Pumpkin Sunrise

Ho ho ho!  Did you have a good holiday?  This week was crazy busy for me since most of my days are slow and easy.  We had a full house all week with both kids here.  Yesterday my daughter and son in law went home and today my son and his girlfriend are going to her parent's house for more celebrating. Christmas Eve dinner was made by my daughter as seen in my photos.  She worked really hard all day and the dinner was delicious.  Between Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day dinner, I have enough leftovers for over a week (no cooking!). I have never been so grateful for the new dishwasher which I ran twice a day and still managed to have pots and pans to do by hand.  The new fridge also didn't disappoint.  I stuffed it full and still had room. We sat around talking and watching Christmas movies, did a puzzle in ONE day, ate more cookies than we should have and did daily walks down the dirt road. Being the hostess did not leave me with much

my dad and step mom made this snowman for us for Christmas!  How was your weekend?   I'd like to say that I achieved so much BUT I didn't.  I finished a book and started another one on my Kindle.  I'm now on the last Gamache book ( A Better Man ).  I could spend every single glorious day knee deep in Louise Penny's novels.  I didn't really read much of the Grant biography. I did spend hours and hours researching and on-line shopping for a new rosary from my husband.  He said to me 'don't you have a hundred of those?'.  Um, no, I do not.  I have three rosaries.  My first one is from my Holy Communion, my second one is from my Confirmation and my last one is a spectacular glow in the dark rosary I purchased while in a church in NYC.  This isn't even buying one rosary per decade that I am alive!  I narrowed down my choices to four and he picked THE one.  I'm excited for Christmas now. four deer in the safety zone  I mistakenly bought

do you see the deer? This weekend was full of extraordinary goodness.  Our son is home for his Thanksgiving break from Penn State, more than likely the last one since he is graduating and applying for professor jobs (praying he is close by!!).  We won't know until early to mid spring if he has job interviews or offers. I've been working on my to do list for the Thanksgiving event.  Everyday I've listed something to do so that I get it all done in a timely manner. The sunrises have been brilliant and beautiful.  I love waking up and taking Frodo out in the early morning light and witnessing nature. Speaking of nature, it SNOWED.  Yes!  I don't think it was even in the forecast and we got about 2 inches of beautiful snow.  It usually snows around my birthday, so I consider this snowfall a belated birthday present from Mother Nature. I decorated the house for Christmas, except for the tree.  I will put that up next weekend.  I strategically decided what

I fell into two delightful rabbit holes this weekend.  Both of them were not the internet kind of rabbit hole so I felt the time was well spent. Saturday morning I decided to put away all of my wool that was previously displayed before Holly marched into our lives.  Sadly she 'plays' with wool and throws it about all willy nilly.  So each beautiful basket had a towel over the yarn and tucked around. I sorted and stored all those yarns in zip bags that comforters come in.  Then shoved that into my walk in closet. Sunday I decided to pull out all of the walk in closet yarn and re-organize it AGAIN.  I fondly remembered my mom as I came across some 'vintage' wool that was hers.   My epiphany was I need to shop my closet before buying yarn.  Seriously!  I also balled up two different fingering weight wools for future projects.  The purple wool will be a sweater for me.  I haven't decided quite yet what that delicious apple green wool will be (for me) yet.

I ran out of the gradient yarn this week on the shawl and added a dark maroon wool that I had left over from a previous project.  I can't decide if I love it or hate it, so I keep knitting and hope that the blocking makes me love it.  Maybe I'm becoming a crazy knitter.  Now that Christmas is getting closer I am picking what I want to fret about.  Yarn substitutions just doesn't seem like a pressing manner to me.  If I don't like it I'll rip it out and find something else. My lovely cowl has been shelved for this week because of the feverish shawl knitting.  I cannot wait to get back to it. On a whim I decided to knit a few Christmas stocking ornaments .  I wrote this pattern quite a few years ago and they are a nice little gift to give.  I'm planning on giving my trainer at the gym one with some money and candy in it.  He has changed my life and I'm thankful for my ability to move without pain. I thought I was done Christmas shopping a

After finishing all the gift knitting, I've been enjoying knitting for myself.  Now that imposing deadlines are vanished, I'm easing into peaceful purposeful mindful stitches.  I loved knitting for others but next year I might scale back a wee bit.  Guess what?  I finished babysitting this week and now I have three weeks off..  This Christmas break I want to maximize my free time.  I also want to savor and remember my free time. If you know me well, you know that I've made a list of what I'd like to focus on.  What I don't want is to arrive to January 2nd when I return to babysitting and wonder where did the time go!  I'm documenting my activities in my planner.  Somehow this feels like a staycation. I plan on going to the gym five days a week leading up to Christmas and getting some much needed walking done on the treadmill, lots of knitting and reading and planning future knits as well. I'm lucky that most of my shopping for extended famil

I am swirling with doubts about the above sweater.   My gauge is off (and yes I did gauge before starting).  I am just not sure about how this will fit.  I think I'll be okay but ....what if?  I just keep going as I think about this knit.  So while I was excited to knit and make progress, I'm now doubting my decision. I'll be remeasuring again today.  Sigh.  This is why I prefer top down construction of a sweater.  Bottom up has all the knitting done by the time you get to the armholes.  (and yes, I should have thought of this sooner but you know experts do make rookie decisions it's the spice of life) Worst case scenario --- I rip it out.  I'm not there as of yet. My other knit which is new and not contingent upon gauge is a Christmas gift for my mother in law who has vision impairments.  This bright pink can be seen anywhere and I thought she would love it.  She does like pink but I'm not sure how bright a pink she will favor.  I'm excited abo

On Tuesday, we drove up to Cambridge to drop off our son for his three month internship with Harvard University and what a whirlwind trip that turned out to be.  While in the Harvard Book Store, I received an automatic alert to inform me that my electricity at home was out due to severe storm damage.  Thus began the worry/anxiety state of mind.   We moved him into his sublet, met his one roommate out of two roommates then went to shop and eat at Harvard Square.  The rain arrived shortly after we did and gosh!  The water just ran down the streets - we were soaking wet with umbrellas. Sadly, I dedicated a space in my brain to worry about my cat who was without electricity (I had a friend checking on her and feeding her every day) and my refrigerator and freezer foods.  I know, I know, I'm not in control.  Worriers can't let go. I was so PATIENT while he shopped in this store Around 6:30 p.m. we left Cambridge and our son to drive down to Cape C