Quilting catch-up day

It's my day to catch up on quilting posts.

I made this quilt for Audrey. It's her college graduation quilt - six years late. Of course, there were a few weddings and babies and other life happenings that are my reasons that it took me so long (sorry, Audrey).

Audrey picked the fabric and pattern. We made it big enough to fit her California King size bed. I finished it awhile ago, but sent it off to Valerie to be quilted.

Isn't the quilting fabulous? She did a flower like this in each square - and there are a lot of squares!

Finish date: May 2009 (me) July 2009 (quilting)
Quilt pattern: two simple! from Quick Quilts magazine, March 2007 issue
Quilt size: California King (the pattern is 82 X 90 - we made it bigger)
Fabric: 12 days of Christmas by Nancy Halvorsen for Benartex (the red and gold)
Moda's Bears Just Wanna Have Fun for the backing.

Quilting lessons

I am lucky enough to work with the fourteen and fifteen year old girls in our church. We meet on Wednesday nights to do various activities. The girls (there are three of them right now) decided they wanted to learn how to quilt. We did a very basic one patch quilt, and the girls did a great job. They each picked their own fabrics. I'm always amazed at how different the same quilt can look in different fabrics.

We met a couple of times a month for a few months to work on the quilts. The girls did all their own sewing and quilting (except the binding - I did that). They learned about cutting, and did some of that on their own also. There was some ripping out of seams and re-sewing (I kept saying, If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. One of the girls said - someone who sews must have made that statement).

The quilts have been done for awhile, but I was slow to take the pictures. Here are the finished quilts, and their creators. Great job, girls!

Catherine

Ashley

Madelyn

Fun quilting ideas

One of the blogs I follow is Bitty Bits & Pieces. She has cute ideas and has a couple of items on Moda Bake Shop as well. She is holding a giveaway for a very cute Charmed Gift Bag. Go check it out.

She's also the one I got the pattern for the bookkeeper from. It's on the Moda Bake Shop website also.

Bike trip days 3 & 4 - Campbell River, BC to Tofino, BC, and Tofino, BC back to Kirkland

After a great night's sleep in Campbell River, we all spent a little while exploring different parts of the town. We were right on the ocean, and it felt so good to feel the sea air, and smell the salt water. Ray went off with Scott to hunt down a book store for the latest Wilbur Smith book, and I went for a walk with Karen along the beachfront.

We gathered about 11:00, and took off for Tofino. We back-tracked along the coast for awhile, then turned west and went over the mountains. It was so beautiful. On this trip I saw all the parts of the Northwest that I love the best. Tall, tall evergreens, beautiful green mountains, lakes galore, and also the ocean. My soul was filled enough to get me through the next few months of living in the desert.

After the mountains we came through to the little town of Tofino, right on the ocean - a throwback in time to surfers and hippies. It was a kick. Good news for any who travel there - there are tsunami escape routes marked clearly everywhere you go. The last tsunami was in the 1700's, but they are predicting one could come anytime now. They've been studying the history of the Juan de Fuca fault line that connects directly to the San Andreas fault - at least so says the motel owner, who informed me at length about what to do in the case of a tsunami (they had a pamphlet describing what to do in case of a tsunami, so I asked her about it - and got a very long, but fairly interesting explanation).

We ate at Schooners, and I had some of the best halibut fish and chips I've ever eaten. In the morning I popped over to Breakers - a bakery that was just down the street. They had some great breakfast choices, but I just got a bagel.

Sunday morning (day 4) we left Tofino, and headed home. We went back over the gorgeous mountains, almost to Nanaimo. Then we turned south and went almost to Victoria. We cut east, then up north again to Sidney. That was the most direct route to catch our ferry. There was more freeway driving that day, and it was cooler, but it was still very pretty. We took the ferry from Sidney to Anacortes. It's a two and a half hour ride. We played cards, read, napped, or did whatever struck our fancy. It was raining from Anacortes to Kirkland. Gayle kindly called her daughter, who came to Anacortes and drove most of the women home in her van. The men rode the motorcycles home in the rain - the only rain on the entire trip.

It was a fabulous trip. It was a beautiful ride, and most of all I loved being with all my friends. They really looked out for me and Ray - the rookies - and took care of us. I can't wait until next time!

A note about the pictures: When I go on vacation I plan on taking lots of pictures. Ray was great about doing that this time. I'm good for the first little while, then I forget. Thanks to the Perry's for sending me some of their pictures to add to the blog.

Diane and Ray in Campbell River

Diane, Kathy, and Karen in Campbell River - you can see across the street is the ocean. We're standing in the parking lot of our motel.

Ray, Diane, and Tamara on one of the ferry rides

Ray and Scott on one of the ferries

Fred, Scott and Dave. Let's just say the picture speaks for itself.

I think this was taken in Tofino.

Here's the group, getting ready to board the Sidney - Anacortes ferry.

Ray, Diane, Dave, Tamara, Karen, Scott, Wendell, Kathy, Amy, Scott, Janie, Brian, Gayle, and Fred.

Diane and Ray, driving onto the Sidney - Anacortes ferry.

