Mending

   
     It has taken me 4 days to do 3 loads of laundry, just washed and dried, not folded and put away.  And thank goodness the turkey was huge, soup made and coldcuts leftover from our daughter's visit, otherwise we wouldn't have eaten for those 4 days.  My ribs hurt to move, breathe and oh no, not again, cough.  The meds started Monday afternoon and this morning, so far, I think I am on the mend finally.  There have been lots of naps, curled under a quilt, most of a book read, no knitting done.  The dog hair is taking over the house, Christmas shopping and decorating not a priority.
     None of the herbal remedies I took when the cold started 10 days ago did much good this time and I wonder what shape I would have been in if I hadn't had a pneumonia shot last spring.  The cold was nearly gone on Sunday when I crashed hard with pneumonia.  Not an illness I wish to repeat anytime soon.  It is going to be a while until I feel like decorating and shopping, but at least I have remade the two guest beds this morning and I am about to fold a load of clothes, then I think it will be time for another nap.

With Thankfulness

     Today, I officially become a senior citizen.  Birthdays at this point in life are mixed messages, thankfulness that I have survived another year and a reminder that the years move too quickly and there is so much left to see and do.
     There is much to be thankful for this birthday, there are many well wishes from friends and families as posts on Facebook, in calls and cards, flowers and dinner out tonight.  This week is especially celebratory for our family, it contains 4 milestone birthdays.  My stepmom turned 70 yesterday, our youngest granddaughter turns 1 this Saturday, our daughter turns 30 next Thursday, and mine today.  It is special that our daughter and her husband, son, daughter and their dog are visiting us for a week from Florida and will help us celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Because they won't be here for daughter's birthday, I prepared a Mexican feast earlier in the week for her birthday at her request.  Tonight we go out for Thai, tomorrow we fix the turkey with all it's fixings.  Saturday will celebrate our granddaughter's birthday with a homemade apple cake for her.
     Life is good and I hope for many, healthy years to come.

Visitors

     Bright and early this morning, our daughter, her husband and two kids and their dog arrived after driving all night from Florida.  They will be with us for a wonderful week, celebrating three birthdays while they are here, though daughter's actually isn't until shortly after they arrive back home.
     Their daughter is our youngest grandchild.  She was born on Thanksgiving Day last year, so her celebration is the biggest, her 1st birthday.  She is just on the verge of walking, cruising around anything she can grab on to or pushing behind a little cart walker.  She has a little vocabulary already, responding with "Dog" each time she sees or hears one of the 3 dogs.  She constantly points and says "What's that?"  Her sign language vocabulary is larger than her verbal one.  A beautiful little girl.
     Their son is the youngest of our grandsons, a bright, verbal child about to turn 6.  He has an amazing reading ability, I love listening to him read, sounding our words he doesn't recognize on sight. 
     Our skittish, shy little German Shepherd has decided that he is ok and doesn't run and shy from him, allowing him to pet and hug her.  Ranger, the Mastiff loves everyone and has been found standing guard over Nadia a couple of times.
     Today was mostly a stay at home day, to give them some relax time after their drive.  We did all pile into their new Honda Pilot to venture to Target to return a coat for Nadia and get a smaller size.  They were unable to find a coat in Florida for her.    This was after a short trip to the farmer's market, which is winding down for the season.  Several vendors have already quit for the season and a couple of our friends finished their season today.  There will be a few vendors that continue on most weekends for the winter, with meat and cheese, so our trips will be fewer until the spring arrives with a renewed growing season.
     We will take advantage of the fairly nice day tomorrow and the fact that the hunter's won't be out tomorrow to take a mountain hike, maybe with all three dogs in tow.
     Monday we are off to Floyd to School House Fabrics, lunch and to pick up our free range turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner.
     Daughter will be getting knitting lessons, sewing lessons, and soap making experience during the week.
     The two sweaters for the kids, both fit!  Yay.  The Darth Vader and Monkey hat and mitten sets were a hit. 
     We love it so much when we have one of our children and their family here for a visit. 
Life is good.

Frumptastic

     Since moving to the mountains, my almost shoulder length hair has grown to nearly my waist, I recently cut 2 inches off, it has grayed around my face and thinned considerably, probably due to the cysts on my thyroid discovered about 4 years ago. 
     I've always had a bit of a swayed back which makes me look thicker in the middle than I really am and this has bothered my self image since I was very young and way too thin, no eating disorder involved, quite the opposite, but as a younger person, my metabolism was raging.
     As a knitter, as soon as I felt confident, I started making sweaters for me, worsted weight, top down raglans, usually loose and comfy.  For some reason as the weather has chilled here, and chill it did last night, down to 24f, and I pulled out my wardrobe of handknit sweaters, as I put each one on, I look in the mirror and feel frumpy.  Only one of my handknit sweaters, a fair isle red wood zipped cardigan doesn't strike me that way.  As a result, I have taken to wearing thin store bought, machine knit sweaters and thin omniheat fleece tops to ward off the chill.  This bothers me with the stack of sweaters I made sitting unworn on the shelf of my closet.

