Our Anniversary and Other Things

My wonderful husband and I went to Strasburg, PA yesterday to celebrate our Anniversary which is today July 14, Bastille Day.  We rode the Strasburg Railroad, one of the oldest short line trains still running.  The day was beautiful and the view were magnificent.

We traveled on the First Class Parlor Car that was air conditioned and we were served any drink we wanted and a nice cheese platter, and I had an authentic Whoopie Pie.  All of the cars are restored beautifully.  As you can see there is a lot of attention to detail.

After the train ride we went to the Railroad Museum across the street.  That was quite a treat.  The had many, many full size engines, box cars, passenger cars and even a mail car.  Mail was left on a tall pole and grabbed by a hook on the train, it was then opened and sorted right on the train.  They even had a Western Maryland rail car.  My husbands father worked as a mechanical engineer for the Western Maryland railroad in Cumberland, MD.

We saw beautiful farm land, and homesteads that were as neat as a pin. The Amish  travel by horseback or buggy, we saw many of them.  The Amish do not want their pictures taken, so I did not take any of the buggies.  The horses are beautiful and well cared for.

We ended our day at the Good and Plenty restaurant, where meals are served family style and you are encouraged to meet your table mates, by being introduced by the hostess and telling where you are from.  There was a couple from New Jersey and a family from Luray, Va at our table.  The food is all home made and plentiful. You are served the traditional relish plate and cottage cheese and apple butter.  There is also homemade bread.  Dinner consisted of roast beef (which melted in your mouth) a ham loaf and of course Fried Chicken.  This was accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered noodles, home grown corn, and peas.  You want to save room for desert, there was cracker pudding ( it tastes like coconut cream pie filling), Shoo Fly Pie ( it is OK), cherry pie, individual cherry cheesecakes and homemade ice cream, chocolate and vanilla.  The serve ice tea, lemonade, water and coffee.  The food was great and so was the company. 

We are definitely going back in the fall.

Summer Is Here

Summer is here in full blown heat and humidity, I don't like this.  I would say hate, but that is such a strong word.  It is predicted to be 100 degrees today and only a few degree's cooler the next couple of days.

I can't believe that July is just around the corner, what happened to June.  I always look forward to July; there is the 4th to celebrate with fireworks, my wedding anniversary is the 14th (33 years to the most wonderful man on earth), and then my birthday on the 22nd.  I only hope that July will be like June and have some wonderful cool days.  One can only hope.

My Camelot coat is coming along, but slowly.  I am going to start either a Saroyan or the Color Affection shawl. Knowing me, it will be both.

My knitting group, the Mt Airy Knitters, is the most wonderful group of ladies anyone could ever know.  We are a diverse group which is what makes us work so well together. The best thing I ever did was find and join this group.

I am sewing and knitting to keep my mind off my asthma, which is kicking my but.  I have never had a cough like this before, it is keeping me from sleeping and I am afraid I may break a rib from coughing.  I am not a candidate for Predinose and so I just have to put up with it.  Our local hospital is so busy it takes hours to see a doctor, my doctors office is also booked.  This has been quite a summer for all of us.

Until there is more news, stay cool and keep knitting.

I can't believe it has been since February that I have posted.  I guess my life has been busier then I thought.  I just finished watching Alice in Wonderland (The Johnny Depp version) and the Cheshire Cat has always been my favorite character.  This version in a little more sinister than the Disney version.  Perhaps closer to the original story, Alice is a women of independence and adventure.

My knitting has been going along great and I have completed quite a few shawls. I am now knitting on my "epic" Camelot Coat a work in progress.  It may be done by the winter.  I love the Shalimar Yarn I am using, the  color is rich and since it is bulky knitting up fast. The picture doesn't do justice to the colors, they are deep blues, purples, and navies.

The Pipers Journey I just finished is beautiful, but the Wolles Color Changing Yarn is not for me.  This shawl is easy and the knitted on edging is beautiful.

Now that summer is here, I will spend more time indoors. Heat I can take, humidity I can't.  Hopefully the summer will have some nice days.

My sewing and crafting room is done and I love it.  Keeping it organized I hope will be easy, I just have to keep my husband from putting everything he finds and thinks is mine in that room.

My spinning wheel is calling and I am saving up for a Woolee Winder.  I have some beautiful lavender alpaca that I want to spin.

The Cheshire Cat always had a that knowing look, an adventure around every corner, if you just let yourself follow your heart.  I want to be more like the Cheshire Cat.

Simplicity

Winter landscapes are unique and beautiful in their own way.  They show things that are only seen in the winter. The rocks which are covered in the summer standout in contrast to the ground. The skeletons of the bushes have a beauty all their own; there is simplicity to the landscape that is not there in the warmer months.

The same can be said about knitting.  There is the simplicity in a plain knit stitch that  becomes a blanket to warm a loved one.  There is beauty in a simple shawl that is knit with a variegated hand dyed yarn. The yarn brings the shawl to life, just as the spring will bring life to the skeletons of the bushes.  Appreciate the yarn in the hank, it is beautiful by itself, just like the winter landscape.  It will bloom as you knit it into a beautiful object.

Knitting centers you, it can be done any where and at almost any time. Some may look at you funny when you are knitting, but they don't know the peace and joy that comes with this simple act.

Knitting can only bring joy to the person it is done for.  We may wish we had never started a project, but it is funny how we keep on and complete it, finding that in the end it was worth it.  This is not to say there are not some things that need to be tinked, and this may in it self bring joy, knowing that the yarn will go to another project.

Knitting helps us get through not only the winter months, but those times of stress or hardship in our lives.

I simply ask that anyone who reads this will pray for my brother, Chip, the Leukemia has come back and he is back on Chemo.  Thank you

The Sun

The sun is farthest away from us in the winter time, which is why it is suppose to be so cold.  Global warming I hate you. I like the sun in the winter time. it lights our bare landscape with a brightness you don't find in Summer.  The sun coming through the  bay window is cheerful and begs me to come sit for a while and read.

The reflections and shadows of winter are lacy because of the bareness of the branches.  They remind me of so many of the shawls I knit and make me want to knit another lace shawl or finish one I have started.

This same sun is a Summer sun in the Southern Hemisphere which is enjoying the flowers and leaves, and balmy breezes of summer.  It 's reflections are different and call for a laziness rather than a warm comfort.

The sun's partner, the moon, also shines on a different landscape in the winter.  When it snows and we are lucky enough to have a full moon the reflection off the snow is breathtaking.  With the morning, the ice and snow covered branches reflect a startling and beautiful brilliance, not found at any other time of the year.  Summer may have its' rainbows, but I will take a sun filled winter day any time of the year.

Reflections On The Last Year

It has been a year of change. Catherine (our youngest) bought a house in Germantown, going to settlement on September 15.  She moved in December 10.  The house is beautiful now and all the hard work was worth it, the money kept flowing out, but that to was worth it.  We are now empty nesters.


Not only are we Empty Nesters, but Darby is retiring in 2 days.  I don't know how I feel about this. While having him home more may be  a good thing, having him at home more is also going to change my life, I don't know if I am ready for that change. I will still go to knitting on Wednesdays, that is set in stone, nothing changes that.  I am hoping that we will travel more and we do have a cruise booked that will probably take place in 2013.  We have also talked of taking a trip to Ireland, I hope he still wants that.  My husband can be a stick in the mud sometimes.  I want to travel, but getting him out may prove to be a challenge.


I have scheduled an appointment with my counselor for tomorrow, I think I need to talk some of this out.  Things have been stressful and taking peoples heads of is not in my best interest. 


Everyone we have talked to, who has retired says it is great.  Then again they are not married to my husband.  Don't get me wrong I love him, but!


My blog seems to be rather negative wouldn't you say, and I am not a negative person.  This coming year will be different and will mean changes for both of us.  I just ask for your prayers and hope that by the time I post again my attitude will have gotten better.

I wish everyone a Wonderful and Prosperous New Year!!!

I Want The Cool Weather Back

Not much to say, except we are still working on Catherine's house, it is becoming a little more expensive then we thought.  Every time you turn around there is another charge or thing that has to be paid for.  Welcome to Home ownership my dear.  I yearn for the fall colors and cool air all the time, not just at night.

Remember October is Breast Cancer awareness month, so remember to wear pink in support of all those with breast cancer.  We can beat this thing.

I just went to the Doctor's yesterday and was told that this ongoing back pain is because of my Fibromyalgia which is making everything worse. What has made the Fibro worse is the Accident 2 years ago,  I am still paying for that and it wasn't our fault.

This is fall to me, I want to be right there.

I may feel overwhelmed and tired, but I have to remember God is there with me all the time!!