indigo sea (and edited to add, camp cookies!)

...and a brilliantly full moon sailed placidly on an indigo sea... 'the hills is lonely by lillian beckwith'. 

(can't recommend ms beckwith's books enough)

we're leaving, a week of camping, possibly a hotel in between our destinations, that will be a very welcome bed and bath since we'll likely be hiking too! home is not as much missed anymore with the children grown and gone, but the sea, that is another story...the above image is available here if you

 have a need for the ocean too,

 and for the kind requests (thank you!),

 more embroidered project bags are slowly

 coming together and will be 'in shop' when we return.  

will miss you, if given half a chance, will try to visit,

 and post 'from the field'.

have a brilliant (new moon) week! lori xxx


 *  *  *

i forgot! would you like to see one of the foods i'm making
to bring on our camping trip?

a recipe to share, it came without a name (thank you tammy) so chuck and i
have been calling it camp cookies, perfect for packing, for meals on the go! and the best
part, they only require three ingredients, and so simple, although additions may be added
for taste or preference. here they are:


camp cookies

 three ingredients :  two bananas mashed, one cup of oats and a quarter cup of walnuts, chopped

 mix

 drop by tablespoon on a cookie sheet

bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, cool on rack (or counter, these cookies won't mind)

i would like to eat these right now, they smell SO good baking, but they are going in that container, to come with us. that's it! so simple, nutritious and delicious. sometimes i add grated apple,
or raisins, usually cinnamon too. it is all good  :)

heartstoppers

heartstoppers are gracing the ends of my knitting cables in the above photo, made to keep a work in progress from falling off when interchangeable needles are removed, very cute and handy! made by addi, find them here. they are holding the body of a cardigan, a cardigan waiting patiently for sleeves (pictured in the foreground), which are slow going. this is the first time i've knit colorwork inside out and backwards, well, reversed, i have to stop and think about what to do! it's such a pretty effect, almost like watercolor, i'll share more soon!

i made a dress, so inspired by lovely nicole's. it's blue chambray, soft, so comfortable, i've worn it already three times since making it last week! pattern by jenny gordy, it's good to be sewing again, after many years. i have material for another, this one was for much needed practice. jenny made it easier to come back to dress making though with her beautifully written directions and pattern (she is very beautiful and inspiring too). owen really wanted to be in the photo, he promised to behave and he even posed!
wiksten tova pattern found here

a parcel arrived, all the way from western isles, scotland . inside were, five classic books by lillian beckwith. stories of hebridean crofters (farmers) a treasure beyond words. oh such a treat. jacqui, the barefoot crofter that sent this package, also included a rosette pin, crafted from harris tweed, hand woven in the outer hebrides, and a length of harris tweed material, hand woven also by John Maclean in Garynahine, from the next township over from her. and a bar of organic hebridean seaweed soap. Tapadh leat, ( i looked up) gaelic for thank you very much, dear jacqui.

project bags! more embroidered 'yarn along' project bags have been stitched, i love making them, maybe one for you!  they'll be in my etsy shop soon. my embroidery threads are almost thirty years old, still as vibrant as when i wound them, having them out again is happy making.

it's time to put out woolly bits for nesting birds, i'm almost certain i saw one little house finch fly by with a scrap!

thirty three years ago last week i became a mother. happy birthday my girl. thank you and LOVE always. she went snow skiing in utah to celebrate, i can't stop looking at the photo of my grandchildren on the ski lift, by themselves! their second time to ski!
thank you thank you for coming by, for all the kindness you always show. xxx lori

joining with ginny and yarnalong

in print

a few weeks ago i received an early birthday present

(thank you honey! my birthday's not till may)

this limited edition anniversary book: 

Ninety Nine Years Leica - A Company History

a tribute to Leica, from the product review:

"it does not provide technical details, instructions nor statistics. It directs an emotional spotlight on 99 years of passion and enthusiasm for a small camera developed by Oskar Barnack in 1913/14. "

having had a serious crush on Leica cameras since

 high school, when i first began taking photos, though not being able to afford one of the luxury rangefinders, (i do own the C-Lux 2, Leica's small point and shoot)

owning this book is the next best thing. 

it is gorgeous, inspiring, i LOVE it

and

in NYC we visited the Leica Gallery!

it's difficult to time exhibits, but we were able to see

Thomas Hoepker Heartland - An American Road Trip in 1963

if you click on this link there is a slide show featuring a few of the gallery photos. we

really liked John Dominis's photographs of Frank Sinatra and Steve McQueen,
The Chairman of the Board

and the King of Cool

if you go:

Leica Gallery

Address: 670 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

Phone: (212) 777-3015

Hours: Saturday 12:00 pm - 5 pm

and

 and this week, this came in the mail! the kind folk at Lonely Planet Traveller magazine
 sent a copy of the April 2013 issue. 

 my photo's is in it!

the editors asked for a paragraph explaining the image, this is what i wrote:

'Half way into our three week self drive circumnavigation of Namibia, we arrived in Damaraland on the top of the Etendeka plateau. one of the reasons we had traveled to this arid country was to see the OvaHimba, one of the last remaining semi nomadic tribes in Africa. We arranged for a guide to take us into the Kakoveld

and the Himbas. At the end of a thrilling day, we arrived back at the lodge tired yet inspired and found

we had the option to take an evening game drive out on the plateau. Rest could wait! We were rewarded

with views of Africa's version of the Grand Canyon and the Klip River Valley below. We viewed plentiful wildlife including the mountain zebra, springbok, jackel and the regal oryx (pictured). The plateau was an expanse of grassland reminiscent of the serengeti. We sat, watching the sinking sun make silhouettes of the grazing beasts, unaware or unconcerned of our presence. The grandeur of place, the peace, the wild, this photo takes me there. This is why we return to Africa.'

so honored, it's really so exciting. i love this publication. there is one small thing...they changed my words a bit, the last sentence in the magazine, where it's written, 'we will always return to africa'. my husband, an editor himself, says that happens, though i still say these words, 'this is why we return to africa'. it is a humble and most grateful feeling, not to be expected or taken for granted and i don't know we will return. 

 Thank You Lonely Planet Traveller, and awesome, kind Editors! Thank you dear husband,

going to read my new magazine (NYC cover!) and gorgeous book now.

day off

i went to the beach on my day off yesterday. it is so nice when it's empty, though, soon, as the weather warms there will be a patchwork of towels, blankets and people here. i was alone for awhile, read my book, knit and made a vase out of hollow bamboo and filled it with beach daisies, sand verbena and a seagull feather (i left it in the sand when i left, for someone to find and enjoy). then a girl and her dog came down. she moved far down the sand, spread her towel and lay in the sun. her dog played in the surf, chased the ball she threw and then, when she fell asleep, her dog paid me a visit. winston (i found out his name when the girl came running over realizing where her dog was) moved in with me. hee hee. he plopped down, took up most all the shade, and regularly tapped my hand in a request to be pet.

in the first two photos you can just make out california's channel islands off in the distance. chuck is doing a circumnavigation of the islands in his kayak this week. when i sit on the edge of the shore, i feel closer to him. have a wonderful weekend dear friends
xxx lori