Some Most days, the struggle is real in my effort to spark content here. And, confession time, there are many days that I more than consider that this blog has reached its conclusion. However, near as that may feel most days, I am not quite ready to pull the plug here… at least this week.
But, as a new season/new month begins… I thought I’d take a bit of a snapshot of what I am currently doing… and I will use currently in an acrostic style update. (And my thought is that I will update some of the actionable items below to help me stay on track!) So here we go!
Cozy-ing
I really love a scented candle burning but finding a candle that is subtly scented was a challenge. But I got a newsletter from a yarn dyer a couple of weeks ago who shared that she was appreciating the coziness of this season… a cup of tea and a lit candle from Wax & Wool were making her days! So I jumped in the Wax & Wool pool… and ordered a couple of scented candles! Flannel Blanket and Autumn Leaves arrived promptly (the service was fantastic!) and when I opened the candle jars I was pleasantly surprised at the subtlety of the fragrances! I have been burning Autumn Leaves every morning when I sit down to write in my journal and order my day. The fragrance from the burning candle is delightful. If you, too, want just a hint of fragrance… I very much recommend these two scents. Thank you, Wax & Wool for bringing a bit more cozy to my mornings!
Utilizing
All the notes of things that worked and did not work this year in my planner(s) and I have begun setting up my planner for next year (I still need to get a Leuchtturm1917) Things that worked very well for me this year… my weekly planning and my “book covers” for the year. This year, I added in a couple of things that I was not aware of when I began 2025 – Snippet’s Show Notes and “Just Now” Fridays (thank you so much for this inspiration, Carole!! It is becoming a highpoint of my week!) As you can see, I have marked off pages for these things in the back of my planner (It is a Hobonichi Techo Weeks MEGA) and it leaves me a very good amount of pages for daily journaling/joy/gratitude. (I will divide the remainder in half) I also laid out plans for the new Leuchtturm1917 journal. I will continue to record all my “making” in a third of the pages, one third will be the space for my “word” thoughts (yes, I am doing planning on spending a year with a focus around a word again!) and the final third will hold “book thoughts/notes.” I began doing that this year and have loved it! I like looking through the pages and it has helped improve my “book recall!”
Racing
Against the clock to get baby knits done and out the door! I have a blanket to finish, another sheep sweater to knit, as well as a trio of hats, and some socks in a variety of sizes. I would like the blanket and the last sheep sweater to get to Heidi soonish so that this baby (and my Heidi) don’t feel lost in the twin shuffle! (Note… this is an entirely me-imposed issue… I don’t think Heidi would mind at all when anything arrived!) Having babies coming as the weather gets colder makes the hat knitting high on the priority list as well. The variety of socks… well… socks for small feet are fun and somewhat quick knits! (and Heidi told me she has all the previously knit socks pulled out so she is ahead of Sam in the sock game!)
Reacquainting
Myself with the quilting process. At one time, I was quilting a lot! And it kind of got swept away with the busyness of growing kids and then I found knitting. But I have some “quilterly” things I’d like to queue up this fall. Yes, yes… I know I have a full queue of knitting to keep plugging away at, but I got some clearance sale priced charm squares and as well as a couple of jelly rolls. I would like to turn the charm squares into a curtain or two… AND!! Oh my gosh… AND!!! Did you see what Sew Liberated dropped this week? The Retazo Coat/Vest. Ummm, YES PLEASE! I have all kinds of scraps (also see above to the things needing repurposing from my wardrobe!!) so yes, I this pattern is absolutely on my radar!
Escaping
To Erie! Yes, next week we head to Erie for a bit of a break. I am looking forward to it and I think this will be the first time that we are going to be smart in what we pack. We always bring too much food and cart much of it back home again. This year we are not going to do that… they have grocery stores in Erie, for heavens sake! Ha! What I am taking will be my travel paints and I hope to get some little paintings done to capture special moments! I am also bringing Heidi’s blanket as my knitting project!
