For the Love of Fiber

Hot Stuff

IT'S HOT!!!!!! I took this picture of the weather thing on my phone the other night. It was 10:45 PM when we were still in South Boston, VA. Mom, Daddy, and I came up to Richmond, VA yesterday for lunch at Taylor's restaurant and then they left me here. Andy joined me in Richmond last night. We had a horrible storm last night that knocked out power at the hotel where we are staying. Thank goodness it was back on this morning.

Lunch at 525 at the Berry Burk yesterday was delicious! I had the Bistro Beef on a Challah Roll. Mom and Daddy shared a Chef's Club which has ham, turkey, Taylor's honey-glazed bacon with cracked pepper, and two fried eggs on it. Dessert was Coffee Ice Cream and Peach Strudel. Everything was yummy!

The decor of the restaurant is very nice. Clean and sleek - a good mix of old and new. The carvings on the exterior of the building with the Berry Burk sign on top make it a city landmark. The interior is simple elegance with the pin-stripe booths and the white tablecloths. The super-size windows make it look so inviting from the outside looking in and so natural from the inside looking out. They even have an old Berry Burk sign and some hat boxes on display at the hostess stand which remembers the building's days of a fashionable department store. If you click on the exterior picture to the right, you'll see a quite dapper gentleman overlooking the entrance to the building.

Here are Mom and Daddy - proud grandparents - with Chef Taylor.

Eryn, Brian, Little Miss B, Andy, and I ate dinner at 525 last night. My friend, Nicole, also joined us. Eryn and I had the Pan Seared Scallops with Sweet Pea Risotto, Andy had the chicken dish, Nicole had escolar, and Brian had beef medallions. There were starters - Edamame Dip, Shrimp Dip, and two types of Calamari. And, there was dessert! More of that yummy Coffee Ice Cream, Apple Cobbler, and Blueberry / Strawberry Cheesecake. The food was very good! 

Now, I'm trying to decide what to get tonight for dinner. Rachael and Landen are expected in sometime this afternoon. This will be Rachael's first time seeing the restaurant. She should be so proud. I know Taylor will be tickled to see her and Little Man dining in his own restaurant.

Today, we're spending time with Brian and Eryn and Miss B. Miss B is now 10 months old and so much more animated since the last time we saw her in April. A fun day!!!

Sunday and our return to Ohio will come all too soon.

Southside Virginia

I drove from South Boston to Clarksville, VA today. I passed our old house. It still looks fabulous. I miss all those trees so badly! Note the huge magnolias and also the boxwood bushes surrounding the house.

I drove across the bridge at Buggs Island / Kerr Lake. There was a solitary sailboat just floating along, How relaxing.

When I returned to the hotel, I hit the pool and then a lounge chair to bask in the sun for a few minutes. It felt so good!

I think I could live in a hotel. I could get into turning the "Please Do Not Disturb" sign and then turning it back around when / if I needed something. Clean sheets and towels - just stick my head out the door and ask for some.  I wake up in the morning and wander down to breakfast. There's a pool and a fitness room.  

Of course, I'd have to have several hotel rooms to hold my stash!

Tonight, Andy and I drove to Danville and had dinner with Mom and Daddy. Tomorrow, while Andy is working, I'll drive back to Danville and go to knitting with Mom.  

Plans have changed for going to Richmond. Mom, Daddy, and I were going to 525 at the Berry Burk tomorrow for lunch now we're going Friday. The camera will be charged and so will my taste buds!

Oooooops!

I attempted to write this post three times last week. Each time - as I was just finishing up - I hit some mysterious button on the computer keyboard that made every word, every period, every exclamation point, and every picture disappear into cyperspace. I never could figure out what I hit so I could absolutly avoid repeating my action. So, the mystery key will remain a mystery.

I was going to tell you ........

I've been up to my eyeballs in watering, taking care of kitties, chasing off the stray cat, refilling bird feeders, and, of course, working. Gracie kitty has been fine since coming home from the vet with her "fever of unknown origin". She's back to being her old self.

Now, that Gracie is okay, it's Earl's turn. Saturday night, I called both cats into the garage for dinner and for the night when I noticed Earl Gray limping. I looked and his front right leg was huge. Saturday - night - it figures. Sunday morning, I open the door to the garage to find Earl licking his leg. It was a abscess and it had burst. I'm blaming the stray cat and make a note to self to renew my efforts to trap him. I stuck Earl in the cat carrier and off we went to the emergency vet (translated as $$$). Two hours later, I'm heading home with a sedated Earl who was full of antibiotics and completely humiliated. He was sporting a clean-shaved right front leg and an E-collar. He looked like a gray flashlight bumping into everything. They also sent him home with a baggie of syringes full of pain medicine. 

