The Simple Woman's Daybook 03/23/2009

For today: March 23, 2009

Outside my window: it's a bit hazy this morning. The weather has warmed nicely and the trees in the meadow are beginning to show that first tinge of green as the tiny, newborn leaves stretch and wriggle their way into new life.

I am thinking: how I need to get over wishing every day that I lived in a compound like the Godfather... so my children could all have a house "right over there" and I could call them all up for a supper on Sunday.

From the learning rooms: which is actually any room in my house. I am working to learn the math behind the knitting of Elizabeth Zimmermann and have been pleasantly surprised as I work out the round shawl that I am currently working on.

I am thankful for: my ingrown toenail. If that's the worse thing that happens, I've got the world by the tail.

From the kitchen: I can still smell the sausage that was cooked for breakfast. I have become an oatmeal for breakfast fiend... haven't done that in years...but is sure good with the sausage and toast.

I am wearing: the green housecoat that our sons got me for Christmas. I love it...

I am reading: The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly for about the 4th time. It's time to go back to the bookstore...all books have been read at least 3 times and working up from there.

I am hoping: that I got the voice mail set on my new cell phone... duh... am not very handy with such as that...

I am creating: I am spinning more singles for use with the Elizabeth Zimmermann shawl that I am currently knitting. I just hope it comes out good...

I am hearing: the scissors cutting paper as my sweet DH cuts the insurance cards apart to be placed in the cars.

Around the house: the time is coming for spring cleaning when everything gets a good going over and smells really good for a few weeks... love that...

One of my favorite things: is music... almost any kind except blue grass, hard jazz or acid rock...and even some blue grass...lol

A few plans for the rest of the week: consists of spinning more mixed wool singles, warp the loom for some more cotton tea towel weaving and making preparations for trip to Arkansas...with a wonderful stop off to see daughter.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you:

Spindle Spinning Class and Elizabeth Zimmermann

The Spindle Spinning Class at the Red River Museum was a great success. I am so tickled you can't even imagine. Everyone was enthusiastic, talked constantly and just had fun..and learned to spin.. imagine that... ! What a wonderful day...

These two little hats are made from the bits and pieces left over from other projects. The pink is my first try with kool aid dyeing and the blue is the very first thing I ever tried to spin using my Kromski spinning wheel. I think I will keep them as reminders and keepsakes...

This is the first time I have tried to use singles for any large project. This is mixed wool that was spun into a single with 16 wpi. It was dyed with blue kool-aid with a couple of pkgs. of yellow stirred into separate areas... gives a variegated green to the blue.. I like it..

This is the beginning of the Elizabeth Zimmermann Shawl Project from the July project in the EZ Knitter's Almanac. It begins with a crocheted center...which I modified a bit so I would not have to use just 3 stitches per knitting needle...what a bother that was. It's amazing to me that the math for this project really works...lol

"It's Pi; the geometry of the circle hinging on the mysterious relationship of the circumference of a circle to its radius. A circle will double its circumference in infinitely themselves-doubling distances, or, in knitters' terms, the distance between the increase-rounds in which you double the number of stitches, goes 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 rounds, and so on..." pg 73, EZ Knitter's Almanac...

Never in my lifetime would I have considered ANY of the geometry I took in school to be useful in knitting... WOW...

I may have to spin some more of this yarn and try to match the colors, but I couldn't wait to try this pattern...lol Maybe some day I will grow up and learn patience.. but I'm not holding my breath on that one...lol

Victor Valeriano on YouTube

I came across this the other day as I was doing a Google search and thought some of you might be interested to see Vic as he accepts the Lasallian Award.

The Simple Woman's Daybook 03/17/2009

For today: March 17, 2009

Outside my window: the early morning sunshine comes later with the arrival of Daylight Savings Time. It's taking us a bit to acclimate to the time change.

The irises are shooting up this time of year and will begin to bloom within a month.

I am thankful for: silk plants. I can kill plants with the best. Ivy is wonderful since it will come back from a deep wilt with the addition of a little water. But with silk plants I can have any and all kinds throughout the house. Love that.

From the kitchen: comes more sounds of spinning box preparation than cooking! The table is loaded with the kits that will be used by the students at my first spindle spinning class. It's a good thing we have trays or would have to eat in the formal dining room!

I am wearing: stretch denim pants, a Donkenny shirt with some kind of brown cat or leopard print and leather sandals.

I am reading: The Western Guide to Feng Shui...Room by Room by Terah Katryn Collins. I am fascinated by Feng Shui. I don't know why since all it really means is ... cut the clutter, throw away the junk and use a color wheel to balance the colors and textures of a room. Make rooms user friendly and welcoming... and there ya go! But it still fascinated me... lol

I am hoping: to spend some time this summer under the big oak tree. I would love to turn the flower bed at the base of the tree into a fairyland. We'll see....

I am creating: a spindle spinning workbook. It has arrived back from eldest son's learned red marking pen with a note that says how impressed he is with it...then you open it up and can't find the book for all the marks!! lol I am so blessed to have wonderful, smart, learned children who put up with their mom's idiosyncrasies.

Around the house: there is a general uplifting of spirits as the browns outside begin to show spots of green and the different birds begin to arrive.

One of my favorite things: is this picture. It is my son and I and was taken in 1987. It now sits on my desk.




















I am hearing: the whir of my computer and the quiet of the early morning.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you:

I Know, Pattie...It's been almost a month!

I don't know what has been the problem, but it has been really difficult to blog the past couple of weeks. I think perhaps the loss of Vic bothered me more than I thought it would. It seems kind of strange when I think about it. We see the Rangers perhaps once a year..if we make it to the reunion that year. But they become almost family..almost instantly. Each has his/her own personality and each is quite different. But each still manages to hang onto a tiny piece of your heart. Anyway...

I am always happy to see the redbud tree in the backyard bloom. Spring is around the corner! We had some really lovely weather for a while, but the last few days have been cold and wet with the night temps in the mid to lower 30s. When I spoke to daughter Paula a couple of days ago she said it had begun to snow...wow... She lives just north of us a couple of hours. But then, a person soon learns that no matter how warm and sunny the weather turns this time of year....ya just don't plant flowers, seeds ..anything until after Easter. It has been known to snow and freeze on Easter Sunday.

I have finished this pair of socks. Now DH has 2 pair of sleep socks that he can switch off...and perhaps keep from wearing out so fast! ;o)

I am knitting another pair just like these that will fit me. They do come in handy on those cold nights when nothing I do seems to get my feet warm. Some of those rice bags to heat in the microwave and put at the foot of the bed as feet warmers are definitely on the "to do" list...

Hannah's quilt is finally ready for the quilting. Because of the embroidery I will have to quilt it by hand I think. My brain will not come up with anything that would look good on the machine...but then perhaps I just have not had enough experience with that..lol
It's funny... there are several quilting groups here in town, but nowhere can I find a quilting foot for my sewing machine. Not at Wal Mart, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby... nowhere. Now I wonder why that is?

Here's a picture of another of the crazy quilts that were on display at the Red River Museum. What a treat that display was! These displays are changed about every six (6) months. I'm not sure if this display been changed or not, but if you are in the area it never hurts to stop by and see.....

Red River Historical Museum

301 S. Walnut Street

Sherman, TX

You will be pleasantly surprised!

A Season of Contrasts

I received an email yesterday from our son in Michigan. He has received his hat, it fits (Yayyy!), and he says it is just in time for the latest snow fall...

When he sent me these photos..a while back.. he said they had already had 52" of snow... amazing... These photos are just of the latest blowing snow drifts at the time. I can't imagine.. 52"!! However, it is pretty. I don't really mind snow.. it's the inevitable ice and slippery driving that comes with the "almost" melting that I don't like. And the slick snow pack. And invariably having to go out to some place that parks on the side of a hill! That's a hoot..

And this is what I did yesterday. After I came home from the Red River Historical Museum Craft Saturday (more about that on Fabric Follies Two )... I took pictures of the daffodils blooming along the back fence. This morning as I sit here blogging, I am watching the first woodpecker of the season cleaning DH's favorite tree and the first 3 robins of the season hunting for worms on the ground. I think Spring has Sprung!

It never ceases to amaze me the differences within this nation of ours. Living up north... even just as far north as northern Arkansas... it was different to have all 4 seasons. It seemed to take forever to heat up to comfortable levels... but at least there were all 4 seasons...lol

Victor Valeriano

First...saying goodbye. This is a hard post.

Vic Valeriano served with my husband in a LRRP/Ranger unit in Vietnam. I met him at a reunion in San Antonio several years ago.

Vic was supposed to be around for at least another 20 reunions. He was fun, intelligent, soft spoken and always made a point of making everyone feel included. As far as I have heard, he never missed a reunion after being found by accident while in Washington DC. Vic died yesterday of complications of an infected foot injury and diabetes. He will be sorely missed.

Victor Valeriano... Ranger Hall of Fame member.

The following is courtesy of the Fort Benning Ranger Hall of Fame website....

