38 x 38 - Make a Quilt

As you remember, a month ago or so I started my first quilt. I cut the fabric, pieced it together, and sewed all the little blocks. I ripped seams (surprisingly not as many as i expected) and pressed seams and at the end, had a nice quilt top that I was fairly proud of. Then I rolled it up, stuck it in a drawer, and forgot about it!

I'd drag it out occassionally but then remember that I don't know what to do next. So I'd roll it up and put it back.

Until two nights ago. I was bored, in the mood to accomplish something, and had some extra time on my hands (not really but the dishes and housekeeping could wait).

I found this tutorial on Pinterest that looked pretty easy. The author says it's Quilting and Binding the Easy Way. It seemed pretty dang self-explanatory.

I'd like to share with you some really great photos of the process but I don't have any. Just use the link above...she does a much better job.

Here's a closeup of my work (for those of you with experience....yes I understand my sewing is less than perfect - get over it! :)

Not too bad for a beginner

 Once I got started, it was really pretty easy. I am jealous of people who are perfectionists and know what they're doing. My line is a little crooked and probably not too pretty but I'm still proud of it!

And here is my finished project. Perfect for my youngest son, Nate. 

Looks good right? 

I was just waiting for the right time to give it to him. Yesterday, I chaperoned his field trip to Crater Lake. While it was a balmy 60 degrees and sunny here in Klamath, it was 50 degrees and snowing up at the Lake. It was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. I love it when it snows up there.

For those of you unfamiliar with Crater Lake National Park, it's Oregon's only National Park. It's the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 ft. The park was founded in 1902. And Klamath County is proud to be its home. 

The lake is the bluest you may ever see and there are dozens of hiking trails. If you've never been, come any time but winter is truly my favorite. and they offer snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and it's just plain awesome (bundle up though, it's cold). 

On the field trip, I didn't learn much that I didn't know. Crater Lake was formed when Mt. Mazama erupted. 

Local tribes didn't live there but they used it as a place for visionquests and prayer. Understandably since it's majestic and magical!

Nate at Crater Lake 

Nate loved playing in the snow. 

It was a chore keeping over 30 fourth graders in line but they all made it home, safe, sound, and cold. It was the perfect time to give Nate his quilt! 

I think I liked quilting enough I'll try another. I'm searching patterns and looking for ideas. In the meantime, add a visit to Crater Lake to your bucket list!

38 x 38 - Finish a Project on Pinterest

Last year, I attempted the 365-photo-challenge....you know, a picture every day. I failed. It lasted approximately 3 days and I gave up. So when I saw a July Photo-a-Day Challenge on Pinterest, I thought I'd give it a shot and I actually completed it.

Every day, there was a theme and you took a photo accordingly and posted it in Instagram. Now, this also forced me to use Instagram and now I'm sort of addicted. I love seeing all my friends photos! You can follow me on Instagram but I thought I'd share a few of the photos I posted in July:

Day 3 - Red -

Red happens to be my favorite color and here are three of my fave red things - nail polish, lip gloss, and jewelry!

Add caption

 Day 14 - Share

Miss Eva Massie shared her 70+ years of quilting knowledge with me

Day 18 - Smells Delicious

I'm a lotion addict and this is the most delicious smelling, moisturizing stuff out there. Love love love this product!

Day 19 - In the Neighborhood

This old house from the 20's is right across from my work. I want it!!

Day 20 - Love is...

Love is time with my boys! 

 Day 23 - Below

This is a photo I took from below the dam while we were fishing.

Day 26 - Weather

Here's a photo of the weather rolling in across the refuge

Day 28 - Old

I have some really great old letters and I read them often. This one, dated July 16, 1941 mentions that it was 100 degrees in Seattle on that date, setting a record. I looked it up and that record held until 2009!! This letter also mentions the war and rations and how women are going to work. I love the way people used to write!

Those are some of the highlights!

