I'M BACK!  I know my readers have missed me, but I've been away having fun and wasn't able to blog from my iPad. (Something I will need to address once I get a chance!)

Last Thursday I picked up Anita at the airport.  We'd only seen each other twice in the more than 25 years since we both taught in Kingman, but pretty much picked up right where we left off.  She was excited when she saw my embroidery machine - she needs 5 names embroidered for a project she's working on for one of her groups.  That should have been easy, right?  

We popped over to Carolyn's (thank you!) to borrow 5 spools of thread in nice bright colors and then over to JoAnn's to pick up stabilizer (which I thought I needed but it turned out I did have some at home - just was looking for the wrong thing.) But on the second letter of the very first name the thread got hung up and ended up breaking the needle.  After I changed the needle I decided I'd better sit there and watch the machine stitch, so of course the thread behaved beautifully for the next half dozen letters - until Tom came in to tell me something and I looked away for a minute.  You do not need 3 guesses.  At that point I was out of needles and done for the time being. 

As we were getting ready to head out to dinner, Randy (a knapper passing through Phoenix) called from somewhere in The Valley; he was passing through and the axle on the trailer he was towing had broken and he was going to be stuck in town until it was fixed.  So Tom invited him to stay in the guest house until he could get back on the road again.  Which is a story in itself; of course they had to order the part, and once it arrived they put the axle on wrong (backwards? upside down?) which Randy didn't notice but Tom did right away because the tires were at an angle.  And then once that was 'fixed' and he was on the road again Tom got another call from him (last night) when he had made it to Oklahoma that as he was pulling off at an exit (good thing he wasn't cruising along the highway or he could have been killed!) the whole axle came off.  He may never make it home to Missouri this year! 

Friday Anita and I packed up for our trip to Sedona and were just heading out the door when the phone rang.  <cue the music>  You'd think by now I'd know not to answer it.  It was the guy from PoolMan, and he was telling me they weren't going to plaster the pool until the following Tuesday.

We had expected them the day before (I am SO SORRY I deleted the phone message, but it was just a repeat of the schedule Tom had already been told so I didn't think I needed it... lesson learned!) and I let the guy know we wanted the pool done NOW while it was still cool (temps in the upper 90s forecast for the following week.)  I was firm and assertive;  I was worried I'd 'lose it' but Anita said she was proud of me for keeping my cool.  Tom came in and took over the phone call, so we got in the car and left.

Once in Sedona we stopped at a craft show and I found the perfect item for Lisa's birthday present in September (have I mentioned that she's moving to the San Francisco area?) and also a jewelry bag that will be a fun project for the ladies to make.  Before we even checked in (at Anita's 5-star time share at the Wyndam) we had to make a stop at the quilt store; couldn't pass it up, right?  I was very good - only shopped the sale rack, where I picked up a couple of yards at half price.  

Tami arrived just as we had finished checking in, and the 3 of us enjoyed a delicious dinner at The Barking Frog.  (We'd seen the sign on the way in, and the name intrigued us.  Plus it was practically across the street from where we were staying.)  And it turns out there actually is a barking frog in Arizona.  If you'd like to see a picture and find out a little about it, click below.

http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Turtle-Amphibs-Subpages/h-c-augusti.html

Our place was fabulous, and here's the view outside our patio on Saturday morning:

Saturday we were off to foo-foo shop.  Each of us had a favorite place we wanted to go back to and share with the others.  We only got about a mile when the car turned in 'all by itself' <g> at another little craft show.  Tami and I bought (the same) gifts for our mothers, and I got to meet a bird who is potty trained!

Our next stop was the Hummingbird House where I found LOTS of goodies that had to come home with me, and so did Anita and Tami.  

Next stop was the 'rooster' store, where Tami tried to buy house number tiles; we went through stacks and stacks, but they were totally out of the number 2 (and her house address needs two of them!) though of course they had plenty of every other number.  I found a pretty cache pot.  Right now the chocolate mint is sitting in it, though that will probably change.

Lots of pretty sculptures out and about (Sedona is quite the artist colony) but this Follow The Leader was one of my favorites. 

We did (finally) get a picture of the 3 of us together when we 'detoured' to the bathroom by a viewpoint.  There were lots of people taking pix of the view, so while we were there someone offered to take the 3 of us.  Too bad my camera battery had died. (I did bring my spare, but it was back in the room where it did me no good.) Of course there are pix on Anita's and Tami's cameras which I'll share once I get them.

We enjoyed our dinner of killer pizza immensely (someone's recommendation was spot on, and again Pisa Lisa was right near our apartment) although I took one sip of the Angry Orchard drink and passed on the rest.  Of course we had to give the waiter a hard time about the false advertising of the Magic Mushrooms on the menu, but our decadent 'funghi mushroom with black truffle oil' was incredibly delicious.  Afterward we returned 'home' and attended the program by Brian Benally.  He's a Navajo historian/comedian, and we thoroughly enjoyed his presentation, even though I already knew much of the information.

Sunday morning was a breakfast hour with raffles for the various tours (helicopter/Hopi reservation/jeep/shows, etc.)  I got a charge out of Martin's hair, and he got a charge out of my story of Alex shaving my head and giving me a (temporary) Mohawk haircut.  He plays incredible saxophone, and was voted Best Act in Branson, Missouri!  

While we didn't win any of the raffles, we did have a nice breakfast and got to visit with the various tour guides and hear snippets of music and entertainment.

Then it was off to drive through Oak Creek Canyon and hike the West Fork.  The trail starts out by the ruins of the old Mayhew Lodge, and follows the creek for several miles.  

We didn't have time to do the entire 3 miles (sadly Tami had to leave that afternoon for her 4 hour drive back to Lake Havasu) but sure enjoyed our hike.

