A week of travel.....

 

We arrived to camp today a bit after 5PM.  It is just the 3 of us out here and it is going to get down to 46 degrees tonight. The pilot light on the gas heater... is refusing to start and so I started a fire in the fireplace. It looked good, until the smoke started coming in from outside by the chimney edges. It is really windy out... but I have a feeling where the smoke is coming in by the chimney/roof area it is another issue from the roofer who put the new roof on October 2022. Lots of leaking last year and it is still not fixed. Sigh.  Fire is out and outside into the burn pit. House is aired out. Going to be a 3 quilt night!

We started out Sunday morning from Ocala and headed to Fort Caroline in Jacksonville. 

It was a nice break and we stopped at Publix for subs for lunch. We travelled and got to Buc-ees around dinnertime in SC. It was so crowded, the kids just wanted to grab food and get back to the car. We continued on and got up to Rocky Mount NC at the hotel we like there. 

Monday, it was a short travel day to DC. We tried a Cookout restaurant for lunch - I've seen the billboards for years and decided to give it a try. We went to Arlington National Cemetary, and walked around to see JFK's flame, Arlington House and walked to the Tomb of the Unknown soldier.

I remember watching Challenger in 7th grade with Christa McAuliffe on it. We were in VT and she was a teacher from NH. It was quite a shock to see that happen. This was a nice memorial of that crew.

 We did see a changing of the guard. It was really hot and humid out - near 100 degrees. Lots of steps this day. We got to our hotel and checked in. Turns out, I got a really nice room! It was a suite (instead of the double I was expecting) with 2 double beds in one area, a desk and chair in another corner and then a pull out sofa and chair in another area! Aidan took the couch and we all were happy with our own beds. After guzzling a lot of water, I walked down and ordered a pizza from the place we found last year and loved. Aidan and I watched game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Sadly, his Oilers lost but it was a great series.

Tuesday, we had breakfast and lunch at our favorite deli - 2 Sisters Deli. Between the 2 we went to the Air and Space Museum. A lot is closed for renovations, but it was still pretty neat.

 After lunch, Emily wanted to chill in the room, so we did for an hour or so. Then Aidan and I went to the Native American Museum. It was really interesting. The beadwork and art was stunning. The building design was so interesting and all around the outside was native gardens with living art structures. 

After walking back to the hotel and resting a bit, we walked to the Warf for dinner. We ended up finding a Falafal place that was really good. We got our food and took it back to the hotel. Did I mention it was really, really hot outside and it was a 20 minute walk each way? It was a chill evening in the hotel room after that.

Wednesday morning, we had a last breakfast at the 2 Sisters Deli (egg, bacon and cheese croissant). 

We packed up and headed out of DC. We were off to Maryland and did a quick stop in Arlington to walk around and looked in the capital building. 

Then we headed to Cross Creek, MD to the Hariett Tubman Underground Railroad Museum. It was another great museum and I learned a lot. 

From there we headed north and got up to Belin, CT.

Today, we headed north again and made our way to Deerfield, MA to the Yankee Candle shop. Seems Aidan saw a nutcracker last year and really wanted it! We stopped and he got it.

 Along with a few candles for all of us that were on sale in the clearance area. I mentioned a favorite restaurant of mine in West Lebanon NH - Lui Lui - and they checked out the menu. Well, we hit there just before 1PM. I had forgot the warm rolls and herbed oil they bring to the table. My foodie kids were happy. Aidan got the pizza from the brick pizza oven and was in heaven. There was an LL Bean shop next door, so we browsed while we were there. There had been various texts from my siblings at each stop. My Dad has been retaining water for a few weeks and despite all of us saying he should go to the ER (I told them last Thursday!), he finally went today. We stopped to see him in the hospital this afternoon. They are doing the Lasix and a few other things to see if they can get the retention down. His kidneys are not functioning properly now, but he is in good hands. Hopefully things are looking better in the morning. We saw my Mom and oldest brother Mike at the hospital. Since they had not moved out to camp yet, we did a quick Walmart run for a few things for dinner and breakfast, stopped at home (anyone else call the place you grew up home still?)  to grab a few things to take out and drop off some things. Then it was the last of the route to get out to camp..... and found out where the washed out roads from the Sunday storm were. At least they have it passable now. I am wondering how our favorite waterfall walking trail fared though. It looked like the parking area was closed, and it was right near where the wash out was. I have a feeling that little stream is looking a lot different now. At least the water has gone down at the lake but we have a rainy weekend in the forecast. 

