Quilt Wyoming - trip home and more

At the last minute, I got a text from United that said "YOU have a new seat!" (as though that was good news). When I followed the link I discovered that not only had they rebooked me on different flights from the original ones, but the "new seats" meant NO seats. Every seat in coach was already taken on the second leg from Denver to Tampa.

What is a person to do? I nabbed a first class seat,called United, and told them they had to give me that seat. They did. So that part was fine. Comfy seat, free drinks, and actually good food.

But the third leg of the trip, instead of being on a United flight from Newark to Palm Beach, was on a Silver Airways 30-seat propeller plane (ever hear of it??) from Tampa to Palm Beach. The flight itself was fine and was thank goodness, only an hour.

BUT - no luggage when I got off the plane. My bag (with all my quilts) did not arrive. To say that I was hysterical is an understatement. United blamed Silver Airways and refused to talk to me. Silver Airways (after 21 phone calls) told me that the bag was still in Tampa and would be here on the next morning's flight. Nope. By now I was a raving lunatic.

Finally, Silver discovered that the bag had never left Denver, meaning that UNITED was at fault. To Silver's credit, they made sure the bag got here on the night flight and hand-delivered it to me.

But this is the last time I am packing quilts in my suitcase. If I have to fold them into teeny sizes, they are coming in my hand luggage. I have already smushed them into my carry-on for my teaching trip to France in a few weeks.

Meantime, now that I am home: my leaking water heater was replaced as soon as I got home - big relief! Look at this mess. Rust and soaking wet towels. Bleh.

My Saarinen Tulip chairs arrived this week -- six of them to replace the four bulky, outdated, uncomfortable chairs that were here. Hooray! I couldn't resist the lipstick red cushions - they make me happy every time I look at them.

AND today, Phil and I started hanging pictures. It's only taken me 7 months to get started. I have more art than walls, so it's not easy to decide what goes where. But my three women who were over the fireplace in NJ are happily together again on the wall here. It's beginning to feel like home.

Also, I have had some lovely follow-up notes from a couple of my students in Wyoming. And I got an email this morning from Mary Huspeni, who was inspired by my book to make this improv quilt. It's one i wish I had made. Thanks, Mary!

I have a busy week ahead. I have to make notes for the two five-day classes I am teaching In France. I've added some new things since last year, so need to revise a bit. Later this week, my friend Pat Grice is coming from Tampa to visit me for a few days. I'm looking forward to spending time with her and we're even going to have a sew-in in my studio. Can't wait!

And now you know everything that's going on in my life -- so I am going to bed.