Superbowl Sunday

Our house was rather laid back.  How about yours?  The game sure did seem to be played in halves.  The first to the Falcons, the second the Patriots.  Pats also played better in overtime.

Besides football, what was good?  Mine would be:

• mason jars, for candy storing
• slow day
• knitting more on infinity scarf
• junk food for dinner
• hugs and kisses to share

Day of Verbs!

Today closed with the first significant snow!  Not a whole lot, but enought to cancel events, start up the woodstove, get out the boots, and sweep the snow away.  We got maybe an inch!  Because of it, my thankfulness includes:

• napping
• knitting
• reading
• warm fire
• sweeping snow

See all the verbs!!!  snicker, snicker

Moving on!!  I'd been pondering a Sky Scarf for awhile.  This year is the year it gets worked on!  With January 1st on a Sunday, it is working out nicely for my weird brain.  There are just times order is a good and wonderful thing.  Anyway, this week has been a combination of a lot of gray days, gray and blue, snow and blue, making the scarf quite colorful already.  Here are a couple photos:

 The colors don't show up as well as I'd like,

but it is coming together nicely.

Had been hoping to use five colors,

but seeing how these three are coming together

may just leave it these.  A viragated blue, gray, and white.

That's my day, verbs and all.  Catch 'ya tomorrow!

Random Joy

All sorts of joy today; gratitude all over the roadmap; looks like a plate of spaghetti noodles all jumbled together.

Sometimes, randomness and mess can be good.  Today, we were okay with it.  After gathering up the stash of knitting needles and matching up their mates, I finished cleaning out a basket.  In that process, money was found, in an envelope addressed to me.  Very unexpected surprise, a joyful and greatful moment.

Another moment was driving across town, Adele on Pandora playing, and the sky clearing up.  Beautiful shades of blue and white clouds.  In the van felt warm, without the heat turned on.  This, after two and a half days of dreary, felt wonderful.

Listing the hightlights looks like this:

• blue skies
• found money
• day not rushed
• winter sunset through the trees
• moments to sit and chat

Lovely Things

Headed out to Target today (third different one in a week or so, I think) trying to find the right size desk top calendar.  This particular one (aka Target #3) has consistently had the right size, but not today!  Drats the luck.  Was recommended to go to a fourth one!  Ugh!!  I've also check other stores while there too.

Anyway, while at Target #3, I found the following beautiful planner.

 The flowers are really cute.

Front says, "ooh, la, la",

but that isn't what sold me on it.

 Check out what is by each date.

Yup, daily gratitude!

I'm trying to be reminded of gratitude, daily.

This space "sold" me on the planner.

While taking the quick photos, just noticed "weekly intentions"

across the top.  This planner gets me excited for the year.

Besides the run to Target, has been like any other dreary day.  My sky scarf has a 1 day of beautiful blue sky and 2 dreary, gray days.  But remembering the gratitude would look like this:

• on the mends from a cold
• leftovers for meals
• basic school days
• no where to go (other than errand to Target)
• finding 5th color for sky scarf
• dinner alone, at home, with hubby.  Boys weren't ready for dinner and it was a fix it yourself kind of night.
• pretty planner

That sums of January 3rd.  Hope your New Year is turning out lovely!

First Post

Happy New Year!

Out with the old, in with the new.  New goals, traditions, things to learn; the possibilities feel endless.

So far this year:

• started log for sky scarf ~ pretty mix of blues and white clouds today
• rading "The Irish Cottage: Finding Elizabeth" by Juilet Gauvin.  So far it is pretty good, hasn't become one that I can't put down, but has the potential

Thankfulness to date:

• ice cold water
• krispy kreme donuts for breakfast
• getting the house straitened up a bit, post Christmas
• premier of season 4 of  "Sherlock Holmes"

What has been good in your neck of the woods?

By the Number

Got an email last night from Pandora; the music, not the jewlery.  It was a summary of 2016 of my lsitening, to date.  Found it interesting.  Here is what they had to say:

• Go to station - Allison Kraus and Union Station
• Total songs lisened to - 10,857
• Total hours listened - 639
• Total stations listened to - 35
• Total thumbs up - 335
• First song thumbed up - Hello by Adele
• Last song thumbed up - Silver Bells by Bing Crosmt and Ella Fitzgerald
• Most active month - August

Do you losten to Pandora?  What are your favorite stations?

Moving on to the Joy for the day:

1. finding another good color of yarn for my sky scarf
2. time out, by myself
3. slow morning
4. good music
5. Young Living Oils
6. home made food
7. getting third quarter printing finished

Year End Musing!

Wow!  Gone a bit without visiting my blog.  Not the end of the world, but still something I wish I could "do" more faithfully.

