Dear Black Durango,
I pulled up behind you at a red light while leaving Wilkesboro, NC on March 16, 2015 at approximately 10:20am.
I got as close as I could to your bumper…within safety limits of course ---
What drew me in?
Your rear window tattoo – I Heart 2 Quilt it screamed at me!
Me too!! Me too!! I screamed back.
But evidently you couldn’t see me waving madly through your dark tinted windows.
Or maybe you did ---and you wondered who this crazy woman was nearly beeping with glee at the wonder of finding someone else out on the road who wears her passion on her
A sign for all the world to see.
I AM A QUILTER!!
Wherever you were going, I hope it involved fabric!
Today flew by faster than I wanted it to. PAPERWORK awaited.
In the form of another jury summons. ACKK! So I set it aside and got busy with this while I thought up how to deal with this bad timing thing once again:
I trimmed and I thought.
I cut binding and I pondered.
Next up – stitching it into one length, pressing it in half lengthwise, and stitching it on!
I have had this favorite green print by Benartex for at least 10 years. If not more. What am I saving it for?
The stripy pattern is going to make a great narrow binding. I cut this at 2” because I want a 1/4” finish binding and I don’t want to chop off ALL the points at the edge of the quilt.
But back to the jury thing.
My calendar is booked several years in advance. Airfare has been purchased, contracts have been signed, filed and have waited to see the light of day.
And WHAM. A jury summons for April 13th – when I’m in Maryland and New Jersey.
I’m a bit worried about this one – though I have signed contracts in place, I don’t have an airfare ticket – it’s a driving trip.
I hope they don’t feel that I can just up and cancel these venues because it is a driving trip ---contracts, people, contracts! They have to mean something when it comes to jury duty.
When this happened to me last fall and we were able to postpone, they wouldn't let me just do it between Thanksgiving and New Years when I am off and when I am happy to be doing it – it would the “stacking the jury” they said.
Well – what now? This is my second time turning them down because I am out of town on those dates.
And so my mind is rambling.
My letter of explanation along with copies of said contracts are now in the mail to the Davidson County Jury Clerk.
Do you think I could be lucky enough to find she/he is a quilt fan?
Like maybe – they too have an I HEART QUILTS sticker in the back window of their vehicle.
Keep fingers crossed for me! I’m off to finish packing. Tomorrow – OKLAHOMA!
Well, dang it. I hope you can get excused and what can they possibly mean about stacking the jury? Voir dire still happens and one would think there would be a shortage of jurors in November and December, what with folks wanting to do holiday stuff.
ReplyDeleteI bet a lot of self-employed people have contracts, though, so I don't know if that will work again. My fingers are crossed for a quilt friendly court clerk.
Here in Massachusetts you can ask to be rescheduled to a specific timeframe. My college daughter got called for a time when she would be away at school. She requested, and received, June when she would be home.
ReplyDeleteCrazy folks waving their arms while I drive in front of them makes me think I should NOT stop...they could have rifle or guns here in East Tennessee...and be realllllllly mad at me before beeping... OUCHIE Bonnie....
ReplyDeleteSO... well, I am glad to see you are just fine!!!! :)
Smiles, JulieinTN
That could have been the owner of Gloria Sews a new quilt shop in Wilkesboro, NC. She's super, I met her at the Statesville Quilt show a few weeks back but haven't had a chance to head out to she the shop yet. Or it could have been anyone in the Blue Ridge Modern Quilt Guild. Good Luck with the jury duty thing -- I have to go in a few weeks
ReplyDeletemy daughter got a jury summons for while she was in grad school. There was no way she was dropping out of school to be on a jury so I am glad they let her off. Then she moved out of state so she will never have to serve in Maryland. Good luck with the jury. I am trying to get into one of your Md classes
ReplyDeleteGood luck with jury summons. The last time I got called was when my hubby was sick so I postponed. They called me back for the week he died. When I called, they said I could only postpone once. Luckily when I called in the night before I didn't have to serve. They don't want a bunch of angry quilters showing up because their classes were cancelled!
ReplyDeleteMy "tattoo" says Keep Calm and Quilt on. My son was so embarrassed to have to learn to drive it and keep driving it until he got his own car. His friends have nicknamed it the "quilt on mobile".
ReplyDeleteI am embarrassed that you said that fabric is 10 years old. I have some of it!
