Sigh, I'm going to miss that thing

My husband and I moved into our present home in 1974, one of the first of 42 houses on a mesa that now holds thousands of homes. For the first couple of years we had a steady stream of cars cruising through our cul-de-sac checking out the neighborhood. As our living room was at the front of the of the house, we got pretty tired of being on display all the time. So, DH built a stucco wall enclosing a brick courtyard in the front of the house. On that wall I grew - for over twenty-five years - a gorgeous trumpet vine. I called her my hyperactive child, difficult to manage but oh, what a glorious thing!

The last spate of wildfires in SoCA were driven by the worst Santa Ana winds in my memory, and I've lived in this area for all of my 56 years. The winds did severe damage to our fences, including this stucco wall. There is no way to repair the wall. It had to come down. Unfortunately, according to the fence man who will replace the wall with a wooden fence, my trumpet vine also has to go because she will knock over the new fence.

This weekend, DH and DS2 worked their butts off taking down the wall, starting with the vine.

Poor DH hasn't done any real physical labor for at least ten years (he's 68.) At one point he came in to wash his hands and asked, "Am I hiding my pain well?" An hour later, I had to haul DS2 to the walk-in medical center for a tetanus shot (gored by a piece of chicken wire). But, they got the thing done.

I'm proud of them, and it had to be done.

But I sure am going to miss that vine.

Who D'Ya Like

DH and I were talking tonight about how disappointed we are that Al Gore has not thrown his hat into the Presidential ring. This led to a fun fantasy about who we would put into the Cabinet if there were no restrictions. We were chagrined to realize that, for the most part, we were inclined to do what Bush has done - put people in for reasons other than their relevant background and expertise. When we reined ourselves in a little we had come up with this slate:

Secretary of State: Bill Clinton
Secretary of the Treasury:
Secretary of Defense: Wes Clark
Attorney General:
Secretary of the Interior: Al Gore
Secretary of Agriculture:
Secretary of Commerce: Lou Dobbs
Secretary of Labor:
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Sheila Kuehl (CA)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Maxine Waters
Secretary of Transportation:
Secretary of Energy: Rocky Anderson (UT)
Secretary of Education: Jack O'Connell (CA)
Secretary of Veteran's Affairs: Max Cleland
Secretary of Homeland Security: Jack Murtha

We got a giggle out of suggesting Jon Stewart for Press Secretary. We wished we knew more about Waxman's credentials, too, as we wanted to include him somewhere.

So much going on...

... I hardly know where to start. First, I am grateful to my principal (who is not always the best manager) for my terrific schedule this year. Two classes, then my work period, then one class, then lunch, then two classes (the best two), then home. I feel human when I come home every day.

My younger son announced weekend before last that he was taking a short trip to Iowa to check out the Midwest. Iowa? We suspect a girl, probably someone he met online. Don't get me wrong, I love the midwest (would move to NE KS in a heartbeat) but I really don't think 26-year-old men decide on the spur of the moment to visit Iowa.

DH met his little brother, a 17-year-old high school junior last weekend (through Big Brothers and local foster youth coordinators). He showed up Monday to watch his football practice only to learn that the boy had partied Friday night (using marijuana and beer) and had been suspended from the team for a week. What a way to start off.

I'm thrilled to be able to write that I found my doctor. I've been going to this internist for two years and she decided to change practices. By the terms of her contract she could not tell her patients where she was going because "technically, my patients belong to XYZ Practice." (The owner of that practice needs to be reminded that owning people became unconstitutional after the Civil War.) Anyway, it took my two months but I finally tracked her down and had an appointment Friday. For the first time in my adult life my BP is down to 116/74 with my pulse 64 (yes, the meds finally worked). Now I have the usual list to complete (mammogram, tetanus shot and so on) but at least I have someone they can report to.

I decided to be a girl this year. Sis is selling Mary Kay and I signed up as a "personal use only" consultant to be one of her minions. This weekend I got to do my qualifying order and it was really fun. I love their cleansers and moisturizers so stocked up. Also ordered their new brushes (yummy, long handles) and some things for gifts. That will be a fun box when it gets here.

