A Lovely Dinner

Tonight I had a lovely dinner with friends. There were 5 of us around the table. We had a great time. It was just what I needed to cheer me up. It's good to get "out and about" once in a while.
Tomorrow I'll go out to the store, the library and the post office. I may read for the rest of the day. On Friday I'll take my car for an oil change which is overdue. Now I suppose I should get to bed so I can get up in time for "Morning Joe". (As if Sandy would let me oversleep! That's a joke. I'll probably be up at 3:00am for the first time.

A Good Meeting

Just returned home from our PSM meeting. It's such a relaxing and peaceful time that we spend together knitting. I always look forward to being there for the short time we have to work. When we came out of the building I noticed that it had cooled down a bit. I'm looking forward to less humidity tomorrow.

Hazy Hot and Humid

This afternoon I finished another block for the afghan we're making. Tonight I'll go to the PSM meeting and perhaps hand in the 4 blocks I've completed. It's still hot and humid today so I didn't go out except to get the mail. We're promised a relief from the humidity tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. I need to go out and buy the July birthday cards and to pick up a few things for Mom. I'll probably either read or paint during the rest of the day tomorrow. I do need to drop off some books at the library and to pick up one.
They'll be powerwashing our building tomorrow. I can't wait until they're done with that. I guess they'll be painting the trim soon after that.

A Quiet Monday

Today was a quiet day for us. E. came over this afternoon for a visit. I knitted most of the morning and finished another block. This evening I started another block and hope that I can get it done before I retire for the evening. Our PSM meets tomorrow. If I can get another done during the day tomorrow I'll be happy. I just went out for the mail. I didn't want to go out for it in the heat of the day. It was very hot and humid today. It felt like it would start raining which I'm looking forward to. We need the rain and maybe it will cool things off a little. We have another movie from the library to watch tonight. There is usually not much worth watching on the tube on Monday night. If we don't get to it tonight we have 2 more days on the library loan so we will get to see it.

Saturday/Sunday

Yesterday, I was so tired after working at Mom's house all day that I went to bed at 8pm. Sandy woke me up at midnight, but I managed to get to sleep again before too much time had passed by.
This morning I went to mass at my church. I picked up the paper for Mom, watched the movie "Annie Oakley" on TCM then read for the rest of the afternoon. We're waiting for Masterpiece Classics which will be on in half an hour. It's Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple" tonight which is one of our favorites.

Reading And Knitting

Today flew by. I know the evening is before me yet, but I'd like to know where the day went. I did grocery shopping this morning and had to stop at the pharmacy for meds. I arrived home and opened the bag from the pharmacy to find that the clerk forgot to put one of the meds that I paid for in my bag. So, after lunch I drove back to the pharmacy to pick up the item. I thought that it was too hot to be out and wouldn't you know, I had to go out again. I've been reading for awhile and I also started another one of the blocks for the afghan. We've just had supper. We intend to read a while longer and then watch a movie. I'll knit when the movie is playing.

A Day Of Reading

Today I spent the entire day reading. I finished a Rosamunde Pilcher novel and started a W. E. Brunstetter novel. I picked up 7 books from the library and intend to read them all in a month. The two authors I mentioned are the writers of the books I got at the library. It's very light reading and the novels usually end happily, or at least satisfactorily. In between reading, I'll knit or paint. I guess that I have the next month pretty much planned out. There will be room to fit in time with friends from time to time as well. "Summer and the living is easy."

Beautiful Music

Much to my surprise, there was something worth watching and listening to on TV tonight. We watched PBS, channel 13. The Boston Pops was highlighted and then Harp Dreams. The history of the Pops from Arthur Fiedler, to John Williams, to Keith Lockhart was reviewed. The music was beautiful. The Pops is 125 years in existence.
When that ended, Harp Dreams began. It was about a competition which takes place. There are four rounds to the competition and one winner. The winner wins a $55,000 harp made especially for the competition's prize.
I love harp music. It's a hard instrument to play, I'm sure. One needs to start when one is young if you hope to master playing it. It's a beautiful looking instrument as well as a beautiful sounding instrument. Most harp players start with the piano. When I see these young musicians so devoted to their instrument and their music, I wish that I could go back in time and redo my chance to play an instrument. I would have been much more dedicated if I only knew then what I know now. Never, never, never give up.

