Currents | April 2016.

this morning, at my desk

Loving the porch. I did The Big Spring Cleanup last Thursday and since then, Holly and I have enjoyed time out there every day. It's especially nice in the evenings, with a book.

Planning for another family gathering. this time at Lake Oconee for Memorial Day. The whole crew won't be able to come, but there will still be plenty of us to ensure a good time.

Eating better. Those trips to New York and South Carolina were full of the really good food (and drink) that I don't usually have. Thankfully, a week plus of simple meals and salads is working; I'm starting to feel like myself again.

Drinking coffee. It's about time to start cold brewing it!

Knitting the second sleeve on Meridian. It's the last piece and then I have two pieces to block and four seams to sew. in black. I don't think I'll finish before Sunday, but it will be close.

Reading All the Birds in the Sky, a real book from the library. It's a hot mess of a story, but I'm enjoying it. I need to figure out what to listen to next since I finished We Never Asked for Wings yesterday.

Listening to the wind chimes Marc hung on the front porch last weekend.

Watching Game of Thrones. oh my goodness. Last Friday was kind of dreary, the perfect time to watch a little TV. I figured out I'd left off near the beginning of Season 4 (Season 6 debuted last Sunday). Just three more episodes to go and I'll be ready for Season 6 Episode 2 in real time.

Needing to get a trip to the gym and another run into my weekly workout routine.

Wanting to sew a few simple skirts for summer.

Looking forward to another summer of Book Bingo!

Letting go of busyness.

Hoping I'll be able to visit Sara this summer. We're tentatively planning a long weekend for July 4th - it's in my court to make it happen.

Remembering just how much I love this space. Thank you for visiting and being part of it.

That's about it - hope you have a bit of good stuff happening in your world, too. Happy Friday!

What Was I Thinking?

... back on April 1st when I wrote down these goals for April:

I'm disappointed about the weights; I haven't been to the weight room once all month. I did finish the Spring Cowl, Meridian is close and Jessie's Girl is blocking. But what made me laugh out loud were those two other projects. Seriously?! I have started a scarf, but it's a long way from being done. and one more cardigan? not even in the wings...

Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm going to knit next. The retailer preview for next weekend's release of the new Churchmouse patterns looks awesome. as in I could see myself making everything. So I think I'm going to finish what I've started and then decide. I might not even set knitting goals for May (?!?). (but I will get to the gym and that's a promise to myself I intend to keep.)

Do you set goals for your knitting? It feels quite freeing to think about letting that go!

One Word Wednesday | Tuesday.

Ten on Tuesday | Surfing.

This week Carole's asked us to share ten movies we'll always stop to watch ... when we find them while channel surfing. Marc does all the channel surfing in this house, and sure enough, I came home last night to find him watching The Greatest Game Ever Played... yep, that's on his list. I grabbed my chance (along with a pen and paper). Here's what he shared:

1. The Greatest Game Ever Played.
2. The Natural.
3. Love Actually.
4. For the Love of the Game.
5. Field of Dreams.
6. The Blind Side.
7. Pretty Woman.
8. The Godfather (Parts 1 and 2 only).
9. The Quiet Man (especially if I'm in the room).
10. Tin Cup.

Honestly, I share more than just #9 - for my list, I'd delete 1, 4 and 6 so I could add:

Charade, Runaway Bride and Titanic.

Sadly, tonight's TV looks like election results. I'd much rather watch a movie! How about you?!

Thank you, Carole, for another fun week! If you're not already playing along, click here to join.

My Saturday Morning Run.

We had a lovely weekend here - plenty of blue skies and sunshine, golf (for Marc) and knitting (for me), seeing friends, eating well and three nights in a row of 8+ hours of sleep - but the highlight for me was a four-mile run on Saturday morning. We had rain overnight that left the air crisp and clean and a delightful high 50-something degrees.

I set off just after 8am, planning to head to the lake (there and back is almost three miles). I made it there with energy to spare...and kept going.  A half mile later, I saw this delightful view and turned around.

Nearly home, I saw roses and more azaleas

and just outside my neighborhood I couldn't resist these raindrops on roses.

I stopped running last July (due to an injury) and honestly thought I was done for good. I do love to walk (10,000 steps!), but last month I found myself wanting to run. Three weeks ago I gave it a try and loved it. I was pleasantly surprised that my body remembered how to do it!  And with Saturday's run, I think I'm hooked. again. 

Not for distance, or for speed (I'm saying this now - I have no intention to run a race again ever!), but for the love of being outside and pushing myself just enough to feel good.  TBD on exactly what that means, but I'm hoping for 10-15 miles a week.  We'll see!

FO Friday | Hoping for Spring.

Yes, I finally got back to my knitting, and even finished something! But before I tell you about that, let me first share this.

I hosted bookclub last night and finally got to bed (after maybe a glass of wine too many) this morning. Right now, I'm sitting at the counter in my yoga clothes. with my third cup of coffee. My good plans to put together an outfit and show you this lovely piece on me...not gonna happen today! But this is the blog post I have, so I'm going with  it!

I started this cowl back in February, just as the temperatures began to warm and buds and even a few blooms started to pop up ... when I was "Hoping for Spring". I had no idea it would take me nearly two months to finish - Spring has most definitely arrived. 

all the details are on my Ravelry project page

The cowl is a free pattern on Ravelry (Spring Lace Infinity Scarf by Linda Thach) and it's written specifically for Shibui's Linen. The lace ended up being really fun, especially once I saw how the decreases lined up, and the middle was great social knitting.

Blocking was a challenge - not gonna lie - pinning out points from the back is hard! But oh so worth it!

I wore the cowl on Wednesday and really love how it drapes; and the linen is just crisp enough to show off the lace. I'm already stalking other lace patterns to see what else I could knit with it. 

Hope you have a great weekend!

Amazing Grace.

Our family gathered in Beaufort, South Carolina this past weekend to celebrate my father's life and legacy. With a nod to poem-in-your-pocket day (and a big thank you to Kym for the reminder!), I'm sharing a few of the photos along with the words from Amazing Grace. My hymnal notes that the first four stanzas were written by John Newton to accompany his New Years Day, 1773 sermon; the fifth was added a few years later.

view of the low country marshes...one of our favorite things about this part of South Carolina

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that
saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but
now am found, was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and
grace my fears relieved. How precious did that
grace appear the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I
have already come. 'Tis grace has brought me
safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

looking up in the memorial garden - what a view!

The Lord has promised good to me; his
word my hope secures. He will my shield and
portion be as long as life endures.

Mother with her grandchildren and great grandson

When we've been there ten thousand years, bright
shining as the sun, we've no less days to
sing God's praise than when we'd first begun.

Words in the Wild.

window shopping along Bay Street, Sunday afternoon, in Beaufort

Another store window selfie. You have to look close, but I managed to get Holly in the picture, too.

I'm really not sure what kind of person Holly thinks I am. But I know she appreciates quiet lap time, regular meals and a soft bed, with a bit of popcorn thrown in occasionally for fun!

Tuesday with Charlie | Nineteen Months.

Technically nineteen months and six days :-) but still - what a change in two months. Charlie was super-comfortable with me today. We spent the weekend together (in South Carolina - more on that later this week) as well as a few days last week when his mama was sick and then so was he. Today was a testament to "all things are better when we feel good AND it's sunshine-y outside".

Tuesdays still start at the front door. Charlie waits patiently to see his mama's car...and then he waves. He can see out the window all on his own now.

Things were a little different today because we weren't home yesterday. I changed our sheets - Charlie put the pillowcases on...almost well enough that I didn't have to re-do them! We put away clothes. Katie says he's good with socks. I find he's better with Legos while I pair up and put away socks.

After second breakfast* (tangerines and cheerios), we headed to Avalon**. Yay for being allergy free!  I'm glad Charlie's schedule lets us get there early and we leave just as the strollers are getting three deep along the edges. We had our pick of activities and enjoyed them all. We started with Canine Assistants and moved on to rocking horses and then the slide. I lost count of how many times he went down. He loved hitting the bottom "boom"! and never quite managed to get both feet facing forward at the top.

We visited four of the activities and made four things to take home - a pinwheel, a colored beach ball, a painted heart and a fabric flower with a "beaded" stamen. Yeah, the shops at Avalon know how to cater to toddlers and their mamas!

And finally, we rode the train. We sat in the front car, right behind the conductor, because it was the only one that was open...I figured Charlie would like to see everything. I think he liked the ride, but next time, we'll ride in the caboose. It's open to the back, but the sides have windows for looking out. When he's a little older, I can't wait to tell him stories about his Grandpa Roy and the trains...my dad LOVED riding trains.

Home. Lunch. (weekend leftovers = roasted chicken, cheese, apple, cucumber. he almost cleaned his plate. I should've peeled the apples...he had trouble with the skins). Then we read two books (Where the Wild Things Are and Dr Seuss' Up!) and it was time for nap. This was his third week sleeping on a mat, and not the crib. It's so much better!

After nap we went for a walk with Holly. and then stayed outside to play a little "golf". I should've taken photos. This might be the last time I can hit the ball better than he can!

...and all too soon I got a text from Katie that she was able to leave the office a little early. I had him home by 4:45... happy to see his Mama.

I was happy for the bit of extra time to catch up on a load of laundry...and block my Spring Cowl.

