March 18

 March Photo a Day.  March 18.  On a shelf.

When I  lived in Southern California, I would occasionally visit The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles.  There are many books on many shelves.

March 17

 March Photo a Day.  March 17.  St. Patrick's Day.

Emblem on St. Patrick's Cathedral gate, Dublin, Ireland.

March 16

 March Photo a Day.  March 16.  Hobby.

Well, this was an easy one.  If you have been reading my blog for more than a month, you will know the answer.  My hobby?  Yarn and knitting.

Sometimes I spin my own yarn.

Sometimes, I knit with commercial yarn.

Nary a day passes without me knitting.

March 15

 March Photo a Day.  March 15.  Sparkly.

A St. Patrick's Day tiara is very sparkly.

March 14

 March Photo a Day.  March 14.  Night Time Lights.  There was a lunar eclipse last night.  The Professor and I set our alarm for 2:15am and woke up to step outside and watch it for about forty-five minutes.

The real time view was amazing!  The photos I took with my camera-- not so much.  But here they are.  Can you spot the very faint stars?

Pie Day Fave Fives

 Happy Pie Day!  Are you all eating pie today?  It's also Friday, so it's Friday Fave Fives time.  The link takes you to Susanne's blog where you can read more about all the Faves in other bloggers' week.

1.  Finished!  I knitted this afghan for S, our coffee couple friend, for her birthday.  It was a fun knit.

2.  Family dinner at Olive Garden.  Usually, we have family dinners at our home and have everyone bring whatever they want to eat.  But last weekend, we decided to enjoy all the yummy food at Olive Garden.  One thing we did around the table was everyone telling one thing they did well during the week.  Better grades.  Work bonus.  Things like that.

3. We survived the time change.  I'm not a fan of changing our time and clocks.  It's been an interesting adjustment, but we are surviving.  We do enjoy the light in the evenings.

4.  On Monday we drove north to the town of Bellville and enjoyed lunch with our long time friends who we first met in Oregon through our church.  I worked with L at the same private Christian school.  She was secretary of the elementary school and I taught high school US History classes.  The four of us enjoy each other's company and we always have so much to chat about.   I'm thankful for long time friendships.

5.  Is spring really going to come?  Our weather this week has been warm and sunny.  And now there are more crocuses hopping up.  It looks like I may have daffodils within the next week or two-- if the weather cooperates.

I hope you are having a good day and have some PIE to snack on.  Did you get up in the night last night and watch the lunar eclipse?  We did!  And yes, I'm a bit sleepy now.  In a few hours, I will be posting (not so great) photos I took of the eclipse.

March 13

 March Photo a Day.  March 13.  Mirror.  The many windows of a skyscraper tower mirrors the buildings and landscape around it.  A bit of background:  when Younger Daughter lived and worked in San Diego, I would take the Amtrak train from our town to visit her.  Her office was on an upper floor of a downtown building where one could gaze out at the area around her building.  Mostly we could only see other buildings.  But at least those tall modern buildings had so many windows which acted as mirrors so we could see reflections of the mountains to the east and the older buildings of the Gaslamp Quarter.

March 12

 March Photo of the Day.  March 12.  Sign.  Continental Divide.

March 10 and March 11

 March Photo a Day.  March 10 and 11.  I paired these two days and pictures on the same post on purpose because of the titles.  Low Angle and High Angle.  Photography allows us to view the world around us in different perspectives.

March 10.  Low Angle.  Looking at the world from below.  I call this 'fearless tree trimming'.

March 11.  High Angle.  The world from the opposite position.

March 8 and 9

 March Photo a Day.  I missed yesterday March 8, so I am posting for 8th and 9th together.

March 8.  Water.  I grew up near the ocean.  And the Pacific Northwest is famous for its mountains and rivers.  So I do love my rivers and streams.  (No, this is not a west coast river.  It's the Roanoke River, North Carolina.)

March 9.  Daylight Savings Time.  I am happy that on this day when we 'lose' an hour, at least it is sunny.  The crocuses are smiling, too, even though they are sleepy.

March 7

 March Photo of the Day.  March 7.  Love.  My love and me on our wedding day.  A long time ago.

Marching Along

On this Friday afternoon, I am watching our weather do another 180 turn and go from sunshine to clouds to snow flurries.  By midweek, the temperatures will be back in the 60s.  You never know from week to week what the weather will be.  That's like life.  But I try to be thankful for life and for weather whatever it looks like.  That's why I join in sharing my Friday Fave Fives each week.

1. I started out the weekend/week by fighting a cold.  Although I wasn't all that sick, I decided to stay home and rest and not expose other people.  That's not the fave part (except the rest). The fave is that The Professor took such good care of me.

2. By Monday, I was feeling ok so we drove the half hour to the outskirts of Columbus and did some grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and Costco.  Younger Daughter met us after that at Capital One Cafe and we enjoyed some relaxing time together.  After that, we grabbed lunch at Bibibop and headed home.  I am thankful we live near enough to some of our children that we can just get together for a good chat.

3. Tuesday was dentist appointments.  The fave there for me is that I got the 'all clear' from the dentist and hygienist.

