29 and the beat goes on...

No, this isn't a tribute to Sonny and Cher. Rather, it's a quiet evening and I've just spent a wonderful afternoon and evening with my special man, Richard.

Twenty-nine years ago today, we were married in Indianapolis, IN. It was a quiet family gathering in the chapel of the church where we had met. A soloist sang a Barbara Streisand tune (Evergreen) and a hymn (Be Still My Soul). I paraded in on Richard's arm, accompanied by my dear sisters, who stood up with us. We had readings from Kahil Gibran (The Prophet) and from Ecclesiastes (to everything there is a season). We used vows that we had written ourselves to pledge our love and promise to each other.

We were married by my father (a Methodist minister) and Craig Overmyer, a minister to the singles program where we met. We spent the rest of the day celebrating with family at Richard's house where I had recently moved with my 3 little children. We had Richard's three children that first night, as well as my three. Only a week later, my mother exclaimed on the phone, "Oh my goodness. We probably should have made sure you two were alone that night!" From there, well, it's been a challenge. Most second marriages are.

No actually, it's been a lot of hard work to make this marriage work. Richard and I are both the kind of people who want to stay married forever. We'd both been through divorces about two years before our wedding, mine for my ex's infidelity; his was an agreement between his ex and him that neither were happy (although her infidelity was a feature of that divorce, too.)

Our courtship had been lovely and so exciting. In fact I knew the day I met him that he was someone very special. Within weeks, I felt strongly that God was telling me to take this relationship very seriously. We became friends, then good friends, then....slowly we fell in love. Our decision to marry just seemed to come about naturally (although there was the requisite "will you marry me?" one evening in his family room.) We've shared a lot of hardship - putting six children (literally three sets of twins) together has never, EVER been easy. To this day, he is estranged from his middle daughter and rarely speaks to his youngest daughter. My children see him as a father figure, mostly because he was around all the time and their own father had little time for them.

And, he is a good man. Not perfect, but so giving when he wants to be. Down to earth, SALT of the earth kind of guy. He used to call himself "a country boy" when I met him. But have you ever met a country boy with three degrees? A farmer, turned seed plant manager, turned salesman, turned Extension Program Coordinator, turned quality control technician, now a roof bolter in a limestone mine.

We've been through job loss, bankruptcy, illness, child custody, separation due to job changes. And each of these seems to have just made us stronger. The day I entered the hospital two years ago, emotionally and physically breaking down. I called him, crying, saying I had admitted myself to the hospital and I was petrified. His words to me, "It will be okay, sweetheart! We're going to get through this." He visited me everyday in the hospital and by the time I left, I ached for him and our life together.

So, here's to you, Richard, and our 29 years together. With any luck, we'll both live long enough to get to 30..........and 40..............and maybe even 50. But please know, that you are the love of my life!

Songs of Roses

Les Chansons Des Roses

It is we, perhaps, who proposed
that you replenish your bloom
Enchanted by this charade,
your abundance dared.

You were rich enough to fulfill
Yourself a hundred times over in a single flower,
Such is the state of one who loves...
But you never did think otherwise.

Against whom, rose, have you assumed these thorns?
Is it your too fragile joy that force you to become this armed thing?
But from whom does it protect you, this exaggerated defense?

How many enemies have I lifted from you
Who did not hear it at all.
On the contrary, from summer to autumn
You wound the affection that is given to you.
Overflowing with your dream, flower filled with flowers,

Wet as one who weeps, you bow to the morning.
Your sweet powers which still are sleeping in misty desire,
Unfold these tender forms joining cheeks and breasts.

I have such awareness of your being, perfect rose,
That my will unites you with my heart in celebration.
I breathe you in, rose, as if you were all of life,
And I feel the perfect friend of a perfect friend.

Abandon surrounding abandon, tenderness touching tenderness..
Your oneness endlessly caresses itself, so they say;
Self-caressing through its own clear reflection
Thus you invent the theme of Narcissus fulfilled.
~ Rainier Maria Rilke


(Barbara Streisand tea roses from my garden)

A new addition to the family

Having grandchildren is one of the true joys in my life. Clearly, if it were not for them, this new chapter in my life would be so much less satisfying.

My children have done such a fine job of finding wonderful partners to share their lives. In turn, they have produced the most beautiful grandchildren (and I'm not just prejudiced. I've heard this from several people!).

So, it is with great pride that I announce our latest addition, Weston Cain Ray. Wes was born to my youngest son, Daniel and his wife, Marcy, on Wednesday, June 9 at 2:22 pm. Wes and Momma Marcy arrived home yesterday. Wes' big brother is Jake (pictured with him in the hospital).

