Preparing for International Travel Part I: Medical Stuff

My husband and I are going to Central America next week and to South America this summer. I had heard people mention taking anti-malarials before traveling to Africa, but that was about all I knew regarding medical preparations for traveling. Turns out that when you're going to a tropical area, you're at risk for all kinds of unpleasant diseases. I was immunized for hepatitis A, yellow fever, and typhoid. I had already had the hepatitis B vaccine and a recent tetanus booster, or I would have needed to get those, too. Plus I received two different prescriptions for anti-malarial antibiotics; the one that works in Central America doesn't work in South America, so I needed two different ones. I start taking the anti-malarials a few days before leaving and continue taking them at least a week after I get back. Finally, I have a prescription for a third antibiotic to take in case I develop "traveler's diarrhea." I'm hoping that all these vaccinations and medications will help keep me healthy while I'm traveling!

My First Quilt

My sister-in-law quilts, and I made my first attempt at quilting in early 2006. I got sick of cutting out triangles and then I got busy with real-life obligations, so I never did finish that quilt. I took up quilting again in fall 2008 when I decided to make a quilt to put on the bed for the holidays. With Ellen's support and encouragement, I finished this quilt in November. The pattern is from http://www.byannie.com/ and it uses a single block strip-pieced from fat quarters. It was a great quilt for a beginner -- fast and easy. I quilted in the ditch around the big blocks; I was in a hurry to get it done (and quilting for the first time was hard enough without trying anything fancy). I did all the piecing and quilting by machine. The pillow shams are made from the backing fabric, which is also included in some of the blocks in the quilt.

Welcome to Leisurely Pursuits

This blog is dedicated to my favorite activities, including quilting, knitting, photography, yoga, travel, birding, wine tasting, and spending time with friends and family. I look forward to sharing my hobbies, and I hope you enjoy this blog!