As promised...

...what I've been up to as of late (and yes, the pictures are late, too!)



My most recent undertaking is a quilt for a friend from the office. She and her husband recently purchased an A-frame cabin in the woods. They're still in the decorating stages, but all summer long they've had renters and guests occupying the little cottage. My quilt is a surprise, but Marilyn was quite helpful in her description. Barn red beams, various shades of sage, whitewashed pine, a deep green colored couch, a burgundy/red rocking chair, and a tweed rug on the floor. She made choosing my fabrics easy!

My inspiration for this quilt is apparently a quilt by Amy Butler from her "Little Stitches for Little Ones" book. I found this upload by Mishi2x and am working from it. My finished squares are 12"; I'm doing the red floral and green twig/leaf together in the 4-patch.

The striped blocks will be the deep green "plaid" (my favorite!), the red dash, the red dot, and when I buy more of it (have to love creating measurements out of thin air!), the green twig/leaf. I'm pretty excited!

My plan:

I really hate doing math. *grin*

As for other ventures, I finished an apron for my niece, Ella. It's her Christmas present and I'm pretty geeked about it. I started with a prompt from Sew Liberated's Montessori apron. I used her ideas for the Velcro closure and elastic neck, but departed from there. I drafted my own pattern, added the belted apron-over-the-apron (it's fully lined and then some!), and sewed a matching drawstring bag to hold cookie cutters.


I've seen child-size non-stick rolling pins at BB&B and they come in purple! I aim to cut out Cinderella (Ella's favorite princess) from another fat quarter and applique that up top. Oh, did I mention? With the exception of the purple stripe, I made the whole thing out of a 4-pack Disney fat quarter set that I snagged for $2! The purple stripe was preference for me --- this entire apron can be made from 4 fat quarters with scraps left over. I am quite pleased with myself.

This quilt is something I started for no other reason than I love the fabric. {EDIT: And, at least three of these -- the dark brown excluded -- are from Art Gallery's Botanica line. See. I'm getting better...}


Another Flickr inspiration as far as the design is concerned. Hehehe...it took me ten minutes to (re)trace the origin of that photo! What I didn't realize before is that the inspiration is a mini quilt. I think mine is probably 4 times as large. Oh well...I liked the simple design -- and I love my fabric. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it though, but I did pick up a brown and white reverse printed queen-size sheet at The Salvation Army last night (and neglected to photograph it) to use for the backing. I don't know what protocol is, but how can you turn your nose up at a $2 seamless quilt backing?!?!

Hmm...think that's the extent of my visual progress. I am working out the details of a quilt for my father-in-law for Christmas. He loves to sail and I'm making a quilt to fit the forward berth on the boat. It's trapezoid-shaped and I want to incorporate the marine flag alphabet. The designs are simple but definitely block-worthy, and the colors are great! I figured to start this early since the quilt itself will be an odd shape. And I definitely don't want a repeat of last year --- I was so far behind with my to do list that only a couple people actually got their gifts on Christmas day. *sigh*

I didn't fail...

...except in the photo department! I had intended on taking pictures of my weekend endeavors and here it is the middle of week with nothing {visible} to show. I completed a Disney princess apron along with a matching drawstring bag. It's a Christmas present for my niece, Ella -- the little bag holds cookie cutters and I'm going to pick up a mini purple rolling pin to complete the gift. Chalk one up for the overachiever. Last year my sewing efforts for Christmas were an abysmal failure because I waited too long to start everything. *Grin*

The August special for my local quilt shop was fat quarters --- 6 for $10. Woot! :o) I don't know what fat quarters run in other necks of the woods, but around here they're $2-2.50 each. Sadness. I love them. I couldn't turn down $1.65 so I didn't. I picked up a new line by {insert designer} that featured salmon pink, cream, and brown. I cut and sewed 4-patches for about 2 hours on Friday night. Everything's laid out on the basement floor...but I suppose you'll have to wait to see the progress.

What else? Ah. Finishing off the basement. I am excited. Nothing is happening. But it's coming. And hopefully sooner than later. Dan is considering taking on outside design work for the company he formerly worked for. It would pay well and give us a boost when it comes to having funds for {re}modeling. I guess it would be modeling, since you can't remodel something that's never been finished. We scored with free tile that was donated to the Mission -- I am happy. It's speckle-ly...and blue. I love blue. I have ideas for the basement and things I would like to see, but I'm guessing that we'll just finish it off simply. Nothing wrong with that! And I can't wait to {re}locate the TV to the lower level and {re}claim my living room. I envision bookshelves and cozy goodness. We shall see...

Friday...

...is my favorite day of the week. Well, at least this week it is! I'm looking forward to making salsa over the weekend, finishing the binding on my Baby Rugby quilt, and sashing my Crazy Eights quilt. Hopefully I'll have a quilt top ready for posting by Monday! Somewhere along the way I'm certain dishes, vaccuming, laundry, and such will get their due attention, so I am holding out high hopes of accomplishing much on many fronts. Neat, neat!

Did I mention Friday is my favorite day of the week???

Summer...

...and its sweltering humidity has finally reached our neck of the woods! One would think we'd welcome 80 degrees and sunny after all the rain we've encountered this year. But 80 degrees and sunny when the humidity is 85%+ is terribly uncomfortable!

Our second camping adventure of the summer came to an end yesterday --- we spent five days up at the Straits State Park in St. Ignace. Thursday took us to Mackinaw Island; Friday we bummed around Mackinaw City and the historic sites; Saturday we wandered north to Tahquamenon Falls and Crisp Point Lighthouse; and Sunday, well, we took our time getting home. I love my family! Trips like this all the more reinforce that God has graciously blessed me by giving me the 'folks' I have...

I'm minding Dan's parents' garden while they're vacationing in Washington DC this week. Today and yesterday we've had a good, soaking rain --- hopefully I won't have to do many of the 45-minute "baths" if this weather keeps up. I don't have the most developed green thumb...I tend to forget important details, like water and fertilizer. *Grin*

Three weeks to go before camping adventure #3! Dan and I are heading to PH Hoeft State Park up near Rogers City over Labor Day weekend. The tall ship WELCOME will be moored in Mackinaw City over the weekend, there's a classic/custom motor cycle show at the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse, and with the exception of the Straits, I've not once stayed at a campground on the Lake Huron side. I'm curious and a bit excited!

Sweet, sweet...

Baby Rugby Quilt

My cousin Alison and her husband welcomed their first little one around midnight on Tuesday. They named him Dane Alan and is he ever a BIG boy! I decided last night, since I will be missing the baby shower next weekend {we're camping!} that I would like to put together something handmade. I was inspired by Cristin's straight-lines baby quilt, but as I got into the process...I sort of thought I goofed. I figured I didn't have enough of the navy blue fabric to do the even strips like the original, so I blazed my own trail and am quite happy with the results! {Turns out I would have, if I had bothered to measure...but no matter, I like what I ended up with.} The stripes struck me as rather rugby-ish, hence the post title.

I am madly in love with this fabric:

I bought it with my nephew in mind, but I still haven't finished {cough, cough...started} his robot/space quilt. So, little Dane, you get it instead! I think it looks preppy yet sweet. The polka dots are a whimsical addition, too, yes?


I cut my three focus fabrics into eight 5" squares each, for a total of 24 squares. After figuring out the arrangement I sewed three rows of 8, making sure none of the squares happened to fall in line with another of its kind. Then came the departure from Cristin's quilt. Instead of doing symmetrical rows, I decided to cut a few different widths. My widest is 10.5", then 9",6.5", and 3" for the smallest, all cut to the length of the pieced 5" squares. I mixed up the strips, too, so I wouldn't wind up with graduated stripes.


