Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! How was your weekend? As you can see, I didn't take many photos over the weekend. Maybe I was fully present in what I was doing or I forgot to take some photos. Either way, it was a great weekend. The mornings have been cool enough to be chilly (brr) on our daily walks.  We are officially one third of the way through the summer season.  Saturday, I did laundry and finished reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store , which I loved. This was a library loan so the clock was ticking for me to read it within the three week period. I'm still reading The Secret Garden  and hope to finish that book by the end of the week.  Sunday, we drove up to see my dad and step mom to celebrate his birthday along with my sister and brother in law. The drive takes an hour, so I pack for a 'day trip'. I knitted on a sock while I was there. Lunch was good and I snapped that photo above on their property.  How was your weekend?

  Hello! How are you?  After a week of dry hot weather, we finally had some rain. Our area is still behind in rain accumulation but the bit we had helped a lot. Frodo and I walk early in the mornings before the sun has a chance to be intense. I've flipped my whole morning routine around so I can get some exercise.  I'm enjoying the quiet this week. Nothing going on and oodles of time to read or knit. I started a pair of gift socks only to rip it all out and start over again. They were too big?! I love when I make rookie mistakes, it's humbling.  Frodo had his vet recheck. He is doing much better and clinically has minimal symptoms, but his liver is still wonky, but not alarmingly wonky. I'm grateful his symptoms are under control once more and he acts like his old self (annoying at times, lol). He will see the vet again in October when he is FIFTEEN years old. He hates the vet and lets her know it. I've been exercising more in the house and incorporating more streng

Well now, how are you? How has your week been? Over here we are flying by the seat of our pants! I decided on a whim to start a sweater for me yesterday in defiance to the summer season. This sweater is 100% wool yarn. Yep. I am throwing myself into fall colors and daydreams of cooler weather. I couldn't decide on a new sweater pattern so I picked a pattern I have knit once before. This was the weekend that both sets of kids and the grandkids were to visit but that all was cancelled on Wednesday. Our granddaughter has had an antibiotic resistant ear infection with a fever all week long. Maybe the kids will reschedule for later this summer. I'm still having the family picnic tomorrow with local relatives and I have lots of cooking to do today and tomorrow! I'm excited to see everyone. Frodo has a recheck next week and I cannot wait to see how his bloodwork is! He has improved and we are glad about that. His haircut this time is so cute and he looks like a puppy sometimes. H

  Hello! How was your celebrations yesterday? We had a quiet Fourth of July. Next weekend our children and grandchildren will be visiting and causing mayhem. I like the quiet days leading up to a family visit. My to do list is quite detailed although not quite finished. Yesterday my husband and I had burgers and fries at home then some ice cream.  Frodo is feeling better again. His vet followup appointment for repeat bloodwork is in two weeks. It's nice that he's acting like himself more, barking at everyone and no one in particular, he loves to look out the window and watch the neighborhood, like Mrs. Kravitz from Bewitched.  I've been reading Hello Beautiful  and The Secret Garden.  I'm enjoying both of them. I thought I've never read The Secret Garden but I have in my youth. The plot is so familiar and when she met the friendly robin I remembered. I just can't remember when I read it. Maybe my teen years... Summer days are reading days for me. I love sinking

  How are you all doing? Over here, summer is showing off with all the flowers blooming. I cannot get enough of my hydrangea bush, gah. Our butterfly bushes are starting to bloom as well. I might not like the heat and humidity of summer but I do like the flowers. My first summer session classes have ended and I have a two week break before the second summer session starts. I'm loving the rhythm of my days during the in-between time. I'm reading a lot and getting little jobs done around the house. We will have a house full in a couple of weeks when all of my children come to visit. This time around, I am pacing the chores so I do not slam myself with doing everything the day before they arrive. Future me will thank past me for this. We had no electricity for one hour the other night and I sat and wondered why I am so committed to being tethered to the internet. I have no answers but I did question myself endlessly. The electricity came back on and I forgot about my reflections u

  Good morning! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good! Whatever allergy thing I was was suffering with for almost a week seems to be almost over. However, when I take Frodo for a walk this morning, I'm sure it will start all over again. We didn't do much this weekend. He worked on the finishing touches of the deck flooring and I did a lot of laundry and started to clean the house. Today I'll finish up what I didn't get done yesterday. Even though it rained over the weekend, I rather enjoyed it. My sister and I went out to a farmer's market on Saturday morning. We bought 'salad turnips' which tasted really good! She's going to grow some in her garden this year because of our adventurous purchase. I do love new things to put in a salad. My knitting remains the same: a pair of socks for my husband and a lace scarf. Both are doing okay. Sunday morning we went to Mass and had taco salad for dinner. How was your weekend?

