Monday Meanderings 4 - 15 - 2024

It's been a great week.  I got a lot of my goals accomplished. My friend Sharon came and we've had a great time. We haven't gotten together since October. And, I think I'm really getting rid of my cold, finally.  Let's start with the goals list. 

4/8/24

✅Make label for Spider Web quilt — made but will be applied soon.

✅Attend mystery quilt class at Country Piecemakers — lots of fun. Cute little wall hanging done. (see below.) 

✅Machine embroider some scissor covers and quilt block key chains — tried but gave up as I didn’t like the results.

✅Knit a couple of hats for From the Heart — done.

✅Have fun sewing with Sharon — we’ve had a great time.

✅Finish some more miscellaneous blocks — all the blocks that were cut out are done. 

✅Bind ZigZag quilt — done! 

I can't believe I got so much done.  What?  I took absolutely no pictures of things I've worked on. Thanks to Sharon I have this one picture of the mystery quilt we made at Country Piecemakers.  Sharon designed the quilt and wrote the mystery directions. Most everyone got the 21" top finished including me although I was one of the last ones to finish. (BTW, I didn't take time to iron this before the photo as we were trying to clean up and leave.) 

I did really well on the goals last week but this week I'm going to take it much easier.  You can see below what I hope to get done. Of course that doesn't mean I won't do some things not on the list! 

4/15/24 

Sew label on Spider Web quilt

Make the rest of the pinwheel blocks and sew them together

Catch up on some reading

Plan top with older bow tie blocks 

Knit another hat

On our way back from Powhatan where the guild meets we decided to go to Bobbin and Bolt, a quilt shop in Richmond. Sharon used her gift certificate from the October retreat. I bought one yard of a blackish fabric for a baby quilt I'm going to make -- sometime. (Doesn't it sound strange that I'm going to use black in a baby quilt?) 

I also picked up some free fabric at the quilt guild meeting. 

And the final eye candy are these terrific blocks Sharon made this weekend. The pattern is free from Missouri Star and is called Disappearing Pinwheel Illusion.  It takes one layer cake (or 10" squares) and yardage of background fabric. It's amazing but Sharon says it's a little fiddly to construct the blocks.

15 Minutes to Stitch -- Week Ending 4/14/2024

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/April =14/14 days 
• 15 minute days/2024 = 98/105 days
• Success rate = 93.33%

It's time to share our next day of our travels in Costa Rica. . .  

Our daughter planned all the accommodations for the family.  Our first house was in Jaco fairly near the Pacific Ocean.  The weather was hot -- 95 degrees and very high humidity. The bedrooms of the house were air conditioned but we had a limited amount of free electricity. Luckily we didn't go over that amount. Surprisingly, we really only turned the AC on at night in the bedrooms. The biggest treat of the house was the pool. The grand kids used it a lot and most of the adults went in a bit. 

Our first excursion was a Monkey and Mangrove boat trip.  It was so much fun and we all learned a lot about capuchin monkeys. 

 My arm isn't long enough to get the whole family in the picture. At the way back in the middle, you can barely see Teddy on the left and Sophie on the right with the sun glasses. Next are Aimee and Kevin, our son, followed by Brian and our daughter, Jenny. Natalie and Ellie were right behind us.  Pat's hat made the picture but the rest of him didn't! 

The guide really knew the monkeys and could tell us about the families and who ruled which group and where they live.  The hope is that the monkeys will leave the date palm groves and move down to the river where there is more healthy food and plentiful water. 

As we floated down the river we saw more sleeping monkeys. When the boat was pulled close to the river bank at least one monkey was coaxed to the boat. (I know there was more than one monkey checking us out, but honestly of all the pics I have it looks like only one monkey was willing to eat the mashed banana from our hands.) 

Although the monkey has a name, I don't remember what it is.  But Natalie and Ellie thought it was a fun, if weird, time! 

This monkey wasn't sure about coming on board the boat. But, he looks like the monkey who came to eat the mashed banana off of our hands. 

Our granddaughter Natalie took this picture and then posted it with this comment on our family message group: "A monkey being surprised by how shiny Peka's head is." Cheeky girl!  Peka is the name our oldest grand started calling Pat and it stuck. 

We saw many different wild animals along with mangrove trees.  Here's a few of them. 

The time of our tour coincided with the midmorning nap the monkeys usually take. This fellow kept an eye on our boat but was in the normal sleeping position.  Doesn't look comfortable to me!

This raccoon was walking by the river and stopped to check us out. 

An iguana was perched in a tree keeping watch.  I missed a picture of a large snake. 

After the boat trip we were looking at things in the gift shop when our guide called us to come down to another tree.  There was a sloth in the tree.  Which we all oohed and ahed over.  Here's your change to see a real sloth. 

 Ok, so he wasn't the most accommodating animal.  This is a picture of a sloth's behind or so we were told.  If you look closely you should be able to see one of his long claws holding on to the tree. 

Next week I'll have more exciting photos of our trip to Costa Rica.  Come back to take a look.  And if you want to see a better picture of a sloth check out this one I took in 2020. FYI -- I take all my pictures with my iPhone 11 so it's amazing I get good pictures. (Hum, is it time to upgrade my phone? Maybe.) 

Linking up with these parties: Oh Scrap, Stitching Stuff, Design Wall Monday, and Monday Musings. 

It's getting late and I'm worn out.  Hope you have a quilty week! 

Happy Quilting! Bonnie