A New Book and A New Swap

Do you read Michele's website Quilting Gallery?  I have been reading it more lately because there is a new Learning Center feature.  The focus of the posts have been Studio Organizing hosted by Pat Sloan.   I don't have a studio, but I really need to organize.   It's been nice to see there are a lot people with my problem.  They had a give away for the book,  Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter. Last night I checked out Amazon and found out I could buy the book for my Kindle Fire for under ten dollars.  As you know I have a bad weakness for books--so I bought it.  I haven't done a lot of reading yet, but the contenst page looks very good.   The first chapter has already told me that buying alot of plastic containers is not the answer.  I think that is true if they are all piled up on each other and you have no idea what is in them.

(picture borrowed from Amazon, so you can't look inside here)

I need to really do some organizing so I can make better use of my time and the things I have.   I spend way too much time trying to find something.  I do a lot of the things I've seen on blogs--plastic project containers and binders full of projects.  I'm hoping this will give me the push I need to make a major over haul.  Of course, I have to read the book first.   Stop over at the Quilting Gallery's Learning Center for more information.

I joined another swap.  I am a member of the Snickerdoodle Dreams community.   It is a social network for quilters and scrapbookers.  They are having a new swap called Love Thy Friend.  It is a round robin swap.  It's all about loving our friends with goodness. What you receive in your swap box you can take out anything... but then... what you take out you must replace!!  After replacing the items with new things, you send it on to the next person.  It sounds like something new and different and FUN.  They are taking sign ups until February 28th, if you are interested. 

Are you wondering if we got snow?  Yes, we did---10 inches of the lovely, white, very wet kind of snow.  It's wonderful to have moisture for future grass growth.   We spent most of yesterday outside (no sewing) pushing snow around, feeding everyone and providing a dry place to lay down for the cattle.  I'm a really good gate keeper.

Sorry about the picture quality, but it was snowing that hard at the time.  At least it wasn't super cold out.  Today is windy and sunny.   The snow is melting, so I know the temperature is above freezing.   I really need to get busy doing something productive and that won't happen on the computer.





Frosty Morning

Thank you for  all the birthday wishes!!  It was a good day.  I'll draw for the books on Friday.  There is still time to comment if you haven't yet.

It was a beautiful frosty fairyland this morning.  I had to take a few pictures for you.   The little tree that the cats love to climb is loaded with thick white frost.  The sun was so bright and the sky a gorgeous shade of blue. 

Of course, it wasn't much fun driving home in the fog last night!!  We went to Aberdeen (about 90 miles north and east of the ranch) for the day--my birthday.  : )  We did some farm supply shopping and went out for supper with one of DH's sisters and her husband.  The last 45 miles home was pretty foggy in places.  It was -2 F when we got home about 9:00 pm.  Brrrrr.  As you can see we don't have hardly any snow yet.  Aberdeen has about 8 inches.

No surprise this morning to find out that the heater in the shop wasn't working.  Whenever the temperature is below zero you can count on something not working.   lol  Thank goodness DH got good advice over the phone from our propane man.  He had it going after 3 trips to the shop.

The haygrinder came today.  I thought you might like to see the machine that grinds the big hay bales into ground hay.  DH is feeding the grinder the big bales.  We mix the ground hay with silage and oats in the feed wagon to feed to the cows.  He ground bales for 2 hours for $500.00.  The price has gone up since last year.  Hasn't everything?

The cattle have been in the fall pastures.  Last week we brought them home and worked them.  The calves got fall shots and everyone was "poured" to kill lice, grubs and worms.   In a few days we will wean the calves.  There will be alot of "bawling" going on. 

Oliver, Olivia and Lillian are back closer to home too.  Oliver has gotten bigger and has more brown spots on his coat. 

I didn't get to the sewing machine today.  Bookkeeping, cleaning and laundry needed to get done.  I'm hoping tomorrow is more "fun".