My morning walk

I've been going for a morning walk every day that I've been here at the resort. This is something that I like to do regularly but when I'm at home, there are always too many reasons to put it off so I relish the time I have when I'm on vacation to do these things.  I took my camera along this morning and here are some things that I saw:

The last of the summer's wildflowers 

An apple tree filled with tiny apples that will be appreciated by the birds this winter.

This is the cutest little garden shed at one of the lake homes I passed on my walk.

 Love the red flowers in the window boxes.

And, of course, the ever beautiful lake.  Wish I had a canoe or kayak with me.

Yesterday was a beautiful as today's starting out to be and I spent some time sitting on a bench in the sun reading my book.  After I settled myself in and got quiet, the wildlife made itself known.  Most of the rustling was from this little fella. Is it Chip or Dale, or maybe Alvin?  I think he lives under my cabin.

I also was visited by this big guy, a pileated woodpecker.  They're about the size of a crow so about 8 to 10 inches long, I suppose.  These are supposed to be very shy and reclusive so I think I was lucky to not only hear him--they're pretty noisy!--but to see him as well.  This is a pic I copied off the internet as I couldn't get a good shot of him from where I was sitting.

This is another pic from the internet. This is a flicker, another member of the woodpecker family, and they are everywhere around here!  

I had to take a shot of the resort weather station.  This just about covers all the weather you could expect, I guess.  I'm glad the rock isn't bouncing--that would be bad! Today, the rock is dry and in the shade so I guess it's going to be sunny with no rain, right?

Tomorrow I head for home with a stop in Superior WI to meet up with a couple of friends.  Then, back to the real world, although I admit, I'm ready to be back with my home and family.  

I'm at the lake

I drove to Bemidji, MN today for my 5 day getaway in the woods and this is the cute little cabin that was waiting for me at the end of the journey.  

This cabin is so little and cute!  It's perfect for me by myself.  If Don had come with, I think there would be trouble!

I knew I was in in Paul Bunyan country when I opened the door and the first thing I saw was this gigantic log rocking chair! It's absolutely huge and takes up about a third of the room's space.  It's so big that I can sit in it with lots of room to spare. (If you ever saw my rear end, you'd appreciate how big the chair is!  :)

I have this little smoking screen porch which overlooks the lake,

and the next picture is what I see from this porch.

It's so beautiful up here in the Northland, this picture doesn't do it justice.  The leaves on the trees are just beginning to change color and those glimpses of red and yellow among the summer green is so pretty. Can you tell that Autumn is my favorite season?

And this is another view of my "back yard."  It was late when I arrived and after I unpacked the car and got some groceries in town, it was too dark to do any exploring. That will wait until tomorrow.

I have all my quilting things with me and they too, will wait until tomorrow. I picked up a copy of "Winter of the World" from my library and I'll be buried in my book for the rest of the evening.

Wow! What a summer!

I last posted an entry on this blog back in March, nearly 6 months ago.  No, I haven't been laid up in bed with consumption or the vapors or any other kind of chronic disease. I've been SUPER BUSY! ! ! ! !
Today, I have a chance to sit down a bit and try to figure out how to explain all that's happened without boring everyone to bits (but that may happen anyway. Some things are beyond my control. : 0 )

March flew by with Don and I cleaning the house and getting it ready to go up for sale. And we shoveled and plowed the last of the winter snows.
  

April was filled with joy as our youngest daughter, Jo, arrived home from her 2 year stint as a Peace Corps Volunteer. And we shoveled and plowed the last of the winter snows.

Late in April, I was began a new part time job with a one hour commute, while continuing with my old job.
In May, I began working a 3rd part time job ( and quit my original part time job ) which was just a "few" hours a week and would only run through August.  And we shoveled and plowed the last of the winter snows.

I don't remember June, July and most of August because I was scrambling to do all this work--which had numerous deadlines to meet--and still try to stay even somewhat sane. Please don't ask my  family if they think I was successful at this or not. At least, it stopped snowing sometime in May and Don was able to plant and tend the veggie garden.  Sometime in August, I did attend a machine quilting show in Milwaukee--Oconomowoc, actually, but that's real close to Milwaukee. :) --and took a couple of terrific classes and am just another wee step toward making an outstanding show quilt. (Yeah, right!)

