Pumpkin Sunrise

I finished the shawl the day before I wanted it wrapped up and ready to go.  As always, blocking made the lace work pop.  It truly is a magical even in a knitter's world. Many of you have asked, "did she like it?"  She did, unfortunately when she opened the shawl I was in the moment and forgot to take a photo. The whole opening up present event was a blur and I remembered at the end.  Isn't that life?  I'm glad I was paying attention, but boy where was my mind?  I'll blame it all on the wedding brain fog. I'm happy knowing she has something to wear if she gets cold.  The wedding is at the end of July and the chances of being cold are quite slim, but still a chance is a chance. Ravelry notes here

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments    in the comment section with a link to your blog. My weekend was busy, fun and full of good food and good company. -my daughter had her bridal shower which my sister hosted (thank you!).  The party was a small family affair and we had a fantastic time -there was lemon cake! -a few games -lots of homemade appetizers and snacks   -the weather was cold and rainy all weekend long -I had a lunch out with my sister, some shopping, and lots of talking time with my aunt. -I also saw my cousins -we had a dinner at my dad's and walked around his ponds and listened to the frogs, bees and birds. -despite all of the rain, yesterday after being stuck on a highway and losing 1 1/2 hours of driving time (crazy!!) we were gifted a rainbow How was your weekend?

Just like that, the flowers are all blooming and it looks and feels like summer.  I heard the crickets this past week.  I see dragonflies and butterflies everywhere I go.  Busy busy busy!  Speaking of busy, we are about a month away from the wedding. My son bought his train tickets to come home in July and I've been scheduling so many tasks, ordering a tent rental and all sorts of stuff.  I have never held a deep abiding love for a date book like I do these days.  I grab it, flip through and pencil in.  Phone apps are not the same and never will be--call me an old fashion paper and pen kind of gal. Sure I have phone numbers in the phone but there is something about writing in on the date a business name and phone number and seeing it right there on the page. RSVP cards are trickling in for the reception (not hosted at my house, phew!).  I'm estimating how much food for a Sunday luncheon (at my house) with an unknown amount of guests. (tricky but doable in my mind!)

Good morning!  I snapped this photo yesterday when I had about 14 rows left to do (I think) now I only have five rows.  Hopefully I will have this shawl finished by the end of the day.  I'd love to have this finished by dinner time so I can do a quick soak in wool wash and block it out before I go to bed.  No pressure right? I have daydreams of wrapping this up and giving it to my daughter at her bridal shower over the weekend.  She knows all about the shawl but still, it will be exciting to have one more gift to open! My reading has been fast and furious.  I finished Milk Glass Moon by Trigiani and enjoyed the novel.  I'm taking a break from the series once again and started O Pioneers  by Willa Cather.  I haven't read her ever and I'm really really enjoying her writing style.  That book is on my kindle and isn't photoed.  However, once I finish Cather's book, I'm starting Silver Linings Playbook  by Matthew Quick.  My son and I will read it at the

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments    in the comment section with a link to your blog. Guess what?  My computer is finally (finally!!) acting like it should.  How about that?  Maybe it was just in a mood and has decided to behave.  In three days the "Wedding" will be a month away.  Yikes. This weekend I retried on my dress and was thrilled to like what I picked out in January.  My kitchen table is littered with scraps of paper, listing all those lists I have to do.  I'm also listing all those stray thoughts that I just might forget.  I've written them before but now they are lost or somewhere in the pile. This weekend while my mind is whizzing and whirring about tasks and such, I stopped to watch two inch worms.  I'm amazed I thought they were beautiful as they felt around to decide where to go on my lamb's ears blossom.  Now if an inch wo

Around here I've slipped into a slow and easy schedule where I start my days sipping hot coffee in the quiet of the morning while I write a bit and pray a lot.  These spring days feel more and more like summer days.  I watch mid morning as my shamrocks do their sun salutations to the sunlight.  If plants were people I think they would be happy and positive, thankful and reflective. Around here I'm loving the color yellow in my kitchen, in my food and the daisies that grow wildly on the road side.  I see potential knitting projects in color combinations where ever I am.  Yellow and white, yellow and gray.  I muse and ponder and dream. Around here the days are cloudy.  Thankfully when the skies were blue and welcoming, I snapped a photo noticing and embracing a clear endless sky with wispy clouds.  We are in a drought watch and yet it is drizzly dreary and rainy most days. Around here, I fit in time to walk with Frodo and my husband. This is where we catch up on

Good morning! Call me crazy but I've cast on a new project.  I know, I know, I have that cowl, that sweater and the never ending scrap sock blanket.  However, I was sitting and thinking-I do that at times-about some lacy shawl knitting.  I'm hopefully going to have a finished shawl for my daughter to wear at her wedding even though she says it's okay to not have one. The project page is here .  I have high hopes of having it completed in two weeks for her bridal shower but the realist in me knows I'll be wrapping up an unfinished shawl.  That's okay, I learned from my mom that "in progress" presents are just as sweet. The yarn is a blend of kid mohair and merino which my daughter picked out while we were at a fiber festival last year.  This is my first time knitting with kid mohair and so far I'm getting used to the "halo" of the yarn.  I guess my first love is silk blends. On my reading progress, I've finished Persuasion !  I

