More about Baltimore

September 7, 2019 - September 15, 2019

When it’s our birthday, Bob and I always celebrate for the whole week so this past week has been more about me than usual.  On Saturday we started the day with breakfast in the boater’s lounge and chatting with our fellow boaters.  Afterwards I went across the street to have a pedicure, next a haircut by Renee, and then a trip to urgent care.  The day before, after taking the cats to the vet, a very traumatized Lola needed a bath (she made a big mess in her carrier).  She wasn’t very happy about the bath and it was basically a wrestling match between the two of us.  She finally got her head free and bit me at the base of my left hand.  Bob and I cleaned up the bite, applied neosporen, and bandaged the wound.  By the morning I had red streaks starting up my arm hence the trip to urgent care.  I started immediately on antibiotics and began to improve slowly.  My hand was swollen and painful for several days, but by Sunday it was almost healed. For lunch on Saturday we went to Mamma’s on the Half Shell for a delightful lunch.

 Mama’s is one of our favorite Canton restaurants.
 It’s right on the square and has outstanding crab cakes and oysters.
Besides, I like their logo!

On Sunday we attended the  Madannari Festival in Little Italy (just west of Fells Point).  The artwork was amazing and, our lunch at Amicci’s was delicious.

Little Italy closed a street for several blocks
to allow artists sponsored by Baltimore businesses to
 create outstanding art on the road surface.

The theme of the festival was courage.
This artist choose a portrait of
Martin Luther King Jr. to exemplify courage.

Artists were still at work on Sunday afternoon.
Notice the knee pads!

Here is an over view of part of the festival.

Theses portraits are more examples of courage.
Do you recognize them?
(hint: football and women's soccer)

On Tuesday I worked in the boater’s lounge.  First I sewed extra pieces onto the batting for my quilt to make sure it was wide enough for the long arm quilting machine, sewed the velcro strips onto our cockpit back rests, and started working on a shower tote. 

I used textilene and soft leather like fabric for the tote. 
Here it is completed and filled.

Wednesday started out with the weekly boat ladies breakfast and then after lunch Mary took me with her to Linda Buck’s (a professional machine quilter) to deliver our completed quilt tops to be quilted.  Linda had a display of fat quarters, jelly rolls and half yard pieces of quilt fabric and while Mary was choosing how to have here five quilt tops quilted I picked out fabric for my next project.  I can’t wait to see my quilt completed and to start on my next project.

I think this is how my husband feels about my new quilting hobby.

This is definitely how I feel about quilting.

I scheduled a lesson, on Thursday morning, at the shop where I purchased my sewing machine to help me  learn all of the features of my new sewing machine .  I got all of my questions answered and learned about features I didn’t even know to ask about.  I also found out that every Thursday the shop has a “free sew” day where you can bring your machine and your sewing project to work on in their work room.  Since I live on a boat the large tables with rotary cutter mats and large work tables will make my projects go much more smoothly.  I'm looking forward to taking advantage of this perk from buying my machine there.

I did some sewing over the weekend while watching college football with Bob (Penn State beat Pitt 17-10).  I completed a top I had cut out and a dress I was hoping to wear to my 50th class reunion.  The top looks great, but I am disappointed in the dress. We will see if Jess can help me fit the dress next weekend when I am in Johnstown for the Johnstown Orchestra Queen concert.

Thanks for reading my blog. 

Baltimore, MD

August 19, 2019 - September 6, 2019

Over the weekend when I was filling the water tanks, Bob noticed the bilge pump running several times. He removed the settee cushions and the wooden platform to check the water tank below and discovered that it was leaking badly at the vent fitting.  Consequently Monday morning was dedicated to resolving this problem.  We took the settee cushions and the platform off once again (Bob cut the platform in two pieces so we could replace it much easier) and hauled the water tank out onto the deck and then transferred it to our car.

On Tuesday Morning we took the tank to Maritime Plastics in Annapolis and they spun welded a new fitting in place while we waited.  The rest of the day was dedicated to errands and a nice lunch.

While I was in Johnstown with Jessica we stopped at a Joann’s Fabric Store and picked out the fabrics for the quilt I wanted to make her.  When I got the fabrics home and reexamined them with the help of my expert quilter neighbor, Mary, I decided I had made some mistakes in the fabric selection. Mary invited me to go along with her to the best quilt shops in the area to purchase some more appropriate fabrics for my daughter’s quilt.  It was one of the best outings of the summer and I found exactly what I needed with Mary’s help and the help of some very knowledgable sales clerks. 

Lining the fabrics up in the shop and stepping back to examine
them helped me make my fabric decisions. (Mary’s advice of course)

Back on the boat I cut small pieces of
the various fabrics to form this
mock up of a finished square.

