January Wrap-Up

 I need to keep this wrap-up short and sweet today. We have an early date with a flea market.

TOP ROW: The last of the secret sewing! I have not yet shared this with you all, but I can this coming up this week. I made one more Mondo Bag for Christmas, and for various reasons, did not arrive for it's recipient until very late in January. I am eager to share it, so I will be sure to do so in the coming days. That darling in the center is our love, Cate. This was from the middle of the month when we babysat for a weekend. The final picture is from Shakertown, KY, a restored Shaker village that we visited and toured around on our slow journey to Florida. It was fascinating to walk around the village and into the buildings, reading about their life and lifestyle. For Ohioans, we have Zoar Village, up toward Akron/Canton, if you want a perspective.

MIDDLE ROW: More from the journey south: we drove southwestward to see the Natchez Trace, from just south of Nashville, TN, to Natchez, MS. It was wonderful! Just the kind of traveling we like - no interstate traffic, interesting and often beautiful views of everyday life and small town America. And the History!! Gosh, the historic markers were everywhere! We stopped at many, but not nearly all. The first picture shows a part of the original trail, at a stop near where Meriwether Lewis ended his life. See what I mean about history? This particular stop was marked with a memorial to Lewis. We could walk all around and see the landscape much as it was in the early 1800s, when Andrew Jackson marched troups to Natchez, and President Thomas Jefferson designated the Trace an official route for post service between Nashville and Natchez. It was hugely important to our country's early development. The middle picture is of a remaining cabin - actually considered an inn - from the the early 1800s. The last pic is of my sewing space here at our rental. (And yes, we probably took the most out-of-the-way journey to Florida ever by Ohio snowbirds.)

BOTTOM ROW: Here in Florida, we have observed this gorgeous, vivid rainbow over by Lecanto. We went to dinner with my cousins at a yummy spot called The Freezer - and since we ate outdoors, we had a visitor to our table. DH and I ordered a pound of steamed shrimp fresh off the boat! And finally, a sneak peak at my finished quilt top. I will share that, too, in coming days.

So, now off to the flea market!

Happy Quilting, Friends!