Quilters on the Road, Again

Here we go, again. This afternoon we leave for Paducah. It will be a long drive but should be a nice one since we are heading north for another Spring. There is still a long list (uh oh) of things we have to do before we actually head out. The last time we prepared for a show we did not even go to bed. We just stayed up all night packing the car. I am a little afraid to say, "That's not gonna happen this time," but, I don't wanna eat any words because they are waaaay fattening.

There should be even more to pack. I ordered the whole line of my fabrics on the 11th of April. On and off, I tried to contact the company to check on the order. Welllll. I finally got in touch with them on Thursday afternoon. I asked, "What has happened to my order? I place it two weeks ago." The gal said, "You did not ask for an expedited order, did you?" Expedited???? Two weeks and the order has not even hit the order department and the next day was Good Friday so the office is closed !! To think I feel guilty if someone places an order with me and it does not go out within hours--not days, not weeks....Live and learn. Fingers crossed that the fabric makes it to Paducah before I leave for home. HUGH sigh.

Quilters Return to the Homefront

If only for two nights....it is beyond great to sleep in one's own bed, isn't it? Especially if one's husband is quietly snoring in the same bed. sigh. I almost forget how much I miss him. Then, he wakes up smiling, and, POW, I am in Heaven.

What a chore unpacking is--wash all the dirty stuff, put it away, drag it back out for the next trip. What day is this, anyway?

Oh yeah, HOPPY EASTER, YA'LL (this darling bunny was made by my sweet friend, Barbara Crawford of Crawford Designs. I am thrilled to say that it is a one-of-a-kind fella mainly because I think she decided she was crazy to have agreed to make it for me in the first place. Oh happy me.)

Woo Woo Quilter at the Beach

I totally love it here. It could not be a more beautiful day and I am here with my family. I will take some pictures so if you are not already jealous, heh heh, you will be. No, I will not be taking pictures of me in my swimsuit. That would definitely negate the "jealous" thingie, that is for sure. So, later gater, the sun and surf are calling me.....

Exhausted Quilters

Whew, exhausted does not even come close to describing us. We left Springfield and drove until midnight last night. Someone up there was definitely watching out for us as we drove because I nearly drove off the road several times. SCARY. I was so determined to make it home early Sunday that I was not using my head, only my heart, because my husband was waiting to see us before he left for Arkansas. So, I will not be adding much here since I am beyond tired. We have completely unloaded our car and our trailer, took inventory, and then reloaded the trailer. We have to repack and head out, again, in the morning. Yawn. Sorry for the boring post, but, it is what it is. Later, friends.

I Don't Do Stipple

Is this too cute for words, or what? This precious young man sat quietly watching his older sister, Sydney, learn to stipple. A few minutes later, Sydney asked if I would teach her brother, Jackson, to stipple. He, like is delightful sister, did a wonderful job and made my day. I forgot how much I loved teaching, particularly the little ones. Now, those big ones out there who are intimidated by stippling, kinda makes ya rethink, doesn't it?

Quilting in Springfield

Late, very late last night, we arrived safely here in Springfield, Missouri. This morning I decided to make my husband happy. No, not that. He isn't even in the same state. Making him happy this morning involved my changing the oil and rotating the tires on his car that I borrow each time I head to a Quilt Show. The oil is now nice and new. The tires are nice and new, too. Realllly new. It turns out rotation was not an option since there was a nail in one tire and the other had no tread left. ZAP went $500 !!!! sigh. Where was that spa?

Talk About a Tired Quilter aka Quilter vs GPS

I tell you, the GPS system is sooo wrong when it says how many hours it takes to get from point A to point B. Yesterday for instance, it said we should arrive in just over six hours. Give me a break. It always takes us at least twice whatever they suggest. I mean, shouldn't there be an alternate "reality time" given? Heeello-o-o-o-o, what about time to get gas? to eat? to pee? to eat? to stop at the local wineries for tastings? to eat? and the darling boutiques?-it would be downright rude to ingore them, wouldn't it? My proof--we left Cincinnati at 7:30 a.m. and arrived in Springfield at 10:30 p.m. Do the math. Honestly. By the way, anyone heard of Ice Wine? woo woo. deeeeeelish. ;-)

A New Quilter

Ha. I just feel like a new woman. I got a good night's sleep. I was so totally exhausted last night that even though I am sore and tired this morning that compared to last night -- Grrrreat. We are off to Springfield, Misery. Oops, I mean Missouri. Last year this was the worst show that I did so I am hoping it will be wonderful this year. The folks who manage it are delightful so that is not the problem. We are doing a class and demos. Come seeeee us, we love hugs.

