Sadly, our stint of house-sitting is coming to a close. We’ll be super happy to see Bethany and Annalie again but I’m sad we’ll have to pack up and go home soon. We love it here. What is even more sad is that someday soon Bethany will probably move away from this cute little town (her husband, Troy, is in the military) and then I won’t have a good excuse to come visit anymore.

Or will I?

Guess what? I made a new friend in this little town. Jora from Domestic Reflections lives here! Who knew! The internet it such a small wonderful place. We caught up for a couple of play dates. She has the most awesome house. I’m plotting ways to visit her and take photos for my alpha+mom craft days there.

Seriously, look at this place. I was too shy to take too many photos… as it was only our second time meeting but her beautiful back yard and pool just screamed to be photographed. And we were lucky enough to go swimming there!

Do you know how nice a salt water pool feels on a hot hot hot summer day? You probably do. Divine. Since I grew up in the high desert, I have a real soft spot for dry heat. I love dipping in a pool and feeling the desert breeze tickle the hairs on my wet arms. Everywhere around the pool were succulents and cacti that totally made me feel at home. I love the landscaping around Jora’s yard.

The kids were having a great time playing. I tried to sneak in a photo or two of the house and then when Bug was exploring this neat little reading nook area she touched one of the recessed lighting fixtures and burned her finger.

So that ended my stealthy photo-taking session and the rest of the evening was spent trying to console Bug. It was really too bad it had to end like that because we really had a sweet time. I really wanted to take a photo of the most yummy tomato (fresh from the garden) and bacon sandwich that Jora made me. And then when we were eating them her little girl crawled up in her lap and kissed her pregnant belly!!! It was so cute and darling. If I had a camera in my eyes I would be a smashingly successful photographer because that was the best shot ever. But as I said, I had a crying kid in my lap so that was that. Good thing I have it in my memory though.

On the way home we accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up at the top of a mountain. Thankfully by then Bug’s finger pain had subsided and we decided to get out and take in the view. Not a bad place to end up at sunset. Not bad at all.

I really love it here. We’ll be back Jora!

I fought the quilt and the quilt won. I hate to admit defeat but Operation Quilt has to be shelved before I lose my mind. I sewed fifty-seven squares and I think it’s cost me my sanity. That’s four straight days of quilting. I hate projects that take more than two hours.

Bethany is coming home Tuesday and I don’t think I can wrap the project up that quickly. So I’m going to put it aside and finish it later—not to be confused with never. I really am going to finish this. I just need to figure out how I can squeeze three more squares out of the scraps I have left over and hopefully learn to love this fabric again.

It’s amazing how staring at something for hours on end can drive you buggy. So in order to distract myself from my crazy quilt I’m going to give away a crazy mug. Anybody want a lumpy orange mug with brown shoes and eyes? It’s free to a random commenter!

I know she’s a bit odd. Perhaps a bit of a white elephant of a mug but I think somebody out there would appreciate her. I think I’ll call her, “Orange you glad I stopped blogging about quilting.” If you want her, comment before Wednesday morning and I’ll send her to you FREE!

I sewed 31 squares today. It was brutal. Just kidding. It wasn’t that bad but I am sort of feeling weary of all this fabric and wishing I could just stuff it in a box somewhere and forget about it. But I can’t. I did that once before. I have a quilt somewhere in the depths of one of my mom’s storage sheds. I think I was fifteen when I started it. I should dig it up and see if I hate the fabric. It’s funny how tastes change with time.

I’ve been thinking how tastes in colors and combinations change with time as I sewed together odd combination after odd combination. I like clashing fabrics but I have this feeling that Bug will probably grow up to hate them. It will be cool again when she has kids but I wonder if the quilt will last that long?

It’s sort of fun to work carefully on something that might live longer than you do. I asked my mom if she thought this quilt would last longer than I will and she was doubtful. I guess it depends on how well I sew it, what Bug does with it in her lifetime and how long I plan on living. I’m aiming for 80 but who knows…

It’s great to sit at a table sewing and talk about life and things with your mom. Especially when your kid is happy and playing with your nieces. I should pay those kids for babysitting. They played all day long, only stopping long enough to wolf down lunch and dinner.

I’m not sure what Bug and SuperChic were playing here but they were pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend for a good portion of the day. It was hilarious. Poor Bug was the boy most of the day. I don’t know if that was her choice or if SuperChic bullied her into it. She didn’t seem to mind being the boy. Though at one point I heard her yell at Superchic, “You’re not going to marry me and I’m not going to marry you!”

I think SuperChic took the rejection well.

Anyway, I quilted all day. At the end of the day I ran out of thread. Not part of the plan but it was just as well because I needed to stop. Quilting, it’s not for the weak.

For those of you who are not bored of this quilting subject, below is the general plan.

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