Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you? I know I say this every single time, but boy oh boy am I busy! We pick up the kids at least twice a week from daycare and my adult classes started last week. I'm living my best life! Except I am having quite the arthritis flare (it's always something with my body!). On Saturday I cleaned two of my fountain pens and one was very stubborn, that wrangling hurt my hands all the more and I'm still suffering from it. We continue to go to soccer practice for out grandson on Saturday mornings, always fun and there are a few trees to sit under to keep out of the full sun. Where did fall go? I want it back! Yesterday evening we went to see the Neil Diamond Musical A Beautiful Noise. Golly! It was so good and so much fun. If it's in your town, I highly recommend going to it. I continue to keep up with my once a week nature journaling. I usually use colored pencils since they are easy to use while sitting on the loveseat. Also I finished the body of my ...

  Good afternoon! How are you? Finally it is fall like weather and my maple tree has decided to join in the celebrations. Crisp cool air in the mornings and evenings, what could be better? I had to wear a jacket on Saturday morning to watch my grandson play soccer. I loved it. On Thursday I went with my aunt and cousin to drive around the neighborhood we grew up in Pittsburgh. I cannot believe how everything looks so small. The houses, my old school, the streets, the length of the streets. It was so much fun.  On Friday afternoon, I went to a picnic at my school and a friend saved me a seat. Our table was the first to get in line for the food. That was awesome as well! I was thankful it was inside instead of outside like last year. I nearly wilted from the sun and heat. I finished knitting the granddaughter's holiday sweater and I need to sew buttons and do a beauty soak routine. I used maybe 4-8 yards of that extra skein. I see lots of hats being made with the rest.

  Good morning! Today is the day where the weather is cooler, I am so excited. Instead of high 80's it'll be low 70's. A dream come true! I cannot wait to feel cold. As a winter lover, this is the hint I've been waiting for and I will not squander my time.  I've been busy with the grandchildren. I see them frequently and when they come here to visit they play with the toys I have in the family room. And I feed them strawberries and bananas. They both love fruit!  Yesterday we had lunch at my sister and brother in law's house along with my dad and his wife. It was nice to get together. The above photo was from my sister's beautiful yard. I snapped the swallowtail butterfly photo from my front yard.  We had all the plumbing in the basement replaced last week because we spring a leak every 3-6 months and we were weary of that. Also we had landscapers remove the ancient abandoned pool in our lower back yard. They'll be coming back to add topsoil and grass se...

  How are you? Over here, I've been enjoying the cooler weather even though it's short lived. I went for a walk outside with a zip hoodie (gasp!) in the early morning. As you know, I quit walking outside in March due to allergies (I can't take allergy meds due to dry mouth and when my nose stuffs up I get dry mouth...ugh!) then when the allergies finally settled it was too hot for me (also heat intolerant, ugh). So my walk was nice! I am used to exercising in my art/office room now so that is the new normal for me.  In other news, I am nearly finished with the cross stitch baby sampler! Of course I will have to wait to see what the baby's name and birth date are but that's easy peasy. I enjoy the hour I spend each day on it and will miss this simple project. I finished the knitting portion of the baby sweater but I have to bury threads and sew on buttons. The weekend was 'busy' with the grandkids and I completely forgot when I had time to sit. It's on my...

  Hello! How are you?  I'm doing pretty good. I spent the weekend absorbing all the electricity and internet after having neither for 48 hours last week. I am so dependent on both and I am okay with that. The weather was all over the place with sun then rain but thankfully no big storms.  I received my first temporary pair of scleral lenses (medically necessary for severe dry eye) and I can get them in and out of my eyes, so yay. However the fit will be continually changed since they are custom made for my eyes. It is a long process, I guess. I finally am finish with chart TWO on the christening blanket! I need a parade or something because the last 5-6 rows took forever and it's only going to get worse. Each row is longer and longer. I can do it! As you can see, Holly decided to give me some love. She does that every once in awhile. I love it and she loves me.  How was your weekend?

  Hello, how are you doing? Our temperatures took a tumble and we were back to being cold and running the furnace. Today though is going to be in the 70s. I've been avoiding being outside due to the high tree pollen count and really miss walking daily outside but those trees will be done hopefully by the end of May. My weekend was really nice. I mostly read books and spent time knitting on the FOREVER lace christening blanket. I am almost done with chart two (out of five??).  On Saturday, my sister and I visited the local yarn store and of course I bought some fingering weight yarn this time in blue. I don't knit with blue very often so I thought that would be a nice addition to my stash. I love to support local businesses and I'm grateful I am able to do that. Sunday was Mass and doing our laundry. I had a very restful Sunday and I'm ready for the week! How was your weekend?

