Fabric recycled

When college boy headed back to Colorado, he left behind some old Gap pants that had seen better days.  I couldn't bring myself to throw them out and certainly couldn't give them away, so I held on to them thinking I could I use them for something, someday.

So, what do you get when you put together worn out pants, an embroidery hoop, hook, yarn and a darning needle?

A doily hoop inspired by this post.

This was a project that I felt the sudden urgent need to do right before going to bed last night and since I needed a plain colored fabric, the pants were the perfect solution.  I finished it up this evening and definitely will be making more, improving a bit on the embroidery part.  I think I might even paint the hoop black.

So happy our weekend has begun.
Best wishes,
 

By Request

Thankfully yesterday's morning fog did not make a reappearance today.

As the sun rose, the sky went from a lovely watercolor to blue with scattered clouds.

 

It's amazing how different it can look in just an hour's time.

Over the weekend, a friend from school asked if I could make her some doilies.  She saw a table runner on Pinterest and wanted to make one of her own.  

The Pinterest inspiration is on the left and the doilies she was able to find at the fabric souk are on the right.  Of course, I readily agreed to do it not expecting anything in return, but we decided to make it a barter transaction.  In exchange for the doilies, she would make me some jewelry.

The only problem was I needed some thin cotton yarn to be able to make them, so while out walking on Saturday, I made a detour to the little yarn shop in our area.  Along the way, I met some very sweet friends and can't help but wonder if they might have inspired my color choices.

 

I made some old favorites and tried out some new patterns (there were a few I was not successful at so there was some frogging), but yesterday I was able to give her 10 doilies.

 Unfortunately, the picture is a bit dark as I took it yesterday morning when it was so foggy,

She was surprised to get them so fast, so I'm still waiting on that handmade jewelry.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Today's Weather

Government and private Arabic schools have been on holiday since the beginning of January.  So with yesterday being an unexpected day off, today was the day that 256,000 school children would be returning to the classroom. And after days of gorgeous blues skies and wonderful weather, this is what we were greeted with.

Fog!

Thankfully, not everyone was on the road at 7:00 a.m. so the drive to school wasn't so bad.

By the time we arrived, the sun was trying its best to break through.

Of course, in this type of weather, there are always more accidents than usual and this country has already broken the record for highest traffic violations and accidents in the Arab World, and has one of the highest fatality rates in the entire world.  Very sad statistics for such a small country.

Although the fog continued to clear throughout the day, there was a bit of haze returning as the sun began to set, so I have a feeling we are in for more of it tomorrow morning

Hope your week is off to a good start.

Best wishes,

An Extra Day

If you read or listen to the news, you know that King Abdullah bin AbdulAziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia passed away on Friday at the age of 90.  Three days of national mourning were declared in all GCC countries from Friday to Sunday which meant no school for us today.

  I have taken full advantage of the gorgeous weather we have been having over this long weekend by getting out and about on foot.

Yesterday, instead of driving to meet up with friends for brunch, I decided to walk.  It only took about 25 minutes and I didn't have to bother with finding a place to park which is always an issue at this particular restaurant complex.

After a lovely time spent with good friends I wandered back home, exploring streets I hadn't been down in quite some time.

Love seeing these painted transformer buildings.  They are found in all the areas, but not all of them have been artified in this way.

Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.

Steven Wright

Of course, there's been a whole lot of skywatching, too.

Wandering and watching, two of my favorite pastimes.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Too Gorgeous to Waste

Adults forget the depths of languor into which the adolescent mind descends with ease. They are prone to undervalue the mental growth that occurs during daydreaming and aimless wandering.

Edward O. Wilson

As soon as we got home from school today, I put on my walking shoes and hit the pavement.  Bad enough I have to be cooped up in a windowless office at school for 7-1/2 hours.  I certainly didn't want to waste the afternoon away doing mundane household tasks.  Not when the skies were this blue.

This little chicken was out for a walk, too.  All alone and to me seemed so very sad.  I wonder if she has a place to live or was abandoned.

Busy residential roads filled with cars certainly isn't the idea place for barnyard animals yet now there seem to be more than ever.

 For one hour, I wandered up and down neighborhood streets.

 Capturing things that caught my eye.

Lots of folks are growing corn right now.

And gardening in small spaces.

It's certainly not Green Acres, but it's nice to see people growing their own fruits and vegetables.

I was home by 5:00 p.m. and it was still gorgeous out.  Afternoons are getting a bit longer which makes me very happy.

Of course, shortly afterwards, the sun set and the sky changed.

And then faded to black.

Happy Tuesday!

Skyward

Now, if God made the clouds so beautiful, did He not mean us to gaze upon them and be thankful for them? 

~Alfred Rowland

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.

Leonardo da Vinci

It is written on the arched sky; it looks out from every star. It is the poetry of Nature; it is that which uplifts the spirit within us.

John Ruskin

Dark clouds become heaven's flowers when kissed by light. ~Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

Jingles has the right idea.

Keep  looking up.

Wondering

Last Friday a good friend of ours went for a walk and returned home with crushing chest pain that landed him in the hospital..  He had been experiencing pain and burning for a couple of weeks but just figured it was indigestion or heart burn.  On Sunday, he had angioplasty and it was discovered that he has 90% and 70% blockage in two arteries and 50% in both of the other arteries.

A stent was inserted in the  artery that is 90% blocked and  tomorrow one will be placed in the 70% blockage.  This comes as a bit of a shock as he is in his early 50s and one of the healthiest people we know.  He eats right, walks, swims, plays volleyball, doesn't smoke.

It makes you wonder.  

We try to make the right choices but is that enough.  Or maybe what we think is right isn't so right after all.  Hard to figure out sometimes.

For lunch today I felt like a short order cook.  Spicy tomato shrimp stew for Zack served over rice.  For Yusef, a lemony shrimp pasta and spinach salad.  And for myself, I sauteed fresh spinach in a little olive oil til wilted, added canned chickpeas, salt, pepper & garlic powder, squeezed in some lemon juice, heated through and served over rice.

Afternoons are reserved to spend time with my college boy.  Starting to feel those heart strings tug as he only has two more days here.

Wishing you well,