Along I-81

Finally slowed down enough to share the past few weeks with you . . . without being rain soaked . . . although it's not looking too good out there.  Between the hubs and I, we are wearing-out the road surface of I-81.  He's been spending time driving back and forth to Allentown, PA with work and I recently went to Connecticut to visit our daughter and another quick trip to help my parents move back to their condo from their apartment in a retirement home . . . AND I have been a printing fool filling more orders for Hoffman!

On my way up to Connecticut I stopped in Middletown, VA at Valley Needleworks.  I had received an email from the owner (Jennifer) who was interested in carrying my designs.  I took a chance that she would be there and just dropped in.  She wasn't in, but I left each of my patterns with Karen and the finished pincushion from "My Garden" saying I would be back that Saturday on my way home to see if they were interested.

I also stopped in Scranaton, PA to walk around The Christmas Shops (not at all just a Christmas shop) and stay the night (just can't do 12 to 13 hours in the car in one day).  On to Connecticut in the morning . . . just 3 hours more!

I LOVE mother/daughter time!  We had a lot of fun simply running errands, eating vegan food, watching movies, and painting pottery at one of those "paint your own" pottery places . . . can't wait to see our final products!  When we checked out, the woman who owns the place commented that she didn't realize we were mother and daughter . . . she thought we were just friends.  I LOVE our "friend time" together!

On the way back I stayed with the hubs' cousin near Harrisburg, PA and had dinner with her, her mother and her mother's grief counselor (having recently lost her husband . . . a sweetheart of a man).  Back at her house we enjoyed an evening of card games (with her hubs as well) . . . 7's and Golf . . . I'm a great lover of game nights!

The next day I again stopped at Valley Needleworks and got to meet Jennifer . . . instant friends!  They now have my charts for sale and we're discussing a trunk show and possible teaching weekend this fall.  It's a cute shop in an old building in a small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Looking forward to stopping in to say hello on our frequent drives along I-81.

Got back in the car last weekend and hit I-81 again to visit my parents and help them pack.  I'm not happy that they are moving out of the retirement home they've lived in the last 14 months.  Their condo hasn't sold and it makes more sense financially to just move back there.  In their mid-80's and progressively losing their physical and mental abilities this is not where I want them to be . . . they have not lost their stubbornness however.  I just don't know how much longer they will be able to live without some form of assistance.  I may be making this 2 1/2 hour drive a lot more frequently!

Dinner at the retirement home dining room (meals and housekeeping are included) was a sad comedy.  The parade of walkers make their way in and find their "usual" tables.  The residents that share my parents' table also share a similar degree of dementia and the conversation was almost like a stuck vinyl record . . . I was asked 3 times by the woman sitting next to me where I lived.  None of them seemed to be aware that the conversation kept repeating itself.  It is very painful to watch your parents decline when they were once very active, sharp and vibrant people.  There is something to be said for dieing young!

I don't want to end on a sad note . . . so . . . since I've been home these past few days I planted some flowers to greet us at the back door (the door we generally use to enter and exit our house) . . .

. . . and the hydrangeas, knock-out roses and butterfly bushes are blooming their hearts out!

 Have a nice day . . . now where is my Tennessee sunshine?

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