Friday, January 8, 2010

Love Actually





It all started on the train.... my friend was on the train with her friend and a man on the train from the mere sight of her.... knew he had to know her. He was able to get her phone number (from my friend's friend) and a relationship was born.

Fast forward one and 1/2 years....

On Tuesday, Dumplin' and I went to their wedding. It was a simple, lovely, beautiful wedding and I was so pleased to be included.

Here is the bride... she borrowed my headpiece - I was so thrilled! My Christmas present to her is the shawl she is wearing.... can you guess the pattern?

It was a wonderfully romantic day!


Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Heart & Sole



This summer I designed two projects for an accessory book from Coats & Clark titled "More than Socks"..... all the projects in the book are made from Red Hearts Heart & Sole sock yarn.

This lacy scarf is super quick and looks great!

These wristers take only a few hours to crochet. The lacy edge is crocheted back and forth in rows first and then the body of the wrister is worked in the round from the lace.

Right now I am finishing up a knit design, then I have 2 more work projects to complete and then I can work on something for me!!


Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year's Day




Thirteen years ago today, I lost my maternal grandfather Norman Holcomb. I woke up to the phone ringing and news of his passing. I was a newly married woman and went downstairs to have a cry. While downstairs, I found a live bird in my house.... I knew that bird was my grandfather coming to let me know he was free (he suffered from Alzheimer's). I caught the bird, went outside in the cold and said a prayer to my grandfather. I opened up my hands to let the bird free and to let go of my grandfather. What a beautiful story, it really happened and because my life is so full of humor I will continue....

So when I open up my hands to let the bird go, it keels over and falls to the ground. "Holy crap!" I say through my tears and bend over to retrieve the bird. Turns out it was just stunned and after I righted it it flew away. Not really Hallmark, it would have been had the bird taken to flight right away, but real life isn't the movies or a channel on cable. And so, on this day of new beginnings, I thought I would share what I consider a new beginning. The beginning of my life without my grandfather:

Here he is holding me for my first Christmas in 1970.

Here he is in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. He was a mover and moved Babe Ruth's things (among others) when there was a restoration of the Hall of Fame. While visiting there in 2006, Mr. Fantastic found the picture (he is the handsome man in the center of the picture, holding the picture of Babe with a bat). It was a thrilling moment for me.



Here he is today:


He is in the stubbornness of my first born and in his golf swing.

He is in the beautiful face of my second born and his very infectious and distinguishable laugh.

He is in the unbelievable ability of my third born to fall asleep in any position.

And his face is in my mother, in her humor and if I squint real hard...... I see him.

So you see, I never have to live my life without him, he is still everywhere if I take the time to look. Happy New Year.