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Thursday, June 11, 2020

Afternoon Windows and Late Night Drives -


These west facing upstairs windows are getting “sun glasses!”

This is the upstairs back hallway window, original to the house.  Single paned.  An energy sucker!

I didn’t have the window folks replace this one last year because I feel it is integral to the originality of the house – and such lovely light comes through these windows.

However, the a/c has had a hard time keeping up now that summer has arrived.  The afternoon sun just bakes through these windows and it was time to do something about it.

We did the same to the big picture windows at the front of my Quiltville Post Office, and it is amazing how much heat these prevent.  71%!


We could feel the difference instantly!

It was a big job that went from 5pm to about 8pm – and we haven’t finished yet.  I think one more day will do it.

And I have to say that rotary cutting tools really come to the rescue here.  My big long ruler, a rotary cutter and a big mat.  It worked better to pre-cut the sizes from the film than to use a piece too big and trim down later with an exacto knife.

But the real excitement of the day came when trying to track a load of boxes destined for the Quiltville Store including 200 Essential Triangle Tools

No tracking information was ever sent to me, and when I contacted my publisher – they were able to ascertain that the boxes were delivered over a week ago to my Wallburg, NC address (WHAT!?) and according to UPS they were set by the garage door.

IN THE OPEN.  While we have had copious amounts of rain.

I am not blaming the publisher, other than the fact that I never received tracking info on these boxes, and had I – I would have known where they were headed and been there to receive them.


I am SERIOUSLY TICKED at UPS!

This is 11pm last night after driving 100 miles to get there – in the rain.


The boxes were SOAKED!


I was in panicky tears as I tore in -This was OH SO AVOIDABLE!  

Because next to the garage?  Is my covered FRONT PORCH.  However, it would have meant carrying boxes up 3 steps and I guess UPS just couldn’t be bothered to think that things might not be safe at the front of the garage in the RAIN!?

And this is where luck steps in.  My packages were double-boxed.  Smaller boxes of merchandise were inside the bigger boxes and packed all around with packing paper.

Things were dry, but “humid” inside.  I think we will be okay.

You guys – this was just such a huge ‘could be’ disaster.  So avoidable, and so many balls dropped along the way.

It was after midnight by the time I got to bed – my heart was still racing.  I did grab a laundry basket and filled it with “summer clothes” something I didn’t have here in Virginia yet as I didn’t know I would be here for the really long haul until all of my 2020 teaching venues were canceled.

I was back on the road at 6am this morning – back to the cabin by 8am and here I am writing out this frazzled story.


The Snail’s Trail quilt is gowning!

And has become a welcome distraction in many ways.

Today something special is happening – and that is why I am also so frazzled.  All will be okay. I just need to breathe.

I have 5 friends coming to take over Quiltville Inn this weekend – arriving today by 11am.

They have been self quarantining over the past 2 weeks so they can keep company with one another.  They will set up their machines, one person per work station and the workstations are more than 6 feet apart.

They will stay one person per bedroom -

The whole reason?  I need some practice getting the sanitizing protocols in motion, finding out what works best for folks. What is ENOUGH sanitizing and not too much? Where are the could-be problem areas?

And I need to know if the window film helps with the a/c and folks can sleep comfortably at night in bedrooms 4 & 5.

Will everything work for the retreat of 9 ladies also on self quarantine currently – and due to arrive next Thursday?

I told the gals arriving today to expect the window film activity to continue while they sew downstairs.  All will be done by bedtime and things will be put back and they'll have their cozy bedrooms back.

And because there are five of them – and we have 6 workstations – guess where I’ll be?

I need to be surrounded by laughter and stitching and fun and good food and time on the porch and loads of talking – chairs around the fire pit, s'mores in the making -

And that’s where I’m headed right now to get it all ready.


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

When was the last time you kicked your creativity into gear and followed its lead to a new direction?

Today just might be the day!


54 comments:

  1. Doing some long delayed garage cleaning today with a friend to help. The temps will be moderate today with relatively low humidity. Bulk trash pickup scheduled for tomorrow. Jealous of your friends. Wish I could be there to sew!

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  2. 5 friends coming? What a blessing for sure! Have an awesome time!

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  3. May I ask which window film you are using? And wow what a nighttime package rescue!

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  4. So exciting! If we can't enjoy being with our quilting friends, the next best thing is to enjoy watching others being together and sharing their quilting time adventures. I hope they let you share the fun with us :)

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  5. I am also seriously ticked at UPS. They NEVER ring the doorbell when they deliver a package. They have time to snap a picture of the package sitting on the porch, which is very small. So why can't they take one more step forward and ring the doorbell? Grrrr!

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    1. problem must be driver or area specific. UPS, FedEx, and USPS always ring the bell when leaving a package. Drives the dogs nuts :)

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    2. They ring my bell when delivering a pkg. to me. The UPS usually tries to put pkgs. out of sight on a plant stand next to my front door on my covered porch. What a shame the driver didn't care enough to put your pkgs. on the covered porch. Maybe a complaint would be in order to keep this from happening again?

