It's all abut Bear

NOOOOOOOOOO -- time goes by so quickly, and it's time for us to leave today. I confess I'm a bit sad. Not only were we here for a beautiful wedding, but we had a wee vacation, and spent a lot of time visiting with friends and family. Not nearly enough time, but we did what we could. Not only do we have to go home, but others must as well. Several people left yesterday, and I think the last of the guests, including the bride and groom, will leave tomorrow. We have a two-day journey home, so we need to leave today. 

Now we could probably have pushed and done it all in one day, but too many connections that could go wrong, so it's best to leave some flexibility in there, and no sense killing ourselves. 

We had breakfast with long-time friends in the Pointe Restaurant. The view of the ocean was spectacular, and the company was great. 

There are two bald-headed eagles in the neighborhood - could be more - we've only seen two at the same time. They were flying in very close proximity to each other, and OH—we could see why. One of them had a fish in its mouth, and the other one wanted it. They had a bit of a mid-air fight, and the fish dropped. WAIT --- I haven't seen any fish in the ocean, so what the heck was it? Anyway—whatever it was, it got dropped. 

Then we spotted one of the eagles, and perhaps he was looking for what they dropped. It was beautiful to watch soaring over the waves. We had seen them the day before as well. 

The eagle is looking for his lost lunch.

And here was my rhubarb waffle. A lot of decoration on that waffle. The portions are not huge, but the prices are! This hotel has the Relais & Chateaux designation. In my unsophisticated world, that means absolutely nothing. To DH and alas to M, that is a huge deal. I just see $$$$ when the bill arrives. 

My rhubarb waffle

But you can't beat the service at the hotel. Everyone has been super attentive, supportive, and helpful, remembering your name and why you are here! They are also young, and many have accents from around the world. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've seen any middle-aged staff members, let alone older ones! 

Bear and I had wandered out for a walk along the beach, and it was spectacular, as usual. I noticed that the tide seemed quite far out, and we never got the waves we had the previous day. But I'm pretty sure that's all in my head!!!! 

What was interesting was that this is the view in the morning. The sky is clear and sunny, and the view is spectacular. 

The view in the morning

This was the view (from a different window) a few short hours later. The fog just rolled in, and we couldn't see a thing. You couldn't even see the beach chairs close to the hotel. It was wild, and it stayed like that for a long time, but eventually the sun burned off the mist, and we were back to a wonderful day. Hmmm - that reminds me of the Stephen King book called The Mist. Very creepy book!!!!

The beach is gone in the mist!!!!

But let's talk about Bear because it's his day!!! He is so funny, and as I was getting dressed to take him out, I spotted him lying on the bed like this. What a pose. I think he knows he is special. 

Grandma, hurry up! I'm waiting!!!!

And then we were off for our walk. This is all pre-fog, and with few people on the beach, it was amazing. WAIT --- I had to drive one of the girls back to their hotel. More on that in a bit. 

Grandma -- I love the beach!!!!

And look at this cutie!!!! He is such a good dog and listens pretty well. I will say that the wedding was a bit much for him - he is 10 or 11, so it makes sense. 

Grandma - I'm so handsome!!!

He was exhausted by all the commotion the day before, and yet, he was super patient and sat for a long time while I fiddled with how to put the pillow on him. He slept a lot yesterday, but as the day picked up, he was back to his scampering and mischievous self. 

While I will miss visiting with M and Dillon, I will miss Mister Bear and his attitude as well. So we made the best of yesterday. 

The word was out that the "party" was on the beach, and as the afternoon wore on, more and more people came out and joined us on the beach. Little Bear needed a break and to escape the hot sun, so he found shade behind an empty deck chair. 

It's nice and cool behind this chair.

I mean - just look at him -- he's such a comic. He had a huge bottle of water in front of him, but you couldn't really see it because it was clear. But what a little monkey!!!!

Hey world -- look at me!!!!

At first, it was just a few people, and I spent a lot of time chatting with the groom's parents and their good friends. It was good to chat and get to know them better, since the bride and groom spend so much time with them. They went into town to get some food, and while they were away, the group exploded, and Bear and I decided we were done with the beach. 

