We have a visitor

Zorro hears it too....the critter that has decided the space between the first floor and second of my house makes a good playground. I guess Go Postal will have to bring his big ladder and the search for the gap between the shingles and the sheathing will begin. This morning I think he invited a friend and they were playing hockey with an acorn across the bedroom ceiling. This eave of the roof also has access to my sewing room, the little guy better stay out of my fabric thats stored in the closet next to the eave!

Little Man gets a Train Room!

I don't like to hang photos in my house that I didn't take...nor do I like to buy quilts. But, Little Man is getting a train room next and this quilt was marked down so much at Pottery Barn Kids that I just could not resist. Aunt Leanne will probably paint a railroad crossing with his name on one wall since big brother has Dinosaur's on his. The Train party is next Thursday...so I will be making more of those cute little train cakes for the kids (and adults!!) to decorate and eat.

Love these shoes!

I loved my Merrel Chill's so much from last year that I bought another pair just in time for our trip to Aspen. Nothing feels better after getting out of ski boots. The best part is you don't have to wear socks...and your feet never get sweaty. A pair of these in the winter and a good pair of flip flops for spring/summer and my feet are happy!

Sofia's Quilt

Sofia learned to sit up by herself just in time to pose on her new quilt! She is growing so fast. We enjoyed visiting with her...and Lila and Nathan too!

This was a great pattern...it used half square triangles to make the pieced border (the first one I have ever attempted) It was in "Super Simple Triangles" by Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan. I will be making more quilts from this book for sure.

A New $5 Quilt gets started!

A New $5 Quilt class has begun at my local quilt shop. Each month that we have our block completed, we get the next month's free. So far...its just been half square triangles...Woo Hoo.

Hopefully I can keep up. They did give us a pass to use one month in the year...when you just can't get everything done!

Last year's $5 quilt involved using templates. Some blocks had as many as 50 pieces and I did both the traditional colors and the brights. Learned my lesson this time, I only have time to do one at a time. When I get last year's tops assembled I will post them.

All the Way

After living in NC for over 17 years now I have learned to like my chilli dogs with slaw. But I draw the line at BBQ slaw. Make mine mayo!

BBQ slaw (basically cabbage, and vinegar based sauce) just may never find a place in this Texan's heart.

Killer

Go Postal's college roomate has a place in Boone and we stayed with them this weekend and saw an Appalachian State basketball game. Their daughter (10) wanted to show me the outfit she made for her teacup Chihuahua Killer. Killer hated every minute of it, but like a lot of dogs...they aim to please. You wouldn't see a cat sitting still for something like this!

Go Postal has found a new mail vehicle!

If it were only right hand drive. Go Postal wondered if the seniors on his route would be so eager to meet him at the mailbox on Social Security Check day if he were driving this....Postman humor I guess.

Miss You Mom

I went to a visit a friend last night who lost his father. His mother was beside him in the receiving line and listening to news about a mutual friend. She commented to him "oh I will tell Roby" then immediately broke down realizing her husband of 60 years was now resting in the coffin beside her.

I too still think about things I would like to tell Mom and she has been gone six years next week.

*Like, look at my latest quilt...you inspired this side of me and taught me how to stitch

*Mary's love of babies since she was a little girl has made her a wonderful mother (she didn't get to meet either of her boys).

*Kim and her family have moved to Georgia and we all get to spend more time together now

*Dad has adjusted...and we are blessed to have Teen in our lives

*And just look, I finally found someone who makes me very happy and I know you would have loved him too...

Yadkin County has a Waterfall

Mary gave Go Postal a book of NC waterfalls for Christmas and we were suprised to learn there is one in Yadkin County. It is at the site of an old mill and has been made into a county park. It had been vandalized recently (the trees full of toilet paper and the railings all smashed off the observation deck) Its a shame what some people find to do for fun.

Bike the Lights

For the past few years, the Tanglewood Festival of Lights has been open to bicycles only on their last night. This event raises money for MS and is a great way to see the display. This year, even with full ski gear on we all only completed one 4 mile loop. It was 26 degrees when we finished, and my toes didn't warm back up until I was on my second slice of pizza after the ride.

New Year's Pictures..A Toast and A Prayer

We spent New Year's at Sugar Mountain (and sat around comparing our 100 things lists) My new little Nikon has "fireworks" setting and it did pretty good capturing the show we saw off our deck. Here's us toasting to a great CY08! Whole Wheat and Dairy Queen were cut out of the picture (still getting used to the little camera on delayed shutter mode)

About 10:30pm we heard the helicopter coming and new it meant someone had been hurt bad skiing. The pilot landed on the tennis courts and it only took a few minutes to pick up their patient and take off again. I have googled for news of the accident but didn't find any articles about it. I pray they are making a speedy recovery.