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    3. The picture snapping sounds like an Amazon delivery. However, the question remains - you are two feet at most from the door bell! Push the button!

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  6. Enjoy your friends! The Inn will be fine and you need a break from your mind :-). Great idea to use the window film. Sorry about the crazy trip to Wallburg but nothing seems to be working like it should these days. Have a great weekend and again enjoy your friends.

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  7. Oh Bonnie, I am so happy you will have some sew time with friends. Your will feel rejuvinated after the weekend. Happy sewing.

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  8. So glad you will get some social quilting interaction! Have to say that is what I miss the most during all of this.Thank you for bringing joy to your followers daily.

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  9. So sorry about the bungled delivery! Glad everything worked out in the end. Have a fabulous time with your friends!! You deserve some fun and comradely. Hugs from Florida

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  10. I can imagine the empty feeling of knowing your packages were mishandled. I have been there myself, with no explanation as to why! Happy that the outcome was more positive. I, too, am looking forward to being able to sew and visit with friends in the near future. Just wish it could be at Q.I.

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  11. oooh i could use a mini retreat right now...a bit frazzled but some peeps and carefree locale would really help

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  12. Here I sit, getting ready to bake again in my west-facing home office/studio. Now that I'm in here 8am to 5pm at least 5 days a week, that window film is sounding like a fantastic idea. 71% would be a huge improvement. What brand of film did you use?

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  13. Oh those snail trails make my scrap-loving heart sing! Are "we" thinking Leader-Ender Challenge? (My Shoo-Fly Shoo top is done and waiting for its turn for pin basting.)

    So relieved the shipping gods were looking out for you this time!

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  14. Have fun and don't stress too much. You deserve some retreat time.

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  15. Oh my goodness... this reminds me of several deliveries that I have had go awry. The craziest one was the sand base for our above ground pool was delivered a week early with no notice and was dumped at the top of our driveway blocking access to the garage and front porch. No one was home, my husband and I returned from Florida 3 days later to the mess.(the sub-contractor that delivered it disappeared)
    USPS broke the spine of my copy of Addicted To Scraps by folding it in half to put it into my extra large mailbox. Had the mail carrier turned the package 90 degrees he would have discovered that it would fit with room to spare!
    I always have to remind myself that common sense is not common.
    Hope the items you received are all okay. Take a deep breath, enjoy your time sewing with quilty friends!

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  16. Bonnie, make it a retreat for yourself also.
    You have great energy, replenish your supply.
    I can already taste the S’mores. Yum

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  17. Oh! Have a great time with friends at retreat! We have issues with some deliveries here as well. UPS is amazing - our driver is the best, but there are a couple of others that drive me crazy. Our garage is RIGHT THERE...put it INSIDE the door...not OUTSIDE the door. Others set boxes right outside our front door. It's closer (and much safer) to put it in the garage! We have requested it a million times, and it still doesn't happen. So frustrating!

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    1. Legally, I don't think they can open a door to deliver a package.

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  18. Enjoy your time of stitching and laughter Bonnie! Life is too short not to take this time!

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  19. Wish I had just a little bit of your energy! Would be marvelous!

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  20. Hooray for sewing with friends!! So happy for you and them!

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  21. What a night!! Enjoy some sewing and laughter, you deserve it! I am over half way through my two week quarantine so I can hang out with my now local daughter! She helped with move in but no hugs and we wore masks. Taking no chances on that baby--just do not know enough about covid 19 yet. Stay safe!!

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  22. So glad your shipment was ok inside. I have had the same thing happen twice with UPS --I watched him do it the second time. Both deliveries in plain sight from the road, rather than in the covered, doorway. Maybe if enough of us complain...?

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  23. I am glad that the contents of your boxes were good. It's heartening to know that your friends will be able to join you for a retreat. I love all the news about what you accomplish. It's energizing information for me. June

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  24. Been working for three years on an old house here. Still not done. I'll never be done. So I put up some shade screen as a screen on the outside of the window and it shade and that worked on one window so I'll probably do it on another one. For the same reason. Just bought the screen and made frames.

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  25. Oh, perfect timing for your retreat guests after that barely-avoiding-disaster evening!! You need this! I'm looking forward to posts about the fun you're all having there. I'm planning to be there soon after all this pandemic confusion is over.

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  26. So much happiness will be shared this weekend. I can't wait to hear all about it!

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  27. so many of us would like to know the film you're using, I hope you put the brand in your blog somewhere!

    I envy you a quilt party right now, I could use one myself.

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  28. Good for you to get some fun in after your bad day yesterday. I know your friends will lift you up in giggles and friendship. Have oodles of fun! (And I am going to look into that film for our huge old windows that also face west. I can NEVER be cool enough, lol. Thanks for posting about it.)

