knitorious

Ten on Tuesday: Weekend update

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I Did This Weekend

1. Road trip! Heh. Not across the pond -- that's Isle of Cumbrae, above -- but across the state! The weather was similarly spectacular, though, for our three-day weekend.

2. The long way. We took "the long way" on way west through our little metropolis -- though not as far west as the Port of Oakland (above)! We drove the newly opened eastern section of Wisconsin Avenue in Appleton -- shut down the last TWO summers for construction -- and significant because that's where my most-local LYS, Iris Fine Yarns, is located. We didn't stop this time, but I've stopped plenty in the last couple of years -- pfft, "Road Closed"? Watch me.

3. Westward-ho. We chose US Route 10 as the departure point for our meandering trip to far northwest Wisconsin. Along the way we checked out a new shop I'd heard about, The Knitting Nest* in Weyauwega. There were two other customers in the store at the time, one of whom I recognized -- she used to work in the children's department at our library! It was funny to run into "neighbors" at a shop so many miles from home.

4. The Kitchen Table. We were close to Marshfield when we started to get hungry, so drove into town to see what we could find. I remembered The Kitchen Table -- and where it was, even though they were closed the first time I tried to go. We had THE BEST LUNCH (he, omelette; me, sandwich) we've had in a long time. Great atmosphere, friendly service, fabulous food -- and I mean real, good food. I meant to buy the cookbook, and I've heard good things, so I'll have to order it.

My mom and dad were both born and raised in Marshfield, so before we left I directed Rusty on a quick drive-by of tour of (my personal) highlights: Grandma & Grandpa's house on Cedar St.; Great Grandma & Grandpa Blum's house on Bakerville; I pointed out some of the important landmarks like the location of Jimmy's Cafe where my mom and dad first met; Weber's and Mitten's; the original Penney's (where my mom once worked, and cried in her Easter Bunny costume because she didn't want to be Easter Bunny! Poor, sad little Easter bunny...); Sacred Heart and the original location of the Marshfield Clinic... I tried to remember where Karau's was (I remember going with Grandma), and to conjure the distinctive (and pleasing) aroma of Grandma's house, and remembered picnics at Wildwood Park with Dad, etc.

 
5. 1964 World's Fair Wisconsin Pavilion. Continuing west, we went through Neillsville, and we actually turned around and went back for a better look at this -- it's so fantastical in a 1964 way! Those are NEON letters spelling out WISCONSIN on the spire!

6. Karen's. Our destination on Friday was my sister's house near Rice Lake (about an hour north of Eau Claire). We had a great visit there, watching baseball, knitting, eating, and Rusty helped with a couple of putzy house projects (he's a good craftsman and a great problem solver).

7. Reunion. The main purpose for this trip, and final destination, was Rusty's class reunion of unfathomable years in Grantsburg. He'd never been to one before (not even one of mine, because I only went to the first, which was the fifth, and we hadn't yet met). You are correct if you think he mostly went to school -- and graduated -- in California, but the first semester of senior year was spent at a small-town high school in NW Wisconsin -- and they always invite him to the reunion! He was living with his uncle's family at the time, and had a cousin in the same class -- another cousin ended up marrying a classmate. It was a memorable semester for him as the "new kid."

 
8. The Farm. We visited the farm last May... as you can see, there have been some changes since then. A spring tornado made a big difference in the landscape. The recent death of the farmer's wife makes it that much more mournful.

 
It's all a bit melancholy as the farmer is fading, too.

9. Thorpedo. We'd have gone back through Marshfield on the way home to eat again at The Kitchen Table if our timing had been better; instead, we stopped at the Thorpedo Restaurant in Thorp. I remember eating here for the first time, years ago -- the summer before 7th grade -- when I traveled with my glass-blowing aunt and helped with her booth at county fairs in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Good food, friendly service.

10. Sports Fan! It was another great weekend to be a Wisconsin sports fan, as the Brewers inched their way closer and the Packers came from behind to win! (We actually listened to the baseball game on the radio in the car... rather unheard-of... football, yes; baseball, not really.)



*A more photo-heavy post than usual. Some were chosen at random, others with a definite tie-in -- they all have the sky in common. I have been paying even more attention than usual and have been gathering appropriate materials for some interpretation of a sky scarf. Fun, huh? To further the cause, I nabbed a likely hank of Cascade sock yarn in colors of the sky at Knitting Nest. I shall soon devise a plan.

Meanwhile, the Caera Cowl is blocking!

 

Study this

 
Not only did I get to visit Silver Lake with Margene (one week ago today!), I was also able to photograph a fresh Different Lines there with Margene as my model! A little overwhelmed was I, what with being at Silver Lake with Margene, and the moose, and the kids, and SILVER LAKE with MARGENE! They're pretty standard FO shots... except, you know, they're at SILVER LAKE! Whew!

