bountiful

Bountiful as is the hand of Providence, its gifts are not so bestowed as to seduce us into indolence, but to rouse us to exertion.   ~William Wilberforce

 We earnestly and faithfully pray for His provision of rain and when the Lord graciously sends it we are sincerely thankful, we then respond with appropriate praise and thanksgiving.

No more daily watering which at its best only keeps the plants alive, but not necessarily flourishing. 

Because of this weather system of rain and clouds of late in our area, we do not have to presently water. But boy! We must diligently weed and cut back! We joyfully remain thankful.

I had to cut back this tall sunflower plant that volunteered in my garden with loppers due to the stalk's strength. You can see it was hanging over my prosperous cucumber plant. It immediately bounced straight back up like a spring.

And look at the height of this sunflowers plant.

My gardening buddies, Myrtle and Louie.

 Just let me grab my harvesting basket, open the garden gate and these two companiable  felines are right behind me.

And there is always reading and knitting continuing on in the summer months. When the afternoons are too hot or the rains are too strong, I have an opportunity to read and knit.

The daylight hours are becoming noticeably shorter. Do you see it right before your eyes as I do? The Fourth of July seems to bring it home to me every year, watch for the shortening of daylight hours goes my brain. But I still indulge in the capturing of the sunrise in the old green andiron back chair, that is in sad need of a proper paint job I might add. This morning I was reading over a Bible study I'd been doing with my daughter and her friend on Friday afternoons. These young mothers with their busy schedules can inhibit time for Bible study. That is why I've discovered these 40 minute studies by Kay Arthur can actually work for some and it does encourage and teach the consistent going to the Scripture...what does the Word say?  

The hymn, He Will Hold Me Fast, was first published on a broadsheet in 1907. Here is a bit of fascinating information about the history of this hymn.  I found the words in an old hymnal and I have been singing it throughout my gardening and home tending pursuits.

the spirit of youth

"April has put a spirit of youth in everything.

                                                      ~William Shakespeare

 And with this "spirit of youth" birthing in my heart, my sixty plus bones longed to get outside to delve into the inviting soil as I planted lettuce, beet, pea, and bunching onion seeds as well as gathering the ordinary mop, vacuum, and old clean rags to begin the room by room spring cleaning inside.

But there is also the continual habit of observing, listening, smelling, and feeling the change of the season...new beginnings.

The celebration of His Resurrection is rousing in my heart too. The daily devotional readings, the vivid images imparted in my mind from the famous paintings of artists I've studied over the years, and the familiar hymns I find myself singing throughout the day.

And I've also completed a winter project, this pair of socks  began in 2019. But finally by sheer force of will I am happy to report they are finished! I did not appreciate knitting with the wool, though it is a lovely yarn with pleasing colors, nor did I like the *Signature needles that I used for knitting them. These two things evidently made it easy for me to slip them into a basket until I happened upon them this winter and realized I must, yes must, finish them. I am inserting a photo of the heel, each sock heel was knitted differently. I did the one on the left and maybe I was not wearing my reading glasses or I did not read the directions closely enough, whatever, by the time I got to the other sock I realized I was supposed to do the heel with ribbing. It is intended to be more "wear-worthy". Rather than redo the first one I decided no one will notice and I did actually want to knit the heel with the ribbing. That is my sock knitting mismatch tale. But they are finished and very comfortably wearable.

 One of the books I am currently reading along.

Embroidering is the current gentle art that is stirring my spirit. My sewing group met at my home Saturday before last and I was able to begin a new project from this book, my third creation.

I enjoyed listening to this podcast one evening as I was cleaning up the supper dishes. Hannah Anderson was the guest sharing one of her books, Turning of Days: Lessons from Nature, Season and Spirit. It is on my list of books to read.

How has the "spirit of youth" engaged you?

January 31 offerings

A woman's "best laid plans can oft go awry",  much like the mouse in Robert Burn's poem. As was this woman's case story for today, this last day in January. And I take comfort in the amazing truth that the Lord always directs my moments which lead into the orchestrating of my days. Since it is Friday after all I was planning on leaving early to make the weekly hour drive to Bible Study as I happen to do every Friday morning. I was carrying along the day's snack too,  freshly baked cream scones in a basket with a container of homemade whipped cream and a little jar of blueberry vanilla jam. The house host supplies the water and coffee, these nine women are coffee drinkers. But I wasn't feeling "up to par" today. Headachy, body achey, and tiredness. Not only did the thought of the drive weary me, but the thought of sharing this little bug with my dear friends was what led to making the final decision easier. 

Unfortunately, I was to pick up Breanna to bring her to my house for the weekend. We had some lovely plans. We are sewing a Sense and Sensibility era ball gown for her to attend her homeschool English Garden Dance in early March.

I have rested a bit and it has been doing me good. A pot of chili was made yesterday and a bowl of gooey Mac and Cheese is in the refrigerator alongside a few other leftovers, this will keep me from cooking...so I can rest my achy body. 

As the temperatures have taken a turn from the cold winter days I was loving, I still keep the thoughts and the sounds of this inviting season in my heart. And without any doubts whatsoever, winter will  awaken  once more, he is only taking a rest like me.

Ergo, as I am sitting on my living room couch, the sun streaming cozily through the bare windows I pleasantly enjoy these things of winter.  And I thought I would share them with you all my dear blogger friends.

 

Vivaldi's Four Seasons: Winter. 

The gifted violinist does a superb job with this beautiful piece, as do her accompanists. I especially love how the descriptions of winter are given in this video.

 And speaking of violins, as a graduation gift from college we were really wanting to buy Charlotte a new violin, one that was over the level of a student violin. She found herself the perfect violin and she is now immensely enjoying the richer tone as she practices hard for her Senior Recital, cresting the hill for her May graduation.

Edmund Blair Leighton's A Wintry Walk(1904)

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape — the loneliness of it; the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."

                                                                                               - Andrew Wyeth

My hands are busy knitting on a project I have thought of creating for several years. I love it when the magnification of any given project  focuses and activates a new beginning as it did with this Memory Scrap Blanket, a free pattern on Ravelry.

Enjoy your weekend!

simple things...of this past week

Car knitting today as I rode along with my husband over the river and though the hills to the hometown of Andy Griffith where Mayberry is personified as much as possible, even to offering sheriff car rides siren included, all for a price. 

These TV Slippers are a revisited knitting project originally popular in the 1960's.  Back in the 1990's I knitted several pairs for some of my friends and family for Christmas gifts.  Jane posted about these slippers and a little lightbulb went off in my brain with happy memories. I went upstairs and easily found the pattern. A bin of my stashed yarn revealed a ball of Brown Sheep wool yarn perfect for knitting a pair. These will be gifted to my granddaughter.

Over at the cottage baking molasses ginger cookies this evening.

The kerosene lamp was found in a little local vintage shop. The "Home Sweet Home" was etched into the glass globe, a good find even to the blue colored vase.

A $20.00 artificial tree purchased at Big Lots. It is really quite festive decorated at the cottage.

"Christmas we must keep. We must have a tree, and sing carols, and light the candle for the  Christ child".

                                      The Book of Stillmeadow   Gladys Taber

Wednesday, December 16

A dear friend left her warm home on this gloomy, rainy day to make the 35 minute drive to my house. Lunch was served in the sunroom, even though there was no visible sunlight, just twinkling colored lights around the doorway and a lit kerosene lamp on the table.. A pot of hot tea was kept hot by a knitted tea cozy, and the best and by far easiest part was doing what girlfriends always do the best, we celebrated our friendship! 

We are both knitters, so of course there were patterns to compare and yarns to show as she had brought along her knitting bag in order to share her future projects.

 

December Yarn Along

 The  temptation was to title this post "Knitted Together and the Greenness of Life". Yet the post was truly intended for Ginny's December Yarn Along, so I am keeping it simple and favored as I put together this post on this bright first Wednesday in December.

                                One of the chapters of our morning's Bible reading, as Charlotte and I are reading the Bible through in its entirety once again this year, was Psalm 139. I could not help but notice that the NIV says "You knit me together in my mother's womb..." . What knitter does not feel the tangibleness of yarn and needles in hand and a picture perfect visual when the word KNIT is mentioned? It is just one of those kind of words which stirs a knitter.

                                          "For you created my inmost being: 

                                       you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 

                I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

                                                                      your works are wonderful,

                                                                         I know that full well.

