The Quilt Retreat Post...Finally!

So, sometime ago, V mentioned that she was planning a retreat in Minnesota with a group of other blogging quilters. My little ears perked up. Oh, that sounded like an awful lot of fun. Holy Toledo! I had now idea just how much fun.

What a group of gals! Talk about talented and prolific! I mean, there is V herself, who whips up unique quilts at an alarming rate. There's Shelly, who posts stash reports on the hundreds (I am not kidding, hundreds) of yards of fabric she goes through in a year. (Stay posted on her site for the patriotic quilt she was madly sewing while we were there!) And Amanda, well everyone knows how much that girl sews! That's just on the prolific end! How this slow poke got invited to the big dance is still a mystery, but what a ball it was! We sewed and sewed and laughed and laughed, saw the quilt show, and then sewed some more. And the best part? It was the same weekend as my birthday! I haven't had a birthday this fun in YEARS!!!

Now, let's talk about birthday generosity. These gals gave me the loveliest quilty things, even a few from ladies I was meeting for the very first time. What sweetness!

This is the little quilt from V that looks awesome in my living room.

(Don't you love the quilting stitches?)

Here's a bit of Amy Butler fabric from Rene' (one of the nicest gals ever), shot cotton solids from Toni and Doris (a joy to watch as a powerful creative team and as truly supportive friends) and the Hmong applique blocks I treated myself to for my birthday. Can't wait to play with all this fun fabric!

Then, the quilting genius Shelly (yep, we had two Shelly's there) let me decimate raid her batik stash looking for a few extra blues and purples for my borders. I may have gotten more than a little carried away and she was nice enough to just say "Happy Birthday!", not "Get out of there crazy lady!"

Add to the mix Terry (who found the most fabulous Halloween fabric ever and I hope to see in NYC one of these days), Mary (who had the loveliest old Featherweight, calm presence and beautiful spiderweb quilt -- you can check it out on her banner) and Heather (who couldn't stay, but left the biggest box of fabric to share), and you have a quilting fiesta extraordinare.

Birthday + new friends + quilting? Man, I'd do it all again next year, without a doubt! (Yes, Miss Amanda, I'd even go running...or at least jogging...for short spurts...if there are no low hanging signs.)

p.s. Don't you love how Amanda's completed the red theme of her quilt?

Generosity: Soap and a New Friend

Ever since my trip to Minnesota this June, generosity's been on my mind. Throughout the trip, generosity kept peeking out, the first time with a new friendship and a bar of soap.

When I discovered Megan's blog some time ago (through Carol of Giraffe Dreams), I knew I'd found a kindred spirit. She posts about the things she is grateful for, her travels and favorite recipes (which look sublime by the way), but every now and then she posts some thoughtful reflection on a topic like, oh, Mercy with a capital M, and wham, I just want to walk right over to her house with a plate of cookies and have a real conversation. As I started reading, I hoped this girl would become a friend.

When I emailed her about visiting while I was in MN, I didn't know what her response would be. Talk about generous! My invite to meet for lunch was reciprocated with an offer of a ride from the airport, an invitation to stay with her and her hubby and another offer to drive me up to the retreat. At the rate she was going, I wouldn't have been surprised if she offered me her sweet puppy for company the entire time I was in the state! Was I ever glad to take her up on some of her offers! It was so fun to chat in real time, to eat her yummy food (and the excellent arugula/goat cheese pizza at Punch) and to see lovely MN.

Then, like good friends do, she taught me a lesson. Shopping in the cutest little shop, she came across something that smelled delicious and asked me if I liked almond. (Why yes, I do.) She started to tell me about a soap she bought that was almond scented and I immediately interrupted to say, "And you really don't like it?" (You know that something you bought that you just didn't love in the end, but you don't want it to go to waste and you know someone will love it? Mmm hmmm, I jumped right to that conclusion.) No, she LOVES it. She buys extra to give to others all the time, sharing her abundance. Made me wonder...why was my first assumption that she was offering to pass something along because she ended up not liking it? Yikes! Do I share only that which I don't like or don't need? Showed me again how joyful it can be to share the best. I can do more of that! Thanks Megan for the good example.

