Just counting down the days until these kids are back in school and I can relax for a few minutes.  Seems I spend more time in the car driving someone, somewhere, that anything else.

I'm leaving in about 1/2 an hour to move Baby Soldier into college residence 2 hours away.  But I'm not leaving him there! Noooooooooooooo

I have to bring him back home, because he has FOUR appointments that I have to taxi him to tomorrow!  Among one of the appointments, Baby Soldier OFFICIALLY become Sailor Boy.

So what am I doing here? Now? Synching my iPod.  It's gonna be a long day. 

I FINALLY heard from the wee rascal last night.  He's coming home in ONE MORE SLEEP!!!  When I pick him up at the airport tomorrow, I'm going to hug the stuffing out of him, and then I'm going to beat the brains out of him for the rollercoaster ride he's had me on all summer.

And yes, I got all six of my heart blocks appliqued in psych lecture.  I believe my wrist is sufficiently recovered to take up my sock knitting again tomorrow. One more lecture!  Then I write my final exam on Monday morning ~ YAHOOOOOO!!!!!  I believe I'll have about nineteen days off then, until it starts all over again on Sept 8.

Remember what a nightmare Philosophy was for me?  I received my final grade: 78 (I'm THRILLED! I can barely believe it) and Writing, I got an 80. 

That's all the excitement here - I'm heading out to the front porch to enjoy a little summer sunshine.

Alright you Elgin Piecemakers - - look away - - this is supposed to be secret! 

I found the directions to make "Double Star" at Quilt Town USA  Yes, it is a little fiddly, with that set in centre block, but it was easy, since it involves squares, not weird shapes.

I sent Baby Soldier a care package, including a book that I heard about on a podcast.  The excerpts that were read on the podcast sounded quite funny to me, so I think he'll like it.  He usually reads books that involve dragons and mythical things, so it'll be something a little different.  Humour probably isn't going to go wrong right now.

Baby Soldier sent me a photo last night, but I couldn't access it, because I couldn't remember the password on my cell phone acct.  But I called the company this morning and the helpful man assisted me with resetting my password so I could see the photo.  So if you already read the story, there's been a change to his last text of the day yesterday.

Text messages are both wonderful and horrid.  It's nice to be able to spit out a quick message - - but as a means of TRUE communication?  No...I need DETAILS PEOPLE!!!  And I'm not real good at composing them either.  30% of the time I end up deleting what I've poked in simply by pushing what I believe to be the next logical key....POOF!

I texted Baby Soldier on Saturday afternoon to see how his first flight ever, from London to Toronto went. I knew he was busy, and probably annoyed to be getting bugged by me, but too bad! I found the stitches I had after I gave birth to him annoying too. Any mother reading this who has teen boys, has had teen boys, or would like to know HOW we current and former mothers of teen boys are so devoted to these big, stinky, forever starving, dopey, sloppy, clumsy oafs....The surety of just how big piece of our hearts they truly occupy is illustrated in the following.  We can steeled by repeated rebuffing, and then be melted by two words.

Sat Jul 12 3:07pm: Short.  I did see some cool stuff though  (I texted him back, asked him if he had been frightened, and how many people had been on the flight)

 

Sat Jul 12 3:11pm: No, and alot

 

Sat Jul 12 4:24pm: My flight to montreal got delayed by 20 minutes

 

Sat Jul 12 10:42pm: Yep

 

Sat Jul 12 11:19pm: Yes i'm looking 4 my room on base now

 

Sun Jul 13 4:19pm: Good,nothing,no, and i don't know (I now am completely cognizant of how this  texting thing is going to go....sigh..)

 

Sun Jul 13 6:55pm: Can u tell me if my gerber is on the brekfast bar?  (I replied: What's a gerber?)

 

Sun Jul 13 6:57pm: My multi-tool it's black  (I replied: It's in your tac-vest)

 

Sun Jul 13 7:07pm Found it.

 

Sun Jul 13 7:17pm: Cool

He calls home at about 8ish.  I answer the phone.  He wants to talk to his brother.  He asks Itty Bitty to go on to his computer and look for a girl's email address.  Has he emailed me??? noooooooooo.....

 

Sun Jul 13 8:25pm: He sent this photo, and text message: 

 

Miss ya

 

 

In case you can't figure out the photo, it's chocolate bars in a vending machine on the base, and the one in the middle is called "Love"

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

We were surprised to learn that Baby Soldier would be leaving us tomorrow for 49 days!  In fact, the final details weren't ironed out until this afternoon.  I'm currently doing a last load of laundry to make sure he has enough socks, t-shirts and underwear to keep him going for a few days.  What I most want to do is manufacture a tag a la Paddington Bear.