Earl's timing was awful as I was leaving early Monday morning for Virginia.

That's right!! Here I am - I'm in Virginia! Andy had to come for work so I took vacation and rode down with him. Purpose of this trip is to EAT!

Taylor's restaurant is now open in Richmond. Mom, Daddy, and I are going up Thursday to have lunch. I'm so excited and can hardly wait! I'm going to have them leave me in Richmond so I can spend more time with the Brian, Eryn, Blakeney, and Taylor. When Andy finishes work on Friday, he will come up to Richmond and we'll eat dinner at the restaurant. We'll have Saturday there and plan to eat at the restaurant again that night. Rachael and Landen should arrive Saturday night so we'll get to see both grandbabies this trip. Sunday, we'll head back to Ohio.

A road trip provides plenty of knitting time. I started a new scarf and a baby blanket on the way down. I'll post pictures as soon as I get more done on each.

Coming through Danville yesterday, Andy dropped me at Mom and Daddy's house. I stayed for supper and then went to knitting  with my old group at Starbucks. Afterward, I headed to South Boston where Andy stays. Today, I worked most of the day. Vacation, unfortunately for me, means that I just don't work at home. I did stop working around 3:00 PM and headed to the pool, the whirlpool spa, and then sat out in the sun. It was fabulous and I toyed with the idea of possibly living in a hotel for the rest of my life. Tonight, Mom and Daddy came to South Boston and met us for dinner. Not sure what's on the agenda for tomorrow. We'll just wait and see.

Style Weekly, in Richmond, ran a very nice article on the restaurant on June 12th. Here's the link to Into the Fire if you would like to read it.

Happy Blogiversary!!!!! Yes, that's right! A big Ooooooops! On June 17th, this little blog turned 6 years old! Little did I know when I started writing my thoughts and experiences that I'd still be doing so 6 years later! Here's a link to the first page of For The Love Of Fiber - scroll down to read some of my first posts. Seems so long ago.

To date there have been 966 Posts, 5,799 Comments, and 217,633 Lifetime Pageviews. WOW! You, the readers, come from all over - the United States, Canada, and many other countries. I love that you stop in to read a bit of my journey and may even take time to leave me a comment or two. Six years. WOW!

No pictures this time but I'll have plenty on the next post! 

In the meantime, thanks for reading!

Goings On

Seems like there's been too little knitting content on this blog lately. I have finished my Beautiful Cobweb Shawl but there is so much soap on the kitchen island that there isn't enough room to block it. Will have to remedy that soon.

I made two batches of a new recipe last night and used my new molds. I made one batch in a log mold and the other batch in a slab mold. The slab mold worked like a charm - has a silicone sheet in the bottom. The soap was a little difficult to remove from the log mold - didn't want to release. Overall, the molds worked GREAT! Nice smooth sides to the soap. I still need some practice getting the soap poured into the slab mold evenly and also with swirling colors. 

The white soap in the picture above is White Ginger & Amber and the yellow, white, and orange is Tropical Vacation w/ shea butter in it.

Merry modeled her latest creation recently at Saturday knitting. It's Summer Flies on Ravelry and it's FREE!

Joanne finished an Eiffel Tower washcloth to commemorate her recent return from Paris.

My garden is growing up a storm. Have already harvested some radishes and carrots. And, of course, salad fixings - lettuce, Swiss Chard, arugula, and spinach. I've even cut beet leaves to include in our salad greens. I love being able to go out the door, walk a few steps, and bring back a meal.

The flowers are also  blooming like crazy! Here are two arrangements I put together. I love the color and texture of all the different varieties of flowers.

I had to take Gracie kitty to the vet Saturday morning. She wasn't eating - didn't eat at all Friday - and she just wasn't acting like herself. She had 105.5 temperature and the said she'd lost 2 lbs. since her exam in March. They kept her and gave her fluids, did bloodwork, and gave her injections of anti-inflamatory and antibiotic medication. She ate yesterday and her temp returned to normal. Her bloodwork didn't show anything so her diagnosis was Fever Of Unknown Origin. I picked her up this morning and brought her home. She ate supper tonight but still doesn't seem too perky. I hope she does okay. 