     Every idea, I have to unfrump goes against my nature, I won't dye the gray out of my hair, my hubby and I like it long, so a short cut isn't likely.  I have lost weight, so that isn't the issue, I'm not at this stage of my life going to start wearing makeup, so I guess what I'm going to have to do, is quit worrying about how I think I look and break out the warm wool handknit and enjoy them.  Maybe while I sit cozy and warm in them this winter, I will make a couple of thinner yarn and be more cautious of fit so next winter, I can wear handknits that aren't frumpy.

A horse is a horse, . . .

Fran on Doc

     Riding lessons continue, we have learned to make the horse move sideways to facilitate opening a gate, to back up, to pivot around a front leg.  Jim consistently is given the choice of Levi, shown below or Nemo, who I rode last week, they are large, tall horses and though Nemo is a good mount, I decided that an average size mount is better for me.  I started on Nippers, a round bellied paint, very good natured and easy to ride.  My third lesson was on Squirt, a bay, also good natured.  Today, I was given my choice of any of the three I had previously ridden or Doc, the flea bitten Gray.  Not literally flea bitten, just his coat has speckles of chestnut in it.  I learned that they are called Gray's because their skin is black, their coat is white.  Doc was a bit more spirited and a fun ride.
     Today we were challenged with obstacles at a trot, poles laid on the ground, then divided into thirds with cones and barrels that we had to zigzag in and out at a trot.  Each horse has handled a bit differently, some requiring more reining, Doc liked control with your legs.  I feel fairly confident at this point, can get the horse in, saddled securely and bridled without assistance.  Walking and turning don't bother me, trotting occasionally makes be feel a bit off balance, but I'm getting the hang of it.  I am actually more comfortable when we are asked to trot without stirrups than with them, I feel I have more control of the horse.
     I'm glad Jim talked me into lessons, though I'm not sure I'm ready to go out of the arena and on to a trail yet.

Jim on Levi, Fran on Doc
 

     I promised photos and Reanna, our instructor was happy to take them for us.
    

Indian Summer

    
 I don't know when Indian Summer is supposed to fall, but after several very cold, windy, wet weeks, this weekend has been delightful.  Today is warm enough for only a long sleeve T-shirt, the sun is shining and the sky is a beautiful shade of blue.
     To take advantage of the delightful day, we took the pups to Pandapas Pond and took a two mile walk in the woods and around the pond.  We weren't the only locals with that idea, as we saw families with dogs, horses and riders, cyclists all enjoying the day.
     Since we aren't expecting freezing nights for a while, I removed the frost covers from the greens, just leaving the bug covers which will suffice in a light frost.  The cabbages and broccoli that I thought would not mature look like they might after all.  The other leafy greens look great and I think a mess of greens is on the menu tonight.  I also removed the solar charger that electrifies the fence to keep the deer out of the garden as there is nothing for them to eat that isn't covered, so the charger will spend the winter in the garage out of the weather, hoping to extend it's life by a few seasons.  The fence wire will remain in place, perhaps a deterrent to marauding critters.
     After chasing Ferdinand off yet again, we built a downfall fence across the path he uses coming up from the creek, a narrow, steep path between a near vertical hill and a fence.  Maybe this time we have foiled him until the neighbor has his fence repaired.  It also is the day that the tractor was moved back to the barn for winter storage.  It will come out occasionally to keep the mice out of the engine block and to run it once in a while, but its work usage for the year is done.
     The remainder of the week is supposed to be more seasonable temperatures in the upper 40s and low 50s, with a couple of rainy days, but the weekend has been worth the discomfort to come.

