Pumpkin Sunrise

  The last day of September! This month went fast for me and with the fastness came lovely cooler weather that seems to be endless in the forecast every morning when I check on it. My husband is sad that summer is over and keeps hoping for a mini heat wave, not me at all. Being cold is where I want to be! I've been furiously knitting Christmas presents that I will share next week with you in detail. On a whim I cast on something for myself but now I'm rethinking the yarn and the colors I chose for the project. So until I figure out exactly what I am doing that little project is on a temporary hold. I've been sketching daily, well I'm trying to sketch daily. I feel rusty and the only way to 'unrust' my skills is to practice every single day. I have all the pencils right by my side along with my sketchbook so there's no excuse for me. Frodo and I have been thoroughly enjoying our daily walks in the neighborhood. Each time I'm outside I make a mental note o

  Finally!  I finished this sweater that felt like it was on the needles forever. My sister gave me the yarn from someone who gave it to her from someone's stash. As you can see from the three skeins, one skein had less color variation and wasn't it lucky that I started the sweater with the odd skein first? (The universe was smiling upon me!). I've made this sweater before , and decided to drop down one size because I was a little short on yardage. Also the first sweater was roomy enough to make that decision on the second sweater. I did not run out of yarn and even had several yards left over. Now all I need is some freezing cold weather to wear it! What are you working on this week?

  Maybe, just maybe I have regained my energy levels after the trip to Cambridge MA last weekend. I've been knitting furiously both Saturday and Sunday thoroughly enjoying a burst of creative energy from the cold weather we are having and will continue to have this week. Saturday morning I wore wool on my walk, first time of the season!  Holly have been a little devil over the weekend. She keeps sneaking up on Frodo. Most of the time he is asleep but she thinks it's great fun! She is living her best life. Frodo is too.  I started knitting Christmas gifts for my grandson and my grand nephew. Almost done!! My weekend contained: -homemade chicken noodle soup - lunch out with my dad and step mom - daily walks with Frodo in the chilly air - lots of reading - lots of knitting - a phone call from our son - watching PBS.org 'the US and the Holocaust' documentary by Ken Burns (highly recommend!) - four loads of laundry - a squeaky clean kitchen floor - apple cake -  How was your

  Good morning! I hope you've had a fabulous week. My week was perfection, I spent each day catching up on all those tasks that were set aside for traveling. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen drinking my last cup of morning coffee before the day officially begins. The weather is deliciously cold (gah!). Yesterday was windy which turned warm air into autumnal breezes. The week's forecast is going to be cold, finally. We had lunch outside on the patio probably for the last time earlier this week. Well, at least I had my last lunch, my husband might just sit out there in the cold clinging onto the dregs of summer living. He is so sad that autumn has arrived. I am not, I've been daydreaming of sweater wearing weather for about six weeks.  Yesterday I focused on knitting and finishing the sweater , all day long and as you can see by the above photo it is drying after a little bit of soaking and mild blocking. My husband thinks Holly will sit on it, I do not. Who would wan

  I am so excited that I'm on my second sleeve and over half way on that second sleeve. I had grand plans to finish this sweater on my weekend trip to Cambridge MA but that was lofty and impractical. I've been asked if I knit in the car, the answer is YES but I frequently zone out and daydream or take in the scenery. More often than not, I tell my husband how to drive which annoys him to no end. I have lofty goals of having this sweater finished by next Wednesday but I know that I am sporadic in my knitting attention these days. Please send all the good finishing vibes if you can. Below is a photo of the two skeins of yarn I purchased at Mind's Eye Yarns  in Cambridge MA and so close to our hotel that we stayed at. I'm thinking his and her matching pair of socks. What a sweet little store that was jammed packed with yarn. I was in heaven. What are you working on this week?

  Grab a cup of coffee or tea, this is the extended weekends version of my life. On Friday we drove to Cambridge MA to visit our daughter and son in law. We were in the car for eleven hours because of a highway road closure and the GPS snaking us through the countryside of Pennsylvania. I was so tired of being a car! We arrived safely at our hotel and checked in, quickly dropping off our bags. We had pizza and homemade apple cake at their house. Delicious!! Saturday we walked over 20,000 steps and my arthritis symptoms acted up. Flares are just awful and they sneak up on me. Each time I think there's something wrong but cannot quite figure it out. We were all over the greater Boston Area doing some shopping and sight-seeing. I didn't take many photos, I was living in the moment. We toured three churches (cannot recall any of their names...).  Sunday after attending Mass we had some donuts for second breakfast then did more sight-seeing. Our son in law drove us around which help

  I keep forgetting to show my progress on a cross stitch project I started last week or so. This is for our grandson and it might be an ornament to hang or a framed picture depending on which is easier for me. I am loving that the fabric is 14 Aida count and I can see it. Honestly, having older eyes is challenging. While I do enjoy the cross stitching and it reminds me of all the cross stitching in the past, knitting is my comfort zone. I don't really use my eyes for knitting like I do for cross stitching.  This week has been glorious weather. I walk daily early in the morning when the elementary school bus does its rounds and I eagerly wave to the bus driver and the kids. Actually I wave to just about everyone that passes. The air is crisp and fresh. So so beautiful.  On my walks, I try my best to be present. I go through my five senses to notice what is happening at the moment. For instance, I look for five different things, then listen for four different sounds, then feel thre