Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
And fresh from the garden:
Lettuce! We had a lovely salad this evening with our own lettuce. That means I won't be buying that expensive, tired stuff from WalMart for several months! Yay!
Tonight, Adam has a session meeting, and I'm taking Philip to Hickory to buy a vest and tie to go with his tux for prom. All his friends and their dates are going too, and it looks like it will be a wonderful evening. HOPEFULLY, I'll get a picture or two, but since I won't be seeing him and his date, I'll have to trust that Philip, The Great Photographer, will be sure to send me a few. The whole pack of them are probably going to a nice spot together to take dozens of shots.
Tonight, Adam has a session meeting, and I'm taking Philip to Hickory to buy a vest and tie to go with his tux for prom. All his friends and their dates are going too, and it looks like it will be a wonderful evening. HOPEFULLY, I'll get a picture or two, but since I won't be seeing him and his date, I'll have to trust that Philip, The Great Photographer, will be sure to send me a few. The whole pack of them are probably going to a nice spot together to take dozens of shots.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
It's NOT pretty...
But it was fun to do!
I mentioned the wrist warmers. Well, I decided to go ahead and give it a try. I'd never crocheted "in the round" before (or whatever they call it) - in a continuous circle. Here's the beginning.
Going up the wrist I first tightened the gauge (unintentionally) and then loosened it, as I approached the hand.
To obtain the slit for the thumb, I had to stop crocheting in a loop, and go back and forth for a number of rows. This is the widest part of the glove.
The finished product, such as it is. Not much to look at, but I enjoy crocheting to fit shapes, instead of just flat surfaces like afghans. I didn't want the top of the glove to impair the fingers from curving under, but did want a rounded portion to cover the knuckles on the back of the hand. The shape is exactly what I wanted. Now Julia wants a pair. I told her, maybe for winter. And maybe I'll be in better crocheting practice by then. I think it's been at least 2 years since I've crocheted.
I mentioned the wrist warmers. Well, I decided to go ahead and give it a try. I'd never crocheted "in the round" before (or whatever they call it) - in a continuous circle. Here's the beginning.
Going up the wrist I first tightened the gauge (unintentionally) and then loosened it, as I approached the hand.
To obtain the slit for the thumb, I had to stop crocheting in a loop, and go back and forth for a number of rows. This is the widest part of the glove.
The finished product, such as it is. Not much to look at, but I enjoy crocheting to fit shapes, instead of just flat surfaces like afghans. I didn't want the top of the glove to impair the fingers from curving under, but did want a rounded portion to cover the knuckles on the back of the hand. The shape is exactly what I wanted. Now Julia wants a pair. I told her, maybe for winter. And maybe I'll be in better crocheting practice by then. I think it's been at least 2 years since I've crocheted.
Chasing Childhood Memories
Another stop on our way home was Montreat College. In my childhood, I spent many summer weeks here at the PEF Conference, playing, freezing in Lake Susan, and dashing around in the evenings with other kids. It was lovely to see it again.
At the conference, we usually stayed in the South Carolina Home. I was young, and only remember a cool, long room where we played, read, and built houses of cards. And I recall the dining room where we ate breakfast, a low, long room at the bottom of the house where we ate donuts to our hearts' content. My friend Jean had to drive around twisty mountain roads to finally find this place. Why do we need the subtle resolution that happens when we see again a place from childhood?
At the conference, we usually stayed in the South Carolina Home. I was young, and only remember a cool, long room where we played, read, and built houses of cards. And I recall the dining room where we ate breakfast, a low, long room at the bottom of the house where we ate donuts to our hearts' content. My friend Jean had to drive around twisty mountain roads to finally find this place. Why do we need the subtle resolution that happens when we see again a place from childhood?
Folk Art Center
On the way home from our ladies' retreat, we stopped at the Folk Art Center just outside of Asheville.
A lady downstairs near the entrance was combining various colors of yard on this little contraption, before she did her knitting and crocheting. She made beautiful things, and I am all enthused and inspired to begin crocheting again. But how can I do it without that fabulous book I borrowed last time? (Mental note to ask Hunter for her book again... Did you hear that mental note, Hunter?) This lady made "wrist warmers," which are basically gloves that go a little farther up the arm, and leave the last inch of the fingertips showing. Loved them!
