My little geranium is blooming. I thought it was done for the season.
This makes me happy.
I’ve been covering up the impatiens with a sheet on the nights the temperature drops below freezing. To tell you the honest truth, I don’t know whether I’m up for overwintering all of them again. I’ve done it for two years running, but there is only so much space in this cottage and I don’t know where I would put them. And I have more to overwinter this year than last.
If I had to choose just a few it would be too hard for me, as I’m a sentimental sap about my plants. I almost wish Mother Nature would make the decision for me.
Bad Claudia.
I suppose it’s because of a combination of things but mostly because I’m in mourning and I just don’t have the energy. We’re going to do very little Christmas decorating this year. We’re not even getting a big tree. I just don’t have it in me. My birthday is Saturday, but the awareness that this is my first birthday without a living parent is overshadowing the day. Last year, Dad forgot my birthday – the first time that has ever happened – and, of course, it was my first birthday without my mother. But right before he was re-admitted to the hospital we had a phone conversation in which he mentioned my birthday, “You have a birthday coming up!” and I remember thinking that he was going to remember it and it would be great to hear from him on that day.
Bittersweet.
Let’s change the subject.
Announcement: We gave away the guest room bed. It’s gone. I took some pictures of the bed and we each ran posts on Facebook saying we were giving away a good, rarely used, mattress/box spring/frame. And one of Don’s musician friends offered to take it, which led to Don and I trying to get the danged mattress and box spring down the stairs. It’s a full size, and there’s no split box spring, as there is with our newer mattress. It took some creative moves on our part and a lot of cursing. But we got it downstairs. Our friends strapped it to their car and off they went.
Now we can make that room a functioning office/studio space for both of us. Of course, each of us would rather have a room to ourselves, but that ain’t happening in a two bedroom cottage. So, we’ll play nice and share.
I just have to save up for a desk. I’ve picked one out (from IKEA) and when I can afford it – hopefully soon, please – we’ll get it. In the meantime, we can start rearranging things in that room.
Scarf in progress.
Scarf finished. It’s in the Etsy shop. Soft, beautiful yarn in a colorway called Reef. I really love this one.
Edited to add: Sold! Thank you so much! If you see a scarf you like and are thinking about it, my advice is to act quickly!
I’ve been crocheting like a madwoman. The scarves are fun to make and they give me something repetitive and comforting to do with my hands. And they bring in a little extra money, which is more welcome than I can say.
For those of you who have purchased one in the past, if you get to the point where you want to revive the basic shape, just lay it out on a flat surface, spritz it with water and play with it a bit. That’s what I do after I finish each scarf.
Forgot to add that there’s a new post at Just Let Me Finish This Page, a mini book review of Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes.
Happy Tuesday.
Claudia, so hard to choose which plants to save and this year especially hard. Decisions seems extra hard to make right now I bet. Wow, glad that bed is gone so fast. I am going to get rid of mine, but can’t move the junk in the room to get to it right now (although my back is much better). I have my little creative space and I’ve been doing some things there. I am not going to go overboard this year in decorating but will enjoy Christmas, its my favorite holiday I think. I’m taking my Mom to the Dr today and hopefully we can find out what is going on with her continued ‘issues’. I’m on the mend with my cold but sound like a fog horn today. Love your scarfs, I think it’s cool enough to wear mine today!
hugs,
Linda
Christmas is my favorite holiday, too. We’re just going to be low key with all the decorating stuff. Scout is falling a lot and we don’t want to have to worry about the tree, etc.
So happy to hear your back is better and I hope you and your mom find some answers today at the doctor’s office. xo
Hi Claudia. Wow! Great news about the bed going so fast. You and Don will have fun creating your own spaces in your “new” room. Very nice. Love the color of that latest scarf – so soothing. I’ve been in a purging mood for several months now. When I switched over clothes a month or so ago I ended up donating bags and bags and bags of clothes, boots, shoes, etc. I’m almost at the point where I don’t have to put summer things away and bring out winter…almost, but not quite (those bulky winter sweaters take up a ton of room). Two weeks ago I went through Kitchen cabinets and I have a lot of things in boxes to donate (did I really need 8 casserole dishes? Really?). I made so much room I was able to bring up my mixer and food processor from the basement. This past weekend I started to go through my stitching (embroidery) things. I have two large DSW bags full of material, patterns, charts, etc. that I am donating to an embroidery guild some friends belong to – they hold a yard sale in the Spring and donate the proceeds to restoration projects, etc. Now, if only I could get my husband to do the same….. Please give Dame Scout a little scratch behind the ears from me and a big hug to you — be easy on yourself and take care.
You’re doing what I need to be doing, Vera! More power to you! I know that as we rethink that room and add our own things, I’m going to have to purge, as well. xo
Good work on the bed….always nice when things go to a good home! I still have one geranium alive surprisingly! And, I didn’t go to heroic measures either. But, it’s by our garage, with a southern exposure, so it’s sort of protected. I’m going to let it bloom it’s heart out! I have no room for overwintering plants here. I had a gorgeous Kimberly fern, that I had to let go. But it’s still on our deck, quite golden brown……Bowser likes to sit underneath it!
I’ve been purging a lot…first to get the guest room ready for my son’s lengthy stay, then I sorted through 10 boxes of my mom’s stuff….gave most of it away, with her permission…and after Thanksgiving will start purging Christmas decorations that we no longer use. My good friend has been helping me…it helps to have her eyes to get a different perspective on things that I am sentimentally attached to. Enjoy your day! ;)
I really need to purge this year and I expect some of it will automatically happen when we convert that bedroom into office/studio space.
