tgif | 11.22.19 …

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    ~ this tree ~

I watch this tree evolve over the year; yesterday morning I caught it right at sunrise …

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~groaning board~

the Thursday stitching group met at Hilary’s and once again, we were treated to a delightful brunch: autumn squash soup; asparagus quiche; kumquats; salad; baked yams; and a variety of other delectables … yum yum …

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~inspiration~

our friend Hilary (maker of the magnificent groaning board featured above) just returned from Japan; she brought each of us fabric. I’ve no idea what I’ll do with the pieces; maybe just frame or possibly pillows…they are all simply lovely…

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~fascinated~

I took this photo on my walk; I have no idea how or why it came out like this…but I rather like. Reminds me of a painting. Interesting, no?

These are just  a few snippets of the little things in my life over the past 24 hour for which  I am grateful and delighted to share. Have a great weekend.

Cheers~

unraveled wednesday | 11.20.19 …

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Nearly twelve hours ago, 7:00 am, I settled in my favorite spot, the dining table in the Great Room (aka as the kitchen/dining area) and proceeded with MSQT – morning solitude and quiet time. I opened my journal and began to write: I am on a quest to create a new habit by eliminating an old one: writing on whatever’s within reach.” The consequences of my current habit: a myriad of notes on a myriad pieces of paper… My goal is to contain random thoughts and reflections, miscellaneous ideas, to do items, forget-me-nots, brain explosions, and lapses, etc in one-to-two spaces/places …only!

Thus, I have spent the entire day – still at it as I pen this post at 5:50 pm – sifting through a few months’ accumulation of random sheets of papers  and transferring thoughts, quotes, ideas, lists, forget-me-nots, etc onto/into one common journal. All of this against the background of today’s Congressional impeachment inquiry hearing, still in process.

In the above photo, a hat I’m knitting – started last winter – to donate; a delightful book on forest bathing that friend Laura introduced at our beach weekend – I love trees, and that’s a topic for another post – and a pretty cool 3-D birthday card…

My stomach’s beginning to growl and the second hearing’s begun so I shall sign off…joining Kat and friends for this week’s unraveled wednesday.

Cheers~

 

 

celebrating…

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~Atlantic Ocean view from restaurant,  4:20 pm, 15 Nov 2019 ~

 I had an absolutely delightful weekend celebrating my Fri, November 15 birthday with friends: some from far away and long ago; others, right here in the area:

  • Thursday, friends Kathy and Laura (both former work colleagues. Laura lives in FL; Kathy, DE. Laura was here Wednesday for an end-of-training session celebration in Columbia MD. I picked her up Thursday morning} and I drove to Bethany Beach , DE for a retreat in the off-season!

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~sunset, Bethany Beach, 15 November, 4:55 pm EST~

  • Friday, we walked the beach; collected shells and pictures of the ocean, sky, waves; ate; laughed; chatted; journaled; shared books and ideas and caught up with one another.  Friday was also Journal Club  and we joined in, sitting at the same table!  Afterwards we went to a fun restaurant for an early dinner, more laughing, sharing, reminiscing,… wash, rinse, repeat…
  • Saturday, we awoke to a roiling ocean. Sadly, our gathering was ending and we had to resume normal lives. After depositing Kathy at home, I dropped Laura off at the airport, drove home arriving  about 8 pm. Exhilarated and tired. Ready for my own bed…
  • Sunday, monthly Friendstitch gathering. More birthday celebration: good friends, good  food (pizza; champagne; salads; cookies and lemon tart cake) and fun… and on
  • Monday, she rested!

I am so grateful to my friends for this wonderful celebration and forever memories.

unraveled wednesday | 11.13.19 …

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~full November Beaver moon – 11.11.19~

Today! Our first taste of winter cold: a mere 29 degrees Fahrenheit on a very sunny day! It helps. I am preparing for a 2.5 days’ visit to the beach – go figure in below freezing temps – for a meet up with two friends. Great fun in store !

