We are so rich!

Since I last posted, I celebrated a birthday! I've spent time with friends and family. I've had time to knit and I've finished a sweater! I've had time to sew and I've finished three quilt tops! One of these days I'll take photos.

Ray and I took a day trip to Fulton. Illinois. It was a little cool near the mighty Mississippi but we still enjoyed a picnic on a  gorgeous fall day.

Then we walked through Heritage Canyon - "a 12-acre wooded structure nature walk dotted with buildings that take the visitor back to the 1800's." It's a very pretty area and we enjoyed our time there. This church was so cute - doesn't it look like a little toy? It would be perfect for a small, intimate wedding or just some quiet reflection time.

We've taken a few walks and Ray's had a few bicycle rides. We've enjoyed some wonderful weather. The flowers are beginning to die but we are still taking the time to stop and smell them.

There's a proverb that says "If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money cannot buy." 

We are very rich and very blessed!

So what did I buy on our trip... basics!

I bought a lot! I couldn't believe my pile when we unpacked!

I did not get a photo of the blue/brown/tan jelly roll Lexington. It is the only precut I bought. 

I also did not get a photo of the thread. Around here Aurifil is $13.50 a spool. When I found it for $8.95 in Chillicothe, OH, I bought spools! In Lancaster County, PA, the cheapest I found was $10.95. All the spools are basic colors that I use. My plan was to buy thread if the price was right and it was!

We went with our son and his family to the Loomcraft Outlet in Burlington, NC. Most of the fabric is upholstery fabric and everyone gets a free piece. There was a lady choosing pieces from the 'free bin' - you could buy extra pieces for $1 each - to make tote bags which she sold. I chose two free pieces one for Ray and one for me. They may become tote bags!

Striped fabric and book fabric from Loomcraft Outlet

The quilting fabric all came from Lancaster County,PA. I thought the prices were very good so I bought some basics for my stash. Some yellows and oranges...

And some blues and one green. Not sure you can see the light blue on the bottom. It is a wide backing piece.

And some reds. The bottom piece is also a wide backing piece.

I have an idea for one small project but that's it. I really didn't plan to buy this much!

Fall

Today I found time to sew! It feels like I haven't been in my studio for ages probably because I haven't been! I have many wips and one of those was my focus today. Sorry - no photos yet.

The sun wasn't shining but the rain stopped - yay! This was the view from my ironing surface.

A peek at one wip.

 When I was sitting at my machine, this is what I could see.

Neighbors' trees

Eventually, I had to get outside for a walk. This is the sugar maple tree I was looking at from my ironing surface.

Our sugar maple

This little tree is in our backyard and is usually light green - what a surprise to see it in color!

Little tree in our backyard

The blaze maple, also in our backyard, is already losing a few leaves.

Our blaze maple

When we left on our trip a couple of weeks ago, our weather was very summer like. It didn't take long to switch seasons. It is certainly fall now!

Home!

Yes, we are home! 

We left Champaign around 3:30pm and drove in rain most of the way. About 1 1/2 hours north of Champaign, the tornado warnings for Champaign came through on our phones. Ugh! So glad we had left. We haven't heard any reports so I hope there wasn't damage.

Tomorrow - we need to unpack, we need to get groceries, we need to get the mail and deal with it and we (Ray) may need to do a little work outside with the lawn. Sure am glad I worked for a while this AM at the motel! I also had plenty of time to knit! By this time tomorrow we should be back in the groove!

Tonight we will sleep in our own bed. I know I'll sleep well!

This journey is beginning to end

We left Ohio this morning in sunshine. It was cool but a beautiful fall day. We eventually found cloudy skies and a little rain. The rain eventually stopped but the cool weather forced another in-car picnic. 

When we got to Champaign, IL, we stopped at a yarn shop, Klose Knit. The lady was very friendly and helpful. We bought yarn for a sweater for Ray He decided today that he'd like me to make him one! and yarn for a sweater for me. I think I have plenty to keep me busy for a while!

We are now at the hotel. The rain began again as we were moving in. That's not a problem as there is nowhere we need to go. Dinner is here and Ray's meeting is here tomorrow. During Ray's meeting, I'll be doing catchup things - paying bills, checking credit card purchases, dealing with emails... It will make Tuesday morning at home much nicer! If I get everything done, I'll knit or read.

Tomorrow night we'll be home and this journey will end. It's been wonderful - we are both delighted to be back on the road!

It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.

― Ernest Hemingway

How we chose to stop in Reynoldsburg, OH

It rained last night - a gentle rain - perfect for sleeping. This morning we packed and left the cabin in light rain. 

As we traveled through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania again, West Virginia again and Ohio, we encountered a lot of rain - ugh! 

We also encountered a lot of Welcome Centers! We entered states 5 times. We didn't stop at all of them but we could have stopped at two for the same state twice today! We did eat our lunch at one of the Welcome Centers - we had a picnic in our minivan!

