Yarn Along

There's been some knitting and reading going on the past few days!

I am knitting matching hats for the girls for St. Nicholas' Feast Day. V's hat is finished (and I forgot to get it out for the picture) and Ree's hat is almost finished. I just need to do the decreases and it'll be done!

I also began my last pair of Christmas socks. I have hope that they will be finished in time for Christmas.

Over the weekend I began Stoner. So far it is very good! I am not too far into it though to offer a full review. 

I am also thinking about some sort of reading plan for the New Year. My husband and I were talking the other day about all the classics that I am sure are wonderful, but due to the force reading of them in high school I have bad memories of. I am thinking of picking twelve for 2015 and reading one each month. I may go through this list and possibly this one too in order to pick which ones I want to read. I have a feeling it will be hard to narrow the list down to just twelve! 

Morning::Noon::Night

Morning, noon and night...three little peeks into my day yesterday. Joining Kim

 

Morning:: 8:30AM

 

Noon:: 2:00PM

Night:: 4:45PM (technically still noon but I'm going with "twilight" we had just finished putting lights on the outside trees!)

December 1st

December already!

November was so full. I missed this space and visiting all yours. I will be fixing that this month!

But most of my computer time in November was writing for NaNoWriMo. I wrote 50,000 words. It was a wonderful motivating, inspirational and habit forming month. I learned that if I just sit down at the computer then words will come. I cannot guarantee that they will be the perfect words, but for writing a draft, they were good enough.

While doing that there was a first birthday to plan and celebrate. HOW has this first year gone by already? I cannot wrap my head around it!

There was Thanksgiving at my mom's. I made the cracker and cheese turkey, she made the fruit one. We had a fabulous day. And there was so much food left over that we went back down for supper Friday night too!

Over the weekend we enjoyed Daddy being home for four full days, an unheard of event around these parts. (I am very much looking forward to it's repeat at Christmas!) There was slow days of knitting and slowly getting up the Christmas decorations, sipping tea and hot chocolate, a little bit of shopping, a whole lot of Advent planning. My goal for this month is simplicity. In everything. To enjoy the season through the eyes of my girls. They need some art projects, baking cookies, twinkle lights and decorations and they are overjoyed. Simple and intentional are the mantra I will be repeating to myself in the next few weeks.

I am looking forward to catching up with everyone again!

Gratitude::it's everywhere

michelle's gratitude week is over. I skipped posting the last few days last week. But I didn't stop counting. Or taking pictures. Taking pictures causes me to pause, to see the beauty in front of me in a different way, it helps me focus and be centered on the moment in front of me.

The action of noticing, and then writing down, my gratitudes has helped me to be open to more gratitudes. To more things to be thankful for. The big, the small, the ones in between.

I seek beauty for my life. I seek joy. I seek peace. I seek enthusiasm.

I am slowly finding that the beginning of those things (for me) is to give thanks. And from that thanks all other things come. 

This time of year always makes people more aware of our gratitudes. My wish is that I can carry it throughout the rest of the year, not just for the month of November. 

I have so much to be thankful for. I think gratitude posts will become a regular here.

Because when there is nothing else that comes to mind to write, I am always able to sit and write out a gratitude list. Lists and gratitudes. Two things that make my heart sing. Along with gray afternoons & candle light; opening new books as the rain hits the window; holding a steaming cup of chai tea between my hands; the warmth of a blanket on my legs; falling twilight; the sound of Christmas carols; the quiet of the girls resting; the knowledge that supper will be easy. 

Just a few things to be grateful for this late afternoon

Gratitude Week: Day 3

::for lamp light on a gray afternoon

::hot chocolate and a book

::online community

::quiet evenings

::sinking into the whiney moods, accepting them & moving on

::curling into bed, even if no sleep comes

::gray mornings and the promise of a fresh day ahead

What are you grateful for? Joining michelle for gratitude week

Gratitude week::Day 2

::beautiful weather for a fall walk

::crunching leaves with my girl

::fresh air that helps any mood--good or bad

::messy, creative tables

::writing down gratitudes

::apple pie baking

::soup simmering

::tea steaming

some gratitudes from yesterday to join with michelle for gratitude week

Weekending::Gratitudes

::quiet time with yarn, needles & my little big girl

::the sun glowing through yellow trees

::quiet afternoons under blankets

:: a daddy & his little girl planting bulbs for spring

::a quiet house 

::a husband who takes the girls for a few hours so Momma's headache can get better

::when they return and all my people are tucked into bed

Just a few things from this weekend I am grateful for

Linking with with Karen for weekending and Michelle for gratitude week

Yarn Along

I had meant to have this post up this morning. But instead I took part in a writing sprint with the  small NaNoWriMo group I am a part of. 

I am pleased to say that 5 days into NaNo and I am doing pretty well! If nothing else, this will help cement my writing practice.

