Marie meet Shelley, Shelley meet Marie!!!

I know there are a lot of people who read my blog and while I mostly write it for my personal entertainment (what a silly girl I am! - but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree here. My Mom has kept a personal diary for YEARS and I mean YEARS.  I have off and on over the years as well - well this is my "personal" diary and I love to write it).

Anyway - a few people leave comments on the blog and people send me e-mails about the blog or they chat to me in person about the blog.  The FUNNIEST thing happened two days ago.  Here's some background:

Shelley lives in Ontario and had left a few comments on the blog while I was away. Turns out she is going to PEI as well and we just missed each other by two days!!!!!   Too bad.  Shelley picked up a license plate for me last year and has already picked up one or was that two this year?

Marie lives in New Brunswick and has sent me some e-mails while I was in PEI.

This morning, I get an e-mail from Marie that was HYSTERICAL.  Marie knew that I wanted the kit from The Covered Bridge Quiltery in Riverview, NB.   She just "happened" to need fabric and went into that store. A couple comes into the store and asks for the row by row. They are from Ontario. They start chatting and Marie mentions that she is getting a kit for CRAZYQUILTERONABIKE and guess who she was chatting to??????   Yep - Shelley!!!!!   What are the chances of that happening????   That e-mail is a keeper - I chuckle every time I read it!!!!   Thanks Marie and Shelley - I hope you had all good things to say about me!!!!  

A BIG THANK YOU to Marie who picked up the patterns/kits that I was missing from New Brunswick.  Marie says that The Covered Bridge Quiltery has ordered a license plate. It will be the ONLY one from NB so must get that sometime this summer. ACK - just checking the list and the one store that I didn't get to in Frederickton NOW has a license plate so that would make TWO from New Brunswick.  OK - Judy or Sheila it is YOUR job to get me those two plates!!!!   I think more and more stores are ordering after they see how many people come into their store to ask.  CRAP!!!!!


So yes - I made it home on Saturday. Here is how my day went!

I started by visiting the last shop on my list for Maine. Quilt Shop at The Rostay.  This was a little shop and I mean little - never mind that there was a long arm right in the middle of the shop as well!  It was part of an Inn.  I suppose I could have stayed there - I do believe it was pet friendly, but I was OK with the Comfort Inn. They had a plate and so it was on the list of must stop shops.  Matter of fact - almost every shop on that particular route I chose had a license plate. When it was coming down to the crunch of which shops could I get to before they closed, I couldn't eliminate them based on whether or not they had a plate so I eliminated them by WHAT was on the license plate.

Quilt Shop at The Rostay

The office of the inn - notice that nice quilt sign out front!!!!

In case you haven't been down this way - it is very mountainous.  Now not like BC, but I bet it would be fun to go and down those roads on a bike!!!!  OK - maybe down, I'm sure up wouldn't be quite that much fun.

A bit hilly!!!!!

 Back in the car - it is going to be a long day!!!!   A quick stop in Bethlehem, NH to get snaps of this amazing metal art work.   Check out the link to get more info. Or this Youtube video.  Or this. Here is the story of the story of the sculptures. Incredible. Just need a cool $5000 and a theme!!!!   How about a giant scrap metal quilt????   It's flat - that would be easy!

A bear made from metal scraps

Motocycle

A fantasy creature riding a motorcycle

A moose

Is this Robocop? or a transformer????

Lots of motorcylce and car  parts!!!!

Look at that tail made from chain!!!!

The sculptures were beautiful and I could see one in my yard!!!!   Can't imagine the cost - they were grogeous and VERY well done.


The good old US.  There were flags EVERYWHERE.  Yes - I know the 4th of July is coming up, but there were flags on bridges, on houses, stores - just about everywhere you could hang a flag.

US flags everywhere!!!!!

Next stop - my first quilt shop in New Hampshire.   One Stitch, Two Stitch. The store is in Littleton which is actually a fairly large town. Street parking and I had NO American coin so I hustled in - got my row and a couple of other goodies and I was back out again.   Found a neat pattern that I have wanted, but again too cheap to pay shipping. The poor store owner had another pattern by this designer on display. I asked if she had this particular one and she laughed and got it off her desk. She was going to keep it for herself, but decided to sell it to me!!!!!

