The Adventures of Duluth's Animal Kingdom

Makeover Time!

2008-09-13T21:07:00.002-04:00

I'm not really sure why, but I've decided to make the move to Wordpress. I've also changed the name of my blog to one that's a little more fitting. Because this was originally meant to be a letterboxing blog, the use of our family trail name in the title made sense. Not so much anymore. Please join me at In This Life!

I've transferred all the posts and comments to the new site, but I'll keep this one up for a while, so people can find their way over. Eventually, I'll disable comments on this blog, then it'll go completely. Please change your bookmarks!

One Day More

2008-09-12T21:18:00.003-04:00

I can't listen to this song on my iPod without getting choked up. I often wonder how the performers get through it night after night. Seeing it performed on stage is one of the most moving things I've ever experienced. The same goes for seeing Barack Obama speak, so it seems a fitting combination...

Les Misbarack:

They Love Cous Cous

2008-09-04T20:07:00.004-04:00

My children, that is. AND my husband.

That means...wait, can it be true? All four of us agree on a side dish?

Me: We're going to be seeing a lot more cous cous around here, guys.
Kids: Yaaaaaaay!!

You see, my kids don't like rice. Rice! White rice, brown rice, the color doesn't matter; they don't like it. Who doesn't like rice? I know, they're weird. And, since hubby and I are trying to eat a certain way, that third dinner dish (#1 - main dish, #2 - veggie, #3 - healthy grain) is always an issue. Brown rice is one of our staples. The kids simply don't like it. Oh, Nicky will eat some, especially if I mix it in with whatever that night's meat is, so he can't taste it quite as much. Nicky's become quite philosophical about eating foods he doesn't like. I wish I had adjusted so well to it. But Kalen whines about it, and when I remember how much I hated eating the veggies and such I disliked as a kid, it doesn't seem at all nice to feed them brown rice three nights a week. So, next week I'm heading to the farmer's market to buy cous cous and quinoa in bulk. (I don't know yet whether the kids like quinoa, but I love it with leftover chicken for lunch.)

Don't get me wrong, I so do not cook around my kids. With some rare exceptions, they eat what we eat for dinner. No "good" foods for us while the kids have grilled cheese, fish sticks or mac & cheese. Heck, if they're getting grilled cheese, so am I, dammit! Yeah, it's better to avoid the whole cheese thing...I'm not losing weight as it is. Mmmm...cheese....

Where was I? Ah, cooking for the kids. Nope, I'm totally unindulgent when it comes to food. I don't cut off sandwich crusts, I don't stock sugary cereals (Honey Nut Cheerios is as sweet as we get, and I only buy that about every fourth box of Cheerios), white bread is never brought into the house, and I don't cook separate dinners. So, I'll still make brown rice, because it's healthy and Jason and I love it, but it looks like the cous cous will be replacing rice at least half the time.

Scrumbly Fun

2008-08-29T19:02:00.003-04:00

I hit Goodwill this morning. That place really gets my creative juices flowing. I stopped in for a shirt or two to use as lining for my bags. (I'm determined to use reclaimed and repurposed items as much as possible.) I found a shirt. And a wool skirt that I can sew into a gorgeous bag. And two belts that will make nifty purse straps. And an unused skein of purple #10 crochet thread. And two purses that I had a vague idea of doing something interesting to. And another purse just for me. (It was $2.60! In my favorite colors!!)

So, I've seen a few examples of scrumbling online, which I can only interpret as kind of a crazy quilt sort of crochet technique. I love the idea and decided to try it for one of the purses I got at Goodwill. In keeping with the recycled theme, I'm using only leftover bits of yarn from other projects. I wasn't sure at first how I liked it, but I think it's going to be interesting. Any thoughts?

And an artsy shot, courtesy of the macro setting on my little point & shoot:

Happy Shawl Joy

2008-08-29T14:33:00.002-04:00

I gave Mom her birthday present today, so I can finally blog about it!

I joined a mystery CAL on June 1 for this shawl, and I finished it yesterday. I'm so thrilled with it. This is the most intricate piece I've ever crocheted. It's done wonders for my crochet ego that it turned out so well. And bonus - Mom loves it!

Here's a close-up of the lace pattern:

Posts Pouring In

2008-08-28T21:10:00.006-04:00

I know - three posts in one day after a month-long drought? What happened?

Search me. Or, rather, stay with me while I figure it out in my typically stream-of-consciousness manner...

Remember that whole cyclical-life thing I talked about earlier this summer? I sort of cycled out of creativity altogether for a few weeks there. A lot of stuff going on...in other words, life.

I got a great IM from my sis yesterday, though. She began with, "I'm here to kick your butt in gear!" Turns out her messenger bag is a HUGE hit (and I'm still waiting for her to get pics of it, so I can share it with you), and now that law school is back in session, she has a bunch of friends who want plarn "bags, scrubbie things, wallets, whatever you got .. they want it!!"

Well, wow. That's pretty cool.

And then today I was approached out of the blue about another creative opportunity, combining two things I love to do. I have to leave that as a tease for now, but if you want to do a little happy dance to celebrate with me anyway, feel free! I was happy dancing all afternoon.

And, all of a sudden, I'm fired up again!

I've felt sort of in limbo since school has been back in session. When I took my leave of absence (in April) from the store where I worked evenings for three-and-a-half years, it was with the understanding that I'd come back during school hours when Kalen started Kindergarten. I sort of had the feeling as August approached, though, that my availability (10am-2pm) wouldn't quite mesh with the store's needs, especially taking the current economy's effect on retail into consideration. I spoke to my manager last week, and she wanted to mull it over...to play with the hours a bit to see if it could work. That in itself is a compliment. She could have just said no outright. I talked to her Monday, however, and it is a no-go.

I'm okay with this. The income would have been nice and would have helped pound out the debt faster, but we're fine. And now that I know, I'm at total peace. I have excitedly thrown myself at the feet of my children's teachers, offering to do whatever they need me to, I'm going to start volunteering at the media center at school, I'm writing for my ongoing gig, and I can start designing and crocheting for my etsy shop. I am going to miss the closet design aspect of the retail job quite a bit, but bag design should fill my creative needs, don't you think? I don't believe I can accurately convey my thankfulness that I have the opportunity to stay home with my financial contribution being so little. Many thanks to my husband for working so hard, and to both of us for sticking to our total money makeover.

All off this finally brings me back to what my original purpose for clicking "New Post" was. I'm finally going to sit down tomorrow and design a bag for my shop. You heard it here first!

Why I Love My Husband

2008-08-28T19:41:00.003-04:00

Reason #3,283,128 (more or less)

Today is my mother's 60th birthday. (Yes, I know it's rude to reveal a woman's age, but she sure as hell doesn't look 60, so revealing her age always gets her tons of compliments.) I am sick, so I can't go see her. My cold or infection or whatever's brewing in my sinuses and throat + her immune system = not good. It hurts to be only 15 minutes away and not be able to give her a hug on her birthday. So, on his way out the door this morning, Jason asks, "Should I stop and get her some flowers?" So he did. He broke into their house* a few minutes ago and left them on the kitchen counter, so Mom and Dad will find them when they return from her birthday dinner. He's pretty cool.

*He has a spare key, so it's technically not breaking in, but doesn't it sound cool?

It Seams Great!

2008-08-28T15:49:00.003-04:00

Remember my Crocheters for Obama quilt? It's done! (Okay, I'll admit, it's been done nearly a month, and I simply haven't gotten around to taking pictures.) I seamed all thirty squares together and added a border. It has been an honor to be trusted with this project.

Here's the quilt in its entirety...5'x6' of beautiful blues!

And, because I'm so proud (and because the blanket's big enough to hide behind), here I am with it.
Are you interested in winning this original piece of art? The deadline for the drawing has been extended through Labor Day! Click here for more information.

Project Funway

2008-07-30T17:51:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I'm a bit of a Project Runway addict. And I've recently been introduced to Project Rungay and may be suffering a bit of an addiction there, too.

A few weeks ago, Project Peepway was brought to my attention, and the boys, who have seen bits & pieces of PR when I have it on during the day, thought it was hilarious. (Go on, watch it...I'll wait...)

So, last week, Kalen comes bounding down the stairs with a box and all of his rubber duckies. He proceded to line up the duckies (aka Peeps) on the floor alongside the box (aka Runway). For some reason I didn't get a picture of it. I did, however, get photos of the models.

The best part was Kalen saying, "You are out. You may leave the runway." Complete with cheek kissing. And now Nicky, who previously had no interest in the show, can't get enough of PR. That's my boy!

There were never such devoted sisters...

2008-07-26T10:00:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, I visited my sister in Virginia. Heather's in law school up there, and we see each other only once or twice a year, so we were due for a sisterly-type weekend. So, without further ado, a brief photo journal, entitled Sisters in Arlington:

Chapter One ~ Thursday evening

Our heroine arrives at the airport, where she is greeted by our heroine. The two make the brief drive to Our Heroine's Home, along the tree-filled avenues bordering the mighty Potomac River.

After a brief respite, our heroines enjoy a dinner of Scrumptious Specialty Sandwiches at a local eatery benefiting homeless animals. Our heroines then decide to make the journey to the Olde Neighbourhood, where they seek out the abodes and schoolhouses of old. Following our heroine's well-honed sense of direction, and relying upon no small amount of luck, our heroines find the second of their Childhood Homes in the area.

Our heroines finish the evening in grand, sisterly style, accompanying the local easy listening station on the car radio at the top of their lungs. Upon returning to our heroine's home, they peruse the Wonders of Cable and enjoy a period film, featuring an actor from a musical film often watched in our heroines' Girlhood Years.

Chapter Two ~ Friday

Our heroines spend Friday out and about in the sweltering heat, accomplishing Important Tasks and Necessary Errands.

Our heroine also receives a tour of our heroine's Educational Facilities, and experiences the wonderful quaintness that is Old Town Alexandria. That evening, our heroines enjoy a gourmet delivery dinner of Chinese Cuisine while watching Ocean's Thirteen, Monty Python, and That Mitchell and Webb Look. There was Much Rejoicing.

