Three on Thursday | Shopping Plans.

I'll be in New York next Thursday and while Sara works, I have plans to meet up with Diane for lunch and shopping at Purl Soho. Purl is one of my favorite yarn shops, but they sell fabric too. I've never spent much time in that part of the shop, but this trip, I will!

Thinking that Sara's blanket is going to leave a nice big opening in my suitcase, I'm planning to buy yarn and fabric. These are the three projects I have in mind:

1. Uniform Tunic, View A, in watercolor linen.

2. Lotta Jansdotter's Kiomi Dress (from Everyday Style) in a Liberty print.

3. Terrace Wrap in Cattail Silk.

Truth be told, I have a couple of other projects floating around in my head (maybe a long-sleeved tunic like View B, or two more skeins of Cattail Silk to knit Sayer) but it's Thursday, so I'm limiting myself to three. We'll see what happens next week!

Head on over to Carole's to see more three-fer's!

Three on Thursday | The Beltline.

My two favorite little boys didn't have school yesterday. So I had the privilege of joining them and their mom at a new-to-me place in Atlanta - Ponce City Market and the Beltline. Same as last week, today's post doesn't quite fit into Three on Thursday, but I'm going for it anyway!

1. The drive down was awful.
2. It was totally worth it.
3. I'm looking forward to our next visit (hopefully on a weekend!)

Point 1. (and the actual was even worse). 

Thankfully the trip home was much better (see point 3).

Point 2. Where do I start? The cityscape views were amazing ...

headed north before lunch - Ponce City Market is ahead of us

headed north after lunch - the market is behind us 

too cool! Charlie knew about this and made sure I saw 

here's the door more "actual size"

but the up close shots with the boys....totally priceless!

even their mom couldn't convince them to smile!

but hotdogs could!!

Marc loves hotdogs. I don't. I texted him those photos and I think he almost wished he'd been there. (almost. it wasn't raining at home either. and golf.)

Point 3. ...maybe this Saturday.

Short weeks do fly by! I hope you're almost to the end of your to-do list ... because tomorrow is TGIF!

Three on Thursday | Atlanta Botanical Garden.

My mom and I spent the day at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and I had planned to make that today's Three on Thursday post. You know, along the lines of three things I loved, or three new-to-me plants, or three favorite photos ... but the reality of the Garden. in May. on a day when it's warm but not hot, with a cloudy morning that gives way to beautiful white clouds against a bright blue sky. after days of rain. and an incredible special exhibit called (most appropriately) Imaginary Worlds. well.... here's what my photos looked after I went through them

It's a good problem to have, for sure! so here are three of the my favorite parts of today's visit:

First, the Garden ... the hydrangeas are in full bloom (which my mom tells me is because they've loved all our recent rain. I'm glad to know something is thriving) and my mom spied a bright orange daylily that she'd left behind in Florida (a souvenir planting from one of our many visits to Callaway Gardens).

Last year's White Garden planted around that blue and white Chihuly (middle right) has been replaced with zinnias and poppies. The white was beautiful, but the color this year is more my style. I was also surprised at all the varieties and shades of hydrangeas. Beautiful.

Second, Imaginary Worlds. We've both seen a lot of ads for it, but in real life it's even better. There are twelve parts to the exhibit and we saw ten of them. Every single one of them was delightful, but these are my favorites.

This is the first one ... a most fitting beginning! and there's a glimpse of another topiary book resting on its side in the lower left.

The Mammoth.

The Phoenix.

I was surprised he had a really sweet face. the eyes ....

The Shaggy Dog,

with another very sweet face!

The Dragon.

here's a detail shot of his "scales".

Pegasus.

and the Camels.

and third, the chance to experience all of this with my mom, who is now most complimentary of my selfie skills 😀

Linking up with Carole and friends and wishing everyone a Happy Thursday!

Three on Thursday | Haiku.

Joining in with Carole and friends today to share a three-line poem.

creamy blooms spread wide

atop glossy green, spreading

the scent of summer

Thanks to our 90+ degree stretch last weekend, the magnolias are starting to open. This tree is in the common area where Holly takes her evening walks. It smells wonderful!

Hope your week is going well ... here's to almost-Friday!

