Will it be finished this Christmas?

A few years ago I started making a Christmas Quilt from a Needle Love book.   I wasn't crazy about it at all so it was layed aside.  After much shopping for and collecting wools I decided one day early this month  to give it a peek.  Yep, I still didn't like it.  So  I began pulling basted pieces off, it was really pathetic but I knew my knew stash was going to make me much happier.

I needed to felt the wool pieces for one thing,  the poinsettia leaves were cut from a wool piece I purchased but it had not been felted!   Gasp!  I know, how could I have been so naive.  :))

And how about some overdyed plaids, :))) for some of the poinsettia leaves,   yes it is looking so much better, a little sprinkle of textured green plaids for the holly.  Be still my heart,  my stash of wools are so fun to cut up I can hardly stand it.  

If you ever saw a kit and said, " I'm sure I have enough at home to make this, I don't need the kit."  Well let me say I have said that but I KNOW that is never true.  $$$$$$$ dollars of wool purchases later I am finally satisfied with my choices for this quilt.    But I have about 4 Buggy Barn trips and multiple other wonderful quilt shop memories collecting all my wonderful wools.

I  decided it needed a little tweaking, moving pieces out and centering better but I love it now and even if it doesn't get finished for Christmas I know I could visit one here in Bend that is finished and mostly likely decorating a wonderful families home!

We had the most wonderful Thanksgiving with family in Seattle.  My niece had a baby boy Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  My sister is a grandmother and I am a great-aunt.  Isn't that just the greatest thing.   Holding Davis, who was born at 7lb 2 oz.  I kept thinking he is 2 pounds bigger than Ethan and 3 pounds bigger than Hayden but is so small.   I swaddled him with such ease, nice to know I haven't lost my touch.   I am so happy for them and will enjoy all their Facebook posts giving me my Davis updates.

My last post was so long ago,  and about my precious Slide girl.  I must tell you she passed away mid June, breaking my heart.  I'm a total sap and still cry when I talk about her,  you never know how much a pet or a person can mean to you until you lose them.

Until next time....God Bless and Keep You!

Carrie

Man's Best Friends

In 2005 my son and I got ourselves a wonderful friend.  Black Pearl's Treasure aka Dublin's Mudslide aka Slide.
She has been such a mate, she is definitely our dog and very much my dog.  She has so much desire to please, which makes her fun to train.  A bit sensitive but she is a girl after all.

This last year she was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy.  She has a very large heart and all the complications which go along with that.   I'm afraid she is going to break my heart!!    

So I want to share a few good things before this happens.  Each day is a gift because you just don't know when the inevitable will happen.

Some of my favorite puppy pictures.....

 Hunting as a pup on the Malheur.....

 Hunting as a pup near Condon, such beautiful country, she is showing her natural ability to honor another dog on point. Slide held her honor until the shot, I was so tickled with her.  Joe was really in heaven on this hunt.  A young pup learning from Daisy Mae, his beloved veteran dog.

I started Slide in Hunt Tests and had such a good time,  she loves her bird hunting and we have had some great times together.   February we will take part in the club hunt at local preserve hunting pheasants.

We are hoping for more time with Slide and taking each day, one at a time.   Her  medicines are  treating the issues in her heart but this will only work for a time.

I don't even want to think about the Rainbow Bridge, for now I enjoy the special companionship that my girlie gives me everyday.

Have a wonderful week.

Carrie



Happy New Year!

This year has just flown by for me!!   Managing our Subway restaurant really has been a life change.  Blogging  definitely has been more about reading than posting.   I have misplaced my camera for 3 months now and it isn't as much fun to post without pictures. 

Joe and I spent a wonderful week in Omaha for Christmas.  It was such a good time spent with my son and DIL and of course the triplets.  They are really growing and changing.   They are pretty good talkers too!!  That makes it even more fun, and words are always so cute when they are shortened.    Ethan loves snowmen, he calls them "man!".    And this time of year they are in abundance and he would exclaim "man" whenever he saw one.  So cute!!  Ethan is walking in a walker, he just amazes me.  He has the best attitude and is getting along so well.   He is just getting started on his walking crutches and they will give him even more mobility. 
We took a picture at church on Christmas Eve.   It was the best gift to spend Christmas in Omaha with them,  such a cherished memory.

