On the way I spied.....

I sure wish I were playing car bingo yesterday because I saw lots of stuff on my drive to and from Cannington. 

First, I want to say that this guild is small, but it's MIGHTY. The number of quilts that came in for show and tell and were then donated to their Outreach program was astounding! 

Some members were given blocks or panels and "had" to make something from them, and they were outstanding! 

And they very warmly received me, and I had oodles of great feedback. Of course, I never seem to have business cards with me. So I now have business cards in my little pouch! 

And someone asked me if I knew anyone in the guild. I didn't, until I started speaking and spotted someone from my old guild in the audience. We had a great chat during the break! 

What did I see on my way there? The trip was a bit uneventful, but I did make some observations. Remember, I don't get out much and drive these days, so even the small things were exciting. 

• The number of times that I got an alert on the navigation system about police! Good grief! 
• Passing through a small town (Udora) where my cousin lives. And when I had looked it up on the map a couple of years ago because I had something for them, I said - that's too far out of the way to drive! So I sent it by post. 
• The devastation of the trees near Cannington. They got walloped, and some substantial branches and trees were damaged. Loads of branch debris lined up ready for pickup. 
• I arrived early and spotted an old foundry by the river with a cool stone building, and behind that was a large work area. Anyone into converting it into a massive sewing space? 
• I stopped and took a picture of the high school as one of my Monday sewing group went to high school there. 
• And I stopped to take a picture of a house where another member of the Monday group's grandparents had lived. 
• On the way home, I spotted a grass fire along the highway, and there was a ton of smoke! But traffic didn't slow down. 
• Gas prices were $121.9 a liter - they were practically giving it away!
• I had ZERO pain twinges in my leg and back. A miracle!
• It was a glorious day with blue skies and warm temperatures. 

And there you have it - my trip! I didn't get back until almost dinner time - I knew it was going to take a good chunk of the day, and that was OK. It was very fun that their meeting was in the afternoon! 

But while I was on the road, a single phone call changed something, and well, I decided to go with it. That meant that when I got home, my entire evening was spent on getting things done. More on that tomorrow. Dare I say that I'm caught up on my email? Wait -- that's not true. I'm caught up on the urgent stuff, I hope!

All the follow-ups are done, and the upcoming two significant events I'm organizing are under control. The magazines are still on the floor, and they'll stay that way for a few days.

After I got home, I shuffled off to vote. I don't know all the details this morning, but that was a close election. I'm not comfortable with that, as it could lead to a lot of infighting and a struggle to maintain power, rather than actually governing. Let's see what happens. 

These girls could have the run of the backyard for the entire day, but the walk is the most essential thing in their lives! And Miss Lexi is starting to get aggressive. She is waiting at the front door and is pushing ahead of Murphy. So that's a good and bad thing! 

MOM - we need our walk NOW!

You probably can't see in this picture, but you can. Look at that green tinge! The leaves are here, and soon the coverage will be in full bloom, and let the forest bathing begin! But even the bare trees are calming. 

The leaves are bursting out

During the Virtual Retreat, I managed to take the binding off one of the bedspreads I purchased. I'm going to make a jacket from it. It's hideous, and the batting is very puffy in some spots. But I'm going to use this as my sizing sample. And I'm also going to experiment with seam finishes, etc. So it will be perfect for that. Then, when I get things perfected, I can use one of the nicer ones and make an actual jacket that I'll wear. 

The binding is off the bedspread

I visited the thrift store the other day and spotted a few things that I might like to buy. I didn't have my wallet or my shopping bag with me, so I didn't buy anything. But look what I found!!! Yes - it seems appealing until you touch it. Can you guess what it's made of? 

Pretty to look at, but not to touch

Yep - it's Phentex! That afghan will live forever! 

I found some books that may or may not be missing from my "to be read" collection, but I'm not buying them if I already have them, so I need to do some checking before making a trip back and hoping that no one else buys them. 

Before I left in the morning, I had to collect all the quilts. It's super easy to do that since I have a PowerPoint presentation, and I used that to gather the quilts. To carry them all downstairs would be a tremendous job, so I literally tossed them over the railing. So much for the white glove treatment! Don't worry - I only do that with my quilts! 

And the two suitcases are ready to be packed. 

Packing for the presentation

In addition to those on the floor, I had this pile in the kitchen. 

More quilts to pack

And this pile in the living room. Remember, there is an ottoman underneath all that. 

And even more quilts

And they all fit into the two suitcases! I've got this process down pat. Let's say that neither of those suitcases would meet the weight restrictions on an airplane! I can barely get them in the car, but I do. 

Now to shut them - it's easy!

I also had a tote bag with some books that I used for this presentation. And I pulled one quilt off the wall that I don't like being folded up. And it would not fit anyway. Did you notice that Murphy was waiting by the door? She wanted to come! 

Ready to load the car

When I got home, I unpacked everything, and I need to take some time to put it all back on the shelf in the proper place. I also need to start sorting out what I want and don't want. 

I see Miss Lexi is enjoying the great outdoors. She slept outside all night. I swear she was in the house!

Well, the clock is ticking and I must run! The magazines are going to have to wait! 

Subconscious: You are running away from this!

Me: I am NOT! Something else came up!

Subconscious: Denial! You're in denial! 

Me: I am NOT! I didn't give one thought to those old magazines yesterday!

Subconscious: I told you so! 

Me: Take a hike! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!