Cozy goodness

     Though the next few days are going to tease us with warmth and sunshine, the past few weeks have reminded us that winter is headed our way.  Will it be mild and dry, cold and wet, frigid and snowy, that remains to be seen.
     Regardless of the level of winter that befalls us, most days require a jacket or coat, a scarf, hat and gloves.  The winter stash of these items has been dragged off the shelf, reminding us that hubby lost his leather gloves in the spring.  A trip to the mall just before Halloween to look for a new pair showed all of the Christmas decorations up, not just before Thanksgiving this year, before Halloween, but alas, though the decorations were up, the coats displayed, no leather gloves yet.  Apparently they are a Christmas gift item and haven't been received as yet.  We left with a thin fleece pair with a leather palm for driving which will have to do him until the others come in.
     I was reminded that I have a scarf I started last winter to go with a hat I designed and knit last winter that I suppose I should finish.  One of my other hats I knit is lovely fall colored handspun yarn that I bought at a craft show several years ago and I made a silk scarf in one of the greens to go with it.  My favorite hat is yarn from Unplanned Peacock, a local friend who is an independent yarn dyer and she only made a couple of skeins in a lovely Ruby color.  She made a hat from one, I made a hat from the other.  She hasn't been able to duplicate the depth of color again so that I can make a scarf.  Maybe someday when she dumps her leftover reds together at the end of a dyeing session, she will accidently hit on it again.
     When I started spinning and making yarn, I just put it aside and admired it.  My spinning friends convinced me that I should really be knitting it, so I found a scarf pattern, Chinook by Ali Green and knit the scarf and it just yelled my stepmom's name.  The yarn was a creamy white and I dyed it peach, one of the colors she wears beautifully.  Now we don't exchange gifts anymore, but her birthday is one day before mine and this year the rule will be cracked a bit and she will have a cozy warm scarf to wear on a winter's day.

Knittering around

     Our Florida born grandkids are spending Thanksgiving with us in the mountains.  We are excited, especially as they will arrive on the 1st birthday of the youngest, our youngest grand.
     Over the years since her big brother, Aidan was born, nearly 6 years ago, I have made an annual sweater for him, all of which are being saved lovingly by our daughter for Nadia to wear also.  Nadia's first sweater was a knit gown, with matching hat and socks all made from the same fingering weight yarn.
     Two years ago, I knit my first Wallaby by Cottage Creations for Aidan, Superman blue as he and our son in law are ardent Superman fans, and the wallaby is a hit.  Aidan and our oldest grandson think that is the best sweater design ever.  Last year, as he was outgrowing the previous one, another was requested, this one was Superman blue with red pocket and hood.  Unfortunately, I selected a yarn I had not previously used, advertised as worsted weight and I didn't bother to check gauge.  The resulting sweater was really no larger than the previous year's version though I knitted a size up.
     The grands will get this year's sweaters when they arrive.  The yarn and colors for Nadia were picked out by our daughter when we visited them last summer, along with the yarn for Nadia's Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween.  There is a great yarn shop in Sarasota that we enjoyed visiting.  Aidan's was picked up locally at a cute little shop in the town of Floyd, about 40 minutes from us.

Nadia's Hood is from Berroco Vintage, colorway is wine, the pattern is based on Capuchon by Tagil Purlmutter, a free download on Ravelry, though I seriously modifed it to make it Florida weight, you can see the modifications on my projects page on Ravelry.  That was knit on our drive back from that visit to Florida.

Nadia's Birthday hooded cardi is also from Berroco Vintage, the teal is color 51104, the light blue is 5120, the cream is 5102 and the pattern is a melange of a pattern for a baby hoody from a friend, a bit of Ann Budd wisdom and my own modifications to work it the way I wanted it.  Both her sweater and Aidan's have been my October and early November knitting.

Aidan's Wallaby is from Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Quatro, the color is 1957, a tweedy mix of bues and greens.  It was knit on a size 8 to make it a bit lighter for Florida and was carefully measured this year to ensure that it should fit him.

Still on my needles and set aside are a pair of socks for me, a reknit of a shawl that our younger pup damaged, and a scarf of homespun to match a hat I designed last winter.  Still in my knitting que is a sweater requested by my daughter, who sent me a dark picture of her as a teen, wearing a black sweater that she would like duplicated.  I'm still thinking about that one, though I have bought the yarn.

Today, I love.

   
    Today as always, I love my husband, for so many reasons; standing by me through good and bad times, being a good Dad to our kids, loving me for so many years together.
     I love our children for keeping me young and giving me gray hair, all of their antics growing up that at times made us wonder why we had kids and others filled our hearts with pride at their accomplishments.  And for bringinng 3 more kids to love in their partners and 5 beautiful grandchildren to love and continue to keep us young.
     I love our home in the mountains with the starkly changing seasons, a log home of our design and with the sweat and blood of family and friends in its construction.   The views changing with each season, the wildlife that provides entertainment to observe and amazement to our city visitors, and the millions of stars visible where there are no city lights to obscure them.
     My father, who taught me to be self sufficient and independent and who having grown up in an era of predjudice, taught us not to judge others by their differences.
     I am blessed to have two siblings and 4 cousins who keep in touch.
     I love the 2 silly pups that entertain with their wrestling and chasing and the unconditional love they offer.
     I am fortunate to be living in a country where I have a say in who will run our  government, have the freedom to dress as I wish, travel when I want, worship if I choose.

