Friends

I haven't seen my friend Lucie since we moved from Ontario to Nova Scotia almost four years ago.  A lot of water has flowed under the proverbial bridge since then.

Lucie and I were best crafting buddies and we used to get together several times a week over copious cups of tea to stitch, craft, paint, hexie and whatever else struck our fancy at the time.  We loved to surprise each other with our own hand crafted gifts and "stuff" that we had picked up on our travels.

We moved and subsequently lost touch for a couple of years.  Then I became ill and the weeks, months and years passed by much too quickly.  During this time and unbeknownst to me, Lucie was following my blog and knew about my health issues.

A couple of months ago, Lucie took the initiative to contact me and we've been in contact almost every day since.  Even though the miles separate us, we seem to have picked up right where we left off and have been exchanging hand made gifts and quilting/craft related surprises through the mail.

Earlier this week, Lucie and her husband Pierre came to visit for a couple of days by taking a very long detour while on their way to attend a wedding in Prince Edward Island.  While Mr. Painted Quilt and Pierre went sight seeing, Lucie and I hit the local quilt shop and rug hooking studio and she did her best to improve the local economy.

Lucie and I have the same tastes in decorating which transcends itself to fabric and "stuff" as well.  We never have a problem finding goodies to buy for one another, and this visit proved to be no exception.

Would you like to see all the goodies that Lucie gifted to me?

Of course you would!

Let me unpack the bag.

Look at the fabric...and this is not all of it!

Some novelty, sewing-themed fabric from which I have already cut out a project that I'm going to make for each of us...

And some Jo Morton Civil War fabric.  L-O-V-E that cheddar!

And doo-dads.  We both love doo-dads.

Buttons, tags and lots and lots of other "stuff".  

One can never have too much STUFF!

Our two day visit was over much too quickly.  We have plans to meet up at the Vermont Quilt Festival next June and of course to continue messaging one another on our iPads and surprising each other with gifts in the mail.  On Sunday mornings when we're both available, we have a standing "Facetime" date where we'll share what we've accomplished with the projects we're working on...except for designated surprises, of course.

At the end of two days, we bid each other a fond "adieu", not goodbye.  True friends are a blessing and I am indeed blessed to have Lucie as a friend.

Happy stitching!