  Hello! Good morning! How are you? After arriving home from our little getaway to see the grands, I caught up on rest and sleep within 48 hours. There is nothing like your own bed to help ease back into 'ordinary' time. I am doing all the boring things and missing the grandchildren.  All of a sudden, spring is here. The trees are mostly leafed out and so many flowers are blooming in the neighborhood. Of course, the weather became hot, hinting at summer days ahead. For now I'm enjoying the spring. The month of May reminds me of my paternal grandmother who absolutely loved this month and all of the flowers her children would buy her on Mother's Day and then again on her birthday. Her yard was teeming with spring bulb plants.  My husband is mostly done with replacing the deck flooring. He enjoyed the project and wants to get back to regular job tasks. We have done a lot in updating this house. We have more to do but the list gets easier. I wrote a gratitude list in my art

  How was your weekend? My weekend was spectacular - the most important news is that I made it to the diabolical section of my sudoku book. I do a puzzle during lunch and now that I'm in the diabolical range a puzzle takes me a few lunches to figure out. Delightful!! Do you puzzle? If not you should, it's fun. I also do the NYT puzzles on a daily basis.  My husband started ripping off the deck floor because it was rotting and what was to be a simple job has turned into fixing many mistakes when it was built. Nothing ever goes to plan does it? I think he's happy out there.  I did a lot of reading and finished the 14th book ( The Locked Room ) in the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths and I have already started the 15th book which is also the last book in the series. My knitting has been nice. I continue to knit for limited amounts of time because of the fantastically healing wrists.  Those precious knitting times are a joy. My wrists are a joy as well. I've got a mig

  Spring has sprung around here! I take such great delight on my walks, drinking in the spring views and listening to all the birds. Sometimes I know who is singing and sometimes I have no clue and use the Merlin app to identify my mysterious bird singer. We had some work done at our house this week. At the beginning of the week, we had the plumber come to do some jobs around the house and install a new water heater. Ours was still working but it was aging and we wanted to replace it before it broke down. Yesterday, we had the concrete leveled for the back patio and for the front walkway. Nothing terribly exciting but necessary. I love spring because I see neighbors outside working in their gardens and it's nice to say 'hello' and catch up with each other. Yesterday was a beautiful knitting day. I worked on the scarf and the socks . What could be better than that? Probably starting yet another project but I didn't. My wrists have been behaving and I continue to be mind

  Good morning! How are you doing?  Right now I am sitting at my kitchen table in the morning writing this post. Yesterday the rain came all day long, today we are in for some more rain. Our backyard is a mud pit and I try to walk Frodo from one tuft of grass to the other trying my best to avoid mud - the success is intermittent, but my determination is strong. On my daily walk yesterday, I snapped that tulip photo from a neighbor's garden. We cannot grow tulips in our yard because the deer eat them up but I guess where she lives the deer are respectful. My daffodils continue to bloom and are wonderful to look at. I came across these two gratitude quotes and decided to write them down to remember them.  Today I am grateful for: - my healing wrists - being finished with an antibiotic - my raincoat and umbrella - leftovers - a captivating novel on a rainy day - easy peasy sock knitting - Frodo and Holly - phone calls from the kids - silence - the kindness of others What are you grate

  There has been so much rain this week. There are times when I am out on my daily walk with Frodo and I wonder why I'm happy, then decide it's because the sun is out. This week, I'm wondering why I feel blue, well - it's because of the endless gloomy skies. Sure the sun comes out at the end of the day and I do appreciate it but I like some sunshine sprinkled in with the rain, please. This week the trees have been sprouting and the green sheen can be seen wherever you go. I like this part of springtime - the newness and the green-ness, it pairs perfectly with Easter and rebirth. How are you? How's your week been?  I continue to work on his socks for no more than one hour at a time. This approach seems to be the sweet spot of knitting without any wrist pain. Earlier in the week, I pulled out my sketchbook and did some abstract sketching and painting. I really enjoyed myself. I mostly read when I'm not knitting. I have a shawl blocking in the laundry room and I pl

  I cannot believe we are celebrating Easter this weekend. The Lenten season has gone fast and yet is has gone slow at the same time. I am excited about the weather being more like springtime and less like wintertime and I say this with my fingers crossed.  How are you?  Earlier this week, my husband and I went to the conservatory to see the spring flower show and it was the first time going without my sister and brother in law. We had a nice time and enjoyed seeing the flowers. I was surprised that some of the glass roofs of the greenhouses were drippy from the outside rain. I guess a lot of work and maintenance goes into the upkeep of not only the plants but the structural integrity of the buildings as well.  I've had the whole week off from my classes and have focused my attention on knitting (carefully so that the flare doesn't flare up again). I'm looking forward to seeing my local family on Easter Sunday and eating lots of food. Happy Easter!

