Friday, March 05, 2010

Weekly Review - Friday Fave Five

Friday Fave Five is a weekly review of gratitude. Here are my faves for this week:

1. I belong to a spinners and weavers guild in my community. Last weekend, Sara Lamb was the featured speaker at our monthly guild meeting. Speaking for about an hour on Saturday morning, Sara showed us how she had taken white handwoven cloth and dyed designs on using paintbrushes. She was an interesting, enjoyable, and inspirational speaker, and I came away thinking, "Where am I going to put up my loom? I really need to get that thing set up!"

2. After a very rainy and windy Saturday, Sunday was glorious! The Professor and I spent a couple of hours in the blueberry fields with our dear friends where we picked two trays of fresh ripe berries. When we brought them to the house to dry the dew from them and package them, we sampled our bounty!

3. Some days, it seems that when you make one thing well, the next creation turns out, too. Spinning fiber is an art. We spinners talk about not always knowing what the yarn we are working with is going to do, how it wants to be spun and plyed (fyi: plying is the process of taking two of more single strands of yarn and twisting them together). The second skein of yarn I spun for my daughter in law plyed perfectly! It may be the very best yarn I've ever spun. And then, to add to the perfection, the cup of misto I brewed tasted just right because I finally used the correct proportions of coffee and hot milk.

4. How can I have a wonderful week of gratitude without mentioning the beach? The shore birds and local children shared the joy of playing in the sand on a sunny afternoon. I enjoyed watching from my car.

5. One of my tutoring students told me I'm the 'best tutor ever'. Whether I am or not, whether he was trying to distract me from his math assignment or not, his declaration reminded me why I persevere in teaching and tutoring.
How was your week? I'd love to read your list of gratitude. You can post it at Susanne's blog as part of Friday Fave Five or just tell me in the comments. Please know that if I don't respond right away to you or get around to visit your blog, it's because I have picked up some cold germs and am fighting a valiant battle which it seems that I am losing.
Happy Weekend!

30 comments:

ellen b. said...

So sorry to hear you are feeling under the weather again...
Boy that water at the beach is foamy. So pretty...
Oye I missed blueberries by a day or two. I'm glad you and the Professor got to get out and pick some.
Miss talking to you. I'll have to send an email soon.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

You have brought back a long forgotten memory: It has been exactly 30 years since my last visit to the San Diego Weaver's Guild. The talk was about using drier lint to create pictures. I had a scheduled C-section coming up in two weeks, my second child, and after that the four harness 48" wide loom never got much time. I sold it when we moved from San Diego and haven't had an urge to spin or weave since.


I used to laugh at hard core spinners-they started light, then were buying sheep and goats and llamas, growing their own plants for dyes and just about driving themselves around the bend with their passion for spinning, and no time to make anything from the beautiful yarn.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Isn't it wonderful when these little joys and perfections come our way. I'm glad you had so many this week!

My knitting is coming along...and I'm actually enjoying it. Now I'm working on a 5x5 basketweave stitch. I guess it will be square potholders or hotpads... Still using cheap acrylic yarn; I don't dare use the good stuff till later!

Faith said...

Wow....nice beach picture...I can't wait for beach weather....which is May or June where we are :)
I would like to get ahold of those blueberries..we have to wait until July here in NYS for those! (for local, fresh ones I mean). Great fave fives.....

LeAnn said...

I loved all of your pictures and the stories that went with them. They make me feel cozy and relaxed. ~

Hazel said...

There's nothing like savoring a perfect combination of coffee and milk. What a nice shot of the beach! And those berries are just perfect. I see the yarn behind it :) How charming! Have a great weekend.

Brenda said...

Your cup of misto with the yarn look so pretty together. I don't know much about yarn, but it is satisfying to make a wonderful cup of coffee.

Sounds like a great week, and its always a good week when it includes the beach!

Jientje said...

What a great compliment you got from your student! I can imagine it made you very happy. Along with the blueberries and the beach and the yarn you spun. Have a great weekend!

Deb said...

Appreciating the 'small' stuff, knowing that the small 'stuff' is actually the important 'stuff' ~ that is what I am reminded of every Friday when I visit you. Keep eating those blueberries, drink lots of OJ and rest. Take care!

Unknown said...

