Antiquarian Books for Sale

Over the past five years, I have held onto some old books for a friend.  She told me to try and sell them if I could.  No book establishment in our small county was interested in purchasing them.  But some one MUST want them, right?

Today, I sent this brief email to Great Britain to the bookstore of Addyman Books in Hay on Wye in Wales and a similar one to Rose's Books, a purveyor of old children's books. 

For Sale:

FROM SEA TO SEA, Rudyard Kipling, copyright 1899.. very good condition; on the flyleaf it says "Mattie A. Weaver, Xmas 1899" handwritten in black ink (Doubleday & McClure Company, New York, 1899) There are TWO copies of this book, with the same handwriting on the flyleaf

ENGLISH LITERATURE , ITS HISTORY AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD, A TEXT-BOOK FOR SCHOOLS by William J. Long, Ginn and Company, copyright 1909 (The Athenaeum Press, Ginn and Company Proprietors Boston USA)(fair condition, wear on all edges and the front hard cover is well worn; pencil writing on the inside of the cover)

CHILD-STORY READERS PRIMER BY FRANK N. FREEMAN, GRACE E. STORN, ELEANOR M. JOHNSON. W.C. RRENCH, COPYRIGHT 1927 BY LYONS AND CARNAHAN - This is illustrated with color pictures. The name "Annie Laurie" is written on the fly-leaf. Very good condition.

If interested, I can provide pictures of the books in an email attachment.

I will be in Hay on Wye, Wales in October, 2010 and plan on visiting both bookstores. Hay on Wye is renown for its reputation as a book lover's haven.  "Hay-on-Wye has become world famous for its secondhand and antiquarian bookshops. At present there are approximately thirty major bookshops in the town some specialising whilst others carry general stock." (it says so here)

Maybe they will buy these books and have them in their warehouse(s) by then; one can only hope.

Refinishing An Old Cedar Chest

Since the 1970's, I have lugged throughout the U.S. an old cedar chest.  It has been with me over perhaps twenty apartment and house relocations.

But this was no ordinary cedar chest, because it once held the baby clothes of my now 91 year old father.  So the chest has to be at least close to 100 years old.  It just cannot be relegated to Good Will after being in the family for a century.

As far as I remember, it has never been refinished.  Seize the day!  It is time for the old girl to get a facelift.

Here is how she looks before the refinish:

Naturally, I had to look up "What to Do and How to Do It for old cedar chest restoration" and came up with information from several sources, including a step-by-step approach from EHOW: 

 Secure the necessary tools and materials for refinishing a cedar chest. You will need sandpaper for removing the old finish and smoothing the cedar before refinishing. You can also select a mild stripper for removing the old finish; the cedar may be old and fragile, thus requiring a less abrasive method of finish removal. Stain will not be necessary; however, you will need to purchase water- or oil-based clear finish for the chest. Oil-based finish dries faster, and water-based cleans up easier. Choose satin, semi-gloss or glossy for the level of shine that you desire on the chest. You can also purchase wipe-on or brush-on finish. Use a cotton rag for the wipe-on finish and a fine-bristled brush for the brush-on finish.

And simple advice: "A good paint stripper, a stain color that best matches the original, and finish with 3 coats of low lustre tung oil  from All Experts.

Here is a peak of a little of what was stored in the old cedar chest, if there is a bit of closet voyeur in you:

Let the elbow grease commence.  And just maybe it is time to get rid of those baby blankets from the '70's?

Your Peaceful Retreat

Thanks to Rivka, blogger of Coffee and Chemo, for this thought:

A few nights ago, my eldest and I spent some great time together.  Somehow, we got to talking about our "Happy Places." I was pleased to discover that she has such a place.

Everyone has their own "Happy Place," where they can escape within their own mind. Not everyone knows how to find it.

My Happy Place is sitting on a small hill, under a willow tree, overlooking a lake, with a small forest off to the left. (Read more here)

Rivka asks for daven (the uttering of Jewish prayers, loosely translated) after every post.  And when I read her blog, I definitely send prayers for her and her journey.  You might be interested in her story and life; she is a thoughtful writer.

It is important that we each have a Happy Place.  It could even be a short moment to stop and embrace the moment of thankfulness.  The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a favorite book that, if its principles are learned and applied, helps one "move rapidly into a significantly higher altitude where we breathe a lighter air."

Here are some places where I stop to breathe a lighter air:

Where is your peaceful retreat?

Begonias in Brussels

Brussels in Bloom (older pictures, but absolutely gorgeous in case you have not viewed these before)! This is the original website to see all the pictures, courtesy of The First Post.

Close to a million begonias were used in laying these flowers down based on a medieval design.

Bathroom Redecoration in Bordello Red

A few weeks ago I decided that our powder room needed a facelift (the PR, referred to with those inititals hereafter, is available to anyone, but actually used a LOT by those people who do not sleep in our bedrooms).

Back to the facelift of the PR, here is the only video I could come up with regarding bathroom redecoration:

That video was relatively useless regarding redecoration.  Our PR does not have an olympic sized tub, nor is it 100 square feet in size. And it does not look out to an ocean view.  In fact, it is a wee room...no pun intended.

So I decided to make a real statement and paint the entire PR red.  Yes, RED.  In other words, I made it my "bordello bathroom".

Here are a few photographs of the PR in all its red glory, along with lots of yellow and red accent accessories, and a few paintings that mirror the colors:

If you look carefully, you can see a knitted toilet topper beneath the flower arrangement.  It is from my Ravelry collection and knitted from an orange and red wool (two strands held together).  The pattern is actually a face cloth recipe, but I modified it to make it smaller and knit it up in wool.

Now who says using a PR can't knock your socks off?

Sisterhood - Rush to be in the Group!

Want to be part of the Blogger Sisterhood?  Some Days are Diamonds, a blog authored by Karen, is having a virtual party.  That means that Karen is inviting everyone to a Blogger Sorority Rush Party.

Here are the rules:

Take this picture:

Some Days says:

take the picture and create something with it. A banner, a hanging, an ATC,a piece of jewelry, a tag, a card . . . anything! Print the picture and place it in a frame - it doesn't have to be fancy! Just use your imagination. The possibilities are endless.You have inspiration all around you. After all . . . that's what our blogs do - they inspire us. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Then take a picture of your creation.

There are no rules.

Well - except one. You must be in the picture too. You can always take a self-portrait in a mirror.Because we all want to see who our "Sisters" are!  Then post your picture the day of our Sorority party on Friday - June 25, 2010

Sounds like fun, eh?

Here is my contribution, shown before the deadline!

Acrylic Yarn vs. Silk and Mohair Yarn for Ishbel Shawl

The Ishbel Shawl by designer Ysolda Teague is finished.  This piece was a fairly quick knit.  The fiber was inexpensive since its composition was 92% acrylic and 8% metallic.  The fiber was fairly difficult to work with because the knitting needles had a tendency to split the metallic fibers.  But, overall, I liked the effect of the subtle shine in the fiber.

This is the finished shawl, dimensions of 42" x 15":

Now I want to knit up another Ishbel because it was a fun pattern.

This is information about another yarn order for the Ishbel which should be in the mail (maybe today!) for two skeins of Silk Mohair Glitter Yarn in lace weight.  It will be much softer because of the kid mohair and silk fiber composition of the yarn.  In contrast to the ropey feel of the acrylic and metal of the above shawl, this yarn definitely looks softer and more cushy.  And it should have a very comfortable hand.

Artyyarns Silk Mohair Glitters specs:

Webs Yarn is the supplier of the Artyyarns Silk Mohair Glitter.

The pink color was chosen because the DH likes to see me in pink.  Awww....

Tip of the Day

If you can't be a good example,  you'll have to be a horrible warning - Catherine Aird

Jewelry Made from Silver Plated Flatware

In his retirement years, my dad made hundreds of jewelry items from plated flatware.  Not only jewelry, but also napkin rings, key chains and belts were some accessories he fashioned from old spoons and fork handles.  He sold these pieces at craft shows, always regaling the customers with stories of how the flatware came into being. 

In 1993, a Dallas newspaper wrote a story about dad's silver pieces and his crafting business.

Dad wrote several volumes of his memories, and one of my favorite stories was about Orange Blossom flatware and how it came to be collected. The gist of the story was that oranges in California were prolific, and these "delicacies" over a hundred years ago made their way from the west coast to the east coast by way of railroad.

Wm. Rogers Company cashed in on the deal of the popular oranges being shipped all over the country, and began plating flatware with orange blossoms on the handles of tableware.  In 1910, Orange Blossom was one of its most popular flatware patterns.

From Charles McCarroll's memoirs:

The railroads had refrigerator cars manufactured to carry ice in order to keep the fruit fresh. Huge ice plants were built in stations across the country. The railcars were moved slowly so that the blocks of ice could be dumped from overhead into the refrigerator cars. The citrus fruits were picked from the trees, wrapped in tissue paper and packed in layers into the special wooden boxes in order to extend the freshness of the fruit. The California citrus growers found that Wm Rogers & Sons were plating silver. They made a deal for them to plate a unique pattern of dinnerware called Orange Blossom with silver.

Our families had numerous pieces of Orange Blossom and did use them. The spoons and tines of the forks were well worn but the handles can be used for key rings

This is a photo of some of Dad's jewelry he made and sold for over twenty years.  These are just the pieces he gave me, among many others.

Traveling Woman Shawl

On several knitting podcasts and on Ravelry, the "Traveling Woman" shawl had been discussed so much that I felt like I needed to get one finished to see what the ruckus was about.

A free download of this pattern designed by Liz Abinante is available through Ravelry. Abinante says it generally finishes to the size of a 48" wingspan by 17" depth.

Here is the finished Traveling Woman in Ella Rae Lace Merino wool:

A close-up of the lace weight fiber:

After blocking, the Traveling Woman actually looks better than the picture shows.  It is lightweight and a year-round accessory.  The first blog post about this project can be accessed here.

More Magazine: "One Amazing Thing" Story Contest

For "women of style and substance", More Magazine is

the leading voice of today’s sophisticated, affluent and accomplished woman, who is enjoying the richest years of her life, sharing news and advice on beauty, fashion, health, career, travel, money and relationships from her distinct perspective.

It is a health and beauty periodical geared toward women over 40 and has been a Christmas gift for several years from my friend Kathy.  I enjoy leafing through each monthly publication as soon as it hits the mailbox.

More Magazine is having a "One Amazing Thing" story contest open to everyone with a story to tell. Here is what More Magazine says about their contest:

We all have a story.  One of my favorite stories is about the birth and subsequent decisions her father and I made about her health care in the first hours of her life.

My partial submission to the "One Amazing Thing Story Contest" (screen shot only) is this: 

 That picture on the left is of my first born (of whom I write) and me, the 20 yr. old college sophomore who was unexpectedly faced with a critical decision concerning the medical fate of this child.

This is not the entire story.  And there is yet more to write almost forty years later, but that is for another place and time.

If you would like to submit an amazing story of your own, or read and vote for others' submissions, here is the link: READ and VOTE here.

 Who knows, maybe we will get a meet-up at Barnes & Noble's  in the future.

Pentecost and Listening to Scripture in Other Languages

Today is Pentecost.

What is Pentecost? An answer from StPaulKingsville ...

Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the twelve apostles, Jesus' mother and family, and many other of His disciples gathered together in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival that was celebrated on the fiftieth day of Passover. While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads. This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29). The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many who had come from all corners of the Roman Empire. This created a sensation. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day. (You can read the Biblical account of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-41).

SIL Jack in South Carolina is proficient in speaking Spanish.  He will be reciting the verse John 3:16 (KJV) for his congregation today at Epiphany Lutheran in Spanish:

Juan 3 (Nueva Versión Internacional)16 »Porque tanto amó Dios al mundo, que dio a su Hijo *unigénito, para que todo el que cree en él no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna.17 Dios no envió a su Hijo al mundo para condenar al mundo, sino para salvarlo por medio de él.

He says that other speakers will read the same scripture in languages of English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, Latin, Greek and possibly Japanese. Jack say it will  "give the effect of the people hearing the Apostles each in their own language which would be unknown to those who don't speak that language".

Pictures from the Past

This week, collecting old family photos from the garage and various closets, I came up with eleven storage boxes of pictures and frames.  That is just too many if you don't have a library and/or you are not an historian.  It was time to pare down.

Beginning the process, with two sacks of miscellaneous black garbage sacks already filled with photo clutter and ready to be taken for disposal, here is the start of the editing:

Some of the photos I unearthed were sweet, evoking sentimental emotions, such as this studio shot taken in about 1935 of my mother, her mother and her sister( left to right).

The back of this photograph is in my brother's handwriting and says "Lela Hugeley Motley, married to Thomas Jefferson Motley, May 30, 1883" (my great grandmother from the paternal side of the family).  This was likely Lela's Motley's wedding portrait (born Novermber 23, 1859, Died July 22, 1921).

And, of course, there were pictures of home life and my kids at various stages of their childhood. I won't bother to show scans of some of those photos.

