Mazda Miata Engine Swap, Honda K Motor

Dear Folk,

The Boys creation.  My, he has put some work into this.  Last thing was adding a roll bar, which made mum and dad happy.  He has a clutch problem to sort, but I know he will.  He is totally self taught.  Long conversations with his dad and I do wish his grandfather had known him, coming from that aircraft engineer background.

He added the front bump to cover the bigger engine.

All the dash-board and door panels have been covered in kid leather, he did all that.

New Honda engine.

Christine

Summertime And The Living Is Easy

Hi Dear Folk,

Summertime and the living is easy, at least it is today, because it is cool, blue skies and sun, a perfect summer day.  Enjoying the moment.  This morning I got up early, and threaded elastic in my green Indian skirt.  Let me go back a bit, in the spring I bought two check Indian skirts at the thrift, one in orange and one in green, both of which although new,  still needed a good wash and must have been old stock, because the elastic waist had gone.  It was not just a matter of replacing the elastic, because the elastic had been sown into the waistband, so I had to unpick the old elastic out, stitched back the waistband and then threaded in new elastic.  I however only got to thread the orange one and have worn that all summer, but never got to threading the green one, now that is done I wore it today.  They are all cotton very full skirts and lined in cotton so just right for hot summer days.

When you wash these in cold water, you are meant to dry them in a rung out position and they are to be worn creased, which is fine with me because I am not into ironing.

This month I've watched two movies which are both true stories A United Kingdom, and The Zookeeper's Wife.  I read The Zookeepers Wife a while ago, here is the review I wrote at the time.  If you get a chance to watch these films you might enjoy them.

Paperback books are easy to carry in my messenger bag which I take to work, I was able to pick four more up at the library, which I buy for a quarter.  I'm looking forward to reading The Eighty Dollar Champion, another true story.  The documentary is on Netflix and such a feel good story, not unlike Sea Biscuit.  About Snowman who became a champion jumper, after being bought at the Amish Horse auctions in Lancaster County, PA.  He was loaded on the truck ready to be shipped to the knackers yard and was saved at the last minute, bought for eighty dollars.

This is the alpaca cardi that shrunk.  I have been able to cut four hat crown panels out of it, will do a contrasting band.  I have to keep everything that is pure wool in plastic bags, I've had too much anguish over moth holes, not to do so.

This is a shrug that I have almost finished crocheting, but I think will be a lot heavier than I thought.  I wanted to wear it with summer dresses, but our air conditioning in the USA is so frigid, in many public places, that maybe it will not be too heavy.  The yarn was on clearance, kind of a ribbon yarn with a satin and velvet type finish.

Are you familiar with Folkwear Patterns?  You might like to read their history and see the patterns they offer, they are such fun to look at and acquire.  I first ran across these patterns in the late seventies and have always liked them.  In fact I bought the Kimono pattern back in the eighties and made that as a wedding shower gift for a friend.  Making the kimono, then stitching, pulling the threads, indigo blue dying, pulling all the stitching out, which leaves a pattern.  A lot of work but very rewarding.

I ran across this an Afghani Nomad dress made up see here, and thought how nice it looked.  I actually bought my pattern off eBay after realizing I could have bought it straight from Folkwear Patterns, I thought they were out of business, but are not.  I like Posie Gets Cozy's version especially her fabric combination.

My August garden, must enjoy it as Autumn is in the air, leaves are turning and you can see the slight slide down towards Autumn.

Prairie Bonnet, what a lovely name.  I planted this several years ago and thought it had died off, but this year it came back and I am so happy.

This little garden under my kitchen window is so dry near the wall, that I decided to intersperse it with brickwork, and add pots, rather than just seeing dry dirt.

Rob will never be a potter, here is one of his pieces, the blue jug.  You can fill it with water up to the bottom of the spout, then it all leaks.  I love the blue, looks very Provence and country to me.

I could not get these calla lilies to stand up, so put tomato frames around them.  Now they're doing pretty well.

My beautiful hibiscus, almost looks on fire in the centre.  My bougainvillea is blooming at long last.

Christy

Japanese Tiny House on Wheels, Bonsai, Philadelphia Flower Show 2017 - Part 12

Hi Dear Folk,

I have long loved bonsai trees and have started and lost several, because in the heat of summer you cannot forget to water them even for a short period of time.  Rob and I started several when he was little.  I like to admire them.

Thinking of Japanese culture and down sizing, you must look at this beautifully crafted Japanese Tiny House on Wheels.   The craftsmanship is exquisite.

Christy

Cherry Blossom Festival and Japanese Gardens

 Hi Dear Folk,

Mr. B. and I decided at the last minute to see the Japanese Gardens and cherry blossoms at Fairmount Park.  Unbeknownst to us there was a Cherry Blossom Festival being held.  This was not quite the day I envisioned.

Would this style of dress be considered Japanese Anime?  I'm not sure.  But whatever it is, many in attendance were into this dress style.  Looks something like Alice in Wonderland went down the rabbit hole and came up in Japan.

A little more traditional.

We wandered round and had fun, just to be out on a beautiful day was nice, even with all the crowds.

There were some traditional Kimono costumes and dance.

This hair adornment and head piece was most interesting.

I like the little silver fan pin with dangles on.

More Alice in Wonderland.

The Shofuso Japanese House and Gardens which I only got to see over the fence, was so busy with tours that we were not able to go in and this is what I had really come to see.

The weather was beautiful, I was overdressed in a wool cardigan.  In fact all weekend I seemed to be inappropriately dressed, not quite in step, a little crazy.

Christy

Japanese Dance - Cherry Blossom Festival, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

The Bookmark

Hi Dear Folk,

You might ask what is so special about a bookmark that I would make that my title for a post.

Over the years I have used all the possible combinations of bookmarks.  Card bookmarks made for that use with tassels, photographs on them or with me, quite often tea sayings, or a very special bookmark from a friend made of handmade lace from Suffolk.

I have used old envelopes, or cards, postcards that have been mailed to me, pieces of folded paper or even a receipt.  Sometimes a rubber band, a paperclip, a piece of yarn or string, I think the list could go on further, yes a dried leaf and so on, you get the picture.

Metal bookmarks have also appeared in my books over the years, ones that nip the paper, never my favourite.  But now I have a metal bookmark that is absolutely my favourite; it is from Japan and is metal with a little vase in white Japanese/Chinese ceramic made in the old Japanese/Chinese style.

It sits in a book so perfectly, hugs over the top and down the spine, does not slip, move, or drop out, I am in love with this bookmark.

It came in a little box and I acquired it at the thrift shop, possibly it came from a museum shop, who knows, but I paid just a little amount for it and paid so little attention when I bought it, just thinking that I liked the old Japanese/Chinese blue and white ceramic, and who would have thought I would write a gushing post about a very mundane little object, a bookmark.

And here it is.

Christy

P.S. Reading Greengates, such a great read, by the fire