There is nothing to bring you to reality and the truth of one's mortality than losing a loved one. Life... it comes with loss and every single one of us has an "expiration date." The Bible states that the number of our days has been planned for us... even BEFORE our birth.
As (Dave and) I consider the future (since the passing of our brother-in-law at just 71 years old) I find myself wanting to make the most of life and assessing relationships and priorities.
BUT... In reality... we need to find the delicate balance between living life and working to be able to "afford" said life. Twelve years ago, when Dave suddenly found himself to be on administrative leave, we (with the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit) made the decision to start Nolan Quality Customs. God's provision has ALWAYS been enough, and we continue to trust in His provision. But until we reach a certain age so that we can supplement our earnings and help make that delicate balance of "living life" a little less precarious, we will continue our endeavors to continue with our philosophy...
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord ~ Colossians 3:23
With all of the travels we have had during the month of April ~ 23/30 ~we are definitely ready to stay home! I am here and ready to share the progress of the projects I enjoyed along the way...
My RSC hexagon project has grown with two colors... thanks to my misunderstanding ;) I transitioned the blues into the reds with a few R/W/B fabrics. I wonder what the color of May will be... any guesses?
I added 8 scrappy Korner Kabin blocks to the stack I am accumulating.
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| Korner Kabin Blocks in the actual RSC color |
The scrappy teal quilt is nearly quilted... thanks to 3 days of driving dedicated to this project.
The scrappy red quilt is marked and ready to go... but will be saved for another time.
For now... I'll summarize our 2-week journey to the Gulf of America. ;) Before I forget everything we did... LOL! WARNING! Long post ahead... I won't be offended if you skip it. =D Haha...
Day 1 was spent getting to Carlsbad KOA near Carlsbad, NM. The drive through Roswell was entertaining to us with aliens all over. We enjoyed deconstructed nachos for dinner. ;) Not a typical meal for camping... but still good.
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| Do you ever feel like you're being watched? |
We had a light, misty rain the next morning but we were prepared with our rain gear and headed to the Sitting Bull Falls. Because of the rain, there were very few people present. There was a short trail that led to an overlook of the falls/creek that were fed with an underground spring.
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| We didn't let a little rain stop us... |
It didn't take Dave long to find his way to the creek to climb around and explore. Of course, I could not let him be the only one to explore. With the hood of the raincoat on my scope of vision was a bit obscured and I walked into a branch of a downed tree. OUCH! I saw stars... wowzer! The rocks were a little slick, but I was being extra cautious at that point. When we finished our exploration there, we headed to town. By the time we got into town the clouds and rain had dissipated, and we enjoyed a lovely lunch on the patio at the Yellow BRIX.
Following lunch, we enjoyed a walk along the riverwalk and then returned to our campsite. It was a relaxing afternoon as I enjoyed an iced coffee and read an AQS Publishing book, the first of the East Perry County series - The Forgiving Quilt, followed by a short bike ride.
After having a large lunch, Dave suggested soup for dinner... another atypical dinner while camping. The temps had dropped, and the wind had increased, so it was a good option... and turned out delicious! Don't ask for a recipe... I just made it up by cooking diced chicken in some water and added some veggies, a small amount of rice and seasoning.
Following dinner, we chose a puzzle from the game room. It was only 300 pieces, and we were able to complete the puzzle in the few hours before turning in for the night.
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| Rock of Ages |
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We awakened on Day 4 to a rain/snow mix. Our exit from Carlsbad to Fredericksburg, TX was welcome, though it took driving most of the day before we drove out of the rain. The storm drainage system in Carlsbad is insufficient and the streets were flooded. When we finally reached Fredericksburg, we located the quaint and remote RV park for which we had made reservations. The host was a kind guy (and his golden retriever, Max was awesome) and they offered access to a free laundry facility. We were able to launder a few items... including the towels and rags we had used to mop up the puddles from the leak. (You see, when driving the dripping from the leak travels around a bit. Oy!)
I did not have the energy or desire to make dinner... We found restaurant that offered German-style food AND had menu items that were acceptable for me. While the meal I had was not from their German-style options, the redfish with green beans and mashed potatoes was tasty. After dinner we stopped in at the Fredericksburg Brewery for Dave to enjoy a beer.
Day 6 was cool but sunny. We wandered the many stores that line Main Street and again had lunch out. This time at Burger Burger. It was a place that we had heard raves about... We thought it was "meh." Absolutely nothing special about it. We located one shop that offered both beer and wine flights for tasting. After a short drive around the outskirts of town (and a quick stop at a thrift shop to look for a few puzzles) we returned to camp where we enjoyed our first sunset of the trip.
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| Quilt located in the welcome center |
Day 7 was filled with a visit to the Lyndon B. Johnson Parks and a picnic lunch at the LBJ Ranch. Dave insisted that we visit Luckenbach, Texas... Population 3! LOL. As we returned to town we stopped into another winery (for me) and then a distillery (for Dave) for tastings. We wrapped up the day with a stop at the Pioneer Museum. It was a wonderful museum and we were not disappointed. We finished up the day with another sunset and a visit from Max the golden retriever as I prepped teal fabric for a few hand-stitched 4-patch unit and Dave did laundry.
