2009 MN Horse Expo Field Trip

To say this is my favorite field trip of the year is putting it mildly. Some of you might remember that I was unable to attend the trip last year due to some pesky emergency gallbladder surgery... I was actually whining to the surgeon on the way to the operating room about missing the Horse Expo!

We wore our cowboy hats and bandanas and had a great time talking to horse trainers and owners. Almost everyone rode a horse and a pony!

I am very thankful to all of the friends who volunteered for this trip. Their participation made the day successful for every student! Thanks to all!

If you would like to see some photos from the trip, please follow this link:

http://maxfield.spps.org/Ms_Monroe.html

Click on the 2009 MN Horse Expo Field Trip to see the photos.

Thank you for making this possible...

K-1 Eric Carle Author Unit Thank You!

I would like to thank you for making this project possible! We made beautiful Hungry Caterpillar T-Shirts!

Check out the pictures at:

http://maxfield.spps.org/Eric_Carle_Author_Study.html

You Drive, I'll Knit You Some Fingerless Mitts....

So, Marsha drove most of the way home from Lincoln, NE last week and I mostly made these fingerless mitts for her. They are yummy soft (Cascade Cash Vero) and warm. I finished them back here in St. Paul and she modeled them at breakfast on Friday. It was a win-win situation!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety, Jig

We decided to stop half way home and stay in Perry, Iowa at the
Historic Hotel Pattee. They have a William Morris Room.
So, of course, the fabric groupies had to stay in the room dedicated
to William Morris and decorated with his wallpapers and textiles.
Wow. This Historic Hotel is worth the trip. It is a classic
Arts and Crafts building that has been painstakingly and
lovingly restored to great expense.

This big comfy bed was luxurious and yummy.

There is a private bowling alley in the basement, along with a classic 'spa' layout,
fitness room and did I mention the restaurant which serves wonderful food
and 1st class bread pudding?????????

Make the trip. Check them out on the web: http://www.hotelpattee.com

The Fun Just Doesn't Stop!!

So, I'm having trouble getting my head around the "rhino herds roaming
around Nebraska" and then, we saw the dinosaurs...
then of course, I had to stop and see this guy in front of
Morrill Hall at the University of Nebraska...
Whew. My head is spinning.

On the Prairies of Nebraska

International Quilt Study Center and Museum - Our true destination -We saw some incredible Chintz quilts here... How did those women sew those things with 12 stitches per inch by hand and with no OTT lamp??? It is really a 'study center' and NOT a quilt show, so if you decide to visit, keep that in mind. It is a beautiful facility and the staff couldn't have been more wonderful.

Nebraska's Capitol in Lincoln. This pair of doors leads to the unused Senate Chamber since Nebraska has a system of unicameral government. Marsha got us into the chamber which is usually 'off limits' so we could see a featured piece of mosaic work and beautiful tapestry!

The Homestead National Monument in Beatrice, Nebraska. The winds stopped 'whipping down the plains' so we could actually get out and tramp around this beautiful prairie site. A nice respite from the museums and tours. We saw pheasant flying low. Ahhhh. Space to breathe!



The Nebraska FFA Convention is in Lincoln. It does my heart good to see all of those blue corduroy jackets wandering around our hotel. The kids have been really polite. I asked these guys if I could take a picture of their coats... then told them to 'smile' they all started laughing. I'm sure they are thinking 'now there's a crazy old broad!'

BTW, did I ever tell you I was the first girl in FFA in Ingham County MI to win the 'Crops and Soil Judging Contest'? Tada! My claim to fame! There's a photo of me in the yearbook working on a disk! (not a CD, a disk, you know, a kind of a farm implement!)

Off to other adventures! :-)