May is flying by

While March and April seemed to drag on forever, May is racing along.  We get outside more these days, aiming for three turns around our neighborhood.  That's a mile.  We stop to pet dogs along the way and sometimes talk to their owners at a distance.  I've done a little sewing - Village house blocks to add to a swap and a book-related tablecloth for the library.

I started a new quilt yesterday but discovered I need plastic templates to cut out the Drunkard's Path-like blocks accurately.  My home-made plastic is too flimsy and required cutting with - gasp! - scissors.  It's another Jen Kingwell pattern called The Avenue.

I like the scrappy look of this quilt and plan to use a black and white background for mine, too.  I thought I had lots of scraps but not as many larger pieces as I'll need for this.  The blocks are 9" wide, and perhaps 11" tall?  I'll need to measure my finished test block to see.  I didn't realize the stems of the "trees" are appliqued on, but that will be nice.  I plan to chip away at this during the summer.

Our LQS reopens Tuesday to only two customers at a time, wearing masks.  I'll go sometime to pick up a few more black and white fat quarters.  I need white Aurifil thread anyway as I have just about exhausted my supply.   I also need backing for the pink and black granny square throw, which will also be quilted with white thread.  I have missed stopping in at the place "where everybody knows my name," but I did talk on the phone with Marie this week so feel a little more connected.  I seem to go to the shop on Thurs. a lot when she's there.  We are both anxious to get our guild block robin bags back soon.  There should be 12 blocks made by others waiting for us, and I have been making some each month to add in.

Meanwhile, the week flew by partly because I read the first two books in a new mystery series, The Writer's Apprentice, by Julia Buckley.  Then I started another book Friday.  Not sure if I like it...

I also started writing a story about my great grandmother and her seven month trip around the world with her second husband, a well-known journalist.  Paul found some news articles from that time - 1937 - and it seems they made the society pages in New Jersey and Vancouver.   Here they are visiting the Sphinx and pyramids, where every native wanted "baksheesh" (tips, bribes).  My great grandfather wrote that it was amazing how people immediately knew what nationality tourists came from and even spoke a few words in their language.  In the picture, he has a tweed suit on which must have been very hot.  Yet they look very cool on those camels! 

Having worked on my genealogy for several years now, it's high time I started doing a little more story writing and a little less data collecting.  I do miss seeing the folks in my genealogy club each month and hope we can get together sometime, maybe via Zoom.  I imagine they all have lots to share after this time at home.