The preferred drink of a travelling goddess ...

This is a competition of sorts. You get to choose ... and it's one of those simple (a) or (b) responses. It is not rocket science and all particpants who blog the correct answer below get a small prize - I mean small but real - so long as you're an Australian resident or travelling to a place where we'll meet in the next few weeks! So here goes ...

Question (1)   What is the preferred drink of a goddess on holiday? Is it:

(a) Iced tea (ingredients are cold tea and ice) , or

(b) Margaritas (plural on purpose) (ingredients include yummy stuff mixed with lime juice and tequilla, ice and salt) yum yum yum









Post your answer in the comments section and a lovely prize could be heading your way (subject to personal interaction and my ability for it to be handed to you - limit of one entry per person per day)

AND THE WINNERS ARE: thanks to everyone who commented. There'sll be a stunning bit of plastic for housing beads or buttons coming your way very soon .... and don't say "I shouldn't have".

La Veta Town Quilt

La Veta Library is a stunning place in a stunning part of the town - and totally helpful for Australians looking for Internet access. In fact, there wasn't a place we visited where Internet access wasn't supported or encouraged - for anyone. The entrance to the La Veta library is highlighted by a fantastic quilt by Judith Baker Montano where she has crazy quilted multiple blocks where the centre piece is a picture of one of the La Veta houses - my apologies that pictures don't do the quilt, or the town, justice.
Judith's hand work is beautiful - the techniques to incorporate photos of the La Veta homes, the beautiful embroidery - it is fitting that a quilt about La Veta homes should be found in one of its most inviting, public places. In between blocks that represent the La Veta accommodations are wonderful florals.

I loved this quilt - and could have spent the day looking at all the things I missed - and then there was the tangible sense of community that oozed from the stitching. The quilt evoked an overwhelming  "I-wanna-touch-it"  response from all who passed it - kids and tourists alike. The pictures of the houses are all included in Judith's latest book - Montage - available to any of the 2QAQ members through the library.  What a treat!

"Rocinante" at Fort Garland, CO

While hanging around in Fort Garland, CO we came across a tribute to Rocinante - or a slightly less glamorous version of what I imagine John Steinbeck travelled around America in, accompanied by his poodle Charley - and yes, someone got out of the back. Alas, there was no poodle,  Thanks for lending me the book Ally - and safe travels to Isle of Man for a genuine George cuddle. Fort Garland - one of Kit Carson's hangouts - is an amazing place, not the least because of its 30 mile away proximity to the next nearest safe haven in the event of an attack by the original inhabitants - across the old La Veta Pass - impassable when under 20 feet of snow - but it must have given the residents of the Fort some comfort to know that assistance, if only in the form of moral support, was close at hand. Not.

Route 66 by train



Arizona mesas

So don't everybody get their violins out - I've got my own orchestra going in the background. I'm a tired little goddess tonight and trying to stay awake 'til 8pm. 46 minutes to go ......
We crossed the US with Amtrak - from Chicago  across and down through Missouri, Kansas, down through Colorado  and into New Mexico again, through Arizona and eventually to California and Los Angeles. The mesas as we travelled west from New Mexico into Arizona were spectacular. Pictures will never do them justice, or rather my pictures won't.  As far as the eye could see bordering each side of the train .... the lines, rock formations and colours were something I never tired of looking at. Until it got too dark. Wrestling myself into the top bunk is another story and one for another day. Suffice to say it was challenging - but totally do-able. Finding the straps that stop you falling out onto the floor on the second night ... priceless. So these are some of the mesas and a distant storm in the desert. For Mum.

re hydrating in the sleeper

Keeping hydrated was a serious business at altitude. Lorraine and I drained a dozen bottles each - lucky they were readily available with the other "goodies" in the sleeper.  Water, that is. It's about the only way to keep the nausea, headaches and yucky noses at bay. If you listened closely, you could hear the moisture being sucked out of your skin. Lots of water - and the odd bottle of wine shared on our almost-3 days and 2 nights on board "Pinkey's" sleeper.

