Oh, no … fire has destroyed Cafe Moxie and severely damaged the Bunch of Grapes bookstore on Martha’s Vineyard. I’m so sorry to hear about the cafe, but am crushed for the poor bookstore–even if it didn’t completely burn, how could a business whose stock was paper survive the amounts of water the fire department had to use to put out the flames? For obvious reasons, it’s closed for the foreseeable future. I just hope it HAS a foreseeable future!

NOT happy news on a holiday. But then, you folks know how I feel about books … and Martha’s Vineyard. At least no one was hurt–that counts for a lot…. (sniffle)

Edited to add: Here’s another article. This is just so terrible. The owners of the cafe only bought it in May, and now it’s a total loss. And the bookstore? Pretty much a total loss, too. It’s one of the anchors of downtown Vineyard Haven, too–impossible to imagine it without it. I’m feeling terrible that we didn’t get a chance to go into the bookstore in April, because I’m going to miss it so much….

Another addition: Another article–the cafe has been razed to possibly prevent further smoke damage to the bookstore which, I don’t know, might be salvageable? They mention that this isn’t how they’d hoped to be spending the Fourth of July (no kidding!), and also how much this is hurting all the other businesses on Main Street because it’s such a big money-making day for them. Which, sure, is absolutely true but, um, at least they still HAVE businesses….

• Tags: Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Bunch of Grapes // 3 Comments »

Don’t ask me what it is, because I’m really not sure yet myself, but it’s something, anyway.

It’s being made in the Saffron yarn I got from the MV Fiber Farm at the Festival last month. Isn’t it lovely? 70% kid mohair, 30% cormo and so, so soft. Great color, too!

Okay, so that problem I’ve been having with my keyboard? It’s not going to be bothering me for much longer. Mom’s computer has been visited by the Blue Screen of Death. Tradition for the last, oh, four or five computers has been that when I get a new computer, I pass my old one to Mom. We’ve both been very happy with this arrangement, and with the exception of my D and S keys, and the fact that the battery doesn’t last for much more than 30 minutes, I wasn’t in any rush to get a new computer. Especially when you consider how awful the money situation is. But, then the BSOD struck and since I am (sadly) the family “expert” there appears to be no way to salvage the poor thing. So, as of tonight, I am the preumptively proud new almost-owner of a HP Pavilion DV6871US which should arrive on Wednesday. Mom will then get this computer and since she never unplugs her computer to take anywhere, and she always uses a separate keyboard, the two things that are annoying me shouldn’t be a problem for her.

Now I just have to hope and pray that Vista doesn’t cause me problems. And that the new keyboard has a good “feel” to it (and that all the keys work). It’s a gamble, ordering one without ever having seen it! In the meantime, I’ll make sure that MY backup is current so my files are ready to transfer. Luckily, I was able to get Mom’s computer up in Safe Mode and got her pictures and such copied off the hard drive. And I back up my own computer fairly regularly, AND even signed up for Mozy. But, folks, if you don’t regularly do backups, DO THEM NOW!

Oh, and sadly, this article explains the traffic, flashing lights, sirens, and helicopters this morning. What a sad start for tonight’s high school graduation.

• Tags: Family, General, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Blue Screen of Death // 7 Comments »

Mom was going through her MV notes today and just realized … our little doll Cindy is 20 years old today. She’s from “Dolls by Pauline” who used to make these sweet-faced, cloth dolls and something about her face and her brown braids just made Mom and me fall in love with her. We even took her on vacation, and she “adopted” this stuffed dog, from whom she is inseparable. (His name is “Mittens” because he’s really a puppet and does a fabulous job keeping your hand warm.)

We bought another doll the next year when we went back to MV, and then two more … From left to right, this is Leslie, Annette, Cindy, and April. Cindy is the oldest, than Annette, with the curly blonde hair. The others are the same age, and they all came from the Secret Garden store in Oak Bluffs.

Pauline does still technically have cloth dolls on her website, but they’re not the same. They’re more “cutesy” and have yarn hair, and most of the other dolls are porcelain with little sneers on their faces. Or at least, that’s what I think–they don’t look appealing to me at all. I don’t like a doll who clearly thinks she’s better than me. Although, I suppose, it’s rude to complain since Pauline died a couple of years ago.

Mustn’t forget Harriet, either.

  Harriet belongs to April and dangles from her hand just like a favorite doll should. I confess, I’ve always had a soft spot for Harriet.

Really, though, they’re such sweet dolls. I can’t believe we’ve had them for twenty years. Mom and I have had a lot of fun with them, too. Cindy used to get into all sorts of hijinx around the house while I was off at work. Who says you’re supposed to outgrow dolls when you grow up?

  Oh, and another “feet” picture for you … the dog-tired variation, belonging to my exhausted Chappy last night. Cleaning the deck the other day sure wore him out!

• Tags: General, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Pauline’s // 4 Comments »

Here’s some irony for you. I made a point of bringing home a couple of these lovely grocery/tote bags, but when I went to the store this morning? They were still sitting at home, so I had to use those plastic, store bags anyway.

See, I’ll tell you exactly what the problem is. I don’t want to empty this bag. I don’t want to put away the yarn. I don’t want to put on the t-shirt. I don’t want to put the bags in the car, ready for a trip to the grocery store. No. Because that will mean that the MV Fiber Festival is really over. And as much as I want to play with that yarn, admire my postcards, and be environmentally-responsible and use these bags for trips to the store … as long as they’re all sitting in this cute little tote and not put nicely away, it still feels like the fiber festival is recent. Fresh. Somehow still going on. The minute I break up the “set,” it’s over, like when you do the laundry after a trip. Once the clean clothes are put away and the suitcase has been stacked in the guest room, that’s it. You’re home. It’s done.

I know. I need to accept reality. But … last week at this time, I was on Martha’s Vineyard, and now I’m not! (Sniffle.)
It doesn’t help that it hasn’t been nearly as nice a Saturday today as LAST Saturday. Sure, the rain they were forecasting held off, after just a sprinkle last night. And it was a nice, 63 degrees. No complaints, really. Except that Mom has now caught Dad’s cold. That means that she opted to stay home this morning, instead of doing the usual, Saturday morning outing for coffee, so I went out on my own.

