Pumpkin Sunrise

Last week, Anke requested hats for her friend who is facing health challenges.  Within the hour, I dug through my yarn stash and cast on a hat.  This month is a gratitude month, a month of thanksgiving.  I can easily get lost on tiny worries, big worries, serious worries, and silly worries.  However, as I knit this hat, each and every stitch, I wove in good thoughts and  healthy thoughts for my unknown recipient. She is receiving a hat, I have received so much more. Peace, contentment, doing what I love and sharing that with others. Tomorrow I'll be posting my hat to Anke and sending lots of good wishes for her friend. Ravelry notes here

Can you believe that my Christmas cactus has bloomed once again?  Makes me think I might have a green thumb.  I wonder what I am doing so my other house plants would be as happy at this one. Onto the weekend! Friday found me walking the dog in sunshine on my out the door then through sleet making my way back home.  We were wet and tired but found the outing fun.  Poor Frodo, he is a drenched mop that close to the ground.  Friday night was pizza with our daughter and her fiance joining later on.  We shared homemade pumpkin pie for dessert, so so delicious. Saturday was a slow start, relaxing and knitting.  After lunch, we headed out to a bookstore where I browsed magazines.  I steered clear of novels for now, I have so many that need to be read.  We ate dinner out and then headed home.  Since the time change, evenings feel so dark and late.  I'll think "it's time to go to bed" only to realize it's seven o'clock.  However, I'm happy to report that I

I've been waking up at 4:30 a.m. each morning because of the time change that I haven't quite adjusted to as of yet.  I've been taking advantage of my early risings with journaling and a bit of knitting.  For over a year, my go to color for notebooks has been red, I see no change in sight. Yesterday was rainy, drippy and all over wet.  Frodo and I walked about the yard missing the crunch of the oak leaves.  The scent of fall was in the air - earthy and sweet.  Funny how I look forward to fall, leaves dropping and then I wait for some snowflakes. This week has been good to me.  I've slowed down and focused on the essentials for contentment and peace.  I started a few new projects to knit, rewrote my Christmas list and to do lists.  A big pile of books are waiting for me to start reading as soon as I finish my current read.  Daily walks (unless there is rain), a bit of yoga and some vegetable eating overload. I thought I'd share some links that I loved this w

I started a pair of socks for my husband this week.  He's been so kind and supportive I had to repay him with some knitwear.  I know, you are thinking but what about the blanket , cowl and hat that you have on the needles.  Well, I'm knitting those as well. Also this week, my blog friend Anke has requested us knitters to make her friend a hat.  You see, her friend is facing some health challenges this year.  If you care to help Anke in the hat knitting visit her post here . My reading is the same, the book is good and all of the math references go over my head but I'm okay with that.  The author mixes in some technical jargon and some math humor.  It'll be interesting to find out if it's funny to a math major.  Hopefully my son will read the book and let me know. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comment section with a link to your blog. My weekend continued to improve minute by minute.  Thank you all for your kind words on Friday,they uplifted me and I truly enjoyed reading how each of you manage stress when the days are challenging. So, here is my weekend: -picking up Chinese food for a dinner at home after running some errands with my husband -loving that the Chinese food fed us two days, I love to not cook! -having our last walk after dinner yesterday -wearing a hat, mitts and cowl on the walk and was still cold (love it) -the gusty winds have deleaved most of the trees -spying deer in the woods looking back at me -drinking loads of decaf green tea in my favorite mug -knitting on the sock blanket, enjoying it's warmth as it grows on my lap -chats with the kids, my son had SNOW-so so

I've had a rough beginning of the week, so much so that I've been chasing away anxiety and worries, my imaginary broom sweeping thoughts here and there, under the rug, tucked away but still there.  Each day dawns and I feel a little better, a work in progress.  I believe we will have a cold front this weekend and that just puts a smile on my heart!  Wearing some woolens would make any day a fabulous one. I'm loving my maples who have decided to do a leaf dump all at once, so so so beautiful!  They are vying for the attention over the mighty oaks.  I love the oaks as well in their brown showy-offness.  It's like loving all your children but in different ways. What do you do when you need a little self care?  Here's my list: -be kind to yourself -soak in the kindness of others, kind thoughts, their loving actions -get busy!  I've been knitting furiously and making some progress with my knitting -rely on comfort food, mashed potatoes and baked chicke

