Whew! Re-entry week almost over and it feels like “normal” life is more normal!
My day started out incredibly when Steve sent me this link for my listening pleasure! (Adele’s new album drops Nov. 19 and I.can’t.wait!!)
The Loose Tooth is still hanging in there! (Heidi is a much more patient mom than I ever was, I would have pulled the sucker out by now! lol)
We had such strange weather in Michigan… practically no wind any day! Which meant no waves at the beach. It was so strange to stand on the Frankfort Beach and have Lake Michigan be like glass!
I get my flu shot this morning… yay!
My knitting mojo has RETURNED! Thanks to Gnorwen! LOL Today is all about Arm Knitting and I am eager to finish the things on my list so I can sit down and knit!
Finally (so I can get started on my list!) I heard a poem by Connie Wanek this week and I have not stopped thinking about it since. I think there is some incredible wisdom on her words which had me nodding my head frequently. (And I had no idea that Connie has a collection of Mrs. God poems!)
Mrs. God
by Connie Wanek
Someone had to do the dirty work,
spading the garden, moving mountains,
keeping the darkness out of the light,
and she took every imperfection personally.
Mr. Big Ideas, sure,
but someone had to run the numbers.
Then talk about babies: he never imagined
so many.
That was part of his charm, of course,
his frank amazement at consequences.
The pretty songs he gave the finches:
those spoke to his
innocence, his ability to regard
every moment as fresh. “Let’s give them
free will and see what happens.”
he said, ever the optimist.
Today I am sharing my brief, but spectacular trip to Michigan in photos!
The sun and I arrived together in Chicago!
Grand-dogs are the best and Bowser was happy to see me!
A beer or two at the Lake Ann Brewing Co
The weather cooperated nicely for most of the weekend!
Which inspired an impromptu "picnic"
All picnics should include silly selfies!
Clear skies to close out Friday!
Saturday morning snuggles with Bowser!
Early rising in northern Michigan is the best thing ever!
I walked to Lake Ann and the views were glorious on Saturday morning!
A quick breakfast with these two was so much fun!
The undertaking of the day was my son's new tattoo.
I just love how it turned out (and how well he endured the process!)
On to the Empire Hops Fest with my son and his lovely girlfriend, Jupiter!
I think they make the cutest couple!
So many amazing beers!
Sunday included one more early morning walk to Lake Ann.
Harvest Festival at Vivi's school meant she had some of her own artwork this weekend!
Sunday night's clear, crisp skies!
And before I knew it the weekend was over, but flying into Chicago had some amazing views!
It was a whirl-wind weekend, packed full of so many good things!
My backyard pano was insane!
Monday’s sunset was truly amazing, but boy was I happy to get into my own bed!
And that, my friends, brings us to another weekend. One that will, at least for me, be much less busy! See you all back here on Monday and I hope you all have a great weekend!
This last full week of September just raced by, didn’t it? It was a week of crisp mornings that gave way to warm days. Yesterday morning there were some brief rain showers and even though I did not “feel” like going for a walk I did, and it felt so good when I was done. My doctor visit reinforced that moving my body is good for so many things! My cholesterol numbers were better than last year, which makes me want to leap with joy.
Travel Planning –
This time next week, I will be well on my way to Michigan to visit my kids. The dates worked out for everyone (juggling multiple schedules can be challenging, can’t it?) and I am staying in my son’s guest room for the weekend. It will be a full weekend and I can hardly wait!
Great Cuts –
Later today I am heading back to my hairdresser after a seven-month hiatus. My plan is to cut 4-5 inches from the length, which I hope will make “doing my hair” an easier process… and I can hardly wait!
Inspired Sips –
I have been trying different combinations to come up with the quintessential autumn beverage and I think I found the perfect combination. I shared it this week on IG, and Patty asked if I would share the recipe. That caused me to go back and tweak the cocktail a bit so that I can share a recipe that you can all replicate it! Last night’s sip was a success and it is truly the perfect taste for fall! There is a hint of apple flavor, but it is not at all overwhelming or sweet!
Apple Pie Manhattan
(makes 2 generous cocktails)
5 oz. Crown Royal
1.5 oz Crown Royal Regal Apple
1.5 oz Crown Royal Vanilla (or if you have it, you can use the same amount of Salted Caramel Crown – although this is not available in stores in our area right now)
Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir for 45-60 seconds to chill and pour over a large ice cube. Garnish with an apple slice or a cherry.
