I Can Be Thankful on Saturday Too!

Somehow Thursday came and went and all of a sudden it's Saturday. But we can (and should) be thankful any and everyday.

This week I decided to focus on little (and perhaps silly) things for which I am thankful. It all started with a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond where I found new hangers. I always had issues with hanging my sweaters in the closet. They would always slip off of the hangers and my solution was to squish them as close together as I could so that they would kind of hold each other up. Then I brought home these new hangers with some sort of anti slip coating and the problem has been solved. Silly this may be, but it makes me so happy when I look into my closet and I can see my sweaters hanging so nicely.

I saw buds on my "Christmas" cactus this past week. It has been a fickle holiday plant with buds showing up anytime from Thanksgiving to Valentines Day. Looks like this year they decided to come early.

I am always thankful for my morning coffee, especially when I have it in one of my favorite mugs.

I am VERY thankful that I finally finished my daughter's quilt! She loves it and I love seeing it wrapped around her.

Monkeys on the front and wolves on the back.

So remember, it's not always the big things but the little things in each day that make us smile and remember how lucky we are.

Things that keep me sane

I thought that this week I would think about things that I am thankful for that also help to keep me sane. Here goes:

1. My friends definitely help to keep me sane. I feel so lucky to have friends that I love - friends from my childhood, friends I know from work, friends I have met through knitting and other crafts. Friends are so important to have in my life - they know when to give advice and when to listen, they provide a shoulder to lean on when it's necessary, they put me in my place when I need it and provide laughter and comfort. I would be lost without my friends.




2. Another thing that helps me stay sane is my knitting. I can pull it out when I am waiting in line or when I need a distraction. I feel so proud when I learn a new skill or conquer that lace graph and I love successfully finishing a project whether it is for me or for a gift. It brings me comfort when I need it and lends a distraction when necessary.





3. Memories of my mom - she was always there for me, always such a quiet but strong person. She had very strong opinions about what she felt was right and she passed those strong emotions down to me. As I raise my daughter, I think about what my mom would have done and I wish she was still around for me to ask her questions. I hope that I make her proud.

A Little at a Time

Well, the general consensus seems to be to just keep plugging away at getting rid of stuff - a little at a time. What's that saying - you can't organize clutter, you have to get rid of it. How true!! So that is what I am trying to do - and I will keep at it.




This has nothing to do with clutter, but it certainly makes me smile! Have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursdays

I really have no reason to be in the mental slump that I'm currently feeling. There are so many things that I know I'm thankful for and yet I still feel dragged down. After reading Margene's post yesterday morning, I think I realize what may be contributing to this mood, at least in part. The simple answer is that there is just too much clutter and stuff around this house and it is dragging me down. I need to do something about it but sometimes it just seems so overwhelming and I don't know where to start. I try to do a little bit at a time but if I slack off, well, it just starts piling up again. One thing I definitely know is that I need to learn to let things go - both mentally and physically.

Carole's suggestion of Thankful Thursday may help me refocus on what I need to be thankful for - in other words, what is really important. So here goes - my first list of three.

1. I am thankful for my family and for a daughter that I love so much. Those times when she says something so insightful - well that just blows me away. And then of course, there are those times that she is a typical nine year old and drives me nuts - but I guess that I'm thankful for those times too.
2. In today's economy, I am so lucky to have a job that is secure - or at least as secure as a job can be these days.
3. And the fact that I get to work part time - that makes it even better.

Thanks Carole, for a great idea!

Happy Halloween!!

I decided to make an impromptu Halloween dinner last night. My daughter had a friend over so we invited her to join us.

We started with some Bloody Vampire Soup (dead fish optional).

We supplemented that with Snake Bites.

Yummy snake meat.

A delicious plate of spiders joined us for dessert - little did they know that they were dessert!

Whether you are in it for the tricks or the treats, have a wonderful Halloween!

A Photographic Update

Where does the time go? Maybe I can show you some pictures of things we did over the summer? Are you ready!

We visited a beautiful penthouse in New York City and watched the sunset over the Hudson River.

Looking the other way, we could see the Empire State Building.

We met some great dogs! These Border Collies are amazing - they play ball, they herd children and are great fun to play with.

We went to horse camp and made horse cookies to share with our fellow campers.

We went on vacation to Florida and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel - by the way, they have a great pool.
We went upside down on scary rides.

This was probably one of my favorite things.

Hanging out with the dolphins at Sea World. We got to feed them, learn a little bit about how they are trained and even try some training signals ourselves. It was great fun!

Oh, and sweaters 8, 9 and 10 are done. Wanna see...

Details forthcoming. Now please tell me - where did September go?

Love those FO's

Sweater #7 has been done for a while and even worn a few times but I'm finally getting around to posting about it. It's the Lemongrass Bolero and it's been the perfect summer addition to my wardrobe. I had 3 skeins of Dream in Color Classy hanging out in the stash which I had originally bought for the Dream in Color Shrug but then changed my mind about making that. I went through several pattern ideas for this yarn before settling in on this one thanks to Meera's that I saw on Ravelry. It's perfect for throwing over a tank top especially at work where the air conditioning can make it a little uncomfortable.

I also finished knitting my Seraphim shawl which now, instead of sitting around on the needles, will be hanging around waiting for a bath and blocking.

And sweater #8 is on the needles - the Whisper Cardigan from Interweave Knits. I've started this a few times but was not happy with my initial yarn choice. I am now knitting with Malabrigo lace in the Lettuce colorway and I am totally swooning over this yarn. It is so soft - I imagine it must feel wonderful on.

Have a great weekend!