Saturday Sky with Ghan

This is the ghan I assembled for HMB and sent to offer comfort and prayers to a lady whose dear Mother has passed away. The tags attached to each square provide information about the person who made it.

Another HMB member made a tote bag to send with the ghan.

Look at this glorious, sun-filled Saturday sky without a cloud! Praise God for the wonders of this world!

It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of the truth.
---John Locke

Wordless Wednesday in Sienna, Italy

Saturday Sky in Gray

Today is a glowing fire in the fireplace, meatball soup simmering on the cook top, read a good book kind of day. Cozy. And, now it's time to munch on M-n-Ms and crochet.

A cheerful heart is good medicine. ---Proverbs 17:22

Crochet Squares

I've just begun edging and assembling squares to make a sympathy ghan for

Heartmade Blessings.

The rest of the squares for this ghan are arranged and need to be edged and assembled.



Meanwhile, a stack of white and purple squares wait to be assembled for an Operation Purple Heart ghan for HMB. They are setting on a very old doiley that was crocheted by my

Great Aunt Mary.



I received a package from my SP8 partner today. She sent an assortment of Mary Kay products and samples, a necklace and pin, a book, incense, a votive candle, and some pass-along crocheted squares that I can use in my charity ghans. Thank you, SP8!!

Insignificant events can take on monumental proportions when your head is full of practically nothing.

---Grace Slick

Alitalia

Single most memorable experience: the David—stunning in its enormity, its beauty is magnificent. To think that this amazing sculpture was created by the hands of man is awe inspiring. Excluding the pedestal on which he stands, the David is 13 feet 5 inches high! Walking around the David and viewing the three dimensional beauty of this piece now makes any picture of the sculpture a miserable second. Unfinished works by Michelangelo are also displayed in the amazing tromp l'oeil of a leg, part of a torso seeming to step out of the gigantic chunks of marble. How I would love to experience this day at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence again! Sheer beauty, grace, and power! Picture taking was not permitted, so I settled for my David bookmark from a gift shop. This website somewhat conveys the feeling of being in the gallery to view the sculpture. http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/micheldavid/david.html

Florence is graced with many magnificent sculptures. Below is a sculpture of Neptune with children.

Most surprising: That the "little Italy" in NE Ohio where my parents grew up was indeed a slice of the Tuscan hill towns—buildings, gardens, décor—so familiar from my childhood in Ohio yet so surprising to me as the norm in Italy. When my grandparents and other relatives emigrated through Ellis Island, they settled in NE Ohio for jobs. They set about building their new lives of freedom and promise in the familiar style of their homeland in the vicinity of Florence. In a word: quaint.

This is a garden at a winery in Montepulciano. Just love that enormous pots of tomatos and herbs!

Most over-used word (by me): "quaint" Italy is not super-sized. It is real. It is authentic. It showcases craftsmanship, style, and beauty. It dates back to medieval times and challenges me to actually grasp and hold and understand exactly what that means. The sense of time is over-powering when standing in the midst of the city gates, the rolling hills, and Etruscan artifacts.

Note the craftsmanship in the sidewalks in this residential area of Fiuggi, such as in the detail in the street lights. All of the sidewalks in this area have the shell design inlaid in the cobblestones. These are infinitely more eye appealing than comfortable for walking!

The view from our hotel balcony in Chianciano

Knitting: zip! zero! nada! Miss Feather and Fan did not fare well at all, poor dear. She lost her little, yellow sock stitch holder and dropped stitches which looked quite pathetic dangling off the circs. She was most embarrassed when her colors ran. She is hand painted after all! A bottle of water with a loose cap began to trickle on her in the new tote bag, a souvenir from Orvieto, a beautiful Italian town. Just imagine her chagrin as her colors stained a book in the tote bag, tissues---well, it was most unlady-like. By this time, she was wet and dangling from the needle! Fortunately, she was most pleased to spend the next two days arranged on the table on the balcony of our suite to allow her to dry. Well, I mean, she spent two nights out all night in Italy! Need I say more?

An Italian "snack bar"

The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. --Moliere

Wordless Wednesday

Saturday Sky...almost

Flying Among the Clouds over Rome

...I will fly on eagles' wings...take over, Oh my Lord.

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Rest in Peace, Betty.

Wordless Wednesday With Thanks to Bea

Suitcase Competition

::drum roll::
What will make it into my suitcase for the trip to Tuscany via Detroit and Amsterdam? ( Let's see what odd northern cities we can land at before we arrive in Rome!) So far I'm favoring capri pants--except for the day in Rome and visit to the Vatican--one evening outfit for night time in Florence, and two pairs of very comfortable walking shoes. Yes, travelers, I know about the cobblestones!

Pic is of some clothes waiting in a spare bedroom, nervously hoping they'll be added to Mr. Suitcase's bounty.

The hungry suitcase awaits! Is it me or is it shrinking by the hour? I mean, where am I going to pack all this stuff??

The traveling knit project has been clearly chosen for the carry-on bag. That would be the bordered feather and fan ghan made with Interlacements hand-dyed Rick Rack yarn. (https://interlacementsyarns.com/index.asp ) The hands-down favorite for this journey because

a- It's on circs.
b- It's light weight.
c- It's an easy, repetitive pattern.

However I do fear for Miss Feather-Fan's adaptation since she has never flown before. Additionally, she has not been man...er.....woman-handled for many, many months! Poor dear, she'll be fine and if she's smart, she'll remain untangled!

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Sent to me by my friend, Gayle.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1) Kindergarten Teacher
2) First Grade Teacher
3) Fourth Grade Teacher
4) Community College Adjunct Faculty

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1) Chocolat
2) Most Johnny Depp movies
3) Something's Gotta Give
4) ??

Four places I have lived:
1) Newport, Oregon
2) LaCrosse, WI
3) Logan, UT
4) Leetown, WV

Four places I have been on vacation:
1) Ontario, Canada
2) Northern Mexico
3) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
4) Inner Passage of Alaska


Four Websites I visit:
1) www.klove.com
2) www.cnn.com
3) www.paperbackswap.com
4) www.christianwomenonline.net

Four of my favorite foods:
1) shrimp scampi
2) pasta with butter and parsley
3) my homemade minestrone soup (from my Nonna's recipe)
4) caprese (tomato and soft mozzarella with olive oil)

Four places I'd rather be right now:
I'm happy right where I am.

I hope you will post your answers on your blog and leave me a comment telling me so! I think these short ones are fun to read!

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"Snippets from the Word" in the side bar led me to the beautiful Psalm 118 this morning. Reading this on my deck with the comfortable weather and gorgeous sky caused me to praise and thank God for the blessing of life and the knowledge of God's unchanging love. His great love endures for us forever...and ever. I love the beautiful song that reflects Psalm 118. Sing praise!

The Lord is with me

• to free me from anguish
• to protect me against any man
• to help me to triumph over spiritual enemies
• to offer refuge and trust.

The Lord has saved me from death and opened the way for salvation.
v.24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
v. 29b ...His love endures forever.

Jesus is the capstone of salvation--holding us together. Sing praise!

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In the end, what affects your life most deeply are things too simple to talk about. ---Nell Blaine

September's First Saturday Sky

September is here so it's time to pack for my trip to Italy! It's time to get suitcases out for departure on Thursday. My sister and I are going to stay at two spas in Tuscany--not simultaneously, of course! Along with a few excursions and lots of fun and laughter, we'll have a wonderful time! Now, where is that Italian phrase book? Hmmmm!

The cheerful heart has a continual feast. ---Proverbs 15:15