  Good morning! How was your weekend? Mine was fantastic.  On Saturday morning, my sister and I did a tiny bit of shopping. I was looking for jeans and I am so picky about them. I did buy a pair but need to see if I like them once I am hope and looking at my mirror. The rest of the day I relaxed reading my book, The Homecoming , as well as doing a bit of knitting.  Sunday we went to Mass then headed over to my sister's house for an Easter luncheon. It was fun to see family and watch my great nephews look for their Easter eggs in the garden. The weather was beautiful! Not too hot and a sun shiny day.  How was your weekend?

  How was your weekend? My weekend was spent casting on new projects. I'm happy to share that our daughter and son in law are expecting their first child at the end of September. So of course I started a baby blanket and a lace Christening blanket over the weekend.  The Christening Blanket is challenging because the chart symbols are not the universal symbols that I am used to knitting. I am frequently flipping back and forth to the symbol chart to make sure I am doing the right stitches. I have already unknit 3 rows because I didn't even follow the chart correctly. I started another baby blanket (same pattern, forest green yarn). That is my TV knitting at the end of the day, I don't need to think about much when I am knitting that pattern. I hope to have updated project pages on Ravelry soon.  The weather is getting nicer, but the seasonal allergies are absolutely awful. So I've been doing indoor exercising hoping for some rain to tamp down the tree pollen. How as your...

  Good morning! How are you? My family left yesterday morning and yes, they did find a house that is 12 minutes away for us. They are so excited to be moving to the area and we are happy as well. We will get to see the grandchildren more often. My weekend and my past week was busy with grandchildren. We played lots, did sidewalk chalk and took little walks down the street. My grandson is 3 years old and my granddaughter is 19 months old.  Currently I am loving the silence! Yesterday I put away all the toys and baby stuff, cleaned the bedrooms and bathrooms and did a ton of laundry. I did not knit the entire week, however last night I added more inches to the second sleeve.  How was your weekend? (those beautiful daffodils from my front yard got zapped by the extreme cold, I hope the warm weather revives them!) I hope to be catching up with all of you soon!

  Good morning! How are you? Even though it was mighty cold yesterday, I found daffodils sprouting in my yard. They are defiantly saying spring is on the way. Over the weekend the temps dropped down and I was once again doing my daily walk wearing double of everything. As long as there is no wind, my cold walks are manageable.  My weekend was busy. We viewed three houses for the kids and while one of them was a great possibility they are going to wait a few more weeks before committing on a house. Yesterday after the laundry was done, I read my books and knitted in the afternoon. I am almost done with the baby blanket.  Lent starts this Wednesday and maybe I will be posting a little less (or not). Can you believe that we change the time this coming weekend? Time flies by the older I get.  How was your weekend?

  How was your weekend? Mine was busy, but I still managed to catch some minutes with my knitting. I am very close to the bottom of this sweater. I'm so excited! Our son and daughter in law started looking at houses virtually while my husband and I go physically to some of the houses. So far, nothing of interest that meets their needs but it did take up a chuck of our Sunday afternoon.  On Saturday, we went over to my sister's house to celebrate our brother in law's birthday. It was nice to get together and catch up with one another.  I am easing into another busy week helping family out, going to my classes and another routine doctor appointment. (these doctor appointments tend to bundle all together...). How was your weekend?

  We had some wild weather this weekend. On Saturday morning, it snowed so much that my husband had to clear the driveway before the rain set in. By Saturday night all the snow melted and it was raining until Sunday early afternoon. I decided to go for a walk after the became a scant drizzle. That is of course when the snow started and it was heavy! I was soaking wet and my shoes were leaking, so sad.  So now we have about 3-4 inches of snow to clear once again this morning. Besides the rollercoaster weather, I finished a book over the weekend and then started Glory Over Everything  as my next read. So far I find the book captivating and it is from my 'to be read' bookshelf. My goal of reading the books I already own for 2025 is going strong. I continued to work steadily on my sweater over the weekend as well. It's a comfort knit with all of those stockinette stitches. How was your weekend?

  Good morning! First and foremost, these are NOT my daffodils. I spied them in the neighborhood and was thrilled to snap a photo for you so you could see that spring is around the corner. I love February and how it slowly changes into hints of spring while clinging to winter weather. On my walk yesterday, I started with drizzle, that then turned to sleet (painful), that then turned to flakes, that then turned to drizzle. What a walk!  I felt like I went through all the emotions but I was invigorated! After some errand running yesterday, I worked on my hat and the blanket while chilling out reading my kindle. I'm reading Digital Minimalism and am enjoying it. For my real book reading, I'm still reading the short story collection The Wonder Garden, I love it. The author sprinkles in various characters from previous short stories and it is fun to see the different side of characters and their motivations through the different stories.  Holly is being majestic and owning her...

  Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was relaxing and calm, just the way a weekend should be. I didn't do much of anything but I did knit and read and doodled. Now that the deep freeze is over, I've been enjoying my daily walks and even hear some birds singing. I like to believe it's a sign of very very early spring. Yesterday we went over to my sister's house for an early dinner. It was nice to be with them and to spend time with them. My sister and I knitted our sweaters together. I'm making steady progress on the baby blanket . I try to spend at least one hour a day working on it. I also worked on my sweater each day this weekend.

