Category: currently

july’s new moon | 7.20.20 …

Published on by Honoré12 Comments

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Today, the hottest day so far this season, is also the new moon.  According to my zodiac sign – Scorpio – travel and books are on my mind . Yep, I have to agree. I’d hoped to be traveling to Sisters OR, early Fall and I’ve two books  – both vying for my time and attention – nearly finished, just in time for tomorrow’s Recent Reads Zoom gathering. I have at least one Zoom session every day this week! To say Zoom has been a lifeline is an understatement. I’d planned to post earlier today but got sidetracked by another project I am resurrecting, starting today.  My plan is to share more about it later this week.

I hope you have a cool(er) week than what we’re having right now- our prospects don’t look too good. Fortunately, we have AC!!! and I’ve plenty of activities to keep me occupied.

Visit this site if you’d like to read your horoscope for July’s New Moon in Cancer … and stay cool.

Cheers~

PS. The moon face is from a Sunrise greeting card  I found in my stash- NA as best I can tell.

begin again*…

Published on by Honoré11 Comments

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This year, 2020 – 244 years ago – the United States, on July 4, 1776  declared its independence as a nation…

This year, 2020, the United States, is experiencing  a world-wide health pandemic of epic proportions…

This year, 2020, the United States, is at a crossroads, on the threshold of finally living up to the ideals and principles of the Declaration of Independence for all peoples of this country  – or not.

*Begin Again by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., published just this week: [It ] is at once a searing exploration that lays bare the tangled web of race, trauma, and memory, and a powerful interrogation of what we all must ask of ourselves in order to call forth a new America…  Good Reads

Will we begin again?

3 for …

Published on by Honoré12 Comments

 

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1.  and now he is SIX!

Tuesday, June 9, Chris graduated from KDG to First grade – virtually!  Yesterday, 10 June, he turned 6. We celebrated via Zoom and watched with drooling mouths as his cake was cut and eaten. Despite being miles apart, as far away as Ohio where his great grandad lives, we had a raucous good time…Norman and I celebrated with champagne, of course!

2. back to the future is now 

Earlier this month, in this space and on my Instagram, I allowed as how I was learning the 3 Needle Bind Off  technique for joining squares of the LogCabin9Patch lap blanket I’m knitting – or is it that I’m being knitted? Whatever, I’m running into a problem with dropping stitches, losing count. So it’s tink, tink, tink. I am determined to master this and have the 4 PM hour reserved for the endeavor. So far, success remains elusive but I shall push on…

3. it ain’t just broke 

 IT is Central Air and has to be replaced! The entire system, mais oui (but of course). Naturally one finds this out when the temperature is in the 90s with the humidity equally high! I guess it’s a good thing I am not going to Oregon this Fall, as I’d tentatively planned before Covid-19 …

Joining Unraveled Wednesday and 3 on Thursday this week.  Do visit Kat and Carole and see what’s going on with others this week.

I think I feel a slight breeze. Wahoo!

Cheers~

 

 

wrap up …

Published on by Honoré9 Comments

 

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In January, I shared a quilt block I’d made to send to the Quilt Blocks for Australian Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild in the Australian province of New South Wales. They report we have “received blocks from over 30 countries. Our current block tally is 14,359. We estimate that the final number of blocks will be over 15,000 blocks.” The blocks are a delight. Want to see some? Check out this link : https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bushfireblocks/?hl=en

We took a walk early afternoon. The flowers were lovely. Tomorrow, the City’s monthly shred and disposal of household electronics, etc reopens…so I’ve spent the past couple hours purging files to take to be shredded.

As I draft this post, the sky is turning ominously gray; I imagine a storm is brewing which is good because we’ve had a second day in a row of humid, hot weather. A cool off will be much appreciated.

Hope you have a good and cool weekend ahead.

Cheers~

 

on a rare day in June …

Published on by Honoré8 Comments

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I believe this sidewalk art was made by a young girl, approximately 9 years old. I have seen her in her yard on my walks.

Against the backdrop of the first of June’s rare days, we ~ here in the Nation’s capital ~ are under a 7 PM – 6AM curfew. On Friday last, the Covid-19 “stay at home” order was lifted … and here, as with many major cities across the Nation, protests have been ongoing and devastating.

Peace.

friday’s thoughts | 5.22.20 …

Published on by Honoré9 Comments

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~18 may 2020 LOAD entry~

the days run together… in these times, only venturing out primarily to a) get some fresh air or b) stretch my legs, I’m in the house … today it rains, il pleut, as I always enter in my journal. the steady patter of rain drops on the skylight is very soothing, almost causing me to doze off -ha!, tho’ I did consider a return to bed with a good book – but who am I kidding? I don’t return to bed for naps unless I am not feeling well and well, that’s not the situation, knock on wood!

Friday afternoons’ Journal Club sessions are on hiatus until the Fall. Hmmm. I normally continue the practice, on my own, during the interim…thus far, since the session’s end, I’ve fallen out of the practice (i.e., Friday afternoon journaling session). Time to resume; I know the rhythm. Yes! I will do that; in fact, I am doing so now, sortof, as I pen this post. Normally, my journaling is handwritten.

The house is quiet; Norman just left to take a walk. The only sounds I hear are the click, click of the keyboard, the tick tick of the clock and an occasional car driving down the street. What do I do next?  I have plenty options:

  1. create today’s LOAD 520 layout – the theme is friendship;
  2. find some fabric among my stash for two small quilt projects on my list;
  3. update the May Collect photo collage;
  4.  take a lunch break; and
  5. read a chapter in Before We Were Yours.