Three on Thursday | 2018 Summer Book Bingo!

There's a new section on the sidebar to the right for this year's Summer Book Bingo. The cards are ready - it's time to start planning!

And since it's Thursday, here are three things you need to know about this year's Summer Book Bingo:

1. Books you finish between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend count. This year that means books you finish May 26 - September 3. This might be a great opportunity to finish books you started a while back ... or you could simply get a headstart by starting now and "finishing" Memorial Day Weekend.

2. You get to interpret the relevance of the square to the book. You won't need to defend your book choice ... but I'm hoping that's because you won't need to. That said, I'm expecting that you'll read a book that matches the square. One of the reasons I host this challenge is to post a list of categories that inspire our reading. Summer reading should not be a slog! To that end, I deleted "A Collection of Short Stories" (as promised). And thanks to a suggestion from Juliann, I added "With a  cover that matches a current WIP" (fun!).

This year, we have 98 categories. Some of my lifetime favorite books have been books I read - initially with a little hesitation - as part of this challenge in previous years. I wish the same discovery and satisfaction for you.

3. Each book you read counts for one square, so a "full" bingo card means you read a book for all 25 squares on your card. Yep, even the free space in the middle - but you can read any book you want for that square.

...and two more:

1. I checked Instagram this morning and the tag #2018SummerBookBingo is available.

2. All of these things are documented in the rules, linked in the sidebar.

Here's to another great summer of books and reading - and sharing about our plans, progress and accomplishments!

Head on over to Carole's for more Three on Thursday posts.

Three on Thursday | Hello May.

Hello May!

6 a.m. today ♥ my unplugged mornings!

It's 80 degrees today .... with blue skies, sunshine and low humidity. Thank you! (and I would be ever-so-grateful if you could hold on to that forecast for a few more weeks 😉).

For the first time since I can remember, I'm planning to be home for the entire month of May. I'm looking forward to welcoming summer from the comfort of my routines - unplugged mornings in my study, regular meetings with my friends for study and fellowship, regular workouts, regular meals ... and hopefully - soon! - porch time!

And because it's Thursday, here are three specific things I'm looking forward to this month:

1. Book Bingo! I'm planning to get the cards up next week (like this) so we have plenty of time to plan. No changes in the rules - books you finish beginning May 26 will count for Bingos!

2. Sewing. I've been slow about boarding the Uniform tunic train (Juliann and Kat have made it look not-so-hard, but still....), but I have time this month and I think I'm (almost?!) ready.

3. Time with the Little Boys. Katie & Rob have an out-of-town wedding to attend Mother's Day Weekend and our two favorite boys will be here! Marc and I are already planning meals, snacks and activities (and a BIG nap when they leave on Sunday :-) This is the fun part of grandparent-hood and we intend to enjoy every minute of it!

I hope you're looking forward to Book Bingo, too - any categories you hope to see - or not?!

Joining in with Carole and crew for Three on Thursday - see all the lists here.

Three on Thursday | A Reading Update.

If you read the title of this post, I'm sure you're wondering how I could possibly share a reading update - even just a little over three months into the year - with only three things. Well - I'm only going to share three images 😉.

Image one - tracking the only reading goal I made for the year - to buy fewer books.

That 13% is just five books - three were definitely impulse (must keep reading) purchases, but two were for Lent - one for my daily devotion and one for my small group (I always buy those books). I'd like to see the blue "pie" get a little bigger - likely at the expense of the red, but honestly, I'm ok with where I'm at.

Image two - tracking the book format.

When I shared my January update, the Audio percent was the same (yeah, I know, that does seem weird, but I think it's right!) but the real book percent was higher (17%). Since then, I finished 28 more books and only four were real books. I'm tracking this because I'm curious ... I'm not surprised I read more with my ears than my eyes, but now I'm wondering about what kind of books are better to listen vs. read (I'd love to hear what you think!) ... and how about the segue into 

Image three - my year-to-date favorites.

shelved here

I curate this shelf pretty closely because I like to keep it to no more than 12-14 titles (that's about 15% of what I read). It's not just 5-star books. and a book that I shelve here early on might not make the cut come December. Only two of those books are audio (the first two in the Scarlett Women series I talked about in January) and I rated both of them four stars (in other words they weren't great, but I enjoyed them immensely). Eleanor's biography (blogged here) and Interrupting Silence were real books I read with my small group. and the others I read on my Kindle (four borrowed, one bought this year - Gentleman in Moscow, which I bought last year on audio and wanted to read this time).

