Vacation to visit grandson in Idaho!

We have just returned from a few days in Idaho, to see our family who now live in Boise!

We stopped in the capitol building which was fabulous...all that marble and a lovely old downtown around it!  So much to do but we were there for a reason....


This little guy was the main focus of our trip.....Wes, almost 10 months old!

When we went for a walk around their neighborhood, I was very impressed with the lushness and abundance of the plants and flowers.  It is a high dessert climate.  Here a clematis the like of which I have never seen before!

Cherry trees were loaded with fruit already!

Back at home, he demonstrates a new toy from his other grandparents!  Way cool! It has flashing lights and gears! Playschool!

Another evening we took our long walk in the fabulous rose garden and green space down by the Boise River.

Truly, Boise is a lovely, easy going small city with a lot to offer!

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Saturday we drove to McCall, ID where there was a 2-day mountain bike racing event.  Dr. R  set up his  tent and gave free consultations to anyone looking to improve their well-being!

That night, we headed into McCall for a meal at a Mexican restaurant overlooking the lake. [You can see the lake reflected in the windows!]  Absolutely perfect! (mango margarita for moi!)

Later we strolled by the lake.....

and rested in the cool breeze....

while watching the cutest baby in the world* discover the joys of a sandy beach!

(*the cutest baby in the world is always whichever grandchild you happen to be with!)

June projects and garden

This quilt top is to be donated to local groups whom our quilt guild helps!  I made it at our Saturday sew -in recently!

This wonderful textured piece is scraps from quilting and sewing tied together and knitted with garter stitch on size 17 needles....a really fun bath mat!

Our week of 100 degree temperatures is not helping my almost green thumb!  I do have some zinnias which are quite happy and so am I!

I'm just waiting for my first of the season "Cherokee Purple" heirloom tomato to be ripe!

Almost finished....the front yard that is! (part 2)

 Here is a close-up of our storm door with the reflected flag, yesterday on Flag Day!

We have the flag out most days, especially in the summertime!

The yard of our 1970's house has been transformed since we lost the large elm tree last spring!

 Mr. P has worked very hard!

This is a gravel (crushed rock) pathway he spread to our front steps.

 The roots of the old elm have been exposed and used to divide the area into different planting beds, most of which are covered with bark chip mulch.




Just beyond the mailbox, you can see the young maple which we are hoping will someday shade our yard again!

 Straw flowers, one of the annuals planted near the mailbox this year!

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Transforming the yard has been a huge project for Mr. P!
 Now that it is almost complete, we can get away to see our son and his little guy!  3 generations getting together for a visit close to Father's Day!

We are so excited!

What a difference....part one

Just over a year ago, we lost the ancient elm tree in our front yard! It was a sad event for us, but looking back I can see it was a signal of changes which are on-going....

We planted a maple in the fall (actually planted by workers from the garden center, of course!)......and left it at that.

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Meanwhile, our family was growing in numbers, very exciting......and the older grandchildren now live in world of "baby things"!  Here, 4 year old Bindley sits with a pile of little sisters' laundry (that is lots of ruffled bloomers made by me!)

Twelve year old Lilia is the perfect big sister/babysitter for the 3 younger ones!  [Bindley above and Sophie in her arms then Sophie and Nina, below!]

Mom and I were fortunate in being able to visit this family for Mother's Day!

...which left Mr. P at home,  working on his "opus"....our front yard.

To be continued with more enlarging family [our son's first baby] and the transformation of the yard....

Diamond Jubilee

Best wishes to Queen Elizabeth II on her Diamond jubilee.

I really like this illustration Emma Block of London. Available on ETSY!

It is so fresh and current! [There is that red and aqua again!]

In the garden this morning...

Hiding behind theses flower pots.....no it's not Peter Rabbit!.....

 


It is a smallish (just larger than a grapefruit) tortoise who pulled his head in when I approached with my camera!  I my take him to a local park which has a creek running through it....lots of cool hiding places there. Perhaps he could meet more of his kin...



   
If you would like to make some "friends" or tortoises of your own, look at this PDF from Roman Socks blog!  Granny squares looking very cute! She says that making them remids us of the value of SLOW!

