Trip and suprise from daughter!

Had a great Saturday day trip with daughter Leah.

Paul Bunyan and Babe look fresh in their new coat of paint.  

We'd planned to go to a neighboring town of Bemidji, (the home of Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue OX) to an Art in the Park show, lunch out and bum around. Then she said she had a surprise stop for me. Of course, everyone likes surprises! We stopped at the Headwaters Quilter's Guild Quilt Show. It was wonderful. The show "theme" began with a glimpse of the beautiful quilt designed by Laurie Aaron Hird from her book, "The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt" (Letters from 1920's farm wifes and the 111 blocks they inspired). The quild featured the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt, which was raffled off. It was beautiful, and we missed taking a picture of it, darn. Apparently Leah or I were not the winners, as we haven't been called. We listened to readings of entries from readers of the Farmer's Wife magazine from 1922 that had written in answers to this: "If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you, in the light of your own experience, want her to marry a farmer?" One of the answers was from Mrs. S.O., from Mille Lacs County, MN: ...And so, folks, I want my daughter to marry a farmer, a good man, upright, steadfast and true, with visions of the farm-life-to-be in his heart. Then hand in hand, they can work to make their dreams come true, and she will know the happiness I have known. I could not ask for more.... wouldn't you have loved it if your mother had written that for you! I would have! We listened to other letters being read as we walked through looking at all the quilts. Then we stopped and visited with the lady that was doing the readings. She was dressed up in vintage clothing, sitting in her rocker reading to everyone.
Here are a few of the many quilts we saw.

Love this table runner of sun flowers. 

I also really liked this one.

Cute wall hanging of canned goods all lined up.

This was my favorite.

This was Leah's favorite.

The note on this card said that she made this in one weekend!  Wowsa!

There were so many pretty quilts, that it inspires you to go home and start a new project.

The month of August, there is a quilt show at the museum in Park Rapids.  I'll be sure not to miss that.  Someone asked if I was going to exhibit something, but everything I've done recently has been given away!

So far the pictures loading the old way for me.  So I'll keep doing as I was.  We had a nice shower this morning, and now comes more heat and humidity!  Keep cool everyone.

What's going on with Blogger!

Finished this now on Monday evening, but I'd started on Sunday to write and here is that little story:
I have been working on two posts, wanting to insert pictures, and I can't.  It says I've used up all my space.  So now what do I do?  I've been trying to reach my friend Connie, because I'm sure she'll be able to help me.  Think I'll need to start writing off the blog site and transferring here?  I was so excited to show you pictures of  our (daughter Leah and I) trip to Bemidji yesterday to Art in the Park, and a quilt show.  So until I get it figured out how to install pictures again, etc. I'll just have to write!  
Well, now a day (now Monday eve) later, and I just tried to download a picture again, to see if it would happen again, and lo and behold - it worked.  What the...........    I was also looking for the same result as yesterday, because I now know that I'll need to pay for the service of installing pictures.  Apparently the Blogger gets full, and then you have to pay a yearly fee for storing pics in Picasa.  So, guess I'll just finish what I've started writing and see what happens.

  This picture below is Renee when they went to see Stephani in southern MN.  This old horse was off our girls old swing set.  I repainted it years ago, and had it in my flower garden for a few years, and then when Steph was getting interested in planting flowers, I asked her if she wanted it.  So that little pony is pretty old.  Leah, Steph and Jessica all rode that pony and played on that swing set.  We bought it probably in 1970!

This was my test upload picture.

One note of interest on Saturday was that I met Sandy.  Late afternoon on Saturday, hubby and I were sitting under the tree in our front yard, trying to keep cool, and just enjoying the day starting to cool off.  A car slowly drove by, and two people inside were looking our way.  Then it stopped, and backed up for a little ways, and then went forward again, twice!  Neither Steve or I could figure out who it was, but we decided to wave for them to come back.  Maybe they were looking for directions ~ or maybe they were looking at the yard where the old house used to be.  The car backed up, turned in the driveway, and they got out.  Still didn't know them.  We walked over to greet them, and she said she reads my blog, and they were looking for the new sign that we put up on our new garage, as she would recognize it from the road.    However, our garage/shop sits back from the road and the sign looks pretty small from that far away. 

This is the sign that they were looking for!   The garage sits back from the road a little ways, so it is hard to read!

I was so excited to meet a blogging reader that I gave her a hug!   We all sat under the tree and visited, and it is such a small world, as it turns out that we know quite a few people that they know!
She said she started reading Connie's blog first from Area Voices, and then her blog, and ventured out from there reading Jen's (Connie's daughter, mine and others).
Steve kind of knew the husband Bob from Crookston Winter Show days, so it was a fun visit.  Bob and Sandy - please come visit again!