I bring in the same two geraniums every year and cut them way back when they finish blooming. Last winter they bloomed straight through. I saved ivy in pots last year but they brought so many bugs with them, despite spraying, that I’m not doing that again. The only other thing that I brought in was a cutting from a sweet potato vine, but this year I rooted and potted it before I brought it in. They usually get spindly but stay alive just long enough to make it back outside and take off again. The scarf arrived yesterday and I am more than pleased! Can’t wait to wear it to church where there are a number of ladies who will notice and ask about it. The new one is beautiful too, but the one I got is my favorite so far. I announced to my adult (24) daughter that I was not doing a second Christmas tree downstairs with all of the “kid” ornaments this year. She pointed out that I was wrong. ;)
So happy you like your scarf, Laura. I’m going to make another one in those colors.
Like Donnamae ^^, I have been purging, too. Feels so good to add to those bags and boxes and watch them drive away. Organized my craft room, too. THAT was a project!! I need to stay away from Michael’s, I do know that!! (or open a branch myself)
Don’t worry or apologize about what you do or don’t do this coming year for sure! Do what feels right for you and for Don ~~ not for anyone else. Your heart will tell you what to do as each day and each season unfold. Just trust that you do know best and you will find your peace. This year will be like no other, so things you did previously may not feel right at this point, but might again next year. Memories are precious now, and you need room for them.
Yes. We’ll celebrate – but very quietly, I think.
Two or three years ago, you inspired me to try my hand at crochet and I chose that obsession scarf as my first project… oh my. I had an interesting time trying to find the pattern as I was searching for “obsession” . I was glad to find the pattern and made several scarves after figuring out how to do it left handed. I enjoyed watching the colors change when I was using Lion Brand Amazing yarn. I also liked using a Silk Bamboo yarn as the feel of the yarn was so much smoother and easier to fix my frequent mistakes. So thank you. I’m glad to see the beautiful scarves that you are creating and understand how calming it can be to work on something creative when you are worried or grieving. Take care.
I made several of the scarves in silk/bamboo and probably will again. It works really well with that pattern. So happy you found a way to crochet the scarves left handed!
Loving the scarves, AND the fall colors of my geranium leaves, which is also still blooming! I thought it was all finished. Did you finish that pie?
Oh, lord, we finished that pie long ago! It’s fabulous, by the way. I will definitely buy it again.
The reef color is really nice on the scarf.
You’re lucky you got a taker for the bed. Here, we’re not allowed to sell a used mattress or put them out in yard sales or as freecycle; some kind of local ordinance. People dump them off at the thrift stores but I understand that most aren’t usable enough to even be sanitized and resold. So, what we see all too often is abandoned mattresses in back alleys or on the side of the road.
I’m excited to see how you reconfigure the space for a home office/work area!
Wishing you somehow a good birthday; my mother had gotten to a point to where she also didn’t remember her kids’ birthdays and the sad thing was that she was aware she no longer remembered the dates and said to me, “How could such a thing be, that I could forget the day my children were born, when I gave birth?” I told her to not worry about it because lots of times I can’t even remember where I put my socks. I have a neighbor lady in her 80s who recently forgot her son’s birthday and he was really upset about it which, in turn, upset her. Poignant passings of longtime traditions in a life, in a family…just can’t do anything but move on. Hardly anybody left in my life sends cards for any holiday, not even Christmas, so I’ve had to get accustomed to it over time. Just have to reach for a new normal. I have a friend in her 60s who finds herself at birthdays or Christmas with no one in her family remaining who sends gifts or cards, so she buys something lovely for herself, chooses a gift-wrapped option and then comes home from work to find a brown-paper package on her doorstep with a beautifully-wrapped present inside which was something she really wanted and, although it sounds sad, she’s never disappointed! She always gets a really good gift!
Thinking of you, Claudia, with empathy…I applaud you for pushing through these tough days.
Well, of course I never, ever mentioned to my dad that he forgot my birthday. He would have been devastated. I wouldn’t do that to him. I think it was difficult for me because I’d just lost my mom a few months earlier, so it was sad.
We didn’t see the mattress. We gave it away, so we’re free and clear! We wouldn’t have charged anyone. It was enough that we were able to give it to a friend and that they came and got it. A good deal all around.
Oh my Claudia..doesn’t it seem that the time goes so fast anymore?…It seems like yesterday that we were talking about Spring and planting flowers and how excited we were when the flowers started blooming…and here we are talking about the end of blooming and trying to over Winter plants…The blue/green scarf is very pretty..My parents both loved the Christmas season…when I decorate my tree or trees it always makes me think back to my childhood Christmases…we didn’t have much money but we always got a few presents and Mom always had a wonderful meal for us…I miss those days so much..I’m thinking I will do two trees this year..my little white tree and my vintage silver tinsel tree with vintage ornaments…Maybe when you are feeling down at Christmas you could do the same…Think about all the fun and togetherness you had when you all were kids..Hugs…and a big squishy snugly hug for our sweet girl Scout…
Oh, we’ll have my little white tabletop tree up and hang the porch lights and we’ll celebrate -but very quietly. Thinking of Christmases past as kids doesn’t really help. My brother is gone. My other sister is also gone for all intents and purposes. It’s what it is this year. And I accept it and firmly believe that holidays can be celebrated or not celebrated anyway we want.
Quiet and healing is the order for this particular holiday season.
Let the flowers go, get new beautiful ones in the Spring. I miss you.
M
I just might do that. Feeling blue today, sister. I miss you, too.