Pumpkin Sunrise

  Yesterday my dad was transferred out of ICU (22 days!) into a regular room in the hospital, we are overjoyed! Of course he has a ways to go in his recovery and we hope within a week he will be discharged to a rehab place that is closer to his home which will help out my step mom's commute to the city. Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers. Today is a rainy day and while I'm not a fan of overcast days, I do enjoy the forced stillness wet weather gives me. Instead of walking I will be catching up on household tasks.  You know I will be knitting! I am enjoying my sweater currently on my needles.  I'm going to catch up on some reading and journaling as well. Art journaling specifically.  I haven't been creating art for over three weeks and I'm feeling the urge to once again get my supplies out and sketch.  I forgot to share with you the cross stitch picture I finished a while ago. I'm very pleased with how it turned out but I will be shying away from cross

  Hello! How are you all doing? Life around here has been the same. My dad is still in ICU and we wake up each day hoping that he will be in a regular room. Living with uncertainty is the new normal. However isn't life just uncertainty to different degrees? My dad is better than he was last week and I celebrate that nugget! I have been LOVING watching an early spring emerge. Gosh it's beautiful and therapeutic. I walk around and soak up the sun while taking some photos.  Down in our woods, I spotted this clump of crocuses doing their blooming thing so unassuming and beautiful.  Frodo continues to improve after he tweaked his back, but I do believe his walking for 30-40 minutes at a time are on hold for the time being, maybe forever. We enjoy our 15 minute walks and he comes home so happy to be out and about. Then I go back out for a longer walk. Yesterday I started a sweater for myself (notes forthcoming). I was in the mood for something new on the needles, just for me and espe

  Good morning! How was your weekend? We had a restive weekend and mostly stayed home. I did a lot of podcasting-listenting-catching up (not nearly done) and I did some knitting. I'm so happy that Frodo is slowly feeling better. I wish he could talk and give me explicit details of his ailments but I guess I have to use my observational skills. He is still restricted on his daily walks, I'm assuming that might be for a few weeks?  The birds are singing and the crocuses are blooming like it is Spring time. I am holding my breath for a major snow fall. We continue to have mild temperatures and sunshine! Yesterday was beautiful, we went for a walk at the local park after Mass (without Frodo, so sad).  I hope you have a wonderful week!

  How has your week been?  I'm excited to tell you all about the crocuses that are blooming while we had an unusual warm up that is ending today. My husband was working in our little woods and shared a photo with me. Then yesterday, I was in the front yard and spotted these crocuses blooming. I hope it isn't too early for them. Sadly where the snowdrops usually bloom, the deer have been nibbling on them.  Frodo has been having a rough week. We went on two walks last Sunday and he must have strained or did something to his back, that is the best guess we can get between our observations and conversations with the vet.  Monday morning, Miss Holly had a vet checkup and we expended all our energy catching her and putting her in her carrier that she detests. Well she detests being caught as well.  So while we were there we discussed her brother's ailments. So Frodo has been on 'bedrest' -- meaning no lengthy walks and has some pain medication. He is improving and for tha

  This morning my husband and I were planning a trip to Indiana to attend our sweet grandson's first birthday party. I wasn't feeling that great last week and early this week went to urgent care for a salivary gland infection and am on meds. The healing has been slow-going (I'm extremely impatient!). I'm seeing a specialist next week thankfully. Anyways, whenever we travel my dry eye and dry mouth symptoms (due to Sjogren's syndrome) are worse. I can only guess it's something to do with the long car ride and the dry air circulation in the car. Besides not feeling the best, I knew the car ride would not help me continue to recover. So we canceled. I haven't done much of anything this week except drink lots of water, finish reading a book or two and of course put in a few rows of knitting here and there. 

  Good morning, this post is brought to you today from the glorious moon shot I snapped yesterday morning. I wish you were there because it is better in real person. How are you? My weekend was pretty okay.  Yesterday, Miss Holly the cat who likes to create mayhem decided to bite her way into the bottom of our loveseat (we blocked her a month or so ago from the 'burrow' she made in the couch). So after Mass, we drove to Joann Fabrics to buy cloth that is densely woven. Apparently this is a cat 'thing'. The cashier and the fabric cutter have heard stories of cats doing this.... I bet this behavior keeps Joann Fabrics in business. After lunch we staple-gunned the new fabric over the old and now she has been thwarted once again. ha ha. I am satisfied I out smart a cat. Frodo has been doing really well since it's been a week after his teeth cleaning and a week of preventative antibiotic which I believe upsets his stomach a tiny bit. He and I are thrilled the medicine is

  I don't usually chose a word for the year but this year I have a theme. Since September when all the new planners were coming out and I was envying most of them I decided to purchase a Hobonichi Techo. I will use it for daily journaling about my gratitudes and abundance in my ordinary life.  In previous years, I journaled each morning about the day before (and I am continuing doing this in another notebook) and ended the entry with a list of gratitudes. For 2023 I separated the two and now will be writing daily what I am grateful for and why. My days easily get caught up with perceived minor stresses and I wanted a way to refocus, regroup and bask in all the wonderfulness in my day. There is so much goodness in a day! I want to magnify the ordinary abundance. For example: being able to walk daily, having fun outings with my husband, overall good health, etc.  Also for 2023 I am back at reading the bible through in a year after a two year break. I have other little daily spiritual

  Yesterday I started another hat for little old me (as knitters do). Last Christmas, I received t he pattern and yarn from my husband from Quince and Co . I am a huge fan of their wools. I worked on this hat exclusively for the whole afternoon! I decided that my knitting bag needed a clean out and a refresh. So I reorganized the project bags, refiled patterns that I no longer need and tucked away scrap yarns in my yarn closet. Through the chaos there's organization! After a rainy day yesterday, I'm looking forward to walking Frodo and getting some much needed exercise to release my wiggles. Also the 'master list of Christmas tasks' is being drawn up and analyzed. I have yet to decide if I am baking and what I am baking if I am baking.

