Candy Canes in August?

 It may seem strange to be knitting red and white striped blankets in hot August.  Why candy cane Christmas colors??

Well, there's a reason.  Actually, there are two reasons.  First, my daughter had bought a bunch of red and white yarn to make a blanket for a friend's daughter who plays softball.  Her team colors are red, white and black.  But the shades of white (ivory?) and red (garnet) weren't quite right for it.  So she passed on the unwanted skeins to me.

My first thought was Christmas!  So, I decided to make some crib blankets for the local pregnancy center.  They give away booties and blankets to expectant moms.  Maybe someone is expecting a December baby and they will want a Christmas themed blanket.

So, onto the needles it went.  I'm almost finished now.  Five rows of red and four of white.  Merry Christmas!

Independence Day X 250!

Happy Fourth of July!  Independence Day for the United States of America!  250 years!

Part of the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

my knitted flag

Our National Anthem, written by Scott Francis Key.

Say, can you see

By the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly, yeah, streaming?

And the rockets' red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

Flag flying over Ft McHenry, Maryland

LET FREEDOM RING!

First Friday of June

Hello from Willow's Cottage on this first Friday of June.  I hope you have had a wonderful week.  I look forward to Fridays to post about all the blessings of my week.  It helps me stay grounded in gratitude.  Every Friday Susanne hosts Friday Fave Fives.  Join us if you want.

1.  On Saturday, Nurse daughter and I joined some other people and drove about an hour north to Groovy Plants Ranch.  Oh my!  So. Many. Plants.  We had a great time.  And we didn't carry home "that many" pots of flowers and herbs.

So much lavender!  I had to help them out by taking one home with me.

2.  A second fave about the trip to Groovy Plants Ranch is that I managed to get the lavender planted in the front garden and the bellflower and salvia planted in the back-- those 'few' plants I purchased.

3.  This week, a new to us handyman came to do a few jobs around the house.  He did a great job, and now our back door and front door are working better, there isn't a spot above the back door leaking raindrops on us.  It's not easy to find a good handyman, so we are very thankful for him.

4.  Time to read.  I love reading books.  This week I finished reading Christy by Catherine Marshal which is about 500 pages.  Now I am enjoying Francie on the Run, a children's book by Hilda van Stockum.

5.  Of course, I've been knitting.  I love to knit and I am thankful that I am able to do it and have an 'ample' yarn stash (insert laughing face emoji here).  These are two current projects.

A baby blanket in neutral grey.  The pattern is sometimes referred to as waffle weave.

 And an experiment.

A knitted US flag.

This is my first attempt.

So this was my week.  Nothing exciting or unusual.  But it was a blessed week.

How was your week?

Mothers Day Week

Friday!  It's Friday!  Finally!  It's time for Friday Fave Fives, the weekly time when I focus on what has blessed me this week.  Susanne is the host and others join us to share our gratitude for the past week.

1.  My first fave is about today.  For the first day all week, there is nothing on my calendar.  My plan is to work in my garden and walk the granddogs with my daughter.  I am thankful for a 'down day'.

2.  Mother's Day!  All the Ohio family came for dinner after church.  We did the usual:  BYOL, Bring Your Own Lunch.  We had fun chatting and sharing gifts.  Then most of us took a walk around the neighborhood to wear off some of the dessert.  I am so blessed to live near three of my four children.  Younger Son did text me "Happy Mom's Day!"

3.  Nurse Daughter had a day off during the week, so she helped me in my garden in the morning, and then I helped her in hers in the afternoon.  We did much weeding.  Then she cut me these flowers from her bushes to take home as a bouquet.

4.  I finished the sweater I was knitting.  Finally.  Actually, I finished it last week and wore it one day.  But I decided that the length was too short so I added an extra three inches to the body.  Here is the final product.

The yarn was Coboo, a combination of cotton and rayon from bamboo.  Needles:  Size 2 for ribbing and size 3 for the stockinette stitch body and sleeves.

5.  Back to 1. And that walk with my daughter and the dogs.  It was so refreshing.  Walking along the river.  In the shade.  Under the trees.  By the beautiful spring flowers.  I'm thankful for time with my daughter and for a wonderful place to walk.

How was your week?

May Faves 2

 Running in at the last hour to share my Friday Fave Fives for this second week of May.  As always, I am thankful for Susanne hosting Friday Fave Fives.

1.  Fiber Friends on Saturday afternoon.  Younger Daughter had the day off from nursing, so we drove down to the next county to our friend's home where she was hosting an afternoon of knitting.  We had a great time just hanging out and knitting.

2.  That evening, The Professor and I met T and S to attend the Denison University Gospel Choir concert. Our neighbor is a community member of the choir.  The music was excellent, as usual.

3.  Monday evening we joined PAL and her mom at their house for dinner and watching Star Wars.  May the Force Forth be with you.