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  29. UPS let me down a couple years ago. I had ordered a n oversize cutting mat, 30x42 or something. When it arrived, UPS put the box between the storm door and front door, which is on the west side of the house. It was August and really hot. When I opened the box, the mat was at the bottom of the box, looking like a huge piece of green ribbon candy!

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  30. Girl, you need some time behind the sewing machine enjoying talk and laughter with friends. Put all stress aside and enjoy yourself.

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  31. Have fun! I was able to see friends yesterday and it was good for my soul.

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  32. You both work so hard. Enjoy and be well! Marilyn Marks

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  33. Yesterday my son found a package lying on our garage floor. The garage door was open, so apparently the UPS man thought it was easier to just throw the package in the garage instead of putting it on the front porch. We were home at the time, but he didn't ring the bell. He would have had to go on the porch to do that.

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  34. Enjoy your weekend! You have earned some fun! You work harder and longer than anyone I know.

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  35. I am so excited for your test weekend, and that you’ll get to join in the fun! And wonderful news that you have another group coming next weekend.

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  36. We've had great UPS drivers & some not so great ones. Most now just dump and run. One actually took the time to put a package in the side garage door and set it on the freezer on a rainy day. Surprised the heck out of me.

    Don't worry about Covid while you and the ladies have fun. Cover any coughs or sneezes and wash hands regularly. You will all be fine. So will the ones next week. We just can't live in fear & drive ourselves crazy over this thing that could be around for quite a while. Then it could just disappear like the 1918 flu did. Hope, hope!

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  37. That window film is well worth the effort to install and the expense. My only suggestion is use the same kind on all your windows. I bought two different kinds for different areas of my beach house, they do look different from the outside. But, Boy, do they cut down on the heat coming in.

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  38. We used a sheet of plexiglass inside to add extra insulation to a window when we needed to protect it's exterior integrity. We tried film first, but birds were confused by the reflection & kept flying into it.

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  39. What I wouldn’t give to sew with a small group of friends! So much fun. Hope I can come down someday and just do exactly that and enjoy your company!

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  40. HOW leaves my packages at the end of the sidewalk, in full view of everyone except me. Grrrrr

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  41. I can totally relate to your frustration with UPS - I have the same love/hate relationship with them. When it rains, nothing is dry at my front door so I have a sign by my doorbell that politely asks for packages to be left at the garage door (where they won’t get wet). Needless to say, where do they leave things..... you guessed it..... 😆. I have called numerous times asking for a note to be placed somewhere in my profile. I’ve talked and talked to drivers as well as supervisors. VERY FRUSTRATING! 🤷‍♀️ BUT..... you are going to have a fun, relaxing sewy weekend! It doesn’t get any better than that! Enjoy your weekend and have sew much fun!!

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  42. Sounds like you're UPS driver needs some education. My UPS driver is so good that if we've gone home from our business for lunch, he will come here and put the package in the trunk of my car. No problems with Fed. Express either. If anyone ever offers you Spee-dee delivery---say NO! They are awful!

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  43. Live in an isolated area of NE MS, our UPS driver is the BEST! If we see him in town he will even check to see if our package is on his truck. Our Fedex driver ?? they just put it at the end of the porch and leave. I think it is just the 'individual' driver.

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  44. My grandson is a UPS driver and is working 15 hour days. I am sure by the end of those days he is not as careful as he would be at the beginning. He does try, even carries doggie treats so he can deliver where Beware of Dog signs are up. without leaving outside the gate.

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  45. So excited for you that your starting up Quiltville Inn again, I hope you really enjoy your weekend of sewing with good friends
    Take care
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  46. I defense of UPS. My car was stuck in the garage door and wouldn't start due to a mamma rat, her 6 babies and an expensive meal of my ignition wires. The super nice UPS delivery man helped my husband push the car back into the garage so we could close the door, securing our home until the tow driver could carry my car to the shop. Expensive meal but I really appreciate the UPS man. Oh, he brought me a new cutting mat too.

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  47. Guess my UPS, FedX and AMAZON delivery guys are angels. They always leave my packages by the front door under the covered porch. The only time boxes were left by the garage door was when they were way too heavy to move. The driver rang the door bell and asked if he could leave them outside the garage door or if I needed help moving them inside the garage. I am blessed with Delivery Angels. Give these guys a break. They are working overtime under tremendously stressful conditions. They were out there each day when we were inside our homes.

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  48. THank you for your quote today. I needed it. Enjoy the day with friends every chance you get.

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  49. You can join USPS, UPS and FEDx and see the mail and packages with tracking numbers coming each day to your house. It’s awesome. Scroll down and put your email and password (after set up) and there are options where and when you want packages delivered.

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  50. So happy for you -- sewing with friends. Praying for lots of laughter and healing! So glad that you think the books will be OK. Nancy A: SewingGranda@gmail.com

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