ReplyDeleteThe courts are more accommodating than you might think. With your job as a sole proprietor with no backup person will count for something. The signed contracts should do it.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, my ex was involved as a prosecutor and then a judge, the court should excuse you when you have a signed contract to be out of town. I'm glad you seem to be feeling better. I had this thing too and finally kicked the cough. Haveca good trip.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking positive thoughts--you will be excused from jury duty. Also I'm so jealous that you are going to my home town. Wish I could take a trip home and join your class. I have lived for the last 45 years in the Boston area but I still miss Tulsa and don't get home often enough. patsyruth33@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteIt could be worse, Bonnie. I am currently serving on a grand jury and it is one day a week for EIGHTEEN weeks. Fortunately my employer pays me for the time.
ReplyDeleteIs this it?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.beehappyquilting.com/products/gifts-for-quilters/sehat-hand-quilted-handbag?vmcchk=1
As another commenter mentioned, they will probably accommodate your request for another postponement (possibly even release you since you are self-employed). Hoping it all goes well for you. Just hate "wrinkles" in the fabric of life ..... Linda
ReplyDeleteDon't stress over jury duty. You will not have to serve...I bet the Black Durango is the Judge...ha, ha, ha! But really, you will be fine and not have to do jury duty. Relax and recover from being so sick.
ReplyDeleteWe are so looking forward to having you in Oklahoma.
ReplyDeletewell, I would excuse you--you have your priorities!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy your staY in Oklahoma! Stillwater is a great town! Wear Orange! Go Cowboys!
ReplyDeleteI would think as you have previous obligations and it is your business after all that you would be excused - people have paid money for your classes - it wouldn't just be hurting you but them too? wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteyou should just move back to California, Bonnie - here if you can't serve as requested, you can pick another date of your choosing within six months ! The only catch is that when you do that, you ALWAYS end up getting called in ... but it's worth the trade I think.Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI have that 'tattoo' on my back window! And, yes, I do get comments. :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband is a farmer. When he got a jury summons for the middle of harvest he was let out of it and got another summons this winter.
Good luck with getting yours rescheduled.
I was in the jury pool all last year. Got called once but they settled out of court. So, now I am in the pool for a year in another court. Have been in the pool seven or eight times. Before a change in the laws, if they didn't' have enough people, they would snatch you off the street. Since my job required me to research in the courts and county offices, we used to get back to the office as fast as possible when we heard they were "cruising" for jury members!(Hubby has been in the pool once, and never called!)
ReplyDeleteBoy, I sure hope they let you off!! I'm a member of Faithful Circle and there will be a whole lot of disappointed people here if they don't. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight!!
ReplyDeleteEvery time I got called for Jury duty while on Active duty I was out of state (on duty), so did not have to serve. Last Year I had Grand Jury in Anchorage, but they never quite got to my number. I was again on Local Jury duty in DEC and January, but only had to go in once. Maybe you will be lucky, since you will be out of town. NO, it never happens when it is convenient!
ReplyDeleteI have a quilt vanity plate. Once on a road trip, some ladies passed us and waved...then we saw THEIR bumper sticker. they were quilters too. Best part was that my DH was driving! My son is not happy with that license plate...but it makes ME happy!
ReplyDeleteI have one exactly like that one and I live in Australia!!! One day I did have a man tap on my window at a shopping centre - his wife had passed away some months back and he didn't know what to do with all her 'stuff'. Fancy asking me! I gave him the name of the president of my guild and the next meeting he turned up with boxes (not plural) of stuff.
ReplyDeleteWonder where she got the car sign? Would be wonderful if she contacted you!
ReplyDeleteUsually here in NJ for jury duty they start by you completing a questionnaire and then they ask if serving on the jury will result in a hardship related to your job~you would be amazed at how many are excused that first hour. Good luck with yours. Stacking the jury? That person needs to rethink that one! Love your quilting energy!
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie, wishing you a very Happy St Patrick's Day! I see you're picked a green binding for that wonderful quilt, great choice for the day that's in it! Hope you get the jury service postponed to a more suitable date and have safe trip to Oklahoma.
ReplyDeleteNi, liscallan@yahoo.ie
Where have I been?!?! I just found out that your going to be in OK! I'm here too and if I'd known I might just would have driven the two and a half hours to meet you. (That would have been a kick since I don't drive.) It would have been so neat. Good luck with the jury duty thing and safe travels to OK.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that, here in Australia work is no excuse for not undertaking jury duty....a paid holiday is, but not paid work!! I am hoping I can take some hand stitching while I wait to see if I am called : )
ReplyDelete