wonderful to wear :: memories

it's done, nadia shrug was started in april, and i did not expect it to take me sooooo long to finish this kind of small and easy project. though the pattern at the arms was a bit tricky to get started with. i had to undo a few times and count and count again as the number of stitches was crucial...
o well i got the first arm done a while back and then our trip to ireland with a few hours at night in any not super well light pub, while listening to great music, this was perfect. the knitting was simple just straight ahead knitting for a couple hours. wonderful and the colour of course seems so fitting for the country i was knitting in! i will have many good memories and even this practical one for the years to come...

thank you joel, for taking the camera and a moment of your precious time to take the pics

granny squares week 4

it has been a while since i posted the last time about this summers granny square project. first of all, i did notice, that it's not as easy to carry it with me (of course i new that, but was not really aware how much that would hinder me of working on this project all summer long...). so, here i'm back after a couple weeks off. i was sewing, though never felt like i could show anything more than the week before. that seems like a mistake now, as i search through my photos. well it happened and i will not undo my work just to take pics.
i added the white border fabric to the blocks and am right now in the process of sewing the blocks together.

of course all the blocks were on the floor for over 24hours, getting switched around, looked at and once more switched and changed over and over again. i ended up putting them together in a very different way, as i laid them out at first. though this is a process, a playtime i totally like and enjoy and everyone in the house has to put up with my blocks on the living room floor for an unknown few hours. it's over now, the sewing together is of this quilt top is in fast progress....

pebbles and friends in my life

what better to have than fresh fruit with ice creme on a very hot sunday afternoon!

dear friends came over after church and together we sat in the shade of our wonderful chestnut tree. it was hot and the kids could not be moved away from the pool... we didn't mind, how wonderful it was to hear and see them splash and enjoy the water and each other. this even left us grown ups to talk a bit more in depth. and how wonderful it is to share life and it's adventures. listen to the happenings and doings of our friends adventures and meet at crossroads again and again.
we laughed a lot, which is just at it's best when it is about one self

and then we started searching for the perfect pebble...
it sounds silly right now, though we have been playing that game in the past too. any many others in connection with our backyard pebbles. and as you can see, there have some precious one's been found and collections put together. lovely and just plain wonderful to be able to connect with ones surrounding totally and simply.

i love summer, i love life there is so much in it for all of us

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

at the science center

we  went to the science center in our city, it has taken me a long time to be convinced that i should go... though the older kids were there at least on time, for amos it must have been already a few times, and still he was so super excited to go today. i did love the entrance, the big plaza and it's wonderful fountain, of course you can do things with the fountain. there are four different kinds of wheels and levers and stuff happens, it even excited me!

we started on the ground level, and then at some point the kids dragged me to the wooden machines! o yes those big marbel track, wooden pieces of art to pull and push and pedal and lift and what ever else we could figure out to do was fun, so much fun to watch as well as to do. i have not seen such an exciting area in any science center or place for children or adults to really work and listen and loved all of it. for me these machines made by pierre andrès alone, were worth the trip, and yes i would totally go again!

we went to the cafeteria to get lunch, a treat not often enjoyed by us. usually we would bring a picnic along...
so here you have it, the littlest enjoyed a big plate of french fries and a berliner, of course ketchup was a must too. though as you witness the meal is served on very nice china and real utensils, as well as a wonderful fair trade espresso for the mama to top it.

ireland the 3rd

more ocean and of course a good swim for joel was to be enjoyed, i was knitting and loving the breeze from the sea. lot's of tide pools to be observed and barnacles to be looked at, sea weed and moss, washed out basins and o the beauty of the coast.

the lone priory of athassel, no one there  as it is inaccessible for the average tourist, though we crossed a knee deep river, climbed the bank and overcame all the brambles and nettles. not even the pasture with all it's grazing cows prevented us from a close look at the wonderful structures.

the  last stop on our vacation was to the rock of cashel. what an amazing place, high above the town, a cluster of buildings made of stone. many different years and architectural fashions, all through the years of 1101 until the 5th century.

it was a wonderful week of so much learning going on, what a rich country ireland is and there is so much of it still to see, right there out in the fields.

thank you my dear husband for taking me along to this adventure, a good time i had with you, my best friend.

