Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you doing today? This past week I've been reflecting on my focus. What do I focus on and is it something I want to focus on. I've made a strong effort to prune away my wayward attention span. Of course it's a work in progress, but I'm happy with the progress I've made so far. I get sidetracked by current events or 'interesting ideas' where I fall down a rabbit hole of researching on the internet and then find out that time has slipped away. I've become purposeful on how I focus and what I focus on each day.  The more technology advances to help us with our life, the more tangled it becomes on what is important to focus on and what is not important to focus on. Each day, I write what I want to accomplish. That helps set the tone of my focused attention. Anyways, this is what I've been thinking about.  You know what I love to focus on? My knitting which by the way has made significant progress. I hope to finish the baby blanket ...

  Yesterday we went to the local conservator y to see their orchid and bonsai exhibit. We had fun being indoors looking at flowers while outside was a dreary drippy, damp day. After our visit, we went out to lunch for ramen and then did a tiny bit of shopping that amounted to nothing being bought.  My adult non-credit classes started up this week and I eased into a new routine and schedule. I love seeing friends I've made and I continue to make new ones. Joining the adult learning program has been a good decision. Of course my favorite class is Tai Chi.  Can you believe we are over a third of the way through winter? Yikes! Time flies. I've been watching the weather and I see snow in the forecast for the next week off and on. I don't mind the snow. Currently, I'm reading a short story collection, The Wonder Garden, by Lauren Acampora. It's been a long time since I've read short stories and I'm enjoying the switch up. This book has been languishing on my '...

  - neighborhood pumpkins - my oak trees showing off - new friends at 'school' - Tai Chi hour - lunch out with my husband - cold morning walks - an unexpected warm up - all the fall knitting (imagined and real) - wearing wool - browsing knitting patterns - sister outings - dark chocolate - blue skies - neighborhood dogs - the kids coming to visit next weekend - the to-do lists that I am creating - afternoon reading (possible snooze) - apples! - soups! - hearing the breeze whisper through the trees - setting intentions - giving myself grace when I need it the most - solitude - grandchildren laughing - Holly being Holly - Blue skies - phone calls from family and friends - the kindness of others - assuming everyone is doing their best - drinking water and staying hydrated - hot decaf green tea in a BIG mug - first sip of coffee - geese flying in V formation and honking all the way (delightful!!) - Focusing on gratitude - focusing on joy  What would make your happy list?

  Good morning, how are you doing?  I am fully recovered from our trip last weekend. I spent a little bit each day catching up on chores, going to my classes and resting. I love being home! Maybe I have more gratitude towards my home life only by going away?  I spent most of yesterday afternoon on my back patio knitting away for hours (with breaks of course!). I enjoyed being by myself, listening to the birds and watching my resident chipmunks and squirrels scurry around. I was joyful and fully present.  I finished knitting my sweater! Today I will dig around for the perfect buttons and weave in those pesky ends. After that will be the great blocking spa treatment.  As you can see by the photos, fall is inching its way in and squeezing out the summer days. I am so ready for cooler weather. Most exciting of all, they are predicting some much needed rain. We have had no rain for 11-12 days and everything is looking kind of sad from it.  How do you get into a ...

  Hello! How are you? How has your week been? I've been seeing fall leaves and I'm rejoicing in seeing the signs of fall. You and I both know that the falling leaves are from a lack of rain, but I don't care - It's so exciting to see them and I'm going with the eagerness of what is coming.  I hope you will join me.  This past week I've been thinking about gratitude in everything I can do. I walk with Frodo, I eat some great salads, I'm enjoying my knitting etc. Having a stance of gratefulness makes for a most wonderful day. I have a gratitude notebook where I write down what I am grateful for and why. This morning's entry was all about being grateful for hearing the local high school band practicing outside in the distance from my back yard. Both of my kids were in band and I spent endless hours shuffling them to and from the football field for practice in the summer. I am so lucky to live here and hear them practice. What are you grateful for today?

  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! How are you doing?  Right now I am sitting at my kitchen table in the morning writing this post. Yesterday the rain came all day long, today we are in for some more rain. Our backyard is a mud pit and I try to walk Frodo from one tuft of grass to the other trying my best to avoid mud - the success is intermittent, but my determination is strong. On my daily walk yesterday, I snapped that tulip photo from a neighbor's garden. We cannot grow tulips in our yard because the deer eat them up but I guess where she lives the deer are respectful. My daffodils continue to bloom and are wonderful to look at. I came across these two gratitude quotes and decided to write them down to remember them.  Today I am grateful for: - my healing wrists - being finished with an antibiotic - my raincoat and umbrella - leftovers - a captivating novel on a rainy day - easy peasy sock knitting - Frodo and Holly - phone calls from the kids - silence - the kindness of others What are...

