It Has Been One Of Those Weeks (Newport, OR)

Well, we managed to survive our four nights in the motel while our motorhome received its solar panels.  Now, we have plenty of power when we are dry camping. 

Solar panels being installed

Look at that innocent face.  Hard to believe that every night we were in the motel, this little guy turned into a banshee.  If the howling did not disturb us enough to please him, he would stand on my chest and nip at my chin or use his claws lightly on my cheek.  Just enough to make me roll over and cover my head.

Who me?

We packed up our cats and headed back to the coast.  This time we moved to Newport, OR.  All I can say is that I was very happy to be back in our motorhome and to get back to a normal routine with a couple of good nights of sleep, but little did we know that we were entering the SNAFU twilight zone this week.  It started with Dan falling off the ladder and landing on his bad ankle.  After four hours in ER, Dan has a sprained ankle with multiple fractures in his foot.  There's a chance he might need surgery to set the bones.  Hopefully, we will know more by the end of this coming week.

Shaun in Newport, OR

That was the beginning of a strange week for me.  After a sleepless night for both of us, I had to take the car to the Honda dealership to get the airbag recall replaced only to find out the part had not arrived.  So, I made another appointment for after Thanksgiving knowing our son Shaun would be here.

Wednesday, I was discovering mold growing on our wood panel walls and along the window frames.  About a quarter inch thick in some spots!   How fast does this stuff grow?  I have been using Lysol spray to kill the mold.  Usually I will spray some on a damp paper towel and saturate the area while cleaning away the mold, but the carpet in the corners also looked like it had mold so I started spraying the bedroom carpet.  The next thing we knew, an ear-piercing alarm sounded throughout our rig!  It was so loud that it was disorienting as to where the sound was coming from.  Not the smoke alarm.  We finally figured out it was the propane leak alert.  Wow!  There is no worry of ever sleeping through the motorhome's alarm system!

Yaquina Lighthouse

Thanksgiving day turned into a long one while waiting for Shaun.  He ran into very heavy holiday traffic and arrived after dark.  Which turned out to be a good thing because he noticed the dome light on in the car.  Yep, the light had been on since Tuesday when Dan had his accident and the battery was dead.  Lucky for us, Shaun had brought along a small car battery charger.  He had our car purring like a cat the next morning.

After dropping off the car, Shaun and I went to Yaquina Head Lighthouse to view the natural tidepools during low tide that I had checked the day before.  What I did not realize was that the tide wasn't going to be all that low and we could only walk the beach area.  At least, we had some beautiful weather and some gorgeous blue skies.

No tidepools today

The lighthouse did not open for a couple of hours, so I thought we would eat lunch at Izzy's while enjoying the view of the beach. OF course, it wasn't open!  We were too early because I miscalculated the low tide.  So, we ended up at Super Oscar's Mexican for burritos that were quite good and filling.  Just no view of the beach for Shaun and I to enjoy while we were eating.

Saturday was better despite the cold drizzle.  Shaun and I walked around the downtown area to view the marina,  and to see the sea lions.  The sea lions did not disappoint us with their entertaining barking 'move over' and 'stop moving, I'm trying to sleep here'.  Looks like they are quite happy with their new cement floats.  Beats the old wooden ones that were rotting away.

So, all in all, it has been a very strange week for us.  I can only hope that things will get better and Dan will not need surgery on his foot.  We will be leaving Newport early and heading back to Sutherlin for Dan's next appointment at the VA hospital in Roseburg.

On The Cutting Board

Before all the odd things started happening, I opened my shop with 21 new items with two of them being the quilts I showed in my last post.  Tis the season to find that unique gift, so I am hoping people will be stopping by my shop soon.

I have already mailed out four mug rugs since opening last Monday.

I hope the others will soon find a new home!

Well, time to catch up on my sleep so I have energy to do some more quilting.  It hasn't been that long, but I am already missing the touch of fabric and a needle in my hand.

Happy Quilting!

Signs of Fall (Sutherlin, OR)

We extended our time in Sutherlin for one more month while Dan wraps up some doctor and dentist appointments.  We will be leaving in less than two weeks.  After we leave here, we will spend the next four weeks bouncing between the Oregon coast and Eugene for upgrades on the motorhome.

The weather has cooled off quite a bit and we are seeing more rain.  Nothing like going to sleep to the sound of rain on the roof, right?  Rain on the roof during the day tells me: 'more quilting time!'  😄

Below is a photo of Dusty watching a feathered visitor talking turkey to Dan.

The turkey spent a good 5 minutes chattering to Dan.  We both think someone has been feeding the turkeys and this one was begging for a handout.  Or maybe...this one knows we are vegetarians and was asking for sanctuary.  

If that's the case, I'm sure Dusty would have put all four paws down to this big guy moving in.  😼

Dusty

Hitch ignored the turkey while

Hitch

Max sized him up and decided to stay on the far side of the car.

