there's no place like gnome.

– to one day own and refurbish an old, small camper.

This is a dream that began last year.  And, honestly, it’s one I can’t shake.

It’s a trendy, cool thing right now.  (Not that that’s why I want to do it; it just means that examples are everywhere and that makes me want it even more.)  The trend is to buy an old Airstream or other camper and tear it apart only to put it back together.  To transform a small living space on wheels.  To pull into the campground and easily be the coolest camper there.

Like this.  Or this.  Or this.

Just a tiny kitchen/living space and sleeping space, that’s all I’m asking.  I’d be okay with tiny.  (Tiny and awesome.)  Because though I love the idea of camping, I think I would like it more when there is a camper involved.

Keep your eyes open for me, will you?

If you hear of any small, old campers needing a little love, let me know!

I know I’ve noted here that I seem to have a million and one sewing projects constantly in the works, with another half million in my brain that I want so desperately to start.  But I can’t do them all. Or, rather, I probably shouldn’t do them all at once. Right?

But sometimes I don’t have the energy for specific projects. I don’t know why precisely. Maybe I’m intimidated by the next step. Maybe I’d rather play with color and pick out new fabric than baste. Maybe I just get bored and need something new to reengergize my quilting mojo before the energy returns for the previous project. 

It’s a pretty consistent pattern for me. My hexie quilt hung on my stair rail for nearly a year before I picked it up again. I was intimidated by the next step. But now, all I can think about is finishing it. Energy for the Union Jack abounds where, for the last year, it was nonexistent. 

I have a baby quilt started on the design wall and I’m not sure where that energy went. (Sorry, Sara.) Maybe it went away in the flurry of baby quilts completed in the first couple months of this year. I love the fabric and the pattern and know it will get done soon.  Or maybe it’s intimidating to know that once that baby quilt is finished, I have a stack of three to start on.  (I love it, I do.)

And then there is the fact that sometimes, I just need to finish something. Maybe that’s why last weekend I made a pillowcase for no apparent reason but to have a completed project. Maybe that’s why I finished two and then started three more “hour baskets.” Opps.  (You can always use another fabric basket, right?)

What am I ultimately trying to say?  I don’t know. I just know I have a sermon to write before the day is over and all I can think about is making progress on the good ole Union Jack!  (Plus, the bf promised me a ‘quilt party’ when it’s complete. Just like we have a little mini celebration when he finishes fixing/restoring a pinball machine – aka we play it, we will celebrate quilt accomplishments. By covering up with them and watching a movie?  I’m not sure exactly.)

We headed to the cabin Thursday evening for a weekend of relaxation and nature. And walking to the outhouse in the middle of the night hoping to not be attacked by a bear. Or a Sasquatch.  And searching for ticks, still feeling them crawling all over even after you’ve checked a million times.  You know, fun, relaxing nature stuff.  

But, no.  Really. It was good and relaxing and fun. There were lots of games by gas light (Qwirkle, Sequence, and learning both chess – me – and cribbage – both of us), and a day trip to Wisconsin Dells for mini golf, pizza, and a quest to find wizards. (There is this place called WizardQuest that my friends recommended.  Basically, you’re on a quest to find wizards. Really. It’s true.  There are different realms and tunnels and slides and secret doors.  We started on level medium and then asked to be downgraded to easy. Those wizards are tricky!) We hiked to the fire tower in the forest across from the cabin (We took the super steep route, I might add.  I have a deep cut on my hand to prove it.), searching for geocaches along the way. We went down the road to the local supper club for dinner one night, and perfected the art of camp coffee at the cabin. Then, on a beautiful sunny afternoon, we dragged comfy, reclining chairs from the cabin onto the deck to nap (Dave) and quilt (me).  

We saw no bears but the ticks were real. We had really hoped that it was early enough in the season so ticks would not be a nuisance but no luck there. I bet we pulled six or so off our persons after our morning of hiking through the woods. That prompted (well, that creepy crawly tick feeling and also being in the woods with no plumbing/showers) ‘dish tub baths’ on the deck to be sure all the ticks were gone. *shudder* (It also felt pretty good to have clean hair after a few days of not washing.)

It was good to get away bit, as is usually the case, it’s good to get home too. It was delightful to shower and launder the quarantined tick clothing.  For good measure, I took tomorrow off of work too. Because of that, this little spring vacation will also include quality time with my sewing machine, and perhaps some garden seed starting.  And no more ticks. 

Below are a few photos from cabin time entitled: “morning cabin coffee time,” “a nerdy chess instructor,” “fetching a geocache high in a tree,” “fire tower graffiti from the past,” “the view from the ridge,” and “this is me sitting on a recliner in the sunshine relaxing the afternoon away.”

Goodness gracious, it’s been a long (unintentional) blog hiatus over here with the gnomes. What has caused this, the great blog hiatus of the spring of 2015? Well …

+ There is work. Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter services, and Holy Humor Sunday with kazoos. All was good and well and (mostly) enjoyable.

+ I ordered some of my garden seeds (Popcorn! Sweet potatoes to experiment! Rainbow carrots!) and look longingly at my to-be tilled garden. I have also stooped and stared for minutes on end at the propagating succulents in my window. (Out of, oh, 30 leaves, three show signs of life. Holding out for a few more.)

+ I took a whirlwind trip to Indianapolis to accompany the sister as she interviewed at a grad school. Thursday: Drive home to WI. Jump in car with sister to IN. 10.5ish hours car time. Friday: Explore Indianapolis while sister interviews. Meet super fun people who send me around the city to the coolest shops. Return to WI. Saturday: Drive back to MN. Whirlwind indeed.

+ First bike rides!

+ Remember that Union Jack quilt of hexies I worked on forever ago? I pulled it out again. It might be finished one of these days …

+ Visitors! My mom and Jeff came for Easter. Fun included going out the night before Easter to a bar in order to watch the Badgers in the final four. (Lindsay has no cable.)

+ Easter crafts including gluing pom-poms to branches, salt dough ornament eggs, Easter throw pillows, and dying eggs.

+ Paper-piecing lots of diamonds, a birthday party for a super cute one year old, baking mini donuts in my new mini donut pans, watching mucho Friends, meeting new babies, and packing for a long weekend at the cabin!

I leave tomorrow for a little time away in the woods at the family cabin. Looking forward to great weather, disconnecting, and board games by gas light. And no bears. Please, no bears.