What’s a Girl To Do?

What to do, what to do . . .

The news seems to be all about our leaders behaving badly. Lying, backstabbing, craven finger pointing.

It seemed sensible to visit some patriots and visionaries, and good, decent Americans.

George Washington, by Thomas Sully

Thomas Jefferson, by Jean-Antoine Houdon

Alexander Hamilton, by John Trumbull

Paul Revere, by John Singleton Copley

John Quincy Adams, by John Singleton Copley

John F. Kennedy, by Jamie Wyeth

These are not the only leaders who inspire me but I came face-to-face with this group recently.

These heroes lift me up. They were not perfect but they put country and democracy, imperfect though it may be, first.

These may not be your heroes, depending on where you live and your political leanings. But, surely, you can identify good, decent people who remind you that strong, selfless leadership prevails.

Let us focus on and be inspired by them.

Adirondack Extravaganza: The Wild Center (photo heavy!)

Nothing lights a fire under a lapsed blogger like a blog-worthy outing!

And we took a quintessential autumn outing this week—to the Wild Center of the Adirondacks.

I’ve written elsewhere about this region of upstate New York I call home. The Adirondack Park is “the biggest natural park in the lower 48 states. It can hold Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks inside its borders.” 

About 20 years ago, the idea surfaced to build a natural history museum in the ADK Park.

Does that sound boring? It is anything but!

From that initial germ of an idea came the Wild Center, an amazing outdoor/indoor set of experiences that explains, informs, and celebrates the environment in these mountains.

Making the trip in autumn gave us the bonus of a glorious drive.

The Center is in the town of Tupper Lake, about 1.5 hours by car from our house.

The otter logo

And a view from across the lake

I could relay all kinds of facts and figures but the website does that better.

I’ll just show you some photos.

Planet Adirondack, a huge globe in a darkened hall, allows visitors to see storms across the earth in real time.

The animal inhabitants of the region, some living, some still informative in their preserved states.

Art of the indigenous peoples of the region and a place to make your own art

And a display to warm the heart of a weaver.

The Wild Center opened in 2006 but just a few years ago they added the Wild Walk. And what a wild and wonderful walk it is!

The attention to deal is amazing

Lots of information

. . . and inventive ways to bring it alive

A small vignette along the way

The seat of the swing says “Soar from tree to tree”

Every inch of concrete walkway is imprinted with twigs and pine needles

Some birds stay all winter

And some birds go

The Wild Walk rises gradually from the forest floor to the level of the treetops.

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And if . . .

a serene walk is more . . .

your speed, . . .

they have that, too.

I can’t imagine a better place to teach about and honor the wonders of this region. And, even better, it’s all accessible to people of all generations and abilities!

We have many reasons to return:

• to see the otters playing in their waterfall. They were shy the day we were there;
• to see the place without marauding hordes of 12-year-olds. We arrived just as many buses unloaded kids on field trips;
• to get a photo of me on the spider web! I really, really wanted that photo  . . . but not with hordes of 12-year-olds;
• and to absorb more of the vast amount of information and experiences offered.

The lovely news is that we were given free passes to return! When we were leaving, I asked at the main desk for a phone number so, next time, we can call ahead to ask about the school trips (and avoid them!) The admissions manager overheard me and gave us passes to come back, as well as that phone number.

If you were visiting me and wanted to understand this part of our world, I would take you to The Wild Center.

And I would show you a moose:

The House at Pooh Corner as Tonic

On the drive and then the commuter rail, I checked my phone for updates. She testified he tried to rape her. He, he who wants to be a justice on the US Supreme Court, shouted he never did.

In the hotel, the next day, I watched angry women confront a senator, him in an elevator, with nowhere to hide. They cried and told him about their own experiences with sexual assault, and he averted his eyes. But he used his power to do right.

Arrogance, angst, animus, and more have been all the news.

High drama, all too common in the US these days.