I usually try to knit a blanket of some sort for my new grandchildren, although I'm the first to confess that I have not been able to do this for all 19 of them. Work and health have frequently intruded on this goal. I'm happy to say, though, that little Wes did receive his blanket ahead of time (can you believe it? AHEAD of time) this time.

The blanket was knit with Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton, pattern is Lion Brand's Vintage Charmer Throw.

The pattern was an easy knit - a stockinette stitch center with a border in seed stitch. I used cotton because Wes lives in North Carolina and is a summer baby. Even with air conditioning on, NC is a very warm and humid place to live in the summer months. So, my hope was that this yarn would be warm without being too warm. And soft! It is SO soft and it washed beautifully, before I sent it off to his Momma and Daddy to await Wes' arrival.

Welcome to the family, Weston Cain. Congratulations, Jacob Theron. Way to go, Dan and Marcy. We love you all!

It's June and it's Friday!

It's Friday, but I don't really feel like TGIF. Richard will be working tomorrow (and possibly Sunday) so it seems the days just run from one into the other. Lots of things to look forward to, though:
1. The birthday of my little grandson, Weston Cain Ray, hopefully any day now in North Carolina. We will be traveling there in a few weeks to welcome him and spend some time with his big brother, Jacob.
2. Troy's wedding in Valparaiso. I have to say, this is one guy who is so shy, I never thought he's get married. But it looks like he's picked a "peach" of a girl. I haven't met her yet, but really looking forward to their big day.
3. Also looking forward to that trip because I plan to bring home three of my favorite little girls, in the whole word (the fourth, already lives here in Iowa). Susanna, Cessa, and Sadie will (hopefully) be meeting us in Valpo and returning home with us for about 1 week. Then we'll make the trip home together on the Amtrak. I'm really looking forward to this. And seeing the rest of the Michigan crew. I hear the youngest, Scarlett, is walking. Hardly seems possible.!
4. My 60th birthday (NOT!)
5. Summer-long project: Ravelry. I am determined to go through the fiber room and get as much as possible entered into R., so that I have a better idea of what I have. This is going to be a MAJOR project. But, in the process, it should help me clean-up and organize the room as well as make decisions about yarns that I no longer want/need. These can be donated to Happy Hands or passed on in some other way.
6. Summer-long project: Organize Christmas knitting and get started.

I think that's enough. Now I'm going to get started (one can only steam clean the kitchen floor so many times).

Will someone one please be honest?

Our church has an abundance of accompanists. I've shared accompanist duties for the Chancel Choir with another woman for several years. She (let's call her Margaret) has a beautiful touch on the piano and can play by ear as well as read music. She's a long-time member of the church and is going through a lot right now since her husband is ill with a chronic, debilitating condition. She als0 accompanies a couple of the choirs at the high school and, during the winter, coaches a few students as they prepare for vocal contest.

Here's the problem: Margaret can't count. She teaches her wrong way of counting to her students and to the vocal students she coaches. In addition, she is very vocal when she doesn't get something she wants. When I started accompanying the choir at church, she resented every time I "took her place" and let everyone know about it. It's been several years and this is still going on. Frankly, it's wearing very thin on everyone. And lately, quite frankly, I'm feeling a bit like I'm being used!

Lately, our choir director has begun combining piano and organ to try to cover up the incorrect rhythms Margaret plays. And the organ is played by (you guessed it) me.

Frankly, I'm gettin' really tired of this. I'm not a complainer, and I know the director does not want to hurt feelings. M. has given many, many years to the choir.

So, here's the thing (this is to my children and my husband): when I'm old(er) and can't keep up on the piano anymore, PLEASE tell me and suggest (tactfully) that it might be time to retire from my accompanying duties. I do not want to end up like Margaret. And I certainly don't want anyone else to feel "used" the way I am feeling right now!

OK, I'm done whining!

Baby Wes is due soon and his blankie awaits

Last week, I finished the blanket for my next grandchild, Weston Cain, who is due any day. The colors were chosen based on colors his momma seems to love, since she uses them almost exclusively when she decorates (I really like them, too!). They're the colors of the ocean and nature - gorgeous blues, browns, and a few shades of green.

The pattern is from Lion Brand's website - Vintage Charm Throw . I t was a simple knit, which is really important for me right now, what with my current brain "challenges." I think the simplicity also made the color changes stand out much more. I used Lion Brand's Nature's Choice Organic Cotton, which has a nice twist and is SO soft. The pattern also features a seed stitch border, which should make for a nice texture for the baby. I've seen so many of my grandchildren who love to stroke their blankies. Hopefully, Wes will like this one also. The yarn is not machine washable, but his momma loves things organic. So, I know she'll take care in caring for the piece!

Wes will be my son and spouse's (Dan and Marcy's) second child and brother to Jake, aged 3. Marcy had a rough time having Jake three years ago, so we're praying for a simple, easy delivery this time.

Looking back on all three of my deliveries, I feel so blessed. Everyone of my children were born so easily, even the oldest (Chad) who took his time in arriving, but he was the first.

Other projects on the needles can now get going again. First up, a sweater for Lettie, the one-year old daughter of my Michigan daughter Christine. This sweater is going to be just so luscious. It's knit from a natural colored cotton and based on a pattern from Interweaves Knitting Traditions. The pattern was taken from some German miniatures and translated to make infant size 3 to 9 months. I've re sized it by using Knit Picks Simply Cotton sport weight. Will probably add some finishing touches at the neck and front lapels, when I'm done, much like Susan Levin did.

It's a little hard to image it as a sweater right now (in the picture, you are looking at the inside of the sweater, showing the right front and almost completed back.) The sweater is knit up and down, instead of from side to side like most patterns. This allows a simple P 1 row, K 2 rows, P 1 row sequence to result in these soft ridges, which should expand as this little one grows, at least for awhile (see third picture).

The last piece I want to show is a new project, which I am NOT going to start until this baby sweater and a few other things are done. Hannah Fettig has a new pattern called Wispy Cardi, which she offers as a kit on her store website, Knitbot. I chose the Malabrigo lace yarn (a soft, slightly variegated blue) to knit this in (it's much lighter than the picture below).

The kit came yesterday and it's taking all of my self-control not to start knitting right away. I may go ahead and at least swatch to get gauge, since I need to make sure I have enough yarn before it's no longer available in this dye lot. Don't get me started about Malabrigo yarn. It is SO beautiful (and SO tempting right now!). But I've promised myself to finish a few more projects before starting any more.

That's all for now. I think I'll go knit that swatch!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary; How does your garden grow?

Ahhh! Springtime at last and my garden is blooming. Want to take a tour?

Last year, our Japanese cherry tree developed some type of disease and we lost it. It was on the northwest corner, at the front of our house - a very visible spot in the landscape. And it WAS beautiful when it bloomed. Gorgeous, lush, soft pink blooms. However, not knowing what killed it, we were pretty sure we shouldn't put the same plant back there. So, yesterday, I found a Wine and Roses Weigela (wi-jel-ah) (long i sound). It's really pretty, but it's a little limp right now. Hopefully, it will pull through. It has gorgeous wine colored leaves, something I was looking for this corner of the house. The blooms are like hot pink little trumpets. Hopefully, it will make it!

Last fall, Richard dug in some double-bloom jonquil bulbs. I've always been enamoured with jonquils and, although we have tons of daffodils on our back hillside (lakeside), I was on the lookout for jonquils. These bulbs did NOT dissapoint. This spring, Richard made the circles around the trees where he planted the jonquils a little neater and added mulch. The blooms are nearly spent, but you can get the idea here. Delicate little flowers with yellow centers. Really pretty!

There's also a new "man" in the kidney-shaped flower bed. Continuing my love of sun (and moon) faces, I found this cute garden art at Earl May yesterday. He makes a nice addition by adding some height to this bed and goes well with another piece behind the "black cauldron), which also carries the sun face theme!
Finally, still under the "new" heading, I planted the area around the mailbox again with tequila sunrise portulaca. I anticipate a major battle with the local bunnies and these portulacas. Last year, they nipped them off right at the ground two days after I planted them in same spot. However, this year I came armed to do battle with ta-da, Liquid Fence. It smells awful. I just hope it scares them away. (the other plant in the picture is a mystery. I just liked the color!). The portulacas also look a little limp, but should look better in a few days. They were over-watered (they like sunny, dry places so this is a great spot, so far from the water spicket on our lot!) when I got them home from the nursery.

Other blooming activity includes allliums, coral bells, irises and peonies all ready to bloom and my favorite - Dorothy Rose columbine (in my mum's honor), which was planted 5 years ago, died 2 years later, then resurrected itself last spring when we had such a wet spring. I love the delicate pink blossoms on these plants and hope they spread under the sand dollar bush that grows just east of our garage door. This version of columbine is very rare now since columbine strains aren't usually repeated from year to year.

Finally, another plant that reminds me so much of Mom, since this is her favorite scent, is Lily of the Valley. I planted 10 pips years ago. It took them forever to get started, but now they are sprouting up everyone in the front bed, crowding out the hydrangea and coneflowers. It's a constant battle to keep them from overtaking the bed. But, ohhh, when they bloom, they make the walk up the front sidewalk a royal treat for anyone visiting our house. The scent is just luscious. I plan to pick a few and put them in a little vase for the kitchen counter so I can enjoy them.

How's your garden growing? Happy Mother's Day! Happy Spring!