Robins ~ my Happy Birds

Robins (as do Scrub Jays) always make me smile…and yesterday BUNCHES of them dropped in for a visit.

Visiting Cedar Waxwings ~ Reno, NV ~ 27 Jan 2012

This morning I looked out the side window and saw an invasion of Robins (I’ll post those pictures later) and then a bunch of Cedar Waxwings! I thought they had moved on, but there they were! At least nine of them! Found out why…the Hawthorn tree in the backyard is still loaded with berries.

The Robins and Waxwings are enjoying a berry buffet today.

Venus & Moon ~ 25 January 2012 ~ Evening Sky over Reno, NV

I saw on EarthSky that there would be a great pairing of the moon and Venus so I took my camera out to the backyard yesterday evening…and promptly decided my tripod, that I’ve had for 25+ years, needs to be upgraded. LOL! I tried though and here are a few shots using my Panasonic FZ150.

PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR CLOSER VIEW!

To set things up…a picture of STAR WALK app on my iPad.

Da Moon ~ around 5 pm using just the auto setting on my camera and hand held.

This one around 7-ish pm.

UPDATE: From EARTHSKY today:

When you look at a crescent moon shortly after sunset or before sunrise, you can sometimes see not only the bright crescent of the moon, but also the rest of the moon as a dark disc. That pale glow on the unlit part of a crescent moon is light reflected from Earth. It’s called “earthshine.”

That’s what I caught in this photograph!

For Today ~ 23 January 2012 ~ Simple Woman’s Daybook

FOR TODAY … 23 January 2012.Outside my window…

I am thinking… Why can’t it just snow here in Reno?! All that is dropping right now is big wet sloppy kisses…and I hate those, unless it’s from a doggie.

I am thankful…That we are getting precip, even if it isn’t plain ole snow.

In the kitchen…probably tri-tip tacos…leftover meat from last night’s bbq.

I am wearing…Jeans, black mock turtleneck, and tennis shoes.

I am creating…a quilt…Oh, Fransson’s quilt along.

I am going…to water my office plants.

I am wondering…why the change in this meme, thinking, pondering, wondering? Seems like an overkill. May go back to the original version.

I am reading…Finished up Sherlock Holmes’ House of Silk, will pull out a book tonight.

I am hoping…that this slushy stuff turns to 100% pure SNOW. And that the stupid Giants beat the even stupider Patriots. Stupid Niners.

I am looking forward to…SNOW.

I am learning…really I am!

Around the house…Bedding needs to be laundered. Bedroom needs vaccuming.

I am pondering…big sigh. It’s too early for all this pondering.

A favorite quote for today…“Look, try and use your intelligence, man, even if you are a politician!”…Doctor Who.

One of my favorite things…a warm cookie and a cup of hot tea.

A few plans for the rest of the week…quilt and bead.

A peek into my day…? No peeking.

Picture of the day…

Scrub Jay in backyard waiting for the goobers.

Reno, Nevada ~ Sunrise ~ 20 January 2012

Peavine Mountain, Reno NV

Peavine ~ sun rising 20 Jan 2012

Reno Sunrise 20 January 2012

Reno sunrise ~ 20 January 2012

Hello, My Lovely Wee Basil

please grow faster…

Feeling Groovy ~ Jiffy Ric-Rac Quilt

Quilted.
Bound.
Freshly laundered.
Scrumptiously wrinkled and ready to be wrapped around.

I used Camille Roskelley’s (Thimble Blossoms) pattern ~ Jiffy Ric-Rac and Riley Blake’s fabric, Feeling Groovy. The backing is a Kona solid in Lime. I quilted the top with an echo around the ric-racs.

Cats and Quilts

It was a holiday today…and cold…so I stayed in and quilted.

While I was in my room throwing up some wonky stars onto my design wall, I heard a commotion in my fabric hutch….

Lucy jumped up into the 1930′s fabric…which is what I’m using for the Sparkle Punch quilt-along. I’m going to need to rein in the long skinny arms of the stars!

Then I moved on out to the living room to make the binding for my Feeling Groovy (Riley Blake) ric-rac quilt (thimble blossoms), the last UFO quilt!

Here was where my helper was…

Feeling Groovy is all set for the hand binding now…

Cedar Waxwing

There was a pair of Cedar Waxwings at my next door neighbor’s yard this morning. Hopefully they will be there tomorrow so I can get better photographs.

Start of The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt

A week or so ago I posted a Wordless Wednesday photograph of the fabrics I decided to use for The Farmer’s Wife quilt…

Farmer's Wife ~ Denyse Schmidt's HOPE VALLEY

I’m using a FQ bundle of Denyse Schmidt’s Hope Valley that I bought from Hawthorne Threads…love that fabric. Love Hawthorne Threads too! Super nice and fastest shipping, ever!

I’ve been putting off the start of making this quilt. Why? I have no clue, just have. Over the holiday I pulled out the paper-piece patterns I had printed off a few months prior and jumped in. I needed a break from quilting and binding.

I follow the pattern, get all the paper torn off, press the block…WTF?! Stupid pattern! It’s backwards! So I threw a hissy fit…put the book back, tucked my pretty fabric back into my stash and returned to quilting and binding.

Book block.

My bass-ackward block.

Speed up to yesterday…So April? You’re hand-piecing your blocks now, right? “Yes”. Hmmmmmm….

Here’s what I got done while on break today. I need to bring in my folding cutting mat/ironing board and that mini clover iron.

FW Block 2 - Autumn Tints

This quilt will be hand-pieced now.

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