Bye Bye America - Hello Australia

Flat Susan is now leaving America and Darnell got her to write all about her adventures back in The Bay area of California.

May 10, 2014

Dear Diary,

Today I started a new chapter in my book of travels around the world. I started out from the United Kingdom a year ago to meet friends of my sponsor, Anita (Neet) Hickson of Hickydorums. Neet has made me my own website where you can find all the chapters of my book here. This time I asked Darnell if I could write about my visit in my own words, which she is allowing me to do.*

I had a lovely sleep in my suitcase traveling from New Mexico. At first the rustle of packaging and tissue and tape is very faint as it stirs me from my slumber, but as my eyelids flutter and rise, the sound excites my mind to high alert. It can only mean I am about to meet a new friend!

My matchbox bed was slowly slid open and this is what I saw:

"Hello, little Flat Susan," she said, "Happy first Birthday and welcome to my home!"

Her name is Darnell and she lives in the Bay Area of Northern California. She looks like she is pleased to see me. She talks quite a lot and laughs a lot, too. I like that.

Darnell lives in a Big House and she makes cards in a Little House which she calls the Playhouse. I thought it was super cute! A while back she made a replica of the Playhouse which turned out to be just the right size for me! The bird on top looks a bit scary, being just over my head like, if you know what I mean, but he only chirped happily.

~~~

Today we had our first outing to meet Darnell's son Daniel, his wife Rachel, and their twin boys Adam and Henry. Everyone took pictures with me.

That always happens. I think I am as well photographed as a movie star and the truth is, these friends of Neet's make me feel just like a movie star!

The twins thought it would be great fun if I went for a ride in Adam's paper airplane. Whoa boy, I'm not gonna lie, I almost lost my lunch!

The boys were pretty good sports about having me join them, but as you can see below, they weren't that thrilled about me because I am a "stinky ol' girl!"

Henry said, "Why couldn't it be a boy. Why does it have to be a Flat Sally?"

(Sally? He sure takes after his grandmother when it comes to mixing up names and words!) I just smiled because I know it won't be long before they stop thinking that girls are stinky!

~~~

Today we went for a spin around San Francisco. Darnell held me out the window while she took a picture of me against the skyline. Are you seriously kidding me? If my dress flew off, I'd be a goner! I think tonight I might write a letter to Neet and stick it in my matchbox so she can find it in case I turn up mangled and dead from my visit with these people!

I have to admit it is a beautiful City and the weather was gorgeous. 

Here we are at the base of the world famous Coit Tower. At least we were on our feet and not flying over a bridge!

Driving along the coast, we stopped at an overlook to see this incredible view:

I turned around to get a better look. That's a long way down!

It took a while, but we made it to the bottom so I could walk on the sand. I know it looks like I'm sitting in the water getting my bottom wet, but that's just conjecture. I'm actually standing on the heels of my shoes, so I don't get my toes wet.

~~~

Today we did a lot of errands, so it was kind of boring, but there were some highlights. For instance, it was exciting to ride in Kevin and Darnell's new truck, which had a compartment just for me.

AND, it turns out that it had a PHONE, so I could call overseas to Neet! (Don't tell them I did that!)

After my phone call, I moved over to the door to be in the shade. What happened next was a huge surprise for me and a certain polar bear who had his hibernation interrupted!

I introduced myself and he told me his name was Jingle. He normally only wakes up for Christmas time and helps Darnell clean the chimney for Santa, which explains why he was so dirty. After that he rides around in the car during December, hanging onto the rear-view mirror. We got better acquainted.

We practiced some cheerleading routines I used to know as a girl.

He was a sweet polar bear. I told him he'd better get back to hibernating or he'd be a bear to live with.

I was a bit shattered, too, from all that excitement, so I took a little rest myself.

~~~

Today we went to one of the boys' Little League games and I was delighted to meet the Granddog, Duke.

You think Duke looks scared of me, don't you? What a face!

But, no, that's hunger in those eyes! Darnell still hasn't noticed that I'm missing . . . aah, thank goodness, she did notice!

Just kidding! My leg is there, I was just stretching it out of the way in case, the Dukester was the bitey type. Which I'm glad to say he wasn't.

~~~

When we got home I lounged around with Froggie and Yabut. Longtime follower's of Darnell's blog know all about Froggie. Yabut is a fairly new member of the family. He was inadvertently named by the twins. Every time Darnell would suggest a name, one of the boys would disagree by starting each sentence (as children are wont to do) with the words, "Yeah, but ... ." Finally, Darnell threw up her hands and said, "Hey, how 'bout we call him Yabut?!" and so they did.

