Brrrr!

The newspaper yesterday said an "Arctic Blast" was coming our way, and they were right! It was 15 degrees outside at 6:30 a.m. Since we turn the heat way down at night, it took a couple hours to bring the house up to our normal 68. In the meantime, Gaylen got the woodstove blasting away. I think I will be staying close to the stove today! I hope to get some much-needed sewing done. My cousin in California is getting married next month, and my niece in Minnesota is having her second baby next month, so I need to get busy! I think a tablerunner will do for the wedding gift, and probably flannel blankets or burp cloths for the new baby. Since Sarah has learned to knit, I asked if she would knit a baby bonnet and booties for me to include. She has already bought the yarn and tiny needles required. Sarah has also found a new job in the ideal place for her--a new knitting store! They have so many beautiful yarns there, as well as classes. I know she will have a wonderful time. She will have to be careful not to spend all her paycheck on yarn! :-) I would have the same problem if I worked in a fabric store! LOL!

I mailed off two quilted tablerunners this week. One to a high school friend for her birthday, and the other to my aunt who is celebrating her 75th birthday on Sunday. I love making tablerunners because they are a small enough project to be fairly quick from start to finish. Some of my larger quilted projects, on the other hand, have been sitting around for years as I pick at them from time to time. The success of the tablerunner projects has me thinking about creating one for my cousin who is getting married next month. I have a few patterns, but I'm thinking about designing my own, using my quilting software EQ5.

Another wet, wild day

Today was another wet, wild day. A new storm has moved in and it's supposed to be pretty severe for the weekend. Strong winds are forecast, which is not good news for Super Bowl watchers. We tend to lose our power when the wind blows. Lack of power doesn't usually bother me; I just get out a good book or magazine to look through. If all else fails, take a nap!

One thing the Seattle area is famous for is rain, and boy oh boy, are we ever living up to our reputation this winter! It just keeps coming down, an inch or so every day, translating into lots of snow up in the mountains. Friends and family in Arizona would gladly take some off my hands if only I could figure out how to send it their way. If only I could! I am SO tired of this gray, wet, cold weather! A week ago we had a "sunbreak" (translation: hurry outside for a peek at that golden orb in the sky because it will be a while before it reappears) so I hurried out and did some much-needed weeding in the front yard. I uncovered all the crocus, daffodils and a few tulips that are already shooting up. I also pruned back the new hydrangea I planted last summer, afraid I had lost it to our frost and snow last December. It proved to be hardy and has several new green buds. I find this very encouraging! Spring is actually on its way.

Gaylen, my DH, has "adopted" a covy of quail. He spreads sunflower seeds out in the garden each evening, and with the break of day each morning, the 6 quail (2 females/4 males) come through and clean it out. If they're early enough, they can beat the squirrels. If they wait for the sun to come up, there is a whole party going on out in the garden with the touhees, squirrels, and quail. It's quite fun to watch. In an effort to scare off the competition, the male quail will fluff up his feathers and strut around. The squirrels ignore them, and go about busily stuffing their cheeks. We always have sunflowers growing in strange places each spring; a testament to the squirrels digging holes all around the yard and stashing their food.