GM Sunday

Sunday.
Here we are at the end of another month. I have to say, this month/this year is certainly moving fast. Yesterday I was successful in keeping my pulse down so as to donate blood; my first time! And I have to say, by the time the nurse went over all the do's and specifically the don'ts for afterward, I was beginning to question my decision to give. Fortunately I didn't give in to my over active mind and was happy to get it done. After all, someone's life can be saved and my feelings are we should all be here for one another, so I was happy to help...my next appt is in 8 wks.
Next Sunday I am going back for a second performance of A Christmas Carol the musical. I also wanted to go to Menopause the Musical only when I went to check on the tix on Friday, discovered that it was only to be music without the action! That was a total disappointment, I wasn't prepared to spend $35 on a recital. So looking ahead, there are a few other shows coming up: Beauty and the Beast, My Fair Lady...these are at the Hult Center and then at the Actors Cabaret, Legally Blonde and something about a trailer park (can't ever recall the title, lol), and Avenue Q.
My knitting is coming along well, finally to the sleeves on my CPH, I have one commuter mitt nearly complete (just need to do the flap), and started the doggie sweater for Tab's, Emi. Next up, I think it's time for more socks (one can never have too many pairs of socks after all!), oh and I also picked up one of Lorna Pearman's patterns yesterday, The Ivy Headband, a very cool headband I've been wanting to make forever...now I can! I'm thinking a red would be amazing, I wonder if there is a red in the http://www.berroco.com/shade_cards/pure_pima_sh.html...just found it, YES there is a red! So, it's back to The Knit Shop tomorrow to pick up some more fiber!
Okay, so if I'm to get anything accomplished today, I'd better get at it...TTFN!

~My life is filled with positive abundance, all my needs are met and more...

Black Friday, eh?

Friday.

Well. Yeah, well. So here we are, it's Friday night...black friday...whatever, all I have to say is, I am not interested in the whole commercial, H8 filled, gotta have it...ugh!!! I'm staying home and taking care of the laundry and burning dinner lol and may even clean the house. Tomorrow I shall give blood, distribute hats for people who are cold and take a long and luxurious walk...yeah, this has meaning!

~Life is wonderful...

Back to Paleo, the possibility of a first frost, Komen Eugene 2011 pix

Monday.
I've been slacking off as of late; albeit I'm still losing weight thankfully. But slacking all the same. So it's back to my strict Paleo diet again. It's not bad and I do enjoy living a more Paleo lifestyle. I still have plenty of energy, but I find myself eating grains and craving sugar-a result of eating grains. So in order to get back on track, it's back to Paleo.
So according to what I've seen online, we are in store for our first frost of the season tonight. I expected as much; I've been freezing all day and the sky is clear tonight. I'm still not wanting to put on the heat though. I'm trying to push that little chore out until at least November. I really wanted to hold out until January but that doesn't look like it's going to happen!
Yesterday was the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure here in Eugene. It was an absolute honor to join the over 6000 participants in this momentous event. Just looking out at the sea of people was at the same time awe-inspiring as it was just a bit overwhelming.
Here's a great shot of Helen and I

And here are some other great pix:






~Can't wait for Eugene marathon...

Lemon sauce and bread pudding...

Monday.
I made this today along with the lemon sauce...yummy!

~I'd like to read now...

Pumpkins anyone?

Sunday.
Ahhh what a beautiful weekend. Well, today it turned out more stunning than yesterday. The day began with fog and the sun finally made an appearance in the latter part of the afternoon. So after my walk and coffee, twice, I decided to pick up a little pumpkin to carve and then I will make a pie. I don't think I'll carve my pumpkin for a few days yet. Today though, I made some bread pudding...yumm! It's cooling now and then I will share with my neighbor, Amir. I don't believe he has ever tasted bread pudding, this should be a fun treat for him then (~:

The leaves are changing quite rapidly now. It also catches me off guard every year. One day I am out there and everything is green and then, it seems as if overnight, the trees are showing off their new Fall colors...brilliant! Did I mention... I love Fall!

I bought another pair of shoes today. I know, I know! It's like yarn though, when I see something I want, I don't wait around, I just get it! And in my defense though, they were 1/2 off and no shipping so I did save a good amt of money, nearly $40! That should be it for the rest of the year...well, unless those cute boots go on further discount...lol

So this week starts my OT time. I'm actually ready for it. I go back to the gym tomorrow; really looking forward to it too. Hmmm, I think I'll go work on my sweater. I haven't given it much love in the passed couple of days.

~But then again, there's that watch cap I want to make...

Progress on CPH

Friday.
Making some good progress on my CPH, here's the back, it still needs to be blocked:

This is such an easy pattern, love the wool, it's so soft. I can't wait to get this completed so I can wear it!
~I think I'll go carve a pumpkin...

