A simple weekend with simple pleasures - it was wonderful.

We had a Namaste Knitters meetup in DC on Sunday. The Namaste Knitters is a group that I moderate on Ravelry to bring together knitters and crocheters who love yoga. Sung-Ji offered to host our DC group at the Inspired Yoga studio downtown. We knit, ate some delicious treats and drank yummy teas, and did some light yoga in the beautiful studio space. This was the first meetup of the group, and we will definitely be doing it again - we had such a good time together! If you are interested in joining us, stay tuned to the Ravelry boards for more information about our next get-together. (Left to right: my BFF Bec, Manda, me, Sung-Ji, and Heather)

The other simple pleasure of the long weekend was our weekly walk in the woods. The weather was unseasonably warm - near 70 degrees - and Kris and I hit the trails mid-morning and explored some great places in the nearby Patapsco Valley State Park. The park is located in Baltimore County, Maryland, about 15 minutes from our home. We have been to the park many times before, but the hike today offered us more time and better weather to venture onto some new trails. I am not quite sure how far we hiked, but we steadily climbed a steep hill, made our way to the top and around the other side. The hike in entirety took about 2.5 hours.

We saw a small waterfall, quite active with all of the rain we have had lately, and also saw a large group of deer - maybe 20. Once we pulled the camera out, most of them hitched up the white tails and jumped away. Four remained and watched our every step. The river used to be much bigger, but has been dammed and re-routed. There are signs of the river’s past all over. There was once a large mill located on the banks of the river - late 1800s/early 1900s - and several structures from the mill days remain. They are now in dilapidated states, but interesting nonetheless.

How did you spend your weekend?

On December 30th, the last Sunday of 2007, we went on a walk. It was not an extraordinary walk - aside from being in the glorious surroundings, of course, not to be underestimated - but a simple walk of about two miles in a nearby area with a forest and a nice creek. We had done this stretch of walk dozens of times before, but we marveled at all of the new things that we saw on this particular walk. We decided in no certain terms to make the “weekend walk” a ritual. One we could look forward to throughout the week.

A time to connect with each other, and to connect with nature.

A time to quietly observe the world around us and the changing of the seasons.

A time to just be.

As the calendar ticks by, I find that my desire for the walk changes from week by week: Sometimes, I want a breath of fresh air. I want to get some exercise and burn some calories. I want to improve my mood. I want to wear one of my handknits. I want to meditate and quietly think about things. I want to simply put one foot in front of the other and truly live in the moment. I want to reach a spot that I have never been. Sometimes I have all of these expectations in one single walk.

Kris brings the camera and documents the beautiful natural world. He particularly enjoys capturing the changes of the trees, plants, and bodies of water as the seasons change. Sometimes I take the camera and try to capture the beauty I am seeing.

Each weekend of this month has provided the opportunity for a meaningful walk. We walked through local parks, hiked to a nearby hilltop, and finally, this weekend, we went on a weekend walk a little further from home… well, three actually, one for each day we were there. And the novelty of it was that one walk was deep underground while the other two were a little closer to the clouds!

We spent the long holiday weekend in the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia - about two hours south of our home. We drove down on Friday mid-day and stopped over at a local attraction: Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia.

Our timing was perfect: the snow was fresh and beautiful, and the sun was bright. While the temperatures were cold - below freezing on both days - that did not stop us from getting out and exploring. We found two hiking trails up into the mountains and reserved one for each day, Saturday and Sunday.

These walks may have been my favorite yet. They were a true sensory experience: the smell of pine trees and fresh winds, the aural crunch of the snow and ice under foot, and the monochromatic landscape of white snow blanketing the mountain, and the chilly winds felt against our faces.

The weekend walk ritual has been the highlight of my new year, and we are only three weeks in! I am very excited to discover more places - both near and far - during the weekend walks.

It is amazing how something as simple as a walk can be the best part of the week.

…

Do you have a special ritual that brings you joy?

Maybe I did come back with a little accent, ya’ll. It kinda happens when you spend eight days with your family down in Dixie. Of course, I loved every minute of it. There was a beautiful weekend wedding (my cousin married his high school sweetheart - also named Lauren - funny thing is she now has my maiden name as her married name!) and a wonderful Thanksgiving in the country.

