Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How are you? I'm 'okay' - I've been plagued with aches and chills and yes a fever all day yesterday and through the night which sets off a nerve pain from a very very old disc herniation (1999). Thankfully ibuprofen helps me and I cannot wait to eat breakfast and take some, Tylenol just doesn't touch it. This virus was going through the kid's house two weeks ago and I avoided it skillfully UNTIL my husband started symptoms earlier this week. It was only a matter of time I would get it. Sigh. On Saturday before my illness we went with the kids and grandkids to the Children's Museum where they had an Eric Carle exhibit. The kids loved it. To be honest, I loved it. On the wall was his biography in bullet form that took mere minutes to read. Fascinating. I was surprised that the museum wasn't crowded either. I have been half-heartedly knitting the first sock. And I finished a few books since reading was all I could do yesterday. I also starte...

  Good morning! How are you doing? Right now it is nearly 6 a.m. and it's still dark outside, the days are getting shorter. I am all in for the approaching fall like weather that is very very far away. As you know I was busy traveling to visit our daughter and her family and I barely knitted a stitch, but I thought I would share with you the beginnings of another shawl  when I did pick up my knitting.  I am doing the same pattern as the last time. I was in the Boston area and we decided to split the super long drive into two days of driving. On the way up we stopped overnight in Beacon, NY and on the way back home we stopped at Ithaca, NY. I went to every independent bookstore I could find that was opened in each town plus the Cambridge area. The above photo is my book and stationary haul from the entire trip. I am excited to dive into some of my books. Two of the books I've read more that 3-6 times which are:   Wuthering Heights and a Tree Grows in Brooklyn. ...

  Good morning! How are you and how was your weekend? I'm doing pretty good and I had a restful weekend. Since I have my 'wind' glasses now (moisture chamber glasses for dry eye) I am walking outside regardless of the crazy weather. They transition so I get the best of both worlds. I am happy with them and I'm glad I bought them and put my prescription in the lenses. I spent a lot of time resting and reading in the afternoons. I'm mostly reading self help books which I am getting tired of reading. Once I finish the two I'm currently reading, I'm switching to history for my non-fiction reading. For fiction I'm in the middle of My Friends  and I'm enjoying it. I have the kindle version and love that I can carry a big book in a small devise. Also when I read at night I can tent it onto the pillow and when I fall asleep I do not get bonked on the head with a heavy book. I had lunch over the weekend on the back patio and listened to the noisiest Northern ...

  Good morning! How are you? I celebrated another birthday and it was nice! Above is a photo of all the stuff I bought while in Boston at various bookstores. These are all for me, I didn't photo the gifts I bought for others. Whenever I'm in an independent bookstore I try my best to buy something in appreciation for the existence. Part of my birthday celebrations was to decorate the house. After 27 years we replaced one of the two Christmas trees we put up. Now I have an easy tree, it's three sections and then BOOM it's up. What a game changer for me. My only complaint about the new tree is that the branches are droopy and floppy so ornaments slide right off unless you precariously place and balance them. These are the 'hefty' ornaments. One of the neighborhood boys was selling homemade wreaths for the fundraiser for some sport, sadly my husband knows and I do not remember. However, the wreath is beautiful!! It's been two weeks since I started the second inh...

  Good morning! How are you?  Around here it's the same old happenings. I am completely over the summer weather and want the cold weather. My fingers are crossed the cold weather comes this week like it's supposed to arrive. Regardless of the temperatures, it looks like fall. I placed my winter bird feeder out and put the thistle feeder away. In less than an hour, woodpeckers and chickadees arrived! We bring in this bird feeder every single night because of our resident raccoon. The trick is to remember to bring it in at sunset. I've knitted each night this past week and finished one of the Christmas stockings for our new grandson, three weeks old already! I'm eager to meet him. I also started knitting star Christmas ornaments. I have to be careful with my hands and not create a flare up, so I only knit for an hour on this project. Holly loves to look outside and chirp at the chipmunks and birds. I wonder what she is thinking? I have a digital library book that is due i...

  Good morning! How are you doing? I am doing much much better after being unwell for over two weeks. Onward and upward! As I stated earlier, we went up to see our daughter and son in law in the Boston area to help them pack up some boxes for their apartment move. Since we were packing, I didn't take many photos, but here are the ones that I did manage to take. We popped into the Catholic church in Harvard square, I've been in this one before for Mass. We didn't attend Mass this visit because they have no air conditioning (I would die....). This is the church we did attend Mass. I cannot remember the name, but it was pretty!!  Below are all the things I bought every single time I was in a bookstore. I love bookstores immensely. As you know, I try to support independent bookstores and it is a goal that is easily done. Last week I started the cross stitch sampler for the grandbaby to be and it's been slow going. However, I try my best to stitch at least one hour a day if ...

