GOODBYE... 2011 .....HELLO ....2012

It is now New Years Eve and I am sitting here reminiscing about all that has happened in the past 12 months. This post may look vaguely familiar to some as I included most of it in the dreaded Christmas letter. Sorry to be redundant.. I really don’t know how we fit everything in. I do know this blog is not for you, but for me, so I can remember all that is good in my life in the past year. It’s been a full and busy year and sometimes I lose track of things. This helps me remember! There have been lots of huge changes in our lives, some good, some great and some not so good.
I was able to make 4 trips to Ogden this past year to see Scott and Jaclyn. January to celebrate my 61st birthday, July to deliver a quilt I made for a new baby, September to attend a baby shower for Jaclyn, and the last one to hold my new granddaughter, Hadley LeeAnn before she was 24 hours old…Hadley arrived 3 weeks earlier than her due date of 11-11-11 and arrived on October 26th.
I completed 8 quilts this past year.

My time spent sewing is my favorite time, quiet and rewarding. I attended three quilt retreats in 2011. What fun to spend an entire weekend with friends doing what you really enjoy doing. Most of my quilts were gifts for new babies or weddings but I did manage two just for me.

Those two are still waiting for the final touches because I plan to enter them in our local quilt show in July of 2012. I still have lots of time. I have several new projects planned for completion in the next year and have signed up for an advanced sewing class starting in January. It’s time to push me out of my comfort zone and learn something new.
Craig and I were able to do a bit of traveling this year as a couple too. February was our annual trip to Yellowstone Park. We stay in Gardiner and enjoy soaking in the hot springs at Chico and do a small amount of cross country skiing inside the park. We share the weekend with good friends and it’s always a fun time. The winter scenery is the best and again this year we had great weather with sunny winter skies.
Craig and I also made three trips to Anacortes, Washington. Craig completed his retirement dream of one day owning a boat. In late March, while making plans to charter a boat, he heard that a boat he had been drooling over since 2009 was being offered for sale. By 4pm that same day he owned the boat, a 2001 C-Dory, named Salty. We went to Anacortes in April to finalize the deal and see it in person. Because of some upgrades Craig wanted, we had to leave it but returned in June to actually “get our feet wet” and put Salty in the water for the first time. We spent a few days getting comfortable with salt water boating and enjoyed every moment.

Salty spent the summer months here in Montana. With everything happening this year we were not able to get out to the Montana lakes. That’s a new chapter for 2012. We returned Salty to Anacortes in October for winter storage. Our plan is to return in the spring to spend another week in the San Juan Islands before bringing it home again.

I hope you all don’t think we have given up on the rural western lifestyle. We also did a lot of horseback riding this past year. We are so fortunate to have a really nice horse trail system just a few miles from home. We can load up and be on the trail in less than 30 minutes. The horses will always be a part of our lives until we can no longer get on. Our sad news this year is the loss of Katie, the last donkey. It came as a huge shock and was unexpected. 26 years of owning those beautiful long ears came to a very sad end. With a lot of soul searching I made the decision to sell off all the driving gear and so far I have placed all of the buggies and all but one set of harness. In 2012 we do plan to get back into the wilderness areas with the horses. It has been a few years but we want to return to our summer fishing camp in the Danaher Meadows and maybe even get a full blown pack trip in too. This year, time got away from us with a slight delay in our summer haying process due to summer rain. After this year’s crop was cut, baled and stacked we managed two trailhead campouts with the horses.

We still have 4 horses and 3 mules. Alice the old girl will be 37 in January. Oh my! My Barney turns 21 also. We are not quite ready for rocking chairs yet and still enjoy the slow pace of a good trail horse.
The dogs are all doing well too. They all are still up for any type of outing and Craig takes them hiking every chance he gets. Annie is slowing down a bit. She is showing signs of arthritis and I know it is just a matter of time before she will have to remain at home with me. Tess and Charlie are both in their prime.

All three are good dogs, and great traveling companions. They all loved the new boating lifestyle we introduced them to this year. I don’t know what we would do without them in our lives.
Well that is our year in a nutshell. I have been blessed with many things this past year. After many years I have reconnected with family in mid America including two of my cousins. I am blessed to have family and so many good and caring friends from all over the country, coast to coast, North to South. You all mean so much to me and I hope you all know how important you are. Even those I have never met face-to-face. - I have fabulous family to be thankful for, too and now having a new granddaughter to spoil is just the fluffy icing on my cake.

I am thankful for my health and the ability to do everything I want to do, when I want to do it.

Take the time to sit and write down what you enjoyed most this past year. Also jot what you enjoyed the least. I think you, too, will find that most of your best memories didn't include spending a lot of money and that the list of bad things wasn't all that long.

Here's my lists.......

THE GOOD

1. Getting to hold my granddaughter before she was 24 hours old.
2. Playing board games with my son and his friends and having a Football Potluck.
3. Backyard BBQ ’s in Utah
4. Riding 4 wheelers on backroads of Utah
5. Ogden Farmers Market Day. Not spending a dime!
6. Watching dolphins while having a picnic lunch on Salty.
7. Horseback rides with friends.
8. Camping with the horses and doing day rides
9. Quilt retreats with friends and acting silly.
10. Buying 2 new cars…. (this is also on my sad list)
11. Favorite smells ……fresh cut hay, rain on a hot day, the ocean, sweaty horses , and sun dried sheets
12. Finishing a quilt project
13. Eating pizza and watching an old movie with the "girls"
14. Sunday Sew Days with the Schoolhouse Girls
15. Helping with our newborn calves

THE BAD

1. A very long winter including alot of snow
2. Spring rain and more rain and mud...lot's of mud
3. Having to put Katie, my last donkey friend, to sleep..This was the worst thing
4. Selling off all my harness buggies and driving gear.
5. Buying a new car and determining it wasn't the "right" thing to do.
6. Fender Bender with the Tribeca..ouch!

