Mountain Girl Yarn update

 Toasted Almond

Little Red Riding hood

 

Indigo Moon

 Sugar Plum

 

 Updating shop with more yarn.

A new single ply sock yarn that takes on a hand spun quality.

 It's uber soft and fun to knit with.

 This would excellent for knitting anything "baby".

 

I am in love with this yarn

 

My favorite color way right now is, Toasted Almond

 it would easily pair with French Apricot or Indigo Moon.

 

 

Ski hat

 

Eager for ski season here in Montucky
Jules, my oldest- will be wearing this ski hat
under his helmet

keeping his noggin warm and dry.

 

 

Simple pattern less ski hat that I knit from the MCN yarn at the shop super soft & non itchy

which is so important to my kids
and me.

 

Joining Ginny & Frontier dreams

 

Where women create

The worst enemy to creativity is self -doubt

Sylvia Plath

A magazine I look forward to each month is "Where women create". 

I enjoy reading the articles how women forge ahead

making magnificent things and also a living from it.

How they became entrepreneurial and what motivates them to stay in business.

I also read it just simply because I love the looking at the pictures. 

 I think most of my inspiration comes from nature and being around my kids who are non judgmental ( for the most part)

I feel safe creating and making. 

It's all about having fun!

Inspiration and creativity happens naturally
when I just sit and let thoughts roll around my head drinking a cup of coffee.

Sunrise- enjoying all the beautiful colors mother nature has to offer. 

Every day is a gift in itself and I am eager to get up the morning
seeing what it has to unfold.
Listening to music, watching a movie, reading,
walking in nature, finding a new pastry shop, riding, running, yoga, skiing and travel
conversations with my mother ( hei mamma )
all are ingredients for a recipe for being creative for me

Having breakfast and once again enjoying reading about others- who have walked the line.....

the push and pull

Sitting on my porch with friends talking and laughing...

listening to my kids, their  energy and ideas that they share

transcends.

Sunday walks with my husband...we are non stop

always thinking of something to make or improve.

 

It usually comes from being grateful I think for me- that feeling of plenty, having enough 

 and wanting to share.

It melts the self doubt and self critic that lurks.

But creativity is also a way of expression

 weather it's cooking a good meal,

 painting a chair or putting together a beautiful bouquet of wild flowers.

It's celebrating life...and feeling good

celebrating what I have in life and celebrating what I can make from what I have.

How do you find creativity- what makes you create?

Just breathe

This week has been full ...I am ready to just be. breathe.

 At times I feel like a leaf just blown about by the wind.

Had to navigate thru some rough seas with my oldest. Parenting a teen is no walk in the woods.
Talking with him about transparency and being truthful, it's hard, very hard. I just put my head down and continue to work at it. How I love him so...

Riding my horses hours at a time... teaching one to slow down and one to pick up the pace, I guess there is balance in that. Only a few more weeks before they retire for winter- which is bitter sweet.

Finding myself restless...many ongoing knitting projects and not one finished, it's as if I start a new one and excited if only for a few minutes then I regret it and try to finish the old ones hidden in the basket.

A kindred sprit notified me that my shop was not set up for PayPal payment.
Whaaaat????? @@3ffff6~668))8***7766^^^^+++!!!!!!!!
(So I can only guess that there must be some frustrated customers)
grrrrrr. Fixed now...better late than never.

Not inspired to cook. The seasonal shift between summer and winter is hard for me as a vegetarian, summer is easy, raw veggies and quick salads...well it doesn't do the trick this time of year. I crave something more substantial and robust. Finding  myself eating more bread craving carbs and gravitating towards sweets...not good. This must change.

This summer I have been training cross fit, hard but effective, except I ruined my right knee. So much so I couldn't ride for several weeks and had to be in a brace- it hurt like the Dickens it's so painful - Aleve seemed to be part of my daily diet....after going to the orthopedic this week Doc told me I had bone bruising.
Bone bruising? Heals over time- that is good news, I thought I had to have surgery...not good. No more cross fit for me- I have to figure out something else...before soon the snow will fly and slalom season is full swing.

This weekend, I plan on going for a long walk with my dogs in the woods, bake an apple pie,  go on a date with chef on Saturday( it's been years)....then the rest of the time I will practice breathing...
Maybe some barefoot dancing on the kitchen floor with Foghorn.

Hey it all works if I can remember to inhale-exhale.
...and now to raking up some leaves that are blown about.


How was your week- did you remember to breathe?


 

home work

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.