It was on Day 8 that we finally reached our ultimate destination of the Bolivar Peninsula and Crystal Beach. While making a quick stop at a grocery store for a few things we discovered that a window in the upper sleeping area had cracked. We had a problem with that same window last year on our way to Arizona in high winds, though this time it was worse since it broke. We taped it up and settled on the beach with entertainment from a group of parasailers (those kite things with a motor that people strap onto their backs). The group of them sounded like a bunch of bees. They were entertaining to watch, but the noise became annoying so the next day we moved about a mile down the beach to get away from them.
We had a great expanse of room around us, and we enjoyed it for 4 days!
Our first morning on the beach brought the news of Ron's passing. We enjoyed a bike ride and then a drive on the beach. The wind increased steadily throughout the day and chased me into the camper mid-afternoon. Dave followed and suggested a puzzle...
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| one piece missing... |
Frequently, Dave will opt to sleep through the sunrise, but he was quick to rise this time. He savored the time sitting outside, coffee in hand and in his pjs. ;) We had no neighbors on the beach... so why not?!
We discovered a coconut in and amongst some of the beach debris. We drilled it and cracked it. It was stinky and gross. We spied several others, but them right where they were.
During our sunset walk on Day 9 we saw several lines left in the inlet creek. Dave being the curious guy that he is pulled it out. We discovered that there was a hermit crab that came out with the plants that were stuck on the line. He made tracks back into the water quickly. I loved the pattern he left behind. In fact, I found lots of quilty inspiration and noticed many interesting patterns in nature.
We enjoyed a seafood trio pizza for dinner. It had an alfredo sauce, shrimp, scallops and crab. There were no leftovers.
After the sunrise the next day we decided it would be a good day to take the ferry to Galveston Island. Lunch at the Fisherman's Wharf was the first item on the agenda. They have a fabulous seafood salad that I get each time we go there. YUM! I am much more relaxed about following my dietary restrictions when at a lower altitude. (It is an interesting thing I have learned about my body and the inflammation I experience when I veer beyond my typical limitations at home. I can't explain it... but I am much more comfortable dining out when at lower elevations.)
After lunch, I enjoyed the Ship to Shore experience. It was an interactive tour that gave a peek into the journey that immigrants (like my grandparents Philip & Katherine Schleich) would have experienced. Dave was less impressed with it than I was. I thought it was fascinating and could have spent at least another hour there.
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| We wandered Pier 21 and the boats and boat slips that were there. A family of seagulls posed for a picture. ;) |
It was another lovely sunset and to the east we spied the full moon ascent. We closed our eyes for the last time on the beach as planned to move inland just a bit so that we could prepare for our return north.
We did enjoy one last sunrise on the beach, another bike ride and an expedition to the north jetty. We learned some interesting facts from those fishing from the jetty. I wanted to open a few oysters to look for a pearl but thought better of it... though we did mess with a few oysters.
We gleaned through our beach finds of interesting items before making the move inland... a blue crab shell, sea beans, a few interesting shells and pieces of driftwood.
We cleaned the interior and exterior of the camper and then dined out one last time at a place that came highly recommended by friends - Tia Juanita's Fish Camp.
Day 12 was a day of driving from Bolivar to Seymour, Texas. We spent two days with our friends at the Lazy J Goat Farm. Dave helped Jack with some work that he was doing, and I helped Jamie get her mom's sewing machine set up. It's an older Singer and was quite clean, though a little dry. I tested it out with the Teal Korner Kabin blocks and the 9-patch blocks for the scrappy teal quilt.
We were home just 1 week before we made the 1,200-mile drive to Chicagoland for Ron's memorial service. I shared details of the first leg of our trip on Sunday/Monday's Sew & Tell party... here.
Saturday was the celebration of life for Ron... Sunday was going to be another "family" day, but not until after we visited the Dunn Museum in Libertyville. They had an exhibit of Threads of Time - Quilts and Textiles. It was an interesting exhibit. In addition to this exhibit, there were rooms and exhibits that told of the history of Lake County. The quilts and the stories of those that made them were interesting. It was child friendly and had a felt design wall with felt shapes that visitors could design quilt blocks and "I Spy" cards for the kids to try to locate and identify the various pictures on them.
We felt it interesting enough that we walked through all of the exhibits a second time.
And then... it was family time! The Nolan clan can be a loud, wild and crazy bunch, but when everyone comes together to love and support each other, whether a joyous celebration or a more somber event, they love fiercely.
It isn't often that all 8 of the siblings are in one place at the same time... but this one was.
Just as elephants circle up to help or protect an injured or at-risk member of the herd, or the wagons of days past circling up at the end of the day, the Nolan family will circle up. I am happy and content to say that I am a part of this family... they have supported us in some difficult times as well as some joyous and celebratory events... and I don't foresee that that will change anytime soon.
I'll call that a wrap... I don't have any complete finishes for the month of April... but we made many memories that will remain with us. I will say that the Patchwork of Love wedding quilt was delivered to the newlyweds. It was a few hours later I received a message from our niece stating that Andrew declared that it was perfect... she sent along with the message a picture of Andrew curled up under the quilt followed then by another message that there were soft snores heard a short time later.
I was told the next day by Bonnie's Mom that all of her children/spouses were discussing their wedding quilts and how they all loved them. My mission was accomplished. <3
This quilter's heart is so pleased!
Keep Piecing,
Melva
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