This little blog is quite garbled, so good luck in reading it and following my meandering!!!

Highlights of Renee's 2011 Summer Visit

Picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

We have many more photos, just couldn't post them all. Had a great time with all of our kids and Renee!!!! Wish we all lived closer together to do this more often!

Renee's First Horseback Ride!

Tuesday and Wednesday, Jess, Renee and Floyd drove to Stephani's home in southern MN as Steph and Cullen weren't able to come home while the kids were here.    She has a small farm just south of Pipestone, and has horses and dogs.    Our girls all grew up on horses, and Jessica is the only one now that doesn't have any horses.  After this trip, I have a feeling, there will be a day as Renee gets older, that they will move to a place further into the country so they can have horses.  Stephani had a pony there for Renee to ride, but Renee liked the big horses better!  The kids got to Stephs just after lunch time, and promptly went outside to see everything and ride.  Stephani does training of horses (and people); has a great Quarter Horse stud, and has a breeding program.  She gives lessons to kids and adults and when she is home, she is always busy.  Her husband Cullen loves the horses too, and after their work day and weekends,  they are always going to horse shows, trail rides, training or busy with their horses. Come see the pictures!

Steph and Renee walking out to the barn. 

Getting to know "Skoal".  This is now Steph's oldest horse.  Anyone can ride Skoal!

Jessica and Renee on Skoal. 

 "Cheese"  ~ Steph must have told both of them to say Cheese!

Resting after their ride and planting some flowers.  Stephani and Renee planted a plant that is now Renee's plant.  I can't find a picture of that, but I remember seeing one!  Oh, I bet they're still on Jess's camera!

More pictures later.  Think I need to get to bed; it's after 1 am!

Happy Trails to You,

 

Renee is here and July 4th Celebrating!

The kids arrived on the 3rd!  After getting up at 3 am to drive to New Orleans to fly to Fargo ND, they were pretty tired. Picture of  Renee, just after they got off the plane.  The pilot gave Renee her "Wings".  She was pretty proud!  For a two year old she traveled just fine.  Our other granddaughter, Amanda, flew home with them.   She was glad to get home after her 2 week vacation in Louisiana.  Renee sure likes her cousin "Manda".  After getting to our house, we celebrated Renee's 2nd birthday (was the day before July 2nd) and watched her open up gifts.  It's so fun to have a little one around!

Then yesterday for the 4th we had another busy day.  In the morning, we rode with the neighbor Dave on his pontoon in the Straight Lake Boat Parade.  Another neighbor Paul, just his double barrel shotgun, shooting into the air to start the parade.  Another fellow in the next pontoon, played his trumpet and off we went.  The ride was very relaxing. 

We heard some stories when Jessica started telling how she and Jenny (Connie and Gene's daughter) would  swim, paddle boat, canoe, etc. on the lake.  She hadn't been on Straight Lake for 10 years!

The morning was sunny and no wind.  Just perfect.  I thought it was getting rather warm, but Jessica and Floyd thought it was great.  They're used to hot, humid Louisiana weather, so our 80+ degrees didn't bother them a bit.  After the boat parade, both Jessica and Renee rested under the tree in our front yard, while Floyd helped Steve grind feed.

In the afternoon, we headed to town for the parade and fireworks.  To get the place we like to sit, we usually get there an hour before it starts.  Spread out our blanket, chairs, goodies and sit to wait for everything to start.  Visited with childhood neighborhood friends, Joan (now lives in Wisconsin) and Nancy (lives in Crookston, MN) and their cousin from California.  Got updated on all their family goings on, and found out that Nancy READS my blog.  Couldn't believe it!  Now when you read this Nancy, be sure to go to the comment section and sign in as "Anonymous", write me a note, and just put Nancy F and I'll then know you've been here. 

I even go to the river - the old beach area, and leave a blanket where we like to sit.  A lot of people do that to reserve a chosen spot for the evening festivities.  After the parade we get pizza to go, eat and visit with friends.  Jessica and Renee went walking around and visited with old high school friends and found some teachers she hadn't seen in years.  Leah, Steve, Amanda and TJ, and later Blake and Dena; also my sister Georgia and Vern were all there.  This year other daughter Steph and Cullen didn't make it home.  We missed you Steph.  So we were still quite a big group.  After the Community Band played, neighbors Barb and Roger sat with us too. 

The weather started to  let us know we had a storm coming.  Lightning in the distance and clouds building up, so the fire works started a little earlier than normal, but that was fine.  We even had some lightning action in with the fire works photo shots, plus we made it home just as it was starting to sprinkle.  The thunder and lightning show on the way home was quite impressive.  Guess God wanted to show us what a real lightning show was all about!   We got just over an inch of rain, and did have some wind too.  The swing was blown over and the dog dish off the steps.  I'm glad I stacked the patio chairs, or they would have been blown off the deck too.

