so here we are....

March 20th, 2020........the first day of Spring (yeah!!)   and most everything else (boo!!!!)

It is hard to keep perspective with the virus spreading and everything is uncharted territory.

Keep connected with friends and family.  

Thank goodness for emails.

Keep busy at home.

Read a book, pull out unfinished projects,

try a new recipe.

and always, always,

be thankful,

grateful

and blessed.

stay healthy and safe.

bring on the sunshine

These days finding reasons to smile, well sometimes are fewer and father apart. 

Spring IS right around the corner.  The weatherman is promising sunshine this week and milder
temperatures.

And this morning I can across this quote:

"Everyone should be taught to sew, not merely for the sake

 of making something, but as an accomplishment which may prove

a stabilizer in time of perplexity or distress.

Many a time when I need to hold myself firmly,

I have taken up a needle - a sewing needle, some knitting needles, 

or a crochet hook.  Whatever its form or purpose, it often

proved to be as the needle of a compass,

keeping me to the course."

- First Lady Grace Coolidge

To this quote add spindles for spinning and the compass course is easily charted.

Keep calm and carry on.

forward and back

Today is 02 02 2020, forward and back, just the same.   Along with hindsight being 2020   and here we are in 2020.   It's going to be some kind of year.

A category 4 atmospheric river hit all of the province...... and what is this???  lots of rain, flooding in some areas, wind  and someone with their finger on the repeat button.     It used to be that when the pineapple express came up from Hawaii sure it brought rain along with milder temperatures.  By Tuesday more than a chance of snow.......how many days till spring, too many according to the calendar.      And not to forget, it's Groundhog Day!


In the meantime, a new start for February, some Santa Cruz roving.   Other than VM bits to remove it's lovely to spin.

always be  

 thankful, grateful and blessed

and let others know that 

you're thinking about them

lend a hand 

things do come full circle

till next time.

it's been a very long month

It truly has been a long month!

A week of Arctic weather was more than enough.  And that is the reason bears hibernate!   Indoor life was fine and there were more than enough options to keep busy.........

Our resident Anna's hummingbirds survived the extreme cold.   Feeders were kept insulated as best we could.

On rare moments, brightness in the sky..sunshine, I remember you sunshine .... and then gone again.


Australia needs help in so many ways.    I found a link to a Quilt Guild that  is making quilts for fire victims.  With the theme Trees, I   made a pattern and then working from fabric stash did some hand applique.   Not fancy but heart felt.   They're now on their way to Oz.

Postage to send  joey pouches and the like is way too much so we've opted to send a money donation.  The Koala Hospital  Port Macquarrie NSW has a good website and info.


And the keeping busy.........

The white turtles are Clun Forest.  It's one of the wool types I'll spin as part of a breed study with our Ravelry Jenkins spindle group.  On my meet the sheep list I've eight to try....

And for fun (using up some spun bits and pieces)  knitted and crocheted bags.   They're a perfect size  to hold an empty gelato container.   And emptying that container......pure bliss!

and that's a wrap for January 2020!

in 2020....

A word to add for 2020, mindfulness.  Focus on today.  Pretty simple, right?

last one of the decade

and here we are, December 31, 2019, closing out a decade............

It  was always suggested that hindsight is 2020.... but tomorrow IS 2020.  

Will it be insightful?  Will we still draw on lessons of the past?

No matter what, there are always reasons to be thankful, grateful and blessed, ......every day, always.

I'm hopeful  for better days ahead.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December 24th

To friends near and far,

wishing you a very Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year!

December seems to arrive with a flurry (not the weather outside) and all the days are busy....or so it feels like.   Tomorrow is for new joy (in watching little ones open their gifts), happy moments spent with family and good food to share.  We will raise a glass to remember Christmas's past and those no longer sitting at our table but always in our hearts.

We continue to be:

thankful,

grateful,

and blessed.

Always.

it's beginning to look like

I might survive these technology changes.   

I've limped along with the old computer and setting up a new one.  Procrastination  at it's best.......99% of files were transferred, on the home stretch then stalled with the "Have I forgotten something?"   This morning the old beast did a series of 'bad behavior' things and in a 'mom' voice THAT'S IT!   Order will be restored, soon.   I won't even mention setting up a phone, that's for another day.

Last week we put up the outdoor lights.  So nice on the many dull days to look out and see the lights glowing (and this is before 3 pm on the grey days).  photos to come.

The tree is up but not yet decorated.  Lot's of time, right?

In the meantime Christmas tunes play on the radio while I knit another row or two.

Stay safe and warm.

on this day

oh so long ago, back in 1989 in  Papatoetoe, Auckland  we got married!

And here we are 30 years later.....just where did the time go??  So many memories of moments, travels and family members  most now gone

So cheers to us, for many more anniversaries to come.

And how will we celebrate today?   Maybe lunch out or order  dinner in.  Simple pleasures.

welcome to November

Happy Birthday to my daughter!   A mere 44 years ago my dear daughter was born......and that makes me well  a bit older now doesn't it?

October slipped on by.  Lots of spinning done and yarn  wound in skeins.   Let the knitting begin!

This past week has been quite loud with fireworks.  It started last weekend (or a bit before) heralding Diwali celebrations and has just continued on to Halloween.  Even in the wee hours this morning fireworks were still being let off.

And now that the calendar has turned over to November, the retail world seems full on to Christmas.  No bah humbugs here......

Again this year I'll try to make our Christmas more home spun.  Simple pleasures.  Less stress. 

Speaking of simple pleasures.....Walnut and cinnamon biscotti....just the right amount of crunch.  This batch didn't last long.  Definitely a new favorite.  I've two batches of the make ahead dough in the freezer too.

Seems we have at least two more times of changing the clocks.   Although legislation is in the works to stay on daylight savings time, we're not there yet.  And  so we fall back an hour on Sunday. 

Borrowing from a blog friend  (Four Miles North of Nowhere), every day we should remember to be:

thankful

grateful

blessed

till next time, 

take care .....