Checklist

As I prepare to leave for this trip to Latin America, I keep noticing little ways in which my little guys are growing up, and I fret about what I will miss while I am gone. Donald seems to incorporate more and more sophisticated words in his vocabulary every day - he doesn't sound like a little kid anymore. And he has moved into his own room and has been busily setting about making it his own space. Jason is running for Student Council Secretary (because 3rd graders can't run for President) and spent last night working on his campaign speech. This weekend he is headed to New York City with his grandmom to do A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM at the Natural History Museum. I hate to miss any of this!

However, duty calls. (For all of you misguided folks who thought this was a pleasure trip - NOPE! I'll be working or traveling every day, including Saturday and Sunday. I'll try include some fun stuff in there to share with all of you - and to get my mind off the fact that I am working every darned day!)

I need lists to keep me on task as I prepare for this trip abroad (my plane leaves in 4 hours). Unfortunately, the list shows me how much I have yet to do. The truth is, some of it just isn't going to get done!

Prepare some Dresden Plate blocks to applique onto backgrounds on this trip - check!

Finish another color word - YELLOW (W really threw me for a loop!) - check!

Stock up on books and PlayAway audio books for this trip - check!

Catch up on laundry and recycling so my family doesn't have to deal with it in my absence - check!

Help the kids clean their rooms so their Daddy won't throw away all their toys while I am gone - check!

Clean the fish bowl - check!

Prepare presentation for Friday's conference in Mexico City - nope

Edit scholarship market letters for this year that were supposed to have been mailed already - nope

Make travel arrangements for prospective students to visit campus next month - nope

Finish project for Board of Trustees meeting later this month - nope

Pack for this trip - other than my quilting and reading materials, nope

I'd better get cracking! (You can kinda see where my priorities lie, though, can't you?) Next time you hear from me, I'll be somewhere exotic...stay tuned! And be sure to leave a comment on my last post by midnight EST tonight if you want to be entered in the giveaway for a mystery gift from my travels.

Whirlwind! (and a giveaway)

Let's go back to Friday. Because of all the rain in Philly, the two schools I was supposed to visit were closed. Luckily, one of the counselors informed me of this the night before so I didn't get up early to be thwarted by locked doors and empty classrooms. Instead, I spent some more quality time with my sister and nephew. How rewarding to visit her where I get to sleep under a quilt that I made and see my nephew on his quilt and wearing a bib I made him. THAT is why I quilt - to see my creations in loving use.

On my way back to Virginia, I stopped in to see my old neighbors. Unfortunately, the husband's alzheimers is so bad that he is in a special unit and the wife, my quilting buddy, is living alone in a room in the assisted living facility. I miss them so much, not just them being my neighbors, but them also being the vibrant, energetic, independent people they used to be. My friend and I went out for a nice late lunch/early dinner, and then I rushed the rest of the way home to pick up my boys for one last time at the drive-in movies this season. (Incidentally, on Sunday, there was a membership meeting at the drive-in, and it turns out I volunteered 14 times this summer - wow! I had no idea!)

Ideally, Saturday should have been a day of rest. Ha! You know better! We started the day with karate testing - Jason and I got our brown belts and Donald got his yellow belt. (and my husband failed his photography test)

My mom came over to watch/support us, and we all went out for lunch together before she headed back over the mountain, and I headed home to my sewing room. I want to get some Dresden Plates ready to take on my next trip with me. However, wouldn't you know it, my machine started acting up! I took it apart, cleaned it, fiddled with the tension, and finally got it working, but by then it was time to leave. Argh!

Off we went to a cub scout campout. It was loads of fun, but I was super tired, so I jumped at the chance to sneak off to bed when I noticed Donald falling asleep around the campfire.

This campout was LIGHT YEARS better than the last one - an air mattress makes a HUGE difference!

On Sunday, I finally made some headway in the sewing room, but not with the Dresden Plates. I cut up a strip of yellow to make centers for some log cabin blocks, and started piecing some scrappy log cabins. I added another column to the scrappy lap quilt I started two weeks ago. And I made this drawstring backpack for Donald to keep his karate uniform in.

