Home Dec Project

Leigh Anne and I recovered their dining room chairs last Saturday night.  This week we have gotten the Rocketeer up and running and have put it to good use.  Leigh Anne and Doug wanted something to cover the metal rods on the chairs and we decided on these covers.  One is finished and Leigh Anne and I will work on the rest during the week.  This dining set has quite the history.  Leigh Anne's parents bought it used when they first married.  They used it for a long time and it was brought out of storage and passed down to Doug and Leigh Anne when they married.  A college friend of Doug's refinished it for them as a wedding gift.

It is another cold, rainy day in California!  Doug is busy watching the Masters and Leigh Anne is getting ready for the week ahead.  I am at my sublet seriously considering an afternoon nap.

Peggy - there are a lot of us!

When Peggy B, Leigh Anne's mom commented on one of my posts it made me realize that there are five people named Peggy (including me) following my blog.  For some reason, that seems strange to me:)  I never remember another Peggy in any of my classes at school.  When I worked at Leaman Management, there was a tiny young woman named Peggy hired to be the receptionist.  That caused some interesting conversations on how to distinguish the two of us.  Ideas I nixed were:  Young Peggy/Old Peggy; Big Peggy/Little Peggy -you get the idea!!!

My Peggy friends include:

Peggy B  - Leigh Anne's mom and Doug's favorite mother in law:)  Our birthdays are also just a few days apart.

Peggy K in North Carolina - we were neighbors in Sugar Land back in the days when we were having babies.  Her family moved to North Carolina years ago but we have always kept in touch.

Peggy W - sewing buddy and also the mother of twins

Peggy E - sewing buddy - her daughter may go to Texas State in the fall

Rambling Around Berkeley

Rambled around Berkeley today to enjoy the sights.  I am not the best photographer but took some pictures in hopes of sharing some of the charm of this interesting town.  I have added more photos to my Flickr album "Adventure 2010".

Doug, Leigh Anne and I met around noon and went to a sushi place for lunch.  Leigh Anne and I put Doug in charge of ordering.  He did a great job and we all enjoyed it.  There are so many little ethnic places for us to try.

After we ate we did some more walking and visited Stone Mountain And Daughter.  It has the reputation of being one of the best independent fabric stores left in the United States.  Right up my alley!!!!  I browsed a little bit but will go back later and spend more time.  I will definitely need a souvenir from there.

Lots of beautiful flowers blooming.  I don't know what most of them are but some of them smell heavenly.

Sewing/Knitting and "The Rocketeer"

If you are not a sewer or knitter, you probably want to exit now:):)  First up, The Rocketeer!!!  Leigh Anne and I recovered their dining room chairs last Saturday and then decided we would make covers for the chair backs.   She got out the sewing machine her Granny Brown had given her before they moved to Pittsburgh.  We wanted to see if we could get it to work for this home-dec project.  I knew she had the machine and even helped move it around but I had never really looked at it.  Whoa, it is a much coveted Singer 500A Rocketeer!!!   We cleaned and oiled it really well, put in a new needle, etc. and it has the most gorgeous straight stitch.  This mother-in-law is just a little jealous and knows where that machine can be stored if the need ever arises.  After all, they are moving to a small apartment in NYC:):)   When I see the smile on her face when she is using it, I think I am out of luck!!!

Tonight was my second knitting class.  We learned casting on, ribbing and the seed stitch.  Now it is time to start a "real" project.  Something easy for this novice!!  The teacher, Ellen, suggested we do scarves using all the stitches we learned so that is the plan.  I'll go next Tuesday morning to get started.  Here's a pic of my "practice piece":)

Questions and Answers

I've had quite a few people email me with the same questions so thought I would just answer them all here.

1.  How was it traveling alone?   It was great and very peaceful.  I truly enjoyed the journey.  My iTouch was loaded with music and a couple of audio books.  For now, I also have a trial subscription to XM radio.   I listened to what I wanted, when I wanted and stopped when I felt like it.  Amazingly, people talk to you more when you are alone.  People were very friendly and I was never lonely.

2.  Where did you stay?  The only hotels I stayed at were ones with inside corridors.  I just feel safer without a door opening to the outside.  I also tried to stop before dark but wasn't always successful on that score.

3.  Did you eat alone?  Yes - again, no problem.  All the hotels I stayed at had free breakfast so that made it easy.  People always talked to me in the hospitality rooms.  My cooler was packed with cheese, fruit, boiled eggs and drinks, etc. so I snacked on that at lunch and during the day.   I went out to a restaurant for dinner but avoided the chains.

4.  What would you do if you had a flat tire or car trouble?   New car so I wasn't worried about car trouble but I do have OnStar so could push a button and they would send help.  My brother put in a can of "Fix a Flat".  I have a cell phone:)  I also belong to AAA.

5.  Why did you choose that Bible verse at the top of the Blog?   I woke up about 2:30 a.m. the day the divorce was finalized and that verse kept running through my mind.  My interpretation was that God was telling me there would be joy in my life again.

6,  Were you ever scared?  You are so brave.   No, I wasn't scared and  I don't really think I was particularly brave either.  My mother used to drive across the country a lot and do whatever she wanted after my father died.  She set a good example and didn't let anything stop her.

