Back to scrapbooking.......I've put the sewing away. Got quite a few pages done this weekend. These two were actually done last week.

While I was working on a layout Rocky said "you haven't done that yet"? the nerve of that kid, it was something that happened 8/08, that was only a year ago!!!!

Here I am at the end of the Summer and I'm realizing that I haven't done last years holidays! I'm starting to get into a little panic because Fall is just around the corner!

Of course now that I have posted the bottom layout I realize that I have again, spelled Stefanie wrong!!!! Sorry Marie and Stefanie, I'll have to correct that one of these days - lol! I'll put it on the list.

This was such a great weekend for me.

Friday night some of the girls from work came over and we had wine and goodies on the porch. On Saturday and Sunday, I basically did what I want to do.........well, I didn't really want to do laundry, but it's one of those things you have to do. But I got out of bed when I wanted and went at my own pace. The house was pretty much clean, even outside, 2 parties in one week!

Sooooooo, I thought, hey, time to drag out all the scrapbooking stuff and get organized and start getting these pages done! Now I'm on a roll. I have an album to do for a friend but I think that that will be my retreat project, because I could probably finish it that weekend..............we'll see.

Happy Birthday GF and Vegas Babe Eileen Koutsulis and many more!!!

Laurie was very excited that she made it up this Summer after all. She and Tim arrived last Friday around the same time I got home, which was great! After we had our Papa Murphy pizzas Pete and Laurie went berry picking and got back just before dark. 2 very happy campers!

Mike Hill.....................we've know Mike for a long, long time. Since Pete was working for an engineering firm that I worked for (me-NY, Pete-field). Pete was working on a big project for Nevada Power WAY OUT in the desert, Moapa, Nevada to be exact (a 45 min. drive from home). Pete hired Mike (electrical engineer). I want to say it was around '82-'83 because Mike was at our wedding, he had hair then. If my scanner was working I could put up an old photo! Mike moved to Oregon a few years before us. We kept in touch sporadically. When he married Mary he bought her to Vegas and we met her then. It's been nice that they live up in Springfield because if we're in their neck of the woods we stop by. Mary does accounting for the universities so occasionally she has to come down to SOU for something and we get to see them. If you follow my blog then you saw their sweet little Cleo (baby basset) about a year ago.

Pete loves Mike and was very happy that he got to share his 65th with him.

Brother in law Tim did all the BBQ-ing.
Dennis MorganCigar smokers.........

The tables

Dennis and Victoria Morgan (Dennis, my old boss from IBM)

These balloons were huge!

Bob McGuire, our realtor (house sitter) buddy who found our property

More photos from Pete's party

Sis Laurie
Golfing buddy, John Wurfl

Mike came down from Springfield.

Smoking a cigar with buddies........

Golfing buddies, Howard and Ronnie.

I made this board, Rocky helped (a little)

Isn't this sweet?

NOT the cupcake cake I ordered!!!!

Pete with Mike and Mona. Pete's known Mona for over 40 years from Klamath Falls.

Howard gave him this cap because he said that Pete gets into all types of spots when golfing.
Well all in all the party was great, of course by the time I was ready to sit and relax everyone was starting to leave, except for Laurie, Tim, Mike and Mary. Got to hang with them a little until they went to bed and then it was just Pete and myself sitting on the porch.

Only glitch was the cupcake cake. I tried to order a cake like the one that Laura Plunk had that looked like a cake but was cupcakes. The baker told me she knew what I was talking about but I got the above and I was not too happy when I saw it. Rocky called from Albertson's and described it to me but I told him just bring it home. At 1pm there's not much you can do.........

The peach sangria punch that Pete said I shouldn't make was a BIG hit. I must admit it was yummo. I decided to make an ice ring and I was going to freeze the grapes and Laurie came up with putting the grapes in the ice ring........nice presentation too. I made a double batch and should have made 4 batches.

This guy just had a BIG birthday and we're celebrating it today.

Big BBQ at the La Pierre spread with Pete's buddies and family.

Rocky and Ethyn

Rocky is back from Ethyn's and he had a great time.

A big thanks to Laura and Scot for putting him up!

The "token" man

Unfortunately, I don't have "Underwear Parade" photos to share. New policy, no photos. Some of the actors are "Equity" actors and you can't take their photos, so to make it easier - no photos.

BUT............you may have to go to a show in the future and see what all the hub-bub is about! I guarantee a night of laughter and some tears.

This is the 22nd year of "The Daedalus Project", an AIDS fundraiser put on by the whole company, not only actors, although they are primarily the best entertainers in the show. The day starts off with tee shirt sales, a children's lemonade stand, an Arts and Treasures sale (could be something made by someone in the company or furniture from any of the plays), a bake sale, a raffle for a quilt, then a "Green Show" and after that, the variety show that includes a "witnessing" of the names of loved ones that have passed on and the infamous underwear parade. There is also a choir that starts the show and ends the show. Ray Porter one of the acting company members from years past comes in just to MC the event. You never know what the acts are going to be. This year there was a cast of many doing the "Thriller" dance.

I just have to say if you live in the valley you really should spend the $30. or $25. to come to this very worthy event that supports families in the valley with AIDS. It's tax deductible.

So far the Arts and Treasures sale brought in $7,000. The Underwear Parade $9,058.61, the lemonade stand $230.

It's usually around the same time every year, so mark your calendars but remember to buy your tickets early because even a couple of months ago I had a hard time finding good seats.

