Touring

We seem to fit something into every day in Mesa. Walks, drives, meals out (and in,) and entertainment.  Never a dull moment.

Taking a walk around the pond in our back yard.

Drove out to Saguaro lake to see the view.

Entertained by the Beatles!

Shopping at a metal and pottery shop.  Interesting?!?!

Westjet to Phoenix

United may not fly in the bitter cold, but Westjet does!  Yahoo!

The Winnipeg airport was crazy at 5:30am. Hundreds of people lined up waiting to talk to a real person to rebook delayed and canceled flights. Luckily, we were already rebooked on our flight and only had to go to a kiosk to print baggage tags. 

The flight from Winnipeg to Phoenix was uneventful. Managed to get a few pictures out the plane window over Colorado and Arizona. 

Jim picked us up and drove us to the house in Mesa. After we unpacked we went out for lunch and then got groceries. Now we are all set!

Over Colorado on our Westjet flight to Arizona

Closer to Phoenix

Over the Salt River where they have a hydro-electric project that supplies power to Arizona.

Canceled flights

Our United flight to Phoenix was canceled, so we switched to Westjet. Tim's flight to Rankin Inlet was delayed. We ended up at the same hotel in Winnipeg. We all got together for supper. Great visit!

The next morning we left the hotel at -30C. Very happy to be leaving this crazy cold weather.  Got thru the masses of people all trying to change flights due to cancelations, and cleared security and customs. Won't believe it until the airplane wheels hit the ground in Arizona!!

Preparing to Leave Manitoba

Enough of this terribly cold weather!  Time to head south!

Visited Alma at the hospital. She was having lunch. She did answer a couple of yes/no questions. I have her an arctic fleece shawl to cuddle under. 

Murray drove Don and I to Portage to meet up with Mom and Dad. Vyra and Waind drove us in to Winnipeg. We are staying overnight at a hotel and will go to the airport by shuttle in the EARLY morning. Our plans changed a bit when United cancelled our evening flight today.   Luckily Don was able rebook the four of us on Westjet for tomorrow. 

Lots of snow in Portage!

Cuddle Bed for Us

I finally got around to quilting a wool mattress cover for our bed in Holland. It has been so bitterly cold this December that we are noticing a need for more warmth while we sleep.  Apparently, 2013 has been the second coldest winter on record. Yikes!!  Time to fly south.

Thanks again to my shepherd friend, Lisa, who gave us the wool batting for the cuddle bed. It is very special to have followed the process of acquiring wool from shearing day, processing some ourselves, and also our trip to Sheeples in the Interlake to get the wool batting processed from the fleece. I can see the sweet sheep in my mind and feel their warmth as I lay on the cuddle bed!

Men Try Quilting

JoAnn, Craig, Max and Sam drove out with Yvonne to see Alma in the hospital. They came over for lunch and supper with some quilting in between.  JoAnn had a quilt that she had up on her display wall for a year that she wanted to piece together. As she and I did that, Yvonne set up to quilt a baby quilt on the long arm.

Craig was interested in the machine and gave it a try with Yvonne. 

Max had a little more nerve and he tried sewing on his own.

Sam decided to watch(with Matt the cat). 

Another Day Night Quilt Begun

Shayna, and her Mom, Alison, came over to the house for a lesson on quilting. Shayna is making a Day Night Table Topper. She cut out her fabric, sewed her fabric strip, cut out the triangles using the special ruler, and then put together one entire star square. She will need to make three more star squares to have enough to make the table topper. She will work on them at home.

Shayna learned very quickly and is a very precise sewer. She will do a great job!  Later she will quilt her pieced top on the long arm quilting machine. It is fun to get other people as enthused about quilting as I am!!

Shayna and her Mom, Alison.

Shayna and I.

Shayna's first Star square block.  

Very well done!

One of the bonus triangles laid out into a windmill shape.

Another bonus piece from the leftover pieces.