Mary, also, invited me to come to her friend’s house in Cape St. Claire to work on the quilt.  By getting the strips cut out at Dianna’s (Mary’s friend) and working on sewing the squares on the boat I was ready to start putting the overall quilt together.  I spent another whole day at Diana’s and by the end of the day I had the quilt top finished. 

The quilt is a King size but I draped it over this full size
bed to get an idea of how it looked.  I’m thrilled.

Now all I have to do is finish the backing and deliver it to Linda (a professional machine quilter) to have it machine quilted.

Between sewing quilt squares I also helped Bob with some wiring projects and in planning for the provisions we will need for our trip.  I also painted the dinghy bottom.

We painted the dinghy on the pier and will let it dry
for a day or two before putting it back in the water.

 Bob worked diligently on refinishing the companionway
stairs and replacing the treads.  Looks great!

Labor Day weekend had great weather.  I spent Saturday at my niece, Sarah’s, house for her annual summer party.  It was wonderful to see everyone from that part of my family and spend some time with my two sisters, Becky and Laurie.

This past week we have been following the destruction of hurricane Dorian as it decimated one of the most beautiful groups of islands in the world, the Abacos.  My heart hurts every time I see pictures of the destruction.  We have donated to funds which will help the people of the islands rebuild, but wish I could do more to help.  We will see what opportunities arise.

Hope Town, Bahamas before Dorian.
I took this photo from our boat in the
harbour the first time we visited Hope Town.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Baltimore, MD and Johnstown, PA

August 4, 2019 - August 18, 2019

Back at the boat it was business as usual - boat projects.  While I was in Bethany Beach Bob worked diligently on installing the water maker in the compartment under the starboard settee.  This involved creating supports to hold the water maker in place.  Due to the curvature of the haul and the bottom of the compartment this was not an easy task.  He also created a mount for the control panel and installed all of the valves that will be used in running the water maker.  I was amazed at the amount of work he completed in that week.  We spent a couple of more days working on hooking up all of the hoses and running the wires for electricity.

Job well done!

On Friday afternoon (8/9/2019) I rented a car and left for Johnstown, PA.  I arrived at 8:00pm and Joe and Jessica weren’t due back from a dinner until 8:30pm.

They left the front door unlocked for me and
greeted me with these items on their front patio.

Jessica and Joe gave me the grand tour of their (new to them) house.  It is beautiful inside and out.  We enjoyed the patios and porches so much during the weekend. At night we had a fire in the fire pit and Joe cooked hamburgers on the grill.  I loved the guest suite on the third floor - couldn’t have been more comfortable.

The exterior is all field stone and the interior is filled with crown molding,
 glass doorknobs, built ins, hardwood floors,
and many period features plus it has been
nicely updated in the critical areas (kitchen and bathrooms). 

The landscaping is magnificent with flower beds and brick pathways.

I brought them the mail that had been delivered
to their apartment in Baltimore.  One of the
items was this cozy cat carrier modeled
by Joe and Violet.

On Saturday we drove to a nearby town for their antique festival.  There were vendor booths all through town.  We found some lovely items to buy, but it was  fun just browsing.

The courthouse square housed the bulk of the vendors
 with nearby parking lots also full of booths.

On Sunday we went to Bedford Springs for some spa treatments and a lovely lunch outside the main restaurant. On the way home we stopped at the incline for views of the city and some ice cream. 

I found this plaque in one of the gift shops at Bedford Springs.

This is a view from the top of the incline with the town in the foreground
 and the Allegheny  Mountains in the background.  If you look closely
you can even see two of the three rivers in Johnstown.

 Jess and I at the incline

 I’m so glad Jess and Joe have found such a lovely spot to settle for the next few years!

I got back to Baltimore before lunch on Monday.  It is always good to get home.  We had an easy week with boat projects as both of us were tired of working so much.  On Wednesday we attended a concert in Bristow, VA at the Jiffy Lube Amphitheater featuring the Doobie Brothers and Santana.  Although it was very hot the music was outstanding.  I have always loved both groups.  Santana had a fantastic visual feature with their show.

This colorful poster was displayed
at the entrance to the venue.

The Doobie Brothers performed first to
get the crowd ready for the feature act.

The venue can seat over 2000 people
with the bulk of them on the lawn.

The lyrics for one of the songs Santana performed
said "All you sinners, turn your lights on" and
the crowd responded with turning
on the lights of their cell phones.

On Saturday, one of the marina workers, Lee, threw a crab feast at our pool area to honor his birthday.  This party has turned into an annual event with Lee supplying the crabs and attendees bringing all the side dishes.  Delicious.  Bob and I didn’t stay long once the band started playing because it was so hot. We retreated to our air conditioned cabin as did most of our marina friends.  

