Road tripping for 13 days

We left home Thursday morning, stopping in Rolla to have lunch with our college grandson, Brady. We will miss his team introduction of their Mars rover. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xsqk0lP8PPE&feature=share

You will hear Brady at 35 seconds into the video.

We then headed south. After hours of driving, I stopped in Bastrop, Louisiana. 

The next morning, we left and headed south arriving in Lafayette, Louisiana before noon. We caught up with friends at Dave’s shop.

Lunchtime we all met at Shucks Restaurant, Abbeville Louisiana. Tradition is we meet here at noon the day before conference!

Friday evening, we were invited to a get together at Terry and Ada's beautiful home on a bayou in New Iberia, La. The demonstrator for the Louisiana Metalsmith Association is Gordon Williams in the cowboy hat. 

On the bayou. 

Inside Terry's shop.

The Missouri guys talk to the Minnesota guy!

Wayne dips into the huge cast iron kettle of my favorite, Pastalya. 

The next evening, I went with the Missouri smiths to another seafood restaurant. I mean when in seafood county you must eat it every meal. Here they are discussing the big boat anchor in the flower bed. Next thing I knew they were pushing the mulch away to see how many forge welds were in it!

I believe they decided on 3 welds. But who's counting???

Gordon demonstrating Saturday.

Sunday at 12:15 we gave our hugs and said goodbyes until next year. We headed to Florida. We drove until dark, stopping in  Marietta, Florida for some sleep.

Next morning we headed to Winter Garden Florida. The grandkids did not know we were coming. However, Logan knew his quilt would be delivered that day. So, when we got in the front gate, Sarah told them the delivery was on its way, to go outside and wait. 

Their joy is PRICELESS!!!

Logan finally got his quilt! I think it was a hit. 

He had picked every character he wanted on the quilt. 

 The next morning, he made one big Pop Tart!

This was the first of many trips we walked to the pier behind their house. Logan is a fisherman for sure, Connor will fish a little. 

Quite the team!

His first catch. He wanted to eat it so bad. 

Grandpa checking out their computers. 

Thursday Sarah had to go into work for a couple of hours. So, Logan and I made chicken and rice soup. 

Legos overload!

Here is the first fish he caught. 

 Grandpa fried it up!

He ate the entire thing too.

The front pond wasn't successful.  

Back to the lake behind the house. 

This was a nice one. 

Don't tell their daddy that grandpa cleaned the fish at the kitchen sink. 

Since we came to town his birthday was celebrated early.

Our Missouri kids were at the state archery tournament in Branson Missouri. 

Lizzie took 2nd in the state for 3D shooting, middle school!!! 

Lori center front!

Blair Oaks High School on stage. They were awarded 2nd in state for Bullseye. Jeremy and grandson Alex are two of the coaches.

Lizzie receiving her award.

Thanks  to technology we were able to watch the ceremony live on the web!

Jeremy, who is the high school coach, carries the gold! 

Saturday evening, we fried up the 8 fish Logan caught the day earlier. 

This time we all enjoyed his catch. 

 Time to set off the Volcano experiment I brought for Connor and Logan. 

Connor and Logan show off the geodes Grandpa cracked for them.

Sunday evening, we went to a new restaurant, New York Beer Project. The food was fantastic, as was the company. 

Our "must take"  front door picture, taken early Monday.

We pulled out of the driveway at 6:45 CST. 

Our total milage for the 13 days was 2,670. I drove all but 240 miles! 

1,127 miles later arrived home at 12:34 AM, 17 hours. What a trip!!!

Life is GOOD!

God is Great!

 

Call me crazy. . .

Well wait a minute before you call me that.

In 2021 I purchased a pattern from Sentimental Stitches. Every Friday that year, I’d get an email containing 7 quilt block patterns. All year long I made quilt blocks. In the end I made a quilt containing over 11,800 pieces. 

In January of 2022, I purchased this pattern titled 4.5 inch tiny blocks. Today I finished all the blocks plus one, to make my quilt.

It still needs several borders. As for how many pieces, I didn’t keep count. I just know it’s a whole lot less pieces. 

2021 quilt, titled 3-inch tiny blocks. 

And now it’s 2023. I purchased another pattern. It’s titled Call me crazy! Here is sample pictures Gay posted of it. Every Friday you get one pattern. The block will be only 6 inches square. 

I know I’m addicted to paper piecing. I’ve been sewing on paper for more than 20 years. 

 

This is another pattern I ordered from Sentimental Stitches. It makes, I believe a 16 inch square pattern.

I’ve sewed several, but they get very little attention anymore.

Okay go ahead Call Me Crazy In the meantime, I’ll be in my room sewing. 

