I'm still ?Retreating?

Sorry, this is long as I didn't have PC access much at all this vacation!

Chuckling, I called my Dad from retreat and he was shocked to hear I was still not home after a week! LOL! Then when I said I was not going to be home for another week he just could not figure out WHY!!!

This is the time that I HATE, the goodbyes and then the driving again in my HOT CAR (no AC and can't open my front windows without them popping out)!!! Well if you can call it that but definitely doing various quilty projects either for myself or my friends enroute home.

Okay, I'm enroute to Leduc AB to visit Jody1 (or Jody L) but first a stop in Red Deer with Annette of Natures Colours for some silk ribbon she had dyes herself and who mentioned that Sew You Like 2 Quilt was having a moving sale and so I drove downtown to check it out. WELL am I ever glad I did as on the 60% off table there was my backing for my Stars Galore quilt top - blue with scattered gold stars and slivers of moons. Yahooie, now I have two quilts to be quilted soon by Sylvia!!!!

Okay, now back onto the road to Leduc and even managed to pay my Sears bill as I saw the sign from the highway! WOW! I arrived at Jodys' place in time for supper and some relaxation. They both went to work and I relaxed, checked out Fabricland closing out sale and checked a few emails (finally - talk about computer withdrawal this past week) at an Internet Cafe before heading back to stitch a bit. Then Jody1 and I drove into Edmonton and checked out Earthly Goods, supper and her hair apt before heading back to Leduc for the night. Talk about a thunderstorm too!!! And I got to check out Jody2's quilted projects too - WOW!

Then the next morning I headed into east Edmonton (Sherwood Park) and a very nice visit with Isobel W and her pug (I think it's Hamish - there I go bad with names again) and then back around the city and a pitstop at Ikea. Except for the chair I still want there was nothing that jumped out at me to BUY!!! Guess that is good considering funds were tight eh!

Next stop was near West Edmonton Mall (nope didn't even venture there - no inclination at all) to visit with Oonagh A and Terry T. Afterwards Oonagh and I checked out Fabricland too as they had a 3 for 1 sale last week but zippo for me this week - thems the breaks and supper out. Then I zipped across the city to visit my Dad's younger brother and checked over his well kept yard/garden and also his home renovations. Yep you sure can tell he's related to my Dad - never sits still! LOL! Then back to Oonagh's for a bit of chatting, got her back into Yahoo, some stitching and overnight.

Well up to this point it was tolerable weather with some thundershowers and now it decided to turn up the thermostat - WHY???

So onto Fort Saskatchewan to Pieces Quilt Shoppe and some stitching with Susan and a visit with her family. BUT half hour after I arrive the Heavens open up and one heck of a boomer storm starts up, even knocking the city's power out too. So there we stood around the shop for over half an hour without power and the streets are all dark before closing up and heading for the farm. Hmmmm Randy phoned and said not to bring my car so we left it in Lamont and boy was I GLAD as their lane to the house was clay soup!!! My car would have sashayed and then bogged down or Heaven forbid, sunk deeper and stayed put, and maybe ripped something off too!!!

Now I'm not going to go into the details of what a large house with seven kids and 3 adults is like but I as I told her I'd gladly house sit for them anytime and even trade her family for some of mine anyday!!! I always thought she might have been biased in saying she had "good" children but even the one or two she considered misbehaving - I thought were good period!!! LOL! I could not believe I was in a house with seven children and a dog too!!! I definitely knew I was in a house with seven birds though and they too chirped madly whenever I talked - my tone I guess set them off - LOL! Yes I truly enjoyed my visit with their family and just LOVED the humongous dining table - room for all plus more if we squeezed in!

I even got to stitch one afternoon with her friend in her country ranch-style home too! WOW what a treat! Could have done without the donkey/mule's welcoming though! LOL! One good thing though from this country visit is that the roaming bears decided to vacate that area at least, considering we did some outdoor touring!

Okay, now talk about "stupid me" - I'm leaving on the road again on the hottest day so far! DUMB, DUMB, DUMB!!! At least I stopped and bought lots of water and ice for my coolerbag! But it was a long 10 hour day driving back to Dale Anne's in Morse SK!!! Then I find out I added like 1.5 hours unnecessarily for taking what I thought was a shorter route but NOT!!! ROFLOL! Yep got there safe and sound but talk about wiped out!

Yep I'm alive, at Dale Anne's, showered and out of my stinky driving self (phewie!!!) and fed and more water to drink - I better not go swimming or I'll sink for sure from all the water and pop I downed plus an Ice Cap!!! I also met some deer and antelope in the ditches and some were in the fields and also came upon "after the fact" of a 4-door newer half ton in charred ruins at the Petro Can in Lloyd... (all units there putting it out etc) so continued to Kindersley and fueled up there. Then south of K... I come across billowing clouds of black smoke and stinkie too and as I'm passing it see there's a house there too. So I turn around and pull into the drive incase they need help. Here there's an older lady on the step laughing at me as she saw me slowing down and turning around and thanked me for checking on her - she was burning plastic garbage like 3 FEET from there doorstep!!! I said I was concerned (and yes scared of driving in and not knowing what I'd find or if it was safe to do so but could not just go on either) and then left with black soot spots on my window and a yuckie feeling in my chest - but it went away. Anyways after all the sunflower seeds I ate plus the garlic sausage, onion rings, mozza cheese and nectarines for my picnic lunch in the Sobeyes parking lot on a curb under the tree in Lloyd...!!! I need some decent food this next week or two for sure!!!

Yep I'm TIRED and glad I'm here for a day for sure. Hope to head home hopefully Monday. Yep thankful I have this day to relax. Anyways, I helped Dale Anne with finishing off the facings (instead of binding) on a couple of her quilted projects for their Double Visions exhibit opening July 3rd - YIKES!!! I pray that she gets the remaing few pieces completed and gets some down time before setting up and opening day!

Thank goodness I was smart enough to stop over a couple of nights with the Potter's as there was no darn way at all I could have driven 7+ hours to Winnipeg the next day after that trip too! But I think I'm gonna have to smarten up and either buy another car with AC/cruise/radio or learn to drive in the evening when it's cooler!!! This time I filled up my empty water and pepsi bottles and froze them and had to buy one regular bottle as I forgot I needed one to periodically soak my head and cool tie with! LOL! At least this trip was uneventful except for the mosquitoes that greeted me when I tried to stop and visit with friends in Portage la Prairie. So short and sweet and home by 7:30 pm to shower and unwind and hopefully back into my regular mode sooner than later!

Sorry for the length, but that's two weeks of posting here!