  Hello! How are you doing and how was your weekend? My weekend was filled with celebrating our grandson's third birthday. I cannot believe he is three. He thoroughly enjoyed the birthday singing and of course the presents. My husband and I had a great time seeing family as well. I am so happy today is a 'boring' day so I can recharge and regroup. My granddaughter wore her sweater on the party day! (I wished I had used bigger buttons...) Even though the visiting was packed with socializing, I managed to seek in some much needed knitting time. I did not finish any projects, but I did add inches to the hat and the baby blanket. After pizza and cake, I'm ready for a BIG salad and lots of healthy foods.  How was your weekend?

  Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was nice enough. I went out shopping with my sister briefly on both days and also started doing pesky house cleaning tasks. I used the self cleaning function of a VERY old oven and it worked...I was concerned since it is ancient. My fears were unnecessary - my oven is squeaky clean! My next task is moving furniture to vacuum under them, I need my husband's help with that one, but the task is on the list and that is half the battle. Our weather is finally above freezing and on my walk yesterday, I took off my mitts because I was warm. What luxury! I've been wearing double layers on my walks for so long that I felt light with just regular layers.  I started yet again another knitting project. This one is a baby blanket for a relative who is expecting sometime this year. I'm now up to five projects on the needles, that is my maximum. Anything more and nothing will be finished in a timely manner. How was your weekend?

  Hello! How are you? How was your weekend? My weekend was ultra relaxing but I made it so. I've been enjoying reading and knitting, sometimes at the same time, in the afternoons before I start cooking. I love the change of seasons and how I move with them. In the summer, I hardly feel like knitting much but I do. In the winter, I can't get enough of knitting. I've mainly worked on my hat or my sweater  on Saturday and Sunday. I walked yesterday and I believe that is the last walk outside until the end of the week. It will be too cold. That doesn't stop me from exercising in the house though. It's been so cold I washed eight pairs of wool socks yesterday! A record.  We really didn't do much this weekend except go to a nephew's birthday party on Saturday afternoon at my sister's house and attend church on Sunday. I've been hibernating. I love winter for the cosy hibernating. Holly says 'hello', she is waiting for her beloved (husband) to come...

  Good morning! How are you? I am doing great and the weekend was fun. My sister and my aunt celebrated birthdays this weekend. Actually a lot of my family have birthdays in January, do you have a month where all you do is celebrate a birthday? On Saturday, my sister and my brother in law came over for a lasagna dinner along with board game night. We celebrated her birthday on that day as well. I'm hoping all this game playing is good for the brain, it's definitely good for boosting happiness. My sister and I ordered a sweater kit from Woolly Thistle and started our sweaters on Saturday. What fun!!  My January so far has been a knitting starting frenzy, the cold crisp weather inspires me. Yesterday, my family all met at the william penn hotel in Pittsburgh to have a brunch buffet to celebrate my aunt's birthday. It was nice to be with family and eat good food. I have some exciting news! Our son, his wife and the two kids will be moving here somewhere in the greater Pittsb...

  Hello! How are you? Can you believe it is 2025?  Right now I'm sitting in my clean quiet kitchen writing this post. Our company left early Saturday morning. I put away all the kid's stuff, stripped beds, cleaned the extra bathroom and did the sheet and towel laundry as well as undecorated the house. It was the fastest I've been ever. Of course I took some medicine for my arthritis to get me through the work. My arthritis flare is subsiding and I'm grateful! Picking up kids and putting them into and out of carseats in awkward angles (not to mention pushing those safety strap buttons) is not the exercising I do on a regular basis. Also they are DEAD weight. Argh. We are getting a little bit of a snow storm, it doesn't seem too bad right now but I don't have to go anywhere or do anything. Yesterday I did our laundry and cleaned up the house some more. It is all looking pretty! Above are the books I believe I will read. I want to read what I own (always a goal tha...

  Good morning! How are you? This weekend was one of the best weekends ever because we got snow and it was unpredicted which made it all the more special. I even took a walk during the squalls but decided to cut the walk short. Brr. Besides wintry weather, I am proud to announce I am ready for Christmas. We are going over to my sister's house for Christmas Eve dinner and do our exchanging with her family. It will be fun. Christmas day is just the two of us at home, plus lots of phone calls to family far away.  My son and his family arrive on Saturday for a whole week visit. I am excited about that. I am not ready for that, but I will be. (lists are my friend) The above photo is the morning moon winking at me. The very first photo is the odyssey shawl  I started before my car trip. I have ripped this back twice because I keep forgetting the pattern and keep knitting thinking I know the pattern.  I finished my husband's musselburgh hat , this will be in his Christmas S...