Hulu (not a commercial)

  I don't watch much TV.  Actually I only watch one show with any degree of regularity on TV and that is Monday night Mr. Scottie Dog and I watch Antiques Road Show on PBS together.  Other than that, I don't watch the television unless we've rented a movie.  Sounds quite sanctimonious, right?

Wrong!  Mr. Scottie Dog and I don't really like the same shows.  He likes news shows, build-it shows, airplane shows.  I like personal drama, biographies, shows about people.  He likes shows about things.
So I leave him to the TV and I go to my big screen computer and watch TV via Hulu.  Do you Hulu?  Do you know what Hulu is?

 I really like Hulu.  Most of my favorite shows are there.  Free. Whenever I want.  I also go to CBS.com and watch a few shows there. One advantage to watching TV on the computer is that there are fewer ads.  And I can switch to FB during the commercials if I want. My computer is set up right by my sewing machine.  This means I can watch any show I choose and sew to my heart's content.  And I do!

Today the computer had a hiccup and it shut itself down.  After turning back on I had to sign into all my "special places" again.  Facebook, AOL, Blogger & Hulu.  It had been so long that when I logged in and the space for "password" came up, I paused.  Hmmm.  What WAS my Hulu password?  First I tried ******, no.  Then I tried *********, no.  I tried **********, ******* and even ************** which I hadn't used in years. No, no, no.....all of them were invalid.  So I clicked the box saying I had forgotten my password.  Forgetting is a touchy word.  Now that I'm 60, every time I pause to find a word, remember where my keys are, try to say a name, I am sure that senior dementia is setting in.

It takes about 5 minutes for the email from Hulu to get to your inbox.  Finally it came and I opened the message.  They don't tell you the old password, you have to set a new one.  OK, I started to type a password and all of a sudden I remembered the old one. Of Course!  So I typed it in, retyped it in the next box and hit enter.  WRONG!  You can't use the original one again.  What's up with that? So I reset it with *********.  Hope I remember next time I have to use it.

VooDoo Doughnuts

 On the way home from our Alaskan Quilting Cruise we stopped in downtown Portland, OR for some VooDoo Doughnuts.  This is place is quite famous for all manner of oddly flavored, somewhat risque and innovative doughnuts.

 It's an experience!  Here's a partial look inside our box (we'd already eaten some).  There is one with fruit loops (Loopy), Oreo cookies & peanut butter (Dirt), one with rainbow jello powder, and the one I chose, Bacon Maple Bar.

 Here's a close-up.  I'm not a huge fan of doughnuts.  I don't go out of my way to stop at doughnut shops, and I think my favorites are French Crullers...they are light and airy.  If I'm out and there is a plate of doughnuts, I'll probably have one...or half of one.  I've eaten my share of maple bars before.  This maple bar was fresh, light and the icing was properly maple flavored.  The bacon strips were quite thick.  They tasted like bacon.  I like bacon but also, I don't go out of my way to eat it.  I've probably bought 5 lbs. of bacon in my 40 years of marriage.  Mr. Scottie Dog isn't a bacon kind of guy.

 I'm sure if you are a doughnut-loving, bacon-loving person you would LOVE this doughnut.  I have to admit for this ho-hum doughnut & ho-hum bacon eating person it was good (with a lower case g).  The experience to me was much more fun than the doughnut.  BUT the doughnut-loving people I was with LOVED it.  And I loved being with my peeps. If you want an experience...don't miss VooDoo Doughnuts in Portland, OR.

How about a Caribbean Cruise?

 Scottie Dog Quilts has booked our next Quilting Cruise!  This time we will be going to the Caribbean!  I've never been and am really excited. We'll be sailing on Norwegian Cruise Lines' Epic.  And what a ship it is!  Fun for the whole family!  Did you know that cruises are the best vacations for families and multi-generational family groups.  You can bring the whole family along: you get a Quilting Retreat and they are happy too.

•  January 18-25, 2014
•  7 Days, Roundtrip, departing Miami and visiting Philipsburg, St. Marrten, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

  

• Inside Stateroom   $759* per person
• Balcony                  $959* per person
• Single Studio         $1079** per person
• Mini Suite             $1,109* per person

*price is based on double occupancy and includes all port charges, NCCF fees, government fees, taxes and group classes, functions and activities.  Air fare and travel insurance additional.  **Single studio rate is based on single occupancy.

The rates are amazing and if you book before October 31, 2012 your fully refundable deposit is only $125 per person (half of the regular deposit rate) AND you'll get special shipboard credits! Click HERE for more information on the ship.

You can take a historical tour, snorkel, para-glide, go fishing, climb a mountain, lay on the beach and more while in port.

