Time to Move

 It’s a cliche to talk about how time has flown, but we’ve never experienced three faster months. I suppose it’s because we’d been on “Covid Standard Time” since March of last year where time seemed to crawl. I truly intended to blog this summer so now I’ll need to play catch up.

We started out visiting doctors and arranging for me to have cataract surgery on my left eye. The surgery went well and the whole process was quick and easy. I was amazed at the improvement in my vision. I won’t be at all worried to have the second one done once the cataract in that eye grows a bit more. I enjoyed visiting with friends, as did Bob. It’s always good to catch up with my “sisters of the heart!”

 In July we took the motorhome to Cape May Courthouse for a ten day GrandCamp. Ben enjoyed being the only child for a few days, and besides swimming daily we visited Ripley’s Believe it or Not in Atlantic City, went miniature golfing, and took a tour through Cold Spring Village to get a little history lesson.  

Next up were Alex and Jillian. They enjoyed the pool and mini golf as well, and had fun bowling for the first time, and did lots of crafts including Rainbow Loom bracelets and playing with PlayDoh.

Rob was also a solo camper. He and Bob went golfing at a local golf course, we all played mini golf together, and we spent a day walking around beautiful Cape May. We had great weather the whole time of GrandCamp and everyone enjoyed the pool every day.

Once we returned we had only a week and a half left before it was time to head west. Every day was filled with goodbyes and fun visits. In a blink it was behind us. On Saturday we had lunch with Tim and Bernie; we had commissioned Bernie to paint a portrait of our motorhome in the Grand Tetons and she did a fabulous job. She has spent the last year or more building her business, which may be found here.

So as of today we are on our way toward Idaho to visit our daughter Emily and her family, but we’ll take our time and arrive in a little less than three weeks. We have sightseeing to do!

Back in NJ

 

Our trip from Knoxville to NJ was uneventful. We missed all the storms that have been chasing us since Texas; there was a tornado in Hondo, about 45 minutes west of where we stayed in San Antonio, two nights after we left. More weather in other areas after we had departed. We only saw the occasional brief sprinkle of rain so we timed it just right. Tornados are a major concern in springtime so we are grateful we dodged them all. We travelled from Winchester, VA and skirted around Baltimore using the northwest section of route 695 to avoid the Baltimore tunnel and had no traffic slowdowns at all the whole way. That’s a miracle right there!

We arrived about 1:30 Tuesday afternoon at my daughter Kristen’s house and were greeted by her husband Jason (who was working from home today) and their three boys (who had just finished their remote learning for the day.) Later, we had a wonderful reunion with Kristen, our daughter Catherine and children; and son Tim and his wife, Bernie. 

We’ve been reading about possible fuel shortages this summer so we filled up before our arrival and now we are set for 600 miles more of travel. This week we will visit doctors and spend time with family. Life is good!

San Antonio, TX to Knoxville, TN

 We left San Antonio almost a week ago—where has the time gone? We spent three nights in Livingston, TX while Bob renewed his driver’s license and we ran errands. Not very exciting. We left Wednesday for Monroe, LA on a bone-jarring trip along Louisiana back roads. We’ve decided not to go to Livingston again until my license needs renewing in four years; we don’t like the roads. 

On Thursday we drove right through Mississippi to Alabama, through the upper corner of Georgia, and then yesterday we arrived in Knoxville, TN.

Our campground is in the Smokey Mountains by a lake. Sites are pretty close together but we have a lovely view and people have been friendly.

I love Knoxville. We first visited here in the fall of 2016, when we crossed Tennessee heading west. This is a two night stop, since I was pretty sure we’d need a little breather after averaging over 300 miles a day since Livingston. So this morning we got to play a little. We drove over to Jeffries Wood Works and found some very cool pieces of wood for Bob to turn.

Afterwards we went to Market Square in Knoxville where we ate lunch at The Tomato Head. It was very good food.

The Burn Memorial, commemorating Women’s Suffrage 

Bob spent the afternoon puttering while Auggie and I sat outside on the wooden deck, knitting. At one point a couple of young teens walked by with a German Shepherd puppy tugging on the leash. When the pup tried to pull them over to me I heard the girl say, “Stop! Leave the old person alone!” Bob said I should have shouted “Get out of here, you young whippersnapper!” Lol!

Tomorrow we head to Dixie Caverns in Virginia, which not only brings us one day closer to our destination but also has AN ANTIQUE STORE AT THE CAMPGROUND! I kid you not. Every campground should have its own antique store, to my way of thinking.

