Back Roads of Montana

We have had the most beautiful spring weather here in Montana. We decided to go for a drive and ended up on a dirt road. We had spectacular views of the mountains. I have attached a few photos from our drive to share with you.

Lucky loves to go on rides! 

Welcome Lucky!

I have been looking for a new dog for over a year now, after our little Pomeranian Ivy died. She was 10 years old and diagnosed with a tumor, it was a very sad ending. It took me a long time to decide to get another dog. I checked the humane society website daily, I looked at an adorable litter of puppies from the shelter and two year old pug who needed a home, but neither seemed to be the dog that fit. I was not sure that adopting a puppy and working would work for me at this time. I kept looking. I even told everyone at work I was looking for the right dog.  

Two weeks ago a friend from work sent me a text to get down to the local shelter, saying that "There is a cute dog that would be perfect." The old owner turned him in because they traveled too much. I saw the photo, filled out my paperwork, and was the first person at the door when they opened. I was not the only one; there were a total of at least 26 others as well as several calls about this dog. I went in on Friday and saw Lucky, who was very nervous but very friendly. He is a 5 year old white Schnauzer. I left that day thinking that I would not even stand a chance with so many people interested in him. 

My daughter and I were driving by the shelter on Saturday and I said, "Lets go see Lucky. I just want you to see him." We took him out to the greeting area. He was busy marking his territory, but when I called him, he came running and jumped on my lap. I asked them when they would be deciding on who got to adopt him and she said "I just decided and it’s you!" They offered a weeklong "babysitting" trial period which we could see if he liked his new environment and we could check out his behavior to see if we fit. After two days, we knew we wanted to adopt him.

Lucky is now formally adopted, well actually it's more a "re-homing" situation. I feel very fortunate to have this dog in my life.  He has been in our home for two weeks. I'm very glad I waited to find the perfect fit and give this dog a forever home. 

"Sláinte!" (Health!/Cheers!)

In 2008 I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Ireland with my Dad and my two girls, it was a trip that I will cherish forever. We saw amazing scenery, met the nicest people, ate wonderful Irish food and stayed in some truly amazing places. We were on a tour bus with a very entertaining tour guide and nice group of people. Our tour included the basics, touring routes, accommodation, and sightseeing in Dublin, Galway (including Connemara & Clare) Killarney, Waterford and Kilkenny. We enjoyed home cooked Irish breakfasts every morning, and true Irish hospitality.

Along with my great memories I brought back several souvenirs which I enjoy decorating with all year long, but especially in March. I always stop to look at Irish decorations and can't help adding to my collection. I have found some nice treasures at Cavanaugh's County Celtic shop in Butte Montana, the people are so friendly and they have a shop full of treasures. Below are some of my Irish decorations including the Belleek and Linens from Ireland.

If I ever get another opportunity to go back to Ireland I will jump at the chance. I can honestly say it was the best trip I've ever had.   

Cookbook Collection

A few posts ago I was letting you know about my book holder find from a thrift store and how I restored the wood. Here it is updated with some of the old cookbooks I have found over the years. One of my favorite places to find old cookbooks is the fall library sale they have here. People donate books to the library that you can purchase and the money goes back to support our local library. I have found several cookbooks that make a colorful display and give you a glimpse into the past.

As I flip through the pages it is fun to see what people have hand written by recipes. They update what they did or what they should do next time adding their recommendations to make it better. It makes me smile when I see the handwriting from my mother or my grandmother’s generation it really is different from today’s penmanship. If you are looking though a family cookbook you might find a treasure - I found a letter to my mother from her father in one of them which she had forgotten about and it brought back lots of memories for her.
  

The recipes might not fit into today’s health conscious life styles with lard, butter and more butter, but they tend to have fewer ingredients that you commonly find in your pantry and best of all are made from scratch.

Sunday Drive

It was a sunny day today in the Bitterroot Valley and a beautiful day for a drive. The temperature was 41 degrees Fahrenheit. We have had cloudy weather here for the past several days and we jumped at the chance to get out and enjoy the day. Here are a few photos we took today on our drive. The snow on the mountains is amazing against the blue sky.

Here are a few more photos to enjoy. We saw a few deer crossing the road and just caught one looking back at us.

Hope your day was as sunny!

Completed!

I decided to hand quilt this quilt years ago and I finally completed it!  I would work on it then put it away for a year then pull it out – you know how it goes. I do believe my final incentive was that I wanted it for the room we painted last summer. I had never hand quilted a quilt this large before and I can honestly say that I will probably never attempt that again. It is rewarding to look at it now as I do prefer the look of a hand quilting; the hours spent doing it though is crazy!

Here are photos of the completed quilt; I think it looks great with the antique iron headboard and frame.

At any rate it is a good start to the year when you can start checking things off your to-do list. I will get back to my wool applique quilt now and check that off my list next.  I have so many projects I want to start, but my 2016 resolution is to finish projects I have already started and I am sticking to it. 

New Slippers

I decided it was finally time for new slippers. This is my sixth pair of slippers I have made from this pattern, my girls and I have really enjoyed them. This slipper is constructed more like a shoe than a sock.

Below are my old slippers, as you can see I really needed a new pair!  I took the green buttons off the old pair and put them on the new pair. I included photos of the slippers before and after the felting process.

This is a great pattern, you can find it on Ravelry it is the French Press Felted Slippers by Melynda Bernardi. I think you will really enjoy making this easy project, plus they are warm and cute!