Weekend Annoyance and Excitement

I'm sitting here sipping the evening Pumpkin Latte, and feeling quite happy with myself and with life in general.  The petty annoyance of the weekend is behind me (I will explain in a minute), and the happiness and pride that ensued is still warming me from the inside out- kind of like this large cup of warm yumminess!

Now for a (not so) quick explanation: I have coveted a new camera for close to two years now. A camera that does more than point and shoot. A camera I can grow into (in my old age, lol!). One that will let me take real photographs, not just push the button and "hope they come out" photos.  I've watched coveted camera decline in price over the last couple of weeks (not that it still wasn't expensive) and then the event I knew would happen- did! The blasted camera that I currently owned stopped working AGAIN. Now to be perfectly honest, it could be a battery issue, but the battery I need is hard to come by and when that happens it is a trip to Radio Shack and a huge lay out of cash for theirs. So I decided to tell myself I was worth it, took a deep breath and ordered my coveted Nikon D5100.  

I was even more excited to learn it would be here in two (yes count them! two ....) days, putting delivery right at the best possible moment. I was joining the little family (son, DIL and grandson) for a trip to Syracuse on Saturday to be at the finish line of the Empire State Marathon the next day. Son's long time friend was running his second marathon in the space of a month in honor of my husband- raising money for the American Cancer Society through DeterminNation. Not only did I want to be there to welcome him across the finish line with a huge hug, I wanted to snap a photo to remember the event and his remarkable achievement. Getting the new Nikon Friday would give me a few hours in the afternoon to get a feel for it in my hands, and at least get comfortable with the Auto Mode for now. Friday came and went and there was NO delivery. I was a bit annoyed since the tracking information told me it was scanned at Latham and out for delivery. 

Saturday morning rolled around, and by our noon departure time I had no hopes of having a camera to take with me; I called my neighbor and had them on the look out for UPS and off to Syracuse we went.

Come to find out later, there was a shipment delay of 1 to 2 days due to "external factors" (whatever that truly means). Said delay would put delivery well into Monday. Fine! I'd deal. The kids got some photos Sunday, and I am hoping to get copies soon- especially the family shot Scott wanted after he collected himself from the 26 mile run. Below is a photo (I snagged it from Facebook) from his run in Rochester at the beginning of the month. The boy is amazing to say the least. He ran his first marathon (NYC) just last year (again for the American Cancer Society), and to do 2 back to back in 2012 is something I find totally incredible. This boy stands well over 6 1/2' tall- all legs and arms! He hurt. He was (in his own words) done in. Syracuse has some tough elevations to its course. But he did it...as he said while we hugged ... "I did it Momma! I did it!" 

Indeed he did, and I couldn't be any prouder of this young man if I had given birth to him myself. 

He is a role model, and I am very proud that he is my grandson's godfather. I can't think of anyone I'd want my little guy to look up to more (other than his daddy, of course!). It was a perfect day- and being there in person was quite exhilerating. Watching the runners come in to the cheers and applause of the gathered crowd is something I will remember for a very long time. 

Fast forward a day...I waited most of Monday am ( tracking again told me my box was on the truck and out for delivery) for my camera to arrive on the doorstep, and then decided that it would most likely be on the late afternoon run. Not wanting to resemble Old Mother Hubbard anymore, I ran up to the  grocery store to stock up on some fruits and veggies- it would hardly take any time at all. That was a big mistake! Exactly 11 minutes after I walked out my front door UPS drove up and not finding me home to sign for the box, took off with my camera delivery in tow. They'd return the next day- no real time period given! I was back to being annoyed! I had appointments today, and knew they would once again show up when no one was here, so I called UPS, told the computer I did NOT want the box delivered and to have someone call to confirm I wanted my box held for pick up. To make a long story short: my truck would be back in by 7:45pm. UPS was open until 9pm. I left the house at 7:45pm, got to the terminal at 8pm and filed into the rather long line of folks picking up missed deliveries. Finally- 30+ minutes later, it was my turn at the window, and lo and behold: no box was to be found. Are you laughing yet?? I know I wasn't, but it's ok if you do- really it is!  The gum snapping, way too chatty and extremely hyper young girl behind the counter called into the warehouse to see if the truck had arrived back as yet. Oh. No? It isn't back?? Won't be back until 9:30pm?? Really? How come??? She's having an entire conversation with Joe in back and I am producing steam out my ears!  Seems the truck broke down and they were arranging for a tow truck to haul it back. I'd have to come back tomorrow...they open at 9am.  I won't repeat what my reaction was. If you remember my story about the ill fated Vermont trip, you know I have this cloud over my head lately!  I know you're definitely laughing now- just go with the flow! I can laugh too (now), because I have my new toy in hand, and did I have fun this afternoon. I photographed my fruit bowl:

 I played with the lens and took a close up:

I even photographed the poor dog- totally ignoring "let sleeping dogs lie" !

