Busy October

This month is going to be almost as busy as last...well, it seems like it anyway. We started our month with a trip to Cabela's - see last blog - and this one starts with our new car. Yep, we bit the bullet and got rid of our Honda for a Ford Fusion. Oh my....why did we ever buy the Honda?? The ride is no comparison, smooth, quiet and oh so nice. It is a 2011, silver exterior and black interior. This pic is of me leaving for choir practice on Thursday. Has lots of options...we may be fighting over who takes the car!!

On Friday we went to Ocean Park, WA to clam for the weekend. Bill/Becky Doel are so gracious to invite us to clam and we love to get out on the beach and search for those little guys. Of course there is gear to be had, and Phil purchased his waders at Cabela's last weekend and I bought new rain pants and jacket. You never know what the weather will be like. Phil had to work on Friday so we got in late and didn't get to go out on opening day. But, we did on Saturday and that is quite a story. (see posting later on). When you get back from a clam dig, you need to dry out your boots, pants, jackets, etc. So, on Saturday afternoon, Phil, Bill and Dan created a boot drying hanger for five sets of boots.
This board had a long history with Bill and it needed to be used. So, Dan created the template, Phil carved it out and they all mounted it to the wall and hung the boots. What a great looking crew.
While they were in the garage working on their projects, we were inside working on ours. I have an embroidery piece of snowmen and trees that I brought along, Donna was working on her wool pineapple welcome hanger, and Becky was working on her son's tree skirt for Christmas.
We left our projects and went out to the beach about 3 hours before low tide. It was still light and raining a little. But when we got out to the beach, the rain picked up, the wind started to howl and it turned nasty. The Doels and Johnsons did get their limits on Friday night, and we were hoping to do the same on Saturday. Not to be done. After 1 1/2 hrs, where you couldn't see because the rain was coming down hard, it was getting dark and the waves were relentless, us girls gave up. Phil, Bill and Dan all had waders so they were happy to stay out to dig. We went in to make dinner.
Donna took pictures of us on the beach, so I will have to share them with you another time. My camera had already gotten a beach bath and I am not sure another one with salt water would be good for it. Anyway, everyone had a clam gun except one person and us girls took turns with the two we had. It was hard to see the shows and to be honest with you, they weren't showing very much. I had just walked back up the beach from the waves as I don't have hip boots, didn't have a gun and wasn't in too much of a hurry to go back out. Along came a clam floating right next to me so I scooped it up and caught my first and only one. I went out to let them know that we just had to be patient, someone else would do the digging, and we could just pick them up as they floated by. So, this bucket is our clams for the night - about 45 in total with 6 people clamming. Well, at least I got one!!!
These pics are of Sunday morning on the beach. Phil and I went to church and breakfast and then on the beach to enjoy the morning waves. It was still churning but not raining.
We saw some original sand art that someone left for our enjoyment. The brown nubs on the top are sand piles and the other items are the ocean long seaweed or something like that. Very creative.
This gull was just enjoying his Sunday on the beach as well.
There were a few surf fishermen out there and this man caught one as we drove by.
It was time to go home and we decided to go by the Cranberry farm on the way out of town. Ocean Spray has cranberry bogs there on the peninsula and it is harvest time this week. This is one of the bogs before being flooded.
You can see a flooded bog in the background, totally under water.
They have workers who are on beaters and they go back and forth beating the cranberries from the plants.
Very interesting and fun to watch. The museum has some of the original equipment in it and it looks like a little more time efficient now than before.
On our way into the beach on Friday, we had been waylaid by an accident around one of the curves. It was an oversized load of a huge crane that landed on it's side in a tight curve. On the way out of town we came across workers and a huge crane being prepared to lift the oversized crane out of the ditch.
It looked like quite a process trying to get this in place to do the lifting. I am sure they were at it all evening and were glad it was not raining like the day before. .
All in all, a successful weekend of clamming, great friends and food and relaxing at the beach.

Trip to Cabela's in Washington

Phil has a three day weekend and we decided to go to Lacey, Washington to Cabela's on Saturday. Naturally, there were a few quilt shops that needed my attention while on the way. Since they close early and Cabela's late, we decided to stop in before hitting the huge outdoor store.

First we stopped in "Sisters" in Chehalis, WA. A really neat store with 10,000 bolts of fabric. Yes, that is their claim and when you walked in...well at least 10,000. Lots of 1930's and wonderful Christmas and batiks. A paradise of color.
My friend Becky is doing a "blue work" piece and this is the place she will have to go to see what matches. Lots of wonderful blues for sure.
This is just one portion of the store from front to back. Yep, a definite detour on the way to the beach some day.
We then stopped into Ruby Street Quiltworks in Tumwater, WA. Another neat store that could be another detour except it is further out of the way.
We have arrived at Cabela's. An outdoors store with soooooo much stuff in it.
Including stuffed animals. This elephant was cool.
There was an airplane above the mountain of animals. Quite a display.
Our main reason to go was to get waders for clamming. Not that we go in very far, but sometimes those waves get up over the boots. So, we had to try on some and this was the perfect fit. Look out, clams, we are now prepared!!!

