Satisfied

This has been a stellar trip. We accomplished all our goals!

I completed 4 fidget quilts, bound my ombre weave. did a substantial amount of work on Rhoda's Haunted House, cut and pieced a Window Pane quilt from a kit bought on Tuesday at Island Quilters and checked two more Nero Wolfe books off my to-read list. (I don't believe I mentioned before that I re-discovered Nero and Archie a few months ago and remain enamored to the point that I am determined to read every Nero Wolfe book published by Rex Stout and Robert Goldsborough....I'm more than half way through this journey and remain enthused.)

Barbara finished binding her relatives' quilts, created a from scratch quilt top out of her mother's last remaining Hawaii dress and cut and pieced the blocks for her black and white quilt. In addition, she's mastered document filing on her iPad,  has begun to familiarize herself with the iPad keyboard I gave her and is teaching herself how to create quilt labels from transfers! 

We celebrated our goal completions with a Barbara-cooked meal of ribeyes, Vidalia onions and fresh mushrooms!!! 

Reflections on this HHI sojourn:

• Barbara and I still relish each other's company after 46 years of knowing each other! 
• We can companionably watch tv despite our differences: she gets her news junkie fix and I listen to audio books on my noise-cancelling headphones while cross-stitching. 
• We must be the only people on Hilton Head Island who seldom leave the air conditioning so we can spend hours sewing!
• I have discovered that I can eat creamy peanut butter with no after effects!!!! 
• Barbara points out that we have definitely improved our HHI trip organization skills. We used all the food we brought, except for one package of shrimp, and did not bring an over abundance of clothes (that's what washers/dryers are for).

I'll take Barbara to pick up her rental car tomorrow morning, transfer her belongings to it and head south for The Burg. 

Stayed in place

 Woke up this morning and decided to work seriously on our projects. We each have goals to meet before we head to our respective homes. So we did. Our energetic approach to work lasted only until I mentioned Stack's for brunch. Off we went. It is vacation, after all!

One Hilton Head Big Breakfast (Barbara) and one Chicken Florentine Omelette (me) later we drove home, fired up to work. 

During afternoon breaks in stitching, Barbara learned how to download a pdf document to her new iPad AND where said document could be found on the device.. She used this newly acquired skill a lot, muttering to herself in congratulatory tones, "Look, Barbara, you know how to find it." Treasured friend that I am, I pretended deafness (in reality, I was listening to a Nero Wolfe audio book.) 

We were both cheered by the reports of Operation Pineapple's success in Afghanistan. A positive in the sea of negative currents. Thanks, Rhoda, for sharing that link.

Light dinner of sandwiches in the condo, wine. reading, handwork and off to bed concluded our day.

Thursday's Travel and Throw-Back Meal

 Not too much stitching this morning as we headed to Bluffton to preview three quilt shops for November's All-Carolina Shop Hop. I worked on Rhoda's Haunted House while Barbara continued making her black and white squares.

First shop was High Sewciety Boutique. Finding proved a mini-challenge. After we asked a nice guy walking his two dogs, we learned the shop is located over the garage of "That house right there on the corner.  My friend's wife runs its. Just open the gate and go upstairs." We parked in her driveway as there was no street parking and went up. Nice little place with a variety of fabric, some very interesting panels and notions , but very small...truly a boutique. 

She gave up directions to our next stop - Blue Heron - warning us of the long driveway and that if we passed the Squat and Gobble Restaurant, we'd gone too far. Brandy welcomed us the instant we walked in the door of her shop. Blue Heron is like an Aladdin's Cave  for quilters and stitchers. We spent nearly an hour, chatting, fabric-ing, swatch-matching. We each came away with fabric choices and a vow to return in November...

Lunch was a trip down memory lane. We'd planned to eat at Bluffton Oyster Company restaurant because we could not remember the name of the place we so enjoyed a few years ago and I had neglected to be specific in my blog post! As I drove around the curve, I exclaimed, "Barbara! THIS is the place we couldn't remember!!" Toomer's has seriously delectable food. I savored my calamari, which is served with banana peppers accompanying the marinara sauce. Excellent mix of flavors. The fried oysters were superb as most places bread them too much; not here.  I'm not much of a hush puppies fan but I could have eaten half a dozen of these; made with real corn and so moist, it was like eating a cake pop!

Our last shop was Sew Suite, which is new to this area; the owner's other shop being in Summerville. Light, airy space with lots of room for machines and classes. A nice selection of fabrics including a variety of batiks. 

Then we walked next door to Off Island Thrift and got lost in a kind of wonderland of clothes, jewelry, purses, hats, wedding gowns, ball gowns, tuxes, boots, stilettos, sandals.....I held my ground and did not buy a Coach large wristlet (though I would have, if I were still traveling a lot).

Back at the condo, we stitched and napped and chatted, finished another bottle of wine and head to the sheets.

Re-connected with an old friend

 As I was finishing the binding on my ombre weave quilt, Barbara asked me if I knew enough Latin to translate a phrase for Julie. Memories of Mrs Snow, Mr. Russell, Danvers High School, Ovid's poetry, Caesar's Bello Gallico, and Cicero's prose. whisked through my head as I replied that no way could I do that.  All those years of Latin study were too far in my past. Regardless what was the phrase Julie's boss wanted translated? Answer, "Thank you for your service." Google translators gave us a sentence that I refused to accept because "gratias" did not appear in it and I DID remember that "Tibi Gratias" means "Thank you."

I jokingly smirked, 'Where's Peg Skinner when you need her?" Barbara jolted, saying she hadn't thought of her in years. I checked my contacts, called the phone number and left a message.  A few minutes later my phone announced a call from Peg! Cheering, I answered and got nothing, despite repeated "Peg? Peg" Are you there, Peg?" I hung up. Seconds later another "Call from Peg Skinner" was announced...repeat the previous scenario. Several more repetitions of this occurred, then I suggested Barbara use her phone... SCORE!  The three of us had a great phone visit before Peg said she wasn't sure she could translate. We ended with promises to meet when I return to Jax.

Barbara and I went for a walk past the miniature golf course and onto the new pier.
The tide was out and we spied two birds (herons?). One so camouflaged as to be nearly invisible against the mud. The other standing tall and disdainfully alert.  I love how Mother Nature offers differing versions of the same thing - "bird wading."  How could anyone be bored being outside?

We walked the length of the pier, chatted with a couple from Chicago and a lady from Atlanta whose husband was fishing while she read a book. (My kind of woman!) Another lady noted that the breeze off the river made this a great spot for a drink. 

As we turned to leave, we spied a guy struggling with a really big fish on the floating dock part of the pier. The small crowd of us cheered him on as he fought the object at the end of his line. Wondering aloud what it could possible be, we were astounded when he pulled up a stingray! The friend holding the net to scoop up the fish dropped it immediately. It was kind of neat actually. We declined to walk down to the dock and peer closer. 

We headed back to condo for wine and munchies and an excellent pork tenderloin dinner!

Island of Quilters

 After settling in yesterday  establishing our 'territories" in the living/dining room and unpacking all our projects, Barbara and I took this morning to visit Island Quilters and get Beth's advice on a couple of our projects. What a delight she is! Knowledgeable and willing to help. When Barbara showed her Milly's Hawaiian dress and asked about a backing, Beth went immediately to a pineapple themed fabric and B snatched it up!! I found a kit for making a cross-body bag with a handle long enough that I can wear it!!! YAY!!! 

We opted to save our Holy! Tequila! lunch until November when Rhoda can join us and experience the ambience.

I expected crowds and unimaginable traffic but that has not been the case. My guess, and Barbara's, is that Covid is still keeping people home.. The resort we're at seems fully booked as all the parking spaces are taken, but it does not seem crowded. It has completed its initial stage plan and now sports a fishing pier with floating dock, kayak lessons, fishing lessons, miniature golf, a lazy river pool, an "adult pool" with spa, bike rentals and lots of quiet. I really enjoy this BlueWater Resort.

Barbara is binding three quilts for her relatives as well as creating a quilt for her sister Pat from a dress their Mom had in Hawaii in the 1940-50's. I'm binding my ombre weave quilt, then making 4 fidget quilts and Elden's Thomas the Train Christmas present.

Plus, we spent time chatting and solving the world's problems!!! And indulging in Crisp Green Apple wine!!!

Out of the House.....FINALLY

 It's been a year!!!!!! since I traveled anywhere. And, where did I go? To my other home - Hilton Head Island! I feel comfortable and welcomed here.  I have never been here "during the season" as we normally come in November.  One advantage to being here NOW - I can visit the shops and restaurants which have previously been "closed for the off season."  Well, that's what I anticipated. The reality is that CoVid has impacted this resort area as much as it has every other aspect of our lives. Many of my looked-forward-to visits have been canceled as the establishments are "permanently closed." (Which by the way, has become my least favorite to see/read phrase!!)

We arrived with supplies for quilting and stitching. Barbara's working on three family member quilts while I plan to finish binding the ombre weave and complete several fidget quilts. In between bouts of stitching and talking, our plans include walking, quilt-shop hopping, dining and solving the world's problems...with no one listening!

I enjoy Blue Water as the resort is located where Skull Creek meets the Inland Waterway. No beach but lots to do with no sand getting in anywhere! Fishing off the pier, putt-putt golf, lazy river pool; my speed of relaxation.

Vicariously enjoy our living room and view.

Stay safe and laugh every day!