I went to Best Buy to look at the camera I’ve been thinking about. The Nikon D40 Digital SLR which I’ve heard such good things about. I know, I know. The last thing I should be doing right now is spending money on a new camera, not when the money situation is so awful. But … I can actually justify this. (No, really!) I’ve told you about the problems I’m having with my S2 IS, and I’m just not happy enough with the camera to want to pay to get it fixed–especially when I can’t clearly define the problem. Nor do I want to “upgrade” to a reconditioned model of a later version of the same camera for $165. However, this Nikon is going for about $460 at Amazon, which is a great price for DSLR. And then, I have an Amazon.com visa card and for whatever reason, have been hoarding my “reward” gift certificates for months and, with the gift card my sister gave me for Christmas, I’ve got $250 in certificates. Which means I can get this camera for about $210 in cash–well worth the additional $45 over getting a reconditioned Canon S3. And, besides, there’s that handy tax rebate from the US government coming. Why be entirely practical and use it to buy something necessary, like, say, gasoline for the car?

(Hey, incidentally, may I point your attention to the Amazon link to the right? If you ever need to buy something from Amazon.com and you link from here, I’ll get a commission. Not a big one, perhaps, but something! And with money as bad as it is, every bit helps, and if you’re going to buy something anyway….)

So, anyhow, I looked at the Nikon and I looked at the comparably-priced Canon Digital Rebel XT which was also nice. I even have a 35mm film version of a Canon Rebel that could share the same lenses, but … okay, maybe this seems silly … but the XT uses a compact flash memory card, and both my current cameras and my computer use SD cards. Which means that I can just pop the card into the computer to copy pictures–no need to hook up the camera. That convenience is wonderful. As is the fact that I already own several appropriately-sized memory cards. So, really, I’m leaning toward the Nikon. And it was good to see it in person, too, feel it in my hands. Nice camera. (And then, I suppose there’s always a chance that I could win a D60….but I’m not holding my breath!)

After that I went to the bookstore (I had a coupon and used it to buy ONE book, on using Photoshop for digital photos, and just looking through it, I’ve got to tell you, the tips are great.) I bumped into a very nice woman, named Pam, who was browsing in the magazine section when I came by. I mentioned that I was looking for a specific magazine that my Mom had asked me to pick up because a friend told her it had an article about the MV Fiber Farm. We chatted a bit as I flipped through the magazine, looking for it, and she told me that she subscribed to it, and that if I lived nearby, she’d be willing to take a look through the last issue to see if it was in there. Turns out, she lives about 2 miles from here. In fact, almost midway between me and Kim. I don’t really expect that I’ll hear from her (though, Hi, Pam! if you stopped by), but wasn’t that nice of her to offer?

Then, just as I was getting into the car, my phone rang. It was Dad. “When are you coming home? I’m starving to death.” Um, huh? Turns out I had told my poor, sick Mother that I would stop at the store for her to pick up milk and juice and a few other things, and at the top of the list she gave me, it said, “Lunch.” I had assumed that was a reminder to me that I needed to get something for my own lunch–Dad usually eats PB&J or grilled cheese. But, no. She meant lunch for him, too, and he managed to wait all the way to 12:02 before he picked up the phone to call me (grin).

So, I left the bookstore, drove to the grocery store. Grabbed a cart (that was conveniently in the middle of my parking space so that I had to get out of the car to move it anyway), and then zoomed around the store, assembling four (plastic) bags’ worth of groceries. I paid and loaded up the car and was just wheeling my cart to the space designated to shopping carts, when another woman who had just gotten out of her car smiled and said she’d take it. I recommended it to her as being an excellent cart, with no wobbly wheels, and then got in my car and drove home. All in 32 minutes from the time Dad called. (Really, I’m much more efficient in a grocery store than I ever am in a bookstore.)

In my whirlwind tour of the grocery store, I picked up some strawberry and rhubarb to make a treat for Dad. My Eating Well magazine came last week and it had a recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb strudel. Well, I’ve never made strudel before, but it sounded interesting. Of course, I couldn’t remember what the recipe called for except the fruit and filo dough, but I did my best. I tried their Lemon-Poppyseed cake, too, which was quite tasty. (And, really, should go quite well with the sauce that I turned the extra strawberries and rhubarb into.)

I took Chappy for a walk, too, and all-in-all, it wasn’t until about 3:30 that I had a chance to sit down and relax, and I didn’t even turn my computer on until about 5:30 and then, just as I was about to start writing this blog entry … my server went down. Eep! Apparently they crashed last night and had some residual effects today. I’m glad the problem is fixed, though, and that it wasn’t something on my end because, really, I don’t think I’ve got the energy to deal with that tonight.

As I say, it’s been a full day. Because, on top of all the things I just told you? I had to rip out some of my sweater–pretty much everything I’ve done in the last week. (Note to self: Be grateful you didn’t have time to work on your sweater on MV last weekend.) The button bands weren’t working the way I’d hoped, so I had to tear back to where they began. Not awful, really, but still, I never like having to frog.

And now, I really need to get to bed. I told Dad I’d make him waffles in the morning to go with that strawberry-rhubarb sauce … if, that is, he didn’t want to eat the strudel instead! (grin)

• Tags: Baking, General, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Ups and Downs // 14 Comments »

How great a picture is this, huh? When I took Chappy out for his, um, personal needs yesterday morning, the sun was just up, and our inn was so close to the water, I couldn’t resist walking up the street to take a look. I just caught this shot, of him sniffing into the sea breeze, ears flying in the wind. Love it!

I like this one, too.

Anyway, yes, yesterday was our last morning on the island. We got up, had breakfast, and then went over to Espresso Love so Mom could get some blueberry scones for her stash. Then, we drove to Oak Bluffs so Chappy could get some biscuits from Good Dog Goods, and then we went to Vineyard Haven to stop at the Chamber of Commerce to see Susan one last time before we left. We walked around town for a bit, but were at the Steamship Authority by 12:00 and then hung out until our 1:15 ferry, grabbing a quick snack for lunch at the Black Dog. (I had a multi-grain roll with butter and a ginger cookie, Mom had a corn muffin and an oatmeal raisin cookie.)

