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!

Summer in Baltimore - Part 3

June 2, 2019 - June 9, 2019

The weather this week was mostly sunny and most days had a cool breeze except Wednesday (hot) and Sunday (rainy).  After a trip to Annapolis on Monday to buy some zippers needed to complete the back rests for the cockpit I stopped by a marina acquaintances boat to measure his mattresses so I could construct fitted sheets and fitted mattress pads for him.  It won't be a major job, but will entail lots of measuring, seam ripping and resewing. Custom sheets are always a must for the odd shape mattresses in boat berths.

On Tuesday, I planned to complete the backrests for the cockpit only to discover that I needed to order more of the nagua soft fabric. Next project was to add a zipper to the binnacle cover which I couldn't complete because I didn't have the correct type of zipper (I needed an opening zipper).  So, after completing a small repair on our neighbor's encloser
doorway I decided to make the new grill cover.  I just wanted to have one project completed by the end of the day!  While I was working in the lounge our custom canvas maker, Dan, was on the boat patterning the new dodger windows and bimini cover.  His technique of using tape and translucent plastic was brilliant.  It is clear he is a very experienced canvas maker.

 Finally a project completed.  I lined the cover with plastic to
prevent grease from the grill wicking through the sunbrella fabric.

 Wednesday was "boat ladies" breakfast at Captain James Restaurant.  It was quite a large group of 13 ladies.  Sharing the same lifestyle we automatically have a lot in common  even if we just met our conversation flows easily. That evening I went to Jessica's place to help her host an end of year party for her colleagues and student workers. After eating we played a very fun card game.

Thursday morning we decided to drop boat projects and drive to Glory Bees Sewing Center to research a new sewing machine for me.  My current machine was 30 years old and had been used for my bridal and formal wear sewing business for almost 15 years so it was ready to be retired.  I was looking for another Elna, but learned from the very knowledgeable owner of the shop that Janome and Elna were the same company.  I settled on a Janome 4130 style electronic machine which has some amazing new features that suit my sewing style perfectly.  Even though we hadn't planned on purchasing a machine that day we decided it was perfect for me and bought it on the spot!

Isn't it beautiful!

The next couple of days I spent getting to know my new machine after my regular chores.  I created a tank top and a maxi dress which I had cut out the week before a Jessica's house.

After scrubbing the grill on Saturday Jessica joined me at the pool.  She had just talked to her new boss at the Johnstown Orchestra where she accepted the job of Orchestra Manager.  It is an exciting job change for her, but I will miss having her so close by in Baltimore.

Sunday was the Annapolis Quilt Guild yearly show.  My neighbor, Mary, who is an avid and expert quilter, asked me to go along with her.  I agreed right away as my desire to create quilts has just blossomed.  My plan is to make quilts for all of my children in the next three or four years. It helps to have Mary close by for advice. Let me just show you some of the amazing quilts that were on display.

This stained glass window quilt changed my
mind about black fabric in quilts.

The unusual placement of the quilt
squares makes this quilt unique.

This quilt shows the importance of square arrangement,

This quilt is a variation of a log cabin quilt.

This quilt is a two fabric bargello design.

This is a whimsical basket design.

Thank you for reading my blog!

Summer in Baltimore - Part 2

May 13, 2019 - June 1, 2019

Projects:

While Bob has made progress on many of his projects (often with my help) the only project I have been able to work on is recovering the cockpit and helm seat cushions. I ran into several snags in completing this sewing job. First, the snaps on the cushion covers did not match up with the snaps attached to the cockpit.  After removing, adjusting and resewing the snap tabs I finally got the starboard side cushion to fit.  Bob had to remove the snap and reapply a new snap in a new spot to get the port side cushion to fit.  The helm seat cushions fit perfectly the first try.  Another snag was in designing the back rest to go with the seat cushions.  My first try was a complete bust.  I hadn't allowed for the curve in the coming which the back rest will attach to.  Bob came up with the idea of covering a pool noodle and attaching it to a redesigned back rest. We also had to use a different foam insert for the back rest as the type of foam we purchased from Sailrite was too soft.  I made a mock up of this design and with a few adjustments it should work perfectly.  That part of this project will be finished next week.

How do you like the color we chose?

Outings:

Most of our outings have been to Annapolis to procure items needed for boat projects.  Each trip to Annapolis includes a great lunch at one of our favorite restaurants; Italian Market, Jack's Fortune, Carol's Creek, Boatyard, and Storm Brothers Ice cream. We seem to visit our storage locker each time we go to Annapolis as well.  

One day we went out to lunch at On the Border in
Canton Crossing Shopping Center.  Bob had fajitas.

Jess and Joe joined me for an afternoon at the pool Memorial Day weekend and on this past Saturday.  The weather has been great for the pool!

Travel:

On Saturday May 26 Claire's husband, Fred, passed away.  His daughter Sheryl was with him.  The apartment that they were living in at the end had to be cleared out by the end of May.  I flew to Sarasota on May 29 to help Sheryl with this overwhelming task.  Sheryl and her friend Lori had made a lot of progress and when I arrived we finished sorting through items and taking what we couldn't use to various charities.  It was a sad, but necessary task.  

I returned to Baltimore on Friday, May 31 exhausted physically and emotionally.

Lori, Sheryl, and I are standing in front of Lori's car that is
packed full of the items Sheryl is taking back to Michigan.

Thank you for reading my blog.