Finish the Trip:

This blog is starting at the end and jumping forward.  Such is my life in the world of blogging.  Above is a photo of the Stitchin Post, a "bucket list" entry that I have now checked off.  Sisters is the home of a fantastic city-wide outdoor quilt show put on  the second Saturday of July every year. This has been going on for the past 39 years and started by Jean Wells, owner of Stitchin Post as well as a well known artist and author.  July couldn't happen for us, so as we were putting together our trip to the great Northwest, this was put on the "to do" list.  It didn't disappoint.  I discovered a great fabric designer by the name of Marsha Derse and bought a few pieces from her line.  As nobody in Utah carries it, I just may have to make a return visit one of these days.

Trip to the Coast:

This summer has been a fast one and while we have done a lot of things, it has been awhile since we took more than a weekend away.  The kids are now in school so the roads are less congested and hotels have vacant signs and with perfect weather we decided to head to the coastline of Northern California.  As we were leaving SL we spotted double and triple full rainbows.  Twenty minutes from home and I am already making Roger pull over for a photo shoot.  Worth it!!! 

Cabin, etc.

We've been updating the cabin a bit; new deck outside, new paint, satellite TV, and some new furniture, below. inside.  With all of the improvements, it is feeling more and more like home, so I decided that a more permanent sewing space was in order as well.  I commandeered the loft area off the upstairs bedroom and planted my sewing machine on the small table we have there.  I still need to bring up a standing lamp and another table for ironing and cutting and I am good to go.  Get a fire going in the great room below and I can settle in for some long winter days.

 



Annual Lunag Prabang Festival

Our trip to Luang Prabang coincided with the annual large market and boat race.  People from all over the area attended the market.  I spotted these lovely sunshades which I thought would provide marvellous cover for those of our party who were feeling the heat.

Mom's Birthday:

Tomorrow, September 10th, is my mother's 99th birthday.  She is an amazing lady who has spent her life giving to others, especially her family.  She has been my strength and my mentor, pushing me to be the best I could be.  Monday morning, Evan, her eldest grandchild and my son, came for a visit before he headed off to the river (who wouldn't love a job like that!).  Love you Mom. Janice

Farmington Bay Bird Refuge: Our Summer Walks

This summer has slipped by with hardly a notice.  Too busy I guess.  When Roger and I finally decided it was time to go for early morning walks and pretend (at least for me) that we were getting in shape, we realized we had lots of options.  We have the park east of us where the grandkids like to play, the mountain trails further east of the park as well as the neighborhoods around our home.  We decided no to all of the above options and moved west for the new and old bike/walking trails that take us through the Farmington Bay Bird Refuge.

Crayon Quilts:

For my quilt group this month - it's September already!!! - I had planned to do strip piecing following my theme of teaching a new technique that could be done in more than one way.  Then I found a blog and a link about making batik fabric using crayons as the base for color as well as the wax resist for the black dye.  And with school starting and boxes of crayons on sale for 50 cents each, I decided we would all go back to school.  A little bit of fun never hurt anyone.