Another Day On The Road...

First thing yesterday morning, Tag was ready to "hit the road".

I just wanted to take a few last shots of our yard the past week before we left.

This was our view for most of the time. On the weekends, other campers moved

into the parking spots between us and the road. Where we park has been "our" spot

for the past three visits. (You'll remember, we couldn't make the trip last year.) 

Before we left, we told Robyn and Tim that we'll reserve for all three weeks next

year - just as soon as we have the dates for Band Camp. Of course, we'll request #5!

This is where we've parked all week, but by the time this picture was taken, we were

 hooked up and ready to depart Meadville. The photographer was the only delay.

By 4:30 pm, we had arrived in Jackson Center, Ohio. This shot is looking toward

the factory from our spot in the TerraPort (where all the Airstreamers can park free).

There's no shade on the campsites and, although it has all the hook-ups, there 

is no accommodation for campfires and such. It's meant to be a place to rest on

one's way to somewhere else, or a convenient spot to wait to have work done 

while you're at the factory service center. There are three hubs and I imagine that

from the air, all the campers look like spokes in a wheel, backed into their spots.

I took this photo across the TerraPort toward the other two hubs just as the sun was setting. We're all tucked in for the night and looking forward to a new day. So ends another day on the road.

Looks Like We Made It...

 ...to Meadville, PA, that is.

It was a bit of an arduous drive through the mountains of

West Virginia to get here, especially in the rain, but Pennsylvania

proved welcoming. There was a lot of sunshine and the steep ups

and downs slowly transformed into rolling hills and valleys.

 Handsome went over to the college yesterday to pick up his

registration packet, which always includes a college tote bag.

Inside are all his class schedules, meal card and a few other goodies.

 

This year, he came back with a matching packet for me!

Go figure. I only go to one group gathering, the Thursday recitals

and the concert finale on Friday, but here was my own meal card,

schedule (in case I want to sit in), and even my own swanky pen!

 While he was over at the college, I was working on the knitting for my special project. I finished it around 9 last night, and will start my day today doing all the joining and yarn tucking. After that, I'll add the ribbon closure and perhaps a button or two just to trim it out a little more. I'll decide when I get to that point.
I'm also making something for our great-nephew's Christening next month. I brought Sofie along so she'll be helping me out with the machine sewing part of that project. She also has a small embroidery unit, so I'm going to add a little something extra, too.
Tag will be here tomorrow. He's so excited to share his good news! You'll have to come back to read all about it. (He can hardly wait!)

Another Visit To Williamsburg...

We're back in Williamsburg, Virginia, but this year we're living in our Airstream instead of a hotel room. Handsome was invited to again perform with the Williamsburg Consort, so we'll be here for rehearsals and a free performance for the residents of the city.

It's been raining since we arrived, but we've been safe, warm and cozy in the Flying Cloud. I don't envy the tent campers here at all. Our campground is beautiful, tucked into a few hundred acres of wilderness, but we have all the amenities, too. There is a laundry facility, small shop, an arcade for the bored kids, and our campsites have electricity, water, sewer, cable and wifi. I'm happy as long as I can get to my blog and read yours!

Tomorrow I'll be sharing a special day that Tag and I spent with friends after we arrived. You won't want to miss our story and photos. Tag is a wonderful little traveler and we're so glad that he's a part of our family. Unlike many of the dogs in the campground, he's not a barker (thank Heaven!), and he only gets noisy when he's running up and down inside the Cloud and playing with one of us. As soon as we "hush" him, he stops and settles down. He's making some of the bigger and older dogs look like delinquents.

I'm going to get back to enjoying the area where our great country got its start. Williamsburg is such a lovely area and I don't want to miss visiting the colonial area again. I just can't get enough of the history around here. Have a great day yourself, and I'll be back tomorrow with photos and a new story to share.

PS. Happy belated extended seventh Anniversary to my friend, Carol (Serendipity blog) and her charming husband, Jack. Their special day was Sunday. Wishing you many more loving and happy years together, my friends.

It's Me Again...

You guys are pretty lucky. 

You get to see me twice in one week!!

Mom doesn't usually let me use her computer, but she

asked me to tell you that we'll be away for a couple of days

and she'll be back on Friday. I'll see you again next week!

An Elegant, Vintage Solution...

After much deliberation, I finally decided that this would be the best place for my sewing machine to travel when we're moving our "cottage" down the road...in the space between the foot of my bed and the wall of our bedroom at the front of the Flying Cloud.

When I purchased Sofie, she arrived in a beautiful, wheeled case...that was just too wide to fit into this space. I couldn't make it work any way I tried. I had was forced to find another way to keep my Sofie - and her accessories - safe during transport.
I went into our tiny attic space to see if one of the suitcases (we won't need to use to travel now) might work.

Look what I found! Handsome scored this at an estate sale we attended when we still lived in Wisconsin. It's one of those gorgeous, vintage suitcases that you use for car travel, but would never trust in the hands of any airline on earth. It's mahogany leather, tooled with the most beautiful designs - and after taking a few measurements -
I found that Sofie and all her accessories fit perfectly inside! The little 14 pound sweetheart, her embroidery attachment, hoop, plastic box with interchangeable presser feet, and instruction manuals all snuggled safely within the padded interior.
I'll need to make a proper padded cover for the embroidery attachment and hoop, but otherwise, it's already road-worthy.
After I asked if it was alright for me to use it, I loaded up "our" vintage suitcase and found that it fit into its new travel spot with room to spare. Guess that means I'll have room for the vintage train case I'm going to use to hold some of my other craft projects for our trip!

I can't think of a better solution to my modern dilemma than a vintage suitcase. I'm so happy that Handsome was willing to share! Yup. It's confirmed once again. I'm one Lucky Girl!

I'm inspired to find more vintage accessories for our cottage now. (Thanks, Rett! Your links to Sisters On The Fly started me down this path. I don't think I'll carry it as far as the Sisters did, but more vintage is definitely a good thing.)