December

 I had to work Christmas Day, but got to leave work early and drove up to the big city to hang out with my kids, we had a nice meal and some present opening and laughs together. 
  This picture of the dog was taken 2 weeks ago when I drove home that is in the Turnagain pass, when we stopped to stretch our legs.  This is the side of the pass that the snow machiners are allowed to ride, the other side is for skiers.  The dog is standing on the snow bank checking out the activities.

 This picture is from yesterdays drive at a place called the Y there is a lake and I saw a 4 legged animal on the lake so stopped to get some pictures the coyote walked towards the road where the truck was parked.  There were other cars that stopped to look, the coyote didn't run away, I had climbed on the back of the truck to get some pictures to get  a view over the snow bank.

This picture doesn't need much information, that of course is the sweet baby.

baby

Mikaele Faith 12/9/11 @ 12:28p 7lbs 4ozs, 20 1/4 inches long.  Ten finger Ten Toes, hair and cute as can be.

survived

I always go overboard for Thanksgiving, so much so I call myself the Thanksgiving slave, (family says I bring it on myself) spend 3 days cooking, for a 1 hour meal, but then lots of leftovers is good, so now that a week later my dogs are eating good.  I so enjoy having all my kids with me on that day, that it is worth it, if I do ask for help there is someone to pitch in.  Also found time to get a quilt done for the Tuesday group, they had made one for one of the gals, who had fell when a moose chased her, she is getting the quilt next week.  I won't be there because I am heading to town for the birth of granddaughter, who may show up on Monday the 5th.  I have the week off from work, to spend with newest family member.  Update later. 

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.