Thursday Night Concerts

Can you believe it's Friday all ready? During the summer, from the first part of June until the first Thursday of August our town puts on a series of Thursday night concerts. The very first week is a town bbq for all the residents, free of charge followed by a concert. For almost eight weeks we have concerts at the lake, each Thursday and have a special one on the 4th of July. This has become a highlight of our summer, when the weather is good~we take dinner to the lake and sit with friends, visiting and listening to music. This year the bands have been excellent! Here is the band-they were so good and the lead singer reminded us of our friend in Carmel Valley.

Our small town is growing in leaps and bounds and the concerts highlight this.

Today, I'm taking a friend to lunch for her birthday.  Tonight a granddaughter, age 8, is cooking dinner for her family, hubby and I.  Can't wait.
Hope you have a fantastic weekend.
Hugs,
Noreen

Summer Tea Parties

Hello friends! As many of you know, every three months my daughters and their daughters host a tea party for all the girls. It has been a wonderful way to teach the girls how to entertain and how to be hospitable and godly. Each tea party is actually a luncheon and when you have 11 of us, it is learning to be relaxed, well organized and gracious; generally with a different theme. So this month, Kim and her girls planned a luncheon around a Fairy Garden theme. When Fairy Garden parties first started, about 8 years ago, we ran everywhere looking for decorations. Now they are easily found on Amazon; it is so easy that way and cheaper too.

If you look closely at the far left hand corner you can see a off white silk flower with a doll attached~the sister of my heart gave us all pins like this one Christmas.  Kim utilizes hers on a regular basis.

Carrie and her oldest; the years are flying by!

All the little goodies Kim got for each girls Fairy Garden.

Each of the girls made individual ones that can be taken home and put in the wooden box that Kim made for them.

We had a wonderful lunch and incredible desserts made by Carries girls.  After making their Fairy Gardens, the girls had time to play.  Such fun, such great memories being made as well as great training in hospitality.  Can't wait to watch the girls grow up and be so relaxed having others in their homes.
I hope you have a great day.  I've got some hand work to do and tonight have a new ladies Bible Study starting with the gals from our church-just can't wait.
Blessings on your afternoon.
Noreen

Getting Ready for the 4th

Good Morning to you! I hope your Monday went smoothly. I mentioned that I had made some 4th of July placemats and wanted to share the first one that is finished. All are made and just waiting for the binding to be tacked down. I had fun with this project and machine quilted it, adding some more dimensional quilting than I've ever done. On the red and white stripes, I have so wavy designs. For those who machine quilt, remember I am just starting out with this-I prefer to hand quilt, unless it is a project like this. This was a quick project, only took about 4 hours-which for some of you sounds like I'm very slow, I am.

Last night I started tacking the binding down, but also in the middle of hand quilting a granddaughter's quilt, so stopped after finishing one. We have friends coming for dinner on Saturday night and I want to be able to put them out. I really love the look and also how quick and easy they were.  Once they are all on the table, I will share the look with you. However, I made a runner last year for our island and after doing this project, I may need to redo the runner.
I'm off to the pool with the kiddos today, it will be so hot here.  NOT complaining though.
Hope you have a fantastic day!
Hugs,
Noreen

Celebrate Good Times

Good Afternoon! I hope you all had a great weekend! We sure did and it was centered around my sweet hubby; it was a combination of Father's Day and his upcoming Birthday. We gathered for dinner with the entire clan and the food was incredible.  It consisted of Flank Steaks, Ribeye Steaks, roasted Potatoes, stuffed Mushrooms, Balsamic onions and mushrooms, Wedge Salad plus Carrot Cake for dessert.

Hubby didn't know ahead of time, but the families were taking him/us to the movies to see Cars3.  Do you see all that candy-it was split between 17 of us.

Hubby has also been wanting a Keurig, since he is the only one who drinks coffee-so he got one.

The Carrot Cake was delicious.

