Happy Monday to you!  I'm not sure if it is the winter blues setting in, but I have had the hardest time sitting down to blog lately~probably because I don't have anything new to share.  Our routine at home is pretty stable-the gym, walking when weather allows, quilting, gathering with friends and family.  That seems to be about it in a nutshell.  I can tell you that we want to go see The Green Book this week and maybe even Serenity.
This afternoon we are heading over to some friends home for appetizers and soup; we haven't  been over to there place before, but they are golfers and she is a quilter.  I know it will be fun.  I had lent her my copy Magnolia last spring, but somehow we could never find a time to get together.  Today is the day.
I hope your week is good and that the sun shows himself to  you.
Hugs,
Noreen

Snow Day

Happy Thursday to you! Today we are all thankful for the good snow we got during the night; it's the first of the season that is substantial. Hubby was out clearing the driveway and said it's a good 3-4", which by some it wouldn't be anything, but for us it is.

First thing hubby did was shovel the back stairs to the  yard for Hunter and then he always shovels a big patch of lawn for him.  Today will be mostly inside, other than going to the grocery store again.
Hope you day is blessed, I'm thankful for the One who makes the snow.
Noreen

Happy Tuesday to you!  The days seem to be so full and before you know it, it's evening and I'm done.  Yesterday was a pretty full day, but just my regular activities~the gym, sewing, etc etc.  Today I had a meeting first thing in town; I was concerned about the icy roads, but they weren't bad at all.  The meeting was good and the retreat I'm helping with in Junes seemed like it will be easy.  After that, hubby and I had lunch and then ran errands.  We are back now and I just realized I hadn't gotten here yet; this evening our ladies study starts up again and I'm excited to be back with some good friends.  The rest of the week is pretty easy, except for Friday and I've got two commitments that day.
I hope you are all accomplishing all that is on your list.  Remember, to stop and be thankful for all the blessings in your life.
Hugs,
Noreen

Forty Fabulous Years with Eleanor Burns

Happy Friday to you. I hope your week has been productive and that you are ready for the weekend. As you know, I finished all my quilt projects and now our mini-group has a challenge. We decided to use Eleanor Burns new book Forty Fabulous Years and make a quilt of our choosing. With 12 of us making different sizes and colors, it will be fun to see at the end of the challenge. I haven't seen Eleanor Burns in person, but she is a hoot. An icon in the quilting world, she brings fun and craziness to making quilts. I have made several of her quilts before and am really looking forward to our challenge. Each month our leader demonstrates two blocks and we all go home and make them before the next meeting. She is known for wearing a boa during her lectures and also throwing scraps over her shoulder.

A friend and I love the same fabrics-namely Kansas Troubles; we went shopping together and got very similar fat quarters. It will be fun to see how each of our squares end up; I've already seen one of hers and although we have the same colors, the different fabrics make the blocks look totally different. Here is my first block; I've made a similar block before but for some reason this one was a bit tougher-you needed to be so precise.

Here is a block that was quite easy to put together.  We don't have our next meeting until the second week of February, but I'm glad to have them done.

I sent my daughter a photo today and she said how much it looks like the Log Cabin quilt I made for our bed three years ago.  I'm making a lap size, unless I get to the end and decide to make it a smidge bigger.  I'm very happy with how they turned out.
Today we've been to the gym already~weight machines and 3.5 miles on the bike.  Now we are getting ready to go out to lunch with in-laws.  It's raining and snow is scheduled to fall around noon.
Tonight we will be with Kim's family as she and her hubby are going out to celebrate their 16 anniversary; where has the time gone?  Tomorrow her hubby and oldest daughter are running in a 5K and doing a polar bear plunge.  We are planning on going unless it is snowing heavily. They will run regardless-burr!
Have a great day today!
Blessings and joy,
Noreen

Stella & Chewy's Lil' Superblends review

As a #Chewyinfluencer, Hunter gets to try the best of the best. This month we choose another great product made by Stella & Chewy's; I choose this product because Hunter loves so many of the Stella & Chewy products and it makes feeding him a raw diet easy. You remember how picky Hunter can be and it's always a question whether he'll eat something.  The Meal Mixer comes with a scoop and it is a convenient way to add nutrition to his diet.  He doesn't care for the blueberries, but loves the freeze-dried raw chicken. WE love that it is from cage free chickens and has no grains in it. They also add in a probiotic for digestion.