My Incredibly Good Looking Family

I've had family photos taken three times in my life - once when Marcus was 5 (he's 16 now), once when Nate was 4 (he's 8 now), and this past weekend.

I love photos so you'd think I'd do it more often. I'm probably not alone in admitting it's because I hate photos of myself.

Conquering Fear via Kayak

Kayaking had officially become a symbol of my fear and my self-consciousness. It was one of the things I *want* to do but would never do because a) I'm not athletic, b) I'm fat, and c) I might look like a dork.

I've been making my annual bucket list for three years now and there's one item that is on my list every single year - trying kayaking. Truth be told, it ended up on the list by default. The first year, as I tried to come up with 35 things to do - kayaking popped in my brain as the number 35 thing and I never gave it any more thought.  Then last year, I made my list of 36 things and it remained. As last year came to a close, I hadn't even attempted to make it happen. It loomed over the list like a big minus sign.

This year, it became the one item I'd accomplish even if I didn't accomplish any others. Officially, I only had to *try* it. I never said I'd master it. I made a date with my friend Mike to give it a try. Mike is one heck of an outdoorsy guy. He rock climbs. He camps. He backpacks. He fishes. He kayaks, canoes, trail runs, blah blah blah. Guys (and girls) like him are the reason I usually forego these activities. They make it look easy. And they look good doing it.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I had knots in my stomach. I was excited and nervous, a ball of shaky energy threatened to make me "call in sick." Fortunately, my friend Stacy had agreed to meet me and take photos to document my adventure. Subconsciously, I think this was a way for me to not let myself back out.

My adventure started at The Ledge, Mike's store, where we loaded up the kayaks. Mike's store is a wonderful place and includes a gigantic rock climbing gym where my kids love to play.

I arrived at Lake Euwana and the water was like glass. Pelicans, ducks, and all sorts of birds were on the water.

It was a beautiful day and I was fully anticipating I'd be taking a dip in this water (not by choice of course). We unloaded the kayaks and prepared for our adventure.



Pelicans love Klamath Falls. Here one sits on Lake Euwana -
awaiting my kayak adventure.

 Mike started by showing me the "old man way" to get into the canoe. He promised this would be the "least likely" way I'd fall in. I was happy to see that it basically meant I'd sit down and scoot into the kayak. Still nervous, my arms were shaking, my heart was racing but I had brought extra clothes for the swim.



Notice my hands in little fists. I really was about to freak out.



Remarkably, I scooted in like a pro (at least in my mind). At that point I realized that I might tip over. I think my exact thought was "My butt is bigger than this kayak, what the heck was I thinking??"

Then Mike handled me my paddle and hopped in his kayak. He showed me how to paddle and included very helpful instructions for what not to do.

Mike provides a paddling lesson

I pushed away from the dock and was on my way. Slowly and surely, my kayak began to go in the direction I wanted and I had lasted at least five minutes without falling in.

And I'm off!

It only took minutes for me to forget I might fall in. Paddling took some coordination and I had to remember to relax a few times but the scenery was so amazing from out here. We saw wild iris, ferns, ducks, pelicans, and who knows what else. Before long, I was focused on the beauty around me. It was amazing to see Veteran's Memorial Park from this angle.

Look, I'm a pro! ha

I was thankful Scott and Stacy were there to record this but I was sorry I hadn't brought my camera. I was too afraid I'd be swimming!

I was amazed more people weren't out enjoying this lake that is right in the middle of our town. At one point this rower came out to enjoy the lake.

It was amazing to learn some things about our lake. For example, this lake has thousands of board feet of timber submerged. There was a mill here that used to float the logs here. Thousands of those logs are now submerged, waiting for someone to do something. From the lakeside, you could see where they put the logs in:

The tracks where the logs used to be put in the water

In a kayak, you get very close to the wildlife.

I'm not sure who scared who - me or the pelican

Some of the logs have become part of the landscape and now have all sorts of ferns and stuff growing from them.