I finished the summer job ahead of schedule and now I have only one part time job (with the hour commute both ways) and am now winding down to the point where I took the time to go back and read the blogs that I'd ignored for so long and finally today, when I should be canning tomatoes and making applesauce, I am putting together this entry.

As you may know, I "retired" from my job back in 2011 so why the hell did I work 50 hours a week this summer?  Sometimes I think my brains have been replaced by that lint and fuzz that builds up in the sewing machine!

At any rate, I'm currently coordinating a mini quilt show that my guild is doing as part of a fundraiser for the domestic abuse shelter in Menomonie and that's taking a bit of time. We have a team of truly excellent people who are taking on responsibility for many of the areas that need to be worked on so I don't have all the work to do myself.

Anyway, on Thursday, I'm heading for the woods of N. Minnesota for a long weekend at a resort.

                                                       This photo is courtesy of TripAdvisor

All by myself. Leaving the hubster behind to fend for himself.  Taking my machine and a couple of projects, my Kindle Fire, and my favorite foods to cook up at the cabin.  Meeting up with old college friends whom I treasure.  The plan is to sleep when I want for as long as I want, same for sewing and reading, and do whatever the hell I feel like doing whenever the hell I want to. I love those kinds of vacations!  This is the reward I promised myself as I toiled away all summer, and I'm going to enjoy every minute!

If I can get a few brain cells to engage, I may remember to bring my camera and lap top so I can post some pix of my mini vacay.

Time to get a few quilting projects organized to take along.

Today I'll pick the next winner!

Today is the day I'll draw the winning name for the Traveling Stash box that's been sitting on my dining table, ready to be sent out to some lucky winner!  All you have to do to enter the drawing is leave a comment on my blog. I'll draw the winning name tonight.

Readers, this box( a LARGE USPS box) is absolutely crammed with quilting goodies!  From patterns, to books, to fat quarters, to yardage, there's a bounty of items in here that the winner will be able to choose from and keep. The rules for participating are that 1) You must have an active blog and you must post on your blog when you receive the box and invite your followers to enter the drawing. 2) You must be willing and able to ship the box to the next person within the USA--postage is too prohibitive for international shipping. 3)  You must replace what you keep with comparable amounts and quality of goods. Fabrics must be quilt shop quality and free from pet hairs and smoke and patterns/books must be new or gently used. Those are the simple rules for participating in the Traveling Stash, so leave a comment and you might be the winner tonight!

To refresh your memory, here are the things that are now in the box.

Patterns

Fabric yardage

More yardage and many fat quarters!

I still have to decide on what all I'm going to add to the box to replace the fabrics I chose for myself. I'm not entirely sure yet--it's been super busy at my house this week--but I know I have a jelly roll of bright fabrics that will be sent on this journey along with some yardage and some fat quarters.

So, again, I invite you to leave a comment and get yourself entered in tonight's drawing to win this box of quilting bounty!  Good luck!

More about the TS box(es)

I drew the winner of the TS box yesterday--congratulations to Robin who blogs here http://livinbluequilter.blogspot.com/!  Her box will go in the mail tomorrow morning.

More good news today about the TS boxes.  On Friday morning my post man brought me another TS box, this time from Sharon who blogs here http://vroomansquilts.blogspot.com/  Thank you, Sharon, for picking my name.

This TS is amazing!  It's chock full of the most wonderful fabrics! I know my camera can't do them justice but I'll do my best.The box is crammed with wonderful things, mostly fabrics but lots of patterns as well. There are many, many fat quarters in the box as well as several pieces of yardage.  The next 3 pictures show what will stay in the box and move on to the next winner.  If you want strawberry or apple fabric, they are in there. Need a bright large print for a stack and whack?  It's here.  How about a fabric with teapots on it or a bright pink polka dot?  These things are waiting for you.