Never been to good at New Years Resolutions.    Guess I did succed in somethings during 2016.  Managed to log 15 books read, with one title twice.  Started wearing a Fitbit in January; I've logged 2,689,785 steps.  I'm sure that will increase some in the remaining few days.  I will not make promises or firm goals for concrete bench marks in either area for 2017.  I just want to keep moving and reading.  I'm already compiling a list of books I'd like to read, so hopefully I'm off to a good start.  As for moving, just keeping at it and in need of new sneakers.  Got to take care of the feet!!!!

Other things I REALLY want to accomplish:

1. a sky scarf - I've talked about it here before.  Three to five shades of daytime sky colors and knitting a row of the appropriate color for each day.  Not sure how this will pan out, but have three colors already and thing I have the pattern narrowed down to a couple different stitches.  Will write more later.
2. trying more "new" recipes.  Nothing elaborate or fancy, just new to us.
3. getting out more with Kevin
4. getting out more with friends
5. blogging more
6. finding my crafting nitch

That seems good enough for now, no need to be overwhelming here.

To bring thankfulness up to date:

1. time to read
2. roaring fires
3. good coffee
4. boys doing well in school
5. time off
6. getting out and walkin
7. apple picking
8. Simon put star on Christmas tree
9. seeing Christmas lights with friends
10. matching pajamas

And with this quick post, I'm wrapping it up.  Lots left to accomplish today.

Lavendar and Peter Rabbit today

That is what has been running through my head all day; at least that is what it feels like.  The day had it's challenges, but fortunately I'd been able to pin point some of the issues and take care of those directly and appropriately.  Sure makes that part of life easier.  Despite feeling a bit crummy, was able to keep a level head with school and our boys.  We talked through the last bits of school that need to be finished, came up with plans, and they moved on with the plan.  Felt good to get their in put and them working on it.

During the "long day" I had mixed up water and lavendar essential oil, in a spray bottle.  Lavendar is know for it's calming effects.  At a minimum, the air smelled better and spring like.  It got me thinking of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit.  I was off to Pinterest to look her up.  Here's one lovely photo I found:

Isn't it lovely ~ a knitting mouse!

The good for today:

• hitting my step count goal
• playing around with scrap yarn
• soup
• popsiscles
• getting hard chores done
• good discussions with the boys
• clean out the fridge dinner
• being tired at a reasonable time for bed

And with that, I wish you good night!

Yikes!!! A week!

I've had every intention of coming here every day to write.  Many days I had some great ideas, above and beyond just being thankful.  Cool ideas for photos, but didn't follow through on grabbing the camera and going.  Some days have been just flat out hard, really hard.  Days that were, "but by the Grace of God"!  Life's leveling out, feeling good, sleeping better, eating better, walking more, etc.  Amazing what all that will do for your well being.

Kevin and I spent a lot of odd times together today.  Shopping, cleaning the kitchen, walks, t.v., running errands.  Just weird life stuff.  I spent time clean up and cleaning out my desk today.  Found a lot of old photos and cards that were sent just because.  It was a lovely trip down memory lane.

Here is one that I forgot we had:

These are Charlotte's "baby pictures" we came home with

when we adopted her 5 1/2 years ago.  Her head has gone from

mostly black to a lot more brown!

One of Kevin's and my walks was through the woods and

down to the creek.  Took my shoes off and got in the

water.  Charlotte was happy to follow along.

It's times like this I'd love a 25 foot lead for her.  She'd love the water,

but is all hound and we have not done off lead training.

For the good and joy over the last few days:

• IRL friends
• on-line friends
• potato seeds sprouting
• walks
• rug cleaner
• two fridges (to thaw the main one)
• good food
• teen making brownies
• movies
• knitting
• naps
• fans circulating cool air
• Trader Joe Chocolate Crossaints
• Ikea Cinnamon Roles (for price, okay tasting)

Back to Sunday . . .

. . . in this stretch of blogging.  Last Sunday mulled over how I might keep thing interesting here.  One was sharing my knitting.  My latest idea, which I haven't followed up on, is the Sky Scarf.  Still looking into it; will follow through, but kinda thankful I haven't started just yet.  We're in unusual raining season ~ that scarf would have a lot of gray!  :)

The knitting of the day has been plugging away at this "Three Way Wrap" I found over at Raverly.  I am actually ripping out a sweater I knit about 8 years ago and had worn once in that time.  I just didn't like it, at all.  The color and yarn are fine, just the style of sweater, for me, was all wrong.  Hoping this will be a better thing for me.  Wanted something easy to make and didn't want to spend money on it.

Here's what I have so far:

sorry about the blurry spot at the bottom
need to clean the lense well!

It is 33 inches long, so I have another 24" to go according to the directions.  Think I have enough yarn, hope so anyway.  Haven't settled on buttons yet, but have some time.