I think after I hit publish I’ll do 4 and 5 … and then see what next calls to me…

We here in the Nation’s capital are still under a stay-at-home order with a possible lifting 29 May. Ah, here comes the sun? And a reminder: Tuesday, 26 May is the One Little Word monthly link up here on this blog. Looking forward to sharing and reading.

Have a great holiday weekend, however you spend it. Be safe!

Cheers~

 

sometimes mondays | 4.6.20 …

Published on by Honoré14 Comments

(face mask I field tested yesterday; the pink confetti-like fabric was the backside)

Eerily quiet. More like a holiday. Very little traffic. Thankful for the sunshine and blue skies, our continuing health. Ding! Ding! Ding! Family and Friends’ morning check-ins … Thinking about today’s/this week’s agenda:

  1. Write blog post: Status: Done!
  2. Make face masks: Status: in progress. I made this one yesterday and took it for a test walk. It’s two layers interfaced with very lightweight Pellon and the tie is made from a cotton/polyester blend of clothesline. Here’s the link to YouTube video  I followed; there are hundreds available…
  3. Get ready for #the100DayProject: Status : Begins tomorrow and I’ve to whittle my list, for as usual, I have a tad more than any reasonable – ah, therein lies the rub- person could reasonably handle, despite being homebound. This year I plan to tackle some bucket list projects that have been on the burner far too long… I’ll share details Wednesday… I also need to brush up my Instagram skills – don’t use very often and IG is an essential piece of #the100DayProject documentation. Ah! Better late than never.

For now,  I am out to enjoy the sunshine and take a walk on this lovely day. When I return, I’ll tally the monthly expenses – I’m off schedule (the 3rd of the month slipped by) and make a face mask or two.

How is your week shaping up?

Cheers~

staying connected …

Published on by Honoré12 Comments
IMG_0201 Another day @home, Monday, made ever gentle by a spring rain. Sunday was warm, sunny and inviting: I took a walk through the park, enjoying the cherry blossoms and watching the children playing; other walkers were out too. IMG_0204

clearly my screen time has jumped!

My stitching friends and I have been meeting via FaceTime and also doing a lot of texting… some of us are making face masks for health care workers, sharing resources and our “makes” via photo. Almost a “stitch in” taking place… IMG_0206

Five year old Chris has his own iPod so he’s been joining in our family texts and holding his own. He reads quite readily though I’m not sure how the actual texting is accomplished.  Some, I believe he types and the other, perhaps tells his mom who types  We celebrated Dolly’s birthday via FaceTime – what fun. Elias totally enjoyed the cake…yum, yum. We didn’t have that same experience …sadly, tech hasn’t figured that out, yet.

Simple Scrapper.com – my scrapbooking community with members from around the globe – meets via Zoom several times a week, just to chat and document our memories… Clearly “social distancing” is a top topic for each of us. Our sessions are sometimes “formal” and sometimes very informal, just a gathering.

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Patti Callahan, author on Zoom MMD Book Tour

Earlier this month,  I joined author Anne Bogel’s Modern Mrs Darcy’s Book Cub; this past Friday, I attended the book discussion of Anne’s newly released title:  Don’t Overthink It. Scheduled to go on a book tour, cancelled because of the virus, Anne decided to do a “stay-at-home” online book tour this week, also on Zoom. Each day this week, Mon-Fri, an author will be the guest. Monday was the first session and featured Patti Callahan, author of the historical novel, Becoming Mrs.Lewis . Originally published in 2018, the book is being released in paperback. The author shared her very interesting experiences writing the book; I thoroughly enjoyed her presentation, look behind the scenes and have added the title to my TBR list. FaceTime; Skype; Txt; Zoom, and of course, blogging! All are really great ways to stay connected, share ideas, information, inspiration … I see the time is past 2 PM, the day is moving on and I guess I should too… I still have a few items on my daily to do/be list and time marches on. How are you spending your days these days? Cheers~

homebound …

Published on by Honoré15 Comments

It’s been not quite 14 days since I’ve been out of the house save for :

  • a one trip to the grocery store …
  • two trips to the drugstore …
  • nearly daily walks for fresh air and my sanity…

I gotta cold right before the #$%* hit the fan (as they say in the old country) …and no, I’ve not been sick with Covid-19 – no fever, thankfully. But I have been careful about my meanderings, even foregoing a walk to my local coffee shop and the library – the latter which is now closed. My Thursday stitching group decided to postpone our weekly gatherings until the all clear sounds; our quilting and knitting groups have cancelled meetings, in line with the cessation of group meetings, events, etc, ordered by local governmental officials. Each hour seemingly produces more closings and advice of precautionary, prudent steps that we are required to take. We’re in for the long haul.

On my walk today, I listened to Gretchen Rubin’s special Happier podcast on coping with Covid-19. If you’ve not listened, I invite you to do so. In Gretchen’s inimitable way, she – and her sister Liz – offer not only reasonable but very doable things we can do to cope with this very different way of life. You can hear this 35 minutes’ podcast here.

I for one am not at all concerned about not having anything to do, a lament I recall saying to my mother when I was a child. Her retort: Nonsense! Then she ticked off any number of things I could and did do to amuse myself. These days, starting with hitting publish on this post, I have more than enough to choose and tackle from my list of many things to do. Next on my list: weed a few files. What are you doing to while away the time in this very different time?

I have confidence as this season in our life moves on, we’ll adjust and cope successfully. Carry on!

Cheers~