Patty, are you at a higher elevation in New Mexico for the summer? I've challenged my truck and SUV brakes on several occasions in that state - such as driving down from Bandolier, where there is one pass that smells like burned rubber near the bottom if you're following folks who are riding their brakes. (Years ago I worked in the Great Smoky Mountains where we talked to people about how to drive over the pass from Sugarlands to Clingman's Dome and down into North Carolina, suggesting they downshift the automatic to LOW to avoid some of that). I would not want to make any of those drives without separate brakes on the trailer! Like Charmion says, that is a thing of nightmares.

Last night I practiced another of the techniques I've been exploring for "crumb quilting," and have concluded that while some folks say "don't trim the crumbs, use them as they are," the offcuts from mask making have a couple of unusual angles that don't lend themselves well to piecing. I'll set up the rotary cutter and ruler and straighten some of these and see if I can't get a broader mix of colors in my test samples.

I thought I'd get smart and see if the public library has any DVDs of some of the PBS programs (Best of Sewing with Nancy, Love of Quilting by Fons and Porter), etc. that I want to use for techniques and ideas, but mostly they have print books. (Go figure!) One has an e-magazine that I could check out on the tablet to use in the sewing room. When I narrow the search to electronic results it shows murder mysteries with sewing and quilting in the title. There are quite a few! I'm trying to get out of the magazines on paper routine, there is too much paper around here already.

The time has come to start researching Internet providers. The two-year discount I'd forgotten I set up with Spectrum is running out in June and the bill will jump. Considering the improvement in speed and the advent of fiber optic in the neighborhood (and they say they won't raise the price) I may have to reconsider AT&T. Ugg.