Barbara – you can find her on her blog at CAT PATCHES  - is hosting a foto finish with a theme of  THROUGH THE WINDOW.  She has a picture of  her precious cat that is looking out the window.   Naturally I felt compared to  share our cat window pictures too.

http://catpatches.blogspot.com/2012/02/foto-finish-through-window.html

Honestly, I just ABSOLUTELY HAD to share my own photos of our cats watching the world outside.  The largest cat, Midnight, makes bird noises – it is SO FUNNY!  She now paws at the blinds of the bathroom window if I go in and FORGET to open the blinds so that she can get on her perch!!!  Cats are definitely on my list of FAVORITE THINGS.  I cannot imagine my life without a cat in it!  Here is Midnight looking out the window!

Midnight FIRST started her bird calling from the bedroom window

After VIEWING this FUN, Oreo Cookie joined Midnight in her window viewing activity!

Then there were Midnight AND Oreo

Before long, Grandangel Sarah joined the cats in looking out of the window.  Maybe WE should try looking out the window – it does look like fun, doesn’t it!!

Grandangel Sarah joins the cats

Yes, there are FOUR cats in this family.  Oreo and Cuddles are in the window – and poor Midnight and Hannay Faye are left behind…..but not for long!  I love the way Midnight stands up on her hind legs…..she does this a lot!

Cuddles and Hannah Faye want to have fun too!

Cuddles, Midnight and Oreo made it to the ledge - Hannah Faye is left behind

Isn’t this so sad – little Hannah Faye KNOWS there is something WONDERFUL going on in the outside world – but there doesn’t appear to be any more room!!!!

If you have cute WINDOW PICTURES that you would like to share, go to Barabara’s blog at CAT PATCHES and click on that LINKY THING!

http://catpatches.blogspot.com/2012/02/foto-finish-through-window.html

The food was great (I had a CA Omelette with mushrooms,  avocado, and goat cheese) and I discovered that I like homemade biscuits with strawberry jam and fresh ground pepper (Grandangel Cooper peppered it for me!!)

Here are my pictures to PROVE that Santa is real – and we had brunch with him today.  PS…if you click on the pictures you can see my DD’s head on her body at the lake!  :):)

When we got home the Epps family opened their first FAMILY GIFT – a WII game – JUST DANCE 3.  OH MY is this ever fun.  I am here to tell you that it is the BEST EXERCISE ever – but you don’t even know you are exercising.  You are just trying to dance and keep up with the little dancer on the screen.  I am so uncoordinated, it is pathetic.  BUT….I had fun anyway…..and there will BE NO PICTURES OF THIS EVER on my blog – or anywhere else, for that matter!!!!!!  lol

Seriously – if you need a gift idea – JUST DANCE 3 for the WII is a winner and good for folks of all ages!  It passed the three-generation test here today!

The Virginia Consortium of Quilters met in Blackstone, VA this weekend and we stayed at The Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center.  One of our community service projects is making pillowcases for Foster Children in Virginia and I have to say that this was quite an inspiration place to do this!

I just HAD to share!  It is such a wonderful place – really – I was smiling for two whole days!

Since 1892 this building has been collecting memories!

It was a female institute in 1892 and was later a college for girls.  Now it is an Assembly Center – and quite impressive!!!

It is now the VA United Methodist Assembly Center

We stayed in the dorms, sewed in a big room – ate in the dining hall – and soaked up the history!  As you can tell, the autumn leaves were gorgeous!  It was a wonderful experience!

I Love Cats.

I Love Charles Wysocki.  Charles Wysocki’s work is on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS!

When I lived in CALIFORNIA we went on a women’s retreat in the mountains at Lake Arrowhead twice a year.   We often visited the Charles Wysocki Gallery there to buy a print,  a puzzle – or some other CAT TALES memorabilia.  I love Charles Wysocki’s CAT TALES…..the prints, the calendars…..everything.  I like his art – it is folk art and it is always cheerful!  I keep a Charles Wysocki wall calendar in a folk art frame on my bedroom wall so that I can enjoy his work each month.