The drive home was pretty uneventful. We stopped in Mystic for about 20 minutes, as is our custom–it’s a nice spot for stretching our legs, and it’s dog-friendly. (In fact, their store of cat and dog-inspired stuff is one of the few places I regularly find things for Boykin Spaniels.) Other than that, we stopped at a McDonalds on I-95 for a quick supper and to feed the car, slowed down for a bit due to an accident at the far, western end of CT, but were home about 7:20. JUST before the sun completely went down, and I was very grateful that I’d brought my Chappy baseball cap with me, because the sun was so low and in my eyes for the last hour or two that sunglasses just would not have been enough.

Today has been pretty low-key. Slept until 8:00 in my own bed, gave Chappy a much-needed bath. Took my car to a car-wash for an also much-needed bath. Stopped at a grocery store. Stopped at the mechanic for a new lightbulb for my brake light. Put away my laundry. Took Chappy for a walk. Made spaghetti and meatballs for supper. (Okay, I did the meatballs and sauce, Mom cooked the spaghetti.)

If you haven’t noticed, I updated the posts from the last few days so that they now include pictures! So, if you’re interested, please go back and take a look. There’s the post from the day we travelled up to MV, the post ALL about the MV Fiber Festival, and then the post from Sunday when Mom and I got to meet the itty-bitty baby kids. Additionally, there are lots and lots of pictures over on Flickr–here’s my page of pictures, but there’s also a Flickr group for festival pictures. Not only that, I got to add Susan to my “Bloggers I’ve Met” list–something she was almost as excited about as I was!

Also, about the MV Fiber Festival, not only was there the article in the Wall Street Journal, but there was a follow-up on their blog. AND a really lovely article in the Vineyard Gazette. Not to mention a 15-minute video that Patrick’s son Harry put together. For bunches of reasons, Susan is very, very excited and happy. She’s added a bunch of stuff to her Etsy page, too.

Now, you’re probably wondering what I came home with, right?

Really, I restrained myself VERY well.

As a shareholder, I was gifted a tote bag, a t-shirt, and a pin, but then I bought an extra bag, anyway. They’re light and sturdy and meant to be used for things like groceries, so I figured–what with today being Earth Day, and all–I’d get an extra.

I bought a set of the postcards, too, which may have been unnecessarily frivolous, but Susan takes such nice pictures and those little sheepy/goaty faces are just too cute.

And, of course, some yarn. The two skeins of worsted-weight yarn on the right (in colors Parsley and Saffron) are for me, though I’m not sure what I’ll do with them yet. They’re both great colors, though, so how could I resist? The two skeins of Chili sock yarn are still, technically, Susan’s, but I get to knit it up anyway, since I told her I would make her a pair of socks. I mean, you all know how, um, speedy I am about knitting socks, but hey, it’s practically summer out there … there’s no rush!

And, that’s it! I’m proudly sporting my MV Fiber Farm pin on my purse. I’m thinking about turning it into a refrigerator magnet, instead of risking losing it on my purse. And then, I am trying to think of the perfect project for that yarn. Would you believe that–other than socks–I didn’t do any knitting all weekend? I never touched my cardigan (except for showing it to Susan), and my spinning wheel never made it out of the bag. I had totally planned to spend some of Sunday afternoon sitting on that porch with my spinning wheel but it really was too cold. The only other stuff I bought this weekend was basically food. Biscuits from Chappy’s favorite bakery and some coffee beans from my favorite cafe. Oh, and a Black Dog frisbee that Chappy got very enthusiastic about in the Black Dog store the other day. And, well, doesn’t a kid deserve a toy on vacation once in a while?

• Tags: Chappy, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard, Sky • Permalink:MV Leftovers // 6 Comments »

So, day three, and our last full day on the island. It started off really well, though—we got to see the really little babies over at Susan’s. Oh, so cute.

She actually gathered a group of people this morning at 8:00, but we were running late. (Our innkeeper really likes to chat.) But when we called her to tell her, she said that she would drive them back to their hotels and then meet us there. We then displaced extra wisdom and waited outside one of the inns and then followed her back. (Much easier!)

So, back to those babies. Adorable.

The littlest ones were even smaller than Chappy and he was oh, so intrigued. So many interesting smells! And there were chickens, too! Chappy’s never seen a chicken outside his food dish, so that was particularly intriguing.

And then we stood there and chatted and gushed over the sweet kids for over an hour. It was just fabulous seeing Susan again, and she was so in her element with all those four-legged, wooly creatures. Clearly, she’s meant to be a shepherd.

Did I mention that Patrick and Logan came by to feed and water the goats?

After we finally managed to tear ourselves away … (and you know, Susan, that we really DID mean that invitation to NJ where you could wear non-goaty clothes for three days in a row) … we drove into Edgartown and Mom had a blueberry scone for lunch (bliss). I found a wireless internet connection and was able to post about the fiber festival (which I had luckily written out the night before), and we spent some time just walking around. Not as long as we might have, though, because the temperature started to drop, and the wind kicked up, and, well, brrr. It was still beautiful, though—bright and sunny, and about 54 degrees.

We came back to our room (can I just tell you that I’m in love with this window seat), so Chappy could get a nap, and then headed back to Oak Bluffs to meet an e-friend of Mom’s. Which was nice enough, except we were sitting outside and the temperature was diving down to about 47 with wind, and it was COLD. By the time we left, Mom was frozen and I was feeling so very grateful that I’d put my Ribby sweater on before leaving the room. The decision at that point of stopping for something (hot) to eat and bringing it back to the inn was easy. Mom went into Linda Jean’s to place the order, I took Chappy to the car … and found it so cold on the walk, that I decided I would pray for good Parking Karma and try to move it closer to where Mom was, so she wouldn’t have to hike in the cold.