Hummmm.... in years past, I know I've listened to plenty of 5-star books. This year, I'm enjoying reading them. and I LOVE to read on Kindle because it's easy to highlight, easy to read and eat (or knit ... since no hands required and only one finger to turn the page) and easy to navigate (x-ray! dictionary!). like I said ... hummmmm....

All that said - and especially considering that favorites shelf, I think the year is off to an OK start. I'd like to improve the quality (year-to-date, I'm averaging just over 3.5 stars and I'd like that to be closer to 4) and keep an eye on those top two charts. 

Summer Bingo will be starting next month (!!) and that always adds a bit of spice - and FUN! - to the mix. 

If you read this far, thank you! I would love to hear your thoughts on reading with your eyes vs. ears. or maybe what book you think should turn up next on my favorites shelf.

Carole does an awesome job hosting Three on Thursday. Check out her blog to see what she and others have shared!

Three on Thursday | Three of Us Throwbacks.

In the end, I wasn't able to join the girls for dinner last night ... so I don't have the recap post I'd planned (things we talked about/things I learned, creative cocktails, food p*rn) or the requisite three of us photo. Instead, how about revisiting three of my favorite meals with my two favorite girls.

1. Lunch at Gallo Nero in NYC. December 19, 2009. (blogged here)

Katie lived in NYC that year and Sara and I flew up the evening before for a before-Christmas break. Sara was a senior in high school and had just been accepted to Georgia Tech. I was winding down my real job, preparing to retire in January. We were in big celebration mode. I don't recall how Katie knew about Gallo Nero, but she'd been there before and suggested it for the long, leisurely lunch we had in mind. It was perfect (I've been back several times, including last September and I'd still recommend it). While we were there, it started to snow ... the city got quiet ... we might've gotten a little louder (I'm pretty sure there was a bottle of wine).

2. Lunch at Bistro VG. August 8, 2007. (blogged here ... barely!)

Wow, we ALL look young ... and sun kissed! Sara and I had just returned from a week at the beach and Katie'd spent the summer abroad (trivia note - she met Rob on that trip!) I don't recall this particular photo, but this one, taken at that same lunch

is still one of my favorites. Bistro VG has been one of our favorite restaurants for years and the site of many of a lunch out (not so many dinners). Sadly, it was sold last fall (too soon to tell what that means ... I've only been twice since the sale and both experiences were fine).

3. Dinner at ECCO. November 10, 2012. (apparently not blogged!)

This dinner was to celebrate Sara's 21st birthday. We also had a family celebration at our house (and I did blog about that one), but this was the special girls night out. Sara lived right around the corner from the restaurant, but Rob drove Katie and me (and found something "fun" to do while we had dinner ... better than Uber for sure). We had cocktails - always a favorite with this trio - and shared food (ditto).  It was, quite simply, fun!

I'm not sure when the three of us will be together again ... and have the opportunity to slip away for a meal, but hope it won't be too long.

Check in with Carole to see what others are sharing for Three on Thursday!

Three on Thursday | Spring Cardigans.

even the colors look like Spring!

I wove in the ends on that last winter sweater* last night ... and I am ready to knit for Spring! I have yarn (above) for these three Spring cardigans

 clockwise from left - Quick Sand, Quintessential Cardigan, Balise Cardigan

and I've even swatched for two of them.

1. The purple linen will be another Quick Sand. I knit a few rows on 9's and like the fabric, but the stitches are little smaller than the pattern suggests. I'll knit the next size up to compensate.

2. The green cotton/silk blend will be another Quintessential Cardigan. The yarn is from my mother-in-law's stash and I know she'd approve of this choice (especially if I can find green/navy buttons to match!). The ball band gauge/needle matches the pattern exactly. So I'm going to knit a sleeve-as-swatch and fingers crossed it works!

