Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was my birthday weekend!  To be honest though I've been celebrating for a few weeks. Why not? My sister and brother in law came over on Saturday for dinner and apple cake. Of course I opened presents as well.  Below in the photo are some of them. My sister crocheted the red basket and I received some books and pens from my husband (how did he know??). I also received some new rain boots to slip on and off quickly when I take the dog outside and a new tote bag.  I put up the little tree yesterday since our son and and daughter in law will be visiting mid week! I'm assuming Holly will not bring it down, fingers crossed. How was your weekend?

  Can you believe it will be Thanksgiving next week? I'm dazed. I have some Christmas gifts that have to be ready for that day so I'll be wrapping them and singing Christmas music. I continue to be on task for all of my knitting goals and what's even better, I'm enjoying all the knitting that I'm doing.  Around here I've been mulling over whether to put up one or two Christmas trees. Over the years I've simplified but lately 'going big' seems like a fun thing to do. Our big Christmas tree box was battered from the move so if I put up the tree then I can repair the box again. My big concern is Miss Holly and her investigative spirit. She is four years old, is she going to behave? She hasn't bothered with the cuckoo clock chains like I thought she would...but I just don't trust her! Around here my reading has been mostly about mindfulness for months and months. I plan to continue with that since being mindful keeps me happy.  However I've d...

  I've been reading a lot this week. I started 10% Happier by Dan Harris and it is really good. He writes about his personal journal into mindfulness and meditation, I've been captivated and squeezing in reading here and there during my day to gobble up the book. I highly recommend! I've been also reading a chapter a day/or every other day of Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn (revised edition), also a good book but jammed packed with lots of science and data so the reading is slow going - almost like a textbook but worth the read. The Madness of the Crowds by Louise Penny became available on my e-library loan request so I've set aside all the other novels to read this one in 21 days. Nothing like a deadline to make you rejigger your reading priorities. I love her writing and have read all of her books. I convinced myself that I did NOT need a Hobonichi Weeks planner until March 2022, then broke down and ordered the January start Hobonichi Weeks planner for 2022....

  My weekend was really nice, calm and relaxing. I spent most of each day reading both fiction and non-fiction. I usually sit on the patio and watch the birds come to the feeders. I'm reading 'Full Catastrophe Living' by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It's going to be a long time before I finish this book, it is huge! Friday evening we went over to my sister and brother in law's house for dinner and a quick board game. Saturday was lots of reading and enjoying being outside with Frodo, who by the way, seems to be adjusted to our new home. He loves to sit outside and watch the world go by and he is barking less. Sunday was more reading along with those pesky chores (laundry and cleaning). I watched Mass on You-Tube in the afternoon.  How was your weekend?

  How was your weekend? Mine was restful, very restful. I sat around nursing my sprained ankle doing everything I love. Today I will be finishing the pink shawl, definitely. I had a lovely afternoon yesterday listening to the birds all day long. Even Holly ventured into the 'dog' zone to listen to the bird fuss.   We have a bird's nest on one of the outdoor lights - I have yet to identify the bird - it keeps flying away! No official news on my ankle Xray results but since the swelling is going down and I can put some weight on it I'm hopeful I'll receive good news from the doctor.  My husband says I need a rubber suit, I wholeheartedly agree - I need all the protection I can get. The Great Declutter project has been put on hold. Maybe tomorrow we will start back up again? I'm limited in what I can do (which is a lovely excuse to not do anything...). I started a few new books. The first is The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz ( he wrote The Magpie Murders and ...

  I think my computer is possessed by the devil. It's been a bumpy start to doing this blog post but I believe I am over the bump. You know it's bumpy when you think you might need to buy a new computer... How was your week? I've been doing lots and lots of reading both fiction and non-fiction. I'm enjoying the mixture of both, but I'd like to finish a book or two this weekend. The reading list so far: Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach Bury Me at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown (highly recommend!) Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring I just borrowed Tradition by Jericho Brown and hope to read it this weekend. My knitting has been slow and easy. I've been knitting in the evenings while watching some TV programs. During the day, I've been writing my daily haikus and sketching. Also I've been doing lots and lots of journalling.  I'm writing more - I guess reflective personal essays for myself. I'm in a reflective mood I guess. I continue to meditate twice a d...