  Good morning! How are you on this first day of March? March!, can you believe it? Time just fly by sometimes and sometimes it moves at a snail's pace. I love winter but I have to confess, I'm excited about spring jacket wearing weather.  With a new season so close to arriving, I'm thinking of goals. Personal goals, menu planning goals and what I want to focus on.  Whenever the summer schedule is released at school, I might do more exercise classes, maybe. I enjoy Tai Chi so much, maybe I would like the others and the only way to know is to try one out. What I choose depends on what class it is and when it is offered. I try to bundle my classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I like Thursdays and Fridays free for my regular life and other commitments. My knitting goals are to not have knitting goals. I am thoroughly enjoying my free and easy knitting time. Below is a shawl I started early in January. After a month long break from it, I have returned to leisurely kn...

  The Happy List: - blue skies - cloudy skies - early morning walks with Frodo - the quietness of the mornings - the no plan plan (doing nothing?) - reading lots - sketching some -inspiration from others - reorganizing art supplies - big salads - lemon poppyseed dressing - green goddess dressing - romaine lettuce - radishes - back patio dining - sour dough bread  - endless reading and gobbling up knowledge - heavy eyes while reading (the best doze ever) - steady stitching on a sampler - phone chats with kids - lunch out with my husband - tv watching at night - daily journaling  What would make your happy list?

  I'm delighting in the ordinary days of approaching summertime. During nice weather (as in not raining) I go for my walks and notice the changes in nature. This week the tree frogs have started to sing. In March I cannot wait for trees to leaf out and wonder when it will occur. In June I feel like I didn't pay enough attention to the changes for spring.  Around here the kids are done with school and I love to listen to the neighborhood laughter.  For the party last week, my husband quickly filled some pots with annuals to brighten up the deck, their pops of color fill me with delight whenever I'm washing my dishes and looking out from the window.  Many times this week I dabbled with paints and pens, exploring new ways to be more loose in my work. Not an easy task but it's fun to try. Letting go of expectations and exploring without a means to an end is the most delightful way to spend some creative time. What has delighted you this week?

  Can you believe the crazy weather these days? Yesterday was 80 degrees and today is going to be higher than that. It's too soon! My dogwoods are starting to bloom and it feels a bit early to me.  I've been thinking about how I give myself grace. Sure it's easy to give grace to others and it comes easily.  I wonder why I'm so hard on myself especially if I am not feeling well. Living with a chronic autoimmune disorder (Sjogren's Syndrome) and trying to come up with the best ways to manage my symptoms and eliminate triggers, I lose sight on accepting my reality and just giving myself grace. After battling sinus issues for most of this week and a runny nose for three weeks, I saw my doctor and now have some medicines to get me back to feeling healthy. Phew! I'm doing my best! So how do I give myself grace? Being mindful in each moment is helpful. Journaling my thoughts, feelings and pouring my heart out onto the paper with a favorite fountain pen, the best free t...

  Thank you for all the prayers and well-wishes for my dad. He continues to improve and we are hoping within the week he will be out of ICU. He was admitted on February 22nd and throughout the early days and the unknownness I've been pondering on the word Nourish. How do I nourish my body, mind and spirit? As you know, I was thoroughly enjoying writing a haiku a day and doing a bit of art sketching to go with the words. That daily process stopped the day he was admitted. I just didn't feel like writing or sketching. I gave myself grace to quit. Maybe at the beginning of April I will start back up? I also gave myself grace to blog when I can instead of blogging on a set schedule. Nourishing my mind for me is letting go of some creative pursuits and clinging to the ones that soothe me. I continue to meditate daily, knit daily and do a bit of reading. I pack knitting for the hospital visits in case there is waiting time to visit. When I visit by myself, I also pack a book to read ...