The friends party on the beach

Besides, I don't think the younger people really wanted us old fogies around!!! Oh my -- I haven't used that word in a long time. 

But then Bear and I found a quieter place, still in view of the big group, and it was somewhat shaded. I ran into a couple about my age, and their son is getting married next weekend, but not here. He's getting married on the other side (more populated) side of the island. Anyway, we got to talk about travel, and this lady would be the perfect travel companion for me. I thought of The Celestine Prophecy as we sat there. 

No cross-body bags for her!!! She has pockets in her vest to keep her valuables. I still like my small flat pouch, and I've been wearing it the entire time I've been here, including at the wedding!!! No one knew I had it on. I mean, how can someone even think about robbing you when they can't see what to take!! 

She had friends who had cross-body bags in Italy, and got swarmed and had passports and money stolen. I will never wear a cross-body bag while traveling. Take the MINIMUM you need (passport, room key, and a credit card); you don't need more. Unless you need meds, and then that is a whole different story. 

I forgot to mention, only because it didn't fit in the flow of the pictures, but I had an amazing visit with my aunt and cousin. Oh my—how nice it would be to be a bit closer, but our family doesn't work that way, and we seem to be able to pick up where we left off. If we lived closer, that may not happen! 

The owners had a dog named Charlie, and his dog house is still here. I think it's a wee bit big for Mister Bear, but he had to explore it nevertheless. 

Grandma, this doghouse is huge!!!!

Speaking of big dogs, we saw a couple with two retrievers yesterday. TWO big dogs. I can't imagine the chaos in the hotel room. It's bad enough with Bear and all his stuff. 

And see him scampering down the hall. He's back!!!!!

Grandma - let's run!!!!!!

That little devil. He was getting his mojo back and was happy to try to scamper down a hall when we needed to reach our room. And it didn't take him long to learn where his room was. He is so darn cute!!!!!

Before the wedding, M had sent out a note asking people to send her a voice message about the wedding day. Bear and I did that yesterday. We sent THREE messages about how we felt during the wedding and to wish them the best as they start their new life together. It was a very cool idea. 

I think the bride was a bit overwhelmed yesterday (and tired), and busy with her friends. She will have a lot to process when they get home. But first, they have one more, hopefully, less busy day, and more for themselves to enjoy on their own before they take on the enormous task of packing stuff in their car. I can't even begin to imagine how much stuff they brought. They are NOT light packers, and since they are in the car, it's easy to overpack!!! 

M even said that NO ONE was allowed to comment on how much stuff they brought. I totally get it -- it's like when we go to a quilt retreat. We have an empty car and X days to quilt, so you might as well fill the car and have lots of choices. I've been there and done it!!! But on a plane? That's different - I don't want to deal with all the stuff, so I pack very light. 

One thing I noticed over the last couple of days is how M and I are pretty similar. Well, certainly not in all ways, but a couple of things came to mind. I like jigsaw puzzles, she likes jigsaw puzzles. She likes to read, I like to read, and can you believe that we read a lot of the same books? She's not into the murder/mystery ones I love, but she's into many other philosophical ones (The Celestine Prophecy) and historical fiction. 

She likes cucumbers, I like cucumbers. And she always wore mismatched socks when she was a kid. I swear she bought new socks (or we bought them, more likely), and I swear she took one sock out of the package and threw the other away. When she left, I found a lot of single socks and never found the mate for any of them!!!! 

So imagine my surprise yesterday when I pulled out a fresh pair of socks to find this!!!!!

OH MY  - mismatched socks

I almost died laughing. They are similar in color and feel, and when I was folding the laundry, most likely not paying attention, I grabbed these and put them together as a pair!!! It doesn't bother me in the least!!!! Oh, M—you have no idea what's ahead of you!!!!! But I love you to bits, and that's all that counts. You have learned to be flexible, and you'll go far with that character trait. Very proud of who you have become!!!!

