Grandparents University

Alexander and I just returned from Grandparents University at Michigan State University. Three days of dorm living, classes, dorm food and new friends.
John drove us to Holmes Hall where we checked in and got our backpacks and info for our stay. We stayed in room 410 East Holmes. The bed was very high - Alexander managed to bump his head on the ceiling a couple times!!

After check in and lunch, we were welcomed at the MSU Auditorium.

Sparty even showed up and led us in a couple cheers!!!

Our afternoon class was the first part of The Unseen Microbial World. Professor John had sent us collection tubes and vials to get samples of where we might find bacteria to culture.

Alexander used the swab on the inside of a toilet bowl at home here (cleaned about a week ago) and then another swab on the inside of the toilet bowl in the dorm room (freshly cleaned!?!)

He got a vial of kitty litter and I got a little sample of goo from inside the rubber at the opening of the garbage disposal.

Stu helped Alexander transfer our samples to agar dishes to see what would grow.

Alexander got to heat the swab each time he spread the sample in the dish.

Stu said he did very well.

Professor John also had some pond water for us to look at in the microscope. We saw lots of little bugs and tiny worms.

There were 9 MSU students to help - with pictures, too.

Our evening activity was a tour of the WKAR radio and television facilities.

This is Alexander at the radio broadcasting desk that Mark Bashore uses for his local spots on All Things Considered. He led our tour of the radio area.

We switched groups and went to the television studios. Out tour guide was a young gal that is a producer for some of the local shows - Quilz Bowl for one.

The only set that we could see was for Off The Record - a Michigan political commentary show. There were no other sets up at this time.

We went to the game lounge after we came back. We played Uno with our suite-mates - Terrell and Pat.

Late night - lights did not go out until after 10:30. Too late for a 10 year old!!!

Thursday morning we had a class at the Engineering Building - Scanning Electron Microscope.

The kids were allowed to use a half million dollar machine!!!!

Alexander focused on the leg of the ladybug.

The kids did some other experiments with materials that were either hydrophonic or hydrofobic - water came right off these pants. The experiments with a ball that had been in liquid nitrogen........it shattered when dropped, but returned to it's rubbery form when it cooled.

There was another machine that cut thru or bent metals - don't know what that was called.

The young man with Alexander is Peyton Brogan - I used to babysit for his dad!!!! He was there with his brother and a cousin - and both grandparents. It was nice to visit with Pat and Dave - been too long.......... We enjoyed walking back to lunch with Pat and Peyton - the boys ate together at lunch and we adults got to visit.

Later the boys were seen in the game room playing Sorry together.

After lunch we went to Wells Hall for our "What's in the Water" class. There were samples from the Red Cedar river. The kids scouped critters into their dishes and had to decide what kind of bug it was and if the bug lived in excellent, good or poor water. Believe it or not - based on the living organisms in the water, the Red Cedar is good to excellent!!!!!!!!

We went to the river and talked about it some more and played a game on the grass about the ecosystem.

That evening we had a session called SeaGrant - Super Sleuthing - Nab the Aquatic Invader. It was about aquatic invaders in the Great Lakes - zebra mussel, fishhook fleas, sea lamprey, purple loosestrife, ruffe and goby fish.

Alexander is holding a sea lamprey.

Friday morning we returned to the micro-biology lab. Students helped the kids make slides from their cultured bacterias.

Alexander had great bacteria from the kitchen disposal, the kitty litter, and the toilet bowl in the dorm. The sample from the toilet bowl at home had no growing bacteria!!!!!!!!!

We got to look at these bacteria with the microscopes and one of the students is going to email us pictures soon.

This is Emma helping Alexander make a gram stain on the slide.

The children also made a Winogradsky Column - it is a miniature ecosystem made from mud, soil and water and driven by sunlight. It was a method used to study microbial communities. It is sitting on the window ledge in the kitchen. We do have to watch it because over time it will show the layers of the microbial communities - but also produce a lot of gas - much of which is hydrogen sulfide. The cap will remain loose, but taken out every once in awhile to vent the built up pressure.

