Blue Earth Valley Quilters

   I arrived a little late for the quilter's meeting...basketball first.  (Blue Earth lost...played a good game...was a nail biter until the end.)  So the show and tell was in progress and I didn't get pictures of everything.  This top picture is Lissia and Noah showing baby Max's neptune quilt.  Lissia had gone on the internet to get the designs. 

 Linda Bakken is into woolies and brought 3 samples. 

   If you never worked with wool, it is fun!  No edges to turn under, just blanket stitch around each figure.  I like to get mine in kits as you can buy a lot of wool to do a project. (and wool ain't cheap!)  I like to use a lite Heat n' Bond on the back of mine.  It keeps the wool more stable..doesn't unravel if it's a woven wool.

   This is my favorite.  It's called 19cents by Primitive Gatherings.  Think it's been added to my "To Do" list. 

   Another of Linda's projects.  This is a Country Threads creation using Civil War Reproduction fabrics.  


  I can't show what I've been working on as they are gifts for my kids and some of them actually read this blog.  After I give the first one, then I can show them.  I'm actually working on the last one out of 5!!  And they WILL like them! 
     hopefully              Jolyn

Jingle Bells

   It doesn't take much to coax Grandpa to hitch up Sammy for a sleigh ride.  A number of years ago he built the sleigh box and it is the perfect "picture spot". 

  The Sunday after Christmas when most of the company had left, Karissa and Morgan wanted a sleigh ride.   There are bells on the harness so it is a jingle bell ride.

   View from the sleigh.  This horse has better manners than our last one.  Let's just say Jake was quite gassy and that's putting it mildly, but it did provide a lot of uncontrollable giggles from the kids.  Notice the weather is turning foggy. (I'm trying to change the subject.)

  The snow was perfect for sleighing, but the weather was really cold.  But then, what else is new in Minnesota!  
      Jolyn
 (our camera does not record the correct dates)

Company

   I had unexpected visitors this morning.  Their appearance was announced by Trooper barking.  He's not a barking dog--unless someone is leaving, the horse is annoying him or in this case...wild turkeys.  They live along the river 1/2 mile north of us and we see them almost daily as they venture out in search of food.  Ugly things.  When I checked to see what Trooper was barking at, here they were up in our yard.  They had begun their retreat by the time I grabbed my camera.

   Here Sammy is checking them out as they parade across the pasture.

   Right in the upper middle part of this picture is a turkey that decided the safest place was in the top of a tree.  Only thing...he chose a spindly branch and bobbed up and down.  If you click on each picture you should get an enlargement and with imagination you might actually see them

  Here they were headed towards the north end of the pasture.  I put  on my boots, coat, mittens, scarf and headed out to get a closer picture and they decided that I was close enough (even though they let Trooper get much closer) and started flying off.  (I think I heard them using a few choice words.)  We can get closer to them in the van than on foot.  I do prefer my turkeys straight from the freezer...oven ready.
    Jolyn

Family Time

   When we get together, we are so many that the kids sit in the kitchen and the rest grab the dining room table.  These are the adults.  I think Karen fixed this delicious meal..chicken enchiladas!

   One of my favorite pictures!  Karissa was so excited over her gift from Taylor (I think Suzanne had a hand in this!)  She had made this cake holder by gluing a goblet to a plate...so cute. As if we don't get enough atmosphere from our fireplace, the kids like to find the tv station that has the fireplace burning.  Doesn't give off too much heat.

   Brett and Jill , Isaac and Max came a little late, but stretched out Christmas for us!  Brandon came over too as he is the same age as Isaac.

   One unhappy dog...Jack.  Didn't get a picture of the other one.  When we put down new carpet last summer, I said the kid's dogs were welcome, but they had to stay in the kitchen and sewing room.
  Have you ever seen such a sad face?
   Jolyn

Pitter Patter of "Little" Feet

   Remember Christmas mornings and way before time to get up you would hear the pitter patter of little feet?  
  Christmas morning---knock.knock.knock on our bedroom door...6:30...still dark outside.  "Grandma where's the light?"  What???  
  Two "little" girls come in our bedroom with breakfast in bed...grapefruit, french toast, juice, coffee, you name it ....and a computer programed to play Christmas music.  They then announced that the grandsons and Shawn were doing all of Grandpa's chores and filling the woodbox and that we could just eat breakfast and...go back to sleep.

  Sure...go back to sleep with all that hearty laughing in the kitchen!  We didn't want to miss anything, so we got up and joined them.  The girls fixed breakfast for the crew.  Oh...I forgot to post the picture of Wayne in his pajamas with a cup of coffee.  I do try not to embarass my family...too much.

   After breakfast.. the bodies were strewn everywhere.  Guess Grandpa's chores wore them out.  Had nothing to do with how late they stayed up!  Memories from 2010 !!!
              Jolyn (Grandma)

Christmas on the Farm

   Christmas on the farm!!  The grandkids are lined up according to size..kind of.  Eating is always a big part of our get togethers and I am so blessed to have daughters and daughters-in-law that pitch in and help.  Because we had just come home from Hawaii a couple of days before Christmas and my brain wasn't fully functional, Janeen, Suzanne and Karen each made a meal!  Talk about gourmet cooking!  We always eat buffet style and usually the first in line gets to pray.  From left to right--Jared Jensen,Tyler Jensen,Tanner Olson, Taylor Olson, Logan Olson, Bryce Olson ,Karissa Olson, Morgan Jensen and Brandon Olson.  Did you get the tongue twisters...Tyler, Taylor and  Tanner?  Course, we also have a Marque, Mari, Morgan, Maxwell and Mike.  And Kelsey, Karen and Karissa  and...Jared, Jill, Janeen and Jolyn.....and Wayne!

   We had bought each of the boys a t-shirt and the girls a dress/skirt.  We used to be taller then them!   They're a fun bunch!  Wish I knew how to load a video on here as the boys made a snow jump and then pulled each other with the snowmobile on snow boards and went over the jump.  They even jumped 7 people!  Grandma prays....  You can find it on Facebook.

   Oh yes, the back of the shirts!!

  The Millers... Brett, Jill, Isaac and Max came the day the rest left, so we got to spend some time with them.  Max loved my little Hawaiian language book and was trying out new words on us.   There are only 12 letters in their alphabet.  That's why you get words like.. Ke Akua Mana E (How Great Thou Art).  
More Christmas to come!!
   Jolyn

Quilting--what else?

   Yes, there is quilting in heaven  Hawaii.  The shop we found was quite small, but very friendly people and had a very Hawaiaan flavor.  I bought a couple of pieces of fabric... to add to my collection ...or to just look at and remind me of Hawaii. 

   This is basically the whole shop..Wouldn't accommodate a bus load of wild quilters, but I was surprised that the fabric prices were quite comparable with ours.  (That does not apply to gas or grocery prices! )

   Loved some of the kits, but just don't fit into my country home, so I brought back pictures instead.  This should be the end of the Hawaii pictures...maybe.
            Jolyn