Pumpkin Sunrise

  How are you all doing? Over here, summer is showing off with all the flowers blooming. I cannot get enough of my hydrangea bush, gah. Our butterfly bushes are starting to bloom as well. I might not like the heat and humidity of summer but I do like the flowers. My first summer session classes have ended and I have a two week break before the second summer session starts. I'm loving the rhythm of my days during the in-between time. I'm reading a lot and getting little jobs done around the house. We will have a house full in a couple of weeks when all of my children come to visit. This time around, I am pacing the chores so I do not slam myself with doing everything the day before they arrive. Future me will thank past me for this. We had no electricity for one hour the other night and I sat and wondered why I am so committed to being tethered to the internet. I have no answers but I did question myself endlessly. The electricity came back on and I forgot about my reflections u...

  Good morning! The past two days have been cool enough to enjoy the weather outside but the heat is coming back. Lucky for me, I have lovely knitting projects to keep me company. The above photo is a pair of mittens , surprisingly for me! My daughter and son in law gave me the wool for Mother's Day. I'm having a hard time seeing the rows because the yarn is so dark but I'm having fun with the pattern. The below photo is the lace scarf that I finally memorized the stitch pattern, this took me nearly half of the scarf to do so. The middle stitches are easy to memorize, it was the bordering stitches that continuously stumped me. I am enjoy this knit! What are you working on this week?

  I survived the heat wave. This morning is glorious! I cannot wait to walk Frodo and be comfortable while being outside. It's the simple things of life. How was your weekend? Mine was lusciously boring. I finished the Civil War book after marathon reading for three days. All I did was read. I enjoyed the book and yet I will not be starting another non fiction book that is nearly 900 pages of reading any time soon. Besides reading, I started on the second leg warmer and have made steady progress, it's my nighttime knitting where mistakes are minimal and the thinking is minimal as well. I also started a pair of mittens for me but I will talked about that project on Wednesday. I do not have any classes this week except Tai Chi. Next week is a week off from summer classes before the second summer session begins. I love having the time off. May you have cooler weather! How was your weekend?

  Good morning! How are you? Are you in the heat wave? I am trying my best to ignore this weather but I have to confess, I'm dreaming of autumn. This will not serve me well, so I pushed the desire deep in my soul and I'm trying to see the beauty of summer while ignoring the heat and humidity. It's always a challenge. Frodo and I are walking at 7 am this week. We are both bleary-eyed and tired but at least we are somewhat comfortable for a 20 minute walk. He continues to do well. He is now on a special prescription low fat diet because he is a schnauzer with a sensitive stomach. He loves the food! He is worth every penny. We are in our bonus years with him. Every morning when I wake up and he wakes up I say to him (he can't hear but I think he feels my sentiment) 'we have another day together!!'. He will be 15 years old in October! What an old old man who is living his best life! I wound up this skein of super scrumptious yarn that my daughter and son in law gave...

  Good morning! It's a steamy hot day today and I'm sitting inside loving the AC, also I am grateful I have AC. My knitting update isn't very exciting. We had company over the weekend and yesterday I spent the whole day recovering from a brief (but painful) stomach virus. I'm fine now but all I did was nap on and off the entire day. I also slept great through the night! The leg warmers for my mother in law are coming along nicely. I am nearing the end of the stockinette part of the first leg warmer. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning, how are you and how was your weekend? Our daughter and son in law arrived Friday night and are leaving sometime this morning to go back to the Boston area. We are so grateful they came to see us. We had a fabulous time together. Saturday morning, we went to the conservatory for their summer show and it was fabulous. We love being members there and I always see something new when I walk about their gardens. It was very hot in the sun outside and I wilted. My autoimmune disease (Sjogren's Syndrome) makes me sun sensitive and heat sensitive.  I try to cover myself from head to toe to shield the sun and yet I still at some point feel unwell (flu like symptoms).  I guess that is why I love winter so much!  After the conservatory, we had a difficult time getting home because a major highway ramp was closed. So we took the scenic route through another section of the Pittsburgh area and after an hour ended up at our place for lunch. That had a 45 minute wait ...

  And just like that, I'm back in ordinary time.  I go to my classes and continue to love Wednesdays because that is tai chi day. I'm not an expert but I've graduated myself to the back of the class so that new people can be up front if they wish to see the instructor clearly.  Frodo continues to be well considering his age. We are grateful to have him every day. Holly continues to check in on him and wish him well. In the photo above, she is watching us from the upstairs window as we walk around the yard. For the first time since moving here (2021), the hydrangea bush is blooming! Every day I witness its beauty. Now if only the lilac bush would bloom. Maybe the inspiration will come from the hydrangea bush for next spring.  Our daughter and son in law are visiting us this weekend and today I have a bazillion things to do. (it feels like a bazillion). I wish I would have done a little bit each day this past week but I waited until today.  I have yet to decide on...

  I started this hat last November thinking this project would be a super quick knit and I only just finished it last week. Over and over again, I passed up knitting this project for other projects. I can only assume I do not like to knit 1 x 1 ribbing for nine inches! The hat is for me or my husband and is not a gift (I am knitting for others most of the time). I loved how it turned out.

  Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was wonderful. I enjoyed having a healthy dog and all the benefits of a healthy dog. Frodo finished his medications on Sunday morning. We are back to walking daily, not as far as in the colder weather but still a nice walk. I walk him a little bit, take him back to the house then I finish my walk on my own. I love having my walking buddy back! Both Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I knit some and read some. I try my best to make my weekends feel like weekends with lots of relaxation. On Sunday morning, I attended 7:30 AM Mass while my husband and brother in law worked on replacing the deck stairs.  Below is a photo of calf (leg?) warmers (?). My mother in law requested socks with no feet to keep her calves warm in the winter. So I'm making a pair of socks with no feet - this should be a speedy knit. How was your weekend?

  How are you?  I am doing well and so is dear Frodo. Everyday I believe he is back to himself and then the next day I see more improvements. He's on two antibiotics until the end of the weekend so I imagine coming Monday he will be the fully restored and rebooted Frodo.  Thank you all for the well wishes and prayers, they meant a lot to me and they worked! Every day is a bonus day with him, and I take each day as it comes. He will be 15 years old in October. Yesterday we went out for lunch at our favorite outdoor restaurant near a pond in a local park. The ambience is fantastic. Over the fence by our table, we watched a bird sitting on a nest built amongst the reeds. The best kind of lunch entertainment. I have slowly eased back into ordinary life. I knit a bit, read a bit and journal a bit. It's a wonderful existence. I am enjoying my non-credit classes and as you know, I am once again in Tai Chi, if you ever have a chance to take a class, I highly recommend it.  B...

  Good morning! How are you? How's the crafting been going for you? I am surprised that I finished these pair of socks amidst the stress of Frodo's illness, but when you are sitting with a dog for long periods of time you end up with some knitting time. These socks are the last pair I'm knitting for my husband, but they are not the last pair of socks that I am knitting. I will be making some pairs of socks for holiday gifts this year. While the yarn was nice to work with in my hands, I did not like the super long repeat of colors and I found the colors too muted for my liking.  In other news, Frodo is back to his old annoying self! He is slightly thinner than before and maybe a tiny bit fatigued. He is still on many medicines until the weekend but we are thrilled to see him acting like his usual self. Thank you for all the well wishes! He felt them and I am grateful for them. What are you working on this week?

  My weekend was spent taking care of Frodo who is slowly improving (I'm impatient and wish it was faster). I love the photo above. Frodo cannot see Holly, but she is all in on supporting him. Our flowers are blooming like crazy and every time I walk outside, I see something new or interesting. How was your weekend?