Summer Fun

My blog life seems to have been escaping me lately.  I think about it but then look something shiny and off I go.  We've had a busy and fun summer for the most part.  Big block party for fourth of July, ZZ Top Concert, Andrea Boccelli concert, vacations here and there, family visits, the hubs quitting smoking. So it's been fun.

Here are some random pictures from the last few months - sadly, very little crafting has taken place.

Motorcycle trip to Colorado


all that white stuff was snow...burrr


Flat Track Motorcycle Races at the OC Fair


9/11 Memorial and Freedom Towers


ZZ Top


View from my brother's sailboat over on Catalina Island where we sailed and scuba dived.


More Catalina


Spent a few days as guests at the Rocky Mountain Oysters Annual Shoot.


And a little time out at the Annual Swerve N Curve Scooter Rally with the South Bay Scooter Club



No in any particular order - just random summer fun.  See you in craft land soon now that fall is approaching.

Airport Stitching

I travel for work.  I found i had all

This time sitting in airports and on planes to do something.  I don't sleep well on planes so i would get bored.  So now I stitch, either needlepoint, hexies or redwork - all very travel friendly.

Here is a sneak peak at something I am working on for a Christmas in July swap. Sorry I am mobile so I can't

post the link to the swap.

Movement

Movement, whether it's from nature, God or ourselves can propel us into new and exciting places.  Or it can send you to sad and dark locales.  The last few weeks I haven't blogged much.  I've been spending time with my family, many of whom I haven't seen in a very long time.  You see, God decided to move my father home.  We had a memorial service for him last Saturday and then on Monday we buried his remains at the Veterans cemetery.  I am really thankful for all my dear close friends that made trips to be with me during the memorial.  I parked myself right in the middle of the pew amidst my bestest buds. It was a very emotional moving day to say the least.

I then flew home late Tuesday night to spend 2 evenings with my own family and doing laundry and catching up on chores, and I put in a rather long day Wednesday at work.  Those two evenings went by so fast and I have to say, I really miss my husband.

On Thursday morning, I packed up and flew to Dallas for the Junior League.  My league has generously, sent me to Organizational Development Institute (ODI) for three days.  I caught up on all my pre-reading while on the plane here and I have to say I am most excited about attending these work shops.  The amount of information and knowledge I have gained by being a part of this organization is outstanding.  Today, is the first day and I can't wait to see more!

I am very thankful for the friends and family, colleagues, Junior League members that have sent me such kind notes and cards the last few weeks.  Their support and understanding through this has been very much appreciated.  I hope that one day I can be as supportive to them should they ever need it.

Holiday Book Reading

I started reading "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen on our little weekend trip to San Francisco last week. I had seen where several of my friends had read it on Goodreads and heard that the movie was really good.

I can tell you, I love to read but don't take the time to just sit and read, I'm usually sewing, gardening, cooking or stitching something. But on flights and early mornings during vacation, I love to read to spend up quite time to relax.

This book is very well written and the imagery is outstanding. I would recommend it to just about anyone (not kids) but anyone wanting to escape for a little while into another world of life in the circus.

Wine at pier 39

Must find oysters soon and not look like such a tourist!

Survival!

My planned escape went successfully. I was able to pick the lock on my shackles and slip past the guards. I hitched a ride on an outbound vessel headed west. The way was bumpy and crowded. We landed close to home successfully. I maneuvered my way south through vehicles and building along a well traveled path. My final stretch of road was glorious to see my home off in the distance with my waiting family.

We spent a nice evening catch up and loving each other. The last minutes before sleep and needed rest were having a rousing session of iphone battleship. Where I proceed to win 3 consecutive games - it was my night.

Tomorrow we will get back to our regularly scheduled program.

oh and I thought I'd share what I sent Nadine for the SAS swap now that's she's received it and it fits her machine!

Day 2 of my Captivitiy

my captors have taken my water. They are only feeding me salty food. I am forced to walk through camp up hill both ways with nothing but high heals. The torture me by corporate water boarding. My mind is being reprogrammed. If you are reading this, tell my family I am surviving, by shear stubborn will to survive.


AKA

The maid through out my half drank bottle of water, the fried chicken salad at dinner was way to salty. I walk from the hotel to the office and depending on the route, it really is up hill both ways, in heals. My version of corporate water boarding refers to data entry. My mind is being reprogrammed. I do miss my family and stubborn enough to survive until it's time to go home.

Sunshine

Is everywhere and I was sad see the destruction from the tornados today. 4 more days and home

Over the Hill and Through the Woods

to Amypalooza we go! Yes, that's right I'm going to be over the hill very soon and will be celebrating with a little fest! ie all my peeps are coming to town to throw down on some sun, fun and good times. We'll be resting our laurels at a mid-century house in Old Las Palmas in Palm springs with our toes in the pool and sippy cold beverages in our hands. We'll be able to walk 3 blocks into town to drop some quarters in the machines, do a little shopping or have some young something serve us dinner.

I don't get to see my friends very often as they are spread out all over so this is a special treat for me. What's even better is the week before I'm spending a long
romantic weekend with my hubs. It's really not so bad getting old.

