Getting it done...

The knitting is crazy here! I am almost done with the St Nick day knits, just a hat and a scarf left to do, which is totally doable. Then I can take a bit of time to work on a baby sweater. And maybe make a rainbow cowl for myself. I must say I love the business of the winter knitting, I can really be productive if I have a dead line! Ha

Joining Frontier Dreams and Small Things

Weekending

The weekend went on for 5 wonderful days, involving lots of family time and pie. I just love the craziness of this time of year. So much to do, so many activities, so much merriment, so much pie.

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday.

I am so very grateful for...

~my children and their wild crazy selves
~my husband and his ability to be so gentle amidst the wildness of our days
~pecan pie with a cup of coffee for breakfast
~insight
~wonderful friends

Thoughts on Thursday

I think I might need to preface this post with this... how you keep your house is your business and the way I choose to keep my house is in no way a judgement on how you keep your space.
I need my house tidy, not white glove clean, but just a place for everything and things actually put in those places. I pick up before we go to bed, at least once during the day, and before we leave the house. I don't clean windows or dust, you can't probably eat off my floors most of the time (although Nuala seems to think it is OK), but I do better with things tidy. I know my tidiness upsets some people because they seem to think I am secretly judging them for how they keep their house. But honestly, truly, I am not! You need to live in whatever way helps you function the best. I need my space organized. I have tried for years to just be ok with chaos, but I end up feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and uneasy. So I keep my space in the way that helps me function the best. My house is still full of love and fun, I just put stuff away at the end of the day.

KNITTING!

Joining Frontier Dreams and Small Things...

Knitting, knitting, and MORE knitting! My holiday knit list, at the moment, seems a bit overwhelming but I know I can do it. My yummy yarn mail came last week, I started on the first of 14 projects ( 4 pairs of socks, two sweaters, 5 pairs of fingerless mitts, 3 hats). Possibly more will be added as I get inspired. Now all I need to do is boot up the sappy holiday movie list and get crackin'!

The weekend

Joining Pumpkin Sunrise for Weekending...

SO much fun this weekend! Pumpkin carving, potluck, costumes, sunshine, pancake breakfasts, trip to see Nana, chasing the chickens around the yarn, and finally and most importantly tea sipping and knitting!

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes...

~ the temperatures finally going down
~having all my kids over on Halloween
~pancake breakfasts on Sunday
~the rain we had last week
~hot tea with honey and coconut milk
~watching a thriller last night with my hubby in bed and being scared silly!
~starting the holiday knitting!
~my girlfriends
~Fiona's art

What we've been up to

I'm not sure how the time gets away from me, but here it has been two weeks and I haven't blogged at all. So strange how that happens. It's been crazy busy now that it isn't so blisteringly hot here in Arizona. I keep photographing the sky, sometimes with the saturation filter on, sometimes not. I love how the power lines break it up, or the sun through the tree tops, or the stunning sunsets. We have had a run of days that are filled with clouds, which makes photographing the sky even more appealing. I have been toying with the idea of getting a book of just my sky photos done.
And knitting, no photographs of it, but it has been happening again. And I got a lovely box of yummy wool and cotton yarns in the mail the other day. HEAVENLY! All the holiday knits are lined up, and I am half way through the first pair of socks! I believe I am working on a total of 13 projects before December 21st! 5 pairs of socks, two sweaters (for toddlers), two sets of matching fingerless mitts and hats, two pairs of just fingerless mitts, and two hats. Of course that is if I don't get side tracked knitting something else on the side. Ha!

Thoughts on Thursday

I have been working on counting my blessings, even the things that don't seem too much like a blessing... like the bills, or the child having a 45 minute melt down at the end of a long day, or looking at the mile long list of things that still needs to get done. Being able to take a look at those things and see the beauty, the blessing, to be able to get in there and be grateful... that has been amazing. I have been floundering around not seeing all that I have and focusing on the dark parts, when really, truly my life is good. So those bills... they mean we have a roof over our head and water coming from the tap, that child having a melt down another lesson for me on compassion and empathy, that long long list means that I have a full life. It just takes flipping the switch and there they are, all those beautiful blessing and they have been there all along waiting for you to notice.