I have a navy blue and white striped fabric for the back and binding {my first attempt at doing a "barbershop pole" style}, and I plan to quilt in straight lines as a nod to my quilt's inspiration. I fell asleep thinking about the quilting lines and woke up with a sore shoulder! Must've been quilting in my sleep... I'd like to quilt white lines above and below each pieced stripe, about the width of my walking foot. Then, navy blue evenly spaced lines horizontally for the remainder of the quilt. I'm hoping I won't have to do any vertical quilting!

Oh! Pre-quilted, this blanket measures 35.5"x40.5" and I think that's a pretty good size for such a "little" guy {Dane weighed in at almost 10 pounds!}

Today...

...is Dan's birthday. It's Amy's, too, but I already celebrated that on Saturday. So, today, is Dan's day. Happy Day, Dan!

What I've been up to...

...as of late!

This is one block from my modifed "Crazy Eights" from Bits & Pieces. I have no idea who the designers are, but these are some of my favorite fabrics. It was difficult to cut them up! This is definitely a "keeper quilt" for V --- I couldn't bear to part with it. I started this one sometime early last year so it's been sitting around for a long time. I finished up the last 8 blocks last night and started playing around with arrangements on my "design wall" (aka, the white fleece blanket on our bed):



I'm pretty sure this is the final layout. I'm going to be adding a mottled tan/cream sashing because the "Crazy Eights" are a bit too crazy for me. I really like the fabrics and think they deserve to stand on their own!

In other realms...more progress on the Memory quilt. The 80's frump still isn't growing on me, but I can definitely tolerate it. This is the beginnings of my Lone Star. I used Fons & Porter's method from their book, "Quick Quilts from the Heart."

It has me piecing strips together and then cutting out diamond points from the resulting "fabric". I had to shrink my template quite a bit -- they wanted a 19.5" center!

And my final mischief for the day: This sad looking pile of half-square triangles from an ill-fated wedding quilt...

...is slowly becoming a palatable mix of fun hourglasses! There are tutorials all over the web for quick and easy hour glasses. I used my brain and figured it out, thank you very much!


:::deep breath:::

Custom Printed Fabric

...a lot of people are talking about the folks over at Spoonflower, a custom fabric printer. For $18 you can have one yard of YOUR OWN DESIGN printed on cotton fabric. You can do a single image, repeat, half-brick repeat, and half-drop repeat. I think it sounds neat, and I'm about ready to take the plunge. However, in my research I also stumbled across this company: Fabric On Demand. The price per yard for cotton is $16.75, and they also have the options of fleece, jersey, poly-cotton blend, and a few others that Spoonflower doesn't offer. I'm torn. Standard shipping is $5 and their current turnaround time is 7 business days! Everybody's talking about Spoonflower --- anyone have an opinion/experience with Fabric On Demand???

Block Round Up

Top, L-R: My first block, a love affair with braiding. Inspired by this block from Katy at Ripping Out Seams. #2 was a pain to sew, but I really do like the parallelograms. They just add something! I don't know what that something is...but it's appealing all the same. And my latest offering: #3 is a simple patchwork that I was going to credit SplitYarn with. Then I saw the same layout in a quilting magazine article about all the fun things you can do with Moda pre-cuts. One of the patchworks was called "Turning Squares" -- it's the same layout as Split, with one exception. And I liked the exception. Instead of each side of the block having a smaller square in the outside border, Split flipped one so there are the two blocks in the upper corner. It's unexpected. It's neat. I'm not sure if it was a mistake...but I went with it.

The lower row of blocks are experiments. They're not 12.5" yet --- I'm making them out of scraps that I figure won't be wide enough to become part of the scrappy binding. I'm not really an improv quilter, but it's neat to piece something wholly of my creation! Here are the improvs a bit closer up:

And Block #3 in all its 80's glory!

Whew! That's enough dusty blue from me for now... Since I'm ahead of the Sew Inclined due dates, I think I'll save #4 and #5 for August and get back to a couple other projects I've sorely neglected. I've got an apron to finish off, a lazy crayon roll to create (hopefully I shall get it done in time for Ella Bella...there's talk that she might start Pre-K this year!), and a rocket ship quilt to figure out for Drew Boo. Oh, and that darn tree bark.

Block two...

...which is really Block Three from my description yesterday. I decided I wanted to tackle the square-in-a-box-of-parallelograms-in-a-triangle-frame. According to the cheat-cut quilting thing, this particular layout is called: "Flying Triangles." It was hard to sew. I wouldn't do an entire quilt of these blocks, unless I resorted to making triangles out of the parallelograms. Not only did I have to stitch perfectly straight 1/4-inch seams in one direction, but I had to miter corners and continue stitching perpendicular to my original seam! I did it though...with only a few minor goofs that I really don't think are visible. What says you?

Did you see my shadow??? I decided that I wasn't going to feature my bathroom this time. I figured the dog-hair covered stairs were much more attractive for showcasing the 80's flash dance. *Grin* It was late, Abby was tired...but still curious. I told her she couldn't come down the stairs so she sighed, layed out, and stared at me. (She likes to be on top of your feet or at your heels regardless of what you're trying to accomplish. Hence, my shadow --- helps that she's mostly black, too.)

She's probably all tuckered out from her heinous stalking episode yesterday. She likes to chase birds. I like to watch her chase birds. It's funny. She's old. I never figured she'd catch a bird! In the early evening I heard a whole lot of frantic chirping and commotion from down under the deck, then several birds shot out, with Abby in hot pursuit (I kid you not -- HOT pursuit!). All of a sudden one bird, a decent size robin, faltered. The Abinator somehow managed to tackle it, and was munching on feathers by the time I got off the phone with my dad, hollered for Dan, and ran out in the backyard. Dan robbed Abby of her spoils and I stared at her with digust and horror. She had the grace to look ashamed, but with feathers hanging out of her mouth........I can't say she was really all that repentent. *Sigh* I am harboring a murderous fugitive!

p.s. Here's a close-up of the Prairie Braid from yesterday. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out:

V is for Valerie...

...and [block] Victory, among other things! A couple friends and I are embarking upon a quilting adventure. We've formed a sewing group called "Sew Inclined" and want to make gift and donation quilts for folks in our area. Our first project is a 15-block sampler that we are making in memory of a dear lady from church. She passed away last year but not without leaving quite a legacy! We each have our own special memories of her, and wanted to honor her in a tangible way. We're giving the completed quilt to her daughter.

This is my first block for the quilt:

I can't say I was overly excited about the fabric when we put them together at the store. It sort of struck me as 80's throwback and, well, dusty. :o) I was pulling for a smattering of green, rust, tan, and turquoise blue -- but wouldn't you know, an independent voter tilted the balance. *Grin* So, since we're a group [and I dare say, want to stay friends], compromise is the key! We're going with 80's frump, but the blocks can be whatever style we want --- just have to be 12.5" unfinished. Cool, cool, cool! And, as long as I keep the larger floral blue away from the smaller, more dusty version I think I can handle these fabrics. *Grin*

My inspiration came from a combination of sources. The April/May '09 edition of Quilt Magazine featured an appliqued cherry quilt with a braided border, designed by Karen DuMont. I didn't like the quilt, per se, but I loved the idea of "braiding" quilt fabric. I dog-eared the page and moved on... Then a couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon this quilting bee block posted by Katy at rippingoutseams (I sense a kindred spirit already...) Genius!

Dan helped me draft my own version of the block with his AutoCAD program (engineers are SO useful!) and size it for the dimensions of our quilt. I dutifully sat and listened to his explanation of the CAD program.......but, dear Dan, forgive me: my mind was on piecing the block! I may need a refresher course at a later date. I do see the potential of the CAD program for drafting quilting patterns. I just was too eager to begin sewing last night to grasp its myriad fine features. :o)

[Yes, that's my bathroom. Yes, that's tape. And yes, I taped my quilt block to the bathroom mirror....at 1:30 in the morning. It was the only place in the house I could think of with good lighting. I didn't feel the basement bulbs were showcasing all that glorious 80's color as well as they could be!]

I debated about creating a tutorial for this block, but really, it's not difficult and obviously the braiding technique is nothing new. Katy put together her own tutorial earlier this week, and Quilt magazine featured theirs in print ---- why waste the time re[drawing] the wheel? I also didn't snap pictures as I went 'cause I was too giddy trying to get the block done before dawn! But, for those who are interested, here are my cutting measurements (including a 1/4-inch seam allowance.)

For a 12" finished block

1. Outside Ring = Cut two 12.5"x2" strips + two 9.5"x2" strips
2. Inner Ring = Cut two 9.5"x2" strips + two 6.5"x2" strips
3. For the Braid = Cut four 6.5"x2" strips each from three coordinating fabrics [12 strips total]. It helps to lay out the braid strips before you piece. I made sure there was one each of the coordinating fabrics in between repeats of any particular fabric. You'll sew the strips together, beginning at the top and working down, and then cut a 6.5" square from the resulting braid.
   
   **A note for the 1/4-inch seam challenged --- Dan assured me my strips need be no longer than 6.5" but I found I didn't have much wiggle room when it came to cutting my left/right sides down to 6.5". Maybe a quarter inch total and had I known that when sewing, I would've been really nervous! Go with 7" to be safe, unless you're a perfect seamer.

I have my next two blocks for the quilt planned out, but I don't know if I'm going to sew them immediately or not. Our group goal for the month was to have a single block completed by August 1st. We only picked out our fabric yesterday....I guess I'm a bit of an overachiever! *Grin*

Block #2 is a fancier pinwheel using three fabrics. Block #3 is a layout I saw in an advertisement for a quilt piece cutter thing. I don't remember what the product is called, but it sort of die-cuts fabric into a variety of shapes. One of the blocks featured had a center square set on point, then a scrappy border of triangles and parallelograms (so much fun to type, so much fun to say!), and finally bi-color triangles at each outside corner. Yes, yes, yes.....my faithful Dan --- he drafted both patterns for me. The CAD. ;o)

Sorry...no sneak peeks. You've already seen the fabric. It can only get better from here! :o)

Guidelines...

...I'm in the process of making the 5 & Dime Quilt from "All Washed Up." I saw a sample on display at my local fabric store and decided it was a simple enough pattern, but would let me showcase a lot of fun fabrics. I chose paisley (of course!), browns, greens, and creams --- the fabric has a great sheen to it.........and, a departure for me: shiny gold accents! I hate gold. I love this fabric. [Yes, I know --- where are the pictures? I promise, they're coming!]

Back to the whole point of this post: GUIDELINES. The pattern boasted that I could cut the fabric out in 10 minutes (hence the "dime" in the pattern title) and I suppose I came close. Then came the laying out. I'm fairly certain that took me much longer than 5 and 10! It would seem I'm a budding perfectionist. As I began laying out the fabric, I rebelled. I made my quilt shorter, skipped the "focus fabric" panels, and all of a sudden started cutting down the rows, adding borders, and (gasp) even a header. A nod to the printer in me... Suddenly "5 & Dime" became a shadow of itself. Or maybe a distant cousin, 'cause I think the new look is fabulous! I can't take credit for the cutting instructions or even the beginnings of the layout, but I'm definitely pleased with my points of departure. I am thinking of calling the final piece "Deep in the Woods" or maybe "A Tree Grows...in Cedar Springs." Heheheheh... Ah, and instead of a focus fabric panel, I'm free-motion quilting BARK. Yes, me. The novice quilter is tackling free-motion quilting. And it is ever a challenge. I'm almost embarrassed to post photos. Oh. *Grin*


P.S. Do you like my signature? I'm really hoping Dan will think it's authentic -- I mean, it's about the correct SIZE, right D?

The reality...

...of the situation is: it's Monday and I'm back to work! :o) I don't mind though --- the weekend was busy, busy, busy and I am enjoying the predictable nature of my job. Something comforting about this whole "9 to 5" thing. *Grin*

My eye...

...is on you! But it's ok, my eye is nice. It doesn't bite, either. And yes, I do have two of them.

Tuesday...

...is "Meatloaf Day" in Dan's dreams. In my dreams, Tuesday is the third day of the week. *Grin* I jest on the meatloaf part. I don't make meatloaf. I hate meatloaf. Ham loaf. Now you're talking. I love ham loaf. I make ham loaf. I eat ham loaf. I dream of ham loaf. I guess Tuesdays could be "Ham Loaf Day" from now on...

However, this Tuesday is neither Meatloaf Day nor Ham Loaf Day. This Tuesday is "Aunt Valerie is Watching Drew Boo and the Queen E Day" which makes this Auntie quite happy!

Off to be loved unconditionally. With bribes. And DVDs. And "Cookin' Cookies," 'cause aunts always have really, really cool toys. At least this auntie does!

Ever seen "Cookin' Cookies" ?? It's a cute game I picked up at Meijer a couple years ago and my niece loves it. I love it. Dan loves it. It's for ages 4 and up. *Grin* You get to wield an extendable spoon with a suction cup on the end. What's not to love?? I have four other games in the series, including another favorite: Slamwich. Which is like "Slap Jack" only better, 'cause you're hunting for sandwich toppings and aunts. Errr...I mean ANTS.


P.S. You do not want the Rotten Egg, no matter what Ella tells you! It's bad, and makes you lose all your cookies. Hehehehe....

Perhaps...

...you're wondering. So, I'll tell you. When I say "We're reading 'Flowers for Algernon' currently," I mean I take the book along in the car and I proceed to read it out loud to Dan. Yes, I read books out loud to my husband in the car. And no, he's not four. It's something I started doing before we got married and I've just kept it up. I love to read and I love to hear myself talk [oh, come on...I'm not serious], so it's a cinch I'd love to read out loud. And Dan, well, he's a good listener. ;o)

5 + 3 + 6.5 =

...the cummulative amount of sleep I attained this weekend.

Yikes. *Grin*

Friday night we went to the Getty Drive-in to watch "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Star Trek." Both were good [and long] but kept us out until 4 am! I had to be up by 10 to meet a friend at the south end of town...so no sleeping in or catching up for me. Saturday night was crazy hot and I was wide awake. Since I saw no sleep on the horizon, I picked up a good book and read. Finally dropped off to sleep around 5:30. *Sigh* Up for church and I won't deny I applied my [cold] "green leaves" to get rid of the major baggage I had going on. Hehehe... I love those little things. They came as a freebie when I tried a new botanical line, Liiv, and were a pleasant surprise when my order showed up on the doorstep! Yeah for unadvertised "incentive buys" and yeah for Avon.

Ever been to a horse pull? Makes me every time want to run out and buy a Belgian or a Clydesdale [and grow my hair long below the knees.] They are incredible strong and magnificent! I would very much like to have one...and hitch it to a sleigh in the winter. No, I do not want to go back to the good ol' days --- I just want a BIG horse. *Grin*

Sunday afternoon my little niece, Ella, and I attempted to swim at the lake. The wind and waves were so strong that the boat kept "swimming" away from us. We hustled our little rumps to catch up. She's only three, so the pushing and shoving and clawing through the water to reach the ladder was pretty much up to me. But, she's an adventurer and we always have fun!

