Louisiana Highlights...

So, here I am, Sunday night.....I've been here since Wednesday and it's been such a cram packed adventure that I haven't been able to even gather my thoughts into a coherent stream that would make sense to anyone...

How is it that it can take 9 hours to fly somewhere it would take me 12 to drive? It boggles the mind...but I keep telling myself, that I was able to sit back, relax, hand quilt, listen to tunes I love on my ipod, and even sleep a bit....and though I was pretty tuckered out upon my arrival in Baton Rouge, I think that DRIVING is a lot more exhausting.

But let me tell you, from the people at the airport who watched my bags while I found out about my cab to the conference center, to the cab driver himself....and everyone I have dealt with this whole time...Baton Rouge is a place I would be HAPPY to return to!

The weather has been lovely, as you can tell by these pictures...I just had to capture it...while I have been here the past few days, the bradford pears have blossomed into popcorn! LOVE IT!!

I have been able to walk every day.....I figured out a route that takes me between 3.5 and 4 miles. This morning it didn't happen due to the crazy time change, but since class ended early and we were out of the classroom by 4pm..I took a long one this afternoon late...it feels so GOOD to be OUTSIDE.

I was really excited to see lots of familiar faces from when I taught in Houma a couple years ago, and other people I've met in my quilting journey. One friend Mary..now lives in NYC, and we have crossed paths every few years..she brought a picture of a group of us together at Houston Quilt Festival about 10 to 12 years ago! Oh my goodness...I looked at that picture....saw myself at that age, and wonder what the heck has happened in the years between then ....and now! A couple years doesn't make such a big difference, but when you do it in leaps by 10?? Wow. What a wild ride this life is, huh?

One of the biggest highlights was finally getting to be with Judy Laquidara face to face! Do you know that we have known each other at LEAST 15 years? We've emailed, we've talked on the phone..we've hit the same guilds and know lots of the same people, but never in the same place at the same time. Her mom and she roomed right next to me, so it was fun to share meals and talk face to face. We had a great time. I'll be seeing Judy again in October in Shipshewana...can't wait!

There is more to write....but I've got to get packed. I'm being picked up by yellow cab at 7:30am....and yep...it's going to be another long day. Baton Rouge to Houston, to Washington/Dulles, to Greensboro NC.

It will be good to be home!

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I sewed :c)

Not a whole lot...but I have this quilt kitted up and that makes it really easy for me to pull a handful of block parts and just sew for a bit!

A lot of the time I only like to cut out a few blocks at a time and not commit myself too soon to a whole project - - - who knows what inspiration could come along and have me running off in a different direction? I like to keep my "options open" so to speak!

But when I am traveling with a machine it helps to do all the cutting ahead of time on some things so that you don't have to bring "as much" stuff.

When I was sewing with Lisa, Karen, and Leann a couple Sundays ago at our "in town" retreat day at Lisa's office...Lisa had forgotten some of what she needed for the one project, but luckily had an "EMERGENCY" project with her! I never termed mine this way, but yes....having something cut out and ready to go is great when something like this happens.

I hope to sew more on this one this afternoon, but I think there is a matinee movie in the plans for today...

That said...does this happen in YOUR house? This WAS a bowl of trail mix! Now? It is a bowl of salty raisins! LOL!!! Guess who doesn't like raisins and saved them for me? Hint..his initials are DH! :cÞ That's okay. Salty raisins are the best part of trail mix anyway!

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Lazy Saturday Afternoon.....

Must Have:

Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea. Big Mug. Sweetened with a bit of splenda.....

Lovely. Just sayin.

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Emmy Demands Attention!

Hi All!

Yes, I know...I know....I'm a delinquent blogger! But if I described to you the past 10 days..you'd understand WHY! Really....come for a little bit of a time line with me and see....

Tues, Feb 23: Surgery
Thurs, Feb 24: Drive to Peach Tree City, GA....dinner and a lecture/trunkshow that night.
Fri, Feb 25: All Day Starstruck Workshop
Sat, Feb 26: All Day Sister's Choice Workshop

Sun, Feb 27: 2 lecture/trunkshows and book signings at Tiny Stitches in Marietta

Drive to Lake Oconee, GA after leaving Marietta...over 100 mile drive...get there close to 10pm at night...

Mon, Mar 1: All Day Sister's Choice Workshop
Tue, Mar 2: Lecture/Trunkshow/Luncheon/book signing at guild meeting
Weds, Mar 3: All Day Pineapple Blossom Workshop

I got home about midnight on Thursday! Yesterday...was Friday....I had to be up to be at an eye doc appt at 8:30. I grocery shopped, I ran errands, I did the banking, I came home and took a NAP!

(I was so out of it Friday, that all I could manage for dinner was leftover Domino's pizza from before my drive home on Thursday!)

That puts me to today......really the first time I've had a chance to sit at the computer...and there is so much I should be doing, but about all I've been able to catch up with is the laundry....and ran some other errands this morning. I'm going to update my desktop PC to Windows 7....in hopes that I can get things like Block Base and EQ5 or 6 to WORK...I can't get anything installed on this desktop, it keeps giving me 432 errors. It's a last resort.....if this doesn't work, I'm going back to XP and staying there. I am really ticked off at operating systems that make our valuable quilter's software INCOMPATIBLE!!

I took 3 quilts to BIND with me on this past trip, and I'm happy to say that I have 2 of them done, one of them 3/4 the way done. I'm tired of binding. I want to be PIECING! So..maybe tonight. We'll see.

Last night I was such a zombie that all I could do was put on some CSI and spent the evening trimming up some square in a square variation blocks for a future project...remember doing that with the units from Double Delight? I was not delighted to have to do those again, but it really makes for nice units.

So...I have here a couple pics of a kitty who is being VERY stand offish! I was talking to a friend about Tabbies since we both love them and have them. When you are a grey tabby lover, nothing but grey tabbies will do :c)

This is Emmy Lou,also known as Lulu Bee, or Pissy Weezie...Can you see the distinctive "M" on her forehead? It always looks like she is scowling at you. She also has discovered within the past month or so this new favorite hiding spot...She is very much a loner, and doesn't like any of the other cats or dogs around, so she has gone up as high as she can go, to the top of the bedroom tv armoir...She actually knocked the silk plant OFF the stack of quilts....just to make room for her princess and the pea act...

Emmy also has the distinctive circle bullseye on her sides...and really funny coloring...it's like she was going for designer muted colors or something..her tummy is buff..and her grey is very soft and smokey colored..It goes right along with her personality of wanting to blend into the background and not be out loud and out front :c) I will say tho...since I got home Thursday night, she's been purring and pestering and wanting attention. I think she missed me... :c)

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