A Wednesday At Home

We spent today indoors also. It was too hot to go out. I got a lot of knitting done this morning and started a new novel this afternoon. After I clean up the supper dishes, I'm going to get back to the knitting. I'm almost finished with another block. When I'm done with that block, I'll return to the book. If I can do one block each day this week, I'll be done with the 7 I need to do for my part of the afghan. That may not happen, but that's my goal.
One of the books I ordered from the library is in and I need to pick it up and return the 3 I have. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. If I do go out tomorrow, I'll pick up the paper for Mom. She didn't have one today. She likes to do the crossword puzzles. I'm not interested in watching anything on TV tonight so I will read until bedtime.

Our Tuesday

It was another hot one today. I went out for an appointment this morning and also picked up the paper for Mom. We spent most of the day inside for the rest of our day. We watched our regular news programs and listened to music. I knitted for awhile and will return to that shortly. I made "sloppy joes" for supper. Do you rmember them? We had them served in the lunchroom at school early on. I hadn't had them in over 30 years so I thought I'd try them for our supper. They were "nothing to write home about". I don't think I'll be making them any time soon. Mom turned her nose up at the thought of them, but she ate it anyway.
It was also a sleepy day. We both had a short nap this afternoon. Knittng made me sleepy like reading sometimes does. I guess I don't get enough sleep at night. Last night I was up for a half hour from 2:00am to 2:30am but the cats let me sleep to 7:00am this morning. Since I went to bed at 10:00pm I guess that was a good night's sleep for me, better than most nights.

A New Look

Today I had my hair cut and colored. I have an up to date hair style for the summer! It's going to be easy to take care of also.
I finished the novel I was reading and am ready to start another one tomorrow. E. stopped by again. The three of us had a nice visit.
This morning I went to the food store to pick up a few things. I went early because I wanted to avoid the heat of the day. I was back home by 8:00am. In a little while I will knit for an hour or so. I haven't gotten to that yet today even though I've been up since 4:00am thanks to my cats.

Home Sweet Home

Home again, naturally. E. stopped by this afternoon for a visit. I brought Mom up. She doesn't like being down there any more. E. and I are going to see if we can sell her place and move her up here. What a relief that will be. I hope it works out this time around.
Tomorrow I will read the rest of my book and knit a block or two for the project the PSM is doing. I hope that I get a lot of knitting done. I'd like to get 2 and a half blocks finished by the time we meet again. I think I'm behind everyone else.
We're watching Masterpiece Mystery right now. Miss Marple, an Agatha Christie mystery is the show. Always loved those stories.
Today was HHH. Tomorrow will be better, thank goodness! Happy Summer!!

Different Plans

Today was a different day than I had planned. I made the best of it, however. I spent some time preparing for painting my Iris oil painting. I also went through a few books to get ideas for doing a seascape. I'm hoping that I can use a larger canvas for the seascape. Right now, Big seems easier to work with than small. Tomorrow I'm going home. I forgot my book and my knitting today. I'm kind of at a loss without having something to do. TV is boring. I'm hoping that I make it to church tomorrow. I may need to go to a later mass, locally.

A Quiet Afternoon

This afternoon I did read for awhile. I love the book already and am only a third done. It's called "Sleeping Tiger" by Rosamunde Pilcher. Before I even open them I always know that I will like her books. This one has been no exception.
Tonight I will play Pinochle with friends. I am a bit sleepy, but perhaps I can catch a nap for an hour before supper. If I can, I won't be sleepy during cards. The doors have been opened all day and I'm enjoying the beautiful weather which has not been very humid today at all. We're promised the humidity for this weekend. If it also gets hot I may be tempted to turn on the AC although I will see how long I can go without doing that. Here's to a great weekend for everyone!

Back Home

Coco greeted me at the door when I returned home today. Sandy was more laid back about greeting me. He waited in the hallway for me to enter the living room. I had lunch when I arrived home, checked my snail mail and checked the answering machine. I returned the call to the doctor's office and was given good news. Thank you, Dear God.
This afternoon I pulled out a couple of painting books and looked through them for ideas. I'm hoping that when I'm finished painting flowers, I can paint water, specifically, the ocean. There's a lot to learn from the book before I do so.
Supper is done and the dishwasher is washing the dishes. After my shower I'll either knit or read. I haven't decided yet which I'll do. I started a second book this afternoon by the same author as the last book I read. I know it will be a good book. However, I'm feeling pressure to do the 7 blocks which are due by August, so I may put on a show and knit. I'll keep you posted.

