We've come a long way, baby!

I was going through some old photos, trying to find a "spring like" photo for my laptop's wallpaper. Anyway, I run across these photos. There were many large trees in the very spot we built the retreat. The old cabin is the 'gathering room' with the fireplace. The back door of the cabin is now removed and that is where you transition from old to the new addition.

The steps to the bedrooms in the basement come down off the back there.

I come across this top that a gal did from antique blocks.

I have a few others that have caught my eye as well. Enjoy.

Chicken girls

Does this look like Spring? The sun streaming in and shining on the eggs?

Some girls sit in backwards and it's no wonder the eggs end up on the floor.

These black n white girls are wyondotts. This breed comes in the red/black checkered color too.

The left photo, the reddish backwards chicken is an Araucanas (green eggs) and the white chicken is a Light Brahmas (brown eggs). These are a few of the original clan I got 4 years ago.

I am off to the feed store to buy more chicken crumbles. They can't live on table scraps from the retreat alone. That is just their bonus. They have to have the crumbles, corn, and water or no eggs for Patsy.

Stay warm today - very blustery Pooh!

Winter goes on and on

and there is more snow coming Monday.....

Marty and my son Brady are shoveling off the roof so as to relieve the stress on the roof trusses. Also to help the stuff melt and so the ice damming won't be so bad.

The inside view is looking out into the snow pile after the shoveling was done. Then they had to move the pile of snow so we could use the front door again. Notice it is up on the glass.

This weekend's guests had a surprise for Andrea who is getting married this fall. They each made a block, assembled, and quilted this quilt for her 'shower' gift. It was in her Kansas trouble colors. There were two extra blocks so these were made into pillows.

A few more photos of some wonderful eye candy! These gals really finished lots of UFO's!

Take a look.......

This log cabin is only 45" square. Tiny pieces but oh so stunning!

Take care, Patsy

On the Brighter side...

Amazing what a sunny day can do. And the incredible high temperature of 17 degrees! Thats Fahrenheit. While out buying my 16 bags of groceries for the retreaters this weekend, I had to drop off some things for St. Vincents thrift store. Well, since I was there, I just had to go in and check everything out. I hadn't been there in over a month. This is my find for the day.

I love using these old little suitcases for my quilting projects. I store one ongoing project per case. this is my third one I have. It needed alot of goo-gone on the outside as someone was good with the tape.

It even came with the original keys. It was $5. I bought some antique bird prints too but I need to find different frames for these. I plan to redecorate our bedroom with a bird theme. I'll show you them later.

These 'bed risers' came in the mail for me today. I have this 5 legged table out on my sun porch for cutting and I was liking cutting there so I decided to make it a permanent cutting table. Trouble was, I had to order two sets of 4 in order to get 5 risers but oh well. I dumped over the cat food trying to get them in their spots. The pets can clean that up. Too much work!


I painted the designs on the floor when we added the porch over 20 yrs ago.

I wanted you to see my transom window from a barn and what I did with it. I know it's nothing new but I'm hoping it will inspire me to get busy and do something with the other 4 or 5 windows that I have. They were meant to be in the retreat bedrooms. Now I just have to make a few blocks to match the themes of the bedrooms. The above one is screwed into the wall above the patio door.

You know the type of items you would buy when you get your first place away from home? These are the type of things that are falling into my cart at Walmart. Brady is about to be home owner and I don't forsee a wedding shower in the future (no steady girlfriend) so I have been picking up odds n ends for him. I'm looking forward to unloading some excess furniture and dishes and such......clean sweep.

I hope you all got to see the lunar eclipse last night. Totally cool.

Take care, Patsy

Treading Snow

We are all looking forward towards this weekend as they are predicting highs of 33 and 35 degrees!!! A real welcome treat for those in Wisconsin. Heck we may just show up in shorts and t-shirts.
Maxi's favorite spot is in a box on my desk. She has two to pick from and this one is her favorite. It came with a quilting kit inside from Country Sampler in Spring Green. Good taste, kitty.

