Blue

Since June 20th, I've been participating in a yarn photo challenge on Instagram #yarnphotocha2016.  Today's prompt was "water", so I took myself to the beach for some soul time, yarnbombing and a photo shoot.

 Adding blue to a bench.

 Leaving a little love behind.

Reminded of Mother Teresa's quote:

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.

Several things have happened this week to bring about a blue mood.  

Next month we are flying through Istanbul. 

When we booked our tickets, I wondered if evil, demented individuals would eventually try to bomb the airport, and they did, yesterday.

The three men who carried out the despicable act represent nothing other than self-hate.

They do not stand for anything.

Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky.

Sonia Gandhi

The current state of political affairs in the world doesn't help.  

It would seem we are reverting to burning bridges rather than building ties.

I'm afraid the current British vote will influence the US election and that is a very scary thought.

Hatred paralyzes life;
love releases it.
Hatred confuses life;
love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life;
love illuminates it.
(Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Spread love whenever, wherever, however you can.

Fledgling and the Full Moon

There are an awful lot of scientists today who believe that before very long we shall have unraveled all the secrets of the universe. There will be no puzzles anymore. To me, it’d be really, really tragic because I think one of the most exciting things is this feeling of mystery, feeling of awe, the feeling of looking at a little live thing and being amazed by it and how it has emerged through these hundreds of years of evolution and there it is and it is perfect and why.

— Jane Goodall

Two months ago, I noticed that for the first time ever, we had pigeons roosting in our building and the one next to us.

I knew babies had been born when I could hear constant chirping from above but never could get at an angle to see them.

But yesterday, Jingles and I had a front row seat as this pigeon tried to get it's fledgling to fly right outside my son's bedroom window.

I'm not sure if this is mama pigeon or daddy pigeon since both share the responsibility of raising their young.

And both produce crop milk to feed them.

The adult pigeon flew back and forth a couple of times, feeding and enticing the fledgling to spread its wings and fly.

There was a whole lot of flapping going on which was very exciting for Jingles.

And wouldn't you know it, I walked away just long enough to miss the fledgling take flight.

But I didn't miss the Strawberry Moon as it rose tonight.

The full moon marks the halfway point of the month of Ramadan.

Today is also the summer solstice with the longest day of  the year.

Happy Summer!

WWKIPDAY #2

It was at last year's Worldwide Knit in Public Day at Costa Coffee that I met my current craft group.

This year, the day fell right in the middle of Ramadan which means that none of the coffee shops are open, so we met Al Sadu House instead.

Two hours of knitting, crocheting and cross-stitching with some very creative ladies.

 Thanks to Mini @minizdiary for organizing it once again.

Happy crafty day!

Everlasting Blooms

Last Saturday I was in bed all day with a stomach bag that lasted through Sunday.

Since then, I've dealt with migraines, hip and knee pain, fever and a UTI.  Needless to say, it's not been a whole lot of fun around here..  But thankfully, as of this moment, I'm about 90% better and have been on a crochet flower binge.

 I bought this book sometime earlier this year and just rediscovered it the other day.

So far, I've made patterns 1-3, above.

Pattern number 4.

I skipped around then and did pattern number 9 which is a carnation bud, but it reminded me of this tiny moss rose bud picture I took recently.

For today, pattern number 7 is the bluebell.

I've also made many more roses using the pattern from  Skip to My Lou.

 A red rose in a plastic bottle that has been upcycled with a crochet cover.  The stems for the roses are coffee stirrers that I colored with a green Sharpie.

 Pink roses hanging out on the balcony.

And an upcycled tin can with pretty little roses that I gifted to a friend for her birthday along with other rose themed items.

I think it's safe to say things are bloomin' beautiful around here.

Have a sensational Saturday.

Five on Friday

Today I'm joining Amy at Love Made My Home for another Five on Friday.

1.  Breakfast Beginnings

It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Whether that is true or not is debatable, but it certainly is a great way to start the day, especially when shared with friends.

The first PQ opened in Brussels, Belgium on October 26, 1990 and can now be found in 17 countries around the world.

2.  Strolling:

Walking at a slightly slower pace in an attempt to absorb the surroundings.

With the summer heat, I've become very lazy when it comes to walking, so whenever I get a chance for a short little stroll, I take it.

3.  The Language of Flowers,

I picked up this little book in a secondhand bookshop a couple of years ago while visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I pulled it out the other day to look up Hibiscus, which is described as "Delicate Beauty" ... 

and that it is.

This is the first year I've had this little tree on my balcony and I am totally in love with it.

Most days I get one or two blooms, but on Thursday, I was greeted with 6 beautiful flowers.

It's such a shame that the blooms last for only one day.

4.  A new species of rose has popped up on my balcony.

It's one of the fiber variety and comes in any color you'd like.

You can find the pattern at Skip to My Lou.

So very easy to make.

And definitely will last much longer than just a day.

And finally, number 5, perhaps the most important of all happenings this past week.

Son #2, my senior boy, graduated from high school.

I found it completely ironic that the opening date for Le Pain Quotidien of October 26th just happens to be my son's date of birth.

Soon we will have two college boys and that means lots of changes ahead.

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

Anatole France

Thanks Amy for hosting.

Have a wonderful weekend.