What to do? How to escape, for a bit, the bad news about embarrassing elected officials and women mistreated?

The Hundred Acre Wood.

The House at Pooh Corner.

Winnie the Pooh.

Yes, sweet, steadfast, good-hearted Pooh was the antidote we chose.

The Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston, offered this respite. Their current show, “Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic,” includes dozens of drawings and letters and early editions of the books by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard.

Escaping into this world was a balm.

It was lovely to see the inspirations for our Poohish heroes—the real-life Christopher Robin, the toys he so loved.

The exhibit is perfect for children, with a few interactive spots, but nothing too tarted up or technological to take away from the simple joys of reading and being Pooh.

And it was fun to see how Pooh and pals have evolved and become a part of popular culture, not just in the UK and US but all over the world. It seems we all understand the bear and the tiger, the piglet and the cranky donkey (my personal favorite).

The best part for me was the drawings. The way Shepard experimented and played and created expression and movement with just a few pen lines.

Eventually we had to say goodbye to Pooh and Christopher Robin and the others and head back to Trump and Kavanaugh and those others in the ickier, messier world we live in.

“But, of course, it isn’t really Good-bye because the Forest will always be there . . . and anyone who is Friendly with Bears can find it.”

Thank goodness for Pooh.

Such A Tease (and the giveaway!)

Let’s see . . . what should I tell you about today?

I could tell you about:

A trip to Harvard. I felt smart there.

A historic mansion in Boston. Very posh.

Matisse in His Studio. The artist and some of the artifacts that inspired him.

I could tell you tons about the Boston Marathon.

Inspiring runners of all different abilities.

Wheelchair racers

Marine who lost a leg in Afghanistan; he carried the flag the whole way

Racers getting help from a friend

Inspiring because they were so fast.

Women’s winner–26.2 miles in just under 2:22

Ultimate men’s winner and 2nd place, neck and neck with 5 miles to go

Inspiring because they kept a sense of humor.

So many costumes and it was VERY warm out!

Great hair!

Can you see? He juggled three balls the whole way!

Inspiring because they were ordinary folk doing something extraordinary–these young women, who we went to watch, were two of 30,000!

And folks who supported every single one.

We watched at Boston College–amazing energy

Students cheered miltary runners wildly

We ALL wished we had had this idea for watching!

I could go on and on, and tell you about spring coming to the North Country of upstate New York, or the opening of our local ice cream shop, or I could give you updates on weaving, quilting, all kinds of crafting.

But I won’t. I’ll stop being a tease and I’ll tell you what you’ve been waiting to hear, eager to hear . . .

Who wins the hand-woven key fob?!

We had lots of entries, from all over the world, and I do wish I had dozens of key fobs to give away. But I had to use my random number generator to choose one of you.

I love pushing the button on my random number generator—the suspense, the anticipation, the thrill!

My random number generator said I should give the key fob to Judy, at New England Garden and Thread!

But I enjoyed hitting the button and the suspense, the anticipation, the thrill, so much, I hit the button again—what the heck!

And the generator said I should give another key fob to Jean, at One Small Stitch. (This one is sort of daunting—Jean is a weaver of many, MANY years experience! She has been supportive of my learning to weave since even before I took my first workshop.)

So, Judy and Jean, if you will email me at kerrycan2@gmail.com, with your addresses, I’ll send your gift!

And you can choose–either the key fob I originally pictured or this brown and turquoise one I’ve made since. I have two of each.

Everyone else, take heart. I like giving stuff away and, before long, I bet my fingers will be itching to hit that button and choose another random number!

Making Time for Ducklings

It’s not easy raising children in an urban environment—so many dangers and pitfalls! But with smart parents, careful planning, and the kindness of friends and stranger alike, all can turn out well.

Such is the story told in the children’s book, Make Way for Ducklings. Written in 1941 by Robert McCloskey, the book won the Caldecott Medal for “most distinguished American picture book for children” in 1942.

The story is set in Boston, Massachusetts, and that town has embraced the story and the eight ducklings, named Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack, ever since the book was published.

In the book, Mama Mallard leads her ducklings across some of the busiest streets in the city and their friend, the policeman, stops traffic to allow them to make it safely to the park.

On our recent visit to Boston, we visited the venerable Museum of Fine Arts to see the “Matisse on the Studio” exhibit. While we were there, we found the ducklings honored, too.

A gallery featured McCloskey’s delightful drawings and paintings done for several of his books for children and the ducklings took center stage.

McCloskey’s illustration

the picture translated to sculpture

Eight ducklings make their way

Then on a perfect morning walk in the Boston Public Garden, we visited the ducklings themselves, and their proud mama.

Yes, it was Easter, and, yes, those are Easter bonnets.

Don re-adjusting a bonnet knocked awry

Mama in her bonnet

The garden the ducklings call home

All her ducks in a row

Do folks make way for ducklings where you live?

Boston, City of My Heart

Do you have one favorite city that trumps all the others you enjoy?

I admit, I haven’t been to most of the cities that would come to minds. I haven’t been to Paris or Rome, or even to London, in spite of having been to the United Kingdom a number of times.

I love Dublin. I adore New York and like San Franciso, from what I’ve seen. Montreal and Ottawa have their distinct and undeniable charms.

But the city that has my heart is Boston.

If you’ve been here, hanging out with me for a long time, you knew that, because almost every time I go I seem to feel the need to write about it.

I love the history of Boston, as one of the cities where American liberty was born.

And my own family history is connected to Boston. My many-times-great grandfather lived on this exact site, at the corner of Washington and Essex. He owned this land 125 years before the Liberty Tree was the gathering spot for the Sons of Liberty. Might he have planted the Liberty Tree?!

I love that Boston is surrounded by water. For the first time, we had a view of the water from our hotel and also took advantage of the location and went on a harbor cruise.

I love the sights and sounds of Boston. Like all big cities, there’s always a festival, a gathering, lots of unusual and quirky details.

A soldier in search of a militia

Colonial chocolate making

A fog machine, fueled by human movement

A hurdy-gurdy man in search of an audience

A tuba in search of a parade

A carousel of Boston creatures

A fancy car, a Stryker, in search of admirers

But also places of quiet . . .

. . . and New England beauty

And I love the museums. We go back to the same museums every single time and visit our favorite pieces and find new treasures, like this glimpse of infinity. Each side of this work had only about 10 glass vessels in a space about one foot deep. The artist,
Josiah McElheny (American, born in 1966), created a brilliant vision—I could look all day.

I know that, when I have an opportunity to travel, I should go new places. I know I would love those other great cities and find them thrilling and intoxicating, too. I know I would expand my horizons and knowledge by visiting more, different cities.

And I know I’ll go back to Boston. In fact, I can hardly wait!

So, how about you? What city inspires your affection? Should I go there soon?

Just a Peek

A few photos of our work from this weaving week. I’ll tell you more when I can post from a real computer!

Opphamta

Leno lace

Halvdrall

Enkel Skillbragd

A Week in Motion, Making

This was a harbinger for a week of weaving to come:

We saw sheep and we saw wool. And the world’s cutest angora bunny. 

And we had the pleasure of meeting a long-time blog friend, Jennifer, of Heron Pond Designs, selling her beautiful scarves. 

Now, these are some of our creative inspirations for the week:

I hope you’ll stick around! If I can manage this mobile phone version of WordPress, I’ll show you more!

The Vavstuga Way

 

My husband and I spent last week at a most special weaving school and were introduced to the Vavstuga Way. Vavstuga was founded on the Swedish and Scandinavian styles of weaving and teaching, and offers a number of really cool workshops each year. We were there for Weaving Basics.

What is the Vavstuga Way? Well, by the numbers:

One excellent school, in two locations, in one small town in rural Massachusetts. One pretty river runs through the town.

One incredible teacher, Becky Ashenden. Becky is the founder and the heart, the soul, the electricity, the flame—choose your favorite metaphor to convey “life force”—of Vavstuga.

Eight students in a Weaving Basics course. Six women, two men, some very experienced, some completely new to the craft. All congenial and happy to be sharing the week together.

photo by Bettie Zakon-Anderson

Five days of weaving, for 10 hours a day.

Eights looms. Four projects for each of us to finish—two towels, a small tablecloth, a wool throw.

A warp in waiting

The beginnings of a blanket

Towels and tablecloths

A blanket coming off the loom

We even wove hanging tabs to match our towels!

One towel ends, another begins

Becky hands out blankets, fresh off the loom

A linen and cotton towel

Bright blanket

Classic tablecloth

Pure linen towel

Cozy warmth in the making

My finished projects

 

Three times a day the bell rang, to announce yummy meals provided for us.

Swedish fiddlers—two; dancers—several.

 

Almost too many to count:

• Lovely handwoven items to use and learn from
• Choices of colors in threads of cotton, linen, and wool
• Tools and gadgets to purchase
• Books to peruse and inspire

Innumerable

• Mistakes made by students and fixed by Becky
• Confused looks during drafting lessons
• Laughs
• Aches and pains
• Doubts about finishing
• Sighs of relief at finishing
• Thrills at bringing our work home

The Vavstuga Way, by the impressions:

Maybe there are really two aspects of the Vavstuga Way. One is based on the use of a specific kind of Swedish loom and the details of using them—setting them up, adjusting them for ergonomics, weaving on them successfully.

My husband and I don’t have this kind of loom at home so some of what we learned will go unused.

But far more important than the specifics of looms and loom dressing is the other aspect of the Vavstuga Way. I see it as an attitude toward weaving.

I brought these lessons home:

• The equipment and materials should be treated with respect but not awe. We learned to be less obsessive about each tiny detail of weaving and to focus on the larger process—good technique, quality materials, solving problems in ways that work for each of us, and our individual styles.
• Natural is better. We used only the sorts of natural fibers that have been used for millennia—cotton, linen, wool—and to fully appreciate the qualities that have guaranteed that longevity.
• Simple is beautiful. We did some of the most straightforward kinds of weaving possible and used color and thoughtful, consistent weaving to make lovely items.
• Upbeat and energetic saves the day. Becky, our instructor, taught by example. Nothing fazes her; no mistake can’t be fixed; no frustration can’t be leavened with a quick joke and positive action.
• I will worry less in the future about weaving the “right way” and using my loom the “right way.” I feel much more willing to re-think my system, to see what works for me, and be creative about what doesn’t.
• What we make is meant to be used. We slept under handwoven coverlets, wiped our hands on handwoven towels and napkins. Every meal featured different handwoven table settings, each lovelier than the last. The curtains at the windows, as well as the tieback ribbons, the cushions on the benches, the rugs, our teacher’s clothing . . . all woven by hand, all being used with respect and enthusiasm.

The dormitory, awash in handwovens

Handwoven bands

Simplicity

Table settings, used every day

And table runners, too

Handwoven curtains and tiebacks

My little bed

Even a hair dryer deserves a pretty home

Another room in the dorm

Our intense week at Vavstuga is over and neither my husband nor I have touched a loom since we got home. But we spent much of the drive home and our time since talking about weaving, thinking about it, planning for more. And we’ve admired our work repeatedly!

And, of course, we are already thinking ahead, looking at the course listings for more advanced weeklong workshops, to continue our exploration of the Vavstuga Way.

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For more information about the Vavstuga Way, visit their website and the blog Tammy Weaves, written by a member of the inaugural session of the Vavstuga Immersion program.

 

Singing the Blues

Not the chilly, grayish blue of upstate New York but the happy, warm Florida blues!

Can you guess which blue is my favorite blue?