Pumpkin Sunrise

On Thursday evening I thought it would be great if I focused on knitting the blanket and have it done.  Is it done?  Nope.  The weather was too nice for blanket knitting even with the AC on.  However, today isn't over yet.  How are you?  How was your weekend?  Mine was stuffed with busy goodness.  Friday we had friends over for dinner which is always a great time.  Yesterday I did some watercolor painting in the afternoon after doing not much in the morning (I cannot remember).  Once Saturday evening Mass was over, we went to dinner at a local bar and grill.  Today I rejiggered some yarn stash around.  I unearthed some half skeins and left overs of fingering weight yarns and plotted out a way to make the 3 color cowl .  If you're guessing I'm thinking of Christmas presents you are guessing correctly.  And I wanted to thin out the left overs.  Now the fun part will see if I have enough yarn to make three cowls.  I believe that pattern is forgiving and I'll be

I've been scrambling around trying to get ready for the Easter weekend.  I've checked off many of my tasks and still have tasks to do.  Isn't that life?  Yup.  How are you?  Are you enjoying some decent weather?  This week has been overall a nice week. I love when I'm driving to and from the gym and I see tree after tree leafing out.  The beginnings of spring are beautiful and remind me of springtimes past. My parents had half an acre of land in a quiet suburb.  We moved to this house when I was 11 years old.  The previous owner planted everything imaginable on that little tiny plot.  The first spring was exciting as we watched many ornamental trees blooming.  I remember:  dogwood, cherry, magnolia and pear trees.  Lilac bushes lined the driveway and underneath were grape hyacinths galore.  The yard was magical and beautiful. We'd like to plant an ornamental tree in honor of my husband's father somewhere on our property.  I'm leaning towards a we

Yesterday I was talking to my dad on the phone while sitting on the backyard swing.  I was soaking up the morning sun beams before the heat of the day, when Canadian geese flew above me in their V formation.  Oh my, if that isn't a sight for sore eyes for this cool weather lover. August for me is a reflective month.  I dislike the heat and humidity (this year so far very manageable).  However, August loves to show soft signs of autumnal changes.  A single maple leaf placed in a sea of green grass.  Black walnut leaves littering the back roads and yes, walnuts falling as well.  My driveway is sporting a few fallen acorns from my mighty oak tree.  All good, all welcome, beautiful. So while the humidity climbs today, I'm keeping copious notes of the seasonal changes I witness in a notebook.  Each entry makes me a little giddy.  I've endured the summer, I enjoyed the summer but it's time to move to the next season. Since my husband is in academia, the end of

This past Saturday I went to the Phipps Conservatory  in Pittsburgh with my family.  Both my sister and I carried around our "big" cameras and had lots of fun taking photos.  I'm thoroughly enjoying my new lens.   I was thrilled to see many other photographers toting their cameras and yes, I did peek at what camera they owned and their lenses.  I might have lens envy and some ideas for future Christmas presents. We had a fantastic time and went through the Orchid room twice!  My favorite though was the bonsai displays.  I would guess that working in a conservatory would be quite relaxing.  The atmosphere is gentle and soothing.  I love the water features and the sound of trickling, oh - they also played the cricket chirping through the speaker system.  My sister bought two little orchids in the gift store because she is fantastic at keeping them alive and blooming!  Not me...my talents are in wool.  I'm okay with that. Since Januar

Tilly the Turtle (hoping it's a girl)  Hello!  Another Friday upon us and this weekend looks like it's going to be a hot one.  The month of May seems to be fickle with temperatures.  It starts out mild or chilly and then -boom- we get a heat wave.  The temperatures here have been flirting with near 90 degrees.  Not quite making the 90 but the humidity, oh my.  I wilt! Our walks have shifted to after 6:30 p.m. to avoid the full sun, I love this time of day because the birds are singing to each other and traffic on our little roads is minimal.  The walk is quiet and calm, my husband and I talk about our day and plan out what we would like to accomplish this weekend. I believe there will be a garden planted!  We skipped last year because of the wedding and laziness.  I regretted that decision all summer long.  We had volunteer tomatoes and basil but it's not the same as tending purposeful plantings. phlox!!  So yeah, a garden.  He has to do all of the labor, I g

Over the weekend, I spent some time alone outside with the big camera looking at my small world through the lens.  I love how we walk about in ordinary time and see beauty but when there is a camera involved the outside views are fine tuned, focused and exact.  In capturing these photos, I stopped time for a second and saved a bit of loveliness from the day. Our liatris has been blooming magnificently even though some rabbits keep trying to trim the new shoots down to the ground.  I've seen many butterflies and even honey bees! Outside walking in the garden I forgot about the heat and humidity and soaked in what summer is all about.  Summer is blooming, buzzing, flitting around me, I stop, look and  listen to the season's best offerings. I hope you are enjoying your outside views this week!

I think we bought too much mulch, as if ever there was a dilemma!  My husband has been spending his evenings spreading the mulch and the pile is getting smaller but there's still a pile.  Yesterday I grabbed the big camera which made Frodo dance and twirl.  He knows I'm going to walk about the yard.  He's well trained now, when I stop to shoot, he stops and waits patiently.  He is completely into capturing the beauty around us. My stump that is ever so slowly rotting away is a focal point in the front yard.  We were talking about when the right side will fall off, considering perhaps a betting pool.  You know how when there's a baby to be born, people will hazard a guess on the date, weight, and length.  We just want to bet on the date that stump of ours falls apart.  No one wants to put money down as of yet. Wild blackberries are on the edge of my woods, mostly too sour to eat, but every year we pop one in our mouths just to be sure.  The birds love our ge

I think spring is here to stay, really!  This past week I've enjoyed watching the dogwoods bloom and although they are not as big and bountiful as last year, I'm glad they survived the harsh winter and are celebrating spring for me.  I'm hoping the butterfly bush will show life soon, but I fear that the winter and mounds of snow were too much. This spring has been a daily habit of looking at beds and watching and waiting for signs of new life.  So far, the rabbits are nibbling away any new bulb that sprouts. Frodo is getting a bit older and wiser.  He tends to only bark a bit at the deer and sometimes he doesn't see the rabbits! What?  That is unheard of....I know when I push publish on the post, I will find a rabbit in his mouth....that is what happens when you document life so boldly. The spring days have a rhythm to them that I have enjoyed and snuggled into gleefully.  I shop at a vegetable market once a week picking up tons of lettuce heads and salad i