Hopefully I will find my camera soon and will show some pictures of my trip to the Buggy Barn in August.   I took two very fun classes. 

Wishing you a very Happy New Year and may God richly bless you and your loved ones.

Winter Blessings,

Carrie

Celebrating Independence!

I love all the celebrations around Independence Day!! Liberty, what an awesome gift. Recently, I watched a movie about John Adams and my eyes have been opened to some wonderful American History. I didn't care much for it in school but I do love it now.

I made this small quilt last year for a swap. It was fast and fun since everything was pretty big and easy to machine applique.

Have a safe and fun-filled 4th of July!! America's Independence Day!

God Bless,

Carrie

My quarterly update!!

I guess I am an all or nothing girl. I haven't accomplished a post in way to long. One big thing at a time, it can be so consuming.

February and March I spent most of my time responding to job listings. I became one of the innumerable ( is that a word) people looking for employment. I sent so many resumes to positions exactly matching my work history. When you don't get responses you really begin to wonder if your resumes just are floating in lala land somewhere. Or worse.......

When I did get one response, they wanted my credit score and they even suggested which company to use. All I needed to give them was the number for the interview. So I did it and guess what....no response! Hmmm, kind of ticked me of if you know what I mean!! And it was a good number to but who needs to check that just for nothing.

So......, after two months of THAT, my DH and I started talking about what is the next fun approach, to you know making money and paying bills.

So to make this story not as boring as my life I will just get to the point. We have decided to invest in a purchase of a Subway restaurant. Aha!!!!! If they won't give you a job, buy one!!

Oh my goodness......I have spent the last three weeks training on all the in and outs of Subway. Starting at 5:30 am most mornings, well all mornings I think and until 3 or so, on Tuesday's coming back for inventory. I come home to Bend on Fridays and back to Eugene on Monday.

It has been most interesting and I am getting the hang of everything pretty much. Did you know how many different sandwiches they have........lol. I always order tuna or turkey/ham. So I even had to study those different portions a bit. My brain is not the sharpest pin the cushion. I can convert fat quarters, to yards much faster or figure how much yardage needed for a border or whole quilt for that matter .......well that is not to be, its "Welcome to Subway!"

So I will have more stories on that later I'm sure.

Other than that I have had some quilty fun!! My DH had a field trial up by Spokane so that meant I got a trip to The Buggy Barn. Woohoo! Love them! I got a refreshener on my needle punch, bought a couple new patterns for needle punch and some new Jo Morton fabrics too.

This store is full of inspiration, and one inspiration is there painted red cabinetry. I want to remodel my office in these gorgeous handmade pieces each time I see them. Someday!!

I am really looking forward to their quilt show and classes this year, Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs are returning for two days of classes. I signed up for the autumn quilt class, I am really looking forward to meeting them. I love their quilts and love their blog. Speaking of their blog. I was a very lucky girl and won one of their engagement calendars for 2011. It will make next year fun, filling in all those Subway appointments etc. LOL........

It really is a wonderful calendar. The Buggy Barn had some for sale when I was their in April. If you love the pictures on Alma's blog you will love using this too!

In April I spent five days in Omaha with the boys. Mom and Dad went on a trip and us two Gramma's spent 4 days playing and having a wonderful time with the boys. Grammy Terry lives a couple hours away and spends almost every other weekend in Omaha. So the boys were very comfortable and didn't miss mom and dad to bad.

They loved going outside when the weather allowed. They are growing up and are so much fun.

From left, Ethan, Jaxon and Hayden. It was sport shirts day. Hayden is a Nebraska Cornhusker, Ethan is the Oregon Duck. Jaxon sporting his 3rd pair of glasses is the all around sports guy!!

Here is Grammy Terry and Jaxon, outside on the back deck doing puzzles.

And laundry is so fun when you are folding cute little clothes. Hayden keeping me company.

