My Favorite Season

Fall is my favorite time of year.  As the green turns to brown and the flowers die away, I love how the leaves change color and transition us into cooler weather before we actually get snow.  I happen to love cool weather - a sweatshirt and jeans suits me just fine. 

This past Friday night, Ted and I went to Duluth, Minnesota.  We love Duluth, and love to see Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes.  A HUGE freshwater lake.  It's beautiful, yet terrifying depending on the weather.  We always visit the maritime museum, the lighthouse, and Canal Park.  We did some shopping and antiqueing, and then had lunch.

The lift bridge allows the large ships to come through - a popular sight for tourists with the shipping schedule posted on monitors to always know when the next ship will be passing through.

On Saturday, we headed way up to northern Minnesota to a State Park and another stay in a camper cabin.  We love the little cabins and the hiking in the parks.  Bear Head Lake State Park is about 120 miles from the Canadian border.  I love to pretend I'm a photographer and try for some good pictures.  Hubby is patient, but gets way ahead of me sometimes while I'm diddling around trying to get just the perfect shot.   No crafting, baking, sewing, or tatting.  Just the smell of fresh, fall air!  This is the rest of the weekend from my camera:

This glacial area makes for very rocky hiking!

The leaves are beginning to change

Tall Norway Pines

He thinks he's so funny . . .

These trees just intrigued me - orange, red and yellow all right together.

So beautiful.



Clunies and Junk

Clunies.  I've been trying.  Really.  Michelle and I thought it would be fun to try clunies at our last Twin Cities Tatters gathering.  I have the idea, I just can't quite get the shape right.  These look absolutely terrible, I know.  Need. More. Practice. (And more coordination, apparently.)

I thought I'd take a little break from the clunies and make some of Elizabeth's cute little cross bookmarks. 

These are in Size 20 Lizbeth, and were a quick, feel-good accomplishment after the frustration of trying to get those clunies!  That's my little bit of tatting for this week.  I got a little sewing done and made some hot pepper jelly, but otherwise the weather was just too wonderful to be inside.  My kind of temperatures - upper 70'sF/low 80'sF during the day, and 55-60F at night.


Junk. I did spend a day this week 'Junking'.  Yes, Junking.  Can you believe it?  I didn't know there was a name for my fascination with old stuff. Some friends and I went to a Junk Market held in a garden center.  The "junk" is all old stuff - either repurposed or ready for one to do it.  Old architectural pieces, frames, doors, ceiling tins, pulleys, pails, keys, license plates, doors, burlap sacks, bird cages - the rustier the better!  (The 'Shabby Chic' look has gone to a new level.)  I've always loved vintage/antique things, but I never really thought about repurposing a piece or (gasp) cutting it apart to make something new.  Most of the things really have no value anyway, so why not?  It's different than antiqueing.  It's junk made new again :)

These are the few things I came home with:

A couple of old wooden drawers from some old cabinet, and a burlap sack.  I can see thread in these drawers, and I'm not sure what I'll make with the burlap.

And this old tin:

Crazy, right?  We'll see what I come up with. 

Here are a few "junking" blogs I've seen if you're interested in seeing more:

Cottage Elements
Funky Junk Interiors
Artsy Fartsy Junk Finds

I do NOT need another hobby.  Hehehe.

Marines and Baseball

Today we took the train to downtown Minneapolis to watch the Minnesota Twins play baseball.  Hubby, me, daughters and one boyfriend waited for the train.

 

We are Twins fans, but they are NOT doing well this year :(   However, today was a special Twins game for another reason.

Today, 24 new enlisted Marines were sworn in just before the Twins game in a pre-game ceremony.   This is significant to us because my brother-in-law was a member of the original "Twins Platoon", 150 new Marines sworn in at a Twins game in 1967 and whisked off to boot camp before the end of the 4th inning, and heading to Vietnam by Christmas.   The 24 new Marines are a "new" Twins Platoon.

My brother-in-law threw out the ceremonial first pitch after the swearing in of the new Marines.  There were 6 original Twins Platoon members honored there, and a moment of silence held for one that passed away just recently.

One of the original Twins Platoon members wrote a book (titled the same) a few years ago, and the group was honored at a Twins game we attended  back on their 40th anniversary in 2007.  It's very emotional - my brother-in-law was in some of the biggest and worst battles of Vietnam.  We are glad he's here and able to be honored all these years later, as well as welcome and encourage the new, young Marines.

There was a little teasing that the pitch might not make it to the plate, but when all was said and done, the pitch was in there!  My hubby (on the left) and his 'famous' brother enjoyed a few laughs during the game when the pressure was off.

And we enjoyed the rest of the game on a beautiful, sunny 70 degree day. 



The bottom of the 9th kept us hoping until the last out, but we lost.  Boo.

Then we hopped the rail and headed home.  Being silly, as usual.  Well, two of them were being silly.  Why do kids ALWAYS make faces in family pictures?  LOL.

All blessings to our soldiers everywhere.  We know your sacrifices.  Best wishes to the new Twins Platoon - we hope to see one of you throw out a ceremonial first pitch someday!

~Cindy