Road Trippin’ With Mona!

The first REALLY nice day of spring – and I mean NICE!

As in short sleeves – (my ever present denim over shirt was quickly discarded on our journey, and we were both baring arms!) and almost wishing for flip flops!

Oh, there WILL be a celebratory pedicure to usher in the official start of flip flop season, but my toes were wiggling within my shoes begging to be let out as temperatures climbed to a lovely 81 degrees during our day trip to Asheville.

From Mona’s place in Boomer we pointed Moby south enjoying the lovely countryside first through Lenoir, and then on through Morganton.

I warned Mona ahead of time – there WILL be stops for photos on our way.  There is no set time to do anything, just go where our hearts lead us – let’s explore!

Little log church!

The sign said Chesterfield Church of Christ, and I thought I could google it to find more information on when it was built, but I’m not finding anything.  Still, cute cute cute – and I love to see those logs “dove tail” at the corners of the building.  Mona and I crept up to the windows in the front door to take a peek inside:

Simply lovely!

This would be such a great spot for a wedding, wouldn’t it?  A quick walk around the back of the property took us to what we had FIRST seen on the highway, causing us to make this detour:

Teeny tiny log church!

Actually, it turned out to be a storage shed – full of folding chairs, extra tables and the like – but we had fun taking a hike across the grass to check it out.

From here we headed further into Morganton, looking for any antique malls that might be open.  NADA.  Not only was it Monday, but the one place that would have been open on Monday was still in the midst of a planned 3-day weekend, and so we wandered over the old courthouse instead.

Oh this day – prettier and prettier!

Placard showing the courthouse as it WAS before.

Raided by union forces, 1865.

Soldier memorial.

It was another good leg stretch and we headed on down the road toward Asheville.  There was ONE great antique mall stop – and I’m going to post that tomorrow because there is so much more, too long for one post, so I’m jumping to the whole reason we planned this road trip – Suzy!

Mona’s new 503!

We have had this on the agenda since NOVEMBER!  On November 22nd, I received this note from Suzy:

Hi,

My name is Suzy and I live in Asheville, NC.  I remember Mona was looking for a zigzag machine. 

I have a Singer 503 with cams and attachments if she is interested….

Famous last words! LOL!  At this time Mona was traveling back and forth to Ohio due to ill family members, the holidays and other stuff that clogs up the end of the year.  When we thought we could do it after the new year, she ended up in Arkansas as an uncle was passing away…it’s just been a heck of a year.

And then there were winter weather issues.

And then you throw MY schedule into the mix and this 2 week span of Spring Break for me turned out to be the best time of all -- -

Mona is thrilled to have “Polly Pack-a-Day” as her first zig-zag machine – so nicknamed because she smelled like an ashtray when Suzy first claimed her.  She doesn’t smell like that now, but the name is too funny to let go of.  Oh, if only these machines could talk!

If you look closely behind Mona and Suzy you will see a bit of pink machine in a cabinet – that’s a Necchi Nora for ME!

Sweet!

I love my Necchi’s.  The one thing about them though – they don’t fit a Singer cabinet.  The hinge pins are smaller.And I didn’t want to have to bore out the pin holes in the back of the machine to make the Singer pins fit.  This cabinet will fit not only this lovely pink Nora, but my black one:

Finally!  A cabinet for you!

And since it was such a pink machine day, how about another?

Hello, Pink Atlas!

The pink of the atlas is almost Crayola  inappropriately, un-inclusively and unrealistically “flesh” colored.  We stood there in the parking lot behind Suzy’s office laughing about her being “Barbie skin pink”. 

Yes, I have two other Atlas machines – but now I have one at the cabin that will fit my cabinet.  A girl needs options.  And I love these fun machines.

Besides, Suzy said it would help HER greatly if we unburdened her by taking all 3.  Who was I to say no? HA!

(Suzy, it was wonderful to meet you and now I know where you are, I hope we can meet up again the next time I'm through town and do lunch, or fabric shopping or something!)

We made it back to Mona’s, I gathered up Sadie and my other over-night items and headed back to the cabin, arriving by dinner time.  A bit of machine sewing, a couple hours of feet-up binding time after dinner and we called it a day, falling asleep to the gentle fall of spring rain.

My plan has evolved into staying here until Sunday.  Spring Break in the mountains – boy do I need it.  And there are 2 new machines to play with.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

This quilt is one we found yesterday – I’ll post more about it tomorrow.

While your comfort zone may feel comfortably safe, it is keeping you from growing?

Don't let go of that dream!

Have a wonderful Tuesday, friends!