriced YTD: 10.625

On another note, I did repair a quilt for a friend. A couple seams had come unsewn. I couldn't find the seam I fixed later. Guess it was a pretty good job. I think she will be pleased.

2009 Stash Report Week 1

2009-01-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here goes. We'll see how it goes for the year. At least I'm starting out on a good path.

Fabric added this week : 0

And that makes fabric added YTD: 0

Fabric used this week: 5 yards

And that makes fabric used YTD: 5 yards

Oh if I could only do 5 yards a week! Ain't gonna happen.

My project - Turning Twenty. A fun quilt to do. I might make more of them. I do need to change the middle block in the last column. I'll turn it 90 degrees. The blocks are 16" finished and it will have a 3" border making it 70 x 82.

Addendum:

The top is done!

2009 Already

2009-01-04T06:03:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how fast time is going. It's already the 4th of January. Seems like 2008 just flew by. Every year just seems to go faster and faster.

The other day I was down in my craft area. I just stood there shaking my head. I have way too many books and fabric. So I decided I would sell some of my books on Craig's List. Well, as I was going through the books trying to pick out the books that I would sell, I couldn't seem to choose any. What's with that? Now I know in my head that I will probably never open some of these books again. They are great books and that is the problem. How do you get rid of a great book? So I guess I'll keep the books and just by chance someday I might just use one.

I also decided I had way too much fabric. No, I'm not going to sell or toss that BUT I have decided to Slash the Stash this year. I'm off to a good start. I have cut out 20 blocks for a Turning Twenty quilt. Now that is 5 yards of fabric and it didn't even make a dent. Right now I have the blocks laid out on the floor. Today (no church today...ice) I plan to go down and sew the blocks. I may even have time to assemble them. I'm sure I have a piece or two of fabric that will work for a backing.

I've read JudyL's challenge regarding stash busting and I'm not just sure I'll join that because I know I won't have much to report each week. When I make postcards, they only use two 4" x 6" pieces. But I don't usually have to buy new fabric to make them. Embellishments is another thing. Anyway, I am going to keep track of fabric usage and maybe I'll report in on her site every once in a while just for some accountability. I see by her post today that she reports on what she has pulled and cut for the week. So I think I'll just start out the year by doing that. It will be interesting to see how much fabric I can use this year. I need more space. (I have another new hobby this year.)

The new hobby is paper cards. I have gotten hooked on the Cricut and Cuttlebug machines. That is just so much fun. Just what I needed was another hobby. Why can't I find a hobby that doesn't involve spending money? At least I was able to find a used Cricut and got my Cuttlebug for a really good price. With savvy shopping, I have found supplies for up to 66% off. Here is a site that shows some of the creations made using the two machines.

OK, enough rambling. I need to get breakfast and get cracking down in the craft room.

I'm praying for a really good and productive 2009.

It just keeps on coming.

2008-12-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

I took the day off as a vacation day -- use it or lose it. Another winter storm came through. Probably another 5" and that was as of 4:00. I met a friend for lunch at Logan's Steakhouse. YUM. We spent about 2 hours there enjoying the food and conversation. From there I went to visit my folks and shopping. Then it was home and attack the driveway again.

The problem with the driveway is that when I blow the snow into the front yard, it fills in the sidewalk that leads up to the front steps so then I have to blow that out but I can't blow it high cuz it would go in the neighbor's driveway or my front sidewalk. As I looked out across the back yard, a lot of the snow is piled chest high (I'm 5'7"). It's DEEP.

Tomorrow they are calling for rain. NOT GOOD!!!!. I'd rather have the snow. Rain will bring on flooding and then ice when it freezes.

Looking out my windows

2008-12-21T09:41:00.001-08:00

Looking out my front door.

Frost on the front door.

I love the snow on my neighbor's side door. ( I love photographing doors.)

Looking out my kitchen window.

Looking out the back door. This does not show the show that has since become an overhang.

Basically it is a nasty day. They are saying on TV to please stay off the roads. They have even pulled most of the snow plows because they can't keep up with the blowing snowing. The airport is open but it is a challenge. I'm glad I'm on the inside looking out.

Winter has officially arrived

2008-12-21T06:05:00.000-08:00

Although here we think it arrived a month ago. Today it blew in with a vengence. It is snowing and blowing like crazy. I am afraid my driveway is going to be drifted full by the end of the day and tomorrow may be a challenge blowing it out before I can go to work.

I think all churches in Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties are closed. It is NASTY out there. And cold -- temp 16 with chill index of 2. Yup, a whole 2 degrees. I'm staying inside today for sure.

SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!

2008-12-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

WOW, we got some snow today. It started about 3AM and by the time it stopped at around 2PM we had gotten at least 12 inches. The roads were pretty much ok until I got to my street. There were 2 vehicles -- a van and a panel truck -- stuck at the entrance. So I sat and waited wondering if my little car (Hyundai Sonnata) would be able to make it. The two vehicles finally made it out with lots of help and then the wife of the panel truck driver pulled in with her full-size car with front wheel drive. Yup, she got stuck too. After a few pushes she got to a neighbor's driveway that was blown out. So I tried my luck. My little car just plowed right through. I parked in front of the neighbor's house where he had blown out the street. I waded through knee-deep snow to get the snow blower out of the garage. An hour and a half later, I had my driveway, patio, sidewalks, half of the neighbor's driveway and the street in front of my house all blown out. Now I'll wait until the next storm -- Sunday. Total snow total for the season to date 41", normal average for the season 72". And Winter has not even arrived yet. Oh boy!!! I'm very thankful for my snowblower.

Half way through December almost

2008-12-14T18:08:00.001-08:00

Today is Dec 14 and by the temperature you would not think so. More like the end of Oct, first of Nov. It is 44 degrees at 9PM. This is not really good news because the snow is melting and by tomorrow the temperature is supposed to plummet and we will have ice everywhere. I did manage to get a lot of the ice scraped off my driveway this afternoon. But there is still some left. Anything that is wet today will be ice by morning. I'm wondering how the roads will be for driving into work.