We loved the movie-it was so cute.  I will say that we were tired when we got home; I also heard all the kiddos were too.  Yesterday was pretty kick back for us; I will say that I spent the weekend making the 4th of July placemats.  I'll put the binding on today and then share them with you.
It's warm again, so being downstairs won't be bad at all.  I've got another busy week, but at least it is better than just sitting around watching t.v. all day.
Hope you have a easy day!
Joy,
Noreen

It's Thursday and so that means I always try to stop and give thanks for the many blessings in my life.
I am thankful that I've been getting out at 7:30 to walk each morning, but I still come home sweaty.  I'm thankful for the wonderful neighbors that I walk with everyday; they are in such good shape that it pushes me to walk faster and get my heartbeat up.  I am thankful for a healthy body and heart, also for the beautiful area we live in where I can walk each day.
Yesterday I went over to one daughter's home and used her ping pong table to pin two quilts. I am thankful that she has a table I can use, it is so much easier than sitting on the floor doing it.  I am also so thankful that two granddaughters were there to help me with pinning.  They are so kind and thoughtful!  It only took an hour to pin both quilts and normally, if I was doing it alone, it would have taken one hour for the bigger quilt.  I am thankful that we have such a nice basement that stays really cool~last night I was able to sit downstairs and start hand quilting my granddaughter's quilt.
I am thankful that we have a neighborhood pool that we can enjoy whenever we want to; in fact, this morning the girls and their kiddos and I are meeting there for swim time and lunch.  Such a blessing to have them so close to us.
I am thankful that during the summer months our little town has concerts on Thursday nights.  There is a different venue each week and we take our dinner and enjoy being outside and listening to music.
I am thankful that I am married to such an awesome man, who gives and gives and gives.  Saturday evening the family will be celebrating him-both for a late Father's Day and also for an early Birthday. His birthday falls in the middle of July, but is shared with our second grandson so the family decided to split up the party.  My hubby would just be happy with a card, but since he spoils us so much, we like to spoil him too.  Tomorrow I have a sew-day with my mini group and will be heading out first thing; I'm thankful that I'm part of the group and so enjoy all the ladies.  I'm thankful for life and the Love of my Savior.
So dear friends, what are you thankful for today?
May your day be sweet and your weekend be fun!
Blessings~
Noreen

Hard Work

Happy Wednesday to you! Today is going to be a scorcher, so we are all headed to the pool this morning. Actually, I will walk at 7:30, then head to the quilt store in town to get some more fabric and then hit the pool. I am hoping to pin the quilt and back today-we'll see. Our oldest daughter Carrie and her hubby and family are installing Hickory Floors throughout their home. Carrie and Kim both grew up being involved in what ever project hubby and I were working on~it might have been painting, landscaping, remodeling etc. WE always loved having their help. It is a joy to see that trait passed on to our grands. Here are our oldest granddaughters both working together to help lay the floor. Last Saturday both families got to work helping; it is such a joy for hubby and I to see. Those that weren't working on the floor were helping with dinner.

So many children today don't know the value of hard work or the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. I am thankful that I can honestly say all of our grands are learning these lessons and are also saving the money they earn for their future. Our oldest grandson, age 16, has been working since last year doing lawn jobs. He is saving his money for a car, car insurance and finally a house. At 16, both hubby and I were not thinking about the future and saving for it-we were just having fun!
I hate to admit it, but I didn't have a good work ethic; I worked at a part time job throughout high school, but didn't have to do much at home.  I regret not learning some of the lessons from my mom-like cooking her favorite dishes etc.  I tried to instill the value of helping out whenever possible; thankfully our daughters are simply amazing and so hard working.  They truly take after my hubby more than me and I'm glad about that.
Hope you have an amazing day!
Noreen

Sew Together Bag

Happy Tuesday to you! I know that it is beyond hot in California and it's just beginning to feel like summer here; I love it and prefer the heat to the snow. Many in the midwest and east are having crazy storms; I hope we can all look for something positive in the weird weather we've been experiencing. So my California quilting mentor, aka best friend, aka traveling companion always brings me a little something for my quilting. When Jim and Barbara came out for our trip to South Dakota, she brought me a pattern called Sew Together Bag. She had seen it at a quilt show in California and thought it would be a fun project for us to do together. While on our trip, we looked for the right fabric(I wanted to go outside the box and have some bold prints), but we never found any. After we got back, we took a drive to one of my favorite quilt stores, with our hubby's in tow; we both found what we were looking for. I will say that when it comes to sewing that isn't piecing, my skill level is pretty low, however my sweet daughter Kim came over and helped me put this together. She even found it a bit challenging.  It is an all purpose bag; I use it for my hand quilting supplies and I love it.  I keep toying with the idea of making another one.  I definitely need lots of practice on zippers.

