Home Again, Home Again

Arriving in Tunis, I walked off the plane into a wall of heat and humidity. After six weeks of living out of a suitcase I was happy to return--what's 95° F. after the record-breaking July temperatures of 125° F. (which I missed while enjoying Oregon's cool 85°F.) ? Fortunately, I found my garden in fairly good condition, all things considered.


Quilters, artists, and sketchers crossed my path. I had pleasant adventures and did a few crazy things...like acquiring art supplies and fabric.

Do I need more fabric? Here is the current state of my fabric palette/stash.

A bit of a tight squeeze; the shelves are fairly packed. Logic flew out the window when a friend of a friend made it known she was downsizing her fabric stash. For a very reasonable price, I acquired a great deal of good stuff.

My daughter caught me in bed with my newly washed fabric.

Now it all sits on my sewing table--I counted about 300 fabrics. The question remains, where do I put it? 

Glad to be home--Happy days ahead playing with fabric!

Lazy Days of Summer

The lazy days of summer have been pleasant thanks to family and friends who have welcomed me in the States, taken care of me, even pampered me. 

Inevitably, the flying theme appears in my sketching: jet wings, airports,





meals on planes, and 


passengers strapped in.

Any subject that doesn't move too much is good, like my sister's aging pug.




Then there are things that I can't find in Tunisia, like root beer. I confess to being on a root beer binge.




I've sketched and stitched just about every day. I've met up with sketchers and quilters, and I've spent money in art stores and quilt shops. Some excellent museums and libraries have afforded me hours of wonder and enjoyment.

It has been a wonderful holiday, a much-needed change in pace to stop the lists in my head, to forget momentarily the "TO-DOs," and the responsibilities, and to re-energize.

But, you know, all the places I've visited are so clean that it's almost boring...I guess I'm ready to go home and face the challenges.