InstaFriday

It's been an interesting week. Not all good... but not all bad, either.

1988

2012

We celebrated our 24th anniversary with a walk at the beach. Extravagant, I know. But you only live once...






















We got unsuspectingly dropped into the middle of an ugly bit of church politics... and I made (and ate) a dozen muffins in self-defence.

 We were given a new (to us) car.

And spring has firmly arrived, and there are many gorgeous flowers around the neighbourhood.


That's my week, more or less.


Linking up at LifeRearranged... and I'm wendyklassen on instagram, if you feel like following.

of the end of april: a recap

Another month just flew by. It boggles my mind that this year is one third finished. I'm glad that spring has arrived, though. It's my favourite.

This month I...

Retreated.
Well, I went away sans family for the better part of four days. Ahhhh, that was refreshing. It's something I need to do every once in a while.

Read lots.
Among others, I read the first three Jack Aubrey/Steven Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian (you may have seen Russell Crowe (yum) in Master and Commander: Far Side of the World). The books were a bit slow, and a tad heavy on the technical/sailing side, but I enjoyed them. Every once in a while there would be a statement that would make me laugh out loud with its dry, unexpected wit. Now I just need to slowly accumulate the other ten or so books in the series. 
Also, I re-read a few of Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Whimsey books. That's always a treat... her characters are so very appealing in their humanity.
A new author for me is Rennie Airth. I read his trilogy of crime/suspense books, set between post-WWI and mid-WWII in rural Britain and found them rather enjoyable.

Took a lot of photos.
As I may have mentioned once or twice, I've got a new smartphone with a very capable little camera. Now I'm never without the means of snapping a picture (...unless I've forgotten to bring my phone along...). Instagram is my new favourite thing.

Watched some TV.
Once Upon A Time has been fabulous. I can not wait to see how it all plays out, and I'm already mourning the end-of-season that is right around the corner. I do, however, dread the possibility that next season won't live up to this one. I've seen so many shows start out well and then just sink to utter dreck within a few years.
Castle is always a favourite. I love Nathan Fillion. And having Adam Baldwin guest on the show last week was pure fun! And this week there were zombies. I ask you, can it get better than that? Quote of the week: "It's time to holster the lasers and be adults." Awesome.
Also, Eureka is back again with the other half of the season (what is with the weird scheduling of some of these shows??)
And, of course, NCIS.

Cooked/ate. Paleo.
Still going with the paleo thing... have lost a few pounds, which is good, but more importantly, my brain chemistry seems to have improved. I feel like I'm a lot more emotionally level. Not so many mood swings. I'm liking it.

Sewed.
I bought a few purse/bag patterns from Keyka Lou. I like her designs a lot - they're cute, easily adaptable, and simple to make. Also, she allows people to sell things made from her patterns (as long as they're hand-made, not mass-produced) which I may actually start to do soon.

Made pottery.
Two evenings a week of classes. It was a bit much, and I'll be going back to just one night a week after this session is over with. I've been improving, though, and have made some pretty things. Glazing happens this week, and then I'll soon have a bunch of new things to show. (Which reminds me, I still haven't posted pictures of the last batch... better get on that soon!)

Schooled.
Ambleside Online Year 1 is still going well... when we do it. I'm soooo not motivated to do school every day, but we're pushing through. I still haven't decided if we'll keep going through the summer or not... it might be better to keep the routine going so we don't lose it entirely.

Pondered.
Many things. Like blogging, and what to talk about. Like God, and my relationship with him (it's complicated). Like prayer, and how I've realize that I don't really believe in it. Like how an introvert (me) fits into an extrovert-rewarding society. Like what my dreams are, and why they should matter. Many things, for which I have few answers.


So, that's a glimpse of my April. And while I wrote all this, May has arrived. Happy May Day!!

one of my favourite things about spring... wild flowers in the evening sun.

November: redux

It's time for my monthly gasp... how is it the end of November already?????
There... got that over with.

Here's what I've been up to:

knitting... That's the big one. I signed up for NaKniSweMo... the goal being to knit 50,000 stitches in the month of November. I succeeded. Big time. Like a boss. (yikes! I've been hanging out with my teenagers too much, I think!)

Both of these cardigans are built upon the same basic model... top-down, contiguous (meaning that they look like set-in sleeves, but they're knit all in one piece), and seamless. Ellie is wearing the Tomboy Cardigan, slightly modified, and mine is the Romy Cardigan (with added cabling).

This is a huge accomplishment for me... til now, it's taken me upwards of 6 months to complete an adult-sized sweater.

being sick... not an illness in sight all year (it feels like), and suddenly this month I come down with a two-day fever-thing followed by a UTI. Not fun. On the bright side, though, it did allow me to indulge in the following:

reading... all of the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cromwell. All. of. them. That would be 24 books (including 3 short stories). Why yes, I am a fast reader. Why do you ask?

schooling... it is such a joy to teach a child who has realized that things are easier and more fun if you choose to be cheerful about them. One day, Ellie just decided to enjoy copywork... something that she'd complained bitterly about every single day. Now she loves it. And it was her own decision. She's amazing!!

pinteresting... filling up my pin boards like nobody's business. And actually doing stuff, too. I love that place.

enjoying... a lot of lovely weather. Yes, we've had a lot of rain, and even a storm and some snow, but we've also been blessed with a lot of sunshine. I'm grateful for it.

Ellie and I went for a walk, only to find the path ending abruptly in a small lake... proof that we have indeed had lots of rain to go along with the sunshine.

cooking... I seem to have gotten a bit of my kitchen mojo back again. For a while there I just couldn't think of anything to make. But lately, there's been lots of good things appearing on the table... some of it in my own pottery dishes, too!!

apple-almond pudding in my pie plate.

planning for next month... Christmas, naturally. A thing that, frankly, fills me with a bit of dread. I dislike shopping... I prefer being solitary to attending large gatherings of people... Christmas as it is commonly practiced is not my cup of tea. But I do like to make my family happy, so I do what needs to be done, and try to make it a joyful occasion.  (I feel like such a curmudgeon, even putting this out in type... oh well.)

So, that's November. On to the next month...

(linking up to Megan at SortaCrunchy)

October-ing.

A summing up.

This month I was:

Reading... Yes I was. Kathleen Norris. Madeleine L'Engle. Angie Smith. NONFICTION, people. Do you know how uncharacteristic this is??? Reading is my escape. It's not supposed to make me think. (Please don't judge me.) But, surprisingly, I've really enjoyed it all!!

Watching... Castle. NCIS. Downton Abbey. Season two is not nearly as good as the first season. I hate when that happens.

Cooking... Glorying in my crockpot. Oatmeal cooked overnight so as to be ready first thing in the morning... stews simmering all day long... so good.

Creating... I finished up the second round of pottery classes with a grand total of 15 thrown vessels, plus a stack of things that I made at home and brought in for firing/glazing. Can't wait til they're all done and can be brought home. Also, I have dusted off the sewing machine again... time to start sewing costumes.

Enjoying... a month of rather glorious weather. Yes there were some gloomy days, but on the whole we had a rather lovely month.

Celebrating... my birthday. I am now the answer to life, the universe, and everything. How bizarre is that?!

Teaching... a bit more reluctantly than last month. The novelty has worn off, and Ellie's a bit more whiny about things she doesn't like. I've been chanting our little mantra... "I am, I can, I ought, I will"... over and over and over again. "Oh, right", she says, and then we get on with it.

Thankful... for cozy woolen knits and knee-high socks. For food to eat. For a vehicle that runs well (even though it has no heat). For leaves that glow red against the evergreens, and roses that refuse to stop blooming. For my community of friends. For a cupboard full of different kinds of tea. For sunset skies and the croak of ravens.