I am looking forward to July when they come out to Oregon, it will be a couple days before their 2nd birthday so we will have a very fun party. Can you just believe that they are going to be two already. They change so much, and man do I love watching their cute little bodies walk around, that and seeing their personalities develop.

Hayden is pretty independent and he loved walking up and down the sidewalk, hand in one pocket. Till we meet again sunshine, I love this picture of him.

So that is a little update on me. I need to get back to paperwork and get ready to leave for my last week of training. When I come back I will have some pictures of my quilty projects and to tell you about a couple of projects I just couldn't resist and joined for this summer. They of course have wool. Also, I will have some completed projects to show, now don't fall off your chair there. I am going to stay on track and get last years BOM completed.

God bless each of you dear bloggy friends, and primitive spring blessings too!!

Fondly,

Carrie

Happy Easter

Wishing you all a special Easter with your family and friends.

Easter blessings,

Carrie

Magna Cum Laude

I was doing a bit of organizing, cleaning generally moving some dusty things around this morning and uncovered something. It is a little book, The Sixty Sixth Baccalaureate & Commencement for Northwest College, May 2002.

Listed their under Baccalaureate Degrees was my sisters name:

Christie Amans……..Magna Cum Laude…..Bothell, WA

I went and googled to get the definition:

According to Wikipedia.org (even though its Wikipedia its true I learned it in Latin class), these terms are called ''Latin honors'' and are used to "indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned."
Here is a list of Latin honors, in order of increasing level of honor:

• "cum laude" (Latin for "with honor")
• "magna cum laude" (Latin for "with great honor")
• "summa cum laude" (Latin for "with highest honor")

By GPA: Graduation with honors 'cum laude' requirements can vary but in general: Cum laude grade point average estimates: gpa for cum laude - 3.5 to 3.74; gpa for magna cum laude - 3.75 to 3.99; gpa for summa cum laude - 4.0+.

I went to my sisters graduation ceremony and do remember noticing this, but I am just so proud of her that I wanted to share.

Christie is a wonderful sister, I have to say she really has made my life so special for many reasons. She is 6 years older and really included me in her life. She has always been a giver of her life and treasure. She paid all of my travel expenses to go see our Mother in Yuma last month. Just one example of her generosity towards me.

She went to college and became a Dental Hygienist then moved from Oregon to San Jose, CA to go to Bible College for a year. There she met her future husband and made life long friends. She lived in California, where I visited many times, and Texas, what a fun place to visit too!!

The last 12 years her family has lived in Seattle, we have spent most Thanksgivings with them there. After 4 years of moving to Washington she had a big decision regarding her career. She decided to go back to college and get her Baccalaureate Degree, in her 50’s. She was going to college, writing term papers and had an outstanding time doing it.

She has a new career now with Home Instead Senior Care, where she is Human Resource Manager. And I must say she is really a perfect fit.

Christie I am reminded of how very proud of you I am and how lucky I am to be your sister!!

One of my most memorable moments with Christie was in Maui. My daughter was getting married there and we traveled and stayed together with Christie and her husband Larry. We were at the beach going snorkeling, but not Joe, he says no way! Sharks you know!! Well after trying to get flippers and mask on while standing in the surf…..

Christie and I are finally out in the water, sand out of our masks…..Larry is still not so sure. We are saying, "come on in, its great"……. then we see Joe behind Larry waving his arms and everyone else on the beach is too!! So we thought, lets go in closer and see what they want. Well what they wanted to say was there was a shark between us and the beach and now we were swimming right to it!! All I can say is Ignorance is bliss!!

When we noticed we were the only ones in the water we thought just maybe something was up for sure!! LOl……we never saw the shark!

It was fun and we went down the beach a ways to the rocks where more people were and continued our snorkeling…. it was a very fun February memory.

We celebrated Valentines Day very quietly, had a great steak dinner and Joe gave me a very pretty bouquet. Watched some Olympics, I just love the Olympics and always wish they would show them earlier in the evening. We are going to bed after midnight for goodness sakes…..lol!!

Thanks for listening to my sharing of my sister, I would love to hear your special memories too!!

Prim blessings,

Carrie