ireland the 2nd

a bit homesick, as we spot the sign pointing toward boston... an other time i'm sure we will be heading across the atlantic. not this year, but the boys are pointing out, that we really need to go back and visit friends...

the tower house at dysert o'dea, well maintained and wonderful pastures with lots of ruins to discover. we packed a little picnic and enjoyed a walk, sitting down at a little brook. it turned out, that we were the only ones going on walks or hikes in this area, well we didn't mind.

the cliffs of moher at county clare.
a must destination for us, but even here, we decided to walk there and do the not touristy spots. it was perfect and absolutely worth it. those cliffs are just breath taking and standing up there alone, looking out into the see...

the evening in the pub, joel making music with one of his heroes. it just so happened and it was plain good to be there in doolin at o'connors

 

walking on the burren way, it was definitely not ireland at it's most typical weather. never the less a wonderful landscape, impressive rock formation and wonderful to walk out there almost only on our own.
spending a couple nights at the aille river hostel was very nice and super convenient.

a visit to the poulnabrone tomb, this was again in the evening when no tourists where there....
how amazing to be at a place where people have gathered 5 thousand years ago! a wonderful sunset and experiencing the landscape was the best, even after a 28km hike on the burren.
more tomorrow

ireland the 1st

we had a short flight to start our week long vacation, just joel and me, in ireland.
a bit of a whirlwind to get all kids to their camps or the grandparents house, but we did it and without much trouble, all of them where so happy with the place each of them was going to spend that week. we left the house in high spirits, as it has been a while since we took a lone vacation. a long dream come true, ireland with it's beautiful landscape, exciting music (to play along for joel) and delicious beer (and food too, we learned).
of course there was a project coming along with me.... this one, should have been done a while ago, but it will after the trip!

the first night in dublin. yup we found music and drink.

as ireland is presenting itself, wonderful summer weather. perfect landscape. we are loving the first stop, a top of a hill at the rock of dunamase.

the portumna castle and gardens. a wonderful place, especially the kitchen garden was nice to walk through. the castle itself is a work in progress, though very interesting to see how preservation of such a place is hard work.

we decided to not drive all day every day and so we did stick with the midlands, western ireland and lower shannon. this wonderful site is killmacduagh monastery. no other people visiting, just the cows grazing on their pasture. there are so many interesting sites in ireland, the land is dotted with ruins.

 

crosses are omnipresent in ireland, and we found a few of them, this one i particularly like. there is history all over and in each and every corner i looked. the vastness and and all the pit marshes still in use, a lot to learn and to see. those peat marshes helped the irish people to not get totally over run by all the different invaders, but they also kept them poor. the bogs are wonderful and i wonder still, how can we do more to keep those marshes alive. as well as the people to stay and be happy in the place they live and work. some work i'm sure is done by the conservation council.

{this moment}

the abbey in the middle of the cow pasture, in the midlands of ireland
by joel



A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

summer brake is here

with this summer brake has officially started for me. we went to naomi's exhibition of her class' paul klee interpretations. it was just wonderful to see how much her whole class was diving into the painters life. the kids did interpret the artists life conveying many facts and facets of his life and work. a wonderful evening, a big thank you to her teacher for three years mrs. e as well as to the whole class.

the guerillia knitting was a work of love by the whole school. all the kids, some parents and grandparents, teachers and friends were knitting this spring. what a big smile i get, seeing this tree in the middle of the school's recess area!

and now, there will be at least a one week miss. the kids head to different camps and joel and i visit ireland, just the two of us going away, the packing is almost done, the music will be joel's passion, i will pack some knitting needles and a few good books. and of course i'm certain to pack my rain jacket. we will be walking and hiking and hopefully finding some wonderful ruins and landscape to enjoy. i hope you too will be enjoying the summer with all it's beautiful moments and special attractions.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

pitting and cooking

 

an evening of pitting with amos, as joel went back to pick more cherries....

lots of fun, pitting with my son, the girls already in bed and sleeping after a long day of school, play and violin lesson and of course some good moments in the pool.

yes we did set up the pool in our garden and it's wonderful to come home and jump into a nice cool puddle (not me though, i have not been "swimming"). even quickly over lunch brake, amos could not be stopped. just one more day of school!

on the stove there was some sterilizing going on as well all "jaming" cherrie, cherrie/vanilla, cherrie/apple/orange, we will see what the consumer will like best...