Pumpkin Sunrise

  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 blessings!! A

  - 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 was your weekend? Oh mine was deliciously cold, brr. Sadly there will be another warm up this week but hopefully that warm up will be brief. I've been loving this chilly weather and the colors changing on the leaves.  My sister had a craft show over the weekend and I helped out (moral support really). I thoroughly enjoyed seeing family, friends and meeting some of my sister's friends. I had a good time and of course got a lot of knitting done.  I've been spending lots of time knitting my granddaughter' sweater - I have to dig around and find the perfect buttons today.  I noodled around Ravelry some more looking for a new project to cast on. Maybe a shawl? I just don't know what I want to knit. But I guarantee you I will be knitting something! How was your weekend?

  Since we arrived home on Tuesday, I've been marveling at the fall foliage trying to memorize the colors and pocket them for future reference. Each day gets better and better. Yesterday after a lunch out with family, we drove through the park just to take in the colors. October truly is a beautiful month.  I'm so glad to be home and back into my ordinary days. I have the week off from classes before the second session starts up next week. I'm still busy around here though. My sister is having a craft show and I go over to help her (I do not do much, but it's fun to be together and see family and friends). I've been pouring over cookbooks coming up with some new recipes.  My heart monitor results were normal, so that's a relief! I'm not sure why I had to do that test but it's done and now I can forget about doctors for a while. (fingers crossed). The less I see of them the happier I am. There's something about autumn and my creativity blossoming. I s

  Good morning to you all, how are you? How has your week been? Mine has been great, my school schedule is winding down for a break then I start back up with some classes in a few weeks but I will be less busy (at least it looks less busy on paper, I will find out if I feel less busy).  Yesterday the back patio awning was taken down for the winter season. A sign of winter approaching!  I continue to take daily walks but now they are in the middle of the day instead of early in the morning. I love the rhythms of the seasons and adapting to the weather. My husband and I went to the conservatory in Pittsburgh to see their fall flower show yesterday. We had a great time and enjoyed the myriad of mums on display. Some of my favorite sections were closed off which was a bummer but hopefully they will be done renovating those spaces soon. I'm sure it's difficult to renovate while trying to keep the conservatory open to visitors. I'm still knitting daily and enjoying my time with w

  Hello, how are you? I'm doing pretty good, trying my best to keep busy and fill my days with the last bits of warm weather activities while anticipating the cold weather activities. Although later this week the temperature will be back into the low 70s, the next few days will be chilly. I love when fall breezes in and ebbs back out. Each time we are closer and closer to colder weather. My husband and I walked the local park over the weekend, I wanted to see the trees changing before they are past peak. As you can see, we are still early for peak colors. We were lucky because they closed the road down for some tree maintenance and that eliminated car traffic (yay!). We had a beautiful walk. Holly continues to be brave and bold since Frodo left us in August. She still checks his spot on the loveseat but doesn't look terrified when she does. Her progress has been steady. I love when she drinks from his water bowl which we have kept out for her. Gah!!  Over the weekend, I was kne

  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. Still

  Good morning! How are you all doing on this fine Monday? Finally after weeks of no rain, we are in a rainy season. Yesterday we took a long walk in the drizzle while taking in the signs of fall. We were a little wet but it was worth the fresh air. We visited his mother earlier this week and yet again, I have no photos to share. However, once I was home I was back at the documenting my life. Whenever we are visiting people we eat out a lot and so when I get home I need to get back to healthy eating and living. There is nothing like a fresh salad except a fresh salad made by someone else. Also when we got back home I started to feed the birds with the 'winter' feeder. Word was spread within the hour and I had my birds back. I love them so. Also my hydrangea bush is heading into the fall season beautifully. Saturday morning I ran a bunch of errands and did some returning at a few stores. Once I was home, I wrote down a quote I stumbled across, then did some knitting. I'm wor

  How was your weekend? Mine was wonderful and relaxing. Even though it is feeling like summer (hot), it looks like fall when I sit on the back patio. I'm enjoyed being out there immensely. Of course once it gets too hot, I scurry back inside to the air conditioning to cool off. Both Saturday and Sunday I spent time outside with my knitting, reading or daydreaming. We had no big plans except for attending Mass on Sunday morning. I spent the whole weekend doing laundry and I'm officially back to my ordinary laundry schedule. Phew! On Saturday I deep cleaned the house and then basked it its loveliness. Yesterday on a whim I went to a local yarn store to buy some yarn for the grandkids' holiday sweaters. That was fun and what made it more fun is that my sister went with me. Sister outings are the best.

