In Progress

We started a few masterpieces this week.   One being a creative endeavour, and the other we will leave to nature (with a little sun and water).

Yesterday's public discussion on the Senate's report on poverty was eye-opening.  We all know that poverty is devastating to one's soul, and for that reason alone, we should want to eradicate it, but it's been proven with unrefutable stats that it costs taxpayers more to allow our fellow Canadians to live below the poverty level than it does to bring them in from the margins.   It is to all of our benefit to educate, house, feed, employ and nurture every single one of us.  Imagine a country where each person is productive and paying taxes.  It would be an economic dream.  It costs taxpayers $100,000 per homeless person per YEAR.  Imagine if we helped lift that person up out of poverty by meeting their needs - housing, food, schooling, health, and finding a meaningful, good paying job.  It would be a very good start indeed.

So now I have to figure what I'm going to do about it.  In the next few weeks, I'll be meeting with the volunteer coordinator at a homeless shelter for young single moms.  In addition to some focussed volunteering, I will continue to talk about it and spread awareness and educate.  We need to show that the public, us, wants the poverty issue to be the government's top priority.  I've also joined the London Homelessness Outreach Network which is a grassroots organization developed out of the passion of individuals to take action on homelessness in our city.   If you feel like joining me, I'd be happy for the company. 

Happy Thursday, friends!
N

Little House on the Conservation Area

I found my paradise in the form of a pioneer village.   We learned about printing presses, really tiny fonts, making ink from soot, carding and drafting wool, singing God Save the Queen, churning and molding butter, and living in a one-room homestead.  It was awesome.  We only saw half of the village, so I'm eager to return and visit the rest.  I'm packing a bag.  Wonder if it would get wi-fi.  Hmmm. 

N

PS. The littlest and I are reading The Little House on the Prairie every night before bed, and I'm amazed that I've made it this far in life without reading this series.  We've just finished chapter 9 in which Pa has built a fireplace for their new house on the prairie.  I was super relieved last night/chapter 8 when Laura helped Pa build a door to replace the ol' quilt that hung over the doorway.  I barely slept a wink after chapter 7 in which a giant pack of 50 or so of the biggest wolves that Pa had ever seen surrounded the house howling at the moon.  I honestly don't think that Pa and his gun and Jack the scruffy dog would have been a match had the wolves stormed the quilt-covered opening to the house.  Evidently I am quite consumed by this book.  I'm going to freak out when they have to move house again.  Just saying.

Meet Yo Yo. Yo Yo, Say Hi.

Sorry about the silence.  I haven't taken a picture in seven days!   I'm back.  This is Yo Yo.  He was a gift for the Bee's eighth birthday.  Yo Yo is still kind of leery about us.  He plasters himself up against the side of the bowl when we come near.  He seems to remember the blue fishnet really well when I need to clean the bowl.  He's very slippery and can evade the net for hours until I give up.  I never completely give up 'cause the bowl needs to be cleaned.  It usually takes a few tries.  It's been very trying.  We never had this issue with Tartar Charlie.  Tartar Charlie was most cooperative when it came to cleaning the bowl.  Who knew fish had such personality? Oh Yo Yo.

As for some things I've been working on, I have another pair of stripey socks nearly complete, I've whipped up three of these bracelets out of an old tee that was destined for the goodwill pile, and I only have two months left to finish my EZ project which has stalled with a fairisle vest.  I need to step it up!  I'm going to need to focus, priortize, organize, plan, coordinate, gather up my resources, implement, do, make, go, knit, sew, cut, thread, run, bake, cook, clean, lead, drive, play, create, eat, drink, be merry.  All of that.  Beginning now.

N

Thanksgiving

Yesterday while the turkey cooked all afternoon, we went for a long hike in the woods as we do every year.  Despite being a third into October, the sun was shining, and it was quite hot.  I wish I had worn a light cotton skirt and a t-shirt instead of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.  Thankfully I left the sweaters in the car! :)  And today is just as warm again.  The littlest had to run back home from the park to put her shorts on.  It's all so lovely!  The colours of the leaves, the leaves sprinkling the ground, the smell of turkey leftovers, sipping on cinnamon spice tea, and knitting in the sun.  The girls are out playing with their friends.  The house is so quiet.  It's making me a bit sleepy.