  And just like that, spring has arrived. Yesterday was a warm and sunny day - everything is starting to bloom. Maybe it's a little earlier than usual compared to previous springs, but I do like it. The weather is heading back to colder weather over the weekend and I thought I heard the word snow once more in the forecast.  Spring is such a fickle season and that is one of the reasons I like it.  I pulled my sketchbook out to draw a downy woodpecker. I was outside and heard a woodpecker and used the merlin app to identify the bird. I then fell down a rabbit hole of differentiating a downy woodpecker from a hairy woodpecker (I do love a rabbit hole!). I spontaneously wanted to try a sketch. I could list a million things wrong with my sketch, but I am focusing on the fact that I did a sketch and did enjoy the process. Creativity also blooming. I hope you are experiencing some spring time magic where you are!!

  Along with sock knitting mania comes some lovely time sitting and enjoying the afternoons. I didn't have classroom classes this week but still had Tai Chi. Next week we have a break from all classes then I start back up the following week for the second half of the spring semester. One of the best decisions I've ever made is doing these classes. I've met lovely people and I do enjoy absorbing knowledge. Spring is in full force here. The birds are singing away and this weekend the clocks go forward one hour. My body has already done the time change, I've been getting up at 4:30 a.m. like a crazy person. I just go with it. Frodo is ready to go to bed at 7:30 p.m. at night. Holly doesn't do time changes, I guess. I'm on the second sock and of course with my sock knitting mania I have some wrist pain from my arthritis condition. I guess I have to ease up a bit? Double pointed needles have that way about them for me, and I am going to look into flexi-flips and see

  Good morning! How are you on this first day of March? March!, can you believe it? Time just fly by sometimes and sometimes it moves at a snail's pace. I love winter but I have to confess, I'm excited about spring jacket wearing weather.  With a new season so close to arriving, I'm thinking of goals. Personal goals, menu planning goals and what I want to focus on.  Whenever the summer schedule is released at school, I might do more exercise classes, maybe. I enjoy Tai Chi so much, maybe I would like the others and the only way to know is to try one out. What I choose depends on what class it is and when it is offered. I try to bundle my classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I like Thursdays and Fridays free for my regular life and other commitments. My knitting goals are to not have knitting goals. I am thoroughly enjoying my free and easy knitting time. Below is a shawl I started early in January. After a month long break from it, I have returned to leisurely knit

  Good morning! This week has been busy with classes and routine doctor appointments. The arthritis doctor has a few tricks up her sleeve for some of my dry mouth issues (from my autoimmune disease - Sjorgren's Syndrome) that make me feel hopeful. What was the most important thing during that doctor visit is that I felt seen and heard. I am thankful for her and her team. Speaking of hopefulness, look at my daffodils sprouting up! Some of the daffodils are just starting and some already have a head start. I love winter, but I'm looking forward to spring. The crocuses seem to be taking their time this year, as well as the snowdrops (unless those pesky deer have eaten them, grr). Even though I am still knitting my baby blanket, I have gathered four skeins of potential socks to be and am dreaming of a wonderful sock frenzy cast on. 

  Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was the weekend of broken things. On Friday, I went to print and the printer would not print. After the two of us trying our best to troubleshoot, we decided that the printer was broken, it would not hold onto the wifi (and yes the wifi was working). To be honest, I've hated that printer since we've bought it a few years ago because it was difficult and not user friendly.  So, we went out and bought a new one and guess what? It works! Yesterday my brand new toaster (bought in December) quit working. I've submitted a warranty claim on their website, let's see what happens. I toasted my sourdough bread the old school way, in the oven. Besides the broken things, I had a great weekend. On Saturday morning I read some and knitted some. Yesterday, we attended our grand-nephew to be's baby shower and it was fun to see family. I helped with some of the dishes. My sister helps me out so much whenever I need help. Oh! It snowed

  Good morning! How are you? Around here, we have had warmer weather that has melted the snow away and so we have a muddy backyard. It's nice to wear regular winter weather but damp weather sometimes feels colder. This week once again, I pulled out the paints and started on my Valentine cards. They are not finished but it was fun to sit and paint hearts in various pinks. I hope to work on them later on this afternoon. The baby blanket is so close to being finished! I'm already plotting away the future baby sweater to cast on. I usually use the Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern 'two needle baby sweater' which as you might guess is mostly memorized in my head. I'm excited for non-credit classes to start up once again. I'm taking more history classes (who am I? I didn't like history in high school.) and of course Tai Chi, which is my favorite class ever.

  Good morning! How was your weekend?  On Friday, we received about five inches of snow and so I stayed home snug inside watching it all unfold outside. Frodo and I are in a routine where I bundle him up in his winter coat then I proceed to bundle myself up. We are outside for a few minutes then we undo all the bundling once we are back inside a warm house.  On Saturday, we went to the local library and I checked out a few more graphic novels for fun. I do love admiring the artwork and the visual storytelling.  Sunday morning we attended Mass after a month or so of lingering illnesses, maybe the walls shook maybe not. It was nice to be back, to feel healthy and to be grateful for everything. We attended our grand-nephew's 3rd birthday party. What a fun age! He was a delight to watch as he opened his gifts and he loved everything. We should all be so joyful! Over the weekend, I did lots of knitting and reading. We might be above freezing today!