A Few Days on the Outer Banks

We just got home from a few days on the Outer Banks of North Carolina...a most amazing place.
We've been there many times, but not in several years.  Lots of changes - many of them not for the better.  The only place that still seems like a small village is Ocracoke.  No fast food, no chain stores.  Bicycles and golf carts are the favored transportation.  Life is slower, quieter, calmer - I think better.  The ocean water was warm, the wild ponies were beautiful, people were friendly, weather was great.  Life is good. 


Dinner at The Dunes in Nags Head was perfect - not one thing could have been better.
Breakfast the next morning in Nags Head - this one is worth checking out if you're ever in the area...Lisa's Pizza...yes, breakfast at a Pizza joint.  Best breakfast I've had in years!  I complimented the food to the waiter and he told us their chef is going to culinary school!  Beautiful, delicious breakfast, great service in a little pizza restaurant!


We stopped at "The World's Largest Gun Store" in Mackey's Landing.  Mackey's Landing Firearms - out in the middle of nowhere.  Of course Ken bought a gun - who could resist when there were thousands to choose from.  Another reason not to travel on the interstates - more interesting places to see.


We bought a small motor home recently and this was our first trip.  No problems - we really enjoyed the trip.  We had campers for years - our last one was pretty large which was nice at the time.  This one is easier in every way.  Just get in and go.  Our boys grew up camping at the beach every summer - lots of fun.


Driving home we decided to take a new route through the countryside.  We saw some beautiful farms on Highway 264 - huge farms - looked liked thousand acre fields of corn - even some cotton fields.  I didn't know we had farms that large in NC.  Some of the farmhouses looked to be several generations old and very well kept.  A beautiful area - and such friendly people.  We ate dinner in Belhaven where a gentleman asked "Are ya comin' or goin'?" - wanted to know all about our trip.


On this same highway, a black bear crossed the road in front of us, then stopped and watched us pass by.  Lots of wildlife.  


Somewhere near Kitty Hawk we saw "Kite Skiers" - I guess that's what they're called.  Water skiers pulled by kites.  Looked like lots of fun.  I wonder if they can control the direction they go of if they just go where the kite takes them?


We went to see "The Lost Colony" in Manteo.  We didn't enjoy it as much as we expected.  This is its 74th year so lots of people must really like it.  I am glad we went - guess I just expected something different. 


We drove to Duck - never again - the traffic was hard to believe.  Duck is about as different from Ocracoke as it possibly can be.  Lots of shopping, restaurants, huge houses, traffic - if that's what you're looking for. 


A wonderful trip - and great to be home.  First trip I remember with no pictures!  I forgot my camera.

Quilting Retreat

A quilting retreat with four other obsessed quilters!  Tuesday through Friday last week in Maggie Valley.  I only knew one of the ladies - Jean.  I had met Nancy a couple of times and had never met the other two.  They are from Texas - Nancy's sister, Sallie and her friend Mary Ellen.  We had so much fun!  I find it hard not to have fun with quilters!  


We stayed at SUMMIT SEW AND QUILT RETREAT CENTER.  This house is set up for quilting - the only thing we had to take was our sewing machine, fabric and thread!  Everything else is there - even an Accuquilt Go fabric cutter and a light box.  Hundreds of quilting books - a design wall and much more.  Everything we needed.  Quilt shops close by.  If you need a perfect place to get away and relax check out:  http://summitquiltretreat.com/


Mary Ellen made a key lime pie that was indescribably delicious.  Nancy made strawberry pies that were just as good.  We had pie for breakfast Friday before coming home.  


Jean let me drive home so of course we took a little side trip.  Penland and Burnsville.  There are a couple of quilt shops in Burnsville that we needed to check out.

Check this off my Bucket List

I really can't believe I made this.  It has been on my Bucket List for a while...and now it is finished.  Well - almost finished - I just have to put the binding on it.  Look closely - some of these pieces are 1/2 inch wide.


Picking out the twenty different fabrics was one of the most difficult parts!  The fascination in doing something like this is the pushing myself to learn and do something new - and the feeling of accomplishment when it is done.  


What should be next on my list??

Donkeys, Tulips = Spring??

