Another Goodbye

Matthew and Caleb are back to Florida after their visit to Jared in Seattle.  This means that Caleb came to collect his kitties.  I have enjoyed being a household of 6 cats!  I will miss the sweeties.  I also missed Caleb's visit because Dad and I took Mom to the doctors because she is in too much pain from the muscle spasms; we went from the doctors to a CAT scan so didn't get home until late.  Long day and no answers, just some more medicine to help with the pain. 

The Ending

Saturday, my sister and family headed back to NY.  Mom, Marsel and I did a little bit of sewing to savor and console each other on our last day together.  This is just the beginnings of a tablerunner which we will finish and report to each other later!  It helped to cover the loss of this goodbye...and the one that took place the next day when Bruce, Marsel and kids went back to Georgia! 

By Sea and By Air........

We arrived at Daytona Shores Beach this afternoon, lots of sunshine and a bit of a chill to the water (68F)

 Abigail grabbed Aunt Con's hand and took off for the water.  The waves thrilled her as always. 

 Dad and Mom set out their chairs and watched the kids and soaked up the sun and sea air!

 The kids didn't let the water temps stop them-right in for wave surfing and sand castle building!

for several hours, we had a lot of room but about 1/2 hour before the shuttle was due to launch,  

 the beach became a parking lot!  Everyone came to sit and stand to watch the last trip of the shuttle, Discovery!

 I missed the shot of the glowing rocket stage but was busy watching Abigail and my Dad, as it was the first time they saw the shuttle launch and a dream of my Dad's that was postponed last year and from a few weeks ago!  This was amazing to share up close on the beach; about 20 seconds after you couldn't see the shuttle any more, the ROAR finally reached us and caused us all to 'ahhhh!' all over again!  Just incredible!

 Soon after the launch, we packed up and drove down the beach to Crabby Joe's on the pier of the first picture.  The sea fog rolled in pretty quickly and changed the sunshine to this.  So glad it waited until after the flight!

 The whole gang enjoyed a great meal together .

The drive home was filled with the laughter of tired but happy kids....

Savoring the Company

What a day for golf; the guys took off around noon, temps near 87F.  The girls did quiet, hang-around-the- pool, read and knit kind of things....... 

 I haven't posted much in the way of handwork so I will give you a quilt show of the finished quilts Mom and I had worked on previously.

This one has the same fabrics, just a different quilting pattern. 

 Nyki just had to pose for this one.

I cut up some panelled Christmas prints for this quilt-it turned out cute!

 Marsel helped me lay out the Batik quilt I started last winter.  This one will be quite large-12 x 13 blocks; of course, the cats had to come and help!  We have this all stacked up , labeled and ready for me to sew together now!

 When the guys came home, we had a bbq with salads and lots of good laughs.........lovin' the family time!

Hail, the Gangs All Here!

 Marsel sewed on her binding and now needs to do the handsewing.  (This is one of Caleb's cats.  We are feline sitting while he is in Seattle!)

 Sister and family arrived this afternoon-they love the warm temperatures!  Amanda gave shuffleboard with Grandpa a try,

 while the younger cousins did some extreme swimming!  The adults formed the proper gallery of encouragement!

 It is cold but they stayed in forever! 

 Nyki shows her 'cousins' how to play on the cat teepee!

PuffDaddy shows them how to take the supreme position.......sure am enjoying the family invasion!

Packing the Day with Fun

 The pool was just too much temptation when the temperatures hit 78F outside this afternoon.

 The water was only 68 but it didn't stop the kids!

Abigail swam the length and then got out; it was a bit chilly she admitted! 

 They got dressed and warmed up in the sandbox!  Dad and Mom stopped over for a visit this afternoon, Mom is doing a little better (with her back spasms).  We enjoyed our afternoon icecream but I didn't catch it with the camera!

 Marsel finished adding the borders to her Christmas quilt (this is the one she started in NY with her Grandmother so it is fitting she finish it here with her Mom)!  Bill entertained the kids with tractor rides while we were in the sewing room-more pics of that later in the visit!

 The kids are making a project , too, and starting out with some hand embroidery.

