Renewal

How much fun can one girl have in one weekend?

Thursday - picked up Nane and headed for retreat at Montreat.  Somehow we missed all the storms and pulled in just in time - set up and started sewing!

I worked on chicken blocks all weekend.  These Buggy Barn blocks are going to become a king sized quilt for a friend in California.  I'm loving them myself!


Thursday night was dinner at Black Mountain Bistro with Quiltteacher and Quiltkeemosabe.  I think we laughed more than we ate.

 
Friday - I had planned on sewing all day but Theresa informed me that Carolina Foam and Fabric had flannels and I need a flannel for the t-shirt quilt back.  So, Quiltteacher and Quiltkeemosabe and I head into Black Mountain again.  I found an orange flannel that will work perfect.  Then, they "made" me drive to Asheville Cotton Company.  I found camping fabric that I thought I could use to bribe my brother into doing some home improvements for me.

It worked.  He's coming over in a couple of weeks.  How much he gets done will influence how big his camping quilt becomes.

Saturday - We hiked.  I hadn't really planned on it because I haven't done much of anything other than walk around the neighborhood since my bike wreck last year and I figured I wouldn't make it to the top because I am out.of.shape...big time.

But we hiked and I made it to the top.  Boy, that made me feel good.  (Of course, now, I can barely walk - my leg muscles have staged a mutiny.)

We got back to the lodge, ran through the shower and six of us piled into Mrs. Goodneedle's land yacht and headed back to Asheville - first for lunch at Neo Cantina then back to Asheville Cotton Company.  The riding arrangement was a little rough on Nane but, hey, gas is $4 so it was worth it.  (Easy for me to say...)

Sunday - Nane and I left early and met the husbands at Merlefest.  I had never been and David hadn't been in 18 years.  It was too much fun - hanging out with friends, watching people, looking at vendor stuff, listening to incredible music.  I sat in my lawnchair and heard Scythian, Marty Stuart, Dougie MacLean, Red June, Sierra Hull & Highway 111, and best of all Alison Krauss & Union Station.

The downside - no shade, no hat = fried me.  Really.  Fried.  Even with gobs of sunscreen.

I'll live.

It was beyond worth it.

Happy Thoughts

I make a lot of quilts.

A lot.

Most of them are unassigned when I make them.  I'm just making them because I can't seem to help myself and it keeps me from prowling around...

running amok....

reeking havoc...

causing mayhem.

Instead, I'm sitting at a sewing machine usually listening to an audio book, letting my mind run amok.

It's just safer that way.

Occasionally, I'll make a quilt for someone specific...which was what I was doing this weekend.

My best friend from high school has two wonderful daughter's.  The older is getting married this summer to an equally wonderful man.  They sent me their college t-shirts so I could make them a quilt for their wedding present.

What I found as I cut their shirts up and turned them into quilt blocks was that instead of my mind prowling around looking for trouble, I was very focused...

on these two people...

wishing them the best of life together...

praying for their happiness...

and knowing they are grounded in God's love where all things are possible.

Easter Fun

There's never a dull moment...

getting buried in the sand....

building sand forts...

digging great big holes...(yep, this is the wild child right here...)

dying Easter eggs...

Shelby even got one...(no, she didn't get to eat it...sad but true)

posing for goofy photos for Grandmother...

So...here's what I got done even with all that craziness...mostly while sitting on the deck watch those three monkeys play on the beach...periodically yelling..."GET OUT OF THE WATER, YOU GOOFBALL!"


 a jellyroll race quilt...

scrap pinwheels made from the corners cut off my Swoon quilt...

a Trip Around the Garden, the smaller variety...

scraps left over from a signature quilt (inspired by Nancy)...

a wool kit from Shakerwood Woolens.

And before you scream at me, I only had the binding left to do on all these...so put away that voodoo doll!

Happy Easter

The first few years that there was a sunrise service at Holden Beach, there were only a handful of folks that would meet in the parking lot of the fishing pier.  There were so few that there was no need for a sound system and there was enough coffee and doughnuts for everyone.

Now, there are no coffee or doughnuts.  There are just too many people making their way in the dark to the beach to  stand in whatever weather there is...this year there were high winds....but never rain.

The sun always rises.

Instead of standing in the parking lot, the preacher and choir have a spot built into the pier so everyone can see them and hear them....even when the wind interferes with the sound system.

I am amazed at the shear number of people that show up.

It is a testament in itself.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!