Hello back to school time

It's our first week back to school.  This year I am truly sad to see summer come to an end.  It's not that it was a wild and exciting time.  It was a typical summer.  We tried to stay ahead of the To-Do lists. We tried to have fun and to relax.  It's not that I don't want the next season.  The beginning of school, the routine this time of year brings.  I've always loved fall and the cool weather.  The heat of summer has never been what I crave. I wilt and complain when the temperature goes above 78 degrees.  This school year is my daughter's senior year.  I'm trying hard not to think of it as the beginning of the end. I know this will be an exciting time.  I remember that excitement, the possibilities.  When she started kindergarten I worried, will she make friends, will she be okay but I didn't cry.  This year is different. Independence is slowly creeping in on us.  For once I was thankful for a chaotic morning.  The craziness of getting everyone out the door kept the tears away.  I look at the beautiful young lady that stands before me and I still see my sweet chubby cheeked little girl.

However, I'm quite sure this young man will stay my baby forever!  He'll never want to leave his mommy, right?????

Here's to a great school year!

A cowl and too many tables

The Chickadee Cowl is coming along slowly.  I've been trying to find a more even rhythm to my knitting.  I'm not pausing as much after each and every stitch like I did at the start of this project.  I can now talk to people and listen to the T.V. without fear of forgetting the next stitch.  I hesitate to say I'm a knitter but I am feeling the tiniest bit of confidence.

I am reading "Living Large In Our Little House," by: Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell.  So far I've enjoyed the short amount I have read.  We've been in our home eleven years.  I've been seriously de-cluttering for a few years.  I'm not sure we will ever be ready to live in only 480 square feet but I do know my husband and I want smaller.  The trick is getting there.  About the time I think I've made some good progress the realization hits that we have two dining room tables and two dinette tables. That's not including the table that sits in the screened porch or the one on the deck. There are chairs for all these tables too!  Who needs that many tables and chairs????  We bought into the mind set - If there's a space you must fill it.  This is no longer how I feel.  The less is more makes me so much more happy.

Besides tables and chairs I guess you could say we have a stuffed animal issue too.  I'll be honest the above picture is not all of the kid's stuffed animals.  I try to make myself feel better by saying "We've lived here eleven years."  The things we've unearthed this summer trying to clean out has been overwhelming and numbing.  I can't help but wonder am I really making progress?

I will be listing items on Craigslist, maybe a table or two : )

joining Ginny for Yarn along.

What took us to Portland and things I found interesting

My fourteen year old son likes to participate in Rubik's Cube competitions.  This is speed solving the cubes.  We planned our vacation around The National Rubik's Cube Competition in Portland, OR. There are all ages of people who compete and both genders, and no it's not all geeky types : )  It is fascinating to watch.  The competitors solve the cubes in mere seconds.  It takes me longer to scramble a cube than it does for most of them to solve it.  There are different sizes and shapes of cubes.  Some people even solve it blind folded.  My son didn't walk away the new champion but he did improve his personal time.  He was very happy with his scores and is already practicing to shave off another few seconds.  We all had a great time in all the cube chaos.

Darren all business before the timer starts.

We spent a few days in Seattle, WA before driving to Portland, OR.  This was my first trip to both cities and both are wonderful places to visit.  I love exploring new places and people watching.  I also enjoy looking for the unique around me.

I was thrilled to see Seattle has dragons.

The Wall-O-Gum at Pike Place Market. Nope, didn't add to it.

We went to Voodoo Doughnuts.  So worth the wait in line for these yummy treats.

A small carton of milk helped calm the sugar rush.

The sign says it all!

A Happy hippo in a toga

A lone protester expressing his view.

This caught my attention in a window.

It says, "Started from the bottom."  I guess you have to start somewhere.

There was a group protesting male circumcisions.  I don't even know what to say about this??? I am happy we live in a country that allows us the right for peaceful protests.

As with most of our trips we all took lots of photos.  I took pictures of trees, mountains, buildings, weird things, and more normal things, but the following picture is one of my favorites.

Summer 2016 Multnomah Falls, OR 

An almost finish and a tiny finish

I've missed the last two weeks of posting for the Year of Projects.  You would think I would have lots to show for those past two weeks but sadly - no.  I did have some time to crochet on our flight to Seattle, WA.  I worked on the Spring Kisses Infinity scarf.  The pattern called for one skein of Premier Yarns Cotton Fair.  I was so close to being finished but ran out of yarn.  Luckily for me I ordered two skeins.

Look at how close to the end : (

Binxy is waiting for me to turn away.  She will be pawing the loose threads the second I'm not looking and maybe even when I am.  I might keep this as a flat scarf instead of making it into an infinity one.

I need a coaster for my desk at work.  My water bottle ends up with condensation by midday.  Early in the summer I bought a Sugar and Cream variegated yarn in yellow, orange, and white.  I like the summer sunshine look of it.  So I made a quick coaster.

The pattern is the Pretty Flower Coaster by Kristin Canganelli.  It's free from Ravelry.  It works up nice and fast, just what I wanted.  It is a little small but that's okay I don't need a large one for my desk.  After I finished it I decided it wouldn't match my water bottle.  I'm not sure why I care if my water bottle matches my coaster but for some reason I do.  I went back to my stash and found a left over skein of Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby.  I have previously made coasters with this yarn. I also have a finished coaster I could use.  Now I'm not sure if I will use the small coaster in the variegated yarn, use the coaster that will match, or make a new one in the color that will match. Really this is too much thought for a coaster!

not so matchy-matchy 

The finished coaster in the LTC is the Ombre Coaster Pattern.  This pattern is great.  I googled it and found the pattern, not sure if it's on Ravelry.  I think the color for the LTC is confetti.  Enough about coasters!

The plan for this week is work on the granny square blanket and knit the cowl.  I am the world's slowest knitter, maybe the cowl will be finished by next summer.  However I have a reason to finish it.  I bought the loveliest skein of yarn from Amanda Makes Yarn on Etsy.  It is a fingering weight yarn and the color way is Raven.  It is gorgeous!  I am determined I will knit something with it.

My picture does not do this yarn justice.  It is a wonderful shade of deep purply blackish, like a shiny raven in the sun.  She also sent two lovely teas.  I happen to have The Black Raven tea and had to add it to the picture.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit and have a nice week, Lisa

Vacation 2016

I have always liked the phrase "Fall off the face of the earth" and it seems that is what I have done these past couple of weeks.  My mother-in-law was here for a visit, then there was work, add in painting a bedroom, plus hauling junk from bedroom to Charity shop, a massive headache, and finally a vacation.

I do sometimes wonder if all the pre-vacation preparations is really worth the trip.  So many things to put in order and I always feel I must leave a neat and tidy house.  But once I'm on that airplane all stress is forgotten.  This trip began with an almost five hour flight.  For me it was time to crochet, read, or sleep.  A good way to start a vacation.

Our destination - Seattle, WA.  What an amazing city!  I loved the Space Needle.  I know it's not the tallest building but the design is so iconic.  Seeing the city from this vantage point was breathtaking. Then we took one of the shortest monorail rides to Pike Place Market.  It is very overwhelming, lots and lots to see but worth the sensory overload.  The next day we drove to Mt. Rainier and did one of the very easy trails in the park.  The views were stunning!

  This ranger could scare away a sasquatch!

After our stay in Seattle we headed to Portland, OR for the next part of our trip.

I've been playing with a photo editing App and this post has taken way too long!  I will post some of our Portland pictures in my next post.  If these have been too boring I'll try to jazz it up with some of the weird things we saw in that city.  All I can say is people are interesting creatures!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Lisa