As you can see, my sad list isn't that long. I think if you take the time to write it down, you will find yours isn't either. We all have bad things happen but we need to focus more on the good memories to get us past the sad.

So my New Years Resolution is to focus more towards the positive and to enjoy whatever I have. I am truly blessed to have many great friends and wonderful family. I hope you all know how very special you are to me. We are all feeling the crunch of the everyday life whether it be financial or emotional. Love each other! and remember this last thought......

THE MOST IMPORTANT "THINGS" IN LIFE AREN'T "THINGS"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To Be Continued....Continued

So I left you all last month getting rid of my beloved Beetle....the rattle had returned, no dealership within 200 miles and huge hassles looming. The wheel clearance alone made me cringe knowing that snow was coming and I would end up being housebound for months. Me having to stay home would be torture. I think you all know me well enough by now to know I "go" alot. So I drove to the nearest Subaru dealer and drove away with the 2012 Outback wagon....it is sweet. Yep I lost a bunch of $$ owning a Beetle for only 5 weeks but you "live and learn" from your mistakes. I am much happier now. Kendall was great to deal with and since I previously owned a Tribeca I am familiar with the guys in the service department. This is Subaru #7 for me/us. We started out with a 1979 coupe, then went to 2, 1984 wagons ( one silver, one maroon) then to a 1992 Legacy sedan, which I loved. In 2003 I purchased my 1st brand spanking new car, a 2003 Forester. It was just an okay car, pretty gutless. I had it for 10 months when I hit a 3 point buck broadside on Hwy 93 at 60MPH taking out the entire front end....$17,000 worth of damage and they repaired it. I got my 2008 Tribeca and loved it....it had ( at the time) every bell and whistle. The VW Beetle was a definate "impulse" buy and a huge mistake. So now I have the Outback #7, new and improved and again with lots of bells and whistles. I refer to it as my AWD cellphone..the bluetooth thingy is amazing. I am sure it won't be long before every car on the road is required to have this feature..
Hadley, the new granddaughter is 6 weeks old as I write this. I must say it's pretty hard living so far away. She started to smile this week and from what I hear has found her hands...and I am missing it all.
Jaclyn has been posting her Christmas photos and I am loving every one of them. Here is the latest..

These are not done by a professional but by my daughter-in-law and I say she's doing very well...can't wait to see the next one....
I have to post this next picture too.....if you remember I went to Ogden back in July to deliver a quilt I made for Jaclyn's best friend, Theresa. Theresa and Jaclyn are doing all of these photo shoots together, coming up with some pretty awesome photos of the two babies...I have to share this one of Hadley's friend, Brynn. It was just too cute and made me smile....

So my pathetic little Christmas tree is up, all 3 1/2 feet of it and today I will spend getting packges ready for the mail....I do intend to be done by the end of next week so I enjoy the following week doing something fun...I signed up for a sewing class starting in January trying to get myself motivated to learn something new with my new sewing machine.
Today is "FREEDOM DAY" on the ranch. We winterized the horses this week, shoes have been pulled and they are ready to get turned out into the North winter grazing pasture. Today they will be belly deep in grass and living a life of leisure for the next 3-4 months. They love this day. But I miss seeing them up close.
So that's it for this post.....I am sure Tess will be posting to hers again soon too....check it out. She will have something to say about the Holidays. Her blog post is listed under My Blog List at the lower left hand side of this blog under It's A Dog's Life...she's been a busy girl!
Merry Christmas
Julie

Is it 2012 yet?

Holy cow.....what a year this has turned out to be....but I will be calling it the year of many travels and a very empty wallet. MY BAD!!!
4 trips to Ogden, three driving and one flying, two trips to Anacortes and three quilt retreats. I had a very busy year. The empty wallet part, oh gosh, where do I even begin...guess I won't but 2012 will be spent very close to home with a padlock on my wallet and checking account. I would not trade it for anything. I look back at the 5 years I have been in retirement and figure I haven't done all that bad. I have been able to go where I want to go, do what I want to do and I have kept very busy.
I have a true inner feeling about just sitting doing nothing. I am not a huge TV fan. I do ejoy a few programs and do watch it if the weather is crumby but as far as being glued to it like many are...no way. At some point in my much older life I will need the TV to entertain me while I eat strained peas and jello. Until then plan to keep doing what I do most,traveling and enjoying life to the fullest.
That reminds me I signed up for Social Security this week. To some it means life is coming closer to the end... to me, I figure what the heck, a few more dollars to blow doing things I love.
Speaking of things I love, I have a brand spanking new granddaughter. Hadley LeeAnn arrived on October 26th at 8:22p.m. in Ogden Utah....My son Scott and beautiful daughter-in-law, Jaclyn had a lot to do with it. Hadley is beautiful and perfect in every way. I was fortunate enough to be able to get to Ogden and hold her before she was 24 hours old. You see, she was just a tad early and was suppose to arrive on 11-11-11. So on October 25th I was sitting in my dining room putting the final touches on a much-loved baby quilt when I got the call that Jaclyn was in labor. I don't have the best eyesight right now so driving 7 hours at that exact moment was impossible. But by 7am the very next morning I was on the road again and by 3:30pm I was walking into the hospital. I was overwhelmed with a joy I cannot express! That cute sweet innocent face all bundled in a teeny tiny little bundle of sweet smelling bliss!

I was so fortunate to spend the next few days just watching her. I can say now it is so hard being so far away.
So here is what I was working on the day I got the call. The pattern is called "Love Me Tender".

