Gathering Dust

If You're Going to the Desert, Do It In Style... a Trip to Bouse AZ

Three weeks ago, we flew to Phoenix to meet up with DH's family for a road trip to Bouse AZ, population 996.  Bouse is located about two hours west of Phoenix.  In between Phoenix and Bouse, there's a lot of....sand... yeah, sand and brush.  It's pretty remote.

Our reason for a family vacation to Bouse (instead of a Disney cruise) was that my father-in-law was stationed at Camp Bouse during World War II before he was shipped to Europe.

My father in law is the last confirmed member of his army unit, and we were there for the dedication of a monument to his unit. 

If you click on the link and scroll down past the article, there's a family picture on the right side.  I'm on the left side of the picture holding one of the umbrellas whining "I'm hot".  You can't see everyone, you know how some people always hid in the back of a group picture?  Anyway, there were 30+ of us at the dedication.

And how do you get such a big group to Bouse AZ?

You charter a luxury coach!

And the trip is even better when thoughtful family members have arranged for round trip full meal service and even acted as bus stewards and  stewardesses.

Nieces kept themselves entertained by bringing full backpacks that weigh more than they do. 

And this cutie kept himself completely entertained by looking out the window at the variety of semi trucks and trailers on the other side of the road. Since the bus was up so high, it was a different view than you get from a car.

We made a short stop at the Bouse Museum, housed in a former Assay office.  They had a lot of items related to the town's history as a mining outpost and to the army base set up during WWII.

I was particularly interested in this display outside the museum.  To some people it would just look like rusty junk, but it's actually artifacts found in the desert, most left from the army base that was there over 70 years ago. The museum curator knew the history of all the pieces and if there were related to the army presence or mining activity.

My father-in-law was thrilled that so many of us were able to make it to the dedication, and it was an adventure for all of us.

When we got home, I had a letter from my Mom with a clipping of an article from my hometown newspaper that had just about my Dad's WWII service.

We're proud of our Dads and their service to the country, and the sacrifice and service of all of the Greatest Generation.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

A couple of days ago, we went to the baseball game (KC Royals vs MN Twins).  As we were walking in I said "Wait, I have to take a picture, this is one of the most exciting things I've done this summer."

Sad to say, but my life is borrrrring, and apparently I like it like that.

Other highlights of the summer:

Going to the pre-grand opening party of Scheels, which is sort of a sporting goods store and more.  It's like a cross between a shopping mall and Disneyland.  Yes, I said sporting goods, not antiques.  My bikeman husband works there.  He (along with a lot of other people) spent many many hours getting the 220,000 square foot store ready to open, so it was exciting to the results.

Another highlight of my summer- participating in the Leintz Family Reunion Talent Show. 

As far as I can tell, I spent the rest of the summer packing, sorting, rearranging and removing all the STUFF in my overcrowded living room so I could get it empty to make room for a new floor.

I love my new floor, it's from a collection called Antique Relics, and it's "pre-distressed"- in other words, if you scratch or scuff the floor, it fits right in.

I wish I had a "before" picture of my living room.  It's a big room, and it was packed to the rafters.  Not like an episode of Hoarders, but every surface covered, no empty space on the walls.

About a year ago I posted this on Facebook:

Home from my first ever visit to IKEA. I want to empty my shelves, clear my tables, get rid of my mismatched multi century furniture and go clean and Swedish. If I sit down for a few minutes and think about it, I'll realize how much work that would be and the idea will pass.

But I think it really has happened.  My living room has two Ikea chairs, one Ikea stool...

...one Ikea couch that looks like someone has been sleeping on it...

...and this cabinet that Karla painted for me twelve years ago, the last time I got new flooring. 

My living room looks very empty- even a model house would have more in than my living room.  I just don't seem to be able to redecorate. 

The urge to decorate will return, I'm sure.  In the mean time, I'll just be luxuriating as I listen to the echos in my empty living room.

So, in summary: very low key summer, really boring house.

I'm so boring, I really don't deserve a blog; and yet, I keep plugging away.

 

Leintz Family Reunion Talent Show

The Leintz Family Reunion has a long and glorious history.  It began in 1990, had a very strong run through the 1990's with acts including The Supremes, Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World, the nuns from Sister's Act, the Leintzstones (based on the Flintstones), and an excellent rendering of Steve Martin's King Tut.

