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Monday, September 02, 2019

The Long Journey Home (And Finally: that Gift-Away!)


South Fork of the Payette River, Garden Valley Idaho.

Hello, everyone!

My feet are back in North Carolina after a crazy week away with limited to no wifi  - but this enabled me for the first time in a long long time to step away from the blog for several days and not worry about it.

This daily writing has been a huge part of my life over the past 15 years that this blog has been running (Yes we turned 15 in June!) and it was interesting to do a check in now and again on how I was feeling – Anxious? Worried? Relaxed? Out of sorts? BREATHE BREATHE BREATHE.

Actually, I think it was very good for me.  The world marches on. They don’t need me here – and so we went with the flow.

We can always catch up.  Or not.  We can simply move forward from here -


Big Old barn on a long and winding dirt road.

I was able to pretty much stay connected to Facebook and Instagram when I had the merest cell signal, but it wasn’t enough to connect the laptop.  I posted several video clips  of where we were and what we were doing and seeing, so check those out there if you can.  In the right hand side bar of the blog (viewed on a real computer, not a phone.) there is a little slide show of things posted to instagram

Quotes of the day happened!  Did you know there is a tab for those at the top of the blog if you missed them?  I MUST start my day with those – that is the one thing that sets my day off on a good start.


My mom’s little house in the woods.
Garden Valley, Idaho.

We left Oregon on Friday morning and headed  back to Idaho – destination Garden Valley to spend a couple of days with my mom before flying home.  The time was short – but we soaked up as much as we could. 

My mom knows me inside and out – and she knows that I was stressing out trying to fit everyone and everything into the time we were in Idaho and Oregon – my Dad flew up from Arizona to surprise Scott for his birthday party – I wanted time to spend with him as well as Scott and Alicia.  We stayed at my brother Mike’s house since Scott’s house was now full – my mom and stepdad came down for the birthday party in Boise, but there really wasn’t a lot of time to spend with them then.



And then we headed over to Oregon on Tuesday to spend time with friends, abandoning family all together, and THAT stressed me out (Was I being too selfish?)  I worried that I was giving my mom the short end of the stick with only a bit more than 24 hours, but we fit it in.


I love my mom’s beautiful yard!


Hanging in the kitchen -
Circa 1990-something.

I looked around the kitchen while making dinner – and there over the sink is a little hand quilted wall hanging I made my mom way back when.  Scrappy even then. 


I slept under a quilt I made her circa 1996.
Hand quilted.


Another quilt I made mom – pyramids -

Quilted on my domestic sewing machine.

(Yes, I’ve always loved blue and red!)


Perhaps that is why I love THIS scene so much too!


This occupied me all the way home -

Boise to Salt Lake City to Atlanta to Greensboro.

If this looks like a new project - it just might be.

Or it could simply be something small to keep my hands busy - After forgetting my Diamond EPP papers in NC, I made myself move them up to the QPO in VA only to....yep! Forgot them there, too! Lol!


At any rate...this may just evolve into something, somehow.

Things watched on the plane:  POMS (LOVED IT!)  Tolkien (Fascinating) A Handmaid’s Tale – HORRIFYINGLY DISTURBING.  I made it through most of the second episode (Hulu series) and It’s just too fundamentally creepy for me to continue.  We don’t have Hulu anyway, so the only way i’d be able to continue is on the plane –But then I am flying to California and then Kenya in October -  Maybe if I’m desperate enough….

Okay. That brings us to NOW, and I need to do this drawing -


All of these goodies are going to -
(Check the original post HERE for more info!)


Who is entry 786 of 5432?


JK Erickson!

JK – I have sent you an email.  Please reply with your mailing address so I can have the kind folks at Quilty Box get your prize out to you.  Congrats!

This morning I am in a bit of a hurry – I scheduled a massage for this morning (Yes on Labor Day, but I need it!) And then I’ll be back here to take care of things at home.  I’ll travel up to Virginia tomorrow to take care of things there, and then off to Pennsylvania to teach for the Quilt Odyssey retreat on Thursday – no rest for the weary this week either!



Quiltville Quote of the Day --

This is my mantra for today after having arrived home past midnight. Some yahoo started shooting off his guns just before 7:00 a.m.. Welcome home to North Carolina!

Pinwheel Fancy Quilt from my book Addicted to Scraps! Did you know I have several past titles on sale in the Quiltville Store for the low low price of just $19.99?

Come check it out!

Have a wonderful Labor Day Monday, everyone!



26 comments:

  1. So glad you had a good visit out west, and so very glad you made it home safely. Hope you don't have problems with Dorian at home or in your upcoming travels.
    MaryAnn from Oregon

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  2. You need to catch up on rest. Tahat is what I am doing after 5 weeks away travelling around the west coast of Australia.. rest is good no matter what needs doing. Think of yourself and your health.

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  3. Welcome home Bonnie! I checked your blog daily for updates and it just made me smile to know you were on a real vacation!
    Your blog is how I choose to start my days, after my walk, and I so appreciate all you do for our quilting community! Thank you
    Mary K in New Mexico

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  4. Although I missed having coffee with you these past few days, I was so pleased to see you take some time for yourself.