 It's been a while since I've posted any finished knitting!  Last week I did finish another Meret beret for a gift, and I am only a handful of rows away from finishing a third Mara shawl.  These are two excellent patterns that I am destined to repeat knit.  After some thought, I realized that I do have some stand-by projects to which I keep coming back.  I'm thinking the clapotis, anything Elizabeth Zimmermann, the purl bee cowl,  the mittens from Knitting Pretty . . . 

Here's a few freebies on my to-do list:

• a Very Braidy Cowl
• Pebble Vest
• Lacy Shell Cowl
• Simple Yet Effective Shawl

So much gift knitting to do!

Here's to another week.  Cheers!
N

Pictures of a Picture

I can't believe the amount of work that went into this picture.  When I saw it at the bottom of a Goodwill heap, there was no question in my mind that it was meant to be mine.  I love those little golden knots and every single whipstitch on this loosely woven canvas.   Unfortunately it isn't framed, but I can fix that, or maybe I'll just tighten it up on a new board as it's gotten a little saggy.  I was picturing it hung up in my craft nook, but visitors would have to descend into the basement to admire it.  :)  And I think this sort of stuff needs to be oohed and ah-ed tout le temps.  Perhaps I will incorporate it into my autumnal decorating of the mantle.  I confessed to friends over the weekend that I had a whole dresser drawer full of branches, pods and pinecones from last year, so I'm pretty much all set.  I hope that came off as normal behaviour.

N

Doors Open

How can moths - our archnemeses - be so pretty?  The Canadian Agricultural Research Centre was very educational, and it took all afternoon to tour it.  I was astounded by all the work that is being done to control infestations, soil amendments and genetic weaknesses.  For a moment, I imagined being a scientist hunched over a microscope dressed in a white lab coat and scribbling notes on a chart.  It was quite spectacular.

The next day we took in the Museum of Archaeology, and we got to see a real pow wow! 

I totally would have danced had I not been lugging around a heavy soapstone carving kit and a bajillion flyers and my camera.  I was the juggling act! :)

Really.

N

Labour Day at the Lake

She wrote with feathers in the sand.  Mostly her name and initials all over the beach.  Kat and I set up some chairs and knit the best we could with the wind whipping about us.  It was the perfect way to spend the last day of summer.  School starts up again tomorrow.  Have I ever mentioned my dislike for packing lunches?   Oh well, I'll always have Saturdays and Sundays.

It looks like she has feathers up her noodle.  By the way, I was silently screaming inside my head about how dirty those feathers were, but the doodle is still alive and well.

I can not believe how anxious I am about the oldest heading to high school tomorrow.  That's super big.  I have to stop thinking about it.  It's making me old, grey and wrinkled.

N

Promise Kept

The Bumblebee was as sad as she can be (which isn't very sad at all) when her end-of-year school trip was cancelled in June.  I pinky-swore that I would set aside one day this summer to take her myself.   She didn't let me forget for a moment!   So with the summer coming to an end, I took a day off work, and we spent the day at one of her favourite places.  We packed a picnic and her swimming suit, and she ran around excitedly for five hours.  Then we came home and flopped down and rested a bit.  Good times.

I love that she held on to Humpty Dumpty's hand.   It did occur to me while I followed her around and snapped pictures, that this little one is growing quickly, and sooner than I'd like to think about it, it will be me dragging her along rather than her dragging me along on adventures.  Oh dear.  That broke my heart a little.  I'd like her to stay this age forever.  Her birthday is a week away.  Maybe she'll forget.

N

Straw Flower Love

A $2.50 bouquet of straw flowers from the market is happiness.

N

Lavender Blue Farm

I found myself with four kids on the weekend, and so we went on a little adventure to the nearby lavender farm.  It was a bit drizzle-y and overcast - perfect for taking pictures and smelling lavender.