 

• Project: Different (Different Lines Shawl) by Veera Välimäki, 100% Rain
• Yarn: Malabrigo Sock (eggplant) from Iris Fine Yarns, Appleton, WI
• Yarn: Knit Picks Bare Superwash Wool & Nylon, fingering, Make.Do.Dyed for Project Spectrum in a shade of pink that reminded me of Grandma, so called "Virginia"
• Needle: Susan Bates Quicksilver 6US/4.25mm
• Mod: Knit one row and cast off in contrasting color
• Start to Finish: August 31, 2011 - September 26, 2011. Finished while at the Rocky Mountain Knitters' Retreat at Alta Lodge in Utah!

 
Margene took one of me, too!

I had a great and busy and quite productive weekend -- cooking, knitting, dyeing, harvesting, dyeing some more! Also gearing up for a brand new, twice-monthly Knit Night at the coffee shop beginning this Thursday... Wish you were here!

You, Ewe, Utah!

You know, I can hardly believe that we're in the last third of September already! It's been pretty jam-packed with goings-on, and I guess that's why it's flying by -- all good, but a bit too whirlwindy for me. It's the "lazy" and "hazy" parts I like best about Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of (late) Summer!

 
It was only a week-and-a-half ago that I was at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival -- it seems so much longer than that! My one and only purchase there, greatly encouraged by Rae, was a huge hank of mohair from Ewetopia Fiber Shop in Viroqua, WI.

 
A slightly more easterly route home from Iowa earlier this summer means we missed Viroqua by about 15 miles. I'd like to visit someday and, since LaCrosse is still on the list of Sister Weekend possibilities, it's likely that someday I will.

 
Yep, it's as soft as it looks. So pretty! I have to admit that the sample Fern Lace Mohair Shrug hanging in the booth sort of sealed the deal. It looked so warm and cozy and I'm all about that with the onset of autumn! The colors are more reminiscent of summer -- sky, water, grass -- they ought to be nice, hopeful reminders in the dead of winter of what's to come.

I think I'll be winding this baby up and taking it with me to Utah! I'm flying out on Friday to meet up with Margene and heading to the Rocky Mountain Knitters' Retreat at Alta Lodge on Saturday & Sunday. I'm.so.excited. I've lamented to and commiserated with Margene, possibly more than any other blogger I've "met" in the past 7.5 years (and possibly because I've "known" her almost as long), about "the curse of the internet" -- we're so close and yet so far away! I'm actually pretty lucky in that I have met Margene -- five years ago at Rhinebeck. The atmosphere at a festival can be pretty frenzied, though, and I'm looking forward to a more laid-back and relaxed atmosphere... at a ski lodge... in Utah... in autumn. Oh, it's going to be wonderful, gorgeous, relaxing, inspiring, rejuvenating, maybe even clarifying!

That means there's only two more sleeps... and I'd better start getting my shit together. Other than the above (not yet wound, as we speak, never mind locating needles, etc.), my camera and "some clothes," I've no idea what I'm bringing or how I'm packing!

 

Hi, back in Scotland now

Not really. And I was going to post something else, but I read a few entries on Facebook from a photographer friend who is vacationing with her family in Ireland right now, and I felt a pang...

Truly, a wee hieland coo. Right at our B&B.

And the grown-up Highland Cows.

And our gorgeous breakfast egg-layers in West Kilbride.

The so amazingly beautiful and breathtaking Scottish Highlands.

*Sigh*

Some perspective.

Happy weekend! Ours is going to be cold and gray. Good sweater sewing-up weather, I guess.

It's a whirlwind over here!

More accurately, on Sunday evening, it was a tornado. One minute we're storm-watching on the porch, the next minute -- sensing that it was *time* (pretty much just after we heard a big bang, all the lights went out, and stuff started hitting the windows) -- we're in the basement. We were only there for a moment, and when we came up we could see siding, shingles and insulation littering the yard, in the trees, all over the street. There was significant damage to over 100 homes -- two of them on my street, exactly one block away! I believe it's five homes that will need to be razed, and one of those is only another three-block walk. Power was out all night, finally restored at 6 a.m. There were lots of downed power lines, and many trees were lost. Luckily, there are barely buds yet, much less leaves, on the trees -- that would have made a drastic difference.

Hello! Scary!!

* * * * *

Meanwhile, one last (for now) batch of photos to share from our vacation. This was on Sunday, April 3rd -- Mothering Day! From the first day in London, I'd noticed advertising in shop windows and quickly realized that I'd get to celebrate Mother's Day twice this year!!

We drove from Betws-y-Coed back to London on Sunday, dodging rain and making a few stops along the way.

We stretched our legs on the grounds at Stokesay Castle in Shropshire.

And we did finally make it to Tintern Abbey, but with only five minutes before closing we weren't allowed entry. All of my photos were taken from this side of the gate. It never even occurred to me that it would be an "admission" sort of place. Too bad, because the weather had improved and the late-day light was just starting to get interesting!

*I* drove back to London -- well, to Wembley where we returned the car, just as departing traffic from a football event at the stadium was at its peak! We wrestled our bags onto the tube one last time to Regent's Park Station on the Bakerloo Line. ("The Bakerloo Line" is one of those things I like to hear -- and say out loud -- repeatedly. Betws-y-Coed, Tal-y-bont, Bryn Celli Ddu are others.) We kissed Katie good-bye at 5 a.m. on Monday morning and loaded bags into a taxi for the trip to Heathrow!

