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Monday, July 22, 2013

I LoVermont

Just back from two weeks in Vermont, and I will try not to make this an Ode to Vermont but it's going to be hard.  I mean THIS is where I swam everyday:





And there was no phone, no TV, and no cooking, since I'm not the cook in this family anyway.  I'm just the baker -  a smart division of labor on my part, since the Baker only shows up every few weeks, and then only if she feels like it, and never in an un-stocked rental kitchen.

Before I left I got a little start on J's travel quilt.  It's going to be nine squares in all, based on the lyrics of an old Patsy Cline song.  But I'll get to that in some future post.  Here's the start of the first square, which is supposed to be "See the pyramids along the Nile." Loving my dude on the camel right now.



With no room in the car for sewing supplies, I figured I'd revert to knitting.  This was my thing before quilting, and much like with quilting I started off ambitious with "I'm going to knit a Christmas stocking for each of my nieces and nephews."  And I did the first four, but now I've got a three-year-old niece who knows nothing but a "place holder" stocking; a hand-me-down from her cat, originally procured at the dollar store.  So I kind of need to get on that. It's going to match her brother's, but it'll be red, and have her own name.  This is his:


Anyway, I cast on.  Half of the first row.  For you non-knitters, that's like saying you're going to make cookies and then wondering if you have flour before calling it a day.  Knitting just feels like a winter sport, and I was too busy teaching J how to eat raspberries:


and how to brush bunnies:


And how to kind of swim:


And I got distracted with this, I forgot how much I love puzzles:


And learning the true use of copper bowls (fudge making, who knew?):


And reading this:


Which I highly recommend.  It's the first non-YA book I've finished in a long time, and I just loved it.

But now we are back, and the only lake on this back patio is a dirty, pink wading pool.  There is, however, a new tart pan in this kitchen.  I should really go check on the flour situation.