Our evening ends with a Birthday Celebration for our heroine's dear friend, the Fairy Princess Laura, accompanied by libations and classic bluegrass entertainment.

Chapter Three ~ Saturday

Our heroines being the Renaissance women that they are, Saturday is a day of both woodsy, outdoorsy adventure, and air-conditioned musicality. The day begins with the Ancient Sporte of letterboxing. The first such hunt being a Disappointing Failure (including the losing and Heroic Retrieval of our heroine's prescription sunglasses), our heroines regroup and reconsider their goals.

The weather being what it is, our heroines decide to make the attempt for easier letterboxes, succeeding in retrieving five.

The day's success is celebrated by our heroines in the local theatre, where they enjoy a rousing musical film entitled Mamma Mia! The show receives mixed reviews from our heroines. Our heroine is moved to tears several times, while our heroine declares it "okay." Both agree, however, that a Fun Time was had by all.

The evening is spend at the local tavern, an establishment populated by the finest wait staff and most talented chefs our heroine has yet encountered. Our heroine unwisely overestimates the amount of food and drink her stomach can accommodate and leaves feeling slightly ill, which is in no way a commentary on the quality of food available at the Fine Tavern. (In fact, our heroine cannot stop thinking about the rabbit gnocchi and somewhat incredible pork chop she encountered that evening.) It should be noted as well that our heroine is correct in her observation that, "Javi makes the best mojitos on the planet." Javi (not Javy) is welcome at our heroine's home at any time for company and said mojitos.

Chapter Four ~ Sunday

The following morning, our heroine uses the leftover steak and chop to create an Omelet of the Highest Degree, accompanied by peppercorn bacon and French pressed coffee. Our heroines spend the morning in Leisurely Pursuites.

In order that our heroine might not be late for her appointment with Snoop Dog that afternoon, she drives our heroine to the airport shortly after lunch.

Our heroines have enjoyed a fine weekend of Song, Food, and Sisterhood. (Thanks, Swis!)

My kitchen laboratory

2008-07-16T12:43:00.007-04:00

I don't really have a group of recipes that I rotate through the kitchen. Well, I do enchiladas now and then, spaghetti, etc., and the George Foreman and Crock Pot both get their fair share of use. But mostly I just throw dinner together out of whatever ingredients appeal to me that evening, or whatever I can find when we're approaching Mother Hubbard status. Sometimes I end up with something really great. Usually I end up with something fine. Once in a while, I end up with something even my loving, appreciative husband can't stomach. (Thankfully, that last one's rare - once or twice a year.)

Monday night, I had a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts thawed. I so did not feel like cooking, but the chicken was on its last day of usability, so it had to be done. I set some rice to cook (Rice-a-Roni whole grain boxed rice - yummy stuff), put a few teaspoons of safflower oil - my new favorite healthy oil - in the skillet, and cut the chicken into 1" slices, so it would cook faster. Once the chicken was all cut, I turned the stove on (about medium-high), sprinkled some salt and pepper over the meat, and topped it off with a clove of pressed garlic. At that point, I was stuck. It wasn't enough, but I wasn't sure what else to add. I wasn't in the mood.

After standing in front of the open pantry for a couple of minutes, I grabbed a can of Navy beans and dumped the whole thing over the chicken, followed by more salt and pepper and another clove of garlic (pressed). I stuck the lid on, turned the burner down to medium, and left it. A while later, the chicken was cooked through, and I served it up with the rice and some previously frozen peas.

And, wow!! A success! The chicken & beans were incredible...so good, in fact, I'm craving them again and may make them tonight. The kids, picky little guys they are, didn't eat the beans, but they loved the flavor of the chicken, and they asked me to add it to our "list of favorite meals." I figured I'd better type it up so I don't forget what I did, and while I'm at it, why not share? Isn't everyone in search of fast, easy, yummy meals? Let me know if you try it!

Unravelry

2008-07-15T14:48:00.005-04:00

Remember those sweaters I found last week? Well, they're no longer sweaters. Meet my new piles of sproingy yarn.

Both ended up being laceweight yarn, which is much finer than I'd hoped for. I think I know what to look for now when I'm combing through the racks of sweaters, but I doubt I'm going to find many in this climate that use heavier yarn. I think a drop spindle may be in my future (for plying thicker yarns out of the finer ones I find.) The next step for these yarns is to be washed and hung to dry with weights at the bottom, to straighten them out. I'm hoping to wind them into nice hanks to sell.

I used my handy-dandy new lap swift to wind the yarn onto as I unraveled the sweaters. It's an advanced piece of machinery. Prepare yourself for the mechanical genius behind it. Ready?

Yes, that's a 2x4, and those are 2" nails. It works great! I'm actually very pleased with it. I'd eventually like to get an umbrella swift, since it will be easier to unwind hanks onto a ball winder (which I'd also like to get) off of a rotating swift, but for now this will do just fine.

I still don't like that salmony-pink color, so I grabbed one of the smaller hanks of it and set it in a vinegar soak for an hour. It's now been zapped a few times in the microwave with a pouch of Blastin' Berry Cherry Kool Aid and a pouch of Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade. It's a darkish color again, but we'll see how it dries and reskeins. I'd like to do another hank of it in orange, just to see how it takes it.

The Miracle of Reskeining

2008-07-14T13:33:00.005-04:00

When I got up this morning, I immediately twisted my newly-dyed and now dry yarn into hanks, and I wasn't pleased with the colors at all. I had two of these, which to me looked a washed out, pukey-burgundy and light electric blue:

However, I've read over and over that reskeining (rewinding the yarn into a new hank) works wonders, so I did my best to withhold judgment. I sat down with my new lap swift (a 2"x4" with nails exactly 36" apart) and began winding. Sure enough, after thirty minutes, I had this:

Now, that's more like it! The colors are pretty close to the photo - maybe only slightly less washed-out in person. I'm actually happy with this. Not thrilled, mind you, but definitely happy for my first attempt. I will be dyeing more yarn in the future - count on it!

Post-Dyeing Drying

2008-07-13T16:58:00.003-04:00

We left the yarn cooking on low for about 2 hours. One hour probably would have been enough, but I was uncertain whether or not the milky-white water indicated that the yarn had soaked up all the dye. When, after another hour, it was still milky, I decided it was probably fine. I unplugged the crock pot, took off the cover, and we went to the mall.

About four hours later, we came home, and the yarn was cool enough to handle. I dumped it into the colander in the sink and rinsed my new, colorful yarn in water the same temperature before putting it through another spin cycle in the washer. Behold, hand-dyed yarn! The colors are pretty close to the photo, although the red is a little more burgundy (not so pinkish) in real life.

And here it is, hanging up to dry in the boys' bathroom. Tomorrow I'll reskein it on the simple swift I made this afternoon.

Jason's first question was, "What are you going to make with it?" Good question, actually. It's 100% feltable wool, so maybe my first felted bag? We shall see!

Adventures in Dyeing

2008-07-13T11:11:00.005-04:00

Note the spelling - that's dyeing, not dying. Although the latter is a definite adventure, it's not one I'd like to try for many more decades.

Anyway, I picked up a couple of skeins of Kashmira (100% Wool at Joann's) on clearance for this express purpose. It's a blueish grey, not a fun color at all. I've also been picking up a few packets of Kool Aid each time I hit the grocery store, so I'm all set.

Last week, I rewound the skeins around the legs of an upturned dining room chair. No pictures, sorry. For this, I'd much rather have a niddy-noddy. Must talk to Jason about getting one of those put together, I think.

Last night, I set the skeins in a soak of water with a couple of glugs of vinegar. Very exciting stuff, let me tell you.

I also chose my Kool Aid colors:

This morning, I drained the yarn and ran it through the spin cycle in the washer to get the excess moisture out. I held both skeins together and wound them into a spiraly lump in my large crock pot.

I used four glasses to mix my colors:

Glass 1 - 1.5 cups water, three packets Cherry, one packet Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade
Glass 2 - 1.5 cups water, three packets Watermelon Cherry
Glass 3 - 1 cup water, one packet Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade
Glass 4 - 1 cup water, one packet Berry Blue

We poured the blues in first, one on each end of the pot, followed by the Cherry in the center, and the Watermelon Cherry along the long edges. As we poured each color in, I squished the yarn gently to make sure it was soaking through. (I should have taken pictures of my red-dyed fingers before scrubbing them with baking soda!) I topped it off with a couple of cups of clear water - just enough to make sure the yarn was covered.

Afterwards, we set the crock pot to low, and we'll leave it until the dye exhausts (when the water is clear). Stay tuned for updates.

Dr. Kalen, Pet Doctor

2008-07-11T14:08:00.003-04:00

Happy 5th Birthday, sweetie!

Yarn-to-be

2008-07-11T13:08:00.004-04:00

After the last couple of heavy-duty posts, I thought I'd lighten things up a bit around here. Look at the yummy yarn I bought today at Goodwill!

What? You don't see yarn? I do! These sweaters have been officially dubbed yarn-to-be. I have read and re-read several tutorials on reclaiming yarn, and I want to give it a go. I spent about twenty minutes this morning combing the racks at Goodwill and actually found four or five sweaters that would have worked. My budget's limited, however, even at $4 per sweater, so I narrowed it down to these two. The green is a beautiful 100% Italian Merino Wool, and the salmon is an intriguing blend. Here, I'll let the label speak for itself.

I'm not a huge fan of the salmon color, but I figure this is a great opportunity to practice my yet-to-be-developed dyeing skills. Since it's 65% animal fiber, it should hold some Kool Aid dye. If nothing else, an over-dye may have an interesting mottled effect. I plan to do a little color calculating first, though...I don't want to end up with mud.

