Pumpkin Sunrise

Hello, I am happy to be blogging because you see, I've lost power on Monday night. Right now we are in a cheap hotel but and this is a most glorious but, I had a hot shower and I'm on the Internet and I have the news on.  My anxiety is through the roof. However my fingers are crossed that the power will be restored and all will be well. I have a tiny confession, I quit reading A Casual Vacancy  over the weekend. It was harsh writing for me. I did like the long list of characters and the nosy  little town. I did not like the excessive offensive language, I do like to sprinkle my sentences with sentence enhancers but this was too much for me.  I thought every character was so sad and it was causing me anxiety to read it, so I quit. I started this book a few days ago and it's too early to opine.  My knitting is two lovely skeins of purple yarn. I'm alternating each row and doing garter stitch. Easy, mindless, and fun. It's going to be a couple of days until I

My weekend was filled with: -listening to every media give predictions of the hurricane -crossing my fingers and HOPING I can keep my electricity -a walk with Frodo and my husband before the time change next week -a little sadness that the after dinner walks will end because of the shorter days -donuts, oh how do I love thee? -a curry dinner for today made by my husband -knitting with friends -knitting projects -list making for Christmas, groceries, errands and email musts. (the yarn in the photo was hand dyed by my sis for me!!  It is 880 yards of laceweight wooly goodness and she said "I thought you could make another citron", oh baby sister, you know me so well.) Joining Amanda

This week has been quiet and serene.  We are heading towards another weekend where there is nothing planned and I think we both are quite happy to have nothing to do.  As you know, something will happen but it will be spontaneous and carefree.  I checked the weather and it seems we will be blessed with a huge storm filled with rain and little sunshine.  Sigh. If only it could contain one little tiny snowflake.  I know that rainy days are very good for knitting and planning on knitting and you will find me doing both. Yesterday I had 4 inches of hair cut off and it feels so swingy and healthy!  I was due a hair cut, you see I cut my bangs every month or so putting off the professional appointment then one day my hair will scream "enough".  So today I am a new person and my hair looks great as long as I don't go outside in the humidity. I've pulled out odds and ends of worsted weight yarn that were left overs from previous projects.  My goal is to create either

My knitting this week has kicked of the holiday knitting fever that starts every year around this time.  My list is short so I am confident that I will get the knitting done in time for gift giving.  For the last few days I've been thinking of a shawl for my aunt and I knew I wanted to make the Multnomah  but with what yarn? I unearthed this sock yarn and I cannot remember why I bought in in 2009.  It is not in the colors that I would enjoy.  However, my aunt would love the pastel hues!!  See.  That is why there is a substantial yarn stash in this house.  I feel like I saved some money by not going out (again) and shopping for wool.  You know I would buy something for me as well.  I just cannot resist, but resist I must for now. I am over 100 pages into the new Rowling book and it's very well written and the way she unfolds the story is a lot like Maeve Binchy's writing (RIP).  However, this is not a happy book so far.  She is using many adjectives that make my heart

I have been noticing that each year when the leaves change they are not always the same color and definitely not the same time.  These two photos were taken only a week apart and they are of my back yard.  As you can see the trees are nearly done and the wild bushes are not the golden yellow they were last year.  Red foliage seems to be scarce this fall so far but we still have a few more weeks, my fingers are crossed! I met a friend for lunch yesterday and the drive to and from the neighboring town was just picture perfect.  I wish there was a way to drive and take photographs at the same time safely.  Someone should invent that.  Or maybe I just need to be the passenger :)  I drove through rolling countryside and passed many farms as well as a Christmas Tree Farm.  The journey was just as nice as the lunch visit.  Of course there was knitting involved as well. Would you believe I had ten rows into a cowl that had 264 stitches and then noticed that the cast on was twist

The weekend was mainly a "do nothing" weekend for me.  A restorative weekend was in order.  On my calendar was penned Rhinebeck! and I had every intention of attending for the first time this year, really I did.  But the closer that date loomed the more I questioned whether I really wanted to spend seven hours total in the car to do a day trip. I'm sure I've mentioned that I do not like crowds nor do I like to wait much for anything.  I have the luxury in my life to do my grocery shopping with retired people during the day-that's my speed.  So on Thursday, I canceled the kennel stay for Frodo and looked forward to a quiet uneventful boring weekend.  For some reason the "do nothing" weekend felt like a gift. Once the decision was made, I felt completely at peace and happy. So my weekend contained: -starting a new knitting project, and yes it's another cowl -inhaled and soaked up the sights and smells of fall in my back yard, it is completel

My sister and I went for a hike just the two of us on Saturday afternoon last weekend. For some reason I read the map very wrong.  I thought it was a paved trail, and it was not.  At first it was marked and we were happily following the dirt foot path through the forest.  Chatting and gabbing away the minutes. There was a point in our walk that we were both thinking "are we on the trail still".  The markings were gone!  We would walk and wonder and ignore the slight panic of what if we are lost.  I did have my cell phone but there's isn't any reception (fat good that would do).  So we followed what we thought was a path. Thank goodness for the graffiti artists that love to carve hearts and who they love on the trees.  That was the only way we knew we were heading somewhere where other hikers have ventured.  Still no markings from the state park officials though. Suddenly my sister was thrilled to see a tree that she remembers.  I quickly said there w

I finished this cowl over the weekend while I was roughing it.  Ha ha.  I wanted to knit up my Balancing Act Cowl in a fingering weight.  I cast on 264 stitches and added one extra repeat.   The loop measures 45 1/2 inches which is slightly smaller than the DK version.  But I can still wrap it around my neck.  I might just make a few more for some holiday gifts.

When we were traveling across Pennsylvania and we stopped to see our daughter, I was lucky to borrow the new Rowling book that she had just finished reading.  I am so excited to see how Rowling writes for adults, I started last night and did not fall asleep which is a very good indicator.  I think this is going to be a really good read :) I finished my Buddha Standard Time  book and I did like it over all.  At times the author seemed to repeat many ideas but the little meditation prompts that are scattered through the book are helpful.  I think anyone who wants to be in the moment could benefit from the book. As you can see, I've started another wurm hat.  While I was at the cabin, I wore my green wurm hat every single time we went out.  I wanted another one and another one all in different colors!  For some reason my hair did not get all wonky like it usually does so maybe I am officially a hat lover? What are you knitting and reading? Joining Ginny

Here is the campsite that was in the back of the cabin.  We did not have a campfire because it was too cold during our stay.  We did however cook on the grill both nights. This is the back of our three bedroom cabin.  It had everything:  electricity, kitchen, heat, wi-fi (not very strong).  What more could one possibly need? You just gotta love this tree. And lastly a lovely photo that a complete stranger snapped for me while my sister and I were out for adventures.  Whoever the stranger was did a pretty good job.  My sister is on the left.  I am the squinty one.  I took my glasses off because they are transition lenses and did not want shades. I am the older sister and we are best friends :)

We met up with my sister and brother in law for a weekend in a cabin in the woods.  We did this last year and had so much fun that we made sure to schedule it in this year.  My weekend was -very cold! but I loved it so much -a hat-mitt-shawl wearing weekend -s'mores, they are calorie free when eating them in a cabin, just so you know -eating meals on the grill -taking in the scenery while hiking -discovering flea market finds -knitting with my sister -seeing both my son and my daughter while traveling to and from the cabin -a cozy fireplace sitting and chatting and enjoying everyone's company -once again carrying my camera and capturing nature's beauty How was your weekend? Joining Amanda