We drove in traffic all day but it could have been worse. Maize, our GPS, Doesn't your GPS have name? routed us on I-68 across Maryland instead of I-70 across Pennsylvania. At Morgantown, WV, we headed north on I-79 to I-470 southwest of Pittsburgh toward Wheeling, WV. That eventually ran into I-70. We both think we had less truck traffic by staying off of I-70 as long as possible. Although our preference is to drive back roads and stay off of freeways, sometimes we don't have the time.

The fall colors are gorgeous - even more so when it is not raining. I was trying to take pictures through the windshield when the rain finally stopped this afternoon. This photo isn't clear but you can see some of the colors. Also notice that beautiful blue sky - it was wonderful to see the clouds clear for a while.

The clouds did return but we haven't had anymore rain. 

We were almost to Columbus, OH, when I saw a JoAnn Fabric store. I'm knitting sleeves on a sweater and wanted some double pointed needles. I've been using the magic loop method and it seems crazy slow. We stopped, I got my needles, and we had both had enough of the car so we found a motel. That's why we are here in Reynoldsburg, OH, just east of Columbus.

We've had dinner and are just hanging out tonight. I think Ray is enjoying having a TV again!

Bucket list items checked off!

Our cabin is in a very wooded area. Everything looks just like the photos in that link! Last night we walked to the road and then down the road to an open field. The views are incredible. This morning we had breakfast at the cabin. We have food with us and our hosts stocked our fridge with a few things like milk, eggs, English muffins, yogurt, and grapes. It was easy to have a nice meal!

Today has been overcast and we've even had some rain but it was a great day - it was Ray's day. We began at Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center where we watched the Film and Cyclorama. The Cyclorama was incredible!

Then we did the car tour of the battlefields. It took about 4 hours and we would have spent longer in nice weather. We ate our lunch in the car as we drove around the area. I think that counts as a picnic! I learned a lot today - it was an amazing visit!

We both hope to come back again and stay longer. We didn't get to spend enough time on the Battlefields, and we didn't get into the museum nor did we get to Eisenhower's home. But we did get here and Ray can check it off of his Bucket List!

On our way 'home' we crossed the Appalachian Trail. This spot is about 1 mile from our cabin.

Both of us have always wanted to be on the trail. We didn't actually hike it today. 

However we did walk a little ways - we were on the Appalachian Trail!

That's a check for each of us on our Bucket Lists!

Tomorrow we head toward Illinois. We need to be in Champaign. IL by Sunday evening. I'm sure we'll find something interesting on the way.

The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.” 
― Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

A great day in Lancaster County!

We had a great night's sleep out in the country at the Hill Country Vista Bed and Breakfast in Narvon, PA. Our hosts, Dan and Miriam were both born Amish but neither were baptized in the Amish church. Dan's family left for a 'newer order' when he was young. Miriam left for a 'newer order' before she and Dan were married. Miriam was such a gracious hostess and so interesting to talk with - we hope to return the next time we are in the area. The suite was gorgeous, the setting was beautiful,  and oh, the breakfast. We ordered waffles, bacon, and fruit. Thank goodness we didn't order more because this was too much!  And, um, we ate it all because it was delicious!

Sorry, I was hungry and it smelled sooooo good that I began before taking a picture!

I took the next photo as we were getting ready to leave. You can see Ray by our van in shorts and a fleece. It was cool and hazy. Our suite was entered on the right end of the porch - the windows on the porch were our bedroom windows.

I had an agenda for the day. I knew my time was limited so I used yahoo maps to plan our day. We left Navron and headed for East Earl. I thought we'd hit a couple of shops there as we quickly passed through. The first was closed and the second, Obie's Country Store, had some interesting online comments. After seeing it, we decided to keep going. 

Our first stop was at Weavers Dry Goods in Lititz. If I only got to go to one store, this would be the one - it was unbelievable! The building, inside and out, was gorgeous. Ray was inspecting everything - the wood, the colors, the craftsmanship... - he was impressed!

I was shopping and I was almost overwhelmed! The place just kept going and going. It took me quite a while to grab the first bolt because I couldn't find the end of the store! I try to get an overview of the whole store before I start shopping. 

At the moment I have a number of projects started so I was just looking for some bright fabric to fill in some holes in my stash. This was my starting pile.

It was hard to leave but my day was moving by fast! So we headed to Intercourse. We stopped at two quilt shops and a yarn shop. I bought some Aurifil thread. 

We weren't really hungry for lunch - no picnic today! - so we decided to have hot pretzels with cheese sauce. We had to wait for them to be cooked. It was worth the wait; they were super good! 

