The Tree Goes Up

Yesterday, after shopping at the near empty mall, Dave started on the fake Christmas tree. I swore I would never have a fake tree (where is the pine smell, the dropping needles, the bare spot one has to hide?). The plan was to have this one downstairs, where we spend most of our time, and a real one upstairs. But now that we have this one up, a real one seems like an awful lot of work. So we'll see if next weekend we get a small real one, or just go with this one. It started out like this:



Dave totally got into the groove of decorating whilst I and the dogs observed.






See how excited Trixie is? She is doing her princess and the pea thing, resting on about 10 layers of blankets. The only thing better would have been if I had covered her up. But that is another story.

See how excited Dave is to be doing his thing here? He is really excited because last year, after Christmas, he went to Hobby Lobby and got the tree for 8 bucks, and a ton of ornaments and garlands each for under a dollar. He showed me every one and then told me how much he paid and how much he saved. It was a huge thrill for him.

However, after about 15 of those exciting and stirring price saving revalations, Beta and I both felt about like this:

Although I think Beta looks more interested than I did.

So here is the blurry tree this AM. More and better pictures to follow.

Pretty cool huh?

The Christmas Season Begins...

So, Thanksgiving is just a memory now. Here we are after dinner. Don't we look happy? Actually, we are all stuffed and tired and ready for a nap at 7 PM!

Blane did go straight to bed. But then watched TV until 3 AM. Not me. I went to bed and fell fast asleep. The tryptophan effect.

We also had a beautiful flower arrangement. Which we still have. It is pretty tall so you have to look around it at the person across from you. Which is ok, because we were all too busy stuffing ourselves to speak.

So now we can just gear up for Christmas. I wish we could enjoy Thanksgiving a little longer. I am trying to convince Dave (and myself) to go shopping today. We'll see how far we get.

The good thing about the Christmas season is all the sappy Christmas movies on Hallmark and Family Channels. And, oh gosh, I can't forget Lifetime-which is showing 2 or 3 of them tonight! I love those movies-so bad they are good. Plot line-Boy/Girl has crisis at Christmas time-may or may not believe in Christmas, crisis brings boy/girl indirect contact with girl/boy who may or may not be enemy, crisis and Christmas magic cause boy/girl and girl/boy to fall in love and the holidays are saved, crisis is solved, and all live happily ever after. All in 2 hours. What could be better?

I'll be watching tonight while knitting this

Yes, I have started on square 2 of the GAAA. It takes much more time than the GAA because of the cabling and the fact that I am a slow knitter. I am trying to knit continental (is that the picking style) and can knit that but not purl, and the tension on my yarn never is right. Oh well.

Happy Weekend, enjoy the leftovers.

Happy Thanksgiving

Last year we had the whole family at our house, but this year it will be just Blane, Dave and me. And some football and beer! Seattle Seahawks are losing to playing Dallas today. Dave is still smarting from the Packer loss on Monday.

Here we are last year, happily enjoying our post dinner bloat! I think I read that on Thanksgiving the average caloric intake is something like 3000. I wonder how many Weight Watcher points that is?

Last night I watched The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This is kind of an interesting article after seeing the movie. There are lots of reviews and information about the short life of Jean Dominique Bauby. I thought it was a good film, even if it took literary license. It makes one consider life, that is for sure.

So check out what I made at my favorite quilt shop. It was embroidery club and Bernina is doing bears.

I embroidered the heart and stars on his stomach with my Bernina 730 (ok, enough with the plugs for Bernina, it's just that I love my machines). It was so much fun and really easy to do. It turned out great. I wish I had a better picture. I really need to work on my photography skills.

So I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Have a great day, eat lots, enjoy the company (or not!). And have fun!

Blane had a Birthday

My, it has been a busy week.

As you can see, the dog got very excited over Blane's 24th Birthday.

There were presents, such as a desk chair with a bow on top, and various presents on the chair, including a bag of cat food for the cat, because it was her birthday too. (Well, maybe not technically, but if Blane has a birthday, then Good Kitten-Blane's cat-should have one too)

There was birthday cake for Blane, but only 4 candles. I didn't want a fire or melted wax on the cake. And check out that frosting, although I thought it might be a little flowery for Blane, but still, it is cake. With lots of frosting.....mmmmm, I love cake.

There was then some blowing out of the candles. Please, no spitting.

And there was present opening after cake. First things first.

Happy 24th Birthday to Blane.

At long last, The Weekend

Although I only worked three days this week, it seemed like 30. Work is very slow and boring. Maybe I should appreciate a slow time, although since I have been at this job since Feb, I have been busy one time. Not my usual modus operandi.

So, yesterday I knitted for an hour or so. I offered to do other peoples jobs, at least help them since they complain about their busy-ness, but no one takes me up on it.

Either way, I finished block #23 in the Great American Afghan. I don't have a picture of it, but I do have a picture of #19.

I really need a better camera. This looks way holier (I mean increasingly holey, not holy) than it actually is. I think I needed it on a darker background. But you do get the gist of it? It is entrelac and cables. I think the cables pull it out of shape. I liked this block.