Navigating
Medicare supplement options! I have been doing all sorts of research and have a fairly good idea of what will best fit my needs. Now to just get signed up (although, I am going to wait until I have a discussion with a local agency that helps with the process!) Once I am through with all of this, it feels like I should be getting some kind of honorary degree or something! Ha!
Tackling
My closet… sigh. I am going to use the “change of seasons” to go through and get rid of clothes that I had “tucked away” because I might wear them…someday. Ha! (FYI… since putting them in the “save for someday” drawer, I have not looked at or thought about them once! I think that is my hint that they can move on to a new home!) I also need to do a good review of several wardrobe staples that are more than a bit worn. Are they worth mending? Some, yes! But others are not at all and they need to go into the rag bag or the scrap bag! I expect this process won’t be done in a day because I am going to be very thorough! Hopefully this will set me up for success for the remainder of the year and I will have a list of what needs to be replaced!
Laughing
Or at least trying to laugh more. I mean when you are living through “trying times” laughter is the thing that is helping to save my sanity. I confess… Governor Newsom is bringing all the laughter these days with his ALL CAP posts. Perhaps you all need a laugh or two as well… I highly recommend his X (i.e. Twitter) account!
TO EVERYONE WHO THOUGHT DONALD CREATED JOBS, SURPRISE! THE ONLY JOBS DONNY CREATED ARE FOR FASCISTS, AND MAKERS OF ADULT DIAPERS. EVERYONE ELSE GOT THE ORANGE SLIP. BUT I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, AM CREATING SO MANY JOBS, THEY CALL ME THE GODFATHER OF JOBS. I EVEN BEAT STEVE JOBS. (SOME… https://t.co/1X4YieL0s6
— Governor Newsom Press Office (parody) (@AwesomeNewsom) October 1, 2025
Yarn-ing
(as in settle in… this is a good, long, interesting story!) I don’t know anyone who has done a better job explaining tariffs and the fiber industry than the lovely ladies at Kelbourne Woolens and they have explained the situation in three very clear and understandable blog posts… you will find them here, here, and here. You might not have time to read them today (I realize I have been pretty chatty here… sorry about that!) but save them and read them later. There is good information in the posts… very good information. And there are some ways that we can help the fiber community. It is a great beginning to what I hope will be a thoughtful conversation in the fiber community. We all need to help out to keep it going… so when all the chaos has ended… there will still be a fiber community to support!
That is all from me today (whew, right?) I am hoping you all have a fantastic weekend and I will be back on Monday (I think!)
It has been more than a minute since I sat down and pulled together a snapshot of my life currently and this week seems like the perfect time to do that! For a short month, February is full (and feeling achingly long!)
Knitting — the button band on my Bolin Cardigan… after several fits and starts, I have both buttonholes but still have miles to go before I reach the neck…(Note to self… the button band goes up the front, not around the bottom!) Just a note, the directions are clear but the knitter should not watch a foreign police procedural that requires the reading of subtitles! I have thoughts about buttons… and it appears I better get to Joann’s quickly before they vanish into the void…sigh.
Scheduling — more tests. I saw the Most Awesome ENT doctor this week… the same ENT I saw roughly a year ago for my hearing. He was happy to see me (although not happy I was having issues) and we talked about my hearing aids a bit. He was so happy that I was having such success with them and we both sang the praises of Kara, my beloved audiologist! It was nice to see a physician who listened and believed me. I likely have LPR but won’t have a diagnosis until I have completed a swallow test. In the interim, I have started a new medication and (fingers crossed) it seems to be helping…at least with part of the problem!
Reading — slower! I confess, I am loving giving myself some “space” after finishing a book. I look forward to sitting down with my “book journal” and writing down my “finish” thoughts. And this slow down has not diminished the number of books I am reading! I read a dozen books in January! This rethink of how to approach books has really opened my eyes… as has the reread of The Secret History! I am picking up so many things I don’t remember at all from my first read! So, of course, I have a few books that I have added to my “reread” list! This really takes the pressure off the Library Hold List as well.
