Back To Yarn Along

Linking today with Ginny for Yarn Along.


It has been stinking hot here for the last week, so not really the best weather for knitting. But I still managed to achieve a little bit.

I felt like a little fun knitting and I just love making tea cosies. So spent a quiet afternoon watching Little House on the Prairie and knitting up this cosy. I am really hoping to make an owl cosy next.


Next project in the works comes from the wonderful Arne and Carlos - just love these guys!

This is a fantastic book - love all the projects. And that gorgeous afghan is my motivation to set aside a few hours a week this year to teach myself crochet - finally!


But for now, I am knitting a mat for my teapot.

There are a few different flowers in the book using this method, including a chair pad made by joining a few of the flowers together. My wooden computer chair is not very comfortable and definitely needs one!


For reading, I have just started Hannah and Emil.

The Amazon blurb says:


An inspiring novel of great courage and enduring love set against a backdrop of the turmoil and devastation of World War II.


I am only part through chapter two but it is wonderful so far. I like the use of the reminiscing technique whereby the author started with Hannah's granddaughter sorting through some of her grandmother's possessions and then going back to when Hannah was a child.


I liked this post from The Wayward Knitter on feeding your stash. I totally agree, yarn on sale doesn't count, ever!


I look forward to the knitting that is taking place in the northern hemisphere, in front of your cosy wood fires!

Send Some Happy Mail

In clicking around other people's blogs (as we all do, even though we try to limit it!), I came across this lovey post, Send Happy Mail in 2017.

And I thought it was a fabulous idea! I know that I get such joy when someone sends me a simple card or letter in the mail. It just seems so much more personal than sending the same message in an email. I can't quite put my finger on it. I guess it is the same as people still preferring a real book to an ebook. Just the feel of the paper and having an actual physical item in your hand is different somehow.

I know my niece loves receiving mail and she gets inordinately more pleasure from the experience than the time it takes me to write the letter or card.

And I know I just love to receive a little something in the mail that isn't a bill!

So who would like to find their prettiest stationery and notecards and join me in sending some snail mail this year?  It can be to friends, family members, church members, anyone who you think needs a pick-me-up or just a hello. Maybe someone you haven't been in contact with for a while.

Here are some lovely links for snail mail ideas:

How to create a snail mail box - a place to keep all your snail mail goodies in one spot so you are always reading to zip off a quick letter.

Writing charming snail mail -when you are stuck for ideas!

Fun and thrifty snail mail package - when you want to go a little bit bigger!

Free Pretty Things For You - I love, love, love FPTFY! Oh my, there are so many gorgeous vintage images here. Use them to make all sorts of pretty stationery.

And, of course, typing Free Printable Stationery into Google will bring up about 2,000 million to choose from!

I'm looking forward to snail mailing lots of people this year. A way to bring some joy to others and for me to get creative and have some fun!

And as an added bonus -

Linking with Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Crafting On. A bit of a stretch, but I think letters can be crafty!

Twenty Two Virtues

I was recently reading away in one of my aromatherapy texts, Aromatherapy for Life Empowerment, when I came to this list of twenty-two virtues. By practicing these twenty-two virtues daily, we can improve our quality of life and the lives of those around us.


I found them all to be so simple and self-explanatory, yet sometimes it is helpful to have them pointed out to us. We tend to rush along in the busyness of our daily lives and forget to sit quietly and just contemplate.

1. Have self-discipline
2. Be honest
3. Be truthful
4. Be grateful
5. Have integrity
6. Take action
7. Be trustworthy
8. Keep your word
9. Be kind
10. Take control of yourself
11. Don't blame others
12. Be forgiving
13. Be a peacemaker
14. Have persistence
15. Connect with the higher source
16. Be the best you can be
17. Think for yourself
18. Spend time in a quiet place
19. Respect life
20. Right your wrongs
21. Have compassion
22. Simplify your life


The book then goes on to say to rate yourself from 1 to 5 for each virtue, so you can determine which ones need improvement in your life.


I know I definitely need to work on numbers 6, 10, 11 and 12. I have spent too much time blaming others for where I find myself and not taking control of my own life. The passive victim needs to go! I know I will still not be able to do all that I wish to - that is part of life, I think, unless you live alone and can make all your own decisions. But I need to make peace with the areas of my life that are not as I wish, let it go and forgive.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Joining in today with Happy Homemaker Monday at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom. 

 

On The Weather Front

Still stinking hot! After a few hot days in a row, it always take a few more days for the house to cool down. Looking forward to a cool night tonight though.

Reading

Sweet Sanctuary by Kim Vogel Sawyer. Lovely light reading for the summer holidays.

Watching

I was browsing the shelves of our library last week and spotted Series 1, 2 and 3 of Little House on the Prairie. I haven't watched these since I used to watch them on TV as a girl and am really enjoying them as some lovely crafting viewing. My mending pile has been growing very quickly, so I aim to sit down with that and some Laura this evening.

I'm Hoping

That it will cool down soon! Hot weather and I are not friends. Also that the school holidays will never end (not very likely though!)

I'm Learning

Studying away at my Aromatherapy. Very interesting as you can take the science as deep as you would like - and it can get very technical, if you like science!

Crafting

Not much in the heat, but still working on a quilt for baby and some knitting projects for other new babies coming along.

Grateful For

School holidays and having the boys home and stress free for six whole weeks! It is so much more relaxing than school time.

Dreaming Of

Finally finding my block of land and building an off-grid home. And of homeschooling the boys again.

Favourite Photo

Little granddaughter was happy sitting with the dog - until the face licking started! So blessed that we live close to our daughter.

Devotionals, Scripture, Key Verses

Wishing you all a lovely week.

 

Motto for 2017

I think I will adopt this as my motto for 2017.

I have always let fear of failure, and the potential ridicule that comes with failure, define what I attempt in my life. I feel it is time to step out of this mindset.
I have recently been reading Living Courageously by Joyce Meyer and the most important one line message I have come away with is you need to 'do it afraid'. If you never do things you are afraid of, you will never do anything at all.


What do you think? Do you have a 'motto' in mind for 2017? Or something that you would really like to alter in your life or mindset?