Happy Sunday!!!

Good morning all! Beautiful morning around here. Of course it is hot, but what do you expect for June in the desert? It has put a damper on my walking, but that just means more time to get things done in the house especially in the sewing/quilting room.

Happy Father's Day!! When I was a kid my Dad wasn't around so I never got into the Father's day thing like I did with my Mom on Mother's day. My husband has had a tradition since I have known him that he has steak and eggs for breakfast. With church starting at 9 AM I was going to fix it for him after we returned home, but I guess he's hungry now because I hear banging in the kitchen. After he had his heart surgery last year and was laying around he got hooked on the show 'NCIS'. So for Father's Day I found a good deal on the first 6 years on DVD and got that for him. It arrived on Friday and of course I couldn't keep it till today...... So we have been watching 'NCIS' the past 2 days. Not much else any good on TV right now until the summer series start up.... Yes, I love 'The Closer' and 'Leverage' so am waiting for them to start again. There is a new series that starts in July that I just may view at least once. 

Friday was a day off of work for me. Yippee!!! I was able to spend the day with my friend Lynne. It was great to be able to sit around and talk. For days after we have a visit I think about what we have talked about and I am always amazed at the different topics that we discuss. It is not the usual 'gossip' session and of course we always solve the worlds problems while we are at it!!! Thanks for a relaxing day, Lynne!! Of course I have to tell you how sneaky this friend is, there was a surprise in my purse when I got home!!! Thank you dear friend. I have a feeling an empty spot on my wall is going to get filled one day soon! You KNOW I WILL get even!!!

I have been in a funk with my quilting lately. I just have not had any inspiration to get out into the sewing room, but saw this quilt that caught my eye.

It is a quilt along that I am going to try to keep up with. I love stars and have gotten into scrappy. I have been trying to figure out the main colors 'cause I sure don't need to buy any fabric!!! I did spend Saturday in the sewing room, but not doing what I should have been doing. I have a quilt on the frame that needs to be quilted, but I just have not had the desire to get it done. I know that it will only take me a couple hours to get the blasted thing quilted, but unless I am in the right frame of mind it will not go well. So, instead I dug out a paper-piecing project and completed that. I am so glad that I have a fabric stash and a great variety of patterns so that when I do get an idea I can just go put it together instead of having to spend time getting the supplies. Well, DH is in getting ready for church so I guess I had better get my buns in gear and do the same.

Have a great day everyone and a special 'Thank you' to all the fathers around the world that are in our military. I truly appreciate your service and dedication!

Happy Quilting, Sharon 

Can you believe it has been 15 years???

As of today May 23, 2010 Carl and I have been married 15 years!! We did our first road trip in a long time. I wanted to see the new bridge they are building to bypass Hoover Dam so we spent Friday night in Kingman, AZ then took the tour at Hoover Dam. Nice weekend and a couple neat surprises.

Here is the first site of Hoover Dam.

It is an amazing site. Lots of visitors. We went on the tour and we were so lucky because it was the first one in the morning and there were only 6 in our group including the guide. Once we got inside the dam I could not tell you which way I was facing. I still don't have a clue, but it sure was neat. A couple years ago when my brother, Joe drove back from NY with my oldest sister, Loretta we stopped here. We weren't able to do the generator room due to his defibrillator, but I'm sure he would have been fascinated with all of it.

One of the places we went to while inside the Dam was a vent that faced downstream. 

  

This was looking down at the water.

This is looking up and at the new bridge.

Here is the contraption that helped build this bridge. Our guide told us that when the wind get to 35 miles per hour they shut down construction. It is a long way down that's for sure!

This is one of the generator rooms. Only 3 generators were producing electricity. In the lower right there is another generator that produces all of the electricity that is used at the Dam. There is no public out of pocket monies used to build or take care of the Hoover Dam. The sale of the electricity pays for all of it. What surprised me was that the major reason this dam was built was not for the electricity. It was to control the flood and drought along the Colorado River. 

Here is one of the designs in the floor in the generator room. It depicts the water power here. I think it would make a beautiful quilt.

This one depicts the electricity.

How about some exercise?? I have no idea how many stairs are here but these went way down, down, down!

Turn around and you can go up, up, up!

We exited the dam on the walk way over the dam and here is the picture looking straight down.

