Tagged by Brenda...

.... my quilting friend who doesn't know that I only know about 3 people and they are all my family that might plot my demise if I send this to them. But since I'm having a difficult time lately drumming up something to blog about, I'll play along...

What I was doing...
20 years ago...
1. Moved to Lompoc, CA where we bought our first home

2. Went on our first family vacation that didn't mean driving to just Utah. We went to Olympic National Park which started our tradition of camping and hiking in a different National Park every summer.

3. Bought our first VCR (the budget was cut to the bone saving to buy our house) We must have been the last family in the United States to own one. We still didn't have a remote for the TV.

10 years ago...
1. Lived in Broomfield, Colorado where my heart still belongs

2. Did away with the TV stations for the next 7 years and only used the TV for renting movies. Was that ever a mistake.... I would much rather Tyler and Andrea were watching the TV other than the things they were actually doing.

3. Had stayed married for 17 years and loved every year of it, except for that time Ken cosigned on a motorcylcle for Tyler. I wasn't happy then.

5 years ago...
1. Lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and walked every weekend on the white sandy beaches and swam and body surfed in the warm bath-like water of the ocean. Those are my happiest, wait my only happy memories of living there.

2. Made my first quilt

3. I quit smoking. Yeah for me. I was finally able to cross that goal off my list where it had been for 20 years.

1 year ago...
1. Almost died from pnuemonia... spent a week in the ICU on life support. I don't think I would have survived it had I still been smoking.

2. I quit making lists of the things I didn't like about myself and what I would change and started just doing things I liked doing. I'm as good as I'm going to get and I've made alot of quilts.

3. Moved for the last time to Orem, UT. I love our little condo and my own "creating" room.

This year so far...
1. Experienced the sadness of having a sibling die.

2. Felt the love and closeness of all my family and extended family.

3. Made 8 quilts for Quilts for Cancer.

Yesterday...
1. Picked out more Asian fabric for a quilt that will go on the cousin list

2. Finished an Asian theme wall hanging for one of the bedrooms. Now I need to get it to Kim to work her magic and turn it into a work of art.
3. Bought a new pair of levi's.

Today...
1. Babysat for Quik Quilts, otherwise known as Mecca or Jeruseleum by my family, while they are at the Utah Quilt Guild Festival
2. Cut out the next block for the Block of the Month quilt.
3. Picked up some grape juice and Gaterade for Annie on my way home. She has a horrible sounding cold and I'm sure it doesn't feel good either.

Tomorrow...
1. Still babysitting at Quik Quilts
2. Cutting out kits for Shop Hop

3. Eating the rest of the little snicker bars Melissa left on her desk.

So closing my eyes and picking 3 names out of a hat are Marshall W (or Jana), Misty B, and Stacey W. You're it.

For Dinner Tonight...

We are having one of my favorite meals... chicken sandwiches on a croissant and potato salad. The most difficult thing about potato salad is getting the dressing right. I use Hidden Valley, the original ranch dry packet with 1 c. of milk and 1 c. of salad dressing. I figure Hidden Valley has mastered putting the spices together so why should I spend time trying to improve it. All I put in is potatos, eggs, celery and Kosher baby dills.

The chicken sandwiches are crumbled up Quorn chik'n tenders, a small apple, red grapes cut in 4ths, chopped celery, and a pkg. of cashews.... I moisten it with some of the dressing I put on the potato salad. The croissants are from Costco. And there you have it... I have plenty of time to make gourmet meals but I still like to do what is fast and easy. Some days I spend more time cutting, slicing and dicing things I need for different meals during the week... and then on those days I spend a minimile of time just throwing everything together.

We're Going Asian...

I know.... it has been awhile.... thanks for the prompt Rachel. All of a sudden I ran out of things to say.... not that, that has changed... but here are the things I am working on now... aren't you getting tired of recipes and quilts? Everytime I get the urge to mull over all the ways I could improve as a human being, I go work on a quilt until the urge passes :) However we are looking forward to a visit from the Wilcox gang and other exciting news, for me at least is Tyler & Lindsay, sent me a ticket to Colorado so I can be there for Kenzie's 4th birthday party.... so of course I am working on a super dooper birthday present...

Ken just finished a remodel of the downstairs bathroom which we (Ken) painted purple and green. Now he has retiled my bathroom and is painting it purple.... my room will be a very pale purple.... so I am trying to get new quilts done for the beds.... we are doing an Asian theme.
I pulled out the paper pieced cranes I started working on last year and I need 60 more to do one quilt.... the other one is going to be like the star in a star quilt except using the Asian fabrics. All the fabric has a gold thread that runs through it, giving it a very elegant look. Otherwise I've been busy trying to finish "the boys" bug quilts for Christmas and one for Jana from T-shirts she had of races she has been in. Next on the agenda will be quilts for Kyle and Diane from David's levis, which I've found a cute pattern for.... and so it goes, there is no end to the quilt projects I want to do...

