A little rest and recovery…

Last week I posted on Wednesday, and Thursday we headed to Michigan to visit with Grandma for the boy’s fall break. They get two days off and I figured I needed a break too. I’d had my fill of committee work and scarf making, although I enjoyed stirring up some big batches of soup in between. I enjoyed just kicking back and watching the tree leaf colors change from early fall (Bloomington) to late fall (Kawkawlin). Of course I couldn’t just sit still the whole time so I did all the hand mending that I’d been saving up for the past few months.

When we pulled in late Thursday we saw the damage caused by a big windstorm two days before. Three of the big generations-old oak trees came down when losing just one is an event. One tree decided to play dominos and crashed into a second giant, which sent it tumbling down in a different direction and taking out some smaller pine tree tops. The third oak fell across the road and turned out to be hollow and full of grubs eating the tree slowly from within. Elsewhere the entire yard, which normally looks like a park as Grandma keeps the grass beaten down with the mower, was a big mess. We spent a couple of hours Friday morning trying to pick up but it was obviously more than we could do. We gave up the task and decided to have a surprise birthday party. I whisked Grandma out to a fabric store for a new zipper, and the boys decorated the kitchen with streamers and balloons and Jim made flatbread. I think she was surprised and happy, and we all enjoyed the birthday apple pie for dessert. Of course we had a candle and sang happy birthday (two weeks early) to make it official. On Saturday Jim and Tommie went fishing and came back with some silver fishies and stories that were a little hard to believe, even if they have pictures. Sunday morning, after lots of gigglin’ and chilin’ all weekend we delivered hugs and headed back home to Indiana.

I guess with all the family stories up front I have to get a little art news in at the end. I actually got to weave yesterday and today, which I love to do, to create one of my commission pieces - a layout similar to ‘Tread Lightly’, my bike piece on a background of rusty car parts. Fortunately I have plenty of rusty material to work with from my last visit to the Auto Heaven junkyard. I wash all of the metal bits and then use my trusty wire brush to remove all the loose rust flakes. I pulled out my rusty colored yarns and pushed away all my other responsibilities to start the piece.

Last, I’m excited because my Zumba schedule at the Windfall Dancer’s studio is going to expand from three to five days a week. It’s definitely the best place I’ve ever done Zumba. They have sprung wooden floors, ceiling fans, dim lighting, lots of mirrors and lots of space. It’s an old church converted into a studio so it just has the feel of an accommodating gathering place. Now I’ll get up at six a.m. every day of the week to shake my tooshie to the Latin music with about six other people - come and join us if you’re awake!

Until next week…

Martina Celerin