BeachBlythe

A beautiful day

 
Today I spent a good two hours deadheading my parents garden. Since I am staying with them for the summer it is fun to get back into gardening. It is one thing that I missed living in Hawaii since the lanai at my condo did not get enough sun. It must be pretty hard to find a lanai that does not get enough sunlight but I succeeded in doing so. Since I was accross the street from the ocean and it had so much space I opted to stay.

Some 8+ years ago I planted a rosemary plant in their yard. About 4 years ago it died except for a teeny tiny little piece after an exceptionally cold and windy winter. I must have purchased the rolls royce of rosemary because now it is a good 4 foot tall and 3 foot wide. Running your hands through it is wonderful!

A challenge when gardening (especially at the seashore) is to choose hardy plants that will bloom all summer and not get beaten down by frequent winds. By chance one year I purchased an annual called Angel Wings. I believe its proper name is Angleonia. It has become my favorite favorite plant for container gardening. The white flowers do not turn funky and bloom for a long time. It continues to grow and bloom under fall. I just love it and now add it every year. Some day I will have to also try the purple variety.  

Slow but sure progress

My plan to knit all of the socks in Ann Budd's Sock Knitting Master Class is not going as quickly as I had hoped. I am still on the first sock and hope to at least have the first pair finished by the end of next week. The oppressive heat has not made the task any easier. I just have not wanted to do anything not even read. Once I finish baking in the am for the family restaurant I just want to sit in front of the TV. NOT good. I took a quick swim in the bay last evening and of course had to wonder why I did not do so everyday.

 

We had a thunderstorm come through earlier and for at least right now the humidity is gone!!! Hopefully next week it will be in the upper '80s and somewhat dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am currently obsessing over my new Iphone app: Hipstamatic. I can't seem to take any pictures with out using it.

Happy Easter

Hey Kelly,
   The picture of the puppy is so cute!!! Makes me miss my fluffy fella.  I need to think about bringing Jack here but I am terrified of taking him on a plane.  Gives me stomach pains just thinking about the 12-14 hours of howling and crying that would occur.  Jack would do the same.

Here is a picture I took of Jack when I was home
at Christmas.  It took him most of the time I was there to remember me.  Just look at that sweet little face.  The fluffiness makes you forget about the terrorizing claws and attitude. 

Here is a picture that I found of poor Puma.  He could have been fourteen.  I remember that he first wandered up to mom and dad's porch when I lived in Georgia.  I can't believe that Dad would not let you tell me he had died while mom was visiting. 
Here is is doing what he did best-Lay on a chair and look exhausted.  That is why it was so hard to judge his age. It was something he had done forever. 

So when mom was here we went to Honolulu for the day.  We had a 6:30am flight and landed at 6:54.  So cool.  As soon as you reach altitude it is time to begin descent! We took a tour and went first to Pearl Harbor.  The tickets for the memorial are free but are on a first come basis.  We were there by 8 and were given a 9:30 appointment.  It was during Spring Break here but business is off for everyone. 

While you wait for your turn, there is a small museum (a new larger welcome center/museum is coming a year or so) and gift shop to occupy your time.  The memorial has a small group of Veterans who were at Pearl Harbor who come and sign autographs.  I bought a of stories about the bombing and was able to have it signed by the author (Allan Seiden) and by two of the Heroes (Alfred Rodriques and Sterling Cale). 
Before you are taken by boat there is an amazing documentary that takes 20 minutes.  There was footage I have never seen before.  Some of it was filmed by the Japanese.  Very emotional.  Then you board a small boat and young Navy members take you on a three minute ride over to the Memorial Itself. 

To the right of the memorial is the remains of a dock.  There are 8?? of them and they each have the name of the ship that was docked at it.  The memorial itself is centered over the remains of the USS Arizona.  It was hard to imagine that we would be so close to the remains.  They are barely below the surface.  Gasoline still leaks from the ship and will continue to do so for 70+more years. 

The picture is awkward but here is part of the Arizona that is partially above the surface of the water. 

After Pearl Harbor, we drove through Punch Bowl Cemetery which is the Pacific equivalent of Arlington Cemetery.  Unfortunately, tour buses are not allowed to stop just drive very slow.  We then were dropped off at Waikiki Beach to eat and shop a bit.  Stores are either very high or very low end.  Weird mix.  The beach is way too crowded.  I will take Maui any day. 

The final stop was back at Pearl Harbor to tour the USS Missouri where WWII was officially ended.  We were back in Kahului at 8pm.  A long long day. 

Well, have a great Easter.  I can not believe that there will be 21 people at mom's for dessert.  I will be at the beach in the am. Poor me.  This will be the first Easter Monday that I have ever worked.  I don't even have a special meal planned.  I think I will knit and read. 

This is the first project I have done using lace weight yarn.  It took about 6 different tries to find a project that was not too complicated for me.  I settled on the Float Stole from the latest Interweave Knits (Spring 2009).  It is knit lenghtwise.  I shortened it quite a bit since usually shawls are so so long on me.  I am almost half done!!

Well, blog back and hopefully I will talk to everyone tomorrow. 
ps. since when is Orange Plastic NOT a naturally occuring product???
Kim

 

Am I on vacation??

Kihei, 6:30am    Do you see any whales?????  One was there a second ago.  Really, it is just below the surface!!!!

Ok this is a lousy picture.  But the blob is a whale!!!!!

