We're Back

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  I hope everyone reading this enjoyed social equality today.

Well the kids and I are back after spending the better part of the last week visiting my parents as my Dad's Christmas present.  When asked what my Dad wants as a present he always responds, "time."  This year we decided to take him at his word, and used the money we would have spent on a present traveling there and back.  

I have to admit that I was very tempted to give him thyme the herb as a bit of a joke, but I didn't think it would go over too well.

During the week there I got much needed rest allowing my mother to see to the needs of the children.  Since we don't get to see my parents as often as they would like, my mother often fusses about not taking care of the kids often enough.  I wanted to make sure that she got her fill while we were there, and I think we succeeded in leaving her in a state of happy exhaustion.

As a consequence of letting my mom watch the kids, I had a lot of time to work on my neglected Holly Jacket, and the knitting is nearly complete.  Hopefully you will see it soon!

Back to the Daily Grind

We have been back for a few days now, but I always find it difficult to get back into the swing of things after leaving town.  It is especially hard when we cut ourselves off from all major modes of communication during the vacation.  Thanksgiving found us in the mountains of North Carolina.  There was ice on the ground, a chill in the air, a fire in the grate, and a cup of hot cocoa in my hand.  There we have no TV, no Internet, little cell phone phone connection, and only one radio station.  It is blissfully disconnected from modern life.

I decided not to bring any of my Christmas gifts/projects with me, as this was supposed to be relaxing vacation time.  I intended to relax, at least as much as is possible with two toddlers in tow, and I spent much of my time there curled up next to the warm fireplace with a good book.

My kids spent as much time as they could outside exploring the mountainside.  They were hoping to find snow, but instead found large and small icy pools all over the mountainside (the only ice we see in Florida comes out of the freezer).  The smallest were ice filled ruts in the road which they used as an ice skating rink.  The largest was a lake that they threw rocks at for at least an hour to see which would bounce off the ice and which would crack the surface.

Welcome to SAFF

The event floor.

Last Thursday Gadabout Knitter, myself, and our husbands set off in pursuit of fiber, and were awarded with SAFF. This was my first fiber festival, and while the event was a bit smaller than I expected, I was not dissapointed. There was fiber galore, of various types, and price points, and quantities, as well as in every state from unwashed, to hand dyed pencil roving, to finished yarn. Even in this relatively small venue the sheer amount and variety of fiber was a bit overwhelming.

I quickly became glad that I came armed with a plan of attack and a set amount of spending money (I gave my husband the plastic, just in case). I had planned to find small amounts of a variety of fibers. I did not want blends (although I did buy a few), because I want to spin each fiber by itself to see how it feels and behaves, and take notes on my preferences - like a wine journal. I purchased a very wide variety of fiber types (details and pictures to follow), and was able to stay well within my budget ... to my surprise.

Since we have been back life has been in chaos getting the kids back on schedule, unpacking, and finding space for all of my loot. In addition, Halloween is tomorrow night, and costumes must be made.

More of SAFF, my "new" office space, and Halloween to come.

Leaving for SAFF

Tomorrow Gadabout Knitter, myself, and our husbands leave for SAFF. I am very excited, but already feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fiber I will be exposed to. It should be fun.

Unfortunately the Holly Jacket is STILL not finished, but I still have a 8 hour car trip to North Carolina during which I can work on it. If Dramamine does it's job, I may have two finished sleeves when I get there.

Wish us luck in fiber foraging.

Wedding

It has been exactly two weeks since my husband and I left for Austin, Texas. One of our good friends was getting married, and we wanted to be there to support him at the beginning of this new stage of life.

The wedding was beautiful in it's simplicity (the entire celebration probably cost less than $1000 - a minuscule amount compared to the $20,000 spent on the average wedding). They held the ceremony in their back yard, with only a small number of friends and family. They had legally gotten married a few weeks earlier, and dispensed with many of the formalities of a formal wedding, like a wedding party, ordained minister (opting instead for their youth minister), and lavish flower arrangements. Instead they focused on celebrating their union with friends and family.

When I found out that they hadn't hired a photographer I stepped in to make sure that their special day was captured for posterity. I know that they don't put the same emphasis on the wedding as many couples, but I also know that wedding memories are special, inspirational glimpses into the past. My own wedding pictures put a smile on my face on even the darkest of days. I tried my best to get truly beautiful shots that captured the spirit of the day. I feel that a few of my shots were able to do that.

Despite the fact that this wedding was incredibly small and inexpensive, it is one that I think I will always remember. It was a truly joyous event.

Knitting was accomplished during the trip as well, but that will have to what for the next entry.

NOLA Part 4: Louisiana Children's Museum

The Louisiana Children's Museum is a play to learn museum. In other words, there are none of the typical museum exhibits. Instead there are toys targeted at the elementary and under crowd. Through play the kids are introduced to scientific concepts.

Here is my Dad and Jack-Jack on a couch that is both very funny, and a lesson in perspective.
Violet plays with giant bubbles, mixing such concepts as air pressure, viscosity, and tension.
This human size bubble allowed you to see and hear the world from inside a bubble.
In short the museum was fun for children and adults.