In her other business Sis sells Creative Memories scrapbooking supplies and crop is Saturday. She has a MK conflict that day so I will go over early and keep Mom company until Sis can get there. Should be fun, as always.

One of my colleagues lost her mother this weekend. She had been on dialysis for several months (diabetes) and had Alzeimers. My friend has really been struggling to be her mom's support. I know she is suffering now and I really feel for her. I'm grateful for every day my mom is with us.

I'm reading Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky. Very interesting premise. Young white couple gives birth to child who is obviously of African American heritage. Was the wife's father black? Was the wife unfaithful? What is bigotry, really, when approached from this perspective? How would your family react if this happened? Lots to think about.

Didn't do much stitching this week but did manage to get my desk cleaned off (yippeee!!!). Must go do homework before DS2 comes over this weekend. He's gotten me hooked on Heroes, and I have to watch episodes one and two (his dvds were scratched) so that we can watch three and four this weekend. We used to spend some good times together when he was in high school (and I got to drive him around to music events) but we've kind of grown apart. I'm glad to have this series to share.

What am I Stitching Now?

Thanks, chiloe, for asking. I'm doing traditional embroidery on my "...Spring" quilt (finished the sampler letters and fence, looking forward to flowers) and "Winter Wonderland" snowman blocks.

Not working on cross stitch at the moment although I'm getting things together to do the little Margaret Sherry cat hanging in wreath card from one of the English magazines last year.




Am machine piecing Linda Worland's NativityAdvent quilt for a friend and working on a McKenna Ryan block in a class.

Octavian Nothing

I give extra credit to students who read historical fiction (pre-Columbian to 1900, US geographical areas) for my grade 8 history class. Our school library clerk purchased The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party for the school library and has asked me whether I will give extra credit for it.

I'm intrigued by the book but, to be honest, it appears to be more historical fantasy than historical fiction.

If anyone knows of ANY historical evidence to support the premise of the book (yes, I know there were slaves and a revolution) please direct me to it.

Adorable Art

My blogger and stitcher friend, Chiloe, had an adorable "blinkie" on her site today and I had to follow the link to these delightful Halloween pieces. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to link them to their home sites so wanted to give credit here:

http://completementblinkies.com/automne/new/automnecb.htm

and

http://completementblinkies.com/Halloween/halloween.htm

and Whoosh...

...and two months are past.

I guess I've been fairly busy. DS1 and DIL moved out in late August (while we were in Utah) and I've been claiming some space in their room. I'm enjoying the closet space and bathroom all to myself (now, that's luxury!) I have until the end of the month to finish sorting and storing the stack of scrapbooking flotsam that is stacked on a table in there, then will start working in the attic on the weekend until it's all cleared out.

I'm having my best year in over a decade at school (knock on wood). The kids are sweet, although they do seem surprised whenever I expect them to - you know- like - DO something. But there are no major behavior problems so far, and I go home with a little energy left.

It's HalloweenTime at Disneyland and California Adventure and I've been doing my family tour guide imitation again. I took my niece on Sunday. She is 29 and ill, but wanted to see California Adventure before her 4-fer runs out at the end of the year. So, I borrowed my mom's wheelchair and pushed her around all day. We had a good time! One of the highlights for me was getting "stuck" watching Block Party Bash. I'd never seen that show (parade?) and it was terrific! Lordy, I remember having that much energy. Where the heck did it go?

DH and I tried for an off-season day this past Thursday, too. We started with breakfast at the Paradise Pier. Great food and lots of fun with my friend, Stitch.

After breakfast we headed over to California Adventure and straight to Soarin' Over California, then to Turtle Talk with Crush. DH had never seen Crush before. "How do they do that?" After a short stop for a picture with Sulley
then over to Tower of Terror. BIG mistake. We have always known that DH suffers from motion sickness on rides that go around (he has serious inner ear issues) but I really thought he would be able to handle ToT because it only goes up and down, right? [Debi hears an obnoxious "you're wrong, stupid" buzzing sound.] He was not as ill as he was after his attempt to ride Space Mountain in 1977 (slept in the first aid room for two hours and took three days to recover), but he was sick enough that we had to cut the day short. Poor guy.

