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A 30-day yoga journey created by Yoga with Adriene.

Yesterday was Day 0 with a welcome video and today was the first practice.

I've signed up in the past but haven't always finished out the month.

One year it took me until May to do the 30 days.

Wish me luck.

Started this book last night.

The first chapter.

Today was overcast and hazy, just like yesterday.

This sun did try to peep through so my afternoon walk was nice, but the evening walk was a little cold ... at least to me (temperature was in the 50's but I'm a winter wimp).

Speaking of peeping.

I love when I snap photos while out on my walks and don't realize exactly what's there until after I get home and look through my camera roll.

A little peek-a-boo moment there on the left.

So cute.

Also cute is this little guy I found on the ground.

Happy Monday!

Hello 2023

 Hi Friends!

From my walk  yesterday it was apparent that some people had already started celebrating.

More celebratory litter on my walk today.

The weather on this first day of the new year was very hazy and overcast with a chilly wind blowing through but I still took a couple of walks this afternoon.  I'm determined to walk as much as I can each and every day.

Sending you blessings of love and light and wishes for a healthy, happy new year.

Take care.

Solstice Salutations

... This is the solstice, the still point
of the sun, its cusp and midnight,

the year’s threshold

and unlocking, where the past

lets go of and becomes the future;

the place of caught breath, the door

of a vanished house left ajar. ...

(Margaret Atwood)

Sending light and love.

Find It, Found, Foiled

Rubbish Walks in the UK is an account I follow on IG.  It's run by Jason Alexander who refers to himself as a litterologist.  Yesterday I watched one of his videos where he found a cup on the beach and filled it up with litter.

Find it, fill it.

(Same thing I do with plastic bags but on a smaller scale.)

Today I came across two cups and filled them up.

Interesting that the one cup says "Turn Off" because it is definitely a turn off if you are littering.

 

I think there's a theme going on here.

Yesterday I found a bunch of faux flowers being thrown out.
And today I found this on the ground.

A doily I thought I had finished before my walk this morning had to be ripped back because somehow I only wound up with 7 points instead of 8.

Is points the right word -- I don't even know.

But I do know it's my bedtime so gotta go.

Good night.

A Drizzly Surprise

 I thought I had waited out the chance of rain this morning, but halfway into my walk, the drizzle started.  It was a nice drizzle though; refreshing since we don't often get rain in the desert.

I always pick up litter along the way, find a kitty to feed and leave a little love whenever I can.

And just as I got closer to home, I noticed that someone had put out a big bunch of flowers by the trashcan.

"No flowers without a little rain" ... even if they are fake.  :)

Have a nice day.

Several Things for Day Three

My game plan was to post every day this month.  Vloggers do Vlogmas on YouTube so thought I'd do Blogmas here, but I already missed day two.  :)  Whoops!

Last night we went to a wedding -- I normally don't like to go as they are all quite different and never know what to expect.  Often, I'm not appropriately dressed because my husband is not good at asking questions and getting details.  Sometimes we go, just to make an appearance but don't stay very long; however, since we had friends in from New York who went with us, we kinda had to follow their lead .... and as a result, we didn't get home until after midnight.

Dancing went on for several hours which meant the dinner buffet didn't start until 10:00 p.m. (another reason I don't like going since I'm not a fan of eating so late).

Anyways ...

What I had planned to post yesterday was the start of a granny square scrapghan made entirely from leftover yarn.

Since it's just for me -- to be used as a lapghan or table cover or an outdoor blanket -- I'm literally just knotting each new color in and crocheting away.  

Besides, I love the scrappy look of handmade patched together with whatever is available.

Today was our by-weekly Kuwait Crafters meet-up -- 8 of this time, always a lovely morning of sharing and crafting.

Happy Saturday!

Hello December!

 Hi Friends!
Hope this finds you doing well.

To kick off the season today I crocheted a little tree ornament following a YouTube tutorial by Kristines Crochets.  The variegated yarn is some that I've had forever -- just leftover bits of it that can only be used for small projects.  (Plus, the red-green-white combo always makes me think of Christmas.)

I've made many of Kristine's designs but it was her Everyday Tote Bag video that got me started.

I wound up making 9 of them (but didn't get pictures of all the colors) and have already gifted 5.  

.  Her tutorials are easy to follow along with and quite peaceful since there's no talking, only nice background music as she crochets, and pattern details are also printed on the screen as each round is worked.

