At least it was light out this morning when I woke up.  But when I saw it sprinkling on the pool I knew today would be another muggy one.  

We all definitely miss that dry heat during our monsoon season!

So it looks like another good day to hibernate in the cool(ish) house and sew!

Maybe I'll whittle down my UFO pile?

Or not...!

 This afternoon I watched movies and (virtually) finished up my second sock; now I just need to kitchener the toe and I'll have a pair of socks!

But the directions for that final step don't make a whole lot of sense, 

so that isn't going to happen until I see Perri again.

In the meantime (because I stopped in at 35th Ave. after leaving Perri's this morning and picked up the fabric I needed) this evening I made up the binding for my It's Your Day quilt; now I am in the process of blind-stitching it on the back.

My iPad will not charge today.  

I've tried a different outlet AND a different charging cord, 

which seem to point to a problem with the iPad itself.

Could be a long day, since I never went back to sleep after I got up (before 4:00) to use the bathroom.  I did see that Mom was up (an e-mail from her had already come in this morning) so I called and actually caught her at home.  

We chatted for an hour and caught up on all the 'news' at both ends.

The only thing on my schedule is to pop over to Perri's (again!) because I am still stuck on the gusset instructions.  And as long as I'm in the neighborhood <g> I plan to stop in at 35th Ave. to pick up 1/4 yard of fabric for the binding for the It's Your Day challenge quilt.

For brunch today Lisa requested Mexican, so I suggested Las Gloria's, where Perri and Wanda and I ate last Sunday.  Tom and Lisa enjoyed their lunches, although Tom was disappointed that the tortillas were store-bought and not cooked on the premises.

Afterward, since we were just around the corner, we popped over to Perri's so she could show me (again) how to do the gusset on my second sock; I've been stymied since I reached that point Friday morning.  As I mentioned before, Perri is quite the artist (quilter, sculptor, painter, beader, etc.) and Tom was quite impressed with all the wonderful pieces at her house.  

I'd promised we'd only stay 5 minutes so Lisa could keep to her schedule - 

and I think we made it!

Back at the house Lisa offered to help me with podcasts on my iPad (which I may or may not remember how to do....) and then I dropped her off at Chas's folks' house in Scottsdale.  On the way home from there I stopped in at H&M (not an easy place to find) and picked up some new pants to deliver to Alex when we see him on Friday.  It was difficult to find the right type of pants, and then his size - hope he appreciates me!

Mary posted some pix today on FB that she took at the bluegrass festival in Prescott yesterday - and here I am in one!  As you can see I wasn't wasting time <g> "just" listening to the music - I was busily working on some counted cross-stitch!  And yes, that is the kettle corn booth right by us.  Told you we had a good spot...

Here's a picture I took of a couple of boys
who were were walking around during the festival.

We did get the monsoon winds last evening (and the pool, which was sparkly clean until then, definitely needs to be cleaned out again today) but of course no rain.  Apparently Mom got all of that, reporting that 3" fell there yesterday.

Because of the dangers of low (or non-existent) visibility from dust storms they were advising folks to stay off the roads, so Lisa wisely waited it out in Scottsdale. When she arrived here last evening we got a recap of her past week with Chas, Jeff, and Jeff's girlfriend Danielle (who is apparently "perfect for him".) The four of them stayed at Lake Powell during the week, but traveled the circuit doing all the 'usual' stuff (Antelope Canyon, the North Rim, Bryce, Zion, etc.) All of these are places which Lisa has already visited (some more than once), some of which Chas and Jeff had already seen, but NONE of which Danielle had experienced. She was born and raised on the East Coast, and before this had never been out here to the Southwest - so it was quite the trip for her.

At Antelope Canyon Lisa handed her phone to a tourist and asked him/her (she can't remember) to take a group photo.  This is what she got... and I promise I did NOT crop it!

Perfect timing for my drive today - I arrived at the quilt store in Prescott Valley at 10:03, mere minutes after they opened.  I zoomed in to pick up their Row By Row pattern, which features a family of quail in the rain.

I like how they've used needles to simulate the rain.

And speaking of quail (I was, wasn't I), the store had gotten in the pattern for the wall-hanging I'd admired when I was there a couple of weeks ago, so I bought one.

Once I arrived in Prescott proper and found a parking spot (no easy feat!) I rendezvous-ed with Mary, who had scored us a spot up front with (intermittent) shade.  The music wasn't starting for a bit, so I had plenty of time to walk the block to the quilt store and pick up their pattern, which features frogs. 

 Even though the patterns are free, I was still required to check out at the register (where there was a woman ahead of me making a purchase.)  It took longer to wait for them to finish ringing her up than it had to walk the block there - but I did make it back to the square just as the music was starting.  Here's a picture from last year, when the Sonoran Dogs were on stage.

  Mary and I spent a very pleasant and relaxing day listening to the music, though it was unusually warm for Prescott.  So I was really glad I had brought a lightweight sarong to keep the sun off of me; I kept wetting it down and it provided cooling relief from the heat.

I knew there was a dust advisory for today (from 3:00-8:00) so I left around 3:00 when Mary did.  But so far there doesn't seem to be any weather building, at least not in our part of the valley.

Lisa called, and will sleep here after she visits with Bailey tonight.  Not sure how long she'll be here since at some point tomorrow she flies back to California.

I also looked on-line for the Fishing At Sunset block that arrived yesterday from Illinois (thank you, Rich!), and it turns out I actually do have everything I need.  Sure would have helped if the pattern had included a picture (like all the other Row By Row patterns I've collected.)

Today is Wanda's actual 80th birthday - 

though she's been celebrating, with family and friends, all month long.    

Not a bad plan, actually.  

Maybe I should try that in September?

Getting ready to head up to nice, cool Prescott for a day on the square listening to some wonderful music.  Unfortunately Peter's band won't be playing until tonight, when I'll have already left in order to be home before dark.

7:00 Evening Concert with The Sonoran Dogs and Special Friends

And since the music doesn't start until 11:00 (!) today, I will get to stop at the quilt store in Prescott Valley after all to pick up their Row By Row pattern.

Yesterday I popped over to TOQS to get Sherri's Row By Row pattern - 

and it's adorable!

Yesterday's mail brought the Row By Row pattern that Rich picked up for me in Illinois.  It could be cute (called Fishing At Sunset).... except that I can't really tell since virtually all of the actual pattern is missing!

This morning Jim, the Fence Doctor, is coming to put in some new posts to shore up the chain link fence so it will  no longer be in danger of falling over.  Yesterday he repaired the wooden gate on 37th that blew loose from the block wall (actually taking some blocks with it, which he re-cemented.) So we are in better shape now that monsoon season, with the accompanying winds,  is upon us once again.

Tom is pleased with what a good job Jim did, and even thought it was a fair price for the job.  I'm glad I spied the Fence Doctor truck in the grocery store parking lot that day, AND that it turned out to be a good call!  Jim scored bonus points with me for showing up each time right when he said he would.  (Note: the fence people up the street from us NEVER even called me back to set up an appointment to give me an estimate.)

Lisa and Chas will be coming over on Sunday, which means I can go to the bluegrass festival in Prescott tomorrow after all!  That's always such a fun day - and of course it's MUCH cooler up there than it is here.  Mary, who lives between Prescott and Yarnell, is going to meet me there, and I'm still waiting to hear from various friends here (who I contacted at the last minute, once I found out that Saturday was free after all) to see if anyone wants to ride up with me.  

The usual fun at Busy Bees yesterday day morning!  

Here's Sandy with a fun project.

And a very pretty scrap quilt.  I only made a table runner after this class, but do like the effect in a larger item so (drum roll, please!) I've added this to my list of Scrap Quilts To Make!

I misheard Sharon, thinking she called these cuties pup holders.  I have several panels in my stash from that designer, so someday someone may get a set of pup pot holders! 

Louise brought in a couple of placemats from the recent class

 and so did Jan.

Monica also brought in her placemats - but they were busy "working", sitting under the refreshments we had brought for yesterday's meeting.  She did, however, show the finished quilt she made from Devonna's t-shirts.

Monica's husband has been going to auctions, and this was one of his recent purchases, hand pieced and hand quilted, for only $60.

After Joyce shared this wonky scrap 9-patch she shared some sad news: she's letting her AQG membership lapse (the new fiscal year starts July 1st) and thus won't be able to attend our Busy Bee meetings any more.  She was vague about the reason, but I inferred that someone in her family is having some serious health issues.  (These days it seems like we hear bad news at virtually every meeting!)  That's sad news - and we'll certainly miss her!

Donna belongs to a Sunbonnet Sue group, and brought in a couple of her recent quilts.  This one (where some blocks are appliqued and some are machine embroidered) is from a swap; she's pointing to the block she made.

This one has a Back-to-School theme.

Melissa made this hexagon quilt for one of her grandsons.  She's got it back now to try and get some nosebleed stains out of it - except she needs to wait until Fall... when we have cold water again!

I like how she appliqued the edge hexagons on this one over the border!

This beauty is still a work in progress.

Grace made this quilt for 12-year-old Emily.  She'd brought the blocks to Emily's birthday party where she had all the attendees sign one.  Turned out cute!

Can't remember who's hiding behind this cute snowman quilt - 

even though it was only yesterday! 

Not sure if working with cool fabrics helps in this heat, 

but it's worth a try, right?

I brought in my just-needs-the-toe-Kitchenered sock, and the ladies were properly impressed.  Perri swung by yesterday afternoon after visiting her daughter (who had surgery earlier this week, and whose house is near mine) to help me finish off the toe, and this is how far I got on the second sock last night before heading to bed!

After the meeting I was headed down to the Arizona Highways office/gift shop (near Thomas and 19th Ave., just a block away from Marcela's old house) to pick up some copies of the recent 90th Anniversary issue I'd seen at Wanda's house.  

During the meeting I'd mentioned that's what I was planning, and offered to pick up copies for anyone else who wanted one; lots of ladies did.  When I got down there there was some stress: there were only a dozen or so copies in the gift shop, and no more printings expected - and I needed 25 copies!  Of course there were a number of hardbound book-type issues... but they cost $13!  Luckily there was an unopened box with a stash of pristine copies found in the back.  Phew! 

I expected the cost would be $5 each (price is, after all, printed on the cover) and that's what I charged the ladies.  So imagine my surprise when the clerk rang me up and the total was considerably less.  When I said that couldn't be right, I was told that the price there was only $3 a copy.  Guess I'll be refunding some money when I deliver the magazines!  

When I got home Tom was already there - he'd arrived mid-morning, and already unloaded the trailer while it was "cool". 

Ken came by in the afternoon and sprayed again, 

so I'm REALLY hoping we're done with scorpions in the house!

Patti texted in-between legs of their flights to say that the final leg (out of Vegas) was delayed about an hour and she'd call me when they landed in Phoenix.  Which she did (around 6:00), at which point I headed down to the airport.  But when I got arrived at Sky Harbor and wanted to call her my phone was off.  Strange.  And when I tried to turn it back on it wouldn't... which was going to make it harder to rendezvous with them.  Heading to the South Curb as pre-arranged (most airports have only ONE pick-up area, but Sky Harbor makes it that much more fun by having two, on opposite sides of the airport!) 

I was so stressed about my dead phone that (for the first time ever) I missed the lane for the inside, and ended up on the outer loop at the pick-up area.  There was a man waiting there for his ride, and he graciously allowed me to use his cell phone to call Tom at home so he could call Patti and tell her where I was.  But before Tom found the number at home and called her I spotted Patti by the curb and waved her over.

We took the 51 home (I-10 westbound was a mess; heading down to the airport I saw that traffic trying to get onto I-10 westbound was backed up almost a mile onto I-17 at on-ramp, and then once I was on I-10 east bound I observed that that back up on I-10 went on for miles and miles!  It looked like more than the usual rush hour snarl 

and made more sense once I heard the traffic report on the radio; there were two accidents on I-10 westbound, though the one at 35th Ave was mostly likely the culprit.

I was afraid my cell phone had given up the ghost (it hasn't been holding a charge lately, dropping down to just a couple of bars a day or so after recharging) but eventually it seemed to finally be working again this morning.  Still, I'm thinking I need a new phone - don't want it to do this again to me while I'm on vacation next month!

The Fence Doctor is here this morning, and has started working on the block wall and gate repair.  With the monsoon season officially here (we don't always get rain, but almost always the high winds!) I'm hoping it's fixed soon!

I don't have anything on the calendar for today (weird to see an empty block on an otherwise jammed calendar) but no doubt <g> I'll find plenty of stuff to do.