I was lucky, and did get a good parking spot, and then called her cellphone to tell her where I was, and then we came back to the inn. Brady very nicely made Mom some tea which was helpful.

Um. We’re all decided that we will NOT be going out for another walk tonight. And that the decision to take the car into Oak Bluffs instead of walking (which we did last night) was definitely the right choice. (Considering how frozen Mom looked just walking to the restaurant, the walk back to the inn with food? Not an option! In fact, she’s sitting on the bed right now, wrapped up in one of the shawls I brought.)

Tomorrow? We have to go to Edgartown to get Mom a stash of blueberry scones to bring home, and Chappy wants to go to his favorite dog-store to get some biscuits. Susan told us that we MUST stop by the Chamber of Commerce to see her at work—especially since everybody there reads Mom’s blog. I mean, gosh, I suppose that if we HAVE to…. And then our ferry home is at 1:15 (unless we follow tradition and catch an earlier one), and we’re all hoping that Chappy will be fine in the car. As in, not carsick. And that the traffic won’t be too bad around rush hour. Wish us luck!

• Tags: Chappy, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:MV Sunday // 6 Comments »

(Note: I found an internet connection but it’s SO slow, I can’t upload all the pictures I’d like to load, so this post is going to be mostly text UNTIL I get home. I promise, on Tuesday, I’ll add pictures!)

So, where to start when trying to describe such a fantastic day?

Oh, of course. I know.

Susan and Patrick (seen here with his son, Logan) are just wonderful people. Mom, Chappy, and I walked in and Susan immediately excused herself to the person she was talking to and practically ran over to give both of us big hugs. (And a pet for Chappy, of course.) Then Patrick (who is something like 9 feet tall) came in and she said, “This is Deb, Joan, and Chappy” and his face lit up as he said, “I’m so glad you could make it!” You know, not in that polite kind of way that you welcome people, but in the truly sincere, “I really do know who you are and really mean this” kind of way. Mom and I both said that there are people you meet who are nice and likeable and just lovely people (which pretty much describes everybody we met today), and then there are people that you immediately want to be friends with. Susan and Patrick fall into that category. Would you believe, though, that of all the pictures we took today (216 of them between me and Mom), we didn’t get a single picture of the two of them together?

And then, the sheep and goats. Well, they’re just adorable—especially those babies that we’ve been reading so much about. So. Cute. It was particularly cute when we walked Chappy over. He was curious and stretched toward the goat closest to him, but when several more came over to take a look at Chappy? Well, he decided that they were all a lot bigger than he was, and you know, he was on vacation and didn’t want any trouble. They all decided that he was a potential threat, and so Chappy backed away from them, they backed away from him, and it was really pretty funny.

Throughout the rest of the day, I got some pretty good pictures because the group of them would all turn to face Chappy—presumably because he was (genetically, at least) a potential threat. Do you remember in the movie Babe, how the sheep call all dogs “wolves,” and don’t trust any of them? That’s pretty much the reaction Chappy was getting. The adults would close ranks around the babies, and at least some of them would stand guard. But, as I say, that made for some good photos.

And then, the fiber festival itself. It took place in the Ag Hall (that’s the Agricultural Hall, but nobody uses the full word when describing it). First, it’s a beautiful building. It was actually a barn in New Hampshire that they transported in pieces to MV and rebuilt it several years ago. This was my first time seeing it, and it’s just beautiful. Lots of warm, golden wood color, great structural elements in the beams and ceilings. Just lovely. And while the festival got a really nice turnout, the building was never so jam-packed that you couldn’t see the building.

There were musicians down at the far end playing some really nice, mellow music, and there were some booths from other island fiber places. One table had a display of skeins dyed with different natural dyes (onion skins, hibiscus flowers, comfrey, nettles, and so on) and set with different mordants so that the colors looked different from skein to skein.

It was fascinating watching the sheep and goats be sheared. They’re so patient about it—not that they really have a choice. The shearer, Jeff, did a great job. And, really, we all just stood around watching for huge chunks of time. Just really cool. Even Chappy was impressed. Mom got excited, too, because we saw Sally Taylor (Carly Simon’s daughter) there, too. That alone would have made her happy.

Susan and Patrick did proud by their shareholders, too. Not only did I get a tote bag and a t-shirt, just for being there, I got lunch, too! The entire festival took a lunch break. They set up tables and chairs in the entrance hall and we all sat together and ate. Including a whole bunch of Ravelrers. And, here’s the horrible part, I can’t remember all the names. (I’ll try to find them later, when I can get internet access again.) But one name I DO remember? Nora—one of the sweetest little 11-months old you’d want to meet. Her Mom drove to Falmouth this morning, took a shuttle bus to the ferry dock, rode the ferry to the island, and then caught a bus to the Ag Hall—all with an 11-month old and a stroller. And Nora was just a bright, sunshiny, little girl all day long. She wailed in protest at something a couple of times, but was back to being happy again within 60 seconds. All. Day.

Chappy was good, too. Despite not having a chance to nap all day long, he was sweet and charming almost the entire day. He barked a couple of times when he saw other dogs—not in a “go away” kind of way, but as anybody would when travelling in a strange land and see somebody who speaks the same language they do. And he and Fritz, an Island Sheltie not only hit it off, but played, too. His only real fall of grace was, a couple of times, when he had finally relaxed enough to let his guard down and then did a “Woo-woo-woo-woof!” bark at people who dared to walk past him. Including Patrick’s younger son, who went off and stood in the corner for a few minutes afterwards. Chappy kind of felt badly about that, but really, considering how tired he was by that point, he was so good!

At this point—I’m typing this at 8:30 on Saturday night—Chappy is just exhausted. Not only did he have a long, full day out in the sun, watching the sheep, occasionally barking at unsuspecting bystanders, but he didn’t get much sleep last night. I know this because he kept waking Mom and me up—jumping on the bed, off the bed, on the bed, off the bed. And, at one point, jumping INTO the bed, when the throw rug on the floor slippe as he launched himself, so that he hit chest-first into the side of the bed which, you know, is quite a shock in the dark! Oh, and then there was the extra awakening when the clock-radio alarm went off at midnight … let’s just say that none of the three of us exactly got a full night’s sleep. And we were up around 6:30/6:45 which, really, is ridiculous while on vacation. I’m not that worried about tonight though, Chappy is so zonked out on the bed at the moment, I really can’t imagine that he’s going to have trouble relaxing enough to sleep.

