Wednesday on Whidbey

After all these years, I still pinch myself from time to time:  

I really do live in a place where I see this every day

 (except, of course, those cloudy, rainy ones...). 

Sorry to give yet another look at Mt Baker, but this is my route 

home daily with this wondrous view...  *sigh*

Holiday Reminders

We ended up with many sweet reminders of our fun time in PA, including a Mt Gretna t-shirt, a wonderful calendar that includes Bill as one of the featured artists!, great items from the kid's art show & of course Wilbur's chocolates  (..and then there's fabric...).  
One brief side-trip was to LaCigale, one of only a few businesses in Mt. Gretna. I've long admired the wondrous colors from Provence & it turns out--from this business directly.  They sell to an outlet in LaConner, not far from where we live.  The delightful family has been immersed for decades in the French connection of color & fiber. Although all of the tablecloths & tapestries were fabulous to touch & admire, I was trying to stay within my travel budget & found some wonderful napkins on sale. They were perfect to make new pillow covers for our window seat in the kitchen.

Don't they look happy?  They'll be cheery on those dark winter days that are coming quickly!

When we were in Columbia, Julie made the suggestion (mistake?) of stopping at Burning Bridge Antiques--she just about didn't get us back out again! It's a three level old building stuffed full of second-hand & antique items (there's a full basement...). Among many possible treasures, we soon found the vintage electric candles that prompted our visit initially, a wood plane Jim needed to add to his tool chest & two vintage quilts I just couldn't leave behind. They're 30's or early 40's era with marvelous hand-quilting & a lot of life left in them...

Pennsylvania Holiday - Part IV

One of the locations we visited prompted the most photos--not sure why, except to say it's lovely & intriguing, too.  The Ephrata Cloister was created as a religious colony of sorts by charismatic, German-born Conrad Beissel in 1732 when he broke away from the Anabaptist group he was leading. (It's pronounced 'EFF-ru-tuh'--rather than our Washington state version of 'e-FRATE-uh''.) 

It started as a singular, contemplative haven but more & more followers joined him in the celibate community--and many non-celibate families gathered nearby, supporting the community. It was an austere life but also a learned one. Among other things, they were known for the wonderful calligraphy work they produced.

 At it's peak there were several hundred people connected to Beissel's community. Several buildings were constructed to house the celibates & also allow for worship gatherings.

The community declined after Beissel died in the late 1700's but continued until the 1930's when the church charter was finally revoked.

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth assumed ownership of the property in the 1940's & surprisingly didn't raze the remaining buildings.

It's now an impressive historic park with a great tour. A fun day with Bill & Julie!

Intent on the tour guide discussion... check out
the sink next to Bill with the drain through the outside wall!

Pennsylvania Holiday - Part III

Okay--are you tired of the Pennsylvania tour yet?! If you are, might want to skip the next few posts as there's more to tell about!
As with most of the eastern seaboard, there is such a wealth of  'old, cool stuff' compared to our western, newer world. We were staying more local to our Gretna home base & getting the opportunity to see places new to us.

One of those was the Cornwall Ironworks, one of many iron works in the area at the time, but one of the few that survived relatively intact. It started operation in the early 1700's & continued until the late 1800's--with some modifications made to convert to steam. We learned a lot during the tour--including a renewed appreciation for the difficult, hot & often dangerous work.

We also toured the Wright's Ferry Mansion in Columbia, built in 1738 by John Wright, a Quaker taking an entrepreneurial risk of settling early in a remote location with the intent of establishing a ferry crossing at the Susquehanna River. A bold move!
Susanna Wright, his daughter, was the consistent resident & an amazing woman--a friend & contemporary of Ben Franklin--well educated, fluent in several languages, with a great business sense.
The modest mansion by today's terms is wondrously intact & filled with furniture, art & utensils of life from that period. It's such a rich collection of period pieces that a two-volume catalog of the collection has just been published. The home stayed 'in the family' until the 1920's or so--and during the next 30 years before being taken up as a historic location, was changed very little. Definitely worth the tour...

Getting My Kitty Fix

 One of the many great treats at Julie & Bill's was having a week with a cat back in the household! Snape tolerated us--and actually was enticed to play a time or two. He has several key window perches to keep track of the birds, squirrels, chipmunks & feral out-of-state visitors...


Thanks. Snape!

Pennsylvania Holiday - Part II

What's a tour of central PA without food & fabric?  8-)
So many townships & burroughs have that wonderful look: very old homes with classic porches right up to the sidewalk. We had a meandering day to several nearby quilt shops, two quilt museums, with local food & an earthquake thrown in just for grins!

Walking in Mannheim

...notice the quilt shop just ahead!

