Pop BackTo The Weekend

Hi Dear Folk,

I'm going to post some sun from last weekend as at the moment we are into most autumnal weather and not the Indian Fall autumnal weather, but the rain and squalls autumnal weather.

This is such a busy picture, I'll never be a minimalist  I just keep finding things that I think need saving and can be used and they can.  My bougainvillea at last bloomed, it took all summer to do so, I'll have to find a corner to bring it in for the winter.  My memories of Cadiz are of long shadowed narrow streets that burst out at the end into a sun drenched square of orange trees and bougainvillea.

I wanted to read about knitting in America.  The traditions here in knitting as in so much of what makes up America came over with its immigrants.  Design however can be said to be truly the images of the Inuit people, or the Indian tribes, they stamped knitting with their unique designs.

Fashion designers have even stolen some designs such as here. where a Nunavut, Inuit family design was stolen by a European high end fashion house.

This bag design calls out to me and was the reason for this thrifted book purchase.

In previous posts I have referred to the book Miss Grief, and Other Stories by C. F. Woolson which has recently been reprinted in paperback.  "Solomon" was originally published as a story in the Atlantic Monthly on October 1873.  When I saw the Zoar Mittens above I thought I know about that community.

"Soloman"  takes place in the German separatist community Zoar, founded in 1817 on the banks of the Tuscarawas river in eastern Ohio, a region rich in coal.  Zoar was named for the Biblical town that God spared when he sent fire and brimstone to destroy Sodom and Gomorah.  The separatist community's first residents fled Wurttemberg, Germany, due to oppression for their refusal to acknowledge religious authorities.  The village that grew up in Zoar resembled a traditional German town and became a popular tourist attraction in the late nineteenth century.  Woodson often visited the Zoar community, during her young adulthood.

When I saw the Zoar mitten pattern it meant so much to see the work of those German settlers.  the mittens are made up of nine different colors of yarn, a good way to use up odd bits of wool. Circa 1880.  I love it when what one reads collides with what is read elsewhere.

The shawl that came with my thrifted shalwar kameez, the colors of India with the Paisley design, two favorites.  I thought why not wear it with this dress; which a seamstress friend made for me, and I had the earings.

This bun is so simple, bring your hair up into a pony tail, loop it up, catch the ends with a more circular shaped hair claw and pull the loop of hair down and around the hair claw, voila!  That's it.  I wear it to work when I'm in a rush.

Speaking about work, it's reminding me, more and more of that poem "Ten Little Soldier Boys"  Or "Ten Little Indians", yesterday someones else got let go, so in five years we have gone from fourteen people to four.  If it wasn't for the fact that we have already signed a lease for new offices in Philadelphia I would think that we are being "Rolled Up."  My movie watching is getting the better of me.

Just the night before I had watched on Acorn TV "And then There Were None" by Agatha Christie and a while ago "Restless" about spies in WWII, and in the film they used the terminology "Rolled Up" which means a spy cell is being liquidated.  I rather took to the expression.

Well must go I'm on one of my nocturnal stints and need to get some sleep before going to work.

Christy

Amish Country Amble

Hi Dear Folk,

Come amble with me in the Amish Country, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  The Boy had his GPS which for ambling around the countryside is just right, as you can get off the main roads and still find your way around.  A field of corn/maize standing like sentinels along the roadside.  I like open vistas so I'm in love with the farms and country roads around here.

It's really difficult to pin down what the Amish actually do believe when it comes to traditions as there are different sects.  Some will not use peddles and chains on there bikes so they use scooters, like the ones we had as children, one foot pushing you along and the other on the plate. Obviously though this Amish man can use peddles and chains as he's on a three wheeler.  You can just see a little boy sitting in the forklift on the back of the trailer.  Some will put rubber tires on their tractors and some will not.  Others only use horses or more often mules.  With clothing some will not use buttons but use safety pins, but wouldn't the use of a button be older than a safety pin?

These young girls are possibly Mennonite as they are using bikes.

I do love to see the lines of washing.

Squash in all shapes and sizes they bring a smile to your face and mums. I love Autumn and it has to be the nicest time in Pennsylvania.  The colours are truly Americana.

Now this has to be the most enjoyable day out for children.  Your own pony and trap.  I cannot think of anything more delightful.

A typical town as you drive through.  This summer I have noticed a new thing in all the towns around here and its's on the telephone poles, or any poles.  Images of  local fallen war persons, from all the wars going right back for each town.  It shows their photograph, name and date of birth and death, what rank they were and in what force they served.  It makes you very somber and think how sleepy little towns have always been touched by war.

This is what we bought at the farm-stand, beefsteak tomatoes.  I must say when I first came to the States and was served a sandwich with a slice of a beefsteak tomato in it, I couldn't believe it, coming from England tomatoes were grown in green houses, quite expensive and of a small uniform shape.

One slice of a beefsteak fills the entire sandwich and it's hearty like a slice of beef.  I like my pepper, my dad did too, it all comes around.

Also a bouquet of roses and cox combs, the colour combination is good.

Christy

Wilbur Chocolate Factory, Lititz, PA

Hi Dear Folk,

After lunch at the Tomato Pie Cafe, we wandered across the road to the Wilbur Chocolate Company.  Mr. B. had declined desert in the expectation of goodies found here.  In 1865 Wilbur began as a confectioners and in 1884 they decided to specialize in just chocolate.  So they've been going a while.  They have however sold this old building and are moving across the street to a new one.  I do think something of the ambiance will be lost in the transition.

You can just keep looking at all these old chocolate molds.

I was fascinated with these old chocolate molds especially the eagle, bottom right corner above, it must be so heavy.

These bunnies above made me think of my dad.  Via the post he always received an Easter egg from a great aunt in Somerset, however every year to his great disappointment it was always plain chocolate and he liked milk chocolate.  It must have been one of those childhood disappointments that you never forget since he told us the story many a time.

When I saw all these hot chocolate pots, with places of origin such as Silesia, Germany, my mind traveled to before WWI Vienna. Not that I have ever been to Vienna, but in the movies you see those old pastry and coffee shops and they must have served hot chocolate.  Something like this I had in mind Cafe Demel.  All those ladies, with wonderful hats and long dresses, sitting at marble and wrought iron tables with a slice of cheesecake or maybe German chocolate cake or apple strudel, the mind can run riot, and sipping hot chocolate.

My favourite pot might be the yellow one above with the irises, but it's a hard choice.

Old cocoa tins.

Was rather taken with the chocolate cuckoo clock.

Mr. B. bought chocolate covered pretzels and other goodies.  My addiction right now is white chocolate with coconut and not even expensive as it comes from Aldis, sugar overload. I'm safe from Mr. B. as he hates coconut, but have to hide it from The Boy.

Bye all you chocolate lovers.

Christy