Doings in Boulder

 

Take-off at 6:45 am from Vancouver, May 17.

It was a lovely fresh morning. Haze meant that this was pretty much all I could really see.

There was a fire in Ft. Collins CO, which had really spread in 3 days.

We got to Boulder @ 10:30.
The trip was uneventful except for George getting the special frisking treatment at YVR in Security. Jokes about that of course & questions.

Afternoon & dinner with Karl & Sarah, Ben, Danny & Joe. I meet Helen, Sarah's mother for the first time.

Ben has to wear a brace after school. He has scoliosis which is being treated this way. He used to have to wear it much more, but now it's just for a few hours.

There is much excitement because Ben, who plays the piano well, has just acquired a family Steinway baby grand that was built in the 1920s. It needs a lot of work, mainly tuning for now.  He's going to be in grade 9.

Danny is about to be a senior at the school that Joe is graduating from.

He's having a lot of fun with the drama club.

Joe, on not much sleep.

That night he went to a rock concert and met a famous DJ who was standing near him in the audience.

Of course I hadn't heard of him!

Saturday we had a scramble golf game. Two teams with 4 players each. The team plays the best ball on each shot. Pop & Da Boyz vs. Karl & Da Goils.

 I decided not to play. I hadn't ever even walked a game through before!

We had a lot of fun.
The course was gorgeous.
The sky was grey so we weren't too hot.
I played ball spotter.
Karl's team did 3 pars & one birdie.
So they won.
George was happy because he sunk some long putts & got to play with 3  grandsons.

It rained for the 9th hole, just enough so we could be proud of toughing it out, but not enough to be miserable.

That night, last night we went out for a traditional (for us when we visit) sushi supper.
I had my celery with me, as did everyone else. I could take pictures as all 4 teenage boys (including Jake, cousin) looked at the smart phone.  Much intensity!

                                                              Today is graduation.
                                                                That's it for now.

Feeling Sad

I learned today that Rick Bunning died of pancreatic cancer. He managed to survive 3 extra years with it.  He was our realtor that helped us sell & buy .This is how he looked around the time I sold my 3675 W. 15th Avenue place. He also helped us buy our new apartment. Such a nice man.

A photo I took from the roof of King's Landing in May 2008 & the inner courtyard just before we bought.

.

Below the Erikson Building going up. This is right next to us to the east. 

Good bye to Rick Bunning. I'll miss him. There aren't many realtors like him.  Sadly.

                                                    That's it for now.
                                                         

Travel prep

I'll be gone for 20 days or so.  I find that when I do a trip like this I comb through all my things to select the most important to take. I want flexibility, no stuff in my suitcase that I'll never use, & enough room for a few PPs [possible purchases].

This process actually also involved 1) re-doing my filing system [!!] so I don't have to flip through them all to get the one I need! It was about time...  2) tidying up my sewing supplies

I went through all my cloth & reorganized it. I also found a way to store all the number quilts on the wall-- lower left right above my suitcase which was on deck & is now mostly packed.

3) I'm working on travel papers, driving directions, testing out & getting used to a new camera. I am surprised by the details of all this preparation, but not really. Suddenly all these things I've selected to be with me on the trip take on big importance. Hopefully I have chosen well & the sailing will be smooth!!

Max & Reed have gotten so good at balancing on these strider bikes. Look-ma-no-feet & pushing at their speed capacities. Braking is happening too with feet to take that corner at the end. Banking is being learned!

So here I am with my new Lumix travel camera.

Ready to go! Boulder, Hartford, Groton, Lowell, Grafton, Hartford, NYC, here I come!

                                                                That's it for now.

Days of Busy-ness & Collections

Maybe it was starting to tidy up my fabric room, maybe it was feeling all excited about the Westminster Abbey Church, maybe it was the the excitement of f.i.n.a.l.l.y working through the logistics of a few patches of my trip east, or maybe it was that I had a good workout today and the sun is shining. But today I have been high energy & continuing tidying, thinking ahead to new projects, &, oh joy, throwing somethings away.

I started the day with a trip around the house, camera in hand to show you the present group of house collections.  When we left 3675 15th Avenue, I retired a few of the collections, because, really, I had to make some room for George's collections. Some of that retiring was good & some a bit sad, but actually I don't have a lot of regret. The egg-beaters are still on display in full glory, each with a different gear or beater system. There are actually more than this!

14 number quilts so far have been safely& newly stored by a pins-into-the-wall system.

My thread spool jars & old box collection. The boxes for sewing things from 50 to more years ago. One of them is a Heminway Thread box that came from my grandma Garrison's sewing stuff. So very cool.

Collection of containers from many places & a Ganesh and a wonderful present Louise gave me for a birthday. A spiral clip holds her writing on a card that says: "Never interrupt when you are being flattered."  Man!! that got my attention! What a terrific birthday lesson!!

This shelving for cloth is now even neater!! Ooops, and I see one cubby I still haven't visited yet!! I wonder what it will reveal? I have two racks like this. My friend Peter thought I had a LOT of thread. I told him not compared to other sewers I know!!

Tubes & rods set in a really old & deep milk can. I also found the equipment I bought to make a new quilting frame. The frame I have been using I made in  1962 and the wood is very dry and giving me splinters! I think 283 quilts later I can indulge in making a new one without New England embarrassment!

Hodge-podge of shapes. My mother's skate blades, a great cello peg,  a great quote about change,  a stencil K & 3 collapsible yardsticks-- oh my!! That would make another great collection, yardsticks,  & collapsible & non......

Meanwhile downstairs...Blue vessels from George....

Favorite earthy, wood & clay, vessels from us both....

Mostly from Mexico trip in 2005.... and Joslyn's wonderful stone kneeling figures...

      Key collection. I love this fish! I call this an "embodiment": an animal that is useful!

My circle collection is dispersed when you consider the huge circle collection at 3675. I love all these plates. Italy, Spain & a Maine barn, the small ones.

So in the circle-collection vein a few more from upstairs....& my number stampers.

I'm going to use the number stampers for my next number quilt called The Look of Numbers. I'm just working out how I will execute this quilt. It will be the next-to-last in the series. The last one is the Colophon for my 'book of quilts'.

Oh yes!! I am almost ready to finish off the title quilt. It's now almost fully quilted.

That's it for now.