Year Ten - Done!

As always, my annual disclaimer...

For most of you, this post will definitely fall into the category of over-sharing.  For me, this is recored-keeping.  If you're interested in the nitty-gritty of What We Do For Homeschool, here's your fix.  If not?  Nothing to see here - move along  ;D

As I tidied up the school corner (I can't say "school room" any more!) and did some record-keeping for Gunnar's transcript I was kind of shocked to realize that this was our tenth year of homeschooling.   TENTH!  I guess I was more than "kind of" surprised!  It has felt so different this year, with only one student, and him only part time.  But here's a quick rundown on all the boybarians...

WYATT - graduated from Whatcom Community College in December - WOO-HOO!!!  He's working full-time for a local heating and air-conditioning outfit.  Yay, Wyatt!

TATE - just finished his first year at Bellingham Technical College, through the Running Start program.  He chose to take 20 credits each quarter, and maintained a perfect 4.0 while working part-time and remaining active with the Civil Air Patrol.  

Just yesterday...

Tate was notified that he's the recipient of a $2000 Grainger "Tools for Tomorrow" scholarship.

We're just a little bit excited about that!

He's working full-time this summer at the local Wastewater Treatment Plant, which also counts for TWO internships for his BTC program - Process Technology.

Gunnar - like his brothers before him, has taken three classes at the high school - Algebra, English, and Spanish, while continuing his studies at home.

Gunnar completed a one year overview of World History...

... and introduction to logic, with The Fallacy Detective...

... and a year of Apologia's Biology with labs...

... and I've got to tell you how much we love the student notebooks.

SO HELPFUL!!!

Totally worth the extra bucks.

He also read and discussed Jay Wile's Reasonable Faith, Henry Morris' What Is Creation Science?, Duane Gish's Evolution: The Fossils Still Say No!, and the Harris brothers' Do Hard Things.

 Gunnar has also continued taking private violin lessons this school year,

and we're looking forward to a week of fiddle camp.

He's planning on giving the school orchestra a try next year :D

It's been a really good year for Gunnar.  He's making the transition to working more independently and relying less on me.  I gave him a weekly schedule so we could see the whole year mapped out (and adapt and flex when we wanted), made sure he had what he needed for his biology labs, checked his work a couple of times a week, and helped him review for tests.  He's growing up :D

WHEW!

An Autumn Lattice Quilt

Three years ago Kerry and got away for a few days to Winthrop for our 20th anniversary.  Took a drive one day and stopped in at a wonderful little quilt shop in Twisp, The Quilting Hive.  Kerry had always wanted me to make him a quilt reminiscent of a piece of art - a painting - he'd seen in college and sketched.  I don't think they called it "ombre" back then, but that's kind of what it was.  Vertical lines, fading from bright to light, in opposite directions.  The original piece was purple and green, but purple isn't so much his color (diehard WSU fan), so he was thrilled when we found these fabrics in these colors in Twisp.  I put this very simple quilt together for him for Christmas, and he hung it in his office.  Ta-daa.  But that's old news.

While we were picking out fabric for his quilt, I snagged a few fat quarters for myself.  Our little getaway was all about the fall colors, so these are the colors I pulled.

And they sat in my cupboard for almost three years.  Anyone else have trouble cutting fabric?  I mean, once it's cut, it's cut.  No going back.  I don't want to cut it until I have A Plan.  

And once I had a plan I knew I needed just a few more fat quarters.  

What?  You've never done that?!

And they have to be really saturated fall colors.  Like the one above that makes me think of a Japanese maple.

I ended up with eighteen sets of six blocks...

... that went together like this...

... and this.  And so on, and so on...

Until I had this - 12 rows by 9 rows, and the blocks are six inches finished, so about 72" x 54".  It would be kind of small on a twin bed (not long enough) but a great size for one or two to be cozy on the couch :D

And it's backed with this fun print from Joanns.  When I saw this it made me think of the curtains in a a retro camper.  Or Chip and Dale.

I don't know why it was so hard to get those colors to "read" right... the backing has a lot of warm, orange tones in it, and when I tried to get the computer to show that accurately, the quilting came out looking.... blue!  Actually, it's quilted in beige, which blends in well with all the colors.

