♪ ♪ Love, Love, Love ♪ ♪

   

   
     I'm thinking of the Beatles' song, "All You Need Is Love", this Valentine's Day.
It's been a joyful, love-filled week with news of the birth of our newest grandchild, Eliot. Our family members from New Hampshire to Colorado to Virginia have all been leaning in close to our phones to exchange news and to watch videos and photos of the new baby and proud big brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I certainly long to hold him and cover him in grandmotherly kisses. With seven hundred miles and winter between us, I am inpatient for a road trip.
     Here in Virginia, we've had the sixth rainiest February on record. Mild temperatures have buds and daffodils popping up too early. The migratory birds are returning to the fields. I know they are heading north and heralding spring as they fly in that direction. It's like watching a parade go by and you know that folks at the farther end are still in for the treat of it.
     Our youngest daughter is our unofficial family photographer. Several years ago, at a Thanksgiving gathering, she was prepping us all for a photo and right before she snapped the shutter she said, "OK, love each other!" Since then, that quote has been repeated many times over in our family. I think of it a lot these days. Love each other!

    
    

What's on the Frame

    I needed a break from the large rug I'm hooking so I decided to hook some table mats and chair pads. I also wanted to play with some dye recipes. I borrowed one of my friend, Eleanor's dye books titled, "Vermont Folk Rugs". It came with a swatch set and I think ALL the colors are divine. This is my favorite recipe book yet! So far, I have dyed Buttermilk, Mad River, and Mustard Seed. My wool came out just like the swatch samples. Sometimes, due to water ph, mineral content of the water, or variety of wool, individual results don't always match the swatches. Not so in my case and I was feeling lucky. I also dyed some straight up Khaki Drab from Cushing because it is one of my favorites. It comes out especially nice when dyed over camel colored wool.  I also dyed some Buttermilk Paint Red and Antique Black from Emma Lou Lais and Barb Carroll's book.  Because I was hooking small rugs, I could play around with the new colors I made. Fun, Fun, Fun!

     For patterns, I used Pat Cross' book, Purely Primitive, to hook the Antique Pennies and Two Stars. I used, Wool Rug Hooking by Tara Darr to hook the Bouquet of Love. Lastly, the bunny rug was a pattern included in a Rug Hooking Magazine from 2010. Each rug was a joy to hook.

Background is Buttermilk, borders and pennies are Khaki Drab and Antique Black along with a textured gold wool. (The photograph looks a bit washed out.)

Stars are hooked with Buttermilk on a Buttermilk Paint Red background. Border is a very dark green textured wool.

The red heart was a swatch set I dyed last summer using the jar dyeing method. These swatches were a lot of fun and turned out great, too.

The bunny is hooked with a Parchment hand dyed wool on an Antique Black background with textured wool flowers. It's fresh off the frame and hasn't been steamed or bound yet.

     I now have a set of mats on my frame that are destined to be gifts, so I can't show those. : ) Once those are finished I will get back to my big rug. That rug is a design by Anne Bond called, The Woods. (Her patterns are available at Visions of Ewe) I liked the color color palette she used in her design so I bought the wool kit from her which is a combination of hand dyed, over dyed and textured wool.
     Alas, I have ended up with more rugs than a body needs. Some are destined as gifts, some I keep for our home, and I have opened an etsy shop, CurlyWillowRugs, to sell the overflow. A home overflowing with primitive hooked rugs is a good thing, I say. I am in my happy place!

    

The Story of a Girl and Her Horse

    Once upon a time there was a girl who thought she was a horse. When she was two years old, she taught herself how to gallop like the horses that lived in the field near her house. As the years went by, she tied make-believe rope halters around her neck so her little sister could ride on her back. She taped real horse shoes to her hands with duck tape and ran around the house on all four of her hooves. She made obstacles from tree branches in the yard and ran in circles, jumping over them. She gladly volunteered to be the horse who pulled little sister around the yard in the red wagon. She knew how to whinny and neigh to sound like a real horse. She recognized every horse by color in the movies she watched. She only read horse books, played only with horse toys and was happiest when she was near the horses. I began to call her the horse whisperer.

