For the Love of Fiber

They're Here!

Mom and Daddy made it!  They left home at 7:00 AM and pulled into my driveway at 5:19 PM.  I think they stopped a total of four times to stretch, get gas, and water Lily.  

They LOVE the house and the decorating.  I'm so glad that they are tickled.  I can't wait to show them around a bit.  If tomorrow's weather is agreeable, we're going to the gorge and walk around.  Then, we can dine on smoked turkey and all the trimmings.

 Here's a picture of Daddy and Lily enjoying in the den.

I promised more pictures of the other rooms involved in the grand redo.  

Here are the dining room windows.  The seat cushions are still with the upholsterer.  Also, this is the room that Andy needs to get into and finish painting.  So, I'll post another better picture for you later.


  

Upstairs, is the library.  We ordered two recliners and are using our Virginia kitchen table Andy made out of old boards from an area post office.  From this window, you can watch the sun rise.

Now, on to guest bedroom #1.  I'm very pleased with how this turned out.  I bought that bedroom suit from a unpainted furniture store w  hen I was in college.  It has certainly served me well.  The paint here is Meadow Trail --- it's a grayer green than Olive Grove.  Both are very pretty shades of green.

I've had fun incorporating our old furniture.  Many of the little old pieces we already had go perfectly with the new furniture.  Lots of little antique tables and chairs to set around as accents.  

I'm thankful for lots this year.  It's been a tough one.  Last year, there was the uncertainty of Andy's job.  This year, the job / new plant is still tenuous but we're both employed.  I also have family who wants to and is able to come visit me.  I have friends - internet and otherwise - galore who inspire me to write this blog and share little snippets of my life.  My mother is doing well after her open heart surgery for mitral valve replacement in July.  My sons are doing well.  I could go on and on because I'm thankful for so much this year.  

Hope each of you has a wonderfully happy and relaxing Thanksgiving today.

Done Den Done Done!!!!!

 Mom, Daddy, and Lily (my 4-legged sister) arrive tomorrow.  

Tonight a miracle will happen at my house.  It always does in the 11th hour.  All the stuff that doesn't have a place will be swept into a crate (or two or six crates) and hidden away.  There's a lot of this place-less stuff to hide this go around. 

This week has been a whirlwind!  Andy has been painting in the evenings after work.  He finished the den and the guest bedroom #1.  He didn't get the dining room finished.  Hopefully, over the Thanksgiving holidays he can finish that room.  Then, I hope he doesn't stop -- I want to keep going to get it all done so we can then take a BIG deep breath and relax.    

The den is absolutely GORGEOUS!  I have to include a before picture from the same angle so you can fully appreciate the improvement.  Both of these pictures were taken from the kitchen.  I just love the feel of this room.  I can't wait to sit and knit in front of the fire.  I'm almost 52 years old and haven't had a relaxing place to sit and relax for the past 25 years.  I think the room looks so cozy and inviting.  Just what I was after.  I can't wait to do a pear picture for over the fireplace to tie in all the colors. 

 What do you think????  Does it make you want to come curl up and knit with me or read a good book?

I think it was almost worth waiting 25 years for or maybe not.  Anyway, it feels so unusual to have furniture that doesn't have stuffing hanging out everywhere.  

The two last pictures of the den were taken from the hallway.  

A new kitchen table and chairs were delivered, also.  This set was on sale and was the store model so we got a good deal on it.  I like the glass top with the wooden pedestal.  It makes the sunroom look much bigger. 

I'll show you the rest later!  The guest bedroom #1, the library, and eventually the dining room.  

Now, back to making a miracle!

Onward

I had to go to Celina, OH yesterday for a 4:30 PM work appointment.  Celina is about a 4-hour round-trip  drive from my home.  The weather was yucky!  Dark and rainy.  

