Holiday Happenings......

We are taking a break from construction and getting on with some holiday activities. We certainly will miss this wonder of Christmas as we have experienced in the last 8 years with Logan and Ivy. We have photos to bring back the memories......


Along with the shopping, packing, shipping and card writing, there has been a little bit of partying. I enjoyed a great time at our quilt group Christmas/birthday party lunch yesterday. What a great group of gals we are!! A little food, a few gifts and lots of fun.

Then there is some work going on too. I have some catching up to do on the quilting front. I had promised a few quilts by Thanksgiving and a couple of the gals will have them by Christmas......Oh well. Brenda's Christmas quilt turned out quite nicely and she is pleased. That is always the payoff!

Don has been catching up on the neighborhood work that had slipped also. Meeting with water people to get a hydrant installed in the area so the pumper trucks can fill close to any fire we may have, working with the landscape crew to whip things into shape and lots of other jobs he has taken on. We did enjoy our community Christmas party last Saturday and even won a door prize!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I'm off to finish another quilt and make another friend happy........

Happy Holidays!

We have come a long way! From this.....in late April.....










To this .... in early December!
We have many people to thank for all their help to get us to this point. Gail Yarrow, showing up every day to help wire lights and tile the floor (although I think we are too old for this activity!), Shawn Robinson and his wonderful crew for the amazing landscaping and there are many more.

The house is all decorated with help of good friends. Enjoyed a

wonderful PEO Christmas party last Sunday. Lots of work, but now we can relax a little and enjoy the season.

Christmas will be very different for us this year. It is the first Christmas we have not spent with the grandkids. Quiet will be the order of our day. We will miss the excitement that the children bring to the day.

We hope that you all have a great time with family and friends at this special time of the year. Remember......Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We have much to be thankful for.....a wonderful family, friends, each other, a lovely home and most of all....the fact that we have not killed ourselves or each other over this project!

Don is on the mend. Doc told him last week that he could put weight on the leg and start weaning himself from the boot. What does that mean to Don? FULL SPEED AHEAD!!!!! Today he got up and said, " You can sleep in today. I think we will not tile." He put the boot back on, so.......at least one day of rest, sort of.

This last week we had the help of a friend, Gale Yarrow. Lights went up and what a difference that made! Don was helping from the ground for about 5 minutes and he couldn't stand it any longer. Yup, up on the ladder!!! One dirty look from me and I gave up. Back to painting. The ceiling was a killer. Three days of painting above my head....I guess it was good for toning my arms. Hope the feeling returns soon!

Walls were not a challenge and were completed quickly.

Then there is the "freckle checking" for the spots the "roller" missed.

Right how we are deep into floor tile. Not bad after deciding where to start! Long days and sore knees. We will get this done too. Deadline is approaching quickly, as we'd like to have the room usable by Dec. 5. That remains to be seen.

We are bringing in a landscaper to "clean up" the outside. Rock is too much for me after this tile.

I was going to say that we do have a life other than this project,
but right now that is not the case. I have some friends I need to apologize to as I did not get their quilts finished by today as I had planned. Soon! I promise! Soon!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family, friends or whatever you choose to do. We will be missing our family as we celebrate ..... sort of!

Bumps in the road

Fall is rolling right along. There have been a few "bumps" this year and all plans and projects will not be completed as expected, but we are doing OK.

So, our bumps started with dropping the 5th wheel trailer on the pickup bed.....totaled that and the tailgate, went on to find out we needed new brakes on the trailer, Don's table saw died, the garbage disposal died and finally Don broke his leg! We saved up for all these things for a long time!! We have had a mostly charmed life and so one must expect a few "bumps" at some point.

We are still waiting for a treatment plan on the leg. He fell off the ladder on Oct 28, trip to ER, splint, Nov 2 trip to orthopedist, Nov 4 CT scan, Nov 9 we are back at orthopedist to see what we will do. If the ankle is not involved, it's a few weeks of healing, but if it is, that means surgery and then 8 more weeks of this......