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Yesterday, my Recent Reads group – there are four of us – met for our bimonthly gathering. I was late to the party (Norman had an unplanned medical appointment)…and oh what a party: we had “high tea,” complete with antique table setting: china; serving dishes; linens; silverware; and a printed menu! So delicious… we were also  given wonderful little boxes to fill with tasty delectables to TAKE HOME.

On the reading front, I finished Stillness is the Key. Really, really like this book: it is filled with information, ideas, vignettes of history’s great thinkers, ranging from the stoics to Winston Churchill to Anne Frank to Tiger Woods to Mr. Rogers… with practical invitations and ideas to assist the reader incorporate stillness in her life (and we all know we need those moments of  stillness).  I am in catch-up mode with Just Mercy; it is not easy reading – wonderful writing but tough content. [deep sigh]. Twyla Tharp  (The Creative Habit)  has a new book: Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life . She is 78 and still moving!

And I guess I’d better get a moveon, too. Tomorrow will be here before I know it; I have stuff to gather and a bag to pack! Joining Kat and friends for another unraveled wednesday..

Cheers~

collecting october 2019 …

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  • 1 features me at an all-day scrapbooking session – called a crop – when I first began, circa 2005;
  • 6 and 7 are from my teenage years… I was going to my first fraternity dance, guess I was about 17-18 and 7 is our dog Danny Boy that we had about the same time;
  • 9 is a collage from my visit to the Hillwood Estate, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s spring and fall home located in northwest Washington DC;
  • 12:  my niece/namesake and I at the Metropolitan Opera’s opening live  in HD simulcast of Turandot. Lovely performance;
  • 17: a totally unflattering pic of me in the dentist’s chair on the day I fell; happy to report I am doing swell;
  • 11 and 25 feature Chris’ pup Hazel, the Nats #1 fan;
  • 19 & 20: Elias, ( and in 20, also Hazel and Chris  – tho’ they are hard to see);
  • October was the last LOAD – Layout A Day – for 31 days challenge for 2019 and peppered throughout this Collect collage are a few of my layouts : Photos 24, 26, 27, 29 & 30.
  • 31 is a nice Halloween meal featuring homemade pumpkin soup – yummy!

And thus October is a wrap.

unraveled wednesday | 11.7.19 …

 

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Totally late to the party…it’s been a busy day, with :

  • laundry – more loads than usual …
  • monthly reconciliation of XPNS (expenses), etc…
  • broken up by a lovely walk this afternoon, accompanied by Gretchen Rubin and her sister, Liz Craft, on their weekly Happier podcast – my favorite walking companion… and
  • text messages – gazillions –  among my nieces and sister. Dolly’s planning a Christmas craft party for Chris and Elias; invited guests are her mom, sisters, grandmother (my sister); best friend and her three kiddos and me…especially since the party will be here. Dolly’s excited and quiet as it’s kept, so am I!

Yesterday, I visited my local Barnes & Noble store: the doors wide open, an invitation to come in and browse…among a totally new display of books and more books, all brand new, multiple copies of a title, both fiction and non-fiction for all ages. Of course, I walked out with a title or two plus a couple gift items…

There are about 8 rows of stitches on my log cabin to knit and then, join the blocks…I’m thinking I’ll add successive rows around the perimeter in the lighter lavender yarn – I have lots of it…and somehow, also add smaller blocks of the various colors…all makes for good practice. I’m still practicing continental knitting…

This morning, I decided to make coffee – decaf! It was very good and a nice break from my usual, green tea. About 4:30 pm, I realized I had a headache! Green tea to the rescue. I am so grateful for the tea…and it tastes great in my reading mug, too!