* * * * *

It's been over a week since our return and I am still on a vacation high -- and absolutely cannot wait for next time! Kate returns this afternoon and has another week's worth of her own adventures to share -- including a day with Maddy before her departure on Saturday for the continent (Brussels until yesterday, Trier as of today; Strasbourg and Frankfurt yet to come) and standing in line for hours in the early morning to score a ticket for Frankenstein!!

 

Isle of Anglesey

I'm sure I took a photo of the placard at this site. There were three horned sheep keeping the grass trimmed here. With all the grazing sheep, the entire UK countryside looks very neat and trim!

My girls at the beach!

On the path to Bryn Celli Ddu.

Baaaaa!

* * * * *

Warm Hats Not Hot Heads - Update!

Way back in February, I talked about knitting and politics and the Warm Hats Not Hot Heads project which hoped to promote and raise awareness of civility amongst our elected officials. I knit a hat for Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl and, in the spirit of civility, also for Congressman Reid Ribble. I'd hoped to personally hand-deliver the hats and my letter to their respective local offices, but my schedule never meshed with their office hours; however, I did manage to have Alison deliver them!

Upon returning from our vacation, I listened to a delightful message on my answering machine from Marlene at Senator Kohl’s office, telling me that the cap “is absolutely lovely” and that she didn’t know when she’d been “so touched - by your efforts and by the message in your letter.” She looked forward to sending it to Sen. Kohl and “wanted to call and thank you for your kindness. I know he’s going to appreciate it…”

I also had a couple of canned recorded messages from Reid Ribble’s office about his upcoming local appearances -- apparently, they just added my phone number to their database. I’ve had no personal response from him or his office.

* * * * *

I would like to talk about knitting again sometime, but suppose I actually have to start knitting again in order to do so!

 

Wales

I don't know what I was expecting, but Wales blew me away with its beauty.

 
Actually, the photos above might still be Scotland, or maybe even England, but the rest in this post are definitely Wales!

We stayed a couple nights at The Lodge Hotel in Tal-y-bont, Conwy. I couldn't come up with it on the GPS -- thought it was actually in Conwy, for one thing. I phoned and the innkeeper gave me turn-by-turn directions through the amazing walled town of Conwy, right to the parking lot where he said he'd meet us out front -- where we found him waiting! The accommodations were as wonderful as the hospitality.

 
This is Betws-y-Coed, an adorable little village a few miles south of Tal-y-bont, where we stopped for coffee and whatnot on Saturday morning as we made our way to Anglesey. The sign out front of the white unit on the left read, "To Let." Oh, wouldn't that just be the perfect place to spend a summer?

You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one... my girls dream even BIGGER! There was talk of buying and extended visits (and raising sheep)! This makes me happy. If nothing else is certain in the world today, uncertainty definitely is -- we're in the midst (on the brink) of enormous change -- and I'm happy that my girls have hopes and dreams -- and that they are big BIG dreams!

 
One thing I noticed about Wales was the activity. People DO things in Wales! Perhaps it was because of the weekend, but everywhere we looked there were cyclists, kayakers, hikers, campers, surfers. Let me tell you, to be a road cyclist in Wales -- anywhere in the UK -- takes some pretty serious dedication and absolute fearlessness; there's barely room for two cars on most roadways, not to mention lorries, and being a cyclist in the midst of that? Makes me shiver.

 
And, of course, there were plenty of sheep dotting the landscape.

 

St. Brigid

One of the many reasons we ended up at a B&B in West Kilbride is because the village is believed to have been named after Saint Brigid. 

Alison bore witness to some of my last-minute packing, in particular the decision to pack my St. Brigid sweater, despite its bulk and the taking up of MUCH precious luggage space. (Have I mentioned that I've learned valuable, indelible lessons about packing for an overseas trip?) I justified it, in part, because it did provide some nice padding for the laptop in my carry-on bag.

There was no way we were leaving town without a visit to the beautiful hillside cemetery in West Kilbride and a photo shoot. A far cry from what I pictured in my head (for one thing, I don't think I was wearing 7-day-old jeans in my head), it is what it is... me wearing my St. Brigid sweater and standing by a Celtic cross headstone in a Scottish cemetery in West Kilbride, Scotland!

Or West Kilbrreeedee.  ; )

And, yep, sheep -- you can see them in the photos both above and below... little white specs!

So beautiful.

I will need to go back someday.

We left there on Friday morning after breakfast. We needed to drive down and pick up Maddy at the train station in Conwy, Wales, by 6:30 that evening.

I'd had to tell Maddy the night before that her precious pup, Mickey, had died. Mickey had escaped the house a couple of days earlier, as sometimes happened in the 7 years she's been in our family, and, no doubt, she followed her nose, as beagles do... and she always did. We'd been much more diligent and this little trick was becoming rare. Usually she'd come back fat and happy; sometimes she'd have a little tummy ache; this time, she must have found something really, really bad. My heart aches for Maddy, and the house is just not the same without Mickey!

When Addy found out about Mickey, he said that she's with Remy, Bompa, and Sharon! Remy was Annie's dog that Addison never even met and Bompa was his grandpa who died when he wasn't even 18 months old! That sweet little boy with a wise old soul... he just feels things and tells it like it is!

