Have your ever taken a trip down Memory Lane? Be the first to correctly guess the location of the Memory Lane sign photographed on the left and I'll send you a hand made gift. Respond to my blog with your guess.
My hubby-of-36-years, Bill, aka Mr. Scottie Dog, and I took a little trip Thursday through Sunday this past week. It's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle...no agenda, no real destination. Liz called us three times to find out where we were staying on Thursday. We drove North on Highway 101 and decided we'd try Jedidiah Smith State Park. Somehow we missed the "Campground Full" sign and slowly with our 24' trailer wound around and around the campground only to find nary a place for us to set up for the night. Now everyone knows that trying to find a last minute camping spot in the California Redwoods is like trying to catch rain in a sieve. So we decided to drive North to Oregon. Four miles down the road we found a tiny campground (Ruby van de Venter County Park). About 15 spots, most in the redwoods (read shade all day long) and a couple next to the redwoods and on the banks of the Smith River. Other than the camp host (a quiet young lady with purple and white
hair) on Thursday and Friday we were the only other residents, although Saturday a couple of other campsites were occupied.
Evenings we sat by the fire and watched the stars come out one by one. First the swallows swooped across the water finishing up their dinners with tiny bugs that hugged the river. Then as dusk gave way to cobalt skies pin-pricked with stars, the little bats came out to eat the rest of the bugs. They both did a great job as nary a mosquito was seen on the entire trip.
Thirty six years.....seems like forever, seems like yesterday we were young kids beginning our lives together. I like that we can talk late into the night or we can just sit and hold hands. Silence is ok. We've celebrated our anniversay a few times in Hawaii, in Kiev, Ukraine, camping in tent as well as trailer, in hotels, at restaurants, at home. As long as we are together that is all that is important!
We don't usually exchange gifts for our anniversary. Cards sometimes, but not always. This year as we were leaving Liz casually gave us a big box. "Open it tonight," she said. We forgot until about 10:45 pm. After we cried, oohed and ahhed we called her. I'm still speachless. Beka helped her and it took about 1 1/2 years to complete. You'll have to check back tomorrow as I don't have a picture.
It all started with a book. The Civil War Diary Quilt. I've already made a Dear Jane Quilt. Lots & lots and lots of 4 1/2" squares. Each one different. I made it in Civil War fabrics. Took me 2 years and I finished it in 2001. Been there, done that. Or so I thought. I kept coming back to the Civil War Diary Quilt book. Twelve voices from twelve actual women's diaries written during the War Between the States. 6" quilt blocks representing diary entries. Names like Hungry Soldiers, Bad Box, Mud Hole and more. I shared the book with the Grateful Threads, my quilting buds. They were entrigued, just like me. So 
began the now-infamous "Civil War Diary Quilt Block Swap." There were 9 of us and we'd each make 9 alike blocks every two months and swap them out with each other. The best laid plans and all. Tonight we swapped out round #3. That's the third round in 2 years!!!!! What we've found is that one gal (one of our members who lives in Maine all across the country) will make her blocks in about 2 days. The rest of us wait until the absolute last minute to make our blocks. So we set the next meeting and trading date tonight at dinner. The first week in November. Guess I really have to make my next round of blocks soon.
