I am making progress - I am no longer a complete idiot when it comes to posting a photo.  I finally got help (from hubby) and think I can now actually navigate from where the photos are downloaded onto our computer and actually post them on the blog.  Life is good.  Stay tuned for more photos. 

Peace & Love,

Liz

The update to the last post include the following items:

The wood boiler did not spit out any more sparks.

The schools were open at the usual time despite the fact that almost every other surrounding district was delayed by 2 hours or closed entirely.

Bob returned home with only a slight delay.

The baby blanket only has 5 more rows on one side of the border to be completed - this will be accomplished this evening.  I have it in my head to do a light felting on it.  This will make for a windproof cover, suitable for laying over a carseat carrier while transporting little one to and fro.

Much silk has been dyed.  The digital camera is creating dark images for some reason (it has been so gloomy here that even adjusting camera settings isn't helping).  More work tomorrow to get these new items on the webpage.

The temperatures have rocketed downward and the wind is absolutely howling.  It might now be an appropriate time for Irish coffee.

Peace & Love,

Liz

Since our return from vacationland, Bob had a couple of days to recoup from the trip before turning back out the door to fly halfway across the country for business meetings.  These absences usually provide for slow days.  Today was not one of them, however.

This morning it poured rain.  It poured so much that a small amount of this water found its way into some crack in the roof, traveled down a roof truss, found a wire to slide down, and leaked out of a light fixture.  That’s nice.  Note to self – put tape over the light switch until this storm is over so things can be investigated.

The kids and I are having a swell time, but this week turned out to be “screen-free week”, sponsored by the school and co-operative extension.  As you might have guessed, it’s a program to get families to tune out for 5 days.  This means no television, video games or screen time of any sort.  I have disqualified myself as I must sit at the computer, yesterday was Super Tuesday and I am a news junkie, and I must also obsess over the weather and flight departure and arrival times for Bob’s return.

The house is very quiet during school hours.  I have accomplished great things.  Putting all the tax information together for our accountant makes me feel giddy that it is accomplished.  But at 2:30, I pick up the kids and with no “screens”, the pastime of choice has been teasing, screeching, and annoying one another (and me in the process).  What fun!  Were it not that Bob was traveling, this adventure could be more enjoyable.  I would direct more activities – crafts, games, what have you.  As it is, I have already played an evening of Monopoly, and have been utterly confused by a card game that I thought was real, but turns out that Alex was just making up as he went along, using the Star Wars deck and all of its characters to create some elaborate battle plan.  I was clueless.  Things ended when I suggested it was time for some ice cream.

The weather has turned ugly and there is the threat that there will be a school delay or (horrors!) a snow day tomorrow.  At present, it is raining like crazy and said rain is freezing into a lovely, slippery rink right outside my door.  The dog, who much needed to “go outside” was not at all thrilled with the prospect of sliding off the deck to reach the ground.  As I had to check our wood boiler which resides in the garage, I accompanied her.  While she investigated the ice, I put wood in the boiler. 

There was a brief moment of panic when I saw an ember drift down out of the chimney and land on top of the insulation  After standing there for 5 minutes to make sure there were no other embers floating about, I decided it was safe to go inside.

Another moment of panic as I am met at the door by Alex who alerts me that “there was a bunch of smoke and sparks flying out of the chimney!!”. 

When did you see this? 

When you first went out. 

Good.  Did you see anything after that? 

No.    

Good. 

There is so much water outside that any spark wouldn’t stand a chance at survival.  But I’ll keep checking out the window because “paranoia is awareness”. 

The “lights out” signal is usually met with much additional dawdling, trips to the bathroom, etc.  Tonight was no exception.

Soon I will sit down and knit for a brief while before my eyes get too tired.  I think it is also time for an adult beverage. 

Keep your fingers crossed that the storm isn’t as nasty as they think it might be and school will carry on as usual. 

If there is a snow day, I will be drinking Irish coffee for breakfast.

Peace & Love,

Liz

We’re back, the robins are back, and there’s a new Baby!

We returned from our family vacation with nary a travel delay (10 minutes delay in boarding the last plane).  After walking non-stop for 7 days, and the 2 full days of travel, we are getting back in the swing of things – laundry, errands, work, kids back to school.  

I am determined to let the vacation mojo do its work.  I picked up a book called “How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci” mostly because I was curious, and I have a terrible addiction to printed matter.  While I have not read the entire book as yet, it’s very interesting.  A major part of the book revolves around keeping a personal notebook (as Leonardo did) and working through a number of exercises found in the book.  While I wonder if I will have the perseverance to make notes every day, I’m going to give it a shot. 

Here’s something about da Vinci that I wasn’t really aware of – there were many things that he didn’t finish.  Sketches, paintings, models, ideas and plans for sculpture…  There were many reasons for this – partially because he had to spend a great deal of time with patrons, but also, I think, because one area would lead him to another and another.  Or he may have gotten the information he was looking for and didn’t feel the need to go any farther.

Here’s where this can be related to knitting (you knew that would come in somewhere, right?) – think of all those unfinished projects – think of them as explorations in knit stitches, fitting, color or fiber.  Some things need not be finished if you have extracted the information you were looking for.  There are so many things that I’ve started and not finished, but I learned something from each one. I am a firm believer that if something isn’t working out, you should move on.  Life is too short to waste precious time continuing along an unhappy path so that victory or completion can be claimed.  Move On!!

To round out this positive thinking and revitalization at the beginning of February (the longest month of the year):

A flock of robins has returned to the iced over landscape as of Saturday (that would be Groundhog Day).  There may be 6 more weeks of winter, but I always feel a bit of a thrill at seeing the songbirds slowly reappearing.  And happiest of all, there’s a new little baby girl in our extended family.  Welcome Ellen Mary, born Sunday morning!

Now I must finish her blanket – lucky for me (and her) that I have not become disenchanted with the color, pattern or yarn and can say most certainly that it will be a project that will be completed.

Peace & Love,

Liz