nesting

When there's too much slinging through my brain, I tend to be silent here.   We're halfway through a (very) unusual summer for our family, one in which we've all already spent much time traveling, but for some of us much restful time at home also.  Time away gives me the brain space and inspiration to clean, purge, and organize. 

The littles and I spent a week driving from our home on the East Coast down to one set of grandparents in the South, and then up to the other set in the Midwest (and back again).  I haven't done that road trip since Z and M were little, before T came along.  I lost a bit of sleep in the weeks before, worrying about how I'd be able to drive solo the whole way.  My age is starting to show in my creaky toes and knees--driving makes me very stiff.  But!  It all worked out just fine, and the only hiccough was the night that my parents' AC was on the fritz and I didn't sleep.  We splashed in my in-laws' pool, visited a yarn shop and our favorite used bookstore, went tubing at my brother-and-sister-in-law's cabin in the Smokies, saw my sister, brother-in-law, and three nephews, and even got to spend an afternoon with the oldest of her sons, who is three.  My sister-in-law and sister have very different tastes (from each other and from me) but their aesthetics are inspiring.  It helps that they're both incredibly tidy, a habit I keep working on.  

I came home with Big Plans about how to change our space, just a little, with "make it look nicer" in the front of my mind.  The sunroom got most of my energy, as I sewed new cushion covers for the couches in there.  I didn't do anything with the already gray seat cushions (except wash them), but I bought some almost matching gray duck cloth and eked out eight pillow and four armrest covers.  I now can wrangle a staple gun like a pro and figured out how to sew a flap to hide the zippers on the cushion covers.  For the previous covers, I was too afraid to add zippers and hand-stitched them closed.  It took forever and looked messy.  These, while maybe not looking like they're original, look very professional.  Pat on the back for me!  With the cushion covers now very neutral, the vibrant artwork (here) in the space no longer fit.  I ordered the 3D contour map from a seller on Etsy--it'll be great when we're working through G's geography book this year.  I've still got a little more to work on for this room; there's a blackboard frame to sand and stain and a big piece of MDF to paint with chalkboard paint.  I'm putting off repotting a bunch of my plants in there but I did transplant the Jerusalem basil to a new container.  Also on the list: paint for the art cabinet.  I keep saying it here so I'll actually Get It Done.  

This week was a doozy, with two swim meets, a broken arm, dentist appointments, and other little things.  The broken arm was absolutely no surprise; monkey bars and broken arms go hand in glove.  I'm just glad it's not a bad break and I was right there when Little M fell.  Usually I'm nowhere near the playground.  She's a little celebrity at our pool (where it happened), and all of Big M's teenage friends asked to sign her cast.

I cast off my Juneberry shawl (Peace Fleece leftovers) and blocked it aggressively.  The finished shawl turned out better than expected for sure.  The pattern is well-written and quite interesting, but not symmetrical.  Not even close.  Does that get under your skin, too?  Like, a lot? Most of the shawls I've knit have halves that are mirror images.  That seems right.  Birds fly, every minute has sixty seconds, and triangle shawls are symmetrical.  For the Juneberry, though, one knits the chart for the first half, and then knits the same chart for the second half.  It defies all expectations. 

My usual thrift shop has really dried up in the last few months.  Where once ladder back rush seat chairs and quality baskets proliferated, now the chairs disappoint and the baskets are, well, flimsy trash.  I still swing by there every week or so, just in case something good arrives.  The kids have found a couple of decent books to add to our library, but other than that I've kept my money in my pocket.  Today we found some treasures, though!  An old green filing box, a sweet book for my nephews, and a small stack of dishes.  I almost passed on the dishes and then I turned one over.  I can't resist a hyphenated town in England.  And by appointment of the Queen?  Yes, please.