I hook rugs, I knit and I have a life - not always in that order. Hooking rugs in the traditional way is a passion. Knitting is a way of keeping those idle hands busy. In my life, I am a mother, partner, sister,aunt, friend and a happy grammy. I work with volunteers and seniors when I'm not doing those other things. I enjoy being creative - and often reinvent the wheel. Above all, I value things that are not only beautiful but useful.
Some times, you have to climb up in order to get out. No way around this ladder...just do it. Once we had climbed down and around the cliff face to get into the cliff house site, we did have to get out again. We were warned and a few people did drop out at that point. I was happy that the ladders were one way - UP!
It helps to be up in a tree if you want to sit in the sun safely. This might work better for rock squirrels than it does for humans.
The ancient family who lived in Canyon de Chelly might have noticed the squirrels sitting in their tree. They built their houses up on this rock shelf to be safe from animals, floods and., perhaps, enemies.
Just a long shot to show how far up some people were prepared to go to find security. And my way of sneaking in a few more travel pics.
I've been concentrating on finishing a couple of projects. The weather is perfect for cardis so I wanted to get the pink one finished. Big projects take a little more time...duh!
The felted clogs were a snap to make. I would, however, recommend that the length of the circular needle be strictly observed. Mine was a little too long. It did work but wasn't always a comfortable fit. This is how the clogs looked before the felting. Such ugly ducklings.
And this is how they look now. Beautiful swans all ready for toasty feet. This yarn felted up really quickly. It's very creepy putting on the wet slipper, though. A nasty job but it had to be done to get the slippers shaped just perfectly. I've never had such made-for-me footwear before. Then the wet felt takes FOREVER to dry. I was getting impatient so I put the oven on low and baked them. The days have been cool but not cool enough to start the furnace to get some hot air.
Wearing them now :)
Oh dear, oh dear! I feel like the White Rabbit...I seem to be a day late. Hope everyone is still there chatting on the front porch. Maybe they went inside when it got dark.
In any case, I have finally arrived and I see that Patrice has some great questions for this week:
1. Are you afraid of heights or small places? Not of small spaces. I'm actually more comfortable working in small - usually cluttered - spaces. And I'm not exactly afraid of heights. I'm just not sure that I won't fling myself off. I don't always feel confident that the railing will be solid. Stuff like that. Discomfort more than fear 'cuz I still look over cliff edges. Not too sure about living on a very high floor in an apartment building, though. I'm used to having my bed close to the ground.
2. What was on top of your wedding cake? (If you're not married- What was on top of your favorite birthday cake?) I honestly don't remember. But someone else talked about fresh flowers and that made me think that there were some kind of flowers on it. Not fresh - probably icing. The colors were shades of yellow so that would have been on the cake too, I think.
3. What was something you took for granted in school that you'd pay better attention to now if you could do it over? That's a tough one. I actually was a pretty earnest student and paid attention to most things. Maybe just the dedication of most of my teachers. I didn't really appreciate some of them at all. Looking back, I can see that they did deserve much more respect than I gave them at the time.
4. What's your favorite type of tea or coffee? (ie: Chai tea, green tea, English Breakfast tea) I haven't drunk coffee for over ten years. It's always tea - lots of it. I prefer an English Breakfast-type tea. I like it fairly strong and I'm not too snobby. I don't care for the perfume-y teas. And I haven't got the energy - or inclination - to spend a lot of time being a connoiseur.
5. Would you rather drive the car, or be a passenger? Drive, drive, drive. I love to drive - anyone, anywhere, anytime. Being a passenger is very difficult. I get car-sick and being in the driver's seat makes that go away. But the truth is, I just enjoy it. One of the best jobs I had was driving a bus full of kids to and from school.
Yes, I'm really driving!
If you'd like to join in the conversation, come visit with us at Everday Rurality. I don't think it matters if we're a tiny bit late. I'm off now to hear (well, see) what everyone else is saying.
Not the usual thing for a Monday evening. Last night we were treated to a night out on our town. First we went to dinner at the Beachside Forno. Now that was a great dinner. I had mussels which I haven't had in a couple of years. And we all shared a flatbread starter with duck confit, pears and caramellized onions. Yum!
A friend had a couple of extra tickets for a musical called "Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story" and invited us. It's been around a while - this was the production we saw. So good. The energy was exhausting, the music as fresh and infectious as it was when I was 12. You can see and hear the music on the videos on the link.
Most of the audience was a old enough to remember when this music was new. Hearing it, seeing it, we were all back there in the invulnerability of youth. Throwing over the established music of the day and rocking it out.
One of the memories that came back was when the Big Bopper character came out crooning some lines from 'Running Bear' which he'd written for Johnny Preston. This was the first 'radio' song that wasn't what my dad listened to that I remember hearing. Over the airwaves on my little crystal radio all the way from San Francisco - hundreds of miles away - I was hooked! Always late at night with the sound down low, the signal would be strong for minutes and then fade...then come back. This was my musical world for months until I discovered that there stations like this much closer to home.
Another memory is, of course, the sadness when all that talent was lost in a plane crash. Like many landmark events in our lives, this remains in my mind. I can still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news: standing in my front yard with some friends. I can't remember who told us or how they found out but I still see the 'moment' and feel the shock. As tragic as it was then, maybe it's all the sweeter now for being so short-lived.