Researching — the dreaded Medicare and all its companion options! Yes, this year I turn 65 and who knew that would mean going to school to learn about the plethora of options with a plethora of prices. It is enough to give a person a headache and (more) indigestion! Of course, you know because I am doing all this research… Medicare will likely be axed, right? At least with all my research, I will really know what I am missing! Ha! But all joking aside, this is really not fun… there is this fear like a Damocles sword hanging over me as I worry about making a bad choice! Whoever thought adulting was fun… Medicare and all its cohorts want you to think again!!
Listening — to more silence every day… this is my focus this month as I settle in with Yutori. As I moved from January into February… the quiet was a bit discomforting. I have been “trying on” different quiet times and have begun to settle back into my morning meditation rhythm and it feels so good! Quiet… just the sound of a pen on paper as I jot a few things down… or the sound of the turning of a page as I read some poetry. I can feel the stress evaporate in the quiet. I have even expanded my morning meditation time to include painting (thank you, Frankie!!) and while I am not painting every day, I am painting MORE and having fun doodling with watercolors! I have even done a bit of “silent knitting”… not much, but some!
Finding — new social groups! Way back when I first moved to Pittsburgh, I discovered a LYS that had a “knit night” with some really delightful ladies. When the owner of said LYS decided she did not want us gathering there we went to the library and gathered there. We were steadfast as some members moved far away, some members died… and then came COVID and it all sort of fell apart. Now more members have moved away and the couple that I got a hold of are now in the “snowbird” category and won’t be back until April. So I have been on the hunt for a new knitting group… and taking a bit of sage advice from Carole, I expanded my search to other nearby libraries. The Andrew Carnegie Free Library has a knit group that meets once a month… but they also have a plethora of other groups that meet as well! My first new group foray is the 20th when I will go to their knit group! I am thinking about visiting some of their history talks as well!
Outfitting — myself! In the most recent reorganization of my closet, I spent some time really looking at the shape my wardrobe was in… the condition of my most worn (and most beloved) items. Some of them are wearing very well… while others, not so much. So I have crafted a bit of a list of things that need replacing, things that need some tiny bits of repair, and things that need to be repurposed into something else. This list brought about a companion list of things I wish I had in my wardrobe (or things I wish I had more of!) A few of the things are on my list to make… and soon! I have a vest… but I’d like another with a bit more ease and perhaps a v-neck… Sarah shared a pattern this week that might be perfect! The other urgent thing is that I need to get some linen to make another pair of Free Range Slacks. My beloved pair, with a heavier weight linen that I got at IKEA (of all places) are still wearable, but they won’t be forever… so I need to get going on a replacement pair. I’d also like to try my hand at making this pattern to add a couple of shirts to my wardrobe!
Training — Franklin ourselves… sigh. We are well into the “teenage” days with Frankie and while it is hard not to laugh at his antics, he has some behaviors that need to be curbed… biting being at the top of the list! (Or should I say jumpingand biting at the same time) Couple the jumping/biting with warp speed zoomies and you have the makings of one very naughty pup! All of this is taking all my patience (which is on the thin side most days) so I am trying to find those patience reserves that I know I had when my kids were growing up! What really amazes me how good Frankie is with me during the day and how bad Frankie is when Steve gets home… it is a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Anyways… if you all could send me a bit of patience, I sure could use it!
and finally….
Calling — and calling and calling and calling and calling! Yep, I am making very good use of 5Calls! I absolutely call, or try to call, my two senators daily. I also am calling my state AG, who has an (r) behind their name, encouraging them to stand up for us constituents! Is this helping? I think it might be… the volume of calls from all of us is getting noticed! (Why even my senator who has a (d) behind their name has complained about the call volumes! Ha!) But the most important thing these calls are doing for me is that I am making my voice heard, I am speaking up, I am not silently letting democracy die. And I am watching Michael Sheen frequently… his reading of Dylan Thomas’ poem is inspiring… perhaps it will be for you all too!