We made out way to Bird In Hand. I made a few purchases at The Quilt Shack, and the Log Cabin. Then we stopped at Sylvia Petersheim's Quilts and Fabrics. We met Sylvia when we entered - she knows Miriam (our B&B hostess). 

I began making a pile and Sylvia asked if I minded cutting my fabric since she was doing a bed turning for a couple. The quilts she was turning were gorgeous!

So I cut my pile of fabric and labeled each cut with a piece of masking tape as requested. I was happy she had a rotary cutter; everyone else had used shears today. When we left, Sylvia gave me a hug and invited us back.

It was time to move on so we headed to Lancaster and on to Gettysburg. Tonight we are in a cabin near Gettysburg but with a Waynesboro address. We actually crossed over into Maryland and back into Pennsylvania to get here. 

It has been a gorgeous, fun day. Now we look forward to Ray's day at Gettysburg ... and I hope to we get in a short walk on the Appalachian Trail too! It is very close to our cabin.

UVA and more...

Ray and I were up early - Ray wanted to photograph the lunar eclipse. We checked out of our motel, the English Inn early and met our friend Yoshi for breakfast. We ate at Bodos Bagels - so good! 

Next we had a tour of the University of Virginia (UVA) campus. Yoshi arranged this for us and also went along. It was so much fun and we learned lots! It was another gorgeous day and that campus is so pretty - it has a lot of green space and gardens. I think it's about time I read more about Thomas Jefferson - he was pretty amazing! UVA was just one more of his great visions that came to be!

After leaving the campus, we headed north and we had a picnic lunch, of course! We spent some time traveling with the MetLife blimp this afternoon! My pictures, through the windshield just didn't turn out ;(

We arrived in Lancaster County, PA at our B&B about dinner time and decided to eat in. We are both tired and we need to rest up for tomorrow - there are over 100 quilt shops in the area! Oh it's going to be another FUN day!

We are in Charlottesville, VA

We had a great time with our son, Brad, and his family.

 ,

Ray took some great pictures - I took this one!

We left there on Monday morning and headed to Durham. On the way we shopped at an outlet mall. Then we had a picnic lunch at West Point on the Eno in Durham. It's a neat park with an old mill.

from West Point on the Eno website

Then we met our friend Amy. Eventually the girls came home from school, did a little homework and a couple had piano lessons. We all went out to eat at Chipotles - the meat on my salad was a little spicy and it didn't help that I added some spicy dressing. A great salad! It wasn't long before my mouth was on fire so we all walked around the corner for Baskin Robbins ice cream. It was a great time EXCEPT we forgot to take any pictures. Oh, I hate when that happens!

This morning we headed to Charlottesville. It was a beautiful drive. We tried to stop at a park in Lynchburg but the GPS took us to a machine shed in an ally so we scrapped that idea! Guess we should have found Riverside Park - we hear that is a great park. Anyway, we found a park when we got to Charlottesville and had a nice picnic.

Late this afternoon we met Yoshi, a friend that is a chaplain at the University of Virginia. We had a great tour of the hospital and a nice visit. We also had a delicious dinner at Fry's Spring Station. 

We are getting thunderstorms now but have our fingers crossed that the weather clears during the night. We hope to see the lunar eclipse in the morning. 

Won't be long now!

We are in Wytheville, Virginia tonight. Would you believe that we had to go out to dinner? When we checked in, we asked if they had a meal and the desk clerk said just fantastic cookies and coffee. They are talking about doing evening meals but not yet. Then he told us that the Fairfield Inn, which is next door, has a meal on Wednesday nights. Ohhhh, it was so tempting to go back out the door - especially since we decided the Hampton was a better possibility than the Fairfield!

It's been another great day. We got on the road after most of the fog had lifted this morning. We spent some time at the Capitol Market in Charleston, West Virginia. There were lots of fresh vegetables, flowers, pumpkins, gourds, meats, seafood,... Yes, we took time to stop and smell the flowers again - today it was mums. 

Ray found this car that he thought we should buy! That brick building in the background is part of the market also.

Couldn't believe the price of the apples. Our Honeycrisps are more than twice this much!

Our only purchase was a near perfect tomato - it was "grown in dirt". When we later ate it with our lunch, we decided that it was the best tomato we've had this year! 

Next, we headed for Little Creek Park in South Charleston. It is a beautiful park with interesting things like a Soap Box Derby Track! This "track is recognized as the country's premier soap box derby racing facility" and has a number of races including a "qualifying race for the world Championship in Akron". 

Soap Box Derby track looking toward the beginning

Driving through this large park was fun and we eventually stopped at a shelter to have lunch - another picnic!

Tonight we are resting - tomorrow is a BIG day. We will arrive at our son's home and get to spend time with him, his wife, and 5 of our wonderful grandchildren. We are close - it won't be long now! Life is so good!

I might be missing from here for a while - I plan to be busy! I hope to return to blogging sometime next week.