You see, Baby Soldier has never flown before, and certainly never travelled alone.  He has to take THREE AIR PLANES tomorrow, changing flights in both Toronto and Montreal.  I begged him to travel in uniform, thinking people might be more apt to help him out if he got into difficulties, but he is insisting on travelling in civies.  I'm not going to worry.  I'm not going to worry.  I'm not going to worry.

Oh, we had a great time!  Baby Soldier chose TWO rings.  One is sort of a signet style, I suppose you would call it, with a Lion Rampant.  The other is a very nice celtic knot sort of a thing.  (Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about?

I was BODILY DRAGGED from Treadle & Co. by the boyz, but not before I got a couple of patterns by The Pattern Basket, and one by All Through the Night. I slipped their grip just before the exit door, and managed to snatch up some fabric scraps as well. Both of these patterns are designed by Canadian Margot Languedoc: "Country Charm Table Runner"  uses charm squares. "Sweet Little Blossoms" is a brand new pattern, and uses either a "Layer Cake" or a "Jelly Roll".  Go ahead and visit both of the websites for The Pattern Basket and All Through the Night to check out the patterns, and download free patterns.  The third image is "One's Done, Another's Begun" designed by Bonnie Sullivan- I guess the idea is, that you'll piece the second quilt from the leftovers of the first quilt.  It sounded like an interesting concept, so I picked it up for further consideration. 

Then we went to the Stone Crock for Lunch. Groaning as we left the restaurant, we somehow got our bloated bodies to the Riverworks Building. In addition to the Scottish Store was a shop called The Riverworks Book Market.  I love books.  I never get to read them, but I couldn't resist choosing a bag full to add to my collection of "Someday I'd Like to Read This" shelf.  I picked a biography, and a book about literature.  One "quilty" book that caught my eye was "Welcome to Happy Valley: Quilts, Recipes, and Small-Town Tales" by Nan Slaughter.  The drawings are so sweet, and inside we get to "meet" the Happy Valley Quilt Guild, discover their individual personalities, learn how to make their favourite quilts, and taste their favourite recipes!  I'll quote from Page 1:

" Welcome to Happy Valley -- where the skies are always blue, with maybe just a cloud or two -- and apple-cheeked children play outside every day with chickens, puppies, and re wagons with wooden sides.  Driving down main Street, you're apt to see a quilt or two hung out over a fence to dry or a clothesline dangling "Flying Geese" next to a pair of Granddaddy's long johns!"

Okay....so if she's talking about underwear on page one?  I'm so totally SOLD!!!

I did a little internet search for Ms. Slaughter, and found her blog Pots & Pins.  It looks like a fun blog to me.

After leaving St. Jacobs, Baby Soldier saw a sign pointing the direction to Castle Kilbride in Baden, and asked if we could go see it.  Of course....that's what Adventure Days are all about!  We requested a guided tour and a nice girl named Naomi soon joined us.  There are several very fine examples of "trompe l'oeil" inside, and the march up steep, narrow stairs to the belvedere was a little dizzying, but not to be missed.  OH!!! and we each were charged "student" rate admission   In the basement was a collection of artifacts that had been dug up during excavation.  I must say, however,  Tillsonburg's Annandale House is a much better example of Victorian architecture, and is also a National Historic Site. (Click on the link for the neatest tour!)

Next, we went to Stratford and had a poke around.  Wouldn't you know we'd walk right past a store called "Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory"?  We drooled over the glass cases of fudges and truffles, and settled on an ice cream cone each.

It was a lonely drive home though....the boys both soon nodded off.  When asked what part they enjoyed best, they agreed it was dragging me out of the quilt shop kicking a screaming!

I put on the coffeepot this morning, and forgot to put the water in!  This is my first clue that I have forgotten how to have a PJ day.

Last night was a night that I had serious fear I'd never see.

Gaaaaaaaawwwwwwd....did I ever work hard for this diploma.  I made Baby Soldier call the school yesterday afternoon just to make sure he actually WAS graduating!  When I was looking at the photos this morning, I had to feel sorry for the poor little vice-principal.  Look at her tiny little hand being crushed in that baseball mitt.

Okay - - coffee smells ready - - and I've got sewing to do!! 

I put the last stitches into the binding of Baby Soldier's quilt this morning:

Okay - do you want me to let you in on a secret?  The fabric for all of these blocks came from five men's shirts that I bought at the thrift store.  The only "new" fabric in this is the backing, binding and sashing.  What do you think of them apples??

I finished The Quilted Table February runner challenge, and it's been on my table for a few days.  I machine quilted it by sewing spirals in the flower centres, around the outline of the flowers and then an allover meander.  I'm pleased that the dark binding finished it off so well.

It's ridiculously cold today.  Like -16 or something, not considering the wind chill.  It's even cold in my studio, where I'm usually pretty cozy next to the boiler and the water heater.

I believe I will spend the afternoon tidying up my studio, and piecing together the BOW of Sylvia's bridal sampler.