I want to be outside in the yard and garden and I also want to be inside sewing, knitting and quilting.  Have you figured out how to do both?  Story of my life - want to do it all!


Little Man is staying with us for a few days.  It is so much fun to see the world through a two year old's eyes.  We will play ball, feed cookies to the donkeys - he will ride his "Harley" - and check out all Papa's tractors - all kinds of fun things.  His two "big cousins" will be here - they have so much fun together.  He plays hard and sleeps good.



Our two miniature donkeys, Gracie and Stormy were very agreeable to having their picture taken yesterday.  Aren't they just the cutest things?  They eat cookies out of Little Man's hands.  He loves the outdoor life. 


Tulips are in bloom in my yard.  Hosta is peeking out.  Does this mean it really is spring?  Or is that just wishful thinking?

Fallingwater

I have long been fascinated by Frank Lloyd Wright and his unbelievable architecture. I have visited several of his houses and Taliesin in Scottsdale, Arizona. What a stubborn man he must have been - to design and build buildings that were said to be impossible to build. He was so far ahead of the times he lived in - so far removed from the thinking of those around him.

Wright's most famous and most amazing building is Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. It is canitlevered over a waterfall and creek- in a quiet, secluded and wooded area. Pretty amazing to see a house that was built in 1936 that still looks modern and ahead of the times.

I sometimes wonder how many gifted and creative people have let the expectations of those around them keep them from being what they are meant to be. For most of us it is easier to just fit in - do what's expected. Thank goodness for the ones who have the courage to be creative and imaginative.

Beautiful weather - what's not to love about springtime? Well - maybe the pollen! Everyone I know has allergies - 'specially this time of year. Garden is growing - flowers are blooming - it's a beautiful day.

Auction Sale

...went to an auction sale yesterday. Sort of sad. The man who owned the house and all the "stuff" was there - it must be hard to see your lifetime of belongings sold to the highest bidder. I went because there were some handmade quilts sold. I didn't buy one - I really just wanted to see them. There were a few people there who seemed to appreciate the artistry of the quilts.

In this economy - with so many people unemployed and so many facing financial difficulty. there are still people with money to spend. One man spent several thousand dollars on coins - one woman spent several hun

dred on a couple of RJR items. A very distinguished gentleman paid $2,100 for a Colt Python...guess he really wanted it.

I did buy a stained glass mirror - just couldn't resist. It is beautiful and the price I paid is less than I would pay for the materials to make it.

Little Man is spending the night with us. We had so much fun playing outside - feeding the donkeys. He loves riding his "Harley". Are boys born with the need for speed? He loves pushing the turbo button to go fast. He also loves riding it down to the shop or somewhere - then deciding he doesn't want to ride it back.

Is spring here? Mid 80's today - felt more like summer.

Beginnings and Endings...

I'll never be much of a blogger - it's been a month since my last post!  Am I too busy, or just not disciplined enough to post frequent blogs?  Don't know.  I enjoy it when I do get here.  And I really enjoy a few other blogs.  One of my favorites is pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com.  Some people really can do it all!

March is sometimes hard for me.  I need to remind myself of the good "March things" - my dad's birthday is in March, two nephews were born in March, my brother got married in March, we plant early vegetables in March.  The hard memories:  my mom died in March, my 23 year old nephew, Dale died in March.  I have great memories of both of them - but they left too soon and I still miss them.

My life has been crazy busy lately.  And whose fault might that be?  So many things I love doing with my time - it is hard to choose.  The picture is a stained glass I made - I love Irises - they just look like Spring.  One of my pet peeves is hearing someone say, "I don't have time to do that".  Seems to me that we each have the same number of hours in each day.  Some things are necessary, but a large part of our time is spent on things we choose.  I guess we all know people who choose to do not much of anything.  Funny thing is - they're usually the ones who say they don't have time when asked to do something.  I've found that time has gotten much more precious as I get older.  None of us have an endless supply of time.  Enough of that!

Radishes are growing in the garden - broccoli, spinach carrots and cabbage are planted.  Gracie and Stormy (our miniature donkeys) are enjoying the warmer weather, Bo the Beagle is happy, Little Man rode his "Harley" this weekend and Grandsons One and Two were here!  Life is Good!