To Continue...

First, Happy Birthday to me! Can you guess how old I became on August 15?

(For Installment One of our Alaskan cruise, see the post on August 14.)

Now for photos I took during our small plane flight over the glaciers out of Skagway. The airplane, a Canadian-made Bush Hawk. One of many glaciers... An actively calving glacier. The sloughed off ice looked like a mosaic tile floor to me.

The Bahamas? Nope...
Above the clouds.



This was my second flight ever! I would do it every day if I had the chance...


Paul, owner of the airplane and our pilot...

We did see a bear...squint at the little black dot left of center.
...some mountain goats...
...and back in town more wildlife...
...and some gorgeous flowers...




Next post: Victoria.

Home Again

What a wonderful vacation! I want to go again!! We flew from DFW on my first airplane - jet - ever, a MD80 with American Airlines Sunday, August 3. We arrived in Seattle and boarded the Star Princess around noon. By that time, I was starved because their noon is my 2 p.m.


I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Sam and I took a combined 467 shots!

Somewhere over Texas

Snake River

Mt. Rainier

Seattle

Ketichikan

Tracy Arm

North Taylor Glacier

South Taylor Glacier

Leaving Tracy Arm Juneau

Skagway

I'll post more later...

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

...but I do know when I will be back again.

But first, we just had a wonderful visit with a high school friend. He and his family have been on vacation from Carlsbad, NM to South Carolina on to Branson, MO then here...actually they stopped here on their way to SC, but stayed with his parents. This weekend however is their family reunion and since his parents had a full house, they stayed with us the first night before the family congregated at the State Park. Five adults and 3 children...count them...8 additional people in our home - a two-bedroom house I might add. (We don't count the sewing/quilting room as a bedroom until the queen-size mattress gets inflated.) They were stacked like cord wood! LOL After a supper of hot dogs, I turned to the 6 and 7-year old girl and boy and asked, "What do you want to? Go to bed right now or go swimming?" Everyone knows the answer to that! We had a wonderful visit. Andy and Debbie, you are both braver than me traveling with the troupe you associate with!

Now it is our turn. Sam and I head to north Texas tomorrow; then to DFW for a 6:55 a.m. flight on Sunday. In Seattle we board the Star Princess for our Alaskan cruise - last year's Christmas gift from Sam's son. Thanks, John!

"See" you all after August 12. Stay cool! (99.9 at this moment...)

Lilies and Son

Thanks to Pam - Berry Ponds Quilts blog - I now know that my lilies are crinum lilies. I have two varieties. The red is evidently c.graminicola graslelie. I also have a white with pink that must be c.macowanii Sabie crinum. Both are African. They were all supposed to be red, so once they multiply, I'll be doing some digging to remove the white/pink and replacing with reds.

"My Son" has posted a couple of times; mostly recently requesting "quarts" of salsa! Ah! Children! What did we do without them? What do we do with them?

Born in 1983. Three weeks early by doctor's counting...Twelve years late by my calendar! Weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz. But he made up for it. He ate everything! I had knees like that too! 2002 came all too soon.

Evening Clutch Completed!

I am so excited! I completed the crazy quilt evening bag I intend to use on our cruise. Can you feel the excitement from my fingertips? This is what I started with: And this is the finished project! Front closed: Back: Opened: Inside with pockets and label:
Betcha no one else will have one like it!

Fig Preserves

I will be so glad when figs are ready! We are down to only two pints. My son asked for the recipe.

FIG PRESERVES

1 gallon figs
2 quarts sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Select ripe but not soft figs. Wash and cut off stems. Place alternate layers of sugar and figs in an enamel or aluminum kettle. Cover (with a dishcloth if you don't have a lid for the kettle). Let stand overnight. Put over medium heat and bring to a boil. Keep a good slow boil. Cook until tender, transparent, and amber colored (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours); stirring frequently to prevent sticking and scorching. Add lemon juice. Cook 10 minutes longer. Fill hot, dry, sterilized jars to 1/2-inch from the top. Close and seal.

We like our figs chewy. Cook longer being extremely careful not to scorch your preserves.

You can't have the above recipe without a good preserve cake recipe!

PRESERVE CAKE

3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup preserves
1 to 1 1/2 cups nuts, chopped

Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine buttermilk and soda. Mix buttermilk mixture into creamed mixture. Add flour mixture mixing well. Add preserves. Blend well. Stir in chopped nuts. Bake in a greased and floured tube or Bundt pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Notes:
You can use any variety of preserves that you want; we just happen to like figs.
You can also stir up a powdered sugar glaze to go on top, if desired.
If you don't have buttermilk, stir 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice into a cup of regular milk.

I Am Queen Sherry!

Since I made 10 Roly-Nesters, I am now the Queen of Roly-Nesters. Former Queen Karen from Colorado 'just' made eight. Be sure to check it out. Do you have a need for more than 10 Roly-Nesters?

http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/freepatterns.htm

I've Been Sewing!

I had a piece of double-sided prequilted fabric (from Wal-Mart), but had to purchase another yard to finish all of this.

The tote is a Tammy Tadd design that I modified to suit my needs. http://www.tammytadddesigns.com/

The aero pac (for passport, ticket, etc.) is a free pattern from Studio Kat designs (http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/freepatterns.htm) as are the roly-nesters.
When my husband looked on my sewing table at the nested rolys, he looked at me and shook his head as he turned and walked out. I placed a tube of lipstick beside the smallest roly so that you could get an idea as to scale. The zippers are all different because I used a handful of recycled zippers I found in a chest.



I found the wallet pattern on America Sews with Sue Hausmann. Changed the pattern a bit for me. http://usaapp.husqvarnaviking.com/education/pdf/1802wallet.pdf

The little purse with the shoulder strap is similar to Joan Hawley's Sew Sweet Satchel. http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/PDF/Sew_Sweet_Satchel.pdf

I also made a tissue holder and a small makeup bag...both something I just "whipped up."

Now, I'm ready for the cruise. Oh. I have to pack.