  Yesterday my husband and I went to the art museum and wandered about because the weather was supposed to be rainy all day long. But it just so happened that it was a warm cloudy day that could have easily been spent at a local park with a light jacket. My predictions of the weather are only as reliable as the local weather forecast.  We had such a nice time! We finished the contemporary gallery where some of the art is a temporary exhibit. We also breezed through the impressionism area (our favorite).  Afterwards, we went to a restaurant for a pizza lunch then off to the main city library to peruse books. Once home we took Frodo on a quick walk thinking the rain was surely going to start but I don't think it ever did! Maybe it rained a bit while I was sleeping, I'm not really sure. The warm weather has ended and once again I'll be wearing a winter coat.

  Oh my, we are knee deep in ordinary days. I might be one of the few people who love January. I love the cold weather and the restive schedule that envelops me since the holidays are over. I've been enjoying my bird feeder and watching the birds who are making quite the mess. They delight me. Through my back yard, through the woods, at an adjoining business development exists a private preschool. Every day I listen to the children play (squeal) outside during their recess while I am outside walking Frodo. Another delight. January has a slew of family birthdays, I wake up and text/call each family member wishing them a wonderful day. This week I've chipped away at all of my works in progress in my knitting bag. I finished a hat and now I'm working on my scarf. When this scarf is finished I'd like to whip up two pairs of fingerless mitts for me and for my husband.  I am delighted that you visit, read and sometimes comment on this space. How wonderful to have a like minde...

  Today I'm counting my blessings: - Frodo's groomer who 'gets' him and is so wonderful to him and gives him a great haircut - Frodo snuggles and Holly antics, both pets make me smile - phone chats with my children - living near family especially my sister! - my early morning routine - -my yarn stash which is massive and yet I can always buy more yarn, go figure - this little blogging community where we uplift each other and support one another, it is one of the best blessings the internet has provided - summer yielding to fall ( I know! it's crazy but the days are shortening and I've been putting a light on in the morning, we are getting closer to fall!) -  - BIG salads and no cooking days - dark chocolate - green decaf tea - my favorite mugs - a tidy house - my husband - this house - books - knitting - daydreaming - believing in the goodness of others - friendly waves of hello to total strangers on my walks - all the drivers who slow down and yield to me on my...

  This week I've been working on 'being present' in what I do. When I'm on a walk with Frodo I notice what I see, hear and feel. The wind, the neighborhood dogs barking to say 'hello' to Frodo, the birds singing and feeling my cold hands and face while Mother Nature dips into wintry weather (I am not complaining!).  I've noticed that mornings are favorite times to notice the here and now.  I am a part-time dabbler in the 'what if' scenario thought process. "What if this happens?"  "What if that happens?" These thoughts are not being present. And so I work hard at my mindfulness techniques, a constant work in progress.  Guess what is NOT a constant work in progress...I finished that blanket! Oh boy what a labor of love. I hope to have some photos of the blanket for you next week. I'm excited that I can now do some casting on of short term projects while I mull about what long term project I want to do in the future (not a blank...

  I've been thinking about the word 'abundance' all week long. Specifically, in my daily life and where is the abundance. In nature, there is an abundance of spring time blossoms and birds singing away. On my walks I try to notice what I see and hear to ground myself and to be present. This noticing crowds out the to do tasks and what's on my mind. I have abundance in yarns, projects and all sorts of creative pursuits. I believe you all do as well. That's what we creators do. Most importantly I've been thinking of the people in my life. Family, extended family, friends, neighbors and all the other people I have yet to meet in my new town. I still keep in touch with my friends from my old town. All of you dear readers who are friends as well. The community we share here is quite abundant. In other news, they came and put up our awning! Now I know it's going to be warmer days. Of course there is snow in tomorrow's forecast but I'm ignoring that bit of ...

  As I sit here and write this post, there are teeny tiny snowflakes doing their best to say 'ha ha, springtime, winter can still be here'. I'm ignoring the flakes and celebrating the first day of April! Can you believe it's April? The daffodils are blooming and my lilac bush is sprouting.  Yesterday we went to the local park for a walk that we haven't done since late fall. The weather was warm but the winds were fierce. I don't mind being cold and/or damp down to my bones but I highly dislike windy days.  My very first time visiting this park was after the high blood pressure event in early August and my meds being adjusted. I then committed to walking over 150 minutes a week which I've kept up with except for extreme snowy weather conditions or that horrible stomach bug. I'm proud of my commitment. April beginnings remind me of new beginnings. I'm looking forward to more outings, day trips and exploring our new to us area. April means: fresh - new ...