the long road home

i’ve been up and down the maryland coast this last week, and today i’m finally heading home. it’s david’s birthday and i’d love to get there is time to bake a cake.  ha ha, we might be eating it at midnight, but darn it, we’ll have cake.

when i last left off, i had just finished teaching for a couple of days at fibre space in alexandria, VA. since i didn’t have to rush anywhere on monday morning, i headed out for a run, pointing my feet toward the water to see what i could discover. almost right away i found a spot where you can see the capitol building (right) AND the washington memorial  (left, barely visible) at the same time.

i wasn’t sure where the route led, but decided to keep going. the path went on and on, taking me through woods, riverside parks, industrial scenery, and playing fields. it was a beautiful morning and i felt like i could run all day, so i kept on.

when i reached the section where the path met the interstate, i turned back, even though i could see that it continued to be interesting further along. unfortunately, i didn’t have all day to enjoy it; i had get back and check out of the hotel to move on to my next destination. on returning, i discovered that i had just done my longest run ever—ten miles! after a plateau in the spring and early summer, i seem to be improving by leaps and bounds since august, though i’m not sure exactly what kick-started it . . .

afterward, i searched the internet for information and discovered i had been cruising along the mount vernon trail, a multi-use path that runs along the potomac from mount vernon up to theodore roosevelt island. you can go biking, running, or walking anywhere along its 18-mile length to enjoy the changing view of the DC waterfront as well as the urban and recreational areas that line the virginia side.

next stop was toby’s house. my nephew and niece, james and diana, have just purchased their first home; they moved the day before i got there (probably not the best time to visit, but we didn’t know that was all going to happen when we made our plans).

toby is beside himself in the new place—so much space! so many new smells! and company too—so exciting!! he’s not the laid-back little puppy he was in may, haha.

i was so grateful to be able to stay with them for a few days between work commitments; while i feel as if  i’ve barely knit a stitch all week, i did get some pattern work done during my stay and managed to get through my email and write up a couple of blog posts. i took a couple of long walks with toby to check out the new neighborhood, too. they live close enough to the water to walk, which is great for the dog.

on wednesday evening i had the pleasure of visiting the reston stitch and bitch group at their regular weekly meeting. i taught at their wonderful spring retreat in the solomon’s in april, and it was nice to have a chance to catch up with the participants again. they are some of the nicest knitters i’ve ever met; if you live in the reston area and are looking for a knit group, they are open, friendly, and always taking new members. it’s one of the largest ongoing knit groups i’ve heard of.

and i finally got to do some knitting—i worked on my hazeline and finished up the body section. i’ve since changed needles and begun the hem. unfortunately any other knitting i accomplished on this trip was on secret projects that i can’t show you . . . but even there, i didn’t get much done. i found myself completely wiped out most nights and because i was driving from place to place, there was none of the usual travel knitting time.

i’ll just have to make up for it on my next trip.

on thursday, i had the absolutely lovely experience of meeting my friend (and yours) anne marie for a day at the baltimore museum of art. anne marie moved from canton to eastern PA about two years ago and we all miss her so much. since she is one of our extremely talented and dedicated proofreaders, i do get to stay in close touch, but i still look forward to seeing her in person once in a while.

neither of us had been to this museum before and we were so glad we made it our destination. they have wonderful collections of oceanic and modern art and while the contemporary wing is currently closed for reconstruction, i suspect it is very good as well and we will definitely go back after it reopens in november.

we started in the sculpture garden, which is an urban treasure for anyone with proximity to the grounds—if i worked nearby, i would make this my lunchtime destination nearly every day.
its cool, quietude provides the perfect resting place to relax and restore oneself, with lovely plantings and well-chosen art nestled among them.

while the buildings and grounds (circa 1921) are very traditional, the focus of the sculpture collection is decidedly contemporary—my favorite.

the feeling throughout the grounds is really nice—a destination all its own.

with lots for children to look at and explore, too; it’s never too early to get them in touch with art. and visiting the collections is free to all, both inside and out.

the museum houses the largest collection of works by matisse in the world, which are surrounded by fresh, fun examples of modern works by a wide representation of modern artists.

i love this dressing table, especially the mirrors.

and when we saw a hallway lined with these complex miniature vignettes, i immediately thought of helena and wished she could be there to see them.

the detail is astounding—this dining room has tiny, hand-painted murals of seaside scenes.

the museum is little gem, that’s for sure; we will be sure to go back.

and one of the best things about it is the terrific onsite cafe, which showcases in its menu the rich supply of fresh seafood and fresh produced found close by—we ate a leisurely and delicious lunch and even indulged in desserts (we couldn’t help ourselves!).

and i doubt many of you could have resisted either.

afterward, anne marie and i exchanged big hugs and i got back in the car to make my way south to leonardtown on the eastern shore, where i was heading to teach for the weekend at crazy 4 ewe. we had a great weekend there, kicking things off with a trunk show and following up with lace and blocking classes and the yarn voyage as well.

it was a busy, busy weekend and i was a bad blogger who didn’t take photos (i don’t know why!), but i know that many participants will be showing up in our ravelry groups, so let’s roll out the red carpet to welcome them.

now i’m home; i got here in the late afternoon and headed right out to meet my knitting class. i’ve got david’s cake all baked and now i need to frost it—will post an update photo when it’s done . . .

ETA: