Pumpkin Sunrise

  Let's call this year, the year of the hat. I am in hat knitting mode and loving it. I whipped this little hat up for my grandson in a week. I altered the amount of brim and changed 1 x 1 ribbing to 2 x 2 ribbing. I'm hoping that this hat will last since the brim can easily fold up. I have already started one for my granddaughter. What are you working on this week? Happy Thanksgiving for all who are celebrating. I will be back to this space next Wednesday - we have family visiting us once again!!

  Around here, Autumn is showing off with beautiful oak leaves. I love them! Yesterday it rained all day and while my hair was a frizzy mess, I enjoyed the drizzle. We are in need of rain. I even took my daily walk in the drizzle, delightful! Over the long weekend we had both kids and the grandkids here, I made a fake Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. It was a lot of work and I was exhausted even with helping hands. I miss the energy and stamina of my youth. On the other hand, I was proud I was able to do what I do! Whenever we have company, my house is turned into a mess. It's a good mess, but when everyone leaves I put away the toys, the chairs, the moved around stuff that happens when we have company. I miss everyone when they leave AND I missed my tidy home that I recapture.  Our grandson and granddaughter play with a splattering of old toys and new. They keep us very busy and we have so much fun playing with them. I am grateful they all traveled here to see us. What blessing...

  Hello! How are you? I am back at my ordinary life and playing the big catch up after taking some time off to be with family. We had a great time and loved seeing our grandchildren and spending time with them. Before we saw the grandchildren this weekend, I finished my grandson's holiday sweater and I had to wait for it to dry before I could take its 'finished' photo after I returned home. I love how knitting projects on size eight needles go fast! This flax pattern is a wonderful sweater that comes in many sizes. I also love knitting for little ones, the projects just fly off the needles. What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How are you? We are having a lovely time with our grandchildren and have one more day with them before it ends. We’ve had dinners out and adventurous walks. The weather has been beautiful and warm.  How was your weekend?

  Hello! How are you doing? My knitting progress has been fantastic. I'll admit the cool weather helps motivate me immensely. First off, I finished those socks and am now done with sock holiday knitting. I like the way they turned out and will probably not knit socks until mid December for my husband, but never say never. Below is the progress of my grandson's holiday sweater . I am thoroughly enjoying this project, the yarn is divine and the pattern is easy-peasy. I hope to finish the first sleeve today. What are you working on this week?

  And just like that, October shows up and gives us a breath of fresh air and a chance to wear woolens. How are you? How has your week been? I have been basking in this beautiful fall weather. Might I add chilly as well. My morning walks are quite brisk but a wonderful kind of brisk. Probably next week we will be peak fall colors. Maybe! I love being cold so I am happy and content. This week I finished a lot of my first session non-classes, phew! I signed up for a lot and I enjoyed the classes but I did not like how busy I was and how I forgot about  weekly grocery shopping. Silly! The next two weeks will be a much more manageable schedule for me and then I will start the second session of fall classes. My schedule will be easier, I won't have to gobble up a lunch in between two classes and I will have opportunities to grocery shop in the mornings once more.  Besides loving this weather, I've been working on my grandson's holiday sweater which is coming along nicely. Sti...

  My weekend was spectacular because we saw our grandkids and spent some quality time with them. Our little granddaughter turned one! She is the sweetest. Our grandson is thoroughly enjoying the terrible twos and is on the brink of being a three year old.  I had a great time, of course the trip caused some aches and pains as it always does. Also the AC in the car was misbehaving and that makes my symptoms worse. But I am once again, home sweet home, enjoying my ordinary boring life.

  Last Thursday, we left with my husband's brother and sister in law to go to Hocking Hills, Ohio to meet up with our son, daughter in law and our grandkids at a lodge rental in the woods until Monday morning. We had so much fun! We did some hiking and ate out at restaurants and did the tiniest bit of shopping. Our grandson loved being outside, collecting rocks and other treasures. Our granddaughter crawls and sits up and loved to make a beeline for an outlet or a cord (who wouldn't??). Our grandson is in the terrible twos stage and had a melt down at least once a day. I wish I could act like that when I am discontent - It would be cathartic and freeing, but kind of alienating to those around me. Being the Grammy, I found it endearing but little too loud. We had nice weather, chilly but mostly dry. I was disappointed in the lack of cell phone reception at the lodge but they had mediocre wifi so I was connected sporadically. Since we both have elderly parents, I want that connec...

