unraveled wednesday | 1.8.20 …

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SNOW! Yesterday we had more than a dusting: enough for government workers to close up shop/go home early; all told, I guess we had about 2 inches or so of the white stuff. Elias was delighted that he got to don his new snow suit.

This morning, the snow remains and the sky’s dark grey but the forecast: sunshine and a high of 45°… sooo long SNOW!

Today would be a great day to snuggle up with a cuppa hot tea, the last of homemade Christmas cookies and a good book. Alas, I have dental and hair appointments so I will take my iTools (Pad and Phone) to begin The Dutch House (ears) and/or Fever (ears & eyes).

On the knitting front: the hat is an almost finished… last 6 stitches to bind off and still, the tassel to make… Knitting continues on the Log Cabin lap blanket; and in my stash are several projects ~ all with a 2020 complete date!

*the second sock of a pair;

*a blanket started several years ago;

*a shawl that has been patiently waiting for me to finish the above – hang tight; your day is coming! And

*oh yes, lest I forget: the Christmas stocking! One of these years…

Time to get ready for my appointments. Joining Kat and Friends for Unraveled Wednesday! Sun’s out!

Cheers~

sometimes mondays | 1.6.20 …

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… are bright, sunny, even tho’ a tad bit cool (temp range 37° to 47°) , and just perfect for a brisk mid-afternoon walk on my favorite route: through the neighborhood park.

During MSQT, I played a bit with watercolor pencils and made a quick drawing of the sky and a tree. I hadn’t used the Watercolor app in sometime so I thought it’d be fun to revisit. Me thinks I’ll play some more, a lots more…

Preset Style = Bold Lightness = Auto-Exposure Size = Medium Border = No Border

The dryer just shut off – a signal that laundry (an all day affair, it seems) is done…and time for dinner before I wind down for the evening. Tomorrow’s another day and there will be left-overs from today’s agenda plus new items that need my attention…

Cheers~

 

an idea… maybe

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  1. Several years ago, well to be exact, in 2015, I bought a small table loom and yarn with the idea of practicing weaving. It has become a bucket list item…
  2. Last week, 2019, I treated myself to a tin of FineTec pearlescent colours. These watercolors, when painted on black watercolor stock, are brilliant…
  3. Today, 1.2.2020, I had an idea related to documenting my 2020 habit journey: I will weave  – Rumplestiltskin anyone? – and paint  – Monet? – habit trackers to document my OLW journey, one or more months…

Joining Carole for Three on Thursdays…

Cheers~

unraveled wednesday | 1.1.20

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Happy New Year! Yesterday, the UPS driver rang the bell and delivered a package with the two books shown; I’d completely forgotten I’d ordered and they were to be delivered the 31st! Tiny Habits will be a great follow-up to Bad Habits. Good Habits. I’m almost done reading it.

Whizz Bang is by an Australian quilter; her book – in both French and English simultaneously – has taken the quilting world-wide community by storm, according to the press I’ve read. I’m eager to dive in the book and play with the technique but will hold off until I’ve strengthened  a few habits (habit, my 2019 word, I’m continuing in 2020). Good things come to those who wait…

The knit piece is a hat I started last year; I’ve about two rounds of knitting to do before I bind off and it’ll be done except for the tassel. 

One of the things I’m focusing on as I work on recalibrating my creativity habits is to identify UFOs that I will keep or donate. My goal is to donate most and finish any I keep from years gone by before 2021 arrives.

Joining Kat and friends for another year of Unraveled Wednesdays.

Cheers~

 

my word, continues …

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Over the course of the past month, I’ve been considering candidates for my 2020 word. Last week, I thought I’d settled on the word CULTIVATE – one of many candidates. Others in contention: create/creative; finish; focus; garden; grow; Yes to No!, etc. The list of candidates grew longer and yet, nothing just quite grabbed me.

Saturday, I started reading Wendy Wood’s  Good Habits, Bad Habits, a book that’s been in my TBR stack easily a month, six weeks. The  book has received favorable reviews; the more I read, the more convinced and comfortable I became that YES! Habit was going to continue to be my word in 2020.

Habit permeates all aspects of life:

  • complicates yet eliminates decision making;
  • fascinates yet eludes;
  • helps and hinders;
  • liberates and traps;
  • confounds and explains
  • etc; etc; etc.

I am really looking forwad to continuing my journey with Habit. 2019 was a year of flirtation; I just didn’t really get very involved. I plan (hope?) 2020 to be an entrely different story.

In 2019, Juliann of Chasing Stories invited us to join her, the last Tuesday of the month and share an update on our experience with our words. She isn’t going to continue hosting our sharing;  I volunteered to keep the practice going in 2020.

I hope you will share your 2020 word and join the monthly updating the last Tuesday of each month. For this month, December 2019, please leave the link to your post in the comments. The January, 28, 2020 post will  have the inLinkz (link up) active.

I look forward to our 2020 One Little Word journey.

Happy New Year!

PS. You can read  about Juliann’s 2020 word here

 

weekending | 12. 28-29.19 …

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saturday 28 december

Mother Nature provided a delightful taste of spring – temps in the high 60s and since my plans for the day were rescheduled, I decided to make a WanDer* trip to the Smithsonian Mall, specifically the National Gallery of Art’s  Sculpture Garden. I ws looking for a gift, had something special in mind (unfortunately, what I wanted wasn’t in stock any longer – but I found a suitable substitute.). As I was plotting my agenda and Metro (subway) trip, I discovered a store totally dedicated to journal writing tools: journals; pens; Traveler’s Notebooks; planners; etc … Yes, Virginia there is a full fledged journal/planner store!

After making my purchases, I took Metro to the Smithsonian Mall! Lots and lots of visitors…

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line waiting to get in the Museum of Natural History

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while eating lunch, I enjoyed watching the  ice skaters

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sunday 29 december

Friendstitching Day.  It poured buckets most of the day… perfect for a day of stitching and reconnecting with friends.  We were treated not only to good food but wonderful details from friend Michelle’s recent trip to Copenhagen, Praque and Paris!

The butterfly is a needlepoint being stitched by Margaret; it will eventually be a pillow. The upper right photo is cross stitching friend Pat started many moons ago, she says; her plan is to finish in 2020. I think all the stitching’s done. She just needs to frame. The lower right is also needlepoint, being stitched by Michelle. (If I remember correctly, she bought the canvas in Paris). I am close to finishing a cap I started knitting earlier this year!  Just a few more rows and bind off! Yes!

And now it’s time to wrap this up and go fix myself some tea. Unfortunately, Santa brought me a cold…  I’ll be back tomorrow with an end- of-year One Little Word update.

Cheers~

*WanDer is my shorthand for scheduling solo journeys to the Smithsonian Mall; I aim for once a quarter ~ don’t always make it!

to be read …

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I’m enjoying end-of-year reading recaps. Today, I read Mary’s, Juliann’s and Elise Blaha’s… each has books I plan to read and/or have in my queue. My goal for several years: read more fiction. And I have… but I must also admit, I’m not reading as much in the genre as I think I should.*  So, what’s a person to do? Keep on keeping on is the short answer.

To help me I’ve outlined a simple fiction reading goal: each month I plan to read at least one of the Inspector Gamache  (Louise Penny ) titles until I have caught up  – tho’ that’s dubious ’cause she turns out books way faster than I’ve been reading them. Currently, I’m ready for the 6th – Bury Your Dead  – and she’s published 15! My plan is to read (listen) to the series. At that pace, I hope to finish the series before #16 is published … when?

The other part of my goal is to read, also monthly, a contemporary best seller. Currently, I have A Gentleman from Moscow, Water Dancer and The World We Knew in various stages in the queue. All of these titles are print. I have added The Dutch House to the list and I may listen to the audio version which has received good reviews.

My next challenge is to determine the best time of day for reading. Ideally, evening hours are prime except I have this habit of running out of steam when the sun goes down… I think I shall just have to experiment: maybe an early afternoon break and/or my late afternoon walk.

To be continued…

Cheers~

 

* don’t have to just want to

on Christmas morning | 12.25.19…

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I awoke to witness another lovely sunrise following Christmas Eve’s glowing sunset. Quiet as I write; the furnace, chugging along, keeps the house warm. A dog’s bark – that momentarily shattered the peace- has ended. Frost adorns rooftops and grassy surfaces.

~a friend is a present you give yourself~

Arriving just yesterday, a package from friend Kathy; I open this morning and am greeted with a delightful mug and all sorts of Christmas/Holiday themed paraphernalia to include in my Christmas album/journal. I squeal -only to my ears – with delight!

My second cuppa tea, graced by a delicious Christmas cookie made by friend Betsy. Yum! Betcha can’t eat just one! Right. I treat myself to two!

Two new books, under the tree, ahem, await my perusal. Gifts from me for me. Simple Abundance is an updated version marking the 25th anniversary of the original publication. 366 days of reading await! Norman’s gift is in the freezer: steaks; burgers; pork chops…what he requested. In my car, new floor mats…

Today, this morning, will be quiet; we’ll join family mid afternoon. I’m excited to see what Santa brought the little ones: Chris, 5 and Elias, 2. Two Christmases ago, Elias, after a two months’ early arrival and nearly a month in the NICU, was home for Christmas. We are so grateful that both he and his mom are doing well.

thoughts on my 2019 word …

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As I, on the cusp of closing out this year’s experience with one little word, contemplate the myriad choices that have presented themselves over these last couple months of 2019, I’m struck with the small dictionary of words I’ve amassed over the past nine, ten, (eleven?) years. Begin. Complete. Document. Chronicle. etc.

My 2019 word: habit is one that I’ve toyed with perhaps all my life. Both the making and the breaking. As is my habit – pun intended – whenever I embark on a new adventure, I do a lot of research, shopping, trying a variety of approaches and experiences. Some might describe that as being attracted to bright shiny objects and in a way, I agree – tho’ I like to think of it as experimentation. This year was no different. Always, my aim/goal is to find the path of least resistance; as a result I think I often tire sooner than I should… mainly because I’ve not quite settled in/on a path, routine, etc. I guess one could easily describe those actions as “my habit” and thus, the raison d être for my having a lot of unfinished projects lurking in my closets… Having said all that, I’m surprised I get outta bed in the mornings <smile>.

My focus on habit for 2019 results in my affirming what I have always known: ideas and possibilities have the habit of grabbing my attention. It is who I am.

Because the year is coming to an end doesn’t mean that my focus on habit will end. I shall continue to keep the word and my actions at the forefront as I embrace my 2020 word, which,  I think as I write this post, will be _ _ _ _ _ _*

Do stop over to Juliann’s post re: her 2019 word!

Cheers~

*To be revealed next week; stay tuned!