So, when I got back home, it was wonderful to see this ------- a wall of the dining room with one coat of Sherwin-Williams Olive Grove.  BEAUTIFUL!  Andy decided to go ahead and get the window walls of the dining room and the guest room #1 painted since the window guy is coming to install the shades and cornice boards at each of these windows next Tuesday.  Then, he has assured me that he will go back and finish the rooms!  I hope he keeps going from there so we can finish ALL the painting.  Then, I'll feel like I can start putting things into place.

Our master bathroom is HUGE!  We lived 24 years in the old house with one bathroom (4 people to 1 bathroom) where we had rigged the bathtub to be a shower, etc.  Andy finally renovated the upstairs hall bath last winter before the kids, wife, girlfriend all came for Christmas.  

This bathroom is like the Ritz-Carlton!  I took this picture standing inside the doorway to the bathroom from our bedroom.  On each side of me is a closet (not very usable - need to  be redone), straight ahead is the whirlpool tub, to the left of the tub is the shower, to the right of the tub is the toilet.  There are two sink/cabinet units ahead of me to the left and right.  I thought there needed to be something in front of the tub - 1) to break up the view of the tub and add interest, 2) to enable us to keep the shade up and not closed all the time, and 3) to block or at least fuzz people's view through our bathroom window.  We don't have close neighbors but we can see their houses from the window.  

I decided that there needed to be some kind of room divider - a screen of sorts - in front of the tub.  This is what I found ------- two screens at Pier 1.  On clearance for $49.95 each - had been $129.95 each.  I like the look!

The tub area is nice and roomy -- enough to accommodate pots of ivy in the window sill and on the ledge above the tub.  The orchids around the edge of the tub should also do well here.

Look at this picture and imagine Sherwin-Williams Brandywine paint on the walls.  Brandywine is kind of a terra-cotta color.

I love birds, leaves, twigs, anything that speaks of nature.  That's the feeling I'm trying to give this house and I think these screens fit right in.  After 25 years of living in the old house with not even a comfortable place to sit --- I want this new house to feel like an oasis!  

At this stage of my life, I NEED an oasis!

Phase II Has Begun

Phase II has begun!  The painting in the den is nearly finished.  Andy is a big fan of Sherwin-Williams paints so all of our paints are Sherwin-Williams Duration colors.  The den walls are painted Chamois with the face of the drop-down ceiling Restrained Gold.  The Restrained Gold is two shades lighter on the color card than the Chamois.  The Restrained Gold is also the color I chose for the foyer and hallways (up and down).  Andy has put on two coats of the Chamois on the walls and has one more coat of the Restrained Gold to go on the face of the drop-down ceiling.  

Here are some before and after pictures.  One picture is before-before and the other is after the hardwood but before the paint.  What a difference!  Not nearly as dramatic as going from the carpet to the hardwood but sure looks better with a color on the walls.  Love this color!  Very rich!

Not, sure which direction we'll go in next.  I want to get the rooms done that the window treatments have been ordered for ---- the guest room #1 upstairs and the dining room.  I think it makes sense to do the dining room next -- doesn't look like it needs a lot of patching and we can move the stuff over into the den area.  Once done, that whole area can be cleaned up and ready for company next week.  Also, the dining room is smallish and should go fast.  The guest room #1 will have quite a bit of patching to do.  Maybe I can patch while Andy paints the dining room.

The cornice boards are due to be installed this Thursday in the den.   Wait until you see them!!!!!

My job while Andy has been painting - besides that of supervisor - has been to empty boxes.  In the past several days, I've gone through, sorted out for Goodwill and what to keep, and had a couple of cardboard bonfires.  I found the blender and the crockpot!  

I need a picture for over the fireplace.  A BIG horizontal picture.  I'm thinking pears.  Three pears sitting at angles like they do.  Green, gold, with a touch of burgundy.  What do you think?

The birds are finally finding the feeders.  We've had tons of finches (gold and purple) since immediately after putting them up but the other birds have taken a little longer.  Recently, there have been Downy Woodpeckers, a Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, a Titmouse, Chickadees, Doves, and a Junco at the feeders.  As I sit in my office typing this post, a Bluebird just landed on the roof outside the window  and stared at me.  He flew away just as I aimed the camera.  He was so vividly blue and rusty-orange.  Such a pretty bird!

