Monday Miscellaneo

We stayed in Rapid City two nights. On our last drive through there was a storm that brought dense fog to the area and we weren’t able to see the Crazy Horse Monument. This time we wanted to catch the Wind Cave National Park and Crazy Horse. 

I love that so many of the CCC projects are still benefiting us today. The elevator at wind cave is one of those projects. Isn’t the floor indicator way cool???

I learned so much at the Crazy Horse Monument. The fact that it will take so long to complete makes it feel epic. I would like to return in 10 years. They had two pictures, one from 2020 and one from 2023 that clearly showed the progress on the extended hand. It is such a monumental project, it’s hard to take in the scale. This is a photo of the plaster sculpture that, if I remember correctly, is 16 tons itself!

The letters on the poem are slated to be three feet high. Just an incredible, monumental project.

Lastly, just like our trip before, our timing just happened to coincide with the Sturgis motorcycle rally. We saw motorcyclists everywhere and I’m sure the economic benefits to all the surrounding areas helps sustain many businesses. This trip, we actually drove into Sturgis and the number of motorcycles in Sturgis itself was incredible!! They have a platform that, for $5, you can climb to for pictures with the proceeds going to that day’s charity organization. Nice touch, Sturgis!

It was easy to drive in to Sturgis and park our car on a side street. Interestingly, there were several locations offering their yard to pitch your tent.

And that is our roadside attraction!

Cherie

Sunday’s Attraction

Yesterday’s roadside attraction is located in Sioux City, IA in Trinity Heights/Queen of Peace park. A 33 foot high metal statue of Jesus and a 30 foot high one of Mary. 

I love the flowing robes and had to capture the reflection of Mary once my DH pointed it out.

We also stopped at the Chamberlain, SD rest stop and visited a previous roadside attraction: Dignity of Earth and Sky. Metal statues day for us, lol.

I did a fair amount of the driving but fully turned the third binding corner and am closing in on the fourth. 

Cheers, Cherie 

Saturday Aug 8

On the road again! Yesterday we were in St Louis, MO and went to Turtle Park and here’s our roadside attraction.

Today we headed out to Council Bluffs, Iowa but our roadside attraction occurred at the end of our drive across the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska.

In the Italian section….15’ fork and pasta….with a Bocce ball court behind it 😃. I wasn’t sure if the weather would allow for a visit….it was looking a bit scary but it moved east before we got to where it was worst.

I got some sewing in……2 and a half corners turned.

Happy Trails, Cherie

August BOM

Monday, amid packing, I finished the August BOM which means I will only be behind the month of September when we return home in October. 

I finalized my stitching to go bag……

..….and elected to sew the binding on the Quadrangle quilt first. 

The roadside attraction for our first day of driving was in Zanesville, OH - Cottrill’s sidewalk of sculptures.

There are two blocks of sculptures and they are amazing!

Check out what this sheep is wearing…..

Ice skates 😂😂.

Fun times! Cherie 

The Question….

……I’ve been asking myself is what do I really want to work on. The answer is some improv, some liberated piecing, using my vast collection of thrifted shirts, and a few projects I’ve had in mind for years. 

Given these answers, I’ve decided that while I enjoy cutting up leftover fabrics for the scraps user’s system à la Bonnie Hunter, I don’t really want to sew with them. I’ve offered this 5 1/2” high stack of 3 1/2” squares to friend who does sewing for charity. Similar to giving my batting cutoffs to Jan, they are used, just not by me 😉😉.

I have a love of re-using containers and found the perfect almond windmill cookies container to put the squares in for packing.

Along the same lines, Patty said she was going to order more white flannel for the thread beds she makes. That reminded me I bought extra wide white flannel for a design wall when I first moved to PA but I’ve been using flannel backed table cloths. I like them as I can easily roll it up to preserve what is on it and put up another one which means I never used the flannel.

The flannel and the Friendship Star quilt packages were both taken to the post office on Saturday. Fingers crossed both will arrive safely.  

Letting go of things that, realistically, I will never use will help me focus on the projects I most want to make but seem to take a backseat. That’s the plan, anyway.

 Cheers, Cherie