Cooped Up

We've been getting our fare share of snow, for which I am grateful.  I do love the fresh blanket of white covering the brown of mid winter.  As long as I can get out in it, I am happy.  Lately, the below zero temps have made that a challenge!

 

But as always, I am grateful for my silly birds, and the small lessons they share.  They set a great example for me the other day. Regardless of the cold and snow that was literally surrounding their coop, they happily perched outside to take in the fresh air and sunshine.

It wasn't long before I followed suit, and I was rewarded for my effort.

Thank you silly, pretty birds!

While inside, I am pursuing other endeavors, like this blanket.

The stitch is rather simple, try it if you like!

CO ODD multiple of 3 - say 63, not 60 not 66 stitches.
K3, P3 to the end.

Yup that's all, not much more to it.  Because of the odd number of stitches cast on, you will get varied ribbing both vertically and horizontally.  So far, I've knit up three skeins of Lionbrad Homespun colorway Lagoon.  Soon it will cover me as I knit!  I plan on going until I run out of yarn, only 3 more skeins to go!  Then I'll bind off, and use the last skein to fringe.

I hope you're happy and healthy and doing whatever it takes to get through this longest, shortest month of February!

So Many May Babies

May is a dizzying month.  Recitals, finals, graduations, not to mention that every time I turn around there is life to be welcomed or celebrated once again (seems like most of my Facebook Friends and quite a few relatives have birthdays in May - including moi!).  The flowers, the birds, the foals, the calves, the babies are EVERYWHERE.  Our neighbor's family greeted their new son last week, at HOME, and I was pleased as punch to find him these darling little leaf booties over at Tiny Happy

My grandmother celebrated her 100th, yes 100th, can you believe?  She is a testament to sustaining herself with a positive mental attitude - "Mind over Matter Helen" - and enjoying the simple pleasures in life "I just love dandelions, they are so cheery."  Really, of all that blooms in Spring she favors the dandelion.  Simply pleasures indeed.

I'm wishing you all good health and vitality to be out there and enjoy all that Spring has to offer.

Baby Great Horned Owl

Blessings!

Saphires and Diamonds

Ha ha, did that title capture your attention?  Well, I hope so.  It sure has mine.  These days have been as precious as jewels.  The colors!  So beautiful.  We've been getting treated to some beautiful sunrises and sunsets:

So much inspiration. 

I've been wanting to get some new yarn to take the Wavy Feathers Cap out for a spin again, success!



Left Cascade Kid Seta Shade 31, Right Karabella Gossamer Color 6302

 AND I've been wanting to stitch a new dish towel using Emily's festive little houses:

So I'm a happy camper.  After bopping around the house at night without a gripping book or something tempting to watch, I now have pleny of projects to hold me through the New Year.

What's got your attention these days?

There's No Business

Like snow business!  This week the Arctic Blast moved in and we've been getting intermittent snow for several days.  Although the temptation was great to stay tucked inside, sometimes a body just has to get out!

Surprisingly, the pups and I arrived at our usual trail to find we had it all to ourselves, First Tracks!  They were more than delighted to rip about in the fresh snow:

And snuffle, and burry their heads for hidden treasure:

I just love watching Lucy's ears flop about when she runs:

Our only company was the water fowl:

I guess ducks don't read:



 

Our favorite bramble patch:



A great place to play hide and seek:

 

And that's all the news from around here.  Living simply, and simply living. 

Hope you all are cozy!

I hope you all had a great weekend!  We had a chance to escape the heat a bit as we headed into the mountains by Steamboat Lake.  I say a bit because it was plenty sunny and hot where we were.  Steamboat received record snowfall this year as evidenced by the incredible wild flower display.  The hills were awash with so much color.  I couldn't stop "oohing and aahing." 



Steamboat Lake, Colorado



Arnica and Blue Bonnet

Unfortunately, our hidden gem of a campsite was quite altered due to Pine Beetle Kill.  So instead of hanging out in the forest, we made the most of nearby Steamboat lake with some water fun.




No camping trip would be complete without a mountain bike ride.  It had been three years since we rode this particular trail, and Brad and I were surprised at how technical it was. 

Nor could we believe we rode this trail when Rachel and Max were 12 and 10.

All in all, we had fun, even with the bugs and sun.  Roughing it was worth the time away from the household distractions, and the campfire chats were priceless.  I'm just not sure Pepper would agree.  Any time the car door was opened he would pop in for some relief.

One of the biggest gems on this trip were our friends, Cecil and Bobbie, the campground hosts.  We met them years ago when we pulled in without a reservation.  Cecil was so friendly and accomodating.  He has shared many things with us over the years, and this year was no different.

Cecil teaches Max some Chess moves

I think I'll be in for it the next time Max and I play chess.

Now there is the unloading and washing up to do after every excursion, but I have visiting family to look forward to!  We'll hopefully be getting up to Rocky Mountain National Park for some touring, so more photos to follow.

I hope you're all looking forward to a great week.

Finding Our Rhythm

Is There Anything Prettier Than Pink Peonies?

Seems like every summer we go move through an adjustment to school being out and a new routine being established.  This time can feel awkward and more than a little uncomfy.  As the kids grow they need to assert themselves more and more as far as how they want to spend their vacation.  And yet, someone needs to be there to guide them, and at the very least DRIVE them.

After a bit of a bumpy start things are starting to settle.  As Max learned at Scout Camp, and obligingly shared with us, one of the most important components for survival in the wilderness is good moral.  And one essential element for good moral is establishing a rhythm.  Fantastic.  This hearkens back to Rachel and Max's preschool teacher's mantra "Rhythm, Routine, and Consistency."

So, after too much back and forth this week, my hero came to my rescue.  Thank you Brad for getting the kids to their early morning swim practice so I could enjoy a quiet house.  I revelled in the time to straighten, dust, vacuum, and fuss about the house without disrupting anyone.  Glorious.

To cap it off, I was able to bike to work.  What a treat!

My Commute

To think I may have missed this view if I hadn't slowed down long enough to leave the car at home.

Here's hoping you all are finding your own rhythm within your summers.

Hold On To What Is Good

and hold onto your seats, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.  Let's just say re-entry into my life on Brigadoon Farm hasn't been easy.  Perhaps I was spoiled by my get away.  And it's not that I didn't work, I did, but on one thing.  Thoroughly and to completion.  I wasn't distracted by laundry, cleaning, feeding, driving, going to work, or caring for anything else but that one task.  See what I mean?  Spoiled.

I guess I had my own unpacking to do this week.  It was more than a bit overwhelming to come back to all that I have created for myself.  The family, animals, property, job, house, you name it, none of it was good enough and none of it was getting what it deserved.  I felt so torn in too many different directions. 

And now I must say "THANK YOU" to my husband, children, friends and co-workers for weathering the storm with me.  I am so incredibly blessed that I have such loving people in my life to hold me up when I don't think I can hold myself up.  With their help, I will get back to taking life one day at a time, and allowing myself some grace when I don't measure up to my own expectations.

And a "THANK YOU" to my sister, Allison, who gifted me this incredible yarn so that I can continue to do what I love best, create with gorgeous yarn!

Allison's Color Way

And Anna, thank you for the house call and your healing hands.  And Pam, thank you for your kind listening, and lovely poem:

Hold on to what is good,
Even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it's easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if I've gone away from you.

Pueblo Indian Prayer

May all of you receive many blessings today and through this weekend.

So They Say It's Spring

Yes, the calendar says it.  Yes, its all over Blogsphere, but good lordy, Spring sure is a fickle miss here in Boulder, Colorado.  She is slow to rise and may decide to bless us with the warmth and light of a cloudless day one minute, then BAM, we're slammed with strong wind bringing grey clouds and any manner of precipitation scudding through the next.  It's enough to try one's patience.

So close, but yet so far.  I can see it, feel it, smell it, touch it, taste it one minute, then it slips through my grasp.  Now I know how my dear hens feel.  Look at the them.

There they are yearning to get to the other side of the fence.  They are not the most perceptive of beasties, but I swear they know the grass is greener on the other side of that fence.  Now how to get there?  The yearning is almost palpable.

I'll never cease to be amazed at how whatever I'm feeling in my internal life is mirrored in the life around me.   And I find great comfort in that.  So even though I would like to "get on with it"and press a "fast forward" I must content myself with the way things are. 

Here's hoping you all find the grass a little greener on your side of the fence today.

Was I Dreaming?

How can it be that the memory of Winter slips so quietly from the mind?  Was it really here?  Or was it a dream?  And in that dreaming, was there a life awakening?  I will miss you Winter.  Time of quiet.  Time of reflection.  For the time of doing is upon us.  There is much to do (about nothing?) in Spring.

But look, someone has a jump start on me.  How can this be?

To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; ~ Shakespeare

An Open Heart Watches and Receives

Redwing blackbird song, Buds swell.

A Northern Flicker cries.

The Maple sheds her tears of joy,

A squirrel's sweet surprise.

Even the pussywillow cannot sleep,

Winter's slow demise.

"Socked" In

Another snowy day here.  Seems like the snow has come to stay.  One could say we're "socked in!"

What say you?  Yes!  Speaking of Socks, at last, a Ta Dah moment!

Rachel cozy in her socks!



Max cozy in his

Interesting thing, this "Ta Dah!" stuff.  While in yoga yesterday, my teacher explained the meaning of "Tadasana" or mountain pose.  Did you know "Ta Da" means "I am that?"  Maybe that's what is feeding my desire to create?  Striking when you think of it.  Each sock knit, each cookie baked, each blog posted, each relationship shared, a connection to "I am that."  A connection to the creative spark that got us on this journey in the first place.

Makes me want to stand tall, feet firmly planted and centered on the earth, and with my heart open, take a deep breathe and go out into the world.

Missy has her Ta Da! moment

What about you?

Right Then

Okay, so no more "wallowing in the mire."  I sure do like to throw myself pity parties, don't I?  Wait, don't answer that.  If I'm sick of my moping I can only imagine how my family and friends feel.  So, onward and upward!  It was a beautiful, snowy afternoon here in Boulder, again.
Today would probably be a great ski day at the local ski hill, Eldora, but I will probably be helping my husband, Brad, get off for their scout weekend.  Actually, he is very well prepared.  My help will be more along the encouragement and reassurance lines.  You see they are going to Klondike Days in Winter Park which involves Dog Sled Racing, Dutch Oven Cooking and sleeping in a tent.  In the winter.  In the snow.  And cold.  Bless his heart, he's a better man than me!

So the girls are left to our own imaginations as to how we will pass the time.  My favorite!  I know it will involve watching movies, but . . . I have a sneaky suspicion that this would be a good weekend for some sewing.  Rachel and I saw some incredible Plum colored jersey knit the last time we were at the fabric store, and boy oh boy it would make a great swingy cardigan.  Something like this, only more purple!

Fast and pretty.  With any luck, I'll have pictures to post of our joint project.  In the meantime, I continue to look forward to Spring, and want to share what's inspiring me now:

I love these tops, so swingy, so 70's, and green is my color! (I seem to like the word "swingy" today :])

 I love them all, well, the blue doesn't really appeal to me, but hey, cute cute cute anyway!

 Can you say "ruffles?" Oh how I love them!

 

Love these skirts, something about the bold print and clean lines of the bias tape.

 

I hope you all enjoy a great weekend as well!