RIP, Mickey. We miss you. XO

Little lambs eat ivy

Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. A kid'll eat ivy, too. Wouldn't you?

I can hear my mother singing that song!

Have I mentioned the sheep? Sheep are E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. in the UK. Everywhere!

Lucky us, in late March, many of those sheep have a lamb or two or three at their side. OMG, the cute. They're skittish little things and it is extremely difficult to photograph a green hillside full of sheep or capture the extreme adorableness of little lambs -- the picture in your mind is likely better than anything on paper (or screen) -- and the real thing is simply indescribable. From the first to the last, we never tired of seeing them.

The additional pay off for trekking to Bryn Celli Ddu in Anglesey, Wales, were the lambs that had snuck under the fence and were running and jumping and playing on and around the mound!

* * * * *

Home. Catching up.

Feeding the passions

Sharing the love.

We've stayed most of our time in Scotland at Millstonford House B&B in West Kilbride, North Ayrshire, Scotland. I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon it, but it just seemed right from the get-go -- all of it, from the farm-fresh eggs at breakfast and availability of bicycles, the proximity to castle ruins and islands and coastline and Highlands, to the Craft Town Scotland designation that appeals to the artists and artisans amongst us and the connection to St. Brigid that appeals to me (knitter of sweater of same name).

While I often refer to "the curse of the internet" -- that it can bring us so close to people whom we may never meet -- I usually only feel that way when a far-away friend really needs a hug, or when it would be just great to join them for knit-night, or pop in for a cuppa and some catching up.

When I mentioned to Yvette where we'd be going, she told me some of the shops in the area that we might check out -- including Old Maiden Aunt Yarns, which I'd never heard of before, located right in West Kilbride! This is completely the opposite of "curse of the internet." This is "what in the world did we do without the internet?" (and, I might add, "...Garmin, too?")

When I read about Lilith's yarn dyeing workshops, it was pretty much a no-brainer.

As you can see, it was a pretty great call. I wish you could have heard the cooing! There was all sorts of yarn love going on, and they are pretty excited about their yarn!!

Me, too!

Many thanks to Lilith for a wonderful time; sincere condolences about the microwave but kudos for pinch-hitting and making it all work! We had a great time.

We've had such a wonderful time in Scotland. I can't wait to come back!

Tomorrow, we head for Wales and meeting up with Maddy for a couple of days before we (most of us) head back home. Kate will spend a few days in London with Maddy before heading to Barcelona, I believe, and before Maddy departs with her group for the "continental tour" portion of their program.

West Highlands

This was our "worst" weather day so far -- a wee bit o' light rain, on and off, mostly a cloudy light mist -- and we did see a little sun in the late afternoon.

We visited Inverlochy Castle before heading south from Fort William this morning (Wednesday).

Castle Stalker in Appin.

Standing stones!

Random scenic view. I pulled over... um... actually, one does not ever just "pull over" to the side of the road in Scotland, or anywhere in the UK that I've driven. The roads are narrow and there is NO shoulder. I meant to turn onto a road, then into a cemetery but missed them both because the signs are right >< there when you need to turn and there's often little or no warning. I turned around, instead, in someone's "driveway" -- it's all so different here -- I don't think she was too happy -- and then scooted off the drive leading to an attraction of some sort. There are frequent "Parking" turn-outs, but they aren't usually where there's something amazing to see or there are trees blocking the view.

That said, I am freakin' driving in the Scottish Highlands, man, and I am NOT complaining! Nor will I ever complain about narrow roads at home. I will complain about rude American drivers, though... it's all so different here. I don't think I've seen a single stop sign, and traffic lights are the exception rather than the rule. I still think roundabouts are kind of a pain, but I also see their benefit(s) and maybe I'll try harder.

Anyway, the rain made the colors POP today and, oh, it's just so beautiful!

 

These are at Jubilee Point in Argyll Forest Park.

Hi Mom! I'm here and I'm having fun, too!!  ; )

These also from Jubiliee Point -- it reminded me a lot of northern Wisconsin (there were even some swimming ducks), except for them thar hills.

We're back at our B&B -- it's an "activity day" tomorrow!

 

The high road

Stirling Castle.

Loch Lomond.

The Highlands. This is near Glencoe. We had a wonderful dinner this evening in Fort William, then had a walk about the village and stopped at a pub for a pint. Southerly, back to our west coast B&B tomorrow!

This is amazing.

A day of activity

So far, we've balanced the active days and not-so-active days pretty well. After a long plane ride, we spent a day walking around London; after a day of driving to Scotland, we ferried to an island where we rented bikes and rode the 10-mile isle circuit!

The ferry from Largs to...

...the Isle of Cumbrae. The Isle of Arran was also on the list of possibilities, but we all liked the idea of riding around the entire island. That means I'll have to come back another time to visit Machrie Moor.

The beauty is incredible -- and we are so fortunate to have hit a good patch of weather. It's likely we'll see more clouds and some rain over the next few days.

Inspiration is everywhere!

Driving!

We ended up in Bishop Auckland last night (Saturday) and the table was set this morning for our cooked breakfast before we headed off for Scotland.

I'm driving! Well, so is Kate... but I'M DRIVING! On A roads and B roads and M roads, on the other side of the road, on roads with many, many roundabouts, on roads where chickens and sheep may also share the road, on roads that are more like a paved wide path! Not only that, I've been driving down those roads on the other side of the car! There is nothing quite like it.

We drove north and north-west through England today and said "Hello" to Scotland!

After a quick dash to the shore and a few minutes to explore, we found ourselves some dinner and then said "Good night" to Scotland, too. Tomorrow's another day!

 

London

After two cancelled flights and a last-minute drive to Chicago -- in less than stellar conditions, but improved as we made our way south -- we arrived in London only three hours later than originally scheduled. That does mean that someone is going to have to drive a vehicle back from Chicago upon our return...

We made it and we're glad! It's spring in London and I've been told we've had the best days of the year so far. Daffodils and other flowers are blooming everywhere, and trees are budding. I've walked a million miles, ate some delicious sandwiches, stopped for some lovely coffee, visited and shopped and saw a lot of sites! We met up with our friend Maro this evening (Friday) and went out for fish 'n chips; it was wonderful.

The reports from home are great (always a relief). More to come, though I'm not sure exactly when!

Travel talk

The weather outside is frightful! Our flights have already been rebooked to later departures, so we're spending more time than expected at home than at O'Hare today but will arrive in London only three hours later than originally planned.

There are still weather advisories, watches and warnings, 99.9% of schools in the area are closed today, and it's actually snowing again. It's possible that we'll get bumped back again, but I'm keeping my chin up and hoping for the best -- hanging on to a glittery nugget from Katie who told me that she was in the vicinity of the airport last night (when things were pretty bad) and she saw airplanes coming and going.

We considered having someone drive us to Chicago -- the weather isn't quite as bad there -- or even driving ourselves, but that opens other cans of (unpleasant) worms and we've decided to just go with the flow and the airlines' automatic rebooking... It's all an adventure, right?

So to help keep the thoughts happy and up, let's move forward with a little preview of what we'll be doing.

Leaving our home, dog and cats in capable hands, we'll take a Wednesday evening flight from O'Hare, arriving in London and likely hugging Madeleine by noon-ish (local time) on Thursday. We'll settle in and rest for a short time and then probably hit the streets, meeting up late for coffee with a former neighbor girl (now woman) and classmate of Ali's -- still friend of us all -- Maro, who lives in Greece but will be in London! Katie actually went to Greece and visited Maro on her last trip to Europe.

One or two people might get up VERY early on Friday morning to stand in line and see if tickets might be secured for Frankenstein! If so, we'll likely be SRO on Friday night. (The more delayed we are, though, the less likely this will be; I have consoled myself with the thought that perhaps they will hit Broadway and then I can go to New York again.) (That works for me!) During the day on Friday, we'll see London a la Maddy and Katie.

Sometime on Saturday, Rusty, Kate, Al and I will make our way north a bit and pick up our rental car. It is going to pain me to leave Maddy behind in London, but she is there for school and that's important. This is not the last we'll see of her, though, and so we look forward...

We'll drive (drive!) north in a sort of easterly way, seeing whatever we fancy, finding a place to stay the night, sightseeing our way to and through Edinburgh, over to Glasgow, and then, by Sunday evening, to the west coast where we've secured lodging at a B&B for our entire time in Scotland.

On Monday, I expect to take in the sights, possibly ferry over to the Isle of Arran. Or maybe back to Edinburgh or Glasgow. It's all a bit unstructured, which suits us!

On Tuesday, we'll be driving north into the Highlands. Originally, I wanted to go up to Inverness (actually, the further north I looked, the further north I wanted to go) and drive down the Loch Ness shoreline but, unless we want to spend our entire vacation in the car, it's just too far. I've decided to save that for my next visit. We'll probably go westerly -- I'd love to see Stirling Castle, visit the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond...

...maybe over to Oban, up to Fort William -- I'd be thrilled (for some reason) if we made it all the way out to Mallaig. Truth be told, I wouldn't be opposed to double-booking and staying over up there somewhere -- going with the flow!

Wednesday will be more of the same -- a variation of either Monday or Tuesday -- it all depends!

On Thursday, the girls and are doing something fun and fibery! I am indebted to Yvette, who no longer blogs but is a FB friend, for mentioning a recent trip home to Scotland (from France) which prompted me to ask questions and she told me about some yarn shops close to our location. (And, OMG, this is where I declare my love for the World Wide Web and technology and the amazingly wonderful and connected world in which we live!) There'll be more on this, but all I'm going to say right now is that I am very (squee!) excited about Thursday and can't wait to share!

On Friday, we'll leave Scotland and head south to Wales where we'll meet Maddy -- possibly picking her up in Liverpool or thereabouts. That's all a bit unplanned yet, too. Dumfries, The Lake District, The Pencil Museum... come what may! We'll spend Friday and Saturday nights in Wales, and head back to London on Sunday.

