A sneak preview

Train Concert

One of my most favorite bands is Train.  Just something about them and their songs.  It's always a "feel good" moment when one of their songs comes on the radio, or when I listen to them on my ipod.

We got to see them at the NorVA a couple months ago, but it was such an open venue (and me being too short for my own good), I could hear them, but not really see them at all.  And they are such performers!  The shows are VERY entertaining.

So when I heard they were coming to Ntelos Pavilion, I decided to get seated tickets to enjoy the show.  Little did I know I would end up with FRONT ROW!

I didn't take my regular camera, so all of my pics are from my cell phone.  But it was still pretty good, and the seats were phenomenal.

He brought some girls on stage to help out with one of the songs, and they were all super excited.  The tall girl on the very far right (with the tiara on) was sitting next to us.  It was her 16th birthday.  How exciting for her!

Pat Monahan is just an awesome singer/entertainer!

This artsy shot was purely accidental, but has become one of my favorites!

And this is Jimmy Stafford (not Howie Mandel!).  He sure could play a stringed instrument.  He played several (including a ukelele) throughout the show!

---

And finally, I leave you with a very short video clip of their most widely and popular song right now, Hey Soul Sister.  I wanted to record the whole song, and should have, but I also wanted to sing and dance wildly, which would have produced a much worse video.  And keep in mind, this is from my phone, so audio and video isn't premium.  But it's still fun and from the FRONT ROW! So here's the first verse and chorus....  Enjoy!

And then it was all over.  Well, not right after that song, but you get the drift....  At the end of the concert, after the encores were played, they threw out drumsticks and guitar picks.  The drummer threw us one of his drumsticks and we caught it!  (Hanging head, I forgot to take a picture of it.............)


Even though it was a Tuesday night (read: work night), it was a most memorable evening!  Can't wait til the TRAIN comes back to town!!


AMW

A little slice of heaven....

Growing up, my grandfather had a cottage on the beach on the Outer Banks of NC.  He rented it out most of the year (as most owners down there do) but always kept a couple of weeks aside in August for the family.  The adults would go down for a week, then the kids came down for another week.  It was right on the ocean.  We walked out of the screen porch onto the beach.

But as the years went on, it became much for my grandad to maintain.  After each storm, he'd drive down to check on it.  And worrying about it.

Finally, he sold it.  And in it's place, he bought a timeshare.

Of course, he always had high standards.  So he bought his timeshare at the above property when it was first built, and he bought it oceanfront.  After he passed away, it was passed down to my parents and aunts/uncles.  And they used it some.  But this year for my 40th birthday, they all gave it to me.  Permanently.

The unit, while oceanfront, has a dune directly in front of it, and since it's a first floor unit, you can't see the ocean directly.  Luckily, there is this covered gazebo attached nearby that was the perfect setting for morning coffee, watching the sunrise, or just chilling out!

So the first morning, we HAD to get up to watch the sun come up.

We waited groggily and ooohed and aaahhhed.

It got lighter and lighter, but the clouds were blocking the actual viewing of the sun.

We watched pelicans and dolphins out over the ocean.  If you look REALLY, REALLY close in this picture, you will see a dolphin, just left of center.  Yes, that black dot.....

Finally, the sun was all the way up, but wasn't to be seen until later.  The one set of clouds decided to hang around for the morning....

---

In all of the literature when we checked into the timeshare, it said "Don't Feed the Foxes".  I really thought they were pulling my leg!  

But on the dune RIGHT outside our unit, we watched this guy most mornings.  He was feisty, and kept an eye on folks as they walked by, but hung out there in the same spot.  It's on a protected dune, so people can't access the area.

---

We also had friends/family that had a rental house on the Soundside of the Outer Banks.  We stopped by there a few times to hang out at the pool, and watch the sunset.  Sunrise on the ocean, Sunset on the sound!

It was a great way to end a day....  Watching the sun sink into the water with all of the activity going on around it.

Now, I've got this little slice of heaven for one week, every August.   And because we loved it sooooo much, we decided to buy another week, in December.      I can hardly wait for it to get here!!

AMW

Featherweight Cake

Back in June (yes, June) I attended a birthday party for a lovely woman in my building who has become a good friend of mine.  She is also a quilter, and has several sewing machines, and turns out about a quilt a week.  She is really an inspiration to me!!!


Her Birthday party was a surprise, so I arrived early.  Her daughter had made a cake that was a replica of her Featherweight Sewing Machine!  It was gorgeous!

And delicious.  There is a lot of talent running through that family!  What a great gift that was, too.....


AMW

MJ's Quilt

So, I've had this quilt done for what seems like forever, but couldn't post pictures of it until I had given it to it's recipient.  I bought these gecko panels several years ago with the intention of making something for MJ's mom, but as we all know, life gets in the way.  And I wasn't quilting very much at that time.

So when she told me she was pregnant, I pulled the panels out and set to work, not know if she was having a boy or girl, but knowing her "style".  

I had a little trouble with the layout, since I haven't really used panels before, and had really only pieced regular quilts, but with colored pencils, settled on the above, even using them in the borders (a first for me, pieced borders)!

I did a simple "Quilt in the ditch" around all the borders, but did manage some freestyle quilting in the middle of the big panel.

And in another first for me, I did a pieced back.  I had one small panel left, and really wanted to include it!

Also, you can't tell from the pic, but the orange backing fabric is completely covered in small geckos with green eyes!  Totally cool and fit the theme of the front!

Then we finally got to meet her!  She is every bit as beautiful as I knew she'd be!  And check out that pin cushion she's totally rockin' on her wrist!  Ok, really it's a rattle, and a really cute one at that, but it looked enough like a pin cushion to give me hope!

Congrats to AHG and her hubby TG!  They are some lucky parents, for sure!   Can't wait to watch her grow up!  Hopefully, we'll get to see some pics of MJ playing on it!

AMW

Sooo.....

I don't know why I can't post more.

Each day, I CANNOT WAIT to see what's going on with all of the blogs that I stalk, er I mean, read. It's the highlight of my morning, and I check throughout the day as well.

I get inspired by the quilting blogs.

I catch up with friends on personal blogs.

I commiserate with bloggers that are having tough times.

I enjoy seeing what some of the odder blogs are gonna post about.

Yet - I do nothing. I think to myself that I don't have anything interesting to say.

But I sooooo enjoy the posts from the blogs that I read that even say that nothing is going on. Makes me feel connected to them somehow.

And really - it's not like I'm not working on any projects, or that nothing is going on. I just don't post it.

When I do post, I've noticed that a lot of it is about vacation. While that's wonderful and fun for me (and maybe fun for you too), I'm not on vacation THAT much. REALLY! (I just wish I was!)

I've promised before to update more, and I fall behind.

So what to do??? I WANT to post more. I just need some kind of push.... But what?

Dunno.... All I can say is that I'll try!!!

So, if you don't hear from me more/enough - YELL AT ME! Please? LOL!

AMW

What a difference a week makes!

Last weekend we were breaking all kinds of heat records, with temperatures at 105. We were in a drought and everything green was dead.

Thursday night, we had torrential rains, and tornado warnings.

And believe it or not, these two pictures were taken about an hour apart.... The top one was taken just as the rains started. The bottom one shows the water at it's highest point, with landscape timbers and yard debris throughout.

This weekend, it was beautiful, and by Sunday it was about 72 degrees and rainy....

It's amazing the difference a week can make!

I hope you all enjoy your week!

AMW