AccuGo a cutting I will be!!!!!

I was afraid to start using my new AccuQuilt Fabric cutter - but today I was brave! ! !   It wasn't all that hard.  In fact it was easy.  But I read through everything, and had a hard time deciding which cutting dye I wanted to use.  Ended up using the 3 1/2" finished triangle.  I had some fabric on hand, and cut a width of the fabric and accordian folded it.  I'm sure I'll hear or read about fabric saving tips as I use this more.  I ended up cutting many pieces of off white, dark red and green triangles.  Sewed up a few of the green and  light fabric.   So much fun.  I have so many ideas in my head of things I want to get made now!!!!!!!!!

Here - ready to roll through.  The first time I did it, it seemed kind of hard to roll it through.  But all worked well, and the material got cut. 

This was my first cut - lots of waste here.  Now that I cut some, I'll know better the next time I cut how to  lay the material.  I may cut some material to fit better, or make my folds smaller.  I was just too excited to get a bunch cut, so I could start sewing!!!!

Like this big square.  Now how many should I make up, and what should I end up making?

I had 2 or 3 patterns sitting out that I wanted to make, but now I'm not sure which one I'll use, if any.

My sister gave this for Christmas - What a wonderful gift.  She got me so many cutting dye too!!!!!!

Did this all on the kitchen table.  Think I need another table so I can leave it out open all the time.  Maybe I need to move my sewing area to the basement where there is room to do that.  Leave the ironing board up, the Accu Go cutter, and my three machines, plus another area to cut.  Boy, that idea is sounding better all the time.  We would have to get some better lighting fixed up.  I don't want to use the two bedrooms downstairs.  It's nice to have them ready for when the kids come home or other company comes.  The only negative thing is; I don't want to be so far away from everyone.  I don't hear if anyone is at the door when I'm downstairs.  But if I'm busy, who cares.  Friends know if I'd be home they could just walk in or come to the back door and holler in.  That I'd hear.   

As I get this project done, I'll show you more.

Have a great week everyone!    JoLynn

Paper Whites!

Just before Christmas I got a Paper White narcissus bulb and loved it.  It grew so fast, the white flower pedals were so delicate and pretty; and I bragged about how much I loved it to daughter Leah.  Then came the smell!  The smell that stirred up an allergy reaction for me.  Steve couldn't even stand the smell, so we had to remove the cute little pot from the kitchen table and put it in the back room we call our back door entryway.  There is a ledge where the downstairs steps are on the other side.  This is where I put plants after they bloom, etc. etc. 

Then for Christmas I opened a package up, and it was a bigger flower pot and four nice sized Paper White bulbs from Leah.  She felt bad that the smell bothered me, but she didn't find that out until after she had already bought the bulbs.  But that is okey.  I still love the flowers, it's just the smell that gets to me after they're in full bloom, for about a week!  Just like lilies - that smell is even worse. 

These are growing so tall that one tipped over so I had to tie a ribbon around them.  There are still several other blooms to open up.  Doesn't it look nice and "springy".  After they're done, I'll save the bulbs and replant them outside.  We'll see if they will keep going, or just rot away.  I know a lot of these bulbs aren't meant to last, but we'll try.

Just having these blooming, makes me want to get into the garden.  I plan to do better this year with my flowers than I did last year.  Had so many "irons in the fire" that my garden didn't get the attention it deserved.  I don't get the seed catalogs anymore, so that is probably a good thing.  They are fun to go through and dream.  I like to spend my money locally, so I never ordered anything, so that is why I don't get them any more.

A cold, but sunny day here today.  Have a great weekend friends.  jo

January Cleaning!

I've been digging out more closets, and drawers since the holidays, and have been so busy at it that I haven't been anywhere to take pictures or hardly think about getting a blog written.  I seem to start in the morning in one room, and then a picture I find, or something else I find needs to be put in it's place, and then all of a sudden I'm multi-tasking, and have a couple of rooms tore apart!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, I went through two boxes of pictures, and started putting in piles for the kids.  Now I really need to get to town and get some more picture boxes, so they have a home in the new box labeled for each kid - before I put them all back into the one box.  I thought I had some empty boxes, but don't.  I know you'd say, I should plan better; but just a minute.  This is a start!  I'm happy to make a mess, and then clean that up.

