tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12781399982737509632024-03-14T01:48:39.355-07:00Thoughts and ThimblesAssorted reflections and creative impulses from a lover of pens and needles~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.comBlogger832125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-89096424095027826542023-12-01T12:29:00.000-08:002023-12-01T23:04:31.125-08:00A Northeaster: Part 3<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent our last day in New England at Plimoth Plantation, another site I'd visited as a child and wanted to share with my own children. It was so strange to think that it had been almost three decades since my last visit! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our tour began aboard the <i>Mayflower, </i>which was meticulously recreated in England in the 1960's. While it does differ from the original in some ways (partly due to lack of precise records, and partly to make it easier to tour), it gives you a sense of what the journey must have been like. As beautiful as she is, I can't imagine spending many weeks aboard for a trans-Atlantic voyage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJm4dUa_Bb0lT8Ia62PrtVKK31xxd9BG7doC6-C-BX7D6U2SiH-p-BKag6wj5NqYaTHuf-Ti9e87FRxKwJ58J5Z7EtoNc6ymyjpRPzYz0UovQ3q8rxsdadYREuE2BNAHU6EYrfojMnoevDLNqFMU98Ox6ROcgvo_aoPFXd1PtYS13X22eCTYpeQCzFuVz/s4000/20230831_120110.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJm4dUa_Bb0lT8Ia62PrtVKK31xxd9BG7doC6-C-BX7D6U2SiH-p-BKag6wj5NqYaTHuf-Ti9e87FRxKwJ58J5Z7EtoNc6ymyjpRPzYz0UovQ3q8rxsdadYREuE2BNAHU6EYrfojMnoevDLNqFMU98Ox6ROcgvo_aoPFXd1PtYS13X22eCTYpeQCzFuVz/w360-h640/20230831_120110.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVmwDAYZHQa74EiiArMLREnla2eguPVDx3qXU2vsPPLFZjIuuVeuSlysrTRCAso2XTof06ksrQWY1nMnE2bITgyLOy_7uhKWVDvBkj3UBRRxt57D5VgAO1FM0TAHc3_-t_VH2JV4shymec23OnGiDiLqz4RGfo5n_aH8xUB4hPNNizpv4NIplhpGa7sE7/s3696/20230831_121618.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3696" data-original-width="2081" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVmwDAYZHQa74EiiArMLREnla2eguPVDx3qXU2vsPPLFZjIuuVeuSlysrTRCAso2XTof06ksrQWY1nMnE2bITgyLOy_7uhKWVDvBkj3UBRRxt57D5VgAO1FM0TAHc3_-t_VH2JV4shymec23OnGiDiLqz4RGfo5n_aH8xUB4hPNNizpv4NIplhpGa7sE7/w360-h640/20230831_121618.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>William Bradford</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiRtr-YohoEU-U_G1hzmrl78ssqbeXvWIUnBYcoQq52EkdTmvt2shjY-3xTUr1UEwCkBHHZ2y9TO6S1unEU5vy-yOfc-n_1aXehTAMu0AbvmW3L0kDu_BKL0USZNkJF6WHYvDqB37wekrX9OZdTUZesrNZwPpFVDL22LrlVth-6YPibuKcdoQarj1Dh6O/s3457/20230831_121107.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3457" data-original-width="2033" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiRtr-YohoEU-U_G1hzmrl78ssqbeXvWIUnBYcoQq52EkdTmvt2shjY-3xTUr1UEwCkBHHZ2y9TO6S1unEU5vy-yOfc-n_1aXehTAMu0AbvmW3L0kDu_BKL0USZNkJF6WHYvDqB37wekrX9OZdTUZesrNZwPpFVDL22LrlVth-6YPibuKcdoQarj1Dh6O/w376-h640/20230831_121107.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AypcFkDNrB3PuZsbYjlOsw9HAvFJWjWkprgBrzlT1VruQrsGHl0JdTM8xjJj2WBNt7cKeK0hyCYLp3T5PJjmi2Z1zRZ9Kpk6fqDBlg_kQN4DroIMH19S1Qx1aVyUDofll7Lw5zyVF_ye08aaiZBJtn-uCM1UBzANO4jB08cZ-tBN-qv8SQtcLRRo3cBS/s4000/20230831_120520.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AypcFkDNrB3PuZsbYjlOsw9HAvFJWjWkprgBrzlT1VruQrsGHl0JdTM8xjJj2WBNt7cKeK0hyCYLp3T5PJjmi2Z1zRZ9Kpk6fqDBlg_kQN4DroIMH19S1Qx1aVyUDofll7Lw5zyVF_ye08aaiZBJtn-uCM1UBzANO4jB08cZ-tBN-qv8SQtcLRRo3cBS/w360-h640/20230831_120520.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I managed to decipher this for my children, only<br />to turn around and find it neatly printed<br />on a sign behind me!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZ5TBypFToBYoQMyvmN7La67Casg4kXpyfPQKDCETOu0FMeLEWvKro-SSbWg6qVcwWbFecvrcmR2aeOizTUhsUzkYQYchmHoCtxavbUoTEnGJKPj4wgAXx-nJPqzNSinfpBMPfQFZJr_nVa0cbtCMO43aziRVTSHmntYPkkjX6q2Oj_c6KBmc6fT-fp64/s3333/20230831_120442.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3333" data-original-width="1876" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZ5TBypFToBYoQMyvmN7La67Casg4kXpyfPQKDCETOu0FMeLEWvKro-SSbWg6qVcwWbFecvrcmR2aeOizTUhsUzkYQYchmHoCtxavbUoTEnGJKPj4wgAXx-nJPqzNSinfpBMPfQFZJr_nVa0cbtCMO43aziRVTSHmntYPkkjX6q2Oj_c6KBmc6fT-fp64/w360-h640/20230831_120442.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Jqhr5A259gsydR6pfz-fCLN6ESm__lc57TRtfCkqBfv9D3ugksyG-DTId7fEyhwYk0M_E1JVenQaDXAxXM1nW4_dUA0bdqU7UP33sNycZIx0BjFV5FVn9GSaTHf_WrsapTya5skFLp5tHMuaO0GpTIKiTidmLT2QdxF4TDUk_fYLrcBVDbLNqFbaY5Hv/s4000/20230831_120439.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Jqhr5A259gsydR6pfz-fCLN6ESm__lc57TRtfCkqBfv9D3ugksyG-DTId7fEyhwYk0M_E1JVenQaDXAxXM1nW4_dUA0bdqU7UP33sNycZIx0BjFV5FVn9GSaTHf_WrsapTya5skFLp5tHMuaO0GpTIKiTidmLT2QdxF4TDUk_fYLrcBVDbLNqFbaY5Hv/w360-h640/20230831_120439.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3nN_m_pEn07WaS4kW1tpXQNMFlzdSYvIFR4ZXwjR2w5FZ_TRaOwNesgtZjwBSTcBYiqt8eub_Z9N0m3iDPSoHU_O6gBV_GtvvQynWC8gNWY7JWORVOQBQzQqX5P_LvhZQhtFKx_mbfQkeuGMs6TRxl186FsM0wxDw4ORHerWUloq6cY0dy00MAZHns31/s4000/20230831_120223.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3nN_m_pEn07WaS4kW1tpXQNMFlzdSYvIFR4ZXwjR2w5FZ_TRaOwNesgtZjwBSTcBYiqt8eub_Z9N0m3iDPSoHU_O6gBV_GtvvQynWC8gNWY7JWORVOQBQzQqX5P_LvhZQhtFKx_mbfQkeuGMs6TRxl186FsM0wxDw4ORHerWUloq6cY0dy00MAZHns31/w360-h640/20230831_120223.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is a clever way of recording how far and in which<br />direction the ship has traveled</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuTWyVuf0hRduH_z3oUH33coub5SPIYeqHxO9GjxkEdD1Z3PP7ncp6wbnfHFeTvUleEdnrF3-dZUNMsv-uGfr2Oy2kgNuLNjSrGFUd_MtJMeKxw4NkWdkBSw7Q3F0rrq3JI84-LZsrahEEEuxUg-TNbdBbk4CzTQajA5AUvI2KyJiowNpOcVs0LWxNDpI/s4000/20230831_120147.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuTWyVuf0hRduH_z3oUH33coub5SPIYeqHxO9GjxkEdD1Z3PP7ncp6wbnfHFeTvUleEdnrF3-dZUNMsv-uGfr2Oy2kgNuLNjSrGFUd_MtJMeKxw4NkWdkBSw7Q3F0rrq3JI84-LZsrahEEEuxUg-TNbdBbk4CzTQajA5AUvI2KyJiowNpOcVs0LWxNDpI/w360-h640/20230831_120147.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvq7Bawa6bbT1c7ZVDdR0lvLjzPerIQCS-rlk2ZxMZtYWoXkSRXiyWecbanBFwE5EXiXrKS81PaGREFtLqKLHWZwTSksK19sztCWzsjllr_dXdMzyAppHcbXs9D5AxD065XpZOIfvAukhSUSwOVtSqSiSHhJlbRSYJQ00aKk4qfbbYkCcx2wUn4sR5FDa7/s4000/20230831_112818.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvq7Bawa6bbT1c7ZVDdR0lvLjzPerIQCS-rlk2ZxMZtYWoXkSRXiyWecbanBFwE5EXiXrKS81PaGREFtLqKLHWZwTSksK19sztCWzsjllr_dXdMzyAppHcbXs9D5AxD065XpZOIfvAukhSUSwOVtSqSiSHhJlbRSYJQ00aKk4qfbbYkCcx2wUn4sR5FDa7/w360-h640/20230831_112818.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MetC1j8FJVr1HRYKvCNkHcMmi9cNnGkIkv0T46OMMNOjyhQa5bIoz_9m0iiz5EG_FXV7DVTRr3wzazQ38Ii9CjkiZNlU0z3ouAAQN4vlgNWHK4gHEXoQBuFvBwgG7s0q4s1F8zNhWmOROiNaRFun4_fix14my3y6trB51LyTf9qK-0IEzlRvzG1rwlmV/s4000/20230831_112509.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MetC1j8FJVr1HRYKvCNkHcMmi9cNnGkIkv0T46OMMNOjyhQa5bIoz_9m0iiz5EG_FXV7DVTRr3wzazQ38Ii9CjkiZNlU0z3ouAAQN4vlgNWHK4gHEXoQBuFvBwgG7s0q4s1F8zNhWmOROiNaRFun4_fix14my3y6trB51LyTf9qK-0IEzlRvzG1rwlmV/w360-h640/20230831_112509.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtl-fNvRwAUIF9kUApLpdCCCYNwarGc4pQY7IXL7ktlswgVS7DYiNmCbSp-o_eBnfQuPFft0r1ImGvatFQAOWKj_6KxfeMyL4o4O4ATWfpsPXRg6DHGa3tXEO9meVKHvyOhTGs5LG8jN3pcqHcJp5mPSvhrjfp8bUDmsSylwXycjvuwTNayYlw7PSNj3bA/s4000/20230831_112430.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtl-fNvRwAUIF9kUApLpdCCCYNwarGc4pQY7IXL7ktlswgVS7DYiNmCbSp-o_eBnfQuPFft0r1ImGvatFQAOWKj_6KxfeMyL4o4O4ATWfpsPXRg6DHGa3tXEO9meVKHvyOhTGs5LG8jN3pcqHcJp5mPSvhrjfp8bUDmsSylwXycjvuwTNayYlw7PSNj3bA/w360-h640/20230831_112430.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXtDYoW7AG8AraKR5nqdg-YXRiusXv1a19E0-NgnjZXeoxMqcyenjiu19vta-y4y25_j-X0ghwHQSg2HJOIIgGe_H5zVvPz60KmNlSmWzI-wZ8_1S7g2FM0zbeNCm1ePABFG15CWRmlFdjtP8zWBlZGdQ6TU3L49yMU4UG7SMIPTJH3NCH8WQUGH7hI5l/s4000/20230831_110651.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXtDYoW7AG8AraKR5nqdg-YXRiusXv1a19E0-NgnjZXeoxMqcyenjiu19vta-y4y25_j-X0ghwHQSg2HJOIIgGe_H5zVvPz60KmNlSmWzI-wZ8_1S7g2FM0zbeNCm1ePABFG15CWRmlFdjtP8zWBlZGdQ6TU3L49yMU4UG7SMIPTJH3NCH8WQUGH7hI5l/w640-h360/20230831_110651.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful Plymouth harbor -- I love coastal New England</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our "sea voyage," we stopped at the nearby Grist Mill, a working replica of a mill built early in Plymouth's history. We learned a great deal about the importance of the mill and the milling process, thanks to the knowledgeable guides. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNYaDpjXUhEIA9xAOmgkV2U8W-9Kaid9lR4wLH41wly_fuHnEXwxsd0fZCfk7wlcBmy87-lzjPrXtx5h2S4AYAleowvEkJrxZ-o97dOB_I59Izbff2A74LC6WR2SEjh7ngVO-IYhTQcKoj4DuxcSd0QO0NWaYj461xfgtQnv4gDkD-pHw0TITEBXxvdYe/s4000/20230831_134528(0).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNYaDpjXUhEIA9xAOmgkV2U8W-9Kaid9lR4wLH41wly_fuHnEXwxsd0fZCfk7wlcBmy87-lzjPrXtx5h2S4AYAleowvEkJrxZ-o97dOB_I59Izbff2A74LC6WR2SEjh7ngVO-IYhTQcKoj4DuxcSd0QO0NWaYj461xfgtQnv4gDkD-pHw0TITEBXxvdYe/w360-h640/20230831_134528(0).jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdCk0BOZVnBe49DdHNYmKEHxjItH72euuxpFjaQqYLdjDVatY8MlMZt3qcZyLdNBZPhNnQqr0pLhZ6xl0hisOvcrXaHoFQENAbsHk_oZb00s8NgFHXwJfyJzZk831PAl-jYIBg94Mc7Ef8COgRQjl0Wwk-vh9B8UqSZeJKbPzPadyfOzQI_HbhK8By9TM/s4000/20230831_133756.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdCk0BOZVnBe49DdHNYmKEHxjItH72euuxpFjaQqYLdjDVatY8MlMZt3qcZyLdNBZPhNnQqr0pLhZ6xl0hisOvcrXaHoFQENAbsHk_oZb00s8NgFHXwJfyJzZk831PAl-jYIBg94Mc7Ef8COgRQjl0Wwk-vh9B8UqSZeJKbPzPadyfOzQI_HbhK8By9TM/w360-h640/20230831_133756.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVFFT3ws9PkWUIVM90vEb-ZfqvsJfFJSssagvtRkNcBNutAaAjWIAKII1YQxFw0UhyqDGq9oTCLOq8PrRV65wp2gWjMfIt6QFxOQa_sjgsUgZ0xSJZVuIyE3ofnPEU39zOL8cCXd0FKwavF6dgjoJB_ci6-v51go41hu8cwiqEZaa189HW6Btieef4Mom/s4000/20230831_133400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVFFT3ws9PkWUIVM90vEb-ZfqvsJfFJSssagvtRkNcBNutAaAjWIAKII1YQxFw0UhyqDGq9oTCLOq8PrRV65wp2gWjMfIt6QFxOQa_sjgsUgZ0xSJZVuIyE3ofnPEU39zOL8cCXd0FKwavF6dgjoJB_ci6-v51go41hu8cwiqEZaa189HW6Btieef4Mom/w360-h640/20230831_133400.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQdiJn_Ax1754W0xO_ZRQA8XtsNhWsBxTnGehJxWlifFpSzLEs5HKqEbCatfrgEX6evgbUOuSzbzEUUyjLj6iIDnjmV-ZlmZrUbeOTw67CjK4N7c_9_BprhNG-RUODnttsAkk_6j6DxRJ9TK06CigikZZWDmT00TPYwNc9dTeqewfr8RzD7igBU9TEz-2/s4000/20230831_131421.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQdiJn_Ax1754W0xO_ZRQA8XtsNhWsBxTnGehJxWlifFpSzLEs5HKqEbCatfrgEX6evgbUOuSzbzEUUyjLj6iIDnjmV-ZlmZrUbeOTw67CjK4N7c_9_BprhNG-RUODnttsAkk_6j6DxRJ9TK06CigikZZWDmT00TPYwNc9dTeqewfr8RzD7igBU9TEz-2/w360-h640/20230831_131421.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a glorious walk through the woods, we came upon the Native settlement. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayJAhTStCohIRcXAZSKqLQ8mJLjwKRjRp9KeuL_NrrpRgnYt3HiO0NBI9b-EikSZb-suSV8DoHiideYCMfrrb6wVRAh-4WpmM5sfNtik6r2WPe7-x1xsv_e53w4777k2xHQ97a0wtpNswDxaWusa-Ff_wULvcm3Ta7c18cgkh2XAInR9wXRQW0vSDJIor/s3587/20230831_143336.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3587" data-original-width="2020" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayJAhTStCohIRcXAZSKqLQ8mJLjwKRjRp9KeuL_NrrpRgnYt3HiO0NBI9b-EikSZb-suSV8DoHiideYCMfrrb6wVRAh-4WpmM5sfNtik6r2WPe7-x1xsv_e53w4777k2xHQ97a0wtpNswDxaWusa-Ff_wULvcm3Ta7c18cgkh2XAInR9wXRQW0vSDJIor/w360-h640/20230831_143336.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This stew smelled so very good! Deliciously fragrant.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUT3obG5Ks2js21BFJEnzo58ZAUBZLkKUaxI3NFes64-M1HkcWqYuNKrCEzR_c3nVk0P8fE7QGqUf8GQnpjIX8t2fxIfHMcYOrHXrcZ7d1en1p3h9QR00G86v1I_lTQphYEHlNwF6HwxwUgBWUA97NUTyWG196jyyEIzz5BaldoQsfEHRO2U1rG5tCzCl/s4000/20230831_143430.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUT3obG5Ks2js21BFJEnzo58ZAUBZLkKUaxI3NFes64-M1HkcWqYuNKrCEzR_c3nVk0P8fE7QGqUf8GQnpjIX8t2fxIfHMcYOrHXrcZ7d1en1p3h9QR00G86v1I_lTQphYEHlNwF6HwxwUgBWUA97NUTyWG196jyyEIzz5BaldoQsfEHRO2U1rG5tCzCl/w360-h640/20230831_143430.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgsJoamaZhT9brUZ-P3giKwv6h1P5bedHrpFRIDBYb80TyrGplUAKeEgOpOdlnZ4nD7suvwXWEl0vsfCwT0pRtuzZGkzX9WDPtl0Twi_88SjaOAWUrpqOBRN9xQshmcv-ZD01n0CDy67QoIsat7Cp6KidMy6m2OV2A-aCni1HM0gwoqwyDZOXL4tz8BwU/s4000/20230831_143057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgsJoamaZhT9brUZ-P3giKwv6h1P5bedHrpFRIDBYb80TyrGplUAKeEgOpOdlnZ4nD7suvwXWEl0vsfCwT0pRtuzZGkzX9WDPtl0Twi_88SjaOAWUrpqOBRN9xQshmcv-ZD01n0CDy67QoIsat7Cp6KidMy6m2OV2A-aCni1HM0gwoqwyDZOXL4tz8BwU/w360-h640/20230831_143057.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFs4LDgfY9Da4J4eZ5gi3O3mlChs3n_Ia0Jda7DXQGQ6Zp_dQX-2GuLo1cI09oYUwx-gDZ4fuxP3f6GM8UmI4lfWCShFqYvXk1ZqQswlWcKlxYUaIiFn2dl6rbHHchvLPVHDknU1CsLqjW5jhSDevsgF6qNQuQaF_4wPf4gj4PPnwNY_DhkJKxNkpexL31/s4000/20230831_142551.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFs4LDgfY9Da4J4eZ5gi3O3mlChs3n_Ia0Jda7DXQGQ6Zp_dQX-2GuLo1cI09oYUwx-gDZ4fuxP3f6GM8UmI4lfWCShFqYvXk1ZqQswlWcKlxYUaIiFn2dl6rbHHchvLPVHDknU1CsLqjW5jhSDevsgF6qNQuQaF_4wPf4gj4PPnwNY_DhkJKxNkpexL31/w360-h640/20230831_142551.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKKMcQnOG-VtUvS9t30ampAFT7UFoNErZKE6Ni3CB4Mutbx0TCP42g5YgIvnnmWTXMJ9EEx-cWyoMKl1KqaO4zEXemuIG-_IIpzHDFfQi7duj5sRyvAL0vynHe6rLvWqWpE-xqCOrpUaUabwLqlMVxel3-z5VLelf7QZEEmfNBhJffetO_5017rnRgstC/s4000/20230831_142437.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKKMcQnOG-VtUvS9t30ampAFT7UFoNErZKE6Ni3CB4Mutbx0TCP42g5YgIvnnmWTXMJ9EEx-cWyoMKl1KqaO4zEXemuIG-_IIpzHDFfQi7duj5sRyvAL0vynHe6rLvWqWpE-xqCOrpUaUabwLqlMVxel3-z5VLelf7QZEEmfNBhJffetO_5017rnRgstC/w360-h640/20230831_142437.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the guides explained the process used to burn<br />out these log boats</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HzYuVO6NY_vDSkiXr6x-aYp_tdDon9mZxxH5rIP7-Vc5SPTgEFisaLXrrOF3x5CF6hrzne8GkRvW-KPuJOvxy9oaQ0o3wIfLKef8zHagNZ6AH-mWPw_-4Z8oPDZNwR8bMZKZUmZdVH8IXLvUbX4e_o4YFDtiNrJrF4DSCUePy72VnQwSRqBC8KZrqIvs/s4000/20230831_142019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HzYuVO6NY_vDSkiXr6x-aYp_tdDon9mZxxH5rIP7-Vc5SPTgEFisaLXrrOF3x5CF6hrzne8GkRvW-KPuJOvxy9oaQ0o3wIfLKef8zHagNZ6AH-mWPw_-4Z8oPDZNwR8bMZKZUmZdVH8IXLvUbX4e_o4YFDtiNrJrF4DSCUePy72VnQwSRqBC8KZrqIvs/w360-h640/20230831_142019.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At last, we headed down to the settlement. Even though all of the buildings are reproductions, they feel authentic thanks to the great care used to recreate them. Again, the interpreters were so helpful and friendly, ready to answer questions and even involve the children in tasks of the time. It was amazing to consider just how vulnerable these early settlers were, especially considering that very few of them had skills useful for surviving in the wilderness. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishfqVA1zyvdJV3koOj8W8iaAKGPoCly4zuWCjcS5s-qClNorSkvwIqh5-N-opUS1Jf8BPqHjE6B6PdXbjlpxsez93uUXwPFZAVlWEuZryOnOVspUaUC1wUXAJ7AQ-v5NHjT_2kB8TE7qdVi7ErSyR0dM6DAMvVapN3XmUmOLkLFtOVfVSXf7Cf2EwUaBk/s3889/20230831_145437.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3889" data-original-width="2189" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishfqVA1zyvdJV3koOj8W8iaAKGPoCly4zuWCjcS5s-qClNorSkvwIqh5-N-opUS1Jf8BPqHjE6B6PdXbjlpxsez93uUXwPFZAVlWEuZryOnOVspUaUC1wUXAJ7AQ-v5NHjT_2kB8TE7qdVi7ErSyR0dM6DAMvVapN3XmUmOLkLFtOVfVSXf7Cf2EwUaBk/w360-h640/20230831_145437.jpg" width="360" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHTdeNLSyIb0XJeOQBu7IwrzN9LPBBx3LkwSdRdhjFwCDBTthxwZXrbWynslek97VouKJmwxKwt83M0SUbjDCXZZhQo01l3AUbuIkBlMlViSsDQS_-9ap7KYdOFilLZcbMaR9BzbJHR5I6rLoBSF99QidFVUQeyrzjyohSPyip3fwDpjUzbLgQi5FTrLv/s2048/IMG_1054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHTdeNLSyIb0XJeOQBu7IwrzN9LPBBx3LkwSdRdhjFwCDBTthxwZXrbWynslek97VouKJmwxKwt83M0SUbjDCXZZhQo01l3AUbuIkBlMlViSsDQS_-9ap7KYdOFilLZcbMaR9BzbJHR5I6rLoBSF99QidFVUQeyrzjyohSPyip3fwDpjUzbLgQi5FTrLv/w426-h640/IMG_1054.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I wish I could share the sensations of this photo -- a tranquil <br />summer's afternoon in New England, with the sea in sight<br />and the sweet aromas of grass and flower wafted on the wind.<br /><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXd5YoqxB1hugTY0fRNMJZRaYuCGtcDBEH4xQTOJlHMwmaO0XqwNyZh-AZkoizbRmux9iXPNekeOA-494Cmfs1YMs-mXAmNaIPji0Quhoth5MiGGjVKflbydFPRj_ogtrhLBz72ICyW6eW9mIEk2Vy_hy3BZiQZeC3_irtbdbe6gPbYzSzDIOc8jfaIMl7/s2048/IMG_1083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXd5YoqxB1hugTY0fRNMJZRaYuCGtcDBEH4xQTOJlHMwmaO0XqwNyZh-AZkoizbRmux9iXPNekeOA-494Cmfs1YMs-mXAmNaIPji0Quhoth5MiGGjVKflbydFPRj_ogtrhLBz72ICyW6eW9mIEk2Vy_hy3BZiQZeC3_irtbdbe6gPbYzSzDIOc8jfaIMl7/w426-h640/IMG_1083.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWG3g4Nzc7UDn-kGKK5_6SVcG5esJENrdBk5dpAhoLQ2Mq9dShnqtkvFfctocVc1rYrZNu-Xbtv3m_6ImF5s0ebPd_6tkOIy6__F4ZjTkEgNr22fZ5hTjGJCUtgHISq13oQoJKKAt9SUIJaxwJFLG9_GVDwuJgrJVuFrkqxcpBZgd6y7dCAzPm2lhiretx/s2048/IMG_1107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWG3g4Nzc7UDn-kGKK5_6SVcG5esJENrdBk5dpAhoLQ2Mq9dShnqtkvFfctocVc1rYrZNu-Xbtv3m_6ImF5s0ebPd_6tkOIy6__F4ZjTkEgNr22fZ5hTjGJCUtgHISq13oQoJKKAt9SUIJaxwJFLG9_GVDwuJgrJVuFrkqxcpBZgd6y7dCAzPm2lhiretx/w640-h426/IMG_1107.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our whirlwind visit only whetted my appetite, but what a gift to be able to "time-travel" to such a significant time/location in America's history. All too soon we were saying our farewells and packing up to return home -- ready to turn our attention to our next adventure, as we prepared for our first overseas move.</div><p></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-48194431637611099012023-10-13T08:10:00.002-07:002023-10-13T08:10:35.015-07:00A Northeaster: Part 2<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>For part 1 of our New England trip, <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-northeaster-part-1.html">read here</a>.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After New York City, we spent a day in the lovely Adirondacks ziplining with family. And then it was time to head east! Rhode Island was our destination, but I discovered that Concord, MA, was only a slight detour away. It was time to revisit a place that I first fell in love with about 25 years ago, a place I particularly wanted to share with Rosa: <a href="https://louisamayalcott.org/">Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpxP2U5PXeIjleHC7vUzZUSxkaaVPmr6YHdw3CvdpoWZFmRnVR9pVhSiiA8jEF6B-I4ysyJL0_76qKOBr9j5u_qnFxPQuECVRZWTPtA24jiRMRy-Scve_nUdqxfQ1l4ylX6Bb0CytcoXXGs9pOxZJLf9EX8G3WzkQ_Ter850f5AYcIJZ3t-cCoDHbX_3B/s1579/20230829133919_IMG_1035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1579" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpxP2U5PXeIjleHC7vUzZUSxkaaVPmr6YHdw3CvdpoWZFmRnVR9pVhSiiA8jEF6B-I4ysyJL0_76qKOBr9j5u_qnFxPQuECVRZWTPtA24jiRMRy-Scve_nUdqxfQ1l4ylX6Bb0CytcoXXGs9pOxZJLf9EX8G3WzkQ_Ter850f5AYcIJZ3t-cCoDHbX_3B/w640-h426/20230829133919_IMG_1035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Orchard House is a remarkable place, a time capsule of a family's life. Almost all of the furnishings actually belonged to the Alcotts. They have Louisa's "mood pillow" on the sofa, Anna's (Meg's) wedding dress displayed in the same parlor she was married in, the boots Louisa made to play "Rodrigo" in her plays, a doll made by Beth, and the like. Louisa wove so much of her family's own story into her <i>Little Women</i> books that it can be hard to distinguish the March family from the Alcott family! In fact, "March" is a nod to Mrs. Alcott's maiden name, "May" (a name they reused for two of their daughters, Louisa and Abigail -- Abigail went by "May," and is "Amy" in the novel). The walls of May's room are covered with her drawings, and many of her paintings are displayed throughout the house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RNYM-9JRaChWV8DsrQmQWA9y2X7_uFua7V3Oq4FVNCGx64I_7vwbMjMU3yAC64lbIgArPWYbLonHI57oBbBq1-vpTSXek5pg_IAU_Y1yQ0kCrLoJJaqAD38mdCRqFD_C-6Een-MkTC4lCECba1d2-fL9Tw6PYVd2lK9NaJX_CWewwBGlG8A2BIIYbSLJ/s4000/20230829_141113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RNYM-9JRaChWV8DsrQmQWA9y2X7_uFua7V3Oq4FVNCGx64I_7vwbMjMU3yAC64lbIgArPWYbLonHI57oBbBq1-vpTSXek5pg_IAU_Y1yQ0kCrLoJJaqAD38mdCRqFD_C-6Een-MkTC4lCECba1d2-fL9Tw6PYVd2lK9NaJX_CWewwBGlG8A2BIIYbSLJ/w360-h640/20230829_141113.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Interestingly, Orchard House and its contents have been preserved largely due to the efforts of Harriett Lothrop, better known as "Margaret Sidney," author of <i>Five Little Peppers and How They Grew</i>. She recognized the importance of the house and purchased it, living next door at "Wayside" (which had been previously owned by the Alcotts and, later, Nathaniel Hawthorne). Wayside looks quite different than it did when the Alcotts lived there, but many of the scenes from the book actually happened there -- Louisa wrote <i>Little Women</i> at Orchard House, but the Alcotts moved there after Elizabeth's death. Orchard House has been a museum since 1911, which is rather astonishing if you think about it. It's a testament to the enduring popularity of Louisa's books!</div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiFmIJG2mvtDYi4e7jBrTnSn1DdJKZ487JIjkSR7nc3ofLSYuE_qnncuQrc2m-GZaUPKt8DrzYqa4lBvXTRN-_I7nSuyJgCk_t2_OERRjPq-CBrCAjhQufDBRC32Rw14dvo3lmdfppA9HF5TqyFImFocX3vzDZOCQro2RE7-R85NU9cpB12WGx9xByzeU/s4000/20230829_141035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiFmIJG2mvtDYi4e7jBrTnSn1DdJKZ487JIjkSR7nc3ofLSYuE_qnncuQrc2m-GZaUPKt8DrzYqa4lBvXTRN-_I7nSuyJgCk_t2_OERRjPq-CBrCAjhQufDBRC32Rw14dvo3lmdfppA9HF5TqyFImFocX3vzDZOCQro2RE7-R85NU9cpB12WGx9xByzeU/w360-h640/20230829_141035.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkI33GdxvkWXJmHFepIjfUyFRjs8N5MLUnOETDXK9RlHdy24y9WcROUSbJBSg7xqgUIok_iNoEFDYTVS6T_9LkgmY8V-tH_gSHtoeQwTYDgWuf90Ffx08YibT9qHZMbGIQwwPr-5h0Z5auk0deQSfyKMoHT63iamYi5TainJoFslq2b26734SRjCPQ8NX/s3839/20230829_141001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3839" data-original-width="2151" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkI33GdxvkWXJmHFepIjfUyFRjs8N5MLUnOETDXK9RlHdy24y9WcROUSbJBSg7xqgUIok_iNoEFDYTVS6T_9LkgmY8V-tH_gSHtoeQwTYDgWuf90Ffx08YibT9qHZMbGIQwwPr-5h0Z5auk0deQSfyKMoHT63iamYi5TainJoFslq2b26734SRjCPQ8NX/w358-h640/20230829_141001.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I loved the little garden outside, planted with the <br />flowers mentioned in the novel!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOqoe90qBJUJJqewqhkgti7X9BIyhua3ZUnWgZ2W4lP9noKqHFYMzOAB7Xhc4d2xSE1q38zD-niXJJ4Jp6gTmqAG-6P3Zu2e4fmJ63J7mEflan937eGJEwIwf4wRXSf63r1j3xG0WAtSUUdlS8LITZYokyMy4eC8YycaZgiaMOkP-XbbDo7nyQ_HKm8Bw/s3860/20230829_140736.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3860" data-original-width="2172" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOqoe90qBJUJJqewqhkgti7X9BIyhua3ZUnWgZ2W4lP9noKqHFYMzOAB7Xhc4d2xSE1q38zD-niXJJ4Jp6gTmqAG-6P3Zu2e4fmJ63J7mEflan937eGJEwIwf4wRXSf63r1j3xG0WAtSUUdlS8LITZYokyMy4eC8YycaZgiaMOkP-XbbDo7nyQ_HKm8Bw/w360-h640/20230829_140736.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bronson built his "School of Philosophy" by the house.<br />Unskilled at making money, he does seem to have been<br />a competent builder -- he also made significant <br />alterations to Orchard House before they moved in.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuQ0l9hFsTDAjgTphE2f1bFaE40Pahs8qnQb4pZX3vhKvVqGZGBmZALfocxPxkO_fxtCXYRNby7vx-4LqYU8YrE6EFZsav3kA1P5fXn5dl0d0Xc_b3LMtyLUY_2lTPadLcu1b7tuWJmHWiigqQbpvqXBlJkYx765upMkx03Hi6sRE3eR4kWHjeYJylucz/s4000/20230829_140618.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuQ0l9hFsTDAjgTphE2f1bFaE40Pahs8qnQb4pZX3vhKvVqGZGBmZALfocxPxkO_fxtCXYRNby7vx-4LqYU8YrE6EFZsav3kA1P5fXn5dl0d0Xc_b3LMtyLUY_2lTPadLcu1b7tuWJmHWiigqQbpvqXBlJkYx765upMkx03Hi6sRE3eR4kWHjeYJylucz/w360-h640/20230829_140618.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyPrOjE_SeWwpxjN9r-3rJ1CoQFfkxvwkFpnWCOASC5i4aEpJEhbDTx9ryoBxz23LSTHmQaCYSvPoHy82rYI3KGYEnDZF_rOOx8gTnJr_3GAFXRTB_uOMe4eqBB8GN_peiIsBTIYl-L2xfECwjFojMVdqhHbJi6YB-pEEmvlD3XppiAp9vF490pqaFVF7/s4000/20230829_140458%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyPrOjE_SeWwpxjN9r-3rJ1CoQFfkxvwkFpnWCOASC5i4aEpJEhbDTx9ryoBxz23LSTHmQaCYSvPoHy82rYI3KGYEnDZF_rOOx8gTnJr_3GAFXRTB_uOMe4eqBB8GN_peiIsBTIYl-L2xfECwjFojMVdqhHbJi6YB-pEEmvlD3XppiAp9vF490pqaFVF7/w360-h640/20230829_140458%20(1).jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyv7PX9gAjBTaUgO-OjLQKgDniWRWm-zB4g_tqji9VIfTKeMsQCRKq7amPRTACL7X_3zww5iF90mFSczx9UUBt8u3ViLnIlX0VHPUavSxLrKAbf1aZfJMI5oBL1Q2zR8Z1XHsjm8LO9Z6Y5no1_ysQgx8mq1FiNz_SG98ivCQLp08N5PoNG5uEXVm_I3VO/s4000/20230829_135330.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyv7PX9gAjBTaUgO-OjLQKgDniWRWm-zB4g_tqji9VIfTKeMsQCRKq7amPRTACL7X_3zww5iF90mFSczx9UUBt8u3ViLnIlX0VHPUavSxLrKAbf1aZfJMI5oBL1Q2zR8Z1XHsjm8LO9Z6Y5no1_ysQgx8mq1FiNz_SG98ivCQLp08N5PoNG5uEXVm_I3VO/w360-h640/20230829_135330.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kit had a snack while we waited for our tour -- it <br />was such a beautiful day!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMC3oywHP4CMkss_52G9AVFLLaD4M2Dbk_qwFnb82JEx3u1pfASqLNocq_EDxCo7LeA8a02xARZhVnoF37misMQcj1CLzmqJj6C4jHCvkHbghnAobN8HEmdistaZ5aMWBWvJN1KDjSnbivmjURohR0KGL24VDJNAdVzspm6WWrFWFbxEsMLZbu24xRCm6/s4000/20230829_135314.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMC3oywHP4CMkss_52G9AVFLLaD4M2Dbk_qwFnb82JEx3u1pfASqLNocq_EDxCo7LeA8a02xARZhVnoF37misMQcj1CLzmqJj6C4jHCvkHbghnAobN8HEmdistaZ5aMWBWvJN1KDjSnbivmjURohR0KGL24VDJNAdVzspm6WWrFWFbxEsMLZbu24xRCm6/w360-h640/20230829_135314.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We found paper dolls at the gift shop for Rosa<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRl3XHTYGsMiX0fJsTkv_updtgpg3M-jwtd3zw6eYBd-2632EX4ZYm3nzF8EE919ybDao98l-nWAFTtvKAbsJ5XMqotr16dtlkyXd-WCPR5KpwKRsIW22-4eOdPMd3-yZF4UOScC-9ccakxGxBahlwH7wfAexvzlralqBz6J6-TouUBWu30w8mXyM-6g0p/s3820/20230829_135055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3820" data-original-width="2151" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRl3XHTYGsMiX0fJsTkv_updtgpg3M-jwtd3zw6eYBd-2632EX4ZYm3nzF8EE919ybDao98l-nWAFTtvKAbsJ5XMqotr16dtlkyXd-WCPR5KpwKRsIW22-4eOdPMd3-yZF4UOScC-9ccakxGxBahlwH7wfAexvzlralqBz6J6-TouUBWu30w8mXyM-6g0p/w360-h640/20230829_135055.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">While we didn't have time for a proper Revolutionary War tour, we couldn't visit Concord without visiting the spot where the first shots were fired. We learned at Orchard House that the famous "Minute Man" statue was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, formerly one of May Alcott's art students. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPVcy8N8yiUcWeJwI6jDk0yl40ktKz1dxSnWqrL-hCYGCd0rtSDbmbJ0kzyPTwwbvszYAE4ZYk5CTbsE0FVJD2Y_T9DDy4v8tnJKI52vKoVx5DGDqYUNWaK73R23rM_SS4t5Jt2lbk2P9RYywfdPgG90JrmzGOfJ_YgUiHV2WO_5Uoo9z0kGfZSeHw4RO/s4000/20230829_155844.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPVcy8N8yiUcWeJwI6jDk0yl40ktKz1dxSnWqrL-hCYGCd0rtSDbmbJ0kzyPTwwbvszYAE4ZYk5CTbsE0FVJD2Y_T9DDy4v8tnJKI52vKoVx5DGDqYUNWaK73R23rM_SS4t5Jt2lbk2P9RYywfdPgG90JrmzGOfJ_YgUiHV2WO_5Uoo9z0kGfZSeHw4RO/w360-h640/20230829_155844.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOqWdPB9ywWGHapIziCEdGBV0f5MHZNZoT5P7LYNGTVIJ_r5vApJ6eeU2xyP_PFZDLs8km2gRPCAmtOqypRdxj04Yk1JWBysJiWvxAKmAmTY6DEly4fxcNyl507ixaad-za3XBDShBlXkxben3AxECkxE_TcRwA9RpoYWsS_Qpo5jspBOmkPjmTlz1PTx/s4000/20230829_155555.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOqWdPB9ywWGHapIziCEdGBV0f5MHZNZoT5P7LYNGTVIJ_r5vApJ6eeU2xyP_PFZDLs8km2gRPCAmtOqypRdxj04Yk1JWBysJiWvxAKmAmTY6DEly4fxcNyl507ixaad-za3XBDShBlXkxben3AxECkxE_TcRwA9RpoYWsS_Qpo5jspBOmkPjmTlz1PTx/w360-h640/20230829_155555.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmYbvDBmtpAJeRZc33eyX90riN8PplBqcEt89equRkveubdHis19WkuXsxdmKWn3GOQalYgrCOzWGuhWL_eeo5lKpTQrKsZndbMPkikODhyaKQd42YaPsU_P8e3wXw4b_Pz4Je-mL8MYyOF1vJyEN4dujFC9VBwt1vAsya3ASYgaZSoTBRAxac0Aji7gA/s4000/20230829_155525.