I love to sing!
In this post I'm talking about music and the way it plays an important role in all our lives.
“Music is life itself.”--Louis Armstrong, jazz trumpeter (1901-1971)
Every culture around the world has some form of music. One could say that it is a universal language. It can bring us all together, make us cry, laugh, or want to go to war. Wherever you go, music exists, whether man-made or in nature.
Regardless of what style of music you enjoy listening to, all music has the power to affect our lives in both positive and negative ways. According to Harvard Health, "The neurobiology of music is a highly specialized field...music also
has major effects on many aspects of health, ranging from memory and
mood to cardiovascular function and athletic performance." For more on the possible effects of music on your health, read the full Harvard Health article here.
And here's an interesting story on the power of music and how it helps relax and heal us, from NPR.
There have been many world events that have used music to further their message. During many wars throughout time, there have been different forms of music involved. Instruments like horns, trumpets, and drums have been used to call soldiers to arms and keep morale up in the midst of battle. And back on the home front music has been used to both show approval of the war and resistance to it.
For a fascinating look into the use of music during wartime, read HistoryNet's article here.
Music has also played an important role in cultural revolutions and political movements. From the cultural revolution in China to the Civil Rights Movement in America in the 1960s, many people turned to music either for or against the current regimes and ideologies of the day.
"In every era, music has reflected—and shaped—social and cultural
change, political choices, and mass protest and support for government
policies." Read more about this idea on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History site here.
Besides being used for wars and revolutions, and effecting our health, music can also be a powerful way to bring people together in peaceful ways. People the world over, regardless of what language they speak, often recognize melodies and can sing along to songs not in their own language. Music transcends words, and while words are important, sometimes the music itself is the most powerful thing.
" There is something about music that seems to bring us closer to each other and help us come together as a community" For more on how music helps us bond together as people, read the article found on The Greater Good Magazine website written by people at the University of California Berkeley here.
Music is also a great way to worship the God who created us all. All the major world religions have shared music that people recognize wherever they go. Music is a way we can join together and praise God for all the many blessings we experience in this life, as well as to cry out to God for help during times of trouble. For an overview on music and worship in America throughout time and cultures, go here.
It's not just people who make music, but many other creatures on this planet we share do as well!
From songbirds to whales, many animals make musical sounds. For a cool article about some of them, go here!
If one listens closely, you can also hear music in the wind blowing through the trees and the grass, and in the sound of rain hitting the roof or ground, and even the musical sound of water flowing down a stream or roaring in the ocean!
The world is full of music, if one has an ear to hear!
And lastly, here are a few of my own contributions to the world of music:
First, a Celtic worship song, In Christ Alone:
I also love the melody to this old medieval folk song, Scarborough Fair:
Learn more about the history of this song here!
Even just practicing some vocal acrobatics from time to time is fun!
I encourage everyone, regardless of musical ability, to try singing and playing music from time to time! As we have seen, music is a powerful way to draw us closer together and helps us share this experience of life:)
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Friday, March 29, 2019
Creative Ways to Destress
It's not stress that kills us, it's our reaction to it--Hans Selye
These days it seems like pretty much everyone is stressed out! I've been feeling it myself lately, to the extent that it is starting to negatively affect my health. So I've been thinking of different ways to alleviate the stress and help get back to proper health.
I'm sure many of you have tried the popular suggestions, such as, meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises, which are good ways to reduce stress for some people. However, not everything works the same for everyone!
I've compiled a list of other creative ways to help us feel more relaxed and less stressed:
Craft! Making things with your hands, whether it be things like quilling, crocheting, or carving, there are many crafts to choose from!
Be Artsy Draw, paint , sculpt, photography, like crafting, there are many ways to enjoy the arts!
Get Your Hands Dirty! grow a garden, or find other ways to play in the dirt!
Spend time with animals whether playing with your pet(s), volunteering at an animal shelter, or going to the zoo, spending time with animals often has a soothing and feel good effect on people!
Embrace Your Inner Child! hop, skip and jump down the sidewalk or a path in the woods, play with your kids, if you have any, or with nieces and nephews or kids you know!
Take a Walk or ride a bike preferably in the woods or other natural spot
Take a Nap, or lie down and rest sometimes we just need a little more sleep!