The last time I spoke, I mentioned my Mother's place. This truck is in her front yard. I thought it was so esthetically pleasing that I took this picture and hope to eventually do a painting based on it. Of course, these are not the "esthetics" that I want in my yard....The second image speaks for itself. Brandy and Cincinnati.

Thanks to those of you who checked in on me, just in case. Love ya!

Cincinnati Quilt Show

OK, so I could not help myself. I just wanted to check in and say a little hi.. We spent the night with my 92 year old mother on the way to Cincinnati. It was terrific seeing her and her sweet husband, Gene. He takes such good care of her. Mother and Gene's house is, um, interesting. I love to see homes that have a definite character, one that reflects the owner. Well, her house not only reflects her, it owns her. zzzzzzzzzzzz

Hmm, I am exhausted. --zzzzzzzz----- I am falling asleep at the keyboard. So, hopefully, I will get a chance to gab more later. Night night.

Quilter Burns List

Well, I have not really burned it. Just wish I could burn it. Thing is, it is like a roach, it can survive just about everything except Superwoman's shoe. So, I am only temporarily squashing the list by avoidance. I am hiding in front of the computer. Quickly, I am posting a couple of pictures and letting you know that it will probably take more effort than I can muster to add much to my blog over the next few weeks. Brandy and I are heading to Cincinnati for a Quilt Show. Then we head to Springfield, MO, for another one the following weekend. Then, we drive for two days to get to the BEACH. We hope to absorb as much of that heavenly place as we can in three days before heading to Paducah for THE quilt show.

Back in the days-before-reality-hit, Brandy and I took sewing machines, cutting tools, projects, extra fabric (just in case we ran out of projects), even knitting, so we would not be bored in the hotel after the show closed each evening. I mean, heck, most shows close by six. What would we do all evening???? HAHAHAHA. We now know that "what we do all evening" is run errands in a town we know nothing about, grab the best, but cheapest, food we can find, in a town we know nothing about, then drag our bodies back to the hotel and crawl into bed. Sleeping is not difficult--getting enough sleep is. What is more difficult is waking up in the night to pee and you cannot find the bathroom.

Changing subjects, see the pretty girl in front of the pretty car in front of the pretty tree? That is my daughter Brandy. Just thought I would throw that in. Then, the second image is of a corner of the clock I made for Rockland Corporation. Dang, just like the rug I made them, I wanna KEEP IT. Yikes, I see a roach......

Disappointed Quilter

Do I need stress relief? Take a gander at my feet. The scariest part? my daughter had to point out that I had on the two different slippers. I had not even noticed. Give me a break. they are so subtle and similar....I need help. So, yesterday, I went to a Spa.

La Teeee DA. Do not be jealous. The description said things like, 90 minutes of massage, and seaweed pack, and sugar scrub, and steam thingies, and stuff like that--All for the bargain price of $175. My best friend, Jan, and I, giggled and made our appointments. In the first place, we were warned repeatedly that we could not be late. We were 15 minutes early. We carefully filled out the paperwork asking if we were stressed, where we needed emphasis during the massage, etc. What they forgot to mention was that they were apparently not held to the "on time" rule. Thirty minutes later, we were escorted to our rooms. By the way, part of the package was a pair of disposable panties for modesty's sake. They were as modest as a thong--a semi-transparent thong. O.K., now, I am naked, but modest. First, I was coated with sugar. That was wiped off (the best part since it involved steamy towels, loved that) and then I was coated in sludge, a.k.a, seaweed mask. While waiting for the mask to do its magic, the attendant asked if I would like my scalp massaged. Duh. Of course. Hello, I have give myself a better head rub. Again, the steamy towels are brought out to take off the Gift from the Sea. I was then directed to the showers. I am thinking, "Strange that I shower before the massage." Silly me. The 90-minute indulgence, done.

I came to the conclusion that these guys cannot read. What's up with "being on time" applying to only the customer? next, where was the steam thingie? Most importantly, where-o-where was the massage??? ? and the 90 minute stuff --Apparently, the 90 minutes included the wait time. Oh, did I mention that there was also a "make-up touch-up" by the make-up expert to be done at the conclusion of the session? The expert was not in. As I said, I need stress relief. Anyone know of a good Spa???