Sewing & Crafting is {relatively} pain free!

by | Jul 18, 2013 | Blog, Getting Crafty | DIY | 0 comments

Knowing how clumsy I am I can’t really say that sewing and crafting are 100% pain-free for me, but I can say it’s WAY less painful than my yearly drive to Connecticut and back to Georgia each year with my mom and Reba (the absolutely spoiled rotten doggy who tags along anywhere she can). It all started 4 years ago when my mother and I were talking about visiting my (now) 91-year-old grandmother – a trip we made many times since I moved to Georgia in 1998 (my mother had already been here for several years).  Traveling via airplane had drastically changed – limitless security lines, restricted items in your carry-on, no locks on checked bags, and paying for checking bags!  All that stuff made my mother NOT want to fly.  So in my infinite wisdom I say “let’s drive!”  Four years ago that initial statement was said with much enthusiasm and excitement.  I had NO IDEA what I was getting into (I often speak first – regret later) 🙂

Look how happy we look heading out on our 1st road trip!

Look how happy we look heading out on our 1st road trip!

That first year mom and I ventured out in her car with me behind the wheel (I’m not a good passenger so…)  I did most of the driving, but mom did drive a few hours of the entire round trip.  We survived the trip!  Creeping up on our 1 year anniversary of the road trip I bring up the visit to Grammy again and we go through the whole routine about flying and all the crap that goes along with it and once again “let’s drive.” Oh.My.God! What just happened?  Neither one of us seemed nearly as enthusiastic as the first time, but off we went. Again, we survived.

You guessed it…the date was rolling around again and here we go planning another road trip. Are we crazy?  I’m sure you are sensing a theme here!  Mom, Reba and I just got back from trip #4!! This time we drove to Connecticut, stayed a few days, drove to Maine to see my brother (Scott), his girlfriend (Nicole), and his son (CJ) for a couple days, back to Connecticut for a day and a half and back home. I’m tired just typing that! It was the LONGEST 10 DAYS OF OUR LIVES!  We enjoyed seeing family and friends and especially loved seeing my brother, Nicole and CJ after many long years! But, I must tell you – every inch of my body hurt by the time I got home and at one point while stuck in hideous Atlanta traffic not far from home I used Siri to post to Facebook “If I don’t get home soon I’m going to need a lawyer” – and I meant it!  I was randomly beeping at everyone (or just anyone) and yelling.  It was the funniest form of road rage ever!  We made it home (finally) around 9:00 pm Friday night (July 12th) and all day Saturday I felt I needed to be asleep. We did have some fun along the way…especially using voice-to-text and Siri on the iPhone.

Check out these fun posts on Facebook:

July 3 (near Fair Play, SC) – I’m just South Carolina

July 3 (near Grover, NC) – North Carolina

July 3 – It’s done (should have said Virginia)

July 3 (near Woodstock, VA) – OMG…after a very long and rainy (and I mean super duper rainy) day we made it to the hotel in VA!!

July 3 (near Woodstock, VA) – Long, long, long day of driving!! We listened to my iPod along the way with everything ranging from Def Leppard to Gospel to Adam Lambert to Daft Punk to Eminem to Billy Gilman (yeah…not sure how long I’ve had that CD) to everything in between!! It was an interesting mix as we braved some really bad rain!

July 3 – Mom, Reba and I survived driving day 1. I’d like to say I look like this after a long day of driving, but despite making myself look cute this morning (you never know where you might meet “the one”) I got caught in horrible rain before even leaving the driveway!!

July 4 – Yeah Virginia (West Virginia)

July 4 – Maryland

July 4 – Dania (Pennsylvania)

July 4 – New Jersey July 4 – Your

July 4 – 566 Rick’s

July 4 – Secret

July 4 – Bridge. Have a date

July 4 – Welcome to Connecticut

July 4 – Beyond sad that I am finally in Groton and Pizza Palace is closed!! Darn you 4th of July

July 7 – Rhode Island welcomes you

July 7 (near Attleboro, MA) – Massachusetts welcomes you

July 7 – New Hampshire

July 7 – We made it to Maine

July 7 (near South Portland, ME) – Last year my trip to CT netted me some really lovely sun poisoning on my arms. This year I have heat rash on my legs. Who’s a lucky girl??<<<this one!

July 9 – The Holy Donut!! Potato donuts in Portland, ME

July – 11 Finally made it to Pennsylvania

July 11 – The person in front of me paid my toll (in PA)

July 11 – Thank you it’s Malland (Maryland)

July 11 – And now it’s West Virginia

July 11 – Hallelujah are we are in Virginia

July 12 – We made it to the North Carolina state line

July 12 (near Mooresville, NC) – I’m sick of the car! Driving! My clothes! My shoes! I’m tired!!

