Review - Last Week of June!

The last week of June ... my first week back since the trip south ... it was a fun-filled and busy week!

Family Events

Brother DillyDally - Kindergarten

This 5 year old ... turned 25!  Twenty years went by in an instant!

Engagement - 1981

Mr. DillyDally and I enjoyed our 32nd Wedding Anniversary!  Again ... the years went by in a blink.  We are grateful for family events that are a cause for celebration!  We are blessed!

Friends and New Acquaintances!

QBee Barb came for a visit and while here ... Princess Lianna dropped by with her mother to introduce herself!

I was unable to take any pics of the Princess with her mother ... when her mother holds her, she insists on nursing!  Too fun and so cute!

I was also very honored to meet this little Prince ... Ty!  What a little charmer!

Both of the mothers are close childhood friends of my daughter ... I had the privilege of watching them grow up ... and now celebrate with them as they begin families of their own!  So wonderful to catch up with them and share in their joy as they begin the journey of motherhood!

Patriotic Projects
I love making seasonal projects!  However, I do have a difficult time working on them outside of the season ... so ... this week it was all about the "Red, White and Blue"!

I continue to mess around with a crochet hook ... had fun making "granny hexies"!  Hope to work them into a table runner.

Also made some progress on this embroidery project.  Haven't decided if it will be a wall quilt or pillow ... eventually it will let me know what it is to become.

Dillydallydom

Flicka is now nearly 18months old, so we are allowing her to spend more time outdoors.  She loves it!  Her outdoor antics are just as entertaining as her indoor silliness!

 My flowers are thriving ... I enjoy these ... they are such happy flowers!  It is as if they're smiling!

A wonderful week ... filled with family celebrations ... new babies ... longtime friends ... creative efforts ... gosh, I appreciate this dillydally life!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

I Love Math!

Our Wedding Invitation

It all began with a promise.

On June 27, 1981 we celebrated that promise with family and friends by serving cake.  In a Lutheran church basement ... of course!

Add two children, three cats, five dogs, career changes, an occasional crisis, some sorrows, multiple celebrations and oodles of joy...

... and we have 32 years of marriage ... all of which is responsible for this dillydally life we share!  I love THIS math!

Do what you love.  Love Math.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Lessons from Flicka

We have been enjoying a lot of sunshine here in my remote corner of the planet!  It has been unusually warm ... am loving it!

Commercial fishing is in full force ... how I love the sights, sounds and smells of our seasonal industry!

Our days are long ... but summers are short ... resulting in a sense of urgency.  Our fisherman feel it ...

... our plants feel it ... every living thing is trying to pack as much as possible into summer.  Except for ...

... Flicka.  Cats are much better at pacing themselves ... they understand that urgency is temporary ... they know to make time to nap with your favorite quilt ...

... to rest comfortably (?) on the deck railing ...

... to relax and soak up the sun while it is here.  They have had life figured out all along ... and here I thought my dillydally concepts were new! :-)  We can learn a lot from our cats!

So ... yesterday afternoon I left my "To Do" list on the kitchen counter ... grabbed a new knitting pattern I picked up while traveling ... pulled yarn and needles from my stash ...

... and enjoyed a couple of hours on the front deck.  It was heavenly!

Do what you love.  Thanks Flicka.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

I Hate Math!

6.24.13 - 25 years old - Star Wars Birthday

Brother DillyDally turned 25 years of age yesterday!  How is that possible?  Last year he had his 24th birthday ... and before that his 23rd ... prior to that he turned 22 ... yes, I understand that I am not telling you anything you don't already know... but you may not have known that I've always hated math. ;-) Math and time are intertwined ... they are very close relatives!

Once upon a time, Brother DillyDally turned 8 ... this is a picture taken at his 8th birthday party ... he is the cute, short blonde boy in the red sweatshirt!  Here is a sweet story about him when he was 8 ...

One of the cable channels was having a James Bond marathon ... Mr. DillyDally and Brother had been watching a 007 movie each evening.  One night while putting him to bed the following conversation took place between us:

Brother   "Mom, when I grow up, I want to be just like James Bond!"
Me          "Of course you do.  You and every other man on the planet."
Brother    A long pause .... "The only bad thing is that then I would have to work with all those ladies who run around in swimsuits."
Me           "Someday you'll like having ladies run around in swimsuits."

I hate math and time, they can feel unkind.  We are unable to manipulate them, they are concrete and unyielding.  Yet ... the same concepts apply to the future ... we look back, but are forced to move forward.  Ugh!  Math is hard!

High tide - 6.24.13

I love my son.  Just like I am unable to control the tide ... I cannot control time.  I miss my 8 year old ... am enjoying my 25 year old ... and look forward to his future.

Yep ... I was right!  Mothers always are!  That "someday" came...