This feeder photo was taken through the kitchen window but hopefully you can make out the Goldfinch, the Red-Bellied Woodpecker, and the Chickadee.

I am making progress on the baby blanket.  Love the pattern and the color for a little boy.  Almost ready for my third skein. Need to finish this as I really want to get a few other things done by Christmas.

Well, need to do some work so I can "help" paint tonight!

Phase I ---- Done!

Phase I of Home Remodel After Waiting 25 Years is DONE!  

The hardwood floors are down and the carpet was installed today. It's gorgeous!  I forgot to take before and after shots of the stairs and the upstairs rooms with that old NASTY carpet.  You'll just have to refer back to the previous post and picture that stuff covering the steps and three rooms upstairs.  The kicker was that we didn't think there was hardwood under the old carpet on the steps but there turned out there was unfinished red oak hiding underneath. Could've finished those puppies and had hardwood stairs for less money than the carpet.  Oh well.  Some one forgot to check.  (Name unmentioned and it wasn't me.)

Here's a picture of the stairs as you come in the front door and one of just the carpet.  Neither do the color justice.  I took several photos but none of them really show the rich dark gold color of the carpet.  

Phase II has started - S-L-O-W-L-Y.  Andy has begun patching the den getting it ready to paint.  Hopefully, after a week of patching, we'll finally get some color on the wall this weekend.  We're finding some really shoddy workmanship - nails not sunk deep enough, the drywall is sagging where it wasn't nailed up properly leaving cracks, some woodwork has been varnished and some hasn't, etc.  

I'm still hoping for a miracle with all these dang boxes.  Don't know how in the world I'm going to go through them all or where I'm going to put anything in them that I might want to keep.  Just need to get the basement space organized.  Stuff is ALL OVER THE PLACE and it drives me NUTS!

On my walk outside today, I found this little nest squished in tight between the  naked branches of one of the bushes along the front walk.  It is filled with red leaves from the bush.  

The pots out front are looking pretty.  Wonder how long the plants will last in them?  They are up next to the house under the porch roof so are kind of protected.  I just love pansies!   Wish I had room to plant every color available.  They are such happy flowers.  

The scaredy cat has now been replaced with a rather less than plump turkey!  Mom gave me these metal pieces last year but this is the first time I've used them.  I think this pumpkin made a better kitty cat!

Had a work appointment today up in New Albany, OH where I had lots of wait (read knitting) time!  The baby blanket is growing!

Enjoy the pansy pics!

Where Did Last Week Go?

Last week absolutely flew by!

In addition to work appointments, I had the flooring fellow here three days last week.  He transformed the downstairs by ripping up the old NASTY carpet and putting down red oak hardwood to match the rest of the first floor rooms.  When I say NASTY, I mean NASTY!    The carpet had visible stains from the top-side (even after being cleaned) but the underside was full of stain evidence.  Plus, the padding underneath was just powdery.  I wouldn't have expected that in a house that's only six years old.  Must not have been very good quality.  

What a difference the hardwood makes!!  The rooms look so much cleaner and so much larger.  Such an improvement!  Here are two views of the den / living room - before and after.  WOW!

Here's a look at the NASTY carpet and also before and after of the rooms.  The carpet people will be here next week to replace the NASTY carpet upstairs (in the  two guest bedrooms and the office) with new in a pretty shade of dark gold.  I wish I could afford to put hardwood upstairs and on the stairs, too.  Just too expensive. 

I saved most of my vacation days this year since I didn't know if I'd have to take them to move or what.  So, now I have to use them.  

I took Friday off to attend a Friday-Sunday watercolor workshop with Nancy Nordloh Neville at the Pendleton Art Center in Cincinnati.  I think I was the only student in the class that hadn't taken from here before.  In fact, several of the students are also in her class that meets every Monday afternoon.