The return flight leaves bright and early on Monday morning! Katie's actually staying on for another 9-10 days; she and Maddy are talking about taking the Chunnel to Paris!

 

Berkeley Bowl, NaBloPoMo, and Ten on Tuesday!

I have never had more fun at the grocery store -- particularly in the produce department.  Once permission to photograph was granted, we slapped on lenses (15mm fisheye and 100mm macro) and tried not to get in anyone's way (too much) (one tends to get lost in the world that appears through the viewfinder).

 
I've lost count of how many photos I took on this trip!  Here are a few faves from Berkeley Bowl.

 
Artichokes -- one of my favorite veggies.  I can get them in Wisconsin, but I'm usually lucky if I can find enough decent specimens for our whole family from the paltry number available at any given time.

 
I should have pulled back for a shot of these adorable little bundles of multi-colored carrots.

 
Three varieties of sweet potatoes and two of yams.  Really!  Every single sign indicated the item's country of origin, many went even further.

 
I noticed that many of the mushrooms -- the selection included many varieties that I've never seen before -- came from Oregon and Washington (big surprise!).

 
The Berkeley Bowl set on Flickr.

And I guess I'm in:  NaBloPoMo 2010!  I've done this a few times over the blogging years -- successfully, for the most part.  I think.

Arguably, signing up for NaBloPoMo might NOT seem to be one of the 10 Ways to Simplify Your Life -- this week's Ten on Tuesday topic -- but (and I'm totally riffing here) I might be able to spin it my way.

10 Ways to Simplify Your Life

1. Make lists
2. Prioritize
3. Delegate
4. Organize
5. Clean out
6. Pare down
7. Toss/Donate
8. Establish a filing system
9. Use online resources for banking & shopping (when it makes sense to do so)
10. Cook & bake extra and pack yourself a lunch or two when putting away leftovers

Time out for knitting!

There's always the photography and always the knitting, but they don't seem to mash up as often as they should these days!

 
Brilliant Miriam Felton's Dimorphous Mittens, which have been on my list for a long, long time.  I cast on the first inner mitten on a Thursday, while at the spelling bee.  I cast on the second inner mitten the following Thursday, in the car on the way to Milwaukee, in order to have something to knit on the plane while winging westward.  They were both finished (ends woven in and everything!) by last Thursday, when I cast on the first outer mitt.  The outer mitt knits up quickly without a cuff.  The keyhole is fabulous, and that three-stitch I-cord bind off is, well, absolutely brilliant.

 
I rode along on a quick trip to Egg Harbor in Door County with DH on Saturday and knit much of the way, making great progress.  We drove back along the bay and stopped several times to marvel at the big waves -- and even swells -- on the water that day, not to mention the very dramatic sky.

 
I have the thumb and bind-off to finish on the second mitt, a few stitches to graft on both, and then I can go button hunting!!  I am hoping to find something perfect in grandma's button box.  There may be a few more details on my Ravelry project page.

 

'Frisco Friday

My plane arrived in Oakland late Thursday night.  It wasn't long before I was marveling at the reality of standing in the house of Unraveling!  I've "known" Celia for almost as long as I've been blogging -- 6 years or so -- and we've read/commented/corresponded quite a bit in that time, but until a couple of weeks ago I'd never even heard her voice.  So, yeah, there was some mutual marveling -- "You're right here!"

And it was... marvelous.  It would be a lie to say that my nerves hadn't increased a bit as the time approached -- at the prospect of spending four full days + some change with someone that I'd never spent five minutes with on the phone.  Not so much because she was an "internet" friend, because I've done that before; and I thought I had an accurate reading -- as, obviously, thought Celia about me; and (I feel) I couldn't be more laid-back and go-with-the-flow but, you know, what if there were SOME REALLY WEIRD DIFFERENCES that we never noticed on the internet before??  I've been an "open book" blogger to varying degrees over the years, but I still choose what and how I'll write in my book!  What if we COULDN'T STAND EACH OTHER??

Heh.  Well, it's weird that she has lemon trees in her yard instead of apple, but otherwise, truthfully, the weirdest thing were the many similarities and how often I found myself smiling and nodding in agreement.

On Friday morning, we picked up our rented lenses at the camera store.  We had three Canon EF lenses (which fit both of our cameras) to play with for the weekend -- a 15mm f/2.8 fisheye (same as I rented in May for Vegas, baby), a 24mm f/1.4 wide angle, and a 100mm f/2.8 macro.  I already knew that I loved the fisheye (above), but I have developed a deep and serious love for the versatile wide angle (below)!

 
 

Oh yeah.  Not to mention my love for these Ruth Asawa knitted wire sculptures.  But ahead of myself I am getting...

The weather could have been better for sightseeing but it is what it is!  After picking up our equipment, we took off and drove over some bridges to see what we could see -- the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and (later) San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

We visited the de Young Museum and took photos from the Tower Observation Floor.  It's the California Academy of Sciences (and the Living Roof!) across the way.  I recognized the roof immediately because I'd just sent Ali a "rooftop gardens" slideshow link and this was one; very cool to see it in person.

 

We would have spent a LOT more time on the grounds and in the gardens at de Young if it hadn't started raining in earnest about the time we headed out.  Not to worry... going with the flow...

 
...and mostly covered in James Turrell's "Three Gems" Skyspace.  ("Hi, Celia!")

 
We were also somewhat protected in the bandshell, shared with some bums watching a movie on a laptop and soon joined by another on his bike/trailer mode of transportation (blue tarp above) and the wettest, dirtiest, mangiest dog in the world.

We had lunch -- and especially dessert -- at 'Wichcraft.

 

I can scratch #9 - Peanut butter sandwich cookie at 'Wichcraft from Trick or Treat! The Big Sweet SF: 50 Treats to Eat Before You Die", but will have to go back for the other 49. Oh darn!

And from there we made our way to Art Fibers in their wonderful new space!

 
After deliberations, I bought a lovely little cone of Alfabeto in color #15 -- soft and green.  It will be a scarf -- soft and green.

The seasonal lack of green in my world at the moment must have me craving it, as I just bought some bright lime green napkins today with the idea of brightening my winter kitchen.

 
We walked (and drooled) our way through the new Fluevog store on our way to the most enormous DSW I've ever seen!  While I tried on a couple of pairs of Keens at DSW, I didn't buy any -- it wasn't really a shoe-buying trip, but, you know, a store full of Fluevogs, and Keens @ DSW (they're never at mine!).  This is right out the front door of DSW and I just had to take a photo like this.  It is so The Streets of San Francisco to me -- I expect Karl Malden and Michael Douglas to come flying down those hills, sirens blaring.

And if I just had to take a picture like that, then I most definitely just had to take a picture of this:

...which, naturally, makes me think of Rice-A-Roni.

I was slightly enamored of the escalator at Westfield San Francisco Centre, but did not go shopping.

We went home and then to the Berkeley Bowl -- and that's a whole 'nother post!

Re-entry

*sigh*

 
A week ago today, DH & I went to Milwaukee.  He drove, I cast on my second inner Dimorphous Mitten.

 
First stop:  Zeidler Municipal Building for an official, embossed, signed, sealed, and delivered certificate of my birth.  CHECK!  (And so quick!)

 
Second stop:  Beans & Barley for lunch.  I had a Chicken Pine Nut sandwich and a cup of soup -- I don't remember what kind, but it was good.  Oh so good!  My sister used to frequent Beans & Barly when she lived in Milwaukee a million years ago -- I remember hearing it a lot, "Beans & Barley," "Beans & Barley," "Beans & Barley" -- but I don't think I've ever been before!  I had to call her while we waited for a table and say, "Guess where I am?  You'll never guess where I am!"  And she never would have guessed.

 
I browsed the market and bought some snacks before we headed for Sheridan Park on the lakeshore.

 
We took a walk, looked out over the bluff, watched some planes and geese, said "Hello" to some dogs, and found a place to walk down to the shore.

 
Boy oh boy, it sure was a gorgeous day!

 
DH dropped me off at the airport where I awaited my flight to the Left Coast.  I've been to WA/OR/CA a couple of times since we moved from Oregon to Wisconsin in 1986 -- we all flew for a visit in '88 when Ali was about a year old, and took the Amtrak in '91 when Maddy was only about 8 weeks, and did Big Sur/Monterey/Disneyland in '96, and my sister and I drove Katie in '03 to begin her college education at Humbolt State University.  DH has been to CA many, many times over the years -- often one of the kids would accompany him -- to do art shows, visit galleries, and get a vital saltwater fix!  This is the first time I've headed to the west coast by myself since 1983 when I loaded up my red '82 Firebird and pointed west... and, actually, that's not true because I think my sister drove with me that time, too!

To be continued...

Our last full day in Vegas...

...was a day of touring by various methods.  I'd forgotten that #1 on my list when we had the car was driving to the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign.  I really wanted a match for Osh Vegas!  I knew it was a bit of a hike from Planet Hollywood... but too far??  We decided to walk in that direction -- we hadn't gone that way before -- past MGM, toward M&M World, and ask someone who looked like they might know if a) it was walkable and b) within walking distance.  I asked a store clerk, who hemmed and hawed a bit, but in the end we all decided it was -- or, if it wasn't, we'd just turn around or catch a cab or a bus or something.  We bought a day-long bus pass along the way.

New York! New York!
 

It was a long walk in the morning sun, past long-gone hotels and casinos, not always on a paved sidewalk, but not battling any sort of crowd, and we made it!  Jumping for joy!
 

The whole bus thing on that end of town was... well, I suggest figuring out how it works BEFORE the buses start going by.  We walked back up a ways and eventually caught a Deuce.  We had front-row seats on the upper deck and a somewhat entertaining driver who left the PA open, so we heard some interesting goings-on from passengers below, and decided to take it all the way up -- the poor man's tour of The Strip -- figuring the bus would just turn around and head back.  It sort of worked like that, but kind of not.  In hindsight, we should have stopped at Fremont Street and caught an Ace back; instead, we disembarked and reembarked on the same bus (front row seats again, tho!)... and it was a very long tour.

By then, we were hungry!  We had a little something to eat and took some time to rest at the hotel before heading back out again.