I bought a bag of dried lavender to sew sachets for my wool stashes and a vial of lavender essential oil to make my own linen spray.   I could have fallen asleep right in that field - except four kids will keep you alert.  Just saying.

N

Local Community Initiatives

I've not always been a huge fan of living in London.  It took me a long time to call it home.  I moved here sixteen years ago from a small town less than an hour away.  It was a bit exciting and new at the time to live in a big city, but over time, it became clear that there weren't many reasons to stay here.  If I had a nickel for every person who has moved away, I'd have a mountain of nickels! (I'm looking at you, Mr. & Mrs. T!)  And then along came the internets to the rescue!    I've found that my most successful method of finding out all the cool stuff happening in my community is via twitter.  I'm not a very active twitter user - meaning I don't have much to add, but I have gotten so much out of it.   Here are a few projects that I've stumbled upon while stalking local tweets:

ecoLIVINGLondon is a new website that developed out of the London chapter of GreenDrinks, a monthly gathering of people concerned about the environment.  I plan on using this site for tips and ideas for green living as well as identifying local businesses that are offering green products and services.  The event listing alone is reason to keep this site on your radar.

Another really cool initiative is the idea of a Parking Day.  Know what that is?  I didn't, but now I do, and you should too.  It's super cool.  I'm not surprised because Kevin Van Lierop is always thinking and DOING up really cool stuff.   This guy needs to run for City Council some day - this was suggested on twitter, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.  It's true.  If London is an awesome place to live, it will be a direct result of what he's started.

Most recently I attended the first Ignite London event, and it was ten kinds of awesome.  You can watch the presentations on youtube here.  Registration for the next Ignite London on October 12 opened a few days ago, and it is beyond full, and it's still two months away.  Regardless registration is still open, so if you're reading this, for the love of Todd, go register now.  It's FREE!   And I almost won a pitcher of beer for building the highest spaghetti noodle structure to hold up a marshmallow.  What do you do on Tuesday nights?

As for knitting?  I've finished two EZ snail hats, and I've cast on for a third.  I'm addicted.   Pictures to come!

Happy Winds-day, my friends!

N

Pretty Peninsula

The Bumblebee's stripey socks are so worn out that she has holes in the toes.  So the EZ project was paused once again for a new pair of stripey socks.  I started the socks on the first day at the cottage, and I finished them the first day back at home.  They've been met with approval.  Sweet!

It's back to work tomorrow and some much needed soccer practice! 

N

Reflections of Tobermory

We're back!  Did you miss me?  :)  I missed this space, but I was kept busy with hiking, swimming, biking, kayaking, board games, reading, knitting, picture-taking, lots of ping pong, and the sort.   I see have a lot to catch up on around here - lots of blog reading, catching up on one or two tv shows, and the house is a disaster amidst all the unpacking.  There are at least eight full loads of laundry sitting rather unpatiently in front of the washer.  I am dreading opening the day planner as I do every time I step away for a holiday.  And baking!  Oh how I've missed baking!   I'll be doing some of that this weekend.  Bread, muffins, and maybe some cookies.  And I need to hit a fruit and veggie stand ASAP.   Mmm-mmm-mm . . . 

N 

Slide Bump is Only the Best Game on the Playground

Followed the Bumblebee to the park after dinner, and I knit a handful of repeats on the lacy baktus, and when I got home, I switched up my knitting gears and started on a pair of EZ's Norwegian Mittens using some leftover Briggs & Little from J's Cobblestone and some leftover cream merino wool from my most recent sweater.  This shall be my May project.   Who says rowlets???   EZ, of course.  Ooh, and the lilacs in my backyard are in bloom, and the sweet fragrance makes me want to dance in circles.   If only I was not crippled from Friday night's soccer practice!   I'm hoping to recover in time for tomorrow night's practice, but the enormous bowls of raspberry bugaboo ice cream are not helping at all.   Oh dear.

N

Forsythia

I brought some forsythia branches inside to enjoy.   Serious love.

Happy Friday!
N