Journal to a Muse

Best Pre-Christmas Trip
I am SO fortunate to have such wonderful family. I spent last weekend with my daughter, son and future daughter-in-law. I feel like Sally Field: "They like me, they really like me!" and I am so grateful.

I also loved being Blue in Blue states! There were towns that hadn't sprawled all over each other. Houses that weren't churned out by developers with ham-handed cookie cutters.

DD and DS and I spent a day in Providence checking out the architecture, and shops. CoMina had a wonderful variety of American made and imported folk art, crafts and decorative items. They had Vermont made pillows with hooked yarn designs (I was partial to a moose), and rugs that should have been wall hangings or quilts.

I also enjoyed The Runcible Spoon..which had stationery from some favorite printers. I was less impressed with the local yarn store. (WHY did they stock yarn AND winter weather gear? It was not a logical combo by my reckoning... and the clothes made it hard to believe they had the "right yarn." (One of the staffers was wearing a beautiful silk and bamboo sweater though... gorgeous drape.)

I knew we were in for something when I spied this fellow outside a place called Kyureo.

















Inside we saw this cow, a jackalope, and some very fat babe ornaments. Everything was good natured, whether it was in good taste, or not.























Since we'd had a substantial breakfast at the Quncy Marriott (highly recommended! be sure to ask for Susan to wait on you), we made "lunch" out of coffee at Starbucks and proceded to the grocery store where DD and DS picked up ingredients for HOMEMADE chicken parmigiana and salad. DS was a whiz with 10 spices in the sauce. Stella D'Oro did the honors for dessert while DD, DD's BFF, DS and DS' fiancee and I played Scattergories. DD's BF was the winner by a long shot.

In the interest of their anonymity I won't post photos, but trust me when I say that it warmed my heart to see brother and sister cooperating in the kitchen.

Saturday DS and future DIL did a Silver Line tour of Boston.

I enjoyed seeing the USS Constitution and talking to the very handsome SeaBee on duty there. He knew everything we could think to ask about the ship and seemed happy to tell us. We must have been VERY dull after his 900+ days in Iraq. He, however, seemed to be looking forward to going back.

The rigging was impressive. The woven nests of lines were works of art. The cannons were impressive machines. The art of war is very different when it is "up close."

































The three of us did some chatting, philosophizing and bonding over mac and cheese at Ned Devine's. I'd have had some Bass Ale if I weren't SO tired. The lights were beautiful and FINALLY the temperature began to drop a little. I kept getting over heated in the balmy temperatures.








Sunday was a day of recuperation after the MBTA adventures and walking. Monday was my travel day to return home.














Of course I had to look for one more yarn store! I found The Snow Goose in Milton.


It was worth the effort. Knowledgeable help, friendly women and inventory spilling everywhere. I was particularly impressed with all their samples.












I knit on the plane (mostly fixing a mistake I made while watching DS's dog and cat do a Peaceable Kingom tableau) and am ready to fuse the bottom of the Circumnavigated Cardigan and add the bottom band. I think rather than ribbing, I'll just put a few rows of garter stitch on... It will hang more like a jacket that way.