We walked up toward The Venetian, where Sharon (a fan of The View) met Whoopi Goldberg outside of Madame Tussaud's.
 


The final destination was Fremont Street Experience, as recommended by our brother and several others.  This time, we caught the Ace bus (there and back) for a much quicker ride!

We saw (and these photos are from) the Don McLean's American Pie show.  We also saw Doors Strange Days, but I only listened and watched that one.  Worn out and with a 4:30 a.m. wake-up call looming, we didn't stay out too late!

* * * * *

I had a fabulous time in Fabulous Las Vegas!  Thank you, Sharon, for the idea -- and for letting me run with it!  For one who doesn't often plan these things, I think I planned well -- and, more or less, things went as planned.  I left wanting more -- there's plenty that I did not see (neon graveyard, for one BIG thing) -- and that's a good thing!  About the only thing that could have made it better was coming home having won a little jackpot -- just a little one!

* * * * *

Tom Jones at the MGM Grand in August.  Just sayin'.

Tuesday road trip

I'll try not to load this post with too many photos, but no promises.  It was all so fantastic and I took a bunch.

Tuesday was road trip day.  We rented a car and #1* on the list was a visit to Hash House A Go Go for breakfast, #2 was Gail Knits, #3 was Hoover Dam, and #4 was Valley of Fire.  Red Rock Canyon was a late suggestion for #5 from a valet at Planet Hollywood -- who did not blink, by the way, when the answer to "Where are you going?" was "To a yarn store!"  In fact, he told me of a similar trek while on vacation once with a girlfriend -- he wasn't all that enthused, and I'm not sure he had full understanding, but he was aware of the need to seek out yarn stores on vacation, and he did not judge.  Heh.

#1.  Hash House A Go Go!  Thank you, Caro; seconded by Susan!!  (May I suggest that the next time you're planning a trip somewhere, throw it out to Facebook -- I had the most wonderful response from people I know and trust!)

Yeah.  Even Sharon's simple eggs, ham and potato breakfast was huge.  I had a hash made with fresh mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and fresh spinach with my biscuit and egg.  I'd seen the Hash House A Go Go location at the Imperial Palace, but we drove to the one on Sahara because it was "just down the street" from...

#2.  Gail Knits!  Thank you, Jennifer!  I didn't take any photos, but I did buy a Crazy Zauberball to remember the visit to Vegas and to use in my current Parcheesi project.  We also talked bratwurst and cheese curds with an employee (maybe a customer?) who'd once lived in Wisconsin.

#3.  Hoover Dam.  I didn't do any planning for this visit, just knew that we needed to go.  We didn't go on an organized tour, either, though perhaps we should have -- amazingly beautiful and completely fascinating, in any case.

This bridge.  Oh.my.GOD, this bridge is SO DAMN HIGH.  I don't think I'd ever be able to drive over it, or even be driven over it.  Really and truly.  I'm not sure I'd be able to walk over it... maybe straight down the middle and without looking either left or right -- straight ahead, eyes on the prize (the other side), baby!  Maybe I could crawl over.  I get vertigo just thinking about being up there.
 




#4.  Valley of Fire.  We drove a few miles into Arizona before turning around and driving back over the dam, then into Lake Mead National Recreation Area on our way through Valley of Fire.  Simply gorgeous.

It got too late to also visit Red Rock Canyon, so #5 became a stop at In-n-Out Burger, instead.  (Thanks, again, to Jennifer!)  Really, terrifically, YUM!!

And then we went "home" -- Planet Hollywood -- and enjoyed a lovely sunset.

Sharon and I agree that without this little road trip, we'd both feel very differently (not as good) about our trip to Las Vegas.

*#1 was supposed to be the Las Vegas sign!!  Ooops!  Tomorrow is another day.

Can you believe I went to Las Vegas?

Srsly.  I've never actually articulated my Top 10 Places To Go... but if I did, I don't think Las Vegas was in there.  Italy, Ireland, Greece, St. John, Newfoundland, Labrador, Arizona, St. Louis, Charleston, Disneyland... they'd be in there.

Now?  Well, I could go back!

I maybe should have been a pilot... this is my second-least favorite seat on the plane... even so, the view from up there is one of my favorite things in the world.

It was 59F, cloudy, and windy when we landed.  This was the (fisheye) view from our room.  That shut me up right quick.  The Bellagio (and fountains), Caesar's Palace, Mirage, and Paris -- with Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe (and Barry Manilow) -- all right there.  I never tired of the view.

Monday morning dawned "quiet" and clear -- and warmer!

Barry Manilow was next door at Paris!

But not right away warmer, so we spent some morning time viewing the auto collection at the Imperial Palace.  I could easily fill my fantasy 20-car garage from this collection.
 

 

This one's for Mom & Joe -- who are driving through Italy as we speak!
 

Donny and Marie were at the Flamingo -- next to Barry Manilow at Paris and across from Cher at Caesar's Palace.
 

Margaritas in ridiculous light-up souvenir Planet Hollywood glasses (we fell for it!) at lunch!
 

Our big event on Monday was seeing the Cirque du Soleil show "LOVE" at the Mirage.  Loved it!