Stress Line

Followers of my blog have heard me speak of my journeys to my little cabin in the woods (lcitw). My lcitw is a retreat located in a northern region of the dairy state. This is where I go to escape from the rigors of daily life. The journey to this escape takes multiple hours via automobile.

On one of our excursions I heard my husband announce that we had just crossed the, “Stress Line.” Being absorbed in my journaling I was not currently aware of our surroundings. Curious why he had said that I glanced up from my spiral notebook to take note of our location. Even after finding my bearings the meaning of his phrase did not ring a bell.

Out of curiosity I asked him to explain. With a smile on his face he shared his thoughts. “Stress Line” was the term people used to describe the geographical location, on our long journey, where the stress accompanied by daily routines is left behind. It is at that pinpoint on the map when relaxation begins to overtake/overcome tense muscles and clenched jaws and replaces them with smiles and a sense of relaxation.

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His explanation was not at all what I had expected. Stress line for me conjures up images of earthquake fault lines or stress fractures. I had never thought of using those two words in that context. The usage made complete sense after he explained it.

Now every time I cross that line I think of those two words and remember that moment in my life with a smile and a chuckle.

Do you have a stress line? If so, where is it?

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16 Quilts

My husband and I just finished a six day respite at our little cabin in the woods (lcitw). Before heading north we often make an outline of the items or activities we might like to experience. Favorite restaurants, reading and movies are among our usual selections. No matter how much effort we invest in our planning it is always amazing how much time we spend sleeping.

We live a fairly fast-paced life style which takes a toll on us. Paying attention to and managing the fatigue that often ensues takes an intentional focus. The visits to our lcitw help to abate the cycle through rest and relaxation. The down time or sleep usually sneaks in during our first 48 hours. It is not until we find ourselves refreshed that we realize how much we needed to rest.

As we prepare for our trips we gather together the supplies we need to accomplish our goals. If our intent is to eradicate weeds or give our lcitw a bath we might bring with a rake, a weed trimmer and a ladder.

Included in the tubs of supplies traveling with us this time were 16 quilts of all sizes. All 16 had already been quilted and surrounded by either a binding or facing. The last step to be completed was hand stitching. This trip was a perfect opportunity to accomplish that task.

My hope was to at least finish half of the quilts. Much to my surprise I thankfully and very proudly can announce that all 16 are done. Over the next several posts I will give each one its final spotlight.

Thank you for visiting!

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Phew!

Oh my goodness driving here was quite the adventure!!

We have been very blessed this winter. We’ve had a few stretches of super, super frigid temperatures yet a very limited number of snow falls. We even had a stretch of balmy temps in February. As luck would have it, the first day of March came in like a lion, which if I were all cozy and warm in my studio wouldn’t have been an issue. But, as you know, this was a travel day. The snow and slush and mess were more than I had wanted to deal with. All that yucky stuff delayed our arrival time by sixty minutes. I was so thankful when we arrived.

Here’s proof of the snowy mess we drove through.

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Not long after we arrived the car was unpacked and my sewing space was all ready to go.

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It looks nice and tidy now but wait until Sunday when everything is packed. The floor and all the surrounding surfaces will be covered in lint, threads and tiny fabric pieces.

Time to get to work!  :o)

Cindy Anderson