Pumpkin Sunrise

Last week Frodo and I took a walk about the yard and I remembered to take the camera and here are the photos that we snapped.  It was quite chilly that day and the snow disappeared the following day. All of my southern bloggers are worried about their blooms.  So far nothing is sprouting out of the ordinary.  It is the same plants that have little buds on them. It's nice to have some purple color during the winter.  During the summer there is never a bud....funny! I did finish my Sprouts shawl yesterday but it is blocking as I type this so maybe I'll have some photos by Thursday. In the background is some parsley that is STILL green!  I must say this has been the weirdest winter so far.  We are supposed to have normal temperatures this week but I do not think there is any snow in the forecast.  

This was a very quiet weekend.  We went out on Friday night to our favorite local restaurant for salad and pizza.  Healthy and delicious!  We also picked up some evil donuts and they were oh so tasty and oh so not good for you.  I always get donuts with sprinkles, I am a child at heart. Saturday we did a 40 minute drive to a grocery store so I could find millet.  It was no where to be found for me locally and I had an inkling that the trip would be productive.  I did find it and hopefully one day I will be making millet burgers......I have my fingers crossed that they taste as good as they read in the recipe!  If and when I make the recipe, I'll take photos and share them. This morning we went to church.  After lunch at home, I had knitting with my friends.  I have fun listening to everyone chat and seeing what everyone knits.  Can you imagine if Yarn along on Wednesday was in person???  It would be the best social time ever! Oh and I have discovered kalamata olives......

Joining Amanda

My favorite aunt, you know the one who received this shawl , cross stitched this lovely piece of art for us as a Christmas present one year.  I cannot remember which year I received it, but I love the saying. My best things are my family (including Frodo), the nature that surrounds me, memories I've made through the years and my peaceful existence in this world. What could possibly be better than that?

Another yarn along has arrived!  I always enjoy seeing what everyone is reading and knitting every Wednesday.  My knitting is still the same three projects.  I decided to only show one project in my photo which is my sprouts shawl .  I am over half way done and at first it was difficult for me to find my rhythm.  I tend to memorize patterns so I need not rely on chart reading.  Not so with this shawl.  It is just not something to memorize, however I have found areas that allow me to look at the chart a little less often.  I am thoroughly enjoying this knit.  It is my first shawl that is knitted from end to end in an elongated triangle. For my other knitting that is not in the above photo- I am working the body shaping decreasing on my hawthorne cardigan .  This is my tv knit because of the miles and miles of stockinette stitch.  I am not complaining, just stating a fact!  I am almost done with Chart B of my periwinkle frost shawl .  I am over half way done knitting this shawl

Last Friday we went to our local library book sale.  I look forward to this sale two times a year.  I always find something.  My only competition is my son who happens to find many books that I would love to pick up.  He is able to ferret out the classics so much faster that me.  It must be his youth and internal radar to where they are placed in the room. Anyways, I was quite happy to pick up seven books for under seven dollars!  The Alcott book has a copyright printing of 1932-not in the best shape with the book spine.  The Alice in Wonderland book has a copyright printing of 1929. There is nothing like an old book! I was thrilled to find a copy of My Antonia , would you believe I haven't read one Willa Cather book in my life---the shame!  I have read many of Alcott's books but I do not remember reading Rose in Bloom .  I first read  Little Women when I was thirteen years old.  It was the "book" that inspired me to read in all of my free time.  That summer I

Friday night we went out to a different restaurant for dinner as a family and we had the best fries ever.  Now keep in mind they were the worst fries for health because I believe they were fried twice-so crispy! It was nice to be out and about with our son since he returned to his campus today. Lots of laundry was done by the laundry fairy so our son could pack as many clean clothes as possible. Starting Monday I am back to two to three loads a week.  I am not complaining since the fairy and I are one person.  We also went through the cupboards and stocked up on some snacks for the dorm.  Nothing like shopping at home. Saturday brought a beautiful fantastic snow storm.  It was perfect-five inches of snow came tumbling down and we did not lose power.  What could possibly be better?  Because of the snow I decided to make apple raisin muffins from my Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook . Check out their website , they have quite a bit of recipes that look yummy. Today after church I ma

(had to post two photos-when no one is paying attention to Frodo he hides under the ottoman and does tiny arfs until you look for him.  I caught him in the act this time!!) Joining Amanda at soulemama

Every day I wear a cardigan and most of the time the cardigan was made my me.  Cardigans are flattering for any figure and you can wear it buttoned up or not-gives it a different look.  I have found the best way to have any knitted garment fit the way you would like is to measure existing pieces in your wardrobe and adjust the pattern accordingly.  If you already have a favorite sweater-measure it!  It is much better than measuring yourself. For instance, I always knit at least seventeen-nineteen inches from the underarm to wrist since I am taller.  I also will knit at least fourteen inches for the body of a sweater, sometimes more.  Lengthening and shortening knitting garments is quite an easy fix for fit. I tend to prefer to knit with thin yarn.  Double knitting or thinner if possible.  I have worsted weight cardigans like  tea leaves , but they feel bulky when I wear a coat. I have to be in the mood to wear it. Of course thin yarn will mean that the sweater might take a bit l

Good morning! I hope everyone is having a great week this week.  I am always stunned when Wednesday rolls along, seems like the days are just flying by for me. I finished  Rilla of Ingleside  and it really is one of the best out of the series (a total of eight books).  I think I liked this one most because WWI breaks out and there is a lot of heart ache experienced by the heroine.  A crisis seems to make the characters more realistic for me.  So I have finished the series and I'm happy to report I am back to reading contemporary fiction.  I started The Kitchen House  last night and so far it's interesting.  I am not too far into the story line so my opinions are newly developing. My Periwinkle Frost Shawl has been my number one focus the past week.  I finished chart A and started chart B which is not a very long chart to knit.  I wish I could explain why I am so into this project.  Let's just say it brings me great joy to sit and knit a few rows here and there.  My

Today is a wintry tour of my yard.  The above photo is my long driveway.  The township already came and cindered the road.  I wonder what time they awake to get the job done? My favorite slip on boots that were hand me downs from my sister about five or six years ago.  I do not think they will ever wear out.  I can wear them with two pairs of socks (the outer layer is always wool!). This is the back of the fence, remember over the summer when Frodo was escaping?  Good times... One of my lilac bushes that no matter how much the deer eat in the spring it blossoms.  Very resilient bush!  As for the deer, I am not going to try to stop them.  I know I am out numbered.  We have at least five deer that walk through our property almost every day.  The twins are fully grown now.  A couple of days ago they were in the woods watching me as I was out with Frodo.  They are quite nosy :) And last but not least I think this is golden rod.....but maybe it isn't.  I know it