I am really surprised by his attitude. He is taking this very well, keeps himself busy and finds way to accomplish most tasks.

In and around all this, I was able to attend Quilt Market, a shopping day with the girls and then the quilt show and lunch on Friday. Quilts were interesting, but there was not much that I needed to purchase from the vendors. Maybe I have too much already?!?!?! Here is a look at the "Best of Show" quilt, done by Sharon Schamber. I can dream! This woman is incredible!!!

Haven't heard from #1 daughter this week....what's happening, Krista? # 2 is doing well in the P. They are still not in permanent housing, but believe that it is getting close!

So, after the PEO garage sale this week, I will be full time into my part of the studio construction. Don has a couple of the contractors lined up to finish out the attic insulation and the heat and air system. Then it's me and the paint brush. I'm really looking forward to this, because it makes big visual changes.........

Samples of the very neutral background for all the fabrics and quilts that will be out there. Trying to keep it very light as the only windows are north and west. I am quite happy with the choices.....

Better get on with some other things. Hope that all of you are doing well! More in a few......

PROGRESS!!

Wow! Two posts in October. Well, we have things to show you!

Weather has turned to summer again. Very warm and humid. Hopefully it won't last long. We need rain really bad, but that is not happening.

Since last time, Don determined that he was, indeed done with the wiring and plumbing and ready for the inspector to come pass judgement. Not to worry! Heavy Duty Don does it again. Passes with flying colors!

OK. We are now ready for insulation, but wait! Can't find anyone to do the kind he wants. After a week of playing phone tag with the area rep for Johns Manville, he finally gets two names. OK, lets talk timing and money! Wa La! Yesterday we got insulation. This is blown in fiberglass with an adhesive so it just packs in all the tiny little places and I'll be snug as a bug. For anyone who is interested, it's called "Spider".

Just look at those guys walking around on the stilts like they were high heels. Better them than me! Batts in the ceiling and more blown in on top after sheetrock.

So now we wait for sheetrockers......

In the mean time, we have a few things to do. Today Don and

Gail are tongue and groovin' right along on the porch roof! While that is going on, the bug man is treating for termites and all the other creepy crawlers around here.

Now, I get tired just trying to keep track of all this activity and take pictures for all of you. Fall is busy and I will have some pictures of other things besides this building next time. I promise!

Kids are all doing well. Kate and family sailed thru their first typhoon, got the keys to their condo, however, they have no furniture yet, no shipment from CA because her work visa has not yet come through. She is wishing for a little progress on her end! I guess it will be a while yet before they can get settled.

Stay tuned. November will be another wild one!

Fall? What happened to summer?

Yes, it's been awhile yet again. We are staying busy. Progress is slow on the studio, but I think things are about to change there. Don turned on the water today to check his plumbing skills....... a little leak on the valve coming into the building. Small adjustment and WA-LA! All is OK. No major problems inside, so we are good to go there!

On to the electrical.......He has been wiring and wiring and wiring for weeks it seems. Somebody wants lots of outlets and lights! He says he has a mile of wire in there. I sure hope he knows what to do with all these loose ends!

The inspector is due this week and if all is good, we can move on to insulation and sheetrock. Then we will notice some big changes.

I finished painting all the trim and staining the cedar. I think the stain is too dark, but it's on there now! I'm a little bit of a chicken when it comes to high places and shakey ladders, so Don helped with the scarey parts.

Oh, there is a little trim to do yet there on the front, but that will wait for the scaffold we will rent .

Other than work, we are doing well. I have lots of quilts to quilt and have been getting some of those out. The end of the month brings the International Quilt Festival here in Houston. Many friends are coming in for it, so good times will be had by all. Lots of shopping and quilt viewing included.

