Tuesday Ramblings

I am still trying to get into a routine and get situated in Santa Fe and I realized I have neglected the blog AGAIN.  I started working last Monday at Starbucks here in Santa Fe so I've been getting used to a new store, new coworkers, new boss, new customers, and everything else that goes along with a new job.  Lots of new, which is more than slightly nerve-wracking for me (who is very much a creature of habit).

I'm still sorting through boxes and trying to get my sewing space somewhat sewable. It's also the guest bedroom so hopefully guests will like looking at bins of fabric..... The house we are renting is smaller than my house in Georgia with less closet space (hardly imaginable!) and less wall space for bookshelves.  It's basically a big jigsaw puzzle trying to get things unpacked and organized. (We won't even discuss all the stuff in the rented storage space....)

For instance, I unpacked this box once and turned around to find it occupied again

 Not wanting to disturb Remy's "new favorite" box, I left it for awhile and came back to find....

.....and I wonder why it's taking so long to get organized.

Belated Hello from Beautiful Santa Fe

This great sculpture downtown just says "Hooray, I'm here"  IMO

Here I am in Santa Fe.  Finally. Reunited with Mr. SBQ and the cats. Surrounded by boxes. But I'm here.  It's taken me awhile to get back to blogging.  No sewing posts at the moment as I haven't unpacked the wall fortress insurmountable  numerous boxes labeled "quilt room."


I thought I'd give a quick recap of the trip in this post.

My beloved Dodge Dakota "Xena" on her way.

My dad, who I cannot thank enough, flew down from Michigan to Georgia to load up the last of the stuff, load up Xena the truck, close up the house, and drive across the country to NM.

By some sheer luck and karma, I planned this move the week between two crazypants weather events in metro Atlanta (an epic 2-inches of snow snowstorm and a shutdown-the-city-for-2-days ice storm).  With all the crazy, unprecedented winter weather across the country, we decided to take the southern route to NM on I-20 through AL, MS, LA, way too much of TX, and head north to reach I-40 in Amarillo.  We left Thursday, February 6th.

Mississippi River in Vicksburg, MS

Glad we took the "southern" route (and that my dad is an expert winter weather driver) as we encountered snow in Meridian, MS of all places and generally freezing cold weather everywhere else.  Snow flurries and horrendous road construction was the highlight of our drive through Dallas, TX.

View of the most boring road in America

We drove on the most boring road in America for approximately an eternity plus 8 hours.

beautiful sky through a very dirty windshield

After two long days of Dad driving and me commenting on how cold it was every time we stopped, we crossed the state line into New Mexico on Saturday, February 8!!

(Bad through-the-windshield photo courtesy of the city of Amarillo, who had approximately 2 inches of salt brine solution on the roads which covered our truck and Xena to the roof.)

 Starbucks boxes are great moving boxes (perk of working there!)

Mr. SBQ and the cats were very excited to see us; we were very happy to see them and arrive safe and sound; and Dad was happy to be done driving.  After getting everything unloaded, we took Dad sightseeing for the two days he was here before he returned to Michigan on Monday, February 10th.  We went up the mountains, drove along Canyon Road, walked around the Plaza and shopped for souvenirs, went to a fascinating cowboy exhibit at the New Mexico History Museum, and ate lots of great New Mexican food.

The remainder of the week, I ran errands, got driver's license, etc. and started unpacking all the boxes.



The cats are very happy to have both their humans to boss around. They are also happy to have their sofa and comfy chairs.  I am unsure of my position in the rankings versus the furniture.

Last Night in My Old House in Georgia

By Saturday and after a little over 1,400 miles, I'll be at my new home in Santa Fe and reunited with Mr. SBQ and the cats!!!

I will post more about my last week in Georgia but right now I am too tired from packing up the truck and just a little emotionally drained from all the goodbyes.

We have taken over your side of the bed and are not sharing

Snowmaggedon 2014: Day 2

This great photo making its way around social media says it all:

Top photo is January 28, 2014 / Bottom photo: AMC's "The Walking Dead"

 I stayed snug inside my house with copious amounts of coffee.

I decided to take advantage of a snow day, my front parlor with no furniture, and no kitty helpers to baste Mr. SBQ's modernist quilt.

I spent the day happily quilting away, while chaos reigned in metro Atlanta.  Some poor souls were stuck in their cars for 21+ hours.  Unbelievable!

Snowmaggedon 2014

It's another BIG WINTER EVENT in metro-Atlanta.  I know everyone in the rest of the country (and Canada) is sick and tired of hearing about winter weather, snow, sub-zero temps, too-cold-for-polar-bears wind chills, and every other sort of winteriness possible.  Metro-Atlanta is once again in the throes of winter superlatives that haven't been used since the Great Snow-pocalypse of 2011.

You will have to forgive my excitement at the novelty of 2 inches of snow at my house.  We have had very cold weather (for Atlanta) but no snow until now.  Luckily, I am off work today and tomorrow.  I spent the day finishing up cleaning out the attic and packing the decorative items left out to show the house.  And checking the snow every five minutes so often.

view from my front street-level steps 

View from my porch

Now that it's evening, the snow is still falling, the grass is covered, and the roads are freezing over. It's going to be a bone-chilling (for Atlanta) 17 I am snug in my little house with the tea kettle on and (shhhh don't tell) the sewing machine set up for a wee bit of fun.

The latest request to Mr. SBQ for cat photos brought this one, which he titled:  STAMPEDE!

Must be dinner time.  

How to Procrastinate Cleaning Out an Attic on a Tuesday

Rewatching the Season 3 premiere of "Sherlock".

I highly recommend it.

First Finish and First New Project for 2014

I finished the binding on "Minnesota Hot Dish" and it's all washing and ready for gifting.  I machine quilted it myself with some basic quilting stitches so I could get it done quickly.  I did a simple stitch-in-the-ditch grid and wavy-line horizontal quilting across the main part of the quilt and two rows of wavy-line quilting around the border.

I'm looking forward to Another Year of Schnibbles.  These are so much fun to make and it's a good way to use up some charm packs (or find excuses to pick up new ones).  I doubt I'll make the deadline for this month with moving, but I did make a start. 

This month's pattern is "Jersey Girl." I thought I'd get a late early start on the holidays and use Kate Spain's cutemous "In From the Cold" line.  I'm suing the gray-on-white star print for the background. 

 Two blocks done and I put my improvised sewing station away so the house could be shown this weekend.

Mr. SBQ sent this photo of Remy in his box.  Remy's expression made me laugh; he looks a little annoyed at something.  Maybe being interrupted from his afternoon nap? Apparently, the spoiled little guy has TWO boxes now--one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen.