Turtle Trax Too

He's back and updated for 2009! Look ------------------>

I thought really thought I was being a good girl with my UFOs! Evidently I have a problem. Not one I plan on fixing but a problem just the same. I spent some time cleaning my sewing room today and trying to take stock of just waht I had. Yeah........Well I found a few other little tucked away UFOs. Not big one but ones I have had for like a gazillion years just the same. I did finish my final count. 30 ........I was at like 19! I would update my turtle but one of those widget things I lost in the blog change was my turtle. For the life of me I cant remember or find where I got it from. So if anyone knows of that site could you let me know?I want my turtle back. We leave for baby visit in 6 days! I kept thinking I had all the time in the world. I have 2 customer quilts to get done. Thats freaking me out a little as we are still battling -20 weather. So I havent been able to work. My little electric heaters just cant cut that kind of weather. Wonderful hubby is not back yet from Valdez....

"The History of 'APRONS' I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,because she only had a few,it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for Removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In t...

To a 3 column blog format was not easy! I lost half my pictures and whatever it is they call widgets. Thats ok though. I have always disliked the 2 column.It just didnt seem right to me. It is a whopping -23 out right now and my car wont start.So boarder boy is going to miss German. As he crawled back into bed I think I saw a smile. He hates getting up in the morning. All this cold weather though means that I cant work. Still having heater problems. Today being super Tuesday means I get to clean house but after I am done I get to play. I kind of hope tomorrow is this cold too! Wonderful hubby left for Valdez at 6 this morning. The refinery Petro Star had a fire Sunday night and over half(?) burned down. Thank heavens no one was hurt.But of course there is some major work to be done and he has equipment that needs to be pulled out and replaced. He is one of 12 that get to go into the refinery today so he can assess. I will give you a sneak peak at what youngest daughter and I are playin...

I have been battling a sinus infection for about a week. I always get this time of year. No humidity here is brutal. I thought I had gotten the upper hand. Yesterday though I woke up and thought literally I was going to die. I am pretty sure I uttered it a few times. So wonderful hubby packed me into the car and took me to the doctors. If you can belive this though we dont have ONE walk in clinic anymore! I had to wait until 1 o clock fo an appointment. Then of course you wait another hour or so beofre you can even see a doctor.By then I had a full blown migrane. The wonderful doctor now my hero took one look at me with my hair on end and still wearing jammies and said wow you must really be feeling bad today.Lol. Hubby found great humor in this. He did give me a perscription but he also had a nurse come in and give me a couple injections in the nether regions. Shes all appologetic about it and keeps saying shes sorry its goona hurt. I couldnt of cared less. I will tell you that about ...

And I havent posted any little man photos lately. I could post one every day literally but I dont want to bore yall. But this one you HAVE to see. Oh my goodness only 2 weeks and 1 day and then I get to snuggle with this little guy! I started off today pretty good. But didnt make it very far. By about noon I started feeling really cold and my whole body hurt. So I went back to bed with the heating pad. About an hour later I was fine.Very strange. After my little nap I did get some work done. Not in Gracie house but on some UFOs. I also started my list for 2009. I included some projects that I just started this last month. Unfortunately that bumped the number up but thank heavens I am not at as high a number as I was before. I am hoping to still get a couple more moving before the first. I had fun yesterday. I put the handles on a couple purses I had knitted and then felted and finished the 3 aprons I had started.I have a BIG surprise for the month of Feb. That will be my one year an...

I am defeated. I tried so hard today to make a good batch of marshmallows. Its just not going to happen. In fact the last batch is SO bad that I am afraid of it! It is definitey of a brownish color and the peppermint oil I put in was a tad bit stronger then I had at first thought. There HAS to be some sort of self help group for people like me. They did set up but I was never ever able to get them cooked without burning them.So Marshmallow 169 Becca-0. I am now going to go back into the sewing room where I can piece curves, bind a mean corner, and make perfect star points. Well perfect to me anyways.I am going to stay OUT of the kitchen and let you baker type people know you are truly my heros! I WILL NOT be tempted by you again though!Ü

I ran across these. They were taken last year at the North Slope. Sunset in July at 4:45. Must of been on the camera from one of the work trips. OK so I have been blog surfing today.What I have discovered is that about a dozen people who attempted to make marshmallows did in fact successfully make them this week! So I am armed with a new recipie (thank you Jan) and tomorrow I am going to stop procrastinating and show then stinkin marshmallows who is boss! I havent been feeling all that great so i have been doing a lot of nothing. I need to change that tomorrow. I have at times worked on some top secret aprons.hee hee.All pretty and glitzy and for many people who shall remain nameless at this point. I may share pictures of 3 that will be going off to cali soon though. One of my bff's is going to have a fancy schmancy tea party.Sooooooooo. What are yall up to this weekend? Oh yeah it was unanimous! My New Business name when it is needed will be Turtle Trax! Thanks Ladies yall are...

