Monday, April 26, 2010

Do you know how cool it is...

I love to sit at my table. 
That would be the table that my daughter has taken over.
I no longer get to sit at my table.
Yeah, it has something to do with computers and school
and all that good stuff. Oh well...

But it was very cool this morning when I was sitting at my daughters table. 
I looked out the window and saw that we had a visitor. 
A very large bull elk. 
His antlers are juststarting to grow and are almost a weird box like structure on his head. 
This fall they will be massive.

I just love to glance out the window and see some very wild creature walking by.
There has to be some benefit to living here. lol

Missy

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

What will it look like?

When my quilt is done, what will it look like?
I am scared to think about it too much.
I have all my fat quarters cut.
 I have 4 blocks sewn together.
It is going to be very bright and colorful.
My house needs color very badly.
I have to go back to Williams for some more fabric.
3 of the fat quarters were cut poorly and I cut 2 more incorrectly.
Oh well, 120 miles and lunch at Red Raven.
The draw backs of living...... 90 miles from nowhere.
Or in this case, 60 miles from wherever.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Out and About

Today was a strange day. We actually got out and about.
Spring has sprung around here (finally) and we decided it was time
to remind ourselves why we live here.

We headed out as a family to go to parking lot D, sounds exciting right?
We parked by the train and headed up the steps toward the Bright Angel Lodge.
After skirting through the building we headed to the Kolb Studio.
I have to admit that Kolb is my favorite building on the rim.  
It might just be the attitude the Kolb brothers had toward the National Park System that I like so well.
The Kolb building was their actual family home. They lived there from 1904 till 1976. 
Upon the death of Emory Kolb the building reverted to the government 
and he was buried in the local cemetery.
That probably irritates NPS as well. :-)

The building was salvaged from NPS by the Grand Canyon Association. NPS hated the Kolb family
so much that they just wanted to shove the building into the canyon and be done with them. 

GCA talked them out of it and spent over $1 million dollars to renovate. It was so very worth it. 
If you are ever here you can take a tour of the actual living quarters,
and see the most stunning view of the Grand Canyon.
Can you imagine having this as your view from your living room?
The Kolb movie theater is now an art gallery.
Every couple of months they change the exhibit. 
You might find paintings or photographs or whatever. 
Right now there is an exhibit by the local school children from both here in the canyon and in Leupp. 
Somehow, after taking a dozen photos I finally saw the sign that said "No Photography". 
Ah well, what can I say? 
It was fun seeing some of the art that the kids that we know produced.
I love to visit the Kolb studio. 
I love the building, the location, the view and the attitude the brothers had.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

It has started

The quilt adventure begins..... 
Actually it began about 2 weeks ago when the 8 of us went to Williams for a cutting class. 
Yawn.... I was ready to be bored.
I was very wrong, I am glad to say. 
Our teacher, Joan, was very informative and very funny. 
It also helps that she lives in an RV 6 months of the year, so she understands our space issues.

The Quilters Mercantile is a small quilt store directly on Route 66 in the center of town. 
It is a nice store.
I chose a quilt pattern called "Turning Twenty".
It is a simple, beginner quilt that needs 20 fat quarters to make. 
I like simple.... 
We learned how to press fabric, not iron. 
We learned how to fold and cut and square fabric. 
We learned that we should wash our fabric because Far East countries
don't necessarily have the same standards of cleanliness that Americans do. 
Yuck!!!
We also learned that you always dress warmly as there is no heat in the work room.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Quilting

I have no desire to make a quilt.
None. Nope, don't want to do it.
But it looks like I am though.
Why?
Cause there is nothing else to do.
There are not too many activities up here.
There is no where good to go out to eat.
No movies to see.
No art museum, no live theater, no band to hear.
Nothing.
So when 8 of the ladies decided to get together and learn to quilt I decided to join them.
At least it is something to do and I really like the ladies.
So, I will piece a top. I will sew everything together. I will NOT do the actual quilting.
I will pay someone with a machine to do that.
The Adventure Begins.
Ugh...