Gnitting Gneutral Gnomes

As summer began to give way to fall, it all started very innocently.

"Let's knit a gnome," we thought to ourselves, using the imperial "we" in our heads. (We know, weird. What can we say?) "Let's make him gneutral, and let's give him a little whimsey!" So, we did.

And when he was done, he looked lonely, so we started another.

Which really confused Gnome #1.

When we finished Gnome #2, we started to realize that she had a BIG personality!

Aaaaand she could knit!

"So it is gnitting!," said Pretty, "though we spell it with a 'k'...," and we wondered what she could possibly be making.

Perhaps another gnome?

Hmmm, perhaps...

Indeed it was another gnome! Gnome #3!!!

Who turned out to be really fun,

and a swell friend, which is good to have as the days get shorter and the nights get colder. 

All in all, we all get along, and we are very happy! We are also thinking about accessorizing for the holidays, so stay tuned! There's lots of color out in the world right now, and we are looking forward to pumpkin spicing up our lives a little bit very soon!

What are you looking forward to this fall? I'm looking forward to pulling out my sweaters and scarves and gloves, oh my!...and also the knitting!

Thanks for stopping by and Knit in Good Health!

I'm Fall-ing

Is it that time of year again? Yes, it is time for the nights to get longer and the days to get cooler, time for apples and costumes to be picked, and time to be thinking about what I want to make in time for Christmas! Oh, you know there will be making!

But first, in honor of Fall (and the fact that we remembered the correct weekend) we took a trip out to the Apple Festival in the town that was our stomping grounds until just a couple years ago.  

It wasn't a 5-star restaurant, but we had a pretty good meal: fried veggies, fried fries, and the traditional Elyria Oh Boy burger, which is also fried! Then we bought a couple of apple fritters and a caramel apple to go, along with an apple cider slushie for the road, and we headed out!

We stopped at Cascade Park, which was pretty before its facelift, but since the upgrades it is stunning! It was time to walk off some of those fried calories, so we walked over the bridge,

and down by the ford,

then into the woods, where the climbing rocks are. 

There was minimal rock climbing (I am a giant pile of anxiety) and no phots of the rocks today, but much reminiscing about my near-panic attacks when the mister and our kids would climb too high and too far out for this mom's comfort! Still, they all came out [relatively] unscathed, with adventurous spirits and fun memories of their own!

Then it was home to nurse my tummy (so much fried food! so delish! ow! my tummy!) and knit on the gnewest of the gneutral gnomes!

Today we are playing with little boys, and tonight we will sleep the sleep of the very tired grandparents! I will sleep extra well, because I have finished the next rainbow sweater for the boy who loves rainbows...yay!

I hope your weekend is at least half as fun as mine has turned out to be.

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health (because Christmas is coming)!

Be Kind

Where does kindness come from?

If you know me, you may already know my answer, and you have probably already guessed that I have put zero "research" into my answer. I could argue that my life has been a study, full of research, as I've certainly run across my share of kind and unkind people in the last 5 decades. Here's what I have found:

Kindness comes from stepping out of yourself and seeing things from someone else's perspective. It's part of the "Do unto others..." plan of living. If someone is having a bad day, and you can see that they are having a bad day, kindness comes from the ability to imagine what you might need from the next person you meet if you were having a bad day. 

Kindness comes from empathy. When you take a moment to try and feel what the other person feels, or to even think about feeling that way, you may be better equipped to meet them in their moment. Whether the emotion is happiness or sorrow, joy or grief, anger or hope, empathy allows us to join our lives together and help bear the burdens of others. It's like helping someone pick up the emotional "groceries" that have just spilled out of their bags and onto the street.

Kindness comes from thinking ahead. I often have a quick answer at the ready...but many times, it is not the right answer. I am more kind when I go over those words in my head, before they fall out of my mouth, thinking carefully about whether or not they are words I would welcome. Notice an error, and you want to tell them about it (just to be helpful, of course)? Stop and think about how helpful it will be. Perhaps it doesn't need to be said. Especially when it cannot be reversed (time only moves forward)...it is not super helpful to know (or think that) everyone around you is judging your mistake.

Kindness, for me, comes from a place of love. If I know you, I'd probably like to like you. I'd like for you to feel loved, special, valued and even treasured. I love to watch people bloom when they are seen and heard. 

Think of the way most people treat young children. There is grace for the mistakes, gentle correction, loving guidance and shared joy at the victories. At heart, we all still want that. But, in a world where many have encountered the unkind far too often, some people have lost hope that kindness still exists. Let's work together to bring the hope back.

Let's be patient. Let's be kind. Let's persevere in our hope and trust, and let's invite people into kindness everywhere we go. After all, it only takes a moment to smile and be nice...and I usually have a moment. Don't you?

Thanks for stopping by, friends. I hope that today is a good day for you! If it is a struggle, I hope that you are met with small kindnesses along the way, a reflection of the kindness you share despite your current struggles.

Be kind, and Knit in Good Health. 

This...because it is a knitting blog, too!

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.    (Matthew 7:12)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.     (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Another Speechless Saturday

Well, not totally speechless... A young driver in my home town, who may have simply made a "rookie mistake" behind the wheel, lost his life in a car accident this week. It doesn't seem fair, and I don't want to talk about it any more today. So, let's look at some tiny Triceratops, shall we?

These little dinos don't climb trees, but they seem to like the flower box, so there you have it. Three, tiny Triceratopses (is that the plural of Triceratops?).

Hug your loved ones, knit some fun things, and remember that God is still in control. I'm sure I'll have more to say next week. 

For now, thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!