It is made from another old t-shirt that I never wore, with the reverse applique D, the top edge and the lining made from fabric from my stash - I'm not just busting fabric stash, I'm busting T-shirt stash, too!

Right now, I'd love to catch up on all the blogs I've been missing these past few weeks, but I need some sleep. Today was another lunatic day with work, karate, grocery shopping, checking on the painting job at our rental property and all the every day activities that make up living and loving a family and pets. I wonder if I can convince my husband that he wants to massage some of the tension out of my shoulders...

But before I sign off, I noticed that I've passed 200 posts. I'm not sure I have anything to give away that anyone would want BUT I am headed to Mexico, Costa Rica and Ecuador starting this Thursday. I would LOVE a reason to go shopping. How about a giveaway? I don't know what the prize(s) will be yet, but they will be from one or more of those three countries. Leave a comment by midnight Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, October 7th to be entered, and I will choose a winner (or two, or three) to be the recipient of some of the booty I am sure to find in the "mercados artesenales" that I am sure to visit! I am happy to ship anywhere in the world. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who reads my rambling posts about my adventures in quilting and child-rearing and life, in general. The connections I make with the people I "meet" through blogs bring me comfort and give me hope in a world that I find harder and harder to understand.

Just in case you think my travel is glamourous...

Let me be the first to dispel that notion. Today started with a cold shower. Note that I HATE cold showers, but I couldn't figure out which way to turn the knob for hot water in my sister's guest bathroom and I was the only one awake. Pathetic, I know, but I was in a hurry. I wanted to leave early enough to stop by a Dunkin Donuts on the way to my first school visit. Doubly pathetic, I know.

I got out of the house in plenty of time, but Dunkin Donuts was not to be. Knowing that I had to make a left turn eventually, I was driving on the left hand side of the many lanes of traffic on my way to the first school visit when I realized, too late, that I needed to be in the right lane to continue on the road I was on. I tried to move over, but I'm not the aggressive driver I used to be, and I didn't make it. I found myself driving over the bridge into Camden, NJ. Luckily, I don't stress out about being lost. I do stress out about being late, though, so I called the school and let them know my mistake and that I'd be running behind. Once over the bridge, I swung around to come back into Philly, along with about half of New Jersey all trying to squeeze into the same four lanes. Unfortunately, as I was nearing the toll booth, I remembered that my cash was in my jeans pocket - back at my sister's house. I navigated out of the toll lanes and started driving around Camden looking for an ATM. That experience was much like finding my quilting needle when I lost it on the couch one day this summer - akin to finding the needle in the proverbial haystack all the while with a rising sense of panic. I finally found a bodega with an ATM sign outside, got some cash, and got back in line to cross the bridge. I made it to the school half an hour late. Oh well. I'd be on time to my NEXT visit.

Wrong. The directions said that the trip to the next school would take 12 minutes. Try 31 minutes. I was late there as well. 0 for 2.

I arrived at my third school on time and had a nice chat with 3 young men who were interested in my university. I was feeling good about myself until the 4th young man showed up as I was packing up to go. I couldn't NOT take the time to talk with him, so there went my cushion of time between visit 3 and 4. I left there with not a minute to spare to get to school number 4 on time.

Did I mention yet that Philly is experiencing heavy rain today? Flood and tornado watches? Just as I was about to arrive at school number 4 on time, I was turned back by 2 men who had blocked the road with their emergency vehicles. The road was flooded. They sent me about 5 miles around to another entrance to the school, but I was late again. How embarrassing! In 8 years, I have rarely ever been late to a school visit, but today ruined my record.

I'm not doing this trip again next year. It wasn't just today. On Monday, I visited 7 schools in Wilmington, DE and got lost 4 times. I must have driven past a sign for the BLUE BALL BARN eight times on Monday. At one point, I was starting to think that it was a sign that instead of visiting schools I should find some good-timing cows to bring to the frustrated bulls that must certainly reside in that barn. (If that reference is lost on you, bless your pure heart and clean mind. If that reference offended you, I apologize, but don't you think it is better that I was silly giddy instead of succumbing to road rage?)