  I have been in the holiday spirit for a solid week. Maybe it's because we are near our second Christmas at our new home, and that brings endless cheer. I'm not questioning it too much, I'm basking in the joy I feel. I'm also seeking out Christmas displays where ever I go.  Frodo and I have started walking after lunch instead of in the mornings. The traffic is minimal which leads to me being more present on my daily walk. Also the temperatures are warmed up a bit compared to 8 a.m. We have a good time. All that is missing is a snowflake or two.  Yesterday we went to a local farmer's market and I thoroughly enjoyed their poinsettias on display. Sadly Holly will eat everything that is in a dirt pot so I look instead of buy.  I've been knitting mainly for me - the good things scarf  (in the photo at the top)- in the evenings while we watch a tv show. I am also knitting another pair of socks for my husband in a lovely purple colorway. Technically they are not for

  How was your weekend? Mine was a good one. Thanksgiving morning we zoomed with our daughter which was delightful. The day after Thanksgiving at my sister's house with my family, my husband and I drove over to Ohio for the day to see our son, daughter in law and our grandson at the other grandparent's house. Oh the joy!!  Our little grandson wasn't feeling well and was a bit cranky but we did get to hold him as long as he could see his parents. He is growing up so fast! He's nine months old now. Saturday morning was for both of us a recovery day from being in the car most of the Friday. I did decorate the 'big' tree in the living room. The above photo is the 'little' tree in the family room. My house is officially decorated.  Yesterday I dabbled in paints, did the laundry, knitted and wrote that mighty to do list for the week.  How was your weekend?

  I've been knitting away gleefully on projects that are for me. To be honest, I did cast on another pair of socks for my husband but I had a really good reason. All of my 'me' knitting needs my full attention and when I'm reading a book on my Kindle I require dead simple knitting. That is why I started a pair of socks. I could have made a pair for myself but my husband is hard on hand-knit socks and blows holes in them within 3-4 years (the best yarn is trekking XXL). I still have socks in my drawer that are 20 years old and do not have a single hole. Go figure!  How are you?  Winter weather has arrived here and it is beautiful! I know I am an oddball with my love of winter but golly, it never gets old for me. I've been a winter lover as long as I can remember. My mother (God rest her soul) loved summer and just could not understand my dedication to a season that chilled her to the bone. She would say 'wait until you have to drive in it' and so on. Even whe

  And just like that, it's wintry cold out there. Frodo is sporting his lovely plaid dog coat that keeps him toasty warm on our walks. I'm wearing lots of wool and loving it. The newspaper today indicated that this chilliness will remain well after Thanksgiving. Bundle up! How was your weekend? I did massive amounts of knitting and finishing both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday I invited myself over to my sister's house for an 'art date'. We think we created something good. I packed up what I some of my supplies and we painted together while listening to Christmas music. Oh and she made biscotti! yum. It was a lot of fun. Last night we had a fire in the fireplace. The room looks cosy and warm! In other news, my dry eyes are feeling a bit better, thanks for all the well wishes. I've got quite the to-to list this Monday morning as I start another week.  

  Right before I fell asleep last night I came up with a really good blog post title. I woke up this morning wondering what it was. I think it was 'home stretch' but I'll never know. Home stretch as in I am nearing the end of the gift knitting. I am so close to finishing knitting for the holidays. That gets me giddy! I'll be done earlier than ever before. The above photo is an extra large dishcloth that will be a ' cat mat ' or a cat blanket for my daughter's cat. Her cat loves to cuddle up and sleep in all the unusual places and I thought these little blankets (the plan is to make two) would make it extra cosy for her. I know Holly would lay on it. Frodo is now 13 years old. He is as spunky as ever but has some elevated liver enzymes that the current vet is treating, this isn't a new thing it's been there for a few years. Overall he is doing great.  Our backyard is a sea of oak leaves, one of  my most favorite trees. We had 'tree people' her

Good morning!  This week I've been enjoying the trees and the colors that are in abundant display. It won't be long before they are all done and winter will be whispering in the winds. Sigh. Every year I find Autumn arrives quickly and is just as quick in leaving. Yesterday we drove up to visit my dad and step mom in the country. I worked on my husband's sock in the car but quickly set it aside to enjoy the countryside. Being in the country reminds me of where I used to live and the beautiful dirt road that I used to walk with Frodo. I do love my walks in my neighborhood but I miss the country (NOT the bears). I do like living here and it's so nice to be near family! My husband and I went out for a lunch at the local park on one of the warmer days so that we could eat out on their patio overlooking the pond. The views were spectacular! Frodo was recently groomed this week and he's been shivering since. Every morning I have to bundle him in a blanket. If I put a swea

  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