Most of today has been pretty good.  Seeing friends, going to church, baking banana bread, making meatballs, and a lot of knitting.  Run down of the joy would be:

• catching up with a "kindered sole"
• seeing glimmers of our kids totally happy and content
• spending time in the kitchen
• smells of homemade banana bread and meatballs (but not at the same time)
• lazy dinner because my energy was spent on the above
• playing in water while it rained
• lots of time knitting
• watching "This Old House" and "Ask This Old House" with our oldest, reminds me of times with my dad
• making time to blog, today it feels good ~ not a chore
• an audio book comes coming, through local library (get to add to the reading tab here)

What has brought you joy lately?  Time alone?  Time with friends?  Crafts?  Share your joy!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Places

What's your happy place?  Where do you go to unwind? To recharge?

Is it a library or book store or a run?  Maybe some place loud because you're an extrovert and need that to recharge!

Life has been wet, to say the least, around my parts of the world.  Heard some folks compare our area to Seattle, Washington because we'd had rain everyday for over two weeks.  Thankful for the rain, as we didn't have to water the new grass, but it does get old after awhile.  Yesterday and today have been gloriously sunny, mild temps, and cool breezes.  This led to finally planting a garden.  For me, that is a happy place.  Sun, breeze, dirt, plants, digging, things to add to the soil so the plants get "good" fertilizer (I added bananas for the potassium, egg shells for the calcium, and Epsom Salt for the magnesium, plus some sand to help loosen up the clay).  It felt wonderful to play in the dirt!

 Two tomato plants and a grape tomate plant!

 Planted beens this year!  A new thing for us to try.

I'll put some twine around the poles and weave the plants through

as they grow.

Three baskets with potato seeds in them.  Found

the idea on Pinterest.  The little plants, to the right of

the laundry baskets, are basil.  Second round unfortunately;

weather has been so unpredictable, we've lost a few things already.

And back to counting the joy:

• warm, dry weather (with a breeze even)
• planting our garden
• final weeks of the school year
• coffee
• getting a computer back

Been thinking . . .

a lot about this blog the last few weeks.  Haven't made the time to come over to post, but have been pondering and thinking.  The intentional counting of joy was the intent of keeping the blog up and going.  I have managed to let life get in the way and not count the joy; not even jotting things down to  log a bunch at one time.  Things need to change!  My intentions need to change.  My focus needs to change.

How will things change?  Here are a few ideas I have been mulling over:

• Knitting ~ have been thinking of making a scarf based off of one years worth of weather.  Here is what I am musing:  5 to 7 colors that the sky might be at noon (sorry, no sunrise or sunsets), this would allow for a few shades of blue, gray, and white.  I'd note in my planner, after coming up with a code, of the color for the given day.  Then, on a predetermined day of the week, knit those seven days of color.  Think I know the yarn I want to use, but need to check availability of colors.  I will play around with size of yarn, pattern, and number of rows per day.  (Raverly has a "paatern" and videos already if you are curious!)
• Another area I want to pick back up is reading.  Think I read 5 or 6 books in January and then quit.  Not sure how I'd blog about that, but a good book should bring you to a happy place.
• Photography ~ either my own or a friends.  Know several folks who take some amazing pictures.
• Articles, videos, music, etc. that leave you feeling good or stretching your mind and heart.
• Possibly sharing of dreams (not literal night time dreams), the things hoped for, worked for.

That's about it for now!  Hope to hear from you.

Knitting ~ for me, ranks high on the joy list

Self taught, learned totally wrong, and learned the "correct" way.  The one folks look at, when someone wants a handicraft class taught to their girls at co-op.  The person who has bins of varying lengths of yarn from left over projects.  I AM that one who says, "Don't interrupt me while I am counting stitches!".  Known to loose a needle because I put it in my hair bun.  I could loose hours walking the aisles at Joanne's looking at and touching the yarn, all the whilst dreaming of the next project.  Friends ask if I would like their skeins of yarn they don't need.

I am my father's daughter, if you apply the same principles to wood, tools, and stains.  He can build the most beautiful things out of wood.  There are many other areas around a house he is good at, but the sound of a saw, the smell of wood and stain will always remind me of him.  I enjoy tinkering with him in his shop too!  He is a wealth of knowledge!

My brain is racing again!  Racing like Mario Anretti with things to make with srape yarn, things for the boys, and new projects.  Some require research, some just the gumption to sit and do, others brain storming, measuring, and planning.  It's a joyful feeling to have my brain engaged like this again; it has been to long.  Time for notes and sketches and measuring!  Maybe this is why I am liking my colored pencils, pens, and highlighters, i can think in color then!

So, I will leave you with something finished and something new!

 Most of the whole blanket!

 Close up of the back.

Close up of the front

Something new!