Wednesday night, our anniversary, we went out to dinner at Carrabba's.  I ordered my usual, the talapia nocciola. But when it came, it looked totally different.  Which turned out to be because it wasn't what I ordered.  It went back to the kitchen, and I got to watch Tom eat while they redid mine.  Of course I'd already had some (okay, a bunch) of the yummy bread, and a Caesar salad, so I wasn't going to starve.  Dinner, when it did arrive, was delicious (as usual), and because of the mix-up they comped my meal.

That evening we watched the PBS show I had taped Tuesday, about the fall of Saigon 40 years ago.  Very powerful, moving, and well-presented.

I had my alarm set for 4:00 this morning, but actually woke up on my own ten minutes before it went off.  Tom was already up and drinking his coffee (it takes him longer to spark in the morning) and we arrived at the airport right on schedule, at 5:00.  Unfortunately my breakfast, an unopened sealed yogurt, was confiscated at security because it was over 3 ounces.  My scissors, however, made it through.

It was an uneventful flight (though turbulent toward the end) and my luggage made the same trip I did. Sandy was there to pick me up, and once at the house I got a very warm welcome from Pippa.  She's as adorable, and sweet, as everyone said.

Andy made it home at a reasonable hour, probably because he was warned that the protestors were heading to the State Attorney's office... and her office just happens to be in the same building in Baltimore as Andy's office.  He thought it prudent to leave before they appeared.

Yesterday I ran some errands (arranged things at the gym, returned all the library books, picked up my Rx) in preparation for leaving tomorrow, and also met with the Medicare insurance guy.  Also cleaned off the back porch (looks MUCH better!), scrubbed out Pokey's crate, and filled the hummingbird feeders.  I still haven't actually packed, though I have been piling up stuff in Lisa's room; that's on for this afternoon.

This morning is the Busy Bee meeting, and while I'll (most likely) snap some pix during Show & Tell I doubt I'll get around to posting them.  I do want to pop over to 35th Ave. after the meeting and see if I can pick up a fews yards of backing for the scrap string quilt (don't want to waste my 40% off coupon, which will expire while I'm gone.)

Last night we watched the PBS documentary The Day The '60s Died, about Kent State in early May of 1970.  I was at Northwestern then, but we didn't have any violent outside agitators stirring things up.  Just the "usual" anti-war sentiments!

Yesterday I got the results of my recent bloodwork; my cholesterol is high.  

Doc wants me to adjust my diet and exercise more.  

This just as I'm getting ready to to visit family for several weeks.

Last time I got that news I went on the South Beach Diet (created by a cardiologist when he couldn't find a healthy diet to recommend to his patients), and in 3 months floored my doctor by lowering my number 30 points.  Of course that was when I was diagnosed with cancer, so in preparation for expected loss of appetite and weight loss I decided I could eat anything I wanted.

Now I've got to get started all over again.

AFTER I get home!

The computer let me in this morning, but of course it could (very easily!) 

start acting squirrelly again at any time... as we all know!

Yesterday stayed overcast, windy, and cool - and in the afternoon we got quite a bit more rain.  The most surprising thing about it was that it happened mid-way between our irrigation cycles, instead of right in sync with them.  

Patti came over yesterday just as I was finishing up the final border of my scrap string quilt, and she approved.  I meant to get Tom and her to hold it up so I could take a picture, but <sigh> that didn't happen.

She was there to help me to put the finishing touches on a gift project, and once that was done we enjoyed watching the PBS show on African penguins (also known as Jackass penguins, due to their braying call) that I had taped a few nights earlier.

The weather has remained nasty in Texas (weather reports on TV continue to be full of tornado warnings  and accounts of large hail), right where Alex and the tour bus were headed.  

Tonight the band plays in Houston (hope Jeff & Priscilla make it to the concert) and tomorrow night in Dallas (hope Zach & Bekkah make it to the concert.)

This morning I have my last pre-trip tune-up at the chiropractor, then Cheri is coming over to help me finish up the Mother's Day gift for Mom that "didn't quite" happen last year when I ran out of time.  So of course I just put it away and forgot about it.  Now, as you can see, I'm still on the same last-minute schedule!

It looks like this may be my last post for quite some time, possibly a month.  First my iPad quit connecting (almost a week ago) and none of the fixes helped any.  Then today my desktop decided to quit working.  Tom offered the use of his laptop, and then it took an Act of Congress for him to access my blog,  But as soon as I touched the laptop it flipped out.  Really!  I have a witness that computers (and most machines) do seem to have it in for me.  At least the second time he had an easier time getting back in.  

