Happy for the Valentines!

I am at a stage in my life where I don't look for Valentines, I make them.

I surround myself mostly with things that bring me joy, sometimes holiday-themed and sometimes not. This year, I am finding Valentine's day joy in getting things back to normal after our big paint job! That means hanging things back on the walls and the curtain rods, now that it's been a couple of weeks,

and even reconfiguring some spaces, like adding a tiny, corner desk to the dining room. 

These are small things, for sure...but along with the colorful knitting,

they make even mundane days feel light and airy in my heart, and help to ac-cen-tuate the positive in my life, which cannot be a bad thing! After all, there are so many places in this world to find offense and negativity. Heck! Sometimes it even seems to seek me out, but ain't nobody got time for that! So I'll keep holding onto the love in my heart for those around me, and I will do my best to live with abiding joy, while I start looking for clover and leprechauns to help me celebrate the next holiday! None in here...yet!

As for Valentines, I have a few that I celebrate with all year long, whether we see each other daily or not. No need for special cards or events over here, because I know that I am loved. There is deep contentment in love that doesn't need to shout, even though it sometimes makes mistakes. 

I hope your life is surrounded by folks who see you, who get you and who love you. If it is not, it might be time to seek some new relationships...or refresh some old ones. Either way, I'm glad you are a part of my world. Happy Valentine's Day to you, my blog family!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Kindness and Color

Before I start today, I'd like to say that I'm aware of all that is going on in our country, and in the world, and it makes my heart heavy. My personal response to all-of-the-things is to work as hard as I can to be as kind as I can to as many as I can while I move through my world. I hope that you are doing the same, even as you contact your representatives and post to your social media accounts. Kindness changes people so we can all help to make our world a better place. 

I also find it helpful to my personal mental health to take breaks from the gloom to remember what I am thankful for and to engage in activities that bring me joy...like, you know, knitting!... so I've cast on a new sweater with yarn that brings me joy

and a colorwork pattern that brings me joy

while I post joyful photos to my social media accounts!

Another thing bringing me joy today is the fact that, after living here nearly 5 years, we are finally repainting! 

Please excuse This Old House on the TV, but do check out that luscious purple on our accent walls...it is lovely in any light! 

And I'm loving the new bathroom color, in all three, as well! 

I haven't put much back on the walls, 

and two of our bedrooms are still patiently waiting for their new coats, but there is so much progress, and we are loving the house once again! 

Curious about our colors? Here's what we've used and where:

One more thing that's bringing me joy is these handsome goofballs

and these pics from my granddaughters! The oldest received a varsity letter in debate for her freshman year...so proud! Her sister is still working on her squishmallow collection while she also sings in the choir and plays soccer! 

There is much joy to be found, even though we live in a fallen world, so keep looking for it everywhere...and let me know when you find it. Shared joy is multiplied, and shared grief is divided, so find your tribe and share, share, share! (If you're in the path of the current arctic blast, maybe use the internet...)

Thanks for stopping by to share my joy today, and Knit in Good Health! 

Joy and Beauty and Knitting

When we moved from our old house to this condo, one of the things I lamented leaving behind was our front porch. 

With red brick risers and concrete steps, outdoor photos in daylight were full of texture and background color that was neutral enough to show off hand knits pretty spectacularly...

...especially tiny things and toys.

Since moving here, I have learned to appreciate the airy, openness and natural light of our many windows for bright and beautiful photos...

...and our white countertops have been the background for many photos of smaller items.

But I think the item I enjoy the most in the backdrops of my knitting photos is my chunky coffee table...you know, where the pig lives! 

As a matter of fact, that pig and his sweater show up a LOT in the pictures, lol! But this isn't about the pig. 

This is about blooming where one is planted. There are plenty of things I did not like about the old house: dark corners, small rooms, weird layout. And there are plenty of things I'm still not really used to in this condo: nowhere to "hide," overly bright light fixtures, and a little too much "road noise" from the highway.

Yet there is beauty and joy to be found wherever I am. Not because everywhere I go is beautiful, but because I want to find the beauty wherever I am. Finding beauty in the mundane brings me joy, so I will keep looking. 

