Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you? How is your crafting coming along? I finally took a decent photo of my gift socks . Oh how I love working on these! I am on the heel flap since taking this photo earlier in the week. I'm zooming along. I have one more pair of socks I'd like to knit and give as a Christmas gift then I am onto knitting some ornaments. I've decided to not marathon knit numerous gnomes to save me from an arthritis flare. I love knitting gnomes but I cannot control myself with pacing the knitting (yet) so I am taking a seasonal year off. My wrists will thank me! What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How was your weekend? Mine was great! It's been fun ignoring the summer heat and sitting inside my home in AC knitting a wool sweater. I highly recommend this. Supposedly it's going to rain today.  Friday night, we went to my sister and brother in law's house for dinner and board games. We always have fun together and I love to not cook dinner. Saturday and Sunday were my 'chill' days. I read some of The Secret Garden and started The Princess Bride  which I have never read before and only recently seen the movie for the first time.  As you can see in the above photo, I worked on my sweater , adding inches to the body. I do love mindless stockinette knitting. My intention this week is to journal more, doodle more and show up more in my notebooks. This weekend I nailed that goal and I hope to continue this the rest of the week.

  Good morning! How are you? I am doing well, I continue to ignore the summer weather. It hasn't been too hot this week. I had to buy some more items to repel the sun: sun block, sun hat, and another fishing shirt that blocks the sun. Even though I cover myself head to toe, the sun still finds a way to get me! (sun exposure activates my auto-immune disease). I am determined to win the battle. I saw a fallen leaf on the ground as well as an acorn. Delightful!! Promises from Mother Nature! Above is the sock I forgot to photo for the knitting post. I'm doing four rows of stockinette, a purl row, four rows of 1x1 ribbing, another purl row then repeat all of it. I need to do something to keep the knitting engaging.  I've been thinking about my priorities and how I am sometimes skipping out what is important to me on the days that I get a little busy. I started changing my exercising routines and incorporating more healthy meals as well as making sure I get my much needed down ti...

  Good morning! How are you? What are you working on this week? I continue to work on my felix cardigan , slowly adding some rows while trying not to overdo it. This summer I've been successful at avoiding an arthritis flare. I am a few rows away from the arm hole sectioning. I am also working on a pair of socks that I forgot to take a photo of AND forgot to make a project page. The socks are a Christmas gift. 

  Good morning! How was your weekend? As you can see, I didn't take many photos over the weekend. Maybe I was fully present in what I was doing or I forgot to take some photos. Either way, it was a great weekend. The mornings have been cool enough to be chilly (brr) on our daily walks.  We are officially one third of the way through the summer season.  Saturday, I did laundry and finished reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store , which I loved. This was a library loan so the clock was ticking for me to read it within the three week period. I'm still reading The Secret Garden  and hope to finish that book by the end of the week.  Sunday, we drove up to see my dad and step mom to celebrate his birthday along with my sister and brother in law. The drive takes an hour, so I pack for a 'day trip'. I knitted on a sock while I was there. Lunch was good and I snapped that photo above on their property.  How was your weekend?

  Hello! How are you?  After a week of dry hot weather, we finally had some rain. Our area is still behind in rain accumulation but the bit we had helped a lot. Frodo and I walk early in the mornings before the sun has a chance to be intense. I've flipped my whole morning routine around so I can get some exercise.  I'm enjoying the quiet this week. Nothing going on and oodles of time to read or knit. I started a pair of gift socks only to rip it all out and start over again. They were too big?! I love when I make rookie mistakes, it's humbling.  Frodo had his vet recheck. He is doing much better and clinically has minimal symptoms, but his liver is still wonky, but not alarmingly wonky. I'm grateful his symptoms are under control once more and he acts like his old self (annoying at times, lol). He will see the vet again in October when he is FIFTEEN years old. He hates the vet and lets her know it. I've been exercising more in the house and incorporating more streng...

  Good morning! How are you? There is something so satisfying as to be knitting a wool sweater during an oppressive heat wave. I know it's crazy, but it's true. I feel so defiant! I've been enjoying this knit and the promise of cooler weather in my future. Also if you know me, you know that I love to knit with thin wool, so knitting with worsted weight wool feels fast and furious! I finished the mini leg warmers a few days ago. I did not enjoy knitting these because the yarn kept splitting. They are a gift that I believe will be well received.  What are you working on this week?