about 2007

     As she grew older, she took riding lessons. She learned how to properly care for horses and how to judge horses in competition. She earned lots of blue ribbons in riding and judging competitions. But one thing was greatly lacking; the girl did not have a horse of her own. Her deepest desire was to one day have her own horse. When the girl was twelve years old she got a job at a horse farm. She mucked out horse stalls and kept the stables nice and clean. The horses messed their stalls over and over again and every morning the girl shoveled the mess out. She shoveled their messes for weeks and months and years. She never complained about the hard work. She saved the money she earned and bought her first horse. The horse was an Arabian mix from a long line of beautiful horses. Her name was Vandella. The girl brought Vandella home. She paid for all the horse's care and feeding and took very, very good care of her. They became best friends and Vandella was always there to be with the girl on all of her happiest days and on all of her hardest days.
     Of course, the girl grew up. She became very busy at school and she fell in love and planned to be married. Vandella was still happy but the girl didn't have much time to spend with her anymore. The girl felt bad for Vandella so she decided to ask someone she trusted to find a good home for her. It needed to be a home where someone would love her and take care of her just as the girl had done herself. After a while, the person said Vandella had a new home and the girl could rest easy that Vandella was happy and safe. The girl got married and life went on. She still thought about Vandella often.
     One day, the girl saw a photograph of a horse for sale. In the background of that photograph was another horse and she recognized it to be Vandella! She couldn't believe her luck in seeing her there. She contacted the owner to ask about the horse in the background of the picture and they kept in touch because of their mutual interest in Vandella. Sadly, the girl learned over time that it wasn't a good home for Vandella. Her trusted person had misled her when he said Vandella went to a good home. Vandella wasn't being fed enough and one day the girl found out that Vandella was badly injured. It looked like Vandella might die. The heartbroken girl begged the owner to please sell Vandella back to her. The horse needed veterinarian care and a safe place to live and the owner wasn't able to provide that. The girl offered the owner a lot of money and even though Vandella wasn't valuable anymore because of her injuries, the owner wouldn't sell her back to the girl. The girl became desperate to save Vandella and make up for her deep regret that she caused Vandella to go to a bad home. She asked a lawyer to help her get Vandella back. They went to court and asked a judge to give Vandella back to the girl but she lost her case. She left the courtroom in tears that day, brokenhearted with the knowledge that she would never be able to help Vandella or care for her again. She tried to forget this painful experience and to trust that God would take care of his creature in her stead.

Vandella injured 2012

     Months later, the girl saw in the news that Vandella's owner was arrested for doing bad things to children and she went to jail. Still, the girl did not know what had happened to Vandella or who was caring for her. More years went by. The girl never stopped thinking about her horse nor stopped searching for her. A few times each month the girl scoured online ads in hopes of seeing Vandella. One day, many years later, the girl saw a picture of a horse for sale on craigslist. Her heart started racing and her mind exploded with unbelief! It was a picture of Vandella...for sale! The girl didn't know who placed the ad and she was afraid it might be the awful owner who might recognize her if she called about the horse. She wasn't sure what to do but she feared someone would buy the horse for slaughter so she threw caution to the wind and called to ask if she could see the horse. The next day she went to the farm and there was Vandella! She was owned by a nice man who had too many horses and only a muddy paddock in which to keep them. He said that he bought Vandella from the previous owner because that person wanted money for drugs. After all those years of searching and yearning, things happened very quickly. The girl bought Vandella from the nice man on the spot. Within days, she got the proper paperwork from the vet, found a good stable where Vandella could live with lots of rolling fields and grass for her to eat, and she brought Vandella home.
     The girl now shares Vandella with her own little girl, who also has come to love the horse. The little girl pulls up grass to feed Vandella just like her mommy did all those years ago. The girl's heart is happy because now she can be sure that Vandella will live out the rest of her years in peace and comfort.
     The girl isn't sure if Vandella remembers her. The poor horse suffered much trauma and was focused on survival for many years. But, she comes right up to the girl and takes treats from her hand. She is an old horse now. She was only eight years old when the girl first bought her and now she is twenty. She is still a beautiful and spirited horse who has proven that she is tough. I saw her myself yesterday and it did my heart good. I offer prayers of thanksgiving to God for granting my little girl one of the desires of her heart. Here is a story with a happy ending.
 

Vandella in her younger years.

2006: The girl being a horse : )

The Longer I Stayed Away...

...the harder it was to return.

That was one huge hiccup in life these past six months.


     Ongoing vertigo issues prevented me from doing most of the things I enjoyed. One of the frustrating effects of the disorder was the inability to write anything more complex than a shopping list. It was/is very hard to form complex thoughts and then put them to paper. I'm not sure why this is but it's odd and quirky and very frustrating.
     This past week is the first time I feel almost "normal". What better place to try and get back into writing mode than here. After taking two months off in September and October from everything, I was able to slowly start getting back into life. The family all came here in November for their annual visit and it was a grand time. My sister and her family even came from New York and DC. Steve and I impulsively bought a go-cart at an estate sale just before everyone came. Young and old alike had a blast racing that thing around the fields. It was a bumpy, teeth knocking ride but I've not seen bigger smiles yet. We kept the bonfire burning, and prepared more food in two weeks than we've had since. Oh how I miss everyone when they are gone!
     After that visit, Christmas came and went quietly and now we are into mid-winter. This year winter is very mild but still dark and damp. I go around the house each late afternoon turning on lights and candle lights to make the dark corners cheery.
     I got back to my rug hooking just before Christmas. I am now home a lot more so I have been hooking a lot. I am pleased that I can enjoy my craft again and I am making up for lost time. So much so, that I opened an Etsy shop, CurlyWillowRugs. I named the shop after the curly willow tree growing in our front yard. The twists and turns of the loops in hooked rugs remind me of the way those curly branches grow on the tree. : ) My shelves of wool are like a full box of sharpened Crayola crayons and it's impossible not to create. My fellow hookers have been a great support and I love the women in our rug hooking group. Our monthly meetings remind me of an old fashioned quilting bee. We are now over thirty hookers strong and the talent within these women is amazing. I am also humbled by the grace, both physical and divine, that these women display. Not one of us is alone in our trials in life and some of these women are truly long suffering. Not only do we laugh and create together but we support one another in true, loving friendship. If anyone local would like to learn how to make hooked rugs, you are welcome at our monthly gatherings. Contact me for more information.
     Here are a few photos to capture the good memories of these past few months.

