Happy Iceworm Festival!

I love nearly everything (still miss getting the Sunday paper Sunday morning) about living in this little town located on a remote corner of our planet ... but the Iceworm Festival is my favorite time to be a Cordovan!

We are a hardy bunch ... over the past 26 years we've attended the Iceworm Festival, Mr. DillyDally and I have seen everything in terms of weather ... but 2011 was charmed ... clear skies and sun!

We always begin our Saturday activities with the Catholic Church's annual Pancake Feed!  These four chefs cook for hundreds every year!  And most importantly, they have fun doing it!  The chef wearing the green apron mixes up multiple 5 gallon buckets of sourdough starter each year for the pancakes.  His wife was recently telling me many stories of sourdough "running a muck" in their home over the years!  I love that kind of history ... someone needs to be writing this stuff down!

Next, we were off to the Survival Suit Races!  The waters of Prince William Sound are very cold ... even in the summer ... if you fall in, hypothermia will take you in a matter of minutes.  Knowing how to properly use a survival suit is a must.  

This is a team comprised of students from my school ... they run down the deck and have to get into their suits ... 

... getting into a suit is tougher than one would think ... it is important to do it quickly, but in order for you to survive, it must also be done correctly.

After jumping into the water, they swim as quickly as they can to a survival raft ...

... once all four members of the team are in the raft ... the clock stops.  Here a boy scout leader is assisting troop members into the raft!  It is fun to cheer on the teams ... a place where everyone wins!

Next it is off to be inspired by the Arts and Crafts display!  This hooked rug was made by an elder in our community ... she designed it herself ... it is of her home here in Cordova.  She is an amazing women with talent that is admired by all.

This quilt was made by a friend to celebrate her parents 50th Wedding Anniversary.  What a treasure!

I love the way the quilter used Alaska themed fabric in this pattern ... it is beautiful!

 

Beautiful!

Stunning!

Lovely!

A couple of Popsicle Sticks quilts from our Popsicle Party last summer.  You can read about it here.  The one on the right was made with Bali Pops ... the one on the left was made with scraps from the quilter's stash!  Both are beautiful ... it is such a fun pattern! 

Alaska Native beading and beading on glass balls.  The glass balls were used years ago on Japanese nets as floats ... and continue to be found while beach combing area beaches ... they are a treasure!

Local artist painting on black velvet ... gorgeous!

This was made with a mystery pattern our guild did last spring.

Another beautiful quilt made with Bali Pops!  See ... there is a lot of dillydallying going on in Cordova!

This was a quilt sponsored by the Cordova Historical Society a few years back ... a block for every month of the year.

Lego creations are on display every year as well.  They are always very creative ... and almost make me miss stepping on those little pieces in the middle of the night many years ago when the DillyDally children had them everywhere!  Fond memories!

Next it is our annual parade!

Former girl scout and her son Skye are there for his first Iceworm Parade!

Our Citizen of the Year!  He is so deserving ... relentlessly working for all aspects of our community!  I always refer to him as "my second favorite Norwegian" ... come on ... I have to let Mr. DillyDally be my first favorite!

Scouting is an important part of our community ... Mr. DillyDally and I were both leaders for many years ... we love what it does for youth here in Cordova.

Here are many of the girls with their float ... too dang cute!

Here are the Boy Scouts with theirs ... don't they look great?

Aboard the fire truck are Miss. Iceworm and her royal court.  Baby Iceworm greets the crowd!

Every year the parade ends with the "big" iceworm wiggling its way down main street.  Cordova's children serve as his legs every year ... they are always sooo excited ... once in place they are unable to see where they are going.  This year the iceworm forgot to wait for their guide ... a bit of a pile up on the back end! ;-)

With their guide in place ...

... and everyone back on their feet ... they were able to safely make it down the street!  The entire crowd cheered!

My cough and cold were getting the best of me, so we skipped the ice cream and cake social.  This was the view from our front deck after the parade ... what lovely weather!

Remember ... I am not a photographer ... all I do is point and click on a camera with few bells and whistles.  But I wanted to catch proof that we did have a fireworks display.  It was wonderful and is so appreciated by everyone.

As the sun sets on Cordova's Iceworm Festival I am reminded why it is so important to those of us who live here...

... it is all about friends ... family ... and community coming together to create their own fun for one another.  Such a simple concept yet so powerful.  Yep ... I love my little town on this remote corner of the planet! 

I'm Pouting & Whining...Yep...It's True!

I was out of town three days this week ... ugh!  When you're a teacher, it is more work to be gone than it is to be there!  Not sure that comment makes sense, but you get the idea ... I very much dislike being absent from my job!  I try not to complain ... the kids were happy to see me return ... and that's a good thing!

Soooo... why am I pouting?  I came home with a very bad chest cold ... and it is Iceworm Festival this weekend!  And the weather looks like this...

...life (insert very whiny voice) can feel soooo unfair!  Can you hear it?  I'm also stamping my foot!

The question is ... how does a dillydallier medicate herself ?  I don't like cold medications ... my brain is fuzzy enough ... ;-) ... so I try to avoid them if possible.  Yes ... dear dillydallyiers ... there are other ways to medicate ones self!  Take a look ...

... there is nothing like new fabric to make you forget your cough!  I absolutely fell in love with this line when I came across it while in Anchorage.  It is called "Dominique II" by Sentimental Studios for Moda.  The brown, red and black have a richness not normally found ... yep ... I wanted it all!

Am happy I practiced a bit of restraint ... later I found these beauties!  They too are luscious to look at and touch.  The first three (left to right) are Maison de Garance by French General for Moda.  The one on the right is Clermont Farms by Polly Minick & Laurie Simpson for Moda.  I fell in love with these as well ... they really are lovely!

