Time Flys When You are Flying

We took a jet plane and so began our adventures across the country to Bethesda, Maryland.

There was only one event on the flight worth mentioning, however, I am taming it down so as not to scare off KIM from flying.  Kim we have to work on you're flying issues because there is quilting history to explore and vintage everything to see here.

Excerpts from my journal-

I Am Leaving On a Jet Plane

Grand children here we come. (DH and me.)

Been people watching right out of the car door at the airport.  People dumping cups of coffee, water before they head up to the security check point.  Yesterday, some “idiot” on a flight from Washington DC to Denver decided that he wanted to have a smoke in the lavatory.  Well, that has put most security screeners on high alert (and I am glad that they are).  Everything went well through security, you know the usual disrobing, jamming all your carry on possessions into grey trays as they roll along (quickly) and I was still struggling with my belt as my trays went into the scanner….  

Oh, you will be interested in this little tidbit of information:
  Being a stitcher, there is no way that I am not traveling without a stitchery.  I  settled on a Tea Towel that I am making a set of for our DIL (my Daughter in Heart), and the question of the day, what to bring to cut my thread?  So “wondering minds” came up with the Clover round circle that houses a razor blade inside of the casing.  There are tiny slots on the outer circle edges, no chance of cutting myself or anyone for that matter.  It kind of looks pretty with the antiqued flowers in the metal and it has a nice clasp that I threaded a ribbon through.  I cut the ribbon the length of a long pendant, tied a knot to join the ends of the ribbon, wore it around my neck as a necklace, and never set off one bell or whistle.  I also have a blunt one inch blade travel scissors, that I thought might be taken from me, but at least in Sacramento, on April the 8^th, 2010, at 5:15 am no body thought that I was a threat to National  Security.  Yes, and I stitched happily ever after on the flights.

Our flight left at 6:10 am this morning.  We had to deplane in Vegas and the last leg of the flight (5 hours) is over the heartland of America.  We have seen Pikes Peek, and the area that inspired the author of America The Beauty.  Heading over Kansas it was time for me to get up and walk (don’t want any blood clots…) and for a little pit stop.  I have never appreciated the size of the bathrooms on a plane, today being the exception.  Just as I was squeezed in, knee caps on the door, back on the wall behind me, there was an urgent, “All passengers are to return to their seats immediately!” No curiosity Ladies and Gentlemen we are going to be experiencing some turbulence, please be seated and fasten your seat belts.  Oh, No!  I was in a situation that I was not going anywhere.... As my life passed before my eyes, I thought that this is another in my life of experiencing…. I was already seated... and just hung on. It was instant!  On one such turbulence I had to look down at my feet to make sure they were still on the floor of the bathroom, they were, yet I felt like I was suspended well above where I was firmly seated and hanging on for dear life.  Ever been there, done that?  It was a wild ride and when I thought that the turbulence was subsiding, I ventured to stand up.  Well, it was arms on the walls, try to get the water going for hand washing, water slipping up the sides of the sink, managing to avoid water and hand soap suspended in the air, anchoring my feet on the floor and pushing my back against the wall.  Reaching for a paper towel was a joke.  It felt like I was reaching for them and when my hand got there they were not right where I thought my eye and hand thought that they were.  While I still could stand, I opened the door, was catapulted across the little galley at the tail of the plane and had an out of body experience walking back to my seat.  It was like crawling on my stomach on the ground, only I was standing and dragging myself, arms and legs, from one seat to another until I reached my seat - the middle seat between a father and son (10 year old).  (Another story there.)  While the father of the son got up out into the isle, anchored himself using all fours and his derrière, I crawled into my set strapped myself in, and prayed for the father, who hit his knee caps several times, as he got back into his seat.  I was sure he was going to howler in pain, from the look of the wincing on his face.  He retrieved  his book, the son closed his mouth, plugged in his  IPod, I found my book and we enjoyed the rest of the ride, firmly strapped in for the next while.  

Later - I am safely strapped in as we fly over another state, and another announcement just came from the captain with a warning of possible turbulence.  Nothing will ever match the bronco ride I had in the bathroom and back to my seat.

Our largest suitcase is full of “things” for the chicklets.  Then there is a suitcase devoted to stitcheries, maps (of the areas we want to go see) and books of the areas we want to go see.

I am quite proud of the fact that we each only have one of those small suitcases with the clothes we “think” that we will need for our various outings with the family.  


Days later - we eat, sleep and drink in the joys of grand parenting with our two little ones.  I was saying to my DH that I never felt old in my life until we came to visit here.  Usually I can keep up with the best of them, however, it ain't happening here.


Well, I am off to see how the troupes are doing.  I feel guilty stealing away to have gotten this off.


I hope that you are enjoying this lovely April day.