Tess, Audrey, Me, Claire, Chelsea. Chelsea's baby is due any day!

Steve and me and the lighting of the bonfire.

A rare photo with all the grandchildren on one chair. (Even in one state!)

Blue Ridge Ruggers during a lunch break

Some of our beautiful members

Rounding Out New England

     The final leg of our (what is becoming annual) drive through New England took us through Vermont, into New Hampshire, and over to the coast of Maine. Steve made arrangements to meet up with a blog acquaintance at Long Trail Brewing Company in Bridgewater, VT for lunch. They serve a nice lunch at Long Trail and we opted to dine outside on the deck overlooking the Ottauquechee River. It was a very hot day so, after lunch, we walked down to the river, took off our shoes, and cooled off in the icy water like everyone else. We spent the remainder of our visit standing in the shallow river, picking up pretty rocks. I noticed that the brewery was packed when we departed at 1:30pm on this Friday, July 5th.

     We finally arrived in New Hampshire for a visit with Chelsea and her family. Seeing our children and grandchildren only twice a year is never enough and I this visit was a highlight of our trip. It had been eight months since we last saw Hugo and Charlie and they embraced us as if they saw us every day. We played at the house, spent Saturday morning at the Concord, NH farmer's market where Simon sells his organic vegetables for The Vegetable Ranch, hiked Kearsarge Mountain, went to fireworks, had a day at the beach, and ate lobster (of course!). We packed a lot into those four days but it didn't feel rushed or stressful. We had plenty of down time in between activities for naps, Sponge Bob and Care Bears videos, digging holes in the yard, splashing in the wading pool, building blocks, and eating Chelsea's good dinners.

Hugo took to wearing Pop's hat

Steve and Chelsea checking in with Simon

Charlie waits in his stroller for us to take a walk. Simon beautifully displays the vegetables.

 

The children play in front of the state capital building across the street from the farmer's market

Hugo waits.

Atop Kearsarge Mountain. Hugo is already an enthusiastic hiker and made the climb on his own.

View of the White Mountains

Charlie with his kite at Parson's Beach in Wells, Maine

Steve's favorite beach activity; playing paddle ball. The tide was rolling in.

As always, it was very hard to leave. We had been away for two weeks and I was ready to be home but, it's a sad effort to turn away from the people and places I love so much here in New England.

Schroon Lake and Brant Lake, Adirondacks, NY

    

Contessa Resort, Lake George, NY

   
     Before we left Lake George I snapped two photos of our motel room. It was the funkiest room I've ever seen at an old motel/cabin resort from a bygone era. The enormous king size bed didn't quite fit into the room, so they placed it in the only large enough space available which was right in the front picture window. When lying on the bed, we were in full view of the parking lot as if being on a stage for all to see. This placement caused the bed to be in the middle of the kitchen area at the front of the room instead of in the back. We had a counter and sink on our left and a refrigerator straight ahead. The owners opted for no bedside tables or lamps and our lone light was a bare fluorescent bulb hanging down from the ceiling fan above our bed. We wondered what was up with this huge, ornate king-sized bed in this little Adirondack motel room. It was so weird! We had a few good laughs about it all. It was clean enough and the bed was comfortable so it served its purpose for a quick shower and comfortable place to sleep while we spent our days out on Sarah Island. Ironically, the place was  packed full of travelers all week long and had no vacancies.
      The cabins back a wooded area and on the second night, right at bedtime, an odoriferous skunk let himself be known to all the sleepy residents. It wasn't your average skunk odor; it was strong and nauseating. I couldn't decide whether to close the windows and trap the odor in or open them wider and turn up the speed on the ceiling fan to blow it all over the place. It was a lose/lose situation and we basically just had to wait for it to go away. What can we expect when we want to vacation close to nature?
    