On The Cousin List

I just finished two easy panel with border quilts for the store's displays. The one on the top, "Come Sit In My Garden" is going on the list for one of the quilts the cousins can choose from. (you really need to click on it to see it up close to see the beautiful design of the fabric.... and yes, see Kim's fabulous quilting on it) Yesterday Erica and I picked out fabric for her first quilt. It was so much fun.... she's a natural picking out colors and adapting the quilt so she could make it bigger. She's going to take a beginning class from Melissa at Quik Quilts in Oct. It was just like taking one of your kids to the first day of school. Being an aunt is so much fun.

On The Wish Train

I’ve been reflecting lately about all the time I have on my hands. It seems I’ve always been waiting for certain events to take place so life will be good. I couldn’t wait to get married and have kids…. be a mom and build a happy home. Then I lived for the day those kids would be out of diapers…. into preschool…. then eagerly anticipated all four of them in regular school. I was fortunate and was able to be home with them…. but it seems the whole time I lamented how life was passing me by and I would never mature into a successful career. When I did go to work, I found out I hadn’t missed a thing and could work circles around all the twenty somethings. By that time the kids were in their teens and I couldn’t imagine that would ever end. I was always waiting for them to outgrow some "stage" they were in. Oh, I enjoyed big chunks of that life, but not as fully as I could have looking back on it now…. waiting…. always waiting for all the responsibilities to lesson. And now, it seems in lightning speed the train pulled into the station and I’m living the life I wished for so longingly…. And I’ll be danged if I’m going to lament this time away. I’m a slow study, but life is pretty darn good now, especially with a long term illness in a state of remission. I have to run with the wind while the sun is shining. As I see it I’m on the caboose of the wish train…. what’s left to pine after… a knee or hip replacement, a dose of dementia? So I’ll continue to love every minute of the quilts I sew.



Along the way I must have lost my mind. Isn’t this the craziest hobby…. cutting up pieces of fabric that fit into a small size 11 ½ by 9 inch container and then sewing them back together again. It doesn’t look like that tiny amount of fabric will be big enough to wrap yourself up in…. but it is. This is the newest fabric that arrived at the store this week. I just love all the new bright prints they have for kids now…. I love how there is always a new technique to learn…. my association with other quilters…. new colors….. new ways of putting things together…. yes, life is good….

Rasberry Chicken Salad

This is a recipe I had at a luncheon at my cousin's baby shower. There's nothing like a good (& filling) fresh salad on a hot day.

1 bunch iceburg lettuce

1 bunch romaine lettuce

1 bunch spinach

1 sm. red onion, minced

1 cucumber sliced

Pkg. Quorn Chik n' tenders

2 c. fresh rasberries

2 c crushed peanut brittle (when I can't find this, I use honey roasted peanuts instead)

Dressing: Mix together

4 Tbsp. rasberry jam

4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2/3 C. oil

3 T. sugar

I have been busy this week trying to organize my quilt room.... get all my projects together and see what I need to get to complete them. (pictures forth coming) I'm going to carry on the Grandma Porter tradition and make a quilt for all of "the cousins" (my kids generation.... this includes you too, Dewey & Stacey) The only difference being that mine will be the lap size, snuggle up quilts. So if I post one that you like, send me a note and I'll put your name on it. This will be a project that will span a few years. I'm also trying to machine quilt one of my quilts for cancer. I'm starting with a meandering (stipple) stitch which is not as easy as it looks (pictures not forthcoming) I feel like a Kindergartner writing on my quilt. I have 2 more quilts to get done for the cancer project so it will be good practice. I hope everyone is having a good week.

One quilt and a recipe coming up...

Here is another easy, easy recipe. In fact you will probably say.... "I haven't thought of making that for a long time... I'm so glad Denise posted this...."

Broccoli and Cheese Sauce over Potatoes
I like to clean and wrap potatoes in tin foil to cook them. I spray them with a little pam. Steam a bunch of broccoli. Thin some cream of celery soup with a little milk and add some grated cheese and heat, to pour over the top of the potato and broccoli.... you can top with some vege bacon (I'm the only one who likes it that way) This meal just tastes so wholesome and nourishing. Make enough for two nights while you're at it. Ken did rebel on the third night of black bean & zucchini burritos last week.... however, his only recourse was to make his own dinner.

So, I am now officially Grandma Porters cutter outer of her quilts. I love the cutting out part, it is soothing to me and I love to use up every bit of the fabric. I have several quilts going that use 1" strips. When it's done, there will be over 9,000 pieces in it. Some people might think I have too much time on my hands.... and I do. Anyway, mom is amazing how she keeps on sewing with limited eyesight and turning out majestic quilts. She loves to show them off so I thought I'd keep you all posted on what she's making as well. Kim Peterson is now the official machine quilter, as you will notice by the beautiful quilting on it. Uncle Evan has spoken for this one.