Saturday, August 31, 2013

Weekend Plans!

It has been a wonderful whirlwind week!  Back to school means back to work for me!  It is so fun to catch up with students and begin another year of learning together!

This weekend our local quilting guild, Cordova Northwind Quilters, is hosting the annual Fall Retreat!  I'm excited to spend some of the holiday weekend with QBees!  Love having the guild plan my weekend! ;-)

These are so funny ... this one made me giggle out loud!  Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!
Do what you love.  Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

My Last Day of Summer

There are SO many things for us teachers to do as we prepare for the school year to begin!  And even though this is my 29th year of teaching, I can always think of more that could or should be done. ;-)  Yep, we teachers are like that.  We are never finished ... there is always more to do!

Sunday morning was beautiful ... I decided to surprise my family with an infamous DillyDally family treat!
Caramel Rolls!
A day that begins with hot coffee, a caramel roll and knitting can't be beat!  Yep, a start like that guarantees that it will be an outstanding dillydally day!
The concerns about my classroom were set aside ... and we hit the road!  Ah...remember ... there is only one road!  Hee-hee!

I went on a long walk ...
... attempting to soak up as much green as possible.
We set up the camp chairs ...
... and started a camp fire!
Kysa sought refuge in the shade ...
... while we enjoyed the view from our picnic spot.
Our tired fishermen seemed to enjoy the chance to spend time in a camp chair while roasting their hotdogs ...

... and it wouldn't be a picnic without S'mores!

The day ended as beautiful as it had begun!  My last day of summer was a perfect dillydally day!
Do what you love.  Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally




Friday, August 23, 2013

Crazy Busy!

This past week has been crazy busy ... I return to work on Monday!  Sure, a bit of panic, but it has also been a crazy fun week!
I made good progress on my Seasonal Table Runner.  Spike units pieced and trimmed.
Flying Geese units ... done.
The oddball units ... also done.
A mess of shavings.  Feels good to see a pile of trimmings ... something to show for all my efforts!
The layout ... sorry it is on the striped tablecloth ... a bit hard on the eyes!  Silly me!
And ... I am nearly done with one mitten!  Whoot!
 Girlfriend DillyDally came to spend some vacation time with us!
Someone very special celebrated their third birthday!
In the near future, a baby sister will be arriving!
She has already mastered all of the important "Big Sister" skills ... reading to baby ...
... staging a picnic ...
... and napping.  Napping is a very important skill ...
... just ask Flicka!  She is a professional napper!  Too fun!  And look at those exceptional knitting manners!
Sunset - 8.23.13
A wonderful, crazy, super busy week here in DillyDallydom!  I wouldn't have it any other way!
Do what you love.  Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally

Monday, August 19, 2013

Mitten Making!

Yep ... it is mitten season.
No ... we haven't had any snowfall...
... but the colors are changing ... fall is here ... time for this mitten maker to get busy! ;-)
Mitten season is all about playing with wool ...
... and building charts on graph paper!
Then the real fun begins ... casting on ...
... watching the color pattern evolve ...
... and occasionally checking to make sure the mitten will fit!  I love making mittens.  They warm my heart and my hands!
Do what you love.  Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally



Thursday, August 15, 2013

Blueberry Season

It is blueberry season here in my remote corner of the planet!  My "Pickin' Partners", Barb C.,  Kysa and I went on three berry expeditions recently.
Our unusually warm and sunny summer has resulted in a bumper crop that arrived a week or two early!
You may not know ... I love blueberries.  Especially wild ones.
Um ... I also like love to pick blueberries.
Loved ones have accused me of having an "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" when it comes to picking blueberries.
Aren't they beautiful?
Fall is here ... the blueberry bush foliage has begun turning into this beautiful red-violet color.
Sorry ... but these colors make me swoon.  I need to knit a sweater in these colors ... or make a quilt using them.
Many of us grew up with this endearing book as a part of our childhood.  My love of berry picking began early in my life and I passed it on to my children.

August 2012
It was also one of Sister DillyDally's favorite books!  

Brother DillyDally's favorite was about the "Blueberry Boys" who lived in the forest.  We would search for them while picking our berries.
We often felt the Blueberry Boys watching us while we were picking ... and we would talk about the many adventures the Boys would take Brother on.
Blueberry picking is about so much more than how many quarts or gallons of berries you harvest ...
... nor is it about all the delicious muffins, pies, pancakes, jams or jellies.  It is about family ... lifestyle ... tradition ... and heritage.  At least it is for me ... so see ... my OCD makes sense!
Robert McCloskey
Before I was a blogger ... Barb and I had a very close encounter with a bear while berry picking.  As a child, bears were a distant concern while berry picking in northern Minnesota.  Here we compete with both black and brown bears for berries.  They are of primary concern!

Elsa Beskow
After that too close for comfort event ... we never go picking ...

... without our "Chief Bear Patrol Officer", Kysa!  She never sits still and is always patrolling the area where we are.  She romps back and forth between Barb and I as we pick berries.  
 We reward her with a nice cool soak, kind words and lots of affection!  I give her treats when we get home.  No dog treats in the forest ... bears like dog treats!
Um ... did I mention that I love blueberry season?  ;-)  Also, I embrace my blueberry OCD ... I appreciate my berry picking partners ... oh, and before I forget ... I love this dillydally life!
Do what you love.  Eat blueberries.  Do dillydally!
Mrs. DillyDally