Anniversary Celebration, A Stroll thru the City, Luxury Yarn and a Nook...in Color...

Pictures of our Anniversary Stroll

Yesterday was a wonderful day.  After days of dealing with some severe pain and spasms, I woke feeling incredible.  We all got dressed and headed over to church.  It was fun to take our friends to see the Glad Tidings for the first time and to let Ethan play in Children's Church with all the other little kids.  Victoria happened to be teaching this month so she could stay with Ethan as well as Samuel.  Apparently, he had a wonderful time.  We also noticed during worship, he was dancing all around the aisle so he approved of the music as well.  Of course, Andre does an amazing job as well as all of our musicians.  Their dedication and talent make worship a double blessing when attending Glad Tidings. 

After service our friends had plans and headed off in their direction and we took the kids to the Whole Foods to do a little shopping and have some lunch before Josh and I put them on the PATH back home and he and I went to explore a little of the city.  The children are finally old enough to have some independence and able to make the trip from the church to the apartment without us.  Part of me is enjoying the newfound freedom and part of me is a little sad with the revelation that it won't be long before they will move on with their own lives.  Where did all those years go?

The Nook Color

This was one of the first days in about six months that Josh and I were able to spend some time alone.  We first ran into Barnes and Nobles and bought the Nook Color.  We already own an iPad and  Kindle but wanted to have the Nook as well.  Josh is looking forward to playing a little on it since its root is an Android system and I am looking forward to having my Knitting .pdf patterns in color so I can use the charts better than the Kindle.  The Nook is also much lighter than the iPad so it will be easier for me to hold.  It seems to fall right in-between an iPad and Kindle.  The screen is crystal clear and play movies nicely as well as has a surprisingly responsive touch screen.

After our purchase at Barnes and Nobles,  Josh pulled out his Droid and mapped our way to the Purl Soho .  The trip there was an adventure.  The sidewalks in Tribeca are a thing of beauty!  When you are in a wheelchair, you become keenly aware of the 'cracks' and 'seams' in the poured concrete.  We did fine until we left the Tribeca area and found slabs of stone instead of poured concrete and ancient bricks that made me feel like I was going to shake out of my chair as I tried to pass over them.   Add to that all the construction on the streets and sidewalks and it made for an interesting trip…..about half way there Josh gave me the option to turn back since it was getting really rough but we pushed on…persevered for the prize of luxury yarn in the offering.  

Josh and at a lovely park we found.

We made it to the entrance to the tunnel on Canal Street and I have to admit to being ready to turn back on what had since become a mission.  All those cars and no one in a particularly good mood.  Josh gave me a much needed pep talk and went in front of me plowing the way.  Trying to make it past all those cars got me really nervous and I ended up inadvertently turning off my chair in the middle of the street which panicked me even more.  Fortunately, no one was moving and I was able to weave in between all the cars on my scooter because the marked crosswalks seemed to hold no particular meaning to the drivers in that area of the city.  We finally made it to the curb only to realize that in Soho, most of the corners do not have handicapped entrances.  I was left navigating down the narrow streets in competition with the cars trying to find a place to roll back onto the comfort of the sidewalk.  Once I finally got back onto the sidewalk after a few treks down the street, I didn't even care the cracks and seams resembled gullies!!!

Lynne going through the yarn Purl Soho.

Finally, what seemed like an eternity later and a few extra doses of pain medication to handle all the bumps, we made to Purl Soho.  After all that I figured it might be a let-down, but I was so very wrong.  Upon arriving we noticed the two huge steps to enter but my husband having thought way ahead had called and they had a portable wheelchair ramp that a very nice man pulled out and put in place for me.  Not all stores are so attentive or kind.  I was not made to feel bad or like I was an inconvenience at all.  They were very kind and did everything they could to help me enter the store and reach any products I needed.  

Purl Soho was everything I had dreamed of in a yarn store.  I had such  wonderful time.  Josh was darting to and fro pulling yarn and catching yarn experts for me as I enjoyed looking through all their different items.  Their staff were all knowledgeable and knew their yarns well.  That is my weakness when it comes to knitting.  I grew up acquiring my yarn from discount stores…I can't believe it now but it is true, and for the most part, watched my hard work turn to a sagging pile of unformed stitches and fuzzy piling all due to inferior fiber.  So, as I am moving into the realm of the luxury yarns, I am going through somewhat of a learning curve.  Having the help of their staff walk me through what works for what projects was extremely helpful.

Waiting on the Newport PATH Train.

We stayed for a while going through all the different yarns and choosing what I wanted on this trip.  If you could seem me me face to face you'd noticed I winked at the end of the last sentence because I am intending on making the horrible trek to Purl Soho yet again when I am need of a boost to my stash in the future.  After all, let us not forget, Christmas is just 9 short knitting months away.

After we were completed with our purchases there, we headed back to the PATH station and back to Jersey.  Because we needed to go to Newport we had to make some funny changes at Grove Street.  Grove is not a stop I use very often because it has no elevator so while I can get off the PATH there, I can't get to the surface, however, we have to use it to switch from the Exchange Train we just got on and move over to the one going to Newport.  It takes a little longer but when it is cold out, it beats standing on the LightRail platform being pelted with the icy cold winds off the Hudson.

