Field Trip!

Last week I went on a field trip.  Everyone at the office was given a free day off anytime during July with the stipulation that we do something special.  Wasn't that nice!

My first couple of ideas didn't pan out and it is just as well that they did not because I ended up having such a wonderful time. 

I took myself downtown to The High Museum to see 35 masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Oh, my!  What a treat!  I bought a Dutch Lunch ticket which was admission + lunch and just wandered around leisurely.  I don't always do leisurely so this made it extra special.  I lingered over breakfast, casually drove down, and took my time at the exhibits. 

 

I loved seeing these large portraits, marriage portraits by Frans Hals depicting Jacob Olycan and his wife Aletta Hanemans.  Look at all that lace! Imagine being able to paint that.  Or being able to capture the black on black brocade of his jacket.  The details in these were absolutely amazing.

 



This is View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds (ca 1670-1675).  Again, amazing detail but from such a long distance.  I learned from this that the linen industry was important to the city's economy and the linen was laid out in the sun to bleach all around the edges of the city, a process that took several months.  I had been so intent on looking at the clouds and the church in the distance that I hadn't even noticed the linen until I read the notes.       

Such a wonderful trip.  I really should get out more often. : )

            

Oh, My! answers

True Blue Madli - pleasant vacation knitting

Here are the answers to the puzzle clues from the previous post:

1. oven mitt
2. Old Maid
3. Oscar Mayer
4. orange marmalade
5. outboard motor
6. open mind
7. Ozark Mountains
8. office manager
9. Ole Miss
10. original meaning
11. Orlando Magic

12. owner's manual
13. Outer Mongolia
14. oxygen mask

Oh, My! Car games

The Noah 'Bud' Ogle homestead - 1863

For all our years together, whenever JP and I take a car trip we usually play some sort of word game to pass the time. In the past it has often taken the form of designating some subject (ex: city names) and taking turns coming up with an example for the each letter of the alphabet in turn. Exciting times. [I'm making fun here, but we really do enjoy it.]

This trip we had a new game. The morning before we left JP heard most of the Sunday Puzzle radio program. Since he remembered (most of) the answers we played this one a bit differently with me trying to come up with the answers and him trying to recall the prompts. Ah, recall - the new game for Baby Boomers!

I thought you might like to play along, too, so I'm posting the clues here and in the next post I'll provide the answers.

Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase that starts with the initials "O-M."
ex: an expression of surprise = Oh, My!

Ready? Here goes.

1. protection for the hand while cooking
2. a card game played by children
3. a famous name in hot dog and luncheon meats
4. a fruity preserve spread on toast
5. it might propel a boat for water skiers
6. what you should maintain when considering a new idea
7. a chain of peaks in Arkansas and Missouri
8. supervisor for secretaries and administrative assistants
9. nickname for a Southern university whose mascot is the Rebel
10. what a conservative jurist might look to in the Constitution for help in deciding cases
11. NBA team for which Shaquille O'Neal first played

Since he was unable to recall all the clues, I came up with about three more answers not used by the program which had to satisfy us until we arrived and he could access the program on the laptop.

12. a booklet accompanying a product to explain details of use and care
13. a highland region bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south
14. something available to passengers on planes; it's use demonstrated by the flight attendants

cares will drop away

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn."
John Muir (1838-1914)

The Smoky Mountains get their name from the natural fog present in early morning and especially after rainfall which appears to the viewer as plumes of smoke. I tried to get pictures of it for you, but you know how it is - pictures never do nature justice.

I haven't ever read any of John Muir's writings, but I can completely agree with this quote. I believe I have stored up some freshness and peace from this trip and hope to make it last for many months to come.

I mentioned visiting a couple of yarn shops. In the olden days whenever I went out of town, I always pulled open the nightstand drawer and pulled out the phone book in order to look for needlework shops. Then I had to flip to the front to try to find some sort of map in order to try to find the place. The internet makes things so much easier. I can search out shops before I go and even get directions and make a few notes.

The first shop I visited was Smoky Mountain Spinnery. I can't really tell you too much about this place as I was there such a short time. The shop is very nice but small and JP was with me feeling much like a bull in a china shop. I don't think there was anything breakable, but he was exhibiting that trapped look. Well it is awfully difficult to shop in those circumstances, isn't it? As he had forgotten to bring along a book and as there was nothing else of interest to him nearby, we left too soon after arriving.

Later in the trip we drove to The Knitting Nest a shop owned by sock book author Antje Gillingham. I loved that there was a little detour sign outside seemingly pointing all to the yarn. I was alone to wander this shop and could pick up and put down every single skein if I wanted because JP was happily reading in the fabulous public library nearby.

Do you know I didn't buy yarn at either store!

We returned and I resumed knitting on the blue shawl, taking time out to get a good picture of it for you.

All of this visiting has given me, once again, a better appreciation for my humble LYS. I see it often enough and tend to take it for granted, but I realize that it really does have a very nice selection of yarns.

Vacation Knitting

We've been on vacation - not too long, and not too far away.

We were in the Smokies where we honeymooned a little over 34 years ago.

I love trees and I love the mountains. It has been a few years since we were up that way and it was nice to go back.
And, as a bonus, it was indeed cooler.






It rained a bit but not enough to dampen our spirits.

I did manage some progress on the True Blue Madli shawl in between long bouts of duck watching. Duck watching I found to be extremely relaxing.

The ducks weren't terribly interested in my progress. I guess they had other things on their mind.

I did visit a couple of yarn shops. I'll tell you more about them later.

I'm still in vacation mode and think I'll add a few more rows to the shawl. My mind is already thinking ahead to a different project.