Anyway, we did go over to Candy Corn Acres so we could take some pictures. This is the candy corn corn, of course:

And these are the candy corn carrots




And these are the candy corn pumpkins



And these are the candy corn tomatoes



And these are the candy corn coconuts



Well, you get the idea. Pretty cute, huh?

I'm pretty excited to be able to share that I found a McKenna Ryan Club at a quilt shop in a neighboring town. I'm working on this piece

I've also been working on my "What Color is Spring" embroidered quilt and have finished the letters in the Crabapple Hill sampler (I dislike working on letters so had to finish them, first) that I substituted in the center.

And now I need to get cleaned up to go to crop (scrapbooking get-together) with my mom and sister.

Later.

Whoa!

Where did that month go?

The last post was just as we were getting ready to leave for two weeks in Utah. We are vowing never to do the drive in one day again (15 hours), but otherwise it was a great trip.

Did lots of stitching (with books on CD on the headset). Got a considerable amount done on Firefly Faeries, completely marked all the borders on What Color is Spring? quilt and completed one block (snow angel) on the Christmas snow family quilt. Also finished one tree and some letters (ych, I hate embroidery letters) on the Winter Wonderland block. Read several of the Debbie Macomber Cedar Cove series books. Worked some crossword puzzles. Met with the architect and builder for the Eden house. Two of the three days of the balloon festival the balloons did not go up because of thunder and lightening storms (WE enjoyed the storms, even the hazelnut-sized hail) but the third day made up for it. Gorgeous! Took a field trip to Shepherd's Bush and Gardiner's Sew and Quilt and bought some more of the beautiful fabric I got when Mom and I were there. (I originally bought fat Qs, this time got some larger pieces.) Found Threads of Time in Centerville and they had the Woodsy Wonders line. I had been looking for this line for months and found it in the last shop of the summer season. There's still a stripe I'd like to find but if I don't, I have enough of the other pieces to make whatever I want.

Got home on Sunday the 26th and started back to work on the 27th. Seems that my principal took pity on me after the last several years of having the biggest behavior problems (but you're so good with them) and I have nice classes. My last class is the best and even DH commented that I seem to come home happy every day. Am going to be a BTSA mentor this year and started a Disney Geek club one lunch a week (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea tomorrow).

When we got home from Eden, DS2 and his friends had completely cleared the waist-high weeds and grass out of both side yards and back yard. DH and I are determined not to lose ground back there again; in fact, we are trying to move ahead. On payday weekend I'm hitting Green Thumb for some recycled tire mulch for the fairy garden and some violas to plant. It's time again for the delightful orange and black mix that I enjoyed so much last year. Also want to plant sweet peas again this year and October is when that happens around here.



Did the visionsfantastic scavenger hunt last Saturday. Came in fifth - from the bottom - but had a good time. My partner couldn't make it so I really didn't plan to hunt; found another partner at the last minute. Highlight of the day was meeting Princess Minnie Mouse, then watching her greet little princesses for a half hour. Those little kids are precious! Will be going back on Oct. 7 to take my niece, then on the 11th with DH, then on the 17th with my parents. Everyone wants to see the new Candy Corn Halloween Farm in DCA.

Am finishing up scrapbook pages of the family trip to Disneyland last June. It will feel nice to finish up a spread. Everything else is stalled partway through.

DS1 and DIL moved out while we were in Eden. His contract started at the new charter school in Los Angeles. His fifth grade class had four students so today they are supposed to be giving him some fourth graders to make it up to thirteen kids. They found a great apartment in Redondo Beach with a gorgeous view of the ocean. Their hard work looking for over a year paid off for them. DIL leaves the 30th for the 17-year memorial of her grandfather's death. She will be gone for almost a month. It's been a year and a half since she's seen her family in Japan. I know they will be thrilled to get her home for a while.

