Wednesday Night - Hours Until Thanksgiving

I don't know if this happens at your house, but around here the appliances seem to go on strike with the approach of any major holiday. 

Yesterday, my dryer stopped working.  I fixed it but, what with houseguests due at any time, this temporary appliance workstoppage caused me a few anxious moments.  

Tonight, with one of my grown sons home for the weekend, my mother here as well, and only hours to go before the beginning of the most dirty dish intensive holiday of the year began, someone peered into the dishwasher and said, "You know, there's a lot of cloudy water in the bottom of this thing.  Looks like you've got a clog."

My son suggested an application Drano, which seemed reasonable to me, and my husband concurred with this decision.  We poured a quarter cup down the drain, let it sit for about twenty minutes, and then, the water much lower, decided it would be a good idea to let the cycle run with the washer empty, just to flush out the drain.  We pushed the start button, grabbed our wine glasses, and headed into the family room to talk.  After a while, my husband got up and get a snack from the kitchen. 

Sitting comfortably in the family room I heard the words every homeowner dreads.  "Oh.  Wow.  That can't be good."  (Sound of dishwasher door opening).  "Oh.  Wow.  That's really not good."

I was too afraid to get up and go into the kitchen.  Frankly, whatever was going on in there was something I wanted no part of.  But finally, as relative after relative went to investigate and the above dialogue was repeated again and again, curiousity got the best of me.  I walked into the kitchen to see my kitchen floor flooded with bubbles and my dishwasher belching foam like a car wash on steriods. 

The bad news is, I may be washing dishes by hand this Thanksgiving.  The good news is that, standing in the middle of a carpet of dishwasher foam, my husband, my son, my mom, and I laughed so hard we cried.  Can you think of a better reason to be thankful? Me neither.                     

November 24, 2008

In spite of the fact that I used him as a character in A HIGH KICKING CHRISTMAS, my cat, Wendell, seems to be jealous that the dog has been mentioned in my last two blogs.  

At least, that's the only reason I can think of that would explain why Wendell, who normally only submits to caresses for short periods of time and completely on his own terms, has suddenly decided to start standing right on top of any piece of fabric on my cutting table and butting me with his head while I'm trying to cut out new patterns.  Or maybe he's trying to tell me that the next Christmas present I sew should be for him?  Hmmm.  I wonder...

Either way -  fine, Wendell!  You win!  Now you're in my blog and the next quilt I make will be cat-sized, I promise.  Anything you want!  Just let me get back to my quilting.  It's only one month until Christmas Eve and I'll bet that, right now, the elves in Santa's workshop don't have more presents to make than I do!  

November 21, 2008

I love living in New England in every season - well, okay, February is a bit rugged, but still, I just adore the change of the seasons.  I pretend to sympathize with our "snow bird" friends who fly south from Connecticut to Florida sometime between Thanksgiving and Boxing Day, not returning until Easter, but in truth I don't understand why anyone would fly south for day after day after day of dull, relentless sunshine when you could pass the same time here in New England where every day is different and every walk through the woods shows you new natural wonders.

When I left for my promotional tour it was definitely fall.  Though the colors had faded from brilliant red, orange, and yellow to more subdued shades of copper and brown, there were still bushels of leaves clinging to the branches of trees, stubbornly refusing to release their hold and float down to join their fellows who had already been raked or blown from lawns into mountainous piles.  Now, just two weeks later, there is no question that winter has arrived.  Oh, I know, the calendar says it is still fall, but in Connecticut's quiet corner, it is winter.  The trees are bare and skeletal and it was only nineteen degrees when I got up. By the time I took Oliver out for his walk, the mercury had still only reached twenty-two.

The morning walk is the highlight of Oliver's day and my morning.  I try to vary our routes, sometimes walking him in our neighborhood, sometimes around the town green, or, if we're feeling ambitious, heading out to one of the many parks in the area.  Today I was feeling ambitious, as well as very aware that twenty degree temperatures will very soon give way to single digits and that's just too cold for long walks, even for me, so Ollie and I headed off to a nearby state park for our morning romp.  

Not surprisingly, we had a lovely, lovely time.  The air was so crisp and the sun so bright that I didn't mind the cold.  When we stood still, we could hear the sounds of squirrels scurrying through the leaves. There was one precarious moment when, having decided that it made more sense to carry Oliver across the barely frozen creek rather than having him risk slipping on a stone and into the frigid water, we both nearly got an ice water bath but that only added to the adventure.  We went deep into the woods with Oliver stopping to sniff at every rock and fallen branch.  I let him.  We weren't in a hurry.  However, after hearing the distant pop of gunfire from hunters it crossed my mind that maybe it wasn't bright to be tromping in the woods wearing a gray coat instead of a red one, I decided that it was probably time to turn back, but if not for that, I think I could have hiked five miles instead of just two.  It was just a glorious morning.

If you're waiting for some clever twist or cogent point in this posting, I'm sorry to disappoint, but there really isn't one.  I just came home full of the knowledge of life's goodness and wanted to share it with you.  Maybe that is the point after all.  