If I learn the yarn-reclaiming process well and think it's something I can do well, I may consider selling it in my new etsy shop. I'm not set up yet...I need to get some purses and bags made before I jump in. (What's a shop without inventory, after all?) I do, however, have a name for it now: R3 bags. (The 3 should be superscript - anyone know how I can do that on blogger?) The three R's are [tentatively] Reuse, Reclaim, Repurpose. While I predict that most of what's up there will be bags, I'm not closing my mind to the idea of offering reclaimed yarns, and maybe even plarn. I've found that a lot of people do one plarn bag, then never touch the stuff again, simply because of the labor involved in cutting the plarn. Obviously, this is still all in the very beginning stages, but in a week or two I'll be able to devote more time to it. I also need to get Photoshop Elements installed on my new computer, because not having a logo finalized is driving me nuts.

Anyway, I did manage to find a little already-in-the-yarn-stage yarn today, too. It was $2.22 a skein. I'm not familiar with Plymouth Encore, so I hope that was a good price. Maybe I don't want to know...

Clearing up misconceptions

2008-07-10T10:31:00.007-04:00

I've been kicking this post around in my mind for a couple of weeks now, and the time has come to bite the bullet and just write the darn thing with the knowledge that I have an edit button and the ability to write further posts on the subject should I ever feel the need.

There is a common misconception out there that left-wingers, liberals, progressives (pick your label) are not patriotic. That our protest of the war is automatically an abandonment of our fighting men and women. I find this attitude and accusation to be uninformed, egocentric, and downright insulting.

First, let's address the issue of patriotism vs. nationalism. A patriot is someone who believes in their country, who supports it and is loyal to it. Patriot is defined by dictionary.com as a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion. Nationalism has a slight - but very important - distinction. The same source has these as two of nationalism's definitions:

excessive patriotism
the policy or doctrine of asserting the interests of one's own nation, viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or the common interests of all nations

I read an article a couple of years ago that clarified this distinction for me nicely. It came at a time when my patriotism - or that of people who think like me - was being questioned by people around me (although not my friends or family, thank goodness!), the media, and prominent people in our government. At the time, I was angry and frustrated and insulted that anyone would accuse me of not supporting our troops or of not loving our country, and that article helped calm my nerves.

What has swept over our country in recent years is not, as many would claim, a glorious wave of patriotism. Rather, it is a smothering flood of nationalism.

A patriot will defend his country, whether on the battlefield or the sea or in the air, in the blogosphere, by working hard to keep drunk drivers off the roads and protect our loved ones, by running for office, or simply by being a representative citizen of his country in the best way he knows how. A patriot, in my mind, understands that no government is infallible and recognizes that it is our duty as citizens to question our government's decisions and actions in order to keep the country moving in a positive direction.

A nationalist, on the other hand, believes, "My country is right, right or wrong."

This kind of nationalism is dangerous. Just as believing your child could never do wrong and so turning a blind eye to his harmful actions is dangerous. Just as letting your child run about unfettered with no regard for the feelings of others is dangerous. Turning a blind eye to the poor decisions - and in many cases supporting those decisions - based solely on the fact that our government made them is so dangerous it's staggering. This is very much a "my way or the highway" attitude that can have few positive effects in the world.

Our country was founded on the principle that the people should decide its way. The people are supposed to be the guiding force behind the government. It's a simple concept with a complex application (and that application could admittedly use a bit of work...but that's a different post). So what does it say of our patriotism and our adherence to those original principles when we give up our own opinions to mutely follow in our government's footsteps? It should be the other way around.

I put it out there that ignoring these principles is decidedly unpatriotic. That giving free rein to our elected officials to decide our fate without question is a 180-degree turnaround from the base on which our country was founded. That we need to step back from the nationalistic crowing and think hard about what is really best for our country, our people, and the world around us.

And if you are of the opinion that my protest of this war is somehow unpatriotic, or that somehow I don't care about our troops, I put it to you that I see it as my duty as a patriot, and as a caring human being, to question any action that puts my beloved countrymen in harm's way. There are times when war - as horrible as it is - is necessary. This was not one of them.

This brings me to my current charity project. During the primary season, Knitters for Obama knit and crocheted somewhere around 1,000 hats and bibs for preemies in hospitals around the U.S. For the general election, we've changed our focus to taking care of people our government has abandoned. We are currently knitting and crocheting warm hats, scarves, fingerless gloves, lap blankets, and washcloths for homeless veterans in at least 4 states. How sad it is that there are so many veterans without family, without homes. These men (because they are all men in these particular shelters) sacrificed greatly for their country - our country - and receive next to nothing in the way of thanks or even basic needs from the government for whom they fought. One shelter has relayed to our group that the federal assistance they receive in a year wouldn't pay for the needs of one veteran.

I am one person with little energy. I cannot change the world. But I can give a few men who have served our country a warm head, a clean face, and a big thank you. And I can work to support a candidate who will fight for their rights. It is one small way I, a patriot, can do my part to contribute to our wonderful, full-of-potential country.

Peace Out

2008-07-09T17:55:00.003-04:00

Each year, my boys, along with a couple of their friends, attend Culture Camp at our church. Culture Camp can easily be described as a concept in a few short sentences, but it's hard to relate how much the kids actually learn in that same short way.

First, I suppose I should answer the obvious question. Think of Culture Camp as sort of the UUs' answer to vacation Bible school. Culture Camp, and the related Peace Out camp for younger kids, is a study of peace and the people of the world. Each year, they "visit" three different countries, and the children learn about customs, language, food and art. This year, I believe the kids visited Costa Rica, Tibet (wonderfully appropriate choice this year!), and South Africa. The prevailing theme throughout, however, is peace.

I love this. I can't convey how much I love it. Not only are the kids excited to learn about cultures different from our own, they're learning at an early age how peace can influence us all. The best part is that the counselors don't talk down to them. I don't believe children need to be treated in the Victorian fashion...they are not miniature adults. However, neither are they stupid, and the difficulties of the world do not need to be completely hidden from them. By exposing them to what's going on in the greater world at such a young age, I hope we're raising young men who will be aware of the global culture and who will fight (peacefully) for what is Good and Right.

That's not to say this camp is about what's wrong with the world. On the contrary, it's all about what's right. It has opened up some great opportunities for discussion, though. It becomes easier to explain the political undercurrents surrounding the upcoming Olympic Games when they've already had a simple exposure to Tibet and China. When we see Nelson Mandela flash across the television screen, his complex life becomes something relatable when they've read stories of his homeland, listened to the music of his people, and chowed down on mealie pap they made themselves.

We are citizens of the world, a fact which too many people forget, and which others take for granted. I hope my boys will do neither.

Crocheters for Obama

2008-07-07T19:37:00.002-04:00

Depending on your point of view, it was a moment of brilliance or insanity that prompted me to post, "And you know what…I’ll seam it!" to the other crocheters in the Knitters for Obama group. I'm leaning towards brilliance, because take a gander at the gorgeousness that is arriving in my mailbox on a daily basis!

These are the nine squares I've received so far, from across the U.S. There will eventually be thirty squares, which Mom and I will seam into a large afghan, #2 on the prize list for the Knitters for Obama drawing. This is going to be a big, warm blankie...perfect as a throw for your bed, or for snuggling under with your honey to watch election returns in November. Or maybe even to take with you to Obama's Inauguration in January? It's always cold in D.C. in January...

Hey, Moms!

2008-07-07T10:58:00.002-04:00

Through BzzAgent, I've found a website that may bear further investigation.

Kids-in-Mind is a movie-reviews website with detailed descriptions of many films, with (ready for it?) kids in mind. It has ratings and detailed descriptions of Sex & Nudity, Violence, and Profanity. Here's the review I posted at BzzAgent:

I really like this idea - it may help with my decisions about what movies my kids see in the theater. It's a little much - I mean they call to attention a gentlemen kissing the back of a woman's hand in greeting in a period movie and a dance instructor wearing shorts and doing high kicks under the "Sex & Nudity" heading, which is more than a bit over the line of "You're kidding, right?" On the other hand, they give very detailed descriptions of possibly offensive scary scenes, violence, name-calling, and profanity, so you can be well aware of what your kids might be exposed to. Or, if you're like a lot of the moms I know, what great conversations you can have with your kids after they view the movie. ("So, why do you think it was wrong to blame the hobos?")

So there you are - take a look and decide for yourself.

Visit Kids-in-Mind

Another bag for the bag lady

2008-07-01T19:42:00.003-04:00

Over the past couple of days, I made myself this:

I love, love, love my new Chic on the Halfshell! It's a pattern by Drew Emborsky, aka The Crochet Dude, and you might recognize the yarns from that great box of goodies Pam RAK'd me last month.

I want to take a minute to plug Pam's yarns, which you can see and buy here at Thistleknit Handspun Yarn. Not only are they the ultimate in gorgeousness, they work up so nicely and are yummy to the touch. I used two of her yarns in this purse, along with some of the commercial sage and violet she gifted me. The whitish yarn you see is a greyish white with silver plied into it. It's amazing in person, and I think it's her Johnny Reb colorway. The multi-color yarn in the center is Twelve Oaks. I think its beauty speaks for itself.

Okay, now that I've waxed rhapsodic about Pam and her yarns, I can wax on and off about the purse itself. It's a love-it-or-hate it pattern, I think. People are either intrigued by and enamored of its unique shape, or they just don't like it. I am both intrigued and enamored. Jason is not. I'm okay with that; he's not the one who'll be carrying it. One crocheter on Ravelry described it as looking like a TIE fighter from Star Wars. I kind of have to agree, and the geek in me likes it even more for this revelation.

I tackled lining the purse this afternoon, which was pretty simple. I just laid the purse out on the fabric and traced half of it. When I cut it out, I folded the fabric in half, so it would be symmetrical. Sewed it right sides together, no problem. The issue came in hemming the top edge. I didn't take my time and ended up puckering it. Phooey. I think to do a truly professional job, it would have to be cut a bit bigger along the top opening and gathered. I don't have the patience to figure that out, so I'm going to be happy with the job I did.

And now I will returned to my Crocheting for Obama frenzy...

Supporting the Next POTUS

2008-06-30T18:14:00.006-04:00

You may notice a new little bit 'o swag over there on the right side of my blog. Patriotic colors, links to another blog...yep, that's it!

Over on Ravelry, I'm a member of a group of amazing people - Knitters for Obama (KFO) - who are working hard to do their part to get Senator Barack Obama elected in November. The camaraderie within this group is something else, but beyond that, even, is their dedication to this cause.

During the primary season, the group got together and knitted a blanket with the Obama campaign's logo on it. Along with several dozen other prizes donated by members, it was put up for a drawing. The rules: for every $5 you donated to the campaign, you got a ticket for whichever prize you wanted. The group raised over $8,500. And we're doing it again!

This time, we have a knitted blanket (with a little crochet thrown in) in the shape and colors of Old Glory, with each of the 50 states and D.C. represented. We're also offering a crocheted blanket in varying shades of Democrat Blue, and once again members are stepping forward with tons of additional prizes. The drawing begins Independence Day and runs through August 7, so please consider donating to Senator Obama's campaign this summer!

Next time on KFO Update: Warming preemies and veterans...

It's a blog-morph...

2008-06-25T19:18:00.003-04:00

As usually happens, something I've begun has generated a result completely off from my original intent. This time, it's this blog. Originally intended to be a documentation of our family's letterboxing adventures (hence the title), it has morphed into a showcase and journal for my crochet projects, as well as a place to share about the family. (And will shortly become somewhat political, as I'm having a hard time keeping my opinions about the current Presidential race to myself.)

I am still learning to love my hop-skip-and-jump approach to life. You see, I have what I consider a severe lack of sticktoitiveness. I get on kicks - currently it's crochet - that may last a few weeks, a few months, even a year or more. While I'm on a kick, I am certain it's going to be my creative outlet for years, if not decades. And then one day - bam! It's done, interest for it is nowhere to be found, and I move onto the next thing. Genealogy, digital scrapbooking, writing for children, crochet, letterboxing, altered books...these have all been vehicles during the process, and most of them come in and out of focus in my life.

Jodi was the first one to tell me this cyclical approach to things is not only normal but good. What I have seen as lack of focus she sees as great creativity. I like Jodi. Not only does she encourage me in my wanderings from obsession to obsession, she often joins me in them. She's a prime model of the creative lifestyle, and I only have to look to her to gain confidence in my own nomadic projects. Plus, she's a teacher, and I still have enough of that authority-pleasing little girl in me to love a teacher's praise.

And there you go. This "In case you hadn't noticed, this isn't a letterboxing blog anymore" post turns out to be a "Jodi helps me realize my coolness" post. As usual, I like the result better than the intent.

Those pin-things are sharp!

2008-06-25T18:06:00.007-04:00

When last we left our heroine, she was facing this sewing to-do list, to which "take in waistband on Nicky's too-big PJ's" was added.

...time passes...

And ta-da! The PJ's, karate uniform, and dress pants are all marked off the list. (The crowd goes wild.)

The bag lining is mostly done. Twice! The first go ended up two inches too narrow, thanks to a misinterpretation of the tutorial I was following. Ah well, it's fixed now. I got the flap lining sewn on, complete with magnets...

Before:

After:

And the interior lining is sewn, with cell phone and pen pockets and nifty little "Fashioned by Aimee" label from the box mom bought me about twenty years ago (no exaggeration):

...and it's pinned in place!

Who knows if it will get hand-sewn in tonight. It's 6:15 and I haven't even contemplated dinner. (Hey Hon, feel like stopping by Subway on the way home??) I've left the most labor-intensive job for last...I'll probably get to it on Friday. Behold the pile of pants awaiting cutting-off and hemming! (And please ignore the stained carpet. Have I mentioned the two young boys in the house?)

A little structure is always a good thing

2008-06-24T11:10:00.004-04:00

Behold the canvas lining for the messenger bag:

I wish I could say this was my brilliant idea, but nope, I've seen several other people use it in their bags, and I think it's great. The canvas will not show; the black lining will cover it completely. I've been waiting to get to this point before dragging my sewing machine out of the closet. On the take-up-the-kitchen-table-for-a-few-days list are:

Line this bag (woo hoo!)
Repair torn pocket in Jason's dress pants
Cut off and make shorts out of all the boys' holey-kneed jeans from last winter (Poor Nicky in his old shorts and long legs! He's long overdue for these cut-offs.)
Sew about eleventy thousand (more or less) stars to Nicky's karate uniform jacket

The Messenger Bag Comes Together

2008-06-23T14:20:00.005-04:00

Last night, I finished the last piece of the messenger bag for Swis and stitched the three pieces together. Voila!

This is just the shell. Next, it will be lined with plastic canvas (for structure) and then black fabric (for lining!), and I have magnetic closures for it as well. I'm pretty darn thrilled with it, except for the strap length, but I've complained enough about that off-blog that I won't bore you with it! Suffice to say that it's a fair bit shorter than was intended...

Here's a photo for scale. I will NOT complain about how I look in it. ;-)

Kid & Puppy Fluff

2008-06-22T18:23:00.003-04:00

As we usually get to once or twice during the summer, we're puppy-sitting for our dear friends. Meet Kaleigh:

The boys love having Kaleigh over, especially since we're a dog-loving family without a pooch of our own these days. (And we'll be poochless for the forseeable future, until we figure out which - if any - breeds are compatible with Kalen's allergies.)

Kaleigh turned fourteen this year, and I remember the day Heather got her in my freshman year of college. Jason and I had been dating about three months. Heather and her husband hadn't yet, although they would be married a full year before us. Age before beauty, and all that... (Man, she's going to get me when she reads this, but it was just sitting there, waiting to be said. Can you really blame me??)

Isn't that crown the perfect advertisement for Medieval Times? We went for Father's Day, at Jason's request. Later that evening, Kalen dubbed himself King Kalen. Thankfully, he has little knowledge of what kings really do and has not yet commanded any of us to do his bidding. He feels all-important, however, which is pretty fun and quite important for a Royal Highness, make-believe or not.

Green-Green Pool Wallet

2008-06-17T21:52:00.005-04:00

When we go to the pool in the afternoons, I don't like to take my wallet with me - just my driver's license and our seasonal pool passes, which amounts to four cards total. I've been paper-clipping them together and tossing them in my pool tote, but I can see losing them pretty quickly in that ginormous bag. So, here's my new Pool Wallet:

I used single-ply spiral-cut plarn made from a medium-sized Barnes & Noble bag for the body, and trimmed it in double-ply brown grocery store bag plarn. (I will be posting two different plarn-making tutorials in the days to come to answer some of the questions I've received.)

Green-Green Pool Wallet

Materials:
One ball of green plarn
Scraps of brown plarn
Hook: J
Yarn needle

Gauge: After 3 rows, measure against your cards and make sure the piece is slightly wider.

With Main Color, ch 15.

Row 1: Hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc across. Ch 2, turn. (Ch 2 counts as first hdc in next row here & throughout.)

Row 2: Hdc in ea. hdc across. Ch 2, turn. (13 hdc)

Rows 3 - 13: Repeat Row 2.

FO & weave in ends.

Fold piece in half and make sure your cards will fit. With contrasting color, blanket stitch* up one short side through both layers. Turn corner and blanket stitch across the top through front later only. Turn corner and blanket stitch down the other side, through both layers. FO. Attach contrasting color to back layer at top corner and blanket stitch across. FO & weave in ends. Embellish as desired.

*Good blanket stitch tutorial here.

Feel free to make this for yourself, and to link back to this post to share the pattern! Please do not claim the pattern as your own, but you may make these for yourself, friends, and for resale if you like. If you sell, please note on the tag: Designed by AimeeCrochets. Thank you!

A Message for You, Swis!

2008-06-16T13:29:00.003-04:00

My sister (often referred to as Swis, long story) is waiting patiently for her plarn messenger bag. I'm happy to report that the front panel is finis! She may just have to pry this particular gifty out of my fingers. I'm loving it to bits.

Of Plarn and RAK's

2008-06-16T12:58:00.005-04:00

I finally got my camera out, so I could share a photo of the gorgeous RAK I received from Pam:
Will you just look at that home-spun yarn?!? I've never touched anything like it, and I'm in love. My favorite is the green/yellow hank in the middle, which is her Carmel Apple colorway. (Visit her etsy shop here: Thistleknit) I would take a ton of that without complaining! Hint, hint... ;) Twelve Oaks is also incredible, and the one my mom immediately picked as her favorite when I showed her the box of goodies.

Anyway, on Saturday, I made Jason's day by buying four plastic totes to store my plastic bags. Our dining room was being overrun, and I could tell his patience was close to wearing thin. What wonderfully patient spouses we crafters must have! I now have a well-organized stash of plastic, waiting to be "spun" into plarn.

I even went so far as to organize them by color and bag thickness, so I can find what I want for any project. Sometimes I really am my mother's daughter.

Baaaaaa!

2008-06-11T16:31:00.002-04:00

I've been RAK'd!

For those unfamiliar with the acronym, RAK stands for Random Act of Kindness, something with which I've long been enamored. (See my senior quote, umpteen years ago.) Ravelry has a RAK group, which is handled quite nicely. Anyone who wants to may join, and members post monthly wish lists. Other members comb through the wish lists, and as they see things they can pass along, they do so. It's purely giving, without expecting anything in return. It is so much fun to read through the lists, and Jason can testify that doing so is always accompanied by little outbursts such as, "Oh, I have some of that I don't need!" and, "I know where I can get those!"

Well, today, I received my first RAK! A lovely woman, Pam, who works nearby, emailed me, and we arranged a time to meet. I picked up a box of lovely, yummy yarn, mostly hand-spun by Pam herself! I'm so excited, and I can't wait to figure out what to make with it. Right now, I'm thinking maybe a granny square purse for the fall. She also included some buttons, purse hardware, and a cute little notebook. (One can never have enough notebooks and notepads, I always say!) Not least importantly, I got a big hug from a new friend.

When I heard that Pam had a RAK for me, I looked up her wish list. She had very little on it, but one item I knew I could provide. She loves all thing sheep, so I quickly whipped up this little gal last night:

Isn't she adorable? I named her Fauxy McCrackle ("Faux"y because the irony of a sheep crocheted of acrylic yarn does not escape me, McCrackle because her stuffing is - what else? - plastic grocery bags). Fauxy now lives on a shelf in her new Mama's office along with several other miniature stuffed sheepies.