  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 'joyful and present'

  Good morning! How was your weekend? Another photo of Holly being a brave soul. She is a delight! My weekend was a mix of relaxing, socializing with family or visiting with family. On Saturday, I took a long walk in the neighborhood wearing a jacket and feeling cold to my bones. I loved it! Once again, the hot weather will be making a come back but hopefully the evening temperatures will be chilly and take the sting out of the warmth. My sister and brother in law came over for dinner and game board night. We always have fun together and laugh a lot. On Sunday I attended 7:30 a.m. Mass (gulp!) then my sister and I drove up to see my dad and step-mom for a visit and a lunch. We had a nice time visiting them. Once home, I rested, read my books and did some laundry.  Today my classes start. I am taking a few history classes, one on the Korean War and another about the time in between WWI and WWII. I'm also taking two religious courses, one about reflective prayer and another about the

  How are you? How has your week been?  We've had glorious weather this past week and every single day I am outside taking a walk and just drinking in the coolness and the soft signs of fall. Supposedly this weekend will be chilly, I am all in! Some of the trees are turning ever so slightly. When I walk in the morning, I am delighted to wave 'hi' to the school bus as it drives by.  My non-credit classes start next week and just like when I was a younger, I am eager for school to start. If you have a local university check out to see if they offer any classes for older adults - it is very enriching. I've made so many friends and of course I'm learning new stuff. I've realized that I like learning just about anything. I do try to choose classes where I do not have to participate much. Just dump the information into my head!  Holly continues to be a very brave cat. She will sometimes come and visit us during dinner for some pets. She loves to walk through the famil

  How are you?  Last night I finished that cuff and have started the second sleeve on my fall sweater. I cannot wait to wear this! Also this week we've been having cooler weather and so when I work on this sweater I do not get hot from having a big old pile of wool on my lap, it's the simplest of pleasures. I hope that we are done with heat waves, I am so ready for fall and cold weather. How are your projects coming along?

  How was your weekend? Mine is still going strong since it is Labor Day today. Yesterday after Mass we walked to a local coffee shop and I ordered a matcha latte. It was okay, I was expecting more from the drink! I'm not a drink lover over all so maybe it was me and my expectations going in.  Maybe just maybe we are over the heat waves? I can dream! I worked on my sweater and my socks through out the weekend making progress on both of them. I sat on my back patio reading both Saturday and Sunday knowing that by the end of this month it will be too chilly to do so. Usually the awning gets taken down early October. I am so looking forward to Autumn. In my heart that season is already here. I've been extending my walks trying to add more time to my outings and I've started using my left arm in my exercising routine. So far I am feeling great, just a tad weak.  How was your weekend?

  Before I even get into spreading joy, look at that beautiful array of Halloween stuff! The seasons are changing and I am ready for it. This past week, my husband and I have been doing after dinner walks since the weather has been so very nice. I know it's going to be hot again, but for now I can pretend Fall is around the bend. I continue to do my daily morning walks without a dog and now they can approach a cardio workout. Frodo was s l o w. My elbow is improving but it aches a lot if I do stuff. I won't even say 'over do it' it just all depends. By the end of the day I'm like 'oof'. I see the ortho doctor for a check up and I hope I either have physical therapy or clearance to do whatever I wish. Yesterday, I decided to spread joy. I went to our local farmer's market and had a fruit basket made up so I could take it over to the vet and her staff to thank them for all that they did for Frodo. They were all so happy and I found out that two other dogs