herb garden 2012.

...yet another sign there are just two of us living here this summer - and many nights it's only me. this year's herb garden fits into a single pot. (last year's did too, but there was a bit more variety.)

oregano, thyme and basil (and purple lantana in the pot behind)

I was glad the thyme and oregano came back, so all I had to do was add basil. and I since I have great plans (see #4 here) to make my own pesto, I planted two.

while I was at it, I also planted purple lantana in the other pots on the deck. and pink and white impatiens in the planters on the front porch and the mailbox.

summer, I'm ready for ya!

more kitchen table time.

...it's been way too long since I indulged in a kitchen table photo. probably because it seems kind of weird  when it's just me. it's much more fun if there's someone else to share it with. 

click the photo to see the notes

today's story isn't about knitting*, but letter writing. I've got three regular pen pals (my mom, katie and sara) in my life and I try very hard to send weekly letters. because then I get weekly letters. and getting real mail is worth it!

*I was actually surprised that I was knitting in all of those kitchen table photos. really? is that all I ever did while I was sitting there?! (no need to answer!)

progress photos.

...yes, as promised, photos. showing progress on the two projects I've started since my last knitting* post.

I did start the koigu linen scarf. good choice! it's so much fun to see how the colors work up. maybe so much fun that I forget the rows are 450 stitches long. (maybe).

and today was the first day of orientation so I made pretty good progress on the socks. I think sara was a bit embarrassed I was knitting, but oh well. at least I didn't fall asleep during that super-interesting just-after-lunch presentation on campus safety.

*sara gave me a hard time about my "knitting blog" this week. really??!! this is my 15th blog post since June 1 - and only the 8th one about knitting - and that's generously including our last "at the kitchen table" post since I was knitting in the photo and alexandria sucked up three posts in less than a week, but that's understandable right? so... what do you think? is this a "knitting blog"? (personally, I think of this as a blog about my life - and knitting isn't really all of my life; it's a big part, for sure, but definitely not the whole thing, right??)

new routines.

...I'm sure I must've blogged about this before (but honestly I'm not sure, and I'm not willing to take the time right now to pore over posts from the past 4 months to check - so if you have read this before - sorry) - it's certainly been a theme in my journaling and my weekly postcards to my mom.

27 years in the corporate world spoiled me for routines. monday through friday were spent working. "regular hours". I never had to check my calendar to see if I was free for coffee on a random thursday afternoon. of course I wasn't - I was working. weekends were saved for Plans. and I did routinely check my calendar to see what they were so I didn't overcommit (not that I didn't mess up every now and then :-). but I remembered most of them without even looking. they were Plans, after all.

but now - ask me if I'm free on any day for any thing and I have to check my calendar. because every day is different. some days I teach. some days I work. some days I have errands to run for marc or for sara (or for me). some days I meet friends to knit. some days I have things to do around the house. some days I have [fill in the blank]. every day is just different enough that I feel a bit ... un-centered about it all.

and adjusting to that has probably been the hardest part about these past (nearly) four months. I'm trying to embrace the flexibility, but a deep part of me really (really) craves the routines. four months in, I'm getting better about not being able to make plans for certain things until I have my teaching/work schedule set. and my friends seem more flexible than I about our plans. but I'm grabbing onto every bit of time that I might get ... routine?... about.

like early morning time.

today sara had to be at school early and I faced the reality that sara has just a few more "early morning" days to share. so I tried out something new. 8am on the deck. coffee. journaling. and despite the birds, the kind of quiet that clears my head.

...this could be a good new routine. because 8am is nearly always "free". perfect to be me time. something I can count on. and I know I do need that.