My knitting and reading this week are both new, oh sweet joy!  I am on my last cowl for holiday knitting and I think I just might knit one for myself.  Maybe.  This yarn is malabrigo sock but I'm not too sure of the colorway.  I want to say rayon vert (yup just checked).  I've had this in deep stash and the tags were not attached. I continue to knit my own version of grey loop cowl , the pattern is burned into my memory. My novel this week is The Mathematician's Shiva which I picked up while in Cambridge, MA.  The back summary was interesting and funny.  As you know, my son is in graduate school for mathematics.  I do like the abundant dialogue that was absent from my last novel (the signature of all things).  And the ease of reading.  So fingers are crossed that I picked a good one. What are you knitting and reading this week? Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comment section with a link to your blog. This was a not travel stay at home weekend and was much needed.  I: -ate out at my one of my favorite places for dinner with my husband -squeezed in two walks nearly every day getting a little sad knowing the time change next week will end the after dinner walks -prepared more yarn into balls for my last holiday knitting -gathered with friends and shared a meal, enjoying our friendship -savored a meal made by my husband, curry, rice, dal and a surprise vegetarian samosa ! -I enjoyed my meal but the dishes.....oh my goodness.... -evenings were knitting away on my gift projects -spying the red fox in our neighborhood once more-no camera shot.....yet! How was your weekend?

Frodo had a rough week and he's been in his thoughtful spot (Winnie the Pooh).  I love when I walk by the ottoman and see a pair of feet or a tiny black nose peeking out.  Sometimes it's rough being a dog.  Luckily for him he doesn't need to have any shots for another year. The days have been dark and cloudy.  I could go for some sunshine and soon that wish will become a reality.  Frodo and I took a walk around the yard and while I was outside just daydreaming, I knew I was in my thoughtful spot.  I love going to new places and seeing cities, historical buildings and magnificent shopping meccas that are not in my area. I will be honest, I pine for home while out of town.  I dream of my walks, my house, my kitchen, my mug, and my routine.  Going away forces me to appreciate all over again my simple days.  When home, I'm productive and purposeful. The leaves on the maples are nearly done falling and the oaks are half way through their autumn showiness.  Bi

I completely forgot to take my photo yesterday, so here is a somewhat bleary photo from early this morning.  My knitting this week has been hopping from my cowl , to my blanket , to this fair isle hat .  The hat is a "make it as I go" kind of knit.  I'm enjoying the color play and love the feel of the yarn in my hands.  Originally when I arrived at the fair isle knitting section I thought " Goodness, this will take a while!"  Now I'm hoping that the fair Isle will last forever.  That is good knitting. My reading is the same but nearly finished.  I'm reading The Signature of all Things  and overall the book is okay.  Sometimes the plot drags on, sometimes I wonder what a detailed section has to do with the overall novel or theme.  I keep reading because the writing is pleasant and I guess I want to see what happens.  I know this is an ambivalent review however I'm being honest. What are you reading and knitting this week? Joining Ginny and F

Weekends are for memory making,  relaxing and enjoying quiet moments of our days.   If you would like, please share your weekend moments  in the comment section with a link to your blog. My weekend was BOSTON.  Yup, we went to visit our son and spent the better part of our Saturday walking about Boston seeing the sights, walking part of the freedom trail.  I loved seeing him and what made the weekend better is our daughter went with us. I have sore feet and joints but luckily for me I take medicine for that and a few days of rest I should be good as new.  I'm happy to be home sweet wonderful home.  You know I'm a homebody and thrive with the same old same old.  I'm looking forward to my cheerios tomorrow. So this weekend I'll share some aspects you might not know about me, but then maybe you do: -I gave a friendly hello to anyone with a cute dog, especially if they were just standing there.  I met a miniature schnauzer named Dolly from Austr