Souvenirs

Warning: There is mention of undergarments (but in a most innocent way) :)

Maui Moments 2 - Seaside Stroll

While visiting the island, we had a good percentage of our itinerary planned out for us, which turned out to be a very welcome "structure" to balance the random relaxation. The Zip Line outing, for example is one that I'm not sure I would have drummed up on my own, so for that and several other opportunities, we're really grateful.

However, in his very typical (and wonderful) style, my hubby made a way for us to find our own memorable experience. He took my hand one morning and decided that we should walk until we found something worth seeing.

Boy did we ever...

This is one week away that we won't soon forget. There is such energy and renewal in the natural wonders of our planet. I've been reminded now to take them in more and more and to appreciate even the slowest moments.

Maui Moments

Drew and I are away on a very special first trip to Maui. This is a combination of work reward trip, second honeymoon, mind and body reset, and so much more. I'm so grateful for the ability to take pictures and film parts of it to help keep these memories fresh. Over the next couple of posts, I'll share some of those photo memories with you


Yesterday we tried Zip Lining...

Only a vehicle like this could make it over the roads up here...

Wild Horses watch our ascent




Tell me again how completely safe this is?



Nothing to it but to do it! (You can see the video of my turn here)


If I'm still smiling, you know it couldn't have been that scary :-)

And....I've got the best travel partner EVER

Cruise Vacation - The Recap

Hello!! ~ insert frantic waving ~

We've been back home from the vacation for a couple of weeks and I STILL feel like I could pack up and do it all over again. Thankfully (pun intended) after we landed home I got right on a plane for 2 days of work travel, then home again for the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving was very quiet for us this year, and that suited us just fine. We are traditionally all in the turkey feasting and family gathering and over eating and random napping. No one can do triple servings in a kitchen like me and my momma! Not this year though...we spent such a lovely time with both grandmas, pops, an aunt and some family friends that we felt pretty well caught up on the family gathering part. As for the overeating and random napping? Check, and check! Got plenty of that in too on the cruise.

Here is a smattering of the vacation photos (trimmed from the 499 I stuffed into the camera). There's a slide show at the end if you feel like pouring a cuppa' and taking a saunter through the journey with us.

Our shore stops were in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas (my favorite), and St. Maarten. As you probably know, when you arrive anywhere via cruise ship, your experience of the destination spot can be somewhat "canned" - all mapped out for you from the minute you disembark until the time you set sail again. That is,of course, if you're NOT traveling with MY husband. We've cruised three times now, and not once have we gone the traditional "excursion" route. Hub loves to find local people, chat them up, and score some sweet tips and deals on tours, where to eat, and where to shop. Our experience is all the richer because of it.


One of the biggest pleasures I had was seeing the girls in a constant state of wonderment. We are so blessed that their stamina and their charm allows us to take them ANYwhere and we can be confident that they'll have a good time, and spread the smiles. It was really a treat to expose them to so many new things.

The "get up and go whenever you please" factor of homeschooling totally rocks!

A close second on the Lasting Memory scale was seeing my mother-in-law go from someone who hasn't left her home state in 30 years to someone who now calls me every other day to ask what I've found out about our NEXT family cruise (watch for it, December 2009!). She so thoroughly enjoyed herself that she came home and was on a veritable CAMPAIGN to get every last family member within 100 miles to start putting their pennies together so we can all set sail together next year. Cuteness!

If you think you might be into round-the clock service of fresh, delicious food, twice a day turn down service in your room, back-to-back days of island hopping, first class workout facilities, super service staff, and freedom to do everything or nothing for days on end - try a cruise. And if you do...I want to hear about it because apparently, it has now become our annual family tradition, and I'm always open for some great travel tips :)

Click right here to be linked to a slide show with many more pictures!

Toodles...Back in a Bit

This one...



This one...


This one...


And this one too...


...are getting on a big ship and heading to some islands for several days.

Have a great week!

One Word - Perfect.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh

Stitches Midwest Recap

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Stitches events, these are large annual knitting conventions that are held at 3 different locations around the country, and sponsored by XRX, the company that publishes Knitter’s Magazine, hundreds of knitting books, and puts on annual knitting course retreats called Camp Stitches. The events take place in the spring, late summer and fall in the West, Midwest, and Southeast. Some of the event involves what you might expect from a convention – vendors fill booths from one wall of the convention floor to the other and they have colorful and tempting displays of yarn, raw fiber, needles, spinning wheels, and drop spindles. There is also a huge amount of knit and crochet wear accessories – buttons, purse handles, shawl pins, and beads – oh my! A feast for the eyes. To supplement the eye candy, there is brain candy too. Talented teachers and knit celebrities teach 3 and 4 hour classes covering everything from the basics to the most advanced techniques. Since this is a widely promoted event, you just don’t know who you might run into, take a class with, or learn from. It’s a delight.