Nancy was a delight.  Very good with her critiques.     

I LOVE Nancy's work!  Everything she paints is just gorgeous!  She leans towards florals and fruits -- still life paintings.  Nancy's husband, Bruce Neville, is also a watercolor artist.  With his background in architec ture, he prefers painting landscapes and buildings.  They share a studio on the 6th floor of the eight-story Pendleton Art Center.  Their studio space was jam-packed with inspiration!  I could have sat there all weekend and been satisfied with just looking around!  

Friday, Nancy had set up this butt-kicking (no other way to explain it!) still life.  It was gorgeous but, boy!, was it intricate.  My mind starts screaming "I can't do this" when it's confronted with something so complicated to paint.  This still life could have been a dozen or more paintings from different angles or by including / excluding this object or that.  Here is my attempt.  I want to go back in and add more leaves to the hydrangeas so there won't be so much white space.  I also want to make the flower heads less splotchy - more uniform.  The fact that the hydrangeas are so straight bothers me a bit but that's how they were in real life.  Using artistic license to  make the changes mentioned above, might help things.  I won't even discuss the trials and tribulations of trying to paint the silver coffee urn!  We'll see if I can improve this any.

Saturday, most of us were still finishing up Friday's piece.  Once done, it was on to the Saturday set-up.  Mine lacks the red-checked tablecloth -- still need to add it.  I also want to go back in and paint more pansies - make them fuller with more blossoms and leaves.  The spot where the bag meets the pot also needs to be darker.

Sunday, was a real challenge!  An architectural piece straight off the streets of Charleston, SC.  I wasn't feeling well on Sunday which didn't help matters.  I found this piece very hard.  Extremely difficult to draw / simplify.  

One thing that this workshop taught me is that I really need to draw more --- practice, practice, practice!   Your drawing is the foundation of your painting and I really need to practice drawing everything in sight!  

I'm taking an Imaginary Trip Through Autumn with Laure Ferlita, too.  Journaling is something I've always wanted to do.  This would also provide good drawing opportunity.  Anyway, Laure is a watercolor artist living in Florida who sponsors these "trips" to Paris, Europe, through Autumn, etc.  I think she has one coming up to the beach.  It is very organized and a super fun idea.  She gives us assignments and posts demonstration videos, we do them in our journal, post our results to the blog, and she provides us with helpful criticism and tips.  Check out Laure's blog, Painted Thoughts.

This imaginary trip idea is great!  I would have loved to have known about this when I lived in Virginia and the closest art class was almost two hours away.  I think the format is a great opportunity for people in rural areas, people that can't easily go away from home for an art class due to children, full time work, handicap, etc.  If you're interested in more information and possibly joining us on a "trip", click here.  

Here is our second lesson on the autumn "trip".  A white pumpkin.  I kind of like this pumpkin.  I especially like the water blossom in the shadow.  The first assignment was to design a cover for our journal.  Our next lessons were an andirondack chair and leaves.  I still need to do my leaves.

When Laure posted all the people and their state of residence on the blog, I noticed there was another painter from Ohio.  I emailed and found that Kelly lives right down the road - about twenty minutes - from me!  What odds!  This is open to anyone on the web and the two of us are practically neighbors!   Kelly and I emailed back and forth and then met for dinner Saturday night after my workshop.  It was great fun meeting her!!!  We seem to have a lot in common - love of art, love of birds, mother to sons, etc.  I hope we can get together again soon for a painting date.  She said that I need to see Fort Ancient - which is just about five or six miles from me.  Check out Kelly's blog, Red and the Peanut.  She is a terrific photographer!

On the knitting front ---- the baby blanket continues!!!!!!!  What an easy knit!

