Minkee Monday

I was once again fiddling around with my camera. I used the cat as my subject.

The Aloof Look

Doubling as a rabbit? Mouse?



Curiosity close up!




Sepia Tones.....




I'm ignoring you!






Just cute!



close-up....interesting how I managed to NOT have red eyes...I don't know what settings I used!



I've about had enouuuuggghhh...zzzzzzzzzzz

I'm OUTTA HERE!

APPLES!

I find this so funny. I have loved these apples since the first time I saw them. I never considered making them until last few years. I looked at them and saw too much potchkying around (it's fiddly work). All of a sudden I was hell-bent on an apple pattern. I finally had one but then that potchkying thing kept me from making them. Two years later.......

A big tower of apples. It took me too long to finish them for the 2009 gift. I put them away for another day. But I can finally say that I made them!

What am I up to????

I've been busy. Yes. I have kept up with the gift a month for my girls. I forgot to photograph a few months and has changed. I still need to finish my work though. I'm thinking of continuing this gift a month until next year. It's been a challenge but fun! I'll show the finished product another day.

A little mystery....(HA! not so much if you know what they are! )

Minkee Monday

I just don't know.........she dances to the beat of a different drummer......

AuntieCamp 2009, The final chapter

Mr. Wildthing has this awesome telescope. I was duly impressed with his knowledge of the stars, planets, ect. We took my camera and put it up to the lens to get this shot. It may not look like much but it is Jupiter WITH 4 of it's moons circling it. I had no idea Jupiter had multiple moons let alone having ever seen it. Very, very cool!

See! This is near the end of my trip and Mr. Wildthing understands to just go with the flow of goofey Auntie, smile, and take the picture!

I love this picture! You see, I thought for sure I could whoop him at Guitar Hero. Ha! What an egotistical such and such I am!! LOLOL!! He is GOOD! He just calmly sat there and whooped me but good! Of course he then smuggly smiled to himself when the whooping was particularly dramatic!

One day "Auntie Camp on the Road" went on the road. We went to visit my/our grandma. We had the requisite lunch at Milk & Honey and then turned around and went back home. You can tell from the pictures that Grandma was thrilled that "Auntie Camp on the Road," went on the road!!

Cheergirl came to visit during Auntie Camp. Here they are together, Wildthing and Cheergirl. I tell you, I'm not too sure who had more fun during Auntie Camp. I think we'll keep it our little secret that it was probably the one that took the longest to recuperate afterwards! These guys are so much fun and I think that they may be the closest thing to grandchildren that I will get. I'm already looking forward to Auntie Camp 2010. Perhaps the two of them will come together to Texas!

Auntie Camp on the Road #2

All week Wildthing couldn't wait to cut the grass. Can you blame him?? They just bought a brand new lawnmower. Does this look like fun or what!? He's getting good at mugging for the camera! Besides, I was there at his every move, documenting it on film! Every self respecting Auntie must teach their niece or nephew something their parents would frown on. My contribution.....teaching WT (wildthing) to whistle through his fingers. It's loud. It's piercing. It can be annoying to parents. It's perfect!! LOL!! I can create a loud, piercing, whee-oo-whit! with my whistle. WT practiced and practiced (it's really harder than you think) and by the time I left was creating a very respectable whee-ooo-whit sound himself. I think I've taught him a life skill that he can pass on to his unsuspecting relatives!

We visited the zoo. I tell you, I haven't been to a zoo in YEARS! It was a beautiful day and it was alot of fun. Unfortunately we discovered that one of us is wayyy smaller than an adult male ape and one of us weighs the same as a couple of female orangatuns............

One more installment of Auntie Camp 2009..........

Auntie Camp. On the Road

My nephew was unable to come to Texas for the first annual Auntie Camp this summer so....If Wildthing (his baseball name) is unable to come to Auntie, Auntie goes to Wildthing!!! Auntie Camp #2, was in N.E. Ohio! (Auntie Camp #1 was here earlier in July) I know that this is months late but, because I use my blog as a journal, I really wanted to include it.

We went here....and to the locks that were there but Auntie forgets the name. I've never been on a boat that goes through a lock system. It was interesting. Unfortunately, we were stuck with a camp group. Needless to say it wasn't a relaxing tour!