I'm sure I'll have a trip one way for groceries and the other way to visit Dad in the hospital tomorrow. Might see a few siblings or four over the next few days as well. 

That's my update. 

RSC Chickens

 

I did manage to sew together some blue chickens this week. They were happy to join the flock. I still need to pick out some blues for the Arkansas Traveller blocks and the string of beads blocks. I'm not sure the AT blocks will get done, but I should be able to prep the beads blocks as a hand work project for my trip up to VT. I suppose I should pack Saturday, as we are leaving on Sunday morning. 

Linking up with the RSC on Saturday.

A day off

 Not much to show for it though. I did pull and cut fabrics for 4 blue chicken blocks.... but they are not sewn yet.

We did a late lunch out at Pig and Cattle with Grandma yesterday. Lots of chatting before the kids and I head north this weekend for a few weeks. The car got a drive through the car wash and wipe down inside and vacuum so it is clean for the trip. The navigation system also got updated... so now I will be on a road instead of it thinking I was driving through a field on the new roads near us! I got all the yarn untangled and placed into a new container. A phone call with my Mom and Dad - and reminding them they have a ceiling fan in the living room they should probably dust off and turn on since it was getting hot in the house. It was hotter in VT yesterday than in FL!

I got some stitches added to the sashing in the cat and mouse quilt. I need to actually pack my go to bag today with my hand work projects I am taking with me and their patterns. Emily has horses today at noon. I need to run a few errands and will head over and check in on my FIL in rehab to see how he is doing. I hope to get my chicken blocks completed, and the AT block fabrics picked out and cut today.  We will see how I do!

Mid week check in

 I have today off from work! I still got up early and walked the Dog before it got too hot and before the rain started. He was a happy camper.

Yesterday, FIL was released from the hospital. They told him originally to home.... we had to question that and once the nurse looked at his last PT from Sunday... before his surgery, she helped us get him to realize he needed to go back to rehab. No way he can deal with the catheter or have the strength to care for himself properly yet. We were able to get him in one a little closer to us and it is really nice. Hopefully after he does PT and OT today he will realize it was the correct choice. He is not a happy camper but that is life. I might have been the bad guy in the mix with the help of the nurses and care team there.

I was able to get a little hand quilting in last night while watching the Oilers win (the boy was oh so happy as he picked them as his team the beginning of the season to win the cup!) We will see as they are down in the series.  

I just realized I have the leaves going different directions... so I guess it will be a mix and not consistent in the sashing =). I am using my needle minder for the circle in the cornerstones. A leaf shape for the sashing. Stick chalk for marking.

I ordered new ink for the printer in my office, so now I can print out the heart designs from Melissa at Pinker n Pinkin Quilting and Stitching for some hand work to take with me up north. I know, I'm going to pack 100 projects and we will see if I actually work on any of them! We are heading out Sunday morning, so I still have time to add more projects to the go-to bag! It helps we are driving... so I have plenty of room in the car =). We are slated to return home July 10... as I have an appointment scheduled July 11. 

Fathers Day

Another crazy week around here. First off - wishing a Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's out there. Including my hubby Greg, my FIL Tom and my Dad Andy. Very thankful to all of you.
 

Tom, Aidan and Greg maybe 9 years ago?

My Dad and me last year on the boat in Vermont.

Tom was released from Rehab on Tuesday. Greg's arthritis in his back has been flaring this week but he did manage to go over and get him settled in at home on Tuesday. I gave him a call on Thursday to check on him, but he didn't pick up, so I left a message and called my Mom. He called back while on the phone with my Mom. He was in pain and asked Greg to call his Urologist. The soonest he could get in was Tuesday, but he said if the pain was that bad go to the ER. He asked to go to the ER. No way could Greg do the waiting in those chairs, so I grabbed some things into a busy bag and water and went to pick him up and bring him to the ER. We got there around 2PM. We finally got into an ER room around 6PM..... around 8:30, they decided to admit him. Big kidney stone in the right and small one in the left. His pain indicated left, but I'm wondering if the right is the real issue? We knew he had the stones from his last hospital stay in April, but since it was not bothering, they didn't want to operate. It was 88 degrees when I left the hospital at 8:30 to head home. When I got home around 9:30, the dog was oh so happy I was finally home! The kids indicated, you were gone for a long time. Yup. We headed over Friday afternoon after I was done working and no news as they were still waiting for the Urologist to consult (3:30 in the afternoon!).  Saturday, Emily and I were invited to hang out with her riding partner on a Pontoon boat for the day near the springs about an hour north of us for an early birthday celebration. It was hot (car temp hit 100 on the way home in the late afternoon) but a nice day on the water. I'll head over today and see if there is any new on Tom. They are keeping him as comfortable as they can with the pain until they decide what to do. I assume it is a bit to wean off blood thinners before any surgery can happen. So, it is a wait and see on that front. Poor guy was only home for 2 days before landing in the hospital again. Sigh.