7.  Why did you decide to do this trip?  My son and his wife came up with the idea of a sublet in Berkeley several months ago and it just sounded like a great idea to me.  Alaska was at the back of my mind, too.  All of my belongings are in storage and I am "homeless" so it is just the right time for me to do this from a financial standpoint.    The last year has been really difficult and this trip is part of the healing process.   What better medicine is there than spending time with your children?  By the end of the adventure, I will have enjoyed all of their company.   Janet and Nick might decide "too much time":):)

8.  How is it driving in Berkeley?  Not too bad!  I can get back and forth to Doug and LA's, grocery store, etc. without getting lost.  The speed limit is pretty low - 15-30 mph a lot of places so that gives me a little time to figure out my route.  Pedestrians always have the right of way and people really stop for them:)  I am used to Houston and being extra careful walking because Houston drivers don't know what a pedestrian is!  Lots of bicycle riders, too.  If I can, I walk where I am going.

9.  Have you seen the Golden Gate Bridge?  Yes!!  You can see it from Doug and Leigh Anne's balcony.  My goal is to walk across it before I leave.  I am petrified of heights so will have to see on that one:)  This picture is from their window - too far away for me to get a good shot with my little "point and shoot" camera.

Cousins

Today, my cousin Sharon drove over from San Jose and we went out to lunch and had a good old-fashioned gab fest.  Not hard to do when you haven't seen each other in person for ten years!    We have been in touch by email, etc.  We went to Jack London Square in Oakland and had seafood at a restaurant named Kirkland's.    Since we see each other so rarely, we decided we should indulge in dessert!!!   Mine was chocolate:):)    Our fathers were brothers and we really don't know too much about that side of the family so we have all been doing some research the last year or two.  It was interesting sharing what information we do know and catching up on our respective families.    We hope to see each other again before I leave next month.

Napa Valley

Busy, busy day!!!  Leigh Anne and I met early today to run some errands (actually we walked!).   On my list was a heater for my room.  It is cold in the mornings:)   Leigh Anne is getting ready for a sewing project and needed a few items.    Her sewing machine deserves a post of its own - I am quite jealous!!!  While we were out, we went to the Farmers' Market and met Doug there.  We bought some chicken enchiladas from this little  stand to have for lunch.  To round off the meal we had some Indian naan bread with toppings that we bought from another stand.   Quite the combination but there were no complaints:)

After lunch we drove out to the Hanna Winery in the Napa Valley.  Doug and Leigh Anne are in one of the wine clubs and needed to pick up their wine.  We hung out in the tasting room and sampled a wine or two (or three) to be polite:)  We drove home through the valley and stopped at a couple little stores on the way.  Definitely need to make a repeat visit when we have more time.  Today we had the California weather that I was expecting - beautiful and sunny all day.

Doug drove my car and he and Leigh Anne enjoyed listening to some of the stations on XM Radio.  For a while there, I wanted to veto the family rule of the driver gets to pick the radio station.  I think I thought that one up BEFORE any of my children could drive.  They do pay you back!!

Liaison Bistro

Liaison Bistro was today's destination for lunch. A really nice little French bistro in downtown Berkeley. Andrea (my fellow knitter!) treated me to a great meal and good conversation. We even compared our knitting progress. I think we both might need another lesson or two but at least our samples are getting longer and are recognizable as "knitting". I drove to the restaurant because there were dark clouds looming but amazingly the sun came out while we ate. The rest of the day has been gorgeous! The walk over to Doug and Leigh Anne's later in the day was really pleasant with the sun shining and warmer temperatures. It is fun to walk by all the little shops, ethnic restaurants, etc. on the way to their apartment.
So interesting!!

Happy Easter!!!

Hope everyone is having a Happy Easter. Doug and Leigh Anne picked me up bright and early this morning (8:00 a.m.) for church. Afterwards, they had a couple of other friends and I over for a delicious brunch. My son is a great cook:) and Leigh Anne had everything looking pretty and was the main sous chef. She and I even recovered their dining room chairs last night. This afternoon we went to see "The Last Song" with their friend, Cheryl (about my age).

My knitting class Thursday night was a lot of fun and I am having lunch with one of my fellow classmates tomorrow. Surprising to me were the two men in the class. We all were knitting away at the end of two hours. Doug, Leigh Anne and I are going to the Napa Valley on Tuesday. Doug has some wine to pick up and I am tagging along. Actually, I think he has plans for my new car to go, too:) Wednesday I am having lunch with my cousin, Sharon. She lives about an hour away in San Jose and is going to come pick me up. We should have a great time catching up since we haven't seen each other in ten years.

Lots to look forward to this week.

It never rains in California?????

I vaguely remember a song with the line "it never rains in California" - maybe the Beach Boys but it has rained every day this week. Several people have accused me of bringing the rain with me but it was beautiful and sunny when I left Texas. I am ready for some sunshine! Leigh Anne helped me move into the sublet this morning. It didn't take us too long. This afternoon I walked a few blocks to meet Doug after class and he showed me a few of his favorite shops and then we went to the Monterrey Market - famous for fresh fruits and veggies. This was my first day to drive around Berkeley - haven't gotten lost yet!!! The speed limit is between 15 and 25 mph on most of the streets I've traveled.