Around Here

Around here it's been quiet but busy -

I really want to write up the tutorial for a blanket I created "the Rainbow Trellis," but I just haven't gotten to it yet.

Here are a few snapshots from the past few weeks....

Had breakfast out (him, chocolate chip pancakes - me, food with much smaller sugar content!) with #4 child before taking him back to college.

Visit to my friend Madeline (we've known each other since we were in Kindergarten together) in Gettysburg.  I haven't seen her for two years! Much too long!

Madeline owns two houses that are right on the Gettysburg battlefield.  The homes are on opposite sides of the field.  We left her house just before dusk to take a stroll through the National park.  We basically just had to step outside her door and were right on the park's property - so cool.

The sun was setting just as we left the house and we had the most amazing light show.  I only had my iphone camera, but I think you can get the feel of the beautiful scene and gorgeous light as the sun took its plunge behind the horizon.

 After our walk, we drove over to the 200 year old farmhouse that she owns on the other side of the park.  She rents it - but it is the cutest little place with it's original floors and timber beams.  From the master bedroom with cathedral ceilings, it is possible to sit right between the windows and see both the sunrise in the morning and the sunset at night.  Beautiful.  It was super cozy.

 Before the holidays I started in on this Cozy Stripe blanket along with Lucy at Attic24.  It a giant!  I used many bright happy colors or acrylic (worsted weight).  It's a gift for us, here at home - just a cozy blanket to snuggle beneath during the winter months.  As soon as the kids went back to college, I pulled the blanket back out and attempted to finish it.   Here it is in progress.

 Living in the suburbs outside of a major US city, you'd be surprised how much wildlife shows up in my yard.  Can you see the big hawk in the tree?  He comes often.  We also get raccoon, foxes, deer, blue jays, cardinals, squirrels, chipmonks, etc.... it's a very well visited yard.

We've also had a stray cat living on and around our porch since this summer.  Until this winter, I basically greeted and petted him and provided him a little bed on the porch chair, but when the temperatures dropped very low, I let him in a few times and I've bought him food.  He comes every morning for food, sometimes coming in, sometimes not.  He follows us all around the neighborhood when we take the dog for a walk - he's just 10 feet behind.  We've named him Milkshake.

We think he'd like to call our home his own.  What does it look like to you?

We've had some snow off and on.  This past weekend we had dinner out with friend and then went back to their hot tub and sat outside in the heated water with snow falling on our heads.  The next morning, I forced myself to sleep in and ignore the shoveling that was needed - I'm often the first one up on the block, clearing away the snow from my walks and my elderly neighbor's.  The snow was still there when I got up.

Speaking of snow - the first of the flakes started falling again this morning.  It's supposed to continue through tomorrow.  Our forecast where I live is currently 12 - 24 inches.  It's supposed to be 30 inches a few hours north of us in NY.  It looks like all my kids will get snow too - but a more manageable 3-5 inches for most of them.  I've got all my shovels lined up on the porch, hubby has the firewood piled high, we've done a little grocery run and there are plenty of indoor projects for when we get stuck inside.

Until then, I'll walk the dog and enjoy the limited light that comes through the windows between bouts of snowy clouds to light the tulips by the window.

Oh yeah, and the cozy stripe got it's last row of stitches this morning - a bit of a border left and then I'll do a reveal.

Keep checking back for the Rainbow Trellis blanket pattern - it just might happen soon!

More Blanket Progress and Icy Weather

Last night, I watched a wacky Australian flick called Griff.  Of course that meant I added a few rows to the stripe-y rainbow blanket that's been in progress the past few weeks.

It looks like this:

I've finished creating the entire pattern and now it's just repeat, repeat, repeat.  Well, that is with exception of the border - which it will have.

So a bit about the yarn and colors.  Here's what I'm using:

It's cold today - again.

16F degrees now, but it was even colder this morning when I went into the bathroom and looked out the window and saw this:

Although tomorrow is slated to be warmer (high of 32F degrees - up to the freezing point wow), we are also supposed to get a few more inches of snow.