Here is the description on the website:

Kickstart your kibble with Stella & Chewy's Lil' SuperBlends Small Breed Cage-Free Chicken Recipe Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper. Delivering a boost of superfoods with blueberries, strawberries, and bananas, it’s an easy way to pack your small dog’s diet with nutrients, probiotics, and antioxidants. Based on the philosophy that pets thrive on the same diet they would eat in the wild, this recipe gives your dog what he naturally craves, and is made from 95% cage-free chicken, organs, and bone, plus 100% organic fruits and vegetables. Simply scoop, mix in with your pet’s kibble, and watch him come running! The bite-sized morsels are perfect for small breeds.

Key Benefits

• Easy way to add real raw nutrition and superfoods to a small dog’s diet with bite-sized morsels. Each bag comes with a scoop!
• Made in Stella & Chewy's own USA kitchen with cage-free chicken and 100% organic-certified fruits and vegetables, including superfoods blueberries, strawberries, and bananas.
• Never contains grains, gluten, fillers, artificial preservatives, or colorings.
• Enhanced with probiotics to aid in healthy digestion, which is perfect for pets with sensitive stomachs.
• Pet parents and vets report raw feeding supports an improved appetite, digestion, immune system, teeth and gum health, skin and coat, and can help relieve allergies."

I don't add this in to all his meals, but it is a great extra for him. The size is perfect for Hunter and it's made in the USA.  If you are trying to add in nutritional extras to your pups food, this is one you should try.
You can find all of their wonderful products here: Chewy.com
We were provided this product free of charge in exchange for our honest review; we were not compensated.
Thank you to the entire staff at Chewy for such great customer service and for the blog program.

Noreen and Hunter

A Winter Wonderland

Happy Tuesday to you!  Since before Christmas hubby has been wanting to get away to Steamboat Springs and we finally made it up there yesterday.  We took a different route in; we wanted to check out the drive for when our friends Jim and Barbara are here in May as we are taking them there.  We walked Lincoln Ave and got a couple of really small things and went to what I thought was our favorite restaurant-Cugino's Italian Restaurant.  We went there about a year and a half ago and it was one of the top five dinners I've ever had.  Unfortunately, it wasn't the same last night and we think it may have changed hands.  It was good, hubby enjoyed his Clam Linguine, but mine wasn't very tasty.  I'm not sure I'd go back again.  Today we took our normal route home and passed our favorite barn, between Steamboat and Walden.  I love how this is the perfect winter scene.
It's good to be back home and Hunter is happy!  I hope you have a fantastic week.
Joy to you!
Noreen

We Love Chewy!

Happy Friday to you all.  You've all heard me say it before, but today I'm shouting it from the rooftops.  Seldom have I experienced Customer Service as fine as Chewy.com; they even top Amazon in my book.  When I place an order, it arrives in two days and I've never had any problem with the items being wrong.  If I have questions, they are the first ones to want to help me.  There products range from local items to items containing the very best of ingredients at great prices.  Imagine my surprise yesterday when the doorbell rang and I found a large box on it.  I'm waiting on vacuum bags for our whole house vacuum and thought it was them, but no and this surprise made my day and my week.
Chewy sent this Starbucks gift box, which includes a nice decorative box, to say thank you for being part of the Chewy family.  I love being a #ChewyInfluencer, both Hunter and I are winners.
So thank you Chewy for what an incredible company you are.  Thank you Natalie and staff for handling the blogger program.  We Love You.
You can visit them here:  chewy.com
Have a great weekend.
Noreen

A Little Boy's Quilt

Happy Thursday!  I hope your week has been good.  My good friend Kam has a daughter ready to have her first child-a little boy; I knew I wanted to make a quilt for little Will and spent a lot of time figuring out what type to make.  My first choice would always be a cute baby boy quilt, but the parents choose a wildlife theme for Will.  I pondered over it, because the dad is an Army Ranger and an avid hunter.  I saw this fabric and decided to make a boy quilt that can be used outside etc.  I choose brown border and backing so any mud or spills wouldn't show.  I machine quilted it and it is off to North Carolina next week.  One more check on my list.
I hope they like it; Kam says she knows they will.
Today I've got a couple of errands to run, plan to walk with neighbors and will be downstairs either sewing or cleaning the media area.  Tomorrow night we have 8 girls coming for a sleepover(such fun!) and I need to dust etc.
In the morning I've got my mini quilt group and have lots to share.  This is when we all see the first two blocks of our challenge.  It should be such fun.
Have a great day and count your blessings.
Noreen

Merrick Fresh Kisses Double-Brush Dental Treats

As a #ChewyInfluencer, once again Hunter scored!  This month we tried All Natural Double-Brush dental treats.
From Chewy:

