Starting Off Slow -

Happy Wednesday, Quiltvillians!

I am alive, kicking (but not real hard) and resettling myself after a month away.

And while I was away, there was a whole lot going on behind the scenes here at home.

I walked into the aftermath of many little whirling dervishes - the most of which were already resolved before I came home.  That's a good feeling.

As my favorite mantra has been for the past 3 years - "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from!"

And just to show that there WAS some handwork going on over the past month - I present to you a lapful of hexies.

This project will continue when I make my way to Poland and on to Italy in September.  But for now it will stay in my busy bag for a 2 month time out.

My friend Sally is a smart one.  She is the first one who quoted to me during a difficult situation "Let go or be dragged!"  and I love her to bits.

She came with me on this trip and was smart enough to ask our fantastic Irish bus driver/guide Pat to please draw on a paper map just where we have been during our tour - You'll find those lines highlighted in dark blue sharpie.

We covered the Republic of Ireland from East to West and up and down - 

And I did this trip TWICE in two back-to-back tours, each with a group of 40. And it is this realization that I can't possibly do it all while battling a sinus infection that had me taking a time out on blog writing.

Me, Sally, and Shirley on our flight back to JFK.

Yes.  Row 46.  With the 2 lavs on either side of our row.

You can't make this stuff up.  It was hysterical.

We laughed and shook our heads every time someone came out and didn't close the door leaving us to stare at the toilet.  

Good thing it was only a swipe of the arm from our seats to shut that door behind them.  (Some people WERE born in barns, you know? LOL!)

The story didn't end at JFK.  While my domestic flights to get me to Atlanta and then on to home didn't leave until the next morning and I had a hotel room for the night, Shirley and Sally's flight was caught up in that perfect vortex of  southeastern storms stopping flights from reaching JFK so they could get home by bedtime.

They ended up staying the night at JFK in the airport.  I was back there at 6am to check on them and see how they fared.  They luckily caught a standby flight Monday morning that left before my first flight boarded.  High in spirits with more stories to tell.  What a crew!

First Stop - Quiltville Inn!

Irene (who was with me in Ireland Group One) hustled it home, had just a couple of days to prepare, and came to the inn to host a retreat that just ended yesterday. I'm not the only one burning candles at both ends!

While I was gone, we had the exterior of the house repainted and refreshed.  That included sanding the old part of the front porch floor and repainting the porch including all of the railings and trim.

Yesterday was my first chance to really get a look at it and the painters did a fabulous job.  We still have the front steps to do - they needed to be ground down and then repainted also - but it's getting there, and it was a great time to do it while we had 2 retreatless weeks.

I spent a bit of time visiting with the ladies on retreat - They were all leaving before 9am yesterday morning and I knew I wouldn't get back over there to wave them off.  My body clock is still upside down.

Home in my Jammies -

Zoey staying close!

I ran two loads of laundry and just pet the fur babies waiting for it to get dark outside so I could go to bed.  9pm was feeling like 2am - as it does when returning from Ireland.

Lola at the cabin.

And this is where the other storm of things resolves.  While I was gone friend Martha and Dave were each going over to spend time with Lola - feed her, pet her, love her.  And also feed Ivy.

One day Dave noticed that Lola wasn't responding, wasn't eating or drinking and he rushed her to the Emergency vet.  She spent 3 nights with an impacted bowel.

We don't know why or what - but I suspect she was lonely, even with the visits.  There was nothing to stimulate her interest as there is when I'm there with retreaters coming in and out to give her treats.

For this reason he brought her back to the cabin - and that's a whole 'nuther ball of anxiety because Lola, as sweet as she is to people, turns predatory and mean with other animals.

So she's been sequestered in my basement studio, and only let upstairs when Ivy is outside.

Ivy knows something is up - and is spending most of her time hiding under the bed because she knows that Lola is down in the sewing room.  It's truly a circus.

This morning while typing this post.

All she wants is to be close.  And she chirps and chatters at me while I type.  But I don't know how to keep her from killing Ivy. Seriously.

