Short Story Long

(I started this post in September, but here at the end of October  mid-November, we still have summer plants alive in the garden - hollyhocks hanging on!)  That is to say, it was a beautiful albeit hot summer at our house, and I happily look back on all the blessings of the season.   Family and friends visited, we had some lovely peonies, roses and other flowers; we went rafting and fishing and drove to the Northern Woods; saw the World's Biggest Dilly Bar, hockey stick, a beautiful stave church, and a couple of homes that Grandpa lived in when he was a kid.  We had a windy, smoky picnic with old friends, and lots of laughs with great-aunts and uncles.  We visited The City, and farms, and cemeteries and so much more.   We're in a new season of life; nothing bad, just different, and a little busier.  A lot less knitting, but still knitting.  Morning by morning, new mercies I see.  

This gets tallied under things I am not expert at, but it hangs so much nicer now, and that is what's important.  Someone asked what stitch I'm using.  I don't know the name of it if there is a name; I'm just weaving over/under, trying to provide the fabric with a little more support so that it can last another generation or so.  

We decided to track down a hot air balloon festival this summer, and spent the weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  This beautiful little town has good food, beautiful hikes, friendly locals, and a yarn shop!  What more could you ask for??   We watched balloons from sunrise to sundown, seriously.  I am going to mostly let the pictures do the talking but wanted to point out two things.  The "rodeo" portion of this festival is when the balloon pilots attempt to touch down on the surface of the lake.  I think most of them managed it without any problems.  You can see the yellow balloon with the flowers is still dripping as it rises.  Also, out of twelve hand-painted balloons in the world, there are two in this crowd!  They are the circus balloon and the cowboys.   To see more, including a time-lapse video (my first attempt at that,) you can check out the whole set here .  

I should finish up my story about our trip to Minnesota, right? Friday We arrived at Camp Friday afternoon.  A few other people were there, and we went in and said hi, and figured out where we should park. But before anything else, the boys and I headed right down the path to the lake!  There were a couple of cousins I knew, along with one of their kids.  Before you know it, shoes were off, boys were out on the dock, feet were in the water. As more people arrived, we had a fun time meeting everyone and figuring out how we were related.  The evening was hot and humid, and there were definitely lots of mosquitoes.  I was beginning to wonder if we were going to have two days of misery ahead of us!  Eventually, the boys ended up in the lake, shorts and all, and had a great time with new cousins.  Really, that's what we came for, so mission accomplished.   a path off the path... where does it go? We slept in bunks, and it was not the ...

I've said it before and I'm not sure "thank you" covers it but there it is.

Are you watching the Olympics?  Last night, BFJ and I watched the first half of the Opening Ceremonies while the boys were away.  I enjoyed the pastoral scene as well as the industrial scene, but could have done without the modern era.  We picked up the boys and got home in time to see most of the athletes coming into the arena, and definitely got to see Team USA entering.  I thought the cauldron lighting was amazing!! Today, we are enjoying the swimming and archery specifically.  Hurray! Team USA, winning the silver in archery; I'm sure it was bitter sweet for them but they're young, I think they'll all be back.  I'm furiously knitting a Starling , hoping that Phelps and Lochte will pull it together tonight and get some medals!  (My Starling will be done in time for Stitches MidEast.)  I was thinking of Jane when the Canadian girls' soccer team won their match this morning, Jane being a Canadian in the UK.  What events are you w...

Thank you, Ray, Steve, Jim, Scott, Brian, Heidi, Michelle, Bob, Dean, George, and all of you out there, defending our country and protecting the freedom of people around the world.  Happy Memorial Day.

My neighbor, George, died last week. I didn't know him that well, but by all accounts he was a wonderful person. I had the privilege of attending his funeral on Friday. George and his wife both served in WWII and he was buried with military honors. On behalf of a grateful nation, we present to you this flag of the United States of America, as a token of our appreciation for the faithful and honorable service rendered by your father.

In honor of our fallen countrymen.

I've mentioned before that my dad plays Taps at military funerals and other services.  I had the privilege of attending the Ft. Logan Veterans Day service with him today.  I took the opportunity to thank a few of the vets there, and also saw strangers thanking my dad both for playing at the service, and for his military service.  We stopped at Applebee's , who is serving free meals to Vets today, and a gentleman drove through the parking lot in a diesel pick-up.  When he saw my dad, he stopped short, turned off his engine and told my dad thanks.  You know what they say, if you value your freedom, thank a vet.   Here's the group who played Taps today, the youngest bugler is still in high school!