Knitting and Quilting in the Methow !

I have found in the last few days that people are under the impression that we're buried under several ft. of snow. It's not true, because what has been happening is the storms have been going from the north on the coast, then going south than taking a turn at the bottom of the state, then turning back north, on up to Spokane and Idaho. We here in north central Wa. have been getting the outer edge of these storms, we only have a few inches. Now yesterday we got more snow than any time since the snow's have began. Now yesterday was very strange, in that it snowed all day, but in the afternoon the sun came out, and the snow just came on down. You can't see the snow but this is a picture of it snowing and sunny at the same time, this is facing East. It wasn't twenty minutes later it started snowing really hard for about two hours, the sky got dark and you couldn't even see through the snow. Then we got about five inches, which was the most we have had accumulate in one day.

I'm really proud of myself, because of an idea I had to solve, and that was to make a design wall in my multipurpose room. When I did this in our house in Lake Stevens I just would use tacks or tape, but I really want to avoid using that sort of thing here. What I use is a plastic picnic table cloth and turn it so the flannel side is facing out. Then you can just put your fabric on it and it sticks. I still had to decide how I was going to do it without damaging the wall. Soon the idea flashed in my head, and I don't get many flashes except the menopause kind, well anyway back to the table cloth. I use a lot of those no stick, pull the tab hooks around the house, so I'll use those,and then I made button holes in the cloth and hung it up, and it still hanging there as of this morning. This picture is side ways but you get the idea, and I may mention the color is way off, my room is butter yellow, I might add that yellow is suppose to be the color of 2009!

Thought you might like this beautiful picture that Katie took a week of so before the snow's came, the sunsets here are just unbelievable!

Well the sun is out today here, I hope it's nice and sunny where you my be. L. Diana

Continue the Christmas story, or almost disaster?

Well, to get back to the story, as I said I was fixing dinner, and I had most everything prepared till it was time to put in the oven, or what ever. I thought how nice, I'm going to have a cup of Chi and sit down to watch a movie, then I thought I better make sure I have enough wood in the fire place so that when I get settled I won't have to be disturbed to get more wood. When I walked into the living room something caught my eye. There was water coming towards me in the carpet, and coming fast. Well I just panicked, I'm usually calm in these kinds of situations, but no I panic. So I ran in circles for a while screaming at my self "What the heck do I do" then I started screaming for Lonny, now mind you I normally don't scream, but I found out if I have to boy howdy I can. No response from the shop, so I ran, I can't run, but I did to the shop and guess what , he wasn't there. So here I had wasted all this time, so I got it together, as I was speaking out loud at how I felt about the whole thing, I'm sure can imagine. I shut off the pump, then back into the house, to the bed room closet were the access to the water shut off is, after you take everything out of the closet, pull the rug up then the access door, jump down under the house and turn off the water. Climb out and hope for the best, then grab every towel you own, get on the phone to see if you can find help. By then I couldn't breath, really I couldn't and that scared me. So finally help arrived and we got a carpet cleaner from a friend and started sucking the water out, about ten gallons, the water didn't make it to the kitchen, thank goodness. So that was our Christmas afternoon and evening. The carpet was cleaner and dry in a couple of days. We were so glad that we didn't go away for Christmas after all. So the next two days I spent recovering from the whole ordeal. So today (Sunday) Lonny asked if I would like to go snow mobiling, at first I really didn't want to, but I also didn't want to be a total stick in the mud, but on the other hand I told him I didn't think my snow mobile suit would fit, it had been a couple of years since I wore it, and I was right it didn't, but I wore it anyway, I just sucked it up. It was a beautiful sunny day today and the ride was just as good, now I'm really sore, but I'll get over it. This will be the Christmas we'll never forget! Love to you all Diana

