Chatbug Karen

My sister was so surprised to find that I have been here in Florida for almost a week without visiting a quilt shop. Well, I have been busy getting used to the area and honestly forgot about quilting. That is so unlike me! Well, I have not been thinking about herpes simplex or anything thought provoking, I have been relaxing! I love having someone else picking out the places she wants to show me. That is what vacation should be about. Mindless travel, right? Anyway, today we will be finding two quilt shops! I’ll be back to let you in on how they fared compared to the shops at home. Have a great day everyone! Oh, and it is a bright sunny day today! Woo hoo! Love it.

This weeks theme at Heads or Tails is the word pack. When I first thought of the word pack it instantly meant packing a suitcase. Years ago we took care of my parent’s yellow striped tabby cat while they lived in Saudi Arabia. Cats were eaten in that country and my parents decided not to take a chance with our precious Goldie. When my husband and I would pack our suitcase, Goldie would sit in it as if to say, “you are not leaving without me!” That cat had such a neat personality.

This picture is similar, (I don’t have a cat), to what our cat looked like while sitting in our suitcase.

If you would like to join us by participating in this fun meme, click on the picture of the coffee cup.

I have a few friends who are teachers and they are looking forward to winter break. I envy them! One friend is traveling to Minnesota to visit with her husband’s family and share Christmas together. They are a very dysfunctional family and my friend always has funny stories to share.

If I had a week off, I hope I would get back into my exercise routine. I hear that the dip machine misses me. LOL Seriously, if I had a few days off from work, I think I would travel a little. Maybe visit my son or go down south to see what my sister is up to.

What are your plans this holiday season?

We had such a great time while visiting Washington DC. It is hard to believe it has been 4 years ago already! Our son was interning with Senator Evan Bayh. We knew we would have a great tour guide so we packed our Eagle Creek luggage and headed to our nation’s capital.

Greg gave us a tour of the capital. He made it so interesting with all the tidbits he knew about. We got to the capital building through a tunnel that connects it to the building Greg worked in. So cool! We took a tour of the White House Gardens and got up close to the big house itself. The Air Force band was playing while seated on the balcony. I found out that they only allow these tours twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall. We really lucked out. We went to the Bureau of Engraving and saw money being made. We rode the Metro everywhere. What a cool way to get around! We took cabs if Greg wasn’t with us. We were chicken to try the Metro without him. LOL We walked and walked and walked. Sweet memories.

Today’s theme at Heads or Tails is “Decision.” Tell about a time when you had to make a “Decision.”

First of all, I cannot believe today is September 8th! This month is flying by as quickly as August did.

We took a mini vacation over the long Labor Day weekend and traveled to Nashville, Tennessee. That is where the decisions began. It is hard to make a decision when there are 6 adults who are just wanting to enjoy their time together. No one really cared what we did or where we went. LOL

We did manage to check out downtown Nashville and took an excursion on the 300 ft General Jackson paddle wheel riverboat.

General Jackson Showboat

paddles to power boat

Cumberland River

Mom as Minnie Pearl

Me and the Nashville skyline

dinner showroom

Tim Watson Fiddlin’ Around Show

What a week we have had! I am not going to complain because times are tough. Any jobs that come our way are a Godsend. That doesn’t make the work any less trying. It is time for a getaway!

We pondered over what we should do for a short getaway. Vegas vacations, a short cruise or a weekend at a campgrounds. What should we do? Where should we go? Well, we decided it was time to return to Nashville, Tennessee. Hmm, is that how you spell Tennessee? I always have to look that up.

So, tomorrow morning we hit the road for Nashville. I booked our hotel through one of those online sites so I hope it isn’t flea infested or a total dump. We usually have good luck and save so much money booking online. When we stayed in St. Louis two weekends ago, our hotel was only $50 per night. That hotel was beautiful and our room was fabulous.

We are meeting my sister and her husband for a weekend of visiting quilt shops, touring the Hermitage and whatever else tickles our fancy. We are open for any suggestions. See ya’ll next Tuesday!

