All Things Embroidery and Rocks

Thankful for the slight warming trend with the nights in the low 40's and the days up to 65, I had some more repairs to work out.  Just as I was coming through Tucson, I was hit by a large rock from a car that went by.  Apparently it's an occurrence that happens often with all the gravel roads on the outskirts of town.

I'm pretty sure the last rock damage that was supposed to be repaired in Quartzsite, just became $40 in the guy's pocket.  It doesn't look or feel like he injected anything into the glass other than hot air.  Hoping to kill two birds with one stone, I called my insurance company for an appointment with Safelite.  The gal that set up the appointment sounded too bored and bothered to do her job.  In looking back, she didn't give me her name OR return phone number.  Now I have to change the appointment because it will interfere with the class below, and I can't get ahold of anyone.

In the meantime ..... the men can skip on down to the bottom if not interested in embroidery ..... Patty and I trotted off to her friend Pat's house for a day of sewing, or maybe cutting, whatever was your preference.  Here's the thing.  Pat has a NEW stand-up embroidery machine.  I've been fascinated for quite awhile and Pat offered to give me some lessons.

You may or may NOT have heard of Beads of Courage bags.  Pat makes them for young cancer patients, donating everything to the hospital.  They in turn, give them to kids receiving treatment to hold their beads, depending on the type of treatment, that give them courage to continue the fight.

Not that I actually DID the embroidery, but I did pick the pattern and watched her carefully as she threaded the machine.  I got to push some of the buttons to start it up ... I was hooked.  It just so happened there was an amazing store in Tucson that sells the machines.

In no time, Pat had us off and running with a roundabout route of zero traffic but great houses for sale.  Yes, I'm still looking.  There's just so much going on in this town ... I love it!!  Upon arrival, I immediately sat down at a couple of machines while the gal went through the attributes of each one.  When I decided that wasn't what I wanted, we moved on up to the next one.  I say moved on up, because the prices seemed to double with each new machine.

I finally settled on a previously loved Brother machine.  Used isn't in their vocabulary.  I thought Brother just made typewriters (now that's showing my age), but this machine did everything.  We checked the stitch count, 14,000.  I came THAT close to buying it until I discovered the attached repair sheet that read 14.5 MILLION stitches upon maintenance inspection, which resets it to zero.

Darn .... I went back to the other machine.  In the meantime, Pat tried to talk the owner Don into giving me lots of free thread if I purchased one.  He said he would do one better.  He was having an Embroidery Party at a big hotel in posh Oro Valley that I could attend, where I'd sit at that machine and learn everything I could over two days.  If I liked it, I could purchase it at the same price, maybe even with a discount, and receive $800 worth of merchandise for the machine, including a $500 gift card for all the tread I wanted.  Besides that, I'd get lunch both days, along with lots of gifts and giveaways.  Hard to turn that one down.

To make it even better, Pat agreed to go with me.  Since there is three to a table, we hooked up with another gal who can't be there until noon, so we'll have the machine all to ourselves.  SCORE!!  Of course in the end, it will be the store who scores if I purchase a machine.  I'm not even going to tell you the price, because you will definitely know I'm CRAZY!!

Back home, I crashed on the couch after some Sam's Choice ice cream.  I don't know if you've tried this or not ... it's from Walmart and costs a measly $2.50 per container, unlike B & J's $5.00 each.  That probably wasn't a good idea.  I was up all night thinking about how much that machine cost.

What the heck, I might as well spend it while I can.  When I can't drive anymore, I can sit on the porch with my embroidery machine and make pretty pictures!!  I'm even going to see if Beads of Courage has a program near me.  

Did I mention it's not just an embroidery machine, it's a regular sewing machine also ... for all those quilts I haven't made yet.

SONORAN DOGS

Have you heard of Sonoran Dogs?  Are they the bacon wrapped hot dogs with pinto beans, tomatoes, onions and jalapeños?  Are they the critters you see in Sonora Mexico?  Nope .... they are a band that plays bluegrass music and Patty made arrangements for us to see them yesterday with her friends Pat and Jim.

If you live in or visit Arizona, you HAVE to check out this venue squeezed into a narrow mountain valley just outside of Sierra Vista.  The Arizona Folklore Preserve is a dream come true for Dolan Ellis, Arizona's Official State Balladeer.  This is a place where Arizona songs and stories can be performed and preserved.

