Two Bihns run errands

Well today I spent some time making over my blog.  I hope that it's a pleasure to read for all.  I wanted to share something that is a pleasure for me.  

In my pages section I have a  list called tools of the trade where I feature some of my favorite things.  Some of my recent favorites are my Tom Bihn bags.  Pictured here are the Little Swift in Vulcana Hemp/Recycled Rubber as my purse and an Shop Bag in Ultraviolet Dyneema as my mailbag.  

For years I have searched for a quality, useful bag system and I believe I have finally found it.  

I fell in love with these bags way back in 2007 when I was searching for the perfect knitting bag.  I found the Swift.  I didn't buy one then, it wasn't until the end of 2010 that I finally bought one of their bags, and this year I finally got my first full sized Swift.  

n+1. . .

My bags have had babies, and I now have bags for travel, shopping, library trips, the beach, post office runs, day trips, my laptop, edc's and of course knitting.  

I love how the organizer pouches fit and clip into the bags to add infinite pockets and organization.  Due to the fact that they come in different sizes, and different materials and are removable they work to organize whatever bag I am currently using easily by sight or feel.  

I also love the durability of the fabrics and findings, most of them USA made.  Many owners from 15+ years report still using their bags as they look nearly new.   I love the real cork, recycled rubber/vulcana hemp and Dyneema fabrics.  They are so unique and original just to TB bags.  They work well in different settings and make the bags very versatile, durable and aesthetically pleasing.

I have yet to find anything that doesn't "go" with the cork or the hemp fabrics in my wardrobe.  And I use the Dyneema shop bag (plus his 3 friends) weekly to haul heavy loads of groceries and there is no signs of stress or fail!

The fact that I had the opportunity to go to the factory in Seattle, meet the employees, talk to Tom Bihn himself and see how the business is run (on a day they were not open to the public no less) really makes this company stand apart.  

A real business giving Americans real jobs, both in their product, but the resources to make their products.  Very rare, and hard to find.  To top it all off, Tom stands behind his merchandise and will repair or replace it if it has been through normal use (care instructions) and has failed during it's lifetime.  Hardly any company offers this anymore for their products, let alone products that are used daily.  

Oh, and these bags make great gifts! 

The rough section

The rough section
Originally uploaded by mom2rays
We went for a ride yesterday at a park in Albemarle. I was out of sorts and not prepared for it. So I didn't start my cycle computer app and have no clue on our distance or speed. It was rough through the woods, very uneaven terrain, steep hills, quick turns, switchbacks and even a few downed trees over the path. I believe I need a more skill to do well on paths like this.
The boys had a similar hard time. Their issues were skill and the limitations of their bikes. Today they are sore from using different muscles than they are used to.
Z enjoyed herself being trailered behind Rocky until we stopped for him to try a technical area, she got out of the trailer and was bitten by fire ants.

 If we do this trail again, I will be better prepared. Actually, I am going to better prepare for all of our future rides. At least the bites occurred after we were clear of the woods and Rocky could sprint to the truck and retrieve our first aid kit quickly. Needless to say, our ride was over after the bites.

No more spider man

No more spider man
Originally uploaded by mom2rays

Zuri has endured using spider man cloth napkins the first 3.5 years of her life. Poor thing. So today I decided to use some assorted girly flannels to make her a set of her own cloth napkins. I think she's pleased.

My 3 year old chef

Z makes some brownies
Originally uploaded by mom2rays

Zuri helps me make some brownies for dessert. She was a great assistant. This was her first time helping me all by herself (without her brothers) I think we will be doing more baking projects going forward. We had a lot of fun baking together :)