"Redneck Wedding" down on the Farm

On Friday, Sept. 24, my "little" brother, Steve, was married to his sweetheart, Rena, down on the farm. Rena loves the family farm in Carleton and decided that is where she and Steve should be married. So, I flew in early and helped my mom with some cleaning, organizing and moral support before the big day.

So, we had to have a dress rehearsal. I found a couple of items in my mom's bedroom that were "perfect" for the "redneck" (as Rena said it would be) portion of this special event. The hat was given to my mom by some organization that she just couldn't bear to throw away. So, I decided it could be the head dress of the bride. We also found some flowers that were "perfect' for a bridal bouquet.

Well, Steve didn't have anything so we decided to change the attire and include a few more items that were necessary for the event.

The head dress went to Steve, the new bonnet went to Rena and Mom found these neck ties in the "cold room" that were perfect. Ok, so they weren't really going to happen, but we did have a great laugh.
We then needed to have a rehearsal of the "first dance" of the Texans. I think Steve is trying to figure out how he got out of the garage with tractor number one.
Here they are trying to get back into the garage to put the tractors to bed before the big day.
Ok. That was all fun but now for the serious event. Here are Steve and Rena walking down the "aisle" to the archway to get married. They almost went the other way, but cousin Dave steered them right and they went to where the guests were waiting for them.
So serious listening to Preacher Gil perform the ceremony.
They are husband and wife!!! YIPEE!!! If you look carefully in the next picture, you will see a small John Deere Tractor hanging down in the middle of the trellis. That is their version of a mistletoe.
Ok, already. You said it was going to be short and sweet so we could all go and eat!!!!
They did dance on the mini tractors to the "Big Green Machine", a country western song.
We had to get a few more wedding pics with some family.
The Groom, Mother of the Groom and Bride, what a great picture.
Family together again - all of my Mom's children in one place.
Children and daughters/sons-in-law pose with Mom before we eat.
The "feast"...chicken, Golabki (cabbage rolls), Pierogis, sauerkraut/sausage, potato salad, pasta salads, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, jello dessert, chocolate truffle. Yummy!!!
A great tasting cake - notice the mini tractors in the field...yep, they are stuck!!

I missed the cutting of the cake, but got the after picture which was probably better anyway.
Since Rena didn't carry flowers, this centerpiece on the chocolate fountain table made a great background for showing off the rings.
The bride at the end of the night. She was tired.
After a trip to Niagara Falls, they stopped by Mom's to open their gifts. Steve did a great job of reading the cards - what a hoot.

I made them a Dale Earnhardt lap quilt with pillow shams. They were quilted by my friend, Donna with flames and #3 over the entire quilt. Had to have a little red, nascar and #3 somewhere near the ceremony - couldn't be all John Deere green.

What a wonderful weekend. We are so happy that Rena is a part of our family. She is so sweet and funny and fits in perfectly. Congratulations, Steve and Rena....may you have a wonderful life together.

And, Mom, we made it. Got it all done and it was the perfect place. Thanks for putting up with all the changes and cleaning. We all love you!!!

Whirlwind Trip to MI

I have just returned from another whirlwind trip to Michigan. My little brother was getting married on the farm so I helped my mom with lots of cleaning at her house in preparation for the big day. But, before then, Mom and I spent the weekend in Lansing visiting with Caleb and, of course, his parents, Nick and Julie. We so enjoyed our time.

Caleb had a bad cough and was slightly off course but we enjoyed our time with him anyway. He tried so hard to smile and be happy. The vaporizer helped him sleep at night and he did much better the next day when Julie and Nick went to the movies and out shopping.
Julie found this bouncy swing at a sale and Caleb loved it. Once he got going, look out, you saw him kicking away with smiles galore.
While Julie and Nick were gone, Gram and I got to babysit and enjoy some time with him. He liked this 24"worm and the crackle noise the purple section made.
He just loved hanging out with Gram. He so enjoys her and she him.
He decided that her finger was something he needed to try. He is drooling lots, thus the constant bibs on him. Hoping some teeth will start coming in soon.
He loves his momma. Julie just started a new job as an ER nurse and had six days off in a row. So, there was lots of quality time with Momma.
Just hanging with his Great Gram.
I got down on the floor with him and we played horsey. He loves being bounced.
Just us Grandmas and our little man!!!
Had to get an updated pic of Nick/Julie and Caleb. He is changing so fast that you have to have lots of pics of this handsome little guy.
Nick and Caleb came to Grams the day before the wedding so I could spend more time with him. They had gotten up early, took Julie to work and then came to Carleton around 7:15. When Caleb got tired, both he and daddy took a nap on Gram's couch.
He loves his daddy and really likes him to blow on his belly. Laughs and giggles at this.
He is fascinated now with his feet and toes. Didn't get them to his mouth but he does love to roll around with them in his hands. He is growing way too fast. Thanks, Nick and Julie for sharing him with us so much while I was in MI,.