I've also been in the computer / sewing room.  Went through all the file drawers, and weaned stuff out, and like Far Side, shredded and tore up stuff.  I don't take pictures of me or my mess.  That would be too funny!  Have all the stuff ready for Steve to get together tax information.  Then I've also found homes for dozens of patterns and recipes that were laying around.  I have a bad habit of  making a copy of a recipe if I think I want to try it, or a free pattern for quilting or crocheting or knitting, etc. etc. 

Started in the bathroom tonight.  Emptied drawers onto the floor, threw all the combs into the sink and soaked them in Amonia and shampoo water, and then with an old tooth brush cleaned all the combs and brushes.  That is always so refeshing to use a new and very clean comb.  I do that every couple of months.
Went through all the stuff on the floor, and got rid of old make-up, and facial creams, etc.  Had cleaned out the towel cabinet last week, so that room is done.  Way to go Jo!

You'd think it was spring and I was spring cleaning!?!?!  Well, I'm going to keep going, so I won't have to do a lot of cleaning later when I want to be outside.

I even have material on my cutting table (kitcken table) to make some new hot pads and have a quilt I want to start, but need to go buy material for that.  Steve has been watching John Wayne movies all weekend, plus switching to football, so TV has no interest for me except to sit and rest awhile from cleaning.  I need to go to the neighbors tomorrow and clean for him and take down all the Christmas decorations.  But maybe I'll be able to get to town tomorrow, or if not, I have a dentist appointment on Tuesday and bell practice, so it makes more sense to wait until Tuesday to do my errands all on one day.  Then on Wednesday we have birthday cake for a neighbor at the house I clean at.  Dave is planning it all and having it at his house.  I'm making an Angel Food cake and bringing that and strawberries.  So we'll be there for an hour or so on Wednesday afternoon. 

Now that takes care of half of the week.  What do you all have planned.  I also need to fit in a daily walk, which Odda and I have been doing.  She is loving her walks again.  I went for awhile without taking her on a daily walk, and she really does need a good walk.  Of course she has the run of the farm, and her and Hooch play and follow Steve around.  Hope it is a little warmer out tomorrow.  This morning we had -20 below F.  Too cold, but the sun did warm it up to about 13 above zero today. 

Hope you all have a great week.  I think I'll have another busy one.  jo

So my week is already pla

Look Alike?

I was looking through some old pictures tonight, and came old Christmas pictures.  Jessica was 1.5 yrs old at Christmas in 1980.  She was 18 months old.

Here is Renee this Christmas at 17 months.   She sure looks like Mommy. 

Still looking through old pictures.  What a job!  I want to get things more organized, but almost don't know where to start.  Today I went for a walk, and took Odda with me.  My arms and face got cold.  Didn't have enough warm clothes on, but the rest of me was sweating.  Don't know whether I'd be worse off really having over dressed, and get wringing wet, or do as I did today.  My feet and hands and main body was fine, but I felt the wind go through the material of the arms.  Tomorrow will do something else, and then on Saturday, walk again.  My hips and one knee was kind of sore afterwards, and I don't want to over do things.  That will just make me quit it all together, and I'm more determined this time to keep it up.  I have quite a few pounds to loose, and I know it will take awhile and I need to me committed.

Well, haven't done dishes yet, so better get at them. 

Have a great evening!

Roberto!

Remembering a time when the kids were young, and we  opened our home and hearts to several young people wanting to learn more about the United States, our culture, our way of working with farm animals, so that they could take some of that knowledge home with them and use it in raising some farm animals of their own.  From the early 1980's we had 8 exchange kids come from all over the world.  Some were quite young and were here for only a month, and others stayed for 3 - 4 months, and some stayed longer and went to school here.  Our family learned just as much from them, as they did from us.

We have lost contact with most of them, but Roberto, from Panama, still calls, and we email.  It isn't often, but when we hear from him, it's great.  Just before Christmas he called, and then again he called on Christmas Day, so he could talk to the kids.  Here are some pictures of him when he was with us years ago.  He and three others were on an exchange from Panama to learn more about farming.  The three were at different farms throughout Minnesota, and they rotated staying at the farms, so we had three young men/boys stay with us that year.  Roberto was 25 when he came here, he was the oldest of the three.  Olmedo and Jarvis were just out of high school.   Now Roberto is married and has his own family.  He is working for the government as an inspector of food.  He also inspects feed for animals.  Their family lives in a tourist area.  Roberto keeps asking when we're going to come to Panama and buy a retirement home!!!!
He must think we have a lot of money!!!!   