I still have to add the label and I have a big plan for what I want it to look like.
So coming home from Ogden in the "boyfriend" I was a tad worried. I could see snow in the mountains ahead of me and driving a VW over a snowy mountain pass was worrisome. Lost Trail was snow covered and the curves slippery. I did make it home okay. But thoughts of the next few months of snow and ice made my nights sleepless with worry. The new VW was cool...making me feel special and "one of a kind" but after several trips to Zoo town the special was sort of wearing off and it was becoming more of like I was walking around with a huge ugly zit on my nose. I was getting tired of feeling like I had no privacy and everyone was staring. I was getting tired of answering questions and then when the rattle I had just had repaired came back it hit me.....No dealer..no one to fix my problems the bug had to go. Sorry Boyfriend you have too much baggage.
to be continued........

The Rest of the Story...

Last night I left you hanging.....I was getting tired, it was late, and I had some serious TV to watch..
So I was on the scene of buying the car....the salesman had held this VW for over an hour and while I was looking it over, car after car pulled into the dealership all to see the new model of Beetle.. I wanted to drive it so off we went..me in the drivers seat with Scott as co-pilot, Jaclyn and the salesmen sitting comfortably in the back seat...on our return I knew I had to own this fun car...there were three different people waiting to see if I said yes. So papers were signed and I left with the plan of picking up the new wheels the next day. But the salesman left me with a thought...he would not give me the keys until the car had a decent name. All night I stewed over the right thing to call my car. It finally hit me...I refer to my Bernia sewing machine as Bernard, My horse, Barney and now my car are all my "boyfriends". I can run away for the weekend with any of them and also say my boyfriend is safely locked in the garage with out reservation.
The next day I came to drive away in my new toy. It was sitting adorned with balloons and a huge red bow in front of the dealer complete with this note:
To Julie:
I will always be there for you, as long as you luv me.
Thanks for buying me.
Signed,
The Boyfriend

I also got to meet one of the big dogs from the corporate office of VW, Dave Warhall...he told me I have a very special car. It is one of 600 Launch Editions...and is the 1st one sold west of the Mississippi. Most dealerships are keeping thiers to use as Demos....I have the very 1st one in Montana. I get looks everywhere I go. People drive by and give me the thumbs up signs and stares. I get compliments in parking lots and they want to know how I got it. I feel truly special. I did give up so much luxury when I sold my Tribeca...no power seats...no Sirius radio...no leather....no climate contol..no compass ( I am so challenged directionally). No 4 doors... but I have a sports car-like feel to my driving with the Turbo and a sleek looking small car that actually fits straight in the garage. I love it!
So I get home from Ogden driving the new wheels. I had yet another 2 days to unpack, repack and get ready 3rd leg of September. This time I was just a passenger riding in our 86 Ford truck to Washington. Craig was taking Salty back to EQ Marine in Coronet Bay for winter storage and placing it on a new trailer with rollers. It is more secure now for the long hauls we will be making twice a year. Spring will be to pick Salty up, and Fall we will return to store it for winter. That means twice a year we get to play in and around the San Juan Islands just south of Vancouver BC, Canada. It is a beautiful area, cute quaint towns, green landscapes, friendly folks and relaxation bobbing around on clean salt water. We have seen wildlife galore, so different than our usual sights of our area. We spend time chatting with others at the Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes...What a neat place...

So now here we are in the middle of October....we left for Washington in summer clothes and came home to cool crisp Fall air and brilliant colors. I really want to know
What Happened to Summer?

So What Happened to September?

When I last posted it was mid August....now it's mid October and for the life of me I don't know where September went....although I do know some part of it was very sad...
So we finished haying, I had a garage sale and then Craig and I went camping a couple of times...We really toyed with the idea of taking the horses on an actual pack-it-in trip but the weather was so darned hot we decided to just use the RV instead...good idea...we had some good day rides instead of all the work it takes to camp.
I would like to direct you at this time to the other blog we have..http://tessa-itsadogslife.blogspot.com/. Many fun stories of our adventures as seen through the eyes of our beloved Tess..Here you will find photos and never ending escapades of the pooches..
So the sad part of September was the loss of Kate...

