A Bracelet and a VERY Good Book

 I knit a little i-cord with some roving yarn and sewed the fancy buttons our Kelli gave me onto my new accessory!  I know it's kind of an old lady thing to do, but I tried my very best to sew neatly with the needle and thread and I like looking at my bracelet instead of my FitBit!  

 As soon as Susan Branch's new book arrived I began reading and I couldn't put it down.  I love her smooth and articulate writing style and her disclosure is touching.  Her artwork and her photographs make the book even more enchanting.  

It's going to be hard to wait until May to read the second half of this story.  
I continue on with my alpaca vest.  It's a pure and lovely pleasure to work on it.  The Napa knitting store wound the extra skein before sending it, saving me some growly frustration.
I'm joining good Ginny for Yarn Along today!

Another Old Treasure and September Goodness

(Check on Mr. Badger! He's singing British songs and playing with party poppers at Kezzie's!)

 Here's another great old read from my youth!  Smile!  Have any of you read this?  My sister-in-law introduced it to me and I loved it from the start.  The two authors really delve into all the happy aspects of motherhood.  I like the buoyant way they approach the order of a mother's day.  I'm going to dig in and enjoy it again and remember how interesting it was to mother our kids.
My friend Reve gave me two fun books for my birthday!   

 The last few days have been VERY warm and I have been telling myself, "It's late September.  It's late September.  It is NOT too hot to walk the neighborhood streets."  It sort of works.
The men are digging a new water line down at the park.

 There is a squirrel that comes right up to our picture window and stares at us.  Bill captured him yesterday.  

 Yesterday I went to Jeff and Christie's to make pickles.  Jeff is a serious pickle-maker!  He let me taste one of his ginger pickles (from a previous pickle-making day) and YUM!  It was SO good!  Ginger pickle is a lovely little term, isn't it?

 I'm so jealous that a barred owl perched in my brother Dan's tree!  They have a lovely woodsy garden up in Washington.  Isn't this a sight to see?  He put in on Facebook. 

 Kelli gave me this delightful set of flashcards.  I know!  I had no idea that fairies appeared on flashcards!  SO CUTE!

 And Jenny gave me my favorite toys!  PENS and PENCILS!

 Christie and Jeff gave me FUN paper products!  I'm thrilled!  We are going to have a tea party soon!  I found my favorite scone mix at the grocery and I bought two boxes.  

 Kelli gave me the teapot and teacup above.  Aw!  They KNOW me.  Reve found the delightful little skeins of yarn.  They are tiny and perfect.  What shall I make?

 Bill's roses are still going strong.  They smell rich and delicious.

 Reve wrapped the books in this cute calico. Isn't it a fun color combination?

 I'm still coloring a tiny bit.  It's fun!

I'm off for a walk with a friend.  We'll meet at the trail and view the leaves.  After that we'll pop into the closest Starbucks.  James is getting his hair cut today so Christie will bring him over.  I'll take a picture of the big boy!
Oh yay!  It's Monday!  Mondays are high and happy!  Happy Monday to YOU!

Another Sweet Birthday - MINE!

 Hooray!  I'm 57 years old today!  When I woke up this morning I remembered a birthday long ago.  I was turning 5 or 6 and my mama gave me a little doll crib with a pretty little doll and she placed it by my bedside so when I woke up I saw it.  The doll had a knob on its back, like a music box.  I named her Twinkly. I STILL love dolls and stuffed toys!  Anyway, do you like my new slippers?  I bought them for myself (smile).  It's finally cool enough in the mornings to tuck into all that sheepish wool!  It feels VERY good!  

 Today I shall do what I often do!  Drink tea.  Click, click, click with lovely wool and listen to nun music.  I'm reading Rumer Godden books again (along with a confusing amount of other books) and that makes me think about nuns.  

 A good day always contains doodle time with a great variety of pens and pencils.  GLEE!

 Remember Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund? It's another one of my standout life books.  Yesterday Jenny and I were browsing at Target and I found the right size notebook.  My tabs won't be the same as Anne's, but you can tab as you please, she said.  

 My sections:  calendar, order (as opposed to disorder! lol!) and a little journaling and my verses, prayers for family, prayers for others, scripture and art.  I like it!

 I think you should stop by this morning before the cake is all gone.

 Who cares about other people's slippers?  Really!  Blog readers do.  So nice.  Here's today's view.  Aren't they fuzzy?

 Last night we had our family/girls/Jesus time. We ate cake (yum), and we read John 15 together.  We read our Bibles and wrote down attributes of Jesus that resonate with us, we wrote letters to people who have encouraged us or maybe someone we wanted to encourage, and we prayed.  We shared.  Delicious moments that I am ever so thankful for.  Now you know why the pens and markers are still on the dining room table.

 And Bill. He is so loving, so honoring of little old me.  

Have you watched the movie "One True Thing" a million times like I have?  Meryl Steep's character (Kate) says so many things I love, but one thing I'm thinking of right now is when she stops Ellen (her daughter) and says something like, "Listen to Langford (the college town where they live).  It hums." I am hearing my little spot of earth hum right now.  It hums a song of contentment.  Deep happiness.  Blessed.

Finally, I want to share one of Ellen's (Mennonite Girls Can Cook) recipes I made last night.  Mexican Corn Soup.  It was scrumptious!  

Yarn Along: Alpaca and Friendship

 I am click, click, clicking away on my alpaca vest.  The yarn is so soft and the color quite varied.  I have to make tally marks on a notecard so I know that every seventh row needs the cable needle.  I look forward to the cable row.  I need one more skein of yarn.  Do you think I'll be able to find it here in Denver?  My daughter purchased it in Napa, California and I don't like the "clunkiness" of ordering over the phone.  So spoiled.  I may just have to brave the city streets and lack of parking and zip to The Lamb Shoppe downtown.

 I am revisiting my last three decades of stand out books, rereading them and remembering why they made their mark on my heart and soul.  This book by Alan Loy Mcginnis is a keeper.  His writing style is easy, short sentences and a lot of straight shooting (smile). He died in 2005, but this little masterpiece sold over a million copies and is selling today.
I've been making a list as I read it again.  

Don't we all desire to care for people more effectively, learning how to love deeper?

What books have made their mark on your life?

Birthday Joy

 Lizzy had a lovely birthday party with our family.  She especially loved the cupcakes Mommy brought. 

 Aunt Kelli's family has a new puppy so the cousins were delighted to play with Moose.  Cute name, huh?

 Aw, our BEAUTIFUL daughter-in-laws.

 Watching football in the middle of the toy spot.

Now to do a bit of housekeeping.
See you Wednesday for Ginny's Yarn Along!