Back from Haitus

The Singing Tree, as we call him, stands at the entrance to the back pasture.
This time of year I imagine him singing to try to coax in Spring.  

Sometimes the things in life that bring us joy get put on hold, shoved aside, or boxed up and closeted altogether.  We all have times like these, and it's okay.  It happens for this reason or that, an illness, a new baby, a new job, a big move, or we just simply need to retreat from the world for a time.  I think of these as just seasons in life - go with it - don't beat yourself up - just accept it and move on.  It's all part of the discovery.  

So here I am, back from my little retreat and ready to move on.  I needed a little kick in the pants to get back to the more meaningful things in my life.  The things that keep me sane.  The things that let me create.  The things that give me joy.  It's been a journey and will continue to be a journey.  I've been learning to accept myself as I am, beautifully imperfect.  It's a process, and there are good days and bad.  But here goes nothing....

Yarn Along

This is the first time I've participated in the Yarn Along, but one of my goals this summer (I've taken the summer off!) was to actually read a book; not just listen to it as an audiobook, as I so often do, but actually read it.  I even went so far as to (finally) get a library card to my local library just so I could borrow this book.

I saw this book recommended by SpiderWomanKnits in one of her Instagram photos.  I've only just begun reading, but from the cover's description, it is about a childless couple who moved from Pennsylvania to the wilds of Alaska.  Longing for a child of their own, they build a girl out of snow only to find that she magically turns into a "real" girl.  Here's the actual synopsis from the inside cover of the book:

I'm really looking forward to this book as there seem to be many parallels with my own life.

As for what I'm knitting: I'm working on a set of knitter's mittens or fingerless gloves.  But I'm knitting two at a time on the same needles and from the same center pull ball.

I've never done this before, but I always find that (since I'm usually making up the pattern as I go along) I forget what I've done on the first one, so the second is slightly different.

I figure that if I knit them at the same time, the pattern will be exactly the same.  I'm using some of my hand dyed, hand spun BFL that I had stashed away for such an occasion.

The summer has been pretty darn rainy so far.  On one hand, all the rain has been really good for my late planted garden (I didn't get it in until almost mid-June!).  My beans, squash, and zucchini are getting ready to bloom already!  On the other hand, everything is so incredibly wet and muddy.  I can say though, that when it's raining, I don't feel guilty about staying inside, reading a book, spinning, or sewing.  Those are things that are difficult for me to do when it's nice outside.  We had a pretty big storm this morning and then again this evening.  They were calling for flash flooding, and as you can see below, we got it.

Fortunately we live on top of the hill!