Scary Stuff

I’m feeling a little guilty because I took 2 days off from work during our busy opening season. Since I work on a college campus and classes are in session on Labor Day, I haven’t enjoyed the holiday for nearly 10 years. And, wouldn’t you know it, disaster struck on Friday, which was my first vacation day: the campus bookstore flooded due to a water line break. So my peaceful sleep-in morning turned into a social media posting fest.

The remainder of the weekend was much less stressful: I helped my mother and her best friend prep for a party and then attended said party;  did a little monster TV shopping (it won’t fit in my car, so we’ll have it drop-shipped); and I got a in a lot of reading time.

I was able to spend several hours on my Dia de Los Muertos design. I cannot tell you how many times I have ripped out rows of this tiny wall-hanging. Sometimes Most times, it seems that I spend more time polishing my un-sewing skills instead of making progress.

I must have vacation brain because I’ve measured, remeasured and stomped my feet many times and I still only have 8 rows complete.

The best part of the weekend was the last part. My son and I went for a hike today (Sunday) at Letchworth State Park aka, the Grand Canyon of the East. We haven’t been there together in a long time, and he fell in love with it, just like everyone else who visits. It’s been many years since I visited Letchworth in the summer, and it was spectacular. We made a pact to go back again soon and find more trails to explore. The fall colors can be breathtakingly, heartrendingly beautiful.

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A distant view of the Letchworth gorge.

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Closest he would allow for a selfie. And you don’t want to see it anyway, he’s gone full-on Amish for the duration of soccer season.

As the extra long vacation weekend comes to a close, I have my seam-ripper in hand and I’m ready to buckle down to quilting work. Pays-the-bills job restarts tomorrow. Wish me luck.

9 thoughts on “Scary Stuff

  1. Meg our-house-quilts says:

    The park looks magnificent. Many years ago I travelled in the Finger Lakes area near Ithaca, and that was very beautiful. Letchworth State Park would surpass that area for sure. In the Fall it must take your breath away. I wish I could say that it is on my list for my next trip to USA, but alas I don’t think there will be one. (My husband is not well and we can’t afford the medical costs if he were taken poorly.)
    Your quilt will be worth it, persistence pays off. A detailed pixel quilt will never be easy.

    • sandradny says:

      Meg — you’ve been to our corner of the world, so you know of our secrets ;)– Ithaca is another jewel in the heart of the Finger Lakes. There are several really lovely state parks near there, including Robert H. Treman State Park (on my bucket list).
      I finally got my pixels in a row last night and now I’m ready to assemble and then quilt my skull wall hanging– that’s the really scary part. I’m sorry for your husband’s illness.

  2. Chela's Colchas y Mas says:

    Letchworth State Park looks absolutely gorgeous.
    What a way to spend the day.
    Anytime I can spend with my sons is the best time ever.
    Good luck when you return to you bill paying job.
    I’m interested in the Dia de los Muertos design.
    I just made a sugar skull Dresden table top and now I plan to make a pillow.

    • sandradny says:

      Turns out the water line break was over the cup sales area, not the textbook area — if I’d have known that, my social media response would have been funnier! He is getting bigger — although still one of the shorter dudes in his class. I guess the Amish beard helps make up for that??

  3. tierneycreates says:

    Seam ripper in hand – yes I remember once I put one side of border on a quilt wrong, THREE times. It is like occasionally you have an out of body experience while sewing 🙂
    The Grand Canyon of the East sounds cool!

    • sandradny says:

      Three times — I may have you beat by a time or two 😉
      Occasionally I wonder if I was always this ditsy and never realized it — or if now I’m just more self-aware? LOL! Squirrel!

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