A fun time was had by all.

The perfect PB&J sandwich.

Today I went on an outing with the Relief Society up to Silver Lake. We packed lunches, walked around the lake, and some women who were not wearing a sling went kayaking for a little bit.

For lunch I took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I may perhaps be the world's expert on pb&j sandwiches. After all, I ate one every day of my life for my first 15 years or so. Well, almost every day. Maybe there were 10 or 12 days where I ate something else. And I've eaten hundreds since then.

Peanut butter and jelly is the perfect take-along sandwich. If made properly, it does not get soggy or stale. There is no mayo gone bad. It doesn't stink like warm tuna or egg salad.

When I was in 7th grade, part of my allowance included money for school lunches. If I chose to make a lunch at home and take it, I could pocket the money and have a little savings. I chose the middle road. I paid my sister, who was in 1st grade, to make my lunch for a mere fraction of the cost of a school lunch (by the way, this is why she has all the money, and I have none). I taught her the proper technique, and she was a whiz at making pb&j for me.

To make the perfect pb&j sandwich, you must spread peanut butter thinly on each slice of bread. This forms a seal that the jelly cannot ooze through. Then your sandwich is never soggy, and the stronger peanut butter flavor is mellowed slightly by being in two thinner layers with the jelly between. Trust me, I know. I did it today, and it worked like a charm.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Forty years ago one of man's greatest scientific feats took place. Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.

Most of us remember where we were when a world life-changing event takes place.

I remember watching JFK's funeral procession on our family room TV.

I was teaching 4th grade at Riverton Elementary School when Reagan was shot.

We were at the lakehouse on Labor Day weekend when Princess Diana died.

I was teaching early morning seminary when I heard about the first plane hitting one of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. As we listened to the car radio while I drove the kids to school, I told them to remember this moment - it would be a day they would always remember.

So, where was I when man walked on the moon? I was in Mayville, New York at my grandmother's house. The family was gathered in the living room, watching the television. I was sitting in the corner, reading Gone With the Wind. My mother told me to put the book down and watch the TV. I was not happy. She told me this was an event that would go down in history. That doesn't mean a lot to a twelve year old who is engrossed in her book. She threatened to take the book away (which she would have done - my mother is a woman of her word). I put the book down, and pouted the entire time that that bit of history was being made and miraculously televised throughout the world.

Thank heavens my mother had the presence of mind to make me pay attention!

Bike trip day two - Gibsons Landing,BC to Campbell River, BC

We left Gibsons Landing about 9:15, and rode along the coast for awhile. Then we decided to dash and catch an earlier ferry than planned. We arrived at the Earl's Cove to Saltery Bay ferry in the nick of time. We drove right on, then they put a big semi on behind us, and off we went.

We disembarked from the ferry and drove to Powell River, where we walked around and had lunch. We ate at Snicker's and the food was great. We went for another ride, then came back for ice cream. Hutter's next to the miniature golf course, had great ice cream - even licorice flavored, for Janie.

We took the Powell River ferry to Comox River. No rush for that ferry - we were first in line. We rode into Campbell River and stayed at the Heron's Landing Motel. We ate dinner at the Lookout. Some of the food was good, some okay. The service was not good.

We had a great night's rest on one of the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept on.

Here we are at Gibsons Landing getting packed up for the day

This is the ferry at Earl's Cove - we drove on, and the ferry took off.

Ray and Diane

Here we are in Powell River, stopping for lunch.

Scott, Amy, Kathy, Fred, and Gayle

Tamara and Karen

The Powell River to Comox River ferry - right in the front this time.

Bike trip day one - Kirkland, WA to Gibsons Landing, BC

The seven couples gathered bright and early at the Jaeckels'. The weather was great the entire trip except the last two hours Sunday night.

We rode up I-5 to Arlington, then took Highway 9 to the Canadian border. It was wonderful to be in Washington, surrounded by real trees, and water. We stopped for breakfast at the Acme Cafe. Then on to the border, where we all passed through with no problem. (We weren't expecting any problems, but with this crowd you never know...)

Then we went west - through North Vancouver, and caught the ferry at Horseshoe Bay over to Langdale. Gibsons Landing was just a few minutes further down the road. We stayed at the Ritz Inn and ate a delicious dinner at Molly's Reach.

There are some definite advantages to traveling on a motercycle. The scenery is not blocked by the confines of a car. The scents of the pines, lakes, and ocean are fresh and clear. Then there's the ferry advantage - drive right to the front of the line, or squish in the back of a seemingly full ferry.

Stay tuned for further installments of the great motorcycle adventure...

The group, ready to roll, still waiting for the Butterfields, who were caught in traffic.

The bikes, all in a row. Karen took this - the Perrys always ride in the back. We're on the red bike closest to the camera, then the Mackenzies, then the Badgers, then the Jaeckels, then the Butterfields, with the Bruners in the lead. It's pretty cool to see this as we ride along together.

Gibsons Landing, BC

Janie & Brian

Ray & Diane

Gayle & Fred

Karen & Scott

Kathy & Wendell

Dave & Tamara

Amy & Scott