"There's No Place Like Home"

The next time I say that I am going on vacation for 3 weeks, hide my car keys!  I swear it will take me 3 months to get caught up on all the work that was not done and repairing all the the things that BROKE while I was gone.  The rain gutter that BROKE from the ice storm has been replaced; the water pipes in the well house that BROKE from freezing have been replaced; the window that BROKE while cleaning windows is repaired, but not installed (still have plywood over that window); the water line to the corral that BROKE for whatever reason is still not repaired; the electric line to the barn that BROKE simply to join the crowd has a temporary fix (3 electric extension cords stretched from house to barn); the chicken house door that the cows BROKE has been torn all the way off during someone's (?) lack of patience with it all;  the roof leak that appeared after a frog-strangler of a rain storm has been repaired (we hope!).  

Thanks to my Dear Sister, all the animals and plants were healthy, happy and safe under her care.  Usually, there is some major event that she has to take care of -- birth and/or death emergencies.  Once, she discovered that during her after-work plant watering, she had been watering one of my deceased cats -- that's a story she doesn't want me to tell.

While in CO, I began a Quilt Along with Judy at Patchwork Times.  I purchased all the fabrics and began the cutting and was looking forward to getting back to my sewing machine. Well,? guess what?  It couldn't be left out of the fun of making my life miserable.  It is a 40 year - old Pfaff 1199 and something BROKE! 

After a few days of trying to keep up with the Quilt Along by doing piecing by hand, I gave up and bought a Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0.  Of course,  I am so far behind on sewing machine technology that 

I am required to take classes to figure out how to use it.  And a new sewing machine meant reorganizing the sewing room, of course.

Sooo, Judy,  I am behind on the Quilt Along, BUT since I am only making a wall hanging, I am sure I can catch up.  It took me all day learning to use the 1/4" quilting foot 

 to get this far -- only need 2 1/2 more squares!