I'm off today and tomorrow and had hopes of unpacking boxes in a big way!  However, I don't know what this is I have but I still don't feel well.  I think it's asthma that has just settled in my chest.  Anyway, it comes with a hard cough but no runny nose or cold symptoms.  Needless to say, I don't feel like unpacking a thing.  Gracie kitty has an appointment at the vet for her annual exam this afternoon and I do have a late afternoon work appointment tomorrow.  If the day is nice, I might just take a folding chair outside and sit and read or knit.  There's no real furniture in the house so it's either get back in the bed, sit at the kitchen table, or sit outside!  

Post Boo

I intended to post yesterday but just plain ran out of time.

Saturday began with knitting at Panera's.  There was a great crowd and a lot of knitting going on - Lynn and Dee were working on a baby hats out of self-striping yarn ( so cute and colorful), Pat was crocheting the edging of her grand-daughter's baby blanket (when a group member has a grand-baby, everyone knits blanket squares and then the grandmother puts them together and does the edging), Mary Anne was knitting and about to finish yet another cardigan (she's a prolific knitter - I think this is the 3rd or 4th child's cardigan she's knit since I started going to the group).  Dot and Connie were there but were at the other end of the row and I failed to see (or can't remember) what they were knitting. 

Next, there was the dreaded trip to the grocery store.  Every area resident was there which made the chore full of "excuse me's" trying to get around people, waits in aisles that were blocked, etc.  I usually don't mind the trip to the store quite so much but just had so much I wanted to do this weekend.  

I finally made it home - just in the nick of time!  Tom followed me up the driveway with his truck loaded down with red oak hardwood for my floors!  Yes, people --- Phase Two of project "Make This House Mine" will get underway tomorrow.  Should take two days for the nasty carpet to come up downstairs and the hardwood to be put down.  Next week, is Phase Three - the nasty carpet upstairs and on the stairs gets replaced by new pretty carpet in a dark gold.  I will be posting before and after photos.

I had just a little bit of time to do some cleaning out before having to get ready for the Ghost & Goblets Dinner and Tour at the Hammel House Inn in Waynesville.  Waynesville has a reputation for being the most haunted town in Ohio and it is well-known that Hammel House Inn is the most haunted site in Waynesville.  So, it seemed like the perfect place to hang-out for Halloween.  The dinner dinner part of our night was delicious.  Served by the Hammel House, we dined on a salad of mixed greens with roasted pumpkin seeds, Craisins, and pecans, a chicken dish with a cornbread/grit cake and spinach souffle, melt-in-your-mouth buttery rolls, and an apple bread pudding w/ caramel sauce.  Yummmm!  During the dinner, we were entertained with ghostly tales from the owner of the Hammel House Inn and two volunteers from the Museum at the Friends Home.  Then, we were able to walk off at least some of the dinner calories as we continued our night touring through the town with the museum volunteers leading the way and pointing out points of paranormal interest along the way.  Afterward, we drove two blocks up the hill to the Museum at the Friends Home.  The structure was built in 1905 and was used as a boarding house for Quakers.  The Quakers remain quite active in this area.  

Reasons for Waynesville being so haunted????  Well, I have read that it is built over Indian burial grounds and also this area was very active in the Underground Railroad.  Throw in a triple ax murder by an eighteen year old boy and a murder by a former Hammel House Innkeeper and you've got yourself a haunted town!  Four out of the five bedrooms of the Inn were reserved last night by people who attended the dinner / tour.  I wish I could find out how they slept!  Two of their rooms continue to be reported as VERY "active" with spirits.  You can read more here and here.

Some of Andy's family are coming this afternoon for lunch/dinner.  We'll be improvising since we don't have any real chairs to sit in on.  Thank goodness it's nice out - very sunny - not a cloud in the sky!  So we'll put the patio to good use.  Andy will grill chicken and I'm making three bean salad, copper pennies, and corn pudding.  We'll finish up with a peach pie and apple caramel cake (no, I did not make them!).  

Enjoy these few pictures of Halloween here at my house.  The row of burning bushes has been gorgeous with its fiery red color.  Now, their leaves are shedding and they'll soon be a row of sticks.  Not sure how I'm going to like that as I'm used to huge evergreen English boxwoods - green all year - along my walkway.  

