Moving Day

Today was moving day for Lonn and LoraLee and we headed over this morning to help. The owners of the ranch built L & L a new house and it is gorgeous--their previous home was a little old farmhouse that had been added on to (not very skillfully at times) and just needed replacing. The new house is just up the driveway from the old and we moved stuff with Polaris Rangers and trailers. LoraLee and I spent most of the day unpacking the kitchen--it is mind boggling there are so many cabinets in that kitchen, granite countertops, huge gas range, a wonderful house.

Emmi spent the day chasing and being chased by the Joe, the Yorkie who is just a little older than she and by the Bichon who is just a little younger. She is sacked out in her bed as I write this, one pooped puppy.

This is the view from LoraLee's kitchen windows--who wouldn't want to spend time in that kitchen!
We left about 1:30 to go to Livingston to try and fix a woman's longarm quilting machine, not the brand I have but the competitor. We think we were successful, she seemed happy when we left.

We came home via Big Timber and stopped at Nat's to pick up the quilts he had fetched from the Frosty Freeze for me. The Quilts of Valor coordinator was coming through Big Timber from Bozeman today and I had volunteered to quilt some of the quilts that are being sent to Germany to our wounded service men and women--she dropped a couple off at her breakfast stop--the joys of living in a small town!

Our view from the back of our house.

Almost forgot--at 3am this morning we both sat straight up in bed and said, "what is that!!!" Emmi was growling--this awful noise was coming from our master bathroom. Michael got up to investigate and a buck deer was knocking his horns against the large glass window over our bathtub!!! What if the deer had broken the glass???? Mike turned on the bathroom light and the deer left--hope he doesn't return!

Cold Day

We woke to 10 degrees this morning and about 8 inches of snow. Emmi and I slept in while Michael was up at his usual 5am! Once he is awake in the morning, he is awake and just gets up, me--I can go back to sleep sometimes.

Our walk was a little brisk today to say the least. We didn't go far cause the snow is deep and when it is so cold the snow balls up inside Emmi's paws and she stands there with one paw in the air and this pitiful look on her face. This is Emmi all suited up to go outside Thursday morning when it was just raining.


That motor home is saying, "take me to Arizona, I am sure it is!"The rest of the photos are snow pictures taken either last night or this morning. It was absolutely beautiful.

Emmi is saying "hurry up Mom, it's cold out here!"

Michael spent the day building shelves for the garage and I spent the day quilting and playing with Emmi. A good day to be inside.

Snow and A Finished Quilt

We got up early this morning and I started cooking--I had a quilting class student coming at 9am and the fee I charge for the classes includes lunch. It was snowing hard with only about an inch on the ground. About 8am my student called to cancel, she doesn't like bad roads and who can blame her, we rescheduled for Monday. So--my quiche went in the freezer for Monday and the Pumpkin Squares are going into my tummy too quickly! Michael doesn't like pumpkin--that means he is abnormal doesn't it?? I may take some down the driveway to George and Shirley, she gave me the recipe and they are delicious.

PUMPKIN SQUARES
9X13 BAKING DISH 350 DEGREES
Crust:
1 cup flour
¾ cup quick cook oats
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup butter
Cut ingredients together and press in bottom of baking dish, bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool.
Filling:
1 can pumpkin (15oz)
1 can evaporated milk (12oz)
1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp cloves, ¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
Mix well, pour over baked, cooled crust and bake for 20 minutes
Topping
½ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup quick cook oats
3 TBS butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
After the filling has baked 20 minutes, sprinkle on the topping and bake another 10-15 minutes or more until the pumpkin mixture is set. Don’t over bake. Serve with whipped cream.

I finished that stitch in the ditch quilt, YEA!!! Customers requesting stitch in the ditch from now on are going to get sticker shock! It is just too difficult and time consuming to do and it makes my back hurt! This quilt belongs to a friend of my Aunt Margaret's and it is beautiful once completed. I had a reader ask for more quilt photos, I couldn't post a photo of the last quilt I completed because the recipient hasn't received the quilt yet and she reads the blog! Once she gets the gift, I will post a photo, I think it turned out beautifully!
Al and Kelly, aren't you jealous of our snow as you sit down there in sunny Arizona??

Michael worked out in the shop all day and Emmi kept me company. We started the day out with only about an inch of snow and ended up with close to 10 inches.

Needle Sticks, OUCH

In my earlier life I may have been a nurse but I am allergic to needles myself, thank you very much! Twice a year the clinic in town does a health fair type blood draw for a whole lot less money than you would pay for these blood tests normally. We haven't had the cholestrol, etc. checked in a couple of years so off we went very early this morning--hungry cause you can't eat--and got our blood drawn. Both of us had success with the lab techs who drew our blood and we were sitting down to breakfast at the Frosty Freeze before 8:30.

Back home we took the Emmi dog for a walk and then I started cleaning the house and cooking. I have a client coming tomorrow to take a quilting class and I provide lunch for these classes. Went to make the dessert, pumpkin bars, and no butter--what, no butter, how can I be out of butter?? Could it have been those 10 dozen cookies I made?? It is a good thing I am going back to town tonight. Going to Barb's card making party.


They don't call these mule deer for nothing--look at the size of the ears on this girl!
My resident Downy woodpecker. He lights on the bird feeder, grabs a few sunflower seeds then takes the seeds over to this tree to crack and eat them.

Emmi was looking particulary ragged so a bath was in order for her--she is a lot better behaved about a bath than poor Jazzy ever was, let's hope the good behavior continues.

Fireplace Doors and Quilting

A beautiful clear, warm day here in Montana. Michael started the morning out sorting logs--Nat wanted to come up and use the sawmill so Mike was finding logs big enough for that purpose in our firewood pile. Emmi and I took a walk while log sorting was going on.

Then we loaded everything in the truck and headed down the driveway and across the road to George and Shirley's to install the fireplace doors Michael made. The doors fit beautifully (forgot the camera) and George and Shirley were thrilled.

This is what happens when you leave Emmi home alone and forget to shut the bathroom doors--both bathrooms looked like this when we got home!

I fixed lunch for Nat and us then headed to the quilt studio to work on the quilt that I have started to dislike intensely--half way done though! I turned the quilt on the machine and will get started going the other direction tomorrow.

A busy, fun day!

A Walk and Quilting

On November 9, 197? a beautiful baby girl was born to my sister Ann and her husband Danny. Niki was our only grandchild, niece or nephew for 19 years until my brother and his wife had children. We spoiled her rotten and loved her even more. She has grown into a beautiful sweet woman with children of her own. Happy Birthday dear Niki, we love you.

It was a beautiful day today, sunny with no wind and about 45 degrees. It was a little nippy during our walk this morning but warmed up when the sun got above the mountains.

Yesterday I started quilting a king size quilt for a friend of my Aunt Margaret's. Yikes, that is a big quilt! And she only wanted stitching in the ditch which is still hard for me but I got about half the quilt done today, YEA!

I cooked hamburger steaks on the grill, twice baked potatoes and a salad for lunch.

Just another winter scene from around here.
We think this was an eagle, could have been a hawk but whatever it was, it was a big bird!

Michael worked out in his shop all day finishing fireplace doors and working on friend Steve's truck.

Another pleasant retirement day!

Jazz

Yesterday would have been our sweet Jazzy girl's 9th birthday. We miss her very much.