January Joy

 I know we in the northern hemisphere are missing flowers, but pinecones are flowery, too. January is almost over, so get your hearts ready for the love month.  
My sister has had a glorious January.  She welcomed her first grandchild AND her youngest daughter got engaged (in Paris!) She will be the very sweetest and loving grandma.  She has always been a kid whisperer.  She has another baby boy coming in April!  God is so good!

 Jenny's family is at Disneyland, so I went to her house yesterday to give her kitties some human interaction.  

 On the way home I found a yarn store!  Woo hoo!  I bought needles and some lovely wool!

 Here is the newest cherub again.  My mama has 21 great grands now! 

I read a wonderful book this week.  The Sacred Journey by Frederick Buechner. Now I have to read more of his work.  I love the way his words flow.  Amazing.

My other sister is coming today!  I'll pick her up at the airport this morning, we'll do the rounds visiting and then we'll head up to Boulder for lunch.  Yay!  Lots of gabbing!

Next week I am flying up to Washington to see my mom and brothers (my youngest sis, the new granny, will pick me up at the airport!)

Oh, real quick: I was reading one of my Christmas gift books (it was on my wish list, so I DID pick it apparently) about homemaking. I won't mention the title because that might be mean, but it is a compilation of blog posts from I blog I haven't read.  Anyway, I found it so simplistic and a tad preachy regarding cleaning and keeping a home.  Well, it helped me to appreciate the way I have come a long way from my early-wife days of reading home keeping books and trying so hard to be an amazing cleaner and housekeeper (and really NEVER achieving this).  I'm glad I feel more compelled to tend to my soul now.  I'm developmentally (😃) over that "task-y" tendency. YAY! Do you remember those days of piles of laundry, messy kitchens, towels on the bathroom floor, and overwhelming messes? If you are still in the middle of all that, take heart.  It doesn't last forever.

I guess I don't need to read the home making helpful books anymore. I guess I grew. 😍

A Redhead and a Pixie

I was looking through photos on my overloaded phone and found this BRAVE girl and a pretty little mermaid.

It was a while ago (years, actually) and one day while cleaning up the dress up stuff at Kelli's I tried on the wig.  Hmmm. NOT a redhead. 

One reason I scroll through all my photos is because I want to see flowers.  It's very brown around here and I am already flower-hungry.  Argh!  It's only January!

So, those flower photos are for you just in case you are feeling flower-hungry today.

I started this sweater 30 or so years ago for our Kelli and now it is finally finished for her youngest Millie Rose.  That took a while, didn't it?  

Tim loves my fluffy robe (dressing gown for those of you across the sea).  Look at that bliss.  He's peaceful. 

 I was in Denver (we live in the burbs) the other day and I gave this pixie a ride home. 

 I found a doll bed at an antique shop (50% off!) and it's perfect for Miss Bug's baby doll.  Her birthday is on Groundhog Day by the way.  Anyway, I am going to cozy it up with pillows and quilts. 

 The pixie wants to live here.  I named her Butterhorn because she's from Denmark (you know, she's Danish).  The grands think she's a little ridiculous looking, but I don't.  

 Tim is not impressed.  He ignores her completely.  It makes sense because he is always pleased when the grandkids go home.  He is spoiled and doesn't want to share his humans with others. We do love pampering him.  He's the perfect pet.

It's sunny and warm today, but on Sunday it will be very cold and 3-7 inches of snow will come our way.  More coziness.

I had better go out and walk around the neighborhood.  Maybe I'll go down to the open space where it isn't so sidewalk-y.

I hope you are having a happy day and that you enjoy your weekend.

Thank you very much for stopping in to check on me.  (xoxoxo)

January Cozy

 A week or so ago when I was downstairs ironing in my basement sewing area, I decided to make a little curtain (because I wanted to move my knitting books).  It's fabric from a PTNH (a project that never happened).  I like it. 
Believe it or not Tim DOES trot downstairs when I am ironing or sewing.  I think he runs around the house while we sleep occasionally because all his mice are scattered on the carpet. 

 Christmas books that I haven't really made a dent in yet.  I like looking at them.

 I wonder how long it will be before I make a bag or two.  I want to do it, I do.  The Vera Bradley bags I've carried for years are expensive and they wear out around the edges.  It's never too late to get better at sewing, is it?

 Finally, the worrisome clogs arrived!  The first time they shipped to me a "porch pirate" took them.  I can imagine their disappointment when they opened the box.  "Who wants GREEN clogs in this day and age?" is what I supposed they thought.  Anyway, Zulily refunded the money and gave a coupon so by the time I bought them again I only paid $30.  On the Bastad website they are $120.  Yay for a bargain!  Here's something I have discovered about clogs though: They are very clompy.  We only have carpet in the basement (and the guest room) so I find that the noise annoys me.  I must get over it.  Also, when I was in college I wore high clogs and my sister reminded me that I fell over, twisting my ankles quite often.  Hmmmmm.  I hope I am safe on my new wooden soles. 

 I pulled out the French press again.  Decaf in the afternoons is quite cozy. 

 My cousin who lives in Portland now, wrote a book. She writes columns for Lutheran publications but this is a series of reflections.  I really liked it.  I reviewed it on Goodreads and Amazon if you'd like to take a peak. 

 I got my new glasses!  Sorry for the folds and wrinkles . . . on my pink face!  They look purple but they are actually blue.  I like them a lot!  Every third year I find a pair I love.  My last pair didn't please me.  It's easy to make mistakes when choosing eyewear, isn't it?

