by Kat | Mar 1, 2024 | General, Welcome
March came in that winter like the meekest and mildest of lambs, bringing days that were crisp and golden and tingling, each followed by a frosty pink twilight which gradually lost itself in an elfland of moonshine. ― L.M. Montgomery
L.M. Montgomery’s quote above seems quite perfect for this morning… everything is covered in a frost and my breath is visible as I walk. But the skies are clear, the sun rose with a gorgeous rosy golden glow… and the temperature is supposed to rise into the 50’s today!
February roared to a close this week, literally… raging winds that blew out the mild weather we had and reminded me that, yes… it is still winter! Still. Sigh.
But March brings the “light at the end of the tunnel” closer and closer. My morning walks are full of light… beautiful light. Well at least for a few more days until we turn the clocks ahead on the 10th, then I will have lighter nighttime walks as I wait for the morning light to catch up again.
I had such great hopes for a spring with a plethora of blooming daffodils, crocus, alliums, and tulips but most of those hopes have been dashed… or rather eaten. Yes, every last crocus that had come up has been eaten entirely… every.last.one. And the few tulips that had begun to sprout have been shredded by the damned squirrels. And whatever was eating those tender allium shoots… keeps eating them as they valiantly continue to grow. I planted an abundance (30 or so) of “daffodils for naturalizing” and not a single one has sprouted. The only daffodils that have grown are the ones I planted near the living room window. So March Disappointment is absolutely A. Thing.
The snowdrops though… they started blooming last month and they are still going strong! One day last month, I sat in the sunshine on the porch step soaking in the warmth and watched bees dancing around those tender blooms. So maybe I just need to order a LOT more snowdrop bulbs!!
I have thought about the things I want to accomplish this month… but I don’t really have any spectacular things to put on a list.
I *need* to pull out a few “warm weather” things in my closet (a few are pulled out but maybe a few more… I really don’t like the “mixed wardrobe closet” at all. It just feels like chaos… because it is a bit chaotic!)
I have an eye doctor appointment this month and a meeting with the audiologist about hearing aids.
So there you have my March… I am hopeful that my disappointments will wane and that there will be good things that overtake them!
What about you? What do you hope your March holds?
** Photo by Polina Kovaleva
by Kat | Jan 8, 2024 | General, Welcome
Begin as you mean to go on… Charles Spurgeon
Here we are one week into the new year. I spent some of last week tucking away Christmas… a bit of a melancholic activity. But I also like the feeling of reclaimed space to start the new year… which helps to balance the sadness of packing the tree away.
I also spent some time contemplating the year… I got my calendar all set for the month. I always feel so organized by doing this and perhaps this year that feeling will linger!
And I spent some time comtemplating Carole’s idea of slowing down a bit in January.
And with those thoughts in mind, here is what I want my January to hold!
- More poetry… I have three books from the library and I am excited to immerse myself in them!
- More slow stitching… I have unearthed the appliqué project from last year. I began a new year-long “free stitch” project as well, I am using this project with my morning coffee and journal time… it is fitting in well!
- More handknit socks… so I cast on my first pair on Friday using Carole’s Picot Edge Sock pattern… and have made incredible progress just knitting at night while we watch TV! (I might even have the first sock done by Wednesday!!)
- More spinning… so I have “reactivated” a reminder for two afternoons a week. I am hoping the reminder to “sit and spin” will help this become a habit!
This is an ambitious list for someone who wants a slow January… but I am mindful that the activities here are all slow… and that they will inherently slow me down so I can savor January days!
What about you? What are you saying hello to this month?
Photo by Jill Wellington
by Kat | Sep 5, 2023 | General, Welcome
September is the other January. — Gretchen Rubin
This quote resonated with me as I turned the calendar to a new month. I am very much loving the idea of beginning again… with so many things. I spent the summer pared back, minimal, letting go of so many things… and now I stand on the precipice of a new month and I have the urge to add some things back in. Really badly.
But…
There is a part of me that is loving the more minimalistic me, so while the urge to add back is overwhelming, I am going to be very selective as to what gets added back in! I am going to control the urge to just add it all back by using my September list to keep my focus.
- Get back to my calendar… yes, I have ignored any form of calendar since June. I know. What was I thinking? But all good things must come to an end… and the days of calendar free living are over. I began yesterday by noting some things to complete this week. Not many, but enough to make me pay attention to my calendar and how I am doing this week!
- Re-order my “desk” space … and.start.using.it!! The summer of no calendar, no desk, and some days… no laptop need to end. I will help this by making my early morning space welcoming. I have a new poetry book to entice me to sit in the early morning darkness. I also have a new journal that is waiting to be written in!
- Sewing. Yes, I have some sewing to do for fall. I am hoping that the weather helps entice me to do this by providing some rainy days… or some cooler weather! Which is not this week… we are full on Summer in temperature and humidity this week! Steve thinks that once this week is over that the warm days will be less frequent but I am not so sure of that because…
- …on warmer days, I am still committed to doing a fair bit of afternoon porch stitching. My gosh… that is the one hold-over from summer that I am going to cling to until it is too cold!
- Painting…. I have done almost none all summer. (mainly because I have not wanted to be indoors) But I miss it… so much. I have some things to practice on and I am going to ease myself back in to that habit.
- And finally…blogging… yes, I am feeling the urge to blog a bit more, perhaps on my pre-break schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday… stay tuned!
And that, my friends, is a very full list of things to fill my September days! What about you? What are you hoping to fill your days with?
See you all back here tomorrow with some unraveling!
Photo by Marta Wave