Sit in the Sun! or under a natural lamp if there isn't any sun, soaking up those rays helps relieve stress and helps you feel better!
Read a book! Grab a cup of warm or iced tea or hot cocoa and escape to another world, or into someone else's story for awhile
Watch a movie or show same idea as a book, they provide a temporary escape from our everyday lives
Listen to Music! whether it be more relaxing, slower music, or rock, music is a proven way to help you feel better!
Make your own Music! whether playing a musical instrument or singing, there's just something about music that lifts your mood!
Pray talking with God in a quiet place helps us refocus on more important matters
"Be Still and Know that I AM (is) God" (Psalm 46:10) equally important is listening for God's will for your life, and knowing that, whatever happens, God is in control and has good things planned for us! (Jeremiah 29:11)
Hang Out with Family and Friends talking, laughing, doing fun things and sharing each others' burdens helps to reduce stress and make us feel better!
Play Games! Cards, puzzles, board games, video games...there are lots to choose from!
Journal, or write a story/blog many people find that writing, no matter its form, helps them relieve stress. Sometimes it's good to get it all out on paper!
Practice an Attitude of Gratitude! when we focus more on all the good in our lives instead of the bad, it helps us gain perspective and feel more thankful and less stressful!
Get a Foot Rub/Massage soothing physical touch also helps reduce stress
Travel! sometimes just getting away, whether it be down the road, out of the state, or out of the country, removing yourself from a stressful situation for a while helps you destress
Clean some people find cleaning cathartic as well!
And last but not least, Get Enough Sleep! easier said than done sometimes, I know! But getting at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep a night definitely helps us feel better and more able to deal with stress!
Destressing is a process, and sometimes we have to try several things before we find ones that help us feel more relaxed, but in order to properly heal and feel better, it is worth the effort to discover which methods work best for you!
What creative ways have you explored to help relieve your stress?
Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.
Hans Selye
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/hans_selye_381380?src=t_stress
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/hans_selye_381380?src=t_stress
Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.
Hans Selye
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/hans_selye_381380?src=t_stress
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/hans_selye_381380?src=t_stress
Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.
Hans Selye
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/hans_selye_381380?src=t_stress
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/hans_selye_381380?src=t_stress
These days it seems like pretty much everyone is stressed out! I've been feeling it myself lately, to the extent that it is starting to negatively affect my health. So I've been thinking of different ways to alleviate the stress and help get back to proper health.
I'm sure many of you have tried the popular suggestions, such as, meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises, which are good ways to reduce stress for some people. However, not everything works the same for everyone!
I've compiled a list of other creative ways to help us feel more relaxed and less stressed:
Craft! Making things with your hands, whether it be things like quilling, crocheting, or carving, there are many crafts to choose from!
Be Artsy Draw, paint , sculpt, photography, like crafting, there are many ways to enjoy the arts!
Get Your Hands Dirty! grow a garden, or find other ways to play in the dirt!
Spend time with animals whether playing with your pet(s), volunteering at an animal shelter, or going to the zoo, spending time with animals often has a soothing and feel good effect on people!
Embrace Your Inner Child! hop, skip and jump down the sidewalk or a path in the woods, play with your kids, if you have any, or with nieces and nephews or kids you know!
Take a Walk or ride a bike preferably in the woods or other natural spot
Take a Nap, or lie down and rest sometimes we just need a little more sleep!
Sit in the Sun! or under a natural lamp if there isn't any sun, soaking up those rays helps relieve stress and helps you feel better!
Read a book! Grab a cup of warm or iced tea or hot cocoa and escape to another world, or into someone else's story for awhile
Watch a movie or show same idea as a book, they provide a temporary escape from our everyday lives
Listen to Music! whether it be more relaxing, slower music, or rock, music is a proven way to help you feel better!
Make your own Music! whether playing a musical instrument or singing, there's just something about music that lifts your mood!
Pray talking with God in a quiet place helps us refocus on more important matters
"Be Still and Know that I AM (is) God" (Psalm 46:10) equally important is listening for God's will for your life, and knowing that, whatever happens, God is in control and has good things planned for us! (Jeremiah 29:11)
Hang Out with Family and Friends talking, laughing, doing fun things and sharing each others' burdens helps to reduce stress and make us feel better!
Play Games! Cards, puzzles, board games, video games...there are lots to choose from!
Journal, or write a story/blog many people find that writing, no matter its form, helps them relieve stress. Sometimes it's good to get it all out on paper!
Practice an Attitude of Gratitude! when we focus more on all the good in our lives instead of the bad, it helps us gain perspective and feel more thankful and less stressful!
Get a Foot Rub/Massage soothing physical touch also helps reduce stress
Travel! sometimes just getting away, whether it be down the road, out of the state, or out of the country, removing yourself from a stressful situation for a while helps you destress
Clean some people find cleaning cathartic as well!
And last but not least, Get Enough Sleep! easier said than done sometimes, I know! But getting at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep a night definitely helps us feel better and more able to deal with stress!
Destressing is a process, and sometimes we have to try several things before we find ones that help us feel more relaxed, but in order to properly heal and feel better, it is worth the effort to discover which methods work best for you!
What creative ways have you explored to help relieve your stress?
Quilling Basics
In this post I will be sharing a little about how to quill. If you are unfamiliar with what quilling is, a short history compiled by the North American Quilling Guild can be found here.
According to their website, quilling has been around for hundreds of years, and was used for decorating religious texts, and taught to women during the Victorian era along with embroidery!
My adventure in quilling began about 2 and a half years ago when one of my friends let me have her quilling starter kit. It was Fall, so the perfect time to start making Christmas presents!
Some of the 1st things I made were quilled cards for my parents and some Christmas tree ornaments for myself. But my very first attempt at quilling was just practicing the basics, and after making several pieces, I ended up finding a way to put them all together in a nice little picture:
Here are the basic tools and supplies you will need to start your own adventures in quilling:
Colorful paper strips of varying sizes (ie. 3mm, 7mm); slotted tool; quilling comb (a regular wide toothed comb works too!); needle tool, or something to apply glue with; glue; scissors; tweezers for the trickier designs; and an imagination! Some people also find a quilling board, like in the above picture, to help them make different shapes. I have tried using one, but prefer to just manually manipulate the paper:)
There are other tools you can use to add texture and help guide the slotted tool more easily. There's also a 3D mold I've tried:
So let's get down to the basics.
First, there are 2 main tools you can use to quill: the slotted tool and the comb. Each makes different kinds of designs with the paper.
The slotted tool makes a more spiral design, while the comb has a more complex inner structure.
When I first started quilling, I used the slotted tool.
The slotted tool has a small slot between the piece of metal where you insert the paper strip into:
I'm left handed so I like to hold the tool in my left hand and the paper strip in my right, but if it is more comfortable for you to hold them in your opposite hands then do so:)
Once the paper has been inserted, use your fingers to gently start rolling the strip around the tool:
You may have to make some small adjustments to make sure the paper is wrapping over itself and not going all over the place!
Once the paper is completely rolled up, it will look like this:
At this point, you can either choose to glue the end down, or to take it off the tool and allow it to uncoil some, depending on what size and shape you want. You can keep it tightly coiled like this, or let it open up and keep it round, or open it some and shape it into a rectangle, square, triangle, tear drop, or pretty much anything!
Examples of several sizes and shapes are at the beginning of this post in the picture of my 1st quilling practice:) As you can see in the picture, I chose to keep some tightly coiled and opened some others up into bigger circles, flower petals, and rounded triangle shapes.
The other main tool used in quilling is the comb. As mentioned before, you can either use a quilling comb or a regular wide toothed comb.
In order to begin, wrap the strip of paper around at least one of the teeth, or more for different patterns.
Continue wrapping the paper around more teeth of the comb:
Once all the paper has been wrapped around the comb teeth, put a dot of glue on the end to stick it down. You can also put some glue on the beginning end to help hold the middle together.
This is an example of the type of pattern you can create using the comb:
These make more intricate patterns for flower petals and whatever else you design!
Here are a few designs I have made to help get your creative juices flowing:
As you can see, there are many ways to quill! I recommend trying out several different methods and seeing which ones you like the best. Although this is just a beginners guide, I hope you've found it helpful on your new journey into the land of quilling!
Happy quilling:)
Rachael
According to their website, quilling has been around for hundreds of years, and was used for decorating religious texts, and taught to women during the Victorian era along with embroidery!
