Peace and Quiet and Quilting - 'Up North' in Minnesota -

I recently returned from five days 'up north' at our cabin in the woods. Here we find respite from phones, airplanes, and all the trappings of the real world and experience a quiet that makes your ears ring and a serenity that we crave.

The lake is small - no motor boats or jet-skis. We have an old red Coleman canoe and a row boat - which I believe leaks - no one has used it in a long time! The kids used to fish but these days we mostly swim or sit on the dock and read, take walks and enjoy the smell of a fresh pot of coffee brewing in the morning.

Relaxing to me includes quilting. I don't seem to need a break from that. In fact, with no other obligations I sew totally guilt-free in the woods! I always bring more than enough sewing projects. Here's what I brought this time:

..... the Tumbler. I love this project!  I am using those rectangles from the c. 1900 top I ripped apart - (see three entries last May) 

...my growing pile of yo-yo's - I'm now in the assembly stage.

...my little crazy quilt - the project I put off the most...not sure why....

....an old Log Cabin quilt that needs some repair. 

I brought some pre-cut strips to applique over the worn ones. Didn't get much done on that. It will be on-going!

...some Flying Geese strips. I leave my old SewMor mechanical machine at the lake. No photos of the boring strips but how about this machine!

 I call it my Cadillac!

We have a small 'fat' tv which is only good for movies. If we get really desperate we watch one - or a DVD of old Alfred Hitchcock episodes.
If we think of it we turn on the radio once a day - on the hour - to hear a bit of news....usually they cover one or two stories briefly plus local weather - sometimes a baseball score.
Mostly we prefer the sounds of the woods; the loons with their many vocalizations from peaceful to frantic but always somewhat haunting, owls who-who-who-who-ing, hummingbirds - you got it - humming (and squawking) as they dive bomb each other for the sugar water in our feeder, the breeze gently ruffling the leaves above, grey squirrels scurrying below, and if we're really lucky the lights flicker and a loud clap of thunder warns of a coming summer storm.

By the way, my husband may not quite agree with the idyllic picture I've painted. Turns out there IS some work to be done now and then!

I hope you, too, have been able to get away from it all for at least a little while this summer and that you had your quilting and a good book along for company ....and maybe someone to do the heavy lifting.