Saturday, August 7, 2010

A Parade, Cemetery and Elvis

August 9, 2010

A Parade, Cemetery and Elvis

Last week was incredibly busy and I am very far behind on my blog.
I am going to set a goal to blog every other day and to blog in the morning instead of 11:00 at night.

Yesterday we drove to Wendover, Nevada where Utahns go to get their gambling fix.



There are two roadside stops that you should see on the way to Wendover.
Wendover, Nevada is about 130 miles west of Salt Lake City.

The kids and I had never been there.




Metaphor: The Tree of Utah ; built and paid for by Swedish artist Karl Momen from 1982 - 1986.

95 miles west of Salt Lake City.


This is an awesome and weird sculpture that suddenly appears in the desert.
A trio of other travelers also stopped.
They were from Turin, Italy and Newcastle, England.
We were all equally at awe with this sculpture in the desert.










The colors are brilliant.
The sky and sculpture seem one piece.




The last time Chris visited the Tree of Utah there wasn't a fence around it.






















Chris, Oliver and Freya are standing in front of a fallen 'leaf' from the tree.










For more info about Three Tree of Utah, click this link.






Another 'leaf' fallen from the tree.





Ten miles before you get to Wendover you should stop at the Bonneville Salt Flats.


Millions of years ago one-third of Utah was covered by Bonneville Lake.
The Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats are remnants of that lake.



The Salt Flats.




The salt flats are so flat you can see the curvature of the earth.




Land speed records are set here.
And Hollywood movies; Independance Day and Pirates of the Caribbean #3













My handsome husband.



A long train in the distance.






We found a few geocaches in Wendover but I forgot to take photo's.





Wendover Will.




A desert summer storm moves in.



Oliver at the gate of Wendover Cemetery.
What looks like a ciggy in Oliver's mouth is actually a sucker.






When you Geocache you visit a lot of cemeteries.
Our family really likes cemeteries.



Wendover Cemetery is the most interesting cemetery I have visited.
It over looks the entire valley and the graves were very personalized.
It had a very reverent and loved feel.



Marble, cement and grass carpet plots.















There were nine benches in the small cemetery.



Fast and nearly invisible lizards ran around and atop of the graves.
It was the first time Oliver and Freya had seen a lizard in its natural habitat.


















Blue bench.






Nearly all of the grave were constructed with materials that could be readily found in town.
Much love, creativity, thought and ingenuity went into the design of each plot.





Bright blue was a common color and it looked brilliant against the desert back ground.


These plants looked like something from War of the Worlds.









You can learn so much history about a city just by visiting the town cemetery.













Mary and me.














The most strange plants.


Geocache at the cemetery.






A wonderful Sunday family outing.


Freya' photo of Oliver.
Oliver studying music.

Wednesday August 4, 2010
On Wednesday Freya fractured her wrist by jumping off a trampoline.
The big boys were jumping off so Freya had to too.

Oliver read to her until she fell asleep Thursday afternoon.





Oliver is the kindest human being I have ever met.








The 'arms' I've made for her over the years have come in quite handy for keeping the brace clean.
Thursday we have an appointment with an Orthopedic doctor.
I really hope she won't need a cast.








My dad, nieces, Oliver and Freya watch the Midvale Harvets Day parade.
The parade route come down our street every year.


By the end of the parade the kids zippy bags were full of candy.
Election year always means lots of candy.








My dad + float.



There were festivities and bands at our park all day.




Elvis is a friend from Jr. and high school.
Shane Martin aka Elvis.


Shane would preform as Elvis at all the school assemblies.
It was nice to chat him up and remember good times from 24 plus years ago.
It was fun to see him perform and nice to know that his passion for Elvis is alive.
Elvis lives!

Lastly....
I am taking some time off from my sewing machine.
I love hand sewing and these finger puppets are quick, fun, easy and awesome to make.







Cheers to a brand new week!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Grandma Billie Day

August 4, 2010


Grandma Billie Day

Once a week I take my grandma to do her chores.

Oliver and Freya and Grandma have spent a great deal of time together this summer.

I am very, very grateful for that.

My grandma Billie is a tough cat.

She has helped me through difficult periods of my life with tender love and a smack on the bum to get me up and focused on what needs to be done.







Today we went to Kmart and Grandma bought Oliver and Freya school supplies.
Later when we stopped at the grocery store Grandma bought them the Kellogg's fun pack.
We never, ever buy the fun pack at our house.






My emotions were close to the surface yesterday and I called my brother crying and reminiscing about all the years Grandma and Grandpa would take Nicholas, Katie and I to buy new supplies for school.

A thirty-five year old tradition.





I tried to take some 'normal' photos of the kids with their school loot but of course Oliver and Freya had to act like hams.

Grandma thought their antics were super funny and that just got Oliver and Freya going ten fold.









I will always love the smell of new paper and pencils.

The pointy blue eraser are also a favorite.



The Bath Mat:



Rip an old towel in half.



Rip chenille strips the same length of the towel.
On one towel piece pin strips down where ever you want.


Sew strips onto towel with 1/4 inch seam.



Pin the second piece of towel to the wrong side of chenille piece and sew all four edges with a half inch seam.
Make a whole bunch!


P.S. Wonky spacing?






Monday, August 2, 2010

Sewing Tip #2: Rip Your Fabric

Monday August 2, 2010

Sewing Tip #2: Rip Your Fabric

When I am working with a large piece of fabric I cut and rip the fabric 2" more than the pattern size, then I iron it and rotary or scissor cut the pattern out..
It's called 'trueing' your fabric but I leave out a lot of steps so I call it 'ripping your fabric'.



A small cut 2" more than the pattern size.



Simply rip the fabric in two.



Cottons and most linens will rip evenly.

A few years ago a girlfriend commissioned me for some sewing work.
When she saw me cut into her $18 a yard fabric she almost peed her pants.
She calmed down after I ironed the fabric and showed her how perfect the fabric rips.

Anyway you should try it.



Today I made bathmats out of my old towels.
(I bought new towels. It had been three years since we had new towels. I love new towels).










I will make another mat tomorrow and take photos as I work to post tomorrow.
P.S. I want to make a dozen of these mats. After 18 baskets I'm moving on.
P.S.S. Nana Go Go
Plain an Joyful Living
Theresa
Please e-mail your address' because you won a basket in my giveaway!
oliver_freya@yahoo.com


Sunday, August 1, 2010

Evening Sky

August 1, 2010

Evening Sky

It was a beautiful sky this evening.














Happy new month!