Many of you know I have had donkeys for all of my married life. I sort of fell in love with the gentle souls when Craig and I married in 1985. He had one small older grey "Jesus-sized" donkey that I adored. One thing led to another and I either owned or raised 22 of these wonderful beings over the course of the last 26 years...Kate was the last one. She was 25 years old and on 9-10-11 we had to have her humanely euthanized. It was an unexpected loss and the end of a hobby I will never regret having. So carts, buggys,and harness have all been sold and I am truly hoping the new owners will enjoy the items as much as I did over the years...It was a sad time..
Mid September found me in route to my favorite pasttime...quilt retreats...Joining up with 11 of my good friends we spend 4 days lounging in our pjs' with our sewing machines...Ghost Rails Inn, a B&B in Alberton Montana, takes excellent care of us, complete with cute rooms adorned with homemade quilts and fluffy white towels and meals served family style. For those who may follow the blog this year's theme was the Bitterroot Bunch Tacky Party and Quilt Expo. Everyone was a terrific sport and came dressed to dinner on Sunday night in their tackiest attire....and me without my camera too...
So home from the quilt retreat and I have two days to get myself organized for a trip to Ogden. This time to attend and help decorate for the baby shower for our kids. Yes time is flying by and it was so much fun....A couples BBQ was planned and the theme was.."We're adding another pumpkin to the Patch"...Fall colors adorned the yard and food was prepared....oh my, way too much food. 35 of Jaclyn and Scott's friends attended and the party was a brilliant success. Ham, all sorts of salads, chips, dips and cake and homemade ice cream. Baby gifts overflowed the table and I can't say just how many cute and girly things were recieved.. Fantastic! The name was chosen for the new baby as well so soon we will actually be able to welcome, Hadley Wold to our family ( BTW the middle name is yet to be divulged but I am not going to be the one to bug the kids...all in good time!)
So just how much trouble do I get into when I am traveling?. Too much....about 7 months ago I was watching TV..Oprah had on her "favorite things" show and awarded 300 of her audience a new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle....They only showed the outline but I was so intrigued...you see, way back when I went to high school I drove a red 1964 VW bug...it was my dream. In 1971 I purchased yet another VW this one was orange ( named it the Great Pumpkin after the comic strip) and in 2003 I owned my 3rd...a silver one with every bell and whistle they made... okay so on with my story.
I started checking the Internet to find out about the new ones and when they would be available...not much info out there. Calls were made to Montana dealers..not one called me back...so one day in a conversation with Scott I grumbled about not being able to get any info on this new and improved VW due to be released, who knew when. He said the local dealer was just outside the base entrance and he would stop in and ask... Cutrubus VW told him they would let him know when they would arrive and I forgot all about it...well almost...I still checked the web..looked at photos when they did come out, dreamed of maybe looking at one in the spring of 2012 on one of my trips to Ogden. Then September 22 on my way to the baby shower I get a phone call from Scott...."Mom, when can you get here? For heavens sake, Scott, I am someplace outside of Salmon Idaho, taking a new route and you are asking me when I will arrive? Why? Well Cutrubus VW just called and they just got in the new 2012 Turbo...your name was 1st on the list so they are holding it for you to look at. Can you get here by 5:30?" I pulled in their driveway at 5:55pm. We made it to the dealer at 6:45pm the saleman met us, took one look at my Tribeca and said let's talk...the rest is history.... I will finish this story in my next post and continue with where we ended AFTER my return from Ogden...I am just getting started on the VW story. But for now I have to get some dinner going...maybe tomorrow.....to be continued.....

Hot August Nights

Hurray for us......haying is done and now it's time to play......well errrrr sort of....but it has been so hot and haying was delayed so long that now we are stuck close to home trying to keep everything growing.....The yard is a total loss at this point....so dry we are afraid to pump too much on our well system so the yard had to go first.....The only way to water it is with the irrigation system and it had to go back on the hay fields first. So here we sit amidst crunchy brown lawn moving a pipline, but the critters have to eat.
Haying went well and we now have 70 nice round bales for our crew this winter.....Craig is adjusting to the new feeding system by feeding a couple of them now. So different from the small square "idiot" bales we all are familiar with.....each one of the round ones weigh in at about 700 pounds.....lifted with the tractor into the back of the truck and fed a little at a time....
Best news is I got my car back from the repair shop...it's all better and looks fabulous. Going with out wheels for 10 days was like being in prison....but I did accomplish getting my long overdue garage sale over and done with while I was housebound. Thanks to my good friends that either came to lend a hand or just hung out and kept me company. I managed to clear out a whole lot of "stuff" and make money towards my new dining set, being delivered tomorrow....The garage sale took 5 days to complete, three to get everything out priced and organized. The sale was 2 days from 8am to 6pm. My dear hubby volunteered Monday to help me haul all the leftovers to town. What a guy! I was exhausted!
Last week I decided to power clean.....so the dining room, master bedroom, kitchen and master bath now all have clean curtains, mini blinds and glass...all long overdue!
Perfect way to wash mini blinds.....wear shorts (or a bathing suit would suffice too) climb into your shower holding onto the blind with one hand....steady the handheld blind against the shower wall. Spray with Mr Clean (the Fabreze kind smells so good) and using a large soft sponge wash the dirt from the extended blind then using a sprayer rinse well. Then I just hung them back up in the window to dry....SPOTLESS!!!
Another milestone this week is my little girl's birthday.....to show you just how cute she was here is her baby picture....Tess turns 5 next Saturday.

Tess is so cute.......
Okay I need to go do something about dinner.....until next time..

Enjoy each day!
Julie

PINK PINK PINK AND MORE PINK

In my previous blogs you all will see that I was excited about having my very first grandchild.....all indications were it was 97% boy...well Mother Nature took it upon herself to drop the twigs and berries and now it is definately a girl....Hey, I saw the 3D ultrasound myself and no doubt in this grandma's mind that is a little girl and I am 100% sure.....so bring on the PINK I am having a granddaughter.....


So I went to see Scott and Jaclyn last week......a spur of the moment descision with a late Thursday afternoon phone call from Scott. "Mom this would be time for you to come down for a visit...we have nothing planned." I really wanted to deliver the Baby blooms baby quilt to Theresa in person so I washed clothes threw them in my suitcase and off I went the next day. An 8 hour drive but I didn't leave until 1pm. I posted pictures of the baby quilt gift a while back. Theresa is Jaclyn's best friend and had the cutest baby girl Brynn on June 21st.
I got into Ogden around 9pm and the kids were at a dinner....I have a key to the back door but I was a bit apprehensive about their dogs....Jackson is a huge Goldendoodle. Key in door, deep voiced dog bark.....uh oh. Open door slowly, almost get trampled by a huge white fluffy dog greeting me with wags and wiggles...."Hi..OH BOY COMPANY!!!. you here to play?.... Jackson makes a lousy watchdog! Good thing they have a well secured house.
Kids arrive home around 10. Oh what a sight to see. Jaclyn comes in wearing a full length back evening gown with a sexy open back and deep vee neck and looks absolutely fabulous. Yep her baby bump is definately showing but she looks so cute. I never looked that good when I was carrying...Scott is next dressed in his dress blues. I totally messed up...the dinner they went to was his inductiuon ceremony for Master Sargent. ( I just didn't listen when he told me what the dinner was or I would have tried a bit harder to get there earlier....dang!)
Oh by the way on my way there I dropped off my laptop again for viruses...and guess where the camera SD card is......in the computer so I go to use my camera and no memory....DUMB!!!
Saturday we sleep in and after a quick and easy breakfast we all jump in their Jeep ( an 81?.....cute cute cute)and go the the Ogden Farmers Market. We all enjoy the crafts and wares, no real produce yet but it's fairly warm so we all enjoy a snow cone...Saturday night Theresa Dustin and Brynn come over for an inpromtu BBQ. Burgers on the smoker. Me, I get to hold this precious 3 week old baby girl all evening. She is adorable. Theresa and Dustin both really liked the Baby Blooms quilt I made.