I love this pumpkin cat!  Mom sent me the metal attachments to turn this plain ordinary pumpkin into a scaredy cat.  He's so cute!  I especially love his toenails.

We'll be getting ready for turkey-time soon!!!

Thoroughly Pooped!

That's me ---- thoroughly pooped!  Why do Virginia and South Carolina have to be so far away???

Andy and I left Ohio Friday morning and headed to Virginia.  Took us about nine hours pulling the trailer.  We arrived in South Boston, VA about 4:30 PM and cleaned out / closed the safe deposit box at the bank, closed the credit union account, met Mom and Daddy for dinner, loaded the old washer and dryer and coffee table into the trailer, and then bedded down for the night at the Holiday Inn Express.  

After dinner, we rode down to see our old house.  It looked gorgeous!  Just like I always dreamed it would.   Funny, what I waited for for twenty-five years it took the new owners less  than two months to achieve.  Not fair.  They had painted it, made the old shed into a two-car garage, added a beautiful lamppost, planted some pretty trees/bushes, etc.  They even took my idea and were squaring off the end of the house to make walk-in closets and a nice master bathroom.  

Saturday morning, Andy and I hit the road again.  This time, we were headed to Columbia, SC by way of Danville, VA to pick up Mom and Daddy.  I switched cars so I could ride with them.  It was great seeing them again.  I don't think I've ever gone almost two months without seeing them.  

We arrived in South Carolina early afternoon.  After picking up Taylor and eating lunch, we toured the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.  Taylor had his coworker, Bill, show us around and Bill even arranged to present us each with a gift bag.  The convention center was very pretty.  There was artwork by local artisans throughout the center.  One stunning example was this glass light fixture.  Beautiful!  There were rows of magnolia trees outside and even a few palms.  

After our tour, we went back to Taylor's apartment and unloaded the washer, dryer, and coffee table.  We  also brought paintings and his hooked rug for him to decorate his apartment with.  I found these oil paintings in the Parsons-Bruce Gallery in South Boston, VA earlier in the year.  I couldn't resist them because I knew Taylor would absolutely love them.  I was right!  He is crazy about them!  My favorite part of the larger painting is the steam rising from the pans.  They were painted by a local artist there - Phil Ramsey.  My sons went to school with Phil's sons so they are extra special since Taylor knows the artist.  Mom hooked this vegetable rug for him and did a great job.  Look at the detail in the hooking.  I bought curtains at Target here in Ohio  and took those.  They matched a throw he had on his sofa perfectly.  In fact, all the colors went together so well - browns, tans, rusts.  Very comfortable.

Mom, Dad, and Lily left late afternoon and then the fun part of our visit began.  After a quick trip to get what we needed to install the appliances, it was down to business.  Andy and Taylor worked installing the washer and dryer and Rachael and I washed dishes, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and put away clothes. I think she and I emptied at least a dozen boxes.  We were able to make a good-sized dent and the apartment looked nice when we left for the hotel that night.

Sunday morning, Taylor and Rachael joined us for a cup of coffee before we hit the road for Ohio.  The drive home took us about ten hours.  We averaged about fourteen miles to a gallon pulling the trailer.  This weekend was a very expensive, quick - but at the same time - very long trip.  Mom and Daddy are planning on coming to Ohio for a visit in November and I hope Rachael and Taylor can come soon, also.  

One plus about the trip ---- it allowed me about twenty-four hours or so hours of knitting time.  

I started and finished this super cute pumpkin hat.  I combined a couple of patterns and then added a bit of my own.  I used the basic rolled brim hat pattern from Ann Budd and then the stem and leaf from Itty-Bitty Hats.  Then, I added vertical rows of purl stitches to make it look like the indentations of a real pumpkin.  I knit the whole hat - even the I-cord stem - using the Magic Loop method.  The yarn was Schoeller Stahl's Bahia - a 50/50 blend of rayon acrylic.  