He began in a small cabin in the Huachuca Mountains, seating about 30 people.  This new facility was finally built with enough room for maybe 60.  Reservations are a MUST, and be the first to arrive if you want the best seating up in the balcony.  It's first come, first served.  

Patty had seen them play before, but it was a first for me.  They just returned from a trip to Australia, playing different venues, concerts and bluegrass festivals.  If it's your first time here, it's free.  Otherwise, it's a measly $15 each.  You can check them out HERE at their website.  Every weekend they have someone new performing.  

On this day however, the Sonoran Dogs were playing.  This is Peter who plays a 1930-somthing Martin guitar, faster than the speed of light.  I've tried playing guitar.  It's hard and requires more hours of practice than there are in a day.  Start your grandkids YOUNG!!  Peter writes a lot of the songs like Alice from Nogales, and plays many his father wrote.

On the mandolin is Mark .. sometimes the fall guy and sometimes the comic.  He too plays so fast you can't see his fingers, like in this picture.  They played songs new and old, all of which I just KNOW you will love like I did.

Cutie Tyler can play banjo.  I tried this one too for about a year.  It's VERY hard to play.  One day I went to a lesson and the teacher had disappeared.  I guess I wasn't doing as good as I thought.  Tyler plays so effortlessly .... you only see his fingers moving like lightning, the rest of him remains very still.  A couple of times I'm sure he fell asleep, but just kept picking away.  It was fascinating to watch him.

This is Brian, the dentist, or orthodontist, or dental surgeon, I'm not sure which, but he plays the bass fiddle like a piece of dental floss.  He's good ... VERY good.  Occasionally he's late due to surgery, but he'll be there eventually.  

The Sonoran Dogs played for a full two hours with one short break.  If they don't happen to be playing when you are here, go anyway.  I promise you will love it.  Maybe a little cowboy poetry, a female entertainer of the year or possibly Dolan Ellis himself will be there.

There's also a tiny gift shop full of amazing things.  This buffalo skull decoration is one of them.  It's a little hard to see, but an amazing piece of artwork I could envision on my fireplace.  Alas, it's not for sale.

On the way out, we went up the road a tad to find a place to turn around so I could get a picture of the sign.  Deer were wandering the hillside.  This is a too-quick blurry picture I snapped of a beautiful gray buck, followed by a couple of does.  

After such a strenuous afternoon of music, Patty took us all out to dinner at Saguaro Corners.  Another gem in the Arizona desert.  If you haven't eaten here, please check it out.  Yes, it's a little out of the way, but worth it.  They have entertainment on the outdoor patio every weekend, but with the temperatures in the low 60's, we went inside.

It's not a huge place, but the portions sure are!!  Patty's Reuben was the size of TWO sandwiches along with really yummy fries.

Pat ordered the nachos, which came on a plate as big as my computer.    Her husband had smoked turkey pot pie.  Where have you EVER heard of that one.  

I of course had the Classic Mac 'n Cheese, where you can add whatever you wish.  I added ham (think crispy strips) and caramelized onions.  I can eat a lot if I set my mind to it .... I took half of this home.  It was all delicious and not pricey at all.  

What a great day!!  I can't thank Patty enough for taking me.  I had a wonderful time and will definitely go again.  In the meantime, I picked up Sonoran Dogs CD (they signed it for me) so I can listen to Alice from Nogales over and over.  Peter is currently working on a new song about Niagara ... think what might rhyme with that.  

I've no idea what today's plan of attack will be, but it will be fun.  We have 3/4 of a bunch of cilantro that needs to be used up, so some new recipes may be in the works.

Tripping The Light Fantastic

I LOVE TUCSON.  They have everything here that I don't have in my small town, including an Artisan Farmers Market.  We spent the day tripping the light fantastic from one end of town to the other.  Patty Chance knows all the good spots.

It was my lucky day when as soon as we pulled in to the jam-packed parking lot, I found an empty space right up front.  This Farmers Market had more than just vegetables, it had spaces from Peru, Mexico and England, among others, that drew me in like a fly to honey.

I spotted this beautiful blanket first.  Do I have enough of these already?  Yes, yes I do.  But not THIS one!!  It's a table runner that will look great in my Chinese dining room.  I know what you're thinking, but I just can't get rid of that beautiful hand carved Chinese cabinet, or the terra cotta soldiers I bought while in China.