SERGEANT VICTOR D. VALERIANO

Sergeant Victor Valeriano is inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame for exceptional valor during participation in armed conflict. In numerous encounters with the enemy from December 1966 through January 1968, and in particular, on January 20, 1968, Sergeant Valeriano displayed uncommon courage and outstanding leadership qualities. While leading a 6-man LRRP unit in Thien Phouc on January 20, 1968, Sergeant Valeriano and his men came under a withering crossfire from a superior enemy force which quickly resulted in every member of the team being wounded, with three ultimately dying from their wounds. Unable to withdraw his team due to the crossfire, Sergeant Valeriano, though wounded himself and the only remaining effective fighting element f his team mounted a defense of his team’s position, successfully repelling both a frontal and flanking assault. During the ensuing firefight Sergeant Valeriano returned a number of enemy grenades thrown into his position. His tenacious defense of his team’s position eventually caused the enemy element to withdraw. Sergeant Valeriano’s courageous actions and steadfast commitment to his team saved the lives of the three remaining members. His conduct reflects the highest standards of the Ranger tradition.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!!

It's Tuesday...

I finally finished a rough draft of the Spindling booklet I'm trying to put together for the class that I will be teaching at the Red River Museum Craft Saturday in March. I ran off a color copy and sent it to our son in Mesa, AZ to proof. Technical writing was one of his majors in college, so I'm sure it will return to me with at least a few red marks..lol

This class will be a beginner's class to learn to spin wool on a spindle. The class will put together a bottom whorl spindle just like the one in the picture so they will have an idea how to make their own. The actual spinning lesson will be with an Ashford top whorl beginner's spindle that I have purchased. There will be room for 14 in the class. Now that the booklet is almost finished, I am really getting excited about this class.

This is the embroidery work that I am doing for Hannah's quilt. I thought the blocks needed a bit of definition, so the red and green embroidery will be done on the seams, then there will be borders...then hopefully the backing and quilting. I have to hold myself back from really going all out... I have already considered painting the orange squares with little baby things...lol Or maybe doing ribbon roses... however... I think not..lol Perhaps on something for when she is older.. ;o)

Have I shown you my teapot bracelet? I just love it. It was ordered when we went to our daughter Bev's for Thanksgiving. She was hosting a jewelry party and taking early orders. As soon as I saw this I knew it was for me..lol Not that I have a thing for teapots, or anything like that... !!

The Simple Woman's Daybook 02/16/2009

For today: February 16, 2009

Outside my window: the daffodils by the fence are budding. They are always later than the ones I planted under the oak that are already blooming. I hope these have as many blooms this year as they did 3 years ago. What a lovely sight that was every day.

I am thankful for: oatmeal. It's not just a grain or a cereal. It's a bond with the past. That familiar smell that I've had from as far back as I can remember. It's family... it's babies...it's gossip over breakfast...it's warmth when I'm sick...it's love when my babies were sick.. It's magical...that everyday oatmeal.

From the kitchen: comes a stop sign...lol... no entry! The kitchen table is covered with beads instead of food!

I am wearing: my favorite housedress... I promise I really will get dressed at some point today..lol

I am reading: Elizabeth Zimmermann's The Knitter's Workshop. I enjoy her sense of humor and the confidence she instills by taking things one at a time but at the same time showing other ways this lesson can be use. I'm very glad I bought this book.

I am hoping: that my booklet teaching basic spindle spinning is finished. It will be sent to our son in Arizona for proofreading and some final editing.... maybe a few suggestions...

I am creating: a play size quilt for new granddaughter Hannah. It will be embroidered a bit, but not so much that I will be devastated to see it squooshed on the floor with her standing all over it...lol She is now 9 months old and can stand at the coffee table, but not steady enough yet to walk.

I have just finished this:

Around the house: I am walking around trying to keep my eyes closed... there is much to do that I don't want to see...lol

One of my favorite things: is this... both gifts from my lovely daughter...

I am hearing: my sweet DH just talking away about the VA as I am writing this. If this makes no sense at all...that is why... I am listening and typing at the same time.... :o)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you:

Of Knits and Beads

About 3 years ago I found this at JoAnn's for $10. Since I was doing a lot of ribbon embroidery and crazy quilt embroidery at the time, it was a steal. I haven't been doing very much of that for a while... until a couple of days ago....

Did I tell you that my two Elizabeth Zimmerman Knitting books finally got here? Well, they did. And in following her pattern for knitting a hat I found that I needed knitting markers.. soooo.. voila '. I dug out the beads, made several wrong purchases at Hobby Lobby...followed by one right purchase at Hobby Lobby...and finally got it right. It took several days of trying one thing then another, but I finally have a wrist abacus I can use that really works and several sets of knitting markers. I love it... And it's good to finally have a good use for all those beads!

This is the cap that I am knitting for one of our sons. And these are the knitting markers that are my absolute favorites... ;o)