Almost March

Spring is here! I find it nearly impossible to stay in the house when the birds are singing, and the hummingbirds are collecting spider webs to make nests. The flowers are beginning to open. The ground is so wet that as I traipse around the yard, I go through shoes because they are sopping wet. I should be wearing my rubber boots. Its a lovely time of year. 

My one finish of February. It should have only took me a week or so and it took the whole month. But its finished now. I worked a tiny bit on my turkey rug yesterday. It was the first time I picked up a hook in almost six weeks. 

Our oldest son Ben came home from North Carolina. We were celebrating the home going of my nephew, his cousin. He drove from there. He left from his house on a Tuesday and got here on Friday. Then drove back home last Monday and got back to his house on Wednesday. Its about 4000 miles give or take. We had the kids who live here all together on Sunday. It ended up being a perfect day. Only our oldest daughter wasn't here. But it was a gift to me and Ron to have them all sitting in the back yard laughing and joking. To get to have dinner together, just the brief lovely visit. Life is so filled with bittersweet moments. " Through my deepest waters, hottest fires and darkest valleys God has taught me the deepest and the most eternal lessons."( Elisabeth Ellot) I guess for the time being I am in school again.

This is from my garden and my Cilantro which is going to seed. This silly plant went crazy this year. Its loved the fog and the cold. There is no way I could eat that much. Our Celery went crazy too. 

Those lovely big stalks. My daughter said that when celery goes to seed it looks like Queen Anne's Lace. I am half playing with that to see it go to seed. We have to drive a long way before we see that growing in the wild. 

I hope with it being March tomorrow. There will lots more time to do those things I love to do. I hope your spring begins to show its pretty head as the ground begins to warm up. I know I will fall for it. I do every year. Thinking winter is gone and spring is here to stay. Then March, who is very fickle will blow and be so cold.

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and when wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." (Charles Dickens, Great Expectations)

 

The little Japanese Maples are beginning to bloom. I have very slowly let my mind dream of gardens.

Very carefully, to dream of flowers and tomato plants, of food I would love to grow. Of, plans to make of summer and the wonders I feel when once again I have the energy to be creative. To find the joy in the gifts that come each day. To focus on what it looks like to have a whole field of dreams. "There is no month like March for making one believe in second changes."(Charles Dickens)

 

I hope your days are filled with blue skies, only occasional clouds and lots and lots of blessings.

~Kim~ 

 

 

The Blue of the Sky is Bigger than the Clouds.

Its almost Valentines Day. What another week it has been. The company my husband worked for was sold to a competitor. This week was the week when they tell you if you made the cut. Ron did, thankfully.  I have to tell you my little story about how the Lord works when you don't even know.

    Two years ago, the company Ron worked for was bought by a bigger company. During the merger process he watched a lot of people be let go. He had applied for a job with the bigger company and a smaller one, and got offers from both. He actually worked for the bigger company for a week before he got the final offer from the smaller company, a better offer, which he took. Last year, the bigger company bought the smaller company and he had to go through it again. Yesterday, the bigger company called to tell him he had a job. They had never filled the position he had for that week, and he back-filled that same position. The position he left was still open all that time. Just writing it out makes my head still feel weird.

There is this verse in Habakkuk 1:5. I know most people don't read much devotional stuff from there but it happens to be one of my favorite books. Because Habakkuk asks God three questions and God answers him. So I love that. Here is my verse.

 "The Lord replied, Look around at the nations; Look and be amazed!For I am doing something in your own day something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it"
 

Lots of very hard things have gone on, but I am still amazed at how God continues to work in our lives.

I wanted to share this latest thing that happened. Really, if I posted the stuff that goes on every day or week, I don't know if my blogger friends would believe it either. 

So the reason for this post is its almost Valentines Day and I love making Valentines rugs and I wanted to post some. 

When I was going to do our challenge rug, which I think today was the day. I thought I was going to use these reds for that. Not remembering I had used the reds for this rug. It wasn't till I dug this out, I thought, oh, that is where all of my red went.
 

I had to dig through my stash to find different reds. Its okay though, it was good to see how well my de-stashing is going. I still have to many worms but its as not as bad as it used to be. Though I don't think I will ever win that battle. 

This one is on my coffee table now. I made it one year when I wanted a rectangle for said rug. It always makes me happy when I can get my heart rugs out. 

This is a Cammie Bruce rug. I think I have done this rug twice. I also did it in blue. I enjoy this size rug. I can hook them really fast. Or at least I used to be able to until you know, my life for the last six years has been nuts. 

 We are going to finish up working in our last flowerbed and trim trees tomorrow. To me that is my favorite kind of romance. Working together and getting things done. 

