Wow--was this a football game???

...because if it was--apparently our players didn't know that was why I came home from Des Moines at 1am the morning of the game. We expected this to be a good competitve game. But once again--we didn't have a regular day of school today. It was our service day--where each small group does some kind of community service project. And when they are finished, the day is over--so of course no one is on the normal school routine schedule. But still not an excuse--just the way it is. We got beat in every sense of the word. 35 to 0!!! and to the Nighthawks!!
Too bad for Mom and Stacy--Josh didn't even get on the field!! No points scored--so the extra point team wasn't needed!!

Quilt Overload...Des Moines 2008

Ok---so life has been on a total whirlwind since returning from Des Moines--so I will tell a little about the quilt show first. I picked up Lois at 7am on Wednesday and we drove right to the HyVee convention center. It actually is a very easy drive--all 4 lane roads after LeMars.

Entering through the archway into a mass of vendors--was just a little overwhelming--and with so much to see--it was tough trying to decide what "needed" to come home with me!!! I purchased mostly products for Lizard Creek Quilting--some new rulers, a few pattern books, and lots of new threads. I actually used something from all three things already!! Will post something with the Glitter thread soon.

It took us all of the first day to get through 3/4 of the vendors. In the evening of the first day we took a small piecing class using a new ruler to make flying geese. Worked really slick--with no fabric waste.I felt the hardest part of the class was using a sewing machine that you are not used to operating. I had a few issues with it--but I am sure it was just operator error. We even found our motel with no problem in the dark--and no mapquest directions!!

Up and out early on Thursday morning after a really nice continental breakfast. We dropped some change at the rest of the vendors--I think it must be easier to spend money the second day!!! Then off to look at all the quilts. There were some amazing designs. I bought the book for this technique--and added another thing to my 'want to do someday" list.

I of course was looking at all the actual quilting--and have definitly set some new goals for myself...to always try the hardest thing that I can do. And then do it well!!! And to always look past the piecing design--to find where the quilting can be and then make it sing.

OH yeah--the other thing is--when at a national quilt show--to set the resolution on the camera to the highest setting so that you can study the quilts better when you get home. I forgot--and took all my pictures on low resolution--so when I try to zoom in all I get is pixels and not the quilting lines I wanted to see!! Live and learn for next time!!!

We ended the evening by going to a lecture with Elanor Burns. What a hoot she is--just as down to earth as her show is. Most of her lecture is a show and tell that the audience brings up on stage with her and she just kinda ad libs about each quilt. Usually something funny. Turns out that her and Lois have the same birthday.

All in all it was a great time, reconnecting with a friend, energizing some creativity, and challenging myself to improve on my skills.

October Harvest Time

So hasn't this past week of weather been just absolutely gorgeous??? This is the reason I love where I live!! I LOVE the change of seasons. I don't know if I could live someplace where the weather never changes, the extreme changes I sometimes don't appreciate--but the anticipation of what each new season will bring is always exciting to me.

We haven't even had a killing frost yet--so some of the plants that like cooler weather are thriving again, and the ones that didn't make the summer where replaced with the never dying variety from Loopy's!!

We finished the bean harvest yesterday--and even early enough that the loads could be hauled to town. So all our crop is safely in storage!! This is the new to us wagon that Loren and Leon bought this summer. Loren was hauling honey this week so Dad had to do all the bean hauling and wagon moving--and he kept up with Leon extremely well. He went to bed exhausted--but up every day and always coming to the studio to tell me--"Isn't it a great day to be alive?!?"

We have only had a couple of these yet this year, most of them real close by so not a problem. Only once did Dad have the wheel come off and go rolling down the road in front of him down the hill on the way to Doon!! We have to pick up a few new rims in Sioux Falls when we sell hogs tomorrow!! Just in case.

I have been busy with hog work this week--one 3:30AM to load 2 semi's and another couple times to help Loren. Else the quilting has been picking up steam again!! Here are pics of some that I did this week.

This one was made by my Mom's oldest sister for her Granddaughter's wedding--so I thought it needed a little something more heirloom than just an allover design. And boy did Glenda love it when she came to pick it up!!

Next is a 9-patch pizzaz from Ginny. The design was made to look like the fields of Iowa to her when she was on several trips in the air this summer. So we chose an allover design of random contempory baptist fans combined with some row type lines to resemble all the differnent land and field types.

It was an appropriate quilt to work on yesterday--with the window open in the studio, listening to the combine in the field behind the grove, smelling the diesel of the tractor as it pulled the wagons over the yard, and just the wonderful weather of the day!!
Sometimes it is just a really good week--and don't we all wish we had the life of a dog on those weeks...

...the life of laying in the shade of a tree, with the leaves falling all around, watching your people scurry around doing their things, and just watching them.

Any ways, that has been my life this week. And it was good!!

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. " Psalm 24 : 1

It was our turn tonight...

...to play Central Lion...all teams in the district must take their turn in playing the Lions. So far this year none of them have come away victorious.

And no matter how much game tape is watched and how much the Coach tells the boys that they are "beatable"...we came away with the same results as the rest of the Central Lion opponents this year. We lost. We scored twice--but they scored more.

Hard to get a good photo with a smaller camera and players way on other side of the field--but here we are just about to make the second score!!! Go 59!!

Looks good enough to eat...

Couldn't resist picking up the pattern for this cute little cupcake!!! And it was as easy to make as it is cute to look at!!! The pattern put a flower on top--but I wanted it to look more like a bakery treat--hence the whipped cream with a cherry on top!!They were meant to be pincushions--but I made them just because I hadn't done any kind of cutesy crafting for a while!! I just put a cotton fill in the top with sand in bottom to hold them up--but they turned out so nice that I just might do a few later with all sand in for a real pincushion.Enjoy the calorie free treats!!!

Wolfpack vs. Indians...

Hey--didn't we get rid of the Indian mascot name because it was disrespectful?!? I guess Spirit Lake didn't get that memo...Anyway I am writing this a little late as I was a little low on sleep this weekend--and now feel caught up enough to make some sense of what I am writing!!!

So back to Friday night's game--once again a gorgeous evening to sit in the stands!! Never even needed to put on a sweatshirt---but Josh came home with at least 20 mosquito bites--not even kidding!!

There was a delicious tailgate supper of pork chop on a stick. The bleachers were full of people. And the boys were ready to play some football. And they treated the fans to a nicely played game--even though the stands were full of people--on a 3rd and short--it was only the parents who stood and made some noise for the defense to dig in!! I guess every one else is at the game just for something to do on a Friday night.
The extra point team was on the field several times this evening--and because of a mixup in how they lined up--it took 3 tries to make 1 point!!! Good thing Adam made all three attempts!!

And after 4 quarters of play--the Wolfpack had made some school history...the first Homecoming Football win!!! and first time for 2 district wins!!! Let's keep this up!!!

Go Pack!!!!

Homecoming 2008

So Ashley came home for Western's homecoming and since Josh had to be part of the Mr. Spirit at the pep rally, we decided to go to school to check it out. Well apparently school doesn't pay close attention to the time it gives for events--becauses we were there at 2:30--when they said it was going to start--and he had already done his thing!!! So we missed it.Josh and Colton were the football representatives--but one of the cross country boys was the winner. He was all dressed in a crazy get-up--and the football boys were just there as football players.
Here is the senior players being thanked by Coach Kooima for putting forth some excellent leadership skills so far in the season. After another skit with the players and some rousing cheers by the cheerleaders, the rally ended with a prayer for safety for all the players involved in the evening's game.