Gratitude Sunday: Mostly Grace & Wool

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

Feeling grateful this week for:
::unseasonably warm temperatures and more outside time
::knitting outside on Wednesday. I meant to join in for Yarnalong but the day got away from me.
::the ladies at Serenity Knits in Newmarket saving the day with 5 skeins of Cascade 220 to finish off a big order of chicken mittens. Bless their souls! If you find yourself in or around Newmarket, Ontario go check out their store.

::a safe drive in and out of Toronto to pick up the aforementioned wool. The traffic in was a killer but there is something exciting about being in the heart of a big city. I love to visit and I love to leave!
::watching the Country Music Awards with my son this week. We're both big fans and it was special sharing this with my teenage son who is doing his best to be his own person separate from us.
::feeling content with my life of being mostly unemployed in the traditional sense. I found myself feeling satisfied with days off alone during the week, time to cook good meals, and time to knit uninterrupted.
::and then getting called back to my job at the airport. In all things be grateful right?
::grace being shown from one sibling to another. Absolutely awe-inspiring considering how these two love to pick fights with one another.

Gratitude Sunday: Chocolate, Wool & Fall

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

Feeling grateful this week for-
::chicken mitten love. Wow. I am overwhelmed by how many of you love the chicken mitten. Thanks!
::rain and wind and sun and clouds scudding across the sky. Nothing matches fall's weather and that smell of leaves on the ground.
::time outside in the garden cleaning up. I always feel good after messing about in the garden.
::a good run this afternoon made possible and enjoyable by warmer temperatures
::my brother solving a minor wool crisis. With the unexpected rush of orders I found myself out of the right colour and weight of yarn and none to be had at my local yarn store. He suggested a place in Ottawa with an online store. Bless them and their warehouse and their free shipping!
::the wisdom to embrace my body's aversion to running in the fall and take brisk walks instead listening to my ipod.
::an extra day of work this week.
::a neighbour who came by especially to drop off Halloween candy for The Boy when he didn't show up at his door last night trick or treating. The Boy had decided he was, in fact, too old for this game and had stayed home with me to hand out candy.
::chocolate :) Feeling pretty blessed right now.
What about you? What are you grateful for this week?

Yarnalong: Wild, Chickens

Joining Ginny today at Small Things blog for Yarnalong.

Ah, it's good to be back joining in Yarnalong. I did miss the rhythm of Wednesdays and how it gave me the motivation to get knitting and exercise my creative muscles.
Knitting: Chicken mittens all the time around here. My Etsy shop (see sidebar) is open again and wow do people love the chicken mittens! For the not-wool version I use Bernat Super Value in the grey ragg colourway and knit them on 4mm straight needles. The comb and beak are Paton's Astra yarn. The wool version is knit with Cascade 220, a 100% peruvian wool.
Reading: Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I've wanted to read this one for awhile and the spirit finally moved me last week at the library. I'm finding it beautifully written but it's haunting me. I'm a sensitive soul and as such avoid books that are sad or deal with difficult topics because I feel the sadness/despair/anger/whatever like it's my own. I'm pretty protectective of my mental health and happiness. But this book seems worth the risk and I am drawn by her story of just going off into the wilderness to save her soul. I'll let you know how I fare. If the ghosts get to me I've always got the chickens to cheer me up.
It's a rainy day here and beginning to look more November than October. The forecast calls for a 100% chance of rain all day. If only the rest of life were so very sure and certain ;)

Gratitude Sunday: Boldly Going Forth

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday: a chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

It feels good to be back to the blog and what better way to begin again than with Gratitude Sunday.
Yesterday was your typical October day here in southern Ontario-cold, cloudy alternating between dripping and pouring rain. Today dawned all blue skies and brilliant sunshine.
Feeling grateful today for:
::sunshine and blue skies
::the wisdom to put down the work knitting and start up something just for fun-knitted pumpkins. Who doesn't need knitted pumpkins on their dining table??
::making peace with how things are right now. My mantra these days.
::the work contract that spanned 4 months instead of the anticipated 2 weeks. It allowed us to do so much this summer and helped me to know myself better. It's over now and has been for a month and I have finally settled into this new-old reality.
::my Etsy shop and the love people have for knitted chicken mittens. Who knew?!
::hoodies, flannel shirts and jeans. I love fall's wardrobe.
::that geranium up above. It just blooms and blooms and gives off that geranium smell despite cold rains and several frosts.
::the respiratory illness that has plagued both of my kids this month finally loosening it's grip.
What about you? What are you feeling grateful for this week?

And Finally July

 I can't believe it's July and it's been so long since I've been able to post! It's been so crazy around here with me being gone 2 or 3 days a week to work in the city. I love the work I'm doing and the adventure of driving into Toronto by myself. Everyone is surviving and getting used to this arrangement. It helps that it's really only temporary. Soon enough the work will dry up but while I can I'm trying to get in as many hours as possible and build a nest egg.

Things are growing like crazy and my vegetable garden is...struggling. But I guess considering how little time I have to put into it as far as weeding goes, it's looking pretty good. The peas and lettuce and potatoes are doing well. Everything else is...struggling. Except the weeds. They're doing really well.

 We've been to the cottage a few times and gone swimming and done "cottage things". I feel like I wait all year for July and here it is and I am so happy. July is my very favourite month. I love the heat and the long days, trips to the cottage and the beach. I love how far away school still is.

This past weekend we made the long trip in to the cottage to bring in our new boat. It's been living in the hangar I work at for over a year while our friend patched holes, sanded and painted it. I am so very grateful for this little boat. I feel safe in it and don't have to worry anymore about our other boat that we had taken to calling "the widow-maker."

This would be my girl in her natural environment-up in a tree. This weekend she chose to stay with my parents rather than coming with us to the cottage. A good thing too as it was a very long, crazy trip in. By the time we got to the cottage and made dinner it was midnight. The next day I managed to get in a paddle and a swim before we began the long journey home.
So, that's my story. How is your summer going?