A Long and Winding Journey

You know how some things are just too weird--and you think how they couldn't possibly be true? Well that's how this month has been. I was really excited to blog about some really cool stuff--when my laptop got stuck in a reboot loop--turning itself on and off every three minutes. Took it to the shop (an hour away) and they kept it for several days and I just got it back today. The unfortunate news is that the period key is not working correctly, so I have to stop and hit it several times to get it to work once. Anyone have any ideas how to fix it? I have taken the key off and spritzed with canned air but nothing is working. I will give the shop a call in the morning and see what they have to say.

In the meantime--see this fabulous horse? Yes, it's Electra, the 25-year old mare. And guess what? I rode her for the first time last Friday! She was so pleased to be working--she literally floated on air and pranced every step of the way The good news? I actually stayed on! We only walked, but her walk is very animated and she was ready to goooooooooooo! Unfortunately, she had me, a person who has not ridden in over 30 years! A good thing to remember? A cutback English saddle has absolutely NOTHING to hold onto! Today we fitted her with a saddle that fits both her and me a bit better and I have safety stirrups (just in case). And, yes, I was wearing a hard hat--next up is body armor! No pictures of me riding--too busy holding on and Electra is not happy with anything resembling a camera and definitely nothing to do with flash.


She is something else! She's also the one with the beautiful tail.


Sorry, Diane...I had meant to put you up before the horse pictures, but this loading of pictures in reverse of how you choose them threw me off tonight! Lack of practice this month, I guess!

Anyway, you've seen pictures of Diane's finished projects before on this blog, and you will not be disappointed here. Diane took the Hexagon Bliss class last year and just finished her piece--totally finished--bound, hand pieced and hand quilted.

Here's a close-up of the center block. The fabric selections were superb, and check out how accurate the piecing is. Great job, Diane!

Last Tuesday I was to present a lecture to the Thumbstall Quilt Guild in Marcellus, New York. I packed the quilts, dressed up in my fancy "going to lecture" clothes and took off for the about an hour trip. I got about 10 miles from home, slowed down for a registration/inspection check and then started accelerating again. I got about two car lengths when there was this funny (funny weird, not funny ha ha) noise; I pulled into a car wash parking lot and got out to look. After a careful search, I found that the serpentine belt (the thing that controls EVERYTHING) was fraying and hitting on everything. I tried to pull off the frays, but it was pretty much a lost cause. So I had to call my mom and ask to borrow the car! Needless to say, I was about 10 minutes late to the lecture and my beloved Jeep never made it home that night--the flapping belt had cut a radiator hose and caused overheating. So on Wednesday morning, my brother and I had to fix the hose and the serpentine belt in parking lots to get the Jeep home. The ladies of the guild were most gracious and I appreciate their warm welcome and good humor!

Okay, that's probably enough for tonight. It's very annoying to type with no period key!

Are you all remembering how special you are? These are trying times we are in--so let's celebrate the special in each of us.

Hugs to all,

Sharon