I have not abandoned Blogland - just been busy!

 Hello Blog Friends!

I had a wonderful visit with Chooky's Zoomers and got some inspiration to get sewing again.  I went through my 2022 goals and set up a plan to meet them.  It will be tight, but it is doable.

What have I been up to?  Well, not much sewing.  I did have a girls sew day with my three daughters.  We sewed up cute little bags and projects.  We also chalked each other's hair.  The two lttle grand daughters loved that!  There was also some home made lotion making.

Remember my quilt retreat that didn't happen in August, well my girls loved sewing up some of the make and takes I had prepared.  I also gave them free pick of the bags and pincushions I had made.  They loved it.  

Two grand sons are missing from this photo.  Also, there is one more grand baby due to arrive in March.  I am so excited.  

I have also been training for a hike and trying to swim laps a few times a week all summer.  Hiking the highest peak in Utah was so wonderful that I wanted to stay in shape.  I have also lost about 16 lbs HOORAY FOR ME!!

I traveled to Southern Utah two weeks ago to do a 12 mile hike.  We also e-biked Bryce Canyon which was stunning and fun!  If someone tells you e-biking is easy - well - tell my very soar legs that.  I loved it so much though!!!

The hike was 6 miles down a steep mountain - not so easy.  The other 6 miles was in a river bottom.  We crossed the river repeatedly which was fun but exhausting.  Oh, and we found waterfalls too.

The e-biking day ended with a short hike where we found about 15 arches.

With only one week left in October, I set these quilty goals to finish off the month.  Wish me luck!

1.  Get a top done with borders and backing made for FLOWER POWER.

2. Make a plan for and get started on a backing for FOR THE BIRDS.  I wanted to put this bicycle on the back.  We shall see if I go that way or just  piece a simple backing.

3. Finish the binding on WINDMILL

4. Machine applique' centers on SAND DOLLAR

This week I am looking forward to a murder mystery evening with my book club.  Oh do we all enjoy each other so much!!  I will have to check in with you on how that goes down and try to remember to take pictures.  I will play the role of Dierdre C. Deucer.  Ya, that is me!

High Uinta hiking - best week ever!

No sewing this week!  Why?  There was no electricity.  

My husband, myself, a nephew, and two of my husband's siblings hiked for four days in the Uinta's of Utah - around forty miles.  We took horses for support to pack our camp.  While I have spent most of my life doing horse packing trips - at least one per year for many years - I rarely have hiked.

Here are photos of the crew and the beautiful sights!

We hiked Kings Peak - the highest peak in the state at 13,528 ft elevation.  On the first day in, we talked to several hikers that said they didn't make it up because it was too hard.  I made it - yay!

Do you know the "Where's Waldo" books?  Well, we found him on Kings Peak.  My brother-in-law surprised us by changing his clothes on the way up.  He was quite a hit.  Everyone up there had to have a photo with Waldo.

There were several water crossings.  Only one of them involved taking off shoes and socks.  The others always had rocks we could step on.

We had to filter drinking water.

The camp food was so good!

The last four miles or so brought rain.  Here we are at our destination!!

Quilt Shopping...

 We ran to the next state for an overnighter to buy race car tires and drove right past a QUILT SHOP!!!  

This is what I came home with...

A panel of super cute houses as well as some fabrics to go with it.  I generally don't purchase panels, but I LOVED IT!

The next week I went to a teacher training upstate and went to the Cornwagon Quilt Shop.  I came home with these.  I have no idea what they will become, but I love them.

Christmas Row Quilt just needs a border - yay!

My next post will be all about the wonderful retreat I attended this week.  Here are a couple of the Sunflower blocks I made for the drawing.  No, I didn't win.

Here is the status of my Windmill Quilt before retreat.  Stay tuned for what I came home with.

I took my daughter-in-law out for her birthday last weekend.  They are living in the basement of an elderly couple who they take care of.  The lady upstairs loves to read, and brings the books downstairs when she is done.  I recognized several great titles and decided to take photos with the idea that I needed to read some of the ones I have not yet.  She has good taste in books.

We went for a little hike the other day with family and discovered some hidden gems in our back yard desert including a secret garden, Indian artifacts, a hidden arch, and a skinny little slot my nieces and nephew managed to squeeze through.