Like quilters to a fabric sale ...

... the chickens come running in to snatch up what spills when the wind blows the bird feeder around, allowing the seed to fall to the ground.

I've got a heap of customer quilts to get finished, so I'd better get started! Watch for photos later.

Oh, my.

Some people are soooooo annoying. And some are sooooo nice. Then there are those whom I find to be soooo amusing.
I volunteer to do a newsletter for a group I belong to, and of the approximately 120 recipients, there have been a few cranky people who've found it necessary to pitch a fit at me because something is not to their liking. The most recent e'd me her complaint in BOLD CAPS with multiple exclamation points!!!!, After I responded with my explanation hoping to help her see why I do what I do, she returned a message telling me I am inconsiderate and rude. So annoying. I'll refrain from showing her what I consider inconsiderate and rude.

We have a new batch of snow this morning -- about three-and-a-half inches. Heavy, wet snow. I grabbed a cup of coffee and tried to decide what I should do about that. Shovel? Probably. Put my boots on and trudge up to the studio to finish a quilt I need to send out today? That would be the most likely scenario, seeing as how my car won't go uphill for beans in snow. I looked out the window, and what do I see? A fellow we know had already come and plowed my driveways and cleared a path to the mailbox for me. He's been doing that for us ever since our oldest son died several years ago. He says he promised Andy he'd "take care of Pops" -- and apparently he intends to keep that promise. So nice.

I've been e-mailing back and forth with my DIL, trying to coordinate a plan for the grandkids this summer to go to camp. It occurred to me that even the "baby" is old enough to attend this year, so I asked Mommie if we could include her. The little gal in question, when asked what she thought, said, she'd REEEEALLLLY like to go. She told Mommie that all she gets to do is find lollipops in the hay when she comes along to pick up her sibs at horse-riding camp. Doesn't that sound pathetic?!? Poor thing! (Why do I find that soooo amusing? Probably because I can just picture her face when she says it. This kid just cracks us up by the things she comes up with, and the way she says them.)

In the barn: same scene, same "sweaters," different year, different lambs.

I am proud of myself for being able to manage two bottles with one hand so I could snap a photo with the other.

Hooray for the Red, White & Blue ...

Our quilt guild does a "Nickel Exchange" of 5-inch squares every year with a different theme. The participants are challenged to make a quilt (at least one) with the 360 pieces of fabric received. I got a good start on mine over the weekend. Believe it or not, there is a plan for this mess to become a quilt:

A few more blocks, then it will be time to put it all together. I hope nobody gets dizzy looking at it!

My day got off to an early start today. A VERY early start. Like 3:00 a.m. I woke feeling like I got hit by a car, and debated whether or not I could drag my sorry butt outta bed to go check on expecting sheep. I knew that if I didn't, I'd be sorry when "real" morning came. Sure enough, there were two sets of new twins. One of the lambs was left behind by her mommy. She lay nearly frozen stiff, but was still breathing. The rest of my morning until first breakfast was taken up with bringing her back to a better state of being. I'm happy to report that she was looking pretty frisky by second breakfast, and is now re-united with her family. One problem: she thinks I am her mom, and it will take some coaxing to get her nursing from the ewe. I've gotta be nuts!

I've got quilts to work on, so I hope the re-attachment of the lamb to the ewe doesn't take much more time. I've already skipped snacks, was late for lunch, and may miss second lunch. This can't be good.

I demand a recount!

A few months ago, I gave a friend my dietary "plan for action." He called yesterday and said he's lost 20 pounds. Well, good for him. But I just want to know why I didn't lose a stinking pound?!? I demand a recount! I guess I'd better start keeping better track of what I'm actually DOING, as opposed to what I say I'm GOING TO do.

Look at this picture and see if you can guess where I went last week:

Yep! Salt Lake City. For a quilting retreat. Long story; but here's the thing: the very minute I clicked the button on my computer to book my flight, I realized that SLC is in VERY close proximity to some serious mountains, and that I could get snowed in. What was I thinking?!? As it turned out, though, the weather was similar to what we're having here in the Northeast: warmish days and cool nights. Perfect! The day after I got home, they had a big snow storm out that way. Denver (I passed thru the airport there) was hit pretty hard. Whew! Close call.

At the retreat, we did nothing but quilt and eat. And eat. And eat some more. (See first paragraph.) I made a few new friends, was surprised to see someone there from NH that I'd met before, and learned a lot of fun new stuff. One gal there showed up each day in the most interesting outfits. They were so unique, I thought must be she designed her own clothes. But she say Nay, Nay! Wonder where she shops? I never see clothes like that where I do.

My head is bursting with ideas for more quilts (as if I need to add any more to my list that would already require I live to be 939 to accomplish!) I'll share photos when/if they ever come to fruition.

Here's what's going on down at the farm:

N'ewe: (see last post)

N'ewe-r:

N'ewe-st (isn't she cute?!?):

 

Now I'm outta names. After 35 years of this, it gets harder and harder to come up with names that haven't been used already.