A Fun Day

Today I did paint for a while. I painted the leaves on my rose picture. I need to get another green so I can do the veins on the leaves. The tube of green which I had kind of exploded when I opened it. I had to throw it away. I also finished the book which I started 2 days ago. I haven't gotten around to knitting today, but I'll return to that tomorrow.
I made stuffed peppers for supper with corn on the cob, the first of the season. The leftover sauce will be put in the freezer and the next time I come to visit, I'll defrost it so we can have it on pasta. The stuffed pepper sauce makes a good spaghetti sauce.
It was a quiet day and quite enjoyable. Tomorrow I return to my kitties. I hope that they've been well behaved while I've been away. If not," they shall have no pie".

What A Lovely Day Today!

What a lovely day today! I spent most of the afternoon knitting on Mom's afghan. I did another 2 inches and only have about 6 inches to go. Tomorrow I will paint. When I came into the house today and saw my painting after not seeing it for a week, I was pleased with what I saw. The 6 ft. rule is the best way to view a painting. After viewing it at 6 ft. it's okay to get closer and inspect the brush strokes. Tonight I plan to continue reading the book I started yesterday. Most of the shows we usually watch on the tube are doing reruns anyway. So, that's it for today. Happy reading!

Done

The cleaning I had planned to do today has been DONE! Now I can relax again and do something else. There's nothing worth watching on the tube on Monday nights so I may read for awhile instead of knitting tonight.
The weather wasn't too warm today, but it was humid. I didn't put on the AC although I did think about doing so. Tomorrow will not be as humid so it won't be necessary to use the AC then either. I'm holding out as long as I can. When the HHH weather arrives in July and August I know I'll be using it so that I don't melt.
I made Linguini for supper tonight. It was very good and I only cooked what I knew I would eat because then I wouldn't have leftovers. Fresh pasta does taste better than day old pasta.
I'm about to get into my nightgown and settle down with a good book. I'll be back tomorrow!

Finishing Up

After getting home from the doctor's office, I decided to finish up on the cleaning which needed to be done. I still have a couple of things to complete and then I'll be done for today. I also managed to do 2 loads of laundry while I cleaned. I'm relaxing now; listening to music. I'll probably make some sort of pasta for supper.
Mom's birthday present arrived in today's mail. The next time I go visit, I'll bring it to her. I'm going to work on the 7 inch knitted block tonight. I only have 3 inches to go and it will be done, then it's on to the next block. I'll need to do 7 all together. This one has a deadline.
The Rosamonde Pilcher books I got from the local library are sitting on the coffee table waiting for me. There are 3 of them, but none of them is long so I should be able to finsh them before they're due back in the library. Making the time to read is the thing. I have so much else going on. I'm telling myself that it would be okay to skip knitting one day and just read. Maybe after doing 3 inches on the block, I'll start one of the books. I'll have completed one block and will feel free to do something else.

A Peaceful Day

Today was a nice day. It was peaceful here. I went to 8:30am mass. When I arrived home I did some laundry and vacuumed and dusted the floor. Tomorrow I'll finish cleaning after my doctor appoinment. I didn't put the AC on today. I'm using the ceiling fan and I have both doors opened. It did rain briefly and there was some thunder and lightning. That has stopped but it did rain again. In a little while I'm going to get back to knitting. Masterpiece Classics will play the second part of Jane Austen's "Emma" tonight. I hope to catch that on TV. Right now I'm listening to light classical music.
The rain smells so nice and there is a small breeze coming in the door behind me. It smells so fresh. When it's peaceful in the environment I love to just sit and watch the rain. There's something very soothing about a spring/summer rain. Thunder storms are another story. Coco rain and hid earlier when she heard the thunder. She emerged when it had stopped. The "old guy" Sandy just continued to sit in the living room with me. He would also run and hide when he was younger. Daylight will be gone soon. I'll have to put the clean sheets on the bed.
When I'm too tired to keep my eyes opened any more, it'll be all ready for me to call it a day.

Plans For the Next Few Days

Mom had a nice birthday. I brought her a bouquet of flowers. I worked on her afghan and will give her the DVD when it arrives. Mom, E., and I had a nice time that day.
I have ordered 2 frames. One is for the rose which I finished and the other is for the Irises which I've started. I wanted both frames to match. I hope to work on the Iris painting later this week.
There is another doctor appointment on Monday which should be just routine. Tomorrow I'll attend mass and when I return home, I'll vacuum and dust and do some laundry. Most likely, I'll knit for awhile. I'm hoping to do the pattern for Mom's afghan at least one time. I have about ten inches more to knit on the piece. It'll be a long afghan which will go from her toes to her chin. That was a request. E. asked me to make one for her. She's going to buy the yarn for me. Since she also wants a long one, it may end up being a Christmas present. I also need to work on the 7 blocks for the gift lap blanket for the PSM. I think that I finally know what I'm doing with that. For the most part, it's a free week for me. I have nothing urgent or cut in stone on my calendar. I welcome weeks like that from time to time. I'd like to have a "slow" and restful summer, and not be "running" somewhere all the time.