Life from 30,000 Feet

In flight wifi. Nice to be able to blog while in transit for a change. Unfortunately, it also means you have access to work and emails and the outside world. Outside of this tube in the sky anyway. It is late and dark on the plane. I'm in the second row in economy. I have the 2 seat row to myself and I can people watch from where I am. The guy in the first row is working hard getting a buzz on with cocktails. the couple with the baby in the middle of my row finally got their child to sleep. The guy in front of me keeps looking back as I type - it either annoys him or he's too cheap to pay for his own internet access.

Work in Atlanta this week was rough, my moral is low and I am tired. I want to always help and fix and improve and move forward. When I come to the office here, I get more work, more confused, more challenges and more enlightenment all at the same time. It's emotionally draining. I'm ready to be home with my dogs and my husband.

Just before boarding, my hubs texted me saying he'd be working all night...a car hit a pole and he's working. I wont get to see him until tomorrow afternoon when I get home. It's a downer after the last few days.

The best part of the week is going to be walking around my yard looking over the things I've planted and seeing how much they've grown this week. It always amazes me to see this after I've been gone for a few days.

Maybe this weekend, I can plan something wonderful for the hubs birthday...crawfish boil anyone?

Holiday Fun

What are the things you look forward to the most this time of year? Halloween is this weekend and that triggers the "Holiday Season" when all things begin to run-a-muck.

Is the good food you get to make and eat on Thanksgiving, is it Black Friday shopping, the football games with leftovers, the wrapping of packages or visiting with family?

For me I like doing a little bit of all of it. To me that makes it festive. I enjoy the cooler weather, the holiday music in the stores, the great smelling candles that come out. I love the seasonal flavored coffees. I just don't like too much of any one thing - too many long check out lines - too much holiday music - too much wrapping - I want just the right amount of each. I want to do holiday tea at the Four Season's again. It really makes the season bright.

Being that we live far way from our families it has always just be "us" for the holidays. We enjoy it but we miss all the craziness that family brings. Which is why this year we're diving in. We are trying to get to my husband's family for Christmas weekend = there are a lot of family up there and it will be some holiday madness for sure. I really love all of them - they have been so kind and warm to me. I am truly fortunate to have married into their family.

On that note tell me what you like the most?

Rainy Days

This weekend has been a dreary one. Gray skies and light drizzle. Last night I slept with the window open. It was so nice to hear the rain in the middle of the night. I know this must sound silly to some people, but it just hardly ever rains here in Southern California. I miss the rain. I moved here from the Seattle area and I really like the climate up there. Here it's always perfect blue skies and 70 degrees and nice coastal breeze. It never changes except for the few days of the year where it rains.

We have two fireplaces in our house - not sure why - and we've never used them. However, I may use the one in the living room tonight. Would be great to look forward to at the end of the day.

My only issue with rain here is the traffic. It will be a long slow drive to the office today. Fortunately, I have 2 conference call early this morning that I will do from home and then drive in.

My garden is loving this moisture. The picture is my husband riding in the rain in Vancouver Canada. I took the picture from the warmth of my dad's car.

Traveling and Making Things

I have a new hobby that I only do when I travel. Needlepoint. It serves many purposes. First, I have something to do as I don't sleep well on planes. Second, I have something to show after wards for my time spent. Third, people don't talk to you when you have a needle flying.


Last September when were visiting Bowen Island, Dorothy our good friend, helped me learn how to needlepoint. There is a great needlepoint shop just behind Doc Morgans where I bought my first kit. While out touring on the Moxie, Dorothy gave me pointers and showed me how to do the basics.

After that trip, I tried to work on it all the time, but realized that time would just slip away. So then I tried doing it while I was traveling. It was perfect - compact, easy and mindless.

So here it is on my last flight, I was sitting in the Munich, Germany airport doing the last few stitches to complete the piece.

Jet Lag and Swiss Chocoloate

I am have been in Switzerland since Sunday night for a business trip. I spent all day Monday and Tuesday in a conference room doing a workshop on a new CRM tool the company is implementing.

Now it's Wednesday morning - and bloody early swiss time of 4:00 am drive from the hotel to the Geneve Airport.

I got stuck in swiss never-neverland between the first security check point and the scanner check point waiting on the gate assignment for my flight. Note by this time it is only 5:30 am. Nothing is open. So I wait...and wait. Finally duty free opens and I proceed to buy my husband every piece of dark swiss chocolate I can find. I had wanted to replace the swiss army knife that security took from him, but there was no time or opportunity so chocolates will have to suffice.

Meanwhile I got the info for my apron partner and I am most excited. I am already thinking of which fabrics I will use and little bitty ideas to go along with the Garden Apron Swap. I hope that my partner will like what I do. It's all so exciting.

Loco Moco Choca Laca

I am finally downloading the pictures from all my trips this year. My poor camera had 200+ photos on the disk. It's taken forever to get everything in the same place after moving.

It seems strange to see the pictures and think this was just from this year, and only so far this year. There are still a few more trips to do. We are planning two vacations between now and the end of year - one to Yellowstone and one to Vancouver. Both will be full of fun and finally some relaxation.

Tonight at dinner we talked about how people do not travel. That some guys that work with my husband have never left the area and they are in their 20 and 30s. To me this is just weird. How can you live in one place all your life and never want to see the rest of the world. There is so much to see, smell, taste and experience. This just boggles my mind that they have no desire for anything different.

For me the world has so much I haven't seen yet that if I am home too long I get out of sorts.

If I can figure out how to post the pictures here on the blog I will - Puerto Rico, Brazil, Seattle, Oregon, and of course the new house.