I discovered bridges I didn't know existed.

It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend it. It was relaxing and exhilerating at the same time. It was beautiful and eye-opening. I got off the water wondering how much a kayak costs and excited to do it again.

And I did all of it without falling in. No swimming on this day!

My week in photos

Between school starting, a huge event at work, football, football, and more football…it’s been a crazy couple of weeks and I haven’t had the time to write much. The last week has held several milestones:

Marcus got his driver’s permit. I’m not sure how this happened…I don’t feel old enough to have a driving son but somehow it’s true. He’s doing a fantastic job (except for that part where he inherited momma’s lead foot…oops). Here he is on his very first driving excursion:

A note to parents of first time drivers: I do not suggest making your child’s first excursion during lunch time on a Wednesday in the middle of town. You’ll need a drink (or 4) at lunch.

My goal between now and when he gets his drivers license is to make him drive everywhere, in any weather, during all different times of the day. I want him as prepared as possible when he starts out on his own.

And now a confession…I think my son driving is the scariest thing I’ve faced so far. Who the hell thought it was a great idea to put my heart into a vehicle with an opportunity to go 60+ miles per hour on a road with deer, cows, pedestrians, semi-trucks, crazy drivers, and other obstacles that are out of my control. Can we wait until he’s older and doesn’t have the attention span of a teenage boy?

Nathan started second grade AND had his first “real-life” football game. He was so excited for both but I think the game won out. The Owls (his team) played the Falcons and they lost by 1 point but not without giving it one hell of an effort. Here’s my cutie-pie:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 At left: Nate stands in his classroom on the second day of school. At top: Nate’s on the left with his back to us. Number 63! At right: Nate on his first day of school. Bottom middle: Nate tries to escape. Go Owls!

Marc also played in his first high school football game. He plays on the freshman team and JV. He’s a defensive end, wide receiving, tight end, and kicker. His freshman team won 20 to 6, JV lost. Marc sacked the quarterback three times in a row (my shouts of joy could be heard ‘round the world). Here are some photo highlights:

Marc is number 42. Here he is stalking the quarterback.

Random fact about me: I LOVE me some football. I think one of my favorite things on earth is watching it. I’d make football year round if I could!

Speaking of watching football, I rode to the game with several moms on Friday (it was an away game). We were sitting in the stands and were watching as the coaches were trying to fill up the orange water jugs.

They have tilted the fountain on its side and are aiming the drinking fountain stream at the orange drink bucket. None of us felt inclined to point out the drinking hose screwed to the bottom of the fountain. It took several minutes (ok, like 70+) for them to realize there was an easier way. LOL

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s Marc with his best friend after the game. Worn out boys! Good game guys!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That pretty much sums up my week. In closing, I’ll share some funny photos from a recent road trip. This is what I get when I give the kid the camera while I’m driving:

Happy Monday!

1,076 Miles of Adventure

In the past five days, I've logged 1,076 miles just in quick road trips. This doesn't count all my running around from football practice to work to grocery store to work to football practice (you get the idea).

My long weekend of road trips began with a phone call from Rob on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. asking if I'd drive to Cedarville with him that night. Cedarville is a little over 100 miles from here. I've never been there and I looked forward to a few hours in the car with Rob so we headed out around 5 p.m. The drive was beautiful and the fairgrounds were well-maintained, quaint, and quite pretty. I found this building interesting in a "I bet it's haunted" kind of way.



Desert Rose Casino, Alturas CA

 A warning about Cedarville and its neighboring town of Alturas: If you wait until 9 p.m. to search for dinner, you'll get a romantic evening of burgers, fries, and Jersey Shore while the sound of slot machines serenade you in the background. You see, everything closes at 9 p.m. and your choice for dinner will be either A) a burger from the Casino or B) cheetos and jerky from the gas station. We ventured out to the Desert Rose Casino. After traveling down a dirt road we arrived at a triple wide trailer. The "cafe" was open and consisted of a closet that had been converted to a kitchen with one of those half-doors through which you order your burgers. Tables are in the bar where Jersey Shore has captured the attention of the only other occupant in the bar. While the atmosphere wasn't five star, the burger was decent, the food was made to order, and the service was friendly (and the drinks in the bar were cheap!).