The full on talent show hit on hard times in the 2000's- facing competition from group shopping trips, food and experiments with giant slingshots...

and potato cannons fueled with hairspray and Bic lighters.

The talent show was revived last year by the third generation of Leintz girls (age 7 and under).

This year, it was full on, 100% participation talent. 

An all girl dance number from Footloose- "Let's Hear it for the Boys."

A Hip-Hop duo.

A song and dance number to an Hawaiian fishing song.

A sister act featuring a new country singing sensation and a reluctant chicken who went on with the show despite a "hot and itchy" costume.

And me- I'm not afraid of making a fool of myself in good company.   My sister-in-laws and I performed a lip sync to Patsy Cline's "She's Got You" in the style of this video. 

To get the full effect, you really need to see our act in person, so you can see just how much we managed to stuff into, and pull out of our bosoms.

(By the way, chances are good that you will NEVER see our act, in person or otherwise.)

And the guys?  I'm not sure how the talent show's creative director got twelve men to strip down to their speedos, put on bathing caps, nose plugs and swim goggles- but they did, all in pursuit of the high art of synchronized swimming.  I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

I wish I could show you all the Busby Berkley style moves, including swan dives, ballet rotations and a platform pyramid, but I've been sworn not to reveal the identity of any of the participants for fear of scorn, ribbing, or teasing from friends, co-workers or acquaintances. 

One participant even said "I don't want anyone else to see this, I'd like to get married some day".

(A blue tarp doubled as the water-line)

But just to prove that it did happen, I can show you this peek at their (sort of) synchronized underwater kick.

As I'm sure you've guessed, the talent level is high at the Leintz family reunion, and I'm guessing some folks are already working on their act for next year.

An Apron for Birdsong

This morning I'm off to Karla's for her Birdsong Art Event.

For a door prize, I'm bringing an apron with a pocket I embroidered and embellished. 

The pocket is actually an extra large dinner napkin with lacy edges.  I embellished half of it, folded it and sewed it to a pre-made apron.

The apron started with the little "Queen's Seal" piece of fabric  from Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements.  From there I gathered other favorite trims and doo-dads and started sewing.

I love making these fabric collages, I hope the winner likes it, too!

 

This Is What I Know

...Just some very random and unrelated observations I've made since Christmas.  I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in ND at my brother's house, and a few more days with my parents.

1.  If I fly at Christmas time, I will be sick by New Years.  Airplanes are giant incubators for colds and flu.  But I'm on the mend now and with a couple more days rest and ibuprofen, I'll be good to go.

2.  Cute idea for a Christmas decoration from my SIL- wrap a piece of foamcore in gift wrap, add a bow, and hang on the wall.

3.  Christmas decorations don't have to be green and red- or silver and gold.  I love this combination of green, purple and blue ornaments in a battery jar with a little string of lights.

4.  My Mom makes the best Christmas dessert in the world- Bavarian cream pastry.

5.  You can crochet this scarf in 3 hours.  Using a size P Hook and two skeins of  Isaac Mizrahi yarn, chain 130, double crochet in all the chains, make the standard three chains to turn and double crochet again until you run out of yarn. 

(When you're at the end of a row and it doesn't look like you'll have enough yarn to finish the next row, stop.  You want all of your rows to be equal width.)

6.  A beer candle is a cool gift for a beer "connoisseur", but it also smells a little bit like a frat house on Sunday morning.

My Mom and Dad have been married 55 years and they still make a cute couple.

(I warned you at the beginning, very random stuff going on here.)

Estate Sale Friday: Beats Housework Edition

Before we talk estate sales, I have to introduce my newest great niece, Sadie Marie; born to my niece Melissa and her hubby Brandon.   Very appropriately, Sadie was born on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, and is so lucky to have two big sisters (Molly and Grace) to look out for her.

My plan wasn't to go to estate sales this morning.  Nothing sounded like a "must see" sale.  But then, I got up, had my Diet Coke, watched the news on TV and thought about what I should do today.

Somehow, going to estate sales seemed to be the easiest choice to make.  Washing the kitchen floor or dusting never really crossed my mind.

As it turned out, I was pretty happy with my time to miles to finds ratio.  I was only gone for about 2 1/2 hours, and only drove about 20 miles, but I had to make two trips to carry everything inside.

Really liked this repousse rose picture frame. It's vintage but in great shape.

On the table right next to the frame was this sweet picture of a girl with a BIG bow in her hair, with her mother.  I bought the "Nouvelle Bougie" box just because I liked the French label.