This year, I chose to attend Stitches Midwest, and decided to do it right. See, the first time I went – I was a very new knitter and I fell into ALL the pitfalls you would expect. I bought WAY too much yarn (that’s to be expected, it nearly climbs into your bag the instant you pass the registration desk); I bought on impulse, so I got one and 2 skein wonders that I still haven’t been able to align with a project (but goodness me, they are pretty); I didn’t take any classes, which meant that once I got home, I didn’t know much more about knitting than before I went there. There was one thing I did right though, and that was to attend with friends, but also reach out to complete strangers. It was a great time of affirmation that this is not in fact a strange hobby, and that the diversity of my knit sibs is a great thing to behold. So this year, I did what I could to do a little better and to relish the experience even more because of it.


I registered for two classes – Advanced Finishing, and Overcoming the Fear of Cutting. I can’t say enough good things about my instructors Margaret Fisher and Nancy Bush (yes that Nancy Bush). It was a major bonus to know that I could now understand the techniques that were being taught to us, and it was a joy to see the lights go on for my classmates around me, just as they were going on for me too. One of these days, I’ll share a couple of the techniques I learned with some more photos so that I can pay forward what I gained from that experience. Fiber celebrity sightings were plentiful too. We had our photos taken by Franklin for his 1,000 Knitters project, and we were fortunate enough to get bumped in line by Sally Melville and Nancy Bush - hey, who wouldn't let them get cutsies??


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As for the yarn buying? Well – let’s be honest, this trip was planned since February, and the yarn budget was outlined and secured even before food and transportation were considered. Did I buy more yarn than last year? Nope. Did I buy more sweater quantities of good stuff this time? Yep. Did I buy with specific projects in mind and check quantities, content and gauge? You bet. Did I completely indulge and succumb to some pretty scrumptious goodies that I have no idea what I'll do with? Come on people, I’m a knitter. I will say this, I’m writing this on the plane on the way home, and I think that whether or not my hubby is actually going to come and collect me from the airport is going to depend on whether or not he takes a peek at the old checking account before he leaves out. If you don’t hear from me for a while, I’ll be at Gate C12 fondling the yarn in my carry-on. ETA: Made it home, but the unpacking was done covertly. I'm no fool.



Another benefit of attending Stitches Midwest is that the Chicago area and surrounding burbs are a GREAT distraction from yarn overindulgence. We met up with a few other friends, locals and out-of-towners and enjoyed some of the sites and tastes of the city. Fabulous breakfast at Anne Sather (see the featured menu item from my last post); a picnic in Millennium Park listening to Mahler’s 5th symphony; a long overdue return trip to Chix with Stix to hang out with KK from the KnittingHelp Forum; and the best chicken wings I have ever eaten (bring on the cornbread, please) at Famous Dave’s BBQ.




The icing on it all was sharing it with KR, who is a wonderful travel buddy, navigator, and roomie. She surprised me with the most gorgeous shawl pin for my CPH while I was distracted by some Rowan Big Wool. Thanks Kat!



What else can I say, except, if you can plan for it and attend one of these, I highly recommend it. There is such an instant and genuine kinship that you could just stroll around for hours admiring people’s projects, or you can sit and knit at a table of complete strangers, and not feel strange about it in anyway, or you can fill your days with classes and courses for the things that you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t.

As for me, my 14 month yarn diet begins now. I feel really happy with what I brought home, and I’m going to commit to turning it into things that I will love even more. If it works out well, I’ll be attending Stitches East in Baltimore next fall. Maybe I’ll see you there?

Full Disclosure

Hello all, I'm blogging "live" from Chicago, IL...home to one of the great knitting events, Stitches Midwest. My girlfriend and I came for a long weekend to take some classes, buy some yarn, see the city, buy some yarn, visit with friends from my past, buy some yarn, and eat some great Chi town food, then buy some more yarn. I'll have more to tell once I'm home and things are settled a bit, but for now, here's a photo glimpse of our trip so far (all photos enlarge on click):

Back out here very soon. Be well!