This is way too early to be concerned about this but today is one of those days. I am missing my traveler girl, I am a tad depressed, and I cant seem to get motivated. So I am obsessing over this one thing. My business name.Yall thought I was talking about something else huh? Nope, its my business name. When I picked the name Storm At Sea it was totally because I had like ten minutes to come up with something.It didnt ring bells and their is no attatchment. So with the whole move looming over our heads I am thinking it may be a good time...Its not like I am nationally known or anything.Just locally.Not really for my quilting either, more for getting in trouble. So what do yall thing? I could totally change my business name to something else.Like Lafonda...Sorry bad Napolean Dynamite flashback....Really I was thinking that Turtle Trax might be good.Minot ND just happens to be at the base of the turtle mountains. (really how cool is that!)

I would SO have stopped and sang the oscar meyer song though!

Today is the 5th Anniversary of the day we adopted our youngest.This photo was taken right after the adoption. We had always talked about having 4 kids but after 2 high risk pregnancies I was told no more. Thats ok we had 2 beautiful healthy kids. Very blessed.One of my BFFs would always play the what if game with me. You know what if you had the money to internationally adopt would you? What if a relative needed you to take a child would you? My answer was always the same. The only way we would adopt would be if a child landed on our door step.Whatever way that happened. Famous last words.Who knew? Who knew I would be all the way in New york when I would find out a child needed help. Who knew that my wonderful hubby would have us signed up for foster care before I got home.Who knew that we would be parents again before the next week was over. Literally fell on our door step. 2 1/2 hard years later it bacame official though, it was one of the best days of our lives. We are truly truly...

Cheryl and Karen have won ALL whining rights! When it gets to -30 anything even with windchill thats cold! The year traveler girl was born was the last time I remember being that cold. We were so so so poor and of course young and pregnant. We were living in a mobile home that we were hoping to purchase. With wind chill the temp dropped to 60 below.Our propane froze up and in a matter of minutes ALL my plants had dies.The ones that were by walls actually froze to the walls. It took me about 10 minutes to waddle around and grab the animals , then wonderful hubby and I went to his parents. I never went back to the mobile home. As far as I was concerned Anything with that thin of walls was not wher I was going to live. It took me a few years to realize in -60 ther arent thick enough walls! I was young and being from cali well, I have stories on how stupid I was.Lol. I truly thought you moved into a place and called all the utility companies to turn everything on. Septic, well, power lines...

Yup I am SO excited to go out and work. My heater still doesnt work.The part we ordered is still sitting at the store.Great place for it huh. So I am still using little portable electric heaters. I turn them off when I am not in there.So it takes a while to warm up. I have lost two days this week, one to no electricity and one to heat.So think of me today,I will be going to work looking like this! Just for your viewing pleasure. My beautiful fav cuz and handsome little man 11 days old.

I SHOULD have said Marshmallow mess part 1! It all started out fine. I followed all the directions to the tee. It was looking pretty. The part where I think I went wrong was in doubling the batch. Im not sure on that though. It could be that my mixer is going to die. I just couldnt get them to set up! I beat and beat and beat. But when I poured them into the pan they still were not forming peaks. But I didnt know what to do so I just poured anyways. It wasnt as if it was runny but it just wasnt right. This recipie was supposed to be fool proof! HA! They hadnt met me had they. What I decided was to just leave them overnight and deal with it in the morning! Maybe they will harden enough that I can cut cute shapes out and pretend.Ü.It does taste good.That much I did right. This is what I found in my sewing room this morning! Only a child of a quilter or seamstress can find a way to express this without paper.Lol This is what I got done today. Its a customer quilt. The same drop and run ...

This is not a happy day. I have changed my mind and she needs to come back! I know she needs to do this and it will be good for her but she is like my right hand! She does all my errands for me and laughs at my stupid jokes. HOW does one do all their errands when they dont have a teenager? I need something from the grocery store and dang it I am going to have to go myself! I hate hate hate leaving my house to go to the grocery store. My mom called this morning to make sure she had packed a coat (always a mom) and I told her NOT to be too nice as I want my traveler girl to come home! She just laughed.Kind of a wicked laugh if you ask me too. Well I guess I will be counting the days until the 6th.That is when the rest of us fly to my fav. cuz.s house to play with the baby and we will meet them there. Just in case you were wondering THIS is what 50 pink flamingos look like in a big box! Meet Tango.I dogsat her today. She comes and visits me quite often. Her owner is one of boarder boys f...

