Pumpkin Sunrise

  In a month (!) our son, daughter in law and grandchildren will be moving here from Indiana. We have the countdown and I have 'things' I need to get done before that time. They will live 12 minutes from us and we are looking forward to our lives changing for the better.  I have some permanent baby proofing to do. Once their house is packed up, they will live in our house until the moving van arrives at their new home. They will frequently be here so I want to put away the items I do not want them to play with - they love to gravitate to that which is forbidden. I am trying to squeeze in all the things I want to get done before they move. I have knitting goals and reading goals. Currently I'm reading Homecoming and White Nights, both are good and entertaining.  It's okay if I do not achieve these goals, but I like to have something to work towards. My classes have mostly ended for the spring semester. Our summer classes (non-credit older adult classes at a local univers...

  How are you doing today? I'm doing pretty good. It's been a busy week and today is a day where I don't have to be anywhere pressing. Of course I might go out but it will be because I want to go out. Before I forget, Happy Easter if you are celebrating! My sister's hosting Easter this year so I get to kick back and relax and enjoy the food. I will see family too! Around here, it will be getting warm and the tree pollen will be at an all time high. I have quit walking outside because of allergies since I can't take anything because of my health issues. I am enjoying doing you-tube exercise videos in my office. They are more challenging than my daily walks! I'm enjoying my lace knitting project that I talked about on Wednesday. It is a fun knit. Also, I had my first contact lens fitting for my 'medically necessary' contacts that will help protect and heal my extremely dry eyes. Once the lenses are made and in their office, I go back and get another fittin...

  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...

  How are you?  I am enjoying the spring flowers outside but not the cold temperatures, I guess it could be much much colder and I shouldn't complain. Our patio awning was installed for the summer season and I wondered about those people working in 30 degree weather! I cannot wait to be able to sit out there and it will be soon. I had a knitting project that I started ages ago, a shawl, and recently pulled it out. I remember that I found multiple errors in the pattern (or I made a mistake which I highly doubt). So I fixed the mistakes as I knitted then set the shawl project aside for some baby knitting. Anyways, I returned to knitting this shawl yesterday morning and decided that I didn't like it and ripped out about 300 yards of knitting. I loved it! I loved letting go of a project that just wasn't sparking joy. I'm now knitting simple cowls instead with the yarn. In the past, I have ripped out entire sweaters because I didn't like the fit or style. I usually put a...

  Yesterday, my husband and I went to the Phipps Conservatory to see their spring flower show. The traffic was insane and it took us quite some time to get there because of heavy construction and possibly a traffic accident (we will never know). Once there, we had so much fun seeing the flowers. I wish I could photograph the scents! I believe this year's spring show was better than last year's show. We have a membership and go four or five times a year whenever they change the exhibits. I snapped so many photos and maybe I will paint some of them. I felt the creative urge to do so. Spring is filled with hopefulness and new beginnings, I like early spring but do not like late spring when the weather gets too hot. However, I don't have to think about hot weather right now, the forecast is saying snow next week, I hope it is incorrect. Afterwards, we went out for lunch at a ramen noodle restaurant. It was so good and I love the noodles! I have yet to come across a recipe that...

Good morning! How are you? How was your weekend? Mine was pretty nice. We had no plans and stayed home most of the weekend. I did lots of knitting but did not take any photos of that so you'll have to pretend there are photos here of my knitting progress. Spring is roaring in with lots of blossoms - I even decided to switch the bed clothes from winter to spring, so you know what that means, the temperatures will drop and I will be cold. I continue to read The Alice Network  and have a slight worry for the characters as I read through. It's a fantastic book but sometimes suspenseful! I am also reading White Nights  and that is my evening book. I'm enjoying that book as well.  I finished my sweater but need to block it out and do a photo session of it. I'm glad that is finished! I have another baby blanket to start up and I also want to finish the baby sweater that I already started. Babies are sprouting up in this family!  Thank you for the well wishes for my severe d...

  Good morning to you! How are you doing? I have recovered from having family visiting last week and am right back to my ordinary quiet days. Spring is arriving again after being here for a few days then leaving for some frigid weather. Today will be over 60 degrees.  I've been having severe dry eye from my autoimmune disease (Sjogren's syndrome) and it's quite annoying. I did see the eye doctor and have a treatment plan but golly, I want it resolved yesterday. Over a month ago, I started doing some HIIT exercising a few times a week at home to improve my stamina. So I  lined up a bunch of videos that were low-impact, all standing routines ranging 10 minutes to 30 minutes. I expected that I would not enjoy this type of exercising but I have to confess, I love it. I feel empowered when I complete a video and am able keep up with them most of the time. Who knew? I continue to walk daily but the windy days make my dry eye symptoms unbearable. I am considering joining a gym w...

