Key West Here We Come

On Dec 9th, I finished the manuscript for my first quilting book. I wish I could tell you what it's about, but I cannot. Not yet. Let me just say that it's a surreal experience that there will be a book with my name on it!

I am not a detail-oriented person. It then took me 2 days to put everything together that needed to be shipped to my publisher (yes I said my publisher!) including all of the quilts. As I was thinking about packing for our now to be annual sojourn to Key West, I realized that it was a little over a year ago that I had this idea. Last year, I spent a month before our Florida vacation getting my projects together. I submitted my book proposal at the end of January. What a year it has been. It is rewarding to me that I was able to stick with it. I know it is not over yet. I'm not sure what the editing process is going to be like.

So after packing up the book, I had to clean the house and pack up our things and some quilting projects for our trip. I did have a lecture in the midst of all that at Undercover Quilt Guild. What a nice group of people. Seeing one of their tables with used magazines at 6/$1, I got out my money (big spender that I am ) and splurged for my road trip. Mark Lipinski, editor and I would say author of most of the articles, of Quilter's Home kept my husband and me entertained through the state of NC.

We spent the first night in Florence, SC. Since we have my cute little Bailey with us, we had to stay at a pet friendly hotel/motel. I know I have become a little more fussy as the years have passed, but .... I slept in my clothes on top of one of my quilts. Bailey barked through a good portion of the night, protecting us from the truckers standing around outside smoking!

It was quite a relief spending the second night at my sister-in-law's house in Plant City, FL. She's a great cook and the bed was clean. But my dog had to find something else to bark at:
Is this Christmas in Florida?

On Thursday, December 17th, we arrived in The Keys. There is nothing like driving down Rte 1 where you can practically touch the Gulf of Mexico on one side of you and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. A beautiful sight. 6 weeks in paradise with a lot of pent up creativity and 2 bins filled with fabric.

I hear it's going to snow in PA.