Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Thanksgiving Crack

My husband just called with the good news that he had tracked down a store that carries Bell's Seasoning, without which it just ain't Thanksgiving. I should have done this weeks ago. Once again, Jimmy saves the day. He bought five boxes and I bet I could stand out on the corner of Gloster & Highway 29 and sell it for 10 bucks a box to the rest of the Yankee slackers living in this neck of the woods but in my pity over their weeping gratitude I would give it away.

Home and a new Blog...

[[[Well, if I do things right this time, you won't really notice much difference. RSS works the way it should and archiving is on so folks won't have to put up with every single post I ever wrote loading into their cache at dial-up speeds. When I get around to it, I will link old entries under an Ancient History icon. ]]] These are a couple of small things I did while I was there just to keep my hands from getting stupid from dishwashing. I got home from New York around midnight Monday night. Sixteen hours is good driving time especially if you consider it was pitch dark and raining from 5pm on. Being on the road with mostly 18 wheelers in the rain is like driving in a car wash at 80 mph. I have a new furrow between my eyes that threatens to become permanent and the "white line fever" stare is still in my eyes. I was saved in the last 250 miles by a book on CD, "More Than You Know" by Beth Gutcheon if you don't count the weeping at the wheel. I must be ill, I just washed and waxed the kitchen floor. Actually, I am overcome with disgust at my neglected nest. Comes from watching too many hours of Martha Stewart with my mother. Mom and Dad are doing good. Dad is planning on busting out of the nursing home tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner. I spent a good bit of my visit marveling at my twin nephews, Reno & Ryder, 19 months of fun. Clever little monkeys they are. My brother sheps naches at every turn. Rob is my baby brother, seven years my junior. Becoming a father for the first time at the age of 48 has changed him in so many positive ways it's just amazing. I can't begin to expound on all that transpired while I was away but can't miss mentioning my very restrained visit to Mary Jo's in Gastonia, meeting Jane Davila at the wonderful little shop, The Country Quilter, in Somers, NY and attending a meeting of the Northern Star Quilters Guild where I met up with Melanie Testa for the first time. It's just amazing how, after spending time reading a person's blog and looking at their work online, actually meeting someone in person for the first time can feel like old friends just getting together for a yak. Jeri Riggs and Elizabeth Poole were there as well, and there were many more names on the sign-in sheet that I recognized but imagine a guild meeting with 250 members.