There has also been some knitting. A husband and baby who both have colds make for some quiet times around here. When knitting can get done. Along with some reading! (please don't ask me how the laundry, dishes or cleaning is going. Suffice it to say there is clean clothes....just not always folded. There are clean dishes....just not always put away from the dish dryer. The cleaning....well the house isn't filthy but there may be extra toys strewn around the house at bedtime!)

This morning I finished my Purple Monkey Socks. I love this pattern. After binding off I was struck that this yarn probably would have been better suited for a shawl. If they weren't a Christmas gift, and if there was more time until Christmas, and if I didn't have to knit two more pairs of socks for Christmas, I may have frogged them. But time you know.

I finished The Alchemist last night and LOVED. IT. I must buy a copy for myself. I haven't said that about a book in a long time. This is one of those that needs to be read once, if not twice a year. Like at the New Year. And maybe again in the summer. 

October

Today is seriously the last day of October?

My poor neglected blog

I honestly cannot tell you what we have done the past few weeks!

There has been some knitting. A little bit of reading.

Not a whole lot of picture taking

There has been thinking. I have decided to participate in NaNoWriMo where you write a novel in 30 days. 50,000 words. I think I am nuts for doing this. I have never really enjoyed writing fiction. Although I have an active imagination. I need to just step outside of my head and write and see what comes out. I think I might surprise myself. A big plus and what takes (most) of the pressure off is that it is a rough draft and doesn't have to look pretty. 

I am mostly doing it as a personal challenge. To push myself. To give myself a project to focus on. I am hoping this will jump start me out of the creative funk I have found myself in! 

All of this to say that depending on how the words flow each day, and how much time that I usually use for writing here, or commenting on blogs....may be used for trying to get at least 1,667 words a day down.

On top of that we have a first birthday(!!!!!) and Thanksgiving mixed in there. 

November looks to be busy, full and lots of fun! 

I think a goal will be to at least write a weekending post here each week!  

Get outside!

It seems we've been having an awful lot of "moods" around here lately

You'd think I'd remember sooner that just the act of stepping outside for a walk around the neighborhood would help with those moods

When the walls of the house get too small

when I start to feel overwhelmed with all the stuff we have

and the thought that two birthdays and Christmas are looming

which means more stuff will be coming in

sometimes you just need to go out for a walk

to skip and jump through the leaves

pick up all kinds of interesting leaves in order to begin a leaf collection

make friends with the neighborhood dogs

and some people too

take a picture in front of a bush because "I match the leaves!"

marvel at the blue sky &

the big power lines in the back of the development

then come back home for a tea party and a treat

and a rest because walking all that way makes some little legs tired

and you know what?

the mood seems to lift.

Every. Time.

Weekending

The weekend began with rain....lots of it

so Saturday morning was spent cozied up inside making meatballs and a general tidy up of the house

then there was my nephew's kids birthday party

lots of kids

lots of paint

lots of fun!

Saturday afternoon was naps for everyone....even Ree!

running a few errands

spaghetti and meatballs for supper

and a relaxing evening of reading after the girls were in bed

Sunday was a tough morning even though it dawned bright & sunny

everyone seemed in an off mood

I needed to step outside by myself for a few minutes where I captured these pictures

that and Mass helped everyones mood

There was rest time for Ree & a nap for V

Momma watched football & finished up her Monkey sock

Daddy napped too

then it was off to the nephews family birthday party

and early bedtime when we got home for everyone

How was your weekend?

Linking up with Karen

I spy...

*an orange sky

*the world waking up

*God's Eyes that we made yesterday 

*my almost empty coffee cup

*a yoga mat that hasn't been used in weeks

*toys that weren't picked up last night

*knitting strewn about

*my reflection in the window

*the sunbeam making the wooden floors glow

*a house that is lived & loved in

writing along with the WriteALM prompts

Yarn Along

What's that you say? It is Thursday already? 

Honestly I cannot tell you where this week has gone or what we have done! Ree has been stuffy all week. Not enough to say she is sick, but enough where I have noticed a significant drop in her energy level (as well as a significant drop in her talking). We have stayed close to home for the most part. Doing some art here and there, watching too much tv, you know. All the usual stuff when kids aren't quite themselves.

I have been working on some small knitting projects. 3 more baby hats to add to the NICU pile. A few washcloths after reading Donna's post about sending along a few hand knit wash cloths and some toothpaste and toothbrushes to Haiti. It's good to have a stash! 

I've also been writing along with Corinne's writing course Writing Naturally: October. I am loving it. It is really cementing my love for free writing. And lots of ideas, thoughts are coming out of it too.

So that's our life in a nutshell for the week. Nothing big and exciting going on (except for the fact that my sister is going to have a baby in the Spring. This knitting Auntie can't wait until she finds out if they are boys or girls. Did I mention that she is pregnant with identical twins?)

