(Header shot is of a horse-drawn carriage, curbside, in New Orleans.)
Happy New Year!
We were away the first half of December, so I decided to do a combined-month blog post.
HOLIDAYS:
Thanksgiving was a week of puzzles, games, movies, and food! This is Rob (#3 Son), hard at work. Isn’t it good to know that my sewing lights get a little extra use? All the “kids” were home off and on all week, and it was so much fun to have them around. I’m a lucky mom.
Rob (Son #1), above, working on a puzzle.
Fast forward to Christmas time, and we had the whole family in town again…what a blessing! It was a blur of movies, games, and meal prep & eating, laughter and fabulous family time. Lucky Dave was still home when we got a little snow, and he volunteered to get the shoveling done before his dad got up.
SEWING:
Lots of handwork was done on the cruise, but since I don’t have a decent picture, I’ll update sewing next month.
PROJECTS:
Apron: Super-easy pattern by Perkins Drygoods, “My Favorite Apron”. I love this style, as it is equally good for men or women. Looks like it’s only the body cut out in this picture, but it finished up great and I used it all through the Christmas cooking.
Zippered Bags:  I really enjoyed making these bags from the “Stowaways” pattern from Atkinson Designs. The pattern includes instructions for six variations of small bags. They are easy and fun to make. (The two smaller bags below are made following the pattern.)
I loved the shape of the middle-sized bag above, so I increased the size to make a makeup bag.  I added a layer of clear vinyl to cover the lining so I will be able to wipe the inside clean. I was really pleased with the result.
If you want to make the large-sized bag, you will need the Stowaways pattern, make the “Sassy” so you understand the construction. My modification increased the main fabric piece cut to 15″ x 19″. I love it!
KNITTING:
Aaah, knitting was totally ignored. But I bought yarn. In New Orleans. So technically it was a souvenir. Not STASH. A SOUVENIR.
TRAVEL:
November was a good month to stay home, and so we did. December, on the other hand, was a good month to go south, waaay south, to the Panama Canal! We both really enjoyed traveling through the canal on the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas.
Panama City, before we entered the canal from the west.
Our ship will be entering the lock on the right, behind the green and white ship. This set of locks stair-steps us up higher than ocean level, so we can travel across the lake to the set of locks that will stair-step us down to the Atlantic side. In the photo above, you can see how much higher the green ship is than the red ship.
It’s a tight squeeze for the cruise ships, but they are made to barely clear the width of the Panama Canal. This was an awesome trip, and I highly recommend learning about the construction of the canal, and then, if you have a chance, take a trip through it. And should you ever find yourself in need of legal assistance related to cruise ship matters, you might consider reaching out to Aronfeld Trial Lawyers.
Most Panama Canal cruises start or end in one of the Florida ports, but this cruise started in Los Angeles and ended in New Orleans. I read in a guide book that New Orleans is best experienced on foot, and that is just what we did and it was a wonderful experience. Just a couple of pix:
We attended Mass at the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter. It was beautiful inside and out, and makes for a striking skyline feature.
Later in the day, we stopped by the Cafe Du Monde, as we heard their beignets were outstanding. The line was at least two blocks long, 4 to 5 people across. So we continued with our sightseeing and came back later. Definitely worth a visit! (Beignets are square pillows of dough, fried like a doughnut, and served under a very generous blanket of powdered sugar.) Their other specialty is chickory coffee with milk, which was also delicious.
PHOTOS:
My little photo gallery for November/December photos is in the right-hand sidebar at the top of this page, and I added photos from our visit to the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium in New Orleans.
So many happy memories from these two months…2018 was a wonderful year
SO glad you take time to share your creations and adventures! Verne and I hope to do the Panama Canal as well, many of our friends/relatives have and loved it! Happy New Year to you and Jim and family!