A Treasure Found.

 I have spent the last 10 days sitting beside this.

I am back in the real world now, but had the most relaxing vacation I have had in years.   Even the screw-ups at work while I was gone have not taken the zen out of my mood.  Our campsite had the most spectacular view.

We sat by the fire and made smores.  We went to Fall Festivals and pumpkin patches, and learned how sorgham syrup and stone ground grits were made. 

   

 

 We listened to bluegrass guitars, banjos, dubros and fiddles.

We ate lots of fair food and the hugest T-bone I have ever had.
 

 The leaves were beautiful and the weather great.

 I lucked upon a local annual quilt show with some beautiful quilts.

I also found this little treasure.   I got it for a what I think is a very good price.    I can't wait to fill it and sit it beside my favorite chair.

 And of course as steady as ever, my serenading country boy.  What more could a girl ask for?

New Fabric Purchases

If you read the posts about my trip to the mountains, you would know that I recently purchased some wonderful fabrics from a couple of shops that I visited in TN.    

It was the fall colors that just called to me in this one.   I tried to walk away, but it wouldn't let me.

I seem to have an obsession about teal fabrics.   There is always at least one teal fat quarter in every purchase.

 The next fabrics are the background white,  and the inspirational fabric for the next hand applique project I am going to do.    It is from Piece O Cake designs and is called "My Whimsical Garden."  It  calls for hundreds of circles of various sizes in the border.   I am using this fabric instead and now have a wonderful color palate to choose from for my applique pieces.    I will keep you posted on my progress.   Not too often, it is hand applique.

  One of my favorite new fabric designers is Blue Hill Fabrics.   I look forward to lots of future purchases from this designer.

 and of course a few fat quarters.     There is that teal again.    It must jump into my hand.   

  I will add these to the piles to be put away in my stash.    I need to get around to organizing my stash again.   It is getting a little out of hand.


Thanks for reading!

Janice

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.
But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers."

Luke 22:31-32 (NLT)       

Our Mountain Trip-The Last Episode

I am sure you are all sick of hearing about our trip to the mountains.   But I need to chronicle the best part.    After leaving Ga, we traveled over the mountains to Tellico Plains, TN.   We then drove out the Cherhola Skyway which is a beautiful stretch of highway that runs from Tellico Plains TN to Robbinsville NC.   Here the leaves were in full color.

We camped at a campground called " Indian Boundary"  in the Cherokee National Forest.    It is remote enough that there was no cell service or internet service for 5 days.     It was wonderful being unplugged.    

This photo is of the beautiful lake at Indian Boundary.   There was a hiking trail around the entire lake and we hiked all or parts of it each day.   

We met our dear friends, Bill & Barbara to camp there and had such a good time with them.

I just had to show you this next lovely picture of my friend Barbara's backside.   She was in the creekbed, looking for salamanders to use for fishing in the lake.   Apparently fish love them, I just loved catching her on camera.

 
We had a camp fire everynight, but on our last night we spent an evening with some other campers we met.  My husband loves to play the guitar and is always up for what I call a "pickin' and grinnin' " session.   It was loads of fun.

On the last morning there as we said goodbye to our friends, Bill and James serenaded us to a wonderful rendition of "Jesus Loves Me"    There was some joke in there about how we didn't appreciate their sense of humor so early in the morning, but it was okay because Jesus loved them.  lol

 While leaving Indian Boundary, I did a little quilt block hunting.   On the side of the welcome center is the first quilt block I found on a small portion of "The Appalachian Quilt Trail".  If you have never heard of it, look it up.   It takes you to all kinds of places.    We only got to do a few on this trip.

One of particular note was in the town of Athens TN at the wonderful coffee shop.

 My barista made me a wonderful Carmel Latte and thru in the latte art.

 Don't forget the Antique Mall,

We arrived in Murfreesboro and spent some time with DBIL& DSIL and went to the Grand Ole Opry.    If you get this close to Nashville, you just gotta go to say you've been.

The show was good and Little Jimmy Dickens who is almost 90 still seems to be going strong.

I checked out a couple of fabric stores on my trip, but have been trying to cut down on the fabric spending.  
There is a cute shop in Murfreesboro called Quilt Connection and I bought way to much fabric.    It is a great shop and if you are ever in the area, you should stop by.

We headed home through Alabama and didnt stop except for gas & food, so I dont have any pictures from the trip home.   I will show you my fabric purchases and the plans for some of them in my next blog.   Hope I didnt bore you too much, but had to get it documented for posterity.

Have a great weekend and I will catch you later.

May God Bless you and Keep you and your families

in the palm of His hand.

Janice