Carl remembered that there were large fish in Mead Lake and we had to check them out. We were actually able to get some pics of them. Now, you have to remember that the water is a long way down from the top so they look small in the pictures, but these have to be huge!

Then on the way home there is a road that goes down to the Colorado River that is a park. I just wanted to see what it was like down next to the River. As we are winding our way down the side of the mountain I yelled at Carl to 'stop!'. I could not believe my eyes when I saw a flash of this creature standing on the side of the road. Carl stopped and we took a few pictures. He sure wasn't upset that he was getting his picture taken.

We went on down to the river side turned around and drove right back out and he was gone! Not a sign he had even been there except his 'road apples'. Our surprises weren't over with yet. Again I yelled to Carl to 'pull over!' This was our next surprise.

They were so far away that we could not tell what they were until I uploaded them into my computer. Can you tell how many are there? We counted several times and came up with 4, but Carl kept saying that he thought there were more. I'm glad I kept taking pictures.

There really are 5 in this bunch. I have never seen wild Big Horned Sheep before. They knew that we weren't a threat as they just stood there ignoring us!

Our final joy of our weekend was being able to attend the Gila River Valley Temple Dedication. The dedication was televised into all of the Stake Buildings in Arizona and we were able to attend. This was the first Temple Dedication I have attended and I sure hope it won't be my last. What a beautiful way to celebrate our anniversary!

It is so great to be able to look forward to more road trips. Carl and I have missed being able to just take off for a day or two and be able to just spend time together. We are planning on visiting grandkids in California and 'upstate' Arizona this summer. We also want to go back to Old Tucson and Tombstone. We are hooked on the 'wild' west and love to visit these places and learn about the history. I also want to hit Prescott and Jerome. I love the shops and the craft fairs and of course the cooler weather!!

Happy Quilting, Sharon

End of another month!!

Well, good evening everyone!!

Tomorrow is the end of another month in the great year of Twenty-Ten. I sure wish someone would put the brakes on!! I guess I just need to set more goals. There was a  hint on one of the forums that I am on that suggested that you set a timer for 20 minutes and just work on one thing. It doesn't matter if you actually do anything physical with what ever you have picked, you just have to do it for 20 minutes. Maybe it is just going through your quilt books looking for a pattern, or sorting your fabrics---the idea is to just do it! Another idea for clean up was to use 4 yardsticks, form a square with them and clean just what is in that square. Before you know it everything will be clean! Both are great ideas that I just might give a try!

It has been quite nice around here until the past couple of days. The wind has been blowing and stirring up all kinds of dust! Can't get out and walk for exercise and barely able to go from work to the car it's so nasty out. When it gets like this it's hard to see the mountains that surround us. Just kinda' dark lumps on the horizon.

Onward to the quilting progress. It seems as though I have less and less time to get into the sewing room. Right now I have a quilt on the wall that I promised for a grand-daughter to go on her bed in her new bedroom. I hope I will be able to get the last border cut and on this weekend. Then the joy of quilting, but first I will have to get my frame level. The last quilt I did on the frame I just did a quick level job on and I need to do something more permanent. You get one area level and it throws off another area. It just takes time and patience to get it done and I have been in short supply of time since we moved in here.

I started working at the office full time this week. Just until we hire another MA (medical assistant). This training is the pits!!! I no sooner get someone trained and I have to do it over again. I guess I had better get use to it because my doc wants to have 'externs' (we knew them as 'interns') in the office. We have had 4 so far. Some are good, some are okay, so we shall continue to search to find the good ones to join our office.

Well, I am off. It is time for me to get some sleep.



Happy Quilting, Sharon

BOGUS E-MAIL FROM ME

For all that didn't get my 2nd e-mail last night you need to know that I have NOT purchased a new phone!! Somebody must have pirated my e-mail address. I am now having problems with my e-mail list in hotmail.

PLEASE don't open the link included in the e-mail dated April 23rd at about 8 PM.

Here is the content:


hey,
how are you ?
Just received  my iphone 3gs 32gb from this website. (web site was here, I removed), much cheaper than others and genuine . if you would like to get one,you can check it out,

Regards,
Sharon

Also, I NEVER sign my notes, 'Regards'
So, Happy Quilting,
Sharon

April almost gone!?!?