Water, Part Deux

2008-06-04T17:33:00.003-04:00

Just to add to the amazing water journey this week, Nicky decided today to tackle the giant water slide. (Yes, we're talking the kind you see at water parks!) He hated it - he didn't like being dumped into the pool of water at the bottom without goggles. But he did it, with no prompting from me at all.

Speaking of Water...

2008-06-03T11:00:00.003-04:00

Nicky had his second swimming lesson today. Miraculous, I tell you! First, though, a little background for those who have tripped across this blog and don't know the situation...

Nicky was born 12 weeks prematurely, and one of the results of this (the only one still around, really) is a combo of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and ADHD. (For a brief intro to both, read Kids in the Syndrome Mix. Your public library probably has it, and it has the best synopsis of both issues I've ever seen.) The SPD has been his major hurdle in life. SPD presents differently in every person who has it, and in his case, it manifests in oversensitivity to physical stimuli (including temperature, noise, and - to a lesser degree - texture), dyspraxia (weakened hand & upper body strength and the resulting fine motor issues), etc. Water on the face and head has always been a tantrum-inducing stimulus. Bath time = not fun. Shower time = let's not even go there. Pool? Hah!!

So, combine that oversensitivity to water with a lack of pool access, and the kid - now eight years old - has spent very little time in water. This has always bothered me, mostly for safety reasons (I believe every child must be a strong swimmer), but also because I have fond memories of hundreds of hours of pool time as a kid, and I knew that if he could overcome this hurdle, he would be opening the door to endless fun. Four years ago, we enrolled him in Infant Swimming Resource, which, despite the fear and - some would say harsh - "push through it" technique to which he doesn't usually respond well, did result in him being able to doggy paddle his way across the pool. However, as I mentioned above, we have not had regular access to a pool, and that skill was gone in a flash.

Fast forward to 2008. Our county opened up a brand-new, awesome aquatic complex just a few miles from our house. (Mom: "And this, boys, is why we pay sales tax." Kids: "Yay, tax!") An indoor lap pool, indoor instructional pool, and outdoor water playground (complete with floaty-currenty-river-thingy, water spraying everywhere, and kid- and adult-sized water slides) all add up to irresistible temptation, at least for me. And they offer swim lessons. Nicky had his first lesson yesterday, during which he put his face in the water a couple of times. Today, I lost track of the number of times his face got wet (on purpose)! Yesterday, after lunch, we went back and hit the outdoor play area, and wow! Both kids had a blast, and Nicky even went off on his own, bouncing his way around the river several times and basking in one of the calm pools. As we left, he declared, "Swimming is now my favorite activity in the whole world!"

More than multiple stops on the honor roll, more than his advanced blue belt in karate, more than anything else he's accomplished to date...I am more proud of his conquering this fear than any of it.

To the Pool!

2008-06-02T17:22:00.004-04:00

Summer is now officially allowed to begin, because (ta-da!) I've finished my pool tote. And I'm thrilled with it. It's crocheted completely of Kroger grocery bags, which is why it took a month. (I'd crochet as much as I could until running out of bags and continue after the next shopping trip.) I finished it off with polka dot ribbon in exactly the same blue as the printing on the bags.

It's perfect timing, too, because Nicky's swim lessons began this morning. (I couldn't get both boys in this month, so Kalen will start with a session in late July.)

I also finished another nifty project this weekend, but that will have to remain a secret, as certain people who have access to this blog may find one under their Christmas tree this year! I started two more projects over the past couple of days with the same restriction.

However, my newest plarn project is for my sister, at her request. I'm making a messenger bag out of bags she sent me from Virginia. (Giant grocery stores have bags in a beautiful aqua shade I can't get here in Georgia!) There aren't enough blue bags for a complete project, so I'm creating a striped bag that will showcase the blue nicely. I'm excited for it and am improvising it, so I'll keep track of the pattern as I go. If it turns out well, I'll post it here for anyone who wants to make one.

Vintage buttons

2008-05-27T22:07:00.004-04:00

Remember all the great buttons I got a couple of weeks ago? The sparkly ones from my mother-in-law are wonderful, mostly because of their significance. She brought me a photo yesterday of herself in the dress they adorned forty years ago. She laughed and cringed when I told her they could officially be classified as "vintage." Here she is in the dress, on New Year's Eve '67...
I love the hair and the dress! So very 60's chic!

A true adventure...

2008-05-27T21:37:00.007-04:00

Saturday was an important day on the letterboxing calendar. It's known to many as National Plant a Letterbox Day, and over 800 boxes were planted and logged on Atlas Quest that day, more than twice as many as were planted on the day last year. It's also the day of the annual LbSe (Letterboxing Southeast) gathering at Stone Mountain. This was the fifth annual gathering, and over 100 people showed up! One bunch came from all the way from Seattle as part of a cross-country field trip. Lots of folks camped and stayed in nearby hotels, boxing on Friday and Sunday, leaving Saturday for socializing and exchanging stamps. Knowing the boys wouldn't find a whole lot of joy in hanging around the picnic ground all day, however, we broke our day up.

We hit Stone Mountain running and managed one box before the 11am gathering time. That box turned into our greatest letterboxing adventure to date. As usual, once we got to the part of the clues that took us off trail, Jason (yeah, using trail names throughout this blog is just getting too cumbersome) went after the box. With the boys as young as they are, it seems safer to keep them on the path, avoiding potential meetings with forest dwellers and itch-inducing flora. After about 15 minutes, however, I began to worry. I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled for him. No answer. Again. No answer. I joined the boys in kicking the damp sand on the path, trying to distract myself and them. A couple of minutes later, I yelled again, and still no answer. At this point, I was imagining all sorts of horrible things, all involving me contacting the park rangers. Nicky piped up with, "Where is he, Mom? I'm about to cry," which of course almost induced the same reaction in dear old Mom.

And then it hit me. We were both carrying cell phones. Duh. I called; he answered.

"Where are you?"

"Trying to find you! I found the box, and I'm lost."

We decided to hang up, and I'd continue shouting for him periodically, even though he hadn't heard any of my yells so far. Eventually, he showed up, and we sat down at the nearby picnic table with the box. The box that says, in very large letters, GEOCACHE across the side. Crap! It's not a letterbox at all. Sure enough, it's full of dollar store trinkets. I sent Jason off with our letterboxing stuff, so he could [hopefully] find the real letterbox and stamp in there without hiking back and forth twice more. About 35 minutes later, he showed up back on the path, and we went to picnic with a hundred other boxers, a couple of whom had found that same geocache and box earlier in the morning.

The rest of the day was, while not uneventful, definitely less excitingly nervewracking. We met lots of old and new friends (all of who were wonderful), met with Jason's brother & his wife who happened to be at the park that day, found two more letterboxes, struck out on three other boxes, and ended with a pizza dinner amongst like-minded outdoorsy artistic types. At the end of it all, the boys declared it a Great Day.

Crochet 'til it hurts!

2008-05-21T17:58:00.004-04:00

That's been an item on my To Do List (literally) for the past couple weeks. And I've done it! Today was Blue Giraffe's last day of school, and I've been working on nothing but teacher gifts for the past week. Well, longer, really, when you take into account the preschool teacher gifts for Little Turtle last week. Working with plarn is fun, but if you overdo it, it really puts a strain on your hands. I have 5 more preemie hats to finish that need to be mailed out by Friday, and then I'll need to put the hooks away for a week or so to rest my right hand. So, without further ado, some of the fruits of my labor. I think it was totally worth it, and it really has been fun.

This is the finished afghan for BG's former teacher:

Here's the plarn purse for his current teacher:(Isn't that button awesome? You may recognize it from the stash Mom gave me. It's from a set that were handcrafted in Africa.)

This is one of the water bottle carriers I made for two of his resource teachers:

In further crochet news, my friend, Heather, and I are seriously looking into selling our plarn bags. She would concentrate on the tote size, whereas I would do the purses. As she says, that arrangement plays to our strengths. Besides, wherever we go with our bags, people ask if they can buy one. We both have lists of people waiting for information while we come up with our own patterns and figure everything else out. Keep an eye here for news! I'll post as soon as we've worked out a plan.

Who's got the button?

2008-05-14T13:18:00.005-04:00

Me!!!

For Mother's Day, along with a great Willow Tree figurine, my parents gave me a bunch of buttons. These were from my mom's stash and were given with the idea that I can use them on the purses I'm crocheting. What a great assortment! Those ones on the cards are specialty buttons Mom obtained at craft fairs. (If you want one on your purse, just know there will be a nice price increase!)

When my mother-in-law heard I was collecting fun buttons, she grabbed her stash for me to look through, too. I am thrilled with these! Look at those sparkly ones. (The picture so does not do them justice.) I asked her where they came from, and she said they were on the shoulders of her favorite black crepe dress in the late '60's. I think I'm going to have to hold those aside for a special project. I'm ecstatic that she entrusted them to me.

Plastic Evolution

2008-05-14T11:27:00.006-04:00

A photo tour of my latest plarn purse:

Step one: Gather bags! These were donated by my mother-in-law and father-in-law. Thanks!

Step Two: Cut the bags into strips/loops and ball them up. I call this "spinning plarn." For this bag, I estimated I'd need about 20 bags. (I was spot-on, too!)

Step Three: Crochet! I made this design up as I went along. Since I've been using free patterns from the internet for previous bags, I can't sell them. (Those patterns are the property of the designers and can't be used for profit by anyone else.) I'm pretty happy with this one!

Step Four: Add embellishments. For this one, I used Bernat's Bling Bling yarn, and if you look closely, you'll see an "A" charm. The recipient of this bag's name starts with A, so I thought it would be a fun touch.

This is a nice, summery bag, the perfect size to hold wallet, phone, keys, errands list, and a few odds and ends (juice boxes for the kids?). I hope she likes it!

Mother's Day - Part II

2008-05-13T14:47:00.003-04:00

(See Part I here.)

Saturday night was interesting, to say the least. We knew heavy storms would be coming through, and they were heavy, all right. Fredbird woke up to them shortly after 3am, even with the air conditioner, refrigerator, and dehumidifier running in the hotel room. He turned on the TV and woke us all up. Rotation was being picked up by the radar in our area, and "possible tornadic activity" was rampant. Those little lines that point out the paths of what they think might be tornadoes were running straight through the intersection where our hotel sat.

Tornados freak me out. Twister (the movie) didn't help a whole lot, either. I held it together, though, and put a big blanket down in the tub, stashing all the extra pillows in the bathroom, too. We were ready to run in there at the first sign of a tornado in the immediate vicinity. After a while, though, the majority of the storms passed, and the boys and I went back to sleep. Fredbird stayed up most of the night, watching the reports and the radar, just to be safe. He's a good guy. The boys, as usual, were up at 6:15, and I managed to keep them mostly quiet for a couple of hours, but finally gave up and told Fredbird it was hopeless. :)

We drove to Callaway Gardens, and wow, what a gorgeous spot. I've only been once before, about 15 years ago, and that was for their Christmas Light thingy at night, so it was a very different experience. The weather was beyond gorgeous, too. The storms had pushed out all the haze, leaving puffy white clouds and a great wind that rustled the treetops. The letterboxing on Sunday was much more successful than the day before, and we found our first box within a few minutes. (We left a hitchhiker there, which was picked up the same day!) On our way back to the car, we saw a snake basking in a pool by a waterfall. I pointed it out to the guys and quickly backed away (we were on some decking well above it). Little Turtle said, "But Mom, you're afraid of snakes." "Yes," I replied, "that's why I'm back here. Can we go now?" I have never seen a snake that close up without glass involved. Compared to snakes, tornadoes are like a nice spring day. I don't do snakes.

Next was the wonderful birds of prey show, on the way to which we crossed over a bridge where people throw [appropriate] food down to the turtles and ducks. Aren't they cute??? Now there's a reptile I can love. We also checked out the butterfly habitat before going after a couple more boxes. One was an easy find on a lovely little trail. The other, however...not so much. It was hidden near a stump next to a heavily populated walkway. We were there well over 30 minutes, waiting for breaks in the "traffic" and digging like heck in the leaves. We never did find that darned thing, but I connected online later with another boxer who had found it that day. She said it was difficult, but it was there. Dangit, another bust!

Our last box at Callaway Gardens was on another great little trail near the restaurant. (Here are the boys waiting on the bench while Fredbird retrieves the box.) After finding that one, we drove back through LaGrange for some Starbucks (poor Fredbird was a bit wiped after his long night & needed caffeine for the upcoming drive) and headed toward home.

I had remembered reading clues for the Newnan area before our trip that mentioned being in some part of the Coweta County Fairgrounds. We figured this might be our best bet for a hiding place for the Coweta box, so Fredbird handed me his Blackberry, and I searched out the information. We ended up at the Nature Center at the fairgrounds, finding two more boxes, and planting one of our own.

Sorry if this has been a bit long-winded, and if you've made it this far, thanks for sharing our weekend with us! I can't remember a Mother's Day I've enjoyed more. We left plenty of boxes in the area untouched, too, so there's plenty of fodder for a return trip!

Mother's Day Outdoors - Part I

2008-05-13T14:12:00.005-04:00

You may remember that I asked for a weekend of letterboxing for Mother's Day. My guys came through!

We left Friday morning, stopping on the way to pick up my mom and drop her off at the MARTA station. She's visiting my sister in Virginia this week. Sis just finished her second year of law school - you go girl!!

In keeping with the series of boxes I'm carving to document where the names of Georgia counties originated, I mapped our path and learned that we would be traveling through Coweta County on the way to Callaway Gardens, and our hotel would be in Troup County. (Callaway Gardens itself is in Harris County, where The C Team were kind enough to plant a box for me four years ago.) We stopped in Newnan with a list and Google map of various parks in that city and quickly discovered why those parks haven't previously been planted with letterboxes. The first small park was nothing more than a poorly-maintained ball field, and the second was a large complex of fields. Unlike similar parks in Gwinnett County, however, there was no walking trail surrounding the fields, and thus no place that would make a reasonably accessible - yet hidden - niche. The third (and last) try was a beautiful small park that reminded us a lot of Thrasher Park in Norcross. (See the "kids" playing on its great playground?) Unfortunately, like Thrasher Park, this one was so well manicured that it was obvious any box would be found immediately by maintenance workers. We decided to bag the box for the time being and brainstorm for a place to hide it on our way home Sunday. On the way out of Newnan, we pulled into a parking lot where the boys bought me a Webkinz at Hallmark. They're quite excited that I'm on Webkinz now, and I am the proud owner of a Leopard Lizard named Henrietta.

Our next stop was in LaGrange, to see if we could check in early at the hotel. We did, and we were given a list of parks at the front desk, so we had lunch and hit the road in search of a hidey hole for Governor Troup. The only park that was listed as having "hiking" had campsites, fishing and a horse trail, but no hiking in sight. The folks manning the camp office had no idea what we were talking about when we asked about hiking trails. Bust. So we drove around a bit, following our noses, and found a perfect spot!

After a nap at the hotel, we headed to Roosevelt State Park to check on the Charles Harris box and try to find some other letterboxes in the area. The box (and a couple of others) are hidden near President Roosevelt's favorite picnic spot, Dowdell's Knob. We could certainly see why he loved it so much. (That's us at Dowdell's knob in the photo. Check out that view!)

We found the Harris box without problem but had to give up before finding the other box on this section of trail. Thunder started to roll, and since we were nearly a mile away from the car, we figured it might not be safe to stay out in the woods. Dangit! Back at Dowdell's Knob, we waited around a while for people to clear out, and retrieved the box hidden there. We were dismayed to find that a geocacher had found the box and taken the hand-carved stamp. In its place was a nut like hundreds of others we'd seen on the ground that day. Whether the nut was left by the 'cacher or by someone else we'll never know, but it was so disappointing. I hated that I'd have to go home and write to the person who had been so proud of that stamp. (In the clues, she mentioned that she was particularly proud of it.)

By this time, the thunder had started up again, and we were all exhausted and a bit cranky about our lack of boxing success. We headed back to LaGrange for dinner, baths (grimy kids!), and our beds.

Edged Out

2008-05-09T15:07:00.005-04:00

I did manage to finish the Through Any Window baby afghan I was working on. (During Dancing With the Stars, if I'm not mistaken.) The edging was such a PITA to figure out once I ran out of yarn, I have to share how it ended up.

I ended up doing: *2 sc, ch 3, sk next st*, making sure the 2sc lined up with the 2hdc in that color in previous rounds.

Letterboxilicious

2008-05-09T14:50:00.004-04:00

I've been getting boxes ready for our trip this weekend. Two traditional boxes and a hitchhiker will be finding their way into the Georgia wild. I've been intrigued by the idea of wrapping the boxes in camouflage duct tape as a way to keep them from being quite so obvious. Unfortunately, Jo-Ann's doesn't carry it, and I don't particularly feel like driving to Bass Pro Shops just to buy tape. Jo-Ann's does carry colored duct tape, though, and I bought some brown, figuring it'll help with the camo situation.

I didn't realize, however, that these letterboxes would make me so hungry. The tape is exactly the color of melting Hershey's milk chocolate. Mmmmm...letterboxes...

Summer Flower

2008-05-05T10:23:00.007-04:00

Hey look! The cute boy afghan is almost done. I had it nearly completed on Saturday and ran out of yarn about 3/4 of the way through the picot border. Dangit! I hate making picots anyway, so it hurt to rip all those puppies out. The blanket's been folded up staring at me accusingly since then, waiting for me to figure out how I'm going to edge it. It's also in desperate need of some blocking...the twists are hypnotizing me...must look away...

So, anyway, to distract myself from the edging dilemma, I started on the round ripple baby afghan I'm doing for Blue Giraffe's first grade teacher. I chose this pattern by Monica Zenberg and decided on what I call "summery-modern-girlie colors." I love the limey, kiwi-y, and sagey greens that are fashionable right now, especially mixed with pink. Here's how it looks so far. I love the pop of green. (Thanks, Mom, for picking out the wonderful, soft pink for me!) I also love how it's turning out to look more like a flower than the stars or webs round ripples typically resemble.

The very exciting crochet world happening for me this weekend was joining Ravelry.com. That place is awesome! I had to wait two weeks for my invitation, but it was well worth it. (They limit sign-ups to a certain number per day in order to keep their servers from blowing...smart way to control growth, IMO.) It's a networking site for knitters and crocheters, but its main function is as a personal repository for your patterns, projects, hooks/needles, yarn stash, works in mind, etc. Wonderful place! I love seeing everything I'm working on at a glance, and I love the idea of having a record of what yarns I used in which projects, hook sizes, etc. I'm "hooked!" (Ha-ha.) If you're a knitter or crocheter, I highly recommend signing up and checking it out.

Awwww...

2008-04-29T15:11:00.006-04:00

In keeping with the "OMG, the school year's almost over?!?!" panic I'm sure is taking over more moms than I, I'm in full teacher-gift-making mode. Two of Blue Giraffe's teachers (one current, one former) had babies this school year, so I'm also crocheting baby blankets for them. I can't resist, especially since one's a girl. I never get to make girlie stuff! (In fact, I have to run to the store to get a skein of pink yarn...yay!)

For the baby boy, I've chosen this Through Any Window pattern by Laura Lynn Hanks, and I think it's turning out quite nicely. It's a really quick make, all in half-double crochets.

Crocheting Differently & Making Reservations

2008-04-28T13:17:00.008-04:00

This weekend's work:

This used the same pattern as my previous purse, but - again - I played with the stripes. I also bought a skein of Bernat's Boa yarn (this color is "Tweety Bird") for some added interest, and the button came from my stash of extras. This is one fun, funky purse! I'm going to have a hard time giving it up, but - alas! - it is meant for someone else.

