Monday, June 1, 2015

One Lovely Blog Award! Woo!


I am so excited to share that Cynthia Brunz over at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework (Right??!) Awarded SewPsyched! The One Lovely Blog Award!! How fun is that??! Cynthia is a lovely and fascinating Quilter. Go check out her blog! You'll love hearing about her history and what she's up to!

And now I have to tell you 7 things about myself, but since I just posted 20 things about myself over on Instagram (I'm @Sewpsychd), go check that out for more fun. Honestly, I don't think you want to hear about the 7 things I could manage to dredge up that you hadn't read, there!! ;)
Instead, I'm going to share what's going on here in Alaska now that it is Summer. Fun!!

1. Here is where we live... On the ridge just below O'Malley Peak, in that dark spot below West Gully. Boy, do we have some view!!
2. I have successfully totally avoided being eaten by bears!! I know!! Woo!! 
This is one reason why there are so many Grizzly bears near our house... The other reason is folks' trash. Read about my close encounter with two grizzlies at the same time, here

3. We have almost 24 hours of sunlight now! I love it! Except when I'm trying to sleep...
And really, it's light enough out to read outside 
between 12am and 3am!!

4. We've had such funky weather! Almost no snow this winter, but a very cold Spring. So I've just planted new Perennial beds here at the new house. I love watching them come up in the early Spring, while there's still enough snow that we're out skiing! Won't you come by for a sit on the porch and a cuppa, and enjoy the flowers? 
Here is my favorite perennial, the orange globe flower, or Trollius. This bright orange is divine! It really pops against the pure blue of the wild geraniums. And simply glows on a cold, rainy day :)



5.  I had to get new bees this year, as my Italian bees didn't make it through the first frost. Poor bees!!! This year I have Carnolians, which are half Russian. Very hardy and hopefully very good honey producers. Although I don't particularly care if they produce honey, they are so enjoyable to watch and such good garden companions. So fun to observe them as they go about their day collecting pollen and nectar. And they are so thrilled when I plant new plants! They come and inspect them thoroughly. Soon, the whole yard will be garden, and they will be in heaven. I'll be in heaven this Fall when I have some of their honey on a nice hot buttered scone! They'll overwinter in the garage. Wish us luck!! If you'd like to know more about Alaska and honeybees, click here and for a Bee inspired quilt, click here and here.
What Bees see!
6. The vast majority of Alaska is public land. So anyone can use it respectfully, at any time. We are fortunate enough to live across the dirt road, from the Chugach State Park, which backs up onto Federal lands straight through to the Yukon Territory in Canada! Lucky Lucky Lucky!!! Until you're trying to drive down our hill in the Winter, that is... Then...!
March!

May!
Clever dog!! See how she can balance that electric
pole on her head!!

7.  And now, for the MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION about visiting Alaska....


No,...


You will not...


Have to stay in an Igloo,


When you come visit!!!
Unless you want to, of course, in which case, I'd be happy to make you one. They're fun!! But drippy, but Fun!!

I would like to nominate the following blogs for The Lovely Blog Award. Some because they are innovative and new, some because they are up and coming designers and I think you'll enjoy their work, and another Alaskan blog which I adore. Please stop by and check them out!

Kristin at Life in the 907


Rhonda at Down To Earth

Elaine at Messy Goat




Amy at Nana Company

Lorna at SewFreshQuilts



I'm so glad you stopped by! Come again :)
XX!
Lori













15 comments:

  1. Great post Lori! So nice to learn even more about your life up north. I would love to live in Alaska (except the snow). Keep sharing those lovely pictures!

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  2. Alaska is amazingly beautiful! You are so lucky to have such a gorgeous daily view. Thanks for sharing your lovely life!

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  3. Great to learn more about you, Lori!! I loved our visit to Alaska in June of 2011. My husband and I talk fondly of living there in the summer and Hawaii in the winter... :) And thank you so much for the nomination!

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  4. Love your post. My husband and I will be visiting Alaska starting June 21. This will be our 2nd trip. Love it. I lived in Yellowknife, NWT for 5 years and enjoy every minute (not the 30 below C in the winter).

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  5. Such fun stuff about Alaska! I'm glad I found you through the 2015 New Quilt Bloggers hop! Can't wait to see more! :)

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  6. I love, love Alaska!! I wish I could come for a cuppa and a chat on your back porch. You pics are all so wonderful.

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  7. Alaska is on my bucket list. We had a family friend that moved there when I was a kid. We never made the trip though. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos!

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  8. What a view! Thanks for sharing your life story and the scenery. Hope to go fishing for salmon there one day. :)

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  9. How did I miss your 20 things on IG (heading over there to look it up)? But these are fun thing to know about you as well. Love love that bee-inspired quilt and amazed at your sweet head-juggling dog. You guys are so impressive. Congrats on the award!

    Elizabeth

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  10. Amazing post about an amazing place! It is fun to see where you live and hear more about you and your bees. I popped over to see your Bee-Inspired quilt, which is Bee-utiful - the layout, the quilting and the binding! You certainly do have one lovely blog!

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  11. I'm visiting from the New Quilt Blogger Hop; I participated last year and blog at www.quiltingmod.com. I'm originally from Wyoming (but didn't live on a ranch or ride a horse) and now live in New Mexico (which is in the US, not Mexico). Your experience with bears is pretty horrifying. It drives me nuts when people think a small entitlement is worth endangering somebody else's life. For me, my son has a serious nut allergy (potentially fatal if eaten), and those that get very upset about not bringing an item with peanuts as a snack for the entire class drive me crazy. Alaska would be lovely to visit, but I haven't yet.

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  12. Love this post and knowing more about you!

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  13. Oh my goodness! Congratulations on being nominated and for nominating me! Your dog is indeed very clever to balance that power pole! I somehow imagined you live in the city but this looks like quite a lovely out-of-the-city place. I hope to visit Alaska some day. I think I would feel right at home there.

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  14. Oops, I'm so sorry, I'm only just catching up on blog reading for the first time in, erm, months! But if you're coming to stay next year, I demand payment in honey ;o)

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  15. Love getting to know you better. I am such a terrible blogger. I can't remember the last time... So how do you go about bringing in bees? Do you order them by mail? And how many? Really, enough for honey? I think this is very cool. (Just like you.)

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