Lucky to be Alive!

Today, I went to a quilting class with a good friend of mine. The class is about an hour north of where I live in a little community called Chester. The drive is curvy and mountainous, but one which I make regularly. Today's trip came very close to being my last...or at the very least, my last one for awhile.

As we drove north on Highway 89 and rounded a curve, an on-coming loaded logging truck was just crossing the double yellow line headed in my direction. My first thought was that he just wasn't paying much attention. As he continued to come farther and farther in my lane, I began to slow and head for the shoulder. When he was almost completely in my lane, he corrected and pulled quickly back into his lane. I pulled over about 20 feet farther and just sat there shaking, trying not to cry. It was that close.

A few minutes later, I had calmed down and we headed for the next town where we'd planned to stop for coffee. I was tempted to stop at the sheriff's substation, but then realized the only thing I could tell them was that it was a red logging truck; I couldn't ID the driver or the insignia on the door. Instead, we got coffee and continued on to our class...thankful to still be going.

My first two thoughts after realizing how close I came to a serious accident or maybe even death...my husband and my little filly, Emma. I was thrilled to see them both tonight.

Charity/Military Quilts

Andrea made a presentation at our Guild (Quincy Crazy Quilters) a few months ago. Her son is a medic overseas and expressed concern that when wounded soldiers are brought in, they have nothing except the clothes they're wearing. Unfortunately, those clothes are often destroyed, leaving them with nothing to wear. He started a collection of clothes from other hospital personnel to give to these men and then asked his mom, an avid quilter, if she would make quilts for them as well. She told our Guild this story and the ladies immediately came to her aid. They've been giving her blocks and tops and she's been quilting and mailing as fast as she can. I told her that I could squeak in a couple, so these are the two I've quilted for her. Hope they make someone happy...















And the second one...although this one looks like it should go to a soldier's son, to me



(sorry about the photo quality--or lack thereof--I took these with my work camera since I'd forgotton to photograph them at home.)

Eastern High Sierra Classic 2009

I'm just back from Bridgeport where I competed in the EHSC 2009 50 mile endurance ride. It was the most beautiful ride ever! I started on my own (Dennis didn't ride) along with 96 other people in single file for almost 15 miles of very treacherous, rocky, single-track trail going up and then coming down the mountain. We went by beautiful waterfalls and had gorgeous views all around us. It was spectacular. Socks did remarkably well without Andy, his buddy, and in a wagon train of horses. I've never ridden him in that situation; luckily he kept his head or it could have been curtains for us! (eek!)

The second loop wasn't nearly so technical and had us sharing a meadow with cows, riding through a beautiful aspen grove and then finally back into camp for the finish...9 hours later! Best part...no back pain for me; some back pain for Socks so saddle adjustment isn't quite right yet.



















Another photo of Socks...this was the start and he wasn't happy...
I have to actually WORK this Friday, but Saturday and Sunday will be quilting days. I'm caught in a spinning vortex; as much as I love to quilt, I want to be riding; and as much as I love to ride, I want to be quilting. Maybe they could make a longarm with a saddle mount????

Find Your Style

I just found this on another blog I read. Creative Organizing is geared more towards busy moms (which I'm not), but does have some tips for us childless busy people too. She talks about loving your space and how that helps keep you organized. To that end, she recommended this quiz. I took it in only took a few minutes and discovered that I am "Country Casual." Funny thing is, the paint colors they said are my "happy" colors are actually in my home. How odd is that??

Look What I Found....

We have a store here in town that has been closed for a number of years, but the inventory was never sold. The owner got sick, but would on occasion be well enough to open so her daughter didn't have the heart to sell the business. It was called the Quincy Emporium and was the only fabric store in town. It recently opened again (with the same 10 year old fabric) on sale for half price. I was just there today and look what I found!!!











Its flannel and beautiful. I'm very picky about horse fabric; I don't like it when they try to make the horses look authentic, but they end up looking all wrong. These horses were done in a style that looks terrific. I even have a good idea of what quilt this will be backing for.

More on Tevis

I'm back now and have a bit more time to explain what Tevis actually is. Tevis was started over 50 years ago by Wendell Robie and some of his friends. It is billed as the most difficult endurance ride and is a sign of prestige and honor to wear the buckle that signifies that you've finished.

The course is 100 miles long, beginning near Lake Tahoe and ending in Auburn, CA. Its a challenging ride, made even more challenging by the terrain and the heat. Dennis completed the ride in 2004 on the 50th anniversary of the event; I completed the year after. We were lucky; we finished the ride on our first try. Generally, it takes at least two attempts for one completion.

This year, 169 riders started and 87 finished. Our friend, Lucy, made it as far as Chicken Hawk (approximately 66 miles), but then pulled because her horse was a bit "crunchy"--English term for not moving well. Roo is a great horse and we think with a bit of electrolyte tweaking, he will do fine next year. Lucy loves to take pictures, so this is a link to the photos she took during the first 36 miles of the ride. This course of the trail goes through the Granite Chief Wilderness and is quite beautiful.

It was a great weekend; alot of fun and not much sleeping.