Our last day in Austin. Will spend part of it with the kids, noshing and celebrating a great visit, pick up the last of my quilts from the library, and, I'd say make an early night of it, but if we went to bed any earlier, it would still be daylight out! lol!
VAL - I'm excited for your trip. Do you know what month you'll be on the road? There is a lot of beautiful country you will get to see in between all those folks you are visiting. Glad you are planning to see MSQC. I think of it as Quilters' Disneyland. We stopped there about 7 years ago and it took us half a day to see it all and that was rushing it, and I believe it's nearly doubled since then. Be prepared to spend an entire day at least. And save a spot in your car for all the wonderful goodies you won't be able to resist!
CHRISS - your wish for me is coming true! Yesterday was everlasting - we're going back today! Our regular hours - 9:30 to naptime which happens about 2-ish. I thought it would be just a shortie visit to say goodbye but Antonio said come for one more whole day! So Marilyn's plans changed. I hope she finds her happy some day. Has she thought about a school of some sort. Our friends' DD finally decided to go to school in her mid-30's to become an ultrasound tech and it turned her life around. I think her training was about 15 months. You and your dad have a little dance going on. I bet he makes those messes on purpose just to make you smile.
TINA - Lucky Frankie to arrange to have Pie Day on his Birth Day! Nice Jaz and friends have a safe and fun place to go after school! I understand being attached to a car. I still miss my 1964 turquoise Impala. What a beauty it was. I feel so sorry for Holly. Sorry she doesn't have replacement insurance. This same thing happened to Sue when they still lived in Bellingham, WA. They had just arrived in Houston for the holidays with their kids when someone checked on her house and found the flood. So they raced home (racing is hard to do towing a 34 foot fifth-wheel 2,800 miles). Kenn did much of the repair work himself - floors, cabinets, walls, and wiring all had to be replaced. They had to move out of the house for four months while the work was being done for fear of mold. (after their experience we now ALWAYS turn the water off to the house even if we're only gone for overnight. We even turn it off at the trailer if we leave for just an hour. We have seen RV's with water pouring out of them and the people gone for the day.)
JANA - we found eggs at Safeway (called Randall's here in TX but it's really a Safeway) and bought for us and some for Autumn. But there was a sign warning people to expect a shortage soon. I am making deviled eggs to take to kids because Antonio loves them and I'm going to make sure he realizes what a gem of a DMIL he has! What a bunch of hoops to jump through for Ethan's math class! Glad it's all worked out but does this mean YOU have to pick him up every day? Or will it be whoever is available? Can he ride a bike to/from school? I hope you found those glasses.
LYN - thanks for the tutorial on Pie Day. I figured it had something to do with real pie, not pi. Lois told me she is taking a break from QIAD because, since Judi, me, and my DH (Q has his e-mal addy, too) all got that bogus e-mail a few weeks ago she feared it might have originated with Q being hacked. Bill traced it through channels that IT people have and learned it came from an area 2-3 hours north of San Marcos, but as a cautionary measure, Lois has left us for a while. Not sure how long a while that will be. Oh, I hope your scratchy throat is nothing. The news here is that lots of stuff is floating around Texas now: Flu, Covid, RSV, pneumonia. Stay well!!
MARY Q - glad that quilt is done! Now, what will you do with it? Did you quilt it or are you sending it to Viv? And yes, that's the plan - to make an annual scrapbook for Amara of our visits to Texas. The books cost us about $50 each (we get one for her, for her parents, and for us) which is MUCH cheaper than scrapping it the traditional way. And every visit we'll take a special photo of us with her to put in the 8x10 frame we bought her last year. There is a cam in her room and Autumn says can hear and see her talking to our photo. So, is the plan that your kids will move back to MN as soon as school is out in 2026? That's only 16 months! Months go by quickly!
LORI - I love Buttermilk Basin's projects. I have two of their books and an overflowing tote of wools (mostly wool clothing I picked up at thrift shops, cut up, and washed in hot water). And now handwork is hard for my hands! But I keep on keeping on - just much more slowly. Are you getting the hang of bridge?
JUDI - I well remember when your kids were in MN and how hard it was on you. Was that for about 2 years? Autumn moved to L.A in 2006 and then to TX in 2012. I doubt they will ever move back to WA. His aunt who raised him lives in PA and he feels responsible for her as she ages. And both their best friends, plus my two sisters all live in CO. If they ever leave TX, my guess is they will go to CO. You and Ken really made a night of it, didn't you! At least you messed up only one night with your equipments, not two! I have also purchased a few back issues of BLOCK magazine from them. I have them all from the very beginning, but somewhere along the line, I lost a couple. Bill replaced them for my birthday one year.
FLO - I've never heard of strawberry snickerdoodles, but why not! Just change out the flavoring and add color if desired. I love snickerdoodles. And what a fun little "not tea party" y'all had!
So, while it's not a work day - hence a babysitting day - we are still invited back to the kids for our regular hours - 9:30 to 2-ish. We'll leave when Amara goes down for her nap.
I'm taking Brie cheese w/nut and dried cherry topping & crackers, deviled eggs, fancy olives, and swiss cheese and spicy brown mustard (Antonio's favorite snack common in PA). And a bottle of proseco. We'll pick up our last quilts on our way home as we pass the library on our route. Packing the last of them in will take up what's left of our afternoon. I am going to count those appetizers as supper. If Bill needs more sustenance, he can always make popcorn. Tomorrow morning we will pull in our connections - water and sewer hoses and power cord, hitch up, and be off to Houston for 4 nights before starting for home next Thursday. We expect to be home in time for Super Bowl which is Feb 9. We have company coming to watch the game! The company being Doyle & Susie. Doyle goes through our house every 2 weeks checking things he thinks should be checked. Would it be tacky to ask him to clean the house to make ready for our Super Bowl company?? 
Enjoy your Saturday!
mary z
>^+^<
I even had my pneumonia shots! HHHmmmm I wonder If I need a booster. Do you suppose they could set you up with a different monitor? That's crazy that you have to change the leads all the time. My heart rate only goes up when a really cute/handsome man walks by! Maybe Ken walked by you? 
. I'm really hoping she gets enough money to get it all done by a professional so it gets done faster and better really..... Frankie has so much to do these days that he's not able to get to everything but I know him, if she asks he'll do his best to help her.... we're both crazy like that LOL 
Oh goodness, your monitor must be a pain, hopefully your time with it will zoom by. I love to watch volleyball 
enjoy! 