I really made progress on this baby afghan.  I hadn't posted a picture of it before because there just wasn't  enough to even show but now it is!  I'm into the second skein and am  knitting it out of Encore 75% acrylic, 25% wool.  Perfect color for a little boy.  

We passed lots of pretty scenery on our trip.  Here are a couple of pictures.  The tree colors had dulled a bit to rich rusts, golds, greens, and oranges.  Still very pretty.

One reason we had to go clean out the safe deposit box was to get our car titles so we could register in Ohio.  I went to the license bureau today and guess what ----------------------- we have to take a written test.  UGH!!!!  I brought the book home to study and am dreading taking the darn thing.  They "inspected" - that's what they called it - my car.  The  "inspection" consisted of writing down the model of my car and the VIN number and that was all!  Seriously.  I asked the lady if she was going to check my tires or my lights, etc.  She said no - Ohio is mostly interested in whether or not you're driving a stolen vehicle.  I can drive a broken down piece of junk but it better not be stolen!  No REAL vehicle inspection but I have to take a test!  Go figure! 

The North Pole --- Or Dang Near It!

Tuesday, I had two work appointments scheduled - one morning appointment in Dayton, OH and the other one in the afternoon in Celina (pronounced with a long "i").  Now, the appointments were too far apart and not conducive travel-wise to go home in between.  So, finished with the AM appointment, I headed to Panera's and ordered my absolute favorite Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.  I set up my little notebook computer, checked my email, and worked a bit before packing up to hit the road north.

There were several things wrong from the get-go with the Tuesday schedule - 1) the lay over in between where I couldn't go home to work, 2) a 4:15 PM  appointment, and the worst thing - especially when combined with #2 , 3) Celina is a 4-hour minimum round-trip drive from my home. 

I left Panera's and was about halfway to Celina when I received a phone call from the claimant I was scheduled to meet  in Celina at his appointment.  He informed me that the doctor had been called out for an emergency surgery and they wanted to push his appointment to 5:45 PM.  He asked me if that would be okay.  Well, I was already halfway there so I agreed.

I arrived in Celina with time to spare.  I'm pretty sure I was not too far from the North Pole.  Not really - but it sure felt like it.  I was only about an hour from Fort Wayne, IN.  

The town of Celina is located on Grand Lake St. Mary - a 13,500 acre inland lake.  (Read more about this  area here and here.)  I drove all around - checking out the walkways, picnic areas, playground, etc. along the lake's edge.  What a really pretty area.  I noted several benches just perfect for a good "sit and knit".  It was a little breezy and I had work to do, so I opted for a cozy spot in a nearby coffee shop - TC Coffee Co.  I still had a view of the lake over top of my computer and gigantic almond latte.  

I was gathering up my things to leave at 5:30 PM when I received another call from my claimant.  He said that the doctor had been called to do two more appointments and canceled all his office appointments for the day.  We decided he would join me at the coffee shop so we could at least meet each other.  GRRR!

All was not lost.  I got to inspect a new area of Ohio, meet my claimant, and was treated to these  spectacular sunset views on the way home.

And, as I came through Springboro, I realized that there were just a few minutes left at Knit Night at Wooly Bully.  So, I stopped in and got a few rows done on the baby blanket.

So, Tuesday was a fruitful day after all!

More Fall Fun

After another busy work week, I could hardly wait to get to Panera's to knit with my peeps on Saturday!  I  was running late but still had plenty of time to knit, ooh and ah, and eat my weekly Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.  

Karen was working fast and furious to finish a baby blanket with this really pretty Dark Horse yarn.  The yarn was so soft and had flecks of turquoise in it.  She got all her ends threaded in and proudly held the blanket up for all to see.  She had enough yarn left over to make a hat for the baby, too.  Karen was also knitting a scarf for the big sis of the blanket recipient.  Goodies for everyone in this package!