Plan is to use it as a wall hanging while the weather is hot. I am so glad she liked it...
Sunday we all got up early ( remember I am retired and not an early bird!) but the kids loaded up the jeep and two 4 wheelers and we headed up the mountain....forecast was for 90+* Jaclyn and I took the Jeep and Scott and Dustin rode the wheelers. Jackson came along for the ride too.....Again no camera....dumb! We had a fantastic day jeeping the roads at 13,000 feet in cool 70* weather....I even rode the 4 wheeler for a while...fun time! That evening Scott made a great dinner seared Ahi Tuna and coconut shrimp. I think he may end up being a master chef someday...he loves to cook. Jaclyn is a great cook too. She made yummy muffins for me. I even managed to whip up an apple pie for them...Scott's favorite!
Monday was the bad one.....Both the kids went to work and I took off to go shopping....planning to meet Theresa for lunch and do a bit of "secret" baby shopping. I sort of got turned around and turned one street too soon to find the main thoroughfare....confused and trying to watch many things at once ....construction on one corner to my right...a food cart on the near corner to my left...trying to locate the street name sign, which should be located on the left side corner, right and a looming overpass ( that I knew I didn't want to go over)I finally looked up to find myself cruising through a red light, which, by the way, had the street name directly above it.....Too late.....

The other car needed towing but speed was not a factor as much as the angle and momentum of her car with me hitting her rear wheel and spinning her 180*....now I hear she is claiming bodlily injury...grrrr why can't people just be honest....it was just a minor fender bender.....
Back to being a granddmother.....because that's what we do.....Jaclyn and her friend, Theresa, have been hitting every yard sale in the Salt Lake/Ogden area for weeks.....the cute baby things they have found are amazing only one very small problem.....everything was blue.....trucks, footballs, dumptrucks, you name it it all shouts BOY BOY BOY... and both Scott and Jaclyn were stressed about not having the time to go find pink stuff......So remember I said I was off that morning to do some serious shopping....TJ MAXX is the best!! I loaded every blue boy outfit in my car and when Jaclyn got home from an awful day at work I lead her to the baby's room..complaining about a shelf that had fallen.....TA DAH.....open the closet to find it filled with pink pink and more pink....sleepers, dresses, shoes and even a toile tu-tu for those adorable newborn photos. I had more fun. Now their stress is lifted a bit and Jaclyn can fill in the empty spaces with the things she wants....So if anyone out there knows of anyone that is expecting a boy...come see me before next weekend.....Yard Sale time....
Monday night ended with a quick visit with my favorite niece from Dallas. Shelby was in Salt Lake for a convention so we swooped her from the airport and had Lobster tacos at the famous Red Iguana Mexican restaurant....Visit was short but great as I haven't seen her in a few years.....
Well one more thing before I wrap this up today....the view from my front porch is always a good one......this one was taken just a few minutes ago...neener neener you have cherubs and birdbaths, my yard art is way more expensive than yours!!
..hay still isn't cut....maybe tomorrow????

Have a fantastic week!!

Julie

Oh what a beautiful Day...

Are you humming along to that old tune......Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day. I got a wonderful feeling......everything's going my way......La La La....and that's just how my day went.....Left early this morning to pickup my horsesitter, and friend Laurieand herm horse, Easy. Ride was suppose to start at 10:30 am and after the hour long drive to the lake we found out when we arrived they all wanted to leave at 10....that gave me 5 minutes to saddle up and be ready to hit the dusty trail...so the group decided to split up, the faster horses would head South and the slower ones would travel North....12 horses and riders all total. I was with the slow group and there were had 7 of us....not all slowpokes just not riding "walkers" and movers and shakers. What a gorgeous day and the weather was perfect.....Barney was on his best behavior and a great ambassador for his kind......the draft horse cross. He is part Belgian and part Quarterhorse and today showed off his talents of being the perfect gentleman and perfect trail horse. We rode Lake Como trails and surrounding area....starting off riding along the canal....this water actually ends up irrigating our hay fields...and we are 30 miles from here...no traffic or worrys here just a smooth calm easy ride. And lots of girl talk.......and laughter. PERFECT!

One gal will lead for a while then will slip back and someone else takes over. The ride continues through the trees up mountainsides and then we hit the top and the view of Lake Como above the spillway is terrific...

So by now my stomach's growling. I had picked up Laurie and her horse Easy at 8:30 and it's getting on close to noon.....my early morning coffee and no breakfast is getting to me. Then we stopped for lunch....at a mineral lick...where the elk come to find minerals in the ground....the wild daisys were everywhere and we ran into another group of 4 women stopping for lunch. One gal grabbed all of our cameras for a group photo. Sandwiches and lemonade overlooking a hidden mountain meadow couldn't be better...