  Hello! How are you? My husband and I visited our son and daughter in law in Indiana for most of last week and this past weekend. We spent quality time with our 2 year old grandson and our 7 month old granddaughter. We are both exhausted!! I am amused at how I cannot remember being tired taking care of little ones in my youth, I must have had a ton of energy back then. Also I didn't have an autoimmune disorder that basically sucks the life right out of me. Even though I have physical challenges, I manage to love them up as much as I can. I will be resting and recovering this week. We had great weather while we were there and we ate out almost every day. (no cooking if you know me and my love of that). Our grandson talks up a storm and we have 'conversations' that are delightful. Sometimes I know what we are talking about! We are now home and I am going to 'play catchup' with all of you over the next few days.

  Good morning! How are you?  We had a super quick weekend getaway to Indiana to celebrate our grandson's second birthday! Both sets of grandparents were in attendance to spend time with the grands and we had fun at the little birthday party with our children's friends.  I cannot believe he is TWO!  I have to confess, I do love two year olds when everything is NO. (I can say that with joy because I am a grandparent and not a parent). He says 'no' to everything, adorable and funny.  I did a lot of car knitting. I am now on the friend's baby blanket for her first grandchild. I'm making lots of progress! I hope to catch up with all of your spaces in the next day or so!!

  Well hello there! How have you been?  I keep telling you my knitting has been such a solace while I recover and it's been prolific. What a great way to be during the January days. Over the weekend I finished two hats that I originally wanted to knit and complete for Christmas presents but was unable to do so. I made a car hat for our grandson and a cat hat for our granddaughter. I've knit both patterns before and I do love to repeat a pattern.  I am feeling so much better and I feel like myself if that makes any sense.  I'm back to exercising and walking when the weather allows me and that helps me be the best version of myself. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? Happy New Year, may this year be full of blessings to all of you. Well now, I finally have an empty home after having our son, daughter in law, grandson and granddaughter here for six nights.  I am still experiencing fatigue and symptoms from the virus even though I am feeling better. It was a challenge hosting family while recovering. Also we babysat the kids overnight (!!) while my son and daughter in law went for little getaway. I am thankful and grateful my Aunt came over both days to help out with the granddaughter who never sleeps during the day. (snack-naps do not count!). They all left early in the morning, and while I was tired, sleep deprived and fatigued, I put away Christmas plus all the toys and doodads you need for babies. Today I am looking at a squeaky clean house. I am planning on reading books and falling asleep while doing so! My exercise routine is on hold as I slowly get better. Maybe next week I can muster up some energy for s...

  Good morning! How are all of you doing on this fine Monday morning? I'm back after having family here for nine nights (!). Our little granddaughter went back to ER this past Thursday for some oxygen monitoring and was successfully discharged the same day. She sees her doctor this afternoon in her hometown, so far she is feeling better. The miracle is that no one else came down with the virus. (maybe her dad but it was barely 48 hours of a mild cough). It's all about me and I'm glad that I didn't catch it. Our company left Friday morning. My husband and I blitzed the house like madmen. We put away all the toys, playpens, the highchair and compressed our kitchen table down from seating six to seating four people. I completed four loads of laundry that day. (let me tell you that little baby and grandson generated a load of laundry per day - and both kids generated a bag of garbage daily - I do not remember any of this when my kids were little). We strategically went thro...