In the late afternoon, I left Bear at the hotel and took a long walk on the beach. Something I'm not always able to do with Bear, unless I carry him. He does get interested in everything - other peeps (not his own) and dogs. I decided that I had to put my feet in the ocean - at least just to feel the water on my feet. YIKES --- that water is freezing. 

VERY cold water

People have been surfing along this shore, but they are wearing wetsuits. Others are going for short swims in the water. A bit too cold for me!!!!

And here I am on the beach. The weather has been perfect. This was about 7 PM last night. 

Me on the beach

DH and I ended up eating at The Point restaurant again last night, then we wandered back to the hotel room, where I tried to clean up some of the mess. I am usually very neat and tidy in the hotel room, but there was stuff strewn everywhere. So that all got cleaned up, and after I finish the blog, I can pack the office backpack. 

We have to make two stops on our way back to the other side of the island, and we have travel plans we have to meet at 4 PM, so we don't want to leave here too late. 

As I was packing, I found my wedding earrings. They were long and dangly, and they matched my outfit. I don't think the two greens in the earrings matched each other, but it all worked out. They were a bit heavier than I wanted, but I put my little studs back in, and my ears are almost back to their normal self. 

My wedding earrings

I bought a couple of other pairs while I was at the store, so you never know what you'll see me wear in the future!! You might as well have fun with this stuff!!!! 

After the reception, we went to the party tent. I would say that by 11 PM, most of the "older" people were gone. And I'm OK with that. The tent shut down at midnight, but it was still too early for the new couple and their friends to call it a night. So they changed, went, sat on the beach, and watched the sky. OH MY GOD ---- what a beautiful way to end the wedding night. I was so excited for them. 

I got the feeling that many of them barely slept. That was the case with the friend whom I drove back to her hotel very early in the morning. I am so glad that so many of their friends could make the wedding, and the comingling of friends from both sides was solidified that night. What a wonderful idea. 

While we had seen the stars on our walk home from the party tent, we did not see as many as if we were on the beach. So last night, I was determined to stay up until it was dark enough. That's why I puttered and put everything away. 

I know, it's very hard to see in this picture, but there are loads of stars. Not like what they would have seen hours later, but it was fun. 

A starry night

And then I grabbed these photos of the beach. 

The beach just after 11 PM

All of those photos were taken with my camera phone at about 11 PM. Wow!!!!!!! It's no wonder we pay a lot for those darn phones - the thing we are really buying is the camera!!!!!

And then I had some time before I finally fell asleep to check out some social media stuff and OH MY GOSH. Can you believe I found this?????

Well, I can't find the announcement at this point - it may have been on IG, but the World Jigsaw Puzzle competition will be held in Toronto in 2027!!!!! I will not be signing up, but I can volunteer and check it out!!!!!

I've already marked the dates in my calendar - it's the beginning of June. Good grief -- I had no idea this puzzle world was so big. I would love to get home and work on my gradient puzzle. I'll be there soon, but I do NOT have much time. When I get home, I have a couple of urgent things to finish, and I need to pack for the next trip. Nothing for months and then everything this month. Sigh.......

I think I got a bit too much sun on my head yesterday! Of all the days we have had here, the weather order was perfect for the wedding. The prayers that M sent up (and many others, I'm sure) were answered. I hope that's a good sign!!!

Well, I'll share more wedding pictures and memories another day, but I must get myself organized to take the little guy out for his walk, and then I'm taking one last bike ride into Tofino for my last donut. Tomorrow, no more donuts!!!!!

And on that wonderful note, have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Taking inventory for vacation

You all have such great suggestions. If I get frustrated by the towel moving, I can use clips to attach it below. Problem solved! 

Happy Canada Day! It's a great day to celebrate our country, its people, and its beautiful lands. Take a moment today to reflect on the freedoms we have. 

Lately, when I've been walking the dogs, I've spotted people who were most likely not born in this country. They are out walking and exploring the neighborhood. They give me a hearty "good morning," and I almost feel their joy in living here! Perhaps they fled from another country. It's hard to say, but they certainly look thrilled! Let's hope all of us feel that way! 

