An indoor day

It poured rain yesterday. I stopped my car to snap photos of the drama going on over the rocks. No hiking.

Instead, I got my hair cut by a sweet girl named Indigo who moved here last year from Portland, OR. She said I gave off a "Northwest vibe," so I guess my 11 years of living in the Northwest have transformed me. I love the easy, messy look of the cut. My old hair  was getting too long and heavy for hiking.

After a stop on the way home for a sandwich and apple pie, I cocooned at home with the sewing machine and started piecing my daughter's tiny house quilt in a rainbow of colors.

This morning I was met by snow on the mountains and sunshine! It's too chilly and windy for hiking, so I'll devote today to the quilt. Tomorrow: a quilt shop field trip with Judy in the "Valley of the Sun," the Phoenix metro area.

Have a colorful day

Feet and Forks SW and Keith's birthday

That's my boy and one of my grand dogs. He's 33 years old today. I love him to pieces and am so proud of him. Happy birthday Keith!

Moving on to another celebration, my Feet and Forks buddy Kandi met me in Sedona for hiking and Mexican food. Here we are having happy hour on the deck yesterday after a long hike on the Broken Arrow Trail. Below is Kandi on Submarine Rock.

Here we are on Broken Arrow. You can see one of the ubiquitous Pink Jeeps in the background. They take tourists out into the rocks. I've never done a Pink Jeep tour because I'd much rather hike in peace and quiet.

After happy hour, we hit the Javelina Cantina for Mexican food. Leftovers tonight, yum!

Today we hiked Marg's Draw, which gave us more spectacular views like the one below. Toward the end of the hike, the clouds moved in and now the forecast calls for a few days of rain. That will be good weather for sewing.

Have a colorful day

Road trip: WA, OR, ID, UT, AZ and Sedona!

Crossing the snowy Cascades in Washington.

After three days and 1,528 miles on the road, we finally made it to Sedona!

High desert in Eastern Washington

We went a little out of the way so I could visit my daughter and her bunnies in Spokane. It was worth every extra mile (says she who wasn't driving).

Besides holding Bunners and Charlie, above, I got to meet my newest grand bunny, Dilly. He is so soft and snuggly.

I also delivered my little parakeet, Janis (for Janis Joplin), to Julia so she can care for her while we're gone. Janis was a real trooper on the five-hour drive. The next day, Julia got Janis a Jimi (for Jimi Hendrix) to keep her company.

We took off early the next morning, with a beautiful sunset from the hotel window to start the day.

After that, it was a mixture of blue skies, fog, rain, sleet and snow as we trucked through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Arizona.

Mostly, it was majestic!

Big skies, I love the big skies.

Red rocks of northern Arizona.

Finally, Sunday night, we made it to Sedona. The next morning was gloriously sunny and crisp, perfect for coffee on the deck before a hike.

Monday I hiked the Big Park Loop, 

with views of Bell Rock.

Tuesday was a hike starting on Broken Arrow and then veering off to Submarine Rock. 

Then it was three hours of outdoor films at the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour last night, with another set tonight. I was so exhausted from the sun and hiking that it was hard to stay awake until the end, but it was a good fatigue.

Have a colorful day

Yoga wisdom: Still point

“At the still point of the turning world.

Neither flesh nor fleshless;

Neither from nor towards; 

at the still point,

there the dance is.

But neither arrest nor movement.

And do not call it fixity,

Where past and future are gathered.

Neither movement from nor towards,

Neither ascent nor decline.

Except for the point, 

the still point,

There would be no dance,

and there is only the dance.”

                                                                                                   ― T.S. Eliot

Joy's yoga wisdom from today's class: "At the still point of the turning world." A simple line from T.S. Elliot. Our yoga practice is the still point. The breath is the still point. A contented gathering of soft rabbits is the still point.

And tomorrow I'm on my way to Sedona, with these napkins that I made for my visitors!

Have a colorful day

STITCH: Carol's antique quilts

Our STITCH meeting had to be rescheduled to this week because of last week's snow, and the only people who made it this week were Carol and me. But since Carol was hosting, I got treated to a showing of some of her antique quilts, and she served freshly made banana bread and we managed to talk for the usual two hours!

The colors on the quilts are vibrant and full of life. The hand quilting stitches are so tiny, but it also didn't feel like there was batting. That would make it easier to take tiny stitches. They must have been summer quilts.

This log cabin is one of my favorites because of the exuberant colors and mix of prints.

But the most special quilts were these next two, which Carol's mother and grandmother made for her. Some of the fabric is from her old clothing.

Carol's current project is this wavy arc quilt, which I also love for the colors and movement.

And what would a special day be without silver sequined slippers? That's Carol, not me.

QUESTION: I'm experimenting with using larger text to make it easier to read. Comments? Is this helpful?

 Have a colorful day

Sew Day and other stuff

Let's start this post with some bright, cheery colors from Sew Day! Linda J. made the bowl, and I absolutely love it. Instead of stitching the coil that ended the basket, she used white tacky glue. I haven't made a bowl in a long time, but this has inspired me to make one in these colors.

Carolynn made this project bag for me for Christmas. She sewed one for each of us in our favorite colors. She knows I love hot pink, orange, warm yellow and turquoise, and this wonderful bag has it all -- and holds it all!

Carolynn also hosted, and she had this beautifully beaded table runner that she just got in Mexico, although it looks like it was made in India.

Can you think of anything more comforting for lunch on a chilly, grey February day than grilled cheese and tomato soup? Mmmm, mmmm.

But wait, there's still dessert! Chocolate dipped shortbread heart cookies and dark, rich brownies.

The table was set with this warm, red and cream table runner and matching napkins that Carolynn made, and her beautiful Valentine's Day roses.

Back home, I slumped in my chair at the kitchen counter because this is the stack of reading on my placemat. I mentioned earlier the heavy emotional burden I've been carrying since Christmas Eve, and now it's getting down to the scary legal part which makes it seem so final and which I never in a million years could have foreseen and I still don't want to go through with it.

My daughter sent me this next item for Valentine's Day along with some fun socks and chocolate scented soaps. Besides being incredibly thoughtful, she also has a wicked sense of humor and she's always there for me even though she lives hundreds of miles away.

In between the divorce books, I'm reading these ones on hiking in Sedona because before this "stuff" happened we had reserved the house in Sedona that we have gone to for years in March. I'm still going down and I hope the sunshine boosts my spirits.

 Have a colorful day