No trip to Lancaster is complete without a trip to the Market: in operation since 1730--the oldest in the country in continuous operation. It's such a grand old building & regardless of the day of the week (we were there on a Tuesday...) it's a bustle of activity--and a great place to pick out your favorite lunch!

my picture doesn't let you appreciate the great old wooden ceiling

the Central Market from outside

It's just a brief stroll from the Market courtyard to the Quilt & Textile Museum.  It seems fairly 'normal' on the outside but stepping into the building is breathtaking.  

It's a grand restored building that was initially a bank. In an effort to make financial ends meet now, the museum rents out areas for events (weddings, etc.) in addition to the main focus of impressive quilt exhibits. Currently showcased: one of the largest collections of vintage Amish quilts, previously owned & collected by the CEO of Espirit clothiers. They nicely drew the parallel of how the simple, traditional patterns & colors influenced designers that looked at those quilts in their offices daily. Definitely worth the time to explore--I think even if you're not a quilter, right Julie? (...or maybe you were just being kind!)

Not far from Lancaster, is Intercourse, PA--the heart of Amish country. (Remember 'Witness"?--town scenes from there. Kinda fitting since we'd been in the Philly train station at the outset!) The Old Country Store is not only a sales location for new Amish quilts, they have a well-known, well-stocked fabric store, with a quilt museum upstairs. The exhibits change but it's always worth the time to see...

Pennsylvania Holiday - Part I

Okay--it's taken waaaaay too long to get our August vacation photos organized--and sit down for a few quiet moments to write some posts about our Pennsylvania vacation. Sorry 'bout that! So here goes!
One unexpected parentheses on our trip was weather.  I think I jinxed it; I'd been talking for weeks about finally getting somewhere with summer heat (which we've sorely lacked this year...) Although it was pleasantly warm, the locals were talking about this 'break' in the heat & enjoying some cooler days with accompanying showers. Those thundershowers accompanied us into Philadelphia--planes getting in, but none allowed out. We were two of many hundreds of travelers getting to stay the night unexpectedly in the terminal, while scrambling for other arrangements.

No point in being in a hurry when you're on the road!

We were luckier than most because we could take an early train out the next morning & not have to wait for a flight to open up.  That turned out to be a much better arrangement anyway, as we enjoyed a lovely scenic tour of points west as we aimed at the Lancaster train station & then on to our final destination of Mt Gretna--our magical home port for the week with Julie & Bill.

Mt Gretna is tucked into the woods with a wonderful, colorful past as a long-standing Chautauqua community that thrives today with many of the values & activities and true sense of community intact.  What a great place for Julie & Bill--it's perfect! (For more about Chautauqua history & locations go to this site).  I remember my dad getting very animated when he described the Chautauqua coming to their little rural Washington community when he was a boy--much later I'm now learning there have been many year-round settings for the same wonderful culture all along! We arrived just in time for the annual Mt Gretna Art Show--a well known, juried show attracting artists from near & far.

Hall of Philosophy, then...

Gretna is charming, refreshing & impossible to describe in a brief post--except maybe to ask: when was the last time you visited a place that has a Hall of Philosophy as one of it's central buildings?!

...and now

With a fairy garden nearby?
Kids (& adults too!) can play, arrange & imagine to their heart's content....

Isn't this the coolest gate? So inviting!

Very old despite the new roof;
holds hundreds of viewers...

With the outdoor tabernacle that is not only wonderful to see but also to experience the variety of events that take place there?! (the New Christy Minstrels performed there while we were in town...)

night time view of the inside, looking up...

So I'm sharing a few photos of this wonderful getaway place--but my meager skills will never do it justice.  For a great photo tour through Mt. Gretna by a local artist take a minute to go this site--it's worth it!
Gretna served as a launch spot for many great tourist outings--that in many ways felt like a trip 'home', after having lived nearby long ago.

Julie & Bill were the greatest, most gracious hosts we could have wished for--thanks you guys!  I'll be doing more posts about places we went in the next few days.

When I said the weather was a major bracket on our trip, it was no joke.  We were there for the earthquake, which caused quite the excitement.  Turns out something that can be 'business as usual' in our part of the country is a scary novelty there.
Lucky for us--our return was perfectly timed to avoid the wrath of Irene plus all of the grounded flights she caused.  As we headed west we saw many weary travelers that were stranded until the worst was over. Although there was plenty of clean-up, Gretna seems to have come through it okay--although there will be stories to tell for some time to come, I think!
Stay tuned for some additional Pennsylvania posts...

Wednesday on Whidbey

our 'urban farmer' neighbors grew some rye as a cover crop--it's as tall as I am!

Fall Sample

Just thought I would share the latest quilt top completed as a sample for the store (it went this weekend & the kits are ready to roll!).  It's the same pattern shared previously--super simple & fast! Couldn't decide which 'frame' color I liked best, lime or orange--so included both (good suggestion, Jim!)

Wednesday on Whidbey

Sunrise over Penn Cove

Wednesday on Whidbey

Color Me Red & Black

Belatedly, here's a UFO that was (too) long in the making. Happily, it finally reached it's home this summer--& I thought it would be a good example of how some projects come together.

