Today, I did a hard thing. I made a visit with Sadie to a facility that I didn’t think I’d ever visit again. Too many bad memories associated with that place.

Why did I agree to visit? Because a friend asked. And I needed to move past what had happened previously.

Our visit lasted about 75 minutes. Everyone was all smiles when they saw Sadie and me coming down the hall. Big Girl definitely added to her fan club today.

As we were leaving, I ran into the person who’d caused me so much grief in the past. She actually looked a little uncomfortable to see me there with my new pet therapy partner. I simply smiled, introduced Sadie and told her I looked forward to more invitations to visit now that I was retired.

I walked out of the building with a big smile on my face and a lot of emotional baggage gone. .

It was a great visit!

When I was a kid, we shopped at Cloth World or Hancock Fabrics. Occasionally, we would make the trek downtown to Rich’s or over to Sew Magnifique in Buckhead. Today, Cloth World is known as Joann’s, Hancock Fabrics was bought by Michael’s and Rich’s was merged into Macy’s. Sew Magnifique closed in the mid-1990s, but I will always fondly remember it as the place where Mom went to buy buttons.

Today, we have so many choices of where to shop for fabric:

1. Local retail fabric store
2. Chain craft/sewing retail store
3. Big box retailer with crafts/sewing department
4. Sewing expos and quilt shows
5. Online
6. Thrift shops
7. Estate sales
8. Swaps
9. Stash

Did I miss one?

Personally, I always shop my stash first. Where I go after that, depends on my needs. With prices approaching $14.99/yard on new releases at my LQS, I shop at Walmart or Hobby Lobby for seasonal stuff and fabrics the kids can use.

I also swap fabrics with friends and/or buy fabrics at estate sales (I keep any Liberty of London fabrics for myself). And gasp – the “non LQS procured fabric” might make it into one of my quilts! I adore scrappy quilts. If I like a fabric, I’ll use it in my quilt.

I’ve definitely made a noticeable dent in my fabric stash since retirement! Here’s to making another sizable dent by summer’s end.

Seeing the Northern Lights is #1 on my travel bucket list. Seeing all 50 states is #1 on hubby’s travel bucket list. He only has two states left – North Dakota and Alaska. Can you guess where we’re going in 2023?

Our North Dakota trip was actually planned last year, but put on hold until warmer weather and more things opened up. We’ll be visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park and other attractions (and quilt shops!) between Medora and Bismarck in late spring.

The Alaska trip is a joint bucket list trip. I want to see the northern lights, beautiful mountains, rivers and wildlife, visit a sled dog kennel and stick my head in a quilt shop or two. Hubs wants to do the same thing (minus the quilt shops) and add in a train ride. He’s adamant that we go when it’s the best time to see the northern lights.

Aurora season in Fairbanks runs from 8/21 to 4/21. Generally speaking, the later you go, the better your chances to see the northern lights. We also want to experience the Denali Star Gold Dome train ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks.

I’ve been working with a travel company on our itinerary and arrangements. Trying to get everything in on the cusp of the change in season has been a challenge. The travel company is competitive with its trip packages. It also advertises that you can fully customize your trip. Yes, you can customize your trip, but only to a certain point and any customization comes at a significant cost. Exhibit A: the revised quote I received today! :-0

Just for fun, I wanted to see what it would cost if I made my own travel arrangements for the top priorities on our list – airfare, hotels we typically stay at, plus the train ride and northern lights excursions. Drilling down to just the essentials equaled a 50% reduction in costs. Plus, if I make my own travel arrangements, I also have the option to use any available points and miles to cover hotel and airfare, if I want. I also have room to breathe in my itinerary – something the travel company’s itinerary does not. With the cost savings, I can add additional days and and experiences to our trip. The best part? Hubs agreed this trip was definitely worth using our points/miles! Woo-hoo!

One more reason why I’m glad I retired early – no way I’d be able to take this trip if I was still working 5 days per week.