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  5. Glad you had a break with family, but it's good to have you back!

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  6. All that busy-ness; of visiting family, friends, new places and old. And worrying who will get their feelings hurt. But away from a lot of the everyday worries. I can relate. And I feel surprisingly rested, relaxed, at peace even, after reading your blog. Welcome home.
    P.S. I have yahoo's around me too. hahaha

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  7. Huge feeling of happiness for you....you bring joy to all of us along with the blog the patterns, the info on improving our quilting ....all that.... Just so happy to know that you had all this family time, you have earned it and deserve it, and hope you, and all of us, will have family time often !

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  8. Welcome back! You are needed. Loved seeing the beautiful view you shared from not so far away... Congrats to the winner of the Quilty Box. Do have a great Labor Day!
    I am counting the days until the Colors for the Mystery come out. I have grandsons who need a new Quilt.

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  9. Welcome home. Your Mom's house is adorable and I saw a lake in the distance..looked very peaceful. Could you think about putting out some mini quilt patterns for you next book? I love the one in your mom's kitchen and the ones you did for the sew along in 2011. Just asking. Enjoy your days.

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  10. Your Mother does have a beautiful yard!! It's so relaxing just looking at it. So glad you had time with family and rested. However you're now back at it all over again but more rested. Enjoy all those photos and trips you share with us!!

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  11. I was awakened Saturday morning buy gunfire...dove season in Texas...here we go! So glad you unplugged and enjoyed friends and family, but glad to have you back.

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  12. Bonnie, enjoy your family time without false guilt and carrying the load of people pleasing. Sounds like you made the most of the time u had. Things will slow down for you at Quiltville Inn. Invite your mom there for some girl time! You are a blessing to so many!

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  13. Welcome home after your busy trip, must have been fun visiting with your family and friends. Our lives seem so hectic now that those few days with limited access to WiFi I’m sure did you the world of good.
    Enjoy your time home even if only short I’m sure miss Sadie and the cats will love having you around.
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  14. Glad you are home and had a wonderful visit with family and friends. It is nice to get away to recharge and just chill.

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  15. Just signed up & already know I’m going to love this. Thank you.

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  16. Your mum's place is gorgeous - and those quilts are divine. Glad you managed to have an enforced laptop time-out - you have been so busy lately that hopefully your batteries have been recharged in all that gorgeous landscape and fun with family and friends. xx

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  17. The quote of the day gave me a chuckle as I sit here in central Florida waiting and waiting for hurricane Dorian to move along...... it’s been a very long few days for us waiting and watching what will happen. Maybe Dorian will read that quote and finally move along! Lol

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  18. yep, set out to read Handmaids Tale , just couldn't get past first third of it. It was stressing my mind and heart.It is now taking up space on the backside of my bookshelf. Glad your home, your Moms home and yards are lovely.

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  19. You need a vacation from your vacation, it sounds like! LOL! That's the ONLY thing I don't like about vacations that are crammed full of activities. You don't get to stop and enjoy, as you're moving from point A to point B, to point C, and then the stress of maneuvering through airports, trying to catch the next flight on the next leg of your trip. We're leaving on a 3-week vacation this coming Sunday, won't be back until the 26th, or 27th, maybe not until the 29th! Who knows when we'll get back. Everything is planned for a leisurely drive down to Branson, MO, to attend a 3 day conference, and that will be the only stressful time, as we will have a schedule to keep for the conference days. But the before and after travel, leisurely cross-country, and heading your way, after the conference, to stay in Jefferson, NC, for 5 days, before we begin our trek home to North Dakota. Son and daughter-in-law, and the 4 grandkids are there in Jefferson, and haven't seen them in 3 years, since they moved away from North Dakota. It will be fun to see them, plus meet up with my daughter and the newest additions to the family, her future husband, and their new daughter, 6-month old Scarlett Grace! Looking forward to it, and who knows, our paths may cross in Jefferson! We may take a small road trip to Mouth of Wilson for a photo shoot!

    Glad you're back, Bonnie, safe and sound, and getting ready for the next round of life!

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  20. You needed that time off. I don't know how you keep up that pace but glad to have you back!

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  21. The quote was TOO perfect! Reading this late due to having grandchildren over the long weekend. Speed was not important with a two-year-old who just sits down when he doesn't want to go forward. Love your blog, love your quilts, keep sharing your gifts - you are lovely inside as out.

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  22. I love that you share all of your travels with us and on such a personal level. I am visiting many places that I have not traveled, through your eyes. Thank you for sharing !!!

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  23. Stay safe if you are in the path of the hurricane that keeps changing course. Scary for so many.

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  24. Such a nice vacation! Your mother's house and yard are just perfect. Would love to find something like that to retire to. Praying for everyone in the path of Dorian. Stay safe. Jan in MA

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  25. For me, returning home after a trip is always a weird combination of regret that my holiday is over and relief to be back in my own space. I'm glad you had a wonderful trip and a safe homecoming. It's good that you were unplugged for a few days, we all need that occasionally.

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