My Favorite Photos - April 2022

My photos for this month aren't in chronological order like they normally are. I'm not sure what happened when uploading them to Blogger. At any rate, some highlights from the month are below. 

The month started out with a major service event I coordinated for the Lions Club. We did 12 hands-on service projects and 12 collections. There were 137 people there - Lions and community members. One of the projects we did was create shoe kits for Sole Hope. These pieces, cut from donated blue jeans, will be made into shoes in Uganda that will be given to children who suffered from jiggers. The shoes literally can save the lives of children who receive them.

We collected close to 700 toiletries for youth and their families who don't have running water at their homes on a reservation in Arizona. There are showers at the school that the youth and parents can use, and these toiletries will be given to them.

Some of our Lions Club members sewed these cute kimonos for children in third-world countries. They use the tops as incentives for mothers to come into a health clinic to get medical care. 

We made five blankets for teens with pediatric cancer.

We made 32 hats for newborns in third-world countries.

We collected over 87 pounds of plastic bags. These will be donated, reused, and made into a bench. When we reach 500 pounds within six months, we will receive a bench for our community.

We made 306 sandwiches for people who are experiencing homelessness.

One of my favorite photos is seeing my oldest daughter, Sophia, enjoying her study abroad experience in Thailand.

She and a group of students went to the southern part of Thailand over Easter weekend. 

The landscape looked amazingly beautiful - like nothing I have ever seen.

Meanwhile, back at home, I was finishing up backings for quilts that I made this year. The front of this wildlife-theme quilt is on top of the backing. For the backing, I did three narrow strips of fabric I sewed together. It adds a bit of variety to the backing. The next step is to get it quilted together so Danny (the dog) has a more comfortable quilt to sit on.

Olivia had her final graduation meeting at the homeschool co-op. She got her graduation ceremony announcements as well as her cap and gown. She thought it was a little bit short, but the director said it was the right length. 

Danny celebrated his birthday in April! 

Olivia and I went to a town celebration of a sister-city partnership with a Swedish city. We didn't know if there would be many people there. I think everyone who wasn't working came out for the event. There had to be over 100 people there - plus the sixth-grade class and a choir. 

After the ceremony, there was a "Fika" - basically a Swedish snack. There were a lot of Lions there, so we ate with the President and Vice President. One of our oldest members - who is 92 years old - came to the event with his daughter who just retired at 65 years old. 

There was a special cake at the event with the Swedish and U.S. flags, and blue and yellow flowers. It was a delicious cake!

Olivia got her prom dress back from the tailor. She's ready to go to prom now on May 13th.

We went to a concert at Bethel during April. One of Sophia's roommates, Ashley, had her junior recital along with another student, Micah. We got there about 20 minutes before it started. We could pick wherever we wanted to sit. We took a photo in the front row and then moved back quite a few rows to get a better view of the stage. 

Two of Sophia's friends/roommates sat with us - Krista and Lexi.

Ashley had no idea that we were going to be there. We were right up front so she could see us. She was very happy - and surprised! - to see us.

What I loved seeing was that there was a line-up of friends and family in the hallway waiting for Ashley and Micah to come out. When they did, there were cheers and clapping...just so supportive and encouraging. 

I took some photos for Ashley so she could email them to her parents who live in California. This is Ashley with Krista. 

This is Lexi goofing around. 

And then a more subdued one with Lexi, Ashley, and Micah. All three are going into some aspect of music.

I tried my hand at a new quilt block using fabric from a Quilt Shop Hop that Sophia and I went on together in 2018. 

This year, I went on a Quilt Shop Hop with my friend, Karen. She, like me, loves dogs. We saw this cute puppy at the second quilt shop we visited.  

We went to six quilt shops plus had lunch together. It was a full - and fun - day! 

These were some signs at the restaurant that Karen treated me to. 

The cat image also was at the restaurant. 

At one of the quilt shops, there was a line of fabric with Charley Harper's artwork - all bird-themed. 

Also saw this fun fabric at Twin Cities Quilting. I thought it would be the perfect backing to a quilt I'll be starting soon that has many of these colors in it. 

The shop also had a quilt that had pandas wearing sweaters. Someone said that all they needed was to be holding bubble tea.

Olivia started on her quilt which will be navy blue, gray, white, and blue. She will be making nine of this quilt block. She was happy with how it turned out.

Olivia wrapped up doing videotaping and creating short videos for Gammelgarden Museum during April. This is one of the Dala horses at the museum. Because there was no one there except the director and us, we could pick up this Dala horse. It's made from wood, so it is kind of heavy...though more awkward than heavy.

Olivia entered three of her photos in a juried teen art show at White Bear Center for the Arts and all three were chosen! Needless to say, she was very happy. This is one of her photos.

This is another one of the Stillwater Lift Bridge.

The third one is a leaf half-buried in snow.

For the Lions' Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, there was a bake sale. I made lemon scones, dipped Oreo cookies, and cake pops. These are just some of the plates of items I brought. All of the items I brought were purchased which helped raised money for the Lions.

We started the Breakfast with the Easter Bunny in 2021 during the pandemic. It was so well-received that we continued it in 2022. The difference was that in 2021 we did a drive-through model and in 2022 we had the breakfast inside. The picture shows the majority of the volunteers for the event. The sheriff is one of our Lions Club members.

For Easter, we went to my brother's home. Jim made a standing rib roast (or sirloin roast...I'm not sure). He had a whole counter full of items he made. It was all delicious!

I enjoyed seeing his dogs - his new one, Scout...

and his first one, Bear.

We had a table full of people. This Paige, Jim, Mary, her two sons, and their girlfriends.

This table had Jim's children, Olivia, and the grandparents of Jim's children (the mother's parents). 

Paige got some currency to use in London when we go there for Olivia's graduation trip. We'll be spending a few days in London, then going north to Edinburgh, Scotland, for a few days, and then back to London to finish the trip.

I finished another quilt in April. The center part is a panel, so I didn't do anything with that. The part I did was the colorful border. It's called a "piano keys" border and it is very easy to sew. It didn't take that long to make.

The red-winged blackbirds have been enjoying the pond along with the mallards and frogs. This one was singing quite a bit one day when Olivia and I went out in the pasture and pond area.

There were lots of signs of spring around the farm.

The white-throated sparrows have returned. This one has so many different shades of brown and tan.

The sandhill cranes are back too. This one was hanging around the pond one evening. Their sounds are so unusual. 

The mallards are spending lots of time here - more so than in past years.

  

 I'm hoping we see ducklings later this spring or summer. 

On the 28th, Olivia was one of the speakers at the Ann Bancroft Foundation's 25th anniversary. This is her first slide of her PowerPoint presentation. We were at the soundcheck prior to the event. 

She spoke in front of over 500 people...

 

and shared the impact that the grant had on her life.

The audience clapped A LOT throughout her speech and then gave Olivia a standing ovation! 

 

I think it was a lot to take in for her...and it will be one of the things she remembers for the rest of her life.