Oh, the numbers. Yes, 6.5 last night --- it's the book's fault. I started reading it about 8:00 and just couldn't put it down. The sun about did me in; I was camped out on the couch in the sun and at least a half dozen times my eyes drooped and my head lolled while I was trying to read. Don't worry...for the sake of my book I managed to stay up until 1:00!

Today? [Yawn] I'm good to go!

Laughing out loud...

...and wiping tears from my eyes, too. I love the power of the written word! *Grin*

It's hot...

...hotter than hot. Too hot even for someone like me who likes to be hot! It's only the near-end of June and already I've decided this summer is too hot. Tomorrow........when we get to play outside with the kids from church..........it's supposed to be 90! HOT! And humid! I dislike hot and humid. Hot, Hot, Hot....it's too hot!

::: P O P S I C L E :::

*Grin*

Home!

And happy! :o)

And itching to finish off our walk-out level... I'm sure Dan's thrilled to hear that; I'm having dreams about the finished product. I have grand, glossy magazine images in my mind of what it will look like. Minus dog hair, of course. That's the reality of the situation, but I can pretend it's not there, right? I definitely would like built-ins at one end of the family room. And I would like the field mice to move out. Yes. Mice. Gross. But we live in a field. And fields have field mice. And mice are creatures of comfort. And concrete floors and stud walls are apparently equivocal to comfort in the mind of a mouse. [We're reading "Flowers for Algernon" at the moment -- my life is full of these darn creatures!] So, yes, I am harboring field mice in my house. Unwillingly, but none the less, an accessory to the crime by fact of location. ;o)

Dan gave me the estimate: $4000!

I'm thinking that must be the basics...I might have to downgrade to a single-color matte finish flyer to keep on the downside of that number. ;o)

T-minus TWO days...

...and am I ever counting! Dan and I are flying out early Friday morning for great and glorious WESTERN parts [un]known. We'll be arriving in Rapid City, SD around 10:30 in the morning and setting out on our grand adventure from there.

The Highlights:

• FRIDAY = Badlands National Park (and I must, MUST remember to take Dan to Wall Drug, if only so he can say he's been there and "gets" those WD bumper stickers random people affix to their vehicles). We'll be driving through the Black Hills, obviously, and I'd like Dan to see the Minuteman Missile memorial, too. I figure he'll dig those... We're staying just outside the west side of Rapid City for the evening ---- and aiming to drive to Mt. Rushmore to watch 'em light it up at night! We watched "North by Northwest" in preparation for our Mt. Rushmore visit. ;o)
• SATURDAY = Mt. Rushmore by day; the Crazy Horse memorial (and our visit happens to, crazily enough, coincide with the BIG memorial walk-up-to-the-foot-of-the-memorial walk); and Jewel Cave for a bit of tame tourist spelunking!
• SUNDAY = The Devils Tower National Monument, prairie dog town at the base of the monument, Cody WY (and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center), and, just for V: the Cody Night Rodeo (you have no idea how geeked I am about this!!!)
• MONDAY = Yellowstone via the east entrance. We'll be staying at the Old Faithful Inn right by the spout! *Grin* Ah, and visiting the Fish Bridge and some of the southern parts of the park
• TUESDAY = Yellowstone, again. This time we'll be hitting the northern parts, including the Norris Geyser Basin. Sweetness! And, staying the night in West Yellowstone, MT.
• WEDNESDAY = Sadness. We shall part company with my folks -- they're meeting up with us for the first four days starting with Rushmore. Dan and I are heading northwest into Montana to visit our mission president's cabin at Triple Creek in the Bitterroot Mountain range. Bill grew up in Anaconda, MT about 35 miles west of Butte and co-owns the land with his brother, Jack. He's been building a cabin on the land for several years now and invited us to visit and check out his progress (up to this point, I've only seen it in pictures!) He also gave us some great tips for lunch (debating between Wind's Bakery for pasties and Peppermint Patty's for fried pork croquettes!). *Grin* From Anaconda we'll head back east to Bozeman and the really, really cool Museum of the Rockies on the campus of MSU (that would be, MONTANA State University). And eventually end up in Billings for the night with a stop at Pompeys Pillar (the only "physical evidence" of the Lewis & Clark Expedition).
• THURSDAY = Off to relive the Little Bighorn and Custer's Last Stand. Hehehe...we'll be buying the CD tour version and trekking across the battlefields on our own. Thursday night lands us in historic Deadwood, SD -- at the Hickok's Iron Horse Inn. Quite exicited! Downtown Deadwood is fabulous! Gunfights and all!
• FRIDAY = Gotta visit "Boot Hill" and see Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane's graves. And a visit to the Day of '76 Museum (story of the MODERN cowboy) and Black Hills Mining Museum will keep us busy 'til lunchtime. Then we head on south to Custer State Park for some crazy hairpin turns and tunnels! Staying the night in Custer...
• SATURDAY = Wind Cave! And maybe the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs... There's SO much to see and do in the Black Hills. Now don't laugh...Saturday night we're staying at the KOA in Rapid City. Awhile back our airline called to inform us that there was an overbook situation and would we be willing to get bumped. Our first option was to catch our Saturday flight home all the way to Minneapolis, and then spend 14 hours in the airport waiting for a GR connector. I inquired about changing the ENTIRE leg of the trip and catching a Sunday flight out of Rapid City. Sweetness! Not only do we have an extra day, $250 vouchers for a later flight, and a cheap night at the KOA --- but we also managed to somehow save $5 on a car rental and keep it for an extra day.
• SUNDAY = Homeward bound, and likely ready for it. *Grin*

::: Spinning a Web :::

Sneak peek! This is the beginnings of my mother's (belated) Mother's Day gift. I sort of took on too much at one time. I was in the process of piecing a "Five & Dime" quilt for myself and took a third of the quilt top to my folks' house to show mom. She really liked the fabric and so, unbeknownst to her, I saved all my scraps and am using them to create a [table topper] for her, too. Yes, I know...another table topper. Small and simple, yet: "Never despise meager beginnings!"

And so begins the spiderweb...

I really, really love this fabric! It has "shiny" in it... And I'm digging brown at the moment. And who could argue with paisley???? The backing for my quilt is the dark brown, and eventually I'll do a scrappy binding. But, I digress. Each of the spiderweb blocks for mom's [table topper] will be a series of 4 of the striped triangles. There's a post at Quiltville that shows you how to do paper-pieced spiderwebs, but that scared me. I created my own "kite" template with the help of Quilt It and am piecing directly onto my background fabric. I suppose it's a bit wasteful considering two of the triangle points get cut off------but it's quick and easy and less intimidating than running my needle through paper. *Grin*

Again, with the blank on fabric designers. I'm sure there are some good ones in here, but I'm not a designer junkie --- I'm a fabric lover! I wish you could see the detail better on the light green and cream fabrics. That's GOLD all over...and it's shiny and beautiful!

My foundation fabric + kite. I am pleased with my kite... My finished block size will be 12" --- I made up kites for several other sizes, too. That's what I liked about Quilt It ; I can make spiderwebs in ANY size, not just the size of the available template.

Hopefully I'll have a finished [table topper] to show you soon!

P.S. These are two other spiderwebs that pushed me over the edge --- after seeing these, I knew I had to try my hand at it. Ah, the blissful ignorance of a newbie: Nothing scares me! (Well, nothing that is except paper-piecing...)

