Final Exam Done, More Quilting, and Winter Solstice is Coming!

It is a Monday!

My weekend started when I clicked "submit" on my final exam Friday. This should be my last final in a hopefully a very, very long time. I am ready to close the extended schooling chapter of life for now.

With the final behind me, I was able to devote potentially unhealthy amounts of hours to sewing. And yes, we still have snow. Although it is raining this morning so maybe mine will finally melt.

Here is a close up of some of the blocks. Very cute.

Meanwhile, I got another quilt started and this is a huge departure from my normal fabric choices. I love it already.

Wednesday will be the shortest day of the year! I get so excited about the Winter Solstice. Although you never notice the changes right away, just knowing I am past the shortest day of the year is usually very inspiring.

Nim and Santa

Hahahaha. Today I was at Petsmart looking for something else and wouldn't you know...free Santa photos! I think it is great they offer this.

I love it. I actually like that the Santa waved. We kept trying to put Nim on the side, but he wouldn't sit close, so we tried putting him in front which went better. Whatever makes him happy and gets me my photo. :)

Snow Day

Well. Here is how things were supposed to go: light snow Thursday night, turning to rain. It is currently about 3:30pm on Friday and the snow in North Bend has yet to let up. And there is nothing light about it.

I am actually used to us being outside the forecast, but what caught even me off guard is the lower Cascades (which I live against) have been so terribly windy I don't even think they thought we would get much of the light snow!

Today was a studying day for my finals anyway. So I have sat around and gone out to play on breaks.

I didn't tell him to sit in that photo by the way. He did, sideways, with his eyes closed. Shortly after this photo was taken he took off like a little jumping bean.

Except for not really planning on this much snow, it has been a welcomed change to the wind. It has just been so cold. It is actually warmer right now, even with the snow.

Awww Nim. Your little baby face. :)

Icy December Start and Quilt Progress

Hello from the freezing Snoqualmie Valley. In the past few days we have experienced our first lower elevation dusting of snow. It is too cold. :) But no denying it is pretty.

Nim insists on his walks. Put his fancy jacket on and he is good to go!

I continue to sew when I can, but progress is slow. My final is December 16th and I can't wait to get that study time back.

Since I have laid out the first quilt top, all is right in Leela's world. She is unfazed when I chase her off. She knows my back has to turn to run the sewing machine.

I haven't done the borders yet on this first top, but you can get the idea. The photos make the red look a lot more pink.

Close-up of some of the blocks, and a more true to color red:

Meanwhile, the blocks on the next quilt are in progress. As you can tell these fabric choices are actually all part of the same line.

Such cute animals.

I am looking forward to major work on this one, but for now, back to studying. I have to schedule exams through ProctorU and even if I wanted to forget about the final I get regular reminder e-mail about my upcoming exam appointment. Time to be adult about it.

Pinwheels Quilt in Progress

Considering I am smack in the middle of a hard school quarter, the trip to the fabric store last Saturday was probably not a great idea. Leela however disagrees.

Gossypium Quilt Shop in Issaquah really got the full experience when my youngest sister and I swooped in and spent a couple of quality hours planning 3 quilts. So much fabric was purchased. So. Much. Fabric.

Not only did we basically dominate one corner of an already very crowded shop, but the negotiations were fierce and I have no doubt educational for all that could hear us (basically the entire store).

I went in with one plan, and left with an entirely different plan. I am excited. Things are coming together well.

Right now I am trying to get one quilt well on its way before I cut the next one. At night I tell myself that I will sew for 2 hours and study for 2 hours. Then, 6 hours of sewing later, I realize that if I don't sleep I am going to be cranky for work.

It feels really good to be sewing and creating again. I have a knitting project going too, but apparently socks are now my curse and I think I just need to find an entirely new project. It is so odd. It isn't even a hard pattern.

But in the meantime...one quilt started...so many to go.

Meanwhile, winter decided to show up basically yesterday. I brought my fern in that somehow has managed to keep alive despite Emile's best efforts.

The White Ginger has also moved into the house, making my indoor plant situation worse than it already was. Apparently this plant goes through a "dormant stage" so I expect it to start really wilting down.

And just because...Emile. So peaceful. So serene. Secretly plotting to eat my plants...

Happy Halloween!

October at Jubilee Farm

This morning was very cold at the farm. All of us on kale definitely had some cold hands. I love the farm right when I show up and it is quiet and still uncrowded. I love the look of the October decorated farmhouse in the fog.

Eventually the fog burned off and the sun came out! This view is from under the grape trellis with the sun coming through. This season I had concord grapes for the first time. It was kind of an amazing experience for me. Basically like eating grape juice.