Mr.Wildthing wasn't quite used to me and my loud and camera happy ways on day 1. He is looking at me a bit like "What is this woman thinking and why does she keep taking my picture!" It didn't stop me!



We took a lot of "self portraits." I wish I had longer arms.




Here is Wildthing at Fridays. Again, he is not too sure WHY I have out the camera but we are having a good time. By the time I left he he was rolling his eyes when he caught sight of my camera!

With Cheergirl, I taught her to sew. Wildthing and I baked. We stuck to the easy stuff that tweens love....PIZZA and CINNAMON ROLLS! We made the pizza dough, kneaded it, added the toppings and ate it all week!

Another day we made Auntie M's famous (according to me that is) cinnamon rolls. Again, yeast dough, rising, rolling....

All the while, the peanut gallery waited impatiently while the delicious smells wafted into the other room!

I dragged him to the Bass Pro Shop. Why? No idea. I just wanted to go there.

Besides, he dragged me to a baseball game! Yikes! Me. Baseball. Uhmmm. Well, it IS Auntie camp and that means it is his choice. Luckily I really like the eating before the game. If you are a M*A*S*H fan you will appreciate that we went to see the Toledo Mud Hens and ate at Tony Packos!

Look at the size of this hot dog! It was called the MOAD, the mother of all dogs! Here we all are, mugging for the camera, myself, Wildthing, My SIL and brother.
More in the next post.

Sunday Sew day

Sunday my quilting buddy and I got together for some sewing therapy. Personally I think she is nuts because her form of therapy involves itty,bitty pieces and hand sewing! This is a pattern she bought in Houston a few years ago. It comes from Schoolhouse Quilts.

Look ONE block finished.

Too small for me to enjoy working on that is for sure!

potholders

I was on a serger kick. I just felt like serging and quilting. I learned a few things.

1. My serger doesn't like batting

2. My serger DOESN'T like Insul-bright batting

3. My kicks don't last long. I tired before I finished! LOL! I did finish all I had started. I still have a few strip sets left to quilt but I'm in no hurry.

I used a pattern from Sewing with Nancy called Ready ,Set, Serge. I used it because of the unique method of turning. There is no hand work and no topstitching. I think next time I will modify it and only add one "hand pouch" on the back.

I used up some bits of batting, thread that the long arm doesn't like and a few random strips of fabric. All in all a good experiment a good quilting practice.

Minkee Monday

I was organizing my charity fabric. I filled this tub with strips and instantly had a friend "helping" me. The pictures tell the story!

Just a quick note

YOu all have been BUSY!!! I haven't read bloglines since.....well who knows when and I had 2300 posts! I think I'll need to hit the delete button and start fresh!!!

Working on potholders........

Thanks so much

Thanks so much for all of your kind words. It has been a difficult few weeks. I am amazed at myself. I didn't expect to mourn the way I did. My brother's death was much more difficult than my mother's. Everything seemed so tedious. My brother was sick for less than 10 months. We barely got adjusted to his illness. I seem to have a better handle on things now.I am SOO SOOO glad I went to Ohio this summer. I will post on "Auntie Camp goes on the road "even though it is months late.

I have been sewing. My daughter has requested pot holders. Oooooo tough stuff! LOL! I decided to use my scraps, make blocks and then practice quilting before I layer and actually turn it into a pot holder. I'm having a good time. I need to take photos.

I've also been Facebooking. Man is that fun! It is such an easy way to keep up with family.

The photo is just one of the sunrise over the gulf. I took it this summer when we went to watch baby turtles be released back into the wild.

It's been a while, but there is a reason

Oh how does one post such a thing? I have been in Ohio for the past two weeks. My brother lost his battle with melanoma. He was diagnosed on Thanksgiving last year. It has been a steady deterioration over the past 3 months. I was here visiting in July. I am so glad I came while he was still conscious. He leaves behind a wife and 12 year old son. The funeral is tomorrow.

I will be back to posting and quilting soon but really have nothing right now. Craig had a difficult time over the past month and the texting and phone calls were so prolific that I haven't had the presence of mind to quilt. I have missed the first two weeks of school so I have quite a bit waiting for me once I get home.

Minkee Monday

I stand up....she sits down. I can be gone for one minute or an hour and she is in my chair!
Her new favorite hangout. ....an old computer shelf waiting to go to goodwill....