Scott and Sue Family

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2013

December 7, 2013 by Sue 1 Comment

I signed up for Mt. Vancouver this year and made it to Mt. Ararat with 48 books gone from my TBR pile. I always think I’ll read more from my shelves but I keep getting distracted with newly published library books and gifts. Oh well, as long as I’m plugging away at the pile, it gets smaller, right? Of course, new purchases probably kept me about the same. Sigh.

Pike’s Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile
Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile
Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile
Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR pile

The 2013 Color-Coded Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

December 7, 2013 by Sue 1 Comment

Well, it took me most of the year, but I finished up The 2013 Color-Coded Reading Challenge with a few weeks to spare. This was my first year to tackle this challenge and it was fun to read books that were mostly from my stash. Thanks to myreadersblock.blogspot.com for hosting.

1. “Blue” (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc.) Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs, by Wallace Stegner

2. “Red” (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgundy, etc.) Love, Ruby Lavender, by Deborah Wiles

3. “Yellow” (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.) Magic for Marigold, by L.M. Montgomery

4. “Green” (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc.) Olive’s Ocean, by Kevin Henkes

5. “Brown” (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc.) Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquivel

6. “Black” (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc.) The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater

7. “White” (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc.) To Dance with the White Dog, by Terry Kay

8. any other color (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magneta, etc.) Blood Orange Brewing, by Laura Childs

9. implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.) Shades of Earl Grey, by Laura Childs

Some difficult questions

December 5, 2013 by Sue 1 Comment

Is it wrong to have your Thanksgiving decorations still up on December 5?

When the temp is in the teens and it’s snowing is it better to:

a. take your life in your hands by driving the interstate downtown OR

b. take the train, freeze to death while waiting for connections, and take your life in your hands by walking on many icy streets and stairs?

If you haven’t finished the assigned reading is it ethical to still attend the book discussion?

Does laundry ever do itself?

If a person is crying frequently from sheer exhaustion, what should she cut from her schedule?

Things to ponder.

Young Ambassadors 2013

November 10, 2013 by Scott Leave a Comment

BYU Young Ambassadors

It was a fun night the last two nights. Mark has been

on the sound crew for BYU’s Young Ambassadors for the past two years and returned for a third year. In addition, Brian was selected as one of the performers, so we are lucky enough to have two members of our family in the Young Ambassadors this year.

Last Friday and Saturday was the opening show for this season’s Young Ambassador’s show. It was fun to see Brian perform and to hear Mark’s sound. Mark is the lead sound guy for the group this year. Brian had two solo numbers and some fun dance pieces as well. They both did awesome. We look forward to seeing the show several more times this year. If you are in the area, I hope you’ll make a date to see the show. It’s fun, energetic, and has some great numbers in it.

The group will be taking the show on the road to Vietnam and Thailand after school gets out in April. They also have a several weekend tours and shows around the Salt Lake/Provo area as well. A link to their show schedule can be found on this page (click on tour schedule).

Paul’s quilt

November 8, 2013 by Sue 1 Comment

Monday I finished whip-stitching the binding to the back of Paul’s quilt. I made it for our tree space at Festival of Trees 2013 that we will decorate on December 2. Paul is Scott’s brother and every year our extended family decorates a tree in his memory at Festival of Trees. (You can see past years in that category on this website.) All proceeds from the Festival go to charity care at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City and several of our children have received medical care there, so we feel strongly about the cause. Besides decorating a tree, my mother-in-law and I serve on a Gift Boutique committee that provides boutique items and works there during the week of the Festival.

Paul quilt label

I have been saying for a couple years that one year I would like to make a quilt to go with the tree and this year the sisters said it was time. Our theme is “Boys Like to Read” and the quilt will drape over a chair by a side table with lamp and books that all sit by the tree. Sort of like a man’s study where he remembers the books he enjoyed as a boy.
Thanks to my good friend, ShaRee, who set up quilting dates with me throughout October, I did the entire quilt from start to finish in a month. That’s a record for me as I take my time piecing and then hand-quilt all my quilts, which takes a long time. Since this was being donated and not an “heirloom” quilt, I had it machine-quilted so that cut off weeks. The quilter had it done in a few days, so I can see the allure of having them machine-quilted. More finished quilts, faster!

The color scheme was dictated by the choice of colors for the tree and the pattern is Framed Rectangles “A Taste of Honey” from Quilt magazine, Dec/Jan 2011 #118. The quilt is 62″ x 87″. ShaRee told me about the best method for binding EVER and I got it done lickety-split. I think I’ve even gotten over my hatred for binding.

All in all, I’m pleased with how this quilt turned out and I feel it’s a fitting tribute to Paul.