Wrap Up:
New Orleans is a beautiful city of contradictions. I loved visiting my sister there, and want to go back again and again; however, (as cliché as it may sound) I wouldn't want to live there. I prefer the small, academic city.

This is part four of a four part series.

NOLA Part 3: City Park

New Orleans' City Park is a huge, fully equipped, public park in the heart of city. The park is bordered on two sides by tributaries from lake Pontchartrain, and dangerously close to what looks like a ridiculously simple earthen dam (I was told the earthen dam was actually a levee - no wonder they broke).

After Katrina, City Park and the surrounding area was under several feet of water. All considered I thought the park was in remarkable shape, although parts are still under construction. The towering live oaks were especially beautiful.

Here are a few pics of time spent on the playground. With yards small and often shared, it must be a draw for kids miles around - it was for mine. My kids were determined to play on the equipment, even though it was intolerably hot (coming from a Floridian - thats hot).

NOLA Part 2: My Sister's New Digs

My sister just moved into an adorable little place in uptown. It is one of three apartments carved from a house originally built in the 1840's. While the original builders probably wouldn't recognize the building in its current state (with the addition of kitchens and bathrooms for instance), some of the pieces in the house look as if they could be original to the structure.

I fell so completely in love with this little place that I decided to make a pictorial tour of it (with my sister's permission of course), so that everyone else could see it too. While I did my best to capture the charm inherent in this place, the pictures still don't do it justice. I hope that some of it's polished, and rustic beauty still shines through.

The Living Room
The house opens to a cozy living room, with the first of two fireplaces in the space. Sometime during the last century the fireplace were converted to gas, but I can still picture a roaring log fire burning in it. The small room is separated from the kitchen by ancient looking pocket doors just out of the frame of this picture.
This is a close up of that beautiful fireplace grate. At first I thought that it might be an original part of the house, but on closer inspection the grate didn't appear to be metal. Based on the sound it made when tapped, I thought it might even be plastic.
On a personal note, the pillows in the chair were my creation. I was glad to see my sister using them.My favorite feature in her new house were these highly decorative ceiling lamp base. There was one in the living room, and another in the kitchen. There was no way to tell what these were made of as the ceilings were 15 feet tall, but plaster or plastic, they are gorgeous.
The Kitchen
The kitchen was larger than I expected, with room off to one side for a small table. The kitchen was certainly added long after the house was built , but still looked older, and in keeping with the rest of the house.I took a picture of the mint growing on my sister's window sill because I thought it looked both picturesque and quaint. I was also proud of my sister's ability to keep it alive, as she has a notoriously black thumb.The Office/Hallway
My sister used this large walk through space as her office. The room has access to her bedroom and bathroom, the backyard, and the enormous loft pictured.
It also contains the second fireplace.....
....And this ancient looking knob and lock combo.
The Bedroom
I skipped over the bathroom, as it is really the only unfortunate space in the house. My sister's bedroom does not have the architectural elements that the rest of the space has, but I think when she is finished with it, it will perfectly match her personality - sophisticated, yet fun and funky.Part 3: City Park

NOLA Part 1: The City

The kids and I just got back from visiting my sister in New Orleans. Even though she moved there a year ago, it was our first time visiting her there, as well as our first visit to the city.

My impression of New Orleans was that it is a city with incredibly obvious dichotomies. The over priced and opulent sits directly next to the ramshackle and dilapidated. I was shocked at the distinct differences, made only more noticeable by their close proximity.

When we first got there and began walking around the streets, I was surprised that many of the people on the streets did not say hello as we walked by. In fact, many people didn't seem to acknowledge our existence. I thought that perhaps there was still a bit of racial animosity left over from Katrina, as most of the people we passed on the street were black, and we are white. But that wasn't the case. As I met more people, I realized that there didn't seem to be any racial animosity. I met people of all races that were incredibly pleasant , friendly, and helpful, and an equal number of people that were cold and distant. However, I met few people that were in between.

The houses were equally dichotomous. A beautifully restored 200 year old mansion stood next to boarded by houses that could barely stand under their own weight. The houseing situation was even worse in the areas hit hardest be Katrina (I did not see the 9th ward, and cannot speak to its current condition). Some of the houses that had been flooded were fully restored and occupied, but I saw a few homes that still bore Katrina body counts.

The famous magazine street was also a surprise. I was familiar with many of the high end shops that called magazine home, through online shopping. I expected the exteriors of these shops to be as opulent as the inside. Instead, I found them distinctly shabby and run down.
I don't want to give the wrong impression, however. Overall, I found the city, beautiful, friendly, and most of all comfortable. I could see how such a city could survive a disaster like Katrina, why many people were reluctant to leave before the storm, and why the cities inhabitants are so proud of it - it feels like home. I felt welcome there, and even as a tourist I didn't feel out of place.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of things around the city.

Mardi Gras beads in trees.
"Graffiti" as art. Tree size bougainvillea.
Inside a cafe on Magazine.
Beautiful home detail in uptown.
Lawn Ornament.
One of the many iron fences around yards.
Crape Myrtle.
Surprisingly tropical foliage (we also saw banana trees in fruit).
Part 2: My sister's new digs