Finally!  Both time to post, and a finished project!  Last week was a whirlwind.  I went to Susanville after work on Thursday (a nice drive, but I forgot what it was like to drive in the dark in the mountains - it had been a while!)  Friday morning, Mom, Alli and I headed to Reno for some shopping.  Our first stop - Ben Franklin's - was a major disappointment in two ways - they are closing!!!  Everything was 40% off, which was nice - I stocked up on some yarn for decorating gloves for Christmas, but they didn't have any thread.  I was looking for a specific color - I had a doily done except for about 8 inches around on the last row.  I needed Aunt Lydia's Copper Mist, and no one in Redding had the color.  Neither did Ben Franklin's.  Bummer!  I did manage to spend $43.00 on yarn though - not bad!  We drove all over Reno looking for furniture for Mom, and thread for me.  /we didn't find what Mom was looking for, but I did find what I was looking for - at Joanne's.  I finished up my doily last night and pinned it out.  It is about 24 inches across - I didn't measure it exactly, but my blocking board is 25 inches across, and it covered most of the board.

After our Reno trip, I had pizza with Cindy and Susan at Mom's house - it was nice to have a chance to catch up a little bit.  Susan lives in Redding, but I don't see her much.  She spends a lot of her 'weekends' in Susanville, so I usually catch up with her there.  Cindy lives over by Reno, and I don't see much of her either!

Saturday was Mom's last meeting as Worthy Matron in Eastern Star.  She had the '1876 Team' come in and do the opening and closing ceremony the way that is was done at that time, complete with rocking chairs.  I had not seen it before, and it was very interesting.  I did agree to take an office for next year - as long as they understood that I wouldn't always be at the meetings.  Mom has been providing the refreshments for most of the year, and since we had a lot of visitors (the entire 1876 Team) she had done sandwiches before the meeting, and soup and sandwiches after the meeting.  I don't mind the cooking and prep work, but cleaning up after the meeting is a pain!  I'm glad that 'we' won't be in charge of that next year!

I stayed overnight at Mom's and came home Sunday morning.  A beautiful drive, and I saw antelope in the Bogart area!  The first time in years that I had seen them there.  How cool!  Alli was great the whole trip, but I think she was very happy to be home.  She rocked so hard in her chair, I was afraid she was going to send it through the wall!  Everything was back to normal.