What a Week

We got home Saturday evening, but I'm still trying to come down from the wonderful vacation we had last week.

Where were we?

For a whole week we called this place home:

Last October we received an email from my dad saying that he and my mom wanted to take us four kids and spouses on a cruise in March to celebrate their 60th anniversary. I read the email to Hubby, we looked at each other and quickly decided we had nothing planned for the third week a March and I hit "reply" (four minutes after the email was received) and said "We're in!"

We had such a fun week. We all were so happy to get away from the Midwest yucky weather and be in the warm sunshine.

Friday, the 15th we all flew from our homes and met in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Here's the view from our airplane window as we waited to pull away from the gate:

The plane then needed to be de-iced:

 I've never seen that done, so it was kind of interesting. Even if it did make the flight late and made our connection in Dallas quite close. But we made it and so did our luggage. We had no time for lunch, but thanks to Hubby enouraging us to buy some snacks beforehand, we didn't starve too bad. We did get something to eat at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale before we waited 45 minutes for the hotel shuttle.

(Is it any wonder that I am not a fan of flying? Too many details, too much stress.)

As Hubby and I were waiting for the shuttle, my sister and brother-in-law walked up! (They were coming from central Illinois.)

We all met up at the hotel, hugged, talked for a while, watched a little Iowa State basketball, then headed to bed.

On Saturday we all piled into another shuttle to take us to the cruise ship. I took this photo with my phone over my shoulder of my dad, brother-in-law and sisters and sister-in-law behind me.

It's a pretty bad quality picture, but it's still fun!

Getting on the ship went pretty smoothly and quickly. Our staterooms were all in a row. Here's a shot of us all watching from our balconies as the ship pulled away from the dock.

 I cannot even express how beautiful it was to look at the blue ocean and the beach. Such a treat after a long dreary winter!

I stayed out on my balcony a little longer than everyone else. And I was treated to seeing dolphins jumping out of the water! It was a fun couple of minutes!

Our stateroom was comfy and cozy.

We were on our way to a wonderful week!!!

More to come....

Sixty

Today my parents celebrate their Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary! In honor of their anniversary I had some sweets made:

Yes, that is their wedding picture on one of those M&Ms. So fun! I've always wanted to get those personalized  M&Ms and finally found a good reason to!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you play games of luck/chance for money? Have you ever played bingo for money? Visited a casino?  Placed a bet on a horse? Bought a lottery ticket?
No. No. Briefly. No. No. (I'll explain the "Briefly" answer. Years ago, Hubby spent a week in San Juan, Puerto Rico on business. I flew down to spend a long weekend with him. The hotel he was staying in had a casino. So one night we wandered through and agreed to spend $20 on the slot machines. Which we promptly lost. We decided it was equal to flushing the $20 down the toilet. Pointless and a waste.)

2.  Will you be preparing and/or dining on the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage meal this St. Patrick's Day?
I don't believe I have ever eaten the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage meal on St. Patrick's day or any other day.
This St. Patrick's Day I will be basking in warmth and color somewhere in the Caribbean. Ahhhhh!
Last year I made this cake on St. Patrick's Day. It was more to honor my Swedish grandpa's birthday. It was on March 17th.

Mashed-baked-hash browned-french fried...your favorite way to have potatoes?
Yes-Yes-Yes-Yes. I'm not picky on how my potatoes are prepared. :)

3. What's the last thing you felt 'green with envy' over?
Reading people's blogs who live in the south and are talking about spring. We got 6 or 7 inches of snow Monday. Blech.

4.  What's at the end of your rainbow?
A big change in our lives. Hopefully.

5. March 12th marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank (June 12, 1929-March 12, 1945).  Anne's diary detailing her time spent hiding from the Nazi's during the war ranks as one of the best selling books of all time.  Besides your blog, do you keep any sort of diary or journal?  Was this a habit you developed as a child or is journaling something new for you?
I have never done much journal-ing in my life. I tried to keep one when I was in junior high. But I wasn't very good at it. I've looked at it recently and it's filled mostly with which boy I thought was cute that week. You know, stuff a 13-14 year old girl thinks about.
(We visited Anne Frank's place of hiding in Amsterdam in 2001. Very interesting and very sobering.