  Hello! Happy post Thanksgiving! I'm dropping in for a quick update. Our families arrived on Wednesday night as planned but sadly our little granddaughter wasn't feeling well Thursday morning and so her parents took her to ER and she was diagnosed with RSV but not admitted and sent home.  That diagnosis dispersed our big Thanksgiving family to two houses instead of everyone at my house. My sister and her family stayed at her house and my family stayed at my house. My dad visited both houses. My sister and I were swapping dishes to complete the meals. (We cooked the turkey she made the stuffing etc). It was quite the production but we made it work and we each had a good Thanksgiving. Our little granddaughter is slowly feeling better and so far no one else has any symptoms (yay!). Our days are filled with babies playing, napping, crying and eating. We are living our best life. To make things more exciting, our new furnace quit working yesterday and we had to have an emergency t...

  Good morning! How are you? We had a long weekend up in London, Ontario visiting family. This time we met up with our son and his family and shared a house rental while up there. I am grateful that I had extended time to spend with our grandchildren and be a part of their lives.  Our grandson is full of energy and is quite spunky. He is a lot of fun. Our granddaughter is wonderful and is starting to get into a routine of sorts. However when she is up crying in the middle of the night we are all up in the middle of the night, ha ha. We had fun visiting my husband's mother and brother and is family. Cousins and Cousin's children gathered for a lovely luncheon hosted by my brother in law and sister in law.  Of course I was in another basilica attending Sunday Mass. We sat in the back with all the other young families thoroughly enjoying the little ones wiggle and squirm. I'll be catching up with you in the coming days! How was your weekend?

  How has your creative pursuits been this week? I've been making great progress on my grandson's Christmas sweater. I was torn on what size to make. My choices were 1-2T or 2-4T. He already fits into 2T so I did the larger size and now wonder if this will be to big. My brain says better to be too big than too small and I continue to knit away. I finished the first sleeve last night and hope I finish the second sleeve tonight. What are you working on this week?

  How was your weekend? Thank you so much for the well wishes, I am feeling much better. Modern medicine has yet to fail me.  My weekend was fun! On Saturday, we had my sister and brother in law over for dinner and dessert. I made chili, cornbread, salad and a pumpkin pie. I celebrated fall.  On Sunday, we drove to southeastern Ohio for the day for our granddaughter's baptism. Afterwards we attended a little luncheon. We had fun seeing everyone and being with family. Our grandson was great fun, full of smiles and hugs. Our ride home was slightly delayed due to a major accident on the highway, my family in another car was stuck in that traffic jam due to the highway being shut down for over four hours. I am grateful I was home by dinner time and felt awful for my aunt and cousins who didn't get home until 9:30 - 10:00 in the evening. I worked on my grandson's Christmas sweater  in the car and had a wonderful time knitting a short project.

  This week was fabulous, my husband and I traveled to Indiana to see our grandson and to meet our new granddaughter. Our grandson is at a wonderful age, he's beginning to talk ( A CAR!) and understands most of what we are saying to him or at least pretending to understand. He loves to tell stories that are unintelligible except for the occasional word here and there, delightful. My husband read many books over and over again. I marched around the house singing while he gleefully followed along laughing and giggling. We took long walks at the local park. Our little granddaughter is perfection. She loves to snuggle and be bundled up like a little burrito. She is using all the blankets I knit for her and for her little brother.  Our travels to and from Indiana were smooth and uneventful and now I am back home trying to catch up with all those pesky chores. Later this morning, I'll take Frodo for a walk and catch up with all of your blogs.

  Hello! How are you? I've missed visiting your spaces and hope to catch up with you all during the week.  My it's been such a long time since I wrote here. Before I get into what I've been up to this past week and weekend, I want to let you know that my dad went home on Saturday!! He will continue to receive therapies at home and he is so happy to be sleeping in his own bed (just like me!). Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers, they mean a lot to me. Anyways, last Sunday we drove to Indiana to visit our son, daughter-in-law and grandson and to help out with childcare for the week. Their babysitter was taking a vacation. What a delight! We spent so much time with him. Sadly, he had another ear infection but was quickly put on medication and improved. In their neighborhood they have a local park that we walked every single day. We bundled up our grandson and off we went. He loves to eat bagels and blueberries and goldfish. When I laughed, he would laugh. He is a hap...