Pumpkin Sunrise

Last night the rain finally came although the amount wasn't nearly enough to make a substantial rise in the lower than usual pool level.  This week's forecast is for more chances of rain.  For the first time I heard the tree frogs last evening that live in the woods, truly a late sign of summer. The cicadas were late to sing this year as well but they are doing their thing sweetly harmonizing with the tree frogs.  Any day now the acorns should be falling.  Fingers crossed! I fell down two delightful rabbit holes yesterday.  First I looked for a watercolor book that was printed in 2002 and I wanted to own a copy after an eager flip through of a library copy.  The internet is my tether to the world, I socialize, shop and consume news while I stay home as much as possible.  The challenge is to balance all of them. The other rabbit hole was looking for a state park or state forest where we could meet our daughter and son in law for a socially distant hike/...

As I mentioned previously, I finished the socks !  Sadly I am disappointed in the very light splotches that look to me like the dye did not take.  Originally they were going to be a Christmas present for a family member but now they will go to my husband.  He will love slightly imperfect socks! I've been thoroughly enjoying the golden wheat shawl .  It's an easy addictive pattern that I know I will knit again.  I save this knitting for when I am 'zooming'.  I can talk and knit with this project. My last project that has been getting a ton of knit time is the never ending gradient shawl .  Yup.  I started to read and knit at the same time at great peril.  As you can guess both the knitting and the reading are extremely slow going but I feel like I'm getting somewhere with the multitasking.  If I make a mistake I will be doomed.  This wool is slippery with the silk content and yet I continue to believe I am invincible.   Tha...

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good.  We didn't leave the house Friday, Saturday, Sunday and most likely we are staying home today (Monday).  We did take a morning walk earlier on the weekend and it was unbearable humid.  Bleh.  I'm not a fan.  I am quite happy to stay indoors in blissful AC.  Frodo equally is happy to be inside, at ten years old (almost 11!) he cannot take it.  My husband thinks he is fine and I worry too much. I did finish those pesky socks.  Maybe I'll share the photos on Wednesday when we talk knitting.  I keep chipping away at the wheat shawl and the ashling shawl  that has no end in sight since it's lace weight and it's a thin lace weight! We talked to both kids a lot over the weekend.  My son gave me a video call tour of his new apartment, it looks so nice.  He now has central air conditioning and it's made his quality of life go up a bit.  That AND a dishwasher!  What a game changer....

Summertime is in full effect this week.  Every day is hot and humid.  I am trying my best to not complain and to enjoy each day.  I am thankful for AC and for soft signs of the season to come.  Usually I am up around 5 a.m. and greeted by Holly the cat.  Lately the sunrise is an hour or so afterwards, so Miss Holly sleeps in a bit.  I eagerly await for her little meow 'hellos'. My mornings are restful and contemplative.  I usually journal about the previous day and do some religious readings and prayers while drinking my coffee.  I write a gratitude list daily which makes my day start with the best frame of mind. Acorns!!! In the beginning of the pandemic, I missed so much of my regular routines:  going to dinner at a restaurant a few times a week, aimlessly shopping and seeing my kids whenever I wanted to see them. Now I am content to not eat out, I have many recipes at my fingertips and ingredients in my fridge/freezer to pull off a dinner ...

I keep working on this gradient shawl each and every single night.  It grows and grows and still have oodles of yarn yet to knit up! I am thoroughly enjoying every stitch. The golden wheat shawl also gets some knitting time every now and then.  The pattern is easy to follow but I cannot read and knit at the same time because most rows have something going on.  I love how this is knitting up! What are you working on this week?

How was your weekend?  Mine flew right by.  I had the best intentions to read all day every day and do some creative watercolor paintings.  Instead I made coleslaw (because my dad's coleslaw was so good and I knew I could make it as well).  I also made basil pesto for some pasta and a cold rice salad with veggies, feta cheese and olives (yum). Oh and I made two loaves of zucchini bread.  Our zucchini is producing and my dad gave me some as well.  I have to admit I am thrilled to be out of the banana bread phase.  Oh and the best nuts are pecans, just saying. the boulder wall with growing grass! Saturday I toodled about knitting and half heartedly reading a book on my Kindle.  I have 1 1/2 hours to go and I am determined to finish it today.  I swear! Sunday I you-tubed Mass and did all the laundry and cleaned the house.   My son and future daughter in law to be are settling in nicely up in Indiana.  I hope we can visit them soon...

dad's house Gosh, this week was crazy busy.  On Wednesday, we helped our son and future daughter in law for the first leg of the journey to relocate to Indiana.  My husband drove the moving van (no cruise control) and I followed him (I too wasn't able to use cruise control because of him).  The GPS took us through downtown Pittsburgh through both sets of tunnels.  I was stressed out.   Thankfully we safely arrived in southeastern Ohio to her parents house.  Yesterday her parents did the drive to Indiana and unloaded the truck.  I was lucky in that the truck was all packed and ready to go when we arrived at State College. dad's house Prior to helping them on Wednesday I had a tele-med visit with the kidney doctor.  She is changing my blood pressure medicine due to certain side effects that I mentioned. Already today I feel a bit better.  Hopefully I will see her in person in three months from now.  I guess it's all about protecting t...

Good morning!  I've got four projects going at the same time which is my knitting project maximum.  I'll be updating you on three and only two are photographed. I have been making steady progress on my plain socks .  I tend to work on these during Zoom meetings because I can talk and knit at the same time without making a mistake. The first shawl that I'm showcasing is the forever-on-my-needles Aisling shawl .  I finally arrived at the lace edging after miles of garter stitch.  Ordinarily, I love garter stitch but the combination of super-wash wool and silk makes it slippery and easy to drop off the needle.  I have to look at my knitting all the time! Next up, I started the wedding shawl over the weekend and I'm trying really hard not to obsessively knit it all up.  This yarn is fantastic to work with, also I love the clear beads that are placed delicately in the increasing section.  The color she chose matches a ribbon that will be in her hair, ...

How was your weekend? Mine was delightfully calm and serene, just the way I like them. I worked on some of my ongoing knitting projects.  I am finally on the second sock!  Sadly the color way while beautiful seems to be missing color in odd spots so I cannot give them as a gift (except to my husband).   We picked up Chinese food and that fed us for two days, you know what that means --  I didn't cook for two days.  We tried a new restaurant but we like our regular one better.   Yesterday we walked after about a two week hiatus.   I cannot stand humidity, so I hide inside the air conditioned house waiting and hoping for a non-humid day.  Yesterday morning was beautiful to be out, I'm glad we went when we did because the forecast is showing more of summer's oppressiveness.   The walk was filled with lush green vistas and wild raspberries are almost ready to be picked.  The daisies and the day lilies are still doing thei...

Isn't Holly so cute the way she stuffs herself into the top of the tower?  She is one happy cat.  How are you?  We are in the midst of a heat wave and phew! It's hot and humid.  Yesterday seemed a little less intense but I can tell how my hair goes everywhere on how humid the days are.   As quickly as the landscapers came and disrupted the silence, they have been gone for over a week, our seeded grass is growing and life goes on.  They might have to come back and re-seed in certain places because the downpours go running into the woods taking some of the straw with it. By now the cicadas and locusts should be making their symphony appearance,  each day I listen wondering where they are.  Same with the tree frogs!  They should me adding to the music. I've been reading Michelle Obama's autobiography, Becoming.  We are around the same age and I'm enjoying her thought processes on motherhood and juggling work.  I am over half way t...