More on facebook . . .

This is a fun article on Facebook people. Click anywhere in this sentence to go there.

I think I am "The Lurker" on FB. Does one of them fit you? Kind of funny.

In Missoula again - not sure why I don't just get an apartment over here. Both grandkids are with us and we just spent 2 hours in the pool - ready for the day.

Just a note . . .

The picture is a cute one of the grandkids waiting for lunch yesterday. I just had to share - we are continuing to have a lot of fun, but I am finding I am "feeling my age" - now if I could only "act my age".

I am slowly unhooking from Facebook and wanted to let readers here know. It has become a great way for our family, close and extended, to stay in touch as well as my local quilting art group. It seems to be a repeat of all of the wonderful blogs and discussion boards that I follow for my fiber art and quilting friends who inspire me with their beautiful work. So, I have decided to keep Facebook for mostly family and non-quilting friends. I know that is weird, but I it helps my aging brain to keep things separate. I am also one of those who doesn't like to mix my food up on my plate - and I usually eat all of one thing before going on to another.

Wonder-Full Days

We have had so much fun since Roy and Meagan arrived last Wednesday. The first big excitement was that President Obama flew into our airport and had a town hall meeting here. None of us were able to see it "live", but Roy and Rainy (Stan's wife) got up really early to go stand in line for tickets, but didn't get any. We did go out on Friday evening and saw Air Force One parked at our airport. I couldn't believe how emotional it was just to see that big bird there representing our country and known around the world. It was a cool, rainy night as many of ours have been lately.

Meagan and Weston have become fast friends even though Meagan is almost 6 and Weston is almost 4 - an interesting age difference. Weston is all about anything you can drive and loves the big old John Deere tractor. Meagan loves all of the girly things and she got new boots, a hat and a cowgirl shirt and belt to show off - all in her "Portland Style". We are loving every minute of their time here. Weston comes out to visit each day for a while and has stayed over night once.

These are "wonder-full" days for sure!

Living life is a full time job . . .

So here it is - the first week of August is gone and I am way behind on my blogging as usual. But it is all about living life - sometimes living this wonderful life takes up all of the time so there is no time left to talk about living it.

The photo - just because I think photos are good in blogs - is from an antique quilt that is at the Museum of the Rockies here in Bozeman. It is a wonderful museum if you are ever in the area. It is the premier site for dinosaur exhibits, but they also have a nice antique quilt collection. This particular quilt is one I am going to do a little talk on as part of a seminar our Bozeman Quilt Study Group is doing in a couple weeks. It was created about 1860 in Ohio and came to Montana in the early 1900's and was donated by the family to the musem. It is a "rose cross" applique pattern. We have selected 8 quilts to share that evening as well as having a panel with some local experts to answer questions. It is fun studying and putting this together, but has been quite a bit of work for all of us.

The past week I was planning to go to Denver to take in a quilt shop hop with my good friend from there, but life again intervened and I went to Missoula. Dad took a bad turn, has rallied some, but I am glad I went that way.

We are planning to purchase a motorhome this fall and have been studying and looking at quite a few. Everytime we see something that might work, we go wherever we need to see it. We saw two more last evening, but neither of them were quite right for us - at least not yet. Maybe we will not find what we want, but we decided this morning to wait until our Seattle trip next month where we will have a larger inventory at dealers and private sales for our continued searching. And - life is pretty darn full between now an then so we need to get with living it.

And - the biggest news - my son, Roy, from Portland and our granddaughter, Meagan, are coming on Wednesday of this week for 10 days. It is like a dream come true for us all. It is going to be an amazing time. Meagan wants to do lots of things special while she is here - she wants to be sure to show us how well she can swim, she wants to ride a horse ( we have that covered) and she wants Grandma to make her a new skirt - I can do that even if I have to give up sleeping.

It just doesn't get any better than this.

And then, there is endurance. . .

I found a project that I started 2 years ago. I have lots of projects that "fall off the wagon" on my journey. Sometimes I find them, dust them off, and revisit them. This time I think I might just get this finished. I don't have it sewn together yet and I want to do some applique with the fish (there is more fabric) so they appear to be swimming across the log cabin blocks into the center. About half of the fabric is from old silk ties. I am in love with it again.
Endurance. . .

"I know quite certainly that I myself have not special talent; curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my ideas." Albert Einstein

"Sure I am this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us." Winston Churchill

Sometimes things in my life get to me. You know what I mean. The "things" are different for each of us - and across time are different as well. I thought letting go was the only answer and then I found a door this morning that said "endurance" and I walked through. I am not sure where I will go with this new thinking - maybe I have already been on this path.

I will stay on my journey and know it is right. I will appreciate the turmoil that sometimes makes it seem impossible and be thankful that I am able to walk this path. I have so much for which to be thankful.

Time flies . . .

Well - so much for my effort to post more often. My only excuse - we are just having too much fun this summer. I will post a few pictures and hope that will make it all better. The first picture is of Walker - he was 6 weeks old in this picture and he is just a doll. He eats and sleeps - mostly sleeps during the day I hear. The second one is of Weston who has been out visiting a few times in the past couple weeks. He and his dad came to the lake last week and weekend when we were there. This picture is from today while he was here. He is not in to "posing" as you can tell. What a fun kid. Our favorite latest saying from him came when he stretched out on his bed, put his hands behind his head and said, "I am going to just think about life."

Our Meagan and her new haircut are looking pretty grownup in the next picture. She likes it so much better according to her dad as she can brush it herself and there are no snarls. She and Roy are coming to Montana in August for 10 days and we are already planning a "summer birthday" celebration for all of our birthdays.

And the last picture is just a great picture we took while we were exploring last week and it is why we call Montana "The Big Sky Country". Click on it to get a better view if you have a minute - it was an amazing view of "big sky".

I will try to do better - I really will. But you know how I am - not very reliable when it comes to blogging. I doubt that will change. Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you soon.

Celebrate . . .

Hope you are all having a wonderful 4th of July.

God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her,
Through the night, with the light from above,
From the mountains, to the prairies
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home,
God bless America! My Home Sweet Home! 

--Irving Berlin, God Bless America 

It has been a quiet day here - but watching some great programs on TV this evening - we have a 65" HD that rarely gets turned on unless it is basketball season or Weston is here to watch one of his movies. But tonight we enjoyed the show from Washington DC and now the show with the Boston Pops. It doesn't get any better than that.

We are continuing the celebration tomorrow with a barbeque with our neighbors - nothing big, but we will do baby back ribs and baked asparagus. Maybe I will even get some pictures posted.

Again - hug your family and friends and send love and prayers to all who are away.