Remember the stray cat that comes over and attacks Earl? Well, I've been trying to catch him. First, in a little cage that the vet loaned me. Then, in a bigger cage from a friend. Well, I've caught two things in the larger trap - a opossum and EARL! I was out watering the gardens one morning and happened to look over at the trap and noticed that the door was down. As I walked closer - there was Earl just sitting in the trap. I opened the door and he meowed as he walked out. Didn't seem to phase him. Silly cat! The opossum wasn't as easy to release. I have to turn the trap upside down and shake it and shake it. He was hanging onto the wire cage with his toes and his tail. He was quite content to play 'possum in the trap for the day. 

525 At The Berry Burk opened a week ago and Brian and his wife, Eryn, were among the guests. He had to check out his brother's cooking! Here is a picture of the two of them that Brian emailed me. I can hardly wait to eat there. It won't be long now! I'm heading to Virginia next week and will take Mom and Daddy up for lunch during the week and then will move up to a hotel in Richmond for a couple of days before heading back home. Hope he has that Peach Studel on the menu by the time I get there!

I'll leave you with some flower pictures. LOVE THEM! Two kinds of daisies, three kinds of coneflowers, lavender, salvia, mint, chives, etc. Summertime is flowertime!

OH, I almost forgot to show you this picture of Caesar Creek Gorge the other evening. The mist rising from the trees was so pretty. Have I told you today what a pretty place this is?

Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day and our family has two new fathers. As most of you know, both of our sons became fathers in 2011 - Taylor in June (a son) and Brian in August (a daughter).

I am so lucky to still have my father and also to have grown up very close to both of my grandfathers.

What does it mean to be a good father? Well, I remember a Father's Day sermon our minister preached many years ago at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church in Danville, VA. It was based on the song by Harry Chapin - "Cats In The Cradle".

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

Chorus:  And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

Chorus

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"

Chorus

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

Chorus

I've never forgotten that sermon. Those words haunted me. What makes a good father, or mother for that matter?

I was eating lunch at Panera's the other day in between work appointments. There were two separate tables of fathers and their children - one with two little girls and the other with one little girl and two boys. One father was actively engaged in talking with his children and the other father's attention was absorbed by his iPhone. The two little girls were asking him questions - trying to get his attention. He would answer them but never took his eyes from that phone. Even when their food came, he continued to talk TO them but his eyes stayed on his phone. There's a big difference in talking TO someone and WITH someone.

The song, "Cats In The Cradle", to me, sums it up - not just for fathers but for mothers, too.

The years fly by. Our children grow up. They learn little subtleties, mannerisms, habits, etc. from us all along the way. They learn how to raise their own children by our example.

Would I change how I parented my children? Yes, there are lots of things I wish I could go back and do differently. Unfortunately, we don't have that chance - there are no do-overs. We do the best we can and hope and pray that the good will be remembered strongly and the bad will be forgotten.

To my father on this Father's Day, as well as, each and every day --- Thank you, Daddy, for giving me not only your love but your attention. You always make me feel so special - so important. Every daughter should be lucky enough to be made to feel just like that by her daddy.

To my sons on their first Father's Day --- Cherish your children - give them your undivided attention and your unconditional love. Treasure every minute - they pass so quickly. Do your best to be a good parent and forgive yourself when you make mistakes - children don't come with How-To manuals. Lastly, enjoy your children and they will enjoy you.

Hope all the fathers out there have a wonderful day!

525 At The Berry Burk

It's 525 time! Our younger son, Taylor, and his business partner, Tom, opened the doors to their restaurant Friday and Saturday nights for their "soft" opening. Taylor is the executive chef and Tom is the general manager. They served the invited plus about 50 walk-ins Friday night and were just as busy Saturday night. I think it was very well received.

525 At The Berry Burk was a well-to-do men's clothing store back in the day. The  boys have kept the masculine feel for the restaurant's decor. I can't believe how much that tablecloths made everything come together. 

The restaurant is located on East Grace Street - to be exact, 525 East Grace Street, Richmond, VA. With two walls of windows the inside can look out and the outside can look in. 

Here are pictures of some of the staff taking a break
during training and of the restaurant's interior.

Now, for the food. 

Taylor always had the biggest imagination! How perfect for that imagination to manifest itself in new dishes and plate decorations.

Let's have a look!

Vidalia Onion Rings with Balsamic and Shaved Parmesan.

Fried Calamari Duo - Traditional Tomato Sauce or a Shallot Caper Beurre Blanc.

Beef Bistro Panini with Garlic Herb Cheese Spread and Red Onion Jam with House Chips and  pickles.

Shrimp Cocktail sauteed with Garlic, Butter, and Wine.

Did someone say dessert?

Why, yes. There is dessert.

How about Molten Chocolate
Lava Cake with Strawberry Coulis.

Maybe Blueberry Cheesecake.

Or, why not one of each!

What do you think? It's enough to get your lips smacking,isn't it?