Aidan is heading to Grandma's for the day but he doesn't want to drive, so I'll go pick him up later. I need to get some supplies so Emily can make Greg cookies as his requested present. 

I am thinking ahead for what to bring with me for handwork for my trip with the kids up to Vermont. I have these EPP for the Brimfield Awakening blocks. I need to make more of the shapes so I can play and see how I will have these end up. I am using some charm packs I got from Craftsy before they stopped selling on there.

Before I got the call on Thursday, Emily was asking about yarn. I had mentioned I was going to bring up some wool yarn and gift it to my niece to make a sweater that I never ended up making. I thought it was green, turns out it is a pretty teal. Then she was asking about yarn, so I kept pulling it out from different bags and containers from all over the room. Emily pulled out her knitting project and started it again with a proper pearl stitch. She plans to work on her afghan in the car on the ride up. She was eyeing other yarns and mentioned socks. I pulled my one blue completed knee sock and found some other sock yarn. I even pulled a book of sock knitting patterns and she expressed some interest. So, some yarns will be heading up to Vermont as well. I will try and gather all the yarns and combine them into one container in the sewing room. Mom likes the crochet tops on hand towels for the kitchen, so I'll be making a bunch to resupply her kitchens.

The dog has been walked, the pool has been cleaned and shocked, the chickens have been fed. Time to grab a few groceries and then the audiobooks will be playing on my phone as I drive all over the place. I'm listening to a Lynn Cahoon mystery series that is free on my Audible.  I should be able to get a few stitches in here and there. I also did watch the new Bridgerton release on Netflix Friday night. Note to self, go to bed before 1AM when you need to be up by 7AM the next morning!

Not much progress on the cat and mouse quilt.... but a few strands were added this week.

Linking up with the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

RSC in blue

 I'm working on a blue and white UFO this month. It should make it to a top stage. We will see if it gets quilted as well. These are Ella Maria Deacon blocks from 2019 sew along with Sentimental Stitches. I made 26 blocks by hand and 25 will be in the top. I'm working on sewing the long sashing strips and adding the corner triangles this weekend. I do love how it is looking. 

I've had 60 degree triangles on my list of 'to make someday' and Jocelyn at Canadian Needle Nana reminded me of that with her pretty quilt Panama Pyramids. I need to make 2 more of each of these to do the design I want. I actually pulled leftover binding strips 2.5 inches to make these and did them on the machine. They could easily be a hand work project as well. I'll be using these as leaders and enders while I am working on the above quilt.

Linking up with the RSC Quilters.

Lots of the country is in a heat wave, so please be careful. Drink plenty of liquids, with electrolytes and stay in the AC or cooling areas as much as you can. Emily is helping at horses this afternoon for a girl scout troop earning their horsemanship badge. Thank goodness there is a covered area of the arena and fans. The car read 98 and feels like 105 F. Way too hot! 

Thursday

Things were scheduled. Aidan had an appointment at 9:50 and the AC guy for the mid year service cleaning was 12-2 arrival time. Greg scheduled his Dad's car at the dealership for 10. I took Aidan to his appointment and then got a call from the AC guy - on his way. What? The appointment was only 5 minutes away, thank goodness. I headed home and got the AC guy started. Aidan had to wait a bit there, until Greg got home and I could go get him. Crazy morning. Since that was done, I headed over with Greg to see his Dad in rehab. Good news, he is being released next week. 

Mid afternoon, and I decided dinner was leftovers. That gave me time to go play in the sewing room for a bit. Anyone else manage to swap blocks around when sewing rows together? These blocks got the applique ones trimmed to 9. 5 inches. Some were a tad small, but I made it work. I found the calculator online for the size to make the setting triangles.

I added some sashing strips and then the setting triangles. I think I will go with a long plain sashing between all the rows and add the corner triangles. We will see if a blue border gets added after that. I think so, but we will see. 