Baker Street House, Schroon Lake, NY

     All this made our Airbnb at Schroon Lake feel like a dream. The house was originally built in 1922 and served as the administration building for a Jewish boys camp. The current owners have made it homey and comfortable and offer rooms at a rate of $65/night which is far below any in-season hotel or cabin in the area. The one caveat is that three rooms share one bathroom. We lucked out on the first night because we were the only guests and we had it all to ourselves. On the second night, one other room was occupied but we never bumped into each other for the bathroom. My favorite "room" in the house was the expansive front porch. I felt myself relax here and become re-energized for the second week of our trip.

Brant Lake, NY

   
      We popped over to Brant Lake on the 4th of July to visit family and revisit Steve's childhood summer stomping grounds. Sister-in-law Joyce and I kayaked while Steve and his brother visited with old friends at Mead's Cottages. Mark and Joyce grilled a nice lunch and then Mark gave us a tour of the lake on his boat. I hadn't been on the lake in thirty-five years and it brought back many good memories from when Steve and I were dating. Later that evening, we all met up in Schroon Lake village to watch the town's 4th of July parade. There were fire trucks and boats, a high school band, a mariachi band, horse riders, and a Pipes and Drums band. The marchers all flung candy to the children. It was noisy and upbeat and children darted to and fro to gather candy. After the parade, everyone made their way down to the beach on Schroon Lake to wait for the fireworks. We had two hours to wait for fireworks but, the time passed quickly with all the people to watch, hot dogs and ice cream to fetch, and music to hear from the bandstand. It was small-town, old-time stuff and it made the evening really enjoyable. The fireworks were displayed from a barge on the lake and many folks came out on their boats to watch from the water. The boats' lights twinkled like fireflies all along the lake's surface. The fireworks were grand and when they finished everyone departed in one big swell to walk, en masse, a mile or so to our parked car. It was a warm evening and the walk felt good after all that sitting. Folks talked quietly as they walked in their groups and the night was hushed with a feeling of a day well spent. We relaxed back at our room after a full day of sun and activity. We had the fan gently blowing the cooling, Adirondack night air lulling us off to sleep.

Schroon Lake 4th of July parade

Schroon Lake beach before fireworks

Same view at dusk

Schroon Lake, view south

Aahhh...

    

On Sarah Island

     I think we're doing a pretty good job of finding moments for this while we're away. Those aahhh moments where you can feel your body relax and your mind detach from the worries and stresses of everyday life are rare these days.

Lake George

     Our vacations usually include time with extended family. Because everyone lives so far away, we make a variety of stops in different states as we travel along to see father, brothers, sisters, children, and grandchildren. We're halfway through our time away and we've seen a lot of family and a few friends! We have two nights to ourselves at a delightful Air bnb with the largest front porch I have ever seen. Steve and I are fairly quiet when we are alone and this wonderful Air bnb space has given us some recharge time. That amazing front porch sure helped!

Some narrows between the islands

     We are visiting three lakes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York this week: Lake George, Schroon Lake, and Brant Lake. Lake George has changed little since our childhood summers of the 1960's. The village has updated many of its restaurants and storefronts but I spotted some that hadn't changed a bit. It is a weird sense of time warp to see the old and new side by side. While at Lake George, we stayed at an old "resort" that has seen better days. Candy and John use it because it is dog-friendly and has boat docking space, both of which can be hard to come by. Even as is, it is still booked full over the holiday weekend. We used it as a place to simply shower and sleep since we would be out on the island and lake with Candy and John during the daytime. Candy arranged for cousin Tony Michael and his wife to spend a day on the island with us and we all had fun reminiscing and catching up. It was a lovely day with a gentle breeze and cool shade. Our next day back to Sarah Island was warmer and we swam in the blue-green water of Paradise Bay. We watched boats both large and small parade by throughout the day. A family of ducks swam with us and chipmunks visited us at our picnic site. It was wonderful to relax under the hemlocks and pines. Their aroma was intoxicating and when the wood smoke from a campfire blended with the pine, we closed our eyes and lifted noses to breathe it in.
 

I love the turquoise color of the water in Paradise Bay.

     When I visit with my sister, I laugh longer and harder than any other time. It's pure silliness and we become young again, reverting back to a time when we were like two pups teasing and romping just for fun. We laugh at ourselves and live in the exact moment with not a worry. It's good for my soul.
   

The Sagamore's tour boat, The Henry Morgan (I think that's the name of it)

      We are off to Brant Lake today, home of Steve's childhood summers and current location of his vacationing brother Mark and family. Our Air bnb is on Schroon Lake so we will drive the short fifteen minutes back and forth as we like. We are planning to watch the fireworks on Schroon Lake tonight. Tomorrow we are off to Vermont to lunch with a friend of Steve's and then finally to New Hampshire to see Chelsea and her family. We haven't seen her, Simon or the grandchildren since last November so we are way overdue for some hugs.