What small things bring you joy? Whatever they are, I hope that you are finding that joy, savoring it and storing up a bit for the days and nights that are a little more "dark and stormy." Maybe you've even found some joy in this post, and if you have, I'm so glad. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Snow A-Plenty

Well, they said it would happen. We know that living in Northeast Ohio pretty much guarantees that we will see snow in winter, so we were prepared, pretty much planning to just stay home on Thursday. Still, when Wednesday wandered in, I wondered if the predicted snow had been blown out of proportion, as it sometimes is.

But I had a significant project to work on, and that kept my mind off the snow. Access to almost endless hot cocoa, paired with mindless garter stitches, kept me calm and carefree as the snow approached.

And even though it was calm and cozy inside from sunrise (top) to sunset (bottom),

the predicted snow came. It came, and it kept coming,

and coming, 

and coming, 

and coming!

We even got a little fresh powder overnight last night! It sure is pretty out there!

So pretty, and so cold! Good thing I have a fresh shipment of yarn, in all the colors, to keep me busy indoors! 

How are you staying warm today? If you are Pat and Don, you are just living your life...in Florida! (Hi Pat and Don!) But for those of you who live a little more north, like me, I hope you have yarn and warm treats to keep you toasty and occupied!

Before I go, may I share a bit of wisdom from a friend? Franklin posted this as part of a longer post, and I see so much wisdom in it that I wanted to pass it along (with his permission, of course): 

"Let people enjoy their moments of happiness, y'all. Let them have their little victories.

If they don't ask for notes, don't give them any. Don't suggest how they can do it better next time. Just let them have the moment." 

I share this, having been on both the advice giving and receiving end of those notes. I tend to always think that my advice is helpful...but when I get unsolicited, "helpful and corrective" advice after achieving a small victory, that's just annoying. I'm going to try hard to be better at not giving advice like that, and I am NOT going to tell you the best way to shovel your driveway, or knit your sweater, or cook your dinner today. I'm just going to be glad that you've cleared the drive for my visit, so we can knit and break bread together, and I hope that you will do the same. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

PS - Franklin and I are social media friends only. He lives faraway, I've never known him in a face-to-face way, and I am sure our opinions differ on many things. Still, I like him a bunch, and I think he is one cool cat! As with many of my online friends, I am glad that we are friends, even though I can't call him to borrow a cup of sugar. Shipping that sugar would surely be cost prohibitive anyway!

Transitions Are Hard!

Look at me, living in a new and beautiful home...everything is falling together, but I still feel so unsettled. I mean, we all know that Pretty is a creature of habit, and I've talked here before about how it takes me a minute to make changes. The older I get, the longer it seems to take. So, while this is a good move for Pretty and Sweetie, it has been a hard transition. 

Where are the spoons?

With all the silverware...which drawer did I put that in?

 

Where did you put the (name any item in my house that is not in plain view...and some that ARE in plain view)?

I have no idea...I think I've put it away, but I'm not sure where...?

Where does this go?

Your guess is as good as mine...

This last question has perplexed me most, because I have reached the point of NEEDING to hang my pictures on the walls. I need to do that so it feels like home to me...I know it's an OCD thing, and it doesn't really need to be done, but I need to do it. I spend countless moments staring at photos, stacked against the wall, trying to decide...

That's my bridal bouquet in front of my grandmother's picture, but I still haven't hung our wedding photo, and that's held a prominent place in all of our homes so far. I need to put it up...but where?

As I contemplate how to keep my past in front of me, I am reminded that sometimes I need to put it behind me...so I can live in this moment. Thank you to my daughter and her boys for bringing me back into the present with a visit yesterday.

They are watching Cocomelon as the big guy "tickle tickles" his little brother...so cute!

And Pop Pop decides that our new stairs are a great place to drop paper "whirley-bird" airplanes for catching or aiming into a basket at the bottom. He's not wrong, but they needed to look up a video to refresh Pop Pop's memory on the making...

Looks like they've found a good one...

...aaand, yes! They are having snacks and fun while they figure it out! 

We did have a great visit yesterday, and I am pretty sure the boys slept well last night...we did our best to wear them out anyway (and we wore ourselves out in the process...lol)!