You know ... I fell in love with these as well!  Yep ... I have a very eclectic sense of taste and design!  Serious dillydalliers like myself ... we love it all!  Left to right ... lemon yellow print, there was no information on the selvage, I know, I couldn't believe it myself!  Polk-a-dot ... love grey and yellow together ... Summer Soiree by Paula Prass for Michael Miller!  On the right ... Eclipse designed for Exclusively Quilters!  What fun the three of them are together!

I know what you're thinking ... what is she planning to make with all this new fabric?  I. Have. No. Idea!  It is the dillydally way!  If you like it ... you get it ... and use it when the inspiration hits you!  Sometimes I have a plan, but mostly I don't.  But I do know this ... dreaming of what to make with these new fabrics is very good medicine! ;-)

I love the Patch Abilities patterns ... plus ... I love seasonal wall quilts!  So I just had to pick these up as well ... yep ... starting a new project would also be good medicine!

Two new patterns to inspire me ... I love reading patterns as much as making them!  Yep ... reading new patterns also helped distract me from my cold symptoms!

Watching new DVDs while dillydallying ... what cold?  Those of you who follow this blog, know what a Gleek I am!  A vampire love story will certainly make you forget your sore throat!  Ma and Pa Kettle ... yep, it can't get any sillier!  I just love being silly ... it is the dillydally way whether we're sick or not!

New music to dillydally by helps one forget their cold symptoms as well.  So ... why am I whining and pouting?  I chose to miss tonight's Iceworm Festival activities in the hope that I would feel well enough to participate in tomorrow's fun!  It's hard to miss out on the things you love to do ... I am guilty of wanting to do it all.  But I have found that dillydallying IS good medicine!  I feel better just telling you about it!  Thanks for listening!

Now ... take your medicine too ... go dillydally!

 

Little Bits...Here and There

Wow!  Another crazy week in my remote corner of the planet! In my work life it was semester grades, the beginning of second semester, two days of inservice training and we hosted our annual basketball tournament!  My dillydally life involved ... the Give-A-Way ...

... here our silly little snowmaid is waving good-bye as she begins her journey to her new home in Iowa!  She is excited to serve PJ as a reminder to make time to dillydally!

A former student and now friend who is attending college belongs to a campus knitting club ... they plan to raise funds by selling cup holders and I offered to come up with a design.  I was thrilled ... and in true Mrs. DillyDally fashion went a bit over the top!  You know ... creating designs with the mascot ... they looked great, but the trouble was ... they wouldn't stay on the cup!  ;-)  Sometimes I am such a fruit loop!  Eventually, I found what would work ...

... yep ... a simple K2P2 rib worked best.  In order to make it thick enough to protect your hands, I needed to make it on size one double pointed needles with a sport weight yarn.

Cast on 52 stitches, K2P2 in circular fashion with double pointed needles until 4 inches.  Bind off and it is done!  I did a 3 x 2 row stripe in her school colors.  Isn't it great to hear that things like a knitting club exists on a college campus?  It is a comfort to know there is a bit of dillydallying going on there as well!  College coeds dealing with stress by knitting ... talk about a win/win!  Love it!

Made some progress on my "Quilty" mittens ... not sure about the color pattern ... I think I need to tweak it.

A bit of progress on my scarf ... it is fun mindless knitting ... great to work on when I'm nearly comatose at the end of the day!

Pulled out Brother DillyDally's graduation quilt and put on one more layer of logs.  I love working on this batik scrap quilt.  Remember ... I do not count the number of pieces in each block until they are finished.  It would become overwhelming.  I just take it one log at a time and celebrate after each!  That way I can have a sense of accomplishment after each step!  It's the dillydally way! ;-)

My supervisor, Teacup is in a pout!  I leave for Anchorage today and do not return until Wednesday evening.  She is upset because when I'm gone ... she becomes a displaced dillydally supervisor.  While I'm out of town, she will sometimes go in the sewing room and yowl.  I always suggest that she supervise Mr. DillyDally, but his activities do not appear to be of as much interest.  She is such a task master!

And today begins an equally busy week ... three days in Anchorage ... but most important ... it is the beginning of  the Iceworm Festival!  We always hold our winter carnival the first week in February!  It is one of our favorite events here in our remote corner of the planet!  I'll be sure to share the details with you as the fun progresses!

I love the morning light this time of the year ... rose pink and lavender ... the colors of spring during the freeze of winter.  It is like nature making a promise that those colors will bloom again in the warmth of summer.

Make time to dillydally this week ... even if it is in little bits!

Silly Snowmaid is Ready to Travel

Drum Roll Please ....

... PJ from ???? who wrote on January 21st ....

"I met you last summer when we both were @ Emily's quilt shop in Bemidji, MN. We got a sneak preview of the projects that Emily & her crew came up with using the Minnesota fabrics! I've been following your blog ever since! Please enter me in your drawing for the darling snowman.
PS I hope to meet you again."

How cool is this?  I'm always amazed at where this dillydally life takes me!  Those who know me ... know that I grew up not far from Bemidji ... that I have family there ... that Emily's Country Cottage is one of my all time favorite shops ... that I travel thousands of miles every year to shop there ... that I plan on taking the QBees here in Alaska shopping there this summer ... and obviously, I meet the most wonderful people there ... women like PJ!  I hope to meet you again too! Can it get any cooler than this?  OMGosh Good Golly!  I love my dillydally life!

PJ ... our silly dillydally snowmaid cannot wait to travel to your home!  Please email me your address right away!

I want to thank all of you who commented and participated in my Give-A-Way!  I'm always amazed that anyone even bothers to read my mostly funsense blog ... let alone be a follower ... or bother to comment.  I love hearing from you ... it was great to hear about your dillydallying!  I was touched by each and every comment ... thank you.  Remember ... make time to dillydally today!