Home From Vacation

Hubby & I explored Western Montana with our 5th wheel all of last week - sure saw some pretty country! We stayed in my favorite campground for two days where I could hear the breeze blowing through the trees, smell the pine in the air, and listen to the gurgle of this small stream all night long - loved it!

Our truck rides too rough to do any stitching on the road, but each evening when we parked I was able to do a little work on these small hexie flowers - - -

- - - and I got nine more stars done on my hooked table runner - only six more to go, plus a piano key border at each end.

It's kinda funny how I was seeing planted wheelbarrows wherever we went! I saw these at Flathead Lake all lined up on the lawn alongside the road we were travelling. There were a few more scattered throughout the yard too.

And there were two of these outside a junk shop in Helena that we stopped at.

Now I'm on the lookout for a few more for my own yard! I've had this one for many years under the trees by my front door.

Hooked rugs are rarely seen here in the west, but I spotted this one at an antique store in a very small town called Choteau. It was priced at only $50, but I didn't love it enough to buy it. The hooking was completed but the edge hadn't been finished yet. The tag said it was needlework so I educated the proprietor a little about rug hooking before I left.

One of the things I usually dread about camping is mosquito bites! I always seem to have a bad time with them - they turn red and swell up terribly - and the itching drives me crazy for at LEAST an entire week!

I've been learning about the benefits of using essential oils lately, and when I read that lavender oil applied to a mosquito bite will help it feel better, I decided to pack my bottle and give it a try. WOW! What a difference it made! I applied a small amount each time I was bit and almost immediately I found relief! They healed quickly and and the itching stopped completely. I'll never travel without it again. I used doTERRA brand, but I'm sure any of them will work the same way. Just thought I'd pass that info along to anyone who might benefit from it too!

We got a late start on our garden in the spring, but we are finally eating zucchini and the green beans and corn will be on soon - YUM!