And finally,
Fantastic Finishes –
Yes, you are reading that right. I am almost done with my Reagan! I have a bit of the bind off to finish and then I just need to pick up stitches to finish the sweater off. I am so excited for this to be done because I think it will get some use on my trip to Michigan! I might even be inspired to rip back this and reknit the body/sleeves so it fits (and I can take it to MI with me!)
That’s all I have for this week – see you all back here on Monday. Have an amazing weekend!
The “list-free” weekend was truly restful – although, on Sunday we did get some much needed yard work done! We did a bit of culling of the dying plants from the pots on the patio – the coleus was getting pretty leggy and were dropping leaves thanks to the spate of cool nights we have had. I would like to get a couple of mums for the fall but I won’t have time this week – maybe next week that will happen. But for right now the impatiens remain the star of the waning days of summer – they are just magnificent! The remaining vegetable plants in the garden have also headed to the compost pile. I have made a somewhat detailed list of garden successes as well as failures. August’s hot humid days did my basil in – perhaps assisted by my overzealous watering.
On Saturday night as we were looking for something to watch on television and we discovered that there is a new season of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix…produced by Netflix. There are 2 episodes up currently, with a new one coming each week until the end of October! Only Paul remains from the original shows, but I thought it was still most enjoyable!
But, it’s Monday and this is what my list looks like this week:
This is the September inspiration from The Balanced Life and these words are exactly what I need as I head back to my Pilates mat this week. As Kym has shared many times over the past few months – you can go from one who avoided exercise to one who finds something so very worthwhile in it! I really want to be in the latter group and I am going to make moving and exercise my focus this month!
This week, I have just the inspiration necessary to bring me back to the mat… stay tuned for my Friday check-in to see how I did! Add to that, my daily walks and moving my body is getting back into focus! I am so disappointed at how easy it was for me to lose this essential habit! I have put these words in several prominent places and hopefully they will continue to inspire my movement this month!
I have a wee bit of sewing to finish! One pair of Rose pants and a Zadie Jumpsuit have been patiently waiting for me to get back to them. Which will happen this week because there is no baking or preserving to distract me!
My daughter added a couple of things to my list yesterday with a request for some “Halloween costume” help – so I need to look up some cable patterns to knit a tiny pair of leggings and see if I can pick up some flannel fat quarters to make some “reindeer ears” so Vivi can be a little reindeer for Halloween!
My final goal for the week is to begin the lace portion of my Reagan! I am ever so close to finishing the sleeves and hope to have some lace progress to share with you on Wednesday!
What’s on your list for the week? I hope that you can make the most of your Monday and start your week off wonderfully! See you all back here on Wednesday with a knitting and reading update!
Another Friday and another weekend. Summer is not being lazy at all!
Thinking About:
The future came and went in the mildly discouraging way that futures do. – Neil Gaiman, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
I find myself pondering the passage of time this month. In less than 10 days, Genevieve will be 4 years old and that seems so impossible to me. July is almost halfway over, and that also seems impossible to me. Gaiman’s quote seems most appropriate – indeed the future is coming and going all to rapidly. And speaking of Genevieve – her mom and dad took her to get her ears pierced last week. Genevieve has been begging and begging to have this done. Well, as you can see – she has one ear pierced but there was no way in hell she was getting the second one done! I confess, I am laughing about this – I should not, but I am. That face looks so angelic… ha! Bribery to get the second ear done has begun in earnest but she has not yet succumbed!
She looks so innocent…
Grooving On:
Early Bloomer’s color work! There is something addictive about color work – it is hard to put down. The urge to knit just more row to see how the pattern will unfold pulls me in and keeps me knitting. I have one set of flowers to go and their magical lure will be complete! Vera asked to see the colors I am knitting with… a dark brown, coffee-colored yarn paired with a green and a turquoise. I think they work well together. I am a little concerned that the neckline is going to be too wide – but maybe not. Once I am done with the color work, I am going to take Heidi’s suggestion and finish the neck to check the fit.
Just one more section to go!
Impatiently Waiting:
While I would like summer to slow down a bit, I am eager for my growing tomatoes to ripen! I think we need more sun than we have had for that to happen, but I am hoping that soon I have at least a handful of tomatoes to put on my salad!
Yes, those are raindrops on my tomatoes!
Fed Up With:
Rain. And really, the volume of rain we have been having! We got another 2 inches of rain yesterday. The flooding here is crazy and my garden has had a moat surrounding it more days than not. I might not mind the rain so much if we had an all-day, soaking rain versus the torrential downpours we have been having. They are “rain events” not rainstorms.
That is all I have for this week! I have my fingers crossed that I will win the battle and Happy Hour tonight will be outside. Have a great weekend everyone and I will see all of you back here on Monday!
