It was a bittersweet day. I had to drop something off, and I wanted to visit the person; however, they had recently been exposed to COVID, so that didn't happen. So I drove to Orillia to one of my favorite quilt stores -- Thimbles and Things. Sue has sold the store and is retiring! While she will be working in the store from time to time, we are not guaranteed to see her smiling face when we walk in the door! ACK!!

Many years ago, the first time I walked in the door, they had little sections for all the fabric. Then they got more space, and it opened up, and a classroom was added. As it wasn't my go-to store, I don't remember those changes happening. 

Many people were there when I arrived, and people were parking on the road as the parking lot was jammed when I got there. 

I got to meet Paula, the new owner, IN PERSON. I've met her several times over Zoom, but it's not the same! And so many people came and introduced themselves to me from the Zoom classes. It was so nice to see real people! 

There were lots of people in the "receiving line!"  Drat --- I did NOT get a picture of Sue and me. 

A jam-packed store

I got to say HI to Emma, who used to own Fireside Retreat, where we spent many great days sewing. While we have moved to new retreat houses, it's never going to be the same, and we'll just have to make new memories in the new places! 

Let's say that Sue, Emma, and Tony will be sorely missed, and Paula has big shoes to fill! But I'm sure she'll settle in and create her own atmosphere in the store. The best news is that the Zoom classes will continue, and I will continue to teach there, albeit at a somewhat slower pace! 

I picked up a few things, including boring white! I swear I am constantly running out of white, so I buy a couple of yards here and there so I'll be ready for the next project. 

Two pieces of white fabric

I was just fine in the car yesterday. No tiredness! I must be getting used to driving longer than to the gym!

It was a bit later than planned when I got home, and I was going to sew, but I decided to sit in the backyard instead. Of course, the girls did not fail in their duty to entertain me. 

Lexi came and sat with me, hoping to scoop some of the cauliflower that I was having as a snack. Murphy -- well, she grabbed her ball, and OOPSY, it went in the pond. 

Mom, Murphy dropped her ball in the pond 

Seriously????  We don't give our animals enough credit in the cause/relationship department, but she knows what happens when the ball goes in the pond -- Mom has to get up and get it. She is one crazy dog and is a huge attention seeker. 

MOM -- a bit of help here. The ball is in the pond!

I decided not to get the ball for her. So what does she do? She followed the ball as it floated across the pond. Yep -- she went to the next rock to watch the ball more closely. 

MOM --- come and get the ball!

And when the ball kept floating, she followed it to the next rock. It was hilarious to watch. But she did NOT attempt to jump in. 

Hmm, how am I going to get that ball?

MOM -- Help me -- please!

Good grief -- she looks like a polar bear in that picture! Don't polar bears enjoy the water? Perhaps I should let her go in the pond, then she'll tire of dropping the ball in the water. I doubt it! 

We had our Tula Pink Butterfly class last night, and I will be teaching it again in the fall at Thimbles and Things. 

No -- I am not trying to overload you already; just giving you a heads up so you can start planning what you would like to do. There are so many quilts that I want to make that I don't have time to do them all, and I don't want people to feel they can't take on a project without someone to guide them through. I hope that understanding how to decipher patterns will encourage them to take on projects they want to do. 

However, I know that these Zoom classes are a huge factor in many people's lives. They provide a HUGE sense of community. I know because I feel like I'm part of a big community because of them. And that makes me happy!! So if you want to be part of the Zoom quilting community, don't forget that we have the Virtual Retreat coming up next weekend. That's April 30 and May 1. You can work on whatever you want, come and go as you want, and have ZERO guilt involved! I'll be posting the links later this week. 

I'm trying to get some projects cut for next weekend, and I've run out of mini-design boards to put them on. I had to use my wool-pressing mat. And I stacked 16 blocks on top of each other. 

Blocks for the butterfly quilt

That's a sign that more sewing and less prepping need to happen. But today and tomorrow, I NEED to get that Cherrywood Challenge done. I have one class to teach today and one session tomorrow, and the rest of the weekend is mine! So long arm and Cherrywood will be the topic of the two days. 

We definitely live in a different environment from countries in other parts of the world. I've noticed as I trek across Libya that there are WALLS everywhere. It's hard to see in this picture, but this entire space is enclosed by a high cement block wall. And that's very common in this part of the world. 

A courtyard in Libya

I'm not sure if it's all about security as that fence could easily be scaled, but it probably keeps out the majority of the riff-raff. Or perhaps it keeps wild animals out? But look at these trees as well -- very weird. 

And I got a kick out of this picture. It was taken from a tower when some event was being held. The cars are parked totally haphazard! Yep -- our society with paved and line-marked parking lots is very different. Although that doesn't mean that everyone respects those lines! 

Haphazard parking

So this is the girls in the morning when getting ready for the walk. Murphy always goes first -- it's just better than way. And while she's happy, she dawdles as I put her leash on. For some reason, she looks mad when I do this and is not pleased. But the minute I pick up the leash and open the door -- that's a different story. 

On the other hand, Lexi is ready to go even with no leash. I want out, and I want out NOW! Sadly, she has to wait for the next turn. But now, she jumps onto the dog bed in the window and watches us down the street. It's hilarious!!

Getting ready for the walk

OH --- you really have to watch the price of gas. Yesterday on my way up the highway, I spotted a station on the opposite side of the road with $169.9. I popped in to fill up on the way home. The next station, about 3 KM away, was $179.9. Yikes!!! And all the others were at least $174.4. That is PER LITER if my American friends think we have cheap gas here! Thank goodness for small cars and another reason Zoom is a good thing. 

Well, it's time to get the day started and try and empty some of those design boards so I can cut more fabric. NO -- the focus is to finish those embellishments for the Cherrywood Challenge, and I've come too far to not finish it now. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!