Empty Handed

It was a good meeting last night. We got a lot of knitting done and a lot of planning for the lap blanket.
Today E. and I will help Mom celebrate her birthday. Unfortunately for me, her gift hasn't arrived yet so I'll have to give it to her in a few days. I'll be bringing her afghan with me. It's half done. Can't give her that either, but I'll sit and knit on it all day. Hopefully, it won't be long until it gets done.

All Is Right With My World

The weather is perfect today. It's a spring day in June, not a summer day with humidity like we experienced last weekend. It's so nice sitting here with the breeze coming in the doors. I can hear the wind chimes ringing as the breeze brushes by them. An Easy Listening channel is playing lovely music and I feel that all is well with my world. I've been able to put the AC off for a couple of days. I'm hoping that it won't be needed for a few more days. I did get some knitting done and will continue to work on that this evening. I'm hoping that I can proceed without any mistakes in the knitting. I guess that remains to be seen.

A Great Day

Today was a wonderful day! The weather was perfect. Several of us former colleagues and friends got together for a luncheon at the home of M. We arrived at 1:00pm and didn't leave for home until 8:00pm. We had a lot of fun reminiscing about our former job and the "funny" stories we recalled about what transpired over a 25 or 30 year period. We laughed a lot which was good for the soul. I needed that!! The food was good. Several of us brought desserts so we had a smathering of things to eat. It was good to see some of the ladies who I don't see on a regular basis. I was the youngest one there today. The oldest lady was 93 and is still going strong. We had someone in her 80's and the rest of the ladies were in their 70's. We plan to get together again in the fall.
Now that I'm home, and have checked my mail and gotten ready for bed, I will knit for awhile. I'd love to finish my block by tomorrow evening.

Communion Breakfast

What a lovely morning we had! The DOM went to 9:30am mass followed by our breakfast. The lady sitting next to me won a cashmire scarf in a rust color. She decided that she wouldn't look good in that color so she gave the scarf to me. That was an unexpected gift which I do appreciate. My prayer shawl was won by a woman I know and like so I was happy about that. She said that she will think of me every time she wears it as I will think of P. every time I wear the cashmire scarf. Tonight I need to start a block for another lap blanket. I've started that block 2 times already and needed to start over again. I had to change to a smaller needle the first time and the second time I made a mistake which I couldn't undo. They say that the third time is a charm so I'm hoping that I'll be on my way to completing 7 blocks in total before too long. We each need to be done with our 7 blocks by the end of the summer because this lap blanket is for a fall birthday. The yarn is thin and the needle is small so I'm learning to be patient as I knit. I showed a few people at the breakfast my rose which I painted. They liked it, and Father even said that he thought it was a photograph which is what my brother also told me the other day. I hope that the painting looks as good in person after I finish the stem and leaves and have it framed. I have requests for seeing the finished project. I hope to get it done this week and then start on the Iris which I'll paint next.

A Truly Busy Week

It's truly been a very busy week. I arrived home late this morning from the shore. We got the sliding door replaced, finally. The PSM met on Tuesday and we are knitting 7 blocks each of different colors for an afghan we'll be giving away for a 90th birthday. This afternoon I treated myself to a pedicure which I haven't had in over a year and a half. This one will have to do me for the rest of the summer because it is a luxury that I can't afford on a regular basis anymore. While at the shore I did finish my rose. The picture is not quite done yet because I have to paint the leaves and the stem. I'll do that the next time I go down there. I am not bothered by cats when I paint down there. If I tried to paint at home, Coco and Sandy would be sitting on the art table watching me and probably walking through the paint as it sits on the palette. By painting at the shore, I have peace and can travel to the other side of the brain and definitely get some relaxation from the exercise. Later tonight, I'm going to do laundry and some cleaning. Tomorrow I'll have my hair done. I'll see a friend in the afternoon, and on Sunday The DOM have the Communion Breakfast and Mass. Sunday night I'll have to make a carrot cake to bring to a luncheon on Monday. Hopefully, I'll be able to chill on Tuesday before E. and I have to leave to celebrate Mom's birthday on Wednesday. Thursday is a doctor appointment. I hope that I get good news after the examination. Please Dear God, don't give me the big "c" again. I'm too tired to deal with all that right now. Have a good weekend everyone.