Away....and back

For Christmas this year our children gave us a weekend away at the beach.  Oh my.  I don't think they could have given us anything better.  The beach, my favorite place.  With my husband, just the two of us.  Peace.  It was wonderful.  The weather was typical for this time of year, nice with good doses of rain.  But a minus tide exposed tide pools below Haystock Rock and despite the wind and rain, we explored them and found over 20 whole sea dollars along the beach.             

 Our hotel had this delightful courtyard where we would have stayed had the weather been better.

 Ahhh, a latte from Insomnia Coffee.  I took it out to the beach and sat on a rock and enjoyed the sites and sounds and the coffee.

 There was a great circle we walked:  down through town and back along the beach.   A few of the stores begged to be explored and explore we did and kept the economy on the up swing as well.

 After dark in our room while the movie played, I knit this necklace.  It's Kenzi from the Yarn Fairy.  Details on my ravelry page but I will say I love it and I want to make another!

 We got home and guess who came to town the next day?  Stephanie Pearl McPhee!  Better known as the Yarn Harlot.  This is the third time I've been to her book tour and she has yet to disappoint.  Her new book promises to be as entertaining, thought provoking, and laughter encouraging as all of her previous ones.

It was also Dr. Seuss' birthday when we returned home and there was the obligatory serving of green eggs and ham and pink ink yink drink but the pictures of that will be in the next post.  I think spring has sprung!  Windows to wash, car to wash, anything to be outside!

Regrouping and moving on

It is no secret that I love the ocean and beach and I have to visit almost once a month. It's been a rough couple of weeks with Thanksgiving and then the Civil War to get through and Christmas creeping up. All these firsts and both my husband and I were feeling it. Our daughter's inlaws generously gave their family a trip to a Christmas Lights celebration and invited our little caboose along too. My husband has been begging me to get away so we did...to the southern Oregon coast. They have a garden there called Shore Acres that they light up for Christmas and I've always wanted to see it. Now was the time. Since it's on the coast it's done in a beach/sea theme. I forgot the tripod at home so the pictures are a little blurry.

But it was more beautiful than we expected and more intensive than we thought it would be.

We stayed in a motel right on the point over the beach. The weather was clear, sunny, and COLD! Mittens and hats required. And here I am a knitter and I have never knit a hat for myself! That will be remedied soon.

On the way home we stopped at one of my favorite lighthouses, Heceta Head. Not because it's such a glorious lighthouse but because of it's location, on the cliff over the ocean.

The little town we stayed in on the coast is one of my favorites. Perhaps because it boasts a wonderful quilt shop and yarn store? I visited the quilt shop to find they were having a huge sale. The owner was selling bolts and bolts of fabic and 50% or more off per yard. It was quilt shop quality fabric at Walmart prices. I saved more than I spent. There is fabric for boys' summer shirts, girls dresses, flannel for quilt backing.

I picked up a couple of patterns. One that I think my sister may be interested in and the other for the new baby.

And lastly, some snowmen panels to decorate the house with. I'm trying to destash yarn and fabric but I don't think this fabric will stay in the stash long since I have plans for most of it already.

It was a good weekend and I think we're ready to face the first Christmas. My husband said at the beginning of the weekend that he just wasn't happy and couldn't explain it. By the end he seemed more like himself. I'm trying very hard to remember the "reason for the season" and not let that be overshadowed by the grief. The key word is "trying".

I go to the sea...to take pictures of hand knits???

Yep! I usually go to the sea to BREATHE...but yesterday it was to take pictures of hand knits. No kidding. Well, ok, just kidding. I did go to the sea to breathe, to listen, to look, to soak it in. I love the beach. More than chocolate. But! I went to the sea and what a great place for a photo shoot. A photo shoot of hand knits and three two year olds!Behold! Another Duck Soup! In the biggest size, although it wouldn't be hard to size it up some more. Great, fun, fast knit. This is my second and the third and fourth ones are alreay on the needles. Knit out of Knit Picks Swish Bulky.

I didn't think I'd like the hood detail but it really adds to the sweater. This sweater has been done for a few months but I was waiting for the beach trip we've been trying to do for a few months to get the picture.

And this is my hat from my swap partner. She read on my ravelry page that I loved purple so she made it all things purple. It fits the little Miss perfectly and is so much better than what I could have come up with...I think. I love it and although Miss R was the model, she became the new owner as well. Her Mommy loved it too.

So, now that the hand knits are out of the way, let's get to the important stuff...like three little people that just turned two.

Come on down! Nonny took our two year portraits at the beach. Just a few, like 150 of them. We'd show you all 150 but the server would crash so here's just a sampling..... This is my brother. My older brother by two minutes.

This is my oldest brother by three minutes.

And a group shot...Mommy loves the beach too, just like Nonny and that smile wasn't just for the camera! She had the beach and wee three. She was just missin' Daddy for a perfect day.

We made a stop before we headed for the photo shoot. Needed some energy and we'd never been here before. We watched them make cheese and then we tasted some.

After watching them make cheese and sampling, there was no way we were sittin' still for a picture. I mean, come on! There's sand and rocks to explore!And water! Don't forget the water! I'm more of a bathtub temperature kind of gal so the water wasn't to my liking. But my brother loved it! Even though it was coooooold! But Mommy and Nonny seemed to think we did pretty well. So they rewarded us with our first ever ice cream cones. Really I think they were so thrilled to be at the beach again and especially with us that they overlooked the wouldn't sit still part.
Pesky ice cream cone kept dripping so I kept having to wipe the table. I don't like coooooold water, dirty sand, or drippy ice cream. I must always look presentable for my public.

My brother had no such problems.
Neither did my other brother.
Fantastic day! My brother wants to head back real soon!