What have you been taught by a friend's good example?

Adirondack Daily Report

Dear Hermanacita-

Upon your request, following please find my report on the Adirondack daily. Suggestions included, in big sisterly fashion, at no extra charge.

When traveling by Amtrak, it is advisable that you:

1. Pack a lunch. Market manchego, local apples and fresh baked baguettes are much better than the pre-packaged, microwave-heated sandwiches offered in the (only occasionally open) dining car.

2. Do not, however, pack excess liquids. You will want to visit the lavatory as little as possible. Dehydration is your friend.

(Photo spot intentionally left blank. Your welcome....trust me.)

3. Enjoy the view. Farms...lakes...mountains...the surprising abundance of swimming pools in the Canadian suburbs.

4. Do nothing. When do you have hours to do nothing? Take advantage of it!

When you tire of that, kick your husband's trash at Scrabble.

5. Pack a camera with a speedy shutter. There will be (rare) occasions where the train will actually move at a fast clip...

...and you will want to catch those trainspotters striking modern-dance poses just outside of Albany.

(Do you think they are related to these S. Utah hoodoo dancers?)

6. Be grateful for a chance to get out and stretch your legs.

7. Notice things. Somethings will be right in front of you, seemingly mundane.


Other things will be un-photographable moments gliding past your window....gleaming copper sunsets...marshland swirled in foggy meringue...bold iron geometry of railroad bridges...diverging train tracks of ways not taken...golden glints of sunlight on a church steeple...curving tracks hugging the lake shore. You can't slow down, speed up, back-track, stop, use your flash or take another picture. Notice it as it just keeps slipping past your window, non-stop, the entire ride.

8. Finally, dream of your next trip by rail. Perhaps with one's favorite sister?

Respectfully submitted (with kisses) to a traveling kindred spirit,

(sspbt)

A

Hiking the Hudson...

What I want to remember about today:

That I really wanted to go hiking and we made it happen, in spite of... having to bail on the early hike, missing the train to the later hike, rushing back home for our hiking book and nearly missing the next train, and then discovering that the last train to our hiking destination was the one we missed. Grrrrrr.......but I remember thinking "it's going to be ok" and it was better than ok.

Going up....and up....and up...

Breakneck Ridge

All of the people scrambling up the rocks with us. Everyone seemed to be out on this gorgeous fall day!

Watching the mile-long train across the river, (or was it only a half-mile? a lively debate ensued), while eating a morning snack of bananas and Oreos.

Lots of talking with husband-o, as always...then a bit of solitude on the wooded trail heading back. Nice to stop for a chat, a hug and a reminder to root for the home team!

Go team!

The lonely, lovely stone architecture left from an abandoned dairy, especially all the arches of what must have been a beautiful, large multi-story home.

The light on the stream, the sun shining through the trees, the layers of color...sky, mountain, foliage...

The sugar maple leaves in town. (Right, Alexis? Sugar maples?)


Hot chocolate in town before we headed home, tangy-sweet Ida Red apples with ricotta salata cheese and watching the sun set over the Hudson.

What do you want to remember about this weekend?

M.I.A.

I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I posted here! Life just came up and living it was more important than blogging about it. This time has been.

Delightful...

...sewing with V & Shelly. Honestly, playing in Victoria's scraps and getting machine quilting tips from the amazing Shelly??? Fantastic fun! What inspiring gals! Thanks for letting me crash the party!

Bittersweet...

...going home for my grandmother's funeral. After many years with Alzheimer's it is a relief to know she is no longer suffering, but hard to know she is now completely gone from us, especially from my grandfather. It was wonderful to celebrate the wonderful woman she was and to gather with family (including my sister, who's been in the Caribbean! Hooray!!!).

