This and That

Yesterday I went from Star Pupil to Problem Patient at the Coumadin Clinic.  My INR levels had jumped from 2.1 to 4.0 in one week.  The highest normal value is 3.0.   They wanted me to come back to Rex on Sunday morning, but we are leaving town today to visit the McBrayers in the western part of the state.  It's the annual Pool Party, which probably means it will be rainy.

I usually get to stop on the way at Mary Jo's Cloth Store, a fabric and sewing notions mecca in Gastonia, NC. 

Here is a link to a virtual tour of the place.

 I have learned how to do Mary Jo's in an hour.  I don't really need anything, and don't really have any spending money with all the medical co-payments and deductibles from my sprained ankle/blood clot double whammy.  But- got to go!   Charlie has found some places in Gastonia that he can shop, like Northern Hardware.

I read the best book this week:  A Dog's Purpose, by W.Bruce Cameron. 

Weeper Warning:  I cried at least three times while reading this novel written from a dogs point of view.  It made me want to hug my dog and appreciate how she might be thinking about human behavior.   You have to be able to wrap your mind around the idea that dogs have multiple lives, being reborn after death and remembering the experiences of their former lives.  I found that hard to do, but it makes it much easier to get past the dog's death when you realize there is more to come.

Well, now I have to take my personal doggy to the Cobble Hill Bed and Biscuit for the weekend.  She has been there several times, and the staff always says Kasey is their favorite.  They probably say that to all the dog moms and dads!  After reading A Dog's Purpose, maybe I will put her in one of the Suites with a real bed and a TV that plays animal movies!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Mary Jo's Outing and Family Pool Party

Here is my haul from my Way-Too-Short one hour run through Mary Jo's in Gastonia on Friday afternoon: I collect black and white fabrics, and got all these FQ's for 99 cents each. I love the little chairs!
I stocked up on some needles for DSM and for burying knots (chenille needles- big eyes!)
Some possibilities for a future mountain landscape quilt. Ashe County, the location of our little cabin, is probably where your Christmas tree comes from if you are in the USA! My husband thought the fabric on the right depicts a certain illegal plant. I was thinking of the laurel leaves...

I also got a whole bolt of muslin, two 18-inch pillow forms for the pillow tops in Lily's room, a huge remnant of Timtex interfacing for fabric post cards, some Silicone spray, fabric detergent, and Synthrapol. When I go to MJ's I usually look for backing fabric, since they have quilt shop quality fabric at only $5.79 yard. But I couldn't find exactly what I wanted in the short time I was allotted on this trip. Good news- they will soon have a shopping website available! You can mail order now if you know the fabric you want. If you go to the Mary Jo's website, you can sign up for e-mail notification of when the new site goes live.

From Gastonia we drove west for another hour and had a wonderful visit with my husband's relatives. His two brothers and his sister all live in western NC or SC, and they all made it to the pool party on Saturday. Usually this event signals the onslaught of thunderstorms and unseasonal frigid temperatures, but we were pretty safe this year since it has only rained about twice all summer and has been HOT every day.

We were amused by nephew Chris's school project, a tom turkey he has raised from a chick and will display at the NC State Fair next month. They call him Baby "T," and he was walking around the driveway when we arrived. I was reminded somewhat of Big Bird on Sesame Street. I am afraid he has become a family pet instead of a future Thanksgiving meal.

And here is a neat picture of a much smaller bird who visited the pots of petunias on the back deck Sunday morning.

Labor Day Weekend in the mountains

We had a wonderful long holiday weekend in the mountains of North Carolina at our little cabin. There is a hint of fall in the air, with some of the leaves changing color already. Here are a few pictures:









If you click on the picture of the wild turkeys, you may be able to see a flock of birds climbing up the hill that my brother-in-law cleared with a backhoe.


The only bad part of the weekend happened just as we were getting ready to leave. I never brag about my housekeeping skills, but I am trying to keep the new cabin spotless to avoid coming back to mice or insects. Anyway, I was sweeping the steps and missed my footing on the landing. I fell hard to the concrete garage floor, but landed on my most padded part of my anatomy. All I got were a couple bruises and little soreness.

Next weekend we are supposed to go to a McBrayer family gathering, Richard's annual pool party. I am looking forward to seeing my brother-in-law, who has been called "The Silver Fox" for decades, with his hair and mustache dyed black (courtesy of his new girlfriend.) I also have my husband pretty well-trained to stop at Mary Jo's Cloth Store in Gastonia on the way. If you have never been there, this is what I call Mecca. It is a former grocery store that has been turned into a huge fabric and notions store. There are quilting fabrics of every description, sorted by color and also by theme. Additionally, they have a large home dec section and lots of trims, bridal lace, you name it. And all at a discount price. If you are ever in the vicinity of Charlotte, NC, go a little farther on I-85 and plan to spend a few hours here. And don't forget your credit card!