Running group meets OUTSIDE at 7:30am.  It will be 19F degrees at that time with a 4F degree wind chill feeling.  I will be hunting down my warmest running apparatus tonight!  I'm dreading it but the big payoff will be that by 9am when the snow begins, I will be back at home drinking coffee after logging 3 miles in the out of doors.  I'm out for dinner with friends tomorrow night at a Mexican place and that means MARGARITAS!  OOOOH I love me some margaritas.  Coffee and margaritas, coffee and margaritas.  That will have to be my mantra as I run up hills in the below freezy weather!

Yesterday I visited my neighborhood salon to make the bits of grey disappear from my hair..  As it was WAY to cold to leave with wet curls (my natural albeit lazy hairdo), I had Alexandra blow my hair dry and straight.  It's fun to have straight hair every now and again.  I'd probably do it more if I had my own personal hair stylist as I WAY don't have the patience to go on about my hair for 20 minute sessions of blow drying.

Here's how I looked when I left the salon:

What do you think? I'm super terrible about taking selfies.

And just in case you were counting, it's officially ONE WEEK from today and I will turn FIFTY!!!!  My middle son's 20th birthday is today but he's 5 hours away at college, so I sent him a package full of munchies and gift cards and that will have to do.

Happy Day - it's off to do some long overdue photo work today!  Sher

A Second Snow Day

It's calm here.  We're all shoveled out and now we must enjoy the fire.  Enjoying the second snow day!

Stay Warm - Cheers! Sher

Snow N Sew

It's snowing again this season.

That's okay.  It is winter after all.

The forecast changed yesterday from, "Hey there may be snow the next few days," to "By the Way...6 to 11 inches of the white stuff are coming your way beginning tomorrow morning!"

Of course, I hadn't grocery shopped on Sunday or Monday (my usual), so we were out of stuff that I would want - which meant facing the snow-crazed shoppers.  UGH..

The phone rang around 5:30am from the school.  No School Today.  The streets were totally clear at that time.  I got up, made coffee and decided to venture out to the grocery (I know, same idea as everyone else!) I arrived at the Trader Joes at 8:02am (it opens at 8am) and it was packed!!!  Apparently there had been an outdoor line before it was open.

No - the sidewalks at the shopping center are NOT blue, that's de-icing salt to pre-treat the sidewalks

I got in - shopped, maneuvered my cart around piles of people and all sorts of lines and the poor workers trying to stock the shelves and empty boxes.  Yellow tulips - $1.99 per bunch.  Yes, that's certainly a necessity.

Then it was off to a doctor appt.  Could I squeeze it in before the white stuff really got to be a problem?  Maybe.  I ventured out again.

Not too bad yet - snow just starting to coat the roads.  Sure I'll make it to the doc and back in time.

From the doctor office window I could see my little car atop the garage (only level with spots remaining).

45 minutes later, goodness it's really coming down!

Slow driving, bad streets and traffic

SUVs swerving all over the road, giant salt truck just ahead, yay, I get to turn at that light!

Geez, the neighborhood hasn't gotten a plow at all.  Very slippy and slow.  All the way to the lowest gear now.

Almost there, just another few blocks.

Little pink dot is a snowsuit of a little neighbor girl.

And I'm parked!!! YAHOO.

Made it back to the house all in one piece and the mail has even been delivered already - wow.

Snowy boots emerge from the car.

Hello WEATHER!

Whew - made it home.

Lovely flowers, a happy yellow mug of coffee, a view of the snow from inside.  The fire going in the next room (hubby's office today).  I feel crafting materials calling me, I feel the pull from the crochet hook sucking me in. Yes, it's bound to be a good day! Now to decide whether I continue with the hand quilting on the table runner I sewed yesterday?

Curved piecing table runner from a lesson taught by Sujata Shah when I was in the Philly Modern Quilters group.

Yesterday in honor of my ASG meeting, decided to stitch up a backing and finish off this project.

All pinned in a quilty sandwich and now ready to receive some nice hand perle cotton stitching -Gees Bend look I hope.

Certainly am glad the Swim and Dive Team dinner happened on Sunday and I don't have to worry about the impact of the weather on that event.

Can't believe it looked like this only this morning as the sun was just coming up!

Happy Weather in your neck of the woods - Sher