But I have to include this bizarre photograph of the tombstone for my great grandfather's FOOT from 100 years ago.

Now why in the world would one have a memorial to a part of one's body that was amputated?  Curious, but the proof is in the photo.  You wonder what the story was behind that foot...

The good thing is that several days later, I'm down to five boxes of pictures, and ready to further prune, scan and discard even more of these photos.  Thank g-d for digital cameras and scanners.

English Gardens and The Traveling Woman Shawl

Spring brings to mind, among other thoughts, the connotation of gardens.  My British friend talks about the English garden, and it took me on a search for what exists in an "English garden".

From this site:

As castles gave way to fortified manor houses in the later medieval period, the garden became a simple green space surrounded by hedges or fences. Games such as bowls or tennis took place on the lawn.

The next stage of the English garden came after the Reformation. Many landowners enclosed common land to create parks for keeping deer or cattle. This 'natural' landscape gave way to formal gardens near the house, still sheltered from the outside world by hedges or walls.

So that helped narrow down some information.  Then a search for images of English gardens brought up pictures of flowers, shrubs, small hedges, water gardens and small ponds including foliage, and a general sense of beauty and well being.  There are formal gardens, with areas cordoned off for specific plant placement, and informal gardens that include a more free-form type of planting.

In October, 2010, fifty or so travelers will visit some English gardens in London, Bath, and Wales.  I am excited to be part of this group.

We travelers will visit not only gardens, but also fiber shops and woolen mills.  Our host and podcaster Heather Ordover of Craftlit, the podcast for people who are too busy to hold a book, along with tour guide DianneRJ from Ravelry will be taking a group of crafters who love books, to London, Bath and Wales to see the sites.  Information about the fiber tour can be found here through Holiday Vacations.  I'll be on that bus, likely with knitting needles and fiber in hand, while we visit local yarn shops, museums, and castle gardens. (It is all about crafting, reading/listening to classic books, and Jane Austen, you know.)

Since it will be cool weather in England and Wales, of course we TRAVELING WOMEN will need various warm outer clothing and knitted accessories to help ward off the mist.

So which of my shawls will go along with me?  Perhaps the "Traveling Woman Shawl". Description of the shawl from designer Liz Abinante says:

Being an indecisive individual, this shawl is named after two things. First, the song “Travelling Woman” by Bat for Lashes (she’s British, hence the extra “l”). “Travelling Woman” is a song about a brilliant woman with a promising future, who loses it all because she fell in love with a man who had too much potential, and not enough substance. The edge of the shawl represents the dangerous web of love, as well as its highs and lows. Along the bind off edge, the shawl can be blocked to subtle points, or straight.

Second, the character Angela Montenegro on Bones. If you’re familiar with Angela’s character, I think the song selection makes sense: she’s artistic, a believer in love, and just the type who might get in a little too deep before she can find her way out (she did get married in Fiji to a complete stranger, after all). This is the second in a series of patterns based on the characters from the Bones television show.

The Traveling Woman Shawl is a free download found here on Ravelry.  I am about half-way through it, using Ella Rae Lace Merino yarn.  And definitely my Clapotis Shawl will go along, too.  Can't wait!

Liquin - A Good Thing

This is a product anyone who paints with oils will like:

Liquin, a...

reliable favorite (formerly known simply as "Liquin") is a general-purpose low gloss medium that improves flow and transparency. It mixes easily with the brush or knife, smoothes brushwork, and is also suitable for textured oil techniques. Liquin Original approximately halves the drying time of oil colors, resulting in a drying time of anywhere from one to five days, depending on climate, colors used, and film weight. It is not recommended as a varnish or final coat.

Applying Liquin is the final step used on the Day Lily, started in July, 2009 and what I'm considering now "almost finished".  The Liquin finish keeps dust off the picture, and lends a warmer glow to the oil colors.  This picture was taken prior to using Liquin since pictures on my camera tend to create a "shine" on the picture after Liquin is applied.

Orange Day Lily, 2010, NMcCarroll

30" x 40", oil on wrapped canvas

Prior progress on the painting of this canvas can be viewed at Floral Art, Etc.  (The original photo of the day lily from our garden will also be shown on that blog posting.)

Google Analytics

Thanks to the DH, some great information has been coming my way regarding traffic on this blog.  Google Analytics is a program that gives LOTS of statistics on who is reading the blog, from what country they are finding this blog, what the hot topics people are looking for, and other trivia which (more than likely) interests only the writer of the blog.