I'm still working on the cutting table, and I found this from Quilt Canada. Someone had made stickers, and I put one on my name tag, without thinking. Hmmm --- Crazy Elaine - yep - that's about right!

My Quilt Canada name badge

As I tidied up, I added it to the rest of the lanyards I have from other shows. I know -- there is no reason to keep them, but it's kind of fun to see the pile grow. This isn't all of them, and yes -- I've been to a few shows. 

Name badges from other shows

There are many buttons attached to those lanyards - what does one do with all those buttons? 

We had Monday Sewing, and all was good. I have a lot of ripping out to do, and I'm working on that 60-degree triangle quilt from Diane. I now have four rows ripped and one trimmed, although I accidentally cut three triangles too small. I found a similar fabric and will just cut new ones. 

Ripping out the 60-degree triangles

I got the giant quilt loaded on the machine. It actually went faster than I thought it would, so that was a happy moment. 

I'm cleaning and tidying up Studio B. I'm looking for a particular project box. I cleaned up two shelves; more on that tomorrow. I need to make lists of what's on the shelving unit I've attacked! Any project that is not started is being seriously evaluated and pulled apart. 

I had to go to the mall, and I took a look at the quilt magazines. I confess I don't buy many of them anymore, as I get them online through the library. This saves the hassle of getting them home and then the angst of letting them go when I finish reading them! I can zip through the online version in short order, as many of them are just patterns! And I do NOT need to add a new pattern to my mess. 

Quilting magazines 

I picked up a box of Press'n Seal, and it's not for the kitchen. This was once a big deal for machine quilting, but it has since fallen out of favor. Now it's resurrected again, and it's not for sewing! I'll try it and let you know how it works. 

Press'nSeal

I had received a notification that my phone (leased for two years) was expiring - the contract, not the phone and I went to see what the situation was. Oh my --- I walked home with a new phone and saved $90 on my monthly bill! That just seems wrong, but that's what happened. I no longer have a US plan as I haven't been to the US in quite a while, and it's likely to be a while before I go again. I can always add the US plan if I go. 

The lady I chatted with was very friendly and very fast, and all was good! I don't think it took even ten minutes, and I came home with the S25 plus from Samsung! I guess competition has forced them to decrease their prices, so that is good. I should have called about my plan months ago. 

My new phone

I have to switch the settings and then return the old phone, so I'll take care of that this week. I wasn't going to get the phone before I went on vacation, but well - I did. 

Do Band-Aids have a life? Well, I wouldn't say the band-aid does, but the packaging - yes! We rarely use Band-Aids in this household! I went to get one the other day - the tiny round ones that I could put on a spot that I keep "worrying" and I want to let it heal! The packaging literally disintegrated as I pulled the band-aid out. They all need to be thrown away as they are useless. We have some other band-aids, and I'm sure they are just as useless. 

The band-aid packaging disintegrated

I can now say that our big vacation is next month! It's time to see what gear I'm missing. It's going to be a bit crazy to pack for very cold and very hot temperatures on the same trip. I checked the drawer with all my long underwear, which I purchased for cycling. OH BOY—I found at least three brand-new items, not even used! I don't need to buy long underwear. It just seems wrong to be packing long johns to go to Africa! 

Brand new long underwear

Essentially, I require three items: hiking boots or shoes, a new warm jacket, and hiking pants. And I want all the clothes to fit in my 30-liter hiking backpack, including a sleeping bag! Can I make that happen? At worst, the sleeping bag can hang off the backpack while the clothes fit inside. The rest of the things I need—toiletries and a small portable office—will go in a much smaller hiking backpack. And that's all I plan to take! 

I think I got myself too wound up last night and struggled to fall asleep. Note to self: do the planning during the daytime! 

I spotted this screen on the side of the street, assuming the people had thrown it away. First, it was here, then on the other side of the driveway, and now it's gone. I was tempted to pick it up and carry it home to use behind me in Zoom class. It would be perfect, and I could have put stuff in those windows! I did not, and now it's gone! I'm fine with the messy design wall behind me. 