This was the only other one that interested me.  If I had my choice, I would carpet my floors with these beautiful works of art.  Buy more than one and they will deal with you ... not as easy as Algodones, you have to work a little harder at it, but the price ended up about the same.

I can rarely pass up the food businesses and when I saw tamales, I couldn't stop dancing.  I scarfed down the first green chili with corn in no time.  They were so good I bought four for the freezer and one RED tamale.  I should have gotten a dozen.  I had this one for dinner and it was AMAZING with a capital A!!  I actually used to make these in the old days ... maybe I'll try them again!!  What could go wrong?

While Patty ate hers, I got in MORE trouble at the British Baking Company.  This is sticky toffee pudding and lemon pudding.  Not puddings at all, they are very moist cake and DELICIOUS!  We're tripping the RIGHT fantastic Patty ... I could come here every week for these!!

There were many artisans selling their wares, from Mata Ortiz pottery to purses to beet tortillas (surprisingly tasty).  The whole time however, Quilters Desert Patch (Cactus Quilts) kept calling my name.  Time to dance on down the road South for just ONE more look.

Unfortunately it was Saturday and it was crowded.  This tiny mobile home was packed with fabric crazed women grabbing and hoarding every bolt they could.  Finally thinking BACKING, which is pretty much the most expensive part of a quilt, I picked up a few bolts myself, with an eye towards the thinner ones in the hopes of taking it all for 70% off.

The three gals cutting fabric were working like furious, except for the one helping the people in MY line who liked to chit chat.  I was very patient, but feeling badly for Patty who waited in the car.  Finally after an eternity, my fabric was cut and I was dancing out the door with another 25 yards for $100.  Compared to the $12.99 a yard price I pay at home, the average $4.00 had me dancing in my rig as I carefully refolded each piece.

Did I show you the new gadget we bought in the Big Tent at Quartzsite??  I mentioned to Patty that I would like this chopper since it is smaller than my old one that vanished into thin air.  We each bought one, this being not just a chopper like my old one, but a juicer with attachments to slice, dice and grate.  Time to try it out.

I read the recipe while Patty cut the salsa ingredients into chunks.  She went to town spinning the handle until it was taste time.  With a few spice adjustments, we had some pretty tasty eats.  This was the perfect accompaniment to my red tamale.  SCORE!!  Chalk one up for Patty and Nancy!!

It's a breezy 44 degrees this morning (feels like 25), so things are warming up a tad.  We're going to a show today by the Sonoran Dogs.  I've not a clue, but I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.  In the meantime, I'm looking up the next Artisan Market so I can get more tamales.

Shower WONDERFUL Shower

Yes my shower worked and was WONDERFUL, except I kept it to a minimum since my fresh water tank was almost empty.  Apparently the repair shop used that to do all the drain cleaning.  I finally got my act together yesterday, what with all the stress of big bucks, repair shops and moving around.

I remembered that photo a day I was supposed to be doing, so I thought I would try to get back to it.   Today's subject was low angle.  That was pretty simple since I'm on a little hill.  If you saw the road coming in, you would wonder how I got here, and more importantly, how I'm going to get OUT!!  I'm parked at the Last Chance Ranch in Vail Arizona and loving every minute of it!!

With my shower quickly over, it was time to give my clothes the same consideration.  Patty and Dan are the best hosts ever and let me have the run of their house and their new washing machine.  While Patty ran errands, I played with the kitties in between doing the ever popular LAUNDRY.  Isn't Missy a beauty??  She was rescued from somewhere up in Idaho I think and now lives the life of luxury.

My rig soon became beautifully decorated with all my hanging shirts and levis.  Nothing goes in the dryer.  If they shrink a fraction of an inch, they won't fit any more!!

When Patty returned, we headed off to Phyllis'.  Actually called Cactus Quilts, or maybe Cactus Fabric .... Cactus something ....  THIS is a quilters dream.  When I first entered this building, there was barely enough room to walk around, and three huge containers out front, all full to the brim.  No matter what you wanted, you could find it here.  Unfortunately, Phyllis passed away and the family is selling off everything at crazy prices.  Today's sale was 50% off, 70% if you finished off a bolt.

