In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 4

Today in New Brunswick has been a beautiful spring day.  It was warm enough - and sunny enough - for me to hang my laundry on the line to dry and to have a beer outside with Mr. Me.  More specifically, a nice bottle of Alexander Keith's IPA...  Being able to do either of these activities makes me happy, but doing both on the same day?  Priceless!  After what seems like an eternity of winter, it is nice that is finally warm enough that the laundry won't freeze solid (nothing like standing up your jeans in the corner) and even though there is still snow on the ground, it is warn enough in the sun to sit outside in just a sweater and be comfortable. 
Having grown up in a suburban area, listening to the sounds of nature that spring brings to my dooryard while I consume the above mentioned beer brings me peace.  It makes me realize how very lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by nature and lots of space.
On a different, and much sadder note, the passing of Alex LeBlanc has made me appreciate my children - even when they are annoying - just a little bit more.  My boys didn't know him, but he lived just one village over and they did have many mutual friends.  I can't even imagine the grief that his family must be bearing.

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 3

The boys received their report cards this week. Today was parent-teacher interviews. The fact that my boys are bright and do well in school makes me happy, but I've got to say that I really don't like parent-teacher interviews for the most part and are detrimental to any feelings of peace that I might have! However, since I needed to be around "the village" this afternoon, it did mean a day working from home. While I wouldn't want to work from home every single day, doing it sometimes - especially on a sunny Friday - does make me happy. The nice warm sunshine is making the buds on the trees and bushes swell, so leaves and flowers cannot be far behind. Knowing that spring is very much here, despite the remaining snow on the ground, also makes me happy. I had the best of intentions of taking and posting pictures of my lilac bushes, which will soon smell lovely, only to discover that my camera has been borrowed and not returned... I have yet to find the culprit - or the camera - so that will have to wait. Happy Friday!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 2

One of the benefits of trying to find some small thing that makes me happy everyday, is that I am having to think about what makes me happy and why - and try not to take the small things for granted. Colour makes me happy! Now this shouldn't have been any great revelation, but I realized this morning that I am finding myself smiling everytime I walk by a window with a display spring clothing or other spring goods. I am loving how all of the gorgeous pinks, purples and greens make me feel. They make me feel bright and optimistic. Perhaps the winter blacks, greys and navies need to move to the back of the closet - unless I have a very serious business meeting - for a little while. I am going to have to either start carrying my camera with me, or get better with my web cam, if I am going to keep this up. I would have loved to have posted photos of the windows of some of the local stores made me smile this morning. With the colours in the shops, spring flowers cannot be far behind. Happy spring day!

In Search of Peace and Happiness - Day 1

This topic might well need a warning, so here goes: As I have been in the depths of the late winter or early spring doldrums, I have been finding myself seeing the cup as being half empty all of the time. What's worse, most of the time, it looks like someone else has consumed the missing half from my cup! I can tell by their smeared lip prints on my cup... In a little experiment with myself, I am going to try to find the bright side of things for the next 30 days, and post about the little things that DO make me happy in what seems to be an increasingly annoying world. So, here we go... Day 1 - Today I am happy for Fred-ezone wifi access at the public library. I can't get onto a wireless network from my office, so this has meant that I have had to leave my office to blog. Being at the library always makes me happy - although I seem to forget that when I'm not here - but the short walk in the sunshine to be able to come and blog has made me happy, too. What little - perhaps unexpected - thing has made you happy today? And yes, in true half empty fashion, you are allowed to find happiness in others' sometimes deserved misfortune - it's called karma... I'll take it wherever I can find it right now!

Why, Yes - I DO Still Knit!

Let's not examine how long it has been since I posted any finished objects, 'kay? I really do still knit! Perhaps I should pull out the camera a bit more often, just to prove it.

These socks were given to the recipient today. It was her birthday on Sunday, but since that isn't a work day, I had intended to give them to her yesterday, but that foolish time change thing has my poor little brain more than a little bit muddled.

I present Trish's birthday Jaywalkers! The yarn is Red Heart, Heart and Sole, in Green Envy. I saw the colour, and I just *knew* what it wanted to be.

From Trish's reaction, I believe we have yet another successful sock adoption.

Wool Share

Do you ever just happen across something that is really interesting or intriguing? Back in December I came across a link somewhere (I don't even remember where) for the Stoddard Family Farm in Little Britain, Ontario - not to be confused with Little Britain (*warning - do not click on the preceding link if you are offended by politically incorrect humour). Considering that Mr. Me and I live on part of the land that was original granted to his family when they came from Donegal, Ireland in 1820, I found the story of the farm quite charming, and in an era when I think most of us are trying to be at least a little bit more responsible with our planet, I really like what they are doing.
I wish I was closer so that I could purchase meat and egg shares - but they would spoil in the shipping. However, one of the many beauties of wool is that it doesn't spoil. Yes, I bought a wool share! My first skein arrived last week. The colourway is called "Fire". I am away on business again and don't have either the yarn or the camera with me, but I will try to post a picture of it later. I'm not a huge fan of orange, but the colour truly does remind me of a campfire - and I love a good campfire... Now - what shall I make?

P.S. Once I sort that out and make it, can you all head over to Facebook and "Like" it for me? There could be another wool share in it for me.

Is It Breeding?

I only asked for one thing for Christmas this year. I asked for a laptop. I had become very tired of having to fight off the boys (all three of them) for computer time. Mr. Me got me a lovely little pink Sony VAIO. I don't know the model, but it is a very cute little computer so I can take her anywhere - and I love her!
Over the Christmas holidays I decided that I would start to actually catalogue my stash on Ravelry. Even though we all know that sock yarn isn't really stash, I decided that I would start with it anyways... I don't have photos of all of the yarn - since I haven't upgraded to Flickr Pro yet - but spend some time patiently sorting and cataloguing one storage tote of sock yarn.
It was a very interesting experience! I'm not done yet, but have determined that I easily have enough sock yarn for 50 pairs... I could probably have entered the 52 Pair Plunge and new had to buy a skein of yarn. When did I buy it all? I don't even recognize some of it!!! If it wasn't a ludicrous idea, I would suspect some other knitter of storing their yarn in my stash... Some of it is that unfamiliar! Maybe the sock yarn is breeding?