Dears, during these days do you find yourself so often holding your breath?  I certainly do.  Then I must stop and breathe deep and find a way to recenter.  If I spend too much time on social media I find my breathing is so shallow and my body will instintively take a deep breath to remind me to breathe!  How are you holding up?  Are you practicing lots of self care?  The other day I read a quote (I cannot remember who it is attributed to) that said “There is no way but through.”  Oh how true that is, and through we will go.

My daily walks pass this creek and I always stop and look at this rock.  It makes me think of the saying that a rolling stone gathers no moss, and right now I certainly feel like this rock all covered in moss.  Although my mind and hands are anything but still as I continue to pursue my PhD and keep busy cooking, gardening, stitching, knitting, sewing etc.  Or perhaps I identify with this rock as since growing older and now in retirement I have found a sense of calm even while the water swirls around me pushing and shoving.   Whatever the reason, this view is very calming to me.

I fill my days with simple pleasures; baking, daily walks, puttering in the garden, bits of handiwork here and there.  The days have found their own rhythm.  I am busy working on a paper for the latest course in my PhD program.  But mostly if seems like a time of waiting, waiting for life to resume what….what will the new normal be? And mostly waiting to see my dear loved ones again!!

I got into my sewing room and did some reorganizing.  Since I have been spending most of my days in the living room and the doggies insist upon being where ever I am, I needed to get both love seats back in that room.  So I put a small chair in the sewing room which turned into moving shelves which turned into moving the cutting board which meant cleaning out and reorganizing and on it goes….  Here is a little tour of my sewing room.

My bins are from 31 bags as my niece sells them and they are just perfect for my shelves.  When I got the shelves I had wanted white, but since all Walmart has was the wood look, well I took what I could get.  They have made such a difference!  I can easily see and grab what I need.

The cutting table was purchased decades ago when I had a quilting shop, Sunshine and Stitches, in Northern California.  It had been in my mom’s sewing room until a year ago when she was ill and told me to pack it up and take it home.  I keep two of the collapsible shelves under it for all my books.

My wonderful fabric collection. Most of this has come from IG destashes and I do use it in my bag making.  The top is filled with numerous treasures I have collected.  I have picked up the mini sewing machines at various estate and yard sales.  The dolls as well, except a few from Christina’s collection and my childhood. And then of course jars and jars of buttons collected over the years.

Little bears and a a few toys I bought in London on my first trip at 18..  Notice the detail on that gorgeous chair.  This was a gift from my dear bestie Mia.

Somebody is peeking at the door.  Koda is most certainly my shadow…

Christina cross stitched this lovely piece for me many many years ago!  I still treasure it.  I do however, think it needs a different frame…

I created both of my bulletin boards from old frames.  I just love them.

I must admit I love that room.  I love the color that I chose to paint the walls and how happy the space is!  It is a great space to design and work in.

My doggies are happy to have the two love seats back in the living room where they can hang with their mommy.  Unfortunately I have to keep them covered and well the red doesn’t fare well with my decor…but must needs..

The garden is really coming right along.  We have cleared out all the beds and are putting food where once grew a hodgepodge of shrubs and this and that.  I have most all my plants and seeds in now.  I did order a tall stackable planter type thing after seeing such an amazing contraption on a gardening youtube and wondering to myself where have I been all these years that I did not even know such a thing existed!  I will fill it with bush beans and lettuce I think…..  I did keep the bed by the house for flowers and have yet to get those seeds in the ground.  I am upset I did not get an order placed with Burpee for live plants as now all are out and they are not even currently taking orders.  There seems to have been a rush on seeds and plants and in hesitating I now may be waiting a bit.  But I got all I needed for the most part at the local nursery.  Perhaps I will suit up in my mask and gloves and make a nursery trip in a few weeks…. I am so adverse to venturing out near anybody at this point!!

I did get a few acquisitions.  From a detash I grabbed this yarn set from the blankets by Lucy at  Attic 24.  It is beyond gorgeous.  Being it is British I was stoked to have found it on destash in US dollars.   This first kit will most likely find its away to Ireland when we ever get over this virus!!

But when I showed it to Becca within an hour she promptly called me and said she found a US resource for the yarn.  Ok well never ever tell a hoarder such news.  There was a substantial sell going on and being it was acrylic it was already below $2 per skein.  So I went to Attic 24 website and picked out my two favorite color stories and well here we go…. Did I ever think I would use acrylic yarn again???  But for a blanket it only makes sense….

If you are not familiar with Lucy at Attic 24 OMG you are missing out on one of the best blogs ever!  Check it out https://attic24.typepad.com. She has a myriad of free tutorials and patterns.  She uses StyleCraft yarn and the color palette is beyond yummy.  I bought these at https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/   Here are the color stories I got:

From destash I got the Woodland set

Hydrangea set was what both Becca and I picked out

I also added Cozy

Now to start one of these projects.  I am still undecided if I will crochet (I am not really big fan of crocheting) or knit a fan stitch blanket.  But aren’t those colors just beyond lovely?!

Well my lovelies that about covers what is going on here in my little corner of the world. Staying safe and utilizing my time as best possible.

Wishing all health, economic wellbeing, and security during this trying time,

Patricia