COMING HOME FROM THE RETREAT

Windmill in the gardens

Beautiful flowers and shrubs

Lilac bushes

On the way back from the Retreat Donna and I stopped to see the Lilac Gardens in Woodland, WA.  These pictures don't really show how large the gardens are.  There are many other shrubs besides Lilacs.  There are rows  of Lilacs with name tags for each kind.  The gardens are only open for a short time each year.  We couldn't tour the house because it was not open when we went there.  There were even tables where you could eat your picnic lunch.  The gardens are incredibly beautiful.  Maybe we can stop and see them next year when we go to the Retreat. There must be Honey Bee hives near by.  The Honey Bees were everywhere.

QUILTING RETREAT NEAR VANCOUVER, WA

The sewing room at Our Quilting Retreat

We had our Quilting Retreat from May 14th through May 17th.  I just realized I have been going to the Retreats for six years now.  It is so nice to get together once a year. The girls are talking about adding a day next year.  Donna is making a King size quilt for her bed.  I just brought my counted cross stitch.  Everyone admires my counted cross stitch.

We draw names to give gifts at the Retreat.  It is a secret pal exchange.  It turned out that Donna had my name so I got this pillow back that I made and one of the bags that Donna made.

My Secret person was absolutely thrilled with her pillow and the bag. I don't think Donna and I will work that hard next year.  Everyone was supposed to bring a handmade item but not everyone did --so now the new rule is you can bring a handmade item if you want to.


SURPRISE THIS AFTERNOON

A dozen Roses for me

I haven't taken the time to write about our quilting retreat but thought I would put this picture on first.  Yesterday a gentleman and his son-in-law were looking at the property next door.  Donna and Laif had gone to town so he was asking about the neighborhood and things. We probably visited about 15 minutes and I was just giving him Donna's phone number when Donna and Leif drove up. Leif showed him our yard and explained some things to him. They were such nice people  we were hoping they would build there but they changed their minds.

Just a few minutes ago the doorbell rang.  There were these Roses for me and a thank you card with a Costco gift card for Donna and Leif.  What nice and thoughtful people they were.  Wherever they build someone will be fortunate to have them for a neighbor.

GETTING READY FOR THE QUILTING RETREAT

Counted Cross Stitch pictures for our Retreat.

Donna made these darling bags

We are putting the pillows in the bags.

Donna made these pictures I did  into pillows.

We are leaving for our Quilting Retreat on Thursday and will not be back until Sunday afternoon.  The Retreat is near Vancouver, Washington.  We always have a good time.  It is fun to get together with everyone. Donna is going to be working on a quilt at the Retreat.  I can help her with it.  I am bringing my Counted cross stitch to work on too. I have about a fourth of the Wolf Picture done.  It is still going to take me awhile to finish it.  I usually don't work on it while David is down for the winter.  I may get this one done before Winter as this picture is not as big as the others I worked on.

TWO FUN SATURDAYS

This is the Outfit I modeled for the Fashion Show

Museum on Fox Island

Donna and I had signed up to model clothes at C.J. Banks in Silverdale. We went to Silverdale on Saturday, April 11th to pick out the clothes we were going to model for the Fashion Show on April 18th.  It did not take us long to pick out clothes so Donna decided we would spend some time driving around. Somehow we got to talking about Fox Island.  Fox Island is a small Island across the water from Tacoma. When Donna and Laif were younger they had started to build a house there with "House My People", I think it was.
     I told Donna that I had been to Fox Island in 1950 when I was pregnant with her brother, David, my first child. We went there because Horace and Sue, my brother-in-law and his wife were trying to buy a run-down Resort that had a few cabins. Donna decided we should drive there and look around just for the fun of it.  I said we are going to have to take the ferry, aren't we?  Donna said no, there is a bridge.  I did not remember a bridge and it confused me because I was sure we took a ferry.  I looked on my phone and found that the bridge was not built until 1954. That made me feel better.  That was why I could not remember the bridge. Actually, on the internet, it said the bridge is now in need of repairs.
      So we took off to go to Fox Island and crossed the bridge to Fox Island. It is a very pretty Island.  There are trees everywhere. There are some very gorgeous homes. Donna found the houses that were where she and Laif had been building. The Resort that Horace and Sue had was right on the water. When we were driving around, we spotted the roof of what looked like the Lodge building that they had. You could tell it was a really old building.  We could not go down to the water.  All the driveways are private now.
      Then we went to the Museum on Fox Island.  It is really a nice little museum. We looked at the map they had there and it showed where the Ferry used to dock. There were a lot of interesting things to look at.  I enjoyed that little trip a lot.

Then, Saturday, April 18th, we left the house about 9AM to drive to Silverdale.  The Fashion Show was 11am but we were supposed to be there an hour early.  I wasn't even going to buy the outfit I modeled because I am not sure where I would wear it. After I went through the line, several ladies came up to me and said how nice I looked in it and that I just had to buy it. So I gave into peer pressure and bought it.  I do like that pants. They are a silky feeling material and they feel so good and fit so nice. I did buy some other clothes too.  As usual, I spent too much.  At first I hesitated about signing up for the show, but I did really enjoy it.  There were two more shows on Saturday but we wanted the early one.  I know they will have shows in the Fall. I could not believe how many people came besides the "models".  I stood in line a long time to pay for my clothes.

LABOR OF LOVE

"Born to Shop, forced to Work"

"If it wasn't for the Last Minute Nothing Would be Done"

I finally got my two small counted Cross stitch pictures finished.  Donna and I are going to use them as part of the gifts we will be bringing for our Secret person for our Quilting Retreat in May. I did all the cross stitch so now Donna has to do her part and make them into little pillows or something like that with maybe lace around the sides.  Next year I am going to think of something that is not as much work.  We will be bringing other items for our daily gifts for the Retreat.  We are each supposed to bring one handmade gift.  Donna and I got that started last year. Everyone thought it was nice to bring a homemade gift so now we are supposed to each bring something homemade.

 I am going to give myself a little rest from counted cross stitch and then I will work on the Wolf picture.  I just opened it today and got the threads ready. I have really been looking forward to doing this picture.  I am not particularly interested in wolves but this picture just caught my eye.

SPRING IS HERE!

Orange Star Plant. I saw this at Walmart and the color is so pretty I just had to buy it.

My Shelf of Plants

It is so nice to look at all the yards with their Spring bulbs and plants.  I cannot work in the yard like I used to so I have to bring a little Spring into my apartment.

I am glad that Spring is here because that means next is my favorite time of the year----

Summer.

I took this picture of plants from a neighbor's yard last Fall.  I have not been able to make it up that hill yet this year.