  Hello! How are you doing? I am starting to feel better again, I'm hoping it lasts for a while now. This year has been 'whack-a-mole' with various symptoms and I'm so ready for a break from it all. Even while having symptoms, I'm still exercising when I can. And as you know I spend time with the grands as much as possible. They make me happy.  I continue to work on the small baby blanket , I think I am half way done. I haven't been doing much knitting on anything else physically. But mentally I'm planning and plotting the next project. I think knitters love to do that. We moved here in 2021 and the flower beds have really taken off this year! I love to walk around and see what's going on. My husband did all of the work. Our neighbor gave us plants and so did my sister. Whenever there is a flower the deer do not eat, I rejoice! I heard the cicadas for the first time last week. Now I know we are into the summer season. They don't seem as loud as they...

  Good morning! How are you?  I am 'okay'. It was a rough week last week and so now I'm on a different medicine to help with my autoimmune problems (that NEVER end). But I really don't like to complain here, oh, and thank you for your well wishes, they mean a lot to me! Last week, my husband and I went to Heintz Hall to see Diana Krall. I am not a fan of jazz music but my husband is so I went as his side kick. Keep in mind he went with me to see My Fair Lady and The Book of Mormon last year and he is not a fan of musicals.  I do not recall ever being in this hall as a child so I was thrilled to get a peek inside, it's beautiful!!  I did not take photos while the music was playing, I wasn't sure if it was permitted or not. We had a nice evening out. We also made a 'friend' who was sitting beside my husband. People are so nice! We were busy this weekend helping with the grandkids, who are a joy to be with as long as no one is crying about something. ha ha...

  Good morning! How are you?  Around here, the over 90 degree heat has left but it's still high 80's which I'm not fond of either. I've been hiding in my house ignoring it except to get the mail and to walk about looking at our flower beds. I've been knitting some, but mostly reading my books. I'm over half way reading The Great Gatsby, overall I've been enjoying the book. I'd love to be as idle as the characters are in the story. The other book I'm reading is Burnout which is interesting. I should finish reading that book today. I finished Red Bones by Ann Cleeves. I read her books on my kindle before I go to sleep. My comprehension is sometimes murky but overall it's a nice bedtime read and I remember enough to continue reading without re-reading paragraphs.  Sadly I am having a crazy flare up with my ever so lovely autoimmune disease (Sjogren's syndrome). It's the gift that keeps on giving. Currently I am having salivary gland swellin...

  Good morning! How are you and are you experiencing the hot hot hot weather? Goodness it is hot here and I am ever so grateful to have AC to hide in. I've been busy this week helping with the grandchildren. Even though I am busy I finished a few books. The first one is Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. I picked this book up on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've reserved the next in the series on Libby. Supposedly that will be available in 11 weeks. I can wait. I also finished The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I enjoyed the content of the book but I really didn't care for her writing style. I know this book is popular among creative people and I can see why. But the book was not for me. I did finish it though. Yesterday I started reading The Great Gatsby  which I have never read. It was not required when I was in high school and I thought I should read it. I picked up a used copy somewhere a few years ago and I have delightful notes scr...

  How have you been? Over here in western PA the heat is back. I switched to exercising in my house in the spring and now more so than ever, I'm glad I did. The older I get the more my body dislikes hot weather. I've been busy helping with the grandkids and of course our son and his wife. My days are full and fun! If I'm not with them I am chilling out getting my energy levels back to normal. I am pleased to report that I'm knitting something else instead of the christening blanket (more about that on Wednesday). I am thrilled to be knitting something different not to mention mindless. Also, I went out of my reading comfort zone and picked up 'Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries' by Heather Fawcett and am thoroughly enjoying the story. It's light, entertaining and amusing. If I like the ending, I'll read the next in the series. We went to my sister's house for dinner last night and was lucky to spy this little fawn chilling out in the late aft...

  Good morning! How are you doing?  I have been busy these past few weeks learning how to insert and remove scleral lenses for the treatment of my severe dry eye caused by Sjogren's syndrome . These contacts are considered medically necessary for the health of my eye. I just started to learn how to use them when the electricity went out over a week ago. I guess I am learning and getting better but it takes a few tries to insert them as well as a steady hand. I see the eye doctor weekly and she keeps tweaking the fit and the vision correction. I still have to use reading glasses while wearing them. I see the eye doctor weekly as she changes the fit and the vision correction. I'm on my second pair right now with a third pair coming this week hopefully. This past six months have been challenging for me with the dry eye and the dry mouth symptoms. I am grateful that there are medicines and treatments for the symptoms but I really wish there was a cure. The inflammatory arthritis ...

  In a month (!) our son, daughter in law and grandchildren will be moving here from Indiana. We have the countdown and I have 'things' I need to get done before that time. They will live 12 minutes from us and we are looking forward to our lives changing for the better.  I have some permanent baby proofing to do. Once their house is packed up, they will live in our house until the moving van arrives at their new home. They will frequently be here so I want to put away the items I do not want them to play with - they love to gravitate to that which is forbidden. I am trying to squeeze in all the things I want to get done before they move. I have knitting goals and reading goals. Currently I'm reading Homecoming and White Nights, both are good and entertaining.  It's okay if I do not achieve these goals, but I like to have something to work towards. My classes have mostly ended for the spring semester. Our summer classes (non-credit older adult classes at a local univers...