Thursday, July 28, 2016

Before I Go

 Our garden fairies are almost ten years old.  How can that be?  Today I'll enjoy the company of two fairies and then tomorrow I go up to Washington.  I just wanted to pop in and say hello before I go! 

If you like to use my links to friends' blogs you can click on the upper right menu and they are all right there.  It's not quite as straight forward with this new template.
My allergies have made my sinuses a bit achey so I have been a touch grumpy.  Grrrrrr.
Oh well!  I'm glad you stopped in and I wish you a happy end of July.  Onward to "summery" August, right?  


Sunday, July 24, 2016

Like a Hobbit

 July is almost over and if I was still teaching I would be mourning the end of summer.  This year the district I taught for starts back to school Aug. 11.  Even now after two years away, it's not my first inclination to think of August as a nice long summer month.  New territory.  I'd like to think of a few ways to make August more August-y.  Any ideas?
 I've been knitting my little honey bear AND this purple vest.  I tend to lose sight of the way knitting a lot makes me a faster and more enthusiastic knitter.  I think my knitting verve has grown because I've been watching knitting videos.  If I record some podcasts/videos and put them up on Youtube, they won't be about fibers and knitting because I am not knitty enough for that.  My idea is something else.  More details forthcoming.  
 There is a door in our family room that opens to the cement stairs.  The former owner said that she liked kids to come in on this lower level because it was easier to vacuum carpet than to mop the kitchen floor.  We've never used the door for going in and out.  I open it to catch breezes.  As you can see we use the "bottom of the steps" area to stash the paddling pool, beach balls, inflatable things the kids use to make the slip and slide more fun.  If I get a kitty, I think he'd like to look out this particular door, listening to the birds and sniffing the fresh air.  Yes, I'm working on convincing Bill that a fluffy orange (long-haired) tabby boy would be an excellent addition to our home.  
Don't you love the hues of the sidewalk chalk?  I think they would all make lovely yarn colors.  
 Colorado is a gorgeous place.  The temperatures of late have been VERY hot and I don't like sweltering in the heat.  In the mountains it is much cooler but we don't go to the mountains to cool off very often.  I'm not sure why.  Even though Bill travels so much, we're kind of hobbit-ish.  We stay in the shire. 

 I am going up to Washington to my niece's wedding. I'll be there a few days and then my mom is going to fly back here with me and stay a week.  Woot!  
I am rearranging things in my little office/work room/library because it has become very cluttered and full of fun stuff.  My goal today is to clear an inspiring work space and tidy up the books.  

I found a recipe that my granny wrote on a card.  It's a recipe for sponge cake.  I've been meaning to try it and today might be the day.
Yeah, the gluten free endeavor was not fun and I didn't feel any different.  The gluten free flour and the bread made my stomach hurt.  So, I hope I remember this when I think about trying again.  Sponge cake is a staple, isn't it?

I'm going to go upstairs and iron now.  When I have a lot of things I COULD do but don't know what to do first, I iron.  What do you do when you don't know what to do first?

Take care, kind reader.  Thank you or stopping in and partaking of my random rambles.  
Oh!  My friend Marcie posted a list of very August-y things!  Take a look! 

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Ordinary Stuff

I've been trying to avoid gluten (along with a bazillion other people around the globe) so after tasting several commercial gluten-free products (not THAT yummy) I used rice and coconut flour to make my banana bread recipe.  YUMMY!  It's so moist and good!
The other day we drove up north to meet our Brad for lunch (so fun!) and we passed this tiny home!  I love tiny homes even though I don't want one for myself.  I think they are fascinating.  Do you?  It's funny to see a house pulled behind a truck on the busy highway.
 I'm very sad about the absence of love we've seen in the news lately.  Heartbreaking.
 We had fun with James on Saturday morning.  The park was cool when we were there and James loved climbing around.  He's a good climber! 


 There is a big thistle behind our fence and I found one at the park, too. Pretty stickers.
 See how lovely the trees are?  I am so thankful for neighborhood parks.
 James LOVES watching Peppa Pig.  I do, too!  The dialogue is funny!  We found a TY Peppa at the grocery store
 These beauties and their mommy joined us for dinner!  James and his mommy came, too!  SUPER fun! 
 Yeah, I refilled the candy bowl and they filled their mouths with chocolate.
 I love it that Sam likes playing with baby dolls.
 I Waterlogue-ed the two pics above.  

I'm on a knitting kick again.  I just have one half of an arm and two legs to finish on my honey bear.  Then I will stuff him and knit him a pair of alpaca overalls!  I'm also knitting another vest/tank top.  I've been watching knitting podcasts and they are so inspiring!  I am enchanted by the way these women talk about their knitting and crochet.  I admire their bravery because I've practiced talking to the iPad and I am highly critical of the results.  I think to myself, "I'm being a fake!" or "Why do I emphasize random words?"  I'll keep practicing because I have a brilliant idea for a series of podcast episodes.
We have a quiet day today!  I'm going to knit, knit, knit.  
I hope your day feels calm and safe in an eternal way.  For some reason when I finish a post, I crave tea.  I think it's because of you.
Let's have a cuppa.
(HUGE HUG!) 

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Summer Girls

 Bill and I had lots of fun with Samantha Rose and Plum Cake this week.  Their parents went to Vail to celebrate their anniversary.  We made pom poms!  I still need some practice but the plastic pom pom maker is a keeper.
Plum still likes to play in the paddling pool.
 Our cucumbers are growing!  
 We painted shells (you can buy shells at the fabric store!)


