Happy Thanksgiving

I can't believe that its Thanksgiving already and that Christmas is just over four weeks away.  Be that as it may, I'm so thankful for all of my blogland pals who are an important part of my day, every day.  I'm thankful that all of you hang in and check on me once in awhile.

I have done some sewing since I last posted but need to catch up on the photos.  Here are three quilts that I finally had quilted so they are all done awaiting a new home. 

We had a bumper crop of acorns this year despite the drought.  I brought these from a chestnut oak in to show their size.  They are on a cutting mat with a one inch grid that shows how big they are.

Y'all take care. 

Here I Go Again

Here I go again not posting despite my best intentions.  

We're visiting the kids and running around to visit friends in Minneapolis and northern Iowa so spending a lot of time on the road.  I guess that makes up for driving very little when I'm at home. 

Have any of you ever used your computer without a battery?  That's what I'm doing right now and it seems to work fine.  Last night when I got home I fired up the laptop to check messages and the battery area got so hot that I couldn't hold it in my lap.  Scared the bejeebers out of me so I turned it off and unplugged it too.  Used hubby's computer to do some research about not using the battery and found that it works fine.  Just have to remember that if the cord gets pulled, it shuts down immediately.  That's not a real problem for me.    I sure didn't want to have to buy a new computer and learn a new operating system right now.  Also, I need to get some things backed up before even thinking about it. 

Y'all take care. 

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa

Much to my dismay, I just discovered that comments by some of my favorite readers have been stashed over in the "needs to be moderated" bin for a very long time!!   Most come right to me and I read and publish right away.  I have no idea how this happened.  Now that I know it is happening, I'll make it a point to check that bin frequently. 

We've been fine, just enjoying living in the mountains.  Hubby is still playing bridge and I'm still quilting and doing a little gardening.  Not so much travel these days.  We seem content to stay put. 

I'll do my  very best to get back to posting.  I would miss all of you terribly if you stopped posting, so its not fair of me to enjoy your posts and not offer up something myself.  

Y'all take care 

Spring is Trying to Arrive

I can't believe this weather.  One week its above 70 degrees and the next it's 50 degrees.  I'm hauling my deck plants in and out of the house still in order to avoid frost damage.  Sheesh! 

From last summer

The goldfinches are donning their breeding plumage, at least some of them are.  I've had a lot of them all winter long and they all seem to have stuck around.   There's a pair of Eastern Towhees that appear to be about to nest in the area, too.  The Eastern Phoebes are working on a nest right now. 

Had a great trip to Florida for hubby to play in a bridge tournament and for me to spend time with my quilty friends.  We had our own mini retreat for a couple of days.  It was fabulous.

View from the coffee porch

Little guys trying to not be blown away 

I've been making some progress in my quilting studio but nothing to show you for it just yet.   Hopefully soon I'll have some pictures for you. 

Meanwhile, hope all of you are handling pollen season well.

Y'all take care

Mish Mash

We had one of these lovely sights this afternoon.  I scrambled to get the camera but the conditions changed so quickly that the colors had faded before I could get back upstairs.  This one is from a year or so ago but same location. 

The trees are beginning to have the faintest hint of green on them.  I bet within two weeks, they'll be totally different than now.  

Hubby and I went to a blues concert on Saturday night.  Saw Mac Arnold , an old time blues man who has played with all the greats over the years.  He's up there in age but he's still going.  His bandmates are fabulous musicians.  If you ever get the chance to hear them, jump on it. 

The goldfinches are singing up a storm outside my house these days and there's lots of them.  The pine siskins are heard occasionally but I figure they'll be all gone quickly.  It is that time again and I think some birds are migrating early this year. 

My quilting has been lagging for months now.  I'm actually working on a top but it is taking me far longer to get it finished than it should.  I just get distracted by anything and everything.  This is the original pattern. 

Original layout 

I didn't like the way that looked so I changed it up to this following. 

Final layout

I didn't have a background fabric that I liked and when I went shopping the local store didn't have what I wanted either.  I wound up getting the pale green and thought it would work fine.  However, not as good as I expected but once its finished and quilted I think somebody will enjoy it. 

Y'all take care 

Winter's Here

Winter's here in the mountains.  We're having snow today, lots of tiny snowflakes coming down steadily.  The ground is just about covered now.  We're expecting only a few inches from the whole system.  Due to the cold temperatures, it'll be sticking around for a while.  We aren't expecting temps above freezing for two or three days.

This from a week ago but soon to be again

I'm sitting here this morning watching the birds outside.  They never cease to amaze me.  There's juncos, sparrows, doves, wrens, goldfinches, white breasted nuthatches, chickadees and titmice regularly.  Others stop by as the mood strikes.  Such a peaceful scene. 

I'm trying to get back into my sewing and quilting.  Somehow its been very hard for me to get motivated to do it of late. 

Last year when the mountains got a dose of real winter in late February, I was in Hawaii and missed the whole thing.  Not so this year but that's okay.  We don't usually have anything severe and it'll pass  soon. 

Y'all take care

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

The Farm Girl is gonna be hibernating today.  Even though the sun is shining, its still cold outside.  Now, cold is relevant, of course.   We've had two dustings of snow thus far this winter and there's a forecast for a mix of snow and rain later in the week.  We'll see.  Good thing I like being tucked inside my snug house.   Except.......tomorrow is the beginning of the winter birding session through a local college.  Thankfully, there will be a classroom gathering before we head off to a local spot to see what we can find.  Hey, the sun is supposed to be shining so it'll work.   It's been done before.  

Birding February 2011 near Wheeler Nat Wildlife Refuge.  Yeah, snow.  

Saw my first whooping cranes in the wild that day, so it was totally worth the effort. 

After procrastinating for months, I broke down and bought myself a new toy for my birthday/Christmas present.  Got a new lens for my camera.  Now, to learn how to use it properly.  Otherwise, it'll be an expensive paperweight!!

Hope everybody is doing well.  We're staying warm and trying to keep the birds fed, the little pigs! 

Y'all take care. 

I'm Still Alive

I'm still alive and kicking, I promise.  Just being lazy and the procrastinating like crazy.

Hope everybody has recovered from the holidays.    We spent them with the kids in Iowa and had a good visit.  Weather was good, too, and that's a wonderful thing.

View from the window

I went out a couple of days attempting to find two snowy owls that had been sighted locally.  Absolutely no luck.   Bummer.

Gotta run.  Got company coming in a bit and I still need to vacuum upstairs.

Y'all take care.