I'm sure Laura will be ready with singles for "The Underwear Parade"
Looks like we have a yearly tradition started here.
We will be meeting for dinner at Standing Stone and going to the variety show in The Elizabethan Theatre this evening. We will actually be meeting Pete at 7:15pm because he won't miss the show.
The Daedalus Project is an AIDS fundraiser at the Festival which happens every year around this date. Haven't missed one since I started working here, didn't even know it existed when I moved here! Have recruited the above crew and now they're hooked.
The big highlight is "The Underwear Parade"!
Lots of fun!
Hopefully will post photos tomorrow!

For those of you not on Facebook here are the quilts I just completed. They are now off to the quilters and when they return I will have to add some touches to the large (La Pierre) one. There is actually smoke curling up from the houses and they are done in buttons (can't wait for that job). It'll look great once it's done.

These are 2 projects that have been sitting undone for quite some time and I've finally finished them!

By Jove, I think I've got it!

Finally figured it all out, it took a while but I got it. I can finally make a good, no great latte! I will say that it took me a little more than 3 weeks to master the machine and Pete doesn't know how to use it at all. He thinks it's way too much work for coffee and I don't agree. This machine is a workhorse, weighs a ton and I think will give me many years of good drinking!

The constant little "row" that Rocky and I have had in the past 6 months, if not more, is his BEARD! Well, he finally gave in last Saturday and got a haircut and he asked to have his beard trimmed. Doesn't he look nice? Of course all of this is probably because he was going to Seattle but he did say that most of his "Facebook" friends have been asking him to shave it. So now we have a nice little compromise.

I don't mind it as long as it's nicely trimmed. He asked me to take a photo because, of course, he wanted to update his "Facebook" profile.

Yes he's smiling and why not, no, it's not the candy, he's on his way to Seattle to visit the Briscoe/Biggar family.

We talked about exchanging kids last year when we were there but of course after a year plans change. With the latest expenses incurred with Shadow the last couple of months, there went Rocky's trip. Of course he couldn't stop telling us how terrible it was that he couldn't go that he's the only kid in his facebook group that isn't going anywhere (didn't we send him to England and France in 2007, I thought that would be enough for a few years!). Well after all the moaning and groaning we let him take the money out of his savings account (hey, that's what it's for anyway, emergencies, and this constituted an emergency - lol!). So he also had saved up (outside of his account) some spending cash, because we told him we couldn't give him any. Where there's a will there's a way with this kid.

Ethyn will just be getting back from his Portugal trip and Rocky will be getting there. Scot has set up some things for them to do, which they don't have to because Rocky would be happy just hanging around and running to Pike Marketplace. Rocky is in love with Seattle and would love to call it home, one day.

Ethyn won't be able to come back with Rocky (what with going to Portugal, not too shabby) but maybe next year.

First came the blackberries.......................
and then came this yummy thing! and yes I ate a big, ole piece of it!

Pete and I went out and picked blackberries down the road from the house and I'm sure after he's done packaging he'll probably go back for a little more, you see we freeze them for the year. So we now have 20 lbs. of blueberries (frozen) and we'll have probably that much if not more in blackberries. Boy, oh boy are they yummy.

I've made this dessert about 3 times, I revamped it a little from the original. I knew how good it would be so I gave in and had some. This recipe comes from "Cake Mix Miracles", a handy, dandy little book that has the best cake mix enhanced recipes! I've made a few desserts from the book and whenever I need something fast I go to it. There is even a great chocolate, chocolate chip cookie recipe in it, yes out of a cake mix!

Thanks for calling Carma! (disregard post)

You are the only one left to respond about the retreat.

Everyone is in except for Nicole........we'll miss you, big time!

So if you're in, GF, call email, whatever, give me an answer because I need $$$$, the deadline will be approaching soon.

If you make it, it will be 12 of us; 11 for 2 nights, 1 for one night.

Guess who has a birthday today.....................my dear friend Bertie, 65 years young today. She and Pete are a few days apart, same age. When we lived in Nevada we would celebrate it together but those days are gone. We miss you Bert!

Have a wonderful birthday!

(Photo was taken at my house doing what Bert likes to do best!)

Guess who saved the day!

I finished the outside work, I cooked pasta to make a pasta salad, I picked up the house, took a shower and I was finally ready to sit and finish sewing a quilt and the plug into my machine went dead! After taking it apart I figured out what was wrong so there I was only needing 2 borders to add and done, but noooooooo, life had to throw me a curve ball. Well, I packed everything up
and moved on to cleaning my desk. I would be putting up a photo of my quilt if my cord didn't poop out!
I was supposed to meet Laura later in the week to pick something up from her and I figured I'd get my cord too.
Laura emailed me and told me she was coming into Ashland to look at a new car so she would pick up my cord! Gotta love that. I will be finishing that quilt tonight.
Big thanks to GF Laura!

We're still thinking about what will be going back here, so far planters.
Hauling mulch to the back.

Filling in a planter.

Well, how did you spend your weekend? Sunday it was all about working outside! The weather finally broke a little and it was time to get outside and work!

Looks like we are short on mulch! Can you believe that huge truckload was not enough, we don't need too much, probably can fit in the bed of Pete's truck.

The only thing left to do in the backyard right now is to fill in the beds (Pete needs to finish one bed) and I will be planting bulbs! My first time! Of course I'm researching right now to make sure I do the right thing.

Right now Pete is thinking beds (& plants of course), some flagstone surrounding the beds and then fake grass to make it a "putting green". He's priced out doing the whole back in flagstone with steppers (what I want) or the fake grass, which looks quite real. They price out the same except the flagstone is forever, the grass will last 7 years, but oh, his game will be "priceless" - lol!

We don't actually use the backyard since the view is out front and the porch is so huge. Well, it won't be done until next Spring so we have some time to think about it.