And then there is Tula.

The abscess on her left hind paw returned and her foot was swollen up like a sausage. As if Irene didn't have enough to deal with - she and another retreater or two would hold Tula at night and try to do hot compresses on her leg to get it to drain.

But this is Tula - who doesn't like being picked up or held, so....it could only get so far.

Yesterday I was able to get her into a carrier and drive her to Hillsville to be seen. We did tests and x-rays, more rounds of antibiotics and pain meds, and meds I need to give her daily to help clear this up.

In the meantime we await the results of a culture to find out what kind of infection this is - and why it isn't healing.

Two cats with two very expensive vet bills - what a welcome home!

But that's not all -

While I was gone the southeast was pounded with over a week of drenching rain and several trees on our hillside over the drive gave way when the ground was too saturated to hold them.

Martha sent me this photo of Dave and Don and their chainsaw efforts, but one of the trees was too big for them to safely get through - and even if they could the resulting tree fall could have been treacherous.

The big one still overhead -

And loads of firepit wood!

"Not a problem, we'll just drive UNDER it" He said!

To which I said "Please just call someone and get on their waiting list if need be."  I had ZERO desire to drive the can under a fallen tree on my way home.

Luckily - the folks from Sparta came right over as it was classified "emergency" and got it taken care of so the drive is now clear.

Today - It's MRI day for the knee, which I think is improving but still feels like I'm walking on Jell-O and there are some definite problems with range of motion and if I move a certain direction it screams.

So let's find out what's going on and get it taken care of, shall wee?

I'm just happy that there were no falls or other knee issues while I was gone to both Egypt and Ireland,

With our Independence holiday coming up in a few days - I'm looking at releasing our next Leader & Ender Challenge around Friday, July 7th. I need a few things to fall into place so that can happen.

If you placed an order containing physical books, notions, tools - I filled a big batch yesterday that will hit the USPS today.  I'll finish filling the remainder likely this afternoon after MRI to go out tomorrow.

And this sale is good through Friday:

My feet won't be back home in Virginia until June 26th - so while I'm gone we are having a PDF pattern sale!  30% Off ALL PDF patterns through June 30th using coupon code DIGITAL30 at purchase!

Please note that code MUST be used at time of purchase to receive the discount. No code - no discount.  And I'm not going to be around to issue refunds.

And because my Craftours groups will be working on some fun stitchery stuff while we travel - I've made the same projects available to EVERYONE!

Favorite Things!

Simple embroidery on Essex linen of a frisky cat peeking out through the flowers is surrounded by a border of pretty patchwork – a match made in Stitcher’s Heaven!

Quilt Size: 18’’ X 18’’

Celtic Stitchery!

Cairdeas (car-jiss) is Irish Gaelic for friendship, goodwill or alliance. 

Originally designed for my travel group to Ireland – Now you, too can stitch up a favorite Celtic knot surrounded by sprightly patchwork in all of the green shades of the Emerald Isle!

Full color photos, graphics and optional construction methods for scrappy success!

Quilt Size: 26’’ X 26’’

Optional but helpful for both patterns: Bonnie K. Hunter's Essential Triangle Tool and either the Simple folded Corners ruler, or the Simple Folded Corners Mini for pieced border. Sulky Stick 'n Stitch to print the embroidery design. (May also simply tape to a window and trace if desired.)

Traditional rotary cutting methods and foundation paper-piecing options are given for those who don't have access to these rulers.

Both of these patterns are now available in both the Quiltville Store and the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop. 

Your 30% discount will be applied after you use the code DIGITAL30. Again, code must be used for discount to happen.

And yes, the code applies to ALL PDF PATTERNS through the month of June!  

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

We all feel stuck from time to time.

Projects languish, we lose our mojo and we don't know how to kick-start ourselves back into gear.

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The key is just to get moving. Make some progress. Set little goals.

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Just begin.

Maybe after the MRI - tomorrow!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! - It's so grand to be home!