July 12 – Hell yeah!! Made it to South Carolina!!

July 12 – Atlanta 169 more miles to go

July 12 – Atlanta hundred and 69 more miles to go

July 12 – Finally finally finally made it to Georgia. Find down rain get off home (Siri and I were having communication (and relationship issues). It was supposed to say “Finally finally finally made it to Georgia. Pouring down rain and we just want to be home”)

July 12 – If I don’t get home soon I’m going to need a lawyer

July 12 – For the record I am cranky!

July 12 – Finally home!!

July 12(really after midnight) – Good night friends! So glad to be home, but can’t believe I’m still awake right now! It’s been a few days since I got home so I’m starting to feel like myself again (thank goodness)!

 

Here are some glimpses into our road trip!

  • 7/12/13 - cars sideways on the highway

  • 7/12/13 - yep! An accident holding us up!

  • 7/12/13 - Ummm...that Mercedes has something coming out of the roof!

  • 7/12/13 - 6.4 mph in a 70 mph zone - FUJ

  • 7/12/13 - haven't seen one of these in a while

  • 7/12/13 - she hates this!

  • 7/12/13 - another photo op!

  • 7/12/13 - and this sign!

  • 7/12/13 - funny how many ignored this sign

  • 7/12/13 - aren't we there yet?

  • 7/12/13 - going so slow Reba can stick her head out

  • 7/12/13 - NO! I want to get home!

  • 7/12/13 - UGH - traffic again!

  • 7/12/13 - I love that NC has all these pretty lilies

  • 7/12/13 - made it to NC and the lovely flowers

  • 7/12/13 - I sure wish that was me sleeping!

  • 7/12/13 - the Runaway Truck Ramp (just the name freaks me out)

  • 7/12/13 - Scary roads ahead

  • 7/12/13 - note that I do not look as happy as I did when we started this journey

  • 7/12/13 - ready for the last leg

  • 7/11/13 - made it to the hotel in VA

  • 7/11/13 - Dinkiest McDonald's I've ever seen

  • 7/11/13 - mommy had to eat outside because Reba was comfortable!

  • 7/11/13 - waiting on mommy

  • 7/11/13 - heading home!

  • 7/10/13 - just chill-axing

  • 7/10/13 - this house has been out on those rocks for years!

  • 7/10/13 - one nice thing about CT (water!!)

  • 7/10/13 - Reba & mommy

  • 7/10/13 - enjoying the day

  • 7/10/13 - One last romp at the beach

  • 7/10/13 - Cute girl's profile

  • 7/9/13 - or I will sleep under the covers

  • 7/9/13 - I shall sleep in the middle of the bed

  • 7/9/13 - cinnamon sugar kisses

  • 7/9/13 - the car is almost all packed and ready to bring Wickedly Wooden products back to CT & GA

  • 7/9/13 - I think Nicole should be this for Halloween

  • 7/9/13 - hey! Whatcha all doing out there without me?

  • 7/9/13 - mom in one of the BIG Skull chairs

  • 7/9/13 - look at me in the bed!

  • 7/9/13 - yep, I like it

  • 7/9/13 - hmmm...I think I like this bed

  • 7/9/13 - Me tooz pleez.

  • 7/9/13 - Can I haz donutz?

  • 7/9/13 - mom likes them!

  • 7/9/13 - they are yummy

  • 7/9/13 - The Holy Donut (Portland, ME)

  • 7/9/13 - resting next to mommy

  • 7/9/13 - I'm safe in this blanky

  • 7/8/13 - Oh, but mom, I'm really close to my chair

  • 7/8/13 - Keira is "sort of" in her chair

  • 7/8/13 - He knows Reba's there though

  • 7/8/13 - I'm not sure if he knows we are here

  • 7/8/13 - CJ engrossed in the show

  • 7/8/13 - CJ & Reba watching cartoons

  • 7/8/13 - CJ & his Grammy Lewis

  • 7/8/13 - The BEST lobster! OMG!

  • 7/8/13 - Matching noses?

  • 7/8/13 - My brother...so serious!

  • 7/8/13 - you never know who you're going to find on a street corner

  • 7/9/13 - hiding from Keira

  • 7/7/13 - mom relaxing at the hotel (she's cold)

  • 7/8/13 - Scott asked Siri "how much wood can a woodchuck chuck"

  • 7/7/13 - an over the shoulder photo of Scott, CJ & Nicole

  • 7/7/13 - Chair #3 ready for it's journey

  • 7/7/1 - Chair #2 ready for it's journey

  • 7/7/13 - Chair #1 ready for it's journey

  • 7/7/13 - Reba didn't want her dinner so we left it for Bunny & Raccoon

  • 7/7/13 - Reba freaking out about being at yet another strange place

  • 7/7/13 - the hotel gave Reba a special treat!