::: Tea for Two :::

This is my first ever machine-quilted (anything-quilted, to be honest!) project. I made it for my MIL this past Mother's Day. I can't say the design is unique to me ---- the blocks are a classic pairing: snowball and nine patch. But I selected the fabrics (I suppose there's a designer or two in there, but honestly, I'm not too hyped up on dropping names. I love fabric of any sort!), cut the blocks, assembled without a pattern, and "quilted" (*cough*) my masterpiece. I love the backing fabric, and that pop of green around the edge! My MIL is also fond of tea, if you couldn't tell. So, my offering: Tea for Two!

My favorite phrase to accompany anything I do handmade: DON'T LOOK TOO CLOSE! *Grin* There are at least two wonky seams, both of which I guess I could've fixed, but I was lacking in the motivation department. Gives it character, thinks me!

I chose to do "in the ditch" quilting because it was my FIRST experience with quilting. Have I got a lot of improving to do! I'm pleased enough with the way the [table topper] turned out and I happen to know that my MIL was quite taken with it, too. My guess is she's more touched by the effort than the result, although I did notice the topper made its debut on the living room coffee table.

JUST DON'T LOOK TOO CLOSE! *Grin*

Nothing like a garage sale...

...to jumpstart the "local" economy! Or, *cough* fund the souvenir purchasing for a certain upcoming vacation. ;o) I took the day off work tomorrow so I can sit home and sell-sell-sell! I'm quite excited because my sister-on-the-ins is coming over to help-------and just happens to be bringing Drew Boo and the Big E along with her. This auntie is more than geeked!

And, just to keep on the ins with all my "ins"........today is a very special day for someone married to someone's little brother:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lisa!

My productive weekend...

...somehow managed to evade me! I meant to upload pictures of my sewing endeavors and start the week off on an "accomplished" note. Given my pic-less post, obviously this is not going to be the case. I spent the weekend playing with Ella (we flew my kite --- oh, fun!), attended a wedding reception for out-of-town friends, and "successfully" (!?) managed not to sort through the house for our impending garage sale. This Friday - yikes! I also added three more "to do's" to an already-too-long list, without crossing anything off.

*Sigh*

Where'd my Sharpie go????

P.S.

I've got a few quilting/sewing WIPs that I plan to toss up here and am quite excited about expanding the horizons of "A Day in May." I'm not an expert seamstress and to call me a quilter is a joke ---- but it's a hobby I am fast falling in love with, if for no other reason than I dig funky fabric! I shan't ruin the surprise, but *hint, hint* I've got a wedding quilt, a table runner, three ME quilts, and a birthday gift waitin' in the wings. Wahoo!

Subject: Marriage Tech Support

...because I enjoy a good laugh now and then!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity.

Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting & Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6 no longer run, crashing the system whenever selected.

I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!

Thanks,
A Troubled User

(SEE REPLY BELOW)

______________________________________

REPLY:

Dear Troubled User:

This is a very common problem about which men are complaining. Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run EVERYTHING!!! It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall or purge the program files from the system once installed.

You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony/Child-Support. I recommend that you keep Wife 1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software augmentation.

The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.

Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high-maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2.

However, be very careful how you use these programs. Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag Nag 9.5. Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0!

WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstance, install Secretary with Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,
Tech Support

The weekend...rewound.

Friday Night (high)Lights - Worked late; made dinner late; stayed up late

Saturday Soundings - Got the brilliant idea of creating a raised garden bed for my heirloom rhubarb. Mom's plants had to be moved pending the impending house building, and a couple "split" when she and dad dug them up. Now they're mine! The raised bed was supposed to look something like castle turrets with little pathways in between. I wanted three circles with straight rows connecting them. That way I can plant the rhubarb in the "towers" and put annuals (or maybe herbs) in the rows that go between. My raised bed looks more like Mickey Mouse's head! :o) We moved the bed at least 4 times in the process of making it "even" --- my obsession, not Dan's. From the middle of the yard, it looked ok. Then I'd move a foot or two in one direction --- ack! So Dan would dutifully move my blocks. Then I wandered up the house --- ack! The blocks moved again. And so on.... :o) Beyond that, I shopped; I baked; I plotted for a surprise birthday party; I read; I did laundry; and I sadly stayed away from my guilt-in-process (I intended to type 'quilt' but guilt is probably more Freudianly appropriate in this case!). I think I stayed up late again. Yup, 'til 3:00 reading a really good book!

Sunday Surprises - My boss preached at church - surprise! I found ranch-themed balloons for our party - surprise! The white and silver balloons look the same when you inflate them - surprise! I figured out at 3:30 in the afternoon that I would need to pick up the cake 'cause the cake lady (and dear, dear one from church) wasn't able to make the party - surprise! The ice cream made it to church without melting - surprise! I forgot about drinks for the party - surprise, Pink Lemonade Mix in the pantry! I forgot the candles - surprise, the dollar store carries GOLD candles! "Light the candles when I start the testimony" - surprise, Lori and Amy's voices surprisingly sound quite similar. Surprise - we're going to sing all THREE verses of the hymn while you stand in the aisle holding a lit birthday cake! And, best of all: "SURPRISE!" Our surprise party was actually a surprise -- so much so that Sherrie sat down in the row of chairs so we could deliver the cake to someone else! Hehehehe. I love surprises...for other people, that is. Me, I'm a sort-of-like-to-know-what's-going-down kind of gal. *Grin*

Typos thankfully caught before posting:

• 'Guilt' for quilt - but I left it, because it was fitting. :o)
• 'Lie' for like
• 'Dig' for did
• 'Gall' for gal
• 'Suprise' for surprise
• 'Fruedian' for Freudian

: : : Grin : : :

: : : The Cross Before Me : : :

Have I ever told you...

...about my friend, Sherlock? I found him this morning in a sad state -- hanging from a bungee cord on the the bathroom door, his statement of guilt neatly written on an orange Post-It note as a warning for all others of his kind who dare to get out of line. I find it hard to believe he was tried by a jury of his peers. I assume a lynching took place within the walls of my peaceful home under the cloak of darkness.

Really? I've never mentioned him? Good grief! Then I must...

Sherlock is my beloved space heater -- his people are the Holmes of Aisle 12 at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I received him as a gift from a friend and we've been inseparable ever since (Sherlock and I, that is). He is gray and black, stands about a foot tall, and contently makes my linen closet his humble abode. We are rarely apart in the winter, often traveling together from bathroom to basement and all points in between. Much to the chagrin of my husband. Who is jealous of Sherlock. Terribly so!

I won't go into great detail, but if you're ever over to the house and can't find me, head on up to the bathroom. I give you my permission. Nine times out of ten you'll find me perched on a folded up bath towel sitting in front of Sherlock reading a good book. The tenth time, well...maybe you should knock first, just to be safe. *GRIN* Dan frequently complains about the sauna-like interior of our bathroom, but to me, it's a beautiful thing! He also looks at Sherlock in a decidedly unfriendly way. I should have been more discerning of that look...

Last night when readying myself for bed I happened to glance over toward the window. *GASP* There was my beloved Sherlock sitting next to the toilet wearing an upside-down trash can! The toilet?! A trash can?! Oh that Dan. He'd already gone to bed so I decided I'd show him good. I took a pair of his boxers and a GB Packers ball cap and put them on Sherlock. Then I set Sherlock on the toilet, lid down of course, and giggled to myself as I climbed into bed. The only problem I could foresee was if Dan discovered Sherlock in the middle of the night. That could be scarring, for Sherlock most assuredly! Grinning to myself I fell asleep with visions of my outraged husband discovering a space heater sitting on the toilet wearing his boxers. Hehehehehe.... I had thought about adding socks and Dan's shoes, but was too tired to carry out my plan so thoroughly.