I'm going down towards the end of June and can hardly wait to see the restaurant, meet all the staff, and EAT, EAT, EAT!

Until then, I drool!

To Taylor and Tom, you boys have worked hard. It looks absolutely wonderful.

May it be a roaring success - a dream come true!

Beautiful Day

I've said this before --- I live in a beautiful place! 

Coming home today, I crossed over the dam. On one side was the lake and the other side, the gorge. Just beautiful!! I never tire of these views.

 

Caesar Creek Lake

Caesar Creek Gorge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy is still working in the basement and the end is near!!! Hallelujah! I can even start unpacking boxes in the main area. Lots of cleaning to do first. Everything is covered in a fine white dust from all the sanding and sheetrock work. It's been almost three years and I can hardly wait to see all my stuff! The main thing I'm looking forward to is having a soapmaking area back. I used to make it in the kitchen of my studio in Virginia. Since moving here, I've made it in the kitchen and have had to haul jugs of oil, etc. from all parts of the kitchen and utility room. It will be wonderful to have everything organized and in place again.

On another topic, I've set a no-kill trap for the stray cat that keeps coming and beating my Earl Gray to a pulp. I've set the trap for three days now and haven't caught a thing.  I'm using cans of cat food for bait. Any suggestions? I'm only setting it during the day --- that's when the cat fights take place because I bring Earl in at night. Also, I don't want to catch the night-time animals that visit, such as, skunks. If I caught a skunk, you can bet I'd be taking volunteers to get him out of the trap!

Happy weekend to everyone!

He's ONE!

Landen, Taylor and Rachael's precious little boy and our precious grandson turned ONE today! (See the previous post for then and now pictures.)

He had a cook-out party today and Rachael posted pictures. Looks like he had a blast. Such a happy little boy.

 

 

 

 

Let him eat cake!

 

Happy Birthday, Cutie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrations

Mom, Daddy, and Lily made it  back to Virginia safe and sound. Here they are all ready to get on the road yesterday morning headed home. I hate seeing them leave. But, now I get to look forward to their return. I'm trying to convince them to move here but so far I haven't had any luck.

Yesterday, Andy and I went to Indiana for his parents' big celebration. Both of his parents (Mary and Dave) turn 80 years young this year - his father in February and his mother in November, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in May, and their barn is 100 years old this year. So, they celebrated yesterday with a 60-80-100 party.

There was tons of people there - lots of relatives. It was a beautiful day in spite of a couple of brief rain showers. There were tents, tables, and chairs set up outside with a hot dog cart and a table with barbecue, coleslaw, and chips. The dessert table with about a dozen different kinds of cookies was set up inside. People wandered about inside and out. Lots of talking and mingling. Andy saw people he hadn't seen in thirty years or more.

Log Cabin quilts were on display inside that Mary made for the family members. They were gorgeous. There were three hanging on the other side of the fireplace that you can't see in this picture.

Today is also cause for celebration. Landen, our grandson, is one year old today! Rachael and Taylor had a birthday party for him in South Carolina. Needless to say, I can hardly stand the fact that we had to miss it. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures.

The year has flown by as those to come will also. He took his first unassisted steps just a few days ago. So, now the fun will really begin! 

Here is a picture of this darling 10 lb., 2 oz. boy a year ago.

Now, look at him. Can he possibly get any more precious? Doesn't he look like he has so much to say and so many things to do. My prediction is that he is going to be a very busy boy. 

Happy Birthday, Landen!!!

Taylor said today that the restaurant is scheduled to open this week. YEAH!! Now, to submit my vacation request for the end of June so I can go try it out! So proud of him!

A Fun Week

Mom, Daddy, and Lily arrived safe and sound last Sunday. We promptly whisked them off to a cook-out at Meg and Dennis' house. Lovely setting by their pond to bid farewell to Ralph, Katherine, and Clara who will be moving to Maryland this summer. The food was wonderful - veggies and dip, pork tenderloin on the grill, bread and tomato salad, corn on the cob, cornbread, and two angel food cake trifles - peach and blueberry and strawberry and blueberry. 

It was hot as blazes here until about Tuesday when the weather finally broke. Last night, we had a storm. It rained buckets which we needed badly. Today, I don't think the temperature went over 70 degrees. Needed a sweater or a shawl. It was wonderful!

I wasn't off from work this week while Mom and Daddy were here so I couldn't spend as much time with them as I wished. We managed to run to the little shops in Waynesville which is always fun. We also hit Allyson's Gardens, Wild Bird Unlimited and Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro, Sam's Club for an olive oil run for my soapmaking, etc. Mom and I went to Kroger's twice and one time ended up at the new SoYo Yogurt in Centerville. HMM Good! 

