Monday After Helene

Hello. Monday.⁣

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I've been sitting here in semi-darkness with candles burning since 5:30 a.m.⁣

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How do you overcome the guilt of being grateful that things weren't worse when for so many other people It was so devastatingly worse and continues to be so?⁣

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As I headed over to the retreat to feed Tula and retrieve some needed items It finally all hit me, and I just broke down and bawled ragged sobs in the car.⁣

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I had been holding all of this horror in check since the tree came down on Dave on Friday.⁣

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It may be a couple more days before we have power.  And we are the lucky ones.⁣

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Sunday Update.

The Shippenstitchers have been such Troopers as hurricane Helene trampled Southwestern Virginia, North carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and surrounding areas.

I was finally able to get to everyone yesterday and the Generac did just what it should have done for them - it kicked on and they were able to continue stitching and retreating through the severity of the storm. I am so glad!

We checked the amount of propane left in the huge tank that was running the generator in the house and it was at 30% by that time.

The decision was made to pack everyone up and send them safely on their ways home as the power situation here is so bad that we may be out of power until Wednesday morning. If that.

They would have surely run out of propane by today and found themselves in the dark anyhow.

We snapped this photo just before bugging everyone out. I have photos of projects and some over the porch real photos that I will be able to post after I have power back. I am posting this by phone and there is no way to edit photos well or to fix formatting so please bear with me.

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Helene On Wheels

Remember the Paul McCartney song Hell On Wheels? This is a play on that song title.

We got hit by the storm really bad. Our generator didn't kick in. Still no power at home. Couldn't get to the inn due to downed trees and flooding. The generator at the inn is working and I hope to make it there today. ⁣I'm posting this by cell phone. 

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It was an awful day. Dave got hit by a falling tree as he was trying to clear one across the road. Fractured clavicle and 31 staples in his scalp. Took the ambulance 4 hrs to finally get us to the hospital. ⁣

Photo from where I was sitting in the back of the ambulance.

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Hurricane Helene

Good morning folks!

I'm trying to post this from my phone as we are currently out of power and the generator hasn't kicked in. The heating and air company is in the process of sending folks all the way out from Blacksburg to get us up and running. This storm is a doozy! And we are just in the outer bands of it here in Southwestern virginia.

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What Day Is It Anyway?

Just two rhinos - standing at the side of the road, watching us drive on by.

Faces only a mother could love - and so close!

I think that is what got me the most this time around in Kenya - 

"Well they are in a park." people say - but it's not THAT kind of a park.  Not like a zoo park. 

Nairobi National Park in Kenya is 45.26 square miles (117.2 square kilometers) in size. It's smaller than most national parks in Africa, but it's still a vital part of the greater Athi-Kapiti ecosystem.

The animals have the full 45 square miles to roam. We are just hopeful that we are going to cross paths with them at some point.

It's a bit like whale watching - you know they are out there somewhere, but whether you see them or not is a bit up to chance.

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Hello Sleepless, My Old Friend!

Hi Gang!  Guess who is home?

It's a long story of the "Neverending Night" of leaving Nairobi at midnight, flying 15 hours through darkness and not hitting dawn until we were just outside of NYC on Monday morning, landing about 7:30 am.

It's the longer story of my 12:15 pm flight being delayed until after 4pm including not just one, but TWO gate changes and having to call for a new plane to be made ready.

It meant at least an hour in crawling plane traffic on the runway inching up to our position for take off.

And when we were 2nd in line - there was a "hold all traffic" as Air Force One was coming in for important UN meetings in New York that started yesterday.  And I'm not complaining about that one.

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Brickwork, Like Patchwork...

Remember that retaining wall that Hubster Dave started in June while I was on tour in Ireland and Scotland?

It's a huge job that needed 3 more rows of bricks high and a finishing top edge to finish it all.

And it had to wait until September to finish so that the tractor, pickup and trailer wouldn't block the comings and goings of quilters in residence.

That work started Tuesday.  And look who is supervising!

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Oodles & Bunches of Fun!

My arms are BARELY long enough to fit 13 people in for a selfie.

