One more thing.  There's a new quilting blog I've discovered.  I'm still learning on the quilting front and from what I've seen this is a great place for inspiration.  To top it off she's giving away some beautiful fabric.  Go and check it out here at Oops Lah. 

I have so much to tell you!

We had a bit of a celebration yesterday.   We celebrated the arrival of my favorite person into this world.  It was an especially grand afternoon as we had been away from each other for a couple of days.  We went to the Museum of Church History and Art in downtown Salt Lake City.  They have an incredible (and free) hands on exhibit for kids.  I'll post some pictures soon.  We rode the trax train which was "better than riding Thomas because it was fast!"   Then we stopped in a little valley and had dinner in a diner that was built in the late 1930's.  It was gorgeous and the food was so good.  There is something to be said for local beef.  After dinner we took a short drive up a canyon just to look.  As we were coming back down the canyon we saw, not one, but two cougars/mountain lions (whichever name you prefer to call them).  A Mom and what we surmise was a year old kitten.    We were so excited!  We watched them scale a rock face on the side of the road.  I attempted a picture, but failed miserably.  We were pretty buzzed by the excitement of seeing the big cats.  Then as we went on our way we saw several hundred head of deer in a field along the freeway.  There are times when I bemoan where I live.  When we take some time to look about it reminds me of what a grand place it is.  It may take me a bit to post pictures, but I will.

Here's my little snowman

"I be a snowman Mom" 

In other news, remember a while back I asked what I ought to do for this big birthday coming up?  I decided (since an opportunity was given to me) that I would attempt to publish an article.  My dearest took some pictures for the article and I thought I would share a few "from the cutting room floor".  These are the ones that I didn't send, but still like for my own purposes.  I'm a little partial to those faces.

Ring!

Thanks to those of you out there that gave me feedback.  I really appreciate it!

So here's my little plan for this year:  Try 40 things

Here's what I've done so far:

1.  Publish an article (in process, but out of my hands at the moment)

2.  Accept an opportunity to sit on a teacher interview board

 (even though stepping into a school makes me slightly sick to my stomach).

3.  Make a quilt top of my own design that isn't squares.

(I'll take a picture of this one as soon as I can.  I really love how it turned out)

4.  Complete a quilt top from a pattern. (this went off with Granny before I remembered to take a picture, but 2 years into it it's done!)

That's only one a month so far and I'd better get going if I'm going to make it by the end of the year, but summer's on the horizon.  There are all kinds of opportunities there.

Spring Envy

It really is Spring here, just not the textbook definition.  It's warmer some days.  Snow falls, but doesn't stay long (except of course for the stuff that's still piled up).  It's only hard that I was in Oregon and Washington a few weeks ago and there were roses already falling off of bushes.  I think the other kind of spring that includes flowers (not partially or mostly covered in snow) are some kind of other-world-spring.  I realize that snow is a huge part of our lives when my little girl obviously loves the snow.  "Look Mom, I a snowman!" (This said as she puts on a scarf and once in a while a hat).  Then both of my children want to make snowflakes and hang them up around the house.  There's not enough outside.  They do love a good snowball fight.  I guess I just need to buck up some.   Snow, after all is not swirling dirt.

Fabric!
Just in case you're interested, I thought I'd tell you about a color swap that is happening over at another blog.  You send in 200 4 inch squares (that's about 2 1/2 yards of fabric--10 fat quarters) and you get back 200 squares in a large selection of colors.  You have to sign up for a specific color, but it's a fabulous fairly inexpensive way to get a variety of fabrics to make a quilt with.  Go here for the details.  Oh and make sure that your comment works.  I had to try about 4 times before mine did.

Yesterday's quote of the day came from Mowg,

 "I don't think I'll ever see spring again."

This morning as he opened the blinds to check on the season,

("spring, winter whatever its going to be")

This is the view that greeted him

From the deer we learned how to cross the street. 

First:  look right

Look left

When you notice a car driving on the road, wait.

Look right again

Then left

When you're sure it's clear proceed across the street at a leisurely pace.

Crossing the street deer style is not that different from people style.

That's what I learned.

I have a short list of what I call my top shelf books.  They're books that I love.  They're usually books that use language in a way that makes me want to stay.  One of those books is Love that Dog by Sharon Creech.  It's about a boy's introduction to poetry.  It's becomes the medium that he learns to express loss and love.  I cry every time.  It gives me that twisty feeling of sorrow and joy that so often amalgamates in life.  I watched a reader's theater performance of the book today and thought I'd share the link with you.  It's 14 minutes long. Go here to see it.  If for no other reason that to hear Walter Dean Myers rich voice.