My home is in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in a rural town in Oregon. My husband, Mike, and I have been married since 1975. We have two adult sons, Erik and Matthew, and a beautiful daughter-in-law, Mae.
My dad was in the Marine Corps for 32 years. He is a WWII and Vietnam veteran. I am proud of him for his service to our country, and I am very proud to call myself a "military brat."
My passions include cooking, canning, gardening, photography, RVing and, most of all, cats!
My grandmother introduced me to quilting when I was a little girl. She made beautiful quilts, including this Double Wedding Ring that won her grand prize at her county fair one year. Isn't this gorgeous?
She made a number of other quilts. They all sat in my cedar chest until a few years ago. When I started quilting, I realized more than ever what a treasure they are. I started feeling badly that they were hidden away and never seen, and they were simply too precious to use. They would get dirty and worn out, and I just couldn't bear it. So I looked for and found a home for them where they can be enjoyed by generations to come. They are now in the collection of the Latimer Quilt and Textile Museum in Tillamook, Oregon. The folks there are very accommodating, and so if you ever find yourself in the area, call ahead and ask to see the "Bertha Maust Collection." They will gladly bring them out so that you can see them. Here are a few more of her quilts.
My oldest son, Erik, graduated college with a degree in industrial management and he works as a service advisor. He married our lovely daughter-in-law Mae in 2009.
My youngest, Matthew, graduated with a degree in embedded systems engineering, and so he followed in his dad's footsteps. He's also a musician.
A retired social worker, I'm glad to be at home now sewing, cooking, canning, and gardening to my heart's content. I recovered from a life-threatening illness shortly before starting this blog, and I hope I'll have many more good years. Mike followed me into retirement in April of 2017, and now we live a quiet life of leisure enjoying our home, traveling, and one another's company. Read on, and I'll tell you about life here at the Three Cats Ranch.