It’s been a busy couple of weeks!

Thank you for reading my blog.

Our Haul Out - Baltimore - Bethany Beach

July 8, 2019 - August 3, 2019

Before our haul out we spent 5 days in Annapolis moored at Annapolis Landing Marina (the marina where we lived aboard before and where our canvas makers have their work shop).  We had a good time swimming in the pool, taking the dinghy into city dock (Annapolis), and relaxing.  Our canvas makers were able to install the dodger windows and the connector and measure for the side windows while we were there.  The canvas looks great.  The side enclosure windows will be delivered later.

On this hot day the sailors were in the water cooling off.

We spent the week of our haul out at a cottage at Hartges Marina while our boat was at Hartges Yacht Yard.  The work on the boat went smoothly as we weren't having any major work done just yearly maintenance. The work was actually completed a day earlier than expected.  At the cottage Bob and I worked on altering the starboard side water tank to allow our new water maker to fit in the compartment under the settee with it.  Bob did most of the work, but I helped with the less skilled tasks.  Mostly, I sewed during the week - cutting out several garments and and sewing a few (what fun!). On July 21 (the day we planned to leave for Baltimore) I drove up to Baltimore to help Joe and Jess load a u-haul truck to take many of the boxes they had packed to their new house while Bob single handed the boat from Galesville to Baltimore.  All went well for both of us that day.  Jess and Joe closed on the house on the 22nd and dropped off the boxes to their new house.  On the 22nd I was back at their apartment meeting the piano movers.  The movers really knew what they were doing!

 First they wrapped the piano body in a canvas cover, 

removed the legs and turned it on it’s side onto a dolly.

Next, they guided the piano out the door, down the ramps and into the truck.  

They had moved nine pianos that day. Impressive.

I had a week back at the marina in Baltimore before leaving for Bethany Beach.  Bob’s next big project was installing the water maker.  In preparation for the installation (which he did while I was at the beach) we revamped some of the plumbing under the head and galley sinks and ran water hoses into the water maker compartment.  As you can see this is a gargantuan project.

Bob planned out the plumbing and had lists of what
 parts were needed from Fawcett’s.

I was also able to attend my great niece’s graduation party at the Granary in Georgetown, MD.

Nancy, Laurie, and I got to catch up on our lives since the

 last time we were together last summer.

On Saturday, July 27th, I met Becky and Al at a seafood market in Glen Burnie for our trip to Bethany Beach.  The Bay Bridge traffic was backed up and it took us 2 hours to go about 8 miles.  We got to the house around 4.  The house was a perfect fit for our family (Becky’s four daughters, son-in laws, and ten grandchildren; me, my younger sister Laurie, my daughter, son-in-law and grand daughter; another grandmother, sister, and friends - 25 in all.) The house had eleven bedrooms with eleven bathrooms, two powder rooms, a huge kitchen, a huge dining room, a huge living space, a smaller living room, and several porches and balconies. It was a fabulous week which I will record in pictures.

It was so good to see Lili, Juan, and Rachel again.

We had great weather all week and spent most days on the beach.

Lili (my granddaughter) enjoying building
sand castles with her cousins.

The boy cousins enjoyed covering people in sand.
They gave Lili a mermaid tail.

All of the cousins in matching shirts!

One night we all went to Rehoboth to ride
the rides.  I took Bella and Lili around.

We enjoyed the crab feast sponsored by Becky and Al!

The jigsaw puzzle masters are at work.

One day the bravest among us went on a deep sea fishing trip.
Here are Bella and Rachel.

It was a wonderful week with family making memories that will last a life time!

Thank you for reading my blog.

Portales, NM and Summer in Baltimore - part 5

June 20, 2019 - July 7, 2019

I left Fairfield Bay, AR on Friday, June 21 late in the afternoon.  My flight was delayed by an hour which caused me to arrive in Albuquerque at 11:00 pm.  After getting my luggage and rental car I had a three and a half hour drive to Portales which is Southwest of of Albuquerque.  Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time I arrived at my daughter Grace's house at 3:30 am.  She showed me to a comfortable bedroom where I went to sleep ASAP.  The next morning we decided to go to the escarpment which is a beautiful geological feature near Portales.

The high desert colors are more
vibrant than I expected.

Grace standing at the edge of the escarpment.
You can see the winding road we traveled
to get there.

I'm always surprised to see such
beautiful wildflowers growing
in such rocky terrain.

More hearty plants, this one is a thistle.

On Sunday we decided to stay close to the house, but went out to lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Clovis, NM (a nearby town).

