Certain traditions of Maui

there are certain activities I really look forward to when visiting this island. A first full day of reading a book by the pool, visiting friends to reconnect and in Lahaina breakfast at Coolers. The fried rice with egg, veg and Portuguese sausage is out of this world. Especially with the house made pepper sauce. Woohee that is spicy! There are other traditions for Paia and then again when we reach Hana at the end of the trip.
Today we started a new one–waiting until next week to get a car. We walked down to a local beach park for some swimming and whale watching.

Let the vacation begin!

A half week at Madrona was wonderful! We were so busy in the Blue Moon booth that I didn’t get a chance for photos. But take my word for it–great time was had by all. I realized at the end of Friday that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
I returned home last night at 10p and started vacation packing before I even had my coat off. This morning we were up early and off the mountain! So that I could begin blogging from Maui:). Two weeks of being warm, watching whales ( we saw 4 on the way in from the airport) and maybe getting a wee bit of exercise. I have promised myself writing and yoga everyday. Both are good for the soul.

Where does the time go?

I did not enjoy January too much. I seemed to find every flu or cold bug that was in existence! February started off a little congested, but I am happy to say that I am finally on track and ready to get going on this 2012 year thing.
One nice side note to the illness month was that I did have knitting energy. If you check out my Ravelry project page you’ll see the shawls begun (and some finished). Socks are on the needles and spring sweaters are in the plans.
The weather here has been great! Even though the rains are beginning again February started off with sun! Oh how I wish it would stay until spring. The garden bug really gets me when that elusive winter sun peeks out. I have so many plans, but I’m not wanting to plant when I know the snows are still on the horizon. I’ve been seed catalog surfing instead. Imagining the colors of lettuces interspersed with dill fronds and green basil leaves. I can almost smell it now. On top of this I am very excited that my new job will come with some community gardening, bee keeping and chicken watching!
New job? Why yes, I do have a terrific new job:) I have taken the position of Design Coordinator for Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I love it. I am able to do quite a lot of it from home, but do travel out to Scapoose once a week to work with Tina and the ladies in the dye barn. I am so happy to find a spot in the fiber community that allows me to continue to work with designers I know and to meet a whole new group of designers and knitters. And that says nothing about how wonderful it is to pet and play with Tina’s beautiful yarns and colorways! I’ll be working in the BMFA booth at Madrona next week. If you are up there do stop by and say hi!

Winter wonderland

The geese are experiencing a new adventure here on my little bit of Mt Hood. This photo was taken at the beginning of the snowfall. By the time the weather turned to rain we had 3ft total and only the ducks were having fun.
It came down so fast we lost the gutter on the front of the house and a garden shed that started to fall last winter is now just barely off the ground. I don’t even want to talk about the truck bumper (I was happy not to be anywhere near the scene).
We had our first big power outage of the year with these back to back storms. And I realized the hard way that I was not prepared. This is the first year since we’ve been up here that I haven’t been ready for winter. By ready I mean having a lb of ground coffee on hand (mortar and pestle to the rescue), candles on every important counter (burned them all Christmas eve) and water jugs full (melted snow for above coffee and the rabbit bottles. While I am surprised at myself I have to say that this month I have been ill with a series of things and the only thing I’ve been thinking of is warmth. So I was quite happy that my wood pile was well stacked and dry. We did not freeze this week!
I am now getting everything else in order as this is probably just the beginning of a series of winter storms for us until Spring arrives.
One of those things to get in order is to start a knit project on larger needles. Kitting socks on size 1 needles by candle light just doesn’t work for me anymore;) Last night I cast on for the Pix Shawl with BMFA bfl sport (yum!) in a rare gems gray/black. This easy pattern knit with #8 needles is just the ticket for winter knitting and taking a break from the small needles.
I’m starting to get my shawl wardrobe ready for Madrona!!
More on that later;) Stay warm and prepare for winter (whatever that means in your part of the world).

Information– overload or inspiration

I’ve been considering the amount of time I’ve been online lately.  It really is a fraction of the time I spent online with the yarn company.  However, that time was well spent work.  Now I find myself continuing to start the day with my coffee and iphone or laptop surfing twitter, facebook or ravelry.  But to what end?  I am not feeling inspired by these interactions and I am taking time away from my own creativity by spending that time reading about what others are doing.  Now don’t get me wrong-I do want to interact with my friends and keep up on what is interesting and new in the knitting/spinning and cooking worlds.  But to what end?  At some point I think there has to be an end result or goal to web surfing.  Sister Diane has a great blog post about this subject today.  Make sure to check it out.  I am curious what your take is on this subject.

Back when I was a more serious blogger (before Ravelry, Twitter, etc) I had a round of blogs I visited with my morning Joe.  I found them to be inspiring on crafting and personal levels.  As each new website came along it took me farther and farther away from both the read of other blogs and from blogging myself.  My podcast took the place of the blog for quite a few years.  Now I am finding that I miss the time to write my thoughts (hence this blog).  I am also rethinking where I want my voice heard and whose voices I want to hear.  I can’t quite bring myself to quit Facebook as I connect with so many family members as well as foodies there where I don’t see them in other places.  But I already have stopped posting as often.  Twitter is my connection to my favorite knitting friends and I really like the instant conversation you can have.  But really, neither of these sites are where I want to be starting my day to get inspiration.  My husband pulls up the daily videos on the NYTimes for ipad.  I like having those varied stories to listen to while we are both still a little sleepy and thoughtful about things.

But I really want to get back to reading some interesting blog posts by friends and other crafty folks. Not necessarily even a craft I am involved in.  Right now I am really itching to learn to sew, but I know I’m not set up for that or have that kind of time.  However, I am going to find some blogs where I can vicariously enjoy others endeavors and maybe inspire me in some other way.  

What are some inspiring crafty (or just interesting) blogs you read?  My choices will start popping up on the sidebar.

The Podcast

Did you know I have been podcasting for just over 3 years?  Today’s At the Kitchen Table podcast includes a week’s worth of updates on knitting, cooking, baking and creative plans.  Plus a look at websites that I am finding inspiring this winter.  Kinfolk Magazine is one, as is Pinterest.  I am planning a podcast make over after I take a class on Crafty Pod.  What are you inspired by?  Websites, people, places out in the real world.  Let’s collect and share a list so that we can all enter this leap year with some great, creative inspiration.

Solstice Blessings

While the actual moment of the shortest day of the year is not until tomorrow morning a more spiritual celebration of the coming of light is traditionally celebrated on December 21st.
A lighting of candles to honor the passing of light and welcome it back in the circle of life. This is a day in the past that I have hosted a craft party with all my lady friends. Over the last few years of living on the mountain it has been a much quieter affair of blessings wished between close family and friends that hold the same believes.
With all that is going on in the world, both near and far, today has me feeling that the best celebration of this day is to create gifts full of love today to be given over the next week. As the sun sets to light candles with intention (the best kinds of spells). To eat foods that fill us with happiness as well as nourishment. Foods that we harvested or created in the months filled with light. I think instead of running around today it needs to be a day of thoughtfulness.
Imagine if we all approached this day with the same intentions. Who knows what tomorrow might bring:)