I think I am going to be very excited about all this for some time to come. Just think- I'm headed to London (and several cities in Poland) in the very near future! Wonder how many camera cards I should make sure to have on hand??

All's Well That Ends Well, heh?? 

I think I need to go calm down now...

Eye Candy

Has anyone stopped by the Temecula Quilt Company's blog? I love it for the sew-alongs and for the chatty news of what is new at the shop. The last two posts have shown photos of a wonderful Doll Quilt display the shop has going,  and there is so much eye candy it just excites me! It also reminds me that I am a bit behind in my 2012 challenge to make a small quilt per month! I need to really refocus IF I intend to keep that goal.  It's not that I've been lazy of late- the batik quilt is off being quilted, I've been hand quilting my small basket quilt and just this week I have resurrected Vintage Valentine and have been busily hand appliqueing the large center block over the last two evenings. I just need to finish the vase and the center is done! A few more of the smaller blocks ( a million and one dogwood petals!!) and I can think about putting this one together and taking it off the UFO list once and for all. It was supposed to be the Wedding Quilt for son and daughter-in-law, however, after all this time,  I find it hard not to think it might be a bit anticlimactic. They will still receive the quilt when it is totally finished, and well before the 12 year mark (like my son's quilt)!  I guess that is something to be "proud of".  Throw in a few pillowcases for adorable grandson, a second batik quilt  and then a few more catch up projects and I think I see a very productive fall/winter quilting season in the making. Now with that said, I think I will mosey on over to the recliner, pick up my needle and sew a bit. Tonight I head to the Berkshires to see Mandy Patinkin and Patty LuPone at the Mahaiwe Center in Great Barrington. It should be a good night.

It was a lost and found kind of day...

Well, it was just one of those days today. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering yesterday didn't go exactly as planned! It started out fine...did my usual Sunday morning routine and returned home after a Weight Watchers meeting with a 3/4 of a pound loss on my second week of maintenance. I chuckled with my leader that it was the fact that we were driven to starvation on our bus tour yesterday :-)

Once home and changed into sweaters (yes, multiples- it is down right damp and cold here in the great Northeast), I took the time to drop the storm windows (the house was barely at 60* inside!) and then tried to rig up a decent view of the batik quilt to take a photo. After several tries, hoping all the time that it wouldn't hit the ground once again (or that the dog would stay off of it- thank you very much!) I had it hung from the top of the dining room swags. Precarious, yes, but working- so I quietly ran from the room and grabbed the camera. Sigh ... I used the camera yesterday, took all of seven photos mind you. Today?? Battery....dead. Guess it felt it needed to die in sympathy with the bus's battery. Can I tell you how frustrated I have been with this camera since the day I got it?? I seriously need to save my pennies for that Nikon I have my heart set on. So what is a girl to do?? Grab the cell phone- the very basic/old/ need a new one but really don't want to spend the money on one/ kind of cell phone. It is a bad photo, a very bad photo, but I'm sharing anyway since I promised you all a peek at the monster quilt!  I love it, and it is now in the hands of my machine quilter who totally got where I wanted this wonder to go artistically when I rambled on about camping, leaves, mud, "guy stuff".  She started giving me her vision and I am beyond excited. I promise to have a new battery or a better (borrowed) camera when it is back home in all its glory!!

The monster quilt- no more batik- phobias!!

Of course before I could skip out to meet my machine quilter extraordinaire, I needed to walk the dog. So off we went on our afternoon jaunt. Happy as two clams in a clam shell. That is until I got home. I had not taken off the dangling, "they just make me happy" earrings from the morning, and when I got home I discovered one was no longer dangling from my ear! LOST! I was not a happy woman. There was no time to retrace our walk then, so I just removed the one remaining piece of ear jewelry and headed out. 

I was sure that by 4:30 pm there would be no hope at all of finding a dark, brown and golden earring on the ground lying among the leaves and other debris of the neighborhood, but lo and behold! FOUND!! There!! 3 blocks from the house was my earring- lying just shy of a pile of leaves right near a newly clipped lawn! The fact that it didn't end up in Dennis' lawn mower OR swept to the curb (or worse yet- a leaf bag) is a miracle plain and simple! So it's a good day after all. I have a favorite earring back, the monster quilt is progressing towards being done-done and now I'm ready to get the last couple of borders on the flowered "Couch Quilt" for the daughter-in-law. If I can keep this tiny streak of good fortune going, maybe I'll find the pattern for my grandson's "big boy" construction truck quilt in the drawer with the fabrics?? One can only hope! 

