Category Archives: Favorite Things

Photographer Friends

04 Wednesday Nov 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Photography, Thoughts

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There are always [at least] two people in every picture:
the photographer and the viewer.
[Ansel Adams]

rose_garden

Fort Wayne Rose Garden photographed by Robert Pence

I admire good photography. I am the viewer in the quotation by Ansel Adams. I took several photography courses in college and soon realized that I’d never devote the time and attention to the art of photography to become really good at it. Therefore, I take the role in photography that I do in music—I am the appreciative audience.

The photo above and the new masthead were photographed by Robert Pence. He photographs many urban scenes as well, and has a natural eye for geometric composition that I admire. I’ve added two new links to his photography online. See Urban Indiana and Robert Pence Images in the column at the right.

This week’s fun

02 Monday Nov 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts

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When you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’
Then get busy and find out how to do it.
[Theodore Roosevelt]
week_projects

The leaves and the year might be almost gone, but there is still time to have fun. My calendar for this week is full of fun stuff.

1. Beginning Blogging: This is the last week for the 8-week course that I teach on the internet under the auspices of the Story Circle Network. I enjoy this so much that I’m writing a proposal for the winter session that starts after Christmas. My course covers the technical aspects of setting up and managing a blog.

2. Birthdays: We are gathering at the Texas Roadhouse tonight to celebrate two family birthdays—mother and daughter who were born the same day but 25 years apart. That makes it easy to remember. Gifts are wrapped.

3. Curves: I am maintaining a decent weight but need to go exercise more (at least 3 times this week). It gives me energy and keeps me agile.

4. Knitting classes: Tomorrow is the last class for the vest, Wednesday is the last class for the stranded sock class, and Saturday is the first class for another group knitting stranded socks. I offer these classes at Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe. I have a variety of sock patterns so each class member may choose the one she likes best.

3. Portuguese Style Knitting: My day job is as a graphic artist. One facet of that is preparing books for publication. I’m so excited about my current job—assembling a book on Portuguese-style knitting for Andrea Wong. She attended Cat Bordhi’s Visionary Retreat, and is working on getting her book ready to self publish.

4. Lifewriting Online: Blogging for the Faint of Heart: I’m composing a presentation to use as a skeleton for the 90-minute workshop I’m planning to facilitate at the Story Circle Network’s Fifth National Women’s Memoir Conference in Austin, Texas next February. This is an ongoing job for me but it is such fun and I’m making progress.

NOTE: The new masthead (now retired to masthead page) is the same view as the last one but later in the fall—the field is golden and the light has changed. When I retire a masthead, I put it on the Masthead page in the tab above.

The End—Saturn

15 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Thoughts

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If you want a happy ending,
that depends, of course,
on where you stop your story.
[Orson Welles]

Saturn
Close to twenty years ago, I bought the first Saturn sold in Fort Wayne. It was the most reliable car I’d ever owned. Finally, I’d found a car that didn’t require a TO FIX list when it was new. This photo shows the fourth Saturn I’ve bought—I’ve had it more than a year.

This morning, I went to the GM dealer at the crack of dawn for a car check up. The gentleman who met me had a familiar face. He was transplanted from Saturn to serve those of us who now find ourselves orphans.

I know almost nothing about automobiles or the auto industry so my gut reaction is based upon no knowledge, authority or anything valid. All I know is that the products and service I got from Saturn in the past two decades were top drawer. It makes me sad that GM mismanaged its way into this situation.

Knitting is . . .

05 Monday Oct 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Thoughts

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Knitting is another word for love.

New Harmony, 2009—My knitting sisters.

New Harmony, 2009—Knitting Sisters

I just spent the weekend making a major deposit into my memory bank—our knitting gathering in New Harmony, Indiana was pure joy for me. Fifteen knitters and two husbands gathered from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Oklahoma. [The new masthead photo is the view from the Barn Abby looking toward the Wabash River and across to Illinois. Previous masthead photos do not disappear into the blogging ether. Check out my MASTHEAD link above.]

Gloria and Allen Johnson (Dayton, OH) organized our stay at the Barn Abby. Allen kept us from going hungry, and Gloria taught us about the zig-zag scarf. I passed out patterns and yarn for knitted squares to assemble into a love blanket for Gloria. (I’ll post a photo when I get it set together). Marilyn Buster led us in her revised version of KNITO (similar to BINGO) — a game that Gloria un-vented several years ago for our gathering. In between, we enjoyed the sights of New Harmony, and visited Atkinson Farm Yarns in Vincennes, IN. Cheryl (the owner) treated us to a delicious luncheon.  A quilting friend of hers had made lovely bags—we each received one filled with goodies. Cheryl’s generous spirit was also reflected in her shop. I’ve never seen such an ample collection of yarns and other items. I confess, I bought some yarn.

In quieter moments of joy, I observed everyone working, laughing, sharing and interacting. A list formed in my mind. Instead of a TO DO list, I call it my KNITTING IS . . . list. Here is a start:

  • Knitting is another word for warmth.
  • Knitting is a good excuse to gather with friends.
  • Knitting is a form of meditation.
  • Knitting is an ice breaker in a group of people.
  • Knitting is healing.
  • Knitting is a good part of my memory stash (Marianne from Tulsa).
  • Knitting is health food for the fingers and is not fattening (Jeannie).
  • Knitting is …

Anniversary

09 Wednesday Sep 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Thoughts

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True love stories never have endings.
[Richard Bach]

Mike-Me_adj

This photo was taken 42 years ago today. He called me this morning to remember our anniversary. He is still the kind gentleman I married so long ago. We haven’t been married since the late 1980s, but we continue to appreciate each other’s friendship.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy,
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
[Marcel Proust]

Keeping Busy

22 Wednesday Jul 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Quilting, Thoughts

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You owe it to everyone you love (including yourself)
to find pockets of tranquility in your busy world.
[Author Unknown]

I’m working on piecing another quilt that I started a couple of decades ago. This one is going to take awhile—a couple of weeks at least. Meanwhile, I’m also gathering patterns, etc. for the fall classes I’m planning to teach at Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shop. Two are coming up in August.

Jacob’s Ladder

10 Friday Jul 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Quilting

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Tags

Any day spent sewing, is a good day.
[Author Unknown]

HOT OFF THE MACHINE—I finished sewing the border onto this quilt top this morning. This was another UFO (unfinished object), and now it is ready to go to the quilter. I do hand quilting but, in the spirit of getting this quilt finished, I’m sending it to a lady who does a lovely job with a quilting machine. That will free me up to finish hand quilting two more quilts that I started a number of years ago. My furry buddy, Toby, held the quilt top down while I took the photo. I’ll get a better photo after it is quilted and bound.

February Socks

08 Wednesday Jul 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting

≈ 3 Comments

The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye
but found by the heart.

EVEN HOTTER OFF THE NEEDLES—These socks are from the “February Sock” pattern in my CD book, …and a time to knit stockings. It is fun to use a variegated yarn when knitting Fair Isle.

These are part of my banish UFOs campaign. I’m also working on piecing a quilt that I started almost two decades ago.

Walnut Brown Socks

06 Monday Jul 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting

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Socks might seem like common and simple things,
but when knit with love and imagination
they can say, “I love you.”

HOT OFF THE NEEDLES—These were knit using a cotton-synthetic blend that feels soft and elastic. They are a variation of the Gansey sock pattern featured in the sock workshop above. These use a cable and pine tree texture pattern but are the same basic sock.

…and other joys—Quilt Making

18 Thursday Jun 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts

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Good friends are like quilts.
They age with you yet never lose their warmth.

My friend, Ruth, is flying to Florida this weekend to celebrate her nephew’s wedding. She’d planned to make a king-sized wedding quilt for the couple ever since last fall. One challenge after another intruded on her plans and time grew short so she let me help her piece the quilt. For two weeks, we worked in a flurry of activity and finished in time.

It has been a long time since I set aside my knitting needles and sewed on a quilt. When I returned from North Carolina, I hurried to Ruth’s to see the finished quilt before she took it away. Wow. The quilting and finishing made it even grander.

This project was not only fun—it was a joy to work on a quilt with my friend.