Elsie & 'mom', Jodie & Ginny & Laurie & Deb

When I downloaded pictures from the trip on Tuesday morning, I also found this pic of my fluffy baby Elsie getting some snuggles from ‘mom’ before I left to visit Ginny:

And, I did want to expand on the visit to the quilt store (in Virginia) a bit more.  People who have seen my long arm in person feel that the long arm machine is ginormous compared to everyone’s regular sewing machine.  Well, Kim (quilt shop owner) also had a long arm which was 1/2 again as large as mine!!!  It was a GAMMILL long arm and they are the top of the line.  The quilt on the frame that she had just finished was spectacular…and her custom quilting of it was awesome!  She has been doing it since 2006…I hope to get that good too! 

Anyway, Friday (8/1) was another morning of talking around the dining table...from 7:30 AM until around 1:30 when we left for 128 Pecan Street and lunch with Jodie (Ginny's daughter) and her friend Laurie. 

Jodie & Ginny

Jodie & Laurie & Ginny

Jodie & Deb & Ginny

We hit a book sale at the library on the way home and hit the festival for bags of kettle corn before gettting home and sitting around the dining room table yet again!!!  Jodie and Laurie picked up dinner at a fabulous pizza joint and brought it over around 8.  We had a great time talking and it was another late night to bed.

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On Saturday morning (8/2) Ginny took me out to breakfast at Perkins….HEAVEN!!!  Michael and I had hoped to go when we were in Pittsburgh on vacation…but it never worked out.  He was sad that I didn’t get to go, but I told him there was one by Ginny’s and I would be sure to get there.  I really wish there was one closer to us in South Carolina…but maybe it’s just as well :- ).  Back home again it was YAKETY YAK YAK YAK YAK!!!  When Michael called on one of the evenings, he asked what we could possibly find to talk that much about….but I just told him he would NEVER understand, since he is a guy!  We got cleaned up and met Jodie and Laurie at RAIN…a local restaurant at 6:30 PM…..oh my….dinner was spectacular!  I had scallops, on a bed of gnocchi, red onions, bacon…and a few other things I don’t remember but tasted incredible…Ginny had tuna, Laurie escolar and Jodie had filet.  Our meals really were over the top…some of the best food I’ve ever had.  We ordered a chocolate lava cake, with vanilla sauce and raspberry coulis and it was the best I’ve ever had (the 4 of us split one piece).  We “rolled’ back home and talked until 10 PM when Jodie’s eyes began to glaze over (Jodie & Laurie had been at the antique mart from 7:30 AM until 6 PM when they rushed home, changed and met us at the restaurant)…so they headed back to their hotel.  Even though Ginny and I were both tired, we somehow got a second wind and ended up talking until 12:30 AM!!!