  Good morning! How are you? Look at my daffodils!! I know what you are thinking. You are wondering why I am here when I have company staying for the week. Well, before they left home on Saturday, the grandkids had the stomach virus Friday afternoon which postponed their trip until Sunday. Then on Saturday night, the parents started with the same virus. I am grateful that they kept it over at their house and did not bring it here. They plan to arrive on Tuesday now, fingers are crossed that they will be fully recuperated and ready to do some house hunting.  Because the weekend ended up being free and clear, I spent my time knitting and reading. I was planning a family get together with the local family invited on Sunday to share a turkey dinner (turkey thawing in the fridge since Tuesday). I cooked it anyways and my husband and me were a party of two, I froze most of the leftovers. I started a new book yesterday, The Alice Network , it's been on my shelf for quite some time! I...

  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 ...

  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?

  Hello! How are you doing? I'm happy to report that the freezing cold weather has eased up and we are now having regular winter weather. I wear 'regular' clothes on my walks and sometimes I have to take my mitts off because I get warm. It's wonderful. The birds have ramped up their singing - a true sign of spring! Since the weather warmed up a bit, the crowding at my bird feeder off the back patio has eased up.  In about a month I will switch to thistle feed only because the resident raccoon will be stirring and he/she lovely to eat the regular mix. I am gleeful when I outwit them.  Yesterday we had a stir fry for dinner. I don't follow a recipe, since it's made up but I use a mix of sesame oil and olive oil. The vegetables in this photo are Nappa cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli and snow peas. For seasonings I use ginger powder and an umami blend (salt free). In a bowl we place chopped cooked chicken at the bottom then a scoop of jasmine rice (hot to heat up the c...

  Good morning! How are you? I'm doing great over all. I've been consistently exercising and trying to expand my routines while avoiding an arthritis flare-up. It's a slippery slope that I am managing so far. I have some good news --- we are two-thirds of the way through winter. Now you know I love winter and can tolerate the cold way more than tolerating warm/hot days. But yesterday afternoon, we finished lunch out and we were returning to the car when a blast of wind hit me, I was cold down to my bones. I had a fleeting thought of wishing for 30 degree weather. Yes, it's true, I feel like I'm betraying my love of winter. It's been six months since Frodo (our old miniature schnauzer and Holly's nemesis) has passed. Holly has been blossoming. Every day we see more and more of her. And yes, she still checks the loveseat where Frodo slept but there is less alarm and more of a 'yay he's not there' kind of glance.  We love her! I still miss Frodo but...

  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...

  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 doing? We have been having all the snow this week. Yesterday it snowed so much that my class was canceled and I felt like a teenager getting a snow day. I made good use of my time by reading and knitting. I love my bird feeder and my birds so much. They delight me every single time I look out the kitchen window.  A few times this week I shoveled the front walk and a path to the back deck to get to the bird feeder and found out that this shoveling movement irritates my and and wrist arthritis. So now I am resting my hands again and letting the flare up calm down. At least I pinpointed the activity! I am grateful that I can still knit. I've been reading a book, Conjure Women, and it is really good. I picked up this copy when I was visiting Boston a year or so ago. One of my loose goals is to read the books I own and donate the ones I've read and don't want to keep out of this house. I have about 100 books to go through. Most of them were bought sec...

  Good morning! How are you doing? How is January so far? After my company left last weekend, I have put my house back to the way it was and fully recharged my battery with lots of knitting and reading. I am working on another hat (remember it's hat-knitting mojo for me right now). I started a new book to read and it's one from my shelves which will count towards my ultimate goal of reading what I own and then donating the book out of the house. Sometimes I keep books if I find them extraordinarily touching. I've struggled with maintaining my walking outside, there is a limit to how cold I can be. I continue to exercise inside with my weights and doing yoga poses. Even though it's cold, I continue to love winter the most. My creativity soars in brisk weather! I have exciting news to share. As you know, Holly only loves my husband and shows that love only to him. Well, other day she gave me some head butts for the FIRST time ever. I felt so loved by her, then she took a ...

  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...

  Hello! How are you? How have you been?  I've been knee deep in knitting and enjoying the quiet after some busy days celebrating Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we went to my sister and brother in law's house for dinner and celebrated with her family. After dinner we attended Christmas Eve Mass. Christmas Day was by ourselves with lots and lots of phone calls to the kids, his mother and my dad.  I casted on a new hat before Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. The striped hat below was the first hat started. I haven't snapped a photo of the second one. Apparently I am in a hat-knitting frame of mind.  My son and his family arrive tomorrow for an entire week. So you know what that means....I will be posting irregularly until they leave. So if I am not posting, it's because I am having fun with little ones who take all my attention (and my energy!).