AND I LOVE CHARLES WYSOCKI’S Engagement Calendars – CAT TALES.  I keep my life organized in these.  They fit into my purse.  They make me happy………I SEARCH HIGH AND LOW TO FIND THEM each year.  Some years I am not successful.  When I am not successful, I actually feel like shedding tears!  REALLY!  That is how much I like them!

In every engagement book calendars there are lots of cat pictures and they make me SMILE!  :)

Here are a few of my favorites from 2011….

Pages from my Engagement Calendar

Love this one - October 2011 Cat Tales

I just finished SEARCHING for my 2012 CAT TALES ENGAGEMENT CALENDAR….and it is no where to be found.  I even sent an e-mail to the CW peeps!  Not only do I like the art, but I also LOVE the quality – the spiral binding, the heavy glossy Monthly Dividers….and it even has a NOTES and ADDRESSES Sections.

I got out a few of my PAST CALENDARS – sleuth work in progress……oh no, I think I see a pattern.  I have the 2007, 2009 and 2011 calendars.  COULD IT BE THAT THEY ONLY MAKE THIS CALENDAR IN ODD YEARS?  HM….looks like I may be out of luck in 2012.  We may be seeing a GROWN WOMAN CRY soon.  :)

A pattern?

Anyway – after driving up and down Midlothian Turnpike on Saturday, I finally  just GAVE UP!  I even left my Virginia Scrappers meeting a bit early to allow for extended AISLE BY AISLE shopping time.

Sunday (after first GOOGLING THE ADDRESS OF THE NEW HOBBY LOBBY to put into my GPS) I set out with high hopes – FINALLY – to get to see the new Hobby Lobby.

EXCITEMENT - I found it!

Here it is – I whipped out my camera – as I always do when I am about to do something exciting.  CLICK…..ok…..ready to go inside. I was so excited that I forgot to notice where I parked my car!

OH NO - closed on Sundays

Groan…….and did you notice that there were other cars in the parking lot?  There was a steady stream of potential shoppers walking to the door – only to read the sign and sadly walking back to their cars.   GOODNESS GRACIOUS – I am all for worship – but I hadn’t anticipated this one!

Well, they say that MISERY LOVES COMPANY – but I didn’t feel all that wonderful – and the other SAD SHOPPERS did nothing to cheer me up either.  :):):)

Monday was SWEET FROG day  (Grandangel Cooper’s school was benefitting from the frozen yogurt sales for the day) and HOBBY LOBBY was in the same area – so I decided to try it ONE MORE TIME!  If I didn’t meet with success, I could still cheer myself up with a cup of frozen yogurt smothered with fruit and nuts!  LOVE SWEET FROG – it is on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS!

SWEET FROG

Well, as they say – the THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM…..I found HOBBY LOBBY and I got into HOBBY LOBBY!

AND……..EVERYTHING WAS ON SALE.   It was a feast for the eyes!

If you decide to go, sign up for the e-mails and you will get the weekly 40% off coupon in the mail.  (Thanks for that tip Kathy O.)

I thoroughly enjoyed myself but I couldn’t help but wonder if they are going to be able to compete in the local market, because Hobby Lobby doesn’t accept the 10% off Quilter’s Card Plan that Joann’s and Hancock’s do…..and from what my humble eye could behold I didn’t  think they had many things that the others did not have.  I don’t imagine that many serious quilters would shop there for fabric.

However they do score high on customer service.  There were at least THREE times as many employees as customers in there on Monday, and they were all so ready and willing to help.  I even found one nice guy who could translate the GERMAN on the package of some modeling clay that I was trying to purchase.  THERE WAS NOT ONE WORD OF ENGLISH on this package and I needed to know if it was the air or oven dry type.  WHERE ELSE COULD YOU FIND A GERMAN TRANSLATOR FREE OF CHARGE!

Sales!