4.  Yesterday, Thursday, was the last class for my Bible Study Fellowship group.  We had a great year studying Bible books in the Old Testament.  And after class, we enjoyed a lunch at a new local cafe.

5.  The weather has moderated some this week, so I have been able to be outside in both front and back garden doing clean up and prepping.  Hopefully, next week I can begin planting.

Bonus:  just to have some visuals for you.  Barn photos I took on Saturday as we drove through the rural areas on our way to Fiber Friends.

And now we are looking forward to Mother's Day in the US.  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms.

Fave Fives in Third Week of April

Another busy week.  And I've been mostly MIA online because of all the activities.  But it's Friday evening  and I am sitting in a chair relaxing and writing my Friday Fave Fives.  This is the first evening in more than a week that I haven't had something on the calendar to do.  So now I can focus...  Here are my five blessings from the past week.  (click on the link to go to Susanne's blog and join in)

1.  I am thankful for the two day conference I attended last weekend.  I learned lots about health choices.  And knowing some of the people also attending was an added enjoyment (I mentioned that in last week's faves).  And I'm thankful I arrived home safely even though I drove country roads through a rainstorm.

2.  An appointment at the dentist is not usually on anyone's fave list.  But I have a wonderful dentist who is careful, thorough, kind and gentle.  I made it through the procedures successfully.  So I'm doubly thankful for good dental care and for good outcomes.

3.  I always love walks with our granddogs.  Three miles this time.  I think we finally wore out Sawyer (the sheepadoodle).  Athena was lagging a bit at the end.  I'm thankful that we can enjoy these times with our daughter and her dogs.

And our county trails are so beautiful!

4.  I finished another crib blanket for the local pregnancy resource center.  And I made three pairs of booties for them to give away to moms who come in for a consultation.  I am thankful I can knit and help others, too.

And I made a Plain Vest and headband for a little two year old girl who loves pink.

Eleanor thought they were pretty and wanted to model them.

5.  Time in the garden.  Finally, we had a week of okay weather and some time in the afternoon to work in the garden.  Our veggie beds are ready for planting.  The weeds?  Well... we're working on them.  I'm thankful that I have enough property here at Willow's Cottage to grow a garden.

What has made you thankful this week?

A Quick Fave Fives

 I am leaving on a jet plane very soon, so I am doing my Friday Fave Fives quickly.  Here are my Five Blessings from this past week.

1.  We enjoyed an unexpected fun evening with Tall Boy Friday night.  A friend from school gave him a free ticket to attend our local school district's Fiddle Fest, a night of music by the string band from all the middle schools and our high school.  We all had a great time and loved the music.

2.  I always enjoy our monthly fiber arts group get together at a local coffee shop.

3.  After the group time, Nurse Girl Daughter and I decided to make a quick detour to one of our favorite garden nurseries.  I never win raffles or door prizes or anything like that.  So imagine my surprise when I answered my phone on Monday and the caller was from the nursery.  She told me that I WON! A GIFT CARD!   AND.  So did my daughter!  I am sure there will be another visit to the nursery soon.

4.  My daughter is friends with a couple who own an alpaca farm.  They were out of town last weekend, so she went over to the farm to check on the alpacas and feed them.  I tagged along.  It was so much fun (even if she had to muck out the pens).

5.  I finished another blanket for our local pregnancy center.  Super simple pattern.  All knit rows.  Size nine needles.  Simply Soft yarn by Caron.

Okay!  I'm out the door! Yes, I packed lots of knitting and a few books!

Almost Christmas Faves

 We are now within a week of Christmas!  Are you ready?  Yes, life can be quite busy and hectic in December.  Let's hit the pause button and just relax and focus on all the things which bring us joy and gratefulness.  Here are my weekly Friday Fave Fives (click the link to join us!)

1.  I have been knitting quite a bit lately.  Two sweaters for two little boys.  I am thankful for needles, yarn and patterns.

2.  Last Saturday was not the day I would have wanted to be outside walking around a cemetery.  But.  PAL's American Heritage Girls group was participating in a wreath laying ceremony honoring veterans who are buried in a local cemetery.  The leader asked The Professor to join the ceremony by laying the wreath at the Army monument as he is a US Army veteran.

3.  And then it started snowing!  Our area came under a Level 2 travel warning.  Four inches and very very cold winds.  Even our church service was cancelled on Sunday.  That's not the fave...  I am thankful I have a warm and secure home.

Our (almost) winter wonderland

Gnome hats on the lights

4.  No school on Monday.  The grandboys liked that.

5.  Then the snow melted on Tuesday and Wednesday.  It was warm enough to walk around our lovely city plaza.  PAL and her mom joined us, and of course we had to visit the local bookstores.  I am so happy that PAL and her parents now live nearby.

