The word inspire

Sometimes I only write once a week or maybe every other week, but today I was so inspired to write again today. Why do you ask am I so inspired to write again. Well, do to a call from my older son Ely I was inspired to think of who influenced me (that's another word to think about another time.) Who has inspired me. So then I had to shrink that thought down to a couple of subjects only, knitting & spinning. What Ely had told me was, a friend of his, who may be reading, this told him that I had inspired her when she was still in her teens, when she experience seeing some of the knitting and spinning that I had done. That she now in her very early thirties has taken up the inspiring art of knitting and had her first spinning lesson just last week. I am moved, because you never think that you could be an inspiration to others, except maybe your kids, be that good or bad. I was born with the need to hold some kind of needle, be it sewing or knitting or even the crochet hook. I begged my mom for a sewing needle so I could fashion a dress for my dolls, at the age of six I learned to knit from my Mother. I then taught my friend Lynn to knit and we would sit together even then in my little rocking chairs and watch cartoons on a Saturday and knit. So I guess I could say my Mom inspired me just from watching her. Than in High school she taught me to crochet. Instead of studying in study hall I would crochet squares for an afghan.Than when the kids were little and needing some kind of use of a needle I took up knitting again. So soon I was on my way to a wonderful journey. I was so inspired by Elizabeth Zimmerman, I bow down to you. Thank you so much for inspiring me. I could go on and on about her and so could so many other people. I think some times just a smile to a stranger can inspire, or a kind hello, but to think all those years ago this young girl just happen to know a guy who's mother is a knitter and a spinner and was inspired. I'm moved to tears. Who has inspired you today? Thanks Ely for the call, you inspired me to remember that someones might be paying attention and you may not know it and not find out for years to come. Knits Plenty (spinning I'll have to tackle another day)

The new knitting fashions and coffee is good!

Well thanks to Holly, I now know what I'm going to knit soon! This is whats showing on the N.Y. run ways. Boy let me tell you I'd even get looked at oddly here in this valley where the is already lots of oddness around. Well I'm really glad someone has the visions for the good taste we all should have. So while I'm thinking about what to knit, I'm also thinking about my espresso that I allow myself when I lose weight and think of the fun I have with my beautiful Granddaughter when we go have coffee at Cool Beans in Twisp. She always gets a snickers, mm mm. Last night was line dancing and we had a very productive time and lots of fun. My brain and feet actually connected. This doesn't happen often so I'm a little concerned. Not really! We did find out we have something to look forward to since we really don't have any were to line dance around here. We are going to have a dance on June 1st. with a band for doing dances like line and swing etc. So I'm really looking forward to that. So we had some snow again last night, but I sill got up and went to T.O.P.S. What a great group of people, I really enjoy their enthusiasm and their spirit and compassion when someone really needs it. Now I must get off and decide what I'm taking to knitting today, I've got one mitten done and just started on the next, they are so cute and fun. I leave the shawl for quiet times, soft music and no interruptions. So have a great rest of the month cause it is soon to be March. Love always, Knits Plenty

Ok, Ok , so I jumped the gun

Well it seems it's still winter here. So I jumped the gun a couple of blogs ago. Talking like spring was around the corner. Ha, I was wrong. Yesterday I was going to over the Loup Loup to Omak to catch a ride to Connconully to go spinning with my Omak guild. Well I got up early and started to get ready and about 15 min. later it started to snow. This is Sunday morning and it hasn't stopped yet! We have gotten about 5 in. Which isn't allot unless your tiered of it. This does give a new opportunity to play in the snow before it's all gone.So yesterday I spent most the day working on my shawl, I'm all most out of the tress, thank goodness. So it's back to plowing snow. You know I think it's really pretty and so I think I'll enjoy it after all. The last post I made with the recipe search,is my friend Holly who has a great web site called Heritage Recipes.com Shes looking for these recipes so if anyone out there knows about this let her know. The pictures are a comparison of the snow last week till today. Well what should I do today? Oh I know after I do all those things that have to be done I'll knit.Diana

Old Recipe Detective: Artichoke Foam, Pumpish and Apple Sour Cherry Pie

Old Recipe Detective: Artichoke Foam, Pumpish and Apple Sour Cherry Pie

You know it's not to long when...

You know it's not to long when you see the sun hit the top of McClure at sun rise that spring isn't to far from now. Also when the snow starts receding and Jr. can get really close to the bird feeder. The quail have been showing up, this too is a sign. Today has been a good example of how not to get to excited, started out very sunny and right around noon it started to snow, that was a short spurt and now the sun is shinning. Lonny was planning on going to Omak to pick up some lumber, so we checked out the new traffic cam on the loup loup hwy.There was snow on the road, but not bad, so he's off to give it a try.

Been working on my shawl, it's been difficult cause it's so easy to make a mistake no matter how hard you try to keep track. I'll hang in there. I'm also knitting a pair of mittens from some yarn and a pattern my friend Katie gave me, and there really cute. Their done with a skein of sock weight yarn and a skein of lace weight mohair held together, I think I might try this with a sock patt.

I'm heading to town to get my hair done (wash away the grey) looking forward to that. Then off to knitting at the Catholic church.

Last night was my third class at line dancing. My brain just wouldn't connect to my feet. Your teacher assures us it takes allot of practice for it to come natural.

Tomorrow is weaver & spinners guild, and we are going to watch the video done by Judith McKenzie spinning exotic fiber.

Saturday I'm going to Conconully to spin with my guild over there, I all ways look forward to that.

Because I've been so lazy about blogging, I think I forgot to mention that a week ago Jens came over, just for the night to get help from his Dad on his brakes of his car. We had a very fun visit. Jens went with me to line dancing but he watched his ole mother trying her best.

Hope to hear from you! Love Diana

Thinking, how lucky am I !

Today for some reason I'm thinking , how lucky am I . Well I have a great husband who enjoys what he's doing and finds pleasure in knowing I'm doing the things I love to do. I have great kids, who are adults (most the time) and are very different in their own ways but I love them both and I'm all ways surprised when I all most sure they think I'm pretty OK too. I think, how lucky am I for having the best Grand daughter ever born! There are so many things I want to share with her. How lucky am I for having so many great friends, each with their own ideas to share and to except me for me. I'm so lucky to live were I do, to be able to drive down the hwy and stop to watch a bald eagle fly by. To see the beauty all around me. I am grateful for all of this. So I begin to think of the things that I have to look forward to in the coming months, like my Dad coming over here for the summer and how lucky I am we still have him here to be in our lives. How lucky I am to have spell check, cause without it whom ever reads this would be going crazy by now. So today was one of those rare days to take note of these things and share them with the people I love. Knits Plenty (Diana)

Yes it's true the snow is

The snow is melting! We're trying not to get to excited, but it's warmed up and there's hope for it to be gone. Don't get me wrong we like the snow but the cold weather that comes with it has worn on every ones nerves here in the valley, Every were I go that's what I hear, "boy will I be glad when the snows gone and the temps rise".

Well It's really been a long time since I have posted, but this time of year is so slow. There is one thing that I've been doing and that's line dancing with my friend Diana. It's for beginners and boy are we that. It's fun and great exercise. The picture of Diana and I was taken at the class, but the guy taking the picture didn't get our feet in so I'll try to get a better one. Lets see, oh yes I made a trip to Whenatchee, and think I'm jinxed cause after arriving there at ten am I shopped at a store called ShopKo for about an hour, I went out to my car and had a flat tire. So I called Les Shwabe to come and put air in it. That took an hour for them to show up, then I had to go to the store to get the problem fixed and that took an hour. That's two hours out of the short amount of time I have to get home before dark. It takes 1 1/2 hrs. to get there, so the hours your on the road is 3 hrs. So anyhow I decided not to let it bother me.

I added a picture of Jr. warming his tummy in front of the fire place, your sooo cute , we love Jr.

Yesterday was Spinners and weavers guild, and this time every year the second Thursday of the month we all ways have a little party to break the winter up a bit. This is so fun because everyone brings a container of things they don't want , or things they want to share, or junk. It was great fun cause people can steal things from you if it's something they want. I ended up with some very nice weaving cotton and in great usable colors.

Tomorrow is spinners in Omak, at Sandra's house. So I'll probably leave a little early to shop at Safeway and Wally World. Can't believe it's been a month all ready since I've been. Looking forward to it.

So what have you been doing to get through the winter? Knits Plenty (Diana)