Mom and I are always on the look out for new quilt shops. This was the plan when we found ourselves in Warsaw, Indiana. Warsaw is located in Northern Indiana along the historic Lincoln Highway. We found a nice quilt shop, Lowery’s, where we shopped til we dropped. I should say we shopped until we needed a snack. Our trips usually involve Dairy Queen or a search for Macadamian nut cookies. After our visit to the quilt shop, we decided to turn left and see where the road would take us. After traveling through an industrial part of town, we came to a fork in the road and turned right. We were pleasantly surprised to find a lovely reclaimed area. The shops had been restored to be quaint and inviting. We found the nicest little bakery where we bought lemon bars and coffee.

The sitting area of the bakery was so inviting that we settled into leather sofas and read the paper. I visited the restroom and was so intrigued with the decor that I took a picture! I am an odd duck, I admit it. Vessel sinks are awesome! I am always amazed when businesses decorate a bit above the par.

I looked up the history of this village and discovered that all the buildings had been moved as a way to save them and keep their historical value. I am so glad that someone made the effort. We sure enjoyed our visit.

When we were driving through St. Louis a few weeks ago, I saw a sign for the Laumeier Sculpture Park. I was curious to find out about this park and now I cannot wait to go back to St. Louis to visit.

Because of the generosity of Mrs. Henry Laumeier and the cooperation of many of St. Louis’ leaders and generous corporations, the Laumeier has developed into what it is today – an internationally-recognized open-air museum. The ninety-six acre outdoor museum is designed to encourage creative thinking through exhibitions, educational programs and contemporary art.

Take a look at just a few of the park’s past exhibits.

The park is located at 12580 Rott Rd, St Louis, MO. The park sponsors many events like the Music + Movies series. Music + Movies pairs performances from local musicians with popular movies. The music begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Laumeier Outdoor Music Amphitheatre, followed by the night’s featured movie at 8:30 p.m. You are going to love the price: FREE! There is also free parking available next to the park.

That is our local forecast for the next few days. I am not complaining. I don’t have to go out in it. It does cause me to be a bit stir crazy. I think I am having what is called “cabin fever”. You know, that claustrophobic feeling you get when you have looked at the same walls day in and day out. The inauguration helped break up the monotony a bit but now we are back to the same reruns on tv and it is getting to me. Do you have the symptoms of restlessness, irritability, forgetfulness, laughter, and excessive sleeping? I have an idea.

Let’s check out the Hilton Branson Escape Package available in Branson, Missouri. Both the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the HIlton Branson Convention Center Hotel are offering a relaxing retreat that will make this weather so much more inviting.

Start out your day with a scrumpious breakfast and then head over to the spa for a few hours or pampering. Then you can visit the many retail stores available and decide on which theater you want to visit that afternoon. There is so much to do in Branson. You will never run out of different restaurants to try! After dinner be sure to check out the town square where you can watch light and fire as they are displayed with the help of a fantastic water dance choreographed to music. Take a moonlit stroll along the beautiful river walk and then crawl into your comfy bed in your hotel room feeling refreshed and renewed.

That sounds so much better than watching reruns and doing laundry.

Thank you everyone for your condolences on the passing of my uncle. I am still trying to wake up after getting up at 4:45 am to take my mom to the airport. I stayed awake with no problem until I stopped for coffee and a muffin on the way home. The muffin made me so sleepy. I had to turn the air conditioner temperature to run at 69 degrees and blow the air into my face to keep my eyes open. LOL

Mom said the flight was full and that she had reserved the last seat. It is amazing that so many still fly with the way the airlines treat their customers. I’ve heard that most airlines are taking the position of charging for each bag checked. I noticed on mom’s ticket it said that food could be “purchased”. Isn’t that nice. I wonder if they allow you to bring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on board.

It has been awhile since I have even seen blankets and pillows offered on flights. When did they stop doing that? I am thinking of getting one of those Cabin Cuddler blanket sets. They come with a pillow and contoured travel blanket. I plan to keep mine in the car. Don’t worry though. I will only sleep when hubby drives.