This is Dougal here. Just wanted to tell you that I won over Rufus, the border collie. We are best buddies now. We play together, take walks, and this morning we even played tug of war. As you know,terriers are relentless and never give up, so I was determined to win him over. Other than that, I am doing great. My parents are with me all the time, and they spoil me rotten. I discovered a plastic soda bottle this morning and played with it for over an hour. What fun was that! We are all heading to the beach now. That is a blast, as I get to dig all the time, get covered with sand, and just have fun. I also always meet some doggy friends whom I can play with. Mom has been so busy with me that she has done nothing hobby wise. I have to be taken out a lot of times, as I am still a baby, but I am becoming housebroken, and I am a good boy.

I am waiting for a package in the mail. Mom ordered me a fancy carrier for taking me to the vet, etc, a pack of squeaky balls,and two cans of Bozita Reindeer dog food. It is supposed to be super tasty. I won't eat my dry food, unless I have some wet food added. Off to romp at the beach, and dad and mom always hold hands there. As for me, I just play!

Enjoy your day!

When I came home, mom made me a great meal, and I gobbled it up. Then they took me to the beach. Dad carried me all the way to the beach, and then I was able to play there. I had so much fun! I never saw a beach before, and really loved it. They bought me a flexi lead, and I was able to run a bit in the sand. They promised that I could go back to the beach tomorrow. Oh, I almost forgot, my new daddy and mommy had a 5 foot wooden fence built around the neatest garden you can imagine. I was running around in it, and they are taking me out there tons of times. I didn't have one accident in the house, and they keep telling me I am a very good boy. Then, I got another meal, and lots of treats!

As you can see, dad took some pics of me in the garden, and in one, I am even smiling. I am quite the looker, and dad and mom keep on hugging me and telling me how cute I am.

Gee, I am the first star of the month that can pee in the street . I may not be able to sew, but I can lick places that you can't , and I have endless very special doggy talents.

Mom said that next month, there will be a two legged star again. I myself think that I am the best star yet! Modesty is not my strongest point. Off to nod land! I have had a big day!

My congratulations again to Debra and thanks to Kelly for giving me the opportunity of participating in the hop and trying out the

Beam N Read!

Enjoying retirement with my husband of 36 years. Continue quilting and trying new techniques and styles of quilting. Photo art quilts and landscape quilts are in my future.

Kelly asked me to be one of the blogs in the hop, and I got a free Beam N Read to try out. I will be explaining what the Beam N Read is all about and also reviewing this product on June 28th, and I will be giving away one of the Beam N Reads to one lucky person who comments on that post.

As several bloggers are involved in the blog hop, check out this link, as Kelly will be posting the schedule of the blog hop very soon there, and then you can visit each blog that is involved in the hop and enter all of the giveaways for a chance to win a Beam N Read.

Joe and I are planning a great day! We are starting off with a wonderful Irish breakfast at one of the coffee shops on our main street. Then lots of fun planned afterwards. He bought me a Nintendo 3DS and two games for my birthday. I know...I am a kid at heart,and today I get to see what all the 3D hype is about. Also, Dougal is part of my gift, even though he is not here yet , and he is definitely the best gift ever!

I will tell you that I am 61 today. Age is relative anyways, and I have always been such a kid. Joe always tells me that is one of the reasons he loves me.

I love birthdays, so I am looking forward to today! Thanks for the well wishes that I received this morning when I woke up on Facebook! I do appreciate all the Happy Birthday wishes from good friends!

Hurry up and enter!

We decided to get the puppy,and we are getting a Cairn terrier. I am going to Dublin this Saturday to choose the puppy from a breeder named Marie Cadagio. There is also a puppy from the February litter, who is 4 months old, and very friendly and sweet that I may choose. The breeder says that he is wonderful, and his being a bit older will be easier on us. I am taking the bus to Dublin, which is a four and a half hour trip.I am arriving at 11:45 AM, so you know how early I am waking up . Lots of coffee that morning. LOL I will go back at the end of the month to take him home, as we are building a new fence for our backyard, putting in a larger shed, which we sorely need, and ordering lots of supplies.

I will never forget my time with them, and although I do not use the name they gave me, I enjoyed being called "Oh Be Joyful". Sometimes,when things get rough, as sometimes life is, it is a good reminder that I must keep on being joyful and just try to smile. Back then, I didn't have much to smile about, but now I am lucky that I am blessed with so much.

A Bit About Me: I grew up in Northern Illinois, in fact, my side of the street was Illinois and the other side of the street was Wisconsin! I still live in it, but I am living a whole 5 miles from my childhood home! My husband and I both went to the same high school(as did his mother and father), and 3 of our 4 children also went there. Only 2 graduated from there as the community has grown alot and a new high school was built.So child #3 finished at the new school and child #4 did all 4 years there. I ddin't grow up in a quilting family, but I always knew I loved fabric and quilts. As a girl, I always had to have my Aunt Mary's quilt on my bed, even when it was old and worn. A few years ago, my mom gave it to me as a gift and told me the story of why she got it from Aunt Mary. I was so glad that she told me the story, and it will always be a treasure in my heart. I think that quilt is what made me want to make quilts of my own.

