Summer Plans

Graduation is my favorite thing about teaching high school; it's so wonderful to see my students mature from 9th grade to graduation. It also means summer is here!!

 

I don't actually have many plans for this summer, other than a week in Brooklyn to visit my daughter for a few days and to pet sit for a few days while she and her husband take a short vacation. Normally I have lots of ideas for the house and yard, and while I know I need to get a lot of things done around here, I haven't written anything down yet. I think I'm going to try and take each day as it comes this summer.

One positive thing I've done to try to increase my productivity is to delete the games on my iPad. I know I waste so much time on them when I'd really rather be knitting or reading, so to help me make better choices, into the virtual trash can they went. Also, my iPad is over four years old, which is ancient in the Apple world, so maybe it will last longer if I only use it for blog reading and writing.

Yesterday was World Wide Knit in Public Day, and my local yarn shop co-hosted an event with the Chrysler Museum. The weather was amazing, which contributed to the large turnout.

 

 

I supported her effort by purchasing this gorgeous skein of Malabrigo. Apparently I'm hooked on these colors right now.

I also bought a bag by a local maker but this is a gift for my oldest daughter. She used to knit, but sews more often now, hence the fabric pattern. Hopefully she can use it for something.

As the weather was so nice, I decided to wander around downtown, sort of like a tourist in my own city. This is the Slover Library, the main branch of the Norfolk Library system. I love going there, it's beautiful inside and out.

Mermaids are the city mascot and can be found all over. I'll take more photos of them this summer.

There is a little half street park with a long fountain area between the library and the MacArthur Memorial. It would be a nice place to knit and cool off.

I also stopped in Kitsch, a little shop I frequent, to see what was new. I love these Pom Pom flowers!

Gracie is enjoying the rug and the open windows. I love her expression, sort of a, "what now?" look.

And here she's snuggled up on the couch near me, as she is so often.

Hello, summer!

 

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Teacher Tired

There's no tired like teacher tired at the end of the school year, as the saying goes, and I am feeling it this year. I have two more "teaching" days, then two days of exams, and an early release day followed by a graduation ceremony, and then two work days before my ten weeks of unemployment begins. It is a challenge making these last days worthwhile, especially when so many students are pulled out for state testing, but I keep trying. I've been using the Teaching Tolerance videos again, which usually lead to some great class discussions. I have used them for the past three years and I think I may start the semester with them next time. Truly, I could easily teach an entire semester with them, they are that good. This semester I also found another great resource, the Densho Project, a website devoted to the Japanese Internment during WWII. Add in all the resources available on the Holocaust, and my social justice focus is pretty clear.

Gracie looks exhausted too. Or maybe she's just commiserating with me?

I was able to snag a copy of the new magazine, Making, and it is well worth the price. I forget how many knitting patterns are in it, but there are a lot and a wonderful variety too. This photo was taken on the bathmat while I was taking my bath.

I have a couple of bookcases in the garage I want to glam up and I think I'm going to try this look:

 

Oh, and I bought a painting last week from the consignment store I frequent; I'm pretty sure I'm going to hang it somewhere else but it's hanging here for now. I love looking at it. And soon I'll be on the actual beach every day that the weather allows!

 

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Home Stretch

I only have 10 more days with my students and as always, it's a bittersweet time. For the most part, we have a wonderful rhythm going, the environment feels safe to us, and yet it's time to move on. Having said that, I'm looking forward to lots of beach time.

I had my first real beach day last Saturday and I made the most of it, staying outside until dark, just like when I was a kid, and it felt marvelous.

 

I'm still working on my Pebble Beach Shawl, since it seems like I knit 4 rows only to rip back 3. A lot. Oh well, it'll be pretty when I'm finally finished.

Saw this tableau while walking and it struck my fancy.

The light was gorgeous.

 

I also got the outdoor table covered for the summer; this is the table I found on the curb last summer and hauled home. I bought a yard and a half of waterproof tablecloth fabric to protect it from the rain and it worked great. I stored it in the garage over the winter and recovered it with new fabric for this summer when I brought it back out. It's a great place to knit and eat, as it only gets the morning sun.

My parents celebrated their 57th anniversary on Memorial Day; I can't even imagine being married that long. They are so adorable on their wedding day, aren't they?