Quite some time ago I began to gather unique pieces for a red & black project--no special intent; I just liked them. It started with acquiring a Merimekko print I really liked (and on sale! What could be better?!) I've had a forty year love for Merimekko designs & thought they were no longer being produced until I accidentally stumbled across a little shop near Pike Place Market (Seattle) that sells a small but great collection. Turns out they've been produced all along, but US consumers kind of 'lost interest' for them so we went a long time without seeing them much. They didn't ask me! 8-)

When visiting Mike & Lynn's new island condo, which had a mostly white palette with some black & red accents, I got inspired! The red & black would be something to add to their nice big walls as a house warming gift! (Little did I know that they would be long-settled before I was able to hand it over...)

Besides the Merimekko piece, I had acquired three other great red & black bargain pieces --so this is what I started with:

The next step was to audition a wide variety of other pieces that might be good complements or contrasts with these anchor pieces. For me, that part of the process can get pretty carried away: many fabric drawers open, pulling anything that might be a possible cast member. It usually gets pretty wild & messy--but I want to think big, think inclusive, for that part.

Once all of the possibilities I can identify are out 'on the table' (or on the design wall...) I start to look for good combinations--and conversely for sore thumbs that might be great, but not necessarily for this project. The narrowing down starts. The picture below is about half-way along the weeding out process. (I got so caught up in the fun, I forgot to take pix when everything was up!) By the end of this phase, there is a 'for-sure-will-use' pile, a 'might-be-great-to-add' pile, and a 'doubtful-but-don't-put-them-away-yet' pile. Still pretty messy...

Then the 'putting it together' process starts. I tend to draw only one or two quick sketches--I'm not a methodical planner or drafter at the outset. I have a general notion in my mind's eye, but I also like to let the piece shape itself as it progresses--not be really set on what I think it should be. That can be good & bad. The good part is: almost every time, I end up adding elements I would not have thought of beforehand. The bad part is: I can sometimes get hung up on technical aspects; how do I pull off this little idea? (That can turn out to be a good thing, though, as I have to stretch my skill level a little more each time...)

Things start to take shape--first with smaller elements & then tying them into the larger piece.

That very linear (horizontal,vertical) begins to bother me--too much. So the little regimented squares & rectangles become more casually placed & uneven in size.

What started as a worry about being too wide & short later becomes a worry about maybe too tall & square! (this is a big piece--over 50" both ways at the moment) Other worries keep cropping up:
The central piece should be showcased, but not simply framed top & bottom.
The central piece should be cut down, but not too much.
 It's awfully red!
It's awfully big!! 
On & on... but gotta keep moving. Don't get paralyzed!

Once the piece is together, it's off to the long arm studio. My quilter friend made a great suggestion: use a very lightweight poly bat (not something I prefer for most pieces). It's whisper light-weight but adds so much depth. The non-quilted sections stand out remarkably with a faux trapunto appearance.

Now for the embellishments (beads & some fabricated baubles), then stretched on a wooden frame for canvases, & viola--ready to hang! Finishes out at 48 x 52. Here's a photo in it's new surrounds! (as ever, you can click on the picture for a better view...) It arrived just in time to help tip the scales for a choice of color to paint the wall--& I think was well received. Finishing is bliss...!

Learn vs.Teach

Realized I haven't given a school update in some time, so here goes. When we last left our protagonist, things were looking rather grim--budget cuts, reductions in force, rescinding tenure... what a difference a few months can make!
Turns out the budget projections were somewhat overstated & hoping for the best while preparing for the worst paid off.  By the end of the academic year, I was reinstated full time with tenure restored--so the supplemental job hunt didn't need to happen. (That was a relief!) And in case it's not clear: I'm definitely doing the Snoopy happy dance! I truly enjoy this job & after a full academic cycle, feel like I'm getting the hang of it!

the full-time LPN group:  happy, relieved campers!

Summer quarter (not optional--it's required) was shortened due to the budget crunch, although content was not--nor the required clinical hours for students. Suffice it to say:  it was a wild ride!
Summer is the final quarter for the two full-time cohorts, so I bid a fond adieu to my first students; a definite growing experience for all of us!

the full-time RN group--minus 4 that couldn't hang around for photos!

They've now launched into the 'real' world--awaiting exams to become licensed professionals in search of jobs.  Not the best of economic times to venture forth--but they'll do okay; many will thrive! I will hold them in my heart & my thoughts as this part of the journey ends and the next is just beginning. I wish a solid, caring mentor for each of them in their new work world. I know it made all the difference for me....
The part-timers still face two more quarters--and sadly I had to say goodbye to three students at the end of summer due to grades. *sigh* The survivors are a mighty force, though, and we head off-island for clinicals in the fall. For now there is a brief time out; three weeks off to recharge, regroup, and get ready...
Sleeping in will be involved!