Carole Knits

october zinnia
october zinnia
martinis with a view
martinis with a view
gettysburg fence for
gettysburg fence for
germinate shawl on rocks
germinate shawl on rocks
field of flags 2
field of flags 2
color affection with edge
color affection with edge
cedar leaf shawlette 2
cedar leaf shawlette 2
3_27_2014
3_27_2014
3_18_13
3_18_13
2_24_2014
2_24_2014
1_11_13
1_11_13
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
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Eye Candy Friday

May 20, 2022 By Carole

Coffee on the deck season is back and I couldn’t be happier! Well . . . I’d like less pine pollen, if I’m being completely honest. But still, coffee on the deck. Hurrah!

And hurrah for the weekend, too, friends. Cheers to a good one!

Filed Under: Eye Candy Friday 10 Comments

Three On Thursday

May 19, 2022 By Carole

three thursday spring

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and today I’m sharing 3 things that are on my mind about mental health.

  1. I have seen a therapist off and on since I was 18 and a freshman in college. At that time, my brother had just died, my mother was borderline suicidal, I was terribly homesick (it was actually displaced grief) and I pretty quickly recognized that I needed help. I’m so grateful that I was able to talk with someone on campus, not just because it helped me with my mental health at that time, but also because I learned at an early age that therapy is a game changer. I also saw a therapist after my mother died, Dale and I worked with a marriage therapist to help with issues as we blended our family, and I started seeing a therapist again shortly after Randy committed suicide. For me, therapy is the work of a lifetime and it’s something that not only helps me, it’s something I enjoy.
  2. Everybody can benefit from therapy. Yes, I said everybody. You don’t have to have gone through terrible things, although I have. You don’t have to be plagued with anxiety, although I am. You don’t have to have been through divorce and grief and trauma, although those are all things I have experienced. You simply have to have a brain. When Dale was in the hospital after his accident, the social worker came to his room to see if he wanted to discuss his feelings about what happened to him. Dale told her that he really didn’t remember what happened and that he didn’t therapy. She point blank told him: everyone with a brain needs therapy. It’s something that has stuck with me ever since.
  3. We need to be open about our experiences with mental health. I’m not saying you need to write a blog or a book or go on local cable and discuss your trauma. But I am saying that sharing your experience with a trusted friend or family member is a good idea. Not only will it help you to process your feelings, it may also help them to understand you better. And it will illustrate to them that you aren’t afraid to talk about your mental health and, in doing so, it may help them to open up about their own struggles. I was so proud of my sister-in-law for her honesty and openness about Randy’s suicide. We had many many people reach out to us and thank us for being truthful about how Randy died and then going on to share about their own family or friends who had also committed suicide. Getting it out in the open is freeing. When someone we know is diagnosed with cancer we are immediately on board with cards and a meal train and tons of support. If that same person is diagnosed with a mental illness, we either don’t know because it’s private, or, if we do know, we feel awkward about addressing it. Let’s end the stigma and talk about it.

I’m not a doctor and my experiences as described here are all first hand and anecdotal. I hope you will consider what I have shared and use it to enhance how you deal with mental health . . . either your own or someone else’s.

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Filed Under: Three Things, Thursday Things 14 Comments

About That Tree

May 18, 2022 By Carole

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I showed you the photo of my flowering crabapple tree? And I mentioned that it looked good from the angle I showed you? Here’s the photo in case you forgot:

Well, some of you, <cough>Kym<cough>Bonny<cough> asked what I meant. Today, I’m coming clean. I showed you the view of the tree from my deck. This is the view from the other side:

And this is a side view, showing the gorgeous flowering part on the left and the . . . errrr . . . rather flat side on the right.

We planted this tree over 20 years ago, it was a Mother’s Day gift from the kids and Dale. Obviously we did not choose a great place to put it; it’s overshadowed by a huge black walnut tree on the right and as such it has grown slowly and lopsided.

Live and learn, right? Or . . . laugh it off!

Filed Under: That's Life 7 Comments

Prom Time

May 17, 2022 By Carole

If you’re reading that title you’re probably confused because who would I be sharing prom photos of these days? I’ll tell you who in a moment but I will say this . . . if you’re a long time reader of this blog . . . you might want to sit down before you scroll further. You see, this little baby, just went to the prom.

Gulp.

She has grown into a beautiful, smart, and extremely talented young woman. Here, let me show you.

That dress, right? And the wind blowing her hair? And the back drop. It’s a stunning combination, but mostly I just can’t take my eyes off of her.

With her amazing mom. I couldn’t even begin to tell you the things that Heather does for Ambrynn. She blows me away.

And her dad. I don’t think Dale will mind me telling you that he got pretty verklempt over this photo.

I consider Ambrynn my granddaughter and she calls me Nana but we aren’t actually related by blood. And yet, this smile that’s almost a smirk? So.much.like.me. It’s all in the attitude and we both know it.

Dale and I miss Brant, Heather, and Ambrynn so much and we are so grateful for the wonderful visit we had with them last summer. Thanks for indulging me as I shared these photos.

Filed Under: That's Life 11 Comments

Museum of Me

May 16, 2022 By Carole

A new exhibit has been installed at the Museum of Me and it couldn’t be more . . . perfect . . . for me because it’s about my favorite book as a kid. Let’s take a trip back to 10 year old Carole. The future librarian. Her favorite book was actually a series of books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and called, affectionately, The Little House Books.

