Pumpkin Sunrise

This week has been peaceful, even Frodo is enjoying the lull after a whirlwind weekend.  The frenzied list making and remembering random musts have been replaced by quiet moments of mundane every day events. I've welcomed back simple grocery lists, reading snippets on blogs, articles and a magazine.  I sat and watched the clouds roll by, not really thinking of much but feeling refreshed.  The emptiness of my days have been filled with gratitude and contentment. I've learned that I do not thrive on stress, planning a wedding is hard work and emotional, I take way too much personally and I love my every day "boring" life.  I welcome back my journal mornings, praying for friends and family and noticing the little slice of world I am blessed to occupy. Life is good. Mornings have been restorative once again.  Oh do not be mislead, I am still plotting and planning, but this time it's about returning to healthy eating, prioritizing exercise and ta...

My knitting has remained simple this past week.  I am recovering from an entire weekend of entertaining out of town family and celebrating my daughter's wedding.  Phew!  I am thrilled to be back to my ever so boring life.  In the photo is the gradient cowl I started with the gold striping which I am loving as it lengthens.  My featherweight cardigan (not photoed) is making progress as well. Fever 1793  by Laurie Halse Anderson, is the book my son said is a must read book, I've only just started so no opinions as of yet.  I am excited to read a well recommended book :) What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

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. that's me on the left and my favorite (only) sister Guess what?  I have a son in law!  Yep.  It's nice and my am I glad to NOT think or talk about planning a wedding. It's not as fun as they lead you to believe.  I am missing about 7 hours of sleep from a three day celebration. We had family on both sides from:  Ontario Canada, Minnesota, Ohio, Maryland, California, South Dakota, Arizona, Oregon, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and New Jersey.  Oh and Pa.... My little town and the surrounding areas received a boost in their economy! me, my daughter and my mother in law I was completely unplugged yesterday so when the photographer gives the kids the files, I'll be able to share a few for you.  The day was filled wit...

Call me crazy, but I cast on another Featherweight Cardigan .  I thought about this project for more than two weeks and I know that when I get to the arm holes and am left with knitting miles of stockinette for the body to knit,  I'll wish that I had never ever cast on.  But right here, right now, stockinette is my balm.  Featherweight is a sweater that is versatile and wearable.  So during these summer days of heat and humidity I have a lightweight project in my lap buying my time for when fall appears. This week I'm reading some short stories of Flannery O'Connor.  I haven't had time to start a novel and once this weekend is finished (the wedding!!!) I'll be able to sink into a good story or two.  My son arrived on Monday and brought with him a "must read" book.  Gotta love those kinds of books. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

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: -moving our daughter's belongings -pizza out with the family -doing laundry trying to catch up -finding a leak where the frig water line is connect -finding out that there is not a shut off for that leak....(why!!) -writing this post, accidentally deleting it and rewriting it -sitting and knitting and getting into my zen state of mind -enjoying Mass and chatting my church pew neighbors -fun and full! How was your weekend?

Hello!  I intended to post this morning but my list of tasks, well they got the better of me so I'm only now sitting down to write.  Next weekend is the wedding, I'm sort of ready, I guess. I have a huge black and blue mark on the back of my leg that hopefully make up will cover up for the wedding (hazards of packing??)  I am happy it's not on my face.  On Wednesday and yesterday, I drove back and forth to my daughter's town to help pack up her apartment.  I must say we made a great team.  With lightning speed we boxed up the apartment and only had to clean the bathroom and kitchen the next day.  Yesterday we shopped for clothes and finished cleaning the apartment around 2 p.m. and then waited for the cable guy who was to show between 1-5 p.m.  So we waited and waited.  Around 3:40 p.m. I was getting angry frustrated and annoyed that no one called. The angry texts I sent my husband might have been sprinkled with sentence enhancers...

My knitting has been super simple and easy.  Since the wedding is less than two weeks away, I'm having trouble thinking straight.  I was going to cast on a feather weight cardigan but for some reason I am waiting.  So instead I cast on this striped cowl .  Of course, I am wishing I had some gray wool to go with my gradient yarn .  However the gold yarn is winning me over (I think....).  That pink yarn is NOT part of the cowl, it is waste yarn for a provisional cast on. Guess what?  I finished the second Hitofude cardigan and posted here ! My reading is the same as last week and I must say this book is fabulous.  I love when a book exceeds my expectations :) What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

The cardigan is done!  Now all I need is some cold air to wear it :) I wish that the body of the sweater was longer but I haven't the heart to redo and add some length, maybe sometime in the winter but for now this sweater is complete. Ravelry notes are 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. Did you have a fun weekend?  I did!  This was a "do nothing" weekend.  But you know I did stuff, I always do.  I like the kind of weekends that we have nothing on the schedule and we do whatever catches our fancy. -I took photos of our new perennials (paid less than half off the price, love fourth of July sales!) -read my novel and loved being in another place and another time -hot dogs for dinner one day (not healthy but fun) -made homemade coleslaw where I shredded the cabbage I felt quite pioneer like (with a food processor) -contemplated some more of what I'd like to knit.... -walked before the heat of the day -wrote more lists -met a friend for some knitting time today-it was awesome! -wrapped a gift :: bird watched :: daydreame...