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmYbvDBmtpAJeRZc33eyX90riN8PplBqcEt89equRkveubdHis19WkuXsxdmKWn3GOQalYgrCOzWGuhWL_eeo5lKpTQrKsZndbMPkikODhyaKQd42YaPsU_P8e3wXw4b_Pz4Je-mL8MYyOF1vJyEN4dujFC9VBwt1vAsya3ASYgaZSoTBRAxac0Aji7gA/w360-h640/20230829_155525.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2rNSZCbQFuSWRxKIEgZCAFU5zB55kaTNjlOqhrKhsR5SJs8EhP-xW6Um3NumxQ29coTZjzXS0IfqRwENd9zh5hg64jwUsGKiKMqEHrppiUSfDJKGgTBMBgWXcJ6HcT3MdO_HOjs5lhdtGFqgWBsp20kmLxWX-L80D5sq4Dyiz3WKBtKyiBj6ArGGmLkd/s4000/20230829_155344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2rNSZCbQFuSWRxKIEgZCAFU5zB55kaTNjlOqhrKhsR5SJs8EhP-xW6Um3NumxQ29coTZjzXS0IfqRwENd9zh5hg64jwUsGKiKMqEHrppiUSfDJKGgTBMBgWXcJ6HcT3MdO_HOjs5lhdtGFqgWBsp20kmLxWX-L80D5sq4Dyiz3WKBtKyiBj6ArGGmLkd/w360-h640/20230829_155344.jpg" width="360" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG25BVhIU816ijs1gohnHVIHDpAb-64IqRXy916fyPEF99SPKnFkf5GNojIJP3YCWfALBJAX4CsprA8PvDQgZVf9FyoUPYLMdiAT5UhGJzdYf0xHcxShyYuxZjz8isM38C37BNdDbQ4gp3DrPxmGiXm0SnjzOxD4tQcc01GIKYmEuH6NduKcW9mTz-kWK8/s3376/20230829_155932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3376" data-original-width="1898" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG25BVhIU816ijs1gohnHVIHDpAb-64IqRXy916fyPEF99SPKnFkf5GNojIJP3YCWfALBJAX4CsprA8PvDQgZVf9FyoUPYLMdiAT5UhGJzdYf0xHcxShyYuxZjz8isM38C37BNdDbQ4gp3DrPxmGiXm0SnjzOxD4tQcc01GIKYmEuH6NduKcW9mTz-kWK8/w360-h640/20230829_155932.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mGUwIZSOcRZ3n862cxaah4url9AJIFUC6yln3qJgciZzT5CccvGx8FYIRGjiN0N2FuMt21F4qDU2RuG_UNYZfMXgo7kLMn9N1PwBfTA7eBp3rBhcLuo9xOp5la0N33YWkKHJh7EMaZYEBgRAF8Nes-dW3J8fqwy3ZjEvS2StE9tZOUbhc9QQYghEKDee/s2825/20230829_155907.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2825" data-original-width="1874" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mGUwIZSOcRZ3n862cxaah4url9AJIFUC6yln3qJgciZzT5CccvGx8FYIRGjiN0N2FuMt21F4qDU2RuG_UNYZfMXgo7kLMn9N1PwBfTA7eBp3rBhcLuo9xOp5la0N33YWkKHJh7EMaZYEBgRAF8Nes-dW3J8fqwy3ZjEvS2StE9tZOUbhc9QQYghEKDee/w424-h640/20230829_155907.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-88900075101753835692023-10-01T19:33:00.005-07:002023-10-19T07:17:51.180-07:00A Northeaster: Part 1<p>In the spring, we decided to travel north in August -- an invitation to a family wedding in NYC quickly turned into a sightseeing tour of southern New England. At the time, we had no idea that we'd be moving overseas just weeks later; as the date for our trip neared, it seemed a foolish time to take a "vacation." But I'm so grateful we did, as it turned out to be a most enjoyable (if not particularly restful) getaway. A whirlwind of a trip: a Northeaster, if you will.</p><p>And so, we found ourselves at the Met on my 35th birthday! It was far too large to tackle in our one allotted day with many young children in tow, so I had selected our "must see" galleries ahead of time and mapped out our route with the Met's interactive map. Of course, I managed to <i>forget</i> said map... but the fact that I was able to accurately recreate the route on the spot says something about how much time I'd spent working it all out! <i>*wink*</i> We asked if they had a military discount, and the gentleman behind the ticket counter didn't charge us at all -- an unexpected boon, for which we were most grateful (lodging and food and activities for a party of seven adds up rather quickly).</p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgRvGLweaP4eWMGJItps4KEBisWbPEjvI8dsRK2Btu59gMURq3ebZAp0B58enYtQByW5MQMmKAszKqs9VuoFtPKaKm2jW9_rJOwbIRG-lWxtXHJ3tetR-87t1ZXr10lzzTlQpwPuFxhNuyvjsuBe7YGd_T-rNzGjP_qfq3E30fyr_uuYV5zF69st94MZQ/s2048/20230825_150623.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="747" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgRvGLweaP4eWMGJItps4KEBisWbPEjvI8dsRK2Btu59gMURq3ebZAp0B58enYtQByW5MQMmKAszKqs9VuoFtPKaKm2jW9_rJOwbIRG-lWxtXHJ3tetR-87t1ZXr10lzzTlQpwPuFxhNuyvjsuBe7YGd_T-rNzGjP_qfq3E30fyr_uuYV5zF69st94MZQ/w420-h747/20230825_150623.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Navigating buses and the subway was an adventure,<br />but happily we didn't have any issues! Laddie spotted<br />a rat, and all of the children were a bit put off by the <br />lack of cleanliness...</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyjH2IdmPwDcn8vA874i3fWozgyjuhdu7xJhtXZkh6hH0JeWTjCr_Y8B2PSJ5han6yBcNj8lbPcN90VVwnXp-RxiT0iQXBbQL3Ed1Mto690FTpHOF2HliF1Fs_FH0P7yc6Kde7gRhrzBPHndR-UfaoKhdGtWR9pTrQxhEuUM9FrL5t1-1Bk2cdKvEpsU-/s2048/20230527_162256.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyjH2IdmPwDcn8vA874i3fWozgyjuhdu7xJhtXZkh6hH0JeWTjCr_Y8B2PSJ5han6yBcNj8lbPcN90VVwnXp-RxiT0iQXBbQL3Ed1Mto690FTpHOF2HliF1Fs_FH0P7yc6Kde7gRhrzBPHndR-UfaoKhdGtWR9pTrQxhEuUM9FrL5t1-1Bk2cdKvEpsU-/w423-h564/20230527_162256.jpg" width="423" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxCHOL7D3K2ceCi97XV5fgZyDl4r_3op36wFKOegwyAqckbO-WCzrSBzw2sNkoBVWIHVIhzk2MMbhHKAzjCIabkdISmxJuNINx6tBEyMcuImwTbyohSwEzOflfIn2L4ftiXBjASMN7wWvsORz_QwCy_gXQL8799csDGr0qH7QQ5Clgq3ZA8NTpnRuzTLT/s2048/20230527_174208.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1736" data-original-width="2048" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxCHOL7D3K2ceCi97XV5fgZyDl4r_3op36wFKOegwyAqckbO-WCzrSBzw2sNkoBVWIHVIhzk2MMbhHKAzjCIabkdISmxJuNINx6tBEyMcuImwTbyohSwEzOflfIn2L4ftiXBjASMN7wWvsORz_QwCy_gXQL8799csDGr0qH7QQ5Clgq3ZA8NTpnRuzTLT/w543-h460/20230527_174208.jpg" width="543" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We made it just before they closed the Van Gogh "Cypresses" exhibit -- "Starry Night"<br />was on loan from the MOMA just down the way, and I was so happy that we got to see<br />it in person. It feels surreal to view such famous pieces of art in person; even beautiful<br />reproductions just can't compare to the real thing.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCQZZTUSad9qOyKy_51RvEgQB6MzVRy9WowSzUvrxg8T9kdwc5k6RsQPogGkz-P2shxzoeASTcROeVex7_upsJMdZJwWWB9rkQfb_22mVxWiwmfvMtmCArwhUIbEc4ZdG_kNKl_19lO25A_NM74lhwRfTqjEcEUY_9nljpXU1OsKyRPEJtpcpf4Om8q20/s2048/20230527_183137.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1885" data-original-width="2048" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCQZZTUSad9qOyKy_51RvEgQB6MzVRy9WowSzUvrxg8T9kdwc5k6RsQPogGkz-P2shxzoeASTcROeVex7_upsJMdZJwWWB9rkQfb_22mVxWiwmfvMtmCArwhUIbEc4ZdG_kNKl_19lO25A_NM74lhwRfTqjEcEUY_9nljpXU1OsKyRPEJtpcpf4Om8q20/w564-h520/20230527_183137.jpg" width="564" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Washington Crossing the Delaware -- absolutely massive, it dominates the entire gallery</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAG15MIM4nzbgZezeEddE3zNqiyIg7hD1KV9of3GjzW-mDRWcrZg4l_dYAH5Qk9yrOBfyqJ4W07aRO-fRpFPLduE0kUTcG0n7eRZBzdnOwc4Xtpm4r03RiMKZCthANtZAZnMtaZjUGT2zn-E3hWUt3VREX4oVC6LdWEFokp0cXZmdryouk_oI7UGaWz3N/s2048/20230825_113100.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1464" data-original-width="2048" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAG15MIM4nzbgZezeEddE3zNqiyIg7hD1KV9of3GjzW-mDRWcrZg4l_dYAH5Qk9yrOBfyqJ4W07aRO-fRpFPLduE0kUTcG0n7eRZBzdnOwc4Xtpm4r03RiMKZCthANtZAZnMtaZjUGT2zn-E3hWUt3VREX4oVC6LdWEFokp0cXZmdryouk_oI7UGaWz3N/w515-h369/20230825_113100.jpg" width="515" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Egyptian funerary boat from a tomb. There were a number of mummies, to<br />Rosa's dismay. *wink*</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6geu7HYV-j7gK8jMQzvD4RBTW5gx-qaKvmhViH0XWY3Dn_Pm_fNh7CuAbgD75JM3ZuudTRRehZ7SYH8B3YjicuSSZ8EtoSxKdiYCdfbDqPZAFm_HZj_oWoyK3brdrqpV4oihrfgGvVmHtT0pKnlcFXeE_0EEEPp_EvIntwL_8RqbT4xPHMYaglU04B6lA/s2048/20230825_115713.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="756" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6geu7HYV-j7gK8jMQzvD4RBTW5gx-qaKvmhViH0XWY3Dn_Pm_fNh7CuAbgD75JM3ZuudTRRehZ7SYH8B3YjicuSSZ8EtoSxKdiYCdfbDqPZAFm_HZj_oWoyK3brdrqpV4oihrfgGvVmHtT0pKnlcFXeE_0EEEPp_EvIntwL_8RqbT4xPHMYaglU04B6lA/w425-h756/20230825_115713.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tiffany stained glass, always exquisite</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWkDdBIT1zS-3-r2_RUZg-e3yzj2jPKA3ZH1f63tUM5S5_eShhr6VHqTft5IFBeHdAO2j641iMeQQ4qQBNuc0JpKKvf6UdmYTfaMTb8RGPQ0t5_h4vXuonYfSkl1UPt0yjuL6-K2TEqX3sPG5OeJRN1GW8UfKNxD6d-F5UzTKzYvdHvw9yH165rilZWYa/s2048/20230825_121300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1807" data-original-width="2048" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWkDdBIT1zS-3-r2_RUZg-e3yzj2jPKA3ZH1f63tUM5S5_eShhr6VHqTft5IFBeHdAO2j641iMeQQ4qQBNuc0JpKKvf6UdmYTfaMTb8RGPQ0t5_h4vXuonYfSkl1UPt0yjuL6-K2TEqX3sPG5OeJRN1GW8UfKNxD6d-F5UzTKzYvdHvw9yH165rilZWYa/w539-h475/20230825_121300.jpg" width="539" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Think of the scariest animal you know so we can frighten our enemies..."</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_KCrcA1LDVoS-Ir_edoTTEca3uDvRIPi-Ll261oz0YMOvxAzQfz2LuaMjt4gMaoM5GrQl9SDN56yCdqGVU91sHLuFTTH2O2_W_JycevTmXstOlBthc0C9kAlH54L6KZAhC3m6wyi151XLQU2aZlYzoYIxDX0oibnmzq3YLJA-CwuMscrUhM8h9OfqqE3/s2048/20230825_121307.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1488" height="667" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_KCrcA1LDVoS-Ir_edoTTEca3uDvRIPi-Ll261oz0YMOvxAzQfz2LuaMjt4gMaoM5GrQl9SDN56yCdqGVU91sHLuFTTH2O2_W_JycevTmXstOlBthc0C9kAlH54L6KZAhC3m6wyi151XLQU2aZlYzoYIxDX0oibnmzq3YLJA-CwuMscrUhM8h9OfqqE3/w486-h667/20230825_121307.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Do I need an armor skirt? I think I might...</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpt_q9ef32LRY1D__3wsUhvUPAaCcw_-ncVsq9JmJL25ZkrO_ScJVUgDxagXmYSNlZ7Ysdn1RXOQnj-_l_rNNxgTg1bWBCNTaNVHeKRYefv_xKfzcT-B0xGV-MlpafPV3P9bfc4fGA_a9TFRhdPly7prlMevdQ79grMoqYstsaUZiX4YrPHK_cCylnY2u/s2048/20230825_121530.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1404" height="757" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpt_q9ef32LRY1D__3wsUhvUPAaCcw_-ncVsq9JmJL25ZkrO_ScJVUgDxagXmYSNlZ7Ysdn1RXOQnj-_l_rNNxgTg1bWBCNTaNVHeKRYefv_xKfzcT-B0xGV-MlpafPV3P9bfc4fGA_a9TFRhdPly7prlMevdQ79grMoqYstsaUZiX4YrPHK_cCylnY2u/w518-h757/20230825_121530.jpg" width="518" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>King Henry VIII's armor -- the man was massive!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWhba_7osD_CYeiI5BVNkyatanQazZfDkHaFtG6nMAzNOmG2frnyNgBvApx9MB1Iy1jI5E3W0fBGtJq-g9NDJuyj731FjrYgHk_56wmIG5g1VhgMtJ6fOeT_mp7DMFu4C6H4Jc4iu2d8fWWHN3-8zlbX2F12YHQTPgJqx6fg5hpehDnck5QpK1yLjYax9/s2048/20230825_125441.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1552" height="682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWhba_7osD_CYeiI5BVNkyatanQazZfDkHaFtG6nMAzNOmG2frnyNgBvApx9MB1Iy1jI5E3W0fBGtJq-g9NDJuyj731FjrYgHk_56wmIG5g1VhgMtJ6fOeT_mp7DMFu4C6H4Jc4iu2d8fWWHN3-8zlbX2F12YHQTPgJqx6fg5hpehDnck5QpK1yLjYax9/w518-h682/20230825_125441.jpg" width="518" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Childe Hassam, one of my favorite Impressionists</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJnv6P235EMRH1ayGdVe9ZVUtTFfpOibRabWsDLOwzj7U3-pRLS_hFDvjp3UL_-nafGKwx6BxIE3VnB22KE7kH0sdDqtgiR3ZQ0JcCZu0Fp5MJndfWwUrV8KC1tcnDNamYCZX3dQH2QUv-9VRFgfc2agEIPIKBqMnou2mMOQV6W8mlwgGlNL43gI1CiXU/s2048/20230825_125635.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1233" height="1008" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJnv6P235EMRH1ayGdVe9ZVUtTFfpOibRabWsDLOwzj7U3-pRLS_hFDvjp3UL_-nafGKwx6BxIE3VnB22KE7kH0sdDqtgiR3ZQ0JcCZu0Fp5MJndfWwUrV8KC1tcnDNamYCZX3dQH2QUv-9VRFgfc2agEIPIKBqMnou2mMOQV6W8mlwgGlNL43gI1CiXU/w608-h1008/20230825_125635.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>John Singer Sargent is my favorite portrait artist,<br />and they had some really lovely pieces at the Met!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTUXUwRJz9Lc5_6YFoF5QdVVOLWjytCEVpuWDiusfnXVWgNwz5zasS45QnDKqkk6R2G2PIj2xqE2aqIQEpl3hAevniTcEgmnm2F5Gpt2xXZyFxY2Db7qdPpb48BoyxZvDF2J7uwV05xx3icam9XwYcdpTPXh9VfNmuFd1mDSxDx3rZm-psuBvoUt7rq8V/s2048/20230825_131125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1234" height="905" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTUXUwRJz9Lc5_6YFoF5QdVVOLWjytCEVpuWDiusfnXVWgNwz5zasS45QnDKqkk6R2G2PIj2xqE2aqIQEpl3hAevniTcEgmnm2F5Gpt2xXZyFxY2Db7qdPpb48BoyxZvDF2J7uwV05xx3icam9XwYcdpTPXh9VfNmuFd1mDSxDx3rZm-psuBvoUt7rq8V/w546-h905/20230825_131125.jpg" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Met itself is so lovely, full of courtyards and corridors</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBFff94P6Z2S-wCKjL0onVE3qOoQ-iymEjdDp4Yd6DpJZ9Dpxo7WCqDlJEJ9URpPCtXYotaodH4Pemv7hYYRWNZqxVwDA-5wacVsqboQ1W7WHfm1oCtoYWBmHcGljS52FJ0OoOgl3FNL4pES7xCOv_9lUCf66qZ5gqCfRaekftJ026vL3POn-BUCziRzg/s2048/20230825_131334.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1340" height="743" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBFff94P6Z2S-wCKjL0onVE3qOoQ-iymEjdDp4Yd6DpJZ9Dpxo7WCqDlJEJ9URpPCtXYotaodH4Pemv7hYYRWNZqxVwDA-5wacVsqboQ1W7WHfm1oCtoYWBmHcGljS52FJ0OoOgl3FNL4pES7xCOv_9lUCf66qZ5gqCfRaekftJ026vL3POn-BUCziRzg/w485-h743/20230825_131334.jpg" width="485" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We all love Monet, so we were delighted to see one of the 12<br />water lily bridge paintings he made during the summer of 1899</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfjiLnel2qV_j_cIKu3DSeVJZrTH5nUzXL3j4LPBF1PyOIzOvRIAE47MysiKM3Hv-Y1WW_DMKbCAMzMSxHcRUFdjSEt3zl-SKwD889zQBvvsEJUu4sOwjidUiNRw9deRQRKRSrzfKVPYfGnf2qrGmFoXtiH8hsglz3JnMxeF_YLbajynykTPyliqfD8C-/s2048/20230825_131727.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1239" height="919" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfjiLnel2qV_j_cIKu3DSeVJZrTH5nUzXL3j4LPBF1PyOIzOvRIAE47MysiKM3Hv-Y1WW_DMKbCAMzMSxHcRUFdjSEt3zl-SKwD889zQBvvsEJUu4sOwjidUiNRw9deRQRKRSrzfKVPYfGnf2qrGmFoXtiH8hsglz3JnMxeF_YLbajynykTPyliqfD8C-/w557-h919/20230825_131727.jpg" width="557" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I've seen prints of this portrait before, but the colors in the actual painting were<br />shockingly vibrant and beautiful.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6osHoZOaO3qgmw0cGJQqAhe-sAjPvwEc9kPLhlR3e69J3K95PvNf5rEJtLddq73fYlHEF1wOLsgAqqqRlA-Tg5obctFJSSCO1vVg-AqTM6Bjcq5IVtjctBzOHXzL6IME3anlE7VdYEzr0OlftfcngjpXDWiYWqaF9MxDzKKE-I5jTklHLEUf7m0qJbVY/s2048/20230825_131933.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6osHoZOaO3qgmw0cGJQqAhe-sAjPvwEc9kPLhlR3e69J3K95PvNf5rEJtLddq73fYlHEF1wOLsgAqqqRlA-Tg5obctFJSSCO1vVg-AqTM6Bjcq5IVtjctBzOHXzL6IME3anlE7VdYEzr0OlftfcngjpXDWiYWqaF9MxDzKKE-I5jTklHLEUf7m0qJbVY/w601-h338/20230825_131933.jpg" width="601" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Wisteria Room -- I loved how many entire rooms there were at the Met (and if<br />they're Art Nouveau, so much the better *wink*)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoNLRxRO8TD_BQDzsMQswBOBG7lfiYaEuXbsVXk85MWSnlu3saY14MRfjXX7n0--9bLEBfKLYwsOiae7hNgx9TNOVeHOms2a49pvhWD0l5a7AM7u5xPvX9dLTy5USNWGerJyPOpW8fvumki_TaHo6byV-yuuxLPwNHb_OVEhubl8hXkwGsLzo5dVk_MdQ/s2048/20230825_132013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1265" height="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoNLRxRO8TD_BQDzsMQswBOBG7lfiYaEuXbsVXk85MWSnlu3saY14MRfjXX7n0--9bLEBfKLYwsOiae7hNgx9TNOVeHOms2a49pvhWD0l5a7AM7u5xPvX9dLTy5USNWGerJyPOpW8fvumki_TaHo6byV-yuuxLPwNHb_OVEhubl8hXkwGsLzo5dVk_MdQ/w475-h768/20230825_132013.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Degas was a must-see!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKy9AIxPTAoje-C0OopCRMp6ETmkltsMf2fXaUbDkf1yRolbYdxS79_iIpSkCHBfNXTAMKJt2q-vKR-HTnAmW-W-rZ8PnwLAeOiJl56EXWP2ENR-soZLyxmqrv4fM2UfzG0p7-wzRniqaJKBfjsCgZoC_RrK5dwcdA6gOraHDaxY5WZ-gKADtuKyla3eF/s2048/20230825_134950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKy9AIxPTAoje-C0OopCRMp6ETmkltsMf2fXaUbDkf1yRolbYdxS79_iIpSkCHBfNXTAMKJt2q-vKR-HTnAmW-W-rZ8PnwLAeOiJl56EXWP2ENR-soZLyxmqrv4fM2UfzG0p7-wzRniqaJKBfjsCgZoC_RrK5dwcdA6gOraHDaxY5WZ-gKADtuKyla3eF/w415-h738/20230825_134950.jpg" width="415" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RN9KBYrMQaAtta0O7wZTYpcTl0RF1U6ad8AisITTARjIoPvWABCNDOBJ5uNBypjwOZf10QIxDFWl925bOiDf0FBvO_4YMUDqd3WttbZeKNuDvWOvwFNm1h3YJ7HKN_z_zMtS2bAZHDvhEYNyxvTFG6gAwHMz3TlbfOJN2J-zclT5k8qu1Dq-GTeKoSjh/s2048/20230825_143419.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1776" data-original-width="2048" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RN9KBYrMQaAtta0O7wZTYpcTl0RF1U6ad8AisITTARjIoPvWABCNDOBJ5uNBypjwOZf10QIxDFWl925bOiDf0FBvO_4YMUDqd3WttbZeKNuDvWOvwFNm1h3YJ7HKN_z_zMtS2bAZHDvhEYNyxvTFG6gAwHMz3TlbfOJN2J-zclT5k8qu1Dq-GTeKoSjh/w573-h498/20230825_143419.jpg" width="573" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another of Van Gogh's "Cypress" paintings -- so mesmerizing. I've never considered<br />myself a fan of Van Gogh, but this exhibit may have converted me.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After the Met, we moved on to Central Park. It was drizzly, so not the ideal day for outdoor adventures. But we managed to visit Balto and ride the carousel before a trip to the LEGO store!</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCZ7EbwDFSX40DWYDzgGg5m6g3XeTraHmjXp7J0oCymU_P0DzkJu9QOD_aY3aevbYd7KSdQ_SrT_LvbIw3L5Zuw70tYzxp4RYD0EeHBTEObuMfyr3lVuy3DcihP-ssbkdkh-qyBHUVlwUUEumfeu3m7EgXX2hM4q0TQptRjpiUQwP9iTSC8_Ldpz9h5h2/s2048/20230825_152237.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1332" height="549" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCZ7EbwDFSX40DWYDzgGg5m6g3XeTraHmjXp7J0oCymU_P0DzkJu9QOD_aY3aevbYd7KSdQ_SrT_LvbIw3L5Zuw70tYzxp4RYD0EeHBTEObuMfyr3lVuy3DcihP-ssbkdkh-qyBHUVlwUUEumfeu3m7EgXX2hM4q0TQptRjpiUQwP9iTSC8_Ldpz9h5h2/w357-h549/20230825_152237.jpg" width="357" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKu5mF62-YyIf2cTXvHPw0zLUjtf5xwey66m1aMaFEuTvtaUqsgvu28RNFjbsVYZONSV-BgTeaaTEyUiHgy8cSdPHMA08dWnBCCGHc3Aee7yQy5BAkSsIcWVaedQWUeJRAC_OaN_GLcrtPkTrotC-52xA5tUXkts4FMkannH-K4ZQHUWy4gNXYN_ZNHE-/s2048/20230825_153403-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1440" height="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKu5mF62-YyIf2cTXvHPw0zLUjtf5xwey66m1aMaFEuTvtaUqsgvu28RNFjbsVYZONSV-BgTeaaTEyUiHgy8cSdPHMA08dWnBCCGHc3Aee7yQy5BAkSsIcWVaedQWUeJRAC_OaN_GLcrtPkTrotC-52xA5tUXkts4FMkannH-K4ZQHUWy4gNXYN_ZNHE-/w403-h573/20230825_153403-2.jpg" width="403" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7o4s8uVvi-qLt5XJtAQS5IjtiFP-1Qysec6RLlYPAByFOlSXU7eFP6qZ2htRlT-Gg2iexVY30v2nimfaUOOoI9Nr8ApSgC9TcZDzV1j2Rk9Ijews6XS_oh3TD2s70jptB4wxpgM7JaurkSOhkWDr9TEbOaeB8uEX1CjM1qcHDRE9QydcQlQoiV9qizx4A/s2048/20230825_154830.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="696" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7o4s8uVvi-qLt5XJtAQS5IjtiFP-1Qysec6RLlYPAByFOlSXU7eFP6qZ2htRlT-Gg2iexVY30v2nimfaUOOoI9Nr8ApSgC9TcZDzV1j2Rk9Ijews6XS_oh3TD2s70jptB4wxpgM7JaurkSOhkWDr9TEbOaeB8uEX1CjM1qcHDRE9QydcQlQoiV9qizx4A/w522-h696/20230825_154830.jpg" width="522" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I snuggled a sleepy baby while the little rode the carousel -- not a bad way<br />to spend a birthday!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkQuR_ZirmvAQfRvGW-wFMgos8DWGmFTve41UUPqC7GLhGKlCG9vU4sQiymlSKpfamGy7W6G8cJy39sIsmRWBRT8hm5TadSeMzg6BmPA3uU0c-DdXCTiqT185V9t-nLdYaDAAlacJOjTAFyqNVGR2NsL9hD_KS3cAs5Yeh-NFMOwKhxI34kYjr__MQ5vj/s2048/20230825_162110~2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkQuR_ZirmvAQfRvGW-wFMgos8DWGmFTve41UUPqC7GLhGKlCG9vU4sQiymlSKpfamGy7W6G8cJy39sIsmRWBRT8hm5TadSeMzg6BmPA3uU0c-DdXCTiqT185V9t-nLdYaDAAlacJOjTAFyqNVGR2NsL9hD_KS3cAs5Yeh-NFMOwKhxI34kYjr__MQ5vj/w531-h944/20230825_162110~2.jpg" width="531" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlT8is9mcdXtlCOZGd_H9wN29B5yn_mYUDssuiUj8VavKVfA7UlW2u_P944ElkRyzhkFp3_hQdUIXxYmZwJhFPBd0dM9Z02qC8TY8OUTtFSd8GwLph-dZbcTxdzhVWXGZFT0N-fB1zxhq0pfh0odCYntqdOOlOVZXxJeO2KZ5_BqzjLficmn5lxWgaLs9/s2048/20230825_162700.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="854" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlT8is9mcdXtlCOZGd_H9wN29B5yn_mYUDssuiUj8VavKVfA7UlW2u_P944ElkRyzhkFp3_hQdUIXxYmZwJhFPBd0dM9Z02qC8TY8OUTtFSd8GwLph-dZbcTxdzhVWXGZFT0N-fB1zxhq0pfh0odCYntqdOOlOVZXxJeO2KZ5_BqzjLficmn5lxWgaLs9/w481-h854/20230825_162700.jpg" width="481" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k_8JRmfoU9FD58-Mc_nuHFa11xQd4XcmAscy5yRImLd0Jmdh4MYe66ZN90-VbCCDE8f0XYGYiYZDugmb3xfNyst9st9OsawjNVItUq2RNyzEnGCGGpjFWYV9cJOH0EbUgy80v0b9U_pywhoZ2cT3aSodD3JgQUIVNxb7sD86ZVlv5qClGtY1to19zVgp/s2048/20230825_162918.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1685" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5k_8JRmfoU9FD58-Mc_nuHFa11xQd4XcmAscy5yRImLd0Jmdh4MYe66ZN90-VbCCDE8f0XYGYiYZDugmb3xfNyst9st9OsawjNVItUq2RNyzEnGCGGpjFWYV9cJOH0EbUgy80v0b9U_pywhoZ2cT3aSodD3JgQUIVNxb7sD86ZVlv5qClGtY1to19zVgp/w508-h618/20230825_162918.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next day, we joined up with family to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Fortunately the weather was lovely! The historic train station was beautiful in decay, and Ellis Island was fascinating. I'd love to find out if any of my ancestors came through there when they immigrated to America. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikt-mITTpE3_jjJSM6YVGLP97leR0C86OLMJKATmSABeHTewuY9SOVbeTKFul4VTULSZPR95a3oizAWMVSSo10Y-SXbCsbAPqlLvyRsfoV53I6V35WfJofc3X0QNVsBDiG3ObhNVV0FrKnvB3ppjsTUqLznK-LXtgbpjQVPpWeFhUBEajXQ5SXFkesAYok/s2048/20230826_094204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1154" height="774" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikt-mITTpE3_jjJSM6YVGLP97leR0C86OLMJKATmSABeHTewuY9SOVbeTKFul4VTULSZPR95a3oizAWMVSSo10Y-SXbCsbAPqlLvyRsfoV53I6V35WfJofc3X0QNVsBDiG3ObhNVV0FrKnvB3ppjsTUqLznK-LXtgbpjQVPpWeFhUBEajXQ5SXFkesAYok/w435-h774/20230826_094204.jpg" width="435" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu48W9QZBKgrcllcxeel6QAJTlCk9N6Zc3rUOp5PxVRYurRhTqq9B8mE8kHSqgQobGiCngwzCvpOycAnmm7iadEEIsMvSvOoVjom1myNhE0UqMIuaMITKYhg0jW5dL-KLUPjs0-ykj_BrxMk_gr58zHlJqXzK0l1RXtOV0tJ4teIeebwFu7PmoRKoL1K9j/s2048/20230826_094331.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="772" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu48W9QZBKgrcllcxeel6QAJTlCk9N6Zc3rUOp5PxVRYurRhTqq9B8mE8kHSqgQobGiCngwzCvpOycAnmm7iadEEIsMvSvOoVjom1myNhE0UqMIuaMITKYhg0jW5dL-KLUPjs0-ykj_BrxMk_gr58zHlJqXzK0l1RXtOV0tJ4teIeebwFu7PmoRKoL1K9j/w434-h772/20230826_094331.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0hKjyA7n82hY18t8xxdbe1IaVVL9Wc98Xi_Aejat5kX-rw3ip6QCd-EKVTwHxXCMpPhZVn-URBoHM7Hz-8O4pK3XuwkolOcb0Ccn0r9WUbdbWN2AKTW8dMCththmW-_HjGcLB0y2Uz-tDwYaqlb_fBUf6o5qylF2Zia6MK2LpItS4ZZX1LgoKMFX5KGO/s2048/20230826_095442.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1550" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0hKjyA7n82hY18t8xxdbe1IaVVL9Wc98Xi_Aejat5kX-rw3ip6QCd-EKVTwHxXCMpPhZVn-URBoHM7Hz-8O4pK3XuwkolOcb0Ccn0r9WUbdbWN2AKTW8dMCththmW-_HjGcLB0y2Uz-tDwYaqlb_fBUf6o5qylF2Zia6MK2LpItS4ZZX1LgoKMFX5KGO/w466-h616/20230826_095442.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgQ3mHl5ggu25-eNVi6kvnkA5z4283eXD-BDeH01DnDKrFQ1s-1Eh9rZJjfuI7z4IRHO4zLiQijkKz1w1ouYGrT5vAE_AYH24HI0wqG8pEQmsBPjeLI6lU7ihIHxUjP0Dom63RGqv4f-nYTYqSrIrHnC6001w3a_i4ppp3YhLBJ5six4uFWWfwfwxwD-U/s2048/20230826_110027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1524" height="647" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgQ3mHl5ggu25-eNVi6kvnkA5z4283eXD-BDeH01DnDKrFQ1s-1Eh9rZJjfuI7z4IRHO4zLiQijkKz1w1ouYGrT5vAE_AYH24HI0wqG8pEQmsBPjeLI6lU7ihIHxUjP0Dom63RGqv4f-nYTYqSrIrHnC6001w3a_i4ppp3YhLBJ5six4uFWWfwfwxwD-U/w481-h647/20230826_110027.jpg" width="481" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This photo of a young woman working in a textile factory captured<br />my interest -- it's so strange to be able to gaze into the eyes<br />of someone who lived in the past, and wonder about her story.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqRuo6nV7sWIhIYArb281QJsUxalty5fRekvIzVYF0_QJzVj4twWRdwMRy74DK-cFl6NRvwePP_UZBgBxTtURUQxwrBTlAP5SgTXXD04D0RTb3Wzi2mAHg8pj4zGdwmh4uM7YcGl0inkSLC5av1qieovdo5YeVrWAE-dcBcf01CwreaeumFfILOsMIgCG/s2048/20230826_111600.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1140" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqRuo6nV7sWIhIYArb281QJsUxalty5fRekvIzVYF0_QJzVj4twWRdwMRy74DK-cFl6NRvwePP_UZBgBxTtURUQxwrBTlAP5SgTXXD04D0RTb3Wzi2mAHg8pj4zGdwmh4uM7YcGl0inkSLC5av1qieovdo5YeVrWAE-dcBcf01CwreaeumFfILOsMIgCG/w356-h640/20230826_111600.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The stairwells at Ellis Island were paved with <br />the most beautiful black stone</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC25UtoOJ3Jp9it0auf4Mvs1K78jsJurkyby4q-o9zU0nvVDXv9lG1DescNZMI-DUh-sAZ5eHMbuQn2fvvtiAOrpdp_b6hixM1DdBAv-tE_mcHGAMmXwgjjqaDsgB8UQbudSA6WlBgXowGa43f2K7bXveRHvz0PtYumw1u05fKLiT2WznKVtAIGR7qhme/s2048/20230826_113558.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC25UtoOJ3Jp9it0auf4Mvs1K78jsJurkyby4q-o9zU0nvVDXv9lG1DescNZMI-DUh-sAZ5eHMbuQn2fvvtiAOrpdp_b6hixM1DdBAv-tE_mcHGAMmXwgjjqaDsgB8UQbudSA6WlBgXowGa43f2K7bXveRHvz0PtYumw1u05fKLiT2WznKVtAIGR7qhme/w360-h640/20230826_113558.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbXJvFyoBGCOKMe7QryvQjPMnJK9woXVUupxig4MKF72zXudRhwnyUaJzEkRy6RgxcBPqHJrKs0dBQQHDyhT7CKys1QouTVyqH6JQa-xBhM1nXjThrqPo2FSAZM34fhaEBGtWG6BVJ9_ky9T0Y76hFQbo5bOYxvSgX7IDOGOMcbD_cRt6Wi3R-iF4WJhG/s2048/20230826_115055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1612" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbXJvFyoBGCOKMe7QryvQjPMnJK9woXVUupxig4MKF72zXudRhwnyUaJzEkRy6RgxcBPqHJrKs0dBQQHDyhT7CKys1QouTVyqH6JQa-xBhM1nXjThrqPo2FSAZM34fhaEBGtWG6BVJ9_ky9T0Y76hFQbo5bOYxvSgX7IDOGOMcbD_cRt6Wi3R-iF4WJhG/w504-h640/20230826_115055.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPi7tYisgccgqcz3vinK1f7KN0iFq4NsqmbyFbbL80YcylfUdwNMo3iPqYkOoLLtO56XiVrwf9EtPQ6rTX_Zqkc0-PSWeghB_Hibw6Ydn9-JXJFkrlUC0SW8iUU0eGTdAUVmcTYrb1LrIrNEMhnvwRVyA0LFjsdIDrbP-MLnIODXmDS77Rd67MxiBW041n/s2048/20230826_122134.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPi7tYisgccgqcz3vinK1f7KN0iFq4NsqmbyFbbL80YcylfUdwNMo3iPqYkOoLLtO56XiVrwf9EtPQ6rTX_Zqkc0-PSWeghB_Hibw6Ydn9-JXJFkrlUC0SW8iUU0eGTdAUVmcTYrb1LrIrNEMhnvwRVyA0LFjsdIDrbP-MLnIODXmDS77Rd67MxiBW041n/w360-h640/20230826_122134.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kit enjoyed stretching his legs on Liberty Island!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCNiys-bSHE3xAIt_Yi3jbLnkDxf-eo2gzy_4-UrpFW2V9bfupes9RuWwu1IT6Y9D1A424i7imyLp14X776Z4MAfGkFATcM5GrePn6jY5QbN423takZTBW8ZH2eaMVvz9lTe4G740Jj9OKdV65NzpLms0_uOYU_YOA_RL0TSwEdpSPWcYB4dG65x5w9-e/s2048/20230826_132012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1788" data-original-width="2048" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCNiys-bSHE3xAIt_Yi3jbLnkDxf-eo2gzy_4-UrpFW2V9bfupes9RuWwu1IT6Y9D1A424i7imyLp14X776Z4MAfGkFATcM5GrePn6jY5QbN423takZTBW8ZH2eaMVvz9lTe4G740Jj9OKdV65NzpLms0_uOYU_YOA_RL0TSwEdpSPWcYB4dG65x5w9-e/w640-h558/20230826_132012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We didn't realize at the time that the little insects we saw everywhere were invasive lantern flies!<br />They have beautiful red wings when they're flying, but apparently they're quite a problem. </i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKLjz3HycqHT0JsiH_fINsaAy7UmmkdRg6wUyyBkCjxbLKOrA0dh6UZkEoUsZkXZ50zeW7M6kzbZkHWWiiN4IRHKDkUYOuWWVwa9iaTtrNKCha743pHNSrNuK5iY7pohgKcnI3n_N8eyVaJN1BMIUHSWi2VPBmHGsYXeY8tBAkpvoq1BeHmVVGGfE2gKy/s2048/20230826_132444.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1404" data-original-width="2048" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKLjz3HycqHT0JsiH_fINsaAy7UmmkdRg6wUyyBkCjxbLKOrA0dh6UZkEoUsZkXZ50zeW7M6kzbZkHWWiiN4IRHKDkUYOuWWVwa9iaTtrNKCha743pHNSrNuK5iY7pohgKcnI3n_N8eyVaJN1BMIUHSWi2VPBmHGsYXeY8tBAkpvoq1BeHmVVGGfE2gKy/w640-h438/20230826_132444.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The beautiful New York City skyline from the Statue of Liberty</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTV6tLhPS6aX3sUQ3nu3eT7Vy4nuhC62iztbgdvllYekgMItKLTrgJcJ6L152fqxQjUPHv7_SFCggZtOJw0ykZNwcJBtJDdwQcEUF1issbeat3NgAr5QVImkWxI1vuAdR9n9CVKmq1f_eNISx0QySQ7v4ctHPyUj3vOgn3NwcJlI6RSpqR0FdIrvT7r1Z3/s2048/20230826_132526.