When I woke up this morning and headed toward the bathroom there was poor Sherlock, strung up like a common criminal. During the night he had been discovered and apparently taken to trial while I was sleeping. I kid you not ---- my husband sentenced a space heater to death by hanging and bungee corded it to the bathroom door. The charges: impersonating a human being, usurping a husband's position, and stealing private property.

I wish I would've taken a picture---it was priceless!

Don't worry. I am trained in CPR. Sherlock is very much among the living, no thanks to my husband's dark efforts to rid the world of one of its bright, shining stars. I called Dan to inform him that Sherlock was pressing charges -- for defamation of character. He is most certainly NOT an appliance...

Shame on you, Dan!

So much for the Comment Moderator...

...apparently I forgot I'd set it up as an option! *Grin* I think it stemmed from those random comment postings from "Anonymous" who knew somebody who had a major crush on me. I got tired of policing the wall, so I made it impossible for anybody to post without first coming through me. And then promptly forgot to check the comments altogether! Thanks, though, to Chuck, Amanda, Dan, and Bethany --- my loyal readership it would seem. And Mr. Anonymous. Oh, and Frank Warner, whoever you are. You'll be happy to know that I've approved and published all your comments...........for me to enjoy reading!

The grass might not be greener...

...but in certain parts of Cedar Springs, the air apparently is! :o)

I had a slow leak on my driver's side rear tire that Dan fixed for me the night before last. When I went for a grocery run this afternoon I discovered the air had gone out again! Dan said to stop by Great Day, 'cause they have free air. Hehehe....free air. That's a bit of an oxymoron thinks me. :o) I dropped by GD just to see how good their free air really was. I'm not the best with auto-related fix-its, but I've pumped up a few bike tires in my day so I figured it couldn't be that hard to operate a compressor. I unscrewed the stem cap, tested the fitting on the air hose, pushed the "ON" button, and.....................NOTHING HAPPENED! The squeeze trigger that I was accustomed to seeing wasn't anywhere to be found, and the pressure gauge registered "Nil."

I got on the phone with Dan convinced I must be doing something wrong---nope, what I did should've worked. A guy in a blue Ford pulled up next to me and I figured two heads in person were better than me on a cell phone trying to describe the situtation to Dan. :) My knight in rusty blue Detroit armor agreed to help and wouldn't you know, he began looking for the “pressure handle” that I had searched for as well. It wasn’t there! I don’t know if someone broke it, or if we just didn’t know what we were doing (me, I could concede that might be true—but this guy looked like he knew his way around a vehicle). His comment as he walked away: “That sucks.” :o) However, I should've known better than to ask for help from someone who drives a Ford. I discovered that in the process of trying to help me, my "knight" let out a TON of air in my tire, leaving it pretty much flat at that point! :o)

Annoyed with GD's free air, I limped over to Speedway and determined to use theirs. I ended up having to wait in line while a man filled ALL of his tires (no doubt to President Obama’s tire inflation standards), then sit in his car, adjust his mirrors, put on his seat belt, rev up his engine, and finally roll away…only to discover that the air at Speedway is apparently more pure than GD as it costs $0.75 per use. :o)

Grumbling, I headed across the street to the bank because, of course, I had no cash on me. After punching in the wrong pin number (another long story) I retrieved my precious monies and decided to snub Speedway in favor of BP. Pulling up to the dispenser (and passing our Schwan delivery man in the process) I discovered that Speedway and BP must get their air from the same source---and obviously it's not God. I ran inside with my $20 to get change. The gal behind the counter was in deep conversation with, well, I shall call him Gas Man. It was a "He said, she said" kind of exchange and I tried not to look impatient. :o) I waited. She gave me change. I ran back out, put my money in, selected “Air” (my other choice was "Vacuum" -- tempting!), attached the hose to my tire stem, and squeezed the trigger.

Nothing happened.

The machine, I thought, ate my money! *Angry eyebrows* I ran back inside mumbling and grumbling by this time to tell the gal at the front desk what happened—successfully interrupting her conversation with G-Man again. :o) She punched in a bunch of buttons, said something about, “I don’t know why that thing runs fine all day and then somebody unplugs it,” and gave me my money back with the promise to send somebody out to check the machine. I heard her mention a plug so I went back out armed with my replacement $0.75 and searched for a plug.

Eureka! :o)

I filled my tire without incident, ran back inside to return the change since the machine was working, and got an unpleasant look as I interrupted BP's conversation with the Big G yet a third time. And now my tires are all riding high!

Goes to show that while the grass might not always been greener on the other side, for $0.75 you can have three minutes of the cleanest air you only ever dreamed of breathing!

Oh to be...

...in first grade again. :o)

I'm teaching junior church for the month of February and having a swell time of it! Psalm 48:1 was our verse for last week and every time I say it, I want to SHOUT it.

OUR GOD IS GREAT,

AND OF GREAT POWER!

The focus of our month, if you couldn't guess, is the POWER of our God. Last week we studied Jesus' power to protect us. We were in the book of Matthew looking at Peter's experience of walking on water. For an object lesson, I had the kids scour the classroom looking for one object they felt certain would float, and one they were sure would sink. Then we held a "Sink or Swim!" contest and dropped our objects in one at a time. In case you're curious, Popsicle sticks and half empty bottles of Elmer's glue float while sea shells, action figures, and paper cups that Valerie "gently" nudges do not. :o) This week past we were in the book of Luke looking at Jesus' power to provide --- our subject was the 5,000+ people Jesus miraculously fed with a young boy's lunch of 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. We "broke bread" with a knock-off version of Goldfish....errrr...whales. Bible-worthy "fish and loaves" in a convenient pre-packaged form!

While I love the creative part of preparing visuals for my kids and helping them make sense of the message of the Bible, I can't help but think that each lesson in the book is a lesson God wants to teach or remind me of, too. More often than not, the week's theme is something that hits close to home. Take last week's lesson of God's power to protect. The "Michael & Emily" story that accompanied the unit was about God shielding a family on their way home from church on icy roads. I immediately was reminded of two accidents in my own life -- two that had very different outcomes, yet God's protection was evident in each case. The first, I've written about before. It's been 2 years, 2 months, and 3 days since my parents and brother Jim were hit head-on by a drunk driver. Life will never be the same, yet the God who protects is here and was there that day. I can testify to God's power in my life because He has demonstrated it in undeniable ways. The second accident happened just this past Christmas. I was driving Dan and I to church on Christmas morning and came to a spot on the road with open field on both sides. The wind blowing over the road had polished the surface to an icy smooth finish. I hit the ice, lost control of the car, did a 360 (with my eyes shut), and we landed in the ditch. I remember crying out, "Oh God!" as we started into the spin. And He heard me! We were stuck, but safe --- and help in the form of Dad's 4-wheel drive came within 10 minutes. Sometimes I'm none too quick to submit myself to the purpose and plan God has, but ultimately, He's in control and the safest place to be is in His hand. I won't be guaranteed freedom from trials and suffering, but I have the confidence my God will protect and preserve me.

This week's lesson, no way a coincidence. I've been reviewing our annual budget for the past month and it has been a source of some frustration. I am not discontent with where we're at --- I'm grateful for all God has blessed us with --- but (I realize there shouldn't be a 'but' there, just keep reading...) am concerned financially-speaking as to how we'd ever make it on a single income if something were to happen to one of us. It would be impossible! *Enter Junior Church* "For with God, nothing shall be impossible." I kid you not. That was this week's verse to accompany the lesson. And we talked about God's power to provide. Maybe I ought to teach junior church every week, instead of every three months! :o)

I am fairly certain I could stock a library with books that solely record what God has done in my life! My God is great, and of great power -- and He demonstrates His loving provision toward me, toward each one of us, daily. All I have to do is look around me...