P. S. It was a outside pipe that broke, so Lonny just cut it off and will repair it next spring,

A work in progress

Welcome to my new blog template, thanks to my friend Carol W. who is trying, and I mean trying to bring me into the world of customizing, so I'm giving it a try! Well I hope everyone had a great Holiday, I know some of us didn't get to spend it the way we had planned. The Coast had more snow than we did here in the Methow, we have only about ten inches here were we are in mid valley. I was very sorry that we had decided to stay home instead of trying to drive over to see our family, but as it turned out we did the right thing. Christmas eve we went out to dinner at a new Mexican place called Salsa's Cafe, I guess there are some of these over on the coast, it was very good, we got home and had a visitor, we opened gifts to each other and went to bed. Then Christmas morning we were invited to a Friends for a Christmas brunch. We got home in the afternoon, then I decided to fix some dinner, and that's when Christmas got exciting. opp's got to go someone is knocking on the door! remember my new blog is a work in progress! Love Diana

Brrrrrrr it's cold outside!

A week ago we were worried about the strange weather we been having for the whole year of 2008, we were having unusually warm weather this fall, don't get me wrong it's been cold but not as cold as most years. Then wondering wether or not we were going to get snow, because we usually do by Thanksgiving. Well the snow came, not much, maybe five inches on the valley floor, but the temps have drop dramatically, this morning it was 10 below, and at dinner this evening it was all ready that, so who knows how cold it will be in the morning. The one thing here in the Methow, is you can never count on the same thing every year, so it makes it hard to plan ahead. Well it's been awhile since I've posted, but I do remember some of the high lites since we took our trip to Canada.

Knitting retreat is all ways a high lite of my year, and this year was no exception. Here's a picture of the "Down Stairs Deva's" L to Right JorJan,Carol, Me, JoAn, Holly peeking from behind and Dorothy, what a fabulous bunch of girls! Thanks to Katie for getting us there safe and sane. Here's Katie and I getting a big chuckle looking at old retreat pics, Thanks to JoAn for keeping up a wonderful year by year book.

I just love all of my retreat buddies! Since retreat, lets see I have to think, oh yes, I've had my "Spinners Monday" and for those who might not know what this is, well it's the second Monday of every month, and it's open for anyone to come join in on the fun, but it was started so the spinners in the area could have a place to come and talk, share and have a little lunch, and we have the best time. The Guild I belong to over the Mt. and in the city of Omak have also been having some great meetings, unfortunately I haven't been able to make it to all of them, but I try. In November is our Methow Valley Spinners and Weavers annual Show and Sale. This is a big event not only for us, but also for the community. We have it on a Friday and Saturday, and I went to help on Saturday and I couldn't believe how many things had sold on Friday. It was a great success. Here's a picture of my lovely friends in the Omak Guild. Starting in the back is Diana, Sandra, Elaine,Katie, Bobby, Ingrid who's lovely home we're in, Debbie and here cute as a button Grand Daughter in the front row Kathleen, and behind here Carol, Diane Teressa, and last Me.

Well for the first three weeks of November, I was sick, and you know it never fails for me, and usually I'm prepared ahead of time just in case this exact thing happens, I get so be hind, especially close to the Holidays. For thanksgiving, we stayed home, witch tuned out to be a good thing cause I really got sick, but before I knew that, I got 8yds of cotton warped onto my loom and once I got though all the mistakes I made threading it, I got eight towels woven off, but not till I got all better.

Oh and I shouldn't forget the rayon Chenille scarf I made, I love this scarf so much, that I keep by me were I sit watching TV, so I can pet it, it feels so, ah, elegant and just plain cozy.

Well the Holidays and the New Year are closing in, it's hard to believe isn't it. I plan on finishing my quilt and a whole bunch of other projects I'll share with you next year. My Love to you all!

I would also like to thank my friend Carol W. for the really groovy new header on my blog, Love Ya Man. Check Carols blog out at www. curlywillowsranch.blogspot.com/

Jr's all excited about Christmas as you can see! We wish you Happy Holidays from our house and blog to yours! Love Diana