Off to join Kat and friends…

Cheers~

gratitude week …

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This week, Michelle GD is inviting us all to take a moment to pause and reflect on our day’s gratitude; you can learn more, here .  Thank you Michelle; I am always grateful for this inspiration and invitation to pause and give gratitude for the moments that make up our lives… Today, for me:

  • a crystal blue sky that provides a backdrop for (what’s left of) the autumn leaves;
  • a gathering with quilting friends and a safe journey home;
  • an update from a friend who had surgery and is recovering very well;
  • an afternoon nap – tho’ I’m not a napper I felt the need today – grateful that I not only could, I did!
  • a brisk walk to and through the park ~ love watching children play … and last but not least,
  • a quiet evening to read, relax …

It is now 6:40 pm EST! The sky is dark. I am delighted that we have turned the clock back to real time and yes, I realize that’s arguable since clocks are man made constructs…

What’s on your gratitude list for today?

Cheers~

‘’O’ me of little faith…”

    (screen shot from WSHU.org site)

Last Night : 10.30.19

I went to bed somewhere during the 5th inning, deciding the game was clearly going to be won by the Astros. I said to Norman: “Oh well, they surprised us all and made it to the World Series and this far… nite!” O’ me of little faith

This Morning: 10.31.19

I awoke at my usual dark early time and proceeded to indulge in my favorite AM activity: Morning Solitude and Quiet Time (MSQT):

  • Fixed tea;
  • Journaled a bit;
  • Read another chapter … on journaling… in Stillness is the Key;
  • Decided to look up something on the Internet;
  • Logged onto my iPad/Safari and decided to close a few open windows from previous searches;
  • Got to the WSHU.org site – I listen to Sunday Baroque – sometimes repeat during the week and
  • Shrieked!!!

They WON! They WON! They WON!

Go Nats Go!

unraveled wednesday| 10.30.2019 …

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~me, 2009~

I made the witch’s hat in 2009 for Kayla, who was then 9.  Fun to see my  then state-of-the-art smart phone. Obviously, I hadn’t (and still haven’t) perfected taking  state-of-the-art selfies…

So, here we are at the end of October…just 62 days left in this year! Where does the time go? How did 303 days unravel so fast in what seems like the blink of an eye? I know this month has almost whizzed by, partly because the last LOAD layout a day challenge for 2019 ends tomorrow. The prompts, based on Tom Hanks’ movies and career, have been not only fun but also informative. I have learned as well as enjoyed the stimulation. Over this calendar year, thanks to LOAD challenges in February, May, August and July, I’ve made a minimum of 97 scrapbook pages: stories of me, people (family & friends), places and things. I am not necessarily (at least I don’t think I am) moved by time-bound challenges: our layouts have to be posted by 3 AM, Pacific Standard Time (I’ve never been up at that hour) to qualify. I generally finish and post by 7 pm EST…however, I do think the accountability metric helps move me to completion. I wonder how I might translate that into other areas of my life?

The next 62 days are going to be busy, busy with birthdays: Norman’s is Friday, mine two weeks after that, two weeks later, Elias will be two, and then two weeks into December, my sister’s! That doesn’t even take into account Thanksgiving and Christmas preparation and celebrations! Nor the 1001 other activities: eye/dental and medical appointments, concerts and events, dates due, general life items, and projects on my calendar/planner.

Clearly, if ever, the time is here for me to call upon my better habits and say out LOUD: YES to NO! No, I won’t add a single solitary bright shiny new activity or project to an already packed list…and to that effect, I am not undertaking NABLOPOMO (even tho’ I don’t think it’s still in existence, I did post daily last November);  I am going to make a gratitude journal but it won’t be time bound, i.e, required to be completed within a 24 hour period! Saying YES to NO! will be a huge contribution to days filled with those activities that light my life and fill me up.

I’m continuing to practice the Continental knit stitch; am reading Just Mercy  and Stillness is the Key; started The Water Dancer and have several books on my phone that accompany me on my walks. I just remembered I (still ) have a Christmas stocking with a few/some rows to finish; guess I’ll resurrect and get movin’ on it again.

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday and Juliann for One Little Word monthly update.

Happy Halloween, y’all!

Cheers~