A Week to Remember September 2001
It’s a blank screen as I sit here staring at this machine with the deadline looming in front of me; however, this week at the Windy Knoll has been much like anybody else has had – one of grief, horror and concern. Life on the farm (as everywhere else) has to go on and I tried to carry on with the usual chores, but it was hard to break away from the TV.
Its hay cutting/baling season and John has been busy. He thinks as soon as the hay is cut he has to begin what he calls “fluffing.” He explains to me (over and over) that this scatters the blades and the drying process will be faster – which means the baling can be done earlier and job completed quicker. Anyway, he spends lots of time fluffing. I read somewhere that “lucky is the man who has a barn full of hay and a fat wife.” Wow! John has to be the luckiest man in the world.
We continue preparing for our annual plant sale. There’ll be lots of shrubs such as Beauty Berry, Sweet Shrub, a few yellow flowering Sweet Shrubs and a variety of other native plants. Of course, we’ll have hellebores, too. We hope plant lovers will visit, shop and tour the shade garden.
The second of three quilts is in the frame. Two friends came and quilted with me one afternoon and I completed the first one and now have the binding on it. You may remember these are tops made from our deceased granddaughter’s clothes and I hope to quilt the three. That way each of her little girls can have one. The pattern for all three is nine patch, which is just a simple pattern made of squares. Each block consists of nine squares (patches) and the blocks are separated by what we call stripping, and then it has a border around the edge.
Another project I’m struggling with is the knitting of Christmas stockings. I have been knitting for years; however, I’ve never carried colors and knitted in the designs. I can make the design after the knitting is completed by using a duplicate stitch, but I want to learn to carry colors. It’s highly possible that I will wind up in the “bug” house though. I have raveled out one stocking completely and have two others started and on hold. I’m not happy with how they look. My friend brought a stocking her aunt had made and I want mine to look like hers (auntie has been knitting these stockings for years and selling them for $75 each). At this point – I don’t’ believe $75 is enough. I’m not interested in selling – just want to do some for family – but now wonder if I really want to do that! I don’t understand why I want to learn to do so many different things. NOTE: As of Christmas 2012 I’ve knitted 23 Christmas stockings.
Christmas Stocking
This mind keeps going back to the happening of the week (9/11). Our eldest daughter teaches for Oracle and flies all over this country. Last week we were fortunate that she was in Atlanta, where she lives. Would you believe this week she is teaching in Boston and staying at the Westin Hotel where the terrorist spent their last night? Worry? Of course, but we refuse to discourage her as this is her job and she loves doing it. She was given the option to go by train or drive. She refused and said, “I’ll continue to fly.” We admire her spunk – not everybody could continue in this manner. Of course, the terrorist want us to be afraid and quit being free – if we stop, then they will have won. We must not give in. John was in WWII and we remember Pearl Harbor. Such is life at the Windy Knoll with its style of country living.
John’s Stocking