Llama Yarn

I was lucky enough to score llama yarn made from the two in the picture.
Well, maybe not the exact ones, but the llamas are from Homestead Gardens and so is my yarn. I can't wait to knit some scarves for presents. So I found a large tube of the dark chocolate yarn and a cake of the golden brown - all for $7 at the thrift store. Yippee!!

Swiss Embassy

I went to the Swiss Embassy last night and wore flip-flops! Of course, they matched my 3-piece suit.

The embassy is located in a beautiful section of DC - 2900 Catherdral Avenue. The home is very modern and decorated sparsely.

They were playing the horns at the entrance.

Go RAVENS

Monday night football - pre-season game - RAVENS vs the JETS - be there - go Ravens.

This is a picture of the pillowcase I made AJ. It is a custom fit for his snore pillow. How do you like the crab sheets? They were a Christmas present from Texas.

Black Duck Update

Remember my black duck and her

mallard boyfriend

Here is what happened - lots of black ducks. She was swimming with her babies the other Sunday. One has a white spot on its chest. I don't know what happened to the mallard.

Baby Ducks and Fish

Are these baby ducks just the cutest!. They were swimming around our pier Sunday morning when I got back from the sand bar. I cannot believe how tiny they are. The mother duck must have hatched a 2nd batch.

Sunday morning, AJ went out to work on his crab boat. He has been installing a new depth finder/GP device. He has left the little gray boat in the water over night. A fish was laying in the bottom. We think it must have jumped out of the water and landed in the boat. Our next door neighbor says it is a mud shad. When I took Scrappy for his after dinner walk, I saw another fish, same as this one, up on some rocks.

I remember eating shad and shad roe when I lived in Lancaster, PA.

More Quilts

Here is the quilt I am making for my sister. It is a BOM that I bought each month in 1998. I just need to add the borders to make it queen size. I am going to have Della quilt it on her longarm.

This quilt is part of my scrap therapy. All the greens are from my stash.

The only fabric I had to purchase was the background and backing. I plan

to quilt this one myself.

The blocks are hanging from my flannel back plastic table cloth. I love it and it only cost @ $5

I am planning a mini quilt retreat at home this weekend to get some of my project finished.

Stay tuned for more....

I Do Quilt!

Here is a picture of the quilt hanging in my living room. You may recognize the pattern: Underground Railroad by Quilt in the Day.

I took the classes from Eleanor Burns - her signature is on the label. Note my ship in the last row is sailing the wrong way. I have trouble with flipping my pieces so some of my blocks are quite original :)

Graduation

AJ's grandson - a very long day, but worth it. Congratulations, Stuart!

Memorial Day

I have been so sad. On Memorial Day, May 25th, we had to put down our Lily dog.

I believe Lily is in a special place where she has endless food and water and treats, where she is young again and chase cats, rabbits, and squirrels, where she plays all day long when she's not napping.

This is making me cry.

We miss you Miss Lily

May Flowers

I think this year has been the best for my Clementius. It has been a cold and wet spring. Yesterday, the wind whipped up the waves and it stormed all morning. I spent as much time as I could quilting.

My new pet duck

This is my new pet - a black duck. She comes to visit with her mallard boyfriend. She loves the bread crumbs I feed her.

My Sister Is So Funny

This proves 3 things. I will be older than dirt this Friday, I still work, and my sister is mean for announcing to the world that I will be 60!!! Look what she just had delivered to my office.

Giant Moth

Last night when I got home, I noticed what I thought was leaf in my wicker chair on the front porch. Instead I found a giant moth. It lookes like a bird may have tried to eat part of it. Well, the biology part of me had to find out what it was.

Luna Moth (Actias luna)
Wing-span: 8-12 cm
Distinguishing features: Bright green coloration with long "tails" on hind wings.
Host plants: Wide range of trees and shrubs including: alder, willow, cherries (Prunus sp.) and birch. Paper birch seems to be a favourite food.
This moth is found in North America from east of the Great Plains in the United States to northern Mexico and from Ontario eastward through central Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada.

It is rare to find one since it only lives 7 days and produces 1 generation a year.

Here is a stock photo of a female -

Sock Class

This was my sock class. I am in the back row on the left wearing the black sweater.

For some reason unknown by me or anyone else, I wanted to knit socks. And guess what, I can. (I hope I can because I need to knit the mate.)

Thank you Sue and Lori! Sue owns the Island Yarn Boutque on Kent Island (410-643-6113), and Lori was our instructor. Lori is in the picture wearing the orange top.

Spring Flowers

My Wreath!

A few weeks ago I noticed my front door wreath was looking scraggly. Little birds were stripping the pussy willows and building a nest - right in the wreath.

Look at the top of the wreath:) You can't see the nest from the front - only from inside the door.