6. What's an item in your home or closet that contains every color of the rainbow?
I think I'd have to say my sewing room. No contest. There is so much fabric in there and in probably any color imaginable. :) It's wonderful. :)

7.  Write a limerick with you as the subject.  You can do it!!  Just remember this is a family friendly blog...don't make me get out my wooden spoon. 

There once was a lady who quilted
She sewed until she wilted
The quilts they were pretty
One was even itty-bitty
But none one them were gilted

(Oh my goodness that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever written!!! Ha ha ha!)
(You cannot imagine the stress when I read the phrase "Write a limerick." I never ever excelled at that part of school. Ever.)

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I laughed out loud yesterday afternoon as I was watching TV in my sewing room.  The national news interrupted the programming with a Special News Bulletin to say that no Pope has been chosen. Huh? A news bulletin saying that nothing has happened? Someone needs to read this book.

Red and White

I posted this picture of the pieces of a quilt I started on several weeks ago:::

The last several days I've been pushing myself with working on my red and white quilt. I've sewn several strips like this:::

After lots and lots of cutting I ended up with a pile like this:::

And then, after lots and lots of ironing, I have a pile of scrappy four patches:::

Just a few more steps to turn these into the block I need.

Can you see the two different blocks on my design wall in the second picture? Those are the blocks that will make up the quilt.

Getting closer....

Creativity

I've decided and observed lately that we all have some kind of creativity in us that we just have to express.

Examples:

Hubby: He loves to play the piano. I am so blessed to be treated to mini-concerts several times a week. He likes to create spreadsheets. :)

Me: I like to sew. I first learned to sew when I was 9 years old. The first thing I made was a laundry bag. I still have it. I sewed garments for myself for years. Now I make quilts. There is just something about cutting up a slab of fabric and then sewing it back together into something totally different (& useful) that is very satisfying. I also like to cook and bake. I find great satisfaction in making food that pleases the people I make it for.

Daughter: She is loving having her own kitchen and learning to cook all sort of new recipes. (And she's very, very good at it!) She also plays the piano and had the most beautiful singing voice. I miss hearing those around the house. Even when she was a toddler, she would walk around the house humming. She also has dabbled in a bit of sewing, thanks to her grandma, who taught her the basics.

Son-in-law: He likes to play the guitar. He creates things from wood (snow-shoes, a small wooden box, a plaque for hooks to hang clothing on). He ties his own flies for fishing. He cooks very well. (I used to love to invite him over when we lived in the same town and have him cook dinner for us!) He loves to garden.

Daughter-in-law: She likes to cook and bake. She makes cute little decorations for their apartment. She likes to dabble in sewing.

Son: He loves music. (We first noticed that when he was about 18 months old.) He knows how to play a saxophone, the piano, and the guitar. He listens to all sorts of different types of music. He still likes LEGOS. His grandparents gave him his first little LEGO tractor when he was 2 1/2. He finds a lot of enjoyment out of creating things from LEGOS.


So you see, all of us (and I'm talking more than just my family) have a creative side and a need to express it.

What are you creative at?

Monday Morning.

Blech. That's what this Monday is like. It snowed some overnight, only about 3 or 4 inches. Hubby took my four-wheel drive car to work so I'm stranded at home looking at the vastness of white, brown, light gray, dark gray and medium gray out the window. We're supposed to get more snow. Yippee.

I have a severe case of cabin fever. I am sooooo tired of winter! One day last week it was 36 degrees and a little bit sunny so I didn't wear my coat when I dashed to the post office to mail a package. Daring. Or maybe desperate for winter to be over. Either one.