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTV6tLhPS6aX3sUQ3nu3eT7Vy4nuhC62iztbgdvllYekgMItKLTrgJcJ6L152fqxQjUPHv7_SFCggZtOJw0ykZNwcJBtJDdwQcEUF1issbeat3NgAr5QVImkWxI1vuAdR9n9CVKmq1f_eNISx0QySQ7v4ctHPyUj3vOgn3NwcJlI6RSpqR0FdIrvT7r1Z3/w640-h360/20230826_132526.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A view of Ellis Island</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcXwVNbcmmkye9muEDX008QCOoBLjQBp2lFhzPGhFzE2g1UR8_uWk9mWsZ-jzuecwERL0GeIGSZSGbuzSvAmfuaCq1fBVfgOx0TahVpbh4-oD1m9tnwi5UYjA6Qal7qFP9PwfYXXj3_kpBoR_62AQavNQDSoCfBEIdPZgrhgmnvfM4EGR7-5Qf1epjAUw/s2048/20230826_140453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1133" height="833" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcXwVNbcmmkye9muEDX008QCOoBLjQBp2lFhzPGhFzE2g1UR8_uWk9mWsZ-jzuecwERL0GeIGSZSGbuzSvAmfuaCq1fBVfgOx0TahVpbh4-oD1m9tnwi5UYjA6Qal7qFP9PwfYXXj3_kpBoR_62AQavNQDSoCfBEIdPZgrhgmnvfM4EGR7-5Qf1epjAUw/w461-h833/20230826_140453.jpg" width="461" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc7-Hl9mzGi_tOCigjZ3Xg4f3BQFLFrCpvulihblu9_sqj5CxH11MqGBCSO8WJ5LWG9a_LzT-_PvFJGB5wBX8xxcS2KKQe4YmWqpCMC5Mb3WVGedjQaiMTQLWQZ1PHg5ZFf5BxFf80aP_CP63DtbnitsjFb9hvPrUUTD5sCvzJesUMMqWkIiR8oQwcGpz/s2048/20230826_142814.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1336" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc7-Hl9mzGi_tOCigjZ3Xg4f3BQFLFrCpvulihblu9_sqj5CxH11MqGBCSO8WJ5LWG9a_LzT-_PvFJGB5wBX8xxcS2KKQe4YmWqpCMC5Mb3WVGedjQaiMTQLWQZ1PHg5ZFf5BxFf80aP_CP63DtbnitsjFb9hvPrUUTD5sCvzJesUMMqWkIiR8oQwcGpz/w418-h640/20230826_142814.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnNln_3s9UFjKsnaVVt7iTSvwKvYwniI8K_B9VCcpQCkc0jvLfyJmaAwZexpzM-AX4srmvZR931i_veDsdsl7Or4cGP9-3Y3-7hsqgJGIA5oAyodhQPQQDfGHsklYk_RhFGjYnQpfSbInqNot8YbaHN9U8IKWYoynA2c1jCxHFIR3XD2Q8jGhW9L3UKR3/s2048/20230826_142838.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1153" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnNln_3s9UFjKsnaVVt7iTSvwKvYwniI8K_B9VCcpQCkc0jvLfyJmaAwZexpzM-AX4srmvZR931i_veDsdsl7Or4cGP9-3Y3-7hsqgJGIA5oAyodhQPQQDfGHsklYk_RhFGjYnQpfSbInqNot8YbaHN9U8IKWYoynA2c1jCxHFIR3XD2Q8jGhW9L3UKR3/w360-h640/20230826_142838.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoTyogBrkm5in5aWjmREhzcUK0s8gzAsQhtuEZpVXVn-VErOBoVDr4chwVYCkeECRmvSAYFxpQi_6xbvclmGcFI19r6IVfXUNQJLH0bSys7_fEbstBuTXA3TO0bK-WHtiO3i3YRIVd6D2d7XpmXB41CXwcH7RscjelNNRLpc6tlv3eVCA70Gh1VfcZDRC/s2048/20230827_152204.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoTyogBrkm5in5aWjmREhzcUK0s8gzAsQhtuEZpVXVn-VErOBoVDr4chwVYCkeECRmvSAYFxpQi_6xbvclmGcFI19r6IVfXUNQJLH0bSys7_fEbstBuTXA3TO0bK-WHtiO3i3YRIVd6D2d7XpmXB41CXwcH7RscjelNNRLpc6tlv3eVCA70Gh1VfcZDRC/w470-h640/20230827_152204.jpg" width="470" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>What a beautiful setting for a wedding!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh254G3z-Z2oDsPe9yAgmPk5BgLO-F4fs3gbM0ZRimy2B3cKxeYWeinT3RixgYOW_7kYeYB-TG3QUB8-nlaIL8aRYOsGoSxANYJqWxLZd5h7nJDyS2yCcgDyesxUaHXWgoydn_ZCDVTVvQbfwlA3FmS5KDtjEfcnxyyPz-0V90C-HGoFq4Y9svhwnuEQ7bD/s2048/20230827_200910.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1459" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh254G3z-Z2oDsPe9yAgmPk5BgLO-F4fs3gbM0ZRimy2B3cKxeYWeinT3RixgYOW_7kYeYB-TG3QUB8-nlaIL8aRYOsGoSxANYJqWxLZd5h7nJDyS2yCcgDyesxUaHXWgoydn_ZCDVTVvQbfwlA3FmS5KDtjEfcnxyyPz-0V90C-HGoFq4Y9svhwnuEQ7bD/w456-h640/20230827_200910.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Goodnight, NYC</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>For part 2 of our New England adventure, <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-northeaster-part-2.html?m=1">read here.</a></i></div><p></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-18514051227834270702023-07-10T14:10:00.004-07:002023-07-10T15:52:39.946-07:00Shedding Season<p>I may not be a textbook minimalist, but I'm certainly not a maximalist -- and yet I can't believe how many bags and boxes of donations (and trash) have left our home in the past few weeks. It's really shocking to contemplate how much excess we have, despite my regular efforts to cull.</p><p>Even before <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2023/07/on-move.html" target="_blank">we found out we were moving to Japan</a>, we had plans to purge our belongings. We downsized before our move last year, but were limited in time and capacity. Marie Kondo's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/B00RC3ZGN4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=life+changing+magic+of+tidying+up+book&qid=1689028943&sprefix=life+chan%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-1" target="_blank">book</a> was a helpful read a few years ago, but it turns out a move to her homeland may be the real life-changing magic for us -- because as it turns out, whether or not an item sparks joy may be a less powerful determiner than "is this tchotchke worth shipping in a container half way around the world?!" </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFYhRExqxttrVofjmoPYTe-fu2TzV2ArEx6R6Hrs0FVx0sxrVbdr5nHqnx6ypF7gLprBseaTdV8B70HGSgJ5jxKQWRsh8BU0Z1yuVmrVhyqhNqYTh5Ka1TIYfMyufrNpvQHBdBl4vuuPYIby4eyAW0AiEuR5i2IOdZhItWYD2wea1M_brxdprk6Jzn3Sh/s2202/20230630_104922~2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2202" data-original-width="1838" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFYhRExqxttrVofjmoPYTe-fu2TzV2ArEx6R6Hrs0FVx0sxrVbdr5nHqnx6ypF7gLprBseaTdV8B70HGSgJ5jxKQWRsh8BU0Z1yuVmrVhyqhNqYTh5Ka1TIYfMyufrNpvQHBdBl4vuuPYIby4eyAW0AiEuR5i2IOdZhItWYD2wea1M_brxdprk6Jzn3Sh/w504-h604/20230630_104922~2.jpg" width="504" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Here's a picture of a fabulously intricate plant, because it's much<br />lovelier than the piles of detritus that would more appropriately<br />accompany this post! Ha!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I discovered <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheMinimalMom" target="_blank">Dawn's channel</a> a few months back, and have found it so helpful! I did some decluttering then, but our upcoming move has amplified my motivation. I particularly like how Dawn refers to the things we own as <i>inventory.</i> Which is really putting stuff "in its place," if you will, because it reminds me that everything I own is taking up space in my mind, home, schedule, and budget. </p><p>-- If I misplace something, I feel guilty. Now my mental peace is compromised -- and the more I have that I don't need, the more likely this scenario becomes.</p><p>-- If I want to store something properly, I may need to purchase (or improvise) storage. There goes more time and possibly money. And as a military family guaranteed to move multiple times in the future, I will have to handle it and rehome it repeatedly.</p><p>-- If I'm going to take care of something, I'll have to spend more time on it. The alternative is <i>not</i> taking care of it, which is bad stewardship -- and definitely something I've been guilty of at times.</p><p>Do all of my belongings really deserve a place of honor in my life? "Honor" may sound farfetched, but realistically, my time and attention are precious things that I rarely feel I have enough of! </p><p><i>Inventory</i> also sounds detached, which is helpful. I'm not terribly sentimental, but it still helps to consider material possessions in the proper light -- things that are valuable only as they serve my family and those around us. Everything we own is temporary, anyway. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7syMQkmd3UT3y5L8naMx-Q1JWhgmagMcO4VZtxJzEPMw7ZC4Qoo1TIlaqTUMP-K3h5EP8mWcLc7p-zR4qfoDaApAPuzrU6uiE9U1gUVb8cBbkcgrSwlsmwkmMO1s7PrSq2NZ8Xja56LeQVbdXm99jGybii-JxYg6Ok_Ptjfgr4kLwqb-Ty0LsnpjsAQFF/s4000/20230630_105436.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7syMQkmd3UT3y5L8naMx-Q1JWhgmagMcO4VZtxJzEPMw7ZC4Qoo1TIlaqTUMP-K3h5EP8mWcLc7p-zR4qfoDaApAPuzrU6uiE9U1gUVb8cBbkcgrSwlsmwkmMO1s7PrSq2NZ8Xja56LeQVbdXm99jGybii-JxYg6Ok_Ptjfgr4kLwqb-Ty0LsnpjsAQFF/w360-h640/20230630_105436.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I've tried to grow in this area over the years, so it's not a new concept. I minimized my closet a decade ago. Our four boys share a six-drawer dresser for their clothes, with a few feet of closet rod for their church clothes. I declutter drawers and closets relatively often, and we limit our children's toys and belongings. I think a helpful shift in my mindset has been to start letting go of "potential." We have so many things that we keep because we might use them...one day. It feels wasteful to get rid of perfectly good supplies! But God has always provided for our needs, and it would be better to pass those things on to someone who will actually use them. </p><p>Tandem to this idea is accepting our limitations in this season of life. My husband's job is demanding, and we're homeschooling four kids while wrangling a newly-mobile baby. We just don't have time for every hobby and DIY project right now. While I wish we had more capacity in this area, living beyond our "capacity means" only leads to stress and clutter.<br /></p><p>Honestly, I'm finding the thought of moving overseas quite freeing. While I don't relish all of the logistical obstacles, I'm already appreciating the change of perspective it's offering. The word that comes to mind is <i>freedom</i>, which is probably pretty telling. I don't want to spend our time in Japan burdened with unnecessary, self-induced responsibilities. </p><p>Our lifestyle does lend itself to "inventory" -- after all, we're homeschooling bibliophiles with a gaggle of children and a penchant for handicrafts. But less sounds good to me! If I can shed one item for every hair my German "Shedder" is losing right now (currently blowing her coat, yay...), we'll be in good shape by the time the moving truck shows up. <i>*wink* </i></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-72327921851989083872023-07-06T13:07:00.003-07:002023-07-06T13:18:27.369-07:00On the Move<p> When we moved back to the East coast last summer, it felt like coming home; we were finally able to visit with family we'd been separated from for years, and were reunited with dear friends from our last tour in Virginia. Renovations, chicks, vegetable garden -- we wasted no time settling in, knowing that we'd probably be stationed here for several years. </p><p><i>You can see where this is going, can't you?</i></p><p>We recently learned that it won't be long before we travel to our next duty station: Japan!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxRfQ8fV0nOSk7elBjPnrFDj3v79sSXiRUnlvMfdTMtZxxF741trNjoWbrLX6udBGUfEHoLZ2kwNx-UpwaMhXyPTezvqdcMgls0U76AhvZ4_QsNs2yrjyKqjnz_WG7OUd6uxX5i0EoYSDSQ17lC2MR8GwFk4mUh4GnB2ZfuB-raG0Q1nTQr4tBILbbZS8/s3288/April.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3288" data-original-width="2252" height="671" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxRfQ8fV0nOSk7elBjPnrFDj3v79sSXiRUnlvMfdTMtZxxF741trNjoWbrLX6udBGUfEHoLZ2kwNx-UpwaMhXyPTezvqdcMgls0U76AhvZ4_QsNs2yrjyKqjnz_WG7OUd6uxX5i0EoYSDSQ17lC2MR8GwFk4mUh4GnB2ZfuB-raG0Q1nTQr4tBILbbZS8/w459-h671/April.jpg" width="459" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I'll admit, my initial reaction to news that we might leave Virginia was less than enthusiastic. An overseas move sounded daunting, but leaving our home and loved ones was even more challenging to contemplate. As the weeks passed, though, my interest grew. I have always wanted to live overseas (though Europe would admittedly be more my style!), and all of our friend who were previously stationed in Japan have loved it. The more we researched, the more excited I became, until I finally feared being disappointed if we ended up staying here! Happily, the wait wasn't long, and we soon had confirmation. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb_Cb1cuaaTLJdoOWM8dy2Fj-IFZ2LTlzH7dnG5KdO7JdbmiNAeNu2APX0YpwigNDZK4XBzZmPnA4Whz6KQVm2kLIddyWUohjGa7piJ27ydfT2KFiVS2upW7oyREYlWXmmif--XftEpckAFm81wyFjv3itfP-DlpF42mFrPMiMVdoQ0WWD-NzeydFpCLD/s3425/April-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3425" data-original-width="2142" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb_Cb1cuaaTLJdoOWM8dy2Fj-IFZ2LTlzH7dnG5KdO7JdbmiNAeNu2APX0YpwigNDZK4XBzZmPnA4Whz6KQVm2kLIddyWUohjGa7piJ27ydfT2KFiVS2upW7oyREYlWXmmif--XftEpckAFm81wyFjv3itfP-DlpF42mFrPMiMVdoQ0WWD-NzeydFpCLD/w406-h650/April-3.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have always said that each duty station is exactly what you make of it -- it's not so much the latitude as the attitude, if you will. <i>*wink*</i> But I'm not having to work hard to drum up excitement about this move. I'm also thankful that our children have accepted this sudden shift of plans so gracefully. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As far as homeschooling goes, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Being a "3rd Culture Kid" has shaped my life in countless ways; I'm forever grateful for the opportunities to travel that my dad's military career provided. Experiencing other cultures firsthand develops perspective in a unique way, and I'm so happy that my kids will have that opportunity. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I sometimes wistfully imagine what it would be like to put down roots, I know that I'd miss the adventure of military life. It certainly reminds us that we are mere pilgrims on this earth; any feeling of being "settled" is ultimately an illusion (albeit a comfortable one!). Home is where our family is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV4CyEcU22WA_9YVRZk-Zir28ZMMi7DA3JB4t4E4qXbRwIYXGJfHStRkm21P4KfDV834WtwuoKJkXx6VeSj1J797EVtCEZPITYZ4JI9bksSqh_mfkT-GD6KTXTIzbEEAaJangu595bDRT9ALozhkdz7HqCY_3GR601_P7YxdPH33-6q3qNeXJY7Ew2vAv/s3001/April-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3001" data-original-width="2160" height="666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV4CyEcU22WA_9YVRZk-Zir28ZMMi7DA3JB4t4E4qXbRwIYXGJfHStRkm21P4KfDV834WtwuoKJkXx6VeSj1J797EVtCEZPITYZ4JI9bksSqh_mfkT-GD6KTXTIzbEEAaJangu595bDRT9ALozhkdz7HqCY_3GR601_P7YxdPH33-6q3qNeXJY7Ew2vAv/w479-h666/April-2.jpg" width="479" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The timeline of our move is still a bit mind-boggling, as we'll have spent less than 18 months in Virginia. But I can't complain; we've spent over 3 years in every previous duty station, so we've moved far less than many military families. I'm already in major purge mode -- not because we <i>can't</i> take everything with us, but because I don't want to! There's nothing like imagining your possessions being shipped across an ocean to make decluttering decisions easier. Granted, I feel like we just did this (because we did...), but we didn't pare down as much as we would have liked when we moved back east. No time like the present! We have a tendency to bite off more than we can chew when it comes to projects and hobbies (at least for our current stage of life), and I think this assignment will teach us to manage our time and resources better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjs-qYj_O9assfAiLoR2THZeSe8bTJnwKIiY5GeKyUzQs_XT2ln9CXQoNNrNOIghgc-7U25Ybf8-w3fwIp0k3cgwj3P6XrrxriyY_JVGuPuj-mYdAsiDaK5NcgX0VkIhSPRzQFRopTrQ6EIJEaHv1FIdVYnlrJZdAXKK0V1pc2deRkaVlBHJph606cJBy/s3369/April-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3369" data-original-width="2252" height="718" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjs-qYj_O9assfAiLoR2THZeSe8bTJnwKIiY5GeKyUzQs_XT2ln9CXQoNNrNOIghgc-7U25Ybf8-w3fwIp0k3cgwj3P6XrrxriyY_JVGuPuj-mYdAsiDaK5NcgX0VkIhSPRzQFRopTrQ6EIJEaHv1FIdVYnlrJZdAXKK0V1pc2deRkaVlBHJph606cJBy/w480-h718/April-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div>It's interesting to look back over the past year and notice little hints that God was dropping -- my sudden obsession with Japanese maples this spring, the kids' spurt of origami a few months back, the book on Japanese castles that my oldest son selected at the thrift store. We had no idea what lay in store, but He did. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's hard to believe we're "on the move" yet again, but we're ready for adventure!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-65755669045023630632023-06-21T21:27:00.003-07:002023-06-21T21:27:32.527-07:00Rainy Day Excursions<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rainy days and art museums make splendid companions. An impulse this afternoon turned into a most satisfactory outing. My five companions were quite cooperative on the whole (<i>insert sigh of relief</i>), and we managed to tour some of my favorite galleries. Iridescent Art Nouveau glass is one of said favorites, and Laddie was excited to see a Cassatt painting in person after learning about her in school lately. Nearby was a favorite impressionist painting with a profusion of blooms -- I love the vagueness of the scene contrasted with the meticulous detail of the faces. But the <i>piece de resistance</i> is that French portrait of the woman in the magnificent dress. While I wouldn't consider the artist a favorite (in fact, I'm not really fond of his other work at all!), I think it might be my favorite portrait of all time. It's stunning. The pearls appear three dimensional, and you can make out the veins in her hands. Just look at the lace and brocade! And her eyes... It's been years since I've seen it, and it still captivates me. As we wandered the galleries, I couldn't help feeling grateful that we could enjoy such a feast for the eyes (and the soul, I would argue). What a gift! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once we'd reached the limits of patience and attention spans (and completed the museum's scavenger hunt), we decamped to a nearby coffee shop. We had to cross a footbridge, thereby fulfilling a lifelong dream for my 8-year-old, apparently. This was arguably the preferred destination for most of our "tour group!" Especially since we sampled several pastries (the peaches and cream cupcake pictured was my favorite of the lot -- superb!). And that may have been my first candied orange mocha, but it will not be my last... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then home again, and off with the rain boots (but keeping the cozy woolly socks). I bought a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002IO9QYC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1" target="_blank">boot jack</a> a while back, because trying to get my wellies off when I was pregnant with Kit proved to be quite the ordeal! Even now that my calves have returned to normal size, it makes boot removal so much simpler. And it's identical to the one my parents got in England, so I enjoy the nostalgia.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Life has been so full, what with one thing and another. Somehow sweet, chubby little Kit is well on his way to his first birthday, and today is supposedly the first day of summer (but I think that must be a mistake? Last week was January, wasn't it?). I'm hoping to return to this space more regularly, but after the year we've had I know better than to make any promises. But I'm glad you could come along on today's excursion. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoAAdhoHEtq6wDWfBp6qniWmKVrpHF6OpQU7sc0DBMQnkBYtkWhDfTjeMfzv9vaQOXGOer5q8UHDLp1gB60uniG7PduBWla_d9T3_B7wrpS7Y_84_PCDLUycOEIU7uNz5Dcoa1fbtFv9pZizMGPqvi_CwVCwaMXnxYp10-cPWYyx63OjUalZ0LCQFHfVg/s3208/20230621_164156.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3208" data-original-width="1806" height="897" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoAAdhoHEtq6wDWfBp6qniWmKVrpHF6OpQU7sc0DBMQnkBYtkWhDfTjeMfzv9vaQOXGOer5q8UHDLp1gB60uniG7PduBWla_d9T3_B7wrpS7Y_84_PCDLUycOEIU7uNz5Dcoa1fbtFv9pZizMGPqvi_CwVCwaMXnxYp10-cPWYyx63OjUalZ0LCQFHfVg/w504-h897/20230621_164156.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3zZXchxldZaC8NH2IHMGTnw-fyNcE2oVSE9lcr3HANGu1hvjl998nVwe9NJv1mhqMUjpiLoS2Ojhz7zZauaTFoyKwu9b2EMFBh-5MDv5NwZw5mlcB1P1qDpk9EiwD4aHs6soC-z4QM-369DKsnUCKKe9vUjajd_RZ1UCAYENMj12L5_vO9wt8lu_eF4R/s4000/20230621_171805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="796" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3zZXchxldZaC8NH2IHMGTnw-fyNcE2oVSE9lcr3HANGu1hvjl998nVwe9NJv1mhqMUjpiLoS2Ojhz7zZauaTFoyKwu9b2EMFBh-5MDv5NwZw5mlcB1P1qDpk9EiwD4aHs6soC-z4QM-369DKsnUCKKe9vUjajd_RZ1UCAYENMj12L5_vO9wt8lu_eF4R/w448-h796/20230621_171805.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-48835677192963883772022-10-27T20:00:00.004-07:002022-10-27T20:10:32.482-07:00Don't Blink<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDPKMWClgv5ET3TQ720rUoPAE5H4FZoyRZDMrjgvRsW92fVBCBWyITpojvRX8IwdrrzTLdqDXfO3dfJDEGd-m06plHuUdX_LtryjC-g-L720BSHCLZPyxVRTJJlcl6m-gP-GAj3I5g608Wt-xgQu2KX-M-JMILu2vyguAs6LRSm8T3KQN9RPh4tVOJA/s3083/Baby%20boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3083" data-original-width="2312" height="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDPKMWClgv5ET3TQ720rUoPAE5H4FZoyRZDMrjgvRsW92fVBCBWyITpojvRX8IwdrrzTLdqDXfO3dfJDEGd-m06plHuUdX_LtryjC-g-L720BSHCLZPyxVRTJJlcl6m-gP-GAj3I5g608Wt-xgQu2KX-M-JMILu2vyguAs6LRSm8T3KQN9RPh4tVOJA/w507-h676/Baby%20boy.jpg" width="507" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />I'm always a little heartbroken when I'm reminded again how fleeting these newborn days are. The hours turn into days and weeks, while my baby seems to grow before my very eyes. This season is not always blissful or idyllic, but it is so very dear. <br /><br />It's a retreat from "loftier" pursuits to care for a tiny soul's simple needs of food and warmth and touch -- needs that I can satisfy with my own body, because God's design is very good indeed. <br /><br />It's a reminder that my heavenly Father cares for me even more tenderly than I care for my littlest love (and a reminder that I'm as utterly dependent on Him as my baby is on me).<br /><br />It's a reprieve from the groanings of a weary world -- life in the face of death, joy in the midst of darkness, a taste of the good things that He has promised to bring to pass.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Our soul waits for the Lord;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">He is our help and our shield.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For our heart is glad in Him,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">because we trust in His holy name.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Let yYur steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">even as we hope in You.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Psalm 33:20-22</span></b></i></div> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-34982483731457273592022-10-16T05:43:00.009-07:002022-10-16T05:43:00.226-07:00Tiniest Blessing<p> It's hard to believe, but it's true -- our sweet rainbow baby made it earthside, and is safely in our arms! Praise God for His astounding grace! </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhproEb8Eq1qzstvW8VIUctC0ShfbYYJm-vSOBnh0j_U16QqVo12kYOLArOHQmIfBs_gsy8PcsKK0wIIi6154brbdfYIQfAeFcex6YLo8hu0ubZHsDWYHgC_NNbvhdZoZu3RTz4OFJ_VrngXOS1jrva8U0BeF6FN9S4JMvvHNSi7sgh0_LqszhIns9SrQ/s3772/Gaelen-6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3772" data-original-width="2122" height="1001" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhproEb8Eq1qzstvW8VIUctC0ShfbYYJm-vSOBnh0j_U16QqVo12kYOLArOHQmIfBs_gsy8PcsKK0wIIi6154brbdfYIQfAeFcex6YLo8hu0ubZHsDWYHgC_NNbvhdZoZu3RTz4OFJ_VrngXOS1jrva8U0BeF6FN9S4JMvvHNSi7sgh0_LqszhIns9SrQ/w563-h1001/Gaelen-6.jpg" width="563" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>I did fill out the birth announcement! In retrospect, it would have been much easier to<br />take an "internet friendly" photo before filling it out, rather than editing it out later...</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>"Kit" is absolutely precious and perfect, and we all adore him. It's so sweet to see his older siblings loving on him; it's been so long since there's been a baby in the house.</p><p>The days leading up to his birth were hardly "peaceful" -- our water heater died suddenly, storms took out the power the next day, and there was a baby shower scheduled on his due date! Happily, he cooperated and I didn't go into labor until the power was back on and he had been properly celebrated. We did have to wait a few extra days for the hot water, but at least we had the ability to heat it manually again (thank goodness I wasn't interested in a water birth!).</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9acQSDVe5GFa0qti-TpBNMOGxyTsr-rsMsPOsJRPOpAkDKC0uoflQEPxK0Kx_h7uZ8XDVyvRTBiQWFed9iNN3Y3aN09hsT_3vJA8OvLRP7moNZJPoOoZxtuxy5UrUxI-spwagjYOw-OA8RS0cgYWwNf2xB7XJ_MZJrVKVu5AT9uOFCefuAUEADz59A/s4000/Gaelen-07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="768" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9acQSDVe5GFa0qti-TpBNMOGxyTsr-rsMsPOsJRPOpAkDKC0uoflQEPxK0Kx_h7uZ8XDVyvRTBiQWFed9iNN3Y3aN09hsT_3vJA8OvLRP7moNZJPoOoZxtuxy5UrUxI-spwagjYOw-OA8RS0cgYWwNf2xB7XJ_MZJrVKVu5AT9uOFCefuAUEADz59A/w432-h768/Gaelen-07.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Wrinkly newborn hands</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>I was unsure what to expect with this birth -- you'd think I'd be more confident at this point, but it had been 5 years since I'd done this, and this was our first home birth. Also, my last birth was only 1 1/2 hrs from start to finish. Talk about a hard act to follow! Anything over two or three hours would surely seem disappointing by comparison.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM8bHRM0u8Tokj8b2Gz6q3hrAVgupqAbYCUpoC1eWogUs7rAlrJt8ZiArX1-Lnqy3eGsspWKAP5B-yroS3Aiztsk3QsVNwejv_ZjS8NdLvEraTTL2DqIbDbpNkoaIf016RdJhhvHW0iIDwptkM7xA-blR0oDpo5He1nGrhHRF2-McuPqgWCWHVlHrVw/s4000/IMG_20221006_140937067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="732" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM8bHRM0u8Tokj8b2Gz6q3hrAVgupqAbYCUpoC1eWogUs7rAlrJt8ZiArX1-Lnqy3eGsspWKAP5B-yroS3Aiztsk3QsVNwejv_ZjS8NdLvEraTTL2DqIbDbpNkoaIf016RdJhhvHW0iIDwptkM7xA-blR0oDpo5He1nGrhHRF2-McuPqgWCWHVlHrVw/w412-h732/IMG_20221006_140937067.jpg" width="412" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Some of the lovely blooms arranged for Kit's <br />shower by a dear lady from our church</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>I'd had some prodromal labor over the past few weeks, mostly just the odd contraction here or there. But then I woke up at 3:30am and couldn't figure out why my stomach hurt. As the fog cleared, I realized that I'd had a contraction, stronger than the prodromal labor. The contractions continued every ten minutes or so, but as I sat on my birth ball and tracked them on my app, I realized two things. One, I was quite tired and wanted to sleep more! And two, there was no real progression, and therefore no reason to wake my husband or the midwife. I went back to sleep, waking every 13 to 20 minutes to record my contractions. I finally got up around 8, feeling a bit more rested but also confused -- I'd never had labor that just didn't progress! After five hours of mild, erratic contractions, nothing seemed to be happening. But I had some bleeding and the contractions weren't stopping, so surely this was the real deal? I let my midwife know, and continued to track contractions while I did some last minute prep and house cleaning,</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK6TfiP6cDMK7p2-RgXFMuJEEZCgNncr4hygP4BJsZW3RYANWu1kdKnkphnaRBX5Y6TG8yveraPec9jGYCRn5AxrNlQaiyCkk4JII0lQl9IFBU_r6RqXWpDQDhpiuNVZmsz6CvhmmhSkwXyngJ-jgyrrfVuAq8MBt4TicehWmn8DIj9g44-KHsAkrng/s3572/Gaelen-08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3572" data-original-width="1822" height="717" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSK6TfiP6cDMK7p2-RgXFMuJEEZCgNncr4hygP4BJsZW3RYANWu1kdKnkphnaRBX5Y6TG8yveraPec9jGYCRn5AxrNlQaiyCkk4JII0lQl9IFBU_r6RqXWpDQDhpiuNVZmsz6CvhmmhSkwXyngJ-jgyrrfVuAq8MBt4TicehWmn8DIj9g44-KHsAkrng/w365-h717/Gaelen-08.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Itty bitty baby toes -- how can a toenail be that tiny?</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>By 11, I was frustrated -- not so much because labor was difficult or tiring (I wasn't even vocalizing during contractions because they were quite mild), but because it was already my second longest labor with no sign of progress! My midwife checked in, and when I told her what was happening (or rather, what <i>wasn't</i> happening), she suggested that I do ten inversions -- while Kit had been in the same favorable birth position since his 20 week anatomy scan (left occipital anterior), it was possible that his head wasn't engaging in my pelvis properly. Apparently the solution to this is to put your knees on the couch and your forearms on the floor...while you're having a contraction. Let's just say this was NOT my favorite activity! </p><p></p><p>My midwife and I agreed that I would let her know when active labor started; after four births, we were both confident I would know when it was "time." </p><p>As I started doing the inversions, my contractions immediately grew closer and more consistent: 6-7 minutes apart. Still not active labor, but at least some definite progress! But after five inversions, I was hit with my strongest contraction yet -- I was certainly vocalizing now. Another strong contraction followed 2-3 minutes later, and I texted my midwife to let her know: </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfNzcVOTHHDaT13qlNzDp5bR2MY7vM1B6Llz-fwVlMUL87brxZ_8T0dyt06LYCHid4SZbrCrnYtQiBVUDBUVUW4D0gI2Awnfy9UveIRs_7tkLsqQNNFKe6T3OBGozS39MEmnxXPjdofn5yg8DDPrYJzBeSjQmNhrlKKgdonfVvkRz44uXl8Kd8M2XAA/s924/Screenshot_20221002-145445-059.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="720" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfNzcVOTHHDaT13qlNzDp5bR2MY7vM1B6Llz-fwVlMUL87brxZ_8T0dyt06LYCHid4SZbrCrnYtQiBVUDBUVUW4D0gI2Awnfy9UveIRs_7tkLsqQNNFKe6T3OBGozS39MEmnxXPjdofn5yg8DDPrYJzBeSjQmNhrlKKgdonfVvkRz44uXl8Kd8M2XAA/w349-h449/Screenshot_20221002-145445-059.png" width="349" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />There are just two minutes between my last text and <br />my husband's "announcement" text! Forgive all the<br />typos, we were all in a bit of a rush...</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p>My husband had just gotten our daughter, who wanted to be there for the birth. As soon as I texted that I was feeling "pushy," I had another contraction. This one was incredibly intense, and my immediate thought was, "I don't want to do this anymore!" That should have been a clue -- hitting the notorious "wall" in labor is a sure sign that birth is imminent. But I usually feel the urge to push before it's actually time, so I didn't think much of it (I was more concerned about how many of these intense contractions I was going to have before the actual birth!).</p><p> I was leaning on our dresser during that contraction, and suddenly realized that the amount of pressure I was feeling could only mean one thing. I reached down and felt Kit's head, and I don't even remember pushing again as I caught the rest of him in my hands! He started crying straight away, and I held him to my chest while my husband helped me to the bed (which we'd fortunately prepared several hours earlier). My husband texted the midwife "he's here," so she called us and stayed on the phone while she drove to our house. Kit and I settled in for some skin-to-skin, and were snuggled up together when she arrived. So much for knowing when to call the midwife! Though, in my defense, I only had 4-6 minutes of what I'd call "active" labor. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI06jb2Qll6u-dhie8UQNi56vSSBx1wACB5WJxHQdsCgfcb0pWO7uVyInnn-ZlfqiyvjIVFqmdZhgSMlv9pvUfiZfcRFWEQ_RzyhioyET2qekAoUc4b2i4J42izov2Nt0k4BZk38GWBSh2Ls62p-JCVbfliCvQLBsytfsI__YUlHUBmhXnFkWUmzM7ww/s3264/Gaelen-10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="539" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI06jb2Qll6u-dhie8UQNi56vSSBx1wACB5WJxHQdsCgfcb0pWO7uVyInnn-ZlfqiyvjIVFqmdZhgSMlv9pvUfiZfcRFWEQ_RzyhioyET2qekAoUc4b2i4J42izov2Nt0k4BZk38GWBSh2Ls62p-JCVbfliCvQLBsytfsI__YUlHUBmhXnFkWUmzM7ww/w404-h539/Gaelen-10.jpg" width="404" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>I was sure this thrifted Gap "wrap" top would be perfect for <br />skin-to-skin, and it is! I love snuggling with this tiny fellow.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Birthing the placenta proved a bit trickier, as my contractions stopped altogether as soon as Kit came out. I got a dose of Angelica and then Blue & Black Cohosh before it cooperated. But I had barely any blood loss (not even a cup, according to the midwife), and felt great the entire time. </p><p>Technically, Kit was born <i>en caul</i>, because my water broke after/while he emerged -- I've always hoped this would happen, and thought it might be possible since my waters have never broken on their own (with my first four births, my doctor/midwife ruptured the sac immediately prior to birth). But Kit's sac broke as I caught him, so I didn't get to "see" it; I've watched some insane videos of babies born entirely <i>en caul</i>, where they're basically still "in the womb" on the outside! It's exceedingly rare, though.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eE4xdCZd5B0czS3g9AADDQFUTudmPW-N7j4biR3AZZI4AguXI4B2UID82rE4jvyLhq-GHNCb2VXfHnGfih3YwJ06U_HsCaKt_IsJuM3ehsW6_1FPxFuMKOwkmgNEthgZ1w-rdOaN7FwB1_RyLZpMQEKBhjtxxRF4s1kH4ScqalbjfppnnPR99sSR1Q/s4000/Gaelen-09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="649" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eE4xdCZd5B0czS3g9AADDQFUTudmPW-N7j4biR3AZZI4AguXI4B2UID82rE4jvyLhq-GHNCb2VXfHnGfih3YwJ06U_HsCaKt_IsJuM3ehsW6_1FPxFuMKOwkmgNEthgZ1w-rdOaN7FwB1_RyLZpMQEKBhjtxxRF4s1kH4ScqalbjfppnnPR99sSR1Q/w365-h649/Gaelen-09.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>I'm terrible about actually taking time to recover post-birth,<br />but I'm doing my best to rest this time.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>One thing I found odd was how clean Kit was after birth -- he wasn't goopy or messy at all! After we'd had a good, long snuggle, he had his exam. My initial guess was that he was less than 7 pounds, and he weighed in at barely over 7 pounds. It may seem strange, but this was an answer to...well, not so much a prayer as a hope. Scout was a whisper over 11 pounds at birth (a nurse at his birth had to go exchange the newborn diaper she had ready for a size 1! <i>*wink*</i>). While I would be overjoyed to welcome another baby of any size to our family, I really do love the tiny newborn phase. With Scout, I felt like I had birthed a toddler! My midwives had assured me that Kit was not a big baby, but I wouldn't have dared hope that he'd be our smallest yet. Especially since he "cooked" about two weeks longer than his three oldest siblings, who averaged 7 1/2 pounds. Even newborn clothes seem generously sized, and he curls up into such a sweet little bundle. I'm savoring this phase...and ordering a few newborn diapers. </p><p><br /></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnd9qwyeMDT7RjspzeX24zhhcDQhWg1zZcyeg1blrg1-9_KTfhx-q2t5gc9UAJdkrJNC44V3bgh9XQHRd_MbOlD1cSqyVEpbat_WLOeT48-B5fkwZZ--uKFa2cD3u0a0Gukcou_dwysLu0x2RwEVdQExGJq0_heaUdy0lN-tnwSG9OAeFkrxoKI0y7A/s4000/IMG_20221005_091221779.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="773" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnd9qwyeMDT7RjspzeX24zhhcDQhWg1zZcyeg1blrg1-9_KTfhx-q2t5gc9UAJdkrJNC44V3bgh9XQHRd_MbOlD1cSqyVEpbat_WLOeT48-B5fkwZZ--uKFa2cD3u0a0Gukcou_dwysLu0x2RwEVdQExGJq0_heaUdy0lN-tnwSG9OAeFkrxoKI0y7A/w435-h773/IMG_20221005_091221779.jpg" width="435" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><i>They fit! I can't describe how wonderful it is to finally <br /></i><i>have two tiny feet inside these little booties.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>I'm grateful that we planned a home birth -- not only would I have not even made it to the car under the circumstances, but without my midwife's knowledge of labor positions, who knows how long my labor would have lasted (perhaps even ending in an unnecessary C-section). As it turns out, our home birth was even better than I could have imagined! Our littles were able to meet their newest sibling right away, and no one had to wear a mask -- two things that would not be possible with current hospital regulations. I also felt far more rested than usual. No one took my baby away for exams, and there was no need to pack up and get in the car for the drive home. Perhaps best of all, we weren't rushing to the hospital; I've gone through transition during the ride to the hospital twice, and I wouldn't be disappointed to never repeat that experience! Admittedly, I was blessed with a birth easier than I would have dared ask for -- another gift that I do not take for granted. Bringing our rainbow baby into the world in such a peaceful (but exciting!) way was better than I could have dreamed. </p><p>I'm trying to soak up every fleeting moment of this newborn phase. Kit is changing so much already, and I don't want to miss a thing! Happily, nursing has gone well despite a mild lip and tongue tie (and my body's confident belief in the first week or so that we're feeding ten babies! Haha...). In spite of ending up in the hospital for observation this week -- the longest 24 hours of my life , even though it was just a precaution -- Kit is thriving, and has been such a joy and delight. We're all hopelessly besotted.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfDW06tw7kf0uidv7ekuo8mf4cov2quBG8lUK66WATdhlYxAHu2LGtFxih8LDA9f9R7P9TevrhzSmkL_7RHLozvFwy7GalOvwtezmBvRKjGIfxa-Lln4ysHIgbLSyqE1s6WIycx_kMyOD7RErjBMFGZqVwlHuK4byON2JCGoWq_W-R7h1zNHHp4DT_g/s4000/IMG_20221006_155811453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfDW06tw7kf0uidv7ekuo8mf4cov2quBG8lUK66WATdhlYxAHu2LGtFxih8LDA9f9R7P9TevrhzSmkL_7RHLozvFwy7GalOvwtezmBvRKjGIfxa-Lln4ysHIgbLSyqE1s6WIycx_kMyOD7RErjBMFGZqVwlHuK4byON2JCGoWq_W-R7h1zNHHp4DT_g/w360-h640/IMG_20221006_155811453.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Welcome to the world, little Kit!</p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-36615586622182213602022-09-30T07:23:00.000-07:002022-09-30T07:23:15.883-07:00Waiting on a Rainbow (with a little sewing on the side)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had every intention of getting some maternity photos with this pregnancy around 34-35 weeks -- after all the heartache we've been through in the last four years, this "rainbow" pregnancy was certainly something to commemorate. And I've always regretted not getting decent bump photos with most of my babies (only Little Man has a handful of "maternity" photos, taken in my parents' back yard -- my goodness, <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2010/12/speechless-year.html" target="_blank">my husband and I look like babies ourselves</a>!). I knew exactly what I wanted to wear, the absolutely lovely <a href="https://emmemama.com/products/the-eliza-dress-in-cinnamon-xs-3xl?_pos=1&_sid=a24bf5d97&_ss=r" target="_blank">"Eliza" dress from Emme Mama</a>. The only problem was the price tag...it's hard to justify spending more on a cotton gauze everyday dress than I did on my <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2010/02/dress-details.html" target="_blank">silk wedding gown</a>, even though it's a company I'd love to support because of their ethical manufacturing. I decided to try my hand at drafting my own dress, and even made a <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/06/streams-of-mercy-never-ceasing.html" target="_blank">trial run</a> before we moved (which was a significant help, as it turned out). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then our house needed more renovations than anticipated (well, not all of them were <i>needed</i>), and our shipment was delayed by a month... As you can imagine, sewing a new dress was hardly my top priority when our belongings finally showed up. I finally managed to squeeze in some sewing, and finished my "knock off" dress just before 37 weeks. Cutting it a bit close, wouldn't you say? Though during the delay, I remembered a local museum that has the loveliest grounds. It turned out to be the perfect setting, and we all wished we could stay longer (we were trying to find the happy medium between closing time and golden hour, so our visit was a bit rushed). I suppose we'll just have to go back! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4355" data-original-width="2903" height="783" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNopLZtvrCxP0MVmXfzkHlqfiCEqxfz4INTHnIHtCNZ8QOWIkDsZc9TWvzaVjGcQIZ28PijlelNATIlQ03uXvysEP5Q7zUl6q_vJDtA1FBlyjJhCdq5XJoZGkQLoiMtVv5tUX91oyYIX8awvjxICqe4Z95ef28MvcqHN3k_8agDjQoVVRYdXY8osP1w/w521-h783/Maternity%20Photos-03.jpg" width="521" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back to the dress details:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even with some experience to guide me, I had to tweak (and tweak, and tweak again) to get the fit right. After the first try-on, I had to reduce the length/circumference of the puffed sleeves and hack almost eight inches off the skirt -- which meant removing and reattaching the ruffle. At which point, I realized that the ruffle just wasn't full enough, and still a bit too long. So it was removed <i>again</i>, expanded to include an extra length of fabric, and re-hemmed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNopLZtvrCxP0MVmXfzkHlqfiCEqxfz4INTHnIHtCNZ8QOWIkDsZc9TWvzaVjGcQIZ28PijlelNATIlQ03uXvysEP5Q7zUl6q_vJDtA1FBlyjJhCdq5XJoZGkQLoiMtVv5tUX91oyYIX8awvjxICqe4Z95ef28MvcqHN3k_8agDjQoVVRYdXY8osP1w/s4355/Maternity%20Photos-03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x29MAY_Zvlqj4k9EYeSQpLbS2-yo-jJck-kdlr9bl-DBke34jUbvCz2Uc-J79SVgDR8bMoCuY6rggedwLdFfEm_a_Z2OmLc8S-RSXV9L8fxt0SPoGFFIHRYRq_SpY6cHxIr-wAWWEhhtzMnMR8704jEy-b0XsErQh0n2jVNdFp3kGbo3kFjf35wxVg/s3493/Maternity%20Photos-10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3493" data-original-width="2329" height="811" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x29MAY_Zvlqj4k9EYeSQpLbS2-yo-jJck-kdlr9bl-DBke34jUbvCz2Uc-J79SVgDR8bMoCuY6rggedwLdFfEm_a_Z2OmLc8S-RSXV9L8fxt0SPoGFFIHRYRq_SpY6cHxIr-wAWWEhhtzMnMR8704jEy-b0XsErQh0n2jVNdFp3kGbo3kFjf35wxVg/w540-h811/Maternity%20Photos-10.jpg" width="540" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel a bit narcissistic posting so many photos of just me (and Kit, by default!), but I've omitted photos with my husband and children for the sake of privacy. I promise that the rest of the family was involved; the littles have been so excited to welcome a new baby to the family, and it was truly sweet to capture memories with them as we all anticipate this little rainbow's arrival.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It seems foolish to make a maternity dress only a few weeks from delivery! But it should prove a boon during that awkward postpartum stage (and beyond, for that matter); it's insanely comfortable <i>and</i> nursing friendly. Besides, it has a decidedly autumnal flair, so I suppose it wouldn't have been ideal for the blistering summer we've had.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/862508028/double-gauze-plain-fabric-muslin-cotton?click_key=dd471fbb4a523c2c09f686046eb866a29d4f2752%3A862508028&click_sum=ecd4054c&ref=shop_home_feat_1&bes=1&sts=1" target="_blank">cotton gauze on Etsy</a> -- the five yards I purchased yielded the dress with plenty to spare (in fact, I've already made a wee pair of <a href="https://www.misusu.co/products/summer-olli-shorts-pants-pdf-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Misusu Olli pants</a> and a bandana bib for Kit with the leftovers, and still have a yard or so left). It washed up beautifully, with a slightly squishy texture. In the end, the fabric cost about a fourth of the "inspiration" dress...considerably more budget friendly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBlZ_aaFLrE_u4rfVNxCXvJ-IqG9a1lfziVTFZSop37XTmgBcDJgGBGaZCCKGMMvKAwqlRFdLSz4IbYxg5wPDpRA1sbpOx1RZLzvv_OIiFgPXipKo7a6pWxU2AiEEv2LsuXvMZrFSM0SPWHrdZPghJ8NGamDRNDm2VlQvt-Ww9ZOypvm8iPUKIXCIiA/s3650/Maternity%20Photos-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3650" data-original-width="2433" height="755" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBlZ_aaFLrE_u4rfVNxCXvJ-IqG9a1lfziVTFZSop37XTmgBcDJgGBGaZCCKGMMvKAwqlRFdLSz4IbYxg5wPDpRA1sbpOx1RZLzvv_OIiFgPXipKo7a6pWxU2AiEEv2LsuXvMZrFSM0SPWHrdZPghJ8NGamDRNDm2VlQvt-Ww9ZOypvm8iPUKIXCIiA/w502-h755/Maternity%20Photos-01.jpg" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />I debated hiring a photographer for a maternity shoot, but in the end I'm glad it was just us -- I didn't need or want a whole album of photos, especially since there are only so many ways to pose with "the bump." But I did want to capture a few memories of a season that's come after so much waiting and prayer. Thanks to my in-house photographers (i.e., my husband and oldest son), a tripod/remote, and a bit of help from Lightroom, we were able to do just that. We even managed to get a full-family photo, which is a bit of a shock considering how many people and how little time we had. <i>*wink*</i><div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdO5LpkeVdQkl-RVP4dU2duBFWPqquIL46xYj1D9ME-dIDFrESgMys9VP1Dfv7y5LdT4g4ZIouC4lQ9nBXFgSc3yCekRbGZ-zo9Lkbl0e8ihRPnsX_0sR63ZrhgH14ShKhkvxbhkk3rA4dESYhTIx0QEcWh12WaQdHqWUtzINsPwgIOl1CRZQDd0fug/s3577/Maternity%20Photos-23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3577" data-original-width="2385" height="842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdO5LpkeVdQkl-RVP4dU2duBFWPqquIL46xYj1D9ME-dIDFrESgMys9VP1Dfv7y5LdT4g4ZIouC4lQ9nBXFgSc3yCekRbGZ-zo9Lkbl0e8ihRPnsX_0sR63ZrhgH14ShKhkvxbhkk3rA4dESYhTIx0QEcWh12WaQdHqWUtzINsPwgIOl1CRZQDd0fug/w560-h842/Maternity%20Photos-23.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>It's surreal to be here, in the final days before we meet this sweet boy, Lord willing. My heart overflows with gratitude for the Lord's undeserved mercies in bringing us to this point. So many times as we walked (stumbled? crawled?) through the valley of grief and recurrent loss, I wondered if the clouds would ever part. The darkness seemed so consuming and so endless at times. It's true, the scars of loss will never fully heal on this side of eternity -- I will always be a mama missing her babies until He wipes away my tears for good. And let me be quick to say that a "rainbow baby" was not the inevitable outcome of our valley sojourn, nor the only way God could bring healing and hope to our hearts. But I am so grateful for this little life, this tiny soul who has already brought so much joy to our family. He is not a "replacement" for the sweet babies we lost; he is a precious gift entrusted to our care. A gift that we do not take for granted.</div><div><br /></div><div>We're ready to meet you, Little Kit! <p></p></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-6480790813365097682022-09-20T19:14:00.003-07:002022-09-20T19:14:21.683-07:00Courageously Expecting<div>Shortly before this pregnancy, I came across <a href="https://jennyalbers.com/" target="_blank">Jenny Albers'</a> (at the time not-yet-released) book, <a href="https://jennyalbers.com/courageously-expecting/">Courageously Expecting</a>. It was advertised as a 30-day, Scripture-based devotional for women navigating the mingled joy and terror of pregnancy after loss -- which sounded wonderful, though I wondered (rather cynically) if I'd ever have a reason to read it. Lo and behold, five days after the release date I was holding a faintly positive pregnancy test. It took me two more months to actually order the book, a testament in itself to the protective layer of caution I'd wrapped myself in. Even then, I felt far from confident that this pregnancy would last -- but that was part of the reason I felt I should read it in the first place.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOH31U_Y_xt6VDUM6W2LSan8XbQFhuwaA7Yp2QTf56Jq53XY_FRcESMoXfehCQ0uduMnZ-OKflPupbtmws0GrrqnF8CHzpadmqVQzdVecaWf-FNnMXr-3SCIjalCFvGodQOyda-3AtW0ptw-aVPNAls4T2FlbCqKLR3qB2LzKux1DVf3y20yNM5IwxA/s3577/Maternity%20Photos-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3577" data-original-width="2385" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOH31U_Y_xt6VDUM6W2LSan8XbQFhuwaA7Yp2QTf56Jq53XY_FRcESMoXfehCQ0uduMnZ-OKflPupbtmws0GrrqnF8CHzpadmqVQzdVecaWf-FNnMXr-3SCIjalCFvGodQOyda-3AtW0ptw-aVPNAls4T2FlbCqKLR3qB2LzKux1DVf3y20yNM5IwxA/w426-h640/Maternity%20Photos-24.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As I started reading, I was so glad I'd summoned up the courage (no pun intended) to place that order. It took me far fewer than 30 days to finish, because I couldn't stop reading! It was such a blessing to find someone who could relate to what I felt, but who also pointed to Scripture as the source of truth about both my past and my future. No empty, "feel good" mantras or affirmations -- just trust in the One Who is writing my story, <i>even if</i> that story involves more loss. Jenny is gentle, but doesn't beat around the bush; once you've experienced pregnancy loss, there is no comfort to be found in saying "of course it won't happen again!" In her words:</div><div><div><br /></div><div><i>"It's hard to imagine your body producing a living being when you know so intimately its ability to destroy one." (pg 71)</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Hope.</i> It's a precious commodity when the line between life and death seems so fine, and so out of your control.</div><div><br /></div><i>"Most people would say I was 'expecting,' but it was more complicated than that. What was I expecting? Was I expecting life or death? Was I expecting to leave the hospital with or without my baby? Was I expecting a full-term birth or an early death? And even in the case of a full-term birth, I knew I wasn't guaranteed to deliver a living child." (pg xvi)</i><div><br /></div><div>The uncertainty can be crippling. Waiting, day after day, for the signs that your worst nightmare is coming true...again. Unable to say the words "when the baby's born," qualifying every statement about the future with the word "if." As someone who has always delighted in pregnancy, I have found it deeply saddening to lose not only my precious babies, but also the innocent joy of expectation. But:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"While pregnancy after loss isn't exactly the way we'd hoped to experience pregnancy, isn't it enough to help us cling to God's promise of a better day? Isn't today, with your womb full, a better day than when it was so heartbreakingly empty? Hasn't faith, even the smallest amount, carried you to this point?</i></div><div><i>God has given you this child right now, and even if you can't predict what the future holds -- even if you're scared and unsure and hope seems impossible to grasp -- might the life that's inside you right now be enough to spur you toward embracing that elusive hope in a tangible way?" (pg 123-124)</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDg0OwR5g4wxA9YH5CFxGenSvbqUs0F2ieEXCH-LUDyP44OV5TSrswcSRCWEp8rfvepbKEz9AnxylmTL9ovL8az_8X9qfYqFudC7qVr1h0-5OzTpYbguaiaxAQQXhLMjmGifq6kaNqdSP5k8QyRpUzBT1fQe8DtTVrawFGne4elUqu1mhsw7RIizDvg/s3089/Beach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3089" data-original-width="2059" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDg0OwR5g4wxA9YH5CFxGenSvbqUs0F2ieEXCH-LUDyP44OV5TSrswcSRCWEp8rfvepbKEz9AnxylmTL9ovL8az_8X9qfYqFudC7qVr1h0-5OzTpYbguaiaxAQQXhLMjmGifq6kaNqdSP5k8QyRpUzBT1fQe8DtTVrawFGne4elUqu1mhsw7RIizDvg/w426-h640/Beach.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll admit, I was skeptical when I ordered this book, unsure of what kind of theology I would find in its pages. So many, even in the Christian community, are quick to undermine God's sovereignty in an attempt to make bereaved mothers feel "better." They clearly haven't thought through the implications of a god (little "g" on purpose here) who desires to spare us from pain, but is incapable of preventing it! But <i>Courageously Expecting</i> proved to be filled with Scripture that underlined God's providential work in our lives. Instead of skirting the issue, Jenny acknowledges that even the babies we've lost are part of His plan -- and just because we don't understand why they couldn't stay doesn't mean that plan (or its Author) aren't good.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"Remember this: we have a God who knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows where we're going even when we don't, which is why we can be comforted even when our sense of control dissolves in our hands. There is comfort when we realize that our pregnancies are in hands far steadier than our own, and that our lives are being formed into something good even when we feel defeated." (pg 202)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like this post probably reads like a book advertisement (extra points if you pronounced that ad-VER-tiss-ment in your head!), but I couldn't help but share a book that was such an encouragement to me. While it didn't magically strip away my fears -- which would be an unrealistic expectation -- it helped me to process the emotions I felt and give voice to worries I was scared to verbalize. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, all women process pregnancy after loss differently. I don't recall feeling much anxiety with Laddie, my first "rainbow" pregnancy. I know I was concerned in the early weeks, but once we'd had a positive ultrasound and passed the gestation of our previous loss, that mostly vanished. This time, it's different. Six losses in a row, including one at 16 weeks, will challenge even the most persistent optimism. But at the same time, so much grief has also taught me something about the value of joy even in uncertainty. By 20 weeks, I felt mostly at peace. By 30 weeks I found myself saying, "when the baby comes." Now, at 38 weeks and planning a homebirth, preparation has been essential! Granted, I've been blessed with a blissfully smooth pregnancy so far, I've reached the "viability" milestone (when a baby has a good chance of surviving preterm birth), and am well past the point that we've ever lost a baby. But I'm not oblivious to the possibility of loss, even though I'm now in what's considered by many to be the "safe zone." If only there were such a thing! I know I can't guarantee the outcome I desire, but I also know that the precious life inside of me deserves to be celebrated, no matter what.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJh8rWiP3Ncec7soAZmdWKSHOCaNbZs0iIXKyy4fs_WmCdd-VpKnemJPK4hXcmnVNNLRRi3yI6ltDyLwne9dpsPoQLDX25pZ7TQhO8-w3jTly5dBdapVe_JaLxU0oe3CRbmvPG7QP1sdypZFu1jcwhZU2ScJqH8UK_7KK3TNJh7wgGGuk-US7lErpqw/s3756/ORchid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3756" data-original-width="2504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJh8rWiP3Ncec7soAZmdWKSHOCaNbZs0iIXKyy4fs_WmCdd-VpKnemJPK4hXcmnVNNLRRi3yI6ltDyLwne9dpsPoQLDX25pZ7TQhO8-w3jTly5dBdapVe_JaLxU0oe3CRbmvPG7QP1sdypZFu1jcwhZU2ScJqH8UK_7KK3TNJh7wgGGuk-US7lErpqw/w426-h640/ORchid.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As we've been blessed to add children to our family over the past decade, I've sometimes felt wistful for my first pregnancy; that may sound odd, but there is just something magical about that once-in-a-lifetime experience of becoming a parent for the first time. Granted, I didn't want to relive all of it! Even the passage of time hasn't totally erased the memories of bewilderment as we navigated those early weeks. Each successive pregnancy/birth/postpartum stage has grown easier, as those stages become more familiar to both my mind and my body. But somehow, my twelfth pregnancy feels like a first pregnancy (not counting the almost constant sight and sound of this baby's four energetic older siblings!). I've taken more bump photos than any of my other pregnancies, thrifted and sewn maternity and baby clothes, and taken such delight in preparing for this much-anticipated baby. For many loss mamas, those activities are just too painful or scary to contemplate, even in the third trimester; each mama's story is unique, and so is her response. For me, I've been waiting for years, and I don't want to miss out because I was too scared to enjoy this answer to many prayers (both mine and others'). </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd highly recommend Jenny's book for those who are pregnant after loss. I'm incredibly grateful to be here, counting down the days to our sweet baby's arrival -- this moment in time seemed so unattainable for so long. But no matter my circumstances, I'm always, always, carried in the arms of the One Who gives and takes away, and Who gave up His very own Son for me. That assurance is my true hope, and allows me to enjoy every blessing He grants along the way. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-20897331891464592882022-09-10T11:03:00.001-07:002022-09-10T11:26:47.704-07:00Easy Does It<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You know I'm a loyal knitter -- but sometimes I can't resist the speed and versatility of crochet! Especially when it's this sweet little pattern from <a href="https://josiahandco.ca/collections/crochet-patterns/products/crochet-pattern-classic-booties" target="_blank">Josiah + Co</a>, which I've had saved for ages. Having just finished up Kit's baby blanket (which I still haven't taken pictures of), I wanted a quick, simple project. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lp6yHPU9cFr_gZU_OuufhLwPJECJHBGydkKU5FLOdcN8eQWzpL2iOEstN7lBBAbLoiY3SwgK_ueTd_2dLPcpmWqdrh_fOtwlWANH3eXUR7mIK9ZiLu0y_PIZLseHkvZ2XQZ-qJhgow2caI680joutu-8QLGWTJcPtcRRYfJNbZgo3VCHDNxYjHJaMA/s3375/September-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4lp6yHPU9cFr_gZU_OuufhLwPJECJHBGydkKU5FLOdcN8eQWzpL2iOEstN7lBBAbLoiY3SwgK_ueTd_2dLPcpmWqdrh_fOtwlWANH3eXUR7mIK9ZiLu0y_PIZLseHkvZ2XQZ-qJhgow2caI680joutu-8QLGWTJcPtcRRYfJNbZgo3VCHDNxYjHJaMA/w426-h640/September-3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's only my second time using a crochet pattern (instead of a video tutorial), and it did present some difficulties! Mostly due to the lovely but confusing mock invisible join -- it hides the transition to each new round beautifully, but I just couldn't figure it out. In the end, I improvised a bit and am happy with the results. I would love to improve my confidence with written crochet patterns, though, as I still feel at a bit of a loose end and usually have to "practice" more than I'd like. Good thing crochet works up quickly! I was able to make both pairs of booties in two evenings, and I think I could cut down on that time significantly now that I've had some experience.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IoTE008NuKggBHm2uHiQT11_N9tG4iCYepXDRhydgYjhUBHyFOg1dSVAzI6bZpB7jssfownLKD1ywlGXF0S0PlDhrHC2Xv-Vo8N3bSpkKqc9P62Gkb_FIk-GxupyOUb98NNPhC21xdpNXHU1Bckg3535yJ-zrIBr4bKYpOW1prAZ-JojJuF9KXvknw/s3375/September-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IoTE008NuKggBHm2uHiQT11_N9tG4iCYepXDRhydgYjhUBHyFOg1dSVAzI6bZpB7jssfownLKD1ywlGXF0S0PlDhrHC2Xv-Vo8N3bSpkKqc9P62Gkb_FIk-GxupyOUb98NNPhC21xdpNXHU1Bckg3535yJ-zrIBr4bKYpOW1prAZ-JojJuF9KXvknw/w426-h640/September-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even though I used a worsted weight yarn, I needed a smaller hook than called for and my booties consequently are smaller than the pattern dimensions. But my babies have traditionally had small feet, so I don't think that's a bad thing! The rust booties (<a href="https://www.knitpicks.com/yarn/wool-of-the-andes-worsted/c/5420103" target="_blank">KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Persimmon Heather</a>) are knit in the smallest/newborn size, and ended up at 3 1/2" long (instead of four). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the blue booties, I knit the 6-12 months size in the hope that they'll fit at the same time as Kit's <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/05/bits-and-bobs-for-baby-boy.html" target="_blank">Summer Cardigan</a>, as they're made with the same <a href="https://www.knitpicks.com/yarn/wool-of-the-andes-tweed/c/5420211" target="_blank">KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Tweed in Marine Heather</a>. I'm guessing both cardigan and booties will be roughly 3 months size, but I suppose that depends on how big this baby is, and how quickly he grows. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkD2hNn1oj_tAuWmtP1D7S_VFb_DKmiZa1gED5hCEKaJtBJLOWbMDgT5ytCEBQ29kgYuBvOmuvQxnnRNVEmjPlQDdJkdySqD45gNER2gh7yjopV5bAb3uzKBUZ_k6Va87ItjHygj4MF8iUBTPjwN5mR2qLiq6_AK71sTqDDZQ86XGbxlCHik39EuvPg/s3375/September-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkD2hNn1oj_tAuWmtP1D7S_VFb_DKmiZa1gED5hCEKaJtBJLOWbMDgT5ytCEBQ29kgYuBvOmuvQxnnRNVEmjPlQDdJkdySqD45gNER2gh7yjopV5bAb3uzKBUZ_k6Va87ItjHygj4MF8iUBTPjwN5mR2qLiq6_AK71sTqDDZQ86XGbxlCHik39EuvPg/w426-h640/September-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br /> I decided to use tape yarn for the ties -- in this case, <a href="https://www.joann.com/hoooked-ribbonxl-yarn/16561045.html" target="_blank">Hoooked Ribbon XL yarn in Sandy Ecru (a colorway that is apparently now out of stock)</a>. I'm kind of curious what it's like to knit with, but it works beautifully for this purpose. And at only a yard per bootie, it's destined to last a while! <p></p><p>For now, Kit seems content to keep his little feet tucked up against my (ever growing) stomach, and that's all right with me. We're nearly at full term -- it's hard to believe his due date is less than a month away!</p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-83986111157458713772022-09-08T14:30:00.001-07:002022-09-08T14:34:34.695-07:00Last Looks<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I always look forward to the new adventures that come with military life, the farewells aren't easy. We've been blessed to find welcoming church families and friends every time we've moved, and I don't love leaving them behind (though there's always the hope of reunions, either here or in heaven!). But there are also the places. While I didn't get to say "goodbye" to every favorite spot, I'm so glad we managed a last visit to this woodland wonderland -- and yes, these pictures are from early June, but I'm feeling "nostalgic"...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrwhxId7pcd0mqOL8tR6be846fGnFjbB7_AA5GNaXVmJ9BNI9ETT4S7IeCSzxTppvXn1O6E0b1u8re-1GrZ4U70Gy--Sat0TwBSciURcIDez2NzrqgcwdZ6ijXsgwAAzWHJV3KkkX4pXENlxdDRgd8l_9dr5YaFinZvMxUF_caX1SUwddadyijv4Yvg/s4648/June-15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3099" data-original-width="4648" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrwhxId7pcd0mqOL8tR6be846fGnFjbB7_AA5GNaXVmJ9BNI9ETT4S7IeCSzxTppvXn1O6E0b1u8re-1GrZ4U70Gy--Sat0TwBSciURcIDez2NzrqgcwdZ6ijXsgwAAzWHJV3KkkX4pXENlxdDRgd8l_9dr5YaFinZvMxUF_caX1SUwddadyijv4Yvg/w640-h426/June-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>I wish you could smell the aroma of the sun-warmed pine needles!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzV-_HpmSNsZNzpxAXs4ha1lg6yvS5nn2DPWMWuNzyv5xhGn2ajE2UXfndHqstV2aY9xEhmNJHRRJO2vjE2vAyY4iZQMmnVSLMOQ3D7SyDXgTTCBmzQI_Mcl6z3C_KF4TchjtqzBbSD1sRa_wH16x0vHteSaSL05AfchAeKGAB70oT-ZGSTf2ZV0zYlA/s4752/June-01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4752" data-original-width="3168" height="743" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzV-_HpmSNsZNzpxAXs4ha1lg6yvS5nn2DPWMWuNzyv5xhGn2ajE2UXfndHqstV2aY9xEhmNJHRRJO2vjE2vAyY4iZQMmnVSLMOQ3D7SyDXgTTCBmzQI_Mcl6z3C_KF4TchjtqzBbSD1sRa_wH16x0vHteSaSL05AfchAeKGAB70oT-ZGSTf2ZV0zYlA/w494-h743/June-01.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Still snowcapped in June</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkIJYMzJW3_0rLQOk4C9Bty8egWkKBF-vap9RuOzVDpybQc_RjOtL4bH3sZJT9a-oTJ-EmwhaVacDd5jGV50BNBduLLpsR7xeQnNsd3rHZhc-e69qrP44CIU_Fk3RJv-iFrj-BXHc8lsTATGd0R9Ql6CPUKrm99l8q0IJtIpyidnOuOcUj8Y3OmNARQ/s4425/June-02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4425" data-original-width="2950" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkIJYMzJW3_0rLQOk4C9Bty8egWkKBF-vap9RuOzVDpybQc_RjOtL4bH3sZJT9a-oTJ-EmwhaVacDd5jGV50BNBduLLpsR7xeQnNsd3rHZhc-e69qrP44CIU_Fk3RJv-iFrj-BXHc8lsTATGd0R9Ql6CPUKrm99l8q0IJtIpyidnOuOcUj8Y3OmNARQ/w426-h640/June-02.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Lupine will always hold a special place in my heart!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhe5W_9mHkK-LFhe48cXVu1AR9jDwDraGTdO4bb2O4sYi0mcL_Cca1HdQfULPOrCGWVT-tgtq-fDCrJpIdg2tcFlkb3u3u0B2u2U8fVtXRyZirPoRcPkuAbAhgfWJABjgmDSz4JjhXS4ESUFmNXYa9_OxOi3iiVkXh34y-goeTHfIOYR6CgnEB1jBqQ/s4752/June-03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhe5W_9mHkK-LFhe48cXVu1AR9jDwDraGTdO4bb2O4sYi0mcL_Cca1HdQfULPOrCGWVT-tgtq-fDCrJpIdg2tcFlkb3u3u0B2u2U8fVtXRyZirPoRcPkuAbAhgfWJABjgmDSz4JjhXS4ESUFmNXYa9_OxOi3iiVkXh34y-goeTHfIOYR6CgnEB1jBqQ/w640-h426/June-03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Much as I love the beauty of the east coast, I'll miss these icy mountain rivers</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXi4zxkr3_EjBd5b5G_RBLo5ADYa32FpxvCwDUH0mqY0Smm116TdRGMceXEDapvweGo0CetumaOCaHJzd2aWXp2fLWFvmK_nm4BhgBVYTMuvnRy4IhM_OfVxnFs_D4E8yGAlj_2BWo_kSJzzG8H09kpMziIBTsy8LvjcCaQtzP2SR-edDWP0dTutcwEg/s4752/June-04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4752" data-original-width="3168" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXi4zxkr3_EjBd5b5G_RBLo5ADYa32FpxvCwDUH0mqY0Smm116TdRGMceXEDapvweGo0CetumaOCaHJzd2aWXp2fLWFvmK_nm4BhgBVYTMuvnRy4IhM_OfVxnFs_D4E8yGAlj_2BWo_kSJzzG8H09kpMziIBTsy8LvjcCaQtzP2SR-edDWP0dTutcwEg/w426-h640/June-04.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Snow plant, an unusual parasitic flower (notice the absence of green leaves)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4jKYoXKsejOzNuC74C3G5zpQfLhI7hEHzX98wf_htKIPULi9TFCUJ94295EZRdfuQPl9WXbOC-lWia0xOVif8Q-puru_8GH42DmnteaLXkihl7bQKzprHMocCweYQdbJ3GuG74S56zRJELjsmOzUWakjqxrpReGAApdMefAdqBeo71ZCbcpjmceZPQ/s4752/June-14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4jKYoXKsejOzNuC74C3G5zpQfLhI7hEHzX98wf_htKIPULi9TFCUJ94295EZRdfuQPl9WXbOC-lWia0xOVif8Q-puru_8GH42DmnteaLXkihl7bQKzprHMocCweYQdbJ3GuG74S56zRJELjsmOzUWakjqxrpReGAApdMefAdqBeo71ZCbcpjmceZPQ/w640-h426/June-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Whitewater</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7agaJxGFwiU8M8Fxyv0Z-uA_I-YOxbNmC3jx6SWvL_63PVfOOTTrzCw8hnTSiAO23EdQN2IrGiinFQi0fCAox9fJngZfEQN_pS3RBA20Q0vN0m-qrS9nm57Te7MPlNEJPp-TlC1ZgamisrNWnxU7yBT4N5YsILj0eSjlr7Pqdl0y4gv7OYNvDRNwbA/s3375/June-23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7agaJxGFwiU8M8Fxyv0Z-uA_I-YOxbNmC3jx6SWvL_63PVfOOTTrzCw8hnTSiAO23EdQN2IrGiinFQi0fCAox9fJngZfEQN_pS3RBA20Q0vN0m-qrS9nm57Te7MPlNEJPp-TlC1ZgamisrNWnxU7yBT4N5YsILj0eSjlr7Pqdl0y4gv7OYNvDRNwbA/w426-h640/June-23.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Little details, all tributes to God's glory</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-27820142104530384102022-08-23T06:57:00.002-07:002022-08-23T06:57:36.738-07:00The Accidentally Providential Cardigan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/04/faith-hope-and-love.html" target="_blank">Last August</a>, I bought some yarn to make a gift for what I thought might be my nephew (the baby's gender was a surprise, but I heard through the grapevine that a boy was suspected). I bought a gender neutral yarn, <a href="https://berroco.com/yarns/berroco-ultra-wool-fine" target="_blank">Berrocco Ultrawool Fine in colorway Driftwood</a>, from a local yarn shop and cast on a <a href="https://tincanknits.com/pattern/playdate?g=3">wee cardigan</a>. Well, turns out the nephew was a niece! But by that time, I was 99% done with the sweater and realized that the combination of yarn and pattern was definitely more masculine than gender neutral (I think a girl could wear it, but it didn't seem appropriate as a gift). The only steps left were sewing down the pockets, weaving in ends, and adding buttons. In other words, my least favorite steps in the construction process. So I stashed it away, and got to work on a more <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/03/a-wee-knit-for-wee-niece.html" target="_blank">feminine project</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fast forward a few months, and we finally had a <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-lord-has-done-great-things.html" target="_blank">rainbow baby</a> on the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fast forward a few more months, and we discovered that our <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/05/littlest-kit.html" target="_blank">rainbow baby is a boy</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And suddenly, I realized the sweater I'd made for my "nephew" was for my not-yet-existent son all along. This may seem like nothing more than a convenient coincidence, but knitting that sweater in the first place was not the easiest task to undertake, for reasons unrelated to pattern or yarn choice. <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2021/03/catching-up-january.html" target="_blank">Our own baby M was due</a> just a week before our niece -- but instead of knitting for my longed-for rainbow baby, I was knitting for his or her cousin. It's not the first time, either; of my six nieces and nephews, four are just a few months, weeks, or even days younger/older than the babies we lost would have been. Five of our seven losses have happened while my sisters-in-law were pregnant; as any loss mama can tell you, rejoicing with others is often (perhaps inevitably?) mingled with wistful longing for what you've lost yourself. As grateful as I am for those dear children, they will always be reminders of my own little loves that didn't get to stay. It's been a challenging journey to cope with that realization, in addition to the already-heavy weight of grief. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm grateful to be carrying a baby who will -- Lord willing -- be born almost exactly a year after baby M's due date. I was really knitting this wee sweater for Kit, the baby I could only dream of while I recovered from a surgery that I prayed would help us finally bring another baby earthside. That's why this simple sweater means so much to me now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGkopuW29qLxtRcF3ZW6COxIJw1SAdmObebS6v865WRI-e2jfT6anBhzQQ-1atsG8rwLz2C1yiJqq9xcQ3aqYgQhKBdjZ15JvI4Z6vN3zOOwz32uqYebwkFM7fWTZwu4c8uPCHG6Vi7aG7cLi6S12blsHbRjBQQoycz86ZQLBiz9jif7QfW_j5mUCwQ/s3375/Baby%20cardigan-4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="821" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGkopuW29qLxtRcF3ZW6COxIJw1SAdmObebS6v865WRI-e2jfT6anBhzQQ-1atsG8rwLz2C1yiJqq9xcQ3aqYgQhKBdjZ15JvI4Z6vN3zOOwz32uqYebwkFM7fWTZwu4c8uPCHG6Vi7aG7cLi6S12blsHbRjBQQoycz86ZQLBiz9jif7QfW_j5mUCwQ/w546-h821/Baby%20cardigan-4.jpg" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />I'm realizing as I look at this photo that it buttons the "wrong way" for a boy --<br />but that's how the pattern is written, and surely a baby can get away with it?</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, I didn't plan for this to be an "emotional" post, but here we are. Perhaps pregnancy hormones are getting the better of me! On to less sentimental details... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I used <a href="https://tincanknits.com/pattern/playdate?g=3" target="_blank">Tin Can Knits' Playdate Cardigan pattern</a>, which is generously sized from 0-3 mths through adult. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VNzTHOurs8TaCdFX_h_yYGbiBIjuhrDd71h2So11GISFdluOidMaOu2PqxD29nNKtXZRaDBRoPGfJ__WlaDIZfy6xEOQgmFZz058-e2-7SEUfjrXanh5D-TzhhW_IHTkZ1nwWb1hNv_yKXAHf1wPQX0Lygx2xsowP2aZdsbVNtyG23WDrw0hcAONFw/s3375/Baby%20cardigan-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VNzTHOurs8TaCdFX_h_yYGbiBIjuhrDd71h2So11GISFdluOidMaOu2PqxD29nNKtXZRaDBRoPGfJ__WlaDIZfy6xEOQgmFZz058-e2-7SEUfjrXanh5D-TzhhW_IHTkZ1nwWb1hNv_yKXAHf1wPQX0Lygx2xsowP2aZdsbVNtyG23WDrw0hcAONFw/w426-h640/Baby%20cardigan-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I knit the 3-6 months size with smaller-than-called-for needles to suite my chosen yarn, and I'd say it's about a 3 months size. That should be perfect for Kit, who's due in early fall. I'd certainly knit this pattern again! it's been a long time since my older boys have had a mama-made sweater, and this would be a good candidate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried wood and tortoiseshell buttons of various kinds, but they were all the wrong shade of brown or too plastic. So coconut shell buttons it was (a recent favorite of mine), sewn on "backwards." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I still can't figure out if I managed to knit my pockets to different lengths, or if I blocked them poorly, but they're not quite the same depth! Somehow I doubt Kit will either notice or care, and it's not visible from the front unless you look very hard (which you now will, since I was foolish enough to point it out...). It was my first time doing pockets like this, and was rather fun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqGuMXfQ3GdHvBZ3GnohridW_26QQGcSpDHQ-loxKmC2_9eNPNStKhUTrJxXz108qmyGUK8Ee1tGU61gD12sXBYg6lSBSHoK9geXpn5KP3Mbgd_-q9WMtgB3y7dPaPRt8k53jLd6-AyIHJcf-W3rJ0O3RyYmzWMt8E9tWAr4CVu0jf-REa9x6tz7iRg/s2250/Baby%20cardigan-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqGuMXfQ3GdHvBZ3GnohridW_26QQGcSpDHQ-loxKmC2_9eNPNStKhUTrJxXz108qmyGUK8Ee1tGU61gD12sXBYg6lSBSHoK9geXpn5KP3Mbgd_-q9WMtgB3y7dPaPRt8k53jLd6-AyIHJcf-W3rJ0O3RyYmzWMt8E9tWAr4CVu0jf-REa9x6tz7iRg/w640-h640/Baby%20cardigan-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div>I do much prefer raglan sleeves to pick-up ones -- I'd almost rather knit the sleeves separate and sew them in, to be honest. For some reason I usually have to do multiple pick-ups to get the counts right, and that becomes tiresome rather quickly. But I sorted it out and am happy with the result. Now they just need chubby little baby arms to fill them, but that project's still underway...</div><div><div><br /></div></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-81462740274148643532022-08-03T09:15:00.001-07:002022-08-03T09:15:19.771-07:00Hold, Please<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been absent for a while, for the simple reason that our move is still "underway," and I am not skilled at blogging from my phone!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We started the trek east in late June, and somehow it's already August. With four littles, a dog, and two vehicles packed with travel supplies and oddments left over from the move (they won't pack liquids, batteries, light bulbs, etc, and we knew we'd need air mattresses and other supplies), it was hardly a "vacation." But after six days of driving, we finally reached Florida. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYINO1Xz29vb-CVXyMglCw0XVTGHHy3cI1xQfTodelsr1QooA_cWwDEU4nEtZ3mTWWGkzZUZ_zetS-XJ9ytT9swxcpR2HaZUantlXlebNFuOaYN345o_C0F4Q1eLYllkekku_g8raFBksqVktMJ10oFStiQK7vXsKg0xtZEQ3SZH6fdnF-2ylJF5JGA/s3601/IMG_20220626_095407858.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3601" data-original-width="2026" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYINO1Xz29vb-CVXyMglCw0XVTGHHy3cI1xQfTodelsr1QooA_cWwDEU4nEtZ3mTWWGkzZUZ_zetS-XJ9ytT9swxcpR2HaZUantlXlebNFuOaYN345o_C0F4Q1eLYllkekku_g8raFBksqVktMJ10oFStiQK7vXsKg0xtZEQ3SZH6fdnF-2ylJF5JGA/w360-h640/IMG_20220626_095407858.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>While neither my husband nor I consider ourselves Floridians anymore, it was home for many years (and still is to our nearest and dearest) -- and coming home felt good after years spent out west. The humidity was a bit of an adjustment, to be sure! And we managed to arrive during a particularly rainy/stormy season; I think we have been officially "rehydrated" after our desert sojourn... </div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHHAUm8LedbNZ7lKpfr01nIVADV2gZOe3D8Pz749iSsuQUTcxPSV8AD13pNfzowEL8oyPFB4nRLUQKPjq9mUog-ktxi0VIYZodQPi1scGu6fJByOMM9AY78VJYlD1e35xb7SLVJCfkpJiM3JBTqwz_DZY-H6FpWJucA9BpDRQ5KTWspIQ8WT-GQqUnA/s3375/IMG_20220629_091502085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHHAUm8LedbNZ7lKpfr01nIVADV2gZOe3D8Pz749iSsuQUTcxPSV8AD13pNfzowEL8oyPFB4nRLUQKPjq9mUog-ktxi0VIYZodQPi1scGu6fJByOMM9AY78VJYlD1e35xb7SLVJCfkpJiM3JBTqwz_DZY-H6FpWJucA9BpDRQ5KTWspIQ8WT-GQqUnA/w426-h640/IMG_20220629_091502085.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This little guy was hanging out on my parents' steps one morning</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>We enjoyed a taste of beach life -- much more enjoyable now that all the "littles" aren't so little. Laddie surprised me by getting the hang of snorkeling pretty quickly (albeit in shallow water, as he's still a beginner swimmer), and we hunted hermit crabs and let the fish nibble our toes.<div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstxhgmkyl1ralpyZpsyLUMAytsKAwuIZGENsGdLpElFORV6MaoS-_xeCGTqzvVnuQloitOB-0TJeS_A_HIGsw1Ong6JeAA4ec8LZuR2panm5SVM-a-NcjXZIWy0DPCErSk2Luu4VG8ENxnTy01Lp9Y42TAgRIKGfqARTl2Q-F0_WKt1BC4AcUKBOgKQ/s3112/IMG_20220629_095229652.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3112" data-original-width="2075" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstxhgmkyl1ralpyZpsyLUMAytsKAwuIZGENsGdLpElFORV6MaoS-_xeCGTqzvVnuQloitOB-0TJeS_A_HIGsw1Ong6JeAA4ec8LZuR2panm5SVM-a-NcjXZIWy0DPCErSk2Luu4VG8ENxnTy01Lp9Y42TAgRIKGfqARTl2Q-F0_WKt1BC4AcUKBOgKQ/w426-h640/IMG_20220629_095229652.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But by far, the best part of our trip was spending time with both sides of our family -- that time is so precious, and we truly had the best time just being together (and eating lots of good food!). Rosa got to visit her first tea shop with her aunt and grandmother, and it was such a sweet memory.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7X2j8hEvK9d9XdGYzHpWC7eJcmy-NAQO0Qmy0bdAYqv2EYA2hWyiFc8HeNXb8ga5szx_seF2Rt5oEqkJHUZbe5Ko83grgmPMGm9mF4J2HQUahsDU6E4AODUdRc_zfJx5O3VIdcYDbvCpCxk1WKUgW5pYW-KchdcQ8aqKsmZP9i0Qb4ed1bEV4j57kA/s4000/IMG_20220629_130020769.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7X2j8hEvK9d9XdGYzHpWC7eJcmy-NAQO0Qmy0bdAYqv2EYA2hWyiFc8HeNXb8ga5szx_seF2Rt5oEqkJHUZbe5Ko83grgmPMGm9mF4J2HQUahsDU6E4AODUdRc_zfJx5O3VIdcYDbvCpCxk1WKUgW5pYW-KchdcQ8aqKsmZP9i0Qb4ed1bEV4j57kA/w360-h640/IMG_20220629_130020769.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The rainy weather made it difficult to keep the littles occupied, and they were quite energetic after spending nearly a week in the van -- but we found some activities, and squeezed in as many beach and pool visits as we could between storms.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC2DlU5TRvM4awQ2O_KRcGjSuM-_OYcoGruktFlK2ZRLXiqOTzHKZVsPblPKdFA7Tk4TT7ybjspCaspTVQdSqvVpq-CLVelCqJl9ooHn6uyKuqKTQuthxVL9IflZyFcYp2o4khze6OKmeFVDz4wHjjaVBMFvlUZoEsrjm0qf0n-rJCx6FC8kdKXQrfQ/s3375/IMG_20220701_124326157.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC2DlU5TRvM4awQ2O_KRcGjSuM-_OYcoGruktFlK2ZRLXiqOTzHKZVsPblPKdFA7Tk4TT7ybjspCaspTVQdSqvVpq-CLVelCqJl9ooHn6uyKuqKTQuthxVL9IflZyFcYp2o4khze6OKmeFVDz4wHjjaVBMFvlUZoEsrjm0qf0n-rJCx6FC8kdKXQrfQ/w426-h640/IMG_20220701_124326157.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvO9sK_uzwhJvNw5-cyDIPCJ0jaDqNf9pCPppTs_A-0Zdth5Tw6NFme8j9kL9GbhnFQuHC4nYmvp1t-rY2F1nVSeQwSWTqn4cA6myVQA6FIfQdwVbztNv6DytdFwCSk3xtmNbLrX-KSD0QBnfLofIjj9FPm09kJSvNAP4MylUZK54DSs1AwmrBWYDkw/s2917/IMG_20220701_130822593%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2917" data-original-width="1945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvO9sK_uzwhJvNw5-cyDIPCJ0jaDqNf9pCPppTs_A-0Zdth5Tw6NFme8j9kL9GbhnFQuHC4nYmvp1t-rY2F1nVSeQwSWTqn4cA6myVQA6FIfQdwVbztNv6DytdFwCSk3xtmNbLrX-KSD0QBnfLofIjj9FPm09kJSvNAP4MylUZK54DSs1AwmrBWYDkw/w427-h640/IMG_20220701_130822593%20(1).jpg" width="427" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I also got to try out the maternity/nursing swimsuit I made shortly before we moved! It's made up of skirted leggings and a sleeveless top; eventually it will get its own post, but that will probably be a while... I think it will work well for nursing, and I'm hoping it transitions well to postpartum.</div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH9DSotA_8U88gGm1WsdLsmswwJVlCEun74B5NEo27K3r7lhy3H2ylzIC2a7BI-S-2jQaEAJ7q57E2hWAtckHd3dVSg-u5MlHSeg5YWbCb2oVtZ-6L1lWt6yI2E7ZnyH9R85aQo5aeoXNLp3wQZIQ6brlcTerMJg65uzuLXgfODni9YGXU0uZVwJXtg/s2844/IMG_20220711_104151593.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2844" data-original-width="1896" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH9DSotA_8U88gGm1WsdLsmswwJVlCEun74B5NEo27K3r7lhy3H2ylzIC2a7BI-S-2jQaEAJ7q57E2hWAtckHd3dVSg-u5MlHSeg5YWbCb2oVtZ-6L1lWt6yI2E7ZnyH9R85aQo5aeoXNLp3wQZIQ6brlcTerMJg65uzuLXgfODni9YGXU0uZVwJXtg/w426-h640/IMG_20220711_104151593.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This was 28 weeks -- finally in the third trimester!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was time for the final leg of our journey, back to Virginia -- sadly, our last tenants left our beloved house in a bit more disrepair than we'd anticipated. Apparently they didn't understand the concept of supervising the use of art supplies, because virtually every wall, door, set of blinds, etc, was "decorated" with a variety of mediums...crayon, pencil, marker, pen, paint, you name it. Even my go-to magic erasers couldn't remove the marks. And we didn't find out the AC had been broken for a week until the day we arrived (no surprise when we saw the air filter, ugh!), which meant a quick change of plans and an overnight stay in a local hotel. We're still flabbergasted by how much damage was done in less than a year; two solid wood interior doors and the front door were damaged beyond repair, and the three year old refrigerator had to be replaced! There are splatters on the ceilings (?!), and the wood floors were so filthy that our children's bare feet were <i>black</i> after walking on them. I had to use lots of hot water, cleaner, and scour pads to get them remotely clean. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To top it all off, the move company contracted by the military was/is running far behind schedule. We had even delayed our arrival in Virginia for nearly a week, but as it turns out our household goods <i>still </i>haven't arrived, and will be a month late. The silver lining is that we've had plenty of time to make needed repairs, as well as some upgrades that we never got around to the last time we lived here. Nearly every wall and ceiling will be freshly painted (in a more cohesive palette), which I'm quite excited about. Even if I'm a <i>bit</i> tired of painting at this point. After three years of renting bland military housing, it's nice to be able to personalize our own home! Some board and batten here, a new light fixture there...with a baby on the way, lots of time on our hands, and a mostly-empty house, there's no time like the present.