Next year's vacation

Thursday.
Wow, it's really been quite sometime, hasn't it? Okay, I'll work harder on getting back to this more frequently. The weather has been kind of crazy, some rain, some sun and it's getting chilly. So, with the cooler weather in mind, I have started a sweater. The CPH in fact. Albeit I wanted to do the CPH with the Viking cabling, I ran into a snag in the pattern directions and the #'s just weren't adding up right. I didn't want to take the time to go back thru, for the third time, and do the math again, so I decided to just cast on the original and get this thing made! I am thoroughly enjoying the pattern and have now finished the back. It's beautiful, I love the cabling. I'm making it in WOA by KP in the Blackberry colorway. This wool is knitting up beautifully and oh how I love the soft feel of it. It's going to keep me cozy this Fall into Winter
.
I decided to take the next couple of days off; the last of my vacation days. I had to get my mammogram in soon and they are not open on Fridays or weekends. So today it is. I'm taking very good care of myself. So since deciding to take these last days of vacation hours, I have been thinking of next year's vacation. I'll have 3 wks coming to me and I think I shall plan a proper vacation. You know, it seems that all my personal time off is usually for something other than me. Well, going to dr appts of course if for me, but I don't call that a vacation. No, this time I am going on a properly planned vacation. I am thinking I shall go alone. You know, like rent a car, reserve a hotel room and just go explore somewhere I haven't been, or even explore somewhere I have been but have been with someone who didn't appreciate the time for what it could have been...we need not go there! At any rate, this is my vacation. I make all the calls on what I do and where I go. I'm thinking the beach. In fact, I'm thinking of reserving my room now, at the Moolack Shores along the coast. I love that place. There's magic there. I've been going thru this all day long, trying to figure out what time of year would be best. I love it in the summer. I would finally be able to take as much time along the beach as I want and drive into Depot Bay for some scrumptious clam chowder at the Chowder Bowl.

I still haven't made up my mind, but I am putting the process into motion and doing what I need to do now to make it happen. I've sent out my request to the Universe so I know I am covered. This is happening, it's my time now! Hmmm, perhaps a trip to Yachats, I haven't stopped there yet. Or maybe a trip to Southern Oregon...or maybe a cruise...nah, I think it would be more fun to just drive up and down the coast and explore this beautiful state. Then who knows where to next. I still want to take the kids to Europe, maybe in 2013 we can get it together for that.

~Until then...

Welcome October, welcome Fall!

Saturday. Ah, September is done. I feel like I've been away for months and now I have returned...hooray for October! It's def time to celebrate. So in honor of my fave time of the year, I went out on a nice bike ride, did some walking, did some shopping at Saturday Market and treated myself to a new Fall necklace and fresh veggies from my fave farm at the farmer's market. I also ca~me home and made myself a pumpkin pie. Now as that wasn't enough, I made the score of a lifetime at the local manor thrift sale. I picked up a Pothos plant that is 74 yrs old! The folks who gave it up for sale are 100 and 98 yo and planted this plant when they first married and this year they are celebrating their 74th anniversary! Can you imagine that?! I feel quite honored to have this plant among my other lovelies and it's already showing signs of perkiness; I believe it likes it here already (~: I'm working on a sweater, yup that's right, a sweater. And I have set myself a goal to have it done within the month. I'm currently working on the back and it is beautiful. I also need to get some socks started and some hats for the homeless, so I'd better get on it. I'm so glad to be back on my own work schedule too, now I feel like me again. So welcome October, and welcome Fall and now I must get back to it! I'll leave you with this pic:

Bike commute challenge, locavore challenge

Saturday.
wow, here we are at labor day weekend already; the official end of summer. And just like everywhere else, we seem to be a bit surprised as we just started our summer season, well at least with the weather anyway. The bike commute challenge officially began on Sept 1 and so far I have logged in 19 miles and saved 18lbs of CO2. I'm not sure how that actually relates to breathing space, but it's sure to be a very minute amount, so it looks like I'd better just keep riding. I've also challenged myself to the locavore. I am committing myself to only purchase my food from local growers and distributors. So far to good as we do have nearby farms, etc. I already do this for the most part, but the challenge is to commit this to everything. I began by purchasing some great veggies at farmer's market today. I'm still working on exploring some of my local markets to get the fresh milk and eggs, which is kind of a challenge in and of itself as I don't drink that much cows milk, I'd rather prefer coconut or almond milk. Here though, there is a local maker-distributor of the preferred, so it's all good.
I've also set myself another goal. I did decide on the CPH, however, I'm going to do the Viking cable pattern instead. I have everything to get started on it and now just to get cast-on. I hope to do that by tomorrow, or Monday latest and have challenged myself to get it done in a month's time...along with Jamie's socks and Eric's minis.

~So stop fooling around and get on it then...

Welcome September!

Thursday.
Well, it's Thursday and you know what that means...tomorrow is Friday! Hurray, and since it's also the first of the new month it's also First Friday Artwalk (tomorrow that is). Today the bike commute challenge began and I have already logged in my first 6 miles. I saw a lot of bikes out on the bike path on my ride this afternoon; nice! I have to go into the office tomorrow so I'm going to ride down to Eug station and catch the EMX out to work and then ride my bike home again. There's another 6 miles or more tomorrow, yay me. And by the end of this week, I'll also be over 800 miles walked for the year so far, that's just 200 more to go to goal...wow! I was talking to Cheyenne yesterday and we were discussing next year's goal, I'm thinking 1500? We'll see, that may be a bit aggressive, but I don't know, I did from 250 to 700 to 1000, so I believe I can do it.
Next month is Tour de sock, I'd better get with it and get Jamie's socks done so I can be prepared. Tonight though, I am working on the next page in the Teeny Tiny Mochimochi book...it's the fish pattern. I'm really in the mood to get a sweater for fall started, yeah like now! Okay, this has to be a new, doable goal. Not only start, but finish a sweater in a months time...can I do it? I think I'm going to give it a try. I want a hoodie, that zips up front, with cabling...the Central Park Hoodie comes to mind, but everyone has done that one. So maybe I'll do that one if I don't find another quick that I like. I think I'll go check out ravelry now for just such a sweater.
~TTFN...