I really like this verse when it comes to Valentines Day, "Love suffers long and is kind." 1 Corinthians 13:4 It always says it best for me. I hope your day is lovely, we will have our Presidents Day storm starting on Monday. We always get one big storm this time of year. Roads get closed, the mountains are covered in snow, the wind blows and its just lovely. Then March comes and its spring for us. 

Have a lovely week,

~Kim~
 
 

February- Once a month posts.

 Happy February! I hope the cold hasn't been to hard on you. You can tell this is a California bird. He looked so cold, I just had to stop and bother him by taking his picture. You know, my 2025 was hard, scary and really when I wrote my post for 2026, I thought I would be turning the page. I did, I just didn't know it would be a continuation of 2025. 

So needless to say, in order for me to be creative, I need a peaceful life. I don't have the brain space to do much creative things. I did dye wool last week.  

I was going for feathers for my newest rug I am working on. My daughter Emilie drew it out for me in October. 
 

I got that much done before I had to stop to dye wool. It isn't that dark. Plus you if you didn't know, I love hooking my kids art work. I guess you could say this is my newest project. 

I did finish this rug. I haven't bound it yet. Its on the list of things to do this week. Right after I finish my front flowerbed. I only have one flowerbed left. Then my spring training will be finished for awhile. Hopefully a beach trip is in my future. Maybe March. I hope. 

This is a rug pattern from Two Old Crows. Just because I have had it for a such a long time. I really wanted to hook it to hang on my walls. Now, it will maybe live in a cupboard for awhile. It also looks darker in the picture.

We haven't seen to many blue skies this winter. We have had lots of fog. When we have got a blue sky and the shine shines I just have to be outside. I can't even begin to imagine snow. I realize how Californian I have become. We are in February now, so hopefully as the days get longer each day, winter will loosen its grip. 

"The blue of heaven is larger than the clouds, Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.

It's about learning to dance in the rain." I wish I could give credit for those sayings but I just wrote them down in my journal and I didn't leave a name with it. My nephew passed away last week. 

Its been sort of a nightmare week. He had a brain tumor and now he is healed and in no more pain. 

I am glad I have hope that we will see him again. Its just grief is such a hard thing. 

I haven't had words to write. Nor the will to hook. I just wanted you to know, that I am here, just out in the space I have been living for the last half of year. 

So, I keep asking the Lord," to teach me to dance in the rain." 

Have a wonderful week,

~Kim~ 

 

January Cold

 

I thought I took a better picture of all of the Grackles in this tree. They really didn't like having their picture taken and started flying away. My daughter used to call them Walmart birds. They seem to love french fries. 

 

Happy Birthday to Edgar Allan Poe! 1809-1849

 

One of my favorite authors. Think of it, he didn't use AI he didn't have a computer. He wrote long hand and had so many more life experiences than I will. He had so many in his short 40 years of life. Albeit a much harder life than I think I will live. It just struck me today as I was reading my email. Yes, I belong to a Edgar Allan Poe reading list. And Yes, I have read all of the theories on his death. Such a mystery. I miss the man who started on January 19 1949 to put a bottle half-empty cognac and three red roses on his grave in Baltimore. For over 60 years. The morning he failed to show up, I grieved for that unknown man. Odd I know, to that man it was a service. It was that unknown man I thought of first this morning.

 

 

But this week, I have been reading books about Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The first book, (I don't normally read current fiction but this was good.) My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie and the old book by Anya Seton My Theodosia. I have read a series of books by Kenneth Roberts and not being a New Englander,  I really loved them and his version of history. But how in the world how I have gone down this rabbit hole. 

 

I got this bound and steamed and put away for October. I guess you could say it was my third finish for 2026.

I finished my rug for the challenge too. 

  

I got it bound and steamed too. I think it turned out pretty cute. I tried to use only my old wool that I had. I did have to get into some of my newer wool a bit because I have used up so many of my old bags and bags of past projects, which was a very nice surprise. I always like having an excuse to buy wool. 

Then the rug that my daughter drew out for me when she was in college. Its called Rise and Shine. 

 

So that is my first finishes for 2026. Which should have been finished in 2025 but you know how life crowds in and plans get changed. We are having a real winter for us. Cold and foggy days. Its our version of snow I guess you could say. I always think its perfect hooking weather. Except of course, having Polly who thinks we need to go for walks. Which is why I got her. So hooking kind of takes a back seat. 

 

My plans are to play around in dye pots this week. I bought four or five yards of white wool and I need some colors. Nothing is quite so much fun to me is dyeing wool. Its like magic. Making such fun colors and then using them to make rugs. I do love rug hooking. 

I hope your week will be wonderful and full of creative endeavors. 

Thank you so much for stopping by to read my scribbles.
 

~Kim~