Parkway Views!

This is autumn on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

If I drive south on highway 16, following it past Jefferson on my way to Wilkesboro, I can pull off onto the parkway, and not far down is a great little rest stop/turn out with a picnic table or two, a trail head (I need more time to actually hike that trail to see where it goes!) and gorgeous views - just like this.

My attempt at a squinty selfie.

It was a "shower and go" kind of morning - no styling has been going on here.  But at least I was clean.

I want to thank everyone for your words of support while dealing with Donna-Karen yesterday.

There were two more emails when I got home.  Also from a "Donna F." who said she was Donna Karen's friend and still waiting for answers to questions.

I thought it funny that they had the same first name and last initial.  Different email address (one an icloud, and the other gmail) but it could be the same person, don't you think?

No more replies. I'm done. Evidently they are from New York.  Totally different situation than what I've got going here.

Nature is always good for putting things in perspective!

I hiked a short way on the trail, wondering if I'd get a big open long range view for a photo, but the trees were always in the way.

And then I thought - isn't that the way it goes?  We often can't see the whole joy because we let things stand in the way of our happiness.

Bye bye Donna F, aka Donna-Karen.

And I too, am sorry for the nick name KAREN and what it has come to symbolize.  I have many wonderful Karens in my life.  Maybe we just should refer to them as Gladys Kravitz.

Autumn leaves from the Wallburg driveway!

The fall blooming Camellia was putting on quite the show!

I find it so lovely that things can still be blooming like crazy in late October.  I didn't miss the tail end of this one, though many paper white petals are already on the ground.

My job at the Wallburg house was grueling.  There is no other way to put it.

Going through all of the hanging articles of clothing - some to keep, some to toss, some to donate - I felt like I was discarding so much of myself along the way.

Pieces of clothing in sizes that I will likely never wear again if I am completely honest.  At 58 years old - 59 in January - things are just not where they were 6 years ago.  Or further back than that.

I decided to STAY REAL and only keep things that I would actually wear in the size I actually am.  And I probably STILL kept far too much, including ONE long formal just in case there is the opportunity to cruise again.  To play dress up.

I even made myself STAY REAL and try on the shoes I was intending to keep.  Feet have widened.  Arches are flattening. Nearly ALL the dress shoes (which I don't wear much anyway!) went to the donate bin.

At nearly 59 I don't find cruel shoes a necessity in my life.  Bring on the comfort only.

I also went through so many dresses that I loved - but the styles are long gone, the sizes too small, the practicality? Non existent with how I am living my life now.  I kept a couple of dresses and a few skirts.  The rest were donated.

Oh, how I wish we could go back to those big denim jumpers that were so popular in the 1990s!  I LOVED those thrown over a tee shirt. If I could chose a favorite fashion era, that would be it.

4 bins to go through - likely to slim down again.  The space bags are for extra coats and things we just are not ready to part with yet.

I still feel like I am drowning in too much stuff - and it is HARD to part with it.  At least for me.  For some of you it might not be, but for some of us, the struggle really is real.

On my way home I swung by the Goodwill at West Jefferson where they have a drive up drop off and gave them 3 black trash bags of items. I lightened my load before I even got home.

I did pick up something from the closet that is going to work I think with my layer cake dilemma.

I am trying not to buy MORE STORAGE CONTAINERS.  I'm already overloaded with all the containers from previous attempts to get things under control.

And the truth of the matter is - I don't buy layer cakes much.  I don't sew with entire fabric lines.  They just don't have the variety I need, but I have acquired some. 

Snap-Ware ornament storage box. 13'' x 13''

A little bit of progress.

Today the plan is to get the Nearly Lemoyne quilt loaded the rest of the way and start the quilting on it.

I am longing to get back to the Snail's Trail project.  I have some other things in the works (I showed a teaser pic over the weekend!) involving more green string piecing, so I might get into that.

And there is the upcoming mystery quilt stuff to deal with!  Are you counting down the days?

My friend Mona's Punkin Patch table runner!

Andee's Cuties!

"Bonnie, 

I made a slightly bigger Punkin Patch for my mom's huge table, a smaller on for my brother's wife and in the same picture is a Halloween Rock Candy by Jaybird Quilts for my sister.  I already have a Punkin runner on my table.  They are addicting!

Andee in Wisconsin (brrr)"

Linda's Appalachian Autumn top!

"This is my version of Appalachian Autumn!  This was a great pattern."

I am loving seeing all of your autumn quilts come together, whether runners, wall hangings, or full sized Punkin Patch quilts!

The PDF patterns for both the Punkin Patch table runner (Only $5.00 through October!) and Appalachian Autumn are available in the Digital Patterns section of the Quiltville Store.

The pattern for my full sized Punkin Patch quilt is found in my book, String Frenzy!  If you purchase String Frenzy through the Quiltville Store, you will also receive a bonus PDF of my Hunter’s String Star quilt pattern.

So Thursday - what is on your to-do list for today?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Remember that there is no such thing as a small act of kindness. 
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Every act including kind words simply spoken can create a ripple effect that goes on and on. 

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Vintage drunkard's path quilt found in Virginia. I bring this one out in the fall because I love it so much!

Have a wonderful Thursday, folks!