The Brethours are adjusting to the Philippines. Kate is busy at work, Mike is learning about life there and the kids are having a great time at their new school. They have so many great programs for them! Logan starts swimming and Ivy starts gymnastics in their PE classes next week. Logan is also doing some after school karate. I am ready to go visit already! I guess we should wait until they are in their permanent living quarters tho. Maybe in the winter.

OK. That's about all I know. I need to go attend to these baseball games. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention and Minnesota got beat! More in a few.......

Back in the swing at home.

September......where did the summer go? We are in the throws of our first "fall" front coming thru, so we are having some showers and they promise less humidity will follow. Not necessarily cooler temps, but I'll take drier for a few days.

We had a great couple of weeks in CA with Logan and Ivy. Mike and Kate went over to Manila to find housing and all the other stuff that goes with the move. Logan and Ivy finished summer day camp and right on to the first day of "real" school. Can't believe that Ivy is in kindergarten already!

We were able to celebrate Katie's birthday with her for the first time in a long time. It was really hot that day, so we looked for a cool place to spend some time before dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Don did some work around their house to get ready for them to leave it for a couple of years. Did a lot of trimming and removing of shrubs and some painting. It's really nice to know that they have such great neighbors who will keep and eye out for them. The are off on their adventure in the wee hours of the morning Sept. 14. It will be hard having them so far away.....that goodness for Skype!

So, we are back at home with a full schedule. Don is hard at work on the grounds and maintenance budget for the neighborhood, I have quilts to quilt and make--as usual, and then there is always the yard and studio. Don has been working on the electrical wiring this week and I even put in the receptical boxes......lots of them. We are really hoping the weather decides to be fallish as it makes it much more pleasant to be outside.

Hope to have more to report in the coming weeks.....stay tuned!

Summer at warp speed!

We are honestly meeting ourselves coming and going! We returned last night from a 3 week trip to visit the elders in MN, SD and WY. Along the way, we spent a couple of days in Branson, MO, as we had never been there. Took in some great shows, ate too much and sweated a lot! The heat just seems to follow us around. We found everyone up north in pretty good shape and that is always good. Forgot to take pictures......normal for me.

While in MN, my high school friends.....Crazy 8's.... got together for our 4th annual. We have such a good time. Saw a great show at the Old Log Theater and sat up talking for most of the night. We seem to pick up right where we left off the year before.

The other news in the family is that Katie and family are going to live in the Phillipines for the next couple of years. She has accepted a postition there and so the rush is on to get everything ready to go. Looks like they have a great International School there for the kiddos. We will leave for CA on Thursday.......yes, home less than a week.......to watch the kids while Mike and Kate go to Manila for the pre-assignment trip. They will find housing, register at school and general "get ready to live there" stuff. It will be hard to have them so far away, but what a great opportunity for them!

So, there has been no progress on the homefront. When we get back here about Sept. 1, we will get busy on the studio and some other projects.

Next time I will have some pictures. I will remember to take pictures of the grandkids!!!

And so it goes.....

Can it really be summer and late June? OK, time does get away from me.

Progress on the studio is slow. I keep painting......all sides and breezeway have one coat of color and I have started on the second. With temps at nearly 100, I can only do so much in a day. Evenings are better, but then the mosquitos have a feast!
We are sort of at the mercy of others right now. As you can see, or not, we do have AC/heat ducting and are now waiting for the plumber to come and do all the gas piping inside. Then I guess most of the rest is up to us.

Don is almost done with his barn project.

In fact, he had hoped to finish this

Friday, but the owner put a kink in that when she scheduled the flooring to be installed next Monday. He WILL finish by July 4!!!

In other areas of life, Katie is investigating a new job opportunity ( more on that when she makes it official) , the grandkids are visiting Aunt Krista and Uncle Andy and, by all accounts, having a ball. I have had all my medical visits, including oncology, and I'm in great shape they say. I would beg to differ on the "shape" thing.

Off to quilting.....it is TUESDAY!!!

Sweat Equity!

