Just a peek at what has been going on in our back yard.

It looks loads better than it did at the beginning of May and we have a heck of a lot more work to go.
Just a peek at what has been going on in our back yard.

It looks loads better than it did at the beginning of May and we have a heck of a lot more work to go.
I’ve been at this blog location for a bit over a year now. It still seems a bit weird to be the master of my own domain, and I still feel pretty inept. I know that my blogging waxes and wanes with the seasons, in the summer time (even though we haven’t actually had much summer around here) there always seems to be something better to do than to curl up with the computer and actually write.
Knitting usually is a constant. This summer it has been a series of frustrations, things that haven’t quite turned out as planned, projects that get dropped for a bit as other deadlines encroach on their time and space. Then they are picked up, lovingly started up again only to be frogged back and redone because of previous errors. It would be nice to actually pick something up and be able to continue where I had left off. Knitting, like life, apparently does not work that way.
This weekend was all about family and friends. Saturday a friend of mine got married. The venue was beautiful, a huge rolling park along Lake Washington, boats sailing off in the distance. The warm breeze kept the air moving, and the sun beating on the grass left the memory of drying hay tantalize my thoughts. The wedding itself was quiet, no music except for the sounds of summer, and afterward a barbeque. We had to skip out before the cake though.
Of course I had to find the only step that really couldn’t be seen, rolled my ankle and sprained my knee. I was grateful that there wasn’t any dancing, that might have been a bit awkward.
Yesterday was another day filled with friends and family. There was grocery shopping to be done, knitting and coffee with another friend. Then for some reason, on one of the hottest days of summer, it was the right time to make peach jam. So we did and I now have 16 jars of jam on my counter. With each pop as the jars sealed and the lingering smell of peaches throughout the house there was a moment when I was back at my parent’s home in summer.

I am planning a trip this fall. I have always wanted to attend Rhinebeck. So this year I am going to make it happen. I am so excited!
I got to test knit the newest Mochimochiland tiny things 3 patterns
This little guy is having fun with my frogs at work!
It seems strange that both of my girls have grown so much over the past few years. When they were babies, it seemed like it would be forever until they were teenagers, and then all of the sudden that time arrived. I am still trying to wrap my head around that, especially since in part of my own mind, it hasn’t been that long since I was in high school.
Time is an interesting thing. It means one thing when we are young and the years stretch before us like the winding path that never ends. Then in the middle comes the reality that decisions can change our pathway, whether they were conscious decisions or events that we had no control over. Dealing with those little (or big) bumps in the road are what form the fabric of who we are, and it is how we chose to deal with them that helps to define the outcome.
It has been ten years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. While I can’t wish that diagnosis on any one, I am grateful for the lessons learned and the reminder that each day is a gift, and that there is no right or wrong way to deal with it. Each of us deals with the cards that we have been dealt in our own time, in our own way. While I couldn’t sit idly by without taking action, there is also a portion of the population who can not make a decision without weighing every minute detail. Personally, I get so overwhelmed with the details, that it is at times better to just dive in and start a course, and worry about the bigger picture as I go along. Upon retrospect, it does backfire a bit.
I am learning to find a balance between knowing too much and knowing enough to make an informed, intelligent choice in the paths that I need to take. Unfortunately, it seems to take me longer than most to learn that particular life lesson.
It’s hard to believe that Fiona turned 16 today.

sweet sixteen
But here she is, I hope she enjoyed her day! I took her shopping yesterday, tonight we had a family dinner with a couple of her friends, and finished the evening off with cheesecake and birthday cake.
We have a cat who is kind of clueless when he gets outdoors. He tends to get a bit lost and can’t find his way home again, so generally we try and keep him indoors.
Today he got out and was meandering around outside. He is Fiona’s cat. Can someone please explain why I was the one who had to rescue this poor feline while my daughter could only ask “What do we do now? Should we knock on the neighbors door and ask if we can get him?”
Maybe I’m a bad neighbor. I just went over there and hauled the cat back home.
While you can’t actually see a rose unfurl, it is amazing how much difference a day can make. Yesterday when I was working in the yard at my parent’s house, this rose was still tight in it’s bud.

193/365 Rose Unfurling
This morning however, change was apparent. Not unlike knitting away on a the proverbial sleeve island. Hours upon hours of knitting, while the length of progress remains the same. Then you take a look and there is change, a step closer to the goal at hand.
Every one should find a bit of pretty while on vacation. You can find more by this wonderful artist at earthly treasures by terri.