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Speaking of baby, I can't believe how quickly the second trimester flew by! And the third trimester seems to be following the same trend. Little Kit is doing well, and I am enjoying his squirms and wiggles -- always one of my favorite parts of pregnancy, but this time it seems near miraculous to feel life stirring within me again. Scout got to feel some hiccups the other day, which made us both smile! We're down to single digit weeks until his arrival, Lord willing, and the excitement is tangible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm still stitching away at Kit's baby blanket, and it's growing at a satisfying pace. Over 40,000 stitches so far, and I'm averaging 1,200 per day. I'd love to finish it before our household goods arrive; not only will we have our hands full with unpacking for a while, but it would be nice to be ready to start on one of my remaining projects as soon as my craft supplies are unpacked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SWO328lEUbY-8kR_7fiMlUnNwOoBmgD1hh1TVvkGieXNSfXqI1LeP3YtQw_QML2-60I4q3sQvN9SG-1Om-SpcmE6U2Jk32YQmGDoPX4BKbuOOVhsp0BndPPXI33Wz0hsBDi6x4wgsU-OfarTDYJytPExJ8KPM9IUPu0gwwtU16XXGvfCAGE1uFZQYg/s1826/IMG_20220728_151514_340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1826" data-original-width="1826" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SWO328lEUbY-8kR_7fiMlUnNwOoBmgD1hh1TVvkGieXNSfXqI1LeP3YtQw_QML2-60I4q3sQvN9SG-1Om-SpcmE6U2Jk32YQmGDoPX4BKbuOOVhsp0BndPPXI33Wz0hsBDi6x4wgsU-OfarTDYJytPExJ8KPM9IUPu0gwwtU16XXGvfCAGE1uFZQYg/w640-h640/IMG_20220728_151514_340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Much as I miss the west, I'm so happy to be back on the east coast! So many trees and flowers, and <i>water</i>. I thought the wisteria would be long gone, but a visit to a favorite park yesterday proved me wrong; there were a few blossoms holding on, just enough to savor their beauty and heady scent. </div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6hKq1Nsrm7ywwxmn3WJqKOb0vFJ6N6WMC9pGU1SYhi0cPQK_aAcDQ-UX80vE6tPz8g4RbmUc11Bo9cXOWpOb0eJXmBIZHPE2-0uKeSqal9mqD3ayXp8oooMphnfSzKzF1pVvF3HXTqdbGdm8hZAuTZR70JGg6avCFL-I1k4c94W4AJVb5x3RGnbGiw/s3375/IMG_20220802_100920496.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs6hKq1Nsrm7ywwxmn3WJqKOb0vFJ6N6WMC9pGU1SYhi0cPQK_aAcDQ-UX80vE6tPz8g4RbmUc11Bo9cXOWpOb0eJXmBIZHPE2-0uKeSqal9mqD3ayXp8oooMphnfSzKzF1pVvF3HXTqdbGdm8hZAuTZR70JGg6avCFL-I1k4c94W4AJVb5x3RGnbGiw/w426-h640/IMG_20220802_100920496.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p></p><div>Between renovations and the heat wave/storms, we haven't had many outings (besides the hardware and grocery stores!), but once our house is in order and the weather has cooled a bit, I'm hoping to revisit our favorite haunts. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm so struck by how God has orchestrated all of our circumstances -- His timing is truly best, even though it has been challenging at times to surrender our own plans in that regard! While we've faced hurdles that we neither desired or anticipated during the past two months, I've been able to see so many evidences of how He has faithfully cared for and guided us. His grace is enough, always. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though we're not "settled" yet, it feels like we're home, and I'm grateful. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-90219869829543674872022-06-15T12:44:00.000-07:002022-06-15T12:44:00.655-07:00Streams of Mercy, Never Ceasing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're nearly there -- just a few more days before we start the long trek back east. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I don't think we could ever tick every box off our bucket list, we did fit in one last visit to a favorite spot, this fairytale oasis tucked away in a nook of the desert. Of all God's glorious creations, waterfalls were one of His best ideas, I think. I never leave this place without feeling refreshed, in both body and soul.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzipssTKTyJJkA02HXhS3knV7Gb8xGkT3oWNEtkjdiRWdjEiTHRTAKh4eeLEmWP64OfY3xQwnkJgm-xYy0KndhAbHk4z_2bwAov5fghxiK8raIqVAXsrpCOxCKNFeI53dRVctV69DhQ4GS6pTOMYD4x6fBkc1MJhAaCOVt3SkWIoukJoUVfevrQl5xMw/s3375/June-27.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="787" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzipssTKTyJJkA02HXhS3knV7Gb8xGkT3oWNEtkjdiRWdjEiTHRTAKh4eeLEmWP64OfY3xQwnkJgm-xYy0KndhAbHk4z_2bwAov5fghxiK8raIqVAXsrpCOxCKNFeI53dRVctV69DhQ4GS6pTOMYD4x6fBkc1MJhAaCOVt3SkWIoukJoUVfevrQl5xMw/w524-h787/June-27.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />If I look a bit hot and disheveled, that's because I was! The hike to the falls<br />isn't long, but it's all uphill in the sun on a toasty day. </i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zxWNP1bvIutegzzEykvpvq4UDSV5XzWo6h8UIy7wjT5dC0pt_dc4RT-BpwT7NNUMPfTMKOf38WpiZ5khhCzxJAB_JQUXcuTGNmKHxmnGzf_TEl9IIVXEy3H9hkHOzLsdoDXXdWnoC2PHN59zslNofuwoSgZSLmnMPZUujkcVIVAaJDhRddaz7mPkyQ/s4000/June-26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="805" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zxWNP1bvIutegzzEykvpvq4UDSV5XzWo6h8UIy7wjT5dC0pt_dc4RT-BpwT7NNUMPfTMKOf38WpiZ5khhCzxJAB_JQUXcuTGNmKHxmnGzf_TEl9IIVXEy3H9hkHOzLsdoDXXdWnoC2PHN59zslNofuwoSgZSLmnMPZUujkcVIVAaJDhRddaz7mPkyQ/w453-h805/June-26.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The water is so clear, and deliciously cool. Anything green is a novelty, and I think this is the only spot we've seen moss out here! This was probably the nicest visit yet for me, because Scout is now old enough to move about by himself -- lots of slippery rocks and a steep drop off about forty feet from the base of the falls make it a bit nerve-wracking with a toddler. This time it was more visual rather than hands-on supervision, and I could enjoy myself and the other littles more. I've just realized I've never posted about this particular spot, and I don't quite know why?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWs_wd9GylP_NKoSItozUhCY3EXU8NbAoz0kDFPsyrQo2r4LfeHxz0vJMQ3rMhFRa76UmX5da--Xm8uUWmNHrdDbx5Hk3bamWBoclFrDto507qtJDt7hFFQEnx9riTCb-eaCy0gEpR2OKeAYSw88w-PSNGbVPNOEnAnA5LGZpUJdRTsKf1a3OUJ9TIA/s4000/June-29.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWs_wd9GylP_NKoSItozUhCY3EXU8NbAoz0kDFPsyrQo2r4LfeHxz0vJMQ3rMhFRa76UmX5da--Xm8uUWmNHrdDbx5Hk3bamWBoclFrDto507qtJDt7hFFQEnx9riTCb-eaCy0gEpR2OKeAYSw88w-PSNGbVPNOEnAnA5LGZpUJdRTsKf1a3OUJ9TIA/w466-h828/June-29.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the way back down, we met up with a local, who allowed me to get quite close before he dashed away to "safety." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92D4ya4Ep2E_AIySyyDuqM0QD09xu8EQMEtOpjeGNYnP9x7HMNPnMzOBFBtcnY6pDfLOcwcV4VMWMv1sdx3kiApQwunCQgsNG6RpKh8Gu4Bvf-FmjzVRCivrfo3teYR9duWOzyJM1PSsFrNgKxp3pTtQg83fxJfwdk5A3c3OZiEwvxItlni8ddoy_vQ/s4000/June-24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="815" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92D4ya4Ep2E_AIySyyDuqM0QD09xu8EQMEtOpjeGNYnP9x7HMNPnMzOBFBtcnY6pDfLOcwcV4VMWMv1sdx3kiApQwunCQgsNG6RpKh8Gu4Bvf-FmjzVRCivrfo3teYR9duWOzyJM1PSsFrNgKxp3pTtQg83fxJfwdk5A3c3OZiEwvxItlni8ddoy_vQ/w459-h815/June-24.jpg" width="459" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">24 weeks with this <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-lord-has-done-great-things.html" target="_blank">little miracle</a>. We're now at "viability," when the baby's chances of survival outside the womb climb dramatically (and continue to climb with every week). While we've never had issues with preterm birth, it's still a relief to reach this milestone. The mist of the falls and the rush of the water were reminders of God's endlessly flowing mercies, as I savored sharing this final visit with our sweet baby.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXBs9piR9cyCPAnFgb9TizYsb8dxcOasZNcu0tOjIi6HFpfWyeLGJzsKXS9hulVCtMAsWvIl6sCwSUHqLQRyzdQBXMh4deSKbmO360xdDhZb54tiB_eYfACSRhA69YyHAENZKQ630popgY5bcUt0dirKb9MvZ0s1uPZ5eoNAGh5eNxAE086TQzq9koA/s4000/June-25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2250" height="818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXBs9piR9cyCPAnFgb9TizYsb8dxcOasZNcu0tOjIi6HFpfWyeLGJzsKXS9hulVCtMAsWvIl6sCwSUHqLQRyzdQBXMh4deSKbmO360xdDhZb54tiB_eYfACSRhA69YyHAENZKQ630popgY5bcUt0dirKb9MvZ0s1uPZ5eoNAGh5eNxAE086TQzq9koA/w460-h818/June-25.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This dress must be my fourth or fifth "last project before we move." I just couldn't let my sewing motivation go to waste, and knowing that my machine will be packed up for nearly a month probably added to my desperation. Technically I did throw together a few new demi-camis after I finished this, but this was essentially my last project!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGEZMVfHhrNgQoyx7VgmahcHgFeEA19YGuEGvkXZb9bbpZ3tHeYVJ8LWM4sTrxQwo2Znd-lZDNEshAAVc9WNtFBK9bpVvZKhq8a_2LCoFc8t_B8hTiZ78LUHOdOvarbKqOVU0dcCrzfGHYZNc1wdvmvdGk418dvd0lFOXH6aJ634h14Cq0J-_hBHsng/s3273/June-31.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3273" data-original-width="2182" height="724" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGEZMVfHhrNgQoyx7VgmahcHgFeEA19YGuEGvkXZb9bbpZ3tHeYVJ8LWM4sTrxQwo2Znd-lZDNEshAAVc9WNtFBK9bpVvZKhq8a_2LCoFc8t_B8hTiZ78LUHOdOvarbKqOVU0dcCrzfGHYZNc1wdvmvdGk418dvd0lFOXH6aJ634h14Cq0J-_hBHsng/w482-h724/June-31.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>Rather than trying to do shirring on the waist, <br />I made a casing and used five strips of 1/4" elastic.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Using a peasant blouse pattern as a base, I drafted my own pattern. I really want to recreate the out-of-my-budget <a href="https://emmemama.com/collections/dresses/products/eliza-dress-in-elderberry" target="_blank">Emme Mama dreamy Eliza dress</a> in cotton double gauze, so this was a bit of a test run (though I did change some elements to better suit this <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SJ4J3Q9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">printed rayon gauze</a>). I was worried I'd need a lining because it's described as semi-sheer, but happily it's opaque! It's the perfect maternity and nursing dress, and so, so comfortable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I had barely enough fabric, since it arrived in two two-yard pieces. The ruffle ended up a bit shorter than planned, but in the end it all worked out. I did do a fair bit of tweaking after the fact, because I think I overestimated the sizing a bit -- it's hard to know how big the bump will get, you know? I do wish I'd put the waistband a bit higher, but I decided to leave it; not only was the elastic a nightmare to feed through, but I think it will sit perfectly fine post-bump. As a seamstress I have to remind myself sometimes that if I bought a dress off the rack, it probably wouldn't fit <i>just so</i>. Being able to tweak and tailor is a bonus when I've already reached my goal of a wearable garment. If I do get to make a double gauze version, I'll have that much more knowledge under my belt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBGBfLSV3A1PN2nVxHeOR1ptAMFePW0MQ7TQBXEok5hn_kbigvUtc-LmzYV3mwoeytrisIyL7hdDMkz5cYrVC_aqowIlMhQJJiwT3MKKTB0G1pOX-esSsNIY6oHF8vp3YrG1ssKJD4FCPHolIY1_PCkBh5UGdi1mrcb1PVqko8S_e78iby4ZunIAvJA/s3375/June-30.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="736" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBGBfLSV3A1PN2nVxHeOR1ptAMFePW0MQ7TQBXEok5hn_kbigvUtc-LmzYV3mwoeytrisIyL7hdDMkz5cYrVC_aqowIlMhQJJiwT3MKKTB0G1pOX-esSsNIY6oHF8vp3YrG1ssKJD4FCPHolIY1_PCkBh5UGdi1mrcb1PVqko8S_e78iby4ZunIAvJA/w490-h736/June-30.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now, I suppose, I should really get back to the finishing touches before packers arrive tomorrow...</div><br /> <p></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-11142090690617741762022-06-07T09:56:00.002-07:002022-06-07T09:56:51.170-07:00Endings and Beginnings<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're in such an in-between stage right now -- we've finished school, we're waiting to move, we're halfway (plus!) through this pregnancy. So many things coming to an end, so many things about to begin. In the midst of such limbo, I've done the only sensible thing: sew voraciously. My sewing machine has been whirring away for the past few weeks, with a threefold mission. <i>First</i>, catch up on all the sewing I didn't have time for during the school year. <i>Second</i>, satisfy my nesting instincts by stitching little things for Kit and "big" things for mama. <i>Third</i>, distract myself from all of the pre-move prep I probably should be doing... Though, to be fair, I've done a good bit of decluttering already and very little of the packing is my responsibility (they'll literally pack your trash!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While we wait, we're soaking up our last memories in this wild place. We've made some new friends in our last weeks here, like this tiny killdeer nestled into Rosa's little brown hands:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMuKhoSCNiALuNSww8xcBNBPcyssCf2JbDMSokWLympFcnCyTnCvMOHWKk-R5DnsjNiKngzetB9P-EwkT39yuI0iM-NRnXKtSLz-Tcuz7j2KXMxvSikwE8Q4UkyGxQeWT65HvoCtzBgI5stXQKLCIQMsXEkGN4AzsIa_uLnnj9TjhibLWqqkwgtaSEA/s2593/May-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2593" data-original-width="1729" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMuKhoSCNiALuNSww8xcBNBPcyssCf2JbDMSokWLympFcnCyTnCvMOHWKk-R5DnsjNiKngzetB9P-EwkT39yuI0iM-NRnXKtSLz-Tcuz7j2KXMxvSikwE8Q4UkyGxQeWT65HvoCtzBgI5stXQKLCIQMsXEkGN4AzsIa_uLnnj9TjhibLWqqkwgtaSEA/w426-h640/May-7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some boys at church found this quail mama nestled deep within a bush:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPgOfFFsYE7f0yFryH_fB89dUddFpQnKj7tZ7EXTyarTr-N5l_cUpJ8uUTydGA3Tru3KfQkTjhm9EXDCSmY0H17S6HtC8aoyYAW_Z1nQ0ylqPbSkvhCigvPS5_8zdxmye64Pm18_UkecpUTHkZAXFu165tLPiUXIXpXIWRPnHfsZO1hcCW_8lb3fB0A/s2250/May-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2250" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPgOfFFsYE7f0yFryH_fB89dUddFpQnKj7tZ7EXTyarTr-N5l_cUpJ8uUTydGA3Tru3KfQkTjhm9EXDCSmY0H17S6HtC8aoyYAW_Z1nQ0ylqPbSkvhCigvPS5_8zdxmye64Pm18_UkecpUTHkZAXFu165tLPiUXIXpXIWRPnHfsZO1hcCW_8lb3fB0A/w640-h426/May-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Or this sweet little goldfinch that nested in the tree by our house: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnI_FPE9bHSEMczUt1bwwLhkFM_QWM5OAP4SD-aDSAG65Lv-WUsctycUqoHMkpYxBPQeY8i5gmpnr4aYIaJRHBjsc3FOLYnocjxRLvWRqu3UIthavflGaEge6J4TT504gr0wR07CGwtywUTcLEzkyjU_qW-4aPoO2XMani7kG6XD_C-pbG_V4GY0SMA/s4752/April-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3168" data-original-width="4752" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnI_FPE9bHSEMczUt1bwwLhkFM_QWM5OAP4SD-aDSAG65Lv-WUsctycUqoHMkpYxBPQeY8i5gmpnr4aYIaJRHBjsc3FOLYnocjxRLvWRqu3UIthavflGaEge6J4TT504gr0wR07CGwtywUTcLEzkyjU_qW-4aPoO2XMani7kG6XD_C-pbG_V4GY0SMA/w640-h426/April-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She was always on the nest when I checked, and then one day she was gone. My suspicions were correct...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIVPC1RtDoGc-XCA9XlGpYIi5OPW4LZ0IWNK07rZyQ1UyGNfacSd2BEXgdGrivOYwVE9gg_eeMvDfczOVH5Wfe3Fr0H_bIYJWqmTFag32OtgZiwnXN-NHc4mME78wD6FGUbXhonyWhoXfoAxzuo7mf6X50vX5e5gtIbqQCdAF2QIMm8jkfk-h0xv0Sw/s2888/May.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2888" data-original-width="1925" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIVPC1RtDoGc-XCA9XlGpYIi5OPW4LZ0IWNK07rZyQ1UyGNfacSd2BEXgdGrivOYwVE9gg_eeMvDfczOVH5Wfe3Fr0H_bIYJWqmTFag32OtgZiwnXN-NHc4mME78wD6FGUbXhonyWhoXfoAxzuo7mf6X50vX5e5gtIbqQCdAF2QIMm8jkfk-h0xv0Sw/w426-h640/May.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Our last week of school was relaxing, mostly finishing up projects we never got around to during the school year. While I do struggle to find motivation for hands-on projects and experiments, this year I graciously grew a baby to augment our study of human anatomy and growth. <i>*wink* </i>I hope the littles enjoyed learning about the body as much as I did -- such an amazing masterpiece of God's design!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsro4yElnlvQEQcMG6Hp64fDdYUm1Ejfgbh9HYH-ocot1Dt8iuUVDUGZTb1G6mGY8oCh-fsUjABPBZJCb9D0AqBdMUEW9Okhml8Q3K7icTlj4sYY11pzWQwJd1Y3eembfcJ9xTJtq_y3ZgRR6ao070iwvJMjuXK3DEBjCrtTzYbwuDWK-uLtVEok7djw/s3375/May-18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsro4yElnlvQEQcMG6Hp64fDdYUm1Ejfgbh9HYH-ocot1Dt8iuUVDUGZTb1G6mGY8oCh-fsUjABPBZJCb9D0AqBdMUEW9Okhml8Q3K7icTlj4sYY11pzWQwJd1Y3eembfcJ9xTJtq_y3ZgRR6ao070iwvJMjuXK3DEBjCrtTzYbwuDWK-uLtVEok7djw/w426-h640/May-18.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i>I'm sure doctors wish they could just velcro organs in place...</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTgDZ9lonVG5aL-h5EoKQqPXiKhqzWAGfLauec_IC1Zqik9yRTiE7u_yLp39VbSWx35VrhlGprgh6s6B1oovV2rGvrk9RDXs9CfUnX8qgeFgiu-A7CNDzcoKvkjI-IAgc2N4DqP596aq37cnXWoPf7TM3TdYghLTsN8ReH5ZxwW-oSytqutR2U6PI-g/s3375/May-19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTgDZ9lonVG5aL-h5EoKQqPXiKhqzWAGfLauec_IC1Zqik9yRTiE7u_yLp39VbSWx35VrhlGprgh6s6B1oovV2rGvrk9RDXs9CfUnX8qgeFgiu-A7CNDzcoKvkjI-IAgc2N4DqP596aq37cnXWoPf7TM3TdYghLTsN8ReH5ZxwW-oSytqutR2U6PI-g/w426-h640/May-19.jpg" width="426" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">To my relief, the littles have been thriving, even without the normal school schedule. I had envisioned boredom causing all kinds of problems, but they've been playing together much better than I'd anticipated and spend a great deal of time working on various Lego creations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRJDogiTy4gg4g6rHlTN8iZrwDP0TDMmjWFQhQbGIfnNc6YDuZ_onpH61EmrfrI75aITVMVjJZg0IG8PIaHJGYNOeaKSMvxAR5mEu7iQWYJmFon6gQonfv_hx6zQIY56v4w5OiZoiMF229ug62B3FdDsfRtFIOOrbYnHC5LbYH62ZmOi58RQxJBAcSA/s3198/May-15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2132" data-original-width="3198" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRJDogiTy4gg4g6rHlTN8iZrwDP0TDMmjWFQhQbGIfnNc6YDuZ_onpH61EmrfrI75aITVMVjJZg0IG8PIaHJGYNOeaKSMvxAR5mEu7iQWYJmFon6gQonfv_hx6zQIY56v4w5OiZoiMF229ug62B3FdDsfRtFIOOrbYnHC5LbYH62ZmOi58RQxJBAcSA/w640-h426/May-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />It's no surprise that helicopters are a favorite build!</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Flowers are a welcome sight in the desert, and every spring I'm surprised by how many roses there are:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KuRPgd8F98ZUmpgwWaScmS2EaTMf-urNJi5H5Jc-O2oz-s0IcqX2sUElVKgijtDAjxoSvIPskBupJEVLCOk3flSZWtxw4c7rH6wsie1byzhQCB4lNwnek1pTy2JCsyDec-igXX_mhuzYDihUIzpC7WJTgX6g5p1UjXFCWVueQZTyeYS4Jdytpc8K2w/s2655/May-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2655" data-original-width="1770" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KuRPgd8F98ZUmpgwWaScmS2EaTMf-urNJi5H5Jc-O2oz-s0IcqX2sUElVKgijtDAjxoSvIPskBupJEVLCOk3flSZWtxw4c7rH6wsie1byzhQCB4lNwnek1pTy2JCsyDec-igXX_mhuzYDihUIzpC7WJTgX6g5p1UjXFCWVueQZTyeYS4Jdytpc8K2w/w426-h640/May-3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpshwmQqeelm0RA0MwtdS48vjas8dkAhrf4gzrxhvurA6Iv8jWbZCg9sonAjME6tNvjV7wbMqHwINMzDKbVeMWzH2sjHyZXZjhV7-X9ZclRkT09um7io5OwAjZm2GGjgQb9qF5DGVAIfKr4U-ydrLB7Ue7VdfRMe-83oZMNI-eQEnjdkkvT1rkcwsGwA/s3105/May-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3105" data-original-width="2070" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpshwmQqeelm0RA0MwtdS48vjas8dkAhrf4gzrxhvurA6Iv8jWbZCg9sonAjME6tNvjV7wbMqHwINMzDKbVeMWzH2sjHyZXZjhV7-X9ZclRkT09um7io5OwAjZm2GGjgQb9qF5DGVAIfKr4U-ydrLB7Ue7VdfRMe-83oZMNI-eQEnjdkkvT1rkcwsGwA/w426-h640/May-5.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fRnIm4Dm0z1KnhqBHR2_lT5drGQeGjiJJM96icLhdp7-Fs8U5gFi8K_qu8dltjDqEuyrLT478ZnAus8E5acN6Clbu2eYdF6ZAWrDnGMFOf6a35qRMvh5clnDdFCyptDF-iFVeCXsAU3XfB-nfAp4FtguuvV08DeNv3qSaBKzmPo4If25XCMGj0YelQ/s3375/May-12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fRnIm4Dm0z1KnhqBHR2_lT5drGQeGjiJJM96icLhdp7-Fs8U5gFi8K_qu8dltjDqEuyrLT478ZnAus8E5acN6Clbu2eYdF6ZAWrDnGMFOf6a35qRMvh5clnDdFCyptDF-iFVeCXsAU3XfB-nfAp4FtguuvV08DeNv3qSaBKzmPo4If25XCMGj0YelQ/w426-h640/May-12.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaK_VbjK-736CQey2MN4rY5HTMopPi8CggK2NeayH33acbDbzr4VNUkTPY3dQyGW8sAxz0t3JBLxpjl5fO0tI_NnvKwh7SZFxbFva4s7DiSwMNm3Dh2jlW5vSJ7pNJTUhffE9CnUZr3wR3tYPy_o3QWUQcI6k4Acqbvv4dsrjqvxDzt22DQdC-S3J3Q/s4000/May-20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaK_VbjK-736CQey2MN4rY5HTMopPi8CggK2NeayH33acbDbzr4VNUkTPY3dQyGW8sAxz0t3JBLxpjl5fO0tI_NnvKwh7SZFxbFva4s7DiSwMNm3Dh2jlW5vSJ7pNJTUhffE9CnUZr3wR3tYPy_o3QWUQcI6k4Acqbvv4dsrjqvxDzt22DQdC-S3J3Q/w426-h640/May-20.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, I get to try to eat my lunch without feeling guilty...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiaFQOCVRUKF1k_HjUDeA2PC8CDYFULiB5jtouKEzfeVHOrO4GaGqxnQjMswOxyDo9FoEqzWPF3eVwdQfWOaygswp7vPsxPEDYaAy7YqQwt4KudnQz1vj1Z5KH0n6xtx6UvoFhMfjA8qW8hXH6BJoX8k0csBkbTBy491NlMPdlDVG-2KTA5hCKQMOqw/s3375/May-16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiaFQOCVRUKF1k_HjUDeA2PC8CDYFULiB5jtouKEzfeVHOrO4GaGqxnQjMswOxyDo9FoEqzWPF3eVwdQfWOaygswp7vPsxPEDYaAy7YqQwt4KudnQz1vj1Z5KH0n6xtx6UvoFhMfjA8qW8hXH6BJoX8k0csBkbTBy491NlMPdlDVG-2KTA5hCKQMOqw/w426-h640/May-16.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back to sewing... here's my list of projects from the past four weeks, assuming I haven't missed anything:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>9 pairs of boxers for Laddie and Scout</li><li>Maternity/nursing friendly swimsuit for Mama (briefs, skirted leggings, and top)</li><li>Maternity/nursing nightgown and shorts for Mama</li><li>3 upcycled skirts for Rosa</li><li>Upcycled dress for Rosa</li><li>2 pairs of upcycled denim shorts for Scout</li><li>3 sleepers/rompers for Kit</li><li>Newborn gown and hat for Kit</li><li>Tiny sweatshirt and pants for Kit</li><li>Upcycled denim shorts for Kit</li><li>Upcycled linen trousers for Kit</li><li>Altering a homemade skirt for maternity</li><li>Changing several of Scout's long sleeve tees to short sleeve (my favorite hack to extend the life of winter shirts not worth passing down to the next child!)</li><li>Various mends (mostly turning Rosa's holes-in-the-knees leggings into "shorties")</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some of those projects were much-needed, others were just for fun. I think it's probably time to retire the sewing shears until we move, but I'm grateful for a most satisfying spree -- it's rare for spare time and motivation coincide so nicely.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some of those projects will get their own posts (eventually!), but I'll share a few smaller ones here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My poor little boys were running quite low on undies after trashing a few pairs recently that had shocking holes. I'm trying to purchase more thoughtfully/ethically, but it's hard to justify spending a lot on underwear, however organic or fairly traded! Fortunately, I'd tried the <a href="https://stitchuponatime.com/product/kids-boxerwear/" target="_blank">Stitch Upon a Time Boxerwear pattern</a> for Little Man, and it worked great for the little boys, too. I might have to redo a few waistbands at some point, as the yellow knit on these pairs for Scout just isn't very stretchy. But I spent less than two dollars on thrifted knit shirts (combined with a few scraps from my stash), so it was well worth the "investment."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgoLLyASh3Q3kkJIdHnIkF3a4AXguukTspmHN1Y6CDjacouSrIujzXxHUthjSuDcZUmldt22xftGdapndogxvcck9QlTGwdYBcQBStrdJ-O_2US43o-Y1_y9QtUnY5M8gNy-VCbUSDNfY3pffAiCFQ-rnp6jI89RCzv8egzSJSNChN-sRjT942G7JBw/s3197/May-17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2131" data-original-width="3197" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgoLLyASh3Q3kkJIdHnIkF3a4AXguukTspmHN1Y6CDjacouSrIujzXxHUthjSuDcZUmldt22xftGdapndogxvcck9QlTGwdYBcQBStrdJ-O_2US43o-Y1_y9QtUnY5M8gNy-VCbUSDNfY3pffAiCFQ-rnp6jI89RCzv8egzSJSNChN-sRjT942G7JBw/w640-h426/May-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I recently found a women's 3X maxi skirt at the charity shop, which was basically just yardage waiting to be upcycled. It was made of that "traveler" fabric that doesn't wrinkle, I think it might be called ITY in the fabric world? Anyway, I tucked it into my basket (on basket day, everything you can fit inside is only $7, which brings the cost per item on a full basket to about $0.30), thinking it would make a great maternity skirt. But as I mulled it over, I realized two things. First, I have a black polka dot skirt out of virtually identical fabric that actually works well for maternity. Second, the skirt was so large that I could probably get an entire dress for Rosa out of it. And so I did! I used a free tee pattern as a basis for the bodice, but ended up changing it significantly (less at the waist, rounded cap sleeves). The skirt was an easy draft -- it's probably a 2/3 to 3/4 circle skirt, since I flared it as much as my fabric would allow. A few facings later, and all was ready to assemble! The fabric turned out to be a beast to sew -- my machine wanted to eat it at the beginning of each seam, and it also made my needle skip stitches. So much of it was sewn twice! It's a "plain Jane" style, but it looks so sweet on Rosa and I think it will last her a while.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FQ4rrLNGso5Gtgg7JWakUCqShaqVxi6FG4LPhb8pglHziuxKAgKLWr0HBcDjmULt5DKbet0Q8B7pZ8S1ujq15I9yw5vYiXkNL-MaWTL36z55LS4Gr48DY0BrvAf0KrJ1awEuDAfgUGvmyukNFkjAO_MhVGWyA0ins-Y1es2Bmro65xMGFcSZDn4aZQ/s3057/May-13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3057" data-original-width="2038" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FQ4rrLNGso5Gtgg7JWakUCqShaqVxi6FG4LPhb8pglHziuxKAgKLWr0HBcDjmULt5DKbet0Q8B7pZ8S1ujq15I9yw5vYiXkNL-MaWTL36z55LS4Gr48DY0BrvAf0KrJ1awEuDAfgUGvmyukNFkjAO_MhVGWyA0ins-Y1es2Bmro65xMGFcSZDn4aZQ/w426-h640/May-13.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here a few more upcycled projects -- two pairs of shorts for Scout on the left, both made from the same skirt (and I fit a pair of shorts for Kit on the leftovers! Love those 90's denim skirts...). The upper pair is from the <a href="https://www.misusu.co/products/summer-olli-shorts-pants-pdf-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Olli shorts by Misusu</a>, which I got for free by joining their Facebook group. I omitted the pockets this time, to conserve fabric. The lower pair is a <a href="https://tianascloset.com/index.php/2021/04/19/kids-basic-elastic-waist-shorts-1-8-years-old-free-pdf-sewing-pattern/" target="_blank">free shorts pattern from Tiana's Closet</a>, generously offered in sizes 1-8. I made the 4 (Scout's age), and they turned out great! I did add a little faux fly detail, just for fun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Oye-iADwyz8rWtJlSgIKJLpKABiXOGf7_6lJ5UQVm38jkuV_cqZqH_XnSU-R5BFO2PaTWICGujVRy-t1gX4FaJwUHWyyfgbnQ5ZYKYrOVMKtIP-VMEQ5f6lvsD7dZzZEb_nIpwXN-KmKM3BUirEsPSDK6oLSzA6-dZ-wVOTa37GHorXaKPOJrpQXKg/s3483/May-21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3483" data-original-width="2121" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Oye-iADwyz8rWtJlSgIKJLpKABiXOGf7_6lJ5UQVm38jkuV_cqZqH_XnSU-R5BFO2PaTWICGujVRy-t1gX4FaJwUHWyyfgbnQ5ZYKYrOVMKtIP-VMEQ5f6lvsD7dZzZEb_nIpwXN-KmKM3BUirEsPSDK6oLSzA6-dZ-wVOTa37GHorXaKPOJrpQXKg/w354-h580/May-21.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rosa got three new skirts, too, as many of hers were worn out or outgrown. These were all simple to put together, since they're variations on a rectangle with an elasticated waist. From top to bottom:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Gathered denim skirt upcycled from a thrifted skirt. I salvaged the existing buttonholes and hem, and cut down the length. The leftover fabric was used for the new waistband -- the fabric is gathered into a solid waistband in front, but the back is elasticated. I topstitched the front waistband, but only had to do one new buttonhole. New coconut shell buttons to replace the hideous plastic "faux metal" buttons! </li><li>The bottom half of <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2018/09/we-meet-again.html" target="_blank">a Wiksten Tova</a> tunic that I made in 2018 and was no longer wearing. I wanted to keep as much length as possible, so I stitched a white cotton facing to the waistband and flipped it to the inside to form the elastic casing.