Tonight I was looking for some quilting patterns for a friend and came across my Coke Santa and Polar Bear picture. I'd forgotten about it. It is now hung in the living room. I really like that picture.

Christmas is just around the corner. I'm almost ready. Two more gifts to buy.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T18:57:00.001-08:00

It's a day to reflect on all the blessings I have received this year. Most of all I am thankful that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. The other things that are up there in the top 5, in no particular order, are a job I love, a great family, many wonderful and special friends, and good health. I am truly blessed.

I spent the day with my folks and one of my brothers, 2 of his kids and his friend who has pretty much become a part of our family. I did my first turkey today. It was not all that hard. I might try it someday on my own. I probably should get a roasting pan first though. Can't imagine doing one in those flimsy throw-away aluminum pans they have for them.

Winter already???

2008-11-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

What is the deal? Last week up through Thursday it was shirt-sleeve weather. In fact, we set a record for 4 70-degree days in a row in Nov. By Saturday evening we had snow on the ground! It didn't go away until yesterday during the day. Tonight we are having sleet.

The good news from the weekend is that Calvin Women's Soccer team are MIAA champions!!! They beat Alma 4-0 for the championship. Regionals start Friday on their home field. It is always good to have home field advantage. I just hope the weather is better than last weekend. They won the championship in COLD rain. Go KNIGHTS!!!

I did see something kind of cute yesterday. Geese usually fly in a V. Well, they walk in a line. There were about 30 of them walking across the field at work all in a nice line. I sure wished I would have had my camera. Got to get one to carry in my car or pocket.

Early bird gets the picture

2008-10-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

This morning (Saturday) I got up kind of early (somehow I turned off my alarm without waking up) and headed to Holland State Park on Lake Michigan. I wanted to get some pictures of Big Red (the lighthouse) without shooting into the sun like I would do if I went in the evening.

This one, although the composition is not so great, excited me because I was there when the tug was pushing out two barges. I've never seen that before at this location.

Milkweeds - A memory from childhood

2008-10-13T17:56:00.001-07:00

Sunday as I was driving along I kept seeing these white cottony things growing in the fields. I couldn't figure out what they were but I decided they would make a great picture. Kind of made me think of what cotton might look like. Finally my curiosity got the best of me and I stopped at this field.

When I realized what it was, I was immediately taken back to my childhood when we had these growing in our field. I have not seen these in a hundred years at least. When they are still green and you break them open you get a sticky white milky substance all over your hands. That would be the reason they are called milkweeds.

Once they dry they are so pretty. Many people use the pods in floral arrangements once the seeds have all blown out.

A beautiful day for a color tour

2008-10-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today was an absolutely beautiful summer day but with color. It was 82 today. Amazing for this time of year. I wandered up north about an hour to visit my former pastor and his wife at their church. I love that church. They actually sing hymns!!! We then went out for dinner. They had another commitment so I headed out toward Mancelona. Never made it. The color was so pretty around their area.

Decided I'd try the self-portrait thing. It sort of worked.

Indian Summer

2008-10-11T16:37:00.001-07:00

Yes, this is it for sure. It has been absolutely beautiful yesterday and today. And tomorrow is supposed to be almost 80. Monday will still be nice but cooler and a few clouds. I think it will be a wonderful day for going to a college JV football game. I'll go watch my girlfriend's grandson play.

Today I got some laundry done, and took the folks on a few errands. I'm sure glad they have gotten moved and are enjoying it. I had lunch with them at their dining hall. It was really good. Came home and was getting the mower out of the garage. I heard someone yell "Hey Skinny!" They were talking about me!!! Sure made my day.

Tomorrow I plan on going to the metropolis of Sylvester and attend church at my former pastor's church. I've not heard him preach since he left over 4 years ago. In fact, I have hardly seen them. I miss them terribly. We'll go out to dinner after church and then I'll head homeward and hopefully get some more pictures.

I wish this weather could go on all winter. In the 40's at night and then maybe mid 60s to 70 during the day. Perfect. I know, dream on.

Grayling weekend

2008-10-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was invited up to Grayling to visit my quilting friend Rebecca and her husband John from San Diego. They were visiting John's father, Grant. We had a great time playing cards and going on a great color tour which was also revisiting places from John's and his father's pasts.

Saturday we headed out toward Gaylord and then west to East Jordan and Mancelona. I saw many places that needed to be photographed but I didn't want to impose on them to stop because I knew it could add up to a lot of time. Our first stop where Grant wanted to take us was Deadman's Hill. It overlooks the Jordan River Valley from 430 feet up. Unfortunately the colors were just starting to turn but it was absolutely beautiful. Thanks Grant, for taking us up there.

While Rebecca and I were walking around up there we came across this leaf. I just love it when you can find leaves or spider webs or flowers with dew drops on them.

As we were going down a gravel road to see John's uncle's cabin in the woods I saw some beautiful trees along the road. John was kind enough to stop on our way back so I could take some pics.

Sunday on my way home I decided to take some of the same route we had taken the day before. This first picture was along old US27 between Grayling and Gaylord overlooking Otsego Lake. Don't those benches look really inviting?

This is a very unusual barn in that it is ALL stone. Most barns that have stone work have it only on the bottom. This is along M-32 between Gaylord and East Jordan. The sheep were a bonus.

My dream cabin is below. It even had a plastic chair sitting in the "living room". I think it may be just tad breezy for winter though. Notice you can even see between the logs.

I came across this Catholic church also on M-32. It is just a few miles west of the stone barn. It was built in early 1890's out of wood. In the early 1900's it was covered with stone using a cement that has a pinkish cast. As I was pulling up there was a man getting out of his car. I asked if it was his church and he said yes. He and his wife are the caretakers of it. They were so kind as to open it up and let me go inside and take pictures and tell me some of the history of the church.