And the quilting is VERY simple - diagonal lines, to (try to) emphasize the lattice-like pattern.

I was hoping the smaller blue square would give the idea of a clear blue sky on a sunny fall day, which is just about next to heaven to me :D

As usual, I spared no expense on my display apparatus ;D

In the photo above, the backing colors look pretty true - very warm and orangey-brown - but the colors on the front look too... something.  The yellow looks too lemony.  Arrgh.  It's all very warm colors, really!

And I was able to make a fall pillow out of the scraps :D

It looks just right in my blue chair, ready for a cup of tea with Han and me ;D

A Simple Nine-Patch

We have a new-ish family at the chapel.  They have a couple kids (elementary age, I guess, but I'm bad at guessing).  And a baby due any day!

I heard it's going to be a boy.  But either way... I mean, I'm a girl.  Blue is my favorite color!

I had a lot of fun aqua scraps left over from my Changes In Latitude quilt...

... and I always have blues on hand :D

And it was pretty easy to throw this simple nine-patch quilt together, with a bit of variety in the background to make it more interesting, and very simple quilting to keep it soft and cuddly.

And a stripey binding, because I'm really starting to love a stripey binding.

A soft blue flannel backing makes it just right :D

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, June 19, 2017

Outside my window...  typical June.  Not quite summer.  Cloudy and cool.

Hearing...  listening to Hawaiian music on Pandora ;D

Pondering...  I've been working on a new quilt for ME that I'll post in a few days.  Meanwhile, I took the byproducts of that quilt and made a pillow.

Each square from the quilt had a small turquoise square sewn on two opposite corners.
I sewed a seam, corner-to-corner, and trimmed off the excess.

Praying...  Tate has ONE MORE final exam and then launches right into his summer job.  He was successful in the interview I mentioned and has been hired at the local wastewater treatment plant.  It's not a glamorous job, but it's a good one, and will count for TWO internships toward his program at the tech college.  Yay, Tate :D

Thankful...  for Tate's summer job, for Wyatt's new job, that Gunnar is out of school for the summer, and that Kerry continues to be busy with work.  And for my large, crazy family.  We just had our June "thing"... five fathers for Father's Day, seven birthdays, and one high school graduate.  Kind of Christmas in June!  Fabulous and exhausting.  And they know me well... I got THREE gift cards to Joann fabric ;D

Trimming the corners of the big squares leaves little triangles,
sewn into "HSTs" - half-square-triangles.
But look at all the little "ears" that need to be trimmed next.

Wearing...  capri jeans, blue t-shirt.  So fancy, much wow.  But it's my nice jeans because I'm going to a shower tonight.  Oh yes.  So fancy.

Creating...  a pillow - revealed below, a fall quilt I'll show later in the week, a baby quilt to be given tonight - pics soon, and another baby quilt for a July shower.  And then I decided that for someone as messy in the kitchen as I am, one apron wasn't enough, so I sewed up two more.  And guess what my sweet neighbor, Queen Bea, gave me for my birthday?  An apron!  Didn't tell her I'd made a couple because they'll all get used.  And hers is a nice, plain blue one that the boys would not be mortified to borrow if they were BBQing or something manly like that ;D

Aren't all those little ears kind of pretty?
But I'm not sewing those into ANYTHING.
I may be crazy, but I'm not THAT crazy ;D

Reading...  just started The Story of Reality, by Gregory Koukl.  Only a third the way through and I highly recommend irt.  It's a great overview of Christianity - good for getting a handle on the big picture, and would be a great book to give to an interested non-believer.

Looking forward to...  less than a month until fiddle camp!  Gunnar and I are practicing daily.  And - to make it more fun - a friend of his will be riding over with us.  He's going to a different event, but right near ours.  So much more fun for the boys to have that ride time together :D

And... HSTs sewn into "flying geese", and geese into pairs, and pairs into...

In the kitchen...  the boybarians have to fend for themselves tonight.  Good thing I stocked up on frozen pizza.  I'm going to a baby shower, with my homemade rolls and cabbage salad.