My 100 Things....(or 88 so far)

Complete a Century Bike Ride
Raise a Child
Photograph the Earth from Space
See Yosemite and attempt to summit Half Dome
Make a Mariner's Compass Quilt
Take Marshall to Yellowstone/Tetons
Take McKinley on a trip
Take Alden on a trip
Take Landon on a trip
Visit New England to ski, to bike, or to stay in an Inn
Learn to make Biscotti
Drive a convertible to Key West
Bike Tour of France or Italy
Learn to play the Mandolin
Go Skinny Dipping
Have a big dog named Zion
Sisters weekend in NYC around Christmas
Disney Cruise with entire family
Save for a nice retirement, then spend what my health allows
Own a 67 model car
Quilt the twin tops my great grandmother gave Mom for graduation
Learn to clean/lubricate my sewing machines
See the Northern Lights with Mike (stealing this one from Ken)
Visit Banff
Go back to the Tetons…often
Hold a Wombat in Austrailia
Teach a child to quilt
Visit Denali National Park
Celebrate Dad's 100th Birthday with a trip to Ray's Pond
Have a weekend place…with a ski, bike, and western bedroom
CTD with Mike
Go to Africa on a photographic safari
Ski in Portillo Chille
Visit Glacier National Park
Have an organized and neat closet
Fly in a helicopter
Take a Hot Air Baloon ride
Ski in New Zealand
See a stage of the Tour de France
See a wolf in the wild (closer this time)
See a bear in the wild
See a polar bear in the wild
Go to the James Herriot museum in England
Ride in a gondola through Venice
Walk on the Great Wall in China
Eat Sushi in Japan
See a game at Fenway, Wrigley, and Yankee Stadium
Watch all 6 episode of Star Wars in a single day (50th Aniv?)
Drive Coast to Coast
Have a couples massage in a beachfront bungalow
Hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back
Learn to surf
Eat sourdough bread in San Francisco
Sail the Carribean with friends on a chartered boat
Picnic at Sunset atop a NC mountain
See Niagra Falls
Stroll Paris at Night
Bike down a volcano in Hawaii
Learn to knit
Try snowboarding at least one time
Donate a pony tail
Dress up like Princess Leah for Halloween (before #61)
Quilt on my great grandmother's frame
Drive the entire Blue Ridge Parkway
Learn to make a chocolate pound cake for Mike
Make a wool rug
Put all my photos in albums
Listen more, talk less
Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square
See the July 4th Fireworks in Washington DC
Catch Moby (or any other 10+ pound bass)
Spend the night on a train
Visit Shenandoah National Park
Visit Acadia National Park
Have Laser Hair removal on my legs
Visit Katmai National Park
Hike the perimter trail around Mt Rainer
Ski at Telluride
Ski at Lake Tahoe
Learn to rapel
See the Rolling Stones/Eagles Live
Travel to Costa Rica
See San Torini and the Greek Isles
Attempt Long Peak in RMNP
Go to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Drive the autobahn again in a FAST car
Stay in an Itallian Villa
Take a Barge and Bike trip

100 Things I'd like to do before I die....

A group of my ski club friends all shared our lists as we waited to celebrate the New Year. It was a lot of fun to see how much we had in common...we have no shortage of great ideas for trips now (but need to win the lottery first).

But before I post my 100 things, I started by looking back at my first 40 years and assesing what I have already been blessed to accomplish. Here are some of the high lights to me:

Visited: India, Singapore, England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria
Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Dominican Republic
Swam with a dolphin with Marshall
Earned an BSIE, MBA
Became an Aunt, watch Alden be born
Stayed in a Presidential Suite at a nice hotel
Stood on the pontoon of a float plane on a lake in the middle of Alaskan wilderness
See a whale breach by our boat in Alaska
Been to Summer Olympics, NBA Playoffs, Orange Bowl, Women's Final Four
Rode a bullet train in France, then went to England via the Chunnel
Hiked to Angel's Landing - Zion National Park
Hiked to Lake Solitude - Teton National Park
Rode a horse along the beach in Puerto Rico
Went Powdercat Skiing in Colorado
Saw sea turtles hatch and scurry to the sea
Drove on the autobahn
Climbed up the Eifel Tower
Rode a Zip Line across a gorge in Whistler
Read the Bible cover to cover (doesn't mean I understood it all)
Rode the Slickrock trail in Moab
Became friends with my parents and sisters as adults
Fell in Love