Floyd forgot to bring a hat from home with him (for his bald head), so he wore my garden sun hat all day!!! Doesn't he look dapper?!?!?    So funny!  I asked him if he'd been at home, would he wear my hat, and he said a big "NO"!  Guess he didn't care here, because not too many people know him!

Nothing prettier than fireworks over water.  I love the reflection in the water and  how everything takes on the color of the  fireworks!

Lightning filled the skyline too! 

Lightning lit up the sky and fireworks.  It wasn't striking lightning, it was different, lighting up the whole sky, filtering through the clouds.   Later, on the way home, we saw some striking lightning.  

I took a LOT of photos, and filled up my SD card before the finale!  Next year I'll have to be more selective, so I have room for the last fireworks.  Our town of Park Rapids puts on the best show I've seen, and it is all paid for by donations.  I am glad to donate, as I don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt.  Leave it to the professionals.  Years ago I worked in  hospital admissions, and saw some horrible accidents come in from kids to adults that got hurt badly from accidents and carelessness in handling fireworks.  Decided then, it wasn't something I didn't want to see happen to any of my family members.

I hope you all had a safe 4th of July! 

More of my flowers that will soon be all done blooming.  They sure are pretty this summer.

The sun is shining through the trees behind the flowers, and a little spot of sunlight shows on the one petal, by the stamins (think that's what they're called).

The peonies are all from my mother-in-laws garden, and she would be happy to see that they are doing so well.  Both Stephani and Leah have some planted, and their flowers are so pretty too.  This is the first year mine have bloomed, and they were transplanted 3 years ago.  Don't know why it took mine longer that the girls before they flowered.  Maybe I had planted them a little too deep.  Understand they don't like to be planted with a lot of dirt over them.

The tiger lilies are from my mothers yard, and she passed away in 1977, so they have been around for a long time and have done well.  It feels good to have transplanted these flowers, and I think of both of my moms every time I'm out checking the flowers, or weeding!  Some day, when the time comes,  my girls can move these to their gardens, along with some of my other plants! 

Here's an update of the swing set I've repainted, and recovered the cushions.  It's now nice and comfy!

And thanks you Connie and Gene for a very nice swing.  The hunt for material to recover the cusions was something else.  Couldn't find anything less than $8.00 a yard and what I wanted and liked was over $12.00 a yard.  JoAnn's didn't have any on sale and their prices were all over $19.99!!!!!  I just couldn't afford any of those prices right now.  So a day or two later, I was on another mission and went into the Ben Franklin in Detroit Lakes and they were having their 3 year anniversay sale, with 1.00 off per yard!  I checked their remanent material area and found this red for $3.99 per yard; so on sale I got my 7 yards for $2.99 per yard!  Wow, what a deal!  It of course isn't water proofed, it's a heavy almost canvas weight, so will be just fine.   I can get some spray and spray the cushions, to waterproof them; if I remember to look for some the next time I go to town!  For now,  I'll  keep the cushions in the garage at night and when it storms.  If I forget and leave them out and they get wet - oh well, they'll dry out!  The spray paint was right at 4 dollars a can, and I used two.  Makes that swing look good as a new one.  I told C that she was going to want it all back now when she sees it.  Hee hee!

Haven't started the awning yet.  Don't think I'll get that done before next week when Jess and family will be here.  Besides keeping the lawn mowed, I've been busy cleaning to get ready for more company.  Friday, yikes, it's already here; I'll be mowing more and getting the car seat installed in the car.  I took the car seat all apart and washed the cloth seat, now to get it all back together with the straps in the correct holes, etc. and strapped into the car. Saturday, we have a funeral of a good friend that passed away after her 2nd battle of cancer.  They live 3 hours away, so Saturday we'll be gone all day.  Then we drive to Fargo ND to pick the kids up at the airport on Sunday.  Granddaughter Amanda flew there 2 weeks ago, and will come back with them.  Her boyfriend TJ will also drive over to Fargo to get her.  He has been pretty lonesome!    Can't wait to see them and of course little Renee.  She turns 2 on July 2nd, and they'll get here the 3rd.  When we get home, we'll have a little birthday party, and later in the week we be having a big picnic with neighbors and friends.

Picked a couple of the peonies that were almost ready to bend to the ground.  The wind kind of got to them - next year I'll have to put taller  fencing around to hold the flowers up better.

I used a wine bottle as a vase -  Cupcake wine - (didn't like it, so poured it out) makes a very nice vase, and I'll save the cork for another project.

Well, hope you'll all have a great weekend.  Til I write again -

Keep smiling ~