Wyoming Breezes

American Liberty 62 x 80 inches Quilt of Valor Recently, I was contacted by Louise H. in Florida. Louise's friend Sandy M. made this quilt for a donation, but it was too large for Louise to quilt on her domestic machine. She asked if I could use it for a Quilt of Valor.  Once I received the quilt, I gave it a good press, reinforced a few seams, and prepared a backing. It will be sent to a volunteer longarmer as soon as I am paired with someone.  Thank you Sandy for making this beautiful quilt and to Louise for making another Quilt of Valor possible. 

hand-carved sunflower March 2021 I received a surprise package in my mailbox last week: some Minnesota sunshine in the form of a wooden sunflower, carved by FarGuy (Gene H.) , and painted by both FarGuy and FarSide (Connie H.)  Connie and I have been blog friends for several years. Both Connie and Gene are carvers and create over 100 hand-carved Christmas ornaments for their family and friends every year. Sometimes, she will host a contest with one of the ornaments being the prize.  In 2018, I won a contest Connie hosted on her blog, and my prize was a tiny house she had carved. It's a treasure as is this gorgeous sunflower Gene and she created.   Thank you Gene and Connie for this special gift and for your online friendship.

Google comment box to nowhere February 2020 I've been frustrated the last two weeks because I could not comment directly on several blogs that I regularly read. I finally started commenting via email IF I had that person's private email address. Commenting on the posts I read is something I enjoy because the comments connect me directly to the blog author. I've developed some wonderful friendships with other blogger simply by commenting. Recently, the photo above is what I encountered on nearly half of the blogs that I read faithfully every morning. The "Google Account" tab shows that I was not signed in, but in reality, I was. Any comment written in the comment box would not publish even though it disappeared when I hit "Publish." I contacted Blogger about the problem. Honestly, they were not very helpful but suggested that I switch my internet browser to Chrome, which incidentally is a Google product, as is Blogger. Can you say "conflict o...

Surprise package from Connie H. January 2020 Connie ( Far Side of Fifty ) has been going through her " stuff " and deciding what can stay and what must go. I was the lucky recipient of a package of fabric panels and some white yardage. She even sent a crocheted scrubby. It's fun when someone's "stuff" becomes your treasure. Thanks, Connie for sending this unexpected, yet welcome package.

swap goodies June 2018 I've participated in several of the swaps that Kathyb ( Compassionknit ) has organized, and this one did not disappoint. The swap requirements were specific:               The Summer Swap will have a deadline of July3rd. This means                     your pal  should have their yarn by July 3rd.              The contents must be able to fit in a large mailing                       envelope. (cheaper to mail this way)              You need to send your swap pal : A lovely skein of yarn,                       something red, white   and blue, and ONE BUTTON. Valerie ( Wandering Cat Studio ) sent a skein of luscious wool, cashmere, nylon sock yarn (Fruit Smoothie), th...

tiny house carving by Connie H. May 2018 This tiny house carving arrived in the mail last week. It's amazing and adorable. Connie ( Far Side of Fifty ) has a snow stick contest every year where her blog readers guess when all the snow in her Minnesota yard is completely melted at the Snow Stick. This year, she added a contest to guess when a large pile of snow (plowed from her driveway) she named June would disappear completely. My guess was April 27, 2018. June disappeared on the 186th day of winter - April 30, 2018 . Since my guess was the closest to that date, I won the contest, and I received a bark carving by Connie. Connie and her husband (Far Guy) have been carving for several years and create beautiful hand-carved Christmas ornaments for multiple family members and friends each year. They design and create the ornaments throughout the year, and Connie adds a bit of paint to enhance the details. Connie and Far Guy also teach others the craft. You can read about the...