The statue of John the Baptist on the right was carved in 1894. The statue of the Virgin Mary on the left was carved in about 1920. The Stations of the Cross on the walls date back to 1890s. I was so thrilled to be able to go inside. I love photographing churches and the inside of Catholic churches are usually so beautiful.

Jan, the church door picture is for you. I love this door. I think it is one my favorite door pictures.

Down the gravel road from the church was another barn that got my attention. Barns really get my attention fast. This was in a cluster of 3 and was my favorite.

As I continued toward East Jordan I saw a sign for a fiber and yarn shop. Well, my car did a quick 100 degree right turn and just up the road I found this great place. The owners live in an old log house with quite a few great outbuilding. I'll just show the yarn shop and one of their critters. Her yarns, which are beautiful, are all spun from the wool of their sheep. Almost all their critters (long-haired goats, geese, chickens, burros) except the sheep, roam around loose. Therefore, I was real careful where I stepped. Anyway this guy(girl?) wanted its picture taken.

This is a neat piece of equipment that I found just to the left of the yarn shop. It was in great shape.

How for a few other pictures that will make you think Fall.

Ever seen white pumpkin? I never had.

Okay, I think I'm done. Not that it is all my pics. I could go on and on forever. Well, maybe not forever. I only took 155 pics and some I deleted. Thanks to anyone who made it this far. I hope you enjoyed them at least half as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Elements 6

2008-08-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

While I was on vacation, my copy of Photoshop Elements 6 arrived at my office. Today is the first time I've had time to play. A lady I met at the photo weekend a few weeks ago had made up a book for Elements. So today I've tried one of the exercises. It took a couple tries before I got it like I wanted but I am happy with the results. I can't wait to try some of the other exercises.

As you can see it is the same picture on both layers but the back layer is lightened and the top layer has more saturation.

This picture was taken at Meijer Gardens back in the Spring. That place is a photographer's paradise. And that reminds me that I need to make a return trip.

Vacation and golf

2008-08-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

Do you ever come to the place when it is just time for a vacation? Now? Well, it is that time. I think I will play with some friends. Maybe even get a picture or two.

As for golf. Well, today was league day. I started out like gang-busters. I had two pars. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. Best start I've ever had. Next hole was not too bad -- bogey. The first 5 holes I was hitting the ball really long and straight. It was so fun. My ending score was an OK one but I would have liked better especially the way I started. All in all, it was a great day on the course and our team is still in 1st place. Only 2 more weeks to go. I hope we can hold on cuz the prize is a really good one -- two rounds of 18 on a REALLY nice course north of town.

Trying to get artsy

2008-07-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

While I was at the Photo weekend, I took 6 hours of Photoshop Elements 6. Once I got home, I decided to take one of my pictures that I took and see what I could do with it. I like what I came up with. Lots of fun.

<------- Before

After ------>

My Photography Weekend

2008-07-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Oh WOW! Talk about photography overload. From Thursday late afternoon until noon today (Sunday) I was immersed in photography. I didn't want the weekend to end. Not only because of all the learning but because I also was spending it with a couple from Indiana who have become friends. (We met at the event last year and have kept in touch.)

Thursday night was Birds of Prey shoot at a local nature center which cares for injured birds and also has other animals. They bring them out special for us to photograph.

Here is a female elk. And a male.

These next ones are a golden eagle. His only problem was he had lost the "thumb" of his right claw. Still looks pretty dangerous to me.

               Now for a couple owls.


Some flowers just because.

Here is a snake having his supper (a frog). The one on the right is titled "a frog in my throat"

And a really pretty Box Turtle.

Another cute owl.

And I just have to have a barn which I took on the way back from the bird shoot.

I'm not sure why I couldn't line up these pictures better. Maybe I will try again later. Right now, I just wanted to get them posted. I will work on posting some other pictures later.

Where is the Summer going?

2008-07-20T19:47:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it is July 20 already. Seems like the Summer just started. But the temp and humidity is telling me that Summer is WELL under way.

I had a great evening yesterday. A friend and I went to The Barn Theater in the little village of Augusta to see the play West Side Story. That was a favorite movie of mine when I was much younger. And I think I've worn out the soundtrack album. That was back when they put songs on LPs. Remember them?

The Barn Theater is Michigan's oldest resident Summer Stock theater. This is the 62nd season. The first time I went was with the high school dance band. We saw The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Then I went a few years later to see On A Clear Day. I love plays in small theaters. I don't know why I don't go more often. We did get tickets for Shenandoah for next month. Another musical.

This coming weekend is my 2nd SWMCCC photographic weekend at Hope College. I'm so looking forward to it. I'm excited to meet up with friends I met last year. There are so many great sessions it's going to be hard to pick. I do know I'm going on a Wild Birds of Prey shoot. I got some great pics last year. I know one of my friends is going on the shoot too. Will be fun.

Been playing golf on the ministry league this summer. I've had some really great holes, quite a few great shots, and I'm getting my money's worth. LOL It's fun though. Leaves lots of room for improvement. LOL

Until next time...

July 4th weekend

2008-07-05T20:06:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it is almost over with. So far the weather had been absolutely perfect. Once this weekend is over, it always seems like Summer is half over even though it only officially started about 2 weeks ago.

Yesterday I went over to Lake MI and observed all the crowded beaches. Then it was on to my brother's for supper followed by a sail almost the whole length of Lake Macatawa (about 3 miles) to watch the fireworks. There is nothing like watching fireworks from a sailboat in the middle of the lake. There is the glow above and the reflection in the water. Our biggest challenge was finding our way back to the marina in the dark. Thankfully they have lighted buoys every half mile or so. Gotta watch out for the unlit ones though. (We did.)