Brother DillyDally likes having ladies run around in swimsuits!

Happy Birthday Son!

Do what you love.  Run around in your swimsuit.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

How to Medicate ... DillyDally Style!

It is always hard to have vacations come to an end ... especially when it is paired with saying good-bye to this smile!  From her first smile to present day ... it fills me with joy!

Distraction is the best dillydally medication for me when I miss those I love.  While in San Francisco, the packages I'd mailed during our Seattle Adventure arrived here at home.  Yep ... sort of like a dillydally version of a "self-imposed party"!  Hey ... it IS the dillydally way!

I need to keep some treasures hidden ... 007 projects ... but I'll share a little of my treasure.  Here are several sewing themed fabrics ... a hint for the QBees!  Valerie is sworn to secrecy!

Christmas fabric that is intended to be an auction item for the guild's annual tea!  Am excited to try out the new pattern I bought to use!  Will keep you posted!

I was so excited when I found this fabric line, Blushing!  And was thrilled when I found a pattern to use it with!  I plan to make the table runner pictured here ... love a project that was planned on a whim!

As hard as it is to say good-bye to my daughter, it is nice to be home.  There is comfort in normalcy.

Yep ... things are mostly normal.  Flicka has resumed her supervisory responsibilities ... even though she hinders my ability to accomplish much ... ;-) ... it is a joy to have her company!  Love my fur ball!

The best medicine is to love with all one's heart ... and when you can't be with those you love ... I highly recommend a strong dose of  dillydally distraction!

Do what to love.  Be distracted.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

San Francisco Fun!

Time with our children is always precious ... especially when they live far from home and usually only get to visit once a year!  I arrived in San Francisco (Sister DillyDally's new home) last Sunday and we immediately went to a street festival being held in a neighborhood that is predominantly Italian!

What fun!  Great food!  Live Italian music!  Arts and crafts!  And of course ... street performers!

Her apartment is in the Nob Hill area of San Francisco, and was originally a hotel in the 1930's.  The Hitchcock movie, Vertigo, was filmed in this building!  The shabby chic/contemporary blend of design that she enjoys is easy to accomplish in this apartment!  This is a photo of where I spent my mornings.

Sister gets homesick for her favorite comfort foods from home, so this trip she learned to make Nana's Swedish Meatballs!

We enjoyed them ... tastes from her childhood in her new California life!

We went shopping ...

... at the legendary Britex Fabrics!  Holy Moly Hot Bologna!  We fondled fabric of all kinds ... an amazing selection ... we would talk about what we would make from different fabrics we found ... such fun!

But my favorite floor was the notions!  Look at this button selection ... my knees went weak!  And the best part is ... I know I'll be returning!  Sew ... next visit I will be prepared and have an idea of what I want need! ;-)

This display was over the elevator door on the notions floor ... made entirely out of notions.  Sew creative!  I cannot begin to describe the lace, ribbon and trim selection ... over the top wonderful!  I am already looking forward to visiting again!

We went on a wine tasting tour in Sonoma Wine Country.  It was so nice to take a bus and not have to worry about driving, directions, or make decisions about which wineries to visit.  The grounds were kept so beautifully!

All of the vineyards for the Cline Cellars are surrounded by beautiful rose bushes of every color.  We learned while there that the roses actually serve a purpose.  They act as a warning system ... alerting the vineyard if they are experiencing an infestation of any kind!

We found it so interesting to learn a small amount of an agriculture faction that we know nothing about.  Of course we enjoyed tasting the different wines as well! ;-)

It was fun to get out into the countryside outside of the city!  I enjoyed all the flowers ... so beautiful!

Sister and I both love lavender ... we wanted to roll around in this beautiful patch of wonderful!

One cannot come to San Francisco with out spending a day at the infamous Fisherman's Wharf!

It was such a wonderful day!

Beautiful views!

We enjoyed a terrific seafood lunch!

We took a cruise of the Bay.

It left from Pier 39 ...

... traveled toward the Golden Gate Bridge ...

... here we are under the bridge ...

... heading back to the wharf!

We circled the island of Alcatraz ...

... such interesting history.

The cruise provided beautiful views of the city skyline ...

... and was fun to share with Sister and Boyfriend DillyDally!

Of course, I must mention Peder Glacier DillyDally (aka Mr. NaughtyPants)!  Here he is ... letting me know that he is not going to allow me to return to bed ... Peder doesn't like to share!

He seems to enjoy soaking up the California sun!  What a silly kitty!

He also tried to go shopping with us!  Such a goofy cat!  Both he and Sister seem to have adapted and are thriving in their new city.   It is wonderful to spend time with them ... I try to savor every moment of our time together ... it was hard to say good-bye this morning.  I miss them ... am already planning my next visit!

Do what you love.  Treasure time with your children.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally