vacation

Well, Fillmore was a bust. I wanted to go back to St. George! The owner met us at the door of her office in dyed red hair with gray roots showing and gigantic curlers. She said she was leaving on the 8pm flight out, but she forgot to tell us that there was no coverage for her. The office, store and laundry were closed! We drove to a marsh to look at birds, and when I stopped the truck we were immediately surrounded by baby black flies--more bugs than we saw on any of our arctic trips! We also saw lots of birds, including American avocets, which we had never seen before.

Next stop was Provo, with Palm Sunday at an Episcopal Church, our first this trip. We prosessed 3 blocks singing All Glory Laud and Honor to the accompaniment of a trumpet. It fulfilled all my hopes and expectations. I even wore my red shirt.

The 18th was at Hot Springs resort near Garland, UT. Wonderful large 94 degree pool and 2 hot tubs over 100. No laundry and no toilets where the RV sites are.

On the 19th we found our first diner of the trip! It's in Snowville, UT, almost to ID. Red stools at the counter, booths along the walls. Great food, grown-up waitresses, one from Bellingham.

We "camped" in Glenns Ferry, ID, then on to Boise, where we had to pay $35 per night in the KOA. We hadn't spent more than $13 since Ventura. Gas was cheaper in AZ, UT and ID, too. We went to Boise to visit my friend Maryann, who has just moved there from Seattle. She and Roger were the most gracious hosts, feeding us dinner both nights. On Thurs eve, we went to the quilt guild meeting, where the program was the Boise Peace Quilters. Started in 19980 or so, they make quilts for individuals and organizations who have promoted peace and justice.

ZION

April 15, 2011 Today is my brother's 63rd birthday. Happy birthday, C.L.!!! We're in the best RV park this trip--it's small, with very friendly staff who are professional singers. Heated pool and spa. I've been sewing in the clubhouse. We are sorry to leave today and miss Nickel's country western show tonight. Yesterday was Zion National Park. We took the shuttle tour in the park, and walked a 2 mile trail to the end of a canyon. The park is as beautiful as Rainier, but in a different way with all the orange, rust and coral peaks, interspersed with white and black. It's breathtaking. We stopped in St. George on the way here, and I bought some of Kaffe Fassett's shot cottons in the colors we saw around us. I will use them in the class I'm taking with Jean Wells in Sisters at the end of the trip. Before this we spent a night on Lake Mead after driving up to Hoover Dam. I bought a postcard of the dam to show grandson Julian what his great-great grandfather Mead made. We spent 4 nights in Parker,AZ with C.L., and bought an RV resort membership. The last 2 nights and the next 2 will be $13 per night instead of the $30 to 40 we would normally pay. So far we have been the smallest "rig" in every park. Tonight and tomorrow we will be in Fillmore, UT.

NOEL AND CINDY'S EXCELLENT VACATION

April Fool's Day 2011 We're finally back to blogland! We left Seattle March 28, spent the first night in Portland camped in our good friends', Ken and Jeannie Prier's driveway. We headed for Tillamook on Tues, visiting the Latimer Quilt and Textile Museum. The museum offers a tour of the permanent collection to groups of 6 or more. The quilt shop has a retreat center, so this could be a destination. It rained all day. We spent the night at the Thousand Trails campground in Newport, after shopping at BJ's quilt shop. Still raining the next day. Shopped at Noel's favorite quilt shop, Quilter's Cove, in Newport, then headed south. Again it rained all day, and the visibility was so poor that one of us suggested we head over to I-5. The other person said he didn't want to drive through the Siskiyous, so we continued on to California. When we got to Brookings, the young woman at the Subway Shop said that 101 was closed before Santa Rosa due to a mud slide, and wouldn't be cleared for several days. A man said we shouldn't take Baby across 299, but we continued on to Salmon River, CA. The next am someone told us we could take Hwy 199 and end up in Grant's Pass, so we did that and stopped at a nice fabric shop there. Then we continued south through the Siskiyous, and camped last night and tonight in Redding. I visited 2 quilt shops today while Noel biked through some beautiful country. One of the shops had Kaffe Fassett fabric for 65% off! I bought a little. We have white crowned sparrow singing to us, and ?scrub jays making less nice noises. We have a view of Shasta and Lassen.

Tour des Quilt Shops

I don't think my French is correct, but this is my blog, so I can write any way I want--so there!



The first shop I visited while following along with the cyclists was The Crazy Quilt Shop in Roslyn: address 104 E Pennsylvania Ave 509-649-3777 Website http://www.thecrazyquiltshop.com/. Very small shop, with a good selection of mostly country/traditional, but I did find some Robert Kaufman peace symbol fabric. They have a retreat center which sleeps ten, but has only a 4 person minimum. This is a pretty shop, with a reading corner and coffee, which should keep spouses happy.



The next shop, The Quilt Crossing in Odessa on state route 28, was my favorite of the trip. Address 4 W First (you can't miss it, it's on the left, one block from the supermarket). 509-982-2194 No website that I can find. Large, well lighted shop with lots of batiks, Kaffe Fassett, probably every Moda Marble, some reproductions, but mostly a Brights shop. Fabrics $9.50 or less. Owner says people call from all over the state to order fabric.

More shops later.

Half way done!

When I finish radiation today I will be half way done with the whole thing! Yea!!! I am now using the Charmin and the Immodium, but nothing else bad has happened. The long waits (sometimes and hour before I get nuked) are annoying, and the drive is a drag, but otherwise things are going well. I'm managing to get a little sewing done, mostly pot holders, but I also finished a little quilt top from some charm squares I bought at the quilt shop near Newport, WA, and I've started on the table topper for Baby from the fabrics Marilyn Harkins brought me.

First week of Radiation

I made it through the first 5 days without anything bad happening. I did buy some Charmin Toilet paper in preparation for future side effects. I'm already tired of going downtown every day, though I treated myself to a trip to Undercover Quilts in the market, where my friend Karen Nyms was working that day--she's a great hugger. People have been bringing us food! Nancy Gleason, a former co-worker of Noel's, brought cookies and a wonderful lime curd tart. Clarissa LaGrange brought chocolate Chicken (mole), and Mary Wright sent home Thai coconut chicken curry. Isn't it wonderful to have friends who are VERY good cooks? I feel very fortunate to have so many wonderful friends.

I'm tired and crabby, but otherwise doing well. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and kind thoughts.

Cindy

good health news

I had 2 CT scans today, and the contrast one showed no lymph node involvement--good news! I have to have the staging one repeated on Fri, because it was flawed. Then I have the final CT and tatoos next Thurs and begin 6 weeks of radiation on Mon, July 12. I should feel well until the 3rd or 4th week, and then only minimally ill. Timmy, one of the Big Riders, called his mom to find out the name of the Patron Saint of cancer she always prays to: it's St. Peregrine, like the falcon--it's true, I looked it up. I feel truly blessed to be included in all your prayers and thoughts--keep praying!

We leave on Fri to go to Pt Townsend for the weekend. Our son-in-law, Mead's mother has invited all of us. She must be feeling very strong. Noel and I will sleep in Baby, and I suppose the rest of the kids will be in the house. I hope to stop in LaConner to see the Japanese quilts and textiles, IF we can get a reservation on the Keystone Ferry.


Cindy