                               My frame was not hidden from you

                                                                     when I was made in the secret place,

                                         when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

 

                              Your eyes saw my unformed body;

                                    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

                                                                  before one of them came to be. "

                                                                                   Psalm 139:13-16 

There is much to concern us in our world today, no one is not affected in some way concerning a plethora of matters. We all possess our own worldviews that have been shaped by something or someone, and in fact, these world views should shape the way we live, speak, and act. And in a land, upon which God has shed His abundant grace, makes laws that say an unborn child has no rights to live, I am grieved. I will state boldly and without excuse that abortion is deplorably wicked and is a fight worthy of a continual fight in the citizens who believe in the sanctity of life. 

Green signifies life and growth to me. This Easy Folded Poncho by Churchmouse Classics knitted in Kelbourne Woolens in a soothing mossy green color way is one of my most favorite" good things" of 2020, and I must elaborate there are many good things happening in 2020. But I will not take the time here to count all the ways I have been thankful for those ongoing good things😊.   

John Flavel makes me think hard, and it is no wonder that this present edition of his marvelous work, The Mystery of Providence, is giving me assurance of a Great God that is "even greater than (I) even thought when( I) first trusted for salvation."

And to share even more greenness, the pullover and book rest in the corner of our turnip patch.

Yarn Along in August

Calm knitting sometimes in the evenings, but for the most part knitting seems to be on furlough these summer days.  I knitted a pair of these mitts  with the enticing name of  "Fetching" several years ago.  They are a favorite hand mitt of mine to wear in the winter, hence I decided to make a pair as a Christmas gift for someone in my Smocking/Sewing Guild. (We are to make a gift this year for an exchange.)

My daily reading habit never stops, but it sometimes takes longer than I intended to finish a book. I find myself nodding off many a night when I had hoped to get an hour or so of reading done before bedtime.

I am almost finished reading Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. After seeing the BBC movie adaption, I was planning no ill affects leading to a less enjoyable read. While the movies are usually wonderful to watch, the books are just better and worth reading above all.

 How Should We Then Live? by Frances Schaeffer, a book on my bookshelf I felt destined to read some time during my lifetime. This book gives a broad overview of Western Civilization beginning with the Roman Empire including areas such as art, history, music, science, and philosophy, written with Schaeffer's strong  Biblical worldview. I am greatly looking forward to getting to the chapters of the modern age, understanding it to have significant impact.

The third book on my stack arrived in the mail last week because "I could not help myself" and ordered it one afternoon on a whim. I loved reading Marta McDowell's book, The Gardening Life of Emily Dickinson immensely.  A book of this nature adds beauty and calmness to a soul. And who does not need more of that these days?

Joining in with Ginny's Yarn along...

June Yarn Along

I am not knitting anything new these days. But I am spending time in the gardens absorbed in happy industry and calm puttering, spending time walking, spending time praying, and spending time reading good books.  When one considers the extremely concerning turmoil of these present times, the fact that I was able to don the heavy woolen knitted shawl one recent morning because of the chilly temperatures to the sudden calescent temperatures of these past two days is nothing surprising. The  blocking of this shawl was a booger, because of its length and weight. I decided to use my guest bathroom for blocking it and it took several weeks due to the smaller space. But finally it was blocked and packed away into the cedar chest, until it was cheerfully unleashed  earlier this week for soothing warmth.

I do appreciate Ginny with her monthly yarn alongs providing a safe place for us to share our knitting projects and current reading materials. I had been looking forward to reading this child's novel since I chose it for my 2020 Reading Challenge. You might recognize the author's name as the author of Heidi. I found this treasure at a library book sale some time ago, its pages yellowed and worn with age, but you can not fail to note the quality in its original form; the story of Cornelli  has a semblance to Heidi, so how could it not be an enjoyable read? 

April Yarn Along

I had designed plans to throw the completed alpaca wrap across my shoulders and photograph in order to make record of the finished project, but alas, I procrastinated in getting on with the blocking of this rather huge wrap.  But it is now in the process of being blocked, taking days because of its size and the limitations of space.  

As do most knitters, I try to always keep a simple carry-along project. Back in January I was in need of casting on a simple stockinette "mindless" knitting project. This Folded Poncho by Churchmouse Classics was faultless for such knitting, and will be fun to wear during the cooler months. I am knitting it in Melbourne Woolens Scout yarn, having chosen the Moss Heather color way. The green displayed in the photo is rather accurate in catching its true color.