Crazy Zauberball yarn Color 2312 - Piano Bar Today is the official start of the  I ♥ Fall Knit-Along , hosted by Dee at  Pointy Little Sticks . I found three skeins of yarn in my stash that would be appropriate for the KAL and decided to use the Crazy Zauberball yarn I purchased in June at Cowgirl Yarn in Laramie, WY. The leaves on my Ash trees are gradually turning gold and falling. These trees are typically the first in the neighborhood to change color. It's fun to see the yarn colors that others have picked: some bright and colorful; others, muted like the skein I selected. Fall color in this area is mostly gold and sometimes a burst of red. I am going to knit a pair of plain socks (no lace or patterns) as I prefer not to have a pattern on my socks.

pre-loved quilt from Wedding Dress Blue August 2017 I was notified on August 6, 2017 that my name had been drawn for the Pre-loved Quilt Giveaway on the Wedding Dress Blue blog. The quilt arrived last week, and I am beyond thrilled with how it looks on my sofa. It's the perfect size for napping, reading or knitting on a chilly day. Deanna included three pillow covers (I don't have that size of pillow forms yet) that match the quilt. This and That was made by Deanna Treadway in 2012 This and That by Deanna Treadway made in 2012 Deanna, I love this quilt: thank you for allowing me to adopt it.

Swap box contents from Betsy Fat quarters for quilting, double-point needle keeper, knit dishcloth, removable stitch markers, needle gauge, yarn cozies, Japanese coin purse, washi tape, note pad, tea, air freshener, and coaster August 2017 KathyB hosted another swap this year, which I gladly joined. The theme was " Anything But Yarn ." My swap partner was Betsy (you can see what I sent her on her blog: The Simple Life of a Queen ), who was also my partner for the previous swap. Since Betsy and I started reading each other's blogs nearly two years ago, we have picked up a few details about each other's life, including likes and favorite colors and crafts. The items Betsy sent are perfect - things for quilting, knitting, and relaxing. Thanks for being a great swap partner, Betsy! Thanks, KathyB for hosting another successful swap.

Sheri H. stopped by with chocolate covered cinnamon bears (my favorite), and as you can see, Marilyn and I enjoyed them. I'm rationing the rest.  Sheri also brought some freshly baked scones for a special treat.  I have been blessed with good wishes by email, by mail, and by personal visits. I am truly blessed to have such caring blogger and local friends. Your caring words and actions are appreciated. The first card I received in the mail was from Dee K. ( Pointy Little Sticks ) Her timing was perfect: it arrived day after I returned home. The bottom card is from Connie H. ( FarSide of Fifty )  I love that Connie makes her own cards.  The UPS man arrived with a package mid-week, and the contents made me laugh out loud: Vera L. found some bubble gum cigarettes and some wax bottle candy that I mentioned in the Candy Time Capsule post. Vera also included a lovely stitched pincushion. Everything was wrapped in bubble wrap, that I love to pop. c...

JoAnn's Stars Quilt of Valor 57 x 71 inches The center of this quilt was a UFO that LuAnn W. purchased at a local estate sale. LuAnn sent the UFO and the extra fabric, and I couldn't resist starting on it the day after it arrived in the mail. UFO and extra yardage The first step was to give the UFO a good press and a touch of spray starch. Then, I squared the piece and began adding borders. Quilts of Valor have size requirements, so I needed to add length as well as width. Keeping an eye on the yardage available, I decided to use the top and bottom border idea from the Stars and Stripes pattern (Villa Rose Designs). I asked LuAnn for the name of the woman who made the stars so I can put her name on the quilt label. She did some research: JoAnn O. from Ramsay, MI. I found her obituary online for the correct spelling of her name. After reading how kind-hearted and generous she was, I'm extra sure now that she would be thrilled with the Quilts of Valor. ...

Judy and Mr. Riverton, WY August 2015 The morning before I left for the road trip with my sister and niece, I got an email from Judy at Daily Yarns 'n More, and she threw me off balance when she asked how far I lived from Casper, WY.  I explained that I lived in Riverton, which is about a two-hour drive from Casper. I was delighted to hear that Judy and her Mr. (that's the name she gives him on her blog, so I won't reveal his name here) were driving right through my town, and I gave directions to the Roasted Bean where I would meet them for lunch. We had a wonderful visit over lunch: Judy and I have been reading each other's blogs for a couple of years, maybe more, and we knew quite a bit about each other's interests. Her poor Mr. was at a definite disadvantage, but when I asked him some questions about his barn and the sugaring process , he jumped right in, and the conversations between the three of us flowed smoothly. Judy and Mr. were on their way ...