HM….I wonder if PURPLE PANDA QUILTS would accept store bought Christmas Stockings  for the foster children – there are some cute ones here!  I will have to ask her!

OOOOOPS

I was having such a wonderful time until I saw this little display….

…..and that made me REMEMBER that I have not completed even one pair of knitted socks.  I did get motivated to make my second sock – but now I can’t find the first one…….so that put a damper on my WILL TO CONQUER!  :)

SO – to knit socks or not to knit socks – that is the question.  If I SAY YES, then I need to buy sock yarn and start over.  I need to think hard about this question because January 1st is when I make my TO DO LIST for 2012.  Knitting a pair of socks has been on that TO DO LIST for more years than I can even remember ……. and I am SO CLOSE to doing it……..so close…….

AT LEAST I HAVE A PICTURE of the one sock that I knitted – and I am sure that I put it in a LOGICAL PLACE.  I am SO ORGANIZED that everything is put away – I just need a system for KNOWING WHERE I PUT THINGS AWAY!  loll

MY LOST SOCK

OK – so I  have decided (I think fast!) – IF I find the first sock, then I will finish the second.  Look how far I am on the  second one!

Sock #2

HERE ARE ELEVEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT CAMPING

#1  I love sleeping in a tent.

Our cozy tent

I especially like sleeping in a tent when it is COLD and there are LOTS of blankets – six of us filled this tent with wall-to-wall blankets, stuffed animals, sleeping bags and pillows!   There are PEOPLE SLEEPING in this picture but it was so cold that heads were hidden – tucked under pillows.  :)

Tent stuffed with fun!

#2  I always have unique scientific experiences while camping

Camping is educational….for example, you can learn firsthand about CONDENSATION…..our tent was covered with it when we woke up in the mornings!

Condensation

I am not complaining at all about all of that CONDENSATION because we had lots of creature comforts – like LIGHTS IN OUR TENT! That lantern lit up the entire tent!

All of the comforts of home

#3 The Games

We took a BAG of games – like UNO, DOMINOES, BATTLE SHIP, and RING TOSS!

I think ring toss was my favorite.  See that little opening in the tent above the lantern?    We tossed our little LIGHT UP RINGS back and forth across this opening…..WHY?  Because….just because.    It was fun to see those little circles of light flying around the tent.  Grandangels Sarah and Leanna were on one side with me – DD Christi and DSIL Greg with Grandangel Cooper were on the other side.     There were no winners or losers – just flying lit-up rings and lots of laughter!  I can hear the giggles in my mind and heart right now!

One landed on my purse!

#4 The Food ALWAYS TASTES BETTER cooked over a fire

The food was memorable on our camping trip.

I LOVED SIPPING STARBUCKS COFFEE IN THE MORNING WHILE SITTING AROUND A BLAZING FIRE!

Our campsite had electricity!

Breakfast was an adventure……we had pancakes, eggs, sausage, cereal, OJ …….and even hotdogs!!  My DDSIL, Greg, made breakfast and it was delightful.  The FIRST PANCAKES are never as pretty as the subsequent ones….:)

My DSIL made the delicious pancakes *they were ACTUALLY GOOD!

One of the RULES of camping is TO HAVE FUN and if you want a HOT DOG FOR BREAKFAST – why not?  Grandangel Sarah did just that!

Sarah had a hot dog for breakfast!

Yummy?

Speaking of food – there is nothing quite so dreamy as a SMORES with a little blackened marshmallow.  YUM

Grandangel Leanna LOVES SMORES

#5  The Campfires

I don’t know what my FAVORITE PART of camping is but I sure do like the evening fireside times….can’t you just smell the fresh air and the aroma of burning wood?

Fireside fun

#6  Roughing it

I really enjoy imagining what it was like for the early pioneers – they really had to rough it.  No electric coffee pots either.  I actually smiled when I climbed out of my tent and looked at the row of WET SANDY SHOES waiting to be worn!

Cold wet sandy shoes....AH.... LOVE ROUGHING IT

I even wore socks with my Birkenstocks – but I think I was the ONLY one who thought it looked cool!  LOL

Cute? Black socks with my Birkenstocks - anyone can wear running shoes!