Saturday I did actually see a sky that looked a funny shade of blue. Only funny, because we rarely see blue sky up here in the North Land in winter.

Saturday, Hubby and I went off on a shopping excursion. We had some birthday shopping to do for our firstborn. Even though his birthday isn't until towards the end of the month, I will have his package in the mail next week. Why? Because in less than two weeks WE ARE GOING ON A CRUISE! To the Caribbean!

I may have mentioned that before, but after the weather and dull winter I am SO EXCITED to be somewhere warm and see color.

My parents celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in March and are treating their kids and spouses to a cruise to celebrate. WAY COOL!

Hubby and I even bought a few new clothes for ourselves while we were shopping. You know, shorts, short sleeved shirts, stuff like that!

Speaking of shopping, has any one else noticed how many places have awards type programs? It seems like you can't shop without being asked if you are a member of an awards program. I heard this at multiple clothing stores (even at an outlet mall), a bookstore, a grocery store and even restaurants. Sometimes I would just like to buy without being questioned and "informed" about the program and then looked at like I'm a tad nuts for not being interested.

Okay. I'm done with my Monday rant. Time to fold laundry and eat lunch. Yes. I lead an exciting life. Not.

A Lifesaver Hodgepodge

I have been struggling to find something to write about lately. There is just not much happening to produce much fodder for this here blog. I have really, really liked writing  on this blog for the last five plus years. I don't want to hang it up, I'd miss it too much.

It's times like this that I am happy that Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond hosts the Wednesday Hodgepodge. It gives me some great ideas to write about. Let's face it: it just gives me something to write!

 

 
1.  When were you last facing an ocean? Using just ONE word, describe how you felt as you faced that ocean.
Does the Gulf of Mexico count as the ocean? We were in Galveston, Texas a year ago last December. My one word? WOW. (The ocean is so vast!)

2. What are three sounds you hate to hear?
A dog barking incessantly.
The sound that happens when a car hits another car. (Thankfully haven't heard that for a long time.)
Snowmobiles in the field next to our house. They tend to idle right by our house. They are loud.

3. When you shop for yourself, do you try everything on in the store before buying or do you buy, try on at home, and then return what you don't like or what doesn't fit?
I try things on in the store. The main reason for that is that I live, at the least, 60 miles from stores I like to shop in (i.e. not WalMart). It would be a pain to have to drive 60 miles back just to return things. I do order plenty of things online. If I need to return one of those items, I will try to coordinate it with a trip to the city that has the store. I'm cheap when it comes to having to pay postage. I know, I know. It costs money to drive somewhere. I guess I'll take any excuse to drive somewhere that has actual stores and real restaurants.

4. February 26th is National Pistachio Day...are you a fan of the little green nut? Do you use them in cooking and baking or prefer to eat them right out of the shell?
Yes, I like pistachios. I love to just eat them right out of the shell.

5. When did you last have to compromise with someone?  Were you happy to reach the compromise or slightly irritated it was necessary? 
My last compromise was likely with my hubby. I don't remember details. But the likelihood that I pouted is quite high. I tend to pout and then I have to have a talk with myself to shape up. (Maybe someday I'll grow up. There's always hope!)

6.  Have you ever written a letter to an elected official? Did you get a response?
Nope.

7. We 'March' into a new month at the end of this week...what's something on your March calendar guaranteed to make you smile?
Ahhhhhhh! (That's me screaming with excitement...) In a couple of weeks we are meeting my parents and my siblings and siblings-in-law in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to go on a week-long cruise to celebrate my parents' 60 wedding anniversary. (Can you imagine being married for SIXTY YEARS? I hope I am blessed with that!) I am very much looking forward to being warm. That makes me smile just thinking about it. Warm. No coats. Capris. Sandals. Ahhhh!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I'm also looking forward to a trip to the southern Carolina in April. Spring should be in full swing there. (Definitely won't be here in Minnesota.) We hope to combine some pleasure along with the business Hubby has to do there.