During my trip to Maryland’s western shore, I learned that my friends and I can really go crazy with some glue and wire and pretty paper.  I did this on one cover:

And this on the other:

And then handed the book over to the masses of lasses, and picked up their books.  It was like kindergarten but with masters’ degrees and design experience abounding.   We drew and wrote little kind things for each other, all theoretically anonymous-like.  Though some I can puzzle out.  See, Tara sent a message that she really thinks it’s time for me to pick up my banjo again, but not a “Luka Brazzi sleeps with the fishes” kind of message.  How can I say no to this?

Look how perfectly claw-hammer-banjo like it is!  And those strings?  Those are real, honest-to-goodness wire.  I’m going to tune that open-backed beast up this afternoon, cuz, well, a hot lady-fiddler wants me to and I’m no dummy.  Just seeing this made me all misty, that she went to so much trouble because she really wants me there when they play together.  Fanning eyes here . . .

And one of the other girly-bootses, well, lookit what she did:

That writing there–it says “We weave a word-braid full of love and lore.”  We do, you know.  Hello, tearing up here. A little bit of the inside scoop: this meangrrl is a sap.  A grade-A, numero uno, crybaby with clogs on.  And these folks know all the buttons to push.  See here:

I’m totally losing it.  You like me.  You really like me! says the little Sally Field in my head.  And I’ve looked at all these before.  So beautiful and kind and thoughtful.  They can write short little things and make little pictures that together make me weep with joy and pride.  Sniff sniff . . . this one will sink me:

The writing is small and I literally can’t photograph this well because it makes me all snorfle-y when I look at it.  It says “sister” and “friend” in big words, and then that circle in the middle–that says Amy, and ringing it are the words “Center of the Circle–brings the World together.”

Seriously, you girls are killing me.  I know it’s like some sort of village game to make me cry like a baby, but you win every freaking time blowing nose ever-so-daintily. Hokay.  That’s enough.  I would show more, but I’m feeling all vulnerable all of the sudden.

I also learned that I love Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn, and that it loves me, and that we may just run off together and get married, you know, like you do with yarn.  Jumping for joy with yarn-love:

And calming the f- down:

The mohair just plain shimmers, and the yarn is so soft and just glides on the needles, but exudes an inner strength.  And the dye-job!  Can my hairdresser do that to my head?  I used to have hair that color, but I barely had a job then . . . hmmmm . . .

And I learned that these Ironstone socks would make a welcome addition to any one of a number of the groovy-women’s wardrobes:

Because they told me.  One groovy woman after another put these on.  I think that actually makes me want to keep these socks more.  Like their groovy-atoms will prevent future stress fractures and sprained ankles.

Finally, I learned that if you buy a house and plant some Asiatic lilies in the front garden, within a few years they will outgrow you:

You can see my reflection in the glass here and I’m a step down from the bed, but these flowers have surpassed my height and THEY HAVE NO BONES!  Supercalifragilistic, that’s fantastic.  See, I was an itinerant gardener for years.  I planted at rental properties and then had to leave my green charges behind when I moved; I planted gardens in friends’ yards just to have some dirt to play in.  And now look.  And I even feel safe enough to just hang orchids in full bloom outside:

Unlike me, they appreciate the hot humid mess that is today.  Glorious little lovelies.  Ok, enough.  It’s been a big week, and I have a cold, but life is really great and I feel hella blessed.  Yeah, I said hella blessed–what’re you gonna do ’bout it? Hnh.  Thought so.

I’m going to knit on my new favorite socks and design a mini-quilt specifically for my evil black cat to sleep on.  Have a nice day.

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