Lest I Forget

Due to the nature of Tony's job, he is likely on a gig for most of the long holiday weekends. Memorial Day especially. So when he was given the following Tuesday off, we headed to Heidelberg. After finding a place to park, we followed the signs and walked about 2 kilometers up to the castle. About halfway up, we discovered a little playground built into the side of the hill. The slide was steep, metal, and zig-zagged all the way down. The kids flew off the end with a thud and a tumble and declared it the best slide ever. To get back to the top, there were rope bridges and rock walls and such. Once at the castle, we decided to pay a little extra for the guided tour inside the castle, which was the only way you could see the inside. It was not really worth it, for we only saw a very few rooms. Live and learn. The outside and the grounds were much more impressive and after having dinner outside there at the castle, we walked the grounds until dusk. It was a lovely day. ...

Joining Ginny again today to talk about knitting. I finished the shawl I had been making myself. I really like how it turned out. The pattern is Saroyan and with thousands of other examples to look at, I came up with a plan for a shape that would work for the yarn I had chosen. The original pattern calls for worsted weight. When I found the color of yarn I wanted, it was only available in fingering weight. That was fine, since I pictured this being a lightweight shawl to wear with a specific dress I already owned. The dress needed a little something to dress it up for Mass. I had recently ordered some blocking mats and wires and was able to use them for the first time to block this shawl. The garter edge was folding under quite a lot and I hoped to correct that. It did fix it somewhat, yet it is still not perfect. (A sort of funny, sort of not story about those blocking wires. The first time I ordered them, they showed up in a cardboard tube that had been ripped in half, badly ta...

Awakening early, I quietly snuck to the kitchen to start the coffee, and then put the final stitches in my shawl. I will block it later this morning and the anticipation of watching the pattern come fully into its promise is both exciting and sad. Like watching a wounded bird whom you have nursed back to health take flight. After weaving in the ends, I poured myself a fresh cup of coffee, put on my shoes and coat, and opened the door on the crisp, cool morning. Mornings are like a clean slate. Everything is fresh. The air seems to be cleaner, somehow. Not used up and breathed out without even noticing it's delicious flavor by the rest of the world. Leisurely walking down the hill, I looked off towards the mountains which were shrouded in a silky mist. It seemed they were beckoning to me to come and explore what lay beneath their misty cover. My footsteps were all of a sudden muffled and I glanced down to see a pink blanket of fallen apple blossoms covering the sidewalk. The tree ...

Everyone needs days like this one. We awoke and quickly dressed little people for Mass and were out the door with few complaints. Then off to the bakery for breakfast and a great cup of German coffee. A quick trip through the Commissary where we picked up the essentials for the week and the fixings for tonight's dinner. Peter fell asleep on the way home, so while we let him nap, Jack started on a new project (building a model car), Anna finally got to watch her beloved Star Wars with no little people, Therese busied herself with drawing yet more pictures, and I split my time between them and their activities. I was really just trying to be patient for my one request today. A walk in the woods. The last time we all went as a family was in the fall. How one place can look so different and still be breathtaking is one of God's amazing achievements. The weather was perfect, which is rare here in Germany. If you don't believe me, just look at this... "Aaannd she's o...