Working on ...

Just before Christmas I was asked what I was working on and couldn't tell because it was for my brother (who has quite a few cowboy boots and coyotes rooming in his area) & sister-in-law. They called and thanked me so here they are!

I found the pattern online and apparently liked it so much I ordered it ... twice ... once about 3 years ago and then again this year. When I found the Christmas coyote fabric I knew I had to get busy. The directions were clear, but not easy. The stocking itself was not difficult, but the pieced front with similar sized pieces had to be carefully placed and not interchanged. I would have enjoyed templates, but that probably is not as accurate when sending the pattern online and using different printers. They were fun to make as I enjoy a challenge. I actually made 3 of them & kept one for us. There is nothing in it, but it looks good hanging at the fireplace.

Good book!

Just a quick note before we go out to dinner. I belong to a book club where we each buy a current book and then pass them around to each other. I get to read books that I may not choose. I got "Losing Mum and Pup" by Christopher Buckley and loved it! It is witty and yet reverent. I'll read other books by Christopher Buckley. Thanks!

Christmas Tree

Look at our beautiful tree! We haven't had one in 15 years ... we've decorated the house, but no tree because we have been with either of our grandchildren for Christmas. This year we have been invited to be with Cindy & Charlie.

So, now I'll tell you how we happened to get this lovely tree. We were with Paul & Lisa & Amanda & Kendra for Thanksgiving and Lisa asked me what we were doing for Christmas. I said we were staying home. Then she asked me if we would get a tree. I said that we weren't because our house was too small to have one. Lisa mentioned that there are lovely, slim, lit artificial trees available. She even pulled them up online, but nay ... too much money for a nice one ... we have plenty of decorations without one ... who needs it? End of conversation.

So I went on my merry way. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week-end with good food and wonderful visits with people in and out all week-end.

A few days after we got home the doorbell rang and it was a delivery of this big box. Chuck wanted to know what I ordered, and I hadn't. When we opened the box it was the tree ... from Lisa and Paul and is our Christmas present! It fits in our front window perfectly!

It went together perfectly and even has a remote to turn the lights on & off. I had fun digging out all our ornaments and with the empty spots I filled in with dried hydrangeas from our garden.


Then I tried to put the angel that Cindy had needlepointed for us years ago as a tree topper, but it was too heavy and kept falling down, poor thing. That's when I fashioned a few hydrangeas into a bouquet and it is light enough to stay in place. The angel sits on the valance near the tree and looks beautiful there.

Cindy put up a small tree and asked me if I wanted to borrow the tree skirt I made for her and it works ... but I'll make one for our tree in 2010. That's what I need ... another excuse to quilt. ;-)

And we like it. It won't shed and has 3 easy pieces to put together and no watering. Great way for us to have a tree.

1 Year Ago

It doesn't seem possible that a whole year has gone by since we were in Germany. Chuck & I keep looking at our pictures and the press conference movie on Vimeo. (The link is posted on the left side of the blog.) Our memories are still very vivid and I STILL think it was the trip of my lifetime. I'm sure we will go on others, but none as meaningful to me.

We went to Dansville on Labor Day Week-end and at a bakery vendor they had the mandelhorns that we ate all over Germany. We have to go to Germany to get THE best. And I've made 3 plum cakes, so far this season. I'm saving the recipe I got from Hannah & Clara for apple cake. Helga made an apple cake from that recipe and Ruth made the plum cake from that recipe. The photo is of the plum cake we had at the Kind's. Oh, yes, that's Helga and Hannah behind the cake. And we also had a surprise plum cake brought to us in Brake from Ulla. And this was a different recipe ... all excellent!

I had fun converting the recipe from metric and made a few ... not as successful cakes ... before I found the right amounts. None were bad enough to throw away, just not "company" ready.

And Irondequoit has it's Oktoberfest this week-end and last. We went last week-end and Chuck had Weinerschnitzel and beer and I had rouladen with my Reisling. The rouladen was as good as we had at the lovely luncheon in Ovelgönne.

I know I've gone on about the food, but what I enjoyed most was the wonderful people we met and the welcoming attitude. I was not sure what it would be like and was so glad to witness the fact that the country is acknowledging the holocaust with its museums. We saw many school groups touring Sachenhausen Concentration Camp.

It was a powerful visit for me and I, again, thank Clara & Hannah for opening the door for me!!

Souvenir

Last night I went with friends to see "Souvenir" at GEVA and thoroughly enjoyed it! If you get a chance go see it. This poor woman (Judy Kaye) was much more off key ... and timing ... than I ever was. I marveled at her voice thinking she probably had a wonderfully trained voice ... that she could sing so badly really must have been such a difficult role for her. And the actor that was her accompanist had wonderful timing for all the jokes! Everyone was in stitches and tears were running down my face. Want a good laugh? Go see this play.

That Long?

I didn't realize it's been so long since my last entry. Summer always seems to go by in a flash. With all the rain we had we had some wonderful flowers in our garden and the grass stayed green even in our sandy soil. The asters are still blooming and I love the hydrangea with both pink and blue flowers on the same bush. Thanks to my friend, Bill, I have quite a few day lillies and this double yellow one is my favorite! Now I have to concentrate on weeding. Where do they all come from?

The funniest plant we have is my tomato "tree". None of those plants produced much, but one is taller than I am ... and has only 2 tomatoes on it which are still green. The other 3 plants are green and normal size, but i red tomato & 2 green ones. Everyone in this area has not had good luck with tomatoes this year.

This and That

Chuck and I spent the last 4 days at the L. P. G. A. watching the girls play golf in the rain and the sun. I enjoy watching them go into a hazard and then get out easily and still make par. Cindy gives us tickets to this event for Christmas. Nice gift. And if you saw me there ... I'm the one that was quilting while waiting for the girls to get to where we can see them. Yes, I do watch the golf.

I've added a book to my favorites. I'm usually reluctant about a book with 2 authors, but the book was written by Mary Ann Shaffer, who was born the year I was. She became ill and then had her niece put the finishing touches on it. She has subsequently died, but has left a wonderful book for all of us to enjoy.

If you enjoy quilting and wonderful pictures of birds and flowers, Beth's blog is the one for you. She has a wonderful eye for color and design.