One more week

I have been busy since my last post trying to have a few more pieces to take up to Seattle next week. I have also been looking around my house for existing quilts I could include. So here is what I will be throwing into the exhibit just to fill the room. I do wish I knew if people were enjoying my work or interested in any...

I finished the new Sea Turtles late yesterday and I felt like crying I was feeling so burned out. Timothy said working under pressure tends to do that and I agree. I am going to clean and oil my machine and cover it up for a while. I need to take a break and do other things until it feels like it will be fun again for me. I can't help wondering if selling something is so important to me to validate myself as an artist...or do I simply want to have money of my own.  I have realized I do not possess the business skills it takes to make my art lucrative and its time to let it go. Thanks for listening to all my artist frustrations over the past year...

Last weekend we made a trip up to Idyllwild to hike a bit and listen to the Jazz Festival going on. It was a beautiful day and lots of people in town. Our hiking was a bit of a bust because there was so much soft ground cover we did nothing but slip and fall going down the mtn. J thinks he might have broken a rib again on one of his falls. We decided from now on we hike on trails and no more bushwhacking! The other sad part was there wasn't a drop of water in Strawberry Creek when we reached the bottom. No wonder there are so many fires this year...so dry.

The hikers!

Lily Rock

This was Strawberry Creek last year...

We have one more week before we leave for our NW and Canadian vacation and we are feeling so ready.  No I have not packed but I have been going thru my closet wondering what to wear. The temps are going to be about 40-50 degrees cooler so we need to layer and be creative in our choices. Not much room for bulky items since we are traveling like airline people with one under-your-seat size suitcase. Ugh. I cannot wait to be on the train sitting back enjoying the scenery and the gentle rocking of our car! We are such train people I cant think of a better time!

this will be us ...only clearer!

 Speaking of train people, Rande just proved once again he is our son and trained from Seattle to San Francisco.  He spent a few days and then jumped the rails for Denver. We just chuckle at the time he spends getting somewhere sitting in a big old chair. How wonderful he enjoys the journey more than the speed to arrive at his destination. Ah the good old days when travel was part of the adventure and still enjoyable.

J called me from the road to tell me Bryan Adams was on a billboard coming to perform nearby. By the time he arrived home I had these waiting for him! Bryan is coming the week of our 32 anniversary and no one sings love songs like Bryan. We both love his music and he puts on a great show so its the perfect anniversary gift. Oh boy!! I floated around with a smile on my face for hours just feeling lucky!

I rotated them but it wouldn't stick...!!

J has been busy with some putzing projects and his portable AC allows him to hang out in the man cave. Its been back up around 110 and off and on muggy. Will summer ever end?!? Even our pool is in the 90s and less than refreshing at this point.
 This is his latest project...replacing the shower curtain in our guest bath with clear glass doors. The poor guy has come up against the same old problem as every home improvement we attempt.  They slapped up this development and never cared about the workmanship. So he has a tile raised up right where the track goes and needs to grind it down.

Before

problem tile

I was hoping to have the finished photo for you but so many trips to the hardware store has slowed down his progress. Maybe today...!

 UPDATE!!
Well today didn't go as planned. I was standing in the tub slanting the first door back so J could install 2nd door. As he carried it from its packaging to the bathroom without touching a thing it absolutely exploded. It was so shocking and loud just like being in a movie. Glass flew everywhere and we both were bleeding from the force of the glass hitting us. Okay I only had a little slice but J needed bandaids since he was holding it. It has taken an hour for him to get up all the glass and still not done. Not sure where we go from here but hopefully Home Depot or the manufacturer will cover it. It had to be flawed and carrying it tweaked the weakness. Poor J..nothing has gone right with this job and he was almost done. If you dont look at the floor you can actually see how nice its going to be right?! I quickly went in and made his favorite chocolate pie to ease the pain...such a good wife right?!

I had the pleasure of accidentally stepping on a bee this week and its been interesting. My foot began to look like one of Fred Flintstone's and was itchy and achey. All from a tiny little bee....
Last year we kept saying 'all from a tiny mosquito!' Goes to show size doesn't reflect the ability to take you down!

Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful day!