sometimes mondays | 10.28.19 …

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This photo, tho’ actually taken, Friday 25 October@ sunrise: 7:19 a.m. EST, was almost replicated this day, Monday 28 October, @ sunrise: 7:30 a.m. EST. This morning I did not take a sunrise photo because:

  • a) I knew I already had the above in my photos collection … or
  • b) I was too preoccupied with setting up for an 8:30 am online weekly planning session … or
  • c) ’cause just minutes before today’s sunrise I’d read these words in Ryan Holiday’s new book: Stillness is the Key , p 26:

“Even during a quiet evening at home, all we’re thinking about is the list of improvements that need to be made. There may be a beautiful sunset* but instead of taking it in, we’re taking a picture of it.” 

That passage stopped me, caused me to think: Can one take too many sunrise/sunset pictures? Am I indeed guilty?

And yes, I am! Why? Because

  • it’s not only what you do – take a picture in this always have a camera phone age but also…
  • perhaps it might be my last, ever…
  • because it is so glorious, so wondrous!

So, I concluded,  I would continue to take sunrise/sunset photos for as long as I can  because its a way of tangibly experiencing, appreciating and sharing the awe, promise of a new day, of giving gratitude …

Cheers~

*or sunrise

odds – n – ends …

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One of my quilting friends made this adorable Christmas Countdown quilted calendar for the little boys; I’m eager to give it to them but probably won’t til Thanksgiving… Elias will be two! the day before! Hardly seems possible.

We’re getting new exterior doors, both front and back – at ruinous cost I might add; hopefully, installed before Christmas and the cold weather.

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We’re all pumped about the Nationals’ playing in the World Series… even Hazel is ready to cheer the team on: Go Nats Go!

I’ve been playin, er uh, practicing the Continental knit stitch… I do like it and may be able to re-program my fingers and my brain.

Norman made chili today; the aroma has been enticing me all afternoon. Time to fix a salad. Hmmm, wonder if we have any Jiffy cornbread mix… that would be good, too.

I am now “real!” My new driver’s license did arrive a couple weeks ago; today I stopped by the library to renew my library card. Showed my real ID/license and library card; a computer key was pushed and voila, my card was renewed. I didn’t have to fill out a single form.

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Fall’s colors are finally showing up in the trees; especially vivid today against grey skies; reminds me of the first autumn I ever spent in Washington DC – I was here for a weekend conference; never then did I think I’d wind up living here. Never.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers~

unraveled wednesday | 10.23.19 …

Published on by Honoré9 Comments

 

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I have nearly completed the 9 blocks of my log cabin quilt/throw…debating how I want to proceed:

  • make more squares of the same size? Do I have enough yarn of the various colors to do that? not sure…really don’t think so. I’ll ponder that as continue to knit and join these squares. I definitely think this piece needs to be bigger…time to reconnoiter…
  • I’m also playing with the continental stitch as I knit this last block…thinking it’ll go a tad faster? At least, this is a good practice piece.

Coming up: books (pictured above) to be shared  early November : Just Mercy (the Read With Us blog book discussion group and The Water Dancer ( with my bimonthly Recent Reads friends). Ah, the Water Dancer is lyrical and I do need to get a move on ’cause it’s also l-o-n-g!  I have also finished JOMO (one of the three books that showed up on my doorstep a couple weeks ago); still working on the other two…

Joining Kat and friends for another week of unraveling … do drop over and see what others are knitting and reading.

Cheers~

P.S. It’s a lovely autumn day for a careful walk to the library and coffee shop. On my way, soon.

just life …

Published on by Honoré11 Comments

 

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… Robert Burns: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.” is a quote frequently featured on this blog over the nearly 10 years I’ve been blogging. The events in my life last week…and I don’t intend to be melodramatic, eclipse any previous examples I’ve shared to illustrate RBurns’ ode. I don’t know why I didn’t get around to last Wednesday’s post, just that I’d decided to gather Wed, Thurs and Fri bon mots into one post, slated to publish Friday.

All of that changed Thursday morning, approximately 9:15 am.  Norman had a 10 am appointment; I was dropping him off and planned to proceed to join my Thursday Stitching group. I’d put my stitching basket in the back seat of the car, tuned to go back into the house and the next thing I knew, I was flat on my face. Yep! I fell! Fortunately, I didn’t beak any bones or teeth but I did have to go to the dentist because tissue from my upper lip got stuck in between my two front teeth.

I am on the mend; bruised but not broken, thankfully. I’m not sure what caused my fall; I do recall feeling a little roughness in the curb’s concrete; perhaps the sole of my shoe got stuck momentarily. It’s all a mystery. Whatever, gravity won – always. The bruising is beginning to fade.

Today is my niece/namesake’s 51st birthday.  To celebrate, my niece decided to have a family PJ party Saturday with her mom (my sister), girls (my grand nieces),  the little boys and Hazel (Chris’ pup). I opted not to stay overnight. Everybody had a grand time; I’m not too sure how much sleep anyone got.  Happy Happy Mimi as her grandsons, Chris and Elias, call her.

Yesterday (Sunday)  it rained buckets and more buckets. Today has been a perfect Fall day; it has been cold enough to spur the leaves to begin changing colors. Finally!  I have a quiet week ahead and I’m looking forward to resuming my old +new = different rhythm/cadence‽ And the Wed and Fri blog post schedule.