We're pretty much resigned to not building the house this spring. The real estate market is just too depressed right now (typical of us, wanting to sell two houses in the worst market in a decade.) It will improve but probably not in time to dig in late March. I figure I will work one more year (hooray for furniture!) and we will start the house in March of 2009. Sigh. Oh well, things always work out for us. This will, too. I'm sure there's a reason for the delay (I will be needed here next summer for something).

I used the two weeks of relaxation to get back on a decent food program and have lost about fifteen pounds. I'm hoping that my stress levels stay down so that I can FINALLY get down to a more normal weight. My feet, knees and back are all screaming that they've taken enough abuse for goodness sake!

Ogden Valley Balloon Festival. I will live here in less than two years!

Off to Eden!

Today and tonight the joy of Drum Corps Semi-Finals (nothing like a hundred brass instruments blasting through you to perk up the serotonin), then tomorrow to Eden for two lovely weeks including a quilt show and the balloon festival.

I hope everyone gets to enjoy the end of summer as much as I plan to!

Vacation Report

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
A Driving Tour of the Midwest

Sunflower field in Nebraska

Well, at this point it seems like that's what it was.

Twenty years ago I watched my children grow and grow and grow and realized that there was no way we were going to be able to provide for these two boys as we wanted to. Not on one teacher's salary in post-Prop 13 California. I was doing what I had always wanted to do. It didn't have a name then; now they call it "Stay At Home Mom." I loved being with my boys. But they were outgrowing their clothes and shoes at an alarming rate (both boys were 6' 2" tall by the seventh grade). My oldest was born without five adult teeth and was going to need extensive orthodontia. (He ended up with 11.5 years in braces, three implants and a set of veneers at a cost of $30,000. At least he smiles, now.) And we were committed to giving them college educations. It just wasn't going to happen unless I started bringing in some bucks.

The best I could come up with was to become a teacher. At least then my work hours, days off and break times would coincide with theirs. I returned to college and finished a degree in History, worked one year as a substitute teacher, then was hired to teach history AT the jr. high school my boys would attend (in fact, my youngest ended up in my eighth grade History/Language Arts class which was a blast, but a whole different story.) The boys are grown and almost gone, so I no longer spend my summers at PONY baseball games or at the beach or hauling kids around.

But as teaching has become more and more difficult, I have come to value those summer breaks more and more. In my early years I spent summers catching up with the deep cleaning, yardwork and other chores that are neglected during the teaching year. After a while I realized that I was never having any fun. During the school year I was either too busy with school work or too exhausted from teaching to really do much, so I felt I had to catch up during the summers. I wised up, though, and now those chores just don't get done. Instead, I try to make memories during my summers.

This summer will be a good one to remember.

Don't get me wrong, I did do some cleaning right after school was out. My sister was training to be a Mary Kay Consultant and I said I'd have a party for her. Three days later my family came to my house for a BASH (birthdays and Father's Day). I scrubbed and mopped and dusted and vacuumed and cleaned the stove and cleaned windows. Both events went well. Then it was time to get ready to leave for The Road Trip.

This is the third time I have driven my Mom from SoCA to NE Kansas to visit her sister. We have a lovely time traveling because, instead of stopping at the traditional rest areas, we find the quilt shops in small towns along the highway. Definitely more expensive that just a potty stop, but we get more exercise wandering the bolts for a half hour and the shop owners are always happy to let us use their facilities. (And yes, we always end up buying something.)

We started off on July 5. After picking Mom up we took the 118 to the 14, the 14 to Mojave, then got onto the 58 to cross to the 15. Neither Mom nor I like the desert, so this first leg of the journey is always a drag. When we got to Las Vegas we stopped at our first quilt shop. Nancy's Quilts is always a favorite. It's a huge shop with wonderful lighting and a terrific selection of fabrics. (She also has a knitters corner that Mom - showing great fortitude - avoided.) It was there that I fell for a Halloween fabric they had used in a sample, only to learn that they were all out of it. Sigh.

After Nancy's we headed for our first night's stop, the Virgin River Hotel and Casino in Mesquite, Nevada. Call early for reservations and get a room with two queen beds (very comfortable) for $29.99. We had dinner in their Chuckwagon Restaurant (prime rib dinner for under $10) which is now totally non-smoking!

