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

A Little Christmas Letter

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Dear Friends,

I am swamped. Between the wrapping and the baking and the shopping and the socializing, the working and the gmail migrating and on and on, well, there just isn’t much time for blogging.  On top of the general busy-ness, there has been drama. I was truly emotionally overwhelmed by some really crappy stuff that happened to my wonderful husband over the last month but I will say that the horrific events in Connecticut last week put some perspective on what’s tolerable and what’s not. And I will also say that things are much better, which is probably the only reason I can even make reference to it now. We have made some pretty good lemonade out of some really rotten lemons and I am so grateful for our ability to come through this relatively unscathed. I do need some vodka in that lemonade, though, or maybe I should just make lemontinis and be done with it.

The bottom line, though, is this: it’s Christmastime and, in spite of the busy and the crappy, I’m finding a silver lining. I’m holding my family close and I’m remembering what’s important in this world and I’m grateful for everything and everyone in my life.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have 6 pounds of Swedish meatballs to prepare. Ahem.

 

Thankful Tree

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Thanksgiving is a week away, can you believe it? It’s my favorite holiday, a day set aside for thankfulness and food and I think I’ve really gotten into the Thanksgiving spirit this year. Our house is decorated with fall leaves and gourds, turkeys and a Thankful Tree.

You know what a Thankful Tree is, right? It’s just what it sounds like – a tree loaded with things for which you are thankful. I made mine last Sunday and it didn’t take much time at all.

I had Dale bring me a branch from the yard and I stuck it in a vase of cranberries. I used my scrapbooking supplies to cut out circles and ovals from fall themed paper.

I strung those tags on orange yarn and hung them all on the branch and now each day we take off a blank tag and write something we are thankful for on it.

So far it includes things like each other, our marriage, our jobs and our homes. We’ll continue to add to it each day until Thanksgiving and I’m sure we’ll come up with more creative and unique ideas as the days pass.

It’s good to acknowledge all that we have. It’s good to be thankful.

 

Thankful Thursday

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And here we are with the 4th installment of Thankful Thursdays. I think it’s been even more rewarding to write these posts this year because I covered the major things last year (family, home, job, friends, etc.) and didn’t want to be repetitive. That has meant that I’ve really had to think about all the things I am thankful for and I’ve realized I have many blessings. And so, finally, this week I am thankful for:

Thankful Thursday Mosaic Week 4

  1. My camera. It has allowed me to share so much of my world with you and I am grateful to have a very nice camera along with some pretty awesome lenses.
  2. The internet. I remember the days when there were no search engines and you had to use a url to find anything. Now there is so much out there and it has been a wonderful resource for me. I have made friends, and enhanced my ability to do my job. I’ve wasted a lot of time, too, but it’s all good.
  3. Thanksgiving. I guess this is obvious but if we didn’t have Thanksgiving I think it would be really easy to just forget to be thankful. So on Thanksgiving I remember all I have – the ones I love, the job I enjoy, the comfort of my home and my pets, the hobbies and the friends and all the blessings in my life.

In closing, let us consider the words of this quote:

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Let’s all live with an attitude of gratitude! Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.

Thankful Thursdays

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Is it really the third Thursday in November already? Sometimes I think these weekly themed posts make the weeks fly by too quickly. Surely it isn’t my advanced age.

Thankful Thursday Mosaic Week 3

Anyway, this week I am thankful for:

  1. Our woodstove. It’s a beautiful soapstone stove that we bought right before we got married and I love it. There’s really nothing quite like a fire to provide not just warmth but also a high coziness factor. Dale replaced the glass on the front of the stove this week and I can’t believe how clean and beautiful the fire looks now. While it’s certainly extra work to haul wood, the benefits are wonderful.
  2. Hannah’s upcoming homecoming. It’s only 5 sleeps away now and I can’t wait to have my girl back under my roof for several nights. I haven’t seen her since 10/10/10 and I’ve really missed her.
  3. My ability to cook. I don’t mean this to sound conceited but I’m really thankful that I can plan and prepare meals for my family. We save money, we eat more nutritious food, and I get a lot of pleasure in showing my love for people in this way. Whether it’s a fancy dinner like last Saturday night’s filet mignon with baked potato and brussels sprouts with maple butter pecans, or something simple like American Chop Suey (yes, I said IT), or a homemade apple pie, it’s always delicious and it always makes me happy.

Reflecting on thankfulness makes me happy, too.

Thankful Thursdays

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You know what I really love about Thankful Thursdays? It actually makes me think about being thankful all week long. You see, I plan my posts in my head and this makes me think of all kinds of things I could list when it comes time to write my Thankful Thursdays post. It transcends Thursdays, my friends.

Thankful Thursday Mosaic Week 2

This week I am thankful for:

  1. Veterans. Today is Veteran’s Day and I am thankful for the men and women that served our country. I am thankful for those that volunteered for this service and I am thankful for those that were drafted into service. I am grateful that they sacrificed their time with their families in order to protect mine.
  2. Kiwanis. I love being a part of an organization that does so much good for our community. Last week we donated $500 to a local child who suffers from Spastic Quadriplegia Cystic Fibrosis. It was an instant and unanimous decision and it feels great to give away money like that – and that’s just one example of the kind of things we do for the people.  Tonight we are assembling care packages to send to our soldiers who are overseas. We work hard at our fundraisers like selling Christmas trees and the Pancake Breakfast, but it’s wonderful to be part of a group that exists for the sole purpose of helping others.
  3. Wheaton College. When I went to Wheaton it was a small liberal-arts college for women. It was (and still is) a gorgeous campus and I know without a doubt that it was the exact right place for me to be. I would not be the woman I am today if I had gone anywhere else. Things have changed at Wheaton, in fact the decision to go co-ed was made on the weekend I graduated, but I think the school is still a remarkable place. Last week I heard that the son of an acquaintance is applying “early decision” to go there, just as I did 28 years ago. While it’s still strange to me to hear about a man going to my alma mater, I’m thankful it’s still there and I’m so thankful for the experiences I had as a student there.

Being thankful feels good. And it’s contagious, too.

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