Onward and Upward

I have really been AWOL on my internet presence.  I want to change that.

I have been feeling better, the smog is gone today and we have blue skies and sun today.  It should last for a few days.  I was lucky enough to spend a few days the end of January in the mountains and again great blue skies and sun.  I have obviously needed the sun.  My DH was driving around on one of the sunny days this week and saw a car pulled up in the school parking lot (on a Saturday), there was an older couple (like our age!) who had opened the back of the car, got a couple of chairs out and they were enjoying "catching a few rays".  That is what I have been trying to do also...get some sun and help my attitude.

I need to look at the government condition not as something to make me crazy/sad, but instead of a call to get more involved in the things that are important to me.  I want to see equality and equity for all people, I want to see the natural world protected, and I want to see a healthy economy (not necessarily a growing economy, but a healthy one - bigger is not necessarily better).

Am I being a "Pollyanna" about this?...I don't think so...at least not too much.  I am not totally ignoring the problems, but I choose not to dwell on them.


The trip to the mountain cabin was our Christmas gift.  With unmarried adult children, we like to do things, not give things.  We stayed in a little cabin (unfortunately with a small mouse) at Fish Lake.  

The mouse is probably hiding somewhere in there!

We have stayed there before in the winter, starting in the 1980's.  It is well known for ice fishing.  We don't fish, but instead we cross-country ski, or snow shoe, or walk out on the lake and see ice fishing.  (Did you know the lake makes the most wonderful deep cracking sounds?)  Or just sit and enjoy the time. 

Here's the lake across the street and through the window!

This year I did a lot of sitting by the fire and reading, and sitting by the window and letting the sun shine on me.  It was very cold outside (walking on the snow, it made a squeaking sound) so sitting outside in the sun was not comfortable.  But the few days away from the stress of everyday and the horrible smog we get in the winter was really good.  

Combination kitchen/dining/livingroom

I have been teaching classes and they are slightly over full, so a little more work.  I've spent some time up at Mom's running errands with her.  And I have said yes to too many additional things that I want to do.  The calendar is filling up fast!.. thus the stress.  I need to learn to say "no" a few times.

I have gotten some work done...but I've been slower than I wished.

End of another warp of scarves

Here is the end of the third warp out of four.  The fourth will be shorter, because I am using up the last of the yarn.


I enjoyed our January Sister's Date.  We decided to do Valentine's decorations.  One sister was stitching on a previously started red fabric, stitching hearts.  She said it was probably a pillow.  Another sister was making Valentine's Day cards.  She was stitching hearts on the fronts...she saw that idea on Pinterest.  The other two of us were stitching hearts to hang.  I have a hanger that I use to show off my Christmas bobbin lace ornaments, I want to use it for other holidays, so I started a Valentine's heart. 

Front of the heart

Here is my work so far.  The first layer of design is the lace and stitched boarder.  Now I am adding the second layer of stitchery...some flowers and probably vines.  Then I will add some beads to finish it off.  There is also a back side, but it only has a white small heart stitched on for the first layer.

The heart that I will probably have displayed this year  was made and given to my by my sister that loves patchwork and putting pieces together to make something.  It is a wonderful crazy quilt looking heart.

"Sister's Love", a heart to display.

Isn't it great.  She has a wonderful stash of lace and fabric, then adds some stitchery.  I love it and will put it on the bigger display hanger.

I also celebrated a birthday in February...and my DD got my cake at my favorite bakery.

Yes, Raspberry and Chocolate...I couldn't ask for anything more.