Adding Surface Area to our Holidays....

So for those that have been have been following my blog, you'll know that my husband and I have been working on improving our sea side cabin for years. This year we're adding porches, replacing two windows and painting walls. For the work that we did last Easter, see this post:


http://plaskdesign.blogspot.com/2009/04/working-together-as-team.html


But now we're doing the fun stuff. The stuff that's easier to do, quicker to build. And looks impressive.


Everything started out well from the beginning. My husband purchased his materials when there was a sale at the lumber yard. I myself was stunned. I never even knew that lumber yards and building material stores had sales. The result was that we were able to get everything we needed instead of just half of it. And here it is:



You'll see that one piece of clear fiberglass/plastic on the top of the pile. We need that because last Easter my son did this:




While swinging way too high on this:

We haven't actually gotten to that part yet.... but we're working on it.

And so in addition to all the materials we bought we still have our previously purchased materials that will also be used:

Here's a reminder of where we last left you at Easter, having dug holes and made huge cement blocks, on which the vertical supporting beams will be placed.

And this is how far we came yesterday, just after lunch:

I was trying to get my husband to wave to me. His response was to become very irritated and told me to come down and help him (as opposed to vaccuuming the crumbs that kids had left all over the living room floor because they decided to take their breakfast down from the table so that they could play with all their little Bankugan toys).

I spent 45 minutes helping him put up the last vertical supporting post, as well as securing it to the cabin itself. I also got three big horsefly bites that I am still treating with aloe vera.

But all this was good - it would have taken him at least twice as long to complete the job himself. And soon after that he was able to complete the days work:

I am so looking forward eating dinner out here in a couple of days.

Premier of Else-Gunn Cowls... and a surprise from my favorite girl.

There's a woman who lives in my neighborhood, Else-Gunn. A totally cool woman. She's a very good friend to one of my neighbors and one of her children is in the same class as one of mine. Over the past two years I've had the oppurtunity to have many conversations with her. She's always smiling. She always has something funny to say. Even when she's really irritated at something, her humor bubbles over. So even if you really agree with her that the situation is down right awful, you're giggling.


She has to be one of the nicest people I know, and during the last couple of months I've had the oppurtunity to slowly get to know her better.


A week or so ago she decided to give me a big bag of gorgeous yarn that she had collected.... and had intended to knit cute things from. But sometimes the best of intentions don't work out. It was so nice of her to give it to me and I am very grateful for her thoughtfullness.


Right from the beginning, I had made it my first priority to make her a cowl as a thank you. She did let me know that her favorite color was pink.... and I am almost finished with her project. But first I had to think up a good idea, and practice a few times before setting to work.


I found a beautiful shell technique that looks stunning. I've made two cowls already, which I've taken pictures of:


This first one is made from a dark pink cotton (this one is not her's). It is 95% finished as I need to add some buttons to it. I was thinking mother-of-pearl. It's a little hard to see, but I hope the shell pattern comes forth a little bit.

Here is a second one that I have done witha combination of two types of white cotton. The plan is to naturally dye this one (and others I will make from cotton) using natural materials I can find from the nature surrounding my cabin.

It's my intention to make a lot of cowls of this style, in different colors. And all of them will be under the title Else-Gunn Cowl.

Fame is always fun to pass out to others.

And here is a man's cowl that I've almost finished knitting. This is 100% wool in a fantastic bright red color. Great for sports fanatics.

And then later today I got a bit of a surprise.

It was rather warm today, and after a few hours of swimming in the ocean, I decided to head back up to our cabin to start getting dinner ready. My daughter came with me and once inside she asked me if she could work. This is quite different from just painting or coloring, which she also does.

This was just perfect for me and left me free to make dinner.

About 20 minutes later she comes to me with this:

The light had already started setting.... but what she's made for me is a new diary/journal that I can use (having seen that I was coming to the end of one I am working on presently).