I finally got a chance to learn how to make a quilt in high school Home ec-Remember home ec? I don't think they even have such a thing anymore!Our project was to make a log cabin pillow. This was back in the days of cardboard templates, tracing on the fabric and cutting with scissors! Don't worry- we did have/use sewing machines! Well this girl was not about to stop at a pillow. No way! So while all the other girls spent a month making a pillow, I set out to do a full blown quilt! I worked and worked on it!I wasn't allowed to work on it at home. They wanted to ensure the work was our own, and not mom or grandma's help. Ha-That wasn't going to happen in my house! Anyways, I spent free hours in the home ec room, after school in the hom ec room and worked away. The quilt was finished 2 days after the due date. I lost 2 points, one point for each day late it was. That was funny, since I did a whole quilt, and we had girls who didn't even finish the pillow. But, I loved my quilt and a quilter was born. I still treasure my quilt, the center block and the backing were from old sheets from my Grandma(Anunt Mary's sister), and I'm so glad now I put them to use like that.
Today's quilting is my stress relief. I do it purely for the fun and enjoyment. I dabble in all styles of top making and like to work on whatever I feel like. My true love are antique quilts from the late 1800's/early 1900's. I love to make reproduction quilts, and civil war fabrics are my favorite. I love hand quilting, but don't do it often because time just doesn't allow.

This weekend is the Seafood Festival in Dunfanagy. As part of the festival, there is an event called busking, which is street entertainment. Many performers perform in the streets and a prize is given to the best performance. Then in all the restaurants, pubs and hotels, there is free seafood given out and live music sessions.

I made a Mariner Compass Quilt where I did a combination of machine piecing and embroidery work with my embroidery machine. I will be using it for our dining room table. I decided on a Mariner Compass Quilt , and luckily found the perfect pattern in a book I had. I picked colors to match our decor and added a bit of a Celtic look with the machine embroidery. I machine quilted it, so hopefully you can see that.

The weather has been really cool, and we are skipping spring it seems. Hopefully, the summer will bring some warm days. Anyways, Joe and I are off to Letterkenny to go food shopping. At least the weekend is almost here.

Enjoy yours!

This morning, the Queen again placed a wreath, but this time it was at the Irish National Memorial in Islandbridge. It really symbolically showed the reconciliation between England and Ireland. It was a very moving ceremony. The memorial primarily honors the Irish soldiers who served and died during WWI , and Joe's grandfather's name is listed there.

Then the Queen and Prince Philip went to the Guiness Storehouse where she was poured a pint of Guiness by a master brewer. If you have been to Ireland or plan on coming, you must have a pint of Guinesss.

As I am writing this post, the Queen and Prince Philip are at Croke Park. It is a controversial visit, as this is where the first Bloody Sunday occurred, but also so important and significant to the reconciliation of the two countries. Croke Park is where the Irish show their pride in their Irish culture and where many sports events are held. It's a great place to visit if you ever come here. If you can see a game, you will feel the excitement that is always there at Croke Park.

The security again was very high and the public was not allowed near the event. I think that even though the streets of Dublin are empty because of the security lockout, it is not because the Irish people do not care or couldn't be bothered about the events. Most Irish are watching it on tv as it is virtually impossible to see the Queen in person. Yes, there have been peaceful protests against the visit, but I do feel that most Irish people feel it is very important that the Queen honored the dead who fought for Irish Independence , and that she is recognizing the many who died in places like Croke Park. It is definitely an important step in the healing process of many. Most Irish want to see peace in their lives, and this is giving them hope that they may see it in their lifetime.

As for myself, I find it historically significant that Great Britain and Ireland came together, recognized their differences, and broke through their barriers and obstacles. I know the feelings are mixed here, and many feel that England should have done all of this much sooner. However, I do believe that it is time to move forward.

Today, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Garden of Remembrance where the Queen laid a wreath at a monument honoring the Irish who fought for independence from England. Needless to say, there were mixed feelings throughout Ireland concerning the event, especially when they played both the English and Irish National anthems there. Some groups were protesting the visit, but most Irish just watched their tv sets in amazement that the events were even occurring.

As I write this, Queen Elizabeth II has just arrived in Ireland. She is beginning a four day visit to Ireland, and she is the first English monarch to visit our Isle since Ireland's independence from England. She and the Duke of Edinburgh are disembarking from the plane now at Casement Aerodrome, and she is planning on having lunch with President Mary McAleese at the Presidential Mansion at Phoenix Park. There will be a 21 gun salute at the Presidential Mansion, where the English National Anthem will be played first followed by the Irish National Anthem. By the way, the name of the Presidential Mansion is Arus An Uachtarain. They are waiting for the Queen to arrive at the mansion.

Then this afternoon, the Queen will carry out the most significant engagement of the trip when she visits The Garden of Remembrance, where she will lay a wreath at the memorial for those who gave their lives to Irish independence.

It is quite the event! All the highlights of the trip will be on tv, so I will be watching it all. There is a very high security arranged for the trip, as you can well imagine.

Anyways, Joe and just got back from our long walk, and it was so nice. We walked around the Famine Graveyard, which I think I have mentioned, loops around our village, and the sea is in view all the time.

Enjoy your day!

Here is Terry's interview, and do enjoy getting to know a really talented and lovely person.

Name: Terry Straubel