And that is all I have to say :-)

"Good night, Gracie"!

An Ill Fated Trip

It was supposed to be a fun day. What could be better than a day of chocolate, wine, shopping, apples and apple pie? Even the threat of fog, afternoon rain and a cold front couldn't dampen my spirits. I had looked forward to this trip for a few weeks now. I love Vermont and this full day bus trip with a friend seemed like a perfect excursion. I was up before dawn, showered, dressed, grabbed my early am yogurt and berries, walked the dog and jumped in the car to drive to the pick up destination.  The bus was early, everyone was excited- on time and ready to roll with time to spare. Chocolatorium here we come!

With a quick stop to pick up more passengers (and then a ridiculously early stop for coffee and bathroom break- really? after only half an hour on the road??) we hit Route 7 and continued on our way through Hoosic, around Bennington and into East Arlington, VT for our introduction to the history of chocolate, chocolate tasting and of course ample opportunity to buy chocolate of any and all varieties! 

Also scheduled: lunch, shopping and general merriment at The Vermont Country Store in Weston, A tour and wine tasting at Honora Winery with time to shop their award winning wines, and a stop at the Apple Barn for a tour, coffee and apple pie (ala mode of course!). 

At the Chocolatorium we learned about the history of chocolate and watched a short (an interesting video about the harvesting of the seeds of the cocoa tree and how the seeds are dried etc. to become chocolate. We each had a small box of chocolates which we tested with guidance of our host (aroma, snap, after tastes....) and learned the differences in chocolates/ chocolate blends (and what can pass as "chocolate" but really isn't!). It was both informative and fun- and left me with a bit of a sugar high (smile). Just the aroma of the place was enough to put a smile on your face. What transpired next, however, did not make for happy smiles. 

After our chocolate pleasure we re-boarded our bus to discover that it had suffered a breakdown and was not about to start no matter what our driver did. 36 people, one driver and one tour guide- stuck in Arlington where the only shops were the chocolate shop we just exited and a "florist" shop. 

Now think about those people stuck on an airplane on a runway for hours on end- no working bathrooms, no air, no food....you've all heard the horror stories. Well, this wasn't all that bad in comparison, I guess. We at least had the port-a-potty outside the chocolate shop, the shop owners were genuinely concerned for us and kept bringing out samples of chocolate and fudge and small bottles of water until the water ran out. 

We could exit the bus (before the rain and cold hit) and walk up and down the road...and generally just wait it out. And wait we did- for over 4 hours!!

So much for the winery. Then as time passed, so much for the Vermont Country Store. It was also very obvious that there was not to be a speck of food anywhere to be had either. I never thought I'd say it, but the thought of only chocolate being available as a source of nourishment- well it was a bit sickening.

By late afternoon, a smaller bus finally arrived from Albany (mind you now- it is Columbus Day Weekend- and the height of "leaf peeping" season!) with barely enough seats for us...we almost had to draw straws to see which of the last on the bus had to sit with the driver and Madame Tour Guide had to sit on the bus steps. OK, so  I won't complain- the seats on this new bus were quite comfy- as it was definitely one of those "party buses"...tables up front for four, "disco lights" along the upper ledges....need I go on? The lights never went off, the air conditioning continued to chill us all to the bone, but we made it to the Apple Barn where the coffee was HOT (and very good!) and the pie was delicious. Of course, ANYTHING would have been good by 5PM!  Again, I won't complain- I was able to get the Vermont Maple Syrup I promised youngest daughter (can't get good Vt. Maple Syrup in the U.K. you know!), bought myself some pumpkin butter, honey crisp apples (my most favorite apple), and one big ole candied apple covered in crushed nuts which I intend to eat a slice of each and every day until it is totally gone! I do have to watch my girlish figure, you know! Nope- won't complain (until next week when the tour company will definitely be hearing from me, and most likely 34 other people!).

On a brighter note, maybe it wasn't all that ill fated after all. I did get to meet "Cocoa". Enjoy this little slide show. It is all I have to say I was on a "Taste of Vermont Tour"!

Free photo slideshow created with Smilebox

A Visit to A Local Quilt Show

As I mentioned yesterday, I thought I would take a bit of time today for one of the local guilds' quilt  show. There were a few pieces that inspired me, and as I had hoped, my friend, colleague and extraordinary quilter, Pat Cunningham had several quilts on display. Two of her latest finishes took not only a first and a second place ribbon, but also exceptional merit ribbons. I am so proud and pleased for her!
There were also a few other quilts  that "spoke" to me, one using photo transfer that gave me ideas as to how to pay homage to my own daughter's years showing her horse!  It was nice to see some friends, catch up with some vendors I haven't seen in awhile and just take a bit of time to roam and immerse myself in quilts of all kinds. Can you tell I love Quilt Show Season? So much inspiration.
I snapped a few photos of my favorites (including Pat's of course!) and have made a smile box slide show for your enjoyment! Without any fanfare, here is a peek at Autumn Inspirations 2012 presented by Q.U.I.L.T.S.
I hope you enjoy!