So, despite my stress-face and tough-with-transition disposition, I am blessed beyond what I deserve, for sure! Don't let me tell you otherwise.

I am thankful for my new, beautiful home. I am thankful for a big, open space to enjoy my family when they visit (for the first time in 26 years). I am thankful the cats and I seem to be adjusting, and I am thankful for a Sweetie to share it with...so I will do my best to process and mitigate the silly stress of transitions that are a part of who I am. 

How do you handle change and stress? A bit of exercise? A tall glass of (insert adult beverage of choice here)? Perhaps a cookie? Prayer? Please send suggestions...

All that to say that I am doing well, and I am so glad that you have popped into the blog today. As things open up, if you are local, I hope you will stop by our new place for a visit, too! Now, it's time for me to hang some more pictures and do a little Saturday knitting. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Keys

Keys. We have keys. Not car keys, or train keys...

Not the keys to this little guys heart (though we have those, too...)

But the keys to our new place! We have the keys!

So the next couple weeks are going to be full of moving all the things! We have a good start, with some very nice gifts from our Realtor (thank you, Chad!)...

...and as you read this, I am either hanging curtains or putting things away in one of my many new cupboards or bathrooms, so I'm not going to write too long today. More pictures will be coming soon! 

Even though my time is limited this weekend, I did want to stop in to say hello and Happy Saturday to all of you! I hope that you have something to celebrate. Springtime. Sunshine. Kittens and puppies, or new yarn, perhaps!  

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

A Tale of Two Kitchens

So, last week I broke the news, with a little trepidation. This week, I am going to wander out on the ice a bit farther to tell you my tale of two kitchens. For the last 26 years, this has been my kitchen, and I kinda love it...at times.

It is a tiny kitchen, so small that for some years we did not even have a tall fridge in that space. We got by with a counter-height fridge for the basics (milk, eggs, butter, lunchmeats), and we had our full-size fridge in the basement. It wasn't that bad, actually, and I was in better shape for running up and down those stairs every time I cooked...or baked...or did anything involving food in the kitchen (like, yanno, feeding people).

These days, we are back to a larger fridge, one that fits into the space provided, and this kitchen has served me well for years of regular days, holidays, candy and cookie making, and gingerbreading. I will miss it...a little bit. This week, I joked that I am going to have it made into a locket as a remembrance. Well, that may be taking it a bit far...but look at the progress in my soon-to-be-finished new kitchen!

I know! OMGosh! I was going to count the cabinets in both kitchens, for comparison sake, but I keep losing count in the new kitchen...lol! So many cabinets and counters...I will no longer need to clear the tiny kitchen table in the corner to roll out a pie crust or decorate gingerbread, relegating the cookie jar, napkins and placemats to the basement craft table. I will just do what I need to do, then wipe down my counter and move on. (Cue songs of angels in my new kitchen.)

As a bonus, if I go into the kitchen to make a cup of tea for a friend (or for me) I will no longer have to miss out on everything going on in the other room. Our next season of holiday treats is going to be so much fun to put together! I can even lay all the cookies out to dry on the counters, if I want...without having to stow them in the basement, or a bedroom, or the garage! (Disclaimer: I have never stowed homemade goodies in the garage to keep them out of the way and away from the cats...no, never. It might have been a good idea some years, but the icy walk to the garage would likely have done me in!)

Ok, one more photo, then I think I'm done for today. This one is a photo of our actual unit! (There are 4 condos in this grouping.) Still waiting on siding, and some other outdoor details, but isn't it lovely?

Yes, it is safe to say that I am getting excited! Still hoping that I am not jinxing us, and enjoying the parts of the process that I can as we continue to pack up the starter home. I have finally taken down most of the photos that were on our walls, so here's a new one that I have not yet framed. Look at these boys grow!

Now it's time for me to go find something to knit. Lately, I am crushing the neutral dish-/facecloths! Between projects, between homes, I hardly know what to do with myself! Lol...so I just keep knitting!

Whatever you are in the middle of, thanks for stopping by today! Oh!, and Knit in Good Health!