Today I took my 13 year old nephew fishing. What a great day. We probably caught close to a dozen fish. We are sport fishermen -- we throw them back. We were out for about 2 hours. This was his 2nd time fishing and he loves it. Just have to get him taking his fish off his hook.

Tomorrow is, hopefully, a game of golf with a young man I just met yesterday. He is up here visiting from NC. He is a friend of a friend of mine.

Tonight I watched a terrific movie -- August Rush. It came highly recommended and I loved it. I might watch it again before I return it.

If I get the golf in, it will be a perfect weekend.

Happy Birthday, USA!!!

A great day!

2008-06-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

Today has been an absolutely perfect day. A friend called and asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride I said sure. Well, we had a ride! A little over 23 miles in 2.75 hours ride time. (Not bad for only the 3rd ride of the season.) We rode on a a bike trail the whole way. What a nice way to ride. We rode about 5 or 6 miles along the Grand River. Our destination was the town of Rockford which was having their Summer Festival. Heard a really good band who were doing a lot of songs from the 60's . They were really good. Then we shared a chicken sandwich and Jicama slaw. Delish. Then it was back on the bikes for the return trip. By the time we got back to parking lot where we started my back side was really sore. I don't think I'll go for a bike ride tomorrow. LOL I think I'll sleep well tonight. Hope I can walk tomorrow. LOL

Health

2008-06-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night I attended a meeting for a group I belong to. The lead-off question was: On a scale of 1 - 10, where do you rate the importance of your own health? Think about it and answer for yourself.

Now based on your answer,
1 - How much time/effort do you put into maintaining and improving your health?
2 - How much money do you spend on maintaining and improving your health?

Do they match your answer for the importance of your health? Many in attendance had to say no to that answer. I was able to say I am really working on it.

I've been walking about 30-45 minutes several times a week. I've hauled out the bicycle and ridden a couple of good rides. I even walked while playing 9 holes of golf the other day. But I've also started eating much better and begun working on detoxifying my body.

Think of the toxins/chemicals we come into contact with every day in the air, water and our foods. Think of how rampant disease is compared to 50 years ago. It is scary and I believe there is a link between toxins and disease. I've decided I want to live a healthier life. So more and more, organic food is finding its way into my diet and I started the Isagenix program a little over 5 weeks ago. I love it. My weight is going down and I've lost inches! I also feel more energetic and I can focus better. For more information click here .

What are you doing to improve your health?

Golf ? ! ? !

2008-06-11T20:05:00.001-07:00

Tell me why we play this crazy game. Actually I love playing but oh, if I could only be consistent!

Last Friday I went out to play in the first game of the season for the league at work. Oh I did just great. NOT! I got the highest score of the group. Don't you get a prize for that? Then Tuesday I took the day off the play with my nephew who is on leave between graduating from the Coast Guard Academy and reporting to his first duty station in FL. I taught him to play 6 or 7 years ago and he's never beaten me. Until Tuesday. By one stroke. He started out great but fell apart on 2 holes. I fell apart on more than that.

Well, after two rounds like I had, I decided lesson(s) were in order. I went to a local golf course that was running a special and signed up for 2. Was able to take one that afternoon. I now know what my problem is and how to solve it. Doing it is a WHOLE 'nother thing. So I went to the driving range and hit more balls. Bottom line -- Chiropractor says I'm not 20 anymore!!!!!! Man, was I sore. Needed an adjustment that night. I'm better today. And I need to head out to the driving range before league on Friday afternoon. Hopefully I can remember what he told me and put it into practice.

In the meantime, if you see me on the course, I'm yelling FORE before I even hit the ball. LOL

Tulip Time in MI

2008-05-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon and then again this afternoon/evening I spent time roaming the city of Holland and it's tulip gardens. Talk about God being an artist -- Wow. How did he come up with all those colors for the tulips and flowering trees... and daffodils ... and hyacinths... and even buffalo. What a Creator He is!

I have no idea who these people are but I just had to take the picture. They were posing so nice for daddy.

I just love the beds of multi-color tulips.

And lavender ones.

And enjoying the gardens along with so many people.

Even the buffalo were enjoying the scenery. Oh wait, he was looking at me! I think it was a stare-down! I won, cuz he left.

There was even an original windmill from the old country. Each piece was numbered, it was taken apart, shipped over here, reassembled and it works perfectly. They actually make flour there.

The windmill is located just off to the left of this Dutch village.

This really is a tulip. It is a peony tulip.

Isn't this one cool! I love the pointy petals.

And I just have to show another red tulip, fringed this time, just cuz I can!

And then there are these variegated ones.

And then these here just got the tips gently bushed with white.

And I can't forget the daffodils

I think these are are flowering crab. The one below is on Hope College campus.

This forsythia is also on Hope's campus.

Between the two visits to Holland I took 340+ pictures. Did I say I love digital?!?! These are just a tip of the iceberg. But you get the idea. And I'll be going again Saturday for the parade and a cookout.

Phone Night Project

2008-05-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

Once a week my best bud and I spend the evening on the phone working on projects. Although I must admit she works on more than I do. Sometimes I'm real lazy and I just sit, talk and "watch" her work. However this week I had a mission.

I have a very good friend who had a very serious heart attack back on Easter Sunday. Thankfully he is doing great now but I needed to make him a get-well/I miss you fabric postcard.

I had bought some really cool fabric from my favorite line -- Fusions -- at a quilt shop in MA a couple weekends ago. (I did manage to limit myself to only 3 colorways and not the whole selection this time .) The flowers were from a trip back in Jan. to Wright's. (What a store!) The variegated yarn is from the wonderful yarn shop in Great Barrington.

These postcards are just so much fun to make. Because they are so small, I am not afraid to try new things. If my ideas don't work, I have not wasted much money or time. The bad thing is, I had to send it out and won't be able to take it to my Fiber Arts Club for Show and Tell. Hopefully a picture will suffice.

Snow?