My son, Alan, gave me this copy of St. Augustine's, The Confessions several years ago. It was chosen as part of my 2020 Reading Challenge;  I highly recommend this translation by Maria Boulding. I read a section of this book daily appreciating the richness of this spiritual classic, a fascinating autobiography of St. Augustine of Hippo.

I am a few days late in joining with Ginny's Yarn Along, as things might run  aberrant these days, we can also be thankful we are knitters and readers.

winter knitting

"After supper they went into the sitting-room. It was warm enough to do without a fire and they settled themselves in the bay window, with a table between them for Lutkin's knitting..."

Landscape inn Sunlight

Elizabeth Fair

Back in early October I began a knitting project with the zeal that any new pattern and yarn summons after a planned visit to a yarn store.  The weather was graciously moderate as Octobers always are in our southern climate and winter calling as only a future impression of mindful preparedness. There were several things that drew me to choosing this pattern,  a simple enough pattern yet  including a 38 stitch cable band with a 32 row repeat.

For me this translates into a project that doesn't work as as carry-along project, but instead it requires having a pattern board at hand, and close attention to my knitting. This makes for a perfect match as my husband and I decided to pull out our BBC DVD's of All Creatures Great and Small.  The last time we watched this wonderful series was during the winter of 2014, and these absolutely well-done movies (1980 TV series) have proven as delightful as always. The wrap has been growing alarmingly long, it blankets my legs as I knit which is certainly an added bonus on cool evenings. I've knitted the (76 1/2  inch) length and now all that is needed is the addition of the side band.

I certainly am not a fair predictor of the spring weather, yet I do know there have been wintry March days, and with the hope of wearing this wrap in 2020 I can hold onto the remembrance of another  knitting project that allowed a late winter/early spring adornment. Joy!

handmade gifts

 Mad last minute shopping frenzies in my opinion are a choice you make and as for me not a way in which I choose to spend the last days of Advent. I desire to be home making lists of cookies to bake, meals to prepare, planning how I am going to set my Christmas table, and getting the house ready for the arrival of family. And since I do like to make simple handmade gifts for the grandchildren if at all possible, these days leading up to Christmas may provide just the needed time to do so. I have been nursing a sore throat for several days, drinking mug after mug of herbal teas and taking elderberry syrup, therefore, sitting in my sunny sewing room to sew those gifts are delightful,  just before Rose and Ivy arrive tomorrow night and my days will look quite different.

A flannel nightgown for Ivy(31/2), an apron for Breanna(9), and I am just now ready to begin knitting red mittens for Gordon(23 months).

Yarn Along and noted things

Knitting and reading, yes, I am very pleased to be able to have the sound mind and healthy hands to do both, though not simultaneously. And pleased I am to join in with Ginny's monthly Yarn Along.  I knitted all month and I read all month, most of the time in tiny starts and stops amongst a month of noting the shortening daylight and the preparations necessary for the colder weather that follows these shorter days. The progress on my knitting, however small, is rightly noted.

I am making a dent in the gray wrapper, and the anticipation of wearing it is almost like waiting for Christmas. You want it to hurry up and get here, but the delight in the before days is nothing short of wonderful.

     

My most recent read was a book by J.L. Carr, A Month in the Country, from start to finish a novel consisting of only a 111 pages. I appreciated the story told in this novel and looked forward to picking it up nightly, but sometimes by reading it late at night I felt like I might have cheated myself of the depths of its message. A note to remind myself to pick up this book and revisit it one summer while at the beach.

And the socks are a pair I began last winter and set aside for other handwork. This is the season to pick them up once again as a carry along project even though now that Charlotte is driving I am not leaving the house allowing me little bits of time to knit while waiting for her.

Things change.

 One other thing I would like to note here: I am knitting these socks in Malabrigo Sock yarn on Signature   2.5 double point needles. Last year for my birthday I ask for a set of these needles, because they are that expensive and must be deemed a gift!

