Last Sunday the weather was perfect and since I was unable to go spend it with my Mother, I decided to take a nice little day trip through back country roads with the Hubby.  We started out with a destination of the Olive Mill and Winery, but ended up getting sidetracked.  When I saw the sign for the Brigittine Monastery I had to change plans.  I love monasteries, a love that started when I lived next to Mount Angel Abbey and attended the loveliest retreat making fast friends with Father Bernard.  Father Bernard visited often and I made regular trips to soak up the beauty and serenity of Mount Angel Abby.  But I digress….the Brigittine Monks are known for their chocolate.  What could be a greater draw than that?!  The ground were beautiful, but the shop was closed for prayer which was taking place in the chapel and as always beautiful!

The lilacs were in full bloom and smelled heavenly!

Every monastery must have a resident cat and this little guy was cute and friendly as could be.

When we stepped into the little chapel the scent of incense permeated the air and took me back to my childhood.  I loved every single thing about growing up Catholic!  The rituals all have such deep and profound meaning.  The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was a favorite of all the beautiful rituals.  The singing of the Tantum ergo and the incense filled me with awe of a God so great and wondrous.  All my senses were engaged and I felt a deep satisfaction in my soul.   Sacred and beautiful indeed!

Back on the road we were wooed by the Lawrence Gallery.  Another place I have always intended to stop at but just never took the time.  It is quite lovely with many beautiful art pieces.

I loved these fields of clover, they smelled wonderful and such a beautiful contrast to the emerald hills and bluest of skies.  The Pacific Northwest is a place of such amazing beauty.

One of my goals for the trip was to find and harvest some Scotch Broom for my dye pots. It is a very invasive plant here and can be found growing wild everywhere.  I found a nice little spot off the road and took some cuttings.

I didn’t get quite as much liquid as I would like so will go harvest another batch.  It dyes up the most wonder shades of an olive foresty green.  I also made a batch from just the flowers so will see what I get from that.  Sadly I am out of undyed yarn and awaiting an order.

Thifting, thrifting, thrifting….oh how I adore this time of year.  My brestie and I headed out and found so many wonderful items.

First up a set of ceramic pans by J. A. Henckels.  These are wonderful to cook with as they are nonstick without the toxins of teflon.  This set would be well over $100 and I got the three for $3!  I also nabbed the nice heavy fry pan in the background.  Being Vegan I am always sautéing veggies.  In place of oil I use vegetable broth and I find I can never really have too many pans.

I also found these darling tea cups.  They both have the tea infusers inside.  I did drop the lid on one as you can see the chip.  Dang it..but it works just fine.

Look at that darling bee inside the cup with the purple flowers.  Isn’t that the cutest?

I have slowed down on picking up pieces of milk glass, but when I saw this large cooking jar in the grapevine pattern for $2 how could I resist?!   It is so heavy and quite large.  Tucked in my storage I have an entire milk glass place setting for 8.  Someday this will be passed on and hopefully used for everyday dishes.

I also found this tiny little crystal basket.  It is just the cutest and looks nice along side two other crystal yard sale finds from last year.

And dish towels.  I hate the new dish towels, they just don’t seem to dry worth a hoot.  So when I see vintage linen towels I nab them.

It was a good week end for vintage and this vintage fabric is just fun.  It will be passed to my eldest the dressmaker.  I love how it has a scalloped boarder and think it would make an amazing top or skirt!

And this unfinished sampler piece $1..how could I resist?

I also found this darling plant stand.  Look at those cute little birds.  It is just perfect in my front dormer windows.

One never expects to find wine at an estate sale…yet there is a first time for everything.  This was an estate of a very fashionable French lady and she had very discriminating taste indeed.  These are a variety of wines both local to the region and French as well as a French Port.  The stand comes apart so is adjustable to be put inside a cupboard or hutch.  The whole shebang was $20; wine and all.

Another darling little piece of milk glass.  I just love the little shoes and this bootie was the limit!

And this….this Fenton basket.  It is rare to find the hand painted and signed Fenton pieces so I was delighted to see this piece.

Ever on the look out for outside pieces, I had to bring this little cart home!

Not a bad haul for a week end and the fun of the hunt is priceless!

I didn’t get too much knitting in this past week.  I did finish up the striping in my Jujuy shawl and started on the second lace pattern.  This shawl is a fun knit and the lace pattern is very intuitive.  I am so excited to finish this lace and add the next color.  This is yarn which I dyed naturally.

I finished up my May socks for the boxOsocks hosted by Kristin of Voolenvine yarns and cast on the June pair.  I really like an ankle cuff so decided to do another pair of the roller socks.  This is yarn dyed with cochineal and I absolutely love the tonal variation.  However I am not crazy about this base.  It was some I had left over and no longer dye on.  It is a two ply and I find it splits and just does not knit up as nice as the 4 ply.

I’m spending more and more time outside with the beautiful weather we have been having.  I keep adding more bits and bobs here and there in the yard and adding, moving, rearranging plants.  My raspberries have a lot of blooms this year as do the blueberries.  And my little bird house now bee house is just busy with bees coming and going.  Their fat fuzzy bodies so cute as they dart from plant to plant.

I scattered a variety of seeds in the areas by the bench.  All flowers which can be used for dyeing of course.  The other day I saw some little shoots poking up.  I cannot wait to harvest these gems for my natural dyeing!

My sweet little Misha who never lets me get a picture….I just cannot ever imagine my life with a sweet doggie or two…of course both being Boxers or Boxer/mix.  Misha retains the puppy energy and attitude and is just the sweetest of little girls.  Being a mix of Boxer and Pit she exhibits the best attributes of both breeds; warm affectionate, loyal, playful, smart, very vocal, and just so full of love!

Perhaps it is turning 60, but I think a lot about life, where I am and where I am going.  Things which were not important to me even 10 years ago are now center stage; peace, serenity, joy filled moments, simple pleasures, and although it has always been foremost to spend time with family, now it is of the essence.  It was one of the reasons I hesitated to return to work.  I no longer will allow worldly needs to supersede family time.   I find that this is the first time I have found a balance in my own work/life.  There are definitely some benefits to growing older which is growing wiser!

And now I am off to harvest more Scotch Broom and get those dye pots boiling away!

Finding Joy,

Patricia