Cozy Father's day weekend

I just realized I didn't post anything for a while and this blog literally became M's Child-development notebook. What I was doing during the time I was missing from the cyber place? I was crazily busy in May at job.

In the first week of May, we got a memo that we need to have our annual budget prepared by the end of the month. This aggressive deadline put all of us on a 10-hr working schedule everyday, and I actually went to work on one weekend. Meanwhile,I also have to prepare several grant and external proposal. After I finally turn in my budget in the first Friday of June, Leonard got a cold and passed to every of us. This weekend we finally recovered from the chaos. And it is a very fruitful weekend that allows me to gather my thought to write up the blog.

First of all , I made a bag for myself. It is my third bag. The first one is way too ugly to discuss. I tort it apart after I finished to reuse the fabric. Because the terrible experience with the sewing machine, I hand-sewed the second one-- that little handbag took forever! These experiences really put me off from bag-making for a while. But I still have that urge of "bag-making" in my heart. I finally made this third one. My experience about sewing cam sum up to one sentence: devil is in the detail. I believe the sewing machine can sense the fear! Also, once cannot force a sewing machine. So, if one really want to make a bag without ruin the material and the day, make sure to have peaceful mind first. This means make a plan-- of course do some zen probably will help too.

With this bag, I tried several new techniques I had read in the books. The major one is the patten. Although it is not visible from outside, I cut the corner of the fabric to form the shape of the bag. I use to use another technique but this does makes the bag looks better.

Since this weekend was Father's day, we also went to Presque Isle for picnic. The weather was nice but the wind is chill. Speaking of hot/chill I always found  M and I seems better adjusted to the weather after years in the US. Annie and my mother-in-law always feel cold. I wonder how Leonard feels about it. During Leonard's first several months, Annie always dressed him in long-sleeves and insisted Leonard would feel cold when his arms were exposed. Sometimes I have a feeling that he actually does not really care. The good thing is with these grandmas here, I rarely have to worry if Leonard was in enough clothes. They are very aggressive in covering him with all kind of garments!

The places we settle down for picnic is Perry Monument. We brought egg salad, chicken wing and a lot of fruits. I also brought a quilt and blanket because I planned to sit on the grass if we could not find a covered-table. However, it was so cold that day that we actually do want to sit under direct sun. I wore a sleeve-less dress and I hided under one of the quilt. What amused me was that other people seems to be okay with the cold wind. M said others probably feels we are weird. Maybe they were saying: look, there was a weird family there!