It was a little (very crowded with projects) sweat shop this weekend!

But first - we went to Crater Lake this week to meet up with friends from Nebraska.  The last time they had been here was for A&J's wedding - so we took a little show and tell too!!

My time flies fast!!

So happy to be able to meet D&S, they're here visiting new grandsons - yes twins!  They had never been to Crater Lake before and boy were we spoiled by great weather and a gorgeous view.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog!!  This weekend I had such high hopes!  As always!  I had a list of MUST-DO yesterdays!

Summer postcards for two Stashbuster friends.  I found this adorable fabric last year at the Newport Quilt show and just had to have a little!  It first made it's appearance on a notebook cover, And then by squeezing it sideways and lopping off the toes (they weren't painted anyway!) I fit her in.  I love them! And I was able to fit in the 1/2 woman left in the row!  I love to put a little design on the address side too!

Newport Guild supports Quilts of Valor and we picked up the fabric kits for 4 blocks last meeting.  Of course, I couldn't find mine (if something is missing - look in the computer bag!!!)  So it was the last minute to get them done by TODAY!!!  I'm happy to report they went fast!

The Newport guild organized the Memory Garden BOM in 2013.  N had all the copies made, templates printed on freezer paper ... yep, she's a hard act to follow!!  And may I say, my, time went fast!  We signed a "contract" to display the finished quilt by this year!  I received my "dunning" notice and panicked. These are the blocks - now in a small wall quilt for the Silent Auction at the show.  The project I didn't get done this weekend.  But I wanted you to see the blocks - scroll down and see how I interpreted them!

TA-DA!!  I remembered all the gardens I weeded for my mom or planted myself.  The flowers were all in the blocks - or at least some of them could be changed in color to be the ones I wanted.

I had to add Johnny-jump-ups.  Got them from a coloring page out on the web.

And besides the robin, every garden needs a rabbit to entertain and frustrate you!!  We had "Frick and Frack" in Princeton Jct!!

So, watch out when you so innocently ask, "what did you do this weekend?"  You could be in for an hour long slide show and explanation!!  tee-hee!

Beach weekend a success!!

I told you last week that A&J2 and the boys were coming over for the weekend and they did.  We had really good weather for playing on the beach and sitting out on the deck with a beverage! Two little guys, 2 yrs old and 4 yrs old certainly make their presence known!  And a great time was had by all!

First thing we had to do is go down to our beach at low tide. Mr K wasn't too sure about those waves!! Can you hear his little scream??

Yes, it was a little windy - but its the beach in June - we expected that!  Hold on to my hands, so you don't blow away!! Beach Papa has the plan in hand!

If Beach Nana makes a heart, we must come and stand in it!  NOT stomp it, thank you!

Sunday morning was the walk in the forest.  A and Mr K lagged behind, but Mr K walked the whole way to the bridge - amazingly enough!  Mr D kept up with Nana and Papa, pointing out lots of things to us too.

It's not an official visit without going to Lone Ranch Beach to throw rocks in the stream.  The adults help collect the rocks and the boys are in charge of tossing them for the max splash!  This beach is easy access for little legs (and tired grown-ups!) Perfect for the end of the day.

Sunday afternoon we went to the concert in the park.  Brought a picnic lunch and spent quality time at "Kidtown" playground. Forgot to take any photos. (Bad Nana!) But sometimes you're just too involved in the activities! Stayed for a few songs, then it was obviously time for Mr K's nap.

If we're at Lone Ranch we MUST take a picture with the "elbow driftwood!" J is facing the hills.

And again with Nana, who is facing the beach!

The entourage left Monday morning - between wash loads, Nana kind of sat in the silence, drinking it up!

Tuesday 4 of us got together to work on these little gems!  It was great fun, although it was a cool day, I handed out sweatshirts and we sat out on the deck for lunch!  We all got excited about this project from a workshop last year - time to get going again, as we'd all like to put these in the quilt show next spring.  (Fingers crossed!)

Tomorrow we head to Crater Lake to meet friends from Nebraska!  Fun, fun, fun!!

Summertime and the living is .... crazy!

Well we got home from babysitting in Portland, did the wash and I got to go over to Talent and babysit the 2 year old!  It's not often you get one-on-one with the youngest!  I was so excited!  We had a great time.  Of course, 2 year olds have their own brand of English ... K very carefully told me the exact same thing 5 times!  What - I had no idea.  I just offered him a pear, each time!  I had to laugh, thinking about mom and dad actually giving him what he wanted and he thinking - where's my pear???

He loves to swing - we had a good time at the pocket park close by.  And I got lucky, it was only 80 some and gorgeous that day.  The next 3 days it was over 100.  Summer in the valley is really different than summer at the beach!

Summer brings 70s and high sand on the beach for great walks.  Look at this wide, wide beach.  We're usually skirting the edge of the rocks, but not this week.  We also are having some awesome low tides.  Walk-able beach for over 4 hours!!  Whoo-hoo!

Remember that wonderful cave on our beach?  The one we can walk thru without crouching down?  The sand has filled it - not even our grandkids can walk through now!  This is the entrance.

