Pumpkin Sunrise

My weekend was pretty good even though the news is unsettling.  My hands are sad from all the hand-washing.  At the grocery stores the paper product aisles are completely bare.  These are strange times. My son and his girlfriend were visiting for the weekend and we had dinner in each day at home.  It was nice to see them and be with them.  Yesterday after dinner they headed back to their apartments.  My house is tidy and back to the way it was before they arrived. I've done a lot of walking and taking in the signs of spring.  I'm compelled to check the news frequently and yet I try to curtail the checking.  I've been reading a lot and of course knitting tons.  This might be the time to start some new projects while we are hunkering down. How was your weekend?

This has been a crazy week.  We were supposed to go to NYC for a few days during the middle of the week.  Because the news keeps changing hourly, I was constantly checking the news about the virus outbreak trying my best to decide what we should do.  Do we go?  Do we stay home? My husband had to see our dentist for (another) newly cracked molar and had the tooth temporarily crowned on Monday.  I babysat on Tuesday and my Little Miss was contrary and sassy.  Those babysitting days are LONG days.  At one point she told me she could do whatever she wanted.  OH MY! Tuesday night while prepping for our trip, more news came in about our local universities closing and that was the last straw.  I called Telecharge to cancel our broadway tickets (and received a FULL refund!) and I called the hotel who waived their 48 hour cancellation policy.  So we aren't out of any money.  Just sad to not be going but glad to not be going.  Now that I see that NYC is in a state of emergency and

I have to confess that all of my waking hours are spent knitting my yoke sweater.   Last night I finished the color-work and now I'm on the plain old stockinette knitting.  You know what that means,  I can read and knit at the same time.  Knitting bliss! What have you been working on this week?

Phew! This weekend was filled with family visiting.  My sister and brother in law along with my daughter and son in law were here this weekend for a get together.  The weather was beautiful for early March.  My sister and I headed out for a walk Saturday to take in the early signs of spring.  The sunshine was abundant! We played Trivial Pursuit (family edition) as teams of boys vs. girls.  That was fun and the girls won.  Heh heh heh.  My husband and I cooked both Friday and Saturday and my sister supplied desserts for both days.  I am filled with gratitude. Sunday was tons of chores and putting the house back to the way it was.  Almost.  I had my knitting group and I managed to remember to take a photo! Thanks for all the well wishes!  I saw a kidney specialist due to abnormal results from routine testing.  My RA doc referred me and I was super lucky to get an appointment last Friday (randomly assigned).  The doctor was wonderful and says I need to have repeat testin

We celebrated my husband's birthday this week.  He had to work a very long day so it wasn't the best birthday ever, however I bought him a carrot cake roll and that makes all those late working days a bit easier to do.  Spring feels so close I can touch it!  Holly has resumed her perch on the windowsill watching dawn break and the birds tweeting and hopping around.  She is endlessly entertained.  This week when I babysat the preschooler on Tuesday she was naming all the birds.  What amused me greatly was her made up names for every single one.  I would respond 'no that's a robin' and she would say 'no Mrs. Karen it's a cocklebird'.  hm  okay, I'm going to go with that. What I love best about my one day a work week is that it is only one day and it wipes out any other thoughts in my head.  I like the day with the preschooler! Wish me luck, today I have to see a new medical specialist for possibly more medical tests because of a referral

My current hitchhiker shawl is the project I take to babysitting since I have the details memorized and I just zip along.  What a comforting knit to do!  I can see why many of my friends in blogland knit this over and over again. The Yoke pullover sweater is my addictive knitting project that I cannot get enough of.  However I cannot read a book nor do much of anything while knitting.  So I listen to a talky-talky show on Netflix or listen to a podcast or just listen to my inner thoughts.  I am keeping with the dark gray contrasting color that I was initially ambivalent about.  (took me three tries to spell ambivalent!!!).  The more color-work that is done the better the dark gray looks to me. What are you working on this week? Joining Ginny

This weekend was fantastic.  First of all I've had a miracle healing after my 'almost but saved' trip in the garage.  I feel unstoppable!  I've had a mind reset and I am extra cautious to slow down .  Why of why am I always in a hurry? Second of all I've started a new top down yoke sweater.  I saw this pattern while doing a search on Ravelry (as one does) and I could not resist.  I bought the burnt orange yarn (the main color) while visiting my sister last fall.  The contrasting colors I originally bought were not super-wash like the main color, so I was ultra lucky to do some online yarn shopping last week to find my colors. The only color that I'm not sure about is the dark gray.  However, I keep knitting because I know I'll know when I have enough rows knitted whether to keep the color or switch it out.  I never mind ripping out and starting over again. Saturday was lots of knitting, finishing a book and going to Mass in the evening.  We pick

I find it humorous that when I am feeling on top of the world in my physical activity and my dedication to the gym, something humbling happens to reset my confidence.  Yesterday I was in a hurry (always bad) and I tripped over my husband's boots in the garage.  There is an ongoing dispute as to how 'tucked' away they are.  My opinion is if I trip on them they are not tucked away.  Keep in mind these boots have been in the same place for ten years, you would think I would learn.. The good news is I did NOT fall nor did I sprain any delicate ankles.  Also my back is fine.  The bad news is I stumbled and pulled my right back leg muscle that just aches.  Good grief.  I'm hoping this is a quickly resolved strain/sprain since I already feel a lot better this morning.  And I never did take any pain medicine last night.  However it's a slow going day.  Watch where you walk people!  The winds were blustery yesterday and winter has made its appearance once aga

I finished another sweater!  I feel super productive when I think about my knitting.  This design was a fun quick knit and I'm already thinking of what I could knit next with some 'vintage' yarn in my stash. I took a wild guess with gauge when I chose to use size eight needles instead of size 10 and cast on the bigger size.  Lucky for me the sweater fits perfectly and now I know I can do another sweater the same way.  This yarn I bought at a garage sale for peanuts.  I love when a family member clears out someone's yarn stash and doesn't know the value.  I bought a huge bag of wools for $8.  Incredible. Looks like winter is returning and then I can wear my cardigan without being hot.  Ravelry notes

This weekend had brilliant sunshine! I've mentally bottled it up and will remember it fondly when we return to cloudiness and rain once more.  How was your weekend? We managed a walk outside in the sun looking for snowdrops blooming and didn't find them yet.  The birds were singing away and the fresh air while cold smelled like spring.  I know, it's too early but it's nice to daydream of light jacket wearing days. I made four washcloths over the weekend and hope to make a few during this week.  I'm just about to start another sweater for me however I am waiting for some contrasting color skeins to arrive in the mail before I cast on.  I'm down to two projects on the needles and both of them are shawls. How was your weekend?

I'm happy to announce that the sun is shining brilliantly today.  Sure it's cold out but those glorious rays uplift my spirits.  This morning I have a few chores to do and then I'm off to the gym.  Once I'm back home I will be working on some watercolor practicing and some knitting. I'm stunned that next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and Lent begins.  Doesn't it seem like we just celebrated Christmas?  I rarely give up a food like I used to when I was a kid.  I remember one Lent my mother gave up smoking (and she was an avid smoker back in the day).  For four days or so the whole family was tortured by her and her unhappiness.  If I'm remembering correctly she went back to smoking and gave up sweets instead, we were all relieved. I used to give up candy but what's funny we didn't have candy in the house, so how was that a sacrifice? Have you noticed the earlier mornings and the later days?  I have and my oh my spring is slowly approaching