Surf Drive- Island Queen in background
Seagull Footprints
David found a perfectly intact, dead horseshoe crab.
Morning Glories on Walker Street– no filter, just Mother Nature.
Love the color: flower boxes at Anejo.
All alone in the parking lot.
Category Archives: create
Wandering in Woods Hole
My exploring has taken hold. I’m trying to notice what was previously missed. Woods Hole is the perfect place to do this. We’ve been in this community for more than 25 years, and there’s always something going on to stir my brains. This walk was no exception.
Yarn from happy sheep
This trek started with the goal of capturing the last three skeins of yarn spun from very happy sheep off the coast of Woods Hole. Only a total of 19 were available at the Woods Hole Historical Society Shop in the spring. This was a quest for the perfect yarn to make my daughter Molly’s shawl for Christmas. The sheep are certifiably happy and treated with respect; the yarn is a delicious cocoa color and should have great stitch definition. This stop was only the beginning.
Impossible to Pass Up
Had to stop at Pie In The Sky and pretend that the rum-raisin bread pudding is a healthy snack. Needless to say, there’s always a new baked goodie that calls to me from this place. I remember when Molly would buy an entire fruit pie and devour it herself with fork and spoon in hand. Kate picked up the bike path at the boat dock behind the store and roller bladed home after Science School. This truly is a little hole in the wall place that never disappoints.
View from Pie In The Sky
Out of this window the boat waits to go to the Vineyard, people scramble to find parking spaces and this area has a pulse all of its own.
There’s a line of small rose bushes that border the parking lot and always seem to be in bloom. Their blossoms are small and fragile. I’m not one to remember plant names, but they remind me of the floribunda roses my Dad used to love. Easy to grow and always a treat to look at.
Delicate, Yet Hardy
Woods Hole is returning to its post-tourist pace. Amen! The scientists, artists and fisherman have the place to themselves.
On the water
We managed to get through the guarded gate at Penzance Point and continue our walk almost out to the point. These estates are manicured, pedicured and well-groomed. Yet, that fussy stuff doesn’t impress me. It’s the smaller, simple stuff that catches my eye.
Nature’s garland
Looking down I found mushrooms with a pattern and texture that made me pay attention. I’d love to turn the photo into fabric for a quilt! That would indeed be mixed media.
Penzance Mushroom
Nearby, the gunk on this stone seemed to glow and was soft to the touch. No cement here, just balance and smart architecture.
Gold?
These poor sculpted bushes did not impress me…
Prune, prune, prune.
…but this single, late blooming hydrangea will stay in my head for quite awhile.
I See Through My Little Eye
Keri Smith’s How to Be An Explorer of the World has left its mark on me. I’ve been taking photos of “stuff” that I might have previously missed while taking my daily walk. I’m learning to take the time to see and document what catches my eye, and then think about why these things capture my attention.
Surf Drive September Quiet
The tourists are gone and life is back to normal: less traffic, no crowds, more quiet. I love it!
Less is more
Walker Street has eye candy that has weathered storms and time.
For the birds, and me, to appreciate.
Old faithfuls: marigolds
Morning Glories: my absolute favorite.
Old Glory, perfect breeze
More For The Birds
And the simple, but colorful leaves of coleus, never disappoint.
Until next time, eyes open, iPhone handy, taking it all in…
Seeds and Tweeds
Surf Drive
Traffic around town has lightened up.
No one’s chair or blanket is within ear shot at the beach.
And our pizza, antipasto and wings from Stone L’Oven is delivered in less than 25 minutes.
Yes, Fall is coming to the Cape.
It’s cool enough to throw on a light sweater in the morning and wonderfully breezy enough to keep the windows open all day. It smells like “back to school” but I’m not going!
Like potato chips, but better
I love this time of year. It’s when I make my own agenda of what I want to “cover” this non-semester and where I want to spend my energy. Looks like I’ve got a larger than usual pile of books, project bags full of knitting, writing that’s waiting to be done, and an exercise program that I’m looking forward to making a habit. I am so tempted to buy a new notebook, pencil case, and book bag, but I know I don’t need any of that. I have a Staples warehouse in my basement and a resolution to not buy the unnecessary. These are the seeds for the new season.
Beach Plums Bike Path
Being a perpetual student excites me. Going to the library or on-line to find answers to big or little questions is good for my brain and my soul. After reading The Hare with Amber Eyes, I was curious to see what the art pieces looked like as well as learn more about the author, Edmund de Waal, and his family. Working on my own writing has me looking at what other writers have to say about writing. Brainpickings has been a rich resource about writing and all kinds of curiosities. I can learn as much or as little as I choose. I’m the barometer, the metronome, and the rubric.
Stone Mama
I’ve been toying with Keri Smith’s book How to be an Explorer of the World. The basic premise is to sharpen your observation skills as well as your creative documentation of what is observed. I like the invitation to find patterns in my observations, and the problem solving that goes along with it. What I don’t like is Smith’s expectation that I “collect stuff” in generous quantities…i.e. pick up 30 items of interest on your daily, random walk today. The last thing(s) I need in my life is more stuff… so I’m going to have to re-create that part of the assignment or maybe not do it (the nuns are turning over in their graves). Slowing down to notice objects, actions, behavior, ideas, questions and possible answers is a worthwhile endeavor.
Hitchhiker Shawl
Taking more photographs is a way to capture a memory, a thought, a feeling without having clutter to contend with. I like that too. It’s amazing how having an iPhone has increased my opportunity to practice taking photos. It’s always handy. I can point and click. No trip to the drug store to get film developed; it is an open invitation to practice, practice, practice taking lots of shots.
This time of year reminds me of New Years; one parcel of time is winding up, the other winding down. But after a bit, I realized that Spring is a period of renewal for me, too. Guess these observations say more about me than I realized.
Blueberries in My Thrown Bowl
The Zen of Pointy Sticks
What A Hoot Mittens
My name is Diane, and I am a knitaholic. Yes, it’s true. Give me a set of needles, a skein of wooly goodness and I’ve got happiness. Why????
Another Way Scarf/Stole
Good question, I’ve been wondering about this addictive craft/art form. There is magic in being able to create something out of what seems like nothing. Every knitted creation starts off the same way: string finagled around a stick. There are two stitches—just two—knit and purl. Everything else is a combination or machination of these two simple actions. That, in and of itself, is exciting and infectious. It’s the complexity and pattern generation that results from repeated application of a simple rule. My hubby is exploring the same idea, but applying it to the universe. I love the connections but stick to yarn. Knitting is a big, fun puzzle with infinite solutions.
Vignetto Shawl– lace, lace, lace!
Then, there’s the Zen element. The needles gently tap each other and create a soft, soothing tick tick tick. The stitches interlock one at a time to what has already been created… and it grows like cells. A new design requires attention to detail, and I sometimes speak the pattern as I’m knitting it: “Knit 3, Knit 2 together, Yarn Over, Knit 1.” After a short while, muscle memory often takes over, and I’m in the “zone”. Knitting is like being in a trance.
Colorwork Hat
Another aspect of this work that causes addiction is borrowed from Woody Allen: “I like the eggs.” I like the product as much as the process. Having yarny creations that are one of a kind, made by me is a gift to myself. Lacy shawls wrap around my shoulders and provide warmth and so much more. Handmade socks feel a zillion times better than commercial socks; they’re hugs for your feet. My latest adventure on this woolen trip is to knit a handmade sweater that actually fits—and looks fabulous. The challenge has been a bit intimidating, but serves as another way to push through my comfort zone to find more comfort.
Treats for the Feets
Unlike my years in Catholic school, there are no mistakes in knitting. You always get “do-overs” and can undo what you don’t like. There’s no punishment, no guilt. You just get to undo the stitches and then stitch some more. I also make it a point to learn something new from each project: a new technique, different color play, something more complicated, or a remake with improvements. I just figured out how to make a warm mitten that has an opening for one finger to do texting. I’ll be publishing the pattern soon.
Sheep Texting Mittens
My usual menu of what’s on my needles includes a pair of socks, a shawl, a sweater, a hat, blanket, and something that will be a gift. I know—why so many? Because I like them all and can’t do just one thing at a time. All of these projects sit delightfully in their bags on the living room floor next to my chair. It sometimes get out of hand, but who cares, it’s all part of creative chaos.
