My Trip to the Grand Canyon by Jan Hackett

Last weekend we took Wyatt and Eli to see the Grand Canyon. This was their first visit and I hope it won't be their last.

I am impressed with the shuttles they now run, it really helps cut down on traffic, fumes, traffic and no worries about finding a parking place. Of course, it helps to remember where you parked your car so you can get off at the right place when you return.

I have been to the canyon (South Rim only) many times and every time it takes my
breath away.

For what it is worth, I'd rather visit the Canyon or Yellowstone or the Redwood Forests of California than go to Disneyland. Not only do you get to be in the most beautiful places created by God, but you meet wonderful and interesting people. You hear people oohing and awing in so many different languages. You see small children watch very large squirrels begging for food and watch them dart around your feet and on the ledge you were just just going to sit down on.

You watch people coming and going. Sometimes you can even take a picture of your family.

You can let your 2 youngest grandsons explore new places and find hidden paths.

Then you can sit on a cool, shady porch and listen to your daughter try to explain to a frustrated 19 year old that it isn't the end of the world that she lost the car. (How did we visit the Grand Canyon 5 yrs ago without the convience of cell phones?)

You can sit in a wonderful restaurant and enjoy a relaxing lunch while you wait for the 19 yr old gd to find the car and bring it to the parking lot you are now at, so that you could have had the picnic lunch you had planned on.

You can ask Eli to smile and get this:

And then you can all be happy when the 19 yr old gd finally brings the car and the picnic lunch to the restaurant parking lot and joins you in the restaurant.

And that's why I'd rather visit the Grand Canyon than go to some other places.

The End.

Look What the Mailman Brung Me

I am so excited. Today I received 2 very cute patterns I ordered from this website. She has lots of great stuff and I will be back for more.

I cannot believe how fast they arrived. I ordered this on Thursday and got it on Monday. That is S*E*R*V*I*C*E!

Autumn Harvest Pumpkin by Crabapple Hill.

This is one of the patterns and I can't show you the other one yet. I'll post it when I finish it.

If you love to embroider but are intimidated about tracing patterns, try this wonderful new product called TRANSFER-EZE. I have been using it for a couple of months and love it. You print your pattern onto the TRANSFER-EZE using your printer, peel off the backing and place it on the front of your fabric (no iron-on, taping or pinning-it just adheres.) The next step is even easier...start embroidering.

This is the Two Blonde Mice pattern I am working now using this. You can see the edge of the pattern web and how easy it is to work the pattern.

When you have completed all the handwork, cut off most of the transfer product. Soak the project in cold water to melt the remainder of TRANSFER-EZE, dry and press to block.

Sorry, didn't mean to do a "Billy Mays" on you, but you probably can tell I am sold on this product. Now I am going to find a piece of fabric to transfer this pattern to and start stitching.

Flagstaff to Grand Canyon

Since this is probably the trip of the year for us, I'll break it down a little so we won't overwhelm you with all the photos at one time.

What do you do to prevent massive revolt by

very bored travelers (ages 7 to 19)? You give them the camera and tell them to take pictures of the sights. Now you realize that between Flag and the Canyon there is nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. So you take pictures of the driver.

And the road signs.

Oh, yes and pictures of this....

And this>>>

And sometimes you can get a picture of a truck load of baled hay (a la Pioneer Woman.)

And then you get back into the pines and follow a white Mustang convertable with California plates going much slower than the speed limit.

Good Morning Arizona

The sun rise was casting this beautiful gold on everything in its wake. The flag we fly on the house and the the east side of the Palo Verde tree in the front yard. I wish these pictures could do it justice. Besides, I wanted to show off my new 55mm lens for my camera. I love it. (the new lens)

This was the view from the back of the house on another gorgeous morning and the next picture is the east view from the front of the house that same morning.

What can I say except I love Arizona mornings and Arizona skies.

And that is just a few of my favorite things.

Long Time Gone

Well, needless to say, it has been a while since I posted. I have often thought of posting but there always seems to be something else to distract me. (Notice I used the word "distract" as opposed to something more important...)

So what have I been up to lately? I was going to spend a day and night with one of my oldest, best friend, Irene in Pima and then head up to the ranch and spend a long weekend enjoying the last of summer. That plan went under the train when I went looking for some technical help with my software program for the website I work with. I had to be back here on Sunday so that I could be available Monday-Tuesday to meet with one of the tech people I was seeking help from.

When I got to Irene's, she had 2 quilts she wanted me to help her with so-we sewed and sewed. This is one of the quilt tops we put together. This is a Turning 20 pattern, using 20 fat quarters and 3 or four cuts to make the blocks. Cute pattern and works up very fast if you don't use directional prints.

I was looking at some of my favorite blogs this morning (I am slowly recovering most of them from my August computer crash) and found this. I love it. She has a basic picture tutorial of how to make these precious pin cushions as well a super cute hot pad. You can find it here.

As for me-I have been doing a lot of red work-finished my St. Nicholas and am also doing a nativity from Two Blonde Mice. The project that is the biggest challenge is a Block of the Month to make a gorgeous Civil War Tribute Quilt. Each month we make 4 to 8 blocks of each of these designs. The good news is I am 80% caught up. That means I still have lots of work to do. I will finish this by December though.

Red work Nativity-"It Started With a Family"

Civil War Tribute