Value Village Treasure

Value Village Treasure
Originally uploaded by mom2rays

A little over a year ago I started recreational cycling and got interested in bikes as transportation and for exercise. Right before Higher Ground camp we bought me a Schwinn off craigslist. It was a Hybrid and way too large of a frame, but I didn't know this at the time. It was nicer than my freecycle MTB that weighed a ton and had crappy gearing, but still wasn't a pleasure to ride. I still rode. I rode greenways, I road some park trails, I road around our neighborhood with Rocky and the kids. I gained confidence, I gained more interest, I learned about shifting and about saddles and all kinds of things.
For mother's day this year Rocky bought me a lovely Specialized Ariel Sport Disc and we put 29er tires onto her. I have a bike that can do all kinds of surfaces and is fun to ride for the type of riding I predominantly do.
From the beginning of my interest last year, I fantasized about a vintage Mixte that I custom build up to be a touring bike for road riding only. I looked around, and couldn't really find the perfect bike. I wasn't in a hurry so it wasn't an issue. I found a few but they were not in good condition and $$$. Evidently Mixte's are pretty popular.
Wednesday I stopped by my Value Village and found this Takara (Treasure in Japanese) Mixte. The price was very right, $18.18 to be exact. She came home!
She's the right size frame, and in very good condition, save cracks in the side walls of her tires.
She's going to need some work to get her to where I want her, but I am so excited to have her, and am looking forward to the project of turning her into what I dream in my mind.
She needs her bottom bracket pulled and overhauled to remove old grease, the handlebars, stem, shift levers and brake levers replaced to a different style and placement. I'm not a fan of drops, especially on this bike. The saddle will also need to be replaced and the tires. Oh and I am probably going to have her painted.
Even with all of that, she truly is a Treasure :)

little 5er

little 5er
Originally uploaded by mom2rays
I have been "trying" lately to do exercise at home, for a few different reasons. I am not the greatest though at finding what works. . .
I got a little 5lb. kettlebell and did my first workout today with it. Who knew 5lb. would get a person all sweaty and trembly, lol. I believe I love it, the workout is relatively quick, the equipment is not major, and I don't have to leave my bedroom to do it.
1st workout consisted of 3 sets of 10 reps each:
Snatch Pull & Push Press
Swing
Deadlift
Windmill
and just to see if I could do it I followed up with one set of 2 reps of the Turkish Standup.

Observations:
I can do this
I'm glad I didn't start with the 7.5lb
I think this will combine well with hooping
I feel happy when I KB like I do when I hoop :)

hair fun

hair fun
Originally uploaded by mom2rays

I don't know exactly what inspired this, but I did my first twist-out. After my shower, and with no time before Gymnastics I decided to twist my hair into 2 strand twist. It didn't look great, but hopefully the next time I will have more time to make it look better. I left it looking less than great overnight until it dried and untwisted it the following day. I really liked the result. I had more visible length yet still maintained my texture and even some coils.
I usually just wash and go, so it's unusual for me to even try to play with my hair. Hopefully much future hair fun is in store!

Quilt from Aunt Michelle :)

Quilt from Aunt Michelle :)
Originally uploaded by mom2rays
My grandmother passed away July 3. She lived such a full life as wife and mother to 18 children, friend, humanitarian, volunteer, teacher and so much more. It was a blessing to see her 2 weeks before her passing and spend time with her while she was so very much alive and aware.

Thankfully, her cancer didn't linger and rob her of her humanity. It was diagnosed, and then she had a short period of living with it, and then she passed.

She lives on in her 200+ offspring and is well remembered in the lives she touched.
Since we had just traveled to visit, when we had to return for her funeral we decided to take our Travel Trailer. We knew many family members would be coming into town and those who lived locally would do their best to graciously host them, but it would be very crowded at best.

We parked our TT at the family farm in my Aunt's front yard. The farm, her hospitality, family and our private accommodations were such a welcome respite when dealing with the emotional stress of grandma's passing.

We did our best to help out when we could since many of the gatherings were focused around the family farm and we were not responsible for funeral arrangements and other important details as other's were.
As a thank you, my Aunt Michelle gifted Rocky and I with this beautiful hand seamed quilt, crafted with vintage fabrics.
It is the perfect addition to our Travel Trailer and hopefully the first of many special pieces that hold memories of our family experiences while RVing.

It brightens our bedroom so much I couldn't have picked a better one.

Thank you Aunt Michelle for everything!