first customer

 This is the group of ladies that let me quilt with them on Tuesdays, they are a great group of ladies, they don't gossip (just fun stuff), they don't speak ill of people, if one needs some comfort then they make a quilt for them, it's quilt time with fun conversation and some lunch then back to sewing always getting lots done.

This is the first quilt that some one let me work on for hire.  The lady paid me $40.00 to quilt it for her.  I was not happy with the overall design, but she seemed pleased with it.  I don't have any more quilt for hire yet, but the quilt group has a top that they are giving to someone and they want me to quilt it for them, so I will pick that up on next Tuesday and work on that.  Got another quilt done that I am giving as a present for the family that took care of my granddaughter last summer on the weekends while I was at work.  The whole process of machine quilting is going much better, not a process of frustration, just getting the project completed with a bit of a smile on my face.

maybe to much

  When my mechanic is off to work, I pretty much do what I want when I want, and what I want to do most of all is quilt, read, cross stitch, watch a movie, walk the dogs, and eat.  Well to get out of my rut and maybe do some different things, I am playing Hockey again, signed up for a online college course (which is stupid if one doesn't have Internet at home) and got 6 charity quilts delivered.  Doesn't sound like much, but this morning I got up at 4am to study for the class, pack my hockey gear and some food for the day.  Paper due for class today, game at 4p and there is still quilting and walk the dogs.  I guess it doesn't sound so bad, I am a very fortunate person to be able to enjoy all those aspects of life. 

  This quilt, fleece blanket, flannel burp rags and receiving blankets are for my new grand kid to be born in December.  I gave the quilt to my daughter last weekend, she said " you never gave me a quilt before", my response was "its not for you its for the baby".  Guess I better make a quilt for her.

sewing

I have been busy sewing, made a diaper bag, changing pad, table runner, quilt.  The quilt with book is for the mechanic nephew who will be 2 in November, the diaper bag and changing pad are for my daughter, she picked out the material for the bag.  I took a class on Cotton Theory to make the changing pad (it was suppose to be a bath mat, but I liked the way it looked for a changing pad instead), that was a fun class, made the table runner with the Cotton theory pattern.  I also have 2 more quilts off the long arm and ready for binding, getting some ready for Christmas, they ain't very pretty looking, making them masculine, totally utilitarian.

class

About a month ago I was just looking on line to see if there was a class I wanted to take at the local college,  the ones I was interested in look full, so searched some of the other colleges in the state.  Well apparently I signed up for a class because I got a bill in the mail for a class with the Juneau campus.  Class has started so I hurried up and ordered the text book.  First assignment due tomorrow. 

Took the few frames of honey out of the hives, doesn't look like much honey, but I guess that's better than none like last year.  Still lots of bee's in the hive, there were lots flying when we took the frames, I dream about bee's that night.  Now I need to figure out how to get the honey out of the frames.  Got 2 zip lock sandwich sized bags of rhubarb, there is a few carrot and some lettuce still in the garden, I ate all the peas about a hand full.  I know it doesn't sound like much but for a non-garden person it was nice to get some results.  Next year the other raised box will be able to plant in, (lesson learned don't use to much fresh horse manure).  There is enough stuff to make one more raised bed, so hopefully we can get that built and filled with dirt this year and ready to plant next. 

Out side of the kitchen window was a mound of dirt that was ugly and I have been wanting to move it.  So started in with the wheel barrow and moving to another location that needed dirt.  The tractor does a much better job of moving dirt that a shovel and wheel barrow, so most of that dirt is moved, going to rake it flat and plant some grass seed, a nice new view out the kitchen window.  Not that I like hanging out at the kitchen sink anyway. 

Kodiak Vacation

A awesome trip was had, we had found prior to departure a list called "101 things to do in Kodiak", I had highlighted some of the things that I thought we would be able to do.  It was a good way to get a feel for the place and destinations to see.  We did see or do about 45 of the things on the list.  Kodiak is a beautiful place lots of friendly people and we were very fortunate, blue sky's sunny and warm, the entire time we were there, we didn't feel a rain drop until we were on the last hour there and on our way home. 

  Tuesday night we caught the ferry to Kodiak, it was a overnight trip, got into Kodiak about 1p, we had some tips from locals on places to go and see, we did a few stops then went to the visitor center to get a walking map, she pointed out a few must do places and we had already been to them, the lady looked at us and said "you just got in on the ferry?"  we told her we are power tourist.  Had great eats and checked into the hotel, the manager for some reason put us in a bigger room for free (we found out at check out that he saw our group size and had a bigger room available so gave it to us)  that was great so if you every get to Kodiak we highly recommend the Comfort Inn the only draw back is that it's out at the airport about 5 miles from town, so a car is needed. 

  We got to go tide pooling with a science teacher and she was very knowledgeable about all the stuff in the tide pools.  Saw a bear, visited with some people on a sailboat that have cruised for 2 1/2 years from Sweden.  Ate pastries made by a real French chef, amazing good.  Lots of boats of boats to look at.  Drove up behind the town for a view of the entire area. 

                                                        On way to Kodiak

                                                                 Port Lions

                                                                Touch Tank

                                                             Fort Abercrombie                        

                                                          Walked across bridge

  Got back on the ferry for the trip home Friday afternoon, got into Homer at 7am,  Saturday morning when we woke up the grand kid she said "I don't want to look at stuff anymore".  We told her we are getting in the car and going home.  Guess we saw lots of stuff.

pictures from the last few weeks

                                                     Dip netting Kasilof River

                                        Was a beautiful day to be out, we only got 1 fish

             There were 2 guys in Dry Suits floating the current they did really good catching fish

                                                       Sail boat heading for dry land

                                                            Gotta love beautiful Alaska

                                Sail boat headed from Harbor to Land  (pics a bit out of order)

                                                            4th of July Canoe Jousting

                               Mechanic giving his boat a cleaning, you can see the lab on board

                                                     4th of July Pie Eating contest

Homer Harbor Derelict Boat with Seagull Nest

Survival Suit Race 4th of July

Young Eagle let me get really close to take picture Homer Harbor 4th of July

new queen

Hey big news,  Went to the dr with daughter to see what kind of baby, ITS A GIRL, 

and one of my bee hives lost it's queen, so I called the bee guy and he sold me another queen, he also came by the house and looked at the hives, sure enough no queen so that hive should be back in business with a queen to boss them around again.