The ride ended about 3pm after a quick horseback cruise through the campground.....Cameras were clicking from one car from out-of-state.....guess they just don't see horses from where they are from.The clouds started forming as we all sat in the campground wikth our afternoon snacks...Then came the rain......a total downpour but after we had loaded up and set out for home....
and guess just what I found in the driveway when I got there.......finally.....
Next week's work.....let the haying begin..Have a great week and keep reading!!
Julie

A really good week.......

Well I can actually say I have had a great week. Monday was a perfect day for a ride. My good friend and "horse sitter" called and arranged for a pick up of both me and my horse, Rio and we were off for a 6 1/2 mile ride. The outside of a horse is so good for the inside of a woman! I felt relaxed and refreshed.
Weather has been the best.....sunny skies and only one downpour and that was on Wednesday while we were celebrating a birthday for our main leader, Linda Westby of the horseback gals...(A Few Old Nags......and Their Horses.) We welcomed our newest member, Debbie to the fold. Laurie's husband, Dan was our chef of the day and prepared awesome smoked burgers on his new grill....Yummy. We braved the aftermath of the storm with just a cfew raindrops to go look at Sam, Laurie's new mount....

I really don't think I have ever seen a smile this big. And rightly so, Sam is awesome and perfect for Laurie....
Nothing new on Salty yet.....Craig is still pondering the trailer....you know how sometimes you acquire something and it's just not what you like.....well that is what's up with the trailer....sort of like getting a good deal on a Chevy when you really like Fords...well that's it with the trailer....he really wanted one that had rollers and the awesome trailer that came with Salty has bunks....so therefore he has to make descision and soon....July is stay-at-home month....We both don't do fireworks and crowded campgrounds so this weekend we stick close....The weather is beautiful and we now await the arrival of our round baler so we can start our haying process....Triple W gave us excellent trades on our old equipment so we can update and speed up our haying process. Plus with rounds Craig will no longer have to load 130 lb squares into the truck all winter to feed our small herd of 10 Herefords
I rode with a couple of new friends yesterday....Sharon Schroeder on Rocky and Kari Clark on her Freisien, UCLO both from the Bitterroot and speaking of which we actually saw the Montana State flowere blooming in the wild on our ride......they are quite rare..

What a perfect day! Can't wait to see what next week brings.....might be work...but if we get the work done it means we get to go play.....
Have a wonderful week!!

Julie

Bringing Salty Home

Wow what a week it has been or should I say what a last 10 days it has been.....I started with helping at Mule Days on June 10 11 and 12th.....everyone knows since my retirement I am NOT an early morning person . I was up early all three days and on the road to drive the 30 miles to the annual Montana Mule Days show. I enjoy seeing old friends but harbor a little sadness know that I cannot compete any longer. With the loss of Angel last fall and my remaining donkey Katie being a bit aged it was time to call it quits and just help put on the annual event....My days there were long but very joyful seeing old friends and meeting new ones...
On Monday June 13th Craig and I were off in a new direction...literally headed west to Anacortes Washington to finally pick up our boat Salty. It is a grueling 12 hour trek in the very uncomfortable 86 Ford truck loaded to the hilt with us, three dogs and some gear we might need.
Tuesday June 14th we got to see our boat again.....sitting at EQ in Coronet Bay, the repairs done and sitting on the trailer. We had made plans to have Les Lampman take us out for a while on that bay but on our arrival the tide was out -2 (what ever that means). We spent the afternoon with Salty at EQ doing some much need last minute things...like changing out it's registration numbers to the new ones for Montana MT 8680 AZ We don't like the AZ on the end as most people will think we are from Arizona. But we didn't choose the numbers...
Wednesday June 15th we are up early....staying at the Cap Sante Inn in Anacortes which is directly across from the marina. With the windows open you can hear the sea birds and smell the salt water.....delightful and calming. We load up and head the 15 miles to EQ Marina to hook up the boat and bring it back to Cap Sante Marina to their sling launch. I am nervous watching as they put two huge nylon straps under Salty and hoist it high into the air. But gently lower it into the water... the tide is again out but water levels at the marina are good and we get afloat.

Les then takes us out for about a 1 hour "lesson" on how things operate. He shows us how to manuever into our slip on P dock #16 and then he's off to see another client....Craig and I are left to ponder whether we have enough courage to go it alone.....we decide to go for it and off we go.....putting our way through the marina getting to see all the boats, this time from a totally different perspective....Maiden voyage isn't very long or very far. The sun is shining and the water is good for our first trip.....we make it and back into our slip with no problems.....whew! That's enough excitment for one day so we decide to just play "boat people"grabbed a six pack and a bottle of wine and just chilled on the boat watching the sun go down.....Probably a good thing because as we sat, sailboat after sailboat passed us going out past our slip. We found out later that Wednesday nights is Regatta night and they have sailboat races in the bay. It was a beautiful night to just sit!

