September was an incredible month…there was baking, and the first day of school, and so many amazing skies (most of which were captured on my morning walks!) and there were good sips, Pilates, Sherman, and a new do! One thing struck me in looking back was this: even though the daylight hours were waning, the light itself was truly spectacular! Especially for taking pictures because it is softer and warmer and I definitely noticed that in this months photo images.
The video shares 1 minute of a September that felt like it began and ended about that fast!
And, that is a wrap for the week! I am heading off to Michigan bright and very early tomorrow morning. (Okay, really dark and insanely early as I will be on my way long before the sun rises!) I will see you all back here next week in time for Unraveled Wednesday!
Greetings from an uber-soggy Pittsburgh. This song has been on replay in my brain and, like CCR, I am wondering who’ll stop the rain. Hilariously, when I searched for the YouTube link to the song – I was reminded that CCR not only has torrential downpours covered, but droughts as well! No matter what end of the rainfall spectrum you are on, there is a CCR song for that! And what Monday is not made better by a little CCR?
Today, I am all about making my weekend look larger than it really was which feels very appropriate given we did absolutely nothing the entire holiday weekend except eat and drink (and try to stay cool and dry!) The eating was so good though! Along with the regular “happy hour eats” Steve grilled some amazing ribs and I made these stuffed squash blossoms! We had sushi one night, and there was even a ratatouille sans eggplant! And so.many.happy.hours!!
We did not go to see any fireworks for the holiday and the rains kept the neighborhood fairly quiet as well.
I did manage to walk every day but Sunday because walking in a thunderstorm is a no-go for me. But can I just say that there should be bonus points given for walking in 4000% humidity? There should be – and those bonus points should be visible, so everyone knows what you did!
All this rain means the weeds look like they are on steroids so it is good that it also makes their removal much easier! Weeding in 4000% humidity and 90 degree temps is not for the faint of heart, but weed I did while Steve cut the grass for what seemed like the umpteenth time this week because the grass is growing like it’s on steroids too!
I spent some time knitting – not much time, but there was some knitting and early Sunday morning I managed to get outside with the camera for few seconds between rainstorms. Honestly, I am stunned I managed to get these images! I was so rushed and it was so cloudy and grey – and that combination does not for great macro photographs! However, this photo is proof that even a mediocre photographer can take a good picture sometimes!
For me, this is the winner… I love everything about this image.
And, there you have my delicious, lazy, long, but incredibly rainy weekend! How about you? Was your weekend all you’d hoped for?
Summertime is always the best of what might be. — Charles Bowden
Happy Summer Solstice! After torrential overnight rains, this morning the clouds are giving way to pale blue skies. The humidity is gone, and the birds are singing! I have shut off the AC and opened wide the windows, welcoming in the cool air. After a week of rarely seeing the sunshine, this is the perfect start to summer!
Celebrating:
Our ninth “anniversary” of sorts! I use the word anniversary loosely because we are not married – but no less committed to each other (and perhaps more so!) Anyways, we had the most hilarious conversation this morning where we struggled with the date a bit – how many years now? After much conversation and checking of calendars – Happy 9 years of co-habitation! The highlight of the morning thus far was the email informing me that I have 1 year of BritBox awaiting me! Steve does know me so well – sometimes is scares me! Ha! Anyways, I have plans to celebrate tonight with our usual Happy Hour, which tonight will be a Happy Anniversary Hour! And, I think the weather is going to cooperate nicely and allow for a bit of a bonfire tonight!
Making:
Yesterday I got all the pieces cut out for Vivi’s quilt top (thanks to Middlemarch – which is the most engaging company) and this morning my plan was to start sewing squares together… But perhaps it would be a better thing to get this yarn skeined up and soaking since the weather is perfect for drying yarn! I also need give my Screen Door a quick soak and a bit of blocking. Yesterday, I pulled out this project and managed to get past the sleeve divide. And, this weekend I want to make some more of this incredible jam. It is insanely delicious – far less sweet – and much faster than this jam. I did NOT strain the jam as suggested in the recipe. As you can see, there is no shortage of “making” going on here.