I’m not sure exactly how old I was when I read Little House in the Big Woods for the first time. The suggested age level is 8-12, but I was a pretty advanced reader and I’m fairly certain I read this in 2nd grade. And once I read that one, I couldn’t wait to read all of the others. Of course, as Laura matured, so did the nature of the books and I know my mother held me back some before she’d let me read the later ones, but I do know that by the time I finished elementary school I had read them all. Multiple times.

This is me in 5th grade at the height of my Little House books obsession. I was thrilled to have a dress like Laura would have worn.

I loved that Laura was so real. I loved that Ma and Pa had a loving relationship (and we shan’t discuss the fantasy that probably was.) I loved that the books were historical and set during a time I wish I could have experienced myself. I loved that they traveled by covered wagon and grew their own food and struggled and persisted and triumphed. I loved the illustrations by Garth Williams and the romance that blossomed between Laura and Almanzo when she was a young lady. I loved that Laura became a teacher and then a wife with a husband and child and home of her own. I think my favorite, of all of the books, was Little Town On the Prairie, but it’s very hard to actually choose.

You know what I did not love? That they turned my favorite books into a television series. And, in doing so, they completely abandoned the real things that happened for sensationalized stories and 60 minute plots. Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t watch it, because I did. And I wanted Michael Landon to be my father in the worst way. But this was also my first (and certainly not last) realization that the book is always, always better than the television show or movie.

Thanks for joining us in the library . . . I mean exhibit hall . . . this month. Check back in on the 3rd Monday of June for a exhibit in the Museum of Me. And shout out to Kym for this really fun monthly blog prompt!

Filed Under: Museum of Me 12 Comments

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Flower haul, day 2. #flowersaremagical #containerg Flower haul, day 2. #flowersaremagical #containergardening #timetoplant #givemealltheplants
It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tr It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tradition with my gardening bestie @doemack87 . I think we even left some plants behind … maybe. 🤣 #plantshopping #containergardening #plantsgalore #flowersaremagical
Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pe Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pepperoni for him. I’m loving our @oonihq pizza oven. #oonipizzaoven #ooni #margheritapizza #pepperonipizza #homemadeisbest #imadeitmyself #summernights
Fred has assured me that there is no pea under tha Fred has assured me that there is no pea under that pile of quilts. #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecat #princessandthepea #pileofquilts
First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer hash browns with avocado and crispy fried eggs. Delicious! And so nice to enjoy under the pergola. #breakfastalfresco #inmybackyard #airfryerhashbrown
Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. # Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. #fridaynightsnacks #martinitime #cheeseandcrackers #happyhourathome #itsspringbutfeelslikesummer
Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beau Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beauties while we can. #ranunculus #flowersaremagical #springblooms #crossstreetflowerfarm
Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siameseca Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecorner #siamesecats
It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooo It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooof, what a week. #fridaynightsnacks #cheeseandcrackers #martinitime #thosenapkinsthough #iwishiwasaunicornsoicouldstabpeoplewithmyhead #fuckyouscotus
Egg in the hole for breakfast this Saturday mornin Egg in the hole for breakfast this Saturday morning. So delicious with @paindavignoncafe bread and local eggs. #saturdaymorningvibes #egginthehole #itswhatsforbreakfast #localfood #eatlocal
In this week’s adventures with the Ooni, we have In this week’s adventures with the Ooni, we have expanded to pepperoni. It’s quite good! @ooni.it #oonipizzaoven #homemadeisbest #pepperonipizza #pizzafriday #fridaynightsnacks
Hoppy Spring! #happyspring #happyeaster #easterdec Hoppy Spring! #happyspring #happyeaster #easterdecor #daffodilbouquet
My first pizza in our new @ooni.it pizza oven. The My first pizza in our new @ooni.it pizza oven. There’s room for improvement but it’s still very very tasty. #fridaynightsnacks #pizzafriday #oonipizzaoven #neopolitanpizza #margaritapizza #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest #martinitime
The squill is blooming, it must be spring! #squill The squill is blooming, it must be spring! #squill #scilla #springishere #flowersaremagical
I’ve been making sourdough bread for over 2 year I’ve been making sourdough bread for over 2 years now (I started before the pandemic, ironically enough) and this might just be one of my best loaves. The dough was sluggish yesterday and not ready to be proofed when I went to bed so I stuck the plastic bucket in the fridge and hoped for the best. Turns out the overnight bulk fermentation resulted in a beautiful, bouncy dough. I can’t wait to cut into it and check out the crumb but it’s still cooling down. #sourdoughbread #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest #breadbaker
Happy Spring, friends! #springishere #snowdrops #o Happy Spring, friends! #springishere #snowdrops #ostara #flowersaremagical #inmygardentoday
And just like that … Friday Night Snacks are bac And just like that … Friday Night Snacks are back outside. #fridaynightsnacks #cheeseandcrackers #falsespring #outdoordining #martinitime #cocktailsonthedeck #itslikeweneverleft
Sláinte! #happystpatricksday #cruditè #minishepa Sláinte! #happystpatricksday #cruditè #minishepardspie #everybodysirishonstpatricksday
Oh heyyyyy #siamesecats #fredandgeorge #siamesecat Oh heyyyyy #siamesecats #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecorner #blueeyedcat #littermatesforlife
Happy FriYay, friends. The world is heavy and thin Happy FriYay, friends. The world is heavy and things feel uncertain, it’s okay to take a respite and enjoy some drinks and snacks to wind down the week. #fridaynightsnacks #cocktailsathome #martinitime #respitefromtheworld #cheeseandcrackers
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