But this one had us laughing and having to HOLD IT as some crazy setting happened on the selfie side of my phone that had a countdown timer enabled that I couldn't seem to turn off.

You should see the REJECT photos. LOL!!!

I finally got it sorted out - something got pushed inadvertently that turned that on - but "smile and hold it" is not the easiest thing while waiting for the 3, 2, 1 SNAP!

It's all full of giggles and fun - and if we can't laugh at ourselves and silly situations, then we are taking things far too seriously.

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Diamond Tile PDF Pattern Gift-Away!

Some things wait a long time to be quilts.

Diamond Tile is one of those things.

I have spent years referring people to the Quiltmaker issue featuring Diamond Tile as a block in my Addicted to Scraps column.

And I've loved this block enough that I've made 2 quilts and a wall hanging with it.

But it needed to be a pattern.  And now it is!  And the pattern features TWO different settings for these fun blocks - both of which solve the problem of not having the pointy "arms" in the corners of the blocks having to connect to each other.

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Retreat Memories In The Making!

Hand stitching time on the porch!

We are making these moments last - as mornings are now in the chilly range, and so are the evenings requiring jackets and warm beverages.

There is something to love about that too!

I think that is why I love living where there are 4 seasons so much.  There is contrast between the seasons.  You can feel the next one coming on...and cherish the last moments of the one just working its way out.

It's nearly "sweater season."  I am back to full length jeans unless the temps are above 75.

This morning I've even got the gas fireplace in the basement studio next to my desk going to warm the chill from the room.  I love this season change!

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Welcome To the Weekend!

This was last evening on the porch, and oh - I wish it came with smell-o-vision!

There had been a pork shoulder roast cooking in the crock pot all day long....just to the point of being so tender it shredded with such little effort -

Served with some freshly sliced fruit, a bun or no bun, and a choice of sauces.  I couldn't help myself or turn down an invitation to join in because something that smells that good brings on instant hunger.

One of the best things of being a retreat inn keeper?  They feed me.  And they do it well!

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The Gang's All In!

I arrived at Quiltville Inn yesterday morning (at 47 degrees!) to find that it was too chilly outside for breakfast on the porch....so after months and months of glorious porch time, at least for now breakfasts are now inside!

Never fear - afternoon on the porch is lovely.  We are in the best part of life in the Blue Ridge Mountains...afternoons are balmy and birds still chirp cicadas still sing.  Just the mornings are crisp enough to have us gathering where it is a bit more cozy.

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In The In Between Times -

Wednesday was full of finishing up inn laundry, making beds and getting all things ready for the arrival of Susan's Retreat group who began to arrive just before 3pm.

It was a run around of a morning - including getting the remaining pressing stations fixed - but in the in between times - there was a bit of time for cutting and pressing.

What's under my needle now, you ask?

More triangles.

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Runaway Day -

I'm putting something quilty at the top here -

Because this is really where I want to be spending my time.

My blue strip drawer is a pain to open.  And a bigger pain to shut.  There are just too many strips and it's time to whittle them down a bit.

This time I'm being a bit judicious and only using dark blues.

These strips have got to find a better place to live than in the depths of the blue strip drawer.

I'm now on a mission.

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Over The Porch Rail Explosion!

We couldn't tell if the rain was moving in, or moving on by - but we hurried on up yesterday late afternoon and filled the porch to the gills with so many beautiful quilts!
These ladies have worked tirelessly - but there was still time for some quilt shop hopping, a run or two to the grocery store, fabulous meals, time on the porch - 
And I even heard there was time for sleeping - though it doesn't look like much sleep was happening!
The September Quiltvillians are on their way home today - but they sure left us with a fantastic send off for the time they spent here!

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Bears, Quilts & Quilty Friends!

Isn't this a sight to behold?

Jen has not only been working on quilts, but also completed 8 memory bears for a very special customer.  And this is where it takes a village!

The customer's husband recently passed away, and his wife is having 8 memory bears made out of his favorite fleece shirts/jackets.

These bears will go to kids and grandkids, and I love the personal touch going into each of these special bears.

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