Past the half-way point....

.... in my vacation, that is. Here's a picture showing my (very) little tatting progress.


This week I fly to Florida and drive Auntie (and puppy!) home. This will be a quick trip as I want to get back to the shore. Next month I'll drive her back to Florida, but then we will take our time, make lots of stops, do some sightseeing, etc. We haven't made any special plans yet other than a visit to Arlington to visit Uncle Al's grave. After that it could be Charleston, or Ashville (The Biltmore), or anything that strikes our fancy.














My new threads. Aren't they pretty?


It was a busy weekend. DS arrived for dinner on Friday, DH at lunchtime Saturday. We also had company on Saturday which was a LOT of fun but also a lot of work. I played poker for the first time ever Saturday night. It's an ok game but I still prefer pinochle. We played until 1 AM so obviously we were having a good time. One of the great joys of my life is that DH and I have forged friendships with so many young people and can spend time with them socially without any constraints based on age.














Miniature (22") Hawaiian quilt top



I needed to decide on a project to carry this week- the sampler is just too cumbersome with the crutches, wheelchair, etc, that are involved in my traveling. One of the wonderful things about tatting, and also miniature Hawaiian quilt tops, is the terrific portability due to size.















My carry kits for tatting (top) and Hawaiian mini quilt tops. Quite compact, aren't they?


I realized that I have enough thread to finish the current tatted bookmark, but not enough to start another project. So, yesterday DH took me to a local quilting shop which advertised that it also carried embroidery supplies. There wasn't a lot to choose from for tatting, but I got 6 balls of #12 thread ( 5 variegated, one white) from a company called Finca ( a Spanish company) and one spool of a pretty variegated thread called Pearl Crown Rayon from YLI. The Finca is slightly thinner than I have been using (DMC #8) but the colors were too luscious to resist. The rayon should be an interesting experiment- the thickness is good, but rayon is slippery and can be difficult to work with.

So, I'll be taking those two small carry bags- tatting and quilting use the fingers differently, and I want to be able to switch off if the arthritis decides to act up. I'll have plenty to amuse me during both the long waits at the airport and during the flight.

DS went home late last night. DH has now gone home to work this afternoon and tonight, but he has a day off tomorrow and I am really looking forward to spending time with him alone. No specific plans yet, but something FUN and something SEASHORE. Then comes Wednesday and off I fly. One more weekend, 5 more weekdays, then it's home to the city next Saturday morning. This vacation is FLYING by.

Today's plans include RESTING- the foot got very swollen, sore and red again after all the cleaning on Friday and the activity on Saturday and Sunday- and stitching. Back to Aury's sampler, finally. Hopefully, there will be a picture for that tomorrow.