And we do mean sweat!! Despite the heat and humidity, we push on. Don is caulking the last side today. I have primed the other three, with the exception of the peak on the south side. I just couldn't get all the way up there....it was too wiggley and scarey...so Don came to the rescue!

The breezeway is actually connected to the house and should be finished tomorrow. The roofers come to finish the roof this week and then we will be all dried in and sealed up. We can also get rid of the stinky porta-potty!!

Don had some help digging the ditch for the gas and water lines yesterday. The heat nearly did them in! Hope that Gail is OK today.

So, I will keep plugging along on the paint during the week. Don will be working on his other project for a couple more weeks. Then we can get some wiring done and the insulation going on the inside. I'm still deciding where to put outlets. There will be plenty!!

The wildlife has enjoyed the bird feeder. Squirrels are still trying to figure out how to get to it. If the owner keeps spilling seed when trying to fill it, they won't ever have to get up there! Oh well! The deer have left me one little daylilly. I check each morning and so far, so good.

That's it from the ranch. Next time we hope to have the final color on and shingles even!!!

Still a little breezy at the top!

Well, as you can see we have gone from Tyvek wrap to sided and ready for stone accents. I just have to find the stone that is on the house!! The front door -- actually the only door -- went in today and I LOVE IT!!! Now if we could get some decking on the roof and solve the open air problem, I'd be really happy.

Don is still busy with his build out at the barn up in Montgomery. He is busy, tired and happy ( most of the time). While he is away, the wheels keep turning in my head and the project list grows!

The wildlife in the backyard is still entertaining us. Squirrels have not yet conquered the bird feeder. Yeah for us!! They have, however, brought in recruits from the front yard to help with the delema. We know this because the squirrels in the back are brown and the squirrels in the front are black. That's as far as I go with this subject.....

I have plenty of quilting projects to keep me busy. I manage to get in a little therapy each day. We did not have our weekly quilting group this week and I feel things are a little amiss. We do have a new granddaughter in the group as of this morning. A new life to celebrate!

Don has returned and will probably be wondering if there will be a meal this evening......better get after it!

Mothers Day..... a nice quiet day around here. We did a little yard work, visited with good friends and did a little crafty work.

The studio is coming along. As I was told, "These guys won't win any races, but they are doing a good job." OK, I'm not in a hurry --- YET! This week we should see the sheathing on, roof deck on, windows in and maybe a little siding. By the time it is ready for me to paint, it will be 90 with 90% humidity. Summer in Houston!

So, there is a new bird feeder up for porch entertainment. So far
the squirrels have attempted and failed. Spilled a little seed as they
jumped, had a bit of a swing and fell to the ground. I don't know
if any birds have found it yet.

We moved the strawberry pot to the back.....it looks so attractive
with the chicken wire over it. If I want berries, I have to live
with it! So far the deer have not found it, but never fear......
The waterfall is running, but not completely done and landscaped
yet. We will get there eventually.

Some work going on inside too. I have kept the machine running with a few "Binkies" for charity. In the evenings, while watching the Astros loose, I have been knitting some children's washcloths for a friend. They are cute, but lots of work for the price! Keeps my hands busy and out of the cookie jar!

That's about it for this week. We hope to have big visual changes on the studio for next week's issue. Will stay in touch.......

It's May at the Ranch

Gorgeous day today! The deer have even decided that I can
have some daisies!!! I brought some clumps back fromWyoming
last summer and they are doing well. We will see what happens when the deer decide they are really hungry.

Framing is underway. We went with the framing crew since they had to do the roof anyway. They gave us a deal. We decided to sit on the porch and watch them! I do bake them a brownie now and then.

The quilters will be here this week to celebrate some birthdays
and inspect the progress on the studio. Such a great group of women! I am so lucky to call them friends.

I'm still having trouble getting my pictures where I want them, but you can figure it out. The next week should be really fun watching the progress. More then.......