A screen for pick-up

Here are a couple of pretty flowers I spotted on my dog walks. 

A rose - love the color

A clematis

And there are the lilies in the pond in all their glory! It's hard to see the blooms from the shine on the leaves.

The lilies in the pond

And do you see my big orange frog? He's been hiding under the overgrown bushes in the back, but now he's out front and center. 

The pond watcher

Murphy had fun cooling off with a sprinkler the other day. What a goofball!!! She would go mad if we had one in our backyard. 

MOM - I love the sprinkler

I love it when she's outside and content to watch over me in the house. Is that just by chance, or does she really know I'm there? Oh, she knows I'm downstairs as she looks in the window from time to time! 

MOM - I'm guarding you! 

I don't know who she thinks will steal her toy, but she's not letting anyone near it! Oh Murphy - such a silly girl!!!

MOM - this toy is MINE!

Today, I'll fire up the long arm and an embroidery machine, and while they are working, if I get a free moment from winding and replacing threads, I'll continue searching for the missing project box. Actually, I need to get some paper and identify everything on that shelf. Perhaps, I need to go back and be a bit more ruthless? And I found parts of a project, but I'm not sure where the other half is. OK -- I'll make a first pass and then decide what to do! 

Why, oh why, did I accumulate so much stuff and start so many projects? It's beyond me, but I'll continue to slog my way through it. 

I had better tell you about this exercise story. First, my legs have not felt this strong in a long time - yes, even with all the walking. One also needs strength training. I also generally feel much better from all the stretching - it's incredible how a few minutes, a couple of times a week, can make such massive changes. After my "brutal" workout with Brooke on Friday, I was tired, but all was good. The next day, however, my quads were so sore! It appears that we worked on a few muscles that hadn't been exercised in a while. The stand-up/sit-down exercise? It was almost impossible to do because of the soreness. But all is good now, and I can stand up and sit down with great ease. Baby steps — it's all about taking those baby steps, but you have to start taking them! You will be so happy when you're older and can still move around. 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! There's a lot to get done today, including more paperwork. That to-do list is shrinking, but not fast enough! 

Have a super Canada Day! Stand proud! We are a great country—we're not perfect, but we are great! 

Ciao!!!!

To plan or not to plan - that is the question........

Someone has misinterpreted my view on packing and planning for a vacation. Even though I am a Virgo, I am not a fan of planned vacations. Why? I have no idea, but I suspect two things contribute significantly to that fact: 

1. I spend almost every day planning classes and Zoom calls, and my life revolves around teaching scheduled classes or deadlines, so when I go on vacation, I don't want any structure. 

2. My first "real" vacation was not structured, and I had a blast! 

I took that first "real" vacation with my then-husband. He was a hot head from Quebec, and well, you don't need to plan, so I went along! He taught me that planned vacations are fun, and after this one, I agreed. I have never planned a vacation since! 

We went to Mexico in 1980, and did not have a plan. We flew to Merida and stayed for a couple of days. Then we took the bus to Chichen Itza, where we would stay the night. The bus dropped us off at the site, and the only building in sight was a mud hut that sold Coca-Cola! That was it! No phones, no internet, no hotels. And too late for any other buses! We walked about a KM down the road, found three hotels, and stayed there. 

The next day, after visiting the site, we took the bus to Cancun, which was much different than now. We took a ferry to Isla Mujeres, where we planned to stay the day. We arrived at the ferry to see the LAST ferry of the day, halfway back to Cancun. Hmm—there was no hotel available on the island. So we found a new hotel under construction and slept in the kitchen. Then he got sick (stomach issues), and I spent the rest of the vacation at the pharmacy! But it was fun and I will never forget that vacation! 

My daughter and I took a trip to Europe, and we planned to stay five days in Amsterdam and one day in Bruges. We were not fond of Amsterdam (I'm not sure why, but it wasn't our thing that time), but we did manage to visit a few places, including the Anne Frank Museum (one of my top-of-the-list must-see museums). We left after one day and went to Bruges, where we stayed for five days and loved every minute! 

Another time, M and I took a bus tour in England to visit Stonehenge after hours. There, we could walk amongst the stones, which you cannot do during the day. We also visited two other places on the same day. While I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of Stonehenge, I HATED the bus tour. I constantly looked at my watch to ensure we didn't miss the bus. 

I have spent three summers walking the Camino in Spain and have NEVER prebooked a bed in advance. OK, I booked the final night on the third trip, but I could always find a place to sleep. 

When we went to Hawaii, we didn't book a single activity in advance. We got there, and we could book everything we wanted to do through a company we found there. There was always another company or another activity if there was no availability. 

So while I "hate" planning, it's because I want to be free to do what I want when I want. MY philosophy is that if you plan too much, you spend all your time trying to enjoy and stay on track, which I am not fond of on vacation. You want an extra day somewhere? If you have a plan, that's not possible. 

As for packing? I take ONLY the absolute minimum stuff needed. One pair of pants, two shirts, etc., and EVERYTHING is washable and quick dry. I carry only the necessary documents - a passport and a credit/debit card. Nothing more! So it's easy to pack the night before a major trip. Most of my travel clothes stay in a drawer and are specifically for travel. What I wear at home stays at home. So I open my backpack, empty the drawer, and I'm packed! I would NEVER survive on a cruise. 

I totally get that some people like to plan and pack long before their vacations, and if that works for you, then that is what you have to do. But I haven't traveled like that EVER in my life. And I ENJOY each and every one of my vacations. I've never had a bad vacation! 

As for our upcoming trip? I had to prebook the climb as you couldn't book at the last minute. It'll be eight days of backpacking up a mountain, with no buses to catch, so I'll enjoy it. As for the rest? I want to be super flexible when we get there, although DH likes a bit more structure, so we do NOT usually take vacations together. I am sure that day trips will be available; if not, we will wander around the towns all day, I'm OK with that. You cannot tell me that local people have their entire life planned, so if the locals can live without daily planning, then so can the tourists, and that makes me very happy! 

I am not planning a days-long wildlife safari. If you are there in a Jeep, are you respecting the wildlife? You are disturbing their natural habitat. Nope—I'm leaving the animals alone. Will it change my life if I don't see a giant elephant? Nope! I'd rather see the people and how they live! Can we go to a village and see how they live? How is that different from life in the city? I do NOT want to do the tourist things in most places! 

And now onto the regular blog post. Here's something to put on your calendar. I will be the featured quilter at the Buckhorn Quilt Show on September 5 and 6. I'm pretty excited about that and will be prepping for that event in July. So you see -- I do plan, because that stuff can't be done at the last minute. 

Featured quilt at the Buckhorn Quilt Show

As for my 60-minute-or-less project, I got the final three placemats bound! So that is exciting. 

Three placemats are done! 

And now all five are done. That initial placemat, cut from the border print, was probably made 25 years ago! That is just silly! But the fabric is entirely used up, and I can cross this one off my list! YES—I plan and make lists all the time! 

Five placemats done! 

I've gotten so much feedback about how organized my classes are. I LOVE to plan, just not a vacation! 

Well, I decided to do a bonus 60-minute-or-less. I had cut some binding strips for a quilt of mine, but wasn't sure if I could cut enough—the binding is very scrappy. So the rest of the fabric sat on the cutting table in case I was short. 

However, as I attached the binding this morning, I realized that yes, I have enough! There was about 20 inches left over, which is pretty good! I did not plan that. If I had been short, I would have simply cut more fabric, which is why the fabrics were still on the cutting table. 

Extra binding, which is always good!

It was a big quilt, but sewing the binding to the back took less than 60 minutes. 

Sewing the binding on

I have to prepare for my Facebook Live tomorrow. Yes, that involves some planning and organizing! The first step was to move the furniture around so I could set up both machines, my computer, and all the cameras. 