Mom and Daddy are so easy to have visit. Daddy walks every morning except Sundays at home and he loves his walks here. He crosses the road in front of our house and heads down to the lake (Caesar Creek Lake). Then, he walks Lily off and on throughout the day, reads, watches the birds, and feeds our fish. Mom loves to check out all the garden centers and shops around. Daddy can take 'em or leave 'em so Mom and I usually visit them together. He did suffer through one trip - he took Mom while I worked. They always enjoy going to Wild Bird Unlimited in Springboro and seeing Monica and Kim.

Late Thursday afternoon, we headed to Mason to Cracker Barrel and then onto knitting at Barnes & Noble. We didn't stay long but it was good to see the anchor members of our Thursday night spinning group - Kathy, Martha, and Susan. 

Kathy is a spinning trick! Here she is ga-ga over one of her new finished skeins. We were all ga-ga over it! Kathy added beads to it and it was lovely.  

Martha was busily spinning away and had tales to tell of her recent trip as a vendor at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival. She and I both will be vendors August 18th and 19th at the Mid-Ohio Fiber Fest. Martha will have lots of fiber (sheep, llama, and alpaca) and I will have soap, soap, and more soap!

Susan was finishing up a really neat knitting project. I'll try to get a picture of it for you once it's all done.

Their stay was not all play. We managed to trim all the burning bushes that were hanging halfway over the front sidewalk. That was a job but with the three of us working, it didn't take long. It looks so much better. 

Our house has burning bushes - about 100 of them! - planted along the parking area and all along the front sidewalk to the front porch. They shouldn't be there - they just get too big. Yes, they are gorgeous in the fall - such a brilliant red color but they just don't need to be there. So, we are going to pull up - major undertaking since they're established and are so big that I can hardly look over them anymore. We already pulled up the lilacs on the other side of the sidewalk because they were too big for that area, too. It will look much nicer once the bushes are gone, grass is sown, and the area is opened up. I've finished the one side of the sidewalk - the side closer to the house and pictured here. Once the basement is finished, I need Andy to dig up the other side of the sidewalk in front of the front porch and get that area ready to plant. Can't wait until it's all done!

Here is a picture of the major planting I did  the other week when I thought I was going to just keel over if I had to dig one more hole. There will one day be a fountain where you see that terra cotta pot. We bought the tall pot to make the fountain last year but didn't want to bother with it so close to the the end of the summer. So, it's still on its side in the garage and the cats enjoy sleeping inside of it. Andy is focused on finishing the basement - I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - THANK GOODNESS! - so the fountain will have to wait for now. I can't wait, however, not with that mosquito breeding habitat right there in the middle of my pretty bed of plants. So, I dipped all the water and leaves out of the well and Daddy helped me cover it with black plastic. I then planted a big pot with daisies, shrimp plant, Creeping Jenny, and Lobelia and set it on top of the big black ugly area. Doesn't look too bad now. At least, we're not farming mosquitoes!

I've made lots and lots of soap this week - several hot process batches and one cold process oven process. I have the hot process technique down-pat but the cold process ....... well, let's just say I need practice. I brought by soap to too thick of a trace and the soap didn't like one of the fragrances I used and that portion seized (got very thick). I managed to actually get soap out of the batch but the jury is still out on a review of this soap. Like I said, I need to practice!

In these pictures are the following: Love That Lavender, English Rose, Fresh Fruit Salsa, Pineapple Cilantro, Ginger Lime, and Oak, Orange, & Oats. I also made Rise & Shine, Orange Peel Patchouli, Rosemary Lemongrass, and Honey & Oats. I delivered soap recently to Haberdashery in Waynesville, OH. I also have soap ready for Silver High Manor Bed & Breakfast and William & Mary in Lebanon. Celeste at Silver High Manor is going to try my soaps as guest soaps. I hope they go over well. I packaged them in little plastic bags and tied each one with colorful raffia. 

Andy made it home tonight from his week's work in Virginia. We're headed to his parents' house tomorrow for a big shindig. His parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year, his father turned 80, and their barn turned 100 years old. So, it's a 60-80-100 celebration. The weather is supposed to be nice.

Mom and Daddy leave tomorrow morning for Virginia. I HATE seeing them go! I miss them daily and worry about them constantly. I hate that I am here and they are there. My heart keeps screaming at me that this is NOT the way it's supposed to be. I so wish I could squeeze the two states - Virginia and Ohio - a little closer together. I hope they have safe travels and come back very very soon.