Think quilt BACKING.  Those quilt backs require anywhere from three to seven yards of fabric ..... at 70% off!!  Once I got "quilt" out of my head and started looking for backing, I found exactly what I needed.  Almost anyway.  The top fabric here had been picked up by someone else.  RATS!!  We waited around and waited around .... she kept saying she wasn't in any hurry, and spent a LOT of time just chit chatting with one of the girls, while I kept giving her mental signals to HURRY UP.  

It was the last fabric she had cut and when she said seven yards, I knew I was out of luck.  DOUBLE RATS!!  In the end, the saleslady said there was three yards left.  Not enough for the backing I wanted, but I took it anyway because it was 70% off.  In the end, I picked up 20 yards of fabric for $60.  It normally would have cost me $220-$240.  I may just have to make one more trip!!  Actually, I KNOW I'll make at least one more trip!!

Chef Patty made another delicious dinner.  Yes, I'm writing down all her recipes, not that it will help me, but you never know.  I could actually produce something edible!!  

I was able to fill my water tank and keep the ice and cold at bay with my gas heater, supplemented by my new little heater and an electric blanket.  Enough cannot be said about electric blankets!!  

Today Dan takes off for their small cabin up in Show Low in the White Mountains where it is 11 degrees.  Have fun Dan ... we will be holding down the fort today at a windy 56 (feels like 25).  Hopefully it really does heat up to 70 this week as predicted.  Time for the girls to go shopping, but don't tell Dan!!

Life At The Repair Shop!!

There's nothing like spending the day at a repair shop for your motorhome.  It's not quite as nice as the beach, but there were some good looking salesman around to keep me on my toes.  Even better, they definitely know how to smooze the ladies.  I enjoyed every minute!!

It was a cold morning after a night of helicopter flying.  Not me of course, but some guy was taking lessons right next to the RV park.  He landed and took off many times, hovered right over us and generally made everyone plug their ears from 3:00 to 5:00.  Was he gone?  Nope!!  He came back to practice in the dark until 9:30, way past my bedtime.

A little groggy in the morning, I packed up the RV and brought the slides in to crunching noises.  I hope that ice didn't do any damage.  There shouldn't have been much more than what was on my car. This was after spending 45 minutes on the freeway to go 18 miles to La Mesa RV.  Traffic was crazy!!

When I arrived, two guys were checking people in while I stood in the cold.  Twenty minutes later, I nabbed a nice gentleman who called my service guy Dave.  Another fifteen minutes and Dave said to go get some coffee while he did his paperwork.  I was getting worried.  This was definitely NOT the fast service I received last time.

He finally came and got me, clipboard in hand, to write down my problems.  We had a slight communication problem when he said words like wishy-washy wouldn't work.  Dripping water OUTSIDE from the shower inside, he got.

They drove Baby away and I and the dogs settled in for what I thought would be a quick couple of hours.  Have you ever been in the back seat of a Jeep Liberty?  It was crowded with the three of us so Jessie sat on my lap.  That just wasn't going to work.  I smelled bad enough without a REAL shower. "Dog" added to that wasn't palatable.

I decided to take them for a walk and run off some of the nervousness ... theirs AND mine!!  Back behind all the rigs for sale is a large walkway that turns into sort of a gravel park.  It was perfect!!  Freezing cold in spite of the sun, but perfect.  

I arrived back at the car just in time for Dave to summon me to the rig.  I had told him I wanted a picture of the problem.  To my utter dismay, they had taken off the rear wheel and fender well, whereupon they cut a huge hole in the foam to access the plumbing.  Gosh ... wasn't there an easier and less damaging way?  I got "the look", so I kept my mouth shut.  

Here's the problem ... that two inch black pipe on the right goes up into the floor.  The pipe wasn't cracked or broken.  The GLUE had failed.  Glue is the operative word here.  If the PIPE had broken, it would be covered under my extended warranty.  Since it was the GLUE that failed, they refused to cover it.  Are you kidding me?  NO, no I'm not!

In the meantime, another very nice young gentleman checked out the jack problem.  In talking to Tiffin, they said the jack had failed and I needed a new one.  At least THAT would be warranty covered.  