Josh enjoying his spicy shrimp dish.

We finally made it to the Newport Marina area and into 'Komegashi too' which is Josh's and my favorite restaurant.  After four years of not being able to go out after I got sick, Komegashi's was our first dinner alone.  They are very kind and accommodate my chair very quietly and with ease so I am not made to feel like the world must come to a stop to  allow me to eat there.  The food there is excellent.  I honestly don't think it would be possible to order something that wasn't fabulous.  After spending a couple of leisurely hours watching the boats and a duck couple outside the window in the water, we finished up with some Tempura Ice Cream that is really the most wonderful dessert and a perfect compliment to the meal.  The waitress even had them spruce it up a little with some beautifully cut fresh fruit for our anniversary. 

It was almost eight at night by this point and I was tired.  Josh was not complaining but I can't imagine walking the entire way to the Purl Soho and back was any easier on him so I think he was ready to make the trip back to our home as well.  We were greeted by anxious children ready to devour our leftovers and two puppies who missed us.  They were all laying, snuggled on our bed waiting for us to get home. 

The Stash having made it home.

Josh and I have had a long hard row to plow over the years.  When I look at other marriages, it seems like we have had more than our share of difficulties.  We have faced death at an early age in our marriage and that wasn't easy on either of us, we have faced family issues and we've never taken an easy path for Josh's career.  He is decidedly advanced in his career for his age but it is because we chose to take the path less travelled that provided him with extra experience and catapulted him to the top of his field.  He is also naturally talented and I am always in awe as I see him work through problems.

Taddington snuggled in yarn.

We look back over 13 years full of joy, pain, trials and struggles along with love and commitment.  The one thing we knew when we took those vows was that we were going to make our marriage work.  I think many times young people today are wanting a crush to last into marriage when that is not possible, they divorce.  True and deep love does not feel like a hypersensitive crush but a deep longing to be together and to handle whatever comes our way as one, dependent on the other.  That is the kind of love where God is the center and where you accept the other person and love them for all they are.  Josh makes my life complete.  When he stepped into my life, suddenly, I had the best friend I had been searching for my whole life.   That is the kind of love that will last a lifetime and the kind of love I've been blessed with in my marriage.

May God Bless and Keep You in His Grace,

Lynne

Details to the Stash Acquired at Purl Soho:

Manos del Uruguay - Manos Silk Wool

30% Silk, 70% Merino Extrafine Wool, Kettle Dyed

3 - DK, Light Worsted

Multi #3105 / no Dye Lot

Approx. 150 yards/135 meters - 1.75 oz/50 grams

Gauge 22-24 sts per 4"/10 cm

Needle #4 - #6 / 3.5 - 4.25 mm

Handwash and Dry Flat

http://www.manos.com.uy/

1 - Hank

***

Madelinetosh - Hand Dyed Yarns

100% Superwash Merino Wool

0 - Fingering Weight, Lace

Wood Violet - no Dye Lot

Approx. 420 yards/384 meters 

Gauge 26-30 sts per 4"/10 cm

Needle #1 - #2 / 2.25 - 2.75 mm

Machine Wash in Cold Water and Air Dry

madlinetosh.com

2 - Hanks

***

Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima

100% Pima Cotton

3 - DK, Light Worsted

White Peach 3753 - Dye Lot 6955

Approx. 220 yards/ 200 meters

100 grams / 3.5 ozs 

Gauge 22-24 sts per 4"/10 cm

Needle #5 - #6 / 3.75 - 4.00 mm

Machine Wash in Cold Water and Tumble Dry on Low

http://www.cascadeyarns.com/

2 - Hanks

***

Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima

100% Pima Cotton

3 - DK, Light Worsted

Burgandy 3714 - Dye Lot 7274

Approx. 220 yards/ 200 meters

100 grams / 3.5 ozs 

Gauge 22-24 sts per 4"/10 cm

Needle #5 - #6 / 3.75 - 4.00 -  mm

Machine Wash in Cold Water and Tumble Dry on Low

http://www.cascadeyarns.com/

8 - Hanks

***

Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Cotton

100% Organically Grown Cotton

4 - Worsted, Afghan, Aran

Jasper 636 - Dye Lot 7735

Approx. 150 yards/ 137 meters

100 grams  

Gauge 16-20 sts per 4"/10 cm

Needle #7 - #9 / 4.5 - 5.5 mm

Hand Wash or Dry Clean

http://blueskyalpacas.com/yarns/

1 - Hank

***

Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Cotton

100% Baby Alpaca

2 - Fine, Sport, Baby

Molasses 541 - Dye Lot 2924

Approx. 110 yards/ 100 meters

50 grams  

Gauge 20-24 sts per 4"/10 cm

Needle #3 - #5 / 3.25 - 3.75 mm

Hand Wash or Dry Clean

http://blueskyalpacas.com/yarns/

3 - Hanks