Summer Days (Tucson, AZ)

I feel like summer has just started.  I actually pulled out my t-shirts and capris.  So nice to wear light-weigh summer clothing even if it is just for a little while.  I hear Patagonia is getting down to the low 50s at night....darn.  Oh well.

We have been busy this week doing a lot of shopping.  Stocking up for our winter stay at the preserve.  Of course, we can drive back to Tucson anytime, but we prefer not to do that very often.  

I did a shopping trip to Joann's during the Columbus Day.  So many items on sale for 50% off really made it hard for me to stay on course with my shopping list.  My main item was to buy a new OttLite bulb that usually goes for $34.99.  Pricey, but I have had this one bulb for over 6 years.  Not to mention, it has saved my eyesight. Lucky for me, Joann's had it for half price!  Yea!  I also stocked up on batting and a few other quilt-y items....okay and some fabric.

I also stopped by Trader Joe's and stocked up on a few staples like my favorite peanut butter, almond milk, and a variety of nuts.  We have also made trips to Walmart (of course), Target, and grocery shopping.  I am enjoying the warmer weather so much that I made some Quinoa Tabouli with fresh parsley for a quick snack.  Delicious! 

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 1/2 cup parsley

1 cucumber

3 medium tomatoes

1/3 chopped green onions

2 tsp. dry mint

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

On The Cutting Board

During the last couple of weeks of travel, I have been keeping myself entertained with embroidering a new project from "All Creatures Great and Small" by Natalie Bird.  Aren't they adorable?  They are so tiny (4.5x7in) that I can finish one block within two days.  Once I have finished all of the blocks, I will add them to a quilt. 

Owl and the Pussycat

Elephants

Goldfish

Oh, and I do plan to start working on some more Snowmen soon

The Devil's Puzzle: A Someday Quilts Mystery by Clare O'Donohue


I finished the last of the Someday Quilts Mystery series.  I hope Clare plans to write more.  I really enjoyed the quilt talking as well as the murder mystery.  This time Nell has been volunteered to organize a quilt show during Archer Rest's anniversary celebration.  I thought this can get quite interesting since I have never seen behind the scenes of preparing for a quilt show.  Even though it was fun to read, there wasn't a lot of detail on the setup.  I did like the visions of quilts hanging from the store fronts.  Sounds familiar, doesn't it Sisters?

Of course, having a body dug up in her grandmother, Eleanor's backyard was a big distraction.  I actually found this mystery a little slow compared to the previous books.  I think part of it was that Nell wasn't fighting with the Chief of Police and she did not seem very interested in solving the case.

I did finish it and I did enjoy the story.  Most of all, I loved a couple of things Claire wrote about quilters and quilting.  Here are my two favorite quotes:  "It is our meditation, our therapy, and our connection to the soul."   "We are all joined by a love of needle and thread, by the usefulness and the beauty of a quilt, and by the friendships that form because of it."
Happy Quilting!

The Double Cross (Pacific City, OR)

Travel Day!  We are moving south to Newport, OR.  We spent time at this RV park before and I loved it.  We will be close to the beach again and near place to explore.

Robin is getting some tail wind.

Here are a couple of photos of the wild rabbits in this RV park in Pacific City.  Don't they look like domestic rabbits?

How cute am I?

I bent down to watched them and even the babies came hopping up to me.  Of course, they were looking for a handout even though someone has fed them already.  They are so cute!

Baby bunnies everywhere!

And here's a couple of beach views.  This one looks towards Pacific City and the tall dune we have to climb over to get to town.  Yea, we decided it was easier to take the car and not fill our shoes with sand.

The one below is part of the dune.  People are all over this area, but I'm not so sure I want to crawl around on the rocks.  I'll stick to taking pictures..

A walk on the beach

Sigh....It is going to be hard to go back to Arizona after a summer on the NW coast.

The Double Cross: A Someday Quilts Mystery by Clare O'Donohue

I am so in love with this series!  I hope Clare plans to write many more Someday Quilts Mysteries!  I barely finished this one and I am already reading The Devil's Puzzle: A Someday Quilts Mystery.

Nell, her grandmother - Eleanor, and Suzanne have been asked to help with the opening of a new quilt resort.  How exciting!  While Suzanne teaches a class, Eleanor will help with opening a quilt shop at the resort.

This one is filled with so many twists it was amazing I could keep them straight.  I figured out the killer quickly, but Clare did a wonderful job of making me doubt myself.

One thing that was addressed in this story was some men's attitudes towards quilters and getting asked that most irritating and condescending question:  Why cut up perfectly good fabric and sew it back together?  I usually answer with I make them prettier and more useful.  Who wants to wrap themselves in a couple of yards of cotton on a cold winter's night?

Lots of quilt talk, bizarre happenings, strange characters, and a murder to solve keeps this story moving in constant motion.

Happy Quilting!