My adventure in quilling began about 2 and a half years ago when one of my friends let me have her quilling starter kit. It was Fall, so the perfect time to start making Christmas presents!
Some of the 1st things I made were quilled cards for my parents and some Christmas tree ornaments for myself. But my very first attempt at quilling was just practicing the basics, and after making several pieces, I ended up finding a way to put them all together in a nice little picture:
 |
| My 1st quilling practice |
 |
| Quilled Cards |
There are other tools you can use to add texture and help guide the slotted tool more easily. There's also a 3D mold I've tried:
 |
| Crimping tool, slotted tool guide, 3D mold, and 3D flower I made using these tools |
First, there are 2 main tools you can use to quill: the slotted tool and the comb. Each makes different kinds of designs with the paper.
The slotted tool makes a more spiral design, while the comb has a more complex inner structure.
When I first started quilling, I used the slotted tool.
The slotted tool has a small slot between the piece of metal where you insert the paper strip into:
Once the paper has been inserted, use your fingers to gently start rolling the strip around the tool:
You may have to make some small adjustments to make sure the paper is wrapping over itself and not going all over the place!
Once the paper is completely rolled up, it will look like this:
At this point, you can either choose to glue the end down, or to take it off the tool and allow it to uncoil some, depending on what size and shape you want. You can keep it tightly coiled like this, or let it open up and keep it round, or open it some and shape it into a rectangle, square, triangle, tear drop, or pretty much anything!
Examples of several sizes and shapes are at the beginning of this post in the picture of my 1st quilling practice:) As you can see in the picture, I chose to keep some tightly coiled and opened some others up into bigger circles, flower petals, and rounded triangle shapes.
The other main tool used in quilling is the comb. As mentioned before, you can either use a quilling comb or a regular wide toothed comb.
In order to begin, wrap the strip of paper around at least one of the teeth, or more for different patterns.
This is an example of the type of pattern you can create using the comb:
Here are a few designs I have made to help get your creative juices flowing:
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| Owl, using both slotted tool (eyes,beak,feet) and comb (body, wings) |
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| Flower using comb (leaves) and slotted tool with beehive technique (petals) |
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| Roses- didn't use any tool, just my hands, very tricky! |
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| Snowflake Ornament made with slotted tool |
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| Snowflakes (or stars) made with 2 paper strips glued together to make more sturdy, with comb |
Happy quilling:)
Rachael
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Worship Creatively
We are made in the image of God, the Master Creator of all! Therefore, we are made to create. What better way to say thank you than to worship God creatively!
There are many ways to worship. One of my favorite ways is to sing. There's something about music that transcends normal speech. It helps me feel closer to God.
My second favorite way to worship is enjoying God's awesome creation! Either by going for a walk in the woods down the road, or taking a trip further afield, there are many places in nature where you can feel closer to God and worship.
Another way to worship God and show appreciation for this life we have been given is to help each other out. Whether a continual act of service, or spontaneous acts of kindness, helping people makes both you and them feel better, and closer to the One who created us all.
We can also worship God by praying. Communing with God as you would spend time with a trusted friend is a good way to worship:)
Some enjoy dancing and other forms of movement, which can be an act of worship as well.
Making art and otherwise being creative helps some people feel closer to God too.
Having an attitude of gratitude is another great way to worship God!
There are so many ways to worship God and be thankful for this gift of life we have been given! What are some of the ways you worship?
There are many ways to worship. One of my favorite ways is to sing. There's something about music that transcends normal speech. It helps me feel closer to God.
My second favorite way to worship is enjoying God's awesome creation! Either by going for a walk in the woods down the road, or taking a trip further afield, there are many places in nature where you can feel closer to God and worship.
Another way to worship God and show appreciation for this life we have been given is to help each other out. Whether a continual act of service, or spontaneous acts of kindness, helping people makes both you and them feel better, and closer to the One who created us all.
We can also worship God by praying. Communing with God as you would spend time with a trusted friend is a good way to worship:)
Some enjoy dancing and other forms of movement, which can be an act of worship as well.
Making art and otherwise being creative helps some people feel closer to God too.
Having an attitude of gratitude is another great way to worship God!
There are so many ways to worship God and be thankful for this gift of life we have been given! What are some of the ways you worship?
Friday, March 22, 2019
A Semester in London, Fall 2005
What better way to explore the world and broaden your horizons than to study abroad!
