Almost August - wow

  Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me on Sunday.  My first experience at the Pacific Northwest Highland Games.  Wow - drums and pipers, and kilts and dancing and dogs and cabers and games.  Great, great fun.  I highly recommend you consider it if you are in the northwest the last week-end in July next year.  My mother was a McLean, so I did come by this honestly.

Today was motorhome projects.  Pick it up at the service locale and then get it parked in its usual place (for at least 2 days)

Check!  Tuesday and Wednesday are prep. days for the annual Camping with the Grandmas trip.  And this year it includes my son and his wife and 1 year old, in addition to my daughter and her 3.  We've been doing this for the past 11 years.

Tonight was the last Dutch class until mid-September and tomorrow night Elaine comes home from her wanderings in Michigan.

We play lots and lots of different games at our RV outings.  And guess what I got for my birthday?

I have played this a couple of times with friends, so am excited to have my own.  We'll teach the kids this week-end.  Now you're up to date.  Happy summer.

Wow - where has the time gone?

Sorry to have been so tardy in posting here.  Nothing monumental, just lots and lots and lots of everyday stuff.  One RV week-end and a couple of sewing projects.  I did have a birthday, which was kindly remembered by many folks.  Thank you very much.  My friend Caro in the Netherlands sent a small parcel and included these cute egg cozies:

Aren't they such fun.  My friend Ronda came over and brought a gift:

It really is such a treat to have friends who play with fabric as much as I do and then they share their skills.  Lucky me.

I finished the next block on the (old) block-a-month quilt I've started:

I hope this turns out as cute as I think it will.  And Alayne brought me the last block for the block-a-buck project.  Oh so many projects that need to be finished up.

I made raspberry freezer jam,

and enjoyed a 1 year old's birthday party (such simple delights - a cardboard box)

and now you're up-to-date.  Happy summer.

We quilters are kind of silly. . .

It happens that we see a pattern and then decide, 'gee - let's try it'.  I saw this pattern at Bear Paw Quilting in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  They had done it all in batiks.  I liked the pattern and liked the idea, so did a very quick mock up.  I just dug in the scrap basket and cut pieces, 2" x 3 1/2".  This will square up to approx. 9 inches.

Feel free to give it a try.  Easy.

Today was a very pleasant 70`, although the humidity was high.  The rest of the week is predicted to be "partly cloudy".  Hopefully it will be good as we are at the ocean with our RV group, this week-end.

Some more photos

I know that Caroline likes to see pictures of what I've bought, so here are some photos of purchases from Buggy Barn:

Buggy Barn fabrics

Wool pin cushion - kit

Cotton pin cusions - kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you know me, you know that I don't usually buy kits, but these were just so cute and appealing - who could resist.

Then on the drive home, we simply HAD to stop at Coeur d'Alene and visit Bear Paw Quilting.  They have been featured in some magazines and is a wonderful shop.  One batik, a la my buck-a-block project, and then some patterns,

I see several things in the works starting really soon (after I finish a couple of things in progress)

The weather continued to be most peculiar, hot, hot and rain, rain.  We had thunderstorms 4 for 5 nights in a row.  The last night in Coeur d'Alene it started about 3am and continued unabated until after 9 am.  Hooking up to leave was something,

Soaked to the skin.

But the Columbia Gorge was just spectacular.  And now we're home for a few days before our next adventure.  :-)

More

Our week was most interesting.  We met gals from all over the U.S.  There were no tents, but there were vans and campers and Classes A, B and C motorhomes.  There are quite a few women who are "full-timers" meaning they don't have a home other than their motorhome.  Some work from their rigs, others are retired and now just travel around.   

We attended various seminars throughout the week and had a chance to visit with the vendors and see their wares - and even try a few.  [of course, we also came home with a few, as well!]  One afternoon Alice and I visited the local quilt store.  For such a little town, it was a very nice shop, with a huge selection of flannels.  I bought 4 different blues to finish the baby quilt for our church choir director,

and found a book of table runner patterns,

I really like making table runners.  They allow me to try all sorts of new and different patterns and techniques.  The one shown on the cover (if you can tell) is an autumn one with pumpkin pies.  You can do the same idea with a bit of change and have an apple pie runner.  Cute ideas.

