No Christmas Cards This Year

 

This year there will be no Christmas Cards from the Scott Household. It's not that we aren't celebrating Christmas...it's just that this year there are no Christmas decorations, no card, no cookies, no tree.  We DO have a small potted pine in the yard with colored lights, but that's it.

 

Growing up my parents really did Christmas right.  A huge tree, all decorated with lights, beautiful glass baubles and loads of tinsel (painstakingly placed strand by strand by my patient Mother.  At some point Dad would grab the rest and throw it on the tree, accompanied by much protesting from Mom).  The house would glow with decorations, stockings hung, candles, oodles of presents, hundreds of cookies baked.  Some years we would make the trip from LA to Redlands to my Aunt Hazel's and Uncle Walts's house for Christmas dinner, some years it would be at our house.  Always a huge ham or turkey, special holiday foods, so many fun times with cousins, grand parents and friends.  A jigsaw puzzle was set up at our house with conversations weaving through the house. We always looked forward to Uncle Paul and Aunt Lulu's visit....they would bring a 5 lbs. box of See's Candy, a once a year treat. I am so grateful for happy Christmas memories.

 

We had wonderful Christmas celebrations in Eureka with our daughters as they grew.  I loved to decorate the house and made many of the ornaments on the tree.  We'd gather and string popcorn and cranberries for garlands and hope the cats wouldn't eat them before Christmas.  Bill would put up strings of lights and the house would sparkle.  The spicy aroma of special treats baking for gifts and snacking would fill the house.  We loved the Christmas Eve services with real candles and carols. Every Christmas morning began with Mr. Scottie Dog reading the Bible account of the birth of Christ.  Presets and then peach streusel coffee cake. There were bicycles and dolls and all the trappings. Sometimes we were able to celebrate with extended family but most times it was just the five of us.  Celebrating Christmas together was full of wonder and wonderful memories.

 

Girls grow up, go to school and move away.  Christmas was no longer that magical time for little ones and yet, celebrating the birth of Jesus was still a very special time.  We spent a couple of Christmas days in Sacramento with Sarah and Liz, Beka joining us when she could.  It was eleven years ago that our Sarah unexpectedly passed away just a couple of days before Christmas.  Hard to believe she has been gone so long, but close in our hearts and part of our Christmas memories, never to be forgotten.

 

Miracle of miracles, the very next Christmas we had a grandbaby to love!  Followed by five more.  We are rich and richer!  Sydney (10), Jakob (9), Mercedes (7), Shiloh (5) , Anastacia (4) and Korban (2) are our treasures each Christmas and every day.

 

And so our journey continues.  We are finishing up the remodel on the house in Eureka and hope to have it on the market early January.  Bill has worked so very hard on it and it's looking great (and we ask ourselves why we didn't do all this much, much sooner!).  I spent about 7 months of this past year living in MN with the girls and  doing "Grandma" work.  But I'm in Eureka now until we sell the house.

 

We've had a great year with both Bill and I back and forth between California and Minnesota, celebrated our 43rd Wedding Anniversary,  we enjoyed a fabulous cruise together up the Eastern Seaboard, explored NYC together and more.  But this year 90% of our household goods are crated up in a warehouse in MN and we are in CA so there are no decorations, no Christmas cards and the like.  But Christmas will come anyway.....Jesus is born!  A Savior has come! 

 

Blessings to you and yours this holiday season.  We love you!



HiematFest 2015

Once a year the small Midwestern town of Jordan, MN puts on HeimatFest.  Roughly translated to Hometown Festival.  Jordan boasts 6140 residents (they only recently updated the population signs from 5792).  Just your average, small town place.  We live just one block from downtown in a 100 year old house.  Last night there was a Classic Car Show and Cruise.  We gathered up the kiddos and strolled down one block to First Street between Varner and Rice.  Classic cars of all makes and models...from Model T trucks to 1955 Cadillac Coup de Ville to 1962 Jaguar to lovingly restored Volvo's and so many more.  

We ate street food: tacos, brats, cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, cookies, root beer floats, egg rolls, pop, beer, hot dogs and so much more (I'm not telling what exactly I ate!).  Our little town of 6000 and there had to be nearly twice that many people there.  The Tuxedo Band played for a street dance.  They were quite good.  Korban (2) and I got in one dance.  Here are Beka and Jason as the dance got started.

Today, Saturday started off with a 5K run and a 1/2 mile fun run.  Beka, Jakob and Mercedes took part.  Mercedes was so proud of her participant's medal that she was still wearing it this afternoon as she left for a birthday party.

Then came the parade!  Here we are one block from home, all lined up waiting for the Color Guard to announce the beginning of the parade.

The 1 1/2 hour parade had it all!  The Jordan HiematFest Queen and her court, firetrucks, police cars, the Senior Queen and Princess (the kids thought I could be the Queen some day!)

There were cheerleaders, gymnastic groups, preschools, church floats and of course, Ronald McDonald himself!

There were even horses and Poop Bingo....I don't think any of the horses cooperated, though.

The Jordan High School Marching Band was impressive (and they could play too!).

There is some kind of local festival nearly every weekend within driving distance and each festival has it's Queen and her royal court. There must have been 10 or 12 such floats with pretty girls in fancy dresses and glittery crowns.  The little girls in the family were enthralled.  Two groups had ethnic costumes to represent their festival. The Czech Heritage Jr. Royal Court had male ambassadors as well as a queen and princesses.

Lots of local businesses had floats too.  Noble RV had a huge, brand new bus/RV, the drilling company had a giant truck, there were tractors and more.  This little gal was riding a cushion of  air instead of water behind a big boat.

 You can't forget the vets marching, the political parties, the insurance companies and more.  Everyone had an entry.  Here is the Jordan High School Cross Country Team inside/on some kind of farm trailer all decked out for the Festival.

Nearly every entry was throwing candy to the children. Many on the sidelines were equipped with bags or pillowcases.  Our kids didn't know so they had to fill their chairs with candy, Frisbees, cups, and more.  The local medical clinic passes out bags of carrots and someone gave out string cheese.  Here's Mercedes with her haul!

The festivities go on all day!  Up at Lagoon Park (3 blocks away) the Jordan and Shakopee Fire Departments are having contests.  

There's a volleyball tournament, a fishing contest, corn hole tournament, horseshoes and so much more.  Food tents, craft booths, bounce houses.  There's enough fun for all day.  HeimatFest 15 will finish up with a huge fireworks show tonight at 9 pm.  And that's how we celebrate the hometown in little Jordan, MN.

Is it Fall already?

The weather has turned. For a week or more temperatures were in the 90's with high humidity.  In this 100 year old house without air conditioning it was hard to sleep at night when the temps stay up in the high 80's even in the early hours of the mornings. And then, almost in the twinkling of an eye, most certainly in an hour or two, the temperature dropped 20-25 degrees and Fall was here.

 For several days now I see Vees of geese flying south.  A few of the trees just beginning to turn.  The now-fat squirrels have raised their families and are busy darting here and there in the yard burying acorns and nuts for Winter.  They seem to know that perhaps Winter will come early and stay late this year.

Liz and I are preparing a brochure for the quilting business and needed some photos taken.  Yesterday Beka took some shots of us.  It was amazing the varied backgrounds we found within one half block from her house.  Living in the Historic Jordan, MN downtown has many wonderful props and backgrounds.  Here's one of me.

I like this one of the two of us too.

I don't think of myself as photogenic.  It was kind of fun though to be posed in various locations, changing clothes and all.  Beka does a good job!  But I can't begin to think what it would have been like if we tried to take these last week in the heat!  I think Fall is here.  I wonder about Indian Summer?

The Road Oft Traveled

My current status is "living with my daughter and her family."  That means that while Mr. Scottie Dog is working hard to finish up our affairs in CA, I reside with daughter Beka, her hubby Jason and five of my grandchildren ages 9 and under in the small town of Jordan, MN. We all live in a 100 year old house right in town, one and a half blocks from "downtown."

Daughter Liz, hubby Steve and granddaughter Sydney (10) live in Prior Lake, MN about 15 minutes away.  Of course I am back and forth often.  Sometimes with one of the girls and sometimes alone.  I love the  drive. Between these two towns it is rural Minnesota at it's best.  Cornfields, soybean fields, farms, silos and wide, wide open expanses of sky.  

Highway 13 (Scott County) heads North and South.

Rows of corn, nearly ready for harvest now.  With all the lovely rain this Spring and early Summer the corn seemed to grow a foot a day.

There are farm ponds and lakes too.

So many different kinds of barns!

Barns and Silos.

Some farms raise grass.

Some fields are filled with soybeans.

