Saturday, August 16, 2008

Peace and Quiet (There's No Place Like Home)

Well, the major rehab work in the house is finally done! We have moved out of the Holiday Inn Express, which magically turned into the Ramada Inn literally overnight while we were staying there. And tho our three week stay there was, well, pleasant, there really is no place like home! This morning i grabbed my cup of coffee and went out on the deck to sit in the rare weekend sunshine and soak up the late Summer warmth...

I started taking a beginner's knitting class at The Paper Sparrow, and am amazed at how fast i am learning this new art. My Grandmother Mary taught me how to knit...just knit, when i was young but i never learned how to DO anything with the skill. ( I crochet and work all my knitting on the looms) My goal is to make a sweater for Lola before she is an adult, and Seth wants a sweater with an alien on it...Hmmm...that may take some time, but i will try! My next goal is to get good enough to make this:
I bought this pattern from Barbara from Fuzzy Mittens. You can find her Etsy shop here for more beautiful knitting patterns...After that-the sky is the limit! Before i sat down to do some serious knitting homework, i thought i would take some pictures of some of the things that caught my attention this morning...

Some hen and chicks i forgot to actually plant in the planter...Tho judging by the way they are flowering, they seem happy ....

The baby Japanese Maples

and the Japanese maples in training (pre bonsai) are starting to turn color already from all the rain we've had and the cool crisp night air....

One of our favorite pre bonsai, our Jacaranda tree, has fully recovered from an attack by aphids earlier this Summer....

And Bill spent some time sitting in the sun..something he loves to do and something we have just been too busy to take time for....

Yep...everything just seems so calm and peaceful...There really is no place like home....

6 comments:

Phill said...

The plants look terrific. (And glad the aphids didn;t win.) I like needle knitting, but for some reason I love the looms more. Don't know what it is about them.

Murray said...

Welcome home! How's the bathroom look?? As good as the garden yet?

teddybearswednesday said...

thanks for your super sweet and kind comments, Mare, they mean a lot. Reject head 3 unfortunately is staying the way he is, but he is very close to what I want, so the finished bodied bear will look very similar to him. Hope you feel better soon!!

Mare said...

Thanks CM! Everything is growing like crazy this year, so you won't hear me complain about the rainy weather we have had this Summer...
I LOVE my looms and always avoided knitting needles, but there are several projects i cannot accomplish without tackling the art of traditional knitting with needles. So i took a deep breath and jumped into an excellent beginners class with a very talented and very patient teacher, Linda. My biggest problem is i have a terrible time reading patterns. I am a bit dyslexic... Wait...can you be a "bit" dyslexic or is that like being a bit pregnant!!?? ;) Anyway, my looms are still being used quite a bit! I find with arthritis starting in my hands and wrists, changing my tools to accomplish my fiber goals does me good.

Mare said...

Hi Murray! The bathroom looks wonderful! My sister is just finishing the painting of the walls and once the painter's drape and other equipment is removed i will take the "after" pictures. How is your bathroom remodel? Are you done yet? Are you happy with it? We had a terrible time with materials having to be sent back...It slowed the project down...

Mare said...

Jess, all the comments i leave on your blog are honest and heartfelt. Your work is beautiful... (anyone reading this-go to Jess' blog and check out her needlework! Amazing... I cannot wait to see that finished teddy bear! :)