I have a niece who loves to leave sand messages...what a sweetheart!
Here's how I was working on that airplane knitting...smart cookies who figured it out! Like the red hem?I just couldn't resist!
Mom, Dad and I spent a fair amount of time sitting outside the first week I got to Michigan. Here's Dad sporting his Yankee's hat prior to Melissa's arrival from Syracuse. I did mention to him when they wanted to take his driver's license picture for the state of Michigan, he shouldn't wear it. The DMV lady agreed. (no hats are allowed, but that was beside the point since he wasn't wearing his Tiger's hat!)
You want to make Dad happy? Give him cake. Here we were with their Mall walking group celebrating an 80th birthday and a 49th wedding anniversary. This group LOVES to make cakes to celebrate!
My niece and I went to see Mom's new Day care group one afternoon. She was really excited to have us there the day the 'guitar man' came for his last day for the summer season. He sings and plays songs many of the group remember from back then. Mom loves it when some of the group get up to dance. It was one of the things she told me about prior to my trip that she wanted me to see with her. I'm glad we went!
This trip wasn't all about Mom and Dad, I did take a few moments here and there to play catch up with a couple of friends I'd not see face to face in about 30 ish years. Here's Mary! The night we went to dinner, she became a Grandma for the first time! The last time I'd seen her, she'd just become a Mom herself...and now her 2nd 'baby' had her first! We laughed a lot. Not to mention we'd already had several phone calls before I hopped on the plane that cause a few tired days at work. Opps! I take that as a signal to visit and talk catch up more often than every 30 years.
Want to make Mom happy? It's ice cream all the way! Here we are with extra family meeting at Mama Lupo's in Bay City.
My Uncle with his Granddaughter and Great-Granddaughter(cousins!). Now I ask you, how can you pick a flavor? Well, you go several times!
Later that evening, Ashley and Christine and I met over at Vet's Park for the River Roar concert. Now, I ask you, does it make you feel old when the lead singer ends up sitting down to sing at a Rock Concert? I didn't feel so bad about sitting after wards.
Towards the later part of the concert when the girls had to head back home up north, I moved down onto the 'floor' to hang out with Jeff and Shawn-more cousins! The second band didn't sit for their sets. ;-)
One of the things I remember very clearly growing up was my visits to the Farmer's Market in town with Mom. She used to buy big old bushels of pickling cucumbers to make Bread and Butter Pickles. The Farmer's Market is down to just a handful of farmers coming into town, but I still love buying fruits and veggies in the summer that way. You just can't get it fresher than that!
My niece has recently switched from a vampire lover to a werewolf fan...and was sporting her 'like' shirt the night we went to more family's house for a Pampered Chef party. (which I forgot to take pictures of ...can you imagine that?)
Know what this is? One of the very first dishcloths that I'd knit up for Mom, probably 15-20 years ago. Now that's a testament to how long knitted dishcloths will last. And I'm not certain this one actually 'wore' out, I'm thinking it was caught on a knife. It wasn't in that shape when I left back in March. The only ones I've lost along the way, have been the ones that have met an untimely demise from an encounter with the garbage disposal. (never a good thing!)
More cousin encounters-Melissa arrived and Kristine stopped off and brought more ice cream back to Mom and Dads. Yep, we are an ice cream loving family!
Before they had some fun putting Mom to bed one evening. When my kids were little, Mom used to crawl into bed and sing the 'la la la' song-it was Brahms Lullaby without the words. So, now the tables were turned, and they were able to serenade her to sleep.
The day Melissa left, the huge tree was taken down next door. It was needed, a huge part of it had died and was hanging over the garage. It was only a matter of time prior to it coming down. Making it safer for those in the area, always a good thing.
Here's a couple of 'hot girls'. At 68-86% humidity? sheshhh...3 generations of really hot girls getting Melissa all packed and on her way.
She took with her the first part of the Christmas Lace Dishcloth and Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel set that she had me knit for her friend's wedding in a couple of days.
When my kids were little and we were able to go with my parents to the airport for their arrival and departures and sit at the gates, Mom always made sure they had a window seat. She found that if she used a tissue while waving in the windows we could see them from inside the terminal. Today, we try and still use the signal when leaving. Our timing was a little bit off when Melissa drove out-she had her tissue handy as well, but Mom's balance isn't so great these days...So, hello cell phones with a picture ability! I quickly snapped a picture and sent it to Melissa to see when she stopped for gas! (smart-eh?)
Airplane knitting for the beginning of the trip finished, had to wait for 'little' brother to come over for his modeling moment. First he was 'too cool' before we were both laughing. Nice fit? I'm hoping it will keep him warm next winter as he's out plowing out the schools in town at 2am before the kids have to go to school. It certainly was warm on that 98* day!
Next was Dad's 82nd Birthday. Corner pieces of cake with LOTS of frosting is a must for my Dad! check out the swirls this one had. My niece and I really liked it.
Here's Mom showing her crocheting. She's not picked up a hook in probably 12-15 years. Muscle Memory is true! Now, I have to brush up on crochet information, because I don't know enough to help with what she used to do all the time. But she was happy to sit with a lot of cotton working away as I was knitting up for Melissa's wedding gifts.
Here's another long lost friend-Janet. She and I used to spend a LOT of time together in Junior high school and freshman year of high school. I went over to her house one 'evening' to help her cut costumes that she's is costuming for a play opening this weekend, as a matter of fact. At 4:17 AM! We looked at the clocked and I thought hmmm....where did the time fly? Lots of good visiting in between her sewing and my cutting...again...not going to wait another 30 plus years between visits, I promise!
Here's the Christmas Lace Sack Sock and a couple of Tribbles all finished and ready to pop into the mail to meet up with the rest of the knitting I'd sent along with Melissa. Love that wine color.
And another angle of it in hanging form.
When Mom goes to her Day Care center (Golden Horizons) she loves to help with the dishes after lunch. I thought the fastest way to thank them for their care of Mom, was to start knitting up a couple of dishcloths. From the top left I used : Mom's Broken Rib Dishcloth, Take Two!, Puffy Basketweave Dishcloth, Christmas Lace Dishcloth, and NYD '05, Ver. 2 Dishcloth. All patterns are on my side bar (<----)
I have also finished another mushroom hat (#15) out of the left over cranberry Encore from my sweater.
Here are two pictures of my socks! YEA! They fit! the ones on, were taken at night when I had just finished, the next picture was outside the next day to see how the colors actually look. They're Zitron Trekking xxL sock yarn and Fiber trend's Railroad pattern. I love 'em. Look out sock yarn stash..now that I have the 'hand' figured out, you're days are numbered! No longer going to be just sitting there looking 'cute'! (actually, I want to make some yellow socks very soon for Mom)
Here's the first of some hotpads that I want to felt for me! Now, I"ll get the rest done (or at least a few) more knitted up before I send 'em off to the hot tub.
Ok, so I'm back...and have a better signal-let's see if I can post more often. (eh, it's a good plan).
