Packing for Houston & Guatemala

  I took our neighbor to the airport yesterday afternoon, and she asked what I had been doing on my day off.  "Stuffing a dinosaur" I told her.  "I'm not even sure what that means..." was her reply, which I suppose was pretty appropriate.  I saw some stuffed dinos at a little store near The Observatory, where I met my married-girls for a married-girls happy hour a few weeks ago, and have had them stuck in my head ever since.  So I pulled the remnants of the quilt backing and got to work.  The Mill End Stored didn't have any Fiberfill, but they did have some shredded foam toy filler, which seemed appropriate, so I bought a 1 pound bag, stuffed it in my bike bucket (1 lb of foam turns out to be a pretty big bag), and happily rode home.  I didn't take any pics of the process, because it was such a process to get it stuffed!  Think 3 inch hole + a funnel made of paper + tiny bits of staticky foam + a chopstick.  I made a mess.  But he's done and stuffed.  Graham tried to introduce him to Gilda, but apparently he's a serpentine dinosaur that attacks cats; she's not a fan.  I think he's cute. 

Here's the rest of my packing for Taylen, Ty, & Belinda:

Burp cloths

Inspired by Dig This Chick

  

I made this little trinket for Belinda on her birthday, which is in November.  I think I remembered to text her, but I did not send a card, nor a present, but I think I get some credit for making something, even if it's almost 3 months late, right?  Also I'm not sure what it is.  I've had it floating around the house a little; I put my earrings in it one day, I suppose it could be a trivet or a pot holder.  I didn't measure the binding, and am still a beginner anyway, so it was way to short to get around the edge.  Plus, how the heck to you bind a circle? (Any tips will be welcome).  So, it's just a gift.  Full of love.  And late.

Mystery craft

I'm bringing this lil' quilt as a gift for the members of the Antigua Rotary Club who we'll be working with in Guatemala.  It was the first quilt that I did a binding for, and it's just been hanging out waiting to be gifted.  Follow us on our trip at

http://newbergrotaryclub.wordpress.com/

I'm looking forward to shopping for some traditional fabric to bring home...

I'm off to pack!

Taylen's Quilt

It's done!  I started Taylen's quilt in October and finally finished it last night.  Happily finished it.  For being one who typically works better under pressure, I had assumed I'd be taking it as carry-on and finishing the binding on the flight to Houston next week, so I'm feeling pretty good about things.  Now I'm just trying to think of other little things I can put together for my first (and therefore favorite) nephew.  Stuffed dinosaur maybe?  For now, a few pics of the project in process and finished product.  I can't wait to cuddle him up in it...

How cute is that!

The whales were my inspiration

The instructions said to cut 2.5x2.5 squares to piece together for binding...no way I was doing that tedious work!

My friend Megan helping with the binding

Goal

Some things you make are edible, or visible, or wearable.  Some you can't see, or you can only see for a second, and then the game continues, and you're just left with the feeling of what just happened.  And it feels good.  Tonight I made a goal.  I've been playing on an indoor womens' soccer team pretty much since we moved to Portland, and it rocks my world.  There are a lot of things you do growing up, and it seems like most of them you grow out of or you move on from.  Soccer is not one of those things for me; it's always been my thing.  I remember my first almost-goal in high school.  It was in Bozeman at the Montana Cup, probably sophomore or junior year.  I took a shot and it hit the crossbar, and I ached for it.  I can still feel it.  Then my first goal, that was the weekend Ty graduated from high school.  From the top of the box, I took the shot and time slowed down.  It arced over the keepers head and landed perfectly in the upper corner.  I couldn't wait to come home and tell him.  It felt so good.

After every game I whisper a thanks to my parents (sometimes I even tell them) for all the gas money they spent letting me drive to Miles City for practice, or for following me all over Montana for games.  For letting me and Nikki make that drive 2 or 3 times a week by ourselves, two clueless high school girls.  For encouraging me to stick with it.  To mom for flying to California with me to watch my heroes play a World Cup semifinal; for standing in line so I could get Mia Hamm's autograph on a soccer ball which would then be rendered useless for playing with, but is still sitting proudly on a shelf in my room.  And dad for mowing "MIA - 9" in the backyard; I think that showed till the next summer.

Or to Ty, for kicking the ball in the backyard with me (and chasing it into the neighbors yard, too).  He was my real hero when it came to soccer.  He used to kick the ball against the back of the garage for hours at a time, which was crazy annoying, but he got good.  It got him a scholarship, at least.  I got to play with him and the guys at Pine Butte, using the headlights of someone's truck for light after dark.  You'd be proud of your little sister.  She's gotten better with time.  I even had my first hat trick this year.  Ty & Sam used to offer me $5 to get a yellow card at a game; that still hasn't happened.  But I play harder, more aggressive.  I took a nice fall tonight.  Sometimes I take chicks out (in the safe-aggressive way, of course).  I remember dad sitting in the bleachers or standing on the sidelines at any of my sporting events in Colstrip, mouthing the words "be aggressive".  I don't ever remember him yelling it, just mouthing it.  Well, I am aggressive.  I will keep playing as long as I can.  I love the sport.  Thanks for letting me play, for teaching me to be tough, for giving me a chance to make goals.