The closing ceremony was after lunch. One of the evening activities was to "Paint the Rock" - and of course we had to get our picture taken.

We had our stuff packed up, so called John and checked out. He picked us up and brought us home. Back to reality - fix dinner, do laundry, grocery shop, etc.

It was really a good time. We both learned many things, met old and new friends, didn't get much sleep, and had this special time together. That's what it's all about.

Garden Update

While out of town, John was left with instructions to water a few plants in pots - he did a good job.
This is in the front - pretty lupines. There are quite a few blossoms on the two squash plants and new little squashes forming.

There are blossoms on the sugar snap peas, too.

The tomato plants are getting quite large - also with lots of blossoms and tiny tomatoes forming.

This is one of the pieces I did with Shiva paint sticks. Background is black and rubbings are colored.

I was just playing........

The second piece - hand dyed green background, purple texture and red/orange leaves.......

None of this would be used whole - just in pieces.

I need to heat set and iron........

Alexander was in the creek - and of course fell.........his clothes are on the line!!!!

He had a good time - typical boy!!!

National Quilting Association Quilt Show 2008

Cindy and I left Wednesday morning for Columbus, Ohio. It was a nice drive and we checked into the Red Roof Inn.
We went to the "Preview Party" - a dinner and 2 hours of the show. We spent most of our time with the vendors and saw a few quilts - the quilts would be there for 3 days - the best fabrics might be gone!!!!

This is one of the many quilts I took a picture of - more quilts in future posts.

Thursday morning I took a class - Painting on fabric with Shiva paintsticks with Mickey Dupre. Fun way to decorate fabric.

It's drying now, needs to be heat set, and then I can use it. I will take a picture soon.

At lunch time, I met Cindy, Pat and Sophie - we went to the North Market for lunch - and Jeni's Ice Cream. I had Passion Fruit - yummy.

I had Mango another time - it's yummy, too and I think my fav.

That afternoon I did see all the quilts in the show. Cindy and I also went to a lecture about a group of "Oxymorons - Absurdly Logical Quilts." It was quilts based on oxymorons - entertaining.

We had Kobe beef burgers (with blue cheese - another yummy) and walked around downtown.

This is the Hyatt with the Nationwide building in the reflection. The weather was great - just right for evening walks.

Friday we went to the Franklin Conservatory. The Butterfly exhibit was winding down - but still a few ones in the greenhouse.

There was Chihuly glass in the greenhouse - I love these floating globes.....and there were lots of large carp in the pond, too. There was a large glass fixture and some pieces in the ceiling - both are trademarks of him.

There are so many interesting plants in these greenhouses.

A Ikebana display was to start on Saturday and we saw people working on their arrangements. It was quite hot in the greenhouses - and getting warm and humid outside.

We went to the Columbus Museum of Art - a special show of art quilts had just opened the night before. They were great. Of course, no pictures of those. We saw the collections of European art (Picasso, Monet, Degas, etc) and American art (Homer, Klee, etc.)

It was a "tourist" day.

Saturday morning we met Ashley and crew at the North Market. There were extra vendors outside and Mark Wood - with magic tricks and balloons.

Alexander came to Michigan with us. On the way home, we drove thru a couple thunderstorms - driving rain, etc.

Lansing had only a brief shower.

We dropped Cindy at her home and drove to our home to find out that we had been invited to dinner at Kuhlmans - in honor of Moms' birthday ( no numbers given to protect the young). It was nice to see family and spend a little time with them. Alexander got to play with his cousin, Xavier - that was nice. He is good with little ones.

Now comes lots of laundry and catch up. Alexander and I have Grandparents University coming up.

Olive Garden update

The Olive Garden is almost done. It is machine quilted and I did the binding with fused hand-dyed fabric.
I have some "olive bugs" that I will put on and need to put a critter sleeping on top of his "stash" underground. I am getting ready to go to Columbus for the National Quilting Association Show. Cindy and I will drive tomorrow and we have tickets for dinner and show preview Wednesday eve. Thursday morning I have a class and then a lecture in the afternoon. We hope to meet Pat for lunch - at the North Market of course ----looking forward to Jeni's Ice Cream!!!
The batteries for the camera are charging and I'm trying to decide what to pack. The hardest thing is making that list for John - what there is for him to eat, chores, plants that need water, etc. He is soooo spoiled - and he knows it!!!

