Short Story Long

  Making time to make the things that say 'holiday' - pizzelles, homemade marshmallows, dried orange slices, gingerbread men, and enjoying time with all my guys.   Tonight, fifteen of us went caroling, which was a foreign concept to some in our group of carolers, and to all the houses we went caroling to, but it was so much fun.   I know my people think I'm old-fashioned but now and then I see they realize why people used to do these things, because real things are worth doing.  Saying 'Merry Christmas!' to friends who are recovering from surgery, or moved to assisted living, or are going through a difficult relationship spot, or financial hardship - so many challenges in life... it's so nice to celebrate the good moments together!   I hope you are having a season of wonder and peace, love and joy!  

There's only so much time for knitting and limited space for yarn stash.  Instead of buying so much yarn, I'd rather buy better yarn: yarn I love to work with and is long wearing.  Here are some pieces that I've knitted and loved and loved, even repaired to keep wearing!  In other words, pieces that were worth the time and money.   All the patterns in this post are my own.  I will chalk it up to the fact that I have knitted sooo many hats and mittens, that I have honed my patterns to what I really like!   Now With Thicker Frosting! mittens I have several pairs of mittens and fingerless gloves that I've knitted over the years, some I have designed, some experiments.  The ones I use every time I go out, though, are these.  I love this yarn, and I love that they are light.  Since they are stranded they are a bit warmer than just one layer would be.  Originally knit in 2013, I have worn a hole in the left thumb where I slide it down my camera strap, so I repaired them ea

(I started this post in September, but here at the end of October  mid-November, we still have summer plants alive in the garden - hollyhocks hanging on!)  That is to say, it was a beautiful albeit hot summer at our house, and I happily look back on all the blessings of the season.   Family and friends visited, we had some lovely peonies, roses and other flowers; we went rafting and fishing and drove to the Northern Woods; saw the World's Biggest Dilly Bar, hockey stick, a beautiful stave church, and a couple of homes that Grandpa lived in when he was a kid.  We had a windy, smoky picnic with old friends, and lots of laughs with great-aunts and uncles.  We visited The City, and farms, and cemeteries and so much more.   We're in a new season of life; nothing bad, just different, and a little busier.  A lot less knitting, but still knitting.  Morning by morning, new mercies I see.  

  The garden is filling out!  Those hollyhocks, we didn't plant them but they're fascinating to watch.  

       It's been unusually rainy this year, which has helped the water budget.  I'm not sure if the zucchini is getting enough sun with all the cloudy days, so far we just have some little fruits.  The squirrels are a problem, I'm pretty sure they stole the first zucchini!  I had three good plants and one pot, so I put the other two in random spots against the house, just to see...  would they be worth filling in some dead space?  They are keeping up fairly well with the pot in the sun.        All the major growing effort has been focused on the pots, but we do have some giant hollyhocks and a forest of dill!  Maybe we'll do some serious pickling this year, if we get some good cucs at the farmer's market.  Also some volunteer lettuce, which have been great for salads and lettuce wraps.        I feel pretty good about how the tomatoes are doing.  So far, I seem to have strong, healthy plants, flowering.  I watched this video and this video , and learned a bunch.  I

May was full of flowers bursting open in the garden, mostly purple!   I'm trying to let my garden rest this year, but I had stocked up on seeds in January and could not resist starting some for pots, so we are growing San Marzano tomatoes, and a couple zucchinis and basil.  We'll see how it goes.  It's always good to learn new things in the garden.   I'm doing the photo list thing, again.  I'm on a quest for the perfect cloudscape .  In the meantime, finding lots of beautiful scenes with clouds, but not sure I've captured my interpretation of cloudscape yet.   A little knitting, quite a bit of quilting, and more than enough weeding fill my days; trying to get in some driving lessons, and wishing we'd done a lot more last year when traffic was much lighter - especially in the city.  But we're here this year, and getting through fine.   Every month has flown by, this year, and my pictures remind me that there are precious sights and memories all around.  W

  Just gettin' started with some tomato and other seedlings. 

  This lovely postcard is from my great-grandmother's correspondence.  Looking through vintage papers, I realize symbols were used for very different things than what we think these days.  This card is nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, but I love the four-leaf clover.  In my childhood home, St. Patrick's Day meant wearing green so we didn't get pinched.  After I met my husband, whose mother is half Irish, it took on more significance.  Up until then, I had never had soda bread or corned beef.  My husband makes a great corned beef!   I have been enjoying these beautiful hyacinths - closed and then open.  I'm ready for the life that spring brings.  And they smell light and lovely. Starting in the garden, purple columbines, and tulips.  I planted the tulip (and other) bulbs last fall but can't remember what they're supposed to look like.  It will be a lovely surprise.  We're expecting a lot of snow later this week; I might see about covering these littl