Monday, September 27, 2021

There's No Place Like Home

 

 

Travel and vacations are nice, but it's nice to get home again, too...

.....Sleep in your own bed....
.....Eat your normal foods....
.....See your babes and your friends....


 

 

The final days of my month-long trip were spent in Virginia with my daughter, Ana, looking for wild ponies.

IF you have a girl you probably know about Misty of Chincoteague.  A book written by Marguerite Henry.  

She wrote a whole series of books about these amazing ponies, and the very first chapter books my daughter ever read.  From that time on Ana has wanted to visit Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.

In a nutshell....the wild ponies live on Assateague Island.  Once a year, in July, the pony cowboys round them up and swim them across the channel to Chincoteague.  There is a big auction and many of them are sold.

The remaining ponies are then swam back across to Assateague to mate and replenish the herd.

Most of the time there is no intervention in their habitat.  They just live.

Read about these ponies HERE

I must admit, they were pretty amazing to see:



 

 

 








And, Virginia is a BEAUTIFUL state!  (Except there were a number of biting insects to deal with...)

Dipping my toes in the Atlantic Ocean.





We saw may cute critters.










Chincoteague is like most beach towns, quaint but commerical, too.
The little cottage where we stayed was across the peninsula in a teeny town called Saxis.  I LOVED IT!  

 

Population, 241.  You can walk the entire town and home again in 9,000 steps.  

On one of my walks, I met my neighbors, had a nice conversation with the post office woman and toured the tiny town museum. 


 

 

 

 

The museum curator rides his bike to work and just parks it in the street.  No worries.  As a matter of fact, I saw bikes all over town...no locks.

 

I could so live in this town!

 

 And so the sun sets on this marvelous vacation.


Monday, September 13, 2021

Bitter Sweet

 The Time Has Come....

             to say Good-Bye to Quilt City USA...Paducah, Kentucky.

Bitter because I have to say good-bye to my dad and sister and her D.H. 
I fear this may be the last time I see my dad this side of heaven.

Sweet because I do leave here for a much-needed holiday myself, on the East Coast with my daughter, Ana.




Daddy and me.

Daddy with his souvenir hula doll from sissy's holiday.

We decorated his sitting room so he could visit the ocean virtually.













Joy and Michael taking R & R









My baby sister and me.
Don't tell anyone but of my 8 siblings, she is my favorite.


You are, by far, my favorite. HERE



 

I did not visit even one quilt shop while here.....we started to last Saturday, but got sidetracked. (While Joy and Michael were gone my job was to look after my dad and I was also working.  I didn't want to leave my dad alone for too long so I didn't venture out much.)

We were headed to Backyard Fabrics in Mayfield.  This is a cute little shop discovered on my last trip. Click HERE  Such a nice shop.  However, on the way we realized they closed early on Saturday, so disappointing.  Since we were already out and about we decided to visit mom and dad's old home in Gilbertsville, instead.  (Gilbertsville is right next door to Possum Trout...true.)

 

 

 

We had a very lovely visit with the new owners.  

She is a quilter and they added a barn quilt to the garage.  It was a nice touch.  They invited us in.  Not many changes to the living room and kitchen area. Made me think Mom was going to come strolling on in....

They love the their new home and are happily puttering away on house projects.  My dad was happy to hear that...he misses his home.




We also visited the International Quilt Museum.  They had a special display for 9-11.  It was impressive!



This mural took up an entire wall.  It was jaw-droppingly spectacular!





A Sad Reflection




"Wow" was all I could think. 
So may teeny-tiny pieces.






There were other fantastic quilts.



Someday I'm going to do one of these "Stars."







Very delicate, intricate work.



There was a room of Tiny Quilts.





 

 Someone has good eye sight and a steady hand!







About a million Prairie Points.



Our Greeter.






 

 

 

The little, cheap Janome from Hobby Lobby did it's job.


The piecing of the Tiny House quilt is about one-third complete.

Tomorrow it's off to Baltimore and Washington DC....where I have never been.  

Let a new adventure begin!

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Me and My Shadow

 

 

 

Some of us are of a certain age that we remember the song
Me and My Shadow
.  Well, I've changed the Words to
Me and My BFF
!  

Especially the lines:

"Let all the others fight and fuss.
Whatever happens, we've got us."

Good 'ol Jack.  Always there when you need him!

 

Three rows into the Tiny House Quilt and I discovered I forgot a piece...the piece between the house and the roof!  



Now I'm really glad I have not trimmed the blocks yet.

 
...a while later....
 

 
 
 
All the ripping is done.





Missing piece cut and pieces assembled.





....and later, still.....

Everything re-assembled. 


I did consider...for a nano-second....not fixing them, but decided in the end I will have always wished that I had...so I did.

Now On With the Show!

Sunday, September 5, 2021

You Can Make Your Plans

An old Yiddish proverb: “We plan, God laughs” basically means you can make all your plans but in the end, God determines your steps.  (In the Bible, Proverbs 16:9)


My PLAN was to oil up Fran and sew up a storm. Fran's Introduction.  But, as it turns out, Fran has been sitting too long. 
She needs a long rest at the Vintage Sewing Machine Spa.  What to do...what to do.

What I did was run up to Hobby Lobby and bought a cheap (really cheap) machine.  Maybe even too cheap....I haven't decided yet. With tax, less than $75.  Sometimes you get what you pay for.  

The best compliment I can give is "It sews."  Basically, it's a toy.

 


 

 

 

There's no light.  I didn't think that was a big deal, but turns out it is. 
I happen to have brought a small light that is working OK.

 

If you find yourself in this same situation, buy one step up.  



The new plan is to leave this machine at my sister's and it'll be here the next time I come (if I don't move here, first.)

 

It is getting the job done.


 Untrimmed blocks on my Design Floor.
The first 11 of  196.  Lots-O-Practice making Flying Geese.



Saturday, September 4, 2021

Quilt City USA

I'm coming to you from beautiful Paducah, Kentucky....AKA Quilt City, USA. 
While I am not here having "quilt fun," I will get my quilt time in...to be sure.

 

2015 Quilt Show
(L to R) my mom, my baby sister, my quilting Auntie and me
My mom and my Auntie have both passed.


I am here in Paducah to give my baby sister, Joy, and her D.H., Michael, a much needed break. 
Daddy and I are hanging out while Joy and Michael are in Florida soaking up some sun, some view and some relaxation.


 

Their View





Sister's enjoying HER view.








 

 

Back on the home front, now that I pretty much have the house to myself,
I can spread out and make a mess ...I'm doing just that.

 

The Business End
The Fun End

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staging



 







 

 

For the next six days it's just Daddy and Molly and Me.


Miss Molly, Missing her Mommy