For instance, in the last year, looking at stats for this blog, here is a summary from Google Analytics regarding visits:

The chart above shows that over the last year, more NEW site visits originated from Canada (92%) than from the United States (79%).

And the pie chart shown above indicated that search enginges gave me 65% of referrals from key words listed in the post titles.

Lastly, to further belabor the point, one graph (above) showed that "Making Fabric Roses" was the leader in Google searches by topic, with "Sewing Prayer Shawls" coming in second.

However, the most page views came from "Making Neck Pillows", with the prayer shawl coming in second for most page views. 

Fun stuff if you like statistics, and worth checking out if you are curious about your blog traffic.

Therapy Dogs

Let's talk about Therapy Dogs International.

When friends and family ask about therapy dog and owner responsibilites and what we do, the same questions are often asked.  Here is a rundown of typical questions and answers:

Q: What are the requirements to have a dog certified as a therapy dog?
A:  The dog (and owner) must pass eleven requirements in order to be certified as a "therapy dog".

Q: So what are the steps?
A: see photo below (click on highlighted area to enlarge)

Q: Can all dogs qualify for training?
A: No.  The dog must allow petting and be unafraid of strangers, loud noises, and differing situations.  One of our dogs was not a good candidate for TDI training, and one pup was willing to be trained.

Q: How do I get started in the process of training my dog?
A: Any obedience training program is the first step in teaching your dog to comply with the requirements.

Q:  I have a yappy dog; can she be trained to work for her kibble?
A: Yes, we have a b*tch of a dog when she is at home, loves to bark and jump, etc. (sorry to have to admit this)...but on the job, she is a behaver.

Q:  How much time does this take?
A: As much time as you are willling to give.  Practically any nursing facility, hospital, hospice, school (Wagging Tails is a separate program tutoring kids in reading), special care housing, assisted living, hospital or medical clinic is willing to entertain the idea of therapy dogs.

Q: What are my responsibilites in visiting with my dog?
A: Be open to the person you are visiting.  Remember that the visit is not about your and your dog, it is to meet the needs of the person whom you are visiting.  The person you are helping generally does not want to hear about your stories or life history.   The dog facilitates conversation and contact with the client, and helps to engage the client with distraction and productive time.

If you have any questions about how you might volunteer with your animal fur friends, feel free to contact Therapy Dogs International via email or call them at (973) 252-9800.

Meadow Flowers Shawl

Ta da! Finished, blocked, and worn, here is the Meadow Flowers Shawl :

Knitter's Stash is the source of the pattern.  The book was published in 2001 by Interweave Press, and is a jewel.

Ravelry friends, all the specs can be found here.

There are a few mistakes in knitting, but they will "never be seen on a galloping horse", as my grandmother used to say.

Howling at the Moon

Ya know when you get to know somebody pretty well?  And sometimes you quit listening to EXACTLY what they are saying because you have heard it before?

My husband, author of livingthegrandlife, a (mostly) anti-politcal blog....rants.  He told me yesterday, after I kinda tuned him out during our third cup of morning coffee... "nevermind, I was just howling at the moon."

I got a kick out of that thought/statement.  How much do we all just "howl at the moon", and who really listens?

Finches and Hummingbirds

Finches feasting from a dirty well used sock (picture taken yesterday).

This is a nest from last year when  bird eggs were laid (sometime in July 2009):


We have some hummingbirds, too, but my photography is not swell, so this YouTube video shows them in bunches!  David Attenborough (BBC) shows this video:



Enjoy the spring!

Chain Stitch Scarf using Bamboo Yarn

Bernat offers a free on-line scarf knitting pattern accessed here when you sign up for their newsletter.  It is called the "Chain Stitch Scarf".  I followed the basic instructions, alternating yellow and green Bernat bamboo yarns.

Embellishments to the original pattern included a decorative picot stitch in the center of the middle stripe, and an I-cord was knitted around the perimeter in another color of green. The attached I-cord (instructions here) gives it a more finished look.

Visual instructions along with verbage regarding the picot stitch can be found many place on YouTube.  This is the link I used for the decorative picot stitch in the middle of this scarf, using a cotton sheen yarn by Berroco.

Ravelry buddies, here is the finished scarf (dimensions 52" x 7"):

This is the 2 inch lapel pin, highlighted by cobalt blue, accessorizing the scarf: