{sniff, sniff} Bad News {sniff, sniff}

The good news is there is a problem with my machine, not just a piece of thread as the technichan first told me. The bad news is they need to order a part so my beloved machine is 250 miles away from home, lonely and in pieces on the workbench!
When I tried to show the tech how the tension was messing up, the machine worked just fine! He kinda gave me that look that mechanics give me. The "yah right lady" look. Well as long as it was there I asked him to clean and check it. Took him a few times to test but viola' it finally messed up and he has now ordered the part. Now what am I going to do without my machine for 2 whole weeks??? Luckily I have my old machine and luckily I have finished all of my big projects for holiday gifts and luckily I have loads of little projects to do but STILL!! It's like being without my right arm!

Had a blast in Austin. The Honey Bee Quilt was having a fat quarter sale. Good thing is that I am not a no-buy stashbuster! Bought fat quarters and the Ultimate Quilt Pounce. I have been looking everywhere for this and hope it works well. I met up with a fellow stashbuster and we certainly did some damage to the fat quarter bins! Then I did the mom thing. Helped to clean and organize DD#2, Miss A, apartment. After several trips to WalMart, Target, and Lowes it looks much more organized.....if only Miss A could keep it that way! LOL! Luckily, I'll be back soon to pick up my machine and it will at least stay organized until then.

A clarification of sorts......I was in a really poopy, go in the backyard and eat worms mood when I posted about the boohooness of being an empty nester. Most days I love it. I get a thrill when I can just pick up and go without worring about anyone at home. We can eat dinner or a bologna sandwich. It makes no difference. I absolutely delight when I look at my brother and sister with their under 10 yo children . HA! I'm done with all of that and they are just beginning to plug away at ball games and girl scouts. It amazes me the number of parents in our school that are at or close to my age. How do they do it???? If the girls hadn't moved out, I wouldn't have my great sewing room or my great machine. Enough of this.

Just thought I'd leave you with a picture of how boring the drive from San Antonio home is....It was nearly dark so hard to get a good shot. It is two hours of n-o-t-h-i-n-g. Straight, flat, fields, brush and the occasional tree in the distance. NOTHING. Dull and boring and long. Now you can tell how bored I was because I was taking pictures and driving. Oh, did I mention that the traffic is ...well, there is very little. So the first picture is of the flat, flatness...and the second of the one of the refineries. They are really pretty at night but very difficult to photograph at 70 mph in the dark!