Pumpkin Sunrise

I'm reading some light and easy books this week, you know, summer reading.  I love the pick it up and put it down ease and the low-thinking impact.  I know when the end of August arrives, I'll be craving some serious literary writing. I bought the victorian book on my beach vacation after a delightful old house tour.  If you ask me, we could all do with more manners -  where did they go? Last night I separated the sleeves from the body on my beloved cardigan .  The mindless stockinette is nicely paired with a murder mystery on TV or with a kindle book (kindles stay open on my lap). If you're analyzing my above photo, you will see a glimpse of a different coffee table.  The square one is going to be refinished by my husband.  I called my dad for detailed instructions (he refinished furniture professionally) and we (meaning he) are ready to go!  I hit my limit of water marks on the table even when using sturdy coasters. Sadly, there ar...

While knitting this dress was hard on my hands, the challenge was worth it!  I love the finished dress.  The directions were clear and concise with lots of photos to guide you through the steps.   Purl Soho is talented in clean classic designs. I dislike knitting the linen stitch with all of my being, but...but I love how it looks.  Thankfully the bodice knitted up in two days and then I was blissfully knitting mindless stockinette stitch.  The older I get the more I love mindless knitting. The yarn I chose was Berocco Weekend DK , a machine washable acrylic-cotton blend that was lovely to knit with.  I knew that the fiber would be hard on my hands, cotton blends usually are.  However, I took frequent breaks and limited my time on the project. I'm waiting for the next time I babysit to give the dress to the mom.  I'll let you know if the dress fits.  I am hoping it's slightly big in the chest size and perfect for length. ...

I've been focusing on my shawl this weekend since I finished the baby dress (yay!).  I keep knitting even though my doubts still exist.  Honestly, I'll know when I get to the lace section.  Garter stitch is a fickle area for me to assess.  I know that blocking will change how it looks and I love how it stretches out. This morning we went to the urgent care clinic for my husband who was stung by wasps in three areas of his foot yesterday morning.  His foot was swollen and I knew he needed predinsone.  Once the weekday starts up after the fourth, we'll message his doctor about the localized allergic reaction and possible precautionary medicines.  (He is feeling much better after one dose) On Friday, we went out to dinner and I was underwhelmed so much so that we are going to try to eat at home throughout the month of July.  I am an excellent cook and so his my husband - also, I find no spending challenges fun.  A no spending challenge...

Since arriving home from my beach vacation, I've spent the week playing catch up.  The days leading to the vacation, I prepared and gathered items that were needed.  Once we returned, I have to put everything back.  My house is almost tidy.  Of course the camera only shows you the tidy sections. I want to continue that vacation feeling through out the summer.  This morning I wrote down how I felt and reflected upon the large spans of time where I felt uninterrupted.  I know I sound silly but the media (me seeking the news feeds) really puts a damper on my focusing and productivity. Frodo in his thoughtful spot I was chatting with my sister (daily, on the phone) and she's looking forward to a week off from work and she's scheduling in peaceful activities to make sure she captures the vacation feeling during her stay-cation. You know, that is something I'm going to do as well!  As I say goodbye to the last day of June and welcome in July....

As promised, I'm sharing some photos I snapped on my Cape May vacation from the Nikon camera.  I find I like the portability of my iphone but you cannot compare those photos with the Nikon.  I carried the big camera at least one during the day. My husband and son had the epic paddle ball volley on the beach - 402 times, never to be beaten the rest of the vacation.  I am the one who sits and watches.  Staying out of the sun under the umbrella, I read my book or people watch.  The old people aren't as old as they appeared when I was in my thirties.  I hope as I age I can walk briskly on the beach like them - and look healthy. We stayed at the Victorian Lace Inn  and I adored their porch.  I spent many hours sitting and knitting (and sheltering from the sun).  My next house will have a porch - it must!  I have a patio and it's not the same. I added inches to the dress length and I'm close to the edging linen stit...

Guess what!  I've been in Cape May, NJ since Wednesday and tomorrow morning I'm going home.  If you know me at all, you know that going home is the best part.  I miss Frodo, my house, my coffee maker, my bed, my internet speed and gosh....just my regular boring life. We were lucky that our son came with us on this mini vacation (I missed my daughter and son in law who could not come).  This is a much needed vacation since my husband's job was stressful last year.  Now that he is back to being a professor, stress is slowly ebbing away. Thanks to this dutiful blog, I was able to figure out that the last time we were in Cape May was in 2011 with both kids.  I have wanted to go back since but school schedules of three people made it impossible. We had fun saying remember when, checking out stores to see if they were still in business and remembering all the previous summers spent here.  I love Victorian history and even did  trolley/es...

We finally put in a garden only because my farmer's market had a two for one dollar sale on plants.  I scooped up peppers, a few tomato plants, a zucchini and some basil.  Let's see what grows!  We do not fence around the raised beds, so the rabbits, the groundhog (a fat well-fed groundhog) and the deer all will feast if they desire. Since my monetary investment is minimal, I'm fine with the wilderness nibbling. Frodo has been loving summertime.  He sits outside for hours on end, who knows what he is thinking about.  Sometimes, he gets bored so he places his frisbee in the pool then barks for me to get it.  He thinks it's great fun, so do I.  He is one of the very best ideas we've had in our marriage.  He will be eight years on in the fall and his puppy capers are over. Sometimes though, he acts silly and we smile and remember his youth. Since summer is my least favorite season, I'm trying my best not to wish it away or com...