The Sea Stars are coming back - but today is the first day I spotted one of the little guys!  He would fit into your hand. Too cute,

I belong to two quilt guilds.  Brookings where I live now and Newport where I used to live.  Not attending many meetings, I seem to get only half of any story at any time!!  My fault, I'm sure!  An assignment was to make a 6" 'pot holder'.  On the front we have our name and the "OCQG" or Oregon Coast Quilt Guild on the front.  I pictured me driving up the coast (OCQG or bust) in my usual sedate manner!  LOL!

Every member is supposed to make one. They'll be hung at the August show.  I'll let you know how they'll display them. I'm curious too!

Today I walked into the living room and peeked out the windows and look what I saw!  Never saw this in our isolated area before!  We only get to wonder - they never tell us their story.  What are you doing here?  Where are you from and really, where do you think you're going????  It was fun to see though!

A & J & the boys are coming for the weekend! Should be fun, fun, fun!!

Babysitting in Portland

We just got back from our babysitting gig in Portland.  It was a wonderful week - had so much fun with the Littles.  My DD was in Alaska on business; DSIL was home but was working, which was perfect. He managed the mornings and most bedtimes - which kept the kids more on their routine, easier to forget mom wasn't there!

 

 Mr M is playing baseball this year - his first team adventure.  Too cute.  It is 'coach pitched' and he and his best friend are the only kindergarteners on the team.  At this age, everyone gets pitched to; everyone gets to run to first.  By the end of the season, outs are made in the field but the last batter still gets to chase everyone home. Dad is an assistant coach, often on 3rd base coaching - the second before I took this picture they were having a "High Five" moment. But this was cute too!

Two more games and enthusiasm is still high - I think that means the coach was good and the whole season was a success! The favorite activity on the field is to kick up the dirt while you are standing there! Both teams! At Tuesday's game we sat by 3rd base - with the wind, I kept my sunglasses on to protect my eyes!! But still felt like I'd been in a dust storm!

The second game we saw; we were smart enough to set up the chairs slightly in the outfield! Ha - what they say about 'old dogs, new tricks' is wrong!! But we piled the Littles in our car to go for Menchies frozen yogurt after the game.  Next time we will brush the boy off before allowing him in our car!!  The back seat on that side was liberally covered with field dust!  Made me smile to see it days later.

We played lots of games there.  HORSE out at the basketball hoops, Miss P still is the up and coming champion - making Papa work for his wins!  She asked him about why he won so much ... he explained her time is coming.  She'll be beating him soon and then she'll be winning all the time for the rest of their games!  When that happened at the neighborhood picnic's epic "Dads against kids" volleyball game.  Well, suddenly, the dads weren't interested in playing!!  I don't think Papa will get away with that with Miss P!

There's a ping pong table in the garage now, M and I spent the time after kindergarten playing there.  I play for cooperation not the win ... 'let's see how many times we can get it back and forth without missing it'.  We got to thirteen times (once)!!  Pretty good considering 6 years olds don't have much of a reach and Nana hadn't played for years!

And when it was too hot to be outside or dark ... we played Ipad games; Pictionary; Tensies Dice game; and other board games.  We're very active up there, until bedtime, then Papa and I basically collapse to the couch until bedtime for us!  Sometimes it's even more than 15 minutes later than the kids' bedtime!!!  LOL!

The Clydesdale Horses were making an appearance at the local bowling alley (odd venue since they didn't bowl!) and we walked over; had dinner and watched them harness up and pull the wagon around the parking lot.  It was a 'small town' type of activity.  Since it was in the neighborhood, the kids saw a lot of their classmates too.  A nice evening to walk about and so much nicer now that the kids can handle the 1/2 mile walk without whining and asking to be carried!

 

The horses are enormous, we were close enough to really see them.  The harnesses themselves are 5 feet tall!  The men working with the horses were tall, yet only came to the horses back.  The Littles looked really little even 20 feet in front of the horses.  AND the official Dalmatian was with them. The classmates in the crowd asked us if that was Meg - 'our' Dalmatian!  Nope, it was Chip!!

On the way home, we stopped by the 'play park' for a brief run about.  It's interesting to see how the equipment changes in use as the kids age.  For Miss P it's all about the story, heroic adventures are being conquered on it.  Mountain climbing to avoid danger - rappelling across raging rivers ... etc.

As for Mr M - well, an older boy was racing cars down an incline and M joined in immediately!  I don't think they knew each other - just a common interest!  The photos of that didn't turn out - sun didn't cooperate, darn-it!


 

 
 I can't resist a walking together with Papa picture!

After a week in 80 degree weather, coming home Sunday was quite the shock to the system!  It was cool and damp here - we felt like we were freezing!  But got used to it.

I'm in overdrive in the sewing room this week.  Have a wedding anniversary quilt for A&J2 due the end of July; a wedding quilt for a Great Nephew due Labor Day weekend and a BOM project to finish for the Newport Quilt Show the first weekend in August!!  YIKES!

And of course, today I'm off to babysit one day in Medford!! Who can say "No" to a day with the 2 yr old - just the two of us!!  Hope the weather cooperates!

Laters!!!