OH Knit!

Another week...Another knit! I am currently working on an outside pocket for a hand bag...And my mom is (surprise surprise) working on "the sweater". She exclaimed tonight "how does anyone finish a sweater anyway? And who's idea was it to even do that!!??!!" It is coming along, even though it sometimes doesn't seem like it is...Kind of like life. You think you are not making any progress, and then there you are...At the end of wherever you are and ready to start again! (I know, profound...I am rolling my eyes!)

How perfect is that yellow rose with the pink at the tips of the petals?

This week, the red roses are in bloom. I love red roses, well, actually...I love all roses (and daises!)...So, this is the view from the front fence...

I have a movie recommendation as well...Last night we watched Nanny McPhee! What a wonderful movie...Full of fun and magic and general silliness. And the sets are incredible (I would love to be a set designer...then again, maybe my house would be more impressive...hmmmm) at any rate, I am ready to move in to the house they built for the movie!



The screenplay was written by Emma Thompson and was based on the book Nurse Matilda. They're toting it as the new Marry Poppins, although I didn't think it was as sad. I know that I totally crumbled and cried hysterically when I saw Marry Poppins in the movie theatre as a child, when I realized that she was leaving at the end of the movie...and maybe it's my age now, but I thought it Nanny McPhee had a loverly ending. We all enjoyed the movie so much...that my mom put the book on hold at the library, I can hardly wait to read it (I'm hoping maybe she'll read it outloud to me...it's amazing when you hear your mother's voice read a story, I instatnly relax!). And, you know about my affinity for children's books...at least you can see by the collection I have.

Sunday May 21st...

Well...I want to start off by apologizing for a shortened Creative Sunday! The day started off my mom Rozzie and I running errands. This resulted in 2 new pairs of shoes for Rozzie, new cat food for the kitties...And some crafting supplies. Then home for some pampering for me...

Which brings me to the why of the short version of Creative Sunday...

Sadira escaping to Phoenix with Amy! Wahoo...We both needed a little escape (me from my life and killer dust bunnies, ahem...Amy from her grueling school schedule...Yes, homework is actually worse as you get older!) Amy is an Irish music genius...And was going down to Phoenix to a jam session with her fiddle teacher and a whole group of other musicians...And invited me to ride along...And since we've both been so busy...a chance to have her as a captive audience for 2 hours (each way...plus dinner) was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
The session was really wonderful, I believe that was the first time I got to actually hear Amy play, so it was a real treat for me! (everyone else was good too) I didn't stay for the whole thing as I met up with a really good friend from high school, who took me to play pool. Now, I am not good at pool (in my opinion) even though I grew up with a pool table in my house (so it's a bit embarrassing for me when someone asks me to play, because I should probably be better at this game) However...I won 3 out of 5 games which seems like a fluke, and I was wishing I had some camera footage for proof...But Rene remembers! Either he let me win all those games, or we are both just really bad pool players! Whatever the case may be, I had a really wonderful time...

It was a fun adventure, ending at a ridiculously late hour, and it gave me just the inspiration I needed to finish off the home improvement task starting early Monday morning! This is a project that I've wanted to do since I moved into the house 4 and a half years ago...I did all the work myself, and at any time during the week, you could have driven by and seen me in a skirt (I'm such a girl),and my thongs (which is an interesting way to use a shovel, I must say!) working on this...

















Before

This is my "side" patio on the house, where the bar-b-q lives! It is all dirt, and has kind of been a catch all for all my stuff. It's been bothering me and on my mind because I see it almost every time that I come home, as I park my car on the driveway on this side of the house.


During




So, I dug out a lower level, and leveled out a higher level, and put the bar-b-q in it's own space on some lava rocks...These lava rocks are much pinker than I thought! I am calling them my shabby chic lava rocks. I then spread sand on the "floor" of the patio and laid this wonderful stone I found at Wal-Mart. I wanted to lay flagstone to match some of the other details of the house...but it is pretty expensive and uneven and cracks quite a bit up here. So, I found a concrete composite of oddly shaped stones in the same color scheme as the flagstone.



After


I left good size spaces between the stones, mostly because the cost was starting to add up...and brought dirt, rocks and earth from the embankment that the grader leaves after he grades my dirt road that is across the street. Martha, my neighbor who's father built this house in 1924 for their family took pity on me (yes, I have no wheel barrow, and was carrying it over by the shovel full...Exhausting, but working on my bicepts for sure!) and offered to let me borrow her garden cart. That made my job much easier! After I filled in all those holes, I wet it all down a couple of times to let the dirt settle, and let everything "set" and then swept sand over all the stones...and dampened that a bit so it will set!















I like the way it turned out, although, it is different that what I had in my mind, and I am going to just have to adjust to it...but it is an improvement! I do think that the green chair looks a little lonely sitting out there by itself, and I am now wondering if I can find some really great vintage bistro set? And, there are 2 different levels of patio right in front of the bar-b-q...But I don't think this will be a problem. Since this side of the house gets so much sun I really need a cover for the bar-b-q, I have one, but it has holes in it...and I had the idea that maybe I should make one out of some of that waterproof outside table cloth material?

