Having fun in California. But then I always do when I'm with Marcela. We go way back - have known each other longer than we've known our husbands.

She was at the airport dropping off her niece Melissa when I arrived Friday; great timing, and how often does that happen? Dinner that night included scorpionfish that Steve had caught on Father's Day when Sean took him deep sea fishing. I 'helped' cook: I wrapped up the foil packets after Marcela created them, each with different ingredients.

We didn't quite make it to Long Beach when the doors to the quilt show opened Saturday morning, but shortly thereafter - and stayed until 5:00. We did not see all the quilts (yet - we're going back today and taking Marcela's mom. Steve's mom can't join us because she had a melanoma removed from her leg on Friday and needs to keep her leg elevated for a while) but we sure loved what we did see! We also hit the vendor section in the afternoon, but guess I wasn't really in the buying mode.

Did, however, stop at the MistyFuse booth as we were heading out. We'd shared a table at lunch with a woman who raved about it. (I, in turn, 'sold' her on my Thermorest pad.) So now I have what I need to (maybe finally) start on the landscape quilt Patti and I 'started' at that class summers ago!

There was one section of exquisite quilts from SAQA where (very sadly!) we were prohibited from taking pix... So I bought a book. What was especially nice about that exhibit was that there was a table where the quilters displayed notebooks that chronicled the working progress of each quilt, with explanations, directions, pieces of fabrics, etc. We were able to 'watch' the creation of some of our favorite quilts.

By the time we left the show my back was talking to me big time, so it felt REALLY good to stretch out on the grass in the park across the street and listen to the final summer concert while watching the Ferris wheel behind the stage. And we even got one dance in.

Dinner across the street at PF Changs. Of course it was quite busy on a Saturday night, with a long wait - except while looking for a spot at the bar we scored when someone was leaving right then. Shared an appetizer of the chicken lettuce wraps, and then shared melt-in-your-mouth Mongolian beef. And got home a little before 10:00.

When I got home and checked in on my iPad, there was a message from Bekkah. The quilt had arrived that afternoon (I can quit worrying about that) and they absolutely loved it (her message was all in caps) so I can also quit 'worrying' about that. Of course I can't post pix until I get back to my computer, but of course I will at the first opportunity. Mothers always love to brag about their babies!

And now it's time to get started on another fun day!