Visit from a Sphinx Moth - Way Cool !!!!!

This little guy came to visit yesterday evening! He made a stop at each & every one of the petunias in the flower bed! He was here for over an hour feeding from the flowers and never minded me one bit as he fed on the nectar. What fortitude, determination, and fearlessness this little guy showed as he worked his way through the blossoms! I enjoyed hanging out with him while he was here. What an awesome little creature he was to see here in the woods of Skanee !!!!!

Late in Posting

I have been awarded the "Nice Matters" logo by Carole " Wippy" Sullivan. She is an awesome internet friend whom I have gained great friendship with through the CQN Group. Thank you Carole for awarding me!
I am supposed to be calling on other bloggers whom I admire to receive this, but this late in the game most all I "patronize" have been spoken for. I am stepping out of the norm (no, me?) and am posting 7 websites that I visit often with my own affinity for what they are to me. Here they are.....

1) http://www.johndee.com/ (see his journal)
2) http://www.aviewfromthefield.com/journal.html voyeuring into life
3) http://www.wcsx.com/overeasy/ great AM weekend music
4) http://up.craigslist.org/sss/ stuff for sale
5) http://www.crazyjudythsstuff.blogspot.com/ CQ fabric aquisition
6) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CQForNewbies/ all the sweeties there
7 http://www.glumbert.com/media/laugh the "LAUGH of my LIFE" !!

And to ALL my internet friends who allow me to share their lives and mine via cyberspace.... THANK YOU ! Sincerely, Jane

Making Peace with the Spideys

adopt your own virtual pet!

If I can't beat them, I will join them!

Addendum to Below - Squeamish Spider Pic Beware

Here is a pic of a Wolf Spider that I found on the kitchen wall last night... he was a big one, but not as big as I have seen... biggest one in the house though! That is a teaspoon next to him.

We had a bat in the house this morning too but I did not get pictures as I was running around with a hood on screaming. This is the con side of living in the woods!

36 Hour Vacation!

Reorganized & Re-energized

Julies & Rebeccas Blocks

Fall Block & Fav Song

Needlebook Beginnngs

Needlebook Beginnings II

New Side Table

Under Bed

" Ironing Board"

Here are the naked blocks I pieced yesterday while Dan was gone. The first 2 are for the CYOT. Julies is the blue and red and Rebeccas is the one with the yellow piece shaped like "cheese" (See where I am going with this?) The next 2 are my Personal Challenge Blocks, Season to Season Fall block and Favorite Song. The song is Sky Blue and Black by Jackson Browne. See here for lyrics..... http://lyricwiki.org/Jackson_Browne:Sky_Blue_And_Black I did get the muslin cut and marked for the needlebook I want to make. I got some things picked out in a basket & tub of what I want to use on it and made a few notes on how I want to construct it.

I finished organizing as best I could with the drawers and tubs I had on hand, labeled and sorted so I will know whats what. Some of the tubs holding fancy scraps and velvets will have to sit out of course (easier to see and fondle). But there is some stash under the bed and yet some more in the upper utility room. I picked up a little folding table to use that I can put away when I am done and I have a towel on the cedar chest that I use for an ironing board. Threads, beads, ribbons and lace are much easier to get to now in the rolling drawer...Tadah!!!

Dan left at 5AM Monday and was back Tues at 4:30 PM. I think I did good with the time I had. I even colored my hair and had cocktails with my girlfriend.

Better Than Sasquatch

Last week in Marquette, in close proximity to where we live, there were a group of people who set out to look for Big Foot. Sasquatch has, and always will be, a legend of the ages. Similar to the Loch Ness Monster , he is elusive and notorious for always showing just enough of himself to keep the tales alive.

I am an open minded person and have seen the wide expanse of wilderness where a creature like that could live. I am not totally convinced nor am I so unimaginative that I can not consider the possibility of his existence. I will look for signs of him him when I am out and about in the forest.

However Spirits do live among us here and of that I am convinced. Maybe not Sasquatch, but something. When our Ojibwa friend was here recently, he captured this picture of what he calls the odishewe (ones who come to visit) in the woods to the back of our cabin. For several days before this picture was taken, our dogs would stand at the edge of the woods, staring and barking at nothing (or so we thought). The photos he took during this walk with my husband (before and after) do not have these spots, so debris on the lense is ruled out. I can not say yes or no, only that I feel something is out there. But it isn't scary.

Squirreling Up Stash for Winter

Between the mailbox and a trip with one of my new neighbors (who happens to be a quilter!) to Marquette, I managed to get some real cool stuff !! I have been wanting to try some different types of floss including the Caron silk. It is gorgeous! We found it at a store called Knit & Purl. I also got some silk ribbon from the Quilters Garden in Michigamme and some more beads and buttons from Michaels. Off Ebay I picked up a Qsnap frame and an adjustable wooden lap hoop that I know I am going to LOVE. The latest Quilting Arts Mag came on Wednesday, lots of inspiration there. I also picked up an embroidery pattern book from a used book sale last weekend. It has some beautiful antique patterns in it and it was only.25. There is a group I joined on Yahoo, Sewitsforsale, that has lots of used items at reasonable prices. I got "Natures Studio" by Joan Colvin from one of the posts. I feel just like a kid in a candy store!!!!

Dan is also "squirreling" up a stash of a different kind. Firewood! He chops every morning as part of his workout and he is getting lots of cords put up for the coming winter. His goal is to not have the furnace come on and I think he just may pull it off. I've told him that I draw the line at a cold bathroom, we will see.......

I am organizing today and making a list of some more plastic tubs and drawers I need. That should help with some of the issues I have with my space. I am finding that I am a visual person that likes to see my goodies & obviously that can't be the case here so the next best thing is to store it well and just keep out what really inspires me.

Dan is leaving in the morning to go downstate to get our travel trailer. We have had it stored for the past 10 months on some acreage my dad owns. I will be so relieved to get it home where it is safe and sound. The mice will have no doubt had a field day, so I will be giving it a deep clean to get it back into shape. Till then I am looking forward to having some uninterupted time alone; I can keep my own schedule for a couple days and stitch all night if I want. Yee Hah !!!!!

Can't Believe August is Here !

I got Carrolls block finished for the CYOT RR. The photo is of it. I will be starting on Julies " Fishing Block" next. When I make her block I am going to make extra this time. I am going to accept the Personal Challenge of the "Season to Season" and "Your Favorite Song". I don't know what song yet as I love so many, but I will keep you posted. I figure I can do a little at a time and test some things that I am hesitant to try on blocks going to someone else.

Our house guests have come and gone... we had a great time laying on the beach, hunting waterfalls, and taking drives. We also went to the Keweenaw Bay Indian PowWow. Rane is Ojibwe but not of that tribe. The colors and costumes were phenomenal. Cathy enjoyed her first time in a kayak and the weather was perfect.

I like to put things away after I work on a something but this is getting ridiculus. I am finding that I am not liking the space that I have been allotted as I can't leave anything out. I am so cramped and space is so limited that it is a major production to do anything. I used to have a whole room & now I have an "alcove". The table that I used to use for sewing now holds the computer and I have no surface space. I am on the floor too much and my things are hard to get to. I am finding my creativity and motivation is affected by this. Well thay say necessity is the Mother of Invention. My hobbies should not be so grudging for something that I can remedy... we will see what I can come up with in the space that I am allowed.