Christmas 2022

Christmas has come and is almost gone. Once again it was a beautiful time.

 

Ice candles, a craft we learned from our friends Beverly and Nathan who live in Minnesota. Every year they put them on their family graves in the cemetery on their land. 

This is Danish twist, that traditionally made in the Tappel household at Easter. But the family likes it so much, I made one for Christmas. The Christmas Jam, which is cranberry, and strawberries made it very festive looking!

The North Star quilt made for Jeremy and Lori. It is huge, California king, 120 inches by 120 inches, it was machine quilted by my friend Cindy.

Our grandchildren plus! Lizzie 13, Brady a Junior at S & T University, Alex who is in his first year at State Technical College, Alex’s girlfriend Josie, who is in her last year of high school.

I made Josie a throw, it has her name in one corner, a softball and bat in another corner, a stain glass window featuring a cross in another. 

 

Brady surprised both Grandpa and I with presents of T shirts from his college. 

Lizzie got a sunflower throw I made. The back was a minke fabric. The quilting by Cindy was outstanding!!

We faced timed the Floria family while opening gifts.

This is the Florida boys must be taken under the tree photo, with the night before Christmas book.

Grand dog Rosie came for the day. 

For our evening meal, I had a big pot of chicken soup. The blacksmith and I made Spätzle's. 

Lori used her new selfie stick we bought her to take a photo with us all.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

My town

 For those of you that have never been to my town, here’s a great video on what it looks like.

Thankful

November is always such a meaningful month. The month is full of celebration and always good food.

It was sew special for me. 

Here's our noon meal taken in two shots. Note to self, use the selfie stick next time! Josie is in this shot. 

Josie and Lori traded taking photos. 

Of course, Rosie the grand dog came for the day. Here she models her security blanket from grandma. 

Meanwhile, in Florida our youngest grandson loves to help cook. Here he's peeling sweet potatoes!

Sarah sent us this picture of their dinner!

There are several surprises I am thankful for; my friend and fellow blogger Karen from Karen in the woods sent me these leg warmers. When I asked what I owed her, she wanted to barter. Her Etsy page is Karen in the woods Etsy. 
Check it out, she makes beautiful woven rugs, knits wool socks which are fabulous and so much more. Oh, Quilts too! I know because I have a rug and socks, and now leg warmers from her.

I had recently finished this small wall hanging. She has an RV too and thought maybe she's use it in there. Of course, that is exactly what she is going to do. I used colored pencils and then outlined with black embroidery.

Then this beautiful sewing machine arrived from the Blacksmith's cousin, Marjolein,  in The Netherlands!  What a surprise. 

*Just received a message from Marjolein, she has to pay €23.11 in customs to get my package! Why? 

This week, the first of December, my cousin Mary who lives in Bates City, Missouri sent me these gems. She saw the sewing machine pin first and before she could mail it, she found the RV charm. Both are darling!

As the old saying goes, it is better to give then receive, both cousins are being sent gifts too! More on that later. 

So much to be thankful for! God is Great.

Flat Stanley here. . .

I flew to Jefferson City, Missouri from Winter Garden, Florida. I was to visit a few days Logan’s Grandma and Grandpa Tappel. They really live out in the woods. It doesn’t look anything like Florida. Did I mention it’s cold?

The first day I sat on grandma’s quilting frame.  I got a little tied up in her thread. She’s sewing millions of stitches in a Christmas quilt she made. She has made several hundreds of quilts.

The following day I went a couple miles up the road to what they call Deer Camp. There is a certain time when hunting season is open. The little cabin in the woods is so pretty with smoke coming out of the chimney. 

The front porch looks a little crowed with coolers. 

Inside, which was small, I checked out Grandpa’s bed, or as he called it a cot. I decided I was worn out and soon I was snoozing away.

 When I woke up, they had saved me a little dinner. It was Pastalaya. I thought I was in Louisiana, with that Cajun dish.

Sunday morning, I woke up to 3 inches of SNOW!! Brrrr! It was cold. But it was beautiful to see.

Wednesday I went into the city. Did you know Jefferson City is the state capital of Missouri? The capital is a beautiful limestone building. All the stone was mined in Missouri. 

  

 This is actually the backside; it sets atop the river bluff on the Missouri River.

 We then went to the Governor's mansion. I knocked on the front door, but he wasn’t home, however his Christmas tree was lit up! 

Down the street we stopped at the old Missouri State Prison, which was established in 1836 and used until a new one was built in 2004. 

I never got to see Grandpa’s blacksmith shop, but he gave me this picture. He’s been blacksmithing for about 48 years.

It was a fun trip but I’m glad to be going home to Florida because I forgot my coat!