The scouts used our kayaks this weekend - the younger boys rafted down the river and the older boys got to kayak.  AJ and I picked up the kayaks yesterday morning at Turtle Bay, and went for a quick walk while we were there.

Quilt Club  had a challenge this month, and I actually did it!  We were all to bring a yard of fabric to the meeting, and then we played a game....We passed our yard of fabric around in a circle, and when the bell rang, we stopped with the fabric we had, and tore it in half.  We kept one half (the first section was 1/2 yard) and started passing fabric again.  Each time the bell rang, we tore the fabric we had in half, and got to keep one piece.  The final tally - pieces of 7 different fabrics in amount of 18 by 52 inches to two pieces roughly 6 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches.  Then the challenge - make something using all those fabrics, and no other fabrics - except for the binding and backing if needed.  

I made a potholder!  I had zero fabric left of the green and burgundy - they were the two smallest pieces.  The binding is also the backing - it was the largest piece I had.  I think I did pretty good at combining 7 different fabrics!  

Our Saturday project - taking out the HUGE lavender plant and putting in a smaller one....

Check it out - Redding-opoly!!!

Here is the quilt I made for Karen - Alli's long-time one-on-one aide.  Allison is officially out of the school system now - but we haven't been able to find a day-program for her.  She's now home full-time with Ralph - not the best for either of them.  It turns out the Camp Fire impacted our adult day programs - many clients were moved to Redding, and entered our programs.  There's quite a long waiting list now.....

And the gardenias are blooming....

While in Phoenix, Ralph and I took a drive up to Tortilla Flats - lots of views of cactus......

Canyon Lake

Needle Rock - the view of it took me back to all those Louis L'Amour books I read that mentioned it.  Tortilla Flats is in the Superstition Mountains as well - a lot of his books were set in this area.

We made it back....a fun trip and a good conference.  Ralph and I were able to go to a game (D-backs and Dodgers) and Shazam took us out to dinner at Robbers Rooste - a beautiful view of the city!

Ralph and I drove out to Tortilla Flat this morning on the suggestion of the hotel staff and it was great!  Not a long drive from Phoenix but far enough to get into the Superstition Mountains and see the cactus.

It’s vacation time!  Ralph and I took off a few days early before a conference I am attending and are currently having a beer by the pool in Phoenix AZ.   It’s a good day!

 A new sewing misadventure...I saw a cute little wristlet purse pattern, and thought - I can do that!  Well, sort of.   I did it, but it didn't turn out as planned.  The pattern makes a little quilted purse with a strap attached to a zipper so it is zipped close when it is on your wrist, and and then when it zips open, you can still have the strap on your wrist for stability while you get something out.  Unless you put the zipper in backwards.  Then is is the opposite.  It still works, of course, but the whole idea was that it could be carried on you wrist securely.  It's still cute, and now holds my lipsticks in one place in my purse.  (Note to self - when reading the pattern, pay attention to "left side" vs. "right side" of the instructions.....)

Here's how it is supposed to work.  I had to make another one - just to make it right!! 

More storm pictures.  When I went shopping Saturday morning, the parking lots were littered with leaves - they got a lot more of the hail than we did.

After shopping, I went to Nicholas' 4th birthday party!!!!  Turns out Malorie really got hit by the hail  - or at least her car did.  Her back window was shattered.

One of my co-workers took this photo.  He lives in Lake California.  Awesome shot!  Another co-worker had a photo almost as good from driving up I5.  

A friend from high school lives up by Shingletown, and they got a lightning strike too close to them - their fuse box wasn't happy.....

I think we've had enough....fire, flood, blizzards (okay - not really a blizzard, but you get the idea....Snow-mageddon was really damaging!)  Now it's tornadoes!!

Last night, every cell phone in the house gave an alert and the TV had a huge warning running on the top of the screen...tornado warning!

We didn't get a tornado, but we sure got the hail!!

And the new logo when I logged in on Monday!

And the LAS Team!!!

It's official!  I now work for Merchants Bank of Commerce - or at least when we open our doors on Monday, I will be.  I spent all day yesterday at work for the computer conversion for the bank we bought - Merchants National Bank of Sacramento - in January, and today I go in and change EVERYTHING from Redding Bank of Commerce to Merchants Bank of Commerce (I had no idea all the places the name or logo can hide....).  I do not advice changing computer programs and a name at the same time.  Both are major undertakings, and when added together, are a bit overwhelming.  Here's a screenshot of my computer when I left last night......

Besides working all day yesterday (and 10 hour days the last two weeks prepping for yesterday), we had a garage sale yesterday.  (I hate garage sales!!!)  It was 'The Big Event' here in the neighborhood, and Randy and Lori had two 'extra' houses of stuff to get rid of.  They brought two truckloads of stuff over, and AJ and I cleaned out stuff from the garage and guest house.  While we were cleaning the guest house, Chewie got in AJ's way, so he trashed him.....

We did pretty good - AJ said we got rid of most of my stuff (interior design items I would never use, candles, vases, etc.).  Since my whole intent was to reduce the crap I have, I win!  We didn't sell a couple of the big items I wanted out, but I'm not surprised.  We have an old Nordic Track and a Bowflex machine that no one uses, so they just take up space.  On to plan B for them.....

Happy Mother's Day to me!  I got new yard art for Mother's Day - after a VERY strong hint to AJ from Meredith.  We were shopping on Saturday and found these at Tuesday Morning, and she sent photos to AJ along with the message "What your mom wants for Mother's Day...." message.  It worked, and I love them!  (I think I may need to move the tiki heads though......)

In honor of Mother's Day, I planted flowers - not so much in Mom's memory (since these are annuals and will get pulled out this winter, not what I think of as a memorial planting), but I can't help but think of her when I plant flowers.  

The garden is doing great!  I have pea and cucumber blossoms

And the kale and swiss chard are doing great.

The lettuce, on the other hand, isn't doing so great.

I found the culprit(s) though........