THESE DAYS......

These days I am trying to focus on things that bring me comfort-knitting, quilting and family.

The back is completed on the Wolf River sweater. I love the sweater pattern, but the shaping and particularly the short rows are odd, wait and see when I join the front and back.

Still reading In Winter Kitchen. It's not a book I can't put down, but a very interesting read.

My baby girl all decked out in grandma's knits. She wears them well this baby girl-apprentice women!

Please join at Ginny's

YARN ALONG

SATURDAY-A GREAT DAY

Saturday, 3 generations of women in my family traveled to Cheyenne Wyoming, the state that gave women the VOTE first-----to march. Our group in Cheyenne was several hundred strong and so encouraging.  Women marched, without any ugliness happening( as was true all over the country), we shared encouraging words, laughed, but most of all we listen and were heard all around the world! While I was in Cheyenne, other family members were in Chicago, Madison and Washington DC. 

I was so proud to attend this march with my daughter, granddaughter and sister! Overwhelmed, to take part with women all over the world -voicing their concerns with this administration in Washington DC. 

Saturday was only Day 1........

BASILICA OF SAINT MARY

While  in Minneapolis my daughter, sister and I went to tour the Basilica of Saint Mary. Not even understanding what a Basilica was we had some research to do.

[the term came to refer specifically to a large and important Roman Catholic church that has been given special ceremonial rights by the Pope.] (catholic encyclopedia)

So, a Basilica is larger and grander than a cathedral and a cathedral

is larger and grander than a catholic church. The basilica having more ceremonial rights too.

{The first church in the United States to be designated a basilica was the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis (February 1, 1926).}

How many Basilicas are in United States?

Mary, Erin and I were in the very first Basilica built in United States and it was amazing. The organist was playing as  we walked through the Basilica and when we walked by the pipes....Oh my! This tour was absolutely breath taking and a sense of calmness was felt inside here.

We lit candles and looked at all the pictures, statues and windows, (hard to photo the windows with the sun shining through the stained glass). My daughter asked where the pictures of the nuns were? They sure did have a lot of pictures of the priests that served here at St.Mary's. My sister and I looked at Erin and said: 'well honey, this is one of the sad things regarding the Catholic church, they are not big on women, they have to be content being "brides of Christ"'  

Erin: 'oh, no different than any other Christian church then.'

Us: 'Yup-Tradition'

Touring the Basilica was a high light of being in Minneapolis. 

Oh, Minneapolis you do not disappoint!

MINNEAPOLIS

I spent 5 days in Minneapolis with my youngest and what a great place to live and visit!

We had the best hamburger-ever! It has some crazy name like the Willy burger...it's a half pound of burger and cheese in the middle-those Minnesotan's are tough stock. But, the fried cheese curds are over the top (never had these before and I'm a Mid-Western!). We ate American and Middle Eastern, the only food I did not get was some great pastries, I love a good bakery in a city!

We toured a flour museum on the Mississippi, which is one of the two industries that the Twin Cities was built on. These flour plants produced over 2 million pounds of  ground flour daily, and the mighty Mississippi powered it all!  Due to all the flour dust grinding flour produced, these plants would literally blow up and burn,  and the owners would rebuild! They were the heart and soul of the Minneapolis/St. Paul. 

On the YARN side we visited the Yarnery and Steven B. Both are lovely shops. My purchases were slim-one skein sock yarn and one skein yarn for fingerless mitts.{ really trying to not bring any more yarn into house----Have you seen my basement! No please, don't!!}

We also visited the Basilica of Saint Mary! 

WOW-this was AMAZING. I had never been in a Basilica before (at least one that I remember).

More on this in another post.

Minneapolis, you are an amazing city! Young, vibrant and so much to do, yes, even in winter when it is COLD, COLD and COLD!

Please join me over at Ginny's 

YARN ALONG

YARN ALONG

Hello....not much going on around here this week. Taking care of{more like being entertained and playing with} Baby B. I did spend 2 straight days working on this amazing sweater, a KAL from Fancy Tiger, Denver. I must say I could not pick it up yesterday due to a pulled muscle . I was intense and focused on knitting, I took no notice of the pain building in neck/shoulder.

Hopefully, today I can work some more on this knit-so close to finishing the back....Yahoo!

Reading : In Winter's Kitchen

It's not what I expected but very interesting

IT'S COLD OUT THERE!

It is COLD here today and I am tucked in with LOTS of yarn, fabric and books. Ahh, just the way I like it! I may even make a few loaves of bread! Will look for movies to watch while sewing but my knitting will need my full attention until pattern is embossed on this 'ole' brain of mine. Oh and of course lots of Chai and tea. 

E- is headed for Denver to the yearly Fly Fishing expo. So I have the ENTIRE house to MYSELF!

I LOVE LOVE having a day to myself, where I can hang out on one of the two couches, get out of PJ's or not. Blast music-dance around kitchen-living room, the sky is the limit!

Today is E and my 38th year anniversary. WOW, it doesn't seem that long, but then again all my children are grown and onto creating their own lives-so it must be true----38 years. 

And, I would marry this guy again in a heart beat- never changing a thing!

Stay warm and safe this weekend!