Amazing times. . .

My vehicle is a TrailBlazer named LilyB. Yesterday afternoon while I was driving back to Laramie from Casper, she sent an email to my Bob in Bozeman reporting that the tire pressure on the left rear tire was low and should be checked. I was out in the middle of nowhere driving through some slush on the road. I am still amazed, and tickled, this morning. Don't you just love technology? And I will check it!

My Montana quilting friend, Patricia Pressler, won several ribbons for her beautiful work at the Spokane Quilt Show. That is really not amazing as she is very talented and her work is impressive. But what is amazing is that she went out on opening day of hunting season and shot a deer, dressed it out in the field, drug it to her pickup over rough terrain, got it into the back of the pickup and then hoisted it up to hang in her the garage when she got home - ALL BY HERSELF! And - she is about as big as a minute and looks like a model. Now, that is amazing!

One more - The Colorado Rockies are in the World Series! Wow!

New boots . . .

Just got back from Casper. Class was great! They had a little snow storm in Wyoming today, but the trip back here was good. I got this cute picture tonight and had to share it. Weston is showing off his new cowboy boots. I can't believe how these little ones can change so quickly. He looks like he has grown 2 inches since I saw him a couple weeks ago.

Well, what do you think about that?

Here is another very special person in my life. . . my granddaughter, Meagan. Here she is passing some time while waiting for the dentist. She will be 4 in January and we are so proud of her. Don't you love her model pose and her stylin' outfit?

I am off to teach for the weekend in Casper which is about 150 miles north of here. There is not much between here and there except lots of sage brush and antelope. This country is vast!

No hugging on me . . .

I got some pictures yesterday from Weston's mom. They had gone on an outing to a pumpkin farm with a little friend. These are a couple of the pics.








He is really Mr. Independence and didn't like the hugging one little bit. I love that expression of determination and independence. He is such a neat little guy! I sure do miss him - may just have to head home a bit sooner than I had planned.

Snowy Sunday in Laramie

The UWyo Cowboys lost their football game yesterday and so did the MSU Bobcats. Dark day for my football teams. And the Red Sox lost in the 11th inning late last night. And today it is snowing as you can see from the picture from the porch of The Cottage.

I wanted to go to the International Quilt Festival in Houston this year, but I put too many things on my radar screen so it is not possible. So I have made a promise to myself to go in 2008. I went to the "big show" for the first time in 2004 and it was my very first quilt show ever anywhere. Gail, Laurena and I all went together and at the time only Gail was a quilter. I went because I wanted a longarm and thought that would be a great place to give them all a try - and it was! Somehow, I think one should become a quilter before you decide to buy a longarm, but that is not how I was thinking. We all made bags so we would have lots of space to stash lots of purchases and this was the one I made. I brought it to Laramie with me last week with quilting books in it and love it now as much as I did for our 2004 Houston trip. It is made out of flannel. So - next year - I am going again. Next year, come "h*&# or high water", I am going again!

This is a great snowy Sunday and I have lots to do and lots of energy to get it all done. I made my list and I am moving through it!

Nothin' to do . . .

. . . and all day to do it. This is the first week-end since Sept. 6th that I have not been teaching, traveling or entertaining. I have enjoyed a total day of doing whatever I want and loving every minute of not having to be anywhere at anytime. I have not had to fix meals for anyone. I have not had to smile and act intelligent for students. I did not have to wash sheets, towels, and change beds. I did not have to comb my hair or put on makeup. I did not have to do anything I did not want to do.

Now, I should have because "The Cottage" does not have maid service. What is with that?

I hit on a strange soup idea. When I was home, I had Bob stop at our Safeway and pick up a couple containers of their deli soup. I thought he would bring home two of the same kind. Well he didn't and so I just mixed them together - and it was great. I did the same thing here - on purpose. It is jambalay and chicken noodle - interesting mixture - but it is really pretty good. They have the best soups in the deli.

Tomorrow I will pay for all of this "do nothing" time today, as I really do have some things I need to get done, but it was worth every minute. It was like pouring warm oil over my soul.

Trying some video . . .

I did a short seminar today for some faculty members here on technology and learning. I would not call it a great success, but rather a start. The most exciting thing for me is it gave me a reason to get more comfortable with video and now I want to do more with it.



Here is a small file of Weston late this summer when he had a walking cast on his broken leg. I love the way he walked with it so thought I would share this. It wasn't long after this that he got the cast off.