  Good morning! How was your weekend? I'm sitting here in the family room as the day begins with Frodo sleeping by my side. He is a faithful companion and I love him so. My weekend was nice, we didn't do anything exciting. However 3-4 more inches of snow fell on Sunday and the new snow has whitened up the landscape. I believe we are in for a snowy week ahead. It's a good thing I like to sit inside and knit. I did some art journaling and continued to do my daily haiku challenge. Of course there was knitting, isn't there always?  I baked cookies and wished I hadn't because now I eat them and sleep terribly at night. Today is a new day to resist. I might put them in the freezer (but my husband might want them on the counter...). I started reading Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. I've had this book on my Kindle for years and thought it was about time I read the Indian history of the American west. It is a must read if you ask me. Last year I read Grant...

Maybe you cannot see it, but I am making steady progress on my pink cardigan .  I'm about over half way done with the body of the sweater.  Knitting with cotton is a little slow going for me since there isn't much 'spring' in the yarn.  However, I dedicate time each and every day adding inches. The gradient shawl in the above photo is my TV knitting which is soft and wonderful to sit, knit and add a few rows during a show.  I'm nearly done with the second section of the pattern and then I'll be doing the border.  So close! I was delighted this week to pick up the books I reserved with our county traveling library.  It's been forever since I've stepped foot into a bookstore or a library.  Curbside pickup is wonderful!  I also check out the ebook library but many of the books I want have a long wait list.  I'm too impatient I guess.  However, I do place holds every now and then.  I'm excited to do a deep dive into that Tasha Tudor bo...

I was hoping this shawl would be off the needles but yesterday was a babysitting day and a three year old doesn't stop much anymore.  Maybe today I'll be casting off!  I love working on this super simple shawl pattern and watching my gradient colors shift from one to another. I started a hat for me last weekend but haven't worked on it much lately.  Once the shawl is done I will be focusing on a 'me' gift. Last but not least are my mitts that I ripped out and cast on in the larger size.  I've done a lot of knitting but little to show since I started over.  I love working with this earthy wool. I'm reading: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (kindle) Glass Houses by Louise Penny (kindle) Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr Trevor Noah Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Joining Ginny

It's beginning to look like fall around here.  More leaves are turning colors but the weather is still holding onto summer temperatures.  This past week has overall been relaxing and calm.  I treasure the calm moments because who knows when and where the chaotic moments will occur. Sometimes the chaos is just in my thoughts. My daughter lent me a fantasy novel she really enjoyed in hopes to entice me into her genre of reading.  Initially when I started reading The Curse of Chalion,  I doubted my resolve to dig deep into a created world and a lengthy story (502 pages).  Like many people I will recite a mantra of 'I don't have time'. I've been treating this past week as a luxurious vacation since I didn't have to babysit on Tuesday.  I have a whole entire week to do whatever I want.  I've been digging deep in the freezer creating easy to heat meals.  Of course I've been knitting and then there is the reading. On Monday, I chos...

Over the long weekend, I caved in and started a new knitting project with one of the gradient yarns I purchased last week.  Ah, the decadence of sitting and preparing a new project.  It's like cracking open the first page of a new novel. So far this knit is a breeze and I'm seeing the color change as of last night (not in the photo).  My reading has been various this past week, here is the current list: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Murder is a Motive by Francis Duncan Almost Everything by Anne Lamott Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr The Neil Gaiman book is on my Kindle and I read that one on the treadmill.  The others are 'real' books and I read them whenever.  Having this many to read I find I'm always in the mood for one of them! What are you working on this week? Joining Ginny

I finished the second of three cowls that I placed in project bags before the summer started.  This time around the pop color is a pale pink.  I took some photos for you all to show the finished cowl but I need to re-soak the cowl because after it dried I saw some minor bleeding from the dark colors to the pale pink wool. Ravelry notes I am reading on my Kindle a psychological thriller, The Woman in the Window.  I know it's over done at times in novels, but I love an unreliable narrator.  While the plot is a slow buildup I am reading this book any moment I get a chance just to see what happens next. What are you working on? Joining Ginny

Right now:  I'm noticing the beauty of summer.  Butterflies flitting, cicadas singing, abundant birdsong and a lull in the heat.  I'm focusing on the colors of flowers, the warmth of the sun and pushing back that tiny feeling when I wish for the next season.  Right now:  I'm finishing up week seven of my summer break.  How can that be?  No matter whether I'm busy or bored, time flies by quickly.  Right now:  I'm grateful for seeing the butterflies AND having the camera in my hand.  I went outside believing I'll be photographing the same old same old.  How lucky that butterflies graced my garden and I was able to capture their beauty. Right now:  Our major garden overhaul has been successful.  Out of three butterfly bushes, one has died (heat wave with no water due to the beach vacation).  We will swap it out with another this week.  Right now:  I'm grateful for the endodontist my husba...