Feasting in Brussels

Greg and I took a trip to Brussels this weekend--it's only 2 hours away by train. I should probably tell you about the interesting sights, but all I can think about is how good the food was. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that Brussels has quite the French flair and atmosphere, and this extends to the food. The food is, in short, delicious and well prepared. The beer and pastries are especially divine. Above you see our lunch--steak tartare and the famous pommes frites for Greg, and a filet mignon for me.

Then there are the amazing Belgian waffles...I just never knew what all the fuss was about. Now I do, and I want to go back and eat some more. Here I am buying them from a truck--they are everywhere--after a museum visit.

How to describe them...they may just look like ordinary waffles, but they are more a cross between a cake, a doughnut and a waffle. They are a bit sweet, a bit doughy and a bit chewy. You can get all sorts of toppings on them; above we have caramel, below, strawberries and chocolate. Yes, they do that.

As Greg and I were wiping the chocolate from our mouths after sharing one of these delicacies, I happened to look over at a woman sitting near us, who was also enjoying a waffle. She and I looked directly at each other and both said, at the same time, "This is just so good." It was funny to connect over waffles like that.

The Falls in Spring, March 2014

Picture taken by Pava Young

For the past two years I've posted about our tremendous Falls in the spring, and here they are again. The video from last year will give you a feel for how powerful they are: Last Year's Video

Drachenfels...and a Translated Song

Before Greg left to return to Spokane in January, we took a day trip to "Drachenfels" near Bonn on the Rhine. We took the train to this little town

and then hiked a few kilometers up the hill

until we got to the top where we found this famous ruin from the 1100s called Drachenfels. I used to walk up this hill with my German grandparents when I would visit them in Bonn. There was a cafe at the top (there still is, but it's bigger now and not as quaint), and we would have refreshments while my grandmother recited poetry by Heinrich Heine, who wrote beautiful verses about many things, including the Rhine.

The day was gorgeous, no clouds in the sky, but there was haze below, so our picture is a bit fuzzy.

                                      

On the way down we enjoyed the view of this castle, Drachenburg, built in 1882.

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Here's a link to my translation of a song by Bettina Wegner that was published in an online journal called Ezra. The title and the tune of the song are taken from Buffy St. Marie, but Bettina Wegner wrote her own words. You'll have to scroll down a ways to get to it.

http://www.ezratranslation.com/Spring_2009.html

The Blue Rider

Painting by Franz Marc

After our fabulous week in Berlin, we wanted to keep on doing fun and interesting things, so we continued on to Munich. The highlight there for me--besides seeing a couple of friends, including the wonderful Pickls--was a visit to the Blue Rider collection at the Lenbachhaus. The Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter) is the name given to a group of artists who produced many vibrant paintings like the one above during the years 1911-1914. It is considered to be part of the Expressionist art movement and ended when World War I broke out. Check out this link if you want to read more about the Blue Rider group and the Lenbachhaus: http://www.lenbachhaus.de/collection/the-blue-rider/introduction/?L=1

When I was living in Munich I was never able to see this huge collection of paintings because the Lenbachhaus was closed for renovations. It was really neat to be able to see it this time.

Just Some Knitting Stuff

I recently purchased this enormous knitting bag, and it is so handy and so pretty to look at. At the risk of sounding horribly consumeristic and like a spokesperson for the "Vera Bradley" company, these bags are wonderful. They come many sizes and shapes, and if you sign up for the mailing list, you get a coupon for lots of money off. Then you are hooked, I guess. As you can see, the bag has several pockets inside and holds a ton of stuff.

Here's a top I recently finished, made of a light worsted weight wool and linen blend yarn--Berroco "Linsey." The pattern is the "Aria Shell" by Angela Hahn, in the spring issue of Interweave Knits.

And here's another finished project--yes, one more mini-shawl/scarf. You can't have too many of these! They are a blast to make and are just so pretty and practical. But actually, I do end up giving some away; I can't wear them all. (As always, let me know if you like something I've made, and I'll make one for you, in the colors you like!)

The yarn is a DK weight, plant fiber and cotton blend from Queensland Collection, "Haze." The pattern is called "Ripples," by Annelie Wallborn. (You can find it on Ravelry.)

Bitty's Adventure

Friend Pava sent me these pictures with captions about our cat Cleo, aka Bitty. Pava graciously took Bitty when we moved into our apartment since cats are not allowed here. Bitty did not find it easy to adjust to a new environment, even though she gets better care and more attention than she did before, but now it looks like she has finally settled in!

Bitty goes exploring

She ponders where to go next

Perhaps this is a nice place

I think I'll rest a bit

Please don't talk while I'm resting

Yes, this is very nice

Ah, this is bliss

Bountiful Guemes

A quick trip to Guemes this year...it was much too short. We weren't able to do very much of our usual to do list. But we did get berry picking in. There were so many sweet juicy blackberries that it didn't take us much time at all to fill four large containers full. The berries were only for the usual cobbler, so it quickly became evident we had too many. Thus I decided to try my hand at making jam once we got home. I actually made jam and canned it, according to the directions on the Sure-Jell. I'm very proud of myself--the jam is really good, and every taste evokes Guemes.

