hitting re-set . . .

My blogging missed all of June ... and a good portion of July.  And would be about 1,000 pictures long if I tried to catch up at this point.  Sometimes you just need a reset.

Welcome to my "re-set" post . . .   Who am I kidding?  I'll try to keep the pics to a minimum.

Life is going well.  Busy, but good.  I'm sleeping better (thanks to the second shoulder surgery I had in February ... which should hit full healing in about seven weeks) which makes such an amazing difference to quality of life!

Got a hair cut this past week . . . 

Got treated to an impromptu, in-home ballet recital . . .

Taught a "Handwork Pillow" workshop for our guild's Quilt-A-Caboodle event . . .

Traveled to Marco Island for my nephew's wedding . . . 

Spent an extra long weekend with grandgirls while mommy and daddy vacayed in Hawaii . . . 

And received this super-lovely Hawaiian quilty gift as a thank you . . .

Spent a week on the lake, vacationing with my hubby, celebrating twenty-three amazing years . . . 

Plus got in Nook time, did guild things, gardened and played with turtles, and worked.

Tonight is our July guild meeting; it's all about collaborations (which has been the theme of our guild year).  I collaborated with my sweet friend Gail and we each made a patriotic version of the twisted pole runner (I blogged about it here) . . .

It turned out really great ... I can't wait to see Gail's, tonight!  I also worked on mug rug samples for our August swap (summer and UFO themed) . . .

I'll try to do better . . . mostly for my own sake!  I miss be able to look back!  LOL!  But also to keep the photos under ten! (At least it was under twenty, this time, right?!?)

:)

it shouldn't be this hard . . .

I mean, right? I can't tell you the number of times I've pulled up this blog over the last four months (I'm not counting my 'Happy 4th' post!) and have just not been able to click "new post".  In fact, I just commented on another's blog that we go through seasons that just make it difficult.  So it's been.

I've been doing stuff . . . I've been quite busy, in fact.  But not really quilty/crafty stuff, though I've managed to keep some handwork going.  I finally finished (after only thirteen months) my strawberry candle mat:

And a wool flag:

And I think that's about it.  LOL! I said I'd worked on things, not that I'd finished things.  ;)

We've been out on the boat this summer, but not a lot; it's been such a rainy summer. But when we have gone out, it's been good!

We've enjoyed grandgirls . . .

And Friday I head out to California to love on my Panter crew! I'm so excited! 

Plus *my* baby turns 30.  I can't miss celebrating that!

So essentially I've jumped on here to wave hello and goodbye . . . I'll be back in two weeks and share some things on which I'm working (like orange hexies) . . .

And some updated pics of the Panter grands, along with all the stuff that's going on with guild and work and the camp, etc.

Farewell August . . . September is literally just around the corner!

:)

whirlwind weekends . . .

Y'all . . . whirlwind doesn't half describe the past two weeks! I was completely absent last weekend . . . but for very good reason!  Joc, Ellie and I traveled to the Northern Neck of Virginia for my niece Cecilia's wedding!

She was a beautiful bride and she had a very handsome groom, too!

The whole affair wore Miss Eleanor out.

LOL! This is post-wedding/pre-reception, while we waited for all the family pics to be taken. She perked up for the "party". . . she was very interested in the wedding cake. Her mommy was interested in the cream cheese mints we carried to Virginia for the party . . .

Poor Joc.  she had to travel 750 miles to get some more cream cheese mints!

We drove up on Friday, the wedding was on Saturday, and we drove back on Sunday. I'm telling you -- whirlwind. Monday was my baby girl's 30th birthday!

She is such a beautiful young woman -- I'm so proud of her! Speaking of which, I've been a little remiss in sharing something here. Joc has started up her own business called Pearl's Pegs.

Aren't these just darling? She does incredible work.

Ellie and Evey love them -- and already she's 4-6 weeks out on orders!  Yes, very proud of my girl!

Yesterday, Todd and I headed down to Shocco Springs -- the Baptist Retreat Center outside of Talladega, Alabama, for our annual Mission Service Corps Missionary Retreat and Training.  

We enjoy the beautiful grounds of the center *and* the great fellowship! Yesterday was also Kim's birthday . . .

She celebrated waaaaay far away in California -- the first of their birthdays to be celebrated out there! But Sawyer was not far behind . . .

He turned SIX years old today. Gosh, look how grown up he looks! Sweet fellow! Todd and I sang happy birthday to him and enjoyed some FaceTime. It was a bittersweet day . . . as much as I'm happy he's six and happy it's his birthday, it was sad to me that for the first time since he was born, I didn't get to at least give him a hug or kiss on his birthday.  *sniffle, sniffle* :)

I chased my blues away by doing a little shopping with Todd at Bass Pro Shops on our way home from Talladega. I got my first pair of Crocs!

LOL! These are so comfortable--why did I not know that?? Plus, they don't hit the scars on either side of my right foot, which are still (even after six years) very sensitive. Aaaand, these Crocs are really CUTE!  I may have to invest in a couple of more pairs. Haha!

I haven't done anything quilty in I don't know how long . . . and my stash report shows it, too.

Aaaah well . . . sometime in the next month or so I may get a free weekend to do something of significance!

I did manage to sneak enough time to cut out some Christmas fabric for another yo-yo ornament. I loved the tree so much, I'm going to do another one of those. I have the charms all ready to go, too.

This will make for the perfect slow Sunday stitching project!

Spring is finally making its way into the camp. As we drove up the drive today, I was happy to see that the daffodils were out in full force.

They have such sunny, sweet faces! We have one rogue yellow flower in the midst of the paler variety . . .

The little purple flowers are blooming all over the turtle sanctuary . . .

And the Lamb's Ear is starting to make sporadic appearances, as well:

And I do believe that about does it for me. A lot of pics and a lot of words...that's what happens when I don't blog for two weeks. I'll link up to Patchwork Times and Kathy's Quilts tomorrow! Don't forget to change your clocks tonight . . . Spring Forward!

:)

three and three . . .

In 2003, I had a whopping total of three posts in the month of September.  To be specific, I had a whopping total of three posts in the whole of 2003.  That was the first time I'd ever blogged.  Ever.  (My very first blog post was quite touching -- read it here.)  Who knew that ten years later, I'd still be plugging away at it?! 

To be truthful, though, some months I definitely plug away better than others . . . it's more than a little ironic to me that a decade later, in the month of September, I still have a whopping three posts.  LOL!  

I'll get back into the swing of things.  Probably.  In the meantime, here's a healthy handful of photos to entertain, edify, and educate!

Represent!  My Crimson Tide has played (and beat) Virginia Tech, Texas A&M,
Colorado State and Ole Miss.  We're 4-0.  Roll Tide!

I flew to NJ (via Philadelphia Airport) to visit one of my sisters (Sister #3) ... not a
bad way to spend a two-hour flight, right?! 

First stop in NJ -- Olde City Quilts.  It did not disappoint! 

Visited the lovely city of Princeton!   

Found this darling mini-bundt pan at my sister's local Homegoods.
This has been on my wish list for a while -- it was HALF the price!  YAY!

Ate well.  The. entire. time.  ;)

Then Sister #3 and I headed south to visit yet another sister.
Early morning sunshine selfie.  Waaaay early.  

Waaaaay south!  Remember the Alamo!  (We then traveled even
*further* south to Corpus Christi!)

We were greeted by Sister #4 and her oldest and youngest!

Meet darling Liesl . . . she is such a precious baby! 

Meet my brother-in-law . . . quite the entertainer, non?
And this was a quilt shop in Corpus Christi -- a lot of fun things there, too!

Three Sisters!
Please look very carefully ... those are actually bar stools we're sitting in.
I haven't completely lost my sense of propriety!
(But aren't they hilarious?!?!)
It was my idea to pose this way -- perhaps I have lost my sense of propriety!

Ferry boat ride from South Padre Island.  Hello pelicans!

Flight back home . . . totally inspired to make a "travel" quilt!

Welcome home!  My Todd is always so sweet!!

Free book that was waiting for me when I got home -- YAY!!

Not-so-free book that I got soon thereafter.
(It's filled with all kinds of lovely tea-party things!)

Put that mini-bundt pan to immediate good use.

Was given Ellie's high seal of approval.  ;)

Realized Ellie's grown waaaay too much!  Definitely not a baby any longer.

Leia, on the other hand,  hasn't changed.

Sawyer, James and I went turtle hunting.

We actually found FOUR turtles that day!  It was a terrapin record!

We also found some really, really cool mushrooms growing around the camp.

Seriously -- they both look like something you'd find in the
coral reef, not the forest floor!

Helped some dear friends set up the pavilion for their wedding at the camp.

Attended said wedding!

Autumn arrived!

Purples and yellows abound in the camp right now --
this is a favorite combination of mine!

And days like this make it hard to stay inside.  So I DON'T!

The end.

:)