 They were good little eaters!
We played at the park! 

 We outfitted them both for ballet class!  Sam likes to try on my old toe shoes.  When I was in the sixth or seventh grade I took toe lessons so I have tiny little toe shoes.  The lessons did not yield a graceful ballerina so I resorted to jazz and tap.
 They are becoming excellent cookie bakers.
 Glue is fun!
 Our Kelli cannot resist puppies.  This is Otis, her new dog.  He is very sweet.
 James likes to play with the big girls.
 My nice neighbors invited me to pick some of their cherries.  Aren't they beautiful?


We really don't want to eat pie.  I think I'll just cook them on the stove and eat them.  They are very sour.  
I'm kind of tired and I think I'll spend the rest of the day reading.  
I like the lazy days of summer.
What's up with you?

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Lolly Gagging and Dilly Dallying

 We found a lovely tree trimming/gardening business (they'd been working around our neighborhood) so we had them do some much-needed tree trimming.  Now if it snows before the leaves have fallen, branches won't break.  We were also worried because this lovely maple (our one beautiful tree) was spreading her arms to rest on our neighbor's roof.
 Yes, so while other people do things, I sit and think.  Ha!  

 We found bargains at the Home Goods store.  Twelve dollars for lovely white gowns! 
 James likes to wear his jammies instead of clothes!  So funny!  He came over this morning while his mama went to her OB appointment.  

 I had the privilege today of lunching with a sweet friend.  We had so much fun.  I love one-on-one so much better than group gatherings.  I've participated in a lot of group gatherings and they CAN be fun, but not as fun as across-the-table sweet communion with one dear hearted friend.  Bliss.  

I've been watching podcasts (knitting and such) which has revealed to me that I am out of the loop (ha ha ha) when it comes to knitting.  I am on Ravelry but it's a mystery to me.  I don't have a stash like the podcasters do.  I don't have a stash of fabric per se either.  I have some but not a lot.  I think it's odd that I don't hoard such things.  I do hoard books, shoes, and journals.  Oh, and colored pencils.  And stickers.  Do you hoard anything?
Don't "they" say hoarding is a fear of some sort?  A fear of being without?  I can relate to that.  I do not want to run out of paper towels or coffee.  I MUST have rice milk to put in my tea or to moisten my cereal.  I have a lot of essential oils and I'm not ready to give up my monthly order yet.  I've noticed that I like to have many books by favorite authors.  For example I have rows of Rosamunde Pilcher,  the Mitford books, Elizabeth Goudge, Gladys Taber, anything about Beatrix Potter, Susan Branch books, some favorite juvenile novels, and multiple copies of Little Women and The Wind in the Willows.  I gave away half of my "how to eat" books.  I keep books about writing.  I keep my books about how to know God, how to really walk with Jesus.  I have many bibles. 
So I do hoard books. I do not want to part with them. I guess what we gather and hold on to reveals what we love and maybe I "like" knitting and yarn but I don't love making things as much as I love reading and writing.  Overall, I enjoy listening to people talk about what THEY love.  Do you?

It's time for tea.  Thanks for reading my rambles.
YOU are kind to do so.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Knitting and Cozy Stuff

 I found a new bird book titled Knitted Birds by Nicky Fijalkowska.  I found her on Instagram and ordered the book from Amazon.  There are nest patterns, too!  So, I must knit a crow. 

Jenny found out that one of her darling baby chicks is a rooster!  Uh oh!  She loves Richard and hasn't decided what to do about this little bump in her chicken keeping road.  

 Yikes!  I was in a tangle the other day, but now the lovely skein from Debbie is wound.
 James!  He makes the cutest serious faces!
 I ate so many of these cherries.  I've said this before but the color is stunning.  Perfect.  I also ate a few yellow pears with just a touch of pink blush on the skin.  Can anyone describe the taste of a good pear?  It's an experience.
 So from the lovely golden yarn shall come a golden teddy bear.  Honey Bear.
 Sometimes I do what I say I'm going to do.  I made the shelf a skirt.  It IS cozy!  More cozy to come! 
 I looked back in the archives.  Last year at this time we were getting ready to go to New Zealand.  It was SO cold there and in this photo I was sitting at camp bundled in every item of clothing I brought with me.  I was having a pretty good hair day I think.
 Seeing Hobbiton was amazing.  Yes, far off among the sheep pastures this lovely circle of cozy hobbit homes really does exist.


 If I go to New Zealand again I WILL buy yarn. I've been watching podcasts and the way the ladies speak of yarn gives me a whole new appreciation for "stash".

 Lovely lakeside Queenstown!  


 Last summer's venture to Guemes Island gave me an opportunity to take photos of my uncle and aunt's sweet cabin.  They hosted SO many relatives in this lovely log home.  

 My auntie cooked on this stove.  I can call up memories of my mom and my aunt standing right here talking and working.  I just wanted to look at it one more time.  I hope you don't mind.
Bill and I are going to have a quiet fourth of July.  All of our kids and grands have plans of their own.  I love America but it isn't a holiday that I look forward to.  I  have never liked fireworks.  I do like big shows of fireworks, but it seems a bit wasteful, like burning money.
I have clothes on the clothes line on this sunny day.  Bill washed off some of our garden gnomes and toadstools.  We're having shrimp salads for dinner.  Easy breezy.
God be with you, Cutie Pie.  Thank you for calling in!  

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