I LOVE Joann's Fabrics!

Over the years, I have tried my hand at many crafts, and lately have been spending quite a bit of time making prayer shawls for friends and family, and as part of the prayer shawl ministry at our church. I love the wools, and look especially for the ones that feel the best. I love combining the colours, and using different textures to create unique shawls.
However, I have also always admired quilts and quilters,mostly because I know how many hours go into the creating of them. My mom quilted a lot over the years, and still quilts panels for each new grandchild and great grandchild as they arrive. Her quilts from when our kids were babies are treasures, and have been gifted to them so they can share them with their babies.
So, even though I still love to create the shawls, I am now trying my hand at quilting. As with most things, I am self taught (using books and internet as my guides). The first one was a very easy block pattern, and lives on a certain boy's bed at the lake. Now I am attempting three more for three special little girls. Yesterday, my sister needed to go to Grand Forks for windows, so I tagged along so I could go to that sewing heaven, Joann's Fabrics. Love it, love it, love it. So much choice in fabric colours and patterns , all cut into usable sizes so I won't have a ton left over. Got the rest of what I need for my three quilts. The picture above shows some of the fabrics I am using. Can you guess which colours are for which girl?
And, because I was at Joann's, I bought some of my favourite wool. This is the softest wool I have ever found, and I have found it or anything similar only at Joann's. Knitting with this will be my therapy, so I'll save it until I need it.
And, for those of you keeping track of my hair return, here is where I am now. I do have hair, but it definitely does what it wants! There is some curl to it, and it is soft and I think thicker than it was before. I really don't care, I am just happy to have hair again! Lily, Colin, Cole and I are reading 101 Dalmations. Some stories just don't go out of style!

Only start this if you like scenery!

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Thank you and Farewell

This is an aside from what I usually post. In today's paper there is an obituary for a teacher who taught me long ago at the now gone Silver Heights Collegiate. His name is Glen Loveridge. Mr. Loveridge was one of those teachers who in his quiet, unassuming, gently manner made a mark on me, although I didn't realize it at the time. He taught Chemistry and Physics, only chemistry to my class. Chemistry was not my favourite subject (gets lumped in under the heading "Sciences I choose not to understand") but Mr. Loveridge showed infinite patience with me and I am sure with others, as we struggled to make sense of ChemStudy. Honestly I had not thought about him or any other teachers for years, until the 50th anniversary and closing of Silver Heights. Since I became an educator myself, you would have thought that I would have at least considered what it was I liked or disliked about the teachers with whom I had come in contact, but I really didn't until that reunion. At that time, though, I consciously did think about many teachers, including Mr. Loveridge, whose skill, dedication, and caring natures made my high school years what they were. I like to think that I had that same influence on one or two students over the years, but one rarely finds out if that has been the case. I wish I had taken the time to tell Mr. Loveridge how he impresssed me, but I didn't, and for that I am sorry. I wish his family peace, now that he is at peace after a struggle with cancer. He is still teaching me - in this case, the lesson is "Don't wait to tell people what they mean to you." You were special, Mr. Loveridge.

Aloha until the next time...

I like to think that we have traveled a fair amount, first as a couple, then as a family, and now once again, just the two of us. We have spent a few school break weeks in various hot spots in the Caribbean. Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico - these were perfect places to lie on the beach for a week, to refresh and renew, to soak up some much needed warmth, and to gain energy for the work months ahead. Once retired, we did journey to Australia for six weeks, and with the exception of our time in the outback and in Tasmania, experienced a beach holiday of a different sort. There was something new to learn each and every day there. Here in the Hawaiian Islands we have found the perfect combination of the two - lots of opportunity to soak up the sun on some of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen, with the bonus of so many new and interesting things to learn and experience. Even though I had been to Oahu about thirty years ago, and had wonderful memories of that trip, I had forgotten much of what made it special. Now, I have been reminded of all that the Hawaiian Islands have to offer. It is the perfect place. If you want adventure, it's there. If you want a beach with snorkelling, it's there. If you would rather ride the waves, they are there, in varying sizes. If you want rain forest, it is there. If you want creature comforts, you are limited only by the amount of money you want to spend. Now, once again, I understand why my parents returned to these islands over and over. And yes, we will be back.
It was a great vacation. Mahalo!

Farewell to the Big Island of Hawaii

We are just kind of hanging around waiting for the time to leave for the airport to arrive, so I thought I would update this somewhat. Beware those of you who live at home, we have MANY more pictures to share (but only if you ask, I promise). This past four days was completely different again from what we had seen previously. We took the time to drive almost all the way around the island, and in one day went from rain forest, to cowboy country, to desert, to beaches, to hardened lava everywhere, to black sand beaches and back to rain forest. Hilo is in a rain forest, which means there is lots of rain. In December here, it rained every day and night for all 31 days! We were lucky - a few sprinkles here and there, but no rain. Behind our small hotel is a "garden" owned and maintained by the owner of the hotel.

Hilo has been devastated by tsunamis several times. One of the more interesting things we did was to visit the tsunami museum on the front street, where we learned that after the 1946 tsunami, scientists recognized so much about the tsunami pattern, and the warning system was so good, that no one should have died in 1960. However, people being people, some wanted to see the water, and returned before they should have. The big tsunami was predicted to arrive at 12:31 a.m. In fact, it arrived at 1:04 a.m. Those who thought it was a false alarm perished. Imagine being in the dark on this coastline as a 30 foot wall of water hit!
The big attraction of course, is the Halema'uma'u Crater and the Kilauea Caldera. (For those who are wondering, if a "crater" is bigger than a mile across, it is a caldera. Therefore, the crater is within the caldera).
We walked Desolation Trail, and descended about a mile down to the Kilauea Iki Crater, then walked across it past many steam vents. It is considered safe to be in, unlike the active Halema'uma'u.
We also walked through the Thurston Lava Tube, formed as lave was flowing. The surface hardens and then when the lava ceases to flow, a tube is left. I don't think mother nature put in the lights though!
Things are fairly quiet right now at the crater. This is what you see by day, but if you hang around until the sun sets, this is what you see. This is the reflection of the lava pool on the steam created. Very neat! Probably as close as I will ever be to an active volcano!

We really wanted to buy this rocker for one daughter's porch, but it was made of koa wood and was $9000! Plus, we weren't sure how we could get it on the plane.
Yes, there are beaches here. On the Kona side, the beaches are beautiful. On this side however, things are a bit more rugged. Black lava rock creates spectacular images.
At Waipi'o Bay, a sacred area and much photographed image of the Big Island. A very friendly talkative native woman took the photo. I ended up buying a necklace from her, but passed on the nose flutes!
Couldn't resist this shot of flowers at the market, although why you would buy them I don't know, as there are flowers everywhere!
Green sea turtles are protected at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach. We spent our last afternoon here, enjoying the sun, sand and surf. So...one last "view from the toes". We're off to Oahu!