November 18, 2008

Well, I'm back at home from the promotional tour for A SINGLE THREAD.  It was really a fun trip and I enjoyed making so many new friends.  Thanks to everyone who came to the various signings and discussions.  It means to much that you took the time to come out and say hello to me.  Still, I know you'll understand what I mean when, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I say, "there's no place like home."  

It just felt so good to sleep in my own bed last night and even though I was too busy clearing off my desk to begin writing today, it really was lovely to be back in the office.  In fact, it would have been a perfect day if not for one thing - Oliver, my dog.  He has been ruined in my absence.

I don't know how much you know about Cavalier King Charles spaniels, but they are very, very people oriented.  Great companion dogs but sometimes they are SO people oriented that it's like having someone live with you who has been through a tough time recently and desperately, I mean DESPERATELY, needs to talk about it. This is not always conducive to getting a lot of writing done.  

Of course, this is nothing new.  Oliver has been a sweet but needy dog since he was a puppy.  I've always worked around it and in some ways it has been a good thing.  Oliver's needs remind me to take a moment to stop working and smell the roses...or pet the dog.   

But, while I was gone, my dear husband felt sorry for Oliver and decided to take him to the office when he went to work.  They had a grand time, apparently.  Brad said Oliver was really good and enjoyed sitting on the conference room table, watching him while he worked.  

Yes, you read that right.  He let Oliver get up on the table and watch him while he worked.  What was he thinking? 

I pulled Oliver off the dining room table twice already today, a situation which is easily remedied by my remembering to push the chairs in, but it wasn't anything I ever had to think about before because before, Oliver knew that getting on tables was a no-no.  Now, Oliver thinks he should always be able to climb on top of any flat surface so he can be at eye level with me, including my desk, which is considerably smaller than Brad's conference table - way too small for a dog and my computer.  But Oliver doesn't get that.  He thinks the computer should go (he never liked it anyway) and has spent the entire day sitting on the floor, gazing up at my desk longingly, and squeaking out his opinions.  

It's good to be back in my office but if I hope to get any writing done this week, it may have to be at the library.  

November 11, 2008

I'm still on the road, visiting bookstores and signing stock throughout the DC metro area and up into Baltimore and Philadelphia.  Yesterday I dropped in to visit ten bookstores which was fun, but you can imagine that it makes for a long day, especially navigating around an unfamiliar city.  That's why (other than she's just a lot of fun) I'm glad my sister, Donna, has joined me for this trip.

Donna is a dog show judge and owner, in fact, she has seven dogs living at her house right now - a black lab, a yellow lab, one Boston terrier, and four cavalier king charles spaniels.  Most of the dogs are at home, but we are traveling with Ivy Rose, the Boston terrier, and Sailor, a fifteen week old cavalier. 

Last night we stayed in the Monaco Hotel in Alexandria, Va, part of the Kimpton chain and I have to say, if you're traveling with pets, this is the place you want to stay!  Sailor caused quite a stir when he walked in wearing his little blue sailor coat with the brass buttons.  Ivy Rose was more sedate but equally adorable in a red sweater with matching leash and collar.  The pups are registered under their own names and as soon as we checked into our rooms, housekeeping sent up special dog beds and bowls.  We didn't avail ourselves of the in house vet, dog walkers, or doggie day care, but they we could have.  We also discovered that between April and October, the hotel has a twice weekly Dog Happy Hours, where they offer treats and fresh water for canine guests as well as local dogs.  Also, the door man always keeps a bowl of fresh water by the door for passing dogs.  All in all, it's very pet posh. The only problem we're having is keeping the dogs out of the honor bar.  There are a couple of stuffed toys in there that Ivy Rose thinks would fit nicely in her suitcase.   

November 8, 2008

Just a quick blog today.  I'm touring right now and am at the Winterfest 08 quilt and craft show in Columbia, Maryland and wow!  What gorgeous quilts I've seen here!  When I get back home I'll post some of the pictures and you'll see what I mean. There are some very, very talented quilters entered in this show.  

On the one hand, seeing these beauties makes me want to run find a sewing machine and get stitching. On the other hand, when I consider my own meager quilting talents in light of the skills of these fabric artists, it makes me think I may have no business even touching a needle.  

But, I'm off to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania over the next few days - home of many, many quilt and fabric shops. Somehow I bet the sight of all that fabric will convince me that I'd better not give up on quilting just yet.  In quilting, as in life, its always possible our best work is ahead of us.   

November 5

Did you vote yesterday?  I hope so.  No matter how you feel about the result of the election, I'm sure that, like me, you're proud of the process.  The fact that every four years Americans go to the polls and make their voices heard and that, without violence or coercion, we reelect or change the leadership of this nation is what makes us special.  I'm so happy I was born in this country.        

I'm literally moments from hopping in my car and heading out on tour where I'll be making signing books and meeting Reading Friends in Hanover and Exton Pennsylvania, Columbia, Maryland, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  If you live near any of those places, go over to the Appearances section of the site and get the details on dates, times, and locations and come on down and join the party.  As my mother would say, "It's gonna be a whee of a time!"