This antique stove in the entrance
added to the decor of the restaurant.

On Monday, June 24 I returned to the Albuquerque airport only to find out that my flight would be delayed since my plane was coming from Denver and Denver had 12 inches of snow fall the night before.  I made it back to Baltimore exhausted, but happy to be home.

While I was away Bob had created a fold down sewing table for me in the quarter berth area.  In the first few days I was home he attached it to the wall and created the leg to support the table.

Here I am using the sewing table
for the first time. Perfect!

I had agreed to create two sets of custom fitted sheets and mattress covers for another sailor in the marina.  Sailboats traditionally have uniquely shaped mattresses in the berths.  

I had taken the measurements and purchased the materials before I left on my trip so I was able to complete this project soon after returning to Baltimore.  

Two sewing projects on my list were adding a zipper to the binnacle cover to make it easier to take on and off and creating insulated hatch covers to keep the cabin cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.  I completed these projects in one day of sewing.

I created this forward hatch cover
by following the instructions on
a video by Sailrite.

My daughter, Jessica, is moving to Johnstown, PA at the end of July.  We have been getting together every Saturday to relax by the pool and lately I have gone over to her apartment to help her pack afterwards.  She's lived in her apartment for ten years and has lots of packing to do!

On July 4th we relaxed most of the hot humid day, had hamburgers and potato salad for dinner, and watched the spectacular fire works from our boat's cockpit.  Perfect day!

My next post will be about our sailing trip to Annapolis and our haul out in Galesville.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Summer in Baltimore - Part 4 and Fairfield Bay, Arkansas

June 10, 2019 - June 19, 2019

First order of business this week was to finally complete the back rests for the cockpit, thus completing my long drawn out cockpit cushion project! I spent most of the day in the boater's lounge working on this project. After several missteps the project was done. If I do say so myself, they look great!

The end product was worth all of the frustration!

We had a couple of cruiser get togethers; a couples get together in the boater's lounge on Monday (6/10), our usual Wednesday morning breakfast with the ladies, and an impromptu one on C dock on Saturday night. We had lot's of fun conversations with new and established friends (I am always reluctant to use the word old these days).

Jessica and Joe went to Johnstown, PA for a few days to finalize her contract for her new job as Orchestra Manager of the Johnstown Orchestra and find a place to live while there.  They made the big step of putting an offer in on a house. It should be a great adventure for them.  I had cat care duty and went over to their apartment to feed and clean up after their three cats on Wednesday (6/12).  Of course, I took advantage of being there and cut out some tops which I sewed up later in the week.  Jessica had inspired me to use fabrics left over from previous projects and it was like getting clothing for free.

Jessica and I had our pool day on Saturday.  This summer we have had great weather on the weekends so Saturday pool days has become a regular "date".

It was a great pool day!

On Sunday, I left bright and early for Fairfield Bay, AR to spend a week at a Wyndham lakeside resort with my son, Karl and his family.  I had never been to Arkansas and wasn't sure of what to expect, but it is a beautiful area.  

This is the view from our second story deck.

You're probably wondering what  a beach bum like me doing is in Arkansas. In an effort to get all of my children together I googled "what is the mid-point between Houston (Karby) and Chicago (Rachel)" knowing that Jessica (Baltimore) would not be available this summer because of moving and Grace (Portales, NM) had just started a new job.  Google came up with Eastern Arkansas and I found this resort through RCI and my time share.  I have to say it is the best resort I have ever stayed in with RCI.  It's huge but spread out enough to not seem like a huge resort, the units are large and recently updated, the pool is within walking distance, and the lake is beautiful. Although I was not successful in getting anyone but my son's family here this year, I hope to get everyone together here next summer.

Monday we took the shuttle boat to Sugar Loaf Mountain to hike to the top.  It wasn't a mountain climb, but it was a bit strenuous.

The path up to the peak was
bordered by huge rocks. 
Maddix and Acen are posing
atop a smaller rock.

The "fam" - Maddix in the background
Acen, Karl, and Brandy

Wow!

The view from the top was spectacular.

It was Karl's 35th birthday and we celebrated with carrot cake and ice cream.

Everyone sang a very out of
tune "Happy Birthday!"

On Tuesday we started the day at the pool - Acen would stay in the water all day if he didn't have to stop to eat.  

Fun in the pool!

After lunch we headed back to the Marina to rent kayaks and explore the lake.  The water was clean and clear.  If I thought I could have climbed back into the kayak easily I would have gone for a swim.  

Fun on the lake!

We'll be here a couple more days and then it is on to New Mexico for me to visit my youngest, Grace.

Thank you for reading my blog!