Veterans Remembered, and Veterans Day Observed.

This is my lovely Grandmother -

Mary Margaret Malcolmson Wilkinson Buckbee.

While yesterday, November 11th, 2018 was the traditional day for Veterans Day, Veterans Day is observed as a state and federal holiday in 2018 TODAY Monday, Nov. 12th this year.

A federal holiday means that local, county, state and federal offices and agencies are closed.  Which includes the Post Office – but not Quiltville!

Yesterday was a busy travel day for me, on the way to the Indianapolis airport by 7am, making my connection in Atlanta and home by early afternoon.  It didn’t give me much chance to write a veteran’s memorial post the way I wanted to, so like the federal agencies mentioned above, I’m observing TODAY and keeping these folks in my thoughts.

While not a typical veteran herself, my grandmother was raising small children while her husband, my grandfather was in the US Navy.

This picture was taken in 1943 when grandpa was serving as a Naval Officer in the South Pacific.  She occasionally earned money working as a photographer’s model.

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Midnight Flight, Indiana Style!

Cutting, Pressing, Stitching, Laughing!

All of these things were going on yesterday!

Midnight Flight from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders was the workshop yesterday – the last of my 2018 tour year – and energy levels were SO high.

You know, we went back in time to check out just WHEN these dates were planned – the letter I received (hand written invitation at that time!) was dated 2013.  We really DID wait 5 years for this date to arrive.  

And that sometimes happens when a guild only meets the second Thursday of the month, and there are only so many second Thursdays to go around within any given year.  FIVE YEARS!  And yet it flew by so very quickly.

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A Scrap Crystals Kind of Friday!

Hangin’ with my peeps!

49 quilters running thread through fabric – piecing up the pieces, making blocks  - but even one better, MAKING FRIENDS!

I’m having a great time in Carmel, near Indianapolis – and the time is flying just as fast as the scraps are.

Yesterday’s workshop?  Scrap Crystals from my book MORE Adventures with leaders & Enders – And oh, the colors that came out to play!

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Where Quilters Gather!

Two more for the done pile!

It was foggy over Atlanta as I changed planes on my way to Indianapolis, Indiana for my last teaching engagement of 2018 – The Quilters Guild of Indianapolis!

The big question was – can we hold off the snow, just until I am done and on my way home??  There were rumors that snow could be flying overnight.

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Happiness on my Doorstep! String Frenzy Gift-Away!

Oooooh, look!

I opened the door yesterday afternoon to find a box on the doorstep -

I quickly tore into it once I saw who the sender was – my advance copies of String Frenzy showed up!

Oh. My. Goodness!

It’s like Christmas! 

With hands shaking, I removed the filler paper from the top of the box and lifted out my copy – It’s here.  It’s in my hands.  

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Lost Quilts Found–and Home Life in General!

I’ve been out and about all ready this morning!

It was just that kind of morning – sun streaming in the window, blue sky above.  Oh my goodness – what time is it?  “7:00 am” says the clock.

Well, okay then – there is time before blog writing and daily work load takes over to make that run to the grocery store and pick up just a few things and get them going for tonight’s dinner.

Remember my recipe for White Chicken Chili that I shared a few weeks back?  (Under the recipes tab at the top of the blog, crock pot wonders section!) Son Jeff has declared it a White Chicken Chili kind of day, and I had some cooked and de-boned chicken ready for something of the sort in the freezer.  So off to the store I went.

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November Things Round Here!

A weird storm blew through last night.

I walked outside to place my tubs of out going mail order on the front stoop (I am so lucky that my carrier will come all the way down my drive to retrieve them, and leave me empty tubs in exchange!) and EVERYTHING felt weird.

Is it or is it not NOVEMBER?  I was out in short T-shirt sleeves, no over-shirt or sweater required.  HUMID as all get out.

But I bet at least half of the leaves are now on the ground  - where yesterday there were brilliant golds and yellows, there is now a sad covering of soggy leaves on the drive, too wet to blow off, and mostly bare limbs overhead.

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Tumelo Trail For the Finish!

I miss these girls already!

The Excitement of driving 5 hours to Ripley, West Virginia last Wednesday, the happy arrival of quilters on Thursday morning, bright and early – setting up for 4 days of workshops ahead.

Thursday afternoon it was pedal to the metal as everyone set in to sewing Box Kite from the Addicted to Scraps book, followed by an evening lecture open to the public.

Friday morning they were up and at it bright and early for our Talkin’ Turkey workshop from String Fling – and more evening and into late night sewing.

You know how retreat goes – get in as MUCH machine time (And talking and snacking!) as you can -

Saturday morning…..well….some slept in, some straggled in later, but the machines were still running and blocks were happening in our Tulip Fields workshop also from String Fling.  Some of those Tulips were taking their time to bloom, and some required an afternoon nap! LOL!

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The Colors of Tulip Fields -

No matter the season, the colors make us smile!

Yesterday was day 3 of workshops at our retreat in Ripley, West Virginia.  The Saturday of “set your clocks back an hour”  Which surely meant we got an extra hour to sew, right??

Or after 3 days of busy workshop activity – we take that extra hour and tuck it into Sunday morning and snuggle in for just a bit more rest and slumber so we can hit day 4 running!

Whatever the decision – to sew or to sleep, retreats are made for this.  Whatever you need.  Whatever you want to get out of it – always served with a side dish of riotous laughter, and a large dose of friendship!

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