After a good night's sleep (and cheap, delicious breakfast at the Chuckwagon) we headed off for day two of our journey, and at this point the scenery is much more enjoyable. A short distance out of Mesquite we drove through the Virgin River Gorge, a spectacular collection of geological features that will take your breath away. The Gorge is in that little part of Arizona that dips down between Nevada and Utah. Just beyond the Gorge is the Utah border, and five miles later the city of St. George. In St. George we stopped at another great quilt shop called the Lazy Dazy Cottage where I found a piece of fabric to use for stitchery.

During the trip I had been sending my husband text messages with periodic reports of our locations and realized that I was going to need a car phone charger if I was going to continue to do so. We found the local Verizon store (and I bought a pink charger for my pink Razr) next to a Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree stores carry a delightful line of scrapbooking papers by a company called Miss Elisabeth, so we stopped there (and at every Dollar Tree we saw for the rest of the trip) to pick up new papers and stickers.

On the road again we continued North, finally taking a break at Cornwagon Quilts in Springville, Utah. This is my all-time favorite ever quilt shop. It's in a three-story brick building, loads of character and lovely people. In the basement they have a traditional embroidery section and I always find a new Bareroots or Macadoodles pattern down there. The last leg of our journey for the day took us through the incredible Provo Canyon Pass (past the entrance to Sundance), through the valley and up over the Trapper's Loop (access hwy to Snowbasin, where the downhill events for the 2002 Winter Olympics were held) and into the Ogden Valley. After a delicious dinner at Harley & Buck's (which everyone still calls the General Store since that was the building was for a hundred years) we stopped at the market, then made our way up and into our condo.

Living area of our condo in Eden, Utah. I made the quilt on the wall. Very cozy and comfortable. Currently for sale in hopes of building a permanent retirement home up there.

Summer before last I had taken two friends from work on a five-day tour of the quilt shops of Utah (15 shops in five days). Mom had wanted to see some of those shops so we scheduled a day to do some shop hopping. First we went to Gardner Village in West Jordan (south of Salt Lake City). Archibald Gardner was a miller who built a little house for each of his eleven wives. Now the houses, mill and outbuildings (supplemented with newer construction in a similar style) are little shops. It's an absolutely charming center, with terrific down-home style food at the mill. Mom and I visited Pine Needles, and it was at Pine Needles that we each got one of our favorite finds of the trip, the Winter Wonderland embroidery/quilt pattern by Crabapple Hill.

Then we went over to Quilts Etc., Etc., Etc. in Sandy, Utah. This wonderful shop seems to have started in one building, expanded into the building next door, then expanded again into the building across the street. If you can't find the fabric you want here, you will need to make it yourself because it doesn't exist. It was here that I found the Halloween fabric that I had fallen in love with at Nancy's (as well as the ghoulish piece at the top of the picture.)

Mom had had enough by then so we went back to the condo and rested for the rest of that day and all of the next. By the following day we were hitting the road again. Our first rest stop was in Green River, Utah, at a shop called Keama's on Flaming Gorge. At Keama's we met the delightful Londa, who took us a tour of the samples for their strip club collection. I couldn't resist Christmas quilt and ended up buying the strips and border fabric for this fantastic quilt. She also had MaryEllen's spray starch, which I had been looking to try since finding a review of it that said it superior for everything, most especially for prepping fabric to transfer embroidery patterns (yes!). We also stopped at A Little Country Character (up at the end of Uinta just before going into Flaming Gorge National Park. Mom has always loved their flannel collection. Last time we went there she bought enough flannel to make my dad the quilt he naps under every day. She (and I) were much more controlled this time, although she bought some snowflake fabric for the Winter Wonderland project and I picked up some fat quarters and a Moda charm pack.

Wyoming is such an interesting state to drive across. Of course, the historian in me must exercise great control NOT to digress into all the historically significant sites along the way (westward expansion was my focus in college). It always sparks my imagination to drive the 80 and wonder what it was like to walk that terrain on the way west. There's another wonderful quilt shop - remembered from a previous trip - in Cheyenne, but by the time we reached Cheyenne we were getting tired and concerned that we would be on the highway in the dark (my rule, reach destination while the sun is still out) so we passed through and on another hundred-ish miles to Sidney, Nebraska.