Tuesday - Election Day

     We awoke early to the German Shepherd rattling around in the wire cage, looking out at the Mastiff, asleep by hubby's side of the bed and wanting to be out.  It was only 6:45 and I didn't want to rise yet, having had one of my nights when sleep was elusive and broken.  We had no milk in the house for coffee or cereal, nearly no coffee and no butter for toast, and again the sky was thick and gray.  The yard heavy with frost, having had a hard freeze last night.
     It seemed that the expedient route to the day, was to get up, go to the convenience center to dump the household trash, including one bag of mostly political flyers received over the past month, then on to vote.  As our landline phone is maintained only to have internet, we unplugged them to silence the multiple computer calls received each day.  Do they really think they help?  Then on into town to get a light breakfast and a light grocery run to replace the milk, coffee, and butter.
     I have avoided blogging about the election, have basically steered clear of posting about it on Facebook, have studiously not forwarded any of the emails of a political nature.  It is not because I am apolitical, I have strong feelings, and I feel we should all vote to do our part.  I feel that the election campaign procedure has become unnecessarily contentious, leaning more toward misinformation against each other rather than stating their own viewpoints.
     We have done our civic duty, stated our preference and have replugged the phone so that the few neighbors who prefer it can reach us for permission to hunt or walk on our property.  I actually look forward to days when the mailbox is empty, meaning no political mumbo jumbo to trash without reading.  Upon taking the trash down today, we see that now we can recycle mixed paper, so next election, at least the paper will be recycled instead of trashed.

November Thankfulness 1

     As I sit in my warm spot of sun at the breakfast table, I am watching a doe cavort in the hayfield on the south end of our property.  I don't know if you have ever had this joyous opportunity, but they run back and forth, leaping into the air in great bounds.  Sometimes this is a solo activity, often it involves several.
     The sunny morning is a blessing, the first we have had in 11 days.  The afternoons have cleared a few times, but each morning as been thick and gray.  The deer population is being culled during this hunting season in the mountains and we will see fewer and fewer as they elude the hunters or are taken by the hunters, so it is a treat to see a daytime deer right now.  The doe tired or her running play, loped to the northwest corner of the field and bounded over the overgrown fence as though it wasn't even there and graced me with her beauty as she walked nearer the house along the woods line before disappearing into the tall grass at the edges of the woods and then into the shadow of the woods.
     My thankfulness extents to having the vision to watch her at the distance she played.  To give you an idea of the distance, this is the back of our house from that field.

Senioritis

     As of today, the government considers me a senior citizen.  So many places have their own age cut off, AARP only requires you to be 50 to join their ranks.  My favorite local natural foods store doesn't require a membership once you reach 60.  Hardee's will give you senior drink prices at 60, Kroger requires yet another age to get their weekly senior discount and the movie theater requires age 65.  Social security age varies depending upon the year of your birth and whether you are taking early or regular social security.  Medicare is a set 65 unless you have a disability.  Before you start wishing me a happy birthday, I still have a few weeks to go, but Medicare starts on the first day of the month you turn 65, today I no longer have to cough up nearly $800 a month for my insurance.  Hubby's supplement and Rx supplement and mine together do not come close to what I was paying for my insurance alone.
     One reason I returned to education after retiring the first time, was the cost of insurance for us.  When I retired the second time, I was already eligible for early social security to go with my retirement system funds, and hubby was already on Medicare, so I was only paying for me, only a couple hundred dollars less than it cost to insure hubby, youngest son, and me a few years ago.
     Most of the time, as I am digging in the garden, saddling and riding the horses at lessons, skiing or kayaking, I don't feel like a senior citizen.  In fact, I continued buying a membership at the natural foods store for a full 3 years after I no longer had to do so.  Today, after 6 days of frigid cold, rain and then snow and flurries, gale force winds, I feel old.  Going out to the garden to again tie down the frost covers, walking out to the paddock to bring in Squirt, the bay I rode today, saddling and riding in the ring that is roofed, but has 4 huge open doors, one on each side, chilled me to the bone, reminding me that I have arthritis in my hands, wrists, shoulders, and knees.  Making me realize that I am no longer as young as I remember myself.  Now I understand why my Dad is bothered to realize that his eldest daughter is retired, graying of head, and now eligible for Medicare.  I hope I live as long and healthy as he has.

My Dad on the right, now 89 years young.