Bridesmaids’ Bouquets

Wedding Cake

My sister and I with the happy couple

Best wedding favor ever: homemade honey from my uncle’s beehives!

My sisters and my cousin sniffing the rose bouquet

The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was even better - it was held in an old Carnegie library building that is now an art gallery. Perfect location. We were taking a few notes too… there may be another wedding in the family in the near future…

The rest of the week was filled with hiking, delicious foods, a little romp around town, and some relaxation time (knitting AND reading!) . We spent the remainder of the week at my uncle’s cabin in Bankhead National Forest - out in the “sticks” as they say. I could actually see the stars at night! and could take a breath of fresh air! and could walk for a mile without seeing another person!

[More nature photos on Kris’s blog and on Flickr]

It was a little like stepping back in time - the trees were at their peak when we first arrived - fiery oranges and reds everywhere - and after a big storm on Thanksgiving eve, many trees lost their leaves. It was nice to hold onto fall for a little longer. Alas, winter is now here. I pulled out my scarves and caps. I am thinking about a new pair of mittens for myself…

*thank you SO much for the comments on my pullover!*

It is funny how living in the DC area can “desensitize” you to historical landmarks and events. I pass over historical sites every day (then again, we all do…) and while I realize what they are, I don’t really think of their importance. History was (one of) my favorite subjects in school [and no, not just because I met Kris in grade 11 history class…] and has continued to play a large role in my life. While working on my MLS in graduate school, I was also working on an MA in History - but I stopped my coursework to work full-time and to gain more experience in the field. I am happy with my decision for many reasons - mainly because it gives me some free time to pursue my other passions. The historical lens is still on - and before I do anything, I research it. At length. Read up on the history. Knitting history. Textiles history. Photography history. Travel history. Natural history.

Once I found out that my regional archives conference was in Williamsburg, Virginia - “where history lives” - I did my research. I have lived in the DC area for 10 years, and I had not yet been to this close by (about 3 hours to the south) site. What intrigued me even more than Williamsburg was the settlement at Jamestown, celebrating its 400 year anniversary (you may recall the Queen’s visit).

The drive to Jamestown Island was picture perfect. The James River is a deep estuary of the Chesapeake Bay, and was a real attraction to the colonists who settled in the area in the seventeenth century. Of course, it was also the home of the Powhatan tribe; their most famous member being “Pocahontas”. Within the last ten years, archaeologists have uncovered the original settlement of Jamestown, where the English colonists landed in 1607. For years, the historians and archaeologists believed that the original settlement had eroded into the James River.

[More Jamestown Island photos]

Interesting sidebar: the English settlers actually considered a site to the east of the island for the first settlement. That site is now the largest vineyard and winery in the state of Virginia, Williamsburg Winery. …and where there is wine, there is Lolly (and Kris).

We came home with some liquid souvenirs.

The town of Williamsburg was very nice too. We did a fun little ghost tour of Williamsburg on Halloween night. Evidently this is the most “haunted” of the houses in Williamsburg - more ghost sightings than any other house in town!

Does it seem creepy to you?

[More photos of Willamsburg]

The excursion came at a wonderful time - the leaves were just beginning their color change in Virginia. There was a nice chill in the air (perfect for a Verona Shawl photography shoot) and the promise of beautiful sights at every turn.

 I am in Williamsburg, Virginia at a work conference, so I hope you enjoy my pre-written post!  If you do want to see what I have been doing in Williamsburg, here’s a hint…

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The heavy rainfall last week inhibited the leaf peeping, but once the sun came out, Kris and I took the dogs out a nearby meadow for some exploration and recreation. This area is flooded nine of the twelve months in the year; this month, the dam is closed and where the reservoir usually is has become a dried open space. Perfect for dogs to run about and for humans to photograph~

Although these thorny seeds were pretty awful to remove from my shoes and pants, I had to admire the tenacity of these seedlings - what a way to ensure the survival of your species. Latch on and see where it takes you! Kris and I were covered, and the poor dogs had these in their fur too. It took quite a while to remove them.

~More Autumnal Eye Candy at Kris’s Blog~