Caro - you might be interested in 3 new quilt tops that I got while I was there.  These are all about 1950, made by my friend Laura's grandmother.

The major industry in Gillette is coal mining and on the grounds of the CamPlex are several full sized coal-related pieces of equipment.  As you can see, they are intended to be climbed on - great for the children.  We even managed to find a geocache on the truck.  More catch-up next.

Catching up

Phew!  We made it home with our sanity and wallets in tact.  The rig was left with a service provder for Warranty work and we brought the car home.  It was loaded to the gills, but we made it just fine.  Now the laundry has begun!  But back to Gillette.  We arrived on Sunday, July 1st in Wyoming.  The weather along the way had been warm, but beautiful.  Sunday was over 103`.  Our chapter had the responsibility of helping to park the attendees.  We had a couple of little golf carts to lead folks to their space.

Lush and green?  No!  But it worked.  The facilities were about 100 yards away and an easy walk.  The space was very large and divided into space for the vendors, meeting rooms and tables for sitting and chatting.  There was also a small meal provider, if one didn't want to use the kitchen in their rig or go out to eat.  Or, for that matter, didn't have a kitchen.  Quite a few gals came who stayed in a nearby hotel.

(Dinner at Las Margueritas).  Monday, via tour bus, we had a visit to Devil's Tower.  An amazing landmark.  It is, in fact, the remains of the center of a volcano.  We enjoyed a walk around the tower while there.

If you enlarge this last picture several times, you can perhaps see the climbers on the rock face.  Yikes!  Following these adventures, we traveled to the funny little "town" of Aladdin.  We visited the general store. 

Our bus tour then continued on to DeadWood, South Dakota.  I have to say that this was a REAL disappointment.  It is too 'cheesey' for words and all just as fake as can be.  Every store, bar, and restaurant (even the ice cream store) had slot machines.  They advertised table games, but I didn't see any.  Some fun architecture, but. . . . .

All the food is served with paper plates and plastic cutlery and plastic cups for drinks.  Been there, done that!  It was about an hour and a half return home (Gillette).  Next blog.

Westward, Ho!

Returning from parts HOT, HOT, HOT!  This is very atypical for we normally soggy northwesterners.  Suffice to say that we have survived, thank goodness for air conditioning in the rig, as well as some natural breezes and a couple of fans.  The rig has (we think) suffered a couple of challenges and we will be putting it into the hands of the service techs for a few days to do some touch up's.  I will see if any of the photos will upload,

Here we are in Three Forks, Montana, outside of Butte.  One of my most favorite places and a MUST-STOP along the way.  [on the way west we stopped for the requisite cinnamon roll and 3 different kinds of flour and some oatmeal.  Yum!]  Immediately upon leaving here we came upon,

a 2 hour stoppage on I-90.  No one knew what this was about, but eventually we were all routed into one lane and then off the freeway.  We simply followed others and hoped they would return us to I-90, which they eventually did, via Amsterdam (!) Montana.  With the temperature in the high 90's it didn't make for the happiest of drivers.  Because this slowed us down considerably, we did a couple of route changes.  Eventually we made it to our destination, the Camplex facility in Gillette, Wyoming.

There were approximately 190+ RV's at the facility.  All the parking was in these fields, but we had power, water and a dump station.  Not one iota of shade, but it worked well.  Much, much fun and more stories to tell.  [this poor connection is struggling so I will quit for today).  I will  continue the adventures.

Gillette, Wyoming

Having some significant connectivity challenges, so no photos (and thus a short blogpost).  This is such interesting country.  Hot - over 100` for several days running, one tornado watch and major rain and wind, a few mid-90` days and lots and lots of fun.  18 of us from the Pacific Northwest and folks from all over the rest of the country.  Hopefully this internet business will improve and I can post a few photos - already after-the-fact.  Received 3 antique quilt tops, visited the local quilt store, attended a quilt workshop - especially for women who do all their quilting in their RV's.  Will try again soon.