August 24, 2008 at 8:41 pm (family, life, projects)
Of course, whenever the kids are all here, it feels like my birthday. But this time they gave especially memorable gifts. Memorable, because I will use them repeatedly. They bought me a NEW GUITAR!!! My old guitar, which I have played for almost 30 years (played quite a bit, actually) Has slowly been biting the dust. The face is cracked (not just the finish, but the actual wood), and it has been gradually losing it’s ability to stay tuned. Also the misplaced neck has messed up the fretting which also affects the tuning. I loved that guitar more than any I have ever played with only one or two exceptions—one being the Taylor we bought M for one of her graduations. But she has found one that I love as much, and I will play it more and more as I rebuild my callouses. I also received two season tickets to a local cultural series (rare in this locale) that we have patronized regularly since we discovered it. Now that I think of it, K and S, our benefactors, were the ones who turned us on to it in the first place! They will be used!
J and her family were on their first visit on the mountain, and her thoughtful gift of lottery tickets netted two $2 wins. And altho those tickets went back to NY with them, the positive energy will remain with us here.
Needless to say, we had a music-filled weekend with lots of (guitar playing and) singing with and without accompaniment. My g-kid, H (M’s oldest), has joined the ranks of a cappella singers whether by choice or coercion. We don’t care, she’s awesome!
Hiking in the mountains, cooking, eating, and music around the bonfire with my amazing family! Love my life!
PART II
On the project front, I have finally had some finished garments photographed (by my most excellent and cooperative J), (Do they still call it photography since it’s all digital?) for all my gentle readers:
Rose in bamboo camo tanktop
Fran in cotton/seacell blend tee
Kathy in hand-spun alpaca jacket
Madeline in wool/mohair duster
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August 21, 2008 at 2:51 am (life)
I spent six days in Chicago with my parents while my sister and her husband went up north for a visit. As flying just makes sense for traveling alone, I flew. Used to fly a lot back when I was a Sweet Adeline, but now it’s just once in a while.
I love how clouds look from above. They are so different from what I imagine looking from the ground–the fluffy top parts soaring much higher than I’d imagine. Watching their shadows ride along below is fascinating. I like seeing the squared and rectangled farms and county roads in Indiana and Ohio give way to the more free form and meandering configurations that wrap around the mountains. Wondering what’s that city or town?
My sisters had a party on my birthday since I was there, and I got to sing some harmony with them–love that part! Now I will have another party this weekend with most of my children and grandchildren on the mountain. (I’ll make them sing with me, too). 60 is a cool milestone, and I’m saying it’s the halfway mark. (I said the same thing for 50). Although, I’m not fearing death at all, and I think there are bigger fish to fry after I finish this, I’m having a great time here, and will continue to learn more and more things to make and ways to make them for as long as I last. Celebrating should be a way to live, as opposed to something to be anticipated while doing other things. Someone said (Abraham Lincoln?): “It’s not the years in your life that are important, but the life in your years.”
The best advice ever is “relax and enjoy,” and I will continue to practice this for as many more birthdays as there are.
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August 7, 2008 at 11:22 pm (life, projects)
…but I have reduced a good yard high stack of trade magazines (Spin-Off, Handwoven, Interweave Knits, etc.) down to two binders. And while organizing the projects and articles I have saved, I can see my fall-winter-spring schedule unfolding nicely! And even though the new moon is a week past, I am still very much in “reduce mode”. In fact, I have decided that I absolutely will never cross stitch again and have a great deal of such paraphernalia that anyone reading and interested is welcome to have. There are several boxes of organized floss (and one unorganized, but wrapped–that is each color is wound on it’s own card with ends contained), (I have every DMC color in existence by ‘96), needles, aida, and many, many patterns. Lots of Christmas projects. Please have it, love it, USE it!!
In the last week I have completed 3 garments and spun: The dark khaki short-sleeved jacket (which does actually fit me, but I think it’s K’s); the pistachio “tilted duster” for M, which turned out beautiful; the multi-pink cotton/seacell tank top for Fran; and the yarn for Charlotte’s sweater. Next up is one more tank of bamboo for M, C’s actual sweater, and a blanket for a wedding gift. There will be models here soon.
Next week, I’ll be spending six days in Chicago with my folks, so I will cover some serious ground on the knitting front. I wish I could take my wheel–the craft crap organization and downsize project has revealed much forgotten fiber that cries out for attention. No thing, I will get to it all. I am so blessed.
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