I Needed a Vacation from my Vacation

As I wrote the title of my post I thought of the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it!”  I felt I needed a vacation so badly because I was sick of winter and the cold, nasty weather/air here in the Salt Lake Valley.  I felt as though it had been nose-to-the-grindstone sewing and cooking and housework and entertaining for weeks. Months. I cannot express how much I was looking forward to getting down to Tubac, AZ, where Bruce’s siblings all live. It is all the way south in AZ - south of Tucson and Green Valley even.

The weather was perfect. Low to mid eighties (F) all week. BUT.  There were too many of us cramped into the family double-wide mobile home that serves as our (free) accommodations. Five of us adults with one bathroom. I know this is the norm for some people, but Bruce and I live in a home with 3 bathrooms, so it was, um, different. And then there was the lack of privacy (except in our own bedroom). Too much family quibbling, even though we love them all dearly. And the kicker - we were (and are) sick. The cold that we had prior to leaving (that had seemed to abate for our 14-hour drive) came back with a vengeance and spread among all but (thankfully) our law-school-attending niece.

I did take daily walks in the glorious sunshine. The picture above is not much, I know, but it was the only one I snapped. It is looking at the Tubac Country Inn (orange roof) and the Tubac Trailer Tether (the rest of it continues quite a ways back and down the street) which Bruce’ brother Dennis owns. (Along with the laundromat and propane/camping areas)  The Arts Festival was fun, and we ate from there (instead of cooking) for the two days it was going. And then I got my usual souvenirs - T-shirts for Bruce and I, and some outdoor garden decorations. This year we got a tile table for the patio, a copper wall hanging of quail family, wind chimes and a covered Talavera butter dish. Usually I bring a planting pot home, but I have so many already.....(see posts here,  here and here).

Anyway, we are still sick and have been diagnosed with the 100-day virus. Bruce is still going to work, my cousin Carrie is on a 12-week FMLA leave for it (she works at a call center and has no voice!) and cousin Kim and I just have good and bad days. Mine are at home and hers are at work. This is a nasty bug, folks. Three months to go......

Anyway, let’s get on to some good stuff. Namely, sewing.

You may remember that I am doing two blocks per month through August for my Notting Hill Quilt.  One is the Sugar Block Club 2016 block of the month, which for February is a variation of the classic Log Cabin block.  Here is mine:

The second block I do every month is any interesting 12” block pattern I can decide on, and for this month my second block was Castles in the Air.

That brings me up to a total of 8 blocks now, and I need 20. So, it will be six more months of sewing 2 blocks per month. In August these will all be sashed and sewn together!

While in Tubac, I did do some sewing a couple times when I felt like it, and got the blocks pieced for my Birds and Bees quilt. Since I’ve been home, those are now sewn into rows and will be an official flimsy by tomorrow. These are just some sneak peaks, but I will show the quilt when it’s done.

Bright and happy colors. It has been so cheerful to work on!

Until next time,