I should say that I DID see the "no photographs please" sign on the door of the center -- after I left! I also saw notices in the gift shop and in the upstairs exhibits. But I wasn't about to delete my photos of these other spots! Here is a gorgeous spinning wheel.
And here is a beautiful loom. I wish so badly that I knew how to work one of these. What fun, to make your own fabric!
Another lady near the front door was doing relief block printing, very fine work.
A lady downstairs near the entrance was combining various colors of yard on this little contraption, before she did her knitting and crocheting. She made beautiful things, and I am all enthused and inspired to begin crocheting again. But how can I do it without that fabulous book I borrowed last time? (Mental note to ask Hunter for her book again... Did you hear that mental note, Hunter?) This lady made "wrist warmers," which are basically gloves that go a little farther up the arm, and leave the last inch of the fingertips showing. Loved them!
I should say that I DID see the "no photographs please" sign on the door of the center -- after I left! I also saw notices in the gift shop and in the upstairs exhibits. But I wasn't about to delete my photos of these other spots! Here is a gorgeous spinning wheel.
And here is a beautiful loom. I wish so badly that I knew how to work one of these. What fun, to make your own fabric!
Another lady near the front door was doing relief block printing, very fine work.
Girl Time
These are some very fun chicks! We all went for an overnight ladies' retreat, just us chickens from our church. Big retreats can be beneficial, but small gatherings like this are more personable, and MUCH less expensive.
Our retreat was (as always) at Bonclarken, and we stayed at Carroll Cottage. It's a relaxing place.
I've posted many beautiful shots of Bonclarken before, and won't repeat them here. However, I think I finally found my FAVORITE house on the conference grounds! I don't know who lives here, but I sure would love to wake up to the sound of a rippling creek under my bed in the morning! Or eat breakfast to its cheery voice! Isn't it lovely? There are many large, new, impressive homes, there, but I personally prefer a little, old cabin like this.
Here's the latest building at Bonclarken. It's very nice. And Jean and Cheryl are lookin' good too!
Our retreat was (as always) at Bonclarken, and we stayed at Carroll Cottage. It's a relaxing place.
I've posted many beautiful shots of Bonclarken before, and won't repeat them here. However, I think I finally found my FAVORITE house on the conference grounds! I don't know who lives here, but I sure would love to wake up to the sound of a rippling creek under my bed in the morning! Or eat breakfast to its cheery voice! Isn't it lovely? There are many large, new, impressive homes, there, but I personally prefer a little, old cabin like this.
Here's the latest building at Bonclarken. It's very nice. And Jean and Cheryl are lookin' good too!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The Volvo
Adam has done a pile of work on our 1988 Volvo lately. Our goal is to get it to be a smooth-running family car again, albeit rather old. Right now, he's trying to remove brake calipers, the bolts for which have rusted on nicely in 20 years.
And Audrey has been getting some attention as well. Adam has completed his total repair of her wiring harness. She will be our traveling car. The only trouble is, that neither of these cars has working A/C, and it's expensive to fix. Driving this summer could be sweaty! Our plan is to sell the nice van we've been driving -- eliminating debt.
For the past several days, our neighbors' gorgeous tree has been losing its blossoms, and laid a pink carpet near our bird bath.
Peter and Julia still occasionally play outside together. Peter's rope swing broke, but he can still get a handle on it. They invented a game called "Monkey and Hunter." I don't understand it all, but they really like it.
And Audrey has been getting some attention as well. Adam has completed his total repair of her wiring harness. She will be our traveling car. The only trouble is, that neither of these cars has working A/C, and it's expensive to fix. Driving this summer could be sweaty! Our plan is to sell the nice van we've been driving -- eliminating debt.
For the past several days, our neighbors' gorgeous tree has been losing its blossoms, and laid a pink carpet near our bird bath.
Peter and Julia still occasionally play outside together. Peter's rope swing broke, but he can still get a handle on it. They invented a game called "Monkey and Hunter." I don't understand it all, but they really like it.
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