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments    in the comment section with a link to your blog. Golly!  Every time I sit at this computer there is some technical difficulty...I'm starting to think the computer is possessed.  However, I am happy to report that the last time I had computer woes, I was able to fix it (dust in the fan, updates that didn't update...).  Today, I turned everything off and on and magically that worked. Anyways, my weekend was slow and restive.  I flipped through some magazines, read for a few hours, then later on Saturday, my husband and I went to a community yard sale.  On Saturday night, I cast on a shawl then ripped it all out. I didn't like the way the yarn was behaving. We had a nice dinner with friends on Friday night and a dinner out yesterday.  If you are reading correctly, you've noticed that I didn't cook all weekend

Good morning!  A few days ago we were walking our walk, the one that is done daily when the weather is cooperating and I discovered the daisy blossoms.  This flower, that is unassuming and simple, is one of my favorites.  I love how daisies will bloom wherever there is sun, their petals facing the bright sky saying "hello" to the world.  They don't care if they bloom on the roadside or in a garden. I tackled the front room carpet and won the stain battle.  I have crossed off another task on my list of things to do.  The bonus from the work lead to a clean carpet and a fresh smelling house.  Also, I can safely say the ceiling is finally finally finished.  The mud and paint are permanently put away and my house is dust free from more than a day at a time. It's the simple pleasures. Now if only our bushes that fed the deer through the winter would green up and look fresh!  They still look brown from a distance but up close there is green....I'm hoping that

For some strange reason my computer is slow this morning.  I hope that it's not foreshadowing so kind of imminent doom.... Anyways, good morning!  My knitting is down to two projects (I'm not counting that scrap sock blanket...it is idle right now).  I'm knitting the infinity cowl  and enjoying the process thoroughly.  This is what I was working on while riding in the car to and from Boston.  As you can see, I didn't make much progress, I was too busy looking out the window or talking. My other project is the hitofude cardigan .  I am on the skirt increasing and I believe in a few weeks I'll have another sweater.  I do love this pattern and if you are adventurous you should try it. My reading continues to be Jane Austen's Persuasion.   I wasn't sure if I read this novel or not as a teen but I'm glad to report that I did not read this one.  I'm enjoying the story and the characters.  I tend to like the dramatic ones :)  I have started the thi

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments    in the comment section with a link to your blog. Guess where I was? I don't know about you but jetsetting and being home over a two day weekend is tiring.  We left on Friday to take our son back to his apartment in Waltham, MA. He lives near a little park around the river and the geese were very tame. I loved walking the walk he walks to get fresh air and being outside.   Friday night we shopped in Cambridge (love the vibe in this town) and had dinner at   Mr. Bartley's .  My husband said "let's do a selfie" and the kids tried to pretend to not be at our table....that's fine, we were having fun. Saturday we spent the day at the Museum of Fine Arts .  We were there for four hours and did not see everything.  I loved the Hokusai exhibit the most (and lunch).  Just knowing that I am within the wa

Today my son returns to his apartment, gosh, the past two weeks flew by.  I sit and stare at him and wonder how fast time marches on.  I remember writing here about his tennis matches and band concerts. This past week, I scanned many photos of my daughter growing up.  Each and every photo I remembered where we were and what we were doing.  I watched her grow as we moved from house to house and so many photos we are smiling and laughing. I also noticed how when her brother was born she acquired a best friend.  I was hard pressed finding a photo of just her after that. I also saw many family members who are no longer with us, these people helped shape who I am and also my children.  I am grateful for that clever person who invented photography.  Of stopping time forever and capturing a moment.  I'm also grateful to the people who invented portable cameras and the digital file.  Let's not forget the scanner inventor and photo editing software engineer. Hopefully next week

I couldn't resist, I cast on a new project.  Now let me just say that I've finished a project so there was extra room in the knitting bag.   Yesterday I posted about the baby blanket that is folded and waiting to be wrapped up.  I saw this cowl pattern two weeks ago and knew I would have to cast on soon.  Ravelry notes are here . I've been reading Persuasion by Jane Austen and it's been a little slow going for me.  I'll blame my son who is still here visiting, okay?  I'm into the story but when I read a classic, I find I cannot zip and skim read.  I have to concentrate.  I read before I go to sleep and as you well may know, my concentration is thin. However, I'm not starting any new novels until this one is done! What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

My knitting has been quite busy these days and so have my days in general.  My son has been visiting and my knitting time quite limited.  I'm not complaining.  However, I did finish this sweet adorable blanket! Ravelry notes are here .  This pattern is quite easy and great for a beginner.  Also the pattern rows are quick to memorize.  That means you can talk and knit at the same time, an added bonus. Sometime next week, I'll be wrapping up the gift along with the sweater I made earlier this year.