I did just that for my 1st semester of my junior year of college. This was my 1st time flying by myself, and I remember feeling nervous, but also excited for the adventure to come!
I flew out of Boston on Virgin Atlantic and, around 6 and a half hours and 2 movies later, landed in London, England. Someone from the school met us at the airport, and I discovered quite a few people on my flight were also students studying through the same program.
The bus took us into the city, and it was some people's 1st time riding on the opposite side of the road. It was my 2nd time, my 1st being a few months earlier in Northern Ireland. It dropped us off at Atlantic House, the dorms for study abroad students at Richmond University, in Kensington (a burough in London).
When we arrived, I climbed the stairs to my home away from home for the next 3 and a half months. I was there before my roommate, so I got to choose which bed I wanted. I would normally choose the one by the window, but decided to go with the one closer to the door. This ended up being a wise choice since my roommate was out most nights and slept in late, the complete opposite of me.
When going to college, whether abroad or in your own country, expect to meet a variety of interesting characters.Some good and some not so good! I've found one can learn something from everyone, and you may be surprised to find yourself being friends with someone who comes from a complete different background:)
During our 1st week, the college offered many day trips to help orient us in our new city. I took advantage of several, including a walk in Kensington Park, and a walk along the Thames and riding the London Eye, a huge Ferris Wheel by the river with nice views of Parliament and Big Ben.
I also went on a day trip outside the city to Bath and Stonehenge. The archeologist in me loved exploring the Roman Baths and neolithic structure of Stonehenge.
I majored in Anthropology concentration Archeology, and minored in History. London and surrounds was a perfect place to step back in time, but still be in the modern world.
The classes I took were: History of London, Art and Architecture, Museums and Galleries of London, and Creative Writing. All of which had several field trips throughout the city. I got to explore many different parts of London, including many of its renowned museums and galleries, Buckingham Palace, its many parks, and even got to stand on both sides of the Greenwich International Date Line!
I also went on 2 long weekend trips with some friends. We used Ryanair, a cheaper airline to get around Europe, and went to Sweden and Italy.
About half way through the semester, one of my sisters came over to visit for a few days and we got to explore more of the city, as well as took the train to Warwick Castle and up to Edinburgh, Scotland. I would later go to grad school there!
All in all, my semester in London was full of new friends and experiences, and left me with a thirst for more travel and adventure! I highly recommend studying abroad to all college students who want to spread their wings and learn more about a different country and culture! Happy Travels.
* all pictures are from film and were scanned, since this was 2 years before my 1st digital camera!
I did just that for my 1st semester of my junior year of college. This was my 1st time flying by myself, and I remember feeling nervous, but also excited for the adventure to come!
I flew out of Boston on Virgin Atlantic and, around 6 and a half hours and 2 movies later, landed in London, England. Someone from the school met us at the airport, and I discovered quite a few people on my flight were also students studying through the same program.
The bus took us into the city, and it was some people's 1st time riding on the opposite side of the road. It was my 2nd time, my 1st being a few months earlier in Northern Ireland. It dropped us off at Atlantic House, the dorms for study abroad students at Richmond University, in Kensington (a burough in London).
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| Atlantic House, Richmond University in London |
When going to college, whether abroad or in your own country, expect to meet a variety of interesting characters.Some good and some not so good! I've found one can learn something from everyone, and you may be surprised to find yourself being friends with someone who comes from a complete different background:)
During our 1st week, the college offered many day trips to help orient us in our new city. I took advantage of several, including a walk in Kensington Park, and a walk along the Thames and riding the London Eye, a huge Ferris Wheel by the river with nice views of Parliament and Big Ben.
 |
| London Eye |
 |
| Big Ben |
I also went on a day trip outside the city to Bath and Stonehenge. The archeologist in me loved exploring the Roman Baths and neolithic structure of Stonehenge.
 |
| Stonehenge |
The classes I took were: History of London, Art and Architecture, Museums and Galleries of London, and Creative Writing. All of which had several field trips throughout the city. I got to explore many different parts of London, including many of its renowned museums and galleries, Buckingham Palace, its many parks, and even got to stand on both sides of the Greenwich International Date Line!
 |
| Me at Buckingham Palace |
 |
| Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace |
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| Me at the Princess Diana Memorial in Kensington Park |
About half way through the semester, one of my sisters came over to visit for a few days and we got to explore more of the city, as well as took the train to Warwick Castle and up to Edinburgh, Scotland. I would later go to grad school there!
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| Me in English countryside near Warwick Castle |
* all pictures are from film and were scanned, since this was 2 years before my 1st digital camera!
Dreams--Subconscious Creativity
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| Dream moon pic I took in 2017 |
I'm the kind of person who almost always remembers at least one dream every night. I know some people don't usually remember any dreams, or have lots of nightmares instead of good dreams, and I feel sorry for them:(
Most of my dreams are either weird or fascinating, full of adventure and exploration!
I believe dreams are our subconscious mind being creative, and sometimes are symbolic of what's going on in our waking life.
When I was a kid, I used to have flying dreams, then when I got a little older I started having more levitating dreams. More recently I have not had either, but hopefully will have some again soon!
Nowadays I mostly dream of exploring different buildings and cities, as well as walking on the beach and being in or near some form of water. I also have a lot of animals show up in my dreams. Sometimes they are a calming and pleasant presence, and sometimes they are either chasing me or biting me!
I often visit the same city many times, either the same location or a different one within the same city. I think of it as my dream city, and it sometimes reminds me of Scotland, which I love! I have been to Scotland twice now, and plan to go back soon:) (more on that in future travel posts! )
I have several reoccurring dreams, some of which are darker and involve going with a group of people down stairs to a basement level, or through a dark corridor, and trying to find our way through. Sometimes we run across zombies or other monsters or aliens, but we always make it out! It reminds me of the movies! Most of these dreams don't make me feel scared, but every once in a while one will surprise me awake!
Sometimes I look through the eyes of other people, and change views during a dream.
I find it very fascinating the way our minds work!
What kinds of dreams do you have?
Sometimes it's fun to try interpreting dreams, although I mostly just enjoy having them:) One site I like to use is http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/ It has several possible meanings for different items or activities you may have in your dreams. Well worth checking out!
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Cross Stitch the Time Away
One of the ways I enjoy being creative is by doing cross stitch and embroidery. Over the years I have completed many projects, mostly counted cross stitch.
For anyone familiar with cross stitch, you know how tedious and time consuming it can be! However I also find it relaxing…in short spurts of time:)
I sometimes buy kits that already have the basic design printed on the cloth, way easier than starting with a blank slate! Although I also enjoy the more challenging counted cross stitch designs as well. For those of you who are new to the cross stitching world, this site has a good explanation of the difference between counted and stamped cross stitch.
I get the kits from stores like Michaels and Walmart, and sometimes order them online. Herrschners has a nice collection of cross stitch, and many other types of crafts I enjoy.
I sometimes give completed works away as gifts, but I have also kept some for myself, including this cute nautical design that reminds us to ‘Take Time’:
I have this hanging up on my wall in my apartment, and every time I see it I am reminded of the beach and how calming and relaxing the ocean can be!
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Crocheting Afghans
When I was little, my mom taught me many different kinds of arts and crafts, one of which was crocheting. I remember crocheting a long strand of single stitch before learning double stitch. A single stitch of crochet isn't good for much besides practice. Once she showed me how to put it all together the real fun began.
For my first project, she showed me how to do a wave pattern for an afghan. I was about 12 years old when I started, but lost interest and didn't pick it back up until I was in my 20s. Since it had been so long, I definitely needed a refresher! But several months later, I finished!
I now have it in my apartment, here's what it looks like:
A couple years after completing this, I decided to try making another afghan, but using a different design. For my second afghan, I did a sort of checkered, Scottish-themed pattern. Since I already had one afghan under my belt, I felt more confident trying something new.
I worked on it for several months over the winter, which worked out well because the bigger it got the warmer it kept me!
I also have this afghan in my apartment on one of my chairs, and it still helps keep me warm:)
It's been several years since I've tried my hand at crocheting because I've been busy checking out many other types of crafts, which I look forward to sharing with you soon! Maybe someday I'll try another crochet project, we shall see:)
If you are interested in learning how to crochet, there are now many instructional videos on youtube, like this one here, much easier to learn things these days!