So, after visit 4, I began the trip back to my sister's house, a 30 mile trip that took nearly 2 hours, during which my monthly cycle began. Lovely. I came in the house, put on my pajamas and picked up my nephew for some baby therapy. I would be perfectly happy never getting back into a car in Philadelphia ever again. Of course, I have to go out later tonight to give a presentation. Ugh!

The whole week hasn't been me driving around lost. My nephew is super cute and such a happy baby. Doesn't he look good on me?

This was us yesterday. I came home from the school visits and found my sister in tears. We were supposed to be going out for a nice dinner and she had been trying on clothes trying to find something that fit to wear out. Those of you who have given birth understand her tears. It hasn't even been 4 months, and my poor misguided sister thought she'd be able to get back into her pre-pregnancy 2s and 4s. I packed her and the baby into my rental car and we went to Macy's to go shopping for clothes that fit. After giving her a crash course in styles and fabrics that compliment her more mature, voluptuous figure, I could virtually see her spirits lifting as we took advantage of a huge sale to get nearly a whole new wardrobe for her. By the time we dressed for a (very late) dinner, her smile was a real one. She's one hot mama, isn't she?

The whole happy family (that's the top of Dorian's head peeking out of the wrap on my sister. He slept through dinner. I tell you, he is ONE GOOD BABY!)


After two school visits tomorrow, I head back home. I'm looking forward to the quiet, leisurely pace of life in Lexington, VA and to hanging out with my three guys. And I am determined to spend some time with my sewing machine before I leave for Mexico next Wednesday. At least in Latin America I have a driver and don't have to navigate the roads on my own!

Three great days back to back!

No time for lots of text but there's always time for photos!

On Thursday, I stopped by Tamarack in Beckley, WV to check out the WV artisans' work. It's a good thing I can make quilts, because I could never afford to buy one there. This lap sized, machine quilted quilt was nearly $1200.

I love the stitching!



This hand quilted bed-sized quilt was nearly $2400! (sorry, forgot to rotate the photo)

Another photo not rotated, but I loved the quilting as well as the two fabrics used in this lap sized quilt. $600

I had to take a photo of this Christmas Tree quilt so I could remember to make one for myself. Very festive, but it isn't made with holiday fabrics.

It was the first time I've ever seen dolls made from corn husks. Aren't they precious?

Then, late on Thursday, my twin sister arrived in town, and we hung out late catching up.

Friday was a work day, but I was able to start and end it with my sister, and apparently she spent all the hours in between explaining to everyone she passed that she was not me. People didn't believe her. I know we are twins, but I don't think we look that much alike anymore. Apparently, I am in the minority. She loved the quilted composition book I gave her

and she gave me the coolest (warmest) socks that she knitted

and a novel, The Writing Circle, with a personalized note from the author to me saying that maybe this would be the year of MY novel. Oh how I wish!

Today, I had to work in the AM, then took my sister over the mountain to my mom's in the afternoon, then back over the mountain to my house to have dinner and fun with my brother and his girlfriend and her kids. Fun included all three of us siblings dying our hair reddish,

plus some karaoke

and some karate demonstrations.

Needless to say, I haven't been to bed before midnight in three days and I am exhausted, but my face aches from smiling so much. I love my family! I just wish my younger sister had been here to have fun with us. I'm on my way up to Philadelphia to recruit for this coming week, and I'll be staying with her, so we can work on making some memories of our own.

Quilts, quilts and more quilts!

My days on the road have a predictable rhythm to them - rush about from 7:30 AM until 3 PM, visiting school after school, saying the same thing over and over again to new faces every hour, craving something to eat or drink but not having the time to stop for fear I won't make it to my next appointment on time. But then 3 o'clock rolls around and schools let out, and there is nothing more for me to do. That's when I start exploring. And West Virginia is fertile ground for seeking out QUILTS!

I stopped at a public library to use the rest room, and this antique mall was across the street.

"Eh, I'll check it out, maybe they'll have a quilt or two," was my thought. Jackpot!!!

These old quilts are SOOOO soft!

I was intrigued by this block - I'm pretty sure I've never seen it. Anyone know what it is called?