Polly and Juice are getting tired of the winter too.

They are following me around today more than usual. I guess they are looking for something exciting to do too.

This is my ongoing project of cutting up strips into usable sizes. Pressing, cutting, pressing, cutting.

These catalogs are getting alot of attention at our house lately.

Seed catalogs from our local nurseries!

They usually appear in the mailbox the day

after Christmas.

This is Easter in a box. Today or tomorrow I am putting away "Winter" and the snowmen and getting out Easter. Soon the retreat will have no reminders of winter, unless you look outside of course.

How many more days till Spring? March 20th is the day! Last year, I seen my first bluebird the third week of Spring. Unless they'll be wearing Carhart's this year, don't think that'll be happening. Unless we get some major flooding real soon. Don't want that either. Fussy, aren't I?

I'm done ranting for today.

Take care, Patsy

Wisconsin February morning

The snow drift in front of the patio door is what I woke up to this morning. I look out into this backyard from my desk. School is cancelled once again. And so is our guild meeting tonight here at the retreat.

It is no wonder the Wisconsin Dells indoor water parks are booking over 800 rooms a night! Two words;

Cabin Fever!

This is a guild 'round robin' of sorts. It is one of many going around.

It will be a donation to the Veterans Hospital in Madison Wisconsin when finished to be handed out to a patient.

The panels were purchased by one member, the gold + blue border added by Janet. I added the half square triangles this weekend. I actually got to sit down and sew some during the last retreat. It was nice sitting with Marilyn, Gail, Judy, Linda, Chis, and Mary. And of course my sister, Nancy. There are some lucky babies out there that will reap the rewards of these Madison quilters.

This scene is atop my vertical file with many cubbys in my office.

The barn was one of those things that I hunted for, for many years. I had seen it in one of Lynette Jensen's books. I use to buy the Thimbeberries books for the decorating glimpses into Lynette's home. Kim Diehl has picked up the ball with her books. Whenever I get into a slump, I grab those books off the shelves to look at again and again.

I want to thank Bonnie for her hint about "Eva Cassidy" cd's and how she liked to listen to her while quilting. Boy, they are nice to listen to !

I am a February birthday and this little gal, I got in an auction box along with something else I was bidding on. Does anyone remember these? I think it is a ring holder but could be wrong. It says Napco 1956 underneath. I presume it was a dime store purchase. We had a wonderful store called the "Holzmiller's Five and Dime" in Reedsburg when I was a little girl. It was owned by two twin brothers with the Holzmiller name.

I remember saving up my money to buy a few things there. I remember buying my nativity set there. I still have that and remember that store every time I unpack it. Another thing I remember buying there was these Valentine pins.

This one I treasure. It was made in school by my youngest son, Cody. He is 24 yrs old now.

All you Mom's out there, can relate, I'm sure.
I still love wearing this one!

I guess I'm a romantic, but time to let all this Valentine stuff go now.

It's time. Stay warm.

Playmates, come out and play with me..............

This is just one of 26 cardinals chasing around at the many bird feeders while we watch the seemingly endless snow drift to the ground. An occasional bluejay and his gang try and dominate the feeder for a time.

With an already 6" on the ground and no end in sight, I am trying to take a photograph in my memory to save for the middle of August.

I know for sure that I would trade today for any mid August, hot summer day.

It's 'ode to Valentine's decorations. Even Penny Brite is dec'd out. But alas, Easter is on the horizon and I must make room. The stitchery was a make and take project from our local guild that meets the third monday night of each month, here at the retreat. It says "If friends were flowers, I'd pick you".

I am off to plug in my iron to do a little scrap pressing. Then cutting into some strips and squares and bricks. Must tackle this monumental task!

Being in the Middle of No Where in the middle of a snow storm can be exilerating and stifling at the same time. With only 3 cans of Diet coke in the fridge - kinda scarey too. Lets try adding the photo thing. Bear with me.