I hope to make some more progress on this one tomorrow afternoon.

A video of the girls. I've been hanging some lettuce in their cage. It is so funny to watch them jump.

Wednesday

 Trying a new recipe tonight. This is one that Emily sent me a while ago and her friend Jasilynn recommends it. It is Ropa Vieja and I went to Sam's to pick up a chuck roast on Monday night just for this meal. I had to pop out at lunch to grab onions and peppers for it. I might have taken a little longer lunch... but I did get my 5 hours in at work today still! I have it in the oven cooking this afternoon and the house does smell nice. Since it is a Cuban inspired meal, we'll have rice and black beans with it and a salad. Who am I kidding, I'm the only one that would eat the salad! Maybe I'll pop out and get a pedicure and pick up some Cuban bread and plantains for a side instead. The pedicure was wonderful and the hands got a paraffin wax treatment. So soft now. I only picked up the Cuban bread at the store. The rice is in the quick cooker and this is bubbling down. I didn't add the roasted red peppers and pimento's as I didn't have them. I did add the olives and capers. It is yummy.

I got a little quilting in on the last cat last night while watching the last few episodes of Derry Girls. It should finish off tonight. I also decided on what to do in the sashing and cornerstones. I found a little leaf shape in one of my containers and 4 of them will play nicely in the sashing and one in the cornerstones. Sometimes deciding on the motif is the hardest part!

The girls got over whatever had them not laying for a couple of weeks. I think it was the noise as they were building a house diagonal to us. We got 4 eggs yesterday and 4 so far today. I think one snuck in from the previous day... as the rack for the eggs on the shelf is full! Might it be time to make another ice cream custard? We will see.

RSC in blues for June

I'd like to get another quilt finished off so I went and looked at my Spring UFO list and saw my Ella Maria Deacon blocks in blue from a 2019 sew along with Sentimental Stitches. The challenge was to figure out where they were hiding! I managed to find it in the 4th box I checked. Not too bad!

While digging, I found all the printouts for the 1857 quilt along - that one is a pretty purple and green top waiting on quilting. I also found this pretty extra blue dresden block. It is not a watermelon, but I think I'll finish it off this month for the TSC entry. 

I was pulling out blocks and laid them out. I noticed that there was a block under that light blue one on the bottom row so swapped out one in the top row.

 

That was a heck of a block to piece so it must be added.

With one off to the side..... I realized I have 25 blocks - so 5 rows of 5! I didn't need to add any more blocks. Yea! I had hand pieced each of these blocks and then got waylaid on the project and it got put aside. There were a lot more blocks, but I'm stopping at 25 and will finish it off. Now to make some decisions. Sigh.

Sashing's and cornerstones? Try and set it on an angle, I do have one extra block? Not all are the same exact size, so it will be a little fudging as I sew them into a top. I'll let it sit for a day and we will see if any of the blocks want to be in a different spot or not. I'll tackle the sewing into a top Wednesday and Thursday.

Table Scraps challenge

 

Well, technically this is not finished but I'm going to link up to the challenge anyway! For the challenge of the Kentucky Derby, I immediately thought of a horseshoe. I traced one that I have in the house and got it hand appliqued down. I will finish it off into a mug rug, but it will not happen tonight. Linking up with Joy and the challenge.

Update 6/3 and it got finished!

Sunday

 I got 2 more cats hand quilted this week and I'm on the last one - the top middle one gets the curves. I do like how this one is coming along. 

I didn't mark these as you can tell, the lines are not very straight but I've had cats with unique markings, so I'm going with that theory!

This one got done last night while watching the movie Back to the Future.

The other hand work this week was hand stitching the binding down on the Split nines quilt.

I'll be doing a little hand work on my Pink, Kentucky Derby Table Scraps Challenge entry. It will be a grey horseshoe appliqued onto a pink background. Some simple hand quilting around it and then a little binding for a quick mug rug. We will see how I do!

Emily wants to try adding long layers in her hair to take off some of the weight to see if that helps with her headaches. I also have buttermilk and orange juice that need to get used. I think the buttermilk will become some waffles for the freezer- regular and chocolate. The orange juice might become an orange bundt cake.  Maybe orange chicken? We will see. I'm not an orange juice drinker but needed it for the carnita recipe. 

Linking up with the Slow Sunday Stitchers and the RSCRSC.