Good evening all! I just can not believe that this month is almost gone! This year is flying by faster than ever. I'm not getting as much quilting done as I would like, work keeps getting in the way. I no sooner get a few regular days off and it gets changed! Of course this time of the year isn't the best time for anybody with allergies. Everybody is suffering! That's great for my pocketbook, but not for my disposition! 

Last week I did manage to get most of a quilt top done for a grand-daughter. I just need to get the borders on and get it quilted. Before I get it on the frame I need to level up my frame and machine. The last one I quilted on the frame I just raised a little here, and there for a temporary fix, but I really need to get some boards and do it right.

Janice and I are trying to get stuff done for craft fairs this fall. My oldest sister gave us an idea and we sure hope it is a good one. Janice is the one that has the touch with decorating and enjoys that type of craft so she has been working on them more than I am. Here is a picture of what my sister has. What do you think?

 Janice has more ideas for decorating these things than I would ever dream up. Of course I want a southwestern design. I'm sure that doesn't surprise many that really know me :)...... We will be doing some embroidery and we have wine 'jackets'. I have several mostly sewn together on my sewing table. I have several more to put together then I can sit in front of the tube while I trim and turn. Of course we'll have the hanging towels I do all the time. I really need to start working on them again while I sit and watch TV. My wrists start hurting if I work on them to many nights in a row.

I suppose I have rambled enough for tonight. I sure hope everyone is doing well and enjoying warmer weather. I know I am!!


Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

ALMOST APRIL!!!

I'm not sure where the year is going, but is sure is getting there fast!!

Next weekend is Conference weekend so we will be staying home and enjoying the messages from our Prophet and other leaders of our church. I enjoy these weekends so much and there is always a message there just for me......

I will have to work 4 days this next week. We are having a substitute MD on Friday and my doc wants me to be the one to work it. I don't mind working that office, but it sure is going to be interesting because we will have a chemical patch test to read that day. What is a chemical patch test, you ask? Well it is where I place 29 different chemicals in 'wells' on 3 separate pieces of wide tape and place them on a person's back. The person leaves them on for 24 hours when we remove them and see if there is a reaction on the skin. My job covers so many different types of allergies that it is hard for me to keep up with things. There sure isn't a dull moment that's for sure!

Not much quilting going on right now. I don't even have anything that I want to get started on. I need to start a quilt for Miss Mira, but I just haven't a clue what I want to do. I have some printed blocks, but of course they aren't square. I'm not sure what I want to do with them, but I'm sure I'll figure something out. The only other thing I have finished is Kaye Wood's 'Kaleidoscope' pattern  that I want to teach. Instead of doing the lap sized quilt I made a table runner and 4 place mats. I had enough triangles cut out to make 3 more blocks and I decided I'd do a different style of table runner for show & tell. I am slowly but surely getting items made up to be able to show what other patterns can be made with the ruler I am teaching. I have another pattern I want to work on, but I'm not sure what fabrics I want to use. I will just have to sort through what I have then go from there.

Well, I am off. I sure hope everyone has a great week!



Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

SNOW!!!!

Can you believe it? Snow in Arizona!! Yes, I said SNOW! We were watching TV last Sunday night when the thunder and lightning started then we heard this weird noise on the roof. This is the results of that 'weird' noise!

This one is out the front door with Carl's footprint in it.

This one is of the front yard just in front of the footprint.

This is one out our back Arcadia sliding glass doors.

This one is also the back yard, but out further and showing the oranges on the ground under the orange tree. Carl was trying to protect the camera from getting wet. After the white stuff fell, it started raining. I tried getting a picture of the neighbors yards, but my flash just didn't reach that far.... Within a week our temps were back up and it turned into the usual Arizona winter weather just the way I like it.

Not much else going on around here. I have been able to get some sewing done. This past couple of weeks I have been working on an embroidery project. I'm not sure how well the first one will turn out, but if it works out okay I am going to make a few more for Christmas presents. So shhhhh, don't tell the grand-kids.....

I am on the calendar at Sally's Fabrics in Mesa to teach quilting classes once a month. I'm trying to get some more ideas going and work up the samples so that I can have several different classes going. I have one sewn together, I just need to get the label on it. Labels are such a pain and I always put them off to the last minute.

Well, husband just asked me to breakfast so I must get cleaned up. Have a great day everyone!

Happy Quilting,
Sharon