Zeneedle...needleart as life

Goodie Two Shoes

The air is so full of unhealthy particulate matter it’s unsafe for anyone to exercise outdoors and, to add insult to injury, this January is on track to be the 3rd coldest January ever.  As I was encouraged by several friends to get my ass to the gym, that’s exactly what I’m doing.

The one item of exercise wear I didn't currently own was a pair of good sneakers. Carole suggested I not scrimp on shoes. "It's so important that we take good care of our feet!' So...

Several times I week I drive by a store I knew could help me find the perfect shoe in the perfect fit. Saturday, instead of driving by, I went in. While I walked on a treadmill a specialist recorded my feet (and part of the leg), then played it back while explaining what was good (or problematic) with the way I walk. This information helps her recommend the right style/type/brand of shoe. It was up to me to try on shoe after shoe, comparing and contrasting them to each other, until I found a shoe that put a big grin on my face. It was then she knew we'd found the right fit.

There was a little more to it, along with finding the right insert and socks, but I won't bore you with all the details. My goal was to find the right shoe, not pick one in a color range I liked (I tried on bright white--yikes--and screaming GREEN!), but the right shoe was made for me in every way!

I tried them out at the gym right after my purchase and I can sincerely say, Carole was right!

Starting as Usual

As per usual, I'm starting out 2013 a bit unorganized. I didn't know which direction to go for my first post of the year and then I read Kym's first post, which is just what I would have liked to write if I were an organized person. Instead, I'm checking in to wish you all a very good 2013!

If this picture gives you a chill, it's because it's about 20 degrees. The skies have been a dreary gray since the 29th, our last clear day. Winter has decided to stay for awhile and we pray she'll bring us snow, as well as the cold.

2012 wasn't a year in which I put much into my knitting.  I knit mostly shawls, cowls and mitts, with every project taking much longer than has been my usual speed. This is not a complaint nor an apology, it's an acknowledgement of where I am. Looking back, my focus has been food; growing, planning, and cooking (oh, and lets not forget the eating part). 

We spent Saturday night going through seed catalogs (we know how to have a good time!) and making lists, even talking about the layout of our 2013 garden.  Every year we have the blank pallet of fresh dirt to start a new year of deliciousness. (Kym, we were also drinking rye.)

Reading, catching the bug of reading once again, as taken over much of my free time. I work full time,which means my leisure time is limited, and knitting has been a low priority when compared to reading, eating well, and getting my butt out for some exercise.  If there is anything to say about new resolutions, it is to do MORE of the same, but maybe a bit more effectively and efficiently.

Happy New Year, friends!!!

Share Joy

This isn't the first place you've heard about the Winter Solstice and it won't be the last. There should be a beautiful picture of lights, or candles, or a sunrise or something else denoting the longest night and the shortest day, but yesterday worklife ran over me with its truck. The truck will likely back up and do the job again today, but I digress. Even without the aid of a glorious picture, I will share my thoughts on this day.

After the events of Friday last, there seems to be little peace and joy in our world. The unspeakable evil that descended on Newtown has brought sorrow and heaviness to every heart. Many of us feel the need to DO something--for the children, for the town, but you may feel there is little you can do. You may feel frozen by the deep sorrow around you, but we need to do anything we can to bring peace and joy into the lives of others. Reach out and do just one something, one random act of loveliness.

On this, the shortest day, in the honor of a child, I ask you to follow in the footsteps of many, many other participants and reach out in just one random act of love. Give something of yourself to another person. Do it rashly, out of the blue, perhaps by slowing to allow in a car who has trying to turn out into traffic, by opening a door for the person behind you and giving them a warm smile, pay for someones lunch, or buy the drink for the person in line behind you. Just DO something kind, give a little of yourself. Be the best you can be, keep love in your heart over the next week (and always). Go into the New Year in peace and love. Give yourself this gift. May your Solstice be bright.

If you like, report your simple act of kindness here. This isn't a brag sheet but a way of sharing how many of us have within the ability to give, to share, and to love.  We can change the world, one person at a time.

Year in Review: 2012

As Vicki's post reminded me...To review-- in words (the first sentence of the first post of each month) and in pictures (one favorite posted photo from each month), one not necessarily related to the other.

January
It's the sky!

February
My handwriting is terrible and it's the main reason I rarely write long hand.

March
A month of no snow ended with a week of weak snow.

April
The weekends go so quickly and this weekend offered a much needed respite from a very busy week.

May
I've been trying to write this post for days, but my thoughts lead nowhere, and then, (just yesterday) I realized Cheryl's birthday, which is today, was the perfect way to show off my latest finished project.

June
Admittedly, the items on my list of Summer Goals are easily attainable and, with the weather cooperating, the warm and sunny weekend made all but #6 a success.

July
Smith harvested the garlic this weekend.

August
Pretty great skies, right?

September
Celebrating three years...

October

November
I got lured.

December
It's such a relief to have NaBloPoMo behind me.

Lot's of blue sky and friends! It's been a very good year!

At This Moment

I am....

Watching . . .and hoping the gray skies will turn into a storm.

Reading . . . Sweet Tooth- so far, it isn't my favorite Ian McEwan, but I can only read in short snippets of time, which isn't helping.

Knitting . . . Breckon and Quill (I'll tell you more later).

Listening to . . . Morphine, Marley, Dylan, Decemberists, Peter Wolf, Nina Simone, etc…

Thinking about . . . tomorrow and the Estonian Market at Black Sheep. I think I need a new pair of gloves.

Dreading . . . the kitchen being torn apart for painting. Although, it may not be as bad as I think.

Humming . . . It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

Planning . . .Christmas Day with friend--a movie and lunch.

Excited about . . . Dec 21st the longest night, as thereafter the days grow longer.

Drinking . . . Rye

Itching to . . . buy new towels (barn red!) for the newly painted powder room.

Needing to . . . plan next weeks dinner menu.

Organizing . . . well, thinking about organizing, the small pantry in my kitchen, as well as the large pantry in the basement.

Inspired by . . .Vicki and her commitment. 

Delighted by . . . Kym and her collection of birds.

Winter Homes

As I walked around my neighborhood and, as the leaves have left the bones of trees undressed, I've been able to spot what's usually carefully hidden away. The birds do a fine job of securing their homes into the joints and joins of branches and I've have had a good time seeking out the winter abandon nests.

This one is only about 12 ft off the ground and easy to spot now that the tree is leafless.

This is such a tiny nest and the only one I could find in this very tall tree (I used the zoom just so you could see this nest). I wonder if there are more homes hidden in crooks of branches and my eyes just can't find them.

Can you spot the nest in this picture? It's very large and has been in the tree for years and years. I wonder if it's used any longer?

This dear little nest is nestled in the tangled branches of a lilac bush! It's very near the sidewalk and can clearly be seen.  Hopefully no one will catch sight of it during the winter months and the little home will remain undisturbed.  (I'll know where to look, or just listen, for baby birds once spring comes.)

This tree, my favorite tree, could have been designed by  Edward Gorey or Tim Burton. I've searched through its dense growth quite carefully and, so far, have found nothing. Maybe I should take a pair of binoculars on my next walk and see if I can spot a hidden home. 

Jazz 1920-2012

The song in this post has nothing to do with Dave Brubeck, unless you consider his overall contribution to jazz. My father listened to many different styles and genres of music and Dave Brubeck was his favorite jazz musician. The first time I saw Mr. Brubeck preform I took my father and we had a great time reliving, rehearing the tunes we knew so well. About 10 years ago Mr. Brubeck was in SLC to preform with his sons on his 81st birthday. It was such a joy to hear his soft tinkling of the keys, a change from the power of his younger days. He gave the music of his youth new impact. Dave Brubeck will be missed.

Herbie Hancock arranged this rendition of Joni Mitchell's song, The River, which is one of my favorites, no matter the season. More than one person on the radio has called it a Christmas song and it is played more frequently this time of year. Herbie and Joni, what a great jazz duo.

That Road

It was not my intention to let a few days pass without a post. It was my intention to do a Weekending post on Monday and, perhaps, a ToT on Tuesday, but, as it turns out, THAT road, you know the one I mean, the one your mother warmed you was paved with intentions, THAT road came up and hit me in the face. Intentions are not actions. Instead of letting the guilt for lack of action get to me the rest of the week, I decided to act, finally, on putting together a post. (The eggs are from a local farm and would have been my Weekending picture.)

I could give a bunch of excuses on why I haven't taken pictures, haven't knit enough, or formed any thoughts on the last few days, but it felt better to put energy into saying hi!, pushing forward, and posting.  I miss you all when I don't blog. So, to get on with it....

I have made progress on both Quill and Breckon. There are no pictures, as of yet, and when I can take pictures of said projects, I'll  share what progress has been made.  Both projects require a considerable investment in time, an investment of time far into the foreseeable future and, therefore, I have broken my unwritten rule by deciding to start a third* (shorter in term) project. I have also broken my own cardinal rule of no Christmas knitting. I know! Me! Christmas knitting!

The idea came while at SnB. There is a small core group of us who cycle in and out the Sunday meetings and we were fortune to have every single one of us in attendance last Sunday. Monica (Monikita on Ravelry) was knitting a hat for her husband. She told us of her tradition to knit a hat each Christmas they'd been married. If I had started that tradition Smith would now have 32 hats!

As an aside, he's not a fan of hand-knitted items and the two sweaters (quite old yet barely worn), a pair of well worn (out) gloves, as well as, a couple of hats, has been (more than) enough. I made him two pairs of socks, but he does not love them and, sadly, has never worn them. He is not deserving of socks. BUT, he loves his hats, and when I suggested knitting a hat for Christmas, he was very pleased. Ok, I think I'll leave it there and report on the hat, and other knitting progress, soon...promise!

*Yes, you may (or may not) remember I have another project, but it has been abandon for now, hopefully not forever.

Weekending

The weekend was full of planning, doing, working to get ready for guests and the fun, albeit fast paced weekend ahead.

The list of things to do last weekend included laundry (guest beds), checking out the new "blow up" bed, cleaning the "facilities", and general house-keeping.

There is a great deal of angst involved in readying for guests...and excitement!

I'm working on being laid back but I can't help but worry about it.

The house is still in various states of disrepair. Pictures are not hung, and may not be.  Probably won't be.

Anyway, this past weekend turned out to be beautiful as the smoke blue away!

The mountains are colorful and the air is cooling. We expect rain!

Saturday night, before we went to a party, we grabbed a quick dinner and as we walked from the restaurant I spotted this bakery.

If course, I had to go in a bust their chops see if they had anything GF. THEY DID!! In fact, they always have GF cupcakes. 

Every once in awhile I want a piece of cake, which means I must bake a whole cake. I don't want the WHOLE cake, I just want one piece. 

Now there are two places very close to home where I can pick up a bit of deliciousness. I guarantee you can't tell the cupcake is GF. It just tastes fabulous!
Lucky me!

Hope you had a great weekend, too!

Weekending with Amanda, of Habit of Being.

Frankly Friday

Frankly, I meant to come back with another post this week, but time gets away from me and good intentions are derailed. My work place has been crazy-busy this week (and will stay that way for a while), which gives me little to no time for checking out the "net". Frankly, I barely have time for tea. (Apple courtesy of a co-worker who has a tree full!)

The smoky, hazy days are getting to me, but a cool front moving through should move out the smoke come Monday. But, frankly, the skies have been quite beautiful and unusual just before sunrise.

Frankly, next week is going to be a blast!! Monday, Book Club (25th year!!),Tuesday, SnB (time to see peeps!), and Thursday? Well, all the fun starts to happen! First, Kym arrives and, frankly, I can't wait to meet her IRL!  Later than night (yawn) Carole arrives and I can't wait for a Carole hug!  We have planned a fun, full, lovely weekend of sight-seeing, knitting, retreating and all that goes with grrlfriend meet ups.  I plan on a Monday post, but can't really say whether I can fit anything in beyond that, but I will be back. (Frankly, I have a huge grin on my face already!)