Family News

Patrick has had a fun month! He ran his first ever race and came in first for his age group. Of course he said it was because there was no one else there his age, but we saw them. He then went to CA to visit Steve, Jill and Audrey. Well, and more importantly he went to ride around with Steve while he worked. Now he is ready to move out there ASAP!


The wildfires missed Steve and Jill's new house! And to think Pat was out there for that too! What an adventure for him! Jill was back home for her birthday and sent us cute pics of her and Audrey.






Maegan finished her quilt project and it is beautiful.. I love the Precious Moments characters and she gave close to the same hair coloring that she and Scott have. Now she is working on some crocheted blankets for the PSC.




The work on our house has finally started! Ray is having me take pictures to mark the progress. I was really impressed with the guys who took of the siding. I had all my curtains closed which meant they didn't know where I was. Well I knew where they were! There was singing, whistling, joke telling going on all day. Not a contrary word was heard by me. So I figure Mr. Spain must be a great guy to work for. Every day he comes and works steady. Right now it is a one man job of covering the wood on our windows with aluminum so we won't have to ever paint them again. It is like watching an artist at work! Yesterday he told me he is 72 years old! No wonder he has such artistry in his work. And he is a pleasure to talk to also. So here are the most recent pics of the work on our house.

And here are Ray and Kelly pretending to sit on our new front porch! (It isn't really going to be that big... but we can pretend! Also do you see who is standing at the front door in the picture to the left?

Fall Days

Fall is finally here in VA...the temperature has dropped into the 70's! I always love the fall with the leaves changing colors and the cooler nights. It gives me the incentive to work on new projects and read new books.
The first thing I finished was the tablecloth for Jamie (thanks to a torn ligament in my ankle and weeks to do nothing but rest). It is 60 x 120.


The past few weeks I've been making sweaters and afghans for Mommy Matters.It is a church ministry that helps unwed and poor mothers in our area. I've aroused the interest of a few others and we are working to replenish their supply of bedding and warm clothing. Sonia, who runs the group, said that hand made things are especially appreciated as it shows someone took the time to show they care. Some of the women are so moved they come to tears. We decided to give the bedding in sets which meant even Ray could be involved. He got to pick out the crib sheets! Check in your area and see if there is a group with a need. After all it is fall, and blankets and warm clothing will soon be regularly needed.

To help entertain Kelly and me as we work on our projects we have been listening to audio books. At Librivox.org volunteers read complete books for free and you can download them for free! It is wonderful. We are listening to a Our Island Story right now. It is a child's history of Great Britain.
One of my favorite books was The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius. he was a a Christian who led an exemplary life and was falsely accused of treason. While in prison he struggled with the age old questions "Why do bad things happen to the people who are trying to live the right way? Where is God in this?" In the middle ages it was widely read. King Alfred of Britain translated it into Old English, Chaucer into English, and Queen Elizabeth had a translation made too. BTW, I just read that he is a Catholic Saint and his Feast Day is October 23. Maybe to celebrate it you could listen to, or read, his book!


And finally, Fall means the State Fair! Last weekend Dad, Kelly and I spent a full day there. It was a lot of fun and we saw some friends there too. And for the first time ever we went to the Pig Races--very funny!

Kelly and I enjoyed the quilts, the harvest crops, the displays and of course she enjoyed the rides!

More Baby Gifts

Here are pics of some of the baby items I've made this summer. I've done crochet, filet crochet, knitting and embroidery.

These bibs are made from Peaches and Cream crochet cotton. They are quickly made and double as washcloths!



This sweater pattern is from the 50's. It is fast and easy as it is done in regular worsted weight yarn with size 10 1/2 needles. Right now I'm working on a cap to match it


I designed this filet crochet pattern and used baby fingering yarn to give it a light airy feel. I made this one for Toki and Akiko's baby girl who they named Ayane.




This was an interesting group of items to make. The pattern was from the early 1900's and had been saved out of the Pittsburgh newspaper by my great-grandmother. All the edging is done in buttonhole stitch and I used french seams to put the bonnet together. The one change I made was to use crochet ties instead of ribbon. I am using the bonnet pattern as a guide to make the cap to match the purple sweater above.

Audrey

In July, Kelly and I had a great time visiting the newest member of our family (and some of the old ones too). And just this week Jill sent us some newer pictures.

How does my hair look?...............The happy family



Both Grandmas


Nap Time..................................Play Time


I'm so happy!

Bobbie and the Chipmunk

One day in the merry month of May, Mike brings his shoes in from the back porch and attempts to put one on. Out jumps a little chipmunk, who quickly scurries under the kitchen cabinets. Marybelle and Bobbie patiently wait day after day for the little chipmunk to make his appearance. Finally, Bobbie snags him and the chase ensues. But look who walks in at this inopportune time! What will happen to
"Bobbie and the Chipmunk"


Fortunately for the chipmunk and sadly for Bobbie who is young and inexperienced the chipmunk finally escapes from his clutches and hides under the washer. The chase isn't quite over though. When "Chippy" makes a brief appearance, Marybelle the Mighty Huntress grabs him and runs out the open door. Bobbie follows in hot pursuit and for us the story ends.

Toki and Akiko

Due to language difficulties, I thought Toki was getting married in May. But from the note accompanying these pictures I learned his wedding was on Mar. 18. Nari's wife is Megumi. They were married in Mar., 2006. The Yoshida's first grandchild is due in August.

We finally talked Dad into a much needed vacation. We had a wonderful whirlwind of a time. Here's a few choice pictures (click on them to see them bigger) and comments about our 6 day journey.

Day 1

We headed up I81 and stopped at one of the many caverns. This one was called Endless Caverns and seemed to be less commercialized than some we've been to in the past.

During Prohibition there were parties down here. Candelabras were hung from the ceiling and the musicians/band sat on this structure called the sleigh.






Day 2

After going to see the farm where Dad used to spend some summertime (Uncle Ken's) we drove to Lake Erie and had lunch on the beach at Presque Isle State Park. It was the perfect day: the sky was blue, the lake was calm and it wasn't crowded. We even got to climb out on one of the breakwaters.











Day 3

We spent the day at Niagara Falls State Park. It is so beautiful. There are many tree lined paths and even a bridge across the river to Goat Island. Dad really splurged and we did everything including the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, the Imax movie, the aquarium, the museum and we even rode the trolley! Again we had the most wonderful weather!









Day 4

We added a stop today as we were driving to Gettysburg. With just a few changes in our route we were able to stop at the Flight 93 Memorial. Right now there is just a tiny National Park building, benches with the names of all the flight members, a flag where the plane went down and a chain link fence that visitors can leave mementos on -these will eventually be displayed in the National Parks Museum that is planned. Only family members are allowed to go out into the field where the flag is.




Finally, a view of the cottage Dad reserved for us for while we were in the Gettysburg area- this place was cheaper than a motel. It had three bedrooms and slept 10! There was even a little girl, Kelly's age, who lived across the lane. Not bad for a state park cottage! And just in case you weren't sure if I really came along, here we are with our toasted marshmallows. You can see who had the most fun eating them. Mine was just a prop, it really belonged to the photographer Kelly.


Day 5-6

Gettysburg! Originally the beginning of our adventure, but in the end due to some last minute changes so Dad could get back for a rehearsal and two concerts we moved it to the end. We bought the 4 hour CD and book for the tour of the battlefield. I really wanted to tour the Eisenhower home, but it had to be done on a shuttle tour and that didn't fit our schedule. We did climb the observation tower and got to see it that way.Kelly earned a Jr. Ranger badge and Mike met the artist David Stickel. He and his family had also just come from Niagara Falls (the Canadian side).




And no Breakall vacation is complete until the park has been visited, the ducks have been fed (these didn't like bread though) and the swings have been ridden.

Baby Pics

Thought you all might like to see the newest members of our extending family: Kelsey and Audrey.


Here is Ethan with his new sister Kelsey. She was born May 5 and weighed 7lb 11 oz......Wow, a 7-11 on Cinco de Mayo! Welcome to the family Kelsey. You've got two wonderful and fun big brothers!



Next we have little Audrey, born May 19 and weighing 8lb 12 oz. Don't Mom and Dad look proud!





And just for fun, here is a little outfit I designed when Kelly was a baby. It also has a little hat which I couldn't find, but it is in the same pattern. I designed it this way so that if it was cold she could wear all three pieces...if it warmed up a little we could take the sweater off and leave her little legs covered. And of course just a sweater comes in handy at times too. I really liked the versatility. If you like it I will make you one...just email me, or leave a comment and make sure you tell me your color preference.

Baby Girl Outfits

The past couple weeks have been busy for me. Cousin Martha had her first girl - at home- way to go, Martha; and our grand daughter Audrey was born. So I have been busy designing and making baby outfits.

I love the look of so many of the old patterns, but one big difference is that they were made to fit over cloth diapers. And I am almost sure that I was one of the last mothers in the USA to not only use cloth, but to make my own diapers! Regardless of the validity of that last comment, I have had to redesign little girl panties so they aren't so big and bulky. Also, since our homes are heated to constant temperatures, sweaters can be lighter weight and narrower.

So here are two of my redesigning efforts as modeled by Kelly's own Olivia. Click on an image to see it bigger.

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On the white outfit, I also designed little roses as accents. These roses are very easy to make. All you need to do is chain 30, then dc 7 in the 4th from the hook, *sk 1, sc in the next , sk 1, dc 8 in the next*, repeat until 8 dc groups are made, then sk 1, sc 1, end off and leave a long tail for sewing. Any extra chains stitches can be carefully undone. Now just curl the "petals" around each other as you sew them together, making sure to pull them tight, or let them be a little looser so as to achieve the look you want. You can make bigger or smaller roses depending on your original chain length. I used a size 2 steel crochet hook for these and baby yarn (size 3).