I agree!  (I may have bought a book or two...)

 

I hope you are staying warm and cozy under warm blankets in the company of your favorite books and family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Crazy but Peaceful Week

 You may have noticed that I have not been online much this past week.  Lots of busyness.  Medical appointments.  Snowy weather.  Extra events.  But even in the midst of crazy Christmas season, I have found times and reasons for PEACE this second week of Advent.  I am sharing in my Friday Fave Fives which Susanne so faithfully hosts every week.  (the link will take you to her blog)

1.  My weekend away with Older Daughter was refreshing.  The bed and breakfast inn where we stayed was lovely.  The room was pleasant.  The beds were comfortable.  The breakfasts were delicious.  And the best part?  As I was chatting with the owner, she mentioned that her husband (co-owner and cook) is from Bali, Indonesia!  She had lived there for many years, too. And the young couple who serves and helps are also Balinese!  Imagine their surprise when we responded to their conversations in Bahasa Indonesia.  It was delightful to watch their faces light up when they realized we could speak their language.  (If you haven't been reading my blog for very long, you may not know that we lived for several years in Indonesia.)

2. During the weekend, I watched the Nutcracker for a second time this season.  It is always a joy to see my adult daughter dancing in the ballet.

3.  There was time for relaxing knitting.  I am completely obsessed with these adorable miniature mittens!  And now to weave in all.those.yarn.ends...

4.  This week, Chaplain Dan (older son) is traveling for work.   He flew to California and into the airport in the same city where Younger Son is living.  And they were able to enjoy a quick lunch together before Chaps drove on down the coast to his destination!  My mother's heart was filled with happiness!

5.  Last night our local high school held its annual combined bands and chorales Christmas concert.  Our grandson is in the band and it was a delight to watch him play his trombone in the band.

Bonus:  I have been reading The Advent of the Lamb of God with my online friends "The Art Girls" during this Advent time.  I highly recommend this book; it has twenty-five short chapters, and it's easy to read one a day.  Russ Ramsey has a gifted way of telling the story of preparation through the centuries for the birth of Jesus.

This second week of Advent is focused on Peace. I hope you have had a peaceful time.

The End of November Fave Fives

 Day 28 of A Month of Thankfulness.  And the fourth and last Friday Fave Fives of November.  This month flew fast!  As usual, I am posting on Friday five things that have reminded me to be thankful during this past week.  You can link up at Susanne's blog.

1.  Earlier in the week, I mentioned that I am thankful for good doctors and nurses.  I had a minor surgery on my hand and all has gone very well with the recovery.  

2.  I can knit again!!  Yes, I just tried it!

3.  Chap's wife's sister (PAL's nickname for her is Gooster) is here visiting for Thanksgiving week.  I have known her almost as long as I have known my daughter-in-law, and it has been fun to visit with her.  Walks.  Tea times. Conversations.

4.  I am thankful that all but one child and one grandchild were here at the cottage for Thanksgiving.  We had a great time.  The nerds played some kind of board game after our luscious dinner while the rest of us put together a jigsaw puzzle.  Included in the afternoon was a quick walk around the neighborhood to exercise off some of the pies that we all ate.  It was a delight for us to have two extra people celebrating with us, both co-workers of Older Daughter.

5.  Now we are off to watch Older Daughter dance in the local Nutcracker performance!  She dances in the ballet every year.  These photos are from last year's performance. She is the singer on the right in the blue dress.  You have to search for her in the second photo...

And this Sunday is the first week of Advent!

November 21. Day 21. Week 3 of November Friday Fave Fives

Happy Friday!  And Happy Fave Fives!  I hope you have had a productive and joyful week.  I'm here on Day 21 to share my Friday Fave Fives. (the link takes you to Susanne's blog so you can read more and join in)

 Every morning is a fresh start.

Wake up with a thankful heart.

1.  I noticed this statement on a facebook post this week.  It struck me with its truth.  Yes, we need to begin each day being thankful.

2.  I am making good progress on some knitting projects.  More miniature Christmas mittens (I have a decorating plan).  Gloves for myself.  A sweater for newborn baby boy.

3.  A good visit with my dermatologist.  And maybe a plan moving forward to help with the remaining issues.

4.  Some warmish days. I was able to be outside a bit to continue to work in the garden, putting the beds to sleep for the winter.

5.  I am always thankful for hikes in the the woods, especially with my family.  This week's hike was at Infirmary Mound Park, a large county park that has many many trails including the fairy trail.  This week as we were walking through a dense forested area, I told Nurse Girl, "This looks like where we hiked up to Hadrian's Wall."  What a beautiful world we live in!

Pictures from our visit to Northumberland.  The path we followed to Hadrian's Wall and St. Oswald's Church.

And a post can only be better with a BARN.

Happy Weekend!  I hope you have found many blessings in this past week, too.