Yellowstone

We spent the weekend at Yellowstone National Park. Ever since I first saw Yellowstone, 10 years ago, I have wanted to see it with snow on the ground. The park is closed to wheeled vehicles at the moment- they don't plough the roads - so we took the snow coach for a tour into the park as far as old Faithful - getting there in time to see the geyser erupt. Actually that was kind of disappointing as there was so much steam coming out that we could hardly see the water and the sky behind was kind of grey as well which didn't help. The eruption was about 125'- not as tall as it is sometimes. We'll go back and see it in the summer when the sky is blue. The park looked beautiful and I am putting up some pictures for you to see. One of the most amazing sights was all the snowmobiles - literally hundreds of them gathered at every rest stop and major attraction. I was getting worried that all the snow would be gone before we got to Yellowstone - not at all it has been coming down in buckets and travel up there was quite difficult. The snow is back here in Idaho Falls with about 4" coming down in the last couple of days.

Journal quilts

I am taking a set of classes at the quilt store 'The Quilted Daisy' on journal quilts. The idea is that you make a small quilt - no bigger than A4 - a month and it records what you were thinking about or looking at that month. The classes are aimed at teaching the techniques to be used for this and we are encouraged to get away from traditional quilting and use any materials that suggest themselves and any form of stitching. You can read more about this here

http://www.quiltart.com/

Here are my first efforts for February.
The small one is a postcard version to send to my quilting friends, Under the Edge Quilters, back home.

The trouble with all this is that I don't think of this as quilting at all but rather as free machine embroidery. I have to keep quiet about this when I am in class and it really doesn't matter as long as I enjoy doing it and I am learning and being inspired. I have been playing with a lot of these techniques for some time but have never really had a focus for my efforts. So here goes - one a month for the next year!

where did the snow go

It has been pretty warm here for the last few days. Well above freezing during the day, and all the snow has been gradually melting. The ground has been getting soggier and soggier and then, today it rained hard and the snow is nearly all gone. We have been hearing about significant snow falls, traffic chaos and schools closed, back in Great Britain - seems to me it could be warmer here just at the moment. Where did all the snow go?

Big birthday

DH had his 60th birthday yesterday. Maybe a few more wrinkles, but not much to suggest he is 60. Nothing much happened. He took some home-made biscotti to work and they had a celebratory coffee break. I cooked his favourite meal when he got home and G and I made a wild cake with lots of sprinkles and candles on it. An interesting parcel came today from Amazon.com which will be the DSLR camera I am giving him for his birthday. Maybe the blogspot pictures will improve from now on.

First quilt

I finished my first quilt - here it is. OK so it is pretty small but we needed a table runner for the coffee table so I adapted this pattern from a magazine. It was a good try out for my new sewing machine as it includes piecing, machine applique and machine quilting. I have to say it handled all those things pretty well.

I am going to 'quilt till you wilt' at the quilt shop this afternoon - 4pm until - well, until you wilt. So expect better things.

First quilt guild meeting last night. It was good but the standard of the 'show and tell' left me breathless. Don't expect anything that good from me. It is a pretty busy group with lots going on, including a quilt show for April. Will I finish anything in time - doubtful!

Snow

We had about 4" of snow overnight. So far this has been the mildest winter on record here in Idaho Falls. I don't think 4'" is that unusual most winters but we were pretty impressed. I didn't know if the school buses would be running so I rang round a couple of people. Idahoans are much too polite to laugh but I think they thought we were pretty feeble. We trudged out into the snow and sure enough along came the big yellow bus. I bravely took out the Ford Focus later on - the only real danger was those big pick-up trucks sliding all over the road. Once they start to slip, they've gone! It looks pretty though and it is probably going to stay - it is definitely getting colder - Brrr.

Walking the Mall

OK so I finally did it and went for a walk round and round the Mall. I felt extremely silly but it is the only way to escape the ice and the biting wind and there are dozens of people doing it. 2 rounds of the Mall = 1 mile and I did 3. I will build up to 4. It is not the stamina - I could walk 4 easily but the embarassment factor that gets me. G missed the bus this morning and I had to drive her - neither of us really felt like negotiating the ice and the traffic to cross the road to where the big yellow bus stops. She came home on the bus, but I have to meet her because she can't find her way home. I have told her there are only 2 directions here in Idaho Falls - towards the mountains or away from - so she should get off the bus and walk away from the mountains. She still isn't getting it though. I think the embarassment factor (having Mum meet her) will soon get to her too.

quilting again

OK - so those pesky Y seams are driving me crazy. I have made 5 blocks so far - only another 10 or so to go - oh and then the border blocks. Here are a few for you to see - aren't they really wild. I am going to take a break from them though. We need a new table runner for our coffee table so we can take off the christmassy one. It needs to be heat proof and big enough to cover a couple of scratches ( it was a cheap mark down table but pretty smart if we cover the scratches.) A long quilt would be ideal and give me a chance to try out a few things like applique and quilting with my new machine - here goes.