Cheers~

 

simply a moment | 10.15.19 …

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10:15 am ~ this tree slowly changing colors and losing leaves

Moments come and moments go. As I sit here, this morning, waiting for a service call,  I

  • See the cat* jump on the deck bannister. “Meow! I’m here for breakfast. Please tell Norman. Thanks! “I did … 
  • Hear the doorbell: “Ding. Dong.” Ah yes, everything happens at once. We’re getting a new outer front door; the installer – here to take measurements – has arrived …
  • Resume watching a YouTube video of a new planner system I’m considering…as if I need such but, but…there are only ten/10/TEN weeks left in 2019 and 2020 is a new decade and I might like the one/s I’m considering …
  • Realize Fall has definitely arrived… today is sunny and cool with just a high of 73° forecast and the leaves of this tree are beginning to turn and/or waft gently to the ground…soon, I will look out the window and this tree will be bare; already I see more and more blue sky…
  • Note the clock, time to finish off this post and get ready a doctor’s appointment.

Moments come and moments go …

Cheers~

Last month I invited you to take a few moments on the 15th of the month and share, if you did, in a blog post. I fully intended to set up  InLinkz and did look at the site; I found the directions – or perhaps my understanding – lacking and didn’t get back to them before today…so, I invite you, if you did/do write a simply a moment post to share in this post’s comments.

*The cat is a feral cat who has been around since Fall 2008; I truly think she has a real home and is an excellent imposter.

sometimes monday| 10.14.19 …

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October’s full Hunter Moon at 7:20 am today

…comes on the heels of a busy, busy weekend that began Thursday:

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…Hostess Hilary of my Thursday Stitching group served us “high tea,” inspired by our afternoon the  previous Thursday at the movie, Downton Abbey…

… an unplanned trip Friday to the Honda dealer to have my car’s lane signaler checked – it wasn’t working…fortunately, all things checked out A-OK. The dealership provides a courtesy shuttle within a 5 mile radius so I went to IKEA and had breakfast while I waited…

… Saturday, Cissy  (my niece/namesake) and I went to the opening of the Met Live in HD 2019-2010 season, Puccini’s Turandot; c’est magnifique …

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… Sunday, Friendstitchin’ day, a tad early this month. We celebrated Margaret’s birthday with a delicious brunch: shrimp + crab salad; a huge assortment of cookies, made by our resident cookie baker, Michelle. And oh yes, champagne for the occasion. Despite all the good food, each of us was also productive…

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… slowly, the leaves on the maple trees are changing colors. I think it’s really Fall, yall …

Cheers~

unraveled wednesday | 10.9.19 …

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Today goes down in the record books as one of those rare autumn days: perfect, perfect, perfect! A friend and I spent several hours at Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Hillwood Estate, tucked away in NW Washington DC. We went to see the exhibit of famed Life Magazine photographer, Alfred Eisenstaedt,  followed by:

  • a tasty lunch in the Merriweather Café;
  • a walk on the grounds, especially the Japanese Gardens and
  • a stop in the gift shop, of course. I needed a birthday present and found a few somethings.

On the first of the month, the annual and last LOAD Challenge – a daily memory keeping  event – began; I also joined Michelle GD’s Get It Down month long journaling event. The two have basically commandereed my attention and energy; consequently, I’ve not done much knitting, quilting or unraveling; I should be getting back on track this weekend. I did receive my copy of Just Mercy and look forward to joining Read With Us .

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday!

Cheers~

sometimes mondays | 10.7.19 …

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this is week # 41 of 2019…and if you are like me, you are wondering where did the time go? During this year, for ten weeks of each season, I’ve begun and ended the work week, Mon -Fri, with two online journaling practice activities: Mindful Monday and Journal Club. Created and facilitated by Jamie Ridler  (more here), I find both to be great grounding activities as well as being fun and insightful. This morning I couldn’t find my earbuds (stuck in my shirt pocket from yesterday’s walk, natch), so I was a tad discombobulated … but my frazzled nerves were calmed by our opening  meditation session.

after Mindful Monday, I drove to my weekly quilting group meeting. on the way, I stopped at Starbucks for a cuppa decaf with pumpkin spice… they had no decaf coffee and it was going to take at least 5 min to brew. I think I was a tad chagrinned… after the meeting, I decided to treat myself to lunch at Nordstrom since I’d not been all summer. My meal: shrimp arugula salad and tomato bisque soup was delish and filling… in fact, half  of the salad came home with me. by the end of the meal, my nerves were no longer frazzled so I decided to walk around a bit – as I was also looking for a birthday present. I didn’t find a present but I did discover a new store, pictured above! quite dramatic.

and that’s the way it was this monday. oh, and by the way, I did finally have a decaf coffee with pumpkin spice at Nordstrom; coffee was brewed…

cheers~

 

on an autumn day …

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#blueskyblooms

This lovely 12th day of autumn/fall brought:

  • brilliant blue sky with temps in the low 70s;
  • my morning walk enhanced by the above;
  • Journal Club Friday;
  • an hair appt + fast trip to Whole Foods for a few items including a slice of my fave pizza: margherita: cheese+spinach+tomato;*
  • a long chat with a friend ~ we hadn’t spoken for too long;
  • monthly expenses (my least favorite activity) computed and accounts all reconciled.

There’s one last thing left on today’s agenda and that’s to make a layout for the 31 days October LOAD (layout a day) challenge. I have til midnight Pacific time  – which is 3 AM EST – to get it posted but who am I kidding? There’s no way I’ll be up at that hour. And so with that I wish us all a wonderful weekend!

Cheers~

*I think I will practice my hand at making the pizza one day in the not-so-distant future tho’ that might not be a good idea; I might wind up with pizza several times a week contrasted to approx once a month …