Beyond Tired

I'm too tired tonight to find any photos to post on this blog, I promise to do better tomorrow. Thursday night I attended the Piece by Peace Quilt Guild Christmas party in Livingston, about 60 miles from home. It was held at a local restaurant and Marjean and I drove over together. The food was great and the gift exchange a lot of fun--you chose a gift, open it, then the next person can either steal your gift or chose a new one from the gift pile. Many of the gifts were homemade quilting type items and beautiful.

Friday morning it was back to Livingston early to meet Carol at the grocery store to finish up buying food items for the concessions the guild was to sell at the Livingston Christmas Bazaar on Saturday. Carol and I worked very hard all day until after 4pm cooking and getting things ready --several of the other guild members came in the afternoon to help with the prep work.

Our dear friends Gwen and Arch live in Livingston and had graciously agreed to have me as a guest last night. When I arrived Gwen was still at work in her home office so Arch and I poured glasses of wine and poured ourselves into comfortable chairs where we stayed for the next hour. Their new dog, a schnoodle (giant schnauzer/standard poodle) kept coming by to visit--Gerta is 11 months old and the size of small horse! When Gwen was finished working (she sells high end real estate) Arch ordered pizza and we enjoyed pizza and each others company. I poured myself into bed and slept like a rock until Gerta told the household she wanted out of her crate at about 5:20! But, it was time for me to get up and get at it again.

At the fairgrounds by 7:20 and the fun began. Our menu consisted of taco salads, bar-b-que beef on a bun, hot dogs and homemade pies. Members of the guild came in shifts all day to help Carol and me and we stayed constantly busy--lunch time was exceptionally busy--we could have used a couple more people but we managed. I learned such skills as how to change the tanks on a pop machine! And those tanks are heavy! We all worked very hard all day getting out of there by just a little after 4pm. My feet and legs feel as if they weigh a ton.

The Christmas Bazaar was an interesting mix of homemade and commercial items. I purchased a few presents and people watched. There were lots of people there and 90 vendors many whom remarked that people weren't buying much. A family kept everyone entertained with their Christmas songs--beautiful voices!

I am so tired I can't put one foot in front of the other--I may have to crawl to bed!

Feed Me

I was just sitting down with a cup of coffee to read all the blogs when I became aware that the birds were sure chattering. I looked outside and oh, no--their feeder was empty and it was 4 degrees below zero. So--I bundled up, put my boots on and went outside to feed them.

Emmi and I did get out for a walk down to the county road, about a mile round trip, just about right for days when you think you are going to freeze solid before you get back inside.

My friend Cheryl called this morning and we had a great chat--she told me I got more done in a day than anyone she has ever seen. I was raised by a man who not only held a full time job but on the weekends, his hobby was more work! I rarely sit down during the day--here's a list of what I had accomplished by noon today:
made 2 batches of spaghetti sauce
made a batch of bread dough
cooked chicken for Emmi treats
wrapped package for friends I am lodging with on Friday night in Livingston
put bread dough on to rise
took Emmi for a walk
did stretching exercises for my sore hip
made lunch for Michael & me
OK, I am tired and sitting down to write this blog!

Last night I got all our Christmas cards addressed and envelopes stuffed--it is Michael's job to seal the envelopes and put the stamps on.

I took this photo while out feeding the birds this morning--that white dot in the middle is the moon going down.
Tonight starts a busy couple of days for me--tonight is the Christmas party for the quilt guild in Livingston (58 miles one way). Tomorrow I have to be back in Livingston by 8am to help buy groceries. The Livingston Christmas Bazaar is Saturday and our quilt guild does the concessions to raise money for the guild. Saturday I have to be at the fairgrounds by 7am! So, I am staying with Gwen and Arch on Friday night to save one trip and to let me get a little more sleep. Blogs may be sparse this weekend!

One Cold Morning!

Fourteen degrees below zero this morning and clear skies--BRRR! Way too cold to go for a walk but Emmi and I did go later in the morning. Making cookies was on my agenda today and I made twelve dozen before I was finished.

Headed out to the McLeod post office just before 11am to send some packages. The post office is saying that if you want gifts to arrive in Iraq by Christmas the package should be shipped by December 4. So Laci's went in the mail as well as the quilt I had finished for Caryl. I also sold two pair of cowboy boots on eBay, so those went in the mail too.