4.  That afternoon, Younger Daughter and I took her two dogs for a three mile walk along the river.  The weather was perfect.  And we wore those puppies out

5.  Last night, our grandson Warrior Boy played in the high school band performance.  I think my favorite piece was the Armenian Rhapsody.  I'm so proud of how far this boy has come in his baritone playing and just life generally.

I hope you are finding blessings in every day, even those times when you have to look a bit deeper to find them.

March 6

March Photo of the Day.  March 6.  Something starting with the letter "M".

When I was considering options for today,  I asked The Professor what his first thought was and he replied, "Jar of Marmalade."  I smiled and said, "That was my first idea, too."  I love how we so often think alike.

So here is Marmalade.  When Paddington heard the M-word, he immediately asked if he could have some on an English muffin and if he could be in the picture, too.  How could I refuse?

Paddington joined our family when I found him at Paddington Station in London many years ago.  He's not a big traveler like Eleanor which is understandable since he was sent from Darkest Peru to London all by himself when he was just a baby bear.

March 5

 March Photo of the Day.  March 5.  Ash Wednesday.

This photo may not seem like much, but this small bottle is filled with ash.  Not just any ash, but ash from the volcanic eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington on May 18, 1980.  On that day, my parents who were living in Portland, Oregon, watched the eruption from their home. As the ash from the volcano began drifting down on their car, they gathered some of it and put it into a glass jar to save.

All these many years later, the vial of ash still reminds me of that day when I heard about the eruption and was concerned for the safety of my family.  We were living in Indonesia, in the process of moving from West Java to what is now West Papua (on the island of New Guinea).  I treasure it as a memory of how my mom and dad thought of me every day and saved this tiny bottle of volcanic ash so I could see for myself a tiny bit of what they experienced that day.

March 4

 March Photo of the Day.  March 4. Keepsake.

I know that I have posted about this cross stitch I made for my grandmother.  Since she passed away in 1984, I made it before then although I am not exactly sure  of the year.  Grandma loved this because she loved to garden.  When she died, my mother took it and saved it for me.  Today it hangs on the wall of my kitchen and daily it reminds me of "Emma Louise".

March 3

March Photo of the Day. March 3.  Adventure.  Can you imagine heading out from your safe home in Ohio or Virginia or Massachusetts with a wagon filled with all your belongings?  Driving your oxen team westward on a road almost impossible to follow?  What an Adventure to follow your dreams to Oregon or California.  Last August, The Professor and I had our own adventure on the Oregon Trail, driving our Honda CRV, not a Conestoga wagon.  It took us eight days, not six months.  But what an adventure it was!  One of these days, I'll write all about it-- our Oregon Trail adventure.

March 2

March Photo a Day.  March 2.  Dream.  When I think of the word dream, my mind immediately envisions my dream place-- the beach.  Today I am dreaming of the beach.  All the Pacific Ocean beaches where I would walk and wade and watch the waves.  Imperial, Silver Strand,  Huntington, Ocean, Redondo, Manhattan, Pismo, Hendry's, Santa Barbara, Emma Wood, Thornhill-Broome, Ventura, Rockaway.  Just to name a few.

It was hard to choose just one.  Point Mugu Beach along Pacific Coast Hwy, Ventura County, Ca.  The closest beach to our home.  I dream of walking there again.

March 1

 Well, I'm going to try it again.  A photo a day in March.

March 1.  Selfie.   Me and Charlie.  Charlie Chaplin. Waterville, Ireland.

The End of February

 Goodbye, February.  It's not that I won't miss you, your holidays and beautiful snowy landscapes, but I am happily anticipating warmer and longer days.  It's time to say, "See you in eleven months."  You were very generous to me, February.  I did find many many blessings in your month, and especially in this past week.  So as we part, I will share Five Faves, Five Blessings from this week.  (the link takes you to where you can share your Fave Fives if you wish)

1. Speaking of warmer days, I am thankful for the warmish weather we have had a few days this past week.  We were able to take three walks outside along the local paths and in our neighborhood.  I am so looking forward to more and more walks and hikes in warmer temperatures.

2 and 3.  A double fave here:  One morning, The Professor and I were enjoying the company of a tiny seven week old baby (and her mom, of course) and getting to know her, holding her and watching her smile.  I happened to notice out our front window that someone had parked in our driveway and was bringing a package to our door.  I was surprised since we had not ordered anything from Amazon... But it was another young mom who was dropping off what she called a 'love package' for me.  This mom is a great thrifter and found the perfect sweater for me!  Included with the sweater was a little note just expressing their (her and her husband) love and thanks for us.  Oh my.  What a wonderful morning of love and care that was.

4.  Dinner with friends.  We always just eat soup and salad when we share with this couple.  And I always make my "Grandma R" rolls (recipe from my grandma) which they love.  I left all the extras with them for their sons who love them, too.  Their younger teenage son ate dinner with us and stayed to listen to our conversations.  That was so sweet.

