Viking Ship

Cool, cool colors for a hot, hot day! I cross stitched this hanging in 1978. We had been back in the United States for only two years, and I was still mourning the exit from Brazil. I remember sitting and working on this piece, a kit from Norway, with dogged determination. As each part of the puzzle came into being I would feel a bit lighter. By the time it was finished, I felt a good deal better and more happy to be back in the U S of A. This endeavor signaled a return to "being with it" once again.

I love the colors in this piece. It hangs where I see it everyday, and now the kitchen cabinets are also a beautiful teal color. Cool colors are great in the summer... I wonder how it will seem in the winter. Will it seem cold? I imagine it will be fine, as I do love the color, period.

Yesterday I worked up at the art gallery in Battle Lake. It was lots of fun and I worked with a woman whom I only knew slightly before. One of the wonderful things of being part of an art society is the new friendships one forms with people who share some of one's interests.

Today we are trying to get started packing for our camping trip. The way we camp takes lots of preparation. The people who like to go to motels and then eat out are right in one way. It is a lot easier. We got started camping because we couldn't afford other types of vacations, and we discovered that we loved it. The people you meet are great. You are next to nature. It is beautiful and brings up a wonderful feeling of "roughing it."

The thing about having a cabin at the lake. You have money invested in it so you have to take care of it. So when you go for your "vacation" you are honor-bound to go to the cabin. Then you have to work like a dog to keep the place presentable. Some vacation.

When we started camping in 1956, we took a five week camping trip through to the west coast, up the coast and then back through Canada. We stayed in a motel either 4 or 5 nights, I don't quite remember. The trip cost us about $500. We had a blast. There weren't very many other campers at that time. George had built a sort of camp kitchen for the back of our station wagon, and everywhere we camped, the other campers would stop over to ooh and ahh. Another plus with that kitchen is that we could stop at the side of the road and eat our lunch. Just open the back of the station wagon, pull out the kitchen, and there we were.

We had a sort of clunky umbrella tent with the umbrella part inside. George is a great camper. I had never gone camping before, but I was soon completely converted. Who doesn't like camping when someone else does all the work of setting up, etc.? All I am responsible for is the meals. There is one thing about being a perfectionist camper. George can get the tent all set up. It looks perfectly fine to me. He will then proceed to take it all down and move it a few feet to a "better" spot. This has been known to happen more than once during a stay. As long as it keeps him happy, I don't complain. I just comment!

We even camped in Brazil. That was a whole other adventure. Such fun. I'm excited and I should be full of all sorts of tales when I return. I promise photos. And hopefully, paintings.
In a few more days.... Wahoo.