Getting Ready

Getting ready for Christmas. The tree is now up. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care. The wreath is getting lights today, then it will be hung up on the front door. Also I am getting ready for the anticipated Christmas visit of my nephew, Merlin and his new bride, Jennifer, so I am doing a major clear out of "stuff". Also, my Da should be joining us. Thus far there are four big blue Ikea shopping bags of stuff and not nearly done. Le Sigh Enorme. Too, I am getting ready for a new round of an art exchange in a Moleskine with my International Moleskine Exchange group from Ravelry.com. I am really excited for this new round. We took a hiatus for 2012 and I missed my Moley mail. I ordered something special for the ladies in the group, which I won't share here as yet, since more than a few of the participants read this blog. This Moley has been on travels before. It is a themed one. It was started the year of the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday and the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birthday, so the theme is Ravens and Roses. This will be it's third go ~ round and hopefully it will be filled up completely this g-round. As well, as getting ready to re-read an Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon for the Ravelry book themed swap to begin in 2013.

Blessed Samhain ~ Happy New Year

You Have the Right

I think there are three things every American has to or should do. 1. Vote! No matter what your politics, you must exercise your privilege to vote. If you don't vote, don't complain to me. No matter whether your candidate or party wins or no, you exercised your privilege. 2. Answer your Jury Summons: Everyone should serve on a jury at some point in their life. I haven't had the privilege as I have only been called twice and sent home both times as I am a certified paralegal and know enough to be dangerous, LOL. 3. If you can, run for political office and learn better the fine details of how your government works.

Day 31 ~ Accomplished

I did it! I posted a photograph every day for 30 days. Woo~hoo. I did a few extra posts as well for significant events, like the one to commemorate 9/11 and another one for Pinterest Make it Monday.

Day 30 ~ In Motion

Shout! a little bit louder now.

Day 29 ~ Purchased

The pattern to make this shawl was my purchase on Wednesday. I found it on Pinterest.com first and then went to Ravelry.com to look at it in further detail. I think I will make it in some of my handspun yarns as I have 4 different shades of yarn I can work with.

Day 28 ~ Daily Routine

This should really be about the morning routine, but here tis. Brush the teeth, check the phone, make the coffee and indulge in my worst vice.

Day 27 ~ After Dark

Renaissance Festival Players after Dark. Pandora Celtica and Iris and Rose team up.

Day 26 ~ Something Old

My parents were given a Hudson's Bay blanket when they married in 1952... I have slept under it on and off since then.

Day 25 ~ A Sunflare

Hmmmm? I haven't never had an opportunity to take a photo of a sunflare. This makes for a search project for this post. I found this photo on this site.

Pretty amazing and certainly glad I am out of range.

Day 24 ~ A Smile

Day 23 ~ Sunset

Since I live in Colorado Springs, CO I don't get much of a sunset as Pike's Peak tends to swallow the sun pretty quickly. Here's a sunset in Arizona where it lasts so much longer without obstruction from a 14,000 foot mountain. Interesting effect taking a photograph from a moving car, true?

Day 22 ~ Trees

Yes, indeed. The Continental Divide and the trees that I saw there.

Day 21 ~ Pretty Pattern

The title would more than likely make one think of something like this: patterns on fabric

However, I think of something like this: knitting patterns

My neck tends to get chilled as the cooler weather sets in. You should knit a cowl, also called a neck gaiter by some to wear this winter and all those to come. I thought to myself, you've made oodles of them for charity but not one for yourself. As my daughter, Erin brought me one (1) skein of Rowan Pure Wool Aran weight yarn in a lovely celery green from England, I decide to look for a pattern that I could use it for. I went to Ravelry and looked in my favourites to see what I had pinned there and lo and behold, there was Nic's Ashford Cowl requiring less than 180 yards of yarn. Woot! So, now I have cast on and have one repeat completed.

Day 20 ~ What I Read

I always have two or six books going at the same time. Currently, these are the books I reading. They are, in no particular order, Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer, Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander's British title), The Shetland Bus by David Howarth and The Gourmet Detective by Peter King. I generally catch up on magazines and newspapers at the library. However, The National Geographic and the Smithsonian come to the house, so I am perusing them as well.

I troll Facebook on and off all day if I am to home, so I read numerous updates and articles linked by my friends. I also read, on the average, six to ten blogs a week. Again in no particular order. I regularly read Rebecca's, Erin's, Nic's, Celia's, Dave Lowe's, and Alan Doyle's.

Day 19 ~ Where I Slept

My wee colourful bed. The quilts on the bed are two of my favourites. The light coloured flannel at the foot was made by my co-workers at the Great American Quilt Factory when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. The quilt hanging on the wall was made by my friends from the Quilt Mavericks for the same reason. The log cabin quilt in batiks was a Ladies Choice. I chose the block and six wonderful women from an on-line quilt group made 4 blocks each. I pieced them together and my dear friend, Susan Geddes quilted it for me. She quilted the flannel one as well.

Day 18 ~ In My Bag

This is just what's in it today. The bag is from Dolly as a Pay it Forward giftie. The embroidered zipper pouch (which contains things like a Swiss Army Knife, a nail file and such) is a gift from Peru. The amber necklace is a gift from my friend Kipp up in Estes Park. I really need to put that back in my jewelry chest. The knitting is the Outlander scarf in the Beauchamp colourway from Knitter's Brewing Company. What's missing is my current Moleskine as I was making notes in it last night and now it's sitting next to my sewing machine.

Pinterest Make it Monday ~ Because I Did

By now most of you have heard of Pinterest. Pinterest is made up of virtual "pin boards" of various topics. I enjoy looking through them for inspiration and ideas. My girlfriend, Katte uses it like Google to search for things (and regularly pins the most amazing tatting and costuming). I always find it interesting to see what amuses, interests or makes nostalgic my many friends who are also on Pinterest. As most of you know, I am a arty/crafty person. I like making things with my own hands. It fills my heart. I have a personal board on Pinterest called "Pinterest Make it Monday". I have been pinning and pinning and not doing anything with the ideas I have been collecting. I decided a few months ago to dedicate a day to making something based on something I had pinned. So far, I have made a smashed penny charm bracelet, a up~cycled denim and cotton maxi~skirt and today I made firestarters. I thought that with Fall rapidly approaching that would be a good one for this day as soon we'll be having fires in the fireplace. As luck would have it, I had all the ingredients to hand to make them. I used old newspaper, pine cones, string, herbs and spices. Just rolled 'em up like a Christmas cracker and wallah!

Day 17 ~ On the Shelf

There are many shelves. Collections as it were. Shelves that hold books, fabric, yarn, art supplies, music, dreams and ideas. The shelf holds both yarn and ideas. Some of my handspuns and store bought yarns. They are either just collected or are dedicated to a specific project. I might even get them all done before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

Day 16 ~ What I Ate

Herewith, is what I ate. I am not normally a breakfast eater. I need to be awake for a while before I face food. As it is nearly 11:00 am on a Sunday morning and I needed to write this post, I decided to make myself a bacon and tomato sammie for the brekkies. The tomatoes are the first harvest from my Patio Tomato. I wasn't sure I was going to get any tomatoes this year as my plants were beaten nearly to death by a hail storm back in June.