I caught Gracie in a pensive mood; or maybe she was only taking a catnap. Either way, she is a contented cat.

 

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Week's End

With the daylight lasting longer, I've been able to get down to the beach after work for a walk a couple of days this week. Needless to say, it's a great way to relax.

I see lots of dogs on the beach, but very few cats. This is as close as I was able to get to this one.

Also saw this shore bird; a friend tells me it is a yellow-crowned night heron, hunting crabs for dinner. I've never seen one before.

Whereas the seagulls are regulars.

 

 

These flowers were free bulbs I dug up from a neighbor who was re-landscaping; I love them! The border is scavenged driftwood.

To kick off a unit on how our perspective shapes our writing, I had my students create a personal coat of arms, based on their definition of values, customs, national identity, and heritage. I felt like they did a nice job on them, so while it doesn't make a lot of sense to hang student work up this late in the year, it seemed a shame not to.

Gracie looks like she had a rough day, doesn't she?

 

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Mostly Knitting

Steve and I went to Baltimore over the weekend to visit his brother and sister-in-law and to attend a house party of a friend. The friend lives in a historic row house in the Federal Hill section of the city and she and her husband are the artsy, free spirited type of people that I enjoy being around, so it was a lot of fun.

My sister-in-law, Diane, started knitting ten years ago, right after she met me, so now we love to share our projects, pattern finds, and yarn stories. This trip, she and I went to her local yarn store, the whimsically named, Woolstock. I loved these mugs, but took pictures instead of buying them.

This common saying, "yarn is cheaper than therapy", is a bold faced lie, but it's cute nonetheless. Having experienced both, I know yarn is way more expensive, but it's still worth it for the joy it brings me.

This wreath was also at the shop; I've seen yarn wreaths before but the floppiness of this one really appealed to me. The subdued colors are lovely too, don't you think?

As Baltimore is about 4-5 hours each way, depending upon traffic, I was able to knit quite a lot. This is the almost completed Puerperium Cardigan, done in DK weight mercerized cotton. Sherbet colors.

I bought 2 skeins of Sunseeker, a cotton yarn with just a little sparkle in it, while at Woolstock, and cast on for the Pebble Beach Shawlette, a lightweight shawl that is totally unnecessary but will be beautiful in this summery color way.

Oh, right, another just-begun project. This is the fish pillow pattern from KnitPicks that I think will look wonderful in my sunroom, especially in these tropical colors. I took this photo in Friday afternoon, while waiting to meet Melissa for a quick coffee. This shop is just around the corner from her apartment and I was able to snag the only outside table. The cobblestone street reminds me of my time in England somehow. I cannot believe it has been almost twenty years since I was there. I really want to go back to Great Britain.

Finally, a picture of the blown tulips in my classroom, also taken on Friday; my students think I'm crazy for buying flowers "that will die", but I tell them they're good for our souls.

The monsoon season finally stopped today; hope you are looking forward to a wonderful week.

 

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Beautiful Weather, Flowers, and Food

My talented youngest daughter made me this beautiful Mother's Day card; the inside was as lovely as her drawing.

 

Speaking of Mother's Day, my sister took my mom to the Botanical Gardens to see the Lantern Asia exhibit I saw in March, and they ran into my friend, Lori, and her mischievous son, who surprised my mom with a kiss. I adore her expression!

The roses in our our yard are so beautiful this year, probably due to the cool and rainy spring we've had so far.

I saw this beauty in someone else's yard this past weekend. It smelled as good as it looked.

The rose was in this yard, which is the type of messy, lush garden I'd love to have.

This is the finished one skein sweater, with its goldfish button attached.

And this is a retro baby sweater over half way done. Our baby clothes drive is for the entire month of May and I'm having such fun that I ordered more yarn for it!

I went to the GreekFest this weekend and managed to not eat one of these. But I didn't feel deprived, especially since I ate there on Saturday and Sunday.

The weather could not have been better.

I came home for a long walk in the beach both days to walk some of the calories off. In the space of thirty minutes it went from this:

To this:

I also booked our accommodations for Rhinebeck 2016! We wanted to stay in the same house but the woman is selling so we found another option nearby and just as close to the sweetest yarn shop:

My dad turned 69 on Friday, and he still looks amazing.

Gracie says goodnight.

But only after watching Call the Midwife and Wallander on our local PBS station.

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