</li><li>Tiered skirt made from a luscious tencel fabric, which I salvaged from a favorite <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/search?q=shawl" target="_blank">dress</a> -- the seams were fraying on the outside, but the skirt fabric was still in great shape. I cut strips out of the skirt, reassembled them, and did a simple elastic waist (with a row of eyelet at the bottom!).</li></ol></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMckCshMzzvwkVeZKAvTHMGZnhTkBhyJNEUuwAnr79h4Wx27L-nufDvOGOFHu6D_BaVdX8x1hnI9i5ij8RiLZUvnCTG6l_bDSRts-7weZQZWPwJT6jIgEE6NQYVmin5WkDgM5f6kzcr-dBZwnGviLKlSl0kHzC4b3Sc0choMsbzc0j2rrLZbqO0DLng/s3491/May-22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3491" data-original-width="2250" height="557" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMckCshMzzvwkVeZKAvTHMGZnhTkBhyJNEUuwAnr79h4Wx27L-nufDvOGOFHu6D_BaVdX8x1hnI9i5ij8RiLZUvnCTG6l_bDSRts-7weZQZWPwJT6jIgEE6NQYVmin5WkDgM5f6kzcr-dBZwnGviLKlSl0kHzC4b3Sc0choMsbzc0j2rrLZbqO0DLng/w358-h557/May-22.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>With summer well on its way (and feeling like it's already here), I'm eager for all that's coming -- we're going home and moving forward at the same time, and I'm ready for familiar faces and places as well as new adventures (I'm trying not to think too much about the dear people we're leaving behind here...). And summer is the last full season before we meet little Kit in person, Lord willing, as he'll hopefully be joining us early in the fall. <div><br /></div><div>Endings and beginnings. <br /> <p></p></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-83878963995763879282022-06-03T12:00:00.001-07:002022-06-03T12:00:21.241-07:00Resurrected<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About two years ago, I made a maxi dress out of this dusty rose rayon jersey -- and it was an utter flop. It was inspired by the empire-waist maternity/nursing friendly dresses I'd seen, but my design just didn't work. Perhaps I can blame the unexpectedly, excessively stretchy fabric? The flutter sleeves were far from flattering, the weight of the skirt stretched the bodice too far, the ruffles on the v-neck weren't proportioned right, and the high-lo hem just looked odd. I wore it once, shortened the bodice (which actually made it <i>too</i> short, ugh!), wore it once more, and then let it languish in my closet. As the rainbow pregnancy I hoped would be right around the corner turned into a series of miscarriages, there seemed little point in bothering with it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Early this spring, I realized that I still had a yard of material left. All the dress really needed was a new bodice, and surely I'd have enough for that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I pulled out <a href="https://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/20551" target="_blank">Butterick 5242</a>, a pattern I've posted twice on the blog before (<a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2018/10/on-trial.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2018/10/merry-and-bright.html" target="_blank">here</a>) but I've actually made five times. You can see one I made two years ago in my <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/05/milestones.html" target="_blank">16 week bumpdate</a> photo, but the other two don't have pictures yet -- one is new, and the other is at least three years old. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhrqF5Ovj_XlT_wP8IehU_RlwlaE1VfauaYvy0UKjN21NnGdG3R0vxcObbOgp3MoSotICOInaveecce8isLIq6gOi4avbV2UbPQqDciZjfoWadM1PCB47HtgUisZ3gVrprAJv65PILuKbiGYRCQ2OkQP-jyp8n8hx5oSn9mObNe1DD1l5DWm5ISXZAA/s3041/May-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3041" data-original-width="2027" height="788" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhrqF5Ovj_XlT_wP8IehU_RlwlaE1VfauaYvy0UKjN21NnGdG3R0vxcObbOgp3MoSotICOInaveecce8isLIq6gOi4avbV2UbPQqDciZjfoWadM1PCB47HtgUisZ3gVrprAJv65PILuKbiGYRCQ2OkQP-jyp8n8hx5oSn9mObNe1DD1l5DWm5ISXZAA/w525-h788/May-2.jpg" width="525" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />20 weeks with little Kit</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This dress definitely needs a neckline filler, but that's part of what makes it nursing friendly. My favorite option is a "demi cami," essentially a tank top cut off at the midriff (you can see a photo if you <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2018/09/taking-flight.html" target="_blank">scroll down in this post</a>). I don't mind wearing them, as they don't add much bulk or warmth, and they certainly expand my wardrobe options. I actually need to make a few more, as several of mine are well past their prime. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The skirt is salvaged from my maxi dress, so this is my most "unique" version of this pattern -- though I actually stayed closer to the pattern for the bodice this time. Most of my versions have been sleeveless, with self-drafted facings for the armholes, but I decided to use the sleeve pattern (shortened, I think?) for this dress. I don't like the look of the sleeves on the pattern cover, but I think the lightweight fabric helps. I'm also happy with my decision to actually line the bodice, rather than face the neckline edge like I usually do. The latter works well for more structured knits, but this silky jersey needed some extra oomph. The waistband is also double-layered, to help support the weight of the skirt. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzl95HDZZlUBjB-ei5sYTy5clVgUUqIqJxNBqdNsFugWGP3OwaPODl2_f1AqATwuCvc754VLLPgNnenfoh_TCG071gKGEtXCm5plZdCgSMlGzFexeAG6xlempdUK2jjdbYmA-4kUJOsUBU_DN47yOI71a13aIGRBNedLJ0F_BmDzU8pg7jTdc8A7ZSg/s3079/May-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3079" data-original-width="2053" height="733" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzl95HDZZlUBjB-ei5sYTy5clVgUUqIqJxNBqdNsFugWGP3OwaPODl2_f1AqATwuCvc754VLLPgNnenfoh_TCG071gKGEtXCm5plZdCgSMlGzFexeAG6xlempdUK2jjdbYmA-4kUJOsUBU_DN47yOI71a13aIGRBNedLJ0F_BmDzU8pg7jTdc8A7ZSg/w488-h733/May-1.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br /><br />I redid the original hem to make the high-lo a bit less dramatic, and also shortened the skirt a bit. I think the length was part of what made it look odd before -- though, you can't judge for yourself, as apparently I was disappointed enough with the first version that I never took photos of it! <div><br /></div><div>This dress hung in my closet for a few weeks before it was ever worn, due to our very chilly spring. I thought it would be quite appropriate to wear on "Resurrection Day" (Easter), as the dress itself was resurrected -- but Kit's gender reveal scan the day before called for a <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/05/pleiades-if-you-please.html" target="_blank">blue dress</a>, instead. <i>*wink* </i>I'm not sure if this will make it all the way through nine months of pregnancy, as my bump already feels ominously large, but it's quite comfortable now and should be perfect post-partum. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not all sewing flops have happy endings, so I'm grateful this project had a chance at redemption.<p></p></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-50985252984288886312022-05-31T17:24:00.000-07:002022-05-31T17:24:53.554-07:00Inexpressible: On Rainbows, Babies, and God's Forever-Faithful Love<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>(If you're an Instagram follower, I'm afraid you'll find this a bit of a repeat from a few weeks ago! But I had more thoughts than I could fit in a caption, and I finished the book I was reading at the time. So here we are.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4Jg0klobj7yGuNDxXD_876_dkHTi3J8Op32jgNSj2EqTngRahk3elpzNjEY7fEHH_5FwFRo_ND2pfEjhSZaaJK8Go-Uymp4aFRvgmlz_HeuHkiMrJYxlvBc-oh039WyukPtQnAHx1XSMm1-eAR6YmbJOmgG7VLn5jGppaDudX0JiwSG2F11mV3SrbA/s2291/April-12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2291" data-original-width="1527" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4Jg0klobj7yGuNDxXD_876_dkHTi3J8Op32jgNSj2EqTngRahk3elpzNjEY7fEHH_5FwFRo_ND2pfEjhSZaaJK8Go-Uymp4aFRvgmlz_HeuHkiMrJYxlvBc-oh039WyukPtQnAHx1XSMm1-eAR6YmbJOmgG7VLn5jGppaDudX0JiwSG2F11mV3SrbA/w426-h640/April-12.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div>This <a href="https://www.madebymary.com/collections/disc-necklaces/products/nora-disc-necklace-5-8-1-2?variant=39407222882377" target="_blank">tiny necklace</a> represents so much waiting, so much prayer, so many times of clinging to my heavenly Father in the midst of storms that threatened to sweep away my faltering faith. As I dreamed of a "rainbow baby" for over three years, I wistfully browsed rainbow necklaces and hoped I'd have a reason to buy one. I imagined the word "mama" engraved underneath, an exhale of relief and gratitude after our exhausting journey through the valley of the shadow of death. While Laddie is a rainbow baby, I didn't really discover the term until after his birth; it seemed odd to buy such a thing in retrospect. <br /><br />But every time I thought the sun was breaking through and our rainbow was finally coming, the storm clouds gathered darker and fiercer than before. The months dragged on, then years. Five would-have-been "rainbow" pregnancies, five more losses. With each loss, my faith was tested yet again, as if God were asking, "Do you still trust Me? Do you still believe I'm good?"<br /><br />I waited until 12 weeks with my current pregnancy to order this necklace, and even then my sudden burst of "courage" was prompted by a sale! What if we were to lose the baby this necklace represented? How could I bring myself to wear it? While every passing week gives me more hope and we're quickly approaching the 24-week "viability" milestone, I don't yet know if this baby in my womb is my long-awaited rainbow. <div><br /></div><div>In the end, I didn't engrave the word "mama" -- but not out of a sense of caution. Rather, because there is something more important to me than being the mama of a rainbow baby (even as I long for that very thing). You can bet there will be lots of rainbow accessories for this little one if our prayers are answered, but my feelings toward the term "rainbow baby" are a bit complex. A rainbow is the beautiful <i>denouement</i> to a storm, and in that sense a rainbow baby is the joy that comes after the intense storm of loss-induced grief. I've seen others who dislike the term, because they don't see their miscarried babies as a "storm," and I can certainly understand that -- but I see the loss of my precious babies (not the babies themselves) as the darkest storm of my life, and thus the term doesn't bother me on that score. <div><p>But I've also seen the phrase "after every storm comes a rainbow" used to refer to babies born after loss, and that does rub me the wrong way. It's almost as if there's an expectation that if you miscarry, you <i>will</i> get a rainbow baby. Even worse, I've seen Isaiah 66:9 applied to rainbow babies, and often featured in pregnancy announcements: "'I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord." (New Century Version) Not only is this a very questionable translation of this verse (<a href="https://biblehub.com/parallel/isaiah/66-9.htm" target="_blank">even when compared to other "loose" translations of the Bible</a>), but it's being taken wildly out of context. The verse has nothing to do with miscarriage and rainbow babies, but rather God's plan for Jerusalem/Zion. And its misuse again implies that if you have a miscarriage, God will give you a "rainbow baby." There are many, many couples who have not been blessed with a rainbow baby, either biological or adopted -- was God not faithful to keep His promise to them? </p><p>Which begs the question, what does a rainbow really represent? God appointed the rainbow as a covenant -- never again would He destroy the earth with a worldwide flood in (much-deserved) judgment for sin. It was His oath of steadfast love and mercy to humans who deserved no such grace. It was <i>not</i> a promise that I'd have a baby after loss. God's faithfulness is not determined by His providing "rainbow babies" (though He often graciously does just that, as I am personally and gratefully aware). Is there always a rainbow after the storm? Yes, in the sense that God never wastes pain in the life of a believer, and that He will one day redeem all of our suffering in eternity. As Elisabeth Elliot said, "Suffering is never for nothing." But that 'rainbow' may not take the shape of a baby, and it would be foolish, even dangerous, to pin one's hopes on such a thought.</p><p>That is why I engraved my necklace with the word "hesed." It is the Hebrew word found 248 times in the Old Testament, and most often translated as "mercy," "steadfast love," "lovingkindness," and "covenant faithfulness." I recently finished Michael Card's wonderful book on hesed, <i>Inexpressible</i> -- perhaps the title gives you some idea of how complex and beautiful this word is. He mentions in the introduction that translators often use two words to try to capture the essence of hesed, because a single word is rarely enough to express its meaning.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-B-WUGKHeQerIXZlyR_UwXCIGyz-95mulOwEWsP5YdXZOkxNWwntJ5Qij_0QxvI5l_pTyxvqFRNTyhqzzlqSCbhtn7FWFHLUdFKoNXC3JQXTRDTgu6SIBZVExsqKcFQQZ_8PPBRazcgIiSQaFyEKlv2yVLzvYHIi7eOXRsvURPguSMQG9n6Iv8FwPRg/s3375/May-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="3375" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-B-WUGKHeQerIXZlyR_UwXCIGyz-95mulOwEWsP5YdXZOkxNWwntJ5Qij_0QxvI5l_pTyxvqFRNTyhqzzlqSCbhtn7FWFHLUdFKoNXC3JQXTRDTgu6SIBZVExsqKcFQQZ_8PPBRazcgIiSQaFyEKlv2yVLzvYHIi7eOXRsvURPguSMQG9n6Iv8FwPRg/w640-h426/May-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />I found this wristlet for my keys from <a href="https://www.dearheartdesigns.com/collections/wristlets/products/no-season-is-ever-wasted-wristlet" target="_blank">Dear Heart</a> back in November, <br />just before the third anniversary of Baby J's homegoing -- <br />"no season is ever wasted" was quite a timely reminder.<br />I added the rainbow a few months later, as we rejoiced over our twelfth pregnancy!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>In his preface, Card explains hesed this way: <b>"When the person from whom I have the right to expecting nothing gives me everything." </b></p><p>What a thought! I deserve nothing from the God that I have rebelled against, and yet He offers me everything. He sent His own Son to die on a cross, so that I might have eternal life that I did nothing to deserve -- or more accurately, I did everything to <i>not</i> deserve!</p><p>"The Bible reveals the God of hesed, who has opened the door of his life to you and me. Though we are responsible for the death of his only Son and have, in effect, cursed him, he covered us with his body, his blood, and saved us long before we might have accepted him. We have no right to expect anything from him, the Holy One. Yet he has extended himself to us, has invited us to enter his world, has made our story a part of his story, has opened his life to the inevitable possibility of being hurt, disappointed, and wounded by you and me." (Chapter 1)</p><p>"The great surprise of the Hebrew Bible is not that God is awesome or holy. These characteristics we would expect from God. The great surprise is that he is kind, that he is a God of hesed. This is what fundamentally makes him unlike any other god, then or now." (Chapter 4)</p><p>I was excited to find how many beloved Bible verses contain the word hesed -- I had studied this word in the past, and knew some of the more common English translations (especially "steadfast love"), but because it is translated in different ways it can easily become, quite literally, lost in translation. Here are a few notable verses:</p><p><b>Micah 6:8</b><br />He has told you, O man, what is good;<br />and what does the Lord require of you<br />but to do justice, and to love <i>hesed</i>,<br />and to walk humbly with your God?</p><p><b>Hosea 6:6<br /></b>For I desire <i>hesed</i> and not sacrifice,<br /> the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.</p><p>(note the poetic form in Hosea 6:6, where the 2nd line rephrases the first -- which means that hesed is linked to the knowledge of God. He <i>is</i> hesed!)</p><p><b>Hosea 10:12<br /></b>Sow for yourselves righteousness;<br /> reap <i>hesed</i>;<br /> break up your fallow ground,<br />for it is the time to seek the Lord,<br /> that He may come and rain righteousness upon you.</p><p>Hesed is part of who God is, and His unaccountable expressions of love and mercy to us should prompt us to imitate Him. God's hesed toward us enables us to show hesed to one another. Loving the "unlovable" should be a distinguishing mark of God's people, because we realize that we were truly unlovable, yet loved by God.</p><p>I liked Card's summary from chapter 11: </p><p>"In the Torah, we discovered the definitive experience of God's hesed: God telling us who he is. In the historical books we witnessed the heartbreak associated with the violation of the hope of hesed. In the Psalms we listened to the unique resonance of the hesed our hearts were created and tuned to sing to. In the Prophets we meet the One who is himself hesed (Jer 3:12). </p><p>The Prophets provide a portrait of the One who relentlessly reaches out to his people, who sends prophets like Jeremiah who weep and warn and plead with the people for decades before finally allowing the consequences of their sin to come into effect."</p><p>While the New Testament was not written in Hebrew, hesed is far from absent. As Card notes in his conclusion, "In Jesus of Nazareth, the embodiment of hesed, God was perfectly just and perfectly merciful. Through Jesus he fulfilled the promise to not leave the guilty unpunished by placing that punishment on Jesus in an act of pure and perfect hesed. Jesus did justice by loving hesed. He gave himself so that we might be conquered by the kindness of God, a kindness that leads us to repentance, that draws us to the cross. That moment in time makes doubting the lovingkindness of God impossible... As Frederick Buechner says, instead of being too good to be true, it's 'too good not to be true.'"</p><p>If you couldn't already tell, I highly recommend <i>Inexpressible*</i>. I'd rank it with <i>Gentle and Lowly</i> as one of the books that has most influenced my understanding of who God is. It reminds me of Job's words in Job 42:5, "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you." </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That is why I have the word <i>hesed</i> engraved on my necklace. While I hope and pray this baby will join us earthside this fall, our very own little "rainbow" after the darkest of storms, I will wear this necklace no matter what. I serve a faithful God Who always keeps His promises, Who has already done far more for me than I could ever ask or imagine, and Who never abandons me in the storms of life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><p></p></div></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><i>*My one caveat with </i>Inexpressible<i> are chapters 19 and 20, which discuss the application of hesed in Judaism after Christ -- there was interesting historical information here, and while I don't think the author was implying that practicing "hesed" apart from Christ is salvific, I would have liked to see a clearer delineation. While modern day Judaism may have a Biblical understanding of hesed from the Old Testament, it has rejected God's ultimate expression of hesed in the person of Jesus Christ. Apart from Him there is no forgiveness of sin, and therefore acts of hesed -- while still beautiful in a fallen world -- cannot put us in a right standing with God in themselves.</i></div><div><p><i><b>You can find my theological disclaimer <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2006/08/theological-disclaimer.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-61998922881493199952022-05-20T16:00:00.002-07:002022-05-20T16:00:44.733-07:00Pleiades, If You Please<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After my success with my first <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/02/starstruck-pleiades-dress.html" target="_blank">Pleiades dress</a>, I was determined to make another one. By the time I got around to it, there was a baby on the way -- no problem, the Pleiades is quite maternity friendly! But I still made a few alterations to ensure that I'd get as much wear out of it as possible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinewmM8yCqTV764UgvzAeB-2Nx4rSIJBZ_HEzeJ6o7NHCxmhWOISmGdql1vgQtcKyR3gVLsIY5lE-U9doVR5VgsNHAmH-Q5o3Ay9imD7dcCw5S4r-brE7YYhXvFmhvsRenj43kXFUGngQZdxsmv4-fm6LsdzyuUx6-ruTan--g09_aJtpLYmjQeZEqrw/s3298/Pleiades.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3298" data-original-width="2199" height="824" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinewmM8yCqTV764UgvzAeB-2Nx4rSIJBZ_HEzeJ6o7NHCxmhWOISmGdql1vgQtcKyR3gVLsIY5lE-U9doVR5VgsNHAmH-Q5o3Ay9imD7dcCw5S4r-brE7YYhXvFmhvsRenj43kXFUGngQZdxsmv4-fm6LsdzyuUx6-ruTan--g09_aJtpLYmjQeZEqrw/w548-h824/Pleiades.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sixteen weeks with our rainbow in this photo </i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had quite a bit of blue tencel blend left over from my <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-bit-of-brumby.html" target="_blank">Brumby skirt</a>, and with some careful placement I was able to eke out all of the pattern pieces. Granted, even though I lengthened the skirt pieces, this Pleiades ended up a bit shorter than my last one. I typically prefer longer skirts, and it does feel strange to have my knees showing! It doesn't help that it's insanely windy here, an issue that I'm looking forward to leaving behind when we move in a few weeks. The night before I wore this dress I hacked a pair of nylons by cutting off a few inches from the top and sewing on a bit of salvaged maternity panel -- it took all of five minutes to do, and was far cheaper than buying maternity-specific nylons. Somehow wearing sheer nylons makes me feel more covered? Anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sized up a bit for this dress, as my original Pleiades -- which fit perfectly when I made it -- is a bit snug around my ribcage now due to pregnancy (I already have a "generous" ribcage, but pregnancy expands it even further!). Not unwearable, but why not make this one a bit roomier if I had the option? Besides that, I made few alterations:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I shortened the bodice, to allow more room for the bump. </li><li>I added a few inches of width to the skirt front, also for the bump! </li><li>I raised the neckline, a carryover from my original dress.</li><li>I transferred the invisible zipper to the center front seam, making this dress nursing friendly. I was concerned about how this would work, but it turned out beautifully! </li><li>I needed a way to conceal the zipper tab, so I added a bow to the neckline. It's essentially a long rectangle of fabric sewn into the neckline, and wasn't too difficult to work out (similar to sewing a sash into a waistband, just around the neck instead!). I like how it echoes the ties on the sleeves. Actually, I just noticed that there's a similar option on the <a href="https://www.frenchpoetry.com/produit/pleiades-2-dress/" target="_blank">Pleiades 2 pattern</a>.</li></ol></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSchtvZwt1ixRnTSBtvW9h4CWuhOOe9LMgpiXIQ-Cg6ffn9-XhEo0Y-omWkxLs9zJYnm2oPmCw5h45NF3Jz9nepno4o_eEmVQEY34914Q9_40-eZyhB6iwkpY7-oKdrMOalY4M6N00a7pY70gdkvr5TTfnyYQ2z9qOF2dlP-FDyzaFG4X-ne3_Ip8Ww/s4272/Easter-4-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2848" height="855" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSchtvZwt1ixRnTSBtvW9h4CWuhOOe9LMgpiXIQ-Cg6ffn9-XhEo0Y-omWkxLs9zJYnm2oPmCw5h45NF3Jz9nepno4o_eEmVQEY34914Q9_40-eZyhB6iwkpY7-oKdrMOalY4M6N00a7pY70gdkvr5TTfnyYQ2z9qOF2dlP-FDyzaFG4X-ne3_Ip8Ww/w569-h855/Easter-4-2.jpg" width="569" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I almost always add ties to the sides of dresses, whether they are in the pattern or not! I don't have to tie them tightly, but if I need some extra shaping they're invaluable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wtqfgP8UI0bteLY8PRflR9RB3MzuzEWyQA0yo-LYbd04FQ2jfXUPd38BHqJB6YPxbew9yExov6VWMXPYMbq9wJQueJpHowYh07_nPTGe5-xrgjoj6PnmBSdFGZbFPg1LPsPhIydxnUl6Avjhh5M178d-zsIdU6qT2A8zojouDRW9yqoySOsMLRw_ag/s3320/Pleiades-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3320" data-original-width="2213" height="828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wtqfgP8UI0bteLY8PRflR9RB3MzuzEWyQA0yo-LYbd04FQ2jfXUPd38BHqJB6YPxbew9yExov6VWMXPYMbq9wJQueJpHowYh07_nPTGe5-xrgjoj6PnmBSdFGZbFPg1LPsPhIydxnUl6Avjhh5M178d-zsIdU6qT2A8zojouDRW9yqoySOsMLRw_ag/w551-h828/Pleiades-1.jpg" width="551" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />We took these photos on Easter, the day after our gender scan for little Kit, as an announcement for family (it's hard to believe that's over four weeks ago...). Actually, this dress had been hanging unworn in my closet all spring due to unseasonably cold weather, and it just so happened that I also had a new pink dress in my closet -- I decided I'd wear whichever dress corresponded to our baby's gender for Easter. Obviously, we're team blue!<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVGaHSM57ByTF5PJuiof8C_BhQJLp7POk-V5Q1fSJYCrk6z5NSihc2FqxTdiSRPAPCxzmw4owzF3rjCT-JO0nTxygduMGaAvfZ3q0JXgra1r-reKq3clHbHho_rnJRWA1eD_aVHx97ixu1c8pe2IIJ8-eHN3m96voYPQ8JrN4iHVBaK-PGKoLPv2k3Q/s3399/Easter-3-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3399" data-original-width="2266" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVGaHSM57ByTF5PJuiof8C_BhQJLp7POk-V5Q1fSJYCrk6z5NSihc2FqxTdiSRPAPCxzmw4owzF3rjCT-JO0nTxygduMGaAvfZ3q0JXgra1r-reKq3clHbHho_rnJRWA1eD_aVHx97ixu1c8pe2IIJ8-eHN3m96voYPQ8JrN4iHVBaK-PGKoLPv2k3Q/w426-h640/Easter-3-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Brothers!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Apparently spring is (still) having a bit of an identity crisis, so I've not been able to wear this dress since Easter (and that pink dress hasn't been worn at all yet!). But once the weather cooperates, I'm hopeful this will be a closet staple in the coming months/years. What a blessing and joy to have a "bump" to dress again, and lovely fabrics and patterns to dress it with! <p></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-24244764661581312882022-05-18T18:10:00.000-07:002022-05-18T18:10:12.308-07:00Snuggle-Ready<p>While I don't need my infant boys to look like 30-something lawyers, I'll admit it's difficult to add rainbows to baby clothes without a girly vibe. But this mama's got to get her rainbows in somewhere! And after a joyful anatomy scan today for little Kit (who was quite cooperative, bless him), it seemed liked the perfect time to share one of those rainbow projects.</p><p>I had some butter-soft jersey left over from another project (I think the boys' <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2021/03/twas-night-before-christmas-pajamas.html" target="_blank">National Parks pajama shirts</a>?), and thought it would make a cozy newborn gown. <a href="http://www.stitched-together.com/2014/10/celebrating-baby-free-newborn-gown.html?m=1#.WDDQJ9t86Ec" target="_blank">Stitched Together's free pattern and tutorial</a> was just the ticket, a blank canvas for a bit of rainbow art.