The Wonder We Call FRIDAY

I am excited. It's Friday. I am tired and have been looking forward to Friday all week long. I don't usually wish my weeks away, but this week in particular I've been busy, feel incredibly bushed, and have had a lot on my mind. And, I haven't watched a John Wayne flick since New Year's! :o)

• Last Saturday was an all-day conference in Morrice MI (center of the state, just north of Lansing) for Word of Life local church ministries. I'm a part of the WOL Olympian team at church and as such pretty much had to go. It was an ok conference; not the best I've ever been to. I gleaned a few good things from the sessions, learned a lot from my team about how they view the good/bad/ugly about our program, and got creative with the buffet lunch. Dinner at Bob Evans on the way home would've been less than memorable if our waiter's service hadn't been SO memorable. I sure hope it was his first night because everything from the drink orders on down to splitting the bills was goofed up royally. My crepes were excellent, can't complain! :o) And then I read a book...with my space heater Sherlock....until late into the night.
• Sunday was my first day teaching children's church -- the lesson was on our God's great power, as see in Jesus' walking on the water. I had a good morning; I enjoy teaching and being creative....but the prep takes time! After children's church I manned the kitchen along with the other gals for our luncheon. Things went pretty smoothly -- and two ladies asked for my enchilada recipe. Hehehehe.... I spent the afternoon service doing dishes with Lori and my mom, while Dad kept sneaking back for coffee. Then, I skipped the Super Bowl. *Gasp* I went to mom and dad's to watch the Food Network. It was a much better Super Bowl Sunday doing it that way in my opinion. :o) But, it was not early to bed!
• Tuesday was High Noon at the "Celebrating the Classics" screening. I love that movie! Em and Amanda were there, and Dad, mom, Dan, Tom and I took up the front row handicapped side. Dad typically takes his wheelchair ino the theater. I enjoy the simple things in life --- and it doesn't get any better than $2.50 big screen movies! Dinner afterward turned into a political showdown and yet another late-to-bed for V.
• Wednesday I got my first ever crown "installed" --- certainly less traumatic than having the temporary put on two weeks ago. :o) I really dislike the dentist. Not the dentist, but going to the dentist. I hate it!
• Thursday was planning for our ten year high school reunion. Stop. Thing about that. Yup, I'm old --- and enjoying it! So much has happened in the last ten years. Some things I suppose I would change if I could, but I can't and I recognize that God uses all of it to mold me into the "earthen vessel" I ought to be.
• Tonight, tonight is free. Tonight is do laundry, so technically not free. :o) And make "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich" for my D. And maybe, just maybe, I'll talk my honey into going to see The Pink Panther 2 with me!
• Tomorrow, tubing or bowling....the weather calls the shots on that one. :o)

Being busy sure does wear a body out!

: : . Celebrating the Christ of Christmas . : :

BLOGGING: "Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few."

*Grin*

So why am I posting? Because it's nearing the end of 2008 and I just realized I haven't posted one solitary item on "A Day In May" this year! :o) That, and we had a wonderful lesson in Olympian Club on what's so special about Christmas. I thought it an appropriate post given the season we are entering.

The meaning of Christmas:

• CHRIST = the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God
• MAS = "to celebrate"

So, as we enter the Christmas season, we ought to do so with the recognition that we are Celebrating Christ!

How do we celebrate Christ?

1. PRAY to Him! Thank Him for being born as a baby so long ago. Thank Him for living like one of us. Thank Him for not letting the cup pass from Him (Luke 22:42) -- thank Him for His great love, a love that took Him to the Cross in our place. Thank Him for His power over death -- His resurrection and promise to those who trust in Him of their eternal hope.
2. WORSHIP Him! This Christmas season, don't get carried away with the spirit of the holiday; rather, worship Jesus, the reason for the holiday, in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Praise Him. Spend time with Him. Serve Him. Love Him. Honor Him. And remain steadfast in Him.
3. POINT OTHERS to Him! This struck me in particular as Laureen shared the lesson. Do the items I put out around my house at Christmas demonstrate my love and devotion to Jesus? Or are they simply trinkets of a secular holiday? I bought a 3-headed snowman for the top of my tree this year (I know, it sounds odd...but I promise you it was cute in the box!) Something about having it at the top of my tree didn't set right. My star is back in place, and after Wednesday's lesson, I hope I can use it to tell others about the night Jesus came. It's my reminder of God's faithfulness and His great gift. Of the bright Light He sent into the world that very first Christmas night. Dan's small group lesson also struck me as powerful. My girls, we talked about these three points -- Dan went a step further and encouraged his boys to give gifts to Jesus that He would like. What are those gifts? A life surrendered to Him; time given in love and service; an obedient spirit; a humble attitude; all the things Scripture teaches us as followers of Jesus. The wise men brought significant gifts to Jesus, reflecting who He is. We, too, ought to offer up gifts of ourselves that are worthy of our Great Savior.

What a neat lesson! What a powerful reminder of what Christmas truly is about. Not Santa Claus and Rudolph and cookies and caroling and mistletoe. Those are all nice things, but they shouldn't be the motivation for why we stop on December 25th every year and "Celebrate Christ."

May you experience the comfort of His love, the joy of His salvation, and the peace of His presence this Christmas and in the New Year!

2007...

...rewound!

JANUARY--My dad spent the majority of January in and out of the hospital with a dangerous infection in his right foot. Several surgeries (and weeks later) the doctors felt confident they had the situation under control. I opted out of classes for the spring, choosing instead to focus on being around the house to help out and plan for an upcoming wedding...MINE! Oh, and Ella turned 1 and I turned 26. :o) Work on our kitchen remodel began!

FEBRUARY--Dad, again, was in and out of the hospital. A long and trying winter for sure---but the Lord's grace was sufficient. Dad is non-weight bearing until at least April. We transfer him from his living room hospital bed to the wheelchair using a slide board and picnic tablecloth. My brother Jim turned 29. Dan and I celebrated Valentine's Day a little oddly---I sent him off to work with a GIANT box containing gifts to be opened on the hour for every hour he was there. :o) Of course, work on the kitchen remodel continues...

MARCH--This month contained yet more surgeries for my dad, the biggest being a FULL hip replacement. It was a very painful experience and still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. He had been through SO much already; the hip replacement was a definite blow considering all the progress we had been seeing. THREE wedding showers this month--West Cannon, Maranatha, and my family's side. Busy, busy, busy---but still NOT participating in the countdown. :o) Yes, work on the kitchen marches on...

APRIL--nothing great or exciting to report..... ;o) Oh, so not serious! Dad is making progress--weight bearing on one leg by the beginning of the month; cleared for full weight bearing two days BEFORE our wedding. His first "walk" since the accident (over 6 months!) is a practice run down the aisle at church with his physical therapist. He was bound and determined to give me away standing up...and not just standing up, but standing after walking me down the aisle. Again, the Lord's grace was there, abundantly! Amy planned an awesome "Girls' Getaway" in lieu of a bachelorette party---we spent the weekend in Traverse City and had so much fun! Dan and I were married in a small evening ceremony at West Cannon on Arbor Day (April 27). Herman's Boy of Rockford provided the yummy food and desserts; Scott VanRyn and crew took care of running the show. It was a wonderful night! We spent our first night AT HOME! What a delight! We installed a shower curtain rod, delivered our own wedding gifts, and did other romantic things. :o) Then off for a week-long honeymoon in Michigan's UP at the Northern Exposure cabin. We hiked, toured historic sites, visited Whitefish Point, L'Anse/Baraga, and pretty much every waterfall in the county! An overnight stay at Mackinaw on the way home was a welcome end to a wonderful week.