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Now I will slowly make my way to bring in the mail ( for Mom, mostly) and then slowly on to where I have the current novel I am enjoying,  The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland. I love this booK!  It is the fictioanlized story of Canadian artist  Emily Carr who defied convention to travel alone and paint among the native tribes of British Columbia.

Tired of cooking on your same old stove?

I found an advert for this company  which will build a retro stove for you...1950's or antique style. Personally, I like the 1950 version.

They will make all the kitchen appliances for you.......you choose the color.  I'm liking the mint green as the turquoise seems a bit dark in some photos.  Now the cost....that is the real issue!

Breakfast for a May morning

While at my daughter Laura's, her family was making these pancakes for us!

 They are from a blog by cookbook author Kelsey Banfield, "The Naptime Chef".  The photo below is hers, (my camera is still on it's way to me!)

Grandmas' Cottage Cheese Pancakes

She has a good story about why they are called "Grandma's"

You can find her blog and the recipe here (where it is easy to print out), and her book (below) looks wonderful, too!

The pancakes are high protein and healthy....Kelsey recommends making blood orange syrup for these (delicious, I'm sure!), we just enjoyed them with blueberry and/or elderberry jam!

Home from a journey...with a new toy

On the way home from a Mother's Day trip to visit my daughter and her family, we found a flea market.  Inside, I found a vintage typewriter.  It is not aqua, and the case is not with it, but it works, and is so cute and petite!

A  Smith Corona Corsair Deluxe, made in England in the 1960's.
While the black in is almost gone, the red part of the ribbon works very well...and I have just ordered a new ribbon!

Rather than typing paper ( copier paper, that is, these days), I
tried using some scrapbook paper.  Fun! Now this page (left) is ready for some photos of the grandbabies.
....which brings us to the sad confession that in the emotional
packing up and leaving my daughter's [after a photo session of 4 generations, Mom was traveling with me] I went off and left my camera on the table of the foyer!  SO no photos of my trip for this blog or for "scrapping" until my camera catches up with me!


Daughter Laura (the blonde) just posted this on Facebook.  Now I have a photo to see my grandbabies, and Mom!


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Queen of the May

My daughter's birthday is May 1st.  I have always wanted to make this quilt, "Queen of the May" for her!....I saw one very similar in a local flea market for under $30.00 but it was quite ragged and full of holes. Very pink though... and scrappy! So, I am inspired to try the block soon.












While at Laura's I bought her a flat of begoinias which she planted.....then I got out my paints...

Watercolor sketch

Another kind of project!

After paying $80.00 to a call out an appliance repair person and having him give and estimate of $391.00 to repair this 1993 dryer, I checked YOUtube videos on how to repair the problem and install the $15.00 part. ($22.00 with shipping).


The part came qucikly and when I came home from work one evening, Mr. P had watched the video and had the dryer open.  We worked together for a while.......
Then, after Mr. P couldn’t take it anymore, I got down and finished the installation of the part. Now to put the dryer back together, [help Mr. P!]  plug it in and see if it works.....tee-hee!

Mr. P did take these re-posed photos for me this morning as he was rushing off to work....very arty with my face blurred, I think. He says it is an action shot!

One great tool was the “right angle’ screw driver....enabling us to reach the part with screws without taking out the tumbler itself!

Update---we did get the dryer back together and it worked!  Today I celebrate with several loads of laundry while packing for a visit to Georgia!

"Queen of the Ranch" fabric collage project

“Queen of the Ranch” cigarette card, date unknown.

An excerpt from the back:

--Such a girl, as she goes out to the round-up dressed cowboy style, and carrying a smaller edition of his weapons, is the idol of every man on the ranch. The cowboys are a rough lot, but no class in the world has higher regard for good women. Their one dread is if their employer has a daughter who is a local belle, that she will grow up and marry some “dude from the East.”

Courtesy of the NYPL.


At our last Q.U. I. L.T. quild meeting, our vendor was The Bead Ranch from Stillwater, Ok. I found this small cowgirl already printed on fabric and ready for an art quilt experience....she has led me to hours of fun already!

Above you can see the things I have gathered for this collage....including part of a pair of Levi's left over from making denim tote bags.  i think I will add some bandana print and some more lace....

It will be stitched together using acrylic felt for support and stabalizing, the felt is easy to "needle" and fibers don't come through to the top when I stitch.

I'll keep you posted on our progress with this art piece!