For my first project, she showed me how to do a wave pattern for an afghan. I was about 12 years old when I started, but lost interest and didn't pick it back up until I was in my 20s. Since it had been so long, I definitely needed a refresher! But several months later, I finished!
I now have it in my apartment, here's what it looks like:
A couple years after completing this, I decided to try making another afghan, but using a different design. For my second afghan, I did a sort of checkered, Scottish-themed pattern. Since I already had one afghan under my belt, I felt more confident trying something new.
I worked on it for several months over the winter, which worked out well because the bigger it got the warmer it kept me!
I also have this afghan in my apartment on one of my chairs, and it still helps keep me warm:)
It's been several years since I've tried my hand at crocheting because I've been busy checking out many other types of crafts, which I look forward to sharing with you soon! Maybe someday I'll try another crochet project, we shall see:)
If you are interested in learning how to crochet, there are now many instructional videos on youtube, like this one here, much easier to learn things these days!
Friday, March 15, 2019
Exploring the Emerald Isle
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| Me and the rolling green hills of Ireland 2005 (scanned from film picture) |
We began our adventure in the historic capital of Dublin. On our 3-day stay we explored many of the well known sites, such as, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the book of Kells at Trinity college, the Temple District with its cobblestone streets, the Halfpenny bridge over the river Liffy, the Guiness factory, and the National Museum of Ireland and Dublinia and the Viking World. All worth checking out!
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| Halfpenny Bridge over the River Liffy |
After leaving Dublin, we headed north for our 2-night stay in Castle Bellingham, a 17th century keep made into a place for private and corporate events. While there we checked out several archeological sites, including the burial tombs of Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange, Trim castle, and the famed Hill of Tara, where the Irish kings of old once held court, and where, some say, the real Stone of Destiny lies.
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| Castle Bellingham |
We then moved on to Donegal in the northwest. We climbed up the rolling green hills of Loughcrew, spying sheep and stone circles, and even some rock art on the sides of some passage graves.
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| Stone circle/ fairy ring |
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| Folklife Center at Glencolumcille |
We were planning on going to the Cliffs of Moher, but the weather did not cooperate, so we ended up checking out the Beleek pottery factory, and going across the border to Northern Ireland and seeing part of the Marble Arch caves instead.
We then continued west to Sligo, a port city surrounded by mountains in the East and the Atlantic to the West.
On a beautiful, sunny, cool day, we hiked up Knocknarea to see the views and Maeve's cairn at the top.
We also explored the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery filled with burial mounds, dolmens and fairy rings (stone circles), went underground to the Otherworld via Oweynagat cave; and went through Strokestown Park, the home of the National Irish Famine Museum.
As a part of this trip, since it was through the college, we had to choose a topic and write a paper. I chose to write about the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, when many families had to make the difficult decision to stay and potentially starve, or to brave the Atlantic voyage to the New World for a chance at a better life.
On our way through County Clare, we visited the barren landscape of the Burren. In Gaelic "boireann" means a rocky place. It was filled with megalithic sites that looked out over the Atlantic.
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| Burren |
We then moved on to Galway, another port city on the west coast. We saw several religious sites, including Clonmacnoise, Boyle Abbey, and a couple Holy Wells, which have been used throughout time by pagan and Christian alike to perform rituals (the stations, patterns) and to be blessed by the waters.
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| Chapel ruin at Clonmacnoise |
After 2 fun-filled weeks of exploration, it was time for us to do some work. Although working at an archeological dig often doesn't feel like work! We dug at a Medieval village at the foot of Mount Slievemore.
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| Medieval Village on Achill Island |
Achill island is quintessential Ireland, and it almost seems like you've stepped back into a much simpler time. Sheep dot the misty hills, all marked with different colors so the shepherds know which ones belong to them. Everywhere we looked there were signs of what used to be, and we found several ruins up and down the mountain while surveying.
The medieval village was made up of several ruins of stone houses, and we even found a more modern addition of a sheep's skull behind one of them!
On our last morning on Achill island, we got to experience a peat fire, the peat coming from a nearby bog. One of the comforting smells of the Irish countryside that isn't as common these days.
We headed back to the mainland and spent our final night in the city of Shannon before heading back across the Pond. It was a trip full of adventure and learning, as we discovered the magic of the Emerald Isle!
If you would like more information about travelling to Ireland, check out the official tourism website here!
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