MAY--Getting settled in and finishing up big projects. One of our major undertakings was to plant a lawn. We began with rock picking...and kept at it until the end of the month! :o) Lots of decorating work going on inside---still a wimp about nailing anything on the wall.

JUNE--Work continues on the lawn...mainly watering at this point and coaxing those little sprouts to GROW! :o) Hanging out, working on our cedar fence---lots of home projects take up our spare time. Dad has shoulder surgery for the second time--TWELVE WEEKS of no movement. It's a tough summer for all of us... :o( Celebrated Tom's 23 birthday at First Wok...we seem to be there a lot this year. The wait staff is starting to show up in our pictures as "family"! :o)

JULY--we celebrated the 4th of July up at the lake with my parents. Mom, dad, and I sat on the pontoon boat out in the middle of the lake. Dan lit fireworks with Jim and Tom at the Fase's cottage. I prefer to safety of gallons of water to the "delight" of misfires! We also honored Dan's 26th birthday with a weekend camping venture to test out our tent. I'm told we can't call it camping 'cause we weren't roughing it enough, but in my book sleeping in a tent = camping regardless of how close you are to the bathrooms! :o)

AUGUST--was huge as far as milestones go. I booked camping sites at Petoskey for mom & dad and for us. Jim modified the trailer so Dad could get in and out on his own---and use the bathroom facilities more easily. EVERYBODY eventually made it up at some point during the week. It was a special trip, but also a trip that reminded us just how much things have changed. The Lord will provide...He will strengthen! An email from my advisor/dean at the Seminary set me back on course for graduation in 2008. I am retaking two classes with one more for the spring. Labor Day was lazy....and spent working on the fence. :o)

SEPTEMBER--a belated wedding gift from Dan's grandpa & Doris had us flying out to Denver CO on the 14th. We drove the state and saw pretty much everything that was of interest. :o) We visited Bishop's Castle in Beulah; the Professional Bull Rider's Museum and Cowboy Hall of Fame in Colorado City; the B-24 International Bomber Museum in Pueblo; Wolf Creek Pass; Silverton; Durango; drove the Million Dollar Highway and had dinner in the moutains; explored three of the many cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde; went on a tour of the Old 100 mine; ventured into a ghost town; experienced Hovenweep, both the BIG ruins and the outlying ones too; climbed through Arches National Park in Moab, along with a half-day visit to The Canyonlands; spent a night with Dan's aunt & uncle in Loma; and wandered back to Denver where we visited the aquarium downtown. What a trip! :o) We transferred our church membership from West Cannon to Maranatha--a big step for us. Also BIG on the list were mom & dad's 34th wedding anniversary on the 28th and Tom & Lisa's wedding on the 30th. Lots of family in town--lots of catching up!

OCTOBER--nothing much stands out; Dad is still making progress, walking a bit more with the help of his canes. We're back full-swing with the Olympian club at church--Dan is leading the 1st/2nd grade boys and I'm tackling the 1st/2nd grade girls along with Sherrie's help. We had trunk treat night at church--about 12 kids came out for it. We also held our first ever "Great Pumpkin" celebration, complete with a carving contest and road rally. We decided this would be a good opportunity to invite our new friends from Maranatha. Also, a young adult class at church has started up---Dallas from the office teaches it. Nice to be with folks our own age and get to know people better!

NOVEMBER--the fence is almost finished...the gates are not. :o) I visited Brooke this weekend along with Emily. Had my first ever Ikea experience---not exactly what I envisioned, but I found some neat things for the house. Think I'll stick to Ikea catalog shopping in the future. :o) Thanksgiving was at Jim & Maureen's this year, with Maureen's folks over too. I made LOTS of cakes and goodies...and ended up bringing quite a bit home with me. We spent Thanksgiving afternoon/evening with Dan's family. Thankfully, no, we did NOT have to eat another Thanksgiving dinner. :o) The days are counting down for my semester to end and I'm not nearly as far along as I should be....but "good news" by way of a review of my college transcripts revealed a transfer equivalency equal to three credits. THIS IS MY LAST SEMESTER if I can pass all my classes.

DECEMBER--a crazy month indeed! Celebrated mom's birthday at First Wok (two years in a row now) a couple days early 'cause Dad was scheduled for foot/hip surgery on the actual day. I worked feverishly to get my schoolwork done and yet more grace was shown. I passed BOTH classes with A-ish final grades and, sheepishly, admit to doing most of the semester's work in the last two weeks before classes ended. YIKES! That was a HUGE amount of work and a HUGE burden lifted. I am officially a Seminary graduate--I'll walk and get my degree in May of 2008. Dan's folks took us out to Logan's in honor of the occasion. Then a couple days later Em, Amanda, and I met up for our annual Christmas celebration...at Logan's this year. :o) The day after we met up with Amy, JANINE (!!!!), and Brooke at Celebration for a movie and my first-ever trip to Jimmy John's 'gourmet sandwich eatery.' Not fabulous, but good, good, good fellowship! We celebrated Dad's birthday/Christmas Eve with the Fabbris---lots has changed there. Dan and I opened our presents Christmas Eve...I went to bed early, feeling a bit under the weather. Christmas morning Dan trundled off to church without me--just felt ick! By mid-morning I was up and feeling up to going to Christmas. We spent the morning with my family and the afternoon with Dan's. Lots of fun---I love this time of year, as we reflect on the greatest gift ever given and have the opportunity to give gifts ourselves. Christmas night the Hulbers gathered again at First Wok (again) for what is fast-becoming a neat holiday tradition.

And with that, I find myself here--staring down another New Year that I will likely celebrate just like all the others: by going to bed at 10:00! :o)

Merry Christmas to all----may the New Year find you well!

80 Degrees in October...

...and other anomalies. :o)

• My dad "failed" the balance test---he is an endangerment to himself and the public at large. I find this conclusion slightly hysterical, especially considering 11 months ago he was injured in an auto accident to the point that walking again was questionable at best. He has spent months recuperating to be at the point he is today---I'd say the mere fact he is WALKING (albeit unsteady) is proof that the balance test is dumb. :o) That, and picturing my dad "domino-ing" the public at large sets me to grinning!
• My little brother (of 23) was married yesterday! I also find this funny in a strange sort of way since now BOTH of my brothers technically got married before me. Yes, I got married in April of this year, beating Tom on the calendar, but he and Jim both walked the aisle at 23 and I waited 'til I was 26. :o)
• My parents are empty-nesters. Don't let this designation fool you---all of their children live within 15 minutes of them and we darken the doors every chance we get. It just seems at every turn we are making adjustments and trying new things. I think about my mom a lot and pray for her too---she's spent 29 years raising three kids...now we're all grown up and moved out. What's a mom to do?
• We have a gate-less fence. I'm sure it perplexes the neighborhood--why go to all the expense and effort of building a fence, and then not install gates? We wonder that too. :o)
• We have 896 pictures of Colorado...and enough stories to last us a lifetime. How anyone can take that many pictures is beyond me, but leave it to Dan to do it! I'll just enjoy piecing together the book of memories. :o)
• I'm in the process of losing two teeth. No, not baby teeth---wisdom teeth, though that in itself is misleading. If I were wise, I would've had them pulled years ago but I stubbornly held onto them. Actually, I think it was more of a case of being scared to death to have them pulled; I figured I could just keep them and live with crooked teeth. Not so--dentist says they must go! :o)