Empty Nesting and Travelogue

Once again, it's been far too many months between posts, but I'll try keep up better this year. As of this fall, I am an empty nester. Our youngest son left for college in August, our middle daughter transferred to Wellesley College (at least we still have one within driving distance) and our oldest son graduated from college, moved across the country, and is gainfully employed out in California. The oldest left in June, to drive across the country visiting friends and relatives and generally enjoy his last days of freedom before entering the workforce. Youngest son left mid August for freshman orientation at University of Oklahoma, and we drove middle daughter up to Wellesley at the end of August for her transfer student orientation. This fall has been.......odd. It's just the two of us, and the cat.

Beatrice the Cat

You'd think it wouldn't be that big a difference, since we were down to only one kid last year, but it has become very quiet at home. I think it will take some time to get used to.

I should start with some knitting content. It hasn't been a great year for me and knitting. I've been suffering with lateral epicondylitis in my right arm since last spring. I finally went to physical therapy in September and have seen great improvement, but had to spend a large part of my fall NOT KNITTING! So I am particularly thrilled to be able to post a finished project!

Musica fingerless mitts

Musica is a pattern I found as a free download on Ravelry. You can click on it and get to the pattern if you're registered on Ravelry. I knitted them in Pura Bella Yarns 100% silk, worsted weight, on size 1 needles (size 0 for the ribbing). I tweaked the pattern in a few places to make it work for my purposes, and had to enlarge the charts on a copier so my old eyes could read them properly. This is not a great pattern for a beginner as it assumes that you know how to knit in the round, strand, increase, etc. but for an intermediate knitter it's great. If I were to knit them again, though, I would NOT use silk. Too slippery and splitty and no stretch to the yarn. For any of you familiar with the piano, please note that the left-hand mitt sports a bass clef and the right-hand mitt has a treble clef. How clef-er! These are for my daughter, who is singing in a acapella group in college. I really wanted to finish them before the weather started to get cold this fall, but, alas, travel and a bad arm got in the way. I did, at least, finish them up by Thanksgiving and was able to send them back to school with her (albeit still damp from blocking!) after her Thanksgiving break.

So, in order to take advantage of my newfound freedom, I have been traveling. My first trip was with my husband's Aunt Karen, AKA my aunt-in-law. We took a cruise together that started in New York and cruised up the New England coast and into Canada. We stopped in Newport, RI; Boston, MA; Portland, ME; Saint John, NB; Halifax, NS; Sydney, NS; Charlottetown, PEI; and ended in Quebec, QC.  

Sailing out of New York Harbor

Mansion in Newport, RI

Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, MA

More Boston

Our ship in Portland, ME Harbor

Early morning in Portland, ME

The Bay of Fundy, Saint John, NB, waiting for the tide to turn

Statue of "The Emigrant" in Halifax, NS

The "Big Fiddle" in Sydney, NS, representing their Celtic Heritage

Montmorency Falls, outside Quebec, QC

The intrepid travelers, on the path to the waterfall

The bridge from Mainland Quebec to Ile d'Orleans

The band parading at La Citadelle in Quebec, QC

One of the gates in the fortified wall around the Old City in Quebec

 Well, time to put up this post, late as it is. I have more adventures from my empty-nested fall but they will have to wait for another post. I'll try to get them in in between the holidays, because there are some pictures I'd love to share, and another knitting FO!

I'll leave you with last night's candles:

Second night of Hanukkah

Note the Swedish Advent Star hanging in the window. It was my grandmother's and I so enjoy putting it up every year. I am tickled by the fact that it's a six-pointed star and seems to fit right in with the Hanukkah theme as well as the Christmas theme.

Happy Holidays, whatever you may celebrate!

Shelley in CT