More Guemes pictures are here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113184482922293853875/albums/5786365924290838193?gpinv=AMIXal-_o62Y88QRpmqOByTCcjyIKxpkGMTwfWGuyjgdqxOaQfSVWcIe8rHfHp0trmBSz5zps0rgkoPhiM7XJJXF1OxthIyE5aGBbdxCNhz_SlLA_AA-a40&authkey=CKnH64-Y2cyRXw

Finished Project Roundup

Good friend and favorite knit-wear model Josie is back in Spokane for a bit, so we took some photos of a few of my latest projects. Some of these have appeared here before, but I can't resist showing them again so nicely modeled. The pictures were taken in our apartment--you can get a sense of the spectacular view I've been wanting to show you.

Lola Little Colonnade

Quick Sock Yarn Scarf

Quick and Cozy Cabled Cowl

Simple Ribbed Shrug

1812 W Riverside Ave. #402

Here are some pictures of our new apartment...

Dining area

Kitchen

Living, dining, study area

Same as above, looking the other way

Master bedroom

Spare bedroom

Pictures of the view to come! It is cloudy and overcast today, so the pictures don't look too great.

A Finished Project and a View

I've been meaning to post some project notes and pictures, and I've also wanted to post some pictures of our new apartment, especially of the view. I do still intend to do all that, but in the meantime, here's one finished project picture that shows the view too. I chose this shawl to knit because it has an easy lace pattern and because it is full-sized--many of the little shawls I've made are more like scarves, and I do love them, but I thought it might be nice to have one I could really wrap up in. The pattern is called "The Traveling Companion" by Karen Strauss (available on ravelry), and the yarn is undyed baby alpaca from Cascade Yarns ("Eco Alpaca").

Down below the trees in the picture is the Spokane River!

And here's one more shawl picture with just a bit of a view:

Simplify and Exclude

Conrad gave us a tip for taking photographs recently, and I can't stop thinking about all the things in life it applies to. The rule is "simplify and exclude," and he showed us how this works with the flower pictures below.

"Simplify and exclude" applies to our sorting project now that we finally sold our house and are moving to a two-bedroom apartment. We are going from over 4000 square feet to around 1100, so we have to downsize in a big way. We will store some things, but we really want to use this opportunity to get rid of the years of accumulated possessions, especially things that haven't been used in ages, but also things that are just sentimental. It's a bit radical, but it feels good to get things down to the bare essence.

I think "simplify and exclude" applies to poetry and many other creative endeavors too. A good poem, no matter how adorned with mystery and metaphor it may be, can be stripped down to one simple thought, reflected over and over in each part of the poem. What makes it good is what is left unsaid in the poem.

Imagine how the rule applies in clothing (and knitting) design!

I had to translate these songs by Bettina Wegner in a more explicit way than I think was appropriate, due to rhyme and rhythm constrictions; a lot is left unsaid in the German (see page 13): http://www.ata-divisions.org/LD/newsletter/2012/SourceSpring2012.pdf

Spring in Spokane

We here in the north wait a long time for color to come back into the landscape, but when finally does, it is stupendous! Flowering plums line our street:

And the rhododendrons are out in their full glory in our back yard:

Another huge spring event is the raging of the Spokane River due to the spring snow melt and heavy rains. Be sure to turn up the volume on the video to get the full effect.

What the Boys Are Up To (and a Cute Cat Picture)

Today a little family news. Conrad has been working in a medical lab since graduating a few years ago with a degree in biology, and he recently passed the exam to become a certified histologist. Congratulations, Conrad! We are so impressed with all his accomplishments and also with his lively social life in Seattle. What a cool thing to live in such a great city and to be able to enjoy it with friends.

When Dad visited recently, Conrad showed him around Seattle. I hear they had a great time!

Dad on Ferry in Seattle

Chris had been living at home until recently since returning from his big New Zealand/South Pacific trip in the fall, and he's been doing some interesting things too. He worked a lot of hours at the grocery store where he used to work and saved money for another trip. Now he is on the road with his girlfriend Jo, and they are making their way down the West coast and hope to eventually travel in South America. Chris taught himself Spanish in his spare time and composed music. 

Chris took the "cute cat picture" of our cat Bitty while still at home. She has a thing for sinks. 

Seals and Such

View from beach at La Jolla, CA

We spent a few glorious days in Southern California (Laguna Niguel) visiting Greg's parents and sister. The weather was stunning. Even though we haven't had a hard winter here, it IS still cold and cloudy a lot of the time. To bask in sunshine and warm air for a few days was a nice change of pace. Our time was short there, so we didn't get in a lot of activities, but we did manage to drive to La Jolla one day and see the high surf and the seals lolling about on the beach.

Seals resting on beach at La Jolla

Conrad is learning how to use a special filter on his camera that compensates for the bright sun. He took some fantastic pictures like these:

Church in La Jolla

And here's a nice tree in a park near the house in Laguna Niguel:

Here's the link to see all of the pictures Conrad took on our trip: https://picasaweb.google.com/juliewinter6/LagunaLaJollaJan2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCN_Hx7PNsa6-zAE#