Hi Kelly,
   I can not believe how lazy I have been.  I could hardly post since I have forgotten how! Well mom came for her two week visit.  I can not believe that dad sent her alone and went fishing in Florida.  Oh wait, we do have fish here in Maui.  Mom arrived two days before school ended for our vacation and was on her own.  Right away she got to see humpback whales.  Unfortunately this caused a problem since if she did not see them as soon as we went outside she would panic that they were all gone for the season.  Every day we saw them but everyday she did worried. 
   The first few days that I was off we just went for a walk (looking for whales) along the beach by 6:45 am.  Some days as early as 6:15am.  There is an awesome path to walk along that is along what could be called a tiny tiny cliff.  It is elevated from lava and is a great view but still there are spots where you can carefully climb down to the sand. 
     Then we were on the beach by 9 (usually 8:30) and then at the condo pool in the afternoon.  I have never been so tan in my life.  Mom could not understand my fear of burning since it is a no-no to get burnt like a tourist.  Most uncool if you do.  I spent on average five hours a day toasting.  I will never recover.  I had not spent much time in the sun for the prior three weeks due to the cold hard winter that had overcome Hawaii.  Seriously, it rained a few weekends in a row and the temperature dropped to the mid to low 60's in the am and at night.  I had to shut windows and turn off the fan.  Thank goodness spring is here and we are back to the upper 70's and have even hit 80 (phew). 
     Well since mom left last night I fell that I am just beginning my vacation.  I stayed inside today to recover.  All that I did was to go to the gym and then my pilates class.  Write me back and send pictures of the new puppy.  Oh here is the bag that I made a few weeks ago.  I looooooove it.  I am knitting my first shawl using laceweight yarn.  I will post a picture day after tomorrow.  But, you must post tomorrow.  Good luck
Bye from your sister,
Kim

This is the Birdie Sling by Amy Butler.  It is currently the most popular pattern being sold.  I love the size.  It is super comfortable and very very sturdy.  I used her fabric. 

Time flies, not much done

I don't know where the weekend went.  I was supposed to get tons accomplished but I think the clock moves twice as fast on the weekend.  I did get in 2 hours at the beach.  Hoping to see a whale but it is a bit early in the season.  They should be coming soon.   

I was hoping to have a few blocks sewn to add to the quilt a-long that I am working on.  I have one so now 3 down, 9 more to go!!  Sorry but the photo is not the greatest.  It is too dark to try and take another.  

I finished up my first knitting pattern!! Yea!!  it is pretty cute stuffed animal.  Tonight I have been typing up the pattern while watching Keeping Mum.  It is a British movie from 2005.  It stars Kristin Scott Thomas, Roland Atkinson and Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze and Liz Smith (from Vicar of Dibley).  Great English black comedy.  I may need to add it to my collection.  

My plan is to take one basic knitting pattern and varying it slightly come up with a new piece every month.  My goal is to have January's pattern up tomorrow so that I can start to work on February.     

Quilt-a-long

When I was back in NJ over Christmas, I could easily walk on the beach when it was 40∘outside.  Now that I am back on Maui, I am cold when it is in the low 70's.  Funny how your perception changes based on your location!  

I came to Maui with just the necessities: sewing machine, some vintage handbags, craft supplies, a few vintage tablecloths, a few decorative things and clothing.  I am lucky to have a large apartment but it is quite bland.  I do miss my "stuff".  I came for a year with the option to stay longer.  It would have been too expensive to ship all of my things so I am learning to do without.  Although this is proving to be difficult.  

Years ago, I made a railroad quilt.  I recently made my second quilt.  To decorate the apartment I made a simple quilt with large squares.  It turned out great and I ended up making a similar one for my mom for Christmas.  To improve my sewing and to help spruce up my place I decided to find a quilt pattern that would be more of a challenge.  One of my favorite  blogs http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/   has some great tutorials for sewing and quilt making.  I decided to follow the first quilt-a-long that she did.  So far I have two of the blocks completed.  I have also cut out the pieces for the third block.  My first triangles ever!!!

 

My center is a bit off.  I made need to adjust.  

Yo Yo Quilt

I Began the day with a walk.  There is a great walking trail right by my home.  If you are early enough, you get to see green sea turtles playing in the currents along the lava.  I have not been lucky enough to get any good photos of them. It is rather breezy today and the ocean is a bit rough.  I am on the south side so we do not get the giant waves that the surfers want.  

This past Friday ended up being the closest thing that Hawaii has to a "snow day"!  We were given the day off in anticipation of severe winds and flooding.  Neither of happened here.  Supposedly one of the smaller islands had gusts of over 100 mph.  I am happy that we just had a light downpour.

  This is the view along my walk.  

One of my goals during my time in Hawaii was to work on my yo you quilt.  I guess that I anticipated that I would work on it while I lazed on the beach or by the pool or on my lanai.  I guess that I did not consider that you can not "laze" when you are at work, doing chores, etc....    

Perhaps I may need to reconsider the idea of a yo yo quilt and make it a yo you pillow.   

Taking the Plunge

   

 I grew up on a barrier island 6 miles off the coast of New Jersey.......

  

and have just recently moved to Maui!  

I am a full-time teacher, part-time crafter. My crafting is in the ADHD category: knitting, sewing, decoupage, paper mache, beading, etc..... The one thing that runs though it is a love for vintage, especially vintage seashore.  Old and loved beats new and pristine any day.

  

Vintage Beach Bunny