2008-04-28T17:21:00.001-07:00

Last week was about as nice a week as anyone could want. Or so I'm told. I was in MA for 10 days. I spent the first weekend in western MA with my best bud. Then on Patriot's Day (an eastern MA holiday) they drove me to Natick (Boston) for 4 days of training for work. After training it was back to the western part for the weekend and then home again.

While I was there the weather was beautiful. The flowering trees were out in their glory. Forsythia bushes were vibrant yellow. Every day I could see the regular trees get greener and greener. The temps reached the low 80s. The only problem was that MA is soooooo dry. Fires all over the state.

The first weekend I was there, we took a drive to check out a yarn shop in Great Barrington -- Wonderful Things. Oh my. Lots and lots of yarn. I did not plan on buying anything. That plan didn't work. LOL

From there we drove north to North Adams to Tala's Quilt Shop. Lots of fabric but not what we were looking for. We were on a mission for a specific color and texture.

We headed back home via the Mohawk Trail (Route 2). We just happened to notice a "new" shop, A Notion To Quilt. We did a u-turn and stopped in. The name seemed to ring a bell but we couldn't place it. Happened to be the shop previously located in the city of Shelburne Falls. They just recently moved to a new location. Very nice store.

My hotel was in a great location. Less than 2 minutes from my classroom and right across a VERY busy street from the Natick Collection (a mall). Very upscale but also stores for the average shopper too. It has 270 stores on 2 stories. The challenge was getting across that street without getting hit. I had to walk a ways to get to a crosswalk light. The stay was topped off by dinner at Legal Seafoods. Fantastic food but a little pricey.

So anyway, I get home after enjoying a wonderful warm week in MA and there was wonderful weather here at home. Tonight they are issuing freeze warnings and maybe even snow. Come on, it is almost May! My tulips and the neighbor's Magnolia tree are going to suffer greatly.

A Beautiful Day

2008-04-16T16:41:00.001-07:00

Today is a perfect day! It was our first 70 degree day since last October. The humidity was log and there was a nice breeze. A great day to be outside. So after work, a friend and I went to Meijer Gardens to view the butterfly exhibit and walk the trails through the gardens. Being a sunny day, the butterflies were very active. One of the butterflies we wanted to find was the Clear Wing. Thanks to one of the visitors there, we found one. Because they have clear wings and are not very big, they can be very hard to find. Nope, no pictures this time. Hopefully I'll get back out there before the exhibit is over (end of April) and get some more butterfly pics.

Once outside, it was sooooo beautiful. We walked around the sculpture park but didn't take them all in. Time was a factor. Then we walked around the farm house and barn and took the boardwalk at the edge of the pond and enjoyed the guess, swans and ducks. I so enjoy the gardens. Can't wait until more flowers besides the daffodils, pansies and miniature iris are in bloom.

Crocuses

2008-04-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

The neighbor has crocuses in blossom. And we had just had a light mist. The scene just begged for pictures. I decided I needed to take them from an angle that I normally don't do (it's hard to get back up). So I brought out a bath towel, spread it out nicely and got down to eye level with the flowers. Did you know they don't grow very high? (I'm real glad I was in the back yard.)

This was pretty cool I thought. Showed the water drops. But I decided to have a little fun with that picture. It almost makes it look like I took it at night.

Here are just a few more.

Notice the tulip trying to horn in on the scene. I thought about plucking it out but then thought better of it. Of course I could have moved but that would have been a lot of work.

I like how that one petal over toward the right almost looks translucent. Anyway, I had fun taking them, was able to get up without calling 911, and had fun playing with them in Photoshop Elements.

Experimenting

2008-04-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

I read on another blog about Windows Live Writer. I decided to try it. So this post will be just trying things out.

So if I want to add a picture

I can do it. I just have to figure out how I get it so I can have the print next to it rather than on top and bottom.

I guess it is like this but something happened and I lost part of my picture.

Hmm it seems to be reappearing every time I go to a new line. That's strange. But it works.

Now it will be interesting to see how it looks on the blog when I post it.

Spring is sprung

2008-04-05T05:47:00.001-07:00

The last snow in my yard has finally melted. I think it was Thursday it finally disappeared. Now I know that it is doesn't mean that's it for the season. But there is hope.

I'm finally feeling like my old self again. That bronchitis stuff is nasty. I had it for over 2 weeks and stayed home from work 5 days total. I'm glad I was able to work from home when I felt like it.

Today is a play day. A friend and I are going to Saugatuck for the day and then coming back here and watching the Final Four games. They should be good games. Time will tell. First time all #1 seeds made it to the Final Four.

Coast Guard Rugby is playing Harvard for a tune-up game for Nationals in two weeks. Go Bears!

Something I'm going to be pondering the next few days/weeks. What makes a work team mesh as a team? How do you fix a broken one?

Have a Blessed Easter

2008-03-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is the day we celebrate the greatest sacrifice ever made: Jesus dying on the cross to pay the price for our sins because it was God's plan to save us for Himself. What a God I serve! Thank you God for making the plan. Thank you Jesus for fulfilling the plan. Amen.

I thought it was Spring

2008-03-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here is it, Good Friday the second day of Spring and we are getting snow. Now just a dusting but 3"-7" here by morning. A little south of here could get up to 13". Ah, Michigan, you gotta love this state. But I must admit it is pretty out there. And to think the snow was all gone except for the piles of which I have quite a lot.

The crud has hit

2008-03-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning I woke up with the beginnings of a cold. You know, the coughing, sneezing stuff. But other than that I didn't feel bad so I went to work and basically just stayed in my little corner. Figured that would be the bad day and it would be over. NOT! Thursday was much worse so I stayed home coughing, sneezing and dripping. In the afternoon I felt a little better so I went to get groceries. Well, now I have food to fix but no appetite. I found out during the night that there is nothing on TV worth watching after midnight. I kept waking up to cough and gargle. So I would turn on TV to lull me back to sleep. Pretty boring. Looks like today is another day of chair-hugging. I love my chair. Maybe I can even get in a nap or two. Tomorrow I just know I'll be better. (I hope.)