Hitchhiker Shawl in progress
I’d love to write more, but I really have a yen to get back to my knitting.
Yep, that’s me!
Keeping Pace with Lace
Lace One-Skein Wonders
101 Projects Celebrating the Possibilities of Lace
Lace One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant (Storey Publishing) is loaded to the brim with patterns that are elegant, interesting and infectious. I kept making note of which designs I wanted to knit and soon realized that it was more than 80% of this 300 page book. Projects include hats, socks, mittens, shawls, baby items, knitting for the home, and much more.
The degree of difficulty varies from beginner to experienced. Directions are clear and the layout is user friendly. With all of the lace patterns in my stash, you’d think I had enough… but this is a book that’s I’d go out and buy right now. Unfortunately, its publication date is September 10, 2013, so I’ll have to wait a bit.
Timing is perfect to get a head start on holiday gift projects. This book is a welcomed addition to my knitting bag. I would recommend it even it it wasn’t limited to one skein projects. It’s a winner! I will knit my way through it, and post my progress here as well as on Ravelry.
I Do, I Did, 41
A quiet 9 am walk to the beach is a good way to start the day. The past week hasn’t been “beach weather” so this morning, before the rains begin again, it was prime time to “carpe beach”. A forty-minute constitutional stretches the legs and the mind a bit.
7/1/72
Tomorrow, July 1, is our 41st wedding anniversary. Amazing! Three score and seven years ago we had the tiniest (32 people) wedding and officially started our lives together. It was perfect! I was a sophomore at Boston College, and David just completed his first year of grad school at MIT. We were both students and always stayed that way. There wasn’t a lot of spare cash, but we were never hungry or bored. We took walks around the Chestnut Hill reservoir, listened to lots of music, read all types of books, and made a homey nest for ourselves. We baked bread, cooked at home, and always had lots of conversation. It’s funny, forty-one years later, not much of our daily routine has changed.
7/1/72
Of all the possible reasons to celebrate, I think wedding anniversaries top the list. You don’t only have to live another year longer, you have to live it with someone else. That means putting up, shutting up, and sometimes blowing up over the minutia that makes up our lives. I continue to talk too loud, leave lids ajar and have piles of works in progress all over the house. David is David—my eccentric physicist. I say the glass is more than half full, and he says it’s half empty. We continue to re-learn the art of compromise, diplomacy and appreciating all the good stuff. It’s a dance step that changes over time, and we adapt. We’ve spent 41 years growing up together. It has been very good, and the best is yet to come.
Read More
So you say you want to read more? How can you make that happen? I’ve got a few ideas, and the timing is perfect—summer is coming.
I’m a firm believer that there are not many “non-readers”; there are just a lot of people who haven’t yet discovered what they like to read. The solution is not to “force feed” what is unpleasant, but rather to arrange a buffet of choices to encourage book tasting. Please note that this strategy works well for children, young adults and the rest of us. I’ve found success using this approach with former students (middle school to university) who vehemently announced they didn’t like reading and wouldn’t read for pleasure. I took several to bookstores myself and let them roam until they found something that might be possibly, vaguely, a bit interesting. It works… many of these students (now adults) still write to me and tell me about what they’re reading and how grateful they are. One book leads to another, and it all starts with looking for the spark.
1. Think about subjects, issues, categories that you find interesting in real life. Make a list of these items and use it as a beginning point for your book hunt. If you love CSI, then criminology, crime stories, mysteries are worth looking into. Or if you prefer cooking, in addition to cookbooks, there are biographies and memoirs of successful chefs that might whet your appetite. This will get you going in a direction that you already find pleasing, so it’s a smart beginning.
2. Ask someone you enjoy being with, what they’re reading or what they’d recommend. Write down the titles because you will otherwise forget them quickly. Add them to your list of possibilities.
3. Go to your local bookstore and talk to the clerk. Tell him/her what your interests are and ask for suggestions.
4. Sample some books on your list. You can do this many ways: go to the library and browse, visit a bookstore and collect the books and find a comfortable chair, or go on line and preview a chapter or two of your possible suggestions.
5. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS: You do not have to like the book you’re sampling. You have my permission to put it down and even make a face at it. This is all about YOU having a choice. The Tetreault Golden Rule is as follows: If the book you’re reading doesn’t make your heart go “pitter patter” by page 30, drop it immediately, like a bad boyfriend/girlfriend. This gives you the freedom to pick and choose what YOU enjoy and that’s what encourages more reading.
Let go of value judgements about whether a book is challenging or cool enough – save the hierarchy for later. Your goal is to find a book that captures your interest now. You don’t get extra points for selecting or not selecting best sellers, award winners, books you didn’t read in high school, classics, graphic novels, books that you’ve already seen the film, or books you’ve already read. The choice is yours, and there are no wrong choices. Please note that it is perfectly acceptable to cycle through several books before you find one that you’d like to read, and you will find one that you want to read if you keep sampling.
6. Try checking out collections of short stories by different authors, just to get a sense of the author’s style. Non-fiction collections, likewise, offer a sampling that you can later follow. I also really love looking through college writing/literature anthologies. My favorite is The Writer’s Presence because it contains a broad array of excellent pieces of writing—fiction as well as non-fiction.
7. If you get stuck, just go browsing through book reviews or the stacks in the library or in a bookstore. Ask a librarian or salesperson what they’d recommend… or what is the best selling book of the day… anything to get you jump started. Trust me, it will happen—you’ll make a connection to a book and want to read it.
8. What do you do once you find that book and read it? Hmmmm, there are lots of possibilities. You could find other books written by the same author or other titles on a similar subject or check out on line bookstores’ recommendations. There’s always some version of “If you like this, you might like that.” I also look at the list of what other people who liked this book also purchased. You can also find out what authors inspired a writer that you like…or what titles s/he enjoys reading, just to give you more avenues to travel.
9. If you’re hoping to encourage children and young adults to read more, give them the gift of going into a bookstore and getting three books for themselves. The decision regarding specific titles is solely up to them. The power of free choice regarding books is priceless.
On the last day of school, my folks used to let me pick out the number of books that equaled my age plus one. What a fabulous way to begin the summer: we continued the tradition with our kids. It’s an affordable investment in the future.
10. I always have a small notebook in my bag to jot down book titles, authors’ names, ideas that I want to explore. The older I get, the more useful this little notebook is.
The bottom line is that once you get hooked on books, there’s an unlimited amount of bound volumes and e-books to discover. It no longer becomes an issue of “Will I find something to read?” but more so, “Will I find enough time to read everything on my wish list?”
Happy Reading—go find a book and fall in love.
Pushing To Spring
Coonamesset Farm in bloom
This past week has been filled with all sorts of reasons to celebrate. It’s May. There are graduations, Spring is in full force, and, of course, Mother’s Day. All good stuff.
I have had the pleasure of mentoring Gordon since he was a junior at Waltham High. Together we worked on writing critical essays, how to read challenging texts and how to remember to set your alarm to get to class on time. For the past five and a half years, he has put up with me, and I have put up with him…but joyfully so!
Gordon Class of 2013
Bentley University
This past week Gordon successfully completed his final semester at Bentley and will graduate next Saturday. He has invited me to the ceremony, and I’ll sit in the audience, yell and make noise when he receives his diploma, and then I’ll probably blubber into several tissues. He never gave up; he’s the first in his Haitian immigrant family to attend college, the first to graduate, and it’s a very proud moment that I know he’ll savor and appreciate. I can’t wait to see him in his cap and gown.
Mama and Molly
Mother’s Day Weekend has been absolutely delightful. Molly and Josh arrived and spoiled me rotten with her fabulous cooking and their wonderful company. Books, recipes, knitting ideas were shared and explored. We reconnected as if we were never apart. Kate and Matt will be visiting soon, but in the meantime, we did our first video Ichat. What a kick–I get to see her face and hear her voice! We gab over hot coffee as if she were next door. I really appreciate that I’ll always love my kids, but just as importantly, I really like them! I’m a lucky lady.
