NEW BEGINNINGS

Somewhere along the way, I realized that
the new year doesn't begin for me in January.
The new and fresh has always come for me in
the Fall. Ironically, as leaves are falling like rain,
crunching beneath my feet with finality, I am
vibrating with the excitement of birth and new
beginnings.... My year begins in Autumn.

~Betsy Cañas Garmon

 

This week we went from wearing
shorts one day to needing a sweater
the next after a cold front that blew
in covering my yard with leaves and
pine straw. We are slowing warming
back up, but at least for two days
I was able to wear a sweater on my
walk which was so pleasant.

I had to rip the sleeves from
Emerson's Sweater, I finished
the sleeve, held it up and realized
the sleeves would be too big
for even me, much less a five
year old little girl so I am starting
over, sigh.

My Autumn Wrap has seen a lot
of attention this week and I am
ready to add my next skein of yarn.
It is a Christmas gift so while I
am trying to enjoy the process I
am also trying to cross another
item off my list.

I made the best broccoli-cheddar
soup for lunch from just picked
broccoli, it was so good I ate
it for dinner too. I would be
happy to share the recipe if you
are interested, although I really
don't measure anything, I just
sort of dump.

I had a nice, long talk with my
95 year old grandfather. He would
like me to knit him a sweater, in
blue. What do you think of this
pattern?

And a week that has flowers in
it is always a good week.

UPDATE: If you're a knitter you
must see this.  Karen really outdid
herself, this is wonderful.

Wishing you the most joyous
weekend.
Love,
Tracey

A PERFECT FALL WEEK

I step outside and the chilly air tightens the
skin on my bare arms. Summer has ended
all too quickly, and some of the leaves on the
trees have already started to burn with the
colors of fall. Fall colors.... so bright and intense
and beautiful. It's like nature is trying to fill
you up with color, to saturate you so you can
stockpile it before winter turns everything
muted and dreary. ~

Siobhan Vivian

It's been a great week to live in the south:
the weather has been perfect this week,
as in I had to wear a sweater on my walk,
so I have been spending as much time
as I can outside, working in the vegetable
garden, the herb bed, walking and just
enjoying the fact that the humidity is
gone and so are the bugs. The grass has
been given it's last cut, the wood has
been cut for the woodstove and now I am
waiting on cold weather... I'm more
than ready.

[Home] schooling is going well, we have
completed our 50th day. Alex read
The Grapes of Wrath and I read
To Kill A Mockingbird as a read aloud,
[it's a longtime favorite of mine],
then we spend one afternoon with
a huge bowl of popcorn and watched
the movie. I was glad to hear Alex say
he liked the book so much more than
the movie. There are now more books
to read and another movie afternoon
in our near future.

Dinner this week has seen a lot of
soups and this one was a big hit.
Tonight there will be this,  and
I have plans to try this and this
soon. There is just something
about a pot of soup simmering
on the stove that fill me with
contentment.

Bette Davis [the cat] has settled in
and is quite at home here for which
I am thankful, the first day I wasn't
too sure how it was all going to work
out, but the dogs seem to tolerate her
and she adores them.

I am looking forward to a quiet and restful
weekend. I hope whatever you have
planned brings you comfort and joy,
and peace.

Love,
Tracey

AN OCTOBER YARN ALONG

Listen! the wind is rising,
and the air is wild with leaves.
We have had our summer evenings,
now for October eves.
~Humbert Wolfe

I have a new project and
a new book this week. :)

I cast on Big Girl for my
granddaughter, Emerson.
Red [and orange] are her
favorite colors and this is
the yarn she chose. I had
planned to give it to her
for Christmas, but knowing
me I won't be able to wait
and as soon as I cast off
I will be wrapping it up
to mail.

I cast on Saturday night,
but really didn't like how
the lace section of the
pattern was looking so
decided to cast on again,
this time leaving the lace
section off and just
knitting the pattern
using the solid section,
I like it.

I am reading a book
my sister mailed me,
The Secret History.
I am only a couple of
chapters in, but so
far I am enjoying it.
Donna Tartt, the author
has a new book being
released October 22,
The Goldfinch, and I
have been hearing
buzz that it's really
good.
[Amazon Reviews]

Joining up with Ginny
for this week's Yarn Along.

I FED MY SOUL

The soul, like the body, 
lives by what it feeds on. 

~Josiah Gilbert Holland

 

 

 

 

 

A warm ocean breeze,

bright sun overhead,

my chair in the perfect

spot, knitting close at

hand, one project finished,

a new one begun. The

sound of waves crashing

on shore fills the air.

A long walk along the

shore's edge, collecting

gifts the sea has to offer.

A funny bird that wanted

to be noticed, for a minute

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds

popped into my thoughts.

The sea oats are starting to

fade, dropping their seeds

in the sand and it won't be

long before a chill fills the

air, but today? Today was

perfect, my soul was fed.

 

 

A PEEK OF AUTUMN IN MY WEEK

There is no season in all the year
so beautiful, so radiant with glory,
as the early autumn. There is no
time when the human soul drinks
in so fully the glory and beauty of
nature

~ Northern Advocate

 

The temperatures are still pushing
close to 90 degrees, but there has
been a shift in the humidity and
one morning I even saw 67 degrees.

The leaves are starting to fall, the
golden rod is starting to bloom,
and I know this because my allergies
are going crazy and I spend quite
a bit of time sneezing.

I don't think I will collect the
first pecan from my trees because
the squirrels have already eaten
most of them, along with all the
pine cones !?! Signs of a cold
winter coming?

I've made pear cake this week,
I used this recipe and substituted
pears for the apples, and there
has been a never empty egg plate,
that is one way to keep my guys
happy and use up some of the
eggs I have been collecting.

My sister send me this to read
because she knows how much
I love Whole Foods. Love it!

After almost completing the
back and even with the help
of a dear friend, I think I am going
to have to frog my Hiker's Waistcoat,
the pattern is just too confusing
for me and I am so frustrated
that I don't want to finish, I
am just over it.
I think my yarn would be
happier being this or maybe
this, I haven't quite decided
yet.

I hope you have a very pleasant
weekend, I have plans to walk 
on the beach and listen to the
waves crash on shore, it's been
a few weeks and my soul feels it.

Love,
Tracey