Moving in

Finally !! The walls are finished and the carpet is installed. I finally get to use my private family/sitting room. It is much needed, so Don can spread his magazines and papers around without worry that we will have some unexpected guests call for a room.

I restrained myself from putting books on the shelf before Don had installed the last book case. His complaint about me, I always start moving in before he gets it half done. As you can see, I have a couple shelves to put in place in the book case and the media cabinet. There are some things I would do different, and it would not be hard to change.. except.. with Don there is NO changing anything, even it is done wrong. Someday, when I am home alone...... perhaps when it is below 0 and snowing outside .....
I am happy to see one of the rummage sale lamps fits in that little alcove, perfectly. I love the soft look of indirect lighting from lamps. I need to put a doily under that lamp. I know I have some around here, somewhere.
We made a trip to Menards for more sheetrock and insulation, yesterday. Donya finally decided it was time to set up her massage studio and got her National license.. so we gave her a 20x12 ft section in my old workroom at the shop. I will no longer strip and refinish furniture (I'm retiring that part of my shop, right now.!!) We are dividing up that 40x20 room into 3 sections, her studio will have the best part with a large window and private entrance door, the center part will be used to expand the ever growing scrap book/paper arts shop, and the small remaining room will be office. Fred already has the partition wall up and ready for the next step. He would have done more if we had not run out of sheet rock and insulation.

Our next project is to install this:
We found the fan I had bought a few years ago for the personal sitting room is too big, due to the angles of the roof (attic rooms cause that kind of problem). As I was shopping for a replacement, I found that Hunter does not make any fans smaller then 42 inches. I refuse to buy another low end fan, after using the Hunter in my bedroom. So I bought this 'cutesy' pink fan to put in one of the bedrooms that already have a small white 'low end'(cheap) fan in it, and move that small fan into the sitting room. hmmm how long do you think it will take Don to get in the mood to do that?!! Donya is excited to have the new fan in her room because it is shabby chic, her favorite way to decorate these days.

Fred is busy making hay (the sun finally came out and it is not supposed to rain for a few days) so he will not be available to help with the remodeling/building project for a while. He also complains that I try to move in before he is done. I guess I just get a little excited about getting something new.

First ripe tomato

Don picked our first ripe tomato !! I had pulled it to the front of the vine so I could get the camera and take a photo with it on the vine. Don came along and decided to pick it before Alfie saw it and would come in proudly carrying the tiny little fruit. It is planted in a pot and kept near the front door of the Bed and Breakfast (we have acres to plant it in, but always start one in a pot to hurry up the process with one tomato plant.

Don's cousin, Mary, told me about planting a potato in a bucket near the back door.. to get potatoes earlier as well. I will put that on my to do list for next spring.

50 years celebration

Don and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary June 7... with a little vacation to Kansas. I wanted to take my computer to Wichita to get it repaired and Don wanted to search for Allis Chalmers tractors. While in Wichita we visited 'old town square' where the cattle drivers would spend the night after bringing the herds up from Texas. The old buildings are built around an empty town square where entertainment was (and still is) provided. While standing there looking at the old buildings you can almost hear the hub bub from the old time visits to the saloons, hotels and brothels. Mrs. O'Leary's is in one of the more interesting buildings. It is an art store with supplies for scrapbookers as well as hard core artists. There is an abundance of gift items as well.

That took one day. The rest of the time was spent looking at this;
And this;
Then he found this;
Rhonda was a good sport and waded in the weeds taking the photos, even though she felt uneasy about snakes that might be in the grass. Don found the owner of this lot, in the little gas station down the road, (Don hangs around gas stations a lot, where ever he goes) and got his business card... just in case.


Rhonda, Don and I spent a day in Vinita Oklahoma researching ancestors. Mine, not his. We just love the gals at the library in the genealogy corner. They are so helpful and know where all our dead relatives are buried. We bought the book the 2 gals wrote, with names and dates and lots of other helpful information about the history of the surrounding area.

Then we went out the back door of the library into the museum. Oh MY Goodness. Don found a tractor like his grandfather Tigges owned. It is a Fordson tractor.

He had many stories to tell about his grandfather while he checked out that old piece of machinery.

We planned to eat at Cowboy Crossing, but decided to check out the famous chicken fried steak at a restaurant in town.It was a good choice as the steak was excellent.

I love Cowboy Crossing, it is a church and restaurant just outside of Vinita.. and I had planned to get decal from there to put in our pickup. It shows a cowboy on a horse and has a cross in the background.. I just have to get one next time we go down. We still have more ancestors and stories to find in Vinita, so we WILL go down again.

June quilt retreat

June 17-18-19 and 20th our rooms at the barn were filled with quilters. My photos should have been better if I would have charged my camera instead of being forced to use a camera I was unfamilier with, Donya's. She told me I had hit the movie button while trying to take still photos. Oh well, this will make me see to it that my camera is charged and ready to go.

This quilt has dresses with embellishments sewn on it. Some little girl is going to be so pleased to have this for her bed.
These are the photos that were even half good enough to put on the blog. I felt bad about all those that were not usable do to the movie button that got under my finger..
Mardell taught a technique to the quilters.

June quilt retreat page 1

June quilt retreat page 2

June quilt retreat page 3

Don't you just love show and tell?!! A chance to enjoy art at it's best.



We had a lovly visitor on the patio and then on the door frame for a couple days during the retreat. A Lunar moth. We usually do not see then this far North.. they are mostly South, like in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. We wondered if the moth hitched a ride home with us, as we were visiting Oklahoma Kansas and Missouri a few days earlier.

Next retreat is July 23-26. Material Magic, a quilt shop in New Hampton, (641-394-2461) has had us host their quilt retreats for 11 years. They really know their stuff when it comes to fabric art and quilts. Beginners and those that have been quilt makers for years attend, and always go away with new techniques and ideas.