Lynn showed us this great striped cardigan she knit  for her grand-daughter with a chunky yarn.  She lives out west and will put this sweater to good use.  This sweater looked like such a comfortable "go-to" sweater -- one her grand-daughter will pull on or "go-to" over and over again to stay warm and cozy.  Made me want to knit myself a "go-to" sweater for this upcoming Ohio winter.

This pink fluffy hooded cardigan is being knit by Mary Anne for her grand-daughter.  Check out the bit of froo-froo on the cuffs and the edge of the hood.  How cute is that!!!!?!  Just the right touch and perfect for a little girl.  

Debbie was working on shoulder shawls for her daughter's bridesmaids to throw on to keep the chill away.  Beth showed us some very pretty baby bamboo yarn she purchased.  We also got a glimpse of the pink and brown baby afghan  squares all laid out.  The gals have done such a great job.  

After leaving knitting, I stopped to get groceries and then stopped at a couple of farmer's markets and took some pumpkin pictures.  I also bought a butternut squash and need to find a good soup recipe for it.

Sunday morning, Andy went to Dayton to pick up Gerald - the fellow who works with him that still flies back and forth between Virginia and Ohio.  I know the traveling and being away from his family has got to have long ago gotten old for him but it's enabling him to  keep his job and he's very good help  for the plant here.  Anyway, Gerald had agreed to help us move stuff - boxes and furniture.

First things first, though.  We all had to go across the way and check out the Harvest Festival at Caesar Creek State Park's Pioneer Village.  It was a beautiful day but very cool - 29 degrees overnight.  It looked like we were the first ones to arrive even though it was supposed to have started at 10:00 AM.  We walked around and toured all the open houses.  Andy was a little disappointed that the blacksmith wasn't working today.  His shop was open and there was a fire but we didn't see the smithy or ever hear the ring of the anvil as we walked around.

We met up with up with a British soldier and learned about life back when.  At the moment, he was busy using his housewife (his sewing kit) to sew a button on his uniform jacket.  He said that every smart  soldier kept a housewife with him to make repairs to his uniform.  It was neat to see that he was wearing fingerless gloves.

The village was crawling with critters.  Pumpkin critters!  Very clever!

We were treated to a couple tunes but this father-daughter team on the hammered dulcimer and the merimbula.  I LOVE the hammered dulcimer and have dreamed of playing one since college.  The merimbula (here and here) was new to me.  I had never seen or heard of this instrument.  A merimbula is also known as a thumb piano.  When played , it sounded a little like a bass.  Deep and resonating.  

As I walked around and talked with people, I learned that the merimbula player would really like to have a wing chair for his house in the village.  I went over and told him that we had two very worn wing chairs that he was welcome to have.  He was thrilled!  I stressed to him that they were VERY worn.  He said it didn't matter and he has a friend that refinishes furniture.  We later took the pair of old wing chairs to him and he declared them perfect!  

In the herb house, there was a roaring fire that Gerald and Andy had to check out.  There was also a very nice display of herbs and things made from herbs  on the long table.  Look at these little bows made out of Lamb's Ear.  I haven't  seen these before.  I had tons of Lamb's Ear in Virginia but never knew about these little bows.  Very cute and oh so soft! 

After our visit to the Pioneer Village, we all returned home and got to work.  We hauled extra furniture down to the basement and some up from the basement then some boxes upstairs from the basement and others down to the basement.  We have so much hand-me-down furniture -- all old from my grandparents.  It would have looked great refinished and placed in our old house if it ever got finished.  Here in the new one, it all just looks very old and  almost ratty.  And, some of it - we just don't have the space for.  It's so nice to finally have more space to walk.  Now, I need to get super busy going through boxes - organinzing, throwing away, etc.  

By 5:00 PM, we were all pooped!  Andy started the grill and we fed Gerald a meal of steaks, mashed potatoes, green beans, and apple pie with ice cream.  We really appreciate his help!

Hope you all have a great week!!