I ordered this pattern

It is Bobby's Garden and it is a knitted hexagon blanket. $6 on Ravelry. I saw it on Rose-Kim knits and seems like a great way to use up some stash and extra yarns.

I saw this on Monday

The Sunrise colors-They inspired me to go running and have a good day.

Veterans Day

First of all, today is Veteran's Day.

The MSN Encarta defines it like this;
"Veterans Day is observed on November 11. The holiday was originally called Armistice Day, and it commemorated the end of World War I on November 11, 1918. Fighting stopped at 11 am, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
In 1954 the name of the holiday was changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor those who had served in World War II (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). Today, the holiday honors all veterans. In 1968 Congress changed the date of the holiday to the fourth Monday in October to give Americans a three-day weekend. But because of the significance of November 11 to many people, the traditional date was restored by law in 1978." *

That being said we should all take a moment to think of and thank our Veterans, and consider what war accomplishes in the great scheme of things. Maybe we should take a long look and ask ourselves "Will war make a difference in 100 years?" Likely not. But working together to find common ground will.

But still, I appreciate all the Veterans who, when duty called, served their country with dignity and bravery. We shall remember and honor them not only on November 11th, but all throughout the year.

*Retrieved from the www 11/11/2008. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567436/Veterans_Day.html

Busy Weekend

Besides a new Block of the Month at Kristen's knits (which I have ripped back twice now-more later) and then searching high and low for a birthday present for my son Blane I got my new sewing machine-Yesssss!

Really, you'd think I'd learn since I am still paying off the other one (for 2 more years). However, the sale was too good to pass up and I can pay for it. There's one good thing about the economy tanking-luxury goods are goin' on sale.

The one on the right is new. It is so light and small. Had a couple of tension issues but figured that out and finished this-

I call it the table runner from hell (It's actually Thimbleberries from 2007). I must have ripped out the center piece every time I sewed a seam. I'd like to say it was a very complicated piece, however, it wasn't. Sigh. I just have to sew the left point together and it will be done. (I was so tired of it that I just sewed back to front, turned it right side out and called it good-Binding? No freaking way!)

While I was making that on my Bernina 210, my 730 was doing this on a cotton hand towel

And this postcard (not such a great picture)

So you see, life is good where sewing machines are concerned.

And by the way, my new machine says this on the back-

Just in case anyone wanted to know!

Photography of me by Dave-thanks Davit!

Last, but not least...

Here is the beautiful scenery from retreat. The locale, to remind you, is Eagle Bluff Learning Center. It is in between Fountain and Lanesboro MN. That is the Root River.

This is what we saw out of our windows while we were quilting. It is somewhat late in the fall so the colors were not so brilliant at last year. But it's still a very nice view.

And so ends retreat 2008.

Next event-Superbowl Mystery Quilt, 2009-Can' wait.

Retreat, part two

Here we are again! Just to remind you of our group. I am the top right person looking goofy of course. I made the picture a little bigger so maybe one could actually see the people.

Look at what Suzie made! (She is in the front row in red-can't see her too well behind the quilt). Isn't it cool. I love the colors.

I finished the block of the month from year before last. I took it to work to show off and everyone loved the colors. Now I have to finish this years.

Here is my roommate and table mate Peggy. Dang she was a good quilter. She made 5 table runners for her staff for Christmas. What a nice boss.

And look what Peggy did-I wish I would have put a ruler by this block because those little pieces are like, one inch square. Note that it is perfect AND she started it at about 9 PM. Crazy.

I wish some of her precision could rub off on me. It was fun fun fun.I met some great new people, like Peggy, and caught up with old friends. Am planning for next year already!

Retreat Part One

I was at reatreat this weekend. It was soooo much fun and a getaway that I really needed.

I can only upload so many pictures, it seems, at one time, so today I will start with our group. Here we are, tables set up, ready to sew. Barely visible on the left is Connie, who helped to sell me my sewing machine last year and is a great and wonderful quilter and person. She made a cool Christmas stocking and a flannel quilt top.

This is our snack table. We ate the best food in the cafeteria, which is catered by a chef. Holy Cow. Good thing we only get 4 full meals-plus our snacks. This will take me 3 weeks of gym time and miles of running to work off. But boy, was it good.






Here is Marsha, owner of Pine Needles and organizer of Retreat. She and her daughter, Suzie, are a lot of fun. They (and the staff too) make everyone feel like family-one big quilting family. I love to go to their events and wish I could get to more. Anyway, Marsha is modeling some boob holder taco salad place mats. I hope they were place mats.....See what I mean about fun?





Here is the group. Marsha is in front in the black, Suzie in the red. Marsha's mom in behind Suzie and her sister is kneeling on the right. It's a family affair. I am top left and Connie's sister is next to me and Connie next to her. We also had another Grandma and Granddaughter team all the way from Georgia. Next year I hope to take my sister.




Next post-projects and roomates! And bigger pictures.