Hello Willow! I tried to email you back, but you're a no-reply. :)

First of all, hooray for math tutors! That's how I worked my way through college, and some days I miss it a lot. I'm sure you are a wonderful tutor. :)

I am so jealous of your beach and how warm it looked...kick some water for me!

Finally, MOTU will be at Quantico for OCS, hopefully for the October class. We won't know for sure until August though.

Thanks for the comments! Feel better!

Karyn said...

Oh, I hope you feel better very soon!

Love the beach picture with the colorful toys in the foreground!

Mmmm...Fresh blueberries!

What a nice compliment from your student! It is words like those that can keep you persevering in an often thankless task.

Melli said...

Dennis and I are now talking about PLANTING blueberry bushes! I believe they take a few years before they produce though. I wish we had planted 10 years ago when I first mentioned it! LOL!

Congratulations on your spinning and your coffee! I love to go to some of the farm fests around here and watch the women spin... it just AMAZES me! I have a friend who spins too... but I don't see her very often! That really is a unique art... and one that sO few women know anymore. Wouldn't it be sad if it died out? I hope that NEVER happens!

That beach looks very inviting! We actually have temps around 41F today, and I am thinking about a walk at my little beach!

Flower said...

There is so much to be thankful for and it's a pleasure to share in your observations! The yarn, misto, yarn, beach and experience teaching bring dept to my day!

Dorothy said...

You've had some great faves this week, haven't you, Willow?!

Blueberries are my absolute favorite berry! It will be quite a while until we can pick them in Illinois though. I'm more than a bit jealous!

I hope the tide is turning in your battle with the cold!

happily retired gal said...

Lovely FAVES ... theblueberries and Misto both look delicious. Loved the beach photos and hope you feel better soon.
Hugs and blessings,

nikkipolani said...

I'm fascinated by the experiences you have with spinning and fibers.

Yes, wasn't Sunday glorious? If we could bottle it, we could be kagillionaires!

Tracy said...

What a sweet sweet...fiber, coffee, blueberries, kudos... But so sorry you're not feeling to well... Be taking good care and hope you'll be on the mend soon! Happy Weekend, Willow :o) ((HUGS))

Brian said...

Love photos of water any water but the sea always makes me think of being a little boy going swimming..
Love the way the toys and birds make this photo complete...

Brian

Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog: said...

Lovely week, Willow! I had no idea we had blueberry fields anywhere around here!

Your craft guild meetings sounds so inspirational ~ do follow through with getting your loom working!!!

Marg said...

I'm enjoying feeling the spun yarn in my fingers as I comment...I am also enjoying the warm waters...you know where...my body is warming up and I'm loving it...My zip line took me back to my favorite spot...catching the waves.

Susanne said...

Hope you feel better soon!

Those blueberries look awesome!

Loved the one about your student.

Barbara H. said...

Love that beach shot! Makes me want to go wading!

What a sweet complement from your student!

Unknown said...

Beautiful fave five and I love berries..though they are extremely expensive here. I dream of berry picking one day and not paying USD10 for 200 grams of them here :) Happy week ahead Kak Willow :P

violetlady said...

I wish my daughter would take up spinning. She is quite a knitter and learned to spin in college.

Kari said...

soak up the compliment they are always great.
Those blueberries look great. We have them here but they are so expensive it's just not right.
Hope you are having a good week.

Barbara said...

Sorry you are not well. There have b een so many colds around this winter it seems. Hope you are well soon.
Glad you have had some much needed rain.
Would love to be able to get out and pick fresh Blueberries b ut I guess we have to be content with the fruit tht grows well here. We did try to Blueberry shrubs a few years back but they are hard to grow here.

Barbara said...

Did n ot realise that you were turning 60 this month. I found those the best years.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

So sorry to hear that you are sick...seems a lot of that is going around...hope you feel better soon!!! You are incredible!!! Spinning your own yarn?? Wow!!! Am I ever impressed!!!! And that coffee looks so scrumptious!! Now, I'm thinking that a piece of blueberry pie might be just the right accompaniment for such a delicious cup!! So very much to be thankful for, indeed!!! And you are one of my Friday...er, I guess it's Tuesday...Fave!!! Love you! Janine XO

Ally Jay said...

Sometimes it only takes one person to tell us we're doing a great job. Great photos

Knitting Linguist said...

Oh, those blueberries look so delicious -- I hope they'll help you kick that virus!