Max

On The Cutting Board

I tried all summer to restock my Etsy shop with no luck, but this is not a complaint.  No!  I stayed quite busy filling custom orders!  Just as I was finishing the binding on the ABC quilt, 

I received a request for two Owl mug rugs.  I mailed them last week, sooo

I was able to get back to sewing up some more Happy Campers.  I really thought the sales for Happy Campers would slow down by now, but people are looking for anything with campers on them.  Vacationing in your own RV has become one of the most popular family past-times.  The vintage camper craze is stronger than ever with renovations and camping.

And I digress.....back to my mug rugs.  They still need some buttons and stitching before they are ready to list in my shop so I should get back to my thread and needle!

Happy Quilting!

Waiting in Texas (Gordonville, TX)

Since my last post, we have traveled a lot of miles.  2117 miles since 8 October. We rarely travel that many miles in a short time.  Surprisingly, our cats did not complain about the long hours on the road.  They did want to explore each new stop though.  Sometimes that just wasn't an option with the overnight location.  Ever try to explain to a cat that it isn't a good idea to go outside...yea, doesn't work.

We spent a couple of nights in Williams, AZ.  A great little town within walking distance of the Grand Canyon RV Park.  We were a little worried about being so close to the train tracks.  It would not be the first time a train has woke us in the middle of the night, but to be this close really had us thinking we were in for a couple of sleepless nights.  Turned out we worried for nothing.  The trains were unusually quiet...quiet engine...only one short horn blast at the crossings...even the wheels on the tracks seemed quieter if that is possible.  Anyway, we had no problems sleeping.

We hope to return sometime in the future so we can explore more of the area and ride the train to the Grand Canyon.

 During our two day stay, we walked the streets a couple of times.  I enjoyed the old signs the most and took more photos of them than of the buildings.

 Next time, I plan to check out this gift shop.  Looks very interesting...

I did go into this shop....Of Course!  I could not pass it by with the door sitting open just begging me to come on in.  The Quilts On Route 66 was small, but fun to wander around and talk to other quilters.  

 

We stayed one night in Homolovi State Park near Winslow, AZ.  We stayed here a couple of times when we first started traveling in our old motorhome.  Great views of fantastic sunsets!

Desert Moon

I really miss the southwest landscape, so I was quite happy when we went straight into Albuquerque, NM (ABQ) from Homolovi SP.

I'm sorry to say that I did not take a single photo during our week stay in ABQ.  I spent a lot of time shopping, getting a green chile fix from Golden Pride (more than once), visiting with friends, and seeing our old haunts.  We even drove by our old house which was a big mistake since it is up for sale and falling apart.  Such a shame.

 We are settled in Gordonville, TX while waiting for our new motorhome to become available.  We have a couple of more weeks to go.

We could not ask for a better spot to relax and wait.  This is our view from the side yard.  Nice, eh?

On The Cutting Board

All summer long, my shop was very quiet.  I think I had two sales.  So quiet that I did not think to close my shop during our trip.  I just thought it would stay quiet.  It did not.....

Lots of Happy Campers!

On the very first travel day, I received an order.  I messaged back that it may take me a few days to mail since I wasn't sure how our schedule would go or where to drop off packages.  I am very thankful that she was very understanding.

New Apple and Owl Mug Rugs (coasters)

That order was the first of many during our travels south!  It was like the first customer broke open the dam and the flood of orders started!  I was excited and stressed trying to fill the orders on time.  I really did not want to close my shop since this was the most active it had been since leaving Florida.

New Southwest Vintage Trailer

With the long hours on the road, I did a lot of sewing.  All of the photos above and below are new listings.  Some have already sold.

Tea Towel, Ornament and Quilt

My fingers are crossed that my shop will see more activity through the holiday season.  During my quiet time, I had started working on some UFOs - 3 quilts and more mug rugs.  I need to get them done and listed.  Well, I better get back to the cutting board!

Happy Quilting!

Season of Storms (Bartlesville, OK)

I'm happy to say that Dan and I decided to leave Amazon.  The pay was good, but the last two weeks have been some of the most intense and stressful times for us.  We were transferred from stocking/stowing bins to the packing area.  We were enjoying our job in the stowing area.  I thought packing would be fun too, but the job is too repetitive, not to mention, very noisy, and was causing both of us some problems.  We gave our new job a chance and decided it just wasn't for us.  We asked managers and HR if we could move back or to another area with no result.  Well, it is time to move on.

USACE Copan Lake 

We plan to spend a couple of weeks in Tinker AFB near Oklahoma City, OK and then on to see our granddaughters.

Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley

After reading several of Susanna's previous books, I was excited to receive this one and started reading it immediately.  I was a little disappointed in her latest book and it took me a couple of months to finish because it just did not capture my attention.  The questionable paranormal or time travel activities that were so prominent in many of her books was lacking in this one.  A couple of times as the main character was walking through the gardens or getting lost in the mansion, I expected her to stumble into some kind of time slip or witness a scene from the past....but no.  So disappointing!

So the story is about Celia Sands who is named after a famous actress who disappeared in the 1920s from a beautiful Italian estate owned by her married lover and a famous playwright.  He has written a special 3-person play just for the first Celia, but it never makes it to the stage due to the first Celia's disappearance.  Alex the great grandson of the playwright decides to open the play on the very same estate and offers Celia's part to the new modern Celia Sands.

