Happy Halloween.

thanks to my sister for snapping this photo - and letting me borrow the hat!

...for the first time in many years, I'm going to celebrate. Marc's away and all the neighbors are gathering in the little park across the streeet for adult beverages and snacks. I have a hat. And I'm hoping to find Holly a costume today. I'll bring plenty of candy with me, so no one will be ringing our doorbell (and that means - again, hopefully - no barking). It's supposed to be warm and dry. Sounds like the perfect way to spend this evening!

Wishing you a fun Halloween - however you celebrate it!

Finished Knits.

...whoa it's been a while. I'm two months into journal #19 and have five bits of yarn tied to the elastic band, which means I've finished five projects.  But none have been shared here; and until an hour ago I didn't have finished photos of those projects (plus a few others) on Ravelry either. I'm honestly not sure why I've been so remiss with the FO photo shoots, especially because Madeline is such a striking model!

She's been wearing my Meadowsweet Shawl (fka "Meadow Mystery") for weeks now; happy coincidence that the Prairie colorway looks so wonderful in my study!

She stands near a west-facing window that gets lovely afternoon sunshine.

Perfect for modeling shawls,

Piper's Journey, for my church's prayer shawl ministry

scarves,

Linen Stitch Redux

and a soon-to-be-gifted surprise.

just a teaser for the blog, but knitters can see the full piece on Ravelry here

I also added photos of my Irokata Tee

These were taken at the shop last month

and Folded Poncho.

This poncho is probably my favorite finished piece of the past few months. It's knit in a lightweight cotton/silk blend yarn that's been great for the late summer/early fall, but it's just about time to put it away for the season. I have some Jo Sharp DK-weight wool in my stash; as soon as I knock out a few more projects, I think I'll make another poncho for the winter.

So yes, I'm still knitting... and finishing. I just need to get better about the photographs!

By the Numbers.

...the story of this year's 2-Day Walk.

Karen and I at the Opening Ceremonies in front of the Hard Rock Cafe

4. training walks of 10+ miles (until about four years ago, this would be a zero. we've learned!)

...along the way on Saturday

13. B'rest Stops along the route, including Saturday's lunch. We try hard to make that also be the number of bottled waters we each drink. I think we managed that. (The folks in charge say this should also be the number of potty stops we make...we did about half that).

best sight of Saturday afternoon...about a mile before that "20 mile" sign above

15. combined years my sister and I have participated. She's the 8 and I'm the 7. I can't imagine doing this event on my own...and I hope I never have to. But kudos to Karen for her solo first year.

um yeah, much better together!

27. thank you notes written.

cool sight from Sunday morning; this is a new feature downtown

30. miles we each walked for this year's event.

36. ounces of beer consumed after we finished the first 20 miles on Saturday.

Karen, Sara and I enjoyed a drink together before Saturday night dinner

450. miles we've walked for the event since we started.

at the finish line: Karen, my mom and me (holding the quilt my sister-in-law Lydia and her quilt club donated last year)

700-ish. miles my mom drove to finish the walk with us. This year, for the first time, survivors who couldn't walk the full thirty miles could join us at the last B'rest stop to walk the half mile together. We were so glad to have her there; she's the reason we started walking...and, together with my dad, our biggest supporter.

2,675. dollars we raised this year thanks to our generous family and friends.

20,690. dollars we've raised since we started.

That last number is amazing to us! We are blessed by your generosity. And oh so very grateful. Thank you!

We've already signed up for next year; neither of us can imagine not doing it. And numbers like this are wonderful encouragement.

Friday Reflections.

...inspired by figuring out 40, this is a slightly different take on currents, using the senses to reflect on the week.

a gift from my mom, who's visiting this week

tasting :: pumpkin spice lattes, apple cake, red wine, dark chocolate almond bark and ravioli lasagne (yes, I cooked...for company!). It's almost cool enough to think about soup in the slow cooker...maybe next week?

hearing :: quiet mostly when I'm home alone (which was a lot this week), and podcasts when I'm walking Holly or driving. Especially enjoyed the new knit.fm (hosted by Pam Allen and Hannah Fettig, this is ear candy for knitters) and the October 4 episode of Selected Shorts which included Steven Millhauser's "The Dome" read by Alec Baldwin and Nicholson Baker's "Subsoil" (still enjoying short stories and this podcast was my "fix" for the week). Also iTunes Radio; I played the Dinner Party station when we had everyone over on Wednesday and I think it's pretty good. Definitely worth another listen.

smelling :: spiced pumpkin and frasier fir candles at my house, and spiced chestnut at Katie's. Loving the smell, too, of the fallen leaves underfoot while we walk.

seeing :: my parents; they're visiting this week and I enjoyed lunch with them on Monday and dinner Wednesday. My mom brought me that gorgeous mum and it's like having fall sitting on my kitchen counter. I'm also well into Tracey Clark's Picture Everyday class and this week's prompts are about details...I'm noticing so much more!

feeling :: rested and a sense of calm; very welcome after this crazy busy year, and especially right this second as I'm getting ready to spend the weekend away with my parents, sister and brother and spouses and then dive into the birthday season and the holidays. Of course maybe this is just the calm before the storm, but I'm still grateful for it!

wishing & hoping :: for nice weather this weekend (yikes, I've wished for that a bunch lately!) ... and that this new-found sense of calm helps me stay balanced over these next few months.

Ten on Tuesday. Embracing Autumn.

on our morning walk (#3 and #4)

...Carole's prompt this week has us Embracing Autumn. Delightful timing since it seems autumn has finally arrived here in Georgia! It's cooling off (remember all things are relative - we are supposed to have our first night in the 40's later this week!) and the leaves are just starting to turn. Here are ten things I'm enjoying right now about this new season:

1. A new banner and colors here on the blog.

2. Holiday gift knitting (I actually started this two weeks ago...and I am hopeful this will finally be the year I'm not scrambling to finish on Christmas Eve!)

3. Walks with Holly. Those little legs and black fur don't go far when it's hot, but with morning temperatures in the 50's and low 60's, she's good for more than a mile.

4. Long pants for walking and classes at the Y.

5. Fall colors on the trees.

6. Planning for the family birthday bonanza that begins next weekend (all five of us have birthdays between October 20 and January 27).

7. Red wine.

8. Homemade pumpkin spice lattes.

9. A dark purple pedicure.

10. Honeycrisp apples and fresh pears.

How about you? How are you welcoming the new season?

click here to join the Ten on Tuesday fun!

A Grace Note.

Yesterday afternoon, heavy-hearted for a dear friend's loss, I took Holly for walk down to the lake. It was a beautiful early fall day, not too hot, blue skies and a bright shining sun.

In the end, only three things matter:
how much you loved,
how gently you lived, and
how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.
 ~ Buddha