I can not say I totally like them, but then it might be the yarn, which while lovely it is very soft and slick.

full things

I received an anonymous comment I would like to answer while it is on my mind...the first frost and bringing in basil.  Sweet basil does not like cool weather.  The little pieces left on my stalks are just holding on for dear life right now and I greatly appreciate that I can still go outside and bring in leaves for a dish I am preparing, I do hate to see my basil plants die, but for the most part the harvesting is completed for this year. The coolest our temperatures have dipped thus far is 40 degrees, and the sweet basil did protest, but not die. Our first frost will more than likely not arrive before the next few weeks. Now as far as the Thai basil, the cool weather does not deter it in the least, it is flourishing, and should do well until frost. I plan to harvest it for the first time this year, by drying and probably freezing.

Did anyone of you notice I have set up sidebars for my Favorite Friends and Blogs and well as Homemaking Sites? I am still perusing sites and will add to the sidebars in the future. It does takes quite a bit to time to do so and is a process. You may want to check them out and see if any of them tickle your fancy or stir interest.

Now onto my home front... on this day we look to the cross where our Savior, Christ Jesus died in order to save us from sin and all its evil, ugly wickedness. We rejoice and we pray. We never cease giving Him thanks for the harvest and this beautiful time of year. Tonight we get to go to a church and pray for Israel. Chuck Cohen was in my home last Friday night for dinner with a few gathering of friends and my family is looking forward to this prayer time.

 There is a jar of Thai basil clipped to adorn my kitchen, smells lovely, a more sharp taste and smell than sweet basil. Delicious in Asian dishes.

I created a new space in my kitchen that is quickly becoming my new spot of tranquility. Here I keep my knitting and cross-stitching always looking for that moment, whenever it presents itself, to reward myself with a cup of tea and handiwork in my hand! Even in the early mornings I am moving my prayer and Bible reading time to this well-lit and warm place, for this season.

Once more thing I want to share. I am sitting upstairs in my sewing room as I type this post, an opened window letting in a breeze that is stirring my hair, it is 71 degrees and cloudy, the breeze is keeping the humidity a little less noticeable, and I am loving the call of the 

White-throated Sparrow.  This is my most favorite bird call of all.

it is yarn along time

Goodness, it appears to have been a slough of time since I last joined with all you ladies at Ginny's yarn along! Not that I wasn't  reading good books mind you, but the needles in my hand were of the embroidery sort, not knitting. But as the approaching autumn was tickling my senses, I knew I must go on a hunt for that perfect knitting project. And I believe I might have found it in this pattern by  Cheryl Toy. I can only imagine how much I am going to love wearing this wrap when the weather turns chilly and a garment of this sort will provide perfect warmth as well as style. And the second best part is the luscious Berroco alpaca yarn. I am feeling rather privileged to be knitting this wrap in this yarn let me tell you.
After reading Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop this summer, I discovered another treasure on my bookshelf, O Pioneers! It is a book that reeled me into the story right from the start, and now I am remembering why I liked some of her other novels way back in my early motherhood years.

yarn along, winter successes

Here it is yarn along time with Ginny as the month of March has come in like a lamb...thus far in my region of the country,  and after missing last month's yarn along I was happy to be able to post on what I am presently knitting and reading.

I continued most winter evenings knitting on this fascinating cabled vest by Thea Colman, which I am  happy to announce I am almost through with the cabling side! Then its on to the front of the vest which is all stocking knit and should go much more quickly, a project to tote along while I ride in cars or wait in coffee shops allowing knitting  on it more devotedly. The cabling pattern required a pattern board and concentration....

But my serious lack of finished knitting does not mean I have neither been learning new things nor immersed in other worthwhile pursuits. The making of bread with sourdough starter and einkorn flour has been a journey worth traversing, and one which I have loved.  Along with my three cats, outside birds at the feeders (not mentioning the squirrels), I am now feeding a sourdough starter and a bowl of live brown planaria. Think tenth grade biology invertebrates, and the dissection of earthworms...

Reading....one of my goals was to find some very good clean crime/mystery novels this winter. This had a two fold purpose since my mother-in-law loves to read mysteries and crime novels and I would like to have some new authors to recommend to her. I believe I found it in Charles Todd. Why is it that crime and mystery writers can be so fecund? Their minds amaze me. I am presently reading through the Bess Crawford series by this author. And what is a winter without a little bedtime/soaking in the bathtub while reading Miss Read's Winter in Thrush Green? Truthfully, I must read that novel every winter and it never ceases to hold my delight and interest. I found another good read in the library recently, Ann Hood's Kitchen Yarns, an autobiography of her life from childhood (first memories) until the present. And she  disperses recipes at the end of every chapter enticing my tastebuds to tie on a apron and get cooking!

new year, cables, reading, and yarn along

The first of the 2019 Yarn Alongs, and it almost caught up with me. How about you? The changing of the calendar always makes me breathless, but in a fine way. Newness in the middle of winter, satisfying to say the least.

