Trip East May 2012

 When we left Arizona, the cactus were in full bloom and it was already heading towards 100 degrees.

 The beads got packed into their canvas bags, then into the trailer.  Close up the house and hit the road.  It seems to take longer each year when I keep thinking it should all be a quick system after 11 years of doing this.

Last year the little teardrop trailer got severely crunched, not once but twice and had to be replaced.  This trip a quick inspection showed that the accident had also crunched the car's hitch which meant a trip to an iron mongers for a whole new, custom made/installed hitch.  At least I got some crocheting done while sitting and waiting for the work to be finished up.  The car got more of a housecleaning than the house did before we shut down.

We were lucky to have quite beautiful weather the whole trip.  My skin said, "thank you" as we drove into Kansas, green growing things, and some humidity.  A winter in Arizona leaves me a flaky, dried out 'ol crone.  

Dodge City.... I remember reading Louis L'Amour cowboy books with my son when he was in middle school. It was fun to be able to drive through the center of Dodge City and imagine what it was like as a wide open frontier town when the Earp brothers were there.  Sort of a reverse trip as the Earps went from there to Tombstone, where I spend the winter.

I had to laugh as we followed the sign to a Scenic Overlook just outside of Dodge City.  Where else would a feed lot and beef packing plant be considered scenic.

 For once my daughter was not running off to some design show in May and we got to visit for a bit in Chicago.  This is one of the "Corncob" buildings, right downtown Chicago.  Count up 53 floors and that is where her apartment is.  It's pure 1960's inside, metal cabinets and all.  However, she did mention that living in pie slice wedges has gotten rather tiresome.  All of the apartments are triangular wedges.

 Each of those ellipses is a balcony.  If you have enough nerve to walk out and look over the railing, this is what you would see - the Chicago River.  It was rather fun to watch the series of bridges go up to let the sailboats through.  From that high up they looked like a hoard of insects moving up the river as each bridge opened.

We took a few extra days to unwind and visit the  farming family in central Illinois.  All of the planting was done for the year, as early as anyone can remember. All the away across country we kept hearing that things were 2 to 3 weeks warmer/earlier than normal.  April was the 5th warmest on record!  I love the patterns that the emerging corn makes in the fields. OOPS, the farmer in the house corrected me - it's soybeans not corn growing in that field.... tecknicalities!




Farm equipment get bigger and bigger.  Couldn't tell you what this was, but it sure was bright blue and the tool box had wrenches that were almost as long as I am tall!

I think the old wooded corn cribs are beautiful.  It's sad to know that this one is slated to be demolished.  Any one in the market for beautiful weathered barn boards... lots of them.  It was like walking into a time warp.  Inside was a huge floor scale and the central belt driven grain elevator.  Walk next door and the more modern shed was filled with 1950's & 60's tools, supplies and equipment.  Other than dusty, it looked like the farmer had just walked away

By the time we arrived in New Hampshire the yard was a total disgrace to the neighborhood. It looked more like a hay field than a lawn.  Most of the spring blooms had already passed and seed pods are all that's left.

The house is now opened up, pantry stocked, beads are put away and the lawn is partially hacked back.  Now I need to get out and deal with bushes and beach roses that need to be cut back as well as apply a liberal amount of vinegar to weeds that are growing in the drive and other places that they shouldn't.

Some of the unpacked piles on the floor will have to wait a bit to be put away as other needed errands and outside chores get done first. At least the mice didn't nest in the bed this year and it's always good to be able to sleep in a familiar bed after a diet of strange motels.

Heading East for the Summer

The beads are packed, the studio has all clean horizontal surfaces and it's time to shut up the Arizona house and head east for the summer.  We should be in New Hampshire around the 20th of May.



See you on the other side.... of the country....









I was in Tucson yesterday, celebrating birthdays with my two sisters.  For the first time I got to see the Saguaros blooming.  They are quite early this year and a beautiful sight.

AZ for NH & decisions, decisions....

 My hedgehog cactus has out done itself with blooms this year.  It's funny to watch the bees completely bury themselves into the centers and then wiggle to get back out.  It's time to start organizing and packing up for the trek to New Hampshire for the summer.  Uck, a chance look-see under the car told us that we'd better go see a hitch expert.  Good thing it wasn't left to the last moment as bad things were cracking under there.  Monday we get to go sit and wait while a local shop builds (and installs) a new hitch under the back of the car. There goes the money for a couple of extra days sightseeing.

This is the worst of my decisions..... It's all got to be sorted out and put away.  Twice a year I have a completely clean studio and can actually see all of the horizontal surfaces.  What do I think I won't work on this summer?  What goes and what stays for next winter?  I guess wire experiments will stay as the anvil is here.  Of course, bead crochet goes as I always have something strung up to work on.

I've determined that July's string-Along will be African Stripes.  Have you ever thought about what it would be like to work in only two colors? Think two 42" necklaces; one in black & white (ecru) and the other in red, brown, green, yellow, black.  A sort of Mudd Cloth necklace paired with bright African beadwork necklace.

This project has to go as it's moving along. The resin magnetic clasps are getting to the point that I think I'll have usable ones soon. Getting opaque, Bakelite colors, has not been too successful.  I've also got lots of strange dodads from the leftover resin.   Seem's it's not easy to get the right quantity mixed for each pour.

OK, it's a 7 day count down.  Today I'll run out to my Sister's Jail for the 102nd year celebration and then shut down the creative things.  Then it's sort, organize, wash, sort, pack, clean, sort, and get on the road for New Hampshire.

Native Stripes ~ String-Along

Thinking of tropical Islands?  Sue K. had Hawaii in mind when she chose her colors.  She's a little bit left to do and then plans on adding beaded flowers to the cuff bands.  Her necklace is going to stand out where ever she wears it.

Meanwhile, the eBook has been published.  You can pick your own colors and make a Native Stripes of your own.

Bead Patterns is where you will find the download for this eBook as well as many of my other patterns.  If you and bead crochet don't agree, you can find most anything you want to bead at the site. 

Now I need to start organizing for my trip to New Hampshire for the summer.  We'll be leaving in 10 days and I need to get all the beads back into their containers for the trip.