By this time next week, it will be November! How is that even possible? My focus for the remainder of 2018 is to slow down and savor these days.
Thinking About – Trees. Yes, that’s right, trees. I am almost done with The Overstory, and I think this might be the most fascinating book I have read all year.
Grateful For – The number of sunny days we have had recently. They are a balm to my spirit and we are getting to the Season of Endless Grey Days – so I would like to bottle up some of the sunshine to open when needed!
Inspired By –Arne and Carlos to make a few geranium clippings to overwinter in the house. Now, let’s see if I can manage to not kill them all… my interior green thumb is practically non-existent! Keep your fingers crossed for them and send some good grow mojo their way! Ha!
Fun, fun, fun – It has been quite chilly the past few mornings on my walk, so I have had mittens on the brain! These mittens certainly fill the fun category and they look super warm as well: En Halv Citron and Spunni!
That is all I have for today – have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
This got me thinking… lots! Because there are some things that I recently have said yes to with great joy!
Thing One:
I am saying yes to a bit of Michelle GD as this year winds down. My first YES was to Gratitude Week, which begins on November 5th…this is such a lovely way to refocus and renew (and this is a free offering – her gift to you!) Last year, I did not take part in her December Just Five Things and this year I am not going to miss out on the insight she shares. And, it is the perfect way to slow down December – focus inwardly, rather than being overtaken by the rush of the season. Registration is open, you might want to say yes to this as well!
Thing Two:
Something that feels a little outside of my “knitting” comfort zone is Kid Silk Haze. Yet, I have managed to acquire a sizeable stash of this stuff. Again, with some inspiration from Mary, I am going to participate in Ambah’s ADVENTurer KAL… yes, using KSH. Mary planted the seeds and I think this might be the perfect thing for December – some slow knitting.
Thing Three:
While I said no to the year-long commitment of choir at church… I did say yes to singing one time in December. Our director has made this a super easy thing to do… the music tracks are online, so I have started practicing already and there will just be ONE rehearsal to attend.
And, there you have my ‘yes’ things! But, what about you? What are you saying yes to right now?
Want to see more things? Head on over to Carole’s!
This week the knitting has been focused…and the result is a finished blanket!
Things I learned:
Applied i-cord must be knit with a larger needle than you think…I should have done a practice square. The blanket is currently soaking and ready for its final “blocking” but, imo… the i-cord is a tiny bit tight. BUT… I am not taking it out and redoing it. I believe it will be okay in the finished product, but for blanket number two, I am going up in needle size to accommodate for my tension.
Joining squares and then rows means LOTS of ends to weave in. I was wise and left some of the edges to weave into the i-cord… three cheers to that me from this me! Well done!
Things take WAY longer than you think they will to complete. Blanket Two Assembly is underway…at.long.last.
Reading….
This is where I generally post books I have finished…. Except this week, I have NO FINISHES! I know…so sad. So, instead lets do this weeks current reads…
I am listening to Jon Meacham’s American Gospel: God, The Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. I am just over half way though and I will hold my commentary until I have finished, but Meacham’s writing is wonderful!
I am reading The Overstory, which is fascinating. It seems to be a collection of stories about different people with the common thread of trees in the story… and as a hater of short stories, I must say I am loving this. Really. A lot! I have less than half to go to finish and I find that I am angry at myself for being tired and needing to put the iPad down. A true sign of a very good book!
That is what I have in progress this week… what about you? What’s on your making and reading list this week? If you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below!
On a weekend where almost everyone was at Rhinebeck and yours truly was sadly not! The best thing to clear out those “I wish I was there blues” is to do something fun and this was indeed a weekend of fun here in Western PA!
Friday Happy Hour was the perfect kick off, and it is my absolute favorite to do that right here at home. It is, imo, best done at home and we have our routine down! And, I have a hot tip to share… if your local Costco sells liquor, the Kirkland American Vodka is a winner! And, it comes with a price that is even nicer! Thank you, Traverse City Costco for having well stocked shelves!
Saturday, we made the big trek to Sewickley, with a stop at Sewickley Yarns where I did some very minor stash enhancement. Lunch however, was the star of the day! We discovered Najat’s Cuisine! This little Lebanese restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, but the food was incredible, and the owners were so warm and welcoming. We will absolutely be back!
We then headed to a local distillery for a few tastes! I figured this would be a good reward for Steve’s patience in the yarn shop… lol. McLaughlin Distillery is unique – it is very small – practically a one-man business. The distiller even makes the barrels he ages the whiskey in and we might have left with a bottle or two…
Sunday was my “nose to the grindstone” day… I powered through the i-cord and got blanket one done, but more on that tomorrow!
And, yet with all that fun we saved the best for last. We headed off into the Laurel Highlands on Monday and it was the most amazingly perfect day – sunny, clear, and yes… dare I say mild! We hoped to see some fall color in our visit to Fallingwater and Ohiopyle! And, while the fall color was very meh, Fallingwater was almost a religious experience. It is more magnificent than its photos! I was unaware of the history of the property, but the 5,100 acres originally were purchased by the Masons for a camping retreat. The Kaufmann family then purchased the property from the Masons in the 20’s with the idea that Kaufmann’s Department Store employees from Pittsburgh could vacation there to get out of the grime of the city and enjoy the fresh and restorative air at the Camp. At that time there was a train that ran with a stop about a mile from the Camp. In 1935 Frank Lloyd Wright designed the home in 1935 and construction was finished in 1937 and it was used by the Kaufmann family until 1963 when it was donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy intact – with all the original furnishings! There is a main home and a guest house. And, the rhododendrons… there are thousands of them around the house and along all the walk ways. The grounds are incredible to walk, and it is so amazing to see the house as a living part of the landscape, rather than an intrusion to it. Frank Lloyd Wright’s quote was achieved spectacularly at Fallingwater:
No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other.
We spent so much time at Fallingwater, we only stopped at the Ohiopyle falls before heading back home. It was the best possible ending to a wonderful long weekend!
I am closing with a couple of quick video’s of both Fallingwater and Ohiopyle! I hope your week is going well!
Now I am off to catch up on all your blogs! Happy Tuesday, all!
Houston…we have applied icord!! It was a very rocky start, but I figured it out and have been buzzing right along with it. I have about half of blanket one to do yet, but I am feeling great success!! Woo hoo!
Thinking About – The Instagram conundrum… why do I see all the posts I want to see when I open Instagram in a browser window on my pc but from the app on my phone I must search for friends’ posts? Really, this is making me so mad. Also, am I the only one getting a million “promoted” posts on the phone app? Instagram, you are making me crazy and not in a good way! I have been trying to go through and “turn on notifications” for all the people I want to see however, that is a process in itself! Yes… this is really not a problem in the scheme of things, but there you have it.
Grateful For – The spate of sunny days we have had recently! Even the chilly mornings are easier to take with bright blue skies! I only walked one day where it was a bit “misty” out, every other day was just glorious!
Inspired By – Robin’s Back to the Mat! Yes, this week has been hard (and there are still 2 more days to go!!) but I feel so accomplished when I complete my time on the mat! Note to self… be inspired by your own motivation!
Fun, fun, fun – This weekend is sure to be full of fun, especially since Steve is taking Monday off and we have plans to go and enjoy the southwestern PA sights! I will be back here on Tuesday to tell you all about it!
Things to ponder – The preliminary deets for Project Peace 2018 went up this week!! I did not knit a peace project last year and I really need some peace this year… badly! Proceeds will be donated to Seeds of Peace this year, and I am super inspired to participate. I am hoping that I will have some fellow peace-seeking knitters joining me!
And, that’s all I have for this week! Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Tuesday!