  • 7/7/13 - traffic heading AWAY from Maine. Is there a mass exodus no one warned us about?

  • 7/7/13 - I took this photo in honor of my friend Jamie who loves "found" furniture

  • 7/7/13 - Reba ignoring mommy

  • 7/6/13 - sleeping after a long, hard day

  • 7/6/13 - protecting the guests from the big bad doggy

  • 7/6/13 - view of New London, CT

  • 7/6/13 - Enjoying the day

  • 7/6/13 - ahhh...the water!

  • 7/6/13 - Reba is not a happy camper

  • 7/6/13 - watching the waves

  • 7/6/13 - soaking up some Vitamin D

  • 7/6/13 - the girls at the beach

  • 7/6/13 - mom likes the beach more than Reba does

  • 7/6/13 - another walk at the beach

  • 7/5/13 - A quick walk around Eastern Point Beach - Groton, CT

  • 7/5/13 - I had to put a pillow between my legs for Reba to snooze

  • 7/5/13 - Boat on display at Mystic Seaport

  • 7/5/13 - Mom enjoying her sundae

  • 7/5/13 - I was so excited about my Friendly's Black Raspberry ice cream I forgot to take a "before" picture

  • 7/5/13 - I'm sick just looking at that!

  • 7/5/13 - Do people really order that??

  • 7/9/13 - I will drive Sissy

  • 7/9/13 - I wish I could sleep like that

  • 7/9/13 - driving for hours makes me tired

  • 7/4/13 - Only going 4.9 mph (UGH)

  • 7/9/13 - I can't seem to avoid traffic

  • 7/9/13 - back to CT

  • 7/4/13 - the girls are ready to hit the road

  • 7/4/13 - mom & Reba waiting for me to finish getting ready

  • 7/4/13 - Reba found a little spot of sunshine to enjoy before the long day

  • 7/4/13 - I think I'm ready to get on the road again for day 2 of driving

  • 7/3/13 (near Woodstock, VA) – Reba settling in!

  • 7/3/13 I'd love to say this is what I look like after 8 hours of driving, but due to rain I started out this way!

  • 7/3/13 (near Woodstock, VA) - This is how Reba made her entrance into the hotel room! On a chariot, of course!

  • 7/3/13 - stuck in traffic "somewhere"

  • 7/3/13 Doesn't Reba look happy?

  • 7/3/13 Hope they didn't have someone's food order in there!

  • 7/3/13 Yep! That's a van sideways on the road!

  • 7/3/13 Do you see a problem here?

  • 7/3/13 Not even 1/2 hour into our journey...brake lights!

  • 7/3/13 Just before heading out on the rainy roads this morning. The three girls ready (not really) to hit the road!

  • 7/3/13 Ready for our trip (sort of)

  • 7/3/13 This is what I looked like while packing the car in torrential rain!

  • 7/12/13 - We made it home!

  • 7/12/13 - The new window from my brother @WickedlyWooden

  • 7/9/13 - Scott & Me

  • 7/9/13 - Mom & CJ

  • 7/9/13 - Mom, Nicole & Reba

  • 7/9/ 13 - So much for the "selfie" of all of us!

  • 7/9/13 - Ummm...look over here!

  • 7/9/13 - Hard to get everyone to focus

  • 7/8/13 - Scott and Mom

  • 7/8/1 - Scott and Mom

  • 7/8/13 - SMILE

  • 7/8/13 - Trying to get another pic with my brother

  • 7/8/13 - She is on the couch hiding from Keira

  • 7/8/13 - My brother...always smiling LOL

  • 7/8/13 - That cute face helped mom and I survive a LONG trip!

  • 7/8/13 - Could this dog be anymore spoiled? (ala Chandler Bing)

  • 7/8/13 Computerizing!

  • 7/8/13 Mom is SO happy to have internet!

  • 7/8/13 Snug as a bug in a rug!

  • 7/4/13 Wanna race? Yes, that's a pink Smart Car!

  • 7/4/13 That's a lot of PVC pipe - imagine what you could make!

  • 7/4/13 Cool car heading down the road

  • 7/4/13 Poor Teddy Graham met his demise when I dropped him on the ground

  • 7/4/13 When you see the sign for NY you have hope you will make it...

  • 7/4/13 There was a swarm of birds (I promise)

  • 7/3/13 My Co-pilots like to sleep on the job

  • 7/3/13 Reba and Mommy playing Co-pilots

  • 7/3/13 Just one of the many traffic issues!

  • 7/3/13 Can we get this show on the road?

  • 7/3/13 Reba doesn't like photos as much as I do

  • 7/3/13 Goofing off while mom went in the store

  • 7/3/13 Settling in for the long ride...

  • 7/3/13 At the gas station...heard lots of "moos" and finally saw this trailer of cows!

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