Crafting and Reading

I have been knitting and frogging these wee sweaters for a couple weeks now, but it is all good because I think I finally got the colors the way I want them. I bought this year ages ago from Brambleberry Yarn to make wool diaper covers for Nuala. I never finished them, so I frogged the covers and washed and dried the yarn and waited... waited for the PERFECT project to make with this lovely yarn. And the Flax sweater is it! I love the pattern, the yarn is super dooper yummy, just wonderfulness. NOW all I need to do is make the sleeves! And a dear friend is going to help me pick up the stitches so I don't have big gaping holes in the underarms. So by this time next week I should be all finished! WOOHOO!
As for reading I powered through Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It is so much fun! I could hardly put it down, now I am waiting for book 2!

Our weekend in photos

saguaros 

beautiful red rocks

west fork of oak creek 

climbing over logs

sweet little bird

running to the rocks

climbing

chasing after the big kids

contemplating nature at slide rock 

playing at slide rock

lovely flowers in the demo garden

the end of sunflowers

walking with daddy thru the orchard

picking an apple

Took the younger bunch up to Sedona for the day... perfection.

* Gratitude Sunday *

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.

I am so grateful for...

~ A really great book
~ Rain earlier in the week
~ Time to knit
~ Pumpkin spice coffee from Trader Joe's
~ A new local nursery right near me!
~ Flowers from my hubby
~ The knowledge that cooler Autumn weather is just around the corner

Thoughts on Thursday

do you see it? i think it looks like a phoenix

Feeling a bit like a Phoenix lately. Rising up from the ashes of my deep dark spot and coming out new and fresh. Feeling full of life and ready to take on challenges.
Is it the methylfolate I am now taking? Is it talking to a therapist? Is it just listening to my inner self? Who knows. And honestly, does it matter? I don't think life has changed much, but my out look sure has. I am feeling less like I want to crawl into a cave and more like a butterfly.
Many moons ago I watched the Secret with some friends. The movie really upset me, seemed a lot like white western privileged and victim blaming to me, and my view hasn't changed much... except one part. One of the speakers talks about viewing relationships with new eyes. If you are always looking for fault, you will find it; but if you are looking for the good, well it pops up all over the place. I think that is just good advice in general. If you are looking for misery it is there for you, but if you take the time and search out the good, well it is there too! And that is what I am trying to do. Take my attention and put it towards the things I wish to see, and stop looking for the sorrow, the pain, the hate. Opening up to the beauty in my life.... because it is so abundant!

Knitting

Joining Small Things and Frontier Dreams.

It doesn't look like much at the moment, but soon, soon it will be my first ever full on pull over sweater. Yes, it is for Nuala, but I've got to start somewhere... right? After many false starts I decided on the Flax sweater by Tin Can Knits. I just love all their projects in the beginners free book. My ultimate plan is to knit a Flax for my oldest son, who is over 6'2". But I must start small... 

Weekending

Joining Pumpkin Sunrise for weekending (this week in photos).

A perfectly lovely weekend in Northern Arizona.

*Gratitude Sunday*

Joining Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday. Sundays heartfelt tradition. A time to slowdown, to relax, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.

~A cool mountain weekend

~Coming home to a clean house

~Good friends

~Hot cocoa

~LuSa's Autumn treasure box... sigh

Soul food Friday

Joining A Soulful Life for Soul Food Friday. Pausing to notice something that fed my soul during the week.

It has been one of those weeks. So much beauty and so much struggle. But in the end, it is all good... Right? Because the alternative is well, not living. Through all the ups and downs, and all the slow and all the crazy, it is so so worth it. This is my life, my amazing, wonderful, blessed life.