"On the plains of Oklahoma, with a windshield sunset in your eyes like a watercolor painted sky, you'd think heavens doors have opened."
Fly Over States



Friday, January 8, 2010

God's House



I can't imagine anyplace having more gorgeous sunrises than Oklahoma.






These are taken straight out of the camera, no tinkering or nuthin'!


It didn't even rain later in the day - no "red sky at morning, a sailor's warning" going on.

This, alone, makes it worth it to come back home. 

God lives here.  Sunrises like this awaken my soul. 

I've been enjoying my birdcam but am sure getting lots of bird butt shots. 

It has been so COLD that I expected more birds but mainly I am getting a couple of sparrows, a goldfinch, and that evil mockingbird.  He is the one who keeps mooning the camera and I think he does it on purpose.  He may be a "she."  If someone knows, please educate me - I need to come up with a name for the nasty thing.


Maybe Pecker.

I am doing a Sylvia's Bridal Sampler sew-along with the HGTV message board but haven't done any since we moved back.  Here they are, to date. 

Instead, I got a wild hair to do a simple quilt using some charm squares I got some time ago.

I am using templates, which is unusual for me. 

It is just a half snowball quilt, using Kona Snow for the background and laid out horizontally.

Yes, I know those aren't laid out horizontally on the ironing board. 
It ends up creating slanted stars. 


I tinkered with the EQ5 to figure out what size block I needed to be able to use the 5.5 inch charm squares (cut diagnonally).  I can use them if I make 9.25 inch blocks.  I am not happy about that weird size but it will easier to square them down to 9 inches if I want than it would be to trim 80 or so charm squares.  I have 6 rows and 8 columns and plan to add a wide sash and a border.

Right now, I'm just trying to figure out placement on the design wall - that is not the way it will end up.   I have named it, "Sinfully Easy."

I planned to run out and do some errands, this morning (aka as shopping and goofing off) but got to wondering why our insurance cards haven't yet arrived.  I called the insurance company and  they didn't know anything about it.  I found out that HR never turned in the request for a new plan when we changed duty stations BUT they did drop us from the old policy.  Oh joy.  No insurance coverage.  And I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday.  And since we went with a high deductible/medical savings account, we are supposed to have a specific account to draw from to pay for medical expenses.  If payment doesn't come from that account, it won't count against the high deductible.  Grrr.  So that had to be taken care of before I left.  Reportedly, they are going to hand input the information to make sure we are covered but I may end up having to reschedule my doctor's appointment since the medical account isn't up and running yet. Probably just as well since Husband is going to be out of town and I am dreading leaving the girls alone to go to the doctor.  Pearl ate the sofa when we left them unsupervised last summer, and the weather is just too bitter to leave them outside. 

All that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed running around town.  So much has changed but most hasn't.   I bought a bunch of things for the house and some risers for my ironing board.  I felt very domestic and newlyweddish. 

I wish I could put some on my cutting table but that makes it too high for the sewing machine.  

I love my new sewing room:

So does my quilting buddy:

Evelyn likes to lay right in front of that window, which is on the north side of the house.  It is a good place for her because unless I am cutting fabric, I don't trip over her. 

Pearl has blown 85% of her bottom coat and it was bitter cold, today.  All the same, I left for several hours and Husband reports she didn't want to come inside the whole time.  Too busy playing. 




She is such a lover. 

What a tail!!

I can't find their toy box since the move so their toys have been in that large blue bin that is laying on its side.  The reason it is laying on its side is because it is deep and when Evelyn digs around on the bottom for "just" the right toy, she chokes herself on the edge. 

We can't have that.

Evelyn has NOT blown her coat and is starting to look positively malformed.

She is soooooo furry that it is hard to see her face from the side. 





She is not phased by the negative wind chills - probably seems balmy to her.  She lays out on the patio and surveys her domain.  And she has been playing like a puppy, recently.  Her latest "trick" is to rumble at us that she needs to be petted. She loves the new place.
Happy Quilting,

Penny, Evelyn and Pearl

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love hearing the joy in your voice when you write about home. Thanks for sharing.

Janet

Shogun said...

It does seem pretty obvious that you are happy to be there. Glad to hear it. Also not surprised there was a snafu with the insurance...

Stephanie D said...

That's one of the things I miss about New Mexico--the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets! It must be something about being able to see for so many miles or something.

Oh, and um, love your background!
Great minds think alike.

BilboWaggins said...

Well I thought our sunrises were pretty fabulous, but yours are not too shabby either {giggle}

The girls look wonderful and very happy in your new home.

hope you got your health stuff sorted, folk complain about the British NHS but we don't have the problems you guys experience. Best of luck to your President in making improvements.

Lady Beekeeper said...

Thanks Bilbo. Not to get political but 80% of Americans are happy with their health insurance. The government is the reason the health insurance, in our particular case, is screwed up. Husband works for the feds and they messed up in transferring it (forgot to turn it in). The majority in the House and Senate won't deal with the problem of health plans not being able to be transferred across state lines, which is the reason we had to change in the first place.

Hrmph.

BilboWaggins said...

Sorry Penny, didn't mean to be inappropriate - remember we only get a small percentage of the facts reported in the media and probably incorrectly!

Lady Beekeeper said...

Not at all, Bilbo. it's an extremely controversial subject in the states and the views on the subject run the gauntlet. Most agree reform would be good but the amount of reform needed and the best type of reform are the sticking points. I would not want to be a politician, these days. :)