~~~

Today was a fun day spent with Kevin, or "The Mister" ~ the endearment Darnell uses for him. I enjoyed my time with him in the garage which is his motorcycle Playhouse.

I'm leaning against the windscreen. Here is a close-up:

It was quite a thrill going on one of his rides, but I felt quite safe tucked up in his pocket.

~~~

Today was spent in the Playhouse with Darnell. To start off, I spent some time quietly contemplating my navel while she caught up on some emails.

Then I was introduced to other critters who are a big part of Darnell's life. Here is a recap, along with Miss Elaine E. Us:

First and foremost, here is Hammy the hamster. Or rather a fact simile of Hammy. The real Hammy is that part of Darnell's brain which keeps her grounded and focused and sparks her creativity when she goes off track and out of focus. He was adorable!

Here is Fred E. Rick, the frog toothpick holder. (He got a little handsy.)

Here is Que the squirrel sent to Darnell by her big sister, Diana. It's rare for me to meet a critter smaller than me, so this was a real treat!

Here I am with Flo and Flatulence. These frogs have been friends of Darnell's for more than 20 years! (She sure likes frogs!)

Here I am perched on u. These F.U.N. word blocks were also a gift from by Diana. I think they are perfect for the Playhouse!

Oh, and please! I had to share this item with you! When I saw it, I laughed my head off. This is a DIET FORK. Darnell received this from Diana, too (she's very generous). The things people think to create! Fortunately, I've always managed to keep my slim figure without needing such a utensil!

Lastly, here I am posed next to Darnell's favorite rules to live by which she keeps on her window sill to remind her every day of the six simple ways to get the most out of life. This wonderful work of art was lovingly made by Darnell's friend Annie. Do you love how I am almost camel flogged against the frame?

~~~

Today was just the most fun! Darnell's friends got together to say goodbye to one of their group who is moving to the East coast. Her name is Sara and she is originally from the UK, so it was a thrill to meet a fellow countrywoman! It was wonderful to partake in a real English afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones and clotted cream.

Heavenly!

Here are all the ladies sporting hats. (Since it was just for fun, 

the hats came from the inexpensive little girls' department.)

~~~

Today was my last day at Darnell's. It was important that we try and come up with ideas for the What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday's ATC Swap which is rapidly approaching on May 28th, the 5th anniversary of WOYWW! 

Here I am in the middle of the outstanding ATCs which Darnell received last year. Darnell and I hoped  this little exercise would spark some ideas. Not.

Here I am amid some Dee Tritus that Darnell strew about, again hoping it would spark some ideas. Not. Sadly, my time with her has come to an end, but I have every confidence she will create a terrific ATC design without me.