Spring -- Maybe?

2008-03-11T17:33:00.001-07:00

It is finally starting to warm up some and the grass is even appearing here and there. Not much in my yard though. Just around the back edge of the house where the SUN hits. Yes, we've actually had sun 2 days running. It's even been warm enough that when I go to the mall to walk, I leave my jacket in the van.

Gotta brag on the U. S. Coast Guard Academy Men's Basketball team. They are in the NCAA Div III tournaments and have made it into the Sweet 16. They best showing ever. Go Bears! ! !

The postcard is my latest card. And I actually sold it! I'm happy and so is the buyer. And again, it came totally from my stash. Gotta love that.

Weddings

2008-03-02T05:38:00.000-08:00

Friday night(Feb 29) I went to my #2 niece's wedding. Now I am not really a wedding loving person and definitely not a dress-up person. But I have to admit I had a good time and felt like I looked good. I really shocked my family. I had told them I might get a new pair of jeans to wear. Well, I got a fancy (for me) long mole skin skirt and a really cool suede jacket. It really felt weird to wear a skirt. First time in several years. I am really a jeans kinda person. It was fun seeing old acquaintances that I had not seen in years and seeing extended family I had not seen since summer.

The bride was beautiful. I think that is the way it is supposed to be. Her little niece (almost 2) and nephews(4 and 7) were so cute doing their parts. I hauled out my camera and took pictures. It was reaffirmed to me again that I would never like to be a wedding photographer. No way.

It was also reaffirmed to me that one should not have a wedding in the winter in MI. Yes it snowed. Roads were very dicey on the way home.

All in all, it was a fun evening. Mindy and Tim, I wish you many, many happy years together. Tim, welcome officially to the family.

God's beauty

2008-02-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

It snowed overnight (nothing new) and it stuck to the trees. It was so pretty this morning when I pulled into work. I had brought my camera so I pulled it out and took pictures as best I could considering it was still snowing and I didn't have time to put up the tripod and do it right.

We are at 93.7" of snow for the season. We are way above the average for the whole season.

An afternoon at the beach

2008-02-24T15:35:00.000-08:00

Yah, I know, it is the middle of winter but the sun was shining and it was warm -- well relatively speaking. It was about 32 inland and probably about 5 degrees cooler over at Grand Haven. I love going over in the winter to see the ice mounds along the shore. I walked out to the first one but decided not to go down the other side. It was a high mound and a steep descent and I didn't have my ice cleats (DUH!). There were tons of people out there. I think cabin fever had gotten to everyone and they were all ready for a day at the beach. Lots of snow, some sand here and there, and really cool looking ice.

The top picture was taken as I was just coming up over a sand dune. The next picture was taken from the top of the dune. Where all the people are (except for the guy in the front) is ice.

The picture below is out in the lake showing the ice mounds. The picture gives you an idea of the height of the mounds.

The Bucket List

2008-02-24T09:49:00.001-08:00

Friday night a friend and I went to see the movie The Bucket List. I don't think I have been to such a thought-provoking movie in a really long time, if ever. We ended up talking about our own bucket lists and what we consider a majestic sight for quite a while.

The bucket list is a list of things a person would like to do before they kick the bucket. The guys in the movie were dying of cancer. No granted, I am not dying of anything real soon (as far as I know) but it did start me to thinking about what mine would be. One of Carter's (played by Morgan Freeman) items was to see something majestic. That led us to another conversation.

So something for you to think about as I also work on this -- What would be on your bucket list and what would be the majestic thing you would like to see?

More fiber art items

2008-02-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

I spent last Thursday evening and tonight doing one of my favorite things. I'm happy with the outcome. These things are so fun. The landscape is from a book I bought while on vacation. I can't decide how I want to finish it.

Tribute to my niece on her birthday

2008-02-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

Twenty-one years ago today you were born over in Germany. (Her dad was stationed over there in the Air Force.) The first time I got to see you in 3-D was when you were 7 months old when your family arrived back in the States. You spent most of your life in Delaware and Virginia which were at least close enough so I got to see you at least a couple times a year. Then you came to Calvin. I was so happy. And now I get to see you much more than when you were growing up. I get to watch you play soccer, have dinner with you on occasion (tomorrow night we'll celebrate your day) and see you at other times too (although it never seems often enough). It has been fun watching you grow into a beautiful and sweet young lady. You bring much joy to my life. My prayer for you is that you will continue your walk with the Lord, graduate from college and find a job where you can help people with your chosen field of study, find a wonderful Christian man to spend the rest of your life with and hopefully have a family of your own. I love you very much, Juliana. Happy Birthday.

I've been tagged

2008-02-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

Both Mar and Giz tagged me and I am not sure how to go about linking back to them but I'll try.
The Rules:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Here goes:
1. I'm a NASCAR fan and I'm playing in a fantasy racing league against 3 guys in my office.
2. I wish I could play the guitar. I've tried learning and I could remember the chords but I never knew when to change chords unless I had the music in front of me.
3. I did Karoake as a duet once and posted it on a Karaoke site on the internet.
4. I sprained my ankle in the jungles of Guyana a little over 12 years ago. I took a charter plane into the jungle and then we (a group of us) hiked deeper into the jungle to see Kaieteur Falls .
5. The longest bicycle ride I've ever done was 38 miles. I rode from Kalamazoo to South Haven on the Kalhaven Bike Trail with my brother on his 50th birthday. (I was a little older. ) There is a bike trail that runs from Grand Rapids to Cadillac (90 miles) that I would love to do sometime. I need to get in much better shape. I go to church with a guy that I know would ride it with me.
6. The photography bug has bitten me and now I want to enter a picture in the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts. I think I have the perfect picture. The entry blanks with the rules come out in the next couple weeks.
7. Even though the snow is beautiful, I'm really tired of winter this year.