Sarah Ban Breathnach 

An avid garage sale shopper I found 3 chairs.
 25.00 + 10 % off.
Happy with that- they are all a little different
 Wish there was 4 - but that is usually my luck 3- and 3 is better than none...
I have an eclectic home any way.

I sanded with sand paper and roughed up with a brillo pad.
then painted white
 a water based flat was used

brillo pad, bees wax, soft cloth for application & a soft cloth to wipe it down

 

After 2 coats they were dry and ready to be sanded again

wipe off the paint dust and beeswax was applied

 and wiped down again

Time for a quick break

 Home work is hard work you know ....

 Then I brought the newly done chair in and tied

NEW

 organic cushions....

 nothing that a garage sale

and little elbow grease

 can't fix

I also added a fresh coat of paint to the table...

our tribe loves it and we have had many cozy meals around it.

 

Yes it's simple...and yes that is all we need.

I love home work.

 

As we become curators of our own contentment on the Simple Abundance path...

we learn to savor the small with a grateful heart.   

Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

 

 

The colors of fall

 

Knitting a simple shawl

enjoying fall and the beautiful colors

 How about you?

 

Joining Ginny

and

Frontier Dreams

Nature calls

I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine

and fir and cedar and poplar trees.

The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns

and saffron sunsets.

It has given me blessed release from care and worry

and the troubled thinking of our modern day.

It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful.

Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain,

I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn,

my cares fall from me — I am happy.

 

~Hamlin Garland, McClure’s, February 1899

 

 

Grumpy Grizzly

Ominous skies.... a storm is rolling in.
Knowing there is no stopping it, that old unwelcome feeling.

Trouble is on the horizon.
Worry. Worry. Worry.

The flu. The dreaded stomach flu. I don't get sick very often so it scares the heck out of  me- I'm not very good at being sick and don't like being called "trooper".... I don't feel like a trooper.

I feel like a grumpy grizzly bear- so keep your distance.

My kids rally around and hand out glasses of water, blankets, condolences and well wishes at a far distance.
Smart move...both.
Jules thankfully drives the bunch to school and I can finally keel over on the couch. Lilly by my side and Mimi sleeping, curled up by my legs...my sweet animals, offering comfort.

As time passes I hobble to kitchen get some hot ginger tea going and a tablespoon of orange blossom honey. Honey is the best with all the anti bacterial stuff it has in it...I swear it helps.
There is no lemon to be found...unfortunate.
I will have to do with out.
Back to the couch I fall asleep with my wool blankets and fury friends.

Few hours later - wake up.
YESSSS!!!  I'm still alive...that's a good thing.

My body is one big huge ache but this where I am aware that my body has my back, it knows what to do and how to heal. Grateful for how it works every day, being able to run, yoga, ski, ride horses, chase my kids- eat ice cream.

Feeling like a distended Python
I turn on the tube and watch James May on Top Gear drive this monster Toyota truck over hot lava by a volcano somewhere, his darn truck tires catch fire...ehhh no, to close to home.

I need water!!!
Pick up my knitting- knitting always saves the day.

Getting time for dinner and I am not in the mood to make.

Unfortunately this problem is not so easily solved for my horses...I still have to go outside and feed the girls.
They whinny as I approach them in my pj's and robe ..they don't know what to think of that???
Well for Pete sake this is not the day to dress in proper feeding attire- gimmie a break!

Dinner...yes, saltines sound good maybe a banana for dessert.

Kids come home from school wanting to hug me- but we do Hollywood kisses. They start a fire and tuck me in again on the couch telling me about their day, eventually they wander off in each and every direction- feels good to have normalcy in the houses...muffled music from my daughters room, the sound of legos being strewn around the floor- foghorn is busy making a Viking ship....all familiar sounds...

Chef comes home- he hugs me, seeing him makes me feel better. He pulls out freshly made tomato soup from the café and sourdough bread- whew...we have dinner!

Yes, I have been a grumpy grizzly bear feeling a little sorry for myself...
but in the midst of my misery I feel so cared for...I guess I can stand a storm or two.
Even if this whooped my butt -I know tomorrow is a new day.

~ Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

Creativity

 

Knitting a ski hat for my oldest...

he wants it simple and under his ski helmet.

Reading A creative life, much inspirations, ideas and encouragement to be found here.

Speaking of be creative...my head's already in my next project.

 

What are you up too...creatively speaking?

- sorry couldn't resist :)

 

Joining

Ginny

 and

Frontier Dreams