Back in November a huge desire to knit a project using cables would not settle until I hunted through Ravelry and decided upon a pattern that I would not only like to knit but also would enjoy wearing.  This vest by Thea Colman was perfect, especially since I do not have much experience in cabling and it had been some time since I had in fact knitted anything with a cable. You begin knitting the project on the back of the vest where all the cabling is designed. The color of this yarn, Fauna, by Brooklyn Tweed Shelter is not showing up as pretty as it truly is, but I tried to show it with the second photo. I forgot how concentration is key when beginning such a project, but I learned quickly enough! And my magnetic board is extremely helpful in keeping my place.

Back in December I pulled Stillmeadow Daybook off the book shelf. Gladys Taber's books are never far from my reach, particularly her monthly journal books. I read throughout the December entries, many times reading them aloud to my family, now I am enjoying her January entries.

"New Year's resolutions are a chancy thing. I make mine simple. I only pray that I may be a better person the coming year than in the past. More tolerant, kinder, and gentler. Not impatient when things are difficult."

caps for their heads December yarn along

Knitting caps are to me a Christmasy thing to do, a gift that is easy, quick and makes me think of Little House on the Prairie days when handmade gifts were the only ones to be had during some of those leaner years, unlike the year Ma received the stove.

Breanna and Ivy's hats were knitted with my very own spun Romney wool that I dyed with Country Classic Dye.  The patterns for these hats can be found free on Ravelry, the Herringbone Hat by Ann Mizoguchi for the girls made for some fun color work while watching Hallmark Christmas movies. Since Riley is still a baby, I did not want his little head with significantly less hair to be in direct contact with the 100% wool, therefore, I decided that leftovers of acrylic yarn would do nicely for  knitting the Luuk by Annis Jones for him. I have so far knitted a pair of mittens for Ivy to go along with her hat, hopefully I will whip up some for Breanna too before Christmas.

With the Christmas season bringing extra events and activities, even so I continue to knit, and likewise, I continue to read. So much so that I presently am reading three books. But I wanted to share this particular cookbook with you. After checking it out from the library twice, I decided I must have it for more than its excellent recipes. Ruth Reichel was the former editor of Gourmet Magazine that left not only its loyal readers, but also its staff, lamenting its passing with the decision to stop its publication in 2009.

I am also reading The Substitute Guest, a Christmas story written by Grace Livingston Hill,  on those nights when even the decaf coffee delays sleep, and a book I received when I visited Operation Exodus in New York back in early October, Exodus II: Let My People Go by Steve Lightle. 

All three books are entirely different in content, technique of writing, and purpose but I am enjoying each one immensely.

I look forward to Ginny's Yarnalongs, please feel free to join in and share your latest fiber project and current reads.

the weekender

After days of pouring rain, biting cold, steady gusting winds and what we like to term, "down-right nasty weather", autumn decided to give us the finest of its joys giving excellent opportunity to share my newly blocked hand-knitted sweater, The Weekender by Andrea Mowry.

                      Keats called autumn,

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

                      Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun";

The special November sunlight never fails to soothe me and I am particularly mindful of the constant uniqueness and concentrated beauty involved in the maturing of all things. 

amethyst at the brink of autumn

Must I admit I had to go back to see exactly when I began this project? Maybe it had to do with summer and how my mind goes elsewhere many days of summer holiday, but then a cloud arises in my brain convincing me that this sweater certainly took way too long to complete. Yet I love it, its color, its lightweight feel on the body, and its simple pattern. And this might be the time to admit it is the first time ever I've knitted a lightweight quarter-length sleeve sweater, one that will be worn next to the skin. Yesterday afternoon in 80 degreee weather I went outside for these photos and just around the edges I begin to feel a bit of prickling, but it truly wasn' that bad. So bring it on autumn!

And speaking of autumn... are we literally leaning at the doorstep or what? The storms are over the flood waters are receding, and I am seeing the signs, however small, of its wide-opened wonderfulness.