Like Howdy, I'm not doing the tagging either for the same reason. But by all means, if you are so inclined to join in, follow the rules and have at it.

And now I better get to bed before it is time to get up again.

I'm tired of Winter

2008-02-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

It's snowing and blowing and downright cold. This is the second Sunday this year I've stayed inside because the weather was so bad and cold. We had a bad storm on Wednesday. We are past our season average snowfall. That happened last week before the storm. I have no idea how much snow we got today because it has been blowing so hard. It got all the way up to 3 degrees today. BUT we did have some sunshine for a few minutes.

Vacation has come and gone. My 10 days in MA went by so quickly. We had great weather for all but one day. Learned some new techniques. Started from square one on a project I had been working on and it just was not satisfying me. Bought some new batiks, a landscape book, and lots of trim stuff for postcards, yarn and knitted it into a ski cap. A productive and FUN trip. But too short.

Why is it?

2008-01-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was doing the laundry. I put a pair of jeans and a pair of slacks along with some shirts, etc. into the washer. When I went down to take them out the jeans were turned completely inside out. Why does that happen? How does it happen? So many times I put things in right side out and when the washer quits, at least something is completely wrong side out.

I'm getting ready for vacation. I'll be heading out to MA to visit my best bud for 10 days. Friday is the day! I'm spending my birthday there. That's gonna be fun. I get to go to my favorite restaurant -- Bernie's. Prime rib to die for. We'll be working on several craft/quilt projects during the time I'm there. I am so ready ! !

As for my goal of reading my Bible through this year, I'm on Leviticus 8. I'm pretty much where I need to be I think.

It's good to laugh.

2008-01-19T07:35:00.000-08:00

Today I was checking out my favorite blogs and got some really good laughs. I figured I'd share a few of them with you.

The first one is written by the DH of a quilter friend. Be sure and read his Hardware posts starting with Day 1. Warning 1 -- if there is any chance you need a bathroom break, take it now. Warning 2 -- do not be eating or drinking while reading. http://sawdustandcowpies.blogspot.com/

The second one is written by a big-city gal transplanted to a ranch. She's a great photographer, story teller and cook. Today she had some great pictures of her puppy. http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Now that I've had my laughs, I need to go out into the C-O-L-D (11 degrees F with wind chill of -7) and blow the snow out of the driveway. BRRRRRR

Productive evenings are a good thing

2008-01-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight was phone night with my best bud. As usual, we each work on a project while talking. Here's mine.

It was a great night. I only had 2 goofs. And I fixed those. I bet my bud didn't even know I had problems. I tried not to moan and groan. LOL

Fiber Arts Club

2008-01-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight was my monthly Fiber Arts Club meeting. WOW! Beth Ann Williams, who is an award-winning contemporary quilter, fiber artist, author, designer and teacher is the leader. This is the 4th meeting of our group and tonight the topic was "To Fuse or Not to Fuse".

First things first though. We always start out with Show and Tell. Some great things were shared tonight. We have some very talented and experienced ladies in the group along with those of us who are just getting into this area of artistry. One of the ladies has a picture of her work in Quilting Arts magazine. They had a challenge dealing with doors.

Beth Ann talked about the possible advantages and disadvantages of using adhesives. Then she talked about 11 different fusibles and adhesives. I can't wait to try some that I have not worked with and also some I have but use them in a new way. I've been trying to create a fiber picture of one of my photos. I think painting Misty Fuse and then fusing it on my background may be the ticket I've been looking for. I think I need to take a trip to Hobby Lobby and pick up a few things. Needless to say I am a little pumped tonight. I need some play time.

Another little word humor: Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest. (I love those things. Thanks, Karen, for passing them on to me.)

Weekend is over

2008-01-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

How do weekends go by so quickly? Maybe because it was so much fun. Saturday I met my best friend from high school at The Stamp Shoppe in Kazoo. We made 2 each of 5 different cards and then we went out for lunch. Always nice to have a day with a long time friend. Later on my way home, I did something that I hardly ever do and that was go into a quilt shop, spend 40 minutes in there and not spend a dime. I was so proud of myself. It was hard though. I'm not sure I've ever done that before. A quilter rarely leaves a quilt shop after having spent so much time in it without a purchase. I'll mark it on the calendar.

Snowfall is really funny sometimes. Today I was heading down the highway and it was just raining. Turned a corner and suddenly the ground was white and it was snowing big flakes. It was snowing big flakes all the way to my destination and piled up about 3". Coming back there was snow on the ground until we hit that corner and then none. So northeast of me and southeast of me they got the snow and I just got rain. I'm glad. I don't have to shovel or blow rain.

Have a great week and try to be a blessing to at least one person each day.

It's Friday Night!

2008-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Do you know how long a 5-day work week is? It is L-O-N-G. I have not had one for over a month now because of the holidays and vacation that needed to be used.

Last night was Phone Night.... the night my best bud and I talk on the phone while working on a project of some kind. I made a couple of "Get Well" postcards out of fabric. (Does that count as Stash Busting? I used 4 pieces of 4.5" x 6.5" and fussy cut another piece.) I'm having such a fun time with them. I've made birthday and Christmas cards in addition to the get well cards. A friend wants me to make her some Easter cards. I need to get on that.

Tonight I went to Karen's for games and supper. We love to play word games. We started out with a non-word game -- Sequence (I think) -- and then after a break to head to Panera's for supper, we played Anagrams. We are very competitive at anything we play and it makes it so much fun.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Kalamazoo to meet Pat (best friend from high school) and we are taking a card stamping class together. Now, she is so good she could teach the class but we decided it would be fun to just take the class and have fun together. We get to use all the supplies at the shop. Should be a great time.

I didn't take pictures of the postcards I made last night but this top one is very similar.

This next one I made for my older brother as a birthday card. I loved that background fabric. I love the shadow effect. My best bud helped me with that.