3. The gray and pink Coast is for the Balise Cardigan (which was part of my original MakeNine). I knit an actual swatch for this - on size 2's and 2.5's and the 2.5's won. A few of the girls in my Monday knitting group are knitting this, too. Hopefully we'll have a group WIP photo to share soon.

This is a lot of stockinette; thank goodness the patterns and yarn (and needles - 2.5, 5, 9) will add some variety. But just in case I get bored, I wound the yarn for Joji's Suburban Wrap.  

What are you planning to knit for Spring?

Check out the link up at Carole's to see more Three on Thursday lists.

*as luck would have it, the weather for the next few days looks perfect for its debut. and then I hope to pack it away ... until next Fall!

Three on Thursday | Travel Knitting and Reading.

I wish I could say I was packed and ready to go, but I'm not. My knitting and reading, however, are set!

1. Knitting. In a bold move, I'm taking just one ball of yarn to knit one thing. That's nearly 800 yards of laceweight merino/silk and size 7 needles for a Bateaux Mouches for me. 

2. Ears. No bold moves here - I've got Kristin Hannah's latest - set in Alaska (15 hours) and the 3rd Walt Longmire (10 hours).

3. Eyes. I chose Gentleman in Moscow for our March bookclub and since it's been almost a year since I read it, I'd like to re-read it. Last time, I listened (and loved), but to lead a discussion, I think it will help to highlight. So I have it on my Kindle (along with a few dozen other titles 😉). 

(now back to figuring out the clothes.)

Check out more Three on Thursday posts over at Carole's blog.

Happy Thursday!

Three on Thursday | About Eleanor.

I finished this wonderful book yesterday morning. Here are three reasons why I gave it five stars:

1. The quality, depth and breadth of Smith's research. There are 21 pages of Notes citing quotations included from other works and a biography that includes well over 200 titles (I didn't count more than the first few pages and it's 12 pages long). I did not know how prolific an author Eleanor herself was. She wrote two columns - "My Day", a syndicated newspaper column which ran from December 30, 1935 to September 26, 1962 (just six weeks before she died), and "If You Ask Me", a monthly column published (first in Ladies' Home Journal and then in McCall's) from May 1941 until November 1962. Smith includes material from both of these sources as well; they are fascinating as both historical and spiritual documents. I highly recommend this "best of" collection of My Day columns; I'm sure you'll find at least a few familiar lines on those pages.

2. The writing. In spite of all the facts and quotations, it reads like a story. Smith begins with a chapter about what religion meant to Eleanor, then tells her story, starting with childhood (a chapter most appropriately titled "A Childhood from Hell") and continuing through her marriage (the chapter on their pre-White House years is titled "Challenged and Betrayed") to widowhood. Smith has separated material on the Jews (WWII, the Holocaust, founding of Israel), civil rights and religious diversity into their own chapters, which makes for compelling - and disturbingly uncomfortable - reading.

3. The story itself. I'm embarrassed how little I really knew about Eleanor prior to reading this book. She was a remarkable woman who contributed much to our country and the world. I'm grateful to (finally) understand her contribution.

Smith closes the book with these words that Eleanor wrote in 1933, in It's Up to the Women (her first published book)

I think we shall have fulfilled our mission well if when our time comes to give up active work in the world we can say we never saw a wrong without trying to right it; we never intentionally left unhappiness where a little effort would have turned it into happiness, and we were more critical of ourselves than we were of others. 

He concludes "Without a doubt, Eleanor fulfilled her mission." and I wholeheartedly agree.

Check out Carole's blog to read others' Three on Thursday posts.

P.S. when I added the Goodreads link, I realized I'd forgotten to mention that the only thing missing from the book was photographs. I guess Smith knows we can find those all over the place! That My Day compilation I mentioned above includes some nice ones.

Three on Thursday | Hello February.

from today's morning walk

Hello February,

I am glad to see you! and not just because you bring signs of spring and longer days ... this year, I am also looking forward to these three things:

1. New books for Lent. I'll be reading this one on my own and this one with my Friday morning small group.

2. Mind Body Pilates Challenge from The Balanced Life. I joined The Balanced Life last March (when Robin ran a free 21-day challenge) and I still love it. This challenge runs for 10 days, beginning on February 19.  It will be just 15 minutes of Pilates and one mindful exercise per day (conveniently delivered to my inbox each morning) and Robin says it has the power to transform both body and mind in incredible ways. I believe her.