O.k I did it to myself. No one to blame but me well and the unnamed so called BBF in Cali. Who WILL be paid back. At 1 a.m. I made myself turn the computer off.It was so unbelivably hard as I just knew that next woot was going to be something I needed! At 7 this morning wonderful hubby got up to take oldest daughter to Anchorage (she will be known now as traveler girl) to leave me and visit grandparents in Cali. I am having a hard time with her leaving me if you cant tell. Any ways I jumped out of bed bounded down the stairs tripping over a box holding 50 pink flamingos, grabbed a cuppa, kissed traveler girl goodbye, and glued myself back to the computer for the next woot.I scored 3 8 gb sd cards for 14$ a piece! That is a smokin deal for here. I had to have them shipped to my moms but thats o.k. she will send them on to me.I missed the ipod deal whatever that was. Darn my need for sleep! I will just bet yall are wondering what I am doing with a huge box of 50 pink flamingos. Well trut...

Have any of yall ever heard of this website? http://www.woot.com/ I would like to thank a BBF of mine in Cali.YOU know who you are and YOU know what you did! Its horrible! I havent bought anything but I am obsessed with the Woot of the day. Today ofcourse is a wootoff. That means as soon as they sell out of an item they change to a new one. Most of the items arent really of use to me but there have been a couple I would have liked. UNFORTUNATLY they do not ship to Alaska. What is up with that? So by the time I get my mothers address typed in and then my billing address typed in the item is sold out! Argh. Thanks BFF remind me to return the favour and teach you to quilt!

Third cup in front of me and all I want to do is crawl back in bed. Its ten oclock! We lost power for a few hours yesterday. Boarder boy about put me in a straight jacket. That poor boy is very dependent on electricity. He finally found something to entertain him. He found that if he poked holes in the big 4 wick candle that we had going on the counter that the wax would create a river down the counter top. He then could create dams and divert it whichever way he wanted. You know what? I let him. It was sooooooooooo much easier then listening to the complaining. My new camera came in the mail yesterday.Woooohoooooo! I can now take some pictures of projects I got done. I completed my first pair of slippers so now I am ready to make the pair that I will send to my swap partner.Ü I looooove them. I may be making a few more of them.So easy. Dont you love fast projects that give you instant gratification? I also can take a picture of my fancy schmancy apron I got from Kristen J. She did a f...

I open my big mouth and brag that I am caught up on work, someone Puleeeeeze come slap me! Why dont I know better? Most all others know that when you say something outloud like that you will be proven wrong! Within an hour after uttering those fateful words I had 3 more quilts. I JUST finished work for the day and it is sunday! That is just oh so very wrong. I was so hoping to play this week. But now I will be working all day Monday and Wednesday. So far it looks like I may MAY get Thursday off. But I am not holding my breath. So much for working on slippers today. The sort of slumber party went off with a bang! It was actually quite a blast. I even heard little girls say they didnt want to go home. Wow that is a huge compliment in my book. I dont even want to be here half the time and they loved it here! We sang high school music karoake on the wii and then dance dance revolution. I am a clumsy oaf on that but I did actually do some singing. I have been told by my youngest not to qu...

Before I explain the title I have to share my latest little man picture. The red mark by his eyes was caused by being shoved up against my poor fav. cuz's tailbone. The reason for the emergency c section. I am going to be a hopeless besotted mess with my first grandchild. Its not going to be pretty. They may have to lock me up! Ok I will dish on the slippers. I signed up for a slipper swap. Does that not sound like a blast! I have told yall before I am a swap addict. I love little projects to make and then swapping them. I cant wait to show you what I am going to make next month.But that will have to wait. OK now to explain the title. Today I have 12 little 8-10 year olds coming over for a mock slumber party. From noon until 6 we will be pretending we are having a sleepover, watching highschool musical, and singing karoke. I (actually oldest daughter) am going to make cupcakes and then we will let each little girl frost and decorate with any of the 50 different bags of candy they...