Oh, and yes, I DID buy some yarn, but restricted myself to two skeins. I did think about buying enough to make a sweater but decided that that would be too pricey. And besides, if I’m lucky, my spinner’s share of roving will be big enough to make a sweater, which will be even better, right? I AM coming home with two more skeins of yarn, though—I offered to make Susan a pair of socks, if she gave me the yarn to do it in. I know, it SOUNDS remarkably generous of me, but really, this way I get to try out more of the yarn and I didn’t even have to pay for it. How sneaky of me is THAT?

Really, it was a wonderful day. We got there about 9:50 and left about 4:40. That’s a full day and we weren’t bored even once. Every person we met was great. Susan’s mother and sister were so sweet and helpful … and tired. As were Patrick’s sons who are both really nice kids and helped out all day without complaining (that I heard). (And, again, Chappy says he’s sorry about the barking—he was just startled.) The Ravelrers were all great and interesting and funny, and it was also great at lunch when several of us pulled out our knitting. There’s just something so cozy about a group that can do that. The weather could NOT have been better. It was right about 70 degrees and sunny—a little warm in the sun at times, but never actually hot, and the Ag Hall was nice and cool for when we felt a little warm. It was a stunningly beautiful day. And did I mention that we weren’t bored once? And that we really liked Patrick and Susan a lot?

How much? Well, they’re planning on doing something similar for the Autumn shearing and, gosh, I do have vacation time in October … I wonder what weekend that will be? Because this CSA share was one of the best $100 investments I’ve ever made—and I haven’t even gotten my share of the wool yet. But for this much sheer (shear??) fun? Absolutely worth every penny—and do you know why?

Because Susan and Patrick made a point of making it so. They could have just taken the money and sent the wool in due course with maybe a note or something. But, no. Not only does Susan write her blog, filled with lots of pictures of her flock and updates so that the animals have real names and faces to make that wool extra special with that personal touch. But they make their shareholders feel really welcome and appreciated. We’re not just people who sent money. We’re like an extended family. Or at least, it certainly felt that way. So. Cool. All that great publicity (did you see the front page of the Wall Street Journal this morning??) couldn’t happen to nicer people.

Really. Perfect day. Even if Chappy couldn’t quite get his sheep imitation down . . . every time he tried to say “Baaaa,” he just couldn’t help turning it into a “Baaaaark!”

• Tags: Chappy, Friends, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:MV: Baaaa…rk! // 11 Comments »

So, that nifty medicine the vet gave us to help counteract Chappy’s car-sickness? Well, five minutes after I gave it to him this morning, he spit up on the kitchen floor. And then again ten minutes later. And again ten minutes after that. And once more just before we got into the car to leave.

As you can imagine, we were feeling REALLY confident when we left the house this morning. We even got all the way out of the driveway before Mom pulled over so that I could get in the backseat with him. He relaxes a bit more when he has somebody to lean against, to help absorb the turns and bumps.

Luckily, he did not actually get sick in the car, though he looked a little queasy for the first hour. Now, the vet had said to give the medicine to him two hours before travelling, and granted, I was only able to give it to him one hour before, so I don’t know if it actually kicked in, or if he finally just relaxed once we were on our way. But either way, that first hour? Um, I’m a little hesitant to try giving it to him again on Monday!

In other Chappy news, the GOOD medicine that the vet prescribed for his diarrhea issues the other day? Somehow that got left at home. I hope he has enough in his system to take care of the problem! Of course, he basically fasted all day—he got a biscuit at a café around 3:30, but otherwise, nothing else before he got his supper at about 7:00. He was hungry!

Anyway, the drive up was uneventful (which is good). The weather is perfect (which is even better). We caught an earlier ferry–which is entirely normal. I honestly can’t remember the last time I actually rode on the ferry over that I had tickets for (grin). Our first stop was Mocha Motts café for a snack and a chance to just not be in the car. Chappy made friends with a little German girl about 3 years old who was so eager to pet him.

The inn we’re staying at, Brady’s, is right near the water, and our room has a beautiful picture window with a window seat. How perfect is that? I’m sitting there right now, looking out at the full moon.

Our room is a nice, large old bedroom. White bead board on the walls, old wooden slats on the ceiling, and some interesting angles in the corners from the peaks of the roof. Lots and lots of pictures on the walls—old photographs, maps, paintings. There are piles of books everywhere, and even an old, manual typewriter perched on top of the desk. Of course, there are so many books piled on it, it’s pretty much impossible to use it as a desk, which is also one reason I’m typing this over on the the window seat. That, and the fact that I just adore window seats.

The inn—which is also Brady’s house—also has a beautiful, wrap-around porch outside which is just beautiful. We sat out there for a little bit this afternoon after we checked in and I was thinking how wonderful it looked for spinning. If I hadn’t been so tired, I might have brought my spinning wheel out there for a while—although I’ve never tried to spin while sitting in an Adirondack-style chair.

The inn also has a resident dog—Amie—a little, 10-year old spaniel who was very hospitable, greeting us today. And who was very helpful about offering to clean Chappy’s dinner dish. While also being very polite about not trying to insist. (Isn’t that helpful?) Also, while we were waiting for our supper tonight—we had placed an order at the Newes and was waiting outside with Chappy for our takeout—a little boy came outside to ask if he could pet Chappy. Turns out, he has a dog at home in Vermont … named Chappy! Such a surprise—good thing my Chappy had a name tag around his neck or the little boy might have thought we were making it up.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a wireless connection anywhere nearby, so I’m typing this on Friday night but don’t know when I’ll be able to post it. For all I know, I’ll be posting everything about my trip on Monday or Tuesday after I get home!