This one was for my younger brother for his birthday. All the leaves were fussy cut out of other fabrics. Again, thanks bug for your help.

A little food for thought from a lexophile (no it is not a bad thing to be): The butcher backed up into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

Game Night

2008-01-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

Another fun night. I had a hard time deciding on the menu. We always have supper and then play games. At first it was gonna be pizza, then rotissarie chicken, then meatballs. Well, I had been craving lasagna for a while and Costco has a really good one (Kirkland brand) in the freezer section. So we had lasagna, tossed salad, garlic bread, fresh fruit salad and homemade tollhouse chocolate chip cookies to snack on. Seeing there are 5 of us it limits us somewhat in the games we play. One time it was Farkle, once dominos, once Uno. Tonight it was Kizmet (something like Yahtzee). One of the girls is going through chemo and she claimed chemo brain but I think we can't let that work any more cuz she almost always wins ... which was the case tonight.

We all work at the same place. The other four work in the same area. I'm the odd ball. No comments from the peanut gallery. We have a department called Service Partners. Two of the girls are paid employees and the other two are Service Partners (volunteers). The one going through chemo actually lives in Bahrain with her husband and is a teacher over there. She comes back home in the Summer and for the last two years has been volunteering with us. She found her cancer literally days before she was to return to Bahrain. So she is staying until her treatment is finished ... about a year. The other moved here from New Jersey for a year after trying it out for a couple months in the summer 2 summers ago and a month in the winter last year. At the end of her year we here in MI are hoping she decides to move here permanently. Her family back in NJ is not really gungho on that idea.

The weather has finally decided to cool back down some. We are still above normal but only by 10 degrees or so. And THE SUN WAS SHINNING TODAY!!! Everyone was in a really good mood. Makes me think I should post some orchids. I love taking pictures of orchids. Now you are probably saying "she's crazy, that is no orchid." Actually it is the center of one. This one below, in fact.

Macro photography is fun to play with. Sometimes it can really leave you guessing as to what it really is.

Until next time, find at least 5 things for which to be thankful.

NH primary

2008-01-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

I've been glued to the TV since the polls closed. Looks like McCain wins for Republicans but with almost 60% of the vote in, they still can't call for the Democrats. Next Tuesday is the primary in MI. I need to make up my mind soon.

I'm getting ready for Game Night at my house tomorrow night. There are 5 of us who get together for games and supper about once a month. We will have a ball. We are all pretty competitive.

The warm weather is tricking some of the Spring flowers. They are starting to pop their heads out of the soil. They are gonna be surprised come this weekend. In honor of the warm weather, here a Spring picture at one of my favorite golf courses -- 13th hole, par 3.

This is one I took last Fall in the little city of Douglas over by Lake MI.

What happened to the weather?

2008-01-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is what they mean by global warming although last week I didn't believe it. Last week we had snow and temps in the teens. This morning when I walked out the door at 6AM, it was 54 degrees. It is 62 now at 8:30PM. It was 64 I think today which set a record. We are under a tornado watch now with serious rain forecast during the night. More like April or May weather. The snow is all gone except for remains of a pile here and there. Now I like the warm weather but this is just not good for our part of the country.

Tonight is the BCS National Championship. Louisana State University(2) vs Ohio State(1). Ohio scored a TD on their first possession. I'm thinking this is going to be a good game. Hopefully I can stay awake.

Do you ever come to the point when you just can't stand your hair a minute longer? Today was the day. Luckily I was able to get in for a dip and clip. Feels much better and looks even better yet. But I sure hate to put out the money. I keep thinking I should learn to do it myself but after reading the boxes, it scares me. I guess I'll continue to pay the price.

I think this is not really a flower. More of a weed. It is one of the last "flower" pictures I took this year. I was driving down a road I had never been on before and saw these on the side of the road. It was one of those trips when I had my camera and was looking for some pretty Fall foliage. I just happened to see these along side the road. It has become one of my favorite photos.

Bible reading is going well. My daily goal is 5 chapters a day. It is day 7 and I finished Genesis 35 this morning.

I think I'll sign off. We are having a really loud thunder storm with some lightening. Not a good time to be on the computer.

A photography weekend

2008-01-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

Last summer I spent a 4 day weekend over at Hope College in Holland, MI at a photography seminar. On Thursday night I went on a Birds of Prey field trip. There were two leaders. One was a professional photographer and the other was a circuit court judge. The two of them work together leading photo field trips for a few hours up through week long trips. This mean looking dude to the left is a Peregrin Falcon.

This next one is a Kestral Falcon. I think he is so pretty.

I'm not sure what kind of owl the guy on the left is but he sure hides well. The one one the right is a Great Horned Owl.

Now I know this guy is not a bird of prey but he was there and so I just have to include him in here. What a thing of beauty.

I think maybe next time I need to bring in some flowers.

First of many? ? ?

2008-01-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

I'm not really a writer but I decided I'd try doing a blog for a while at least. Hopefully it will be a place where I can share some of my hobbies. I bought a new camera about a year ago and while I'm still learning how to use it, I do come up with a good picture now and then. I'll post some of them and pictures of my quilts and fiber art creations. And if I happen to ever get a hole-in-one on the golf course, it will be announced here.

Today was a fun day. I went to an antique show with a friend. It's one thing to see things that I know my grandparents and parents had but when I see things that I had when I was a kid or my 20's, it gets a little unnerving. How can I be old enough that things in my life are now showing up in antique shows? Yikes!

I had a pleasant surprise tonight. Have you ever tried using Skype? We, I had it up tonight while I was chatting on IM with a friend from TX and suddenly my "phone" started ringing. It was my friend from New Zealand whom I had not talked to for many months. It was a short (10 minutes) conversation but it was so good to hear her voice. Love that accent. We figure I have to win the lottery (oh I need to play?) so I can go visit her. That is my dream vacation.