Lucky for me, he explained everything hydraulic and jack to me like I was a really smart person, and not the dumb blond stuff I usually get.  The springs on one of the jacks required replacement and they had one set in stock.  Maybe we should replace BOTH back jack springs.  If I did that when the one really hadn't failed, the insurance company would refuse it and QUESTION the first, so I settled for one new set of springs.  I'm pretty sure that other set will fail before the end of my policy (hint hint).

Back to the car, I probably could have gone somewhere nice for lunch, but their little kitchen serves free food.  On the menu today .... chili!!  Not bad and it was FREE.  Back to the car with the puppies.

I expected Dave to show up any minute.  He didn't.  I finally took a long walk around the buildings to see my rig still up on the lift, tire off, with no one in sight.  I checked my watch.  It must be lunch time.  I'm bored to tears.  I should have brought a book.

Three hours later I finally got the good news it was ready to go.  Paying that $716.10, all but $50 being the shower repair which only required glue, was a little like shoving needles under my fingernails, especially when I just paid $710 for an air dryer.  I'm glad my accountant nature kicked in the day I purchased this thing and I have squirreled away money every month just for this occasion.  At least I'm helping to keep people employed!!  If I don't look at it that way, I'll cry!!

I'm now parked at the Last Chance Ranch in Patty and Dan's front yard.  My phone says it's 29 degrees.  Hopefully that sun I came here to bask in will arrive this week.  Chef Patty made a wonderful creation of shrimp creole and grits for dinner.  She's very good at cooking, I'm very good at setting the table.  

I'm happy to announce that the adjustment on my jacks has worked (no jack replacement needed) as  I'm still level this morning.  Thank you Lord for small favors.  I'm now going to go take a nice LONG HOT SHOWER!!!  That's a good thing since I'm run out of clothespins for my friend's noses.

Tucson .... BRRRRRRR

We left around 9:00 am for our freeway jaunt to the big city.  I have to say Arizona has pretty good roads compared to my part of the country, although California is finally trying to step up.  It's not me or the dogs I worry about, it's poor Jonathan.  If I go down a bumpy stretch, his brains get scrambled pretty quickly.

Now I don't want to say anything bad, because I LOVE the desert, but driving through it for four hours is another story.  Traffic was light however and we zipped right along just under 65 mph.  I tried to get Jon to talk to me, but he was unusually quiet.  

Even though I kitty kittied, I couldn't even get the dogs to join in the singalong.  

I knew we were getting closer when the saguaro joined the party as we headed to higher elevations.  It's funny how the sky changed color along the way, partly due to the direction of the sun I suppose.  I just kept driving   ........     and driving     .......

The best part would be the destination of course.  We pulled into Loves to fuel up, only to find a Jeep in my lane.  Can you not read?  It says RV FUELING.  You're a JEEP.  It's not even spelled similarly. 

After taking on 37 gallons, I tried to get out of the parking lot.  Here's the problem, it's a left turn.  There's a ridiculously long red light, followed by another left turn at the stop sign, followed by 20 trucks who have already MADE their left turn, blocking you completely. 

In front of me was a Montana fifth-wheel and a car.  As you can imagine, I sat there for quite a long time before a small gas truck was kind enough to let me out.  All in a day's work.  I took off for the fairgrounds where I planned to spend one night without unhooking my car.  

If you are in this area, you might as well find another place to stay.  The grounds are a mess of detours, with 2/3 of the parking spaces torn up while they install sewer lines.  As you enter, the entire right side will be new RV parking (NICE!) and the left hand side that used to have pavement will now have gravel AND new sewer lines.  It won't be finished before they close for the fair however.

To make matters worse, those that ARE parked here, have to move out to dry camping on the 30th for a week as the GEM and JAM begins their event, taking up ALL the RV spots.  Won't THAT be fun!!  Luckily, I have a space available at the Last Chance Ranch for the next two weeks.  I'll probably have to bribe them with my wonderful cooking, but a parking space none the less.  

I knew it was going to be cold this morning and my tiny heater wasn't going to hack it.  I'm pretty sure I got my money's worth, as it never shut off all night.  The gas heater came on several times to keep Jonathan warm.  It's was a chilly 29 when I stepped out this morning in my boots, jacket, hat and gloves.  This is even a little cold for ME!!

