Mending and Finishing

 Last year I mended a pair of jeans (that post is here) that had ripped just at the knees when I was bending over and over again to pick up trash along my local walking path.

Over this past winter, I was trying to make friends with a very scared abandoned house cat, and after bending one too many times over and over again, the left side ripped right below the previous patched part.

I have never been a fan of the holey jeans some people wear.  The other night I saw a video of a girl wearing some that were more torn than actually held together.  I just don't get it -- especially knowing there are major fashion brands making torn jeans and selling them for big bucks when you could literally just go to the thrift store and get some on the cheap and make your own.

Anyways ... all that to say ... today is the I decided to mend them again.  And though I don't like holey jeans, I do like the look of visible mending.  For now I just did a quick fix with a patch underneath and long stitches to seam the rip together.  I am currently wearing them; might add some detailed stitching or embroidery later on.

I also finished the bag I was working on yesterday but it has SOOOOO many mistakes and did not turn out as I had envisioned.  Still, it is done and that's a win in my book.

Rosie insists on being seen and saying hi.  :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Tuesday Tidbits

Her morning routine.

Spent hours working on something that's not quite going according to plan.

Meanwhile ...

Birdwatching can be quite tiring apparently.

I'm tired, too.

Time for bed.

Rosie and Her Chair

One very early morning while it was still dark I stumbled out of bed for the bathroom and noticed something quite big sitting near the front door.  I know that my husband has a tendency to drag things home in the middle of the night so figured I'd investigate at a more reasonable waking hour.

As it turns out, our neighbors across the street had thrown out a perfectly nice, sturdy bamboo bar chair. 

 We used to have a smaller wooden chair in this spot and Rosie was constantly knocking things down trying to jump up to see the birds outside the window.  I had been considering getting a cat tree to put there so she'd have a better view but the bar chair is high enough that she can easily see out and isn't making a mess, so it's definitely a win-win.

Happy new week.

Silent Sunday

 

A Birthday

Today is my mom's birthday.

I have very few pictures from my childhood, but this photo was taken by my Mammaw (my dad's mom) in her front yard in Mississippi when I was about 4 months old.  My dad was in Vietnam then and met me for the first time when I was 9 months old.

My eldest son turned 29 October of last year.

I turned 59 this past February.

And my mom is 79 today.

That means we'll all be stepping into new decades when our next birthdays roll around.

Every day, every year is a gift to be celebrated.

Sending you sunny Saturday salutations.

The Dog Days of Summer

Although I have not so far managed my new year goals of walking and blogging every day in 2025, I am now recommitting to those intentions for what's left of this year -- no matter the current weather or the fact that the world is literally on fire.

As I'm typing this, it is 107 F with a high expected of 112 F.  August often brings high humidity which I do not look forward to at all.  We've already experienced such days in July and it makes for very unpleasant conditions.

My husband had planned to visit a friend in the hospital this morning but sadly he will instead be attending his funeral this evening.  A longtime, heavy smoker, his body was riddled with cancer and his health deteriorated quickly.

May kindness, compassion, grace and mercy guide our days.

And when that isn't enough, may we rise up and resist with love and commitment.

Crocheted Comfort

 The book I posted yesterday (50 things that really matter) contains short stories about gratitude and lessons learned.  Story 18 is about afternoon naps.

I can only nap if I'm sick or have jet lag, but my husband usually takes quick naps when he gets home from work after 4 p.m.  He goes to bed early every night and can still sleep with no problem.

I'm the mom making the afghans :)  lots and lots of them.

Granny scrap-ghans to be precise. 

I just keep adding to them when I come across complementary colors in my stash or am given yarn by a craft friend.  I might go buy a new skein if I'm ready to finish one off.  Some are baby sized, some are bigger.  I never tire of making of them.

One who sleeps under a crocheted blanket is comforted by love.(happilyhooked.com)

Have a good week.

Silent Sunday

 

Caturday Kindness

I have a thing for hearts so it is always a nice surprise when I find random ones on my walks.

Even if it's just a piece of broken glass with etched hearts on it found in the dirt.

One of my summer goals is to go through my book collection to see what will stay and what will go.  I already donated many that I knew I'd never read since I mostly prefer non-fiction now.  I'm going to start with the shorter books that I can read through quickly and decide right away whether to keep or pass along.

This one I will keep.

Mattie died on June 22, 2004, at the age of 13 from a rare form of muscular dystrophy.  He had three siblings who died before him from the same inherited disease.

Mattie wanted to be remembered as "a poet, a peacemaker and a philosopher who played."

The smallest act of kindness is worth more

than the greatest intention.

(Kahlil Gibran)

A Different New Year

 My husband was off yesterday for Hijri New Year (according to the Islamic calendar, the date was 1 Muharram 1447).  We didn't do much -- went to a mall where he bought a shirt, I bought some lotion and we came right back home.  

He's also off today because it's Friday (Juma'a) which is the holy day for Muslims.

We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant just 5 minutes away from us.  During the winter months when the weather is nice, we can actually walk there from our place.  Today the high was supposedly 106 F though it sure feels a lot hotter.

I've been using scrap yarns to make granny square blankets and when they are still small enough, take them out with me for those moments where waiting is required.

While crocheting at home, I watch YouTube videos -- about unique homes or crafting.  Granny squares don't require a lot of my attention.

But sometimes Miss Rosie does.

Blessed Friday,

Still Here

While politicians beat their war drums, I'm still over here trying to find beauty and purpose in each new day.

While narcissistic men in suits and ties are hell bent on destroying people and the planet, I'm still walking, still picking up trash and still feeding kitties.

Summer heat has arrived so morning walks are somewhat more comfortable.  With temperatures currently at 105F and climbing, it sadly becomes a more common occurrence to find dead cats and birds  :(  If I'm not able to bury them then I at least try to find a spot where I can cover them completely in leaves away from passersby.

It was serendipitous to come across a small patch of morning glories after the discovery of death.  Natures way of counterbalancing as I mourn all the good that is lost in this world because of those who worship money and power.  The warmongering buffoons who are currently sowing chaos across many countries and their supporters with their supremacist ideologies are a blight on the diverse beauty and cultures of this world.  Their gangrenous gaslighting and regurgitation of past propoganda is off the scale.

I'm still connecting through craft, although Tuesday a week ago was my last mid-week meet-up with Susanna.  

She was able to make our Saturday morning Kuwait Crafters meeting before she flew to the States Saturday night.  I won't see her again until September, but who knows what will happen between now and then.

We were told the country's siren warning system would be tested yesterday but I never heard a thing and my husband said he didn't either.  Even if the sirens were to blare, we can't remember what the different sounds mean and I wasn't able to find any information online.

Our friend, Zhraa, returned from Iran the Tuesday before its bully neighbor started blasting it (all with the blessing and backing of the good ol' U S of A :[

She brought us a traditional Irani sweet that was in the prettiest packaging and Miss Rosie was quite intrigued by the scent of it. 

“Humanity is not without answers or solutions regarding how to liberate itself from scenarios that invariably end with mass exterminations. Tools such as compassion, trust, empathy, love, and ethical discernment are already in our possession. The next sensible step would be to use them.”

― Aberjhani, Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays

Monday Meet-up

 Susanna is traveling tomorrow morning so we moved our Tuesday meet-up to today.

We always meet at Sluggish, our favorite vegan coffee shop where MukaMuka is the cafe kitty in residence.

And today there was the cutest little visitor named Oliver.

I'm making a sample booklet of small tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) patterns.

While Susanna continued work on her "handmade" project from thrifted quilt blocks that I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Waving hi from here.

Have a good week.