Monday, August 20, 2007

Quick Stuff

Not much time today, but a few things I wanted to post.

Shortly after returning from my trip, I completed my socks. Technically this is not my first pair of socks, as I had previously completed a set of toddler's socks in worsted weight. However, this is my first pair made to fit a specific set of feet (mine) and made with sock yarn. They're finished, fit, and look like socks, so wahoo!













I have been somewhat buried in piles of stuff to put away, laundry to do, house to clean, and starting school, but I have managed to get in some spinning and knitting. I have worked on the alpaca and have finished two skeins plus one bobbin of a single. The bag seems never ending, but since it was free and I hope to make a sweater, I am not complaining.












Spent time at the hospital today as my mother was having surgery, and made some progress on the shawl I have been working on for over a year. I'm down to about 30 rows left (it's one of those triangles where each repeat has two more stitches than the last), so I hope to post a FO picture soon.

Must return to the laundry. I should finish seating charts as well, but doing ten today was enough.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

First Day of School

Whew, I made it through the first day.

We only lost two kids getting them home, although I had to walk one down the street to the babysitter.

A second grader showed me his new shoes with fancy air input so his feet don't get stinky.

Another second grader told me he was acting grown up now because he takes pills.

I face the first graders tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Back Home Again in Indiana

I made it back!



5418 miles later








Sunday afternoon (July 29) after church I drove along the Marine Drive to Jeddore. It was foggy, but still beautiful and interesting.


Did I say interesting? Looming through the fog . . . the moose statue in Cow Bay.






Sunday night through Thursday (August 2), I stayed at the Jonah By the Sea B&B and spent the day with Leslie spinning. The B&B is run by Dora and Bill Jonah and I had a quiet, welcoming, and pretty room at the front of the house, with a view of Jeddore Rock. Dora’s breakfasts were amazing, and Dora and Bill were very friendly. Bill even knew of the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team!

One day I walked the mile or so to Leslie’s from the B&B so I could take some pictures of my “commute” along West Jeddore Road.



There's not much you can add about scenery this gorgeous.


































This is from the walk back. Past the boat you can see Jeddore Rock at the mouth of Jeddore Harbor.







I’ve gotten everything hauled in from the car, and mostly in piles if not put away. The car needs another oil change and inside-and-out car wash! It’s got Cape Breton mud inside, and miles and miles of interstate bugs and dust on the outside.

The cat followed me around meowing the first afternoon. I guess she missed me! I met friends for lunch yesterday and I'm back to work today (now, that was poor planning on my part, since all I want to do is sleep and spin for a while).

I need to type up a narrative report for the grant foundation, and as I mentioned earlier, I want to muse a little on the whole experience. That will have to wait until at least the weekend though!

Many, many thanks to all who left comments – even if I didn’t get back to you I really appreciated them. I plan to keep the blog going, even if I won’t be having quite as exciting adventures in the days ahead. I also hope to post more of my pictures soon in albums on flickr for those who are gluttons for vacation photos.

Better Late Than Never

The following was what I intended to post to the blog on Sunday, July 29. Obviously, it didn’t get posted then, so here it is now.

This will probably be one of my last blog entries for a while – maybe until I get home? Tonight I’m headed out to East Jeddore again for four more days of spinning workshops. Then, the plan is to head home starting Friday morning. I have a bunch of thoughts and impressions of what I’ve gained from this trip, but I will post those when I have the chance to sit down and write with some coherence.


Yesterday (Saturday), as I left the dorm parking lot I saw this . . .










. . . followed immediately by this. I had to laugh.







I spent much of the morning at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on the Halifax waterfront.











There’s a Titanic exhibit (Halifax was where the survivors and dead were brought) and a temporary pirates exhibit, but the most impressive was the exhibit on the Halifax Explosion of 1917.





There was also this incredibly annoying parrot that you could hear screeching all over the museum.







As much as I love FRED, I hate these. They are full of mindless tourists being herded (baaa, baaa) around town and into the harbor (literally). And they’re loud.




Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Another Promise

I'm home! I have some retro blogging I promise to do soon, but my computer's still on the fritz. I go back to work tomorrow, so hopefully I can update there and get Jim or Tim the techie men to fix my laptop.

Lots of pictures next update!