We will return on Saturday - bringing Alexander with us. He and I have an important date next week - Grandparents University.

The Olive Garden is growing!!!

This is the Olive Garden in the works. A close up of three flowers.

A side view of another flower. I forgot to flip the picture before I posted.

A peek at something else I've been working on from my collection of turquoise and lime green. I am still beading on the large one - and will be for awhile.

I have been hand pieceing this in the evenings - i need to do that as it calms me down for sleeping. I'm not sure where it goes after this......maybe some multi-curve pieces that I like to do.........I have templates......NO HURRY!!!!

My Little Quilt Swap!!

This came in the mail for me today. I just got home from work and opened it up - it's soooo springy and wonderful.
I just hung it in the foyer.

Interesting thing - I had looked on this persons' blog as she posted pictures of this little quilt in the works. I noticed that she did some horizontal quilting in the background before appliquing the flowers and that is what I then did with my Italy quilt!!!!!!

Thank you to "Collectin' Cat"

Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational

This year the theme is "Italy" - and had some images in my head - arches, trees, coulmns, etc.
I couldn't get past Olive Garden - a little bit of Italy in your own back yard.

So this is the back yard garden. I have done a little free motion quilting in the background. Here are the olives. There will be flowers with olives for the centers. And a special olive martini flower, too.
I will work on them later today.

Must do some housekeeping this morning.

We have had LOTS of rain lately - over 3 inches on Saturday night. The creek goes well over the banks when that happens. I had planted 3 ornamental grass plants about a month ago - but the roots were not strong enuf to escape the current and there are 3 holes out there. I saw that Monday when the water started receeding. Oh well.........maybe they will grow downstream somewhere!!

The entire area will be digging out from the strong winds and water damage from the last few days. I have heard many chain saws and seen many trees, limbs, etc down. We have a large branch hanging on the locust tree in the front yard - it no longer will have a beautiful round shape. It's too high for us to get at with the extension ladder, but not very high on the clean up list.

Sewing

Those of you who know me know that I sew clothing as well as quilts. This skirt is the Barcelona pattern from Amy Butler. I saw it on another blog and a local quilt shop got the pattern for me. I bought the fabric there, too. It went together very easily and I found the orange shirt when grocery shopping at Meijers yesterday.

I got my Little Quilt Swap houses in the mail -along with a piece of music fabric because I could see from her pics that her kids play in bands and maybe a music quilt will be in her future. It went to Colleen in Nebraska - she got it and likes it - that makes me happy. I can now release the name!!!!! A mug that only a mother - or father - would love!!!
Mom and Dad Cardinal have been busy feeding these little ones - amazing how fast they are growing.

Mango was peeking out the deck - he often performs guard duty from up there.

These look beautiful....if I do say so myself.

A butterfly was there the same time as me!!!

I also saw this lovely spider web off the back patio.

We had thunderstorms and lots of wind last evening. May get more later tonight and then again tomorrow evening - typical summer weather, altho the first day of summer is a couple weeks away.

The grass, flowers and garden all got a much needed drink.

Next project - Italy - for the Michigan Quilt Artists Invitational. I have my background and backing ready and some fabrics fused. I will post pics of my progress........later.

Lansing Area Patchers Birthday

This evening the Lansing Area Patchers celebrated being a guild for 25 years with a potluck and birthday cake and ice cream. I ordered the cake - and got balloons, too.
This is a nice group of women...... On the home baby front - little cardinals have hatched - all three look good for now. Mama complained a little when I took the pictures, but she was really complaining because Mango was underfoot.
These little guys look sooo helpless!!!!

My fuscia has some beautiful large blossoms........

This clematis showed his first bloom today.

We have had some much needed rain - and it's now humid and almost 90!!!

The garden has really begun to grow.

In the middle are 2 summer squash plants. I have never grown them - first time for everything!!