Last Ski

We celebrated spring and Easter by cross country skiing with friends today. It seemed strange to load the car with skis and poles decked out in snow pants, mittens and coats while the sun was shining and kids down the street were looking for Easter eggs in their yard. But the mountain got four inches of snow yesterday and unless the weather predictions are wrong and it really doesn't get as warm as they say it will, this was probably our last ski of the season.

The first thing Dean did was to try and practice telemarking. He fell on the first attempt at a turn but after that he seemed to actually remember how to do it and almost looked like he knew what he was doing. I tried once, fell and gave up. I was never any good at it anyway and crashing and burning muliple times today was not part of my plan. I made it the whole season without falling until today. The sad thing is I also fell at the very end of the day. I was daydreaming or staring off the trail or who knows what and next thing you know I'd screwed up and pointed my skis off the trail into a pile of snow and went down. Our friend's fiance has only skiied twice before today and he managed to get through to the end staying upright. I was frantically trying to get myself up before he got down the hill but I couldn't manage it. I think the smile on his face when he saw me on the ground had very little to do with how much he was enjoying his time on the trail. The hot cocoa and raspberry scone in the lodge was a perfect ending to an awesome day.

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Last Ski

More Quilting

I began a "baby" quilt for Myra last summer. My plan was to make the blocks during the heat of the summer since sitting on a couch sweating as I quilted Abby's big, heavy quilt didn't appeal to me. Plus I didn't think Abby would appreciate rings of salt on her new quilt. My new baby quilt will be built of nursery rhyme blocks. Myra and I have three nursery rhymes we like to say together: Pat-A-Cake, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and This Little Piggy Went to Market. And we always say them in that order. One day when we were "Skyping" with Leslie and the girls I started saying the Pat-A-Cake rhyme with Myra. Then we moved to Itsy Bitsy Spider. After we'd finished that one Leslie started laughing because Myra had her foot mashed up on the laptop screen waiting for me to grab her toes. She didn't seem to mind that it was virtual toe wriggling.



I almost managed to complete the Pat-A-Cake block and had patterns and plans for many others when we heard the call of the deck, and the dirt work and the window well big enough to live in and, and, and ... Next thing you know it's winter and time to get back to Abby's quilt.

During the time I was finishing Abby's quilt, Leslie suggested that I might want to make Myra a dolly quilt before I made her baby quilt since she kept taking Emerson's from her. So, I've pieced a small dolly quilt for Myra. All that's left now is to quilt it and then it'll be back to the nursery rhyme quilt.


In the meantime I'm mentally planning a baby quilt for Pierce....some day Pierce....some day.....◦

More Quilting

A Weekend of Firsts

1. First time I got to see two presidential candidates speak
***Obama's doors were to open at 12:30 and he was scheduled to speak at
2:00 p.m. I got there at 12:45, the doors were open and I got in
and got a seat. Dean met me there at 1:15 p.m. At 2:00 p.m. Obama walked
out onto the stage.

***Clinton's doors were to open at 4:30 p.m. and she was scheduled to speak
at 6:30 p.m. We got in line at 4:45 p.m. and the doors did not open until
almost 5:30 p.m. She did not speak until 7:30 p.m. Everybody had to stand.
I hate it when people are late.

2. First time I participated in a caucus. Close to 1,000 democrats attended
the Natrona County caucus. It was record-breaking participation all over the
state.
***Doors opened at 7:30 a.m. We got there about 7:45 a.m. because I hoped
we'd get to wait inside unlike the night before when we waited outside for
an hour for Clinton. We thought the line was fairly short until we realized
that it not only went way down a long hall, but then went into the pool area
(we were at the Holiday Inn), went all around the pool and then snaked back
down the long hall to the registration room. It took an hour to get through
the line and get our name checked off. Finally around 11:00 a.m. we were
allowed to mark our ballots. We didn't stay for the platform part of it or
delegate selection. I was a little disappointed Wyoming didn't do it like
Iowa. I kinda hoped I'd hear "Obama people on this side of the room",
"Clinton people on the other side". A ballot wasn't quite as exciting.

3. First time I've felt my vote actually counted.

4. First time I've ever contributed to a political candidate's campaign.

5. Fist time I've ever put a political candidate's bumper sticker on my car.

6. First time I've ever been the least bit excited about anybody's
political campaign and felt like volunteering.

7. First time I knew there were more democrats in my office than just Dean
and I. There are at least NINE!(out of 100).

8. First time I've almost become a CNN junkie.

So............after only 1 1/2 days of our "political particiption" we were wiped out. I can't imagine how those candidates continue on day after day after day. They must have a secret source of energy somewhere.◦

A Weekend of Firsts

Wyoming counts

Sometimes living in a state with an overwhelming majority of conservative Republicans can be wearing. Working all day surrounded by conservative Republicans, many of whom are not shy about expressing their conservative opinions, is often wearing. Always watching what you say because you don't want to see the "what do you expect, she's a liberal" look can be wearing.

I sometimes wonder if Dean and I are the only two Democrats in the whole city of Casper. Tomorrow I hope to find out we are not. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are both scheduled to speak here. That's right, here in the great city of Casper. Who woulda thought? Wyoming is finally on the map and my vote may finally mean something. We will go hear Obama speak in the afternoon and then may even take in Clinton's speech in the evening. After all, how many times will we get this chance? Saturday we will participate in our very first caucus. I'm looking forward to spending some time bonding with those of my own kind. It will be a welcome change.◦

Wyoming counts

Recycling Beer Cans

We have left the winter months behind and entered the first month of spring. I'm sure many people will soon see tulips and daffodils blooming, trees leafing out and grass turning green. I always hope for that in March but what we usually get is whoppin' spring snowstorms. Every year, even though I know better, I hope this will be the year spring comes early and the last snowstorm we've had really IS the last snowstorm we'll get. And every year just about this time I say to myself, "wow, we really ARE going to have spring come early and stay this year" we get that whoppin' spring snowstorm so the tulips are hanging their heads and the leafed out branches of the trees bend and break. It's 54 degrees today and even though I know better and I know those howling winds out there are bringing the cold and possible snow predicted for tomorrow I'm hoping for an early spring.

We have made up for not skiing at all last year by making it up the mountain six times so far this season. We went up and did a couple of loops after work last night and were the only two people on the trails. Even though the snow was a bit crusty and the wind was blowing it was great to be out.

Dean decided to submit a "postcard of the west" for the local art museum's fund-raising auction in April. He used beer cans cut into small squares. What's more representative of the west than beer? All entries must be no larger than 5 x 7". I'm still waiting for him to say to me, "now aren't you glad I didn't get rid of those beer cans?" because my mantra to him is "why do you need to keep that?". I wonder how many other wives have to hide what they throw away so their husbands don't pull it out and save it for an "art project". Here's a photo of his final product.

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Recycling Beer Cans