  How was your weekend? On Saturday, my local family arrived for a picnic at my house. We sat outside for about an hour then headed indoors because the heat became too much. Most of Saturday morning, I got ready for the picnic. I'm so grateful that family brought dishes to share which made my work in the kitchen manageable. After everyone left, I had the house put back together again before I went to bed. Did I take a photo? Nope. I was in the moment! On Sunday morning, I went to 7:30 am Mass then came home to do one load of laundry since I did much of the laundry the day before my work was easy. I rested the whole afternoon and evening. I read a ton and knitted a little bit.  As you can see, I am knitting the sweater and I still have that last leg warmer to finish up. It will be done today! 

Well now, how are you? How has your week been? Over here we are flying by the seat of our pants! I decided on a whim to start a sweater for me yesterday in defiance to the summer season. This sweater is 100% wool yarn. Yep. I am throwing myself into fall colors and daydreams of cooler weather. I couldn't decide on a new sweater pattern so I picked a pattern I have knit once before. This was the weekend that both sets of kids and the grandkids were to visit but that all was cancelled on Wednesday. Our granddaughter has had an antibiotic resistant ear infection with a fever all week long. Maybe the kids will reschedule for later this summer. I'm still having the family picnic tomorrow with local relatives and I have lots of cooking to do today and tomorrow! I'm excited to see everyone. Frodo has a recheck next week and I cannot wait to see how his bloodwork is! He has improved and we are glad about that. His haircut this time is so cute and he looks like a puppy sometimes. H...

  How are you? I am officially wishing for FALL. I gave up, the weather is too soupy out there to enjoy.   I finished this scarf ! Yes that is me shouting with glee. I've been working on this scarf for a long time, so  it's nice to be cast off, blocked and after I post this - wrapped up to be gifted in the fall. I enjoyed the pattern but I knew I would get a little bored in the middle, I always do on a scarf - with a shawl or cowl I'm okay with the middle, same with a sweater.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you?  I am valiantly ignoring the weather. I slipped and started to complain and then stopped myself. Complaining about how hot it is will not change how hot it is. I'm amused that in the middle of winter and the middle of summer (AC), Frodo needs a blanket because he is too cold after his grooming appointment for about a week. All I know is that I love being inside nice and cool. My weekend was calm, relaxing and wonderful. I finished reading Hello Beautiful  and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was entertained the whole way through. I am now in the middle of The Secret Garden and the way the author describes how miserable Mary is in the beginning of the book reminds me of my grumpy childhood, lol. The Power of Silence is good and is about hearing God in a noisy world. The world is noisy, loud and at times obnoxious. I find this read deep, profound and I read a little bit at a time. Besides cleaning the house and doing laundry, I did a bit of journalling....

  Hello! How was your celebrations yesterday? We had a quiet Fourth of July. Next weekend our children and grandchildren will be visiting and causing mayhem. I like the quiet days leading up to a family visit. My to do list is quite detailed although not quite finished. Yesterday my husband and I had burgers and fries at home then some ice cream.  Frodo is feeling better again. His vet followup appointment for repeat bloodwork is in two weeks. It's nice that he's acting like himself more, barking at everyone and no one in particular, he loves to look out the window and watch the neighborhood, like Mrs. Kravitz from Bewitched.  I've been reading Hello Beautiful  and The Secret Garden.  I'm enjoying both of them. I thought I've never read The Secret Garden but I have in my youth. The plot is so familiar and when she met the friendly robin I remembered. I just can't remember when I read it. Maybe my teen years... Summer days are reading days for me. I love sinking ...

  How are you? What have you been working on this week? My knitting has been slow since the weekend. Above is a photo of the leg warmers for my mother in law. They are coming along nicely. I cannot wait to be finished with this project so I can start a new project. I have yet to decide what the new project is but you will be the first to know. Frodo was unwell again, hence the lack of knitting time. However, we are on the road to solutions for him. I have great difficulty getting an appointment with his regular vet because of their limited hours and the days they are opened. On Monday, I successfully obtained an appointment and he received a thorough examination. He has a history of a wonky liver for the past four years without symptoms (schnauzer thing) and it is flaring up and causing symptoms now. That is why he is having repeated bouts of diarrhea and un-wellness. The vet has a medicine treatment plan for him and is quite confident we can get him back to his regular self. We h...

  Good afternoon! How are you? How was your weekend? Ta Da! I pulled out some paints and I painted a tiny picture over the weekend - I felt creative and Frodo approves of my skills. Also this weekend I worked on the lace shawl and am so close to the end.  We didn't do much this weekend, at Mass I nearly passed out because it doesn't have AC (this is my childhood church that is very old) so I guess we are going to an AC Church until the fall. No one else looked hot, even the priest with all of his garb. So it's me and my autoimmune condition. Heat and/or sun are just awful for me.  I've been enjoying sitting on the back patio and some quiet time there.