 The entertainment on the ship is spectacular! Blue Man group is just one of the fabulous entertainment groups you'll see.  Pop Legends Concert and so much more.

It's going to be so much fun....Don't forget the special...only $125 will hold your spot and it's fully refundable.  After October 31 it will double.

Contact our awesome travel agent, MJ Bryant at AK2TRVL Vacations  (888)278-7875

I hope you will come....bring your quilting girlfriend or your husband or your sister or what about bringing the whole family including grandchildren!!!  The Caribbean will be mighty nice in January.

Dancing With The Stars

Dancing With The Stars is the name of our newest pattern.  It was the Mystery Quilt at our retreat last week.  Here's a shot.

 In trying to describe the Accent/Inner Border fabric to our retreaters without giving away the pattern, Liz told several people that the Accent/Inner Border "dances" throughout and around the blocks, touching the background.  We looked at each other and knew what we would name this quilt pattern.  It is a very simple pattern that looks complex.  Nearly everyone making the throw size finished their top and those making the Queen were close too.  The pattern is now available.

Linda's version...I like what she did with the stripes in the corners.

Here's Judy ironing a block by the "Little Shop" corner.

Lindsay used batiks.....

We decided to hang our quilts from the balcony....love the historic flavor of the Eureka Inn Lobby.

Another balcony shot.

Connie's version featured a bird print.

My childhood friend Maralee came.  Here we are: Me, Sydney & Maralee.

Donna's was stunning!  Black background really set off her "bling" fabrics.

Everyone gets a large table area to sew....but of course, as quilters we tend to fill up every single inch of it!

Retreats are so much fun!  Our next retreat will be held at The Historic Eureka Inn , March 8-10, 2013. As sign-ups have already started you might want to reserve your spot.  We expect this retreat to fill.  We will be sewing in the front ballroom.
You can email or call the store (707) 444-9962 to reserve your spot.



Tomorrow I'll tell you all about our Caribbean Cruise January, 2014.

Moving.........

It's been a while since I last wrote here on my blog.  I have been quite busy with all manner of activities that are certainly Blog-worthy events.  I've taken lots of photos that would normally land on my blog pages.  Lots of excitement here with Scottie Dog Quilts being chosen as a Better Homes & Garden's Top Ten Shop in Quilt Sampler magazine. Our store has been amazingly busy...keeps getting busier each week.  But I haven't blogged.   Lots of Grammy activities, and still I haven't blogged.  I've had something on my mind and I couldn't seem to blog until I was able to make it public.

This weekend was the Fall Retreat for Scottie Dog Quilts.  We've been holding retreats 2 or 3 times a year since 2001.  We had a wonderful group of women come (although not all are pictured here).  One, Suzanne, has come to every retreat we've ever had and for another (Maralee) it was her first time.  Maralee came from Redlands, CA and she is the closest thing to a sister that I have.  It was a pleasure to have her (and everyone else too!) at our retreat.

This is a great shot from the balcony overlooking the Grand Lobby of the Historic Eureka Inn where we hold our retreats. We shared some news with our retreaters that we've been keeping to ourselves for a little while.

 Liz, husband Steve & granddaughter Sydney and Mr. Scottie Dog & I will be moving to Minnesota next year.  It is not a decision we made lightly and not without much discussion, prayer and information.  We have felt pulled in two directions and our hearts torn apart having half of the family in Minnesota and half of it here in CA.  We will be selling our store, Redwood Sewing Center.  I suppose it seems like a silly thing to do when the business is doing so well, has just been recognized as a Top Ten Shop and all.  But we are going to do it.  Don't think that we will be disappearing right away or that the shop is closing.....we are starting a new Block of the Month!  Until the shop is sold next year it will be business as usual for Liz and I.  We will continue to give it our best and we just ordered a bunch of new new fabrics.  We know we'll find someone to continue Redwood Sewing Center...making it better than ever!  I know the perfect person is out there and they will continue on.

We are heartbroken thinking about leaving all the wonderful friends we've met through the years but we know we will continue to see many of you in the future.  We plan to continue holding Quilting Retreats and Cruises.  Our next Eureka, CA retreat will be at the Historic Eureka Inn March 8-10, 2013 and we are already taking sign-ups.  Any day now we'll be posting the dates for our Feb. or March 2014 Caribbean Cruise.  We will be  holding a Eureka retreat each year and have some other ideas for future retreats in the Midwest as well.

Next year will be a time of a new beginning for our family; kind of daunting to start a new adventure at 60, but I know that having our family all together will be great.  I will miss my friends in CA, the big trees, CA coast and mountains but hope to visit often.  And perhaps the best news is that we plan to have a guest suite in our new home and hope you will all come to visit.