I havent posted any fiber content in a really long time! One might wonder if I am just a lot of talk and no action! Lately its ALL about the customers. I always shake my head at this time of year at the panic that goes across the faces of normally very calm people. I have one lady a new quilter who just finished her first quilt for her hubby. She drops it off in a run and tells me after I can look at it to call her and let her know how much. I know why she was running. She didnt attach the borders or get her backing ready. So I called her and gave her a quote for all of the above. I hear a gulp and then can you please fit me in?????? Sure, I can, I really dont need to sleep this week. I can do that next week. Ü This is the back of one of mine. I took the picture with my camera phone since I STILL dont have my new camera in. I used wool batting and am so much in love with wool that I want a whole bolt of it! This was just an all over free hand. It looks messy but its not really. I am bi...

you want to crawl into bed at 7 p.m. after work because you are sore and you are hearing pops and cracks when you stretch. Well I guess its either that or I am very very out of shape. Sigh. I guess that could be it but the solution would be to excercise more. I choose bed! I had SUCH a bad night last night. Wonderful hubby left at 11. So of course no sleep. Plus we were arguing when he left. Not a big deal but I hate it when we are irritated at each other. Especially when he is leaving.Then oldest wakes up with a toothache. She says its been hurting for a few days. I could only look at her and think just HOW much trouble would I get into for throttling her! She leaves for my parents in a week and JUST now she tells me her tooth has been hurting for awhile? aaaaaargh. But then I got this................... Tices coming home Pic. All of a sudden nothing else mattered. Look at my beautiful little sugar bear. Cant you just see he is dreaming about snuggling with his favorite cuz, me! Oo...

Boy oh boy yesterday was a long day. I did get out of that basket Freda!hahahahah. By the time I went to bed last night though I was so tired I couldnt think straight. Thats not totally unusual but this time it was worse.Not that I did anything physical mind you just an emotionally tiring day. Right before I left the house last evening though my oldest brings me in the mail. The second part to my secret stitcher gift. WOW! First thought was How in the heck does this lady know me so well! Then I got all weepy. I cant tell you what this little guy meant to me at that time. Hardest thing in the world for me not to be with my favorite cuz. I immediately put him on and havent taken him off. He is so wonderful and I really really love him. Thank you for spoiling me beyond belief! Now look at this little man! He is just the sweetest thing I have seen! I am counting down the days till I can go love on him. Wonderful hubby being the guy I love so much snuck into my email last night and emailed ...

8 pounds 14 ounces 20inches long Tice was born at 3:30 p.m. (alaska time) today. It was rough and I have been a basket case ALL day. My favorite cuz went into labor at 3:30 a.m. By about 3 today becuse of some complications they had to get her in and get him out. All is well now though. I cant wait to talk to her tomorrow after she has had a good nights sleep.I will post a pic of our sweetie as soon as I get it!

My poor favorite cuz. Tomorrow she is a week over due. She says she is not too miserable but she is one of those.You know those happy cheerleader types. I on the other hand when I am not talking to her and being upbeat and postive, feel like kicking something. Instead I went shopping. I started out looking for something for my secret stitcher. I really did. But what I wound up doing was buying a wallet on Donney&Bourkes sale page.Then I visited Jans page so I had to go buy the new fiesta ware chocolate color. Oy vey. I STILL dont have a secret stitcher gift! Jan this pics for you! This is my youngest with her (Now this is in her words not mine) demented baby! At least its smiling! Ok my mojo was SO blown yesterday I carried it over to today. I only accomplished a nap today. Jan you asked what was in my coffee. Well normally I think its just that I am hyper. I mean hyper. I drive my poor wonderful hubby nuts with how much I bounce. Today however I think he slipped me something to c...

Thats what he did. Sigh. Wonderful Hubby came home early today from a job he was working on. I am happy he is home but I had such a great groove going! I hate working when he is home.He doesnt care but there is just something not right about him being home and me working. So instead I am wandering around the internet getting into trouble. Am I paying bills? Or doing something constructive? Nope. I am looking at crafts that I totally dont need to do but I am going to do.Ü.I have now added to my ever growing list a wool journal cover. I love the ones Betz White has listed on her ETSY shop. I need a wool journal cover to house my ever growing list right? I have also added to my list sleep masks for the upcoming mock slumber party for youngest daughter and a dog quilt for my oldest daughters dog. Yes seriously. I saw the cutest one but forgot to bookmark it. I will find it again and then post it.Someday. I really need a grandchild.I mean really really need one. I made a few more hooter hid...

Ok I am SO not fighting the drag tool. So I guess the first pics will be the last ones I wanted to share with you from the trip to China. This is the stadium in Shenyang they built for the Olympic Soccer games. WHo knew when we were watching it that Wonderful hubby would actually get to go there! This rock is by the great wall. The writing on it says one step east of evil. North Korea is right on the other side of that fence.The man with my man is his boss Mike. His brother died in the war there so this was an emotional journey but good for him. This rock they were unable to move so they built the Great Wall right around it. Now you cant really tell from this pic but the steps are very tall. Like 2 of ours.You can tell how steep it is. I would be crawling by now. This is of the wall. Isnt it amazing! O.K. on to the swap goodies! The first pics are from my thankful things swap partner Christie. She really nailed some things that I too love.A c.d. of her favorite music which ALL I ha...