 I enjoy the drive back and forth.  I've counted more than 20 farms bordering the road.  Hartmaan's Quarter Horses, one farm advertises "Farm Fresh Eggs" and another "Fresh Produce."  This is the land where you don't dare leave your car unlocked....not because of thieves, but because you may come back to a back seat filled with zucchini! 

 Tonight we had grilled chicken strips with zucchini fritters and a Mediterranean Salad with garden fresh produce....everyone gardens and the bounty is huge.  If the children are hungry. Have a tomato.  If it's snack time, let's get a cucumber from the garden.  Oops....a huge tomato sat on the ground and the ants got to it...just feed it to the chickens. Don't forget the peppers, the cabbage and oh, so much more.

This time of year the drive is green and lush.  Soon, the nights will turn cold and the landscape will turn golden.  And then white.  After most of my life in Northern CA (the land of perpetual green), I'm enjoying the Midwest and the changing of the seasons.  Hurry Mr. Scottie Dog!

No longer in Limo-land!

The end of April  we packed up my Tahoe and  took off again for Minnesota.  On the four day trip we ran into rain, snow, sleet, hail and wind.  I think the sun must have been shining off and on, but I don't really remember.  We arrived with the Spring and each and every day I see more and more green.  The lilacs are blooming everywhere and their light perfume fills every little breeze.  

Korban and I sit on the porch and chat. Already there have been some days in the '80's.

Auntie Liz decided to begin a project at Beka's house....removing 100 years of wallpaper in the living  room. Here Jakob helps.

Mr. Scottie Dog stayed long enough to help get plumbing fixed at Beka's and one of our rentals and help get Beka and Jason's fence project started. They have a privacy fence along one side and the back and Phase 2 will be "Gothic" picket fence in the front. 

Using an augur makes digging the post holes much easier.....but stony soil slows it down. 

The fence is getting longer!

The fence crew....Beka, Mr. Scottie Dog, Jason!  I guess Phase 2 will commence when Mr. Scottie Dog comes back.

For the meantime, I'm living in Jordan, MN (population 5400) with Beka & Jason (and Jakob 9, Mercedes 7, Shiloh 5, Anastacia 3 and Korban 1) and just down the road from Liz and Steve (and Sydney 10).  Missing Mr. Scottie Dog, but enjoying the grands.  I think I'm out of Limbo-land but smack dab in the center of Transition-town.

Goodbyes

The time has come for me to say goodbye to Humboldt County. I came here as a new, young bride from Southern CA, eyes full of stars, fully embracing my new home and life as a brand new bride.  The beauty of this area overwhelmed me.  Tall, TALL, very TALL redwood trees, rhododendrons and azaleas, ferns, the rugged coastline and wonderful beaches.  It took me awhile to figure out that you don't SWIM in these oceans, but you do spend lots of time at the beach and mostly with jeans and a sweatshirt on.  Humboldt County has it all: the ocean, the flat farmlands, rivers (some wild, some not, but all so very beautiful), hills and mountains.  It never gets hot and it never gets cold...but just go inland about 30 minutes and you can bake in the heat at the river or cut down a Christmas tree in the snow.

The children came quickly (I'll never live down getting preggers on my wedding night!). It was our privilege to raise our girls here.  For the first 11 years we lived on 1 1/2 acres right in town and the girls thought we lived in the country.  We raised chickens, geese, pigs, goats and a bunch of cats.  We had big gardens and a lovely greenhouse.  Then we moved out to Cutten to our own redwood forest.

Our church family nurtured us; the girls thrived at Arcata Christian School with teachers and staff who loved them like their own. Mr. Wunner and Mrs. Taylor are part of our family!

Scott Technical Services served us well as Bill's electrical contracting company and there are so many, many buildings that he had a hand in...Humboldt State University, Mad River Hospital, General Hospital, The Carson Block Building, Traveler's Inn, Carter Hotel and so very many more. Humboldt County is an awesome place and Bill never once had to advertise; his reputation spoke loudly.

For many years we were involved in Camp Fire.  The girls all belonged, I led clubs and Bill was on the board of directors.  Many family memories are tied up in our Camp Fire family. Summer camps, painting faces, selling hot dogs at county-wide events to fund fabulous trips to Los Angeles, Salem, OR and even a 12 day trip to Washington, DC.

I was privileged to turn my passion/hobby into a wonderful business and we are all proud of Scottie Dog Quilts/Redwood Sewing Center that became our family business.  So many hundreds of lovely people began as our customers and became our friends and a second family. I retired last Summer and we closed the store but daughter Liz now runs an online store with that name and we continue to hold our fun and fabulous Quilting retreats and Quilting Cruises.

