winter not over yet

We had some sun today. I wanted to prune the roses, but we are expecting a "wintry mix" tomorrow - I'll wait.

repairing my old robe

My beloved robe is wearing very thin in places, near the shoulders especially. 

Yesterday I laid it out on the floor to draw a pattern piece for the top part; the "skirt" is fine. It's a soft, dusty turquoise color which I couldn't match, so I bought some yellow - it will have to be two-tone. It's nerve-wracking to have to do this. I hope it comes out well!

thankful to finish this project

I finished a third Dottie Angel frock - I had bought fabric for three of them last fall. I'm terrible at sewing bias binding around edges  -  can't seem to get it nice. So I made squares of grosgrain ribbon and stitched them in either corner of each pocket!

Very neat. But I can't wear it for a while.

an instant breakfast

For some time, I've been making overnight oats for my breakfasts on work days. There are many recipes online, but mine is always the same. Into a pint mason jar I put:

• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, or maybe cocoa powder
• some raisins, dried cherries or whatever
• a couple of blobs of natural peanut butter
• almond milk

I like mine liquidy, so use plenty of the almond milk.  Stir up with a butter knife, add more milk, screw on the lid and shake. Make the night before you want it.

Three times a week, and I haven't tired of it yet.

in good pastures

"I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I will lead them out from among the peoples and gather them from the foreign lands; I will bring them back to their own country and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel [in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places]. 

In good pastures will I pasture them, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing ground. There they shall lie down on good grazing ground, and in rich pastures shall they be pastured on the mountains of Israel."

                                                                        -        Ezekiel 34:11-14

                                                   

what better prayer?

I wasn't going to post today, but I was just on Gretchen's site, and she briefly mentions dear St. Patrick. A commenter there provided a link to the most beautiful, yet simple sung version of his famous prayer.  Listen.

painting by Leann Stumpf

it's just a restaurant

Dolly, snug inside the folds of a quilt, didn't want to come out to eat although it was clear she wanted the food.

So of course she got what she wanted. And where she wanted it.

blizzard-ish

We had snow today. We're still having it.

It was a blizzard in some places- not here. Snow did fall all day, it became very windy at times, but I wouldn't say it was blizzarding.

Accumulations here are not as much as they could have been, everyone got a day off from work because travel was discouraged (banned, really) - the warmth of recent days is simply a fond memory.

No need to feel sorry for me, because it's typical of the month. This is March in New England!

the completed dress

This seems to be the best I can do to show the knit dress on. It's very comfy, as one would expect of that material.

I didn't seam the sections together; I placed one section under the other above it, top stitched on the machine, and then hand embroidered a herringbone stitch over it. I also herringboned along the neck. These were fabrics that I had, so I just put them together.

On to the next project!

expanding

The library afghan is increasing, but not even a square yet, so I still don't know how big I'll make it.

an ideal snowfall

It snowed today, and conveniently fell on the ground, and almost not at all on the road.

It arranged itself perfectly on this fir tree,

and when it was over Tricia said it looked like cherry blossoms. It does, doesn't it?

cats sleep so much...

I don't know how they get anything done.

two-tone knit dress, finally finished

It was a year ago when I posted about this dress, and I guess I never said another word about it.

Well, I added that other layer of the persimmon knit, and wore it to work one day. I did not like myself in it. I was pleased that it came out well - it's interesting to try to copy something from scratch, but it didn't look well on. Surely it could be fixed in some way, but how? I left it hanging in my closet.

Then we had a mild spell last week and I was panicked that there weren't enough in-between-the-weather-extremes pieces in my wardrobe. I saw it hanging there and put it on. Immediately I could see that it was too long, so I cut off two inches (these knit styles are great - no hemming necessary) which gave the whole a better balance. I also modified the "points" at the sides, which seemed a little too extreme.

Now I have a new dress that looks good, is very comfortable, and I like it. And rather more "sedate" than the original. What took me so long?

arise

Of him who did salvation bring,

I could for ever think and sing:

Arise, you needy, he'll relieve;

Arise, you guilty, he'll forgive.

To shame our sins he blushed in blood;

He closed his eyes to show us God:

Let all the world fall down and know

That none but God such love can show.

-  Magnificat, March 2017

trees, like people

"The reason trees share food and communicate is that they need each other. It takes a forest to create a microclimate suitable for tree growth and sustenance. So it's not surprising that isolated trees have far shorter lives than those living connected together in forests."

                                                    -   Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees

dust

Often on Ash Wednesday, you'll end up with a dark splotch on your forehead or maybe even a light one, but yesterday there was no mistake - I got a real cross. 

"During Lent, we who are dust entrust ourselves to the healing care of the Lord who promises forgiveness and life to the dust he has made and loves."

                                  -  Magnificat, March 2017