I’m Chasing Two Rabbits, Catching None, and Having Fun

Summer is inherently chaotic, like chasing rabbits. The sun is up early and sets late, so we’re awake early and stay up late There are bountiful opportunities for gatherings and entertainment. Moreover, we don’t need to worry about blizzards and icy road conditions, so we go!

“If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both.” Chinese Proverb

Summer chaos: I didn’t think of summer that way until I listened to The Lazy Genius podcast episode, How to Transition Your Routine from One Season to Another. This summer I am embracing the chaos of trying to do all the things and see all my people. I’m not checking off a lot of goals, especially in my sewing room. However, I am having a lot of fun.

Chasing Rabbits: Doing All the Things

This year I’ve been sewing the free Moda Block Heads 4 sampler blocks. I chose the Happy Days Moda fabric collection because of the cheerful summer vibe. This sew lalong has been so fun! Plus, I already have enough weekly blocks to complete my favorite layout, Option 3. But my finish line isn’t in sight yet. I need to make 24 alternate blocks to create the Irish Chain effect. Here’s a photo of my blocks so far.

Moda Block Heads wasn’t the only sew along to tempt me. Camille Roskelly announced her Summer Swoon Along, and I desperately wanted to join in. Did I have time for another sew along? Definitely not. Still, I prepared all my fat quarters to make a Swoon Sixteen quilt for my bed. Then progress stalled. I decided to set aside the project until winter and focus on something more manageable. So I made two Swoon blocks from Camille’s Nantucket Summer collection. This was actully helpful because the pattern didn’t click with my brain the first go. Jack the seam ripper came out a few times! Thankfully, the second block came together quickly. Once I locate the missing navy blue zipper, I’ll assemble the pillow.

If you think that’s where this story ends, you’re wrong. Chaos in my quilty brain was untethered. Wendy Shepherd announced a Pumpkin a Day sew along, and I love her pattern! Once again, I gathered supplies. But I was going to go with an Apple a Day theme to use my Strawberries and Rhubarb fabric collection. But I couldn’t shake pumpkins from my brain, so much so that last night I dreamed about making a coordinating pumpkin pillow and quilt from my stash of Pumpkins and Blossoms fabric stash. I’m sure my late-night reading stimulated those creative juices! If you look closely, there’s a FALL pillow pattern with tiny little pumpkins sprinkled on the letters. Wendy Shepherd strikes again with a must-sew pattern!

Easy Wins in My Sewing Room

Okay, I did manage to check off a few to-dos. First, I made two small gifts for my husband. Now he has his own feather pillow covered with a fish print and a snuggly lap quilt that I backed with Minky. It’s a double win for me: I convinced him that we could have two pillows in the living room (his and hers) and I finished a UFO (unfinished object).

During August, I spent a couple of days sewing with two nieces and a nephew for their county fair projects. We made two pillows and a book bag. I supervised and they sewed. Surprisingly, there was no planning involved whatsoever. My sister-in-law and I serendipitously chose days when it worked for our schedules, and then an eager sewist arrived. Each child perused my stash, decided on a project, and sewed it in an afternoon. Because the kids and I didn’t want to leave out my hubby, we also took him for breaks at the local ice cream shop. It felt a bit chaotic, and we definitely had fun.

Chasing Rabbits: Seeing My People

Summer travels can be chaotic too. In fact, this year I heard from several people that their trips included a visit with a certain virus. Ugh. So I took precautions and stayed healthy for two trips.

Dallas

The first was a week-long visit to Dallas during June to help my daughter. She moved to a different apartment during February and asked me to organize her kitchen. To make a long, chaotic story short, I pointed out that her floors seemed to be sinking. After the housing supervisor inspected her one-level unit, we learned that the floor joists were broken because they weren’t built to code back in the 1970s. Yikes! So I helped her make a temporary move to a different unit while her apartment was repaired. Chaos!

• It was 102 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
• The air was humid.
• We felt miserable.

The good news is that repairs are done, complete with fresh paint and new flooring. Happily, she’s returning to Unit 101 this week!

Wyoming

In mid-July our family gathered in Dubois to visit with my husband’s family. It’s been five years since the six siblings were all together! Then shocker – or not: Covid reared its ugly head. My sister-in-law and her husband had to cancel because they were infected. Obviously, that was disappointing for everyone. Yet, we had sweet times of connection with the rest of the family. My son even met his cousin and her husband for the first time. (He doesn’t remember seeing them the week of their wedding since he was only two years old. Big families; big age differences.)

While tagging along with my husband to a fly fishing shop, I met Benny. We hit it off instantly, and I wanted to run away with him.

I think our attraction was mutual based on his big grin. My husband said, “You have a dog-shaped hole in your heart.” Yes, he nailed it.

You may recall that our beloved Chester passed away in April. Then we brought home Oslo, a bernedoodle puppy. Suffice it to say, Oslo and I were not a good match. Swipe left. (If you know, you know.) After ten long days and nights with us, we contacted the breeder and asked if she could be matched with a more suitable family.

It was such a bad experience that I never wanted to own a dog again. Then Benny happened. He healed my heart that day in Wyoming. Sadly, my scheme to kidnap him was thwarted when his owner didn’t bring him to the shop the next day. Bummer. (Okay, I wouldn’t have really dognapped him. I’m not Cruella!)

Minnesota

The rest of my travels have been in Minnesota to meet up with friends and family. I even visited most of the shops in my region of the Minnesota Shop Hop. The real bonus was meeting up with my friend Wendy and then spotting this guy in Wabasha.

Wendy proved to be my fabric-purchase enabler. Let’s just say it didn’t take a lot of arm twisting to convince me to add to my growing Nantucket Summer stash and sewing plans!

Chasing Rabbits: Getting a New Puppy (Again)

Talk about Chaos with a capital C! After spending those 20-30 minutes with Benny, I was ready to welcome a puppy into our home. And after spending 10 days with Oslo, I was better prepared to make a thoroughly informed decision. Meet Wally, a medium-sized golden doodle.

Wally loves to eat, take naps, and play in brief spurts. His favorite spot to sleep is beneath the flowers by the front porch where a little rabbit used to hide. Now we often say, “Wally went down the rabbit hole” when he stepped outside for a long summer nap. This preference earned him the nickname Wallace in Wonderland. He doesn’t sleep in the cushy bed. That’s his WWE fighting ring where all his favorite toys go for a cage match. We love this sweet boy and our hearts are whole again. Our kids are pretty excited too! Number One Son made a trip on Monday to meet our ten pounds of fur.

I hope you are enjoying all your people and visiting fun places too!

Joyfully,

Tracie