Sunday, July 31, 2011

Fishing Spring Creek



Journaling reads: "Glen loves fishing along Spring Creek, and he always catches trout here. I go along with him at least once each trip to take photos while he fishes."

at last!



This digital scrapbook layout is titled "at last!" because my DH gave me a balloon ride for my birthday 11 1/2 years ago, and we finally took it earlier this month!

I haven't done any scrapbooking in a LONG time - I'm so far behind it's pitiful. So here's a start at getting caught up.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The March by E.L. Doctorow

We often check out audio books from our local library when we travel.  We listened to The March on our drive to and from Colorado last week and both enjoyed it.  It is the story of General William Tecumseh Sherman's march through Georgia and the Carolinas near the end of the U.S. Civil War.  I had always heard that the Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars we were ever involved in, but I hadn't realized just how many civilians were directly affected by it.  Untold numbers of civilians were killed or wounded.  Soldiers took not only food and horses and other items needed for the war effort from private citizens, but also stole personal possessions of all kinds.  There were no rules like the Geneva Convention in those days.  Not that rules are always followed or that the rules make war civilized; far from it.  But it was still shocking to learn just how uncivilized the Civil War was.  The book was read by Joe Morton, who did a great job.  It was well written.  I rate it 4 out of 5.  It was my 4th book for the U.S. Civil War Reading Challenge.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

View from the Balloon



What a great trip it was!

View from the Balloon



What a great trip it was!

View from the Balloon



What a great trip it was!

Heating the Air in the Balloon



After the balloon was filled with air, the air was heated so the balloon would be able to rise.

Filling the Balloon



This is us on the right "helping" to fill the balloon with air.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

On August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit, a French high-wire artist, walked a tightrope between the twin towers of the not yet completed World Trade Center.  This actually occurred, but the rest of the novel is fiction.  Stories of various observers of the walk are presented.   Sometimes it feels like a series of short stories, but many of the characters relate to each other and come together in surprising and interesting ways.

One of my favorite quotes in the book is a character describing letters she wrote home after she went away to college:

"I told them how much I loved my history classes, which was true.  I told them I loved walking the woods, true too.  I told them that I always had clean linen in my dorm room, true as well.

"I gave them all the truth and none of the honesty."

This was my 7th book for the New Author Challenge 2011.  I thought it was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I rate it 5 out of 5. 

Veteran Stars



I made this quilt for a Red White & Blue Patriotic Challenge in my quilt guild. All challenge quilts will be donated to our local VFW for them to distribute as a way to honor our veterans.