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhll_yb-JEB1ZdEce_0nUp6NEynJ3E9h47EYa1n_uSdKpUhU3MmnwnORJ9GlLvQztOWeSJO2FAw1Tm1fGO78U9vWIzG41kw_NH3hmSQmCY-RIWXHqh2nAu6s2BLDF27dqo0Qk9EV6Aek1yptHzQn0EDu4eF3jv-KPdu_mCa6hTAG2eY61zckxGBOQB5RA/s2036/Rainbow%20gown-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2036" data-original-width="1357" height="869" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhll_yb-JEB1ZdEce_0nUp6NEynJ3E9h47EYa1n_uSdKpUhU3MmnwnORJ9GlLvQztOWeSJO2FAw1Tm1fGO78U9vWIzG41kw_NH3hmSQmCY-RIWXHqh2nAu6s2BLDF27dqo0Qk9EV6Aek1yptHzQn0EDu4eF3jv-KPdu_mCa6hTAG2eY61zckxGBOQB5RA/w578-h869/Rainbow%20gown-5.jpg" width="578" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rainbow was a simple addition -- a bit of ecru braided cotton clothesline, with the center fibers pulled out (easily done). I traced my lines with a washable fabric pen, and stitched the now-flat rope with a wide zig-zag stitch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWI9fABidmbJ5IoxMzRDfVH83xQJhga8GkNxBRwpFhTw--0NcnSLxhecXWdt5-Li_ORNyDjhGhDoLcP66FJLoctL7Rm8x4cPU1EmlArR-1KiZKynZtEpB7KlCOnJ0xV-OTJnxa5vd4ox0Y_aaHWE-4eksGoKXpkHReAJTBrMrMP_uFLAlmP8jiHVfcEg/s3375/Rainbow%20gown-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWI9fABidmbJ5IoxMzRDfVH83xQJhga8GkNxBRwpFhTw--0NcnSLxhecXWdt5-Li_ORNyDjhGhDoLcP66FJLoctL7Rm8x4cPU1EmlArR-1KiZKynZtEpB7KlCOnJ0xV-OTJnxa5vd4ox0Y_aaHWE-4eksGoKXpkHReAJTBrMrMP_uFLAlmP8jiHVfcEg/w426-h640/Rainbow%20gown-3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A wee bonnet was also in order (again, a hard thing to pull off for a boy!), and for that I mildly modified the <a href="https://www.ottobredesign.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/Hat.pdf" target="_blank">free Ottobre jersey baby hat pattern</a>. I lined mine with cream bamboo jersey. Hopefully it will fit! Not only is it hard for me to remember how small a newborn is, my newborns have varied wildly in size (the smallest was 7lb 4 oz, the largest just a hair over 11lb...). But at least knit is stretchy, and anything too big won't be for long, Lord willing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT83ABY4iK11dQF_s_ZhWg1WPWMEGCxmXo5I14RgWmm6dYeTet1NBQ-0mmvWutZhk6yHrht6DNveU0d7rmhrZtNlJtZwZ5VfYOdgVbKxunSMJUTQRuoNlh1UM2YUKN8e9RgSUxNWiscpsctnEFXWHMUaVWSHvL2Pf48HiSnTGguJnkXWIXLdNgGsMoIg/s1826/Rainbow%20gown-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1826" data-original-width="1825" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT83ABY4iK11dQF_s_ZhWg1WPWMEGCxmXo5I14RgWmm6dYeTet1NBQ-0mmvWutZhk6yHrht6DNveU0d7rmhrZtNlJtZwZ5VfYOdgVbKxunSMJUTQRuoNlh1UM2YUKN8e9RgSUxNWiscpsctnEFXWHMUaVWSHvL2Pf48HiSnTGguJnkXWIXLdNgGsMoIg/w640-h640/Rainbow%20gown-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Little Kit trying to put his hand in his mouth! </i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><br />It was such a delight to watch (and for me, feel) Kit wriggling around today! We finally decided on a name, and after the good news today we're rejoicing over God's many mercies thus far. Can't wait to meet you, baby boy -- but please stay put for a few more months! <p></p><br />~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-20611565859261884012022-05-14T19:23:00.000-07:002022-05-14T19:23:16.479-07:00Milestones<p> Today marked an important milestone for this pregnancy -- 20 weeks, half-way to our goal of a healthy, earthside baby. There were so many times when I doubted we'd ever reach this point in a pregnancy again, and it feels surreal to be here. Apparently, Kit has taken his role as mama-reassurer very seriously, because he's been kicking up a storm over the past day or two. I did my weekly doppler check this morning (which has been such a blessing and sanity-saver for the past few months), but I think it might be my last "scheduled" check. There are many weeks to go, but I'm counting my blessings today!</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>It is good to give thanks to the LORD,<br /></i></b><b><i>to sing praises to Your name, O Most HIgh;<br /></i></b><b><i>to declare Your steadfast love in the morning,<br /></i></b><b><i>and Your faithfulness by night,<br /></i></b><b><i>to the music of the lute and the harp,<br /></i></b><b><i>to the melody of the lyre.<br /></i></b><b><i>For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your work;<br /></i></b><b><i>at the works of Your hands I sing for joy.</i></b></span></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Psalm 92:1</span></i></b></h4><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyKggkGlmmYQhaR75DoY1fo3CVAGwsTlWIViq5yzZD9l_DSgj5L0-_Qoh_ifNN6CR8rXgEoy_qZRA5esOZ_IkOZNxZV4BCLDxAEkAQK6EcgG_nvkq6Zz01fALehypjXHomnfNKZV_JClSkRmZ28xwgpVoQeA68V0cKCOp9IZih5VMfkDHBWCm7a-oSw/s3375/20%20weeks-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyKggkGlmmYQhaR75DoY1fo3CVAGwsTlWIViq5yzZD9l_DSgj5L0-_Qoh_ifNN6CR8rXgEoy_qZRA5esOZ_IkOZNxZV4BCLDxAEkAQK6EcgG_nvkq6Zz01fALehypjXHomnfNKZV_JClSkRmZ28xwgpVoQeA68V0cKCOp9IZih5VMfkDHBWCm7a-oSw/w426-h640/20%20weeks-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Today's "bumpdate," along with a few <br />from previous weeks for comparison!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIxvYr4HUvWzBsHxRLCzwlBbY7Sk9sB0TXEIru5P3v1qLyE5ntlTyAX4Fof7H_iJfuTJDhZX3bmwCpND08ZgVcHf3llGZTF0RnRtASa971koXgH2ZIHPaPKJbjE5zay_p0F8v3eUUcF2oU2lat4nOn7_YFlLx-svTRWOLkBS_Y6fO2AF2vaetLCBc1Q/s2158/12%20week%20bump-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2158" data-original-width="1439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIxvYr4HUvWzBsHxRLCzwlBbY7Sk9sB0TXEIru5P3v1qLyE5ntlTyAX4Fof7H_iJfuTJDhZX3bmwCpND08ZgVcHf3llGZTF0RnRtASa971koXgH2ZIHPaPKJbjE5zay_p0F8v3eUUcF2oU2lat4nOn7_YFlLx-svTRWOLkBS_Y6fO2AF2vaetLCBc1Q/s320/12%20week%20bump-2.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjiLmNfo2vYM-mmZ0qd0kdd_Qk2L_THS-l-Hq1evt-lnEPLtdkbihnBHzWEcZXlwWvp8kvbLBfMXChLT6IoZzdp0aAVAgzrfEeosRIAhzsx96ipdI6ayfzKIJCkLFozeElFvf-d6fgZvilPY1Gj9gXlmBcwlagktXSBHMt6sE3U7GClgWU9Rzln_YHw/s3150/16%20weeks-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjiLmNfo2vYM-mmZ0qd0kdd_Qk2L_THS-l-Hq1evt-lnEPLtdkbihnBHzWEcZXlwWvp8kvbLBfMXChLT6IoZzdp0aAVAgzrfEeosRIAhzsx96ipdI6ayfzKIJCkLFozeElFvf-d6fgZvilPY1Gj9gXlmBcwlagktXSBHMt6sE3U7GClgWU9Rzln_YHw/s320/16%20weeks-1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-83607576978960932782022-05-12T21:28:00.000-07:002022-05-12T21:28:52.771-07:00Bits and Bobs for Baby Boy<p>Once we found out that our <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/05/littlest-kit.html" target="_blank">newest baby was a boy</a>, it didn't take me long to pull out needles (of various sorts and sizes) and set to work! I do love crafting for babies (especially my own!) -- few materials required, lightning progress, and everything tiny and sweet. I save only the best hand-me-downs from previous babies, because I know I can easily restock with thrifted finds and handmade garments. The perfect excuse to let the creative juices flow.</p><p><i>Sweater: <a href="https://www.jordclothing.no/collections/english-patterns/products/summer-cardigan" target="_blank">Summer Cardigan pattern from Jord clothing</a><br />Pants: Self-drafted harem pattern<br />Aviator hat: <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2014/12/ready-for-wee-noggin.html" target="_blank">Made for Laddie almost 8 years ago</a><br />Rainbow teether: Couldn't resist!</i></p><p>This was my first time using a <a href="https://www.jordclothing.no/collections/english-patterns" target="_blank">Jord pattern</a>, as I found them only recently. It seems I have a preference for knitting patterns from northern Europe, which can sometimes be frustrating due to the language barrier -- happily, some of Jord's patterns have been translated into English! I instantly found about six patterns I wanted, but limited myself to just one to start. Garter stitch is lovely for a cardigan, because it practically eliminates purl stitch (which I just don't enjoy). Granted, I did modify the pattern to knit the sleeves in the round, which meant alternating knit and purl rows on the sleeves. But I didn't really want to sew them up later and baby sleeves knit up quickly, so I'm happy with the compromise.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-KgcsjhN6YQbziml-2ogIBGWFHyOlXZ6LNM1Y0dEMT0XYLKXhlptdpwhmGhJLY_QJuJJBD7SbFkAOr6stnphC4O0tq1QV-2Zf0ht9gUz0JNMNPftV1uSgVjonkvm5pzta7KY0TaOFrGJyMXLYgF20rLaxDxtuh8w_MR-3L9q_qIpOJ4khZV2QPS_Fw/s2153/Baby%20Boy-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2153" data-original-width="2153" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-KgcsjhN6YQbziml-2ogIBGWFHyOlXZ6LNM1Y0dEMT0XYLKXhlptdpwhmGhJLY_QJuJJBD7SbFkAOr6stnphC4O0tq1QV-2Zf0ht9gUz0JNMNPftV1uSgVjonkvm5pzta7KY0TaOFrGJyMXLYgF20rLaxDxtuh8w_MR-3L9q_qIpOJ4khZV2QPS_Fw/w640-h640/Baby%20Boy-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, the pattern was great and quite concise. Though perhaps a little <i>too</i> concise, as I did have some difficulty with the instruction to do an i-cord binding around the entire sweater! Having never done one before, I was a bit lost. But happily YouTube came to the rescue, and I now have another skill under my belt. It does make a tidy finish, though rather time/yarn consuming. I absolutely love the <a href="https://www.knitpicks.com/yarn/wool-of-the-andes-tweed/c/5420211" target="_blank">Marine Heather colorway in KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Tweed</a>. This is another yarn from my "<a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/04/gift-for-fairy-yarnmother.html" target="_blank">fairy yarnmother</a>," and after using three skeins I still have plenty left! Five little wood buttons finished it off.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not sure if I did something wrong, but there is a noticeable indent about an inch from the yoke, on one of the increase rows. I think I did all of my increases on the right ride (with garter stitch it's not always easy to tell!), but if I did it again I would increase on the wrong side because I think it's less visible. I may leave it, or I may improvise a little brown "stripe" detail with a coordinating yarn, probably using a crochet hook. It might be a nice touch! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDFI9mKkSdOCUW5Er7MXUcxuLtdjcqV2sWql6kcTNrMXHxYSDesp2S3j4wWz7crQpGHAw68dGVDOlK4I5Gtk_NWLdxv8owrZcfoPRjtjicjpsjZsoKQjLXh39uKvalE0RT6kAKicEbScNr6IICJNmDb7hkDQeorpl7sQGx5xbTlNR9i0f51rlsOkbUQ/s4752/Baby%20Boy-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4752" data-original-width="3168" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDFI9mKkSdOCUW5Er7MXUcxuLtdjcqV2sWql6kcTNrMXHxYSDesp2S3j4wWz7crQpGHAw68dGVDOlK4I5Gtk_NWLdxv8owrZcfoPRjtjicjpsjZsoKQjLXh39uKvalE0RT6kAKicEbScNr6IICJNmDb7hkDQeorpl7sQGx5xbTlNR9i0f51rlsOkbUQ/w426-h640/Baby%20Boy-7.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next up was a little pair of linen harem pants in roughly 0-3 months size (I'm awful with sizing!), which I hope will match the sweater size. I had a pattern that I'd drafted for Scout, which I modified slightly. I decided to do cuffs this time, since I tend to have to roll the hems and don't love the bit of serged edging peeking out -- I almost always use white serger thread, because I'm too cheap to buy three coordinating thread cones, and too lazy to change it out for every project, anyway. So these pants got a thick cuff, which is rolled up about half-way in the photos. I'm hoping this will help them last longer, too, since I can roll/unroll the cuff as the baby grows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPahK73VIuF56Y77gsjKK1kRP1iYKf5EHS0Z8gFjggqNFdWLD0U6R1kwU5Vbjkuw7XBOGRPdrqvGAJhvzHDuEYLyirXLrKE5Xg7ZKruNPYYT-7NL7pQCltTfFrQoHAwBiiT1IVhqc2iUNIc_A3U4CGYJWjywbyu4uHH9DechVNYRltvVZaaxoC_RfHpg/s2242/Baby%20Boy-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2242" data-original-width="2242" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPahK73VIuF56Y77gsjKK1kRP1iYKf5EHS0Z8gFjggqNFdWLD0U6R1kwU5Vbjkuw7XBOGRPdrqvGAJhvzHDuEYLyirXLrKE5Xg7ZKruNPYYT-7NL7pQCltTfFrQoHAwBiiT1IVhqc2iUNIc_A3U4CGYJWjywbyu4uHH9DechVNYRltvVZaaxoC_RfHpg/w640-h640/Baby%20Boy-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The fabric is a beautiful linen from a <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2019/03/tova-tendencies.html" target="_blank">Wiksten Tova hack</a> that I no longer wear -- the bottom half was the perfect size for a wee pair of trousers. I enjoyed adding a few details like the faux placket on the front, and the real-but-entirely-useless pocket on the back. And teeny tiny wood buttons are so sweet!</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n6SHIROttRdgVoaKMWWerALD2JGprLK1GZJwivTIOmrX_F1xWFZMzkyOhTtehYAgtr2nLq7oTILfzCQXgOtnxAaaNNieGJ7KSIgJkQxAk0sYjYR8lLCToJYNg92VuQS3-HbWmBgG5os7FjTzHgrKgQ8zxG1VMDUaZGIBVjTN6iJ-UhTHdSIbxHQlOQ/s2108/Baby%20Boy-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2108" data-original-width="2108" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1n6SHIROttRdgVoaKMWWerALD2JGprLK1GZJwivTIOmrX_F1xWFZMzkyOhTtehYAgtr2nLq7oTILfzCQXgOtnxAaaNNieGJ7KSIgJkQxAk0sYjYR8lLCToJYNg92VuQS3-HbWmBgG5os7FjTzHgrKgQ8zxG1VMDUaZGIBVjTN6iJ-UhTHdSIbxHQlOQ/w640-h640/Baby%20Boy-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOP8ZJhehlXR80E2UYy4gktvU2FZ9W6U_fufGKIO-Fi73DmBGv0YHQcOuldO86nJKHd29uugQiKugGM6NG1cgIfCV44mxha9ewd_twDSua3TEN3z2Pt_ivpST4oFZrDqIoQGOyV0jYwEVMr8I2CywJ_hlzYy0eQrNXQZif7Swb4spUHhBniKulpUIbg/s4110/Baby%20Boy-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4110" data-original-width="2740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOP8ZJhehlXR80E2UYy4gktvU2FZ9W6U_fufGKIO-Fi73DmBGv0YHQcOuldO86nJKHd29uugQiKugGM6NG1cgIfCV44mxha9ewd_twDSua3TEN3z2Pt_ivpST4oFZrDqIoQGOyV0jYwEVMr8I2CywJ_hlzYy0eQrNXQZif7Swb4spUHhBniKulpUIbg/w426-h640/Baby%20Boy-4.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also made a more masculine cotton rainbow for little Kit, our long-awaited rainbow baby. He's been giving me a few nudges as I write this, the most miraculous feeling. Though his seeming preference for my bladder does worry me a bit...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRzEG5TYrZEJmbOMWHCBjxgPtpKt5N4vBaIXZbFJbCCmhanKIarGs3z-HKMQNu6bJAoijFNOws2JThwTCZ2Yv9nuAMsMDPiTF9megS9Yy5fidoA-wWBlyZdlK1Q3Jtk8whosqLYzN-PoN6JNlpySoH_WiifSFlYPdwu45LUXFLj9206MxUy8OgtwFkQ/s3854/Teether.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2569" data-original-width="3854" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKRzEG5TYrZEJmbOMWHCBjxgPtpKt5N4vBaIXZbFJbCCmhanKIarGs3z-HKMQNu6bJAoijFNOws2JThwTCZ2Yv9nuAMsMDPiTF9megS9Yy5fidoA-wWBlyZdlK1Q3Jtk8whosqLYzN-PoN6JNlpySoH_WiifSFlYPdwu45LUXFLj9206MxUy8OgtwFkQ/w640-h426/Teether.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A recent order of fabric means that Kit's wardrobe will be expanding a bit more! All that rapid growth over the first year of a baby's life means more sewing opportunities for mama, which I'm doing my best to cope with. <i>*wink*</i> Something to keep me busy while I wait and pray to hold this little fellow in my arms.<br /><p></p><div><br /></div>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-90062730642995653692022-05-10T20:26:00.001-07:002022-05-10T20:31:20.587-07:00Littlest, Kit<p>As a frugal person who prefers minimal interventions during pregnancy, I never would have imagined paying for an elective ultrasound. But with strict hospital visitor regulations, an utter lack of patience on my part, and the discovery that a blood gender test would actually cost more than the ultrasound -- well, for the first time in twelve pregnancies, we found ourselves at a private ultrasound studio so we could find out the gender of our rainbow baby as a family. Our only ultrasound thus far had been at eight weeks, during the "jelly bean" phase. In other words, not much to see other than the actual presence of a baby! But at 16 weeks, I knew there would be more shape and movement, and this would give our children the opportunity to see their little sibling <i>in utero</i>. Besides, it was hard to imagine waiting another twelve weeks to see the baby at our anatomy scan. <i>Yes, yes, I know for most of human history ultrasounds haven't even been an option...</i> It turned out to be a wonderful experience, and both the facility and the employees were lovely. Just a brief appointment, which suited my low-intervention preference, but we got to see our sweet baby moving around and -- most importantly -- found out the gender!</p><p> All of our children have been team girl, for the simple reason that Rosa is the only sibling that doesn't have a sister. But it should come as no surprise that our newest addition is another BOY! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rJPPrtybXkfzAL8qR-wBQXcEUG9zef04JE0XpXGJ-uwbV0a0gUDzocVAtwk1K_X8939XAftoqhlkNmLDaqxhBCFWug0CgEyaXXV5PjHcTvqbv8_yfi20XAXvhdNR5Lryf8hHIcCJkkICS4VGhJ99P6f6iGcI0DLepskJt2TtpNvUKv7Uj9lsWf8e0A/s2681/Baby%20Boy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2681" data-original-width="2681" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rJPPrtybXkfzAL8qR-wBQXcEUG9zef04JE0XpXGJ-uwbV0a0gUDzocVAtwk1K_X8939XAftoqhlkNmLDaqxhBCFWug0CgEyaXXV5PjHcTvqbv8_yfi20XAXvhdNR5Lryf8hHIcCJkkICS4VGhJ99P6f6iGcI0DLepskJt2TtpNvUKv7Uj9lsWf8e0A/w640-h640/Baby%20Boy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>We celebrated with treats, and Little Man and Rosa helped me pick out a few things for the baby at a local consignment shop; they were so sweet as they oohed and aahed over all the little baby clothes. </p><p>I'm always impatient to find out the gender of my babies, but with this pregnancy it's been elevated more than usual. Part of that may be that technology has advanced since Scout was born, and knowing that early blood tests are readily available makes it harder to wait. But I also think it's because I feel like I'd been waiting for a "gender reveal" not for the sixteen weeks of this pregnancy, but for one hundred seventy-four weeks -- that's how long it had been since we lost Baby J, just a few weeks before his anatomy scan. I know time is precious with each baby, that there's no guarantee of another week or another scan. And even though a stronger bond may ultimately make loss more heartbreaking, I'd rather take that risk than stay detached (though each pregnancy-after-loss mama is unique in their feelings about that). I'm so grateful for every day with this baby boy.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWHtO3Widy7a44P1KkE7IoSOC0zDMMe9EbrtCXjjDbHeMa8bp1J64AQqyhOJ5fAqNUDwaaUaKBgcQh6LB_5FjIuarLlfiwpQyL7sBMHVtDbS2lduXYvcnuxK_JljZYNTmkhd6-fDsiyiZdCXRhhDsDqkUJl6VXQv6SxtdLKRmlxkTJtn3La5DuW-Epw/s2708/Baby%20Boy-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2708" data-original-width="1805" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWHtO3Widy7a44P1KkE7IoSOC0zDMMe9EbrtCXjjDbHeMa8bp1J64AQqyhOJ5fAqNUDwaaUaKBgcQh6LB_5FjIuarLlfiwpQyL7sBMHVtDbS2lduXYvcnuxK_JljZYNTmkhd6-fDsiyiZdCXRhhDsDqkUJl6VXQv6SxtdLKRmlxkTJtn3La5DuW-Epw/w426-h640/Baby%20Boy-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From left to right: hand + arm (upper left corner), profile, heartbeat</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Of course, now my husband and I are faced with naming this baby! We have so many girl names that we both like, but both struggle to find mutually acceptable boy names. It's a dilemma I relish, though -- what a joy to <i>have</i> a little boy to name. Figuring out a blog <i>non de plume</i> was comparatively simple, to my surprise (it's often not). Foxes are one of my favorite animals, and fox babies are called "kits." Well, Kit also happens to be a nickname for Christopher, a name I've loved since childhood but my husband has vetoed. So here on the blog, this little one will be "Kit." </p><p>Somehow the anatomy scan that seemed ages away is just around the corner, and I've started feeling the sweetest little movements over the past week. Little reminders that as much as this all seems like a dream, it is wonderfully, delightfully real. Praise God for His mercies!</p><p><i>PS -- Of course, there are knitting and sewing details to follow!</i></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-43724115962721872122022-05-02T10:56:00.002-07:002022-05-02T10:56:21.009-07:00Another Pair of Pinkies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Almost as soon as I'd finished my <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/01/pinky-promise.html" target="_blank">first pair of Pinky Socks</a> (<a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pinky-2" target="_blank">pattern</a> by Trude Hertaas), I cast on another pair! They were so satisfying and quick to knit, and I needed another project quickly for a crafting social. It didn't take me long to pick a new yarn from my <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/04/gift-for-fairy-yarnmother.html" target="_blank">"Fairy Yarnmother" stash</a> and set to work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Hh3_43b5vnnsOqSF7pmlGvX2cGBh9ksezdIMQ4020uTXXf16k4w3sU2HopSlgkWumc9TkPb78nJb_7sJ6o5bgM9iLK5-iMfcOIWRK4Aq4CgcbI3n5IWElWO-DZg4Xg_F8dByZkw1hLFHU9AW51P37gVMERpRv0PktB3K_tXXovI-BtepT045yw3FdQ/s1979/April-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1979" data-original-width="1979" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Hh3_43b5vnnsOqSF7pmlGvX2cGBh9ksezdIMQ4020uTXXf16k4w3sU2HopSlgkWumc9TkPb78nJb_7sJ6o5bgM9iLK5-iMfcOIWRK4Aq4CgcbI3n5IWElWO-DZg4Xg_F8dByZkw1hLFHU9AW51P37gVMERpRv0PktB3K_tXXovI-BtepT045yw3FdQ/w640-h640/April-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>This time I used my favorite Fish Lips Kiss heel (I use her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeq2H4csJRQlxYbSBhl2_8wkn9SGEQGix" target="_blank">twin stitch knit/purl technique</a> for virtually all of my short rows/increases now! They're practically invisible), so I knit an entire pattern repeat before starting the heel. Even so, they sit quite low on the back of my heel -- but they don't slip off, and I think I can get away with wearing them with my Adelisa & Co. Dalia's (<a href="https://www.adelisaandco.com/products/dalia-leather-shoes?_pos=1&_sid=55d15bce0&_ss=r" target="_blank">children's version here</a>). I usually end up wearing little sock liners with my Dalias if I'm wearing a dress, because it looks a bit odd to have socks peeking up over the tops! I also did a tubular cast-on, which has been a favorite for socks lately. It does tend to muddle my brain, though.</p><p>I keep experimenting with different needle sizes, but ended up restarting this sock in 2.0mm needles and actually casting on all of the stitches (my last pair was a larger needle size, but I changed the cast-on from 64 to 56). This sock yarn was thinner, and a tighter stitch pattern seemed to work better.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaLq5ayB0CdWDLwk80FTCctIymg1WqMJ9GzYTHRgqC9_beO9B7PUeQGxJt127XFsv1XymVLigqlRVkkIJRQeRy5xg7DaGaaEaug3iDbuPRS-6qbDD-6slEWSMna3N9VsB6jiX3LotA28qOgfVYs5CTW3tVftXlA0EzzEr7R7LKccPFP1VfQpFNwfUvw/s1746/April-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1746" data-original-width="1746" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaLq5ayB0CdWDLwk80FTCctIymg1WqMJ9GzYTHRgqC9_beO9B7PUeQGxJt127XFsv1XymVLigqlRVkkIJRQeRy5xg7DaGaaEaug3iDbuPRS-6qbDD-6slEWSMna3N9VsB6jiX3LotA28qOgfVYs5CTW3tVftXlA0EzzEr7R7LKccPFP1VfQpFNwfUvw/w640-h640/April-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>These look a little funny when they're not on my feet! But I like a snug fit, and the nice thing about hand-knit socks is that they're customized to <i>my</i> foot proportions. </p><p>I still have plenty of yarn left -- maybe enough for another pair of ankle socks, or perhaps Rosa will get some socks soon...</p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1278139998273750963.post-34725859628544330222022-04-29T12:29:00.004-07:002022-04-29T12:29:42.369-07:00Gift for a Fairy Yarnmother<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Over a year ago, a reader contacted me with a question -- she was downsizing her yarn collection, and would I like some of her stash? Shortly after, a box arrived on my doorstep. And then another, and then a third! Each one filled with beautiful yarns in some of my favorite fibers and a rainbow of colors. So many sock yarns! There were even a few cuts of fabric and a puzzle (how did she know?). I dubbed her my "Fairy Yarn-mother," and the name stuck (I don't know how she would feel about that, but hopefully she'd consider it a compliment!). You've already seen some of the results of her kindness, like <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2021/04/little-ray-of-sunshine-or-izzy-again.html" target="_blank">Rosa's Izzy</a>, my <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2021/07/elven-woods-socks-and-farewell-to.html" target="_blank">Elven Woods socks</a>, and my <a href="https://thoughtsandthimbles.blogspot.com/2022/01/pinky-promise.html" target="_blank">Pinky socks</a>. And there are more projects soon to be posted!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLslCArO2aNuRI-1PvUoLCLn9i106SBjMXoJ-6oANk6XaGPxuy6fkGMTKLSTiHzuxUQf56rcceGBWn7W71mUSGCITqSQfo1SBi6JXQtZE3W7SdugdZR1JNUFwuQIpRcocWfe1eoRL2cWuw4k72-wr5k6PJkBxbRyRm2BtgTvOWVyLL8c6wNVCUuZVKw/s2217/Blog-06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2217" data-original-width="2217" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLslCArO2aNuRI-1PvUoLCLn9i106SBjMXoJ-6oANk6XaGPxuy6fkGMTKLSTiHzuxUQf56rcceGBWn7W71mUSGCITqSQfo1SBi6JXQtZE3W7SdugdZR1JNUFwuQIpRcocWfe1eoRL2cWuw4k72-wr5k6PJkBxbRyRm2BtgTvOWVyLL8c6wNVCUuZVKw/w640-h640/Blog-06.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More crochet forays -- this time a bookmark, which was a challenging but enjoyable project.<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In spite of my gratitude, 2021 was a difficult year in many ways, and it was over 12 months before I finally sent a little "thank you" package in her direction. It was also ridiculously hard for me to settle on <i>what</i> to send. Choosing gifts is not one of my strengths, and it's even harder when I have limited information about the recipient. But clearly sewing and knitting were something we had in common, and we also share a favorite Jane Austen novel! In the end, I went with those themes and hoped for the best.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few lavender sachets in these Ruby Star Society "Purl" prints were a must:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PcOQGVPKXOS9mFLeVAyQRx6PTU90lhOvTY2s0Cumj2YXO2OnLsztHgKfzVjE_oUR4NK0ye4iVtWkKP9yvKOd_jFVBJxplMOZ3KJeFlqiY9VaCtW6Zxv-vMH1GAS3GRglWFvoA_Qf5sJ8G5GqBup5XyVINoIJzQ0oUcHcfUYqOUdKhqOHIF87Z-9QzA/s3100/Blog-04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3100" data-original-width="2067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PcOQGVPKXOS9mFLeVAyQRx6PTU90lhOvTY2s0Cumj2YXO2OnLsztHgKfzVjE_oUR4NK0ye4iVtWkKP9yvKOd_jFVBJxplMOZ3KJeFlqiY9VaCtW6Zxv-vMH1GAS3GRglWFvoA_Qf5sJ8G5GqBup5XyVINoIJzQ0oUcHcfUYqOUdKhqOHIF87Z-9QzA/w426-h640/Blog-04.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And I made a small box adorned with a facsimile of Jane Austen's manuscript for "Persuasion" -- I used to make these regularly for my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Austentations" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> once upon a time (though with fragments of thrifted novels), but haven't done one in ages. I forgot how much I enjoyed it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQERRTDNsaVSaginAjaZ5U3Ll_M9f3VvTMtzysRTlYHsd4dRzPQiIb1f2RRcTlUCCBeRZgm-MT5ahruyQ80woPoQL4kCglYMidZQZTfFWf23U08-HJFVhcSL694ZlP0-sc_2CViInpvNse_0A6xReDy014gtFgzAJULBSY8xp63Bnj0VUGXzXm6lidvA/s3163/Blog-05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3163" data-original-width="2109" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQERRTDNsaVSaginAjaZ5U3Ll_M9f3VvTMtzysRTlYHsd4dRzPQiIb1f2RRcTlUCCBeRZgm-MT5ahruyQ80woPoQL4kCglYMidZQZTfFWf23U08-HJFVhcSL694ZlP0-sc_2CViInpvNse_0A6xReDy014gtFgzAJULBSY8xp63Bnj0VUGXzXm6lidvA/w426-h640/Blog-05.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A few goodies completed the package, and off it went. I must say, it's making me itch to make Jane Austen wares again...<br /> <p></p>~ Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08882650511821959701noreply@blogger.com4