Wyoming Breezes

Hello everyone, I am honored to be a guest blogger on Nancy's Foreign Friday blog! My husband Doug and I recently visited Japan, the land of my ancestors. Many of Nancy's photos that we have all enjoyed are still typical of Japanese culture and scenery. Of course, things have changed since 1980 when she was there, but one of the traditions that has not changed is the beauty of the kimono. Most people wear "modern" clothing; however, various kinds of kimono are still worn by men and women to formal occasions, such as weddings, graduation, New Year’s Eve, tea ceremonies, and visiting. Usually when a girl wears a kimono, her mother or grandmother help her dress and learn the proper procedure. However, this tradition is not as strong as before, so some women attend kimono-dressing classes instead of learning from a family member. Doug and I began our trip to Japan with a visit to a former student of Central Wyoming College. Her name is Tamami. Since she did no...

Last week, Sheila N. shared her kimono dressing experience. This week features her husband, Doug. For more information about their recent trip to Japan, check last week's post . * * * * * Dear Readers, Thank you for your nice comments about last Friday's kimono wear! I am glad you enjoyed participating in this experience. Today we have photos of our friend Tamami who lives in Tokyo. Doug and I met her when she was a student here at Central Wyoming College. One of Sheila's hosts, Tamami arranged the kimono dressing adventure. She chose to wear  a green kimono which belongs to her mother. Note the pink clip at the nape which the teacher used to measure and to temporarily secure items. This bin contains the under kimono garments for Tamami.  See last week's post for more detail. Tamami's kimono and obi Tamami's obi has an intricate carriage design. Tamami fully dressed in her kimono and obi. Now, it's Doug's turn to g...

Sign at Todaiji Temple Nara, Japan April 2012 Sheila's photo illustrates that the Japanese allow pets on the grounds of the Tadaiji Temple , but dogs must be carried and not on a leash. Sheila mentioned a wooden column with a hole through its base and that it is a popular belief that those who can squeeze through the hole will gain enlightenment. Sheila was adventurous and made it through the tunnel.  Sheila's other photos can be seen here .

Sheila asked me last week if I wanted to walk a prairie labyrinth with her before my up-coming surgery, and yesterday was the day we selected for our outing. I had no idea my community even had a labyrinth and had never been to one, so this was a unique opportunity. Labyrinths can be located by using this online tool . Several years ago, Sheila's husband helped a friend plan and create the labyrinth, using natural elements, and it is open to the public. At first glance, it appears to be just another rock-strewn hillside, but once on the path, the pattern is clearly seen. It contained four distinct sections with the path outlined with white, red, black, and brown rocks in those areas. Native plants dotted the paths: some tiny like this cluster of flowers, the blooms smaller than a pencil eraser and others imposing yuccas with last year's seed pods attached to dried stalks. Many of the sandstone rocks had lichen in interesting shapes and several colors. The view surround...

mini doily crocheted by Susan S. date unknown Recently I went over to Sheila's house to pick up some honey to mail to Judy and her Mr. in Wisconsin. Sheila (a non-knitter) and I looked through some of her mom's knitting patterns and hand-written knitting notes and notations to determine what could be discarded. In one box we found four doilies that Susan had crocheted that needed blocking. You may remember that Susan explained her process to me, and I blocked some of her final pieces . It is satisfying to see the doilies starched and stretched into their intended shapes. Big or small, Susan's doilies are works of art. square doilies crocheted by Susan S. date unknown These two square doilies were gorgeous, and blocking them required an "army" of pins to keep the sides straight. preliminary pinning of Susan S. square, crocheted doily Some of the "soldiers' had to be moved several times, but before long they were marching in a straight li...

Indian Paintbrush by Sheila N. June 2013 Isn't that photo beautiful - I love the perspective. Sheila tried something different with her camera - shooting from the viewpoint of the flowers. The result is stunning. On a recent day trip, Sheila and her husband found an abundance of Indian Paintbrush on South Pass, and shared her photos with me. (Thanks, Sheila) Indian Paintbrush is Wyoming's state flower, but I didn't know that the blooms are edible until I prepared this post.

Pay Phone Lander Valley Hospital Lander, WY Late Summer 2013 I am still on the look-out for pay phones in my community. This summer, Sheila spotted this one at the Lander hospital. We had just finished visiting a friend who was in the ICU when Sheila pointed to the phone tucked in a small cubby hole. It's a good thing Sheila has sharp eyes and that my cell phone is capable of taking photos, or I would have missed documenting this vanishing American icon. Previous posts about pay phones, can be seen here .

I've visited and knit with Susan S. several times in the last two years. At every visit, I admired her beautiful, crocheted doilies and her knit blankets. My readers may remember the pattern that Susan agreed to share with me and with you. Sheila mentioned recently that her mother was willing to sell some of her work: I was thrilled at the opportunity to own some of Susan's works of art. I wanted larger, white doilies for the center of my kitchen and living room tables. Sheila selected a couple of doilies she thought I might like but also suggested I look through the entire box of doilies. Oh my, I was in heaven! From that box, I selected three other doilies and came home with these five beauties: The doilies range in size from 20 - 22 inches in diameter. Thank you, Susan and Sheila for allowing me to become the guardian of these works of art!