It has three inside pockets that are lined with different fabrics-again, just love what I choose.

It's hard to see the inside lining fabric, but again so fun.

Barbara's bag-it is adorable.
It was such fun to work on the same project, even though we were both in our own homes; I would have loved to do this together; I'm sure Barb could have helped me with some of it.  Thank you Barb for this fun challenge; I loved it.   I'm off to Fig Leaf club this morning and then will continue on my new fall table runner. Tomorrow I will be pinning one quilt, maybe two, so I can start hand quilting in the evenings. I hope you have a fantastic day!
 Joy to you!
Noreen

Simple Beauty

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed life in your area. Sometimes it is so easy to overlook those simple things that help us to See Beautiful. The last couple of weeks we have had Robins nesting in our yard; it's exciting, even if it is messy. This last week we've seen fledglings in every tree. This morning I've counted four with the parents nearby. WE have Payday Trees with red berries on them and the birds are delighting in the berries. We've never had so many berries as we do this year. Must have to do with the weather. Hubby got these pics on Friday night. It's easy to overlook the beauty of nature, so I'm trying to be deliberate with appreciating it.

Saturday we celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary~we took a drive up to Estes Park and walked around one of our favorite lakes.  It was cool and started to rain as we drove home; in the evening we went to our favorite restaurant to celebrate.  Yesterday was a quiet day~our family is celebrating Father's Day and hubby's birthday next Saturday evening.  This week is filled with lots of sewing, with grands and with friends.
I hope you have a fantastic day today.
Blessings,
Noreen

Plato Pet Treats Review

You all know that as a #Chewy Influencer, we are able to participate each month in a blogger review program for a great product from Chewy. com.  I can honestly say that we love Chewy and have found them to be the best company for all your pet needs! Their prompt service, great customer care and high quality products, as well as competitive prices make them an outstanding company!  So today, I am reviewing Plato Pet Treats, Hundur's Crunch Fish Treats for Dogs.

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 Here is the description of this month's treats:

"Plato Hundur's Crunch Fish Jerky Minis Dog Treats are 100% fish with only two all-natural ingredients. They’re high in protein with cod skin and golden redfish skin that’s responsibly sourced from pure Icelandic waters. With only a single source of protein, these Jerky Minis are good for dogs that are overweight or those that have skin issues, allergies or food sensitivities. The naturally occurring omega-3 and 6 fatty acids do wonders for the skin and coat. With Hundur’s Crunch treats, your pup gets the tastiest jerky that’s free of grain; soy; wheat; corn; gluten; fillers; added sugars; protein meals; and artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. They also make a safe and healthy alternative to rawhide or bones.

Key Benefits

• An all-natural high protein treat that’s made from 100% fish
• Free from corn, wheat, soy, by-product meals, additives and colors
• Fish are sustainably sourced from the clean and cold waters of Iceland
• Naturally rich in omega 3 these treats help your dog maintain healthy skin and coat
• Jerky Minis help to safely clean teeth by removing tartar build up for optimal dental health".

In the past, I have mentioned that Hunter is a very finicky eater~there are many foods he won't even touch and he has never liked hard dog biscuits. I am so pleased that he loves these treats, even though they are crunchy and hard.  They have a fishy smell, but since he loves salmon I didn't think it would be an issue and it wasn't. I know they are great for his teeth and his general health; it is a bonus that he enjoys them so much.
I received these treats free from Chewy.com; any review and opinions are my own.  A big thank you to Natalie and the staff for this program.  You can find Chewy here:  http://chewy.com
Go check them out.
Noreen and Hunter

Just another beautiful day here in Colorado!  I love the summer and I mostly love getting out to walk at 7:30, though if I'm honest today was a day I would have slept in until 7:00 if I could have.  This afternoon I'm heading south to the store I bought my new sewing machine at, to take a class in all the tricks of the digital pen.  I've played with it, but know there is so much more to it than I can even imagine-lengthening border designs, etc etc. and I want to learn to utilize it.  I'm also hoping to get a case for all my bobbins-a majority fit in one area, but I'd like to keep them all together and organized.
I'm hoping I have some samples to share with you of what I learn.
Until tomorrow,
Noreen

Puppy Play Time

It's outdoor Tuesday and what better way to spend time outside than to introduce a puppy to our family pack. My dear friend Kam recently added a new pup to their family~another Australian Shepherd male name Riley who is 10 weeks old. Hunter isn't super interested in playing with him, so we met at Carrie's house so Riley could play with Copper. Copper was wonderful with him, but clearly taught him the right way to interact. They had a ball playing together. Lily is getting older so didn't play too much, Hunter played a little bit.

Bite Face begins.

Copper was gentle but played and wrestled in a way we hadn't seen before.

Such a fun time; Kam said she could tell that Riley was going to sleep on the way home.
Thanks Carrie for letting us come tucker the pup out.  Hunter wanted to know why he couldn't stay.
Hope you all have a great day!
Noreen and Hunter

Miscellaneous Monday

Happy Monday to you from hazy Colorado. There are currently four wildfires blazing~two near Craig and two others down south. We woke up this morning to a haze that covers the sky; thankfully, the air quality isn't too bad. I've been out walking already and although it was 68 degrees, it wasn't bad out. We are supposed to get up to 90 today with high winds, which will be tough on the firefighters. I was going through hubby's phone looking for a specific photo and came across these, so thought I'd share. Hubby and I near the Visitor Center at Mt. Rushmore.

Jim and Barbara, our traveling companions and best friends. They have both had to deal with serious health issues over the past four months and we are so glad that we will be able to continue to travel with them. When you are facing life/death situations, you appreciate every minute.

On Friday hubby played golf in a Breast Cancer Fund Raiser event with our financial advisor. They supplied the shirts-which was nice, because hubby didn't have a pink one. Hubby even borrowed my pink baseball hat to wear., he is on the left. It was held at a private golf course at a country club, so fun for the guys. So to all you gals who have battled breast cancer, there are still lots of folks supporting the cause.

I spent a great deal of time sewing this weekend and want to work on some today.  I'm already thinking Christmas presents.  I hope you had a great weekend and that your day goes well.
Joy to you!
Noreen

Happy Thursday to you.  I've been doing the Happy Dance since yesterday when my hubby got back from his annual golf trip.  He's been going to this tournament for many years and I'm used to it.  In fact, while he is away playing golf and hanging with his friends, this girl does some fun stuff for her-pampering you might say.  When he gets home I am always so happy!
I've also been getting ready for my mini-group quilt meeting that I'm hosting tomorrow.  In California, mini-groups were meet at 9:30 and the hostess has almost a breakfast for us.  I will be making an egg casserole, have fresh strawberries, blueberries, pineapple as well as a nice vanilla bread and yogurt with granola, plus coffee, tea, water or orange juice.  We also have show and tell and usually the hostess has a demonstration on some sort.  I will be handing out information on different types of batting, our Country Newsletter that has info on shops in the area as well.  While I was in South Dakota, I picked up Autumn fat quarters to give out; there is a challenge with them-you to have make something such as a runner or table topper using the fabric.  I will be sharing my practice muslim that I've been working on Cross Hatching on.  It should be a fun meeting!  It usually goes to 11:30-but sometimes till after 12;00.  It's a lot of work(which includes window cleaning for me), but it is such a great gathering.
I'm off to walk now; have a great day!
Noreen

Good Morning to you! Before I head out for my walk, I thought I'd share the last photos of our trip. Hope you enjoy.

Couldn't believe this Coyote crossed the road in front of us.  We also saw wild Donkey's and some wild Turkeys.

Since we have lived in Colorado, we always called this beauty an Antelope; we found out that it is a relative, but actually a Pronghorn.

Needle Highway was beautiful.

The Needle.

Lastly, this big fellow was not in South Dakota, but in our own backyard-Estes Park.

Have a great day and get out and enjoy it!
Hugs,
Noreen