Watching:
The latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale and a new series, Das Boot – both on Hulu. I also finally caught up with the latest season of Bosch on Amazon. And, best of all – the latest season of Endeavor on PBS!
Loving:
Michelle’s Summer Friday Prompts! They are a wonderful thing to contemplate and I am carrying them with me through the week in my morning meditation time. This week’s prompt was ironically timely – and I am profoundly grateful for the prompts. It is always a good reminder to look beyond the bad and think about the future – and to find something to be grateful for.
Asking:
For your valued input! I have been thinking about the future of Unraveled Wednesday – is it stale? Does it need a reboot? How many weeks can we really be excited to talk about our making and reading? I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions! (and if you don’t want to leave a comment here you are welcome to email me at kachrist37 (at) gmail (dot) com – of course you know to swap out the (at) and (dot) with an ampersand and a period.
That is what is happening in my world right now – Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday! (And, I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions about Unraveled Wednesdays!)
The morning greeted me with gentle spring rains and the sounds and smells are wonderful. On Sherman’s very short walk this morning I thought about how much I love the quiet beauty that spring brings – a mix of warm and cool days, more sunshine, and yes – even days of rain are welcome! Overnight more things have begun to green up, it is truly a feast for my eyes. And, I think the birds are as happy as I am about the rain today. In the back yard this morning the robins were busy cocking their heads to listen and finding success over and over and over.
And, this year is the first year that I could cut some blooms from my lilac. They are a treat for my eyes and my nose!
I am taking a bit of a break for the next two weeks and am unsure how much I will be posting, but there will absolutely be Unraveled Wednesday posts. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and that your weekend is full of the beauty that is spring.
I hope you all had the best of holidays with family and friends! It was a gloriously long weekend, but I am very happy that Steve is back at work today! Because I did not even think about a blog post at all over the weekend, I thought I’d share some random tidbits that have either crossed my screen or have been drifting around in my brain recently! And, sorry in advance for the long post!
Has anyone beside me been lamenting the microscopic print on food packaging? To solve this dilemma, I have placed a pair of readers conveniently on the window ledge in the kitchen. But, really… is normal print size too much to ask for?
The Great Christmas Tree Debate came to its fruition over the weekend with the purchase of a smaller footprint tree! The Home Depot Black Friday Sale was the tipping point… unexpected sale FTW!
Heidi texted me Friday night asking ‘how hard would it be to make…’ which meant a quick trip to Joann’s on Saturday morning to get the things needed to make a fleece car seat poncho. A Google search found a free pattern on YouTube that will just need a couple minor modifications!
The knitting of Blaer has halted as the elbow aggravator seems to be purling. I have not stopped knitting entirely though because I did manage to cast on a pair of mittens that I worked briefly this weekend.
In a somewhat related thought, I have put one thing on my list of Intentions for 2019… learn how to knit and purl in the Continental-style in hopes of curtailing this elbow irritation! I know how, but what I need to practice is keeping the tension even!
In the cuteness overload category, did you see the Little Red Long Johns? I am in love with them and think these are the most adorable things yet this holiday season!
Football was so painful on Saturday with Michigan’s loss to Ohio State. So painful. And, I am still not recovered! Way to go from #4 to #8 in one stinking game Michigan! Ouch!
There were some glorious moments of sunshine on Sunday which helped the exterior Christmas Explosion tremendously. Although, you’d think we never saw the sun this year as we achieved #2 for wettest year on record and with 34 more days this year, is the #1 spot achievable?
We have some odd changes to our recycling program starting January 1…they are reducing the number of items we can recycle including a dramatic decrease in the plastics allowed and the removal of all glass from the recycling list. What?? I have not yet determined what I will do with these items, but I think it will merit a call to my state representatives – perhaps it is time for PA to get on board with a bottle deposit!!
That’s all I have for this Mon-uesday! See you back here tomorrow for the last Unraveled Wednesday of November!