Of course I have appointments Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and naturally also have other things to get done before I leave (plus I do need to think about packing) which means dealing with the computer is not likely to happen, So (unless my iPad magically starts working again while I'm on my trip) no posts for a month!

I did end up driving to Sedona yesterday for the Quiltfest - though I do admit I was a tad disappointed since there weren't nearly as many quilts as I had expected.  It didn't help that the weather was cold (55 degrees) and rainy, which put a crimp in the foo-foo shopping I had hoped to work into my day.  

Still, any day at a quilt store/show is a good day, right?

And I was very disciplined yesterday at the quilt store; 

I only bought 6 fat quarters, spending less than $20!

While there I bumped into Colleen, who had also driven up from Phoenix, with some of her friends.  She's a former member of Busy Bees, but had to drop out almost ten years ago when her kids started presenting her with grandchildren, and she's been baby-sitting for all of them (while the parents work during the week) ever since.  The youngest (of five? six?) is now 18 months, and since she thinks he is the last one she glimpses that light at the end of the tunnel once they're all in school!

The six quilts from this art group caught my eye.  It's always interesting to see the different way quilters choose to showcase their blocks, as well as the color palettes they choose.

It rained here again last night, and there's a good chance for more again today.  So obviously I won't be doing any mowing this weekend!  Instead, I think it's a good morning to work on the borders of my scrap strip zig-zags and squares quilt.

I'll leave you with this smile while I get to work - thank you, Butch!

Today is WORLD PENGUIN DAY, 

which aims to raise awareness for the importance of conserving penguins’ natural habitats.  The day coincides with the Adelié penguins’ return to Antarctica after months spent at sea.  The area is home to more than 10,000, including Adelié and emperor penguins, but is under threat from human interference.

We celebrate penguins around the world twice a year. 

January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day.
April 25th is World Penguin Day.

Check out the link below to see why every day should be Penguin Day.... <G>

http://metro.co.uk/2015/04/25/11-penguins-that-prove-every-day-should-be-world-penguin-day-5165167/

This reminds me that I really need to get started on my Foothills Challenge Quilt (due in October.)  Although I've got a fair idea of what I plan to do, things often <LOL> turn out differently. And of course

I'm still debating whether to drive up to Sedona today for the Quiltfest.  It's not like I need any more ideas about quilts to make, or need to buy any more fabric.  And nobody is able to go with me today.  (Tom gallantly offered to go, but somehow I don't think that would work out.)  I'll see how energetic and motivated  I feel after my coffee kicks in.  The fact that they're predicting more rain (which we can always use!) and crappy weather for today makes the drive look less appealing.  A lot of the quilt show is supposed to be outside, which could also present a problem.

Speaking of crappy weather, the tornadoes in the South and Mid-West seem especially bad this season.  Alex is currently in Florida, but the bus will shortly be heading west, right into Tornado Alley. Hope he doesn't run into any of it!!!

The volunteer luncheon was enjoyable, but certainly not uneventful.

I had just finished creating my tray-ful (hamburger, beans, watermelon, etc.), but as I was getting ready to leave the staff lunchroom I slipped on a puddle of water.  Of course the tray, in my right hand, went flying as I went down.  Instinctively I put out my other (left) hand, which took the brunt of the fall and saved my back/hip.

Immediately I had lots of help to get up, and the nurse appeared with a wheelchair (although I made it to her office under my own steam so she could check out my hand/wrist.)  Which, thankfully, seems to be fine, although I did keep an ice pack on it for the next hour.

After I remade my lunch I enjoyed visiting with Patti/Vicki/Carol, 

then when their lunch time was over I spent Diane's with her.    

It is amazing how after just a matter of minutes with the chiropractor yesterday I feel better than ever! 

 Recently one of my feet had been bothering me (maybe from that skiing injury in the late 1960s?) but I hadn't bothered to mention it.  However he noticed that my right foot was "off", and did an adjustment on it.

I stopped in to see Carol (and Pat) at rehab on the way home.  Carol is still in considerable pain (with her leg propped up and ice on it) and so she hasn't yet been able to get out of bed since the second surgery, though she's hoping today is the day.  We're both hoping that by the time I visit her again when I'm back home the end of May (maybe taking Betty over to celebrate Carol's birthday on May 23) she will have made much progress toward getting to leave that place!