One Stitch Two Stitch

Let's just say that there were so MANY of these stores that I would be very happy to shop at on a regular basis.  They were fabulous - had great stuff.

Seams Sew Easy

Couldn't find an on-line presence for this store. Got the pattern and the plate and I was off.


Next state - Vermont!!!!

Vermont!!!!

Again - lots of mountains here!!!!!  But of course - there is good skiing in Vermont

I knew by this time that I was NOT going to hit all six stores on my list for Vermont and forget about the two shops in New York.  Hey - better to have too  many than not enough. I cut two stores in Vermont and two in New York.   I'll leave for someone else to get for me!!!!!

A Quilter's Garden

 A Quilter's Garden was first on the list and NOT TO BE MISSED.  I loved this shop and could have spent a LOT of time there.

Hey Nancy - look at this bundle of prints that you would have loved.  Sorry girl - love you, but not enough to lay out that kind of cash!!!!!   But it would have been perfect for that pattern we are doing. Matter of fact - the pattern was RIGHT THERE!!!!!   Oh shoot - I should have bought it for the pattern in that magazine.   Well I am sure they do mail order.

Fabulous bundle of busy prints!!!!!

Quilt in the bathroom!!!!

That was a bit disappointing and is NOTHING like the stuff in the store.  Oh yes - a must stop quilt store.


However it was at this store that I was faced with a BIG decision.  You see - I often function in a vaccuum.  Yep - totally focused.  I realized that it was the end of June and I was in Vermont. And if you are in the know about quilting, you would realize that it is VERMONT QUILT FESTIVAL!!!!!!   Crap - I knew it was in Vermont, hadn't given it a thought and had no idea what town it was held in.  Essex Junction which wasn't far away.  It was about 2:30 PM.    Hmmmmmmmm

Little Sammy who couldn't have cared two hoots - just get me HOME!!!!!

Brochure for Vermont Quilt Festival

I weighted the information. $12 to get in. The show closed at 6. There were 85 vendors (perhaps they would have had their license plates with them?????). I decided to stick to my original plan.   I would have been rushed and NOT enjoyed the experience at all.  Maybe next year.

Now we were off to Stitched in Shelburne.

Stitched in Shelburne

Yes - I definitely want to get back to this area sometime when I am not so rushed.  There was so much to see and do, but I had to remain focused on the task at hand.


Then off to Essex Junction. If I can't visit the Vermont Quilt Festival, at least I can visit the shop in town - it was on my list.   On the way there - I saw this.............

Champlain Valley Exposition

 Now why is that important????   Because - look at this.............

Champlain Valley Exposition is the location of the quilt show!!!!!

As I was leaving Essex Junction, I was on the back side of this facility and saw the signs for the quilt show, but didn't stop to get a picture.

Yankee Pride Quilts

This is a fair sized shop and it was PACKED!!!!!!!  All the people from the festival. Not that I needed help or anything, but I found the shop staff seemed to be so busy being busy that they couldn't focus.  THREE tiimes while I am at the cash, I tried to ask a question and each time, the lady just took off to get something.  For crap's sake - I know you are busy, but she wasn't serving another customer.  It was annoying and I got out of there ASAP.

Bolts and Bolts of fabric on the floor

 The ENTIRE shop was like this and with all those people, it was very annoying.  You didn't want to walk down the aisle because if someone else came you were stuck.  It was WORSE than Ruti's if you can believe that!!!!    Nice stuff, but don't go there during Festival.

Three shops of six - I think that is it for me.  Believe it or not, I was getting shop hopped out.  I was tired of the winding little roads, I was tired of getting the dogs in and out of the car, I was tired of looking at fabric - WHAT?????   Yep - I knew it was time to head home even though I had another day planned in Ontario.

As I was heading to I89 to get home, I saw the sign for Colchester which was a town where one of the shops was located. I looked at the clock - yes - there is time - it is only minutes away.  Set the GPS and I was off. But NOT before I had to go through a ridiculous intersection.  A MAIN highway with two hills on either side of the intersection and a big line of traffic on both sides wanting to cross this highway.  There should have been a LIGHT!!!!   It was dangerous.  But I made it through and guess what - on my way back - I had to go through it again!!!!!!   ICK!!!!!!   BUT the store was so worth the trip.