When you have a concord grape that is truly ripe it is incredibly good.

The tomatoes I assume are nearing the end of their season, but I love how they are strung in the houses. The first thing I did was plant tomatoes way back in May and I learned so much just doing that!

There are 2 new pigs on the grounds. Perhaps they will bring the next batches of piglets.

The sunflowers are starting to wilt down a bit, but still beautiful in the sun.

I never could get a good photo of the chicken coop. You will have to trust me that it is impressive. It involves a very large wagon structure.

I was so grateful to have sun on this workshare day!

NW2 K9 Nose Work Trial and Fort Borst Park, Centralia, WA

I highly doubt that when Gypsy woke up this morning, the first thought on her mind was "I would really love a road trip with Nim." And yet, on this rainy Saturday, she found herself in exactly that situation.

Her feelings on this matter:

Mom and I took the dogs to a NW2 K9 Nose Work Trial in Centralia, WA. I was not allow to film, or even view some of the searches, so this is Gypsy working the warm up scent boxes.

I really liked this trial location. It was based out of Centralia Middle School. The location was pretty and the parking was easy. It was actually one of the more easy going Nose Work trials I have been too.

I got to see Gypsy in her new hot pink harness. All the searches I saw her do she passed. She ended up timing out on one of the first hides in the beginning, but otherwise she was doing well. On a couple of the searches I would see her torn by something she was concerned about or noticing, but you could always tell when she was pulled back into scent.

Meanwhile, I had done some exploring on the lunch break and knew that we had to walk the Fort Borst Park as soon as she was done trialing. I consider it a major bonus when a dog event is located near a beautiful walking area.

What a really peaceful area. If I lived in this area, I would visit often.

A rare photos of Nim and Gypsy together...without a barrier. This is about as close as we can get them right now. That is in front of the historic Borst House.

For history enthusiasts, you might want to scan the following information on the site and the history of Fort Borst:

Fort Borst
Time has passed, but their presence remains
A historic lesson

There was a small tour group while we were there, and several women in truly stunning period attire. It was the one downside of having the dogs is that it kept me a little removed while moving around the site.

I wasn't going to post the photo with the lady coming out of the school house, but it is the better photo I got of the complete structure. She had gorgeous long skirt that unfortunately you can't see well as she was accidentally captured in that photo.

Despite periods of rain, we mostly lucked out until it was time to drive home. This walk was a great way to finish a fun day.

I have no doubt that between the road trip, a little walk with Nim, and working hard at her searches, Gypsy will sleep very soundly tonight. And dream of Nim.

Welcome Fall!

This has been the strangest summer. Perhaps because I haven't had as much hiking and outdoor time as normal, but it felt way to short. As long as this fall stays on the drier side, it is generally one of my favorite times of year and hopefully will help make up for a chaotic summer.

This was the view one morning getting ready for work.

I keep trying to work on my henna skills. After redecorating my legs over and over I decided to move on to other objects. Such as logs. Nim totally judged.

In the middle of October I will take my first real henna class.

Farming is going strong. That shift will also end in October. I was riding out on the tractor last week next to someone I hadn't worked with before. I finally found the word I was looking for in terms of farm shift work...endurance.

I have had some great veggies all summer long and definitely had some variety in my diet I wouldn't normally have. I will say that when I am in the grocery store now I no longer look at produce the same way. I know that somewhere there is someone, probably older than me, putting in far longer shifts to make that produce happen. It is humbling in a way.

My own gardens were kind of weak this year, but I did try something new with all the Coleus starts I get each year. I actually took the time to read up more on them and ended up planting them all around the bases of some trees. I really like how it looked. They are already starting to wilt with out cold mornings, but I enjoyed them during the summer.

Despite the cold nights and mornings, we are still getting some days of sun and sun babies. Everyone gets so demanding when they know the sun is outside. I get bossed around so much. :)

My Gunnera is still alive! I am going to be reading up on mulching and tarping this lovely. It should feel honored, I don't give my outside plants that much love.

Even the indoor plants are sort of on their own, thanks to the cats. But I did bring my Mother-in-law Tongue plant in for the cold weather. She is over 20 years old now. I am super attached to her, it is terrible. I am actually trying to plan a shelving system this winter complete with lighting to try and keep my plants safe from the cats. I have a lot to move in the house this winter.

At the end of  September I gave up and started up the pellet stove. Emile was maintaining a morning vigil anyway, and who am I to deny his happiness? Beside, the house gets smelly and damp as the cold mornings come in.

And yes. The beloved electric blanket is back in the rotation.

Have a great October!