These nasty looking candles were inside the box.

A pretty book, gold frames and gold appetizer forks and a little Eiffel Tower.  You really can't go wrong buying an Eiffel Tower for resale.  I've never had one last more than a couple days.

German curtain clips- these are getting hard to find, but are so cute to use in crafts- or to hang your curtains.

I love red leather books and books with red and gold spines, so these were a no brainer. 

Except, the books were all on different shelves in a book case.  I was so happy to have gathered five together.  I thought I saw a sixth book, but it turned out it was just a cover.

Duh, it was the cover to one of the books I bought.  Rookie mistake!

So, that was Estate Sale Friday.  

It's probably too late in the day now to think about housework, isn't it?

 

How to Save a Family Reunion

We spent last weekend in North Dakota at my husband's family reunion.  The reunion is just for his immediate family- brothers & sisters, their kids and grandkids.  Reunions used to be week long spectaculars with theme nights- Hawaiian luaus, Cowboy night; all day bingo, watermelon seed spitting contests and afternoon long shopping trips (for the guys) to Scheels, the huge sporting goods store.

The reunions don't last as long as they used to, with over 30 of us, it's hard to find a time when everyone can get together and so the activities have been scaled back.  But one thing we still have is The Talent Show.

In the past, the Supremes made an appearance. (I'm one of back up singers.)

As have the Blues Brothers.

And even Sister Act.

This year's show featured a lot of balance beam numbers. Both Grace (above)

and Clara had costumes from their dance classes.

Grace's little sister Molly was very disappointed that she didn't have a costume to wear while performing. 

Grace tried to console her by explaining, "Mom didn't pack a costume for you because she didn't know you had talent".

Auntie Laura to the rescue.  She fashioned a Project Runway worthy ensemble for Molly out of half a towel, a head scarf, a piece of ribbon, and a clothes pin and chip clip to keep it all together.

There was enough left of the towel that even just-turned two year old Addie got a costume and performed on the balance beam (junior level).

So- if you usually read my blog to see crafts, remember that crafts have real world applications.  With just a towel, a scarf, a ribbon and some clothes pins and chip clips (and a lot of compliments and fawning), you can turn a tearful family reunion into a successful gala.

 

More Pinnies

I think I've shown this picture on my blog before- I called these little stitched bits "pinnies".  Sew Somerset saw them and asked me do an article about them.

The issue is officially available on Jun 1.  I got a preview copy and it is a good one. The projects are amazing, I'm flattered to be in such good company.

I had another piece- Bird Threads- featured in the Gallery section.

I've kept on making "Pinnies".  They are so easy and (usually) fast to make.

On a different subject, I want to give a shout out to my Dad on his XX birthday.  I don't know if he'd care if I told how old he is, but he wasn't happy when I blabbed his age when I was eight.

Let's just say he's a member of The Greatest Generation, WWII veteran and a retired college math and science teacher.  If you asked him if that was why his kids are smart, he'd say "No, that's because of their mother."

He's also very diplomatic.  Happy Birthday Dad!

I Bet You Didn't Have Any of These at Your Family Reunion

 
Besides a family that loves to get together, plenty of food, a talent show, a beautiful lake setting and babies to hold, what can really add fun to a family reunion?

*A four person water ballon launcher.

 
*A "potato gun"- made by my nephew when he was in junior high.  PVC pipe, hairspray, a Bic lighter and a 10 lb bag of potatoes.  The goal- see if you can shoot a potato across the lake.  Don't try this yourself- I'm not even sure that it is legal, but it was fun.

By the way, the nephew that made the gun is now an aerospace engineer. Maybe it is ok to let some of your kids play with fire.

 
*An eight year old nephew willing to retrieve potatoes that didn't disintegrate or make it into the lake.  BONUS:  Even though he's from Minnesota, he's wearing the KU Jayhawk t-shirt he got from his aunt and uncle in Kansas.

 
And if you came to my blog looking for crafts- check this out- Rapunzel hair knitted and decorated by a very clever Granny.   I want to make one for myself.

Happy Birthday Mom

 
This morning, Button and I got up early and before we put on our make-up, we took a picture to email my Mom a card for her birthday.

(Picnik has great tools for digitally applying make-up, and even smoothing out wrinkles- but Button is completely un-retouched)

Happy Birthday Mom!  We love you!