My Spring and Summer Recap

Hey there!  It's been a while, right?  How have you been?  If memory serves correctly, the last time we "talked", I was sharing with you with the process I used to create my pattern storage boxes.  Yeah...I still gotta finish that lesson, don't I?  Let me know if you're still interested in how I assemble and finish them...I'd be glad to share the remaining steps in the process with you.

If you recall, I was still at home recovering from surgery in January.  Well, I returned to my full-time job at the end of February and almost immediately began a busy travel schedule for work.  Between March and August, I've made multiple trips to Jackson, MS as well as Charleston, SC, Chicago and Alpharetta, GA.

Traveling for work can be grueling, and the worst part is time spent away from family and favorite activities which make life enjoyable.  So, what made me feel better about the sacrifices?  FOOD!  I ate quite well, thanks in part to the meal per diem allowance Comcast provides to travelling employees.

While in Jackson, MS, I dined multiple times at Drago's Seafood Restaurant.  This small chain of restaurants started in Louisiana, with the Jackson location being its third.  In fact, the Jackson spot had recently celebrated its grand opening prior to my visit.  They offer an excellent menu of fresh seafood choices, and easily the best cheesecake I've ever had.

Drago's in Jackson, MS

I also enjoyed dining at Bonefish, both in Madison, MS and North Charleston, SC.

Bonefish Grill in Madison, MS

While at the Madison, MS office, Comcast held a bar-be-que luncheon for call center agents in the Tech Support department.  The luncheon was catered by Penn's - apparently well known in the area - and was rounded out by music and games.  Fun for all!!

I stayed at the Embassy Suites in Ridgeland - the safest hotel in the area because a flock of local police officers eat breakfast there.  By the way, the Ridgeland Embassy Suites had the best breakfast buffet choices.

bank parking lot next to Embassy Suites hotel, Madison, MS

While in Charleston, my husband and I ate at the Charleston Harbor Fish House located in Mt. Pleasant.

Our table sat just in front of the balcony opening.

We had a great view of the USS Clamagore aircraft carrier and setting sun...

...while enjoying an superb meal.  And, I had the best Dirty Martini ever!  The olives they use are stuffed with blue cheese and bacon!  I've had blue cheese-stuffed olives - but bacon?!!  Gotta find these for home use.

We opted to drive home from Charleston instead of flying.  It was a lengthy trip, but absolutely beautiful, especially while driving through the mountains in Virginia and West Virginia.

East River Mountain tunnel

During my Chicago trip, I actually stayed in Schaumburg where my family and I dined at the Midieval Times.  I didn't know what to expect, but we had a great time and really good meal.

...wouldn't be dinner without wine!

And, while in Alpharetta, GA I dined at Papadeaux Seafood Kitchen where I enjoyed an excellent array of seafood and dessert choices.

Oh, yeah...with all of that "work" travel, I almost forgot that our "official" family vacation was spent in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada at the African Lion Safari.

To top off my summer, I celebrated my 50th birthday with family and friends.  My family went all out to make this event memorable...and it truly was.  What a great birthday weekend I had!!

Left to right - my aunt Marie-Claude; me; my hubby; my son Emanuel; his girlfriend Lauren; my son Etaune; my aunt Francoise; my godfather Arnell.

I was finally able to establish "roots" at home when I began facilitating a New Hire class in Michigan this past August.  So, my spring and summer were pretty busy.  And while I didn't get much actual sewing done, I did feed the sewing need by fabric and pattern shopping during my various trips.  I've also worked on a couple of projects to make my Sewing Room a special place in which to spend time.  I plan to share those details with you very soon.

So, that's about it.  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to chat with you all again real soon.

Be blessed!

Aisha