I'm noticing: -cicadas humming and calling out to each other -how I feel sleepy working on a wool blanket -the shifting light, so slight but noticable -fawns who were once tiny acting confidently, knowing their way through the woods -winding up the wrong madeline tosh skein and thankful that my stash on Ravelry stopped me -daily searches of the pool to save the toads -two weeks and one day for the wedding, yup! -rejoining a yoga routine and feeling every joint gasp in shock -writing daily in the mornings loving how I feel so good when I do -a craving for more salads -less bird chatter in the morning compared to springtime song -simple daisy abundance along the roadsides -that foreshadowing of a storm brewing-the stillness, humidity and darkness -the happiness of a bowl of limes, that used to be lemons -the scent of cantaloupe when you first cut into the melon What are you noticing these days?

Well well, once again my computer is trying to get the best of me.  However, I skillfully won (?) and am here to write my post.  My knitting has been quite productive the past week, I finished this cowl  and my second hitofude cardigan  is upstairs soaking away and waiting for me to lightly block it. So.....all that is left on the needles is my scrap sock blanket !  I am thinking of what to cast on with all of these empty needles.  I need some portable projects. I started Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok.  I bought this book a long long time ago and it's been patiently waiting for me to start reading.  I finished Oh Pioneers  over the weekend and enjoyed the novel.  I must say I believe I've read that book, the ending was awfully familiar. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

I finished this cowl over the weekend, the pattern is a striking stitch design and fun to knit.  I loved that the pattern was super easy to memorize and you could multitask while whizzing away on the the stitches. Pink is not my go to color but this pink is just perfect.  I'm thinking that this cowl will be a present for someone special, so I've folded it up and placed the cowl in my gifting pile.  However, I'm tempted to keep the cowl for myself.

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: -foraging for raspberries on our walks *pick one, eat one, pick one, save one* --repeat from * to * -a rainy rainy Fourth of July, I was mostly inside but hearing the fireworks in the distance -grateful that neither Frodo nor I are afraid of the noises of the Fourth -cake....um, I have got to stop making cake! -perfect weather today -knitting a lot each day and loving how I feel when I knit -nearing the end of a novel -daisy love -saving two little toads in the pool today -loving Frodo, who is a lifeguard--he stares at the pool until you come see what he is staring at -loving Frodo's joyful dance twirl when you do what he wants, saving toads, giving him treats. How was your weekend? 

When I was visiting my dad last Friday, I was entranced by the hummingbird feeder and how popular it is.  I'd love to buy one for myself but gee, I really don't want bears to visit as well.  When we first moved into this house, we had our grill stored outside in the fenced in area and the bear discovered it.  Let's just say the damage he did to the fence and property was quite extensive.  And he walked on our pool cover!!  Yikes! Summer days surround me and I've been enjoying the season.  As much as I am a winter lover, the colors, sights and sounds of summer are beautiful.  Lately I've been identifying trees that are native to the area-sorting out the different leaves in my mind.  Black walnut and tulip trees, maples and sycamores, I walk and rattle off the names.  I learned many of them as a child while walking with my dad in the woods. My knitting slows down considerably this time of year.  Longer days give way to more outsi...

I've had little time this week for knitting, however, I did finish the promise shawl and posted about it yesterday .  I am glad that I finished in time for the bridal shower and now I am returning to a cowl that is nearly finished.  Maybe today?? I finished Silver Linings Playbook over the weekend.  I loved reading the story behind the movie.  Of course the book is immensely better than the movie but the movie still stands alone as a great film.  If you liked the movie and want to delve deeper into Pat Peoples life and thoughts, you should definitely read this book.  I am almost half way through  Oh Pioneers and love reading about the process of taming a wild land.  The characters are interesting and the pace of the book makes you want to turn each page to see what happens next. I started this book Writing Down the Bones  by Natalie Goldberg and just read a bit here and there.  This is a long term reading project that I pick up ...