After (another delicious) lunch in town we headed back to the apartment where Tami packed hurriedly (I'm mailing her phone charger back to her today - it fits perfectly in one of my 'coffee' tins) 

and then I relaxed by the pool while Anita swam.  For dinner we ended up just eating leftovers from lunch and then listening to country music awards on TV while we relaxed some more.  Relaxing is good!

Monday we headed off to Cottonwood because there's another quilt store there (Mom and I had stopped in there on our way to Jerome to check out the kaleidoscope store a number of years ago.)  Again I only shopped the sale rack (how can I pass up half-price giraffe fabric?) and Anita found some perfect cattle fabric to make some throw pillows for her brother.  

Then we explored Old Towne Cottonwood, and did some foo-foo shopping.  I was thinking of Andy and Sandy; the day before Mom had sent me an e-mail saying that Cokie, their Australian Shepherd who's almost 14,  hadn't been doing well lately, and they were going to have her put down on Monday.  When I found this old tin (about the size of a lunch box) in one of the antique stores I knew I had to get it and fill it up with 'hugs' to send to them.    

The good news was waiting for me that evening: Sandy said the vet gave Cokie a shot of  'something' and she is doing much better, so they've been able to dodge the bullet, at least for a while.  

We found many other wonderful bargains and had a delightful lunch at an outside cafe (again, recommended by one of the store owners), so it was another great day.  Back in Sedona we had a little time to hit that one store 'up on the hill' I wanted Anita to see, and also (finally!) find a patch for Anita. Who knew that would be so hard to find?!  No time for dinner before the movie (though we were both still pretty full from lunch) but there was free popcorn and lemonade so we didn't starve.  The movie was Broken Arrow (1950) with Jimmy Stewart, which they showed because it was filmed in Sedona.  We recognized many of the landmarks.  The cast included Will Geer and Jay Silverstone (better known as TV's Tonto) among others.

Tuesday we packed up, had breakfast at the famous Coffeepot Cafe (such huge portions we shared a breakfast, and still left there stuffed), gassed up, and headed out.  Stopped on the way out of town for one more photo op, and then headed home.

I was surprised to find the pool done, and filled!  Tom had read them the Riot Act on Friday, so a huge crew showed up on Saturday to do the job, and then they started filling up the pool right away.  

We tried to download the pix from Anita's iPhone (she's got a problem with her computer and Windows 8 at home) but that didn't happen.  Alex wanted to help over the phone, but was on his way to work and I didn't want to do it while he was driving.  

We headed over to Wanda's so Anita (who makes clothing) could see her jackets 

and quilts (yes, Anita was appropriately wowed) and the Arizona Centennial Quilt scrapbook, and I could return Wanda's memory stick.  I had gotten an e-mail that Wanda's business cards had shipped and assumed they'd be here and I could bring them, but of course <g> they didn't arrive until until the next day.  (Just another excuse to get together again; she's coming over this afternoon.)

After dinner at Pei Wei's I helped Anita cut out the blocks for her cattle pillows, and gave her some ideas for borders, and then we made the tabouli for Foothill's potluck the next day.  

Wednesday morning we were off bright and early because I thought I would have to unlock the door (after the fiasco last month they gave me the door code.)  In the parking lot a man came up to us and told us about an incredible blooming cactus just a couple of blocks away, though it took a little doing to get the directions from him.  After quilting Anita and I did swing by, and WOW!  We were glad we bumped into that man in the parking lot - and took his advice to go see that cactus.

The sewing sale was a lot of fun (although none of the stuff I brought sold so I had to schlep it back home) and made the chapter at least $200.  Some of that money is slated to go toward the log cabin raffle quilt (batting, backing fabric) although now there's not quite the rush on that because Tove brought in an incredible quilt (original design - she drew those birds and then embroidered them!) that she was going to "just put in the Charity pile."  

There was a great 'objection' over that... ALL the ladies wanted it, so I suggested an auction, but Linda (who in in charge of the raffle quilt) came up with the idea to use it for this year's raffle and take the pressure off putting together the log cabin one.

Here are a couple of close-ups...

hummingbird

roadrunner and quail

And here are just a few more of the wonderful Show & Tells:

Louise finished her 2013 Block-of-the-Month quilt.

Everyone loved Sharon's bag - it had all sorts of 'extras', and the color was great.  

Maybe she'll do a class on it!

Ruth looks happy - she finished up this stunning batik UFO!

Patty's charity quilt from a panel was so adorable that Linda bought it for her great-grandson.

Darlene's Sunbonnet Sue was adorable (and yes, those are all needle-turned applique)

And of course the salad & dessert potluck was glorious - the food was delicious and plentiful (as always!)

Back at the house Anita packed up and then we had a little time (to print off some patterns of Foothills projects and then look at some more of my UFO projects) before we headed off to the airport.  From there I picked up the taxes in Scottsdale (all of the returns were good news) and then played in rush hour traffic.  

Did go through the mail that evening but mostly relaxed.  This morning I was supposed to have a CT Scan (not allowed to eat or drink anything) but they called yesterday to say the insurance did not approve it, so the doctor has to call and fight with them and we'll have to reschedule.  So I did get to eat, and I've been unpacking and doing laundry and working on getting caught up around here.  Made some phone calls, and this afternoon will run some errands.

In theory I should be back blogging every day, and once I can get over to the Apple store and have them give my iPad a 'talking to' I should be able to blog when I'm gone, even if I can't illustrate my posts with all the fun pix.   

Sorry this was such a long post - but I bet you read it in less time than it took me to post it.  Tom has been working in the yard, and every time he's come in I've still been at the computer!

NOW I'm done!