Monday, January 30, 2017

Shayna? Is That You?

I had an eerie experience recently when I stopped at Great Clips for a haircut.  This one is located just inside the Fry's Grocery store that is near to me.  The best part of Great Clips is that you can use their app to find one close to you and which one has the shortest waiting time.  You then "sign in" on your phone and head over.  It eliminates a lot of waiting around....something retired people just hate doing.

The hair stylist I had was named Skyla and was a beautiful Latina girl.  But it was her voice and manner of speaking that threw me completely off.

When my eyes were closed and I listened to her I heard my cousin Shayna speaking.  It was kinda creepy, because I would never let my cousin stand behind me with a razor knife poised over my head.

It wasn't just her voice, her laugh was identical and even the phrases she used and the way she timed what she said was Shayna in every sense of the word.

So, although it was comforting to hear the voice of someone I love the image of her holding that razor was just too spooky.  Sorry Shayna...it's just the way it is.

Long Live the Queen

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Breakfast with friends...real ones this time

We finally did connect with our friends Tom & Kay.  I only wish the same waitress had been there to prove we did have real friends.  But I have the photo to prove it next time we dine there.


It's only once every year or two that we are able to connect with these vagabond buddies, so each opportunity is special.


After breakfast we went back to the house...it still feels odd to say that after living in a motorhome for so long...to show them our new digs and visit some more.

I have to share a couple of photos that they took to show you how beautiful our mountains are.  

They captured this image on a cold and snowy (in the mountains) day.


This is another shot of their rig and the view out their window.  This is the view we usually have of the Superstition Mountains.


I can't wait until the next time our traveling friends come our way.  Why yes, Ingrid...that is a hint for your next stop as well, and any of our other friends out there on wheels.

Long Live the Queen

Monday, January 23, 2017

Open House at the Creative Stitchers

One of the many groups I belong to in my new home at Carriage Manor is called Creative Stitchers.  This is a group of about 150 members that does a myriad of projects, including about 200 quilts a year that are donated as well as knit and crochet items.


Today we had our big open house to show off the new sewing room and our featured speaker was Sharon Schamber.  This was open to other parks in the area and announced in quilt shops.  We drew in about 300 people. She was an amazing speaker who told us of her difficulties with being a severe dyslexic and having essential tremors which cause her hands to continually shake.  Oh, and she's in the midst of a bad divorce right now.

On the quilt below she explains that she is so tired of feather wreath being used as a quilting standard, but she does like the look of it.  So she took the basic technique and spun them around to create an entire background out of them.


In spite of her physical conditions she has emerged as one of the leading artists in applique quilts. The quilt above is all needle turned applique and she uses a technique where she embroiders the edges instead of doing blind stitching. I could think of several of my friends who would have been just drooling over these quilts.  I didn't think to bring a camera with me, so these photos are all off the internet, but I did get to see each of these up close and personal at today's showing.

I loved the story she shared with the quilt below.  She was so convinced that she was part Native American as she was so drawn to the work that she did a DNA sample.  She found out she's Croation...no Native blood running through those veins.


My job was as a "greeter" which is essentially like putting a black lab puppy at the door to say hello.  The day went by way too fast and we all left quite overwhelmed at her multitude of creations.

She helped ease the guilt of having our "UFO's" (these are unfinished objects for those of you who don't speak quilt). She refers to them as "studies" and therefore they don't ever have to be "finished".  Her machine quilting is all done free hand and is so small and precise that it's mind-blowing.


She utilizes so many different techniques that it's impossible to explain them all in this blog, but she has over thirty you-tube videos out there for those who want to learn more.


It was a day of over the top inspiration and I may need to try my hand as some "studies" sometime in the future.

Long Live the Queen


Saturday, January 14, 2017

Breakfast with my Imaginary Friends

Our friends Tom & Kay contacted us that they would be in the area later this month and asked if we could meet with them.  Oh yes!  We love these people, so plans were made to meet them for breakfast since I had other things on my schedule for later in the day.  I was so excited to see them!

Left Brain and I headed out to Franagan's, one of our favorite little hole in the wall places to eat and sat down together facing the door to watch for them.  Every time we saw a big red truck go by on the road we were sure it was them.  But when the appointed time came and went I was a bit concerned.

Tom & Kay live on the road and I knew they wouldn't have any trouble finding us where ever we may be, and they usually show up early as well.  Then Left Brain saw a big red truck make a U-turn on the road near our breakfast place, so he ran outside to flag them down and show them where we were.

In the meantime I called Kay to let her know where we were sitting.  Her response was to laugh.  We had planned to meet on the 26th of January.  I hurried outside to get Left Brain off the street before he pulled some confused truckers off the road to join us.

We informed the waitress that we were going to order and now wait for them...that they wouldn't be coming for another week or two.  This set her off and she started teasing us about having breakfast with our imaginary friends.

She'd come by and ask if we wanted more coffee and when we responded she'd shut us down with "I wasn't talking to you...I was asking your friends".  She was having too much fun with this.

When we actually DO meet up with Tom & Kay we'll have to revisit the scene of the crime to let her know we really DO have friends.

This photo of the ladies room will give you an idea as to the type of place we frequent.

You gotta love the place that props up the sink with a walker.

Long Live the Queen

Monday, January 2, 2017

Bedspread arrives

I had seen this bedspread at another store, but Walmart had it online for $20 less, so it was ordered and anxiously awaited.


The colors work well in this room and the stripes make the bed look wider.  Well, it always works that way when I wear stripes, so I figured it should work here as well!

Now I'd like to paint the cabinets and night stands the deep turquoise color found in the bedspread to carry that color theme down the hall and into the bedroom.

Hmmm, Left Brain may have yet another painting project to play with early in 2017.

Long Live the Queen