Catch-up!

Whew, well between all the sewing & lack of internet access I haven't blogged in over two weeks. Not for want of trying but our CO. internet access has been very spotty & then non existent. The last week I had to hike to the next neighbor & get onto their wireless internet. Tonight we are back in AZ so we have [fairly] reliable internet, hooray!
I have my niece's baby quilt almost ready to quilt, the applique was very time comsuming, just a few bits to add still & the facial details with hand embroidery.
My new computer bag is done- the Valori Wells fabric is gorgeous & her pattern worked great. Isn't it adorable? I quilted it in about 5 minutes on friend Gale's Prodigy before we came down from CO. I will be the most envied cruiser on our Alaskan adventure!
Walt's hard work on the CO. house has paid off & it is looking very nice. Almost done, he just needs to add one final coat of paint to the east & west sides of the house. The metal trim certainly gives it a lot more character in keeping with our mountain locale where the "rusted metal" is very widely used. The patina is very attractive but I struggle to understand the integrity of the product.
It's quite an interesting process-the metal arrives shiny & silvery & with a simple application of first plain white vinegar & then immediately after spraying with household bleach & instant aging of the metal! I was somewhat mystified about the whole idea-why does the metal not continue to rust & fall apart? The explanation I received is that the initial formation of rust virtually protects the metal from further deterioration! It is a technique that is in wide use in rural & urban SW. CO. so I have to accept that, but it still mystifies me- cars just continue to rust, right? So why not a house?
The usual 9 hour journey back to our AZ home today was eased by the addition of books on CD-I think that I need to invest in a Creative Zen or some similar product for all the books we listen to. Checking out & then returning the books on CD can be a challenge, I often need to remember to extend the borrowing period between our trips back & forth & my iPod would not be the best vehicle for online downloads, requiring download first to the laptop & then to the iPod- it is best suited to music alone. Fortunately DH & I have both become quite fond of murder mysteries , a similarity in taste that is unusual for us, normally we have very disparate entertainment preferences for example, movies!! he likes action & suspense - I do not!
In the quilting realm, my CC mysteries are both bound & ready for wounded warriors & I have an additional two QOV's to quilt.
The past couple of weeks have been very productive in my Home Of the Brave family searches- I have located another 6 families of fallen heroes, so I need to send out their Home Of the Brave quilts. This one pictured came to me already quilted so all I needed to do was to print up the certificates & make & attach the labels. It went out yesterday to the bereaved mom of Spc. Ronald Tucker with whom I had an emotional conversation this week, what a lovely lady. I connect instantly with these grieving families & I always feel an urgency to send out the quilts once I have identified them- I know how every small comfort helps to bring balm to a broken heart.