Feels Like Summer

We are enjoying a taste of summer here in the Northeastern part of the US. Friday night after work I went to my local nursery to see what was new and came home with a few plants that I couldn't resist -- pansies, geraniums, marigolds to name a few.

I spent the weekend outside working in my gardens. I have 5 areas around the house and yard to maintain not too mention the containers that I have on the deck and patio. Some of these will go into the existing gardens and some will go into containers on the deck.

I love this time of year when the weather turns warm and you can spend the entire day outside. I have to admit I did not spend all of yesterday working in the yard. I spent a few hours sitting on the deck reading Paula Deen's Memoirs. After we ate lunch at her restaurant, The Lady & Sons, in Savannah, we browsed through the gift shop and I picked up a copy of her book. It is a quick read and I am almost finished with it.

So as you can see, not much was done in the way of quilting this weekend. In fact, I don't remember the last time I actually sat in front of my machine and sewed. I have been doing some handwork but not as much as I should given all of the projects I would like to do! Perhaps I will sit on the deck tonight and do a little handwork before it gets dark.

Happy Stitchin'

Beaches, Bars and Boats (oh and a few lighthouses)

Yes it has been awhile since my last post but I have a good excuse this time . . . I was away on vacation for 12 days and busy planning and preparing for it prior to leaving. Okay so it sounds like the dog ate my homework excuse but I really was away for 12 days. We were fortunate enough to go to Key West, Florida and spend a few days with my brother and his family. If you have never been to the Florida Keys, you need to go. The drive from Miami to Key West is unbelievable. At some points there is only water on either side of you. The remains of the Flagler railroad tracks are still in place next to the road that transports millions to a tropical paradise. Of course the journey to Key West would not be complete without a stop at the Cape Florida Lighthouse on Key Biscayne.

Key West is known for its bars and nightlife. On the last night we went to Hogsbreath Saloon for a few drinks and a bite to eat. There were people from all generations -- the 20 somethings to Baby Boomers . . . I was amazed at the diversity in age.

One night we took a sunset cruise on a clipper and helped lift the sails -- the sunsets in Key West are breathtaking.

A few more lighthouses -- Key West and Hillsboro Inlet

In all we saw 13 lighthouses in the Florida Keys, Georgia and South Carolina. We were able to climb to the top of 6 lighthouses. Hunting Island, SC is the only historic lighthouse that is open to the public. It is also almost an hour off of Route 95. DH was not a happy camper as it delayed our trip home by several hours.

I had intended to complete lots of handwork during our trip but the best laid plans of mice and men . . . I did make significant progress on my knitted shawl. Had I remembered the last skein of wool, it would have been finished! I also made some progress on my Halloween redwork. I have 3 completed and a fourth almost done. There are nine in total and I am trying to decide whether to stop now and make a wall hanging or continue to stitch all nine blocks to make a quilt. So many projects, so little time . . .

Happy Stitchin'