Pumpkin Sunrise

  How was your weekend? My weekend was restful and felt like a mini-vacation. I ate lunch every day out on the back patio, enjoying the nice weather in between the raindrops. I'm grateful that we are not super-super hot, just regular warm weather pushing humid. Frodo and I walked early each morning before the full sun and or heat was blaring down. The neighborhood is quiet except for the birds singing. More flowers are blooming in our yard, my husband did so much work last year and we are reaping the benefits this year. I mostly read this weekend for hours on end. The library ebook,  Spare,  became available Friday afternoon and I quickly started reading the memoir. I'm also trying to finish A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths before the next ebook becomes available through the library. July might be a massive reading month for me. I work a little bit each day on the baby cross stitch sampler, I'm over half way done! How was your weekend?

  This has been a good week, I've been able to walk most days and I try my best to get outside before it's too hot for both me and dear old Frodo. I'll take him for his short jaunt around the neighborhood then I go back out after taking him home for my longer walk. This walking rhythm is nice.  How are you?  Two days ago, Holly decided to be a mischievous cat and taunt her friend (nemesis). She first hid behind the drapery getting a 'look see' on sleeping Frodo. I love the concern in her eyes. Then she decided to move around behind the couch, she made sure that when he smelled her presence she was visible but out of reach. That is the game. He cannot hear but boy oh boy can he catch her scent and see pretty good. There was barking and hissing. Frodo was so happy! And you know what? Holly was happy as well. She is the one who started the game and she had opportunities to leave the family room and chose not to leave. My husband and I gave up trying to watch TV because

 Good morning! How are you all doing this fine day? I am so thankful that it's the day after July 4th and I will hopefully have a quiet evening. The past two evenings were noisy with neighbors shooting off fireworks. I am grateful that Frodo is hard of hearing and slept peacefully. I wish I could say the same for me (sleeping peacefully that is)!! I started another hitchhiker shawl as soon as I finished the last one. As you know, I work on this in the evenings while watching TV. It's the perfect project to have in the summer - mindless enough but interesting enough.  What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! This is a quick post since the weekend is still going strong in this house. Our Saturday and Sunday were ordinary days, just the way I love them. We have great air quality once again and along with that has been the rainy season. I tried to take a walk in between the rain drops and was quite successful. I did some loose watercolor pictures in my practice sketchbook of cardinals. It was fun to do the same thing over and over again. The paper isn't the greatest which made the paintings more challenging.  My husband and I went to my sister and brother in law house for dinner and games on Saturday night. I believe we laughed the hardest ever. It was painfully good. Sunday morning we attended Mass then I did the laundry and other chores in the house. Over all it was a lovely weekend. I picked up a sweater that I started a while ago and still wonder if I have enough yarn and how will I go about solving my dilemma if I have one. How was yours?

  Yesterday the air quality was horrible so we decided to have an indoor date. We first went to our favorite place for lunch for a quick bite then went to the Carnegie Museum of Art for the Joan Brown exhibit .  The paintings were fantastic to see in person! I felt very lucky to live near a city and to have a yearly membership to a group of museums that not only have a wonderful permanent collections but also have exhibits throughout the year that change.  Today the air has improved slightly but not enough for my daily walks to resume. I miss them. Frodo and I get out and about, to clean the cobwebs out of our minds. My daily walks are for physical and mental fitness. Hopefully tomorrow will be a great outdoor day.  I picked up a sweater that I started back in March and continually wonder if I have enough yarn (I doubt it) and wonder if I can creatively add another color (that is to be determined). I guess right now I am going to knit through the second skein of five skeins and see wh

 I completed this shawl yesterday afternoon and remembered to photographed it. I enjoyed this knit because of the ease of memorizing the pattern and the repetitiveness of the rows. This kind of knitting is meditative and therapeutic for me, also I can watch a TV show without too many errors. The yarn, Knit Picks Chroma was a bit splitty since it is a single ply yarn but the beautiful color changes make up for that flaw. I have started another hitchhiker and can't wait to see how this one turns out as well. What are you working on this week?

  I had such a good time this weekend with our daughter and son in law. We drove a little north to a restaurant that has beautiful outdoor seating for our lunch on Saturday. Since moving to western PA, my husband and I rarely eat out and therefore do not have a list of great restaurants. I cannot remember which family member recommended this restaurant but it was nice and we would go again. After lunch, we shopped at a few stores before returning home to prepare for extended family to come visit and have dessert. I appreciate my aunt and my sister for making desserts and spending time with us on the back patio. The weather was perfect! Sunday morning, we said goodbye to our company and attended morning Mass. I did the laundry and cleaned the house. After lunch my husband and I went to yet another garden store to purchase this St. Francis statue. We've been on the lookout for this statue since last summer. We are picky and the the statues are rare to find. My cousin recommended this