Big Banana Car in Columbus Guest Blog

Laura took a photo of the Big Banana Car in front of her neighbor’s house. Part of the mini The World Needs More Whimsy Tour. The Big banana is built on a “….1993 Ford pickup over the course of two years by Steven Braithwithe”

Rides were available today (until dark)for a donation. The money going to a fund for children without health insurance

Photo by Laura

By the time you read this post, the tour will be over but what fun Laura and Charlie and Roy had on the walk to and from school. Laura face-timed me while holding a Bananas Gorilla (Richard Scarry Busytown) toy. I snapped a couple of screen shots.

I cropped out myself from the Face time call
Bananas Gorilla in his banana car

One more screen shot while Face timing

Do you remember Laura’s neighbor?

Greg created the Art Car (click to see slide show) I know you’ve seen it on the blog.

Needle Point Breeze

Needle Point Breeze
6734 Reynolds Street
Point Breeze neighborhood
Pittsburgh PA

Last Thursday, I unearthed a needlepoint* project I started in 1981. In fact, I knew which bag in which closet to dig for it. More than halfway completed, I needed some wool fiber to finish it. A good friend recommended Needle Point Breeze. My project is my own design. Can’t spoil the surprise. Stay tuned….suddenly I was inspired to finish it. After all these years.

I came to the right place. Everyone was welcoming and helpful. I received good tips on how to prepare my project for professional finishing, too.

Now you know I do a lot of knitting these days. I’ve been through periods of counted cross stitch, English smocking, quilting, sewing, crewel embroidery, and needlepoint. But not for decades. I’ve enjoyed a multitude of fiber based handcrafts.

*nee·dle·point

ˈnēd(ə)lˌpoint

1. embroidery worked over canvas, typically in a diagonal stitch covering the entire surface of the fabric.

Store Hours
Tuesday and Thursday
10 AM–5 PM
Saturday
10 AM–4 PM

The store represents many canvas designers,
listed on the website
Welcome to Needle Point Breeze
you can order online

if you’re not able to come to the store

Fiber, Canvases, Accessories, Purses, Boxes, Bags, Kits,
Custom Designs and
Finishing Services available
Walls of rainbows.
Fibers varieties wooly, metallic, fuzzy, fluffy, frosty, sparkly, velvety, shiny,
I perused the fiber possibilities
What a light filled, colorful space.
Wool, silk, cotton, alpaca, angora to name a few and combination blends
Christmas ornaments.
Yes, you can needlepoint a partridge.
Embroidery Floss
Paternayan is the type of wool yarn I started my project and there was a basket full of so many colors like a woolly bouquet at Needle Point Breeze (even though the brand is now discontinued) Lucky Day

The top left is Perle cotton and wool
Needlepoint projects I stitched in the early 1980’s that I display in my home in 2023

Free Take Me

Donna and I had just pulled out of the parking lot after our breakfast. I said to her “I wonder if we will see any furniture discards today.” A few years ago, (2015)we saw a pink chair on the sidewalk when we were together at the Dormont Eat ‘n Park.

We couldn’t believe it when there was a couch in the way back to her house last Friday. Of course, I pulled over and photographed it. it’s not like I go out and look for these abandoned furniture finds. They just show up!

A Ghost Bike

Have you seen a “ghost bike” in your neighborhood? Here’s one in ours.

A list of 630 ghost bikes in 210 locations at the website linked in the following quotation.

“Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel”

I’ve driven by it many times but this morning I turned the corner and photographed it. Read the plaque. A ghost bike is a visible reminder to share the road with cyclists and drive more carefully.

William Theisen, a cyclist killed when struck by a car at Stanton Avenue and North St. Clair Street in Highland Park, is memorialized with this ghost bike.

In February 2020, I had seen a ghost bike in Gainesville, Florida while visiting friends. I was a passenger in the car so was able to take the photo as we drive by. Unfortunately I don’t know the name of the cyclist who is memorialized.

Asian Lantern Festival at the Pittsburgh Zoo

At the bottom of the hill of One Wild Place
at Butler Street

I was a passenger in a car as we came back home from Book Club. I was able to snap this picture as we turned up the hill. The Asian Lantern Festival is happening at the Pittsburgh Zoo Thursday-Saturdays until October 29

The 30th PedalPGH hosted by BikePGH

Thirtieth Anniversary of Pedal Pittsburgh August 27, 2023 was

“Hosted by BikePGH, PedalPGH is Pennsylvania’s Largest Bike Ride” (and we’ve lots of hilly terrain in the city)

I was knitting a pair of socks on the front porch Sunday morning. My street is a definite incline. I got to watch bikers pedal by at different rates of speed. You can watch a sampling here

On our way to the movie theatre the street was filled the cyclists

Goats at Work in Pittsburgh

Eating the invasive unwanted plants. Goats in Highland Park near the dog park. Thank you for the heads up, dear friend and blog follower, Tookie!

Layla the Goat Chewing
Walter
Nashville
Russell
Randy
Aspen
Savannah?

If you like hosts you can click here and see other blog posts with goat friends

Adventure Completed

We returned to Lawrenceville where we started our library adventure. It was the branch where we’d gotten our CLP Passports and our first stamp. Librarian Steve gave us the forms to fill out. He offered to stamp our passports but we already had the stamp. He stamped our notes pages with the extra large stamper though! A bonus stamp. He also emailed us the pdf brochures about each library branch we visited. Thank you.

One more selfie – In front of Lawrenceville Branch CLP,
the first branch library (1898) after the Main Library
An example of the brochures

What a fun time Jen and I had driving all over the city, collecting the stamps at the nineteen branches within the city limits. It was her idea to participate and I’m so glad she invited me along.