Yarn Along: Distracted and Determined at Once

Hi there! Happy summer afternoon! My knitting has slowed a bit this week. I spent some time away and accidentally left my knitting at home. We went to visit my dad and stepmom. Fortunately, I had sent her some new Dishie yarn from Knitpicks and some Harmony Needles in hopes of finding a few free moments to teach her to knit. We didn't really get that sit and stitch time, but when my fingers started itching from withdrawal, I couldn't resist casting on a dishcloth and knitting a bit to get her going. I really liked that yarn for kitchen and bath items. Definitely going to order more as soon as some of the other colors are back in stock.

When I got home, I was just a little distracted by this lovely stack of Anna Maria Horner flannel and some more puttering about in the office studio.Yes, my friends, it was 96 degrees outside and we had no air conditioning (again) inside, and I was in a hot southern-facing room, dreaming of winter pjs. The reading? Stitch by Stitch, Learning to Sew One Project at a Time. I'm reading this. All of it. It's an excellent primer for the beginning sewist (sewer?-I hear there's some sort of debate out there). I intend to force myself to read all of it and work through the book in order.

Eventually, however, I did pick up the knitting again. I sat and knitted a few rounds in bed at night, and in the mornings, I knit while I listened to the end of  The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity.   {What a great book! I was sorry to hear it end. I've actually begun to listen to it again and I plan to launch a book study here tomorrow. } And then I knit while I watched the Women's World Cup this afternoon, getting past the sleeve divide of the Girl's Cap Sleeved Shirt.. I'd like to finish this one this weekend. We'll see. {Oh, and, several of you have written to tell me that you can no longer find the pattern for sale. Me neither. Perhaps she's tweaking the numbers a bit?}

Hope this midsummer day finds you happily creating in your own neck of the woods.

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Go visit Ginny for more knitting and reading tales. I've settled into a Wednesday afternoon tradition: a big cup of tea and enough time to myself to click through a big bunch of the links at Ginny's. I am enriched by the yarns shared there.

It's all in the noticing

Gratitude. A deep-down sense that God is good and that life is a gift. It's there for the taking. Sometimes, though it's all in the noticing. I can't notice when life is whizzing by. I can't notice when I'm so tired my eyes don't focus. Noticing happens best in the slow time.

I have to stop. Be still. And notice. 

It helps to wake up in my own room in the "kids' wing," the one with the beautiful blue walls and the ceiling fan. In the house where I'm not the most grown up grown-up of all.

There is a winding country drive, early Sunday morning, to monastery quiet nestled in the hills.

The sky is so blue and the hills so green.

The church bells ring out when Mass begins and again when Our Lord is present. Bells ring, echoing off the hills, filling an early Sunday morning with the sound of pure joy.

I am sitting outside this church with a squirmy Sarah Annie. We notice a bird with a hollyberry in his beak, a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, weeds in the garden (she wants to pull - "to help the sisters). We are stilled, heads bowed at the sound of the bells.
 

Breakfast after church. The Mudhouse Cafe. Fair trade, local, organic, friendly, cozy, small town perfect.

A soy mocha latte that tastes more like coffee than chocolate--mocha perfection.

 

Art for breakfast.

And then on to the orchard.

Yep. She'll ask Grandpa for peach ice cream at 10 in the morning. And yep, she'll get it.

 

It's a beautiful day. She's styling her shades. Let's get out and pick.

Precious cargo.

{Dear, sweet man.}

Nothing says Virginia morning like the smell of fresh peaches and the sight of crepe myrtles in the sun.

To Mint Springs Lake, where there little girls can lie on their bellies in the sun and run their fingers through the sand.

Just sit on the shore, toes in the water, and inhale. 

This friendly competition did NOT end in screaming and shouting the revisiting of game rules. Mountain miracle, no doubt.

Just a day. One day. Not a fancy vacation in a far-off land. Not a two week reservation and a ticket to ride. Just a day. Surrounded by people I love and people who love me.

In a place that never fails to remind me how loved we are by the Master Artist who created it.

Joining Ann to count blessings, except I've again lost count..

To Be Weightless...

Kate Wicker's new book is for sale at last. I had the privilege of reading this book before publication and this was my reaction:

If you are a woman, if you love a woman, if you parent a little girl who will one day be a woman, this is a vitally important book for you. Rare is the family that is untouched by negative body image, whether it's just the longing to lose a few pounds or a full-fledged eating disorder. Women--and even very little girls-- today are bombarded by messages that they are not beautiful enough. "Look younger! Look thinner! Just don't look like you, because you aren't good enough!" With honesty and candor, Kate Wicker takes a thoughtful, prayerful look at those messages. She counters the voices of society and, frankly, the voices in our own heads, with wisdom from the Church and the healing words of God.  I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a valuable tool in reclaiming femininity and authentic beauty for ourselves and our daughters.

Please note: I'm not being compensated for this endorsement in any way. I don't even own a copy of the book (yet). But I truly do believe that this is an invaluable, important resource for any woman and for parents of girls, particularly. We've got to stop this cycle. I know that Kate's thoughtful words were a blessing to me. I can't say enough about the book and the conversation it is sure to fuel.

Intentional Weekend: Fields of Treasure and Jewel-Colored Glasses

 

 

Strawberry season is long past and I just downloaded pictures from my camera. Alas, no pictures of jewel-colored jam. All good, we're moving on to blueberries and peaches.We'll have jewel-colored glasses in short order.

I do, however, have an awesome pie recipe that works well with blueberries and even peaches (add a little cinnamon). Below, I tossed a few peaches in with the strawberries. I like to play with this recipe. It's forgiving and if it doesn't quite hold together, no one ever seems to mind.

Baked Pie Shell

1 quart fresh strawberries or blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water (plus some extra for the cornstarch)

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp lemon juice

whipped cream

• For strawberry pie, fill pie shell with 3 cups strawberries. (I slice them in half.)
• Crush 1 cup berries in pot. Add sugar and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
• Mix cornstarch with a little cold water and whisk slowly into berry mixture. Cook until clear and thickened.
• Remove from heat. Add lemon juice.
• For strawberry pie, pour glaze over filled pie shell. For blueberry pie, pour 3 cups blueberries into glaze and stir until coated, then pour into pie shell.
• Chill and serve with whipped cream.

{The original recipe came from my friend Barbara who is currently experimenting further with fruit pies.}

Our two favorite farms are Hartland Orchard in Markham, Virginia and Homestead Farm (over the Potomac from Leesburg via ferry) in Poolesville, Maryland. We're in Charlottesville this weekend. Picking is good at Carter Mountain Orchard and, towards Crozet, Chiles Peach Orchard. 

Happy weekend! Go do something intentional:-)

{this moment--or two}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.  Photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 
Two moments, really.

They were the little girls, in their first ballet school.

And now they're the teachers.