A Lengthy Absence!

Where have I been, for goodness' sake? I can't even remember the last time I took such an extended break from blogging. While I have been trending to less frequent posts, I do try to maintain at least one per week. Phht! Now even that plan has been shredded! Mercy me!

Since I last posted, life has become hyper-busy. In no particular order, let me fill you in on all of my non-sewing activities. First, we moved our book club meeting ahead one week to accommodate a member's vacation. This meant that I had to hustle to get our book read, and it is so popular that both the library's hold lists - the book and the audio - were long. I ended up ordering it from Amazon, got it on Tuesday and needed to have it finished by Thursday. Needless to say I did not finish in time, but I made what I consider to be quite a valiant effort.

The book? A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. My, my. It is fantastic.

I know so very little of Russian history, and this provides me with a great glimpse into the time of the Russian Revolution of the early 20th century through the Soviets' involvement in WWII about 20 years later--basically the time that Stalin was rising to power. Of course, with frequent flashbacks, the earlier time of Lenin is also prevalent. Surprisingly, I found it quite fascinating--and tragic, all at the same time. The author has accomplished quite a feat of melding a fantastic fiction into the political and social scenes of the day. I am sure I will pick up other Towles' titles, as this one has been a pure delight to read.

Now you know, if a quilter is reading a book, she is NOT sewing, right? I have had only tiny bits of sewing time in the last 10 days or so.

In other activities, DH and I drove down to Jackson, OH, on Friday to meet a dear, dear friend from our college days for lunch. Teri was in our wedding party (1979!), as was her late husband Ray. I didn't take a single picture of our time together, but, gosh, we had a fabulous visit. We could have talked for hours. And the food at Arch and Eddie's is out of this world delish! If you ever get a chance to eat at Arch and Eddie's, do it. I have had several meals there in recent years, and every one has been a pleaser.

This past Sunday was another very busy day, first with a visit to Chillicothe's VA Hospital and the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall exhibit, then in Columbus with our two daughters and their guys.

The Memorial Wall was in town for just 4 days, and since Sunday was the final day, we had to do it prior to our afternoon's activities. And I am so very glad we made that effort, because it was especially moving and  somber - emotional, too. Flower and remembrances had been left by those with personal connections to names on the wall, and several Vietnam veterans were there to remember and honor their fellow servicemen and women.

Our afternoon activity supported DD2, Emma, who had recruited all of us to walk in the Columbus Walk to End Alzheimer's. What a gloriously beautiful day for it. All told, with our walking from DD1, Erin's, apartment to the walk venue Huntington Park, then afterwards to a Grandview restaurant - Haufbrauhaus - then back to Erin's apartment, we tallied 9.23 miles. Yes, you read that right - 9.23 miles! Yowie, my feet still ache!

It's easy to ignore aching feet when views like this of the city skyline are on display. Look at that sky, the calm Scioto River, the later afternoon sun shining off the buildings - just lovely.

Those are just some of the highlights of my non-sewing activities in the last week-to-ten-days. Plenty of goings-on were not captured on camera - a drive to Marshall to get a quarter of beef for the freezer. YUM! Plus, on that little jaunt, I did stop at an Amish market in Rainsboro to pick up some pumpkins and gourds.

Some of these are for eating; others are for decorating. Some will decorate until they are eaten! *hah!* See mantel, below.

Probably the only other activity gobbling up much of my extra time is the teaching obligation. I think I have already mentioned that I picked up a third class, which boosts  my student total from 40 to 60. That will be a lot of essays to read once the assignments begin coming in. I am working very diligently to stay on top of the workload so that the overwhelmed feeling remains at bay for as long as possible.

Now, believe it or not, I do have a very tiny bit of quilting-related activity to share, and I will get that exciting (?) information prepped for the next post! Hope you'll all come on back to check it out!

Happy Quilting, Friends!