In Sidney we had dinner at the Perkins and stayed at the Days Inn. The next morning, after breakfast at the Perkins, we drove into the delightful little town proper to visit Borders Quilt Shop. It was at Borders that I found snowflake fabric for my Winter Wonderland project (Mom having bought the end of the bolt in Wyoming). The piece I found was actually cuter than Mom's, so she ended up getting some, too. Borders still had some Shop Hop bags so we bought one and scored! The booklet for the border-to-border Nebraska shop hop was in the bag, so we headed off. Our next rest stop was at the Downtowne Quilt Shop in Grand Island, Nebraska. (I just love these little Nebraska towns; the downtown areas are charming and the quilters are, too.) It was at this shop that I was introduced to the "Jo's Little Women" collection. I didn't buy any, but these prints haunted me through the rest of the trip so, on the way home, I detoured to this shop again and bought several pieces. Little Women was the first book I fell in love with as a child (I really think my love of history started with this book) and I look forward to making something of a tribute quilt with these fabrics.


From Grand Island we proceeded to Lincoln, then south to Marysville, Kansas, then east to our destination. My aunt and cousin share a house in Fairview, Kansas. Fairview is proud of their population of about 250 which has remained consistent for over a hundred years. The short main street has brick sidewalks and a charming cafe (called the Cozy Cafe) where my aunt's friends meet for coffee every morning and where you can get a delicious lunch (you pick the day you go for lunch based on what one item is being cooked up for that day). The make terrific pies, but you better get there early and order your pie first or it might be all gone by the end of lunch.

It's always wonderful to see my aunt, my cousin and whichever of my cousin's children and grandchildren are around. And I swear, my aunt has the nicest friends I've ever met. Truly, if I could convince my husband, I would move to this part of KS in a heartbeat! It's beautiful in almost every way. (Of course, the highway that runs three doors down from my aunt forms the western border of Tornado Alley but hey, that's what basements are for.) The next town down the highway is Hiawatha, county seat. In Hiawatha it's always fun to visit the Sunflower Quilt Shop (and yes, I managed to buy some fat quarters here, too.)

After a few days I left my mom with her sister and I drove to visit an ex-colleague who had moved to Odessa, Missouri, about 2.5 hours from my aunt's and just outside Kansas City, MO. The next day, the two of us headed to Bloomington, Illinois, to spent a couple of nights with another ex-colleague. (Did you know there is a Bloomington in Indiana, too? I almost learned that the hard way.) My Illinois friend lives in the penthouse of the Lafayette Building in Bloomington, a wonderfully restored turn-of-the-century building. (Her rent sounds cheap compared to SoCA!) Her circadian rhythms are different from ours, so the next morning my MO friend and I slipped out to see some of the sights of Bloomington. Our knowledge of the area being extremely limited, we didn't stray far from the apartment. Happily, we found the corporate HQ for Beer Nuts just three blocks away and made good work of the company store.

Souvenirs for everyone!

We also found an amazing place called the Meijer store, kind of like a giant, 24-hour WalMart. My friend and I had a great time comparing favorite dvd movies as we wandered the three (or was it four?) aisles of dvds. (She and I both like to watch movies over and over again.) We headed to Ruby Tuesday's for a delicious lunch (yes, I found more scrapbook paper in the Dollar Tree in the same strip mall), then returned to our friends apartment for conversation and reminiscing. That evening, our friend treated us to Henry V at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. Her son, Alec Wild (a delightful man in every way) is artistic director there and also directed Henry V. The theater is spectacular (check this link for a picture of the grounds Bloomington, Illinois) and, as always, Alec's production was delightful. It had been hot, rainy and humid all day, but the evening cleared and we were treated to starry skies and cool breezes.

Suicide by Photography. I'm flying down the highway at 75 mph with my right arm extended toward the passenger window to snap pictures of the beautiful countryside. Someday I'm going to pay big time for my stupidity, but I'm always alone when these beautiful shots go by.