Thursday, June 16th we again got up early....(this is killing me by now) but we had some shopping to do. Boat gas keys, a waste basket, whisk broom and lunch supplies but we ran all over town trying to find stuff...oh yeah a small carpet for the dogs for under the dinette. We made it back aboard about 11:30 and fixed a sandwich. Then we again headed out fro a cruise.... Craig is taking things very easy, but me, I want to see just how fast this boat will go. I ask to drive...now so far Craig has kept Salty at a slow 6 knots.....me I cranked it up to a whopping 9...not fast but faster! This time we decided to see if we could actually make it the the other marina on the other side of Fidalgo Island...the water was a bit rougher but we made it just fine cruising past Skyline and beyond. At that point it was evident that we were both getting more comfortable with Salty and the currents. We made it all the way around a second island, Burroughs, seeing kayakers bobbing through the currents and safely made our way back to our slip once again.....Later that evening we met our first fellow C Brats Herb and Willie Stark of Willies Tug.....and Jake thier faithful companion...had a very nice visit during happy hour. They were in Anacortes from the very southern tip of Texas and enjoying their brand new Ranger Tug... Very nice folks!
Friday June 17th we only had a few hours of boating.....knowing that the weather was nice and the weekend was ahead we knew we had to head back to the sling launch by 3pm...they close at 5pm and we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time being new to all this.....but we cruised out into Guemes channel about 11am. Craig had our route planned and we wanted to see if we could make it all the way around Cypress Island. We passed Eagle Bay and all the tiny little dots of islands surrounding the area.....One tiny rock formation had tons of seals basking in the sun.....because of the rocks we could not get too close but stopped for a minute to use the binoculars to watch them....Awesome. Then we cruised along the shoreline and spotted the dolphins. We saw lots as they came up for air and I think to check us out....everytime I tried to capture a photo they disappeared. We shut off the engines just let Salty float with the current and fixed ourselves lunch. We had a seagull join us begging for attention.

Huge flotillas of birds were everywhere. Craig was hoping to spot a whale....we had heard they were in the area but again we didn't have the confidence to head to bigger water just yet....next trip for sure!
That afternoon we got back to the sling launch at precisely 3pm....only one boat waiting to launch but the attendant had already started our load so he had to wait....he chatted with us and mentioned he was from Missoula...now what are the odds of that?? Friday night was great, we met up with the people we bought the boat from at Anthonys restaurant. Like old friends we compared notes about Salty and how much fun it is on the water....hated to see the evening end and the entire week for that matter.
Saturday we are off for home. Craig achecking and re checking to amke sure Salty is ready for the long drive. Buckled and tied down everything seems fine so off we go....By the way we got up to pouring rain....so we will wait to flush and wash poor Salty until we get home. But we were both tired too so we didn't get up at the crack of O dark thirty and got a late start on the road. We knew we didn't want to push going home so we make to Medical Lake Washington and a Super 8.....had a good nights rest again and finally get home on Sunday....The horses are all eyeballs watching to see just what is in the driveway.....hmmmm doesn't look like anything they have seen before.....Salty is home in Montana and we have a new chapter starting in our lives......The lawn was so overgrown it took me 4 hours to get things looking tidy again......Salty is flushed washed and parked safely in the driveway...waiting for our next adventure....soon I hope!

Don't pay the ransom, I escaped!!

Please, I have escaped so don't pay any ransom for my return....I have been just tad bit busy since my last post and have not been keeping up with my blog so I am so sorry......but here are my details....
The weather is starting to warm so that means spring cleaning.....and getting rid of some things that mean alot to me.....Last fall I lost a good friend, my donkey Angel. She had been with me for 22 years. She was in numerous shows and parades...given rides and nose pets to every small child she came in contact with. A true ambassador for her breed. I have shed many tears this week just thinking about her. But all good things must end and since I don't plan to acquire any more donkeys I decided to sell off the gear I collected over the 25 years of donkey ownership.....and it is a lot of gear! Two single driving harnesses, one team set complete with collars, a 1906 Runabout buggy, a Studebaker road cart and a small green training cart. And also a lot of small items like leather show halters and buggy whips and my favorite sleigh bells.. So it all had to come out of storage, get oiled and cleaned and then posted. I have been fortunate to sell some this week...the team harness, the spotted show harness and the small training cart are all slated to go to new homes!

This one of the antique vehicles still available...

Well you also know of our new toy, Salty, the C Dory......we are still waiting to hear that repairs are made and it is ready for pick up.....at the arrival of that call we will be leaving to spend a week playing in the San Juans. I can't wait! A new chapter will begin at that time!

And for one of my final comments on my blog today is about my new grandbaby that is due 11-11-11. We found out on May 20th the chance of a grandson is 97% so a new quilt will be in the works soon with a green brown and cream color theme.
And last week the news came through of my son, Scott getting his promotion of Master Sargent with the United States Air Force. Life is good right now and I am loving every minute of it!!

Have a fantastic week!

ABC"S of me....

This came from a friend's post she asked us to re post with our own answers so here goes!
Have a great week everyone!



Age: 61
Bed Size: King
Chore You Dislike: Putting away groceries
Dogs: Three 2 black labs and the “other woman “ Tess, a mini Aussie
Essential Start of Your Day: Coffee, lots and lots of coffee
Favorite Color: Purple
Gold or Silver: Gold, with diamonds
Height: 5'4", vertically challenged
Instruments You Play: Guitar
Job Title: Unemployed Goddess
Kids: 3 boys, 2 of my own and 1 attained by marriage
Live: Bitterroot Valley Montana, where others want to come to vacation
Mom's Name: Harriett
Nicknames: Jewels
Overnight Hospital Stays: Lots…. 2 babies and 1 removal of baby-maker
1 broken ankle and repeat of same
Pet Peeve(s): LIARS!
Quote From a Movie: “Tomorrow is another day”
Right- or Left-Handed: Right
Siblings: brother
Time You Wake Up: Anywhere between 7am- 8 am….
Underwear: Cotton grannie panties
Veggie You Dislike: Okra
What Makes You Run Late: Me….
X-Rays You Have Had: tons see O above
Yummy Food You Make: I am overweight so just about everything!
Zoo Animal You Like Best: None…..I believe wild animals need to be wild…not in Zoos

