MAKING

After up loading the pictures for the Yarn Along post, I realized that we have been doing a lot of making around here. 

Makings that's been happening here:

-Cutting wool strips for wool rug

-Knitting Shore Sweater #4 (love this sweater as does every recipient of the sweater)

-New pillow cases, using some old lace I found at the bottom of a box

-Bread, made fresh (every other week)

-Beef stock

-Play dough (this is Eric's thing to make with the littles)

-A town of blocks

That's a lot of making going on and I love, love it!

Reading

Wisdom Distilled From The Daily : Living The Rule of St. Benedict Today

join me over at Small Things for Yarn Along

HELP

It's Monday and snowing here on the Front Range, it's also COLD COLD COLD. A great day to make some soup, watch Veterans Movies, sew and or knit or do some rug hooking, possibilities endless. 

The stripey quilt above is for children on the border, separated from their parents and being held in a building...grrrr!  I thought America was a country that stood for Human Rights? 

If anyone is interested, I will send and/or post about the organization that is distributing these tokens of 'I care and I know what my government is doing, and it's WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!"(my words, not the organizations words.)

I need help! What do bloggers using Blogger do about people visiting your site, people that one doesn't want on your site. How do your protect your blog?

Do I need to move to Word Press? Not post any pictures of my kids? Or, stop posting completely?

Any thoughts, suggestions!

KNITTING and READING

Halloween was cold here this year and we looked more like an advertisement for 'all things knitwear' than Cat Girl! Mom and Grandma had on far more knitwear to walk around with the littles and we didn't stay out long or go far!

I completed 3 sweaters and a pair of socks last month, not bad for me. Also, working away on my wool rug, this is a slow process but I love to do mindless things over and over again. 

Books I have been reading: Just Mercy.  This book is an eye opener , very disturbing read on our justice system, yet so important to read and change the corruption with in our system. The racial discrimination is nothing short of criminal and heart breaking!  Just Mercy is a book I have to read slowly, it gets overwhelming for me.

FALLING UPWARD: A SPIRITUALITY FOR THE TWO HALVES OF LIVE.

I'm giving this a 5 star. Having become discouraged to down right angry with American Christianity over the past 3 years, this book looks at Christianity from a total different viewpoint. Richard Rohr a Franciscan priest is refreshing to read. 

I'MSTILL HERE: BLACK DIGNITY IN A WORLD MADE FOR WHITENESS:

Another hard read but needed read! I find it is good to look at issues through others' eyes. So much to think about and learn.

I must say though, I need to find a fictional escape book, I'm feeling overwhelmed with the above much needed reads. I need time to percolate and reframe much of my previous ideas and learn ways to move forward in more meaningful ways. 

Please join me over at Ginny's blog

YARN ALONG

and Kat

UNRAVELED WEDNESDAY

HALLOWEEN PICS

Some people really go over the top with Halloween decorations!  

WEEKENDS

We spend a lot of time at parks through out the city

Neighbors trampoline (what a monster) blew into our yard weekend before last and Eric spent 2 days taking it apart to remove it, returning it to rightful yard and putting it back together again. 

Why do HOA's allow monster trampolines but not clothes lines? 

Weather here in NoCo has been rather, bipolar, is the only word I can think of that accurately describes the past weekend. Friday and Saturday sunny and in the 70's, Sunday cloudy, snowing and in the 20's! Expecting snow through Wednesday this week then a warm up, though Halloween will be cold for the little ones out trick-n-treating. 

Warm or cold, I got my walks in-2 miles daily!

Working on a pair of socks that have been on the needles way, way too long. On the second foot now so hopefully soon, very soon they will be on my feet! 

Very little work done on wool rug..ugh!

Finished a smallish quilt for a donation. (Pictures to be posted later.)

I met my goal of $400 food bill for the month of October!! Wahoo!

Grand total $400.96, ( yes, I see the .96 cents, but I am calling this a win, win!)

To be able to cut our food bill in more than half, I have been cooking at home just about all meals and from scratch. Very little frozen and or canned foods used, this will change a little entering into winter and the fresh garden produce almost gone now. I am also back to baking bread once a week! 

Reading: The Zimmermann Telegram(audio)

-Roosevelt and Churchill(audio)

-The Erma Bombeck Collection

-I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness (this book is so good)

Stay warm!

WEDNESDAY

It's a blustery Wednesday here, snow coming this evening, always behind rain that will turn ice first. Then the return of 60's by Friday! Fall in Colorado, love it or leave it!

Finished pulling the garden last week! Making applesauce it seams weekly, we have been eating so much I doubt I will can any this season, hopefully get some in the freezer though. 

My grocery bill is going DOWN! Thus far this month:

Cosco-243.00

Week of Oct.14th-43.00

Week of Oct.21st-38.96

I guess planning ahead and using some imagination, one can do this. We have been eating some great dinners and some plain dinners, though no one is complaining. Another big positive for me is, we are throwing out very little wasted food. Use it up or do without ;-} We did eat out once that footed a 54 dollar bill. Though enjoyable, not worth the cost! My eating out budget is seperate from the grocery bill and is on a reduction diet as well! This goal will be easily met this month.

 An unexpected expense, the washing machine died! First it wouldn't complete a cycle, I thinking the drum was off balance and after resetting the machine balance several times I sat on the machine( picture above)- that worked but then the door would not unlock! Eric and I tried to fix it ourselves with the manual,( god bless eric , he keeps all manuals!), but had to resort to a service man. The cost was almost the price of a new machine, so we opted for the new machine. It really vexes me to have to replace machines! I think they should run for 30 years, this machine was maybe 12 years old. I hate adding to the county dump!

Lots of knitting and rug hooking going on around here. Knitting Alanis by: Elizabeth Smith. I am using yarn from my stash, Cascade and Brown Sheep.

Gus is wearing his Aran sweater often these blustery days and have mailed off 

Phoebe's sweater to NY,NY for a grand niece.

The rug hooking project is my pattern and using up wool strips from a previous project.

Reading: Of Windmills and War- a potato chip WWII book, (t's a love story)

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, ( this book is amazing! a must read!)

I am still waiting for a copy of Just Mercy from the library, hope I get it in time for the book club

READ WITH US.

Until later.........

Hooking up with Unravel Wednesday