In the learning rooms...  BAH HA HA!  Peace and quiet!  Summer vacation!

Sewn, sandwiched, quilted, and bound :D

Around the house...  at this year's June birthday bash, we all leaned more heavily on gift cards, so not a lot of gifts to put away.  I appreciate the new door mat (a vibrant sunflower), a fruity summer candle, a Swedish cookbook (Fika!), and a few other things, AND the gift cards / $ :D

Noticing that...  we just got the last debt paid off!!! (not counting the house), aaaaaand the van is in the shop.  Waiting to hear about that...

Envelope backing.

The Mother Load...  is surprisingly NOT overwhelming at the moment.  Maybe I shouldn't mention that.  Now I'm being superstitious.  Overthinking, much?

A favorite quote for today... 

All your really need to know about guidance can be summed up in this one sentence:

God is faithful, so obey Him.

Whether or not that seems likely to work is not your business.  Being faithful to God's revealed will is your business.

 - Iain Duguid

Wa-WAH!
Clearly, I spared no expense on my display apparatus ;D

One of my favorite things...  everyone home for dinner.  Isn't that just right?

A few plans for the rest of the week...  HA HA HA!  We're out of school!  Actually... violin lesson tomorrow.  And it's Gunnar's actual b'day tomorrow, so he'll get to pick the dinner menu.  But they have PT (physical training) night at CAP, so he might defer to Wednesday.  They don't like to eat a lot before they go exercise... good thinking.  But the rest of the week looks gloriously free :D

A peek into my world...  there's my new pillow.  Waiting in my rocking chair, all ready for a cup of tea with Han and me.

And a peak at one of the trails Gunnar and I frequently walk.  And guess what has been seen around the neighborhood lately?  A BEAR.  No kidding.  Yes, we're still walking in the woods.  No, we're not afraid.  Yes, we're being cautious.  Mostly we're making a lot of noise.  What we DON'T want to do is surprise it.

And what does your week look like?

Fifty One

Ta-daaa!

Yep, that's me.  And my (great) uncle Marvin.

We shared a birthday... separated by 50 years.

So I'm now the age he was in these photos.

I have more hair than he did ;D

I don't actually remember the party.

(I was ONE, you know.)

But I've seen the photos so many times,

I kind of feel like I do.

I see my aunt Lucille, my uncle Delmar, and my grandma Margaret -
sisters to Marvin, four of nine siblings.
And my dad's cousins - Bob and JoLeigh,
and Marcia, Margo, Marvette, and Marvin Junior.
(No.  Not kidding.)
And my cousins - Brad, Brett, and Jim - probably helping me open my presents :D

We met at a neighborhood park.

My mom must have taken us there a lot when we were kids.

I remember the HUGE (to little eyes) swings and

the REALLY TALL slide.

Today's safety-n@zis would never approve.

Not sure if that's my mom's hands holding me, or my grandma's,
but right above the wrist with a bracelet is the lot where my parents would soon build a house.
The house I grew up in.
Right next to the lake :D

So, yes, today is my birthday.

Ta-daaa :D

Kerry took me out to breakfast.
Wasn't that sweet?
He offered lunch,
but I had a pot roast to cook for dinner,
and I wanted to be hungry for it,
so breakfast it was.

I'm happy to have a low-key birthday at home
with my grasshoppers.
Because on Sunday we have The Big Party.
Christmas in June.
Five dads.
Seven birthdays.
One high school graduate.

Got all that?

Like I said,
Christmas in June.

Rockin' out in our back yard,
with my dad's work clothes drying on the line.


I feel like Jeff Foxworthy could have a field day with this photo,
taken at my grandparents' house ;D

I guess my mom (on the left) is encouraging me to ride that bear.
She wasn't raised that way, but she adapted ;D

And here's my dad.
How does he look so impossibly young?!

Well, I suppose he was pretty young.
My parents married at 20 (mom) and 21 (dad),
and had me about a year later.

So, yah, pretty young.

And me?
No, I wan't up to any mischief at all.

Why do you ask?