OUR NEW TOY

This is exciting day today...after over a decade of compiling information, attending boat shows, traveling to areas on the coast of both Washington and Alaska... We did it....we bought Salty. Long story, but on a trip to Anacortes Washington in 2009 we spotted this cute little boat in the marina at Cap Sante.....we both drooled over it and found out later it was part of a charter fleet through the Anacortes Yacht Club. Craig tried for two years to lease it for a week at a time.
This week as Craig was surfing the internet (he's getting pretty good) he again went into their website to check on boats available for lease. He was planning a trip out that way in late May. He didn't see Salty listed as one of the charters. Craig called the Yacht club yesterday to make his arrangements for a lease boat and the conversation included what had happened to the C Dory, Salty. Craig joked with the clerk about how he hadn't seen it on their list and how he always had tried to lease it.......that was when the gal told him it was FOR SALE. OMG he immediately came and told me and then the wheels started in motion...... It took us a grand total of about an hour to make our decision. The boat is a 2001 and in immaculate condition and the best news is we have both seen it and have even been on it although the cabin was locked.....We got it for what we consider a fair price.
Now because I already had a prior committment for April 8 thru 11th, we will leave on April 12th for Washington. Salty will retain her name and she will not be coming to Montana until mid to late May. We both didn't sleep last night. But it is a done deal, we go sign papers on April 12th.
I think it was true fate that found us yesterday and brought us exactly what Craig wanted.......perfect year, perfect condition......just a few minor changes needed to make her our dream boat!! Wow this year is turnin g out to be one of our all time greatest!! Please readers keep in mind in the cabin cruiser world of yachting.......this is a Volkswagon but a dandy one!
From Salty's crew...
Captain Craig
and Chief Executive Officer in charge of crew...Julie
Now can I go to bed????

Spring!!!!! Hip Hip Hooray!

Signs of Spring......robins spotted, pussy willows, grass is greening, baby calves and lambs.... and the dogs are starting the shed.......Oh yea just what I love. I haven't spotted a convertible yet but I am hoping they are out soon....I am so sick of winter....
...They say March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb......well so far they are right on the mark with that comment.....I don't think we have hit the normal average temperature yet. Snow flurries, windy ( great if you like to "go fly a kite"). Come on.... I need some sunshine, warm in my face type that makes you feel like winter is over.
On the anticipation side are the two quilt retreats in the very near future. Early April will find me at Ghost Rails for a scrapbooking/quilting weekend........getting together with gals I have not seen all winter will be a fun time to relax and catch up......that weekend it can snow, rain, blow...I don't care as I will have plenty to keep me occupied.
Update on baby....things are progressing and I am pondering so many patterns to do just the best one for a family heirloom.....
Calving has started here on our place too....our first one arrived between storms and I think there are 7 more to come......Horses were in the other day for feet trimming and their first "hands on" attention since last November. I really think they enjoy all the fussing. That was one nice day too. Just a teaser though because the next day it snowed all day!
Well that's about it.....I can't post project pictures of my latest sewing projects just yet because they are gifts for others and I don't want the secret out.....soon.. soon...
Here is a photo of one of our fuzzies......Bravo soaking up the sunshine and getting his first brushing of the season! Have a good week everyone!

Feeling Better and Grand News

Well I know everyone has had a cold before but this one was a doozie.....It took a good 10 days before I truly felt like doing much of anything.......I think next year I will break down a get a flu shot.....whether I believe in them or not...
As I sit here thinking about what has happened the last week I actually forgot to post my most important news.......I am going to be a grandma.....yep an actual true one this time.....not that I don't love and appreciate my two "step" grandkids...Tyler and Kelsey. But I guess when it's your own son that calls you up and tells you the news it gives you such a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside.... I have so many things in store for this little bundle.....We won't know for a while exactly what it is,OR HOW MANY, Yes sirree there are twins on both sides of the family tree so it is very possible......
I have been keeping busy in my recovery time doing what I love to do in the winter months.....sew sew sew. I completed the bindings on two quilts and alos finished and mailed off a table runner as a surprise for an old friend in Idaho......wonder what she will think when it arrives.....
so for today Tally Ho and be kind to your friends and pets

Winter.......I am sick of it in more ways than1

Well today is my first "legit" head cold for a long long time.......Steve and Tyler came last weekend for the Corvallis wrestling meet and Steve just happened to have a cold.......I love sharing, but this is not fun.......so this will be short and sweet.....I am going to go park my bod under a warm blanket and pray for spring to get here......SOOOOOOOONNNNNN. I hate winter...did I tell you that?

Quilt top done for a new baby girl....

Here is the quilt top I finished today for Jaclyn's friend Theresa......it is called Baby Blooms and the order was for a pink and brown motif for a new baby girl due in June.....pretty fast and easy to do.....will put light pink minkee on the back and bind it in one of

the browns....

Melting Snow Day Sew Day

March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb...oh boy I sure hope they are right on that one. Got up this morning to 6 inches of new fluffy snow. Right now it coming off the eaves in buckets.....the good news is I got to sew for the last two days.......making a baby quilt for little baby girl due in June. This is a real treat for me because I had all boys.....the baby girls have been few and far between since I started my quilting journey...maybe I will post a picture tomorrow of the finished top...before the machine quilting is done......

Another day in the life of....

Well it's cold.....yep got up to -5* in February.  The house was about 60* and I hightailed it to the thermostat to get some heat going.    The bad thing is yesterday the water heater decided to quit so that makes life interesting.....I am suppose to be at my grandson's wrestling meet at 9am......well here I go stinky and all...Hubby is doing the dirty work and staying home to help The Plumber......until later.....

Welcome to My Place

Welcome to my place......hope you come to visit often to see just what I have been up to.....I keep very busy with all sorts of activities.....I am new to this blogging stuff so bear with me and watch my blog grow......I will try and keep you interested in what happens at My Place....whether it be with a new quilt project, a horseback or bike ride, a trip or just hanging out.....Anyway ,Welcome, I am so glad you're here!