I was really stunned. I mean, I have always thought I have the greatest kids. I have always had the opinion that they are more thoughtful, considerate, and have more empathy that the average kid. But this rarely invovles me. It usually involves everyone else BUT me.

But maybe sometimes it can be my turn too.

One Cozy Morning.....

The women in my family wake up early. It's always been this way, as far as I can remember. Even when attending parties and being up to the early hours of the night, I still don't sleep to later than 8.30 am.


This has continued into my holiday this year. Less than a week into my holiday and I have not managed to sleep later than 6.30 yet. But I'm working on it.


In the meantime, I had a very nice surprise yesterday morning. I was up and water was boiling to make coffee. And I thought I would take a picture or two of the water outside of where we are.





The water was perfectly peaceful, only interrupted by small circles made by feeding fish. It was so quiet...... with the exception of a little bit of insect activity. It didn't even appear that the birds were awake yet.


And then I heard a little giggle. I turned around and saw a flash of pink disappear around the corner and back into the kitchen.


I wish I could have reacted fast enough to get a picture of that. But as said, it was early and there was no caffine in my bloodstream yet.


So I too snuck back in the kitchen and found my favorite girl waiting for me with a big smile on her face. I made the two of us breakfast.

She was hungry! But while eating we had, for the first time since maybe Easter, a really good conversation - just her and I.

We spoke about Canada, about fishing, and swimming and sinking to the bottom of the ocean. She mentioned a dream she had a week or so ago, and I told her of a nightmare I had when I was little, that seems silly now. Even she thought so.

We spoke about the cartoons that we might be watching if we were home, and how neither of us really missed them.

And then she says: Take a picture of us together, Mom.

Well, my hair was not washed, and neither was my face. But this was here and I, right? So here is the picture, which she at least really liked:

And then it's time for posing.....

And Voguing.....

(with chocolate not yet washed off....)

And time to hang on the swing......

And prove that she can climb up all by herself.

Back.......

And forth.......

And then suddenly she's forgotten all about her mother and life opens up with all its possibilities....

Slaying Vampires in my Spare Time

I've always liked life on the rough side. A little bit of toughness, a little bit of suffering never hurt anyone if you ask me. [Emphasis on 'little'... before I start estranging my friends]

I like music from all genres but Punk, Industrial and Alternative are always among my favorites. I like all types of food. However those dishes that have a great amount of spice or some sort of 'fear factor' are those that intrest me most. And I obviously was not looking for the white picket fence and a dog named spot when I made certain life choices about where I was going to live and who I was going to live with.

Now I find this part of my personality is finally starting to creep into my craft. I was thrilled to purchase this set of knitting needles a few weeks ago:

(For those of you who have sensitve ears that might bleed a little with alternative language usage, please skip over the text that lies between the next two pictures)

Are these just not kick ass, or what?

It's so totally awesome to work with this pair of tools. It's such a wave of self confidence that surges through me when I have them in my hands. Not unlike when I drive this:

Usually with that Punk or Industrial music playing at a good volume.


But I digress.......


So it's late, late in the evening when I finally have time to sit down and work on my projects. It's the time in the evenings that the mind starts wandering, and I start to think how lucky we have it. Any gnomes with red eyes, critters from the deep underworld or monsters from mythic eras peering into our windows shudder with fright when they see me and my formidable weapons: they slide back and forth upon each other with lightening speed.


Even sparks fly into the air now and then.


My husband has a new found respect for me. That I can say in all honesty.


And to top it off, I've actually started to create some really nice finished pieces.


A lovely pink.....

And a lovely snow white......

I wonder how the bats will react when I continue my work around the campfire this summer.

Getting Ready For Summer

We got a big parcel in the mail today - some wet suits for our children so they can enjoy swimming in the Norwegian seas for a bit longer.

They were ready to go at once, and were very upset that they were not allowed to try them out in the bathtub.

Clever kids.