Nummies 911

Molly, Me & Movies

Having a great time with Cullen and Molly here for the summer. Molly and I are watching lots of movies and having great talks about plots, foreshadowing, prejudices, and humor. Last night we watched Betty Davis in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte. Another favorite was Lars and the Real Girl. Any suggestions? Or care to share your favorites?

Happy 13th Birthday Molly!

Happy Birthday to the light in my life, Molly! Molly is so bright and happy, yet can swing on a dime to dark and moody.  Easily pleased and just as easily frustrated. Loving and kind most of the time, but an occasional sharp tongued remark can cut deep.

Do you remember? Do you remember being 13? When your friends at school had the power to determine your entire mood for the day? When what people thought about you was THE most important thing in life? The time before you really figured out who YOU were, and all the information streaming in from parents, peers, teachers and advertising were telling you to be this or that and it was so confusing? It makes my heart ache thinking about it. But it is part of growing up...that confusion. It helps us define US. 

Molly wants so bad to please everyone.  I try and get her to understand that it is impossible and that finding out what makes her happy will be hard enough to do, much less make everyone else happy. But, she's young and she still thinks if she tries hard enough, she can accomplish the impossible. 

But just for a moment, Molly, if only for a brief moment, listen to what I see and hear.

I see an absolutely stunning young woman. She is tall (taller than me) and blond with beautiful pool blue eyes. Her legs are long and strong making her appear that much taller. She is comfortable in heels and dresses with jewelry and makeup. But she is also just as comfortable in sweats and converse shoes, with a bed head of tousled hair and eyeliner smeared beneath her weary eyes. She wakes with a smile and within minutes those eyes gleam with all her ideas for the day. She is artistic and sees beauty all around her, especially nature. She has an eye for color and always impresses me with her combinations. She is smart, smarter than she even realizes. She is loving and quick to give, of her time, talents, and gifts. She is sympathetic and has a unique insight into others when they need help. She is magnetic and has a pull that makes you want to be around her. But she won't be pinned down and has a need to be in motion most of the time. She is quick to forgive and promotes peace among her friends. She has a huge heart that you can see and feel instantly when you are around her.

I love her so much. Her presence can turn my day around like nothing else. From the very moment I conceived her, to her beautiful birth, she has healed me. From her demanding infancy to her stubborn preschool years, she taught me. With each milestone, I admire her and thank God for her.

So, Molly, as you leave your childhood behind and enter the teenage years, know that I am your biggest fan and I'll be here no matter what. You may never fully understand all that you've done for me and what you mean to me, but just know that I love you with all my heart and soul. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you. Happy, happy birthday to you!

In keeping with tradition, the following is a link to Molly's birth story and how she healed a wound and created a mother. 

 

Act 7

Camille's teacher suggested she keep a journal over the summer. So we took a paperback journal and decorated it.  She chose the colors, papers, the rounded corners, the sticker letters, the ribbon and tags. I tied the ribbon and wrote "summer 2011" but that was about it. Needless to say, I was very proud.

Act 4, 5 & 6

Sometimes when I'm at my most creative is when I feel like blogging the least, so I hope you'll understand the lapses between posts indicate MORE being done, not less, usually that is :)

I just couldn't continue with the pink lace scarf because the baby pods kept coming to mind. After an exhaustive search for a free baby pod pattern on the internet, I finally found this book

When it arrived, I was overcome.  Usually knitting books are like albums, if you are old enough to remember having the buy the whole album because you liked one or two songs on the whole thing. This book was an unusual case because I liked almost every project in the whole book. I also love chunky yarn, so it was a perfect match. Then I started knitting and the further bonus was instant gratification. In every project I've done, the longest time was taken in choosing the yarn and the perfect combination of colors. The knitting was quick and mostly completed in an afternoon or evening.  

So here is what I've been doing with some of my time lately...

Of course, this is the first time I can remember in my life when I've not been surrounded by babies.  My brand new neighbors have a four month old, Marshall, but I'm so far removed from baby rules that I actually asked her to bring him to my house in the afternoon to model for me. What was I thinking?!? Baby: Sure lady, I don't know you and I'd be glad to sit on this cold table with weird fluff on my head while you flash a light in my eyes.  Sounds fun...NOT! So while the mother kept apologizing, it was me who kept assuring her that the apology was mine and one afternoon, I'd ease into her house and get to know Marshall a little better before asking him to work him magic, because he really is cute. 

The LYS only had brown in the ruffle yarn, but I've since ordered some and I cannot wait to see how the green turns out.  Although I like the brown.

These are just the tip of the iceberg and I'll post some more later. If you know of a baby who needs a hat like these, please let me know. 

Act 3 Roll up Pencil Holder

This was a colored pencil holder that I made for a fundraiser auction at Camille's school last month.  I was so pleased with how it turned out, I made one for Camille, one for a gift, and one to hopefully sell on Etsy. I was inspired to try this project because Lisa gave me a scarf for my birthday.  She sewed it with hand dyed fabric and some of the piecing was quite small. I told her I was afraid of getting all those little pieces straight, but she said it wasn't that bad, so when I saw this project in a book, I decided to take a shot and she was right. By the way I'm still knitting everyday on my lacy scarf, but I figured pictures of that everyday would be so boring.

Act 2

I knitted a yoga bag for my friend Lisa. Ok, I didn't really do the whole thing today, it actually took months, but it turned out so great I just had to share.

Act 1

This past winter Knitch in Atlanta started emphasizing their web-based business. I joined one of their clubs, Go Big! or Go Home!, for projects based on chunky weight yarns.  This first project was for a skein of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande in a soft pink.  This yarn is softer than soft; it makes me think of a cocoon for a little baby girl, but since those days are past in this house, I decided to go a more open route and knit a lacy scarf, from Joelle Hoverson's More Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

I love the feel of the yarn. The only drawback is that my only set of 15 needles are a horrid green plastic set I got for .50 at Tuesday Morning. Can't beat the price, but hate the look and feel. Good thing this project won't take long.

108 Artful Acts

"Do Something Creative Everyday."

This has become a popular tag line for many companies, magazines, and artists. 

The first time I read it, it seemed daunting. I was thinking of it as an admonishment to complete a painting or quilt or other huge project everyday. As the thought turned and tossed around in my mind, my perspective has changed. I've discovered that most of the time, I actually do something everyday that is creative. Most days that thing is small, but somedays it's big. So I thought, just for fun, I would list the next 108 artful acts I do.  More as a reminder to myself that the small things count just as much as the big things, and to give myself credit when I may not feel as though I have accomplished much on a given day. I hope you will chime in and leave a comment with your own artful acts. I'd love to hear what you are doing.

Yoga Retreat

This past weekend was my second yoga retreat. Retreat being the active word here, not yoga. I need this retreat. I long for silence, for inactivity, for quiet awareness, for complete immersion in nature and female companionship.  This retreat was made for me.

Lisa Lofthouse of Breathing Space in Fayetteville, North Carolina leads this retreat twice a year, once in April and then again in October. I cannot recommend this retreat highly enough.  Even if you have never done yoga, you can come and benefit from this time to reflect and dig deeper into yourself and your true being.

The surroundings are just north of Asheville, North Carolina which in itself is just about the most beautiful place on earth.  The center that hosts the retreat is called Bend of Ivy Lodge. It is a beautiful place that is beyond words, that beckons you to open up and receive what nature and God has to offer you.

Here are some photos...

This place is so beautiful, it defies words.  It is fed by a natural spring and the sound of water is so soothing everywhere you go.  The third picture is the boat house where I spent an afternoon just being, knitting and being. The second picture is me with Lisa Lofthouse under some beautiful blooming trees just beside the stream. The last is a long distance picture of the pavillion where we do yoga twice a day.

I have just now, a week later, touched the ground after such a wonderful experience. 

If you are interested, just visit breathing space or email me for more information.  The next retreat is October 13-16, 2011.

Shake and Bake

We have eight new baby chicks. We are raising some to sell to a friend who wants older hens about to lay. Mysteriously, Camille started having an allergic reaction about the same time. So in an effort to eliminate any possible causes, we wanted to treat the baby chicks for mites and other possible parasites.  Turns out that Sevin dust is the preferred agent. This method was highly touted on several web sites.  When conferring with my sister who has more farm experience than me, she just laughed and asked me to video it and put it on youtube.  Here you go, Stacy.