Then I stopped in at the nail salon to give Louisa an update.  She's still more than willing to go to Carol and give her a (MUCH NEEDED) pedicure, but obviously that can't happen until Carol is able to move her hip/leg enough to sit up in bed. 

I slept in this morning, and woke up to rain!  I'd known there was a chance, so I helped it along by leaving out all four bath mats from the guest house (which I'd washed yesterday morning and left out on the deck to dry during the afternoon.)  I knew they were dry by dinner, but purposely did not bring them in.  And just like washing my car would have done, IT WORKED!  

In a bit I'm heading back over to school again for the Volunteer Luncheon.  

After that I'll swing by the library for additional drop-off and pick-up, and then pop into Target for a few items.  If I have any energy after all  that <g> I'll think about starting the borders for my scrap zip zap quilt, though I doubt I'll float to the top of Ruby's list before I get back from Maryland!  (Plus I think I still need to get backing for it!)

Wednesday I subbed in the 5th grade for Diane.  The kids were great, but it still wore me out; I ended up dozing on the couch in the late afternoon.  

After dinner we watched a great show on the Hubble Telescope.  I didn't remember the problems they had when it first launched (perhaps because in 1990 I was busy with other things...) but the remedy to the problem was ingenious.

http://www.space.com/29166-hubble-telescope-pbs-documentary.html

This morning I had to get up early for a 7:00 doctor appointment, for which I needed to fast.  I seemed to pass, though of course won't know for sure until the results of the bloodwork come back.  Also got a tetanus booster.

I finished reading The Aviator's Wife, the next selection for book club.  

I found it an entertaining and enlightening read (though I knew most of his history) and am disappointed I'll be out of town (in Maryland) and miss the discussion.  But I just have not figured out how to be in

Today Estera gave me a tour of the large structure they're building out back.  As I had guessed, the tall first floor will accommodate an RV, boat, and provide much other storage.  (And once completed they will be able to tear down the funky storage building outside their back door.)   The other side of the first floor will be Benny's office space.  Above the office will be a couple of bedrooms, kitchenette, bathroom, and playroom... perfect guest quarters.

And now I am off to the chiropractor for another tune up.

Sunday I pulled out this scrappy UFO to work on.  I'd put it away several years ago when I thought I didn't have quite enough blocks to do the outer rows of squares - and couldn't find any matching white-on-cream to make more.  

But I was wrong (on both counts) which I discovered when I decided to finish up at least three sides and then figure out what to use on the fourth.  I not only had enough squares to do all four sides (with one left over) but there is actually enough white-on-cream fabric to make more if I'd needed.

Late afternoon Sunday I popped over to Patti's for a much-needed haircut.  It had gotten quite long in places (though I'd been trimming the bangs myself) and feels so much better now.

Monday's visit to the chiropractor was again successful.  He even fixed my jaw, which has been giving me trouble for years.  First it was the TMJ (which the night appliance has helped some) and of course doing that face plant several years ago (knocking out my tooth in the process) really pushed my bite out of whack.  I experienced serious 'burning' when he worked on those muscles - but was amazed at how much wider I could open my mouth when he was done.

Then on the way home I stopped in to see Carol and Pat at Rehab.  Carol is still in considerable pain since her second surgery a week ago.  When she fell, the muscles around her new hip 'exploded' and needed to be wired together. OUCH!  

I ran out of steam last night before I got the fourth side 

(that's the strip on the far right) of my quilt sewn on.  

  

But that shouldn't take long today. I've definitely learned from past experience NOT to work when I'm tired.

Then I'll just have to decide on the width for my borders and I can finish up.  However I've been up since 3:30 this morning so I do expect to run out of steam at some point.  I read for awhile

and may have dozed off around 6:00 for a short while.  

But still expect to crash early tonight.

I certainly hope to get a good night's sleep tonight 

since tomorrow I'll be in the 5th grade subbing for Diane.

When I went into the kitchen this morning I discovered Mr. Scorpion near the ceiling by Tom's coffee maker.  So when he got up I pointed that out to him as he was heading to get coffee.  

Usually I don't try to talk to him before he's had at least one cup - 

but didn't want him to get any nasty surprises.

Now I'm waiting for Bella and her crew to arrive to attack the guest house.