Coonamesset Lettuce
David and I had brunch at Coonamesset Farm today. The food was good, but the farm in springtime was something to behold. There are fallow fields, some lined with small seedlings and others more fully developed. Everything is in the state of “becoming”. It’s filled with good intentions, hope and demands hard work. It’s also beautiful.
Alpaca deep in thought
The farm animals are always a joy to visit. It’s their home and they let us drop in. The alpacas look like little kids with their big eyes and sense of wonder. Their “wool” is spun into the alpaca yarn I’ll be knitting warm hats and shawls with this winter.
The ducks and chickens are now located together in a large fenced in area. The ducks are laid back, and the chickens seem manic. One unusual, very pretty breed of chicken has a duo that pace back and forth as if they’re thinking about solving a quadratic equation.
During the past month I’ve started to practice yoga. I know— I’m clumsy, don’t have an athletic muscle or bone in my body, and have trouble staying still for more than three seconds. This “yoga thing” is amazing. Both of my daughters do it and encouraged me to try. I found an excellent teacher who is succeeding in turning me into a yoga-mama. After four weeks, my chronic back pain is gone, I am more relaxed and centered, and I like doing it. I even speak softly for at least an hour after I’m done. Go figure! It is a most welcomed addition to my life, and I’m grateful.
Last, but not least, Smitty’s Ice Cream opened for the season this past week. I confess David and I drove on an empty tank of gas to get there. Yes, he got coffee ice cream smothered in butterscotch, and I tried two new flavors: coconut and orange/pineapple. Yum, yum, yum. This cannot become a habit…well maybe one can substitute a cup of ice cream for a lunch???
All of these events (except possibly Smitty’s) share the theme of hope and rebirth that comes from inspiration as well as perspiration. It resonates with me…optimism based on hard work and realizing one’s potential by doing good stuff with focus and determination. Gordon learned how to be a student and reached his goal. The farm will be worked and produce good food and lots of beauty. My daughters have grown up into adults that I am so very proud of; parenting is work and it works. I am learning how to do yoga without falling over; I practice every day. Smitty’s Ice Cream is my exercise in moderation. That might take some time.
Post Marathon Thoughts
It has been an overwhelming, scary, intense six days here in Boston. I don’t have any overarching conclusions about terrorism hitting a community I love. I do have a few random thoughts.
1. I had forgotten that horrible sense of threat and fear that lived in my heart and belly during 9/11. It forcefully comes back as if it never went away, especially since one of our daughters lives in the neighborhood that was bombed. She just happened to change plans for a late lunch near the finish line Monday and headed to the South End instead. I’m still living with the “what if” scenario in my head.
2. We unplugged and removed the TV almost a year ago. All of our news now comes through the internet. That demands lots of reading from different sources and hearing multiple points of view about these horrid events. I do appreciate not having to hear mindless talking heads fill space on the airwaves. It is, however, difficult to knit or quilt while reading, clicking and scrolling down page after page.
3. It’s hard to sleep with this turbulence. Lack of sleep makes coherent thinking and any kind of peace difficult to attain. It is far too easy to slip into the general malaise of sadness and anger.
4. Keeping in touch with my loved ones via phone, texting, IMing and extended conversations with my hubby are crucial.
5. I realize that I can’t change what bad people are going to do to others, but I can take a refresher First Aid course, so I can be more useful if I’m in any one of the awful situations we’ve seen in the past week.
6. Giving blood is something else I can do regularly. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. It puts my focus on “life” not fear.
7. I have a renewed appreciation and respect for the first responders, law enforcement, and hospital staff. I need to find a way to do something to show that appreciation.
8. A woman in line at a store here in Falmouth said she was going to increase the number of Random Acts of Kindness she performs daily—just to try to even the scales a bit. Not a bad idea.
Now it’s time to try to learn something from all this chaos, but also time to move on and to make the most of this gorgeous Sunday. We’re going to take a walk through Spohr’s Gardens and see all of the daffodils in bloom and then hit the bike path along the water. That’s what I need right now. Hope you and yours are safe, sound, and on the mend.
Spohr’s Gardens
Better than PeptoBismol
Fiddleheads
Yarnsista 