...but the real challenge for me will be showing up for it each day, because

3. Marc and I are flying to Cabo for a long weekend getaway at the end of the month. The celebration of our 35th anniversary is going to be a yearlong event!

I might even be wishing you had more than 28 days (but don't tell anyone - I have a feeling I'm the minority vote about that one).

xo - M.

Joining in with Carole and crew for Three on Thursday - see all the lists here.

Three on Thursday | A Birthday Throwback.

In the past few months, two albums of photos from Katie's early years have - most happily! - come into my possession. When Katie moved into a home of her own, I gave her the two albums I'd compiled (thankfully, I still have all of Sara's photos ... but of course, they're not in an album. second child and all that 😉). So this past year, I was almost giddy to acquire two new-to-me albums from those years - one from my mom and one from my mother-in-law. Last night, I finally paged through both. cover to cover. I had in mind a post for today (because birthdays!) and I was not disappointed. And because it's Three on Thursday, I have three photos to share:

If you did the math on Wednesday, you might've realized that my sister was 19 when Katie was born. She'd turned 20 by the time she visited us in March (her college spring break!) to meet Katie for the first time. I'm pretty sure this is the first photo of the two of them together. Karen still has that same beautiful smile! (also note the hoop sitting next to her - she's good with a needle and thread.)

The only activity I remember from that visit is that I had a baby shower to attend - work friends ... and introducing Katie. Of course I wanted her to wear the ruffled tights with the ruffled dress. Well, the ruffles on the tights were coming loose.

Yep, here's Karen with needle and thread (and oh my goodness, I hope Katie is asleep!!!!?)

And we're ready for show and tell!

I carried a copy of this photo in my wallet for years. That pair of scissors foreground left was cropped from my wallet copy, but here, it's a nice reminder of the story - and photo - that came right before it! (and yes, I knit the sweater vest I'm wearing!)

Three cheers for old photos ... and photos that tell stories!  Happy Thursday!

Head on over to Carole's to read more ToT stories.

Three on Thursday | About Our Parallelogram KAL.

Vicki and I are hosting a very friendly knit-along for the Parallelogram Scarf from the latest Mason-Dixon Field Guide. In the the spirit of Three on Thursday:

Thing One - We're casting on this coming Saturday, January 20 ... and there's no end date.

Thing Two - Please join us!! Use the tag #ParallelogramKAL on Instagram so we can all follow along.

Thing Three - My yarn is wound (ha, it came that way 😁 - I ordered the Freia Handpaints Kit from Mason-Dixon last November; the gray with purple inside is Vintage and the green with gray inside is Lichen) and I have my needles (surely 100 stitches will fit on those size 5 straights?). I'm not planning to swatch. In other words, I'm ready!

Questions? Please leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.

For more ToT posts, check out Carole's blog. Happy Thursday!

Three on Thursday | Hello 2018.

Last fall, when I started thinking about 2018, I realized I wanted something different for this year. I didn't want to choose a word or set a goal for some new (daily?!) practice. Both those things have served me well ... for years*, but this year, I wanted something simpler. Of course I am still me - the one who posts about reading and knitting goals...because she makes them! - so simply "simpler" didn't feel quite right. I played around with a few intentions last week ("use what I have", "embrace simple", "keep moving"), but nothing really came together (and that's really the story behind last week's completely random post!) ...

until Monday evening. My sister shared a Brian Andreas story on Instagram - this story - and I finally saw how all the dots connected. His stories have inspired me for years; I'm happy to embrace another one this year!

So, Hello 2018!

and three things I'm saying yes to this year:

1. unplugged mornings.

2. more time with family and friends.

3. mindfulness (Honoré gave me this journal for my birthday ... I'm now ready to dive in).

What are you saying yes to this year?

Joining in with Carole and friends. Happy (Three on) Thursday!