And there you have it, gentle readers… the state of my life currently! Happy Friday all… and Happy Valentine’s Day!
It feels like we might be through the bulk of our “false spring starts” and might be leaning into actual spring! And although we do have some chillier overnight temps in the forecast for next week, most days are in the 50’s (and warmer!)
I am really ready for this change of season. Here is a peek into the things that are filling my days and my thoughts!
Baking (still) —
I have found a very good sourdough rhythm and I am baking a loaf roughly every 10 days or so. I have found the “sweet spot” of dough hydration. (82% for a “white loaf” and a bit higher for a loaf that has a higher percentage of whole wheat flour) I have also figured out fermentation times… for the temperature my house is currently. All that will change with the changing seasons and warming weather! I have a “baking journal” in which I record every aspect of each bake, so I am hopeful that the warming weather won’t be too much of a hurdle!
Reading (less) —
Inadvertently, I found myself reading less in February… thanks to that visit with my doctor and a frank discussion about my insomnia. Who knew that reading on an iPad would have such a significant impact on my sleep… certainly not me! So I ended February with only 6 books completed… but I had a significant improvement in sleep and a noticeable improvement in the quality of my reading. I remember more about the books I read… and I really liked the buffer of time between books that I gave myself last month. Even though the goal was to sleep better… having the unexpected result of reading better was an added bonus!
Adjusting —
I don’t really remember the moment that it suddenly occurred to me that Sherman is getting old (he is 11) but since last fall he has struggled with ongoing and almost continual ear issues. Ear infections, inner ear problems, loss of balance, and complete hearing loss… makes for a depressed pup. I have been working on hand signals with him, but it is as slow-going as he is! He has become the “barometer” for weather changes as his stiff joints are stiffer when the weather changes. Our walks are slower because he needs a slower pace so he does not trip and fall. He is happiest when we are close… and so of course he remains the best “sit and knit” companion on the planet!
Re-adjusting —
In January, I tried something “new” with my calendar/word journals… and it has been an epic failure. (Apparently teaching this “old dog” something new is as challenging as it is for Sherman!) Anyways… Yesterday, I removed the word journals from my calendar notebook and put them back in their “word notebook” and it felt so right! I got February all caught up and started March. I need to remind myself that sometimes the way I do things is the “best way” and I don’t need to fiddle with it! (Not always, but sometimes!)
And there you have it… a peek into what I am focused on right now! See you all back here on Wednesday!
It seems surreal to me that we are in the final quarter of the year. It seems just moments ago that it was waning spring and summer lay long before me. Now, I am seeing trees start to turn… my neighbors dogwood has more peach-colored leaves every day.
And yet, here we are… so what am I currently doing, thinking, hoping!
Stitching —
January through September
One thing I have absolutely loved this year are these temperature circles. They have done more for grounding me in this year than anything else. The simplicity of this project is perhaps the best thing. I have an established routine where I sit down once a week and “catch myself up” and in that time I think about the days I am stitching. I have no plans to do another year of temperature circles, but I am absolutely contemplating what I might do next year that will give me the same grounding, the same satisfaction, the same contemplation. I have been doing some Google searches but nothing has sparked my curiosity. If you have ideas, I welcome them!
Anticipating —
The remaining squares to finish
The next phase of my appliqué project. I have roughly 20 more squares to go… I am making a few extra so I have some extra choices for the lay out. I am taking the stack of fabrics to Erie next week with hopes of getting close to getting them done! Then I can stitch the squares together and then I can begin quilting. I am excited for that part… my intention is to do it by hand over the winter. I have not done hand quilting for eons… and I look forward to reacquainting myself with the process.