Weekending

Saturday was the epitome of rainy October: damp, gray & periods of rain

it called for lingering in pajamas and watching "just one more show"; a late morning run to Dunkin Donuts & since we were already out in the rain, a stop at Target

when daddy got home from work it was time for a nap for baby & Ree & Daddy time building towers out of used yogurt cups

and a few errands for Momma, with a stop at church & the library

then it was a family trip to the big box craft store where we all lingered in the art supply aisle. Nothing came home with us, but we added quite a bit to Ree's birthday & Christmas lists!

Saturday night was family movie night that was cut short by a stuffy, cranky little 4 year old who needed bed

Sunday dawned early and bright. The epitome of beautiful October: golden sun, crisp air.

There was Mass, another Dunkin Donuts coffee run, the decision to let go of all Sunday afternoon out-of-the-house plans due to a stuffy, cranky little 4 year old.

Daddy worked out in the yard, little girls napped/rested, Momma knit & read & puttered around picking things up here and there. 

All in all it was a pretty nice first weekend of October!

Linking up with Karen.

This week

This week was the slow that we needed

An easing into October

Filled with gray mornings

and

rainy afternoons spent reading, knitting and watching (too much) tv

But I believe, as we reach Friday, 

that it was what was needed. 

I hope you all have a good weekend!

Yarn Along

I was a busy knitter this weekend!

I have begun my Christmas sock knitting. These are the Monkey pattern. Which is easy & I love but for some reason if I work on them for too long I get a pain in my thumb/wrist. So I can only do one pattern repeat a day (or so. I cheated yesterday and did two in order to finish the leg. I am paying the price this morning). 

This weekend I finished Legwarmies for my little ballerina. They are too big. I need to take them in a little bit so they don't keep falling down!

I finished two books in the past few days. The Book Thief which I loved & couldn't put down. Made me think about the Holocaust in a different way...through the eyes of the Germans who didn't believe in the extermination of the Jews. 

And just this morning I finished One Thousand Gifts. This one took me months. So full of little gems that I couldn't read more then a page or two without having to put it down to think/journal my thoughts.

What have you been knitting & reading lately?

Morning::Noon::Night

Morning, noon and night...three little peeks into my day yesterday. Joining Kim

 

Morning:: 6:30AM

 

Noon:: 2PM

Night:: 5:30PM

Weekending

This weekend was what we all needed

It started with a sunset trip to our happy place. The colors didn't disappoint. We all were at peace and serene. Something that hasn't happened a whole bunch lately.

Those feelings carried through the next two days.

We did things without any rush, without any stress. We stuck close to home for the most part. 

There was a whole lot of intention, a whole lot of going slow. And lo and behold, a whole bunch of things got accomplished. With no anxiety or the feeling of discontent.

Here's hoping it lasts as the week begins!

***

I took a wee bit of a blogging/social media/internet break last week. After the finish of Poetry in Everyday Beauty I found I needed it. It felt refreshing! I look forward to catching up with everyone this week!

Yarn Along

 

I have finished socks! 

Last weekend I finished the second sock of this pair. And then ripped back the first sock to the cuff. I have never done that before but was not happy with the size and fit and rather then be upset at a finished pair of socks, I decided to take the time and fix it. And I am so glad that I did. I think the recipient will like them too.

I have a few other socks ready to cast on....it's Christmas knitting time...but I made a few baby hats quick first. When the baby spent her first week of life in the NICU I had decided that I would have a nice pile of baby hats made for her first birthday to donate in her name. I dug them out the other day and there are 10. While not too shabby, it isn't quite the pile I had been hoping for. So this week I made 2 more and I am hoping for at least 20. Her birthday is still 2 months away so I have some time (only 2 months!?! Where has this year gone?)

And this is the pile of goodies that I brought home from our Anniversary yarn shop hop.

I want to cast on for them all....I have no idea which one will be made up first! But I have to wait...I need 3 pairs of socks for Christmas gifts before I can make a pair for myself!

I haven't been reading much this week. I have a stack of books from the library. But I cannot decide which one to start first!

Morning::Noon::Night

Morning, noon and night...three little peeks into my day yesterday. Joining Kim

 

Morning:: 6:45AM

 

Noon:: 12PM

Night:: 7PM

Weekending

This weekend was anniversary weekend!

There was a spontaneous trip to Cape Cod (I'd never been!). My husband planned the trip around some yarn stores!

So there was some buying of yarn (more on that Wednesday)

walking around

sunset watching

late night driving with two sleeping girls

then the last half hour with a screaming baby

there was a date night dinner while the girls spent time at my parents

dodging the raindrops as we walked around a local fishing village

Sunday morning tradition of Mass, coffee & relaxation

Sunday afternoon of grocery shopping, watching a little football and visiting family

trying to capture the absolutely stunning Sunday night sunset, unsuccessfully

All in all it was a fantastic weekend! How was yours?

Linking up with Karen

Morning::Noon::Night

 

Morning:: 10:30AM

 

Noon:: 2:30PM

Night:: 7:45PM

Linking up with Kim to share our Morning, Noon & Night pictures