I am enjoying keeping the crowd happy and kntting-the garterlac has become second nature finally, and I don't have to concentrate so much to make one!

They're Here!

 While waiting for Marsel and kids, I set the shawl to soak and prepared the old comforter for blocking.  I had lots of help.

 I pinned the shawl out and let it dry in the sunshine.

 It didn't take long for the shawl to dry!  Yup, I got my hair cut-sure does feel liberating!

Detail of the shawl, pattern from the mystery Thuree KAL on MMario, a yahoo group (check it out on Ravelry) 

 Finally, the grandchildren mobile pulled in the driveway!

And its precious cargo came pouring out!

The Grandma tanks are going to get filled up!

Just Off the Needles

I just pulled this off the needles........will soak it and block it tomorrow when I await the visitors!
It is just over a yard wide now, I used 2 1/2 skeins of Shadow from KnitPicks, lace weight yarn on 6 needles.

Visit to Vero

Took a drive south to Vero Beach to visit with Bill's sister and brother in law, Barb and Doug.  What a great day.  Mom's back is having fits so they didn't get to go with us-a three hour car ride wasn't recommended for her back pain!  :'(  Dad did loan us his GPS and what fun it is to have the trip assistance!  (I worked at my knitted pi shawl on the way down , on the final edging now. )  Barb had prepared a great lunch, we played cards and caught up on news, took a long walk on the boardwalk at the beach and just savored the time together. 

Valentine for LIfe

Thirty Seven years of roses..............some years were thorny but finally they are without prickles.

I am a Winner!

 There are many good things about the internet, one is being able to meet people of like interests and strike up a friendship.  One of these blogs about a talented lady who is a designer, knitter and quilter and also a Christian.  She recently held a celebration for meeting last year's goals in knitting and passed along the joy by having a flurry of giveaways; I am the happy recipient of her Elizabeth Shawl!  Nyki approves.  She used sock weight yarn and beads to knit this shawl,  it is just so elegant!  Thank you, thank you! (You can find many of her pattterns for sale on Ravelry and at KnitPicks.)

I pulled the fine thread project off the rigid heddle loom and warped it with some Patons Bamboo yarn-a much happier weave.  (I am going to try to weave the bookmarks on the floor loom where I do not have to try and use double rigid heddle reeds to knit them!  Note to self-you do NOT like to use double reeds on the rigid heddle loom-EVER.)

'Tis Blooming

 My Valentine orchid has three of its four blooms open!  I wake up to this sight every morning!

 And this is what we see out the front window of the house.......camillias!

These are only two of the six bushes in bloom.

The rain really pelted them yesterday, in fact, we have had a lot of rain over the last week which has been very welcome but the sunshine today is very beautiful. 

These blooms are about 6" across-stunning!  Seeing all the color just puts a zip in your step!

A New Outlook

 Today's schedule highlighted the need to replace the old single pane windows in the diningroom.

 Bill and Dad were pleasantly surprised to find the old trailer actually had intact framing for the new windows!  The men had to remove the old aluminum framing first. 
                                            
 Some of it went quickly, other parts took a bit longer.  Bill ran the grinder and scored the parts so Dad could remove it bit by bit.
                                    
 Soon after lunch, they had three new windows installed!  Hooray!  Tomorrow , Dad will tackle the inside molding and finishing wood.

 Mom and I endured the grinder noise and knit on our thrummed wrist warmers.  We did minor gopher work in between rows and put on a great lunch for the workermen!  (Temp in the 70's for those who wonder)

I finished one wrist warmer-this is for my sister who hopes she won't need it here when she visits in two weeks! Mom is making hers for herself for their early morning walks when it is still a bit nippy in the 50's.   (BFL yarn with merino thrummed fibers)

The binding is on the quilt !  I laugh at the irony of this quilt's coloring-it is a kit from my parents for Christmas-throughout the years with Bill, I tell him not to wear beige and grey together; this quilt blows my hard fast rule-he loves to blow my hardfast rule; this exception only applies to quilts and not to outfits, Bill.  Trust me on this one.....

A close up of the fancy paisleys.........this is on the couch back waiting to bring comfort to some napper/reader.