These posts are pretty much all for me and Katie; thank you for reading! but if you'd like to comment, I'd love to know what thing you remember best about "almost two" or about "toddlers in the summer". I think we're all going to be surprised about these next few months and it would be great to have a heads up!

p.s. if you stopped by for Ten on Tuesday, it is still happening over on Carole's blog (and a lot of others!) - I'm sure I'll be joining in again next week!

*first breakfast is dark early at home.
**Avalon is our local outdoor mall; they have a great "lawn" (yep, fake grass, but it's clean) where they host a weekly toddler morning on Tuesdays.

Poetry Friday | Lady Liberty.

I'm taking a cue from Kym today and sharing a poem.

In all my visits to New York, I've never actually been to the Statue of Liberty. Flying in last Wednesday, I caught a glimpse.

And then on Friday, there's a spot on the High Line that frames a nice view of her, but it's easy to miss (trust me - she's out there!)

Also a big Thank You to Poetry in Motion, which I've only seen in New York (maybe because that's really the only city where I spend much time on public transportation?!)

Watercolor Wednesday | Morning Walk.

Lauren and I walked the trail along Big Creek before yoga this morning. The landscape - all that color! all that sunshine! - struck us both, and she was really patient when I stopped multiple times to take photos.

Of course I couldn't help but see what colors Waterlogue pulled out. I wasn't disappointed!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Ten on Tuesday | D.E.A.R.

In honor of Beverly Cleary's 100th (!!!) birthday and D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Day, this week, Carole's asked us to share ten books we have dropped (or would drop?) everything...to read. 

Charlie will drop just about anything to read ... just about anything. Today he read a little bit to me, too*. This is Mac Barnett's Extra Yarn, which features a cute dog in a sweater. and a magical message about knitting. Highly recommend for anyone who reads this blog! Today's other favorites (which I read to him...more than once) included Farmer Duck, Where the Wild Things Are and It's a Little Book.

And now to my part of this list. I have just a few that I've DEAR'd:

5, 6, 7 - The last three books of the Harry Potter series. All three were released the day before our annual summer beach vacation. I did wait until we'd arrived (and unpacked, provisioned and somewhat settled in...but not much else) before I dropped everything...until I finished.

and that leads nicely into three books I'm looking forward to DEAR'ing...soon?!

8. the next Robert Galbraith installment. I'm quite attached to Robin and Cormoran and think I'd plan a little vacation to escape again with these two.

9. the next Dan Brown/Robert Langdon. ditto.

10. the next Louise Penny/Inspector Gamache. and ditto. thankfully this one is probably going to come sooner than later! ...and likely won't take even a "little vacation" to read. Maybe just a  nice free weekend.

Can't wait to read more about what y'all would DEAR. Be sure to click here and join the Ten on Tuesday fun. Thank you, Carole, for another lively week!

*my voice is still not 100%. I know! But it's definitely better. and I'm still loving all the coffee, so I'm still thinking it's allergies. But geez....

Weekending City Style.

...begins of course, on Friday. We set out in the morning under clear, chilly blue skies and headed down to Chelsea.

First stop was Cookshop for an early lunch. We started with burrata and it was the best we'd had. That toast was spread with roasted garlic and the cheese was nestled into a wild nettle pesto.

After lunch we headed to the High Line. This was our first visit and wow! what a great space. also WOW! it was windy and cold. 

We got off at Chelsea Market and made a bee line to Ninth Street Espresso.

We wandered around the market for a while to warm up. What a fun place it's turned out to be! On our next trip, we'll definitely plan a meal-time stop, hopefully on a weekday so it's not so crowded.

Next we headed to Pottery Barn and then made a quick stop at Lion Brand for Sara to pick out a color for a new afghan. All that cold wind wore us out and we headed back to our apartment via Union Square (where I finally saw #blueskyblooms!)

We got cozy with our books, took quick naps and then had fun with Yelp figuring out a fun place to go for cocktails. We had dinner reservations on the Upper East Side, so we looked around there. Lo and behold we found The Penrose. Super fun on a Friday night. We had cocktails and a cheese plate and enjoyed lots of people watching. The Upper East Side has changed a lot in the five years since Katie lived there!

We walked to dinner at Seamstress. I have no photos of the food, but it was all delicious. Sara said it was her favorite meal of the trip and I'd have to agree (we set a very high bar in that regard!) I did get a few photos of Sara, certainly my favorite dinner companion.

Saturday we packed up, checked out and headed to the Upper East Side to meet a friend of mine. We had brunch at Isabella's and I did take photos.

smoked salmon omelette for Sara

and smoked salmon platter for me

Then all too soon, it was time to go (and raining!) We shared a cab to the airport...and flew our separate ways home. The only bright spot about getting home late on Saturday was getting to see this guy (and his mama!) on Sunday!

I can't wait to go back - or really anywhere - with Sara. She's such a fun and easy travel companion. Maybe next time she'll manage tickets to Hamilton and invite me along!