Wow! Now May is almost gone!

We started the month in Idaho!

Visiting our son and his family!

He has two wonderful boys, ages 4 1/2 and 1, but has requested that I don't use their photos on my Blog.

I understand.

While there, we went to the downtown Saturday market.

 

Saw these beautiful flowers there!

 

 

We hiked two different days!

One hike was on the Oregon trail! I gathered sage....love the smell! All that sunshine and fresh desert air!

AND wind, forget "good hair"!

 

Along with the sagebrush, these wild flowers (and others) were everywhere!

When we got home, I made 9 of the smudge sticks with the sage, adding lavender, rosemary and rose buds.. ..

 

My project on our trip was this knitted scarf for granddaughter, Lilia!

Very simple pattern using NORO yarn which changes color as you knit. I love it!

Back home, we started cleaning out and decluttering!

I found this weaving which I had done I. The early 1970's. Spruce and aspen trees.

And this tapestry...going to my daughter's.

 

And a watercolor from exactly 10 years ago, of my mother's back yard that May.

 

 

I taught a class on this flag quilt....

And I sold this art piece

Here is the woman who received it for Mother's Day.

 

So, a busy, happy month here!

And soon, off to see these little ones!

 

 

A couple more Idaho memories!

Visiting the zoo and the carousel ....

Dining out in old downtown Boise, al fresco. They have great summer weather!

We had yummy tacos, and beer! The tacos were soft corn tortillas and came with great metal holders! I ordered some for us, as I like making fish tacos!

That's all from that trip, (I think). I am working on quilts,....

Taking painting classes...these quilting ladies I worked on today....still need fine tuning.

And these hens! They are so much fun to do....collage and acrylic paint!

 

I also fell in love with a piece of cotton,which my friend, quilter Paula Mariedaughter had purchased.

So, I ran and got enough for a cool cotton summer dress! It reminds me of Japanese indigo fabrics, so I chose a pattern that has a kimono look....

It is fun to wear too!

That's all now, off for a free woodwinds concert at the botanical gardens!

 

Writing from Idaho

A long awaited trip!

 

We love being here with our son's family!

These two made breakfast for me the first morning!

someone is full of energy and very busy!

Baby Boy is busy sleeping and growing! He has a great little sparkly smile sometimes!

And big wondering eyes! He just melts my heart!

Love his little dimpled chin, too!

 

Our son treated me to lunch that first day, at a tea room. Veggie sandwiches on gluten free bread AND they had dairy free green tea (matcha) ice cream! We shared this, it came with two little spoons!

Yum!

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This one loves riding his bike on their quiet street, very little traffic and lots of kids!

 

 

Mary, the peaceful mother of the energetic youngster,

loves holding the baby

Here are two more of the baby....and I may return later with even more!

 

, playing toss the tennis ball with grandson and Juniper! When Someone happens to miss the catch, doggie Juniper retrieves and brings it back to Grandad!

Fence staining.

Cuddling baby .

 

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On another note, this is National Sewing Machine Day!

Here a kindred spirit has collected a few Kenmore 3/4 size machines from the 1970's! I guess the addiction is a shared one!

 

 

Sending Love to Idaho

Our children are all together out West!
Three year old Nina looking out the plane window as they land, "Snow, snow! mommy there is snow everywhere!

Here, all grandchildren are together with a vista behind them...near Boise!

Oldest grandchild, "Lilia the Beauty", with her blonde momma, Laura and her uncle, resident of Idaho, Andrew! [Laura and Andrew being our dear children....!!!]

Meanwhile, Steve photographs me as I put elastic into pajamas for all the little grandchildren....I knitted hats too! This package should arrive for them today!

I had to put a heart full of dinosaurs on Sophie's pj's or she would have wanted those I made for her cousin! Doing extra embellishment for Sophie, led to putting a gray fleece kitty on Nina's! Sewing for twins requires trying to keep things balanced! No favoritism! I love them both so much!!!! And the other 3 too!
Looking forward to more photos on my daughter's FB page....sort of like being along with them!
I'm still here in Arkansas, working on my kitchen cabinets, sanding and painting and new hardware! The chalk paint idea didn't work too well...back to sanding!
And stripping out old contact paper. The blow dryer REALLY helps!

Back from Idaho....baking...Dump cake ---- gluten free, pumpkin.

I spent the weekend in Boise, Idaho visiting my son and his family!

Here we are at a super outdoor restaurant in downtown Boise Friday evening! What perfect weather!

 

While there, we did something outdoors everyday....not just sitting and eating! LOL!

We hiked through the green space in town, along the Boise River. Cottonwoods and other hardwoods...the maples are turning, were at their peak, I think....reds and oranges! ..there were lots of small locust trees with yellow leaves!

I did not take any kind of camera...just wanted to BE!
Sunday afternoon, we hiked a footpath in the steep, arid foothills just north of town.....

 

The ground slopes dramatically down (and up!)from the footpath, below is a dry creek bed with shimmering aspen trees. Lots of bushes of Idaho sage brush lend a wonderful fragrance as we brush past them.

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Later that evening, I got to read a bedtime story to my "boys"!
this was "Bring the Rain to the Kapiti Plain", which I used to read to our son!

 

[We are sitting on The grandson's "big boy bed" on a quilt which I created for him!]

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Coming home to my birthday...and more great weather! Out for a lovely b'day dinner at Emelia's.

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Today is try to bake a dump cake day! this recipe is HERE!

...and many more online! So I went for it! Using gluten free cake mix!

 

I baked it in several smaller pans so that I could freeze and enjoy at different times!

In a ramekin, I baked my sample serving! It was great! But the cake mix, being GF, didn't created a nice sponge.....I think GF cake mixes, with xanthan gum, need some mixing to make things "springy" and not gritty....to dissolve the sugar and to let the xanthan gum start working. Sprinking it on the top, dry was not a total "wow"....but it was still great! Especially with whipped cream???