Now to pack up everything, transfer important stuff to the car and get out my heavy winter coat for the drive to La Mesa RV.  I'm praying they get my rig fixed quickly, but I'm not holding my breath.  I think that bad jack is going to cause me heartache.  The puppies and I will be in the car.  Just another fun day on the road!!   Brrrrrrrrrrr

Quartzsite Fleas

There were more dark clouds on the horizon, but by morning it was clear as a bell and a little chilly at 37 degrees.  It was time to see some Quartzsite fleas.  There are two big market areas here, Tyson Wells to one side of the Big Tent with rows A - Z and Rice Ranch, sort of the low rent district.

Along the Frontage Road North is another long section of vendors with a lot of junk.  I know, one man's junk is another man's treasure, especially since Dan overheard one of the vendors say that box of junky old wrenches had a price tag of $2,000!  Yikes!!  They must be made of GOLD!  In the past, he had quite a few pieces of cast iron I looked at, but they were all gone this time around.

This lot belongs to the Cranky Lady.  We've stopped in here every year and just to let you know, she does NOT come off her prices.  It IS what it is!!  This year her husband was prowling the grounds.  We didn't even ask the price of anything!!  Those that had signs were too much for our blood!!

As with all these flea markets, there are lots of dogs.  This baby was waddling around sweet as could be.  I got a little too close to one bulldog and got majorly slimed, so I kept my distance from this one.

Although these look like ceramic dogs, they are actually real (and hard to see).  They sit here all day while Dad sells hats for dogs.  Each one, of course, wearing a different variety.  What good babies to just lay there!!

Here's a FIND!!  I almost went for it because it's going to be worth a LOT with PRESIDENT Trump being in the White House.  One game came from 1989 ... an antique for sure!  PLUS they were in the original plastic wrapping!!

While snooping around another vendor we see every year, we found more cast iron that interested me.  This is a Wagner Ware chicken fryer.  It's pretty hard to find Wagner Ware anywhere, let alone a chicken fryer in good condition for $85.  With a little haggling, I got it for $60 ... a very good buy in my book.  

You can actually buy cactus in the desert ... really, I thought you could just go out and dig some up, but maybe not.  This particular vendor has some great looking, well cared for plants.  

By now, Silly Al's was calling our name.  Dan had the great idea of getting a big pizza "to go" for dinner around our campfire.  If you ever come to Quartzsite, stop in here, but go early or late.  This place is the busiest in town with the best pizza in the State of Arizona.  Okay, maybe not the BEST, but it's REALLY good!!

Dan ordered a large combo and I a large pepperoni special (think leftovers).  About 30 minutes later, they brought out the first one the size of Maine!!  Everyone's eyes got REAL big!!  That must not be ours ... we ordered a large.  The waitress checked her order sheet and said YOU ORDERED A COLOSSAL.  I have it written right here.  If it's written, then that's what you ordered.  Never one to turn down extra pizza, Dan said "okay then" .......

Mine was a little more manageable.  Ten minutes later the waitress came back and said it was the kitchen that made the mistake.  Her computer terminal did say LARGE.  Lucky for Dan, he only paid the large price.  Instead of getting it to go, we ate some at the restaurant.  Now they will have pizza for dinner with some left over for breakfast!!  Way to go Dan!!

The last stop of the shopping day was Reader's Oasis Books, where a book signing was happening with some of Nick Russell's writing friends.  The Naturalist Mr. Winer was not in attendance on this day.  It would have been R-Rated and I couldn't show his picture anyway.  He's a natural kind of guy who doesn't wear clothes.  Maybe a sock ..... I'll leave that to your imagination .... and you would be correct.

Once the leftover pizza was safely in the fridge, we wandered out to Boomerville where friends Barbara and Tom Westerfield were spending the week.  I know I should be taking pictures of them, but sweet little Pansy was getting affection from everyone, so you know me, I took her picture.  

Our short visit to Quartzsite has quickly come to an end, as we head on down the road to Tucson today.  I have ANOTHER appointment to fix my shower plumbing and a jack that doesn't quite want to stay up.  Since I'm still under extended warranty, I'm trying to get everything I can fixed on this trip.

I'll leave you with this picture of our campfire last night.  Patty and I fixed smores and I overindulged in sugar just before bed.  That was probably a mistake.  What a great way to end a beautiful sunny day, even if it was only 60 degrees!!