Sunny Laurel Sisters

OK - that is two stores in Vermont I didn't get to, although I passed the sign for St. Albans on the I89, but it was 5:30 by then and I figured it was closed.

Getting on the I89 - MONTREAL!!!!

I had to wait ONE hour to cross the border. This time I get MRS. Interrogation.   She wanted to see the papers to the car which thankfully were in my purse, NOT the glove box because that would have been bad since there was no easy way to open the glove box. The front seat was jammed with stuff. Then she wanted to see papers for the DOG - I said I had one paper and one photo.  Oh - there are TWO dogs back there????   Hey they were not that squished, but they ended up sleeping side by side and no complaining. Then I got the usual - drugs, alchohol and WEAPONS.  Yep - let me get my uzi from under the front seat!!!!  BUT most important of all, she did NOT ask if I bought anything. Nope - so zipped through and then I was in CANADA!!!!!!!


Then I was on Aut 35. According to my GPS - Aut 35 didn't exist at this point!!!!!   At least the new GPSs don't say RECALCULATING when they can't find what you want.

Driving through the "fields"

The hills are gone!!!!!

This time I got hooked up on Aut 30 (the GPS called them Aut even though they are Autoroutes!)   For some reason, I was thinking the Montreal Bypass went north, not south!!!!!   I passed by St. Jean sur Richelieu where I first lived when I moved away from home. Then we passed Chateauguay where I bought my first house.  Oh yes - that area was so full of memories, althought this road didn't exist when I lived there. I am glad that I drove through Montreal on the way out and different route on the way home.  Memories!!!!!!


My plan was to stay near Montreal that night and head home on Saturday, but I was getting tired of living in the car and I wanted to go home.  It would be late, but I could make it. So we set the GPS for HOME.  The girls were thrilled.   I was thrilled when I hit Ontario - there is an onRoute right at the Ontario/Quebec border.  I have to say that ONTARIO has it right with these rest stops.  Everything you need is there - picnic area, truck stop, restaurants.  They are fabulous for travelling.

I was taking the girls for a walk when I noticed something flying around. Crap - what is that????   Crap - they are wasps/hornets??????   Then I look up and HOLY CRAP!!!!!!

What isn't right about that sign????

How about now??????

It was covered with hornets/wasps. The girls weren't happy and neither was I, but no one got stung - I don't think.   There was  a man standing there as well and we figure that someone threw pop at the sign?????  Not sure, but whatever - they were loving it!!!!!

I was a bit concerned about staying awake - I am not usually good after 10 PM and the GPS was telling me that I would get home around 2 AM.   We stopped frequently at the onRoute's to take a pee, get a tea and just walk around a  bit.  I had an audio book that I wanted to finish.  Please please please - DO NOT finish before I get home!!!!!

YEAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      onRoute!!!!!

Then we got stopped in construction close to Toronto - good grief guys - it is flipping late at night!  Yes - I know they work late at night to avoid holding up day time traffic. That took up about 1/2 hour.


My book finished about 15 minutes from home!!!!   How was that for timing!  


The girls were incredulous when we stopped.  Where the hell are we?????   Oh my god - we are HOME!!!!!    They were so good in the car.  They slept a good part of the way home and were just two little angels.  Thanks girls for making that part of the trip easy - just a hassle to get Sparky in the car - I had to life her each time and she is heavy!

Was so glad to get home - brought in my bike and flopped on the couch!!!!   Then I couldn't sleep so I had to read for a bit.

There you have it - my VACATION - well not quite - I still have four most posts to upload from the vacation.  I know - boring!!!!  And so much more.

I haven't unpacked the car yet - it was pouring yesterday and still raining today so every time I go out, I bring in one bag. At that rate - I might have the car unpacked in a month!!!   But at least I am dealing with each bag as it comes in.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!


PS - I'll be posting a recap of those license plates later today so if you are out and about - you will know what I have.


And don't forget to check out QUILTSocial.  I have started a new series for the summer.   Things for quilters to do while on vacation!!!!!!    It is fun!!!!    Click on the link above for the first installment.