I met my friend, Heather, for a Mom Date this morning. (In order to keep our sanity in a world of errands and To Do lists, we try to meet for coffee and bookshop browsing every few weeks.) Last week, when I discovered plarn crochet, I called Heather and issued an Earth Day challenge: We would each make a plarn bag. Well, we're both hooked. Now, we've always known that we crochet differently - different tensions, etc. Today we discovered just how differently. She used the exact same pattern for her bag as I did (the round one), and hers is easily twice the size of mine! We got a good laugh out of that. What is a smallish purse for me is a nice-sized market tote for her, and I'm even using a larger hook than she is. Considering that I use about half the recommended plarn for my bags, I'm willing to bet she's doing something right, and I'm doing something...well, not wrong per se....just different!

The reservations have been made for our Mother's Day weekend near Callaway Gardens. I'm looking forward to a day of letterboxing and a day at the gardens (where there also happen to be hidden a couple of letterboxes, I believe!). I'd better get carving...

Just a quickie!

2008-04-26T19:41:00.009-04:00

My second dishcloth...this one's for Mom. It's also one of RecycleCindy's patterns, with a few rounds left out. (Excuse the dark photo...it's overcast this afternoon, and I don't have Photoshop installed on my new computer yet.) :-)

The yarn is Sugar 'n Cream again, mostly Landscape with a couple of rounds of Key Lime Pie. There are several rounds of plarn in the middle for scrubbing power - the brown and the white immediately surrounding it.

Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

2008-04-26T14:09:00.005-04:00

In our continuing effort to take baby steps towards a greener household, we've decided to try using washable dishcloths instead of kitchen sponges. This probably seems like a no-brainer to many folks, but I grew up using sponges in the kitchen, and it simply didn't occur to me that there was anything else to use. Granted, we don't go through an awful lot of sponges, but in my mind, any way we can reduce our contribution to the landfills is something. I got the idea here at RecycleCindy's site, where she has patterns for crocheted dishcloths with plastic bag scrubby centers.

For this dishcloth, I used one black plastic bag and half (or less) of a skein of "Key Lime Pie" Sugar 'n Cream yarn. It's basically the first pattern on Cindy's page, with less plastic. I wanted more cotton and less scrubby. (I use Pampered Chef baking stone scrapers for the harder stuck-on food, anyway.) It's a little larger than I expected, but then again, I have no basis for comparison, so what do I know?

I'm going to use this for a few days (putting my sponge under the sink to avoid temptation) and see if I can get used to it before making any more for myself. However, I've promised a couple to Mom. Between that and teacher gifts, I suppose I've got enough to keep myself busy. ;-)

Getting the Hang of It

2008-04-24T10:10:00.006-04:00

I've been loving the comments my first recycled plastic bag has generated! I've been using it as a tote to carry around my plarn and new project, and people are amazed by it. Pretty good for the ego, especially as I was pretty unthrilled with the way it turned out. Fredbird said, "You just don't understand how cool it is!" I guess not! I have pretty high standards for myself, and it appeared far from perfect to me, but I will now yield to the masses and agree, that bag is pretty freaking nifty!

Okay, so bag #2 is now done, and I am absolutely thrilled with this one! I used another of Marlo Cairns' patterns (Round Plastic Ba g Tote) and modified it to create a purse, once I realized it would be much too small for a grocery tote. (It was smaller than I'd envisioned from the photograph, and I crochet very tightly...combine these, and this thing's pretty small!) Anyway, I crocheted the whole thing in the back loops only, except the final row, where I used both loops. I also went back with the white plarn and slip stitched over the final row for a bit of trim. I finished it off by crocheting a button and loop closure. I think in the future, I'd make the handles just a little longer. Final size: 10.5" wide, 7" high (not including handles)

One of the things I think made a huge difference with this bag is the gauge of the plarn. All of the plarn I made in my first batch was cut in strips about 1.5" wide, and it was so bulky to work with. I cut the plarn for this about 1" wide, and what a difference! I'll be doing that from now on.

I have another bag in the works, but it's on hold until I acquire more grocery bags to match. This one is an expandable grocery tote, on par size-wise with the reusable totes available at the grocery stores, maybe a bit bigger.

After I catch up on the laundry and errands (strangely, the world does keep turning when I immerse myself in a project), I think I'm going challenge myself to come up with a design of my own. Wish me luck!

Happy Earth Day!!!

2008-04-22T13:34:00.010-04:00

Blue Giraffe has decided that Earth Day must be the Earth's birthday, and he theorizes that the Big Bang occurred on April 22, eons ago. Gotta love kids' logic!

I thought quite a while about what we'd do to honor our planet today, and two projects were basically dropped in my lap. Little Turtle's preschool teacher asked us to send in as much junk (i.e., usable trash) as we could last week, in preparation for a "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" lesson this week. They're using as much as they can to make puppets. What a great idea! This afternoon, the boys and I will be dubbing a new bin the "Recycled Art Bin," into which we can put items like this for craft projects. (Coincidentally, I saw the idea again a few moments ago in Family Fun Magazine.)

My own personal Earth Day project came to me via the message boards at Atlas Quest. Use old grocery bags to crochet reusable shopping bags. Whoa!!! Love it! I love crocheting, and I've been [slooooowly] collecting reusable bags. This is a great way to add to the collection. I spent much of yesterday gathering every spare plastic bag I could find to start the project, and a few minutes ago, I finished this:

This lovely piece of art is about 10" wide (at its narrowest point) and 13" tall. It's a lot smaller than I'd like, and it's way too thick and heavy to use as a shopping tote. (Storing enough of these in my car for grocery day would take up half the trunk!) However, I'm going to play around with some other patterns I've found online. This thing is sturdy! I can see it lasting forever.

If you don't crochet, that's okay! "Plarn" (plastic yarn) can be used for knitting, macrame, and braiding, too. Here are some resources for making this type of project for yourself.

How to make plarn

Pattern for the bag I made (Obviously, I did my stripes differently. Live on the edge, that's what I say!)

The next pattern I'll probably try/adapt

My Recycled Bags.com - Just found this site, and she has some fabulous plarn patterns!

My Day!

2008-04-19T23:40:00.004-04:00

It occurred to me a couple of days ago that Mother's Day is coming up, and for the first time in three years, I don't have to work that day! (I'm on a leave of absence.) I began to think about what I'd really like to do for the day, and I decided I'd really like to spend it outdoors with my guys, preferably letterboxing.

So, it's set! The day before MD (aka Mother's Day, aka My Day), it looks like we're going to drive down to Callaway Gardens. Fredbird's employee discount will get us a great rate at a hotel in nearby Lagrange, and we'll pass through two counties that I can do boxes for: Coweta and Troup. My Charles Harris box in Pine Mountain is apparently in need of a new logbook, which I'll admit is a large part of the reason I chose to visit this part of the state. I've never seen the location of this box, as The C Team planted it for me years ago. Of course, Callaway has a few boxes of its own, and the Pine Mountain Trail has several, too. Looks like the makings of a great letterboxing weekend! (And I'll figure out later how to make it up to my mother-in-law for not being around on Mother's Day. My mom will be in Virginia with my sister that weekend.)

So, for the new boxes...these will be part of my Georgia Counties Series. Each box in this series is in honor of the namesake of the county it's planted in. I've barely begun, with boxes planted for DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Harris Counties. Coweta County is named for the Coweta Tribe of the Creek Nation of Indians. Boy, is it hard to find information on the Coweta Tribe! The most prominent member of this tribe, according to written history, is a man by the name of MacIntosh, who was half Coweta Creek, half Scottish. He's the one who signed away the Creek lands to Georgia and was later put to death by his tribe for that crime. Not someone I'm particularly in the mood to immortalize in a stamp. I've found a few other articles and websites about the Creeks, but nothing at all in reference to the Coweta Tribe. The few things I have found are going to be difficult to translate into stamps, but we'll see what I can come up with.

The other un-planted (for me) county on our drive to Callaway is Troup, named for one of the governors of Georgia. There are several portraits of him to draw from, but I'm actually quite inspired by a photo I found of his tomb. It's striking, and I'd love for this series to be more than just a portrait gallery of famous Georgians. (e.g., The Gwinnett stamp is a replica Button Gwinnett's signature, as he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.) I don't know, though...a tomb is kind of morbid. Regardless, I won't make the final decision known here, so the stamp will be a surprise!

Camping at Stone Mountain - Part II

2008-04-13T22:12:00.002-04:00

Saturday, April 12

Saturday morning, it was wet! Fredbird and I climbed out of the van, creaking and popping, to the sight of a blue tarp tied over the tent. Apparently, the seams had begun leaking, and Dad had jury-rigged the tarp to redirect the water. It worked. I guess all those years in Boy Scouts and the Navy taught him a thing or two about knots. Who knew?

We had another great breakfast of French Toast, and then sat shivering for a while. Mom and the boys made rattles out of wet set clay (cool stuff!), and I played a game of Spite & Malice with Dad and Fredbird. Cards weren't enough for me to keep my mind off the cold, however, so I buried my nose in Debbie Macomber's latest Blossom Street book while they continued playing. After a while, Fredbird suggested walking down to Serenity Park. This is a little park area on the shore of the lake at the campground. He knew I'd jump at that, as there also happens to be a letterbox planted there. I grabbed the clue and my letterboxing bag and shivered off down the road with my guy.

We were pleased to discover this box, right where the clues said it would be. There was a first aid alert on the Atlas Quest posting, stating that construction in the area may have disrupted the box. The brand spanking-new RV docks overlooking the box's hiding place are probably the result of said construction, and the families seated on them enjoying their lunches made it somewhat difficult to nonchalantly dig through the leaves beneath the downed tree. Find it we did, however, and the outing accomplished the goal Fredbird had in mind - I had warmed up considerably.

After lunch, we set out with the boys for an afternoon of exploring around Stone Mountain. Each time we go, I'm more and more dismayed at the commercialization and blatant attempts to turn it into a theme park. It's a park, and a beautiful one, and the stupid "Ride the Ducks" boat-things driving around with tourists quacking over the sides do nothing but diminish its beauty. Unfortunately, I'm barely able to contain my contempt for these "improvements," as evidenced by my response to the boys' pleas to Ride the Ducks.