Needless to say, I'm definitely hooked and will for sure be following along with many more of her videos.

Wishing you a merry month.

Still Here, Crafting Caturday

 Long time no blog ... again.
Story of my life.

Had a lovely couple of hours with my craft group this morning.  We are finally meeting regularly (every other Saturday) after a 2-1/2 year break because of the pandemic.

Some of the members bring finished projects for show and tell.

And then we craft and chat away the morning.

It's always a nice, inspiring time and just about the only socializing I get these days.

Although we did just have our nephew here from Canada for 10 days but I'll save the highlights of his visit for another time.

Happy Caturday!

Crafting Days of Summer

 Did you know that Friday the 12th was World Cross-stitch Day?I stitched and photographed the above for a post to our Kuwait Crafters Instagram account.

And stitched a small design from Gaza that is documented in the book Palestinian Embroidery.On Saturday, 6 of us gathered for crafting in public ... something we've not done in quite awhile.  (We are hoping to start up our regular craft meetings again next month.)Zhraa on the far left is the one who crocheted the granny square sweater for me that I posted about before.  Saturday was the first time I wore it and I really do love it so much.

And speaking of granny squares.

Yesterday was Granny Square Day hosted by @simplycrochetmag over on Instragram.  The bottom left are the squares that some of our Kuwait Crafters posted last year, and the above right is from this year.  Bottom right are some of the traditional squares (my favorite) that I made over the weekend and yesterday I crocheted the Flora Granny Square designed by Lucy at Attic24. 

I miss walking but it's currently 11:18 a.m. and 104 degrees (with a high expected of at least 110 F) so indoor crafting is the best thing to do this time of year.

Museum Visit

 Yesterday was World Embroidery Day so thought I’d share our visit of July 11th to the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan located in Almaty.

From 1931, the museum was based in a former cathedral (built by A.P. Zenkov between 1904-1907) but a new building was designed and erected in 1985.

 It is said to be one of the biggest museums in Central Asia and houses a collection of more than 300,000 artifacts across 7 main exhibition halls.

My favorite sections of any museum are always those that depict the traditional culture, life, household items and arts and crafts of a place and its people which always includes textiles that are woven or stitched or hooked.

The last exhibit we entered showcased collections of clothing, crafts and other items particular to many of the different Central Asian ethnic groups.

Although the grounds surrounding the museum were a big mess with some sort of revitalization going on, inside everything was very organized and a pleasure to walk through, providing inspiration via the craftsmanship and artistry of long ago 

Hope you enjoyed this quick tour.

Sunday blessings.

Long Time

 Three months since my last post.

Where do I begin?

We traveled to Bishkek, Kyrgystan end of April-early May where I sprained my left wrist while on a hike and that meant I had to abandon the 100 day creativity project.  (It took nearly a month for my wrist to heal.)

(Alamedin Gorge, Bishkek, Kyrgystan, May 2, 2022)

At the end of May, I went to the States for a month to see my boys and to be with my mom when she had wrist surgery.  (She fell months earlier and the bone did not heal properly so surgery was necessary to try to get some movement back in her wrist/hand/fingers.)

(Idaho Springs, Colorado, June 18, 2022)

Just as I got over the jet lag from that trip, we went to Almaty, Kazakhstan for 5 days.  Unfortunately, a nagging eye problem had me in bed our last afternoon there and once back in Kuwait, a doctor's visit was necessary. (Thankfully, the two eyedrops, ointment, and two different pills did the trick after about a week and my eye finally feels fine.) (Statue of Kazakh composer, Mukan Tolebayav, Almaty, Kazakhstan, July 11, 2022)

Yesterday was the first day that I stepped out the front door since we got back from Kazakhstan on the 13th (except for going to the eye doctor).

I met up with my crafty friend, Zhraa, who gifted me with a belated birthday gift (that she apparently had to totally redo -- my birthday was in February).

Traditional granny squares are my favorite and I'm so in love with how colorful and beautiful this sweater is.  She even ordered a special tag to attach to it that is totally awesome and so true since it really did take her freaking forever to finish.

She said she missed my IG posts about my neighborhood walks so I forced myself out the door this morning for a wander which always includes picking up litter and feeding kitties.  Before 9:00 a.m., the temperature is still just below 100 F so I need to get out before then if I'm going to keep this up.

As always, I hope this finds you doing well.

Take care.