Observation carriage

During the day it was fun to join other travellers in the observation carriage. The seats rotate (though we never worked out how it was done but more experienced travellers than us had conquered the mechanism) to allow total viewing until the need for food, drinks or snacks meant you left your seat and ... lost your seat. I spent a few hours upstairs with my journal taking notes of what people said ... literally. In no particular order ...
"are you a fisherman?" (pause)"a year ago I caught a big bass, oh boy."
"gosh that's a long way over there ..."
"I was gonna take a photo but the darn train moved"
"Did you see that tree? Did you see that tree? I can't believe you didn't see the tree. We passed it not 2 miles back!"
"there's some earth"

Journal cover

"I would'a seen that ... "
"Wow there's a tree out there (pause) do you have many trees?"
"Does any one want me to do that?"
"I had a cow once, but not a dog"
"I saw a sign for tires, isn't that right?"
"We're going up. Yep. We're going up"
"Its dad's last trip. He's 80"
"How long are we stopped for? "
"I thought I'd see more cattle"
"Look at that (pause) a truck"
"Uncle Russ said we stop because it's a single track"
"I have 12% use of my heart"
"those cattle are eating dead grass"
 Our "Pinkey" has travelled the line with Amtrak for 37 years. 12 sleepers to a carriage ... that's a lot of folks and a lot of miles. She was amazing - her love of train travel made that part of our trip all the more special. Everyone on the South West Chief was full of the joy of living - and we were lucky enough to share just a part of it. By the way, the conductor announced Amtrak's policy for dealing with unsupervised children - they are given freshly brewed coffee and a puppy.   It's 8.01pm. Good night.

Thread scarf

Pogo / darning the scarf

Today was a perfect day ... gorgeous sunshine, clear skies and perfect for stitching. Who would believe it was 8 degrees this morning - and we're heading for 6 tonight. Look at the date!!! WMBM had to head into the woodshed and get sufficient stock for the fire last evening - and is doing the same tonight. This will take some beating.
Managed to finish machine quilting the thread scarf today - hooped sections until it was nearly completed and filled in the "missed" curvy bits once the hooping had stiffened the remainder of the scarf. After using a sewing machine for 23+ years today was a milestone. The scarf got finished and didn't become a UFO and I somehow managed to stitch the side of my finger in the process. Heard about twits who sew their fingers. 

Drip Dye Drying

Very lucky I only got the bare edge - and didn't require assistance to get unstitched. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Back to the scarf ... I really love blue and I loved the fibres in this 9-pack - which on conferring with Maxine we think came from the Prudence Mapstone store at either the Brisbane or Sydney quilt/fibre show. Next time I'll take a photo before starting the project.

Still drying ...

Thread Wall in La Veta

Judith Baker Montano's studio

This is the threadwall in Judith Baker Montano's studio. It is fascinating simply because it is the entire wall - and then there's the urge to just get in the midst of it all and run fingers through mile after kilometre of beautiful thread. Thick and thin. Silk and more silk .. every colour of the rainbow and a few more for good measure.  It makes such a statement.  This is, perhaps, what happens when you have your own range of thread and ribbon - and there was a lifetime of "more" behind the wall, stored in every conceivable place. Ribbons, threads, hand-dyed this and that - exotic collections of doo-dads ...  Judith's studio is thick with all things creative - simply walking into class each morning was an experience. Creative classmates (Susan, Sarah, Shirley, Debbie and Lorraine) provided more opportunities to learn and get inspired.

Thought I'd share my own "threadwall". It makes a statement. And they say size doesn't matter...

Bread and thread

Two buns rising ..

It's the first day of sunshine - the good news - in many weeks. It feels like  the windiest day on record - that's also good news. Oh dear. Had to stay inside for fear of losing my feathers. It's a mixed bag today - bread baking usually happens on Saturday - and thread making seemed to be a great way to fill in the gaps. First things first - get the dough kneaded and into the first rise. Given the temperature and generally cold start to the day it takes about an hour and a half to get to the point of punching it down - in summer that can be as short as 50 minutes - and then the four loaves get another hour or so to double in size before baking.
 Which is a perfect time to get into the studio (supervising the bread of course) and get into some thread recycling. Since it has stopped raining - at least for the next few days - it's safe to get the roll of soluble plastic stuff out of its protective packet - I live in fear of it all turning sticky  in the humidity - all was well. While the first rise was occurring, I got into the thread tidy and dug out loads of bits and pieces from heaven knows when - and machine "quilted" it all in copper thread. Had a bit of trouble, even using the metallic needle - I take it easy to start with and then get carried away - and of course, the thread breaks. However it is a really fun thing to do - and worth a few re-threads.

Thread fabric

I've also used chopped up bits of this stuff in landscape as tufts around the base of fence posts and the like - the thread sandwich is almost dry - and I'll have fun thinking about where to use it over the next few days ... weeks ... whenever.

Three and a half loaves later ...



Blue

While the bread was proving, I got out 9 balls of blue yarn that have been occupying space int he cupboard ... for some time and decided to make a marriage of yarns and a good piece of soluble stuff - and am making another scarf - this time leaving the ends free rather than adding them on after the fact.  Stitching is in lovely King Tut - a variegated blue - and will keep me off the streets today at least.