Patches

The Wedding Gift (WG) is coming along very nicely. Actually, I really love how the beautiful colors are working up together. The wool is so soft and warm, the colors are just delightful and the two recipients are worth every stitch of garter.

 



In other news today, I managed to royally screw up an Eggplant Parmesan. However, that was made up for with the delightful Carrot and Tart Apple Soup I made this morning. I also discovered almond butter. This particular brand has cocoa mixed in with it. I spread some onto a multigrain bagel and decided that eating healthier could still be quite enjoyable. It was delicious with a capital D.

 

Photos

I have new photos to share with you all.  

 

These were harvested this morning for our stoop garden

This is the garden at my parents home

These are my babies, but most people just call them roses...

The garden has been tilled, but I need to do some weeding. There will be planting after the weather gets warmer and drier.

I have English lavender in the garden to attract bees for pollination. I'm thinking of planting marigolds around the border, but no final decision has been made just yet. I'll keep you all posted.

Oh Happy Day

I mentioned in a previous post that I was knitting something for someone special. I can tell you what that's all about now that it's official. My brother Jonathan and his girlfriend Heather got engaged this past Friday. I can hardly contain my glee! They make a lovely couple. I have already begun their wedding gift. Any guesses what it will be?

 

In other news this morning, there is a pot of rice on the stove, and bread in the oven. The strawberries are going bonkers out on the stoop, and I see a bit of sunshine peeking through the clouds. it's going to be a lovely day.

For Someone Special

Yesterday another brown parcel arrived full of knitting goodies. Soft wool in lovely colors to knit something wonderful for someone very special to me.

 

There are four colors in this project and you will see them as more progress is made. I'm drinking almond tea this morning as I knit. There's a pot of it on the counter. Today is supposed to be stormy; rainy and dreary. I have the day off and I see no better way than to spend it sipping tea and knitting. Oh, I also have a new book, so there will probably be some reading involved too.

 

Have a great day. It will be a good one for puddle-jumping.

It's Coming

In a few days, something very monumental and wonderful is going to happen. I can't tell you what it is yet, but there should be a box of yarn arriving very soon to stitch something up in celebration of said upcoming event. I'll keep you all posted and of course, share pictures of what's going on.

In other news. The garden boxes have been tilled (I am guaranteed one box at my parents, and while they are unaware, I will be lobbying for a second or third, with the promise to share the harvest). There are two new rosebushes planted as well as lavender (to attract the bees to pollinate our garden) and more strawberries. The alyssum is beginning to bloom and the mint is already sending up new starters. I can't wait to see how our garden does. It's our first one and there's a lot to learn, but I think i'm up for the challenge.

There will be pictures to follow of this later. I promise.

Last Meal

As I read the title of this post, I think that maybe it should be known that I am not on death row. This "last meal" is not the very last on earth I will ever enjoy. It is however, the last of the fast food that I will ever eat. As much as I love the convenience of "fast food", I love my husband and my life even more. Today, I had a Whopper and fries from Burger King. I enjoyed it, but you know what, I really don't think I'm going to miss eating these things.

My health and my time with those that I love are far more important. Sure, I could cut back and just enjoy those things once in a while, but really, I have no discipline with food. It's one of my downfalls, and a big one. I'm working to change that though. I have several goals in mind, and I'm starting small. I'll get there.

Starting with the grocery shopping. There are more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain items, and fewer junk food items that I'm keeping around. New recipes are popping up in the kitchen and I'm (really slowly) getting more physically active. The health problems I see around me are not what I want in my life and it's time to do something about it. Wish me luck. I will fall and get back up and keep going. I just have to remember why I'm fighting.

The one thing I'm not giving up? Chocolate. Dark. 

It's Friday

Today is Friday. The weather is nice and cool and it's the start of my rotation at work. Good thing too, I'm starting to miss my residents. This past week, I finished a sock (the one I was knitting on the beach and hiking trips), and started another pair. I also bought a pretty piece of garden art to put out on our stoop. It's the perfect color.

 

 

Have a lovely day. The weekend seems off to a good start so far. Happy knitting!

 

First Harvest

Just a few days ago, the first strawberry in our garden looked like this:

Now, it looks like this: 

 

There are several on the vines but not yet ready for harvest. I'm dreaming of enough berries to make a pie, tomatoes so plentiful that neighbors and loved ones will see me coming and say, "no more!", and herbs so tasty that my brothers will actually want to eat my cooking. This probably won't happen this season, but dreams are free and it gives me something to look forward to.

If you are wondering, I have not been using any pesticides on my garden. If I do, they will be homemade and natural. This is how the garden on our stoop looks thus far. When I get back to my parents, I will take a picture of our garden there and post it.

 

The carrots were a dud, I didn't plant them properly, so they will be recycled and the pot used for something else. Any ideas on what to plant?

 

 

On Friday, The Knitting and I went on another adventure with Ron, hiking around different places. This is at the Stone Cliff Inn and those boulders were featured in the Twilight movies.

 

 

On Saturday there was a birthday in the family. Here is the happy recipient, Cousin Jordan.

 

I was rather worried that the mitts wouldn't fit, but they did. Perfectly. He's a writer and intends to wear them while working.

 

Pattern: Mitt Envy by Knittywhipped

 

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll

 

Color: Thunderhead



 

To Mothers Everywere

Today is Mother's Day and I thought perhaps I would write a little something about the mothers in my life that have been so wonderful over the years. First, there is my own mother, Ellie. She's quite a delight. Growing up she made sure each of my brothers and I knew how to cook and manage a house. We spent quite a it of time learning how to go through local adds for the weekly grocery shopping and the best ways to save money. She made clothes for my dolls when I was very young and drove me long hours one season in high school to each of the Speech Team events.

Best of all, she taught me how to knit. Crochet too, but I've stuck with knitting the best. The needles were two silver double points and had old pink rubber tips at the ends. The yarn was a really ugly green and very scratchy. I learned how to purl after hours and when I finally got it, we were both so excited. I haven't stopped knitting since then and among all the things Mom has taught me, knitting will always be a favorite memory.

The next motherly character is Julie, my mother-in-law. She's a wonderful woman and I appreciate her as much as my own mother. She always has a listening ear and has the same love of knitting as I do. People often complain and tell terrible tales of their mother-in-laws, but I really have nothing bad to say about mine. We have always gotten along and have such fun adventures when we get together for tea and trying out new recipes. Best of all, she was ecstatic when Alex and I told her we were getting married. Alex is her only child and to be gaining a daughter-in-law was a lovely thing for her.

These ladies have a very special place in my heart, and always will. They have given me gifts of laughter, joy, wisdom, and overall, been a blessing. I'm not a mother yet, but I really do hope that when that comes, these lovely ladies will still be right there. Happy Mother's Day. I love you both.

Beach Trip

Yesterday, Alex and I went to Cannon Beach here on the Oregon Coast. The weather was beautiful and the day was perfect.

I did do a bit of work on the second of Jordan's birthday mitts

And a good amount of progress was made on my new socks

This is Haystack Rock- a well-known Oregon landmark

We had lunch at Mo's

Everyone rave about their clam chowder, so of course, we ordered some. It was delicious!

We explored our inner little people and played at the park there

I knitted while waiting for lunch

Alex tested out our new video camera for the first time. He's pretty cute, don't you think?

 

It was a wonderful day and hard to come back. Cannon Beach is a fun place to explore, lots of little shops and galleries. It's another sunny, warm, and lovely day. How are you going to spend it?

Instead of Fnishing

I have probably mentioned before that I am not a monogamous knitter. It is extremely impossible for me to stick with only one project at a time. I just get so bored. Fortunately, this does not carry over into any other part of my life* (like my marriage, which I'm sure Alex appreciates). I am proud to say however, that I have managed to complete two pairs of socks this past week and am nearly finished with the mitts for my cousin's birthday on Saturday.

These are for Jeanne's birthday on Thursday

This is the first of a pair for Jordan, to be completed by Saturday**

 

*I have a hard time staying with one book at a time too.

 

**This is really just an estimated time frame. It is entirely possible probable that I will not finish them, despite the first only taking two days and I have a long trip to the beach coming up on Thursday.

 

I wish you all well. I would chat a little longer, but I have my eye on a sexy red yarn with sparkles sitting only an arms length away. The possibilities are endless. What should I do with it?

Why I Love Saturdays

I love Saturdays for a lot of reasons, bu mainly, it means that there are so many things to do. Everything is open (some places are open until late), people are out and about, and there's the Saturday Market downtown. Today was a day off before going back to work tomorrow, and I spent the vast majority of it with my neighbors, Deidre and Amanda downtown, exploring the market, eating, shopping, and just enjoying life. Amanda is new to town, from back east somewheres, so we took her out on the town to explore. She loved it!

We shared an elephant ear right off the bat

These treats are gigantic and covered in cinnamon sugar and served warm.

We took her to VooDoo Donut where she got some sort of mango delight (she claimed it was "interesting")

Then, (and this is how I know we will all be very good friends), we went to Knit Purl and found this lovely yarn...They were quite happy to support my quest for a knitting shop, and Deidre happened to know of this one...

After I got home, I wound the newly found treasures into balls. I purchased two Madeline Tosh in two different colorways for the mom and mother-in-law to receive for Mother's Day. There is a third, but I forget what it is. Some gorgeous blue sock yarn.

Yesterday was a great day too. It was just like today; beautiful weather and good company. I went out on an Urban Hike with my father-in-law. We walked around the Smyth and Bybee Lake area, Kelly Point Park, and I don't remember if there was someplace else or not. It was really a lot of fun. Next week we are going out to dig up some new plants.

Speaking of plants, I now have a variety of tomatoes, strawberries, and herbs in my garden. Let's go down the list: good company, new yarn, lovely weather, new yarn, fresh homegrown produce, new yarn. It's going to be a great summer.