The next morning my friend and I returned to Missouri, where I dropped her off and drove back to my aunt's. The next day, I packed up my mom and aunt and we headed to Oklahoma City to see their brother and his family. I love my family (again, wonderfully nice people but to be honest, I don't care for Oklahoma City). Still, they do have the Hobby Lobby and the day after we arrived we had to take a field trip there (we don't have them in SoCA). Talk about a score! All their scrapbooking papers and a lot of other scrapbook supplies were 50% off. In addition, I was able to find this critter border.

At Easter I had purchased the all-over fabric in this line and my sister fell in love with it. When I went back to get her some, the store was all out. I bought some of this border print (or stripe, I guess it is) and will make her the tablecloth she wants with a solid top.

Just a day after we returned from Oklahoma it was time to head for home. Coming home is never as much fun as going somewhere, and this trip was no exception. We did stop in Grand Island, NE again so I could get some Little Women fabric, and at Keama's in Green River, WY, but otherwise, other than some spectacular clouds and rainstorms in the distance, it was a pretty boring drive. We only stayed in Utah one night, leaving the next morning in time to stop at Shepherd's Bush, my favorite ever shop of any kind (I will be living fifteen minutes away when I move to Utah). There I got to meet Lonii Tingey, designer of the Moonlit Dreams and Tattered Seams traditional (or primitive) embroidery patterns. What a sweeheart! (Check out the picture tour on the site; Lonii is one of the ladies in the counter picture.) I managed to escape without buying another cross-sttich chart although I did get another magnifier, Lonii's pattern "How does your garden grow" with button pack, a pack of needles (they sell the needles that they put in their kits ten for $1) and a packet of Mary Arden Tapestry Petites (really tiny tapestry needles that might be good for working on linen so I wanted to try them out).

Now, at this point you'd think that we'd seen every piece of fabric made and there couldn't possibly be anything new to tempt us. However, I stopped at Gardiner's Sew and Quilt in Ogden (near Riverdale) to see if I could find a fabric that had been in the Keepsake Quilting catalog (I don't want to buy it until I confirm the colors and I don't always trust catalog pictures.) They did not have what I was looking for, but I had to have these beautiful fabrics:


I have the Paper Panache Garden Fairy Wreath pattern and I'm thinking I should be able to use these for that.

On our way home through Utah we were thrilled with the cloud formations and storms in the distance (which we eventually caught up with and drove through.)


Just after we had left the Utah ranch country on our way up, dry lightening had set multiple fires and 95 miles of Hwy 15 had been closed from St. George to Fillmore. It saddened me to see extensive fire damage, especially between Fillmore and Cove Fort. This is always one of my favorite stretches to drive. But, the rest of the trip was uneventful and we arrived home in time for me to drop off my mom and her treasures and get home myself before sundown.

After a few days to recover (I was tired this time) I decided to go try out my new Disneyland annual pass. I found my paver (a thrilling Christmas gift from my family), rode Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain, explored the new Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island (time to go back, Sam), rode the new Finding Nemo Submarine Ride (spectacular - time to go back, Sam), watched Parade of Dreams, and smashed pennies (using the various penny press machines) all over the park. A thoroughly delightful day. I was out by 8:00 and - much to the surprise of my family - home before 10:00.


Now I'm shoveling my room. There is no way I can function in the new school year with it as it is. Wednesday I have a doctor's appointment, Thursday I drive my husband for his bi-annual opthalmologist's appointment in Santa Barbara (about 60 miles along the ocean - ahhhhhh...). On Friday I take my dad to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (60 miles the other direction) for the Drum Corps International Semi-Finals. On Saturday Larry and I leave for our vacation together in Eden for the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival. (Go here to see the pictures Larry and I took two years ago.) We'll be there two weeks, then drive home in one day on Saturday the 25th. I go back to work on Monday, the 27th. With any luck, this will be my last summer break because we are hoping I can retire next June and move to Utah permanently the following fall. However, with the economy in the pits (yeah, I know "they" say the economy is strong but "they" live on another planet) I may end up working indefinitely.

THINK POSITIVE, DEB!!!