I have always wanted to knit socks - don't ask me why. I finally figured out how to get started. This is the cuff. I knitted it in the car going home from work yesterday.

Back from Texas

I went to Texas for Spring Break! This is one of my most favorite trips. I did have a scare. I had a migraine so painful I lost my memory. Mary Beth took me to the emergency room and the doctor gave me a shot of some wonderful drug that put me into a deep sleep. When I woke up, the migraine was gone and there was a bandaid on my butt that I had no clue how it got there. Mary Beth said I was talking very loud. I asked the doctor - when I wake up, will I be skinnier and when I wake up, will have less wrinkles, and (my favorite), when I wake up will I look like Angelina Jolie!Oh, I swore I was Amish. I do not remember any of this.

The weather was cold and it rained almost the whole time. But this did not stop us from having fun. I played with Brice. We went to Grapevine Mall, Central Market, and to an Arlington Mall where Mary Beth and Brice went ice skating. We shopped in Stephenville.

I can't wait until I go back this fall.

New Machine - Yikes!

Yesterday, AJ took me across the bridge to purchase this dream machine. I am the luckiest quilter in the world. AJ really racked up the points on this one. He even went back to the shop to get me the special patchwork foot.

I cannot wait to get home from work and use it.

Love you AJ

Watermen's Convention

This was the best day - January 24th.

AJ and I got up early and had breakfast at Jimmy's. Off to Rehoboth Beach for the outlets. I had to return some items to VF and do a little shopping. Next, we stopped in at Sea Needles in Bethany Beach. It is a yarn shop that sells different needlework. The lady inside gave me a pattern for slipper socks on size 5 dp needles. She was so helpful. After this sock purchase, I dropped off AJ at the Waterman's Convention in Ocean City. I drove back up to Fenwick Island and visited the yarn shop there. I bought size 2 16" circular needles and a "crab" cross stitch kit.

I brought my camera out when I hit the boardwalk at OC. The Salty Yarn shop did not have much yarn, but beautiful, beautiful needlework kits! I managed to purchase another crab crossstitch.

After the convention, AJ very kindly took me to Lewes to another yarn shop where I bought bulk sock yarn and some camo sock yarn made in Germany. AJ wanted to stop at tackle and bait shop which eventually we found. I went inside and started to look at the merchandise. Do you believe this! They sold salon products - Scruples - what a find.

After a quick grocery shopping at the WalMart in Seaford (where I found February's free quilt pattern), we went back to Jimmy's for a crab cake dinner.



Is this the perfect day or what!!!

Anne Marie's Birthday

So sorry - I am behind posting.

January 30th was Anne Marie's birthday. Here is a picture of Thomas and Amers - or should I say Thomas and Doctor Aden. It was match day. You shared the good news with your son. How extra special is that. I am so very proud!!

Here is a quote from Robert Frost just for you, Anne Marie:

"Time and Tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of thirty."

Has it really been that long. It seems like a blink of an eye.

I love you,

Mom

It's Friday!!

I snapped this picture from our bedroom window last Monday. Since then, the ice has spread across the river. Makes you want to hunker down and work on quilting, knitting, and maybe some cooking.
I am in such a good mood today since it is Friday and pay day and we are going to the ocean tomorrow. AJ is attending the Waterman's convention and I am along for the ride to shop. I have the day mapped out. Can't wait.

Scrappy and Lily

I have to include a picture of our dogs. They are very "scraggly" - epecially Scrappy, well maybe Lily too.

They are sleeping on a huge dog bed that is covered with a quilt I made. Lily does not like it when I take the quilt off to wash it.

I made the quilt back in September, 2003 during Hurricane Isabelle. I think it is the ugliest thing - I blame it on the low pressure - but the dogs love it.

Thrift Store Finds

I love going to the thrift stores on Saturday mornings. This Saturday yeilded some great finds:
1 box of angora/wool yarn - 8 balls brown & 8 balls black. The balls were made in France for Lee Wards and are 1/4 oz each. All for $5.00.
I also found a FireWare bowl, 2 Creative Circle stretch & stitch bars, 4 novels, & a BH&G Crocheting and knitting book, table clamps to use for quilting, a package of rayon embroidery floss, a hand calligraphy picture mat, and a Williamsburg apple form. The total spent was less than $20.00.
Love it!
This afternoon is going to be spent taking down and putting away Christmas decorations, quilting, and some knitting later tonight.
Most important - RAVENS game at 4:30 - a must watch.

Had to Post

Ta Da!

I look stunning.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year
I have been in such a good mood this year. I hope it lasts a long time. I started a knitting class! I hope I can get through the project.
My quilting retreat is coming up. I am going with AJ to Ocean City to the Waterman's Convention. I love my new office. Life is good.
I am still working on my resolutions. I will post them the next time I can squeeze out a few minutes.