The Newest Strand

Most everyone knows our exciting news. We're adding to the family! We're going to go from a two-person family to a three-person family. It's true!

My students used to always ask me: "Mrs. Hess, when are you going to have children?"
I would always jokingly say: "When my husband earns money!"

I would explain to them how he was in medical school, that I was supporting us, and since I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, it didn't seem like the best idea for us to start a family during medical school years (although I raise my hat to those of you who do it!). They seemed to understand the logic (maybe they'll internalize some financial planning skills?), and were satisfied.

Well, here we are. Dan's in residency. You know what that means...



















Here I am at 12 weeks. The bump isn't technically a baby bump, because the baby isn't that big yet. It's more of an increased-blood-volume-and-water-retention bump. Baby bump sounds better.

Braided Heirloom

I had the honor to restore an old braided rug. A large old braided rug (approx 9X12 feet). There were many broken seams between braids, a number of small ripped braids, one badly ripped braid that I fixed and numerous weak seams between braids. But it's a beautiful rug. It deserves a post all of its own.

Here are before and after photos.

BEFORE: the badly broken braid in the process of being fixed.






























After - mostly. I did do some more work after this photo was taken and straightened out the middle row, so it no longer curves.

Did I mention projects?

For those of you who pay attention to my facebook page,you may have seen some of these photos. I thought that since I mentioned projects in my post last month, I should at least put some of them here. Follow up is good, right?

I've been enjoying my available time for projects. Normally, (meaning any other year)my days would be full of teaching responsibilities. Then I'd go home and make some supper for Dan and I. Then, if I had the energy and motivation, I'd work on whatever project was at hand. Inevitably, my time was limited. Earlier this week, I realized that I had spent the majority of multiple days solely on a sewing project. Dan was working late, so I didn't worry about making supper and I could just work. No rush. I'm finding it to be lots of fun. I think I need to enjoy it while it lasts. As you'll see from a later post, I won't always have such large chunks of disposable time...

But for now, a few photo explanations.















1&2. A new footstool. I bought this at a thrift store with the original red cover. After using the flowered fabric for another project, I thought it would be fun to recover our footstool. It makes me smile when I look at it.






















3&4. My new, snazzy apron, made from scraps from other projects. I've been using a "plain" apron which belonged to my plain Mennonite step great-grandmother. Functional and sentimental, but not the most attractive (should I be embarrassed to show the plain apron?). I think the new one is better, don't you?















5&6. This is Julie's chair. The red plush is how she found it at Goodwill, and the flowered fabric is how it is now. This is where I got the flowered fabric for my footstool. This was my first reupholstery project, and it went well. It's a messy job, but incredibly rewarding. It was a good chair to start on because it didn't have so much to recover. Maybe next time I'll try a chair that is completely fabric.

Projects

I realize is over a month since we've written anything, so I thought I'd take some time to give an update on life in Wilmington.

I just returned this week from a weekend in Lancaster where I spent some time taking care of my nephews and niece, visiting friends and getting fresh produce. I brought back a car full of things and have been busy taking care of them.

First I spent some time canning peaches and then tomatoes. After that I decided I might as well get started on taking apart my sister's chair - it's my first attempt at reupholstery. Cross your fingers, Julie.

I also brought back a very exciting project - an old, very large rug that needs some TLC. I hope to give it some attention in the next week or so - after I take care of this chair.

You're wondering about Dan? Well, he's become very busy this month, working in the cardiac ICU. I see him briefly each day. After he gets home, we have just enough time to catch up and then the day's over.

We're looking forward to his weekend off tomorrow and Sunday.

Strand by Strand

After Match Day, when we learned we were moving to Delaware, I thought it was ironic that we'd chosen to name our blog "The Braided Rug" and how we mentioned our life being woven from different strands, just like a braided rug. Usually when I braid rugs, I have specific colors in mind in the beginning. I put the color swatches or material together just to see how well they coordinate and make a general plan for what kind of pattern to create. Sometimes I end up using the color scheme I'd planned on. Sometimes it changes mid-rug. I might decide that a certain color really doesn't go well or I might throw in a random color - just because it feels right - and I'm often surprised at how well unique colors can go together and feel right.

That's how this move feels. It's like I've been braiding a rug with colors and a pattern I picked out at the beginning and planned on using for the whole project. But suddenly, I picked up a different color, threw it in and have been amazed that this is the color I'm using. And now I wonder what colors and pattern will come next. I had an idea of how the rug might be, but now it's unknown and just going to unfold, strand by strand.

End of Life?

It's the last day before my residency officially begins. I spent part of the morning relaxing in our new living room where the clutter of our recent move is less prominent. A cup of coffee, the last chapters of Tuesdays With Morrie and an unusually cool June breeze accompanied me on the couch. I didn't really know what this book was about when I picked it up the other week, sparing it from the boxes to which our other books were relegated. On the surface it is about dying, but really, it's about living. Although our "Western" (or American) culture attempts to divorce aging and death from the journey of life, the story of Morrie Schwartz calls for a counter-cultural view of life and death. I have always thought that a quick and painless death would be ideal, but Morrie's long ordeal with ALS gave him time to face death head on, reflecting on what his life had meant and, most importantly, living fully despite his physically crippling illness. His conversations with the author are a powerful challenge to live life thoughtfully, with love and purpose. Some see residency training, particularly intern year (that is, the first year), as a figurative end of life. I'm taking a more optimistic view, but check in with me in a few months.

Blur

As Dan posted a few weeks ago, we found out that some changes are in store for us in the next number of months. I (Amy) feel like life has been a blur since then. When returning from Zambia, I imagined getting settled back into life here in Baltimore and just chugging along smoothly. We knew we might have to move, but I didn't really comprehend what all that means. I have never packed up a household of stuff and moved. Moving into our current home was gradual - we filled one room at a time as we rehabbed each one. Needless to say, it's all a bit overwhelming. The teacher in me wants to map out how many boxes I need and when I should start packing and how many boxes I should pack a day. Realistically, I probably won't get to all of that.

One nice thing about having to identify how much we've accumulated is that it's now a great time to downsize and get rid of those things that we just don't need. I've started that process already and it feels good!