Still Alive

No knitting lately--my wrists and arms seem to have been hurting off and on for the past month or so. Probably because I have to do a lot more typing now (working two days a week as a church secretary and making two newsletters that total about 24 pages every month). I suppose I should see someone about that, huh? Or maybe I'll just get some comfort from some precious kittens at home instead!

I don't think Dan will let me name him Squishy McSnookersons, but maybe I could call him Frank instead.

I've been thinking of naming her Myrtle or Madge.

I'm not sure what to name him, but he might become my parent's kitten, so I'll let them handle that--I've got 12 others to worry about . . . and speaking piles of kittens.

They're getting bigger everyday.

On other subjects . . .

We made 12 batches of maple syrup this year totaling over 70 quarts. Pretty good for a couple of amateurs.

Had a campfire a little while back. I had fun taking pictures of the flames.

The sun was setting as we sat in the pasture enjoying our fire. That was a beautiful night.

More pictures of the goings on around my place in the last couple months will be coming. I thought putting 20 pictures into one post might be a bit much.

Busy Signals

Crazy, busy life going on right now---sorry no updates for a while---if anyone ever reads this anyway!

Just saw this . . .

Not that this is anything all that new to anyone, but I found it interesting when I saw it on Isela's blog.

If you want to do the same thing just snag it and bold the stuff you've done.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Gone rollerskating

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Acted in a play or performed on stage

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted-not painted, but drawn

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible once

86. Visited the White House

87. Won money

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Had to put someone you love in Hospice Care

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

Umm . . . I don't know if anyone told you, but it's March now

Hey, it has been a while--a long while, but I thought I would let you know I am still here. Instead of trying to sum in in words, I will sum up in pictures.

(except to also say--haven't been at the gallery much as Winter months are always slow and also started a new job two days a week because, ummm, bringing money home is always a good thing especially when we want to eat and do things)

Dan had his 30th birthday in January

His dad also turned 60--we left up the tree until after Dan's birthday because it took a lot of effort to do this one--it involved having it wired to the wall!


We took out the old wood furnace (in the back of the photograh)


And installed this fancy-shmancey-new-fangled wood furnace---it's so purty!

I finished these Plain Jane style toe-up socks. They are knee highs! (and I have now given them to my neice as she saw one of them when they were finished and she seemed to like them a lot--She already plans to wear them to school with a pair of shorts come Spring!)


It has snowed here and Reno likes to stand in picturesque ways out in the barnyard (technically, this is the goat pasture to my way of thinking because when I was little we had dairy goats and it was thus named "the goat pasture" (as opposed to the sheep pasture, except we didn't have a sheep pasture, just sheep and a large pasture--oh, I don't know why anything is named the way it is, I was little and these are my memories, I don't know what they mean) because there is another yard attached to it that is directly behind the barn and that is really the barnyard, so I don't know what to call this part of the pasture--maybe I'll just call it the South Yard)


And Mike likes to sit in picturesque ways on this little sleigh when it is sunny out!


On Valentine's Day Dan and I and the dogs went for a long walk--it was windy and sunny. We had fun even if Dan looked a little silly--you'll notice there are no pictures of me, so nobody can recall how silly I looked.

Other things have happened in the last few weeks (including adding a new cat to the household and having that yellow dog in the background of the last picture run away (Montana loves to run and find new people to have fun with, sometimes she won't come home and this last time even with all of the precautions we had taken to prevent running away she got loose and is gone. Dakota is very sad and howls at night missing her friend--in fact she went searching for her the day Montana ran away and came back home very sad and sore)).

Well, things are looking up anyway and it is about time to make maple syrup again.

Happy New Year!

We spent New Year's Eve at a friends house and had a lot of fun. We got to see a Wii in use which was fun and we played Apples to Apples with our friends and a tweenage girl. We were able to laugh a lot, spend time with people we don't see very often, and even use the 4 wheel drive to get one of the party goers out of the ditch (the driveway is kind of a killer sometimes and it was very icy this year).

New Years Day we slept late and watched a couple of movies and yesterday we moved our water heater to a different spot so that we will be able to put our new furnace in sometime in the next week or two. (It involved redoing plumbing and electrical stuff as well as using a floor jack and balancing a big water heater on a strip of metal). Soon we will have to redo duct work. Fun, fun, fun!

Yesterday and today I am succumbing to a nasty sinus infection and am having trouble thinking much. If I haven't made much sense so far, sorry.

In a weak moment I took a little quiz and here are the results . . .

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Doris!

I've always felt a bit like Doris Day I guess. I am a bit naive sometimes, but I stay that way purposefully. I'd rather look at life with love than with scepticism.

Merry Belated Christmas

Hey all, just a quick note to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. I realize it was 2 days ago, but really the Christmas season lasts until Epiphany (Jan. 6 or is the the 4th--maybe I should actually check things out before I write them) anyway (and doesn't start in mid-Nov or earlier as Walmart would lead us all to believe).

I received a few wonderful things from some very wonderful family members who know me so very well. My brother and sister-in-law (well maybe just my sister-in-law) gave me a giant bag of beautiful wool yarns. My sil used to go to the Yarn Cafe every week for their knit night, so when they went out of business this fall (sadly) she was at least able to help them out by picking up large quantities of yarn (for me of all people--how did she know?).

The other gift that brought tears to my eyes was the item I have stolen so often in the past few years from my dad. He gave me his Canon. I was in shock. (and am hoping that he has plans to replace it with a brand spanking new one very soon) Now, I won't feel guilty grabbing it and taking lots more pictures.

December One, the Year's Almost Done

I feel like Fezzik from The Princess Bride sometimes when I write titles for my posts.
Pretty soon someone is going to say something like, "Stop it, not, I mean it."
and I'll shoot back, "Anybody want a peanut?"

Last week I was thinking about the Tie One On Day and thought, "Hmmm what should I do about it all."

I ended up making a bunch of whole wheat dinner rolls on Sunday afternoon (23rd) and was thinking about how I might be able to get some kind of apron. Now, I currently have three aprons and I am very attached to each one of them, so I was thinking I would go out and buy one. Then thought, "Hmmm, there is no money in my checking account right now and I don't think Dan will consider me getting an apron that essential of a thing to do, so I guess I will have to make one."

Then I remembered all of my mom's old sewing patterns are still at my house (they've never left actually).


And I found her old apron pattern!


With that I looked through my stash of fabric (Tuesday morning--I am a procrastinator after all). And started to work.

I was up all night (because other things had to get done that day too) and I was able to finish it off in time to bring it over to a woman I know who was in need of some encouragement.


I turned out sooooo pretty that I had to take a couple pictures of it!


And now, I have to make one for my mom. (She saw it and now needs one, too).

I am so excited that I was actually able to make something so pretty and this woman I brought it to just loved it (and the bread) so much. She told me that she has really been wanting an apron and doesn't have one!

So that was that and then . . .

Dan and I had a good Thanksgiving weekend. On Thursday we went to his aunt's house for the big Thanksgiving. I would say there were at least 40 people there. (And that wasn't even the whole family). Friday was pretty much a day of resting (I came into work for a couple of hours, though) or rather getting the house ready for my brother's family to stay the night on Saturday. Then Saturday we had my family's Thanksgiving dinner here in town at my parent's apartment. Two of my older brother's and their families came and we had a brief video conference thingy with my other brother's family from Idaho.

Keep thinking of things that we can do to help others out!