Pumpkin Sunrise

This weekend was: -so very relaxing, I deliberately planned big chunks of time sitting and either reading or knitting. -all about being outside enjoying the beautiful sunny weather -having a nice father's day with my husband and my kids -grilled chicken with roasted vegetables, one of my favorite meals (lemon juice is the key ingredient) -achieving the goal of slowing down time, just for a bit -making progress on my composition shawl  (pictures tomorrow, maybe!) -daydreaming about other new knitting projects to start -sliced strawberries with a tiny sprinkle of sugar -a whole watermelon!!! (almost gone) joining Amanda at Habit of Being

My husband and I were talking about how fast June is flying by.  I wish it would slow down just a tiny bit.  Before you know it August will be here and school will start up again.  Have a wonderful, peaceful, restful weekend :D

Frodo was lucky enough to inherit this frisbee from the pool box during the graduation party this past weekend.  One of the little kiddie guests found it and he absolutely loves it.  Now he typically will play fetch for as long as we are willing to throw a tennis ball, but the frisbee is off limits for the fetching game.  If you even try to pick it up, he takes it and runs like a crazy dog all over the back yard.  Sometimes the wind blows the frisbee up in his face and it's a miracle he stays upright. What a character! His other game is to take the tennis ball and drop it into the pool and wait for one of us to scoop it out for him. Maybe miniature schnauzers are into group participation. So far, he hasn't taken the plunge......thank goodness!

This week I am reading Mennonite in a Little Black Dress.  For some reason I thought I could breeze through this book and that is not the case.  I am enjoying it overall but I am only at the beginning so maybe next week I will have more of a fixed opinion to share with you. My knitting is the Composition Shawl  which I am loving!  I really like this pattern and the yarn is Madelinetosh.......my all time FAVORITE yarn brand.  My progress is slow and steady, I am completely enjoying the slow progress. Oh!  In case you were wondering about the beautiful patriotic bag in the photo.  That is a fantastic present that my sister made for little old me! I am so very lucky to have such a nice sister, who knits and sews!!! I only knit so I feel like I am getting the better part of the bargain in the gift receiving department. I think it is for a sock project but my shawl project fits, so let's say it is for small yarn projects-how cool is that :D If you are interested in seeing what every

Progress on the Composition Shawl is minimal.  I think I will blame it on the visiting family over the weekend!  I am more than over half way on the first part of the the shawl pattern.  I have already knit this pattern before so I am enjoying the process and I know the lace pattern is where all the excitement is. The Buttercup Yellow Scarf I have been picking up every now and then and doing a row here and there.  I love this yarn and I really like that this scarf is a pattern of my own creation.  I do not need the directions because they are in my head! (the perfect place right?)   I am still itching to start another cardigan but it will have to wait at least a week or two.  If I start another project I know that these two projects will be in the basket neglected.  Now that would not be nice!

This weekend contained: -family and friends -lots of picnic food -two graduation cakes (I might be tired of cake now!) for the graduation parties -swimming and laughing in the pool -a scared turtle that Frodo was barking at -five loads of laundry consisting of sheets and towels from 10 family members staying overnight  -sister time together at the LYS  -sister help at the party -not one single photo of the party because I was too busy talking and eating :D -good weather even though there were thunderstorms in the morning and at night -more tomato plants from my father! (everyone said you can never have too many tomatoes.....) -fresh lettuce from my dad's garden~yum. -tired sleep-deprived hosts linking up with Amanda at Habit of Being

After the rain last night we were graced with these beautiful lilies this morning!  Happy Friday to all of you! We have a very busy weekend with family visiting and celebrating graduations :)

Please oh please ignore the orange pants.....Yes I am officially done with this cardigan .  It is in the laundry room drying right now.  The photos were taken last night before blocking.  I was quite pleased with the sweater until I soaked it.  My goodness, you would not believe the amount of dye that washed out of that sweater.  That is a concern and I am hoping that when I wear it shirts or tanks do not become red.  My other concern was the fiber that fluffed off of it when I was wringing (probably a no-no for cashmere).  So I must remember to handle it gently.  I think the next time I wash it I will spin it in the washer instead of wringing to get the water out.  So maybe there will be more photos, maybe not.   Once it is dry I will put it on my sweater shelf and will have something new to wear in the fall.  How cool is that?

Can you believe it????  I am on a new book and a new knitting project!  I feel so accomplished right now.  But before you completely believe me look at the next picture.....I have some assembling and burying of threads to attend to before I can say it is done.  I am hoping tomorrow will be the magical day for posting a completed project.  The coffee mug is my absolute favorite and I can't remember who gave it to me :/  I know it is quite old (like over 20 years?)  I finished The Help and I loved it!  I thought it was one of the best books that I have read in a long time.  The characters were likable and believable and the storyline was interesting until the very end.  I also like the ending.  Sometimes endings are rushed or sometimes I think there is a better way to end.  If you haven't read The Help, I highly suggest giving it a read. The new project is the Traveling Woman Shawl  that I did make once before as blogged about here .  I really enjoyed the pattern and wanted to

This year my husband made two raised beds.  He placed newspaper down after he weedwacked (I think that is a verb!) and then lots and lots of topsoil......yes, we did buy dirt-lots of it!  It has been 10 years since we have had a garden.  At that time, I was the gardener.  I did enjoy it very much but I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (managed perfectly with meds) and gardening is one of those activities that flares my condition.  So I "retired" from gardening.  I have missed fresh vegetables and checking the progress of plants. Lucky for us my husband has become interested.  So with my knowledge and superior supervising skills (ha ha ha) we have started it up again.  Believe me I will have no problem eating the produce.... We went to a local greenhouse and had a fun time picking out what to plant.  I know we will have too many tomatoes and peppers but still it was fun and we can always give away the produce, right? Yes, that is a gnome but in its defense it is

This weekend included: -another performance by our son -graduation from high school -a mass for the high school graduates at our church with a reception~more CAKE! -a graduation picnic at the girlfriend's house~more CAKE! -buying lots of dirt (top soil) for two raised beds (I am hoping that we buy our plants today or tomorrow) -lots of smiling, laughing and socializing -list making for the graduation party we are having for both kids this weekend (eek!) -knitting on the eternal sweater....... Joining Amanda at habit of being