Our girls grew up and all of a sudden it is now 43 years and 6 grandchildren later.  It's time to go to Minnesota and follow the girls and and their families. We have come to love Minnesota and it truly feels like home now.

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go.....

I don't think I can say another Goodbye.  My heart hurts too much. I've always found them difficult.  Maybe the Hawaiians have it right. "Aloha."  Hello and Goodbye.   But, as you know...

I'll be back at least twice a year for  our Scottie Dog Quilting Retreats so I hope to see my friends with some degree of regularity but most of all, I hope to see friends and family coming to the Midwest to visit.  We'll always have a bed ready and show some Minnesota Nice hospitality.

Just follow the signs and you'll find us. 

One last thought:

May God richly bless you all. May He hold you in the palm of His hand.  May He cause our paths to cross again. I love you all, I really do!

Another Successful Quilting Retreat!

 This past weekend Liz and Sydney were in town.  Heaven to see them!  The reason they flew in from Minnesota is that we hosted another fabulous Scottie Dog Mystery  Quilting Retreat in Eureka.  For the most part the weather was fabulous.  There were a couple of hours of rain, but mostly the skies were blue, the views from our windows were breathtaking. We could eat out on the decks if we wished.

Here's a view of the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center taken from the Marina.  The large windows on the left 2nd story are part of our sewing space with two more large windows around the corner facing east.  Lovely views, light and airy rooms.

Here's Rene with one of her blocks.  Look how well her colors go together!

Bev was the first one finished.  Her quilt was fun and cheery. The quilt for this retreat was designed by Liz and called "Swirly Girly."  We have a special ruler for it (makes it REALLY easy).  I'm sure both will be on the Scottie Dog Quilts website soon.

The food was great, the company divine!  Our caterers outdid themselves....I am partial to the Banana Hut Hawaiian Barbecue! I heard many positive comments about our brownie sundae bar on Saturday night.  Lots of great show and tell, laughter and fun.  It's always great to see our friends at retreat.  Alas, Liz and Sydney have flown back to MN and Mr. Scottie Dog and I will be making the drive to Minnesota again next week.  I'll be staying in MN while he comes back to CA to finish up the house remodel and get it on the market.

Next Scottie Dog Quilts Mystery Quilting Retreat will be  August 7-9 held again at the beautiful Aquatic Center on Humboldt Bay in Eureka, CA.  Details here: CLICK Please note that we do need your deposit as soon as possible. You may do it securely right on line at the above link.  Space is limited.  I'll be living in MN by August and Liz and I will be flying out to be with all of you.  Please think about joining us.

Big Box of Scraps

Most of my days go by with a sameness that could be perceived as blandness and boredom. But actually I am enjoying my time.  While Mr. Scottie Dog does his work outside I mostly stay indoors. Every day I pack a few boxes/sort through stuff/throw away stuff/fill boxes to go the the thrift store.  But most of the time you will find me at my sewing machine while I watch/listen to movies or TV shows on the computer.  I have a huge box of scraps that I've been working from for the past few months.  So far I have made about 350 crumb blocks.  A crumb block is a block of "made" fabric.  Scraps are sewn together and trimmed to make a block of a particular size.  I choose 6.5".  

Then I take those crumb blocks and put them into the center of one of my personal favorite quilt blocks: The Sawtooth Star.  What I like about the Sawtooth Star is that  it is a bold, graphic pattern that can be changed at a whim by putting special things in the center...a crumb block, a fussy-cut dog or cat or stripe.  The star points may match the center square...or not.  Even the background can be changed by putting a different fabric in each corner.  So much potential for each star.

All these blocks (and I now have over 200 of the 12.5" star blocks) will be made into quilts for a few different charities serving children overseas.  WAS or Wrap A Smile is a branch of a Rotary Int. sponsored group that provides free cleft palate surgeries for children in other countries.  You can learn more about WAS HERE It used to be that after surgery these children were wrapped up in a Mylar space blanket.  For close to 20 years now, each and every child is wrapped up in a colorful quilt.  My heart has always been softened by children so I'm proud to play a small part in this organization.  I make blocks and send them to others who will make quilts with the blocks.

Remember that huge box of scraps?  Well for some reason, that box seems to be as full as when I began.  So until I move to MN, my main project has been the sewing of these blocks.  It fulfills the creative passion of mine to sew, play with color and do something for others.