Retreat Time

 Coming right up is our Spring Retreat here at Scottie Dog Quilts/Redwood Sewing Center.  Well, actually it won't quite be Spring, but here in CA, the first weekend in March is considered Spring.  My daffodils are already growing and will have bloomed by Retreat Time.  Retreat Dates: March 8-10, 2013.

We still have space, so if you'd like to have a brochure, click here.  Retreats are fun and a great way to meet new people.  We have quilters from all over the USA come....many of the repeat and enjoy renewing the friendships they've made at past retreats.

 This is a picture taken at our Spring Retreat last year.  Retreats are held at the Historic Eureka Inn and this time we'll be sewing in the Colonnade Room (Ballroom).   If you have any questions at all, you can email us at ScottieDogQuilts@aol.com or call the store: (707) 444-9662.

 I'm sure you all know that we were chosen by Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler as a Top Ten Shop.  Liz and I are so appreciative of this honor.  We still have some magazines and of course, patterns & the ruler for our quilt "Strips and Stars" featured in this magazine.

Still packing boxes around here.  I expect that will continue for several months.

 

Admiring the View

Something in today's sermon mentioned taking time out to admire the views around you.  Slowing down, refreshing your soul, really seeing the beauty of the world around you.  Before we were even back in the car, Mr. Scottie Dog asked if I'd like to take a drive up the coast.  We live in Eureka, CA...away up North in CA.  The sea is cold and rugged.  Since we will be moving this year to Minnesota we've already begun to experience some "lasts."  Last Christmas in Calif.  Last New Year's (spent taking inventory).  So on this trip today we slowly wound our way on the side roads up the Coast to experience the beauty of our coastal Redwood Forest perhaps for the LAST time.

 This is the view looking back at Eureka in the distance from above Luffenholtz Beach, just south of Trinidad.  Eureka is on the thin line of land in the distance. Even with my naked eye, I could see the pulp mill on Somoa Beach.  I like this shot Bill got with the Pampas Grass....somehow I think that long after man is gone there will still be cockroaches and Pampas Grass.

 This shot was taken just a bit North of the last shot.  That is Trinidad Head in the center top of the picture, sheltering Trinidad Harbour.

 As we drove down to the Trinidad Pier there were hundreds and hundreds of Crab Pots stacked up (so very more stacked just to the right of this picture too).  Workers were loading them into the back of trucks and onto trailers and then out on the pier and onto the boats.  Crab season has finally begun and every time we looked at the ocean we could see many, many boats out either setting their pots or bringing them back up.

 Here's a shot I found on the InterNet of a crab pot being uploaded on a boat.  At the harbour I had seen one guy with a huge meat cleaver chopping up meat bones to put as bait into the pots.

 We stopped at each of the Lagoons as we traveled North: Stone Lagoon, Dry Lagoon, Big Lagoon and Freshwater Lagoon.    There were a lot of kayakers on Big Lagoon.  As we drove up from the campground there we encountered this Heron who was much larger than this photo leads you to believe.  He was just sitting there taunting the cat that was about 20 feet away.  He was twice as tall as the cat and has quite a long and strong beak.  The cat made a twitch or two, getting ready to chase the bird but thought better of it.  In a battle I believe this bird would have won.

 Driving North again we came to these Roosevelt Elk eating right beside the road....again, they were much closer than this photo leads you to believe.  In all there were probably 60-75 elk in two adjoining fields.

This is as far North as we went....Trees of Mystery.  Here's Paul Bunyun and Babe the blue Ox (and our green Tahoe).  It was a great trip...sunny although quite chilly for us...temps ranged from 34-41 F.  Lots of frosted vegetation where the sunlight doesn't actually touch, even a few places with ice formed on puddles.  I expect that in MN and not CA.

Our visit with Beka and her family over Christmas was wonderful.  We had to say goodbye last Thursday morning.  The house is quiet now...and clean.  The dishwasher isn't running three times a day and it's quiet.....too quiet.  I keep listening for a little chaos....Now to begin to pack up our things.  We'll be moving before we know it (probably in the summer).  It's nice to know that we've made the right decision.  It will be wonderful to have all our family close.

Holidays

The Holidays.....around our house there are usually three holidays after Thanksgiving.

1. Christmas
2. New Year's Eve/Day
3. My Birthday

Several days before Christmas Beka and her family arrived for three weeks.  Liz fixed it so that I didn't have to work and spend time with all the grands.  The weather was fairly typical (rain, rain, rain) but we got around to shop some, eat a few special meals out and enjoy indoor playgrounds.  Lots of energy in Beka's four and Liz's one!  They range in age from Sydney 7, Jakob 6, Mercedes 4, Shiloh 2, Anastacia 1.  Like I said, LOTS of energy.  Grammy and Grampy loving every minute of it.

We went to Christmas Eve service with it's candle light.  Grammy was sewing doll clothes and new outfits right up to the deadline.  Look at Mercedes' smile.....Auntie Liz made her a Nurse's uniform.

Christmas morning was a hurricane of ripped wrapping paper, boxes opened, screams ("This is JUST what I wanted!"), laughter and ooohing and ahhhhing.  Beka and Jason cooked a wonderful Turkey for Christmas dinner with all the trimmings...and Jason's family recipe for stuffing.  Fabulous!

New Year's Eve  day usually means store Inventory for our family and this year was no different.  It's not terribly fun, but somebody has to do it!  But the evening found Grammy and Grampy staying home with all the grands and the "kids" off to party with friends.  I think by the time they have gotten into their 30's "Party" is a pretty mellow time. 

New Year's Day The weather has been beautiful and today the grands hiked the Headwater's Forest trail.  They had a chance to climb all over the redwoods in our yard and Grampy took them on a tour of his trucks, lifts and heavy equipment in the yard. Liz cooked a Prime Rib roast and we had some friends over for dinner.  The kids had their own table...they were happy with that!  I'm going to tell a story about that roast.  I don't think I've ever had such perfect Prime Rib.  Moist, savory, just the right amount of pink, crusty on the outside.  P.E.R.F.E.C.T!   But how it got there was interesting.  Liz borrowed a very expensive electronic meat thermometer so that she monitor the roast at all times.  She put it in the pan, set the temperature, shut the oven door and "locked it."  Two hours go by and the temperature of the roast has risen by 15 degrees.  That's when she realizes that by "locking" the oven, she prevented the oven to turn on!  My oven lock is only used in "clean" mode.  TWO HOURS of time lost and what to do?  Conference among the ladies of the house and we decide to put it in the microwave for 15 minutes.  Then another 15 minutes.  Then transfer back to the oven for 25 minutes and it was perfect!  Beka made the au jus....   I tell you, I think we'll always have to cook our Prime Rib this way.

 Today is January 2, 2013.  Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm blessed to have my husband, kids and grandkids with me to celebrate.  I'll be back to work in the afternoon today; back to "somewhat" of my normal routine. 

Great start to 2013. May it be a good year for us all.