Here downstream of the headwaters of the Mississippi River.  

                         Jessica and Roberto on the rocks at the beginning of the Mississippi River.

Jessica on the far bank, Stephani on the rocks, and Roberto standing on this side bank.

It was about 1987 when Roberto was here.  Roberto and the others could not speak good English, but by the time they left they did pretty good.  Of course, we learned a little Spanish.  Jessica and Stephani learned more than the rest of us!  The boys got to show pigs at the county fair and other pig shows.  Learned how to feed and take care of hogs, and learned about the feed ratio and the other important things about raising pigs.  We enjoyed having them in our home.  We had a great time at family gatherings, with Granpa and Grandma Nilson  next door and all our cousins coming and going.  This exchange was through 4-H, so we involved the exchange kids in all of the 4-H things that were going on during the time they were here.  One thing we used to do was each kid in the family got to cook one meal a week, including them.  So of course, Jessica always made grilled cheese, and Stephani did Mac N Cheese, and pizza.  But we learned about some of their daily diets this way.  Roberto fried sliced plantin (looks like a banana).  At that time, we had to have the grocery store special order it.  No one had heard of plantin!   Everything they eat seemed to be fried in hot grease!  Of course, they ate a lot of rice.  Cooking was a fun thing to do, and we did this with all the exchange kids we had stay with us.

Roberto emailed pictures of his family.  His son just graduated from 8th grade, and is now accepted into high school.  They are very proud of him and excited.

  A proud family.

I asked Roberto if his son or daughter would be coming to the US for an exchange and he laughed.  He said he would like for that to happen.  Especially to come to Minnesota!

I would love to some day travel there.  Don't think I'll get Steve to do that, but thinking about it is fun.

Have a great day everyone.

Happy Anniversary Sis!

Happy Anniversary to my little sister!  This is the only picture I have of when you and Vern got married, and many congratulations go out to you for 42 years of togetherness!   Not the fancy wedding of many today, but the meaning just as great.  We made our own dresses, and you must have opted out of getting your hair done!  he he!  Oh were we all so young!  Vern still in college, and you guys moved into the Everhart apartment to begin your life together.  Congratulations, and wishing you many more years together.

Poster and Snow!

 I made a 16x20" framed collage for Jessica to hang in her school athletic office. You can click on it to make it bigger.  I had so much I wanted to put on it, that I really had to cut and paste the articles to get it all on.  Didn't square everything up, but that's okey, it gives it some interest this way.  Now to go to UPS and find a box to fit and get it sent to her!
I had trouble getting a good enough picture also, because of the glare the glass had.  It has articles from our hometown paper and also the paper in her home town that had two articles.  I even had others, but can't get them all on.  I will send those articles to her too. Hope she has room to hang it up!
Steve is still out out plowing.  Got the yard done by the house and garage, now working on getting a good plowed area out to the hay bales, so he can feed the cows, and up by the three barns, and up to where he stores the grinder mixer.  He has to grind feed for the hogs every 4 days, and tomorrow is the day!   He asked Leah's father-in-law to come help with his big tractor and blower.  Would rather pay someone than spend three more days plowing; this way they should get done later this afternoon. 

This skidster is what he uses to push and stack snow.  He is pretty fussy about how he wants it done, as he does it so there is less standing water and spring run off goes faster, and drys faster in areas that we have to walk and drive.

Here's Carl's tractor with snow blower on back, and he is pushing snow with his front loader/bucket.

Three grain/corn bins cleared enough so the grinder can hook up to get corn.

 Odda's pen, full of snow!

Inside Odda's dog house - she keeps very nice and warm.  The door is on the south, and there are a couple of open areas at the top, just under the eve.  That is what is casting the light and shadows.  We have to walk around to the north side to get her in her kennel.  Need to shovel out some inside the kennel area.  Think I'll go out and do some of that.

Have a great ending to your New Year weekend.  Tomorrow it's back to work for most people!