 I am so thankful that the oranges are so tasty this time of year because of . . . Weight Watchers.  It's going well.  It's fun to go to the meetings with Kelli and talk about it with Jenny (she signed up for the online tools). 

 Our Brad turned 37.  I've been a mama for 37 years so I deserve those folds and wrinkles, don't I?  We met Brad for lunch the day before his birthday.  I love him.  He's such a sweet teddy bear of a son.  All of our children are so fun to be around.  I simply love them beyond words.  They are my favorite people.  

 Bill and I were walking at the mall with James and Noah and we came upon a store called something "cozy".  I thought the window displays were so cute.  The items are not hand knit, but still lovely looking.  Being at the mall and seeing all the familiar mall walkers made me realize that I don't like walking at the mall (it's like being a mouse in a maze) and it gets so boring I can hardly stand it.  Just an observation. 

 Today it is VERY cold and snowy.  Most people think that Colorado is a very snowy place because of the storms that are covered in the news (the airport closes down and causes big problems).  Actually it is rarely REALLY cold, so I honestly don't have lots of occasions to wear my bargain UGG boots.  Today is a good day for them.  Do you see Tim snoozing on the ratty old green chair? He's cold, too.

I think it's time for a cup of tea and a little bit of moving around.  I found my fitbit and I remember why I like it.  I can track my sleep.  LOL!  I also like evidence that I do not sit around on my fanny ALL day.

God be with you, sweet visitor.

Talk soon . . .

January and Pauses

(Remember when Bill and I went to Hobbiton? Oh, that was SO cozy!)

Hello!  Another week of January has begun and it hasn't been boring.  I had book club today and tomorrow Bill has a colonoscopy.  Boo, right?  It's routine and easy peasy but the PREP is horrible, as many of you know.  

For book club we read Thus Far and No Further by Rumer Godden (I know I already told you what book we were reading) and the discussion was very rich.  It's a real treat to read her descriptions of life on a tea plantation.  I recommend. (Gretchen, since you are in India now, you might like reading it!)

Our girls and I are doing Weight Watchers again.  The program is new and fairly painless.  I am much too round and I'd love to be able to hop spritely about someday(that may be too lofty of a goal!  LOL!) Anyway, I've definitely been eating more wholesome foods and it's good for my heart (I feel compelled to take pretty good care of my ticker).

 One of the ladies in my prayer group shared a reading about "the pause" that can be a practice for us.  I may have misunderstood (everyone else acted like they knew what she was referring to) but I like the idea of embracing occasional pauses.  Do you?  January can be a pause because it's often cold and cloudy, so we tend to hunker down and quiet our busy selves.  Our January has not held snow but other parts of the country have received heaps of it.  Snow is conducive to pauses.  Sometimes simply NOT talking can provide a nice piece of peace for us and those around us.  What do you think about pausing?

Here's a little pre-February pink.  In Thus Far and No Further, Rumer Godden says that every room should have a little bit of pink.  It could be on a decorative bowl or in the lining of a curtain.  It could be a printed rug.  Do you have any pink in your house?  I do love pink.

I sewed some purple pants today.  They are meant to be bloomers worn with a dress (I might make the dress tomorrow when we return from Bill's procedure).  I've yet to make the top (100 Acts of Sewing).  I will.  

I've been knitting socks and working on sweater finishes.  I am also plugging away on a Sockhead hat.  

I've been working on organizing my embroidery threads in a notebook (little bobbins tucked in plastic pockets).

I am already craving flowers.  It's way too early, but when I look at pictures of our garden I miss the lovely blooms.

I must buy some hyacinth bulbs.  

I hope you are feeling inspired, loved, at peace, and satisfied.

God be with you, kind visitor.  

January 1, 2018 YAY!

(Timothy wore a festive bow tie for a few days around Christmas, but it cramps his style so it's off again!)

 Happy New Year!  I woke up feeling decisive so I made a list of things I've been giving mind space to that are not producing fruit. For example: eating too much, sitting too much, watching YouTube videos of OTHER people doing things, neglecting my Bible, having too many makes on the go . . . you get the idea.  

One thing I am not going to do this year is join in with knit alongs.  I am too slow and to INFP-ish to join knit alongs.  I don't want to follow the patterns and I am not motivated by other knitters who knit at the speed of light.  Silly me! I THOUGHT I wanted to, but then I realized I don't.  Lol! 

 Here is one of Bill's Christmas gifts.  It's a wall sticker and I told him that he could choose where to put it.  I tend to do all the cluttering up of our surroundings.  I think he picked a great spot in the dining room.  It's his house, too.  

 Here's me using the peppermint tea for a prop again.  I received some tea things.  I want to try something I've heard about.  Tetley Tea Earl Grey Vanilla.  It must be ordered.

 Bill also received a heated throw.  Guess who LOVES it?  Yes, old Flopsy Mopsy thinks it's his. 

The thirteen dollar live tree I bought at Walmart is free from her ornaments but she still must tolerate the sparkles that were applied to her limbs.  Poor.  

Today I'd like to organize my books (Bill gave me so many and I must figure out where to put them).  I'd like to get my study to the point where it is a place to study instead of a place to stack things.

I'll cook a warm dinner for Kelli and her gang.

Thank you for coming by!

(Note:  Kit, if you are reading this my comments bounce back from your blog. The message says the email is no longer valid.  I read your blog faithfully.  Can the problem be fixed?)