Merry Winter Solstice!

The weather has been spectacular since we got home and I am so happy to not be spending half my time wiping muddy feet. The skies have been sunny and the temperatures in the afternoon have been positively balmy. I have to remind myself to not leave the door open. It seems warm outside but that is mainly because I am not yet acclimated to being back home. I fully expect a good ice storm before too long and am kind of looking forward to seeing how the house does. As I was typing this, Husband came in to tell me that we are due snow on Wednesday and Thursday.  But anyway you look at it, today is the shortest day of the year and now they will start lengthening.  That is worth celebrating!


I have wanted a design wall in my quilting room, forever, but didn’t have an unbroken wall at our last house. I ended up hanging felt on the wall with thumbtacks, which worked okay but I have really lusted after a cool design wall. Yesterday, husband brought home a 4 X 8 foot half inch insulated sheet. I spray tacked on the felt I bought at Hancocks and Husband helped me to screw it to the wall. I am delighted with it.

I sure love my new sewing room.

Those are my Sylvia Brights and I plan to get back to them after Christmas.

Too much to do before that. We are still unpacking but the house is starting to look like Christmas.

Here is my Rudolph Buffalo.

The girls are settling in, beautifully. Evelyn is especially relaxed. I didn’t take a picture of it but we brought her nasty green chair and put it in the den for her to snooze in. I had it off in the corner (I consider it to actually be a dog bed) but Husband moved it closer to where I sit because she likes to look at me.

I like to look at her, too.

Note - that is just a pellet gun propped up in the corner in case a coyote shows up to pester the girls.  It also shoots bebes.
Pearl, who turned one year old two weeks ago, has not wanted to stay in her crate since we got here. She loved it at the old house and seemed to want to stay in it. Here, she doesn’t even go inside. Instead, she jumps up on the bed with us for a few minutes to cuddle before getting down. Sometimes she just stays with us to sleep but is not being a pest. She hasn’t had any accidents and has been behaving herself so we’ll put away the crate in a day or so.

The furnace out in the barn wasn’t working so we had the heater man out, today. The furnace fried several of his thermostats before he tracked down where it had been wrongly wired. He got it up and running and OMG it is powerful. Since it is electric – and big – it is quite expensive to run so I am sure I won’t use it unless I am actually out there. The good news is that he checked out that and the one in the house and both appear to be in good shape. If anyone wants to know the name of a good heater man, let me know. We were very impressed with him.

I visited two quilt shops in town, today. I always go by them when we are here but today, I got to update my address!! After moving my mountain of a stash from Virginia, I didn’t feel the need to add to it by buying more fabric (plus, I am getting more for Christmas). But I may sign up for some classes, next year and was thinking of asking for a class for Christmas. Haven’t decided.

I also shopped at several shops near one of the quilt shops and that was so much fun. With all the moving going on, I mainly ordered presents online. I prefer to order most things online but there is no substitute for getting little stocking stuffer-type gifts just by browsing.

I was waiting on the mail this afternoon and finally met the mailman. He doesn’t drive a regular mail truck. Instead, he has a pickup with a light on top and a sign on the back that says “US MAIL.” Very cool. Unlike every other mailman I’ve had, he didn’t wear a uniform. He had on a ball cap, jeans and casual shirt. He also seemed to sort of meander instead of rush from house to house. He brought our stuff to the gate and seemed very nice.

Picked up Mexican food on the way home from my shopping spree and Husband and I pigged out on Taco Salads, dip and chips. Yummmm!

I also bought some tortilla soup that I saved for dinner and think I will go have some, right now.

Happy Quilting,

Penny, Evelyn and Pearl