Final weeks in Baltimore, MD

September 30, 2019 - October 13, 2019

Our preparations for heading south are in full swing.  Even though the weather continued to be warmer than usual for the first couple of weeks of fall we have to remember that soon the nights will be cold even if the daytime temperatures are in the 70s.  

We decided to buy the folding bikes we had looked at last week at Fawcett's.  We got the boat show price on the bikes and the bags to store them in.  Once we got them home we made quick work of assembling them and testing them out on the dock.  The next morning we road the bikes into Fells Point to the Pitango Cafe for breakfast. 

 

These bikes will get a lot of use on our trip and here in Baltimore.

On Wednesday the boat ladies breakfast group decided to change things up a bit. We went out to lunch in Fells Point and then to the movie theater in Harbor East to see Downton Abbey.  It was wonderful seeing all the Downton Abbey characters once again.

On Friday afternoon I drove to Delaware for my 50th High School Class reunion.  Before checking into my hotel I stopped at Total Wines in Claymont, DE to buy a case of our favorite wine to take on our trip.  In previous years we have bought two cases (enough to fill the “wine cellar” Bob created behind our settees), but for some reason we haven’t been drinking much wine lately. My sister, Becky, had agreed to go to the reunion with me and she and a friend from high school, Sharon Brinkmann, met me at the hotel later that evening.  On Saturday we had made arrangements to have lunch with our long time neighbors, Linda Taylor Huth and Steve Taylor, and a long time friend, Jeannie Morgan Conte. My younger sister, Laurie, drove down from NJ to join us for lunch, also. The conversation was lively filled with reminiscencing and catching up on each others lives.  That night the reunion was held at the Newark Country Club and was more fun than I could have expected.  It was wonderful seeing friends from elementary school to high school.  We all looked older, but it was amazing how little our personalities had changed. 

Sharon Brinkman, me, and Becky at the reunion

Sherri, my best friend in elementary school, and I

All the members of my class who made it to the reunion

Back in Baltimore we continued to get ready for our trip.  I had some final sewing projects I wanted to complete.  One was getting a good start on the quilt I am making for my second daughter, Rachel.  I sewed the strips together, cut the squares, and began sewing the rows of squares.  I have completed 8 of the 12 rows I need to complete the quilt. I sewed those 8 rows together.  I will complete the last 4 rows by hand on our trip when I get the urge to be productive and then have it quilted in the spring. I did most of the sewing on the boat, but was able to join my boat neighbor at her friends house one last time. It has been fun having fellow quilters to work with.  Since I am still a novice at this craft I have learned much from these friends.

The quilt is made of batik fabrics with
a plant theme. The pattern is called "Shoebox."

Our older cat, Captain Jack, had been losing weight over the last two years. He started throwing up his food or just not eating most days this past month. He was fifteen years old and we made the difficult decision to have him put to sleep rather than prolong his misery.  On our way to the Annapolis Boat Show on Friday we dropped him off at the vet.  It was hard to leave him there and even harder to try to enjoy the boat show, but we are confident that we made the best decision for Jack. 

Jack in healthier times

My next blog post will be about the beginning of our trip south.

Thank you for reading my blog.