School

It is G's first day at school today. I bravely drove her there, it was OK really the traffic was pretty light. We want to get her onto the big yellow bus as soon as possible though. We were both nervous but she really needs to go. She misses her friends and is finding it hard to get over the jet lag. She needs a shape to her day. This is the first time I have been completely alone in the house and I am find it hard to settle to anything. The house is really quiet and I don't really know how to use the CD player or the TV - I hope I haven't broken anything while trying. Back to the sewing, of course and those pesky Y seams.

sewing again

Today JJ and T flew home to England. It was strange seeing them go without us. Just over 2 weeks ago we all arrived together, now they are going home and G and I are staying. Just G and I in the house for most of the day so what do you think I did. I started sewing of course - what did you think? I started cutting out the Kaffe Fassett quilt I have been collecting the fabrics for for some time. I used my new cutting board and long ruler bought in the pre Christmas sales. I couldn't bring either of these tools with me - too big! The ruler has a screw on handle and non-slip device. I am not sure about this, I seem to avoid using the handle most of the time. Perhaps I will warm to it but at the moment I am resisting taking the handle off. The blocks are going to be tricky to make. They are large 6 point stars, involving careful sewing to avoid the vesuvius effect in the middle and inset Y seams for the background patches. I reckon I might finally have the time to tackle this one. When I get a couple of blocks made I will try to post them for you to see. I am going to enjoy the challenge. I have spent so much time devising and making simple blocks and quilts for the beginners I have taught that I sometimes forget that I am capable of more complicated things myself. We shall see!

snowshoes

We spent a couple of days up in the mountains at a friends holiday home in the Teton valley. We went up there to enjoy the snow. Driving over the packed down, icy snow wasn't much fun but we got out into the new powdery snow and enjoyed the incredible fresh mountain air. We put on snow shoes and went out tramping. T was on nordic skis and got the hang of it pretty quickly. DH didn't need snow shoes with his size 11's and light body, but the rest of tried them out. It is amazing how you can walk over pretty deep snow without sinking in. A lovely relaxing time - now we are back in civilization and DH had trouble starting the car this morning and had to go over to Wal-Mart for jump leads - heigh ho!

Christmas Day -feeding the ducks

The falls downtown here at Idaho Falls have been frozen solid for the last few days. The hundreds of ducks and geese that live on the Snake river have been living on ice. They don't starve, however, as the good citizens of Idaho Falls see to it that they are fed. It is Christmas Day and before we tucked into our Christmas lunch turkey we decided we would join them and feed the ducks our surplus bread. Theyare very weel fed and sleek looking ducks.

We`are feeling well fed too and spending Christmas afternoon relaxing, listening to a new Beatles CD and, of course, some of us are blogging.

Sewing machine

I have been eyeing up the sewing machine situation ever since we got here and today I took the plunge and bought one. We enquired at Wal-Mart about the one I had picked out and DISASTER - it was out of stock and not due to be re-stocked. The kind assistant - they are always so nice at Wal-Mart - phoned another store who had a stock of them. So we drove 25 miles just for the sewing machine - on Christmas Eve! the DH is even now building me a sewing table from a flat pack. I'll soon be back with the quilting and dressmaking - watch this space.

We're here

Well we got here - just over a week ago now. I got back online yesterday so I am back with the blog. Out of the window we can see mountains - snow covered now since it snowed yesterday and overnight. All set for a white christmas tomorrow. We got the turkey - courtesy of the car dealer - from Wal-Mart and we are desperatley trying to thaw it. It comes complete with its own bag of gravy. Instead of Christmas pud we'll be having chocolate gateau - also from Wal-Mart. No brussel sprouts to be had so it will be broccoli. We have a nice tree with a respectable pile of presents beneath. Happy Christmas everyone.

Farewell Fluffy

Our lovely white rabbit, Fluffy, went to his new home today. He is 41/2 years old has problem teeth, one floppy ear and doesn't see very well but he is a really gorgeous rabbit and very affectionate. He has been a great companion while gardening. We hope my friend Hazel enjoys him as much as we have. Farewell Fluffy.

Farewells

Yesterday I accepted an offer for the house I grew up in and where my Mother died earlier this year after living in the house for nearly 60 years. I moved the last few things out and said my farewells. It is a sad old house now and needs someone to do it up and care for it. Lets hope the couple who are buying it do just that and bring up a family in it as happily as we were. Farewell no.17.



Yesterday I also said farewell to my quilting friends at the last quilt meeting before I leave. We all had a nice lunch ( are all quilters also good cooks?) did a bit of sewing and they had a farewell gift for me. A quilt to make! Watch this space.

Today I went to visit my Aunt and Uncle in the nursing home where they live. My Mum's last remaining brother. They are both so frail now and this is probably the last time I shall see them. I had to say 'goodbye' but I shall remember them as they were; out in the boat with Uncle Vic and Auntie Marge's sunday tea.

2 weeks

Just 2 weeks to go now and I am starting to feel a bit frazzled. Just exactly how do I pack everything I want into 2 suitcases? The DD has declared that she can't start packing yet - there is nothing she wants to take with her that she can't do without in the next 2 weeks. How do I fit in getting the house clean, finishing a couple of quilts, going to work, seeing the solicitor, seeing the bank and packing all in the next 2 weeks - HELP

Packing Up

Less than 3 weeks to go now before we fly off to Idaho. The packing up has got to start in earnest; but first I am going to take a weekend away with the girls. These girlie weekends have been going for about 4 years now. We just leave our families to their own devices and take off for the weekend 12-15 of us take over a Youth Hostel and eat, sleep, walk, shop, sew, read, knit - whatever - woooow lead me to it. Who knows next years girlies might be in Yellowstone National Park, USA.