LB: No.
Boys: Why?
LB: Because it's an abomination.

My poor kids, denied such character-building experiences by their tree-hugging mother!

Anyway, the one touristy thing we did want to do was get one of those old-timey, tin-type-like photos where we all dress up in antique clothing. So, we trekked over there, only to find the photography place had closed permanently. I guess we'll have to find some other tourist trap town to have it done. Fredbird and I both have pictures of ourselves and our families in this type of photo when we were around Blue Giraffe's age, and we think it would be fun to carry on the tradition.

However, we refused to stay down! The commercialization and touristization of Stone Mountain Park would not prevail! I grabbed my pile of letterboxing clues, and we decided to see what we could find in the area of the Sports Pavillion. We only found one box there, although we were attempting another series of three as well. This particular series required crossing a creek, which would have been doable if the boys were older OR if it hadn't stormed the night before. After dealing with the tears that ensued when we discovered we'd have to turn back, we returned to the car, where while flipping through more letterboxing clues, I discovered that there were two or three other boxes we could have gotten in that area. Ah well, next time.

Knowing that the stamps would be gorgeous, we then picked out a couple more of drgdlg's boxes to hunt, and of course, we were not disappointed. Crazy, in particular, is beyond lovely, both in the view from the path and in the carving. Then, because Fredbird has been wanting to try a box based on triangulation ("Now that's the kind of clue I like!"), we attempted Big Honkin', planted at the Quarry Exhibit. Nearly 40 minutes of considering the clue and the exhibit left us high and dry, however, and by this time, Mom and Dad were calling, wondering when we'd be back for dinner. The box will not elude us forever, though. We WILL be back. (I'm sure Fredbird won't be able to let it rest!) On the drive back to camp, we planned to spend Sunday morning grabbing a few more boxes, perhaps at the Carillon, or down by the face of the mountain. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

After dinner, I reminded the boys of my promise to take them to the laser show. Blue Giraffe was more interested in displaying his new Spite & Malice skills, however, and stayed behind with his grandparents. Fredbird, Little Turtle & I bundled up and hit the green for a strong dose of Southern Pride with a bit of Patriotism thrown in for good measure. I was disappointed that God Bless the U.S.A. is no longer on the program.

Saturday's Family F-Count: 5

Sunday, April 13

The cold front came through Saturday night. Unfortunately, so did the winds. Cold we could handle. Winds we could handle. Both together, however, made for a miserable morning around camp. Our original plan had been to stay through dinner Sunday evening, but Mom and Dad were less than thrilled at the prospect of such a bitingly cold day. I would have been willing to wait out the morning for some afternoon letterboxing when the sun was higher, but Fredbird had to go home at lunchtime to get some work done. We packed it in and drove out of camp at 10:40.

The weekend was great. The boys had a blast and both now officially love camping. Fredbird and I have decided to buy a tent. (Mom was right, that van was NOT meant for sleeping. Even with air mattresses.) We've all been re-energized in regards to letterboxing. And there are still over 100 waiting for us at Stone Mountain alone.

Weekend F-Count: 14

Camping at Stone Mountain - Part I

2008-04-13T21:08:00.002-04:00

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Last fall, my parents told me that they'd like to take our boys on their First Ever Camping Trip over Spring Break. Fredbird and I decided we wanted to be present at this momentous event and invited ourselves along. After lots of planning, including a trip by Grandma and Grandpa to Stone Mountain to pick out the perfect campsites, the trip was upon us.

Fredbird went to work on Thursday morning (he'd leave a little early, finish his packing, then join us), and I proceeded with packing. Yes, very last minute, but I'm an admitted procrastinator, and I've chosen to embrace this particular shortcoming. I had a nice packing list (I've learned the hard way to always use a packing list), and besides, I'd been busy the night before compiling letterboxing clues for Stone Mountain. There are over 125 letterboxes inside Stone Mountain Park...that I know of! I copied and pasted dozens of them into a Word document, leaving out many of the cryptic clues, knowing we'd have our hands full even without them on this trip. I'd rather save the problem solving for a trip without the kids; they're not quite old enough to find that interesting.

Anyway, back to Thursday morning. The laundry was going, and I was packing. The kids were - er - helping. No, really, they did great. Mom picked us up at 1:30, and we drove to SMP to meet my dad, who we found with (surprise, surprise!) a book in his hands. I was hoping for many hours of that particular activity myself over the course of the weekend.

Somehow, we got the tent, canopy (over the picnic table - we knew storms were coming the next night), and other gear set up, all without losing one of the children. Mom and I had both thought to bring bubbles, and I'd brought coloring books as well. Even better, Mom had individual bags of chips...Cheetos and Doritos work magic on little boys. As the traditional First Night of Camping Stew was heating on the camp stove, I got a call from Fredbird. He was just leaving work. He ended up arriving shortly after the rest of us finished our roasted marshmallows, much later than he'd originally intended.

That night was interesting. Mom and Dad were supposed to sleep in the tent with the boys, while Fredbird and I slept on air mattresses in the back of their van. One had deflated, however, and since Dad had a commitment that night and wouldn't be back until the morning, Mom took the van, and Fredbird and I slept on their double air mattress in the tent. The next morning, Mom informed us that the van was obviously never meant to be slept in. This did not bode well for our next two nights of slumber.

Friday, April 11

Friday morning, Dad arrived early and started the coffee (YAY, DADDY!!!!), and the boys amused themselves with the lightsabers Fredbird had brought. (Stroke of genius, that.) Mom and I made pancakes and fried up some ham. We always did eat well on camping trips...Mom has the camping thing down pat, even though we hadn't been since our trip to Edinborough in '92. And then....it was finally off to do some boxing!

After looking through the clues I'd amassed, I recommended to Fredbird that we try the Songbird Trail Series planted by Gardening Granny and Paw Paw. It had the perfect combination of what looked to be a pleasant, shortish walk and a large number of boxes (six!). There were also two additional boxes planted by other boxers along the same trail. What a great choice! The Songbird Trail is a preserve for (any guesses?) songbirds on the site of the cycling and archery venues for the 1996 Olympic Games. What was formerly an empty space at the back of the park now ranks as one of my favorites. The exquisitely-planned and maintained walk meanders through a meadow and a wooded area, and the stamps we found are amazing! The boys did amazingly well, with Little Turtle lasting quite a long while before the whining started. (He is only 4, after all.) Blue Giraffe caught the letterboxing bug anew on this little hike and is now as keen as his Mommy to do as much as possible!

Having spent the entire morning (plus some) on the Songbird Trail, we headed back to the campsite for a late lunch. Mom and Dad had agreed to take the boys for the afternoon while Fredbird and I spent the afternoon in pursuit of more difficult boxing prey...namely some of those available along the famed Walk-Up Trail.

I was a bit nervous about attempting the walk-up. The last time I did it, I was 14 years younger, and a good 75 pounds lighter. However, I was willing to give it a go for letterboxing's sake. I'm glad I did, because I can say I did it, and I'm never doing it again!! LOL The letterboxing portion was a bit of a bust, unfortunately. Some of the clues take more time searching than we had available (severe thunderstorms were expected, and we had to get back to camp, cook, eat, and get settled for the night before they hit). We ended up only finding box #4 of drgdlg's Real Easter series. We found the obvious hidey-hole for Yankee Girl's The Mayflower, but it looks like it may have gone missing. I hope we were mistaken, but I don't think so.

Anyway, we did eventually reach the top of Stone Mountain. It's always very, very windy up there, but with the storms approaching, it was even worse than usual. As we approached the top, and I was downing my third bottle of water, Fredbird suggested taking the gondola back down the mountain, and walking around to the parking lot. I thought this was a brilliant plan, seeing as the steep decline might wreak havoc on already-tired ankles and knees...and considering my extreme state of fatigue. I rethought the plan's brilliance later on, however, as we walked a constant, albeit slight, uphill grade for over a mile to get back to the car. We made it, though, walking past several more letterboxes whose clues were safely in the car's glove box. Oops. No matter, we needed to get back for dinner. (The ever-popular hot dogs roasting on an open fire followed by S'mores!)

The storms did come. The van was uncomfortable. It was humid, but I do love falling asleep to the sounds of a thunderstorm. I promised the disappointed boys we'd do the Laser Show Saturday evening if the weather had improved. All in all, it was a very satisfying day.

Our family F-count for the day: 9.

The break was too long

2008-04-13T20:51:00.001-04:00

We discovered letterboxing late in the summer of 2004. I was quickly hooked on the concept after reading the article in that July's issue of Time while waiting in a doctor's office. (I had surreptitiously torn the article out and smuggled it home to show the hubby.) As usually happens when I find a new obsession, I spent hours poring over websites, amazed and delighted that so many treasures awaited us out in the woods. I miss my Girl Scouting days, and here was something that would combine my loves of [easy] hiking and art.

We got involved. We came up with trail names. (Like avid hikers, most letterboxers are known by something other than their given names.) After awhile, and many instances of juggling four stamps while squatting in the dirt and trying to avoid other hikers' curious glances, we decided to create a family stamp, and Duluth's Animal Kingdom was born. (Our trail names - Lady Buzz, Fredbird, Blue Giraffe & Little Turtle - cover the animal kingdom nicely...a pleasant mistake!)

Less than six months after we began, however, Fredbird went back to school. Between his full time job, his full time classes, my part time job, and the boys, letterboxing fell by the wayside. We put it aside, fully intending to get back to it as soon as we could. Fast forward three years. I've been getting notices that our boxes' logbooks were full, that one might be missing. We missed our outdoor time as a family. As fun as letterboxing itself is, its greatest bonus is being an excuse to get outside together. I also missed the hands-on artistry of stamp carving.

The break was too long. Little Turtle was in a stroller the last time we did this, and he's starting Kindergarten in the fall. It really hit home how long it had been when he said, "What's letterboxing?" He had no memory of it, and Blue Giraffe's (now age 8) memories were dim.

The break is over!