Meeting our deer friends

It is deer season, and Rob shot a deer last night. We have been watching deer run through our pasture all fall, well every day of the year, actually. Dave sat on the deck and took some shots at 3 different deer on Monday night, nicked one, but that was that. On Tuesday night, as we were heading south on Highway 15 toward Seward a large doe ran into our Honda. There isn't much damage, a large scratch in the paint on the rear passenger side. Dave was driving and I think we both saw the deer at the same time. There was no on-coming traffic, so he veered into the other lane, but the deer decided to keep running and must have kicked the car as she went across the road from west to east. I believe Dave something like "F#*^)@!' deer!!!! I think we were lucky she didn't land on the windshield!
Rob didn't want the deer, so after letting it hang from a tree in the yard all night, Dave has taken it down and is on his way to check it in. Then I think he is taking it Carole in Ulysses to process--that is what I am hoping. He did talk about cutting it up himself.

Seward County Dems

It was kind of an interesting meeting last night for the Seward County Democrats. We had a guest, W. Don Nelson, who is the editor of the Prairie Fire newspaper which is free to pick up at various places around town. I usually grab one at the library. Don came to have a conversation with us about setting goals for our group. He has a lot of political experience, having been an aide to Jim Exon, Bob Kerrey and Ben Neslon. He had a lot of good information to share with us and would be willing to come back again.
Once again, attendance was disappointing, with a total of 13 people there. When it came to picking a goal there were probably 13 different ideas. It might actually be easier if we had fewer people at our meeting from that regard. We settled on recruiting a candidate for the 24th legislative district for the 2014 election as one of our goals. We need to start now because our candidate would have to announce by 2012 in order to start raising money.
Personally I think we need to start working on the 2012 Democratic Caucus. It was announced in October that the Nebraska Dems will hold another presidential caucus in 2012. The caucus in 2008 generated a lot of interest in Seward County, so if that happens again it would be good to be organized and ready

Catching up

I write blog material in my head almost on a daily basis. I don't seem to make the transition to typing it in 'Blogger' though. I wonder why that is. Now that I am here at the computer I can't seem to remember what I have been writing about in my head--it was quite interesting I am sure! I guess I'll just write about what we have been doing:
Dave and I joined the YMCA at Fallbrook and our goal is to attend the Water Fitness class 3 times each week. This week we will probably go 4 times if things work out right. Most of the class members are "seniors" and most people would probably think that you don't get much of a work out. Actually, we get a great workout--a lot depends on how much effort I decide to put into the work out, and I have not hurt my knees. Dave is usually the only man in the class, but he likes it too. There are different teachers on different days, so the workout changes. Afterward we sit in the whirlpool!
We celebrated Eleanor's 90th birthday on Nov. 6 and 7. It was great to see everyone, and I think Eleanor had a good time without getting worn out. She seemed kind of anxious and sort of cranky before the big day, so I am pretty sure she was worried about it. But, she had a good time, got lots of cards and gifts, and saw more of her family than she usually does. And now she is feeling pretty good and seems quite happy.
This past weekend Dave and I met our Minnesota friends Jeff and Sue in Des Moines. Jeff was a speaker at a meeting on Friday, so we met them at the Embassy Suites in downtown Des Moines. We went to the State Historical museum the art museum (both of those are free and very good), the zoo and the botanical garden. Des Moines has a lot of public art and has a nice downtown area. It was a good time.
Last night was my first meeting as president of Blue Valley Quilt Guild. It went pretty well. One down, 10 to go!
Tonight there is a meeting of the Seward County Democrats. I am going because I am the secretary, but the meetings are always kind of disappointing because the turn out isn't good, and it is hard to find people to serve as officers. And being a democrat in Nebraska is a lonely kind of deal.

YMCA . . . Havin' fun at the Y M C A

On Wednesday of this week Dave and I drove into the Fallbrook YMCA, which we can reach from our house in 30 minutes. For $5.00 (since we are seniors!) we got a day pass and used the swimming pools. Dave swam laps and I attended the Water Fit class. My right knee complains bitterly after I go to a Jazzercise class, and Dave really enjoys swimming, so we decided to go check it out. There is lots more to do besides swim, but that is what we are interested in doing right now. We have also talked about going to the Community Center in York and trying that pool, but I think the Fallbrook Y is such a great facility that we would have a tough time finding something we like better. We did the math, and if we both go 2 times per week we will buy a membership.

Baking Cookies

It has been ages since I baked any cookies, or anything at all for that matter. Dave has been hungry for peanut butter cookies and bought extra peanut butter, so this morning I baked! This is the recipe I used:

Peanut Butter Round Up Cookies
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1/2 c. shortening
(Note: I do not have margarine or shortening, so I used 1 cup unsalted butter)
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 c. chunky peanut butter
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. quick Quaker oats (I have regular--worked fine)
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugars. Add peanut butter and eggs; beat well. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Shape into balls and flatten with a flour dipped fork. Bake at 350 degrees fro 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: I found I had to bake longer than 10 minutes, and that I had to let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes so they wouldn't fall apart when I tried to take them off.

The cookies are good!

I found this recipe in The CLS Cookbook 2000. My mom must have had this book when she moved to Seward in 2000. It is from Central Lutheran School in Saint Paul, MN, the school I attended for Kindergarten through grade 8. The recipe was contributed by Suzanne Koppe.

BVQG newsletter

I wrote a short article for the Blue Valley Quilt Guild October newsletter, so I decided to get a little more mileage from it and post it here:

        What Inspires You?

I like to ask myself that question now and then. The answers vary widely depending on my circumstances. A cup of coffee at 7:00 a.m. is very inspirational! Not so much at 10:00 p.m. I am writing this on a day that follows several days of inspirational fall weather. It has been absolutely beautiful outside—the colors and the temperature combining to make glorious days.

What inspires you to create a quilt? Seeing beautiful quilts displayed gives me lots and lots of ideas about things I would like to try myself. Threads Across Nebraska offered an opportunity to do that earlier this month. While there I purchased fabric (on sale—this is often inspirational for me!) and a book. I watched a vendor demonstrate a process I am anxious to try. I was inspired! At our meetings we get inspired by speakers who let us in on their sources of inspiration and their particular ways of getting the results they are looking for. One of my favorite parts of our BVQG meetings is “Show and Tell” where you show what you have been working on and we can see the results of your inspiration.

A deadline can also be the inspiration that pushes me to finish a quilt. What about you?  We have a deadline looking us in the eyes right now: Our “Bits & Pieces” Quilt Show is literally just around the corner. Could this deadline be the inspiration you need to finish a quilt or make something for our boutique? I know our quilt show will be an inspiration for everyone who comes to see it.

Working with friends is also inspirational for me.  I will miss working with outgoing president Diane Swartzlander and newsletter editor Katy Coleman. Thanks ladies for being an inspiration in so many ways for our guild. I am anxious to see what you will do next!  I look forward to being inspired by incoming vice-president Becky Wallroff and newsletter editor Mary Robbins. 

Retreating

Last Thursday through Sunday I spent with 10 other women at a Bed and Breakfast on Johnson Lake, near Lexington, NE. We are all quilters and this is our yearly retreat. I have been twice now, but some of the women have been all six years. We had such a good time! I am not that great at quilting, but most of the others are excellent at it, so it was inspiring for me to see their work. We sewed and laughed and ate and shared stories, and laughed and laughed. Slept some. I am looking forward to next year!