Pumpkin Sunrise

  What a delight to wake up to some snow on Sunday morning! Sadly they are calling for rain later this week and all of the snow will disappear. How are you? How was your weekend? I wrapped Christmas gifts yesterday and I am mostly done. I even tidied up the wrapping area. There's a few more presents left but those can be tucked into a gift bag. I'm in the process of moving away from using wrapping paper which is not recyclable and using gift bags instead.  I have yet to write and plot out the menu this week, it's on my 'to do' list. How was your weekend?

  I have been in the holiday spirit for a solid week. Maybe it's because we are near our second Christmas at our new home, and that brings endless cheer. I'm not questioning it too much, I'm basking in the joy I feel. I'm also seeking out Christmas displays where ever I go.  Frodo and I have started walking after lunch instead of in the mornings. The traffic is minimal which leads to me being more present on my daily walk. Also the temperatures are warmed up a bit compared to 8 a.m. We have a good time. All that is missing is a snowflake or two.  Yesterday we went to a local farmer's market and I thoroughly enjoyed their poinsettias on display. Sadly Holly will eat everything that is in a dirt pot so I look instead of buy.  I've been knitting mainly for me - the good things scarf  (in the photo at the top)- in the evenings while we watch a tv show. I am also knitting another pair of socks for my husband in a lovely purple colorway. Technically they are not for

  How was your weekend? Mines was fabulous, we went to the Phipps Conservatory  on Friday night to see their holiday lights. The display was fabulous!! We were cold but not that cold.  Sunday in between attending Mass, doing some laundry and light cleaning, I painted and doodled about at the kitchen table. Of course there was some knitting and reading as well. I enjoy weekends when they have a dabble of everything I wish to do!

  After many months taking a break away from this nearly impossible cross stitch design, I'm back at it, trying my best to stitch it correctly. I have grand plans of finishing this before spring arrives, wish me the best of luck! How are you?  Around here, I've been busy being 'Santa' and wrapping the gifts that needed to be mailed. Every morning I try to do at least a half hour of gift wrapping. This year, I have more holiday spirit than last Christmas season. Maybe I'm more adjusted to living in this house? I have less thoughts of what I miss from my old house, and that's progress.  Around here, my bird feeder is a continuous delight! The raccoon has yet to be messing with my feeder and whenever I'm at the sink I watch MY birds. I love them so. Around here, I'm closing in on finishing my fingerless mitts. I'm on the second mitt of the second pair. Today that mitt will be done. yay. After that I am done with holiday knitting! I can then revert back

  How was your weekend? Mine was a good one. Thanksgiving morning we zoomed with our daughter which was delightful. The day after Thanksgiving at my sister's house with my family, my husband and I drove over to Ohio for the day to see our son, daughter in law and our grandson at the other grandparent's house. Oh the joy!!  Our little grandson wasn't feeling well and was a bit cranky but we did get to hold him as long as he could see his parents. He is growing up so fast! He's nine months old now. Saturday morning was for both of us a recovery day from being in the car most of the Friday. I did decorate the 'big' tree in the living room. The above photo is the 'little' tree in the family room. My house is officially decorated.  Yesterday I dabbled in paints, did the laundry, knitted and wrote that mighty to do list for the week.  How was your weekend?

  I've been knitting away gleefully on projects that are for me. To be honest, I did cast on another pair of socks for my husband but I had a really good reason. All of my 'me' knitting needs my full attention and when I'm reading a book on my Kindle I require dead simple knitting. That is why I started a pair of socks. I could have made a pair for myself but my husband is hard on hand-knit socks and blows holes in them within 3-4 years (the best yarn is trekking XXL). I still have socks in my drawer that are 20 years old and do not have a single hole. Go figure!  How are you?  Winter weather has arrived here and it is beautiful! I know I am an oddball with my love of winter but golly, it never gets old for me. I've been a winter lover as long as I can remember. My mother (God rest her soul) loved summer and just could not understand my dedication to a season that chilled her to the bone. She would say 'wait until you have to drive in it' and so on. Even whe

  Right before I fell asleep last night I came up with a really good blog post title. I woke up this morning wondering what it was. I think it was 'home stretch' but I'll never know. Home stretch as in I am nearing the end of the gift knitting. I am so close to finishing knitting for the holidays. That gets me giddy! I'll be done earlier than ever before. The above photo is an extra large dishcloth that will be a ' cat mat ' or a cat blanket for my daughter's cat. Her cat loves to cuddle up and sleep in all the unusual places and I thought these little blankets (the plan is to make two) would make it extra cosy for her. I know Holly would lay on it. Frodo is now 13 years old. He is as spunky as ever but has some elevated liver enzymes that the current vet is treating, this isn't a new thing it's been there for a few years. Overall he is doing great.  Our backyard is a sea of oak leaves, one of  my most favorite trees. We had 'tree people' her

