Where've I been?

It's been a busy, intense time since I last wrote.  I was in Colorado for a week while my mom had shoulder replacement surgery.  Besides caring for her after her 3 nights in the hospital, I also cared for my dad who has Parkinson's Disease and has home caregivers part of each day.  His PD is fairly advanced, but he is quite determined to be independent.  Sometimes that works and other times, it is a detriment since he gets himself into some "situations."  I had to call 9-1-1 one afternoon when he tried to get out of an easy chair to his wheelchair by using his walker and ended up on the floor.  The firemen were cheery and told him the Broncos game was about to start, so they would get him settled to watch.  Most of the other near misses, I was able to pick him up, though it was exhausting.   I was in high gear from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm each day and was pretty glad to be back in Vermont, if only to get a solid night's sleep.

Paul had a hard time without me partly because our dog Max wasn't feeling well - tummy troubles.  We took him to the vet nearly every day and spoke to him when he wasn't in the office.  I've made Max a "bland diet" (chicken and rice) for several days.  Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.  Now he's taking Pepsid A-C, old geezer that he is (almost 15)!

In Colorado, I read quite a few light mysteries, and when I got home Louise Penny's latest arrived and I dove right in.  The Beautiful Mystery is set in a monastery in a remote part of Quebec, and it's the classic situation with a set number of characters, one of whom must be the murderer.  The pace is a little slow but that just makes the suspense build.  Penny has outdone herself again.

I also visited the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, a few miles from my parents' home, but I wasn't thrilled with the exhibit as I sometimes am.  There were some political quilts which I enjoyed, and then some very geometric ones.  I noticed that Sandra Dallas will be there for a booksigning in October.  What a good speaker she is!

On the quilting front, I'm working on Cornucopia of Thanks, from Jennifer Chiaverini's latest quilt pattern book.  I'm doing a block a month with an online group and finished this month's "Best Friends" block.  Now I'm working on the sashing which is the distinctive part of this quilt.  I was afraid I'd run out of one fabric, so I called the shop where I bought it, and they sent me more the very next day! 

Our weather has been beautiful, Max appears to be better today, and Chris built me a lovely little table with a Vermont verde (green stone) top.  Life is looking up.