Purposeful....

spending some time focusing on my home, including printing and hanging photos I like.

Creative....

plugging away on unfinished projects, a bit of sewing, some knitting.

Adventurous....

...going from this...

...to this.....

I think I'll be knitting more warm scarves to keep my bare neck warm this winter! Oooooh, it's chilly!

Reflective....

...attending a women's group, reading great books, talking to loved ones, writing in my journal a lot and thinking about the changes I am seeking. Good me time.

In any event, I'm home again, missing blogging and thinking of you all!

I'm Home...

making tortillas...

airing out camping gear...

auditioning fabric for a quilt back...



laughing at my funny cleavage tan
(ummm..my swimsuit might have cut just a bit lower than my sunscreen coverage did)...

and missing my family.

Have sunglasses...will travel

Husbando is finished with his grad school program (Wahoooooooo!) and so we're heading off for a little va-cay with the familia. I'll be scarce around these parts for a while. Hope you are getting in some good-time summer fun yourself.

¡Ciao!

p.s. Fear not Ms. V...the Pixie Dust block is all planned and will be sewn up lickety-split upon my return. I haven't forgotten you!!!

Home Report

Recently, I've been struck by the beauty I took for granted when I was growing up. It was just the way it was. Once I moved away, I saw that the "way it was" is not the way it is everywhere.

When I'd go back home, I noticed the way it had been all along. (I really DID grow up in a dry state. There really aren't TREES outside of mountains or parks or yards.) And I started to regard that little part of the world as unremarkable. "It's brown! It's dry! It's ugly!", I'd whine. "It's just suburban yuckiness for miles!"...etc...etc...etc.

Lately though, I am amazed at how beautiful it can be. Yes, the mountains may look dusty by August. Yes, there is suburban sprawl. And yes, you can see it all exposed as you whiz by on the freeway (unlike the towns tucked behind the East Coast curtain of forest), but wow, Utah can be beautiful! Wanna see?

I love the land where I grew up.
It is part of me.

Wordless Wednesday: Visiting V . . .

Connecting with home

I've spent more than ten years in the big city, away from my family and many dear friends. I totally dig living in NYC, but lately I've longed for my loved ones back home. Seeing them, catching up with them, hugging them and laughing with them earlier this month filled me up to overflowing! I felt so strengthened and reassured in my current path. Knowing they love me made me feel full of joy.

Want to meet some of the people I love?

My beautiful mom, who roots for me always, even when following my dreams takes me far, far away, and hermanacita, who makes me laugh, laugh, laugh....

My crawfish (even though spell-check insists it's crayfish) cooking Papa-Bear....(oh I need to post about our crawfish boil! What fun it was!!!)....

The Four A's (re-nicknamed the A-team on this trip) who were my constant high school confidantes, cheerleaders and conspirators....

My best college friend, who gives the most awesome hugs....

Sisters and mothers and in-laws....

A New York friend who is out West for college. She is delightfully smart, extremely funny and great company....


My grandpa, who is so deeply devoted to my grandma, even through her Alzheimers, and my grandma who I still love talking with....

My other grandma, who inspired me to start quilting and taught me how to bake a good loaf of bread...

A (2nd?) cousin (once removed?) who is my age and used to be a favorite playmate and pen pal. So fun to get back in touch....

And Hhhh-era, who has the most fabulous wit and had the gall to move to a place where you are worried about snakes and scorpions instead of subway rats and yappy dogs...

(Ok, this pic of us is several years old, but I was silly and didn't take a picture of us together this trip!)

And still, there are so many more people I wish I'd been able to see! (You could come to Women's Conference next year, you know! :) I guess it just gives me lunch dates and cousin barbeque's to look forward to this summer! I'm so grateful I'm connected to these people! They love me and pray for me...I can feel it!

Who fills you with joy and makes you feel loved?