Chart "C" Complete!!! ~guest blogger Andee

Woo Hoo I finished up Chart "C" last night!

 

Humm lets see how many pictures I can post of an unfinished project :)

 

 

It is so hard to photograph all bunched up on those needles!

This is the fiber I have left. I need to spin it up for the edging. Hummmmm

I think I am going to card it to blend the color until it is pretty uniform. I am not sure how much waste I'll get from carding it. So I am also thinking about ordering more solid color fiber. I don't want to run short on yarn.

 

This is where it will sit until I decide what to do.  I'm going to think about it a little more.

 

The color of the fiber is "More Coffee". I have an imaginary date planned with Jared Flood where he will come over to my parents alpaca farm and we will sit and chat and have coffee. Maybe we can turn it into a retreat. Anyone want to come visit the farm? Please note that if you do decided to attend the retreat you might have to kidnap Mr. Flood and bring him with you :) I think it would be a good time.

Barcelona, Madrid & Toledo Spain~ post from Kelli

The Mediterranean Sea!  Looks a lot like the Pacific Ocean~  very beautiful!



Sea glass, shells and rocks look the same too, but they're not~  what treasures!



Took a tour of Gaudi Park, a well known Spanish artist, amazing architect and using mosaic tiles.





Tatter lady, I could watch her for hours.



Visited the Picasso Museum, we could take our cameras in but couldn't take pictures, except for this outside studio area of his. I will never be the same~ I enjoyed his paintings from the early 1900's more, but respect that artists can change and grow, as he did.



The 'rain in Spain'.  This day it poured!!!  All the Spaniards were ready! I took lots of photos of these umbrella loving folks. The touring Americans, not so much~ I had a hooded all weather North Face coat, kept me nice and dry.  Us Northwesters are use to raindrops, not umbrellas.



Toledo (Tole-a-doe) we learned, in this amazing city!  El Greco another famous artist, yes from Greece but mostly lived in Spain, so the Spanish claim him, (I'm sure Greece does too).  If you live here in Toledo, you cannot ever paint or change your house! it's the law! because of one of El Greco famous painting of this town.



The Holy Cathedral of Toledo, where we get the saying "Holy Toledo"!  We toured many Cathedrals and Basilicas, do you know why there are Churches, Cathedrals and  Basilicas? If you're Catholic you probably know.  We learned its never due to the size of the structure, only WHO it's blessed from or WHO is seated there...to be a Basilica it must have been blessed by a Pope.  Little FYI for ya~



The locks are from wedded couples who come here to 'lock there love' for each other.



Toledo is also known for maybe the worlds best known hand forged Swords, (and jewelry, that's what Bella & I got).  The USA military gets Swords made from this actual location, where we toured.


Thanks for viewing and reading some of my trip.  Traveling like this changes and rejuvenates the soul.  I tried new food and drinks, I'm not one to try new foods, but I did.  Like that yummy Sangria stuff!  Got to meet,see, touch, taste, understand and witness all kinds of  different things about life. It sure was amazing.  As we go into the summer days I hope you all can try and visit new things, even if it's in your own town.


Thanks~
Kelli

snicker snicker ~ posted by Melissa

How about a laugh at my expense?  C'mon ~ I know you want to!

 

I've turned into a complete brain-addled dork lately which has led to a few misunderstandings...some with a good outcome & some, well ...I'll let you be the judge.

 

First ~ the good.  I almost never read my horoscope but as it's on the flip side of the NY Times Sunday crossword page in our paper, I do occasionally take a peek.  This past Sunday printed neatly by VIRGO was this:

 

"Romance flowers today and tomorrow."

 

Which prompted an excited reaction from me to my husband after reading it for the third time. 'This says I'm going to get flowers two (TWO!) days in a row', she said with glee.  Only, when I spoke the words aloud I realized that, doh, that's not even close to what it said.  Romance itself was predicted to flower...no actual flowers involved.  Which he thought was pretty funny.

 

But guess what?  My horoscope came true ~ haha!  Romance flowered AND I got flowers :)

 

eek ~ better go swipe away that spider web!

 

My husband surprised me with this lovely hanging basket for our front porch the next day ~ we're on a tight budget and alas, had crossed our annual hanging baskets off our list this year but he received a birthday gift card to a local hardware store on Sunday & decided to spend it on me ~ yup, romance abounds.  My horoscope came true ~ any-which-way you read it! (Thanks JR & Kelli for your part in this ~ I thought you might find this amusing!)

 

 

Now onto the other faux pas of the week.  It was horrifying but ridiculously funny.  Let me just start by saying this ~  if you drive by a sign that says:

 

Amber's Red Hot Coffee

 

it's probably NOT referring to coffee as the hot item.  Learned this myself the hard way.  The coffee was not that hot but Amber sure was ~ good lord ~ pretty sure my face turned the exact same color red as the coffee hut when I pulled up to the window & realized that Amber (or one of her cohorts) was about to make my coffee dressed in her undies.  REALLY?  I don't make my own coffee dressed in lingerie, my friends, and I found it beyond embarrassing to have some young missy wearing hers while brewing my morning java.  Needless to say, I will NOT be visiting there again...I don't care how long the line at Starbucks is.  My husband got a good laugh ~ I called him immediately to tell him I was drinking a dirty, dirty coffee and he was in hysterics listening to me. 

 

If this happens to you, don't say I didn't warn you!

 

For the few of you who have messaged me that you've missed my more frequent blogging...

are you wishing I'd have stayed away a little longer??!

 

HAH :)

 

Since I hate to leave you with a mental picture of Amber in her negligee, here are a few flowers for YOU from our blossoming yard:

 

our rhododendron

summertime sweet yellow osteospermum

volunteer chives

'romance flowers' ~ hehe

Hope you're having a good week ~ thanks for stopping by!

Melissa



Obama in Oso ~ posted by Melissa

President Obama came today to visit Oso ~ our local paper wrote about it here.

 

If you're interested about the things he heard of and the things he saw ~ here's a photo gallery link.

 

We live about 40 miles from Oso and the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, one of my husband's favorite local places to fly fish.

 





We also live about 3 miles from Paine Field where Air Force One was waiting for his return (Obama's return...not my husband's ~ heh).  These Marine One helicopters flew over our house on their way there.  We're pretty sure he was inside (again, Obama, not my husband ~ hehe!).  I hope that the time he spent with the families and the good, good people who have worked so hard in the cleanup and recovery efforts brings everyone touched by this tragic event some bit of solace.

Biarritz, France & Pamplona, Spain...post by Kelli

Our group,(except the first kid, Anthony) Avery, Bella (my kid), Taylor, Pearl and Joe.  Sitting on the bulkhead looking over the Atlantic Ocean.  It's about 65 degrees that day, the locals wore heavy winter coats, and looked at us strangely.


At first glance I thought this big guy was carrying a big accordion, but still a very cool (big) trunk~


Locals fishing, no big coat here...hmm?

Water comes in~
Water goes out~



Pamplona, Spain, where 'the running of the bulls' happen. Where we met our guide Francisco,  who's participated in the 'running' since he was 17 yrs. old.  The street here is where between July 7th-14th the bulls take about 3 minutes to run through.  Anybody can partake...not me!
...what do you think is in that fabric cover clay pot?








When we stayed in Biarritz, France our hotel was on Victor Hugo Route, I haven't found out if Victor spent time there.

walkabout...a three hour tour ~ posted by Melissa

'Always go too far, because that's where you'll find the truth.'

~ Camus

 

 

Took my first walk of the year...got lost in my thoughts and lost track of time.  It was a good day.