Several years back, as Halloween approached, my stepdaughter pronounced that Halloween was her favorite holiday. I thought that was a little odd. Don't most kids put Christmas at the top of their list? Or Thanksgiving, even?
So I asked her why, and her answer made me a wee bit nauseous. . . She said, "Because Halloween 'kicks off' the holiday season; once Halloween is here, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years follow right afterward, one after the other, bing, bing, bing!"
Gulp!
She's right, of course. As a kid, the Fall and Winter holidays pair nicely with school vacations, visits with family, gifts under a tree with the assistance from seven dwarves--or elves--or reindeer--or ??
As adults, that magic stuff fades a bit, and the rapid progression from one holiday to the next can equate to a fair bit of, dare I say, stress? I have a quilty suggestion . . .
A BooBonus for YOU!
In the spirit of Halloween, I'm offering a bonus--40% off--on Up One Side Pre-Cut Table Runner Kits.
Click on the image above, choose one (or more) of five different color-ways, enter the coupon code "boobonus" and save 40% on each kit you buy. Supplies are limited, free shipping (domestic orders) when you buy two or more. This offer ends at the stroke of midnight, Halloween night!
Happy Halloween, and Happy Stitching!
Joan
A few months ago, my friend Tink Linhart sent me a message. I met Tink and her husband Dick through Facebook, and actually got to meet them in person when I was traveling in Wisconsin last year. They are very active in a group, Quilts of Thanks, that makes and delivers quilts to military veterans to thank them for their service. The group of quilters get together on a regular basis in Wisconsin to make the quilts.
Tink contacted me because she has received a request for a quilt, but the recipient lives near New Hartford, NY, about an hour east on the New York State Thruway from me. She wondered if I would deliver the quilt in person.
Of course, I agreed, and went through the logistics to get the quilt and schedule a meeting. I enlisted Dave as the designated driver and last Saturday, off we went to meet Jack Dale, a 95-year-old, WWII veteran. His daughter Sue was also on hand for the presentation.
Jack is a Navy veteran, so the Storm-At-Sea block was very appropriate. We all got to chat a bit over fresh cider and donuts (Mmm, donuts!) We were treated with a few stories from the SS Washington, the ship on which Jack was stationed in the Pacific during World War II.
After sampling the donuts, on Sue's recommendation, Dave and I decided to venture over to the Clinton Cider Mill for some to take home.
Love the carved wooden door, and Yay! it's OPEN!
Yum! There's a pie in our future!
What good is a good old fashioned cider mill without a good old-fashioned cider press? Yup, got some cider, too!
You know how sometimes, one thing leads to another, and another, and another in the most unexpected ways. We left the cider mill and headed to the town center in Clinton, NY to find a place to have lunch. This beautiful house was a surprising find. It was once a home, then restaurant, and now houses the Alexander Hamilton Institute. It is an extension of Hamilton College. They host author lectures on a wide range of topics--a lot like bookTV. With Dave's interests in history, we went in for a look around. Neither of us had even heard of this before. A hidden treasure?
We left the Institute and wandered down the street for a really nice lunch. (It must have been Red Car Day or something!)
You know, meeting a 95-year-old war veteran, presenting him with a quilt that will provide warmth, comfort, and gratitude over the winter months, then exploring a whole new world only about an hour away from us . . . Makes you stop and realize how much there is to stop and appreciate.
And the best part of this whole odyssey--receiving a note of thanks, for a quilt of thanks from our new friend Jack.
No, Jack, thank YOU for your service, and for opening our eyes to new experiences right in our own 'back yard.'
Don't forget to stop and smell the apple cider this autumn. Just sayn!
Happy Stitching!
joan
Oh, man! Did I ever need to get away for a little down time! Do you ever feel like that? It's one thing to take a day off here and there or spend some time with family and friends for a day or two. But sometimes you just need to unplug and breathe a bit.
That's exactly what Dave and I did two weeks ago. Earlier this summer my friend Gail mentioned her plans to visit Cape May, New Jersey; that sounded like such a good idea, Dave and I decided to spend a week there after the peak tourist season to relax and celebrate our anniversary. Plus it put me right across the Delaware Bay from Lewes, Delaware and the Ocean Waves Quilt Guild where I had a workshop event the following week.
Upon arrival in Cape May, our first chore was to find a place to relax. These porch chairs at the Hotel Macomber seemed just the ticket!
Cape May is on the very southern-most tip of New Jersey. Basically, you are surrounded by beach and ocean waves on all sides.
Without sound effects, it's hard to describe the way the foamy waves wash up on the sand, then dissipate into soft-bubble sounds.
Can't have a shoreline without a headlight. We visited the Cape May lighthouse on a perfect late summer day.
Adjacent to the Lighthouse parking lot, a bird sanctuary is a peaceful spot of all kinds of water fowl. Look at all those swans!
Cape May is perhaps best known for the historic Victorian-style mansions and inns that line Beach Avenue. The entire town is filled with Victorian Inns and painted-lady private residences. . . .
. . . Like this one. While I'm not sure that this one is as old as many in the town, it's a favorite of mine! Love the purple! Even the gardens were filled with purple flowers! Purple is also a favorite stash color . . . just sayn!
As the week progressed, the weather took a turn. Fortunately, Hurricane Joaquin took a course well away from us. But some early weather predictions had it headed straight in our path. While we didn't get the direct hit from the storm, it left its mark with high winds and surf.
Cape May is known as a stopping point for many migrating birds. These swallows--hundreds of them!--took cover in the beach foliage, but got whipped into frenzied flight with the gusty winds. Amazing to see!
With the turn in the weather, it was a good opportunity to turn to some indoor sports. A stitchery store in town, Stitch by Stitch, had some counted cross-stitch patterns reflecting the Victorian feel of Cape May. I love it when I can combine vacation souvenirs and stitching . . .
Since we celebrated our anniversary in Cape May, Dave and I treated ourselves to some fabulous food!
You can find other quilters, too! A facebook post led to a warm beverage break with another quilty soul. Cathy saw my post, replied, then we arranged a rendez-vous. Very fun!
All good things must come to an end, and at the end of the week, my ferry ride across the Delaware Bay to Lewes, DE, was a bit wavy and bumpy, but efficient.
Speaking of quilty souvenirs, a quick stop at Mare's Bears Quilt Shop in Lewes during a break in between a really fun trunk show and fabulous workshop at the guild (really fun group--thanks for having me!) allowed me to find a some more beachy-quilty loot! I may just turn that cross-stitch into a small quilty wall-hanging with those seagulls . . .
The Victorian houses may not seem to go well with the funky seagull print, but they go with my memories of a truly wonderful trip quite nicely.
Happy Stitching!
joan