Good morning!  This week I've been enjoying the trees and the colors that are in abundant display. It won't be long before they are all done and winter will be whispering in the winds. Sigh. Every year I find Autumn arrives quickly and is just as quick in leaving. Yesterday we drove up to visit my dad and step mom in the country. I worked on my husband's sock in the car but quickly set it aside to enjoy the countryside. Being in the country reminds me of where I used to live and the beautiful dirt road that I used to walk with Frodo. I do love my walks in my neighborhood but I miss the country (NOT the bears). I do like living here and it's so nice to be near family! My husband and I went out for a lunch at the local park on one of the warmer days so that we could eat out on their patio overlooking the pond. The views were spectacular! Frodo was recently groomed this week and he's been shivering since. Every morning I have to bundle him in a blanket. If I put a swea

Yesterday we went to the the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History and had a great time. One of the better decisions we made earlier in the springtime was to purchase memberships that gives us admission to four museums in the Pittsburgh area.  After the museum, we went out to lunch then headed off to the local yarn store so I could buy some wool for our grandson's SECOND Christmas sweater. The first sweater he is already wearing at 8 months old even though I knit the 18 month old size. I cast on last night for a 2 year old size, let's hope he grows slowly and it fits for the holidays! Oh and that purple Malabrigo sock yarn is for a future pair of socks for my husband. Even though I am not sketching daily, I am trying my best to sketch when I remember. For some reason I'm in the mood for graphite sketching. Yesterday morning before sunrise, I spied the moon spying on me!  I loved our outing in the city but I loved more coming home, starting a knitting project and drinki

  My weekend contained: -daily walks and gathering leaves - stay at home weekend - phone calls with family - knitting gnomes (the photo below is number seven!) - lots of reading - visiting my neighbor discussing Holiday plans and gifts for family - enjoying the BIRDS at my bird feeder - seeing a red breasted nuthatch at my feeder first time ever - getting excited for an upcoming museum visit this week - writing out my weekly plans and lofty goals! - hearing S N O W in the forecast (yay) - getting all the laundry and cleaning done in one day How was your weekend?

  How are you?  I've been mighty fine these days. The knitting frenzy continues as I am working on the sixth gnome! I am getting more crazy with the color combinations and chipping away at some half skeins that I know I will never use again. The gnome journey has been so much fun! The above photo is the scarf that I am making for me that I haven't worked on since gnome number two or three. I'm working on it today, it's a lovely pattern that is fun to work on. After a brief warm up in the temperatures, we are getting back to chilly air. A cold front blew through and the winds knocked down so many tree leaves in the neighborhood. Delightful! Frodo and I love to see the fallen leaves all mixed up on neighborhood properties. We have our fair share of leaves mixed together in our front yard. After a summer on NOT feeding the birds because of a raccoon family, we are back at it. The birds came right back! Hopefully the raccoons do not. My bird feeder is squirrel proof but no

  How was your weekend? Mine was busy! My sister had a craft show both on Friday and Saturday and I helped her on both days. Sunday morning the four of us went to the fall flower show at the Phipps Conservatory . This visit was my favorite one so far, probably because I love Autumn so much! My favorite spaces are the Japanese Garden and the Children's Garden both outside. I'm looking forward to their holiday show coming up sooner than ever. My weekend was filled with pockets of knitting, all those pesky household chores and writing lists so I remember everything I'm supposed to do this week!

  It seems that I get sidetracked in many ways. Above is a delightful array of mini-skeins of lolodit sock yarn and a skein of tough love sock by sweet georgia yarn that will be a good things scarf  I've been blissfully thinking of all the combinations I can do with what I have in my stash. The possibilities are endless.  So while I knit and mull over this multi-yarn scarf design. I am knitting up many gnomes. I'll be posting a photo soon, they are Christmas gifts and I need to think through who sees what. I believe I can post here with minimal viewings by my family. I've been sketching daily in October except for the last two days which were 'busy'. So now I am three days behind that I'll catch up over the weekend, hopefully.  The weather has been glorious this week. Lots and lots of blue skies, the air is crisp and the mornings are cold. Not only that but a cold front is coming through. yay! October has been inspirational for my creativity and my motivations