A Cousin Comes to Visit

My cousin Darlene and her fiancé are here in Montana this week (from Houston). They are getting married tomorrow evening in Glacier Park. We made arrangements to have dinner together last night at our favorite steakhouse in Kalispell, Mercantile Steak. Darlene and Charlie came to our house, first, so we could show them around, and the four of us went into town together.

[The chicks figured out how to escape the chicken yard despite my attempts to childproof it, so we spent some time before we left for dinner getting them reunited with a frantic mama and closing up the hole. Toddlers of all species have an uncanny ability to find the weaknesses in the system.]

I’ve had a yard of rayon sitting on my cutting table for a week earmarked for yet another Déclic top. That has turned out to be a favorite tried-and-true pattern, especially when our temperatures get up into the 90s. I knocked it out yesterday afternoon in time to wear it to dinner. I love this print. This is a Moda rayon:

The more I use that 880, the more I love it. I have always been of the opinion that skills matter more than the equipment—a talented pianist can coax lovely music out of the most humble instrument—but a high-end machine makes sewing so much easier and more enjoyable.

We enjoyed a perfect Montana evening. Dinner was excellent and Darlene and I got to spend some time reminiscing and laughing together. Our mothers are sisters, we grew up in the same town, and we were in the same class together in high school.

The fires in Oregon and Washington have provided some spectacular sunsets recently. Darlene sent this picture she took on their way back to the Airbnb:

It’s raining again this morning. I had my coffee out on the porch so I could sit and enjoy the cool air.