I feel really proud of myself, that I did accomplish this on my own, and I had a bit of a shakey moment at Home Depot when I was picking up 200 lbs. of sand...In four 50 lb. bags, and first putting them in the cart, then into the car from the cart, then from the car to the patio area! I was feeling really sad because I had to do it all by myself, but now seeing the finished product, I am really excited and totally amazed! (and no...the bar-b-q is not really crooked...it just looks that way in the picture!)




It kind of makes me wonder why it took me so long to do it?

The Trip-Day 13...The END

Yes, day 13, otherwise known as the end...(thank God) It's actually taken me longer to post this trip than to take the trip. And what can I really say? I am exhausted (although, I'm thinking not from the trip, as I've been back for a while yet) but from regular Sadira life. I have so many projects creative and home improvement projects (involving no less than 200 lbs. of sand) going right now it's amazing. And no, I'm not running from anything (I don't think at any rate), I'm just trying to use some momentum to get something done around here (in between going to work and sitting and staring off into space). SO...this part of the trip will have no narraration, just pictures for you to enjoy...Only to say that I loved Prague so much, all the walking around and shopping and exploring and looking up and around. I hope to go back someday soon...Or someday far...Just someday! We did go to the Municipal house, the amazing art nouveau building they still use for music...And had a tour. One of the rooms was done By Mucha...And the stained glass is amazing!!! We were all beat, but by the end of the tour, I didn't want to leave, and since we only got to see one half of the building...I think I was within my rights to demand to see more (even if I used the inside my head voice)

OK...WAIT...I have to interject here...I love love love these doorway/window/statues...They are absolutely amazing!!




















And if I could have taken these ladies and their owl home with me I would have...However, I already had to buy one extra suitcase! Look how they hang off the building...Do you think they would match the decor here at the house?












































There were so many statues looking down at you from the tops of doorways or windows...It was awesome!



And so many of the buildings were even painted on in addition to the statues and details...

Yeah...I'll take the room with that wonderful roof!

Down this street...

I thank you for sharing this journey with me, and if you want to see more photos, let me know (because there's more folks!) And now, I am going to relax for a bit before I have to get up early and yard sale...And maybe eat some of these organic Trader Joe's truffles ( I have to...they're melting in the little bit of heat we've had!)

Farewell Will and Grace!

Good-bye sweet friends! It's been fun laughing at/with you for 8 years...I was sitting here watching the final episode feeling and being very teary...And remembering all the fun times and laughs I had with this show. I actually missed the first season, because it was probably on opposite something else I was watching. Thank goodness Arthur helped me see the errors of my ways (thank you Arthur...Especially when we were in the same space watching episodes together...That was my favorite!)...Mostly I think because something of this show reminded us a bit of ourselves. (Yes, Grace and I have a lot in common) So I guess I will be reduced to renting the DVD's or trying to find them at a yard sale so I can rewatch all the episodes. Although, if it's anything like Friends, I'm sure I'll be able to catch an episode any time of the day or night! Why is it that so many last episodes fall a little short of expectations? Maybe it's because I know that this will be the last "new" show I will ever see of Will and Grace...Or maybe it's just really hard to wrap up everything that may happen in the false sit-com world of the future of these characters.

Anyway...It's been a heck of a run

Thanks for all the funny!

The Trip-Day 12

Today we went to the town of Sedlec about an hour outside of Prague to see Kutna-Hora...A chapel that is decorated with the bones of about 40,000 people. As you can see above the chapel is ancient...It's actually leaning into the ground...It is the most amazing place! It may look a little creepy, but it really isn't. It felt like a celebration of death rather than something frightening. It's just really old, and not as dusty as some of the places in Europe! There are bones everywhere you look hanging from the ceilings and over the doorways and over the windows...sheilds, pyramids, and even challaces! They just ran out of places to bury people during the plagues...so why not dry them out a bit and celebrate the human body?

The chandelier is the most impressive because not only is it in the middle of the room, but it uses every bone in the human body!
















And everywhere you look, ther is some sort of an interesting use of bones for decoration!

I also especially love this picture of Thais and I, because we look so cheery in the midst of all these bones! But really, it does not feel weird at all!

We then traveled back to Prague to just walk around and shop. The countryside on the way back looked a little bleak, but I was wondering if it was because it was still early spring there? I mean, we kept seeing tons of HUGE bunnies and wild pheasants roaming around while on the train. I was trying to think of if I'd ever even seen a pheasant in the US other than in really old pictures or stuffed? At any rate, this is the day I found some of my favorite faces on the buildings in Praha! I am tempted to draw and paint these on my own walls...Or maybe a tattoo of the woman with the tree??

And check out the little cherubs around that door way!

And then that evening we enjoyed a late dinner under the stars of Prague in one of the squares...It was breathtaking! And quite romantic, even if I was with my family, although it makes me wonder if I'll ever go back with someone I can be romantic with?
















Don't some of these buildings look just like Disneyland?

Now I'm off to sleepy land as I came home and did some revamping/yard work of the side "patio" and then got a really good start on something creative...