• Tags: Chappy, Family, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:MV Travel Day // 4 Comments »

Well, off we go to Martha’s Vineyard for the fiber festival tomorrow. We can’t wait!

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• Tags: Chappy, Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Vineyardward // 5 Comments »

The short answer is … yes.

The longer answer? Yes, we’re going to the MV Fiber Festival.

We’re staying at Brady’s NESW, which looks lovely and includes breakfast. (And, incidentally, had one more room available if anybody else was looking.) The interesting part? The room only has one, queen-sized bed. Mom and I have shared a bed before, so this is fine … except, she’s never shared with Chappy before. And, of course, he’s never shared a bed with her, either. So that could be interesting (grin).

The other interesting thing is that Brady’s doesn’t have internet access. Yikes! How’s a girl (and her mother) supposed to update her (their) blog(s)? And, as to Chappy? Well, maybe Susan will come up with some kind of doggie daycare for the day, but if not? We’ll think of something.

I wouldn’t want you to go into Chappy withdrawal. I got up from my chair the other night and glanced back …

He looked so darn cute. Draped around the pillow, over the arm of the chair, and just looking remarkably comfortable. Awwwww!

Is it just me, or does he look like he’s trying to decide if it’s worth getting up to follow me?

• Tags: Chappy, Family, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:The Short Answer // 10 Comments »

First things first–here’s a current look at my Flutter-Sleeve cardigan. That’s a finished back, a finished front, and the beginning of the second front. It’s moving along nicely.

Now, in other news, Mom and I have desperately been trying to figure out a way to get to the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Festival next month. I mean, could it be any more perfect for us? First, it’s our absolute favorite place to visit, which I think you’ve probably noticed. Second, um, hello, Fiber Festival. Sponsored by the MV Fiber Farm, one of whose shares of wool I’ll be getting from this Spring’s shearing. Which, of course, is what triggered this fiber festival in the first place. Put together by Susan, who sent Mom and me that great package in January, to ease the Vineyard-withdrawal for Mom. You know, Susan, the one with the blog with all those adorable, new lamb pictures?

This isn’t going to be a fiber festival on the scale of, say, Rhinebeck, but still … wool, vendors, fun people, sheep, goats … all on Martha’s Vineyard. What’s not to love? And, besides, Mom and I both want to be there for the FIRST one, even if we can’t make a yearly habit of this (assuming Susan wanted to do this again next time). All this started, of course, with her deciding that opening up “Shearing Day” to the share-holders would be kind of nice. Who knew it would explode into a full-fledged (if small) fiber festival? I mean, you think, a flock of sheep and goats, a shearer, some new friends … simple. Not!

There are two tricks, though. One, um, have I mentioned that money is tight? And, two, we have to bring Chappy. I am, of course, always delighted to spend time with my boy and show him off. (You may have noticed.) Spending a weekend with him is not exactly a hardship, and we always take him to the island with us. But, um, the actual Festival, I’m sure, doesn’t allow dogs. Which means from 10:00 - 5:00 he’ll … stay in the car? It hardly seems fair, and of course we’ll visit frequently, but still. It’s not exactly ideal, and it does limit the options as to where we can stay, but leaving him home isn’t an option because Dad will be away that weekend, too. (Talk about a rarity.) Luckily, Chappy doesn’t mind the car when it’s staying still. (Oh, yeah. The carsickness. That’s another problem! And that the inn we might be staying at doesn’t have internet access–yikes!)

Anyway, these are things and decisions and numbers that Mom and I have been crunching the last few days, because we both really want to go–even Mom, who doesn’t spin or knit. (We’re anxious to meet Susan, too.) We figured, though, that since we’re having to postpone (read: cancel) our usual May trip (that pesky money thing again), two days in April seem … fair. Right? I mean, at the very least it will give Mom a chance to replenish her scone supply.

• Tags: Family, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Festival? // 8 Comments »

There’s not much to talk about on the knitting front today–although, actually, I finished one of the two fronts to my Flutter-Sleeve yesterday. That’s not that exciting, though, and there aren’t any pictures, so, we’ll just slide past that.

Chappy, of course, is as adorable as ever, but I can’t rave about him ALL the time. (Well, I could, but you might get bored eventually.)

So, instead, because it’s her birthday, I’m going to talk about my grandmother today. Not the one to whom I owe the family-famous “Grandma Cake.” No, the other one. Mom’s Mom.

This is the grandmother of the famous diamond ring story. The one who, er, visited Mom and me at the Sweet Life Cafe. The one to whom Chappy owes his name.

Because, you see, Grandma grew up on Martha’s Vineyard. She graduated from high school there, her mother is buried there, and she had enormous ties to the island before she moved to New Jersey and met my Grandfather.

She brought my Mom up every summer of her childhood, to romp around Oak Bluffs with her friends Willie Jones and Jackie Robinson. To be spoiled by her godparents. To go to the beach. To ride the Flying Horses. (That’s Grandma kneeling, and Mom is the itty-bitty tyke on the blanket.) All of which, of course, has made my mother absolutely love Martha’s Vineyard. Which she’s passed on to the rest of us.

 Unfortunately, my grandmother died when I was 9 years old. I distinctly remember the day–June 22nd, the last day of third grade, and I was setting the table for supper when the phone rang. It was grandpa, asking to speak to my Dad–which scared me right off the bat because, why would he ask to speak to Dad first? And I remember the sound of Mom’s scream when Dad passed on the news. It was totally unexpected. She’d been in bed with a cold but–so far as we knew–relatively fine, until her sudden heart attack. She died in my grandfather’s arms and Mom still says that that was the worst day of her life.

 Since I was fairly young when we lost her, I don’t have that many stories of my own to tell about Grandma. (Her name was Maude, by the way.) I wasn’t old enough yet to really sit and talk and laugh with her … but I know that Mom got her sense of silliness from her, and passed that on to me. In fact, Mom has also said that she used to get silly with her mom the way that I get silly with her–obviously something she and I would have had in common.

She also crocheted–I’ve got a box filled with beautiful, dainty handkerchiefs with handmade lace around the edges, for which I give her great credit. I’ve tried doing that myself and find it far too hard to see what I’m doing with the crochet hook at such a small scale.

 And, um, did I mention her love of Martha’s Vineyard? (grin) Because, you know, if she hadn’t loved it so much herself, and had such ties to it, she wouldn’t have brought Mom there so often when she was little. And then Mom wouldn’t have loved it enough to infuse that into her kids and her grandkids. And then, certainly, I wouldn’t have a dog with a Martha’s Vineyard-inspired name. (Two of them, technically.) Considering how much I love Martha’s Vineyard, I’m really very grateful for that.

And, of course, those stories that I’ve got–like that diamond ring story–are certainly good ones. But the best thing I owe to my grandma?

 My mom.

Happy birthday, Grandma!

• Tags: Family, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Grand // 16 Comments »

Refreshingly, I had the day off today–still a rarity for President’s Day for my company–but it was nice to have a Monday where I didn’t have to go to work. (Chappy, in particulary, was very happy about that, but we’re agreed that tomorrow is going to be hard.)

Anyway, I started my day off with some homemade crumb cake that I baked yesterday. I’ve made this once before (last Easter), and it was just as good as I remember . . . although the powdered sugar on top is still one of my favorite parts. (When I was little, I’d eat all the sugar off the top with a wet finger. Disgusting in retrospect, but it sure tasted good at the time.) The recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated, and while it’s a little bit of effort, it’s worth it. The link, mind you, goes to Crumb Cake MUFFINS, but looks the same to me except for the pan. The original recipe calls for baking it in a parchment-paper-lined square pan, but I made mine in a Springform pan instead.

Speaking of Cook’s . . . anyone interested in their cocoa mix comparison?

Otherwise? It’s been a pretty quiet day with some interesting weather. It rained a lot last night, and when I woke up this morning, the trees looked so nifty . . . the branches of the birch trees in the back were drying out, but the trunks were still soaked and dark. I thought it was such an intriguing juxtaposition, I took a picture through my bedroom window. And then, it was 61 degrees this morning. In New Jersey. In February. Practically unheard of. Mom and I took Chappy out for a walk around 11:30, when it was wet underfoot but otherwise just lovely, with hints of blue up in the sky . . . Came home, had lunch then . . . it was raining. And windy. Then the sun came back out. Now it’s raining again . . . all in all, an indecisive day so far as the weather is concerned.

I didn’t actually do very much with my day, other than that. Mostly sat and read on the couch with Chappy. (You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve already passed my “books-read” count from last month. I told you that was abnormally low!)

Really, considering the long weekend, I’ve gotten remarkably little accomplished. At least I’ve relaxed a little, though, huh?

Oh, and the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm Shearing Day I’ve mentioned? The date has been set for April 19th. So if any of you are close enough to be able to go, go! It’s open to everyone, not just shareholders. And, if you haven’t been to the Flickr page lately, well, go take a look at the adorable new faces they’ve got! So much cuteness….

• Tags: Baking, Family, General, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Pressing // 5 Comments »

Yes, I got my hair cut today. No, you’re not going to see a picture just yet. Right now, frankly, my hair looks terrible, but that’s because of the styling–I think the cut is going to be fine. My hair never looks good the day of a cut, and by the time the stylist has finished cutting and adds some gel or whatever kind of styling product, it’s really far too late for it to absorb properly into my hair, and just weighs it down. I won’t really know until tomorrow, or even Monday, how good a cut this is, but I think it’s going to be fine. Meanwhile, I took a picture from the chair while she was over rinsing out some highlights on another client. I must say, this is the first salon I’ve ever been to that had crystal chandeliers. Very nice “feel” to this salon–stylish without being too “edgy,” like that salon in August that I really didn’t like.

After the haircut, Mom and I stopped at Nonna’s to look at their button collection. They don’t have a large collection, but since we were parked right across the street, it seemed silly not to at least stop in and look. I’m glad we did, too, because I like this one. It’s mostly gray, but with a hint of blue, and it looks great on the sweater. Since this pattern only uses one, big button, it needs to be a good one, and I like this one! That doesn’t mean I couldn’t possibly find something better, but at least it’s here and ready to go and what more do you need from a button?

I am concerned about one thing, though. The pattern states, for the “ribbing” (which is actually garter stitch and would usually be called front bands or button bands) to cast on 79 stitches and knit 6 rows. Which I did. Except . . . the picture of the actual sweater shows that front band being a lot wider . . . it looks like there are at least 8 garter ridges there, under the button. So, I’m wondering if it was a typo and should have read 16 rows rather than 6. And, anyway, I think that’s what I’m going to do, any how–I like that wide front band.

But then, also, the pattern has you knit the band, ending with a few rows in a contrasting color that will be removed after the band has been sewn on . . . but what if I just picked up the stitches along the front? Instead of doing it separately? Although, part of the point would be that the transition from front to band would be seamless, and picking up the stitches clearly would make a seam. I’m not sure…. I’m also not sure I love the idea of a snap, either. The pattern calls for the sweater to be closed by a single snap, with the button sewn on just for show … I’m playing with the idea of making it a real button band instead … There are only a couple of these completed on Ravelry (link here, if you belong to Ravelry), so it’s hard to get other opinions on this. What do you folks think?

Edited to add: I just heard back from Yarnholic on Ravelry (one of the two other people to finish this) and she worked off of the French pattern and it said “19 rows / 6 cm” . . . so obviously my translation took the “6″ from the width and the word “rows” and made up something new (grin). She also picked up her band stitches along the fronts AND did button holes rather than a snap. (I say holes-plural because she decided she didn’t like the original placement and moved it, having to redo the entire band in the process.) Meanwhile, tonight, I finished the collar, sewed the shoulder seams and set in the sleeves, leaving the sleeve seams and side seams still to go . . . and, obviously, reknitting the button bands…. Okay–back to the original post…

My last Spunky Eclectic fiber of the month package arrived today. “Snow Squall,” in Icelandic Wool. I love the blue/green/gray combination and, I must say, it coordinated beautifully with the blue/gray outfit I’m wearing. As did the couch and throw pillows in the waiting area at the Salon. You know, it’s SO important to be color-coordinated.

