it has been a long time coming.....

isn't spring wonderful??? so full of promise and life....

my trip to portland was wonderful! it was soooo long ago.....st. patrick's day i left....the drive was REALLY nice thru central california with all of the orchards in leaf and blossom.....it was such an "all is right with my world" kind of drive. i got off late by an hour and a half so i had to cut out having lunch with my grandmother since i really wanted to get to Lodi before i had to arrive in sacramento.

i made it to the cemetary to see my sister's marker in place.....

it was really settling to see it there. i loved the leaves on it, and i collected them to copy for a future applique project. i cleaned it all off and put some shamrocks on for her in celebration of the day. i walked and took some pictures and then sat on a bench near her "spot" and painted my toenails. for two reasons....one, i knew if i did something "light" that i would not become too sad, and two, before she died, and my sister and mom and i were going for our visit we were gonna go do a pedicure or something for an outing and we never got the chance since she went into the hospital....so, i did it then.....it was a nice way to spend a bit of time in reflection before i got back on the road.

made it to christi's in plenty of time, had some wonderful corned beef that her husband dave made and then, off to the play avenue q. we rode the public transportation bus, a first for me, and then thoroughly enjoyed the play. then, rode a taxi home, another first, and nearly got ourselves killed by the probably drunk taxi driver....but it was memorable :o)

the next morning saw me off to redding and i got to spend some wonderful time with a dear friend and got to see her 6 kids for the afternoon--it was soooo nice to see her....then, off to church which was amazing! up the next morning, and off to my drive to meet my internet friend...

on the way there, i saw this fun sign....

i stopped and walked in the ocean....

the landscape and the misty cloudiness reminded me alot of ireland....they even have gorse bushes here, like in ireland....

and, there was this seagull eating a starfish...it looks like it is stuck doesn't it?

i finally arrived! then, i had to call her coz i couldn't find her house in the little development she lives in....hhhmmmmm....... no, nothing happened to me. the stranger danger is not the reason i have not written LOL, just plain business and laziness is why....but, oh my gosh!!!! what a FUN time i had with doni. it was just like seeing an old friend..... i mean, she is a quilter!!!

we walked the beach at low tide. her house is 1 1/2 miles to the jetty.....her house is the second or third one from the end.....the ocean is literally in her backyard.....

went out to dinner, sat and knit and did hand-work....talked and visited and had nice companionable silence. you know when you are with a true friend when you can sit comfortably in silence with one another and just feel peace. it was a really nice visit. we had a bit of sprinkles but nothing major, and it was cold windy, but still such a nice visit.

i got to sleep on the bed that holds the first quilt that doni ever made...notice i did not say i got to sleep under it, i don't think it is a slept under quilt...but it is a magnificent quilt! the window looks out onto the ocean and it was so peaceful sleeping to the sounds of the waves.

this little baby is hanging and you see it when you walk in the front door. each little square is about 3/4 of an inch is all. it is such a CUTE little quilt....i wanna make one one day...

we had a nice walk along the beach again in the morning then drove around her town a bit, and to the light house. i got to see a bald eagle too for the first time, but before i got my camera out, it had swooped down and got a bird for breakfast and flew off with it--truly an amazing sight!

off towards portland we drove in a bit of rain, stopped at a great quilt store (and dairy queen) then dropped her off...and i drove to my next bit of my trip....the wedding weekend....and then home....that is for another post....hopefully soon, coz after this trip, i took another one that i have to blog about too--kevin surprised me with a cruise! and of course there is always family news to updade....