Journey Versus Destination

The husband and I went on a trip together, which is a rare occurrence. The husband does not like to travel. He likes to sleep in his own bed. I, on the other hand, get twitchy if I am not on the road every six or eight weeks. The last time we traveled together was for DD#2’s college graduation in 2019.

Now that both girls are living in Washington state, he really has no excuse for not visiting them. And DD#1 and her husband have a new house and need help with some home improvement projects. Who better to help them than someone with the tools and expertise?

We left last Saturday morning. For this trip, we took his work truck with a small U-Haul trailer behind it containing some of the girls’ possessions. Our plan was to spend the night in Ellensburg, depending on traffic and weather, but we ended up driving the entire way in one day, which took us almost exactly 11 hours including three short stops. We pulled in just in time to have dinner with DD#1 and her husband as well as DD#2 and her boyfriend. They had come over from Seattle to spend the long weekend.

Because he was stuck in a vehicle with me for eleven hours each way, the husband was subject to all sorts of commentary on various topics. We (mostly I) talked about traveling. My parents used to take my sister and me on road trips all the time when we were growing up. I didn’t fly on an airplane until I was 11 or 12. For me, traveling is all about the journey, although I knew better than to suggest we stop at some fabric stores along the way. For him, traveling is more about the destination. He wanted to power through and get to DD#1’s house.

I took advantage of the opportunity to do some sightseeing, which I cannot do when I am focused on the road. The weather was stellar in both directions—while the rest of the country is suffering, the PNW was under a high pressure system with abundant sunshine and no precipitation.

The husband spent the week methodically attacking DD#1’s to-do list of house projects. Because our DSIL had Monday off from work, the two of them—with the help of SIL’s dad—enlarged the opening into the attic above the garage and installed some pull-down steps. (The house, as cute as it is, has next-to-no storage.) Over the course of the rest of the week, the husband installed a garbage disposal, finished the siding on the greenhouse, replaced some fixtures, fixed a hinge on a cabinet, and knocked off a few other projects.

I left a sewing machine at DD#1’s house in Ketchikan and it was at the new house when I arrived. I attempted to work on the Laundry Basket Quilts “Alaska” quilt, which I bought as a kit when they moved to Ketchikan—I am a bit behind—but aside from making four of the 49 blocks and hemming a few curtains, I didn’t do much sewing. We spent a fair bit of time running back and forth to hardware stores and Home Depot to get supplies.

On Wednesday, DD#1, her MIL, and I went to Port Townsend, which is a darling little town on the Olympic Peninsula. It is also the home of District Fabric. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to get because they have so many nice fabrics. In the end, I settled on three yards of a beautiful cornflower blue wool-and polyester coating fabric. That will probably become a Nova Coat.

I also visited A Stitch in Time quilt shop in Sequim and came out with some Kaffe Fabric.

The pink has been sold out at our store. I haven’t seen the green and black print before.

DSIL has a 3D printer. I am fascinated enough with the technology to contemplate getting one, although I don’t need another hobby. He made dryer ball holders for DD#1, her sister, and me:

There are plenty of sewing-related applications for such a printer. 😉

It’s back to work this week. That arctic air mass has sagged far enough south and west that our temps are pretty chilly, but we still don’t have snow. This has been the weirdest winter. I keep thinking that we’re probably going to get slammed in February.