Welcome to Christmas Valley!

 On Thursday, Rob had to "repay" the favor and travel with me to Christmas Valley, Oregon (roughly 124 miles one way). We were dropping my kids off with my sister for a camping trip. Christmas Valley is remote - it's often referred to as the Oregon Outback and I've heard the population is around 150. I drive through Christmas Valley often and I never, ever think of Christmas! The roads in town are aptly named Jingle Bell Lane, Candy Cane Street, or Elf Way. You can shop at Santa's Hardware and Santa's General Store.

 

Cowboy Dinner Tree, Silver Lake Oregon



After dropping off the kids, we ventured to the Cowboy Dinner Tree, a restaurant in the middle of nowhere. Reservations are required and portions are generous. This was my favorite part of the trip. Rob ordered the steak and I ordered the chicken. The meal starts with salad (I was pleasantly surprised to have a delicious salad with lots of different veggies instead of just iceberg lettuce). Your pink lemonade is served in a quart size canning jar. The silverware and plates do not match. For the second course, we were served the best beans I've ever eaten with the best homemade dinner rolls ever (don't tell her but they put my grandma's to shame). You then receive your entree. Rob's steak was 32 oz and served with a baked potato. My plate arrived with a WHOLE roasted chicken and a baked potato. They follow it up with apple crisp for dessert. Simply delicious. And we have enough leftovers to last a week. I definitely recommend it if you're in the area and looking for something fun and different to do.

 

Cowboy Dinner Tree Dining Room



On Friday I was in charge of our 8th Annual Hula-Palooza Putting Challenge, a fun team-building event that we put on each year for our members.

Rob and his son Zach serve bbq to the cyclists.

Which brings me to Saturday and my next road trip. I offered to help Rob with a catering job he had up near Crater Lake, actually at Fort Klamath. It was the day of the big Crater Lake Century Ride - a bike ride that brought in over 300 cyclists from around the world. We fed the cyclists, their families, and the volunteers. It was fun to talk to people from Germany, Iowa, Illinois and many other places. We served food from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Rob does catering for a local barbecue place - ribs, pork, chicken, and beef - delish. For this event, he had to offer a vegetarian option and so he smoked tofu and made a quinoa salad. The smoked tofu was surprisingly delicious and the quinoa salad is going to become a staple in my household - so refreshing! Crater Lake is breathtaking and I can imagine the bike ride was beautiful - luckily I don't have to imagine because my friend Brian took photos at the event. Just look at the beautiful ride the cyclists had!

On Sunday, I got up and headed to Burns, Oregon to pick up my boys. They had spent the weekend camping with Aunt Tara and the grandkids. Burns is about 240 miles one way. I get to travel back through Christmas Valley. It's a beautiful drive the first time you do it but I've now been through it 10 times a year for the past seven years. About 100 miles from Burns, you lose most radio stations and your only option will be talk radio (which I happen to enjoy sometimes) or Retro Country (Baby's got her blue jeans on). I chose Retro Country, rolled down the windows, and sang my little heart out while remembering dancing with my dad.

We took some time to visit my mom at the airport. She drives fuel truck for the helicopters on wildfires. Here are a few photos:



The Grandkids in front of Grandma's truck



The helicopter landing (with the fire in the background)


 On the way back home, we traveled across the Klamath Marsh at sunset and it was the most beautiful I've ever seen it. I stopped to take this photo:



As we came across the last part of the marsh, Marcus (my oldest) asked if he could take a photo. He captured this image (good eye kid!):

I enjoyed my crazy beautiful hectic weekend but I'm so glad to be home!