Fabric for Quilt of Valor backs sent by Karin H. March 2015 Last year, Karin ( Lovin' Life at the End of the Dirt Road ) shared that a quilt shop on the way to her Mother's home in Texas often had yardage on sale that would be ideal for QOV backings. She asked if I would be interested in some fabric the next time she stopped. Karin contacted me a few weeks ago with the news the shop was going out of business and the fabrics were significantly reduced. She asked if I was still interested. At first, I told her that I wasn't since Marilyn had just sent me some yardage . Yet, when Karin told me the cost of the fabric, it was a deal that I couldn't resist. See the fabric that Karin brought home in this blog post . Karin and I texted and emailed for several days, and I indicated the fabrics and the amounts that I wanted. I intended to send payment via PayPal, but Karin had other ideas: she wanted to donate the fabric to me for Quilts of Valor. I struggled with that ...

Previously, I posted about my comments being rejected by most blogs and bouncing back to me. The situation continued to nag at me because I missed the interaction of the bloggers replying to my comments. I knew there had to be a solution. My fingers are crossed, but I think I've found a way around the bouncing. My "fix" has worked for nearly two weeks now, so I am optimistic. Several years ago, I was advised to create two blogger profiles and to allow both to have administrative capabilities, and now I now why. I used my Yahoo email account exclusively for my blog and for posting comments. It worked for nearly seven years. Then suddenly, it was not recognized for comments, and they began bouncing back to me. If you are experiencing the same issue, here is my solution. • you must have a different email account that is active •  you must create a new blogger profile, using that email •  invite the new email/blogger account to become an author to your existin...

The Humbags are packaged and ready to mail to the winners.         Camouflage bag - Dee         Black and White checks (gingham) - Katherine         Floral - Sissy Sees         Black and White windowpane - Crafts on the Go (Crafty One)         Small, cloth Humbags will be given to: TamKnots, Pumpkin, and Leah Winners, please send me an email with your mailing address.

Sometimes my blog posts originate from a photo or a memory. Recently the Beatles' tune, "With a little help from my friends" has been popping into my head. In recent years, I have been blessed with some help from local and cyber-land friends. Frequent readers may recall:     •  yarn donations from Rena ,  Lois , Kathy , Katheryn , and Mary     •  quilt blocks from Sue ( here , here , and here ), gMarie , Connie     •  knitting needles from Connie     •  ornament from Dee     •  placemats and mug mat from Julie     •  pumpkin from Doniene     •  books and yarn from Bridget     •  swaps by KathyB ( here ,  here , and here ) Marie  helped translate a German phrase for my niece who was transcribing her grandmother's diaries. I know that many individuals are afraid to comment and/or to open themselves up to other bloggers. While a chance...

Nancy, Bev, Brian Jackson, WY September 2013 Bev ( This and That ) and I have been reading each other's blogs for a couple of years and have corresponded through email. Bev and her husband winter in Arizona, and last year we threw around the idea of meeting somewhere on one of their trips. The stars aligned this year on their family outing to Yellowstone National Park. Sue, Bev, Brian Jackson, WY September 2013 Emails flew back and forth with details, and we decided to meet in Jackson, WY for lunch. So last Tuesday, my friend Sue and I took a road trip to soak up the lovely scenery and to meet Bev and her husband at Bubba's Roadhouse. Grand Tetons Jackson, WY September 2013 The drive over Togwotee Pass was beautiful in the morning, and we stopped at one of the scenic pull-outs to photograph the Tetons. The aspen in the area were just starting to turn yellow, and this week they should be a gorgeous gold. Over lunch the conversation flowed smoothly, and we...