"Share even closer cuddles with your petite furry one with the Merrick Fresh Kisses Double-Brush Coconut Oil & Botanicals Small Grain-Free Dental Dog Treats. This uniquely designed treat has a double-brush action and a special blend of coconut oil and botanicals to help keep teeth clean, fight plaque and tartar, and freshen breath. The grain-free formula is easily digestible since it’s made with natural peas and gelatin with no potatoes or anything artificial, and infused with coconut, peppermint, lemongrass, and rosemary oils to keep the doggy smooches going. Perfectly sized for small dogs, it’s safely cooked in the USA without any grains, gluten, corn, soy, or artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

Key Benefits

• Helps clean teeth, fight plaque and tartar, and freshen doggy breath with unique shape and botanical formula.
• Designed with a double-brush action to get in between teeth and help keep them clean with every bite.
• Formulated with coconut oil and a special blend of peppermint, lemongrass, and rosemary oils to keep breath fresh for on demand smooches.
• It’s easily digestible since it’s made with natural peas, tapioca and gelatin, with no potatoes or grains.
• Sized for small dogs from 15 to 25 pounds, and are made in the USA with no grains, gluten, corn, soy, or artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives."

Hunter loves these little treats and I love them because they help clean his teeth and also sweeten his breadth. They are easily digestible and made right here in the USA.  I'm always searching for products that will help his teeth and gums and fight tarter; this product does all three.
We love Chewy and they are always so prompt in their service.  I ordered these on Saturday and they arrived on Tuesday, how great is that!   Hunter rates these treats as 10 star and Chewy as a number one company in our book.
You can find this product and any other items you might need for your pet here:
chewy.com
We received this item free of charge from Chewy in exchange for our honest opinion of the product.
Thank you to all the incredible staff at Chewy for making it so easy to get quality items at a competitive price.
Noreen and Hunter

Winter Skies

 Winter Sunset from Saturday evening.  I love our winter skies and sunsets.

 The Heavens declare the Glory of God, the skies proclaim the Work of His Hands. Ps 19:1

We had a great weekend, watched some movies and football and I finished the baby quilt for my friend's first grandchild.  I was also able to get out and walk; although chilly, it felt good to be outside.
This week is pretty relaxed and I'll start on the squares for my challenge quilt; I have enough Log Cabin blocks for it and the color is perfect, the only issue is that they are too big, so I'll cut them down to the right size.  I hope the first week of January has been great for you.
Blessings,
Noreen

A First Quilt

For those who know me well, they will testify to the fact that I adore all of our grandchildren.  We have sleepovers on a regular basis, in fact tomorrow night we are supposed to have our 8 girls over.  You may also remember that I taught the four oldest granddaughters sewing for a  year and a half.  Carrie's oldest(Miss F)made her first quilt a year ago and Miss O(age 11) pictured above, wasn't quite sure whether she wanted to make one.  Imagine my surprise last summer when she told me she found one that she wanted to make and already purchased the fabrics.  We began- it seems so long ago, and got it all cut out, put together and machine quilted.  Before we knew it, summer was over and school was starting again.  I promised her we'd get together over Christmas vacation and we did.  Last week we spent one afternoon together and she quilted for over three hours.  Today we got together and made binding and got it on; here she is with it all finished.  It looks so much like her; I love the fabric she picked.  It was a lot of work and I'm sure that time will pass before she decides(if she decides)to make another one.  I'm so proud of her!  I told her that enjoyed spending time with her the most.  It is so fun to see granddaughters try to make something creative.  I never did at this age.
Hope your week has been peace filled and that  your weekend will bring you rest.  Our temp tomorrow is supposed to be 50 degrees and I'm hoping to walk in the afternoon.
Joy to you!
Noreen

Hello and Happy New Year!  It finally feels like life might be settling down a bit; we had a wonderful family get together on New Year's Eve, filled with lots of games and great snacks.  In the meantime I worked on this wallhanging(forgive how wonky it looks in the photo, but it isn't permanently attached to the wall.  It will only be up for a month and just reminded me of winter in Amish country.  It was done by machine and I must admit I now know why so many machine quilt-it is so much faster. I still prefer hand quilting, but enjoying the ease of the machine when I need to.
Now that this is done, I've got a baby quilt to do and get off to the new Mama.
We've been back to our 3xweek gym and also running lots of other errands.  It's still so cold here this year~today it was under 7 degrees when we got up.  Hopefully later this week it will warm up.
I hope to be back to my normal blogging routine as well; the holidays are just so busy.  This year, I hope to start all my quilted presents in September so I don't get behind with other things.
Sending you all warm hugs and best wished for our New Year.
Noreen