5.  A spontaneous trip to Joann's with Younger Daughter.  I'm sure you have heard the news that J's is closing all their stores.  It has been a mainstay fabric/yarn stop for everyone in our community, so we are all sad that it is closing its doors.  But right now, everyone is rushing over to the shop to grab what they can.  Yes, the lines are long and the cashiers are busy.  Younger Daughter found some great fabrics for quilts she is planning to sew. I stocked up on my favorite yarn for knitting baby blankets.  (Don't ask how much I bought. I'm not telling.)  So in the sadness, we found fun and joy in choosing our purchases and in spending that time together.

Note:  no photos today because the laptop is again annoyed with me and is having a tantrum and won't download pictures.  The Professor is on it--working another fix.

I hope you are enjoying this last day of February.

A Cold Cold Friday

 I haven't had much energy today so I'm lagging on writing up my Friday Fave Fives.  It's not because there are no blessings to focus my attention from this past week, but it's because I'm just COLD. I don't think our outside temperatures have gotten above 32F all week (maybe a 33F or 34F but certainly not high enough to be noticeable). But now I'm here and working to focus on the warmth of all the things for wbich I have to be thankful.

1.  Warm snuggly blankets.  These blankets are certainly being used this week.  They're all ones I've knitted through the years.  The one The Professor puts over his legs when he is reading up in the 'library room' was knitted by Younger Daughter when she was a young teen and given to my father when he was in a care home.  I love that 'Grandpa's blanket' is still keeping us warm.

2.  I love our library.  We had a few minutes one afternoon after dropping some unwanted items at the St. Vincent dePaul thrift store and before picking up the grandboys from school, so we spent those minutes at the library.  I found a book that caught my attention and checked it out.  So far, I'm enjoying the mystery, set partly in World War II and partly in the Twenty-first Century.  I'm thankful I have access to so many books.

3.  I have been thinking so much lately about all the moves I have made in my lifetime.  Three states where we have owned homes.  Two other states where we spent several months studying in special academic programs.  The two provinces of Indonesia--West Java and West Papua on the island of New Guinea (formerly Irian Jaya).  Even in the different US states, we have lived in various counties.  What has kept us centered?  The people.  The friendships we have made through all those years and all those moves.  It's the people.  And I'm thankful for the friendships.

4.  Speaking of friendships--- we had the best time with T and S this week.   In spite of the snowy icy, we ventured a bit farther out than usual and had our coffee time at a newish coffee place in a town about half hour away.  We never know where our conversations will take us. Squirrels and Rabbit Holes are a vital part of our non stop talks.

5.  While we were there, a mom and her two daughters popped in.  I had been given some crafting beads and yes, more yarn which I didn't want, but I knew the girls (K and K) would love to have them.  So on their way to the library in that town, they stopped in and picked up the beads and yarn.  I wish I could have caught a photo of the look on the younger one's face when she opened the bead box.  It lit up the whole room.   

Bonus:  Eleanor Elizabeth had joined us for coffee and was so excited to meet K and K.  I think the feeling was mutual.  (photos shared with permission from their mom)

I hope that you have found joy and gratitude in this past week, too.  Did you have cold cold weather?  Maybe some snow or rain?  Find warmth in your coffee and tea and blankets and friendships.

Off To Ireland, Part 11!

 This was our last full day in Ireland.  What we did on this day was something I was eagerly awaiting the whole trip.  A visit to a sheep farm complete with sheep dog demonstration.

After overnighting in Galway, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast at our hotel and then boarded our tour bus.  We headed north to County Mayo.  Glen Keen Farm was our destination.

We met the young sheep dog.

He even let me pet him.

And Eleanor wasn't afraid of him.  He's a sheep dog, not a bunny dog, after all.

Waiting patiently...

OK!  Go get 'em!

Uh oh.  They ran off into the other pasture.

Not a problem.  He still quickly rounded them up and brought them to the pen.

Did I do a good job, Dad?

Do I get a snack?

After the demo, we headed to the farm house and the dog headed off to get his reward.  We were treated to a wonderful lunch and traditional Irish music and a wool spinning demonstration.

I was quite surprised to find that, according to our hostess who was doing the spinning demonstration, there are only TWO spinners in all of County Mayo.  If you have been reading Willow's Cottage blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a spinner and know many other people (men and women) who spin.

Finally, it was time to depart.  I hugged the spinning wheel and wished it many more years of productivity creating yarn.

Then it was on to our very last stop...

Love In February

 It's Valentine's Day. And it's Friday. Since it is time for Friday Fave Fives, my focus is on things I Love.

1.  I love knitting. This week, I finished this afghan.  Younger Daughter bought the yarn and then decided she didn't want to use it.  So I took it and knitted the three colors in variegation.

2.  Whenever I am walking or hiking out in nature, I look for hearts.  Leaves. Rocks. Even hearts mowed into lawns.

3.  I love being able to see.  I have worn corrective lenses since I was eleven or twelve years old.  This week, The Professor and I had our annual exams and are set for another year.

4.  Today is our daughter-in-law's birthday! We love her!

5.  I love sunshine.  Today it is quite cold outside.  But the sun is shining.

I hope you have a wonderful Friday and Happy Valentine's Day!