 Choosing what to keep for myself wasn't too difficult since I liked so many of the fabrics. I decided to focus on neutrals to replenish my stash a bit and I chose these things to keep. I know, I know, the green and black dotted prints and the red/cream.blue birdhouses aren't neutral but I have projects in my mind where I'll use these.  So you may see these fabrics showing up in future quilts I plan to make.  :-)

 Now I have to decide what I'll choose to put back in the box.  I'm going to take some time doing this and you'll just have to wait a day or two to see what I'm adding from my stash.  :o)

If any one's not familiar with the Traveling Stash, it's a large USPS box that's packed with wonderful quilty items--fabric, patterns, books, notions, orphan blocks, etc--that are of quilt shop quality and are either unused or gently used by the donor. We all have patterns, notions, and fabrics that we bought on impulse a while ago and now know we'll never use them, right?  These are the things that can go into the TS cuz maybe the next winner will just love that bright florescent orange fabric!

I'll be drawing a winner on Friday, March 14 and will send the box on to the winner. All you have to do to participate is to have an active blog where you will post about receiving the TS and again when you pick the winner and send it on it's way; When you win a TS, you can take and keep anything in the box that you like and you have to replace your choices with comparable good quality items.  The TS isn't a "dumping ground" for you to clear out your sewing room!  The "golden rule" applies here--only put things in the box that you would like to receive, okay?

When the winner receives the TS, she/he is to post on their blog and invite comments from people who want to be included in the drawing.  When the winner's name is drawn, you need to post that as well.  Of course, pictures are great to show us what's in the box so we have an idea of what we'll get if we win. There are directions included in the box as well as a paper to sign to keep track of where the box has traveled.

So, if you want a chance to win this beautiful Traveling Stash box, leave a comment on my blog and I'll enter you in the drawing.  Easy peasy, right?

You Might Be a Winner Tomorrow!

It's not too late to sign up for a chance to win the traveling stash which is sitting in my sun porch waiting to be sent on it's way.  Tomorrow is the day I'll draw the lucky winner!  To refresh your memory as to what is in this box, here are some pictures.

These are items which I left in the box--a book of quilt patterns,  a magazine, a variety of fat quarters, some seam binding and probably other things as well.

These are some things I found in my sewing room that I decided to donate--all things that I thought I would use or make up and after a few years of sitting in the drawer or on the shelf, I can hear them whispering to me, "You know you'r never going to use me so why not send me on to someone who will appreciate me?"  So they are included in the box

I also picked out some fabrics that, again, I bought a while ago thinking I would find a use for them, but, no, it probably won't happen, so I'm sending them on to someone who is just waiting for that perfect fabric for their project.

As far as I can tell, everything in the box is of quilt shop quality and the patterns, books, etc are either gently or never used.

All you have to do to win this box of goodies is leave a comment on my blog. You have to agree with the rules which are:

1. Be an active blogger. Post about receiving the stash and about the giveaway on your blog in a "timely" manner.(This means ASAP since the next person is eager to get her hands on this treasure trove!)

2.  There is a note in the box that logs where the box has been. Please add your info and place the note back in the box.

3.  There is a list of Rules and Guidelines in the box. Please read and follow these and return the list to the box.

4.  You may take anything you like from the box.  Just replace every item with comparable quilt shop quality items equal to the amount taken. There are guidelines about this which I will post to the person who gets the box from me.

5.  Ship the box to the next person in a "reasonable" amount of time. (This also means ASAP! See #1 above)

6.  Due to the amount of postage, shipping is only within the USA.

Tomorrow I'll draw the name of the lucky winner and will email her/him.  The box will be posted on Monday.  Good luck!

More good stuff in the Traveling Stash

I went through the cabinets and cupboards of my sewing room and found more things to pack into the stash box.  

I found  a couple of quilt patterns that I know I'll never make up, some zippers and buttons, an extra tape measure (I didn't realize I had a half dozen tape measures! And maybe more hiding around the house!), a book of patterns for quilt labels, a book of designs using charm squares, a magazine, and a bag pattern.  These patterns are ones I bought several years ago on impulse and have never gotten around to making up, so they're like new in the packages.

I got a large postal box and have repacked everything and still have more space in there. I'll have to take another look around to see what I can add to fill it up.

Please leave a comment so I can include you in the drawing on Saturday.  Whoever gets this box, I think will be pleased with what's in there. : -)