The Last Days of Winter

As I told you in my last post, we spent a few days with our grandsons in St. Louis.  It was pretty nice weather  while we were there, except  for the wind!  I made an attempt to get some good photos of the boys but wasn't too successful this time.  Big brother J looks like he is going to strangle his little bro here, but in reality was just about to give him a hug!  They are very close and love each other so much!  The younger one ( I can't say little, because they almost the same size!) idolizes J and tries to do just about everything his big brother does.  

A few days after we returned home, the temperatures soared and like much of the midwest, we are having an early Spring.  My daffodils are going crazy - but I had a visitor who was doing his best to keep them under control!

This weekend the wonderful Spring weather continued.  It is hard to believe that there are still a few days left of winter and spring really isn't supposed to be here yet.  We took advantage of the warmth and got the motorcycle out and took a short ride on Saturday and again today.  Yesterday we drove up to Columbus Indiana and had lunch at one of the many little restaurants on Main Street.  They have planted Aristocrat Pear Trees along the street and they were so pretty!  

I don't know much about this, but we were impressed with The Commons.  I believe it was originally a mall abut has been re-purposed into an indoor park and concert venue. 

We could see kids playing inside on some interesting play structures.  It looks like a great place to visit with kids on a rainy day!

Another photo of one of the many trees lining Main Street.  This was taken on my phone and then edited using my favorite phone app, Instagram.  

No photos from our ride today.  But only because I was lazy and just sat back and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and weather.  Who knows how many days we'll have like this before the seasons realize they've gotten so mixed up!

Hello Blog

It's been a while.  So long, I almost gave up on posting anything, but there might be one or two readers out there yet that are wondering if I'm still around!  Let me know if you're still there!

So what have I been up to over the past month?  

These two little brothers came to visit for several days back in September.  Seems like a long time ago now!  But we had a blast and they were really pretty good, considering it was their first time away from home by themselves for more than a day or two.  We picked them up in St. Louis on our way home from Kansas to give mama and daddy a chance to catch up on work stuff. 

They had fun playing with cousin D.  Watching Scooby Doo and Word World in Grammie's bedroom.

And checking out the aquarium at Bass Pro Shop with Aunt B.  We made a trip to Chucky Cheese too.

There was a little baking last month. I combined a couple of recipes to come up with Gingersnaps with a cream cheese filling.  They turned out pretty good too.

Guacamole Salsa.  Found on Pinterest,  my new favorite thing.  Such a fun way to waste time, but also a great way to find new recipes, craft ideas and sooooo much more.  

A neighborhood fall picnic and bonfire on one of the few chilly evenings we've had.  I made crock pot macaroni and cheese. Possibly the best way ever to make mac and cheese for a crowd! You can find a similar  recipe at Crock Pot Girls.  

We took a short overnight motorcycle trip last weekend.  The leaves are starting to change in parts of Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana and Ohio and the weather couldn't have been any prettier for a weekend ride. 

On Sunday, we took this two year old to Montgomery Farm for a hay ride to the pumpkin patch.  He loved throwing the straw around on the hay wagon just as much as hunting for a pumpkin!  Typical two year old - we keep reminding ourselves and his parents !  

I've been trying to finish up some old quilting projects and also cleaning out some closets.  A trip to the Goodwill donation sight is necessary soon.  So there you have it, another exciting (ha!) month! Perhaps I'll be back again.  Thanks for checking in!

Happy Beginnings

We've had a busy and exciting June.  First the busy.  

I don't know how many different patterns and fabrics I contemplated for this quilt. But once I found this pattern  by Hyacinth Quilt Design, it all started to come together.  With mostly some miscellaneous Amy Butler and other modern prints in my stash with an emphasis on oranges, grays and aqua, I finally completed this large throw  for my niece and her new hubby. Note the circle quilting. I wasn't sure of the best design to use with all the straight lines of the quilt, but Tina, my LAQ, was wanting to use this new design.  I think it works well, especially with the polka dot borders.   As usual, I was the queen of procrastination with this project but managed to get it done with a few days to spare!

On our way out west to attend the wedding, we had an overnight stop.  A few laughs with these little guys (who are growing up so fast!) and a short visit with their mama and daddy, made the remainder of our trip the next day not quite so long.

Wedding photos to come soon!