A small "w"

I was spending some time with a friend and(weaving teacher) the other day and we were talking about folks knowing about weaving and then folks really being weavers. During this conversation she said something that has really stuck with me. She said those who are true weavers, those who have mastered the skills needed to produce beautiful cloth from start to finish, those are Weavers with a big "W". But folks who are just learning, who are still being instructed, (like me), we are weavers with a small "w". 

Now I don't mind at all having a small "w" because it says to me that I still have plenty to learn. It says my brain has more to absorb. That I need to spend more time with like minded folks to glean what I can from them. Also that there is plenty more reading for me to do on the subject. So it is not a problem for me to have a small "w".

But there are those out there like my friend Jane and a new acquaintance, Julia that are definitely Weavers with a big "W" and I am glad to know them both. And I hope there will be many more brain picking sessions in the future. Who knows maybe some day someone might be picking my brain. So I got a lot to learn so I can pay it up someday! 

Well I was out and about at sundown the other evening and came upon a weaver with a big "W" and I just had to share it with you. Can you just imagine how hard she worked on this? She definitely has a big "W"!  

But this guy will have to admit he still has a small "w"! But hang in there little guy and keep on learning, I know you can do it.

That's the way it is with all of us. We start out learning and taking small steps but if we never give up and we keep on moving forward toward the prize we can achieve the big "W". 

I hope you enjoyed stopping in today. Leave me a comment below and let me know what big letter you've got or maybe are working toward.

It's Hot

I am sure it hot where you are too, unless you are reading this from somewhere in the Arctic. And if you are, then place post a comment it would surely make my day!

But getting back to the heat(which we can't do anything about at all) So we just have to deal with it. Now I am sure how we deal with it has a lot to do with our lifestyle and what we have going on in our lives. And I am sure that my situation is a bit different than some of you, but I thought I would share a few ways that I am coping with the heat or at least trying to.

Probably the first thing I need to say is the heat just drains me. Takes all my energy away as fast as you can say "heatwave". So anything chores that need doing outside in the garden or yard get done very early 5am till about 9am or from around 7pm till dark thirty or till I really can't see my hand in front of my face anymore!

Also we are eating a lot of cold meals. Thus not heating up the kitchen. Or we use the grill for meats and veggies as well. The other day I wanted to cook a pot of green beans and I put the hot plate on the patio and cooked them outside. I also have used the crock pot outside in the summer.

I hang out all my clothes so the heat from the dryer does not add heat to my house. 

When I am outside working I always have a small wet towel with me, usually draped around my neck. This adds moisture to my skin and as it evaporates it cools me down.

As chores are done inside or even sit down things that need to be done I have a small fan in each room which is turned on. Now we do run the AC but when it is 99* outside it is hard for your heat pump to maintain a 70* temp inside your home. So by running a fan or even a ceiling fan the inside air is circulated and dehumidified helping it to feel cooler.

And drinking a bit of extra water for sure.

Now I am sure some of you have other things that you do to help withstand the heat. So click down below and post a comment and share with the rest of us. After all I think it is hot everywhere right now!

I think I need another glass of ice cold water!

Summer And All It Has To Offer

Summer is one of those words that means different things to different people.

For instance if you are talking to a child of school age I bet they would tell you the best part is that school is out and they get to go swimming.

But when I got to thinking about "summer" and what it meant to me, I realized that it is so many things. It is all the flowers that grow and the veggies too. The birds and the bees that flit from bloom to bloom. And how about the fireflies that flicker in the trees at night. There is the beautiful sunrises and the darkness that doesn't fall till almost 10pm. And lets not forget green, everything is so green. But not one shade of green, yet so many shades that we could never name them all.

How about the smells of summer? There is the fragrance of those flowers and how about freshly mown grass? And the scents of the fruit harvest. The smell of burgers cooking on the grill. Oh, and how about the smell of Coppertone or Hawaiian Tropic?

And it would not be summer without all the tastes of the season! The sweet wetness of an ice cold watermelon is hard to beat on a hot day. Or that sweet tartness of some fresh squeezed lemonade. A tall glass of "sweet tea" is just the best! And then I think of the handfuls of juicy strawberries, blackberries and mulberries that never make it to become a pie. Grilled anything is a sure taste of summer. Now I know we can grill anytime of the year, but it always seems to taste better in summertime.

Now the sounds of summer are something we can enjoy even when we it is dark outside and we can't see a thing. The Crickets chirping. The baby Hoot Owls coming on to their voice is always a surprise in the dark. Both to me and the baby hoot owl! And if you are lucky enough to be near a body of water you will be gifted with the mating sounds of the Bullfrog. From time to time late in the evenings I will hear a Coyote sounding off from the ridge above our house. And early in the morning before the sunrises I can almost always hear the wild turkeys saying goodmorning. At least that is what I tell myself they are saying! And the birds begin their morning wakeup calls. 

And how about looking up on a clear night at all the stars in the sky?

I am sure there are many more that I left out and I would love it if you want to share in comments what you love about summer. 

Use this as a conversation starter at mealtime and see if your family shares the same summer loves or if they are different. Wouldn't it be fun to go outside and spread a blanket and the whole family look at the stars above them. Oh sure your kids might think you are crazy but if not over this then something else for sure! Let me know how it goes. 

In Memory Of.....

The last post I did.

It was a while ago, I keep thinking I will wait for something to happen in my life worth writing about. But it seems that I live a boring life to say the least. So I guess I will share some of my boring life with you.

I have been piddling away in the yard and gardens. We have had so much rain that it has almost been impossible to do anything in the ground. But my potatoes are planted (not in the ground) and several pots of flowers are planted and even beginning to grow and fill in the pots. Green onions are something we have been eating from for a month or so. In fact the second batch has been planted to come along a bit later on. Sorry there are no pictures but since I did not feel this was all worthy of blog space I did not take any. But I promise I will get some and share them in a later post.

My darling Hubs has taken several fishing trips and so yesterday he decided that I needed to go out to eat. This is something we do not do very often, for several reasons. (1) It is just to easy to put a meal on the table at home. (2) If I cook it then I know what is in it. (3) It saves a lot of money to cook at home. But he had a coupon to our favorite restaurant (Cheddar's), so we got dressed and headed out for a fun evening. We were seated quickly and in a very nice location. We decided to pass on the appetizer and just get a house salad to begin our meal. Then I was served the cajun pasta with shrimp and crabmeat. And Hubs had Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and green beans. My pasta was divine! Hubs does not eat seafood so it was a treat for me!

While we were eating and talking this is what the scenery looked like. 

It was fun watching the fish in the tank while were were eating. But truth be known I think they had just as much fun watching us.

Enjoy your weekend everyone and be safe out there!