My Italy Album

Sad to say, this one photo took an hour to upload too!   I do have others and will try again to upload. 

Most of my Italy album will be done in this format. 

I bought the WeRMemory Keeper Page Protectors in different formats at Joann.com, here is a sample 12-x12-3-ring-photo-sleeves.

The one I'm holding up is actually a 12x6.  I'm inserting a couple of those for variety. 

Since I have a bizillion photos (not enough according to a certain friend/reader) I thought this would be the best way to tackle many photos. 

I'm pleased with it and hope to continue on at the next retreat.

Haven't been doing too much scrapping since I have switched to quilting mode.  I'll have to switch back soon because I am sooooo behind right now on photos!

Stars Over The Cabin

Yeh!  It only took 1 hour to upload this photo!  Really folks our internet is truly pathetic, right now.

This is the quilt I finished at the UFO retreat last weekend.

It's called "Stars Over The Cabin," because the last block is a (wonky) log cabin. 

I remember why I didn't love the blocks once they were done, but I overlooked that and forged on - it's done!  I even pieced the binding and I have backing.  

All it needs is some batting and a trip to the quilter.

The other quilt is not totally pieced together.  It was A LOT of 4 patches I had to put together and I'm finally done with that process.  The rest of the quilt will be easy to put together since it's all cut out. 

I'm really not ignoring my blog.  I actually had good intentions on posting today, BUT  I couldn't get the photos uploaded, so you'll have to wait until my internet is back.



Quilting

I actually organized this last year, January to be exact!

Green's Sewing and Vacuum Shop in Medford has quilting classes AND does UFO Retreats!  What's a UFO Retreat, you ask?  Un-Finished Objects.  That's quilter's slang.  

Guess who has quite a few UFOs?  Yes, you guessed correctly!  

I've been trying to get to one of UFO retreats since last Spring, but it seems like they usually fall on the same weekends as the Scrap booking retreats!  

Finally, I found one that I could go to and it's this weekend!  I'm a little ambitious in thinking I might be able to finish 2 quilts, but we'll see.  

The first one has all the blocks done, I just have to sew them together and put on the borders.  

Second one, everything is cut and part of the sewing is done.  Hmmmmm, can't wait to see how far I get.

Starts on Friday at 9am, but I won't be going until I get out of work at 3pm, lasts until 8pm.  Saturday, 9-9 and Sunday, 9-1.  $25.00 and a pot luck dish to share, can't wait!

Dog Rescue

I thought Rocky would be coming home on Tuesday so I committed myself for dog evaluations after work today in Gold Hill - ugh!  Should take me a couple of hours and driving, of course.  There are two of us doing it, but there are 10 dogs!  

Here's the link http://medford.craigslist.org/pet/2906055838.html.

Still trying to figure out how an elderly woman had 16 golden retrievers!  This horse rescue has 10 of them left. They all need to be neutered and spayed.  They were originally going to be transported to a Humane Society in California, but depending on our evaluations Golden Bond would love to have them.  

I plan on taking my camera, so more info to follow this post.

FYI - this did not happen.  Apparently the horse rescue people were having luck adopting these dogs out, there are only 6 left and my rescue (Golden Bond) is sending someone down to retrieve the 6 that are left, no evals!

Kids...

I haven't posted a photo of my dear, sweet girl in a while, so here she is.  Dad had stepped out onto the porch; she was waiting and very focused, for Pete to get back in.

Speaking of kids.  My dear, sweet boy is due home for Spring Break.  Today is his last final, but he didn't want to come home until Wednesday.  He said he needed to get some cleaning and packing done and he just couldn't do it on Monday because he was too busy studying for his ECON test.  I thought I'd never hear those words, "busy studying"!  

Pete will be leaving early Wednesday morning to go get him.

Whenever I get a chance I run into the den and continue to work on "my" quilt, the one I'm actually making for my bed.  This is my work space.  

It is a work in progress and will continue since my time is a little limited these days.  

Hopefully, I will be done.......one of these days!

So overwhelmed....

Friday was an incredible day.  

When I was leaving work on Wednesday, I gave Karen the little "plaque," I made to put out first thing Thursday a.m.; the second anniversary of Peter's death.  I made a 12x12 "page" with the cover of the program from his memorial service.  We put it out on the anniversary of his death.
I never thought that this year would be any different than last year.........

Becky Ross, our "interim Development Director" (really a consultant helping us out) wrote on the "white board", "11:30am meeting, please be here."  We all thought it was an announcement that they finally hired someone for the new position, "Director of Individual Giving."  So we were FLOORED when we heard the announcement.  The "New Theater", one of our theaters that was never named, would be named after Peter Thomas, our Development Director that passed away March 15, 2010.  We were so overwhelmed, we could not speak; just tears.  What an honor, what a way to memorialize Peter.  

You see we have these angels among us.  Three to be exact, but one who was determined to name that theater after Peter.  I'm sure it didn't take much to convince the other two, since they also loved Peter. 

 I'm still in a state of shock, the generosity of these three women...oops, three donors. 

I guess I forgot to mention -  they each donated 1.5 million dollars............

So, 3 million to name the theater, and 1.5 million will go towards the new Rehearsal Center which will be named after Richard L. Hay, whom I pass by in the hallways at least 1-3 times a day and Bill Patton who passed away last year. 

 Here is a link to the press release Thomas Theater.

Oh, what a day, what a glorious day........

A good deal!

I decided to finally go to the new Artisan Emporium  that opened up in Ashland over a year ago, hmmmm, maybe two.

I was looking for an old piece of furniture for something, anyhoo...........I saw this great messenger bag, brand new with tags!

It made me wonder how Rocky's messenger bag was holding up.  I had bought him one the end of his senior year and the straps ended up breaking off and then we had the shoe repair fix it.

Called Rocky and asked him, lo and behold he said the strap broke again a couple of days ago!

I sent him a picture of this one to get his approval and he gave it a thumbs up!

Ran back to the Emporium yesterday and it was still there (thought it would be).

It cost $40.00! 

Has leather trim and it's very sturdy.  Hope it holds up for at least a year!

A little scrapbooking

Saturday, I scrapbooked with Anita, we were the only two at the library, there was a third,  but she bailed on us, so the two of us happily forged on.  We didn't get there until 11am and only stayed until 6 pm.

I had started this little project ages ago!   I had the photos in something else, but it was too big for my desk at work, so I finished this and put the photos of the great nieces and the last shot is of my godson and his family (2 great nieces included).  

Like the flower?   The flower is a punch I bought with my 40% coupon at Craft Warehouse!  

I "pinned" a tutorial on how to use the punch.  I finally took the time to try it!  I think it came out pretty nice.  I think I'll play with it a little more and make more flowers. 

P.S. The paper was flocked, so it had some nice texture.  I had to make 3 before it came out right!

BUGS!!!

In case you didn't know, this is the fourth warmest Winter ever recorded!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, BUT we have a pest problem. 

Last Winter wasn't that cold either and we've figured out if we don't have a good, cold Winter these little pests stick around! 

It seems we (neighbors and us) are the only ones plagued with these guys, I've asked people in town and they don't know what I'm talking about.

They get in through the windows and screens.  When it really warms up, our screens are covered with them.

I've had it, I told Pete to get outside and start spraying around the window frames!   I can't take them anymore and we need to get proactive. 

When I talk annoying, I mean, they get on you, i.e. I was talking to mom across the table last night and I could see one on her shoulder. 

 It looks like we never clean our window sills, which we do, because there are always some crawling or dead!

I'm so tired of them and foresee having a really bad year due to our wonderful weather - ugh!



Working the land

Looking up at the house from the road, to the right is the spot we were working on

We're almost done here.  Still need to clear the brush away from a couple of more trees.  The trees are taken over with poison oak, so we were cutting and clearing away, now you can see the trees!

Hope I can get Pete out there to help me finish.  

He just informed me he's itching, he's got poison oak.  

We go through this every year, I don't get it, he does.  I use "technu" when I get in the house and shower immediately and he doesn't.  Hmmmmm.

Lounge Lizard

Last Thursday was my first day at my new job in the Members' Lounge. 

I have not taken my OLCC test, doing that on Friday.  I was shadowing Cathy and learning all the little details to the job.  Not able to pour wine or beer. 

It's a great time to train since it is still a little slow, so by the time the Season is "jumping" I should have it down.

Not too bad, people usually come in after the matinee and show up right before the evening performance.  It was really pretty quiet.

This is the first year since I started at OSF that I have actually seen shows during preview week!

I only have 1 show left to "Seagull."

Who knows this might be the year that I get all the shows in...........

Weekend

 I spent Saturday at Jenns' house; she had a crop.

I finished a small travel album that I had started; it's a gift.

Came out pretty cute, I think.

Sunday:  Mother Nature sure has been schizo lately!  Today was an absolutely beautiful day so I planned on getting on the property to finish a project we started a while ago.  

Almost done!  

Pete took a couple of photos, but they were close ups of me working and not the area we were working on, soooo, photo to follow.