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September Musings 2020

August was really enjoyable because it was my birthday month and the older we get, the longer we celebrate! This usually translates to celebrating the entire rest of the month. This year it meant lots of outdoor activities and favorite food, such as fried oysters and fried green tomatoes. Now I am back to my lower carb regimen for just a little while until we start Dave’s birthday celebration the middle of September.

That time frame also coincides with our annual vacation, although this year we will miss seeing my sisters and their spouses due to Covid 19. Several family members are high risk, so we are staying safe and plan to make up for it next year, if possible.

One very nice birthday treat was the event of my first lace demonstration of the year at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We took some images of my demo space in the beautiful lobby before they opened the doors the first morning. Social distancing and my well received Irish lace mask made the interactions with our customers easy and safe. I met lots of visitors from all over the country, even Canada, but not the usual summer tourists from overseas.

Baby items were hot sellers this time, maybe due to the fact that being quarantined just naturally increases the need for them? In any case, I sold more baby items than usual and already started to replace lace booties and caps for my next demo in November. I will likely be selling more!

My second most popular item were my Irish lace masks, made from cotton in classic cream or black, featuring Irish roses, blossoms and leaves. I suggest placing a coffee filter inside for added protection and to eliminate the need to wash the mask too often, just replace the filter.

During the evenings I enjoyed restoring a vintage wool baby blanket and a huge Colonial style bedspread with beautiful circular medallions. The 11 pound weight really stressed the cotton fibers over the years and I always reiterate the necessity of gentle handling to my customers. Often my restored areas are stronger than the remaining original fibers.

One of my unusual gifts was a bag of 6 bearded iris rhizomes from a favorite neighbor with a beautiful yard. Since I am not known for possessing a green thumb, I was very nervous about planting them and did lots of research before the big event. Pray for the survival of my rhizomes! I hope they meet a better fate than my peony bulbs, which I evidently planted at the wrong time. I apologized to them but there seems to be no forgiveness. I will keep you posted on any visible progress in my flower beds.

I hope there is joy in your lives and you have blessings to count despite the challenges of these times. Regardless, there is yarn and thread!

Be well, happy crocheting!

“I do what I love and I love what I do”

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