My Latest Project

I don't like putting things like this off this late. The rush leaves things open for some rather BIG mistakes. On a good day a project like this leaves itself open for all kinds of slip-ups. The overs and unders of a Celtic applique can really play games with your mind. The more complicated the pattern the more possibilities there are for errors. I’m always unpicking something to open up a spot for the bias tape to go over or under. Sometimes I can’t even figure out where I went wrong.

But this time... it all worked out!

Those Who Can Teach

Yes I'm a teacher! I have been teaching for almost 25 years. My parents were teachers. Many of my brothers and sisters are or have been teachers. My great grandmother’s brother's name is on the education building and the U of U. Teaching has been in my family's blood since my Welsh great great grandfather named one of his sons Milton, after the British poet, because he wanted an educated person in the family.

Somebody Deserted Her Baby

Sunday somebody came to my house for dinner and deserted her baby. Grapaw found the abandoned baby hiding in the basement. So far somebody has not claimed her baby. Grapaw is holding the said baby hostage. I think he wants hugs and kisses for the baby monkey.




Kamora is the somebody to abandoned her baby monkey. She was so happy to find him.




She like to play Peek a Boo with her baby.








She likes to read books to her baby monkey.

Up Date on the House that Jack has been Adding Onto

I'm going to have to go back and round up all the pictures of "Jack's" house. My son took a 900 square foot bungalow and has added 3,600 square feet! He now has room for his growing family and a room for a pre-school in the basement of the addition for his wife.




This is "Jack", in the corner, and his father in law.

Jacob's Birthday Quilt

1. Cut 7" denim and flannel squares.
2. Sew the squares together with an X going from corner to corner.
3. Sew the squares together (flannel sides together) in long strips length wise.
4. Sew the strips together by staggering the seams.
5. Clip the raw seams. I suggest you do that regularly or you’ll have a real mess on your hands
6. Bind off with a flannel.
7. After the quilt is bound take it to the local Laundromat and wash it. This will fray the edges. Don’t put you washing machine through that kind of an ordeal. Then run it though the dryer.

*I probably won't be making a quilt of this size again. My hands still hurt and you need scissors with very sharp tips.

A River Ran Through It

This WAS a gentle little stream that I used to let my children float stick and leave is down in years past. Two years ago my grandchildren were wading up to their knees in this little stream. But due to the snowfall we've had this past winter... the wooden bridge is gone and the little stream has jumped it's banks.


Starting last year we now have to float a raft to get to the fire pit to roast hot dogs and marshmallows.

Google Translate!

Yesterday I needed to talk to a non English speaking parent. There was nobody in the school who could help me. I was frustrated and so was the parent. I know I should have paid more attention in Spanish class when I was in high school. I've been kicking myself over that one for years now.

I have used the site Google Translate for a while now at home but thought that my district might have it blocked on the school's computers. On the off chance that they hadn't I tried the site. IT WORKED!!! The parent was happy, I was happy, and we were able to discuss the child together without having a go between. Later I showed the site to one of my student's parent who speaks both English and Spanish. She said that the site was about 97% accurate. For an English only speaker I'll take 97% and be very happy. THANK YOU GOOGLE TRANSLATE! You saved the day!

http://translate.google.com/#en|es|

All We Need is a Grandbaby to Wrap It Up In

I've had this fabric aging in my sewing room for years just waiting for a little girl. Maybe in the next two week she will be here!

It's a Pie!

It's a deep dish strawberry rhubarb pie! And it's all mine! When I have more time I'll have to download the recipe along with the adjustments I made. I've GOT to get me a rhubarb plant. This stuff was good.



RECIPE INGREDIENTS*
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
3 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened sliced rhubarb
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 small sugar cubes, or 1/4 cup sanding or pearl sugar
Pastry for Double-Crust Pie

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and tapioca. Add strawberries, rhubarb, orange peel, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss gently till fruit is coated. Let mixture stand about 15 minutes, or till a syrup forms, stirring occasionally.


Meanwhile, coarsely crush sugar cubes if using; set aside. Prepare and roll out pastry as directed. Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of pastry. Stir fruit mixture; transfer to pastry-lined pie plate; trim pastry even with rim. Cut slits in top crust. Place crust on filling. Trim, seal, and crimp edge of pastry. Brush top crust with water; sprinkle with crushed sugar cubes or sanding or pearl sugar.


To prevent over browning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20-25 minutes more, or till top is golden. Cool on a rack.

*I didn't use cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel. I also added about an extra cup rhubarb and a pinch of salt. The pie pan I used was larger than your average pie pan. I also used frozen strawberries.

Little Treasures From My Front Yard

Last fall I went to the local IFA store and purchased some very sad looking plants. After spending the winter under the snow this is what came back. I can’t wait for them to spread!





I went to Wal-Mart and picked up some of their close out bulbs.

Green Fairy Quilts

I just found this site that sells all kinds of wonderful fabric. About a year ago I purchased several panels of Flower Fairy fabric. I've been trying to figure out a way to use them. I think this quilt pattern will be just the thing I need. I know the picture is kind of fuzzy but you get the idea. Now I just need to get busy and finish all the other projects I have lined up. Oh I forgot I also need to find time between teaching Kindergarten during the day and ESL classes at night. Anybody have any extra time they don't need and are willing to pass it on to me?

His Sacred Name ~ An Easter Declaration

This is beautiful. You need to click on the picture to get it to go full screen.

A Little Red Dress

All I need is a little girl to put into this red dress. I hate making button holes so I sewed the button on top and will add snaps as soon as I can find any. Somebody promised that a little girl would wear this dress while on her summer vacation in Hawaii. I think it will be perfect on a Hawaiian Princess.

Peace

I found this video this morning as I was looking for ideas for a lesson. Watch it I think you'll enjoy it.

Snow Drops!

Maybe there is hope for spring. It wasn't very nice to spend all most a week in warm, sunny Mexico and then get hit with -10 degrees when I touched down in Denver last week. Not nice at all! But this morning I found these beautiful little flowers poking up through last years fall leaves. Maybe spring is coming. There is always hope.

Zamma

In Mayan Zamma means the place where the sun rises. Or at least that is what our guide told us. I think I like Zamma better than Tulum.











Our guide also said that they think there are older ruins under some of the areas like this one. Rather than start digging things up they want to bring in machines that have sonar to check if there is anything under neath.



Our guide old us several interesting things about Zamma. In this cave he said there was a fresh water spring where the Mayans got their drinking water.

I Ran Away From Home and Found the Sun!

Because of all the stress that I have been going through I threatening my principal that I was going to run away to Mexico and not come back. Well... my husband and I ran away! We had a wonderful time. It was warm, sunny, and most important NO SNOW!!! The downside was I had to come back to the white stuff and VERY COLD. When I left home last week the temperature was in the low 20's but coming back Denver was at least -10 degrees and when I landed at the airport in Utah it was 10 degrees. Yes I know other places have been colder but when I left Mexico it was between 70 and 80 degrees.

I don't swim so I didn't spend much time at the beach or at the pool. Well I do swim but I do it on the bottom of the pool. I sink like a rock! I've always had a problem getting my head out of the water.

Another reason for staying out of the sun is that skin cancer runs in my family. In my teens my summer tan, that I worked on all summer religiously, looked more like most peoples summer tan that had faded in the winter. I gave up!

I do like sitting in the shade by the pool or the beach with a good book or some kind of hand work. Unfortunately I found it difficult to find a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the outdoors. From about ten in the morning until the bar closed at 6 p.m. there always seemed to be a loud rude group of drunk Americans making total fools of themselves. There were other groups French or Russian drinking by the pool but they seemed to be having intelligent conversations, or at least that's what it sounded like even though I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying.

Paper Dolls

Several months ago I bought some fabric with paper dolls all over them. After mounting them on some kind of very stiff backing I've started cutting them out. Now all I need are for some little girls or boys to come and visit their Granny. Hint! Hint!

Winnie the Pooh Birthday

January 18th is A. A. Milne's birthday. If I were in school I would have a Pooh Party. I would have the children bring their favorite O'l Bear or stuffed animal. In the past I've had the children read with their bear, measure body parts, then graph the measurements. I've also had the children write stories about their bear. I have made hats for the children out of newspapers and then march around the room ending up in the office to the music "Teddy Bear Picnic." We also would have Teddy Grams for a snack.

100 Random Acts of Kindness

I usually start this project earlier in the year. This year has been rather difficult on many levels. This past week I started collecting “Random Acts of Kindness” from my students. The acts can be just about anything (walking quietly in the hall, helping another student, sitting quietly, or paying attention during a group less, etc.). About the only thing I require is the students cannot tell on themself, somebody else needs to report their act of kindness. I make a poster and each time an act of kindness is reported to me I write or if I am busy and can’t stop right then I have the student write the child’s name on the heart and it is glued on the poster. In the beginning until things get going I'm usually the only one reporting.

I organize the hearts in rows of 5’s or 10’s depending on the size of paper I have available. When there are 10 hearts on the poster I circle them. It helps the children learn place value and makes it easier to count the hearts. I like to end the project somewhere around the 100th day of school but, as in the case this year, we will be working on the chart until we have reached 100 Random Acts of Kindness.

Effle (Eiffle) Tower

One of my students who has difficulty focusing more than one minute made this tower. He called it the Effle or Apple Tower. All I can say is WOW! Somewhere he has seen a picture or heard somebody talking about the Eiffle Tower.