There is a lot of details about how the actors prepare for theater starting with the first reading right up to dress rehearsals.  Not my cup of tea, really.  And except for one Tarot card reading with foreboding warnings, one séance, creaking boards, and maybe hearing the dead Celia murmuring late at night, this was just a couple of mysteries from the past and present with flashbacks to the lovers in the 1920s that no one saw or experienced.   This was basically a murder mystery.

I preferred Shadowy Horses or Winter Sea over this one, but I see Susanna already has a new book coming out in April and it sounds like it will be more to my liking with more Jacobite history in A Desperate Fortune.  I have already pre-order for my Kindle.

In the meantime, I started reading Marianna  and I am already halfway through it!  My imagination was captured in the first chapter with the strange coincidences that happened to the main character over a twenty year time leading her to buy a house that she claimed as a child was her house.  Ohhh, and it gets so much better the more I read!  And that's all I'm going to say because I want to get back to my book...

On The Cutting Board
Before I go...
I did get a little ironing and sewing done since my last post.  I just love the way these two owls are coming out!

Happy Quilting!

Welcome to Amazon (Coffeyville, KS)

Alrighty then!  We made it through our first full week of Amazon. AND we can still move!  What's an even bigger surprise is that our muscles are not as sore as we thought they would be at the end of our first full week.  I am feeling some muscles, but nothing major....whew!  Switching to night work and sleeping during the day only took me two days of adjustment.  I was dead by the end of our second night.  I'm pretty sure I would have slept through a cannon being fired.  After that it was just a matter of dealing with tired sore muscles and hurting feet on the last two nights.

Let's do some exploring

I'm still not looking forward to working those 10 hour nights, but our new co-workers and their great attitudes make the nights go fast.

His Royal Highness has his throne

Even our cats are getting use to our new schedule as long as they get fed and get to spend some time outdoors.  Especially for Dusty.  He loves sitting outside.  We started tethering him with a 25 ft light weight cable and we could not ask for a happier cat.  We ask him if he is ready to come in and he lets us know by jumping into the chair while 'meowing' his 'no way!'.

On The Cutting Board

See - I am getting some sewing done on a few projects.  Setting them up ahead of time worked out well.  All I need to do is  pull out a project and start sewing.  I'm almost done with this witch.  She is now layered and being quilted.

I want to try making my owl mug rugs again.  I have re-designed the body a little.  I'm working on the eyes now.  There are four layers to the eyes so I thought this might work a little better.  Fuse and sew one layer at a time.  Easier on my fingers, that is for sure!

Of course, I am working on some new Happy Campers.  Here are two of them.  I did the paradise birds a little different this time and I plan to add a window box filled with flowers.

This is a new design.  I found the lotus design in the tattoo website.  I'm already thinking about using the same lotus design in a different setting.  

I don't have a lot to say.  I just wanted to let you know that we are doing well and even though our jobs are physically demanding, it has also been a little rewarding.  Nothing like getting paid for exercising with plenty of walking, lifting, pushing, and squatting.  The squats are killing me!  LOL!  We should be in good shape by the end of this year.

Well, it is time for bed.  It is only 2 am, but I should try to get a little extra sleep on our days off.  I will post this tomorrow morning.

Plus, I will have plenty of time tomorrow to do some more quilting...
Happy Quilting!

Knot What It Seams by Elizabeth Craig (Sutherlin, OR)

Knot What It Seams by Elizabeth Craig
This was a quick and fun read.  This is the second in a new series by Elizabeth Craig about a small southern town filled with some unusual folks - a sheriff that would rather be reading Thoreau than catching a murderer, an elderly driver thinks sidewalks are part of the road when she drives (pedestrians beware!), a mail carrier that likes to use people's mail to blackmail them....and then there's the quilting guild called The Village Quilters that is made up of even more quirky members.

The main and the more sane character is Beatrice, a recently retired folk art museum curator from the city.  She is also a new member of the guild, but a novice quilter.  She finds herself in the middle of a mystery involving dead quilters, quilters' with extreme competitive attitudes, judges with even larger egos and opinions of what they consider a show quilt.  In the meantime, Beatrice's next door neighbor and leader of The Village Quilters is busy trying to lure some of the best quilters from the other guild.  There was more talk of competing than quilting in this story, but I still enjoyed it....quirky characters included!  It would be a dull world without them.

On The Cutting Board

Speaking of quilting...here's what I have been up to for the last few days.  I'm almost done with the two owls.  I just need to quilt them and they will be ready to list in Etsy.  

Owl Mug Rugs

I finished appliqueing the lion to the Jungle Stars quilt and I have started working on the elephant.

I used permanent fabric markers along with crayons and some embroidery to accent the elephant and lion's face.  

And, I started working on the second quilt with the same design using paper foundation.  It certainly goes together a lot faster than most of my quilts.  I have three rows done within a short six-hour time.  That includes setting up and breaking down my sewing areas.

I had more of the focus fabric for this quilt so it will have six blocks across and six blocks down.  I don't have to worry about adding borders like I did to the Jungle Stars.