Personalize a photo slideshow

Blame it on the Full Moon

Yes, that is all I have to say for myself, after my behavior today! Blame it on the full moon. The pull of the tides of the brain. Has to be, what else could possibly explain the wanton seeking out of batik fabric that over took my being earlier today.
It all started with an email. Quilting buddies (no blog) Mary Ellen dropped me a note stating simply that Noel HAD to go to Gloversville for fabric and did I want to go along.  Of course I did. I rationalized my participation knowing that I had to get the backing for my son's (soon to be completed) quilt and have it ready for the machine quilter next Sunday. I have been told time and again by both these wonderful women that the Sewing Center is the place to go for batiks. What do I know from Adam?? I have (up to now) been a batik-a-phobe! They were awesome to look at, nice to the touch, but me? I'm a reproduction kind of gal. Until I wanted to make a masculine and some what contemporary feeling quilt that is. We won't get into all that just now.  Bright and early this am, I ran off to the hairdresser, then continued on to Mary Ellen's where she shoved me in the car (OK, OK...I went willingly) and off we drove to pick up Noel and hit the open road for the drive to Gloversville. I hadn't been to the center in many years and the drive was pleasant enough in spite of the rain. Friends have a way of making rainy days just a bit brighter, don't you agree? Once inside the shop, project in hand (along with a set of batik strips lord only knows why I had in the stash and an interesting pattern from Craftsy.com) I was pulling batiks and loving every minute of it!


Look what came home with me:

aren't they pretty! The bottom is a wide batik backing for son's quilt, the center is a gorgeous tree print which will be the border and backing for the Woven Basket Weave pattern, and the top brown/green/blue is for setting blocks for the basket weave.  Yup, its a full moon, definitely a full moon! Of course I did have to tip toe through the reproductions, but didn't even pull a bolt out of its shelving unit. Good thing- my repro cup runneth over to say the least! The girls had a grand time oohing and aahing over my choices, and each took great personal delight in bringing me over to the "batik side". I may never hear the end of this. But then again- that's what friends are for (or a full moon!).
It was a good day. Now I am off to the sewing room. It is to rain all day tomorrow. How sad- guess where I'll be? Photos soon, I promise :-)

What did you do under the influence of our full moon this fine month??  Do tell....

Welcome Fall

(photo taken in at my favorite apple Orchard a few years back)

Hard to believe we are officially two days into the fall season. It is my favorite time of year: the colors, the crisp, cool air (it was a whole lot crisper than I anticipated on my long morning walk!), the beginnings of that nesting impulse. I don't know why I am surprised it is here already- time has been marching on with alarming speed. If I was returning to school and had to write that yearly assignment : What I Did on My Summer Vacation, I'd be hard pressed to put something to paper. My teacher(s) would no doubt NOT be amused. I know I did things- I had to have as it is now the end of September, but I don't have anything to show for it. I guess that just means that I spent the time rediscovering my self and my environment. I did manage the beginnings of re-centering not only myself, but the living spaces of the house to make them more personal, more inviting for friend and family (as I define inviting).  In that new vein of making things more personal the living room got a new furniture arrangement:

(one can live without a television!) 

I made a few fall arrangements to grace tables and the front door:

The (now) small guest room went from this:

to this:




I managed to finally apply for and receive this:

 (U.K. Here I come!)

And have spent happy hours with this handsome man:

I guess throwing in a few doctor appointments, lots of walking, finally reaching a healthy weight (good- bye 60 pounds, hello size 8-10!) and beginning to feel a bit more like myself (who ever that is these days) all explains where the summer months went.

Now that Fall is officially here I feel more like sewing/quilting, have enjoyed my first guild meeting of the year and have started (are those of you who know me ready for this?) a batik quilt!! I love it and will share as soon as the two halves are pieced together. I'd like to get it to the machine quilter in the next week so that it is bound and ready for gift giving a mere 12 years after I solemnly promised I'd make one for my poor son. I may be slow, but to be perfectly honest and above board, I chose and disguared at least half a dozen patterns and added yards and then more yards of fabric to the mix that were rejected in the long run. When I saw the current pattern I just knew it was "The One". Stay tuned :-)

So I guess I'm back. At least I'm working my way back- and you just may hear more from me after all!