Now, of course, I’ve mentioned the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm CSA a number of times, but today there’s a new twist. Mom belongs to a group of die-hard Carly Simon fans (Carly, of course, lives on MV), and she mentioned the MVFF on her blog the other day, and one of her fellow Carly fans was so moved by the idea of something special from Marthas Vineyard that he bought one of the Fall shares. Even though he doesn’t spin. Or knit. That’s devotion for you! He said in the e-mail he sent Mom, ” I’m a nut. And no, I haven’t a clue what I am going to do with my share (LOL)… any suggestions??” What do you think, folks? Got any ideas for him? He lives out in California somewhere, so it’s not like we’re exactly neighbors to be able to help him out. He has a couple of friends who knit, though, so that’s something, but . . . what would you suggest?

Thanks for all the compliments on yesterday’s Eye-Candy Friday. It really IS a gorgeous quilt, isn’t it? I just wish I could claim it as my own work, but that’s just not practical (or honest). I CAN make a quilt, though. Several, even, see?

• Tags: Family, General, Hair, Knitting/Spinning, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Stylin’ Saturday // 11 Comments »

When I got home from work tonight, I found this envelope in the mail, taunting me. Because–unusually–Mom and Dad took advantage of their Movie tickets and went out with friends this afternoon.

But . . . An envelope from the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce? Addressed to my Mom? I mean, literally, to Deb’s Mom. What could it be?

Well, it turns out that Susan is sneaky. And really nice. Not only does she raise adorable sheep and goats, write entertaining blog posts and e-mails with fun pictures . . . not to mention being the brain behind the first fiber CSA ever . . . but she’s generous, too.

She saw my post a couple weeks ago when I showed my CSA share certificate and mentioned Mom being jealous about my having gotten an envelope from the Vineyard, and decided that Mom should have her own package.

Isn’t that fabulous? Two Peter Simon calendars. Two “Best of the Vineyard Sound” cd’s. Two “Follow me to Martha’s Vineyard” bumper stickers. One for each of us.

I’m telling you, if that fiber is HALF as nice as the person running this CSA, it’s going to be beyond delectable. And I certainly hope her dogs like Boykin Spaniels because the three of us REALLY want to visit the farm when we go up to the Island in May.

Thank you so much, Susan! You really made our day.

• Tags: Family, General, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Taunting // 9 Comments »

Well, I figure, everyone else is showing, you know, autumnal pictures, so I decided to harken back to the Spring. May, to be exact. On Martha’s Vineyard. Chappy and I were standing on the street waiting for Mom to come out of a restaurant with our dinner, and we noticed these beautiful tulips outside a shop. And, well, it’s not like I had anything else to do at the moment. And, they WERE awfully pretty….

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Tulip // 5 Comments »

I’m not entirely sure, but I think this is a Japanese Cherry Tree. But no matter what it was, it was stunning when I took its picture last month.

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Cherry? // 2 Comments »

A couple more pictures from Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscaping Services on Martha’s Vineyard. Their display at the entrance is always lovely.

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Cart // 5 Comments »

Just some pictures from Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscaping Services in Edgartown, Massachusetts.

It’s really such a pretty garden center.

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Donaroma 1 // 3 Comments »

One of Mom’s pictures this week (Hi, Mom!). She took this at Ocean Park on Martha’s Vineyard last week, and we were both enchanted by the daffodills blooming up under/behind the park bench.

Kind of sweet, really.

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Ocean Park // 4 Comments »

Okay, the last time I posted pansy pictures, they were gleaned from the internet because, well, I don’t exactly garden. These, though? Luckily, Martha’s Vineyard is famous for its gardens….

(Although, really, in the interests of full-disclosure, I should probably mention that Mom took three of these . . . but I’m not saying which ones!)

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Pansies // 3 Comments »

Well, we’re safely home.

Here’s a recap of the day for you:

A pair of “hitchhikers” that came home with us. I’ve missed having African Violets that actually bloom (since mine are still recovering from their January surgery), so I decided I’d bring one home as a souvenir. So Mom and I stopped at Donaroma’s yesterday, but I couldn’t choose only one, so . . . um . . . two of them followed me home. Now I just need to get them some prettier pots than the plastic ones they came in . . . good thing I still have two more days off!

My socks while on the ferry this morning. We caught (as usual) an earlier ferry than we had tickets for, and ended up on the delivery boat–the one you have to back onto–so there was plenty of light to knit with. Once we finished our breakfasts. First thing this morning, Mom and I drove to Edgartown to get our food from Espresso Love and ate that on the ferry. You’ll have to excuse the vastly-streaky windshield. Pollen, you know. So MANY things in bloom! But you’ll be pleased to know I cleaned it when I stopped to fill up the gas tank.

As usual, we stopped at Olde Mistick Village for a stretch-the-legs break (very important, especially for the furry one of us). Chappy was happy to add a couple more admirers to his list. If he had an autograph book for fans, it would be full by now!

A peek at the earrings I bought. I couldn’t entirely resist the temptation to buy jewelry, but since none of these was too expensive (not less than $25 but not more than $40 or so), I indulged.

And look–pretty notecards! A set of Cara’s latest, that was waiting for me when I got home, and a set from Stephen Huneck that I brought home with me.

Okay, I’m not QUITE as wiped out as Chappy was last night, but after covering 300 or so miles today, followed by unpacking, doing laundry, giving Chappy a bath . . . I’m a little tired. So . . . good night, all!

• Tags: Martha's Vineyard, Uncategorized • Permalink:MV 2007.5 // 8 Comments »

Well, we had gray, gray skies this morning and lots of gusty wind (as in, gusts up to 45 mph), but still . . . nice day. The sun finally broke through around noon, the temperature climbed up to about 70, but it was comfortable enough with my thankfully-packed wool sweater and socks.

It was our Last Day on the island today. (I capitalize it because that’s the way Mom says it . . . the dreaded, ominous, Last Day Here.) We made a point of spending some time in eac