Pumpkin Sunrise

Being home is wonderful, but you already know that.  I never get tired of my house, sitting at my kitchen table with my favorite mug filled with coffee writing in the early morning hours.  Such bliss.  Years ago, I started this morning routine and it has served me well.  I remember 'thinking' about starting a morning routine for a long time.  I wonder why I hesitated?  Didn't summer start off with crazy heat and humidity?  Yikes, I felt like I was wilting.  Yesterday and today was picture perfect with sunny skies and cool breezes while sitting in the shade.  I almost like this season.  While swinging on the back patio swing, I listened to the birds singing as I read a book.  This reminds me of all my teen summers of endless book reading on the front porch swing with a glass of iced tea.  Oh, my friends would get so frustrated with me because I would not budge unless I finished the book.  I cannot believe I will say this but I do love the gym.  (really!)  I

My knitting has solely been focused on this summer top.  I worked on this beauty the entire trip up to Boston getting the lace detail finished.  Now I'm on the stockinette stitching which to me is soothing and calming.  I find if I feel hectic on the inside, stockinette stitch gets me into a zen state of mind. My other projects have taken a back seat while I obsess over this current knit.  Ravelry notes are here .

Get ready, this post has a ton of photos, well ten photos.  However I took so many with my phone!  I'm trying to remember to take photos while having fun.  How was your weekend?  Mine was fantastic, we went to Cambridge to see our son this weekend and had such a good time. The ride up wasn't great - we hit the awful traffic of Connecticut.  While my back is slowing improving, riding in a car causes me pain that Tylenol barely touches.  (Remember, sitting is the hardest activity for me while I heal up).  used book store Friday night we were in Central Square and toodled about shopping and eating and talking.  Saturday morning was the BIG day.  We were all over the place.  After a subway ride into downtown Boston, we shopped a bit and ate at Quincy Market for lunch.  me trying not to squint.... my husband cannot walk and look at his phone at the same time We went to the aquarium and had a fun time, penguins were my favorite - runner up was the jellyfish an

Last weekend while I was knitting with my friends, I had yarn envy.  Serious yarn envy.   One of my friend's shared a current project on the needles and I fell in love with the soft cotton linen blend.  Three days later after a gym session, I drove to my LYS to purchase some of my own. The yarn is Nettle Grove by Plymouth yarn .  While waiting for Wednesday (yarn shopping day) to arrive, I spent tons of time on Ravelry checking out summer tops to knit, for me.   I chose Night Sky  as my summer top to knit.   The Dr Who hat is looking pretty good as I add the yarn in a semi purposeful way. The past week has been a fantastic gym week.  I challenged my body and feel stronger.  Of course my back is still sending me nasty messages but they are much quieter and I do get to knit now.  When knitting I can ignore a lot. Every time I strain my back I swear I will never take for granted my pain free days.  My pain free days arrive and - poof - gratitude goes out

I took some photos of this beautiful cowl yesterday and my was it a warm wooly cowl.  I'm not a fan of wearing wool in the summer so my photos where fast and furious.  Have you knit this cowl yet?  I know some of you have knit it up.  If you haven't, you should. I loved the simplicity of the stitch pattern yet the striking design of the slipped knit stitch.  I will maybe knit this again.  (I'm thinking a great Christmas gift...). The wool was from my daughter and son in law for Mother's day and the sturdiness of the wool gives excellent stitch definition.  I haven't soaked it yet, but I'm guessing a soak in a wool wash will make the fabric softer. I love cowls that can be wrapped twice.  I wear them the most and yet I own few that I've knit for myself! Ravelry notes are here

What a spectacular weekend!  The weather was perfectly perfect.  Especially Saturday, the high was about 77 degrees with low humidity.  Why can't it stay that way?  I guess those days are golden and special.  We took a walk with Frodo, who hasn't been out on a walk for quite a while because of the high heat and humidity from the previous weeks.  He loved smelling the smells and seeing the neighborhood.  So did we, well seeing the neighborhood.  We walked down the dirt road (it's paved now but the name 'dirt road' still sticks).  The day lilies are abundant and in full bloom. I am --almost-- healed up.  On Friday, I asked the trainer to resume the kick boxing moves that we started a few weeks ago.  If this is what it takes to make my back stronger I am all for it.  Honestly, I hate to admit it but the sitting is what ruins my back.  How sad.  We probably need a new sofa set but I really don't feel like shopping for that at all.  clean!  kitchen!!  

Was the past week hot for you?  Goodness, it was ultra steamy here.  The summer days are a blur with getting outside before the heat of the day, staying inside until right before dinner time.  Then we take a quick swim in the pool so we can head back into the cool air-conditioned house.  How can it be so hot so soon?  Luckily, the powers that be are claiming that we will get a reprieve.  I hope that is true. If you've noticed, I've been spending my Fridays documenting the flowers in the back yard about to bloom.  I love how the camera focuses my attention to these details that ordinarily I would take for granted. Have you noticed that there really aren't that many insects around anymore.  Well, let me rephrase that.  There are plenty of mosquitos and biting flies.  Oh and those lovely carpenter ants have decided to enter my home.  I have taken it personally and it's an all out war on my turf.  I have baits outside the house and inside the house.  I shall win!