We have had no rain for weeks--unless you want to count the few mud drops that fall from the sky as clouds pass over. For the last few days, while showers were falling over other areas, I've been able to count the raindrops that visited us.
Today we had real rain. The storm lasted for over an hour--I'm guessing we may have gotten an inch, or two, at the most. (Our little airport is reporting 0" thus far.) And, yes, I remember that about this time last year we were in East Tennessee and experienced 10-15 inches in about an hour and half.
We still have flash flood warnings out across the state and are concerned for erosion of the scars from forest fires.
For a while today it came down so hard that the buildings across the field weren't visible.
I occupied myself quilting on the treadle near my north window--reminding myself that if I owned one of those expensive computerized machines and/or a long arm, I would have had to unplug them and would have been just spinning my wheels.
After the rain: puddles!
And more puddles! Glad the rain happened today instead of last night during our town's one-hour-plus fireworks display (that was close enough that I watched it from my driveway).
On the way home from therapy, I stopped in Edgewood to help Busy Bee Quilt Shop celebrate their fourth birthday. For those traveling I-40 through New Mexico, Edgewood is slightly less than thirty miles east of Albuquerque. There is only one Edgewood exit, and those who drive between two and three miles north will find the little strip center with Busy Bee Quilts.
Busy Bee is owned by a very nice couple who truly understand the meaning of hospitality and dish it out liberally. (I did turn down the offer of cake today.) I really don't have a solid plan for these fabrics yet, since a lot of ideas have been floating around in my head for weeks. While I love the idea of charm packs, layer cakes, stacks of fat quarters, jelly rolls, etc., I do love choosing fabrics from across several lines from several manufacturers.
I came home with this quilt inspiration, including the pale teal in the background. I also won a free fat quarter (I was one of three customers in the shop at 2:00; others, kept away by the thunderstorm, I'm sure.) I think the last time I won something in a store was when I was seven and won my Charlotte doll a week before Christmas in Mrs. Beatty's Gift Shop in El Paso, Illinois!
I also picked up these interesting dots to add to the collection for Sweet Teen's polka dots and stripes quilt. I really need to work on that design instead of buying more dots!
I was grateful to have only one therapy today, although it was vestibular therapy and was pretty tough to get through (as are the home exercises, for that matter). Tomorrow includes two appointments and Sweet Teen's return from her mission trip--so I'm hopeful that I'll be able to fit in some visits at thrift stores because I'd like to find a couple more white 100% cotton sheets for a window project.
I did manage to quilt two colliding feathers onto Brent's quilt--so I'm really just at the beginning of that project still! I'll console myself with the fact that during some of my waiting time I was able to work on tatted lace.
Happy quiltmaking.....
