A Beautiful Week

I spent my first week at home quilting and it was wonderful. Two quilts are done and the house is beginning to look better. In fact, today is quite busy with the normal blacksmith convention. My great husband however is busy fixing a part of our roof. It has leaked a river into what should be my walk-in closet since before we bought the place four years ago. It's a good thing it is usually dry here!
Anyway, a friend with expertise came over and they are fixing it right now. Whoohoo!!! Therefore, I am busy making them cinnamon rolls and apple pie. Later the friend gets a gift cheesecake too. I found it was his very favorite. One of the things I love to do is find out people's absolute favorite desserts and make them for them.
Short writing today as I'd like to get back to other things. Keep Quilting & Creating!

Winter Begins for Me

We have only had one snowstorm so far and even it was late. The weather has been beautiful and warm for the most part. We believe it all balances out, so this just means the third week of January is going to be colder and windier than ever. If anyone wants to whisk me away for that week, I'll gladly brave the rest of winter up here at over 9000'. Okay, winter has begun for me this week as my seasonal farm job ended. I am home now quilting full time! And cleaning too! I spent the last four days doing some Fall cleaning in the house. You should see the herd of dust yaks, gnus, and wildebeests I came up with. Wait, on second thought, it's best not to disclose such things.
I will be quilting and cooking today. Baking actually. I'm going to make bread and either apple pie or apple spice cake. There is also dinner to contend with, pizza or leftover steaks?
Sid will be busy today too. Sundays have become the Blacksmith Day. He has assembled his forge and set up in the driveway. Two friends also come by and they all have a great time making things and practicing their skills. They are planning on having me set up an Etsy.com store today in which they can sell their wares to buy more coal to keep this whole operation going. Work has been scarce for a few years for these guys. I am beyond words to express how they feel when they come over and make stuff. It's not just that we could all use a little food money. It's that they get to create something unique. The fact that they pounded it out of hot metal also seems to please them. It is quite an interesting thing that has sprung up in Mountainjoy's driveway. Many more people (male and female) would love to come over and do some smithing as well. They have all been invited and I'm sure this will become quite a regular thing. I just hope they all build a shop over the stuff before winter sets in! I'm sure that if you look for it soon, you will find Sid'sSmiths@Etsy.com. Give me a week or so though, getting these guys organized is not the easiest thing to do.

May Showers Bring Hummingbirds

Like everywhere else in the world, our weather here in Colorado has been wacky. There was no snow in March when we normally get the most snow. April brought us a good deal of snow in the high country and May brought even more moisture into the area in the form of rain and snow. This moisture was desperately needed as we were already many experiencing forest fires back in March. People that live are used to playing in glorious outside weather 360 days a year. People around here are tired of the winter and weather. As for me, I know it is the weather and Mother Nature and I have a special relationship. She does what she wants and I put up with it or enjoy it.
The hummingbirds returned to the high country. I heard them yesterday and quickly got out the feeder. There is still snow on lots of the ground and these little jewels of birds must be hungry. So, I quickly found, filled, and put out the feeder for these harbingers of the imminent summer season. I truly enjoy the hummingbirds as they buzz around and I am delighted they are back.
I realize that I have been neglecting my cooking aspect of this blog. I do have a fairly decent reason - I have not been cooking lately. I used to do a lot of it by myself or with my husband. For quite a while now, he hasn't been working (goes back to mountain bike accident in which he broke his neck 4 years ago). That means he has been doing all the cooking and cleaning. And I have not thought about food (other than to consume). Life is changing again though. Sid has been working recently so I am sure will divide up the housework again. I hope to be sharing recipes and good food thoughts again soon.
I have been working on getting my long arm quilting business going. I plan to be pulling my hair out soon as I create my own website as well. Actually, I don't think it will be all that difficult and frustrating. Technology has come a long way and so have my skills. I just have to keep telling myself, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can".
Time to catch up on all sorts of other neglected duties, projects, and phone calls.
Keep quilting, crafting, and smiling.

Mountainjoy Quilting and Cooking

Mountainjoy is where nature reigns supreme and life is art. It is where a couple a simple artists enjoy all the goodness of a rustic mountain life. It is a place where Mother Nature calls the shots. During the long winter months, a need grows for warmth and comfort begins to develope. This need grows as the winds continue to howl around the cabin. What would you turn to if your only way out sometimes was a snowshoe trek of many miles?

Now, don't be misled. I love where I live and really like to take my dog snowshoeing. I have many hobbies but my favorite things to do are quilt and cook. Both hobbies fulfill the warmth and comfort quota nicely. Working on quilts through the day while good smells come from the kitchen is just about a perfect day for me. Being a chef at over 9000' elevation has it's challenges. I have figured out how to make level wedding cakes on houses whose floors defy physics. I also make a delicious woodstove stew and biscuits. I look forward to sharing my experiences and all of the things that make mountain joy.