Restarting —
Painting… I have been thinking about all I have learned and contemplating where to go from here. I want to do more than “just paint a lesson” and so I have been trying to find the path forward. I have been doing some sketches but have yet to pick up a brush. Beginning again is not easy… and because that is the case, I am going to share an update each month with you all here on the blog… something to keep me accountable! I have not picked the day yet, but I am leaning towards one of the Monday’s.
Reading —
I am also thinking about all I have read this year… it has been a very good year of reading. I have read so many amazing books this year! And it has been my best year ever with Netgalley. This year was the first year that a publisher has emailed me with a book they thought I would enjoy. That book was My Friends which I think will be the best book I have read all year. I just got another book from the same publisher… I have not started it yet, but I have high expectations! I would like to expand my Netgalley reading next year… there is something quite delicious about reading a book first and sharing my thoughts about it. But I also have let go of the “I have started this book so I must finish it” guilt. If a book is not working for me, I can move on from it. And that, my friends, is the best thing I have done for my reading time!
One Little Word —
This year, I did something new with my word… I kept a bit of a journal. It is not fancy… or artsy…and it is definitely not something I am going to share, but it has helped me tremendously this year. One thing I am doing is taking a photo of myself every month (I know… the struggle is very real) but doing it is such a good thing! But as I wind down with my word I have a unique situation this year (perhaps because of the journal??) Some months ago a word began showing up and it still is very consistently. I am very excited for next year… it will be a very different sort of word for me and confessions… I am very ready for that! I am going to be continuing the addition of a journal… with pictures of myself! Maybe by this time next year I will be able to report that I have achieved comfort with having my photo taken! Ha!
Letting Go —
Soon (as in this month!) we are canceling Netflix, Hulu, and Starz. We had several years ago “cut the cable” but it was not really cutting the cable, we added in a plethora of streaming services. Perhaps the “dark quarter” is not the time to do that but we will continue our review and cut the cord on a few more services!
And there you have a few of the things that are currently on my mind!
Have a good weekend all and I will see you all back here on Monday!
A new quarter… a new currently list. I love these post to look back on and see what I was doing 3 months ago but I hope you find something interesting or something inspiring in them too!
Soaking In —
Rainer Maria Rilke… I am so in love with him. I have been reading (again) through two of his books – Letters to a Young Poet and Rilke’s Book of Hours. The pages are becoming more dog-eared and I have underlined so many passages in each. And yet, if I turn back to pages I had read before… I still find something new, something moving, something inspiring. Recently, two things keep jumping out at me… surrender
“If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees.”
and live
“…the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
Surrender to the day and just live it fully! That is my new morning mantra. Good direction for my day and so I will joyfully continue soaking in some Rilke wisdom and see what else he has to show me!
Savoring —
The final episodes of Endeavor. It has been such a great series and I am sad to see it end, but I will be savoring each episode… and then I think I will queue up some vintage Inspector Morse to complete the circle. In the things I did not know category… I had no idea that John Thaw’s daughter had a part in the Endeavor series. She played the delightful Dorothea Frazil. I shall miss them all terribly! And if you have finished them… no clues please. Ha!
Appreciating —
While I am very much wishing that former me had spent more time thinking about what I would do with my Year of Stitching. And while I very much like each month, I have been stymied about the “final product” for them. I have toyed with a multitude of ideas on how to display them but they are each so big… I don’t have the wall-space to hang them! And so the conundrum of what to do with them continued….until I got some incredible inspiration from a much wiser maker about putting them together in a book. And that inspiration has me very excited. I have begun the process of pulling out fabrics to begin my “page” construction. I think there will be a bit more stitching as I pull each month together. I have some foolish idea that this won’t take all that long once I get everything cut… but my wiser inner voice is telling me that this won’t be a July Finish, but if I stay focused it will be the thing that gets me through the Heat of Summer!
And there you have my current situation. Of course, there are many other things going on… but these things are things I want to remember when I look back on my year. I will see you all back here Wednesday!