Took me a while at the post office, lots of neighbors to visit with! Had to meet Coral's new puppy and Emmi was very upset that I wouldn't let her out of the car!

Then it was back home to make more cookies and fix a little lunch. I had a pot of beef stew simmering and we may have some of that for supper.

The little tree has Christmas lights but it is hard to see that in this photo.
A frosty nosed horse--he's wondering what happened to the nice weather we were having, too.

Michael finished the Christmas present today and I started on Jeane's table runner late this afternoon. We had decided to do crosshatching on it since I had these rulers I needed to learn how to use. Well, let me tell you, straight lines ain't so easy!

Just a normal day in Montana.

Winter Is Back

Winter is back with a vengeance today. When we got up it was snowing hard and continued to snow until about lunch time with six inches accumulating. And, it is cold, only 20 degrees all day!
No walk, snow is too deep for Emmi--she gets the snow built up on her legs and paws and just shivers.

So, I got an early start in the quilting studio today and was able to finish another quilt. One called Pandora's Box for a friend from town, the first of four I have to have finished before Christmas.

Michael started working on a Christmas present today and made great progress. Emmi ran back and forth between both our workrooms trying to get attention.

I've got to get started making cookies again to send to Laci in Iraq. The post office says if you want to make sure packages get to Iraq by Christmas, the boxes should be shipped by December 4. I have all Laci's Christmas presents bought so I should make that deadline.

Winter is back!
Pandora's Box Quilt

The rose design I put in all the blocks. Feathers on the borders.

Emmi in the snow.

We are off to Mark and Gemma's tonight--a get together to send Denny and Ellen off to the Philippines. They will be in the Philippines over Christmas and another month or two I think. Denny and Ellen help support a mission for deaf children there. Many people from their church here in Big Timber have been and Jeane is going in January.

Emmi will be home alone tonight--could be trouble!

Quilting and Welding

When I went outside this morning to get firewood I came back inside and asked Michael, "are we in Arizona and I just don't know it?" It was so balmy feeling but that's about to change--the wind is howling as I write this bringing a cold front and maybe a little snow.

I spent the day quilting and quilting. Finished this quilt for a friend and got another quilt loaded onto the frame. I'm making progress toward getting all those quilts finished before Christmas.

I finished our holiday letter and got it printed and made Michael lunch--just leftovers. Emmi had the best job of all today, she slept! Michael worked on Steve's "truck" and completed a set of fireplace grates for friends Robyn and Claire. That's about it for a Monday.

Windy Day

A cold, windy day, made me not even want to go for a walk but I did. I am always ready to go south before Michael is but last night he started packing and this morning when I asked him if he was about ready to go south, he said yes, YEA!

He spent the day gathering firewood and cutting sawmill slabs into fire starter type wood. I guess he doesn't believe the weatherman knows what he is talking about--should be about 50 degrees the next couple of days.

Nat came for lunch and I made a meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. Then after lunch I tortured him--I took all his stitches and staples out and re-dressed his incisions. Saves us a trip to Billings to get all that done.

Emmi loves to play with Nat, he throws toys for her and plays tug of war.

The view of the West Boulder mountains on our walk this morning.
Terry & Jill and Nancy & Geoff are coming for dinner--grilled pork tenderloins.

Glass Etching

It was almost 7am when we both woke up this morning--unusual for us and Emmi. By the time we had our coffee and internet fix it was getting over in the morning. We took a walk and I then started on cleaning our basement storage room. The Christmas decoration boxes and other stuff had kind of taken over and you needed shin protectors to travel through to get to the groceries!

Michael got a quick lunch, I fixed easy quesadillas and then I headed up the Boulder on the road from hell (the road is really a mess right now, potholes that you could lose a car in!) to Peg's house for our glass etching class.

Who knew that glass etching was so easy?? You cut out a silhouette using a Cricut cutter and place that silhouette on the glass object then paint it with etching paste, wait ten minutes and wahla--you have etched glass. It is an acid but you can touch it--when you are washing it off the glass you use your bare hands. I etched six wine glasses with log cabins and they turned out great!

Peg (left, our hostess) and Marilyn--two of the nicest ladies you will ever, ever meet.
Mary (left) and Gaye, our teachers.

Gemma and Edith

The glass etching gang hard at work. Can you see the view out Peg's windows--it is just beautiful.

The finished product.

A fun afternoon, Emmi kept Dad company and they worked out in the garage all afternoon. It was a chilly sunny afternoon.