Shopping for Showers

As I shopped for gifts for Ashley's upcoming baby showers, looking at the soft fabrics, rich colors and tiny things I found myself choking up, getting teary eyed and emotional right in the store! I could blame hormones but I am sure it has much more to do with that tiny baby boy who will be my first grandchild! I declined the offer for free gift wrap because I want to enjoy every single aspect of this chapter of life.

Stripes!

I finished knitting this striped blanket while sitting on Ashley's front porch Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed the project so much that I am missing the blanket! Silly, isn't it? I was excited to give it to her and want her to have it, but I do miss the colorful stripes and soft yarn. I took this quick shot with my point and shoot after weaving in the last bit of yarn but I expect that I will get a much better photo of this project from Ashley some day.

Late October

It's the last week of October but there is still plenty of fall beauty, even right outside my back door.

Brecken's One

Brecken first birthday was a great family celebration! It was so fun to travel to Cedar Rapids to share the special day. My niece, Kaley and her husband, Scott are doing a great job. He is a happy loving baby who is quickly becoming a toddler! Happy Birthday, Brecken.

Nebraska Wildlife

John and Mel took me to Wildlife Safari Park on Saturday afternoon. It's a drive-through zoo so I took photos from the comfort of the back seat. These beautiful and large animals seemed to completely ignore the passing cars.

Nebraska Sunrise

I am not a morning person but I love getting up before sunrise when I visit John and Mel. It's just gorgeous to watch the sky light up out in the big open spaces!

Nebraska

It was a wonderful weekend visiting family in Nebraska. No, I am not related to this elk but we did visit him on Saturday. More photos later.

Two Projects

I have two big projects going right now. Well, they are big for me. Both are lap blanket size but very different projects. I always enjoy knitting more than quilting partially because I can sit on the couch or go to a coffee shop with my work. Because I machine quilt, I am stuck at the table in a real chair. But I am enjoying both of these, loving the colors and the idea of making something that might be used for years. I was home from work about 2 pm today and got to spend time on both before getting ready to go to another Mohawk football game to watch my nephew. I am feeling very domestic, even have the washer and dryer going. Gotta love Fridays!

Oven Time

Dinner needs just about fifteen minutes in the oven, enough to warm through and brown the squash a bit. My seasonal stomach tells me that it's time for squash, apples and pumpkin. Several years ago I "created" this dish. OK, I just threw some stuff together. Italian sausage, brown rice, onions, red peppers and celery are all browned together to create the filling for the acorn squash. It's pretty yummy. Now I am just waiting for Dale to call to say that he has left work so I can pop this into the oven! Fall is such a great time for cooking. It's almost time for chili season.

Patio Decorating

I decorate very little for seasons but I do like a touch of fall on my patio.

October Camera

Sometimes I can go weeks without taking many photos but that never happens in October. I love being outside and enjoy my camera so much this time of year. Although we didn't travel far Dale and I did get out of the city to enjoy rural Iowa, Lake Red Rock and Raccoon River while wandering a bit through Central Iowa on Saturday. It's amazing how quickly the leaves are falling with the warm wind this week.

Six Months

My daughter and my grandson!

Don't they look great?

Friday Orchard

It was very windy and 85 degrees but I did not want to waste an afternoon off work in October. My friend, Kymm was up for a little exploration so we went to a pumpkin farm and an apple orchard this afternoon. After the wind and sun we were ready to sit and knit at a coffee shop. It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Hello October

The fall colors are really coming to life this week. Although the temperatures have hit 80 degrees every day it still looks like October. Cooler temperatures will be nice. They will come but the leaves may be gone by then. This is a gorgeous week and I hope to find more beauty to photograph this weekend.