the story continues...

So, perhaps you all have been sitting on the edge of your desk chair waiting to hear about the hole in my car tube and why it isn't working. Well, I'd love to tell you the amazing story about how David and I were pushing the poor little thing the 2 km down the mountain road when our kind and most generous and knowledgeable neighbor, Mario saw us and proceeded to fix the car. In that story, the brilliant Mario would look under our hood, see the hole in the tube, and then with the precision of a heart surgeon, use my Swiss Army knife to cut the part of the tube with the hole off and reattach it. I would then hop in the car which would start right up. We'd all kiss, David and I would shower Mario with thank yous and everyone would go on with their day.

I'd like to tell you that story but it would be fiction. Not true. a lie.

Well, just the last part would be a lie. Mario did help us, he did snip the faulty tube and reconnect it. Unfortunately, it didn't solve the problem. The car didn't start. What really happened after the car's vasectomy was that dear Mario, who was obviously leaving his house for some reason other than helping the helpless Americans, spent the next HOUR trying to find the problem. He recharged the battery. He did something that involved all four spark plugs being out of the car, blown on, tapped on the ground and replugged. He did something with the fuel line. Nothing.

The true story ends with the car going to the shop of a mechanic friend of Mario's. The fictitious story was nicer, don't you think?

Happy endings are relative, however. Break downs are a real hassle, for sure - begging rides from friends, borrowing a car to do the grocery shopping, organizing life around walking or cycling. And, for sure I have been doing my share of lamenting about the situation. Then, on the way to my needle club meeting, I saw what had happened to my poor friend Marina's car.


Check THAT out! Her car burned up. The whole thing, BURNED! And as if that wasn't bad enough, it took her friends Bea and Deiter's car with it. Whoa. Hard to find a happy ending in that situation.

How about a happy ending to this post...here are some photos of the Needle girls:


Mette's finished baby set - can you see the little pearls in those little pink flowers? beautiful.












Sjoekie's finished sweater for her daughter. Her design, her handspun wool. Awesome.



















Natalie learned to crochet today.