*I started choosing words in 2007 - yep, eleven years/words! - journey, gratitude, experience, time, focus, shine, grace, choose, present, nourish, light. Since then, I've also embraced a daily photo practice (and now one second videos) and yoga (/pilates) and tried a few others.

Three on Thursday | Currently.

from today's walk

It's nice to be back with Carole and friends!

We are slowly getting back into the post-holiday swing of things:

1. The Christmas decorations are put away. The two remaining poinsettias (the big ones in the dining room), baskets of glittered pinecones, Frasier Fir candle and mercury glass trees on the mantel are now "winter" decor.

2. Lauren and I braved the park - just for a lap - this afternoon. I know the "feels like 15 degrees" is warm for many of y'all ... but it's not for us! First time ever - the pond has ice cubes!

3. We finished all the leftovers last night. It's been a while since I roasted chicken breasts and washed lettuce. But I'll be doing both those things just as soon as I publish this post!

ice cubes!

Hope your week is going well - and you're staying warm!

Three on Thursday | Holiday Food and Drink.

Carole is taking a well-deserved break from her blog today, so there's no official Three on Thursday, but it's what I've planned and I'm going with it anyway!

1. 19 Crimes. Yes, it's still a thing and now, with more flavors! Lydia brought a bottle of The Banished to our party on Saturday and we enjoyed it immensely. I checked out Costco's selection on Tuesday. They still only carry the Red Blend, but it's still (only) $8.49 a bottle. I had Sara pick out two and hopefully I'll have another cork to add to my collection by the time 2018 rolls around.

2. Giada's Roasted Pork Loin Stuffed with Spinach and Prosciutto. Sara made this for Christmas Eve dinner. It was hands down one of our best meals (and not only because Sara did the cooking!).

making the sauce

We also had green beans (steamed and seared) and wild rice with pecans and cranberries. Marc and I will have the leftovers tonight (he's finally feeling a little better - thank you for all your kind get well messages!) and I'm sure it will all be delicious the second time around.

3. Spiced Pear Martini.
Inspired by the leftover spiced simple syrup (from Bonny's Spiced Rum Cocktail), I had planned to make these Christmas Day ... but when I ended up being the designated driver, I saved them for last night.

2 oz gin
1 oz spiced pear liqueur
1 oz cranberry juice
1/2 oz spiced simple syrup

Shake over ice and serve straight up.

Enjoy!

Three on Thursday | Randomly.

Random Thursday seems to be the theme this week. Here's my contribution:

waiting for the movie to start

1. We saw White Christmas on the big screen last night. (my mom was with us, too, but she left the theatre for the few minutes it took to get that three-of-us smiling selfie and she was fine not being included!) I'm sure I've seen this movie at least 50 times. I still love it.

2. I finished The Redemption of Scrooge this morning. At times I was really irritated that the author kept bringing up so many seemingly unrelated ideas in each chapter; it was hard to follow. But in the end, I decided it was fine. I found several new and wonderful take aways. Recommend if you are looking for a contemporary spiritual Advent devotion. (note that this is not Christian-lite ... and it's not just for lovers of A Christmas Carol.)

3. The snow and ice are almost gone. I just got back from a brisk walk to the lake with a few neighbors. It was lovely to catch up ... and to be outside!

Linking up with Carole and friends for Three on Thursday.

Three on Thursday | December Love.

December and I have a ... complicated relationship. Mostly my fault because of The Holidays and unrealistic expectations. but a little bit December's because dark and cold (and yikes, y'all, I live in Georgia!) Yet this year, I find myself feeling lighter (in the spiritual sense ... it's 4 o'clock and getting dark outside) and maybe (finally?!) ready to embrace the wonder and grace that December offers.

inspiration for my new blog banner/theme ... winter 2017!

And since it's Three on Thursday, here are three things I'm loving about December right now:

1. twinkle lights on the trees. I have three trees in the house and the "big tree" featured in the photo above has LED lights. whoa. (I predict you're going to see a lot more of those lights this month!)

2. a nicely (but not crazy) full calendar. during the week I get to walk, knit and meet up with friends and a few of the weekend days are filled with concerts, church programs and family get-togethers.

3. thinking about 2018. taking it slow. no pressure. being open to possibilities. 

Thank you to Carole for hosting us!