I guess I AM old.

Fort Stockton to San Antonio, TX

Bob and I have been hitting some strong winds on our trip. In Van Horn, TX the winds blew so hard that the flapping of our slide toppers kept me awake all night since they sound like a herd of cattle milling around and bumping into the coach. I was able to keep the AC fan on all night when we reached Fort Stockton, which masked the sound quite well. 

We love Fort Stockton’s sign, visible from our campground.

On Thursday we drove 330 miles to San Antonio, TX, a long drive for us. The topography changed from desert to the green Hill Country along the way.

We settled in and drove over to my sister Gail’s house where we had a lovely dinner with Gail and our brother in law, Mark. Their daughter Michelle and hubby Toby have just had their first baby, Jocelyne. Isn’t our new grand-niece adorable?

On Wednesday we visited our good friends Kathy and Ron. It had been three years since we saw them last and we had  blast catching up. They took us to see a fiber arts show nearby where we saw some very inspiring handmade clothing.

Afterwards Ron drove us just south of Fredericksburg, TX where we were able to see bluebonnets. This is the state flower of Texas, and it’s appearance results in folks coming from all over to catch a glimpse, much like the fall “leaf peepers” in New England who drive up to see the colorful foliage. I can see why. The wildflowers are beautiful this time of year.

At one point we were visited by a donkey who wanted to see if we were giving out free food. When he sniffed Auggie in the car he backed up and bit the car window. Auggie slept through the encounter, and I noted that’s why he has been retired from being a service dog! His vision and hearing just aren’t what they used to be.

We had a delightful lunch at a restaurant in Fredericksburg afterwards. Bob and I would like to spend some time in this area one day! Kathy and Ron pointed out a Sunday House which is a neat piece of Texan history. If you have a minute, click on the link and read all about them.

All too soon it was time to head back to San Antonio and we said goodbye to our friends until next year,

My Keel Loom

This morning Bob and I left New Mexico and drove almost four hours to the little town of Van Horn, Texas. Van Horn is a town that has little to offer except a place to get off the road when you’re on the way to someplace else. We leave tomorrow morning for Fort Stockton, Texas.

I wanted to share about my new loom that Bob made for me. On Ravelry, the inkle weaving group has been discussing Keel Looms, which are built using the plans found in the book “Small Looms in Action,” by Elizabeth Jensen. The “keel” refers to the way the loom’s base hangs down, allowing the weaver to hold it between their thighs to weave. Before we left Mesa I asked Bob to build me one, which he did. The book calls for 1/2” furniture grade plywood to be used, but Bob instead took scraps of wood in different varieties to build it, along with 3/8” dowels. 

Isn’t it sweet? I modified the plans to include a tension peg rather than use moveable dowel pegs to tension the warp. And it weaves very well! I am able to get almost a yard of finished inkle band from it.

I’m going to have a lot of fun with this little loom.

New Mexico Fun

Bob and I have been having a lot of fun in NM. On Monday we drove back to Palomas, MX to get my permanent crown from the dentist. It went smoothly and we had a nice lunch afterwards (I recommend the veggie tacos without cheese and a margarita,) and enjoyed some shopping. 

On Tuesday I felt like checking out some local shops so I popped into the Yarn Emporium in Deming. There I met a most delightful woman, Judy, who owns the shop.

Judy and I shared so many interests and we had a blast talking fiber arts. And the shop was a real inspiration—a must-see if you find yourself anywhere near the area. Judy specializes in yarns for weaving and knitting and she is a Louet dealer, too.

I also visited Sew-N-Sew quilt shop in town, which had a very nice selection of quilting fabrics. The store was full of women who had driven in from Las Cruces for shopping and lunch. It was fun listening to their conversations as I shopped.

On Wednesday Bob and I visited the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum, considered by many to be the best museum in New Mexico. It features so many aspects of the area’s history, including the Mimbres, a prehistoric tribe which was part of the Mogollon (pronounced Muggy-on) people who settled in the area. The museum has a fine collection of Mimbres pottery. You may note that many of the Mimbres bowls have holes in the bottom. These were former cooking bowls that were later placed over the face after the individual died, the hole being punched out to allow the soul to escape. The museum also features paintings, quilts, woven blankets, toy trains, dolls, vehicles, gems, and household items from historical times.

On Wednesday afternoon Bob and I checked out a local winery, Lescombes Winery & Tasting Room where we sampled some of their red wines and bought a few bottles to take home. A delightful day, one we will not soon forget. So much to see here.