Here's what I'd like my hand quilting to look like on my quilts decades after they have been completed. Beautiful!

New and old, all mixed together.

I love driving the back roads rather than the highways. There is always something to see. Jackpot!

What a great pattern to use up tiny scraps!

There were so many things I'd love to have taken home with me, these 32 hand pieced blocks, for example. I love them, but I feel confident that I'll not piece these blocks on my own.

Oh, I LOVED this soft, worn earthy quilt!

but personal property taxes are due in a few weeks and I'm trying to be mindful of money. I patted myself on the back for walking away with just a bag of solid fabric scraps, something I don't have much of (solids, not scraps).

The big SALE sign at JoAnn's got me in the door. I was looking for more Quilt Patis to work on my Grandmother's Flower Garden hexagon quilt. No luck, but I did get two packages of batting for 40% off (I can't wait to get my needle into my Great Great Grandmother's Quilt!), two remnants at 50% off, and some flannel for $2.99/yard. I've got an idea for a rag quilt percolating in my little head...

So, while I'm missing my guys out here on the road, I'm taking advantage of being unencumbered by karate and cub scouts and the incessant "are we there yet?" and seeing where the country roads take me.

Almost Heaven, West Virginia

West Virginia is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been - and I've been lots of places. I love the texture, the colors, the surprising vistas around every curve. Instead of taking the highway today, I took John Denver's "country roads", and what a treat! He was right, it IS almost heaven.

But the joys of my day were overshadowed by sorrow. One of the students that I recruited from West Virginia 4 years ago lost his battle with cancer today. When I got the news, I sat in my car and cried. It isn't that I was particularly close to this boy, but that's what he was, a boy. A brillant, kind-hearted young boy. Had he lived, he'd have graduated from college this coming May, very likely near the top of his class - he was just that smart. When he was diagnosed with cancer last year, he "friended" me on Facebook and sent me a message to let me know what was going on, but also how my husband and I had made an impact on his life. I wish I had kept that message. I honestly never thought that he wouldn't win this battle. He was such a GOOD person, and in my mind, bad things don't happen to good people.

Enjoy Heaven, kiddo. I'm down here in Almost Heaven thinking of you up there.

Reluctant realization

I'm not as liberated a quilter as I'd like to think I am. Sure, my stuff is scrappy; I have no qualms putting a batik next to a repro next to a novelty fabric. Sure, patterns are merely suggestions in my mind, and I rarely do as told. Sure, I think wonky is wonderful, and do not stress over points that don't match or corners that aren't square.


However, I realized today that I am a slave to symmetry. I was playing around, continuing to add to my ERIN quilt, and was careful to make sure that the odd fabric triangles in the 2 rows of green/beige that I added were diagonally opposite each other.

Then, I almost didn't add the bottom row with the 4 Drunkards Path blocks connected by the strips because I didn't have a similar batch of orphans to add to the top of the quilt. Why is symmetry so important to me? Especially in a project like this, which is my version of V's/BumbleBean's "15 Minutes of Play", a vehicle to use up orphans and other scraps of fabric? Here I thought I was so liberated, but as I look back over my creations, I realize I am not. That makes me a little bit sad - it is hard to come to terms with the fact that you are not exactly the way you imagine yourself to be.

So, I'm challenging myself. At some point soon, I'm going to try to make something that is not symmetrical. Please help me hold myself to that challenge.


In the meantime, I was also playing around with all those new scraps of mine, and couldn't resist starting something new, something that could be made with 5" charm squares.

(note that only the right side has been sewn together, which is why the left side looks so wonky)
So far, 50 fabrics have been incorporated into this project, but I think I'm going to have 6 rows of 12 fabrics rather than the 5 rows of 10 fabrics that I have so far. That will leave me with just enough of the white fabric to add a 2" finished border and then that white fabric is all gone - stash busted!

Tomorrow morning, I head off to West Virginia. I wish I could make this weekend last just one day longer. I accomplished all the goals I set out for myself on Friday with the exception of going through the kids' clothes for Goodwill donations. Not bad! Here's hoping that my week on the road is just as productive, if not as creative.