#7  I Loved Walking the Trails

There were lots of trails to explore.

I was enamored with the Spanish Moss

Loved the early SIGNS OF AUTUMN

Does anyone else think this is BEAUTIFUL?

#8  I LOVE the people who were with me on the trails!

My DD and Grandangels, Sarah, Leanna and Cooper

Cute deer on the trails!

Don't we look like seasoned hikers?

Three happy grandangels!

The Beach Path

Grandangel Leanna loved hunting for sand crab

Flying a kite was one of the highlight of our two beach days!

We loved flying the kite!

Sand - blue skies - good wind - grandangel = happiness

#10 Sunset

I don’t know what it is about a sunset, but it is simply exhilarating.  I think it is even better AT THE BEACH!

Beautiful sky!

Playing NETLESS Badminton at sunset

#11 Tree Climbing

I love to take photos of the grandangels climbing trees!  They have such wonderful trees at the Virginia Beach Campsite!

Cooper and Leanna in one of the trees

 

HIGH UP IN THE TREE!

 

I wanted to climb those trees – but I didn’t have tree-climbing shoes!  But, I couldn’t fight the urge – so I climbed up on a not so high branch in my trusty Birkenstocks!  It was really fun!

I did climb on a low branch - just couldn't resist!

 

So there you have it – just a few of the reasons why I love camping!  It is a tradition and I want to repeat this fun at least once a year for my birthday celebration! 

Catherine and I had a wonderful day exploring the antique shops and the quilt store in Gloucester.  Catherine found a WONDERFUL crib (perfect for displaying quilts!!)  She also found a high chair/combination potty chair……it was lots of fun!!!  I have to say that exploring antique stores is one of my FAVORITE THINGS TO DO!!!!

After the “excitement” of the earthquake we enjoyed the meeting of the Gloucester Quilt Guild – and Catherine WAS THE PROGRAM.  It was really interesting too.  Catherine developed a technique to run tear away stabilizer through the printer and then layer it into works of art.  As always, Catherine’s creativity and humorous delivery was a big hit!

I got inspired to tie dye some muslin – I thought it would be fun to use it in a quilt back.  I used the kind of dye that comes in a packet – and you just put it into your washing machine with salt…..and VOILA…….IT WAS FUN …. and I like it!  I am happy to say that after running the washer again, I found no PINK after effects!!!!

I recommend this – I always love to try NEW THINGS – and I am so happy with the results!

It is sao’s ROAD TO BROWNWOOD QUILT (a Judy Laquidara design – the pattern is on her website at www.patchworktimes.com)  Last week I made the border blocks and the other borders *it seems like that always takes me a LONG TIME.  I love pieced borders.

Now, this week,  I have to make the back and binding…..and VOILA, it is ready to be quilted!

sao's Road To Brownwood

AND…..ta da…..also on my design floor (to admire because I made these last week) …..

My first ever POSTCARDS for the RMQG swap in June.  They are fabric on the front and scrapbook paper on the back…….with FAST2FUSE in the middle to make them stiff and ready to mail!  Our CHALLENGE was to make them seasonal….and so *as you can guess* mine are fall.  I figured EVERYONE would choose Spring or Summer – so I decided to be different.  I love FALL and WINTER too – and came pretty close to putting snowpeople on mine.  LOL

sao's FALL POSTCARDS

When I said GO – they both scattered and picked out ONE OUTFIT for the OTHER ONE to try on.  I think they did a fantastic job.

Leanna picked out Sarah's outfit

Sarah picked out Leanna's outfit

Isn’t this a great way to PLAY DRESS UP! AND…..TA DA…..here they are!

Grandangels posing with their outfits!

It was a pretty good “MARKETING STRATEGY” too because Leanna ending up purchasing her pants and hat!!!

I don’t know if I have SPECIFICALLY SAID THIS BEFORE…..but grandangels are on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS!