Busy Waiting

We've been in Kansas City for a week now. The first order of business after arriving was unloading the U-Haul truck most of it into our daughter/SIL's garage, and some into their dining room inside the house. The four of us unloaded it much more quickly than it loaded. It's wonderful to have so few things that they can easily be stored, and in a place that's safe and free. Everything will stay this way until we know where we're going to live in The Villages.

Our little grandsons were in awe of the "big moving truck." 

A short ride around the cul de sac was sufficient to impress Tay.

Last Saturday I had the fun of meeting face-to-face with a western Kansas blog friend, Mayleen of QisforQuilts. For some reason, I always like the quilts Mayleen makes. She's made two selvage quilts - Spider Web and Red Zinger - and finished Roll Roll Cotton Boll, one I have yet to complete! Her Picket Fence quilt is the reason I'm making one too!

Mayleen posed for me with her latest creation, a bright clamshell quilt that she's hand quilting with pearl cotton. You'll spy a few Kaffe prints there. It's gorgeous!

I've yet to meet a blogger who isn't a lovely person. What a perfectly wonderful way to spend a beautiful Saturday morning. 

Sunday wasn't quite as beautiful! Dan and I had just finished worship at Methodist Church of the Resurrection when it deluged... with our umbrella safely locked in the car at the far end of the parking lot! But what better place to wait out a thunderstorm than in a church?! However, the rain continued off and on all day. By that evening tornado warnings were sounding across a large area of south Kansas City. This photo finds all of us taking shelter in the basement. Looks like we're having a jolly-good time, doesn't it? That IPad in the foreground was locked in on radar at weather.com. Thankfully, no funnel clouds touched down in the area, but the overnight rainfall total was five inches.

This week my dad came by for a visit. He had questions about his new android phone, and since we don't have that up-to-date technology, Jill helped get him sorted out. 

But our main source of activity has been taking care of grandchildren. These little men have been running us ragged. They're so full of energy! And so close in age (13 months apart) that they can be a handful.

Tay (2-3/4 years) with Hogan

Overall, they are fairly manageable, but it's clear Jill has her hands full. However, she's doing a super job raising them. At least they're well-mannered in public!

Aesa (18 months)

I'm not getting much done on the sewing front. I brought lots of hand work along that hasn't been touched. During nap time I've been using Jill's Bernina to quilt an I Spy quilt for Austin, our grandson in Tampa who turned two years old last Sunday.

Austin at Disney World

This is a simple enough quilt pattern - just five-inch squares and sashing - with an easy free motion quilting design, but quilting is progressing only in fits and starts.

Still, I must appreciate these days for what they are: a chance to spend quality time with family; catch up with my blog-friend Carla of Lollyquiltz (It's a blessing to have a good friend here when I've left so many dear friends behind in Iowa); and next week, to meet more blog friends at spring quilt market in downtown Kansas City.

Also, I've delivered two of my quilts (Snowflake Medallion and Life is a Celebration: Nature) to be judged and displayed in the Machine Quilter's Showcase in that's next Wednesday through Saturday (May 16-19) at the Overland Park Convention Center. I hope to attend that on Thursday.

It's just nine more days before we head to Florida and whatever the future has in store. Until then, we've been online house-hunting. Zillow.com and Trulia.com are great resources for information about pre-owned homes. As well, we've been looking at new construction through TheVillages.com. Exciting stuff, but I'm not kidding myself either. Lots of work lies ahead. I'm mentally preparing myself for the possibility of it being two more months until I have my own sewing space again! Yee-gahds! Thanks for hangin' with me until that happens. Linda