~~~

As the day wound down, Darnell took a picture of me enjoying the backyard while Kevin made us wodka martinis. We enjoyed the cool evening remisinging about my visit.

~~~

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my time with Darnell. I sure have enjoyed my time with her and I look forward to joining you again from my next stop in Australia!

New Mexico with Kay

and this is what Kay had to say.

Hello all.  I've had the best time playing "tourist" with my house guest, Flat Susan.  She arrived safely and hasn't stopped talking about all her adventures.  She's the perfect house guest, as you can imagine.  

Our first stop was at a yard sale that my friend, Alyce was having.  She always has neat stuff and I wanted to introduce her to Flat Susan.  She's one of my besties in the world.

 

  

Another one of my besties and I went to Santa Fe to show Flat Susan a few of the sites.  I must admit, by the end of the day we were all tired.  Along the way Flat Susan had a little accident as her leg fell off.  I'm so glad she came with a First Aid Kit!  I'm happy to report that she made it through the operation and has two legs, once again.

Poppy, my conure, needed some food so we stopped at Feathered Friends.  While we were there we said hello to the birds. 

My friend Lisa with Flat Susan.

We ate lunch at Tomasita's restaurant.  Tomasita’s is a Santa Fe tradition serving classic Northern New Mexican Cuisine. The restaurant has been locally owned and operated for over 40 years.  Santa Fe locals have consistently voted Tomasita’s Best Red Chile, Best Green Chile, Best Margaritas and Best New Mexican Restaurant.

Flat Susan wanted to go swimming in the salsa but I said it might not be a good idea.

Like any good tourist, she was ready to sample everything. Here's a taco, green chile relleno, enchilada, beans and rice.

These are called sopapillas.  That's honey butter right behind Flat Susan.
She wanted to take one home to use as a bed.  Silly girl.

Our lovely waitress.  She loved meeting Flat Susan, who is so well traveled.

We then went to St. Francis Cathedral.  St. Francis of Assisi is the founder of the Franciscan Order. He is the Patron Saint of Santa Fe, New Mexico as well as The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Animals and the Environment.

I took this photo from inside the church.  Isn't the stained glass beautiful!

Close up of Flat Susan in the hand of St. Francis.

On the Plaza Flat Susan had to go into this shop.  I think it was the name that caught her eye.

She got a little wild.  At one point she was so taken with a squash blossom necklace that she rode it like, well, a maverick!

She loved this one too but refrained from trying it on.

Santa Fe fashion - turquoise jewelry and a concho belt.

From there we walked to the Guadalupe Rubber Stamp.  You can visit themHERE.  Lee, the owner, was there to greet us.  We had a great time and no, I didn't walk out of there empty handed!

Flat Susan was so excited that she kept moving, hence the blurry photo.

The next two photos are of the native americans selling their wares on the Plaza.  You can find some good bargains and it's nice buying from the artisan.

From here we drove to Hobby Lobby.  I bought a few more things here too.  This is where Flat Susan lost her leg (well, I found it on the floor).  I didn't take any photos inside the store.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post.  I certainly had a wonderful time with Flat Susan!

Northern Virginia - Staying with Susie

I was very excited when Flat Susan made her way up the East Coast to join me in Centreville, VA.

Centreville is about 20 miles due west of Washington DC.  Several battles of the Civil War were fought nearby.  For our first adventure, we visited the National Park in Manassas, the location of the First Battle of Bull Run where Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson got his nickname. 

“There is Jackson, standing like a Stonewall!” said Brigadeer-General Barnard E. Bee.

We did not have time to pop into the Winery at Bull Run, which is just about 3 miles from my house. There are actually a lot of wineries in Virginia and FS and I discussed doing a tour of them should she ever have a chance to come back for another visit!

We took advantage of an unseasonably warm day and drove into Washington DC to visit my favorite monument, the Jefferson Memorial.  It is located on the tidal basin and in just a matter of weeks it will be surrounded by Cherry Blossoms in full bloom. 

Here is the statue of Thomas Jefferson on the inside...

FS insisted that she wanted one of the two of us... 

You can just see her pinned to my black and white blouse - what was I thinking?!?

FS just loved the Jefferson Memorial, and also got a pretty good look at the Washington Monument as we drove past.

You may see the scaffolding encasing the lower half…they are just finishing the repairs from damage caused by an earthquake in 2011.

A friend had hockey tickets she was unable to use and shared them with my husband and I.  Flat Susan had never been to a real hockey game...although we watched some of the games on the Olympics together...and she was very excited to join us!

 The tickets also included a meet and greet with 2 members of the Washington Capitals professional hockey team.  Here you can see FS and I collecting autographs from Michael Neuvirth and Connor Carrick!

I think Susan’s arrival from North Carolina had been delayed due to one of the big snowstorms we experienced here in the Mid-Atlantic in February. Her trip from NC took more than a week!  The good news was that meant there was snow in the mountains just over the border in Pennsylvania.  FS was a good sport and decided to join us.  In fact she really took over the navigation for us !

We changed our GPS voice selection so that it spoke with a female voice with a British accent  J which was just silly fun! 

I will tell you that FS braved the double black diamond runs at Whitetail Ski Resort, but drew the line at entering the terrain park!

While FS was here we also visited a couple of local shops.  We stopped into Angela’s HappyStamper in Reston, VA.  FS thought I might like one of these stamps…and I could tell she was really starting to appreciate my sense of humor!

We checked out the canvases in the back of the shop – everybody who works there has one.  They were created by the fabulous Claudine Hellmuth!

Plenty of samples around for inspiration!

My artsy and oh-so-talented  friends Karen Bearse and Deborah Mahnken with Flat Susan.

The local scrapbook store, Scrapbooks Plus, was offering classes by the fabulous Jen Starr!  My schedule did not allow me to take any of her classes this time, but we did pop in to say hello.  Jen was quite tickled to meet FS.  

We said hello to the whole class...

  ...looked over several shoulders to see what kind of inky goodness was happening...

...and checked out some of Jen's sample canvases: 

We also did some shopping and may have left with one or all of these products!

 My friend Joy was working the register at Scrapbooks Plus and FS insisted on a photo with her!

Our last big hurrah was a party!  Flat Susan joined me at a friend’s house for her annual Oscar Party!  

Things kicked off at 6pm with appetizers and champagne while we watched the red carpet arrivals. 

We think Ellen did a good job hosting the show and we stayed until the very end!  Fabulous evening!

Flat Susan had a tiara for the evening!

Flat Susan is on her way to visit Kay in New Mexico.  We really enjoyed her visit to Northern Virginia and hope you had fun reading about her adventures!