The film area - rearranged

I bought a new fancy tripod, and do you think I can figure out how to use it? I need to find a YouTube video today. I can see why that new camcorder is inexpensive, but it should do the job—no bells and whistles on it! So that's on the agenda for today—setting up and finishing stitching some samples. 

As we chatted through Monday Sewing, I mentioned that our vet is retiring after 53 years! Everyone said that I might have a hard time finding a new one, and I wanted one that was close enough to walk to. I stopped by yesterday, and there was no problem. We are registered, and the paperwork will be transferred. I'm not usually that on the ball about stuff like that, but all the files will be transferred before they close on August 31st. 

Of course, neither of the girls was too excited about that and would have happily foregone having a new doctor! No more needles!!!! 

MOM - we don't like the vet! 

Murphy was helping me sew yesterday! She's so needy! 

MOM - just in case you need help!

And she LOVES to lie in the mess, which she then brings into the house! I don't even bother sweeping every day. What's the point? 

MOM - I hear a plane

But when I was having my snack in the gazebo, she was back at it with he toy and the pond. Nothing went in, but she tried!!!

MOM - my fish needs water! 

Over the years, I have learned through many instances that my "laissez-faire" lifestyle is NOT for most people. Eons ago, I almost drove a corporate client to drink when we were returning to the Boston Airport, and the bus was late. He almost took my head off for my casual comment. 

I love my spontaneity! I love making things up if the original plan (if it existed) didn't work out. There is always a solution. I'm NEVER disappointed, as I had no expectations! Yep, each of us must live our lives as it works for us. But will I be sad about not planning a vacation? NEVER!!! There's always a silver lining! 

I get that not everyone can afford a vacation that allows them to plan and pack way in advance. But we have so many wonderful places in Canada to travel to that wouldn't require a significant cash outlay! Get in your car and plan some day trips! Those are very exciting mini-vacations. I've traveled to every province (multiple times) and two of three territories in our beautiful country. 

None of my vacations have been expensive. I stay in youth hostels and buy food from the grocery store. For breakfast, I buy a pastry from the bakery, not the cafe. I take one piece of luggage—a carry-on or a backpack! I go as light as I can. I have traveled many years in Canada by bus or bicycle, although I do fly more now. Only in the last ten years have I been venturing further afield more regularly.  

On that happy note. I'd better start the day because I have a lot of work to set up for tomorrow. Be sure to stop by and check out the Facebook Live (June 4th at 3:00 PM EDT) on Using Decorative Stitches in Embroidery Mode. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Misdirection

I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the posts about the YOUNG quilt history, and I have more to share. However, I must tell you what's been happening in my life. I'm not home! In fact, while I'm in the US, I'm technically not on the continent!!

So where am I? I was "forced" to get out of the country and not tell a soul, not wanting to trust myself or anyone else. 

What happened was totally spontaneous, and I mean spontaneous. To clarify that a bit further, DH and I haven't been on a vacation together for YEARS—possibly 15 - 20 years. It's an experience! And we NEVER do anything spontaneous - at least not of this caliber. 

M has been bugging us for months that we fly to Vancouver to meet her new guy. I've met him once before and got to know him by following his IG. While we've had opportunities, it's a challenge to coordinate our schedules with their work schedules, and it just didn't happen. 

When they said they would be in Hawaii (I KNOW!!!) for vacation with his family, we thought -- why not!!! We've known for a while they would be here, but very recently one morning, we looked at each other and said WHY NOT? 

And so the lies and deception started. To make it even worse, we are babysitting Bear!! So after finding someone (she's a gem, to be sure) to look at the dogs and the house, we booked tickets and a condo and were off. 

We didn't tell her, and no one knew. The timing was perfect for me, as I was supposed to be at a quilt retreat this week, so my schedule was completely clear. DH was doing business on the West Coast, so it all came together. Although I'm sorry to miss the quilt retreat, this has been a blast!

From their posts, we knew where they were—be careful what you post!!!! So we knew we were close to them, but we were not 100% sure. 

We planned to lay low for the first day and then call and surprise them. 

We went to lunch and found this "Canada" place among the foot trucks. 

Canadian food truck

 The sign says it used to be Tim Horton's. We thought it was pretty funny and had a great lunch. Then we wandered through the market on our way to find something I can't remember now. 

Imagine our shock when we ran into M!!!! No flipping way!!!! I didn't see her, but she spoke to DH—"Dad?" I said. We had an appointment and had to leave, and left the poor child standing there shell-shocked! What could I do? SHE ruined our surprise!!!! 

We wanted them to be together! So DH and I regrouped and then called her later in the afternoon. The poor kid was so confused!!! No kidding—her parents would never vacation together, and what the heck would we be doing in Hawaii? And more importantly, who was looking after Bear? 

We also did NOT want to interfere with their plans, but we hoped to meet up with them several times over the next couple of days. But on OUR terms!!! 

We've since had dinner and got everything straightened away. OH MY GOSH—what are the flipping chances? 

But we're also here to have some vacation time. We're right on the beach (well across the street from the beach), and it's glorious. 

One of the Maui beaches

I haven't been in the water yet. We had booked a couple of excursions, and between those and some walking, I'm exhausted!! I need naps and lots of them. 

Yesterday we went whale-watching in a catamaran, which was a blast. The first hour was great, and I was surprised at how calm the ocean was in the catamaran. Then the wind came up in big gusts, and while there were much larger waves, the catamaran was still a smooth ride. 

Whale watching!

And yes -- we saw whales! Not a ton, but enough to keep us happy. I was just glad to be away from quilting!!!! I didn't even care if I saw a whale. I'm so excited to be on a break!!! The month of March nearly killed me!

There are loads of feral chickens around here. I'm a bit surprised, to say the least. Who knew there were feral chickens in Hawaii? 

Feral fowl prowl everywhere - even the restaurants

This morning, we were up super early (2 AM) to catch a bus that would take us to the top of the Haleakala Crater (at 10,003 feet). We were at 9,763 feet. It was cold and dark. The road was long and twisty, but the bus driver knew where he was going, and everything was good. 

I brought my down sweater and a jacket, and they supplied us with big fleece-lined ponchos. Again, the weather cooperated. The wind from the previous day was gone, and the temperature was decent. It was still cold as we waited for at least 30 minutes before anything started to happen. I look much colder than I was in this picture. 

Waiting for the sunrise in my fleece poncho

This was a photo I took when we first got to the top. My phone did pretty well in night mode when snapping this picture. 

The inside of Haleakala

About one hour before the sun came up, the sky started to change color, and it became pink; then we saw purple clouds, pink clouds, golden colors in the sky, and then yellow. Before we knew it, the sun was "burning" the edge of the clouds like a lit piece of paper. It was a spectacular sunrise. Someone said a Hawaiian chant to honor the sun. Then we were totally blinded by the sun as it was bright. I had brought my sunglasses, but still!!!

Sunrise on Haleakala Crater

There were many clouds below where we were standing, and it was very cool to watch the sky change over the course of that hour. It was well worth the trip. 

Then, we were bused to a restaurant, which used to be a sugar cane plantation, for a wonderful breakfast. The meals are so good and huge that we seem to eat once daily!! 

And it wouldn't be a vacation in a new state unless I get a souvenir from Geocaching! I found two geocaches close to the condo. 

My geocaching virtual souvenir

We have some crazy excursions planned for the next few days, and we hope to see M and Dillon again! They are busy, and so are we! But that's OK- seeing the look on her face was fun, and I felt so bad about leaving her there, but she messed up the plans! Poor M!!!! 

In hindsight, I have to say that that meeting was meant to happen because both of us had no plans to walk that way - it just happened. There is a reason for that - I don't know what, but there was a reason!!! 

So yes, we'll get to spend a bit more time with them before we all leave. But right now? I feel like I need a nap—yet again!! Good grief!!! It's not good to get up at 2 AM, even if that feels right by my time at home (there is a 6-hour time difference). That means I should be going to bed very early here! 

On that note, I'm out of here. I promise no more misdirection!!! 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!!